The Silver Screen Oasis

Birthday gal Anna Magnani at the birthday party of her son Luca, October 23, 1956

Many thanks to my dear friend Moira who has helped me out here and guided me many times. She is quite a gal and I deeply appreciate her. I recall when she faced her own health problems and was very courageous through it all. Bless her.
Joe

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PRISCILLA LAWSON (1914 - 1958)


CLAIRE TREVOR (1910 - 2000)


LOUISE BEAVERS (1902 - 1962)

Birthday gal Louise Beavers and pal Hattie McDaniel all decked out in
their Sunday best

Birthday gal Claire Trevor and and husband Milton H. Bren attend the movie premiere party of 'The High and Mighty' in Los Angeles,CA.

Thanks, Joe! Love that great pic of Louise B. & Hattie putting on the Ritz. I hope they compared notes on how to survive in Hollywood.

If they had Oscars for supporting actress back then, Ms. Beavers--and Fredi Washington--should have been recognized for Imitation of Life (1934). I was doubly impressed by Louise in a recently aired (and formerly believed lost) film shown on TCM, West of the Pecos (1934). The actress received NO billing, but her role as an avenging angel against the bad guys in this Zane Grey western was remarkably modern and so unexpected! Hope others saw this one. The lady had moxie to spare as an actress and was equally capable of portraying great tenderness.

Moira, Louise Beavers was indeed a special lady. I adored her in most anything she starred in, I didn't get to see her in "West of the Pecos", drat.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

WILL GEER (1902 - 1978)

Three faces of today's birthday boy Will Geer:


As Jeeter Lester in the Broadway production of "Tobacco Road," 1941.


In a stage production of 'All's Well That Ends Well," Stratford, CT, 1959.


Promoting new Broadway play "Scratch," 1971 -- and looking more like Grandpa Walton here.

First image courtesy of Library of Congress.
Second and third images courtesy of NYPL.

Birthday boy Will Geer had some good movie roles yet he;ll most likely be
remembered as the grandfather in the TV deries "The Walton's" for which he
won an Emmy Award.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

EDWARD NORRIS (1911 - 2002)


BARRY FITZGERALD (1888 - 1961)

Dancers on the set of West Side Story warm up for rehearsal, 1960.

With their Oscars from the 1944 film “Going My Way,” birthday boy Barry Fitzgerald and
Bing Crosby

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

ALBERT SALMI (1928 - 1990) suicide


TIMOTHY CAREY (1929 - 1994)

Aaahhh, yes. The great one.