How did I miss this? Here's another photo from that same party on July 1st, 1935! I can HEAR the laughter and silliness coming through this one. Although, sadly, after 82 years this photo is not in the best shape color-wise, compared to the other one. And remember the exotic Russian ballerina, Alice Niktina? There … Continue reading Another fabulous photo from M-G-M director W.S. Van Dyke’s ‘Women Without Men’ Party, July 1st, 1935.
I realized I hadn't posted a Mitzi photo for a while so I had a quick look through the digital archive and found this fantastic pic titled 'Women Without Men Party, W.S. Van Dyke, July 1, 1935'. Of course, W.S. Van Dyke was the beloved M-G-M director and known for his fabulous parties. I've posted … Continue reading Instead of Tinder, how about a time machine that takes you back to W.S. Van Dyke’s ‘Women Without Men Party’ in the summer of 1935?
Happy heavenly birthday to Walter Pidgeon who was born 120 years ago in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada. The same city my great-great grandparents, Sarah and Jacob Mayer, fleeing pogroms in Ukraine in the 1880s, found a home and raised their five children, Yetta, Ida (my great-grandmother), Louis, Ruben, and Gershon. It is amazing to me … Continue reading The fateful moment Walter Pidgeon and Louis B. Mayer both realized they were from the same far-flung town in Canada
So a couple of weeks ago - around the same time as I stumbled across the mystery manuscript, which you might remember - I promised I would share two letters from Joan Crawford that were in my grandmother Mitzi's papers. I took this photo last night when maybe the lighting was a bit too moody … Continue reading Two lovely notes from Joan Crawford to my grandmother will make you miss the lost art of letter writing
Do you have a nickname? I didn't really have one growing up, although close family and friends often call me Ali. Does that qualify as a nickname? Anyway, when I was in my late teens I had a boyfriend who insisted on calling me 'Bunny', which I thought was just ridiculous. In Australia, nicknames are … Continue reading A man called Mary is one of the reasons why I love Australians.
We should bring back telegrams, don't you think? Surely a Silicon Valley entrepreneur can create a network of kids on bikes who hand deliver paper missives to your door. And if they do a smart brand licensing deal, they can call it Uber Notes! You'd be sitting at home, minding your own business, and hear … Continue reading Vintage Hollywood #RoshHashanah telegrams and you’ll want Silicon Valley to bring back this retro awesomeness!
Happy heavenly birthday to Greta Garbo, born on September 18, 1905 in Stockholm, Sweden. Although she was appearing in commercials and local films, it wasn't until my great-uncle, Louis B. Mayer, discovered her and brought her to M-G-M that she became a screen siren and ultimately one of Hollywood's greatest icons. And really we can … Continue reading There would be no Greta Garbo without Louis B. Mayer sailing to Italy to fix the epic mess that was BEN-HUR
In June of 2013, I was perusing the New York Times book reviews and one caught my eye. Little did I know it would become my mission to fight that book, its author, and his heinous premise for over two years, which would include a public face-to-face confrontation here in Sydney by the end of … Continue reading I can put down my sword: Two new books are the last nails in the coffin of another I fought for years
If you follow my Facebook page you'll remember that just a couple of days ago I posted a mysterious two and half page 'autobiography', which I found in my grandmother Mitzi's papers. The woman described a life so tough it was enough to make you gulp and by the end of the first page you … Continue reading UPDATE: Remember the mystery autobiography in my grandmother Mitzi’s papers?
During my live presentations in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, I shared a handful of photos from my cousin Jillian, Gerald Mayer's older daughter. If his name rings a bell, that's because along with producing and directing at M-G-M, he was the only one in the family to make the leap into TV. Gerald … Continue reading Early team bonding! What else would explain a Hollywood mogul on a scooter?
The Film Colony ♛ 
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