On May 14, 1936, Walden Robert Cassotto, who we all know as Bobby Darin, was born in the Bronx. When one thinks of Darin, the first thing that probably comes to mind is one of his hits from the late 1950s or early 1960s, like “Splish Splash,” “Dream Lover,” “Mack the Knife” or “Beyond the Sea.” But Darin continued to record in a number of different genres, including folk and country, and he also did some acting, even earning an Academy Award nomination.
In 1963, Darin played a shell-shocked soldier in the World War II drama, Captain Newman, M.D.., which also starred Gregory Peck and featured other actors like Tony Curtis, Angie Dickinson, and Robert Duvall. The movie, based on a novel by Leo Rosten, followed the work of Captain Newman (Peck) at a neuro-psychiatric ward of a military hospital in Arizona.
For his portrayal of the shell-shocked Cpl. Jim Tompkins, Darin was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Additionally, at the Cannes Film Festival, he won the French Film Critics Award for best actor. He appears for a few seconds in this preview.
Although he continued to record, act, appear on TV, and become involved in politics through the 1960s and the 1970s, Darin had his final Top 10 hit in 1966 with a recording of Tim Hardin‘s “If I Were a Carpenter.”
Below Darin performs “If I Were a Carpenter” in January 1969 with Stevie Wonder when Darin hosted NBC’S Kraft Music Hall: Sounds of the Sixties special. Their performance has the feel of an impromptu jam, and it is pretty awesome.
Although Darin is only 32 in the performance with Wonder, Darin had health problems through much of his life from a weakened heart due to a childhood illness.
Darin passed away at the age of 37 on December 20, 1973, and at his request, his body was donated to science. As he did in his too-short life, Darin wanted to give everything he could even in death. What is your favorite Bobby Darin song? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On May 7, 1901, Frank James Cooper was born in Helena, Montana. After some work as a salesman and promoter, he started working as an actor in 1925, changing his first name to Gary when he signed a contract with Paramount. Reportedly, a casting director suggested the new name after her tough hometown of Gary, Indiana.
Gary Cooper went on to star in many memorable films including Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936), Meet John Doe (1941), Pride of the Yankees (1942), For Whom the Bell Tolls (1943), and The Fountainhead (1949). Cooper was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar and lost for Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, Pride of the Yankees, and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
Cooper’s First Best Actor Oscar
He received the Best Actor Oscar twice. First, he won the honor in 1942 for Sergeant York (1941).
Sergeant York features a terrific performance, even if some note that Hollywood may have been motivated to honor the World War I film about a pacifist becoming a soldier to encourage Americans to sign up to fight in the new war. Below is the trailer.
Cooper’s Second Oscar & The Meaning of High Noon
More than a decade later, he won the Best Actor Oscar for High Noon (1952), the last time he was nominated for Best Actor. It is hard to pick a favorite Gary Cooper movie, but I am not sure anything tops High Noon (1952).
We liked Cooper as a hero.
At the 25th Academy Awards in 1953, Cooper was filming another movie in Mexico and was ill. So, John Wayne accepted the award for him.
Below, actress Janet Gaynor announces Cooper’s win, and Wayne accepts the statue.
Interestingly despite Wayne’s joke wondering why he did not get the High Noon role, Wayne reportedly did not like the movie. There are various theories about why, but Garry Wills in John Wayne’s America explained that Wayne thought the movie ended on a note of disrespect for the law when Cooper dropped his badge in the dirt at the end. Finally, it has been commonly reported that Wayne and director Howard Hawks made Rio Bravo (1959), about an American community coming together to fight evil, as a direct response to portrayal of a town abandoning the sheriff in High Noon. (I still question the extent the Duke originally disliked High Noon when I watch Wayne accept the Oscar for Cooper.)
Like Wayne, a number of people found political messages in High Noon. Some suspected High Noon had a “leftist” message. By contrast, though, others believed the script, written by Carl Foreman, who would later be blacklisted, was not sending a left-wing message but exploring the way people had cowered to the bully Sen. Joe McCarthy.
Other viewers find in High Noon a conservative message about how one man has to stand up when the justice system breaks down. Or they find an allegory about the Cold War. In Bright Lights Film Journal, Prof. Manfred Weidhorn summed up the contrasting theories about the movie, saying “High Noon, bristling with ambiguity, is a veritable Rorschach test.”
But High Noon is deep down a great movie, however you want to interpret any messages about the man (and his wife) standing up to the bad guys. As hard as it is to see for modern viewers, High Noonrevolutionized the Western at the time, replacing the traditional black-and-white morality and masculinity with a conflicted lead character. And maybe the possibility of so many interpretations adds to its American character.
Many years ago when I was in college in the pre-Internet days and had some friends visiting from Sweden, I took them to a revival theater to see High Noon. I thought it was a wonderful example of an American movie, or at least of an example regarding how Americans see themselves.
Another former actor, Ronald Reagan, recognized how the movie remained in America’s consciousness decades later. He invokes the movie in this clip, discussing what it was like for a Republican to be in Democratic territory.
What makes the movie so memorable and impactful on American culture and movies? Well, a lot of that had to do with Cooper’s ability as an actor to show vulnerability and strength at the same time.
Cooper’s Third Oscar
Nearly a decade after High Noon, Cooper would be awarded a third and final Oscar. In April 1961, the Academy gave Cooper a Lifetime Achievement Oscar for his great career.
Cooper again could not accept the award. But this time, unknown to many, it was because of a serious illness.
When viewers saw Cooper’s friend Jimmy Stewart give an emotional speech at the Oscars, though, they realized Cooper was not well. The news soon came out that Cooper was suffering from prostate cancer. He died one month later on May 13, 1961, leaving behind a collection of great films that would be the envy of any actor.
CollegeHumor has released a video of tryouts for the Cantina Band from Star Wars. The segment takes place on the actual Star Wars cantina set thanks to Disney and Lucasfilm.
The video features Chris Daughtry, Ben Folds, Liz Phair, Reggie Watts, Mark McGrath, Jordin Sparks, Rick Springfield, Weird Al Yankovic, Lisa Loeb, and mc chris. And everyone’s favorite bounty hunter Boba Fett makes an appearance too. Make sure to look closely at Lisa Loeb’s famous glasses. Check it out.
If the video leaves you wanting more, CollegeHumor has some bonus footage on its website. Who would you like to see in the Star Wars Cantina Band? Leave your two cents in the comments.
If you missed Philomena (2013) when it was in theaters, do not make the same mistake now that it is available on video. While the Academy Award Best-Picture nominee may not have garnered the attention of films like American Hustle, 12 Years a Slave, and Gravity, the relatively modest story of a woman searching for her child given up for adoption is one of the best films in recent years.
Philomena is based on the true story of Philomena Lee, played in the movie by Judi Dench, who after becoming pregnant as a young woman in Ireland in the 1950s, is sent to live at an abbey where the nuns give away her child. The movie, based on the book The Lost Child of Philomena by journalist Martin Sixsmith, follows her quest many years later to find out what happened to the child. In the search, she engages the help of Sixsmith, played by Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the movie. The movie follows this odd couple and their two different motivations to reach the same goal.
I do not want to tell more about the story in case you have not read about it or have forgotten what you heard when the movie was out. But the movie accomplishes the rare feat of making you laugh, cry, and think. Coogan, who is popular in the UK but a bit of an undiscovered talent in the U.S., has shown his great humor skills in other films (and his talent for imitating Michael Caine). Here, he brings a sense of humor to Philomena, while also maintaining a level of seriousness and respect for the subject.
In addition to the Oscar nomination for Best Picture, the film garnered nominations for Best Actress, Adapted Screenplay, and Original Score. The movie makes some minor dramatic changes from the book, such as making the book’s author one of the main characters, but it does an excellent job of tracing the heart of the true story. For more on the real Philomena, check out this article from The Atlantic.
Conclusion? Philomena is not a blockbuster with a lot of action, but you likely will be delighted by this clever and touching film.
What did you think of Philomena? Leave your two cents in the comments.
This new video from FilmmakerIQ explains the history behind movie trailers. The video puts the evolution of the trailer in the context of the history of how we have watched movies through the years.
The video explains how the concept of promotions on movie theater screens began in 1913 and how film serials contributed to movie marketing. Alfred Hitchock and Stanley Kubrick added their own innovations to the movie trailer too. Check it out.
What is your favorite movie trailer? Leave your two cents in the comments.
explained that Wayne thought the movie ended on a note of disrespect for the law when Cooper dropped his badge in the dirt at the end. Finally, it has been 
by journalist Martin Sixsmith, follows her quest many years later to find out what happened to the child. In the search, she engages the help of Sixsmith, played by Steve Coogan, who also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced the movie. The movie follows this odd couple and their two different motivations to reach the same goal.