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Category Archives: Hollywood history
Happy Birthday Hoppy!
William Lawrence Boyd, known throughout the world as “Hopalong Cassidy”, was born June 5, 1895 in Hendrysburg, Ohio, to Charles William Boyd, and his wife, the former Lida Wilkens (aka Lyda). Following his father’s death, Boyd moved to California to … Continue reading
Jack Benny: Accidental Radio Extraordinaire
On March 29th, 1932, Ed Sullivan invited Jack Benny to his radio program, launching a prolific radio and entertainment career. Benny went from a small-time vaudeville performer to a radio host, USO performer, movie man and more. Today, we honor … Continue reading
Bill Walker: Advocate for Black Actors
William Franklin “Bill” Walker was born in Pendleton, Indiana, in 1896. The grandson of slaves who had escaped to the North on the Underground Railroad, he was the first Black graduate of Pendleton High School. A well-rounded student, he lettered … Continue reading
The Wizard of Oz – The Story Behind the Film
The 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, beloved by children and adults alike, holds a special place in cinematographic history. The award-winning movie is based on an adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Baum’s … Continue reading
The Many Faces of Peter Lorre
This Halloween, we highlight the career of actor Peter Lorre (1904-1964), who is represented in two of our collections. Lorre, who was born László Löwenstein in Hungary, began acting for the stage in Vienna in the early 1920s. He gained … Continue reading
Kato and U.S.- Asian Relations
This is Kato, as played by Chinese American actor and martial arts expert Bruce Lee in the 1966-67 television series, The Green Hornet. The series featured the adventures of Britt Reid—rich newspaper publisher by the day, masked crime-fighter by night—assisted … Continue reading
Time Warp: The Back to the Future Film Trilogy
Time travel behind the wheel of a nuclear-powered DeLorean is the premise of the 1985 hit movie Back to the Future. The film follows the comedic adventures of Marty McFly, a high school student who is accidentally transported back thirty … Continue reading
Traveling with Cole Porter
Actress and photographer Jean Howard was a great favorite of Cole Porter, the urbane composer and songwriter known for scoring such successful productions as Kiss Me Kate (1948) and High Society (1956). His numerous hit songs include Begin the Beguine, … Continue reading
Superman’s Pal – Mort Weisinger
After World War II, superhero comics, which had been a welcome diversion for American servicemen, stalwart champions of War Bonds, and other support for the home front during the conflict, largely lost their audience and were gradually replaced by comics … Continue reading
Posted in Comic book history, commercial art, Fantasy, Hollywood history, popular culture
Tagged Julius Schwartz, Stan Lee, Superman
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William Beaudine, Bela Lugosi, and Horror Films Out West
For Halloween 2018 and 2019, we brought you blog posts on The Killer Shrews and The Giant Gila Monster, two low-budget horror movies financed by Texas radio pioneer Gordon McLendon. This year, we shine a spotlight on the career of … Continue reading