Thanks for the Memories

Elvis Scott Caan Sheila Ryan Caan Thanks for the Memories

ELVIS PRESLEY’S GIRLFRIEND SHEILA RYAN LIVED FOR THE MEN IN HER LIFE

#sheilaryan #elvispresley #janetcharlton

We were sorry to hear that Sheila Ryan Caan died last week . We met Sheila back in the 70’s when she was dating Elvis Presley. She wasn’t a quickie- she actually dated him for at least a year and he paid her rent and bought her a car and who knows what else. She was a pretty, natural looking blonde from Chicago and as soon as she and Elvis split she started seeing James Caan, who tried to out-do Elvis when it came to gifts. Her marriage to Caan wasn’t great, but they had a talented son Scott, now a successful writer and actor on Hawaii Five-O. Sheila was sweet and well-meaning, but problematic. Her life always revolved around the men she was with and she never made the effort to develop her own talents, so her later years were not as happy as her early years.

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By Janet / September 24, 2012
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Montgomery Clift Phyllis Thaxter Thanks for the Memories

MONTGOMERY CLIFT WAS PHYLLIS THAXTER’S UNREQUITED LOVE

#phyllisthaxter #montgomeryclift #janetcharlton

Actress Phyllis Thaxter died at the age of 92 on August 14, and we remember her as usually playing good-girl types like she did in “She’s Working Her Way Through College “ with Ronald Reagan. But her private life turned out to be more interesting than we expected. Her daughter Skye Aubrey shared a secret with The Hollywood Reporter’s Merle Ginsberg. When she was 20, Phyllis costarred with Montgomery Clift, also 20, in the 1940 Broadway play “There Shall Be No Light.” She fell in love with Clift and they moved into an apartment together. Eventually he broke her heart and told her that he didn’t really think he could ever be married. He was right – he never DID marry, and he is now generally believed to have been gay but never came out.

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By Janet / August 22, 2012
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Phyllis Diller Thanks for the Memories

PHYLLIS DILLER WORE A MEAT DRESS BEFORE LADY GAGA DID

It is said that Phyllis Diller was a bored, middle-aged housewife when she decided to leap into show business. She did stand-up until she was noticed for her crazy laugh and frazzled hausfrau act and started guesting on TV shows in the 60’s. Bob Hope had her on 23 of his specials and numerous Vietnam USO shows. We happened to meet Phyllis at a party hosted by Zsa Zsa Gabor and her Prince at their home back when Zsa Zsa was healthy. Phyllis was friendly and very entertaining. She was a successful and pioneering female in a male-dominated business, and she outlived all her husbands and boyfriends.(Photo above from Bon Appetit magazine)

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By Janet / August 20, 2012
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Elvis Thanks for the Memories Tiny Naylor's Drive In

THE DAY ELVIS DIED

#elvispresley #janetcharlton

It’s a day to reminisce. Elvis Presley died 35 years ago today and we remember that day with total clarity. We had just exited the Hollywood freeway after a day of thrift shopping with a friend, when Elvis‘s sudden death was announced on the radio. We almost drove off the road in shock. We were SO upset and tearful we couldn’t drive, and had to pull into Tiny Naylor’s Drive-in on the corner of La Brea and Sunset to compose ourselves and have a cold drink. People at the drive-in were in shock and disbelief also. Waitresses wept. Little did we know Tiny Naylor’s would be gone in a few years too.

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By Janet / August 16, 2012
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Handy Man Jimmy Jones Thanks for the Memories

WE WON’T FORGET OUR HANDY MAN JIMMY JONES

We cannot let the passing of Jimmy Jones and his amazing falsetto voice go unnoticed here. He died recently at the age of 82 but we love to remember him singing his 1960 hits “Handy Man” and “Good Timin’.” He personified the R&B singer of that time – a handsome man with slick hair, a shiny suit, and smooth moves. He wrote the song “Handy Man” and it became a hit for other singers like Del Shannon and James Taylor long after Jimmy did it. Let’s dance.

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By Janet / August 6, 2012
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Diana Dors Richard Dawson Thanks for the Memories

WE DIDN’T KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT RICHARD DAWSON

#richarddawson #dianadors #janetcharlton

When Family Feud host Richard Dawson died Saturday we read his obituary and were astonished by one fact we never knew about his life. He was married to British bombshell pinup girl Diana Dors for seven years! Diana was touted as the Marilyn Monroe of the UK – actually she was something of a “poor man’s“ version of Marilyn. When they met in the 50’s, Richard was a comic billed as “Dickie Dawson” and he was hired as part of her nightclub act. They had two sons and in 1966 she left him for yet another man. Alas, we didn’t realize the game show host had such a titillating past.

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By Janet / June 3, 2012
26 Comments
Robin Gibb Thanks for the Memories The Bee Gees

THE BEE GEES: TWO OUT OF THREE ARE GONE

Disco DID die this week First, Donna Summer, and now Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. The Bee Gees sweet uplifting falsettos brought disco to its peak in 1980 in the movie Saturday Night Fever – a film that will forever celebrate the essence of disco. Theirs was one of the top grossing music groups of all time. Robin suffered for years from cancer and intestinal problems. It must have been horrible for him to watch his twin brother Maurice die after his own intestinal surgery in 2003. Now Barry Gibb is the last surviving Bee Gee. (Above, Barry, Maurice, and Robin in happier times)

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By Janet / May 20, 2012
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Donna Summer Thanks for the Memories

DONNA SUMMER: DIM ALL THE LIGHTS, WARREN BEATTY’S COMING!

#donnasummer

Who doesn’t have great memories of Donna Summer music? Whenever we hear “Love to Love You Baby” we’re brought back to the 70’s when we were living in a high rise at 999 North Doheny Drive. We lived next door and shared a wall with a beautiful young blonde wannabe actress who happened to be dating Warren Beatty. (Who WASN’T in those days?) We could always tell when she was expecting Warren to come over in the evening because she would put on Donna’s sexy album while she waited for him and it would come pulsating through the wall. Donna and Barry White and The Love Unlimited Orchestra provided the seduction music in that era. As soon as we heard her turn on THAT music, we’d skip down to the lobby and try to catch a glimpse of Warren when he arrived. Our neighbor admitted to us that occasionally when Warren was out of town, she’d have phone sex with him too. That’s why we will forever think of Warren when we hear Donna’s music. She will be sorely missed. (Note – in the video above, that dancer looks a LOT like Nigel Lythgoe!)

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By Janet / May 17, 2012
13 Comments
American Bandstand Dick Clark Rock'n'Roll Thanks for the Memories

DICK CLARK’S AMERICAN BANDSTAND GAVE US OUR FIRST LOOK AT ROCK N ROLL


Our fondest memories of the late Dick Clark were in glorious black and white. His American Bandstand, which was on TV after school every day, rocked everybody’s world. We all heard rock n’ roll on the radio but rarely got a chance to SEE the performers – from Fabian to Conway Twitty to Chubby Checker. (There was no MTV in those days) Clark was a huge influence in the world of rock n’ roll. We learned the latest dance moves watching his show and got ideas for haircuts and fashion. His original TV show from Philadelphia taught kids how to be teenagers. Thanks for the memories Dick Clark!

Update: Love this quote from from the Los Angeles Times: “Dick Clark chaperoned American youth on their first date with rock n roll.”

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By Janet / April 18, 2012
10 Comments