The Fabulous Life of Penny McGuiggan

Recently, I was talking to my best Old Hollywood friends about Marilyn Monroe (as we do on the daily) when Lisa brought up Penny McGuiggan, a petite little firecracker who used to speak and perform her trumpet at Marilyn Remembered’s August 5th memorials (held annually since 1982). Why the trumpet? She claimed membership in Sweet […]

The Evolution of the Fifties Blonde – Part 1, 1950-1956.

My focus on the 50s Blondes has festered for over a decade now. I’ve written a multitude of articles – and two books – on the blonde women who seemingly ruled the decade but find a heap of misinformation on their evolution from singing-and-dancing marionettes to halo-haired sex comediennes. While this piece cannot claim to […]

When a Girl’s Beautiful

When A Girl’s Beautiful: The Life and Career of Joi Lansing Koper is at it again with his biography of 1950s starlet, Joi Lansing. Koper has previously written on the likes of Jayne Mansfield, Barbara Nichols, and an encyclopedia of 1950s blondes. Joi has had one book written about her previously, written by her […]

Who Was Virginia Rappe?

Virginia Rappe is a name many would not know today, but in 1921 she was headline news: she had allegedly been killed by Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle. But who was Virginia to the public before her death made headlines? The Day the Laughter Stopped by David Yallop dedicated a little under a page to a biography on […]

GUEST POST: Elena Parker on Blondes

Today is my first guest post and it comes from a dear friend, Elena Parker. Ms. Parker is respected in the Old Hollywood community for her tireless work for Gene Tierney as well as her expertise in all things Old Hollywood. I’ll be the first to bow to someone who is more knowledgeable than me […]