The Liza Family Blog

Monday, June 2, 2008

Norma Shearer

Edith Norma Shearer (August 10 , 1900 – June 12 , 1983 ) was an Academy Award–winning Canadian-American actress .
Shearer was one of the most popular actresses in the world from the mid-1920s until her retirement in 1942 . Her early films cast her as the girl-next-door but after her 1930 film The Divorcee , she played sexually liberated women in sophisticated contemporary comedies and dramas, as well as several historical and period films .
Unlike many of her MGM contemporaries, Shearer's reputation went into steep decline after her retirement. By the time of her death in 1983, she was in danger of being known only for her "noble" roles in the regularly-revived The Women and Romeo and Juliet or, at worst, as a forgotten star.
However, Shearer's legacy began to be re-evaluated in the 1990's with the publication of two biographies and the TCM and VHS release of her films, many of them unseen since the implementation of the Production Code some sixty years before. Focus shifted to her pre-Code "divorcee" persona, and Shearer was rediscovered as "the exemplar of sophisticated [1930's] woman-hood... exploring love and sex with an honesty that would be considered frank by modern standards". Simultaneously, Shearer's ten year collaboration with portrait photographer George Hurrell and her lasting contribution to fashion through the designs of Adrian were also recognized.
Today, Norma Shearer is widely celebrated as one of cinema's feminist pioneers: "the first American film actress to make it chic and acceptable to be single and not a virgin on screen".
In March 2008, two of her most famous pre-code films, The Divorcee and A Free Soul , were released on DVD.

June 20, 1957Los Angeles
For battling Hollywood celebrities, it's hard to surpass Shelley Winters and Anthony Franciosa. They were only married a few years, but they made up for it in brawls between themselves, other actors (like Ava Gardner) and the press.
In this instance, Franciosa was given 10 days in jail for kicking Herald-Express photographer William Walker on April 19 after a court appearance.
Franciosa and Winters were trying to bid on a house at 618 Hillcrest Drive, Beverly Hills, and Franciosa objected to being photographed because he was still married to his wife, Beatrice, who was in Reno getting a divorce. Franciosa was wrestled to the ground and arrested after kicking Walker as Winters cried and sobbed: "Please don't have him arrested! You've ruined our lives!"
He was originally sentenced to 90 days in jail and a $250 fine, but the judge agreed to give him two years' probation if Franciosa spent 10 days in jail. The actor fought the sentence in court--in proceedings that revealed a record of arrests for theft and intoxication--before beginning his term on Dec. 12, 1957.
Winters and Franciosa were married in May 1957. In April 1958, Franciosa suffered a 2-inch cut behind his ear when Winters threw a perfume bottle at him. Then in August the Italian press reported that there was a brawl between Winters and Ava Gardner over rumors of Gardner's involvement with Franciosa while filming "The Naked Maja." (Not true, Winters said. They were all good friends. Gardner was curiously silent about the matter).
In July 1960, Winters sued for a legal separation, and filed for divorce in November. The wild ride was over.
Shelley Winters died Jan. 14, 2006.
Anthony Franciosa died five days later.
"I would be prefer to be judged my work alone," Franciosa said in 1961. "It's nobody's business what I'm like except the people I have to live with or work with."

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Angie & Louise and their babies...

Donny Osmond...Orlando Fl. Thank YOU Donny for ...by Angie

I think there were only about 100 of us there that day, if that many. Such an intimate and special day with Donny. He took the whole day...just to spend it with his fans.
I was one of the lucky ones to be there. He sang, he talked, he answered questions and we played games, like pictionary...he's not much of an artist hahah but it was fun.
I'm so happy that I have this video to treasure for the rest of my life! by Angie.

Happy Birthday Marilyn ~ June-1- 26 ~ Aug-5- 62

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Comic Bob Smith :growing up gay (1994) pt 1

Bob Smith pt2

Clint Eastwood turns 78 ~5-31-2008

NANCY WILSON "How Glad I Am" top notch live performance...

Thursday, May 29, 2008

D I V A H E A V E N !

Timi Yuro "Theme from Interlude Time is like a Dream" for BRADLY

Marilyn Monroe Sex Tape Sells for $1.5M

New Owner Says 15-Minute Film to Be Kept Private
By DANIEL TROTTA, Reuters
Posted: 2008-04-14 16:03:20
Filed Under: Star Scandals, Movie News
NEW YORK (April 14) - A 15-minute film of Marilyn Monroe engaging in oral sex with an unidentified man will be kept from public view by a New York businessman who has bought it for $1.5 million, the broker of the deal said Monday.
Memorabilia collector Keya Morgan said he recently arranged the sale of the silent, black-and-white film from the son of a dead FBI informant who possessed it to a wealthy Manhattan businessman who wants to protect Monroe's privacy."The gentleman who bought it said out respect for Marilyn he's not going to make a joke of it and put it on the Internet and try to exploit her," said memorabilia collector Keya Morgan. "That's not his intention and I would never get my name involved if that were to happen."Monroe is clothed and the man's head remains out of the frame for the entire 15 minutes of the film, said Morgan, who watched it.Monroe was rumored to have had an affair with U.S. President John F. Kennedy, and Morgan said then FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, a Kennedy rival, went to great lengths to try to prove it was Kennedy in the film.One of Monroe's ex-husbands, the late baseball great Joe DiMaggio, once tried to buy it from the collector for $25,000 but "he would not part with it," according to FBI files on Monroe that are available on the FBI Web site.Morgan is a well-known collector who owns memorabilia from the estates of Monroe and DiMaggio and said he was friends with Monroe's other two husbands, Jim Dougherty and Arthur Miller.He said he learned of the existence of the film while working on a documentary about Monroe, who died in August 1962 at age 36. A former FBI agent told him about it, and Morgan said he confirmed it by tracking down the son of the FBI informant, who had provided a copy to the FBI."I thought the FBI agent was embellishing it for my documentary. I never believed it once until I pulled up the FBI document (referring to the film)," Morgan said.The late informant's son had the original while the copy remains classified in the FBI files, said Morgan, whose deal was first reported by the New York Post Monday."The FBI agent that I interviewed said J. Edgar Hoover was completely obsessed. A team of nine individuals were analyzing the tape inside a lab. J. Edgar Hoover brought in a few prostitutes who allegedly had been with President Kennedy and they tried to ... see if that was really President Kennedy."
An FBI spokesmen declined to comment except to point out the Monroe files available online, which refer to the film but make no mention of Hoover's purported interest.

Bradly & Joe meeting CONNIE FRANCIS...by Bradly Briggs

Connie is another incredible talent and in person very real and caring...lucky to see Connie with a full orch w/Vincent Falcone conducting (Sinatra's) in 85, in 90 at The Celebrity theater in the round and took a close friend in the final stages of Aids and we lined up at the stage door and the reception that Connie gave us was something that to this day when I really think about it brings me to tears...so caring with my friend Joe Rella (also Italian) and I will never forget her warmth and kindness. When we were in the long line I asked Joe if he was up for it and he insisted he was and I asked a man at the door who seemed to be with Connie's group if we would be able to see her with the line being so long and he said (Miss Francis never leaves until she has seen the last person in line!) and I have a feeling that Connie still does this to this day! A true Diva and a real person. by Bradly Briggs.

Bette Midler "DIVINE" in "For The Boys"

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Mae West in scenes from West's last film, Sextette.

Mae West Actress at the Mr America Contest - August 1977

California's Gay Marriage to Begin June 17

The case was set into motion in 2004 when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, here on May 15, opened the doors of City Hall to same-sex marriages. Thousands of gay couples got married before the Supreme Court halted the practice; two dozen gay couples and gay rights groups eventually sued.

By LISA LEFF,
AP
Posted: 2008-05-28 18:25:05
Filed Under: Law News, Nation News
SAN FRANCISCO (May 28) - Barring a stay of a historic California Supreme Court ruling, same-sex couples will be able to wed in the state beginning June 17, according to a state directive issued Wednesday.

The state said it chose June 17 because the state Supreme Court has until the day before to decide whether to grant a stay of its May 15 ruling legalizing gay marriage.Gay-rights advocates and some clerks initially thought couples would be able to wed as early as Saturday, June 14. The court's decisions typically take effect 30 days after they are made.The guidelines from Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health, to the state's 58 county clerks also contained copies of new marriage forms that include lines for "Party A" and "Party B" instead of bride and groom. The gender-neutral nomenclature was developed in consultation with county clerks, according to the letter."Effective June 17, 2008, only the enclosed new forms may be issued for the issuance of marriage licenses in California," the directive reads.A group opposed to gay marriage has asked the court to stay its decision until after the November election, when voters are likely to face a ballot initiative that would once again define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. Passage of the initiative would overrule the Supreme Court.

Under the Supreme Court's regular rules of procedure, justices have until the end of the day June 16 to rule on the stay request, according to the memo sent by e-mail to county clerks. Lawyers involved in the marriage case have said previously the court could grant itself an extra 60 days to consider the stay.A poll released Wednesday found that for the first time, about half of California voters support same-sex marriage.The Field Poll found that 51 percent of respondents backed legalizing same-sex marriage and 42 percent opposed it. A 2006 poll found that 44 percent supported same-sex marriage and 50 percent objected; in 1977, the first year Field posted the question to California voters, only 28 percent were in favor."I would say this is a historic turning point or milestone," poll director Mark DiCamillo said. "We have speculated in the past there would be some time in the future when a majority would support same-sex marriage. Well, the lines have crossed."The survey of 1,052 registered voters was conducted over the phone from May 17 to May 26 and had a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.The poll's findings conflict with a Los Angeles Times/KTLA poll of 705 voters released last week that found 54 percent backed the proposed gay marriage ban and 35 percent opposed it.Andrew Pugno, legal adviser for the coalition of religious and social conservative groups sponsoring the measure, said the Times poll is more consistent with his group's internal polling."We could acknowledge there has been increasing acceptance of the idea of gay relationships over the last 10 or 20 years, but we think when it comes to marriage there is still a solid majority who want to see it reserved for a man and a woman, and that is all this initiative is about," Pugno said.
Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.
2008-05-28 16:30:47