In Memorandum

Rest in Peace, Elizabeth Taylor

by Joi

Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor, 1963
Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor, 1963
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One of the most celebrated actresses of all time, the impossibly beautiful Elizabeth Taylor (1932-2011), died Wednesday morning in Los Angeles from complications with congestive heart failure; she was 79.

Elizabeth Taylor was one of the last remaining stars from the truly golden age of Hollywood.  The legendary beauty, actress, and activist earned two Academy Awards (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Butterfield 8) in her career and left her mark on the entertainment industry.  Many feel that she’s the actress who forced doors to open in Hollywood.  Her talent proved that an actress can be both beautiful and talented, sexy and strong, romantic and mysterious.

Apparently the actress had been hospitalized for the past few weeks and even celebrated her birthday on February 27th at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with friends and family. Her four children, two sons and two daughters, were by her side when she died.

Like so many of us, I can actually remember the first time I laid eyes on the strikingly beautiful brunette.  My dad was watching Cleopatra on television and, as I was walking through the living room, my eyes caught site of her in all of her Cleopatra regalia.  I just thought, Whoa.  She simply had an aura about her when she was on the screen – the kind that just dared you to look away.

While her millions of fans and her loving family will miss her, Elizabeth Taylor will never truly leave us.  She’ll live on in her memorable roles, her (outstanding!) perfumes, her gorgeous pictures, and – most importantly – in her tireless, passionate work she did for AIDS patients.  Now, as then, she dares anyone to look away.  And now, as then, it’s absolutely impossible.

Rest in peace.  You made the world a more beautiful place.

The Trailer for Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton’s Cleopatra:

Jane Russell’s Living Legacy: A Life Beautifully Lived

by Joi

Jane Russell Poster

The beautiful and sultry Jane Russell died Monday from Respiratory failure at the age of 89.   She became something of a pinup legend for World War II GIs!

Ernestine Jane Geraldine Russell was born on June 21, 1921 in Bemidji, Minnesota.   Her father was a US Army lieutenant and her mother was a drama student and aspiring actress.  Jane’s mother urged her to go to drama school and the rest (as corny as it sounds) is history.

Jane Russell skyrocketed to fame in the ’1940s after starring in Howard Hughes’ 1941 western, ‘The Outlaw.’    Another of her most popular movies was 1953′s ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’ alongside Marilyn Monroe.

More films followed – including two – Gentlemen Marry Brunettes (1955) and The Revolt of Mamie Stover (1956) – that Jane Russell fans especially applaud for highlighting more than her sex appeal.  These movies showed just what a fine actress she actually was.

Eventually, the movies kind of faded away – back then, an actress was nearly out of her prime if she was out of her 20s (thank God those days have changed!).  Jane’s name, face, and figure stayed in the public’s adoring eye in the 1970s when she became a spokesperson for Playtex bras. Many of us (myself, included) first knew Ms. Russell from these commercials.  When I first watched one of her older westerns with my dad, I asked him, “Isn’t that the bra lady?“  Dad: “Yes. She was an actress before she was the bra lady.”

The screen star was once married to pro football player Bob Waterfield. In 1968, their 24-year marriage ended in divorce. She then married actor Roger Barrett, who died three months later.Her third, and final, marriage was to developer John Peoples in 1978. He died in 1999 of heart failure.

After Jane Russell retired from the screen, she became active in her church and with favorite charitable foundations.

“She always said I’m going to die in the saddle, I’m not going to sit at home and become an old woman,” Russell’s daughter-in-law Etta Waterfield told the Associated Press. “And that’s exactly what she did, she died in the saddle.”

Survivors include her children, Thomas K. Waterfield, Tracy Foundas and Robert “Buck” Waterfield, six grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Jane Russell Trivia

  • She and husband Bob Waterfield adopted a baby girl, Tracy, in February of 1952
  • They adopted a 15-month-old British boy, Tommy Kavanaugh, in December of 1952.
  • Through her organization, World Adoption International Fund (WAIF), Russell has placed 51,000 children with adoptive families. (Talk about LIVING legacies!)
  • Jane Russells breasts are the namesake for ‘The Jane Russell Peaks’ in Alaska.
  • A born-again Christian, Jane Russell held weekly Bible studies at her home. These were attended by some of the industry’s biggest names.
  • Unable to bear children, she fought for the passage of the Federal Orphan Adoption Amendment of 1953, which allowed children of American servicemen born overseas to be placed for adoption in the United States.

Jane’s favorite book was the Bible and she read from it every single day.  I can’t help but smile when I think that this beautiful lady (inside and out) has now met the Author of the Book she cherished.

Jane Russell is yet another example of why Hollywood Yesterday exists – to keep the memories alive! When the memories are truly special, like the ones involving Jane Russell, it makes the walk down memory lane even sweeter. Jane Russell was a screen and pinup goddess but she was so much more than that. The way she stood up for what she believed in and fought for adoptive parents and children is a reminder to all of us that we, too, will one day leave a legacy.

Here’s hoping it’ll be even half as sweet as the bra lady‘s.

My Favorite Johnny Cash Videos – You’ll Love These

by Joi

I’ve gotten to the point where I can’t get through the day without a little (or a lotta) Johnny Cash in the background. Great music – and what a voice!

If you’re a huge Johnny Cash fan – you’re sure to love the Johnny Cash T-Shirts below, not to mention the videos! If you’re pretty new to Johnny Cash music, sit back and enjoy – I know you’ll be a huge fan in no time at all.

You won’t be able to help yourself, once the man in black casts his spell, you’re done for.

Johnny Cash - Cash & King

Johnny Cash – Cash & King T-Shirt
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Women's: Johnny Cash - Folsom Stripes
Women’s: Johnny Cash – Folsom Stripes T-Shirt
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Johnny Cash - Cash Flippin'
Johnny Cash – Cash Flippin’ T-Shirt
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Johnny Cash - Songs
Johnny Cash – Songs T-Shirt
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Johnny Cash - Cash Label
Johnny Cash – Cash Label T-Shirt
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Lovable Tom Bosley Dies at 83

by Joi


“The Other Richie Cunningham, Part 1″

You couldn’t possibly watch Tom Bosley smile without breaking out into a smile yourself.  I was as big a fan of Happy Days as anyone and Tom Bosley and Marion Ross were two of the biggest reasons. Marion and Howard were so unbelievably cute and “frisky.”

In my opinion, they were amongst the best tv parents ever. The chemistry was just off the charts.

Sadly, Tom Bosley died on Tuesday at his home in Palm Springs, his family told TMZ. According to the report, Bosley had been battling a staph infection. He was 83.


“The Other Richie Cunningham, Part 2″

The lovable actor’s agent, Sheryl Abrams, told the AP that Bosley died of heart failure at 4AM Tuesday. She says he was also battling lung cancer.

Tom Bosley was born in Chicago in 1927.  He served in the Navy during World War II, then gravitated toward acting.

Before he was cast in the role he’d forever be associated with (Happy Days), Tom Bosley appeared in Bewitched, The Mod Squad, Get Smart, ER, The Love Boat, Hotel, Perry Mason, Love, American Style, and others.  In 1974 he landed the role of the wise, compassionate, and “frisky” father and husband Howard Cunningham on Happy Days.   He starred alongside Henry Winkler, Ron Howard and Marion Ross, his onscreen wife.

I vividly recall his Bewitched appearance.  He was hilarious as Esmerelda’s old boyfriend Ferdy. Esmerelda thinks she has to get her act together to impress Ferdy, but little does she realize Ferdy’s not much of a warlock!

I also fondly remember him as the voice of David the Gnome, one of my children’s favorite shows (and mine as well, if you want to know the truth! Dora had nothing on David).

Happy Days ran for 11 seasons and will forever be fondly remembered by those of us who grew up with the show.  Happy Days launched the also successful Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy.

Many actors (with the exception of, say, Andy Griffith with The Andy Griffith Show and Matlock) have one role of a lifetime.  However, in 1984, Tom Bosley hit the jackpot again with another great series, Murder, She Wrote.  As the wonderful Sheriff Amos Tupper he starred alongside Angela Lansbury.

After Murder, She Wrote, Bosley starred as the title character in Father Downing Mysteries from 1987 to 1991.

Ron Howard (Richie Cunningham), tells PEOPLE, “Tom’s insight, talent, strength of character and comic timing made him a vital central figure in the Happy Days experience. A great father and husband, and a wonderful artist, Tom led by example, and made us all laugh while he was doing it. My last conversations with Tom reflected the love of life and peace of mind that he always maintained throughout his full and rewarding life. I miss him already.”

Henry Winkler (Fonzie) tells TMZ how impressed he was by Bosley on Broadway. “And then I got to act with him for 10 years and he was great. Tom Bosley was our mentor. He was a true artist … a great husband, and a fabulous father and grandfather. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten.”

Scott Baio (Chachie) adds: “He was a good man who taught me a lot about the business and business itself. He was a professional guy … I’m sad.”

Tom Bosley’s last appearance on film or television was in the 2010 comedy ‘The Back-up Plan’ with Jennifer Lopez.

Tom Bosley is survived by his second wife, Patricia Carr, and a daughter, Amy.

The wonderful thing about actors and actresses is that their work lives on long after they’ve left us.  Tom Bosley will be making people laugh and smile for years and years and years.  As I’ve said before, I can think of no better legacy than that.

RIP Tom Bosley, but Long Live Howard Cunningham, David the Gnome, Father Dowling, and Ferdy the warlock.


“The Other Richie Cunningham, Part 3″

Framed Ray Charles Art Print

by Joi

Ray Charles at the City Center Arena, Seattle, 1966

Ray Charles at the City Center Arena, Seattle, 1966 Framed Art Print
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Ray Charles would have been 80 years old this year and there’s no doubt in my mind he would have still been smiling and making music!

Come to think of it… isn’t he? Whenever you see a picture of the legendary singer, he’s smiling and if you want to hear one of his heartfelt songs, they’re always within reach.

In fact, there’s a Ray Charles song very much within reach right now! To celebrate his 80th birthday, his life, and his legacy, a free Ray Charles song download is offered to fans. What a beautiful way to keep the music alive. Just click HERE for more information.

Ray Charles Sings America the Beautiful unlike anyone else ever could:

Remembering the One and Only Rue McClanahan

by Joi

“People always ask me if I’m like Blanche. And I say, ‘Well, Blanche was an oversexed, self-involved, man-crazy, vain Southern Belle from Atlanta — and I’m not from Atlanta!’” - Rue McClanahan

One of my personal favorite entertainers ever, Rue McClanahan, passed away from a stroke on June 3. Best known as the sexy Blanche Devereaux on Golden Girls, Rue also appeared on Maude as Vivian Cavender Harmon and Mama’s Family as Aunt Fran Crowley. Another early role was on the hugely popular All in the Family.

This hilarious and talented actress was born in 1934 in Oklahoma. In addition to her wonderful work on television, Rue McClanahan was also very well known (and respected) for her charitable work. She lent her hand to organizations fighting against cancer, AIDS, and cruelty against animals.

She was married to her sixth husband, actor Morrow Wilson, at the time of her death.

Did You Know?

  • In 1997, Rue was diagnosed with cancer. She had a lumpectomy and five months of chemotherapy.
  • Was of Scot-Irish and Choctaw Indian ancestry
  • Played the same character, Blanche Devereaux, on four different TV series: “The Golden Palace” (1992), “The Golden Girls” (1985), “Nurses” (1991), and “Empty Nest” (1988).
  • Was a vegan.
  • Oddly enough, Betty White was originally considered for the role of  Blanche, on “The Golden Girls”. However, Betty had already been the sexy Sue Ann Nivens on “Mary Tyler Moore” while Rue had played the rather shy and unassuming Vivian on “Maude”. It was thought best not to typecast these two actresses by having them portray similar characters. So, Betty got the part of naive Rose Nylund and Rue played the sex-crazy Blanche!  It’s impossible to imagine it any other way.

It’s pretty depressing that two of the past posts on Hollywood Yesterday are centered around stars we’ve recently lost. But that’s really the whole idea behind Hollywood Yesterday – I wanted a place where the stars, movies, and shows of yesterday could live on forever and continue to touch lives.

This way we never really have to say goodbye. Mostly just, “Thanks.” And to Rue, of course, we have to add, “Thank you for being a Friend.”

Remembering the Life of Dennis Hopper

by Joi

Dennis Hopper, Rolling Stone no. 56, April 1970
Dennis Hopper, Rolling Stone no. 56, April 1970 Photographic Print
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The talented and controversial actor Dennis Hopper passed away recently (April 29, 2010).  His career, like most careers marked by drug and/or alcohol abuse, was pretty much a roller-coaster ride – one which left his fans wondering what all he could have accomplished if not for his demons.

The ruggedly handsome Dennis Hopper was born on May 17, 1936, in Dodge City, Kansas. He knew, at a very young age, that he wanted to be an actor and appeared in a lot of 1950s television shows, such as “Medic” (1954), “Cheyenne” (1955) and “Sugarfoot” (1957).

His first film role was in Johnny Guitar (1954), which was quickly followed by roles in Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956) and Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957).  Dennis Hopper became good friends with James Dean, his co-star in Rebel and Giant.  He reportedly was shattered when Dean was killed in the infamous car crash in September of 1955.

Dennis Hopper portrayed a young Napoléon Bonaparte in The Story of Mankind (1957), but, in my opinion,  was at his most deliciously entertaining portraying villains in westerns such as True Grit (1969) and Hang ‘Em High (1968).

In 1969, Dennis Hopper and fellow actor Peter Fonda teamed with writer Terry Southern to write a road movie script. Hopper directed the low-budget film, titled Easy Rider (1969), which starred Fonda, Hopper and a young Jack Nicholson. The film was a huge success.

Hopper admitted that during the 70s he seriously abused various substances, both legal and illegal. Naturally, none of this led to anything good. He appeared in a couple of forgettable European films over the next eight years, before pulling himself up by the bootstraps with a memorable performance alongside Marlon Brando and Martin Sheen in Francis Ford Coppola’s Vietnam War epic Apocalypse Now (1979).

He also received acclaim for his work in both acting and direction for Out of the Blue (1980).

In the 80s, Dennis Hopper faced his addictions to drugs and alcohol and enrolled in a rehabilitation program.  This effort paid off with Rumble Fish (1983),  The Osterman Weekend (1983), My Science Project (1985), River’s Edge (1986) and, of course, Blue Velvet (1986).

Dennis Hopper returned to directing in 1988 with the controversial gang film Colors.  He put his acting cap back on for roles in Super Mario Bros. (1993),  True Romance (1993),  Speed (1994/I) Waterworld (1995),  The Night We Called It a Day (2003), The Keeper (2004) and Land of the Dead (2005).

Dennis Hopper died from prostate cancer on May 29, 2010 in Venice Beach, California.

Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper Photo
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Dennis Hopper Trivia

Dennis Hopper’s 1970 marriage to Michelle Philips lasted only a few days.

He was a skilled photographer and painter.

He was married a total of 5 times – with 1 child coming from all but 1 of the unions (Philips).

He was married to his 5th bride at the time of his death.

At one time, Dennis Hopper was blackballed from Hollywood roles for eight years.

He was a member of the Republican Party but voted for Barack Obama.

Named James Dean as the best actor he ever worked with.

He thinks that the worst movie that he has ever done was The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.

Received the 2,403th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on March 26, 2010.

Glory Stompers

Glory Stompers Masterprint
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Dennis Hopper Quotes

“I’ve been sober now for 18 years. With all the drugs, psychedelics and narcotics I did, I was [really] an alcoholic. Honestly, I only used to do cocaine so I could sober up and drink more. My last five years of drinking was a nightmare. I was drinking a half-gallon of rum with a fifth of rum on the side, in case I ran out, 28 beers a day, and three grams of cocaine just to keep me moving around. And I thought I was doing fine because I wasn’t crawling around drunk on the floor.” (2001)

“I’ve been a Republican since Reagan. I voted for Bush and his father. I don’t tell a lot of people, because I live in a city where somebody who voted for Bush is really an outcast.”

“I should have been dead ten times over. I’ve thought about that a lot. I believe in miracles. It’s an absolute miracle that I’m still around.”

(About James Dean) “Jimmy was the most talented and original actor I ever saw work. He was also a guerrilla artist who attacked all restrictions on his sensibility. Once he pulled a switchblade and threatened to murder his director. I imitated his style in art and in life. It got me in a lot of trouble.”

“There are moments that I’ve had some real brilliance, you know. But I think they are moments. And sometimes, in a career, moments are enough. I never felt I played the great part. I never felt that I directed the great movie. And I can’t say that it’s anybody’s fault but my own.”

“I made a picture called Super Mario Bros. (1993), and my six-year-old son at the time – he’s now 18 – he said, ‘Dad, I think you’re probably a pretty good actor, but why did you play that terrible guy “King Koopa” in “Super Mario Bros.”?’ and I said, ‘Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes’, and he said, ‘Dad, I don’t need shoes that badly’.”

Click the link below for a list of Dennis Hopper’s  best-known movies.
[click to continue…]

Lena Horne: Biography and Stormy Weather Video

by Joi

Lena Horne

Lena Horne Framed Art Print
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The elegant, talented, graceful, and lovely Lena Horne passed away this past Sunday.

Lena Mary Calhoun Horne was born on June 30, 1917 (“The era of smoking cigarettes and playing bingo.”) in Brooklyn, New York. In her biography, Lena Horne stated that on the day she was born, her father was in the midst of a card game trying to get money to pay the hospital costs.

Her parents divorced while she was very young and her mother left when Lena was a little older (hoping to find work as an actress), leaving Lena in the care of her grandparents. When Lena was seven her mother returned and the two traveled around the state, which meant that Lena was enrolled in numerous schools (for a time she also attended schools in Florida, Georgia and Ohio).

Lena quit school when she was 14 and got her first stage job at 16, dancing and later singing at the famed Cotton Club in Harlem. This club was later immortalized in the movie, The Cotton Club (1984).

Thanks to her talent – and I”m certain her beauty didn’t hurt – she was soon playing to packed houses.

Lena appeared on Broadway, then her star really took off when she took Hollywood by storm. When she was just 21 years old, Lena made her first film, The Duke Is Tops (1938). Four years later, in 1942, she appeared in Panama Hattie, playing a singer in a nightclub. By this time, Lena had signed with MGM.

In 1943 MGM loaned her to 20th Century-Fox to play the role of Selina Rogers in the all-black musical Stormy Weather, which did extremely well at the box-office. Her rendition of the title song became a major hit on the musical charts.

Also in 1943, Lena appeared in Cabin in the Sky. Her character was Georgia Brown. Also starring in this ground-breaking film were Ethel Waters and Eddie ‘Rochester’ Anderson.

Lena’s musical career flourished, but her movie career sort of fizzled out. Whether it was a sad (pathetic, really) sign of the times or simply a case of her focusing on her musical gifts – one career took off while the other fell off. As a fan, I like to think she simply chose to focus on her music. She made her mark on the film industry and now it was music’s turn!

Certain experiences in Lena Horne’s life (such as the fact that she lost her father, husband, and son in one year), led to her ability to convey such deep emotions in her singing. This is one performer I would have LOVED to have hear live – I’m certain she caused goosebumps and gave performances that those, lucky enough to witness them, would never forget.

I like to think of her giving Heavenly concerts these days. As a fan, I’m thrilled to see her getting the respect and credit she deserves. She’s one of the bold trailblazers that helped move our country out of the dark ages and opened a door so wide that anyone could walk through – male, female, black, white, Hispanic… or a little bit of each!

Rest in Peace, Lena Horne. We’ll be listening to your music forever.

I could listen to this song all day!

Mission: Impossible Star Peter Graves Dead at 83

by Joi

Film and television star Peter Graves died Sunday of a heart attack outside his home in Pacific Palisades, California. He was 83.

The dashing actor (one of the few who could actually carry the term dashing) had just returned from brunch with his wife and children. One of his daughters administered CPR, but Heaven apparently needed one more dashing actor.

Peter Graves had an impressive career that spanned 60 years. He was best known for his Golden Globe-winning portrayal of James Phelps on the piece of Americana and pop culture we know as ‘Mission: Impossible.’ This outstanding spy drama ran for seven seasons on CBS and later would launch hugely successful (and equally outstanding) films starring Tom Cruise.

Peter Graves also graced other television series such as ‘Fury,’ ‘Whiplash,’ ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents,’ ‘The Dean Martin Show,’ ‘Fantasy Island’ and ’7th Heaven.’

In the mid-’90s, Peter Graves became the wonderful (and, yes, dashing) host of A&E’s ‘Biography,’ and received an Emmy for the 1997 special ‘Judy Garland: Beyond the Rainbow.’

The talented actor also appeared in a number of well-known and successful movies, including Billy Wilder’s ‘Stalag 17,’ opposite Oscar winner William Holden, ‘Court-Martial of Billy Mitchell’ and the 1955 thriller ‘Night of the Hunter.’

Of all of his films, however, it was the 1980 comedy ‘Airplane!’ that earned Graves the most fame in theaters. He turned in a hilarious performance as Captain Clarence Oveur in the film as well as its 1982 sequel.

Thankfully, just last October, Peter Graves received a much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame to honor his career.

According to the Times, Graves is survived by his older brother, actor James Arness (Gunsmoke), his wife, Joan Graves, whom he married in 1950, and his three daughters. He died just four days shy of his 84th birthday.

How Much Do You Know About Peter Graves?

  • Peter Graves was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on March 18, 1926
  • He was left-handed
  • Peter excelled in sports and music
  • He played the saxophone
  • Served two years in the Air Force
  • Studied drama at the University of Minnesota
  • When he first received the script for Airplane, he hated it!  He called it “the worst piece of junk” he’d ever seen.  However, he changed his mind when he met the writers.

Elivs Presley: The Story Behind the Pictures

by Joi

Elvis fans, you’re going to love this interview with Music photo archivist Michael Ochs. Ochs headed the publicity departments of Columbia, Shelter and ABC Records in the ’60s and ’70.

In the words of Spinner.com, Ochs possesses one of the largest stores of Elvis pictures this side of Graceland. Click through the link above to read the fascinating interview with Ochs – it’s great stuff no self-respecting fan of the King will want to miss out on.

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