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Sidney Skolsky is a Actor, Scriptwriter and Producer American born on 2 may 1905 at New York City (USA)

Sidney Skolsky

Sidney Skolsky
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Birth name Sidney Skolsky
Nationality USA
Birth 2 may 1905 at New York City (USA)
Death 3 may 1983 (at 78 years) at Los Angeles (USA)

Sidney Skolsky (2 May 1905 – 3 May 1983) was an American writer best known as a Hollywood gossip columnist. He ranked with Hedda Hopper (with whom he shared a birthday) and Louella Parsons as the premier Hollywood gossip columnists of the first three decades of the sound picture era. A radio personality in addition to having his own syndicated newspaper column, Skolsky also was a screenwriter and movie producer who occasionally acted in the radio and in the movies. Skolsky claimed to be the person who gave the nickname "Oscar" to the Academy Award and was credited for the introduction of the use of the word beefcake.

Biography

Skolsky was born to dry goods store proprietor Louis Skolsky and his wife Mildred in New York City. He studied journalism at New York University before becoming a Broadway press agent for the theatrical impresarios Earl Carroll, Sam Harris, and George White. When he became the New York Daily News gossip columnist in 1929, the 23-year-old Skolsky was the youngest Broadway gossip columnist plying his trade on the Great White Way. He also had a Sunday column, "Tintypes", profiles of actors, directors and other production personnel and Hollywood creative types, that continued in print for 52 years, until a couple years before his death.

He moved to Hollywood in 1933, where he moonlighted as a story editor for Darryl F. Zanuck's 20th Century Pictures. The New York Daily Mirror hired him away from the Daily News in 1937, and he eventually worked for the New York Post. United Features syndicated his column to other newspapers. He also had a regular column in Photoplay, the country's premiere movie magazine. His Photoplay column was bylined "From A Stool At Schwab’s", the Hollywood drugstore he made famous. He helped promulgate the myth Lana Turner had been discovered there, when actually, it had been another Sunset Boulevard establishment, The Tophat Cafe, which was closer to Lana's alma mater, Hollywood High. He helped champion and was very close to Marilyn Monroe.

While Skolsky might not have created the nickname "Oscar" for the Academy Award, he is the first person to use the nickname in print for Hollywood's premier award, in his 16 March 1934 column. In 1946, he became a movie producer with The Jolson Story (1946), which was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. He followed it up with 1953 bio The Eddie Cantor Story. Starting in 1954, KABC-TV Los Angeles featured him in his own TV show, Sidney Skolsky’s Hollywood. He wrote five books about Hollywood and the movies, including a 1975 autobiography, Don’t Get Me Wrong, I Love Hollywood.

Skolsky died in 1983 from complications due to Parkinson's disease and atherosclerosis. He was married to the former Estelle Lorenz, with whom he had had two daughters, for 54 years. His writings are part of the permanent collection at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Margaret Herrick Library.

Best films

The Jolson Story (1946)
(Producer)

Usually with

James Donlan
James Donlan
(3 films)
James Flavin
James Flavin
(3 films)
Max Wagner
Max Wagner
(3 films)
Source : Wikidata

Filmography of Sidney Skolsky (13 films)

Display filmography as list

Actor

The Legend of Lylah Clare, 2h10
Directed by Robert Aldrich
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Thriller, Crime
Themes Films about films, Films about religion, Films about television
Actors Peter Finch, Kim Novak, Ernest Borgnine, Michael Murphy, Milton Selzer, Valentina Cortese
Rating57% 2.8540452.8540452.8540452.8540452.854045
Elsa Brinkmann (Novak), is hired by producer Barney Sheean (Borgnine), who wishes to make a film about the life of 1930s movie star Lylah Clare (also Novak).
Don't Make Waves, 1h37
Directed by Alexander Mackendrick
Origin USA
Genres Erotic, Comedy
Themes Films about sexuality, Sports films, Erotic films, Surfing films
Actors Tony Curtis, Claudia Cardinale, Sharon Tate, Robert Webber, Joanna Barnes, Marc London
Roles Reporter (uncredited)
Rating57% 2.8982652.8982652.8982652.8982652.898265
The film depicts a series of romantic triangles between different groupings of the principal cast and supporting players among several backdrops involving Southern California culture (swimming pools, bodybuilding, beach life, fantastic real estate, mudslides, metaphysical gurus, etc.).
Teacher's Pet, 2h
Directed by George Seaton
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Films about writers, Films about education, Films about journalists
Actors Clark Gable, Doris Day, Gig Young, Mamie Van Doren, Nick Adams, Florenz Ames
Rating70% 3.545593.545593.545593.545593.54559
Journalism instructor Erica Stone asks journalist James Gannon to speak to her night-school class. He turns down the invitation via a nasty letter to her. His managing editor, however, orders him to accept the assignment. He arrives late to find Stone reading aloud his letter and mocking him in front of her class.
Sunset Boulevard, 1h50
Directed by Billy Wilder, Charles C. Coleman, Gerd Oswald
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Comedy-drama, Noir, Romance
Themes Films about films, Films about writers, Medical-themed films, Psychologie, Films about television, Mise en scène d'un scénariste, Films about psychiatry
Actors William Holden, Gloria Swanson, Erich von Stroheim, Nancy Olson, Robert Emmett O'Connor, Fred Clark
Roles Sidney Skolsky (uncredited)
Rating83% 4.199434.199434.199434.199434.19943
At a Sunset Boulevard mansion, the body of Joe Gillis floats in the swimming pool. In a flashback, Joe relates the events leading to his death.
The Corpse Came C.O.D., 1h27
Directed by Henry Levin
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Crime
Themes Films about writers, Films about journalists
Actors George Brent, Joan Blondell, Adele Jergens, Jim Bannon, Leslie Brooks, Grant Mitchell
Roles Himself
Rating60% 3.0007453.0007453.0007453.0007453.000745
Two reporters who are in love (Brent and Blondell) compete with each other when covering the story about the discovery of a corpse found at the mansion of a famous Hollywood movie actress.
Tom, Dick and Harry, 1h27
Directed by Garson Kanin, Fred Fleck
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Romantic comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Actors Ginger Rogers, George Murphy, Dino Morea, Alan Marshal, Burgess Meredith, Phil Silvers
Roles Photographer (uncredited)
Rating63% 3.1941453.1941453.1941453.1941453.194145
Ginger Rogers plays telephone operator Janie, who has to choose between three men - Tom (Murphy), Dick (Marshal) and Harry (Meredith). The film was remade as The Girl Most Likely (1957), a musical which also proved to be the last film released by RKO.
Hallelujah, I'm a Bum, 1h22
Directed by Lewis Milestone
Origin USA
Genres Romantic comedy, Musical, Romance
Themes Musical films
Actors Al Jolson, Frank Morgan, Madge Evans, Harry Langdon, Chester Conklin, Tyler Brooke
Roles Undetermined Secondary Role
Rating68% 3.4443253.4443253.4443253.4443253.444325
Un balayeur communiste dénonce en chantant "ces riches tire-au-flanc qui vivent sur le dos des travailleurs".
The Sport Parade, 1h4
Directed by Dudley Murphy
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Romance
Actors Joel McCrea, Marian Marsh, William Gargan, Richard 'Skeets' Gallagher, Robert Benchley, Walter Catlett
Roles Newsman Sid (uncredited)
Rating57% 2.8572152.8572152.8572152.8572152.857215
The characters played by McCrea and Gargan are friends from Dartmouth College, who play together on the college football team, and whose lives take different paths. Later, they move to New York, argue over a woman Irene (Marsh), and get involved with pro wrestling, which turns out to be run by local racketeers.

Scriptwriter

The Eddie Cantor Story, 1h55
Directed by Alfred E. Green
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Musical
Themes Musical films
Actors Keefe Brasselle, Marilyn Erskine, Aline MacMahon, Marie Windsor, Ann Doran, Gerald Mohr
Rating57% 2.858762.858762.858762.858762.85876
Raised by his grandmother on New York's East Side, 13-year-old Eddie sings while another neighborhood kid, Rocky Kramer, and his gang pick pockets. Eddie is sent by Grandma Esther to a boys camp, where he entertains the others with his songs and routines.
The Daring Young Man, 1h13
Directed by William A. Seiter
Origin USA
Genres Comedy
Themes Children's films
Actors James Dunn, Mae Clarke, Neil Hamilton, Sidney Toler, Warren Hymer, Stanley Fields
Roles Story
Rating60% 3.046063.046063.046063.046063.04606
Le journaliste Don "Mac" McLane, un misogyne convaincu, a l'habitude d'avertir ses collègues sur les dangers du mariage, quand il rencontre une journaliste rivale Martha "Maddy" Allen. Il l'invite à son appartement, mais il y trouve le Colonel Baggott, un intarissable bavard.

Producer

The Jolson Story, 2h8
Directed by Alfred E. Green
Origin USA
Genres Drama, Biography, Musical
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Larry Parks, Evelyn Keyes, William Demarest, Bill Goodwin, Ludwig Donath, Scotty Beckett
Roles Producer
Rating71% 3.5934853.5934853.5934853.5934853.593485
American burlesque performer Steve Martin (William Demarest) offers to play a song for his audience, if they agree to sing along. Only one person does sing, a young boy named Asa Yoelson (Scotty Beckett). Steve is bowled over by the boy's voice, but Asa realizes he should be singing at the synagogue with his father, Cantor Yoelson (Ludwig Donath). Asa arrives late, and is later reprimanded by his strict father. Asa is reluctant to explain where he was, but Steve Martin visits the Yoelsons' home. He explains that he heard Asa sing at the burlesque house, and that he wants Asa to be part of his act. Papa Yoelson refuses to consider it.