*CANDIDS*

[mrsl]

What 'papers' does Mary Wickes have to store until 2027? I'll probably be gone by then (I'll be 83), and this will make me nuts from now til then if I don't get a clue.

Anne

[moira finnie]

What 'papers' does Mary Wickes have to store until 2027?

From the University of Washington Library:

1995
Mary Wickes leaves her personal papers and professional memorabilia to Washington University Libraries Department of Special Collections. Wickes' papers will join scripts and papers by Tenessee Williams and A.E. Hotchner to enrich the drama and theater resources in the Modern Literature Collection. Wickes' bequest also includes a gift of $2 million, which will be used by the Libraries to support the University's evolving curriculum in film studies.

Mary Wickes left this bequest in memory of her parents. It includes her correspondence, personal photographs, scripts and memorabilia from her career. Since it was a request from Ms. Wickes' estate to wait until 2027 to reveal the contents, we'll have to wait for more information till then. It's not unusual for people in the public eye to set a time limit on the opening of their papers to scholars or the general public since at that future date, most, if not all of the people directly effected by the contents of the papers are likely to be gone. Maybe the delightful actress just wanted to shape her public image her way for a bit longer. Now if only her appearances in various small parts could have been expanded. She always left 'em wanting more of her company, didn't she?

If you'd like to see the UW's list of her papers and a lecture by Mary Wickes with the very promising title of "The Draft of an Open Mind" (nice!), you can access it here.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

I just read her lecture at Washington University and it was great.
Thanks for the link, Moira.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi,

First - the Sinatra's, all of them - - YUCK......

Second - Norma & Gary - - I surmise that he was visiting her as a rouse on the photographer.
Why - because in the background is the Countess Dorothy di Frasso, who he was 'bumpsining' to put it politely; and he didn't want to be seen with her for fear of his wife and the press....

Third - I was once told that brassierless cups a la Miss Bara were kept on by a tree resin called "ungantine", which was natural, non-poisonous and didn't chafe.... Crazy glue without all the sticky problems.
Betty Blythe told me this and she should know; have you ever seen some of her silent movies or even the pictures from them. Very little of Betty was covered!!!
And, I've been snuggled in those busoms and they weren't chafed...

Larry

[mongoII]

Thanks Christy, glad you like the candids. Also appreciate the King Vidor info.

JohnM, the 4 times married and remote Keir Dullea has apparently matured in his old age.

Klondike, now that I think of it that 3 stooges image is a gem...a keeper.
One thing for sure, Brenda Marshall certainly has a hold on you.
Your Reagan and MM caption was a corker. I have to restrict myself from some of the captions I'd like to use...but can't.

Moira, thanks for supplying the info regarding the papers of our beloved Mary Wickes. The article was most interesting.

Larry, as usual your tidbit about Gary Cooper raised some eyebrows. I went back to the image to see who this Countess di Frasso was...ah.
I got a look a Betty Blythe too and will be posting a picture of her soon.

[Vecchiolarry]

Hi Joe,

I thought you knew who the Countess was but then realized that not everybody knows the people on the fringes of Hollywood & showbusiness.
Dorothy was an American heiress, who married an Italian Count - he for the money, she for the title - and they both lead separated lives.
She hooked up with Gary Cooper in between Clara Bow, Lupe Valez, his wife and then later Patricia Neal.
Dorothy also carried on with Cary Grant, Randolph Scott and Bugsy Siegal.
She died on a train from Las Vegas to LA around 1954, I think on New Years Day (?) and her house (one street over southeast from ours) was bought by Jose Iturbi...

She was a very good friend to Nell and me and also Marion Davies and Mae Murray...
She was loud and swore like crazy and nobody could dance or party like her. She was very generous to loads of people and gave vast sums to charities "to make up for all my sins!!"......

My favourite memory of her is when she'd start talking about Mussolini and "his tiny little wienie"...
She often stated that only she had 'screwed' the only two Italians on Earth with small 'apendages' (only she used the "p" word) - her husband & Mussolini!!!

Larry

[mongoII]

Wow. Larry, the Countess was certainly a hoot. No doubt I would have enjoyed her company.
I read that she was only 66 when she died on a Union Pacific train from Las Vegas after celebrating New Year's Eve with Clifton Webb and some friends. She also spent time with Marlene Dietrich in her dressing room complaining that she didn't feel well.
When found on the train she was decked out in stunning evening clothes and a full length mink coat with jewelry worth over $250,000.

______________________________________________


Buster Keaton prepping for his career (still no smile).


Yul Brynner on the go in 1968.


An uncomfortable Spencer Tracy coping with an inebriated Montgomery Clift at the premier of "Judgment at Nuremberg" in Germany in 1961.


Spencer Tracy, Freddie Bartholomew & Lionel Barrymore in a still from "Captains Courageous".


Janet Leigh sporting shotgun underware.


Glenn Ford (in retirement) with his son Peter, daughter-in-law Lynda & 3 grandchildren.


The two Baby Jane's played by Bette Davis and Julia Allred in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" in 1962.


Robert Mitchum, Elizabeth Taylor & Lou Costello with kids at a chaity event.


Former actors Rand Brooks, Jane Withers & Jimmy Lydon getting together.


Pat O'Brien with his wife of 51 years Eloise in 1982. O'Brien died in 1983 at age 83.


Unfortunate and troubled actress Gail Russell arrested on a DUI.


Essential actor Karl Malden 95 with a friend in 2007.


W.C. Fields with Gloria-Jean and Butch & Buddy at the pond by his home. In 1941 Anthony Quinn's 3 year old son Christopher drowned in the pond.


Bonita Granville, Tim Holt & director Edward Dmytryk on the set of "Hitler's Children".


Child star Natalie Wood ready for success.

[klondike]

In 1941 Anthony Quinn's 3 year old son Christopher drowned in the pond.

How very sad, & profoundly tragic, that must have been for the Quinns; I was going to ask who owned the property at the time, but on second thought, I don't think I want to know.

[Vecchiolarry]

Joe,

I forgot to tell you the most famous story about Gary & the Countess di Frasso:

Once when Gary Cooper was quite late on set, the director announced that Cooper was resting as he was quite tired.
It was at a time when Dorothy was pursuing him vehemently...
Tallulah Bankhead, when she heard this, commented:
"Oh Gary, poor darling, he must be 'di Frasso-ed' !!!!".......

Larry

[mongoII]

Larry, no doubt that Cooper was a very busy guy in more ways than one.
Only Tallulah could come up with such a gem.
_____________________________________________

Katharine Hepburn & Humphrey Bogart on location to film "The African Queen".


Our favorite 'witch' Margaret Hamilton signing autographs.


Pre-Code star Kay Francis knitting on the set.


Kirk Douglas fooling around on the set of "Champion" with Marilyn Maxwell.


Mae West chances getting splinters with Charlie McCarthy.


Errol Flynn and Bette Davis going cheek to cheek.


Grand composer Max Steiner (Oscar nominated 24 times).


Close friend Beau Bridges with Betty Garrett 89 on the town in 2008.


Lucille Ball embraces essential character actor William Frawley.


Lovely actress Dolores Hart. Left her career behind to become a nun in 1963.


Dolores Hart, Elvis Presley & Lizabeth Scott on the set of "Loving You."


Maria Cooper Janis, Mother Dolores & Patricia Neal at a function.


Reverend Mother Dolores at 69 speaks to raise awareness for
peripheral idiopathic neuropathy disorder of which she suffers.

[jdb1]

Third - I was once told that brassierless cups a la Miss Bara were kept on by a tree resin called "ungantine", which was natural, non-poisonous and didn't chafe.... Crazy glue without all the sticky problems.
Betty Blythe told me this and she should know; have you ever seen

So that's what unguantine is! Larry, you've brought back a Proustian/Actors Studio sense-memory for me. When I was a girl there was this antiseptic called Unguantine. It was at first a cream and used for burns. Then they made it into a spray. The selling point was that it wasn't not supposed to sting - at this time we still used iodine and mercurachrome for our boo-boos (remember? they made your skin orange). The thing is, this Unguantine had a very peculiar and unique odor, which I don't think I can even describe. I can't think of anything that smells similar I can compare it with. It was a medicinal smell, but it wasn't a bad smell, just --- unusual. Perhaps it was this tree resin that gave it its smell. It's all come back to me.

[knitwit45]

Judith, it smelled like petroleum and gasoline, and was a very "dry" smell. I remember when the tube and then spray bottle was out, you were deemed "wounded"! And the darn band-aids wouldn't stick to the surrounding skin if you got over enthusiastic applying it.

what a bunch of memories that brings back. I was the roller skating/ unguantine queen of the neighborhood!!!

[jdb1]

Judith, it smelled like petroleum and gasoline, and was a very "dry" smell. I remember when the tube and then spray bottle was out, you were deemed "wounded"! And the darn band-aids wouldn't stick to the surrounding skin if you got over enthusiastic applying it.


what a bunch of memories that brings back. I was the roller skating/ unguantine queen of the neighborhood!!!

Yes - I do think there was an element of gasoline to the smell. I was always fascinated by the name - 'Unguantine.' Or was it 'Unguentine?'

Yes, I just looked it up - it's 'Unguentine." That makes more sense - unguents and lotions and frankinsence and all. I can't post pictures easily from here, but here's a link to an ad for the product from the 1950s:

http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/pho ... 6422smgUhp

Strange that this ad doesn't even mention the "painless" aspect.

In any event, I liked the sound of it - so few words in English begin with 'ung.'

[mongoII]

Good Lord! I still have a red plastic spray bottle of Unguentine shaped like a fire extinguisher in my medicine cabinet. It was .98 cents.
Next time I have to paste on a pair of cups I'll remember to use it...yeah sure.