The Mystery Gets Revealed.

Ya gotta get up pretty early in the morning.......


Despite my misleading clue, many got this one.  I'd said, "It is perhaps fitting that he's in a sailor middy"

That's because sailor suits were made of cotton!  Joseph Cotten!  (alright, not great, but I was having a bad day)


George W. Tush seemed to be on to me, but Norma (otherwise known around here as 'she who gives gifts') was the first to correctly log the name!!!

Joseph Cheshire Cotten of Petersburg, Va. was born in 1905.  He first tread the boards on Broadway in 1930 but by 1939 he would create the role of C.K. Dexter Haven opposite Kate Hepburn's Tracy Lord in that stage debut of The Philadelphia Story.

While age 36 may be a bit, shall we say, long in the tooth to get your first Hollywood feature, it does help that it's a co-starring role in what many have called the greatest film of all time, Citizen Kane.

Cotten enjoyed a 40 year film career and spent the last 15 years of his life in happy retirement before his death in 1994.

The character of Martha in Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf refers to him as "modest Joseph Cotten", but I've never regarded him as that.  In fact, despite the wide variety of characters that he played, (particularly in his heyday) I've always thought of him more in the 'creepy/scary/sexy/dangerous' category.

And there may be a clue behind that!  His second screen appearance was in a 1938 short film.  It's title......"Too Much Johnson".

It's A Whole New Mystery!

Now before you go thinking, 'is he doing nothing but the ol' mystery routine anymore', the answer is no.  I'm just cleaning out some old mystery photo files.  And truth be told, I've hit an ebb recently on inspiration. 

Well, that and things have been kinda busy around here what with tours, facebook page updates, other facebook page updates, recent community service commitments, haggling with greedy real estate developers who want to bulldoze Hollywood History for skyscrapers,  and so on.....

And besides, you all seem to get such material enjoyment out of this game.

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

So, without delay, Who's the kid?

It is perhaps fitting that he's in a sailor middy.  ('tho most children were back then)

The Mystery Gets Revealed!!!

Alright, this one was, shall we say, perhaps a little left field.


The beauty in question is Margaret Field.

Margaret has a list on imdb of 91 performances!  They begin in 1945 and conclude in 1973.  She belonged to that grand tradition of "working actor".  If you turned on series or anthology television in the 50s and early 60s you would frequently find Margaret.

As a young divorcee with two small children in the early 50s, Margaret married stuntman/actor Jock Mahoney and so you might also see her work credited to Maggie Mahoney, and handle she sometimes used.

Sadly, many people don't know or recognize Margaret, but they're almost certain to be familiar with her first born child, Sally.

Margaret, at age 89, passed away November 6, 2011, on Sally's 65th birthday.

Mystery Guest Will You Enter And Sign In Please...

Since we all seem to really like this, I thought we might have another go.


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

Who is this lovely gal?

The Mystery Gets Revealed!

There were some good guesses, some funny guesses and some correct guesses this time around.  Yes we are looking at young Larry Hagman in 1941 when he was a student at the Black-Foxe Military Academy.

Oh no, not another uniform!

Now since we can't very well shower accolades on someone named Anonymous, we will have to declare Marksparky the first identifiable correct guess!  (sorry 'nony')  CONGRATULATIONS MARKSPARKY!!!

Black-Foxe existed from 1928 to 1968 right here in the shadows of Hollywood on Wilcox Ave. just south of Melrose.

Just as you'd suspect, a lot of Hollywood youngsters and futures would attend including:  Harry Carey Jr., Horace Heidt Jr., Sydney Chaplin and Michael Douglas. 

Here are a couple more sons of.....

The caption reads:  Robert Walker shows his two sons, Bobby and Michael, the camera used in filming location scenes for My Son John at the Black-Foxe Military Institute in Los Angeles, where, coincidentally, the boys are students.

 Thanks for playing everyone, there will be a new mystery soon.

Mystery Guest Will You Enter And Sign In Please...

Game Time, Game Time!!

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


I think this one may be a stumper, but I've been wrong before........so........who is this chap?

Mystery Guest Will You Enter And Sign In Please...

I wonder if you still remember how to play?????  Here's your refresher:


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



You are all such smarty pants that I expect at least one of you to get this.

Without further verbal litter,   Who Is This Lass?

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?

The Mystery Gets Revealed!!!

Well done my friends!  There were some great guesses, none of them correct of course, but great.  And, no Cookie, it is most assuredly not Jane Withers, because I saw our Janie live and in person a few months back!

About 10 years before the mystery photo was taken our enshrouded guest lived here:

It looks like a lovely home if you don't consider the big sign in the back yard:

But the years, lack of quality work, and addictions had not been kind.  Our photo was snapped waaaay down the hill inside this apartment building:

In this downstairs corner apartment:

Behind this door:

And if this 1956 photo was scary to you, well I think that might have made our mystery guest very happy:

After all, Bela Lugosi had been scaring us since our childhoods.

Say, What Goes On Here...........

Oh my, how long has it been since we've all gathered 'round to play the Mystery Photo game?

*****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. 

 Okay, ready?

What goes on here????????

Mystery Guest Will You Enter And Sign In Please....

Yup it's that time again!

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

Who is this handsome chap?

The Mystery Gets Revealed!!!

Well kids, I gotta fess up here.  I might have slightly misled you.  Typically when we've played this game in the past, the person or people in the mystery photo are famous.  This time the handsome couple are not as known as their offspring.

Georgia and John Sarkisian.

You see, Georgia and John are the parents of Cher!

Cher at 16.

*both photos found on Cher's twitter.  Following her is one of the smartest things I've ever done.

Mystery Guest(s) Will You Enter And Sign In Please....

Been a while since we played this game, soooooo...........

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

 

Now just who are these sexy young love birds in the snapshot??????

Mystery Guest, Will You Enter And Sign In Please!

Yet another installation for my gallery of feeble attempts at trying to stump you lot, who are truly unstumpable! (it's a word, look it up.  well, maybe not)

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS GAME PLEASE READ.  If you've seen this picture before, or know for sure who 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 it in the comments section.

I can't imaging why the sour look on this little beauty's face, with a carriage like that I'd have been completely delighted.  But I digress.  Who is this lil punkin?

The Mystery Gets Revealed!

You know, something in me said, "Don't include the torso picture."

But I didn't listen to myself, which is odd since I always talk to myself.  In any case that was my undoing.  I should have known that there was a pectoral expert among you.

Sure enough, less than 2 hours after the post hit, Jon of Dolores Delargo Towers and Give 'em the old Razzle Dazzle guessed correctly when he said:

Just as correct, but a tad bit later were George W and our own Norma Desmond.

So for being the first to guess correctly, Jon is today's Smartest Boy In The Class.

If you recall Columbia's assessment of Wilde's screen test, "Good for occasional bits and spot casting - but he'll never play leads."  Well it was that very studio that signed him and in return, he brought them a nomination for an Academy Award in the Best Actor category, by enacting the role of Frederic Chopin in 1945's "A Night To Remember."

And the crowd went wild(e)!

Despite Paramount's concerns, he was quite a sensation in Technicolor, and regardless of RKO's worry about his head being too small for his body; with that body who noticed!

With wife Jean Wallace

Greatest Show On Earth, 1952

Bandit Of Sherwood Forest, 1946

Indeed!

Now Who Do You Suppose They're Talking About?

Now I'll admit before going any further, this Mystery Guest isn't a name that comes marching to the front of the line in most people's minds, but....

He was a very successful actor, producer and director for over 50 years.

He was an Academy Award nominee in the Best Actor category.

His leading ladies have included:  Lauren Bacall, Ginger Rogers, Merle Oberon, Gene Tierney, Ida Lupino, Evelyn Keyes, Donna Reed, Debra Paget, Jane Russell, Maureen O'Hara and Linda Darnell.

He's been directed by some of the greats including:  Nicholas Ray, Otto Preminger, Charles Vidor, and C B DeMille.

Oh, and he was well built.

When he came to Hollywood he was under contract to a studio, after a few small parts that were all over the board (they didn't seem to know what to do with him) he talked them into ending the contract.  He then went all over down testing at every other company and here's what they said:

MGM - "Might be okay for heavies."

Columbia - "Good for occasional bits and spot casting - but he'll never play leads."

Universal - "Nice looking, but too much personality" (okay, what does that even mean?)

RKO - "His head is too small for his body" (his reply was that given some good roles, he was certain his head would swell to a size that would please them)

Paramount - "He's too dark for Technicolor."

He did have one supporter in the form of Hedda Hopper who wrote that he was the best actor to hit town since Paul Muni.

Hurry up and guess before Jane tells Bob!

Mystery Guest, Will You Enter And Sign In Please!

You'd think I would have learned not to try and fool youse guys by now, but , oh what the hell.  Let's have another go at it.

IF YOU ARE NEW TO THIS GAME PLEASE READ.  If you've seen this picture before, or know for sure who 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 it in the comments section. 

Okey Dokey here we go:

Mystery Guest, Will You Enter And Sign In Please!

Ok, the RULES haven't changed.  If you've seen this picture before, or know for sure who 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 it in the comments section.

This one is going to be either very easy or very difficult, I'm not sure which.  Of course with you lot of smarty pants, probably easy.

Ok, ready, set.....

.......Name That Skirt!

Quizzical Bijoux

No, that's not the name of the latest Gender Illusionist. (hell, maybe it is)  But rather the same 'ol mystery game with a twist.

But it has the same 'ol rules:  If you absolutely, positively know the answer to the mystery, send it in an email to me and you will be acknowledged when the answer is posted.  If you'd like to take a stab at the answer, leave it in the comments section.

Who does this collection of baubles belong to?

* In the text of this post the is a clue hidden in the verbiage.  There is also verbiage to throw you off track.