Lana Turner & Bob Hope: Priceless!

This video of Lana Turner, performing with Bob Hope on his show, is simply wonderful!! Enjoy!

Oops . . .

I didn't realize that I had slacked off the blog for ten days! I apologize. ;)

Lately I haven't stumbled across any noteworthy vintage to spark my blogging fancy. Maybe I just need some inspiration.

Here are some lovely photos I had sitting on my hard drive. Enjoy!

Linda Darnell:

Miss Darnell was such a beautiful actress! I'm really loving her hairstyle in this picture. I'm wondering if it would be hard to recreate?

Joan Leslie:

Miss Leslie was very much "the girl next door" in many of her movies. She is still alive and will sign autographs. I encourage you to write to her here.

Ann Miller:

She was such a fabulous dancer! I love watching her. She dances with passion, yet makes it look effortless. And her swimsuit is adorable!!

Now I Belong to Jesus

I love hymns. They are so rich! They are "deeper" than many of today's worship songs. Don't get me wrong, there are tons of modern worship songs that I love, but there is something about a hymn. It's as if there is more of a reverence to God written into it.

Anyways, we usually have one hymn in our Sunday worship. I'm always checking to see if there is a copyright to tell me when the hymn was written. It's rare to find a copyright, since most of the songs are public domain. If you do find a date, it's usually from the 1800's through the 1920's. But today's hymn, "Now I Belong to Jesus", was written by Norman J. Clayton and copyrighted 1943. This made me excited! I don't know of any other hymns that are dated during the war. Here are the lyrics:

Jesus, my Lord will love me forever,
From Him no pow'r of evil can sever,
He gave His life to ransom my soul;
Now I belong to Him;

Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Once I was lost in sin's degradation,
Jesus came down to bring me salvation,
Lifted me up from sorrow and shame,
Now I belong to Him;


Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Joy floods my soul for Jesus has saved me,
Freed me from sin that long had enslaved me
His precious blood, He came to redeem,
Now I belong to Him;


Now I belong to Jesus,
Jesus belongs to me,
Not for the years of time alone,
But for eternity.

Movie: Battle of the Bulge (1965)

Yesterday was my Dad's birthday. He is very into WWII, and part of the reason I love the 1940's.

I bought him a couple war movies, one being Battle of the Bulge starring Henry Fonda. Some war movies are completely fictitious, and others are very pro-American propaganda (usually ones made during the war). However, I found Battle of the Bulge to be informative, eye opening, and accurate (something my Dad confirmed). I'm not as familiar with the European side of the war as I am with the Pacific Theatre. I was shocked to find out that America had NO CLUE about the attack the German's were planning, and that we nearly lost the Battle of the Bulge.

I feel it is very, very important to watch realistic movies about WWII or read accounts of the men who fought. We need to understand the depth of that war. We need to understand why the homefront was saving scrap metal, rationing, carpooling, and planting victory gardens. Every time I watch an old movie about the war, I am shocked at what our soldiers endured and sacrificed. I ache when I think of what they had to process when they got home, and the memories they had to live with for the rest of their lives.

If you see a veteran, please do not hesitate to walk up to them and say "Thank you. I appreciate your sacrifice." They gave more than we will ever know.

Vintage Pyrex

Today I decided that I would choose a vintage Pyrex pattern, and start collecting pieces for my hope chest. I headed over to PyrexLove and chose Snowflake Blue (also known as Snowflake Garland) from the vintage patterns guide. I like the vintage feel of Snowflake Blue, but it will also be easy to mix in other patterns with blue in it — such as Eyes, Foulard, and Starburst — as well as solid pieces. Pyrex has such a glamourous 50's housewife feel to it! What better way to add some vintage to your kitchen? My wonderful Mom is letting me pick out a piece for her to give me as a Christmas present. She's great. :)

Autographs

In 2007, I discovered that you could write celebrities and ask for autographs — a whole new world opened up! There are many stars from the 40's, 50's, and 60's who will reply to your fan letters and send you autographs. I thought I'd post a list of the older one's I've heard from so you can start your own collection! (excuse the photography. I know it's not the best.)

The rules for requesting autographs are to include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your letter. If you are writing to someone overseas, include an international reply coupon (available at the post office.) For some of the older stars, I sent my own photos.

I get all my addresses from FanMail or ReelClassics.

Lauren Bacall

This was my first success!

I couldn't believe it when I opened the envelope and had a picture that Lauren Bacall actually touched!! I was giddy. Lol.

She provided the picture.

Ann Blythe

Probably most known for her role in Mildred Pierce,

as Joan Crawford's spoiled daughter.

She provided the picture.

Jane Powell

Starred in Royal Wedding with Fred Astair and Peter Lawford

My photo.

James Garner

Starred with Doris Day in Move Over, Darling and The Thrill of it All.

He provided the picture.

Here is a link where you can view some more of my autographs. Trying to post them on here is a little tedious!

I urge you to write fan letters to these stars from the Golden Era. Not only will you have a timeless treasure, but I'm sure it means a lot to them to still be receiving fan letters. Don't be discouraged if you don't hear back for a while. It took two years for me to hear from Pat Boone and Jane Russell. Some of my favorites are Elizabeth Taylor, Joan Leslie, Joan Fontaine (Joan Fontaine charges $5.00. But she provides a beautiful 8x10 photo!), Jane Russell, Cobina Wright, and Lizabeth Scott. There are many others not included in that list. If you are looking for a certain star, leave me a comment and I will be glad to let you know if I've had any success.

Photo Friday: Ann Sheridan

Today is bonus day: you're getting three pictures instead of one! (Honestly, I just couldn't pick one. Haha.)

I love this picture of Ann Sheridan sitting on her vanity, applying her lipstick. It's just so classic and glamorous! (This photo is from Listal.)

Ann Sheridan is such a pleasure to watch as an actress, but I don't know too much about her life and career. She was paired with James Cagney in several movies. Her movie career was steady through the 30's and 40's. But by 1950, it was hard for her to find work. Sadly, she died in January 1967 at age 51, from esophageal and liver cancer.

Ann Sheridan has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7024 Hollywood Boulevard.

During WWII, Ann was a very popular pin-up, and was named "The Oomph Girl".

Isn't her skating dress adorable?? It's typical to see publicity photos of the stars on the beach or by a swimming pool, but I believe this is the first one I've seen with figure skates. You can also see the cigarette in her left hand.

If anyone knows what movie this would be from or for, please let me know. I was looking at a magazine add for "Winter Carnival" (1939), but her hair and make-up have a more 1940's look.

(This photo is from Dr. Macro. A fabulous place for high quality photos of the stars.)

I had to post this one because of her fabulous hair style, and her great shoes! (This photo came from SkyLighters.)