William Randolph Hearst really, really wanted Marion Davies to be the toppermost of top dramatic actresses. Yeah, he looked at this wonderful, natural comedienne and thought, "Hmmm. She must be Sarah Bernhardt. I will make her Sarah Bernhardt." Oh, Hearst tried. He tried so hard. Like in 1922's When Knighthood Was In Flower, when Davies played Mary Tudor. It's … Continue reading Throwing Pillows At Henry the Eighth
Reading Rarities: A Sloth’s Guide To Taking It Easy
It goes without saying that we're all spending extra time at home right now. A lot of extra time. It also goes without saying that it can be hard and weird because, among other things, it's a real slowing-down process. We don't know how long we're going to have to live this way and a … Continue reading Reading Rarities: A Sloth’s Guide To Taking It Easy
Not the Conventional Type
Mr. Price is back... Vincent Price might have been a horror king, but there was so much more to him. In fact, before horror was Price's primary acting output, he was known for his suave gentlemen characters of both the sympathetic and not-so-sympathetic persuasions. One of the most interesting, and one of Price's personal favorites … Continue reading Not the Conventional Type
Selena, La Reina
Today is Selena Day in Texas. For those who aren't familiar with Selena Quintanilla-Perez, she was shot on March 31, 1995 by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldivar and died soon after. I had never heard of her before her murder, probably because she had been a niche artist on the verge of going mainstream … Continue reading Selena, La Reina
Bingeing In the Time of Coronavirus
Hi, all, hope everyone had a good Easter! I originally was supposed to go back to work tomorrow, but heh heh, no, I'm not, because I got temporarily laid off until the schools go back to normal. Whenever that is. Of all the states in the United States, California's among those which have gotten hit … Continue reading Bingeing In the Time of Coronavirus
We Can Shop It Out
Malls. Remember those? OK, so it hasn't been that long since we've been able to hit a mall, but it feels like it. Anyway, malls are good for more than shopping and hanging out. Sometimes they're a good place to drop some deep, earth-shattering confessions. Woody Allen and Bette Midler did just that in the … Continue reading We Can Shop It Out
Greer Meets Oscar
Why hello, Miss Greer... Greer Garson didn't set out to be an actress, although she wanted to. She trained to be a teacher at the University of London, but then started working in advertising in London, with a brief stint at Encyclopedia Britannica. On the side she appeared in community theater, and her talent was … Continue reading Greer Meets Oscar
Doris Takes A Cruise
Glad to see you, Miss Doris... Sometimes ya just gotta get away. It's not exactly doable these days, but the urge is real. We'll get there, folks. Someday we'll be able to move around freely again. It may take a while, but we'll get there. Until then, we do what we can, and last night … Continue reading Doris Takes A Cruise
Finding Answers With Ben-Hur
Time to hit the books... Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ is quite the novel and quite the enticing story for filmmakers. Every time it's been brought to the screen it takes people's breath away with the emotion, the politics, and the relationships, all woven together with the life and ministry of Jesus. Its author, … Continue reading Finding Answers With Ben-Hur
Page To Screen: A Night To Remember
The late Walter Lord is kind of a legend among Titanic buffs and historians. When he wrote A Night To Remember, which was published in 1955, he basically inspired the public fascination with the ship that continues today. Pretty much every book written about the Titanic uses Walter Lord's work as a source because he's that OG. How did Lord … Continue reading Page To Screen: A Night To Remember
Taking Up Room 