Kim Novak: Bell, Book and Candle in the Night

Kim Novak was one of the most beautiful actresses in the 1950s, and 1960s. With her short blonde hair and “come hither” eyes, she embodied the strong and the mysterious. Her movies were astonishingly successful and well received. Take Picnic, Pal Joey, Jeanne Eagels, The Eddy Duchin Story, The Man with the Golden Arm, Bell, Book and Candle and, of course, the extraordinary Vertigo. These were some of the most successful movies of their day.

What a body of work she created. Kim decided early in her career, however, that Hollywood was not where she wanted to spend her entire life. Kim’s great love was for animals. She married a veterinarian, Dr. Robert Malloy and together with her husband she loves caring for animals.

Later in her career she came out of semi-retirement and even appeared on TV in the night time soap opera, Falcon Crest.

Whenever I think of actresses who’ve had great careers, she is always at the top of my list. She reached the pinnacle and she did it her way. Kim, your fans still love you and appreciate your contribution to film history.

A Taste Of Art ArtWalk - Thursday, January 19, 7-9pm

To all of our Barrett-Jackson car enthusiasts, golfers and other winter visitors, Welcome to Scottsdale!

There are many things to do while visiting our city, but there are some that shouldn’t be missed. One of them being the 4th Annual “A Taste of Art ArtWalk”, January 19th from 7 to 9 pm, which takes place in the Scottsdale Art District.

This spectacular event is sponsored by the Scottsdale Gallery Association (SGA) in conjunction with the City of Scottsdale. It is an evening filled with art, musicians performing on the streets and some of the most amazing cuisine in Scottsdale.

We invite you to stop by Femmes Fatales & Fantasies and meet Sherry Goldberg, a local artist who has resided in the Paradise Valley area for over 30 years. In addition to enjoying the breathtaking art of Sherry Goldberg, Femmes Fatales & Fantasies also exhibits rare one of a kind vintage posters. New posters and stills! Take a walk down memory lane.

Femmes Fatales & Fantasies is located at 7013 E. Main Street, west of Marshall Way and across the street from the well known Mabel’s on Main.

We hope to see you then.

Was Errol Flynn Really a Bad Boy?

Frankly, I think Errol Flynn got a bad rap for being a “bad boy”. With hindsight being 20/20, how bad, really, was Errol?

Although he was charged with rape in the early 1940s, during the trial, the truth came out that Errol never raped anyone. Frankly, women were lined up around the block for their chance at a night, or more, with the handsome swashbuckler!

When you look at stars today, like Charlie Sheen and Mel Gibson, or many of the other now famous celebrities, you would see that Errol’s life was relatively normal and quiet compared to some of the famous people today. If Errol were alive today, would anyone even pay attention to what he did?

Let’s look closely at the career of Errol Flynn. I think everyone should go back and see movies like Captain Blood and the original Adventures of Robin Hood. You’ll see a man that could take a fantasy character, like a pirate, and imbue him with a reality and compassion that many actors of today cannot convey on-screen, as well as he did. With all the handsome actors in Hollywood today, I don’t think any can compare with the charisma and screen presence that was Errol Flynn. I would like to hear back if anyone disagrees with me.

For fans of Errol Flynn, I have included three of my favorite images in this posting. To view additional Errol Flynn posters and stills, visit our home page and search for Errol Flynn. Enjoy!

Errol, we miss you!

Clark Gable: Life’s Lessons

How often have rumors or innuendos played a part in your life and changed what you might do in any situation? How vulnerable are we, as people, to hearing something about ourselves, or someone we love.

We have all heard of the great love affair between Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. But, the true course of love doesn’t always run smoothly. The truth was that Clark Gable had issues with commitment and monogamy.

Shortly before she died, beautiful Carole Lombard went on a trip to sell war bonds to help her country during WWII. Clark was supposed to go, but did not want to. Carole, ever the patriot, went with her mother and agent. At the time, Clark Gable was making a film with the beautiful Lana Turner. Carole had heard rumors that Clark and Lana were romantically involved on the set of Honky Tonk. Carole was extremely distressed.

When the war bond trip finished, Carole, her mother and agent were getting ready to head home. She had begun the war bond trip by train, but now she was in a hurry to fly home because of the rumors about Clark and Lana. Her mother was a numerologist and she begged Carole not to fly home. She explained that the numbers were all wrong and that the flight would be dangerous. But, Carole was determined to find out what was going on with her marriage and her husband.

On the tarmac, a coin was tossed to see whether Carole, her mother and agent would fly or take the train home. Unfortunately, Carole won the toss of the coin and the three of them boarded the plane.
Sometime a few hours later, somewhere over Nevada, Carole’s plane went down. All aboard were killed. It was Clark Gable himself, driven by his friend, Spencer Tracey, who went to the Nevada area to look for his wife, only to learn that she had died in the crash.

Whether Clark was having an affair with Lana is unimportant. Clark learned a tragic lesson of life. Our actions have consequences and if we believe rumors, we can sometimes take impulsive actions, which should not be taken. This was a life altering experience for Clark Gable. He matured after this. He joined the Armed Forces and became a hero in WWII. He never recovered from the loss of his beloved Carole, and their relationship, I believe, is a lesson for all of us: to appreciate what we have, and perhaps not take chances when we don’t have to.

Brigitte Bardot - A Journey through Time

Wow! The photos and posters of Brigitte Bardot remind me of what she meant to French Cinema.

50 years ago, Brigitte Bardot represented French movies. She was the French Marilyn Monroe and an icon of her time.

Now, Ms. Bardot helps animals. Perhaps that is the best reason for aging. As we age, we can finally come to a place where we can stop thinking about how beautiful we are, and think about the others in this world who need us. That is truly a special transition.

We hear so much now about 40 being the new 30. But where does that leave the 30 year olds? Are they the new 20? We know that the 20 year olds can’t be 10, so one decade is going to be pretty overcrowded. Is this truly what we need or want in this society?

So this is our problem. Although we want to live forever, we don’t want to get older. So let us be who we are. Whatever age. Perhaps “new and improved”. Perhaps not. Perhaps just the fact that we have become wiser, and understand our place on this earth is truly the blessing of life. I believe Brigitte Bardot taught me that. And while I appreciate the beauty of her posters, I think she had many other gifts to offer.

Toulouse-Lautrec, Lorenz Hart, Judy Garland: The Three People I Wish I Could Hug

As I look at the posters, I reflect upon how beautiful, handsome and powerful most of these people look in the renderings that the artists have drawn for the posters. As we all know, life doesn’t exactly imitate art in that way, and people are vulnerable.

With all due respect to Baz Luhrmann and the exquisite Nicole Kidman, the 1952 movie Moulin Rouge was far superior to the one that came later. I believe that many people feel as I do. If you are going to tell a story about a person’s life or a place in time, I think a director or producer owes it to the public to at least keep it realistic, so that future generations understand history, and not a figment of the imagination.

My complaint regarding the updated Moulin Rouge was that the music was not at all what was played in the late 1800’s in Paris at the real Moulin Rouge. To make matters far worse, Toulouse-Lautrec was portrayed as a fool.

I love Toulouse-Lautrec. I love the original Moulin Rouge. Director John Huston brought the people of that time to life. Toulouse-Lautrec was a talented artist who would sit in the Moulin Rouge each night and sketch the performers and the patrons. At 13 and 14 years of age, Toulouse-Lautrec broke first his left thigh bone and then his right thigh bone. These breaks never healed properly and left him disabled. Through his art, however, people today can see what life was really like at that time. The original film Moulin Rouge was authentic and portrayed the dancers, singer Jane Avril and the patrons with sensitivity and reality. The music in this film was consistent with the era. The costumes fit that time. Jose Ferrer, who ultimately received the Oscar for his portrayal of Toulouse-Lautrec, was a revelation. After I saw that movie, I wanted to hug Toulouse-Lautrec. I wish I could have told him how wonderful he was, and how much his work moved me. I hope, if we’re able to make contact with the other side, that he receives my thoughts and knows to this day how much people like me appreciate him, and his gift.

Toulouse-Lautrec’s story reminds me of Lorenz (Larry) Hart, Richard Rodgers’ first partner, before Oscar Hammerstein. Larry Hart was a sensitive, loving and talented spirit. But like Toulouse-Lautrec, he was extremely short and he felt unattractive. If he tried to approach a woman to whom he was attracted, invariably he would be rejected and this led him to become an alcoholic. For those who don’t know, Lorenz Hart contributed to music with magnificent songs like Falling in Love with Love, Johnny One-Note, My Funny Valentine, Isn’t it Romantic and Where or When. These songs are still being recorded today and will continue to play forever. He also wrote My Heart Stood Still, as well as With a Song in My Heart. Richard Rodgers wanted to continue working with Hart, but found it difficult. When Rodgers met Hammerstein, a new partnership formed. Larry Hart was devastated. On the opening night of Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma, Hart was in the audience. After the play, he congratulated Richard Rodgers and told him he had a hit. Shortly thereafter, Larry Hart passed away. But Larry, too, is one person that I wish I could hug, and tell him how much I love him and appreciate his work.

Lastly, we come to Judy Garland. I’ve read many biographies about her and my heart has always gone out to this talented, vulnerable woman. Although she had tremendous success, she suffered from debilitating insecurities. Although she was a beautiful actress, the studios never portrayed that side of Judy. They allowed Lana Turner and Hedy Lamar to be glamorized, and Judy always felt like a poor third. Judy, if you can read this or hear my voice, history will always remember you and your contribution to films. Your voice will live on forever and because of you, perhaps we will all look Somewhere Over the Rainbow for what we seek.

Julie Christie

Julie Christie. What more can anyone say? Julie Christie exploded on the screen in the 1960’s. With incredible talent and beauty, her career was launched. She won an Academy Award for Darling. As a result, she had the ability to choose any part she ever wanted.

Fast forward (oh my goodness!) 45 years, and Julie is just as beautiful and just as talented. She can still pick and choose any part she wants to play.

There are very few actors or actresses that can move across the decades as smoothly as Julie has done. From Doctor Zhivago, Far From the Madding Crowd and Shampoo to the beautiful and touching Away from Her, Julie has amazed and touched our souls.

It is an inspiration to all people to have watched this woman go through life with dignity, courage and grace. It should be a lesson for the ages. Thank you, Julie.