Joan Beats Bette

On November 6, 1950, Bette Davis finally joined the ranks of her colleagues by placing her hands in a wet cement block in the forecourt of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard. From the vintage November 8, 1950 publicity blurb:

Bette Davis, who already holds two Academy Awards, gets a new kind of recognition as her foot print is immortalized in the cemented forecourt of Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. Lending a hand are Marine sergeants Jack Spencer (left) and Bert Nave.

I found a shot of the block itself on the Movies of Course blog:

This vintage Hollywood News Reel shows footage from the “All About Eve” premiere as well as Bette returning the next day (at 1:33) for the cement block ceremony:

Down the street at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, they dimmed all the letters on their neon sign so that it read “Eve” for the premiere. Here’s my contemporary re-creation:

What I want to know is why it took 21 years for Bette to join screen-rival Joan Crawford at Grauman’s?

See more Grauman’s Chinese Theatre photos at my main website.

Oscar Night, 1951

March 29, 1951: in this rare image, George Sanders is seen walking down Hollywood Boulevard in front of the Pantages Theatre with current wife, Zsa Zsa Gabor (1949-1954), holding his best supporting Oscar.

Sanders' win came for his performance as the acid-tongued critic, Addison DeWitte in "All About Eve." Here he is with costars Anne Baxter, Bette Davis, and Marilyn Monroe.



From youtube comes this color clip of Sanders winning his Oscar:



Interesting casting notes: Gabor very much wanted the role of Phoebe (Eve's obsessed and sneaky young fan at the end of the film), but instead was considered for the role that went to Monroe, Miss Caswell. Obviously, she didn't get either.

Because all of the slides from this batch were unlabeled, I am not sure if this shot of Esther Williams (with daughter Susan and husband Ben Gage) is also from Oscar night, but they are definitely dolled up for something special. The lady on the left looks something like silent screen legend Mary Pickford, which is actually why I purchased this slide.



See more vintage Hollywood Move & TV star photos on my main website.

All About Bette: A Smokin’ Attraction!

Ready for the latest hush-hush gossip from Anaheim & Burbank? Got that leftover cinnamon bun out of its ziplock bag yet? Have that K-cup snapped into the brewer now? Did you stash those last few nuts and chews from the huge 50 pound box of candy your office got last week? Got your Krispy Kremes in hand yet? Unwrapped your Reeses Cup? Got your Capn’ Crunch poured into the bowl with your Vitamin D Milk? Have you showered yet today? Well then let's get going shall we?

You are probably wondering what the first image of today is all about...well, let me tell you. It’s all about Bette Davis. If you’ve ever heard of the phrase, “Money Talks!” then you’ll know how this new attraction at Disneyland came into being.

Disneyland wants more money. Marlboro cigarettes needs more smokers. Can you think of a better combo? I sure can't. In an effort to jazz up poor tired old Abe Lincoln, the creative types up in Burbank chose the perfect attraction to link up with eager new advertiser Marlboro. And just wait until you see what they came up with!



When the curtain parts, you see dear ol’ Bette, back from the other side. Sitting and smoking. So natural, you'd swear it was the bawdy gal herself. And just in case the cigarette didn't alert you to the sponsorship, there's a purdy neon sign flashing above Bette as she takes a drag on her cig.



When she gets up out of her chair, it will truly amaze you. And the smoke...it's so real that you'll think it's actual cigarette smoke—because it is! That's right readers...Marlboro refused to cough up the sponsorship dollars until Imagineers figured out a way to have Audio Animatronic® Bette spewing out real nicotine. Just breathe deep and enjoy.



And the dialogue...you'll be on the floor laughing at the amazing script Imagineers were able to put together by using vintage audio clips that were spliced together.



Whatever you do, DON'T delay in seeing this attraction. This is a temporary overlay that Disney & Marlboro are testing for audience reaction and it's ONE DAY ONLY. If you can't make it to the park on April 31, then you'll be S.O.L.!

Oh-kay - that should do it for today. Remember your support is vital, and your donations to PayPal help keep me fat and happy. I’m only here due to all of your kind efforts.

Keep in mind updates only get posted when there is something to complain about, and not before. It takes time to make up...oops, I mean confirm this stuff, and even then we can only offer a tantalizing glimpse.

See you April 31st!

See more amazing photos at my main website.

Bette Davis

I was honored to be asked for the use (and with pay!) of my “Copper Bette” painting for the Lowell Massachusetts Film Festival. To see more of my art, visit my regular website.

Fair time for Bette

Since I did a painting of Joan, I couldn’t leave Bette Davis out of the exhibit. Here she is in “Copper Bette,” looking somewhat glamorous, thanks to costumer Edith Head.

See more of my art at my main website.