Priscilla And Elvis....

As time went on, the hair (and lashes, and sideburns) just kept getting bigger. 

Love Lucy....At Your Own Risk.

From the book,  "How I Escaped From Gilligan's Island"    by William Froug:

"In 1949 I was hired by Lloyd Brownfield, head of CBS Press Information, Hollywood, as a senior publicist for $83.50 a week.  That was a living wage at the time.  My assignment was to write for the daily mailer, which was sent out to all the CBS Radio affiliates.  The mailer was intended to pique their interest in the network's programs and especially their stars.

One of CBS's newest stars was a tall, pretty, young, red-headed woman named Lucille Ball.  She had appeared in a number of B pictures and , according to the powers that be in New York, had a gift for comedy.  Now she was being given her own radio sitcom, My Favorite Husband.

Brownfield gave me my first assignment:  interview Ball and do a feature story on her for the mailer.  I walked across CBS's Columbia Square courtyard and entered our big audience Studio A.  The large auditorium was dark except for the lit stage where the cast was seated on folding chairs, studying scripts.  They were on a rehearsal break.  My good fortune, I thought, as I walked toward the stage where Ball was seated.

As I approached she glanced toward me, curiously.  "Miss Ball,"  I said, "I'm Bill Froug with CBS Publicity, and I'd appreciate it if I could have a couple of minutes of your time to do an interview."

She turned in her chair so she was facing me head on.  She fixed me with cold eyes and a knotted frown.  "Kid,"  she said, "go shit in your hat."

When I reported the incident to my boss, he broke out into loud guffaws of laughter.  "That's Lucy, all right,"  Brownie said.  "Dig up a studio bio of her, rewrite it, and send it out.  And, by the way,"  he added, "welcome to the real Hollywood."

Richard Denning with Ball

Cocktails With Joan, Clark, Paulette, Bette, And The Gang.

Back somewhere along the late 30s to the late 40s, the Earl Carroll Theater was on of the premiere see-and-be-seen spots in Hollywood.  I have a love of this place and (you avid readers may recall) I went to Palm Springs some 18 months ago or so to interview the divine, delicious, and devastating Shirley Claire, jazz singer extraordinaire and one-time Earl Carroll showgirl.

Carroll (an old hand at the marketing and publicity game) even offered sets of drinking glasses (see advert above) for sale at the club or my mail.  The glasses were in sets of eight with colored reproductions of stars' autographs on each.  The colors were:  white, yellow, orange, red, maroon, green, blue and black.  Each glass in the set had different names and the entire set could be had for $3.00.  I know that sounds like a steal, but not so much.  The marquee in 1939 boasted that $2.50 got you a table, dinner, show and dancing!!!

Well through the kindness of our dear friends at ebay, I am the proud owner of 5 of these little beauties:

They cost a bit more than $3.00 and I am missing the black, white and maroon ones, but I couldn't be happier.

Maybe now a game of chess!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Chess Match at the1945 Pan American chess games held at the Hollywood Athletic Club.  Earl Carroll girls (in shorties) are the white pawns and 'Latin American Beauties' (in gowns and shawls) are the black pawns.

It Was A Sad Day For Hollywood.

Selling Fanny

MM + L

Taken last night on the eve of the 50th anniversary of her passing, there was only one lip print on the stone.  There will be many more today.

Once Upon A Time....

From Motion Picture magazine, 1915.  (click to fully engorge)

At The End Of Her Film Career One Thing Is Certain...

Kay Francis, 1946

...It was her eyebrows that did her in.

Enter Th' Mirthmaker!

Postcard that Jerry Lewis had made to promote his radio act in 1943.  I can just see a gangly, manic, wild-eyed 17 year old running around New York and North Jersey handing these out!

Via

Yep.....

......Rita Hayworth did a Blondie picture (Blondie On A Budget, 1940).

And she looks just thrilled about it.

You Know, Black and White Can Be A Good Idea.....

4th of July Perfection

Whilst minding mine own business, my neighbor Charlie just phoned and ordered me outside.  And there, across the street........

The most scrumptious '66 Chrysler 300!

Roll out those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer................

Happy Birthday...

.....to ME!!!

Mr. Slash

Couldn'ta Said It Better.

"...Shelley Winters makes the victim so horrifyingly, naggingly pathetic that Clift hardly seems to be contemplating a crime: it’s more like euthanasia.” 

--from Pauline Kael's review of 
"A Place In The Sun"

 

Wallenda, Schmallenda!

I would congratulate Nik Wallenda for his feat of walking over Niagara Falls on a tightrope (with a safety harness), but really, whatever.......

The Flying Mershons.  Myself and my big brother Mike in 1967.  See any safety wires here?  No, I thought not. 

She'll Take Manhattan

1965

Life Must, At The Very Least, Always Include....

Madcap Merriment

The Albertina Rasch Group

And Zany Hijinks

Ramon Novarro and friend.

Golly, Just Think Of It.......

While you read this blog (a blog for the Smart Set),

Louise Brooks is reading about you!

The Mystery Gets Revealed!

Sure 'nuff.....

Billie and Mister Holiday.

The 'direct-via-email' winner was the ever-spectacular Mistress MJ, who sent me a message with the answer mere minutes after the quiz was posted.

The 'guess-in -the-comments' winner is the lovely and demure Donna Lethal,  who mentioned a resemblance between Mister and her pooch Chester.  Now that she mentions it, I can see it.

For being the first answer MJ will receive, for her prize, on her next visit to Hollywood, a nice long walk.  Walking tour, that is.

Mystery Guest Will You Enter And Sit. Good Boy.

Oh who doesn't love a little variation on a theme.

*****IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS GAME PLEASE READ.  *****  If you've seen this picture before, or know for sure who/what this is, feel free to send me an email, but for the sake of unbridled mystery and tension, let the gang have a go at guessing in the comments section.

Meanwhile.....

.....who is this pooch?