EVERYTHING'S COMING UP GYPSY

In the end, Gypsy Rose Lee's bottomless energy was overcome by cancer of the lungs (yes, she smoked.) In his vividly written memoir, GYPSY AND ME, her son, Erik Lee Preminger, recalls how even at the end her indomitable sense of self-appreciation never let up:

"When I think of her last days...I usually remember one of her first visits to the radiation clinic. The night before we had celebrated her fifty-sixth birthday. She was taken the moment she arrived, and we were walking past all the patients who were waiting in line for their turn.
'You know, Erik' she said quietly, 'when I look at all these people I can't bring myself to berate God for giving me this horrible disease. I've had three wonderful lives, and these poor sons-a-bitches haven't even lived once.'"

Yes, she toured with AUNTIE MAME several times.

JOAN CRAWFORD ON CHARM

"Too many of us "turn on the charm" only on special occasions, taking our families and close friends for granted. Nobody is fooled -- neither your mother, for instance, who pressed your new nylon blouse so exquisitely and was understandably hurt when you "forgot" to thank here. Or the new boy friend on whom you lavish all the saved-up smiles and thoughtfulness. Self-conscious "this-will-get-him" charm -- the only kind you possibly can have when you put it on like a new formal or your best hat -- isn't charm at all. It's affectation -- and like last year's slip, it shows!"
-- Photoplay magazine, 1951.

TESTING, MISS CRAWFORD, TESTING!

J.C. is actually very good in STRAIT-JACKET. But the jewel of the film comes at the end, when they wrap it up with the familiar Columbia logo, except the lady with the torch is DECAPITATED and her head is laying at her feet!

OH, LA PUBLICITE, LA PUBLICITE!

MOM, I'D LIKE YOU TO MEET MY ROOMMATE

RANDOLPH SCOTT AND CARY GRANT

SANTO VS THE VAMPIRE WOMEN (Las Mujeres Vampiro) trailer

The wrestler/horror film. One concept Todd Browning missed out on.

BM (Before Multiplexes)

A tip of the hat to Greg Ferrara!

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS: RITA HAYWORTH AND HARRY BELAFONTE

TAKE THAT, AVA GARDNER!

Anne Bancroft paying her dues in "Gorilla At Large", 1954.

A commanding talent, to say the least. But half-way through, for the second chorus, she morphs into Betty Hutton, which is startling, but not without its wacky charm.

FASHION WISDOM FROM THE GRAVE

At a recent seance we heard the gravelly voice of a woman either in great physical pain or simply burdened by guests she couldn't get rid of. With considerable effort she delivered what we recognized as two pearls of wisdom that could only come from Diana Vreeland, the late, greatly missed doyen of Vogue and the Met's Institute of Fashion. Mrs. Vreeland must have thought it was urgent to spread the word again or maybe even in Hell the publicity machine never stops.

"Never fear being vulgar, just boring."

Then, after what sounded like a 30-second drag from a cigarette

"We all need a splash of bad taste. No taste is what I'm against."

There were a series of murmurs where she appeared to be approving of her pronouncements. And then she was gone.

CUKOR'S WOMEN

An amazing gallery of obscure photos of (mostly) obscure actresses who worked with George Cukor, part of an altogether amazing Brazilian site dedicated to quality vintage film photos, videos and history.
Pictured above: Judy Holliday, Anouk Aimee, Jeanette Macdonald.
http://quixotando.wordpress.com/tag/george-cukor/

REMEMBERING ADRIAN 50 YEARS LATER

Born in Naugatuck, Connecticut on March 3, 1903, Adrian Adolph Greenberg trained at the Parsons School of Fine Arts. It is rumored that songwriter Irving Berlin hired the then 18 year old designer for a Broadway presentation of "The Music Box Revue" after seeing his creations in Paris, where he had renamed himself Gilbert Adrian. It was Natacha Rambova, the wife of Rudolph Valentino and movie art director, who gave Gilbert Adrian access to Hollywood royalty in the 1920’s.

He designed for two of Rudy’s films and the rest is history.
 Adrian turned ordinary actresses into immortal icons during the age of Hollywood glamour. His reported favorite was Greta Garbo but his clientele also included Norma Shearer and Jean Harlow and, yes, he gave Joan Crawford those unforgettable shoulder pads. After 13 years he opened his own shop in Beverly Hills. 

His design emphasis was on simplicity but he had an ability to drape that is still unrivaled to this day.

He was a 1944 Coty award winner and unfortunately never won an Oscar because the category of costume design wasn’t created until after he left MGM. He was the head designer for over 250 movies, including "The Wizard of Oz" that featured the legendary ruby slippers. He had a controversial marriage to the actress Janet Gaynor and they lived in a ranch in Brazil in the last years of his life. Sadly, while making arrangements to design costumes for the upcoming Broadway musical "Camelot," he died on September 13, 1959 at the young age of 54 and his death was ruled a suicide.


...BUT WATCH OUT FOR THAT DIOR CURVE JUST AHEAD...

This juicy fashion tidbit comes from the March 27, 1950 issue of Quick Magazine:
"Hollywood designer Adrian, disregarding Paris and N.Y., pronounced that there will be no drastic change in the daytime silhouette for the next 50 years, added that the death of the “New Look” proved that attempting to insinuate violent fashion changes in modern times is futile."
And now that we've retro-ed ourselves through the 20th Century, what violent fashion changes do you anticipate for the next 50 years?

POOR LITTLE HOLLYWOOD STAR

"You can't get a husband in Hollywood -- or anyway, I can't!"
This bitter remark was blurted out to me by one of the most bewitching bachelor girls in the movie industry. It might have been said by any one of a dozen other young and lovely stars. It certainly is a thought many of them harbor daily. A thought that haunts them on the soundstage, under the hair drier and during those heart-chilling moments after the 5 o'clock alarm goes off and they face the prospect of another manless day. -- from an article in Motion Picture magazine, 1951.

Demented Children In Vintage Advertisements

LUPE VELEZ: UBER BEECH

"Velez observed that people liked her because she had 'pep,' but Collier's magazine saw it differently, with a lampooning article headlined 'The Girl With One Talent.' Though she married Johnny Weissmuller she maintained a passion for [Gary] Cooper and when she described Cooper's new escort, the Countess di Frasso, as 'nothing but an old whore,' the Countess retaliated by tossing a glass of wine in her face.
Later she toured with Libby Holman in a production of Cole Porter's You'll Never Know, blacking the singer's eye one night in New Haven. Holman's biographer Jon Bradshaw describes how Velez screamed at Holman: 'You bastard, you son-a-beech, I keel you with thees,' brandishing a huge diamond ring given her by Weissmuller. She would also show it to the director, threatening: 'Thees is the ring I'm going to murder that Jewish beech with!' Following these outbursts she would kneel down in the wings, cross herself and pray. Later still her hatred caused her to urinate in the wings hoping the shortsighted Holman, who followed her onstage, would slip in the puddle and fall." -- from Dancing With the Devil: The Windsors and Jimmy Donahue by Christopher Wilson

THE SIDECAR

I don't know why it's taken us so long to follow Auntie Mame's notion of a good breakfast ("Tell Ito to make me a very light breakfast, black coffee and a Sidecar") but now that we know the allure of that drink we're sold on it for any time of the day. You would be too:

1 part Cointreau
1 part fresh lemon juice
3 parts Brandy

Chill martini glass while putting together ingredients above in shaker. Add lots of ice cubes. Shake for 20 seconds or until shaker is frosted. Strain on frosted martini glass. Consider calling Ul Yulu to re-do your living room while sipping.

THE GROOM WAS PRETTIER THAN THE BRIDE

"I think it's about time John Derek got a leading lady at least half as good-looking as he is. No one, male or female, could be better looking. But if he were teamed with luscious Liz Taylor, she could probably hold her own! So far, John Derek has made all of his leading ladies look sick!" -- Lois J. Boyd, Streator, Ill.
(Letters to Photoplay magazine, 1952)

WHAT SHOULD I DO? Your Problems Answered by Claudette Colbert

Dear Miss Colbert:
I have finally been asked to join a club at school I have wanted to belong for a long time. One of my very best friends was invited to join, so she asked to have me initiated too. For initiation each girl has to do something difficult. One girl had to locate two eight-cent airmail stamps. She borrowed them from a stamp collector. Another girl had to have a deck of cards autographed by a minister. Luckily, her uncle is a minister, but the girls didn't know that.
Here is what I have to do: ask you to send me a black wig exactly like Hedy Lamarr's hair. If you can't do this I can't become a member of the club, so I know you won't let me down. --Ellie E.

Dear Ellie:
I feel there is something to be said on high school clubs of this sort and I might as well say it. In California, high school clubs are strictly forbidden unless they have a definite and clear-cut purpose approved by the faculty and supervised by them, such as collecting toys for underprivileged children, and in general contributing something constructive to the community. A club that forces new members to do humiliating and foolish things isn't a club to which I would want a younger sister or a niece of mine to join.
Besides, it would be impossible to find a wig as beautiful as Hedy Lamarr's hair; there isn't such a thing. -- Claudette Colbert

-- Photoplay magazine, 1952

...because when you're Suzy Parker it doesn't matter how you wear your hair...

The beautiful Universal lucite logo was recently used in "Changeling." Even in a digitized version, it was worth all the tzures that followed.

SHE'S GOT BETTE DAVIS THIGHS

"In 1947 Bette Davis' tenure as the first lady of Warner Brothers was drawing to a close. Since 1932 her [wardrobe for] films had been designed almost exclusively by the brilliant and hot-tempered Orry-Kelly. "She didn't like him as a person but she kept using him because she knew she needed him," recalls Milo Anderson.

Her figure had several serious problems: bowed legs, very round shoulders, and a long and broad neck. Worst of all were her breasts, which hung almost to her waist. She refused to wear brassieres with underwire because she thought that the wire would cause breast cancer. When strapless bras became available, Kelly bought one and tried to get her to wear it, but she threw it at him. If Kelly pulled up on the straps too much her shoulders ached and the breasts simply doubled over.

Sometimes Kelly just let the breasts fall as they would and hid them in the unfitted waistline of a dress. But usually he lifted them as much as possible and tried to find new and different ways of camouflaging the situation with optical illusions. Short sleeves on a blouse or dress usually end at the middle of the upper arm, but Kelly brought Davis' sleeves down to the elbow so that they would be on the same level as the bottom of her bust. He often put white handkerchiefs in her breast pockets or corsages to draw the eye up. "Oh, give me some new way to break her bust!" he moaned one day to his assistant.". -- from Edith Head: The Life and Times of Hollywood's Celebrated Costume Designer by David Chierichetti

HELENA RUBINSTEIN LIKED HER PICTURE PAINTED

The Empress of Cosmetology was painted by just about every significant artist of her time, including Vertes, Dali and Duffy. The one that got away was Picasso, who worked on a painting for many months but didn't complete it because he thought that if he finished it meant he would die first. "The devil," she called him.

SHELLEY & JANET: WISE UP!

NOT BEAUTIFUL
How does Shelley Winters rate the big publicity build-up Hollywood always offers? Sure she has sex appeal. What shapely girl doesn't? But as for looks -- she's out!
I haven't met one person yet who thinks she's beautiful. And I've never seen an actress with such messy hair. If Hollywood can spend so much publicity on her, why don't they put her wise to a hairdresser? -- Mrs. Emily Bortel, Grand Rapids, Ohio.

IMMODEST
Why doesn't someone wise up Janet Leigh and some of the other younger stars about some of their indecent evening dresses? In my opinion they are a disgrace to the female sex. You never see any of the older stars like Loretta Young, Irene Dunne and Barbara Stanwyck wearing daring evening dresses. They use their heads for more than just a hat rack! -- Janet Robey, Detroit, Michigan.

Letters to the Editor, Motion Picture magazine, 1954

A REGULAR VANDAL-A!

THE GUEST NO ONE INVITES AGAIN IS:

* A LAZY DAISY
* A LEM-ME GIRL
* A PLAIN JANE

THAT CAMERA she's toting on a tippy-canoe ride: It's expensive; it belongs to her hostess. Like the swim suit she's wearing -- and the tennis racket she'll use later. Don't be a lem-me girl ("lend me" this or that). When visiting, bring your own sports props; why inconvenience your friends -- or risk being dubbed a vandal? Dodge calendar-time risks, too. You get safety you trust with Kotex, for this extra absorbent napkin gives protection that doesn't fail! -- From an ad in Movie Life magazine, 1954.

A STRONG DISLIKE FOR JOANIE

"JOAN Fontaine makes the hit parade in a social sense, for she is gay, gregarious, charming and witty and is invited to all the finest parties in town. But she is alleged to be almost hated by a certain group of -- her leading men!
HER fellow actors claim she's utterly ruthless and that she knows every way in which a leading woman can spoil an actor's lines -- and uses them!
ANY picture made with Joan means a constant battle for the leading man to get his face into the picture, and they end up with a strong dislike for Joanie." -- Motion Picture magazine, 1951

GOD GIVETH THE SHOULDER...

"I thought if I played an erudite, articulate person who was multifaceted and who was struggling between the maculine and the feminine sides of his/her nature that this was a great opportunity to do lots of amazing things as an actress. I was really attuned to the fact that I really needed to do something that showed that I had more ability than I was given credit for at that time -- that I wasn't just a body and a face."

--Racquel Welch recalling her role in MYRA BRECKENRIDGE.

FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE LIFE IS NEVER FUN

WHAT WOULD CARY GRANT DO?

"Cary never gave autographs, but his turn-downs of requests for them were such studies in charm that I often thought they served as come-ons even to people who knew wouldn't actually get one. In any case, this proved itself on this occasion -- and, as usual, Cary was up to the challenge. To one woman who gushed 'My friends will never believe I met you unless...,' Cary gently interrupted, 'You mean you have friends like that? You really shouldn't.' To a man who began, 'I hate to bother you, but...,' Cary's interruption was firmer. 'Don't ever,' he advised, 'do anything you hate.' And finally, to a third man, who started 'My wife will kill me...,' Cary was also admonitory. 'Tsk, tsk,' he smiled. 'You really shouldn't have that kind of relationship -- it's too dangerous.'"-- Cleveland Amory on having drinks with Cary Grant at the Polo Lounge. From his book "The Cat Who Came For Christmas."

MY RULES FOR ROMANCE ARE...(#3)

CLAUDETTE COLBERT:" I'm strictly of the old school. I think the bad taste some girls flaunt by their intimate confidences is even worse than indiscriminate love-making, if possible! Men are more decent -- most men wouldn't think of discussing the girl who had their affection." -- Photoplay magazine, 1943

AMONG THE LESSER PEOPLE

HOLLYWOOD is far less than enthusiastic about another of the fans' favorites, June Allyson. They say June has a habit of acting indifferent to those who work on her sets, that she often forgets to say hello to the grips, and that she's been guilty of being less than cordial to those who knew her when.
WHILE JUNE may not be a glowing favorite among the lesser people in Hollywood, she's very popular in the upper-bracket social set in which she travels. This is due, in part, to the social prestige of her husband, Dick Powell, who introduced her to the Leonard Firestones, the Edgar Bergens, the Justin Darts and others who rate high socially. And with these people June is warm and gay and thoughtful! -- From Motion Picture magazine, 1951

AND WHO'S CLAIRE TREVOR PLAYING?

THEY MEET ON AN ADVENTURE THAT SPANS THE 2400 MILES FROM HONOLULU TO SAN FRANCISCO BAY. OUT OF THIS MEETING OF STRANGERS COMES ENTERTAINMENT HISTORY, THE STORY OF EVERY KIND OF LOVE THERE IS !

LYDIA: Who was as low as high society could get!
CHILDS: A wealthy collector -- of other men's wives!
MAY: Strictly a night-time woman!
NELL: Still burning with honeymoon fever!
DAN: Who had used up his nine lives, and was starting on ten!
SALLY: Who lived in a world of whistles!

--from an ad in Movie Life magazine, 1954

VERA, HONEY!

"Sometimes Hollywood's no different than any other boy-meets-girl town. When I asked Rock Hudson why Vera-Ellen was dating A.C. Lyles every night, Rock said "Well, you see, I'm trying to save some money." Vera, honey, I didn't realize you were so expensive!" -- Motion Picture magazine, 1951

REMEMBERING RONA BARRETT

from “When Watching TV You Can Be Sure of Seeing…” in “Mad” October 1972

TRY ALL 3

DOES THAT VERY SWISH SHINDIG CALL FOR:

• A new hairdo?
• Your usual style?

Yah -- you look different, all right, with that new siren-ish chignon! In fact you're a "stranger" in Harry's eyes -- so now you feel unsure. A special occasion's no time to try new hairdo tricks. But at "that" time, it's no trick to be sure about whether Regular, Junior or Super Kotex suits you best. Try all 3. Each size has chafe-free softness, holds its shape!
--From an ad in Movie Life magazine, 1954.

A DIANA DORS STORY

Ms. Dors was born in a small town in the north of England. Her birth name was Diana Fluck.

In the mid-'50s, she was tapped by Hollywood as a Marilyn Monroe rival. She still had one English picture awaiting release before she departed. Her studio decided to premiere the film in her home town as the feature event of a Diana Dors Homecoming Day to celebrate her departure.

The mayor arranged to have bleachers set up in the town square, erected a stage and hired a local band for the event -- all part of a ceremony in which he would present her with the key to the city. In preparing his speech, he was very conscious of making the obvious mistake in pronouncing her name and rehearsed the presentation endlessly. "Diana Fluck. Diana Fluck. Fluck. Fluck. Fluck. Fluck. Fluck."

The big day arrives. Flags are flying, the band is playing, the bleachers are filled and the mayor is standing on the stage awaiting the star's arrival. A black Bentley quietly pulls into the square from which emerges Ms. Dors dressed in a red scoop-neck peasant blouse, gold toreador pants and wedgies. She insinuates herself up the stairs to the stage where the mayor waits with a giant key to the city.

The mayor is nonplused. He has never seen such a voluptuous vision and is clearly rattled by her. The band stops playing, the citizens hush and he begins his speech, unable to keep his dazzled eyes from straying from his prepared text to ogle her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," he begins, then sneaks the first of several peeks at the blonde goddess. "Today we have with us one of England's greatest stars who will soon be departing for a brilliant new career in Hollywood."

He cops another surreptitious glance at Dors, then continues.

"Moviegoers all over the world know her as Diana Dors. But those of you who have grown up in our town will always remember her as..."

He takes an anxious breath and, tremblingly, gazes at her once more.

"...our own Diana Clunt."

-- As told by the still-mourned but never-forgotten Joel E. Siegel (aka MovieMan on Songbirds.)

TALLU & MAE STORIES

ONE OF THE (arguably) endearing eccentricities of the late/great Tallulah Bankhead was a penchant for flashing. During the making of Hitchcock's 1944 LIFEBOAT some members of the cast got together and reported to Hitch that it had become very distracting having Tallu make it clear that she had no use for underwear. Hitch paused for a moment, then, thinking out loud, said "Well, I don't know if this is a problem for costume, hair and makeup or props."

DURING AN EARLY 1960s run of her play SEXTET at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miss West, always the gracious star, made time after the show to greet the fans and sign autographs. When a young man approached her and gushed the usual compliments, he added that he had just seen SHE DONE HIM WRONG at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Mae, blinked once or twice and said "Museum? What do you mean museum?"

WHETHER IT'S DANCING OR BOWLING OR WHATEVER...

WHEN A BLIND DATE'S DISAPPOINTING, WOULD YOU:

• Back out gracefully?
• Make like a martyr?
• Grin and bear it?

Your blind date's gruesome? Grin and bear it! Even stupor-man has feelings. Besides, he probably has friends...dream-beam material you'll get to know, in time. So stay in the picture; whether it's dancing, bowling or whatever. And on calendar days let Kotex keep you comfortable, with out-of-this-world softness that lasts because Kotex is made to stay soft while you wear it.

JUST AS SPEEDY!

"RACE GENTRY says he was born lucky. When he was 12, he found $125 in an old drain pipe. When he was 17, agent Henry Wilcox drove into the gas station where he was working and said: "Would you like to be in pictures?" A few months later he found himself playing with Rock Hudson at UI in The Lawless Breed, and he's still there, doing very nicely. His latest is Black Horse Canyon.
Race was born John Papiro, son of an Italian jewelry manufacturer, in Los Angeles on February 23, 1934. The name Race is more appropriate, for he grew up to be a hot rod enthusiast. Except for dates with many gals, racing is still his favorite fun. Fans predict stardom will be just as speedy!" -- Movie Life, 1954

BUT WET SHE'S TERRIFIC!

"THE OTHER DAY Esther Williams, having broken four dates for a publicity layout, arrived an hour late, much to the annoyance of a half-dozen people who'd been waiting for her.
Esther appears to be too much concerned with herself and her family to care much about the other fellow. She blithely goes her own way, suiting things to her own convenience, even if her actions may hurt others who have to take second place to her.
ANOTHER THING, many people think Esther talks too much about her money and her shrewd financial investments. Maybe it's just plain jealousy, but everyone seems to get a little irked at the way she brags about her ability to pyramid money. Some say if she lost some of that smugness she'd be very popular, indeed, for she has the qualities of humor and humanness to make her a wonderful person." -- Motion Picture and Television Magazine, 1951

MY RULES FOR ROMANCE ARE...(#2)

"When I married Pev Marley, I was thankful that there was nothing in my past that I would be ashamed of. Remember, regardless of what men say to you, they will never, in their hearts, respect you if you make yourself cheap!" -- Linda Darnell, Photoplay Magazine, 1943

YOU FIGURE THEM OUT!

It now can be told that Arlene Dah's departure from the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer fold was something more than her yen to make her marriage with Lex Barker work! She had been sticking her beautiful tongue at the studio since no musicals were assigned to her as a follow-up to "Three Little Words." So Arlene up and said three little words to her bosses. You figure them out!-- Overheard in Hollywood, 1951

MAKE ROOM FOR MOURNING

Gale Storm, who shot to the top on television as the vivacious star of two popular 1950s situation comedies, "My Little Margie" and "The Gale Storm Show: Oh! Susanna," has died. She was 87.