Kevin Connors dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player, one day playing for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers. At an imposing six-foot-five, the athletic Connors was a natural at first base, often yelling “Chuck it to me! Chuck it to me!” to his teammates on the neighborhood ball clubs, thus earning him the nickname “Chuck.” Equally …
In 1975, I entered high school as a rambunctious, unwieldy fourteen year-old. After rattling the nerves of most of my teachers, I was quickly dismissed and sent to the only class that could keep me under control — art. The art class to which I was relegated was a senior class. I was the lone …
Born in Japan in 1929, Umeki Miyoshi was the youngest of nine children of the owner of an iron factory. In her 20s, using the stage name “Nancy Umeki,” she recorded a succession of American jazz standards for the RCA Victor Japan label and performed a popular nightclub act. A talent scout saw her act …
I haven’t been posting illustrations to this blog as often as I’d like. So, in 2016, I will post at least one illustration per week (maybe more) on the subject for which I’ve gained a reputation — dead celebrities. The first one is actor Edward G. Robinson. Ten-year-old Emmanuel Goldenberg emigrated with his family from …
Debralee Scott kicked off her career as a nude corpse in the Clint Eastwood cop thriller Dirty Harry. Two years later, she was sidling up to Harrison Ford in his “piss yellow-puke green” hot rod in George Lucas’ American Graffiti. In 1974, the feisty, freckled redhead with the adorable overbite landed a regular supporting role …
“In her false witness, we hope you’re still with us, To see if they float or drown Our favorite patient, a display of patience, Disease-covered Puget Sound She’ll come back as fire, to burn all the liars, And leave a blanket of ash on the ground” — Frances Farmer Will Have Her Revenge on Seattle …
Charles Boyer will be remembered as one of Hollywood’s most romantic leading men. Starring opposite some of the silver screen’s most desirable leading ladies – Hedy Lamarr, Marlene Dietrich, Merle Oberon – Charles was a first class charmer. He succeeded in making the female members of the audience swoon along with his female co-stars. Warner …
Stanley Myron Handelman was born in Brooklyn in 1929. He worked as a stand-up comic and gag writer as a young man. But for nearly ten years, he was a fixture on variety showcases and late-night talk shows. He made numerous appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Flip Wilson Show, The Merv Griffin Show and The Tonight Show. …
Before Gidget… Before Frankie and Annette… There was Esther. A competitive swimmer in her teens, Esther Williams set numerous records as part of the Los Angeles Athletic Club’s swim team. Due to the outbreak of World War II, Esther was unable to participate in the 1940 Summer Olympics. Instead, the anxious 19 year-old joined Billy …
Winstead Sheffield Glenndenning Dixon Weaver loved to pull pranks and plan practical jokes as a student at Stanford University. His penchant for comedy led him to become a contributor to the school’s humor magazine. Using his childhood nickname “Doodles”, he began appearing on Rudy Vallee’s radio program and eventually signed on as a member of the raucous …
