Category Archives: Anniversaries

‘Casablanca’ at the Picturehouse

14 Wednesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Anniversaries, Brighton, Film, History, Politics

≈ Comments Off on ‘Casablanca’ at the Picturehouse

Tags

, , , , , ,

One of the finest movies ever made, Casablanca, celebrated its 75th anniversary last year. As I joined a nearly full house at the Duke of York’s in Brighton last Sunday, I wondered whom in the audience were watching it for the first time, and how many had seen it numerous times on television. Most chuckled in recognition of its oft-quoted dialogue, whether familiar from past viewings or references in popular culture. Continue reading →

Advertisements

Happy New Year To All My Readers

31 Sunday Dec 2017

Posted by in Anniversaries, Profumo Affair, Updates, Websites, Wicked Baby, Writing

≈ Comments Off on Happy New Year To All My Readers

Tags

, , , , , ,

As the curtain falls on 2017, this blog also approaches its tenth anniversary. I’d like to thank everyone who has read (and hopefully enjoyed) my posts. This month I’ve been thinking a lot about Christine Keeler, who inspired my first novel and so much more. Wishing everyone a beautiful 2018 – and whatever this new year may bring, keep a dream in your hearts.

Madonna’s ‘Erotica’ At 25

27 Monday Nov 2017

Posted by in Anniversaries, Madonna, Music

≈ Comments Off on Madonna’s ‘Erotica’ At 25

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

In 1991, Madonna’s fame was at its height. Truth or Dare, her behind-the-scenes documentary filmed during the Blond Ambition tour a year earlier, caused a sensation with its revealing take on the star. After reaching her pop apotheosis with Like a Prayer, she had struck out in new directions with ‘Vogue’ and ‘Justify My Love’ (a sultry, experimental track produced by Andre Betts, with a video banned by MTV.) Continue reading →

Remembering Diana, 20 Years On

31 Thursday Aug 2017

Posted by in Anniversaries, History

≈ Comments Off on Remembering Diana, 20 Years On

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

My first memory of Diana is visual: that blue suit she wore and the sapphire ring, on the day of her engagement. When she married Charles in 1981 I was nine years old; she was twice my age, but still hardly a woman. Continue reading →

Ella Fitzgerald at 100

25 Tuesday Apr 2017

Posted by in Anniversaries, Marilyn Monroe, Music

≈ Comments Off on Ella Fitzgerald at 100

Tags

, , , ,

Ella Fitzgerald in Cannes by Jean-Pierre LeLoir, 1958

Ella Fitzgerald was born a century ago today, on April 25, 1917. Her voice was like sunshine, or a glass of champagne. As a woman, she had great warmth and dignity. She was also a friend to Marilyn Monroe, who had been introduced to her work by jazz pianist and arranger Hal Schaefer in 1953. Continue reading →

Born On This Day: John Gilbert 1897-1936

10 Sunday Jul 2016

Posted by in Anniversaries, Film, Jeanne Eagels

≈ Comments Off on Born On This Day: John Gilbert 1897-1936

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

tumblr_inline_mzcpe0ex5Q1qe6nze

John Cecil Pringle was born on July 10, 1897, in Logan, Utah. His parents were both stock company actors, and after their divorce his mother married Walter Gilbert. After many years on the road, the family settled in California. Jack, as he was nicknamed, began working at Thomas Ince’s studio in 1915, graduating from bit parts to more substantial roles over the next five years. He married Olivia Burwell in 1918, but they separated a year later. Continue reading →

‘True Blue’ at 30

30 Thursday Jun 2016

Posted by in Anniversaries, Madonna, Music

≈ Comments Off on ‘True Blue’ at 30

Tags

,

10626229_1562269244008042_338837219790120824_o

Madonna’s third album, True Blue, was released on June 30, 1986. Recorded during the honeymoon period of her stormy marriage to Sean Penn, and revealing a sleeker, more sophisticated style, True Blue yielded a slew of classic pop singles, affirming Madonna’s status as one of the decade’s musical icons. Thirty years on, you can read my expanded review here.

Born On This Day: Anthony Bushell 1904-1997

19 Thursday May 2016

Posted by in Anniversaries, Film, Jeanne Eagels, Theatre

≈ Comments Off on Born On This Day: Anthony Bushell 1904-1997

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Anthony BushellAnthony Arnatt Bushell was born in Westerham, Kent on May 19, 1904. He was educated at Magdalen College School, and later Hertford College in Oxford. He was a champion boxer, rower, and member of the Hypocrites Club, infamous for its wild parties. After graduating, Bushell trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and made his theatrical debut in Diplomacy (1924), opposite Gerald Du Maurier. Continue reading →

Born On This Day: George Arliss 1868-1946

10 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by in Anniversaries, Film, Jeanne Eagels, Theatre

≈ Comments Off on Born On This Day: George Arliss 1868-1946

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , , ,

George_Arliss_cph.3b31151

Augustus George Andrews was born in London on April 10, 1868. He was educated at Harrow, one of Britain’s leading public schools. He worked for the publishing house owned by his father, William Joseph Arliss Andrews, before leaving at eighteen to pursue a life on the stage. After a long apprenticeship in provincial theatre, George Arliss established himself as a supporting actor in London’s West End. Continue reading →

Born On This Day: Leslie Howard 1893-1943

03 Sunday Apr 2016

Posted by in Anniversaries, Film, Jeanne Eagels, Theatre

≈ Comments Off on Born On This Day: Leslie Howard 1893-1943

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

(c) Kirklees Museums and Galleries; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation

Leslie Howard Steiner was born in Forest Hill, South London, on April 3, 1893. His mother, Lillian Blumberg, came from an upper middle-class family who initially disapproved of her choice of husband, the Hungarian Ferdinand Steiner. The Steiners briefly moved to Vienna, returning to London when the rift was healed. They had four more children, and changed their name to the less Germanic ‘Stainer’ at the outbreak of World War I. Continue reading →