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Bobby Banas, the actor, dancer and choreographer who played Joyboy in West Side Story and worked in such other famed movie musicals as Bye Bye Birdie, The Unsinkable Molly Brown and Mary Poppins, has died. He was 90.

Banas died Monday of pneumonia at an assisted living facility in Encino, his son, director and photographer Eden Tyler Banas, told The Hollywood Reporter.

Banas received newfound attention when a clip of him leading five others in a dance number to the song “The Nitty Gritty” on a 1964 episode of CBS’ The Judy Garland Show found its way on YouTube. It has since been viewed many millions of times.

Banas’ Joyboy was a member of the Jets in West Side Story (1959). Later, the performer was bowled over by a kiss from Marilyn Monroe in Let’s Make Love (1960), played a chimney sweep in Mary Poppins (1964) and danced in a nightclub with Ann-Margret in Made in Paris...

Rod Serling's anthology series "The Twilight Zone" may not have had a perfect run all the way through (you can check out our ranking of the original classic seasons right here), but it sure kicked off with a bang. Its second episode, "One For The Angels," was tonally much different than the show's unconventional pilot, and fairly quickly, audiences learned that they were going to be seeing many familiar faces pop up across the show's delightfully twisted and thought-provoking episodes. One such face belonged to Ed Wynn, who audiences would have known at that time for his many stage, film, and TV roles, including leading the Peabody- and Emmy-winning variety series "The Ed Wynn Show." Wynn carried this "Twilight Zone" episode on his shoulders, playing a pitchman who is visited by the personification of Death and trying to outsmart him, only to eventually have to give the pitch of his...

With Christmas just one week (and one day) away, we wanted to ask you, the people, what your favorite Christmas Movie is? It doesn’t have to be the movie you think is the best, just the one that you eagerly anticipate watching every year. Is it the timeless tale of an angel getting its wings in It’s A Wonderful Life? or perhaps the under-appreciated (and genuinely hilarious) R rated The Night Before is how you kick off your holiday season?

Do you look forward to seeing Jack Skellington discover the true meaning of Christmas in the Christmas Movie Classic The Nightmare Before Christmas or watching Kevin McCallister take down the Wet/ Sticky Bandits in Home Alone 1&2 or perhaps seeing Clark W. Griswold struggle to have the perfect family Christmas in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation is more your speed? Whatever film fills you with yuletide glee, we would love...

Nearly four decades ago, NBC brought Babes in Toyland back to life with an all-star cast.

The holiday project was based on the 1903 operetta, which features Victor Herbert’s score — including Christmas staple “Toyland” — and a libretto from Glen MacDonough that draws together numerous Mother Goose characters. It followed such previous adaptations as a 1934 Laurel and Hardy film, a 1960 Shirley Temple-led TV version and a 1961 Disney movie starring Annette Funicello.

Filmmaker Clive Donner — whose 1965 comedy What’s New Pussycat? marked Woody Allen’s first produced screenplay — directed Babes in Toyland from a script by Paul Zindel (Mame).

Shot in Munich, it starred 11-year-old Drew Barrymore as Lisa, who has no interest in toys until she gets magically transported to Toyland on Christmas Eve, where she teams up with the Toymaster (Pat Morita, fresh off The Karate Kid Part II) to stop the villainous Barnaby Barnicle (Richard Mulligan) from taking over the realm.

Everything old is new again. Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed remake of “West Side Story” has garnered seven Oscar nominations. That haul is impressive but pales next to that of the 1961 original which reaped a whopping 11 bids. Not surprisingly, it was the big winner at the 34th annual Oscars. These took place at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on April 9, 1962 with Bob Hope hosting.

The Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins adaptation of the Leonard Bernstein–Stephen Sondheim landmark Broadway musical waltzed away with 10 wins including Best Picture, Director (shared for the first time) and for supporting players Rita Moreno and George Chakiris.

Robbins also received an honorary Oscar that night for his “brilliant achievement in the art of choreography on film.” Ironically, Robbins had received his walking papers from his directing duties 45 days into production. Wise told me in a 2002 L.A. Times interview that the production was behind schedule and over-budget.

Drew Barrymore and Keanu Reeves are taking a ride down memory lane. During the Dec. 21 episode of The Drew Barrymore Show, the two stars, who appeared in the 1986 Christmas movie Babes in Toyland, reminisced about their time working on what Drew described as an "obscure masterpiece." "We had so much fun making it," she said, as Keanu called the experience "crazy" and gave shout-outs to co-stars Richard Mulligan and Jill Schoelen. "I'm just looking back from 1986 until now, we have both had the privilege and fortune to keep going—what a blessing that is," Drew told the Matrix Resurrections star. "You're someone I think of, too, as being so gracious...

We’ve heard all about Kingpin and Daredevil returning to the MCU, but what about The Punisher? Jon Bernthal weighs in on Frank Castle’s potential revival.

“It’s been nearly 3 years since Netflix canceled The Punisher, along with its entire Marvel slate of programming. And while some Netflix characters, like Charlie Cox’s Daredevil and Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, are being reincorporated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, others are unlikely to join the family-friendly Disney/Marvel brand.”

Read more at The Mary Sue

1917 star George Mackay transforms himself into a wild animal for one of the year’s craziest thrillers called Wolf.

“It’s a Sunday afternoon, and the acclaimed British actor is hunched over in his seat, modeling the stance of a wolf crouched down to lap water from a stream — or at least giving it his best effort. Elbows back, wrists curled, fingers bent, back arched, head lowered,...

Tommy Kirk, one of Disney’s major young stars of the 1950s and early ’60s with performances in generational touchstone films such as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog and Son of Flubber, died Tuesday at his home in Las Vegas. He was 79.

His death was announced on Facebook by friend and fellow child star Paul Petersen.

Showbiz & Media Figures We’ve Lost In 2021 – Photo Gallery

“My friend of many decades, Tommy Kirk, was found dead last night,” wrote Petersen, who has long been an advocate for child actors through his organization A Minor Consideration. “Tommy was intensely private. He lived alone in Las Vegas, close to his friend … and Ol Yeller co-star, Bev Washburn … and it was she who called me this morning. Tommy was gay and estranged from what remains of his blood-family. We in A Minor Consideration are Tommy’s family. Without apology. We will take care of this.

It’s the time of year when you can’t enter a store without hearing those familiar holiday jingles as your shopping soundtrack. With many families reducing their gatherings this year, it’s a good time to snuggle up, stay in, and share some Christmas movies with your kids. Here are some of the best that Disney+ has to offer.

Lego Star Wars Holiday Special

This season’s brand new holiday special features the cast of the Star Wars Sequel trilogy celebrating Life Day. Rey feels she’s failing Finn as his teacher in the ways of the Jedi, so she seeks out an ancient technique at an old temple—which sends her through Star Wars history, witnessing moments in the training of Anakin, Luke, and Obi-Wan. When Darth Vader follows her from the second Death Star, chaos ensues, and a chase through the various Star Wars properties—including The...

Disney has shared a new trailer for their upcoming Disney+ streaming service and it’s over 3-hours long! I don’t know if you want to spend over three hours seeing what Disney+ has to offer when it launches, but you have the option!

Disney+ also posted all of the films and TV shows coming to the streaming service on a super long Twitter thread, which I included below the trailer. As you’ll see there’s a ton of stuff that will be available that will make Disney fans happy. Gargoyles and several other classic 90s animated series are among them along with a lot of old weird films that have been pulled out of the Disney vault.

If you don’t want to watch the trailer or scroll through the Twitter feed, I shared the full list of titles for you. Check everything out below and let us...

Jack Gilardi, the dapper agent who spent the past 64-plus years with ICM Partners and its predecessor companies, has died. He was 88.

Gilardi died Thursday morning in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family, a spokesperson for ICM announced.

He was married to the late actress Annette Funicello — he first met her on the set of her 1961 film Babes in Toyland and served as her agent and manager — from 1965 until their divorce in 1981.

Gilardi's roster of current clients included Funicello's frequent co-star Frankie Avalon as well as ...

Jack Gilardi, the dapper agent who spent the past 64-plus years with ICM Partners and its predecessor companies, has died. He was 88.

Gilardi died Thursday morning in his sleep at his home in Los Angeles surrounded by his family, a spokesperson for ICM announced.

He was married to the late actress Annette Funicello — he first met her on the set of her 1961 film Babes in Toyland and served as her agent and manager — from 1965 until their divorce in 1981.

Gilardi's roster of current clients included Funicello's frequent co-star Frankie Avalon as well as ...

The hospital gown Kurt Cobain famously wore during Nirvana’s headlining set at Reading Festival 1992 is currently up for auction via Rr Auction. The gown is part of the Marvels of Modern Music Auction, which started March 7th and ends March 14th. Cobain’s hospital gown is estimated to be worth $50,000 or more.

Nirvana’s 1992 set at the Reading Festival remains one of the band’s most famous live performances, and it was released as a concert film and live album in 2009 after being a cherished bootleg for years. Cobain...

“The Mickey Mouse Club” first premiered in October 1955 under the leadership of the one and only Walt Disney. The long-lasting variety show served as incubator for more than a few major future stars throughout its run, and during its second iteration in the 1990s, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, and Christina Aguilera all shared airtime as Mousketeers. Here’s a look back at the biggest stars who made appearances on the show.

Annette Funicello

Funicello joined the Mousketeers in 1955 at the age of 12 after being personally discovered at a ballet performance by none other than Walt Disney. She quickly became one of the show’s most popular performers, receiving 6,000 fan letters a week, along with wristwatches and a few engagement rings. Funicello went on to star in several Disney-produced serials and movies, including “The Shaggy Dog” and “Babes in Toyland,” and then switched gears to costar in a...

Dora's Christmas Carol Adventure (Dickensian Re-Do)

Nick, 7 Pm Et

When Swiper tries to steal Dora's Christmas Star, the duo travels to the past, present, and future.

Four Christmases (Family Dramedy)

MoreMAX, 7:30 Pm Et

When their plans for a holiday getaway fall apart, a couple (Vince Vaughn, Reese Witherspoon) must spend Christmas Day trudging to a quartet of family get-togethers.

Adam Sandler's Eight Crazy Nights (Laughing All the Way)

MTV, 8 Pm Et

During Hanukkah, a temperamental lout (Adam Sandler) drinks, gets in trouble with the law, and performs community service.

Babes in Toyland (Mistletoe & Mayhem)

The Family Channel, 9 Pm Et

Lisa (Drew Barrymore) awakes in a magical world, then helps storybook figures fight off an evildoer (Richard Mulligan).

What else is showing this season? See our The 12 Flavors of Christmas - 2010 Holiday TV Movie Guide.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 12/5/2010 by reelz

Adam Sandler | Drew Barrymore | Reese Witherspoon | Vince Vaughn | Dora the Explorer...

Yesterday was Flag Day, the one day of the year dedicated to Americans celebrating their national colors, but today, June 15, is actually a much more important holiday: Cheer Up Keanu Day. After a paparazzi image of a forlorn-looking Keanu Reeves sitting on a bench and eating lunch made its circuit through the magically arbitrary world of Internet Meme-land, someone started up a Facebook event called “Cheer Up Keanu Day,” urging fans of the actor to send him “letters, emails, gifts, and any other niceties and kind words” to let him know just how much he means to them. As of this post,...

On Monday, Disney gave Aline Brosh McKenna seven figures for a live-action Cinderella pitch. Today, Pajiba finds out that we're also getting another Wizard of Oz sequel / reimagining / what-have-you, from a gal who played a reimagined Cinderella some 12 years ago. According to their sources, Warner Bros and Flower Films are resurrecting Surrender Dorothy, and Flower head Drew Barrymore will make this her second directorial feature (following Whip It).

This film started brewing all the way back in 2002, and back then, Zach Helm (Stranger Than Fiction) had written a script that would have Barrymore star. She was to play the great, great grandaughter of Dorothy, who has to pull out the antique ruby red slippers to smack down the Wicked Witch of the West, who wants to control both Oz and Earth. The feature seemed to disappear as soon as it arrived, staying silent until now, presumably because of the success...

When Angels Come to Town (Wacky Wonderland)

Hallmark, 2 Pm Et

The third time’s the charm for angel Max (Peter Falk), who bungles his heavenly mission, not to mention shows up in drag.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (Comfort & Joy)

CBS, 8 Pm Et

The most famous reindeer of all saves Christmas with his very shiny nose.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (Laughing All the Way)

AMC, 8 Pm Et

The Griswold’s take on Christmas and their country cousin (Randy Quaid).

Babes in Toyland (Mistletoe & Mayhem)

ReelzChannel, 8 Pm Et

Lisa (Drew Barrymore) awakes in a magical world, then helps storybook figures fight off an evildoer (Richard Mulligan).

What else is showing this season? Check out the complete Holiday TV Movie Guide: The 12 Flavors of Christmas.

Next Showing:

Link | Posted 12/2/2009 by reelz

Drew Barrymore | Peter Falk | Richard Mulligan | Randy Quaid | When Angels Come to Town | Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Movie | National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation...