An Andrews Winter Vacation

Mary, Dana, and children

Dana Andrews is one of my favorite actors.  His voice is amazing!  Not only was he great on film, but he was amazing on the radio.  As you all know, I'm addicted to Old Time Radio, and he stars in I Was a Communist for the F.B.I., a fantastic show with definite insight into the times.  He also starred in the noir classic Laura, which one of my favorite films.  

Dana, Mary, and daughter Katharine

These photographs are from a 1947 winter vacation he took with his family.  It looks very fun.  On a side note, I love the winter posters on the walls in the above picture.  I wish advertisement today even half that beautiful today.

Family Roughhousing

Dana, his wife Mary, sons David and Stephen, and daughter Katharine, look like they are having a wonderful time.  I wish I could have that much fun in this cold weather.  I guess I'd rather burrow under the covers and wait until spring.

Buster Keaton at home

Buster enjoying a good book

I love pictures of stars reading.  Not the beach reads you often see stars reading today, but actual literature.  And how cool is the fireplace in Buster's home?  You don't often think of a comedian as an intellectual, so I find this photo particularly interesting.

Buster and his dog

And who could resist these two?  Definitely another case of a dog and his owner looking alike.  Kindred spirits.

A Few Burlesque Beauties

Sally Rand 1938

Rita Boss

Yummy Atlas Flour

1908

Doesn't this girl look pleased as punch to be advertising Atlas Flour?  Must be tasty if it gets such a reaction.  

Another happy camper

This girl doesn't seem any more pleased to be eating Atlas Flour.  Who thought up this advertising campaign? Let's show people how delicious the food is by featuring sad children.  While they are cute, I'm not so sure about Atlas Flour's edibility.  

Atlas Flour Fire

Atlas Flour was destroyed by fire on December 11, 1926.  The damage was valued at $100,00.  Twelve fire trucks and several fire boats were required to quell the blaze.  While the building and the main elevator were destroyed, $235,000 worth of oats were saved.

Atlas Flour Fire

Nuggets of Note - December 31, 2012

Mary Pickford and Her Flower

The Daily Mirror features Flowers Names After Stars

Cecil B DeMille's Christmas Card

Some great Christmas related posts:
The 1914 Christmas Truce on Today I Found Out
Origin of NORAD Tracking Santa on Mental Floss
Very cool story about the First Christmas Recording.  It's so cool to hear a family celebrating Christmas over 100 years ago
Cecile B. DeMille's Christmas Card on Confessions of a Bookplate Junkie

Dorothy Gish of MY HERO and AN UNSEEN ENEMY

Immortal Ephemera features Movie Ads from Christmas 1912


Los Angeles Morgue Files features: Norma Talmadge, Florence Lawrence

Fleischmann's Mixer's Manual

Leave it to Letterology to come up with some great Mixology for New Year's  


Part 2 on Aldo Ray is delightful on Movie Morlocks

A gorgeous 1840s Astronomy book on BiblioOdyssey


Some cool homes on Daytonian in Manhattan include: the 1926 Scientific American Building, Wm. Barnard House, 


I wish I had received even one of these Best Movie Books of 2012 on San Francisco Silent Film Festival

Marilyn Monroe FBI Document

And of course there is the recently released FBI Files about Marilyn Monroe


Deja View has some cool initial sketches of Amelia and Abigail Gabble from the Aristocats

Artifact of the Day - WWI Red Cross Sewing Kit

WWI Red Cross Sewing Kit

A soldier's 'housewife' sewing kit for repairing cloth items in the field. The kit contains two strips of miniature American flags in addition to safety pins and cloth patches. It ties closed with cloth tape

Collections Online : mnhs.org

WWI Red Cross Sewing Kit

What a patriotic way to do a little mending.  It almost inspires me to finish my mending!  (Almost, but not quite).  I think it's so cool that something like this survived.  I imagine there was a lot of time between fighting, and not much to do, so a little mending certainly could be something to keep one busy.  I find it fascinating that there is hardly any brown cloth, and more than enough American Flags.  Armies today seems more concerned with camouflage, than country designation.  

Christmas Truce; 1914

During Christmas, when I think WWI, I always think of that magic Christmas where some laid down their arms and celebrated together.  If only we could have such a Christmas Truce today.  It's one of the reasons I love history, and it truly was humanity at its best.

Vintage Christmas Homes

1950

1935

1937

Vintage Christmas - Street Decorations

1924

It's fun to see streets change through time.  I thought I'd take a look at how Christmas decorations changed on one street through time.  These photographs are of Nicollet Avenue in nearby Minneapolis.  I wish these kinds of decorations were still put up.  My favorite photo has to be 1937.  The sunburst star is quite striking.  What a glorious drive it must have been! 

1934

1937

1938

Film Review - Impact

Impact (1949) stars Brian Donlevy, Ella Raines, Charles Coburn, Helen Walker, and Anna May Wong.  Donlevy's character, Walter Williams, is told by his wife, played by Helen Walker to pick up an alleged relative and give them a lift.  Unfortunately for Williams, the man is not a relative, but his wife's lover who attempts to kill him.

Impact 

The lover is killed instead, but everyone thinks Williams is the dead one.  Donlevy's character basically starts a new life - allowing everyone to think he's dead.  His wife is charged with his murder, he feels guilty, comes forward, and is then charged with the lover's murder.

Impact Lobby Card

Generally a good noir.  Donlevy was amazing and definitely carried the film.  There was twist after twist, so I think it could have had several different endings.  Ella Raines, as the love interest, wasn't that great.  I'm not sure why she gets such good press in the old mags I read.  She was decent, but I can imagine a lot of different actresses in that role.  Coburn was good as the detective and Helen Walker was great as the wife.  It was also cool to see a film with Anna May Wong in it.  I've seen stunning photos of her, but had yet to see her act.  She did a good job in this film.  Would probably have been a forgettable film without the amazing acting of Brian Donlevy.  Frankly, I have yet to see a film where Donlevy isn't amazing.



Flapper Scale - 7 out of 10 Bobs
Famous Line - "Impact, the force with which two lives come together. Sometimes for good, sometimes for evil." - Opening Lines of the Film - Narration.

Andre Brule

Andre Brule

My post yesterday referenced perfect-kisser Andre Brule.  Brule was a French Theatre and Film Actor.  He was born Andre Greely in Bordeaux, France September 26, 1879.  

Ghislaine Dommanget

He was married to French comedy actress Ghislaine Dommanget, who eventually would marry Louis II of Monaco.  

Andre Brule

Andre is most famous for originating the role of Arsene Lupin on the stage in 1908.  Andre Brule died February 14, 1953 in France