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New Book about Mary Wickes

tjw

By tjw,
in The Danfield Tribune

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Taravella Newbie

Taravella

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Hi, folks. For those of you in the Los Angeles area: This Sunday, July 7, I'll be doing a reading and signing of the Mary Wickes biography, joined in a Q&A by Mary's good friend Bill Givens. If you're in town over the holiday weekend, please join us. We'll begin at 11:15 at All Saints' Episcopal Church on Camden Drive in Beverly Hills, in the Lower Hall. Free parking in the public garage across the street on Santa Monica Blvd.

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Brock Newbie

Brock

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I hope your signing goes very well, worthy of this invaluable and terrifically readable book!

 

The Music Man is wrapping up on TCM right now and it is amazing how Mary was able to milk her relatively small role so well. Her entrance into the school gym on the way to the Grecian Urn rehearsal is one of my personal highlights in an all-round wonderful movie.

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Desiluforever Newbie

Desiluforever

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Steve let me be the first of no doubt many to say (1) welcome and (2) thank you for your wonderful work documenting Mary Wickes' life and career! (And thanks to to Tom #1 for getting you on board, I've been getting a lot of answered requests late, hmm let's see what next I can ask for :lucycoy: )

 

I would love for this to have been Mary Wickes, any new film credit is always welcome but I just didn't think it looked that much like her.

 

Oh and I think I know who this gal might be now, even more probable than Mary Treen. She strongly resembles Judy Canova with the braids and the way she holds her head and her posture but I don't think it's Judy but rather her older sister Anne Canova who like Judy was in the family's vaudeville act, The Canovas, in the early 1930's and yes they were active in New York at this time. Here's a picture of the family in the later 1930's working on radio with Charlie and Edgar with Anne off to the right. If it's not one of the Canova gals this actress surely caught their act and picked up on their hillbilly characters. The Canovas were an amazing act, an Italian-Latino family who became stars as hillbilly singers/comedians!!

 

canovaannebio.jpg

Hey! Im just catching up on this now... haven't been following this thread and just saw it now. Im actually friends with the daughter of Judy Canova, Diana (who was on SOAP, and a bunch of other stuff up through the late 90s) anyways... Ill have to ask her about whether or not this was Judy. Fun fact: Judy's husband who was from Cuba, knew Desi while he was still in the country... plus the Canovas used to attend the large parties they had at the Roxbury house. Sorry to steer off topic, but thought Id throw in. :)

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Brock Newbie

Brock

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Hey! Im just catching up on this now... haven't been following this thread and just saw it now. Im actually friends with the daughter of Judy Canova, Diana (who was on SOAP, and a bunch of other stuff up through the late 90s) anyways... Ill have to ask her about whether or not this was Judy. Fun fact: Judy's husband who was from Cuba, knew Desi while he was still in the country... plus the Canovas used to attend the large parties they had at the Roxbury house. Sorry to steer off topic, but thought Id throw in. :)

 

Well, it's a perfect excuse to refresh my list of Diana Canova questions I have been compiling since our last encounter in Jamestown. Be prepared. lol

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C L A U D E Newbie

C L A U D E

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Hey! Im just catching up on this now... haven't been following this thread and just saw it now. Im actually friends with the daughter of Judy Canova, Diana (who was on SOAP, and a bunch of other stuff up through the late 90s) anyways... Ill have to ask her about whether or not this was Judy. Fun fact: Judy's husband who was from Cuba, knew Desi while he was still in the country... plus the Canovas used to attend the large parties they had at the Roxbury house. Sorry to steer off topic, but thought Id throw in. :)

Might have been OFF TOPIC but very interesting nonetheless. We want more.

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Taravella Newbie

Taravella

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Hi, folks. Those of you who've read the Mary Wickes bio might remember a lengthy discussion early in the book about Mary working with Orson Welles in a doomed project called "Too Much Johnson." As it happens, that's the very film that made headlines last week, 75 years after it was made -- the 1938 production long presumed lost but recently discovered in Italy and restored. It will shown for the first time at a film festival in Italy in Oct, then later at the Eastman House in Rochester.

 

The film is not really "a film" in the conventional sense, but three film segments that were intended to accompany a stage play (in which Mary also appeared).

 

Mary would no doubt get a kick out of folks re-visiting her work all these years later because of this film. Here's one example: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/joe-williams/lost-and-found-film-links-careers-of-mary-wickes-and/article_09c60454-97a2-50ec-96a3-5a69e9fa399a.html .

 

Steve.

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rickee Newbie

rickee

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Hi, folks. Those of you who've read the Mary Wickes bio might remember a lengthy discussion early in the book about Mary working with Orson Welles in a doomed project called "Too Much Johnson." As it happens, that's the very film that made headlines last week, 75 years after it was made -- the 1938 production long presumed lost but recently discovered in Italy and restored. It will shown for the first time at a film festival in Italy in Oct, then later at the Eastman House in Rochester.

 

The film is not really "a film" in the conventional sense, but three film segments that were intended to accompany a stage play (in which Mary also appeared).

 

Mary would no doubt get a kick out of folks re-visiting her work all these years later because of this film. Here's one example: http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/movies/joe-williams/lost-and-found-film-links-careers-of-mary-wickes-and/article_09c60454-97a2-50ec-96a3-5a69e9fa399a.html .

 

Steve.

 

Hi Steve:

 

Reading the book and enjoying it very much. It's one of the most detailed accounts I've ever read and it's easy to see how long you worked on this. It will be interesting to see if eventually, once the funds are found, we may be able to see Mary's performance in "Too Much Johnson" on the net.

 

Cheers,

Rick Carl

 

 

DoraSm.jpg

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Taravella Newbie

Taravella

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Hi, folks. This one's for anyone traveling through St. Louis in the next couple of months. Washington University tonite opens a special exhibit, "In Character: The Life and Legacy of Mary Wickes," that will run through the end of the year. Drawing on its Mary Wickes Papers (she left the school her estate), the university includes materials from her theater, television and film career, as well as her childhood and her time as a student there. If you're free Mon Nov 18, please consider joining me there. I'll be speaking at the university's Olin Library at 4pm, then will do a reading at the popular Left-Bank Books at 7pm. Would love to see Lucy fans there! Details here: http://wulibraries.typepad.com/bears_repeating/2013/10/mary-wickes.html Thanks. Steve Taravella.

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Brock Newbie

Brock

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Hi, folks. This one's for anyone traveling through St. Louis in the next couple of months. Washington University tonite opens a special exhibit, "In Character: The Life and Legacy of Mary Wickes," that will run through the end of the year. Drawing on its Mary Wickes Papers (she left the school her estate), the university includes materials from her theater, television and film career, as well as her childhood and her time as a student there. If you're free Mon Nov 18, please consider joining me there. I'll be speaking at the university's Olin Library at 4pm, then will do a reading at the popular Left-Bank Books at 7pm. Would love to see Lucy fans there! Details here: http://wulibraries.typepad.com/bears_repeating/2013/10/mary-wickes.html Thanks. Steve Taravella.

 

That sounds like fun. If I lived anywhere close to St. Louis, I'd be there in a flash! Love the top photo they used on their webpage.

 

Is Washington University including the framed print Mary donated which was not fully appreciated by those ingrates? lol

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Lucyilove Newbie

Lucyilove

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Want to bump this thread because (shame on me) just got around to reading the book and wow, this has to be the BEST  biography written on ANY actress in ages - I'm amazed how much information and comments by associates the author could get on someone who  was best known for playing smallish supporting roles.  And the LUCY info is invaluable - this book is superb rebuttal for the jerks who keep insist "Lucy wasn't really funny (off-screen)", her letters to La Wickes are full of wonderful sarcasm and wisecracks (loved her crack to Mary that she was cramping her quite elderly (and ulra-conservative and Victorian) mother's sex life by always being in presence.)  Also nice to read what a wonderful kind and loving friendship Mary had with Little Lucie as well.   

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Taravella Newbie

Taravella

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Thanks for the kind word, LucyiLove. I'm really pleased that you've enjoyed the book.

 

I thought I'd post an update about the Mary Wickes exhibit that I mentioned here a few months ago, the one arranged by Washington University in St. Louis (Mary's alma mater).The university has created a wonderful online version of that very exhibit -- a tribute to her life and career in photos and text -- and launched it today. For those who weren't able to make it to St. Louis, you can check it out here: http://omeka.wustl.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/wickes/introduction Lots of interesting links!

 

Steve

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HarryCarter Newbie

HarryCarter

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Thanks for the kind word, LucyiLove. I'm really pleased that you've enjoyed the book.

 

I thought I'd post an update about the Mary Wickes exhibit that I mentioned here a few months ago, the one arranged by Washington University in St. Louis (Mary's alma mater).The university has created a wonderful online version of that very exhibit -- a tribute to her life and career in photos and text -- and launched it today. For those who weren't able to make it to St. Louis, you can check it out here: http://omeka.wustl.edu/omeka/exhibits/show/wickes/introduction Lots of interesting links!

 

Steve

Thanks for sharing, Steve. That's a wonderful tribute to Mary. I especially love reading the letters to Mary and that great picture of Lucy and Mary at the costume party.

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JoeySanJoaquin Newbie

JoeySanJoaquin

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Thanks again Joey, I'm such a moron, I realized after that all I had to do was go to the beginning of this thread.  As much as I'm getting all my books for a pittance lately, I will definitely make an exception for this one and that bio of Sal Mineo.

Hmmm.... a case of "which one of these is not like the other"!! ;)

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Taravella Newbie

Taravella

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Hi, all. I thought Lucy fans would enjoy this: In DC next month, The Hill Center will present a tribute to Mary Wickes, anchored by a screening of the 1949 TV presentation of "Mary Poppins" in which she starred for "Studio One." This program was the first time the Poppins character was brought to life anywhere, and the screening marks its first showing since its original broadcast more than 50 years ago. (It is not available commercially.) Film critic and author Nell Minow will join me for a discussion of Mary's career after the screening. Details here: http://hillcenterdc.org/home/programs/2116, The event is free but requires reservations. If you're in DC, I hope you'll come, and if you come, I hope you'll say hello -- I'd love to meet some Lucy Lounge members. Thanks. Steve.

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