Reel Old Movies

On this date in Hollywood history -- June edition: Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Rosalind Russell, Hazel Scott and more celebrate birthdays, Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. tie the knot, "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor releases, "Grease" makes its premiere and more! ... Discover what happened on days throughout June in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more. ( And explore previous months ) This story will be updated throughout the month June 24 Mary Pickford was Hollywood’s first million-dollar star. On June 24, 1916, “America’s Sweetheart” signed a contract for a million dollars over two years, with control over her movies’ productions and half the profits to boot! Three years later, the shrewd businesswoman would co-found United Artists movie company. A few of Pickford’s movies made in that period: “A Romance of the Redwoods” (1917), “The Poor...

Who needs fictional beach reads when you can get your fill of murder, romance, drama and more from books about Hollywood’s history and stars? Here’s a round-up of a few new(ish) books from the last few years to get you through the dog days of summer. 

For more than 100 years, the big screen has told stories from The Great War. But the movies made during — or shortly after — World War I offer a unique perspective. 

One of the original pair of iconic ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in "The Wizard of Oz" disappeared in 2005. The mystery had been the subject of numerous investigations, documentaries and even a podcast series.  The iconic shoes were recovered in 2018 in an FBI sting, but the mystery remained of who stole the ruby slippers from The Judy Garland Museum in Minnesota and how they got away with it.  Now, some of those answers may be imminent after a 76-year-old man was indicted this week, the first charges in the case. Terry J. Martin was indicted Tuesday with one count of theft of a major artwork, according to U.S. Justice Department officials. The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported that Martin is 76 and lives 12 miles south of the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids, Minnesota.  The indictment and news release by the Justice Department do not give details about how the crime was allegedly committed and who and where the shoes were held before the 2018 recovery. They do...

On this date in Hollywood history -- May edition: Clint Eastwood, Rudolph Valentino, Gary Cooper, Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn and Audrey Hepburn celebrate birthdays, "The Postman Always Rings Twice" with Lana Turner releases, James Bond premieres in the United States and more! ... Discover what happened on days throughout May in Hollywood history, from historic film premieres and industry milestones to anniversaries of birthdays/deaths of beloved Old Hollywood figures, and more.  (And explore previous months) This story will be updated throughout the month May 31 Make his (birth)day … Clint Eastwood celebrates his 93rd birthday May 31! “Go ahead, make my day” is one of the most famous movie quotes of all time (coming in at No. 6 on AFI’s 100 best movie quotes list) and is from Eastwood’s 1983 movie “Sudden Impact,” the fourth in the “Dirty Harry” series. View this post on Instagram A post shared by ReelOldMovies.com (@reeloldmovies) May 26 The icon...