Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth weren't the only stars who sat for pin-ups during the war; their photos were simply the most popular. The idea of pin-ups (technically, they were just photos of women) were nothing new by the Second World War. Victorians and Edwardians, of course, had French postcards, which ranged from fully-clothed women … Continue reading During World War Two: My Little Pin-Up Girl
Stage To Screen: Show Boat
Street corners. Tourist traps. Flatbed trailers. Any place is fair game for an entertainer to ply their craft as long as there's an audience. Or even if there isn't. When I was with the Continental Singers, we once did an impromptu mini-concert in an old folks' home in Nebraska while waiting for our bus's air … Continue reading Stage To Screen: Show Boat
Down In Africa
It's Miss Grace! Grace Kelly's third movie was 1953's Mogambo, co-starring Clark Gable and Ava Gardner. Set in the French Congo, it was a remake of the 1932 film, Red Dust. The story was a daring choice for Kelly, but it paid off. Victor Marswell (Clark Gable) is a big game hunter living in the African bush. He's … Continue reading Down In Africa
Taking Up Room 