It's a Great Big Fuzzy World Out There....

And so every once in a while we need a bit of Clara-fication to get us through the day!

Some recent new aquisitions. The above is a vintage repro (circa 1950's) publicity still for Clara's first talkie "The Wild Party". She wears this outfit in the costume party scene!

Another vintage repro still, this time from the first of her 2 films at Fox Studios in the 1930's, the awesome "Call Her Savage". An absolute must-see for lovers of pre-code melodrama!

A promo shot for "Call Her Savage". Clara's hair was really wild during this shoot!

Dig that crazy outfit! Clara in a publicity still for her very last film "Hoopla". All 4 of the stills above were 50's vintage and cost $9.99 for the lot!

A prime condition vintage 5" x 7" promo card, circa 1928. Even came with the original mailer shown below!

Ok, post all done, time for some music.... where's my Clara-net?

Diary of a Stripper....part III

Quick update on that desk refinishing project...I can't imagine how it's been for you all having to wait so long for this...

This is an end view of the backing piece and I layed a straight strip of wood across to show how cupped it was. I didnt wanna leave it like that sooooooo...

I got out my trusty liquid hide glue and attached some scrap Ash wood to the inside to straighten it out. There's still plenty of clearance for the drawers to close all the way.

Here's how it looks now. It's not glued back together yet, still plenty of sanding and refining to do, but at least it's starting to look like I actually DID something!

That grain figure on the side should look really nice when a finish is put on it!

A comparison to the other half that I havent started on yet! That back piece is nice and straight and sturdy now, woo hoo!

Something for Joe!

Two Words...

Sherilyn Freakin Fenn!

Screw the Oscars...

Pauline over at Brightest Blue nominated me for a "Kreativ Blogger" award, woo hoo! TY, TY, TY!!!

Much as I dislike rules, I'll be good and follow them... this time!

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the award logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.”

Lordy, 7 things about ME people might find interesting?!?!?!

I'm not sure if I can think of 7 things about me that I myself even find interesting!

anyway here goes...

1. I am hell at impressions... Cartman, Cagney, the Duke, Bette, Kirk, Burt, you name it... still cant do Cary Grant though!

2. I dont like Dogs, Bugs (bugs OUTSIDE!), Snakes, Coffee, Onions, Peppers or Sports (although recently I was given a very strong reason to become a Yankee fan!)

3. I have, in the past, totally convinced some people that I have a "No Tom Cruise" chip installed in my satelite receiver.

4. I eat more food daily than the average family of 4.

5. The hardest part of my day everyday is getting my ass out of bed. The second hardest part is getting my ass back in bed to get to sleep!

6. My first crush was Julia Adams in "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" *sigh*

7. The day I was born was also the day Jimi Hendrix lit his guitar on fire during a live show for the first time. Am I cool or what!!

And now that we have that bit of nonsense out of the way, here's my list of bloggers who deserve this more than me:

1. Ginger, the world's greatest Dead End Kids fan, over at Asleep in New York . She's even more inconsistent than me but when she writes something it's always worth reading. She's real purty too, and according to her, she smells nice.

2. My very good friend Mr Door Tree over at Golden Age Comic Book stories . His blog is always worth a look. His knowledge of the Illustrators and comics is downright scary and his collection is pretty freakin' mind boggling.

3. If you like "Comics, music, fit birds, stuff, but mostly comics" than Joe Bloke's Grantbridge Street and Other Misadventures is a good place to find them. Prudes need not waste their time!

4. I'm not a Buddhist but I enjoy reading the inspirational posts by the beautiful and talented Lotus Flower. Although she hasnt said, I'm sure she smells very nice too.

5. Quelle is just a great blogger who has a genuine love for classic films. She has brought up many interesting topics which generated equally interesting discussions regarding classic films.

6. Kate over at Silents and Talkies is another one who has a genuine love for the classic films and is quite the creative person too. Check out all her blogs.

7. My last pick is a recent new follower whose blog I am slowly starting to go through. Flappers and Flickers is geared towards the great silent and pre code films and definitely worth a look!

She's also a big Clara Bow fan so that gets huge points in my book!

I'm hoping to be a bit more active around here in the future so, ummmm...you've been warned!

More Al Hirschfeld

Genius...

Mikail Baryshnikov

Sam Jaffe

Bob Fosse

Der Bingle!

Henry Fonda

Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca and Rowan and Martin

Al Hirschfeld...

There hasn't been much art around here lately so...

Ruth Gordon

Leonard Nimoy

Katherine Hepburn

The Smothers Brothers

Sammy Davis Jr., Bogart, Judy Garland, Laurel and Hardy, The Duke and Katherine Hepburn

Lucille Ball and Robert Preston

Yul Brunner, etc! etc! etc!

"Millie and Kate's Brilliantly Evil Asthmatic Survey"

Kate posted this over at "Silents and Talkies" and I thought it would be fun to join in and post it here...

1. Which actors do you always (or did you always) mix-up?

Hugh Marlowe and Richard Carlson

2. Gidget or Beach Party?

Buster Keaton was in at least one beach film right? That's all I need to know.

3. Favorite Movie Outfit?

Clint Eastwood's "Man with No Name" poncho get-up. If not that then Annakin Skywalker's kick ass black Jedi duds in Star Wars Episode III

4. If you could be ANY character in ANY movie...who would you choose?

Eastwoods "Man with No Name" from any of Sergio Leone's "Dollars Trilogy".

5. If you could marry ANY character in ANY movie...who would you choose?

Mary Preston (Clara Bow) in "Wings"...if she wouldnt have me then Rosie (Haji) in Faster Pussy Cat...Kill Kill! (cuz of her accent of course!)

6. If you could live in ANY movie...which would you choose?

The Star Wars universe....oh the fun I could have being a Sith Lord!

7. Black & White movies you wish were in Technicolor, or vice-versa?

I wish "Jezebel" was in color. The scene with the red dress woulda been sublime!!! Bette was sublime anyway, but still!

8. Favorite Movie Soundtrack?

very tough but I think Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo gets to me like no other. very close behind that is all of Herrmann's other music and also the Ennio Morricone scores for the Sergio Leone westerns and then right behind them is Walter/Wendy Carlos' brilliant score for Kubrick's "A Clockwork Orange" and then pretty much anything Max Steiner ever wrote for a film and then....

9. Favorite Movie Dance Sequence?

for a male dancer I gotta say Cagney's "Yankee Doodle Dandy" number. For a female, Cyd Charisse in "Singin in the Rain", but ANY scene with Cyd dancing is a holy experience for me!

10. Coolest Movie Star?

definite tie between Eastwood and Steve McQueen.

11. Sophia or Gina

I'd pick Claudia Cardinale over them both.

12. "Isn't It Romantic" in most Billy Wilder films, or "Red River Valley"

Red River Valley all the way!

13. If you could re-cast ANY role in ANY movie, what would it be?

Spencer Tracy in place of George Brent in "Dark Victory". Gary Cooper in place of Bob Cummings in "Saboteur".

14. Favorite movie character with your first name?

I cant think of any!

15.One movie that should NEVER be remade? (under THE THREAT OF A SLOW, PAINFUL DEATH!)

I swear if anyone ever tries to remake Vertigo I WILL don my Man with No Name poncho and go looking for bounty! I will also add that those fiends who have already remade King Kong TWICE deserve a rather unpleasant demise as well.

16. Actor or Actress who you would love to be best friends with?

for an actress, Clara Bow.... the benefits of a friendship with her would surely be extraordinary.

for an actor, easy one, The Duke!!!!

17. Are you an Oscar or a Felix?

Sadly I vaccilate depending on how busy I let myself get, but the inner Felix is always going to win out eventually!

18. Actor/Actress you originally hated and now love?

Joe E Brown, couldnt stand him at first, now I think he's totally hilarious!

19.Actor/Actress you originally loved and now don't like?

cant think of any!

20. Favorite performance that was looked over by Oscar? (Not to be confused with the aforementioned Oscar of Felix fame.)

Kirk Douglas as Vincent Van Gogh in "Lust for Life" losing out to Yul Brunner as Yul Brunner in "The King and I" in 1956, WTF????

21. Bewitched or I Dream of Jeannie?

I do indeed Dream of Jeannie

22. Hannibal Heyes or Kid Curry?

hoo dey?

23. Favorite Style Icon: Fred Astaire or Cary Grant?

I gotta say that's a draw.

24. Single most favorite movie scene EVER?

impossible to answer.

25. Movie you really "should" see, but have subconsciously avoiding for who knows what reason?

the LOTR trilogy.

26. Movie quote you find yourself most often repeating in real life?

lately it's "MAKE ME A SERGEANT IN CHARGE OF THE BOOZE!" from "Them" but it's subject to change without notice.

27. 50's Westerns or 60's Spies?

50's westerns win out every time

28. Favorite splashy, colorful, obnoxious 50's musical?

Dont think I ever saw one that I thought was obnoxious but my fave 50's muscial is "Singin in the Rain" with "Brigadoon" and "The Band Wagon" following very close behind.

29. Favorite film setting (example: Rome, Paris, Seattle, Siberia, Chile, Sahara Desert, etc)

New York City

30. If you could own the entire wardrobe of any film, which would it be?

once again, Eastwoods "Man with No name"....less laundry to do. Either that or Casino or Mad Max.

31. Carol Burnette or Lucille Ball?

both are/were comic geniuses but I definitely watched a lot of Lucy when I was younger so she wins out.

32. Favorite Voice. Ever. Period?

easy one, James Cagney

33. Favorite movie that takes place in your home-state?

Christmas in Connecticut

34. Which actors would you want for relatives? (Mother, Father, Grandma, Crazy Aunt, annoying cousin, older brother, etc...)

Margaret Wycherly from "White Heat" as my Ma, Robert DeNiro from "This Boy's Life" as my dad, Donald Crisp from "Broken Blossoms" as my grandpa, Bette Davis from "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" as my gandma, Tallulah bankhead from "Lifeboat" as my crazy Aunt, Joseph Cotten from "Shadow of a Doubt" as my uncle, Joseph Wiseman from "Detective Story" as my older brother, Robert Walker from "Strangers on a Train" as my younger brother, Olivia DeHavilland from "The Dark Mirror" as my twin sisters and Rosalind Russell from "The Women" as my annoying cousin. Just one big happy family!

A Moment of Clara-Tee...

I've been engaged in other activites I deem more important than blogging lately but lest my place become a ghostown, here's 2 more Clara Bow postcards I've gotten in the last few weeks.

I had always wondered what film it was that she wore this Gypsy fortune teller looking outfit. I have recently discovered that it's for the 1928 Elinor Glyn inspired film "Three Weekends", which as I've mentioned before, is considered lost.

No anecdotes, no trivia, she just looks freakin killer in this pic!

Happy Easter!

Gotta have a bunny and at lease ONE good egg this weekend!