The Lord’s Table is Filling Up

The Lord’s Table is beginning to look like a celebrity banquet as 2023 has already taken a heavy toll in less than two months. MGM’s slogan of “More stars than there are in the heavens” has seriously been challenged! After the death of Lisa Loring (Wednesday from “The Addams Family”) and Cindy Williams (the Shirley in “Laverne & Shirley”) somebody wailed, “They’re killing my childhood!”). John Astin is now the last surviving member of the cast from the TV version of “The Addams Family” at age 92.



I don’t have any shots of Burt Bacharach in my collection, so this recently posted shot of Karen Carpenter performing at Disneyland will have to do. I’m sure she was singing one of his compositions, like (They Long to Be) Close to You,” so that makes it ok.



Raquel Welch was the latest to depart. I’m sure she was making a call to negotiate the best table possible. She is shown here with Rex Reed and Farrah Fawcett in “Myra Breckinridge” (1969) which was shot at the Chateau Marmont.



I don’t have any shots of Lisa Marie Presley, either, so her airplane at Graceland will have to suffice. Sorry…I can’t please everyone.



One can’t help but wonder who will be next. I’ll leave you with this clip of one of the best loved TV opening songs ever:



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

Yesterday Once More

Karen Carpenter is one of my favorite singers of all time. Her three-octave contralto voice was completely unique, filled with both warmth and deep longing. She moved to Downey, California in 1963 and attended high school there. Less than 30 minutes from Disneyland, it was apparently a place she enjoyed visiting. This image shows her performing on the Tomorrowland Stage at Disneyland in 1974. Her brother Richard’s back is to the camera. The outfit she is wearing could be the same one she wore in the music video she made at the Park for “Please Mr. Postman.” Originally recorded by the Marvelettes in 1961, the Carpenters put their spin on it in late 1974, taking it to the top of the charts in early 1975.



Sadly, Karen died at the age of 32 after battling an eating disorder (while her brother worked on breaking his dependence on Quaaludes). Fortunately, the magic of her voice lives on.

See more celebrities at Disneyland photos at my main website.

That’s What I Want For Christmas

This is definitely a different holiday season than those experienced in years past. Many are separated from family members and friends because of the pandemic. Today’s post shows photos from my first white Christmas, circa 1966. My brothers wore a different kind of mask back then. Mom bundled us up like the Michelin Man so that we could brave the cold weather that our San Diego family had not yet grown accustomed to.

I’m not sure which department store this was, but most likely it was Wanamaker’s or Gimbels.

So many details to look at here! In the background is a brand new sled, which would not have been practical for us when we lived in San Diego. For Philadelphia and the hill in our backyard: perfect! I still remember that game, Bop the Beetle; if you weren’t careful, the mouth would clamp down hard on your hand. Ouch!

My Fisher-Price school bus is in the foreground. I put a lot of miles on that toy! In the background is the Hot Wheels racetrack that we were also given that year.

It’s now been a year since I have been able to see my mom in person; she’s still on the East Coast. My Christmas wish this year is that things clear so that we can all travel to those that we care about. While Zoom and other programs provide a virtual connection, nothing replaces a hug or an in-person visit.

My Christmas portrait with Willis from last year.

While I know that some of my readers don’t celebrate Christmas, I still hope that they can enjoy the spirit of the season, which is universal no matter what religion you do or don’t subscribe to. Let’s be grateful for blessings, be kind to others, and do our best to spend time with those that we care about (whether in-person or virtually). This once-a-year reminder is a good start to what we all hope is a better year. I will leave you with one of my favorite holiday songs, “Ave Maria,” sung by the incomparable Karen Carpenter. Yes, I love her voice and I’m a geek. Deal with it.

See more Daveland photos at my main website.

Dearly Departed

While it may not be everyone’s taste, I dearly loved the Dearly Departed Museum, so I was honored when owner Scott Michaels asked me to photograph it for posterity before all of its historic contents went into storage. Here is a look at some of the items one could find inside its Hollywood location on Santa Monica Boulevard.

This display of recently acquired items came from the Sharon Tate auction.



Tate is best known for her role in the campy “Valley of the Dolls” and sadly the Manson murders.



Her false eyelashes. NOW we know why they looked so lush!



One of her bras:



Her “let ’em droop” scene in “Dolls” is definitely one of the most memorable of the film.



Jayne Mansfield held a large portion of real estate inside the museum.



Here’s a section of the gate from her Pink Palace mansion which was located in Holmby Hills...before it was demolished in 2002.



Mansfield died tragically in a car accident on the way to New Orleans at the age of 34. The 1966 Buick Electra 225 she was in was also in display here. To see it in person was unbelievable.



These two vintage mugs/steins of Bette Davis and Joan Crawford are favorites of mine.



Karen Carpenter’s sink:



The death mask of notorious 1930’s Depression-era gangster John Dillinger:



For fans of Mae West, how about this framed display showing her autograph on a check to Bullock’s Department Store?



Last but not least...her dental bridges:



Want to see More Dearly Departed? Check out their youtube channel.

See more Dearly Departed Museum photos at my main website.