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Leonard Maltin
Explaining Dujardin’s Greeting
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 27, 2012 5:33 PM
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- 15 Comments
If you wondered why Jean Dujardin, in his exuberant thank-you speech at the Oscars, said “Yes, Melissa, your grandfather’s spirit and joie de vivre inspired me for this role,” he was acknowledging his indebtedness to Douglas Fairbanks as a key inspiration for his portrayal of silent film star George Valentin. What’s more, he was responding publicly to a letter he received from Fairbanks’ granddaughter Melissa. Courtesy of my friend, Fairbanks aficionado Jenny Paxson, here’s what Melissa wrote to Jenny from England: “Wasn’t The Artist magical? It just did something to my heart and spirit, and is...
Stop Complaining, Already!
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 27, 2012 3:20 PM
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- 50 Comments
As tired as I am of the long award season that leads up to the Oscars, I am even wearier of the professional complainers whose job, it seems, is to find fault with the Academy Awards show every year, as well as the honors they bestow. I don’t agree with all of the Academy’s choices, and I’m not blind to the faults of the telecast, but it’s become a perpetual punching bag for pundits who are determined not to like what they see. Enough already.
Oscars—On The Radio
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 27, 2012 8:18 AM
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- 4 Comments
By now you might think that every aspect of the Academy Awards has been explored, examined, and dissected—but you’d be wrong. A radio veteran named Jim Hilliker has done an impressive job of research into Oscar’s history in that often-overlooked medium, and provides links to both excerpts and complete broadcasts from the 1930s and 40s. (Did you realize that there was still a separate play-by-play radio broadcast as late as 1968? Neither did I.) As an old-time radio buff I learned a lot from this essay, and while I had heard a few 1940s shows, I never realized that the Academy has posted audio highlights from several years’ programs on its website.
Spirited Stars
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 26, 2012 1:30 PM
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- 2 Comments
The Independent Spirit Awards, held the day before Oscars in a gigantic tent in Santa Monica, provides a great opportunity to meet and greet movers and shakers in the world of film, as well as journalists, actors, and anyone who likes to schmooze in the sunlight. It should be clear by now that I am not a professional photographer, but I did take a few snapshots of people with whom I had a chance to chat. There is little if any of the tension associated with Oscar night at this afternoon ceremony, so the feeling is relaxed and upbeat. That’s why I enjoy hanging out, just outside the tent.
Wanderlust—movie review
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 24, 2012 2:42 PM
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- 3 Comments
If you’re a fan of the comedy generated by The State and 'Stella’s' David Wain, Ken Marino, and their performer pals, you’ll either be the perfect audience for 'Wanderlust' or you may find the humor overly familiar. I am not a diehard fan, and I found the film mildly amusing.
DeMille On Display
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 23, 2012 1:00 AM
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- 5 Comments
An outstanding exhibit honoring Cecil B. DeMille has been on display at the USC School of Cinematic Arts for some months now, in honor of a generous bequest to the department by the filmmaker’s granddaughter, Cecelia DeMille Presley. I am long overdue in writing about it and sharing some photos.
Movie News And Notes
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 22, 2012 1:00 AM
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- 2 Comments
Here I am struggling to get an issue of my newsletter finished, after an embarrassing amount of time, and a brand-new fanzine arrives on my desk. Pop Twenty is an exceedingly handsome publication, bound like an oversized paperback and filled with rare and beautiful stills. It’s the brainchild of Bob Birchard and Mike Bifulco, who have pooled their resources to create a home for interviews, articles, and photo features focusing on all aspects of 20th Century pop culture, with an emphasis on the golden age of Hollywood. Bob’s lead article details the making of 'Gold Diggers of 1933', including the revelation that Busby Berkeley
President’s Day Pin-Ups
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 20, 2012 1:00 AM
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- 2 Comments
I’ll admit it’s not as rich a lode as we had on Valentine’s Day, but I can’t resist posting these pictorial tributes to the father of our country. (For some reason, I haven’t found any shots of starlets cozying up to portraits of Abraham Lincoln. Maybe next year...) Studio publicity departments knew that sending out stills such as these virtually guaranteed
Silent Films In The News
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 18, 2012 1:00 AM
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- 1 Comment
It’s no longer news that the most acclaimed movie of the past year, well on its way to earning an Oscar or two, is a modern-day French silent picture called The Artist. But it’s not the only silent film making news. USA Today’s Susan Wloszczyna found other aspects of silence in contemporary cinema for a piece that ran in Friday’s paper, which you can read HERE. She even quoted yours truly.
This Means War—movie review
- By Leonard Maltin
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- February 17, 2012 1:00 AM
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- 7 Comments
Judging by the evidence, it isn’t easy making a good romantic comedy, even if it has a high-concept premise like this one: two best friends (Chris Pine and Tom Hardy) who put their lives on the line as CIA operatives fall in love, quite by chance, with the same woman (Reese Witherspoon). This unforeseen rivalry escalates to the point that they summon all the technology (and manpower) at their command to engage in a massive game of one-upmanship, while the woman in question remains blissfully unaware of what’s going on.
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