Boozy But Beautiful

Veronica Lake made a splash in Hollywood in her breakthrough role in the 1941 war drama “I Wanted Wings.” During filming, her trademark blonde hair slipped over her eyes, creating her signature peekaboo look.

She struggled mightily with stardom, however, and fame was a fickle friend. Alcoholism and mental illness dogged her career and marred her legacy, and she faded into ignominy later in life.

I worked at E! Entertainment television between 1997 and 1999 on a little known show called Mysteries and Scandals, and we used to do profiles of all the old Hollywood legends, covering, of course, all the greats, such as James Dean, Marilyn Monroe, Spencer Tracy and Lana Turner, but we also focused on lesser known figures like dancer Isadora Duncan, comedian Fatty Arbuckle, actor John Barrymore and, naturally, Veronica Lake.

Veronica Lake made several films with the five-foot five stature-challenged actor Alan Ladd, including the memorable “This Gun For Hire,” and the lessor known film noir classic, “The Blue Dahlia.” Ladd was known for his height, or lack thereof, and Lake was known for her hair and smoldering eyes. She later became a pin-up girl for soldiers during WWII and sold more than her fair share of war bonds.

Unfortunately, alcoholism, and later, mental illness, took its toll. The two in combination proved deadly, and she died of hepatitis and acute kidney injury at age 50. In reality, Lake ran through her money, and was forced to stay in a series of low rent motels, barely able to pay her bills or put food on the table. When fans tried to send her money, though, she turned down their offers of assistance, insisting that she was still able to make ends meet, and that she was doing just fine on her own, thank you very much.

In our Mysteries and Scandals TV feature at E! Entertainment television, we hinted through a bizarre interview clip that Veronica Lake may have had a lobotomy, but this idea was never substantiated, and in fact, her behavior, strange though it was, could probably have been chalked up to tipping back one too many drinks, one too many days in a row.

I’m reminded of the Marlon Brando quote from the film, “On the Waterfront,” where he shouts out, “I coulda been a contender.” Veronica Lake coulda been a big star, but her career careened off-course, and she never really dealt with the personal demons that haunted her.

Argo Sets Pace For the Oscar Race

The year is 1979. The American embassy in Iran is being stormed and taken over by Iranian radicals who resent that the US is giving the ousted Shah of Iran sanctuary. The radical Iranians, who support the Ayatollah Khomeini, capture 52 Americans. In the midst of the chaos, six Americans escape and the Canadian ambassador hides them at his residence.

To get them out, Ben Affleck’s character hatches a plan to make a space fantasy movie, Argo, a la Star Wars, while issuing the fugitives Canadian passports, and helping them escape.

The fake movie Argo will never actually be made, but it serves as a cover for the motley crew of US citizens. The morass of Hollywood is spoofed, and there is great fun and many humorous moments as a make-up artist, played by John Goodman, and a film producer, Alan Arkin, set up the appearance of an actually movie that is in production. They even go so far as to host a script reading by actors at the Beverly Hilton. The comedic moments serve as a momentary rest from the tension and drama as the audience hopes, but is unsure, whether the plan will succeed.

This is a true story which was kept secret by the CIA for eighteen years, and in my mind, this is the best film of the year so far. I predict it will be a front runner for Best Picture in the Golden Globe and Oscar season. Despite Hollywood’s penchant for happy endings, I was unsure how the story was going to turn out, and I found myself nervously shifting in my seat, completely mesmerized by the story. It would have been tempting to slap-dash together and toss off a thriller without the depth and richness of Argo, but director Ben Affleck is not satisfied with taking the easy way out.

Despite the many years fraught with conflicts in the Middle East, I don’t believe the average American truly cares much about what is going on abroad. This movie will make you care for the safety of the characters, and may even inspire interest in understanding how tension in the Middle East affects everyone.

Look for Argo as one of the films to watch this award season.

The Race Is On

In the wake of the Republican primary season, I’d like to talk about something really important:  the Academy Awards!  The Oscars are a self-declared holiday everywhere in Hollywood.  It is the biggest event of the year in southern California.

Billy Crystal has been host numerous times before, and has agreed to host again.  He had seemingly pushed the boundaries of being a memorable, even legendary host and noted that it was time to let someone else dazzle the audience with witty repartee.  In September of this year Eddie Murphy had been tapped to host this year for the 84th awards ceremony and was reputedly looking forward to it, but he backed out when his good friend Brett Ratner resigned (the polite Hollywood way of declaring “You’re Fired”).  Brett Ratner was under fire for a gay slur as well as inappropriate comments about actresses Olivia Munn and Lindsey Lohan.  What he said while promoting his film Tower Heist was that “rehearsing is for fags.”  Certainly an ill conceived response to questions about his film.  I think he failed to realize that for the most part Jews and homosexuals (and sometimes Jewish homosexuals)practically run Hollywood, even if only behind the scenes, out of the public eye, usually not as actors.  

I’m not sure how many in the audience will remember the nominees or winners for Best Original Screenplay writer or the Best Adapted Screenplay Writer, except for the year that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck won for “Good Will Hunting.”  In my midnight musings I myself wonder whether I might ever be nominated as a writer for a film (I’ve given several practice speeches in the shower).  Trust me,  though, I’m working on a novel, not a screenplay, so that leaves me out of the running, at least for now.  What can I say?  You gotta dream big because you just never know where life will take you.  I couldn’t have predicted five years ago that I would be going to Northwestern University for a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, but here I am, pursuing my childhood dreams.

But enough about that and on to the drama of the awards ceremony.  To me, the most hotly contested race this year is in the Lead Actress in a Film category.  Meryl Streep and Viola Davis are duking it out, and Glenn Close is the dark horse for Albert Nobbs where she played a woman masquerading as a manservant in late 19th Century Ireland.  Streep is widely acknowledged as the premiere actress of our generation with 16 nominations and 2 wins for Supporting Actress in Kramer vs. Kramer and Lead Actress in Sophie’s Choice way back in 1982.  She is due another win for her turn in The Iron Lady where she plays British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher because she hasn’t won since Sophie’s Choice, yet I favor Viola Davis in the role of a lifetime for The Help.

As a general rule, comedies are not considered for Acadmeny Awards, yet Bridesmaid’s supporting actress Melissa McCarthy may surprise everyone.  However, my heart belongs this year to Octavia Spencer who plays fiesty black maid Minny, once again in The Help.

I’m not certain why I am drawn to the Best and Supporting Actress categories, but the gals nominated tend to really steal the show with amazing, and actually memorable speeches.  Who can forget Halle Berry thanking all the black women in film and music history on whose shoulders she stands?  Or Sally Field, where she said, “You like me, you really like me!” 

One of the worst thing you can do with your allotted 45 seconds is thank industry insiders just because it might benefit your career.  Stretch your acting muscles, folks, and put on a moving, memorable performance.

At its best, the Oscar speech is its own art form.  Louise Fletcher, who won for her role as Nurse Ratched in One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest said, “I’ve loved being hated by you.”  Then she continued by thanking Jack Nicholson, for making “being in a mental institution like being in a mental institution.”

Shirley MacLaine, for Terms of Endearment (one of my favorite films),  waxed philosophical:  “God bless that potential that we all have for making anything possible if we think we deserve it.”  Then said, “I deserve this.”

None of the other categories impact me in quite the same way, except perhaps the winner of Best Director and Best Picture.  My favorite films this year were The Help and Hugo, Hugo for sheer scope and panoramic cinematic profoundity.  I tend to lean toward Hugo, certianly for Best Director, but also for Best Picture (it’s such a quietly beautiful film), but the frontrunner for Best Picture is actually the silent film The Artist.  A silent film hasn’t won since the first Academy Awards show 83 years ago (the film was Wings).

Regardless of who wins and who are the “also-rans,” I love the pomp and circumstance of the Academy Awards.  Books and films nourish my soul and what can I say: you just have to love a good show.

Great Expectations

In today’s society, people are rewarded for becoming stars in whatever their field, but what happens when someone doesn’t live to see the fruits of his labors?  I think it’s a natural human emotions to want to be recognized. 

I remember vividly 1982 as the year that Henry Fonda won the Best Actor Academy Award for his role in “On Golden Pond.”  The year before he had received  a lifetime achievement award from the Academy for his work spanning his entire career.  I don’t think the Academy could have predicted that the very next year he would earn the Best Actor Oscar.  He was in the hospital during the award ceremony so his daughter Jane Fonda accepted the award on his behalf, but at least he lived long enough to see his efforts rewarded even late in life.  He died August 12th that year.

Other creative artists have not been so lucky.

The most obvious recent example is Heath Ledger who died from “an accidental overdose of prescription drugs” during the editing process of the film “The Dark Knight.” Later that year he won the Oscar for Best Supporting Academy Award as the Joker but was unable to collect his award so his family accepted it on his behalf.  Rumors persist that he suffered an overwhelming sense of depression which manifested itself during the filming of “The Dark Knight.”

I’m also thinking of John Kennedy Toole who wrote “A Confederacy of Dunces” then committed suicide in 1969 at the age of thirty-two over his plight as an unrecognized artist.  His mother schlepped his manuscipt from agent to agent until his novel was published in 1980.  It went on to win the Pulitzer Prize, something most writers only dream of.

Jonathon Larson created “Rent” the musical, but died the very day of its off-broadway premiere of an aortic dissection.  He had been complaining of chest pains but the doctors misdiagnosed his condition as the flu.  His show later won the Pulitzer and Tony for Best Musical.

Last, Stieg Larrson (no relation to Jonathon Larson) wrote three novels, “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” “The Girl Who Played With Fire,” and “”The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest,” all of which remained unpublished at the time of his death.  Now, of course, they have all become runaway bestsellers and his first novel has already been turned into a film.

Call me greedy!  I want to live to see the fruits of my labors.  I guess the point, as a writer, is to write faster, write every day, make writing my primary focus.  Don’t worry quite so much about accolades, but don’t give up in despair over what I want to accomplish.  Writers write one page at a time, one day at a time.  The beauty is in the effort, not the end result.