History of Sorts

Hollywood

  • Die Hard, Christmas movie? “Yippee-Ki-yay” or “Yippee-Ki-nay?”

    Die Hard, a Christmas movie? Yippee-Ki-yay or Yippee-Ki-nay? Every year around Christmas time there is the question “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” Personally, for me, it is not Christmas until I see Hans Gruber fall off the Nakatomi building. However, I appreciate that that will not get everyone in a festive mood. So, let

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  • Chaplin’s Words Still Ring True—The Great Dictator Speech

    The Great Dictator (1940)The Final Speech by Charlie Chaplin I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be an emperor. That’s not my business.I don’t want to rule or conquer anyone.I should like to help everyone if possible—Jew, Gentile—Black man—White. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that.We want to live by

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  • The Statutory Rape Allegations Against Errol Flynn: Scandal and Legacy

    Errol Flynn, an iconic figure of Golden Age Hollywood, is remembered for his dashing roles in adventure films like Captain Blood and The Adventures of Robin Hood. However, his off-screen life became just as famous for scandal, particularly the statutory rape allegations leveled against him in 1942. These charges brought Flynn to trial in a

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  • Constance Smith: Hollywood’s Forgotten Limerick Star

    Hollywood has a long history of rising stars who shine brilliantly… and then, almost as quickly, vanish. One of the most poignant examples is Constance Smith, the Limerick-born actress whose life was a blend of glamour, talent, defiance, and tragedy. Though she briefly captured the imagination of Hollywood in the 1950s, today her story is

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  • Columbo: Murder by the Book – A Perfect Beginning

    On September 15, 1971, NBC aired the first official episode of Columbo: Murder by the Book. What could have been just another detective drama instead became a genre-defining moment. With Peter Falk stepping fully into the role of Lieutenant Columbo, a script by legendary writer Steven Bochco, and direction by a then-unknown Steven Spielberg, the

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  • Hedy Lamarr and WiFi during World War II

    Hedy Lamarr, born Hedwig Eva Maria Kiesler in 1914 in Vienna, Austria, is best known for her work as a Hollywood actress during the Golden Age of cinema. However, her contributions to science and technology, particularly her co-invention of a technology that laid the groundwork for WiFi, Bluetooth, and GPS, have garnered increasing recognition. Lamarr’s

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  • Bugs Bunny and A Wild Hare: A Classic Moment in Animation History

    Bugs Bunny, one of the most iconic and enduring characters in American animation, made his official debut on July 27, 1940 Warner Bros. cartoon A Wild Hare. Directed by Tex Avery and produced by Leon Schlesinger, A Wild Hare marked a significant turning point in cartoon history, not only introducing a fully formed version of

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  • Edda van Heemstra aka Audrey Hepburn

    There is one myth about Audrey Hepburn I have to dispel: she was not British-Belgian. In Belgium, as in many other European countries, you don’t automatically obtain citizenship just because you’re born there. You typically inherit the nationality of your parents, usually that of the father or, in some cases, the mother. Audrey was born

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  • Jaws @ 50

    Steven Spielberg’s classic was released in cinemas on this day 50 years ago. Below just some random facts and anecdotes about the 50 year old Great White. Behind-the-Scenes Anecdotes Bruce the Shark was a NightmareThe mechanical shark, nicknamed “Bruce” after Spielberg’s lawyer, frequently malfunctioned. This led Spielberg to limit its screen time dramatically — ironically

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  • Interview with Ferne Pearlstein—Director of “The Last Laugh”

      The video below is an interview I conducted with Ferne Pearlstein, director, writer and producer of The Last Laugh. It is a documentary with world-famous comedians, including Mel Brooks, Sarah Silverman, and Gilbert Gottfried, pitch in with their own views on the boundaries of comedy.   source https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2102508/

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