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ASTOS Volume 2, Number 12.
June 15, 2004
All-Star things-and-other-stuff
Brought to you by things-and-other-stuff
WARM-UPS:
Hi everybody, and welcome back! Thanks to all of you
who helped make our Spring 2004 Movie Card Auction a success, it went pretty
well! If interested we have published
Prices Realized for this auction where
applicable.
Speaking of Prices Realized we have just updated the main
Prices Realized list for the site. We
were contacted by the Brimfield Antique Guide and have given permission for them
to use our prices and images, so we'll be trying to keep on top of this section
a little better in the future.
In this spot last issue I had replied to one
of our more active subscribers with my own list of top ten Westerns. Well,
that led to more e-mails, and now I'd like to add another list in this issue.
Regular ASTOS writer Scott D. O'Reilly (Basil
Rathbone,
Errol Flynn,
Tyrone
Power) was kind enough to write me and grant permission for his list
to be published. Here you go, complete with Scott's comments:
1. Shane -- Cowboy chivalry at its shimmering
best. The shoot-out between Ladd and "bad guy" Palance remains the best
ever.
2. The Searchers -- One of John Ford's poetic
peaks with a towering performance by John Wayne.
3. High Noon -- High tension and mighty fine
performances make this Western as one of a kind as Gary Cooper himself.
4. Once Upon a Time in the West -- Sumptuous
"Spaghetti Western" is part fairy tale, part opera. Henry Fonda leads a great
ensemble cast.
5. Red River -- Mutiny on the Bounty on the
high plains. "The Duke" and "Monty" are unforgettable, but Walter Brennan has
the best line, "You was wrong Mr. Dunston. You was wrong."
6. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid --
Great chemistry, great script, great comedy. A real charmer, and one of the
best buddy films ever.
7. The Wild Bunch -- An aging Holden was
never better as a hired gun quickly becoming an anachronism.
8. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly -- Clint
was never cooler, but Eli Wallach steals the show. A memorable cemetery
shootout.
9 (Tie) She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Fort
Apache, Rio Grande -- Ford's Cavalry trilogy. The John Ford Stock Co. weaves
magic and mythology.
9. (Tie) The Ox-Bow Incident -- Dana Andrews
is haunting as an innocent man lynched by a mob.
Honorable Mention:
A. Stagecoach -- No one could make an entrance, or an exit as good as The Duke.
B. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valence -- Jimmy Stewart tames the west, with a
little help from John Wayne.
C. Lonely are the Brave -- Kirk Douglas' finest hour as an uncompromising
cowboy.
And there you have Scott's top ten Westerns
plus a few. Feel free to reply with a list of your own to
things@things-and-other-stuff.com, or if
you're simply sick of all the Western stuff send along your own list of another
genre with permission to publish it. We love the reader (and writer!)
feedback and think it would be great if this were to end up being a regular
feature.
Back to our usual program...
...here's what's featured:
1. Veronica Lake by Susan M. Kelly
2. Hollywood Stories: Ten Percent of Jimmy Stewart by Stephen Schochet
3. Photo ID Guide: Over 100 New ID Guides!
4. The Silent Collection featuring William S. Hart by Tammy Stone
Now there's a Western star for you, thanks Tammy!
Hey, we're running a themed auction along with issue, a
first for us, so if you collect Veronica Lake items, or are interested in
starting to collect them, this is the place for you. All together there
are 21 lots of Lake items ranging from pins to lobby cards to dixie lids to
magazines. Check it out:
Veronica Lake Auctions
All eBay Auctions
As usual, the
Catalog
carries many additions, please have a look at your convenience.
Please also take a look at our
home page for ways you
can contribute to this newsletter and our site even if you are not a collector.
Just scroll down about halfway and have a look on the left. We thank you
for your assistance.
To the time tunnel we go!
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VERONICA
LAKE
By Susan M. Kelly
Before
there was Jennifer Aniston’s shag and Dorothy Hamill’s bob, there was the
secretive, sexy “peek-a-boo bang” of beautiful Veronica Lake. Born Constance
Frances Marie Ockleman on November 14th, 1919 in Brooklyn, NY, the
mysterious beauty faced a life of hardships along her path to fame.
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.
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Hollywood Stories:
Ten Percent of Jimmy Stewart
By Stephen Schochet
Jimmy Stewart was seen one night in 1933 in New York
performing on stage as a female impersonator by an MGM talent scout. He was
signed to a contract to come to California to work for the prestigious studio.
Studio Head Louis B. Mayer expressed doubt when he first saw him, ”He’s so
skinny! A beanpole.”
#
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.
#
Photo ID Guide:
1920's-40's Movie Star Trading Cards
All items are now listed and linked! You can also access
these through our
main Entertainment page which now boasts a
total of 112 Photo ID Guides under the Trading & Tobacco Cards
category. It's been a lot of work!
#
The Silent Collection by Tammy Stone
William S.
Hart
“My friends, I loved the art of making motion pictures. It is as the breath of
life to me…the rush of the wind that cuts your face, the pounding hooves of the
pursuing posse, and then the clouds of dust! Through the cloud of dust comes
the faint voice of the director, 'Now, Bill, OK! Glad you made it! Great
stuff, Bill, great stuff!” – William S. Hart
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.
#
See you on June 30th with another big issue!
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.
#
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