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Billie Eilish’s name may be iconic, but that doesn’t mean she loved it growing up.

The multi Grammy- and Oscar-winning singer-songwriter was recently asked questions by several of her famous friends, including Ariana Grande, Chappell Roan, Sza and Greta Gerwig, for British Vogue‘s May cover story. Among them was actor Idris Elba, who asked Eilish if she was ever “embarrassed” by her name and “who was the first namesake you ever came across and how did it make you feel?”

“I absolutely hated my name when I was a kid. ‘I thought Billie was a boy’s name.’ That’s all I ever heard every day of my life,” the “Birds of a Feather” artist admitted. “I remember just being so mad, and all I wanted was to have a girly name, like Violet or like Lavender, some sort of, you know, pretty flowery name.”

However, now...

“Wicked’s” Paul Tazewell has made Oscars history by becoming the first Black man to win for best costume design.

Tazewell, a previous nominee for “West Side Story,” already has an Emmy award (“The Wiz Live”) and Tony award (“Hamilton”) under his belt. He triumphed over fellow costume designers: Arianne Phillips (“A Complete Unknown”), Linda Muir (“Nosferatu”), Lisy Christl (“Conclave”) and Janty Yates and David Crossman (“Gladiator II”).

Tazewell has swept the season scooping up the BAFTA, Critics Choice and Costume Designers Guild awards along the way. He was also named one of Variety’s 10 artisans to watch in costume design, and was honored with the Variety Artisan Award in costume design at the Santa Barbara Film Festival.

He is the second Black person to win in that category overall – Ruth E. Carter made Oscar history when she won for her work on “Black Panther.” She won a few years...

Gary Larson's final The Far Side comic just hit a major milestone, and the cap on the series' 14-year run is still as funny as the day it was published. Not only is Larson's finale a great joke by itself, it managed to bring every prior Far Side comic together - a feat that seemed impossible for a comic with no recurring characters and a deliberately inconsistent world. We're taking a look at Larson's final Far Side comic, as well as some of his best strips mocking iconic movies.

Far Side's Final Comic Turns the Entire Series into Larson's Dream The Comic With No Recurring Characters Managed to Bring Everything Together

Published January 1, 1995, Far Side ended official syndication with a two-panel comic, breaking the usual rule of Larson's iconic one-panel gags. In the first panel, Larson stands on a stage with Wizard of Oz's Glinda the Good Fairy,...

Days Of Our Lives Spoilers suggest that fans have various other interests and several have been looking for a connection to Wicked. The movie has been on fans minds lately, especially now that its out. Susan Seaforth Hayes (Julie Williams) has found her connection.

Days Of Our Lives – Susan Seaforth Hayes Offers Wicked Praises

Days of Our Lives spoilers reveal that the Dool cast went to see Wicked. Susan later post on Instagram a phot of herself in beaded necklaces and a sleeveless blouse.

Hayes then followed up with black and white photos of herself on the small stage. Photos from when Hayes starred with Billy Burke in the theater show Mother Was A Bachelor.

Hayes revealed that she, and the cast, had seen Wicked over the weekend. The musical seems to have brough back a lot of childhood memories for Hayes who posted, “This weekend, I experienced the enchantment of Wicked.

Some Days of our Lives fans have been looking for a connection to Wicked. The hit movie has been on everyone’s minds lately. You might find yourself still humming along to some of the songs. Susan Seaforth Hayes already has her key to the Land of Oz. Like most of us, she couldn’t get enough of the film and the magic it brings.

Defying Gravity

Hayes started her Instagram post with a breathtaking photo of herself. She wore a stack of beaded necklaces with a tan sleeveless blouse. She followed up with black-and-white shots of her younger self on the small stage. Hayes starred alongside Old Hollywood star Billie Burke in the theater show Mother Was a Bachelor.

In her post, Hayes revealed that she saw Wicked over the weekend. (The Dool cast also got their Wicked on.)The musical brought back memories of when she was a theater kid.

Ariana Grande was treated to an amazing surprise during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show!

The 31-year-old Wicked actress was presented with Glinda’s wand from The Wizard of Oz while appearing on the talk show, but an Oz historian has revealed that she wasn’t given the one that was actually used in the movie.

“I have something that’s extremely exciting and special. It’s actually, it was owned by the Smithsonian and now it’s owned in private hands. But for the purposes of our sit down, they loaned it to us. Bring out the original Glinda wand, please,” Drew said.

The Oz Vlog’s Tori Calamito revealed that the wand was indeed used by Billie Burke during the making of The Wizard of Oz, but it was the test wand and not the one used on screen.

Head inside to watch the videos…

“The wand that Ms.

The “Wicked” press tour continues to defy expectations, this time in the form of Drew Barrymore’s new interview with Ariana Grande.

Ahead of her upcoming episode on Thursday, “The Drew Barrymore Show” dropped a teaser with the actress behind Galinda/Glinda, where she was surprised with the iconic wand from the “The Wizard of Oz.”

“I have something that’s extremely exciting and special. It actually was owned by The Smithsonian and now it’s owned in private hands — but for the purposes of our sit-down, they loaned it to us,” Barrymore explained in Tuesday’s preview clip. “Bring out the original Glinda wand, please.”

“Are you serious right now? Thank you guys, it’s been fun,” Grande replied as she feigned an early exit with the prop. “How did you even pull this off? Oh my god, did you break in?”

“I have to give credit to everyone on this show,...

The original author has weighed in on Wicked. The 2024 Wizard of Oz prequel movie, which was directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba (the future Wicked Witch of the West) opposite Ariana Grande-Butera as Galinda (the future Glinda the Good Witch), is based on the 2003 stage musical of the same name with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. In turn, that musical was based on the Gregory Maguire novel Wicked, which was originally published in 1995.

Maguire recently sat down for an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. When asked about his opinion on the new movie, he said that "I hardly recognize it as my book anymore," though he also shared that he found it to be "far better than it has any right to be." He particularly praised the work of Cynthia Erivo, who he says maintained the core of the "sharp,...

Wicked fans have pointed out numerous different differences between the stage production and the new movie.

One of those is Ariana Grande‘s pink bubble dress in the opening of the movie during “No One Mourns the Wicked.” On Broadway, Glinda wears a blue dress, as seen here on Annaleigh Ashford.

In a new interview, the Wicked movie’s costume designer Paul Tazewell is opening up about switching up the iconic bubble dress.

Keep reading to find out more…

“I guess my closest connection to the story of The Wizard of Oz was the film,” Paul told People. “When I think of the iconic Glinda, it is Billie Burke as Glinda in that pink dress and how she arrives in the bubble. So I really wanted to pursue the possibility of using pink. I mean, there were legal issues with using pink for the Broadway design just because of studios,...

From the dazzling period costumes in West Side Story and Harriet to the looks in the magical world of Wicked, Academy Award-nominated costume designer Paul Tazewell has shown that few artists weave as much versatility into their creative DNA. “I love period work and telling stories connected to history. What excited me about Wicked was designing a world rooted in period silhouettes while also creating a fantasy,” he says.

For the monumental task of transforming the beloved Broadway hit into two films, the designer says he drew upon a wealth of inspiration: “Wicked was about digging deep into where the original story came from. With the L. Frank Baum book, the 1939 film, Gregory Maguire’s Wicked and the Broadway musical, you’ve got four distinct expressions of the same story.” Maintaining the essence of the show while putting his own spin on it, Tazewell introduced a fresh perspective without entirely modernizing it.

Spoilers for "Wicked" follow.

Jon M. Chu's new musical fantasy "Wicked," which is officially called "Wicked: Part I," according to the title card, is based on the hit 2003 Broadway show that was, in turn, based in the 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire. The novel, in itself, was a reimagination of L. Frank Baum's 1900 kid-lit classic "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," but Maguire took his book's primary inspiration from Victor Fleming's 1939 film "The Wizard of Oz," arguably the most famous movie of all time. In making an 85-year cycle from the screen, to the page, to the stage, and then back to the screen, "Wicked" retains a lot of the iconography and basic aesthetics of Fleming's film and repackages them for a modern sensibility. 

Some of what audiences will see in "Wicked" will feel natural, as the look and feel of Oz has bled into the mass subconsciousness,...

In a fun bit of classic Hollywood trivia, The Wizard of Oz cut one particular song from the movie, but the movie still made a subtle reference to it as the story progressed. Adapted from L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the story depicts the journey of Dorothy Gale, who is transported to the magical land of Oz after her Kansas home is swept up by a tornado. The cast of the 1939 Wizard of Oz movie includes Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, and Billie Burke. The movie was a critical success; The Wizard of Oz was praised for its memorable quotes and use of color; it has since been regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made.

One of the most memorable aspects of the movie was its music, which won an Oscar for Best Original Score in 1940. The Wizard of Oz soundtrack includes popular songs such as "Ding,...

Four different witches occupy the world of The Wizard of Oz, the film that ultimately inspired Wicked. The new movie in the franchise tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before she earned her title, when she was a young woman named Elphaba who becomes unlikely friends with a woman named Glinda. Wicked is adapted from the stage musical of the same name, bringing the beloved story to life on the big screen for the first time, and with a brand-new, star-studded cast, Wicked seems set to once again bring The Wizard of Oz to the forefront of public consciousness for the foreseeable future.

Wicked has characters from the original The Wizard of Oz, but their roles are mostly expanded upon when compared to the original. However, one thing that has remained consistent is that there are four witches; the Good Witch of the North, the Good Witch of the South,...

The Wizard of Oz is a key part of cinema history that is still enchanting audiences today. The 1939 movie is about a young girl named Dorothy (Judy Garland) who is caught in a tornado and sent to the land of Oz. With the help of her friends Glinda the Good Witch (Billie Burke), the Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), the Tin Man (Jack Haley), and the Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr) Dorothy goes on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz (Frank Morgan), find a way back home, and escape the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton).

A decided classic, The Wizard of Oz's connection to the upcoming movie musical Wicked is more complicated than one might expect. The highly anticipated new film depicts the origins of the Wicked Witch, Dorothy's primary antagonist and the person the Wizard of Oz requests Dorothy kill before he sends her back to Kansas.

The Wizard of Oz is available on many different platforms online. The 1939 fantasy musical is adapted from the L. Frank Baum children's novel of the same name, starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Billie Burke, and Margaret Hamilton. It was both a commercial and critical success, grossing $29.7 million against its $2.8 million budget and going on to win two Oscars, for Best Score and Best Original Song (for the iconic tune "Over the Rainbow"), in addition to three other nominations, including Best Picture.

The success of The Wizard of Oz has led to the creation of many sequels, prequels, remakes, and follow-ups in the nearly 90 years since its premiere. This includes 2024's Wicked, which is an adaptation of the stage musical adapting the prequel novel by Gregory Maguire, as well as the 1978 musical adaptation The Wiz, the 1985 sequel Return to Oz, the 2013 Sam Raimi prequel Oz the Great and Powerful,...

As Paul Tazewell was conceiving design ideas for “Wicked,” mushroom gills served as an unlikely inspiration for Elphaba’s black dress.

The costume designer had stumbled across a documentary about mushrooms. Tazewell says, “I became aware of the beauty of different kinds of mushrooms because of the texture and different colors.”

Tazewell was tasked with designing the costumes for “Wicked,” starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda. The idea to align Elphaba with nature stemmed from the character’s history.

Says Tazewell, “She is this little oppressed girl being called out because of the color of her skin and ostracized even within her family.” He added that because of her connection and allyship to the animal community he turned to nature to define what her look would be, and that’s where mushrooms became the inspiration.

Speaking with Variety, Tazewell says the idea was to “create a...

by Chad Kennerk

Marilyn Monroe’s Intricate diamonte bracelet from How to Marry a Millionaire (1953). Images courtesy of The Hollywood Museum.

Founded in 1928 by Eugene Joseff, Joseff of Hollywood has been providing jewellery rentals to movie studios since the Golden Age of Hollywood. Joseff often worked in tandem with studio costume designers. When censors opposed the cut of Lana Turner’s gowns in the 1948 The Three Musketeers, Joseff designed a brooch to strategically place on the costume. It made the censors happy and gave a regal air to Plunkett’s costumes. The brooches were among the Joseff lots that came up for auction back in 2017.

Though portions of the collection have come to auction in the past, remarkably, Joseff has maintained over 200,000 pieces in their ‘Studio Collection’. A source once reported that up to 85% of the jewellery seen on the silver screen at the height of movie glamour throughout the...

Few films have had as lasting a cultural impact as The Wizard of Oz. A box office bomb when it was released in 1939, it quickly morphed into a beloved family classic whose most famous imagery the Yellow Brick Road, the Emerald City, the ruby red slippers have become iconic. There's hardly a person who doesn't know the story of Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland), a Kansas farm girl who's transported to a magical land and embarks on a journey home with a Scarecrow (Ray Bolger), a Tin Man (Jack Haley), and a Cowardly Lion (Bert Lahr), pursued along the way by the Wicked Witch of the West (Margaret Hamilton) and guided along by the Good Witch of the East (Billie Burke). Its impact can be found across music, movies, and Broadway shows, including David Lynch's blood-soaked, sexually explicit Palme d'Or winner, Wild at Heart.

McKenna Grace reprises her lead role as Phoebe in “Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” which led the weekend box office with $45 million. At 17 she is not yet a household name, but she laid some groundwork early: At age six she had a supporting role on the Disney Channel sitcom “Crash & Bernstein.” Later she received an Emmy nomination for her work in “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and portrayed the younger selves for the leads in movies like “I, Tonya” and “Captain Marvel.”

Her “Ghostbusters” co-star is Finn Wolfhard, who made his debut at 13 in CW’s “Supernatural” before starring in “Stranger Things” and “It.” Zendaya, star of “Dune: Part Two,” got her start as a Disney Channel regular. Her co-star, Oscar-nominated Austin Butler, cut his teeth at Nickelodeon.

It’s a strange juxtaposition: Child actors are currently at the forefront of the uncomfortable but necessary conversation centered in Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz...

A restored version of The Wind will close the festival Photo: Courtesy of the Museum of Modern Art Film Stills Collection The Hippodrome Silent Film Festival (HippFest) has announced the programme for its 14th edition, which will run from Wednesday 20 to Sunday 24 March.

Depictions of Scotland on Screen are in focus with the opening film Peggy (1916), with live musical accompaniment from Stephen Horne. It marks the film debut for Billie Burke (The Wizard of Oz’s Glinda the Good Witch) who plays New York socialite Peggy Cameron (Burke) as she moves to Scotland to live with her new guardian, “a man as stern and unyielding as the rocky hills of his native land”. Will she succumb to the charms of the ‘hot’ Reverend? Once thought lost, the film has been reconstructed with the final missing scenes being filled in with stills and text from the 1916 copyright registration to ensure that...

The Wicked movie adaptation needs to change the way it portrays Dorothy from the stage musical, as she is never seen onstage in the original production. It may be challenging for the Wicked movie to replicate the theater trickery that conceals Dorothy's appearance as a shadowy silhouette onscreen. The Wicked movie should consider giving Dorothy a proper cameo with dialogue and a visible face, potentially introducing a new musical moment for the character. Actresses such as Millie Bobby Brown or Rachel Zegler could be great choices for the role.

One particular aspect of the Wicked stage musical must be changed in the upcoming 2024 film adaptation, and it has to do with The Wizard of Oz. Wicked is a Broadway musical loosely adapted from Gregory Maguire's book, Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The book, in turn, is based on L. Frank Baum's...

Twice-Told Tales

Blu-ray

Kino Lorber

1963 / 1.66: 1 / 120 Min.

Starring Vincent Price, Sebastian Cabot, Joyce Taylor

Written by Robert E. Kent

Directed by Sidney Salkow

Released in October of 1963, the first review of Sidney Salkow’s Twice-Told Tales appeared in 1623: “Life is as tedious as a twice-told tale.” That line from Shakespeare’s King John is a nice summation of Salkow’s horror anthology, an undernourished melodrama that finds its salvation in, no surprise, the reliably entertaining Vincent Price.

Nathaniel Hawthorne used that Shakespearean quip as the title of his own collection of reprinted material, published in March of 1837. The book had a cover price of one dollar, which might have been close to the budget for Salkow’s movie—a remarkably cheap-looking production, even for Admiral Pictures. The company, headed by Grant Whytock with funding from Edward Small, specialized in cutting corners—they even worked their chintzy magic on Roger Corman’s Tower of London,...

Click here to read the full article.

Kenya Barris is set to do a fresh take on The Wizard of Oz for Warner Bros., The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Barris will reimagine the Oscar-winning fantasy musical, which starred Judy Garland, Billie Burke, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley. Warner Bros. Pictures owns the rights to the 1939 Hollywood classic.

Barris will also produce Wizard of Oz through his production banner, Khalabo Ink Society.

Warner Bros. was developing an animated Wizard of Oz retelling, working with veteran scribe Mark Burton. The film, from Toto’s perspective, was to be based on a children’s book by War Horse writer Michael Morpurgo, which tells the story of Dorothy’s trip through Oz through the eyes of her faithful dog.

Elsewhere, Snoop Dogg and Barris are teaming for The Underdoggs comedy for MGM, with Charles Stone to direct, and MGM and Barris are...

They’re non-corporeal cut-ups, rich ghosts on the town with nothing better to do than spice up the love life of Roland Young’s harried, henpecked bank president. Hal Roach’s screwball hit did good things for everybody concerned, especially star Cary Grant and bit player Arthur Lake. But the show’s nostalgic heart is Billie Burke, of the tinkly-glass voice. Also starring platinum blonde Constance Bennett, Alan Mowbray and Eugene Pallette.

Topper

Blu-ray

Vci

1937 / B&W / 1:37 flat full frame / 97 min. / Street Date October, 2017 / 20.99

Starring: Constance Bennett, Cary Grant, Roland Young, Billie Burke, Alan Mowbray, Eugene Pallette, Arthur Lake, Hedda Hopper, Virginia Sale, Theodore von Eltz, J. Farrell MacDonald, Elaine Shepard, Ward Bond, Hoagy Carmichael, Lana Turner, Russell Wade, Claire Windsor.

Cinematography: Norbert Brodine

Film Editor: William Terhune

Art Director: William Stevens

Original Music: Marvin Hatley

Written by Jack Jevne, Eric Hatch, Eddie Moran from a novel by Thorne Smith...

Look at all these people who share Charlize Theron's birthday! Our favorite Atomic Blonde isn't even the only South African Oscar winner born on this day. It's quite a day in showbiz history all told. Which of these luminaries will you celebrate today inside your hearts?

Jeanne Moreau as Mata Hari in 1964

1876 Mata Hari, exotic dancer / spy / juicy role for both Greta Garbo & Jeanne Moreau

1884 Billie Burke, Glinda the Good Witch herself (also an Oscar nominated actress for Merrily We Live, 1938)

1901 Yuliya Solntseva, actress/director (the only female to win Best Director at Cannes until Sofia Coppola this summer)

1902 Ann Harding, Oscar nominated actress (Holiday, 1930)

1914 Ted Moore, Oscar winning cinematographer from South Africa

1927 Carl "Alfafa" Switzer of Our Gang fame

1942 Garrison Keillor of A Prairie Home Companion

1942 Bj Thomas, singer of the Oscar-winning "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head"

1942 Caetano Veloso, singer of the sublime "Cucurrucucú Paloma" which is...

Considering everything that's been happening on the planet in the last several months, you'd have thought we're already in November or December – of 2117. But no. It's only June. 2017. And in some parts of the world, that's the month of brides, fathers, graduates, gays, and climate change denial. Beginning this evening, Thursday, June 1, Turner Classic Movies will be focusing on one of these June groups: Lgbt people, specifically those in the American film industry. Following the presentation of about 10 movies featuring Frank Morgan, who would have turned 127 years old today, TCM will set its cinematic sights on the likes of William Haines, James Whale, George Cukor, Mitchell Leisen, Dorothy Arzner, Patsy Kelly, and Ramon Novarro. In addition to, whether or not intentionally, Claudette Colbert, Colin Clive, Katharine Hepburn, Douglass Montgomery (a.k.a. Kent Douglass), Marjorie Main, and Billie Burke, among others. But this is ridiculous! Why should TCM present a...

Frances Dee movies: From 'An American Tragedy' to 'Four Faces West' Frances Dee began her film career at the dawn of the sound era, going from extra to leading lady within a matter of months. Her rapid ascencion came about thanks to Maurice Chevalier, who got her as his romantic interested in Ludwig Berger's 1930 romantic comedy Playboy of Paris. Despite her dark(-haired) good looks and pleasant personality, Dee's Hollywood career never quite progressed to major – or even moderate – stardom. But she was to remain a busy leading lady for about 15 years. Tonight, Turner Classic Movies is showing seven Frances Dee films, ranging from heavy dramas to Westerns. Unfortunately missing is one of Dee's most curious efforts, the raunchy pre-Coder Blood Money, which possibly features her most unusual – and most effective – performance. Having said that, William A. Wellman's Love Is a Racket is a worthwhile subsitute, though the...

The Ziegfeld Club has announced that Anna K. Jacobs has been selected to receive the 2016 Billie Burke Ziegfeld Award. The award will provide Jacobs with a grant of 10,000 and a year of professional mentorship from mentors including Tony Award-winning producer Barbara Whitman. Zoe Sarnak and Shaina Taub are the honorable mentions chosen by the awards panel. Recipients will be honored during a reception that will feature distinguished speaker Jeanine Tesori and a special musical performance by Masi Asare, who is the recipient of last year's inaugural award, on Monday, November 7, at the New Amsterdam Theatre.

MGM's show is a surprising powerhouse musical bio about the personality clash between an ambitious singer and the powerful enabler who wants her in his bed. Doris Day and James Cagney are at their best in an only slightly compromised telling of the real-life showbiz relationship of 'twenties star Ruth Etting and the domineering mobster Martin Snyder. Love Me or Leave Me Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1955 / Color / 2:55 widescreen / 122 min. / Street Date September 13, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Doris Day, James Cagney, Cameron Mitchell, Robert Keith, Tom Tully, Harry Bellaver, Richard Gaines, Peter Leeds, Claude Stroud, Audrey Wilder, John Harding. Cinematography Arthur E. Arling Art Direction Urie McCleary, Cedric Gibbons Film Editor Ralph Winters Original Music Nicholas Brodszky, Percy Faith, George E. Stoll Written by Daniel Fuchs and Isobel Lennart Produced by Joe Pasternak Directed by Charles Vidor

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

MGM's early CinemaScope musical bio holds up extremely well,...

This is one of Spencer Tracy and Elizabeth Taylor's best, written and directed by the classy MGM team of director Vincente Minnelli and writers Frances Goodrich & Albert Hackett. It inspired a decade's worth of TV family sitcoms and set the benchmark for weddings for generations. Great fun and solid sentiment without mugging or exaggeration. Father of the Bride Blu-ray Warner Archive Collection 1950 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 93 min. / Street Date May 10, 2016 / available through the WBshop / 21.99 Starring Spencer Tracy, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Bennett, Don Taylor, Billie Burke, Moroni Olsen, Melville Cooper, Leo G. Carroll, Rusty Tamblyn, Tom Irish, Frank Cady, Carleton Carpenter. Cinematography John Alton Film Editor Ferris Webster Original Music Adolph Deutsch Written by Frances Goodrich, Albert Hackett from the novel by Edward Streeter Produced by Pandro S. Berman Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Reviewed by Glenn Erickson

There's almost no point in reviewing Father of the Bride, as one doesn't need insights,...

Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers…

How do you talk about this movie? How do you talk about this song? Sure, there are star-turns. There are underdog stories. But there is nothing in Hollywood legend so powerfully wedded as Judy Garland and The Wizard of Oz. It's the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle marriage of star and song that comes once every couple of generations. This was the number that would define Judy Garland as she defined it. It would be her biggest hit; one she recorded and re-recorded. It would follow her throughout her career, and outlive her when she died. Every moment before and after in the story of Judy Garland, MGM, and Studio System Hollywood lives in the shadow of "Over The Rainbow."

The Movie: The Wizard of Oz (MGM, 1939)

The Songwriter: Harold Arlen (Music & Lyrics)

The Players: Judy Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Billie Burke,...

Anne Marie is tracking Judy Garland's career through musical numbers...

With Judy Garland's growing success, MGM decided it was time to have her star in her own feature. The studio dusted off some musical numbers (arranged by Roger Edens) as well as a handful of contract players and Ziegfeld stars. Judy played a young aspiring actress stuck in a conservative school. Supported by her zany Russian maid (Fanny Brice), the young girl decides to join a musical. The result was another hit for Judy, and a delight for future Vaudeville nerds and historians.  

The Movie: Everybody Sing (MGM 1938)

The Songwriters: Harry Ruby & Bert Kalmar

The Players: Judy Garland, Fanny Brice, Allan Jones, Reginald Owen, Billie Burke, directed by Edwin L. Marin

The Story: In Everybody Sing, Judy was joined by not one but two famous Ziegfeld women: Billie Burke (aka Mrs. Florenz Ziegfeld, who we'll see again later), and Fanny Brice,...

'Broadcast News' with Albert Brooks and Holly Hunter: Glib TV news watch. '31 Days of Oscar': 'Broadcast News' slick but superficial critics pleaser (See previous post: “Phony 'A Beautiful Mind,' Unfairly Neglected 'Swing Shift': '31 Days of Oscar'.”) Heralded for its wit and incisiveness, James L. Brooks' multiple Oscar-nominated Broadcast News is everything the largely forgotten Swing Shift isn't: belabored, artificial, superficial. That's very disappointing considering Brooks' highly addictive Mary Tyler Moore television series (and its enjoyable spin-offs, Phyllis and Rhoda), but totally expected considering that three of screenwriter-director Brooks' five other feature films were Terms of Endearment, As Good as It Gets, and Spanglish. (I've yet to check out I'll Do Anything and the box office cataclysm How Do You Know starring Reese Witherspoon, Paul Rudd, and Jack Nicholson.) Having said that, Albert Brooks (no relation to James L.; or to Mel Brooks...

Constance Cummings: Actress in minor Hollywood movies became major London stage star. Constance Cummings: Actress went from Harold Lloyd and Frank Capra to Noël Coward and Eugene O'Neill Actress Constance Cummings, whose career spanned more than six decades on stage, in films, and on television in both the U.S. and the U.K., died ten years ago on Nov. 23. Unlike other Broadway imports such as Ann Harding, Katharine Hepburn, Miriam Hopkins, and Claudette Colbert, the pretty, elegant Cummings – who could have been turned into a less edgy Constance Bennett had she landed at Rko or Paramount instead of Columbia – never became a Hollywood star. In fact, her most acclaimed work, whether in films or – more frequently – on stage, was almost invariably found in British productions. That's most likely why the name Constance Cummings – despite the DVD availability of several of her best-received performances – is all but forgotten.

Who's the best witch in all pop culture-dom?

That's a tough question to answer, since movies and TV have offered us all manner of witchy women. Some are good. Some are bad. Some are beautiful (but aren't so nice inside) and some look scary (but are still a lot of fun). In lieu of power ranking the various pop culture spellcasters, we've heralded their individual achievements with yearbook-style superlatives.

1. Most Improved: Mildred Hubble in The Worst Witch

Mildred (Fairuza Balk) is a witchy underdog. No one at Miss Cackle's Academy for Witches thinks much of Mildred's potential as master of the supernatural elements,...

Broadway leading lady Jennifer Hope Wills The Phantom Of The Opera Wonderful Town will play the role of scorned wife 'Billie Burke' who was famously married to Flo Ziegfeld, but was perhaps most known for he role as Glinda in MGM's classic The Wizard Of Oz in the highly anticipated staged reading of Ghostlight the musical tonight, October 22nd at 900 Pm.

Broadway leading lady Jennifer Hope Wills The Phantom Of The Opera Wonderful Town will play the role of scorned wife 'Billie Burke'who was famously married to Flo Ziegfeld, but was perhaps most known for he role as Glinda in MGM's classic The Wizard Of Oz in the highly anticipated staged reading of Ghostlight the musical on Thursday, October 22nd at 900 Pm.

Olivia de Havilland on Turner Classic Movies: Your chance to watch 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' for the 384th time Olivia de Havilland is Turner Classic Movies' “Summer Under the Stars” star today, Aug. 2, '15. The two-time Best Actress Oscar winner (To Each His Own, 1946; The Heiress, 1949) whose steely determination helped to change the way studios handled their contract players turned 99 last July 1. Unfortunately, TCM isn't showing any de Havilland movie rarities, e.g., Universal's cool thriller The Dark Mirror (1946), the Paramount comedy The Well-Groomed Bride (1947), or Terence Young's British-made That Lady (1955), with de Havilland as eye-patch-wearing Spanish princess Ana de Mendoza. On the other hand, you'll be able to catch for the 384th time a demure Olivia de Havilland being romanced by a dashing Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood, as TCM shows this 1938 period adventure classic just about every month. But who's complaining? One the...

NBC has given a 10-episode straight-to-series order for Emerald City, a show set within the world of L. Frank Baum's classic tale The Wizard of Oz. The project initially moved forward as a pilot last season, from writers Matthew Arnold and Josh Friedman, although the network didn't pick up the series. The project was reworked by Do No Harm series creator David Schulner, resulting in the dramatic reversal of a straight-to-series order.

Emerald City follows the exploits of 20-year-old Dorothy Gale and her K9 police dog who are swept up by a tornado and taken to a mystical land far away, full of competing kingdoms, lethal warriors, dark magic and a bloody battle for supremacy. The show is said to put a much darker spin on the original Wizard of Oz tale, showcasing the transformation of a young girl into a "headstrong warrior who holds the fate of kingdoms in her hands,...

Cary Grant movies: 'An Affair to Remember' does justice to its title (photo: Cary Grant ca. late 1940s) Cary Grant excelled at playing Cary Grant. This evening, fans of the charming, sophisticated, debonair actor -- not to be confused with the Bristol-born Archibald Leach -- can rejoice, as no less than eight Cary Grant movies are being shown on Turner Classic Movies, including a handful of his most successful and best-remembered star vehicles from the late '30s to the late '50s. (See also: "Cary Grant Classic Movies" and "Cary Grant and Randolph Scott: Gay Lovers?") The evening begins with what may well be Cary Grant's best-known film, An Affair to Remember. This 1957 romantic comedy-melodrama is unusual in that it's an even more successful remake of a previous critical and box-office hit -- the Academy Award-nominated 1939 release Love Affair -- and that it was directed...

This summer marked the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, and it was a big enough occasion that Warner Bros. not only retrofitted the classic fantasy film for a one-week IMAX 3D re-release but also spent $25m on marketing its brief return to theaters. Meanwhile, there’s absolutely no fanfare at all for the movie’s sequel, which also has a special birthday this year. No, I’m not referring to Return to Oz (which likely also won’t get much notice for its 30th anniversary next summer). There is another “Oz” movie that was more directly intended to be an official follow-up to the 1939 version, an animated feature titled Journey Back to Oz, which hit theaters on this day back in 1974. Aside from taking place soon after The Wizard of Oz and being mostly yet loosely adapted from L. Frank Baum’s second Oz book, “The Marvelous Land of Oz,” the...

Oldest person in movies? (Photo: Manoel de Oliveira) Following the recent passing of 1931 Dracula actress Carla Laemmle at age 104, there is one less movie centenarian still around. So, in mid-June 2014, who is the oldest person in movies? Manoel de Oliveira Portuguese filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira will turn 106 next December 11; he’s surely the oldest person — at least the oldest well-known person — in movies today. De Oliveira’s film credits include the autobiographical docudrama Memories and Confessions / Visita ou Memórias e Confissões (1982), with de Oliveira as himself, and reportedly to be screened publicly only after his death; The Cannibals / Os Canibais (1988); The Convent / O Convento (1995); Porto of My Childhood / Porto da Minha Infância (2001); The Fifth Empire / O Quinto Império - Ontem Como Hoje (2004); and, currently in production, O Velho do Restelo ("The Old Man of Restelo"). Among the international stars who have been directed by de Oliveira are Catherine Deneuve, Pilar López de Ayala,...

Classic Hollywood films like Grand Hotel and Dinner at Eight had huge casts filled with movie stars and character actors whose personas were so sharply drawn and instantly familiar that the moment the performers appeared onscreen, audiences knew what type of role to expect, and could rest assured the character would be well-portrayed. These films were glorious showcases for actresses now largely forgotten (Marie Dressler, Billie Burke) and still iconic (Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford).

Trust Me, a sometimes sharp-toothed look at the Machiavellian machinations of the modern film industry, calls those films to mind (as well as Altman's The Player) with its supporting cast of scene-stealing actresses (Molly Shannon, Allison Janney, Amanda Peet, Felicity Huffma...

It’s still one of the most beloved movies of all time, and “The Wizard of Oz” will get a huge tribute at the 86th Academy Awards in honor of its 75th anniversary.

The 1939 flick, starring Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke and Margaret Hamilton was nominated for six Oscars back in the day, including Best Picture.

And Academy Awards producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron are looking forward to giving props to a film which has stood the test of time.

They told press, "We are delighted to celebrate the birthday of one of the most beloved movies of all time at this year’s Oscars.”...

The 86th Annual Academy Awards will honor the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, a best picture nominee in 1939, show producers Craig Zadan and Neil Meron announced today. In addition, ABC has released a new promo featuring Academy Awards host Ellen DeGeneres being played off by the orchestra.

Here's what Craig Zadan and Neil Meron had to say about their tribute to The Wizard of Oz in a brief statement.

"We are delighted to celebrate the birthday of one of the most beloved movies of all time at this year's Oscars."

The Wizard of Oz received six Oscar nominations, winning two for Original Score and Song.

Oscars for outstanding film achievements of 2013 will be presented on Oscar Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center and televised live on the ABC Television Network. The telecast, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, also will be televised live...

As previously reported, the musical Ghostlight, by Tim Realbuto and Matthew Martin, which had two starry backer's auditions on December 2nd at the The New 42nd Street Studios in NYC, has added a 29- hour industry reading next month due to popular demand. This is one of the first times a new musical has added another presentation nearly a month after its first one. The December 2nd evening was directed by Martin and Realbuto and featured an all-star cast which included 'That's So Raven's' Anneliese van der Pol as Olive Thomas, Three-time Tony nominee Carolee Carmello as Billie Burke, Tony nominee Robert Cuccioli as Ziegfeld, 'Pippin' star Rachel Bay Jones as Molly Cook, Kimberly Faye Greenberg as Fanny Brice, and Trevor McQueen as Jack Pickford.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will kick off a day-long celebration of home movies on Saturday, October 12, at noon, with “Home Movie Day Los Angeles,” a free event that welcomes Angelenos, their families and friends to watch their personal home movies on the big screen.

At 7 p.m. the Academy will present “Hollywood Home Movies IV,” which will feature specially selected home movies from Hollywood’s Golden Age, including footage of such luminaries as Lucille Ball, Humphrey Bogart, Billie Burke, Marlene Dietrich, Walt Disney, Mitzi Gaynor, Betty Grable, Cary Grant, Jean Harlow, Shirley Jones and Florenz Ziegfeld.

In addition to intimate glimpses of celebrities at work and play, the program includes 1935 footage of Atlantic City, Satchel Paige pitching in an exhibition game at Los Angeles’ Wrigley Field, Billy Gilbert’s Uso troupe performing during World War II, and the wrap party for “It’s a Wonderful Life.

So it’s a bit early, but if any motion picture deserves a year-long celebration it’s this one. This weekend, film goers are getting a true treat. The 1939 (August to be exact) classic The Wizard Of Oz is back on Imax screens and in 3D for the very first time. Sure most of you have seen it on cable TV or on home video, but an opportunity to see this gem on the big screen should not be passed up. I mean this is a film that has become a huge part of our culture . The movie itself is legendary as are the stories about its making. There’s even a feature film comedy (Under The Rainbow) that’s set backstage (but I wouldn’t consider that Chevy Chase flick a classic).

Since I’m sure you’re familiar with the plot, lets’ talk about some of the backstage stories.

Don't forget that the classic film The Wizard of Oz is coming back to theaters, but this time it will be presented for the first time in IMAX 3D, just before the 75th Anniversary Blu-Ray hits shelves shortly thereafter. Now a cool featurette has surfaced showcasing all the hard work that went into restoring the film and converting it to 3D for the best possible presentation on the giant screen. From a brief display of how the crew outlines the imagery for 3D conversion to the use of the IMAX screen, this is a fantastic look into the restoration of a classic, and shows that this experience will truly be something to behold. Watch below! Here's the cool featurette for The Wizard of Oz IMAX 3D re-release from IMAX: The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as the Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man,...

In case you've forgotten, the classic 1939 film The Wizard of Oz is coming back to theaters later this month, but will be presented for the first time in IMAX 3D for just one week before the 75th Anniversary Blu-Ray hits shelves later. Now the collectible arthouse Mondo is getting in on the action with an awesome new print from Graham Erwin featuring the yellow brick road traveling quartet. The 24″x36″ screen print in an edition of 275, and unfortunately, the print has already sold out, but we thought it was still pretty cool. Plus, everyone should be remindedto see The Wizard of Oz in theaters all over again or for the first time! Here's Graham Erwin's The Wizard of Oz print for Mondo via SlashFilm: The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland as Dorothy, Ray Bolger as The Scarecrow, Bert Lahr as the Lion, Jack Haley as the Tin Man, Billie Burke...