This is the new 59

Christie Brinkley is 59 today .... yes 59! That is a picture of her from last year. She doesn't exactly look like any 59 year old from around my neck of the woods! Of course, having a few hundred million in the bank and all the time in the world to concentrate on yourself all day probably doesn't hurt to achieve this glowing look.  Now I know she has had to have something  done but it has to have been something not too drastic because she still looks like herself at like what ..... 30-ish???  Not like the scary alien faces of the barely recognizable Meg Ryan, Priscilla Presley and Joan Van Ark. Eeeeh .....  This Hollywood!

Most normal ladies in our 50's approach a point in our lives where we are less ... hmmmm .... what is the term  ... vain? ... no that's not the word ..... hopeless?  ... no I don't think that is quite it .... desperate?  ......  maybe some of us but no that doesn't fit .... oh wait it is the  .... "Could give a SH!T" ........ Thank God I now know there is hope when you try.

Happy Birthday Laurie Metcalf

I wanted to find a pretty picture of her since she always seems to be cast as the homely girl. She's not. She is a little cute actually. Daughters and I got close to her once in New York. She was in the play NOVEMBER on Broadway with Nathan Lane in 2008. I bought the tickets to see this play ... we're more musical fans ..... for Nathan Lane and talked the daughters into going to see it based on that fact. However, Nathan bowed out that matinee in favor of his understudy Richard Kline ... you know .... "Larry" from 3's Co. ......  daughters were like "Who?"!  I felt myself losing the support to see this play fast but turned out it didn't matter. They were more interested in seeing  the scene stealer Laurie Metcalf.

Afterward, daughters wanted to wait  outside the stage door to meet her and they did. She appeared to be a tiny thing and was nice enough to talked to my daughters for a while. The play stunk by the way but, at least we met the best part of it ..... Laurie Metcalf!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS!!

Babs is 70 today! Seriously I love this picture of her taken last year. GORGEOUS! 
Singer ...
Actress...
writer ...
director ...
producer ...
academy award winner ...
feminist ...
activist ...
philanthropist ....
legend ..... What can I tell you about her that you do not already know?

FAVORITE QUOTES:

"One thing's for sure: now when I look at Funny Girl (1968), I think I was gorgeous. I was too beautiful to play Fanny Brice"."


"I arrived in Hollywood without having my nose fixed, my teeth capped, or my name changed. That is very gratifying to me."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MR. ROGERS

sniff sniff ..... Can it be? Fred Rogers has been gone for 9 years now. Since I grew-up in Pittsburgh, I always thought he was just a local show. I never realized how many generations of children .... including my own .... nation wide he mesmerized till probably the Saturday Night Live skit with Eddie Murphy.

Even though I probably came close ..... being in the same "neighborhood" so to speak .... I never bumped into him around here. The closest I ever came to him, other than the TV set, was the time one of my mothers friends was a fairy Godmother on one of his earlier PBS shows.

Hopefully, the innocent appeal of his many characters will remain in repeats a long long time for many more generations.

TRIVIA TIME:

• McFeely, was his middle name as well as his much loved Grandfather. The Mr. McFeely character is alive and well in Pittsburgh. He still is a staple making appearances at local TV and events.
• Fred's mom made most of the sweaters he wore on the show.
• He was an ordained Minister
• Pittsburgh locals Micheal Keaton and Ming Na got their acting starts in the "Neighborhood". I swear Dennis Miller got a start their too but, I can't find the confirmation on the net.

THE EASY WAY OUT ......

I’m still tired from "Girlfriend" weekend this past week soooooo… I'm just taking the easy way out … to show I am alive also … just going to wish Happy Birthday to obscure celebs today …… see if you can remember where you saw them before:

Our first birthday girl would have been 96 today. Where oh .... oh where have you seen her?

On the right, this Birthday boy is 66 ...he is .... he is ... he is ... I'm not telling ... yet!

Here is our Birthday Boy on the left: ... com'on you know that face! He is 54 today if that helps! Where did you first see him? Hmmmmmmmm .......

GIVE UP YET????

VIRGINIA GREGG ........ famous character actress in both TV and a few movies of the 50's-80's ... was the voice of Norman Bates mother in Psycho I, II & III, appeared on Dragnet 13 x's, Gunsmoke 7x's, Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock presents, and every other TV show in between.

MARTIN KOVE ....... most famous for being the "chauvinist pig" of Cagney and Lacey and the bad guy in The Karate Kid movies

EDDIE DEEZEN .... most famous for "Eugene" in Grease!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BERNADETTE!

64 AND STILL ROCKIN' THE BOD! I always wanted to rock that hair! Singer, Actress, writer she is one of the few that transcends Stage, Screen and TV. The first time I saw her was in the TV special "Once Upon a Mattress" 1972.

• "IT" girl of the '70's and '80's
• She is of Italian decent
• As an attempt to rid herself of the ethic sounding name of Lazzara .... as it was frown upon in the 60's when she started ....... Peter(s) was her father's first name
• Dated .... or rumored to have "dated" .... Steve Martin, Warren Beatty (no surprise he's on everyone's list) and Clint Eastwood.
• Appeared in Playboy ... see the pic above .... but covered in Bob Mackie lingerie!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTON

LOOOK AT HIMMM! Our adorable puppy is NINE years old today.

GOO drove 10 miles to the closest Baskin & Robbins to buy him a birthday cake for later. YES we are truly crazy dog people !!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERNEST BORGNINE

Today he is 95 ……. 95!!!! .....still working and still appears to have all his faculties. Quick facts:

Ø Best Actor Academy Winner for Marty in 1955 …. and you thought his claim to fame was a voice on SpongeBob SquarePants

Ø Was married to Ethel Merman for 32 days

Ø He is presently married for almost 40 years to his present wife TOVA … of QVC beauty products fame

Ø Was actually IN the Navy for 10 years … that's why he looked so comfy in "McHale’s Navy" uniform

Ø Auditioned for the role of Vito Corleone .... I could see it!!!

Ø Was the very first “center” square on the premiere of Hollywood Squares

His stout stature only proves he has the key to a long vibrant life …. Bye bye diet Gods ... I no longer have to aspire to be a size 2 to get there with him!

THE BIG BASHES

Catching up on all the birthdays/events this month …… Happy Birthday to Daddy …77 …. HUBS …. 51 …. Daughter …. 22 … Baby Brother ….. 43 ….. “Scott” Nephew …. 30(?) …. “Craig” Nephew …. 19 ….. “Lewis” Nephew … 14 …. “Carson” Nephew …. 9 and Happy 28th Anniversary to my Friends V & J …. Did I miss anyone??????

BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE TO JOHN CAZALE

Now, if you have to ask WHO? ... then you are giving away the fact you are not much of a 1970's classic movie buff ... and you will not be on MY "Phone a Friend" list ...... Look at the face you know you know it.

John Cazale co-starred in five feature films in his movie career: “The Godfather”, “The Godfather II”, “Dog Day Afternoon”, “The Conversation”, and “The Deer Hunter” …... actually 6 if you count the footage used of him in "The Godfather III" …. all best picture Oscar nominees. Often cast as pathetic, paranoid, feeble character he was praised for being known to entice audiences into believing him as a pitiful loser in the depth of instability beyond his control. One of his best friends … since they were teenagers …. was Al Pacino who described him: "When I first saw John, I instantly thought he was so interesting, everybody was always around him because he had a very congenial way of expressing himself." Though …. in my opinion …. not the most handsome of '70's film stars, in person his attractiveness was known to be in his kind, caring and gentle manner not shown in his movies.

At the age of 42, the height of his illustrious short-lived movie career, engaged to a then relatively unknown young Hollywood beauty and "Deer Hunter" costar Meryl Streep, he was diagnosed with terminal bone cancer. He died before the film was released in 1978 with Streep by his side. The roles he could have created .... and we will never see.

THE FIRST SWASHBUCKLER TO STEAL MY HEART ...

Yes ... There was a swashbuckler I swooned for before Johnny Depp ever donned a pirate swagger ..... ERROL FLYNN .... I knew Errol Flynn's birthday was Father's Day and I meant to post it! Better late blah blah ....................

In my Happy B-day post to Johnny, I noted that over the shoulder pose that made my heart go pitty pat. I now know why! ..... I'm a sucker for a swashbuckler you see ...... I was at least 10 years old when I saw Errol ... as Robin Hood .... swing across my TV set and say: "Welcome to Sherwood!" in that jovial sarcastic wit. He instantly became my first movie idol but unfortunately I would need a time machine to meet him ... Ho Hum ............ maybe its why I don't drool much over the living idols, my true star struck meeting will never be!

"I do what I like."

I read his autobiography, "My Wicked Wicked Ways", in my late teens and found his was born in Tasmania ... I always thought it was a made up place where cartooned devils were said to live. Damm those Buggs Bunny cartoons were more educational than I thought! ........ oh and he was a little wicked too!

One of his first roles was Fletcher Christian whom Flynn is ironically the great-great-great-great-grandson of.

"It isn't what they say about you it's what they whisper."

The saying "In like Flynn" was coined after him referring to his acquittal in a statutory rape trial.

"Women won't let me stay single, and I won't let myself stay married."

His favorite and most often cast with actress in early movies .... 9 times .... was Olivia de Havilland ... who also admits to having been in love with him and he admits he with her by their second movie ....... but love never went beyond the screen.

His favorite side kick was Alan Hale. Yes, that would be the father of Alan "the skipper" Hale of Gillian's Island fame.

Flynn was rumored to be nominated ... and had been initially announced where he was interviewed on his nomination ...... for an Academy Award for his role in "The Sun Also Rises". The nomination simply just disappeared.

"My job is to defy normal."

Errol Flynn was a self described adventurer before stardom, did most of his own stunts in movies, a womanizer, had malaria, tuberculous, Buerger's disease, an alcholic in liver failure, a chain smoker with thrombosis, 4F because of his weak heart, considered Fidel Castro a close friend and when he died in 1959 at age 50 he had a 17 year old mistress that traveled the world with him on his beloved yacht. The autopsy revealed he had the insides of a 75 year old.

last words: "I've had a hell of a lot of fun and I enjoyed every minute of it."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY .....

I 've hardly EVER been overwhelmingly star struck by a movie star. Never had the urge to join a fan club. Never was such an urber fan crazed psycho that I would faint at the sight of any celebrity. As a matter of fact, there are very few movie stars that I would go out of my way for to go see their movie. Johnny Depp, however, is the exception ..... there are always some.

I did not even realize I was fan till that one certain nonchalant glance over his pirate costumed shoulder. I can not firgue out what it is about that pose but he had me at Yo Ho Matey!

Happy 47th Birthday Johnny!!! You are only getting better!

Happy Birthday Norma Jean

After all these years she is still in the news ... this past week for some unpublished photos with JFK .... The eternal epitome of sexy. Having the measurements of 37C-24-35 earned her the first cover of Playboy .... Hugh Hefner actually also owns the burial vault next to her. Her beauty regime included Nivea cream and jogging. She had an IQ of 168. Through her father she is related to seven U.S. presidents. When Veronica Hamel and her husband bought Monroe's house in 1972, they found "standard issued FBI" bugging devices all through it when they remodeled.

Although her movie career was practically over and she was gone before I could realize who she was and the timeless icon she was to become, I always thought of her as a comedic actress. That is until I saw Bus Stop. I will always remember her as vulnerable romantic Cherie.

There will never be another Marilyn.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!

"People have grown fond of me, like some old building."

Probably my most favorite actress of all times .... Katharine Hepburn. 4 time Oscar winner, lover of many a famous man and a true stalwart Connecticut Yankee. She worked well into her 80's and lived till she was 96 years old.

"I don't regret anything I've ever done; As long as I enjoyed it at the time. "

With my mom ... who made me into an old movie buff .... I had to first see Kate in either “Stage Door” ….. with Ginger Rodgers, Adolphe Menjou, Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller … or maybe it was “Bring Up Baby” ….with Carey Grant …. Either way she out shown them all …. Yes even Baby! ... and made an impression on me early in life.

"I find a woman's point of view much grander and finer than a man's."

She wasn’t typical poster girl pretty only because she did not want to be. Though blessed with classic features she chose to be more remembered for speaking her mind and negotiating things on her terms. She exuded an unorthodox ultra feminine feminist style with strength and self-assurity that could never be captured in a pinup girl of the times. I always had the feeling men were slightly afraid of her. Still it made her all the more attractive.

"I never realized until lately that women were supposed to be inferior."

I like to think I’ve learned to imitate her sarcastic wit and intellectual charm I admired. I can only hope to imitate her long life, ageless/timeless beauty, undisturbed way of existence and the respect she attained.

"If you always do what interests you, at least one person is pleased."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOPANGA

No she is not a legend or even one of my favorite actresses that I usually honor. I just remember when my oldest daughter was a high school freshman everyone at school noticed the resemblance she had with Danielle Fishel. SO, of course everyone called daughter “Topanga” …. Fishel's character on “Boy Meets World” ….

I went to school one time to pick her up from some rehearsal/practice. I could not find her so I asked one of the students if they saw her. The upper classman look at me puzzled and said no he did not know who she was. Then it dawn on me ……. "TOPANGA!" …. “oh, Topanga!” …… he knew exactly where SHE was!

Birthday Legends

Today is a bonanza of silver screen legend birthdays: Bette Davis (1908-1989), Gregory Peck (1916-2003), Spencer Tracy (1900-1967) and Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981). Getting in my time machine I'm going back remembering the first time I ever saw any of them in a movie.
Bette Davis – “What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?”. I always thought of Bette as an older lady. When I later saw her in her movies of the ‘30’s as a young starlet, it was too late. I could not get the vision of her being anyone else but Baby Jane Hudson out of my head.

Gregory Peck – “To Kill A Mocking Bird”. Always played a hero never a bad guy … well he was too good looking for that!

Spencer Tracy – “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner?” Also his last film and at the time most controversial. I think I remember him more for his 20 + year affair with Katherine Hepburn. Although everyone knew he lived with Hepburn those last 20 years, as a strict Catholic he stayed married to his first wife till his death. Kinda heartbreaking.

Melvyn Douglas – “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House”. Melvyn was more of a character actor. He was the best friend, the second banana, the father/grandfather, the Senator/Judge/doctor/captain/general …. In other words …. you recognized the face in every TV/movie but never quite knew the name.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAYTON and Eva too!

My husband and I agree on one thing, if we would ever divorce the biggest battle would be custody over .... the dog!

Our precious little fur ball is 7 years old today. My how time has flown by. One day you are cute little chubby puppy poo poo machine full of energy who eats all the dog food you can give him, next you are a spoil eats people food ONLY sleep all day shed monster who I have to throw outside to do the business. Ahhhhh .... the teenage years.

There will be singing (Claytie howls), blowing out candles (okay we blow them out), cake and ice cream (He gets his share .... what did you think the dog sang for?). Yes .... we are are crazy bunch.

Since I honored ZSA ZSA and remembered Grandma and her sisters this week, I will continue that theme. HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVA GABOR! In comparison to the "South Side" Gabor sisters, Eva would be the same age as my Grandma's sister Janet. Whose real name was Antonina when they arrived from Poland. Later her name was changed to Antonette but they called her Janet .......... for short!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ZSA ZSA!

Zsa Zsa Gabor is 93 today! Zsa Zsa …. Isn’t she the cop sla …. Yes … Yes ... that was Zsa Zsa! It is probably what she is most famous for…. THAT and 9 husbands! Zsa Zsa and her sisters Eva and Magda …. That’s right Eva was the “Lisa” on “Green Acres” and sold the wigs and Magda ? … Well, I don’t know what Magda did but I remember her two more famous siblings talked about her all the time ….. Start again … As a kid I viewed the Gabor sisters as iconic symbols of what 60’s womanly elegance and sophistication should be. Zsa Zsa always gorgeous making her rounds on TV talk shows and cameos throughout my childhood. I was never sure why she was famous till I was older and saw her in a movie. ZSA ZSA made movies???? I’ll list some fast facts about that later ….

What is it that connects my childhood to Zsa Zsa? Well not only is Zsa Zsa a stylish image from my youth but, I remember my mother telling me what my Grandfather labeled my Grandma and her 5 sisters. You see ... every family gathering resulted in a performance from the “South Side” Gabor sisters. I understand funerals is where they did their finest work! It was Oscar performances all around that led to who could wail the loudest and achieve the greatest of all acting achievements ….. the believable fainting spell! Yes, it was a race to see which one of them beat the other one on the quickness of executing the fall to the floor into a state of grieving unconsciousness. Now you see where I get MY drama from .... an inheritance!

Grandma and her sisters (like the Gabors) were always pretty, petite, little bee-hived natural? blondes, who lied about their age SO much they forgot how old they were in their later years. They also all had another flaw … they needed MEDS! Unfortunately, meds were not available then so the outrageous and over the top behavior continued till their passings. Zsa Zsa is still going strong though and is the same age as my dear departed Grandma would be this year. Grandma only married 3 times but, I’d bet Zsa Zsa and Grandma are neck and neck in the boyfriend #'s category. Magda was the same age as my Great-Aunt Helen (the oldest sister also) who was actually the last to go(2005) of the "South Side" Gabors. Sniff, Sniff … the good old days!

Fast Fun Facts about Zsa Zsa (you already know about the 9 husbands):

· Her real name is Sari.
· Her mother (Jolie) was an heiress to a jewelry fortune. SO, Zsa Zsa was never hurting!
· She claimed to be the winner of the 1936 Miss Hungry beauty pageant. Relatives later stated she was disqualified because of being underage and yet another claims she was just the runner up.
· Being married to her 2nd husband Conrad Hilton (1942-1947) would make her Paris Hilton’s EX Step-Great-Grandmother.
· She started her movie career (1952) at the age of 35!
· The director (Mervyn LeRoy) of her first film (Lovely to Look At) offered her the role after he saw her dancing at party.
· The 1952 version of “Moulin Rouge” was her best-known starring role. She was cast more often as a supporting actor and in B-movies.
· Claims to have been forced on a date with Frank Sinatra.
· Her best friends in the 50’s/60’s were Joan Collins and Kim Novak.
· Her mother lived to be 100.
· Her sister Magda married as her 5th husband, Zsa Zsa’s 3rd husband, actor George Sanders. YUCK!
· One of her marriages was to the inventor(Jack Ryan) of the Barbie Doll. Hmmmm
· Out of the 20 marriages between them, Zsa Zsa was the only Gabor sister to have a child. (Francesca Hilton)
· She lost an estimated 10 million in the Bernie Madoff ponzi scan.
· Her present husband (Prinz von Anhalt) claims the title: Prince Frederic von Anhalt of Munich, the Duke of Saxony, which would make Zsa Zsa a princess, right! Ahhhh …. No. Actually, Prinz paid the bankrupt German Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt to adopt him in 1980. He has no legitamite claims to the German royal line.

AND yes … I do think my Grandma would have slapped a cop if she had the chance …… especially in her later years!