In case you want to watch all of the Star Wars films again and don’t have the time, this video compilation features all six Star Wars movies running at the same time. It is an interesting video, where you can contrast and compare all of them at the same time. So sit back and watch Star Wars: A New Hope (1977), The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Return of the Jedi (1983), The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and The Clone Wars (2005). It is a good way to start your preparation for Star Wars VII, which will be directed by J.J. Abrams. [May 2013 Update: Unfortunately, the YouTube video of all six movies is no longer available.]
What is your favorite Star Wars scene? Leave your two cents in the comments.
CBS Sunday Morning recently featured a story about singer-songwriter-actor Glen Hansard. In the segment, Hansard talks about his life, his time busking on the streets of Dublin, and his success with the movie Once (2006), which is now a Broadway play.
The segment features both touching moments — such as Hansard discussing his former relationship with his Once co-star Markéta Irglová — and funny touches, like a scene in a Dublin pub where Hansard’s grade school principal discusses telling a 13-year-old Hansard it was okay to drop out of school to pursue his music career. 2016 Update: The video is no longer available for embedding, but you may watch some of the segment on YouTube.
Below is another clip of an interview with Hansard that was done for The Busking Project.
What is your favorite song by Glen Hansard? Leave your two cents in the comments.
On March 27, 1973, Marlon Brando won the Best Actor Academy Award for The Godfather (1972) and became the second person in history to turn down the Best Actor Oscar. Like George C. Scott a few years earlier, Brando was a no-show for his award. But Brando sent a replacement to make a political statement and to officially reject the award during the telecast.
Sacheen Littlefeather’s Appearance for Brando
The night before the Oscars, Brando told the Academy he was sending Native American actress Sacheen Littlefeather in his place. But when Littlefeather took the stage, she walked past Roger Moore holding the Oscar.
Littlefeather then explained that Brando was refusing the award. Brando, who was active in a number of social causes, declined the award to protest the portrayal of Native Americans in films.
Watching Littlefeather’s speech today, I realized I had forgotten how polite the speech was. From her respect of the time limit, to her apology, to her reference to the “very generous award,” her speech contrasts greatly with the few boos you hear in the audience.
I also forgot that the applause outnumbered the boos. Reportedly, she had planned to read Brando’s long statement but Oscar officials told her beforehand she only had 60 seconds. So Littlefeather improvised quite well, even mentioning recent events at Wounded Knee.
Some critics later claimed that Littlefeather, who was born with the name Marie Cruz, was not Native American. But her father was from the White Mountain Apache and Yaqui tribes. She has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows and is still active in the Native American community.
Some articles report that Littlefeather read “part” of Brando’s speech. But in looking at the text, it appears to me she merely did the best one could to summarize his main point in the short time.
She captured Brando’s attempt to be polite in his unread remarks. In the unread portion, Brando explained that he did not attend because he thought he was of better use if he were at Wounded Knee. His written speech closed:
“I would hope that those who are listening would not look upon this as a rude intrusion, but as an earnest effort to focus attention on an issue that might very well determine whether or not this country has the right to say from this point forward we believe in the inalienable rights of all people to remain free and independent on lands that have supported their life beyond living memory. Thank you for your kindness and your courtesy to Miss Littlefeather. Thank you and good night.”
Brando’s Appearance on “The Dick Cavett Show”
Brando appeared on The Dick Cavett Show not long after he refused the Oscar. In the first few minutes, you can tell that the audience had no problem with his decision to refuse the Oscar for a principle in which he believed.
In the clip, he discusses his Oscar decision starting around the 6:30 mark. And he elaborates on how different ethnic groups are portrayed on television.
George C. Scott’s Rejection of His Oscar
In 1971, two years before Littlefeather took the stage for Brando, George C. Scott rejected his Best Actor Oscar for Patton (1970) because of his dislike for the awards. But on the night of the awards, Patton‘s producer accepted Scott’s award from presenter Goldie Hawn.
While Scott claimed he was at home watching a hockey game during the ceremony, he rejected the award because he did not like the idea of acting as a contest. He had stated years earlier that the Oscars are “a beauty contest in a slaughterhouse.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, George C. Scott’s Oscar ended up on display at the Virginia Military Academy Museum in Lexington, Virgina. It was placed there out of recognition of the man Scott portrayed onscreen, General George S. Patton.
What Happened to Brando’s Oscar?
Marlon Brando passed away in 2004, and I am not sure what happened to Brando’s Oscar. Some websites claim that it was just put back in the pile and given to someone else. Others claim it is in a vault somewhere waiting in case his estate decides to pick it up. Some report that Roger Moore took it home for a short time and that eventually it was given as a replacement for a damaged one owned by Charlie Chaplin. Another source claims it ended up with an unnamed person and that Brando wanted it back at some point.
I like to think that Brando’s Oscar is off somewhere fighting for justice.
Would you have booed or applauded if you were in the audience that night? Leave your two cents in the comments?
On March 19, 1931, Nevada state legislators voted to legalize gambling in the state. The measure was passed out of concerns about people leaving the state and how hard times had hit the state during the Great Depression.
After the U.S. acquired the territory in 1848 after the Mexican War, a large number of settlers moved to the state following the discovery of gold and silver. Nevada became a state toward the end of the Civil War, but by the time the Great Depression arrived, the state was not doing well. So, the move to legalize gambling was seen as a way to save the state’s economy.
During the early decades of legalized gambling, organized crime controlled much of Las Vegas. Among the organized crime leaders was Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel.
Siegel arrived in Las Vegas in the 1940s. His life is portrayed in the movie Bugsy(1991), directed by Barry Levinson and starring Warren Beatty.
The most famous gangster film also features a character based on Bugsy Siegel. The character of Moe Greene in The Godfather (1972) is based on Siegel.
In The Godfather, Michael Corleone arranges to have Greene killed in a massage parlor with a bullet in the eye after Greene refuses to sell his casino interest. Alex Rocco plays Greene/Siegel in this clip below.
In Mario Puzo’s novel The Godfather, Greene is killed in his Hollywood home. That version is a little closer to the real-life death of Siegel, who was shot and killed while he was at an associate’s home in Beverly Hills.
Speaking of the real man, you can see the real Bugsy Siegel and the 1940s Las Vegas scenery in this footage posted on YouTube by one of Bugsy’s daughters. Check it out.
While Bugsy is no longer around, celebrate the anniversary of the Nevada law by recognizing you are lucky to be alive. Enjoy the day.
What is your favorite movie set in Las Vegas? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Documentary filmmakers Will Francome and Mark Pizzey are traveling around the country to produce a unique set of documentaries on capital punishment in the U.S. As the filmmakers travel, they will create a One for Ten series of short documentaries about innocent people who were sentenced to death. These documentaries will be immediate, shot in one day and edited overnight in motel rooms. After each documentary is uploaded, viewers may contribute to the final versions of the films through suggestions, artwork, and other input.
As Fancome and Pizzey describe the project on their website: “One for Ten will be a completely new form of film-making, utilizing modern video technology, social networking, user generated content and a strong media and charity coalition to make what we like to think of as ‘democratic documentary'” They explain the project in more detail in the following video.
They will be on the road March and April driving across the United States, filming a different person every few days. For example, their blog recently announced that one of their movies will feature Kirk Bloodsworth, the first person who was sentenced to death who was exonerated by DNA evidence. They will release a new short film online every Tuesday and Friday. Below is their pilot 5-minute movie about Ray Krone, who was wrongfully sentenced to death in Arizona. Danny Glover narrates the short documentary.
Besides the interesting and cutting edge plan for the way Francome and Pizzey are making the movies, the project highlights problems with the U.S. death penalty. If innocent people can end up on death row, it shows that there are other underlying problems with the capital punishment system too. These and other reasons have led to states repealing the death penalty in recent years. Currently, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe are saying they would support ending the death penalty in their states too. And the Maryland Senate is close to voting on a bill that would repeal the death penalty. For more on the One for Ten project, check out the website or follow the project on Twitter.
Will you follow the progress as Fancome and Pizzey work their way across the country? Leave your two cents in the comments.
