Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Lauren Bacall 1924-2014




As many of you have heard, screen siren Lauren Bacall passed away August 12th at the age of 89. Back in 2009, I did a Siren Centerfold post celebrating Bacall’s sultry beauty and sassy attitude. She’s being remembered for both of those attributes – and so much more. Here are just a few reasons why she was so iconic:


- Despite their 25-year age gap, Bacall held her own against Humphrey Bogart - both on screen in films like To Have and Have Not and The Big Sleep, and in life, where she was his better half until his untimely death in 1957.

- At just 19 years old she was delivering lines like, “You know how to whistle, don't you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow” with the confidence we all wish we had.



- She was exceedingly gorgeous and insisted on aging naturally. She once said, "I think your whole life shows in your face and you should be proud of that."


- Bacall was BFFs with Katharine Hepburn for about 50 years. You know those broads had a good time.

- She proves that Oscars don’t matter. Bacall was only nominated once (in 1996 for The Mirror Has Two Faces) and didn’t win, but she remained one of the most respected actresses in the biz. (She picked up an Honorary Oscar in 2010.)

- She went to see Twilight with her granddaughter, but afterwards bought the girl a copy of 1922’s Nosferatu to show her what a “real” vampire movie was. You go, grandma!




- She conveyed so much with just “The Look.”

R.I.P Lauren Bacall. You will be missed!

Saturday, April 19, 2014

Garbo and Dietrich On The Small Screen

Greta Garbo
Marlene Dietrich



Now this I would watch! A TV series centering on the intersecting lives of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich is being developed by Annapurna Pictures. It’ll be powerhouse producer Megan Ellison’s first foray into television, and if her eye for great films is any indication, it’s sure to be a success. In case you don’t know, Ellison was behind two of last year’s accolade-heavy films – American Hustle and Her – and she became the first woman to score two Academy Award noms for Best Picture. (She’s also the daughter of a billionaire…and she’s a year younger than me. BRB, crying.)


But anyway, back to this glorious project. According to Variety, the yet-to-be-titled story is set in Hollywood’s Golden Age and explores the two icons’ relationships with the likes of Tallulah Bankhead, Barbara Stanwyck, Cary Grant and John Wayne. It seems they had a lot of similarities beyond their fiercely penciled eyebrows and affinity for rocking sick pantsuits. Who would you tap to play Swedish siren Garbo and German star Dietrich? I’m already playing casting director…