READERS WRITE IN!

Many people know that the first "talkie" was "The Jazz Singer", starring Al Jolson, in the autumn of l927. Mike asked what the sequel to it was, that is, the second "talkie" made.

The answer: "The Singing Fool", also starring Al Jolson, was the 1928 follow-up to the "Singer's" success. It was part "talkie", part "silent", and featured "I'm Sitting On Top of the World", song heard for the first time by movie audiences.

My friend Rodney recognized and correctly identified "The World's Greatest Tap Dancer". Who was it?

The answer: Eleanor Powell, MGM's first dancing star. She was bestowed this deserved title in 1937 {and for the next 45 years}, as well as "The Queen of Tap", and "The Smiling Dancing Machine".

Edith Steffenklacker of Bell Buckle, Tennessee asks, "How many swimming musical pictures did Esther Williams make?"

The answer: The champion swimmer and "Aquacade" star swam and dived her way in 22 MGM musicals beginning in 1942 to 1955.

Charlie Chan fan Berwick, who resides in Slimy River Bottom, Kentucky, writes in: "Was there a detective movie 'Charlie Chan and the Mystery of the Yellow Snow?'"

The answer: No, there was not a movie by that title {see the Charlie Chan section on this webpage}. I might suggest, however, the movie with Clark Gable and Jean Harlow, "Red Dust".

This interesting query was sent by Morris Kode, in Spytown, New York: "I have seen the hit movie 'Titanic', made a couple of years ago and loved it! Gloria Stuart, who played the elderly lady, was a movie star in the 1930's. Is that right? What were the names of the movies she was in?

The answer: She was seen in 1933's "The Invisible Man", starring Claude Rains, and in a spooky picture "The Old Dark House" in 1934. "The Gold Diggers of 1935" was another one of her movies then. She was VERY beautiful then, with short, curly blonde hair and gorgeous blue eyes. It is fascinating to see what the stars were like in their early careers--- there's no one like them!

Nostalgically,

Stephanie