Petronella Wyatt
@PetronellaWyatt • 24,791 subscribers
Writer/ broadcaster. Ex Dep Ed @Spectator. Columnist @Telegraph @Spectator @DailyMail Commentator @GBNEWS @TalkTv @GMB Film fanatic. Pronouns genius/mastermind
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Christopher Plummer, who was a concert standard pianist with a fine musical ear, was furious when his singing voice was dubbed in “The Sound Of Music” (1965), and went on a drunken rampage through Salzburg. (He told me in an interview that the dubbing incident was one of the reasons he was rude about the film.) This is Plummer’s original vocal performance of “Edelweiss” - a chance to hear the song as he recorded it.
Petronella Wyatt1,087,843 görüntüleme • 1 ay önce
“Can you forgive me?” “That I can.” Michael Caine and Sean Connery are done for in John Huston’s “The Man who would be King” (1975). Based on Rudyard Kipling’s novella, both actors said it was their favourite film. They were fortunate to appear in it. Huston had planned to make the film since the 1950s, with Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart in the roles of Danny and Peachy, but both actors died. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas were then approached, but turned the film down. In the 1970s, Huston offered the parts to Robert Redford and Paul Newman, but Newman argued that British actors should be cast and it was he who recommended Connery and Caine. The role of Rudyard Kipling was played by the great Christopher Plummer.
Petronella Wyatt108,026 görüntüleme • 6 gün önce
“Cat! Oh, cat!” Truman Capote disliked the 1961 film version of his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”, because it sanitised the character of Holly Golightly, turning her from a call girl into a madcap socialite. But he was particularly enraged by the film’s ending, which is one of the most romantic imaginable, and unites Holly and Paul (George Peppard) as they search for her cat in the rain, finding it, and embracing. In the book, the ending is melancholy and ambiguous. Holly rejects love, gets rid of her pet and boards a flight to South America. Moreover, the cat remains lost.
Petronella Wyatt128,472 görüntüleme • 8 gün önce
Raquel Welch on wearing the iconic bikini in "One Million Years B.C." (1966) and the important advice given to her by James Stewart: "I don’t do much in "One Million Years B.C." (1966) except run around in this outfit! I’m often asked if I get sick of talking about that bikini. But the truth is, I don’t. It was a major event in my life so why not talk about it? Almost every day I get copies of the photo sent to me for an autograph. I must have looked at that photo one million times. I remember James Stewart telling me a long time ago never to avoid your fans or the things that your fans like about you. It was good advice. We had several doubles of the bikini because when it got wet you couldn’t wear it again right away. Nothing really happened to it. I have the ones that were left over, the backups."
Petronella Wyatt346,766 görüntüleme • 1 ay önce
“Bewitched” (1964-1972). When it became clear that Dick York was unable to continue with the series because of poor health, producer William Asher considered canceling it - not only because of York's departure, but due to wife Elizabeth Montgomery’s interest in other projects. In the end, they decided to continue. When York was replaced by Dick Sargent, the ratings dropped 13 places. However, they were still high enough to make a profit. One problem remained; how to explain why Darrin looked and sounded different. Many people came up with outlandish ideas, including witchcraft, but Asher thought that viewers understood Sargent was just an actor playing a role, and decided that the best explanation was no explanation at all.
Petronella Wyatt185,467 görüntüleme • 23 gün önce
Rare footage of Carole Lombard the day before she died on January 16th, 1942. Lombard was in Indiana for a war bond rally with her mother, Bess. She had initially planned to return to Los Angeles by train, as Bess was scared of flying, but rumours that Lana Turner was flirting with Carole’s husband Clark Gable prompted Lombard to take an aeroplane. In the early morning, Carole and her mother boarded a Transcontinental aircraft. The plane crashed into Potosi Mountain, near Las Vegas. There were no survivors. Lombard was only 33.
Petronella Wyatt170,890 görüntüleme • 21 gün önce
In Jerome Kern’s “Showboat” (1951), Ava Gardner had her songs dubbed by Annette Warren. It was a huge blow to the actress who had practised for months with the help of lover Frank Sinatra, and had developed a more than acceptable singing voice. But Arthur Freed kept changing his mind and ultimately rejected her efforts. Here are Ava’s own vocals for the lovely “Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man”. IMO Freed made a mistake.
Petronella Wyatt59,677 görüntüleme • 8 gün önce
Vivien Leigh’s screen tests for “Rebecca” (1940), opposite Laurence Olivier who had been cast as Maxim de Winter. Vivien desperately wanted the role of the timid second wife, but producer David Selznick said she was “still playing Scarlett and would convince no one.” The part went to newcomer Joan Fontaine.
Petronella Wyatt21,917 görüntüleme • 4 gün önce
William Wyler wanted an unknown actress to be cast in "Roman Holiday" (1953). Hepburn got an appointment to meet the director and turned up wearing a blouse and slacks. Even before seeing her test, Wyler recommended that Hepburn be put under contract. But he still had to discover whether her personality translated to the screen before she could be cast as the princess. "I couldn't stay to make the test, so I arranged for one." He left precise instructions. As Wyler explained later, "a test is precarious. A good actress might make a very bad test, because of nervousness or whatever. So I asked the director to perform an old trick." Whoever was assigned should "conspire with the cameraman and the sound man to continue to run camera and sound after the scene ended, in the hope that the girl would not be aware of this." This would allow him to see her "completely relaxed." This piece of footage was the result, and won Audrey the part.
Petronella Wyatt80,001 görüntüleme • 18 gün önce
Audrey Hepburn was devastated when Marni Nixon was hired to dub her singing voice in “My Fair Lady.” These are Audrey’s own recordings of “Wouldn’t it be Luverly” and “Show Me” - a rare opportunity to hear her performing some of the film’s iconic songs.
Petronella Wyatt178,671 görüntüleme • 1 ay önce
Peter Ustinov tells a very funny story about Alec Guinness and Adolf Hitler
Petronella Wyatt211,368 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce
Lana Turner, as Cora, makes what is arguably the most erotic entrance in any movie as the camera pans up her legs in “The Postman Always Rings Twice” (1946). The 1981 remake was sexless by comparison. Turner should have won an Oscar for her performance.
Petronella Wyatt203,658 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce
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The famous “rape” scene. Actress Tippi Hedren was baffled by Hitchcock’s casting of Sean Connery in “Marnie”(1964). She argued that even the most frigid woman would never scream if a man as attractive as Connery approached her, and insisted she would be unable to do the scene. Hitchcock replied “It’s called acting.” Years before, while filming “Spellbound”, Ingrid Bergman had told Hitch that she was unable to convey the emotion he wanted. She recalled: ‘He said, ‘fake it’, Ingrid’”, adding it was the best advice she had ever been given.
Petronella Wyatt108,280 görüntüleme • 2 ay önce
Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra singing together for the only time. To welcome Elvis back from the Army, Frank Sinatra did a special around him called “The Frank Sinatra Timex Show: Welcome Home Elvis.” The show was taped in Miami on March 26, 1960 and aired on May 8. Having been away for two years, Elvis was nervous about the public reaction. He needn’t have been.
Petronella Wyatt28,209 görüntüleme • 14 gün önce
Audrey Hepburn’s costume tests for “Roman Holiday” (1953). The voice over was done by designer Edith Head.
Petronella Wyatt31,021 görüntüleme • 17 gün önce