#MacMurray College

[thursdaymurderbub]

A mistaken excerpt from an interview with Melvyn Douglas in 1980 Toronto, taken from Conversations with Classic Film Stars: interviews from Hollywood's golden era (2016) by James Bawden and Ron Miller. The "It" at the beginning is the film Ninotchka (1939).

Accoring to imdb, Too Many Husbands was released on March 21, 1940 and My Favorite Wife was released two months later on May 17 1940. Despite being released later, My Favourite Wife was more popular with audiences, so Mr Douglas isn't wrong there.

Just for fun, also according to IMDB two endings were filmed for Too Many Husbands, one in which Jean Arthur ends up with Melvyn Douglas and the other in whcih she ends up with Fred MacMurray. Then Columbia screened the picture with both endings to college students at UCLA and USC. More than 10,000 questionnaires were given out and the responses decided the ending of the film!

Personally, I love both these movies and it's always hard to believe they aren't purposeful gender-reversals of each other. And they even came out the same year!

[othmeralia]

Dr. Percy Lavon Julian honored at MacMurry College

Two photographs of Dr. Percy Lavon Julian (1899-1975) taken during a ceremony for the newly constructed chemistry building of MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois, named in his honor. This event took place during a two-day symposium attended by more than 100 scientists and educators on May 12 and 13th, 1972. The first image depicts Dr. Julian standing beneath a plaque paying tribute to his contributions to chemistry, medicine, and humanity. The second shows Julian holding a framed picture of the Percy Lavon Julian Hall of Chemistry.

Julian is internationally recognized for his pioneering research in the development of cortisone, sex hormones, soybean proteins, and firefighting foam. Over the course of his career, Julian received more than 130 chemical patents and in 1973, became the second African American, following David Blackwell (1919-2010), to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences.

Image citation: MacMurray College. “Dr. Percy Lavon Julian Honored at MacMurray College,” May 13, 1972. Science History Institute. Philadelphia.

[weantuniverse]

"Are we having rutabagas yet?"  From MacMurray College's 1987 yearbook.

[vintagepipemen]

Dr. Ronald Winter, MacMurray College, 1974. 

[gsmattingly]

Review "The Absent Minded Professor"

I watched "The Absent Minded Professor" directed by Robert Stevenson and starring Fred MacMurray and Nancy Olson. I thought Fred MacMurray was entertaining and amusing. Nancy Olson played a rather stereotypical role for the time which wouldn't be considered correct in today's world by most people. Of course, that's not her fault but rather that of the writers. Keenan Wynn played a corrupt businessman who was a bit full of himself, as was his son played by Tommy Kirk Ed Wynn had a brief appearance as the fire chief who tried to save a bouncing Keenan Wynn. Of course I enjoyed the antics of Charlie the dog.

From IMDb: "A college professor invents an anti-gravity substance which a corrupt businessman wants for himself. "

The review from Variety by "Variety Staff" notes "On the surface, Walt Disney’s The Absent Minded Professor is a comedy-fantasy of infectious absurdity, a natural follow-up to the studio’s Shaggy Dog. But deeply rooted within the screenplay [from a story by Samuel W. Taylor] is a subtle protest against the detached, impersonal machinery of modern progress."

I think think it is a fun, light movie and a pleasant break from more serious films.

This was a dvd release from Disney movie and I thought the quality was good. Thie film is b&w rather than color, which I think was more prevalent at the time.

[byneddiedingo]

Jennifer Lawrence in Joy (David O. Russell, 2015)

Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Edgar Ramirez, Diane Ladd, Virginia Madsen, Isabella Rossellini, Dascha Polenco, Elisabeth Röhm, Susan Lucci. Screenplay: David O. Russell, Annie Mumolo, Cinematography: Linus Sandgren. Production design: Judy Becker. Film editing:  Alan Baumgarten, Jay Cassidy, Tom Cross, Christopher Tellefsen. Music: David Campbell, West Dylan Thordson.

A thoroughly conventional movie with an exceptional cast that features what seems to be the core of writer-director David O. Russell's stock company, Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, Joy is the kind of feel-good underdog-against-the-odds movie with screwball touches that could have been made at almost any time in Hollywood history. I can easily imagine it in the 1940s with Rosalind Russell and Fred MacMurray, for example. Joy Mangano (Lawrence) was a brilliant student in high school, but she didn't go on to college, and now struggles to make ends meet, while dabbling with ideas for inventions. A divorcee, she lives in an unusual household: In addition to her two children and her grandmother (Diane Ladd), the ménage also includes Joy's mother (Virginia Madsen), who spends her days in bed watching soap operas, and Joy's ex-husband (Edgar Ramirez), who lives in the basement. Joy's father (Robert De Niro) also joins the household after splitting from his latest wife, but he soon takes up with Trudy, a wealthy widow (Isabella Rossellini). When Joy comes up with the idea for a self-wringing mop, Trudy agrees to help finance it. Joy has to contract the manufacture of some of the mop's parts, and she struggles to market it until the idea comes to sell it on TV. She approaches the QVC shopping channel, where an executive, Neil Walker (Cooper), takes an interest in the product. It becomes a big seller, but then the company Joy contracted to make the parts claims ownership of the design. Facing bankruptcy, Joy fights the claim, wins, and becomes a huge success, marketing other household products. There's a real-life Joy Mangano on whose story the film is based, with the usual disregard for accuracy. Lawrence got an Oscar nomination for her performance, which is, as always, wonderful. She gives the film more than it deserves, and the supporting cast measures up to her. But there are few surprises in the story or in Russell's treatment of it, unlike his previous films with Lawrence and Cooper, Silver Linings Playbook (2012) and American Hustle (2013).

[rememberwincollection]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Champion MacMurray College 1955 Runners Jacket 50’s Knitwear Co..

[kristasclassicfilmereview]

Rewatching some old favorites

At the end of last year, I decided to go back to college and pursue another degree but that didn’t stop me from watching movies. I have rewatched quite a few classics I have seen many times for no other reason than for comfort.

I picked five films at random and wrote a little about why I find each exciting and fun.

The Apartment-1960: directed by Billy Wilder, the film stars Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine (yes, Warren Beaty’s brother), and Fred MacMurray. A manhattan insurance clerk rises in the company because of his apartment and the executives who use it, but complications arise. I enjoy this film for many reasons aside from the typical 1960s New York City setting. The story is so basic and straightforward, and If you have seen any Billy Wilder films, you can immediately tell little things. MacLaine was kept out of the loop on how this story was to end, which worked in her favor because she earned her second Oscar Nomination for the role. The Apartment is available for streaming on Roku and Amazon Prime

2. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House- 1948: If you enjoy any shows on HGTV, you will enjoy this movie. A couple played by Cary Grant and Myrna Loy want to give up the hustle and bustle of city life for the country. They buy a house in the country, tear it down and rebuild it from the ground up. This film also stars Melvyn Douglas and Louise Beavers. Even in 1948, the film was way ahead of its time, and it's a storyline that will almost always work. This was one of three movies in which Grant starred with Loy in. However, this is not the first film Myrna Loy and Louise Beavers starred in together; they starred in one of the films from the popular Thin Man Films Shadow of a Thin Man in 1941. Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House is available for streaming for free until 11/13/22 on WatchTCM and for a small rental fee on Amazon.

3. The Thin Man- 1934 Myrna Loy and William Powell play Nick and Nora Charles. Nick is a private investigator who investigates crimes with his wife somewhat for the fun of it. This is the only film out of the six Thin Man films based on the actual novel by Dashiell Hammett. It's a fun film to watch because the dialogue and comedy are so fast, somehow it got passed the censors in 1934. The Thin Man is available for streaming on HBOMax (subscription required) or available for rent through Amazon.

4. The Women-1939: Aside from the director George Cukor, this film stars all women, and the cast is quite lengthy and more or less well-known for some. The film studies the lives of women and their entanglements through various interconnections. This film is not without its drama and marks the film debut of Butterfly McQueen (most known for Prissy in Gone With The Wind). The Women is available through Hulu Premium subscription, Apple TV, and Amazon for a small rental fee.

5. Old Acquaintance- 1943: Stars Miriam Hopkins and Bette Davis. Old Friends have contrasting lifestyles. Kit Marlowe is single and a critically acclaimed author, while Millie Drake is married and writes pulp novels. I am a sucker for anything with Bette Davis, and the sass of both Hopkins and Davis is excellent. The film is best summed up in this clip (see below)! Old Acquaintance is available on WatchTCM for free (all you need is to sign in with your TV provider) until 12/4/22.

[reportwire]

How Did These Pandemic Predictions Turn Out?

How Did These Pandemic Predictions Turn Out?

When colleges initially shut down more than 18 months back in response to the coronavirus, it didn’t acquire very long for the prognostications about bigger education’s long term to commence. Sharp declines in enrollment, and in revenues from home and board, had been imminent. Some pupils would sit out a calendar year or transfer to establishments with more affordable tuition. And probably the…

[theoscarsproject]

The Absent-Minded Professor (1961). A college professor invents an anti-gravity substance which a corrupt businessman wants for himself.

I mean, sure. This movie’s kind of fun, and I’m sure would’ve been a lot more so in 1961, but it’s also silly, and not exactly a perfect film. It was nominated for art direction and cinematography, which also weren’t entirely earned. It’s light and kinda dumb, but still, it’s got it’s moments. 6/10.

[allcatsconstitutethesamefamily]

From MacMurray College's 1969 yearbook.

[weirdyearbook]

From MacMurray College's 1969 yearbook.

[books0977]

Self-Portrait (1947). Ruth Gay (1911-1992). Oil on canvas. Burchfield Penney Art Center.

A painter, sculptor and educator, Ruth Gay was born in St. Thomas, Ontario, Canada and died in Newfane, New York, U.S.A. She was a teacher and art department head at MacMurray College, Jacksonville, Illinois. Her works were exhibited widely in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s at various major American venues including at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the Whitney Museum of American Art.

[omniversalobservations]

Journey Into Imagination With Figment (2020)

Journey Into Imagination With Figment is an Omnimover dark ride attraction located inside the Imagination! Pavilion in Future World (to be renamed World Celebration) at Walt Disney World's Epcot theme park. The attraction follows the imaginative and playful purple dragon, Figment, through an open house of the fictional Imagination Institute and its laboratories based on the human senses, hosted by the Institute's stoic and mundane chairman, Dr. Nigel Channing (played by British comedy actor Eric Idle).

[...]

The attraction includes several visual elements suggesting that the Imagination Institute is connected to Medfield College, the setting of several live-action Disney films.

The queue line for the attraction passes the "offices" of Professor Brainard (Fred MacMurray's role in The Absent-Minded Professor, although the queue addresses the 1997 remake when the role was played by Robin Williams) with dancing Flubbers visible behind the door's window; Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis in the Honey, I Shrunk the Kids franchise) with a silhouette of the shrinking machine visible behind the door's window accompanied by an unnatural reddish-purple color; and Dean Higgins (Joe Flynn's role in the "Dexter Riley" films).

A series of other Easter eggs can be seen and heard throughout the queue as well, including a secretary making occasional calls over the intercom for Brainard, Szalinski, Higgins, Dexter Riley, and Merlin Jones.

Dr. Channing is seen pictured next to the main characters from both films as they are the company's Inventors of the Year.

During the ride, after the vehicles exit the Sound Lab, the guests pass a glass-fronted computer room with a sign on the door that reads "No tennis shoes allowed," a reference to The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, the first Dexter Riley film. A Medfield College letterman's jacket can be seen inside the room.

Source: Disney Wiki

(images via YouTube)

[vintagepipemen]

Dr. Weldon Bliss, MacMurray College, 1973.

[dweemeister]

September 29, 2021

By Mike Barnes

(The Hollywood Reporter) — Tommy Kirk, whose career as a young leading man in Disney films like Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber came to an end, he said, after the studio discovered he was gay, has died. He was 79.

Kirk lived alone in Las Vegas and was found dead Tuesday, actor Paul Petersen announced on Facebook. TMZ reported that he died at home, and no foul play is suspected.

Kirk first made his mark starring as sleuth Joe Hardy in a pair of Hardy Boys TV serials, “The Mystery of the Applegate Treasure” and “The Mystery of the Ghost Farm,” offshoots of ABC’s The Mickey Mouse Club that aired in 1956-57.

He also played the middle son, Ernst, in Swiss Family Robinson (1960) — James MacArthur and Kevin Corcoran were his brothers and John Mills and Dorothy McGuire his parents — and starred as college brainiac Merlin Jones opposite Annette Funicello in two more Disney movies.

Kirk brought many a tear to movie audiences’ eyes starring as country kid Travis Coates alongside a heroic Labrador retriever in Old Yeller (1957), then turned into a pooch himself — a sheepdog named Chiffonn — in The Shaggy Dog (1959), the first of four movies he made with Fred MacMurray...

...  Talking about Old Yeller, film historian Leonard Maltin said, “One of the reasons people remember [the film] is not just the fate of a beloved dog, but the shattering grief expressed by his owner, so beautifully played by Tommy. I think his talent and range as an actor were taken for granted somewhat. He was really very versatile”...

On Facebook, Petersen — the Donna Reed Show star who launched the support group A Minor Consideration to lend a hand to former kid actors like himself — noted that Kirk was “estranged from what remains of his blood-family.”

“Please know that Tommy Kirk loved you, his fans,” he added. “You lifted him up when an Industry let him down in 1965. He was not bitter. His church comforted him. May God have mercy on his soul.”