The Hollywood Palace: Hello, Lover

May 16th is National Classic Movie Day. In honor of that day that is near and dear to our hearts, I offer my entry in the Classic Movie Blog Association Spring 2023 Big Stars on the Small Screen Blogathon. Click here for more television memories.

Anyone here old enough to remember a television show called "The Hollywood Palace"? It ran on ABC from January 1964 through February 1970. It was a variety show like so many that were popular at the time, but it had a few features that spoke to my little but growing classic movie loving heart. 

The show had a revolving door of guest hosts that served as emcees, but the most frequent host was a fella named Bing Crosby. 

Now, I probably was familiar with Bing even at a young age because he was on television quite a bit and was always selling Minute Maid Orange Juice, but I kind of liked the guy and looked forward to seeing him and hearing him most every week (please do not tell John, Paul, George & Ringo). He was warm and casual and always seemed to fit so comfortably into our living room. Bing seemed to know everyone! And it was there, at the Hollywood Palace, that I first encountered performers who apparently were big stars some time ago and were - tonight!- gracing us lowly television audience members with their glittering presence. Who were, as Lina Lamont would say,  these "shimmering glowing stars in the cinema firmament"? Thankfully, my mother was there to fill in some blanks.

The show was run as a sort of high class Vaudeville show with placards announcing each act. It was here I found out these people were movie stars:

Groucho Marx: well, he was funny. I think I'll check out one of his movies when they are shown.

Dean Martin: He made movie with Jerry Lewis? How did he stand him?

Fred MacMurray; He always seemed so nice. Little did I know he had thing for ankle bracelets.

Betty Hutton: Wowee! where can I see more of her?

Donald O'Connor: Fred who? Gene who? This guy could dance! Wait - is this the guy with the mule?

Betty Grable: My first look at a real glamour girl.

Olivia de Havilland: I needed my mother to tell me who this was. Later one of my most favorite actresses.

Ginger Rogers: Ah, more glamour. I knew she and Fred were a team, but had yet to see any of their films. 

Ann Miller: Yikes! Tap-a-palooza! Years later I caught her on film, but always remembered my first sighting.

Jane Powell: Gee, she's tiny, but has a big voice. She was treated like a star, not just another singer booked for the week.

Van Johnson: He seemed so very nice playing himself. later he just seemed so always nice in the movies.

Bette Davis: Okay - I knew who she was, but I had yet to see her in a movie. She seemed like she was trying to be nice, but really wanting to be anywhere but there.  Please check her out her singing "Single." It's kind of unforgettable.

Edward G. Robinson: Quite a dapper man. I knew him from the Warner Brothers cartoon parody and he seemed nothing like a gangster. Boy, did I have a lot to learn.

Fred Astaire: Yes, I knew Fred, but, as with Ginger, I had not yet seen any of his films. He was on the small screen as he was on the big screen: elegant, modest and wholly charming.

Bob Hope: well, of course I knew Bob Hope, but did not yet know he had made all those films with Bing Crosby. Who knew these guys were such big movie stars?

But it was this gal that really wowed me:

Alice Faye: Now, I never heard of Alice Faye, but she was on with her husband, Phil Harris. However, my mother, who seemed to know things, said that her true love was her first husband, Tony Martin.

(Later there was a show with Cyd Charisse: Awkward! Here was Cyd with her husband, Tony Martin. But, wait, wasn't he Alice Faye's true love? I watched for signs of discontent. Didn't see any.)

But back to Alice Faye. To me, she conducted herself like a true movie star. Crosby treated her as an absolute queen. Yet, she was warm and funny and lovely; just like she was, as I eventually discovered, in the movies. Of all the star performances I remember from that show, I recall her being greeted with the most warmth and affection. 

Since that time I have always adored Alice Faye. It was her genuine sincerity, naturalness and wonderful talent that made me a fan, and I am so very, very thankful to all of those 60s and  70s television variety shows that introduced me to stars I would later fall in love with. 

And while not big movie stars (yet), may I give a shout out to other frequent Hollywood Palace guests such as the great Carl Reiner and the still great Mel Brooks, the incomparable Victor Borge, and the sort of creepy Marquis Chimps? And who can forget Enzo Stuarti?

One more thing (no, not Columbo):

While not my selection, I'm going to sneak this one in:

Candid Camera with Buster Keaton. His performance as a man at a lunch counter was unforgettably funny and had hosts Allen Funt and Durward Kirby laughing out loud. Oh Buster, it took me a while get get from Candid Camera to Beach Blanket Bingo to your great films, but, as with Alice Faye, it was love at first sight.

Just as movies gave us records of great stage performers that we would never otherwise be able to see, television, that much maligned medium back in the day, let us kids see what a great movie star looked like.

Then and Now: If Walls Could Talk

Have you ever walked into an old house and wondered about the stories the walls could tell if they could talk? Or imagine the tales the trees in a forest could spin we spoke their language? Or, better yet, the locations in Hollywood that were silent witnesses to genius?

In my previous post I challenged myself to keep my eye out for Chaplin sightings and...voila! John Bengston of silentlocations.com has created this amazing video of this very unassuming little Hollywood alley. Take a look: 

Not just Chaplin's "The Kid," not just Keaton's "Cops," but Lloyd's "Safety Last"! Oh, if only that little alley could talk.

And just for some added fun, imagine if the ground could tell you about this wild car chase!

Well, here's a then-and-now of almost every shot of his amazing ride:

https://silentlocations.com/2017/12/29/the-never-give-a-sucker-an-even-break-car-chase-part-1/

https://silentlocations.com/2018/01/20/the-never-give-a-sucker-an-even-break-car-chase-part-2/

Thank you, John, for this fascinating look at Hollywood history that is still there if you know where to look.

Meeting Buster Backwards: A Hard Act to Resist

This is my entry in the Buster Keaton Blogathon hosted by the amazing Lea Stans at Silent-ology . Please click here for more Buster goodies! And thanks, Lea, for keeping silents alive.

I believe this to by my first encounter with Buster:

Candid Camera was a family favorite and I do recall, as a very (repeat very) young child laughing at this old man’s antics, especially when his toupee fell in his coffee. I seem to remember the host, Alan Funt or Durwood Kirby (Arthur Godfrey in this clip), describing this old fellow as someone who was important back in the day (like all of those old unknown – to me – performers that showed up every week on the Hollywood Palace). I learned that his nickname was “The Great Stone Face,” based on his trademark never smiling expression. 

It was a memorable old face, so when I saw him again being silly on the beach with Annette and Frankie (classics Beach Blanket Bingo and How to Stuff a Wild Bikini), I smiled. I was more interested in the kids on the beach, but glad the old fellow showed up for the hijinks.

So when my 7^th grade teacher handed me the assignment of writing about the man described in this New York Times obituary of February 1, 1966, I was a bit disappointed. That old guy? I was hoping for someone more interesting!

I must say, silent film to me at that time in my life were about as interesting as dried paint peeling off a soiled wall. I was just beginning to get interested in classic film and if you had said James Cagney or Jean Harlow to me, my ears would have perked up. But Keaton? Chaplin? And who the heck was Harold Lloyd? It was around this time I picked up a book in the bargain bin of our local bookstore – ah the fun of wandering around the Cherry Hill Book Store after school – called The Parade’s Gone By. It was filled with chapters about stars I barely heard of, but it was printed on rich, thick glossy paper and it was only a few dollars. I thumbed through it at home, read a few entries and put it aside (I still have it - somewhere....).

Back to the assignment. I read and wrote, probably not something very memorable. However, for some reason, that assignment remained memorable all of my life. I guess there was just something about Buster that was unforgettable.

Fast forward a few years, and Sunday nights with PBS – starting with Upstairs Downstairs and continuing to all things British on Masterpiece Theater (RIP Alistair Cooke) - became a time to be savored. So, somewhere in the 1980s I saw the advertisement for Unknown Chaplin. I know, this is about Buster, but I got to him through Charlie. This amazing 3-part documentary by Kevin Brownlow and David Gill made me hungry to learn more. And hey, wasn’t Brownlow the author of that book I picked up years ago?

What are you doing on my post about Buster?

Anyway, because I was  enchanted with Unknown Chaplin, I was all in when PBS next aired Brownlow and Gill’s Buster Keaton: A Hard Act to Follow. That beautiful genius of a young man was the guy who sold Alka Seltzer? Amazing!

A face for the ages

And so I went from old Buster to the young Buster of such great features as Sherlock , Jr., The Navigator, The General, and - my favorite - Our Hospitality, all the way back to those delicious shorts. I must say, the ending of One Week is one of the best laughs I ever ever had. 

The truth is, I love all Busters - Buster young and Buster old. The young Buster was brilliant and adorable, but the old Buster was a testament to the survival of genius and the soul of a performer. 

My interest in and love of silent film has been like a tangled ball of yarn, so much fun and sometimes frustrating to unravel. There is a bar of gold at the center of discovery, but much of the fun is in the unraveling.

p.s. Many thanks to my 7th grade English teacher whose name I have forgotten.

Yay For the Porkpie Party! Silent-ology's 4th Annual Buster Keaton Blogathon

This is my entry in Silent-ology's 4th annual Buster Keaton Blogathon. For more things Keaton, click here and, come on, smile!

Buster Keaton had a dream.....

Buster usually stood by - silently - and watched the world go by. But what if he - Joseph Frank Keaton - were President of the United States? As he tossed and turned, somehow it all became clear...

His party: Forget the big 2. Buster represented the Porkpie Party. 

The Porkpie Party Platform: See More Movies! Buster felt certain that movies would cure anything that ailed anyone.

The Porkpie Party Cabinet:

Buster will stick pretty close to the traditional titles, but adds a special one for his Porkpie constituency.

1. Vice President: Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle

Roscoe has always supported Buster in more ways than one.

2. Secretary of State: Mary Pickford

Beloved worldwide, if anyone can make everyone behave, it's Mary.

3. Secretary of the Treasury: Douglas Fairbanks

Buster saw "Robin Hood" and concurs with its fiscal policy.

4. Secretary of Education: Laurel and Hardy

Getting 2-for-1, Stan and Ollie will elevate the higher learning standards of our nation.

5. Secretary of Commerce: Clara Bow

Clara knows what sells and she sure can rake in the big bucks.

6. Secretary of Transportation: Mabel Normand

Mabel knows show to get around in style.

7. Secretary of Energy: Ben Turbin

Ben has lots of real (and manufactured) energy.

8. Secretary of Veterans Affairs: Theda Bara

Buster figures if any vet wants to have an affair, Theda is the woman for the job.

9. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development: Harold Lloyd

Harold has his finger on the pulse of the city.

10. Secretary of Defense: Harry Houdini

Buster knows Harry from way back and figures his talents might just come in handy.

And a new position: Secretary of the Cinema: Charlie Chaplin

Secretary Chaplin will travel the world promoting film as the universal language.

In his slumber, Buster's brow began to furrow. With all of this talent in government, who will make the movies? Suddenly, what started out as a dream ended in a nightmare.

Buster woke in a cold sweat and decided right then and there that if drafted he would not run and if elected he would not serve. He'd rather make movies. Now that's something even Buster could  smile about!

Remember, there is more Buster at Silent-ology's Buster Keaton Blogathon!

This post is a re-working of a little fantasy I had quite a few years ago. But, hey, if you can't steal from yourself, who can you steal from?

CMBA Blogathon: Buster Keaton's "Our Hospitality"

This is my entry in the Classic Movie Blog Association Planes, Trains and Automobile Blogathon. Click HERE to view more fabulous entries about our favorite modes of transportation in film.

Buster Keaton loved trains.  “The General,” one of his most famous films, is about a man’s love for his train; a love that transcends his love for (an admittedly dopey) woman. Keaton found ways to incorporate trains in short films, long films, early films and late films. One of my favorite sight gags of all time – from Keaton’s 1920 short “One Week” – involves a locomotive. Check it out if you’ve never seen it. It never gets old.

But by far my most favorite train in all of Keaton’s films is the recreation of Stephenson’s Rocket for his first feature length film, 1921’s “Our Hospitality.”

The real Rocket

Buster plays Willie McKay, a dandified youth living in pre-Civil War New York. Unbeknownst to Willie, his family, the McKays, were engaged in an epic family feud with the Canfields for decades down South. Willie’s mother, now deceased, wanted to raise her boy away from the feudin’ and fightin’ and moved up North without ever telling her boy that the Canfields were the McKay’s mortal enemies. Twenty years later we find Willie, a true innocent, living with his aunt in the big city.

Willie gets around New York City on his Gentleman's Hobby Horse

One day Willie gets a letter informing him that he is heir to his father’s estate. Willie dreams of a great Southern mansion and immediately prepares to head down South. His aunt tells him of the feud, but Willie is determined to collect his inheritance. His method of transportation will be the train. This train.

Keaton and his team built a replica of Stephenson’s Rocket and train becomes one of the film’s most endearing characters. Based on the time period, he said that had a choice between the Rocket and The DeWitt Clinton and chose the Rocket because it was funnier looking. It also had personality. It was genteel, it was homey, it constantly jumped the tracks and magnified every bump and dip in its path. It was a modern mode of transportation that retained the elegance of an earlier time. The New York to Appalachia trip is beautifully photographed. There is a loving, nostalgic quality to the journey, as seen in Willie’s little dog follows the train to be with his master.

On this charming, unique and faintly ridiculous train, Willie meets, Virginia, the lady of his dreams. Unfortunately, he doesn’t learn until much later that Virginia’s last name is Canfield. After a harrowing, bumpy, dirty, and wholly delightful train trip, Willie and Virginia are in love. Virginia, also innocent of Willie’s pedigree, invites him to dinner to meet her family… a family that consists of a father and 2 brothers who remain rabid for McKay blood.

Willie and Virginia: Strangers on a Train

Willie, of course, is oblivious at first as the brothers try to rub him out. But, they are inept and Willie is just plain lucky. After many hilarious attempts on his life that are thwarted by Willie’s clever escapes, the 2 families finally bury the hatchet (sort of) when Willie bravely rescues Virginia from a raging river. In one of Keaton’s greatest stunts, he clings to a tree branch as it sweeps across the river, managing to pluck the drowning Virginia out just as she was almost carried over a waterfall. Willie and Virginia marry and the brothers lay down their arms (but Buster has a few pistols concealed in his coat – just in case). Oh, and, of course, Willie's inheritance was a shack.

Willie must always keep one eye open when the Canfield Boys are around

“Our Hospitality” was a real Keaton family affair. In the prologue, Buster’s infant son, Buster, Jr., played Willie as a baby. Virginia was played by his wife, Natalie Talmadge. While Natalie as not a star like her sisters Norma and Constance, she is quite lovely here and very convincing. The Engineer, who had to put up with much harassment on his journey, was played by Buster’s father, Joe Keaton, and it is a treasure to see them perform together.

3 generations of Keatons: Buster, Jr., Buster and Joseph Keaton

As Stephenson’s rocket roams the American landscape, navigating tracks laid over logs, rocks and gullies, Keaton’s eye for beauty is on full display. The journey and the mode of transportation are one: modern with an appreciation of the past. Keaton loved the steam that takes us places, but also loves the beauty and serenity of all of the places on the way.

SCANDAL Rocks the Keaton Administration! #7 in a series of 7

While President Buster was busy trying to recover from his media and product demonstration debacle, his Cabinet had been busy:

Vice President Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle: While Roscoe always meant to support Buster, he really did not anticipate the amount of work it took to be a Vice President. Feeling pretty exhausted, he decided to take a little weekend holiday in San Francisco and throw a party for all of his friends. Things got out of hand and the next thing you know, SCANDAL!

Secretary of Transportation Mable Normand: While Mabel was doing an excellent job, she had the bad luck of being the last person to see murdered director William Desmond Taylor alive. While Mabel was not considered a credible suspect, reports that her affinity for "speed" was not confined to motorcycles only served to create more scandal.

Secretary of Health and Human Services Mary Miles Minter had a deeper involvement in the Taylor murder. Personal effecs from Miss Minter, such as a mash note to the director, were found at Taylor's residence. Little MMM was not so innocent and was now embroiled in the scandal.

While Secretary of Urban Affairs Harold Lloyd was not embroiled in a scandal, he did manage to break some very large municipal structures, costing the government money and causing the administration embarrassment.









Secretary of the Treasury, Clara Bow, took some time off and lost the monthly social security budget.

Secretary of Justice Mack Sennett was spending more time with his Bathing Beauties instead of his Kops. Carloads were seen coming and going on a regular basis from his residence.

Secretary of Defense Harry Houdini claimed that the entire Defense Budget just magically disappeared!

But Buster found that the Cabinet has been diverting funds to another cabinet!

To make matters worse, Brown Eyes had left him for Elmer the Bull.

The rest of the Cabinet quit in disgust. Buster was despondent.

Congress and America called for impeachment. However, before hearings could begin, a force greater than Washington stepped in. The Hollywood Moguls made a deal with the politicians: let Buster return to Hollywood to make movies and just pretend this never happened and the Democrats and the Republicans could regain control of the nation. Both parties took a minute to think about this and said "Done Deal!"

And so it was that Buster packed his bags and moved out of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

It had all been a grueling experience. Back in Hollywood again, Buster just needed some rest. Just as a he felt himself drifting off into a peaceful sleep, there was a gentle hand on his shoulder. His wife, Natalie, was shaking him, telling him that it was time to get up and go to work at the studio. After all, he had to work to support the lavish lifestyle she was accustomed to.

Was it all a dream? It seemed so real. But, there was no evidence of a cow in residence and it was Natalie as his bride in the picture frame by the bedside.

Buster vowed to lay off the hootch.

As he was getting ready to leave for a day of movie-making, Natalie reminded Buster that today was Election Day and asked if he going to vote.

Buster thought long and hard.

"No, Dear," said Buster. "I think I'll pass this year."