Category Archives: popular culture

The Wasp Woman: A Makeover Gone Murderous

Posted on March 15, 2013 by ahcadmin

One of my favorite “B” movies from the 1950s is a film called The Wasp Woman, released in 1959. The film is about a woman named Janice Starlin who is the CEO of a cosmetics company. As she is quickly … Continue reading →

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King Kong’s ‘Beauty and the Beast’

Posted on February 21, 2013 by ahcadmin

In the Forrest J. Ackerman collection, one can find a variety of well-known artifacts of the film era, including work from before World War II (the oldest artifact in the collection is from 1890, a literary review that has an … Continue reading →

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Forbidden Planet: An Exceptional Specimen of ‘B Movie’ Ingenuity

Posted on January 24, 2013 by ahcadmin

I recently had the pleasure of watching Forbidden Planet, a science-fiction film directed by Fred M. Wilcox and released in 1956. A young Leslie Nielsen plays a space captain (Commander J.J. Adams) who is directed to a planet to hopefully … Continue reading →

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Rollo the Red-Nosed Reindeer?

Posted on December 21, 2012 by ahcadmin

Did you know that Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was almost named Rollo–or even Reginald? Montgomery Ward, the world’s first general merchandise mail-order business, originated Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer as an advertising campaign in 1939. Copywriter Robert L. May drafted a … Continue reading →

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Science Fiction and Gender in the 1950s

Posted on November 28, 2012 by ahcadmin

The portrayal of gender in science fiction is a fascinating and sometimes overwhelming topic of discussion. As science-fiction is often referential and sensitive to the time period it was written and portrayed in, it is far from being just fantasy … Continue reading →

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Tim McCoy, Western Star

Posted on November 15, 2012 by ahcadmin

Thanks to a continuing grant from the NHPRC, the American Heritage Center has recently processed the Tim McCoy papers and a new, online inventory is available for this collection. Tim McCoy was a mid-20th century Hollywood Western movie actor, military officer, and … Continue reading →

Posted in Biography and profiles, Hollywood history, newly processed collections, popular culture, Western history | Tagged , , , , | 11 Comments

Why are Barbara Stanwyck’s papers at the AHC? Because we asked for them!

Posted on November 1, 2012 by ahcadmin

One of the most frequently asked questions about the American Heritage Center is how and why we wound up with such a large and significant collection relating to the history of popular entertainment in the U.S.—film, television, and radio in … Continue reading →

Posted in American Heritage Center, American history, Archival preservation, Archival work, Entertainment history, popular culture, television history | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Trip Down Tin Pan Alley with L. Wolfe Gilbert

Posted on August 28, 2012 by ahcadmin

L. Wolfe “Wolfie” Gilbert (1886-1970) was a Ukrainian-born songwriter of the early to mid 20th century. He was born in Odessa, and immigrated to Philadelphia as an infant with his family. At age 14 they relocated to New York, where … Continue reading →

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Rapid Rewind: Three Quick Picks from The Art Linkletter Show

Posted on July 19, 2012 by ahcadmin

Step into the TV time machine with us as we uncover a few fun scripts and sketches from The Art Linkletter Show. You know, the one with the sneaky candid camera moments and the panel of judges making wild guesses. … Continue reading →

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A Red Carpet Collection

Posted on March 1, 2012 by ahcadmin

Those of you who watch the Oscars  might have found yourselves wondering what it is like to hold the most coveted award in Hollywood. Well readers, question no longer! The AHC is pleased to count, among the many informative and … Continue reading →

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