RECENTLY VIEWED: JAWS

The movie used to terrify me when I saw it as a young boy, but now 50 years I got to see Jaws in a movie theater for the first time. It is now my favorite movie of all time. For anyone born under a rock, Jaws is a 1975 American thriller film directed by Steven Spielberg. Based on the 1974 novel by Peter Benchley, it stars Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody, who, with the help of a marine biologist (Richard Dreyfuss) and a professional shark hunter (Robert Shaw), hunts a man-eating great white shark that attacks beachgoers at a New England summer resort town. Murray Hamilton plays the mayor, and Lorraine Gary portrays Brody's wife. The screenplay is credited to Benchley, who wrote the first drafts, and actor-writer Carl Gottlieb, who rewrote the script during principal photography.

Shot mostly on location at Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts from May to October 1974, Jaws was the first major motion picture to be shot on the ocean and consequently had a troubled production, going over budget and schedule. As the art department's mechanical sharks often malfunctioned, Spielberg decided to mostly suggest the shark's presence, employing an ominous and minimalist theme created by composer John Williams to indicate its impending appearances. Spielberg and others have compared this suggestive approach to that of director Alfred Hitchcock. Universal Pictures released the film to over 450 screens, an exceptionally wide release for a major studio picture at the time, accompanied by an extensive marketing campaign with heavy emphasis on television spots and tie-in merchandise.

Regarded as a watershed moment in motion picture history, Jaws was the prototypical summer blockbuster and won several awards for its music and editing. It was the highest-grossing film in history until the release of Star Wars two years later; both films were pivotal in establishing the modern Hollywood business model, which pursues high box-office returns from action and adventure films with simple high-concept premises, released during the summer in thousands of theaters and advertised heavily. Jaws was followed by three sequels, none of which involved Spielberg or Benchley, as well as many imitative thrillers. In 2001, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the United States National Film Registry.

Seeing the film on the big screen was monumental for me. I have sene the movie close to 100 times, and I jumped at every scene as if I was seeing the film for the first time. The film is not in theaters long, but you have to go see it on the big screen. I had tears in my eyes watching the movie, and not from fear. This movie has meant so much to me growing up, and I was overjoyed to be able to see it not in the theaters 50 years later. It was an amazing movie experience for me...

MY RATING: 10 out of 10

MEMORIES OF JAWS

Roy Scheider stated in an interview that in the scene where Lee Fierro (Mrs. Kintner) smacks him in the face in "Jaws" (1975), she was actually hitting him. Apparently, the actress could not fake a slap and so the seventeen takes were some of the "most painful" of his acting career. Also, Fierro stated in several interviews that in one of the takes when she slapped Roy Scheider, his glasses fell off.

The role of Brody was offered to Robert Duvall, but the actor was interested only in portraying Quint. Charlton Heston expressed a desire for the role, but Spielberg felt that Heston would bring a screen persona too grand for the part of a police chief of a modest community. Scheider became interested in the project after overhearing Spielberg at a party talk with a screenwriter about having the shark jump up onto a boat. Spielberg was initially apprehensive about hiring Scheider, fearing he would portray a "tough guy", similar to his role in "The French Connection" (1971).

When Scheider was trapped in the sinking Orca, it took 75 takes to get the shot right. Scheider did not trust the special effects team to rescue him in case of an emergency so he hid axes and hatchets around the cabin just in case.

Scheider's ad-libbed line, "You're gonna need a bigger boat" was voted 35th on the American Film Institute's list of best movie quotes.

URBAN LEGEND: JUDY GARLAND

URBAN LEGEND: Did Judy Garland steal her costume from the set of Valley Of The Dolls after she was fired from the film?

ANSWER: No!

STOLEN COSTUME? For years there were rumors that Judy Garland, upon being fired by Fox, stole the famous pant-suit eventually worn by Susan Hayward in VALLY OF THE DOLLS. This is not true. The studio, after hiring her at 75 Grand per week, found her drunk and loaded on pills and they were unable to film her first scene. She had already been through costume fittings and had recorded I'LL PLANT MY OWN TREE, one of her Broadway numbers for the Helen Lawson character she was playing. It went well. Her fans believe that the Director deliberately called her in for a morning shoot which was not scheduled until almost 5 PM. Whether he was testing Judy's resolve to stay sober or whether he had sabotaged her first day, is up for dispute. It's a difficult decision for a Movie Studio to make and Garland had been a big help in the HYPE PUBLICITY prior to the filming of Valley of the Dolls, so they paid her a fair settlement for her few days of work and let her keep the famous costume...

THE LAST DAYS OF VIVIAN VANCE

On a summer day in August 1979, Lucille Ball came to Belvedere, California, to bid farewell to her friend and beloved costar Vivian Vance.

The two women had created comedy magic in the legendary '50s sitcom I Love Lucy, with Ball as Lucy Ricardo and Vance playing her sidekick Ethel Mertz. But now, two decades later, Vance was dying of bone cancer, and Ball had come to say goodbye.

"You could hear them laughing, and towards the end there was a lot of sobbing," says Paige Peterson, who'd grown close to Vance after the actress rented her mother's home in Belvedere. "It was an amazing thing to witness. The love of these two women."

Peterson shared the story of the stars' final meeting with us while discussing her new book, Growing Up Belvedere-Tiburon, which tells the history of the beautiful town located in Marin County, California.

On that day in 1979, Peterson remembers, "We had brought Viv down and she was lying on the couch in the living room. They ate lunch and they talked and talked. Viv knew she was dying." (The breast cancer she had been diagnosed with in 1973 had metastasized into bone cancer.)

Peterson, who was in an adjacent room in case Vance needed her, remembers seeing Ball as she left. "The pain on her face shook me to my core. She was in tears. She couldn't speak."

"I think Viv gave up after that," says Peterson.

Vance died a few days later, on Aug. 17, at 70 years old.

"She cried about losing Viv for months after that," says Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, the daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. "Viv was, in many ways, like a sister to my mother. She could talk to Mom like nobody else, and I don't think my mother could confide in many people the way she would with Viv."

According to Peterson, after Vance was first diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and grueling chemotherapy, she moved to Belvedere from Salem, New York, "because she wanted a lifestyle change. The first house they [she and her fourth husband literary agent John Dodds] rented was my mother's house."

At the time, Peterson's mother, an interior designer, told her daughter to bring some fabric swatches over to the new tenant (without telling her who she was). "I knocked and Ethel answers and I was stunned," Peterson says with a laugh. "She said, 'Come on in, honey,' and I did. It was just one of those connections. We loved each other."

Vance, who was about to go on the road for the touring show, The Marriage Go Round, invited Peterson, then working as a local actress, to audition. She got the part opposite Vance, and the two traveled all over the country and grew close. Afterward, Peterson would often help her out as a personal assistant. "She had become a mother to me and she loved 'little Lucie' [Lucie Luckinbill]," notes Peterson. "Lucie and I were the daughters she never had."

Vance, originally from Kansas, was already a Broadway star when she was asked to play Ethel Mertz. Together, the show's four stars — Ball, Arnaz (her real-life husband, who also played her husband Ricky Ricardo), Vance and William Frawley, who played Ethel's cantankerous husband, Fred Mertz — created a hit.

After the show ended in 1958, Ball and Vance reunited on the sitcom The Lucy Show, from 1962 to 1968. This time, Vance's character was named Vivian Bagley because as she once explained, "I was tired of people calling me Ethel."

Looking back, Peterson says, "Viv loved living in Belvedere. She moved to a home [the Farr Cottages] that was cantilevered over the bay and would sit and read for hours on the deck, where she could look at the most beautiful view in the world. She loved the simplicity and the quiet of living here."

In her final days, she says, "Viv was in the place she loved most. And that's how she left the world."

A MOMENT WITH ELIZABETH MONTGOMERY

In early 1992, as snow blanketed the suburbs of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Elizabeth Montgomery quietly arrived at the modest home of Dick York. The neighbors didn’t notice. No press followed. She had traveled in silence, determined to see the man with whom she had once shared one of television’s most cherished bonds on "Bewitched." Years had passed since they last spoke, but hearing about York’s declining health stirred something deep within her.

Inside the small bedroom where York lay weak and frail, Montgomery sat beside him without ceremony. His thin hand rested in hers, and for several minutes, they said nothing. The room smelled faintly of peppermint oil and old books. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable. It was full of shared memory. She didn’t speak of fame or reruns or regrets. Instead, she gently began recounting their favorite moments from the early days of "Bewitched," the moments before the back pain, before the producers recast him, before the show became something else.

York, once a vibrant and witty presence, could barely speak above a whisper. But his eyes sparkled when she mentioned the scene in season one where Darrin tried to chop wood using magic, only to set the living room rug on fire. They both laughed then, softly but genuinely. Her visit wasn’t planned for attention, nor did she inform her agent or any friends outside of a trusted mutual contact. It was something she needed to do for herself. A way to honor what they once had.

Montgomery had always carried a deep affection for York, though their on-set chemistry was often overshadowed by his physical struggles and the show’s punishing production schedule. She had watched him suffer, his spinal condition worsening under studio lights and tight shooting deadlines. When he eventually left "Bewitched" in 1969, there had been no proper farewell, no wrap-up dinner, no closure. He was gone from the lot, and within a week, another actor stepped into the role. York later admitted that the sudden exit left him broken in more ways than one.

Years later, long after Montgomery had moved on to other projects and York had faded from Hollywood, she still remembered the man who made her laugh when the cameras weren’t rolling. During her visit, she apologized. Not for anything she did, but for not staying in touch. York simply squeezed her hand and said, “We both had to keep going.” She nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek.
After about an hour, she stood to leave. York, exhausted but moved, gave her a faint smile. She kissed his forehead and whispered, “You’ll always be my Darrin.” Then she walked out, not knowing it would be the last time she saw him. When he passed away later that same year, she kept the visit private. It was only through a conversation with a close friend that her quiet act of compassion eventually came to light.

“She told me he was more than a co-star,” the friend recalled. “She said, ‘He was part of something magical we created together.’” That line, spoken without rehearsal or spotlight, revealed a tenderness that went far beyond any scripted scene.

Elizabeth Montgomery never spoke publicly about that visit. She never sought credit, never gave an interview about it, and never included it in retrospectives. It remained a personal gesture. Sincere, intimate, and deeply human.

She left his house that day with a full heart and silent tears, knowing the real magic of "Bewitched" had always lived offscreen, in moments filled with quiet love and lasting grace...

WHERE ARE THEY NOW: JAMIE GERTZ

Do any of you remember actresst Jami Gertz - a popular actress in the 1980s and 1990s? Jami Gertz was unrecognizable during a recent outing 20 years after starring with Helen Hunt in Twister. Gertz, 59, was recently seen an LA restaurant. Gertz, who also appeared alongside Molly Ringwald in Sixteen Candles, reportedly grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant Alba.

For the dinner excursion, she rocked a black and white striped suit with floral embellishments and black shoes. The talent behind Twister's Dr. Melissa Reeves accessorized with large, gold earrings, a gold necklace, black-framed glasses and a black clutch, wearing her natural gray hair down and tucked partially behind her ears. Best known for cult hits like The Lost Boys and Sixteen Candles, Jamie has successfully transitioned from ’80s starlet to billionaire power player alongside husband Tony Ressler.

Jami got her start as a child actress, but it wasn’t until she was 21 that she broke through with a memorable role in the 1987 addiction drama Less than Zero. It also starred Robert Downey Jr. and Andrew McCarthy.

That same year, she solidified her status as a cult icon of the ’80s by portraying one half of a vampire duo opposite Kiefer Sutherland in The Lost Boys, sharing the screen with notable names like Corey Feldman and Corey Haim. Throughout the ’90s, Jami kept up her acting career, with her final big box office hit coming in 1996’s Twister, a thriller starring Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt.

In 1989, she married her husband, who was then employed at the investment bank Drexel Burnham Lambert Inc. Her husband is now worth $14 billion making Gertz one of the richest actresses in Hollywood. From time to time Jamie will still act but not in the blockbusters of her youth. She last appeared in a movie in 2022...

IS HOWARD STERN GETTING CANCELLED?

For over two decades, The Howard Stern Show has been a staple of satellite radio, entertaining millions of listeners with its unfiltered humor and celebrity interviews. But now, rumors are that Stern’s long-running SiriusXM program may be getting canceled. Is Howard Stern’s show on SiriusXM getting canceled?

According to insiders who spoke to the press, Howard Stern’s contract with SiriusXM is set to expire this fall, and the jock may not return for another term. Sources claim that while SiriusXM plans to make an offer, they don’t expect Stern to accept it due to financial disagreements. “Sirius and Stern are never going to meet on the money he is going to want. It’s no longer worth the investment,” an insider revealed.

Seemingly, it’s not just finances at play. According to the same outlet, Stern’s outspoken political views, especially his consistent criticism of Donald Trump, could be another factor affecting renewal talks. “If Sirius isn’t going to give Stern a good offer, I don’t think it would have anything to do with his ratings,” said one source. “It’s more likely everything to do with the political climate,” they added.

This theory got its basis after Stern’s 2024 interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris, which drew criticism from conservative circles. His blunt commentary on Trump recently resurfaced in viral clips.

Even if Howard Stern’s show on SiriusXM gets canceled, discussions are reportedly underway to preserve his extensive audio library on SiriusXM. A possible licensing deal may keep his past shows available for streaming, offering fans a slice of nostalgia even if no new episodes come.

But the recent contract uncertainty has reportedly blindsided his staff of nearly 100 employees. With Stern taking his usual summer break, some wonder if he’ll return at all. “He is off in the summer, but this year has been saying ‘maybe I should retire,'” an insider added...

MUSIC BREAK: HENRY THIES - WHEN YOU'RE SMILING

FORGOTTEN ONES: HENRY THIES

Forgotten bandleader Henry Thies led a popular dance orchestra throughout the 1920's. Thies (born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1893) became known in Detroit, Michigan, as a "boy wonder" on the violin and rapidly rose to lead his own orchestra in one of the city's top hotels. In 1926, the orchestra leader brought his stylish brand of symphonic jazz to Cincinnati where appearances at the Chatterbox Club led to a devoted following on local radio. Well, known on the Ohio hotel circuit, Thies also toured on vaudeville and performed in theatres.Starting in Chicago he came to Cincinnati for a short gig at Castle Farms mid-decade. That gig stretched to where the orchestra found a permanent home at the Hotel Sinton.

Henry and his band recorded for a time at Victor Records and made some nice recordings in the late 1920s and early 1930s. With vocalist Don Dewey and a young Jane Froman, the Thies band had some nice recordings of songs of the day like - "When You're Smiling" and "Rose Of Mandalay". 

Unfortunately, his life ended tragically. While his wife and son and a musician waited for Henry to show up for dinner, Thies ended his life with a bullet at his home. Thies, who was 41 years old left no notes. Alvin Miller, Thies' trumpet player, found the body. According to Miller, the band leader had been in good spirits.

In the past however, Henry Thies had nervous problems. Two years before his death, he had tried to commit suicide by taking an overdose of pills. After that attempt, Thies was a patient in a mental hospital for nearly 15 months.

He had new performances and radio shows scheduled and was a very successful bandleader. If he hadn't ended his life, his band would have continued to hit greater heights of fame and stardom. It's sad that he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound on June 12, 1935. His wife, his son (who was 19), and a mother and a sister survived him...

MUSIC BREAK: HENRY THIES - ROSE OF MANADALAY

RIP: JANE MORGAN

Jane Morgan, a singer, nightclub entertainer, Broadway performer and ubiquitous TV presence in 1950s and ’60s, died Monday of natural causes in Naples, Florida. She was 101.

Her family announced her death, saying, “Our beloved Jane passed away peacefully in her sleep.”

As Jane Morgan, the singer was a popular and ubiquitous presence on television variety shows from the Golden Age of the 1950s well through the 1960s and even into the early 1970s. She appeared on The Johnny Cash Show, where she answered the Man in Black’s “A Boy Named Sue” with “A Girl Named Johnny Cash,” which was written for the show by Martin Mull. The song was a minor hit on country radio.

She is thought to hold the record for female singers appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show — 50 times in all.

On Broadway, Morgan appeared in Ziegfeld Follies of 1957, The Jack Benny Show (1963) and in the title role of Mame (1968-69).

Born Florence Catherine Currier on May 3, 1924, in Newton, Massachusetts, Morgan raised by a musical family in Florida and started singing onstage at age 7. In 1948 she was training as a lyric soprano at the Juilliard Conservatory in New York. Singing in nightclubs and small restaurants to help pay her tuition, Morgan was spotted at one such venue by French bandleader Bernard Hilda. Recognizing her unique talents, he took her to sing at clubs in France where she quickly became “The Toast of Paris.”

From there, Morgan’s popularity and career continued to ascend. Having taken Europe, she returned to America, signed with Kapp Records and released a string of albums including The American Girl from Paris and All the Way. In all, she would ultimately earn six gold records.

Among her single hits was one that would become a signature tune for her: “Fascination” (1957). Featured in the Gary Cooper-Audrey Hepburn movie Love in the Afternoon, it went Top 10 and was the title track from her biggest stateside album, which reached No. 13. Her recording of “Fascination” also has been used in the soundtracks of Diner, The Next Karate Kid, Call The Midwife and Fallout.

Her U.S. chart career was spotty, but the international hits would keep coming through the ’50s and ’60, including recordings of such traditional pop standards as “The Day The Rains Came” — which topped the UK chart in 1959 — “With Open Arms,” “To Love and Be Loved” and “Blue Hawaii,” among many others.

In 1962, Morgan had found a new manager, Jerry Weintraub, who would become one of the entertainment industry’s more formidable music managers with clients including Elvis Presley and John Denver. Weintraub also would become a prolific film producer, responsible for such hits as The Karate Kid and Ocean’s Eleven.

Morgan married Weintraub in 1965 and she became stepmother to Weintraub’s son Michael. Morgan and Weintraub would add to their family by adopting three daughters, Julie, Jamie and Jody.

Over the course of her career, Morgan performed for presidents and toured with the popular comedians of the day. She made numerous appearances on television specials and hosted three of her own including The Jane Morgan Hour (1959). A sampling of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s TV variety shows and specials she appeared on include The Colgate Comedy Hour, Perry Como’s Kraft Music Hall, The Jack Benny Program, The Hollywood Palace, The Dean Martin Show, The Kraft Music Hall and The Jackie Gleason Show.

She also did a few TV guest shots during her career including Peter Gunn and It Takes a Thief.

Morgan received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2011.

She is survived by her son Michael Weintraub (Maria), daughters Jamie Weintraub and Jody Weintraub, six grandchildren and eight grandchildren. She was pre-deceased by husband Jerry and daughter Julie. Memorial Services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to the Jane and Jerry Weintraub Center for Reconstructive Biotechnology at UCLA...

BING CROSBY: THE HOLLYWOOD YEARS - PART 8

STORY BEHIND THE PHOTO: KATHERINE HEPBURN & GINGER ROGERS

For this photo, we have two greats of show business - Katharine Hepburn and Ginger Rogers. This was taken on the set of their 1937 movie Stage Door. Directed by Gregory La Cava, the film tells the story of aspiring actresses living in a boarding house in New York City, struggling to make their way in the competitive theater world...

RECENTLY VIEWED: HAPPY GILMORE 2

 Last night I turned on Netflix for some pure nostalgia and watched Happy Gilmore 2. Watching this sequel is like spending time with an old friend that you haven't seen since 1995. Happy Gilmore 2 is a 2025 American sports comedy film directed by Kyle Newacheck, and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. It is a sequel to Happy Gilmore (1996). Sandler, Julie Bowen, Christopher McDonald, Ben Stiller, and Dennis Dugan reprise their roles from the original film while Benny Safdie and Bad Bunny join the film as new cast members.

In September 2022, Adam Sandler stated that he hoped to eventually make a sequel to Happy Gilmore, saying he had been creating ideas for what a follow-up film would be, while stating the character would be involved in a senior golf tour. In March 2024, Christopher McDonald revealed that a sequel was in development, and that Sandler had shown him a draft of the script to read.

In May 2024, it was announced that Netflix had greenlit the film, taking over for the first film's distributor Universal Pictures. Kyle Newacheck was hired to direct the film, with Tim Herlihy co-writing the screenplay with Sandler. In July, Nick Swardson announced he would star in the film. In August, Sandler revealed Benny Safdie would have a role in the film, with football player Travis Kelce set to make a cameo. In September, McDonald and Julie Bowen were confirmed to be reprising their roles, with Bad Bunny, Margaret Qualley, and Maxwell Jacob Friedman also added to the cast. John Daly would reveal he had filmed scenes for the film. Happy Gilmore 2 premiered at the Lincoln Center in New York City on July 21, 2025. The film was released on Netflix on July 25, 2025.

In order to get the movie at all, you need to see the original movie. This sequel is LOADED with callbacks, and for fans of the original film it is a treasure trove of memories. Some of the high points in the movie are the appearances of Christopher McDonald and Ben Stiller. I love how they brought their characters up to present time. Like I said the movie is a fun romp, full of nostalgia. As a comedy sequel it is definitely no Caddyshack 2, but it is no 1995 Happy Gilmore. The movie has some really serious moments, that I don't want to spoil for you. Also, I think Adam Sandler is using his wife and children too much in his movies, and they are not really good actors. That being said, I recommend this movie. It was a fun 2-hour nostalgic golf comedy movie...

MY RATING: 8 out of 10

RIP: CLEO LAINE

Dame Cleo Laine has died at age 97. Her death was announced by The Stables, the music venue that she and her husband, Sir John Dankworth, founded. Critic Bob Mondello — a longtime fan — offers an appreciation. It was the mid-1970s when a concert-going friend told me he'd just been to Carnegie Hall and heard the greatest pop vocalist alive. "She's coming to DC," he said. "Get tickets."

So I did.

On stage, she wore a diaphanous gown and had an afro that looked like a sunburst mane as the spotlight hit it. And when the applause died away, she sang a capella. Then came the second number — Carole King's "Music," accompanied by Laine's saxophonist husband John Dankworth and his band, in an arrangement designed to establish her jazz credentials. In Britain, she and Dankworth had been playing clubs and concerts since the 1950s, but American audiences were just meeting her.

This song was also designed, I soon learned, to show off her range, from gravelly low notes, to keening ethereal sounds a full four octaves higher. In one particularly glorious passage she went from her lowest note to her highest and back down again in the space of 44 seconds. On her album Cleo Laine Live at Carnegie Hall you can hear her do it live for an audience that's clearly as astonished as mine was.

Now, vocal pyrotechnics are fun. But they're not everything for a pop singer. Laine, I discovered in years of following her, had everything. She excelled at jazz, pop, and classical stylings — among the few vocalists to receive Grammy nominations in all three of those categories — and was so popular in Britain that she was made a Dame in 1997.

Give her a comic number and she'd land every joke, a talent she developed in the theater, where she began her career as an actress, and went on to star in musicals on the West End, regularly stopping such shows as Showboat, and A Little Night Music with ballads. Give her the right one and she could nearly stop your heart.

I remember her holding the last note of "Send in the Clowns" at an outdoor amphitheater many years after I saw that first concert and, I swear, even the crickets stopped for her, the audience so captivated that no one wanted to break the silence.

As she finished that last note, I started counting — one-one-thousand, two-one-thousand, three-one-thousand ... and got to seven before every hand in the place came together in the only "thunderclap" of applause I've ever heard.

Laine continued performing for six decades — all but the last with her husband. He died hours before they were to give a concert in 2010, and she went on without him, only telling the audience at the end that he'd passed away — because, she said, that's what he'd have wanted.

In recent years her voice had dimmed, but not enough that there was ever reason to argue with the Sunday Times critic who said in the 1970s, that Cleo Laine was "quite simply the best singer in the world."

MARION COTILLARD AS EDITH PIAF

Marion Cotillard was chosen by director Olivier Dahan to portray the French singer Édith Piaf in the biopic "La Vie en Rose" (2007) before he had even met her, saying that he noticed a similarity between Piaf's and Cotillard's eyes. Producer Alain Goldman accepted and defended the choice even though distributors TFM reduced the money they gave to finance the film thinking Cotillard wasn't "bankable" enough an actress, preferring Audrey Tautou, hot from appearing in "Amélie" (2001) to play Piaf. Dahan was willing to reduce his budget by $5 million to get Cotillard.

To help portray Piaf, Cotillard shaved back her hairline and shaved off her eyebrows, which were later penciled in, to better resemble the singer. She shrank her body from its petite 5'6" frame to Piaf's minuscule 4'11" stature by crippling and curling her form. When Cotillard played the older Édith Piaf, make-up could take up to five hours.

"I couldn't leave the character on 'La Vie En Rose.' It was weird because I used to kind of judge actors who would stay in character on set or who would have a hard time leaving the character behind when the movie was done. I had this very dumb idea that "Okay, it's a big part of your life but it's your job. Go home and go back to yourself." It turns out it's not that easy. In the process I was in character almost all the time. Even when I went home, there was something that was not entirely me."

Cotillard's performance earned her several accolades including the Academy Award for Best Actress — marking the first time an Oscar had been given for a French-language role — the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role, the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy and the César Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for her performance. The film also won the Academy Award for Best Makeup, the BAFTA Award for Best Makeup, Costume Design, Film Music, four additional César Awards and grossed $86.3 million worldwide...

HOLLYWOOD LOVE: FRANK SINATRA AND MIA FARROW

On July 19, 1966, Frank Sinatra and Mia Farrow embarked on a marriage that would become as iconic as it was tumultuous, symbolizing the glamour and complexities of Hollywood love stories. Their wedding took place at the Las Vegas home of Sinatra's friend Jack Entratter, with the couple exuding an unusual charm. At the time, Farrow was only 21, a young actress whose ethereal beauty had caught the public’s eye, while Sinatra, a legendary crooner and established Hollywood icon, was 50. Despite the nearly 30-year age gap, their romance captivated the media and fans alike, drawing both fascination and speculation. Sinatra’s affection for Farrow was undeniable, and at his insistence, she initially agreed to step back from her budding acting career to focus on their marriage. This decision came at a time when Sinatra’s career was thriving, and he longed for a more traditional companion, perhaps one who would shadow his footsteps quietly. However, Farrow’s youthful ambition and emerging identity as an actress soon conflicted with Sinatra's expectations. Their brief marriage would come to reflect the clash between two distinct personalities—a seasoned star seeking stability and a young actress navigating the waters of fame and independence.

In the months that followed their wedding, Farrow traveled with Sinatra on his film shoots, portraying the role of the devoted wife. Yet the dynamic soon began to reveal cracks, as Farrow grew restless with the idea of being just a companion on the sidelines. In 1967, Farrow made the pivotal decision to accept the lead role in "Rosemary’s Baby," a horror film that would later define her career. Her commitment to the film led to a clash with Sinatra, who had cast her in a role in his own upcoming movie, The Detective. Farrow’s involvement in Rosemary’s Baby soon ran over its scheduled timeline, creating a rift with Sinatra that would culminate in a drastic turn. While Farrow was immersed in the haunting scenes of the film, Sinatra’s frustration grew, feeling sidelined as his wife’s professional ambitions took precedence over her commitment to their marriage. When Farrow failed to report for filming on The Detective, Sinatra, in a decision that spoke to his own sense of pride and professionalism, replaced her with actress Jacqueline Bisset. The couple's relationship continued to strain, as Sinatra’s lawyer served Farrow with divorce papers on the set of Rosemary’s Baby in November 1967, a dramatic moment that underscored the tragic end to their whirlwind romance.

The divorce papers, served amid the intensity of filming, came as a blow to Farrow, who later admitted that she bore some responsibility for the marriage’s failure. Reflecting on the relationship, Farrow described herself as an “impossibly immature teenager” during that period, noting how their vast age difference had contributed to the dissolution of their union. Sinatra, in contrast, was accustomed to a lifestyle and partner dynamic that Farrow could not comfortably conform to. In hindsight, she acknowledged that they had been at different stages of life, and despite her deep admiration for Sinatra, their needs ultimately clashed in ways that were irreconcilable. The age gap, combined with Sinatra’s traditional expectations and Farrow’s desire for a career, created an insurmountable rift. Though the romance was short-lived, it left an indelible mark on both of their lives. The two managed to mend their friendship in the years following their divorce, remaining close and supportive of one another until Sinatra’s death, an unusual yet enduring connection forged through mutual respect and affection.
Their wedding day, captured in photographs at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas, remains etched in Hollywood history. The images show a young, hopeful Mia Farrow alongside the charismatic Sinatra, both of them draped in a mix of glamor and vulnerability. Farrow’s pixie cut, a daring fashion statement at the time, contrasted with Sinatra’s classic, polished look, encapsulating the blend of old Hollywood and the emerging modern era. These photos reveal the undeniable chemistry between them, a bond that, despite the challenges, was once filled with genuine warmth. Yet, the marriage was emblematic of the intense pressures that often plagued Hollywood couples, caught between personal aspirations and public scrutiny. Sinatra and Farrow’s relationship story became part of the Hollywood lore, capturing the imagination of fans who saw in them a mix of romance, mystery, and sadness. Though their marriage ended, the brief union left behind a powerful narrative of love, ambition, and the struggles that come with balancing personal and professional lives under the spotlight.

In August 1968, their divorce was finalized, closing a chapter on what could have been a legendary love story. The aftermath saw both continue to build their legacies, with Sinatra further solidifying his place as a music and film icon, while Farrow’s performance in Rosemary’s Baby catapulted her into stardom, forever intertwining her name with one of cinema’s most haunting films. They each pursued separate paths but kept a bond that would last through the decades, with Farrow speaking warmly of Sinatra even after his passing. This marriage, though short-lived, stands as a reminder of how love and ambition can collide, especially in an industry that magnifies every flaw and tests the resilience of relationships. Sinatra and Farrow’s wedding day photos remain a poignant glimpse into a fleeting but unforgettable romance—a union that was both a product of its era and a timeless tale of two people who, despite their differences, found a moment of connection in the unpredictable world of fame...

RIP: CONNIE FRANCIS

Singer Connie Francis, best known for her 1962 song "Pretty Little Baby" and hits like "Everybody's Somebody's Fool," has died at the age of 87, her manager confirmed.

"It is with a heavy heart and extreme sadness that I inform you of the passing of my dear friend Connie Francis last night," said her copyrights and royalties manager, Ron Roberts, in a post on social media. "I know that Connie would approve that her fans are among the first to learn of this sad news."

"Pretty Little Baby" most recently became a viral song on TikTok, which Francis joined shortly after, and the song has been used in more than 17 million videos totaling more than 27 billion views globally on the app.

"I'm flabbergasted and excited about the huge buzz my 1962 recording of 'Pretty Little Baby' is making all over the world," Francis said. "To think that a song I recorded 63 years ago is captivating new generations of audiences is truly overwhelming for me."

"Pretty Little Baby" was included on Francis' 1962 album, "Connie Francis Sings 'Second Hand Love' & Other Hits," which charted on the Billboard Top LPs chart. The singles "Together" and "Don't Break the Heart that Loves You" both peaked at no. 1 on the Easy Listening chart.

In May of this year, "Pretty Little Baby" broke into Spotify's Global and U.S. charts for the first time.

Francis was born Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero in Newark, New Jersey on Dec. 12, 1937, and is estimated is to have sold more than 200 million records worldwide in her lifetime.

She started singing on TV programs when she was a child. Her first hit, "Who's Sorry Now," debuted in 1958. In 1960, Francis was only 21 when she became the first female artist to get a Billboard Hot 100 No 1 hit, with her song "Everybody's Somebody's Fool."

Francis went on to have 53 hits on the Billboard charts over the course of her decades-long career.

In 1964, she was awarded a special Golden Globe for her contributions to the recording world.

In 2001, "Who's Sorry Now" was named one of the Songs of the Century in a list compiled by the Recording Industry of America and the National Endowment for the Arts...

FINAL RESTING PLACES: BILLIE HOLIDAY

One of the greats of jazz was the amazing Billie Holiday. Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. She co-wrote only a few songs, but several of them have become jazz standards, notably "God Bless the Child", "Don't Explain", "Fine and Mellow", and "Lady Sings the Blues". She also became famous for singing "Easy Living", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Strange Fruit". Billie, who had an addiction to alcohol and drugs, was arrested on a few occasions for drug possession. As her health declined in the 1950's, so did the quality of her voice and career. In 1959, she was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver, and died from pulmonary edema and heart failure caused by the cirrhosis on July 17 of that year. As she was dying in the hospital, Billie was once again arrested for drug possession and police were guarding her hospital room until the end. She is buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx, NY...

THE STORY BEHIND MOMMIE DEAREST

One of the most campiest of films, Mommie Dearest, made the leap from book to the silver screen in 1981. Surprisingly it came out only four years after Joan Crawford died. According to Faye Dunaway, producer Frank Yablans promised her in the casting process that he wished to portray Joan Crawford in a more moderate way than she was portrayed in Christina Crawford's book. In securing the rights to the book, Christina's husband David Koontz was given an executive producer credit, though he had no experience producing films. Dunaway likewise demanded that her own husband, photographer Terry O'Neill, be given a producer credit so he could advocate for her on set. According to Yablans, the two husbands jostled over Dunaway's portrayal of Crawford: “I had two husbands to deal with, David driving me crazy that Faye was trying to sanitize Joan, and Terry worried we were pushing Faye too far and creating a monster.”

 
In 2015, actress Rutanya Alda (Carol Ann) published a behind-the-scenes memoir, detailing the making of the film, "The Mommie Dearest Diary: Carol Ann Tells All." In it, she describes the difficulty of working with Dunaway, whose method approach to playing Joan seemed to absorb her and make her difficult to the cast and crew. In an interview with the Bay Area Reporter, Alda stated, "People despised Faye...because she was rude to people. Everyone was on pins and needles when she worked, and relaxed when she didn't."

 

Alda described the process of acting opposite Dunaway very unfavorably by claiming that she manipulated the director to deprive the other actors of screen time and required the members of the cast to turn their backs when not in the shot so she would have no audience. She also claimed that Dunaway was "out of control" while filming the scene where Joan attacks Christina in front of a reporter (Jocelyn Brando) and Carol Ann has to pull her off. Alda was hit hard in the chest and knocked over several times, while Jocelyn Brando, who was scripted to help Alda pull Dunaway off of Diana Scarwid, refused to get near her for fear of being injured.

For decades, Dunaway was famously reluctant to discuss "Mommie Dearest" in interviews. In her 1997 autobiography, she only briefly mentions the film by stating that she wished that director Frank Perry had had enough experience to see when actors needed to rein in their performances.

 
In 2016, Dunaway expressed regret over taking the part and blamed it for causing a decline in her Hollywood career. She also claimed that the performance took a heavy emotional toll on her, stating: “At night, I would go home to the house we had rented in Beverly Hills, and felt Crawford in the room with me, this tragic, haunted soul just hanging around.… It was as if she couldn’t rest.”

 
By coincidence, Joan once said in an interview in the early 1970s that of the current young actresses, only Faye Dunaway had "what it takes" to be a true star...

RECENTLY VIEWED: JURASSIC WORLD - REBIRTH

This weekend I dragged my kids to the latest Jurrassic World movie. Actually they wanted to go. I had seen every Jurassic Park/World movie in move theaters since the first one in 1993. Jurassic World Rebirth is a 2025 American science fiction thriller film directed by Gareth Edwards and written by David Koepp. A standalone sequel to Jurassic World Dominion (2022), it is the fourth Jurassic World film and the seventh installment overall in the Jurassic Park franchise. The film stars Scarlett Johansson, Mahershala Ali, Jonathan Bailey, Rupert Friend, Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, and Ed Skrein.

Work on the film began shortly after the release of Jurassic World Dominion, when executive producer Steven Spielberg recruited Koepp to help him develop a new installment in the series. Koepp previously co-wrote the original Jurassic Park film (1993) and wrote its sequel, The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997). Development of Rebirth was first reported in January 2024. Edwards was hired as director a month later, and casting commenced shortly thereafter. Principal photography took place in Thailand, Malta, and the United Kingdom from June to September 2024.

Jurassic World Rebirth premiered on June 17, 2025, at Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, and was released in the United States and Canada by Universal Pictures on July 2. The film received mixed reviews from critics, with some deeming it an improvement over the previous entries. It has grossed over $322 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 2025.

I won't bore you or spoil the movie with plot details, but the film includes dinosaurs. The dinosaurs as awlays, are the main attaction in the film. What changed from the prior six movies is I did not care for the characters as much as I did in the prior six films. Scarlett Johansson was the lead in the film. I like her personally, but her character had not personality. Almost any actress could have been plopped down into her generic role. The standout actor to me was Mahershala Ali. He played Duncan, one of Scarlett's friends that came along on her mission. I hate to say this, and I have never said it before, but the franchise is getting tired. I will never stop watching these movies because I love them. Yesterday I rewatched the 1993 original film, and it was just so amazing. This most recent film is good, but the film is no longer amazing. I'm glad I went to see the film, but the movie made me a little bit sad. It made me think of some of the prior films in the series that really made me excited...

MY RATING: 8 out of 10

BETTE DAVIS AND THE BABY JANE MAKE UP

"A director is a ringmaster, a psychiatrist, and a referee."

Early on, Bette Davis made the decision to create her own makeup for her character in "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" (1962) "What I had in mind, no professional makeup man would have dared to put on me," said Davis. "One told me he was afraid that if he did what I wanted, he might never work again. Jane looked like many women one sees on Hollywood Boulevard. In fact, author Henry Farrell patterned the character of Jane after these women. One would presume by the way they looked that they once were actresses, and were now unemployed. I felt Jane never washed her face, just added another layer of makeup each day."

Davis' garish makeup made her look something akin to a grotesque version of an aging Mary Pickford gone to seed, and she loved it. She took pride when Farrell visited the set one day and exclaimed, "My God, you look just exactly as I pictured Baby Jane." The outrageousness of Davis' appearance caused some concern for director Robert Aldrich and the producers, who feared it might be too over-the-top. However, as time went on, they came to see that Davis' instincts for the character were right.

Aldrich on Davis: "Now Davis is a tough old broad and you fight. But when you see what she puts on the screen you know it was worth taking all the bull."

In a 1972 telephone conversation, Crawford told author Shaun Considine that after seeing the film she urged Davis to go and have a look. When she failed to hear back from her co-star, Crawford called Davis and asked her what she thought of the film. Davis replied, "You were so right, Joan. The picture is good. And I was terrific." Crawford said, "That was it. She never said anything about my performance. Not a word."

During the filming of "Hush...Hush, Sweet Charlotte" (1964), Crawford said to visiting reporter and author Lawrence J. Quirk, "She acted like 'Baby Jane' was a one-woman show after they nominated her. What was I supposed to do? Let her hog all the glory, act like I hadn't even been in the movie? She got the (Oscar) nomination. I didn't begrudge her that, but it would have been nice if she'd been a little gracious in interviews and given me a little credit. I would've done so for her."

The public was well aware of the longstanding feud between these divas. So this was very much stunt casting; meant to play off the real life drama; and it worked; this movie was a critical and box office smash. They were meant to repeat this formula in "Hush... Hush, Sweet Charlotte," but problems with the director and Davis caused Joan to be replaced by Olivia De Haviland at the last minute.
"There's no doubt in the world that Crawford was sick, seriously sick. If she'd been faking either the insurance company would never have paid the claim or she would never have been insurable again. Insurance companies are terribly tough, there's no such thing as a made-up ailment that they pay you off on."

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: MORE PATRIOTIC HOLLYWOOD

 o celebrate the 4th of July/Independence Day, here is some more photos from classic Hollywood celebrating the holiday...

Jane Russell

Liberace

Anita Page

Shirley Jones

Andy Griffith

Debbie Reynolds