Fantasia

When he made Fantasia, Walt Disney originally thought of it as a concert feature (that was the original title) which would change over time. He planned on releasing the film once every now and then, replacing some segments  by new ones. His wish was partly fulfilled when the Disney studio made Fantasia 2000.However, Fantasia hasn't waited 60 years to be altered over the years. First of all, a sequence planned for Claude Debussy's Clair de Lune...

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Holiday

In Hollywood, way before World War II, Technicolor found its way. There were many gorgeous films in color such as Gone With The Wind and The Wizard Of Oz.In France though, much smaller production values forbade color to even be considered until after the war. The first French feature film in color is Le mariage de Ramuntcho, released in 1947 using the Agfacolor process, soon followed by La belle meunière directed by Marcel Pagnol with a soon forgotten...

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Belgian Snow White

I found another interesting Snow White document indicating a Belgian 1951 re-release of Walt Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. The French version used that year is very likely the original one recorded in 1938. This version has since surfaced only in fragments on the internet since the French version of the film was re-recorded twice more in 1962 and 2001.This is an article from the Belgian magazine Ciné Revue published August 3, 1951.That's...

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The French Snow White Premiere

Today, I'd like to share a rare item of publicity concerning Walt Disney's Snow White And The Seven Dwarfs. When it opened in France on May 6, 1938, the theater "Le Marignan" in Paris had an exclusive engagement to show the film. Check out this site about Jean Mounier (a French distributor) if you wish to see a picture of the theater with all the posters.What I'm offering you is a scan of the complete program that was sold then. It is funny to see...

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Annie Get Your Gun

Annie Get Your Gun is a feel-good movie. Yet it hides so much pain and unhappiness. What should have been a high point on the stars' careers became their doom.MGM hired Judy Garland and Frank Morgan to reunite in this musical, but he died early in the filming and her health made it difficult for her and she felt wrong for the part.She recorded all her songs, and the shoot started. Soon, she had to stop because she just did not have the strength....

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The Boop Boop a Doop Girl

Helen Kane is a star who influenced iconic people, characters, songs, etc. There aren't many who remember her now, though.You probably remember Marilyn Monroe singing:"I wanna be loved by youBoop Boop Bee Doop"This song was created by Helen Kane and the trademark scat singing "Boop a Doop" style also was popularized by her in the late twenties. She became such a sensation that Helen Kane merchandise (dolls, comics, etc.) was sold, she recorded 22...

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Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

 When Thunderball went into production, a new song had to be composed for the new title sequence. The producers were amused by the fact that the Japanese fans of James Bond called him "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang".  So it was decided that the theme song for the film would have that very title.Maurice Binder designed the sequence from the song recorded by Dionne Warwick. Since the title of the film wasn't included in the lyrics (as opposed to...

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A front page story: Earl Hays

Remember when the hero sees his picture on the newspaper in Grand Central station and he's on the run? Or the glimpse that the loving wife throws her husband when she's just read her famous lover is coming to town in the morning paper?Surely, the prop man photocopied a pre-existing paper with their pictures and a fake article on top. Yeah, in 1910, they probably did. Very soon, the matters of credibility and copyright came up.Then came Earl Hays....

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Something's Got to Give

There aren't many films that have such a famous scene. Surely you remember that film where Marilyn Monroe swims naked in a swimming pool. Sure you do,... it had Dean Martin in it, right? For some reason, you just cannot seem to remember the plot, though. But that scene got a lot of press coverage and is just as famous as the blowing skirt in "The Seven Year Itch".And yet... there never was a film. At least not one that was ever completed. After the...

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