“I don’t like to talk to people because I can’t express myself satisfactorily. I don’t say the things I mean.”
—Greta Garbo
“Red Kimono on the Roof,” 1912
oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches. Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, James E. Roberts Fund
Kussharo Lake Tree, Kotan, Hokkaido, Japan, 2005
Manhattan, Looking NE from the Empire State Building, 2018
—Paul Newman
“Trieste Fishing Boat”
oil and pencil on canvas, 29½ in. by 29½in. Painted in 1912
Booth had a promising career in the 1920′s. She was given a starring role in MGM’s Trader Horn, the first Hollywood film shot on location in Africa. Playing a white goddess, Booth had to run around in a skimpy costume. Booth contracted malaria and sunstroke and fell out of a tree during filming which resulted in serious injury. She never really recovered from her various tropical illnesses. She sued MGM for a million dollars, but settled for $35,000. Unfortunately, that lawsuit ended her career. She had three more small roles, but her career was over by 1932.
Couple Embracing with Checkered Clothing, 1960s
—Liv Ullmann
“Purple Interior with Window”
1982
colored pencil on paper
25 x 16 5/8 in.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Screenplay by Jerry Wald, Richard Macaulay
Based on the novel “Long Haul” by A. I. Bezzerides
The Comtesse de Castiglione, mistress of Emperor Napoleon III, 1863-1866, Paris
Georges Raft is the all time champ at bad career decisions. He turned down Casablanca and several other roles that made stars, especially Bogart. I forgives him for his great quote, “I spent my money on booze, women and horses. The rest I wasted.”
Wasn’t Ronald Reagan also offered the part in Casablanca?
My daughter,. who works in art, is visiting this weekend and I was showing her your pictures when she gave me a lecture on Vivian Maier. She was a nanny who had a camera and was unknown. Anyway, you have new fan. She is the one who worked in the gallery in Venice and now works for John Baldissari who is not doing well. She is here for the Tucson gem show.
There is a documentary about Maier in which the children—now grown—to whom she was a nanny are interviewed. She used to schlep the poor kids all over the city so she could take her pics. I get the definite impression that Maier had some mental health issues. Perhaps bipolar. She took thousands of photos but processed and printed very few. She was a great photographer, but a sad human being.
Sorry he to hear about Baldessari.He is one of the greats.
I’ve been told a lot of people don’t care for the “Trashcan School” of art, but I have always liked Sloan’s paintings, and “Red Kimono” is one of my favorites. And I adore that picture of the Comtesse de Castiglione – it’s so intriguing! I wonder if that’s an empty picture frame she is hiding behind?
I love Sloan’s work. He specialized in paintings of NY rooftops — which is a world all its own. The Comtesse is definitely holding an empty picture frame. No doubt it was lying around the photographer’s studio, and they cleverly used it as a prop.
If I was a rich man I’d be collecting Childe Hassam and Ashcan School paintings.
If I could… a Vermeer.
I have to echo Bill’s sentiments: A beautiful photo of the Chrysler Building, Rick, and I don’t think Garbo was shy — I feel like she might have had Asperger’s Syndrome or something similar.
The Teardrop Coupe is beautiful as well. I like the watch and, yes, their English is tortured, but then again, my Spanish would be downright horrible if I had to make a Spanish web site.
Liv Ullmann looks lonely. It’s in her eyes, and Edwina Booth looks lovely.
I understand Paul Newman’s sentiments, but I am always amused by people who pursue a career (largely based on their outward appearance) who complain about not being appreciated for the depth of their soul.
Rick is a great photographer. It’s an honor to call him my friend.
Garbo was a narcissist. At least that’s how I read her.
Edwina Booth became active in the Church of the Latter Day Saints and was, for years, a secretary in their Los Angeles Temple. She refused to talk about her brief film career to anyone.
I think Newman worked hard at his craft and was embarrassed that he was so good looking. Beauty can also be a curse. Or so I’m told by the beautiful actors with whom I have worked.
On beauty being a curse-I wish I could remember who I was reading about. Oh! Hedy Lenard!
There’s a great documentary on Netflix about her called Bombshell. It’s taken from forgotten tapes of an interview of her.
I think she should be remembered more as a great inventor than a movie star. And she was lamenting so much the same thing that her face would not allow people to see her inventions.
They just considered her a beautiful movie star
Lemar. I’m starting to think that this voice transcription on my iPhone is more of a curse then a benefit
Thank you Robert. The feeling is mutual. The thing with that view of the Chrysler is how much more of the city stretches out past those famous landmarks. I’m always struck, when I’m at the top of the skyscrapers, at how vast the “Kingdom of New York” is – the way that Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens keep going over the river, right to the horizon. It’s such a vast, unknowable place.
I am sure you have seen this famous “map” Rick – a New Yorker’s view of the world. I read some time ago that the author, Saul Steinberg, was sorry he didn’t copyright it as it has been imitated countless times for different areas.
Nice photo Rick!
Nice quote from Paul Newman. I read that to prepare for his dialect in Cool Hand Luck, he lived with a family in Huntington WV for a summer.
Was Greta Garbo just shy or a bit strange? I think more towards the latter.
Pretty picture of Liv.
Liv is a beauty and also a very great actress. She’s also not a bad director.