Lena and Susan - A Birthday Celebration!

The heavens released two stars of the highest caliber on this day! For the first birth-aversary we have one of my favorite singers, Lena Horne. The woman exuded class with every song that she sang. A minimum of movement was her signature, along with those expressive eyes.



These three photos are from Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall. The episode aired Feb 13, 1964, and featured Lena Horne and Dean Martin. Lena sang the duet, “Every Little Star” with Perry while wearing this outfit.



Even though the quality of this video clip is not stellar, the talent of these three still comes through. Horne eclipses the two males.



The other birth-aversary for today is Susan Hayward, the star of one of my favorite tear-jerking melodramas, “Back Street” (1961). Playing a fashion designer who finds herself as “the other woman,” you can’t help but root for her.



Hayward was able to portray a cool beauty, even with her fiery auburn locks that were perfectly suited for the Technicolor cameras.



“What? It’s my birthday?”  



With a warm, genuine smile, Hayward appealed to both men and women.



They sure don’t make ’em like Lena and Susan anymore!

See more Classic Movie & TV photos at my main website.

Monday with Monroe, McKay, and Martin

One of my recent rabbit hole excursions involved Gardner McKay. I first heard about him through a book and a documentary on writer Dominick Dunne. McKay was a somewhat lost soul who was picked by Dunne to star in the 1959-1962 TV series, “Adventures in Paradise” for his looks and knowledge about sailing. But mainly the looks. In Dunne’s own words from a 1999 Vanity Fair article:

In 1959, I was the co-executive producer of a television series called Adventures in Paradise, created by the late James Michener and starring the then unknown Gardner McKay as the captain-for-hire of a schooner called the Tiki, which sailed the islands of the South Pacific. There are several versions of how Gardner got the part, but I was there and this is the correct one. We were screen-testing all the best-looking young actors in Hollywood for the coveted part of Captain Adam Troy. Ron Ely, who later played Tarzan on TV, had the inside track on the part, but we were still testing. One day in a coffee shop, I saw, sitting at a nearby table in a languid pose, reading a book of poetry, a startlingly handsome young man with attitude, whom I later described to Martin Manulis, the head of television at Fox, as “a little Gary Cooper, a little Cary Grant, a little Ty Power and a lot of Errol Flynn.” He was at the time, in the parlance of the town, nobody, absolutely nobody, but his attitude declared that he was somebody. I dropped my Fox business card on his table and said, “If you’re interested in discussing a television series, call me.” He did, and we tested him. Gardner’s test was certainly not among the top three or four in the acting department, but as the production staff sat in the projection room, we’d keep going back to it, and one of us would say, “This guy’s got something.” Finally, we gave him the part. 

McKay even landed a 1959 LIFE magazine cover before the show was aired:



Dunne would go on to comment about how McKay gave up Hollywood:

The series lasted three years. Then Gardner did a very interesting thing: he ended his acting career ... the very next day he had a call from George Cukor, who ... asked Gardner to play the romantic lead opposite Monroe. It was the dream of an actor’s lifetime — the great George Cukor, the legendary Marilyn Monroe — but it came a day too late. Gardner had made up his mind. He declined the role. Cukor was flabbergasted.



How did I not hear about this? As far as I knew, Dean Martin was the one and only consideration to play opposite Marilyn in her ill-fated/unfinished final film, “Somethings’s Got to Give.” In his autobiography, Journey Without a Map, McKay gives his version:

You have to know when to discard. Stand up and step away from the table. Push away from it. The table will always be there. Marilyn Monroe would call. Not because I was a star but because I didn’t want to be one anymore. I was leaving. I didn’t want to be in Hollywood. And by not wanting to be there, I had turned her down. She would call. She seemed so intelligent. She sounded like a jilted lover, she spoke clearly and well. I was the only one who could play the part. I felt that I had dislodged something balanced in her. But I was leaving. The director George Cukor, legends galore, did not call. But he was livid. He told someone, “McKay doesn’t even know how to walk.” Which meant, I imagine that I was not a proper star, which I wasn’t, and that I shambled which I did. And, anyway, television did not turn down features. After a hundred of these episodes [Adventures in Paradise], when Frank Neill [public relations man at 20th Century-Fox assigned to McKay] found out I was quitting Paradise, he thought it odd. He came to me and told me that because it had been such a hit and had meant so much to so many people and that because I was getting more fan mail at 20th Century-Fox than anyone, including Marilyn Monroe he would tell me, that he could arrange for me to have my name set in brass letters, in terrazzo, bordered by a brass star and placed on the sidewalk of Hollywood Boulevard. On the sidewalk! He said it would cost $640. I don’t know if I was expected to grab the check.

This just didn’t sound right to me. Further digging showed that James Garner had been the original choice by Fox, but he chose a different project. Marilyn’s top choice was always Martin.



The May 9 publicity blurb that accompanied the below shot:

Funnymen Dean Martin (left) and Phil Silvers pretend to watch the other actors at work as they clowned at the door of Martin’s dressing room between scenes of “Something’s Got to Give,” at Hollywood at 20th Century-Fox studio. Silvers, returning briefly to the studio where he spent eight of his youthful years, is playing a cameo role in the film.



So where did McKay fit in? In the same film, there was a much smaller role of Stephen Burkett, the hunky man who was stranded on a desert island with Marilyn’s character, Ellen Arden. This role was played by Tom Tryon.



It would be a stretch to call this role the romantic lead, but based on what was required of the character (looking good shirtless), this was most likely the “romantic lead” that McKay and Dunne were referring to.

If you’re considering reading McKay’s book, I can’t say I would recommend it. He comes off as a somewhat self-centered yet un-centered soul who experienced a lot of adventures but rarely had happiness. The memoir is somewhat rambling, which could be explained by the fact that he died before it was published, so that task fell to his widow, Madeleine.

See more classic Movie & TV photos at my main website.

Marilyn: Something's Got to Give

One of my Marilyn Monroe obsessions concerns her final and unfinished film, “Something’s Got to Give.” These wardrobe test shots show a slimmed-down star at her peak, alternating between serious, smiling, and sultry.



The outfit shown below was for Ellen Arden’s (Marilyn) reunion with her children after being separated from them for a number of years.



Just in case you wanted to see the United Air Lines Hawaii bag in color:


Presuming his wife dead, Nick Arden (Dean Martin) moves on with his life and remarries. Oops. He finds it difficult to tell his current wife Bianca (Cyd Charisse) that Ellen is still alive, so Marilyn pretends to be a new nanny for the children. Are you following so far? This is the outfit Marilyn wore for that scene:



Just in case you wanted to see the wardrobe slate up close:



Here is Dean Martin and Phil Silvers, who plays an insurance agent in a brief cameo.



From the vintage publicity blurb:

(LA2-May 8) HOLLYWOOD, May 9—COMICS AT PLAY—Funnymen Dean Martin (left) and Phil Silvers pretend to watch the other actors at work as they clowned at the door of Martin’s dressing room between scenes of “Something’s Got to Give,” at Hollywood at 20th Century-Fox studio. Silvers, returning briefly to the studio where he spent eight of his youthful years, is playing a cameo role in the film.



All of the footage Marilyn shot survived and was edited together into a truncated version in 1990. Marilyn sparkles but the film seems overly contrived. Director George Cukor did not seem to have control of the production, often losing his temper with the kids that were portraying Marilyn’s offspring.



The set for the Arden home was an exact recreation of Cukor’s own home, which seems like an odd choice as to the type of home that the Arden family would have inhabited. Monroe was plagued with illness, which forced filming delays. This did not endear her to Cukor or the Fox higher-ups, who were losing their shirts from an out of control budget for Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra,” filming overseas at the same time. Bitchy Cukor forced the cast and crew to delay Marilyn’s onset birthday celebration until he could get “a full day’s work out of her.”



I adore this photo of Marilyn giving Wally Cox the whammy in between takes of the movie:



Marilyn took her profession quite seriously, as you can see from the detailed notes written on the script:



Monroe was fired on June 8, 1962. Martin refused to continue filming with Lee Remick, who the studio attempted to recast the Monroe role with. For him, it was Marilyn or nobody. Smart man. While Remick was a good actress, she definitely lacked the star wattage that Marilyn exuded.



HOLLYWOOD, June 11—MISS REMICK REPORTS TO THE STUDIO—Actress Lee Remick, who was named to replace Marilyn Monroe in the movie “Something’s Got to Give,” has a big smile for director George Cukor in Hollywood today as he goes over the script with her. Studio officials said Miss Remick was given a copy of the script and is expected to begin filming soon. Meanwhile officials at 20th Century-Fox faced another crisis: If Monroe’s out and Remick’s in, Dean Martin says he’s out too.

Fox backed down on their decision and hired Monroe back, agreeing to her demand that Cukor be replaced by Jean Negulesco. I’ll bet nobody from the film celebrated Cukor’s July 7 birthday! Moral of the story: don’t f$%^ with Marilyn Monroe! Filming was slated to begin again in October, with the substandard script getting an overhaul in the meantime. Marilyn’s unexpected death on August 4, 1962, obviously ended that.

See more Marilyn “Something's Got To Give” photos at my main website.

The Rat Pack was here

This vintage color photo shows the Rat Pack (Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford, and Joey Bishop) standing in front of the marquee for the Sands Hotel on the Vegas strip,.

On a recent trip to Vegas, I was doing my typical early morning photo stroll (capturing the scenery without the clutter of tourists!) and came to the Venetian Hotel, which opened in 1999.

Even though I have been here many times and even stayed inside, this was the first time I noticed this marker at the entrance. Was it new? Had I just not seen it before?

The plaque states:

The legendary photo of the “Rat Pack”…was taken at this spot in 1960 adjacent to the Las Vegas Strip. In the early 1960’s, the five stars were headliners at the fame Copa Room inside the Sands hotel. The footprints below mark the approximate location of where these legendary stars once stood for this photo.

Wow…who knew? The Sands hotel was torn down in 1996 to make way for the “new” strip.

Which performer’s footprints would you want to stand in?

See more Las Vegas photos at my main website.

Marilyn Tribute

Fifty one years ago today, Marilyn Monroe passed away at the height of her fame and beauty, forever cementing her position amongst the icons who will never grow old before a fickle public. Today's post is a tribute featuring some of my favorite photos of her, starting off with this 1962 George Barris shot.

On the left of photo two is Dean Martin, as they film a scene from the unfinished "Something's Got To Give."



This next photo from "The Seven Year Itch" sums up her appeal perfectly. Marilyn's expression shows a vulnerability and warmth that makes you feel comfortable enough to talk to her, even though her physical beauty would typically make most people look at her in awe.



Last one today is from one of my favorite Monroe films, "Some Like It Hot."



See more Marilyn Monroe photos on my Marilyn Monroe web page.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Marilyn Monroe & “Something’s Got To Give”

In an attempt to branch out, Saturdays will now be devoted to my love of the movies—hope you enjoy!

Unfinished movies often take on a bigger life than if they had ever been finished. Rumors abound, theories are born, and everyone has their opinions as to what might have been. Marilyn Monroe's famous unfinished (and last) film, "Something's Got To Give" is no exception. Unlike many other uncompleted movies, the footage from this one still survives, giving a fairly good glimpse into how the movie was going. 20th Century Fox has even pieced together a semi-finished cut to make it easier for viewers to imagine the outcome.



The silent wardrobe tests show Marilyn looking better than she had in years. Appearing refreshed, trim, and positively luminous with her platinum hair, Marilyn seems ready to take on the project as a wife who has just returned to her husband (Dean Martin) after being stranded on a deserted island. In the surviving film sequences, Marilyn shows a surprising depth of emotion, which is even more surprising since the script seems so very flat. Co-star Cyd Charisse plays Martin’s new love interest and attempts a comedic style that seems a little over-the-top, considering how flat her lines are.





Previously filmed with Cary Grant as "My Favorite Wife," the laughs seem forced and so do the situations. It is fairly obvious that this film needed an overhaul, which Marilyn was very much aware of. Just before she passed away, veteran director George Cukor was (wisely) let go and Jean Negulesco was hired to replace him. It was apparent that the bitchy Cukor had no control or concept of what to do with this film. A new script was also being formulated at Marilyn’s request.







At the time, the film got quite a bit of coverage for Marilyn's simulated nude swim sequence, and the photo shoot that followed where Marilyn discarded her flesh-colored body suit for photographers.



It is such a shame to have lost Monroe at a time when she had so much to share. Her newfound maturity and strength would have been fantastic to see on the screen. Instead, her fate as a cult icon was cemented, making her future the subject of great debate.

See more Marilyn Monroe photos at my website.