These publicity photos of young 1940s Hollywood starlets seem slightly odd to me. Sure, they all look beautiful and happy and like screen stars of the future, but there’s something reminiscent of the Playboy mansion about the photos! The pictures were taken at the home of publisher and media magnate William Randolph Hearst Sr (who(…)
Katharine Hepburn was something of a trailblazer in the Classic Hollywood era. One of the first leading ladies to reject Hollywood glamour and wear trousers, she pioneered the casual look and loved wearing menswear-inspired tailoring and collared shirts. She wore mens suits and casual sportswear at a time when it was practically unheard of, and(…)
I have just read the most fabulous book! Silent Murders is a stylish murder mystery set in 1920s Hollywood. Not only is it an un-put-downable (that’s totally a word) story, but it’s set against a fascinating backdrop of real life film stars. The main character, Jessie, an ex-Vaudville actress with a rather shady past, lands(…)
Rubye De Remer was a particuarly pretty silent movie actress during the 1920s. She landed a spot in the Ziegfeld Follies after being spotted after winning a New York beauty contest, and was dubbed “the most beautiful blonde since Venus” by Florenz Ziegfeld. Like many Ziegfeld Girls she went on to work in the movies,(…)
I never laugh until I’ve had my coffee: Clark Gable I feel this is a particularly appropriate quote for a Sunday morning when I had to set my alarm at 5.45 in the morning because my son had to be at a go karting track by 8am. I certainly didn’t do any laughing (or indeed(…)
Adrian Adolph Greenberg, better known as just ‘Adrian’ was one of the most amazing costume designers ever seen in Hollywood. He was MGM’s head costume designer from 1928 and 1941 and designed the costumes for over 250 movies during the 1930s and 40s. Remember Dorothy’s iconic glittering ruby slippers in the Wizard of Oz? Well(…)
Stars were having nips, tucks and predominantly nose-jobs from as early as the 1930s. It’s not well-documented as the stars who had succesful surgery rarely owned up to it, and those who had less successful surgery (like Mary Pickford who was rumoured to have damaged facial muscles after an early facelift) just faded from public(…)
I turn 40 next week and this milestone got me thinking about all the Hollywood stars who died tragically young and didn’t even make it this far. Their deaths ranged from suicide, to murder, car and plane crashes and even an allergic reaction to a headache tablet. Did I miss anyone out of this list(…)
Ida Lupino was a British actress and director who appeared in over 50 movies as well as becoming a pioniering and prolific director. She started her movie career working out of Teddington Studios in England in the early 1930s and moved to Hollywood in 1933. She continued to work in Hollywood throughout the 30s and(…)
I love movie posters – especially from classic movies. I have a poster of ‘To Catch a Thief’ in my living room which I absolutely adore. I’ve always particularly liked foreign language posters of Hollywood movies too though, like these Japanese versions. They’re an interesting take on the really familiar. From top: Singing in the(…)
The height of Hollywood stars is something which has always fascinated me. I’m not sure why, but actresses always seem taller than they actually are (perhaps because they’re projected onto an enormous screen!). I had no idea that I was the same height as Marilyn Monroe, or that Veronica Lake was a diminutive 4’11”. Veronica(…)
Swedish actress Greta Garbo photographed in 1925 just before she made the move to Hollywood (and before she had her Hollywood transformation). It’s very different to her American movie image isn’t it?
It’s no secret that A-list celebrities frequently turn to cosmetic dentistry to straighten, fix and brighten their teeth to achieve the megawatt smiles we’re used to seeing. During the golden age of Hollywood, however, many stars went further than a little tooth-whitening to maintain their icon status. Some of the stars were hiding painful secrets(…)
The movie-going public adored the image of glitz and glamour presented to them by their favorite Hollywood stars in the first half of the 20th Century, but many of them were hiding dark secrets. The use of illegal (and legal) drugs was widespread and several well-known faces dabbled in narcotics. In some cases drug use(…)