Stars & Their Hobbies - Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson, Art Collector

“I remember well what it was like to be a true collector, that soft explosion in the heart, that thundering inner 'yes' when you see something you must have or die"- Edward G. Robinson

Edward G. Robinson didn't like to think of himself as a collector. His penchant for fine art was more of an addiction than a hobby. Robinson also collected cigars and records but his passion for art stands out. 

"I am not a collector. I'm just an innocent bystander who has been taken over by a collection." - Edward G. Robinson

Robinson had a collection of over 70 paintings and at one point even started a gallery with actor Vincent Price. Unfortunately, Robinson had to sell most of his original collection to Greek shipping tycoon Stavros Niarchos in 1956 in order to cover the costs of his divorce to Gladys Robinson. He kept collecting after that though and was able to amass a new collection that was even bigger than the first.

Cliff of Immortal Ephemera has two great posts on Edward G. Robinson's hobby: Interpreting and Understanding Edward G. Robinson on Collecting and Edward G. Robinson's World of Art - More Robinson on Collecting. I highly recommend reading them and they were the primary source of information for this post!

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My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies - Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr., Photography

"Jerry [Lewis] gave me my first important camera, my first 35 millimeter during the Ciro's period, early '50s, and he hooked me... I met Milton [Greene]. He got me involved with serious photography and using available light." - Sammy Davis Jr.

Sammy Davis Jr. lost his left eye in a car accident in 1954. I like to think that his camera became his second eye, capturing the world around him through a different lens. Sammy Davis Jr. was an entertainer, a movie star and a member of the infamous Rat Pack. He had access to some of the most important people in the entertainment business and used his photography skills to capture images of them at work and at play. If you haven’t read it already, I highly recommend the book Photo by Sammy Davis Jr. I reviewed it a while back. It’s an excellent collection of Sammy Davis Jr.’s photographs including some of his self-portraits.

Sammy Davis Jr. and Jerry Lewis

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries. 

Stars & Their Hobbies - Spencer Tracy

Spencer Tracy, Polo

"There's something about horses which, once you really become interested in them, just naturally makes you think this is a pretty good world." - Spencer Tracy

Director John Cromwell encouraged Spencer Tracy to take up polo and Tracy trained with Reginald Leslie "Snowy Baker at the Riviera Polo Club in Santa Monica. It was a sport he relished for years. Even his wife Louise got into polo, although Tracy was initially hesitant about this because he thought the sport too rough for women. She proved him wrong and became an adept player. (Source)

You can watch a little clip of a celebrity polo match from 1938, which has Spencer Tracy on Joan Crawford's team, on the British Pathe website.

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Leslie Howard, Will Rogers, Carole Lombard, Spencer Tracy and Johnny Mack Brown
at a celebrity polo match circa 1934 - Source

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries. 

2014 Summer Reading Classic Film Book Challenge - Wrap Up

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's summer reading challenge. I'm impressed with everyone's efforts and I loved reading the reviews. I only managed to get 3 books in this summer, life got in the way and I should have paid more attention to my own advice. Alas, I still have a lot more reading ahead of me and another challenge next year to look forward to. On to the reviews!

BG of Classic Reel Girl (3)

1. Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations by Peter Evans and Ava Gardner
2. Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door by David Kaufman
3. Frankly, My Dear: Gone With the Wind Revisited by Molly Haskell

Emily of The Vintage Cameo  (1)

1. Cinematic Canines: Dogs and Their Work in the Fiction Film by Adrienne L. McLean

Karen of Shadows and Satin (6)

All six reviews can be found here.

1. Life With Father by Clarence Day
2. Dark History of Hollywood: A Century of Greed, Corruption, and Scandal Behind the Movies by Kieron Connolly
3. Bette and Joan: The Divine Feud by Shaun Considine
4. Center Door Fancy by Joan Blondell
5. Joan Blondell: A Life Between Takes by Matthew Kennedy
6. Palm Springs Babylon by Ray Mungo

KC of A Classic Movie Blog (7)

1. The Wizard of Oz FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About Life According to Oz by David J. Hogan 
2. Sharon Tate: Recollection by Debra Tate
3. Hitchcock’s Partner in Suspence: The Life of Screenwriter Charles Bennett edited by John Charles Bennett
4. Stella! Mother of Modern Acting by Sheana Ochoa
5. Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios
6. Fred Zinnemann and the Cinema of Resistance by J.E. Smyth
7. Buzz: The Life and Art of Busby Berkeley by Jeffrey Spivak

Laura of Laura’s Miscellaneous Musings (6)

1. John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman
2. Still Memories: An Autobiography in Photography by John Mills
3. Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios
4. Jacques Tourneur: The Cinema of Nightfall by Chris Fujiwara
5. The Years of George Montgomery
6. Five Came Back: A Story of the Hollywood and the Second World War by Mark Harris

Lê  of Vintage Classic Scrapbook and Critica Retro (2)

1. Na Sala Escura: A Arte De Sonhar Com Os Olhos Abertos by Chico Lopes (review is in Portuguese but you can easily translate it to English!)
2. Beyond Casablanca II: 101 Classic Movies Worth Watching by Jennifer Garlen

Raquel of Out of the Past  (3)

1. Dangerous Rhythm: Why Movie Musicals Matter by Richard Barrios
2. A Life of Barbara Stanwyck: Steel-True 1907-1940 by Victoria Wilson
3. Steve McQueen: A Passion for Speed by Frederic Brun

Rich of Wide Screen World (4)

1. Three Fingers by Rich Koslowsky
2. Silent Stars by Jeanine Basinger
3. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis
4. The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by

Robby of Dear Old Hollywood (2)

1. Welcome, Foolish Mortals: The Life and Voices of Paul Frees by Ben Ohmart
2. Life at the Marmont: The Inside Story of Hollywood’s Legendary Hotel of the Stars – Chateau Marmont by Raymond Sarlot and Fred E. Basten

There were three candidates for the final prize. I used Random.org to pick a winner and it was Laura! She wins the set of four Vintage Movie Classics from Vintage Books.