CAROL LYNLEY AS JEAN HARLOW

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Been toiling away on my new proposed book Dueling Harlows: Race to the Silver Screen. It is the back story of the productions of both 1965 screen biographies that came to the big screen within weeks of each other with the same title: Harlow. From the feuding rival producers, to the casting problems from a leading lady being let go weeks before filming to a co-star walking out a day before, to the rush productions to be the first movie released.  It was a battle with David vs Goliath proportions with Paramount’s showman Joe Levine with his Harlow starring Carroll Baker vs. upstart Bill Sargent with Electronovision’s Harlow with Carol Lynley.

In tribute below is a clip from Electronovision’s Harlow shot in 8 days!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3RbEtlJWlk

SAY IT AIN’T SO CAROL

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Recently it has come to light that Carol Lynley was offered and turned down the role of Valene Ewing on TV’s Dallas.  The show was filming on location in Dallas around summertime 1978 (after its brief run in the spring) and due to a personal comittment Lynley could not accept the role in the two-part episode “Reunion.” This was not Carol’s first big career mistake. Prior she turned down the role of Jack Nicholson’s sister-in-law in the acclaimed Five Easy Pieces (1970) because the producers were only paying scale.

There has been much message board chatter about Carol Lynley vs Joan Van Ark as Valene. Though I am a huge Carol fan and met Van Ark in person who did not impress me in the least, I agree with my friend that Carol would have handled the victimization of Valene on the Dallas episodes but not so sure if she would have excelled enough as Van Ark did to carry the spinoff series Knot’s Landing. What do you think? Post your comments if you have an opinion.

As a footnote when Lorimar Productions (who made Dallas and Knots Landing) came a-calling a second time Carol Lynley jumped at the chance to play the lead in Willow B: Women in Prison (1981) a TV pilot cashing in on the popularity of the hit Australian series Prisoner: Cell Block H that aired in late night. Alas Willow B was not picked up as a series.

SURF’S UP

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In my book Hollywood Surf & Beach Movies the only surf movie documentary I profiled was The Endless Summer (1966), which became a huge hit with mainstream audiences.  Of course, it launched a host of imitators trying to replicate its success but most never found an audience beyond the core surfing crowd.  One of them is Follow Me (1969) just released on DVD. Three surfers travel the globe to find the perfect wave backed by the songs of Dino, Billy & Desi!. Below is a link to Cinema retro’s review and a clip of the movie’s trailer:

http://www.cinemaretro.com/index.php?/archives/4734-DVD-REVIEW-FOLLOW-ME-SURFS-ON-TO-DVD.html#extended

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j1_v25oBpYk

BEAT THE HEAT WITH THE COOL ONES

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The Cool Ones (1967) starring Roddy McDowall, Debbie Watson, and Gil Peterson was a pleasant parody of teenage dance shows and Svengali-like record producers ala Phil Spector as a go-go girl just wants to sing and sing she does in a middle of a live TV production number causing all sorts of havoc. As the tagline proclaimed, “It’s the story of a teenage singing idol who had it all … lost it … and had to find it all over again.  Oh, those Go-Go girls, and those get-get guys!”

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSu-zAe5rhQ