Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 24, 2024

The working relationship between Charles Brackett and Billy Wilder is legendary in classic Hollywood. Writer/producer Brackett and writer/director Wilder worked together on multiple projects, including Sunset Boulevard (1950), The Lost Weekend (1945), and more. Donald Brackett’s Double Solita   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 23, 2024

Actor Warner Baxter was influential during the days of classic Hollywood but had an especially difficult personal life. Though he achieved various professional accomplishments, his legacy today is not as pronounced as the legacies of some of his peers. Dan Van Neste’s The Accidental Star: The   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 23, 2024

Billy Wilder was one of the most prolific writers and directors of classic Hollywood, contributing to a fantastic repertoire of beloved films. To this day, Wilder continues to be a subject of scholarship and inspiration to classic film fans. J.R. Jordan’s Magic Time: The Films and Scripts of   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 23, 2024

Dramatizations and depictions of war have been explored in film since the earliest days of the medium itself. To this day, war continues to be examined and portrayed in films all over the world and from various perspectives. In The Fatal Alliance: A Century of War on Film, author David...   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 23, 2024

Much has been written about Hollywood icon Marilyn Monroe. To this day, she continues to be an inspiring figure and embodiment of classic Hollywood. Though her life ended abruptly in tragedy, she has been immortalized by fans all over the world and her life continues to be studied. Hello, Norma...   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 11, 2024

“I want to entertain people. That’s my whole life. To my last breath.” –Elvis Presley Still the “King of Rock and Roll,” Elvis Presley is well remembered as a music legend. In addition to being a cultural icon, his performances on the stage as well as the screen exemplified h   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on January 2, 2024

“It was fun being a gang member. It was play. I have no regrets. We didn’t have to be talented, which is natural for kids. I think we had a privileged childhood working in those films.” –Mary Kornman Mary Kornman was born Mary Agnes Evans on December 27, 1915, in...   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on December 31, 2023

Dr. Annette Bochenek loves to take Hometowns to Hollywood on the road–in person or virtually–in order to offer fun and engaging presentations about Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her presentations range from focusing on various subjects related to Golden Age Hollywood, in addition to presentations that pr   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on December 31, 2023

The work of the camera is integral to storytelling in filmmaking, with many creative approaches to depth, movement, and perspective. As different cameras were explored and perfected, so too were approaches to photographing subjects and considering how the camera is used to express a story. In Depth   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on December 27, 2023

When the past meets the present in Noelle Salazar’s The Roaring Days of Zora Lily, readers delve into the world of classic Hollywood characters and more. The story begins with a costume conservator working on an exhibit that showcases film costumes. While she examines one worn by Greta Garbo,   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on December 27, 2023

Readers rejoice–Robert Matzen brings us another delightful work, this time in the form of a debut novel about the making of Casablanca (1942). In Season of the Gods, Matzen delves into the store of Irene “Reenie” Lee as his protagonist, based upon the woman of the same name who wa   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on December 4, 2023

Dr. Annette Bochenek loves to take Hometowns to Hollywood on the road–in person or virtually–in order to offer fun and engaging presentations about Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her presentations range from focusing on various subjects related to Golden Age Hollywood, in addition to presentations that pro   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on November 16, 2023

There is much to be examined in the output of esteemed filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola. A five-time Oscar winner, his work has cemented him as a notable director with a fascinating story. In The Path to Paradise: A Francis Ford Coppola Story, Sam Wasson delves into the on- and off-screen...   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on November 16, 2023

In examining the music of the 1950s, there was an array of iconic musical output. Moreover, many female vocalists were in the spotlight during this era. In Steve Bergsman’s All I Want is Loving You: Popular Female Singers of the 1950s, Bergsman explores the stories of numerous white fe   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on November 16, 2023

They say a picture is worth a thousand words–and Gary Cooper: Enduring Style is namely comprised of stunning pictures documenting the life of Gary Cooper through the camera lens. Many of the photographs were taken by his wife, Veronica “Rocky” Cooper, capturing the intimate and pub   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on November 12, 2023

The music of the 1950s includes numerous female artists who are renowned to this day. While some performers thrived and were added to the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame, other performers were quite popular but then seemed to disappear from the music scene altogether. What a Difference a Day M   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on October 30, 2023

Dr. Annette Bochenek loves to take Hometowns to Hollywood on the road–in person or virtually–in order to offer fun and engaging presentations about Hollywood’s Golden Age. Her presentations range from focusing on various subjects related to Golden Age Hollywood, in addition to presentations that p   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on October 29, 2023

“Master of Suspense” Alfred Hitchcock had numerous stylistic trademarks as a director. Among some of the recurring elements in his style is the inclusion of an “ice-cold blonde” character, casting numerous blonde leading ladies in his films. Laurence Leamer’s Hitchcock&   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on October 29, 2023

The horror genre has intrigued audiences for over a century, focusing upon viewers’ fear of the unknown and creative–as well as spooky–disruptions in otherwise seemingly normal life. Of course, there are numerous films that fall within this genre today. David J. Skal’s Frigh   read more

Hometowns to Hollywood Posted by Annette Bochenek on October 25, 2023

Charlie Allnut: How’d you like it?Rose Sayer: Like it?Charlie Allnut: White water rapids!Rose Sayer: I never dreamed…Charlie Allnut: I don’t blame you for being scared – not one bit. Nobody with good sense ain’t scared of white water…Rose Sayer: I never dreamed th   read more