The Incredible Jane Wyman

Today I am celebrating the stylish actress, Jane Wyman, on what would have been her 105th birthday.



The first two publicity photos in this post are from “Lucy Gallant,” a 1955 Wyman potboiler that also starred Charlton Heston. She plays the owner of a department store, which just happens to have a gala fashion show with Edith Head as the announcer. The irony is that Head designed the fashions.



Can’t you just hear Edith? “Let’s get this straight, Jane…make sure you tell everyone that I really did the designs, not you!”



A few glimpses from the show itself:







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

Douglas Sirk: All That Heaven Allows

The 1955 classic, “All That Heaven Allows” was one of my recent dinner-time watches. While written off by many as a white-bread melodrama, in the hands of the talented German director Douglas Sirk, there is so much more going on here than what you notice on the surface. WARNING: THIS POST IS FULL OF PLOT SPOILERS!

Jane Wyman plays a wealthy widow who falls for her gardener, Rock Hudson. While the two appear to be complete opposites, they have much more in common than Wyman’s bratty children or her snobby country club friends. Wyman’s character has a desire for more in life than the trappings of her wealth and the gossip of town nasty Mona (played expertly by Jacqueline de Wit).

Jane and Rock get to know each other over a cup of coffee, and she eventually he invites her to his home and tree farm. Wyman sees the mill on his property and lets Rock know it would be a perfect home…if fixed up.

Meanwhile, back to Jane’s regular world, she is fixed up with the wealthy town geezer, who also happens to be a very asexual and boring hypochondriac. However, this is the man her circle (and her kids) expect her to end up with. Can you see the boredom on Jane’s face?

Jane tries to show she isn’t dead yet by wearing a very va-va-voom red dress; town gossip Mona calls her out on it.

Married lothario Howard (Donald Curtis) can’t control himself at the party and attempts to make an unwanted move on Jane. Sorry, Howard; this gal wants nothing to do with a creep like you.

In contrast, Rock invites Jane to a party with HIS friends. Before the guests arrive, Jane does some light reading (Walden by Thoreau) and is given the lowdown on Rock: he’s an earthy guy who doesn’t give a crap about society’s conventions. “To thine own self be true,” Jane is told.

Naturally, Rock’s party is much more fun and a lot less snobby. Good food, good friends, dancing, and a lot of laughter. Jane is hooked. Sure beats that damn country club crap!

The two spend a night together in the mill that Rock has begun fixing up for them.

Things start to go awry though; Mona notices that Wyman is gone over the weekend and begins to spread the gossip that she’s having an affair with the low-down gardener.

Attempting damage control, she has Rock meet the kids. They completely reject the gardener, who doesn’t fit into their idea of who Mom should be dating.

Next, Jane takes Rock to a cocktail party so that her society friends can meet him and see what a swell guy he is. That bombs, too. Howard makes another play for Jane and Rock intercepts with his fists. A disaster!

That night, Jane’s whiny little daughter is harassed by the town kids with more foul gossip about Rock and Jane.

Afraid of upsetting the apple cart, Jane chooses her little brats and life at the country club over a life of fulfillment with Rock.

Sadly, by this point the kids have moved on with their own lives and aren’t even around any more. Instead, they give her a TV to keep her company. Those little s#$%s!!

Plagued by headaches, Jane goes to see none other than: DR. BELLOWS!! That’s right, it’s Hayden Rorke (of “I Dream of Jeannie” fame) to the rescue, as he tells her nothing is physically wrong with her. “Let’s face it,” he chastises. “You were ready for a love affair, but not for love!” Telling her to go after Rock and forget Mona, she obediently does so.

When she arrives at the mill, her ego kicks in and she changes her mind. High on a hillside, Rock views her and calls to her, to no avail. Running to catch her before she drives away, Rock falls down the ravine and passes out in a snow bank. What will happen? Does true love prevail? You’ll have to see the movie to find out.

 

While this may appear to be your typical 1950s white-bread weepy, you could substitute so many of the social issues of the time AND of today and see that this movie speaks to a much larger audience. Sirk knew exactly what he was doing with this movie; although it addresses class differences, it could just as easily be about race, sexuality, or any other class that narrow-minded people feel the need to persecute. By giving in to that type of mentality, who really wins?

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Jane vs. Lana: Where's the beef?

Lana Turner (shown with Gene Kelly): with her platinum blonde hair, curvaceous body, and gorgeous face, she was a star in every sense of the word, trained by the best at MGM.

Jane Wyman (with Rock Hudson): an attractive brunette who managed to be nominated four times for an Oscar (winning once for "Johnny Belinda") during her lengthy and prestigious career.



When it was announced that Lana Turner had signed on for a guest starring role in Wyman's prime-time sudser, "Falcon Crest," the tabloids pronounced that fireworks would erupt as the two "divas" did not get along. Instead, the two stars put on smiles for the cameras and said the feud was nothing but horse-poo. Here they are as they take a break on the set in January 1982 at Malibu Beach.



Here is their dramatic first scene, where their characters, Angela Channing (Wyman) and Jacqueline Perrault, meet again for the first time in several years.



Turner enjoyed a mini-resurgence in her career, thanks to her guest starring role. On the Phil Donahue Show, Lana held court, breathlessly telling the audience while fanning herself: "Oh, the plans they have for Jacqueline!"



As you can see, Turner publicly denied any feud. According to the rags, the two women hated each other so much they never spoke off set, and scenes between their characters were filmed separately and spliced together in editing. After Turner's character was killed off in the second season, she told the press that Wyman's bad behavior was because she was bitter that her ex-husband, Ronald Reagan, was then President of the United States.

Huh?!? I think I smell manure.



What was more likely the truth was that no-nonsense Wyman was not interested in the long hours it took for Lana to become her most glamorous-self. It also annoyed Wyman to no end to hear Lana taking credit for the high ratings of the show. Still, Wyman kept her mouth shut in public and refused to answer questions about the alleged feud.

I remember watching the shows with Turner when they aired. I also remember having a feeling of, "Is that all there is?" There was very little dramatic tension or excitement over Turner's story line, which seemed more manufactured than real. Frankly, the Lana Turner episodes were boring. The story in the tabloids was more exciting than what was being shown on the boob-tube.

For a fascinating 5-part 1996 interview on Jane Wyman, you won't want to miss this:



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

Uncle Butch in Hollywood

1940's matinee idol Cesar Julio Romero, Jr. was born in NYC, February 15, 1907. Despite playing a latin lover in numerous musicals and romantic comedies opposite Carmen Miranda and Betty Grable, he is probably best remembered as the Joker in the campy "Batman" 1960's TV series, a role which put him on TV Guide's 2013 list of "The 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time."

In this photo, Romero plays Khoda Khan opposite Shirley Temple in the 1937 John Ford classic, "Wee Willie Winkie."



Romero was never married; according to the Hollywood gossip rags, he was a "confirmed bachelor" (secret code word of the day). He was never at a loss for "dates" though when it came to parties and premieres, as he was frequently photographed with Joan Crawford (who dubbed him "Uncle Butch"), Barbara Stanwyck, Lucille Ball, Jane Wyman, and Ginger Rogers.

Romero was teamed with Shirley Temple again in 1939, portraying Ram Dass (someone's idea of a bad pun?) in "The Little Princess."



As The Joker in the hit TV series Batman, Romero refused to shave his trademark mustache for the role, which is why viewers can see his trademark mustache poking through the white clown makeup he wore. Sure, Jack Nicholson did a great job on the silver screen as The Joker, but Romero's crazy interpretation will always be tops in my book. Recalling how he got the part:

"I was very surprised when [producer William Dozier] called me and said he was doing a series called Batman (1966) and the important characters were the villains. They had done the first two with the Riddler and the Penguin with Frank Gorshin and Burgess Meredith, and now they were ready to do the third, and the villain was the Joker. He said, 'I would like you to play the part.' So I said I would like to read the script and know what it is all about. He said, "Come on over to the studio, and I will show you the film of the first episode.' Of course, it was great. I said, 'Let me read this Joker part, and if it is as good as the first one, hell yes, I will do it.' So I read the script, and I thought it was a gas, and I said, 'Sure, I'll do it.' Why Dozier wanted me for Batman, I'll never know, because I asked his wife, Ann Rutherford, 'Why did Bill think of me for this part?' She said, 'I don't know, Butch. He said he saw you in something, and he said, 'He's the one I want to play the Joker'.' I haven't the slightest idea what it was he saw me in, because I had never done anything like it before."

Here he is with Eartha Kitt as Catwoman. They were puuuuuurfect together.



"I had enormous fun playing the Joker on 'Batman.' I ended up doing something like 20 episodes of it, as well as the full-length feature film version, 'Batman: The Movie.' There was certainly nothing hard about that assignment! Even the make-up sessions weren't too bad. It took about an hour-and-a-half to put the full make-up on, including the green wig. I didn't mind it at all."

According to Dozier: "Jose Ferrer was my first choice for the Joker. He either didn't want to do it or couldn't. He has kicked himself ever since. 'Butch' Romero, who I had known forever, was the second choice for the Joker, and I am not sure he did not turn out better than Jose. I am not sure that Jose would have captured the frivolity and the ludicrousness of the character. I think he may have taken himself a little too seriously as an actor to do that."

Burt Ward, who played Robin, recalled: "Cesar was Mr. Professionalism and never missed a line or made a mistake…not even once! His Joker laugh became world famous. I can't tell you how many kids (and I am embarrassed to say how many adults) came up to me at personal appearances and taunted me by impersonating Cesar's laugh! Cesar was a great asset to our show."



Yvonne Craig, who would later work with Cesar in Batman, also worked with him in 1961's "Seven Women from Hell." As she tells it: "I was suddenly overwhelmed by the cloyingly sweet smell of gardenias. Without turning around I said, 'Ugh, can you believe we're going to spend three weeks surrounded by the odor of rotting gardenias?' I turned around to meet Cesar Romero whose 'signature' cologne was something called Jungle Gardenia! If he made the connection between this fact and my comment, he never let on."

In the "Batman" movie, former Miss America Lee Meriwether won the role of Catwoman. "Cesar was the one who took me under his wing when I came on the set," she recalled. "He welcomed me, and he said, 'Don't worry, you'll do fine. Let me help you, and if there is anything I could do to help you, just let me kow.' So, in the actual filming, he would position me into place, because I was wearing a mask. My field of vision was almost tunnel. So, I missed my mark a couple of times, and he just eased me and pushed me right to theplace where we were supposed to end up. He was right there and always wonderful."

At the age of 78, Romero was cast as Jane Wyman's love interest in the top-rated prime-time soap opera Falcon Crest, playing Peter Stavros from 1985—1987.



Romero died on New Year's Day 1994 from bronchitis and pneumonia. Yvonne Craig recalled being surprised at his death. "He had been out and about town dancing the night away only the week before. He loved life and got the most out of it!"

His laugh will eternally remain in the ears of those who caught his portrayal of the Joker. You are missed, Uncle Butch!


See more vintage Hollywood Movie and TV photos on my main website.

Fashion, Film, and Charleston Garden

Fashion and film have always gone together, especially during the 1950's/1960's. In the glossy 1961 Ross Hunter melodrama, "Back Street," costume designer Jean Louis created a number of sumptuous designs for star Susan Hayward to wear. Her character just happens to be a budding fashion designer. What better excuse to increase the wardrobe budget and have the star wear even MORE amazing dresses? In the first still from the film, Rae Smith (Hayward) is being told by her sister, Janey (Virginia Grey), to move to the big city and let everyone see her talent. Let's zoom in and check out those sketches...do you think she's good enough?



In this scene, Rae shows her assistant how to drape fabric.



The visual highlight of the movie is the fashion show, where Rae gets to show off her new line of clothing, including this bridal ensemble. The woman who buys it turns out to be the alcoholic wife (Vera Miles) of Paul Saxon, the man Rae has been seeing on the side (John Gavin). Saxon also happens to own a number of department stores. Are you following along?



In this publicity shot, John Gavin poses with fashion show models Melissa Weston, Joanne Betsy, Vivianne Porte, & Gertrude Felder. Obviously, Jean Louis had his hands full for this movie.



Here Vera Miles models yet another Jean Louis creation. We don't get to see too much of this gown because she wears it in the scene where she has a car crash. What a waste of a good gown.



How about this fur-trimmed set for Susan Hayward, worn in the scene where Paul Saxon's kids give her the stink-eye at the airport. Those smart little varmints are onto her man-stealing ways!



For "Back Street," Jean Louis received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design in a color film. He was beat out by Irene Sharaff for "West Side Story." Another famous Hollywood designer, Edith Head, was also in the running that year, having been nominated with Walter Plunkett for "Pocketful of Miracles."

In 1955, Edith appeared as herself in yet another fashion show within a film, this time for "Lucy Gallant," starring Jane Wyman as the title character. Naturally, Lucy Gallant is a talented fashion designer. Surprisingly enough, this film received no Oscar nods for its fashion; at least Edith got a nomination that year for another film she did, Hitchcock's "Rear Window." Here's Wyman posing in one of her Edith Head creations for "Lucy Gallant":



Another Head design. That is one large furry purse!



In 1953's "Let's Do It Again," Jean Louis was in charge of outfitting Wyman:



The appeal of putting so much effort into what the female leads wore in these films was because of the appeal it had for women all over America. Just like today, many are influenced by what they see the stars wear. But where would the average American Woman buy her fashion "back in the day"? One option was B. Altman's, a department store that had the foresight to move into the suburbs back in the 1930's. Going to a big city wasn't the only choice anymore for the average housewife. I remember as a little boy accompanying my mother on a few of her trips to the local B. Altman's. Here's a postcard from the New York City store's famous Charleston Garden restaurant and tearoom, which featured a southern plantation façade and murals simulating an outdoor garden...INSIDE the department store. Fashion shows were a staple of the restaurant, allowing women to both eat and shop. What a time-saver!



Here's what Mary, the sender of the postcard, had to say about her visit to the Charleston Garden:



I remember what a treat it was to eat at the St. David's location near Philadelphia with my mother. It was also my introduction to Pink Lemonade! As the years went by and the demographic of B. Altman's aged along with the store, it garnered the nickname "Menopause Manor," as it fell out of fashion with the younger set, closing down in 1989.

Have you ever been influenced to buy an outfit that you saw worn in a film?

See more classic film and television photos on my main website.

Screen Gem Saturdays: Rock Hudson

Mainly known for being the Hollywood Star who put AIDS on the map of consciousness, Rock Hudson was much more than that. He had an unbroken streak of eight appearances in the annual exhibitors’ poll of Hollywood’s ten most popular stars. Hudson was voted #1 in 1957, #5 in 1958, #1 in 1959, #2 for 1960—1962, and #3 in 1963 and 1964.

Here he is training at Terry Hunt's Hollywood Gym:



Relaxing in Palm Springs with Betty Abbott, a script girl on a number of Rock's movies, and also his girlfriend according to fan magazines of the day:



Here Rock poses in 1954 with his parents:



His big break was in the 1954 Douglas Sirk weepy, "Magnificent Obsession."



This was the first of two very successful pairings with Jane Wyman, with the other one being "All That Heaven Allows."



Here is Rock on location in Marfa, Texas, for the overblown George Stevens movie "Giant." Mercedes McCambridge and Elizabeth Taylor stand on either side of Hudson.



One of his most beloved films (and costars) is "Pillow Talk" with Doris Day:





See more Rock Hudson photos on my Rock Hudson web page.