Friday's This & That: The X-Rays Show...

As I get over the chill of this exam table, here's what's going on in the world:

Jose Luis de Vilallonga, author, aristocrat and actor who starred as the dashing Brazilian multimillionaire in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” died Thursday at his home on the island of Mallorca at the age of 87. A colorful character in Spain’s high society, Vilallonga had worked as a journalist and wrote an official biography of Spain’s King Juan Carlos. A high point in Vilallonga’s acting career came when he was in Blake Edwards’ classic 1961 movie "Breakfast at Tiffany's," playing Jose da Silva Pereira, whom Hepburn’s Holly Golightly planned to marry.

Two new DVD sets are out that you should definitely buy! The Esther Williams Collection gives you five films: "Bathing Beauty," "Easy to Wed," "On An Island With You," "Neptune's Daughter" and "Dangerous When Wet" -- all of my favorites! Among the co-stars are Red Skelton, Peter Lawford, Lucille Ball, Van Johnson, Jimmy Durante, and Ricardo Montalban. These movies also contain some fantastic performances from Helen Forrest, Xavier Cugat, and others of the swinging era of the golden age. (We've discussed many of these movies in previous posts of Van Johnson, Peter Lawford, Helen Forrest, and the Mermaid herself.) Waves of extras include outtakes, cartoons and classic shorts. (Warner)

The Elvis Collection stars the King with a bevy of beauties in this four-disc set. Elvis portrays a boxer, riverboat entertainer, and good-ole-boy in "Follow That Dream," "Frankie and Johnny," "Clambake" and "Kid Galahad." (MGM)

Mee-Yow Thursday

Laurence Olivier on Marilyn Monroe:"I said to her on the set once, 'Why can't you get here on time, for f***'s sake?' And she replied, 'Oh! Do you have that word in England, too?'"

Sweepea-TV: Damon's in Glendale

There is no finer place in Glendale for steak and tiki faire than Damon's on Brand Blvd. Their two specialty drinks are the Mai Tai and the Chi Chi (pictured below).Their kitchy paper placemats match the rest of the tiki decor, and the aging waitresses are friendly as they serve fine food at a great price.
View from the floor after many Chi-Chi's...

Vintage Ad Makeovers

Yet another fabulous Photoshop contest from Worth 1000 brings vintage ads redone to show futuristic (and some quite racy) products.
Many of them are good...and a few you may have seen before on here in their original form. Enjoy! [Thanks to Lou for pointing me to it.]

15 Ways to Become Famous

No talent is necessary if you use these actors as your example.

1. Nick Nolte: chew the scenery
2. Harrison Ford: look clumsy
3. Priscilla Presley: marry an icon
4. Kenneth Branagh: shout a lot in iambic pentameter
5. Clint Eastwood: whisper
6. Elizabeth Hurley: wear revealing dresses
7. Hugh Grant: curb crawl
8. Nicolas Cage: ring Uncle Francis
9. Kim Basinger: pout
10. Alec Baldwin: marry Kim Basinger
11. Barbra Streisand: warble
12. Sharon Stone: flash
13. Goldie Hawn: giggle
14. Roger Moore: act with your eyebrows
15. James Dean: die

[by Aubrey Dillon Malone]

Mee-Yow Thursday

Poor Joan...constantly a subject of our "Mee-Yow's"...

Joan Crawford and Mercedes McCambridge fought both on and off camera while filming Johnny Guitar (1954). One night, in a drunken rage, Crawford scattered the costumes worn by McCambridge along an Arizona highway. Cast and crew had to collect the outfits.

Classic Quote of the Day

John Barrymore, on acting:

"There are lots of methods. Mine involves a lot of talent, a glass, and some cracked ice."

Sweepea-TV: A Social Commentary Tagger

I'm finally back from vacation and took a few snapshots of my surroundings... This one shows the wonderful art of the local Dave Barry.

Vacation, all I ever wanted!

The Lounge will be closed for a week; I'll be out of town on vacation. We'll be open again August 20th.

In the meantime, check out some of our previous posts, and visit all our friends at the other sites we're linked to!

As Dyno says, "Miss me!"

-- Sweepea

Sweepea-TV: If These Walls Could Talk

One last thing before I go...I'm sure everyone's heard of Britney's little hit-and-run in Studio City. If not, here are the high low-lights:After scraping up against another car, she opens the door on it. She takes some time to check her own car, then proceeds in to the vitamin store and a Starbucks. When she returns, she has some mysterious stuff on her butt...and then she drives away, never looking back.The Starbucks is just down the street from me, so when I went in yesterday for my daily Iced Green Tea Lemonade, the barista told me that the police had just come in to file a report. The barista said that the car Britney hit belonged to the manager of the Starbucks, who was a little miffed that Brit left without leaving a note or anything.
I feel bad for the adorable Yorkie pup. Maybe I'll sue her for custody of it. She's obviously an unfit puppy mommy.

Anyways, after I left the Starbucks, I snapped this picture of the very same parking lot, a day later, with no sign of the previous drama.
Whoopity-doo, I know. I guess I just didn't want to be called a liar again.

[Britney pics provided by The Superficial and I Don't Like You in That Way.]

Must-See Movie: It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World

It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
I know...I'm all about what movies you should rent lately. But this movie is just pure classic comedy. The plot is simple (and you may have seen it duplicated since). A caravan of motorists who witness a car accident on a California desert highway find that the victim Smiler Grogan (Jimmy Durante) is still alive. His dying words that he has hidden a fortune of stolen cash under a large "double-yuh" send the drivers on a wild race to see who can claim the dough first!

To see what the great comedians of this era were like, you must watch this movie. The stellar ensemble cast includes Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, Buddy Hackett, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney, Dick Shawn, Phil Silvers, Terry-Thomas, Jonathan Winters (in his first role), and Dorothy Provine. Each one of them grows increasingly maniacal as the race goes on, doing whatever they can to get the money.

But besides this highly-charged star power, cameos run rampant. Keep an eye out for The Three Stooges, Buster Keaton, Sterling Holloway, Don Knotts, Zasu Pitts, Carl Reiner, Jesse White, Peter Falk, Jim Backus, Jack Benny, Jerry Lewis, and many many more.

And set your Moxies! TCM is showing the movie August 18th at 8 PM EST. (Check your local listings.) They've also provided us with this great desktop wallpaper of Spencer Tracy on the run! Enjoy!

Mee-Yow Thursday

Still on the Joan Crawford kick...When Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford were called to shoot publicity stills for The Women, neither actress would enter the studio first. Instead, they remained in their limousines and circled the parking lot until director George Cukor summoned them. Once they were at the shoot they instantly behaved like best friends.

Classic Movie Quote of the Day

"There is a name for you, ladies, but it isn't used in high society -- outside of a kennel."

-- Joan Crawford, as Crystal Allen
The Women (1939)

Must-See Movie: Cat Ballou

Cat Ballou (1965)
Nat "King" Cole and Stubby Kaye provide a Greek chorus-style narrative in this tongue-in-cheek Western parody that's become a classic in its own right.

Jane Fonda, at the height of her sex-kitten days, plays the title character, who's father has been murdered by a gunslinger with no nose (played by Lee Marvin). Seeking revenge on the railroad development company that hired the hit, Cat -- once a schoolmarm -- becomes an outlaw and creates havoc in a crime spree. She puts together a ragtag gang of misfit men, including former Western legend-now-drunk Kid Shelleen (also played by Marvin), to prevent her father's ranch from falling into the wrong hands.

This Oscar-winning comedy has it all, served with a heavy hand of irreverence for both the genre and the decade. When I was a little girl I saw this movie, and ever since then I've wanted to be a gun-slinging, sexy bandit with golden locks, leading a gang of men all fighting for my affection.

Set your Moxies! TCM is showing Cat Ballou on August 23rd at 11:15 AM EST! (Check your local schedule.) They've also been kind enough to provide free desktop wallpaper for your enjoyment! Yee-haw!

Happy Birthday, Lucy!

Our favorite redhead Lucille Ball would be 96 today!
"I think knowing what you cannot do is more
important than knowing what you can do.
In fact, that's good taste."

"One of the things I learned the hard way was that it
doesn't pay to get discouraged. Keeping busy and making optimism a
way of life can restore faith in yourself."

"I don't know anything about luck. I've never banked on it,
and I'm afraid of people who do. Luck to me is something else:
hard work and realizing what is opportunity and what isn't."

"The secret of staying young is to live
honestly, eat slowly, and lie about your age."

"I'm not funny. What I am is brave."

"A man who correctly guesses a woman's
age may be smart, but he's not very bright."

"In life, all good things come hard,
but wisdom is the hardest to come by."

[IMDb.com]

It's the Killer Rabbit!

From Monty Python & the Holy Grail...one of the greatest comedies ever!

Mee-Yow Thursday: Special Edition

Set your Moxies for "mee-yow!"

One of our favorite Mee-Yow vixens is Lucille LeSueur, a.k.a. Joan Crawford. Her biting comments and the outrageous portrayal by her daughter (as magnified in the classic film "Mommie Dearest"), has made her one of Hollywood's classic bitches.

Well, TCM decided to spotlight this diva with their original documentary Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Movie Star. It airs twice tomorrow: at 6 AM and 6:30 PM EST. Check the website or your television guide for local times.

Nothing Like a Good First Date...