The John Garfield Guestbook

[Add a message | return to site menu ]
There are now 499 messages in the guestbook.
[Previous] [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 ] [Next]
Viewing messages 181 to 200.

wayne | @

I am 56 and was not even born when John Garfield passed.....But i use to watch his movies when i was young and became an instant fan....I wish he was still around...I read about the man who is 71 that saw him on the boat in NY when he was akid..how kool!!!....anyway ....i wish i could have known him...he was awesome!!!

8 August 2012 - Texas

Barbara | @

Thanks for the info! That's terrific!

8 August 2012 - New York

Dr. John Fox | @

A great new book called "The Hollywood Canteen" has just been published. There is a preview of it on the Amazon.Com website. The Foreword is by Joan Leslie, and in the first couple of chapters John Garfield's role in comng up with the idea of The Canteen and working closely with Bette Davis to make it a reality is given the exposure it so richly deserves.

7 August 2012 - West Chester, Pennsylvania

Barbara | @

Oopz, Johnny Eager tonight!

6 August 2012 - New York

Barbara | @

Wow,how cool is that Dennis! I heard JG loved Fire Island....TCM runs a festival of stars during the month of August. Everyday they feature a different star for 24 hours. Yesterday was Claude Rains, tomorrow is Van Heflin and they are showing Johnny Eager tomorrow night with Van who won best supporting actor as Robert Taylor's alcoholic friend. The film is an early film noir with Lana Turner and Robert Taylor, the publicity called them T and T, like in dynamite...Lu, that happened to me once, I typed a whole thing and thought I lost it, but I didn't. When you type in the guestbook, it doesn't register until you close out and come back on the site.......Take care and thanks for all your hard work, Lori!

6 August 2012 - New York

Dennis | @

Hey everyone...been busy and it is very hot here today in Western Ny....but in a few months it will be snowing!!!...i have a John Garfield tale my cousin told me....my cousin is about 78 now...but when he was a youg kid he was taking a boat ride in NYC....in 1951 during the summer....from he said was Fire Island to the mainland....an don this boat trip was none other than John Garfield!!!...all on the boat got autographs and he was very kind to all aboard....tole me it was a thrill of a lifetime....and in less thn a year in May 1952 John Garfield passed away....every time I see my cousin I ask about his encounter with John Garfield!!!

4 August 2012 - Hamburg Ny

Lori | @

Hey Lu! I am glad you are OK. I guess you are right it must be Claude Rains birthday on Sunday because TCM is showing a lot of his movies that day.
Claude Rains was a great actor for sure.
I go over to amazon.com and looking bios or books that have to do with co-stars of JG. If the book has the "Look Inside" link and then type in John Garfield many times a lot of pages come up that one can read. Claude Rains and Garfield were very good friends during the WBs days. In fact when the great James Wong Howe opened his Chinese restaurant, Garfield and Rains were there, and he taught them how to make Chinese food. When Rains heard of JG death he was heartbroken, and his wife even called Robbie to see if she needed them to come over and help somehow. Of all the actors, actresses or others that I have looked up, NOT one had anything bad to say about JG. They all liked him or loved him very much. Nice to know that he was in no way "hard" to work. Only Kazan was a little critical in regards to what he had to say about Garfield, but that didn't surprise me one bit. Kazan was a great director and very important to our film heritage, but he was not (IMO) a very nice man at all.
Hang in there Lu,and so will I. Here in Oregon, it is suppose to be 98-99 degrees for the weekend.
Thanks

4 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Hi, Lori, this is Lu. Yes, I am OK just very busy. You are so sweet. I go on this website every day and noticed that nobody has posted in quite a while. My husband's legs are still bothering him, I guess with the heat and mugginess. Me, I am just trying to get my paper work organized since I am always in a hurry and tend to leave things around where they get lost and I forget where I put things. Actually yesterday, I had to go to Jim's doctor's office to get free medicine which took 3 hours and involved 4 buses (2 coming and 2 going) and a lot of walking) and my left foot is feeling it (callus) but I am hanging in there. No vacation for us, can't afford it (no place to go). It might be summer and hot but it is the same routine, just warmer. Yes, I see that Four Daughters, Four Wives and Four Mothers are on on Sunday, courtesy of Claude Rains, maybe it's his birthday. I had just typed a whole slew of things but I don't know what happened when I went to click continue, everything disappeared and I had to type everything all over.

3 August 2012 - Bergen County, NJ

Lori | @

Hello. Where is everyone? Are you all on summer vacation and / or having fun? Hope everyone is doing fine.
I just thought I would post a couple of announcements here regarding the petition.
1. Business cards with the petition site, and asking people to sign will be the petition will be handed out to the people who attend the screening on TPART at Max Bloom's Cafe Noir, on August 28th. The card also has a great picture of Garfield and Turner on it.
2. Once the person adds their name to the petition, they will write their name and petition number on it and drop it in a bowel.
3. On September 1st, a drawing with take place, where two people will win Robert Nott's book on JG.
4. DeeDee is planning on contacting Robert Nott and asking him for an interview, and to sign the petition.
Dennis I told DeeDee to contact you if she had questions on how to contact Nott.
Lastly a reminder that Four Daughters will be shown this coming Sunday, August 5th, 9:30am EST. Garfield is just really so remarkable in that film. He does shine above all the others. Once his character realizes he does not belong with this family it is heartbreaking. His facial expressions says it all. And director Curtiz did a smart job in keeping Mickey always in the background, not really socializing with the others during the birthday party.
Four Wives follows, but it is my understanding that JG is not really in that film, only a few flash backs.
Hope everyone is doing great.
I am looking forward to reading some of your posts. Lu, I am worried about you. Are you OK?
Thanks

2 August 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Lori | @

Hello everyone. I never saw Outward Bound with Leslie Howard, but for some reason I really like "Between Two Worlds." Garfield's character is the only one that makes me cry at the end. I didn't see the Piers Morgan interview, but it is in part on YouTube and the part where Blake says, "John Garfield gave me the greatest line ever, "Robert always remember this, your life is a rehearsal, your performance is real." I am not sure what Garfield meant by that statement myself, only thing I can think is he learned that while he was in the Group theater. I got curious regarding Blake and I found out he has a website and on the website you can read different parts of his book. There is a section on his relationship with Garfield, and how Garfield helped him with a scene in Humoresque. It is really very touching, because Garfield shared his childhood trials and hurts with Blake, then he asked Blake to do the same. There are other actors that Blake has written about and are available to read on his website, e.g. Steve McQueen (Karen), Bogie, Natalie Wood, and Elizabeth Taylor.
I will post the link to the Garfield's section if any of you care to read it.
Like I said it is very touching and shows what a "caring" man Garfield was. Please beware though, Blake using swear words a lot in his writings, so if you are easily offended I would advice against reading it.
Here is the link:
http://www.robertbobbyblake.com/#!__master-tales/vstc3=john-garfield

New support is coming soon regarding the petition for Garfield's box-set.
I will post that news later.
Thanks
Lori

23 July 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Barbara | @

I watched the original Outward Bound. I found it very dated. I enjoyed the Garfield version much more, though that isn't one of my favorite Garfield films!

21 July 2012 - New York

Dennis | @

I didnt see the Morgan interview with Blake, but I have seen Robert Blake over the years on different shows talking fondly of John Garfield. I remember him once on the Dinah Shore, saying wonderful things about Garfield as did Dinah and how much she enjoyed him as an actor. I also remember him on the Tonight Show speaking highly of John Garfield which is a good thing.

18 July 2012 - Hamburg NY

Gary | @

I didn't see the Blake interview by Piers Morgan, but I'm not surprised to hear that he had a positive memory of John Garfield. I remember seeing Blake interviewed by Tom Snyder several times, and he always seemed to have good things to say about the stars he worked with as a child; everyone from Humphrey Bogart to Gabby Hayes. I understand Blake's book covers his years as a child actor, so it might have more recollections about JG.

17 July 2012 - USA

ROCKY | @

HI ALL...JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT TURNER IS SHOWING "OUTWARD BOUND" AT 2am...IT'S WITH LESLIE HOWARD(AS THE ROLE JOHN GARFIELD PLAYED) "BETWEEN TWO WORLDS" IS A REMAKE OF THAT FILM

17 July 2012 - BROOKLYN

Karen

they say it happens in threes
Andy Griffith
Ernie Borgnine (who I adored)
and now Celeste Holm

As far as Robert Blake... I don't know what movie he was referring to, but he was so angry. I give Piers Morgan a lot of credit for his patience with Blake.
Blake has many demons inside of him. He is still full of rage from his childhood.

16 July 2012 - Pa

Barbara | @

Karen, I saw bits and pieces of the interview, but I missed the part about Garfield, though I heard Blake say the defining moment of his life was his first starring role as a child (was he referring to Humoresque?) Karen, I thought Blake was quite angry and paranoid. Piers Morgan certainly earned his money with that interview!....I just heard of the passing of Celeste Holm. I loved that scene in Gentlemen's Agreement when she, Garfield and Peck were in the restaurant and the obnixious military man got in Garfield's face. I think that is considered the best scene in the movie!

16 July 2012 - New York

Karen

Just watching the Piers Morgan
Explosive interview with Robert Blake.
I always thought he was a good actor
and had a crush on him back in the
1980 s. Blake had a terrible childhood and we all know what happened with murder trial.
But in this interview, Blake mentioned the best advise he ever got
from someone was John Garfield.
He said something like... I was afraid but
Garfield cleared the room and told him remember one thing. Life is a rehearsal but acting is....
for real. Is that what he said? He seemed so touched by Garfield. Did anyone else see the interview?

15 July 2012 - Pa

Lori | @

Very interesting question Gary, but I would have to say, no. I truly believe things happen in our lives for a reason. Call it God�s plan, our destiny, or the plan of a higher power. I have thought before that if Garfield would have gotten that lead role in Golden Boy he might never had gone to Hollywood and we might not have the sheer joy of watching him the movies he did make. He might not have made Four Daughters where he alone started the rebel or antihero role that some many have followed in his footsteps. Plus if he wasn�t in Hollywood to start the help start the Hollywood Canteen, would it still have happened? From all that I have read it was he that went to Bette Davis with the idea to start some place where the servicemen of WWII could actually see and interact with �movie stars.�
The only thing I would want to change regarding his life is that he wouldn�t have taken that cross the country trip, hopping trains and living the life of a hobo. For it was during this time that he had to have been exposed to that bacteria Strep group A, which turned into rheumatic fever and then damaged his heart. For even if he was still brought before HUAC and blacklisted I think if his heart were stronger, he might of survived and still gone to make more rewarding and quality films. However, it appears that with all the stress he was under with HUAC, he reacted like many do in inappropriate ways. I mean he probably smoked too much, drank too much and in general did not take care of himself, and in the end his heart was not strong enough to take all the stress and abuse it was put through. I do believe that HUAC and the blacklisting was in a �large part� responsible for his premature death.

5 July 2012 - Damascus, Oregon

Dennis | @

Its an intersting scenario...here is my take..Ii am a black and white type of guy..what youy see is what you get....an din John Garfields case what you see is what you got...he was a fighter...and he was one tough son of a gun...I would have loved to see him act on stage...yet I love him in the movies....I wouldnt change a thing...he made his mark on stage and definitley in the movies
Unfortinately he got the shaft to put it bluntly...not movie studio heads and HUAC...no I love him in th emovies he made...and had he been left alone there is no doubt he would have become as popular and revered like his counterparts...for he was an outstanding actor, one of the all time greats!!!

4 July 2012 - Hamburg NY

Gary | @

As a brain teaser, consider this alternative scenario:

John Garfield doesn't decide in favor of Hollywood after his "Golden Boy" disappointment, but remains a stage actor (theatre being his first love). Over time, he gains fame and prestige in that area, enabling him to pick & choose from the movie roles offered him. He's only interested in playing parts he considers worthwhile (maybe even more supporting roles), which results in a fewer number of Garfield movies (especially starring ones) than we're familiar with. He doesn't co-found the Hollywood Canteen, but he actively participates in New York's Stage Door Canteen. He ends up more fulfilled as an actor, and even possibly ignored by HUAC because he's not primarily thought of as John Garfield, Movie Star.

Now, would we want this alternative destiny for JG if two results of it were, 1) a smaller legacy of his movies for us to enjoy, and 2) JG being even less remembered today than he already is?

I think I'd have to vote 'yes' because even if his heart condition had still taken him at a relatively young age (say, under 60), it'd be nice to feel he definitely experienced a great deal more satisfaction with his career.

Thoughts, anyone?

4 July 2012 - USA

[Previous] [ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 25 ] [Next]