Showing posts with label It Can't Happen Here. Show all posts
Showing posts with label It Can't Happen Here. Show all posts
May 31, 2025
May 30, 2025
December 17, 2021
September 30, 2021
Ernest Hemingway articles/mentions
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Walker Evans ~ photos of the Depression
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here
Ernest Hemingway - 1918
photographer unknown
June 19, 2021
June 15, 2021
August 30, 2020
Raymond Massey ~ Thespian Extraordinare
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date & photographer unknown
Today is the birthday of radio, stage and screen actor, Raymond Massey. His most dramatic roles were his portrayals of the eighteenth president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.
Raymond Massey as Abraham Lincoln - 1938
photographer unknown
Massey scored a great triumph on Broadway in the Robert E. Sherwood Pulitzer Prize-winning play Abe Lincoln in Illinois despite reservations about Lincoln's being portrayed by a Canadian. He repeated his role in the 1940 film version, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor. Massey again portrayed Lincoln in The Day Lincoln Was Shot on Ford Star Jubilee (1956), a silent appearance in How the West Was Won (1962), and two TV adaptations of Abe Lincoln in Illinois broadcast in 1950 and 1951. He once complained jokingly that he was "the only actor ever typecast as a president."
His preparation for the role was so detailed and obsessive that one
person commented that Massey would not be satisfied with his Lincoln
impersonation until someone assassinated him. On stage in a dramatic reading of John Brown's Body, by Stephen Vincent Benét (1953), Massey, in addition to narrating along with Tyrone Power and Judith Anderson, took on the roles of both John Brown and Lincoln.
My favorite role of his was when he starred in Things to Come, in 1936, a film adaptation by H. G. Wells of his own speculative novel The Shape of Things to Come (1933). The cultural historian Christopher Frayling called Things to Come "a landmark in cinematic design". The film also starred, Ralph Richardson, Cedric Hardwicke and Ann Todd.
Things to Come UK poster
Massey became an American citizen in 1944. After he became an American citizen, he continued to work in Hollywood. Memorable film roles included the husband of Joan Crawford during her Oscar-nominated role in Possessed (1947) and the doomed publishing tycoon Gail Wynand in The Fountainhead (1949), with Patricia Neal and Gary Cooper. In 1955, he starred in East of Eden as Adam Trask, father of Cal, played by James Dean, and Aron, played by Richard Davalos.
But Massey had a good sense of humor: he played Jonathan Brewster in the movie version of Arsenic and Old Lace which is proof Massey could take a joke. Brewster was created for Boris Karloff, who played the part on Broadway, but was unavailable for the movie. The character required Massey to look like the Frankenstein monster. A running gag in the play and the film was the character's resemblance to Karloff. It was an American black comedy film directed by Frank Capra and starring Cary Grant, Peter Lorre, Jack Carson; the score for the film was written by Max Steiner of King Kong fame.
Arsenic and Old Lace - 1944
movie poster
Massey was born in Toronto, Ontario, on August 30, 1896. He was the great-grandson of founder Daniel Massey, whose branch of the Massey family emigrated to Canada from New England a few years before the War of 1812, their ancestors having migrated from England to the Massachusetts colony in the 1630s.
Massey joined the Canadian Army at the outbreak of World War I, and served on the Western Front in the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. Lieutenant Massey returned to Canada after being wounded at Zillebeke in Belgium during the Battle of Mont Sorrel in 1916 and was engaged as an army instructor for American officers at Yale University. In 1918, he was recalled to active service and joined the Canadian Siberian Expeditionary Force that went to Siberia during the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War. On the orders of his commanding general, he organized a minstrel show troupe with himself as end man in blackface to bolster morale of allied troops on occupation duty in Vladivostok.
Raymond Massey died of pneumonia in Los Angeles, California on July 29, 1983, he was 86 years old. His death came on the same day as that of David Niven, with whom he had co-starred in The Prisoner of Zenda and A Matter of Life and Death. Massey is buried in Beaverdale Memorial Park in New Haven, Connecticut.
Viewfinder links:
Judith Anderson
Gary Cooper
Joan Crawford
James Dean
Sir Cedric Hardwicke
Grace Kelly
Raymond Massey
Patricia Neal
David Niven
Tyrone Power
Sir Ralph Richardson
Max Steiner
Net links:
Filmography
Radio appearances
Major Smolinski ~ Raymond Massey: Did not suffer fools
YouTube links:
Raymond Massey ~
Abe Lincoln in Illinois (excerpt)
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) scene with Peter Lorre
Arsenic and Old Lace ~"He Looks Like Boris Karloff!"
Raymond Massey as Abraham Lincoln - 1938
photographer unknown
Styrous® ~ Sunday, August 30, 2020
June 27, 2020
June 20, 2020
Michael Lewis, his father Sinclair Lewis & It Can't Happen Here
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Michael Lewis - July 1931
Michael Lewis died on March 6, 1975, in Summit, New Jersey, just two years after he did the reading of his father's work; he was 44 years old. He was suvived by his widow, Valerie; a daughter, Lesley, and two sons by a previous marriage.
Dirk Bogarde
Noël Coward
Leo Genn
John Gielgud
Julie Harris
Michael Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here
Raymond Massey
Dirk Bogarde Special: The Servant (21 mins.)
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here (pt. 1) (reading) (4 hrs, 50 mins.)
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here (pt. 2) (reading) (6 hrs, 25 mins.)
Styrous® ~ Saturday, June 20, 2020
photographer unknown
Today, June 20, is the birthday of actor Michael Lewis who was born in 1930, in New York City, NY. He was the son of novelist Sinclair Lewis and American journalist and radio broadcaster, Dorothy Thompson.
Michael Lewis is known for his reading of the 1935 semi-satirical political novel by his father, Sinclair, It Can't Happen Here, which was issued on vinyl LP by Caedmon Records in 1973. (link below).
Michael made his Broadway debut at the age of 23 in the 1954 production of the Noël Coward comedy Quadrille, starring the Lunts (Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne) and in 1965 appeared with them again in the musical, On a Clear Day.
On October 22, 1957, he acted in the George Bernard Shaw play, The Doctor's Dilemma, at the Arena Stage Theatre in Washington, D.C. with Louis Edmonds, Astrid Wilsrud, William Ball, Nick Coster, Lois Alexander, Allen Joseph, Tom Bosley, Peter Breck, Ed Preble, Clarissa Verissimo, Michael Foley, Clayton Corzatte and Warner Schreiner in the cast. Dick Nelson was set designer, Marianna Elliott was costume designer and John O'Shaughnessy directed.
In 1958, The Doctor's Dilemma was made into a film which starred Dirk Bogarde and Leslie Caron with Alastair Sim and Robert Morley.
I formed a great affection for Leslie Caron when I saw her in the 1953 film, Lili; she was adorable. Dirk Bogarde has been in some great films; the first one of his I saw was The Servant, a REALLY weird film! There's an excellent synopsis/review of it on YouTube (link below). My favorite Bogarde film was Death in Venice, which was directed by Luchino Visconti in 1971. Oh, my goodness! Need I say more?
Back to Michael Lewis: on October 5, 1959, he appeared in the play, The Visit, by Friedrich Durrenmatt, in a Producers Theatre production at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Thomas Gomez, Glenn Anders, John Wyse, William Hansen of The Member of the Wedding (link below), Myles Eason, David Clarke and William Callan in the cast. Maurice Valency adapted the script, Ted Otto was set designer, Castillo designed the costumes and Peter Brook directed.
On television: in 1952 he appeared on the Cavalcade of America, an anthology drama series whose Musical Director was Donald Voorhees; in 1965, the The Holy Terror which starred Julie Harris; and in 1967 as La Teremouille in Saint Joan, a television adaptation for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, of the George Bernard Shaw play about the life and trial of Joan of Arc, which was based on the kept records from her trial in 1430. It was directed by George Schaefer and Geneviève Bujold played the role of Joan with a cast that included Raymond Massey, Roddy McDowall, Theodore Bikel, James Daly, Maurice Evans, Leo Genn and many others (audio link below).
Prior to the 1967 production, Saint Joan had been made into an almost surreal, romanticized and beautiful film in 1957; it starred Jean Seberg in the role of Joan, Richard Widmark who was brilliant in a role unlike any he made, with Richard Todd and John Gielgud (video link below).
The last appearance of Michael Lewis on the stage was in 1974 as the knight in the Alan Jay Lerner musical, Camelot, at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, with Michael Allinson, Leigh Beery, Don Stewart and Noel Craig in the cast. Stone Widney was the director.
Sinclair Lewis & Dorothy Thompson - 1938
Michael Lewis is known for his reading of the 1935 semi-satirical political novel by his father, Sinclair, It Can't Happen Here, which was issued on vinyl LP by Caedmon Records in 1973. (link below).
Michael made his Broadway debut at the age of 23 in the 1954 production of the Noël Coward comedy Quadrille, starring the Lunts (Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne) and in 1965 appeared with them again in the musical, On a Clear Day.
the Lunts (Alfred Lunt & Lynn Fontanne)
date & photographer unknown
On October 22, 1957, he acted in the George Bernard Shaw play, The Doctor's Dilemma, at the Arena Stage Theatre in Washington, D.C. with Louis Edmonds, Astrid Wilsrud, William Ball, Nick Coster, Lois Alexander, Allen Joseph, Tom Bosley, Peter Breck, Ed Preble, Clarissa Verissimo, Michael Foley, Clayton Corzatte and Warner Schreiner in the cast. Dick Nelson was set designer, Marianna Elliott was costume designer and John O'Shaughnessy directed.
The Doctor's Dilemma playbill cover
In 1958, The Doctor's Dilemma was made into a film which starred Dirk Bogarde and Leslie Caron with Alastair Sim and Robert Morley.
Death in Venice poster
Back to Michael Lewis: on October 5, 1959, he appeared in the play, The Visit, by Friedrich Durrenmatt, in a Producers Theatre production at the Hanna Theatre in Cleveland, Ohio, with Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne, Thomas Gomez, Glenn Anders, John Wyse, William Hansen of The Member of the Wedding (link below), Myles Eason, David Clarke and William Callan in the cast. Maurice Valency adapted the script, Ted Otto was set designer, Castillo designed the costumes and Peter Brook directed.
On television: in 1952 he appeared on the Cavalcade of America, an anthology drama series whose Musical Director was Donald Voorhees; in 1965, the The Holy Terror which starred Julie Harris; and in 1967 as La Teremouille in Saint Joan, a television adaptation for the Hallmark Hall of Fame, of the George Bernard Shaw play about the life and trial of Joan of Arc, which was based on the kept records from her trial in 1430. It was directed by George Schaefer and Geneviève Bujold played the role of Joan with a cast that included Raymond Massey, Roddy McDowall, Theodore Bikel, James Daly, Maurice Evans, Leo Genn and many others (audio link below).
Prior to the 1967 production, Saint Joan had been made into an almost surreal, romanticized and beautiful film in 1957; it starred Jean Seberg in the role of Joan, Richard Widmark who was brilliant in a role unlike any he made, with Richard Todd and John Gielgud (video link below).
The last appearance of Michael Lewis on the stage was in 1974 as the knight in the Alan Jay Lerner musical, Camelot, at the Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, New Jersey, with Michael Allinson, Leigh Beery, Don Stewart and Noel Craig in the cast. Stone Widney was the director.
Michael Lewis died on March 6, 1975, in Summit, New Jersey, just two years after he did the reading of his father's work; he was 44 years old. He was suvived by his widow, Valerie; a daughter, Lesley, and two sons by a previous marriage.
Viewfinder links:
Dirk Bogarde
Noël Coward
Leo Genn
John Gielgud
Julie Harris
Michael Lewis
Sinclair Lewis
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here
Raymond Massey
Net links:
YouTube links:
Dirk Bogarde Special: The Servant (21 mins.)
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here (pt. 1) (reading) (4 hrs, 50 mins.)
Sinclair Lewis ~ It Can't Happen Here (pt. 2) (reading) (6 hrs, 25 mins.)
Saint Joan (Jean Seberg & Richard Widmark (1957) (1 hr., 50 min.)
Sinclair Lewis articles/mentionos
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