Marilyn Monroe

A publicity photo of Marilyn Monroe.

Icon of beauty —
A candle whose light remains,
though the flame has died.



A playful pose.


As a child, Monroe amused herself by pretending that Clark Gable was her father. Later, it was said that the tension she created on the set of "The Misfits" (1961) hastened the actor's demise.


An early photograph of Marilyn Monroe who was born Norma Jeane Mortenson.


Monroe's first significant screen appearance was in "Love Happy" (1949), the Marx Brothers' last film together as a comedy team. Although it was a very brief walk-on part, it was one that Groucho would remember for decades.


Marilyn Monroe's outdoor crypt (#24) in Westwood (California) Memorial Park's Corridor of Memories is stained from the red lipstick kisses of adoring fans.  (Photo by A. J. Marik)

Tabloids

YOU READ IT HERE FIRST: It seems that gossip has been around since the beginning of time. In fact, the word "tabloid," in use since 1901, is derived from "tablet." So, who knows what some of those ancient stone carvings really say?

The singer is gay.
The actress talks to spacemen.
Checkout line fish wrap.

Paradise Lost

THE GARDEN OF ALLAH was a mansion estate turned bungalow village hotel at 8152 Sunset Boulevard. Built and ruled by controversial (and openly bisexual) silent screen siren Allah Nazimova, some of the villa's illustrious and notorious guests and residents included: F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Benchley, Ernest Hemmingway, Gloria Stuart, The Marx Brothers, Buster Keaton, Dorothy Parker, Errol Flynn, Greta Garbo, John Barrymore, Clara Bow, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Gloria Swanson, Charles Laughton, Elsa Lanchester, Ernst Lubitsch, Ronald Reagan, Ava Gardner, Joe E. Lewis, Artie Shaw, Marlene Dietrich, George Kaufman, Laurence Olivier, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Woollcott, Orson Welles, Somerset Maugham, Jascha Heifetz, Ginger Rogers and Katherine Hepburn — to name a few!

Refuge for talent.
A den of iniquity.
Gaud's little acre.



"I'll be damned if I'll believe anyone lives in a place called 'The Garden of Allah,'" wrote Thomas Wolfe, in a letter to F. Scott Fitzgerald, dated July 26, 1937.




During the filming of the 1939 remake of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," Charles Laughton would return home to The Garden for lunch, still in character as Quasimodo, and float in the pool on his back with his face aimed skyward, to avoid ruining his complex makeup.

Following its heyday, The Garden of Allah endured years of neglect. In summer, 1959, it was torn down to make way for progress. The song "Big Yellow Taxi," by Joni Mitchell, mourns the incredible landmark's passing in the famous lyrics, "They paved Paradise and put up a parking lot."

Sunset Boulevard (1950)

THE DEMENTED RECLUSE: Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond making her final descent into her imaginary close-up and madness. This scene, more than any other, has come to represent the sometimes tragic downside of fame lost.

The breathing waxworks —
when fallen stars dim to shells
of their former selves.



The scene that inspired the haiku, although I'd never consider Keaton nor Swanson as has-beens. In fact, observe how, even with such a minor part, Keaton works the shot and steals viewer attention with nothing more than a brief facial expression.


Norma Desmond's famous happy ending.


The "Sunset Boulevard" movie trailer.


One of Comedienne Carol Burnett's zany spoofs as "Nora" Desmond. (This is live TV. Notice how you can see the set brace during the two-shot at the door.)

Ellen DeGeneres

A CHAMPION OF CHARITABLE CAUSES, Comedienne and TV Talkshow Hostess Ellen DeGeneres has raised more than $40 million for animals and people in need, and the tally keeps growing. A long-time supporter of PETA, The Humane Society, Animal Rescue Site, ASPCA and The Amanda Foundation, in 2008, she became co-owner of Halo All-Natural Pet Care, a groundbreaking company that specializes in optimally healthy food, treats and products for dogs and cats.

TV's Saint Francis,
dancing, laughing and living
with a caring heart.



This Ellen DeGeneres AMEX commercial pretty much says it all — with a smile.

Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco

In the mid-1970s, if you were young, wild and into glitter, Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco at 7561 W. Sunset Boulevard was the place to be and to be seen. Rodney, the club's owner (second from right and surrounded by his then-usual assortment of jail bait and actress Mackenzie Phillips), caused a second British invasion that included artists such as David Bowie, T. Rex and Slade, and brought to light the American underground sounds of Lou Reed, Iggy Pop, Blondie and The New York Dolls, all of whom frequented his shabby hole-in-the-wall. The site is now a martial arts studio and Rodney is a deejay on KROQ.

Glam rock's Babylon —
where Starmen and Jean Genies
danced in platform shoes.



Zolar X was a fixture at Rodney's and got great reception.


A weekend regular at Rodney's, this adolescent fan and music scene junior reporter was dubbed "Gladys The Night Tripper" by Wolfman Jack and guested occasionally on his radio program.

Not Another One!

Actor Alec Baldwin

Al Baldwin on pills?
From his looks, he should be on
an exercycle.

(For details, click HERE. And for the record, I love Baldwin's work.)

John Mayer

John Mayer's reply to the question, "How many brain cells do you have?"

His thoughtless attempts
at staying in the spotlight
have made him a douche.

Alas, Sweet Dreams

Michael Joseph Jackson  (1958 - 2009)

He risked it all for
one night of heavenly sleep.
Rest in peace, EO.

Say It Ain't So, Joe Black

Brangelina done?
Rumors abound of a split.
Who could have foreseen!?

(Written on 1/26/09)

Dear Heidi

Twenty-three-year-old reality TV personality Heidi Montag as interviewed by Entertainment Reporter Billy Bush on "Access Hollywood."  Montag underwent an incredible ten cosmetic procedures in one day.  (Copyright © 2010 NBC Universal.)

Real transformation
occurs from within the soul,
not under a knife.

Dim Bulb on the "Today" Set

Gifford thinks Conan
was really gouging "Tonight";
called him "no class." Pffft!