Lucille Ricksen (Child Star)

May 13, 2016, 3:32 pm

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Lucille Ricksen was born Ingeborg Erickson on August 22, 1910, in Chicago, Illinois. She worked as a child model and made her film debut at the age of five. Her parents separated and her mother took her to Hollywood in 1920. Ten year old Lucille was offered a contract with Samuel Goldwyn and starred in a series of short films. She often had to work long hours but she always said she was having fun. In 1922 she starred opposite Marie Prevost in The Married Flapper. The following year Lucille was given a starring role in the drama The Rendevous. Although she was only thirteen the studio lied and said she was actually sixteen. The press called her "the youngest leading lady in movies". Lucille developed a close relationship with producer Sydney Chaplin (brother of Charlie Chaplin) who was twenty-five years older than her. She became one of Hollywood busiest starlets and was chosen as one of the WAMPAS Baby Stars.

In 1924 she made ten films including Vanity's Price, The Galloping Fish, and The Valley Of The Wolf. Unfortunately the fourteen year old started suffering from exhaustion and malnutrition. She was diagnosed with tuberculosis and became bedridden. Lucille's mother kept a bedside vigil but the stress caused her to have a fatal heart attack. Following her mother's death Lucille was cared for by family friends including actress Lois Wilson. During one of her conscious moments Lucille said "Mother wouldn't want me - die - Mother said - Wonderful future - Going to do big things - Won't die! I won't!" Sadly on March 13, 1925 she passed away from complications of tuberculosis. Lucille was only fourteen years old. There were rumors that her death had actually been caused by a botched abortion. Lucille was cremated and she was buried with her mother at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California. Her final film, The Denial, came out ten days after her death.

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Phyllis Barry (1930s Starlet)

May 27, 2016, 12:58 am

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Phyllis Barry was born Gertrude Hillyard on December 7, 1908, in Leeds, England. She was a gifted dancer and at the age of fourteen she joined an Australian cabaret troupe. Phyllis starred in many stage musicals including No No Nannette and Lady Be Good. She made her film debut in the 1925 Australian film Painted Daughters. At the time her stage name was Phyllis DuBarry. In 1930 she toured America in a production of Rio Rita. Prodicer Samuel Goldwyn saw her on stage and offered her a supporting role in the film Cynara starring Kay Francis. Unfortunately the movie flopped and her performance got mixed reviews. She married vaudeville performer Albert Nordlund (also known as Al Nord) in 1932.

The following year she got the lead role in the comedy What - No Beer? opposite Buster Keaton. Phyllis and Albert had a rocky marriage and they separated several times. She divorced him in 1936 and said "he told me he didn't think my career meant anything".  Soon after she married decorator Gilbert M. Caldwell. She continued to make movies but by 1939 her career had stalled. Phyllis had a bit part in the drama Waterloo Bridge and she appeared in The Three Stooges short Three Little Sew and Sews. Her last film role was playing a waitress in the 1947 drama Love From A Stranger. Phyllis and her husband moved to a small house in West Hollywood. She became increasingly depressed about her failed Hollywood career. On July 1, 1954 she committed suicide by taking an overdose of medication. Phyllis was only forty-five years old.

With Buster Keaton

With Ronald Colman

Handwritten Letters From Classic Actresses

May 31, 2016, 12:22 am

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I have been collecting classic Hollywood autographs for many years. My favorite autographs are the handwritten letters from classic actresses. These letters are very rare and they give us a glimpse into their personal lives. Here are some of the handwritten letters in my collection ...

   A love letter from Lucille Ball her husband Gary Morton

 A 1954 letter from Linda Darnell to a friend

 A letter from Betty Grable to her assistant

 A 1949 letter from Norma Shearer to her mother Edie

 A letter from Marion Davies to a writer

 A handwritten birthday card from Jeanette MacDonald to a fan

A letter from Bette Davis to a friend

A letter from Janet Gaynor to a fan

A 1931 letter from Marie Dressler to a friend

Marilyn Monroe

June 1, 2016, 4:49 am

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"I don't mind making jokes, but I don't want to look like one." ~ Marilyn

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Baker on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California. She never knew her father and her mother was mentally ill. Marilyn spent most of her childhood in foster homes where some sources claim she was sexually abused. At age sixteen she married her neighbor, James Dougherty. After their divorce in 1946 she dyed her hair blond and began modeling. Marilyn appeared on hundreds of magazine covers and often posed nude to earn extra money. She started dating Hollywood agent Johnny Hyde who helped her get small roles in The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve. He also convinced her to have cosmetic surgery on her nose and chin. When Johnny died in 1950 Marilyn was so distraught she attempted suicide. She was offered a contract with 20th Century Fox and landed the lead roles in Niagara and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Critics dismissed her as a dumb blonde but audiences made her the most popular actress in Hollywood. Marilyn made headlines when she married baseball player Joe DiMaggio in 1954. The marriage lasted just nine months but they remained close friends. She also enjoyed brief romances with Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.

Marilyn wanted to become a serious actress so she moved to New York and began studying with Lee Strasberg. She formed her own production company and worked with Laurence Olivier in The Prince And The Showgirl. Marilyn married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956. She desperately wanted to be a mother but suffered several miscarriages. It's rumored that when she was young Marilyn has numerus abortions. In 1959 she starred in the comedy Some Like It Hot which became the biggest hit of her career . While making Let's Make Love in 1960 she had an affair with her costar Yves Montand. Marilyn divorced Arthur in 1961 and was hospitalized after suffering nervous breakdown. By this time Marilyn had a serious drinking problem and she was addicted to prescription drugs.  In the spring of 1962 she began filming Something's Got To Give. After missing numerous days of work she was fired. There were also rumors that she was having an affair with President John Kennedy and his brother Robert Kennedy. On August 5, 1962, Marilyn died from an overdose of prescription drugs. She was just thirty-six years old. Her death was ruled a suicide but many believe it was either an accident or murder. Marilyn is buried at Westwood Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.

 Marilyn posing nude in 1949

Help Katherine Grant Get A Grave Marker

June 7, 2016, 8:06 am

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Silent film star Katherine Grant died in 1937 and was buried in an unmarked grave. Her fans have set up a campaign to get her a proper grave marker. If you would like to help please go to Go Fund Me and donate :-)

Let's Celebrate The 4th Of July

June 18, 2016, 11:27 pm

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Celebrate the 4th of July with some of our favorite classic beauties ...

Ann Miller

Ava Gardner

Jayne Mansfield

Betty Hutton

Marion Davies

Ann Blyth

Marilyn Monroe

Ann Miller

 Judy Garland

Claudette Colbert

Actresses & Their Poodles

July 5, 2016, 8:38 pm

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Poodles have always been a very popular pet among Hollywood stars. In fact some classic actresses treated their dogs better than their own children! Here are twelve of the biggest poodle lovers ...

 Betty Grable's poodle Punkin was trained not to bark when she came to the studio

Ann Sheridan's husband George Brent gave her a poodle named Amos


Greer Garson sent her two Standard poodles to "Manners School"

Janet Leigh named her poodle Lewmar because he was a gift from Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin

Natalie Wood often posed for pictures with her poodle Grebel

Joan Crawford said her poodle Cliquot was "miserable when I'm not working. When we go to the studio he is very happy."

Sandra Dee named her poodle Gidget after a the 1957 movie she starred in

Judy Garland's poodle Chou Chou liked to sit on her lap during interviews

Grace Kelly's poodle Oliver was a gift from her co-star Cary Grant

When Claudette Colbert was told that dogs were not allowed on the set she got her poodle Lulu Belle an actor's equity card

Elizabeth Taylor often took her poodle to the set with her

Anne Francis's poodle Smidge appeared in the movie Father's Little Leaguer

Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy's Love Story

July 10, 2016, 3:53 am

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Jeanette MacDonald is one of my favorite actresses. She had a BEAUTIFUL voice and I love seeing her films with Nelson Eddy. Jeanette and Nelson had one of Hollywood's longest lasting and most tragic love stories. They met in the Fall of 1934 when MGM paired the two stars in the musical Naughty Marietta. The movie was a huge hit and audiences instantly fell in love with the singing duo. Off screen Nelson and Jeanette began a very passionate affair. The couple continued to make hit movies together but they kept their real life romance a secret at the insistence of MGM president Louis B. Mayer. They talked about getting married but Nelson wanted Jeanette to give up her career and become a housewife. She was not willing to do that and they broke up. In 1937 thirty-four year old Jeanette married actor Gene Raymond. They had a very rocky marriage and Jeanette had a difficult time dealing with Gene's bi-sexuality.

Nelson was so devastated by Jeanette's marriage that he eloped with Ann Franklin, a friend of his mother. When Jeanette found out he had gotten married she attempted suicide. Unfortunately Ann suffered from mental problems and Nelson rarely spent time with her. Eventually Jeanette and Nelson resumed their secret love affair. Jeanette became pregnant several times but tragically she lost the babies. Although they still loved each other neither of them was ever willing to get a divorce. They were both worried that the scandal would destroy their careers. When Jeanette died in 1965 Nelson was heartbroken. He passed away just two years later. Friends who knew the couple said they never stopped loving each other.

I have a large collection of Jeanette MacDonald memorabilia. One of my favorite items is a handwritten letter Nelson Eddy sent her in 1934.

"Dear Miss MacDonald, Thank you for the wire. It was terribly sweet of you and I appreciate it more than I can tell you. One day I hope to get up courage enough to tell you I think you're the grandest person in the world. Very gratefully yours, Nelson Eddy"

To learn more about Jeanette and Nelson's love story please visit MacEddy.com

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Ossi Oswalda (German Actress)

July 11, 2016, 7:21 am

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Ossi Oswalda was born Oswalda Staglich on February 2, 1899 in Berlin, Germany. She trained to be a ballerina and worked in chorus lines when she was a teenager. Director Ernst Lubitsch discovered her and cast her in his 1916 film The Shoe Palace. Over the next five years she appeared in many of Lubitsch's comedies including The Doll, The Oyster Princess, and I Don't Want To Be A Man. She usually played spoiled, child-like characters and even appeared in drag. Ossi became one of  Europe's most bankable stars earning her the nickname "The German Mary Pickford". She and Ernst Lubitsch became very close friends but their relationship was never romantic. In 1919 she married Hungarian Baron Gustav von Koczian. Ossi and her husband started their own production company but they only made five films together.

Their marriage ended in 1925 and Ossi began a high profile romance with Crown Prince Willhelm. She signed a contract with an American producer in 1926 and tried to change her image by playing more glamorous characters. Unfortunately her career suffered with the arrival of sound films. Her last role was in the 1933 drama The Star Of Valencia. Ossi continued to work on the stage appearing in operettas in Germany and Vienna. Eventually she moved to Czechoslovakia with her boyfriend Julius Aussenberg, a former producer. In 1943 she wrote the story for the film Fourteen At The Table. Sadly by the Spring of 1947 Ossi was bankrupt and suffering from numerous health problems. She died on July 17, 1947 in Prague. Ossi was only forty-eight years old. She is buried in Olsany Cemetery in in the Czech Republic.

An autographed photo from my collection

Regina Doyle (1920s Starlet)

August 25, 2016, 12:16 am

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Regina Alice Doyle was born on September 2, 1907 in Chicago, Illinois. Her father, John Doyle, was a fireman. Regina was educated at the Grenshaw Conservatory. Her family moved to Los Angeles when she was seventeen. On July 2, 1925 Regina married thirty-one year old Stewart Gilbert Cornelius. They had one child together and divorced in 1927. By this time Regina was pursing an acting career. She appeared in several western shorts including The Lone Prairie and The Scrapping Ranger. In 1929 she was given the lead opposite Edmund Cobb in Beyond The Smoke. They would make three more films together.

With Edmund Cobb

Regina seemed destined for stardom but after several years at Universal Studios she stopped making movies in 1930. On September 29, 1931 Regina crashed her car into a freight train on Highland Avenue in Hollywood. She was thrown from the car and died almost instantly. Regina was only twenty-four years old. The coroner ruled that the accident was caused by reckless driving. She is buried at Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles. Just a few days before Regina's death her mother had a premonition something terrible was going to happen. She warned her daughter to "Drive slowly".

Lya de Putti (Hungarian Actress)

September 6, 2016, 12:10 am

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"I have never appeared in talking pictures but I hope my voice and my English will permit me." ~ Lya

Lya de Putti was born Amalia Putti on January 10, 1897, in Hungary. Her father was a baron and her mother was a countess. When Lya was sixteen she married Zoltan Szepessy, a county magistrate. The couple had two daughters together. Lya performed in vaudeville and danced in the Berlin ballet. In 1918 she made her film debut in Hungarian movie The Emperor's Soldiers. She left Zoltan and their daughters so she could pursue her career. Zoltan was so angry that he told the girls their mother had died. Lya would never see her children again. She married Ludwig Christensen, a Norwegian merchant, in 1920 but tragically he died just two years later from tuberculosis. By 1926 she had become a popular actress in Europe and was earning more than $800 a week. She moved to Hollywood after D.W. Griffith cast her in The Sorrows of Satan. The film included a controversial scene where she appears semi-nude. She had a well-publicized affair with Count Ludwig von Salm-Hoogstraeten which ended when he refused to leave his wife.

With her dark hair and exotic looks Lya found herself  typecast as a vamp. She worked with Zasu Pitts in Buck Privates and with Ben Lyon in Prince Of Tempters. Unfortunately her thick Hungarian accent made it difficult for her to get good roles. Lya studied English and appeared in a few Broadway shows but her career stalled. Her last movie was the 1929 drama The Informer. Lya nearly died in August of 1930 when the small pane she was flying in crashed. A year later she was was hospitalized for blood poisoning. Then in November of 1931 she had to have an operation to remove a chicken bone from her throat. Lya developed a serious infection and spent eight days fighting for her life in a New York hospital. Sadly she died from pneumonia on November 27, 1931. Lya was only thirty-four years old. She was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York. A few months after her death Zoltan Szepessy, her first husband, committed suicide.