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“Crocodile Rock” is one of Elton John’s most famous songs. Many love to sing along to the catchy chorus that includes an infectious “la la la” bit. However, the “la la la” section of the chorus comes from another song by Pat Boone that John borrowed.

“Crocodile Rock” was Elton John’s first No. 1 single in the U.S. Elton John | Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Elton John was born in England and emerged as one of the country’s biggest pop stars in the early 1970s. Tracks like “Tiny Dancer”, “Your Song”, and “Rocket Man”, made him a global superstar and one of the most famous artists in the U.S. In 1972, he released “Crocodile Rock” as a single with “Elderberry Wine” as the B-side. “Crocodile Rock” was an immediate hit and became John’s first single to reach No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard...

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will open the 2014 edition of the TCM Classic Film Festival with the world premiere of a brand new restoration of the beloved Rodgers & Hammerstein musical Oklahoma! (1955). TCM’s own Robert Osborne, who serves as official host for the festival, will introduce Oklahoma!, with the film’s star, Academy Award®-winner Shirley Jones, in attendance. Vanity Fair will also return for the fifth year as a festival partner and co-presenter of the opening night after-party. Marking its fifth year, the TCM Classic Film Festival will take place April 10-13, 2014, in Hollywood. The gathering will coincide withTCM’s 20th anniversary as a leading authority in classic film.

In addition, the festival has added several high-profile guests to this year’s lineup, including Oscar®-winning director William Friedkin, who will attend for the screening of the U.S. premiere restoration of his suspenseful cult classic Sorcerer (1977); Kim Novak, who...

Shirley Jones Movies: Innocent virgins and sex workers galore (photo: Shirley Jones and Burt Lancaster in ‘Elmer Gantry’) (See previous post: “Shirley Jones: From Book to Movies.”) I haven’t watched The Cheyenne Social Club (1970), a comedy Western directed by Gene Kelly, and starring 62-year-old James Stewart as a cowpoke who inherits an establishment that turns out to be a popular house of prostitution. Henry Fonda plays Stewart’s partner. And I’m sure Shirley Jones, as one of the sex workers, looks lovely in the film. Hopefully, director Kelly gave this likable, talented actress the chance to do more than just stand around looking pretty. But then again … For all purposes, The Cheyenne Social Club ended Shirley Jones’ film stardom; that same year she turned to TV and The Partridge Family. Jones would return to films only nine years later, as one of several stars (among them Michael Caine,...

Ok, here’s something interesting for all Alfred Hitchcock‘s fans out there! As you already know, one of the best horror movies ever – Psycho celebrated its 50th anniversary on June 16, 2010.

And was there some better way to celebrate the whole thing than to release an ebook version of Stephen Rebello‘s classic non-fiction study of the film titled Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho? Guess not…

So, now is the perfect time for us to remind you that another June 16 is coming.

First released on June 16, 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho altered the landscape of horror films forever. But just as compelling as the movie itself is the story behind it.

Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho is a behind-the-scenes look inside the classic suspense shocker – and the creative genius who revolutionized filmmaking.

Author Stephen Rebello explores the creation of one of Hollywood’s most iconic films, from...