Marlene Dietrich #BOTD and Jean Harlow chatting each other up during a star-studded photoshoot at an Ambassador Hotel gala for the Motion Picture Theater Owners of America (MPTOA) in April 1934 instead of looking at the camera

I’ve been exploring Glenda Farrell’s little-written about pre-Hollywood stage career. Her first press notices were during the 1925-‘26 season as a member of the stock company at the Morosco Theater in Los Angeles. Here is the first photo of her published in that era of her career (100 years ago!)

Saturday, December 27th, 7:30pm Greg Pane, Piano Accompaniment THE MAN FROM BEYOND (1922, Houdini Picture Corporation) A man who has been frozen in the Arctic ice for 100 years returns to civilization to find his lost love. Starring and co-written by Harry Houdini!

Personally, this is an impeccable lineup.

This is beautiful. The cinema of King of the Hill

mission motel, san bernardino, california, 1977

Merry Christmas 🎄

Yearly reminder that Bombshell (1933) is technically a Christmas movie, if you want it to be. 😁

Embroidered silk postcard from WWI.

Every day since 1981.

Indeed.

This photo of Audrey Totter #BOTD relaxing at home with a book and a glass of milk was published in the May 1948 issue of Modern Screen, yet it’s an appropriate December 20th mood.

William A. Wellman, Irene Dunne, Mary Boland, and crew on the set of Stingaree (1934)

A favorite candid of a favorite actress, the incomparable Irene Dunne #BOTD. Photographed playing solitaire by Roman Freulich in 1942. Adore the fit.

Adam and Eve on a Raft and other kitchen slang, from Caught Plastered (1931) with Wheeler and Woolsey, who starred in more feature comedy films than the Marx Brothers or W. C. Fields. And sometimes they're even funny.

Gary Cooper in The Texan (1930)

Betty Grable #BOTD in a publicity portrait for Pin Up Girl (1944)

Lupe Vélez wearing Adrian in a publicity portrait for Hollywood Party (1934), as printed in Screen Book magazine

Mamie Van Doren photographed upon arrival in New York City, 1957

If you have any brains at all, you can’t watch the mediocre movies all your life. I mean, there has to be something else going on in your head. There are a lot of things I want to do. It’s more fun to be with people than to watch some stinky movie. (1992)

Having to go back for Butch Cassidy after watching The Sting like eating a midnight snack and going back to the fridge at 3AM

Joan Blondell and Frank Sinatra #BOTD, 1944

Shirley Dunstead (AKA Marlo Dwyer) and a stack of empty film canisters in a publicity portrait for Footlight Parade (1933), telling by the ‘FP’ in the lower right corner. Vitaphone Zone vibe.

I love this moment in the 1946 Oscars newsreel where the cameraman makes a cool transition out of dropping the camera on Myrna Loy and resuming filming on Greer Garson. Accidental fancam pioneer.

Black Mask, March 1921 pulpcovers.com/black-mask-m... Covers, Black Mask, Magazine, Mystery, William Grotz

I knew it

Birthday girl Virginia Mayo, born on this day in St. Louis (seen here in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, 1947).

Happy birthday to the beautifully versatile Virginia Mayo, thanks for signing this to my grandmama

Happy birthday, Virginia Mayo! She had a better career than she gets credit for, with key roles as the icy moll in WHITE HEAT, the gold-digging wife in THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, and the just plain evil FLAXY MARTIN (seek it out if you haven't seen it).

Have always loved how Harlow told a reporter the color of this gown was 'nude satin', followed by something like 'but you'd better not print that, because the censors'll get sore'.

Happy Busby Berkeley's Birthday (1895-1976)! Two overhead shots of his famous geometric numbers as featured in Dames (1934), scanned from The Busby Berkeley Book:

Barbara Stanwyck in my favorite scene from The Great Man’s Lady (1942)

Thanksgiving with Lilian Harvey, 1933: carving the turkey in an ostrich feather boa, as one does.

Frances Dee (#BOTD) and Joel McCrea photographed on their ranch by John Miehle, 1934 (as published in that June’s issue of Silver Screen magazine)

Not a Dix Pic I would readily recommend. boxd.it/bPG2MR

Natacha Rambova by Hugh Cecil, 1923

'For the Picture Fans of 2025', as published in Motion Picture magazine, August 1925, showing Lillian Gish and Colleen Moore being immortalized in sculpture for their performances in Romola and So Big (both 1924). A little eerie in the sense that only one of those still exists.

SLUGGO’S OCTOPUS THOUGHTS IT’S JUST DESSERTS

Movies used to be cool.

[Harpo Marx was born Adolf (later Arthur) Marx on this day in 1888. Circa HORSE FEATHERS he was handing out nude photographs of himself as a gag; one was auctioned recently for $5,760. You can see it here, but I've warned you. (Thanks Teakagee!)] bid.juliensauctions.com/lot-details/...

Warner Bros illustrated advertising suggestions for Havana Widows (1933), from the film's pressbook

Gene Tierney (#BOTD) on the set of Thunder Birds (1942) dir. William A. Wellman

Obligatory “follow me on Letterboxd” propaganda: boxd.it/bKMLYZ

I might be the only person under the age of 30 with Gallant Journey (1946) ad art on the wall in their house.

Good morning! Tuesday mood is Mamie Van Doren performing “Anything Your Heart Desires” in Guns, Girls, and Gangsters (1958), with music composed by Buddy Bregman and Stanley Styne, choreography by Jack Baker.

Tallulah Bankhead on the cover of National Enquirer (November 1957)

Joel McCrea and Veronica Lake in a publicity pose for Ramrod (de Toth, 1947)

Time to sit down with this masterpiece again.

Clara Bow in The New Movie Magazine, December 1930 “Clara Bow in a scene of her newest talkie, ‘Her Wedding Night.’”