Matinee at the Bijou Rides Again!

As long time fans of the series know, Matinee at the Bijou was a television series that premiered nationally on PBS in 1980. It recreated the American moviegoing experiences of the 1930s and '40s, with trailers, a cartoon, one or more selected short subjects, a cliff-hanging serial chapter “to be continued,” and a tightly edited feature presentation. The 90-minute series ran for five consecutive first-run seasons, each consisting of 16 episodes, and continued on PBS for three subsequent years in reruns. The series was an independent production from Bijou Productions, Inc., of Medford, Oregon.  

Vintage Hollywood movies proliferated on television in the 1950s and 60s, but began tapering off in the 1970s as trends moved to color only.  The black and white B pictures were extinct on TV by 1980 and it was even hard to see classics like Bogart, Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy.  I recall when I ran a film society in the early 70s one could not see any old movies on TV.  When MATB debuted in 1980, around the birth of home video and 14 years before the debut of Turner Classic Movies, it brought back memories and started new ones.  Bijou remembered the Saturday Matinee, which died off in the mid-1950s because of television.  

In 1984 I contributed a single film print for use in the 4th season, the 1934 Mascot spooky house mystery One Frightened Night.  Thus my name (Ron Hall) appears far down in the closing credits for that season, which my new Bijou partners may be surprised to discover one day on a molding VHS tape.  

Around 7-8 years ago I started the Café Roxy programs of Saturday Matinees that pretty much copied the Bijou formula of cartoons, shorts, serial chapter and short feature in one package and meant for showing in small movie theaters or by TV stations on Saturdays.  One day the original Bijou producer Bob Campbell called to talk, not in any way to discourage what I was doing but to invite participation in his plan to revive Matinee at the Bijou with new episodes in high definition with a celebrity host.  We were introduced by a common friend, Conrad Sprout, and had another friend in common from Budget Films in the 1970s, Larry Fine (who has sadly passed on).  Or did I start Café Roxy after meeting Bob?  Darned if I can recall.  In either event my matinees never aspired to compete with the return of Bijou to public consciousness.

We started the Bijou Blog in 2006, or Bob started it and I joined in, to build name recognition and document revival efforts.  For awhile we tried to put up a new post every single week, and since they are still online you can read them for hours on end.  Bob first approached PBS and, after reintroducing the new players to their former hit series, they welcomed the Bijou sequel series ... if we found sponsors, produced it and gave it to them free. Finding the sponsorship has been the singular challenge! 

Some wonder whether the world needs Bijou anymore since we do have TCM and thousands of films are out on DVD, a medium that did not exist in 1980.  My resounding YES answer addresses many issues.  First, TCM's own success with their Classic Film Festival illustrates that vintage film interest is at a peak.  But TCM is a pay channel whereas PBS would reach millions more and for free.  The family values exemplified in Hollywood films of the 1930s, '40s and '50s never outdate.  The films themselves are as entertaining and uplifting as ever.  The Saturday Matinee is a fascinating slice of Americana that millions enjoyed and remember fondly.  It deserves to be chronicled in a documentary, which is included in our plans for the sequel series. 

BIJOU HEADS TO KICKSTARTER

A Kickstarter campaign to bring back the UPN/CW series "Veronica Mars" as a movie just broke major contribution funding records on Kickstarter and raised triple the amount sought! Matinee at the Bijou is following in Veronica Mars footsteps and launching our own Kickstarter campaign in May to fund the first 13-episode sequel series.

The first phase of this strategy was to set up a Bijou Facebook page to locate Bijou fans, send them to Facebook and ask them to "Like" us.  You can help via emails, Facebook posts and blog mentions.  Tell everyone.  Go to Facebook and Like us.  This will allow us to spread news about phase two, which will be  an official Kickstarter campaign in May to raise the funding.  To anyone unfamiliar, Kickstarter is a revolutionary way to raise money for artistic projects that allows anyone to contribute any amount to help a dream come true.  See the results of the "Veronica Mars" campaign that we hope to follow.

Here is an early history of Bijou on PBS.  You can read more about the revival plans at The Bijou Blog and at the new Bijou Facebook Page.  How is all this working so far?   To Be Continued Next Week!

Visit my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

Festival Films -- Public Domain Confidential!

A few days ago I was asked by an editor of Home Media Magazine about public domain titles and how Festival Films fits in: "Public domain films/titles can be accessed legally for free by anyone … how has Festival Films make public domain titles attractive, something people are willing to pay for?"  This gave me a chance to explain what Festival Films has been doing all these years to bring public domain films to the public.

Festival Films has never targeted selling public domain films to the public.  We don't have a retail line in stores.  We have helped supply Mill Creek Entertainment with films for their 50 packs, which are a terrific value even if quality on some may not be the best.  Quantity sells but I leave that up to others.  My main clients include:

1)  Small, independent, Christian and college TV Stations.  When vintage films and 1950s TV shows are broadcast free the audience swells among seniors, families and those discovering the films for the first time.  This audience does not know the films are public domain and would never think to watch them on Youtube or Internet Archive.

2)  Movie Theaters.  Our Café Roxy line of programs contains the best public domain features paired with cartoons, comedy shorts and serial chapters along the lines of the old PBS Matinee at the Bijou.  Every theater has a video projection system and small, restored theaters often try showing the matinees free and making money on concessions.  I just mailed off the 12-part "Sagebrush Saga" series to a theater in Lockhart, Texas.

3)  For online streaming.  Last month I sold 100 features to West TV in Perth, Australia.  This is an online TV station one can check out here: www.wtvperth.com.au/watch  They list lots of sponsors!

I have also just started supplying a new online streaming enterprise called Wiener Entertainment, whose website is not yet up.  I will happily promote them when they are live.

4)  Video masters of rare films.  Many public domain films are lost, unknown or not yet released to the public. Watching films no one has seen in recent years, ones without reviews or synopsis on the IMDB, is the most fun I have.  We sell rare masters to Alpha Video who will take almost any PD film they don't have, to Timeless Video, to Film Chest, Synergy and others.  Some upcoming "previously lost" films these companies will soon issue include:

PUBLIC PROSECUTOR -- 1948 TV mystery in 20 minute segments was the very first show ever shot on film for Television.  Then CBS decided they didn't want 20 minute shows and they ended up on Dupont Network with some filler about a panel talking about who the murderer might be.  It stars John Howard.

FLIRTATION (1934)  Country boy Ben Alexander and his frisky dog hit the big city and get mixed up with a burlesque troop featuring the Street Singer Arthur Tracy.  The star singer's mother comes to visit and expects a husband and child, so ....

VENGEANCE OF THE DEEP (1938)  Concert pianist Lloyd Hughes leaves London to dive for pearls in the South Seas at the whim of his fiancee.

KING OF THE CIRCUS (1935)  Lion tamer Gregory Ratoff raises orphan girl until he can marry her, then holds an iron fist over their relationship.

WOMAN TO WOMAN (1929) Silent star Betty Compson's favorite film.  She plays a French singer who has a child by an English soldier during the war, but he gets amnesia and disappears.  They meet years later in London with their child.

5)  Last year with partners Bob Campbell and Derek Myers we started a line of rare short subjects called "Lost and Rare Film and TV Treasures."  We have four releases to date -- Lost TV Pilots, Lost Sports Immortals with a superb 1939 documentary on Baseball, Heavenly Christmas Classics including "Star of Bethlehem" with James Mason and a cast of children performing the Nativity, and Golf Mania that explains itself.

6)  I use public domain films for a series of "Movie Memories Activities" for senior residences.  After a short segment from the 1930s through 1950s, 4 questions come onscreen to foster reminiscing and discussion.  Watch, recall, share the memories.

7)  Working with original producer Bob Campbell to produce a new season of the hit PBS show "Matinee at the Bijou" in high definition.  We plan a Kickstarter campaign in May.

In short I am enjoying many projects that use public domain films, although I do not sell directly to the public.

A few special notes about Matinee at the Bijou...

I have been working with Bob Campbell for quite a few years to produce new episodes of Matinee at the Bijou in high definition and hosted by a major name in show business.  PBS would love it, as long as we find the sponsors, produce the shows and give it to them for free.  Of course, since 1980 there are so many other options at networks, Netflix, online streaming, etc.  Bijou literally had millions of loyal fans in the 1980s.  Interest in vintage films is at a high as evidenced by the continued success of Turner Classic Movies.  Unlike TCM, PBS is free and can reach a larger audience.  Yes, thousands of vintage films have been released on DVD, but we have a higher goal to recreate the movie going experience of the 1930s, '40s and '50s.  The Saturday Matinee is part of our cultural heritage that should be remembered and brought back for the enjoyment of generations to come.

I have rarely mentioned reviving Bijou in this blog since I prefer to wait until there is concrete news to announce.  And now there is.  To produce the first season of 13 new MATB shows we are planning a Kickstarter campaign in May.  To learn more about this plan please visit the Bijou Blog.

This may jog your memory or whet your apetite for the Return of Matinee at the Bijou: 

Watch for Matinee at the Bijou on its own Facebook page next week.  Visit my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

Send Me Your Hard Drives!

Big news!  Mpeg2 videos!

I (mis-) use this space to vent my latest interests, show rare film clips and ... hmm, what am I doing here?  Not to waste your time, but this subject may be a bit boring to all but a few customers.  It involves supplying the public domain films on Mpeg2 video file format.  That's it.  The last two months much of my time has been devoted to converting DVDs to Mpeg2.

I have made Mpeg4 videos for uploading to youtube and to create montage videos in the iMovie program that came with my Mac.  I noticed that the focus in particular was not as sharp, so I did not want to produce a library of those.  I talked to TV stations who each seemed to have their unique procedures.  They wanted highest format DVD, which they ran into their system without any quality loss, edited in commercials and outputted to DVCam for broadcast.  Movie theaters, Cafe Roxy and Movie Memory program users also prefer DVDs for large screen TVs and video projection.

I have sold DVDs to websites that stream videos.  However, other potential customers have requested video files already converted for quicker uploading to streaming websites.  I pitched the argument that if they buy a DVD-R, then they could control variables like color saturation, contrast, brightness and sound quality when they make their own conversions.  Then they would keep the DVD library as back up if ever needed.  Some bought into this while others never got back to me.

I lost business because I was ignorant of the fact that Mpeg2 video files contain the same information as the DVDs.  The quality is not only identical but I can improve it when I convert by adding a tad more color, brightening to bring out the background and then balancing that with contrast to bring back dark tones.  I was fiddling with a dark Fleischer cartoon called "Hold It!" and when I lightened the picture a dog house magically appeared in a shadow.  While an Mpeg4 feature takes up about 1 gb of computer space, an Mpeg2 of the same film uses 3 gb of space.

Zzzzzz ... if you are still with me.

So six weeks ago a new customer wanted 100 features on an external hard drive.  They were patient enough to wait out my pitch for DVDs, but being in Australia I was not that eager to ship a large order of DVD cases.  We settled on a test.  I sent 6 features on a 16gb USB flash drive stick.  They liked the results and the order for 100 on a 500 gb external hard drive went forward.  Actually 100 plus some free TV show samples fit easily on a 320gb drive, but the cost for 500gb was only a tad more.

A week later I got another request for all TV shows on a hard drive the customer would send me.  Another test stick finalized the order.  Then I got a 1tb hard drive to store the films and I'm in the business of building a library of everything I get an order for on Mpeg2 video files.  I changed the home page of my Festival Films website to read:

Max Fleischer's "Play Safe"

DVD-R & Mpeg2 Files

All titles in the Public Domain Catalog are available on top-quality, economical DVD-R format as well as Mpeg2 Video Files for Internet streaming. Many TV stations use DVD-R for their broadcasts. DVD-R also works well for online streaming, although some prefer Mpeg2 files all ready to upload. We supply Cafe Roxy Programs on DVD-R because most movie theaters and other venues have DVD projection or large screen TVs in place.

Confession time.  I'm not that technical about computers.  My old version of iMovie will still only run Mpeg4s.  I could not view the Mpeg2 files I was producing until I upgraded my iMac to Mountain Lion OS and added more RAM memory.  What a TV station or Internet streamer does with an Mpeg2 ... well, they know and someday one will explain it to me.

Last Tuesday I got this note from a TV station I had sold DVDs to in January:  We are wanting to schedule Saturday Morning Cartoons on our local channel.  Do you have cartoons that you would recommend?  Also, I read where if we sent a hard drive that it will save us money.  It would also save me space, not having all the DVD cases.  Please let me know how that works.  I followed up by sending a USB stick with a few samples and have already converted many cartoons.

If TV stations can easily select and run computer files, this would solve a cartoon problem I have noted for years.  I sell DVDs of Betty Boop, Popeye, Fleischer Color Classics, Tom and Jerry, etc., but the best way to show/watch cartoons on TV is a balanced program that mixes characters, black and white with color and so on.  I will put cartoon computer files in folders labeled Superman, Little King, Betty Boop, etc., making it easy to dip into each folder for one or two and arrange into a Cartoon Hour.  This is the same idea expressed recently of how Online Movie Memories might work better if segments can be chosen and arranged rather than running the DVD "Memories" I now offer in order.

The future of internet streaming videos on demand has been here for awhile.  I'm finally catching up by offering Mpeg2 files that don't need to be converted, only uploaded.  My conversions are direct from the highest quality DVDs I have collected over the years, and none have annoying logos or watermarks in the corner.  So send me your external hard drives to fill with dreams.

Visit my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

Christophers -- Lost Film Trove!

The Christophers are a Christian inspirational group that was founded in 1945 by Father James Keller.  The name of the group is derived from the Greek word "christophoros", which means "Christ-bearer." Although the founders were Maryknoll priests of the Roman Catholic orientation, The Christophers preach a doctrine of religious tolerance and intend their publications to be generally relevant to those of all faiths.

The Christophers are based in New York City.  Their newsletter, "Christopher News Notes," is published 10 times a year. They have produced a weekly television show ("Christopher Closeup") since 1952, often featuring interviews with or original dramas starring celebrities who appeared without charge for their services.  It is these forgotten and in many cases lost films that are of great interest to movie fans.

I found out personally over 15 years ago that the current Christophers office in New York has very few of their early productions.  My associate Bob DeFlores contacted them, which resulted in us trading them a high quality video master of their first TV show - You Can Change the World - in exchange for VHS copies of Faith, Hope and Hogan with Bing, Bob Hope and Ben Hogan and a musical special of songs by Mario Lanza, Dennis Day, Bing and others compiled from previous shows.

Jack Waite worked for James Keller for one year, 1966, and wrote down some fascinating memories here.  Since Father Keller could only afford to pay him $70 a week to live in New York, he let Jack live in the office, which was against the law, and...

"Many of the best Christopher filmings had taken place long before I ever worked there, of course.  These old films were preserved in a storage section of the building. (There was a projector, and a screen in the room, along with all the cans full of films.)  Now, I have already explained that I lived in The Christophers building.  So, that meant that after everyone else went home, once the work day had come to an end, I remained in the building, because the Christopher building was where I actually lived.  So, I asked Father Keller for permission to amuse myself, by watching the hundreds of Christopher films which were sitting on those shelves in the storage area.  Keller said, "Sure...go ahead."  So, in that way, I got to see many of the programs which had aired years earlier ... films which were now just sitting in their film cans, slowly rotting away."

Read further about an interview in which Jeanette MacDonald and Rev. Keller had an on air fight over whether he knew or did not know which song she was about to sing!  Although the celebrities donated their services, the studio space and film crew were expensive so multiple episodes were filmed over a few days each year.  One of Jack's jobs was to catch the stars as they got out of a taxi, butter them up with praise on the way to make-up and get them in and out fast so the next celebrity could do their turn.  Hence there was no time to re-take the pointless squabble that Jeanette had started.

Father Keller was so amiable and sincere that Hollywood stars were delighted to appear with him and call him friend, even if they were not religious.  In Faith, Hope and Hogan Father Keller persuades Bob Hope to read a prayer, after which Bob replies "That's the most religion I've had since I saw Going My Way."  The very first Christophers broadcast gathered 9 Hollywood stars in Jack Benny's home - Jack, Rochester, Loretta Young, William Holden, Irene Dunne, Paul Douglas, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Ann Blyth - to discuss the ideals and philosophy of the Christophers movement, and how each of us in small ways can help to change the world for the better.

Although still seeking that Jeanette MacDonald episode, to find out what song she really did sing, we have acquired many episodes, including:

You Can Change the World -- the 1952 first episode. 

Faith, Hope and Hogan - 1954 with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Ben Hogan and Phil Harris.  This film is on "Golf Mania" DVD.

A Link in the Chain - Rare 1957 TV appearance by James Cagney, who play a retiring professor who looks back on how he helped change three students lives.

Government is Your Business - Based on a book by Father Keller, about how good americans should enter politics to fight corruption.

Let George Do It - 1955, with Danny Thomas, Robert Young and Dennis Day.

All God's Children - Korean war vet (played by Mike Conners) returns home and must decide whether to make a lot of money working for his wealthy father in a meaningless job or find a career path that where he could help change the world.

The Lost and Rare team is working on a formula to restore and release these and similar lost films to the public.  You can follow the Christophers' main theme that You can change the world through these clips from the six episodes:



Visit my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

An Angel Found me on the Internet!

Robert Hutton's grandson found this on the Internet.

In the early 90s Leonard Maltin listed Festival Films as a good source to acquire movies on VHS and later on laser disc and DVD in his "TV Movies Book."  This was a nice gesture that gave me a certain  credibility as a legitimate dealer, but the resulting business amounted to ... almost nothing!  It seems like half of the phone calls or letters were of the nature: "My grandfather who is 93 and fading fast appeared in a dozen movies from 1912 to 1919.  Do you have any of them?"  This led to explaining that 95% of ALL films made that early had unfortunately disappeared.  Most other contacts had been looking for some special favorite film for years, even an episode of Howdy Doody they appeared in as a child, and naturally I can't find what they had failed to find.  If a film was out on video then everyone had it.  If not out, then no one did.  I had to explain endlessly that only films in TV Movies with a big black dot at the end had at one time been issued on video, but many were now out of print.

So while I sold a couple of rare, unreleased films like Hellzapoppin' the Maltin listing seen by many millions was more of a hindrance than help.  I am reminded of a note I read this past week that virtually no one buys anything from a Facebook ad since they are not in a buying mood when they use Facebook.  If you want to buy available videos then go to Amazon.com, Movies Unlimited or Oldies.com.  Those who did not know this, and many were without computer access, came to me and I could not help much at all. After 15 or more years I eventually told Leonard's editor to stop listing Festival Films.

However if you want public domain films, by all means come to me!  My main source of new customers these last 20 years has been those who specifically want public domain films for television, for theaters, for public showings and for Internet use.  They google "Public Domain Films" and I show up on the first page.  I use yahoo search more than google, so if you enter "Public Domain Films" in a yahoo search then Festival Films comes up #6.  Oddly, in a search for "Public Domain Movies" I don't show until the middle of the second page.

People do find me, Festival Films and some of my rare films on the Internet.  A few weeks ago I got an inquiry for "The Soundies" documentary produced by my friend Don McGlynn.  They came to me because I list some of Don's films, but it turned out I never had acquired my own copy of this film because it had never been sold on VHS or DVD.  It had only run extensively on PBS for a short time, sometimes as part of a fundraiser.

My youtube video of Christmas is Magic was found last week by none other than the grandson of actor Robert Hutton who stars in the 1953 TV episode of "Your Jeweler's Showcase."  He posted this comment after the video: It's great to see old movies like this... Robert Hutton was my grandpa, so pretty neat to see these old movies.  I asked him if Robert was religious and got this reply by email: 

He wholly believed in Jesus Christ as his savior, especially in his latter years while living in his hometown Kingston N.Y.  I used to talk on the phone with him just about every weekend, some 23 yrs ago now when I lived in Virginia and he was simply the sweetest man.  He fell in his room, broke his hip, messed up his back, then passed away.  Amongst a few of his belongings sent to my mom (Jolie Louis Hutton), was a finished book about Hollywood, a box full of black and white pictures of many 'stars', and some craft-work he used to do all the time...little villages of people, horses, houses etc, in a snowy scenery, made out of match-sticks.  My family tells me that I am the only one in the family that resembles many of his physical and creative traits.  I'm a proud grandson.  By the way, I have not seen this movie before.  One of my favorites is "Cinderfella."

She found me on the Internet.
Sixty years later!

I got an interesting phone call just after Christmas from a woman (Barbara Merrell) who found the James Mason short "Star of Bethlehem" through a google search.  It turns out she plays an angel in the film!  Her granddaughter never believed she had appeared in anything and now they have the proof.  The children were all recruited from the church the Mason's attended: All Saints Church School.  She was in the choir that became the Heavenly Host in the film, but was singled out as the angel who had a few extra lines and a close up as shown here.

She felt James Mason mainly made the film to promote his daughter Portland, who plays Mary.  Barbara was older than Portland and so was not a close friend of hers in the church.  She recalls a big party in Mason's mansion to premiere the film to celebrity friends.  She declined speaking to the guests about being in the film.  She had a more vivid memory of attending a Saturday Matinee in a Hollywood theater, with cartoons and cowboys, when suddenly "Star of Bethlehem" began to play.  At the appropriate moment when she came onscreen her brother jumped up and screamed to everyone: "That's my sister!"

A few notes of interest about Portland Mason, who died in 2005 at the age of 55.  Her father directed her in one other short called"The Child" in 1954, which is public domain but I have no idea what it is about.  She appeared in a handful of TV shows and movies, most notably "The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit" in 1956 with Gregory Peck.  She was reportedly the most spoiled child who ever lived.  James tried to lobby with Stanley Kubrick for Portland to play the lead in "LOLITA."  We have much to thank that never happened!  

Visit my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

Movie Memories Online!

Movie Memories Online does not yet exist.  After revisiting the project these last few weeks I feel stronger than ever that MMO could enrich the lives of Seniors the world over.  The Big Idea needs to be launched Big with staff support and promotion, but this seems to be both feasible and affordable.

Movie Memories on DVD exists right now, today, and can be purchased from Festival Films.  This Retirement Community Group Activity wakens memories and promotes reminiscing and social interaction.  My separate Movie Memories blog has been getting hits lately and I sold a few Volumes at amazon.com, which is rather amazing since I have trouble finding it at Amazon.  One activity director told me she found it by searching for "1940s music."  I still can't find it unless I put in "movie memories reminiscing."

Movie Memories can also be a terrific GAME to connect seniors with grandchildren.  They share a fun video together showing what life was like when the grandparent was a child, then discuss the onscreen questions.  As such it has a future in private homes as well as retirement homes.

This video prevu explains exactly how the Movie Memories activity works:

 
Click Here To See More Samples!

Each DVD volume of Movie Memories includes a cornucopia of TV ads, newsreels, musical, comedy and action films, plus 1950s TV shows, cartoons, Sing Alongs and classic excerpts.  A group leader shows vintage film clips from a DVD player connected to a television or projection TV system.  Four onscreen questions after each short segment kick off the topics to recall and share.  The leader pauses on each question for discussion.  Seeing the cars and trains, homes and schools, cafés and drug stores, hairstyles and fashions, toys and sports of the 1930s to 1950s sparks memory.  Inspired by the films and prodded by the questions... reminiscing runs rampant!  Sharing memories with a group is a fresh tool for both memory therapy and social interaction.

Movie Memories are further explained at the Festival Films website where the Discussion Guides are posted for all 4 regular volumes and two Musical Movie Memories.  The four questions after each film segment are listed so you can guess in advance how your Senior groups might respond.  Plus there are numerous video samples of the films in Movie Memories followed by the onscreen questions.

So far Movie Memories are only available on DVDs.  Each volume contains 3 separate DVDs with about an hour of film on each, more than enough for three full sessions.  If a lively audience wants to talk a lot ... and please encourage that ... then a session can run way over an hour or you may quit without running all of the films on a DVD.

Movie Memories Online!
The bigger dream is to bring Movie Memories to Seniors and the whole world on the Internet: Movie Memories Online.  Here is how a FREE online version of Movie Memories might work:

Activity Directors connect their laptop computers to large screen TVs in small meeting rooms or to DVD projection systems in auditoriums.  They choose the Movie Memory segments they want to run that day from website menus divided by genre -- sing along  cartoons, newsreels, action, horror, comedy or romance clips, etc.  They can rearrange the segments and preview them before the session.  Push “Start” and the first film streams from the Internet cloud to the screen.  After each film clip the first question freezes onscreen.  Then it's Talk Time!  Who wants to talk about their favorite childhood toy?  Favorite cowboy star?  Name Big Band singers?  After lively discussion it’s on to the next question or film clip.

Activity Directors will embrace this activity once they see how much Seniors love  reminiscing sessions.  Any Senior living at home with computer access can also enjoy the activity free by themselves or with friends and family.

Movie Memories Online could make money using this business model:
1)  Insertion of ads before each Movie Memory segment.
2)  Monthly subscription fee that would let Activity Directors stream the videos without ads.  (Think 10,000 retirement homes x $20 a month!  How about 50,000 homes?  How many communities are in the world market?!)
3)  Public domain or licensed feature films could be added to the site for additional ad revenue or to induce users to subscribe to watch the films without ads.

The film clips on the initial Movie Memory DVDs are from public domain films and are presented in standard definition.  Licensing deals could be worked out that reimburse owners of music, the actors' images and the films themselves.  Imagine "Movie Memories: I Love Lucy" or "Movie Memories: Ma & Pa Kettle."  All videos could be upgraded to High Definition for improved quality on large screens.

Movie Memories are for sale on DVD at Festival Films.  Movie Memories is registered with the Writer’s Guild of America.  I am seeking an Internet partner to turn my online dream of free Movie Memories on every computer into a reality.  Here are further ideas how Movie Memories Online could be upgraded with a small investment that promises huge rewards.  Don't just stream videos to Seniors, give them the key to unlock childhood memories and discuss them with friends and family.  Give them Movie Memories Online.

Thanks for visiting my websites at Festival Films and Lost and Rare.

-- Ron Hall

Gale Storm - Sweetheart of the B's!

My earliest memories of 1950s TV sitcoms centered around three charismatic women: Lucille Ball in "I Love Lucy" (1951-'57), Joan Davis in "I Married Joan" (1952-'55) and Gale Storm in "My Little Margie" (1952-'55).  While Lucy and Joan played middle aged married women who got into hilarious slapstick jams every week, Gale Storm appeared to be in her early 20s and had a boyfriend.  She always played younger than she was and was actually 30 in 1952.  Young boys didn't think about age, and we probably couldn't quite put our finger on Gale's allure ... cute, sweet, charming, petite, wholesome, available and ... sexy.

Born Josephine Cottle, at 17 she entered a contest on Gateway to Hollywood radio show and won a one-year movie contract with RKO.  She performed with her future husband Lee Bonnell who became known as Terry Belmont.  RKO changed her name to Gale Storm.

Only in the last ten years have I become aware that Gale had a long movie career in the 1940s where she was even cuter and all those other thoughts.  Her first film was Tom Brown's Schooldays (1940) where she plays the daughter of the pastry shop owner where the boys congregate for sweets.  Although 18 at the time Gale was made up like 15.  She gets her first screen kiss on the cheek from the star Jimmy Lydon.  She made approximately 35 films before television, often appearing with leading man Robert Lowery, Mantan Moreland, Frankie Darro and Johnny Downs in B pictures for Monogram, RKO and Republic.  None were classics, except perhaps the charming It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947) with Charlie Ruggles, Victor Moore and Don DeFore that shows widely every Christmas on TCM.

Gale Storm was likely to show up anywhere in the 1940s, whether in Revenge of the Zombies (1943), with Edgar Kennedy in Cosmo Jones Crime Fighter (1943) or Swing Parade of 1946 (1946) with the Three Stooges or with the East Side Kids in Smart Alecks (1942).

Gale made three memorable westerns with Roy Rogers, although billed in each after Sally Payne.  In Roy's last period western, Jesse James at Bay (1941), Sally and Gale are journalists in search of a story about Jesse.  Her chemistry with Roy leads to no surprise when she rides off with him to get married in the fade out.  In Red River Valley that same year they are already sweethearts as Roy sings to her in the opening scene during a moonlight ride.  Sally Payne plays Gabby's daughter at the newspaper.  Roy's third in a row with Gale was Man From Cheyenne (1942) that features a lot of hugging and kissing.  Gale and Roy hug in an early scene when he does not remember her from the ten year old girl he was raised with.  Then in a home coming scene, he kisses Gale passionately as well as Sally which makes her beau Pat Brady jealous.  Quick, name another film in which Roy kissed anyone!  One can easily imagine Gale becoming Roy's leading lady for years since he did not make a film with Dale Evans until 1944.  One can only guess that Monogram wanted her back.

Because she largely worked at the small studios, 13 of Gale's films are in the public domain.  I have most of them except for Rhythm Parade (Monogram, 1942) with Nils T. Grantland (who's that?), Robert Lowery, Margaret Dumont and the Mills Brothers.  It simply seems to be lost since every public domain vendor would love to issue such an attractive item.

Gale sang in many of her films or played a singer, but it wasn't until she was spotted singing on TV in The Colgate Comedy Hour in 1954 that someone thought to offer her a record contract.  Her first record sold over a million copies - a cover version of Smiley Lewis' "I Hear You Knocking."  She only recorded for Dot for two years while headlining in Las Vegas and making live appearances, then gave it up for husband and four children.  Most of her popular hits were covers for other artists.  Her many fans never forgot her!

And now for the entertainment!  Gale filmed Lure of the Islands (1942) in between her last Roy Rogers and only East Side Kids film.  It can best be described as pretty goofy!  Margie Hart's name appears above the title.  Margie was a burlesque stripper in New York who made just one film, this one!  Her looks and bronx accent are so strong that the film explains her being a South Sea maiden because her father was from the states.  Her pal is Gale Storm, also a native but fooling no one, so her non-ethnic presence is explained by Margie as "my cousin."  While Margie pairs up with Robert Lowery, Gale is stuck with that romantic hunk Guinn 'Big Boy' Williams.  It was unusual to find such a mint print of any Monogram Picture.  This may be the only one I have ever seen that has exit music over black after The End credits, so I included it in this brief excerpt of Gale Storm (age 20) dancing the hulu and singing her heart out at the request of Big Boy.  There is also a glimpse of Margie Hart.


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