If Charlie Parker Was a Gunslinger,There'd Be a Whole Lot of Dead Copycats

The Art of the Opening Credit #2

2012-01-27T16:35:00.002-05:00

Crime Without Passion (Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, 1934), montage designed by Slavko Vorkapich

The Art of the Opening Credit #1

2012-01-27T14:28:00.002-05:00

99 44/100% Dead (John Frankenheimer, 1974); titles by Phill Norman, music by Henry Mancini

The Art of the Cinema #480

2012-01-26T17:12:00.000-05:00

World Without End (Edward Bernds, 1956)

They Were Collaborators #703

2012-01-26T11:28:00.004-05:00

Andy Warhol and Nico

Mop Tops in Action #49

2012-01-25T16:02:00.005-05:00

Paul McCartney fiddles around with an ancestor of the keytar, The Tubon, backstage at a gig in Germany.

For the curious, here's a clip of the Swedish-built instrument in action, used by Scandinavian musical comedy act Hasse & Tage, on the song What the Hell Are They Doing in the Bank After Three O'Clock?

Artists and Animals #83

2012-01-25T16:00:00.001-05:00

Harold Lloyd gets in a clinch with a great dane.

The Friends of Flagg #5

2012-01-25T15:57:00.002-05:00

Woodrow Wilson

"Colonel House got me a seat in a theatre, from which I could make this caricature of Wilson, which I labelled 'teacher'. I got outraged letters from devotees of the President. One in Texas called me a murderer!"

The Golden Age of the Anti-Masterpiece #2

2012-01-24T18:12:00.002-05:00

Mimsy Farmer freaks out on acid (or over that populuxe décor) in Riot on Sunset Strip (Arthur Dreifuss, 1967)

A Kovacs Moment #8

2012-01-23T15:50:00.003-05:00

To celebrate Ernie Kovacs' 93rd birthday today, here's a rare example of his unique brand of absurdity appearing on the big screen in the trailer for Richard Quine's 1957 service comedy Operation Mad Ball.

Artists in Action #645

2012-01-23T15:23:00.001-05:00

James Joyce jams to Johannes Jeep in 1915.

American Logo #4

2012-01-23T10:25:00.004-05:00

The Golden Age of the Anti-Masterpiece #1

2012-01-21T15:19:00.002-05:00

They Saved Hitler’s Brain (David Bradley, 1963/68)

Mop Tops in Action #48

2012-01-21T15:11:00.000-05:00

George and wife Pattie (aka ‘Layla’) tripping in the Haight-Ashbury in 1967

Adventures in American Filmmaking #148

2012-01-21T12:15:00.000-05:00

Julie Adams watches Budd Boetticher direct a punch at a stuntman while filming The Man from the Alamo (1953).

When Legends Gather #636Jokers, Smokers and Midnight Tokers #5

2012-01-21T11:24:00.001-05:00

Keith Richards and Levon Helm (photo by Jim Herrington)

Marilyn in Action #57

2012-01-20T16:35:00.002-05:00

Marilyn snaps.

The Art of Songwriting #24

2012-01-20T16:29:00.003-05:00

The Kodak Girl
(Music & lyrics: William T. Cramer)
(Averill Publishing Co.; 1902)

People Who Died #50

2012-01-20T16:01:00.000-05:00

George Eastman

The Art of the Cinema #479

2012-01-20T15:47:00.000-05:00

The Trials of Alger Hiss (John Lowenthal, 1979)

Elisha Cook Jr. Gets the Shaft Again #2

2012-01-20T12:39:00.001-05:00

Fed to the lions by Michael Gough in Black Zoo
(Robert Gordon; 1963)

Faces of Science #40

2012-01-20T10:31:00.002-05:00

Glenn T. Seaborg

Original Caption:

Prof. Seaborg, co-discoverer of plutonium, shows a container that holds samples of the radioactive, artificially produced elements 94 through 102.

This Sporting Life #34

2012-01-20T10:21:00.000-05:00

Original Caption:

June 20, 1963. Pretty As A Pitcher. A figure familiar to basketball fans, Wilt "The Stilt" Chamberlain, stoops to conquer as he prepares to display his skill on the baseball diamond. The pitcher, whose long, lovely legs frame the hoop star, is Carol Hodecker. The cute blonde catcher is Charlotte Kirsten, who came to the U. S., from West Berlin six years ago. Both gals are "Bunnies" (hostesses) from the Playboy Club. Wilt met them as they were warming up in a Central Park field for a game with show girls from a Broadway musical in the Broadway Show League series. Wilt never had such glamorous opponents on the basketball court! He now plays with the San Francisco Warriors.

Artists in Action #644

2012-01-19T15:45:00.001-05:00

Cameron Diaz prepares to suds up on a Saturday afternoon.

Elisha Cook Jr. Gets the Shaft Again #1

2012-01-19T15:15:00.001-05:00

Wrongly convicted of murder in Stranger On The Third Floor
(Boris Ingster; 1940)

Too Big to Fail #3

2012-01-19T12:46:00.002-05:00

Eastman Kodak Co., 1892-2012

Adventures in the National Pastime #14

2012-01-19T07:41:00.003-05:00

Twenty-six-year-old Eddie Gaedel at bat (for the first and only time) for the St. Louis Browns on August 19, 1951. A dwarf/little person standing 3’ 7”, he wore the number “⅛” on his jersey.

Son of a Preacherman #6

2012-01-18T14:27:00.000-05:00

Woodrow Wilson, President of Princeton University and later President of the United States of America

Artists and Animals #82

2012-01-18T14:11:00.000-05:00

Barbara Stanwyck, astride one lucky horsey, near her home in Hollywood in 1938.

When Legends Gather #635Jokers, Smokers and Midnight Tokers #4

2012-01-18T13:18:00.002-05:00

Rick Danko and Janis Joplin

The Art of the Cinema #478

2012-01-18T07:12:00.004-05:00

In his autobiography, Luis Buñuel singled out the obscure Polish film, Rękopis znaleziony w Saragossie (The Saragossa Manuscript, 1965) as a personal favorite, one of the few pictures he saw more than once (three times, in fact). It was an adaptation of a novel by Polish author Jan Potocki, who left behind the incomplete work upon his suicide in 1815. Directed by Wojciech Has, the 182-minute epic surrealist film was severely edited (up to an hour) and fell out of circulation for decades. An uncut print eventually surfaced in 1999, thanks to Martin Scorsese and Francis Coppola, who were following the lead of Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia, the initial instigator and partial financier of its restoration. (The musician died in 1995, before he could see his favorite movie back in its original condition.) For assistance in solving some of The Saragossa Manuscript’s mysteries, go here.

Movie of the Week #22

2012-01-16T08:46:00.001-05:00

The Responsive Eye
(Brian De Palma; 1965)

Seminal Image #1028

2012-01-15T18:06:00.001-05:00

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz (Luis Buñuel, 1955)

When Legends Gather #634

2012-01-15T11:14:00.002-05:00

Judy Garland, Carol Burnett and Danny Kaye meet Mr. President.

Son of a Preacherman #5

2012-01-15T11:08:00.003-05:00

Stan Freberg
(Taken on the set of a futuristic Freberg spot featuring friend Ray Bradbury.)

Unwanted Image #17

2012-01-14T16:46:00.001-05:00

Tom Wright painting from an unproduced segment of Night Gallery, possibly "Daughter of Darkness."

The Art of Cinema #477Great Canadians of the 20th Century #18

2012-01-13T14:52:00.004-05:00

This 1978 concert film (to date the only picture shot in Rust-O-Vision™) was directed by the legendary Bernard Shakey.

The Fair: Welcome to Century 21 #8

2012-01-13T10:52:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Science Building, at night.

The Lunatic Fringe #7Self Portrait #19

2012-01-13T10:41:00.005-05:00

To celebrate Friday the 13th, not so fringe Aleister Crowley, self-portrait.

The Gunslinger Guide to Karel Zeman #2

2012-01-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

from Baron Prášil (Baron Munchausen); 1961
The complete film is available on YouTube here.

Selling the Silents #25

2012-01-12T21:56:00.002-05:00

Mantrap
(Victor Flemming; 1926)

The Friends of Flagg #4

2012-01-12T21:55:00.002-05:00

Anna Pavlova

" 'It' girl from the days when ballet was merely an interlude in an opera to give people — especially the sopranos — a chance to catch their breath. I can't imagine today's cult of ballet fans wanting to sit through a whole evening of it!"

Community Auditions #2

2012-01-12T15:28:00.000-05:00

The spirit of Elliott Smith is alive and . . . uhhhh . . . as well as can be expected in a song that appears to be the singer's own, pretty damned good composition.

Tricky: Scenes from a Life #118

2012-01-11T17:58:00.001-05:00

Movie star Tricky

Great Canadians of the 20th Century #17Before and After #251: Monty Hall

2012-01-11T16:14:00.002-05:00

Before:

After:

The Art of Cinema #476

2012-01-11T14:33:00.000-05:00

Ronald Reagan’s only acting gig alongside future wife Nancy Davis, Nathan Juran’s Hellcats of the Navy (1957).

Sex Education #163

2012-01-11T08:04:00.000-05:00

Mrs. Peel leaves what must have been a fabulous party.

A Kovacs Moment #6

2012-01-11T08:03:00.001-05:00

Ernie demonstrates the horizontal hold.

Great Moments in Moxie #28

2012-01-11T08:00:00.002-05:00

Moxie is available at a local American Express outlet.

Great Junkies of the 20th Century #9

2012-01-10T10:28:00.002-05:00

Michael Jackson

Cartoon Planet #2

2012-01-10T04:54:00.000-05:00

Radio Racket
(John Foster & Mannie Davis; 1931)

The British Character #2

2012-01-09T09:49:00.001-05:00

Aubrey Morris

Annals of Public Performance #42

2012-01-09T09:31:00.001-05:00

Margaret Truman challenges her 1953 audience with an aria from Rigoletto.

Before and After #250: Babylonian Fertility God

2012-01-08T14:03:00.002-05:00

Lana Turner (as ‘Samarra’) stands before a decidedly masculine rendition of the goddess Astarte in MGM’s opulent production of The Prodigal (1955).

Having changed hands several times over the decades, the dilapidated statue now resides in a neighborhood backyard in Lumberton, New Jersey.

The Art of Cinema #475

2012-01-07T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ro.Go.Pa.G. (1963) is a four-part omnibus film (the format was quite popular in Europe during the 60s), its title an amalgam of directors Roberto Rossellini, Jean-Luc Godard, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Ugo Gregoretti.

Artists and Animals #81

2012-01-07T08:15:00.000-05:00

Carole Lombard has her hands full.

The Friends of Flagg #3

2012-01-07T08:12:00.002-05:00

John Drew

" 'Uncle John' Drew was a stage institution of his day; but he said he felt the height of success was having a five cent cigar named for him. His ability, his humor, his charm, urbanity, and sartorical perfection made him tops. I used to twit him about falling asleep when he was sitting for his portrait. This he indignantly denied, saying, 'And you, you gave me a purple eyebrow!' "

They Were Collaborators #702

2012-01-07T08:11:00.000-05:00

Kraftwerk

Voices #10

2012-01-07T08:09:00.001-05:00

Pinto Colvig

Sex Education #162

2012-01-06T14:19:00.001-05:00

Jane Russell in Raoul Walsh’s The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1955), from a screenplay by the ever-intriguing Sydney Boehm.

Jesters of the Republic #51

2012-01-06T09:01:00.001-05:00

Happy 100th birthday to Danny Thomas

The Welcoming Committee #2

2012-01-05T09:01:00.001-05:00

from Queen of Outer Space
(Edward Bernds; 1958)

This Week's Weegee #81

2012-01-05T08:36:00.002-05:00

Girls of the Golden West #5

2012-01-05T07:04:00.002-05:00

Rita Hayworth in The Renegade Ranger (David Howard; 1938)

Home Is Where the Heart Is #15

2012-01-04T16:22:00.002-05:00

Jayne Mansfield's bedroom (California; 1961)

The Art of Cinema #474

2012-01-04T16:05:00.002-05:00

La Femme et le Pantin (A Woman Like Satan)
(Julien Duvivier; 1959)

Marilyn in Action #56

2012-01-04T15:59:00.002-05:00

Marilyn bewares.

The Ink & Paint Set #42

2012-01-04T15:56:00.002-05:00

George Arliss and Joe E. Brown
from Merry Mutineers
(Charles Mintz; Columbia; 1936)

Son of a Preacherman #4Poets are both clean and warmAnd most are far above the norm Whether here or on the roam Have a poet in every home! #56

2012-01-04T11:06:00.001-05:00

James Russell Lowell

The Rhythm Method #4

2012-01-04T10:30:00.001-05:00

Steve Cropper
Rhythm Guitar

Community Auditions #1

2012-01-04T03:07:00.000-05:00

Wherein runners up of, respectively, the Mata Hari and Orlando Bloom Lookalike Contests work their way through Evan Dando's loveliest composition, My Drug Buddy, as a make-believe fire looks on.

Men of God #24

2012-01-04T02:55:00.002-05:00

Herbert W. Armstrong

Adventures in American Filmmaking #147

2012-01-03T17:55:00.000-05:00

Director’s commentary on Not Where You Saw by John and Richard Ramsey (two minutes, twenty seconds).

The Art of Jazz #128

2012-01-03T16:45:00.003-05:00

Trombone By Three
(Jay Jay Johnson, Kai Winding, Bennie Green)
(Prestige; 1956)

Civic Portraiture #36

2012-01-03T12:52:00.003-05:00

Steven Tyler

Friends of Milt Hinton #24Jokers, Smokers and Midnight Tokers #3

2012-01-03T11:00:00.004-05:00

Louis Armstrong, who was arrested November 1930 (along with drummer Vic Berton) outside the Cotton Club, Culver City, CA, for violating a California law outlawing the possession of extracts, tinctures, or other narcotic preparations of hemp, or loco-weed, their preparations and compounds.

Welcome to Show Business! #43

2012-01-03T00:04:00.001-05:00

Original Caption:

Preparing for Her Comeback.

Hollywood -- Mary Pickford, long known as America's "Sweetheart of the Screen" puts the finishing touches to her makeup as Roy Laidlaw assists her. Miss Pickford, who is a rarely seen figure on the screen these days, is expected to make a comeback to satisfy her huge retinue of admirers throughout the entire world. (1932)

When Legends Gather #633

2012-01-03T00:03:00.001-05:00

Vincent Price and Alfred Hitchcock

The Gunslinger Guide to Catherine Deneuve #12

2012-01-03T00:02:00.000-05:00

Politicians in Action #62

2012-01-03T00:01:00.001-05:00

President John F. Kennedy makes a mental note to count his fingers.

This Sporting Life #33

2012-01-03T00:00:00.006-05:00

Original Caption:

Game Opponent.

New York -- Studying the board in the mirror atop his iron lung, 17-year-old Polio patient Bruce Campbell plays a match with two-time U.S. Chess champion Bobby Fischer, 15, of Brooklyn. The game was one of several Bobby played at the March of Dimes-supported Goldwater Memorial Hospital's respiratory center on Welfare Island, New York. Bruce called out his moves and Bobby made them. Bobby won the game, and made a big hit with the excited patients, who are being rehabilitated as part of the National Foundation's expanded program to combat arthritis and birth defects as well as polio. (1959)

Jokers, Smokers and Midnight Tokers #2

2012-01-02T17:08:00.000-05:00

Paul McCartney explains to Japanese authorities that he was "just so high" when he packed 7.7 ounces of reefer in his luggage before arriving in Tokyo for his January 1980 Wings performances.

The Art of the Girlie Mag #21

2012-01-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

Health and Life (March, 1925)

"Health and Life: The National Monthly Magazine for Health, Physical Education, and Right Living "

(featuring "Camping Out in the Snow - a Real Hardy 'Health and Life' Girl").

The Welcoming Committee #1

2012-01-02T15:56:00.001-05:00

from Flash Gordon (Chapter 1, The Planet of Peril)
(Frederick Stephani & Ray Taylor; 1936)

The Gunslinger Guide to Karel Zeman #1

2012-01-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

from Cesta Do Praveku (Journey to The Beginning of Time); 1955
The complete film is available on YouTube here.

The Friends of Flagg #2

2012-01-02T08:48:00.003-05:00

Theodore Roosevelt

"I marched to Sagamore Hill with the gang to get him to run again for President after he came back from the River of Doubt. Teddy was hated by big business, as was F.D.R. later on. He posed for me and when he looked at the drawing said, 'That's very good of you!' I was puzzled how to take that."

Similar Images #16S is for Steichen #20

2012-01-02T08:41:00.005-05:00

The Pond—Moonlight (Edward Steichen; 1904)

Fantasia (Wilfred Jackson; 1940)

The First Person You See #10

2012-01-02T08:11:00.004-05:00

Gunji (Koji Tsuruta) in Sympathy for the Underdog (d. Kinji Fukasaku; 1971)

Sex Education #161

2012-01-01T11:13:00.000-05:00

Maggie Wheeler shuns David Duchovny’s advances in New Year’s Day (Henry Jaglom, 1989).

Jokers, Smokers and Midnight Tokers #1

2012-01-01T10:44:00.001-05:00

Robert Mitchum sweeps his jail cell after getting busted for marijuana in 1948.

Signs and Meaning in Cinema #53

2011-12-31T22:40:00.001-05:00

Signs and Meaning: Scarlet Street
(Fritz Lang; 1945)

Sex Education #160The Gunslinger Guide to Barbara Steele #4

2011-12-31T22:35:00.001-05:00

Annals of Public Performance #38

2011-12-31T22:32:00.001-05:00

Peter Garrett of Midnight Oil, Glastonbury, UK, 1985.

K is for Kinski #3

2011-12-31T22:25:00.001-05:00

Der Zinker
(The Squeeker)
(Alfred Vohrer; 1963)

Artifacts #26

2011-12-31T08:12:00.001-05:00

Woody Guthrie's New Year's resolutions.

Images on Images #6

2011-12-31T08:11:00.001-05:00

Noah's Ark
(Michael Curtiz; 1928)

Seminal Image #1027

2011-12-31T07:58:00.003-05:00

Broadway Danny Rose
(Woody Allen; 1984)

Politicians in Action #61

2011-12-30T10:44:00.002-05:00

Tailgunner Joe takes a break from smearing his fellow man to explain he once "caught a commie this big."

L is for Lange #11Twilight of the Dreamboats #45

2011-12-30T09:05:00.001-05:00

U.S. Highway #40, California (1956)

Faces from the Past #17Great Moments in Moxie #27

2011-12-30T07:06:00.006-05:00

Enjoying a goat-cart ride at the Coney Island Zoo in 1904.

Another fine photo from the folks at Shorpy. See the high-res version here.

Cartoon Planet #1

2011-12-30T02:36:00.000-05:00

Rooty Toot Toot
(John Hubley; 1951)