Jerry Frebowitz
Jerry Frebowitz, president of Movies Unlimited, started selling movies for home use in 1975. First, as a hobby, then by 1978, through a small direct mail catalog, which eventually grew into the big 800-page version seen today. Jerry is an avid movie fan and collector and particularly enjoys classic films from the 30s, 40s and 50s.
Jerry's Posts
Jerry Frebowitz | Talkin' the Oldies
It took some doing to get Nelson Eddy and Jeanette MacDonald out of the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer vaults and into viewers' homes. At this point, it should be said that both Naughty Marietta (1935), their first movie together, and Sweethearts (1938), their first in Technicolor, did have some deterioration in the film stock; not unusual for films that are over 70 years old.
Going in, it was known it was going to take a lot of work to get these classics cleaned up and ready for distribution. When film elements are problematic, they are usually rejected at the outset of the process. In the case of both of these classics, their source elements were newly manufactured, and there was no indication that there would be any hold-up in moving along.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about Dave from 1993, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This movie revolves around political intrigue.
In a movie role reminiscent of Gary Cooper in Meet John Doe or Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Dave, played by Kevin Kline, is an affable, honest guy pitted against unscrupulous leaders controlling well-oiled political machines. Dave Kovic is the owner of a temp agency and seems to truly enjoy helping people get a foothold in the workplace. He earns extra cash by impersonating U.S. President Bill Mitchell for private parties, thanks to his amazing resemblance to the real Mitchell.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about The Rocky Horror Picture Show from 1975, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. The leading actress was Oscar-nominated (and did win) but not for this movie.
Nominated four times before, Susan Sarandon won the Best Actress Academy Award for her role as Sister Helen Prejean in Dead Man Walking (1995). Her first nomination was for her role opposite Burt Lancaster in Atlantic City (1980). Next, both she and her co-star Geena Davis were nominated for their superb performances in 1991's Thelma and Louise, and the following year came her third Academy nod for Lorenzo's Oil. Sarandon was again nominated for playing attorney "Reggie" Love in The Client (1994) before hitting the jackpot opposite Sean Penn.
Her acting career got an unexpected jump start when after the 1968 Democratic Convention; Susan's then-husband Chris Sarandon answered a casting call for a new film requiring men and women who would be the type that would disrupt a political assembly. The movie was Joe (1969), and Chris went to the audition seeking a role, while Susan tagged along.
Jerry Frebowitz | Uncategorized
Here are 10 trivia facts about Dirty Harry from 1971, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. In this fictional film, its lead characters are based on real people.
The role of Scorpio, originally listed in the credits as "The Killer," was based on California's Zodiac serial killer, who teased the police force and newspapers by giving information about his crimes -- one of his notes said he would hijack a school bus, which was re-enacted in the film. Harry Callahan's character is loosely based on David Toschi, the real-life detective who headed up the Zodiac case investigation.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about Back to the Future from 1985, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This movie is an Oscar winner - but not for a major award.
Despite its wide popularity, Oscar's major categories eluded Back to the Future. However, it was nominated for four Academy Awards: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale for Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen; Best Original Song, "The Power of Love," lyrics by Huey Lewis, who has a cameo in the film as one of the band contest judges; Best Sound; and it won the Oscar for Best Sound Effects Editing.
Jerry Frebowitz | Uncategorized
Here are 10 trivia facts about The Exorcist from 1973, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This movie is based on a best-selling book.
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty was originally published in 1971 by Harper & Row. The successful horror novel immediately became a bestseller and was the inspiration for the classic movie two years later.
Related to the novel's inception, there was a celebrity connection between the author and TV show host Groucho Marx. In 1950, Blatty as a guest on the "You Bet Your Life" program and won $10,000. When asked what would be done with the winnings, Blatty told Groucho he intended to take time off from work to write a book -- that book was The Exorcist. The idea came to him when, as a student at Georgetown University in 1950, he heard about an exorcism on a teenage boy that had supposedly taken place in 1949, and he based his story on that event.
Jerry Frebowitz | Talkin' the Oldies
Here are 10 trivia facts about Blazing Saddles from 1974, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This film has racial overtones.
In 1974, before the letters PC meant "politically correct," Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles towered as a laugh-out-loud comedy containing many references to racism and some rather derogatory terms for African-Americans. Much like the then-popular TV series All in the Family, though, the words were to mock bigotry, and throughout the film it's the prejudiced white townspeople and the villains who bear the brunt of all the jokes.
Jerry Frebowitz | Talkin' the Oldies
Here are 10 trivia facts about Cat Ballou from 1965, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. It was named by AFI as one of the 10 best of its genre.
In 2008, Cat Ballou was ranked by the American Film Institute as being among the 10 greatest films in the "Westerns" category. If there was a category for "Comedy Westerns," it would probably be high up on that list, too.
2. This was the director's first feature film.
Between 1954 and 1965, Elliot Silverstein directed episodes of some very high-profile TV shows, including Omnibus, Route 66, Have Gun, Will Travel, Dr. Kildare, The Twilight Zone, The Defenders and more. However, it wasn't until 1965 that Silverstein made his big-screen directing debut with Cat Ballou. A few years later, he had another highly visible film, A Man Called Horse (1970), and since that time has mostly concentrated on television. For trivia buffs, Silverstein was David Cassidy's stepfather for a short time.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about The Rocketeer from 1991, which originally appeared as a Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This film is set before World War II.
The theater posters for The Rocketeer said, "Three years before the United States declares war, Cliff Secord leads America's first battle against the Nazis." Dave Stevens' original graphic novel sets the time as the 1930s.
2. Some of this film's themes are loosely based on real life events.
The original graphic novel has a 1930s nostalgia to it and the folks at Disney made the most of it, with the help of The Rocketeer's author Dave Stevens. Incorporated into the film is a similarity to the Hindenburg disaster, Errol Flynn's rumored involvement as a Nazi spy, Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, along with a terrific reenactment of the filming of Warner Brothers' The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) but adding to the real-life feel are the landmarks seen in the film. There are glimpses of period restaurants The Brown Derby and The Bulldog Diner, and of course, the famed Hollywoodland sign.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about Fail Safe from 1964, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are lots of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. This movie is based on a popular novel.
Fail Safe, published in 1962 was written by Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. The best-seller became a hit movie in 1964 and then 16 years later, in 2000, Fail Safe was a TV movie, this time filmed live on CBS, retaining the original black and white cinematography for its broadcast. Both movies stuck to the original premise of the novel -- the possibility of an accidental nuclear war.
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 10 trivia facts about Gran Torino from 2008, which originally appeared as our Mystery Movie Quiz on our Facebook page. There are hundreds of pieces of behind-the-scenes information about this movie. Please feel free to comment and add more trivia we might have missed.
1. The lead role is the only "known" actor in the film.
Although some actors in the movie are seasoned professionals either on TV or in film, most are not. The Asian roles are almost all played by first-time movie actors. Only Clint Eastwood can be considered a "household name."
Jerry Frebowitz | Staff Notes
Here are 15 movies, some more popular than others but all good choices for New Year's Eve viewing with a friend...and just as worthwhile even for those finding themselves home alone when the glitter ball drops at midnight in Times Square. Presented for your consideration in no particular order, these are just a few random choices. Feel free to add your suggestions for the nostagic holiday.
26 Comments »
