RIP - Beautiful Mermaid

Esther Williams passed away today at the age of 91. Her death marks another piece of my childhood drifting away into the beyond. My mom, and especially her mom my grandma Kay, LOVED Esther Williams movies. My grandmother Kay had met her sometime during the 50s at some event in Pittsburgh (she also met Jimmy Stewart at that same time). I think my grandma Kay admired Williams for being an athletic, tall, big-boned, lady with a gorgeous smile (just like her!) who capitalized on a talent that was pretty silly if you think about it, and made a whole career out of it.

All of the Esther Williams movies like "Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" will forever remind me of summer days spent at my grandparent's house baking pies and cookies with my grandma, and singing songs in the living room.

I weep for those innocent times long gone.

BTdubs, have you ever seen a creepier photo than the one posted below? What. The. F*%k. is going on there?! MOVE OVER CLOWNS - I think I found my new nightmare object.

Say "Hi" to my Mom...

My mother had a special friendship with Russell Means in the early 1970s, working with the American Indian Movement (AIM). I know they're having one hell of a beautiful reunion up in heaven.

I'm in denial y'all

One of Earth's angel-voiced divas has lost her battle to cancer. I won't make any "Last Dance" comments.

"Heaven Knows" I love you Donna Summer!!!!

I'm sadder than you can possibly know...

"Don’t send me no distant salutations,

Or silly souvenirs from far away.

Don’t leave me alone in the twilight,

Twilight is the loneliest time of day.

Don’t put me in a frame upon the mantel,

For memories turn dusty, old, and grey.

Don’t leave me alone in the twilight,

Twilight is the loneliest time of day"

American music treasure and touchpoint of my growin'-up years, Levon Helm, lost his fight with cancer this morning in New York City.

I'm in total mourning y'all. I'll just be here in the corner listening to The Band and tearing up. You will be greatly missed sir.

But can we talk about this awesome photo to the right here, that I found online? Levon Helm with the wacky hat, sheepskin coat barely on his shoulders, holding a VOLLEYBALL?! I don't know, you guys. But I love it.

So long, for now Dick Clark

Dick Clark has passed away at the age of 82 after suffering a heart attack. It feels awful to say this, but for me, it seems like Clark had been taken away from us years ago when he had that major stroke that really took him out of commission. People will go on and on about American Bandstand and New Year's Rockin' Eve, but for me his greatest accomplishment was hosting and creating the Pyramid game show franchise.

You will be greatly missed Dick.

That voice! It will be missed.

A sampling some of my favorite Whitney Houston songs and performances - Damn, drugs are so fucking evil.


That turban! WERQ!



Why did I ever think Kevin Costner was hot in this movie?






Off her last album. God, I love her on this track. "...and I know just what to do..."

A few things that I'm obessed with this week...

Police have reopened the investigation of the mysterious death of actress Natalie Wood. I was OBSESSED with this case as a pre-teen kid. First of all, I thought that Natalie Wood was so beautiful. She was my first girl-crush. I was into a lot of true crime stuff at the time, and this also had the added attraction of involving 3 actors that I knew and liked. And I don't know, somehow it was oddly romantic?
Natalie Wood's body was found floating in a cove off the coast of Catalina Island, Thanksgiving weekend 1981. Her death was ruled as an accidental drowning but suspicion has always been thrown on her husband Robert Wagner, who along with actor Christopher Walken were with Wood on her and Wagner's yacht in Catalina.
The three had been drinking when an argument erupted; supposedly over the reveal that Wood and Walken had been carrying on a secret affair. According to both Wagner and Walken, Natalie had stomped away angrily and that was last they saw of her until her body was recovered. They did find that one of their small inflatable boats was missing and it was assumed that Wood took this and subsequently drowned.
However, suspicion was thrown on Wagner when the captain of the boat said that he'd seen Wagner and Wood arguing shortly after she had stormed off the top deck where the initial argument had occurred. But police had never been able to prove anything against Wagner, and generally it has always been believed that he had nothing to do with her death; beyond being involved in the verbal fight that was the catalyst for her to leave the boat.

So why have the police decided to reopen this case after 30 years? Well, that old captain has come forward this week and said that he lied to police about seeing Wagner and Wood argue on the lower deck. Why did he do it? Who knows, but since that couldn't possibly be enough to reopen a cold case like this, I have to wonder what other new evidence the police have that they can't reveal yet.

But I sure am waiting with baited breath to see what happens next.

Wasn't Natalie Wood just gorgeous?




Another thing that I've been bummed about is the split between Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. I've had a weird love of this couple ever since they got together in 2005. I found their relationship to be charming. I genuinely like Ashton Kutcher as an actor and a person, and it's annoying to think that all of those rumors about him fooling around are actually true. Especially with the women that he supposedly had the affairs with - those 2 ladies are fugly and stupid looking! So disappointed.

Finally, it was Regis' last day today on Live! with Regis and Kelly. I actually kind of hate Regis Philbin, but I loved his dynamic with Kelly Ripa (who can do no wrong in my book) and have always enjoyed Live!, even in the Kathie Lee Gifford days.
I'll definitely be recording the shows all next week as they start their official process for selecting his replacement. My #1 vote? Mark Consuelos!!! Kelly Ripa's hubby is awesome and has done a great job filling in for Regis over the past decade. He and Kelly are the greatest. But maybe their marriage would suffer working together every day? If that's the case, then don't do it Mark! I can't deal with another beloved celebrity couple splitting up.

"She was the best dancer at St. Bernadette's...with the worst reputation."

Annette Charles passed away from complications due to cancer at the age of 63 on August 3, 2011. She played the fucking amazing Cha Cha DiGregorio in the film Grease, and planted herself firmly in my heart as the bitch I loved to hate. Charles also played a bunch of hottie boombalatti characters in a bunch of 70s television shows ranging from Emergency! to Barnaby Jones. And she had memorable roles in a couple of my favorite episodes of Bionic Woman and Banacek.

Truth - I used to get Annette Charles mixed up with Roz Kelly, another popular character actress from 70s television who was always getting typecast as a lady with a lot of T&A. Roz of course played Pinky Tuscadero on Happy Days, among other things. It was only a couple of years ago that I realized my error.

"A lock of hair...from her chest!" 

(Screenshots courtesy of clothesonfilm.com)

Annette Charles will be sorely missed. I think I'm going to do a little handjive in her and Cha Cha's honor.

Mike Starr finally loses battle against drugs

Former Alice in Chains bassist Mike Starr, lately back in the spotlight because of his stint on Celebrity Rehab 3 and Sober House, died yesterday in Utah. An autopsy report hasn't been released yet, but considering he was just arrested for drug possession a few weeks ago, chances are Starr overdosed.
It's so sad. Man, drugs are EVIL.
Although Mike Starr was a mess physically in recent years, I choose to remember him back when he was a hot, young, troubled soul back in the early/mid 90s.

So long dude.

Another bad-ass big-busted babe that will be missed...

Today is the 4th anniversary of my dear mother's passing, and I am unbelievably depressed. I'm not sure why this year I'm feeling it in my bones more than last year. I should be getting over "it" by now shouldn't I? I guess I've been thinking about mortality a lot more over the past few months so her being gone seems more acute.

Jane Russell passed away last night. My mother LOVED Jane and thought she was one of the most beautiful actresses around. She thought of Jane Russell as the voluptous queen that all busty women should look up to. Of course my favorite thing that Russell ever did was Gentlemen Prefer Blondes with of course Marilyn Monroe. As a kid, I never understood why all the men in the film were gaga over Marilyn. She was pretty of course, but how could you care about her when there was Jane?!

RIP John Barry

I've already tweeted about my heavy heart in hearing Sunday evening that one of my favorite movie music composers, John Barry, had died of a heart attack at the age of 77. Barry composed many of my all-time favorite film scores. He, along with Ennio Morricone, was much loved by my mother, who appreciated movie scores, and what the music actually did for and to the film more than anyone I've ever known.
She passed this appreciation on to me at a fairly early age; so I was the dorky kid who was buying the Somewhere In Time soundtrack album in the Classical section of the Tower Records store, while all of my friends were buying the latest Duran Duran and Cure albums. Don't get me wrong, I was just as much into the new wave music, but when I wanted to daydream in my room or when I was writing my little short stories and living in my own fantasy world in my head, I would always turn on the John Barry music.

My favorite of the Barry scores may be the music he wrote for the cheesetastic film Somewhere In Time. The main theme evokes such emotion; love, loss, memory, longing, joy. It's so beautiful.
The most well-known John Barry music is probably all of the James Bond movie themes he composed in the 1960s and early 70s. And of course his Oscar and Grammy winning top ten hit "Born Free".
One of his Oscar score wins was for another favorite of mine, the music from Out of Africa. Barry's score and Meryl Streep are the only good things about that bloated film.

If you're interested in listening to some of John Barry's movie scores, I recommend downloading the album "Moviola". Rest in peace dear sir. I hope my mother gets to meet you up in heaven.

We'll always have "Campus Man"

You guys! John Dye just died! I never watched that drecky show Touched By An Angel, so I really don't know anything about Dye's career in the 1990s. But when I was 16 I had the biggest crush on him.
Well, it was really a crush on his character Todd Barrett from the cheesetastic groundbreaking film "Campus Man" (which believe it or not was based on a true story of an Arizona State student who sold a beefcake calendar featuring a bunch of his jock friends in the early 80s to help pay his tuition).

I loved Todd Barrett. He was my totally dreamy ideal of what a "college guy" was. Smart, ambitious, not overly athletic but not schlubby, funny, cute but not agressively so, awesome feathered John Taylor-esque hair.
I was super disappointed when I finally got to college and figured out that the dudes around me weren't going to live up to that expectation. Anyway, John Dye I hope you're up there in heaven getting touched, kissed and whatever else by the angels.

 

Don't have the time or the inclination to try and find an out-of-print copy of Campus Man to watch?

Have no fear, this "lady" (I assume) has taken the time to capture really crappy screen shots and give a SCENE BY SCENE recap of the entire movie. It's just like being there.

Awww Leslie, you'll always be my bachelor...

By the time the movie Airplane! and the tv show Police Squad came along in the late 70s to establish actor Leslie Nielsen as a comedic juggernaut, I had already been in love with him for years.
See there was this little movie called Tammy and The Bachelor, starring one Debbie Reynolds, that had been brought into my life by my grandmother Kay who adored all things Debbie. The first time I ever watched it with her, my grandmother whispered in my ear about 5 minutes into the film, "You're about to see the most gorgeous man this side of your grandpa." And into the frame came the beguiling face of Leslie Nielsen. "Leslie?!" I asked incredulously, "what kind of name is that for a boy?" But wisely my grandmother told me to just forget about his name and enjoy the movie (and the view). And that I did. My crush was born.

Later it grew as he became the silver-fox funny man of my dreams. And then Dorothy had to go and marry him on the Golden Girls,...never mind that's a story/rant for another time.
Suffice to say, you will be sorely missed Mr. Nielsen.

"Book 'em, Dano!"

Sadly, James MacArthur passed away yesterday. Did you know that he was the adopted son of acting legend Helen Hayes?! I had no idea until last night. He also was an accomplished flamenco guitar player. Who knew? Well Dano, you will be missed. Scott Caan is doing a great job walking in your shoes however.







Also, this gives me an excuse to post my favorite picture of Jack Lord, who passed away over 12(!) years ago -

Now tell me, who else do you know that could ROCK a pink-banded panama hat? Thank you.

"And if you threw a party, and invited everyone you knew..."

"...you would see the biggest gift would be from me, and the card inside would say, Thank You For Being A Friend!"

I can't believe our beloved Betty White is the last Golden Girl. To quote Hawkeye from Last of The Mohicans - "Stay alive no matter what occurs!" Betty, we can't lose you!

Whatchu talkin' bout'?

I'm kind of devastated to hear about Gary Coleman dying of a brain hemorrhage this morning. The guy just could NOT. Catch. A break. I hope he and Dana Plato are hanging out in the afterlife shaking their heads in disbelief that Conrad Bain (Mr. Drummond) outlived them both.

Lena Horne, and other beautiful women

My grandmother Kay Jackson knew Lena Horne back in the 1940s and 50s, and was actually often mistaken for her. They did look incredibly alike. My grandmother would tell me stories about the few times that she got to hang out with Ms. Horne and about how they would laugh over the doppellganger effect. My mother looked a little like Lena as well (see below); and what my family and Lena Horne had the most in common were their beautiful singing voices. Losing Lena Horne this week almost feels like I'm losing my mom and grandmother all over again. I only hope that these three wonderful, amazing and gorgeous women are up in heaven right now; singing show tunes and laughing. And maybe watching over me.

More Julia Sugarbaker memories...

I tried to find my favorite Designing Women clip from the vacation episode where they all go to the cabin in the woods and Daddy Jones dances with Julia Sugarbaker to "When We Get Behind Closed Doors" but these two awesome clips will have to do:

Not just whistlin' Dixie...

I've lost another pivotal tv icon from youth. Damn, I'll miss Julia Sugarbaker something fierce!



I can't believe Dixie Carter has passed away. I knew that her husband, actor Hal Holbrook had been ill, but Dixie always seemed so healthy. My mom even had Dixie Carter's yoga videos that she put out in the early 90s. Losing Carter makes me think about my mom a lot. Okay, off to watch more Designing Women clips.

"Hello Angels."

An actor that was a huge part of my childhood passed away yesterday. He had battled cancer for the past year but he was also 92 so maybe it was his time anyway.
I grew up with John Forsythe's voice in my living room for over a decade. John Forsythe played Blake Carrington the patriarch on the seminal 80s tv drama Dynasty, and was of course the voice of Charlie, the rich, never-seen boss on one of my all-time favorite television programs, Charlie's Angels.
He will be dearly missed. Also, WHAT is Joan Collins wearing in the photo below? An embossed electric blue leather coat dress? Also? I'm fairly certain that I owned that exact teal, polka-dotted, shoulder padded, turtleneck dress that Linda Evans is sporting.