#and then i remembered rita's actress was in it

[augustheart]

the terrible 2018 heathers reboot had a 3% dctv live action cast saturation rate

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Rita Moreno (Singin' in the Rain, West Side Story)—She’s an EGOT, an absolute legend for how she navigated her career as a woman of color in the fifties and sixties. Her performance as Anita in West Side Story is why I go back to that movie so many times. She is an icon and she is the moment.

Eartha Kitt (Anna Lucasta, St. Louis Blues)—My friend and I have a saying: NOBODY is Eartha Kitt. A thousand have tried, and they've all come up empty and will continue to do so. Everyone knows her for something: from "Santa Baby" to Yzma in Emperor's New Groove to Catwoman to making Lady Bird Johnson cry for the Vietnam War. She was a master of comedy and sex, an extremely vocal activist, and she aged like fine wine... I honestly don't know what I can say about her that hasn't already been said, so I'll stick to linking all my propaganda. Like what else do you want from me. She was iconic at everything she ever did. Literally name another. How can anyone even think of her and not want to absolutely drown?

This is one of two semifinals in the Hot & Vintage Movie Women Tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Propaganda is not my own and is on a submission basis. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Eartha Kitt:

"A hot vintage woman who was not just known for her voice, beauty, poise, and presence, but also her unapologetic ways of speaking about how she was mistreated in the show business as a girl who grew up on cotton fields in South Carolina in the 1930s through the 1940s coming to Broadway first and then Hollywood."

"Have you watched her sing?? Have you seen her face?? Have you heard her talk?? How could you not fall instantly in love. She makes me incoherent with how hot she is."

"She can ACT she can SING she can speak FOUR LANGUAGES she is a GODDESS!!! Although she is (rightfully) remembered for her singing, TV appearances (Catwoman my beloved), and later film roles, her early appearances in film are no less impressive or noteworthy!! She’s an amazing actress with so much charisma in every role. She was also blacklisted from Hollywood for 10 years for criticizing the Johnson administration/Vietnam War, so. Iconic. Also Orson Welles apparently called her “the most exciting woman in the world.”

"She had such a stunning, remarkable appearance, like she could tear you to shreds with just a glance- but the most undeniable part of her hotness was her voice, and it makes sense that it's what most people nowadays know her for. Nothing encapsulates the sheer magnetism of her singing better than this clip of her and Nat King Cole in St. Louis Blues, she pops in at 2:49. Also I know it's post-1970 but her song that was cut from Emperor's New Groove is likely to make you feel Feelings."

"Even with as racist as Hollywood was in the 1950s and 60s, Eartha Kitt STILL managed to have a thriving career. She also once had a threesome with Paul Newman and James Dean, and called out LBJ over the Vietnam War so hard that it made First Lady Johnson cry. Eartha Kitt was talented, sexy, and a total badass activist."

Rita Moreno:

"Amazing showstopping actress in her one big memorable role as Anita in West Side Story. She sings and dances with unmatched joy and energy, and then breaks your heart with her acting. Rita took a role that felt as a stereotype to latina women and made it compelling and multifaceted. Her subsequent career was filled with mostly side roles, but she still managed to excel in whatever Hollywood threw at her."

"It’s Rita!! The EGOT herself! She can act, she can sing, she can dance, a triple threat. Obviously absolutely iconic as Anita in West Side Story (her part of the Tonight Quintet is the sexiest part of the film, fight me). But before that she was the amazing Zelda in Singin’ In the Rain!?! Thanks Zelda, you’re a real pal."

"She continues to be amazing but also she's got legs for days."

"THEE iconic rita moreno, EGOT winner, civil rights activist, theatre legend. watch her documentary "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It". also her rendition of "fever" on the muppet show"

[zuziknux]

♡*｡◠`☆ My headcanons for Movie Sonic! ☆`◠｡⁠*♡

`-🌀 He is 13-15, maybe even 16 now, based on how he looks in the Knuckles series..

`-🌀 His favorite colors are blue (of coursw), red, white and black.

`-🌀 Even if he's more grown up now and maturing, he still sometimes likes to be mischievous or goof/mess around :DD

`-🌀 He likes grimace shake :3

`-🌀 He likes ✨ McDonald's ✨🍟

`-🌀 He can sing!

`-🌀 He likes the Hangover movies (You remember that? 😃🥹).

`-🌀 He likes comedy movies... and sometimes even some animated ones! Like DreamWorks' animated movies.

`-🌀 He likes VR games..

`-🌀 He likes Caramella Girls! ❤️💙💜

`-🌀 He likes to have a "movie night" with his buddies Tails and Knuckles :3

`-🌀 He'd like to meet with Wade more...

`-🌀 He is protective of Tails, but won't admit it much unless someone really gets him to :3

`-🌀 He has those favorite actors/actresses:

1. Keanu Reeves, 2. Bradley Cooper, 3. Chris Rock, 4. Tom Hardy, 5. Ryan Reynolds, 6. James Franco, 7. Nick Jonas, 8. Josh Hutcherson, 9. Vin Diesel, 10. Robert Downey Jr., 11. Zach Galifianakis, 12. Zendaya, 13. Kirsten Dunst

`-🌀 He likes the Madagascar movies, because they're funny, hilarious as heck and Chris Rock voiced Marty :D

`-🌀 His favorite musicians are Chris Brown, Pitbull, Flo Rida, David Guetta, Rita Ora, Black Eyed Peas, Avicii, Gigi D'Agostino, Red 5, Tiësto, Bebe Rexha, Topic, A7S, Alan Walker, One Direction, Daya, Eminem, Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, MNEK, Sigala, Jonas Blue, Joel Corry, Nick Jonas.

`-🌀 He has those favorite songs:

1. Flo Rida - Turn Around (5, 4, 3, 2, 1)

2. Flo Rida - Club Can't Handle Me

3. Nicki Minaj - Starships

4. David Guetta feat. Nicki Minaj, Flo Rida - Where Them Girls At

5. Gigi D'Agostino - Bla Bla Bla

6. Gigi D'Agostino - The Riddle

7. Chris Brown - Yeah 3x

8. Pitbull feat. Chris Brown - International Love

9. Caramella Girls - Caramelldansen

10. Caramella Girls - Tutti Frutti Lover

11. Caramella Girls - We Love To Party

12. Topic x Bebe Rexha - Chain My Heart

13. Madagascar - I Like To Move It

14. Trolls - What U Workin' With

15. Ariana Grande - They Don't Know About Us

16. Rita Ora - Ritual

17. One Direction - What Makes You Beautiful

18. David Guetta feat. Akon - Sexy B!tch

19. David Guetta feat. Rihanna - Who's That Chick

20. Sigala, MNEK - Radio (Sigala Version)

21. Joel Corry x MNEK - Head & Heart

22. Pitbull feat. Christina Aguilera - Feel This Moment

23. LMFAO - Sexy And I Know It

24. Katy Perry - Smile

25. Benny Benassi - Satisfaction

[worldofreds]

8 Legendary Old Hollywood Redhead Actresses

I love Old Hollywood movies and television shows. There is a class, elegance, a distinct type of storytelling that is usually not seen in today’s movies. While most of the iconic actresses from the era were blonde or brunette, there were a few redheads who stood out

Maureen O’Hara

The late Maureen O’Hara was the physical embodiment of the redhead. Irish, feisty, intelligent and with a very sharp tongue, she was one of the few actresses of the era to successfully break into the boys club action/adventure genre. She held her own on and off the screen with co-stars John Wayne, Tyrone Powers and Anthony Quinn in several movies. She also helped future generations of female performers by stretching the boundaries of what an actress can do on screen.

2. Deborah Kerr

At first glance, one might think that Scottish born Deborah Kerr was the proper British lady. But underneath that mask was a capable actress who played a variety of roles. Her most famous roles are An Affair To Remember (opposite co-star Cary Grant) and From Here To Eternity (opposite Burt Lancaster, where she chopped her hair off, went blonde and spoke with an American accent).

3. Ann-Margret Olsson

To the red-blooded American male in the 1960’s, Ann-Margret was the embodiment of the era. The Swedish born performer is mostly remembered for playing opposite Elvis Presley in several films and the average teenage girl who meets the ultimate teen idol in Bye Bye Birdie. She also has the distinction of being named as the 10 th sexist stars in film history in 1995.

4. Myrna Loy

Montana born and raised, Myrna started her career just as Hollywood was transitioning from silent films to talkies. While her initial roles were those of the femme fatale, in the 1930’s she became famous for playing opposite William Powell in the Thin Man movie series as Nora Charles. During the mid-1930s, Loy was so popular that she was named Queen Of The Movies in 1936.

5. Carol Burnett

For many female performers and comedians, Carol Burnett is an icon. Her major breakout role was the in 1959 in Once Upon A Mattress. Between 1967 and 1978, her comedy show, The Carol Burnett Show was one of the most popular shows on the air. In an era when female performers were relegated to supporting roles in other comedy/variety programs, Carol Burnett not only had her name on the title of the show, but she showed how funny women could be.

6. Rita Hayworth

This well-known redhead started off as a dancer and later was noticed in a 1941 film starring James Cagney, The Strawberry Blonde. She soon became the ‘pin-up girl’ for servicemen during the war and became extremely popular after the 1946 film, Gilda. Her character, opposite Glenn Fora, was seductive and glamorous.

7. Susan Hayward

Born in Brooklyn, this iconic redhead scored the first of five Academy Award nominations for Best Actress in Smash-Up, the Story of a Woman, in 1947. She finally won an Academy Award for Best Actress in I Want to Live i n 1958, portraying a death row inmate, Barbara Graham.

8. Lucille Ball aka Lucy Ball

Lucille Ball is the definition of a classic redhead. While she may not be a natural born redhead (she was naturally blonde!), she had the fiery personality and wit to rock her red hair — and I am proud to call her a redhead. I Love Lucy paved the way for many women comedians, both on and off the screen. She proved women were just as capable behind the camera (as she was responsible for creating the show), as they were in front of the camera.

=============== As per special request by @ironmikie2002

[elementroar]

So just thinking about how if you take the Boom continuity backstories, and combine them with what happens in the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers show, the messed up drama between Zordon, Rita, and Zedd is a sight to behold.

Cos first of, Zedd was originally Zophram and was Zordon’s superior and originally on the side of ‘good’. Then after an ill-fated attempt to touch the Zeo crystal, gets flayed alive by its defences, goes mad and goes evil. Zordon never knew this for over 10,000 years while Zedd assumed Zordon was to blame and deliberately never told him who he was while they were fighting cos all that time or why he hated Zordon so much cos drama.

Somewhere after this time, while Zordon was fighting both Lord Zedd and Master Vile, he was present for Rita’s birth. Then cos Zordon failed to actually stop Master Vile from getting to Rita, she still got captured and raised evil anyway.

But then somewhere in whatever thousandth year of her life, Rita tries to kill Lord Zedd in the name of her father, but Zedd wins and offers her the chance to work with him instead of her dad, which she takes up on real quick. So now you have Rita working for Zedd and both of them having no idea Zordon was involved in either of their lives at some point.

And then Rita gets captured by Zordon near earth but she manages to cast the spell to rip him into the timewarp but she’s still sealed in the dumpster.

10,000 year timeskip

Here Boom comics are on their own trajectory, but going by the OG show, Rita gets out of the dumpster, terrorises Power Rangers but fails. Zedd realizes she hasn’t accomplished anything after 10,000 years and takes over and puts her in the dumpster again. Then season 2-3, she love-potion-roofies Zedd and marries him.

And I remembered her calling Zedd ‘old man’ in that ep and thinking, well it’s not like Rita looked young (before they switched actresses) and you can’t tell with Zedd cos he doesn’t have a face. But now by their Boom backstories - Zedd as Zophram was older than Zordon, and he got flayed and became Zedd before Zordon became a sage. Zordon was there for Rita’s birth when he has become a sage, and at that point was also dealing with Rita’s father Master Vile becoming full evil, which her mom had only really realized when she was already pregnant with Rita. By the time Rita was an adult, Zedd had been an active threat to the universe for possibly thousands of years before she was even conceived.

And this adds even more layers to why Master Vile was supremely pissed at her marrying Zedd in the show - Zedd-as-Zophram used to actively fight against Dark Specter’s forces, who is Master Vile’s patron. Even when he turned evil, Zedd doesn’t want to associate with Dark Specter and does his own thing. So you have that, and now we know, Zedd is either around the same age or older than Master Vile himself. No dad wants an older son-in-law who is also effectively a work rival LOL.

Even Boom-comics Master Vile, who isn’t as loving with Rita as the OG show, basically has the tone of “oh you come crawling back home after it didn’t work out with your boyfriend for the past thousands of years” when Rita returned to him.

And can you imagine at the point where Rita and Zedd married, Zordon basically has to consider how the little girl he was suppose to protect way back when is now shacking up with his old friend/boss, and both are evil and want him to die.

So the Z-wave sparing them, was it cos their love was that genuine that it absolves them of being fully ‘evil’ despite like, we’re talking thousands of murders; or most likely cos both of them knew Zordon and he was like “look the whole things screwy anyway but if I mindwipe you both into being pure good now, it’s somehow not as bad” and bam, they’re spared and turned human at the end of In Space

TLDR: Zordon somehow through a series of coincidences, bad luck, and some failure, got his old boss/friend hooked up with his ward.

[notinmyvocab]

Only @opheliauniverse asked for this and I'm here to please my fake girlfriend 😘

Woe Begets Misery preview

Eventually words weren’t enough sustenance; she needed real food. So Isabel wandered back to Larissa’s apartment and found that dinner was already in the process of being made.

“I know this song,” she said from the kitchen threshold as she watched Larissa lazily drag a wooden spoon in a saucepan. Yes, she knew this song. Not only did she know it, she loved it. “This is Elsa Mars… she’s my favorite.”

“I’m surprised you know of her,” Larissa said, glancing over her shoulder. “She’s bit before your time.”

“An old soul,” Isabel said quietly, the familiar words reacquainting themselves with her tongue. “I listen to Elsa Mars, my favorite actress is Rita Farr… I like hot chocolate with cinnamon.” Little things, she remembered. Small things. Useless things.

“Rita Farr? You sound older than I do,” Larissa said with a grin, still drawing the wooden spoon through the thickening wine sauce. Coq Au Vin, Isabel recognized. “How was your library excursion? You spent the whole day there.”

“It was fruitless.”

“Oh?”

“Mostly,” Isabel corrected. “I met someone who wasn’t helpful at all. But she said you might get me in touch with someone who could help me.”

“Who told you that?”

“Marilyn… Thornhill I think her name was?”

Larissa dropped the spoon; it fell to the floor with bits of wine sauce splattering like a gunshot wound.

[ophelialoveshandsomemen]

On the '3 things' asks:

#11, #18, and #34

Thanks so much girl!!!

(omg, you're breaking my heart with that gif!) 💖

Anyways! To the answers! I'm sorry to inform you that it has turned into an article, I cannot write about books I'm passionate about concisely. So buckle up I guess?!!?

#11- 3 books I would recommend that everyone reads!

So I'm gonna put down books that I also think most people ( if not all) Could read, because a.k.a Lord of the Rings is not easy for a lot of people, for various reasons surrounding pacing and whatnot, though I highly recommend that one as well!!!

First book would be Sastun by Dr. Rosita Arvigo. It is a woonnnnderful book about her apprenticeship with a Mayan H'men. a.k.a shaman-like healer, who reminds us that the spiritual and the physical Cannot Be Separated! A very easy read that will blow your mind when it comes to your body and how you should treat it and it will forever change your perspective on Western Medicine. One warning though, if you do not actually know beforehand about what is and isn't "allowed" in Catholicism, do not base your future knowledge of it on this, as these healers really mix together Mayan worship and Catholicism. I do not judge them for this, but please be aware that not everything that they recount doing in this book is necessarily okay for Catholics.

Second book is Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. This entire series was my comfort book growing up, but I recommend the first as it truly is the cornerstone of the series. ( FYI My personal favourite is actually the last book, Rita of Ingleside.) :) A story about girl with a wild imagination and longing for a kindred spirit, nothing better to dive into!

Third book will be Mexican Martyrdom by Rev. Fr. Wilfrid Parsons. I was obsessed with the Cristero War as a young teen ( thanks to my mother getting me the movie, For Greater Glory, when I was 12 because she knew I liked war movies...I know, weird 12 year old girl, I was a tomboy okay...) This is a period of history that, if I remember correctly, is very rarely talked about because there's a lot of misunderstandings and bad blood surrounding it. But this book was written by a contemporary catholic reverend who was in and out of Mexico while it was happening and was acquainted with some of the "people in charge" shall we say. So it's quite reliable and helps clear some of the murk clouding this patch of history. ( Also, I highly recommend watching the aforementioned movie, For Greater Glory ( 2012), (which you will very much enjoy if you are Oscar Isaac fan btw) and another thing I rec is this short film from around the same time, called Cristeros y Federales, link is here. ( Also, this one has the ever lovely Tenoch Huerta starring! ) ;)

#18- 3 dream jobs from my childhood

Ummm I got at least two. I wanted to be a religious Sister who was also a nurse and I would go help third world countries. Then I realized that heat existed....

And then I wanted to become a famous stage actress!

There was also a bout of wanting to leave everything behind and become a mountain (wo)man/trapper in the Northwest Territories. Dunno if that counts!! ( esp. since I still wanna do that half the time...)

#34-3 people from history who inspire me!

I might stay short and sweet with these, because most have got some, shall we say 'ugly history' attached to them, through no fault of their own.

Pocahontas, the Algonquin Princess. Really inspired me to respect and love and ally myself with nature.

St. Joan of Arc. Peasant girl turned saviour of France who stuck to her principles no matter what.

Marina Raskova, founder and leader of the ' Night Witches' a.k.a the elite soviet pilot regiment who are amoung the most badass ladies ever. Check them out! Their story is so cool!

[choco-bloop]

sometimes I need to remember I can post stuff here too lol

anyway- yes because if you literally showed me a pic of Yuzuki and didn't tell who Rita's actress was, I would not believe you for a moment that that's the same person.

[influencermagazineuk]

June Spencer died quietly. The iconic star of the BBC radio drama The Archers has spent some 105 years on this earth. Her family said that she peacefully fell asleep in her bed early yesterday morning. They also put on record deep gratitude to all the staff at Liberham Lodge who had delivered outstanding care over her final two years. Spencer was one of the original cast members of the Archers when the programme opened in 1950. In the early days, she played many different types of roles: amongst them an Irish baker's assistant called Rita Flynn, a Scottish maid and finally, the legendary character which has become truly hers, Peggy Woolley. Her interpretation of Peggy made her a name around the house and soon became one of the UK's most popular radio dramas. Steve Bowbrick, CC BY 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0, via Wikimedia Commons BBC 2012 interview, Spencer considered the popularity of the show, recalling how in the early years, members of the Archers cast were highly sought after for public functions: "We Archers stars were extremely in demand for opening fetes. We rarely had a free weekend," she recalled. "I can remember one time when I was flown down to Cornwall in a quite aged Dakota that had been very loosely adapted to civilian use. By the time we arrived, I discovered it was a vast aggregation of Women's Institutes. The programme was so popular that I was literally mobbed. Crowds came in and the organisers started shouting: 'Don't come any closer! Do you want to kill her? ' It was quite frightening.". Spencer stepped down from The Archers in the middle of the 1950s, and at this stage, actress Thelma Rogers played Peggy in a caretaking role. However, Spencer resumed playing the role of Peggy Woolley in the 1960s and continued until 1977. During these years, Peggy became the landlady of the Bull pub. It was in this position that one of the most dramatic moments on the show occurred: Peggy unwittingly causes a riot and is later charged with breach of the peace. Perhaps the most emotional and memorable storyline for Spencer was when her character, Peggy, experienced the death of her husband, Jack Woolley, who suffered from Alzheimer's disease. Spencer taped this storyline shortly after her real-life husband, Roger, died. He had also battled Alzheimer's and Spencer cared for him in his final years. In 2021, when The Archers was reaching its 70th year, Spencer attended the sixtieth anniversary celebration with Camilla, now the Duchess of Cornwall, of The Archers, by cutting an Archers-themed cake made from a tractor. By this point, Spencer had long retired from the soap; she officially left in August 2022, aged 103. Her lines were recorded via a studio that had been commissioned to be fitted into her Surrey home, as it had become far too hard for her to travel to Birmingham to record them at the show's studios. Throughout the years, Spencer was awarded many accolades for contributions to radio and acting. In 1991, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire and received a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2017. In 2010, she was granted freedom in the City of London as testament to her long-standing impact on entertainment within Britain.June Spencer is the last of an old order for The Archers, the show that, since the early 1940s, has been woven into the very fabric of British radio. Her portrayal of Peggy Woolley will be recalled forever, and she goes out as one of the most beloved figures in British drama history. Read the full article

[designaday]

Ultimate Playlist: Women’s Names, R

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac The song was inspired by the character of a Welsh woman who believed she was possessed by another woman name Rhiannon from the novel Triad. There’s also a goddess named Rhiannon in a Welsh story collection whom the lyrics of the song resemble.

Rio by Duran Duran In the song, Rio is a dancer compared to the Rio Grande river. The band explained that it was a metaphor for their desire to succeed in America.

Lovely Rita by The Beatles Paul wrote this song about an actual meter maid who gave him a parking ticket right outside of Abbey Road Studios Two.

Roberta by Billy Joel The protagonist is in love with a prostitute, but he can’t afford her. Joel said it’s based on a woman he knew in Los Angeles.

Mrs. Robinson by Simon & Garfunkel Originally written about Eleanor Roosevelt, Mike Nichols asked Paul to change it to “Mrs. Robinson” to be included in his 1967 film, The Graduate. The song won the 1969 Grammy for Record of the Year.

Help Me, Rhonda by The Beach Boys This is the story of a boy who fell in love with a girl who left him for another guy, and the boy begs his friend Rhonda to help him forget about her.

Sister Rosa by Slim This folk rock tune finds the singer at a bar where Rosa is on stage singing Moon River. I don’t remember where I came across it, but I love it. Keep on singin’, Rosa!

Rosalinda’s Eyes by Billy Joel Joel wrote this one as a hypothetical message to his mother Rosalind from his father Howard, who had left his family for Cuba.

Rosanna by Toto People thought the song was written about keyboardist Steve Porcaro’s girlfriend, the actress Rosanna Arquette, but it wasn’t about anyone in particular.

Rose’s Turn by June Styne & Stephen Sondheim, sung by Bette Midler From the Broadway show Gypsy, this song finds Mama Rose alone after all of her children have left to pursue their own careers. Everything’s coming up roses.

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) by Edison Lighthouse Apparently people don’t think much of Rosemary, but the singer is infatuated with her.

Cracklin’ Rosie by Neil Diamond This song makes a lot more sense when you understand that it was inspired by a folk story of a native tribe in Northern Canada with more men than women. When they go out Saturday night, the guys without girls pick up a bottle of wine as their date or the weekend.

Roxanne by The Police Yet another song about a prostitute, this one has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Roxie by John Kander & Fred Ebb, sung by Ann Reinking From the Broadway musical Chicago, the lead character Roxie Hart sings about her plans for a future career in vaudeville.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Claudine Auger (Thunderball)— Thunderball is the first James Bond movie I ever remember watching and actually paying attention to, and it's all because of Claudine Auger as Domino in all her sexy black and white swimwear, AND [spoilers below the cut—]

Rita Moreno (Singin' in the Rain, West Side Story)—She’s an EGOT, an absolute legend for how she navigated her career as a woman of color in the fifties and sixties. Her performance as Anita in West Side Story is why I go back to that movie so many times. She is an icon and she is the moment.

This is round 3 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut.]

Claudine Auger:

—the fact that she got to kill the villain.

Rita Moreno propaganda:

"Amazing showstopping actress in her one big memorable role as Anita in West Side Story. She sings and dances with unmatched joy and energy, and then breaks your heart with her acting. Rita took a role that felt as a stereotype to latina women and made it compelling and multifaceted. Her subsequent career was filled with mostly side roles, but she still managed to excel in whatever Hollywood threw at her."

"It’s Rita!! The EGOT herself! She can act, she can sing, she can dance, a triple threat. Obviously absolutely iconic as Anita in West Side Story (her part of the Tonight Quintet is the sexiest part of the film, fight me). But before that she was the amazing Zelda in Singin’ In the Rain!?! Thanks Zelda, you’re a real pal."

"She continues to be amazing but also she's got legs for days."

"THEE iconic rita moreno, EGOT winner, civil rights activist, theatre legend. watch her documentary "Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It". also her rendition of "fever" on the muppet show"

[toddlohenry]

Taking a chance on forming connections can change your life

“Rita Moreno was lonely. At first, though, the Oscar-winning actress best known for “West Side Story” found the situation quite confusing. “My daughter noticed and she said, ‘What’s wrong?’ I said I didn’t know. I didn’t know what was wrong,” the famed performer, who turns 92 on Dec. 11, told People Magazine. “I really didn’t understand what was happening.” “I remember thinking, ‘I can’t go on…

[wendellcapili]

pilita corrales

(originally posted in my “letters from canberra” blog on 10 june 2006—i was then a ph.d. scholar at the australian national university. photo with ms. pilita corrales taken on 27 november 2019 at grand hyatt manila. “letters from canberra” is also the working title of my unpublished autobiography on my growing up years in sampaloc, manila, during the 1970s-early 1980s)

from maestra isang tapales and jovita fuentes to ryan cayabyab and lea salonga, filipino musical artists have been winning worldwide acclaim as soloists, accompanists, composers, and arrangers. i grew up fascinated with filipino pop artists and their achievements in many international music festivals. but my fascination with these artists began with pilita corrales.

i skipped kindergarten and landed immediately in prep school at u.s.t. elementary school when pilita corrales bagged the best singer award during the 1st tokyo music festival (tmf) organized by tokyo’s popular music promotion association in 1972. pilita performed george canseco’s stirring ballad “my daughter.” she bested well-known musical artists like stig anderson (who later became the manager of abba), julio iglesias, paul williams and olivia newton-john. tmf’s succeeding roster of participants and guest artists has included the likes of paul anka, shirley bassey, kate bush, kim carnes, joe cocker, natalie cole, the commodores, rita coolidge, randy crawford, sammy davis jr., al green, israeli superstar ofra haza, jermaine jackson, jackson five, al jarreau, limahl (lead singer of the 1980s pop band kajagoogoo), barry manilow, gilbert o’ sullivan, the pointer sisters, lionel richie, diana ross, frank sinatra, sister sledge ("we are family"), donna summer, the three degrees ("when will i see you again"), vaya con dios (a top belgian band), dionne warwick, andy williams and stevie wonder. not to be confused with the equally prestigious world popular song festival (http://users.telenet.be/wpsf/Main_Menu.htm)(organized separately by the tokyo-based yamaha music foundation from 1970 to 1989), pilita’s victory at tmf was no mean feat.

immediately upon arrival in manila, pilita landed in newspapers and on television, where the local press began dubbing her as “asia’s queen of songs.” that’s how i got to know more about her. soon, pilita became a permanent fixture on ibc channel 13's "seeing stars with joe quirino." then japan's matsushita corporation, owners of national (now panasonic) electronic appliances, handpicked pilita to endorse quintrix state-of-the-art color t.v. and jetscycle refrigerators. right before going to bed late at night, i patiently waited for rpn channel 9 to air pilita's t.v. ad where she sang the first few bars of "kapantay ay langit" at eduardo's along roxas boulevard. pilita was then at the height of her popularity as the country's leading female vocalist.

these days, pilita is well-known on t.v. audiences as a comedy actress. she is “mamita” on gma channel 7’s comedy “lagot ka, isusumbong kita” opposite joey marquez, richard gomez, raymart santiago, and benjie paras. soon, she will be even more famous as the female judge, a la paula abdul, in abc channel 5’s philippine idol (http://www.philippineidol.com/). younger generations of filipinos are probably oblivious to pilita’s impressive feat as the first filipino winner of an international music festival. nobody seems to remember pilita's distinguished achievements as a recording, live performance, and t.v. artist.

nearly fifty years ago, pilita arrived in australia with a shipwrecked troupe of performers. initially, she was the assistant of magician and actor john calvert. calvert had earlier achieved popularity with his long-running magic show in hollywood with edgar bergen, gary cooper, cary grant, and danny kaye during world war II. calvert also appeared in a movie with clark gable. later, pilita and calvert formed a tandem that proved to be very popular at the legendary tivoli theatre ("the tiv") on bourke street. "the tiv" was the center of melbourne's glamour, magic, and live entertainment long before t.v., cinema, betamax, vhs, vcds, mobile phones, dvds, mp3s, ipods, blogs, and laptops took over. it was also the site of pilita's first international success.

as a leading female vocalist from 1958 to 1962, pilita achieved mainstream acceptance and popularity in australia way ahead of newton-john, pat carroll, helen reddy, patsy anne noble, debbie byrne, renee geyer, the moir sisters, colleen hewitt (who made a hit out of "day by day" from godspell), sister janet mead (who did a popular cover version of "the lord's prayer"), marcia hines, samantha sang (who scored a u.s. #1 hit in 1978 with barry and maurice gibb's "emotion" ), kate ceberano (who is actually filipino-hawaiian-australian), tina arena, kylie minogue and delta goodrem. the australian broadcasting corporation (abc) and melbourne's the age recognized pilita as the first woman ever to land on top of the australian pop charts in 1958 with "come closer to me."

pilita also performed with international artists like the beatles, bob hope, julie andrews, pat boone (“you light up my life” singer debbie boone’s father), and sammy davis jr. (at caesar’s palace in las vegas) while hosting prizewinning musical-varieties like “an evening with pilita,” “pilita and jackie, ” “ang bagong kampeon” and "tanghalan ng kampeon.” she popularized songs by filipino composers (“a million thanks to you,” “kapantay ay langit,” “ang pipit”) way ahead of many local artists. her renditions of tagalog classics by tito arevalo, george canseco, levi celerio, constancio de guzman, dominador santiago, leopoldo silos, restituto umali, and miguel velarde jr. under plaka pilipino and vicor helped pave the way for the mainstream (and not just token or marginal) acceptance of original pilipino music (opm) during the 1970s and the 1980s.

after pilita, filipino artists realized they could also win festival honors for the country. celeste legaspi won major prizes in world music festivals held in manila (1976, for philip monseratt’s “pusong nagmamahal”), tokyo (1976, also for “pusong nagmamahal”), and seoul (1981, for willy cruz’s “never ever say goodbye”). didith reyes bagged the gold prize during the 1977 tokyo music festival. leah navarro and the manila music machine bagged the bronze prize at tokyo in 1979. the philippines had been luckiest at the seoul popular music festival (1978-1983). winners of the annual metro manila popular music festival (1978-1985) were sent to compete at the sejong cultural center. except for lerma de la cruz (who did not win in 1983, despite her exceptional rendition of vehnee saturno's "ako'y ako"), filipinos won a slew of prizes in seoul: ryan cayabyab and hajji alejandro for “kay ganda ng ating musika” (grand prix, 1978); freddie aguilar for snaffu rigor's “bulag, pipi at bingi" (best performer, 1979); dero pedero and leah navarro for “isang mundo, isang awit” (bronze, 1980); ananias montano and something special for “babae ka” (bronze, 1981); and jun latonio, tillie moreno, eugene villaluz and louie reyes for “nothing i want more” (grand prix, 1982). in later years, jose mari chan, eugene villaluz and louie reyes, leo valdez, dulce, ivy violan, smokey mountain, regine velasquez, jaya, ryan cayabyab, gines tan, danny tan, vehnee saturno, and a few other artists would achieve similar honors in festivals held in canada, china, finland, hong kong, japan, malaysia, the philippines, and the united states during the 1980s and the early 1990s.

towards the 21st century, a shortage of interest and sponsors caused the demise of many music festivals. the few surviving ones today are mostly national or regional, as in the case of san remo (italy) and the annual eurovision contest. gma 7 tried to revive metro pop during the 1990s, but antonio barreiro passed away. no one could execute the vision and spirit of music festivals locally as he did.

gerry matias, one of pilita’s musical directors, is the father of my former student, gm matias. when i return to manila, i will probably ask gm to get me pilita's autograph. or i'll drop by pilita’s bar in greenhills and tell her how she fascinated me when i was growing up. one of these days, she ought to be proclaimed a national artist. even the city of melbourne has named a street after her in forest hill. and yet, she opted to sing more for her kababayans back home. i will never understand why pilita corrales should not receive the honor she deserves.

[papermoonloveslucy]

CURTAIN UP!

Lucy On Stage ~ Act 4

Lucille Ball’s dream was to be on Broadway. She achieved that goal in 1960, but along the way she found herself on various other stages.  Here’s a look at Lucille Ball, stage actress. 

In school, Lucille’s mother Dede encouraged her daughter to be active in the drama club. Lucille performed and directed with the group, staging a production of Charley’s Aunt by Brandon Thomas, which opened on Broadway in 1893.  In the above photo, Lucille Ball is seated in the front row, second from the left. Her teacher was named Lillian Appleby. Lucille later honored her by naming a character on “I Love Lucy” after her. 

The Celoron, New York, grammar school Lucille attended (above) has long since been razed. But a formative moment in Lucille Ball’s life occurred on this site when her stepfather, Ed Peterson, brought her to see a performance by the renowned monologist Julius Tannen in the school auditorium. As Lucy remembered, “I don’t think a stage career ever occurred to me until that night.”  Lucille left school before graduating, going to New York City to attend drama school. The experiment was short-lived and Lucille returned home. 

In 1929, 18-year-old Lucille Ball was cast in a production of Within the Law by Bayard Veillier  – her first stage performance outside of school. Lucille played the supporting role of Agatha at Jamestown’s Shea Theatre. In 1991, the theater was formally renamed The Lucille Ball Little Theatre in a ceremony with Ball’s family in attendance.

Back in Manhattan, Lucille was cast (but quickly fired) from the chorus of two road shows of Broadway productions. Rio Rita was a New York hit produced by Flo Ziegfeld. 

In a 1963 epsiode of “The Lucy Show” Lucy Carmichael says that Thelma Green (Carole Cook) once appeared in the third road company of Rio Rita. The writers used Ball’s real-life history but attributed it to Thelma. 

She was also in the road company of The Stepping Stones, a musical fantasy about Raggedy Ann and Andy starring Fred and Dorothy Stone. Again, Lucille was quickly let go. 

In Hollywood, Lucille Ball was coached by Lela Rogers, Ginger’s mother, on the RKO lot. At the RKO Little Theatre (later the Desilu Workshop Playhouse) Lucille appeared in several plays. In 1936 she was in Fly Away Home, a play that had appeared on Broadway the year before starring Montgomery Clift and Sheldon Leonard. Agents, Managers, and members of the public could attend for twenty five cents.

Also in 1936, she appeared in Breakfast With Vanora by Fred Ballard, which received good notices in the press. Lucille played the leading role and Barbara Pepper was in the ensemble. Above, Lela instructs John Shelton how to hold a gun while Lucy looks on.  

In 1937, Lucille took a break from Hollywood to make (what she hoped) would be her Broadway debut in Hey Diddle Diddle, a play by Bartlett Cormack starring Conway Tearle. The play premiered at McCarter Theatre in Princeton, New Jersey, with a destination of the Vanderbilt Theatre on Broadway. In its second out-of-town stop in Washington DC, Tearle become gravely ill. That, combined with the fact that producers felt the script needed revisions, caused the production to be halted.  Lucille returned to Hollywood. In 1953, Tearle’s name was mentioned on “I Love Lucy.” He had died in 1938. 

In mid-1947, now married and a successful film star, Lucille Ball again began to think about her stage aspirations and left Hollywood for the boards. She toured in a tour of Dream Girl, a fantasy play by Elmer Rice that had played Broadway in 1945. 

The play’s fantasy sequences seemed tailor-made for Ball’s style and comic wit. In a way, Georgina was a prelude to the “Lucy” character on TV, who is dreaming her way out of her suburban life - and sometimes succeeding.

The play co-starred Scott McKay as the imaginative writer. McKay played the role of Wilbur in the 1958 pilot for TV’s “Mr. Ed” but was replaced on the series by Alan Young.

"I have seen other productions of this play, but the only actress whose performance really delighted me was Lucille Ball. She lacked… tender wistfulness, but her vivid personality and expert timing kept the play bright and alive." ~ Edgar Rice, Playwright

The tour was produced by Herbert Kenwirth who later directed 14 episodes of “Here’s Lucy.”  It featured Barbara Morrison, Alan Hewitt, and Hayden Rorke, who would all later appear on Lucy sitcoms. 

In January 1948, Lucille got the opportunity to recreate the role in Los Angeles, but fell ill with a virus shortly after it opened and the show closed prematurely. It wasn’t long before Lucille was back in front of a live audience, but this time on radio, as the star of the sitcom “My Favorite Husband,” which led to her meteoric success on “I Love Lucy.”  

After the series came to an end in early 1960, Lucille again revived hopes of acting on Broadway. Wildcat, a new musical about by Richard Nash with songs by Cy Coleman was looking for a star. Nash had envisioned the main character of as a woman in her late 20s, and was forced to rewrite the role when 49 yearl-old Lucille Ball expressed interest not only in playing it but financing the project as well. Lucille personally chose her co-stars Keith Andes as her love interest and Pauls Stewart as her sister. Future sitcom star Valerie Harper was in the chorus (above right). 

Lucille played Wildcat ‘Wildy’ Jackson, who dreams of striking oil in 1912 Centavo City, California. The score included what would become her signature tune: “Hey, Look Me Over”.  

The Philadelphia tryout opened on October 29, 1960 to a glowing review from Variety, but local critics were less enthusiastic. The scheduled Broadway opening had to be postponed when trucks hauling the sets and costumes to New York were stranded on the New Jersey Turnpike by a major blizzard. After two previews, the show opened on December 16 at the Alvin Theatre (now the Neil Simon).

Ball quickly realized audiences had come expecting to see her Lucy Ricardo persona and began ad-libbing to bring her characterization closer to that of the zany housewife she had portrayed on television. But the rigors of singing and dancing in a Broadway musical eight times a week caught up with Ball. She got illl and demands for refunds ran high, the producers planned to close the show for a week to allow her to recover. The closure came sooner than planned when Ball, suffering from a virus and chronic fatigue, departed for Florida. She returned two weeks later, but collapsed on stage. It was decided the show would close for nine weeks at the end of May and reopen once its star had fully recovered but when the musicians' union insisted on members of the orchestra being paid during the shutdowns. Not even Lucille’s deep pockets could afford the cost, and the show closed permanently on June 3, 1961.  

Lucille returned to Hollywood, her dream realized, even if it was short-lived. Thereafter, she would incorporate her love for theatre into her television and film performances, starring in many ‘mini-musicals’ on “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy” and - in 1974 - tackling the full-scale Broadway musical Mame on film. 

CURTAIN DOWN on ACT 4

[jessiicalange]

coming from one of the youngest scream queens herself means a lot to me! Melissa, darling. I think you have an exquisite taste because I also think that Angela Basset is one of the most talented, delicious and powerful actresses ever. working with her as witch enemies and then alleys was a pleasure, a truly pleasure. I think everyone remember the great match we made as witches. I loved that season because of Angela, Kathy and Danny, we made something great, even if the story is not one of my favorite ones. I think it could be better. Someone I'd love to work with now? I'm not a bias but I'd love to work with young talents like you, also, I'd love to work with Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, Julie Andrews and Robert Redford. I haven't worked with them, and I admire them so much and if i get brutally honest, i'd love to work with Idris Elba, he is talented but incredibly hot too. and what about you? who are your dreamy co-stars?

No matter how many times I’ve rewatched 'American Horror Story: Coven', every scene between you and Angela Bassett will forever give me goosebumps and leave me in awe. Talk about a master class in acting! Obviously you’ve worked with so many talented people over your extraordinary career, but is there anyone you haven’t worked with yet that you would love to join forces with one day?

[list-me-the-reasons-why]

I have three days off next week, the first of those days being my speech final+deadline for essay 👀 i kind of want to rewatch Dexter tbh now that im thinking about it