It's A Jungle Out There

We have all seen the stars with their favorite dog or family pet, but these oldies share time with the wild side...

Gene Tierney and her friend in the same outfit.

James Cagney was a cubs fan.

Dorothy Lamour fighting with her boyfriend.

Donald O'Connor thinks the jokes on him.

Jean Harlow on the lamb.

Only Ann Margret would give her turtle an umbrella!

Joan Blondell and her pal making a fashion statment.

Oh, just Louise Brooks and a koala.

Norma Shearer monkeying around.

Katharine Hepburn bringing up her baby.

Buster Keaton and his sailor friend.

Rudy Valentino, so serious!

Pickfair

Before Brad and Angelina, before William and Kate, the hottest couple in town were Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford. These two were talented film makes, actors, business owners, and dwellers of the most fabulous home in Hollywood.

Keep that grass green!

Doug purchased the hunting lodge for his new bride in 1919. But a hunting lodge wasn't good enough for the darlings of the silver screen. For 5 years they turned this humble house into history. Pickfair was 4 stories high with 42 rooms, horse stables, tennis courts, and had the first in ground home pool. 

As you can imagine, parties at this pad were massive. If you were invited to Pickfair to party, you were in. Oldies such as neighbor and BFF Charlie Chaplin, Gloria Swanson, eventual daughter-in-law Joan Crawford, Lillian Gish, Amelia Earhart, Albert Einstein and Franklin D. Roosevelt were among the guests. 

But like everything in Hollywood, the party eventually must come to an end. When Mary and Doug divorced in 1936, Mary continued to live there with her next hubby (talk about awkward) until her death. Soon after, the owner of the Lakers purchased the house kept it running and restored as Pickfair should be. In 1988  Pia Zadora bought the mansion and tore it down. 

Pia rebuilt the house but not as it was during Pickfair. Locals were outraged and I am sure she was not invited to the Fourth of July BBQ. In 2005 a company named UNICOM bought the house and surrounding property. The property is still there, located at 1143 Summit Drive, Beverly Hills. The original gates and pool are still around, but the facade is completely different.

I always get a bit sad when I find out that amazing, historic landmarks in Hollywood are demolished. Los Angeles has a thing about doing this to almost every special place that made tinsel town what it was. But maybe if all of these places were still around and functioning, they wouldn't be as special.

Pickfair postcard.

Foreign Film Poster Friday

"Old Acquaintance" 1943

"The Rainmaker"

A week ago in the middle of the September summer we woke up to a crazy rain storm, and get this, hail. Readers on the East coast might be thinking, "Yeah, so what?" But here in little ol' Southern California, hail falling from the sky happens almost never and seeing it amazes me. I ran out on the porch in my pajamas and into the hail to pick up the gumball sized hail like a little kid and looked up to see several of my neighbors doing the same. 

Aaaanyways, what a perfect time to throw on "The Rainmaker" with Burt Lancaster and Kat Hepburn.

I must say first off, this film is not like other Kat films. In fact, although entertaining, it is really strange and sort of stupid. But someone liked it because she was nominated for an Oscar for her role. Katharine has two brothers. One is logical, played by Lloyd Bridges, and the other is an idiot, played by Earl Holliman. Father and the boys are waiting for Kat to arrive home from matchmaking trip to her cousins. Yeah, that's right, her family was trying to set her up with her cousin. 

Strange factor #1.

Katharine speaks her mind and none of her cousins wanted to marry her so she is back to making breakfast for the men and complaining because she is too "plain". Father and the boys decided to try to set her up with the last single man in town the divorced sheriff. 

On top of that, the town is in a major drought and father's farm is in jeopardy. In walks Burt Lancaster, aka Bill Starbuck, the con man "rainmaker". He literally walks in, through the door one night of their home. Strange factor #2.

Mr. Starbuck offers them a really great deal. Pay him $100 upfront and by tomorrow he will make it rain, any kind of rain you want! Kat and older brother see right through him and thinks he is a scammer. Father is skeptical and idiot brother wants to know where to sign. Father finally gives in (talk about desperate) and the deal is made. First thing, make idiot brother bang on a drum at night to get the clouds to start making that rain.

Next father is too draw an arrow on the ground with paint. While this is happening, Starbuck and Kat have it out when she calls him out on being phony. 

He calls her plain and says she isn't a woman. She storms (pun intended) upstairs. Half this film is her family bitching at each other and disagreeing about Kat's looks.

Sheriff comes over and him and Kat canoodle a bit but she scares him off with her "smart talk". She heads to the barn to cry and Starbuck chases after her. He takes her hair down and they suck some face. Strange factor #3.

After this, they are in love and logical brother is mad that father let them be alone. Starbuck can't stay long though because he is wanted for scamming the last town over and heads out.

But what about the rain? What about fathers $100? What about Kat and Starbuck's 10 minute romance? So many questions! The ending comes and you will have to watch this film on your own to find out. 

Katharine is thinking, "Is this film even worth it?"

Bill Holden was supposed to play the lead, but Burt got the part when Holden had a conflict. Bing Crosby also wanted the role, but didn't get it, probably a good thing. 

"Everything you see I owe to spaghetti." -Sophia Loren

Happy Birthday Sophia! 

"You Were Never Lovelier"

I have never really payed too much attention to Rita Hayworth. I must be crazy right? She is beautiful and can dance, but I guess with all the other big stars that I love, Rita kinda got lost in the shuffle. I have seen "Gilda" and a few other with her as the star, but I think my new favorite Rita film is "You Were Never Lovelier" with Mr. Astaire. I think have a new of-the-moment "it" girl to watch!

I love this font!

Rita plays Maria, daughter of club owner Mr. Grumpy Mr. Acuna. Fred plays Bob, a dancing man looking for some work while down in Argentina. Bob is pals with club band leader Xavier Cugat playing himself. Bob tries to get in to see Mr. Acuna and it is a no go and Mr. Acuna won't see him. Bob, determined to get a job, has Xavier help him in. Still no good. Mr. Acuna is about to marry off his oldest daughter of four.

Being a future bride myself, I got a kick out of the bridesmaid hats and the procession down the staircase before oldest daughter was married off.

Meanwhile, Maria has had it tough with men and has sort of written them off. Younger sisters Cecy and Lita have already found their men, but daddy will only let them marry in order of age, and Maria is next. They are super bummed. 

Mr. Acuna decides to spark some interest in Maria and starts writing her love letters and sending orchids to her as a secret admirer. Maria bites, but who will be her mystery man? 

Bob sneaks in to play a gig hoping to get Mr. Acuna's attention, but it doesn't work, and in the process, insults Maria to his face by saying she has the personality of the inside of a refrigerator! Mr. Acuna declares he hates Bob and never wants to see him around his office.In the process Bob ends up delivering one of the orchids to the house and Maria now thinks he is her cupid!

She tells daddy, and Mr. Acuna is beyond pissed. He makes a deal with Bob by giving him a contract if he talks Maria into thinking Bob is a sap. It doesn't work. (I mean come on, how can Fred Astaire be a sap?) Of course Bob starts to fall for Maria as well.

I want her shoes!

Maria is smitten but doesn't know daddy wrote all those notes and that Bob originally was hired to court, or uncourt, Maria. Mr. Acuna figures out they fancy each other and makes Bob agree to tell Maria he is heading back to the states. Then they decide to throw a party. (By the way, the invite in the film is shown and it says "formal attire" at the bottom. Stay tuned to see what people are wearing!)

At the party, word gets out that Mr. Acuna was writing the letters and Maria is crushed and mad. Bob tries to tell Maria it was his fault and not her fathers, but she storms out. Mr. Acuna is so happy that Bob didn't throw him under the bus that he decides he likes Bob and tells him to go after her.

Bob tries to get Maria back but it isn't working. He decides he must go even further to show Maria he is in love and the end of this film is very cute.

I really liked this picture despite the fact I thought it was creepy that Maria's dad was writing her love letters throughout the whole film. Rita's costumes were beautiful thanks to Irene, and  Gus Shilling, who has a small part as Mr. Acuna's secretary really makes some good laughs. Rita said this was her favorite of all the films she did. I also love films with Xavier Cugat and his band. 

Happy Birthday Betty!

Fabulous then...

Fabulous now.

You are my favorite of all time.

Happy 87 Ms. Bacall!