Hi everyone:

Just wanted everyone to know that soon we are going to start a campaign to get Tyrone a postage stamp. I will post here with details later. We will need everyone's help if at all possible.

Also, such good news, that TCM is starting to show more Tyrone movies - is this temporary or permanent, I don't know, but it's great. He will be appearing on TCM in "The Black Swan" I believe on April 7 in primetime, like 8 o'clock, which is great, and Alexander's Ragtime Band was just on. Please if you can keep encouraging TCM to show more of his movies and even give him a Star of the Month.

With the exception of Marie Antoinette and Witness for the Prosecution -- and maybe Flirtation Walk, though I haven't been able to spot him in it -- Tyrone Power's movies are not in the TCM library. To air anything besides these three titles, TCM has to license the rights to show the movie. The vast majority of Ty's filmography was made for and is still owned by 20th Century Fox, though he also did several films for Columbia (now owned by Sony) and a few other companies (in association with his own production company) towards the end of his career. It's great that TCM is licensing some Fox titles, but I don't know if they are going to license enough to make him Star of the Month. I'd love to see it though. The Fox Movie Channel shows The Black Swan and Alexander's Ragtime Band (esp. The Black Swan) every now and then and of course both are available on excellent DVDs.

I'd love to see a stamp too!

TCM also broadcast 'Abandon Ship' (Columbia) about 2 months ago. (I made a DVD copy). Also 'The Eddie Duchin Story' and ' The Long Gray Line'(Columbia). And 'Solomon and Sheba' (MGM/UA) (He's supposed to be in some long shots but I've never spotted him).

TCM shows Eddy Duchin, Abandon Ship, Witness for the Prosecution, and the Long Gray Line now, as well as Marie Antoinette. They just showed Alexander's Ragtime Band and are showing The Black Swan April 7. They also showed The Rains Came, I believe more than once last year. This is a good trend - let's hope it continues!

This is great news, Maria--I certainly will buy a set of stamps to keep (and certainly buy more to use--get that man's face circulating!)

What do we do--send TCM email? Our building switched to DISH and I now have TCM. :) Will be nice to watch TP and see what commentary they add. He should be considered for Star of the Month.

Melody, yes, I believing writing to TCM has certainly helped. As a case in point, he was omitted from the 50 Greatest Leading Men of the Studio Era book (which included men not in the studio era). There were many complaints, spearheaded by yours truly, and suddenly, he and Gene Tierney wound up in the Leading Couples books. And it's not a coincidence that they have shown more of his movies AND had a birthday celebration for him last May 5.

So yes, keep the pressure up on TCM!

For all he grossed for Fox, one would think he would have been included in their 50 Studio Men book! Very sad . . .

But alas not forgotten!

Maria, I've enjoyed watching you on the Tyrone Power Idol DVD series. It's great that you were given the chance to share what you have.

Melody, thanks. It was a labor of love all around.

The only thing is that during the 2008 Tribute in LA, they showed "Tyrone Power, Prince of Fox" and "Ty and Loretta" AT the Egyptian Theatre on the BIG SCREEN. You can imagine - I wanted to crawl under the seat.

Maria, did anyone from Ty's family attend?

I hope I can make a memorial in November one of these days, or at least see his grave--sounds a bit morbid, but being Polish Catholic, we're always visiting cemeteries! LOL

Melody, yes, his children attended, his cousin who lives in LA attended, and his cousins came in from Arizona to attend. Also, Anne Baxter's daughter Melissa Galt was there, as well as Loretta Young's daughter. Tyrone's stand-in Mike Steckler also attended. We had a panel with Terry Moore, Piper Laurie, Jayne Meadows, and Coleen Gray as well. It was an amazing event.

Sounds like another great event indeed :-)!! Is there any chance you might put up the pics on your site, by any chance--would love to see them?

Joanne, thanks for reminding me, as I meant to mention that the photos are on my site, www.mariaciaccia.com, just hit the Tyrone Power Tribute banner.

Hi Maria, sorry be so dense, but is there another link that I might be missing after going into the Tyrone Power Tribute link? The only pics I'm able to see are the ones from 2008 (there is a heading that states Page 1 but it doesn't appear to be a link)?

Again, sorry to be a pain, Maria.

No, you're not dense. I didn't realize I had "page 1" there - I thought someone asked about the 2008 tribute to him in LA for the 50th year of his death - that's what the photos are:

http://www.mariaciaccia.com/tyronepowertribute.htm

Keep scrolling down, there are photos of the service, the memorabilia display at the theater, the family, and some of the people who attended. There are other photos of past memorial services at www.tyrone-power.com as well, I think, as well as some from the 50th anniversary tribute. Hope that helps.

Ok Maria great, many thanks. The photos are a real treat--it was great to see the tribute pics as well.

I'll be on the lookout for the '09 pics as well :-)!

Thanks, Maria, for having this available. I enjoyed looking at the pictures of the 2008 memorial.

One of these days . . . !!

Thumbs up for Maria and Joanne!

Too true, can't agree more, Melody. Maria added a definite pizzazz to the commentary :-)!!!!

That book was one of the most moronic film publications I've seen. Talk about Ted Turner re-writing film history!! They left out Betty Grable, as well for heaven's sake! Weird. Good good to know that the e-mails to TCM are having some effect.

Still, I think it will be a hot day in January when they feature him as the star of the month (goes for Grable too, for that matter....not to mention Alice Faye, Shirley Temple, even Loretta Young, etc., etc.

It makes me froth at the mouth to think what attention would be paid to these stars if Turner had purchased the Fox vault as well.

Ah well, hopefully I'm wrong about featuring him on TCM at some point.

Those are all films that TCM has to license. Again, the only ones actually in their library are Marie Antoinette and Witness for the Prosecution. (And Flirtation Walk?) Some of the other titles may still be licensed for additional broadcasts. So it all depends on how many titles they can show, and how many more they want to pay to license. I'm all for Tyrone Power, star of the month. Actually, what would be really cool is if Fox Movie Channel and TCM cooperated to do a big Tyrone Power Star of the Month cross-coordinated thing on BOTH channels. :)

I dunno, I'm thinking a TP festival of *any* sort isn't even on the TCM radar :-(. It's incredible how the FOX studio is completely overlooked by that channel. Heck, even Columbia gets its due (which was considered "poverty row" is memory serves). Paramount, too, appears to get some coverage though that was one of the 'big 5'.

There's a perverse incompleteness to it as Fox had some of the bigest stars hands down making it impossible, really to ignore. On the other hand, the thinking is that Fox is well covered by the FXM channel and, and IMHO it really isn't.

Anywho, I'll get off my soapbox now :-)!!!

WOW, a stamp, now *that* would be something :-)!! He's largely overlooked so this would quite the feat if it goes through.

Count me in for any assistance Maria!!

Yes, I agree, Joanne, with all of your comments, and as far as the stamp - yes, a feat! I'm going to be asking people who can or who should (like the family) to write letters. Then I'm getting a bunch of prewritten, prepaid postcards and giving out stacks to anyone who wants them, so that they can have their friends and family sign them, and they can even hand them back and you can mail them. There will also be a petition online.

I know there was a fight to get Al Jolson a stamp, but his fans won. I think it takes some perseverance. No reason Tyrone Power should NOT have a stamp. He was in the Marines during WW II, did goodwill tours around the world, and was a great American star.

It's sounds like massive undertaking Maria---I don't know of anyone that works harder for TP!! will definitly sign the online petition when it's up and running.

(BTW, it seems amazing that there was any resistance to Al Jolson--being such a key part of a pioneering film and all.)

Apparently there was resistance because of the blackface, and yet, the stamp actually has him in blackface!

Yeah, that doesn't surprise me. Still, the film isn't nearly as offensive as, say, the Birth of a Nation was; and it is a major milestone. It's ironic that they ultimately went with the blackface for the stamp.

(I recall seeing Birth of a Nation in college with a packed house. One and all got up in shocked silence and quietly walked out once the film was over. Can't quite bring myself to see it again.)

I VOTE FOR A U.S. STAMP OF TYRONE POWER. WHAT A NEAT ITEM TO ADD TO OUR COLLECTING. US FANS WOULD LOVE THAT!!