The young actor was excited to learn he had been cast alongside a Hollywood legend. He was still trying to find his place in the entertainment world. Appearing next to one of […]
How a Young Actor Rose Above Dirty Tricks
How a Medical Legend Maneuvered Celebrities into Treating AIDS Patients With Malaria
Each year 1-3 million people die from malaria. Another 1 million annually succumb to AIDS. You don’t need to be a physician to realize both of these diseases are pretty bad. Anyone […]
How the Wizard of Oz Destroyed the Musical Career of a Famous Actor
It seemed that Christian Ludolf was destined for musical greatness. His father was a choreographer, and Christian was dancing as soon as he was able to walk. When he was ten years […]
The Wizard of Oz Snow was Pure Asbestos
In the 1939 classic film The Wizard of Oz, Scarecrow is mortally afraid of fire. Ironically, fire should have been the least of his concerns. Scarecrow’s costume, as well as one of […]
The Curse of James Dean’s Porsche
The death of James Dean on September 30, 1955, sent shock waves through Hollywood. The 24-year-old actor was cut down in the prime of life when he was involved in a head-on […]
Was the USA Nuclear Launch Code Really ‘00000000’?
In the 1983 movie WarGames, the fictional W.O.P.R. succeeds in hacking NORAD’s launch code, revealed to be “CPE1704TKS.” National security experts at the time reassured the public that the movie was a […]
You Are Probably Hearing an Imposter When You Hear a Bald Eagle
Fans of the Hollywood musicals of the 1950s and 1960s are frequently surprised to learn that the voices of their favorite actresses are someone else’s. If you listen carefully, you will notice […]
Showing Respect With a Kiss and a Ring of Truth
Don Rickles owed his career to the fact that he was discovered by the legendary singer Frank Sinatra. This fact did not exempt Sinatra from being on the receiving end of the […]
Steve McQueen’s Less-Than-Cool Beginning with the Marines
Steve McQueen (1930-1980) may have been known as the “King of Cool” during the height of his Hollywood popularity, but before that, he had a less than stellar career with the U.S. […]
All the Sincerity in Hollywood
“You can take all the sincerity in Hollywood, place it in the navel of a fruit fly and still have room enough for three caraway seeds and a producer’s heart.” — Fred […]
A Lesson From Fred Astaire: Don’t Listen to the Critics
The name Fred Astaire has become synonymous with dancing perfection. The star of more than 30 musical films is widely regarded as the most influential dancer in American entertainment. If it had […]
Harsh Movie Reviews from the Poison Pens of Movie Critics
Depending on your point of view, movie critics have the best or the worst job imaginable. They get paid to sit around and watch movies all day. That may seem like a […]
Much More Than Just Another Pretty Face
Hedy Lamarr (November 9, 1914 – January 19, 2000) was once billed as the World’s Most Beautiful Woman. The Austrian-born actress landed a contract with MGM in 1937 and achieved stardom with her […]
Hollywood Inspiration Changes History
On March 31, 1981 Secret Service Agent Jerry Parr helped change the course of history as he acted to save President Ronald Reagan from an assassination attempt. In doing so, he proved […]
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