A Birthday Poem

Thanks to William V. Madison, author of my all-time favorite biography, Madeline Kahn: Being the Music – A Life,  for posting the following birthday poem on my Facebook page last Sunday.  I love a good rhyme, so this was a special treat for me.

I hope your birthday's truly groovy,

Jam-packed with friends and fun and movie.

From cold New York I hope you hear

My wish for you: a Magic Year.

Thanks also to 108 other wonderful Facebook friends for their warm birthday wishes.  They all helped make this year’s birthday truly groovy!

Maureen O'Hara On Demand

Get ready for St. Patrick’s Day by listening to a MAUREEN O’HARA TRIBUTE show on Movie Addict Headquarters. This popular episode airs ON DEMAND from March 10 through March 18 on BlogTalkRadio. Listen any time by clicking the link at the end of this post.

Brought to Hollywood from Ireland by Charles Laughton during the late 1930s, O’Hara achieved immediate acclaim for her fiery performances in The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Jamaica Inn. She remained a popular box-office draw throughout her long acting career (seven decades!) and played opposite a host of A-list actors, including John Wayne, Tyrone Power, Henry Fonda and Jimmy Stewart. O’Hara, who passed away in 2015 at the age of 95, appeared in such classic movies as The Quiet Man, Miracle on 34th Street, How Green Was My Valley, The Spanish Main and McClintock.

Because of her beautiful red hair, O’Hara has been called the Queen of Technicolor, and her work in so many Western movies earned her a Golden Boot Award in 1991. She also received an Honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. O’Hara displayed a talent for acting as a child and was accepted into Ireland’s Abbey Theater at the age of 14. Ironically, her operatic training there seemed wasted in Hollywood. Although she was the number one choice for the lead in The King and I musical, the director didn’t want someone who made “all those pirate movies” playing Anna -- so the role went to Deborah Kerr, whose vocals had to be dubbed. Go figure!

During this encore episode, classic movie experts Diana Saenger and James Colt Harrison discuss their favorite Maureen O’Hara films and performances. Saenger is the founder of Classic Movie Guide and Harrison is a film historian who contributes movie commentary to a variety of outlets including Classic Movie Guide and Review Express.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day, movie fans!

HOST:  Betty Jo Tucker
PRODUCER: Nikki Starr  
LINK:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/movieaddictheadquarters/2015/03/17/actress-maureen-ohara-tribute

A Good Man

Marvin Goodman – good man, for sure.

His friends and neighbors all concur.

He always knew that kindness pays

and tried to help in many ways.

These memories are very strong.

Within our hearts he will live on.

R.I.P.

From Larry and Betty Jo Tucker