The Silver Screen Oasis

Hi Joe,

Love the picture of Ann Miller dancing (swerling) with Ginger Rogers....
She was a great gal and loved a good (swinging) party - - well, who doesn't???
I miss her lovely persona and her laughter!

Larry

Birthday boy Howard Keel was lensing "Showboat" at MGM studios when he paid a visit to the set of "Rich, Young, and Pretty". Here he harmonizes with Jane Powell, Vic Damone and Fernando Lamas.

Vecchiolarry wrote:Hi Joe,

Love the picture of Ann Miller dancing (swerling) with Ginger Rogers....
She was a great gal and loved a good (swinging) party - - well, who doesn't???
I miss her lovely persona and her laughter!

Larry

Larry, she was indeed a sweetheart. She is one star that I wish I had met. She was
genuine and almost always praised other stars that she knew. It was a sad day
when we lost her.

You might be interested in hearing a unique Howard Keel story. When I was in Vegas over ten years ago working with Dolores Fuller on her autobiography, she had written a musical play based on her life with Ed Wood that she hoped to produce on Broadway. She'd written some terrific songs that I had the pleasure of listening to, including one for an aged Bela Lugosi that she titled "What's an old Vampire to do?" and an exceptionally touching one (whose name I've forgotten) that dealt with her decision to finally leave Ed Wood. Her dream was to have Johnny Depp reprise the Ed Wood role and while she also wanted Martin Landau to redo Lugosi, Dolores's old friend Howard Keel expressed the desire to portray the aged actor onstage. While physically, perhaps a mismatch with Howard a big, burly man and the latter Lugosi quite emaciated, Keel certainly could have pulled off the musical numbers. While I never had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Keel during my time in Vegas, it was I who broke the sad news to Dolores that he had passed away after hearing it on the news. And sadly, Dolores's musical that she tentatively titled "Ed Wood . . . but I Wouldn't" never came to fruition. And that's so unfortunate because from what I saw of the script and heard of the music, I'm sure it would have been a great success. And a great final bow-out for Howard Keel.

Stone, thanks for the touching story. It certainly sounded like a good idea, and something
I would have been interested in. Thanks.

Hollywood columnist' queens Hedda Hopper & Louella Parsons in a rare picture together

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

JULIE CHRISTIE is 74 today


BRADFORD DILLMAN is 85 today


ROD STEIGER (1925 - 2002)


JOHN HOWARD (1913 - 1995)

Blrthsay gal Julie Christie and fellow co-star Dirk Bogarde taking a break from shooting the 1965 John Schlesinger film “Darling”.

Birthday boy Rod Steiger escorts his wife Claire Bloom in Venice, Italy in 1965

Birthday boy Bradford Dillman with his lovely wife, the late Suzy Parker

GEOFFREY LEWIS (1935 - 2015) R.I.P.

mongoII wrote:
Birthday boy Bradford Dillman with his lovely wife, the late Suzy Parker

I did not know that. I was surprised to read that Bradford was married to Suzy Parker. Interesting Joe. Thanks for educating me on this!

Billy Gilbert and his wife, Ella, affectionately nicknamed "Lolly" and formerly known as Ella MacKenzie, a movie star ingénue who appeared in many movie shorts.

Hi Joe,

I laughed to myself about the Hedda & Louella picture - as it, triggered an old memory for me - - Lana Turner telling me that she and Lex Barker had bought them identical pearl necklaces for Christmas one year - knowing that they'd probably never meet up with each other!!!!
And, here they are - - could those be the PEARLS!!!

Larry

Vecchiolarry wrote:Hi Joe,

I laughed to myself about the Hedda & Louella picture - as it, triggered an old memory for me - - Lana Turner telling me that she and Lex Barker had bought them identical pearl necklaces for Christmas one year - knowing that they'd probably never meet up with each other!!!!
And, here they are - - could those be the PEARLS!!!

Larry

Thanks for sharing this story, Larry. I absolutely love it when you provide us these personal anecdotes. I even made a thread inspired by reading them here.
http://silverscreenoasis.com/oasis3/vie ... =22&t=6856