Hollywood's Black Chronicle

The local paper I usually glance over each day comes with a weekly supplement today titled 'Hollywood's Black Chronicle'. Presumably this means there would be more of the same themes in the future if the word chronicle they used means what it should in English. Today's is about an actress of the 60's, Dorothy Dandridge. Not too many years ago I saw an old film, a musical, with a totally black cast, called 'Porgy & Bess'. Dorothy Dandridge was the leading star, but my eyes were riveted on the very handsome Sidney Pottier most of the time! Sammy Davis Jr. was in the cast too; Wonderful music, songs and performance, but I don't remember much of the story, certainly not the background of the leading lady.

The article was not so much about Dorothy but more about Halle Berry who played the character of Dorothy in a HBO production; an Oscar winning actress playing another black star, the first black actress to be nominated for an Oscar in the category of a leading roll. It's simply call 'Dorothy Dandridge', based on the biography written by Earl Mills, representative and loyal friend of the star.

Dorothy began her career in the entertainment business as a singer/dancer at the end of the 30's, and terminated in the beginning of the 60's with her premature death at the age of only 42, victim of an overdose of barbiturate. She was a friend of Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner, later followed the destiny of the former and forgot the advice of the latter. Her career didn't run the course as she had hoped, nor her private life, and she ended up drowning her frustration in pills and alcohol, surviving by singing in luxury hotels when sober.

She might not have reaped great and lasting success, was nevertheless the first black actress in a leading part, paving the way for many other outstanding black singers and actresses to become internationally known names like Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson, Diahann Carroll, Whoopi Goldbery, Angela Bassett and Halle Berry. All of them have been nominated for Oscar in the category of leading actress. For them and for many others, as said by Lena Horne, "Dorothy was 'like our Marilyn Monroe'".

I haven't even seen Halle Berry's Oscar winning film the 'Monster'; now I have to add her 'Dorothy Dandridge' as well to my 'Must see' List.

Tags:porgy&bess,dorathydandridge

Current Mood: Artistic

Mick Jagger's 'Satisfaction'

Saw the documentary on TV about the Rolling Stones, produced and directed by Martin Scorsese no less. When it was first shown in Spain, tickets were sold out 3 days before it opened. Who says old dogs can't learn new tricks? These old timers sang and leapt about on the stage, not exactly the same way as they did decades ago, but sang and leapt they did, just as stylish, energetic and captivating as they ever were and always have been. Each face of the 4 components of the band shows a map of highways, of an eventful life's journey that they have dared themselves to take, and have triumphantly gone through.

I used to admire Katherine Hepburn's stunning beauty, not when she was young, but more so when she was in her 80's. Somehow she managed to look more and more beautiful with each passing year, until the very end. She was also one of the few Hollywood stars that had never sought cosmetic surgery, not even much of cosmetics in jars and tubes.

And not too long ago, there were the life appearances in concerts of Juliette Greco and Julie Christie. Both in the eyes and word definition 'old' ladies, if one considers somebody old or young only by the number of years they have lived. But they look serenely beautiful and sang like a bird, active in their career and well sought after accomplished artists.

Of all the idiotic and absurd ideas, the one most people today are obsessed with is that of age. The obsession of looking young and the fear of getting old. Something so natural and inevitable persecute their mind like a huge menacing wasp, hanging around them day and night, ready to sting with it's cruel and brutal attack. With so much continuous worry, how can they not get old sooner and faster than nature's gradual process intends? Look around, and you will find plenty of examples of 80-90 year young men and women, still leading active and productive lives. And there are also those 20-30 year old folks with their mind and drive already buried!

Look at the old and gnawed trunk of an olive tree, majestic and magnificent, which had stood it's ground for centuries, and had witnessed the perishing of thousands of beautiful maidens and mesmerizing butterflies ...

Tags:mickjagger,olddogs,newtricks

Current Mood: Artistic

Fred, Monster, Me

It's true isn't it, that we all carry a bit of a child deep inside our hearts throughout life, however old we are lucky enough to become. It better be true, or I would feel a real idiot about the silly sentiments I sometimes feel and the childish pleasure I enjoy so much. I think I mentioned before that it's my reading habit of the daily paper, starting always from back to front, bypassing the important issues like international and national politics, the all essential economic information, the tragic incidents that never cease to happen near or far (it's always mainly the tragedies; happy events rarely make news on the press), and straight onto my daily dose of the "pick-me-up", Fred the Basset, the comic series by Alex Graham, surely everybody is familiar with. Fred has to be my favourite comic character. Not only I enjoy all that mischief he gets up to, I appreciate especially the drawing. More like sketches, only the least number of mastery lines, curves and dots, but conveying a thousand and more expressions, feelings and sentiments, bringing the 3 section picture story to life, delighting all my senses always, makes me smile with understanding some days, or laugh out loud at other times. Today a new comic strip appeared. At this moment I don't even remember the name of it or that of the cartoonist, but the 3 pictures made me laugh out loud too. It was nothing so very hilarious, that's why I wonder about my infantile pleasure of the silly theme that made me giggle so much. I didn't bother to keep the pictures at the time not intending to do anything with them, much less blogging about it. Well since I had started it already, I might as well tell you about it. Picture 1: A group of little monsters (each has a scary face, funny shaped body in absurd proportions) are having a party. (A banner across the room says " Monsters' Party " ). Picture 2: A toddler is peeping out from behind a sofa-bed, with a friendly looking eye-mask in his hand, about to crawl out of his hiding place. Picture 3: The toddler is out with the group of monsters, with the eye-mask on. All monsters looked scared, and one of them has his arms up trying to cover his face and screaming "Mama, Mama ... " That was it. And I was really tickled and laughing! Now, I haven't told you this for you to laugh at me! I just wonder why I am so infantile sometimes, yet dead serious with my principles and certain things in life, allowing myself no compromises.

Tags:fredbasset,monsters,comics

Current Mood: Amused