Hollywood Mystery & More
Last night Movies!, channel 5–2 on over the air antennas in NYC, ran The Story of Ruth (1960), directed by Hollywood vet Henry Koster, who fled Germany when Hitler rose to power, and who was at the helm of many solid films, all falling short of greatness. The most interesting aspect of the flick is its star, Elana Eden, who was a theatrical success in her native Israel before coming to the USA, and is still living. Her bio at Wiki states that she was a machine gunner in the Israeli army. She won the part of the Biblical heroine in competition with more than 300 other actresses, blowing producers away with her screen test. Earlier, she lost out to Millie Perkins for lead in The Diary of Anne Frank (1959), a role she played on the stage. Surprisingly, she has only five other screen credits, four in TV. Here’s a quote attributed to her: “The excitement of being a star is fun, but I am primarily an actress and I hope to make pictures all over the world. A lot depends on the success of “Ruth.” The rest of being a star — the material things — they do not matter.” I wonder what curtailed her career, certainly not a lack of talent. Maybe she decided raising her three children was more important. Arthur E. Arling, the cinematographer of The Story of Ruth, said that Eden was “the most photogenic — the most camera-proof face I’ve ever photographed.” And here she is:
Since my friends did not have their annual party, I did not watch the Super Bowl this year for the first time since 1972, when I had the flu. I don’t recall the last time I hadn’t watched at least some of the final round of The Masters. Due to weather concerns, officials decided to move up the starting time. It was done before I got home. I put away the wash and went to the computer. I was not surprised Tiger Woods won. He’s been playing well since the middle of last summer. Will he dominate the way he did in his glory years? That would be surprising. I’m not sorry I missed it. The fawning of the TV people over Woods at the expense of the rest of the field is so annoying.
The floating book shop enjoyed its third straight good session. My thanks to the young man who bought three DVDs and two self help books; and to the woman who selected Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot; and to the gentleman who purchased two instructionals on furniture making. Special thanks to my old friend Phil, aka The Yankee Clipper, who scooped up Adjustments, Close to the Edge, Killing and Present and Past. A story he once told me about Yankee icon Bucky Dent is part of the latter. He doesn’t remember it. I wouldn’t divulge.
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