Classic Fox Studios Backlot

 

Coming Next Week: The 2017 Blind Kiyomi Film Un-Preservation Registry Inductees!

 

#RIPDebbieReynolds

 

Rest In Peace, Debbie Reynolds

 

Debbie Reynolds, one of the last connections to Hollywood's golden age has passed away at age 84. Ms. Reynolds burst onto the scene in 1950's Two Weeks with Love. Her biggest break would come just two years later when she co-starred alongside Gene Kelly in the classic Singin' in the Rain. She would star in a succession of hits, taking time out to marry Eddie Fisher and become the mother of Carrie and Todd Fisher. After Eddie's much publicized affair with Elizabeth Taylor, she revitalized her career starring in such classics as The Unsinkable Molly Brown. She parlayed her considerable musical skills and talent into a successful Las Vegas act. In recent years, Debbie Reynolds has starred in numerous television projects, including the successful Disney Channel Halloweentown franchise. Sadly, her death comes just one day after her daughter Carrie's death from a heart attack.

Rest In Peace, Carrie Fisher

 

Harlem Nights

 

Baby Jane

 

Merry Christmas

 

Legendary Christmas

 

Get Well Soon, Carrie!

Carrie Fisher has suffered a heart attack today. All of us here at Blind Kiyomi wish her a fast and full recovery!

 

Fun Facts Week: The Original George Bailey

When RKO bought the rights to the It's A Wonderful Life script, it originally wanted Cary Grant to play George Bailey.

 

The project eventually fell through and RKO sold the project to Frank Capra. Frank had a different actor in mind for the role.

 

Fun Facts Week: The Real Candy Man?

When Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse wrote the songs for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, they had one person in mind to perform the future classic song The Candy Man- Sammy Davis, Junior. Sammy was excited and eager to sing it, but the movie's producers didn't agree. They resisted the pleas of the songwriters and chose Aubrey Woods instead.

 

The songwriters and Sammy would get the last laugh, however. While Wonka and its soundtrack initially underperformed, Sammy took his version of the song to the top of the charts.

 

Fun Facts Week: Jack Warner Despised Bugs Bunny

 

Jack Warner, one of the famed Warner Brothers, actually despised his studios' animated output. He expressed contempt for the Looney Tunes and once was quoted as saying that Mickey Mouse was one of the company's animated characters alongside Bugs Bunny. (Which he was not, of course.) Jack placed such little value on the characters that he sold them off for next to nothing in 1950. The studio would buy them back years later for millions.

Fun Facts Week: Leave it to Hitchcock

To Jerry Mathers, the Universal Studios lot was a playground. The lot has always been busy, but it was particularly busy around the time that Jerry Mathers was shooting his iconic sitcom Leave it to Beaver. One of the biggest film productions rolled onto the lot in 1959 when Alfred Hitchcock began production on Psycho. While Beaver and Psycho were miles apart creatively, they were practically neighbors on the lot, sharing a makeup artist- Robert Dawn. Mr. Dawn would often find himself rushed, so his very different work projects would often become twisted together. In one such instance, Dawn had to take Mother Bates' head to the Beaver set. Instead of being freaked out, Jerry was ecstatic to see the fake head (what 11 year old boy wouldn't be?) and actually got to help Dawn finish it.

 

Fun Facts Week: Judy Sings For JFK

Whenever Judy Garland would call the White House during John F. Kennedy's presidency, she would be put right through to the president, according to her daughter Liza Minnelli.

 

Judy would often babble on about whatever came into her head, but every phone call would end the same way- with the president requesting that she sing Over the Rainbow. She always obliged.

 

Embarrassing Movie Roles: Al Pacino in "Jack & Jill"

 

Embarrassing Roles: DeNiro is Fearless Leader

 

MGM Behind the Scenes

 

A Lousy Tree?

 

The Blessing!

 

Misleading Movie Posters: Miracle on 34th Street

 

Misleading Movie Posters: Silence of the Lambs

 

The Greatest Christmas Ever!

 

Jack Albertson on 34th Street

 

A Message From Ludwig

 

Alfred Doesn't Go to DISNEYLAND

 

Not Playing: Shrek Does the Macarena

 

Not Playing: Battlefield Earth 2- XENU'S REVENGE

 

Not Playing: Black Friday

 

Movie Quote Weekends

 

Behind the Scenes in Oz

 

Matt Helm's Ladies

 

A Fantastic Voyage