|
ASTOS Volume 2, Number 3. December 15-31, 2003.
Special Double Issue.
All-Star things-and-other-stuff
Brought to you by things-and-other-stuff
WARM-UPS:
With the Holidays coming up I figured we'd be too busy to do
our December 31 issue and you guys would be too busy to bother reading it, so
we've put some extra stuff together in time to do our first ever special double
issue of ASTOS, dated December 15-31.
I don't want to waste too much time chit-chatting because
of the amount of content to follow, so you'll find links to our key pages right
at the end of this section. I do want to spend a paragraph or two to
introduce our features in this special issue.
We're going to lead off with an article by Ken Lashway
because we usually find him first in each issue of late. The only
difference is that it is not an entry into Ken's Comedy Corner this issue, but
the initial piece that he sent us covering Johnny Weissmuller. Next up we
have a new writer, Susan M. Kelly, profiling legendary performer Gene Kelly.
After that we continue our Photo ID Essays on vintage movie collectibles by
taking a look at what was inside the 1954 Star Pictures packet that we recently
opened up. Next, we introduce a new feature, Hollywood Stories brought to
you by Stephen Schochet. This first installment is a special Christmas
feature about the classic Edmund Gwenn-Natalie Wood film, Miracle on 34th
Street. Stephen's piece is entitled "A Miraculous Movie." We have a
few years of Hollywood Stories features here on file, so I can assure you that
you will be seeing much more from Stephen in the future. Moving along we
keep the features rolling with our second piece from Scott D. O'Reilly, this one
on Tyrone Power (who, as an aside, I just watched on VHS last night in "In Old
Chicago"--pretty good action sequence at the end with the fire, but oops, I
stray). Finally, our mainstay Tammy Stone returns with this months entry
to The Silent Collection featuring Blanche Sweet (of whom, as a final aside, we
have many items currently for sale in our Catalog).
eBay Auctions
Catalog
Home
Page
To the time tunnel we go!
#
Johnny Weissmuller
By Ken Lashway
He came swinging into theaters and
into the hearts of millions of Americans for the first time in 1932, at the end
of a jungle vine. By the time Johnny Weissmuller’s movie career was essentially
over in 1955, he had become a cultural icon and one of the most admired
celebrities in the world.
This is just a teaser--check out
Ken's
entire column with pictures!
#
Ken Lashway is a freelance writer from New York. Watch for his regular column on
the greats of early Screen Comedy in each issue of ASTOS. This is actually
the first piece Ken submitted to us, which led to his Comedy Corner column.
That column returns next issue with a Harold Lloyd profile.
#
Gene Kelly
By Susan M. Kelly
Charming, athletic, romantic and undeniably talented, the
great Gene Kelly went singin’ in the rain and danced his way into the hearts of
millions of movie goers the world over. Born Eugene Curran Kelly on August
23, 1912, young Gene dreamed of a career as a hockey or baseball player, but his
devoted mother, Harriet, had other ideas...
This is just a teaser--check out
Susan's
entire column with pictures!
#
Susan M. Kelly has been working as a freelance
writer for the last 12 years, during which time she has written everything
from press releases and brochures to newspaper articles and web text. She
currently lives and works in Dunellen, NJ and can be contacted at
smkwriter@worldnet.att.net.
#
1954 Star Pictures Premium Photos
Follow the link above for a photo essay featuring these blank backed items
which measure approximately 7-1/2 X 11-1/2 inches and are printed on a slightly
heavier than usual paper stock.
#
Hollywood Stories: A Miraculous Movie
By Stephen Schochet
It was originally called The Big
Heart. Daryl Zanuck the shrewd head of Twentieth Century Fox couldn’t buy the
image of Santa Claus in a court room. But like so many ventures Miracle On 34th
Street (1947) came about because of passion, in this case that of Director
George Seaton who had gone to New York on his own and made arrangements with the
real Mr. Macy and Mr. Gimbel to film inside their department stores.
#
This is just a teaser--check out
Stephen's
entire column with pictures!
#
Stephen Schochet
is the author and narrator of the audiobooks Fascinating Walt Disney and Tales
Of Hollywood. The Saint Louis Post Dispatch says,” these two elaborate
productions are exceptionally entertaining.” Hear RealAudio samples of these
great, unique gifts at
http://www.hollywoodstories.com.
#
Tyrone Power
By Scott D. O'Reilly
Few actors have
been so closely identified with the swashbuckler/adventure genre than Tyrone
Power, and even fewer actors have worked as hard to overcome that
identification. But Power succeeded on both counts, starring in some of the
most successful adventure yarns of the 1930's and 1940's, and later drawing
critical acclaim as a versatile and accomplished actor.
This is just a teaser--check out
Scott's
entire column with pictures!
#
Scott D. O'Reilly is an
independent writer with degrees in philosophy and psychology. His work has been
published in The Humanist, Philosophy Now, Intervention Magazine, Think,
and The Philosopher's Magazine. He is a contributor to the book The
Great Thinkers A-Z (Continium, 2004) and is working on Deconstructing
Demagogues, a book which examines how politicians use and misuse language.
Contact:(neuroscott@aol.com)
#
The Silent Collection by Tammy Stone
Blanche
Sweet
With a name like Blanche Sweet, who could stay away? Although not the best known
or remembered actress of the silent screen, Blanche Sweet’s is a story that
needs to be told, not so much for her antics as a red-blooded diva, but for her
role in the distinguished history of early American filmmaking. Although her
career wasn’t marked by the constant highs of a Lillian Gish or Mary Pickford,
Blanche Sweet, born to perform, was also destined to be involved in some of the
most important films of her generation.
This is just a teaser--check out
Tammy's entire
column with pictures!
#
Tammy Stone is a freelance writer and journalist based in Toronto. Watch for her
regular column on the greats of the Silent Screen here in each and every issue
of ASTOS.
Tammy invites you to write her at
stonetamar@hotmail.com
with any questions or comments on her column.
#
We all hope that you enjoyed this double issue of ASTOS and didn't find it too
overwhelming. Happy Holidays to all, and the Best of New Year's to you as
well. Thank you subscribers for sticking with us throughout 2003, thank
you writers, new and more established, for continuing to submit and helping to
make this work. It's been a lot of fun, especially lately with all of the
fresh faces. We'll be back January 15th for the first of two big January
issues. Ken's Comedy Corner will return (Harold Lloyd), as will Stephen
Schochet's Hollywood Stories (Bob Hope Stories) and of course Tammy Stone's
Silent Collection. There will be an addition feature and a new Photo ID
feature as well. 'Til
then, take care!
As always feel free to e-mail any thoughts or ideas
to us at
things@things-and-other-stuff.com, we're always
willing to listen.
#
Unsubscribe simply by sending a blank e-mail
to:
things-and-other-stuff-unsubscribe@topica.com
|
