Mother's Day is coming -- why not treat mom to a movie night? Settle in with a homemade dinner (courtesy of you) and watch one (or all!) of these heartwarming favorites? (Bonus hint: Looking for a recipe? Try this classic beef stew from Jean Harlow and make your Classic Hollywood themed night complete!)
Read MoreRebecca by Daphne Du Maurier is one of my all-time favorite novels. I was thrilled when I discovered Netflix was creating a Rebecca remake if a bit dubious. Could anything ever compare to the ultimate Rebecca by Hitchcock?
Read MoreAn invitation to "the Ranch" back in the days of Old Hollywood was like finding a real life golden ticket to meet someone who, in many ways, was like Willy Wonka -- without the chocolate. The guests of Hearst Castle included the greatest of the glittering Hollywood elite: David Niven, Joan Crawford, Charlie Chaplin, Errol Flynn, and Cary Grant.
If you were in the news, you might find yourself lucky enough to garner an invitation -- Hearst was in the publishing world, after all, and he loved to meet the people that made headlines.
Now, Hearst Castle is a State Park. For the fee of $25 per tour, you can enter the place that once upon a time, was esconced in mystery, only accessible to very few.
Read MoreThe agony of a breakup is undeniable. You read inspiring pick-me-up articles that suggest you exercise, drown yourself in chocolate, and hang out with your gal pals. “Enjoy your independence!” they say.
Meanwhile, you are thinking of all the things you would rather experience than your present heartache. You would rather fall into a river infested with bloodthirsty pirhanas. Get an unexpected phone call from the IRS. Live through a fiery armageddon.
Read MoreMae West refused to take ocean voyages — didn’t people remember what happened to the Titanic, she reportedly retorted when it was even suggested to her.
There was only one thing she feared even more fiercely — flying.
So when producers wanted her to travel to Paris for costume fittings in preparation for “Every Day’s a Holiday she said a firm no. But they had a problem — the designer was in Paris. How to fit dresses to a woman who refused to travel to the dressmaker’s shop?
Read MoreWhen she wasn't plotting ways to use fashion in dangerous and creative ways (more on that in a minute) Marlene Dietrich, starlet of the Golden Age of Hollywood, was known for her military-inspired fashion in an era that preferred pink and butterfly sleeves. One of the first fashionistas to pioneer trousers, we have her at least partially to thank for our comfy sweatpants.
Read MoreDo a quick Google search on Lauren Bacall and you will get a steaming pile of stories of intimidation -- from what I can tell, a casual encounter with the woman could be an absolute dream -- or your worst nightmare. Perhaps it was her smoldering eyes that scared the living daylights out of people, but people seemed to be truly frightened by the woman.
Read MoreIt goes without saying -- Warner Brothers has made some of the greatest classic films ever, from Casablanca to Citizen Kane. Recently I attended an event at the lot -- whilst others thrilled at the free hot pretzels, and the house music blared from Gilmore Girls' gazebo (the party was hosted in the "Stars Hollow" set, one could literally enjoy a coffee in Luke's Diner), I was in starstruck wonderment of a different sort.
I wandered through the facades that once served as the setting for films such as Bonnie & Clyde, or Sinatra's Oceans 11; as you can imagine, I was in heaven.
Read More
