The Reader's Page

Letters, We Want Letters!

...so we have reserved this space just for you!

Let us know your comments or complaints...
                      ...anecdotes about your favorite stars...
   ...memories of movies past.

A little conversation, please!

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A little mouse told me...

It seems to me that studio moguls of years past were inclined to be a little tone deaf.

Two cases in point:

At MGM Dennis Morgan, that handsome hunk with the lush tenor voice, was cast to do the theme song "A Pretty Girl is Like a Melody" for the spectacular finale of 1936 film. The Great Ziegfeld. Imagine his chagrin, when viewing the finished product, to find himself lip-synching to the voice of Allan Jones!

At 20th Century Fox talented actor Dana Andrews was given the nod to play Jeanne Crain's swain in the musical "State Fair" (1945). A good choice since Andrews had a classically trained voice? Wrong! The powers-that-be dubbed the vocals and William Marshall did the soundtrack. Poor Dana!

Found in a gossip column from 1935!....

A young starlet who will remain nameless was trying to explain to her manager why
she refused to do a swimsuit layout for an enterprising photographer. The manager
explained heatedly that she could jeopardize her career by not posing in a swimsuit. But
he didn't want me to wear it, she answered. Just pose with it in my hand!

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Ask Arabella...

 

From Darlene in Ephrata, PA. The actor, Rand Brooks, who recently died played Scarlett's first husband in "Gone With The Wind". What else did he do?

Rand made over 100 films but he was best known as Charles Hamilton in "GWTW", Scarlett's short-lived first husband and, as Lucky Jenkins, the hapless sidekick of Hopalong Cassidy. On television, he was Corporal Boone of the Rin-Tin-Tin series. He wanted to direct but lost his savings on a film about a dog that was never released. He eventually recouped his money and started a private ambulance service that became the largest paramedic provider in Los Angeles County. Rand was married to Stan Laurel's daughter Lois and they had 3 children before they divorced. His second marriage produced 2 children and lasted to his death. If you have a quick eye, you will see Rand walking through many uncredited roles in MGM classics (he was the crying soldier in 1939's "Balalaika")

From Dorothy in Ephrata, PA. Whatever happened to Maggie McNamara who played Maria in "Three Coins in a Fountain"? Didn't she do a risque movie called "The Moon Is Blue" before that?

She certainly did and that movie caused ripples around the world. "The Moon Is Blue" was condemned by both the Legion of Decency and the Breen Office for its use of such terms as virgin, pregnant, and references to seduction, all matter-of-fact in today's films. Otto Preminger pulled off the first surprise by picking a virtual unknown to play the part, obviously realizing stars of stature would decline because of the unwanted publicity. Maggie was nominated for the Best Actress Oscar in that film but she only made three more pictures, turning down more roles than she accepted and eventually was suspended from the studio. Her marriage ended in divorce and by 1968, Maggie was working as an ad agency time buyer and typist. She was found dead in her apartment, an apparent suicide, on February 18th, 1978. Maggie McNamara was only 49 years old.

 

Now Arabella Asks...

Arabella is looking for in-depth information on Dalies E. Frantz, a concert pianist who made three films between 1938-1940. Dalies (1908-1965) played himself in "Sweethearts" (1938), Dimitri Marakov in "Balalaika" (1939) and Dr. Joe Barnes in "I Take This Woman"(1940). Dalies Frantz died of a heart attack at age 56.