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Interview: William J. Mann tackles murder, morphine, and madness in Tinseltown
Interview by Michael G. Ankerich William J. Mann serves up a delicious plate of M’s in his new book, Tinseltown. Mary, Mabel, and Margaret. Murder, Mystery, and Madness. Mary and Momma. I devoured every morsel of the buffet. The unsolved murder of director William Desmond Taylor in 1922 is one of the reasons I stepped […]
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Lucille Ricksen, reincarnation, and my television debut
By Michael G. Ankerich Destiny turns a dime, or so says the old Pam Tillis tune. Three months ago, in early May, I thought my weeks ahead were inked into my calendar. I was busy working on my new book, Hairpins and Dead Ends , and packing the house for a move across town. A […]
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The world according to Fontaine La Rue and other upcoming Hollywood adventures
By Michael G. Ankerich If you know me at all, you know that I have a thing for actress Fontaine La Rue. I can’t call her my favorite actress because I’ve never seen one of her films. I like her as a personality and for so many other reasons. When I began searching for her about two […]
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You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave
I’ve been back from Los Angeles for over a month now, but I feel that part of me is still there. Like that line from Hotel California, “You can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave.” I first came to Los Angeles almost 30 years ago. In many ways, part of me […]
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Who are you? Help me solve a 25-year mystery.
The identity of these lovely ladies has haunted me for at least 25 years. Take a closer look. Please! I bought it as an Anita Page photo. I sent it off to for an autograph in the late 1980s. She returned it with this note on the back. Okay, so […]
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Where are you, Fontaine La Rue?
I admit that I’m a bit obsessed with Fontaine La Rue, the actress who started out in films in the mid-teens as Dora Rogers (Rodgers), a comedienne with Mack Sennett. In the late 1910s, she changed her name to Fontaine La Rue and moved from comedy to vamps, vixens, sirens, and sorceresses. When I say […]
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Interview with Author Michelle Vogel, Lupe Velez Biographer
By Michael G. Ankerich From time to time, Close-ups and Long Shots will feature interviews with some of my favorite authors. The first interview is with Michelle Vogel, a writer whose work I really appreciate and follow. She selects subjects I would like to write about, those I’m interested in. I thought her books on […]