Besides stamps, my other fascination is the American silent movie era of the 1920′s, and one day I came across an envelope that brought these two things together.
The small, three by five, plain white envelope was postmarked at Hilo, Hawaii, on Nov. 11, 1920, with postage paid for with a common two-cent carmine Washington definitive (#528, A140, Type Va, 11 perf). In just about every way it was a common cover, but immediately I took notice of the address.
It was addressed to a “Lila Lee” in New York and then forwarded to another address in Hollywood. The more I thought about it, the more I suspected that this simple envelope had a story to tell.
Lila Lee was a Silent Era movie star who appeared in 74 films. Her long career spanned vaudeville, silent films and pre-war Hollywood. Born Augusta Appel in Union Hill, NY, on July 25, 1901 into a vaudevillian family, Lila began singing and dancing on stage at a very young age and by the time she was 13 she was on Broadway performing in her well-know role as “Cuddles.”
Lila made her silent screen debut in 1918 with “The Cruise of the Make-Believe.” During her career, Lila mainly played supporting roles and was usually cast as a mother, sister or wife. Though she was not considered a top-shelf star, she was easily one of the most recognizable faces on the silver screen.
Her best-known role came in 1922 when she played Valentino’s suffering wife Carmen in “Blood and Sand,” and her career continued when Pictures learned to talk. Her other notable roles were in “Country Gentlemen” (’36), “Unholy Three” with Lon Chaney, Jr. (’30) and “Flight” with director Frank Capra (’29).
In 1936 Lila Lee retired from 19 years in the movies and went back to Broadway. She reportedly suffered from periodic bouts of tuberculosis and in 1973 she passed away at age 72 in Saranac Lake, NY.
Lila Lee’s life appeared in a book and was dramatized for the stage by her son Jack Kirkwood, Jr., in “There Must Be A Pony.” (He, himself, is best know for winning a Tony and a Pulitzer Prize in 1976 for his libretto for “A Chorus Line,” the long-running Broadway musical.)
Lila Lee’s first important role was in the 1919, 9-reeler “Male and Female.” Gloria Swanson plays haughty Lady Lasenby, and Lila Lee is Tweeny, the young scullery maid, secretly in love with the butler. They are shipwrecked on a deserted island along the butler and several others of the nobility.
The movie’s a romantic fantasy of forbidden love between the Lady and the butler, while the pure Tweeny carries the torch for him. At the time, the movie was a great hit and was notable for a scene in which a real-life lion lies on top of Swanson and roars.
The barriers between the upper-lower classes, male-female, break down, but are quickly repaired when they’re rescued. The Lady marries a Lord, and the butler finally realizes that Tweeny is his true love. They marry and live in bliss on a ranch in the Rocky Mountains.
I won’t lie to you. When people ask me who my favorite classic actress is, I tell them it’s Babs. I could sit and watch her read from the Windows98 Users Manual. But why have I waited until now to do a tribute page? I guess I just didn’t feel I could do her justice. But with the 10th anniversary of her death coming up on January 20th (a date which she shares with Audrey Hepburn), it was time to take the plunge.
What is it about Barbara Stanwyck that, for me, lifts her a notch above her contemporaries? Besides her voice and her face (and her legs), I think it was the fact that she could do anything, from goofy comedy (The Lady Eve ) to utter tragedy (Stella Dallas) and everything in between. She was one of the most talented and ahead-of-her-time actresses Hollywood ever produced, and the greatest “tough broad” in classic film — not to mention on TV.
Stanwyck’s life wasn’t very different from many of the characters she played. She started out as an orphan named Ruby Stevens, worked in a factory, and by 1944 had become the highest-paid woman in America. While best known for films like Annie Oakley, Ball of Fire, Double Indemnity, The Lady Eve, and Stella Dallas, and later for her role in TV’s Big Valley, Barbara first made her mark in a series of pre-Code films like Night Nurse and Ladies They Talk About, where she honed her skills and her toughness. (The photo at the top of this page is from that era.) If you haven’t seen any of those early films, be sure to buy or rent them, or watch for them on TV. Talk about rising above your material!
She was also a true professional, with a reputation as a director’s actress. Though nominated for the Best Actress Oscar four times, she never won. Her awards came later in her career, with Emmys and Golden Globes for her TV roles in Big Valley, The Thorn Birds, and The Barbara Stanwyck Show.
As I said last year at this time, the word “tribute” might be a misnomer. My goal is to create comprehensive Web “pages” for as many classic stars and directors as possible, both for those who recently died as well as those who are still living and might be able to appreciate the effort.
These pages include links to every dedicated tribute site, every page from major sites like the Internet Movie Database, reviews of their most important films, places to purchase those films, sources of posters, photos, and collectibles, fan club addresses, and fan mail addresses, if appropriate — plus a few words from yours truly. (more…)
Modern audiences know Joan Crawford mostly from her later roles, in which she often played unglamourous or unsympathetic characters, or from what she freely admitted were some bad films, done out of boredom or for the money, or both. Like Bette Davis, her features did not exactly soften as she aged, and the release of a nasty biography and a popular biopic after her death didn’t help matters, either. (more…)
In Marley & Me, their next film, the two actors share a torrid scene. Owen Wilson, who has appreciated, and said without taboo.
Did you like Jennifer Aniston (nearly) nude in Friends? You like it even more in Marley & Me. In this film by David Frankel (The Devil dressed in Prada), the Blondinette is wearing Eve in the arms of Owen Wilson. Nothing surprising so far, the two actors are on screen husband and wife.
“We were almost naked. It was one of my favorite scenes rotate. Although this is part of my work, it should still be paste (poor N D L R). The cameramen have postponed all their attention on Jennifer Aniston, rather than on their cameras, “he told amused by issuing American Entertainment Tonight.
“We worked all night on this stage, but after we have made only one catch. With Jen, it was a little “Go get down to work,” said the little joker. Suffice it to say that this sketch should be more real than life.
Laurence Boccolini turned the page of the weak link and channel TF1. If comedy was beginning to interest her, she finally decided to abandon its role in Mademoiselle Joubert, as we had announced in the article that you can read by clicking here. Therefore it is now turning the animation.
Having hosted various programs on other channels, the host returns to TMC submit Fans of 80s. (more…)
She said: “The most important thing for me is to try to see my son grow up safe and have a happy life. To me it’s enough. The family is the most important thing for me. I am truly blessed. I have wonderful children, healthy and funny and a good husband. Becoming a mother made all the difference in terms of responsibilities in my life. Being a parent has changed my way of doing things. “
While Jennifer and Paul have a successful career, or Kai, whose father is photographer David Dugan, Stellan do not want to follow in their footsteps. (more…)
She said: “I do not want to be bored. I can get bored very easily, so I like intellectual men … People who can keep TOUJOUSE me intrigued.”
The beautiful blonde, who split from American football player Tony Romo in July, also revealed she wanted to be inspired by his next romance.
Jessica, who had first married kailey Nick said: “I defeated the men of art, someone who really understands his art. I like confident men.” (more…)
Lopez accuses Noa and another defendant, Ed Meyer, of producing and marketing a proposed feature film called ‘How I Married Jennifer Lopez: The JLo and Ojani Noa Story.’
The star singer and actress contends that such a project would violate a settlement agreement (containing non-disparagement and non-disclosure clauses) she and Noa entered into in 2005. (more…)
Melanie Lawrence plays the role of a musician in the concert. A film to see in theaters today.
Melanie Laurent registry changes for this new feature. In The Concert, the young woman plays a virtuoso of the musical classic. She was chosen to play alongside one of the Bolshoi orchestra during a performance at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris. (more…)
Efira Virginia, the former mistress of ceremonies for the New Star, made his film debut with a brainless bimbo role in The Whistler, the first feature film by Philippe Lefebvre, alongside Thierry Lhermite, Francois Berleand, Sami Bouajila, Testo Fred (Omar and Fred) and Clementine Celarie.
After the embarrassing failure of his show on Channel Almost Canal +, Virginia Efira takes off next film, with no fewer than three feature films in theaters in 2010: The love is best two of Dominique Farrugia, Dignitas with Benoit Poelvoorde and the chance of my life with François-Xavier Demaison. (more…)
Kourtney Kardashian should give birth to her first child with Scott Disick in December, and his sisters had planned a baby shower “brilliant, smart and cute.
Kourtney Kardashian will be the guest of honor at the party that her sisters have planned it for November 14. Kim and Khloe were all made to be sure that the evening will be memorable. The organizer of the event, Sharon Sacks, told X17 Online: “The magic words that I kept were cute, stylish and chic.” It found that the menu will include salad Chinese, which is to her “favorite dish of women”.
Kourtney Kardashian had invited about 75 of his relatives to celebrate the event. She recently said: “Many of my high school friends have babies, then I would urge them”.
Furthermore, preparations of the baby’s arrival gave ideas to his sister, Kim Kardashian, who comes to terms with the American football player Reggie Bush after a brief break. The young woman of 29 years said: “The family is the most important thing in my life. I’m still married to a child to my 30 years “.
Kate Hudson is not embarrassed to discuss the idea of his sexual life with his family, including her mother Goldie Hawn and stepfather Kurt Russell. His intimate relations with the champion baseball Yankees’ Alex ‘A-Rod’ Rodriguez were no longer a secret to them!
A source close to Kate Hudson told the magazine Us Weekly: “They love sex!” They talk all the time. Kate Hudson does not skimp on the details of the morphology of his companion, even with his parents. ” (more…)
Cheryl Cole, who met Beyonce when it made an appearance on The X Factor last year, said: “I became crazy when I met Beyonce for the first time I have unable to say a word. I was really embarrassed. When I then met Jay-Z, I had the same reaction. I do not know if it’s related to the fact that I were made whole idea, but when he approached me, I started to scream Jay-Z before him turn back. ” (more…)
Lindsay Lohan wants to be an example to his sister Ali, who began his career in Hollywood, and thinks she can have fun with it. The actress has already made three drug treatment to overcome his addiction to the alcohol and drugs, but she thinks her sister has enough personality to have the same mode of life that: “It is tougher than me . Her head on his shoulders. It may be different for me because I did not know what to expect and it all happened very quickly. I have had no big sister, “she said. (more…)
Charlize Theron has proposed a trip to South Africa to attend a match of World Cup 2010 Cup and a meeting with Nelson Mandela for 25 000 € and promised to kiss anyone who would raise the stakes.
About the offer of Jeremy Piven, after which two small roles in his Entourage series have sold for 187 000 €, Charlize Theron said: “For the love of God, you can do better than that! It is no question that I get out of here with a bid lower than Jeremy Piven. ” (more…)
A Los Angeles judge made the ruling on Friday, ordering Ivon Emilio Melo Miguel, 33, and Eduardo Cerri Arrivabene, 29, to stay at least 100 yards away from Richie and her two-year-old daughter Harlow, and her six-week-old son, Sparrow.
In court papers obtained by “The Insider,” Richie cites an October 5 car accident, claiming the photographers “caused a car collision, damaging my vehicle and injuring me while [they] were attempting to take photographs of my family and me.”
She adds, “I am fearful that this continued presence may cause yet another accident, this time with my infant children in the vehicle.”
She adds that the photogs’ alleged behavior causes “severe emotional distress both to myself and my family.”
Uma Thurman interprets Eliza Welch, a mother of two children in the film “Motherhood”, and she really liked the role because it brings back memories
Uma Thurman has not had trouble getting into the skin of the character of “Motherhood”, because she understands how hard it is to define when one becomes a parent. She told the magazine Ok! “The circumstances are different, but his concerns are the same as mine. Try to be real with yourself as a person and a woman and be a loving mother, and grow and find yourself, is the kind of things that must be faced. (more…)
Jessica Simpson went to Morocco for the filming of his new show “The Price of Beauty”, and was impressed by the local specialties.
Jessica Simpson remembered his stay in Morocco, since he proposed to enjoy a sandwich rather unusual in the brain. The singer told: “Someone threw a roll before me, and I had to make a sandwich in the brain. You know, this really is not something that I want to participate. (more…)
Catherine Frot, Albert Dupontel will be on show at the forthcoming film The Ugly. A duo like no other that should entertain you.
Albert Dupontel actor is also a director. After completing Bernie, The Creator or Locked outside, it comes with a very original comedy. His next film The Ugly, released November 25 in theaters.
Catherine Frot has been chosen to be his partner in this film. Both actor and director, he both directed and played with the actress. The actress performs a mother who seems very awkward. While she has no news of her son for several years, he returned home to hide. In fact, he spends his time pointing to the banks. (more…)
Lorie exchange registry. After the song and the television, the young woman was dubbed a famous Disney character: Tinker Bell.
Lorie likes the changes in his career. Having played the lead role in the TV movie fire and ice on TF1 and made an appearance in the fires of the love, the young woman had again agreed to lend his voice for a cartoon.
The singer had already tried this experiment by doubling the characters in Stuart Little 2 and The Incredibles. In this new role, she takes the guise of Tinkerbell. The famous friend of Peter Pan now has its own animated film. (more…)
Sexy celebs Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez showed their team spirit as they watched the New Orleans Saints take on the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
Kim’s boyfriend, Reggie Bush, plays for the Saints. The reality star posted some pics from the game on her Twitter, the first tweet reading, “At the Saints-Dolphins game with the stunning Jennifer Lopez!!!” (more…)