Dean Martin Mocked

Dean Martin Roast; 1958

George Jessel roasting Dean Martin, with Jack Benny joining in the laughter at the Friar's Club Roast of Dean Martin in 1958.  How I wish I would have been there, or there was a recording of it.  It looks like they are having a fabulous time, and I could use a good laugh these days.

Louise Looking Lovely

Louise Brooks

Curtis Cavorting with his Crew

Life Magazine; 1958

Dean Martin, Tony Curtis, and Milton Berle playing cards with their unidentified cronies.  I imagine this happened a lot during Hollywood's Golden Age.  It must have been really fun.  I would have loved to be a fly on the wall.  What these guys must have talked about!

Milton messing with his Mates

Clowning Around 1958

Milton Berle, Tony Curtis, Dean Martin, and an unidentified man clowning around in 1958.

Modern Guide to Health - 1947

Leslie Learns

Leslie Howard; 1941

Leslie Howard in a classic pose in his home Stowe Maries in Dorking, Surrey.

Leslie Lets Us In His Lair

Leslie Howard; 1941

Leslie Howard lived in Dorking, Surrey in a 16th Century Farm House named Stowe Maries.  He thought he had bought a "white elephant", but it seems like an amazing home to me.  He and his wife Ruth would entertain many celebrities there including Bette Davis and Ingrid Bergman.  According to a fascinating story on the UK Telegraph, his wife Ruth even novel way of keeping him away from his glamorous female guests.

Leslie Howard; 1941

If this isn't the way I expect an Englishman to look, I don't know what is!

Howard and His Horse

Leslie Howard; 1940

Cecile Irons it Out

Cecile Aubry; 1949

Cecile Aubry on the set of The Black Rose in 1949.  Below she is ironing one of her costumes for filming.  I have to say I love her shoes in the photo below.  How cute are they?

Cecile Aubry; 1949

Apparently Cecile preferred other careers, for she left movies to become a children's author and a producer and a secret marriage to the son of a pasha.  How exciting!

Paintings of the Stars - Charlton Heston and Nathanial Benchley

Charlton Heston; 1963

I think everyone still knows who Charlton Heston is, and I can't think of anything new to add to that conversation.  I do love this photograph.  Chuck obviously had no problem showing how cool he was.

Nathaniel Benchley

Frankly, I had no idea when I saved this photo of Nathaniel Benchley who he was, but when I researched him, I found about a million reasons I adore him and didn't know it:

A Ghost Named Fred

He wrote some fabulous kids books like A Ghost Named Fred and Oscar Otter

Robert Benchley

His dad was Robert Benchley, noted humorist, actor, and about a dozen other things.  He was a great comedian and definitely fun in any film appearance.  Benchley's "How to" shorts are classics.

Jaws

His son, Peter Benchley, wrote Jaws, which is a pop culture icon.  Freaky as all get out, but some great acting.