CHERCHEZ LA FEMME!

DR. BUZZARD’S ORIGINAL SAVANNAH BAND ~ WHISPERING CHERCHEZ LA FEMME SE SI BON

THE AGE OF SELFRIDGES!

 

THE POWER OF IMAGINEERING

THE MAGNIFICENT FACADE TOWERS ABOVE THE HISTORICAL SELFRIDGES DEPARTMENT STORE IN LONDON, ENGLAND.

STORM IN THE MOUNTAINS!

STORM IN THE MOUNTAINS (1870)

~ Albert Bierstadt

TEXAS: THE LONE STAR STATE!

It’s Friday, and I’m taking care of the last minute details before my computer is placed on a long, long trailer, along with 73 boxes, and very little furniture on Saturday, December 28th, for the journey to Texas. After living in Los Angeles for 27 years, I’m looking forward to returning to my home state, and starting a new life. I’m already missing California’s great weather.

May all of your wishes come true this holiday season, and Happy New Year!

ASHE’

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! MAESTRO ENNIO MORRICONE

 

The Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor and former trumpet player, was born under the intensely penetrating Sun sign of Scorpio, on November 10, 1928, in Rome, Italy. He has written a wide range of composition genres, and contemporary classical works for more than five hundred films and television series, and his music has been used in over sixty award-winning films.

Maestro Morricone is a wizard of symbolic and lyrical mastery, and one of the world’s most versatile, prolific and influential motion picture composers of all time.

Duck You Sucker ~ Film: A Fist Full of Dynamite

VETERAN’S DAY!

Let us bow our heads, and give thanks, in remembrance for the valor and sacrifice of those who bravely served in the Armed Forces, and currently, along with their families for continuous sacrifice to keep our country safe.

Thank a Veteran, today!

MAY WE NEVER FORGET!

SAMUEL BARBER: A MELANCHOLIC COMPOSER

Samuel Osmond Barber II was born on March 9, 1910, in West Chester, Pennsylvania.  He became profoundly interested in music at an early age, and at ages 6 and 7, composed his first work, Sadness, a 23 measure solo piano piece in C minor.

Composers Johann Sebastian Bach and Johannes Brahms were the inspiration for his music.

Adagio for Strings is among his most popular compositions, and widely considered a masterpiece of modern classical music.  It was one of President John F. Kennedy’s favorite pieces of music, and has been played during several funerals of the rich and famous, as well as films, and televisions shows.

Barber died of cancer in 1981, in New York City at the age of 70.  He was interred in Oaklands Cemetery in his hometown.

Barber ~ Adagio for Strings

 

BETTE DAVIS’ HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN

Ms. Davis earned a reputation for being difficult on the set.  However, she set a new precedent for women.  By 1942, she was the highest paid woman in America.

THE HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN

During World War II, and following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ms. Davis sold two million dollars in war bonds, and later made a considerable contribution to the war effort by lending her assistance to organize the Hollywood Canteen in 1942 to entertain troops passing through Los Angeles.  She also appeared in a film version of the Hollywood Canteen.

New York’s Stage Door Canteen was the inspiration for her vision to transform a once-abandoned nightclub into an inspiring entertainment facility.  In 1980, Ms. Davis was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the Defense Department’s highest civilian award, for running the Hollywood Canteen.  She later commented that the Hollywood Canteen was one of her accomplishments that caused her to beam with pride.

MARLENE DIETRICH: MILITARY SIREN!

Marlene Dietrich was born Marie Magdalena von Losch Dietrich on December 27, 1901, in Berlin, Germany.  She was a German-American actress and singer, whose career flourished in Hollywood under the guidance of the industry’s best directors.  Dietrich achieved 62 years of international fame as an immortal screen goddess in German and American films.

MARLENE AND THE BOYS!

During World War II, Dietrich became one of the first celebrities to raise war bonds.  She toured the United States from January 1942 to September 1943 (appearing before 250,000 troops on the Pacific Coast leg of her tour alone).  It is rumored that she sold more war bonds than any other star.

Dietrich enjoyed entertaining for USO soldiers during World War II, and was made an Honorary Colonel in the United States Army.  She was awarded several medals for her war efforts (the U.S. Medal of Freedom, the French Legion of Honor, and the Belgium Knight of the Order of Leopold) for entertaining Allied troops on the front lines in Algeria, Italy, Britain and France, and traveled to Germany to entertain Generals James M. Gavin and George S. Patton.

She was legendary for her love affairs with famous men and women, as well as soldiers.  Dietrich made 500 USO appearances during the European war.   In 1954, she began her cabaret performances appearing on stages worldwide. Her show business career ended on September 29, 1975, when she fell off the stage and broke her thigh.

Dietrich died of renal failure on May 6, 1992, at the age of 90 in Paris, France.  She was interred near her mother and childhood home in Berlin.

THE MILITARY AND HOLLYWOOD!

The relationship between the Military and Hollywood has served each side’s needs for many years.

UNITED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS (USO)

During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt received requests from six civilian organizations to create a social entity to motivate, boast morale and provide recreational services for men in the armed forces. President Roosevelt founded the USO in 1941, and served as honorary chairman.

The USO was aided by non-USO groups for fundraising, and opened centers and clubs around the world to serve as a home away from home for GIs.  It was a place for free breakfast, entertainment, socializing or, to sit quietly and write letters to loved ones back home.

In 1942, CBS started a weekly radio variety show called Stagedoor Canteen.  However, in 1943, United Artists, MGM, 20th Century Fox and RKO Studios joined the effort and released films starring some of its highest paid stars. From 1941 to 1947, the USO centers and clubs presented more than 400,000 performances.

In today’s language, the USO was actually a huge social network for military personnel, civilians and movie stars.

WOMEN IN THE USO

The USO centers and clubs recruited attractive female volunteers to serve snacks and refreshments, dance and talk with GIs.  Famous entertainers such as Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Marilyn Monroe, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth traveled over a million miles to entertain the troops.

HONORING MR. BOB HOPE

In 1941, Bob Hope began his legendary contribution to GIs, and it ended with his final Christmas show in 1990 during Operation Desert Shield.  In 1996, he was honored for his enormous contribution to the USO, as the first and honorary veteran of the United States Armed Forces.

Mr. Hope, thanks for the memories!