by Joanna Paxinou George Raft was a big movie star in the 1930s and ‘40s. Frankly, I wasn’t a fan of his and only watched his films when James Cagney or Humphrey Bogart was in the movie with him. Then I found out recently that Raft had grown up in…
NEW YORK
by Joanna Paxinou “Gimme a whiskey—ginger ale on the side. And don’t be stingy, baby.” Greta Garbo spoke those words in her first “talkie,” Anna Christie in 1930. Garbo had been a great silent screen star and one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s biggest assets. Her first three silent films accounted for 13%…
Growing up in Manhattan, I remember how hot summers were. Walking the streets felt like the heat was coming up from the asphalt and almost smothering you. We didn’t have air-conditioning at home, just a couple of fans. My Uncle George (my Dad’s brother and a film buff like me)…
I grew up in Manhattan on West 57th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues. I loved it and still do! I left the old neighborhood some time ago, but it never left me. There are some new buildings built over the years, but surprisingly a lot has stayed the same….
I grew up on 57th Street between Ninth and Tenth Avenues in Manhattan. I loved my neighborhood—still do. They called this area Hell’s Kitchen when I was growing up. According to local lore, the area got its name because it was a rough part of New York City in the…