Marlon Brando

RON GALELLA: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES

The death of the most famous paparazzo, Ron Galella, brought back a lot of memories today. I met him back in the early 80’s and he was already a legend. Jackie Onassis had HATED him (she was his favorite target) and Marlon Brando had socked him in the face, broke his jaw and knocked out 5 teeth. Ron thought Brando did it because he revealed his tryst with Jackie! Ron preferred to be called a “photojournalist” and was always super-nice to me – unlike most street photographers, he tried to engage celebrities in fun conversation. Some really LIKED him. In New York and LA, Ron always took time to gossip with me (we turned up in a lot of the same places) – I was quite fond of him. He left behind some cool books of his photos…

Photo: Artsy

JANE FONDA IS RIGHT ABOUT TOM HARDY

We don’t agree with Jane Fonda on a LOT of things, especially the fact that she seems to take on the lifestyle and beliefs of whatever man she is with. But we think she is absolutely right about Tom Hardy. Jane says Tom Hardy is the new Marlon Brando, and it IS an astute observation. Jane is correct to point out that Tom’s movie Legend, in which he played gangster twin brothers, deserved a LOT more attention and awards when it was released. We especially loved him in that retro movie because he had no facial hair and he has a face worth looking at! Yes, he is reminiscent of young Brando, and maybe someday Tom will star in the Marlon Brando story.

Photo: Tom Hardy filming Legend
Photo Credit: BACKGRID-USA

DID THE JACKSONS EVER HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR?

It had to happen eventually. Michael Jackson’s life was a windfall of fascinating stories and one of them was the legendary rumor that Michael, Elizabeth Taylor and Marlon Brando drove cross country together after 9/11. How delicious is THAT fantasy? A British TV comedy show appropriately called Urban Myths is reenacting their version of that event and Joseph Fiennes (who once played Shakespeare) is playing Michael Jackson. (Stockard Channing plays Elizabeth Taylor and Brian Cox is Marlon Brando.) We’re laughing already! Michael’s fans and relatives think it’s insulting to cast a white man as Michael, but a black actor would have to appear in white face, anyway! And this IS comedy, after all! We suggest the Jacksons withhold their outrage until they see the show.

Photo: Urban Myths

NEW MICHAEL JACKSON BOOK REVEALS HOW FRIENDS AND RELATIVES BILKED HIM

#michaeljackson #janetcharlton

No matter how overdosed you might be on the subject of Michael Jackson – his private life does provide an interesting book. There’s always SOMETHING you didn’t know about his strange life. The latest expose is called “Untouchable: The Strange Life and Tragic Death of Michael Jackson” written by Randall Sullivan. We found his relationship with his family to be just as we suspected – he avoided them like the plague and they constantly tried to make money off him. In 2001, two tribute concerts celebrating Michael’s 30th anniversary in music were planned at Madison Square Garden. Each family member demanded $250,000 to attend, even for just sitting in the audience! When Jermaine learned that Michael’s take from the shows could reach 10 million, he pushed his parents to demand another $500,000 each. Even Michael’s friendships were costly – Marlon Brando chiseled money out of Michael by charging his “friend” a million dollars for a rambling “tribute video” for the event, which the crowd booed! And you should see what Elizabeth Taylor got! No wonder Michael was so paranoid. (Above, Jackson and Brando in the good old days)

CHRISTIAN BRANDO DID NOT HAVE AIDS: WHAT REALLY KILLED HIM

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Just to set the record straight: There have been many hastily written reports that Christian Brando died from AIDS related pneumonia, and that is NOT the case. He died from ARDS- Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Maybe that one letter of difference caused the error. Christian’s father Marlon Brando died from a similar respiratory disorder. Unfortunately, the battle over Christian’s estate continues…