Picture of MGM Stars in 1943

[Benzadmiral]

I checked out the bits from Life, and I see I was right about Richard Carlson (half right -- I always get him confused with Hugh Marlowe) and Frances Rafferty. Lee Bowman, who once played Ellery Queen on TV, is next to Carlson. And that's Chill Wills in uniform on the back row???!!! Holy ---!!

 

[Inkstainedwretch]

David Niven would not be in that picture. He left Hollywood in 1939 to (re)join the British Army and didn't return until after the war. Fun fact: while Niven was in a film production unit Peter Ustinov, one of the writers, acted as his batman. Though film colleagues, Niven was a Lieutenant Colonel and Ustinov a mere private, so they couldn't associate on any equal basis.

 

[AmateisGal]

David Niven would not be in that picture. He left Hollywood in 1939 to (re)join the British Army and didn't return until after the war. Fun fact: while Niven was in a film production unit Peter Ustinov, one of the writers, acted as his batman. Though film colleagues, Niven was a Lieutenant Colonel and Ustinov a mere private, so they couldn't associate on any equal basis.

I have a great deal of admiration for those Hollywood stars who joined the forces during the war. I've always loved David Niven, too.

 

[Fading Fast]

I have a great deal of admiration for those Hollywood stars who joined the forces during the war. I've always loved David Niven, too.

Niven has an ease in front of the camera that makes him enjoyable to watch. He is one of those handful of stars who I'll watch an okay or even not-really-good movie just because he's in it.

"Separate Tables" is one of my favorite "hardly known" Niven films. In it, he shows a range of acting talents from bravado to fear to humility that is impressive.

 

[Fading Fast]

Isn't this where Lizzie usually jumps in, not only to tell us who the kid is, but that he either went on to be a writer who was blacklisted in the '50s or was the voice of the very popular so and so in the the radio program this or that?

Thanks for the "like" hatsRme as I was trying to pay Lizzie a compliment and have some fun at the same time. Since facial expressions, body English, etc., don't come through in posts, I'm always am a bit concerned when I put up these tongue-in-cheek posts.

 

[LizzieMaine]

That particular kid is Jackie "Butch" Jenkins, who would have just been featured in "The Human Comedy" as Mickey Rooney's little brother around when this photo was taken. He was the studio's favorite "All American Boy" type for about five years before he grew out of his cuteness and disappeared into the mists of wherever it is that forgotten child actors go. He never did any radio work of note -- probably because he had a slight stutter, which, while cute on film would have been extremely annoying on radio -- and despite the obvious clues of his red hair and red shirt, he never showed up in Red Channels.

The interesting thing about the picture itself is that it captures a specific moment at a specific studio -- you get the big stars everybody knows, the working stiffs of the B units, and the flashes-in-the-pan who made a brief splash and then completely disappeared. You get the same sense from the "All Star Revue" movies that were a brief fad in 1929-30, things like "Hollywood Revue of 1929" and "The Show of Shows," which give you a few actors you sort-of recognize and dozens of people who would soon be scraping for work as extras.

 

[Fading Fast]

⇧ Thank you. I feel better now that all is right in the universe.

N.B. Nice touch with the red hair / red shirt reference.

And, agreed, the "moment in time" is cool in particular for the flash-in-the-pans. It's like being in a dentist's office and picking up a ten year old People magazine and seeing all the of-the-moment stars who don't register anymore. It also reminds you how impressive the ones who build a long career are - not easy to do.

 

[Benzadmiral]

David Niven would not be in that picture. He left Hollywood in 1939 to (re)join the British Army and didn't return until after the war. Fun fact: while Niven was in a film production unit Peter Ustinov, one of the writers, acted as his batman. Though film colleagues, Niven was a Lieutenant Colonel and Ustinov a mere private, so they couldn't associate on any equal basis.

I wasn't sure without checking if he was even an MGM star. Good to know.

 

[MikeKardec]

I love the look on William Powell's face, and of course how well turned out they all are. It makes me wonder what a group shot of today's stars would look like.

No doubt all trying to pretend the others weren't there ...

While clearly thought out, there is also a bit of a feel of they rounded up everyone in a bit of a hurry - no?

I'll bet you're right. I imagine much to the irritation of every director on the lot some junior executive ran around and borrowed all the talent for this photo ... whether they were in the middle of a scene or not. "Don't worry, we'll have them back in costume and make up in five minutes, er fifteen minutes, er two hours ..."

 

[Ageaxe]

I wasn't sure without checking if he was even an MGM star. Good to know.

Niven was under contract to Samuel Goldwyn from about 1935 until the late 40s. Any films he may have made at MGM during this period would have been when loaned to them by Goldwyn. After Goldwyn booted out Niven at the end of the 40s, he took whatever work he could get. Of very varying quality and popularity.