Category Archives: 1950’s Hollywood

ALFRED HITCHCOCK ON THE SET OF LIFEBOAT, VINTAGE 11 X 14

Alfred Hitchcock 11 x 14 Vintage Photo
Alfred Hitchcock 11 x 14 Vintage Photo
ORIGINAL VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH 11 X 14 BLACK AND WHITE FROM THE SET OF LIFEBOAT, DIRECTED BY HITCHCOCK.  OVER ALL VERY GOOD CONDITION SLIGHT TEAR IN RIGHT LOWER SIDE, VERY SMALL TEAR ON TOP NEAR MIDDLE, HARD TO SEE.   PHOTO PAPER IS HEAVIER STOCK.  TALLULAH BANKHEAD IS SEEN TWO PEOPLE TO THE RIGHT OF HITCHCOCK IN THIS PHOTO, TWO PEOPLE FROM HIS LEFT-SIDE.

“Except for a cameo appearance in Stage Door Canteen, Tallulah Bankhead had not appeared in a film since Faithless in 1932. She was paid $75,000 for her work in Lifeboat.”

TALLULAH BANKHEAD:
In 1944, Alfred Hitchcock cast her as the cynical journalist, Constance Porter, in Lifeboat. The performance is widely acknowledged as her best on film, and won her the New York Film Critics Circle Award. Almost childlike in her immodesty, a beaming Tallulah accepted her New York trophy and exclaimed, “Dahlings, I was wonderful!”

Rumors about her sex life have lingered for years, and she was linked romantically with many notable female personalities of the day, including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Marlene Dietrich, Eva Le Gallienne, Laurette Taylor, and Alla Nazimova, as well as writer Mercedes de Acosta, the wealthy Betty Carstairs, and singer Billie Holiday.

She was reportedly extremely excited when she was first able to meet the elusive Garbo, but whether they were sexually involved has never been determined beyond a doubt. The two women played tennis together often, and were said to have enjoyed one another’s company, but Garbo was extremely protective of her private life and secretive about her lovers.

Lifeboat is a 1944 World War II war film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock from a story written by John Steinbeck. The film stars Tallulah Bankhead, William Bendix, Walter Slezak, Mary Anderson, John Hodiak, Henry Hull, Heather Angel, Hume Cronyn and Canada Lee, and is set entirely on a lifeboat. The film received Academy Award nominations for Best Director, Best Original Motion Picture Story and Best Black and White Cinematography.

CAST OF LIFEBOAT:

* Tallulah Bankhead as Constance “Connie” Porter
* William Bendix as Gus Smith
* Walter Slezak as Willy
* Mary Anderson as Alice MacKenzie
* John Hodiak as John Kovac
* Henry Hull as Charles D. “Ritt” Rittenhouse
* Heather Angel as Mrs.Higley
* Hume Cronyn as Stanley “Sparks” Garrett
* Canada Lee as George “Joe” Spencer
* William Yetter Jr. as German sailor

ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATION “THE SHEEPMAN” STORY & SCREENPLAY

DESCRIPTION OF PLAQUE: MEASURES 11-13/16″ X 13-1/2″ INCHES OUTSIDE

ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES
CERTIFICATE OF NOMINATION FOR AWARD

WILLIAM BOWERS AND JAMES EDWARD GRANT NOMINATED FOR STORY AND SCREENPLAY FOR “THE SHEEPMAN”
STORY BY JAMES EDWARD GRANT AND SCREENPLAY BY WILLIAM BOWERS AND JAMES EDWARD GRANT

THIS JUDGMENT BEING RENDERED WITH REFERENCE TO MOTION PICTURES FIRST REGULARLY EXHIBITED IN THE LOS ANGELES DISTRICT DURING THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1958.

SIGNED AT THE BOTTOM BY THE PRESIDENT OF ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS AND SCIENCES
GEORGE STEVENS, PRESIDENT FROM 1958 TO 1959

AND BY SECRETARY HAL ELIAS

The Sheepman is a tongue-in-cheek 1958 Western film directed by George Marshall and starring Glenn Ford, Shirley MacLaine and Leslie Nielsen.

Plot
Gambler Jason Sweet (Glenn Ford) wins a herd of sheep in a poker game and proceeds to take them by train into the middle of cattle country. It is not long before the townsfolk take notice, but Sweet is more than up to the challenge.

The first thing he does is pick a fight with the roughest, toughest man around, “Jumbo” McCall (Mickey Shaughnessy), and beat him up. He also reveals himself to be an expert with a gun. Dell Payton (Shirley MacLaine) doesn’t know what to make of him, but is attracted to him, as is he to her. Her suitor, local cattle baron “Colonel” Steven Bedford (Leslie Nielsen), is troubled by this and also because he and Sweet know each other. The newcomer recognizes Bedford as his old enemy, Johnny Bledsoe, a card sharp and gunfighter gone respectable.

When Bedford finds himself losing their battle for domination, despite having the whole town behind him, he brings in a professional gunman, Chocktaw Neal (Pernell Roberts), but Sweet has little trouble dealing with him. The final showdown comes down to Bedford and Sweet. Sweet is faster and smarter and Bedford ends up dead. Sweet gets the girl; then, to her utter astonishment, he sells the sheep. He only kept them because he refused to be pushed around by anybody.

Cast

* Glenn Ford as Jason Sweet
* Shirley MacLaine as Dell Payton
* Leslie Nielsen as “Colonel” Stephen Bedford / Johnny Bledsoe
* Mickey Shaughnessy as “Jumbo” McCall
* Edgar Buchanan as Milt Masters
* Willis Bouchey as Frank Payton
* Pernell Roberts as Chocktaw Neal
* Slim Pickens as Marshal
* Robert ‘Buzz’ Henry as Red
* Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez as Angelo

Award nominations
William Bowers and James Edward Grant were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen.
There were also two BAFTA nominations: Best Film from any source, and Glenn Ford for Best Foreign Actor.

HAL ELIAS
Born Harold Elias in Brooklyn, NY. In addition to serving for 37 years on the board of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences and 25 as one of its officers, Elias was head of MGM’s cartoon and short subjects productions. During his tenure in that position, the studio’s “Tom and Jerry” series won eight Academy Awards.

Honorary Award 1979 For his dedication and distinguished service to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Winner presented a Statuette.