The John Garfield Guestbook

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Viewing messages 161 to 180.

Gary | @

Dennis, it sounds like Tommy Cook is another person for Lori's list of possible contacts.

4 September 2012 - USA

Dennis | @

While watching Humoresque over the weekend, and another great JG performance I might add. The child actor that played JG's brother, his name is Tommy Cook, and is still alive at 82. He could be another possible contact. Says in his bio he was a child actor in films and radio. when I seen the credits roll by I noticed his name. Just a thought, what does everyone else think?

4 September 2012 - Hamburg NY

Lori | @

Hi Lu. Thank you, for your kind words, but we all are doing our thing to try and get that "star recognition" back for, as you say, "our beloved star" John Garfield. I do think it might be a long road, but I don't think any of us are going to give up. Of course now, the number of people that are adding their names to the petition are starting to drop off, so I have to go with some more plans. I wanted to let you know Lu and anyone else who is interested that I found the most precious photo I have ever seen of Garfield. It was taken at an airport after he returned home, from being overseas for about a month entertaining the troops during WWII. He is hugging his little girl, Katherine,and the love that is apparent on his face for his daughter, I swear a blind man would be able to see. I sent it to Barbara, Karen and Susan because I have their e-mail addresses. Any ways I am putting my e-mail address down here and just let me know, any of you if you want me to forward it to you. Susan's mother had seen the photo years ago in a magazine, and Karen had seen the photo before. Susan's mother who is going to be 81 soon has been a fan of JG since she was a young girl and first saw him in Four Daughters. The one thing that can be said about the fans of John Garfield is that we are very loyal. Any way it really is a special photo, and I got a big lump in my throat when I first saw it.
Here is my e-mail: dlsmoore@yahoo.com.
Have a great holiday weekend everybody.

31 August 2012 - Damscus, Oregon

Hi, Lori, this is Lu. I just read your POSTING and all I can say is WOW, you are REMARKABLE!!!!!!!

31 August 2012 - Bergen County, NJ

Lori | @

Hello everybody. I have a friend over at TCM who is a big fan of Virginia Weidler, you know the child actress in the 30's and 40's well he provided this info which we could all maybe use to help get TCM to show more JG films and start advertising his new DVD's and Blu-ray films.
TCM Viewer Relations

1050 Techwood Drive NW

Atlanta, GA 30318

You can also leave TCM a message via phone at 404-885-5535.

Maybe if all write or call we might get somewhere with them. On Tuesday Max Bloom Cafe Noir screened TPART and promoted the petition with business cards that DeeDee over at Film Noir Lives Here designed. I kept checking the petition site that evening and I was so thrilled because every time I checked new names were appearing. For that one date there were 17 new people who added their names with such lovely comments. That is a record for one day. I still need a lot more names to make the petition a success, so please ask friends and family to sign. I also have the more recent e-magazine of The Film Noir Foundation and in it are numerous articles on the film The Breaking Point, and a short but insightful article by Julie. If any of you care to read it let me know and I will forward the link to you. It is a PDF file so you need to have adobe reader on your computer to open it. Remember Humoresque will air this Saturday, the 1st at 12 midnight EST. I also recently watched the new restored versions of Body and Soul and Force of Evil and all I can say is WOW! Beautiful. Thank God where I rent my JG films from had these new versions. I realize now that Garfield was very good in his early films but as he got older he just kept getting better and better. I know that had he lived he would now be an iconic star like Cagney and Bogart. What a remarkable talent John Garfield was.

30 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Karen

Lu, your so sweet!!!

29 August 2012 - Pa

Hi, this is Lu. I was just reading your postings, Karen and Dennis and Lori, I was reading your latest posting as well. I will say that I am NOT AT ALL SURPRISED about what you stated. TCM NEVER supported John Garfield in any "way, shape or form". I don't know why and it's s DARN SHAME. In all the years I have watched TCM (I admit I don't watch it very often) only when our beloved star is on but during the commercial breaks, I have NEVER seen his face nor any of his movies advertised when they advertise TCM. Believe me, I am comforted by this website and the people who post on it regarding that fact. And I just hope that because of ALL your planning, Dennis seems to know how to go about this as well as Lori and Karen. Karen said it all, how do you have the time, Lori to do all this research. I am sorry I can't help but my "hands are FULL" taking care of our house and my husband at the moment. Besides I still have dial-up on this computer and it is VERY slow. I just wanted to thank ALL of you again for your HARD work.

29 August 2012 - Bergen County, NJ

Karen

Lori..... You are unbelievable ....where do you find the time to do all of this!!!?
Dennis..... Your Absolutely correct.....we need a "star" "famous director". I ll try!

28 August 2012 - Pa

Dennis | @

Hey all been on vacation...this is so frustraing to me also concerning John Garfield...I contacted Robert Nott, and he was wonderful to talk to...Julie Garfield has been contacted...and Lori with the folks at TCM....just sems like we cant get over the hump in getting our movie star / stage actor recognized...if only someone knew Martin Scorcese...even George Clooney or Clint Eastwood, and I know this is a very high reach...they these fellows are directors, Scorcese who loves Garfield...they can make a difference...we need some clout...on that tribute date in September I know Robert Osbourne will say nice things about Garfield, talk about his early life...stage and acting career, his downfall with HUAC....and the day will go by...and for us we love him and his movies...but the day will go by and that will be it!!!...Kim Morgan was once on with Osbourne, he loves Garfiled, said he doesent even looks like he acting...makes it so natural...he would be the key person to contact, i will try myself to track him down and hopefully get somewhere...as I said a million times I nver tire of watching John Garfield, or talking about him!!!

28 August 2012 - Hamburg NY

Diane Miller | @

Artist Uwe Reber has drawn a beautiful portrait of John Garfield: http://www.uwereber.com/artwork.html
(under artwork)

26 August 2012 - Pennsylvania

Lori | @

I posted the following message on TCM message boards yesterday. Hello.

My issue is that I just checked out the TCM's shop site, and sure enough TCM is selling the remastered DVD and Blu-ray version of two excellent John Garfield films, Body and Soul (1947) and Force of Evil (1948). Both films were just released by Olive film at the end of July.
Both films and their "star" have received numerous outstanding reviews by the today's critics.

So why isn't TCM doing the "new on DVD" advertisements for these two films like to do with others DVDs or box-sets?

I just don't understand this. They advertise ever other actors films, actors who are icons, and don't need the "press" if you will. I mean I love our iconic stars just as much as others do, but don't some of you think sometimes it would be fun and interesting to discover a forgotten actor or actress? (And there are many out there, Garfield is not the only one.)

I know TCM has scheduled a John Garfield Tribute on September 19th, and God Bless them for that.
It would be nice though if TCM could get a "modern day" actor to talk about John Garfield and his acting, like the do with Bette Davis and Ingrid Bergman, to name just two. I know there as a fairly "healthy" list of "today's" actors who are interesting in portraying Garfield in a film about his life, so can't TCM ask one them to do a little segment? If that won't work, ask his daughter Julie to talk about her father, like Gary Cooper's daughter talks about him.

I am afraid that soon, the actor John Garfield will be forgotten completely, and noted only in the history of cinema books, unless his name and his films are discussed and promoted like the other actors of his era. The main goal of my petition, is to give back to John Garfield the "star recognition" that he lost years ago through a box-set of his finest films. However, if the box-set is not advertised and promoted it may be all be for not.

Sometimes I get so upset with TCM.

25 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Lori | @

Hi everybody. Barbara when my friend over at TCM sent me the contact information for Phyllis Thaxter, neither one of us were aware that she was suffering from Alzheimer�s. Like I said, I got the contact info and then the next day I found out that Phyllis Thaxter had passed on.

I do remember Sherry Jackson in the old TV series Make Room for Daddy. Yes, and wasn�t her little write on JG just so touching and beautiful.
Thank you Gary for reminding me of Ann E Todd, and she in fact might be a worthwhile person to contact. I think that probably most of Garfield�s co-stars have either passed on or are in too ill of heath to be bothered with adding their name to the petition. I think my best bet would be to try and contact the child actors he acted with.
So, there is Sherry Jackson and the other child actress in The Breaking Point I could try and contact. Then there is the little boy from �Under My Skin� who played his son, Ann E Todd from Pride of the Marines, and the little boy who as in �He Ran All The Way.� Oh there is also Robert Blake, and Dean Stockwell. Did I miss anyone? I think too if I can get some of the authors who wrote books, e.g. biographies about Garfield their names might carry some weight. I hate to say it, but the number of names I have on the petition is no where near the goal number I wanted. DeeDee over at Film Noir Lives Here is doing her best and trying very hard to garner more names for the petition. I gotten quite a few people who post on his two Facebook pages to add their names, but still the number is holding right now at 195, but there are people from all over the world who are adding their name to the petition. The most recent one was from Qatar! Oh well I am not going to give up yet. I�ll keep sending out my requests and see what happens. All I know is that John Garfield deserves a box-set of his films, period. He also deserves to be better remembered and cherished for his contributions to our film heritage.

24 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Gary | @

Lori, thanks for posting that remembrance of JG by Sherry Jackson. It's something I'll be thinking of, the next time I watch THE BREAKING POINT.

It also got me thinking about another former child actress named Ann E. Todd. She played the teen-age daughter of John Ridgely & Ann Doran in PRIDE OF THE MARINES. She was just Ann Todd then, later adding the "E" to avoid confusion with the same-named British actress. According to IMDb, she's still with us, turning 81 this year. She might be a worthwhile person to contact re Garfield, her health permitting. Unfortunately, I have no clue as to her present whereabouts, but maybe those TCM contacts do.

Lori, you're "sure, sure" a John Garfield fan!

23 August 2012 - USA

Hi, this is Lu. Yes, Karen and Barbara, I know what it's like when you have a hectic lifestyle and I don't post too often myself, helping my husband out and taking care of my house takes up a lot of my time. But I wanted to say also, it is nice to see your name again Karen, I was wondering what happened to you. I want to say again, I LOVE this website. It is terrific.

23 August 2012 - Bergen County, NJ

Barbara | @

What a touching tribute Sherry Jackson paid to JG! I remember her playing Danny Thomas's daughter in Make Room For Daddy, does anyone else remember that show! I'm ashamed to admit that watching the film I never thought about how difficult it might have been for Garfield considering what had happened to Katherine several years before. I just thought that his performance in that film was so believable and so thoroughly underrated. It's one of my favorite films of JG, though when I'm watching it, I feel sad, he seems so world weary and bitter. While I'm watching Breaking Point, I sometimes compare JG to a picture in his early career like They Made Me A Criminal or Blackwell's Island, when he was so young and hopeful. It's hard to see what happened to him with all the blacklisting etc!.....Lori, I don't mean to be contradictory, but I read Phyllis Thaxter had Alzheimers for the last 9 years of her life, so I find it hard to believe she would have signed the petition.. but then again, maybe I am wrong!..... Hi Karen, I know it's so hard to keep up with posting, and everything else going on in everyone's life, but I was glad to see you online! I hope all is well!

22 August 2012 - New York

Karen

Sorry I have not posted ...been so busy
but I am enjoying all the news :)

18 August 2012 - Pa

Lori | @

Thank you Dennis and Barbara for the info on Fire Island. It sounds like we might have to check it out next year.
Yes, I heard the news regarding Phyllis Thaxter may she RIP.
I have a friend over at TCM who knows I am a huge fan of Garfield and knows about the petition. He sent me Phyllis Thaxter's contact info, saying maybe she would agree to sign the petition. The next day, I found out she had passed away. Very strange. My friend stated that she (Miss Thaxter) was the last surviving member of The Breaking Point, but I thought maybe not. I thought the two child actresses who played the daughters in the film might be alive. I just happened to come across an interview that Sherry Jackson gave a couple of years ago, and in the interview she was ask about working on the film The Breaking Point. Here is what she remembers.
"Most of all, I remember a long scene with John Garfield, who played my father. I was told he was a �Method� actor, but at that time I really didn�t know what that meant. He had two daughters and one had died. When he looked at me, he was projecting his grief, but also his past joy � the whole experience of being a father. I told myself I knew he must have a daughter, as no one ever related to me like he did. His understanding, his performance � he had so much love and warmth towards the person I played�It�s heart-wrenching. Totally genuine � an absolutely different aspect of his character, which made him more complex, so real."
I had always wondered what he thought when he was doing scenes with those two little girls in the film. It would only seem natural that he might think of his own little girl who he lost, some five years earlier and how it might bring back painful memories. It sounds like he used his Method training to perform those scenes. The more I think about his performance in The Breaking Point, the more I realize that with his portrayal of Harry Morgan, there is no �acting� one can see in his performance. It is one of the most natural, truthful and believable performances I have every seen.

18 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Barbara | @

Fire Island still is a beautiful place. I was just at the lighthouse there, and I climbed all the way to the top. There are various sections, several which are strickly gay, then one part for families, and another for the arty crowd. It's all so beautiful, trees and just beaches. You can either take a 20 minute ferry ride there from Bay Shore, or take Ocean Parkway passed Jones Beach and continue until you come to Fire Island which is just a narrow barrier island that juts out into the water. The ferry stops during the winter and then the population is reduced to just a handful! There are no cars there, you either walk, bike or take a water taxi. Picture something like in the movie "Summer of 42"!....By the way, did anyone read Phyllis Thaxter just died a few days ago. Hardly any of JG's co-stars are left, though I just read Maureen O'Hara was 92 today! I hope everyone is well! Welcome to our new members!

17 August 2012 - New York

Dennis | @

Fire Island is a samll island off Long Island...back in the 30s and 40s many celebrities visited the island...in Robert Notts book He Ran All The Way...he mentions Garfield visiting lee Strasberg, and Dane Clark was also there. This was towards the end of JGs life and confided to Clark he couldnt find work...told him CBS wanted him to appear with Kim Stanley and perfoem an wxcerpt of Golden Boy which he did...but he never got any more work with CBS. Google Fire Island and check it out...I dont know too much about it now...but back then it was a happening place and a retreat for the stars to visit.

10 August 2012 - Hamburg ny

Lori | @

Hello. Wow, Dennis that is a great story. That you for sharing it, and it so nice to hear that Garfield was kind and signed his autograph for all the people on the boat. What is Fire Island anyways? I have heard of it before, but not sure what is on the island. Is that some place my husband and I should check out when we visit the "Big Apple" next year?

Thank you Dr.John Fox for the heads on the Hollywood Canteen book, and I am glad it gives Garfield the credit for the idea of starting the canteen.
Wayne, I think most of us here were not born yet when John Garfield left this world. So you are in good company.
Since both you and Dr.Fox are new to this guestbook I am posting again a link to my online petition to convince WBs and TCM that we the fans of John Garfield want a box-set of his films put together and made available for purchase now. Please consider adding your name and sharing the petition with your family and friends. I need names. If you don't want your name to appear on the petition, there is a function key on the site, and all that will appear is the state you live in. Comments are very important to petitions so please if you want to add a comment that would be great. Thank you very much.

Here is the link:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/778/073/466/give-star-recognition-back-to-a-legendary-star/

10 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

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