FIRST BLACK ACTOR TO BECOME A MILLIONAIRE
Stepin Fetchit, an American vaudevillian and comedian is considered to be the first black actor to have a successful film career that made him a millionaire.
CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD’S PROMOTION & MERCHANDISING
By Woolsey Ackerman
Once a film has gone through its’ conception, various script drafts, pre-production, filming and post production, it is time for what many film makers see as the real work—- promotion!
In the hey-day of the golden era of movies, each studio had a labor intensive, overly…
WHATEVER HAPPENED TO MGM?
by Woolsey Ackerman
A newly released book, THE MGM EFFECT, by Steven Bingen, tells us just what happened. One of the most recognizable of corporate logos is the MGM lion (as seen above). This is a story of that corporate history.
The Case Of Film Noir
The above image is a 1950 Vintage original 12 x 16” (30 x 40 cm.) Columbia Picture’s Campaign Book, 16 pp.
In A Lonely Place, Is classic film noir, now on the National Film Registry, about a screenwriter asked to adapt a trashy bestseller.
Judy Garland @ 100
A major moment of movie memorable as well as an important birthday for one very famous female vocalist happened this year. Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm on the 10th of June 1922) turned 100. In honor of her centennial birthday, celebrations have taken place across the United Sta…
Clarence Muse – America’s First Black Movie Star
Clarence Muse (October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979) was an African American actor, screenwriter, director, singer, and composer. He was the first African American to appear in a starring role in a film, 1929’s Hearts in Dixie. He acted for 50 years and appeared in more than 150…