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Did you know that... In Francis Ford Coppola's acclaimed Best Picture winner The Godfather (1972), the word «Mafia» is never heard on screen because the real Mafia did not allow its use.    Written by Mario Puzo based on his own eponymous bestselling novel, The Godfather chronicles ten years in the life of a fictional New York crime family. Academy Award winner Marlon Brando played the patriarch, Vito Corleone, while Al Pacino co-starred as his younger son Michael, who goes from being a reluctant family outsider to a ruthless mafia boss. The cast also included James Caan, Robert Duvall, Talia Shire and Diane Keaton. Critically acclaimed upon release, The Godfather became the highest-grossing film of 1972, winning Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor (Brando) and Best Adapted Screenplay.   Due to its subject matter, The Godfather originally faced great opposition from Italian-Americans to filming on location in ...

SHIRLEY MacLAINE (April 24, 1934-) Some people think I look like a sweet potato, I consider myself a spud with a heart of gold.  

Barbara Stanwyck and William Holden during the making of Executive Suite (1954)   The original caption of this photograph read: «NICE WORK... With Barbara Stanwyck in his arms, William Holden was happy to oblige when the candid cameraman on the set of MGM's Executive Suite and said 'hold it!' They are among the ten stars in one of the most brilliant casts ever assembled for this story of "big business" and behind-the-scenes intrigues in a violent struggle for power.»

Directed by David Lean, The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) begins as a group of British World War II prisoners, including Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) and Major Clipton (James Donald), arrive at a Japanese POW camp in Burma. The commandant, Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa), informs them that all prisoners, regardless of rank, are to work on the construction of a railway bridge over the River Kwai, which will be a vital link for the Japanese in the war. Citing the Geneva Conventions, Nicholson defies Saito and orders his officers to remain behind while the enlisted men go to work. As punishment, Saito leaves the officers standing all day in the intense tropical heat and locks Nicholson in an iron box. Alec Guinness as Nicholson, Sessue Hayakawa as Saito and William Holden as Shears.   At one point, three prisoners — among them United States Navy Commander Shears (William Holden) — attempt to escape. Two are shot dead, but Shears manages to get away, althou...

SANDRA DEE (April 23, 1942 — February 20, 2005) Me, I'm good at nothing but walking on the set with a pretty dress.

WILLIAM HOLDEN (April 17, 1918 — November 16, 1981) Movie acting may not have a certain kind of glory as true art, but it is damn hard work. 

Vera-Ellen and the Easter Bunny Little Shirley Temple also has a bunny friend Susan Hayward between two bunnies Cute little Margaret O'Brien Easter greetings from Jean Arthur Happy Easter, everyone!

This week on «Film Friday» I want to tell you a little bit about one of my favourite pictures of all time. It is a kooky little comedy, which I think is perfect to watch over the Easter weekend. This also happens to be my favourite Ronald Reagan picture. Directed by Irving Rapper, The Voice of the Turtle (1947) opens in December 1944, as Broadway producer Ken Bartlett (Kent Smith) is ending his affair with struggling young actress Sally Middleton (Eleanor Parker), who then vows never to fall in love again. Months later, her friend, Olive Lashbrooke (Eve Arden), arranges to meet Bill Page (Ronald Reagan), a sergeant on a weekend pass, at Sally's apartment. While she is waiting, she calls for her messages and learns that an old flame, Naval Commander Ned Burling (Wayne Morris), is in town for one weekend only. Choosing the commander over the sergeant, Olive breaks her date with Bill, who eventually invites Sally to dinner at the same French restaurant that she frequented with Ken....

ANN MILLER (April 12, 1923 — January 22, 2004) I have worked like a dog all my life. Dancing, as Fred Astaire said, is next to ditch-digging. You sweat and you slave and the audience doesn't think you have a brain in your head. 

Did you know that... Alfred Hitchcock came under the surveillance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his use of uranium as a plot element in Notorious (1946)? Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), the «Master of Suspense».   Notorious tells the story of Alicia Huberman (Ingrid Bergman), the alcoholic daughter of a Nazi, who is recruited by government secret agent T. R. Devlin (Cary Grant) to romance and spy on her father's friend, Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains), in Rio de Janeiro. Although Alicia and Devlin are in love, he asks her to marry Sebastian out of duty to her country. After their wedding, Alicia explores Sebastian's mansion and finds the wine cellar locked. During a party, Alicia secretly gets the key to the cellar and gives it to Devlin. They discover uranium dust hidden inside a bottle, but now Sebastian has learned that Alicia is a spy and starts poisoning her slowly.   Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman and Claude Rains in Notorious .   While developin...

Bette Davis and her daughter B.D. on the set of Payment on Demand (1951). The film marked B.D.'s acting debut; she played Bette's on-screen daughter.

Gone with the Wind (1939) is widely regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. Directed by Victor Fleming, this Civil War epic tells the story of Scarlett O'Hara (Vivien Leigh), the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, following her life from her romantic pursuit of her gentlemanly neighbour, Ashley Wilkes (Leslie Howard), to her marriage to Rhett Butler (Clark Gable), a wealthy older bachelor and society pariah. Running at over 230 minutes, the film was a massive critical and commercial success upon release, winning a total of ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actress for Leigh. Rhett Butler: Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn. Written by Sidney Howard based on Margaret Mitchell's 1936 bestselling novel of the same name, Gone with the Wind features a series of well-known quotes, many of which have entered popular culture. The most iconic of these is, of course, the classic « Frankly, my dear, I don't give...