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John Hughes's family movie Beethoven is about a lovable St. Bernard dog who wins the hearts of the Newton family. Though he initially turns their lives and beautiful suburban home upside-down, he winds up saving them from bullies, an unsecured swimming pool, and swindlers. Beethoven became an unexpected franchise with four Beethoven sequels, three standalone movies, and an animated TV series. The first movie grossed $147.2 million and though Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 31% rating, it is considered one of John Hughes's best movies. Family-friendly animal movies were popular in the 90s, but for a classic family comedy, Beethoven's villain is incredibly disturbing.

Beethoven first escapes from the incompetent puppy thieves, Harvey and Vernon, who tried to steal him as a puppy and appear as antagonists throughout the movie. Still, at first, the bigger threat to the Newtons seems to be the married couple, Brad and Brie, who intend to...

Disney's recent cinematic output has allowed fans to return to some of their favorite worlds, enjoying both new and reimagined adventures with iconic characters like the Genie from Aladdin and Indiana Jones. Although some audiences have bemoaned the lack of originality on display in Disney's modern movies, they do provide a nostalgic look back at the studio's impressive back catalog. Disney has recently shared a trailer for 2019 Lion King's prequel, Mufasa: The Lion King, prompting viewers to suggest which other of the company's previous films could make for superb prequel releases.

Disney has been responsible for some of the most colorful narratives, with expansive worldbuilding that deserves to be explored further. Producing prequels on these blockbuster hits would allow the creative teams to expand further on their characters, and show the events that led to the individuals viewers know and love from their original films. Sometimes, prequels can provide a...

Gran Turismo is a biographical sports drama film directed by Neill Blomkamp from a screenplay by Jason Hall and Zach Baylin. Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, a teenage Gran Turismo (racing simulation video game series developed by Polyphony Digital) player, who gets the chance to become a professional race car driver. Gran Turismo stars Archie Madekwe in the lead of Jann, with Orlando Bloom, David Harbour, and Djimon Hounsou playing supporting characters. So, if you loved the car racing film here are some similar options you could check out next.

Ford v Ferrari (Hulu & Rent on Prime Video) Credit – 20th Century Studios

Synopsis: Academy Award® Winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in Ford v Ferrari, based on the true story of visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Bale), who together build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company...

Dean Jones, the director of production on juggernaut UK entertainment shows including Britain’s Got Talent, has died. He was 56.

Jones died on July 6 after a short battle with cancer. He was director of production at Fremantle UK, where his credits included The X Factor, Game of Talents, and Take Me Out.

Jones got a taste for the entertainment industry as a production assistant at the Noel Gay Theatre and moved over to Noel Gay Television.

He later joined Talbot Television, which was eventually folded into Fremantle, bringing with it the rights to shows including Family Fortunes and The Price Is Right.

Former colleagues paid tribute to Jones’ professional skill and personal qualities, saying he will be a much-missed colleague and friend.

Fremantle UK CEO Amelia Brown said: “Dean Jones was someone that everyone in our industry should aspire to be like. He was a master of our industry as well as a mentor,...

Sharon Farrell, who starred in many films in her long career in Hollywood, including opposite James Garner and Steve McQueen in the 1969 films ‘Marlowe’ and ‘The Reivers’ respectively, has died. She was 82. Farrell died on May 15 of natural causes at a hospital in Orange County. Her death was only recently discovered by relatives, who posted the news to Facebook, but they were unsure of the cause, as per Deadline.

Farrell had an extensive resume, but is best remembered for the film ‘It’s Alive’, in which she played the mother of a murderous deformed infant.

She also had roles in the films ‘The Stunt Man’, ‘Lone Wolf McQuade’, and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ (1987).

In the horror thriller ‘It’s Alive’ (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and featuring special effects make-up from Rick Baker, Farrell’s Lenore Davis tries to protect the hideously deformed child she just had, even though the infant...

Sharon Farrell, who starred as the mother of a murderous infant in It’s Alive and contributed strong supporting turns opposite James Garner and Steve McQueen, respectively, in the 1969 films Marlowe and The Reivers, has died. She was 82.

Farrell died unexpectedly May 15 of natural causes at a hospital in Orange County, her son, Chance Boyer, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Farrell also played a movie hairstylist in Richard Rush‘s The Stunt Man (1980), the ex-wife of Chuck Norris’ Texas Ranger in Lone Wolf McQuade (1983) and the mother of the cheerleader portrayed by Amanda Peterson in Can’t Buy Me Love (1987).

On television, Farrell recurred as Det. Lori Wilson on the final season (1979-80) of CBS’ Hawaii Five-o and was Florence Webster, mother of Tricia Cast’s Nina Webster, on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless from 1991-97.

In the horror thriller It’s Alive (1974), written and directed by Larry Cohen and...

In the modern landscape of Disney entertainment, there are many unexpected faces who continue to pop up across the studio’s many eclectic projects, just as actors like Don Knotts and Dean Jones were for Disney in decades past. Jude Law, for example, keeps showing up in Disney projects ranging from Captain Marvel to Peter Pan & Wendy. Meanwhile, Ewan McGregor showed up in Beauty & The Beast and Christopher Robin within a span of 17 months before headlining Obi-Wan Kenobi for Disney+ in 2022. The vast monopolistic reach of this company has ensured that several actors will inevitably become recurring players in the landscape of 2020s Disney entertainment.

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Stuart Margolin, the character actor and James Garner buddy best known for portraying the smarmy yet sweet con man Evelyn “Angel” Martin on The Rockford Files, has died. He was 82.

Margolin died Monday, his stepson, actor Max Martini (The Unit), reported on Instagram. Another stepson, director Christopher Martini, told THR that Margolin died of natural causes in Staunton, Virginia.

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Margolin also brought his manic, manipulative persona to the Blake Edwards films S.O.B. (1981), as a star’s (Julie Andrews) insidious personal assistant, and A Fine Mess (1986), as a bumbling crook in the filmmaker’s homage to slapstick.

Margolin appeared opposite Charles Bronson in The Stone Killer (1973) and Death Wish (1974) — both directed by Michael Winner — playing a contractor who arranges mob hits in the former and the guy who gives Bronson...

Bobby, bubi, we need to talk about the Tony Awards! This season’s revival of the late Stephen Sondheim’s landmark musical “Company” earned nine nominations, the highest for any musical revival of the year and the fourth largest tally of any show. It earned citations for Best Revival, three for performers Matt Doyle, Patti LuPone, and Jennifer Simard, Best Director for Marianne Elliott, and four others.

Glaringly absent from this well-deserved list, though, is star Katrina Lenk, who plays the musical’s central character Bobbie; Elliott has reimagined the piece with a woman at the fore. If this snub seems egregious, it’s one that productions of “Company” past have had to contend with before.

See the complete list of 2022 Tony Awards nominees

Just as Bobby and Bobbie are notoriously unlucky in love, the character has never been particularly lucky with Tony nominators, dating way back to 1971. The very...

Over fifty years after its debut on Broadway in 1970, Stephen Sondheim’s genre-redefining musical “Company” has returned in a reimagined production by Tony Award-winning director Marianne Elliott. The classic musical is a series of vignettes that coalesce around its protagonist Bobby on the occasion of his thirty-fifth birthday, but in this revival the main character is now a female Bobbie. “Company” opened at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre on Dec. 9.

Tony winner Katrina Lenk steps into the role of Bobbie, previously played on Broadway by the likes of Dean Jones, Larry Kert, Boyd Gaines, and Raúl Esparza. Her Joanne – the character known for singing the sardonic Sondheim showstopper “The Ladies Who Lunch” – is two-time Tony winner Patti LuPone. The ensemble boasts a number of Broadway staples, including Nikki Renée Daniels, Matt Doyle, Tony nominees Christopher Fitzgerald, Christopher Sieber, and Jennifer Simard, plus others. George Furth contributed the original book.

See 2022 Tony Awards eligibility rulings,...

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Superman: The Animated Series with a fully remastered Blu-ray box set. Superman: The Complete Animated Series, which includes several hours of bonus features headlined by an all-new documentary detailing the creation of one of the most beloved animated Super Hero cartoons in history, will be available starting October 12, 2021.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation (Wba), the Emmy Award-winning Superman: The Animated Series was the perfect follow-up to the landmark Batman: the Animated Series. Producers Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett elevated The Man of Steel's animated presence with an imaginative, heartfelt look at Superman's adventures in Metropolis alongside Lois Lane and opposite the villainous likes of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Darkseid and more. Premiering on September 6, 1996, the series continued Wba's dominance in Super Hero animation, once again setting new standards for storytelling, art direction and acting performances - and...

Burbank, CA – Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and DC are celebrating the 25th anniversary of Superman: The Animated Series with a fully remastered Blu-rayTM box set. Superman: The Complete Animated Series, which includes several hours of bonus features headlined by an all-new documentary detailing the creation of one of the most beloved animated Super Hero cartoons in history, will be available starting October 12, 2021.

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation (Wba), the Emmy Award-winning Superman: The Animated Series was the perfect follow-up to the landmark Batman: the Animated Series. Producers Bruce Timm, Paul Dini and Alan Burnett elevated The Man of Steel’s animated presence with an imaginative, heartfelt look at Superman’s adventures in Metropolis alongside Lois Lane and opposite the villainous likes of Lex Luthor, Brainiac, Darkseid and more. Premiering on September 6, 1996, the series continued Wba’s dominance in Super Hero animation, once again setting new standards for storytelling, art direction...

Pune, March 26 (Ians) Centurion Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes added 175 runs for the second wicket to help England chase a mammoth 337-run target set by India and win the second One-day International by six wickets and with 39 balls to spare here on Friday.

With this win, England levelled the three-match series 1-1 after India had won the first Odi by 66 runs. Sunday's final game will be the series decider at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

England got off to a flying start with Jason Roy (55 off 52 balls) adding 110 with Bairstow for the first wicket in 99 balls. After Roy was dismissed, Bairstow and Stokes continued the onslaught. By the time they were removed, the visitors needed just around four an over which was easy for the latter batsmen.

After a string of 40s, Roy got to his first fifty in white ball matches on this tour. He had made 49, 46, 9, 40 and 0 in...

Melbourne, Feb 2 (Ians) Former Australian fast-bowler Merv Hughes has been inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame.

An integral part of Australian cricket's return to the top of the Test cricket rankings, Hughes' career spanned 53 Tests and 33 ODIs from 1985-94, taking 212 Test wickets at an average of 28.38.

"Merv Hughes was an icon of the Australian summer for so many of us, a larger-than-life personality, a wonderful international cricketer, an ambassador for the sport and a deserved inductee into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame," Peter King, Australian Cricket Hall of Fame Chairman, said in a statement.

"A lion-hearted competitor, Merv boasts a proud career for Victoria and Australia in the Test and One Day International arenas, paving the way for an incredible era of Australian cricketing dominance. Even as synonymous as his on-field record, Merv will be forever remembered as a fan-favourite and his iconic warm-ups close to the boundary,...

Top Recording Academy officials agreed with Grammy nominees for best children’s album that the 2021 nominations for the category are not diverse, according to a report in Billboard.

The article states that during a Dec. 11 meeting with members of the Family Music Forward organization and two acts that asked for their nominations to be withdrawn from the category, Recording Academy officials — including interim president/CEO Harvey Mason, jr. and chief diversity officer Valeisha Butterfield Jones — conceded that the nominees and the nomination-review committee for the category were not sufficiently diverse.

Early last month, the Okee Dokee Brothers, Alastair Moock and collaborator Anand Nayak, and the children’s act Dog on Fleas publicly asked the Academy to withdraw their nominations from the category because all of the nominees were white. Following the Dec. 11 meeting, the Academy determined that the three acts will not be included and the Grammy for the category...

More than two years after filming wrapped, “Superintelligence,” the latest joint effort of Melissa McCarthy and her director husband Ben Falcone, has finally popped up on a streaming platform — specifically, HBO Max — which arguably is the natural habitat for a lightweight, undemandingly engaging comedy that can be enjoyed either entirely in one sitting, or sporadically in bite-sized chunks. The screenplay by Steve Mallory, another frequent McCarthy collaborator, is a sometimes clever, sometimes contrived mix of romantic comedy and sci-fi elements, with a premise that suggests an updated remake of some innocuous ’70s-era Walt Disney comedy starring Dean Jones or Kurt Russell. But some of the funny business is very funny indeed, and the movie overall is more enjoyable than not. Which, again, makes it perfect for streaming.

McCarthy plays Carol Peters, a sweet-natured but self-deprecating Seattle resident who walked away from her high-paying gig as a Yahoo exec to do...

This CinemaScope musical remake of 1939’s The Women is highly watchable, especially in this flawless digital remaster. The actresses that bare their claws, compete for husbands and just plain cat-fight are a choice batch, with favorites from the ’50s the ’40s the ’30s — plus a few wildflowers that bloomed cinematically for only a few years (Dolores Gray) and one that somehow managed immortality (Joan Collins). It’s highly watchable despite, or maybe because of, its criminally outdated recipe for marital bliss. Did women really go for this fantasy — did anybody ever really live like this?

The Opposite Sex

Blu-ray

Warner Archive Collection

1956 / Color / 2:35 widescreen / 116 min. / Street Date October 27, 2020 / available through the WBshop / 21.99

Starring: June Allyson, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Sheridan, Ann Miller, Leslie Nielsen, Jeff Richards, Agnes Moorehead, Charlotte Greenwood, Joan Blondell, Sam Levene, Alice Pearce, Barbara Jo Allen, Sandy Descher, Carolyn Jones, Jerry Antes, Harry James, Art Mooney,...

For those of us who grew up during the golden age of Disney live-action movies, we especially adored the House of Mouse’s stable of young stars. Most notably, there was fair-haired British import Hayley Mills, boy-next-door Tommy Kirk, who first broke out on TV in “The Hardy Boys” that aired during “The Mickey Mouse Show,” and that very definition of a Disney kid, Kevin Corcoran, who nailed the pesky pipsqueak brother archetype to a T as a character known as Moochie.

Adult performers like Dean Jones, Guy Williams, Fred MacMurray, Maureen O’Hara, Julie Andrews and even a young Sean Connery pre-Bond were happy to join in the family-friendly fun over the years. Many of these 15 kid-bait titles listed here have been remade over the years by the studio since the originals came out. But those who know there is nothing better than Og Disney fare.

SEEKurt Russell movies: 15 greatest...

Two on a Guillotine

Blu ray

Warner Archives

1965/ 2:35:1 / 107 min.

Starring Connie Stevens, Dean Jones

Cinematography by Sam Leavitt

Directed by William Conrad

Imagine shock-meister William Castle directing a Disney movie and the result might be something like Two on a Guillotine. William Conrad, narrator of Rocky and Bullwinkle and star of television’s Cannon, is at the wheel of this thrill ride and he’s happy to rehash a few of Castle’s favorite scare tactics for his own purposes – the moans and groans of a carnival spook house and even a wire-drawn skeleton. There’s no denying Conrad’s effort has some of the Saturday matinee charm of creep shows like House on Haunted Hill but the sunny locales and aggressively perky demeanor of co-stars Connie Stevens and Dean Jones make you wish Frederick Loren would drop by with a well-aimed champagne cork.

Stevens is Cassie Duquesne,...

” You know that room on the third floor that’s always locked? Well it was open. There’s a box in there that has a woman’s body in it with no head! “

Connie Stevens in Two On A Guillotine is available on Blu-ray From Warner Archive. Order info can be found Here

This Warner Archive cult-favorite from William Conrad has never looked cooler thanks to this Blu-ray upgrade in 1080p HD. Twenty years ago, a little accident with a guillotine trick left magician Duke Duquesne’s wife and on-stage assistant without a head… and their baby daughter Cassie without a mother. Now The Great Duquesne may have another trick up his sleeve. He dies, leaving Cassie a sizable inheritance if she’ll spend seven nights in his spooky mansion. With a fearless young reporter at her side, Cassie braves terrors that could be the work of evil spirits – or...

A revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 musical Company that played London’s West End has announced its Broadway opening on March 22, 2020, with a cast headed by Patti LuPone and Katrina Lenk.

Opening night at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre will coincide with Sondheim’s 90th birthday. The show tipped the Broadway run in a tweet Friday morning (see it below).

A Tony winner for her performance in The Band’s Visit, Lenk will be playing the character of Bobbie in the new version in a gender twist. Dean Jones originated the role of Bobby on Broadway, playing the 35-year-old single main character whose bachelor status elicits a range of emotions from those around him.

The concept musical, composed of a series of vignettes, is known for numbers like Side By Side, Being Alive, The Little Things You Do Together and Sorry-Grateful.

Lupone will reprise her West End performance as Joanne,...

Tim Conway, the agile comedian who was a core member of the “The Carol Burnett Show” troupe and starred in a string of Disney film comedies in the 1970s, died Tuesday morning in Los Angeles. He was 85.

A rep for Conway tells Variety he died from water on the brain.

Over his long career, Conway was nominated for 13 Emmys and won six. For “The Carol Burnett Show,” he was nominated six times as a supporting performer in a variety or comedy series, winning in 1973, 1977 and 1978. He was also nominated as part of the writing staff for the show, drawing three nominations and winning in 1978. In addition to those four Emmy wins, he won in 1996 for outstanding guest actor in a comedy, “Coach,” and in 2008 for guest actor in a comedy for “30 Rock.”

“I’m heartbroken. He was one in a million, not only as a brilliant comedian but as a loving human being,...

Burbank, CA (March 1, 2018) – Warner Archive Collection (Wac) celebrates the 20th anniversary of Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero with a remastered Blu-ray release of the award-winning animated film. Now available for preorders, Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero will be available March 27, 2018 via wb.com/warnerarchive and your favorite online retailer.

To hail the arrival of Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero on Blu-ray, Wac will host an hour-long panel at WonderCon on Friday, March 23 at 1:00pm in Room 300B. Warner Archive Podcast hosts D.W. Ferranti & Matthew Patterson and some surprise guests will show remastered footage and discuss the film and the evolution of Mr. Freeze from a goofy villain into an endearing multi-dimensional character who just wants to find a cure for his dying wife.

Originally released as a direct-to-video film on March 17, 1998, Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero will be released on Blu-ray in its original 4×3 Fullframe aspect ratio. The 67-minute film will be accompanied by several special features,...

This may make you feel old and happy at the same time! It’s been 20 years since Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero was released and to honor the anniversary, Warner Archive Collection is coming out with a remastered Blu-ray version of the award-winning animated film. Below are all the details on the release and some special news for Wondercon 2018 attendees.

Originally released as a direct-to-video film on March 17, 1998, Batman & Mr. Freeze: Sub-Zero will be released on Blu-ray in its original 4×3 Fullframe aspect ratio. The 67-minute film will be accompanied by several special features, including Art of Batman: Music Montage; Get the Picture: How to Draw Batman; the film’s theatrical trailer; and the Batman: The Animated Series/The Bew Batman Adventures/Batman Beyond “Mr. Freeze Saga” in chronological order – four episodes entitled “Heart of Ice,” “Deep Freeze,” “Cold Comfort” and “Meltdown.” The episodes will be presented in standard definition.

In Batman & Mr.

Submarine movie evening: Underwater war waged in TCM's Memorial Day films In the U.S., Turner Classic Movies has gone all red, white, and blue this 2017 Memorial Day weekend, presenting a few dozen Hollywood movies set during some of the numerous wars in which the U.S. has been involved around the globe during the last century or so. On Memorial Day proper, TCM is offering a submarine movie evening. More on that further below. But first it's good to remember that although war has, to put it mildly, serious consequences for all involved, it can be particularly brutal on civilians – whether male or female; young or old; saintly or devilish; no matter the nationality, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or any other label used in order to, figuratively or literally, split apart human beings. Just this past Sunday, the Pentagon chief announced that civilian deaths should be anticipated as “a...

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In 1932’s Chandu The Magician, Edmund Lowe plays the titular wizard. What famous boogie man plays his adversary?

Bela Lugosi Boris Karloff Peter Lorre Correct

Lugosi is a lot of fun but the real star of this movie is director William Cameron Menzies whose distinctive visual style graces every scene.

Incorrect

Question 2 of 10 2. Question

1953’s Houdini...

Nine Lives is a film that’s dangerous to make these days, and that’s largely because Disney isn’t in it’s ’70s mode. That means efforts with fairly decent budgets and big stars that center around people turning into dogs, or field-goal-kicking mules, are looked down upon by everyone looking to take a shot at any film they can.

This is a fantastically goofy movie that, using some lens or another, has no redeeming qualities at all beyond the possible idea that the actors are actually performing their roles rather well. It’s not an uncommon lens, and there aren’t many who are particularly championing things like The Shaggy D.A. (especially when 2006’s Tim Allen remake The Shaggy Dog hit), but these family-friendly charmers don’t deserve the dissection they usually get these days.

In this one, Kevin Spacey plays an ultra-rich business tycoon, Tom Brand, who...

The 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards said goodbye to stars we've lost during the past year during its annual In Memoriam segment. "My dear friend David Bowie once said, 'All cliches are true. The years really do speed by. Life really is as short as they tell you it is,' " said Susan Sarandon while introducing the segment Saturday night. "Those words resonate when we've lost someone who made a special impact on us." The emotional tribute acknowledged some of the most beloved onscreen talent. • Check out People's full 2016 SAG Awards coverage and complete winners list! Some of the iconic actors...

By Dollie Banner

Somehow I missed Norman Jewison’s Other People’s Money when it was released in 1991, but now courtesy of the Warner Archive Collection, I was able to catch up with this minor but enjoyable film.

Based on Jerry Steiner’s play of the same name, with a screenplay by Alvin Sargent, Other People’s Money is mostly notable as Gregory Peck’s last major screen performance. Peck turns in one of his signature honorable roles as Andrew Jorgensen, a successful but principled businessman who is ultimately more invested in his employees and maintaining integrity than in enlarging his company’s bottom line. That’s why he and his wife Bea (Piper Laurie), along with manager Bill Coles (Dean Jones), are determined to keep New England Wire and Cable out of the ruthless hands of corporate raider Larry the Liquidator (Danny DeVito). Way out of their depth, they call in a secret weapon,...

Clean-cut Disney actor who co-starred with cats, dogs, chimps and Herbie the Love Bug

Mickey Mouse apart, the figure who most represented Walt Disney Productions in the 1960s was the clean-cut actor Dean Jones. Jones, who has died aged 84, starred as the bumbling, somewhat bland, hero in five entertaining kiddie movies with animals in the title: That Darn Cat! (1965), The Ugly Dachshund (1966), Monkeys, Go Home! (1966), The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968) and The Love Bug (1968). The last of these starred not strictly speaking an animal, nor an insect, but a white Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own, ostensibly owned by the unsuccessful racing car driver Jim Douglas, played by Jones.

Happily, Herbie – as the cuddly, anthropomorphic auto is christened – helps Jim win an all-important race through the Sierra Nevada mountains against his nemesis, the villainous Thorndyke (David Tomlinson) in his sleek Italian Thorndyke Special. Jones, who did...

Dean Jones, who starred in some of the most memorable live-action Disney flicks of the 1960s and '70s, died in Los Angeles on Monday of Parkinson's disease. He was 84.

Jones rose to stardom thanks to a handful of roles in successful Disney family films like "That Darn Cat!" and "The Love Bug," the latter of which introduced the world to Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with human-like tendencies. Jones was offered the lead role in 1965's "That Darn Cat!," opposite Hayley Mills, by Walt Disney himself, after impressing the studio head with his part on NBC sitcom "Ensign O'Toole."

He starred in many more Disney films, including "Monkeys, Go Home," "Million Dollar Duck," and "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo." Jones also had a small part in Elvis Presley's 1957 classic "Jail House Rock," and appeared in "Clear and Present Danger," ''Beethoven," and "Other People's Money," among others, including a...

Anyone who saw a lot of kid’s movies in the ‘60s and ‘70s remembers Dean Jones. He was always a likable presence and a welcome sight, especially in the Disney family-friendly sort of films he excelled in such as The Ugly Dachshund, Blackbeard’S Ghost , The Love Bug, Snowball Express, The Million Dollar Duck, That Darn Cat! The list goes on and on and it’s hard to believe he was 84! He was always so young-looking, sort of the Dick Clark of the movies! Dean Jones was 84 and had Parkinson’s disease.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

“Dean Jones, the affable actor who starred in such classic Disney family comedies as That Darn Cat!, The Love Bug and The Shaggy D.A., has died. He was 84. Jones died Tuesday of complications from Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles, publicist Richard Hoffman announced. Jones’ film grosses exceeded $960 million, Hoffman noted. The actor...

Sad news to report today. Dean Jones, Disney icon and star of such family films as The Love Bug and That Darn Cat, has passed away at the age of 84. Star of both the stage and screen, the actor died Tuesday in Los Angeles from Parkinson's disease. He is survived by his wife, Lory Basham Jones, three children, eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

Throughout his expansive career, Dean Jones maintain boyish good looks that made him an All-American favorite. He has long been associated with the Walt Disney Company, appearing in many of their live-action family movies. His tenure with the studio began with a call from Walt Disney himself, who praised his work on the 1962 TV show Ensign O'Toole. The actor played the title role on the show, after having served in the Navy. Walt Disney seemed most fascinated by the end of each episode, and Dean Jones only...

Actor whose boyish good looks and all-American manner made him Disney’s top choice for almost a decade had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease

Dean Jones, whose boyish good looks and all-American manner made him Disney’s favourite young actor for such lighthearted films as That Darn Cat! and The Love Bug, died from complications resulting from Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was 84. His publicist, Richard Hoffman, announced his death on Wednesday.

Jones’ long association with Disney began after he received an unexpected call from Walt Disney himself, who praised his work on the TV sitcom Ensign O’Toole, noting that it had “some good closing sequences”. Jones, himself a former navy man, played the title role in the 1962 show.

Continue reading...

Actor whose boyish good looks and all-American manner made him Disney’s top choice for almost a decade had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease

Dean Jones, whose boyish good looks and all-American manner made him Disney’s favourite young actor for such lighthearted films as That Darn Cat! and The Love Bug, died from complications resulting from Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was 84. His publicist, Richard Hoffman, announced his death on Wednesday.

Jones’ long association with Disney began after he received an unexpected call from Walt Disney himself, who praised his work on the TV sitcom Ensign O’Toole, noting that it had “some good closing sequences”. Jones, himself a former navy man, played the title role in the 1962 show.

Continue reading...

Disney favourite Dean Jones has died at the age of 84.

The actor, best known for playing racecar driver Jim Douglas in Disney's Love Bug films, passed away earlier today (September 2).

Jones had been battling Parkinson's disease prior to his passing.

In a 12-year run with the Walt Disney Company, Jones became a familiar face to audiences with roles in the films The Shaggy Da, Blackbeard's Ghost and That Darn Cat!.

He would play racer Jim Douglas in Disney's Love Bug films throughout the 1970s, and even reprise the role for a short-lived '80s television spinoff.

Away from Disney, Jones briefly starred on Broadway in Stephen Sondheim's Company in 1970 and would later tour the religious one-man show St John in Exile across the Us.

He also stayed busy on the big screen in later years, playing the villain in '90s children's movie Beethoven as well as having supporting...

Update Thursday morning: Larry Kert was Tony-nominated, but didn’t win for Company. Dean Jones, the affable actor best known for leading roles in several family Disney films of the 1960s and ’70s including The Love Bug and That Darn Cat! — as well as creating one of Stephen Sondheim’s iconic leading roles on Broadway in Company — died Tuesday from complications related to Parkinson’s disease. He was 84. Born on January 25, 1931, in Decatur, Al, Jones began singing and…...

Dean Jones, who rose to fame as TV’s Ensign O’Toole — and later, briefly brought Disney’s Love Bug franchise to the small screen — died today at 84.

The actor, who succumbed to complications from Parkinson’s disease, also had guest roles on such series as Murder, She Wrote, The Love Boat, and Nowhere Man — and did voiceover work on the animated Beethoven series.

Jones, whose acting career spanned more than 50 years, was best known for playing Jim Douglas, driver of a sentient Volkswagen racing Beetle, in Disney’s 1968 family comedy The Love Bug, which spawned several sequels and was...

Dean Jones, the actor who appeared in such classic live-action Disney films as “The Love Bug” and “That Darn Cat,” died from Parkinson’s disease in Los Angeles on Tuesday. He was 84. Born in Decatur, Alabama, in 1931, Jones served in the Navy during the Korean war and attended Asbury University in Kentucky. A prolific actor in both film and television, Jones appeared in 46 films and numerous television series and specials. He also had a successful Broadway career, appearing as Dave Manning in the comedy “Under the Yum-Yum Tree,” a role he would reprise in the 1963 film adaptation...

Dean Jones, who starred in multiple Disney movies and was perhaps best known for playing race-car driver Jim in 1968’s The Love Bug, died on Tuesday, Sept. 1, in Los Angeles at age 84. According to The Hollywood Reporter, his publicist, Richard Hoffman, said the actor passed away due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Jones made his acting debut as an uncredited soldier in 1956’s Somebody Up There Likes Me, which starred Paul Newman, and moved on to other television and film roles. But it was with [...]...

Legendary Disney classic film actor Dean Jones has died of Parkinson's disease at the age of 84.

Jones is best remembered for his work in three bonafide family film classics - the original "That Darn Cat," "Blackbeard's Ghost" and the start of the "Herbie" franchise "The Love Bug". Jones starred in around 46 films along with appearing in numerous television series and on Broadway.

Amongst his work were the likes of "The Shaggy D.A.," "Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo," "Clear and Present Danger," "Other People's Money," "Beethoven," "Under the Yum-Yum Tree," "Any Wednesday" and "The Million Dollar Duck" along with guest roles on "Murder She Wrote," "The Love Boat," "Bonanza" and the animated "Superman" series.

Source: Variety...

Jane Fonda movies on TCM: ‘The China Syndrome,’ ‘Klute,’ and Jean-Luc Godard drama ‘Tout Va Bien’ among highlights (photo: Jane Fonda in ‘Klute’) Turner Classic Movies’ 2014 "Summer Under the Stars" kicked off earlier today, August 1, with a day-long series of Jane Fonda movies. Still reviled by American right-wingers because of her 1972 trip to North Vietnam while the United States was at war with that country — she was photographed seated on an anti-aircraft battery — but admired by others for her liberal views, anti-war activism, and human rights advocacy, the two-time Best Actress Academy Award winner has enjoyed a highly eclectic film career, eventually becoming a rarity among rarities: Jane Fonda is the child of a film star (Henry Fonda) who not only became a film star in her own right, but who went on to become an even bigger screen legend than her famous parent. (See also: Jane Fonda “Summer Under...

Walt Disney passed away December 15, 1966, and in the decade that followed, the Walt Disney Company struggled to define itself. Should the company stay beholden to Walt and his vision, asking themselves what Walt would do, or should they take the opportunity to try something new? The decades that followed Walt’s death were a mix of trying to recreate old magic and experimenting with new genres and styles.

Good – Bedknobs and Broomsticks

In Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Disney was returning to a tried-and-true formula, one that had worked beautifully in Mary Poppins. The screenplay was based on a book series by an English children’s author, the story of a magical woman and the children under her care. Mary Poppins’ director Robert Stevenson helmed the project, which combined live action and animation. Robert and Richard Sherman, the team responsible for Mary Poppins as well as numerous other classic Disney songs, wrote the music and lyrics.

Gregory Peck from ‘Duel in the Sun’ to ‘How the West Was Won’: TCM schedule (Pt) on August 15 (photo: Gregory Peck in ‘Duel in the Sun’) See previous post: “Gregory Peck Movies: Memorable Miscasting Tonight on Turner Classic Movies.” 3:00 Am Days Of Glory (1944). Director: Jacques Tourneur. Cast: Gregory Peck, Lowell Gilmore, Maria Palmer. Bw-86 mins. 4:30 Am Pork Chop Hill (1959). Director: Lewis Milestone. Cast: Gregory Peck, Harry Guardino, Rip Torn. Bw-98 mins. Letterbox Format. 6:15 Am The Valley Of Decision (1945). Director: Tay Garnett. Cast: Greer Garson, Gregory Peck, Donald Crisp. Bw-119 mins. 8:15 Am Spellbound (1945). Director: Alfred Hitchcock. Cast: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, Rhonda Fleming, Bill Goodwin, Norman Lloyd, Steve Geray, John Emery, Donald Curtis, Art Baker, Wallace Ford, Regis Toomey, Paul Harvey, Jean Acker, Irving Bacon, Jacqueline deWit, Edward Fielding, Matt Moore, Addison Richards, Erskine Sanford, Constance Purdy. Bw-111 mins. 10:15 Am Designing Woman (1957). Director: Vincente Minnelli.

Joan Fontaine movies: ‘This Above All,’ ‘Letter from an Unknown Woman’ (photo: Cary Grant, Joan Fontaine in ‘Suspicion’ publicity image) (See previous post: “Joan Fontaine Today.”) Also tonight on Turner Classic Movies, Joan Fontaine can be seen in today’s lone TCM premiere, the flag-waving 20th Century Fox release The Above All (1942), with Fontaine as an aristocratic (but socially conscious) English Rose named Prudence Cathaway (Fontaine was born to British parents in Japan) and Fox’s top male star, Tyrone Power, as her Awol romantic interest. This Above All was directed by Anatole Litvak, who would guide Olivia de Havilland in the major box-office hit The Snake Pit (1948), which earned her a Best Actress Oscar nod. In Max Ophüls’ darkly romantic Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948), Fontaine delivers not only what is probably the greatest performance of her career, but also one of the greatest movie performances ever. Letter from an Unknown Woman...

Paul Henreid in ‘Casablanca’: Freedom Fighter on screen, Blacklisted ‘Subversive’ off screen Turner Classic Movies’ Star of the Month of July 2013, Paul Henreid, bids you farewell this evening. TCM left the most popular, if not exactly the best, for last: Casablanca, Michael Curtiz’s 1943 Best Picture Oscar-winning drama, is showing at 7 p.m. Pt tonight. (Photo: Paul Henreid sings "La Marseillaise" in Casablanca.) One of the best-remembered movies of the studio era, Casablanca — not set in a Spanish or Mexican White House — features Paul Henreid as Czechoslovakian underground leader Victor Laszlo, Ingrid Bergman’s husband but not her True Love. That’s Humphrey Bogart, owner of a cafe in the titular Moroccan city. Henreid’s anti-Nazi hero is generally considered one of least interesting elements in Casablanca, but Alt Film Guide contributor Dan Schneider thinks otherwise. In any case, Victor Laszlo feels like a character made to order for Paul Henreid,...

Paul Henreid: Hollow Triumph aka The Scar tonight Turner Classic Movies’ Paul Henreid film series continues this Tuesday evening, July 16, 2013. Of tonight’s movies, the most interesting offering is Hollow Triumph / The Scar, a 1948 B thriller adapted by Daniel Fuchs (Panic in the Streets, Love Me or Leave Me) from Murray Forbes’ novel, and in which the gentlemanly Henreid was cast against type: a crook who, in an attempt to escape from other (and more dangerous) crooks, impersonates a psychiatrist with a scar on his chin. Joan Bennett, mostly wasted in a non-role, is Henreid’s leading lady. (See also: “One Paul Henreid, Two Cigarettes, Four Bette Davis-es.”) The thriller’s director is Hungarian import Steve Sekely, whose Hollywood career consisted chiefly of minor B fare. In fact, though hardly a great effort, Hollow Triumph was probably the apex of Sekely’s cinematic output in terms of prestige...

Herbie, The Love Bug

Written by Arthur Alsberg and Don Nelson

Starring Dean Jones, Patricia Harty, Nicky Katt, Larry Linville, Claudia Wells

When people speak of the possibility of alternate dimensions, they leave out the one closest to us all. We like to imagine a universe so similar to our own, nearly identical to the world in which we live if not for one difference. Maybe in one dimension, Bill Clinton was ousted from office, not just thrown up for impeachment. Maybe in another dimension, HD-DVD won the high-definition home-media war instead of Blu-ray. Or maybe, in some beautiful reality, Scott Norwood didn’t miss that field goal in the Super Bowl against the New York Giants. The possibilities are tantalizing because they are literally endless. In all the wonder and curiosity, however, most of us fail to recognize that there already exists another universe snuggled up tightly to ours,...

The racing movie has been a staple of Hollywood filmmaking for years. From classics such as Le Mans to the modern-day Fast & Furious franchise, there have always been racing movies and there have always been racing movie fans… The latest entry into the racing film genre is Death Race 3: Inferno, which continues the fight to the death Car-nage that the series is famous for. In honour of that films release of, we decided to take a look at the Top 10 Best Racing Films.

10) Initial D: Drift Racer

18-year-old Takumi (Jay Chou) delivers tofu for his hard-drinking dad, and works part time at his best friend’s garage. When he is unexpectedly asked to drive in an upcoming race, Takumi’s shock victory opens up a whole new world of possibilities, and his overnight fame is soon leading him to even more hellraising and dangerous races. But as Takumi pushes...

Update: Vulture has corrected their story to say that “while it is true that 1952 is very much in the spirit of Close Encounters (and centers around a Roy Neary-like protagonist), it is not in fact about an alien encounter.”

Film fans love Brad Bird. He’s directed three of the greatest animated movies ever - The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, and Ratatouille (the last two were made at Pixar and won him Oscars) – and made a successful live-action debut with Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol.

Recently, he’s been developing a disaster film entitled 1906, about the infamous San Francisco earthquake with Warner Bros. and Walt Disney Pictures set to finance the film. They balked at the $200 million budget required for the film and asked him to look elsewhere. In the aftermath of Ghost Protocol, Bird asked Disney if he could bring back 1906 but they declined again, saying his success with Mission: Impossible...