How I Broke Into The Movies is a book published in 1930. It contains 60 articles on the title theme, written by movie stars of the day. Each star has a portrait on the left page and text they've (purportedly) written on the right page with the star's hand-written signature at the bottom for validity. The previous articles I've published are:
How Colleen Moore Broke Into The Movies (also announced the WORLD INTERNET PREMIERE of the Moore's 1925 silent film Ella Cinders newly scored by me with jazz music of the 1920s)
I will continue publishing articles until the book is digitized at which time I will post it to my account on archive.org. Here is the WORLD INTERNET PREMIERE of How I Broke Into The Movies written (in his own words) by Academy Award winner Gary Cooper whose career spanned 36 years from 1925 to 1961.
How I Broke Into The Movies Gary Cooper picture Right click to view the full-size image.
How I Broke Into The Movies by Gary Cooper Right click to view the full-size image.
Some interesting Cooper links
A Farewell to Arms 1932
This pre-Code drama is based on A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, directed by Frank Borzage and stars Gary, Helen Hayes and Adolphe Menjou.
Gary's FBI File
Meet John Doe 1941
Frank Capra's wonderful piece of romantic Americana pits him against Barbara Stanwyck with Walter Brennan, Spring Byington and James Gleason.
Gary Cooper Psycho-Analyzed Screenland, February 1930 Right click to view the full-size image.
Joan Crawford. The very whisper of her name sends shivers down the roots of rose bushes everywhere.
How I Broke Into The Movies is a book published in 1930. It contains 60 articles on the title theme, written by movie stars of the day. Each star has a portrait on the left page and text they've (purportedly) written on the right page with the star's hand-written signature at the bottom for validity. The previous articles I've published are:
How Colleen Moore Broke Into The Movies (also announced the WORLD INTERNET PREMIERE of the Moore's 1925 silent film Ella Cinders newly scored by me with jazz music of the 1920s)
I will continue publishing articles until the book is digitized. Here is the WORLD INTERNET PREMIERE of How I Broke Into The Movies written (in her own words) by Joan Crawford.
How I Broke Into The Movies Joan Crawford picture Right click to view the full-size image.
How I Broke Into The Movies by Joan Crawford Right click to view the full-size image.
Oscar Micheaux was an African-American film director and author. At the time of their release, his black cast films were categorized as race movies and played only theaters that catered to African-American audiences. This post is to introduce you to his work rather than his biography - which can be read (in short) on his Wikipedia page. Many of his films and books can be viewed and read (respectively) and downloaded from archive.org. Posters from several of his films can be worn on crew d'tees t-shirts - the only Oscar Micheaux fashion available!
An Examination of the Streisand/Brice Boxing Film CoincidencesBe Yourself (streaming on Netflix and Amazon Prime) is a 1930 comedy about a woman who becomes manager of a prizefighter; it stars Fannie (née Fanny) Brice. The Main Event is a 1976 comedy about a woman who becomes manager of a prizefighter; it stars Barbra Streisand. Of course, Streisand famously plays Brice in the 1968 film Funny Girl which then begs the question: is The Main Event a remake of Be Yourself?
Robert Armstrong, Fanny Brice, Harry Green, Whitman Mayo, Ryan O'Neal, Barbra Streisand
In both films, the role of fight manager is hoisted upon the women. Brice becomes manager after fighter Robert Armstrong bemoans his lack of representation. Streisand loses her perfume company when her business manager absconds with all her assets except her contract with fighter Ryan O’Neal. But Be Yourself is, delightfully, a musical. As singer Fannie Field, Brice sings five songs (credit to Billy Rose) in a nightclub (except as noted).
This version contains a few barbs aimed at Brice’s ethnicity
When A Woman Loves a Man - first as a charming uptempo number with chorus girls and then as a torch song à la My Man
Cooking Breakfast For The One I Love - first as a duet with Robert Armstrong (in an apartment home) and as a solo by a bellhop (in the nightclub)
Is There Something the Matter with Otto Kahn? - an operatic parody referencing the infamous financier)
Kicking a Hole in the Sky - production reminiscent of the gospel-like Great Day from Streisand’s Funny Lady
It’s Gorgeous To Be Graceful - a comedic ballet reminiscent of Swan Lake from Streisand’s Funny Girl
Musically, The Main Event has a Top 10 pop song in it’s discofied title tune (back with Fight) - credit to Paul Jabara, Bob Esty and Bruce Roberts. This film, having been made in the middle of the 70s aerobics craze, also includes a choreographed aerobics class in which Streisand and other femmes firm things up. There are also lengthy scenes underscored by the Loggins and Messina's track Angry Eyes.
Single version of The Main Event b/w Fight
If you've seen Streisand in Funny Girl, watching Fanny Brice in Be Yourself illustrates just how good Streisand is portraying Brice. Double-takes, confused idioms and Yiddishisms are uncannily identical in the films. But I digress.
The arm and the foot
Back in the world of boxing, a romance develops between the fighter and manager in each film. Although the relationship in Be Yourself is not consummated with a kiss so much as a touch of the arm, the outcome is clear. The outcome between Streisand and O'Neal is clear from the steam emanating off the screen and the arising of Mr. O'Neal's foot.
The iconic proboscises (proboscisi?)
(SPOILER PARAGRAPH) Amazingly, both films end with the manager throwing the big fight. Why? L’amour, l’amour, toujours, l’ amour. Also, an interesting sub plot of the earlier film includes fighter Armstrong having a nose job - something neither Brice nor Streisand did. Brice even yells to her fighter's opponent how to win - Go for the nose. The beaker.
Did Barbra Streisand see the Fanny (née Fannie) Brice film Be Yourself before (she and Jon Peters and) Barwood Pictures started negotiations for the filming of The Main Event? Streisand most certainly watched Be Yourself during preparations for Funny Girl. In that case, The Main Event could be deemed a reimagining of Be Yourself just as the ballad version of The Main Event (previously available only on the soundtrack LP, now on YouTube) is a reimagining of the disco hit. I'll tweet @BarbraStreisand for a clue.
Our first clip has the lovely and lively brunette thriple threat Dorothy McNulty singing, and dancing a heavy-footed yet energetic Charleston in The Varsity Drag, arguably the most famous song from the musical. Ms. McNulty's cartwheels near the clip's end prove the lady's acrobatic.
The next clip is Good News, the title tune. Once again Ms. McNulty (eight years before she dyed her hair blonde and began ten years as comic strip heroineBlondie Bumstead in movies and TV) sings with abandon but this time she adds a split to her wonderful acrobatics. Al Rubber Legs Norman is also on hand to provide more eccentric dancing.
The final Musical Interludes clip includes I Feel Pessimistic played on a ukulele and sung by an adorable Cliff Edwards, If You're Not Kissing Me sung by a chorus and then Stanley Smith and Mary Lawlor (of the original 1927 Broadway production), The Varsity Drag, The Best Things In Life Are Free sung by Stanley Smith and finally Good News. The uploader was also kind enough to include the credits.
I witnessed the 1975 Broadway revival of Good News starring Alice Faye, Gene Nelson and Stubby Kaye on opening night. I loved the show but it posted closing notices the next day because of abysmally bad reviews. ¯\(ツ)/¯ This stagey 1930 version is the closest I will probably ever see to a theatrical production of Good News. I'll keep looking and let you know when I find it. I always do.
