#Screen Directors Playhouse

[peterlorrefanpage]

Peter Lorre in "No. 5 Checked Out" (TV)

Touch of slo-mo there because I love his eyes, damn.

"No. 5 Checked Out," Screen Directors Playhouse, January 18, 1956. Directed and written by Ida Lupino (with Willard Wiener).

"Peter Lorre is playing another in a very long list of crooks, but in this case he is unencumbered of having some boss over his head and having to behave like a toadying henchmen. Instead, he's the boss. . ." -Cinemagraphe

Peter in a rocking chair, spinning his little trinket, managing to look both holiday-sprawled and coiled-tension at the same time, is a glorious sight. He's rather lurid about it, in a shiveringly delicious way:

Please do run your eyes over me, Peter darling.

Another beautiful experience is Peter with a pile of food, his clever delivery, and _that_ voice:

"But I've got you everything your little heart can desire!"

By the way, that's William Talman (perhaps better known for Perry Mason) with Peter. Here's a candid dressing room shot. Smoking! Discussing the script (maybe)! And I particularly love how we get to see Peter's reflection:

Back to the show, it's definitely not just about two gents having fun & pumpernickel (now there's an alternative plotline). Check those eyes, that expression:

Per IMDB: "A young deaf woman resigned to a life alone opens her family's motel to a pair of men, not realizing they are desperate crooks who are using one of her remote cabins for a hideout." Directed by Ida Lupino. Watch it here:

And my earlier post about this episode.

[friendlessghoul]

"Take that, you cad--Buster, from the security of the bar pops pot shots at the bad man using champagne corks as live ammunition."

Screen Directors Playhouse - The Silent Partner (S1.E12) December 21, 1955

[kwebtv]

From the Golden Age of Television

Series Premiere

Meet the Governor - NBC - October 5, 1955

A presentation of "Screen Directors Playhouse" Season 1 Episode 1

Comedy / Drama

Running Time: 30 minutes

Directed by Leo McCarey

Stars:

Herb Shriner as Clem Waters

Barbara Hale as Jane Waters

Rita Lynn as Mrs. Lamkin

Bobby Clark as Sonny Waters

Paul Harvey as Gov. John Dirks

Arthur Q. Bryan as Mr. Hurley

Hayden Rorke as Lawyer

Claud Allister as Cyril - the Butler

William Forrest as Mr. Green

Oliver Cliff as Decorator

Bill Baldwin as Newsman

John Breen as Courtroom Spectator

James Flavin as Governor Dirks Aide

John Hamilton as Mr. Campo

[ofmdrecaps]

10/18/2024 Daily OFMD Recap

TLDR; Rhys Darby; Taika Waititi; Con O'Neill; Vico Ortiz; Boris McGiver; Guz Khan; Gypsy Taylor; Selenis Leyva; Tim Heidecker; Cohen Holloway; Love Notes; Daily Darby/Today's Taika

Hey crew. I spoke too soon on my dad, he's been sent back to the hospital so I'll be back to "who knows" when these will be posted-- which is basically as I have time. Sorry all. I would just expect them to be delayed a few days. Take care and stay safe out there, ya hear?

= Rhys Darby =

Rhys is back to his Murray duties and spreading the word for his son Finn's band-- Great Big Cow! Check them out Live at Heaven Can Wait NYC on December 16th!

Source: Rhys Instagram

= Taika Waititi =

Taika back at the TIFF!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by TIFF (@tiff_net)

Source: Tiff Instagram

= Con O'Neill =

Con O’Neill’s film The Men will be one of the films screened at Alnwick Playhouse 25th October. 7.30. £6. Get your tickets here!

Source: KrisDeeds

= Vico Ortiz =

Vico was out with Jack at -- well Nights of The Jack! Two years in a row!

Source: Vico Ortiz and Rabbit Glitter Instagram

= Boris McGiver =

Father Bonnet's new show -- Teacup is getting rave reviews from Stephen King! New Episodes every Thursday on Peacock if you're into horror shows!

Source: Boris McGiver's Instagram Stories

= Guz Khan =

More shots from Man From Mobeen!

Source: Guz' Instagram

= Gypsy Taylor =

I couldn't find anything specific on "The Minkie Awards" but it looks like director Minkie Spiro gives out these fun awards to the talent that works with her! (If you happen to know more please let me know!) As you can see, Gypsy got one for being the Queen of brilliance she is!

Source: Gypsy Taylor's Instagram

= Selenis Leyva =

Hey! Do you remembe Selenis Leyva, aka Nana? She just got married!

= Tim Heidecker =

Hey! Fabulous news -- On Oct 18th, Tim Heidecker, aka Mary's beloved Doug, has a new album out called Slipping Away! He had some interesting things to say about it in Variety! It's up on Spotify if you wanna check it out!

= Cohen Holloway =

Cohen Holloway aka Pop Pop has more news! He's been nominated for the New Zealand TV Awards for Best Actor in Dark City - The Cleaner! Gratz sir!

Source: NZTV Awards

== Love Notes ==

I hope you all are being kind to yourselves lovelies. I know this life can be hard. I really do. You got this though ok? Good luck this week.

Source: Stay Close To Yourself Instagram

Source: Tania'sCreativeWander

== Daily Darby / Today's Taika ==

Don't ask me the theme on this one, they just made me smile. Gifs courtesy of the wonderful @kiwistede and @noneviljen!

[citizenscreen]

Joe E Brown and Buster Keaton play catch during production of “The Silent Partner,” 1955 episode of “Screen Directors Playhouse.”

[soapkaars]

Today (well, half an hour ago) was Peter Lorre’s death day, and in honour of him I've been watching some of his films: The Chase, My Favourite Brunette, Was Frauen träumen, and Number 5 Checked Out (screen director's playhouse). I’m closing off the day with this drawing inspired on one of my favourite rough gems that he played in: The Chase, a dream-like film noir where a man suffering from hallucinations is a chauffeur to a dangerous criminal. Gino, played by Lorre, is his right hand man and occupies this man's imagination as a death-like figure, chasing after him in Havana. My favourite part is when they first meet, standing in a hallway filled with Grecian pillars. I decided to draw him in a Casa Colonial, the type I grew up with in Venezuela and also haunt my own dreams.

[rickchung]

Conclave (dir. Edward Berger) x VIFF 2024.

There's a operatic tension to the West German-born Austrian-Swiss director's religious Vatican thriller based on the novel of the same name by bestselling British author Robert Harris. Starring Ralph Fiennes as the cardinal tasked with overseeing the election of the Roman Catholic successor to the recently deceased Pope as he discovers a series of concerning secrets about many of the leading candidates as they vye for power. It's a tightly-wound melodrama about a detailed religious electoral process no one really knows about with strong allegories to the dysfunction of contemporary national elections. No one is guessing that ending either.

Screening at the 2024 Vancouver International Film Festival as part of the Special Presentations series at the Vancouver Playhouse on Sept. 29 & Oct. 4.

[burtlancster]

yoooo screen directors playhouse did the killers with burt and shelley in 1949 only a couple months into their affair????? the plot is heavily truncated and their relationship is over-emphasized so it’s not really worth a listen but…

[meanstreetspodcasts]

BONUS - Night of the Living Halloween Hoopla!

Get ready for thrills, chills, and spills with trick-or-treat tales both scary and silly in the annual Down These Mean Streets Halloween special! Ray Milland reprises his big screen role as The Screen Director's Playhouse presents "The Uninvited" (originally aired on NBC on November 18, 1949). Then, two radio gumshoes face off against things that go bump in the night: The Saint in "The Ghosts Who Came to Dinner" (originally aired on NBC on April 8, 1951) and Barrie Craig, Confidential Investigator in "Ghosts Don't Die in Bed" (originally aired on NBC on September 7, 1954). J. Carrol Naish stars in a heartwarming and hilarious Halloween episode of Life with Luigi (originally aired on CBS on October 30, 1951), and William Conrad leads an expedition in the Himalayas to capture "The Abominable Snowman" on Escape (originally aired on CBS on September 13, 1953). Ozzie and Harriet have a haunted house adventure (originally aired on NBC on October 31, 1948), and Bob Hope recreates his horror-comedy classic in "The Ghost Breakers" from Screen Director's Playhouse (originally aired on NBC on June 14, 1951). Finally, the syndicated anthology The Weird Circle presents one of the classic horror stories - Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein."

Check out this episode!

[peterlorrefanpage]

Peter Lorre in No. 5 Checked Out (Screen Director's Playhouse, 1957)

"Oh, no. Oh, that's too bad."

Clip:

Found this drawing of Peter Lorre along with the synopsis of the episode:

Here it is if you haven't seen it or want to see it again:

[jeanpatrice]

7 Weird and Surprising Facts About Maggie Smith

7 Weird and Surprising Facts About Maggie Smith

Discover some lesser-known and quirky facts about Dame Maggie Smith, from never watching Downton Abbey to battling cancer while filming Harry Potter. These fun and surprising tidbits give a glimpse into the life of one of the most iconic actresses in British cinema.

1-She’s never watched Downton Abbey: Despite being one of the most iconic characters on the show as Violet Crawley, the Dowager Countess, Maggie Smith has admitted that she’s never actually watched Downton Abbey because she felt it would be “too frustrating” to see herself on screen.

2-She performed on stage just days after major surgery: Maggie Smith showed immense dedication to her craft when, in 1988, she underwent surgery for a perforated appendix. Remarkably, she returned to the stage only 10 days later to perform in *Lettice and Lovage. That level of commitment is both weirdly intense and inspiring!

3-She has an impressive Harry Potter – Downton Abbey connection: Maggie Smith starred in both Harry Potter as Professor McGonagall and Downton Abbey, but she’s joked about how young fans who recognize her often confuse her two iconic roles, sometimes calling her “Professor Dowager!”

4-She battled cancer while filming Harry Potter: While filming *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Maggie Smith was undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Despite her illness and chemotherapy, she continued working on the films, showing her resilience and dedication.

5-She once accidentally insulted her co-star Laurence Olivier: Early in her career, while rehearsing with the legendary Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith inadvertently insulted him by remarking that the cast wasn’t getting enough direction. Olivier, who was also the director, took it personally. Fortunately, they reconciled, and Olivier later praised her talent.

6-She was rejected for her first audition: At the start of her career, Maggie Smith was rejected by the Oxford Playhouse for being “too thin” and “too short.” Despite this, she persisted, and eventually, her talent won out, leading to an illustrious career.

7-Her honorary Oscar came in a surprising category: In 1979, she won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for the film California Suite. Ironically, she played a woman who was nominated for, but didn't win, an Oscar in the movie! It's a quirky example of life imitating art.

[kwebtv]

Rookie of the Year - NBC - December 7, 1955

A presentation of "Screen Directors Playhouse" Season 1 Episode 10

Drama

Running time: 30 minutes

Direted by John Ford

Stars:

John Wayne as Mike Cronin

Vera Miles as Ruth Dahlberg

Ward Bond as Buck Goodhue

Pat Wayne as Lyn Goodhue

James Gleason as Ed Shafer

Willis Bouchey as Cully

Harry Tyler as Mr. White

William Forrest as Walker

Robert Leyden as Willie

Tiger Fafara as Bobby

John Wayne made his first dramatic television appearance in this episode.

[lboogie1906]

Woodie King Jr. (July 27, 1937) is a director and producer of stage and screen, as well as the founding director of the New Federal Theatre in New York City.

He was born in Baldwin Springs, Alabama. He graduated high school in Detroit and worked at the Ford Motor Company there for three years. He worked for the City of Detroit as a draftsman. He earned an MFA at Brooklyn College.

He will join Mobilization for Youth, where he will spend the next five years working as the cultural director. He will find the New Federal Theatre and the National Black Touring Circuit in New York City, where he will be the producing director. He will produce shows both on and off-Broadway and will direct performances across the country in venues like the New York Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Playhouse, Center Stage of Baltimore, and the Pittsburgh Public Theatre. His work will earn him numerous nominations and awards, including an NAACP Image Award for his direction of “Checkmates” and Audelco Awards for Best Director and Best Play for his production of “Robert Johnson: Trick The Devil.” He will receive an Obie Award for Sustained Achievement. He will have an honorary doctorate in humane letters conferred by Wayne State University and a doctorate of fine arts by the College of Wooster. In addition to his directing and producing of theater, he will find time to write extensively about it. He will contribute to numerous magazines, such as “Black World,” “Variety” and “The Tulane Drama Review,” and will write several books. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[justforbooks]

One of the most subversive and original figures in 1980s popular culture was a whey-faced, cherry-lipped, matchstick-thin child-man who wore a red bow tie, white tasselled loafers and a shrunken grey suit, and lived in a giant playhouse with sentient furniture and a floating head. This was Pee-wee Herman, created and played by the actor Paul Reubens, who has died aged 70 of cancer.

The character appeared on stage in The Pee-wee Herman Show during the early 1980s but did not become known internationally until the release of the film Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985), which marked the doolally debut of the director Tim Burton. US cinema in the Reagan era drew heavily on the iconography of the 50s and early 60s, whether for purposes sweet (Back to the Future, Peggy Sue Got Married) or unsavoury (Blue Velvet, Parents); this big-screen outing for Pee-wee, who was already suffused with the spirit of bygone children’s shows such as Howdy Doody and Captain Kangaroo, fell somewhere in between. As with the stage and TV incarnations, the film’s undercurrent of kinkiness and innuendo never contaminated its air of gleeful innocence.

In a story modelled on the Italian neo-realist classic Bicycle Thieves, Pee-wee travels across the US in search of his beloved stolen bike. Along the way, he meets the undead truck driver Large Marge, poses as the wife of a convict, charms a gang of snarling bikers by dancing on the bar in platform heels, rescues the occupants of a burning pet shop (saving the snakes for last because he’s scared of them) and ends up at the premiere of a Hollywood movie about himself.

Pee-wee’s nasal voice and honking laugh seemed cultivated to irritate every bit as much as his playground rejoinders (such as “I know you are, but what am I?” repeated ad infinitum). But Reubens’s single-minded focus on playing him utterly straight – if that’s not the wrong word for a character steeped in camp – was vital to his success, which ballooned with the children’s TV show Pee-wee’s Playhouse (1986-90).

“We never tried to do ‘a-kids’-show-but-weird,’” he said in 2014. “I feel like my commitment to Pee-wee, the concentration required to stay in that character, makes it real to me.

“It’s a throwback and has lots of homage elements to it, but I always considered it a full-on real kids’ show even though it had all this adult humour in it. I took a lot of pride in being able to figure out ways to do stuff that could be seen by kids and grownups.”

Pee-wee’s Playhouse pushed the surrealism of the film even further. In one episode, Pee-wee marries a bowl of fruit salad, which is wearing a wedding veil. Years later, the scene was held up as an example of the character’s progressiveness, though in truth it would be a challenge to find a moment from Pee-wee’s oeuvre that did not serve that function.

Whether filling his 1988 Christmas special with LGBT+ performers and allies such as Grace Jones, kd lang, Cher and Little Richard, or hiring strapping, shirtless construction workers to build an extension made of fruitcake on the side of his playhouse, Pee-wee personified queerness without frightening the horses. One of the show’s messages, said Reubens, was that “nonconformity isn’t bad”.

Bumps in the road arrived in the form of a lacklustre film sequel, Big Top Pee-wee (1988), and two scandals: the first in 1991 when Reubens was arrested and fined for masturbating in an adult cinema, and then in 2002 when a police search of his collection of vintage erotica resulted in a misdemeanour charge for possession of child pornography, later reduced to probation for possession of obscene material.

He was born in Peekskill, New York, to Judy (nee Rosen), a teacher, and Milton Rubenfeld, a former founding pilot of the Israeli air force, who went on to sell cars and to own a lamp store. When Reubens was nine, the family moved to Sarasota, Florida. He was educated at Sarasota high school and Boston University, and studied acting at the California Institute of the Arts, where his classmates included David Hasselhoff.

He became a regular fixture on the comedy club circuit, and appeared 14 times on The Gong Show, the competitive TV variety series. “You could go on more than once if you were in disguise,” Reubens explained; he acquired membership of the Screen Actors Guild after winning the contest.

It was as part of the Los Angeles improvisational comedy group the Groundlings that he first developed Pee-wee Herman. He also went on The Dating Game (known to UK audiences as Blind Date) as Pee-wee, having filled out the application form and auditioned entirely in character.

After failing an audition for the 1980-81 season of Saturday Night Live, Reubens borrowed $5,000 from his parents to produce The Pee-wee Herman Show. It ran for five months in Los Angeles, later touring the US, and led to a one-off HBO special as well as absurdist turns on Late Night with David Letterman, during which Reubens never broke character.

“I always felt it was conceptual art, but no one knew that except me,” he said. “I went out of my way to make people feel Pee-wee was a real person. It worked way better if people were going: ‘Who the hell is that?’”

His non-Pee-wee appearances were largely restricted to the years after Pee-wee’s Playhouse ended in 1990. Burton gave him a cameo as the Penguin’s father in Batman Returns, and he played a vampire in the original film version of Buffy the Vampire Slayer (both 1992).

He starred in the family comedies Dunston Checks In and Matilda (both 1996) and played a flatulent superhero in the comedy Mystery Men (1999) as well as a pot-dealing hairdresser in the crime drama Blow (2001). Most of his subsequent roles took the form of animation voice-work or eccentric guest spots on sitcoms, such as 30 Rock (2007) and What We Do in the Shadows (2019).

Pee-wee’s periodic returns were always greeted with affection. A new version of The Pee-wee Herman Show, which reached the stage in 2010, and the delightful, Judd Apatow-produced Netflix film Pee-wee’s Big Holiday (2016), gave Reubens a chance to repair definitively any lingering damage done by his arrests.

“I wrecked it to some degree, you know?” he told the New York Times. “It got made into something different. The shine got taken off it. At a certain point, I just wanted to have a better end to my career.”

He is survived by his sister, Abby, and brother, Luke.

🔔 Paul Reubens (Paul Rubenfeld), actor and writer, born 27 August 1952; died 30 July 2023

Daily inspiration. Discover more photos at Just for Books…?

[styxorcom]

James Franco Peak, Age, Spouse, Web Value, Female friend, Biography & Extra

James Edward Franco was born April 19, 1978, known James Franco is an American actor and filmmaker. For his role in 127 Hours (2010), he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor. Franco is known for his roles in films, such as Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Trilogy (2002-2007), Milk (2008), Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). He is known for his collaborations with fellow actor Seth Rogen, having starred in eight films and one TV series with him, for example Pineapple Express (2008), This Is the End (2013), Sausage Party (2016) and The Disaster Artist . (2017), for which he won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor. Franco is also known for his television work where his first leading acting role was the character of Daniel Desario in the short-lived ensemble-drama Freaks and Geeks (1999-2000), which developed a cult following. . He played the main character in the television biographical film James Dean (2001), for which he won a Golden Globe Award, and received nominations for the Screen Actors Guild Award and the Primetime Emmy Award. Franco had a recurring role in the daytime soap General Hospital (2009-2012) and starred in the limited series 11.22.63 (2016). He starred in the David Simon-created HBO drama The Deuce (2017-2019). Franco volunteers for the Art of Elysium charity and has taught film classes at New York University, University of Southern California, UCLA, Studio 4, Palo Alto High School and at Playhouse West. Franco described himself as a Jew; Regarding his secular education, he told the Guardian he felt like he had “missed the Jewish experience,” but his Jewish friends told him not to care and said in the same interview that he ‘he liked “the idea of ​​religion as a source of community”. When asked if he was a “believer” he replied, “In God? I do not know. Yes. In a certain way. This is a complicated question. In 2015, he held an official bar mitzvah ceremony, chaired by a rabbi. After meeting on the set of What It Takes in 1999, Franco dated co-star Marla Sokoloff for five years. He was then in a relationship with actress Ahna O’Reilly until 2011. He confirmed their separation in an interview for the August 2011 issue of Playboy magazine, saying his interest in education separated them.

James Franco Biodata and Biography

Name James Edward Franco Nick-name Ted, Teddy Sex Male Date Of Birth 19 April 1978 Age 43 Years (as in 2021) Profession / Occupation Actor, Producer, Director, Screenwriter, Painter, Author, Misician (American, English) Mother Tongue English, Portuguese, Swedish, Jewish Religion Not Known Nation American Zodiac Sign Aries Height / Weight 5′ 9” / 76kg First Movie Never Been Kissed (1999) First Debut Actor: Never Been Kissed (1999) Writer: The Ape (2005) Director: The Ape (2005) Producer: The Broken Tower (2011) TV Actor: Pacific Blue (1997) Money Factor Net Worth: $20 million –

James Franco Family and Relatives

Father Douglas Eugene (Ran a Silicon Valley Business) Mother Betsy Lou (A writer and an occasional actress) Brothers Tom (Artist) Sisters Dave (Davy, an Actor) Marital Status Unmarried Wife N/A Daughters N/A Sons N/A Girlfriends/ Affairs Marla Sokoloff (1999-2004) Ahna O’Reilly (2006-2011) Agyness Deyn (2011) Ashley Hartman (2004-2005)

James Franco Height, Weight and Body Measurements

Height in Centimetres 180 cm Height in Meters 1.80 m Height in Feet Inches 5′ 9” Weight 76kg Body Measurement 42-31-14 Chest Size 42 inches Waist Size 31 inches Biceps Size 14 inches Eye Colour Dark Brown Hair Colour Dark Brown

James Franco Favorites

Favorite Colour White, Red, Blue Favorite Actor Not Known Favorite Actress Not Known Favorite Food Not Known Hobbies Acting, Writing, Reading, Travelling Favorite Director Not Known Favorite Destination Not Known Favorite Car Collections Not Known Sexual Orientation Straight

James Franco Education School and Colleges

Education Qualification Ph.D (Program in English) School Palo Alto School, California, USA College / University University of California, Los Angeles (B.A.) Columbia University (M.F.A.) New York University (M.F.A.) Brooklyn College (M.F.A.) Warren Wilson College (M.F.A.) Yale University (Ph.D. student) Others Rhode Island School of Design

James Franco Residence and Contact Address

Birth Place Palo Alto, California, USA Home Town Palo Alto, California, USA Present Residence Palo Alto, California, USA House Address William Morris Endeavor Entertainment 9601 Wilshire Blvd. 3rd Floor Beverly Hills, CA 90210-5213, USA Phone No / Mobile No Not Known Email ID Not Known Website Not Known

James Franco Awards, Honours, Achievements

National Film Award Not Known Filmfare Awards Not Known IIFA Awards Not Known Screen Awards Not Known

James Franco Social Media

Twitter None Facebook None Instagram None Wikipedia James_Franco Read the full article