Marilyn Monroe in Amagansett, Long Island by Sam Shaw; May 1957
Today is Marilyn Monroe's birthday (June 1, 1926), so it seemed logical to do another Marilyn Monday. These fun, sunny pictures also happen to feature fashion that is on trend again, specifically the crop top.
Barbara Stanwyck Noted for her help to newcomers in Hollywood, has climbed right on the bandwagon for a guy who has never appeared in pictures – he’s George Gobel of television. Right now he’s the most talked about new personality in town and everyone seems to have discovered him at the same time. Finding a movie vehicle for his particular brand of comedy talent might prove to be a difficult task.
George Geobel (May 20, 1919 - Feb 24, 1991) was a hilarious comedian and actor. He started out as a child star on the radio. This only child initially intended to be a country music star, but that didn't quite work out, so he opted for comedy and excelled at it. During WWII he was a flight instructor which he famously made fun of in the fantastic Johnny Carson clip above. It makes me long for the days when late night comedians were actually funny. This clip feels like one big party.
Many people are most familiar with George Gobel's appearances on Hollywood Squares, where he made over 200 appearances. In 1954, he had his own show, The George Gobel Show, which is quite hilarious. The company he helped found, Gomalco, produced the first four years of the beloved TV show, Leave It to Beaver. Unfortunately, his talent did not translate to the movies as Barbara Stanwyck and many others wished. George had a wife, Alice, whom he was married to from December 13, 1942 until his death. They had three children together. Alice was often used as a topic of George's humor, as you can see in the clip from The George Gobel Show below.
Although I didn't realize it, I first encountered George Gobel in the Rankin Bass 1974 classic, Twas The Night Before Christmas. He voiced the lovable Father Mouse in the Christmas classic. Some people might also remember him as Mayor Harper in the 1981 TV series Harper Valley PTA.
A great George Gobel quote: "I've never been drunk, but I've often been overserved"
A bit of trivia, the "Lonesome George" is named after him (Gobel's nickname was "Lonesome George"). There is only 1 of this subspecies of Galapagos Tortoise. The tortoise is anywhere from 60 - 90 years old. There is a $10,000 reward for anyone who can find a female of the same species, so keep your eyes open!
"Barbara Stanwyck plays the oldest heroine ever depicted on the screen, a 100-year-old granny in Pioneer Woman. That might have been a tough job yesterday, but not now. They all look alike in slacks on Hollywood Boul" (Film Fun, 1941)
I looked everywhere for the film Pioneer Woman, and couldn't find anything with that title starring Barbara Stanwyck - or even everything near the year of publication with that title. Either the film was never made, or the title was changed to The Great Man's Lady (1942). In it, Barbara plays Hannah Sempler, a 100-year-old woman who tells the story of her life through flashbacks. Star crossed lovers, the Gold Rush, and the fabulous Stanwyck aging 80 years - how can you go wrong? The Great Man's Lady is appearing September 8, 2010 on TCM at 8 pm est and is available on The Barbara Stanwyck Collection.
Alan Hale Sr (February 10, 1892 - January 22, 1950) is probably best known as the father of Alan Hale Jr who was Skipper on Gilligan's Island. He was known as a great character actor, acting during both the silent and sound era in 107 films total.
Alan Hale Sr make a brief appearance in Hollywood Undressed, by masseuse Madame Sylvia. Alan was going to be a sailor in a film. He wanted to use Billy Boyd's sailor pants because Alan thought they were lucky. I wasn't able to determine which Billy Boyd he was referring to. There were two William Boyds acting during the time: William Boyd, most famous as Hopalong Cassidy; and William "Stage" Boyd who was arrested during prohibition for drugs and alcohol (incidentally adversely affecting both William Boyds because the newspapers would mix them up)
William Boyd, aka Hopalong Cassidy
William "Stage" Boyd with Barbara Stanwyck
Back to our story, Alan Hale didn't fit in Billy Boyd's sailor pants, so masseuse Madame Sylvia began working on Alan - but only did one side before Gloria Swanson dragged her away. As we know from previous posts, Gloria got top priority with Madame Sylvia. Madame Sylvia wrote, "To this day he claims that his two halves don't match" (Hollywood Undressed, Page 131).
Some Alan Hale Sr Trivia:
Was buds with Errol Flynn and had supporting roles or cameos in 13 of Errol's films
He holds the record for appearing as Little John in separate film productions: 3
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William Boyd, aka Hopalong Cassidy
