Director Anthony Mann teamed up with Jimmy
Stewart to make five of the best westerns of the '50s:
Winchecter '73, Bend of the River, The Naked Spur, The Far Country and The Man from Laramie. Mann also directed Stewart in another great film of the '50s. The Glenn Miller Story.
Riders of Destiny was John Wayne's first attempt at the "singing cowboy" role-and he didn't even sing! Glenn Strange (who was the bartender Sam in the saloon owned by "Kitty" Amanda Blake on Gunsmoke with James Arness)provided the singing voice of Singin'Sandy Saunders.
Warner Brothers initially announced that the two
leads in Casablanca would be played by Ronald Reagan and
Ann Sheridan. Hedy Lamarr and George Raft were also considered before Bogart and Bergman were finally cast as Rick and Ilsa. Would'nt have it any other way!
Amongst, the names originally thought about for the roles of Butch Cassidy and Sundance were Jack Lemmon, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, Warren Beatty and Paul Newman. Ultimately, Director George Roy Hill cast Robert Redford as Butch and Paul Newman as Sundance. It was Redford's suggestion that they switch roles.
Robert Redford and Paul Newman actually did jump off the Cliff, but landed on a Matttress 6ft. below. Stunt actors finished the scene completing the jump on a ranch in Malabu California.
Most of the scenes were actually shot at the famous ZION National Park, Utah.
DID YOU KNOW:
Old time actor "Bob Steele" was a twin, and
like so many of the movie stars, that Bob Steele was not his
real name. His real name was Robert N. Bradbury Jr. after his father who was a director and had not only directed some of his films, but also directed some of John Wayne's early movies
under the Lone Star Productions.
- 1938: Margaret Hamilton's costume and broom caught fire in the first scene she filmed for "The Wizard of Oz," burning the skin on her right hand and singeing off her eyebrows. Before she turned to acting, Margaret Hamilton was once a kindergarten teacher.
- 1928: Johnny Weissmuller announced his retirement from amateur swimming after never losing a free-style race in 8 years of competition. He held all world records for free-style swimming from 50 to 880 yards.
- On May 16, 1929, the first Academy Awards were presented during a banquet at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. The movie "Wings" won "best production" while Emil Jannings and Janet Gaynor were named best actor and best actress.
On Oct. 6, 1927, the era of talking pictures arrived with the opening of "The Jazz Singer" starring Al Jolson, a movie which featured both silent and sound-synchronized scenes.
Amos 'n' Andy from the famous radio days and television. Ever wonder what their last names were?
Andy Jones and Amos Brown!
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