Raquel Torres

Raquel Torres

From Photoplay Magazine, 1930, "Actually christened Billie Osterman, Raquel Torres was born November 11, 1908, in Hermosillo, Senora, Mexico, where her father kept a merchandise store. She was educated in Los Angeles in a convent. And what could be more romantic than to make your screen debut as one of the "White Shadows in the South Seas?" Raquel has black hair and dark brown eyes. She is 5 Feet, 2 inches in height and weighs 110 pounds. Her beauty resembles that of no other woman on the screen and is pure Spanish in type."

Raquel only made 11 films, but can often be seen on TV - that is because one of those films was the classic Marx Brothers film, Duck Soup (1933). It was Raquel who inspired Groucho's classic line: "I could dance with you until the cows come home. On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows until you come home." Raquel died in 1987.

Raquel Torres - What do you think? Allure?

Lilliane Dietz

Lilliane Dietz

Well, here is a real mystery woman. I, anyway, can find virtually no information about her except for the following 1936 NYT film review of a film in which she appeared - along with a young Vittorio de Sica.

"Instead of being called "The Song of the Sun," the new Italian film at the Teatro Cine-Roma ought to be labeled "Something New Under the Sun." For, incredible as it may seem to hardened cinema patrons, here is a delightful romantic comedy, built around a former Metropolitan Opera tenor, but with a handsome lawyer as the hero and the singer kept well in the background and not required to do anything outside his vocal métier.

Thanks to the pleasant music woven through the highly amusing action by Maestro Mascagni, the competent direction of a German expert and the beautiful photography, there is hardly a dull moment in this gay tale or mistaken identity. And even if the picture were less entertaining per se, the charming screen presence of Lilliane Dietz, a pretty blond German actress, would furnish attraction enough to hold the attention of the audience."

Lilliane Dietz - What do you think? Allure?

Madge Bellamy Revisited

I thought I'd jump out of the postcard images for a little change. You can read about Madge in my earlier post, but I decided to post an image of her from a different source. Below is Madge on the cover of the famous Photoplay magazine, the January 1929 edition. BTW, these early magazines are still available at reasonable prices and in quite good condition.

The artist is Charles Sheldon. The pastels he created for Photoplay launched his career in portrait illustrations. Later came cover art commissions for Screenland, Movie Classic and Radio Digest magazines. I think he captured Madge's allure.

Madge Bellamy- What do you think? Allure?

Corinne Griffth

Corinne Griffith

Born in Texarkana Texas in 1894, Corrine appeared in 66 films from 1916 to 1932 and one more in 1962. At the height of her popularity, she was known as the "Orchid Lady of the Screen". In 1925 she made the film 'DeClasse' in which a young extra named Clark Gable appeared. Corinne received an Academy Award nomination for her work in 'The Divine Lady (1929). Not suited for talkies, she wisely retired while still a star. An astute businesswoman after leaving her film career behind, she soon amassed a fortune in real estate holdings. At the time of her death on July 13, 1979, she was one of the wealthiest women in the world, leaving an estate of $150 million. She also wrote several books, including "Papa's Delicate Condition", which was made into a movie starring Jackie Gleason. She was married four times. Her third husband, George Preston Marshall, was founder and owner of the Washington Redskins.

Corinne Griffth - What do you think? Allure?

Lucy Doraine

Lucy Doraine

Born in Hungary in 1898, Lucy appeared in only 23 films from 1918 to 1931. Barely out of her teens, she began a career that was initially guided by the veteran Hungarian director, Mihaly Kertesz (Michael Curtiz), who became her first husband. She eventually moved to the U.S. and made several films in Hollywood and retired from films when she was 33. She died in California in1989 at the age of 91.

Lucy Doraine - What do you think? Allure?

Quick Note #2

A bit of postcard information. If you noticed, the Norma Talmadge postcards are embossed all around the border. These cards were produced by the J. Beagles Post Card Company of London. I don't know much about the history of the company, but they were known for both their hand-colored cards and the beautiful embossing. And once again we see American movie stars given loving treatment overseas.

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If anyone knows more about the Beagles company, please post.

Norma Talmadge

Norma Talmadge

Born Jersey City, NJ, in 1893, Norma appeared in over 200(!) films from 1910 to 1930. After an unhappy homelife, Norma took up modeling at the age of 14. It was then she was discovered by the studio chiefs at Vitagraph - located across the Hudson River in NYC. By 1913 she was Vitagraph's most promising young actress. Interestingly, her sister Constance was working for D.W. Griffith, and arranged for Norma to star in several of his features. Her career continued through the 20's, but talkies didn't suit her voice and she made her last film in 1930. She had a five year marriage to George Jessel in the 30's. A bit of trivia - Footprints of the stars started accidentally when, in 1927, she stepped into wet cement in front of Graumann's Chinese Theater.
Talmadge Street in Hollywood, California, USA is named for Norma and her sister. It ran along the west side of Vitagraph's west coast studio where the Talmadges made some of their movies. The studio is now the ABC Television Center, west coast home of the American Broadcasting Company and its Los Angeles station, KABC-TV.

Norma Talmadge - What do you think? Allure?

Camilla Horn

Camilla Horn

Born 1903 in Germany, Camilla appeared in 66 films from 1921 to 1988. In 1925 she was a double for the legs of Lil Dagover (we will see Lil one of these days) in F.W. Murnau's "Tartüff". Murnau's eye fell on her and in 1926 he gave her the part of Gretchen "Faust". This role made her famous at once. She was signed by United Artists and boss Joseph M. Schenck himself took care of her career and wanted to marry her. She was able to make several successful Hollywood movies, mostly playing vamps. In "Tempest" (1928) and in "Eternal Love" (1929) she starred with John Barrymore. Throughout her career she made films in the U.S. France, England and Germany. She died in 1996.




Camilla Horn - What do you think? Allure?

Kathe Von Nagy

Kathe Von Nagy

Born 1904 in Szabadka, Austria-Hungary (now Subotica, Vojvodina, Yugoslavia), Kathe appeared in 56 films from 1929 to 1952. It wasn't an easy road. She wanted to get married at 16, so her parents sent her to a convent for 18 months. Upon leaving the convent she went, on her own (not common for the time), to Budapest to try her hand at writing. In Budapest she also studied acting, dancing and singing. In 1926, she went to Berlin to make movies - her first was "Men Before Marriage", directed by the man who was to become her first husband. All her films were made in either Germany or France. She died in Hollywood in 1973.





Kathe Von Nagy - What do you think? Allure?

Bessie Love

Bessie Love

Born 1898 in Midland Texas, Bessie appeared in 131 films from 1915 to 1983! She was also a WAMPAS Baby Star in 1922 (see Evelyn Brent for more information on WAMPAS Baby Stars). Her long career included roles in D.W. Griffiths Intolerance (1916) through to Warren Beatty's Reds (1981). I have no idea what picture featured her in the costume you see here, but obviously she was game for anything. She was married to Howard Hawks brother, William Hawks. Bessie died in 1986 in London.



Bessie Love - What do you think? Allure?

Madge Evans

Madge Evans

Born 1909 (d.1981), Madge appeared in 96 films from 1916 to 1956. She was featured in print ads as the "Fairy Soap girl" as an infant. Working for MGM for in the 1930s, she appeared in Dinner at Eight (1933) and David Copperfield (1935) and impersonated the sweet young woman in many movies. Her husband Sidney Kingsley, a playwright, is best known for his plays, later turned into popular films Dead End and Detective Story. She was also photographed by the famous Hollywood photographer Hurrell. In those images she is more sultry than seen here, this image being more the (very pretty) girl next door.


Madge Evans - What do you think? Allure?

Evelyn Brent

Evelyn Brent

Born 1899 (d.1975), Evelyn appeared in 123 films from 1915 to 1950 and an episode of Wagon Train in 1960. Born Mary Elizabeth Riggs in Tampa, Florida and known as Betty, she was a child of ten when her mother died, leaving her father to raise her alone. After moving to New York City, as a teenager her good looks brought modeling jobs that led to an opportunity to become involved in the still relatively new business of making motion pictures. Evelyn was a WAMPAS Baby Star for 1923. The WAMPAS Baby Stars was a promotional campaign sponsored by the Western Association of Motion Picture Advertisers in the United States, which honored thirteen young women each year who they believed to be on the threshold of movie stardom. They were selected from 1922 to 1934 and honored at a party called the "WAMPAS Frolic". Those selected were given extensive media coverage. Evelyn played sultry and tough roles throughout her career.




Evelyn Brent - What do you think? Allure?

Madge Bellamy

Madge Bellamy

Born in Texas in 1899 (d.1990), Madge appeared in 60 films from 1920 to 1945. She described herself as atheist, a vegetarian, and a leftist. Madge was specially chosen by Fox as the star of their first-ever talkie, Mother Knows Best (1928) and at the height of her fame she lived in 'The Cedars', a replica of a Spanish castle. Here are three very different looks at Madge.







Madge Bellamy - What do you think? Allure?

Rose Barsony

Rose Barsony

Born in Budapest, Rose, also credited as Rosy Barsony, Rozai Barsony, Rózsi Bársony and Bársony Rózsi, appeared in 14 films from 1932 to 1938 and one more in 1957. Rose was also a soubrette, a soprano role frequently found in comic operas or operettas; the soubrette usually possesses a flirtatious demeanor and street wise manner. In 1937 at Milan (Italy) the operetta "Zizì" with Barsony and her husband was forbidden by fascist authorities because the two artists were Jewish. She died in 1977.


Rose Barsony - What do you think? Allure?