VERA-ELLEN AND HER DANCING INSTRUCTOR

 Famed MGM dancing instructor Joan Bayley died in 2022 - just shy of her 102nd birthday. Before she died, she gave an interview, which detailed her relationship with the beautiful and talented Vera-Ellen. When asked about Vera-Ellen,  Joan Bayley who worked with the Hollywood dancer on White Christmas if she was a nice girl. “Yes, she was,” replied Joan. “She was not an exciting personality, but she was friendly and sweet.”

I expressed my opinion that Vera-Ellen’s dancing is not my favorite, as something feels missing in her dancing. With exceptions, she never seems to fully put it together. To this, Joan replied,

“Her body was part of it. She was just so thin, it was distasteful to look at. Because, the femurs that go like this, she didn’t have enough muscles or flesh to fill in this part, so there was always this big space, you notice? her legs went like that. There was always that a big space (between her legs), she had these little fat cheeks, she hated it, she would even would suck in … Sometimes you see it on the screen that she would suck in.

“I would do always do a ballet barre with her in the morning, and I’d say to her, “Did you have breakfast?” She would say, “I had coffee.” Lunch would come; she wouldn’t eat lunch. She had a Frenchman who would come and give her French lessons. While we were all eating lunch she was in her trailer, having French lessons. And I’d say, what are you having for dinner? Steak and salad … And the steak was probably as big as my thumb. That woman could dance though...

DICK HAYMES: THE TROUBLED CROONER

In the golden age of crooners, Dick Haymes’s voice was velvet. Born in Buenos Aires in 1918 to a rancher father and a musically inclined Irish mother, Haymes seemed destined for the stage. By the 1940s, he was one of America’s most beloved vocalists, rivaling Frank Sinatra and Perry Como. His duets with Helen Forrest and Judy Garland lit up wartime radios, and his performances in musicals like State Fair made him a Hollywood darling.

But behind the spotlight, Haymes’s life was a symphony of heartbreak.

He never served in World War II — not out of defiance, but because he was technically an Argentine citizen. This led to public backlash and even a deportation scare. The press painted him as unpatriotic, and the stain lingered.

His personal life was a carousel of marriages and divorces. He wed six times, including to screen legends Rita Hayworth and Joanne Dru. Each union brought glamour, but also turbulence. Haymes battled alcoholism, and as the 1950s ushered in television and rock ’n’ roll, his style fell out of favor. The man who once filled concert halls now struggled to fill a lounge

Financial woes mounted. He declared bankruptcy, and at one point, was arrested for unpaid child support. The crooner who sang of dreams and devotion was drowning in legal battles and loneliness.

Yet, in the twilight of his life, Haymes found a flicker of redemption. He toured Europe, where audiences still revered his voice. Though he never reclaimed his American stardom, he sang until the end — a voice weathered by time, but still rich with emotion.

Dick Haymes died in 1980, aged 61. His legacy, like his life, is bittersweet: a reminder that fame is fleeting, but artistry endures...

HOLLYWOOD URBAN LEGEND: JERRY SEINELD

URBAN LEGEND: Was Jerry Seinfeld offered over $100 million to do a 10th season of Seinfeld?

ANSWER: Yes he was!

Jerry Seinfeld turned down an offer from NBC that would have made him $110 million for a tenth season of the show.

Jerry said that this was because any kind of comedy is funny only upto a certain level. A one hour standup comedy might be the best thing you've ever thing, but extend it just by 5 minutes and it could be the worst experience of your life.

 
Jerry and Larry wanted to end the show at the point where it was still being loved and was making people laugh all over the globe, and they thought that Season 9 was the perfect time to do that.

FORGOTTEN ONES: CAROLINE MCWILLIAMS

Does anyone remember Caroline McWilliams?  Born on April 4, 1945, shee was an actress best known for her portrayal of Marcy Hill in the television series Benson from 1979 to 1981. McWilliams had also appeared in nine episodes of its parent-series Soap, as Sally. She was a regular on the CBS soap Guiding Light (as Janet Norris) for several years and appeared in a short-term role (as Tracy DeWitt) on the NBC soap Another World. She also had a recurring role on Beverly Hills, 90210 playing the mother of Jamie Walters' character, Ray Pruit. McWilliams' television appearances spanned every decade from the 1960s through the 2000s. She was also on such shows as Kojak, Quincy, M.E., The Incredible Hulk, Project U.F.O., Hill Street Blues, Night Court, St. Elsewhere, Cagney & Lacey, Sisters (two episodes), Home Improvement, Murphy Brown and Judging Amy, among others.

She was married in 1982 to Michael Keaton, with whom she had a son, Sean, born in 1983. She and Keaton divorced in 1990, but in addtion to the son, they also have two grandchildren. She largely retired from acting by 2003, but she remained involved in various charities.  Caroline McWilliams died from multiple myeloma at her home in Los Angeles, California on February 11, 2010, at the age of 64. She is buried at Forest Lawn-Hollywood Hills.

Caroline only appeared in two Hollywood films - White Water Summer (1987) and Mermaids (1990), but her countless television appearances showed her charm and talent, and she should be remembered...

WHAT A CHARACTER: SHELDON LEONARD

Sheldon Leonard said in an interview that he only agreed to play Nick the bartender in "It's a Wonderful Life" (1946) so he would have money to buy baseball tickets.

Leonard was born in New York City's lower Manhattan, studied acting at Syracuse University and, after graduating, landed a job on Wall Street. Following the Wall Street crash of 1929, he found himself unemployed and resolved to become a professional actor on the stage. The road was hard, since it took him five years to first appear on Broadway in "Hotel Alimony" (1934). While this production was universally slammed by the critics, the next plays he appeared in, "Having Wonderful Time" (1937) and "Kiss the Boys Goodbye" (1938), were unqualified successes, the former running for 372 performances.

Movie offers followed, and from 1939 he became one of Hollywood's most recognizable screen tough guys, the names of his characters evocative of the roles he played: Pretty Willie in "Tall, Dark and Handsome" (1941), Slip Moran in "Lucky Jordan" (1942), Lippy Harris in "Jinx Money" (1948), Jumbo Schneider in "Money from Home" (1953) and, famously, Harry the Horse in "Guys and Dolls"(1955).

Having had his fill of acting in those kinds of parts, Leonard began a new career as a television producer in the 1950s and went on to become one of the most successful TV producer/directors of the 1950s and 1960s. Four of his productions (all on CBS)--"Make Room for Daddy," "Gomer Pyle: USMC," "The Dick Van Dyke Show") (which won 21 Emmy Awards during its run) and "The Andy Griffith Show"--were rated in the Top Ten. He had a further success with "I Spy," championing the cause of racial equality over the (initial) objections of the network by being the first series to have an African-American (Bill Cosby) in an equal co-starring dramatic role with a white actor.

 
In 1992 he was inducted into the Television Hall of Fame, after receiving five Emmy awards for his producing/directing efforts. In 1995 he received a lifetime membership into the Director's Guild of America. Accepting the honor, he quipped, "Giving a lifetime membership to a guy 88 years old--big f***ing deal!"

Leonard also has the distinction (along with author Mickey Spillane) of being one of the first two Miller Lite spokesmen. Using his trademark accent, he told the audience, "I was at first reluctant to try Miller Lite, but then I was persuaded to do so by my friend, Large Louis." One of his last acting roles was a guest appearance on the TV series Cheers, in which he played Sid Nelson, the proprietor of "The Hungry Heifer", Norm Peterson's favorite eating establishment.

Leonard died at his home in Beverly Hills, California, on January 11, 1997, at age 89...

RECENTLY VIEWED: WICKED FOR GOOD

No spoilers here! I had the oprttunity to see an early showing of part 2 of the Wicked saga last night, and it was truly an experience! Wicked: For Good (also known as Wicked: Part Two) is a 2025 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The sequel to Wicked (2024), it adapts the second act of the 2003 stage musical by Stephen Schwartz and Holzman, which was loosely based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 novel, a reimagining of L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Michelle Yeoh, and Jeff Goldblum return from the first film, with Colman Domingo joining the cast. Set in the Land of Oz before and during the events of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, the film explores the relationship between Elphaba and Glinda as they embrace their new identities as the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good.

Universal Pictures and Marc Platt, who both produced the stage musical, announced the film adaptation in 2012. After a long development and multiple delays, partly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Chu was hired to direct, with Erivo and Grande cast in 2021. The adaptation was split into two parts to avoid omitting plot points and further develop the characters. Principal photography on both films began in December 2022 in England, was interrupted in July 2023 by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike, and resumed and concluded in January 2024.

Wicked: For Good premiered at the Suhai Music Hall in São Paulo, Brazil on November 4, 2025, and is scheduled for release in the United States on November 21. The film received mixed reviews from critics. I feel the critics are too hard on the film. The first film had the better songs, but the story on part two was darker and a lot better I feel. There are a couple of plot holes and questions I had, but they were minor and did not take away from my viewing of the moving. Ariana and Cynthia were outstanding, and Jeff Goldblum was a scene stealer. So it was another great trip down the yellow brick road...

MY RATING: 9 out of 10

THE STYLE OF VERONICA LAKE

1940s Hollywood was a time of dynamic change and artistic innovation, and few stars embodied this era like Veronica Lake. Known for her striking beauty and signature peekaboo hairstyle, Lake became an iconic figure of film noir during the 1940s. With her captivating screen presence, she starred alongside some of Hollywood's most celebrated actors, including Alan Ladd in This Gun for Hire (1942), a film that helped establish both of their careers. Her sultry look and enigmatic allure quickly made her one of the era's most beloved actresses, with her films drawing large audiences who adored her blend of glamour and grit. She became a major star at Paramount Pictures, where she was cast in a series of successful noir thrillers, establishing herself as a defining figure in the genre.

However, despite her early success, Veronica Lake's career faced difficulties as the 1940s progressed. Her troubled personal life, including a series of difficult marriages and struggles with alcoholism, often overshadowed her professional achievements. Nevertheless, she continued to make a significant impact in the industry. In the mid-1940s, Lake's popularity began to wane, but she remained a powerful symbol of the 1940s femme fatale. She had a complex legacy as an actress who helped shape the golden age of film noir and set the standard for many of the actresses who followed. While other stars of the time, like Rita Hayworth and Ava Gardner, carried on with more sustained careers, Lake's life and career are often seen as a cautionary tale of fame's fleeting nature.

Despite the ups and downs of her career, Veronica Lake's contribution to Hollywood is undeniable. Her image, forever captured in iconic films like The Blue Dahlia (1946), remains a staple of the classic Hollywood aesthetic. Her sultry screen persona influenced a generation of actresses, and her distinctive look – from her platinum blonde hair to her mischievous smile – is still celebrated in pop culture today. Lake's legacy endures not just in her films but also in the fashion and beauty trends she set. The peekaboo hairstyle, a defining feature of her image, remains one of the most recognizable styles of the 1940s, symbolizing the blend of glamour and mystery that defined her career and the era she represented...