The Constant Gardner

The ultimate present to the male population, Ava Gardener was born Christmas Eve, 1922, in a rural impoverished part of North Carolina. She was a true Southern belle, but you might never guess that; her early studio home MGM sent her to a speech coach immediately after signing a contract in 1941 in order to 'correct' her Carolina drawl. She was discovered by a talent scout, who noticed a portrait of the young beauty hanging in the window of her brother's photography store. Though she signed her contract in 1941 (at just nineteen!), it wasn't until five years later that Ava had her first starring role, in the breakout noir thriller The Killers, with Burt Lancaster. The film catapulted her to stardom, but Ava found it difficult to find roles that were challenging to her. Mostly cast as a beautiful 'space-filler' in MGM productions, Ava worked a lot on films produced by other studios. MGM finally gave her the chance to shine again in the 1951 production of Show Boat, a musical in which she portrayed biracial singer Julie LaVerne. Ava fought aggressively for the role, beating out her good friend and singer Lena Horne. Despite the success of the film and the strength of her performance, Ava was hurt when she found out her vocals were redubbed for the final release of the film. In one of the That's Entertainment films, a scene containing Ava's original vocals exists - and they sound lovely! I don't know what MGM was thinking to be honest.
Two years later, Ava shined again in the lavish adventure film Mogambo, set in Africa and costarring Grace Kelly and Clark Gable. Ava was awarded an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of the brash 'Honey Bear' Kelly. Playing the femme fatale was a strength of Ava's, who showed this skill yet again in arguably her most famous performance as The Barefoot Contessa, opposite Humphrey Bogart. The Spanish location shooting changed Ava, who became an avid fan of bullfighting and flamenco dancing during the production and eventually moved to Spain a few years later. She continued to give powerhouse performances in such films as Bhowani Junction and Night of the Iguana.
Ava was married three times; her husbands were Mickey Rooney (1942-1943), Artie Shaw (1945-1946), and to Frank Sinatra (1951-1957). Despite her marriage to Artie Shaw, she and fellow ex-wife of Shaw, Lana Turner, were quite good friends. Ava was said to have been the great love of Frank Sinatra's life.  She is credited with helping him turn around his career. When they were first married, Ava was the bigger star and bigger money-maker. Frank was in a career slump, and often borrowed money from Ava to afford presents for his children with Nancy Sinatra. She helped get him his role in From Here to Eternity that helped relaunch his career. Hindered by the drinking, busy schedules, and extramarital affairs on both sides, the Gardner-Sinatra marriage was tempestuous at best. Reportedly, Ava became pregnant sometime during her marriage to Sinatra, but had an abortion, causing further strain on their relationship. Though their marriage was tumultuous, he wrote some of his best music (In the Wee Small Hours, and Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely) during their marriage and eventual breakup. When she made Contessa, a statue of her was given to Frank as a gift. He kept it in her backyard for years after their divorce. It wasn't until he married Barbara Marx in 1976 that he was forced to get rid of it. Sinatra never forgot Ava in his heart; he paid for her medical expenses after her stroke in 1989. She had a famous rapport with her costars. Former On the Beach costar Gregory Peck loved Ava so, that after her death in 1990, he took in her longtime housekeeper Carmen Vargas and Ava's Welsh Corgi to live with him.
Ava was set in her convictions. She decided early on in life that there was no point for her to read books for recreation. As a result, she had professed in 1945 (when she was in her early twenties) to having read just two books: Gone With the Wind, and The Bible. This lead to a funny encounter between her and J.R.R. Tolkien, when neither of them knew why the other one was famous. This didn't keep her from making friends with other writers, such as Ernest Hemingway (whom she affectionately called 'Papa') - she starred in three film adaptations of his works and often accompanied him to bull fights.
In the end, Ava was a prime example of 'you can take the girl out of the country, but you can't take the country out of the girl.' However gussied up, plucked, primped, and primed Hollywood made her, Ava herself maintained that "I have always been a country girl and still have a country girl's values." She spoke the way she wanted to and didn't censor herself for anyone, to the point that on Australian reporter  compared her foul language use to "a sailor and a truck driver having a competition." After throwing a glass of champagne in the face of another reporter who upset her, he wrote that while she was doing it "the only thing I could think of was how bloody gorgeous the woman was."

Some wonderful quotes by Ava:

• After my screen test, the director clapped his hands gleefully and yelled, "She can't talk! She can't act! She's sensational!"
• All I ever got out of any of my marriages was the two years Artie Shaw financed on an analyst's couch. 
• When I lose my temper, honey you can't find it anyplace. 
• [On acting] Nobody ever called it an intellectual profession. 
• I must have seen more sunrises than any other actress in the history of Hollywood. 
• I haven't taken an overdose of sleeping pills and called my agent. I haven't been in jail, and I don't go running to the psychiatrist every two minutes. That's something of an accomplishment these days. 
• Deep down, I'm pretty superficial. 
• I couldn't imagine a better place [than Australia] for making a film on the end of the world. 
• Maybe I just don't have the temperament for stardom. I'll never forget seeing Bette Davis at the Hilton in Madrid. I went up to her and said, "Miss Davis, I'm Ava Gardner and I'm a great fan of yours." And do you know, she behaved exactly as I wanted her to behave. "Of course you are, my dear," she said. "Of course you are." And she swept on. Now that's a star. 
• Some people say Liz [Taylor] and I are whores, but we are saints. We do not hide our loves hypocritically, and when in love, we are loyal and faithful to our men.
• I wish to live until 150 years old, but the day I die, I wish it to be with a cigarette in one hand and a glass of whiskey in the other. 
• I think the main reason my marriages failed in that I always loved too well but never wisely. 

two is a crowd, but three is a party

Just mere months after two Marilyn Monroe biopics were announced, starring Naomi Watts and Michelle Williams, respectively, news is breaking that Angelina Jolie will take a stab at the role of the late screen legend. Jolie is set to star in the film version of "The Life and Opinions of Maf the Bog, and of His Friend Marilyn Monroe," by Andrew O'Hagan.

O'Hagan's tale tells the story of the controversial last two years of Monroe's life, told through the eyes of her Maltese terrier Maf (short for Mafia). In real life, the pup was a gift from friend Frank Sinatra, who is to be played by George Clooney in the film. Monroe toted Maf around to the residences of her famous friends, and got his belly scratched by the Rat Pack and President Kennedy.

The 35-year-old Jolie is in the perfect age bracket to portray Monroe in her later years, as she died in August 1962 at the age of 36. But is Angelina - who allegedly beat out contenders such as Mad Men lovely Christina Hendricks (my personal swoon) and Monroe-lookalike Scarlett Johansson - best suited to play Marilyn? She will have to put on some serious curves if she wants to go from her svelte ass-kicker physique in Salt to the delicately feminine form of Monroe. And also, will a woman who made a career out of playing action heroes, assassins, and sociopaths be able to bring the charm and vulnerability to this role? Though her turn in Changeling is a good indication of her range, one has to consider that the careful direction of Clint Eastwood had to do with evoking those emotions.

And for George Clooney, whose acting empire includes his takeover of the role Danny Ocean, a role made legendary by Frank Sinatra in the original Ocean's Eleven, is an interesting choice to play the blue-eyed crooner. Though names like Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Harry Connick Jr. were danced around for the role, the charming leading man won the role of ... a charming leading man. But it's hard to form an opinion around this casting choice. First off (and perhaps most inconsequentially), George Clooney has hazel brown eyes. Frank Sinatra was known for his ice-blue eyes. Sure color contacts are no problem, but so much of Clooney's handsomeness is centered around his gently wrinkled sad brown eyes. Would color contacts change his physical appearance enough ... or too much? He's got the rough brash handsomeness that Sinatra had, but I don't know how to envision him as the late legend. I want to closely monitor Clooney's development of the Sinatra role, because Frank Sinatra is near and dear to my heart (as a six-year-old, I expected to marry him by 13. Sadly, he died before my teen years).

With the prospect of Angelina also taking on the role of Cleopatra, made famous by Elizabeth Taylor in the 1963 MGM megaproduction, it seems like a major 1960s redux in Angelina's career. While both Jolie and Elizabeth Taylor shot down rumors that Angie would be portraying Taylor in a biopic of her life with Richard Burton (with Liz even tweeting "No one is going to play Elizabeth Taylor, but Elizabeth Taylor. Not at least until I'm dead, and at the moment I'm having too much fun being alive"), rumors still swirl that Angie will take on one of Taylor's most famous roles. With at least 28 film depictions of Cleopatra, does the world need another Hollywood version of the life of the Egyptian queen? Producer Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men, Revolutionary Road, Julie & Julia, and all of the Wes Anderson films) has the rights for the film version of the book Queen of the Nile, Cleopatra: A Life. The book's author, Stacy Schiff, who will be involved in the film adaptation of her biography has stated that she wishes to mirror the on-and-off screen love affair present in the 1963 version between Elizabeth and Richard Burton. Her perfect Marc Anthony: Brad Pitt.

Controversy over Jolie's casting in both life stories of Marilyn and Cleopatra is blasting over the internet. Though many say that Angelina is 'too white' to play the African queen, I think that the edginess of Queen Cleo's life is better suited for the acting talents of Angelina Jolie. I could much sooner envision Angie in gold bracelets, heavy cat eye liner, ruling a country and seducing the world's most powerful men than hear her impersonate the breathy girly voice and ditzy persona of Monroe. We can already kind of envision Jolie in each of the roles: she had a Monroe-esque platinum blonde cut in the romcom Life or Something Like It, and she was picture perfect as the Greek queen Olympias in Alexander.

"...it's nice, people knowing who you are and all of that, and feeling that you've meant something to them."

Dozens of actresses have portrayed Marilyn Monroe in some capacity. An icon of beauty, fragility, femininity, and Old Hollywood, it's easy to understand why Marilyn's essence is still so present almost forty years after her passing. While I don't endorse the likes of Paris Hilton or Britney Spears dressing up as our dear Marilyn to hawk some new perfume of their's, and I still morally oppose La Lohan's rendition of "The Last Sitting" from a few years ago, I accept (and even occasionally embrace) young actresses who adopt certain characteristics of Marilyn Monroe in their acting. Whether it's Amy Adams doing her best Lorelei Lee impression in Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day; or Poppy Montgomery, Sally Kirkland, Kim Stanley, Catherine Hicks, Theresa Russell, Sophie Monk, Mira Sorvino, Ashley Judd, and several others who have portrayed the actress herself. In the last few days it has been announced that two biopics about MM are underway.

Both Naomi Watts and Michelle Williams are set to portray the tragic screen icon in two projects slated for production in 2011. Naomi Watts, 41, is five years older than Marilyn Monroe was when she passed away. Watts is set to star as the actress in Blonde, the faux-Monroe memoir penned by Joyce Carol Oates. Director Andrew Dominik told ScreenDaily.com, "Why is Marilyn Monroe the great female icon of the 20th century? For men, she is an object of sexual desire that desperately in need of rescue. For women, she embodies all the injustices visited upon the feminine, a sister, a Cinderella, consigned to live among the ashes."

While Dominik had found his Marilyn in Naomi Watts, Michelle Williams was announced to play the late star in My Week With Marilyn (terrible name for a film, but what can you do?), a story centered around Monroe's time in London during the 1957 filming of The Prince and the Showgirl, her fantastic film with Laurence Olivier.

Honestly, while I love both of these two actresses, I find it difficult to imagine either of them in the role of Marilyn Monroe. I do not doubt their respective talents, but I've just never seen them through the bombshell lens. I'm excited to see how these projects turn out, and it will be interesting to finally see an actress besides Scarlett Johansson gain comparisons to Monroe.

Image credit: People online

candy came from out on the island, she was everybody's darling, but she never lost her head, even when she was giving head

Born in 1944 to an alcoholic father and a bookkeeper mother in Queens, New York, James Lawrence Slattery was reborn in two decades later as the Warhol muse Candy Darling.

Growing up in Long Island, Candy developed a deep affection for classic Hollywood actresses like Kim Novak, Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, and Joan Bennett. It was the influence of these women that contributed to the Candy Darling persona in years to come. She started dressing as a girl during her teenage years, ultimately revealing herself to her mother after rumors arose about her attendance at a local gay bar. Her mother would later say of the transformation, "I knew then ... that I couldn't stop Jimmy. Candy was too beautiful and talented."

With the blessing of her mother, Candy began frequenting the Greenwich Village set of hipsters and artists. In the process of forming her identity as a female, Candy went through a series of names, starting with Hope Slattery around 1964, before moving on to Hope Dahl, Candy Dahl, before settling on Candy Darling.

In 1967, she met Andy Warhol at an after-hours club in the city called The Tenth of Always. With her look that was a throwback to classic starlets of the silver screen, Andy knew that Candy represented the ultimate Hollywood fantasy. With her breathy voice reminiscent of Marilyn Monroe and her platinum locks, Candy was beautiful. Unlike her 'sisters' Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn, Candy was never in "drag" - she always just was herself. And she was glamorous.

Candy was cast in Warhol's films "Flesh" and "Women in Revolt," along with good friends Holly Woodlawn and Jackie Curtis. She also was cast by friend Tennessee Williams in his premiere production of the play "Small Craft Warnings." She acted on the stage once again in the first of three Jackie Curtis plays she would be in called "Glamour, Glory and Gold" with Robert De Niro. The other two plays were "Heaven Grand in Amber Orbit," and "Vain Victory: The Vicissitudes of the Damned." She continued her acting career with parts in "Klute" with Jane Fonda, whom she befriended and frequented the Factory, and "Mortadella" with Sophia Loren. She was in the running for the main role as "Myra Breckenridge," which ultimately went to Raquel Welch, before traveling to Vienna in 1971 to act in two features for director Werner Schroeter.

In 1974, Candy died of leukemia, a result of hormone pills she took increase her female form. Her funeral was attended by huge crowds. Guests included Gloria Swanson, who was remembered for saluting Candy's coffin, and Julie Newmar, who wrote a touching eulogy to her late friend: "Candy was a genius ... Hers was an extraordinarily high achievement. Her skin was so flawless, her behavior not limpid but liquid, the movement of her hands exquisite." After her death, The New York Times dedicated the front page to her obituary and her memory.

In addition to the great friendships she had with many legendary artists and thinkers, Candy served as muse to the art world as well. She was immortalized in two songs written by Lou Reed - "Walk on the Wild Side" and "Candy Says." Two books composed of her writings were published posthumously in the 1990s.

"Private? What makes you think my life is private?"

One of the most well-liked gals around is Miss Elizabeth Taylor. Sure Debbie Reynolds is probably not her biggest fan, but during her career spanning more than half and century, Miss Taylor has counted more best friends than husbands (!) Throughout her life she has counted Montgomery Clift, Rock Hudson, Grace Kelly, Michael Jackson, Liza Minnelli, Jane Powell, among others, as her closest friends.

I have long been a great fan of Elizabeth Taylor's. Ever since I saw her in National Velvet when I was a horse-obsessed six-year-old, I have longed to be like her. There is a definite charming quality in Elizabeth's presence, seen onscreen as well as off. She is always the most beautiful and enchanting person around, bar none.

How to be like Elizabeth Taylor:

• Start a collection. Elizabeth is known worldwide for her large collection of jewels. She has written a book about her "love affair" with jewelry, though is not against parting with certain pieces if the cause is right. She sold her 69.42 carat ring from Richard Burton in an auction in order to raise money for her politician love John Warner.
• Love animals. Elizabeth has called her many pets (from puppies to a chipmunk named Nibbles that she wrote a book about when she was a teenager) her best friends. She also shares her love - she gave James Dean a Siamese kitten he named Marcus shortly before the actor's death.
• Crusade for a cause close to your heart. After close friend Rock Hudson lost his battle with AIDS, she founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
• Be business-savvy. Elizabeth was the first actress to be paid one million dollars (for her role in Cleopatra), and has been quoted as saying "If someone is dumb enough to offer me a million dollars to make a picture, I'm certainly not dumb enough to turn it down."
• Live by love and virtue. Elizabeth was an honest believer in finding love. "You don't start a movie expecting to crash," she has said, "You get married expecting it to be forever. That's why you get married." Despite being married eight times, Elizabeth has said "I've only slept with men I've been married to. How many women can make that claim?"
• Be humble and, most importantly, be yourself. Elizabeth has admitted, "I don't think I am a beautiful woman. Ava Gardner is. I think Audrey Hepburn is. But the way I look is all right with me. Because I want to be me. I don't take vitamins or do exercise. I can lose weight when I want to, mainly by just not eating."