SECRET OF MUSIC: February 2010

Friday, February 26, 2010

Halloween...Old Hollywood Style

Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow at Truman Capote's famous Black and White Masked Ball

Image via Berkley Library

Hello Friends!!! With Halloween (it is one of my very favorite holidays) swiftly approaching I thought it would be fitting to do a post on some of the glamorous stars of Hollywood dressed up in costume.

I adore this image of Cary Grant, Mary Pickford, Countess de Frasso, and Trullio Carminati at the Vendome Cafe in Hollywood for a costume party

Image via Corbis Images

I would imagine that after dressing in costume all day long for a movie the last thing I would want to do is dress up for a party, well not these fabulous stars! Here are some great images of some of Hollywood's brightest stars in disguise, enjoy!

Clark Gable, Carol Lombard, and WR Hearst

Image via Friends of 415

It seems as though Marion Davies (lover to WR Hearst, that is another post altogether!) threw some of Hollywood's most lavish and exquisite parties! Oh to be a fly on the wall at one of those extravaganzas! Only the most elite and powerful in Hollywood and the publishing business were allowed access to these amazing (often costume) events.

Gloria Swanson, Marion Davies, Constance Bennett, and Jean Harlow at a party at the Marion Davies Beach House in the early 1930's

Image via Robin Chapman News

They say that Marion threw over 100 of these lavish parties over the course of her famous relationship with the newspaper magnate.

Janet Gaynor decked out at a costume fete
Image via Give me the Good Old Days

One of my faves, Lucille Ball at a costume gala
Source unknown

The adorable Claudette Colbert dressed as Scarlett O'Hara!

Image via Classic Movie Favorites

Could you just imagine getting a gorgeous invitation to a fabulous Hollywood costume party and then prancing over to your favorite wardrobe department to request an outfit! Heaven!

My all time favorite "Tramp" Charlie Chaplin dressed as Napoleon for a WR Hearst partyVia Wikipedia

I am so in the mood for Halloween now! I can't wait to don my 40's glamour girl costume (seriously that's my costume this year) and paint the town Red, after I take my little Prince Trick-or-Treating that is. I have my vintage jewelry, vintage shoes, a satin evening gown, vintage opera gloves, and instructions for a fabulous hair do ready to go!

Joan Crawford all gussied up for a party

Source Unknown

For those of you celebrating Halloween this year Be safe and Be Glamorous!

Thank you so much for the always too sweet comments, and support, you are the best!!!!

XOXO

Judith~

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More Modern Marie

Lee Junghyun

Bonjour Mes Amis!

I have been poking around some old images I have on the desktop and just wanted to share a little bit more "Modern Marie" inspired images with you.

Enjoy!!!

This is a gorgeous Marie worthy room from Loft Life Magazine. I can't get past that enormous dripping chandelier (my ultimate weakness)!

Dior dresses on the steps of Versailles. Could you just imagine Marie and her companions the Duchesse de Polignac and the Princesse de Lamballe lazing away the days in these couture confections!?! Oh my!

This image from La La Lovely is just too pretty for words. The soft Pink bound books, the simple stark colors, the clean glass bottles, it's perfect.

Source Unknown

This image via Simply Seductive blog is breathtaking! I could waste the day away on this
canapé while tasting a macaron or two. Could you think of a prettier place to rest your gorgiously coiffed head?

Finally, my favorite part...the Louboutins! These are chic and Marie all at once. They are the Lady Page Loubou's and they are delicious!

Have a great weekend my friends. Please visit again as I have a special post demain about a special friend who has made my blog somptueux!!!

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Saving Hollywoodland...

Size: 138 acres

Location: Between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley See map

Recreation Value: bordered by Griffith Park and frequented by hikers and other lovers of sweeping LA basin views.

Habitat Value: rare ecosystem, home to butterflies, the coast horned lizard, and the Plummer's mariposa lily.

Best-known human feature: The Hollywood Sign

That Cahuenga Peak has remained undeveloped to this day is a lucky result of Howard Hughes' difficulty with women. A remnant open space in a spreading sea of development, the peak had already become famous as a backdrop for the Hollywood Sign when the famed industrialist, aviator, and film producer bought it in 1940. Hughes planned to build a mansion for his girlfriend, famed film star Ginger Rogers, whom he intended to marry.

But the relationship failed before the house got built. The reason for the breakup was Hughes’s indiscreet infidelity. Rogers dumped Hughes as he lay in a hospital bed after a serious car crash. She returned all of his gifts of jewelry in a basket before hurling her emerald engagement ring at him.

Huges died in 1976, and the land remained in his estate for another 20 years. In all that time--sixty years total-- hikers drifted over from Griffith Park, butterflies bred in the chamise, and lizards scuttled beneath the chaparral. The city expanded to the edge of the peak, making it even more valuable as a rare close-to-home open space. And the Hollywood Sign and its undeveloped backdrop became a symbol of fame, fortune, and infinite opportunity--the Hollywood Dream.

In 2002, the Hughes estate put 138-acre Cahuenga Peak on the market, presenting a rare opportunity to protect a large, iconic open space in the heart of the nation's most densely settled region. The City of Los Angeles hoped to purchase the land as a natural extension of Griffith Park. But at the height of the real estate market, fundraising fell short, and a development group from Chicago scooped up the property and secured rights to build several estates along the ridgeline.

With the land subdivided, it was again listed for sale in 2008 for $22 million--and once again it seemed that there might be a chance to protect it. In April 2009, The Trust for Public Land secured a one-year option to purchase the property with the hopes of preserving it for generations to come. And because of the falling real estate market, this second chance comes at a very reasonable price of $12.5 million, a little more than half of what the land was listed for in 2008.

Visit back tomorrow for a fun post about the history of the sign and some amazing pics. Thank you!

For more information about the campaign and how to help, please visit SaveHollywoodland.org

This is the listing for the property, pretty incredible.

Reblogged Via SaveHollywoodLand.org

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What 100 Stars Want in 1956 - Marilyn Monroe

I'm pretty sure this post needs no introduction. What did Marilyn Monroe (June 1, 1926 - August 5, 1962) wish for in 1956?

"I've been reaching for an inner tranquility all the past year. I think I have it now and I want to keep it." - I'm sorry to report that I don't think she was at peace, the poor dear.

"After I make Bus Stop, I'd like to play dramatic roles. I feel I'm ready for drama" - I think Marilyn was a much better actress than people give her credit for.

"I hope Jane Russell accomplishes what she wants with WAIF. I have a special feeling for orphans, since I was one myself". - She definitely did. One a side note, Jane Russell and her husband Robert Waterfield founded World Adoption International Fund (WAIF) in 1951 when she had been looking to adopt children (they adopted 3). WAIF assists in international adoption, with the fabulous Jane Russell as a staunch advocate. For more info on Jane's work with WAIF,

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My 20 Favorite Actresses!

Thanks again to Kate Gabrielle. Concerning most of the extremely lovely ladies on this list, I still have quite a few films of theirs to see, but the dvr is keeping them for me. :)

So here they are:

1. Audrey Hepburn

I love those photos of her! Favorite films: Roman Holiday (1953), Sabrina (1954), & The Children's Hour (1961)

2. Ingrid Bergman

Favorite films: Intermezzo (1939), Rage in Heaven (1941), Casablanca (1943), Gaslight (1944), Spellbound (1945), Anastasia (1956), & Indiscreet (1958)
Sorry, but there's no way to pick just one!

3. Carole Lombard

Favorite films: Twentieth Century (1934), My Man Godfrey (1936), In Name Only (1939), & To Be or Not to Be (1942)
To Be or Not to Be was the second Carole film I saw, and I kept remembering that it was her last film, and that made me very teary. Since then, well, I've just loved this woman ever since. And her performances as well.

4. Grace Kelly

*muahahahahaha*

She was mind bendingly gorgeous.
Favorite films: Rear Window (1954) & The Country Girl (1954)

5. Linda Darnell

Favorite film: A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

6. Deborah Kerr

Favorite film: An Affair to Remember (1957)

7. Katharine Hepburn

Favorite films: Bringing Up Baby (1938) & The Philadelphia Story (1940)

8. Gene Tierney

Favorite films: Rings on Her Fingers (1942) & Laura (1944)

9. Ava Gardner

Favorite films: Mogambo (1953) & The Night of the Iguana (1964)

10. Rita Hayworth

Favorite films: You Were Never Lovelier (1942) & Cover Girl (1944)

11. Donna Reed

Favorite films: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) & From Here to Eternity (1953)

12. Lauren Bacall

Favorite films: The Big Sleep (1946) & How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

13. Betty Grable

Favorite film: How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)

14. Marilyn Monroe

Favorite film: The Misfits (1961)

15. Judy Garland

Favorite film: Ziegfeld Girls (1941)

16. Natalie Wood

Favorite film: Splendor in the Grass (1961)

17. Jane Russell

Favorite film: Macao (1952)

18. Ann Sothern

Favorite films: A Letter to Three Wives (1949) & The Blue Gardenia (1953)

19. Jeanne Crain

Favorite film: A Letter to Three Wives (1949)

20. Emma Watson

Favorite films: The whole darn Harry Potter franchise. This choice may seem silly, but Em really is a talented actress. I'm curious to see what she'll do after Potter.
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In Retrospect: Audrey Hepburn

I had never before seen an Audrey Hepburn movie. I knew her as the girl in the long black dress, with the large black sunglasses, gazing into the window at Tiffany’s. However, the first Audrey film I watched was not Breakfast at Tiffany’s, a favorite of the mainstream media’s. The first Audrey film I watched was her first American picture, Roman Holiday; where she charmed just about everyone to the point of near confusion. Journalists scrambled for fresh new words to describe this doe eyed newcomer; this svelte beauty with the unidentifiable accent.

I was charmed as well. I'm going to be cliche and say that I fell in love with her. She was spunky, she was adorable, she was sweet and utterly charming. When I first saw her in that film, it was so clear to me how naturally beautiful she was. There was just the slightest hint of makeup. I had never come across anyone so beautiful in the Hollywood of today. The only other women who seemed to compare with Audrey in the looks department were from ‘back then’; Vivien Leigh, Ingrid Bergman, and Grace Kelly. (Those were the few ladies I had discovered before Audrey as my classic film obsession began).

Audrey’s beauty is very much a relevant topic. She’s been described as a classic beauty; sometimes, unique. I like to think of her as the latter, because her looks were so different from her contemporaries. Stunning as she was, classic could not describe her face. Anthony Beauchamp, the photographer who discovered her in 1949, said of Audrey: “I couldn’t quite fathom that she was real. There were so many paradoxes in that face. Darkness and purity; depth and youth; stillness and animation. She had a fresh new look, a beauty that was ethereal.” Audrey had a quiet majesty about her; there was a regal glow to her face, but it wasn't overpowering. She was kind of like the girl next door; but ethereal.

Take note of how simply made up she is here, but that still doen't take away from her natural elegance.

Her eyes definitely play a large role in adding to her incredibly striking face. A friend of mine was once studying Audrey's picture on the cover of a biography I was reading and she remarked: "It's her eyes." I knew what she meant. Those eyes drew people in. They still do. It's easy to see how people noticed her right away even though she was just another dancer first starting out. She was known as the chorus girl with the eyes. Even as she aged ever so gracefully, those eyes of her remained mesmerizing.

I know Audrey never thought of herself as anything special. She didn't think much of her looks, or her talents. Like so many actors, she dismissed it. (Ava Gardner serves as another good example). But as her son Sean put it, Audrey was like a star that couldn't see it's light. That makes her infinitely more lovable. "She was a joy to work with- enormous talent, and no ego," Sidney Sheldon remarked. Sean points to his mother's dedication; she never quite understood how she landed in films, but she was always polite and courteous, and always on time. Simple maybe, but Audrey treasured simplicity, and so she wasn't ever quite the Hollywood type. And that my friends, further endears her to the regular girls next door.

And as if that wasn't enough, she spoke on behlaf of the children of the world. She was not an extraordinary humanitarian; she was an extraordinary human being. She was filled with true compassion and love, not just for her family and those closest to her, but to those children of war, sickness and famine. Her own experiences of growing up during World War Two certainly played a role in acting as an ambassador to UNICEF, but it's nothing short of remarkable. She was a child of war and tragedy. Perhaps that suffering made her even more beautiful. She still retained her optimism throughout the war, and throughout her life; as someone who knew the real horrors of mankind, she understood the importance of all the simple things we too often take for granted. I know it's been said countless times before, but it's important when talking about Audrey.

Throughout this post, I've mainly discussed Audrey as a beauty and as a woman. There hasn't been a lot of mention of her career, has there? After all, I discovered her first as an actress, as did many people. But I suppose this retrospect is paying tribute to the woman I've gleaned bits and pieces of information from. It'd be very easy to speak about Audrey's films and the characters she portrayed, and how she did indeed bring some of her own personality into Princess Ann, Sabrina Fairchild, Jo Stockton, Holly Golightly, and Regina Lampert. We know the Audrey from the movies; no matter how many biographies or quotes we read, we'll never know the true Audrey.

So I suppose this retrospect is paying tribute to a wonderful role model, who I've seen and admired as a person and as an actress, but only from afar. Like many of the Audrey lovers and devotees out there, I feel a connection to her. And I mean, if you're a true fan of hers, you can't help but fall in love with this lovely girl, and her large sad eyes. But how is it that she continues to enchant people of all ages, even years after her death? Maybe it's because Audrey's brand of je nais se quoi; her elegant spirit, are timeless, and really never go out of style.

I regard her as more than just a silver screen talent or a style icon, and that is my own retrospect. And I hope I've made some sense of how much and why I adore this woman!

Rest in Peace, Audrey.

May 4, 1929-January 20, 1993