After seeing The Petrified Forest on Broadway in 1935 and expecting the same success for the film version, Jack Warner excitedly purchased the film rights. It took six months of negotiation but the deal was finally closed and it was agreed that Leslie Howard and Humphrey Bogart would reprise their roles for the film, something on which Howard insisted. The only other actors invited to Hollywood were Slim Thompson and John Alexander, the two African American actors who appeared in the play. [Note: IBDB links to the wrong actor.]
Leslie Howard was tired at the play's close on June 29, 1935. He had performed the part of Alan Squier 197 times during its run and needed a
LH Header
Featured Post
BBC Report About Leslie Howard's Death
[BBC Report of Leslie Howard's Death] On Saturday, July 30, I posted on Facebook the 2014 BBC report on Leslie Howard's Death ...
Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weekend. Show all posts
Friday, July 15, 2016
Friday, July 8, 2016
Howard Meets Davis - Part Three
After months away from his children and his home, both in England, and the purchase of five polo ponies to alleviate his boredom and irritation, Leslie Howard finally began filming for Of Human Bondage (1934) in February, 1934.
The entire cast was English except for Bette Davis and Howard thought an English actress should have been cast as Mildred Rogers. Even though Davis had hired a British maid in an effort to learn the accent, Howard was not impressed. Davis was aware of Howard's feelings that she was ridiculous for the part. To observers Howard was polite but to Davis Howard was unsupportive, reading a book off stage while throwing her
The entire cast was English except for Bette Davis and Howard thought an English actress should have been cast as Mildred Rogers. Even though Davis had hired a British maid in an effort to learn the accent, Howard was not impressed. Davis was aware of Howard's feelings that she was ridiculous for the part. To observers Howard was polite but to Davis Howard was unsupportive, reading a book off stage while throwing her
Friday, July 1, 2016
Leslie Howard, The Early Years - Part Five
Leslie Ruth Howard, Leslie Howard's daughter, recounts in her book, A Quite Remarkable Father, that Leslie and Ruth then spent some time together at Mayfield, in Sussex. Leslie's regiment had moved there in preparation to deploy to France for the buildup prior to the Battle of the Somme. Ms Howard states that her father shipped out to France and was there for a time, returning at least once on leave. She remembers in detail a story told to her of how her grandmother, while walking down a London street with her mother and not expecting her father back from the Front, heard a voice call out to Ruth. Turning to look, her grandmother saw a khaki figure covered in mud and told her daughter-in-law, "I think that soldier called to you, Ruth dear." Ruth recognized Leslie and ran to him (much like Melanie runs to Ashley in Gone With The Wind) and embraced him while crying out, "Oh darling! Never mind my suit–thank God you're home!"
Ms Howard goes on to state that after returning to France, it seems Leslie's nerves gave out and Leslie was sent home with "a case of severe shell shock." According to Estel Eforgan in her book, Leslie relinquished his commission on May 18, 1916, having no record of ever seeing action in France. She states that "from the few records that are left, April and May 1916 were relatively quiet times." However, one of the largest and longest battles, the Battle of Verdun, was being waged in northeastern France and since Ms Eforgan can produce no record at all it may be possible the records are incomplete and that Mr. Howard saw action there. Leslie Ruth must have remembered her father's service in WWI based on stories she heard from her family and it is hard for me to imagine her parents and her grandmother fabricating a story of Leslie's war service for the benefit of a child. She later recounted that her father suffered from night terrors especially when traveling in sleeping compartments on trains because of his experience during the war. We will never know for sure. However, because his life was eventually cut short by the German Luftwaffe during WWII, what does it matter? He fought in the war, even if as a civilian, and he died because of it.
Although Leslie and Ruth were living with his family during his recovery, Leslie knew that he must find a way to support the two of them if he wanted to be independent of his father. Ruth was working for the War Office but her pay would not support the two of them. Frank wanted him to return to clerking for Cox, but that suggestion fell on deaf ears. Lilian suggested Leslie try the theatre, she was convinced his future lay there, and so Leslie knocked on the doors of agent after agent after agent day after day after day until finally he knocked on the door of Mr. Ackerman May.
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Ms Howard goes on to state that after returning to France, it seems Leslie's nerves gave out and Leslie was sent home with "a case of severe shell shock." According to Estel Eforgan in her book, Leslie relinquished his commission on May 18, 1916, having no record of ever seeing action in France. She states that "from the few records that are left, April and May 1916 were relatively quiet times." However, one of the largest and longest battles, the Battle of Verdun, was being waged in northeastern France and since Ms Eforgan can produce no record at all it may be possible the records are incomplete and that Mr. Howard saw action there. Leslie Ruth must have remembered her father's service in WWI based on stories she heard from her family and it is hard for me to imagine her parents and her grandmother fabricating a story of Leslie's war service for the benefit of a child. She later recounted that her father suffered from night terrors especially when traveling in sleeping compartments on trains because of his experience during the war. We will never know for sure. However, because his life was eventually cut short by the German Luftwaffe during WWII, what does it matter? He fought in the war, even if as a civilian, and he died because of it.
Although Leslie and Ruth were living with his family during his recovery, Leslie knew that he must find a way to support the two of them if he wanted to be independent of his father. Ruth was working for the War Office but her pay would not support the two of them. Frank wanted him to return to clerking for Cox, but that suggestion fell on deaf ears. Lilian suggested Leslie try the theatre, she was convinced his future lay there, and so Leslie knocked on the doors of agent after agent after agent day after day after day until finally he knocked on the door of Mr. Ackerman May.
 |
| [Leslie Howard, 1924] |
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Friday, June 24, 2016
Three Pairs of Rubbers
My final post for the week and ending my theme (for now) of old time radio shows is one of Leslie Howard doing comedy. The recording is of three shows Howard appeared on for Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on the CBS radio network, December 6, 1936 ("Three Pairs of Rubbers") and February 14 ("Hamlet") and May 30, 1937 ("Aired In England"). I have edited the original recordings to include only the portion Leslie Howard appeared on and spliced them all together for one recording.
I have listened to this recording many times and what I hear every time is the love the audience had for Mr. Howard. On the first episode you can sense their awe when he walked into the studio, almost forgetting to applaud, prompting Eddie Cantor to say, "It's really him. Leslie Howard in person."
You can listen to all the Leslie Howard radio appearances I have been able to find by visiting my blog. They are in the "Photos and Magazine Mentions" Section under the "On The Radio" Tab or by simply visiting my Leslie Howard On The Radio YouTube site: LeslieHowardSteiner YouTube, Leslie Howard on the Radio. Again, thank you to Ginevra Di Verduno's site Inafferrabile (Elusive) Leslie Howard, Radio.
Note: My recording is edited for Leslie Howard's appearances only. If you listen to the full recordings you will hear a commentator on the first show announcing King Edward's abdication of the throne in favor of Wallis Simpson. You will also hear the announcer refer to a scathing attack on American media by the Royal Family. It seems they somehow blamed American media for the whole fiasco. If you wish to listen to the entire December 6 show, if can be found here: Eddie Cantor Texaco Town, Full Show, CBS Radio, "Three Pairs of Rubbers," Leslie Howard 12-06-36.
Have a great weekend!
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
I have listened to this recording many times and what I hear every time is the love the audience had for Mr. Howard. On the first episode you can sense their awe when he walked into the studio, almost forgetting to applaud, prompting Eddie Cantor to say, "It's really him. Leslie Howard in person."
You can listen to all the Leslie Howard radio appearances I have been able to find by visiting my blog. They are in the "Photos and Magazine Mentions" Section under the "On The Radio" Tab or by simply visiting my Leslie Howard On The Radio YouTube site: LeslieHowardSteiner YouTube, Leslie Howard on the Radio. Again, thank you to Ginevra Di Verduno's site Inafferrabile (Elusive) Leslie Howard, Radio.
Note: My recording is edited for Leslie Howard's appearances only. If you listen to the full recordings you will hear a commentator on the first show announcing King Edward's abdication of the throne in favor of Wallis Simpson. You will also hear the announcer refer to a scathing attack on American media by the Royal Family. It seems they somehow blamed American media for the whole fiasco. If you wish to listen to the entire December 6 show, if can be found here: Eddie Cantor Texaco Town, Full Show, CBS Radio, "Three Pairs of Rubbers," Leslie Howard 12-06-36.
Have a great weekend!
[Eddie Cantor's Texaco Town on CBS radio, three Leslie Howard
appearances, December 6, 1936, February 14 and May 30, 1937]
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Friday, June 17, 2016
Leslie Howard As Seen By The Artist
"Art is the lie that enables us to realize the truth." ~ Pablo Picasso
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
 |
| [Autographed "Can this be true? Leslie Howard" by Alex Gard, for Sardi's Restaurant] |
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Friday, June 10, 2016
Acting vs. Horses
This week I have talked about Leslie Howard's dislike of acting vs. his love for horses. I am not one of those fortunate people who have spent my life around horses, but I know some who have. And those who have will tell you that people can learn a lot from horses. Horses challenge those who care for them to be better people. And horses are unpredictable. And, of course, horses are beautiful. All these qualities are opposite to Howard's feelings on acting.
Leslie Howard may not have liked acting, but just as he loved the beauty, challenge and unpredictability of horses, I love the beauty of his performances. I wish that Mr. Howard could have appreciated that his acting, for a great many people, was the same as his quiet talk to the horse that needed soothing.
Watching Leslie Howard on the screen is a beautiful thing. Just look at his eyes and you will see his despair after he kills Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable) to protect the woman he loves (Norma Shearer) in A Free Soul (1931). Or feel his resignation with every movement of his hands when he realizes his wife, Cee (Myrna Loy), is manipulating him with sex, not love, to get his money in The Animal Kingdom (1932). See the shock and hurt on his face when Mildred Rogers (Bette Davis) screams the words he feared but always expected to hear, "a cripple, A Cripple, A CRIPPLE," in Of Human Bondage (1934). And then, in just the turning of his head, see his surprise and then disappointment when he realizes that Scarlet (Vivien Leigh) would strip him of all his dignity without a second thought in Gone With The Wind (1939).
I wish that Leslie Howard could have enjoyed acting the way he enjoyed horses. I wish that he had found acting a challenge. I wish that acting for him had not been so predictable and boring. And I wish that Mr. Howard had realized the beauty in his performances and how much they meant to his fans then and how much they would still be enjoyed nearly 100 years later by people like me. I wish that Leslie Howard had realized that in his acting there was artistry.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Leslie Howard may not have liked acting, but just as he loved the beauty, challenge and unpredictability of horses, I love the beauty of his performances. I wish that Mr. Howard could have appreciated that his acting, for a great many people, was the same as his quiet talk to the horse that needed soothing.
Watching Leslie Howard on the screen is a beautiful thing. Just look at his eyes and you will see his despair after he kills Ace Wilfong (Clark Gable) to protect the woman he loves (Norma Shearer) in A Free Soul (1931). Or feel his resignation with every movement of his hands when he realizes his wife, Cee (Myrna Loy), is manipulating him with sex, not love, to get his money in The Animal Kingdom (1932). See the shock and hurt on his face when Mildred Rogers (Bette Davis) screams the words he feared but always expected to hear, "a cripple, A Cripple, A CRIPPLE," in Of Human Bondage (1934). And then, in just the turning of his head, see his surprise and then disappointment when he realizes that Scarlet (Vivien Leigh) would strip him of all his dignity without a second thought in Gone With The Wind (1939).
I wish that Leslie Howard could have enjoyed acting the way he enjoyed horses. I wish that he had found acting a challenge. I wish that acting for him had not been so predictable and boring. And I wish that Mr. Howard had realized the beauty in his performances and how much they meant to his fans then and how much they would still be enjoyed nearly 100 years later by people like me. I wish that Leslie Howard had realized that in his acting there was artistry.
Have a fantastic weekend everyone!
 |
| [Leslie Howard by Reginald G. Eves] |
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Saturday, June 4, 2016
History Repeats Itself, Again
Ok. So let's get real. Neither The Dickstein Bill nor Mr. Murray W. Garsson was actually gunning for the Marlene Dietrichs or the Maurice Chevaliers or the Leslie Howards. Those people always have teams of lawyers on the case. It was aimed at "a lot of 'extras' over here who are foreigners...Those people will not be allowed here." And no more renewing of six-month visas by making a weekend trip to Agua Caliente and calling the return to Hollywood Monday morning a re-entry.
So, you might be wondering why I am even talking about Mr. Murray W. Garsson or The Dickstein Bill. Well, what those experts say, you remember the ones I talked about yesterday, is that The Dickstein Bill, even though it never passed into law, led the country right into The Hollywood Blacklist. It seems that an ambitious Congressman from east Texas, Martin Dies, resuscitated the bill and out of his efforts the House Committee of Un-American Activities was formed. And we all should know what happened next. If you don't, look it up. In the words of President Harry S. Truman it was the "most un-American thing in the country today."
So next time you hear someone saying they have a solution that will solve all our problems, and it involves the elimination of one group or another, you might want to think about Mr. Murray W. Garsson and The Dickstein Bill. Remember, no matter how well intentioned Mr. Garsson was, his efforts to rid America of undocumented and over-staying immigrants eventually ended up hurting and even destroying the lives of a lot of good people, very American people. If I may borrow a quote by David G. McAfee and rephrase it a bit: If for every well-intended idea uttered in hopes of making one's world a better place, there was instead a good deed accomplished, the world might look as though those ideas had come to fruition.
Have a great weekend everybody!
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
So, you might be wondering why I am even talking about Mr. Murray W. Garsson or The Dickstein Bill. Well, what those experts say, you remember the ones I talked about yesterday, is that The Dickstein Bill, even though it never passed into law, led the country right into The Hollywood Blacklist. It seems that an ambitious Congressman from east Texas, Martin Dies, resuscitated the bill and out of his efforts the House Committee of Un-American Activities was formed. And we all should know what happened next. If you don't, look it up. In the words of President Harry S. Truman it was the "most un-American thing in the country today."
So next time you hear someone saying they have a solution that will solve all our problems, and it involves the elimination of one group or another, you might want to think about Mr. Murray W. Garsson and The Dickstein Bill. Remember, no matter how well intentioned Mr. Garsson was, his efforts to rid America of undocumented and over-staying immigrants eventually ended up hurting and even destroying the lives of a lot of good people, very American people. If I may borrow a quote by David G. McAfee and rephrase it a bit: If for every well-intended idea uttered in hopes of making one's world a better place, there was instead a good deed accomplished, the world might look as though those ideas had come to fruition.
Have a great weekend everybody!
 |
| [Leslie Howard Aboard Europa, UK to NYC, November 27, 1934] |
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Friday, May 27, 2016
This Makes Me Love Him Even More!
I love this story. It just proves what an absolute gentleman Leslie Howard was. And how much he enjoyed a good prank.
Have a great weekend everybody!
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Leslie Howard, sitting on a stool at the RKO lunch counter, was amazed to hear the two "extra" girls next to him talking about the Howards.
"Oh, yes," one of them was saying, "Leslie and Ruth are very dear and old friends of mine. Why, I'm at their house often for the week-end."
Impressed, the other girl uttered sounds of admiration that died away in a gasp as she suddenly nudged her friend, pointing to their neighbor. Smallish, freckled, wearing big horn-rimmed glasses, Leslie Howard is not always recognized, but the hapless girl who "knew him so well" knew who he was, all right. Her face registered horror, which changed to relief as he leaned forward genially, nodded and said matter-of-factly, without a trace of facetious irony:
"Yes, indeed. But haven't you been neglecting us lately? Haven't seen you out at the house for some time!"
Later, on the set, the girl came to Leslie and, with tears in her eyes, apologized and thanked him for not letting her down.This is a special shoutout to When Hollywood was "Golden" and Clark Gable: When Hollywood was "Golden" for recommending my Facebook page. Thanks again!
Have a great weekend everybody!
 |
| [Leslie Howard - most likely a publicity photo for Pygmalion, c. 1938] |
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Saturday, May 14, 2016
Have A Great Weekend!
It doesn't take brains to remember to have a fantastic weekend. See you Monday. Remember the blog.
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Subscribe to Leslie Howard by Email
Saturday, May 7, 2016
Friday, April 29, 2016
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)