Before the construction of Stuyvesant Town this is what the area looked like.
The news caption reads: Continue reading
While standing next to Brian Aherne at a party one day, Gary Cooper said quietly out of the side of his mouth, “How tall are you?”
“Six foot two and a half,” Aherne answered.
“Me too,” said Cooper. “Never admit to six foot three!”
A few years later at a party in Washington D.C., General George C. Marshall asked the identical question in the identical way.
“I used Gary’s line to reply six two and a half, never admit to six foot three,” Aherne said. And the General replied, “Me too!”
The point is Continue reading
The most surprising thing about Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet is not that it stars the usually typecast gangster Edward G. Robinson as a doctor. The fact that it was made in 1940 Continue reading
JUST CHARMER NOW, NO SNAKE
Paris, France – She was “Nita”a snake charmer in a traveling circus, who thrilled the audience with her five foot rose python snake form Brazil. But she was also Nicole Vaissiere, six-year-old. So she’s been taken out of her animal trainer step-father’s side show by a court order. Nicole’s on her way to school where the three R’s aren’t all in the word wriggle. Credit: Acme photo by New York staff correspondent David S. Boyer 12/29/1949
And what else? That’s our usual question to a news story like this.
Checking the news outlets of the time did not yield much more information. United Press International did report some additional facts. Nicole’s snake act Continue reading
This undated publicity photograph from the 1940s shows Alexis Smith in a sultry pose.
There have been movie stars with the last name Smith. But the big studios encouraged promising actors named Smith to change it to something else.
The most successful Smith actor of all-time was arguably Gladys Smith. But she changed her name to the more glamorous sounding Mary Pickford. Continue reading
Here are four photographs of a Hollywood contract player, several years before she became a well known MGM feature player in many films during the 1930s, 40s and 50s.
She was born on February 24, 1890 as Mary Tomlinson in Acton, Indiana.
Dressed to the nines – circa 1918
Photo via the New York Public Library. c. 1920s
Photo: Apeda studio possibly from the 1918 play “Yes Or No”
The next photo should give it away.
With actor Billy Bevan in The Wrong Road (1937)
Do you have it yet?
Yes, it’s the star of a dozen Ma and Pa Kettle movies, Marjorie Main.
Usually thought of as plain and matronly, Marjorie was attractive enough Continue reading
Will Remain In Britain For The Duration
Vivien Leigh, who won swift fame as Scarlett of “Gone With The Wind,” plans to return to the American movies, but not until the war is over. Miss Leigh, pictured here in London, and her husband, Laurence Olivier,returned to Britain in January, 1941, during the height of the air blitz. He joined the fleet air arm and she signed for the leading feminine role in “The Doctor’s Dilemma,” by George Bernard Shaw. “Both my husband and I felt that we should return to England,” she said “and we both feel that we should remain here until the war is over.” photo Wide World 3/23/1943
Eight years earlier in May 1935 Leigh debuted in the play The Mask of Virtue at London’s West End. The 21-year-old beauty became famous virtually overnight. Six film companies, three British, three American offered her a film contract. Leigh signed with Alexander Korda for ten pictures in five years for £50,000. Continue reading
Though Yvonne De Carlo (1922-2007) had a long and successful film career, many people may not be aware of that fact.
The news slug on the photo says: Continue reading
Today is Veterans Day. A United States holiday like many others that is taken for granted by far too many as a day off from work or just another holiday sale. Continue reading
HURLERS IN THIRD WORLD SERIES
Jack Kramer (left) of the St. Louis Browns and Ted Wilks of the Cardinals, pitchers in third World Series game in St. Louis October 6, shake hands before game time. photo: Associated Press October 6, 1944
The other day during the baseball playoffs, announcer Bob Costas noted that three out of the four playoff series did not involve air travel.
The Philadelphia Phillies versus the New York Mets, the San Diego Padres against the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Detroit Tigers playing Cleveland, would all use ground transportation to travel between their respective cities.
Only the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals will be flying to each others cities.
In 1944 the United States was deep into World War II and with gasoline rationing and travel restrictions in place the phrase “Is this trip necessary?” really did mean something. Continue reading
