Frida Kahlo: The Suicide of Dorothy Hale

By the summer of 1938, Frida Kahlo was on her way to being discovered as an artist in her own right, rather than only being referred to as the wife of famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. That summer, actor and art collector Edward G. Robinson had traveled to Mexico City just to see her paintings [...]

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And Everywhere that Audrey Went, the Deer Was Sure to Go!

This is an excerpt from,”Hollywood icon Audrey Hepburn is still full of surprises“:   [The book] Remembering Audrey, features candid portraits by Bob Willoughby, a photographer on the set of many of Hepburn’s films who became close enough to the beauty to literally follow her home. His visual account of Hepburn’s private life and career is peppered [...]

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Mao had Dragon Breath

In a recent post, “Monster Mao,” I blogged about the Chinese communist leader, Mao Zedong, and his disastrous leadership. Besides being selfish and cruel, Mao Zedong had some disgusting personal habits. He did not like to bathe. According to his personal physician, Dr. Li, Mao liked young girls and fatty pork. Like many Chinese of his [...]

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Monster Mao

Mao Zedong (Tse-Tung) (1893-1976) was a Chinese Communist leader noted for his 1949 establishment of the People’s Republic of China. He led the PRC until his death. Chairman Mao “cast himself as a revolutionary leader but whose conduct and attitudes reminded one of China’s emperors.” Through disastrous economic policies and periodic purges of his political enemies, Mao was responsible [...]

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Ronald Reagan: “Dutch” the Lifeguard

This is an excerpt from a CNN.com transcript, “A Look at Reagan’s Early Years,” which aired June 10, 2004, five days after the death of Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Reagan died at the age of 93, after suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease for more than a decade: PHILLIPS (voice-over): Ronald Wilson Reagan [...]

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Eva’s Peron’s Restless Corpse Part 2 of 2

For background information, read my previous post, “Eva Peron’s Restless Corpse.” Here is part 5 0f 5 of the 1996 A & E “Biography” series on Eva Peron, “Evita: The Woman Behind the Myth.”  Halfway through the tape, you will get an eyeful of Evita.

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Talk Like Shakespeare Today

Today is William Shakespeare’s 445th birthday. In honor of the occasion, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley wants us all to celebrate by using the Bard’s words, declaring that today is ”Talk Like Shakespeare Day.” The official website offers some suggestions as to how you can talk like Shakespeare: Instead of you, say thou. Instead of y’all, say thee. Rhymed couplets are all [...]

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Elvis: Girl Happy OR Trigger Happy?

From 1969 to 1977 were Elvis’ concert years. When performing in  Las Vegas, he stayed at the International (now Hilton) Hotel, occupying the penthouse suite, room 3000. The suite was located on the 30th floor and stretched across the entire top floor. Elvis was not alone in this sprawling suite. From the beginning of his [...]

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The Elvis Sandwich

Anita Wood and Elvis got to know each other in Memphis, Elvis’ hometown, and were close friends from 1957-1962. She wrote to him in Germany where he was stationed with the U.S. Army. Years later she was interviewed about her relationship with Elvis, and recalled: “He called me Little because I was very small at [...]

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Elvis & Tricky Dick

On a flight from L.A. to Washington, D.C., on Dec. 21, 1970, Elvis wrote this letter to President Richard M. Nixon: Mr. President: First I would like to introduce myself. I am Elvis Presley and admire you and Have Great Respect for your office. I talked to Vice President Agnew in Palm Springs a week ago [...]

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Michael Jackson: Treasures from Neverland on View

A planned auction of more than 1,000 items from the former home of the King of Pop Michael Jackson has been cancelled. Nearly 1,400 items from the singer’s Neverland Ranch in California were due to be auctioned off by Julien’s Auctions next week and the proceeds given to Michael Jackson. But Jackson’s production company sued [...]

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The Strange Case of Patty Hearst: Part 2 of 2

In a previous post, “The Strange Case of Patty Hearst: Part 1,” I wrote about the kidnapping of wealthy media heiress Patty Hearst by the Symbionese Liberation Army and her participation in their robbery of the Hibernia Bank in San Francisco on April 15, 1974. When the attorney general viewed a videotape of the bank robbery, [...]

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Audrey Hepburn: Disney’s Sleeping Beauty

The iconic castle from “Sleeping Beauty,” by artist Eyvind Earle for Disney Up until the release of Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty” in 1959, the Disney characters were normally drawn first for a film and then the background was drawn later to complement the characters. But this process was reversed in 1951 – causing some hard feelings [...]

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Elvis from the Waist Up

In my two previous posts, “Elvis the Pelvis” and “Elvis: Too Sexy for His Shirt,” I wrote about Elvis Presley and the TV appearances that made him a star. His hip-gyrating performance of “Hound Dog” on NBC’s June 5, 1956, “The Milton Berle Show,” created a huge new fan base and a storm of controversy. [...]

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Elvis: Too Sexy for His Shirt

In my last post, “Elvis the Pelvis,” I wrote about Elvis’ sensational and controversial performance on “The Milton Berle Show” (NBC) on June 5, 1956, when he sang “Hound Dog.” His playful yet sensual rendition of the blues number – his hips gyrated provocatively  – rocketed Elvis to fame while also unleashing a floodgate of criticism. Elvis was too [...]

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