Joan Blondell placed fourth in the 1926 Miss America Pageant, but used the opportunity to get jobs as a model and eventually a Broadway actress. She caught the eye of Al Jolson, who cast her opposite James Cagney in the musical Penny Arcade. It was the first of several films in which Joan would appear …
I remember watching Don Rickles on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in the 70s. He was funny. He was very funny and very unlike all of the other comedians of the time. While guys like Bob Hope told corny jokes and Milton Berle did goofy slapstick shtick, Rickles was visceral. He insulted people. All people. …
Victor Lownes passed away at the age of 88. He spent the last few years of his life in seclusion, rarely making any public appearances. It was a sad ending for such an extroverted and influential man. You’ve never heard of Victor Lownes? I’m not surprised. At 18, Victor married Judith Downs. He had a …
Phyllis Haver, a small-town Kansas girl, moved to Los Angeles at a young age. Upon her graduation from high school, she played piano to accompany silent films in local theaters. She was bitten by the show business bug. She got an audition with producer Mack Sennett. Taken by her charm and beauty, Sennett hired her as …
Glamorous Jane Harker enjoyed a whirlwind career in Hollywood in the middle 1940s. She was featured in 20 different roles, but was only given on-screen credit for three. The others, including her long-standing role of the suffering “Alice McDoakes” in the popular series of “So You Want To…” short subjects opposite George O’Halloran as the hapless …
Vickie Hogan was born in Houston, Texas, but was shuffled around with a family of half siblings, the result of several of her mother’s relationships. Vickie was briefly raised by an aunt until she was reunited with her estranged mother. Vickie was soon known as “Nikki Hart,” choosing a new first name and pairing it with …
At 21, tall, statuesque Bess Myerson was entered into the Miss New York beauty pageant by a photographer for whom she had modeled in college. The entry was sent without Bess’s knowledge. At first, she was angered, but soon came to enjoy the competition, especially the fact that, at five foot ten inches, she towered over the …
Twin sisters Emi and Yumi Ito were discovered singing in a small club in their native Nagoya, Japan. Their act consisted of Japanese-translated covers of popular songs mixed with traditional Japanese folk songs. They were signed by Sho Watanabe of the powerhouse talent agency Watanabe Productions. Watanabe controlled and represented the vast majority of the entertainment industry in …
Aida Overton Walker refused to be a stereotype. Born in New York City in 1880, Aida had extensive musical training and joined The Octoroons, a notable performing group of the late 19th century. Soon, the teenage Aida joined the Black Patti Troubadours, another popular singing and dancing group. Although the group consisted of dozens of performers, Aida …
Hattie McDaniel is one of the most talented actresses and one of the most underrated actress ever to come out of Hollywood. After a successful beginning as an actress, singer and songwriter with her brother’s minstrel show, she toured with the Melody Hounds, a singing group. A radio performance by The Melody Hounds led to …
