daddysprimadonna

And a lot of them really worked at it-I've read that Joan Crawford got up at the crack of the dawn,donned sweats,and had her chuaffer follow her while she jogged for miles through the hills. And my girl Norma Shearer was a swimmer,swam laps everyday(I knew there was a reason I liked her,swimming is my favorite outdoor activity:)) And she was an excellent diver. The scenes from the movie "The Women" always crack me up,when it shows Rosalind Russell and Joan Fontaine doing their exercises.It reminds me of Sixties gym classes."Crawl slowly up the wall...",LOL!And the martial music!

And I have to say,that I DO prefer stars "on pedestals" or in the "shining firmament". If I want to know about "just folks",they're all around me.Why would I pay money to see people who are no different,at least in theory,from the guy next door? As far as their private everyday lives,normal or not,I don't care. They're paid huge unbelivable salaries NOT strictly because of their acting genius,which in many cases is negligible,but because they have some "IT" factor supposedly.And I'm not going to believe that they're just like you and me anyway-I don't know about you,but not too many stores close just to let me shop in privacy,and I don't get thousand dollar freebies just for showing up somewhere.No, I don't resent that,but after clawing and sacrificing,to be in the limelight and be famous,it's a little disingenuous in my opinion for these stars to act like they're just folk and act like all they ever wanted was to live like the average Joe.If that were true,they'd be styling hair or doing accounting somewhere.They WANTED fame,and fortune.

Yes Brackenhe,I agree that people are people and there's nothing new under the sun,but the stars were undoubtedly presented and publicised differently and that's what I mean.And I know that stars today couldn't be presented the same way-that's what I mean by lost innocence,we'd never believe it.But I still admire the glamor and mystique they were able to have then.And don't you believe that stars today wouldn't like the protection of that publicity machine and the barrier of that glamor. Normal lives???? Are you kidding? I don't consider the way many of today's stars live exactly normal;)

On the other hand,some of the stars,especially of the Thirties/early Forties era,were just tiny,both in stature and proportion. I read that some of Vivien Leigh's costumes in a museum had 18 inch waists. And a lot of the women in Thirties movies looked really tiny,and streamlined. They look to me like their Art Deco ideals,or like greyhounds. I always mention the low-slung rears that so many had(Barbara Stanwyck,Joan Crawford),because it seems especially characteristic.It makes me wonder,do even body shapes somehow change with the passing styles,LOL.It seems so many of them were naturally smaller at that time-different diet,especially as children(ie Depression fare)?

Hiya JackPickford,it's Olive, tell Mary hello-LOL, I just had to do that:)

Barbara Stanwyck-why do I think creamed chipped beef? Something about her being no-nonsense,early theatrical career,I don't know. Boardinghouse,"theatrical boarding house", hmmm, that was lamb stew if I recall correctly,in that movie Stage Door.

Mickey Rooney-onscreen persona,apple pie all the way. Off screen persona-hmmmm-I wanted to say "martini" for the swinger playboy thing,but he wasn't really that sophisticated-martini would be more Dean Martin. Help me here!

Yes, I did see it,and I have some awesome books on the beauty industry and its beginnings,but they're more generic.I'd love to find one about the actual secrets of real stars from the past. I loved reading in Mary Pickford's autobiography "Sunshine and Shadow" about how she curled her ringlets-on kidskin curlers,and kept her blonde curls bright-castile soap shampoo and olive oil treatments,and her diet regimen-spinach and skim milk-I find that girly stuff fascinating.She used milk masks to keep her skin white,and had to cut her nails when a child visiting the set of one her movies said" Mommy,she's not really a little girl,she has long nails".And the beautiful delicate dainty clothes! Grooming and attention to the smallest details mattered back then. I love in one of the Gloria Swanson movies,when her rival in love(forgot the actress's name),puts a little scent on her LIPS in order to entice the hero,Swanson's husband.And the fashion parade,when Swanson decides to shed her dowdy image,is great. Women didn't mind a little fuss in order to be stylish,though I think Swanson's movie wardrobes were probably a little over the top even then,LOL.

Hey,HarlowKeatonGirl,I agree that we'll never see their like again,which is why those times mean so much to me,and I love to immerse myself in the whole thing when I have time. Too many things have changed and can never be the same,the mystique and glamor are gone forever.Even the few modern-day "stars" who manage to dress the part on Oscar night,well,it's just not the same,you don't BELIEVE in it the way people could back then. And people then didn't mind looking up to and admiring these glorified beings for being glorious and "above the common herd",now everyone wants to "equalise" everyone,usually to the lowest common denominator,instead of having gods and godesses to worship from afar.We just don't have the same innocent mentality and never can again.

HarlowKeatonGirl,that was funny,hehe. How'd you find out what bleach Harlow used? I find that an interesting tidbit,I'm always interested in beauty routines and cosmetics and styles from Hollywood's golden era,especially from the early silents(Mary Pickford et al),the Jazz Age silents,and the pre-code Thirties.

Some of my most favorite movies could never be considered "high art", like "Those Glamour Girls" or "Chance At Heaven",or the flapper silents,but they're fun fun fun to watch.Even Einstein needed relaxation,I'm sure.

It doesn't matter,it's still a fun movie to watch,and Hedy is beautiful-that woman would be gorgeous in sackcloth and ashes. I always got the impression that she didn't take Hollywood or herself that seriously anyway-supremely beautiful women often seem to be unconsciously self-confident that way. When you're so gorgeous that you don't have to think about it,you don't think about it.Everyone else does it for you:)

"My name is...Tondelayo",LOL. I adore Hedy, but what possessed her to make this movie,as smart and sophisticated a woman and actress as she was? The money for it must have been damn good!

It gets really old and very irritating when people see something political in everything, especially when for better or for worse,you know that when these movies were made, the goal was entertainment,no one was meaning to make a statement of any kind, they weren't even thinking about it.It could be argued in some cases that maybe it should have been given some thought,but at least the "sin" was usually one of omission of thoughtfulness,not deliberate maliciousness.For what it's worth, people just weren't thinking about it one way or the other.They were just products of their time and like most other people of the same times.

Katherine Hepburn-lobster,maybe-kind of a New Englandy thing.Also,hard on the outside,difficult to get next to,but sweet and succulent on the inside.Clams could work here too.

> For creamer, I > just like the bottles of original Coffeemate (I don't > screw around w/powders). LOL! A person after my own heart,hehe.

As for the men-Clark Gable, that man is simply fascinating! And because he loved Carole Lombard because while she was by nature a "boudoir girl",yet she could cuss and hunt and fit right in with the boys,we'd have to drink a few old fashioned old Hollywood alcoholic favorites-it would be fun to look up some recipes for some of those off-the-wall drinks,though I suppose his would be whisky neat. I don't think I could do that though! I'd probably feel a little high and giddy just being around him one-on-one,LOL.Oh what a man,they don't make those manly men like him anymore! Now,they would probably share their hair product secrets and such-bleechhh!

Norma Shearer,of course,I'd love to learn the secrets of her fascination to men,when she wasn't really(forgive me Norma,but it's a compliment to your sex appeal,truly it is!)classically truly beautiful,what with a squint and not exactly perfect legs. And being as she was a Canadian of Scottish? Scotch? I never figured out the proper term-descent,it would of course be hot tea with all the trimmings,the proper British way. What a woman-men loved her,women loved her(no mean feat!),and she had all the fascination of a Southern belle,combined with the class of a sterotypical "English" raising,and a sense of appropiateness,the "fitness" of things,a great sense of style,and the intelligence to project such glamor without possessing classic beauty.Yep, she's my role model,LOL.Bring on the tea!

I meant to ask-what kind of coffee creamer did you use,and if you recall, what proportions,roughly speaking?

Lord, I used to single-handedly support the local Orange Julius, wish I'd had stock in it! So your Gatorade drink sounds good,and in fact with your kind permission I'm going to try it. It's already in the seventies temperature-wise where I live,and I'm on my usual summer prowl for refreshing drinks other than soda and my ubitiquous-but-beloved ice tea(other drinks may be "iced", but tea is always "ice"). I had an iced coffee thing last year,but am naturally hyper,and didn't need the extra energy,hehe.Lemon/lime,one of my most favorite flavors! Back to the business at hand-Clark Gable has always put me in mind of a juicy huge steak,LOL. Betty Grable-it's too obvious-cheesecake.Janet Gaynor-this just popped into my head from nowhere-cotton candy. Jean Harlow-red hots,the little cinnamon candy. This is a good thread!

Oh, definitely a good thing-yum yum! Or lime,or pina colada,or margarita,all those refreshing sweet/tart things:)

LOL. Well, Antar, it's all because we love ya(*hurl* right back at ya;)),like a frosty tart lemon snowcone,hehe. OK,Hedy is like a fine wine,and my girl Norma Shearer would be-caviar? A little salty,but classic and rich and sensuous? Yummm, now I'm hungry. Hor d'oevres,anyone?

Or maybe a gin highball-I read that she liked a lil nip of gin in her latter years;)

Ummmm, Mary Pickford-chocolate covered pretzel? You know,sweet,but a little salty and earthy? OK, that wasn't a good one,LOL.

Hedy Lamarr was undeniably, classically gorgeous,a great actress,and an intelligent woman. I haven't seen as many of her movies as I'd like,but I'm on the lookout for them. I love that she invented and patented an invention of military usefulness in WW2. Beauty and brains,and talent:)