Thanks for the Memories

Esther Williams MGM Thanks for the Memories

ESTHER WILLIAMS: THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES AND THE SWIMSUIT

Champion swimmer Esther Williams’ movie career thrived during the forties and fifties when Technicolor and Cinemascope ruled. Young girls everywhere suddenly wanted to learn the art of synchronized swimming. When MGM had their gigantic costume clearance sale, we were lucky to scoop up one of Esther Williams’ actual swimsuits for two dollars. It’s a one piece shiny peach colored suit lined in flesh colored fabric, and it has “MGM Esther Williams” printed on a tag inside. We’re still trying to figure out what movie she wore it in. Esther was smart – her last marriage was to an adoring younger man who took care of her until she died peacefully at 91.

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By Janet / June 6, 2013
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Margaret Thatcher Ronald Reagan Thanks for the Memories

DON’T UNDERESTIMATE WHAT MARGARET THATCHER DID FOR HER COUNTRY

Another loss we cannot ignore is the death of one of our personal heroes, former UK Prime Minsiter Margaret Thatcher. She paved the way for women in politics and if there is a female president in our lifetime, it will be thanks to her. How can you NOT love a woman who stood for less government and lower taxes? She disciplined the unions and encouraged free enterprise above big government. Thatcher rescued Britain from ruin and led the country into a renaissance. We eagerly anticipate the first female president in THIS country. (Above, Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.)

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By Janet / April 8, 2013
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Annette Funicello Thanks for the Memories The Mickey Mouse Club Walt Disney

ANNETTE FUNICELLO: NOW IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

Annette Funicello has died and she represented and era of innocence that won’t be seen again. When she became a Mousketeer on The Mickey Mouse Club, she was an immediate hit and got ten times the fan mail of other kids on the show. Eventually, Annette graduated to the teenage Beach Party movies and Walt Disney asked her NOT to wear bikinis. She never did. Annette adored Walt and always had good things to say about him. She’s been suffering with MS for the last twenty years and out of the limelight, but we will miss her.

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By Janet / April 8, 2013
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Julie Christie Thanks for the Memories

DON’T LOOK NOW! IT’S JULIE CHRISTIE!

#juliechristie #janetcharlton

Here’s a face we don’t see very often any more – at least not out at social events. Julie Christie, the fashion icon of the 60’s (remember “Darling?”) left Hollywood in the 70’s after her affair with Warren Beatty ended and moved to a farm in Wales. She has continued to occasionally act in movies but is seldom seen on the street. Above, she and her husband of five years, journalist Duncan Campbell, attended an event for British explorer/photographer Robin Hanbury-Tenison.

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By Janet / January 23, 2013
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I'm Too Sexy Right Said Fred Thanks for the Memories

RIGHT SAID FRED: TOO SEXY FOR THEIR LUNCH

#rightsaidfred #janetcharlton

Every once in awhile we start humming that 1991 gay anthem “I’m Too Sexy” by the English band Right Said Fred. Those musclebound bald-headed Fairbrass brothers Richard and Fred (one gay and one straight) are kind of fascinating so we have to take another look at their video. Twenty two years later they are now in their fifties, but still look pretty much the same.

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By Janet / January 22, 2013
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Huell Howser Thanks for the Memories

HUELL HOWSER IS GONE, BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

We miss him already. It’s hard to imagine California without Huell Howser. The host of PBS’s California’s Gold died this week and we will miss him. He delighted in investigating California landmarks, small towns, and odd places of interest. We discovered many local idiosyncrasies thanks to Huell. Once we even had dinner at his apartment in the swanky El Royale in Hollywood. He was always a Southern gentleman. (Above, Huell at The Bunny Museum)

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By Janet / January 7, 2013
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Jack Klugman Thanks for the Memories The Odd Couple

JACK KLUGMAN: THE LAST OF THE “ODD COUPLE” STARS IS GONE

Jack Klugman (top right,) the last remaining star of Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple feature film and TV series, has died at the age of 90. Klugman played the gruff sportswriter Oscar opposite Tony Randall as the fussbudget Felix. in the popular 70’s TV series. In the 1968 movie, Walter Matthau starred as Oscar and Jack Lemmon as Felix. We loved both the movie and the series – they were all great actors who are all gone now. Which was your favorite couple? (Feel free to mix and match.)

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By Janet / December 25, 2012
14 Comments
Jimi Hendrix Military Thanks for the Memories

JIMI HENDRIX’S MILITARY “EXPERIENCE”

#jimihendrix #janetcharlton

We immediately fell in love with this photo and didn’t even realize at first that it happens to be Jimi Hendrix in 1961! According to Stephen Saban at The WOW Report, Jimi, 19, was caught “riding in stolen cars” and was given a choice between spending two years in prison or joining the army. He enlisted, and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division. Although he was cute in the uniform, he didn’t make a great soldier and was happy when he was honorably discharged a year later due to “unsuitability.”

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By Janet / November 8, 2012
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Barbra Streisand Las Vegas Liberace Thanks for the Memories

LIBERACE PAVED THE WAY FOR BARBRA STREISAND’S LAS VEGAS SUCCESS

#liberace #barbrastreisand #janetcharlton

Barbra Streisand is in Las Vegas this weekend and the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Norm Clarke reminisced about her FIRST appearance there in 1963. She was the OPENING ACT for Liberace from July 2 to Aug 4 in 1963 at the Riviera. The ladies who adored Liberace didn’t warm up to Barbra, then 21, and her first two nights were disastrous. So Liberace started introducing her at the beginning of the show as his “discovery” and raved about her talent. After that great buildup people started paying attention to Barbra, and the rest is history.

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By Janet / November 3, 2012
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Ellen DeGeneres Prom Thanks for the Memories

ELLEN DEGENERES AND HER HOT PROM DATE

#ellendegeneres #janetcharlton

You can’t help but love this photo of Ellen Degeneres at her high school prom in all her 70’s glory. That plaid dress might look a bit Amish if it wasn’t provocatively unbuttoned. The most telling feature of this photo is the fact that her date is SO good looking. She must have been really popular to land such a handsome guy. He somewhat resembles a young Christopher Reeve. We missed it when she recreated the photo on her show a few years ago she wore a replica dress and brought back her date.

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By Janet / October 11, 2012
20 Comments