RIP Tony Curtis

Tony Curtis (Bernard Schwartz) died yesterday from cardiac arrest at the age of 85. Known for being a screen legend and an accomplished artist, Tony was able to live a fulfilled life. He was always very nice to his fans from what I witnessed. Also, he was charismatic and a fantastic storyteller. I'm glad that I got to listen to him on two separate occasions, recalling experiences from his personal life, as well as from his career. Thanks for the laughs and the awesome movies, Tony! We sure are going to miss you!

R.I.P. James Byron Dean

Today marks the 55th anniversary of James Dean's death who was taken from us too soon when he died in a car accident back in 1955 at the age of 24. Even though his career as an actor was far too short with only three major films, the impact he made on society was prodigious and the image he created is timeless. The world will never forget him. We miss you Jimmy Dean, rest in peace.

R.I.P. Paul Newman

Today is the second year anniversary of Paul Newman's death. He passed away from lung cancer at the age of 83. Newman is known for being a fantastic actor and a philanthropist. Paul Newman and Newman's Own Foundation, which is the foundation that was created from his non-profit food products business, have donated more than $295 million to more than one thousand charities around the world. His commitment to helping others and making a difference continues on even after his death because of this foundation. He wanted to make the world a better place to live in and to provide less fortunate people with the chance to pursue their dreams or experience an amazing opportunity.

Newman won an Honorary Award (1986), an Oscar for his performance in The Color of Money (1986), and the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award (1994). He was nominated for many other Oscars, from Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1959) to Road to Perdition (2002).

Harry Potter: Deathly Hallows Trailer

I finished my Raymond Chandler novel, The Long Goodbye, a couple of nights ago. It is my favorite Chandler novel now. I really couldn't put it down. Everywhere I went, the book came along, well, except for while I was working. I think it was the insanity of the characters that really had me intrigued. Although, his other novels include insane characters as well. Philip Marlowe sure had to deal with some weird stuff. Missing people, fake names, chemically imbalanced characters, alcoholics, switchblades, overly drug friendly doctors, I could go on forever! Highly recommend this book for those of you who enjoy mysteries, detectives, and gangsters.

After I finished The Long Goodbye, I decided to start re-reading the Harry Potter series from the beginning. I'm almost done with Sorcerer's Stone already because I read it during my Amtrak ride today. I was highly entertained by it and was lost to the world of Harry Potter for the entire ride. It distracted me from the delays the train experienced due to freight trains that needed the tracks or something, I'm not sure what the reason was because the train conductor's microphone thing was making a terrible screeching sound. My expectations for Amtrak are extremely low now, I'm convinced that they have terrible luck. I was on it when it caught fire in the front cabin of it after hitting steel on the tracks. Clearly, not their fault that someone laid it on the tracks thinking it'd be a funny trick. Idiots. There is nothing funny about that. It could have blown up the train if the fire hit the gasoline! We were in the middle of nowhere when that happened, too. Thankfully Amtrak got the firemen there and fixed the problem, even though I heard that that train didn't get to its final destination until around 2:00 in the morning. I managed to escape the train well before then. I was with someone and we hitched a ride with a fireman to the nearest town and he dropped us off at a tavern because we had had nothing to eat.

Anyways, back to Harry Potter! I noticed today that a new trailer has been released for The Deathly Hallows Part I. This film looks like it might be the best of the Harry Potter series. I've posted the trailer below:

R.I.P. Grace Kelly

Grace Kelly passed away 28 years ago today. She is one of my favorite actresses and I love her style. The dresses she wore were so beautiful!

Having desired to become an actress since an early age, Grace decided to move to New York City to try her luck. While there, she began her career as a model. Then, she ended up landing some roles in broadway productions and television shows. Grace progressed to motion pictures and appeared in her first film in 1951 called Fourteen Hours. This was a very small role, but it was a start. A year later, she landed a larger role in a western film with Gary Cooper called High Noon. Then, in 1953, she was cast in Mogambo, a drama set in Africa, alongside Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. This film was a great hit and led her to Alfred Hitchcock, with whom she made several films, which include: Dial 'M' for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief. In 1955, she stared in the drama The Country Girl, opposite Bing Crosby and William Holden. Her performance as a wife struggling with an alcoholic husband and the death of a son earned her first and only Oscar. Then, in 1956, Grace played Tracy Lord in the musical High Society with Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, which was a remake of The Philadelphia Story (1940).

Grace's acting career ended once she married Prince Rainier of Monaco and became the Princess of Monaco. The Prince banned her movies from being played in Monaco. Grace spent the rest of her life in Monaco and the two had three children together. On September 14, 1982, she was killed due to injuries she sustained in a car accident.

R.I.P. Patrick Swayze

Today marks the one year anniversary of Patrick Swayze's death. He died from pancreatic cancer, which he had been diagnosed with in January 2008. Swayze began his career as a dancer in Disneyland parades playing Cinderella's Prince Charming. Dancing was always a part of his life, his mother Patsy was a choreographer and owned a dance school in Houston. He went to New York to further his training as a dancer at Harkness Ballet and Joffrey Ballet School.

Swayze is probably best known for his roles in Dirty Dancing (1987) and Ghost (1990). Of course, he was in many other movies and appeared in several television shows. He was nominated for three Golden Globes, for his performances in: (1) Dirty Dancing, (2) Ghost and (3) To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995).