Former Guest Hunk 101st Celebration

One handsome dude!

                  Glenn Ford, b. May 1, 1916, d. August 30, 2006
 

                    And not that bad looking as he aged ... Rrrff!

How can one not like Glenn Ford.  Look at that smile.  Don't you just want to hug and take him home to meet your mother? 

The Eyes Have It

Bob made five movies with Madge Evans, they were a great pairing.  Those five movies produced a lengthy list of great promotional shots of the couple.  For Lovers Courageous (1932), the shots are of a young, adorable couple.  A year later, for Hell Below, it is a much more mature couple that is captured in some downright sexy photos.  In the photo below, notice how their bodies are intertwined, but they are gazing away from each other.   Yeah, they are past the stage of long, yearning looks into each other's eyes.  Could that be just a bit of a smirk on Bob's face?  

                   Bob with Madge Evans in Hell Below (1932)

Happy Blue-Eyed Friday!!

Mucho thanks to Debbie for sharing ...

144 Monovale Dr ... Nice Place to Call Home

Can you imagine growing up in a house like this??    Liz and Skip had to have had fun exploring their very large home.  And, of course, there was the pool with a pool house, off to the left of the picture, along with 1.63 acres to explore without leaving the yard.  (Do you sense a tad bit of envy ...)

FACTOIDS:
   Yr Built, 1937, although appears it was first occupied in 1938.  Initial cost of $25,000.  Depending on the source, it's current market value is as high as $25 million!

   It has 9,756 sq. ft., including seven bedrooms and seven bathrooms, with a total of 25 rooms.

   Bob sold it in the 1940s, part of his downsizing because of his military service in WWII.  Do not have a year when he sold it (Do you know?).  I do know he was living on Bellagio Rd in Bel Air in 1947.

   Franchot Tone owned the property in the 1950s and 1960s, may have purchased it directly from Bob, but not sure.  That would make sense, could not have been that many buyers in the market for a Hollywood mansion in the 1940s.  Understand Liz tried to buy it from Tone in the 1960s, after marrying Asher, but Tone declined.  Guess you really can't go home again! 

   And the next owner of record.....ta da.....Elvis Presley!!  He bought it in 1970, Priscilla stayed on for a while after their divorce and Elvis sold it in 1975.   One can only guess what Bob must have thought of having the home he designed and so loved, pass into the hands of a rock and roll star!

    Telly Savalas may or may not have been the next owner.  I have read conflicting reports.

    The current owner is the Meehan family (as in co-founder of Redkin Hair Products).  They purchased it back in the 1990s, I believe.

It really is a beautiful home.  Bob and Betty had good tastes. 

A Smile To Make Anyone's Day!

                     

What a Hunk!

... all 6' 4" of him.  Great baritone voice.  Great smile.  Yeah, you could call him the Clark Gable of 1950s musicals.  A decidedly different type from Misters Astaire and Kelly! 

Howard Keel was born on this day in 1919.  That makes him 35 when he starred in Seven Brides for Seven Sisters in 1954.  Rrrff!  A great role in a great movie.  What a hunk.  The previous year, he and Kathryn Grayson were superb as the battling duo in Kiss Me Kate (1953). 

           Howard Keel in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)

Flash forward 30 years and Mr. Keel, now in his 60s, rules Dallas on TV, being sexy for the "mature" ladies across the country.  He was no longer wearing tights, but that great smile was still there.  Rrrff!   

1941 Was Just Too Good a Year for Movies!

Back in the day, Life magazine would do a feature on a recent movie release.  In the August 18th, 1941, issue, the featured movie was Here Comes Mr. Jordan, a delightful movie worth the attention.  I mean, the cast was great:  Bob as the lovable boxer and the movie's hero; James Gleason as Max Corkle, Joe's trainer and music critic; Evelyn Keyes as Bette***, our heroine; Edward Everett Horton as the ever-frustrated messenger; Rita Johnson and John Emery as the delightful conniving murderers; and Claude Rains as the mysterious Mr. Jordan --- my, but wasn't he a great actor.  A great script and story, winning Oscars for both. And five more nominations:  Best Picture, Best Director (Alexander Hall), Best Actor (Our Bob!), Supporting Actor (Mr. Gleason), and Best Cinematography, Black and White (Joseph Walker).  Not bad.  And Bob had to go to Columbia Pictures to get a good role.  MGM certainly did waste the many talents of Mr. Montgomery.  Such a shame. 

The article contains a brief write-up of the movie and then tells the story in 16 captioned photos.  WARNING:  Spoilers abound! 

***Bob had the heroine's name changed to Bette as a tribute to his wife.  How sweet can you get!

Could I Have Your Autograph Mr. Montgomery, Please?

There's just something special about having someone's autograph, particularly Bob's, of course.  After all, he did have this photo in his hands, and now I have it in mine.  Hey, it's as close as I can get to him.  (And, yes, I would have been a shameless stalker back in the day!) 

             Bob as Joe Pendleton in Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

Best Birthday Wishes for Ms Davis

Tomorrow, April 5th, is the birthday of Bette Davis, former co-star and sparring partner of Mr. Montgomery.  The photo below is one great example of professionalism offered by two actors who just did not get along.  Bob and Bette looking longingly into each others eyes?  Now that's acting! 

                       Bob and Bette Davis in June Bride (1948)

Now this is more like it.  The photo caption states they were not really arguing, just going over their roles for the movie ... right. 

Whatever, I am glad they overcame their differences enough to make the surprisingly enjoyable movie.  Bob's drinking scene with Tom Tully is simply priceless. 

Have you been watching Feud on FX?  As with anything to do with Hollywood, there is a lot of blurring of faction and fiction.  As in so what, it's great fun.  Susan Sarandon appears to be channeling Ms. Davis.  Jessica Lange has the more difficult role as Joan Crawford.  It is possible to characterize Joan's appearance, but her personality?  I have a difficult time imagining her as a real person, but mostly see images of characters she played on the screen.  Perhaps that's just me.  Love Kathy Bates' portrayal of Joan Blondell, one classy broad.  And Stanley Tucci is having way too much fun portraying Jack Warner.