This purpose of this blog is to put together a virtual list/collection of memorable (if fleeting) references to the cities of Wilkes-Barre, PA or Scranton, PA in movies/TV/music/Broadway/books (in the script, setting, lyrics, etc).
We'd like to thank everyone for the overwhelming support and suggestions for the Entertainment blog. I'll continue adding these as blog entries as time permits.
The razor-sharp-eared Don McKeon told me of a brief mention of Scranton in the 1954 musical comedy There's No Business Like Show Business.
Titled after the classic Irving Berlin song, There's No Business Like Show Business tells the story of travelling vaudevillians The Five Donahues, headed by parents Molly (Ethel Merman) and Terry Donahue (Dan Dailey) and featuring their three children. When their son Tim (Donald O'Connor) meets hat check girl Vicky (Marilyn Monroe), the family act begins to fall apart.
Early on in the film, Molly and Terry are at a train station with their young children discussing whether or not life on the road is good for a family. Suddenly, over the loudspeaker comes:
Announcer:
The Westerner on Track 2. All aboard for Scranton...
While working on the entry for A Letter To Three Wives earlier this week, the Head of Reference Evelyn Gibbons asked me, "Did you know that Citizen Kane was inspired by a bike stolen from the front of Osterhout Library?" My first thought was, "How can this possibly be true?" So she told me to the call the Reference DepartmentatOsterhout Free Libraryto confirm this and, sure enough, they faxed me an article that proved this, indeed, was a fact (not that I didn't believe Evelyn, of course, but this reference is truly remarkable). But can you believe that Citizen Kane, considered by many to be the greatest American film ever made, was inspired by a true incident in Wilkes-Barre, PA?
The Oscar-winning screenplay for Citizen Kane was written by Herman Mankiewicz, brother of Joseph L. Mankiewicz--Joseph often worked the city of Wilkes-Barre (his birthplace and hometown) into his scripts, two of which (All About Eve and A Letter To Three Wives) won back-to-back Oscars for Best Screenplay in 1949 and 1950. Although Joseph's brother Herman was born in New York City in 1897, he lived in Wilkes-Barre for nine years as a boy.
The article, "Listen Up, Cinema Sleuths: Rosebud Was Really A Bike" by Times Leader Staff Writer Joe Butkiewicz, was originally published on May 1, 1991. In the article, Butkiewicz referenced a biography of Herman Mankiewicz by Richard Merryman titled, Mank: The Wit, World and Life of Herman Mankiewicz.
According to the article and the biography, Herman received a bicycle for Christmas at the age of 10. One day, Herman went to the local public library (the name of the library is not mentioned, but the assumption is the library was the Osterhout in Wilkes-Barre) and parked his bicycle outside--when he left the library some time later, "Rosebud"was missing and presumed stolen. As punishment, Herman's parents never replaced his lost/stolen bicycle, instead telling him the incident was his own fault.
Co-written by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles, Citizen Kane tells the story of the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane and the ensuing search by news reporters to discover the meaning of his final utterance--"Rosebud."
SPOILER ALERT
In the film, "Rosebud" was the name of the sled Kane had as a young boy and represented the happiest time of his life--his childhood.
In real life, "Rosebud" was the nickname of the bike Herman Mankiewicz had as a young boy that his parents refused to replace when it was stolen from the front of a public library in Wilkes-Barre, PA. In turn, this incident of childhood loss inspired a masterpiece that will live on for generations.
END OF SPOILER ALERT
A copy of the Times Leader article "Listen Up, Cinema Sleuths: Rosebud Was Really A Bike" by Joe Butkiewicz is available in the "Movies" Local History Vertical File in the Reference Department.
Citizen Kane is available to borrow from the Lackawanna County Library System on both DVD and VHS. Click on the corresponding format you'd like to place a hold.
My deepest thanks to both Evelyn Gibbons and the Reference Staff at the Osterhout Free Library for this reference.
My wonderful brother J.R. told me some time ago of a reference to the city of Wilkes-Barre in the 1949 Academy Award-winning film A Letter To Three Wives, written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.
Mankiewicz, who was born in Wilkes-Barre, also wrote the screenplay to All About Eve, which also included a reference to Wilkes-Barre in the dialogue (All About Eve was also the inaugural entry in this blog). Coincidentally, both A Letter To Three Wives (1949) and All About Eve (1950) won back-to-back Oscars for Best Screenplay (as well as Best Director) for Mankiewicz, the only such occurrence in the history of the Academy Awards. This distinction gives Wilkes-Barre, PA an ultra-rare (though unnoted until now) historic footnote in the history of cinema—city references included in two screenplays by the same author that won two consecutive Oscars.
Joseph L. Mankiewicz was born in Wilkes-Barre, PA on February 11, 1909. He began his career in film as a translator of intertitles for Paramount in Berlin. Upon returning to Hollywood, he worked as both a screenwriter and producer throughout the thirties and forties; he also produced several films starring Joan Crawford (including 1942's Reunion in France, which features several references to Wilkes-Barre). After directing his first film Backfire in 1946, Mankiewicz went on to direct such classics as The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Now Way Out, Guys and Dolls, Cleopatra and, of course, All About Eve—which still holds the record of the most Academy Award nominations (14) in film history (tied with Titanic).
A Letter to Three Wives stars Jeanne Crain (State Fair, Cheaper By The Dozen), Linda Darnell (Mankiewicz’s No Way Out, Unfaithfully Yours) and Ann Sothern (Lady in the Lark, The Whales of August) as three friends in an affluent neighborhood. As they are boarding a ship to chaperone a school trip, a mailman delivers a letter addressed to the three of them from their friend (and town floozy) Addie Ross. Addie writes that she is leaving town for good and taking one of their husbands as a momento—neglecting to reveal exactly whose husband she stole. Though they display a brave front and a nonchalant attitude, each of the three women spends the day reminiscing about the ups and downs of her marriage -- wondering if hers is the husband who has flown the coop.
The Wilkes-Barre reference occurs during the flashback of “wife” Rita Phipps (played by Ann Sothern), a writer for radio shows. As she is having dinner with her possibly straying husband George (Kirk Douglas) and her radio show’s sponsors, a commercial for a breath mint begins playing during the radio show “Confessions of Brenda Brown.”
Announcer:
Euclid Street. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. What a thrill it was to hear my little girl say, “Mother, it’s much fun to have you read to us, now that you use Baby’s Breath.”
On the audio commentary on the DVD of A Letter To Three Wives (at 48:00), Joseph Mankiewicz's son Christopher explains that his father "never missed a chance in any screenplay that he wrote to pay homage to his city of birth and get it in the script."
The ever-sharp RY recently told me about a brief visual reference to the city of Scranton in the 1977 film New York, New York.
Directed by Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Aviator), New York, New York stars Liza Minnelli (Cabaret, Arthur) and Scorsese regular Robert de Niro (Goodfellas, The Deer Hunter, Meet The Parents).
The film has been described as Scorsese’s musical tribute to his hometown. The day WWII ends, selfish and smooth-talking saxophonist Jimmy (de Niro) meets lounge singer Francine (Minnelli). From that moment on, their relationship grows into love as they struggle with their careers and aim for the top in the era of Big Band.
An extended section of the film shows Jimmy and Francine touring with a big band by bus throughout the country, punctuated by signs of towns they played and musical performances. One of the signs the bus passes reads “SCRANTON, 741 FT.”
Any child of the 80s (like me) is most likely endeared to the films of John Hughes, whose films (including The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink and Some Kind of Wonderful) have served as sort-of a coming-of-age rite of passage for teens in that decade. His directorial debut, Sixteen Candles, featured a native of Wilkes-Barre as the epitomical dream date, Jake Ryan.
Sixteen Candles tells the story of Samantha Baker (Molly Ringwald) whose parents, caught up in preparations of the wedding of their other daughter, completely forget about her 16th birthday. Visting relatives, an exchange student by the name of Long Duck Dong, and an obsessive geek don't make Samantha's forgotten birthday any better. The sole hope she clings to is her crush on high school senior (and birthday dream date) Jake Ryan, played by Wilkes-Barre native Michael Schoeffling.
Born in Wilkes-Barre on December 10, 1960 and raised in New Jersey, Michael Schoeffling studied acting at Temple University and the Lee Strassberg Institute, and he also became a model whose photographs were featured in magazines such as GQ.
Schoeffling's first major film role was as the "dreamy" Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles. His later film credits include Vision Quest (with Matthew Modine and Madonna), Sylvester (with Melissa Gilbert), Merchant Ivory's underrated comedy Slaves of New York (a look at the 1980s New York art scene, with Bernadette Peters), Longtime Companion (one of the first films to directly address the AIDS crisis) and Mermaids (with Cher and Winona Ryder). Schoeffling last appeared on screen in Walt Disney's Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken in 1991.
A Google! search for his name results in a list of several websites that pose the question, "Whatever happened to Michael Schoeffling or "Jake Ryan?".
After taking a permanent break from acting in the early 1990s, Michael Schoeffling opened (and still operates) a handcrafted furniture store in Northeastern Pennsylvania, where he presently lives quietly and out of the limelight with his family.
Edmund “Buster” Piaski, who grew up in Moosic, competed in the Polish Olympics in Warsaw in 1934. Piaski placed third in the high jump and fourth in the 800-meter race.
In 2004, Moosic Borough officials dedicated Elm Street Park in Piaski's memory.
The Reference Department has a "Sports-Olympics" Local History Vertical File containing newspaper clippings about Piaski; the file also contains an article about Dr. Walter Tewsbury of Tunkhannock, who won five medals (two gold, two silver, and a bronze) at the Paris Olympic Games of 1900.
Much thanks to Judi K. for the information included in this entry.
Actress and former Scranton resident Gloria Jean (center) with Leon Errel and W.C. Fields in a publicity photo for 1941's Never Give A Sucker An Even Break. My deepest thanks to Gloria Jean's sister (and webmaster of her official site http://www.gloriajeanchildstar.com/) Bonnie Schoonover for giving me permission to use this photo in our blog.
Don McKeon recently emailed me again with the following:
"Gloria Jean, born in Scranton and who also lived in West Scranton. She went to Hollywood, and I remember seeing an old film in which she played opposite W.C Fields. Check it out if you can."
Gloria Jean (1926- ) is an actress from the Golden Age of Hollywood who made a successful transition from child star to adult roles in major Hollywood films. Though she was born in Buffalo, NY, she was raised in Scranton, PA and has been quoted that she has always considered Scranton her "hometown."
Jean performed in vaudeville houses, movie theaters, and radio shows throughout Scranton as a child. She was discovered by producer Joe Pasternak from Universal Pictures, then ventured to Hollywood in 1939 at the age of 13 to appear in her big-screen debut The Under-Pup, which had its premiere in Scranton. According to an article in the Scranton Weekly from 1993,Jean went on to make 39 movies, starring with such actors as Bing Crosby, W.C. Fields, Groucho Marx ("Coconuts"), the Andrew Sisters and Donald O' Connor. In addition, according to the same article, amoing Jean's classmates on the studio lot was Elizabeth Taylor. Perhaps her most famous role was as (curiously) Gloria Jean, the niece of W.C Fields in Never Give A Sucker An Even Break in 1941.In 1942 she starred with Old Forge native Allan Jones in When Johnny Comes Marching Home.
Following a small part in Jerry Lewis'sThe Ladies Man in 1961, Jean retired from the screen. According to the Internet Movie Database, she went to work for Redken (a cosmetics firm) shortly after, where she was employed until her retirement.
Gloria Jean's web site, whose webmaster is Gloria's sister Bonnie, contains an extensive biography on Gloria Jean and many articles from that period about her career. The site also offers DVD and VHS copies of most of Gloria Jean's films from her personal collection (many of which are not available anywhere else), as well as rare publicity stills and photographs, paper dolls and coloring books, and a 2-disc CD set of her rare recordings.
A critically acclaimed authorized biography titled Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven, written by Scott and Jan MacGillivray, was just published in October 2005. Copies of the book are available in both our library's circulating collection and in our Local History (non-circulating) Collection. To place a hold, click here.
In addition, there is a newspaper clippings file (AKA Local History Vertical File) for Gloria Jean in the Reference Department that includes newspaper articles on the star.
Thanks again to Don McKeon for providing me information for this entry.
Also, thank you to Bonnie Schoonover for information on the book Gloria Jean: A Little Bit of Heaven and for her permission to use the fantastic movie still in our blog.
"I was watching an old movie recently called The Ghost Breakers made in 1940 starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard. A reference was made to Scranton when both Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard come across a set of railroad tracks in a secret room of a castle. Bob Hope said that the tracks reminded him of his hotel room in Scranton."
Directed by George Marshall (Marlene Dietrich’s “comeback” film Destry Rides Again, as well as Bob Hope and Lucille Ball in the film Fancy Pants and Ball again in episodes of her TV series Here’s Lucy) this breezy, timelessly amusing comedy re-teams Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, who two years earlier appeared together in The Cat and the Canary.
Mary Carter (Goddard) has just inherited a castle owned by her great-great grandfather off the coast of Cuba and said to be haunted. Despite warnings and death threats, she accepts the inheritence.
She is joined by radio broadcaster Larry Lawrence (Hope) who, believing he has killed a mob boss, flees New York with his butler, Alex (Willie Best). She enables him to escape by stowing him in a trunk bound for Cuba. In return, he promises to help rid her inherited castle of the ghosts and ghoulish creatures said to inhabit it. Once on the island, the three explore the eerie castle and search for the key to the castle's treasure while being haunted by the ghosts of Mary's ancestors.
Hope proves yet again that he is the master of the one-liner. The following dialogue is spoken as Mary and Larry descend a staircase into the dungeon of the castle.
Mary
Look at these railway tracks running through here.
The ever-observant Michele Murphy has recently told me about a classic film that makes several references to Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke.
The film is Russell Janney's The Miracle of the Bells. It was directed by Irving Pichel (Mr. Peabody & the Mermaid), who was born in Pittsburgh. The screenplay, based on the novel of the same name by Russell Janney (of which there are two copies circulating in the Lackawanna County Library System) is by Ben Hecht (1932’s Scarface, His Girl Friday, Hitchcock’s Notorious, as well as uncredited work on 1962’s Cleopatra and Queen Christina with Greta Garbo) and Quentin Reynolds, with additional dialogue (uncredited) by DeWitt Bodeen (Cat People, I Remember Mama and the 1950s TV series “Mr. & Mrs. North)--none of whom hail from Northeastern Pennsylvania.
The film stars Fred MacMurray (Double Indemnity; TV’s My Three Sons), (Alida) Valli (Orson Welles’s The Third Man, Les Yeux sans Visage), and recording legend and Oscar winner Frank Sinatra (From Here To Eternity).
Furthermore, location shoots for The Miracle of the Bells were done in three areas of Luzerne County--Wilkes-Barre, Plains and Glen Lyon.
The film begins at a train station in Nanticoke, PA. Determined to fulfill her final request, a Hollywood press agent (MacMurray) brings the body of an actress (Valli), who died from tuberculosis after making her first and only film, back to her hometown of Coal Town, Pennsylvania for burial. The film tells in flashbacks how fate threw Olga and Bill together, their reunion in Hollywood where Olga (originally a double for the lead actress) is herself cast in the lead role of Joan of Arc in a major Hollywood film, and her death from tuberculosis a day after filming was completed. To arouse public interest, and to get the reluctant studio head to release the film, Bill teams with a local kindhearted parish priest (Sinatra) and creates national publicity when they urge (and bribe) the priests of 5 Coal Town churches to rung their church bells nonstop for three days. The result is, indeed, a miracle.
The first reference to Wilkes-Barre occurs during a flashback on Christmas Eve in Ming Gow’s Chinese Restaurant following a chance meeting between Olga and Bill after a performance. After dinner, Olga and Bill have the following exchange:
Olga I was born in Poland. When I was quite young, we came to America to a place in Pennsylvania called…Coal Town. Little Poland.
Bill Near Wilkes-Barre?
Olga Yes.
In the following scene, back in present day, a shyster funeral director Nick Orloff (played by Harold Vermilyea), who is exorbitantly arranging Olga’s funeral, has the following exchange with Bill after returning from organizing the service:
Nick Didn’t keep ya’ waiting too long, I hope?
Bill Ya' got everything fixed?
Nick Yessiree. I had a big talk with Father Spinsky, and he worked everything out fine. He’s gonna’ give ya’ a solid requiem mass. And I got hold of a singer from Wilkes-Barre. She just happened to be in town.
Later in a montage of newspapers headlines showing the nationwide publicity for the 3 days of ringing bells, a copy of the Wilkes-Barre Sun appears with the headline:
“PENNSYLVANIA’S OWN MOVIE STAR HONORED BY BELL CEREMONY”
When the other parish priests are trying to convince Bill to hold the funeral at a larger church to accommodate the growing crowds of mourners, funeral director Nick exclaims at one point:
Nick
There’s a busload of sightseers in from Wilkes-Barre already.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
In additional to the Wilkes-Barre references, there are also several references to Nanticoke, PA in Miracle of the Bells.
The railway station Bill arrives at with Olga’s body is in Nanticoke, PA. A sign also states this fact.
The Nanticoke Journal is mentioned several times as their newspaper.
Nanticoke is also mentioned twice in the following scene between Bill (MacMurray) and Father Paul (Sinatra):
Bill Father, how much is the bus fare to Nanticoke?
Father Paul It’s 10 cents.
Bill Will, a dollar oughta cover it.
Father Paul Will that be enough?
Bill Not quite. I need another $490.99, but I may be able to pick it up in Nanticoke. See ya later.
THEN
(FADE INTO)
NANTICOKE TELEGRAPH OFFICE
Bill (to clerk) Are you sure there isn’t a night letter lying around Wilkes-Barre?
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The 1946 novel Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney, which mentionsWilkes-Barre, Scranton or Nanticoke on practically every page, is also available to borrow from the Lackawanna County Library System. Click here to place a hold on the novel.
Much thanks to Michele Murphy for this reference.
UPDATE 4/7/10 I found this clip of Miracle of the Bells on YouTube. The 1:27 mark begins Valli's speech where Wilkes-Barre is first mentioned in the film ("I was born in Poland.".
I recently received an email from Dr. Guy McGinnis, a graduate of Scranton Central High School in 1956 (who will be attending his 50th class reunion in September). In the email, he asked me if we were limiting the blog strictly to movie references to Scranton and Wilkes-Barre, for he had a list of classmates who are working/have worked/have connections to both Scranton and the entertainment industry. Therefore, after officially altering the misleading name of the blog from "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Movies" to its new title "Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in Entertainment," and under the assurance from Dr. McGinnis that I had explicit approval to include the names of some of his classmates in the blog, I've decided to incorporate seperate entries for former residents who have made an impact in the entertainment field.
A major highlight in Joyce's career was being crowned Mrs. Oklahoma and participating in the Mrs. America pageant. According to Dr. McGinnis, Joyce has also become a rather reknowned professional magician, working at five-star resorts.
In addition, Joyce has two grandchildren who are actors in Hollywood. Her grandson has appeared in the Eddie Murphy comedy Daddy Day Care, and her granddaughter is currently working in the new ABC series What About Brian? In addition, her niece Abigail has written three screenplays.
I would sincerely like to thank Dr. Guy McGinnis for all of the local entertainment references he has provided me, most of which I hope to post in the near future. I would also like to sincerely thank Joyce Basch who, through Dr. McGinnis, has given me permission to include an entry about her in our blog.
UPDATE (May 22nd, 2006) Joyce has sent more information about her grandchildren to Dr. Guy McGinnis, which he passed along to me.
"If you want to see or get a picture of my grandchildren, Shane Baumel has his own website at www.shanebaumel.com.
And if you go to www.wireimage.com and type in his name or "Curious George" premiere, you'll see pictures of Shane (9 years old) and his sister Mikaila (5 years old) on the red carpet.
Mikaila has a recurring part in the new series "What About Brian" which has been picked up and will continue next season."
UPDATE (May 31st, 2006)
Also of note is the fact thay Joyce's father owned the first TV store in Scranton in the 1950s.
Though not filmed here, there are several reference to Scranton in the 1996 Farley Brothers comedy Kingpin.
The film tells the hilarious story of Roy Munson (Woody Harrelson), a champion bowler in 1979 who loses his bowling hand after a misunderstanding with a gang (and some underhandedness from his rival Ernie McCracken, played by Bill Murray).
"Scranton, Pennsylvania, 17 years later" then appears on the screen.
Now with a prosthetic hand and all of his bowling career hopes smashed, he meets Ishmael (Randy Quaid) , a talented bowler (and Amish man) whom Roy takes under his wing. (in the film, Scranton and Amish Country are just a drive away from each other).
Listed in the credits of Kingpin as Scranton Wino is actor Herbie Flynn (b. September 18, 1917; d. February 11, 2003), who played similar roles in three other Farley Brothers films---There's Something About Mary; Shallow Hal; and Me, Myself & Irene.
Those who believe that independent films made in Scranton (or any amateur film) have to be "artsy" or "pretentious" have never heard of writer-actress-director Barbara Loden or her 1971 film Wanda, a crime drama filmed entirely in Scranton and Carbondale at a budget of $110,000.
Barbara Loden (who was also married to director Elia Kazan until her death in 1980) stars as the title character, an uneducated Pennsylvania coal-country woman who divorces her husband and gives him sole custody of her two children because, as she admits, "I'm just no good." After a series of self-destructive episodes and one-night stands, she has a chance encounter with Higgins, a neurotic thief who first takes her hostage before she submits and begins working as his accomplice. When they both decide on pulling one last job before leaving the "business," tragedy forever changes their fates.
Albright Memorial Library can be seen in the distance (as is Courthouse Square and Shokey's - now Trolley's) during a drive down North Washington Avenue to the robbery location--The Third National Bank of Scranton at 100 Wyoming Avenue (which is actually spoken near the end of the film). In addition, the end credits thank both the Scranton Police Force and the Third National Bank of Scranton.
Wanda won acclaim as a "moving and insightful" character study at several film festivals, including the International Critics' Prize for Best Film at the 1970 Venice Film Festival.
Wanda was released for the first time on DVD on July 25, 2006. It is available to borrow at Albright Memorial Library. To place a hold, click here.
The exquisite Dani from the Weinberg Memorial Library at the University of Scranton dropped us an email and told us that the classic 1970s sitcom All In The Family has an interesting (and ongoing) reference to Scranton.
In the sitcom, the late great Carroll O' Connor plays Archie Bunker, a working class and proud bigot who constantly squabbles with his family over controversial issue in the 1970s.
Bunker's wife, Edith (played by Jean Stapleton) hails from Scranton, PA. Though references to Edith's hometown of Scranton appeared throughout the run of the series, a two-part episode in Season 5, titled "Edith's Friend," features Edith's return to Scranton for a wedding, where she soon finds herself the target of her childhood sweetheart's affections.
"When You Wish Upon A Star" and "Give A Little Whistle" from 1940's "Pinocchio." Jazz standards such as “The Nearness Of You,” covered recently by Norah Jones, and “Wild Is The Wind” by Nina Simone. Pop classics like “A Town Without Pity.” The theme to TV’s "Rawhide.”
All of these songs were written by Scranton native Ned Washington (August 15, 1901-December 20, 1976).
Washington was born in Scranton on August 15, 1901, one of nine children. He attended Charles Sumner School in West Scranton and, later, ScrantonTechnical High School. He was a newspaperboy for the Scranton Times during his youth and also contributed poems to the local newspaper. Eventually, his family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where he continued to publish his poems and stories in newspapers and even in national magazines.
Washington moved to New York in 1922. After working on the vaudeville circuit as a booking agent, master of ceremonies and occassional material writer, he moved to California in 1928. His first famous compostion for motion pictures (a collaboration with Herb Magidson) was "Singin' in the Bathtub."
Washington returned to New York 1930 and, for the next few years, worked as a freelance songwriter. His first standard, "I'm Gettin' Sentimental Over You," was recorded by Thomas Dorsey in 1932 and eventually became the theme song for his orchestra.
Washington returned to Hollywood in 1935 and continued writing songs for films for many years. He won two Academy Awards in 1940--the first for Best Original Score for Walt Disney's Pinocchio and the second for Best Original Song for "When You Wish Upon A Star." Washington won a third Oscar in 1952 for "Do Not Forsake Me," the theme to the classic Western "High Noon." Washington would eventually receive a total of 13 Academy Award nominations throughout his prolific career in Hollywood.
Other Washington notables are "Baby Mine" (introduced in Walt Disney's "Dumbo" and, in 1988, sung by Bette Midler in the classic tearjerker "Beaches"), "Stella By Starlight," "Smoke Rings" and the Billie Holiday standard "(I Don't Stand a) Ghost of a Chance."
Washington died at his Beverly Hills home on December 20, 1976 from a heart condtion; he was 75 years old. But for those who love movies and classic Disney, Washington's music and legacy will live on forever.
The awesome Kristin S. from Clarks Summit recently emailed us with a reference to Scranton in the film My Father The Hero, the 1994 comedy starring French actor Gerard Depardieu, Lauren Hutton, and a 16 year-old pre-Gray's AnatomyKatherine Heigl.
In the film, Katherine Heigl plays Nicole, a teen on vacation in the Bahamas with her divorced father (Depardieu). Desperate to appear as a woman and not a girl, Nicole tries to impress a potential boyfriend by telling him her father is actually her much older lover. Bizarrely, her father goes along with the story, even as it becomes more elaborate and quickly spirals out of control.
Kristin S. tells me that, when Nicole and her father first arrive in the Bahamas, they are accosted by two annoying couples dressed like stereotypical tourists who say, "We're from Scranton. Scranton, Pennsylvania."
Article on Scranton and "The Office" in Wednesday's Yahoo! News
There was an article in Yahoo! News and ABC News on Wednesday that talks about Scranton and its references as the setting of the NBC hit television sitcom "The Office."
Click here to read the article (plus check out the photo of the "Welcome to Scranton" sign that illustrates the article).
Directed by Authur Hiller (Outrageous Fortune, Plaza Suite, Teachers), this critically-acclaimed comedy from 1979 stars Peter Falk as CIA agent Vince Ricardo, who involves his future in-law Sheldon Kornpett (Alan Arkin) in a plot to expose a counterfeit scheme devised by a South American dictator.
In one comical scene in the film, a hysterical Alan Arkin exclaims, "The ocean? It's over the ocean to Scranton, Pennsylvania?"
The In-Laws was remade in 2003 with Michael Douglas and Albert Brooks.
To place a hold on the DVD of 1979's The In-Laws, click here.
Did you know that John Legend, who won three Grammy Awards this week, has a connection to Scranton?
From 1995 to 2004, Mr. Legend held a nine-year tenure as choir director, pianist and head of the music department at Bethel AME Church in Scranton, Pennsylvania (716 North Washington Ave).
He left his position in 2004 to work on his major label debut solo album Get Lifted, which has sold over one million copies.
On Wednesday, February 8th, 2006, Legend won the Grammy Awards for Best New Artist, Best R&B Album, and Best R&B Male Performance.
Wednesday night, you can bet that all of us at Albright Memorial Library will be cheering for Lake Ariel resident Michael Fine, who is nominated for the Grammy Award for Classical Producer of the Year. The 48th Annual Grammy Awards will be handed out live on Wednesday night (February 8th) at 8 PM and will air LIVE on CBS (locally on WYOU).
Mr. Fine, who was also the recipient of the 1992 Grammy Award for Classical Producer of the Year (he was also nominated in 1990), has produced artists such as Cecilia Bartoli and Andrea Bocelli. Several albums he has produced have also won Grammys and other numerous awards.
The Reference Department congratulates Michael Fineon his Grammy nomination for Classical Producer of the Year and wishes him the best of luck at Wednesday night’s Grammy Awards.
An extra special thanks to Mr. Michael Fine for allowing me to use his photo in our blog.
Hitler Youth tells the story of a generation of German young people - one group of youths devote all their energy to the Hitler Youth and the propaganda that gave Hitler his power, and the other group of youths resists the Nazi movement.
Ms. Bartoletti is also the author of the critically-acclaimed A Coal Miner's Bride: The Diary of Anetka Kaminska, 1896; Kids on Strike! and Growing Up in Coal Country.
The Reference Department congratulates Ms. Bartoletti for this amazing recognition and honor.
