Drag In The Movies

Lana O'Day, that name probably doesn't ring a bell to anyone reading this blog, but to me it represents a huge part of my life. Lana O'Day is my drag persona. For the last 3.5 years I have been fortunate to build a character based on all of my favorite things from past and present. Not only that, but I have been fortunate enough to have that persona become respected in the LGBT community of New Orleans... and beyond. It is definitely not something I ever thought I would do, but has become the perfect outlet for my creativity and my need to entertain.

In November of 2015, I was gearing up to host a talent contest that was to be apart of the Faux Real Festival at Bar Redux in New Orleans. I was contacted by David Lee Simmons of Pop Smart Nola about writing a little entry for his website about my top 5 drag moments in the movies. How could I pass that up? In between clients at work, I wrote out the first ideas that came to my mind. It was a fun experience and I decided to share what I wrote here for y'all to read. You can find the original post on David's website here.

Drag In The Movies

1. Some Like It Hot

If you haven't seen this film, you need to have your head checked! You've got Tony Curtis & Jack Lemmon cross dressing in an all girls band to hide out from the mob and you've got Marilyn Monroe! What else could you want or need?!

The scene that has always stuck out in my head is the train scene where we are first introduced to Daphne and Josephine (Tony and Jack). They are trying to walk in heels and look feminine, but they just can't get it. And than it cuts to the voluptuous blonde bombshells herself... Marilyn Monroe who struts passed the fellas and shows them how it's done. Daphne's quote puts it all into perspective... "Will you look at that! Look how she moves! It's like Jell-O on springs. Must have some sort of built-in motor or something. I tell you, it's a whole different sex!"

2. Tu Wong Fu, Thanks For Everything Julie Newmar

This one is pretty obvious. A film about drag queens in the 90's was taboo. Throw in top film stars Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes and you've got a recipe for fun.

The opening scene to this film is one of my favorites of all the films I've ever seen. It starts with Salt N Peppa asking "where is the body?", then the beats drops and it cuts to Vita and Noxema getting ready for a night on the town. There's eyelashes, huge powder puffs, girdles, stockings, wigs, gowns... oh my! I was hooked from the first time I saw this... in elementary school! 

And of course Noxema schooled us on what exactly a drag queen is... "When a straight man puts on a dress and gets his sexual kicks, he is a transvestite. When a man is a woman trapped in a man's body and has a little operation he is a Transsexual. When a gay man has way too much fashion sense for one gender he is a drag queen. And when a tired little Latin boy puts on a dress, he is simply a boy in a dress!"

3. The Little Mermaid

Yes, even Disney has its fair share of connections with the cross dressing community. After all, the best villain and my favorite sea witch Ursula was modeled after the one and only... Divine! From her high arched eyebrows to her large red lips, Ursula just screams QUEEN! She is vicious and knows what she wants! She will step on anyone who gets in the way... even the skinny pretty girl. Sounds like a queen to me! "And don't underestimate the importance of body language!"

4. Victor Victoria

Words can not express how much I love this film! You've got Mary Poppins... yes Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) playing a woman who can't get a job as an entertainer dressing as a man who entertains as a cross dresser. Mind blown right? It's like cross dressing inception! The story line deals with men questioning their sexuality, equal rights for women, and a whole lot of amazing musical numbers. Everyone has seen the Le Jazz Hot scene right? No? Than why are you reading this? It's so good even Glee had to remake it... that means you've made it!

5. Jayne Mansfield

Ok, so technically, Jayne Mansfield isn’t a movie, but she is the definition of camp, glamour and drag. To put it simply, Jayne Mansfield was Vera Jayne Palmer’s drag persona. Jayne learned early on what she needed to do to be successful and get attention. Jayne Mansfield was over the top, gaudy, and a caricature of a glamorous woman. She wore revealing gown, big hair, big lashes, and even had a pink house. Like the entire house was pink and furry. If that isn’t a drag queen’s doing I don’t know what is. Jayne talents shine best in her two most popular films: ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ and ‘Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?’ Many stars in Old Hollywood created personas that they would play on screen and in public. Jayne Mansfield’s persona just happened to be that of a drag queen.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this... I had a lot of fun putting it together last year.

Top 10 Classic Hollywood Gowns

When I watch a film from this period, the costumes get as much attention from me as the actors do. In many films, the costume design is the much needed icing on the cake to give these films that little something extra. It just goes to show you that the designers of that period were much more important than they may have known. Not only did they lend their hand in the productions of the films, they also had a lasting touch on the world of fashion. Many of their designs can be seen influencing fashions that are hip today. Below are my top 10 gowns of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Ok let's be honest, who could narrow it down to 10, so here are 10 of my favorites. It is probably no surprise how many times Edith Head pops on on the list...

Grace Kelly | To Catch A Thief (1955)

Blue Gown by Edith Head

Marilyn Monroe | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Orange Gown by Travilla

Rita Hayworth | You Were Never Lovelier (1942)

White Lace Gown by Irene

Bette Davis | All About Eve (1950)

Brown Gown by Edith Head

Joan Crawford | Letty Lynton (1932)

Black & White Gown by Adrian

Audrey Hepburn | Funny Face (1957)

Wedding Gown by Edith Head

Jean Harlow | Dinner At Eight (1933)

Biased Cut Silk Gown by Adrian

Jayne Mansfield | The Girl Cant Help It (1956)

White Silk Gown by Charles Le Maire

Rita Hayworth | Gilda (1946)

Black Silk Gown by Jean Louis

Jane Russell & Marilyn Monroe | Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

Red Sequined Gowns by Travilla

Jayne Mansfield: Silver Screen To Vegas Headliner

There is just something about the blonde bombshells of Old Hollywood that always spark my interest. Hollywood thought they had found another Marilyn Monroe when Jayne Mansfield busted (pun totally intended) on to the scene, but Jayne was a completely different animal. Aside from having blonde hair and a knock out figure... the two stars couldn't be farther from each other. Jayne Mansfield was over the top, larger than life... dare I say campy? That's just what made me so interested in her. She knew exactly what she wanted and what she needed to do to get it. She used her 'obvious talents' to make a name for herself. She knew what Hollywood expected of her... so she gave it to them. 

I've seen a few of of her films, so I wanted to learn more about the woman behind the camera. This post will be the first of many exploring Jayne's other talents and other sides of her career that sometimes get lost behind her bombshell, sex symbol image.

Film | Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

Last week, I went on a mini shopping spree online. I was feeling some kind of way and looked to my credit card to feel better. Needless to say, I now have quite a few new Classic Hollywood goodies in my collection. One of those items is The Jayne Mansfield DVD Collection. I've had this book marked for who knows how long. Amazon gets you with those 'Only 4 left in stock!' things... well they got me at least. This set includes 'The Girl Cant Help It' (1956), 'The Sheriff With The Fractured Jaw' (1958), and the film this post is about... 'Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?' (1957).

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)

 "Man, oh man, oh Mansfield!"

The Players:

Jayne Mansfield as Rita Marlowe

Tony Randall as Rockwell P. Hunter

Betsy Drake as Jenny Wells

Joan Blondell as Violet

The Story:

Jayne Mansfield teams with Tony Randall in this hilarious spoof about an ad man who nabs a movie star for his campaign -- and opens a can of worms in the process. Ad writer Rockwell Hunter (Randall) thinks he's hit the jackpot when sexy starlet Rita Marlowe (Mansfield) agrees to endorse a line of lipstick he's touting. But when the press mistakes the business partnership for an affair, it'll take some tricky maneuvers to set the story straight. [Netflix]

My Favorite Scene:

This is a hard one because I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this film. I haven't literally lol'd during a film in quite some time. If I have to narrow it down to just one scene, I will have to go with the scene where Betsy Drake's character Jenny Wells is imitating the 'oh so kissable' Rita Marlowe. Prior to this scene, she stopped into a lingerie store to buy new under garments to get the shape of Marlowe. So when we first see her in the next scene, her bosoms are pointed to the sky and her waist of non existent. And if that wasnt enough, she does a spot on impersonation of Rita's voice and squeal. I was cracking up more each time she opened her mouth. Bravo!

Trivia and Tidbits:

Jayne Mansfield originated the role of Rita Marlowe in the Broadway play that ran 444 performances at the Belasco Theatre in New York from 1955-1956.

Jayne Mansfield's character Rita Marlowe's name was a combination of 3 of my favorite Classic Film actresses... Rita Hayworth, Jean Harlow, and Marilyn Monroe.

The films that Rita Marlowe 'stars' in are actually films Jayne Mansfield starred in prior to this film being made... "The Girl Can't Help It" (1956), "Kiss Them for Me" (1957) and "The Wayward Bus" (1957).

If you didn't catch it, the film pokes a little bit of fun at fellow blonde bombshell Marilyn Monroe. Rita Marlowe leaves Hollywood abruptly for New York for some personal time and to form her own production company... as Monroe did that same year.

Tony Randall was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture Actor – Musical/Comedy for his work on this film.

In 2000, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

My Thoughts:

'Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?' set out with one goal in mind... to satire pop culture, Hollywood hype and the ad industry. From it's over the top heartthrob obsessed teen mobs to it's celebrity driven culture... I believe it achieved just that. Let's be honest... this film's message is just as relevant today, 60 years later, than it was in 1957.

Tony Randall was so loveable and such a joy to watch. He had such a great timing for comedy. Joan Blondell snuck up on me as Rita Marlowe's assistant... forgot how wonderful she is! Jayne Mansfield was so likable and so full of that 'it' factor that you can't look away when she is on screen. I don't know about you, but I could listen to that woman talk for hours... and do not get me started on that squeal... it is everything!

Overall Rating:

Profiles In History: Milton Greene Auction

I know I haven't been around here much this year, but I am so glad to see you guys are still coming around! I hope to be able to make more time to do work on this blog because it is one of my favorite things to do! See y'all around!

On July 27th, 2013, Profiles In History will be holding an auction of items from the estate of photographer Milton H. Greene. We are talking about original negatives from some of his best work with the who's who of Hollywood. Most exciting for me are the offerings from his 50+ sittings with my idol Marilyn Monroe. There are some photos we have all seen over and over, but some of the photos being auctioned are very rare and haven't been seen before. From browsing through the catalog, most of the lots are expected to draw between $3,000 and $5,000. You can browse the catalog online or purchase a copy of it for $50. Follow the link below to find out more and below that are some of my favorite ladies seen in the catalog...

Profiles In History: Property from the estate of Milton H Greene

View PDF of auction online

Marilyn Monroe

Kim Novak

Jayne Mansfield

Audrey Hepburn

Pin-Up Girls | Before & After

Walk up to any check out lane at a grocery store and you will be surrounded by magazine covers full of beautiful stars. Stars people look up to for their perfect complexions and perfect figures. While most of these stars really do posses these qualities... it's just never to the degree that is shown on ads and magazine covers. As most of you know, a photo is never shown to the public these days without being touched by Hollywood's Photoshop masters. 

In recent times quite a few of these naturally beautiful stars have went against 'the man' and had their non-Photoshopped photos shown to their fans. Among those who showed their original photos is one of my favorite singers... Britney Spears. Stars like Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift have even done photo shoots without a stitch of make-up to show they are beautiful without these tools.

Which brings me to the point of this post... the 1940-1950's pin-up girls. In my downtime at work I like to browse the photography website pophoto.com. On there main page the other day was an article about how the altering of woman's bodies was around long before image editing software. The article shows many beautiful pieces of pin-up art along side their original photos. It is quite fun to see how the models were posed with a specific outcome in mind. Check them out here.

The difference between the pin-up girls and today's ads/magazine covers? The pin-up artist used their photographs to create a piece of artwork and not to alter a photo to fool the public. Now I know that no one in their right mind would compare the two (if you would then we have other issues here), but it is interesting to see how an industry took off from these master artists works.

Some of my favorite pictures of my fave blonde Marilyn Monroe are the photos she took with famed pin-up artist Earl Moran. She was still in full Norma Jeane mode and looks so care free and to be having so much fun. I also learned today Earl Moran even did paintings of my other favorite blonde Jayne Mansfield! Here are some of those pics...

Jayne Mansfield: Gone Too Soon

When I seen that Comet Over Hollywood was holding the Gone Too Soon Blogathon in March I was intrigued because there were so many greats who's lives ended too soon. Some of my favorites like Marilyn Monroe, Jean Harlow, and Judy Garland are among those who died before the age of 50. For this blogathon I decided to write about Jayne Mansfield. Known more for her voluptuous figure and scandalous publicity stunts... many don't know about the women behind the tatas. So in this star profile, I will discuss the highlights and little known facts about Jayne.

All breasts and no brains? Not this lady!

Probably the biggest misconception about Jayne is that she was a 'dumb blonde'. This one sort of came with the territory of blonde bombshell in the 1950's. Along side Marilyn Monroe, Mamie Van Doren, and Kim Novak, Jayne's figure was what brought the film offers in... not the acting. It didn't help that Jayne realized it wasn't her 163 IQ (by her own claim) that got publicity, but rather her 40-21-35 shape, and used it to her advantage to further her film career. What is a shame is many people still do not know that Jayne was one smart cookie. A woman who spoke five different languages and was a classically trained violinist and pianist is no dumb blonde. Let's face it, anyone without brains wouldn't have been able to build a career with so little successful films and still be a household name to this day!

Award Winning Actress? You Betcha!

But it wasn't just her smarts that went under the radar... the public has never given her acting the props it deserved. Beyond the fact that she won a Theatre World Award and a Golden Globe, it would take a great actor to convince the world she was the persona she portrayed. The blonde hair, the hour glass figure, the high pitched squeal... it was all part of the character she created. All you have to do is watch The Girl Cant Help It (1956) or Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957) to see what a wonderful comedian she was. Want to see her do a dramatic role? Check her out in 1957's The Wayward Bus or The Burgler. Jayne also received praise for her roles on the stage as well. She performed in successful runs of Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Bus Stop, and Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman.

Missed Roles? There were a few!

Early in her career Jayne tried her hand for the part of The Girl in the film version of The Seven Year Itch, but was unable to impress the studio heads. She was also offered the lead role opposite James Stewart and Jack Lemmon in Bell, Book, And Candle. She had to turn the role down due to being pregnant and the role was given to one of her rivals Kim Novak. In the 60's she was offered the role of Ginger on the television show Gilligan's Island, but turned it down because she felt the role was more of the same typecast she was trying to avoid. I cant even imagine how different these works would have been with Jayne in those roles... would have been interesting to see.

Career outside of Hollywood? For sure.

When her career in Hollywood slowed down, Jayne took to the Las Vegas stage for a nightclub act called The House of Love. She earned top dollar for the times and the show was such a success that 20th Century Fox Records recorded the show and released Jayne Mansfield Busts Up Last Vegas. She would eventually take her hit show on road and eventually around the world. 

As you can see there was much more to Jayne Mansfield than what meets the eye. Ive always been fascinated by her and I you learned something new about her from reading this. Her life came to a tragic end far too soon, and we lost one of our iconic Blonde Bombshells.

Jayne Mansfield Makes It!

I guess you could say I have been on a blonde bombshell kick lately. I've been enjoying the likes of Marilyn Monroe and the lovely Jayne Mansfield. There is something about the style of these 50's blonde actresses. Although I have only seen Jayne Mansfield in one film, she is grown to be one of my favorite actresses of the Golden Era of Hollywood. With a film like The Girl Can't Help It, she doesn't need any others to qualify in my book. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't love to see more of her films.

Something I have recently rediscovered is Jayne's hip, swinging tune That Makes It from the 1966 film Las Vegas Hillbillies. In the song Jayne coos about the type of man she wants and the type that 'makes it' happen for her. She wants a man with dark hair that moves and grooves. 

In the video Jayne is seen twisting and swaying her hips to this groovy track, while she talks on the phone. The look on her face says she is a girl who knows what she wants and wont except anything else...

Music | The Girl Cant Help It

I was sitting here listening to the soundtrack of the 1956 film The Girl Cant Help It, when I realized how much fun the music in this film was. In all honesty, I have only seen the movie twice, but the music is always running through my head. I hadn't heard most of the music before seeing the film, but it just stuck with me. I find myself jamming and dancing to this soundtrack more than I probably should.