"Did You Just See What I Saw?!"

Every blog deserves a holiday....

2011-05-10T14:45:00.002-04:00

...and it's my turn....I'll be away for about a week. Please stop by then, or feel free to visit the archives...THANK YOU! Gregory

If they were still alive....

2011-05-08T18:06:00.000-04:00

....today, theses notables would be celebrating their birthday:

Harry S. Truman would be 127.

Lex Barker would be 92.

Ricky Nelson would be 71.

If they were still alive...

2011-05-07T08:50:00.000-04:00

...today would be the birthday of these notable folks:

Gary Cooper would be 110. Gary Cooper, around 1930, would get my vote as the handsomest man to ever grace the silver screen. But in very short order, he made a very successful transition from hubba-hubba love interest to all-American hero, mostly in Westerns, the genre he is most identified with today. And it's a medium he was born to, having been born "on the range" in rural Montana. He remains, even today, one of the most popular American film stars of all time.

Eva Perón would be 92. Argentina's beloved "Evita" was first lady of that country from 1946 until her untimely death of cancer in 1952, when she was only 33. The former film, radio and stage actress has been mythicized since her death, helped in no small part by the hugely popular stage/film musical, Evita by Andew Lloyd Webber. Though not an official government holiday, the anniversary of her death is a major day of remembrance in Argentina, where her popularity remains, if anything, greater than ever.

The lovely Anne Baxter would be 88. Growing up, my first exposure to her was her way over-the-top portrayal of 'Nefretiri' and even as a child, I thought, "That is one bad actress!" With time, and exposure to her many other films, I realize now, of course, that my first assessment was far from correct. No one could have uttered those ridiculous lines! ("Oh, Moses, Moses, you stubborn, splendid, adorable fool!" et. al.). Watch her in her Oscar-winning performance in The Razor's Edge; or in her "should-have-won-the-Oscar"-performance in the classic All About Eve (she famously lost the Oscar after the studio insisted on placing her in the 'Best Actress' category, rather than 'Best Supporting Actress"; thus, she and Bette Davis had to go head-to-head and common wisdom says that they cancelled each other out--the award went to Judy Holliday). She was dead-on perfect in that film! So, first impressions aren't always on-the-money. Actually, it took a great actress to even deliver those ridiculous lines at all, while keeping a straight face....you try it! Read this one aloud--and realize how great she really was:
You are even less than a man! Listen to me, Rameses. You thought I was evil when I went to Moses. And you were right. Shall I tell you what happened, Rameses? He spurned me like a strumpet in the street. I, Nefretiri, Queen of Egypt! All that you wanted from me he would not even take! Do you hear laughter Pharaoh? Not the laughter of kings, but the laughter of slaves on the desert island!

If they were alive today

2011-05-06T00:06:00.000-04:00

...these three Hollywood gents would be celebrating their birthday:

Rudolph Valentino would be 116. It's a rather frustrating task for a film historian to try to separate the man from the myth when it's a star who's been as long-gone and equally long-shrouded in mystery, legend and just plain misinformation as Rudolph Valentino. What does become clear is that he was a very nice young man, born in Italy and immigrated to America at age 18. He drifted into employment as a "taxi dancer"--one step above a gigolo, paid to dance with willing female cabaret patrons. He soon found work in films, performing small roles in small films. His limited grasp of the English language wasn't a hindrance, as sound films were still several years in the future. His big break came in 1921, nabbing the lead role in The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...and from there, his fate as the screen's most torrid "Latin lover" was sealed. His death of peritonitis in 1926 was one of the most shocking in film history, and his funeral in New York nearly turned into a riotous panic, with an estimated 100,000 people lining the streets of his cortege. With each year, his mythical image grew, and he remains today one of cinema's great icons. One wonders whether he might have been one of the many silent screen idols whose careers were dashed when the microphone was introduced in Hollywood, the very year after his death. His thick accent may have done him in--and that being the case, perhaps his timing was good, in obtaining "screen legend" status, just in time...

Stewart Granger would be 98. The "tall, dark and handsome" British leading man of the 1940's and 50's co-starred with some of Hollywood's most beautiful leading ladies: Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner, Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly and others. He was stolid, sturdy, reliable...and if perhaps ever-so-slightly dull, he was "tall dark and handsome". "Stewart Granger" was his stage name. The name he was born with, "James Stewart," was already well-taken by the time he arrived in Hollywood.

Orson Welles would be 96. "Boy Genius"..."Enfant Terrible"...Brilliant...Difficult...Impossible. All terms used to describe the one-man-wonder that was Orson Welles. In so many ways, his greatest triumph, Citizen Kane, was also the film that somewhat doomed him in Hollywood. He was never able to repeat his triumph, try as he did, almost until the day he died in 1985. When discussing Welles, all roads lead back to Citizen Kane, which was not, in fact, hugely successful when it was released in 1941. It certainly didn't help matters that the film was a fictionalized version of the life of one of Hollywood's most powerful men, William Randolph Hearst, who did everything in his power to quash the film's legitimacy by ordering a "blackout" on coverage of the film in his huge syndicate of newspapers. Still, the film was able to rise on its own merit (much to Hearst's disdain) and continues to be considered by many to be the greatest film in Hollywood history.

Here's a very illuminating interview with Welles from 1960, in which he discusses the trials of Citizen Kane. (click link below...embedding not allowed):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQCnrPr3qIA

If they were still alive....

2011-05-05T00:03:00.000-04:00

....today would be the birthday of these notables:

Nellie Bly would be 147. The 19th century "lady adventuress" and journalist was a real trailblazer in her day: The "first" popular newspaper-woman; set a world record for circumnavigating the globe in 72 days, and other notable achievements. "Nellie Bly" was actually her pen name--her real name was Elizabeth Cochran. She made her first splash in journalism by faking insanity to get an inside look at an insane asylum. After her release, she penned a sensational account, called, Ten Days in a Mad-House, which gave her international fame. To this day, her name is a synonym for "adventurous young women".

Tyrone Power would be 97. He was startlingly handsome, for starters. That may have limited his horizons as an actor, trying to be taken seriously when he was, arguably, the handsomest male actor of them all. But he continued to fight against the "pretty boy" image and gave many skilled, moving performances--perhaps most especially in The Razor's Edge--Somerset Maugham's tale of American expatriates in France in the 1920's. The world was shocked by his sudden death at the age of 44.

Tyrone Power's frequent co-star, Alice Faye, was born on this date as well, 96 years ago. She was a lovely platinum blonde starlet, much in the mold of Jean Harlow, in the early 1930's. But she slowly blossomed into a honey-voiced, lovely leading lady--in facct, one of the most popular female stars of the late 30's-early 40's. She orchestrated the end of her own career in films in 1945, walking off the 20th Century-Fox lot and refusing to return. She only made one more film, State Fair in 1962 and permanently retired from show business.

Tammy Wynette would be 69. "The First Lady of Country Music," Tammy's life was filled with the dramatic ups-and-downs that gave her fodder for some of her top hit songs. She is, of course, best-remembered today for her anthem, "Stand By Your Man"...which is hardly a sentiment that women of today could fondly embrace. But her full-out, open-throated rendition made moot the lyrical sentiments. It was all about the singing, and that she certainly could do.

If they were alive today....

2011-05-04T00:13:00.001-04:00

...it would be the birthday of these notables:

Audrey Hepburn would be 82. Some proclaimed her an "off-beat" or "unconventional" beauty---a rather puzzling assessment, in that one look at her brings to mind the great beauties of classical art. The Belgian-born Hepburn was unerringly graceful and possessed a natural poise and elegance that translated to the screen beautfully. In 1999, she was voted the #3 Greatest American Film Legend (behind Bette Davis and Katharine Hepburn...no relation) of all time. Her roster of luminous performances is not particularly long, but contains some very prominent films: Breakfast at Tiffany's, Wait Until Dark, Funny Face, Roman Holiday, Sabrina. It seems that the "Hepburn touch" was nearly all that a film needed to raise it from mediocrity to something quite special. The world mourned her passing (of cancer of the appendix) in 1993--she was only 63. Here's a lovely photo tribute to her:

Keith Haring would be 53. He was one of the first (and only) artists of his generation to truly "break out" with a recognizable style all his own. In the 1980's, his modernistic, graffiti-art wall mural style seemed to suddenly be everywhere, from clothing to advertising to galleries. His simple "Radiating Baby" (above) became his logo/symbol. His was one of the most prominent celebrity deaths during the height of the AIDS epidemic, when he died at the age of 31 in 1990.

If they were still alive....

2011-05-03T00:03:00.001-04:00

...today would be the birthday of the following notables:

               William Holden and Kim Novak in William Inge's torrid, Picnic.
William Inge would be 98. He was one of the most popular playwrights of Broadway (and subsequently, of Hollywood) during the mid-20th century--and yet, today, he is quite "under-remembered," especially when compared with his contemporary (and friend), Tennessee Williams, whose works continue to be produced and re-discovered by new generations. Inge won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 1953, for his steamy Midwest drama, Picnic. And he won an Oscar, too, for Best Screenplay, for 1961's Splendor in the Grass.  Some of his other notable works: Dark at the Top of the Stairs, Come Back, Little Sheba, and his most successful play, Bus Stop, which became a hugely successful Marilyn Monroe vehicle in 1956. But despite all these successes, he was plagued by depression and self-doubt and sadly, took his own life at the age of 60. Perhaps with his centenary coming up in 2013, there will be a re-examination of the works of this fine, sensitive writer and proper credit will be given him.

Beulah Bondi would be 123. Even as a young lady, she played old ladies! There was something about her somewhat hawkish facial features that typecast her as everyone's mother, or grandmother. But she had a marvelously warm presence and gave many memorable, moving performances--none more so than the heartbreaking Make Way For Tomorrow, where, as 'Ma Cooper,' Depression-era circumstances force her to part with her beloved husband after many years. Try watching that one with dry eyes! She played James Stewart's mother in 4 different films; most memorably, in It's a Wonderful Life. The way she switches from the warm, loveable 'Mrs. Bailey' to the bitter, snarling crone 'Ma Bailey' is truly unnerving. But remember her as warm and loveable...that's what she played best. Here's a random clip from Make Way for Tomorrow. She's only 49 years old here:

Mary Astor would be 105. She was a fine, intelligent and accomplished actress who always added a "touch of class" to whatever film she appeared in. Off-screen, the cool and somewhat imperious-seeming Miss Astor was something of a hotsy-totsy, as revealed in a shocking (at the time) 1936 divorce/custody trial. Her very candid diaries, which were purloined by, and constantly referred to by her ex-husband's legal team, kept the tabloid press slavering for more. She revealed infidelities with more than one notable name--most famously, playwright George S. Kaufman. The gossip columnists of the day predicted her career would be ruined by these revelations. But, in fact, her career continued to flourish, achieving an Oscar (The Great Lie) and a career-best performance in The Maltese Falcon. Here's one of the scenes that got her the Oscar:

Aline MacMahon would be 112.  What a face she had! She could express more with one jaded lift of an eyebrow over her huge, hooded eyes than most actresses could by pulling out every trick in the book. She was usually cast as the wise-cracking, world-weary sidekick, most memorably in the early 1930's Warner Brothers "Gold Digger"-type films. And she was often cast as homely and unsexy---but I've always thought she had quite a lovely face. Very unique...and there has never been another like her.

Betty Comden would be 96. She was one-half of perhaps the greatest comic writing team in Broadway/Hollywood history. Their list of credits is most impressive, indeed: On the Town, Bells are Ringing, Wonderful Town, The Bandwagon, and arguably, their finest achievement, Singin' in the Rain--perpetually voted the "Best Film Musical of All-Time" in just about every poll there is. Everyone assumed they were a married couple, but they were only the best of friends and were, in fact, happily married to others. By all accounts, she was "one hell of a dame". So, what better time to take another look at one of the greatest dance scenes in film history, the famous "Moses Supposes" number with Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor! Click the link below (video could not be embedded):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tciT9bmCMq8&feature=related

If they were alive....

2011-05-02T00:32:00.000-04:00

...today would be the birthday of the following notables:

Bing Crosby would be 108. Along with Frank Sinatra and Bob Hope, he would likely be considered the "king" of show business of the 20th century. His popularity as a singer and actor was nearly unequalled. In fact, he was the #1 box office star from 1942 to 1948 (a record beaten only by Tom Cruise). It's "under-remembered" today what a groundbreaker he was. His style of singing was truly revolutionary when he began in the mid-1920's, and his sound and style were much copied by just about every other male singer who came along for the next 40 years (including Elvis Presley, who named Bing as one of his strongest influences)--and, in fact, he remains an influence on popular singing to this very day. He was awarded a Best Actor Oscar in 1944 for his performance in Going My Way. Here he is singing with his legendary vocal trio, The Rhythm Boys in 1930 (in a very rare use of Technicolor). They were the last word in "hot stuff" around that time!

Lorenz Hart would be 116. He was the first long-term collaborator with composer Richard Rodgers (preceding Oscar Hammerstein). His delicate, finely-crafted, heartbreakingly sensitive lyrics, some say, are among the finest lyrics ever composed in the English language. Despite his many songs of love and romance, tinged with a bittersweet sense of humor and irony, his greatest romance, it's said, was with the bottle--which hastened his demise, leading to his premature death at the age of 48. A few years ago, I was in the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center and was looking for "The Complete Lyrics of Lorenz Hart". I found the bound volume, which the library had mislabeled "The Complete Lyrics of Lorenzo Hart". Not lost on me was the irony that one of the greatest lyricists in American history---a man known for his perfection as a writer---had his name misspelled in the temple of knowledge of show business in America! I took the volume to the front desk and filed a large complaint, requesting this egregious error be corrected. I followed up a few months later...the "O" was gone.

Brian Aherne would be 109. He was the archetypical suave and handsome British leading man of the late 1930's. He was briefly married to actress Joan Fontaine in the 1940's (she, by the way, is still living, aged 93).

Hedda Hopper would be 126. The amount of power this woman held in Hollywood for about 30 years is almost incomprehensible today. Along with Louella Parsons, she reigned as a waspish, peevish and vindictive queen of gossip, with her nationally syndicated column that left the stars shaking in their shoes, in fear of her poisonous pen. Some of her methods of keeping the stars in check might now be known as extortion or even blackmail today. And there were certainly very few who mourned her passing--or the passing of the all-powerful Hollywood gossip columnist, period.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-29T00:13:00.000-04:00

...these notables would be celebrating their birthday today:

Duke Ellington would be 112. In the world of jazz music, Duke Ellington is as revered as Beethoven or Mozart are in classical music. And quite deservedly so. As a composer, he melded the sounds of Africa, the Caribbean and the American South into a sophisticated style all his own. And as a performer (mostly of his own music), he had few, if any, peers. Many of his compositions sound newly minted today--timeless classics created by a brilliant and unique man---some called him a 'genius'. Anyone care to dispute that? Not me.

Rare photo of W.R. Hearst with his long-time lover, Marion Davies, around the time Citizen Kane came out.

William Randolph Hearst would be 148. His was one of those great, epic American lives that followed an arc of almost unbelievable highs, as well as lows. He was born into wealth, but multiply redoubled that inheritance, becoming one of the wealthiest men of the 20th century. His wealth mostly came from publishing--he had a newspaper empire that stretched from coast to coast, creating a dynastic monopoly. His life was famously chronicled in Orson Welles's thinly-veiled roman à cléf, Citizen Kane, in 1941. Welles painted him as a money and power-obsessed monomaniac--which certainly wasn't too far from the truth. What made Hearst furious, though, was the portrayal of his mistress, Hollywood actress Marion Davies, as a dizzy, untalented lush--which was far from the truth (she was actually a quite talented actress/comedienne). But as rumor has long had it, what enraged him most of all was Welles's use of the word "rosebud" as the touchstone word of the film. Allegedly, "rosebud" was the very private term of endearment Hearst used to reference his beloved Marion's mons veneris. Hearst did everything he could to stop the film from being made, and then tried--in vain--to buy the negative of the film to destroy it. His fortunes significantly dwindled by the time of his death in 1951. But Marion Davies stayed by his side to the end--even though his wife steadfastly refused to allow him a divorce.

Tommy Noonan would be 90. Chances are you don't know him by name--but you'd probably recognize his face. He was a very popular Hollywood actor in the early 1950's, often playing a befuddled, wide-eyed, likeable fellow in some major films: A Star is Born, playing opposite Judy Garland in her finest performance; and as the wealthy, confounded suitor of Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. He was only 46 when he died of brain cancer in 1968.

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And a very happy birthday to the alive-and-well Celeste Holm, who turns 94 today. She had a most impressive career, starting with creating the role of 'Ado Annie' in the original production of Oklahoma! on Broadway in 1943. She won an Oscar in 1947 for Best Supporting Actress in the groundbreaking anti-anti-semitism film, Gentleman's Agreement. She's appeared in several acknowledged classic films: High Society, opposite Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby; The Snake Pit; Come to the Stable; but most especially, All About Eve, in which she played Margot Channing (Bette Davis)'s best friend, Karen, who acted as the "conscience" of this classic film. What must it have been like to try to "hold your own" when playing opposite Bette Davis, giving (arguably) her greatest performance?! Well, she did, and then some! She's spot-on perfect in the part--especially in her face-off scene with "evil Eve" (below). Celeste Holm is still a visible presence on the New York arts and social scene and looks amazingly as she did 60 years ago, when Eve was made. Cheers to you, Miss Holm...may you have many more!

If they were still alive today.....

2011-04-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

....these notables would be celebrating their birthday:

James Monroe would be 253. He was the 5th president of the United States (1817-1825). Other than our first president, he is (to date) the only candidate for presidency who ran, unopposed, for his second term in office. He was also the third of the "founding father" presidents to die on the Fourth of July (John Adams, Thomas Jefferson were the others; he in 1831, the others in 1826).

Lionel Barrymore (L), as "Old Man Potter" in the immortal It's a Wonderful Life.

The three Barrymore siblings in 1904: John, Ethel and Lionel.

Lionel Barrymore would be 133. The oldest of the three Barrymore siblings (with John and Ethel) of the famed acting dynasty, Lionel had a long and illustrious career, on the Broadway stage, but mostly in films, from the early silents through the 1950's. He delivered many fine and skillful performances (Dinner at Eight, On Borrowed Time); and truth-be-told, some real hambone, over-the-top stuff, too (Rasputin and the Empress, and yes, Grand Hotel). But all is forgiven and forgotten when watching his unforgettable portrayal of the ultimate cinema "bad guy," the reptilian 'Mr. Potter' in Frank Capra's classic, It's a Wonderful Life. He pulled every acting trick out of his sizable bag in this career crowning achievement, and he clearly relished playing the part. In "real life," Barrymore was, by all accounts, an enormously kind, multiply- talented man (he was a skilled composer and painter, too). He was stricken with crippling arthritis in his fifties, and gradually, performed all his roles from a wheelchair. He died in 1954 and was eulogized as one of the greatest--and most beloved--artists in Hollywood history.

Blossom Dearie would be 87. She was truly "one-of-a-kind". After just a few bars of one of her songs, you know you are listening to her and no one else. Her girlish, ersatz-coy renditions still remain fresh and rethought when enjoyed today. I had the pleasure of seeing/hearing her perform several times, when she was a regular performer at a joint called Danny's on West 46th Street in Manhattan in the early 2000's. A very intimate place, it was something of a master class, to be able to view such a great singer/pianist up-close. Though her sound was very sweet, she was one tough cookie. I saw her throw some hapless kid, about 16 years old, out of the room once. He had clearly been dragged there by his parents and wasn't having any of it. As he sprawled back in his chair with his arms crossed, she stopped in the middle of a number and said, "Donald (the manager), give this kid his money his back and get him out of here....he obviously doesn't want to be here any more than I want to have him here". The audience applauded uproariously as the kid slunk out. And then, as if nothing had happened, she just continued right on, "....chicks and ducks and geese better scurry...". What an original! Her passing in 2009 left a large hole in the New York nightlife scene, where she'd been a staple since the 1940's.

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And a happy 85th birthday to the very much alive Miss Harper Lee, the author of but one novel. It's an amazing thing that this, her one and only novel, is proclaimed as one of "The" great American novels of all time: To Kill a Mockingbird. Straight out of the gate, with only a few magazine articles under her belt, she was able to craft a nearly-perfect tale of childhood and racism in Depression-era Alabama. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Literature, and just about every other literary award there was. It remains a best-selling novel, with over 30 million copies of the book in print, in nearly every language. She's been offered the sun and the moon to follow up Mockingbird with another novel--offers which she has politely, but firmly, refused.

If they were alive today....

2011-04-27T00:43:00.000-04:00

....it would be the birthday of these famous folks:

Jack Cole choreographing Marilyn Monroe in Let's Make Love, 1960

Rita Hayworth performing "Put the Blame on Mame," choreographed by Jack Cole.

"Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," choreographed by Jack Cole. He became one of Monroe's best friends and closest advisors, working with her on six of her films.

Jack Cole would turn 100 years old today. He was one of Broadway and Hollywood's all-time ground-breaking greats...and yet his name is hardly known at all today, which is a great shame. He imagined some of the most memorable film moments in screen history: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (see clip in yesterday's posting); Gilda, which pretty much "created" the Rita Hayworth image; Cover Girl, which put Gene Kelly on the map, and many others. He had a very singular, unique style that is credited with influencing many subsequent choreographers, most notably, Bob Fosse. Why is he forgotten today? Who can say? But perhaps with this being his centenary year, some new light will be shed upon his great talent and he will be given his due credit as one of the most influential, truly great stars of the 20th century world of dance.

U.S. Grant, aged 26

Ulysses S. Grant would be 189. The two-term Republican was the 18th president of the United States, as well as a legendary and decorated Commanding General during the Civil War and reconstruction era. His real name was "Hiram Ulysses Grant" but changed it to "Ulysses Simpson Grant," supposedly because he didn't like the idea of the initials "HUG" on his military locker, and because he liked the idea of sharing the initials of Uncle Sam (likely, an apocryphal story, right?). Also, he and his wife were supposedly the Lincolns' first choice as their theatre guests on the fatal night that Lincoln was killed---though that, too, is probably apocryphal. Boy, that box would have been crowded if the number of supposed "first choices" were to all have shown up!

Sandy Dennis would be 74. If only for her Oscar-winning performance as the dippy, frigid and very complicated 'Bunny' in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolff?, she was clearly a monstrously talented actress. And her very premature death (of ovarian cancer) at the age of 54 left legions of fans bereft at what would have surely been many more years of brilliant performances.
Coretta Scott King would be 84. Hers was the face of stoic grace; etched in sadness, yet with a palpable strength and purpose. She was a pillar of strength to the legions of her husband's followers and picked up where he left off after he was assassinated. A great and noble lady.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-26T11:17:00.001-04:00

.....today would be the birthday of these notables:

Frederick Law Olmsted would be 189. It would be trite to call him "ground-breaking" in his field, since he was the most influential landscape architect in American history---but it's true, and he was. Most famously, he designed New York's Central Park, setting the bar very high for the design of subsequent civic parks and public spaces. Some of his other grand projects were Mount Royal Park in Montreal, the Biltmore estate in Asheville, NC, Belle Isle Park in the Detroit River, and the campuses of University of California-Berkeley and Stanford University in Palo Alto, CA.

William Desmond Taylor (L), Charlotte Shelby (R) and Mary Miles Minter (above)

Silent film director William Desmond Taylor would be 139. His was the first lurid, very well-publicized murder in Hollywood history--and it remains officially unsolved to date. His body was found by his manservant on the floor of his Los Angeles bungalow apartment on February 1, 1922. He had been shot to death. The list of suspects included some very famous names, including popular comedienne, Mabel Normand, and virginal leading lady, Mary Miles Minter. Several books have been written, theorizing what really happened. But it seems that no one will ever really know just who did it. But most signs point toward one Charlotte Shelby, who was the original Hollywood "stage mother from Hell"--and the mother of Mary Miles Minter, who, it turned out, was the lover of Taylor (and whose "virginal" image--and her career, period, were shattered in the wake of the scandal).

Anita Loos would be 118. She was a startlingly prolific screenwriter in Hollywood from the early years of silent films onward, through the end of the 1950's--an era that was inarguably one that was not very friendly to women. She was also a playwright and author, whose most successful work was the enormously popular, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, whose lead character 'Lorelei Lee' became a signature role for both Marilyn Monroe and Carol Channing.

If they were still alive today...

2011-04-23T00:38:00.001-04:00

....these notables would be celebrating their birthday:

William Shakespeare would be 447. Few would argue his placement as history's greatest dramatist in any language. A few interesting bits of trivia about him:

Did you know that none of his original manuscripts survive? They were written sketchily, with an eye toward performance, rather than posterity.
And furthermore, none of his plays were published during his lifetime. 36 of his plays were transcribed by two of his actors, who published them in 1623 in what is known as The First Folio.
Shakespeare not only was born on this date---he also died on this date, in 1616, at the age of 52. Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote also died on the same day.

James Buchanan would be 220. He was the president who occupied office just before Abraham Lincoln, and his accomplishments were completely overshadowed by Lincoln's. Buchanan is (to date) the only bachelor president in American history. Several presidential scholars state that he was also America's only gay president. He lived for 23 years with another man, William Rufus Devane King, who was vice-president under Franklin Pierce. King is (to date) the only unmarried vice-president in U.S. history. The families of both King and Buchanan destroyed their correspondence upon their deaths, leaving to conjecture the true nature of their relationship.

William Rufus Devane King, Buchanan's longtime roommate.

Ruggiero Leoncavallo would be 154. He composed one of the greatest, and certainly most popular operas ever written, I Pagliacci. At first glance, he might be considered something of a "one-trick pony," in that he never composed another opera that achieved general public acclaim. He did write a version of La Boheme, which suffers greatly by comparison with the competing version by Giacomo Puccini, which is perhaps the most popular opera of all time. In studying I Pagliacci, it's most surprising to find that he was not a prolific composer, as his writing seems so fully-realized, sophisticated and beautifully formed. The famous aria "Vesti la giubba," which was recorded by Enrico Caruso just after the turn of the 20th century, became the first million-selling record and remains a very recognizable tune, even to non-lovers of opera.

Jeez....listen to this one, too! Franco Corelli was such a great singer!

Sandra Dee would be 69. She was the perfect juvenile lead actress for the late 1950's-early 1960's. Her romance with--and marriage to--bobby-sox idol, Bobby Darin, was tailor-made for the tabloids and fan magazines. Her pert, pretty, seemingly-virginal image, it turns out, was merely a mask for a complicated, tormented young woman, whose life spiraled into a vortex of anorexia and drug and alcohol abuse. She spent her final years a virtual shut-in. Though they were divorced when he died at the age of 37, it's said that she never got over him. She died of kidney failure at the age of 62.

If they were alive today...

2011-04-22T00:04:00.000-04:00

....it would be the birtday of these notables:

Bettie Page would be 88. She was the most iconic pin-up girl of the 20th century. Her trademark image of the sweet looking "good/bad" girl with the bangs transcended her own generation and she continues to populate the fantasies of new generations of drooling boys everywhere. Hugh Hefner said of her, "Her appearance in PLAYBOY was a milestone," and that “she became, in time, an American icon, her winning smile and effervescent personality apparent in every pose".

Greg Moore would be 36. The Canadian racecar driver had a very promising career ahead of him when he was killed in a spectacular crash at the Marlboro 500 race in Fontana, California on Halloween Day, 1999. It was somewhat startling to me to read the headline that day, "GREG MOORE DEAD". I'd never heard of him before....but my name is also Greg Moore. Gives one pause for thought...

Actor/playwright Jason Miller would be 72. He won a Pulitzer Prize-winning for his play, That Championship Season, and as an actor is best remembered for playing Father Damian Karras in The Exorcist. He was married to Jackie Gleason's daughter, Linda, and their son, Jason Patric, is a well-known actor in his own right (The Lost Boys, After Dark, My Sweet).
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And a very happy 65th birthday to the great American filmmaker, John Waters! The self-proclaimed "Prince of Filth," Waters made a classic triptych of shocking, but brilliant films in the 1970's: Pink Flamingos, Female Trouble and Desperate Living that are, in my opinion, three of the most hilarious films ever made. They were done on a shoestring budget, with an unknown cast of misfit Baltimore characters, headed by the now-legendary "Divine"--a 300-pound female impersonator--who, it turns out, was a pretty amazing performer. Waters continues to make films and I keep going to them, hoping, somehow, that the brilliance of his early films will emerge once again. Unfortunately, he hasn't made a funny film since Serial Mom in the 90's. But his legions of fans keep their collective fingers crossed that he might come up with a winner once again.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-21T00:05:00.000-04:00

...these notables would be celebrating their birthday today:

Leonard Warren would be 100 today. He was undisputibly one of--if not THE greatest operatic baritones of the 20th century. He had a flinty, masculine voice and an amazing range of notes and emotions. One of the towering American performers of all time. Yet he is perhaps best remembered for how he died. He was in the midst of a performance of Verdi's La Forza del Destino (The Forces of Destiny) at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York and had just completed the major baritone aria, "Morir...tremenda cosa" (Death...a momentous thing) when he fell to the floor, dead of a massive cerebral hemorrhage. He was only 48 years old. Reportedly, the audience initially thought it was part of the drama, but when management immediately brought down the curtain and cancelled the rest of the performance, the horrified audience realized what had really happened. There now exists a Leonard Warren Foundation, to benefit the cause of struggling young musicians. A fitting tribute to an amazing artist whose centenary is today.

Charlotte Brontë would be 195. She was the eldest of the three British literary sisters (along with Emily and Anne) who wrote under assumed pen names that sounded male (at that time, women were not generally taken seriously as writers). When her book, Jane Eyre, came out and was an enormous success, there was much curiosity as to who this "Currer Bell" was (the name under which she first published the book). When her identity was revealed, it went a long way in promoting the abilities of female writers.

Anthony Quinn would be 96. He was a thunderously powerful actor when given the right vehicle...and a bit over the top in the wrong one. He'll forever be known as the free-spirited Zorba, the Greek, one of his two Oscar-winning performances (the other, as Paul Gaugin in Lust For Life).

If they were alive today.....

2011-04-20T00:26:00.002-04:00

...it would be the birthday of the following notables:

Harold Lloyd would be 118. My god, this man was talented! And his timeless style and form of comedy seem absolutely contemporary today. He's remembered today as a daredevil comic, clinging to the sides of Los Angeles high-rises. Just watching his artistry is jaw-dropping enough on its own; but taking into consideration that in a stunt that went wrong, he'd blown off the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, it makes it all the more amazing. But more than "artistry" and "technical acumen"...never mind that! This guy was just hilarious! And still is. My favorite of his films is The Freshman, the prototypical Harold Lloyd film, in which he plays the tenacious, good-to-a-fault college boy (adorably named "Speedy" Lamb) who saves the day, scoring the winning touchdown in "The Big Game". Throughout the film, he does this little dance step whenever he meets someone for the first time...I've slowed down the film and tried to recreate it, but gave up. It's all his--and I ain't no Speedy Lamb! This is one of the films I often recommend to anyone looking to acquire an interest in silent films, as it's still absolutely fun and quite accessible, and invariably, new viewers walk away from it as devoted Harold Lloyd fans, without fail. Here's the entire film! If you want to see his little dance, advance ahead to 00:19:01--or if you have 76 minutes, watch the whole thing! I swear, it'll make an instant fan out of you!

Bruce Cabot would be 107. The square-jawed, handsome Hollywood leading man of the early 1930's is best known today as the hero who took on King Kong in the original 1933 classic film.

Edie Sedgwick would be 68. She'd be no more than a footnote to the annals of the wild and wasted New York of the 1960's, had it not been for a fascinating biography of her, Edie, by Jean Stein and George Plimpton. The Andy Warhol "actress" and model, who forsook her New England blueblooded heritage to become the drug-addled emblem of that era, was in fact no more than a petulant, infantile, rather nasty, all-around mess. A "hot mess," in today's terms. But the book's well worth the read. (available on Amazon for about $2.50--link below).

Jayne Mansfield would be 78 (yesterday...sorry Jayne...missed you yesterday!). The ultimate Hollywood, "sex-goddess-or-die" starlet, Jayne Mansfield was really something! I love this series of photos, taken at a Hollywood event in 1957. The classy Sophia Loren, who was just exploding on the international film scene was shamelessly upstaged by Mansfield who was known to do anything to get attention. Just observing the expressions of these two ladies is a wonderful study in subtext. Poor Jaynie grew more and more desperate for that attention as the years wore on, ending her years appearing in cheapo sexploitation films. Her tragic end came on a rain-slicked Louisiana highway in 1967, when the car she was riding in, asleep, slammed into a flatbed trailer-truck. Contrary to the well-spread myth, she was not decapitated, but was indeed killed immediately. Her children, who were asleep in the backseat, all survived (including popular television actress, Mariska Hargitay (Law and Order), then just three years old).

And Time Magazine's "Man of the Year" of 1938 would be 122. That would be Adolph Hitler. Here are some things you may not know about him:

He was born with only one testicle.
Toward the end of his life, he was beset with symptoms of the early onset of Parkinson's Disease.
Reportedly, his two favorite movies were King Kong and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
His great-great-grandmother was Jewish.
In 1940, there were 20 listings in the New York City telephone book of persons with the last name of "Hitler". Today, there are none. In fact, there are only 5 people with that name listed in the entire United States. Presumably, prudence dictates that in some circumstances, you simply HAVE to change your name (can you even imagine going through life with that name?)

If they were alive today...

2011-04-18T00:27:00.000-04:00

...these notables would be celebrating their birthday:

Huntington Hartford would be turning 100 today. His was an epic life of excess and squandering, ending up virtually broke, after having been born into one of the wealthiest families in America. He was the heir to the A&P grocery chain family and was born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. He was handsome and apparently charming and was a fixture of the gossip rags of the 1930's-60's, squiring some of Hollywood's most glamourous actresses (such as Lana Turner, as seen above). He married four times and sank tens of millions into several grand, failed schemes--in the end, leaving him near destitution and drug-addicted, living as a recluse in a squalid Manhattan townhouse, from which he was finally evicted. He declared bankruptcy and moved to the Bahamas, where he died in 2008. He may not have had a happy ending, but he certainly had an interesting life. There's a good biography of him called Squandered Fortune: The Life and Times of Huntington Hartford, available on Amazon for a penny (used, hardcover--link below). It's quite a tale.

Wendy Barrie would be 99. She was a prim and proper "English rose" type of lady who had a rather successful career in Hollywood in the 1930's-40's. Incongruously, some might say, she was engaged to wed legendary mobster, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel, though they never actually wed.

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Virginia O'Brien: Hey! She's smiling!

Virginia O'Brien would be 92. She had a very strange shtick for a movie musical performer: She performed all her numbers absolutely dead-panned, very rarely smiling or showing any emotion at all. Kind of strange, watching her today. She was rather pretty and might have had some appeal...but the whole dead-pan thing is rather off-putting to some modern viewers (me! me!).

If they were still alive....

2011-04-17T01:30:00.002-04:00

....today would be the birthday of:

William Holden would be 93. It seems Holden is a bit taken for granted and rather underrated as an actor, despite his many awards and truly memorable performances (Stalag 17, Bridge on the River Kwai, Network...and probably most of all, his "Joe Gillis" opposite Gloria Swanson's "Norma Desmond" in that greatest of all of Hollywood's "Hollywood films," Sunset Boulevard. His battle with the bottle shortened his life. He was only 63 when he was found in a pool of blood next to his bed in his Santa Monica apartment. Apparently, he had fallen while intoxicated and hit his head on a bedside table.

Writer/director George Seaton would be 100 today. He wrote and/or directed several major Hollywood hits, including Airport, Song of Bernadette, The Country Girl and his "mini masterpiece," Miracle on 34th Street, which he indeed wrote and directed. He won two Oscars during his starry career (Best Screenplay for Miracle on 34th Street and The Country Girl) as well as the 1962 Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Academy Award. Seems he's one of those who aren't remembered today, by name....but certainly his body of work is most memorable, indeed.

Anne Shirley would be 93. She started in silent films at the age of four (as "Dawn O'Day"...her real name was Dawn Paris). After appearing in the title role of Anne of Green Gables, she changed her name once again to the character's name, Anne Shirley, under which she is known today. She played several mature juvenile parts, none larger or more challenging than the daughter of poor, self-sacrificing white trash, Stella Dallas. She married hunky John Payne (seen above with Santa Claus in Miracle on 34th Street). Their marriage didn't last, and she retired from acting about the time their marriage ended, in 1943. One might suspect that she must have just grown tired of the Hollywood hustle, having been before the cameras while barely out of diapers. She died in 1993.

Lon McCallister would be 88. He actually had a lot in common with Anne Shirley. Both successfully made the leap from child actor to juvenile to adult in Hollywood, a feat that not many could claim. He was small, boyish and very likable. Like Shirley, he had a role in Stella Dallas. And also like her, he retired from acting very young, at the age of 30, having had more than his fill of Hollywood.

Arthur Lake would be 106. His singular career distinction was introducing the character of "Dagwood Bumstead" to film viewers in the 1930's and 40's in the long-running series of Blondie movies. He had been a fairly successful "bright young man" actor in early talkies, but was pretty much type-cast from Dagwood on. An interesting sidebar to his story is his marriage. He had a long (45 years), by all accounts very happy marriage to Patricia Van Cleve, who was known about Hollywood as the niece of Marion Davies--who lived with and had been raised by Davies. They were married in 1942 at William Randolph Hearst's enormous California estate, San Simeon (Hearst Castle). He died in 1987 and she survived him by 6 years. On her deathbed, she "admitted" to her children what had long been whispered about Los Angeles society circles: That she was, in fact, the illegitimate daughter of Hearst and Marion Davies. She and Arthur Lake are both entombed in Marion Davies' large crypt at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery along with Davies, her mother and sisters, and her actual husband (whom she married after Hearst's death). One other weird sidebar: Arthur Lake was at one time investigated as a possible suspect in the Black Dahlia murder in 1947 (he was never charged or proven to have anything to do with it).

Patricia Van Cleve Lake--daughter of Hearst/Davies

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And a VERY happy birthday, to someone who is still very much with us....

Marta Eggerth turns 99 today. She is one of the great treasures of the New York musical world, as she still continues to perform, a year from her centenary year. And make no mistake: There is nothing "bless her heart" about her performing. Her voice, her charm, her loveliness---have been preternaturally preserved, as if stilled in amber. The Hungarian-born soprano was a great star of operetta and film, having made her professional debut in 1923! Miss Eggerth was married to the great, famed Polish opera tenor, Jan Kiepura until his death in 1966. She can still command top-price seats at her performances, mostly at the lovely Cafe Sabarsky at the Neue Galerie museum in New York City. I witnessed one of her performances, about 5 years ago--and even had a chance to chat with her afterward. The cafe is on the street level on busy Fifth Avenue. I recall that during one of her quiet songs, an ambulance came noisily screaming by. She paused and with a fabulous deadpan, said, "Don't come for me! I'm not going anywhere yet!" Which the audience, of course, just loved. I asked her if she looked back on her Hollywood career with happiness. She had been briefly under contract to MGM in the early 1940's, playing opposite Judy Garland in two films: Presenting Lily Mars and For Me and My Gal. She paused, thoughtfully, and said, "I look back on working with Judy Garland with great fondness, as she was just lovely. But I can not say that my years in Hollywood were very happy ones". I think I can speak for the entire New York artistic community in wishing her many more years of health and our thanks for blessing us with her charm, beauty and many talents. Here's a fairly contemporary clip of her performing one of her signature tunes:

If they were still alive today....

2011-04-16T00:07:00.001-04:00

.....these notable folks would be celebrating a birthday:

Charlie Chaplin would be 122. The most universally recognized man of the first half of the 20th century, his popularity as a silent film star was equaled by no one. He was the greatest star to have his career impacted by the "red scare" of the 1940's/50's. He wasn't a communist--but rather than stay and try to defend himself against nebulous charges by the slavering McCarthy inquisition, he abandoned his adopted country of America and fled to Switzerland, where he only worked periodically until his death in 1977. He returned to Hollywood in 1971 to receive a lifetime achievement "honorary" Oscar--since he had never received an official Oscar during his career. He was given an enormous welcome back, and perhaps the longest standing ovation in Academy Award history. Here's my favorite scene from my favorite of his films, The Gold Rush, from 1925. Turn down/off the volume to get rid of the very annoying commentator in the background!:

Dusty Springfield would be 72. She was a very unique singer during the middle years of rock and roll's nascence. The British belter's full-throated, somewhat hoarse voice was all-hers and was never mistaken for anyone else's. Her all-out anthems are still powerful today and she still has a huge following, especially in the UK.

John Hodiak would be 97. Sturdy, if somewhat stiff, all-purpose butch leading man of the WWII and post-WWII years, John Hodiak appeared to good effect in a few films, notably Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat in 1944, in which he parried with the inimitable Tallulah Bankhead. He died suddenly, at the age of 40, of a heart attack.

Douglas McPhail, 1939

With Judy Garland in Little Nellie Kelly

With wife and frequent co-star, Betty Jaynes

On the set of Sweethearts, with Jaynes and director, W.S. Van Dyke, 1938

With his voice teacher, Romano Romani, 1938

Also turning 97 today would be Douglas McPhail. I remember seeing the original That's Entertainment as a child, when it first came out and being so impressed by the voice of the fellow who sang the title song in the 1939 MGM musical, Babes in Arms. I tried to find out more information about him, but there was virtually nothing about him, anywhere. But in this age of the internet, I've since found out that he had a meteoric rise, a brief, impressive career--and a shocking and tragic death at his own hand. He was spotted by Jeanette MacDonald, the star of San Francisco, in which he appeared in the chorus. She mentored him and he was groomed by MGM as sort of a "junior Nelson Eddy". Unfortunately, this happened just about the time that film operettas were fading from favor, and there was less need for the real Nelson Eddy, let alone a junior version. Still, he was given some large roles in major films, including Little Nellie Kelly, in which he played Judy Garland's love interest, in one of her first "adult" roles. Apparently, his dwindling career was desperately frustrating to him and he developed a major problem with alcohol. Finally, in 1944, he swallowed poison--ending his life at the age of 30. Such a shame. He had (as evidenced below) a most impressive voice and a commanding presence.

And poor Selena Quintanilla would have turned 40 today, had she not been assassinated by her psychotic assistant in 1995. "The Queen of Tejano Music"...."The Mexican Madonna"....she was enormously popular in the Latin American market--in fact, she was the #1-selling Latin American artist of the 1990's, selling over 21 million albums. Such a shame...her murderess is, thankfully, rotting in a Texas prison, ostensibly for life, though she will be eligible for parole in 2025.

If they were alive today...

2011-04-15T00:34:00.000-04:00

....these notables would be celebrating their birthday:

Wallace Reid would be 120. Of all the male silent film stars, he was, perhaps the most charming, likeable, athletic and certainly the most handsome of them all. But he was also the subject of one of Hollywood's first jaw-dropping scandals, when he died of illness related to his rampant addiction to opiates. He was only 31 when he died in a sanitarium, and at the height of his fame, hopelessly addicted to pain medication. He became hooked on opiates in the aftermath of a major train accident while filming a scene for one of his "action-adventure" films. Since his image was that of the wholesome "guy-next-door," the world was truly shocked and his drug addiction and death remained a headline story for many weeks in 1923. Sadly, he's mostly forgotten today (except for his scandalous death), since most of his films have disintegrated into dust. But viewing the still-extant footage from the few films that survive, he was, indeed, a most appealing actor.

Da Vinci: A self-portrait

Portrait of a Musician

St. John the Baptist

Portrait of Cecilia Gallarani: Lady with an Ermine

Leonardo da Vinci would be 559. The term "renaissance man" may have been coined in reference to him: Painter, sculptor, inventor, engineer, writer, architect...was there anything this man couldn't do flawlessly? Certainly, he's best known from his paintings, most famously La Gioconda (The Mona Lisa) and The Last Supper. But, interestingly, he was not at all a prolific painter: He only left 30 known paintings, several of them unfinished. And did you know that he was a vegetarian (for humanitarian reasons), a highly unusual stance in the 16th century.

The People of Chilmark, 1920

Hollywood, 1937

Self portrait

Thomas Hart Benton would be 122. The great American artist created a singular, highly-recognizable style in his many epic murals of everyday life in 1930's America.

Bessie Smith would be 117. The "Queen of the Blues," Bessie Smith's own life was one of sadness and tragedy. But she left a large number of recordings, which prove her to be one of the greatest singers of the 20th century, and greatly influential on nearly all blues singers who have followed. She was killed in a Mississippi highway accident at the age of 41.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

....today, the following notables would be celebrating their birthday:

Anne Sullivan would be 145. The legendary teacher of the once-thought impenetrably handicapped Helen Keller, stayed with her as teacher, companion and lifelong friend until her own death in 1936 at the age of 70. Her ashes are interred next to Keller's at the Washington National Cathedral. Their story was famously told in the Broadway play/film, The Miracle Worker.

Rod Steiger would be 86. He was a powerful, "method" actor of the first order, giving many memorable, indelible performances in films such as The Pawnbroker, In the Heat of the Night and, most memorably, as Marlon Brando's brother, Charley Malloy, in On the Waterfront.

Lee Tracy would be 113. He was the epitome of the 1930's wisecracking, fast-talking "smart guy". He had quite a career going in the early 30's, starring in such major films as Dinner at Eight, Bombshell and The Blessed Event. His career ended in a rather unique and spectacular way: While in Mexico, filming Viva Villa! (starring Wallace Beery as Pancho Villa), he drunkenly urinated off the balcony of his hotel room onto a passing military parade below. He was fired from the film, his contract with MGM was terminated and his career was, in a word, kaput. Oops....

John Gielgud would be 107. The fine British Shakespearean actor was considered nearly second-to-none in his portrayals of The Bard's great heroes, from Romeo to King Lear. He enjoyed a late-life "renaissance" in films in the 1980's, notably in Arthur, in which he played Dudley Moore's veddy proper manservant--and at last won a much-deserved Academy Award.

John Howard would be 98. He was one of the most reliable, all-purpose Hollywood second-tier actors of the 1930's-40's. He was always good, usually playing the well-off, spurned suitor type. That's just what he played in perhaps his most famous film, The Philadelphia Story, opposite Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant and Jimmy Stewart. I tend to think that top-tier stardom may have eluded him because he had such a common name. And on a personal note, several times, I've been told I look like him. Since he was a pretty handsome fellow, I won't complain about that one....

If they were still alive....

2011-04-12T23:50:00.001-04:00

....the following famous guys would be celebrating their birthday today:

Howard Keel would be 92. He was the perfect Hollywood musical leading man: Tall, handsome, suave...and equipped with a magnificent, natural baritone voice. His singing style was just right for the era...not too-operatic to scare away audiences, afraid of "long-hair" music (funny how that term means--or used to mean--"old-fashioned" or "stuffy"...probably means something different now, huh?). He was MGM's "go-to" baritone when it came to casting the big male leads in some of the classic musicals of the day, such as Annie Get Your Gun and Showboat, opposite Kathryn Grayson. In his 2005 autobiography, he confessed that he and the prim Miss Grayson were carrying on hot-'n-heavy when the cameras stopped rolling. You can order his book through Amazon for about 7 bucks (link below):

Keel actually got his start on Broadway in the original production of Oklahoma in 1947, where he was spotted by MGM talent scouts...here he is, singing a pretty swell medley from that great score:

Butch Cassidy would be 145. Well, he didn't look like Paul Newman...but the dapper bank and train robber has gone down in history as one of America's most legendary crime figures. Born Robert LeRoy Parker, he and his sidekick, Harry "The Sundance Kid" Longabaugh (above, with common-law wife, Etta Place) led their gang, The Wild Bunch, on the longest string of bank and train robberies in U.S. history. Their story was much fictionalized in the 1969 film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Don Adams would be 88. The American comedian/actor created one of television's most indelible characters in the 1960's, "Maxwell Smart," on Get Smart. His brittle, nasal, staccato delivery was instantly recognizable--and much imitated at the time.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-12T00:40:00.002-04:00

...today would be the birthday of these notables--it's (mostly) "ladies' day" today:

"The World's Fastest Tap-Dancer," Ann Miller would be 88. The forever sparkly and dynamic dancer/actress (born Johnnie Lucille Collier in Houston) started in films by lying about her age (by five years), signing a contract with RKO Pictures at age 13! She proved her stuff and went on to become one of MGM's top musical stars of the 1940's and 50's, in such classics as On the Town, Kiss Me Kate and Easter Parade. The term "one-of-a-kind" can most certainly be applied to Miss Ann Miller. Here she is in one of her finest numbers, from Kiss Me Kate, with Bob Fosse, Bobby Van, Carol Haney and Tommy Rall (HIGHLY underrated actor/singer/dancer--the only one in this scene who is still living--that's him singing the number):

Lily Pons would be 113. The petite, lovely French coloratura soprano was one of the first female opera singers to bring opera to film audiences (Grace Moore was the first). She appeared in a few very successful films in the latter half of the 1930's before returning to the stage, mostly at the Metropolitan Opera, where she reigned for 30 years. Her signature role was " Lakmé" in the opera of that name by Léo Delibes. She performed the most famous aria from that opera, "The Bell Song," in the 1937 film, I Dream Too Much (which was known by wags at the time as I Scream Too Much!).

Imogen Cunningham self-portrait, 1974

Frida Kahlo, 1931 by Cunningham

Imogen Cunningham would be 128. Brilliant...stylish...ground-breaking...influential...all words that would apply to the noted 20th century photographer, whose works populate the great art museums of the world.

Tiny Tim would be 79. What an anomaly this fellow was. He had a bit of freakish fame in the 1960's, strumming a ukulele and singing in a silly falsetto voice, most famously "Tiptoe Thru the Tulips," which became a hugely successful hit single in 1968. He appeared regularly on the hit TV series, Laugh-In, as well as Johnny Carson's The Tonight Show, on which he was famously "married," to a woman who went by the name of "Miss Vicki"--whom he quietly divorced eight years later. It turns out that he was actually quite a knowledgeable musicologist and was something of an expert on the music of the early 20th century. He released an album of Russ Columbo's songs in 1993, which is surprisingly...er...not bad.

If they were still alive....

2011-04-09T00:22:00.001-04:00

...these three notable fellows would be celebrating a birthday this weekend:

Paul Robeson would be 119. He was the personification of elegance and class under most difficult circumstances. A true renaissance man, he was a lawyer, a skilled athlete, powerful singer, talented actor, writer, orator, political activist...and on, and on. A true crusader for racial equality, he broke down many walls that had stood in the way of Black Americans succeeding in a desperately segregated society. His gravestone bears the inscription:
"The Artist Must Fight For Freedom Or Slavery. I Made My Choice. I Had No Alternative."

George Arliss would be 143. "Distinguished" would be the word for the noted actor, George Arliss. He made several historical films in the late 1920's-early 1930's, most famously in Disraeli, in which he played the famed British orator, Benjamin Disraeli--and won the Best Actor Academy Award in 1929 for his efforts. His trademark, which he is rarely seen without, was his monocle.

Brandon de Wilde would be 69. He was one of the most indelibly memorable of child actors. He gave two very memorable film performances: Re-creating the role he originated on Broadway at the age of seven in Member of the Wedding, opposite Julie Harris and Ethel Waters; and as little Joey Starrett in the classic Western, Shane, in which he cried the unforgettable closing line, "Come back, Shane...." (and was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar at the age of 11). He was tragically killed in a single-vehicle accident near Denver at the age of 30.

If they were still alive today....

2011-04-08T00:20:00.002-04:00

....these famed folk would be celebrating their birthday:

Mary Pickford would be 119. "Little Mary," as she was known worldwide, was the first female "superstar". At the height of her fame, she was also the highest paid actress in the world--by far. She formed United Artists with Charlie Chaplin, D.W. Griffith and her equally-popular husband, actor Douglas Fairbanks to escape the bounds of the Hollywood contract system. Her fall from the pinnacle of stardom had more to do with aging and changing public tastes, rather than her inability in front of a microphone, once silent films came to an end. The "girl with the curls" was a bit unbelievable playing the juvenile as she approached 40. She retired from films in the early 30's, divorced Fairbanks, and lived to her 87th year in gilded seclusion at her fabled Beverly Hills estate, Pickfair.

E.Y. "Yip" Harburg would be 115. The brilliantly clever and witty lyricist teamed up with his equally talented partner, Harold Arlen, to write some of the greatest songs and musical scores ever written. The pinnacle of their fame and Hollywood success came in 1939, when they were tapped to create the score for The Wizard of Oz for MGM. They took that ball and ran with it, crafting a sophisticated, yet almost child-like series of songs that are among the most glittering facets of a brilliant gem, indeed---including the 1939 Best Song Oscar-winning song, "Over the Rainbow," which is perennially listed as the "greatest song of the 20th century" on several prominent lists. The complex simplicity (or vice versa) of Harburg's lyrics is what made him one of the greatest lyricists to ever raise a pen. Enjoy this clip of the master himself, singing his greatest song:

Sonja Henie would be 99. She can certainly be called a "one-of-a-kind" star, as no one, before or since, has assumed the same shtick that she had. She was a petite, blonde figure-skating star who won Olympic gold three times for her native country, Norway. She then went on to Hollywood in 1936, making a series of enormously popular films that always featured lengthy and increasingly elaborate (and expensive) skating scenes, opposite some of Hollywood's top male stars (like Tyrone Power and John Payne). Watching her films today, they're just a tiny bit strange and my, but she had a strong Norwegian accent (possibly apocryphal, the story goes that in one of her films, she had to say the line, "But I love you, too, Hugh!" in her garbled accent, leaving audiences in paroxysms of laughter). But, come on...she was cute, very earnest...and she sure could skate!

Franco Corelli would be 90. He was opera's matinee idol tenor in the 1950's and 60's, standing 6'4" and having a carved-in-marble profile found on ancient Roman coins. But he was far more than just a bel canto hunk--he had one of the most magnificent tenor voices ever recorded. His career was somewhat limited, and certainly shortened, by an unlikely adversary: His own battle with stage fright. Opera mavens have long asked, "Of all people, how could Franco Corelli ever have any self-doubt??" After a brilliantly successful career singing in the great opera houses of the world, he retired from the stage in 1976 and died in 2003.