Louis Jourdan (1921–2015)

I was saddened to hear of the passing of Louis Jourdan; my favorite of his films: Gigi (1959) and Letter from an Unknown Woman (1947). Read more about Letter from an Unknown Woman here.

To modern audiences he is best known for playing a villain in the James Bond film Octopussy (1983) but many others best remember his earlier films such as Three Coins in the Fountain (1954), Can-Can (1960), The VIPs (1963) and the Oscar winning Best Picture Gigi (1958).

In 2004 I wrote to him and requested an autograph - he sent me this wonderful signed photo here--->

Mr Jourdan never won an Oscar, but in Gigi he performed the song that went on to win an Oscar for Best Song "Gigi". Revisit that wonderful scene from the movie here:

 

Rest in peace, Gaston.

My autograph from Julie Harris

Gerald of Laslo's on Lex once called her a national treasure. Julie Harris - one of the great actors of the 20th century stage and screen - passed away over the weekend at the age of 87. She was multiple Tony and Emmy winner and recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors. In 2004 I wrote to her requesting an autograph and received one from her!

I will always treasure this autograph and remember her great films such as Member of the Wedding, East of Eden and The Hiding Place, to name a few. 

June Lockhart autograph

Autographed at a "Lost in Space" cast reunion last year (2012)

New autographs, Sept 2012

Julie Adams (Creature From The Black Lagoon)

Cast from Lost In Space (June Lockhart, Angela Cartwright, Bill Mumy)

Dean Stockwell autograph

Met Dean Stockwell yesterday at the Chicago Comic Con - here's the pic I asked him to sign for me: 

Dean with Frank Sinatra in Anchors Aweigh

My New Autographs

Well last weekend was the annual Chiller expo in New Jersey, my first time there. Overall it was fun and I managed to get a few new autographs. Also in this post are a few other autographs from other recent shows I've been to.

Chiller Expo, Parsipanny New Jersey (Oct 29)

Dolores Hart



Mother Dolores Hart made a live appearance last weekend in New Jersey to help raise money for her monastery which is in need of renovation.  She is a warm and gentle woman and was so happy to meet and greet anyone who came up to her. I told her it was an honor to meet her and shook her hand.

There was a professional photographer taking photos of all the celebrities; the photos have been posted here at WireImage. Check them out for more pics. 

Martin Landau

 Mr. Landau looked very tired when it was my turn in line to meet him. He had just come back from a break and he had been taking very long breaks that day (as I was told) I really wanted to get my North by Northwest poster signed by him and he was very happy to do so, even though the experience felt a bit rushed. There really wasn't much time to talk. There were many people and the atmosphere was less than intimate.

I was able to take some photos of the table with all of the photos for sale

Below: Landau and a fan. At the next table to their left is a B actress named "Lisa Marie", and at the next table is Bruce Dern

Below, Chiller Expo 2011: This was the main "Pit" area in the hotel where all the big-name stars were situated. In the lower right you can see the actor from Goodfellas (in the film, he's the one who says to Joe Pesci to go back to his shinebox). Valerie Perrine was also there (at left) but I didn't get a chance to meet her. Hopefully next time!

Richard Kiel



Got Jaws' autograph! Nice fellow.

Carroll Spinney, Muppeteer ("Big Bird", "Oscar")

Got "Big Bird" Carrol Spinney to sign my Muppet Movie poster. 

Hollywood Collector's Show, Rosemont IL (October 2011)

Michael J. Pollard

He was a very nice man, but hard of hearing. A local movie theater was planning a special tribute to Bonnie And Clyde and he was going to attend and do a Q&A. Later I found out the event was cancelled due to lack of interest. 

Millie Perkins and Diane Baker from 1959's The Diary of Anne Frank

Millie Perkins was a very sweet woman. We talked for about 10 minutes about the Anne Frank movie, and some of her other films which I have not seen. She was so kind. She told me that she travels all over the world to screen the film and talk about it as well. She also played Elvis' mother in a TV movie and we talked about Graceland (we had both been there). I could tell that she really enjoyed talking to me. It's very rare for a  celebrity to be so friendly.

Diane Baker was sitting at a table next to Millie Perkins and I got her autograph too. 

James Darren



I had James Darren sign this photo for me from Gidget; it's my favorite film or TV with him in it. 

Henry Winkler, Penny Marshall, Cindy Williams



All three made a rare autograph appearance together last month. The Fonz was super nice and friendly, greeting everyone, standing up and walking around to meet fans in line, even. This is rare for a celebrity to do! But he did it! I was a bit nervous. Penny Marshall rarely makes appearances I'm told, so it was neat to get her autograph. She was signing and talking on her iPhone at the same time! Some people are just super busy, I guess. 

Chicago Comic Con (August 2011)

Christopher Lloyd



The line to meet Christopher Lloyd was huge. I think I was in line at least 2 hours. But it was fun and worth it. When you are with other fans it's fun. 

Louis Gossett, Jr.



Very nice man. It was great meeting him. I had read he had been going through some serious health complications in the last couple of years. Also I just picked up his new autobiography but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

Pam Grier 



She had a book she was promoting but I opted to have my Jackie Brown poster signed. She said to me, Thank you for supporting our industry.

Dolores Hart, Martin Landau and other stars this weekend at expo in New Jersey

This weekend is the annual Chiller Expo (Toy, Model, and Film Expo) in Parsippany, New Jersey. I've never been to it, but this year there is a very exciting lineup of celebrity guests - a great opportunity for autographs. Scheduled to appear  are Martin Landau and Mother Dolores Hart, who is now a nun but fifty years ago was a huge star with appearances in Elvis films, Where the Boys Are, Lonelyhearts, Come Fly With Me, and more. This is her first autograph session in almost 50 years, so this is a very, very rare treat indeed.

Here is just a partial list of celebrities:

Martin Landau, legendary actor

Dolores Hart, Where the Boys Are

Burt Young, Rocky series

Louise Fletcher, "Nurse Ratched" in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Pam Grier, Jackie Brown, Foxy Brown

Louis Gossett Jr., An Office and a Gentlemen

Valerie Perrine, Lenny, Superman

Bruce Dern, Coming Home, Family Plot

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark

Sara Karloff, daughter of Boris Karloff

Lana Wood, sister of Natalie Wood

All of the child actors from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory

(Peter Ostrum, etc)

For more information check out the main Chiller Expo page

If I go, I will be sure to have an update

Merry Christmas from Motion Picture Gems!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas season

(Above: autographed photo from Ms. Karolyn Grimes "Zuzu" , who
appeared in person at a screening and
Q&A on 12/19/10 in a Chicagoland theater)

How to get celebrity autographs by mail

Step 1. Choose who you like to write to
Step 2. Go to Fanmail.biz website and find their address
Step 3. Make sure that the celebrity responds at that address (read all of the user's comments - their feedback and suggestions)
Step 4. Purchase a photo (8x10 is nice, or DVD cover sleeve)
Step 5. Prepare your envelope; must be large enough for photo. In the lower left corner, write "Photo - Do Not Bend"
Step 6. Put adequate postage on the envelope (2 44-cent First Class stamps (US) and address it to the star.
Step 7. Prepare a self-addressed envelope so that they can mail you back your autograph. Write your own address on it, then fold it in half so it fits in your original envelope. Add postage - in the US, two 44-cent First Class stamps will work. If sending to Europe, make sure you include 2 IRC coupons. Order IRC coupons from USPS website.
Step 8. Write your letter. Make it personal, handwritten. No more than 2-3 paragraphs. Remember these points:

State your name and that you are a fan.
Tell them why you admire them-lifelong fan, love their movie, etc.
Ask them for an autographed photo.
Thank them for their time.

Step 9. Gather all materials together and mail the envelope.
Step 10. It might take several weeks/ months. Be patient.

For celebrity addresses: www.fanmail.biz

Gloria Stuart (1910-2010)

Here's a nice tribute from Leonard Maltin

Celebrity Autograph Show in Chicago: Update

Regarding the upcoming autograph show (September 25 -26) in Chicago:

Unfortunately, Hollywood legends Margaret O'Brien and Oscar/Emmy winner Patty Duke have both had to cancel their appearances. I was really looking forward to meeting them. Oh well. Maybe another time.

According to the latest e-mail I recieved, here's the updated lineup, in alphabetical order:

SUNDAY ONLY:

Carl 'Cubby' O'Brien (“Westward Ho The Wagons!” & “The Mickey Mouse Club”)

SATURDAY and SUNDAY:

Maud Adams (“Octopussy”, “Jane & The Lost City” & “Emerald Point N.A.S.”)
Meredith Baxter (“All The President's Men”, “Family” & “Family Ties”)
Ruth Buzzi (“Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In” & “Sesame Street”)
Edd 'Kookie' Byrnes (“Yellowstone Kelly”, “77 Sunset Strip”)
Robert Dix (“Five Bloody Graves”, “Young Jesse James”, “Rebel Rousers” & “Wild Wheels”)
Britt Ekland (“After The Fox”, “The Bobo”, “The Night They Raided Minsky's” & “The Man With The Golden Gun”)
Taina Elg (“Les Girls”, “Gaby” )
Michael Gross (“Tremors”, “Big Business” & “Family Ties”)
David Hedison (“The Fly”, “Live & Let Die”, “License To Kill” & “Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea”)
Joyce Hyser (“Just One Of The Guys”, “Staying Alive” & “Wedding Band”)
Tim Kazurinsky (“Betaville”, “8 Of Diamonds” & “Saturday Night Live”)
Shirley Knight (“Sweet Bird Of Youth”, “Dark At The Top Of The Stairs” & “Endless Love”)
Jennifer 'Lacey Summers' Korbin (“The Red Chair”)
Charlotte Lewis (“The Golden Child”, “Pirates”, “Men Of War” & “Embrace Of The Vampire”)
Larry Manetti (“Exit”, “Scrambled Eggs”, “Hijack”, “The Alternate”, “Time Served” & “Magnum, P.I.”)
Lisa Marie (“Sleepy Hollow”, “Ed Wood”, “Chasing The Dragon”, “Planet Of The Apes” & “Mars Attacks!”)
Cindy Morgan (“Caddyshack”, “Return Of The Shaggy Dog”, “Falcon Crest” & “Tron”)
Roger E. Mosley (“Leadbelly”, “The Greatest” & “Magnum, P.I.”)
David Naughton (“An American Werewolf In London”, “The Boy In Blue” & “My Sister Sam”)
Denise Nickerson (“Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory”, “The Electric Company”)
Barbara Parkins (“Valley Of The Dolls”, “Breakfast In Paris” & “Peyton Place”)
Paul Picerni (“To Hell & Back”, “The Young Philadelphians”, “House Of Wax” & “The Untouchables”)
Marc Price (“Trick Or Treat”, “Little Devils: The Birth” & “Family Ties”)
Cathy St. George (“Beverly Hills Brats”, “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind” & “The Man Who Loved Women”)
Mia St. John (“Extreme Dodgeball” & “Workout With A Knockout”)
Frank Vincent (“Goodfellas”, “Casino” & “The Sopranos”)
Marcia Wallace (“The Bob Newhart Show”, “Teen Witch” & “The Simpsons”)
Lana Wood (“Diamonds Are Forever”, “The Searchers”, “Grayeagle” & “A Place Called Today”)

There's still time to make your arrangements to come to Chicago if you want to meet any of these people!

For more information, visit the website http://www.hollywoodcelebritiesshow.com/

Photos from Chicago Comic-Con 2010

I couldn't believe how many celebrities there were at this year's Chicago Comic-Con (AKA "Wizard World"). I attended on Saturday Aug 21, the second full day. The biggest draws this year were William "Kirk" Shatner and Adam "Batman" West, and I wanted to see if I could catch a glimpse of them (I did--photos below). I didn't get their autographs; photo op fees were expensive, and autographs were also costly. Though I like them, I was not planning on spending my whole paycheck on them. I did see alot of happy fans, though, patiently waiting in line.



Shatner and West moved around from room to room today, posing for various photo ops and doing interviews, so I had a hard time finding them. Eventually, I caught up with them. West and Burt "Robin" Ward were doing a special photo op session (probably for a hundred bucks) together with a replica of the "Batmobile". They were behind a red curtain, but I managed to sneak a few pics of them before I was told to put away my camera.

<---retro adam="" also="" and="" b="" batman="" disgraced="" everyone="" fool="" former="" getup="" governor="" guy="" had="" he="" hoping="" i="" idea="" illinois="" in="" into="" is.="" it="" just="" no="" not="" ps="" s="" some="" superman.="" that="" the="" thinking="" to="" west="">Rod Blagojevich was going to be there today. Thankfully, I didn't see him while I was there, but according to news reports, he was. Apparently the whole appearance was planned at the last minute. He must have felt right at home with the the ghouls, creeps, and zombies who also showed up:



There were a few people from the Star Wars and Star Trek franchises. Representing Star Wars, Jake Lloyd was there - he was the kid who played young Annakin Skywalker in 1999's "Episode 1".



The guy who was choked by Darth Vader in the first movie (from 1977) was there. Don't ask me what the actor's name is; I'm guessing that scene was his 15 minutes of fame. There were probably a few more bit players from the movies but I have no idea who they are. These guys I recognized:




Representing Star Trek, other than the aforementioned Mr. Shatner, I saw Walter Koening ("Chekov"), Brett Spiner ("Data"), and Avery Brooks, who played one of the captains on a spinoff show that I never watched. There were some other people but I'm not that much of a Trekkie to know them.

Every second person there was in costume. As for me, I just went as myself. About 50% of the costumes I didn't recognize, but these I did:






There were lots of TV stars there from the 1970s and 1980s. Micky Dolenz from "The Monkees". Roj and Dee from What's Happening were there. (I forgot their real names). John Schnieder ("Bo Duke") was there. Lindsay Wagner ("The Bionic Woman") was there, as was her co-star Richard Anderson. Christopher Knight ("Bobby Brady") was there, and nearby at other tables were Beth Horn from "American Gladiators", Julie Newmar from "Batman", Ian Ziering, Lorenzo Lamas, Angie Everhart, and some wrestling stars such as the Iron Sheik. .






Representing the Terminator series, Michael Biehnn and Linda Hamilton from the first movie (she was in T2 also) and the female terminator from the third movie. Also some people from the "Twilight" movies, but I have no idea who they are.



Linda Blair (The Exorcist) was there; I had already met her at another previous event. She is involved with an animal charity and always gives proceeds to the cause. (Sorry that some of these pics are so blurry). John Savage from The Deer Hunter was there too.



I only met three celebrities today, which was the highlight of the day. First, I just had to meet Richard Roundtree, AKA: Shaft. I had a movie poster that I wanted to get him to sign for me. He was such a nice guy, and was talking with everyone for really long periods, so the wait was long. Two cast members of Back to the Future were there, and I had them sign my other poster that I brought. Claudia Wells who played Jennifer in the first movie was there. She was as nice as could be. This was pretty much her only hit film, I think. She said her mother was sick when they filmed the sequels and that's why she wasn't in them. Then I met Mr. Strickland, James Tolkan and he was a nice guy. But he looked so much older than I remembered him in the films. I told him I also liked him in Dick Tracy and he said he was surprised that people remember him in that. He said he's good friends with his co-star from that movie Al Pacino.



The inscriptions read:

To Thomas, Richard Roundtree, "Shaft"
To Tom, James Tolkan "Mr. Strickland"
To Tom, How about a ride, Mister? Blessings, Claudia Wells "Jennifer Parker"

Patricia Neal (1926-2010)

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/09/movies/09neal.html

Notable films:

1949 John Loves Mary
1949 The Fountainhead
1949 The Hasty Heart
1950 Bright Leaf
1950 The Breaking Point
1950 Three Secrets
1951 Operation Pacific
1951 The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951 Week-End with Father
1952 Diplomatic Courier
1952 Washington Story
1954 Your Woman
1954 Stranger from Venus
1957 A Face in the Crowd
1961 Breakfast at Tiffany's
1963 Hud - Won Oscar (Best Actress)
1965 In Harm's Way
1968 The Subject Was Roses
1971 The Night Digger
1973 Baxter!
1981 Ghost Story
1999 Cookie's Fortune

Her life was portrayed in a made for television film starring Glenda Jackson and Dirk Bogarde, The Patricia Neal Story, which covered perhaps the most difficult decade of her life; she had suffered several strokes but miraculously recovered with the support of her family, and went on to do the film and stage versions of The Subject Was Roses.

Ms. Neal was kind enough to write this note to me in 2006.

Update: Fall autograph show in Chicago

A number of film and TV legends are tentatively scheduled to appear in Chicago this fall at the biannual autograph/memorabilila show, taking place on Sept 25th and 26th at the Hilton in Rosemont (very close to the airport). A full list of celebrities can be found on the show website.

Movie legends scheduled to appear:

Margaret O'Brien (Meet Me In St. Louis)
Shirley Knight (Sweet Bird of Youth)
Taina Elg (Cole Porter's Les Girls)
Clint Walter (Send Me No Flowers)
Paul Picerni (House of Wax)
David Hedison (The Fly, Felix Leiter in the James Bond series)

80s Movie Fans rejoice! Your chance to meet:

Cindy Morgan (Caddyshack)
Keith Coogan (Adventures in Babysitting)
Frank Vincent (Raging Bull, Goodfellas)
Tim Kazurinsky (Police Academy 2-4)
David Naughton (American Werewolf in London)

Fans of classic TV may want to meet:

Michael Gross and Meredith Baxter (Family Ties)
Ruth Buzzi (Laugh In)
Marcia Wallace (Bob Newhart, Simpsons)

Meeting the cast of West Side Story (Rita Moreno, Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris)

Below: Hollywood Palms theater in Naperville, Illinois (4/10/10)



Below: Banner inside the lobby. I saw people bring vinyl record albums, DVDs, and some pictures to have signed.


Below: I tried to snap some pictures of them while I was waiting in line without looking like a complete stalker. My camera does not take very good indoor shots. Either that or I haven't mastered the settings. I might need to get a new one. Please send me your suggestions for a good camera.


Below: Bernardo and Anita



George Chakiris looked exactly the same as he did in the movie, with just a few more gray hairs. He looks very fit and healthy, and was very charming, nice as can be. He and Rita were talking and chatting to each other like old friends. I don't know why he has not appeared in more movies. I should have asked him. Dang it.

Below: Riff / Tom Thumb / Gideon Pontipee



Russ - a real gentleman. You could tell he was so happy to be there, not snobbish like some actors. In fact he even thanked ME for coming, but I was thanking him.

His wife sat right next to him while he met and talked to fans. I had never seen what his wife looks like before; when I first saw her I immediately noticed the resemblance to their daughter, actress Amber Tamblyn. They look so alike!

Below: The Legendary Rita Moreno



I couldn't believe it was her. And that she was here, in person. The one and only. One woman in line ahead of me brought her a dozen roses. Ms. Moreno was so nicely dressed, I was so glad I wore a tie. She was tough and fiesty, just how I expected her to be. She was seated next to the general manager of the theater. There was no time to chat, really because the line was so long and people were moving along but I thanked her and told her how excited I was to meet her. She signed a poster for me and a photo.

I later learned that just a few weeks ago, she was presented with a medal (performing arts award?) from the President in the White House. Also did you know that she has won the Oscar, a Grammy, a Tony, and an Emmy for her sizzling performance on "The Muppet Show".