On This Day in 1898 • 5 January • Federico García Lorca
5th January ON THIS DAY On this day in 1898 the Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca whose works included The House of Bernarda Alba, Blood Wedding and Yerma was born … Continue reading
Hollywood vs. Fascism | Silver Screenings
Stories about fighting fascists always make for fascinating movies.Look at the legendary Casablanca (1942), for instance, or the low-key but surprisingly tense The Mortal Storm (1940). Like many Hollywood war … Continue reading
La Critique de L’École des femmes | Micheline’s Blog
L’École des femmes is a five-act play written at a relatively early date after Molière’s return to Paris. Molière had fled Paris after his first troupe, l’Illustre Théâtre, faced bankruptcy. … Continue reading
How Joan Harrison Became a Film Producer in 1940s Hollywood | Silver Screenings
There is a scene in the 1944 thriller, Phantom Lady, where a young woman walks on a dark city street. But she’s not alone; a man – a stranger – … Continue reading
MARGARET HALSTON: BEAUTIFUL SHAKESPEARIAN ACTRESS AND FILM STAR | THE CABINET CARD GALLERY
Margaret Halston, in her role in Othello, is the subject of this real photo postcard published by Percy Guttenberg of Manchester, England. The postcard is part of the “Revival Series”… … Continue reading
Burnley Empire home to Houdini first
Legendary lost film Houdini Defeats Hackenschmidt was initially thought to have been shown in Boston, Massachusetts in March 1906. The film, where Houdini escapes from manacles fastened by wrestler George … Continue reading
Archive Profile | JAMES AGATE [1877 – 1947] | Theatre Critic
Saturday 2nd March 2002 James Evershed Agate [1877 – 1947] was the renowned theatre critic of The Sunday Times. He started there in 1923 and worked on the paper until … Continue reading
CONSTANCE TALMADGE : PRETTY BUT TROUBLED SILENT FILM STAR | THE CABINET CARD GALLERY
This vintage real photo postcard features pretty film actress, Constance Talmadge (1898-1973). She was a silent film star and the sister of actresses Norma and Natalie Talmadge. Constance was born … Continue reading
STR 2020 Theatre Book Prize Winner announced – Society for Theatre Research
[18th June 2020] Dark Star: A Biography of Vivien Leigh by Alan Strachan has been awarded the Society for Theatre Research Theatre Book Prize (for books published in 2019). The announcement was made … Continue reading
MABEL IN LONDON TOWN | thekeystonegirlblogs
It was in June 1922 that Mabel departed the shores of the United States for her European tour, which would begin in Southampton, England. Of course, she wasn’t the first … Continue reading
Vera Lynn: the best of the wartime spirit, not its continuation by other means | Stephen Moss | Music | The Guardian
That Vera Lynn was 103 years old is of no consequence. She was, in our mind’s eye, forever in her 20s, belting out the string of songs that helped sustain … Continue reading
London’s oldest theatre discovered in East End excavation | The Independent
Archaeologists have discovered London’s oldest theatre – an Elizabethan playhouse constructed in the mid-16th century. Known as the Red Lion, it represents a major “missing link” in the history of … Continue reading
First Night Design | Joseph Grimaldi, Clown 1778–1837 | First Night Design
A story is told that in 1806 a man goes to visit a doctor who is acclaimed for his ability to treat melancholia. “I can’t eat, I can’t sleep,” says … Continue reading
Bette Davis: I’ve Had It With Gratitude | Follies Of God by James Grissom
Listen, I’ve had it with gratitude! You know I love Marian [Seldes], and she is why we are here, in this fashion, together, but she’s awfully gaga about who we … Continue reading
YVONNE ARNAUD: BEAUTIFUL FRENCH PIANIST, SINGER, AND ACTRESS | THE CABINET CARD GALLERY
The pretty woman seen in this vintage real photo postcard is Germaine Yvonne Arnaud (1890-1958). She had a noteworthy career as a pianist, singer, and actress. She was most popular … Continue reading
Arts funding plea as Globe warns it may not survive Covid-19 crisis | Culture | The Guardian
A call for the government to step up with urgent funding “to shore up our cultural landscape” has been made as Shakespeare’s Globe warned it faces insolvency without extra help. … Continue reading
Uncle Frank Matcham | Gralefrit Theology
[Theatre architect Frank Matcham], second of nine children of Elizabeth and Charles, was born at East Street, Newton Abbot on November 22, 1854. His father, who was manager of the … Continue reading
‘Heart of Darkness’ in ‘Citizen Kane’ | A R T L▼R K
On the 1st of May 1941, the American drama film Citizen Kane had its premiere in New York City. The film co-written, directed, produced by, and starring Orson Welles, has … Continue reading
Marie Dressler, the Grandest Old Trouper of Them All
Will Rogers paid tribute to Marie Dressler on the radio just before her death in 1934. “Marie Dressler is the real queen of our movies,” the actor/humorist said of the … Continue reading
The (Gasp!) Canadian Who Played Abraham Lincoln
An old trick of the media is to suggest an upcoming event will cause Great Offence and Controversy, without waiting to see if it actually does. Source: The (Gasp!) Canadian … Continue reading
The Sinatra Movie Some Blamed for JFK’s Death
In the 1950s, Frank Sinatra starred in Suddenly, a movie that happens to depict a plot against the President. John Baron paces in a living room full of hostages, gun in … Continue reading
The History of Race, Performance, and Drag Intersect in a Rare Photo of Thomas Dilward
TODAY IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, the southwest corner of Court Street and Remsen Street is home to a vitamin store, a law office, and a pizzeria. But in September 1862, during … Continue reading
Bud Flanagan’s Spitalfields
My Sabbatical is Over! I’m back. However, posts will not be as frequent as during the old days. Also, I’ve decided not to allow your beautiful comments partly because of … Continue reading
Sotheby’s Is Selling the World’s First Movie Poster, Which Promoted a Premiere Only 30 People Attended | artnet News
The world’s first public movie screening was a far cry from today’s red carpet premieres, with just 30 people in attendance for an event that lasted some 20 minutes at … Continue reading
One great film noir for every year (1940-59) | BFI
Well, okay, I meant to post this in November last year. But I didn’t! To celebrate #Noirvember and the return to cinemas of The Big Heat and In a Lonely … Continue reading
A Life in Focus: Peter Cushing, the actor who personified the horror genre | The Independent
The Independent revisits the life of a notable figure. This week: Peter Cushing, from Friday 12 August 1994 Peter Cushing was one of the handful of actors who defined the horror … Continue reading
Dad’s Army at 50: the secret history of ‘comedy’s finest half-hour’ | Television & radio | The Guardian
The inimitable Dad’s Army is one of my favourite comedy series of all time. I find it extraordinary that it is 50 years old this year, which means I was eleven … Continue reading
Shoeing for a New Play – Theatrical Footwear: 1901 | Mrs Daffodil Digresses
SHOEING FOR A NEW PLAY. Footwear a Big Item in a Stage Production—Cost from $1000 to $1600 Some Trials of a Theatrical Bootmaker. Through some oversight, the manager of a … Continue reading
War, love and weirdness: A Matter of Life and Death – 70 years on | Film | The Guardian
I’m sure I’ve posted about this film before but I make no apologies for re-blogging The Guardian’s article as I love the tale to pieces! The opening scenes of A … Continue reading
Old Vic Theatre celebrates 200th birthday: 7 fascinating things you never knew | London Evening Standard
‘Dare, always dare,’ reads a sign that shines bright across the Old Vic foyer. These words are inspired by a sign the theatre’s former manager, Lilian Baylis, kept on her … Continue reading
Rogues & Vagabonds 