THE LAST DAYS OF JANIS JOPLIN

On October 3, 1970, Janis Joplin walked down the quiet hallway of Hollywood’s Landmark Motor Hotel, a new pack of cigarettes in her hand. A clerk later described her as friendly, but restless an image that now feels haunting.

That day, she had been making phone calls that went unanswered. Her brightly painted Porsche sat outside untouched, a symbol of her wild energy, even as her own seemed to dim. She told her producer about recording “Buried Alive in the Blues” the next morning, speaking with the same enthusiasm that had fueled her career. But as the hours passed, her spark faded into silence.

On stage, Janis was pure fire her voice raw, fierce, unforgettable. But when the spotlight turned off, loneliness often crept in. She reached out to old friends, searched for company, and found herself alone once more. Every missed call, every canceled plan, pressed harder on her heart.

She still found the strength to share a joke with the hotel staff before retreating to her room for the last time. By morning, the door would never open again. At just 27 years old, her life ended in that small space, leaving behind unfinished songs, unspoken words, and the ache of what might have been.

Joplin's sister Laura said "the heroin Janis used that night she had purchased around 4PM that afternoon from George, her supplier for as long as she used the drug. She was careful to use only one supplier, and he was careful about what he sold," Laura wrote in Love, Janis. "Usually, he had a chemist check the drug before he sold it. For that batch, the chemist had been out of town. He had sold the dope without checking it. The dope Janis had bought that Saturday was four to 10 times stronger than normal street heroin. It was 40-to-50 percent pure."

The official report called it a heroin overdose. But those who knew her best believed it was more than that, it was the weight of rejection, the hunger for love, and the scars she carried long before the fame.
Janis Joplin’s voice still echoes, not only in her music but in her story: a reminder that behind even the brightest flames, there can be fragile souls yearning simply to belong...

STAR FRIENDS: BING CROSBY AND CONNEE BOSWELL

The year was 1937, and the airwaves were alive with the sound of swing. Bing Crosby, already a household name with his warm, easygoing baritone, was redefining popular singing. Across the country, Connee Boswell—formerly the heart of the Boswell Sisters—was stepping into her own spotlight. Her voice carried a jazz-inflected elegance, a playful lilt that could turn even the simplest melody into something unforgettable.

When Bing and Connee first met in a Los Angeles studio, it wasn’t just another session. Bing, ever the gentleman, greeted her with that trademark grin and a casual, “Ready to make some magic?” Connee, seated in her wheelchair—her disability never dimming her spirit—shot back with a mischievous smile: “Only if you can keep up.”

The microphone crackled to life, and the band struck up the opening bars of “Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)”. What followed was pure chemistry. Bing’s voice flowed like a calm river, steady and reassuring, while Connee’s danced around his lines—syncopated, teasing, full of swing. The duet soared to #2 on the charts, and listeners couldn’t get enough of their playful banter woven into melody.

Over the next few years, their partnership blossomed. They recorded “Alexander’s Ragtime Band”, a spirited Irving Berlin classic that hit #1 and even raised funds for polio research—a cause close to Connee’s heart. Then came “An Apple for the Teacher”, a cheeky tune that had audiences grinning from coast to coast. Each song was more than a recording; it was a conversation between two artists who understood each other’s rhythms.

Offstage, Bing often spoke of Connee as one of his favorite female vocalists. “She’s got something no one else has,” he told a reporter. “That phrasing—she swings without trying.” Connee, in turn, admired Bing’s generosity in the studio. He never overshadowed her; instead, he created space for her artistry to shine.

Their collaborations weren’t confined to records. Radio listeners tuned in to hear them on programs like Kraft Music Hall, where their duets brought warmth and wit into American homes during uncertain times. For many, those broadcasts were a lifeline—a reminder that joy could still be found in harmony.

As the 1940s dawned and musical tastes shifted, Bing and Connee’s paths diverged. Yet their recordings remain timeless, echoing an era when music was intimate, playful, and profoundly human. Today, when you hear “Basin Street Blues” or “Between 18th and 19th on Chestnut Street”, you’re not just listening to notes—you’re hearing a friendship, a shared love of song, and a moment in history that still swings...

PHOTOS OF THE DAY: CANDID LUCILLE BALL

Here are some candid photos of the great Lucille Ball (1911-1989). I am in the minority. I think she was a better movie actress than television comedian...

HOLLYWOOD WIVES: ANNE MARIE BRENNING

Anne Marie Brenning (February 27, 1922 – April 26, 1971) was a German-born woman best known as the wife of iconic actor Peter Lorre. Though she lived largely outside the public eye, her life intersected with Hollywood history through her marriage to one of cinema’s most enigmatic figures. Anne Marie was born in Hamburg, Germany, to Otto and Katie Brenning. Little is publicly known about her early years, but she came of age during a turbulent time in German history, witnessing the rise of the Nazi regime and the devastation of World War II.

Anne Marie met Peter Lorre in the early 1950s at a private clinic in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Bavaria, where both were patients. Their shared experiences and connection led to a romance that culminated in marriage on July 21, 1953, in Los Angeles, California.

At the time, Peter Lorre was already a well-established actor, known for his chilling performance in M (1931) and roles in classics like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon. Anne Marie became his third wife, and their union would last until his death in 1964, though they reportedly separated in 1962.

The couple had one daughter, Catharine Evelyn Lorre, born in 1953. Peter Lorre once remarked affectionately that their daughter “looked like him, but it looked better on her.” Despite the glamour of Hollywood, their family life was marked by personal struggles, including Peter’s declining health and addiction issues.

After Peter Lorre’s death in 1964, Anne Marie lived quietly in Los Angeles. She passed away on April 26, 1971, at the age of 49. She was laid to rest beside her husband at Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Though Anne Marie Brenning never sought the spotlight, her life was deeply entwined with one of Hollywood’s most distinctive actors. Through her daughter Catharine, her legacy continued—though tragically, Catharine also died young in 1985. Anne Marie remains a quiet figure in the annals of film history, remembered primarily through her connection to Peter Lorre, but her story adds a human dimension to the life of a man often shrouded in mystery...

DOCUMENTARY: JUDY GARLAND - BEFORE THE RAINBOW

 

RECENTLY VIEWED: SCARY MOVIE 6

Okay, I know what you think - Scary Movie 6 is hardly a classic movie, and it is not. However, the original two movies that came out in 2000 and 2001 represented a different time in my life. Back then I was single, and it seemed like the world still could laugh then. So when this new comedy came out, I had to see it. Scary Movie (colloquially known as Scary Movie 6) is a 2026 American parody film directed by Michael Tiddes and written by Marlon Wayans, Shawn Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Craig Wayans, and Rick Alvarez. It is the sixth installment in the Scary Movie film series, following Scary Movie 5 (2013), and has been referred to as the spiritual sequel to the first two films. It stars Marlon, Shawn, Anna Faris, and Regina Hall. The plot follows Cindy Campbell and her friends Ray Wilkins and siblings Shorty and Brenda Meeks reunited when the same masked killer from the first film resurfaces.

A sixth Scary Movie film was announced in 2024 and later that same year, it was revealed to have the involvement of the Wayans family for the first time since their departure from the franchise following the release of Scary Movie 2 (2001) due to creative conflicts with the original producers. Scary Movie was released in the United States by Paramount Pictures on June 5, 2026. Like the previous films, it received negative reviews from critics, but grossed $106 million against a $30 million budget.

The movie parodies almost every horror movie and some popular movies that have come out. The cast is excellent and Annna Faris, Regina Hall, and The Wayans Brothers have not missed a beat. Two welcomed returns that I think made the movie is the return of Cheri Oteri and Chris Elliott. I wish thet were in the film more.

Now the comedy is great, and I actually laughed a lot at the gross out humor. It's been awhile since a film came out like this. However, the story is not there, but who needs a plot in a Scary Movie film! For some of the humor and inside jokes, you have to be a Scary Movie fan. I am so it was just a fun movie to see. Nothing more and nothing less...

MY RATING: 7 out of 10

CELEBRITY DEATH CERTIFICATES: VINCENT PRICE

Here is the death cerificate for legendary actor Vincent Price who died at the age of 82 on October 25, 1993...