………….According to an Instagram post, this painting appeared in a small village called Tornabous in the province of Lleida in Spain. Haven’t been able to find out any more about it.
(Irene Dunne, Charles Boyer. LOVE AFFAIR.)
EXTRA: Thanks to Bob, We now know this painting in 2019 is by Spanish urban artist, Mon Devane who was commissioned by the Flotats family to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Flotats Cinema which opened in 1945.
(I’ve queried with the artist why the 1939 film was chosen.)
EXTRA NOTE! As Bob has pointed out, “ Love Affair” was the first film screened when the Flotats cinema opened in 1945.
Mon Devane in front of his painting
The title in Spain – “YOU AND I “.
…………..Yes, that’s MacDonald Carey to the right of Paulette Goddard, John Lund. In “Bride of Vengeance” (1949).
Goddard and Carey play sister and brother Lucretia and Cesare Borgia. Lund is an Italian prince.
Directed by Mitchell Leisen, Ray Milland went on suspension at Paramount rather than play the Lund role.
The film flopped at the box office though there are some fans in the blogosphere. Has anyone seen it?
I liked the advertising: “She swore to Love, Honor….and Murder the man she married!
Paulette and MacDonald were in two other films, “Suddenly it’s Spring” and “Hazard”.
And here’s MacDonald Carey as I remember him.
For nearly thirty years, MacDonald Carey starred in the U.S. daytime soap, “The Days of Our Lives.”
And he was in “SHADOW OF A DOUBT”, as the detective after ‘Uncle Charlie’(Joseph Cotten).
…………..The Pixilated Sisters.
I came across a poster for the film “Danger, Love at Work” and was intrigued to see in the supporting cast, “The Pixilated Sisters” ( Margaret McWade and Margaret Seddon).
Turns out these two actresses, Margaret McWade (1872-1956) and Margaret Seddon (1872-1968) were the same two ladies who accused Gary Cooper of being ‘pixilated’ in “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town”.
As the two eccentric sisters, ‘Jane’ and ‘Amy’, they admit that everyone in Mandrake Falls is pixilated – except themselves!
Margaret McWade, Margaret Seddon, Gary Cooper.
(The word ‘pixilated’ is a variant of ‘pixie-led’ – led astray by the pixies!)
Both the actresses were vaudevillians who teamed up as ‘The Pixilated Sisters’ , a comedy act in the early part of the twentieth century. Both ended up in Hollywood in the silent era and were active for several decades in supporting roles.
After ‘Mr. Deeds Goes To Town” in 1936 , they were reunited the following year for “Danger ,Love at Work” as ‘Aunt Patty’ and ‘Aunt Pitty’, members of a screwball family ( similar to “You Cant Take it With You”).
”DANGER, LOVE AT WORK” looks fun with a good cast. And it’s on You Tube. Here’s the title number sung by Ann Sothern and Jack Haley.
…………Leon Ames (1903-1993) is probably best remembered for playing the father in MEET ME IN ST.LOUIS.
MEET ME IN ST.LOUIS.
With Audrey Totter in LADY IN THE LAKE.
I read recently that Leon and his wife Christine went through a terrible ordeal in 1964 when a man knocked at their door and drew a gun, demanding $50,000 .
Leon owned several car dealerships and called his business partner asking him to bring the money to his house.
During a four hour ordeal, the gunman made threats to kill Leon’s wife. When the money arrived, the intruder took Mrs. Ames and the business partner hostage and drove off in the Ames car – having bound up Leon.
Fortunately, Ames’ business associate had contacted the police while getting the $50,000 from the bank. The police found the car and freed the hostages.
Leon Ames was in show business for 50 years. An MGM contract in the 1940s gave him wider recognition.
He played the William Powell role (as Clarence Day) in a TV version of LIFE WITH FATHER ( with Lurene Tuttle as his wife). It ran from 1953 to 1955.
Pat Hitchcock played the family maid.
Leon Ames, Lurene Tuttle
Leon had appeared in the Broadway play, GUEST IN THE HOUSE. When it was filmed, Ralph Bellamy played his part.
A young Leon Ames in MURDERS IN THE RUE MORGUE (1933).
……………Cary Grant will be the subject of a new four part television series called “ARCHIE” (Cary’s real name – ‘Archie Leach’) and starring Jason Isaacs as the legendary actor. The series is written by Jeff Pope (who wrote PHILOMENA and STAN AND OLLIE.)
Cary’s daughter Jennifer and his ex-wife Dyan Cannon were both interviewed by Pope and have given their approval .
Cary Grant, Jennifer Grant, Dyan Cannon
The series will cover Cary’s formative years in his home town, Bristol, interspersed with scenes from his life in 1961 when he meets Dyan Cannon
The Bristol Post newspaper expressed disappointment that the show won’t be filmed in the city.
Jeff Pope commented that because of budget issues: ,”I’m slightly ashamed to admit Liverpool is going to double for Bristol.”
Further casting is yet to be announced but the series will premiere in 2023 on ITV’s new (free) streaming service, ITVX and on BritBox in America.
Vienna's Classic Hollywood
Photo 1 – More info https://www.amsterdamstreetart.com/weekly-asa-7/
Photo 2 – https://ok.ru/video/330388736514
Many thanks, Bob for extra info on that Dunne/Boyer painting. Not sure I want to see Bride of Vengeance! But appreciate the link.
The reason that film was chosen for the painting is in the link – it was the very first film shown at that cinema.
Ames went to Warner Brothers to essentially play the same character he did in Meet Me In St. Louis; this time as father to Doris Day, in On Moonlight Bay and By the Light of the Silvery Moon. Films at both studios are some of the best, feel-good, entertaining, World War I set musicals.
Yes, father to Doris Day at Warners.
Oops! Sorry I didn’t spot that. Of course that makes sense.
To this day, and after all these years…I can still hear MacDonald Carey’s voice-over at the beginning of Days of Our Lives.
It’s a soap not shown in the UK but I listened to the Carey intro.
Wow, what a stunning painting! And that story about Leon Ames and his family is something else…
I love finding out Hollywood happenings new to me. It was a terrible ordeal Leon Ames and his wife went through.
Paramount really pushed MacDonald Carey, as they did John Lund, in the late forties but neither became top stars. Ray Milland took his only suspension at the studio by rejecting the picture. The careers of Paulette Goddard and director Mitchell Leisen were in decline by 1949.
I especially loved the photos of Macdonald Carey – he was great in the Western COPPER CANYON. I was fortunate to see him in the rare HAZARD with Paulette at a Noir City Fest over a decade ago and liked it. One of those relatively unknown films I wish were out on DVD!
As a side note I noticed you seem to have closed your Twitter account? Will miss “seeing” you there!
Best wishes,
Laura
Hi, Laura. Maybe “Hazard” will make it to dvd one day. Would love to see it.
I’m posting on Instagram and don’t really miss Twitter.
Very much enjoying your posts on Lone Pine.
Thanks for the tip, I just followed you on Instagram. I’m rarely active there in terms of photos and comments, simply because of the limitations of time, but I do check out the photos of the accounts I follow regularly. 🙂
Best wishes,
Laura