Time Machine to the Twenties: July 2009

Friday, July 31, 2009

Favorite Foods of Famous Stars Adrienne Ames

This beauty is Adrienne Ames. Pretty decent meal plan. The Ginger Snacks sound good. Click on the picture to get the recipes.

She graced the screen in only about 30 films, dying of cancer at the ripe old age of 40 in 1947. Depressing. One of her claims to fame was being one of the best dressers in the States. I can see why. She was stunning!

Check out her in the trailor for Women Wanted:

Vintage Inspiration July 31st

I know you all have seen this one probably a ton of times, but this is one of my favs. Love Jeanne Crain and her luck is just summer itself.

Favorite Foods of Famous Stars 1

Found this way fun cookbook from 1934, Favorite Foods of Famous Stars

It was published by a refrigerator company, so naturally there are a lot of recipes that need refrigeration

Not a lot of the people in here are really seen as major stars today, but some are still remembered. I will post more pages in the future. Click on the pictures to enlarge them.

For a Little Leon Errol, check out him attempting to post a letter from a 1930 film. From what I could find, it seemed like he frequently was the comedic drunk.

Mad Menning Myself

Was having some issues trying to get it to download properly (waited like 1/2 hour), anyway this is how I would look on Mad Men. Always the sensible gal, almost everyday I just pull my hair back in a pony tail and wear sensible clothes to work (way boring, I know). And like most in the Mad Men world, I need a cocktail when I get home from work. You'd be surprised how stressful libraries are.

Hollywood Quiz 1

Thought I'd post some Hollywood trivia. I will give the answers next week. No prizes unfortunately since I'm broke :( but pride is on the line. These questions come from the April 1940 issue of Photoplay. Remember, the were current as of 1940, so if they had more wives or something later, it doesn't count. Unless noted, pick only 1 of the 4 choices as your answer. If you want the bragging rights, leave your answers in a comment. I will highlight the winner's blog in a future post.

1. Samuel Goldwyn, after seeing this star's screen test, told him to go home and gain weight: instead he signed with MGM:

Henry Fonda Jimmy Stewart David Niven Robert Taylor

2. One of this shy star's favorite hobbies is playing the ukulele:

Ronald Colman Jane Bryan Greta Garbo Paul Muni

3. He was once a member of the King of England's personal bodyguard:

Ray Milland Errol Flynn Basil Rathbone Edward Arnold

4. Two of these directors are famous for the way they murder the English language:

Michael Curtis Frank Capra Woody Van Dyke Gregory Ratoff

5. Irene Dunne is married to:

Arthur Hornblow Dr Francis Griffin Bob Howard J.Walter Ruben

6, This studio uses the trademark of Leo the Lion on its pictures:

Warner Brothers RKO-Radio Columbia Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

7. Two of these stars have just recently secured divorces:

Brenda Joyce Ann Sothern Penny Singleton Madeleine Carroll

8. This film beauty is considered the best cook in Hollywood:

Priscilla Lane Marlene Dietrich Rosalind Russell Ginger Rogers

9. This actress made the song, "My Heart Belongs to Daddy," famous:

Ethel Merman Mary Healy Mary Martin Gloria Jean

10. Noted for his gangster roles, this actor is famous for his art collection:

George Raft James Cagney Humphrey Bogart Edward G. Robinson

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 30th

When I was cleaning my house one day, we found what I believe to be the original chandelier for my 1920s Bungalow (If it's a later design, please let me know)

My very cool Uncle Danny, who is an electrician, rewired it and installed it where there used to be nasty track lighting, that coincidentally was wired wrong (dodged a bullet there)

So aside, from tracking down one of those white candle thingies to replace the one missing one, everything is perfect

Totally made my living room much more elegant

Wondering if this last one shows the ghost in my house :)

Dr Eddy's Question of the Day 1

Vintage Good Housekeeping issues had a section where you could as Dr Eddy questions about food, sanitation, and health. This one is from the 1930s:

Q: "Could you tell me what you consider the best time for drinking water?" - J.I.

A: "At one time it was customary to inveigh against drinking water at meals. A series of tests was conducted at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, and it was demonstrated that there is absolutely no harm in this practice provided the water is not drunk for the sake of washing down food that should be chewed before it is swallowed. In other words, the mixing of water with the properly masticated food that we eat is helpful rather than harmful"

"You should drink at least a quart of water a day, and, with the above comment in mind, it will make little difference when that is taken. A large amount of water drunk just before going to bed tends to fill the bladder and may disturb sleep."

I have to say, I had no idea that water was dangerous, or that there was a specific time you were supposed to drink. Good old 1930s, I wish I had worries like this instead of modern troubles.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 29th

Ruth Chatterton made her mark in Hollywood in the 1930s

For a bio check out: http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=32754&apid=136763&category=filmography&action=more

While her career was relatively short, she made some great films including: Dodsworth (1936), Frisco Jenny (1933) and Madame X (1929)

Ruth Chatterton's Home today (704 N. Palm Drive, Beverly Hills, CA) from Google Maps

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 28th

Today would have been silent screen star Barbara La Marr's (1896-1926) birthday

Her beauty was so beloved by Louis B. Mayer, that she became the inspiration for Hedy Lamarr's name

Known as "The Girl Who Is Too Beautiful", she partied a little too hard and passed away at 29 of tuberculosis

For a bio, check out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_La_Marr

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 26th

Wish I could spend my Sundays like this instead of cleaning. Sigh . . .

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 25th

My pumpkin plant is starting to flower. Gorgeouos! Since I have such bad luck with plants, I'm surprised the pumpkin made it.

Vintage Inspiration July 24th

I love Constance Bennett. I know most people only remember Joan, but Constance was just as good an actress. Very intelligent.

She was also a very devoted mother, of course

She also had some major drama in her life including:

Accepted the role of Ellie Andrews in It Happened One Night (1934), but later turned it down when Columbia Pictures would not allow her to produce the film herself.

Her 1931 contract with Warner Brothers, $300,000 for 2 films. At the time this made her the highest paid actress.

Constance was considered one of the best poker players in Hollywood

As a colonel's wife and in recognition of her work for the Berlin Airlift, she is buried in Arlington National Cemetery

Bennett eloped with millionaire socialite Philip Morgan Plant (died 1941) in 1925, they divorced in 1929. In 1932, Bennett brought back from Europe a three-year-old child, whom she claimed to have adopted and named Peter Bennett Plant. In 1942, however, during a battle over a large trust fund established to benefit any descendants of her former husband, Bennett announced that her adopted son actually was her natural child by Plant, born after the divorce and kept hidden in order to ensure that the child's biological father did not get custody. During the court hearings, the actress told her former mother-in-law and her husband's widow that "if she got to the witness stand she would give a complete account of her life with Plant. The matter was settled out of court (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constance_Bennett)

And last but not least, one of my favorite beauty routines. I love when they play this on TCM. Not only does it give a window into the life of one of my favorite stars, but her house is gorgeous and it is wonderful to view true beauty in real time

And so, as Constance Bennett says, "To be Beautiful and Natural is the Birthright of Every Woman"

Have a Beautiful day Ladies and Gents!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 23

Today or tomorrow (depending on which bio you look at) is Arthur Treacher's birthday

He was in many of Shirley Temple movies including two of my absolute favorites, Heidi and Little Princess

He was also seen as the perfect butler, so he played that role in many of his films

Here are a few pictures from Life taken in 1966 with caricatures of himself from his early films and demonstrating how to be the perfect butler

Bio of Arthur Treacher:

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0871546/bio

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Vintage Inspiration July 22nd

TCM had a bunch of Saint movies on this afternoon, so of coarse I was glued to my set. George Sanders has such a different way of portraying the Saint from Vincent Price (The Saint on the radio). I have to admit, I still prefer Price. That voice . . .

Anyway, one of the films was Saint in London from 1939. It naturally contained espionage and counterfeiters. The "Girl Friday" to George Sanders' Saint was Penelope Parker, played by Sally Gray.

I had never heard of her. With B pictures, that is only natural I suppose. It turns out she was not in films that long.

For a Bio, check out:

http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/participant.jsp?spid=75611&apid=137622

She ended up marrying a Lord and retiring

As a side note, her stepson inspired a part of The Beatles song "A Day in the Life". He was the lad who crashed his car.

Dillinger 75th Anniversary

Today is the 75th Anniversary of the death of John Dillinger

He was shot down July 22, 1934 in front of the Biograph Theater

Newsreel with the body. WARNING - GRAPHIC

This is a fabulous book written by local Crime History God Paul Maccabee. It covers Dillinger's time hiding out in the corrupt St Paul of the bootlegger days when the law was on the take. Every once in a while he hosts tours of the sites. Unfortunately it always seems like I have to work those days. Sigh...