Capitalizing on the worldwide popularity of Marilyn Monroe, the former Norma Sykes shot to stardom as “Sabrina.” She, along with Diana Dors and Shirley Eaton, became England’s answer to the “blonde bombshell.” Cast as the “dumb blonde” on comedian Arthur Askey’s popular TV series Before Your Very Eyes, Sabrina became a household name in the …
Summer is over and October is upon is. The leaves are changing. The hot temperatures of July are yielding to cool breezes that bring a nip to the air. The sun is setting at an earlier time and everything is flavored with pumpkin spice. Well, everything has been flavored with pumpkin spice since the third …
Solly Drake had dreams of becoming a professional baseball player. So did his younger brother Sammy. As a teenager, Solly played for the Elmwood Giants, a minor league team, before he was signed to the farm system of the Chicago Cubs. In 1956, the wiry, switch-hitting outfielder made his major league debut with the Cubs, …
King Charles VII ruled France from 1422 until 1461, with his wife Queen Marie d’Anjou. The King, however, had a little something on the side. And that “little something” was Agnès Sorel. Agnès was a 20 year-old “social climber,” who was known as Dame de beauté (Lady of Beauty). As was common at the time, …
In 1939, four-year old Jo Ann Marlow was discovered by a director from Warner Brothers Studios while on a family vacation to Hollywood. Star struck, her family relocated to Southern California and little Jo Ann made her motion picture debut in Yankee Doodle Dandy playing a younger version of Jeanne Cagney’s character “Josie.” She would …
When I try to sleep at night/I can only dream in red Steve Biko only wanted what was right. As a student at University of Natal, he was an active participant in anti-apartheid rallies and demonstrations organized on campus and beyond. He was at the forefront of the Black Consciousness Movement, a vocal opponent of …
Angus Scrimm was best remembered for his portrayal of “The Tall Man” in Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm and its four sequels. With his imposing height and menacing scowl, Angus was the perfect choice for the role of the mysterious, supernatural undertaker that was the center of the film series. But, Angus was the opposite of his …
