Are You Scared Yet?

Movies started scaring us back in the silent days when actors like Lon Chaney took on roles like the eerie phantom of the opera.  Known as ‘The Man of a Thousand Faces’, Chaney’s elaborate use of makeup transformed him into frightening, but no less fascinating characters.  With the coming of sound, a new kind of evil played before us in the ghastly form of Bela Lugosi and his hypnotic Count Dracula.  Then came Frankenstein brought to life by a mad scientist and a British actor named Boris Karloff.

So just in case you want to impress your friends and family this Halloween, here are a dozen facts about the silver screen’s most famous fright masters:

       1)      Lon Chaney was born Leonidas Frank Chaney in 1883 to profoundly deaf parents.

2)      Before he came to Hollywood, Chaney, who loved the outdoors, worked as a guide escorting tourists up Pike’s Peak.

3)      Chaney was internationally recognized for his expertise in make-up; he even wrote the Encyclopedia Britannica’s entry on the subject itself.

4)      Chaney was originally cast to play the part of Count Dracula in the 1931 film, but his untimely death in 1930 from bronchial cancer, paved the way for Bela Lugosi.

5)      Bela Legosi was born Bela Lasko in 1882 in Lugos, Hungary—not far from Transylvania where Bram Stoker’s Dracula lived.

6)      Lugosi successfully played Dracula onstage beginning in 1927, but Hollywood didn’t want him.

7)      When other actors like Paul Muni and Chester Morris dropped out of the running; Universal Studios was forced to either give the part to Lugosi or cancel the film.

8)      After suffering a heart attack, Lugosi died on August 16, 1956 and was buried in his Dracula get-up—complete with make-up and cape.

9)      After Lugosi refused the part of Frankenstein because it was a non-speaking role and required heavy make-up, Boris Karloff stepped in.

10)   As Frankenstein, Karloff wore 60 pounds of make-up and accessories, including 18-pound lead-weighted boots, which increased his height to 7’6” when in costume.

11)   Karloff received fourth billing as the famous monster and wasn’t even invited to the Hollywood premiere.

12)   Off screen, the gentle Karloff was an avid gardener who enjoyed poetry.

Happy Hauntings!

The Loves of Carole Lombard

If Carole Lombard were alive today, she would have just recently turned 104.  Tragically, however, her birthday celebrations were cut short after her untimely death in 1942 at the age of 33.  We all know the story:  a plane crashed in the mountains just outside of Las Vegas and she was gone.  Just like that.  But what you might not know is that before she married Gable, Lombard had two significant romances—one that ended in divorce and the other that ended in tragedy devastating Lombard, the same way her death rocked Gable.

In 1930, Carole Lombard was just coming into her own.  After a successful silent stint as one of Mack Sennett’s bathing beauties, she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures.  That same year, she also met handsome actor William Powell  on the set of ‘Man of the World’ (1931).  Powell was 16 years older and recently divorced.  The couple married in a private ceremony on June 26, 1931 at Lombard’s mother’s house before honeymooning in Honolulu.  The marriage, didn’t last, but the friendship thrived.  Lombard and Powell divorced in 1933.  Despite their differences, however, the two remained loyal friends until her death nine years later.

Shortly after the divorce, Lombard was in the audience one night listening as crooner Russ Columbo sang.  The two made eye contact and the next day Colombo sent roses to the actress’ Beverly Hills home.  A romantic at heart, the 25-year-old Columbo fell hard and Lombard was equally smitten.   In Columbo, it seems, she had found an equal.  He supported her career and celebrated her successes while she did all she could to help the radio star break into films.  Lombard even began taking instructions to convert to Catholicism—the faith Columbo actively practiced.  On the cusp of a successful film career and in the middle of a momentous love story, the singer was accidentally killed by a bullet that unexpectedly discharged from an antique gun. 

At the news of Columbo’s death, Lombard was inconsolable.  She attended his funeral at Hollywood’s Blessed Sacrament Cathedral along with her mother.  Her brother, Stuart, was a pall bearer.  It took some time, but she managed to pull her life together and go on to make her mark in Hollywood—both on-screen and off.  The sting of losing Columbo, however, still surfaced every now and then.   Four years after his death, Lombard was interviewed for an article in Life Magazine.  When she was asked about Clark Gable, the interviewer referred to him as the love of her life.  According to Lombard’s brother, Stuart, she quickly corrected the reporter:  “Russ Columbo was the love of my life.  And that is very definitely off the record.”  Of course, that was before she became Mrs. Gable.  I wonder what she would say today.

Bert Lahr, A Gentleman in Lion's Clothes

While the Cowardly Lion searched for courage, funny man Bert Lahr—who donned that oversized wig and lion’s clothes—faced a personal crisis more distressful than the cyclone that brought Dorothy to Oz in the first place.  Cast as the frightened feline in MGM’s ambitious version of The Wizard of Oz (1939), Lahr had no idea he was about to make movie history.  Even if he had realized that his performance would enthrall generations of filmgoers far into the 21st century, the actor probably wouldn’t have done anything different.  Besides, it wasn’t skipping down the Yellow Brick Road that concerned him most, but a private dilemma that commanded his attention

Lahr was a trooper in the truest sense of the word.  Like many of his contemporaries, his career began on the stages of burlesque and vaudeville.  During the Roaring Twenties, he partnered up with Mercedes Delpino, a pretty, dark-haired dancer. Together, they established an act that included the sexy Delpino as a gyrating dancer who catches the eye of a bumbling, beat-walking policeman played by Lahr.  Their chemistry and their antics made them one of vaudeville’s most popular duos.  Offstage, Lahr was smitten with his partner and a romance blossomed.  The couple married on August 23, 1929 and they soon had a son, Herbert.

The new Mrs. Lahr, however, had never been well.  She suffered from what was probably some form of schizophrenia that caused abrupt mood swings and sudden black-outs leading to memory loss.  She was prone to breaking things and starting fires.  At one point, she even shaved her head.  Lahr was at a loss.  He desperately wanted to help his wife, but had no idea how.  When she tried to hurt the baby, he had no choice, but to admit her to an asylum—most likely in 1930.  Lahr spent hundreds of thousands of dollars in an effort to find a cure for Mercedes, but back in the early thirties little was known about mental illness.  Beyond any help that was available at the time, she was eventually declared insane.

In 1932, Lahr met the striking Mildred Schroeder, a Ziegfeld Girl.  She thought he was a perfect gentleman and he thought she was simply wonderful.  Knowing that a normal life with Mercedes was not possible, Lahr promised Mildred that he would divorce his wife and marry her, but it wasn’t so easy.  Divorce laws in New York were problematic and the process extremely slow.  Four years later, Mildred got tired of waiting and married another man.  Lahr was crushed, but he refused to give up.  Mildred soon realized the mistake she’d made and in October, 1937, she divorced her husband who accused Lahr of being a ‘love thief’.

As filming of The Wizard of Oz took place, Lahr was still trying to end his first marriage to Mercedes who remained institutionalized.  He was anxious and worried that Mildred would run out of patience and leave him once again—this time permanently.  It wasn’t until February 8, 1940 that Lahr finally received an official annulment and only after three doctors in White Plains, New York testified that Mercedes had been incurably insane for the past five years.  Three days later, Lahr and Mildred married.  Despite their long union, which produced a son, John, and a daughter, Jane, Lahr never forgot his first wife.  It was reported that when Mercedes died, a morose Lahr didn’t speak a word to anyone for three days. 

Dressed as The Cowardly Lion, he endured the grueling make-up sessions that forced him to sip his lunch through a straw because he couldn’t open his mouth wide enough to eat.  He tolerated the elaborate wig and long, heavy costume made out of actual lion fur, which caused him to overheat under the studio’s hot lights.  But it wasn’t the hazards of the job that bothered Lahr.  Beneath that oversized wig and the awkward lion’s clothes, a gentleman quietly struggled to rebuild his life with as much dignity as he could muster.

From Motown to Hollywood

People often ask me how in the world did a girl from Motown end up writing a book about Hollywood?  The answer is pretty simple—I was the original couch potato, at least when school was out. 

As a kid with nowhere to be, I set my own schedule.  My day began at 8:30 a.m. sharp with Rita Bell and ‘The Prize Movie’.  In between each movie segment, Bell played several notes of a song and viewers tried to guess its name.  If memory serves me correctly, for every wrong answer, the winning pot grew.  Once someone gave the right answer and claimed the money, the whole thing started over again with a new tune and a new jackpot. 

Next, we were treated to ‘Bill Kennedy at the Movies’.  Kennedy’s show broadcasted from across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario.  It started at 1:00 p.m.  There were no gimmicks and no games—only the films.  In his youth, Kennedy was under contract at Warner Bros.  He never made it big in Hollywood, but he did land roles in some great films.  He played an officer in ‘Destination Tokyo’ (1943), one of Bette Davis’ beaus in ‘Mr. Skeffington’ (1944) and appeared in a myriad of early television shows.  Kennedy prided himself on his inside knowledge of the movie industry and the filmmakers he knew during his tenure in Hollywood.  I always remember the day Jack Warner died.  Kennedy made a point to say, with a hint of sadness, that his old boss had passed away.  A wise-cracking crew member hollered back from behind the camera:  “Jack Warner didn’t know you from the prop man!”  Suffice it to say, Kennedy was not amused.

After Bill Kennedy and his endless supply of movie trivia, it was back to ABC for the afternoon science fiction film.  There were no hosts, but plenty of gigantic spiders, prowling werewolves and shapeless blobs wreaking havoc wherever they went.  There was always lots of terrified screaming and extensive scurrying as unsuspecting bystanders tried to get away.  Some films, like ‘Godzilla’ (1954) were made in Japan and dubbed.  That was fine.  No one cared.  Monsters in any language gave us kids the willies.

From combat to comedy, from good guys to gangsters, from musicals to madcaps, the Motor City had ‘em all.  And that’s how a girl from the Car Capitol of the world came to be a couch potato who  fell madly in love with the movies.  As for writing that book about Hollywood?  I just couldn't help myself! 

Aurora, Colorado's Century 16 Theater Today

We are currently spending the week in Aurora, Colorado visiting my daughter and her husband.  On the drive out here, I discovered in my jacket pocket an old movie ticket from Aurora’s Century 16 Theater—yes that’s the same place where the horrific shootings occurred last month leaving 12 dead and 58 wounded.  Back in May, I was out here and we had gone to the movies.  Who could ever have imagined that eight weeks later that very cinema would make international news in the midst of what the media called ‘The Movie Theater Massacre’?  The most unsettling part for me was knowing that my daughter and her girlfriend were there that day, but left about two hours before the unthinkable happened.

For most of us, going to the show is an escape.  We can laugh or cry or be scared silly—all in a safe environment where we know that nothing can really harm us.  When you think about it, violence has always played a major role in the movies:   combat soldiers waging war, Wild West outlaws living on the edge, machine-gun-toting gangsters taking each other out, fearless cowboys defending the open range .  And let’s not forget those menacing monsters that shake us up with nothing more than their frightening faces.   

As early as 1903, director Edwin S. Porter scared spectators in ‘The Great Train Robbery’ when he filmed a close-up of a gun firing (minus the bang) straight into the audience.  The paying public had never seen anything like it.  Despite the lack of sound, they came back again and again just to experience the thrill.  And that’s always been the fun of it until one day in late July 2012 when a real gunman took away the safety factor.  Even my daughter says she has not been to the show since the shooting.

Aurora’s theater remains closed and surrounded by yellow caution tape.  A nearby memorial erected by the locals still attracts visitors.  Some come to pay their respects while others just want to satisfy a morbid curiosity.   City officials have asked Aurora residents what they feel should be done with the building, but no decisions have been made at this time.  The shooter remains jailed as the legal process unfolds.   Twelve families mourn, 58 victims recover and, as for the rest of us, we just wonder why.

A Bit of Thanks!

Has it really been 50 years since that wispy voice was silenced?  Say it aint so!  One of Hollywood’s most famous residents, Marilyn Monroe was discovered dead in her home a half century ago at the age of 36.  Although mystery and intrigue continue to swirl around her death, her short life made an impact on the world. 

Monroe made her first film in 1947, ‘The Shocking Miss Pilgrim’, where only her voice was heard.  She continued taking small roles in various films like ‘Asphalt Jungle”’ (1950) and ‘All About Eve’ (1950).  Monroe hit her stride soon after that starring in ‘Niagara’ (1953), Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ (1953) and ‘How to Marry A Millionaire’ (1953).  She lit up a movie screen and made it sizzle with one seductive wink or a sly smile.  Men wanted her.  Women wanted to be her. 

Off screen, her life was always rocky.  Her mother suffered from mental illness and Monroe never knew her father.  As a youngster, she often pretended that Clark Gable was her daddy.  Gladys spent most of her years in and out of mental institutions causing Monroe to live in various foster homes.  Although she claimed she found some stability in the years she spent with an aunt in Van Nuys, California where she attended high school.

As an adult, Monroe had three failed marriages, several disastrous affairs and some bad habits.  She liked champagne to an excess and often used barbiturates to help her wake up as well as sleep.  Her damaging lifestyle took a toll on her work causing her to be notoriously late on most days and completely absent on others.  On set, she frequently forgot her lines and numerous takes (sometimes more than 40) were required before everyone was happy.   It could be nerve-wracking for film professionals like Sir Lawrence Olivier (‘The Prince and the Showgirl’) and Clark Gable (‘The Misfits’).  But the final product almost always proved to be worth the aggravation and they knew it.

Despite her shortcomings, Marilyn Monroe remains an icon whose image is just as well known today as it was fifty years ago.  Her face continues to sell goods while her name often appears on lists like ‘Hollywood’s Most Popular Celebrities’ or ‘Hollywood’s Sexiest Stars’.  Her movies still draw spectators with ‘Some Like It Hot’ (1959) named the funniest film ever by the American Film Institute.

And so today, the fiftieth anniversary of her untimely death, I think Marilyn Monroe deserves a heartfelt thanks for all of the hours she spent entertaining us—something she continues to do over and over again—with her wispy voice, seductive smile and sly wink.

Greetings and Welcome!

Cyberspace can be a scary place—especially for folks who are old enough to remember the ‘good old days’.  Yes, I’m talking about the boys and girls who grew up wishing they were part of Howdy Doody’s Peanut Gallery while bee-bopping with Chuck Berry and the Everly Brothers—that would be Don and Phil, in case you weren’t there.  As we cheered for The Little Rascals despite their He-Man Women Haters Club, who knew that one day we would be hunched over a small electronic screen looking for friends and trying to tweet? 

For the younger group, all of this uploading and downloading seems to come natural.  The kids can stream a video, find an app and burn a disc faster than Scotty could beam up Captain Kirk.  As for me, ‘lost in space’ has taken on a whole new meaning.  A technically challenged boomer, it’s all very bewildering, but I’m getting there one byte at a time.  

Over the years and as a writer, I have learned about the power of the internet.  With the press of a button or click of an icon, I can pitch a story, research a topic, contact a colleague or simply waste a little time surfing or bejeweling.  It’s also a great way to connect with readers, which is why I have finally joined the 21^st Century and staked out a claim to my very own website.  So here we are!

My goal here is to blend a little history, a touch of trivia and a lot of fun.  Pick an era.  Pick a place.  Pick a person.   We can talk about silent film, Gable and Lombard, Ozzie and Harriet or even The Lone Ranger.  The possibilities are endless so I hope that you enjoy these pages as we get to know each other a little better.  Now who out there remembers waking up little Susie?