Seraphic Secret

Robert J. Avrech: Emmy Award winning screenwriter. Movie fanatic. Helplessly and hopelessly in love with my wife since age nine.

Doris Day

Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions, Doris Day RIP

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“It was the only ambition I ever had — not to be a dancer or Hollywood movie star, but to be a housewife in a good marriage.”
—Doris Day (born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff, 1922-2019)

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Thanksgiving 2018: The Children of the Children of Israel

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Studio photographers shot millions of still photos of their actors, often with holiday themes. This is the one of the few religiously inclined Thanksgiving stills I have come across. The actress is Barbara Kent, a minor star in the silent ear best known for starring opposite Harold Lloyd in “Welcome Danger” 1929. But her very best role was in a little known but quite wonderful silent film “Lonesome,” 1928.
Studio photographers shot mountains of photographs of contract actors, often with holiday themes. This is a charming Thanksgiving  photo. The actress is Barbara Kent, (b. Barbara Cloutman, 1907- 2011) a popular star in the silent era best known for twice starring opposite Harold Lloyd, “Welcome Danger” (1929), and then “Feet First,” (1930). But her very best role was in a little known but quite wonderful silent film “Lonesome,” (1928). Seraphic Secret wrote a memoriam for this lovely actress when she passed away. You can find it here.

As far as I know, there are only two countries in the world that were founded on the idea of hope.

America and Israel.

And what was the hope?

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Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions

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Photo by Eve Arnold, 1959.
“Alcoholism is an occupational hazard of being an actor, of being a widow, and of being alone. And I’m all three.”
—Joan Crawford

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Flashback: Hollywood Valentine

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Mary Pickford, 1920s

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Friday Photos: True Hollywood Confessions

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“Of the group of starlets only Marilyn emerged. Still photographers discovered her natural talent for flirting with the camera lens, and her blond looks of instant availability made her America’s most popular pin-up girl. Marilyn felt that the lens was not just a glass eye, but the symbol of the eyes of millions of men. She knew how to woo this lens better than any actress I ever photographed.”
—Philippe Halsman

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