And the results are in!

"I do not vish to verk like this" uttered by St. Zsa Zsa, wins by a landslide.
Thanks, readers - and your advice came true: I will be finished at the end of March!

PS. Dear Benefactors (both of you), I'm not turning down your offer.

R.I.P., Wendy Richard

I loved you as sexy Miss Brahms
and

cranky Pauline Fowler.

Virginia Graham's "Don't Blame the Mirror"

A random turn brings us to page 75, "On the Scent of Beauty":

Spray air-conditioners with cologne for scented fresh air.
Spray your ironing board with fragrance before pressing blouses, handkerchiefs, scarves, and curtains.
Use cologne on your hair as a quick wave set.
A gentle rubbing of cologne on tired feet will refresh them on a hot summer day.
Spray cologne on artificial flowers. (!)
Spray padded clothes hangers with cologne.
Use perfumed candles to set the mood for a party.

I've been teaching my little granddaughter about perfume, and have given her an atomizer to play with. But she's been told not to spray the boy she plays with in the park. And I suggest that if you have a little boy, you don't encourage him to fool around with your perfume. We're having enough trouble with boys as it is.

With Dimension!

A Permanent Solution

for Gene.

Lost in the Supermarket

I needed to get tissues. I really dislike getting tissues and paper towels but whatever. Stopping at the tissue selection, I started to peruse the pretty paper boxes of pulp when a man rudely cut across me, scanned the selection, stopped, glared, and ran down the aisle. I looked and saw this:



and I forgave him for his bad manners. I heard him say to his guy friend, "They have Miley Cyrus tissues!" Then his friend, a white-haired, 50ish, chubby fella headed my way. We had a mutual laugh and I pointed at another box which featured "Gabriella."

"Who's she?" I asked him.

"Oh, that's Vanessa Hudgens. Friend of mine's her business manager."

"A very astute one, it seems."

"Says he can hook me up with her whenever I want."

I reached down and decided the bathroom would be getting a box of Miley tissues. And I needed something to make my skin stop crawling.

Derek J: The First Review!

Ok, so I watched "Tears, Shears and Beauty" last night and I was not disappointed! While I joined in mid-season and there was some catching up to do, Derek J was coaching his team for their runway show finale. Clad in cut off sweats and a t-shirt, he led the class in women's stilettoes! Oh, it was a delight. The show is hosted by a fella who was getting a pedicure by a hot chick! I can't recommend it highly enough - not to mention the gals themselves and the fabulous hairdos they create. Don't miss. But Derek is the STAH.

We are in Awe

Of Dennis Awe, that is. Check out some tidbits from his bio:

He provided organ music for soap operas "Young Doctor Malone", "From These Roots", "Dark Shadows", and game shows "Beat the Clock", and "Who Do You Trust?"

Dennis has shared the stage with many of the great entertainers; Frank Fontaine (Crazy Guggenheim, from the Jackie Gleason Show) Clayton Moore, "The Lone Ranger", Connie Francis, at the New York Copa Cabana, The Inkspots, Bob Crosby and the Bobcats, Ed McMahon and Johnny Carson of The Tonight Show, Vic Tayback, Artie Johnson, JoAnne Castle, Henry Winkler, Red Skelton, Debbie Reynolds. In 1990, Dennis toured and starred as Liberace in "Liberace Lives!" a full two and a half hour musical extravaganza that received rave reviews and standing ovations.

Not only that, he is a comedian!

Here's Mavis' recent AWE-some finds:




"The AWE-tographs are to "Frank and Viola" and "Millie"! I bought those albums in separate places, too. His "Alley Cat" is the Pussy's Pyjamas!"





PS. Got a hankerin' for some organ music? While there's no Dennis Awe, there's still some great stuff to be found at Organ Records Universe.

When Soap Gets In Your Eyes

The caption reads: "The O'Connor twins Gloria and Consuelo, washing each other's hair, almost exact look-alikes."

But just look at the shampoo'd (Consuelo?) one! What on earth is the other one (Gloria?) doing to her?! There is obviously some kind of beauty torment going on here. Gloria smiles with glee, her lipstick perfect, while Consuelo cringes, far above the sink. All is not right in this photo.

Date taken: April 1947
Photographer: Bernard Hoffman

Derek J and Dr Miracle Beauty Products

Is Derek J 'Dr. Miracle' or does he just push the product? Whatever the difference, Derek J is my new favorite. From his old-school barbershop shirt to his fabulous scissor necklace to his amazing footwear, I long to cross the color line and head over to BET so he can shampoo me and give me beauty tips. You know he knows how to make a girl feel beautiful! Be sure to check out the others, especially "Tingly."



Thanks, Gene, for enlightening me to Derek J!

PS. Gene also told me that Derek J hosts "Shears, Tears and Beauty!", a reality show on BET: "Hairstylists and barbers battle for bragging rights and cash." I have set my tivo.

Lisa Douglas: The Early Years!

Lex10 sends this fantastic obit of John M. Seabrook:

Mr. Seabrook's first marriage, to Anne Schlaudecker of Erie, Pa., ended in divorce. In the mid-1950's, he had a romance with the actress Eva Gabor, a frequent visitor to Seabrook Farms, who later used some of those experiences in her role as the cosmopolitan wife of a farmer, played by Eddie Arnold, in "Green Acres," the popular television series. He was also a regular at "21" and the Stork Club, in New York City. However in 1956, he bid farewell to his bachelor days by marrying Elizabeth Ann Toomey, a newspaper reporter whom he had met earlier that year, while aboard the USS Constitution, en route to Europe for Grace Kelly's wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco. Mr. Seabrook was a guest of the Kelly family; his future bride was covering the wedding for United Press International.

By the early 1960's, when Esquire Magazine first named him to its Best Dressed Men in America list, Mr. Seabrook was recognized as one of the country's most stylish devotees of the British Saville Row look. To accommodate his wardrobe, he installed a revolving dry cleaner's carousel in the attic of the 18th century farmhouse in Mannington Township where he and his family lived. An enthusiastic equestrian, Seabrook was equal parts horseman and clothes horse. When Diana Vreeland produced the exhibit "Man and The Horse" for Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute in 1985, she asked him to provide clothing accessories appropriate to 19th century England - outfits that he was still wearing on a regular basis. He often conducted business from the box seat of a road coach. Richard Fain, who as a young executive worked under Mr. Seabrook at I.U, and later became the CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruise Line, recalled, "He would be holding four reins in one hand, a coaching whip and champagne glass in the other, driving four horses through farm roads lined with vegetables, remarking on the state of the crops, while simultaneously discussing how best to finance the five new supertankers the company was getting ready to order. Of course, the board of directors was along for the ride, both literally and figuratively."

For the entire obit, read here.

R.I.P., Chicklett (Susan Walsh)

From Dreamland News, where I'm doing a verbatim cut and paste, because who could have written it better?

February 10, 2009

Bad news, kids. A Dreamland legend has passed. Susan Walsh who played the beloved Chicklett in Female Trouble died of natural causes on February 6. Susan also played Suzie in Pink Flamingos - she's the first girl in the pit! There was a brief obit in the Baltimore Sun today. She is survived by two daughters and a brother. There are no public services.

"I understand, MISTER WEINBERGER!"

My Curly Valentine

British production of "Love For Love" starring John Gielgud as Valentine. London, 1943

Anita Ekberg

!!

A Sad Day in the History of Big Hair

Shirley Jean Rickert, 1926 - 2009

Men's Hairstyles: The Flat Top

Rarely, if ever, do I write about men's hair or fashions ... but Senator Jon Tester just begs to be written about because of his amazing flat top. I just love him! (He's a democrat, and while I forbid politics on my blog, well, if he were an "r", I wouldn't bother.) And he's young! His flat-top literally glows:


Look at his democratic goodness radiating from his hair! His barber is a skilled man.

It's Saint Eva's Birthday

It's a Glamorous day all around, because not only is it Saint Eva of Gabor's Birthday,



it's Tina Louise's birthday, too!

In Lethal Dreams

My new migraine meds are the cats! These things are almost as good as LSD, except you have to be asleep. Last night's escapade was especially fantastic and I wished you all could have been there. I was swimming in a bay with Jayne Mansfield and her double from The Wild, Wild World of Jayne Mansfield and they were both wearing really bad wigs (of course!) which got all ratty in the water. Then they started fighting! So of course, I cheered them on. I got sort of puzzled because somewhere in my dream I knew that Jayne's double was only because the movie was made after Jayne was dead, but I was too delighted by what was going on to be bothered by details.



One of my favorite Wild Wild World lines: "Sometimes I think fish are so lucky."

Saint of the Day - Patrons Saint(s) of Pharmacists!

Sts. Cosmas & Damian
Feastday: September 26


Don't they look just like Freddie Bartholomew in "The Prince and the Pauper"?


Sts. Cosmas and Damian were brothers, born in Arabia, who had become eminent for their skill in the science of medicine. Being Christians, they were filled with the spirit of charity and never took money for their services. At Egaea in Cilicia, where they lived, they enjoyed the highest esteem of the people. When the persecution under Diocletian broke out, their very prominence rendered them marked objects of persecution. Being apprehended by order of Lysias, governor of Cilicia, they underwent various torments about the year 283. Their feast day is September 26th. They are patron saints of pharmacists.

Extra added bonus: they are also the patron saints of barbers!

Obit Roundup

Blossom Dearie, chanteuse and hair queen.



James Whitmore - my favorite role: President of the Assembly in Planet of the Apes.



Philip Carey, star of Lethal Hall of Famer Screaming Mimi.

Lethal Notes

You can find my blog, Lethal Dose, here.
I also am lucky enough to contribute to
Celluloid Slammer
and PCL Link Dump.

If the economy keeps tanking I'll be giving up my custom URL. I'll be making this my blog from now on. My old blog will be up for awhile - browse the archives if you'd like.

Princess Luciana's Camay Ad

The One, The Only, Our Goddess. Revel in the sound of her holy voice!

One Great Obit

Eve sends:

From March 2, 1912 Variety:

Winifred Greene, soubrette, aged 20 years, with the Ginger Girls while at the Gayety last week ended her life by drinking carbolic acid. Miss Greene was the wife of Lester Bert Payne, electrician with the show, whom she married four years ago [!] in Minneapolis. She left two notes which gave evidence that her life had been anything but pleasant, despondency causing her to commit suicide. One note was to her husband. It said, "Bert—if you are going to Heaven, I want to go to Hell."