Betta St. John, who portrayed the lovely island girl Liat in the original Broadway production of South Pacific and starred as a princess alongside Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr in the MGM romantic comedy Dream Wife, has died. She was 93.
St. John died June 23 of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England, her son, TV producer Roger Grant, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The California native played one of the survivors of an airline crash, who is chased by a crocodile in Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957) — the first Tarzan film in 15 years and the first one in color — and then returned for Tarzan the Magnificent (1960). Both films starred Gordon Scott as the King of the Jungle.
St. John also starred with Stewart Granger, Ann Blyth and Robert Taylor in All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953); with Victor Mature, Piper Laurie and Vincent Price in the 3-D adventure Dangerous...
St. John died June 23 of natural causes at an assisted living facility in Brighton, England, her son, TV producer Roger Grant, told The Hollywood Reporter.
The California native played one of the survivors of an airline crash, who is chased by a crocodile in Tarzan and the Lost Safari (1957) — the first Tarzan film in 15 years and the first one in color — and then returned for Tarzan the Magnificent (1960). Both films starred Gordon Scott as the King of the Jungle.
St. John also starred with Stewart Granger, Ann Blyth and Robert Taylor in All the Brothers Were Valiant (1953); with Victor Mature, Piper Laurie and Vincent Price in the 3-D adventure Dangerous...
- 7/7/2023
- by Mike Barnes
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Amy Tan's iconic exploration of identity, friendship, and womanhood is getting the sequel treatment. In collaboration with Oscar-winning screenwriter Ron Bass, the bestselling author is releasing a sequel to 1993's "The Joy Luck Club," inspired by her 1989 novel of the same name. Like the original movie, the new film - which will also be produced by Ashok Amritraj's Hyde Park Entertainment Group and producer Jeff Kleeman - will tell the multigenerational story of Chinese and Chinese American mothers and daughters as their lives intertwine. Expanding on the source material, the sequel will also see the daughters become mothers and the mothers become grandmothers, adding a new generation of women to the saga.
"Now more than ever it is important to share authentic stories about the Asian-American experience."
"I am thrilled to work with Amy, Ron and Jeff to bring this special film to the screen," Amritraj told Deadline.
"Now more than ever it is important to share authentic stories about the Asian-American experience."
"I am thrilled to work with Amy, Ron and Jeff to bring this special film to the screen," Amritraj told Deadline.
- 10/13/2022
- by Chanel Vargas
- Popsugar.com
A sequel to “The Joy Luck Club” is on its way.
According to Variety, novelist Amy Tan and screenwriter Ron Bass are working on the upcoming flick, which will be a followup to the 1993 movie.
A synopsis for the groundbreaking, ’90s Asian-American film reads, “Four Chinese women along with their mothers delve into their past and try to find answers. Slowly, this search helps them to understand the complex relationship they share with each other.”
The original flick starred Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, and Kieu Chinh, as well as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, and more.
The sequel will see “the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture, heritage, love, womanhood and identity,” Variety reports.
Read More: Meghan Markle’s Podcast Returns To Unpack Misrepresented ‘Caricatures’ Of Asian Women In Film And Media
The...
According to Variety, novelist Amy Tan and screenwriter Ron Bass are working on the upcoming flick, which will be a followup to the 1993 movie.
A synopsis for the groundbreaking, ’90s Asian-American film reads, “Four Chinese women along with their mothers delve into their past and try to find answers. Slowly, this search helps them to understand the complex relationship they share with each other.”
The original flick starred Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, and Kieu Chinh, as well as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, and more.
The sequel will see “the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture, heritage, love, womanhood and identity,” Variety reports.
Read More: Meghan Markle’s Podcast Returns To Unpack Misrepresented ‘Caricatures’ Of Asian Women In Film And Media
The...
- 10/12/2022
- by Becca Longmire
- ET Canada
Almost 30 years after the original’s 1993 release, a sequel to The Joy Luck Club is on the way. Amy Tan and Ron Bass will write the script, with Jeff Kleeman and Ashok Amritraj of Hyde Park Entertainment Group producing. The original film, directed by Wayne Wang, focuses on the life histories of four East Asian women and their daughters. Through their richly-detailed life experiences, the women pass their knowledge onto a new generation, hoping to shape them into strong and independent individuals. Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu, Ming-Na Wen, and Lauren Tom, who starred in the original, are in talks to reprise their roles for The Joy Luck Club sequel.
The Joy Luck Club is a well-respected film often credited with changing the face of Asian cinema. The heartfelt drama helped launch the career of Ming-Na Wen, the badass you know from Marvel’s Agents of S.
The Joy Luck Club is a well-respected film often credited with changing the face of Asian cinema. The heartfelt drama helped launch the career of Ming-Na Wen, the badass you know from Marvel’s Agents of S.
- 10/12/2022
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
“The Joy Luck Club” is reconvening for a sequel three decades after the adaptation of Amy Tan’s award-winning novel became a milestone for Asian American representation onscreen.
Tan and “The Joy Luck Club” screenwriter Ron Bass are teaming up to develop the project, with Tan, Jeff Kleeman and Hyde Park Entertainment Group’s Ashok Amritraj and Priya Amritraj producing. A director has not yet been named.
The original leading cast of the Wayne Wang-directed film – which included Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita, Lisa Lu, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom and Ming-Na Wen – are in talks to star.
Also Read:
Randall Park’s Directorial Debut ‘Shortcomings’ Sets Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki as Stars
Released in 1993, “The Joy Luck Club” revolved around a San Francisco-based group of Chinese immigrant mothers and their Chinese American daughters who navigate the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships, cultural...
Tan and “The Joy Luck Club” screenwriter Ron Bass are teaming up to develop the project, with Tan, Jeff Kleeman and Hyde Park Entertainment Group’s Ashok Amritraj and Priya Amritraj producing. A director has not yet been named.
The original leading cast of the Wayne Wang-directed film – which included Rosalind Chao, Tamlyn Tomita, Lisa Lu, Kieu Chinh, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom and Ming-Na Wen – are in talks to star.
Also Read:
Randall Park’s Directorial Debut ‘Shortcomings’ Sets Justin H. Min, Sherry Cola, Ally Maki as Stars
Released in 1993, “The Joy Luck Club” revolved around a San Francisco-based group of Chinese immigrant mothers and their Chinese American daughters who navigate the push and pull of mother-daughter relationships, cultural...
- 10/12/2022
- by Harper Lambert
- The Wrap
Novelist Amy Tan and Oscar-winning “Rain Man” screenwriter Ron Bass are on board to deliver a sequel to “The Joy Luck Club,” the 1993 movie that broke new ground for Asian American representation.
The new film, “Joy Luck Club 2,” is set up at Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group, with Ashok and Priya Amritraj producing alongside Tan, Bass and Jeff Kleeman. A director hasn’t been announced yet.
The original “Joy Luck Club,” directed by Wayne Wang, was an epic, multigenerational saga of Chinese and Chinese-American mothers and daughters, whose histories, stories and lives interweave as they navigate life. Club members included characters played by Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu and Kieu Chinh. The ensemble cast also included Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao and Russell Wong.
In “Joy Luck Club 2,” the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture,...
The new film, “Joy Luck Club 2,” is set up at Ashok Amritraj’s Hyde Park Entertainment Group, with Ashok and Priya Amritraj producing alongside Tan, Bass and Jeff Kleeman. A director hasn’t been announced yet.
The original “Joy Luck Club,” directed by Wayne Wang, was an epic, multigenerational saga of Chinese and Chinese-American mothers and daughters, whose histories, stories and lives interweave as they navigate life. Club members included characters played by Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lisa Lu and Kieu Chinh. The ensemble cast also included Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao and Russell Wong.
In “Joy Luck Club 2,” the mothers become grandmothers and the daughters become mothers in their own right, introducing a new generation exploring their own relationships with culture,...
- 10/12/2022
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
The Washington Post corrected a photo caption on Monday that misidentified nearly every actress in a photograph from the seminal 1993 film “The Joy Luck Club.”
The piece, “Why ‘The Joy Luck Club’ is the most interesting — and frustrating — addition to the National Film Registry this year,” featured Kieu Chinh, Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom, Lisa Lu and Rosalind Chao in a still taken from the film.
But when the piece was first published, the caption misidentified the actresses in order as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Ming-Na Wen, Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen and Lauren Tom.
“‘From left,’ nearly every name is incorrect. Tsai Chin seems to be the only one they accidentally got right,” Phil Yu, who runs the Angry Asian Man Twitter account, tweeted on Monday alongside a screenshot of the original caption.
The Post corrected the mistake, saying, “An earlier...
The piece, “Why ‘The Joy Luck Club’ is the most interesting — and frustrating — addition to the National Film Registry this year,” featured Kieu Chinh, Ming-Na Wen, Tamlyn Tomita, Tsai Chin, France Nuyen, Lauren Tom, Lisa Lu and Rosalind Chao in a still taken from the film.
But when the piece was first published, the caption misidentified the actresses in order as Tamlyn Tomita, Rosalind Chao, Ming-Na Wen, Tsai Chin, Kieu Chinh, Lisa Lu, France Nuyen and Lauren Tom.
“‘From left,’ nearly every name is incorrect. Tsai Chin seems to be the only one they accidentally got right,” Phil Yu, who runs the Angry Asian Man Twitter account, tweeted on Monday alongside a screenshot of the original caption.
The Post corrected the mistake, saying, “An earlier...
- 12/14/2020
- by J. Clara Chan
- The Wrap
In today’s film news roundup, James Wan’s “Malignant” gets a late-summer release, a Rita Hayworth documentary is shooting and Women in Animation have announced diversity awards winners.
Release Date
Warner Bros. has set an Aug. 14 release date for James Wan’s horror thriller “Malignant.”
Wan will direct the movie, based on a story by Wan and Ingrid Bisu. It will shoot in Los Angeles and has been selected for a state tax credit by the California Film Commission.
The film will star Bisou, Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jake Abel and Jacqueline McKenzie. Wan and Michael Clear will produce via their Atomic Monster banner. Starlight Media and Midas Innovation will provide financing.
Wan’s directing credits include “Saw,” “The Conjuring,” “The Conjuring 2,” “Furious 7,” and “Aquaman.”
Hayworth Documentary
Bremedia Produktion GmbH has started filming a documentary on Rita Hayworth from Katja Runge and Henning van Lil.
Release Date
Warner Bros. has set an Aug. 14 release date for James Wan’s horror thriller “Malignant.”
Wan will direct the movie, based on a story by Wan and Ingrid Bisu. It will shoot in Los Angeles and has been selected for a state tax credit by the California Film Commission.
The film will star Bisou, Annabelle Wallis, Maddie Hasson, George Young, Michole Briana White, Jake Abel and Jacqueline McKenzie. Wan and Michael Clear will produce via their Atomic Monster banner. Starlight Media and Midas Innovation will provide financing.
Wan’s directing credits include “Saw,” “The Conjuring,” “The Conjuring 2,” “Furious 7,” and “Aquaman.”
Hayworth Documentary
Bremedia Produktion GmbH has started filming a documentary on Rita Hayworth from Katja Runge and Henning van Lil.
- 10/23/2019
- by Dave McNary
- Variety Film + TV
Pearl S. Buck and Leo McCarey give it to ya straight: Red China is Bad. This strange mix of Cold War truth-telling and mawkish, ethics-challenged church sentiment may have meant well, but it overstates everything. A top-flight cast works hard to make it compelling: William Holden, France Nuyen and in his last film, Clifton Webb.
Satan Never Sleeps
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 125 min./ Street Date , 2019 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: William Holden, Clifton Webb, France Nuyen, Athene Seyler, Martin Benson, Weaver Lee, Burt Kwouk.
Cinematography: Oswald Morris
Film Editor: Gordon Pilkington
Original Music: Richard Rodney Bennett
Written by Claude Binyon from the novel The China Story by Pearl S. Buck
Produced and Directed by Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey’s film career followed quite a strange trajectory. A master of Laurel & Hardy classics, and an absolute king of sophisticated comedy in the 1930s, his cooperative method...
Satan Never Sleeps
Blu-ray
Twilight Time
1962 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 125 min./ Street Date , 2019 / Available from the Twilight Time Movies Store / 29.95
Starring: William Holden, Clifton Webb, France Nuyen, Athene Seyler, Martin Benson, Weaver Lee, Burt Kwouk.
Cinematography: Oswald Morris
Film Editor: Gordon Pilkington
Original Music: Richard Rodney Bennett
Written by Claude Binyon from the novel The China Story by Pearl S. Buck
Produced and Directed by Leo McCarey
Leo McCarey’s film career followed quite a strange trajectory. A master of Laurel & Hardy classics, and an absolute king of sophisticated comedy in the 1930s, his cooperative method...
- 1/19/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
By Hank Reineke
As one might expect from any 1960’s James Bond pastiche, an assortment of cool spy gadgetry is on display in Franklin Adreon’s Dimension 5 (1966): microchips secreted in the rear compartment of a Bulova wristwatch, a poison dart firing pen, an exploding briefcase, and a cool bullet-firing point-and-shoot 35mm camera. If that’s not enough – and with possible exception of the invisible car from Die Another Day (2002) - Dimension 5 offers us one of the more ridiculous and dubious items found in any secret agent arsenal… a “time-convertor” belt.
We’re first introduced to this device during the film’s mildly exciting pre-credits sequence. In the first few minutes we’re treated to what one expects from a nifty ‘60s spy thriller: a bit of a car chase, a surprising punch-to-the mouth of a double-crossing Asian villainess and a swooping helicopter rescue. What we do not...
As one might expect from any 1960’s James Bond pastiche, an assortment of cool spy gadgetry is on display in Franklin Adreon’s Dimension 5 (1966): microchips secreted in the rear compartment of a Bulova wristwatch, a poison dart firing pen, an exploding briefcase, and a cool bullet-firing point-and-shoot 35mm camera. If that’s not enough – and with possible exception of the invisible car from Die Another Day (2002) - Dimension 5 offers us one of the more ridiculous and dubious items found in any secret agent arsenal… a “time-convertor” belt.
We’re first introduced to this device during the film’s mildly exciting pre-credits sequence. In the first few minutes we’re treated to what one expects from a nifty ‘60s spy thriller: a bit of a car chase, a surprising punch-to-the mouth of a double-crossing Asian villainess and a swooping helicopter rescue. What we do not...
- 12/8/2017
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' 2015: Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' movie is a domestic box office bomb: Will it be saved by international filmgoers? Directed by Sherlock Holmes' Guy Ritchie and toplining Man of Steel star Henry Cavill and The Lone Ranger costar Armie Hammer, the Warner Bros. release The Man from U.N.C.L.E. has been a domestic box office disaster, performing about 25 percent below – already quite modest – expectations. (See also: “'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Movie: Bigger Box Office Flop Than Expected.”) This past weekend, the $80 million-budget The Man from U.N.C.L.E. collected a meager $13.42 million from 3,638 North American theaters, averaging $3,689 per site. After five days out, the big-screen reboot of the popular 1960s television series starring Robert Vaughn and David McCallum has taken in a mere $16.77 million. For comparison's sake:...
- 8/19/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' with Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' box office: Bigger domestic flop than expected? Before I address the box office debacle of Warner Bros.' The Man from U.N.C.L.E., I'd like remark upon the fact that 2015 has been a notable year at the North American box office. That's when the dinosaurs of Jurassic World smashed Hulk and his fellow Halloween-costumed Marvel superheroes of Avengers: Age of Ultron. And smashed them good: $636.73 million vs. $457.52 million. (See also: 'Jurassic World' beating 'The Avengers' worldwide and domestically?) At least in part for sentimental (or just downright morbid) reasons – Paul Walker's death in a car accident in late 2013 – Furious 7 has become by far the highest-grossing The Fast and the Furious movie in the U.S. and Canada: $351.03 million. (Shades of Heath Ledger's unexpected death...
- 8/16/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' with Henry Cavill. 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' box office: Hollywood's third domestic bomb in a row Right on the heels of Chris Columbus-Adam Sandler's Pixels and Josh Trank's Fantastic Four comes The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a big screen adaptation of the 1960s television series, directed by Guy Ritchie and starring Man of Steel hero Henry Cavill and The Lone Ranger costar Armie Hammer. (See updated follow-up post: “'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' Movie Box Office: Bigger Bomb Than Expected.”) Budgeted at a reported $88 million, to date Pixels has collected a mere $61.11 million in North America. Overseas things are a little better: an estimated $73.6 million as of Aug. 9, for a worldwide total of approx. $134.71 million. Sounds profitable? Well, not yet. First of all, let's not forget that distributor...
- 8/15/2015
- by Zac Gille
- Alt Film Guide
Ron Moody as Fagin in 'Oliver!' based on Charles Dickens' 'Oliver Twist.' Ron Moody as Fagin in Dickens musical 'Oliver!': Box office and critical hit (See previous post: "Ron Moody: 'Oliver!' Actor, Academy Award Nominee Dead at 91.") Although British made, Oliver! turned out to be an elephantine release along the lines of – exclamation point or no – Gypsy, Star!, Hello Dolly!, and other Hollywood mega-musicals from the mid'-50s to the early '70s.[1] But however bloated and conventional the final result, and a cast whose best-known name was that of director Carol Reed's nephew, Oliver Reed, Oliver! found countless fans.[2] The mostly British production became a huge financial and critical success in the U.S. at a time when star-studded mega-musicals had become perilous – at times downright disastrous – ventures.[3] Upon the American release of Oliver! in Dec. 1968, frequently acerbic The...
- 6/19/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ trailer: New trailer for 2014 ‘Planet of the Apes’ film shows humans are the most dangerous apes of them all (image: Caesar in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’) The new Dawn of the Planet of the Apes trailer is out. Caesar and his fellow genetically modified apes enjoy a peaceful existence until created-in-God’s-image apes — that’s self-delusional humans — discover the Gmo apes’ hiding place in a lush forest. Much like gays were blamed for the AIDS virus a few decades ago, the virtuous and righteous humans (Gary Oldman among them) blame the Gmo apes for a virus that all but wiped out humankind. Enter the military, ever eager to save the world for peace and happiness by way of some heavy-duty weaponry. Needless to say, I’m ardently rooting for Caesar (Andy Serkis) and his fellow Gmo apes. Check out the...
- 5/8/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ trailer: 2014 ‘Apes’ movie pits Gmo apes against Gmo-eating apes (photo: Simmering Caesar means business in ‘Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ teaser trailer) The Dawn of the Planet of the Apes trailer — or rather, teaser trailer — has been unleashed. Caesar and his fellow genetically modified apes find themselves threatened by a bunch of genetically modified food-eating apes (i.e., humans) who survived the pandemic of the previous decade. Whereas throughout their existence humans used to do battle with one another because of their different nationalities, ethnicities, soccer teams, and/or favorite god(s), they’ve now banded together to face off against the hairier apes. Check out the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes below. "I want you to know, it’s not just about power," a disembodied voice explains in the trailer. "It’s about giving us the hope to rebuild,...
- 12/20/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Charlton Heston movies: ‘A Man for All Seasons’ remake, ‘The Greatest Story Ever Told’ (photo: Charlton Heston as Ben-Hur) (See previous post: “Charlton Heston: Moses Minus Staff Plus Chariot Equals Ben-Hur.”) I’ve yet to watch Irving Rapper’s melo Bad for Each Other (1954), co-starring the sultry Lizabeth Scott — always a good enough reason to check out any movie, regardless of plot or leading man. A major curiosity is the 1988 made-for-tv version of A Man for All Seasons, with Charlton Heston in the Oscar-winning Paul Scofield role (Sir Thomas More) and on Fred Zinnemann’s director’s chair. Vanessa Redgrave, who plays Thomas More’s wife in the TV movie (Wendy Hiller in the original) had a cameo as Anne Boleyn in the 1966 film. According to the IMDb, Robert Bolt, who wrote the Oscar-winning 1966 movie (and the original play), is credited for the 1988 version’s screenplay as well. Also of note,...
- 8/5/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Charlton Heston: Moses has his ‘Summer Under the Stars’ day Charlton Heston is Turner Classic Movies’ "Summer Under the Stars" star on Monday, August 5, 2013. TCM will be presenting one Heston movie premiere: Guy Green’s Hawaiian-set family drama Diamond Head (1963), in which Heston plays a pineapple grower, U.S. Senate candidate, and total control freak at odds with his strong-willed younger sister, the lovely Yvette Mimieux. Also in the Diamond Head cast: France Nuyen, Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winner George Chakiris (West Side Story), The Time Tunnel‘s James Darren, and veteran Aline MacMahon (Gold Diggers of 1933, Five Star Final) in one of her last movie roles. And last but not least, silent film star Billie Dove reportedly has a bit role in the film. (Photo: Charlton Heston ca. 1955.) (Charlton Heston movies: TCM schedule.) Now, with the exception of Orson Welles’ Touch of Evil, in which Charlton Heston...
- 8/5/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
James Tiberius Kirk. Captain of the starship USS Enterprise. Courageous explorer of the cosmos. Intergalactic love machine. Throughout William Shatner's three-decade reign as Captain Kirk, one thing is clear: his devilish charm works wonders with the ladies, both human and alien.
Jj Abrams has carried this through in Chris Pine's incarnation of the character, hooking Kirk up with a green-skinned Orion Starfleet officer in 2009's Star Trek and two cat-like aliens in Star Trek Into Darkness.
To mark the return of Kirk to the big screen, Digital Spy takes a look at 5 of the cosmic lothario's most memorable love interests from The Original Series.
Shahna in 'The Gamesters of Triskelion'
Angelique Pettyjohn's green-haired drill thrall encountered the Star Trek crew on her homeworld of Triskelion, where she was tasked with training Kirk for gladiatorial battle. Naturally, Shahna was unable to resist the Captain's charm, but at the...
Jj Abrams has carried this through in Chris Pine's incarnation of the character, hooking Kirk up with a green-skinned Orion Starfleet officer in 2009's Star Trek and two cat-like aliens in Star Trek Into Darkness.
To mark the return of Kirk to the big screen, Digital Spy takes a look at 5 of the cosmic lothario's most memorable love interests from The Original Series.
Shahna in 'The Gamesters of Triskelion'
Angelique Pettyjohn's green-haired drill thrall encountered the Star Trek crew on her homeworld of Triskelion, where she was tasked with training Kirk for gladiatorial battle. Naturally, Shahna was unable to resist the Captain's charm, but at the...
- 5/5/2013
- Digital Spy
Chicago – In the latest HollywoodChicago.com Hookup: Film with our unique social giveaway technology, we have 25 pairs of classic movie passes up for grabs to see 1958’s “South Pacific” with Mitzi Gaynor in person! For one night only, Mitzi Gaynor will be joined by film historian and author Leonard Maltin.
“South Pacific” comes to Chicago for one night only as part of Turner Classic Movies’ “Road to Hollywood” tour. The film also stars Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen, Russ Brown, Jack Mullaney, Ken Clark, Floyd Simmons, Candace Lee and Warren Hsieh from director Joshua Logan and writers Paul Osborn and Richard Rodgers.
To win your free “South Pacific” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This special showing is on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Music Box Theatre in Chicago. The more social actions you complete,...
“South Pacific” comes to Chicago for one night only as part of Turner Classic Movies’ “Road to Hollywood” tour. The film also stars Rossano Brazzi, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, France Nuyen, Russ Brown, Jack Mullaney, Ken Clark, Floyd Simmons, Candace Lee and Warren Hsieh from director Joshua Logan and writers Paul Osborn and Richard Rodgers.
To win your free “South Pacific” passes courtesy of HollywoodChicago.com, just get interactive with our unique Hookup technology below. That’s it! This special showing is on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 7:30 p.m. at the historic Music Box Theatre in Chicago. The more social actions you complete,...
- 3/16/2013
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival continues to expand, with newly added appearances by legendary stars at screenings of some of their most memorable films, including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Marvin Kaplan, Barrie Chase, Polly Bergen,Coleen Gray, Theodore Bikel and Norman Lloyd, as well as producer Stanley Rubin, Clara Bow biographer David Stenn, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) film collections manager Katie Trainor and director Nicholas Ray’s widow, Susan Ray. In addition, TCM’s Essentials Jr. host and Saturday Night Live star Bill Hader will present screenings of Shane (1953) and The Ladykillers(1955).
And The Film Forum’s Bruce Goldstein will present a special screening of Frank Capra’s The Donovan Affair (1929), complete with live voice actors and sound effects to replace the film’s long-lost soundtrack.Mel Brooks is slated to talk about his comedy The Twelve Chairs (1970). Carl Reiner, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Marvin Kaplan...
And The Film Forum’s Bruce Goldstein will present a special screening of Frank Capra’s The Donovan Affair (1929), complete with live voice actors and sound effects to replace the film’s long-lost soundtrack.Mel Brooks is slated to talk about his comedy The Twelve Chairs (1970). Carl Reiner, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Marvin Kaplan...
- 3/13/2013
- by Melissa Thompson
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival is just over two months away, and is slowly unveiling its usual packed slate of classic stars set to make appearances. Included in this year's in-person lineup are Max von Sydow, Ann Blyth and Eva Marie Saint. These three will each appear with landmark films in their careers; Von Sydow will be on hand for Ingmar Bergman's "The Seventh Seal" and William Friedkin's "The Exorcist"; Blyth for Michael Curtiz' "Mildred Pierce" (pictured above with Joan Crawford) and Vincente Minelli's "Kismet"; and Saint for Elia Kazan's Best-Picture-winner "On the Waterfront." Actors Mitzi Gaynor and France Nuyen ("South Pacific") and Jacqueline White ("The Narrow Margin"), along with filmmakers Kevin Brownlow (introducing newly restored silent classic "The Big Parade"), and Jerry Zucker, David Zucker and Jim Abrahams ("Airplane!") are also scheduled...
- 2/20/2013
- by Beth Hanna
- Thompson on Hollywood
Kerr in the 1958 box-office blockbuster musical South Pacific (seen above with love interest France Nuyen) and his (few) other post-Tea and Sympathy efforts [Please check out the previous article: "The Two Kerrs in the stage and film versions of Tea and Sympathy."] Director Curtis Bernhardt's Gaby (1956) was a generally disliked remake of Waterloo Bridge, with Kerr and leading lady Leslie Caron in the old Robert Taylor and Vivien Leigh roles (1940 movie version -- and even older Douglass Montgomery and Mae Clarke roles in the 1931 film version). Jeffrey Hayden's The Vintage (1957), starring Kerr and Mel Ferrer absurdly cast as Italian brothers, also failed to generate much box-office or critical interest. MGM leading lady Pier Angeli played Ferrer's love interest in the film, while the more mature and married French star Michèle Morgan (a plot element similar to that found in Tea and Sympathy) is Kerr's object of desire. (Pictured above: South Pacific cast members John Kerr and France Nuyen embracing.) Also in the mid-'50s, John Kerr...
- 2/9/2013
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Yes, he really does go where no man has gone before because he goes his own way, and that's quite wonderful.
William Shatner's one-man show, "Shatner's World we just live in it ..." opened Thursday night (Feb. 16) at The Music Box. It's great fun, and this is from someone who was not a bona fide Trekkie.
Clearly many in the theater were, and cheered as soon as the familiar strains of the theme song filled the theater. What Shatner very ably does, with "Star Trek" and other earlier TV gigs, stage work and movies, is give the audience his perspective on himself.
To do a one-person show about one's life, one must have lived; think about how thrilling memoirs from teenagers are. And at 80, Shatner has lived a terrific life. He opens with "Star Trek" memories, which makes sense because he knows that he will always be remembered as Captain James Tiberius Kirk.
William Shatner's one-man show, "Shatner's World we just live in it ..." opened Thursday night (Feb. 16) at The Music Box. It's great fun, and this is from someone who was not a bona fide Trekkie.
Clearly many in the theater were, and cheered as soon as the familiar strains of the theme song filled the theater. What Shatner very ably does, with "Star Trek" and other earlier TV gigs, stage work and movies, is give the audience his perspective on himself.
To do a one-person show about one's life, one must have lived; think about how thrilling memoirs from teenagers are. And at 80, Shatner has lived a terrific life. He opens with "Star Trek" memories, which makes sense because he knows that he will always be remembered as Captain James Tiberius Kirk.
- 2/17/2012
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Pop2it
Host/Center Theatre Group’s artistic director Michael Ritchie, and actors France Nuyen (A Girl Named Tamiko, The Joy Luck Club), Mitzi Gaynor (There’s No Business Like Show Business, Les Girls), John Kerr (Tea and Sympathy, opposite Deborah Kerr — no relation), and Rod Gilfry prior to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ screening of Joshua Logan‘s 1958 musical hit South Pacific. Starring Rossano Brazzi, Gaynor, Kerr, and Nuyen, and featuring Juanita Moore, Ray Walston, and others, South Pacific was presented on Friday, June 25, at the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. Rod Gilfry has the Rossano Brazzi role in the national tour of South Pacific. Matt Petit / ©A.M.P.A.S. Click on the photo to enlarge it.
- 7/2/2010
- by Zhea D.
- Alt Film Guide
Joshua Logan‘s South Pacific: John Kerr, Mitzi Gaynor, Rossano Brazzi (top); John Kerr, France Nuyen (bottom) Tonight at 7:30 p.m., a recently restored 70mm print of the Joshua Logan-directed film version of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II’s musical South Pacific will be screened at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills. South Pacific stars Rossano Brazzi, Mitzi Gaynor, John Kerr, Ray Walston, Juanita Hall, and France Nuyen. The Academy screening is presented in association with Center Theater Group, currently hosting the touring version of the South Pacific Broadway revival. Following the screening, Center Theatre Group’s artistic director Michael Ritchie will lead an onstage discussion featuring veteran Mitzi Gaynor (above), a superb dancer who starred (or was featured in) several 1950s musicals, including There’s No Business Like Show Business, Anything Goes, and Les Girls. Based on James Michener’s novel,...
- 6/26/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Blu-Ray Rating: 5.0/5.0 Chicago – Twentieth Century Fox has pulled out all the stops for the 50th anniversary of one of the most beloved movie musicals of all time, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s classic “South Pacific”. With an entire supplemental disc of not just special features but an extended version of the film and one of the most pristine video transfers that Fox has yet produced, “South Pacific” is one of the best musical HD releases to date.
Having been a theatre student and lover of movie musicals from a young age, I’ve seen “South Pacific” several times, even if it’s never been what I would consider the cream of the crop when it comes to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s work. And yet, and this is the sign of a truly great Blu-Ray release, the film felt knew to me in HD. And despite the film’s overall flaws, the Blu-Ray release of it is absolutely flawless.
Having been a theatre student and lover of movie musicals from a young age, I’ve seen “South Pacific” several times, even if it’s never been what I would consider the cream of the crop when it comes to Rodgers & Hammerstein’s work. And yet, and this is the sign of a truly great Blu-Ray release, the film felt knew to me in HD. And despite the film’s overall flaws, the Blu-Ray release of it is absolutely flawless.
- 4/2/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The controversial MembershipFirst faction of SAG announced Friday a slate of 33 potential candidates who will vie for openings on the national and local boards and go head-to-head with the newly formed opposition group, Unite for Strength.
Among the actors looking to fill Hollywood's 11 national board seats and 22 local seats are 11 new MembershipFirst candidates, including Scott Bakula, Keith Carradine, Charles Shaughnessy and Joely Fisher. Also on the slate are 22 incumbents to the board, including JoBeth Williams, Joe Bologna, and Lainie Kazan.
The announcement of the candidates comes a day before a crucial SAG national board meeting Saturday and two days after Unite for Strength announced its intention to contest seats held by those in MembershipFirst. Unite's 31 candidates include Amy Brenneman, Kate Walsh and Doug Savant.
MembershipFirst came to power in 2005 and currently dominates the Hollywood board, holding the majority of seats as well as backing current president Alan Rosenberg. The group is the controlling voice in the SAG contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, which is currently at a stand still.
Unite for Strength blames MembershipFirst for its hardline approach to the negotiations as well as its anti-aftra sentiment, which led to the unsuccessful campaign to get members to vote down the sister union's primetime/TV deal with the AMPTP.
In its announcement, MembershipFirst said its goals for the coming year include uniting "all actors under the Screen Actors Guild banner, protect actors wages and working conditions in all areas, fight for residuals in all media platforms, protect the right of every dues paying member to vote on SAG issues and to secure complete jurisdiction in new media."
Unite for Strength's main goal is to merge SAG with AFTRA, something the MembershipFirst faction has bitterly opposed in the last two attempts in 1999 and 2003.
The potential MembershipFirst national board candidates are:
Scott Bakula
Joe Bologna (incumbent)
Clancy Brown
Keith Carradine,
Joely Fisher
Lainie Kazan (incumbent)
William Russ (incumbent)
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
JoBeth Williams (incumbent).
Joe d'Angerio (incumbent)
Jane Austin (incumbent)
Jeff Austin (incumbent)
Renee Aubrey (incumbent)
Steve Barr (incumbent)
Michael Bell (incumbent)
Warren Berlinger (incumbent)
Eugene Bogs (incumbent)
Tom Bower
Anthony Desantis (incumbent)
Ron Harper (incumbent)
David Jolliffe (incumbent)
Russell McConnell (incumbent)
Peggy Miley (incumbent)
Paul Napier (incumbent)
Peter Van Norton
France Nuyen (incumbent)
F.J. O'Neil (incumbent)
Vic Polizos
Yale Summers (incumbent)
Charles Malik Whitfield
Christopher R. Wielh
Scott Wilson (incumbent)
Current MembershipFirst sitting members of the SAG National Board of
the Hollywood Division are:
1st Vice President Kent McCord
Angel Tompkins
Bonnie Bartlett
Justine Bateman
Joanna Cassidy
Seymour Cassel
George Coe
Anne DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Leigh French
Elliott Gould
Valerie Harper
Sumi Haru
Robert Hays
Anne-MarieJohnson
Diane Ladd
Piper Laurie
William Mapother
Esai Morales
Barbara Niven
Harrison Page
Susan Savage
Nancy Sinatra
Renee Taylor
Angela Watson
Jenny Worman...
Among the actors looking to fill Hollywood's 11 national board seats and 22 local seats are 11 new MembershipFirst candidates, including Scott Bakula, Keith Carradine, Charles Shaughnessy and Joely Fisher. Also on the slate are 22 incumbents to the board, including JoBeth Williams, Joe Bologna, and Lainie Kazan.
The announcement of the candidates comes a day before a crucial SAG national board meeting Saturday and two days after Unite for Strength announced its intention to contest seats held by those in MembershipFirst. Unite's 31 candidates include Amy Brenneman, Kate Walsh and Doug Savant.
MembershipFirst came to power in 2005 and currently dominates the Hollywood board, holding the majority of seats as well as backing current president Alan Rosenberg. The group is the controlling voice in the SAG contract negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture & Television Producers, which is currently at a stand still.
Unite for Strength blames MembershipFirst for its hardline approach to the negotiations as well as its anti-aftra sentiment, which led to the unsuccessful campaign to get members to vote down the sister union's primetime/TV deal with the AMPTP.
In its announcement, MembershipFirst said its goals for the coming year include uniting "all actors under the Screen Actors Guild banner, protect actors wages and working conditions in all areas, fight for residuals in all media platforms, protect the right of every dues paying member to vote on SAG issues and to secure complete jurisdiction in new media."
Unite for Strength's main goal is to merge SAG with AFTRA, something the MembershipFirst faction has bitterly opposed in the last two attempts in 1999 and 2003.
The potential MembershipFirst national board candidates are:
Scott Bakula
Joe Bologna (incumbent)
Clancy Brown
Keith Carradine,
Joely Fisher
Lainie Kazan (incumbent)
William Russ (incumbent)
Alan Ruck
Charles Shaughnessy
JoBeth Williams (incumbent).
Joe d'Angerio (incumbent)
Jane Austin (incumbent)
Jeff Austin (incumbent)
Renee Aubrey (incumbent)
Steve Barr (incumbent)
Michael Bell (incumbent)
Warren Berlinger (incumbent)
Eugene Bogs (incumbent)
Tom Bower
Anthony Desantis (incumbent)
Ron Harper (incumbent)
David Jolliffe (incumbent)
Russell McConnell (incumbent)
Peggy Miley (incumbent)
Paul Napier (incumbent)
Peter Van Norton
France Nuyen (incumbent)
F.J. O'Neil (incumbent)
Vic Polizos
Yale Summers (incumbent)
Charles Malik Whitfield
Christopher R. Wielh
Scott Wilson (incumbent)
Current MembershipFirst sitting members of the SAG National Board of
the Hollywood Division are:
1st Vice President Kent McCord
Angel Tompkins
Bonnie Bartlett
Justine Bateman
Joanna Cassidy
Seymour Cassel
George Coe
Anne DeSalvo
Frances Fisher
Leigh French
Elliott Gould
Valerie Harper
Sumi Haru
Robert Hays
Anne-MarieJohnson
Diane Ladd
Piper Laurie
William Mapother
Esai Morales
Barbara Niven
Harrison Page
Susan Savage
Nancy Sinatra
Renee Taylor
Angela Watson
Jenny Worman...
- 7/25/2008
- by By Leslie Simmons
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Chronicling one couple's adventures in procreation, "A Smile Like Yours" starts out with a premise that is certainly fertile fodder for a '90s romantic comedy.
However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
At the boxoffice, given that and the fact Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly have yet to prove themselves as bankable leads, moviegoers will likely opt for abstinence.
On the surface, Danny and Jennifer Robertson (Kinnear and Holly) would appear to have everything going for them, including a strong, passionate relationship and good jobs. He works in construction. She is co-owner of a burgeoning aroma-therapy business. The only thing missing in their lives is a bouncing bundle of joy.
While Danny isn't so sure the timing's right, Jennifer becomes absolutely obsessed with the idea. When all homespun methods fail to produce the desired result, they surrender their bodies to a fertility clinic as their marriage, too, is tested by a series of fresh stress loads.
To the script's credit, it doesn't shy away from all the invasive treats that await couples when their attempts at baby-making shift from the bedroom to the lab. The results will likely have some nodding their heads in empathy and others squirming in their seats, but that isn't the picture's problem. It's Samples' awkward freshman direction, which places undue emphasis on all the wrong moments, suffocating potential humor, not to mention lumbering pacing (the kiss of death for a romantic comedy) that makes the film's reasonable 101-minute running time feel interminable.
The other major problem is that Holly and Kinnear (last seen together in "Sabrina") make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own. Picking up the slack is the always terrific Joan Cusack as Holly's business partner, Jay Thomas as Kinnear's work buddy and Marianne Muellerleile who's a riot as a smirking, bullying fertility clinic nurse.
Even Shirley MacLaine has been recruited (obviously as a favor to Samples for Rysher's "Evening Star"), making an unbilled extended cameo at the picture's end, but her considerable comedic talents are unable to resuscitate a production that simply fails to deliver the goods.
A SMILE LIKE YOURS
Paramount Pictures
Rysher Entertainment presents
a David Kirkpatrick production
Director Keith Samples
Screenwriters Kevin Meyer, Keith Samples
Producers David Kirkpatrick, Tony Amatullo
Executive producer Robert Harling
Director of photography Richard Bowen
Production designer Garreth Stover
Editor Wayne Wahrman
Costume designer Jill Ohanneson
Music William Ross
Music supervisors Randy Gerston, Evyen Klean
Casting Jennifer Shull
Color/stereo
Cast:
Danny Robertson Greg Kinnear
Jennifer Robertson Lauren Holly
Nancy Tellen Joan Cusack
Steve Harris Jay Thomas
Lindsay Hamilton Jill Hennessy
Richard Halstrom Christopher McDonald
Dr. Felber Donald Moffat
Dr. Chin France Nuyen
Nurse Wheeler Marianne Muellerleile
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
However, the end result, directed and co-written by Rysher Entertainment founder Keith Samples (with Kevin Meyer), is a dreary, labored affair that squanders the promising concept, leaving a response of widespread indifference in its wake.
At the boxoffice, given that and the fact Greg Kinnear and Lauren Holly have yet to prove themselves as bankable leads, moviegoers will likely opt for abstinence.
On the surface, Danny and Jennifer Robertson (Kinnear and Holly) would appear to have everything going for them, including a strong, passionate relationship and good jobs. He works in construction. She is co-owner of a burgeoning aroma-therapy business. The only thing missing in their lives is a bouncing bundle of joy.
While Danny isn't so sure the timing's right, Jennifer becomes absolutely obsessed with the idea. When all homespun methods fail to produce the desired result, they surrender their bodies to a fertility clinic as their marriage, too, is tested by a series of fresh stress loads.
To the script's credit, it doesn't shy away from all the invasive treats that await couples when their attempts at baby-making shift from the bedroom to the lab. The results will likely have some nodding their heads in empathy and others squirming in their seats, but that isn't the picture's problem. It's Samples' awkward freshman direction, which places undue emphasis on all the wrong moments, suffocating potential humor, not to mention lumbering pacing (the kiss of death for a romantic comedy) that makes the film's reasonable 101-minute running time feel interminable.
The other major problem is that Holly and Kinnear (last seen together in "Sabrina") make for a cute, if bland, couple. As likable and sincere as they come across, they simply lack the dynamic that would enable them to transcend the material and make it their own. Picking up the slack is the always terrific Joan Cusack as Holly's business partner, Jay Thomas as Kinnear's work buddy and Marianne Muellerleile who's a riot as a smirking, bullying fertility clinic nurse.
Even Shirley MacLaine has been recruited (obviously as a favor to Samples for Rysher's "Evening Star"), making an unbilled extended cameo at the picture's end, but her considerable comedic talents are unable to resuscitate a production that simply fails to deliver the goods.
A SMILE LIKE YOURS
Paramount Pictures
Rysher Entertainment presents
a David Kirkpatrick production
Director Keith Samples
Screenwriters Kevin Meyer, Keith Samples
Producers David Kirkpatrick, Tony Amatullo
Executive producer Robert Harling
Director of photography Richard Bowen
Production designer Garreth Stover
Editor Wayne Wahrman
Costume designer Jill Ohanneson
Music William Ross
Music supervisors Randy Gerston, Evyen Klean
Casting Jennifer Shull
Color/stereo
Cast:
Danny Robertson Greg Kinnear
Jennifer Robertson Lauren Holly
Nancy Tellen Joan Cusack
Steve Harris Jay Thomas
Lindsay Hamilton Jill Hennessy
Richard Halstrom Christopher McDonald
Dr. Felber Donald Moffat
Dr. Chin France Nuyen
Nurse Wheeler Marianne Muellerleile
Running time -- 101 minutes
MPAA rating: R...
- 8/22/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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