Some assorted ramblings today.
The above photo illustrates that off screen, while just as beautiful as they were on film, many stars were not THAT recognizable.
Without their makeup (and in the case of many male stars like Bing Crosby and Humphrey Bogart, their toupees) a lot of stars could do their own grocery shopping without being spotted.
Have you, or your parents or grandparents, any candid photos of film stars? We’d love to share them. Or hear any tales you might have to tell about stars or film companies visiting your home town. Please share them!
Of course that’s Betty Grable above in mufti, so to speak, with our own Donald Gordon.
We sometimes ponder about stars of today who might rival stars of the 40’s or 60’s.
The song lyric Keep Betty Grable, Lamour and Turner, she makes my heart a charcoal burner was updated in the 60s to “Keep Audrey Hepburn and keep Liz Taylor, Nancy’s the feature, they’re just the trailer.” That set us to thinking about that term, “trailer”
It originated back in the silent days, when after the feature was shown there would be a short promoting the next film due at that theater. It trailed the feature. You can just hear people say, “Let’s wait and see the trailer.”
When the studios became more powerful and homogenized and controlled distribution they started using the term “Coming Attractions,” and started running the previews before the main feature.
“Have you, or your parents or grandparents, any candid photos of film stars? We’d love to share them. Or hear any tales you might have to tell about stars or film companies visiting your home town. Please share them!”
A very important request from Joe & Frank indeed.
I’ve got boxes of them that need to be scanned and the resolution re-mastered… And my health is not up to the task unfortunately.
But those candid shots of the stars do deserve PRESERVING,maybe some of you have a few to share?
Anyone care to comment…?