Book Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Bettie Boo! She wins a copy of Marilyn's Red Diary! Thank you to all who entered. I am planning on doing more fun giveaways soon :) xo

Book Giveaway: Marilyn's Red Diary

Meryl Moss Media Relations has graciously donated a brand new copy of the just released Marilyn's Red Diary by E.Z. Friedel for a contest giveaway!! If you would like a chance to win, please leave a comment and one winner will be picked at random. U.S. residents only (sorry international friends) Giveaway ends Saturday June 15th 12noon EST. **I have removed the spam protector, so please comment away!**

Who or what killed Marilyn? This is a question that many people have wanted to know. There are theories of course...what do you believe? This fictitious account explores Marilyn's last two years in her own words as written in the red diary that never left her side.


Press Release:

"When Marilyn Monroe died in 1962, her estate was worth $370,000. In 2011 the subway dress from The Seven-Year Itch sold for a whopping $4.6 million. Add the gown she wore when she sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy, which sold for $1.26 million in 1999, and one thing is clear. The clothes are worth more than the woman who wore them.

More than a half-century after she was found dead on the night of August 5, 1962, Hollywood’s tragic dream girl continues to fascinate. We’re still mesmerized by her endless appeal to powerful men of every stripe, her troubled childhood, her magnetic screen presence and the mystery of what killed the woman who created Marilyn Monroe.

Based on shocking new information, author and physician E.Z. Friedel offers a fictional first-person account of what might have happened to the former Norma Jean Mortenson in Marilyn's Red Diary (Beech Hut Publishing LLC; June 1, 2013; $9.99). Friedel draws on his medical knowledge to explore some of the darkest questions concerning the troubled star, including who may have killed her, as he recreates the last two years of her life. This provocative and scandalous narrative is told by Marilyn herself, as she recounts the events of the day – and the steamy, sexual encounters of the night – writing in her red diary all the details and dirty little secrets about some of the most powerful people in history and entertainment.

Marilyn confides in her diary information about the President of the United States, his brother the attorney general, the CIA, the Mafia, her loyal psychiatrist, her overbearing drama coach, insensitive producers, husbands, lovers, and her ongoing struggles with drugs and alcohol. Friedel calls upon his professional expertise to deliver the most shocking revelation of all—just how Marilyn may have been killed and who was responsible.

Marilyn's Red Diary is at times funny, scandalous and sad, but always brutally honest. Marilyn Monroe is caught between intellectual giants—her awkward, award-winning playwright husband, Arthur, and her dashing politician boyfriend, Jack. Then along comes Jack’s fiery brother, Bobby. The world’s dream girl relates her intimate adventures in this touching portrait of a hard-working, extremely bright woman, trapped in her own sensuality and, tragically born far ahead of her time."

For more information about the book and the author, please visit Marilyn's Red Diary! For those that do not win, you can purchase this book through Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Thank you to Alissa and Liz at Meryl Moss Media! x

Vintage Rides

I forgot I had these photos of a vintage auto show from last September!

Click photos for bigger view!

Debbie Reynolds is Unsinkable

As you may know, I love a good Old Hollywood Biography! Who of us doesn't? I just finished reading Debbie Reynolds' latest autobiography Unsinkable. It came out this month and is already getting spectacular reviews! Publishers Harper Collins were kind enough to send me a copy for review.


From the press release:
"Actress, comedienne, singer, and dancer Debbie Reynolds shares the highs and lows of her life as an actress during Hollywood's Golden Age, anecdotes about her lifelong friendship with Elizabeth Taylor and her experiences as the foremost collector of Hollywood memorabilia, and intimate details of her marriages and family life with her children, Carrie and Todd Fisher.

A story of heartbreak, hope, and survival, "America's Sweetheart" Debbie Reynolds picks up where she left off in her first memoir, Debbie: My Life.

Unsinkable is illustrated with previously unpublished photos from Reynolds' personal collection."

She states in the beginning that the first section of the book is what she has been up to since 1988 when she just married her 3rd husband, and the second part would be filled with memories and scoop on the films and people surrounding her at that time.  My plan was to speed through the first part to get to the scoop, but quickly found myself immersed in the first part~ a great soap opera filled with ambition, betrayal and...murder?? So much has happened to her both good and bad, personally and professionally that it's obvious she really is unsinkable. Apt, don't you think?

Of course, one cannot mention Debbie Reynolds without mentioning the Eddie/Elizabeth fiasco. That was the late 1950's version of Jennifer/Brad/Angelina. She touches on this and does so without too much emotion. I think after talking about it so much it works in the reader's favor to see it somewhat objectively. What does affect her more in my opinion, is the hurt she has endured from her 3rd husband. Not only does he gut her emotionally, but puts her reputation as a business woman on the line. No one can say she doesn't defend herself with grace and dignity.  She showed that during the Eddie tribulations and continued to do so during legal troubles she unwillingly found herself.  Luckily she had a small group of hardcore friends including her children, Carrie and Todd, who were by her side since day one.

A common thread weaving through all of this is her dream of a Hollywood Memorabilia Museum. She has been a collector of discarded props, costumes and the like since the 1960's.  When the great studio MGM liquidated their property in the 1970's, she was there to buy as much as she could. To them, it was dead weight.  To her, and many others, it is history and dreams! Where was the respect? She had amassed a huge collection including many costumes from Cleopatra, Singin' In The Rain, The Seven Year Itch, The Wizard of Oz and many more films. Sadly, each location she found, and there were many, somehow eluded her. By the time she was forced to auction off a bulk of it, she had given up hope. Bittersweet. Hopefully the collectors that now own these gorgeous items love them as much as she did!

Okay, what about the scoop you ask?  There were many things I didn't know. Carrie tells us in the forward that Debbie has a remarkable memory and that stories come all the time.  This is one of the reasons she decided to continue with her story as there is still so much to tell! At 81 years old, that's a lot.  She refers to herself as a 'Girl Scout' and horrified when she witnesses Elizabeth and Mike Todd beat on each other and being chastised  by all when later told it was a form of foreplay.  There were times when she performed at her Hotel and Casino for free, just to entertain and interact and save money for the debt machine that was her Las Vegas dream resort.  I loved the story of when she would faint on cue to avoid being yelled at by a certain director until he learned how to talk to her humanely.  Fred Astaire took her under his care while she was training for Singin' In The Rain and showed her the more flawed side of him. Here are some other things you will find out about:


Who did Debbie discover jumping naked on a couch while singing opera?

Who came to the rescue of a sick Carrie while Debbie was away in another country?

Why did she buy Bob Fosse a jock strap?

Which Rat Pack member was an outstanding kisser?

Who tried to punch her in front of a large audience?

Which iconic costume sold for $5,520,000 and broke all records at her memorabilia auction?


AND SO MUCH MORE! I know, right?!?!  I've always like Debbie and am thrilled she is still around to share more memories and anecdotes, in addition to continually working. Have you seen her body of work? She is currently playing Liberace's mother in HBO's Behind the Candelabra. She is also on social media!  Please check out her Facebook and Twitter!!  Be sure to also check out her website where you can see and buy from her still wondrous collection of old Hollywood costumes and artifacts.

Thank you to Tracy at Harper Collins and to Debbie Reynolds for continuing to amaze us!

Canine Coiffure

1933

Caricatures

Smoldering Beauty



Vogue Spain July 2011

photo, Mark Seliger

model, Crystal Renn

styling, Arianne Phillips

makeup, Romy Soleimani

hair, unknown

Vogue Germany October 2011

photo, Sebastian Kim

model, Crystl Renn

styling, Katie Mossmann

makeup, Lisa Houghton

hair, Franco Gobbi

set design, Anne Koch

Hollywood Noir

From Vanity Fair's March 2007 edition. Photographed by Annie Leibovitz, Killers Kill, Dead Men Die captures our stars of today reliving the great Hollywood film noirs of the past. For even more photo fun, check out the many behind the scenes photos here! 

Behind the scenes with Jennifer Connelly, Julianne Moore and Kate Winslet

photos by Annie Leibovitz and vanityfair.com