| Femmes Fatales | Musiquarium | Feb 27 2021 |
Hmm... it's always a tough decision. Which of my many talents should I flaunt today?
Above is a photo of vaudevillian, stage actress, movie star, television host, writer, and internationally renowned singer Pearl Bailey. She excelled in all the various areas of her artistic pursuits, but began her career as a nightclub performer, for years touring around the U.S. before her rise to household fame began by appearing in movies, firstly 1947's Variety Girl. The next year she split a platter with Buddy Clark, and went on to release more than two dozen albums. The regal image above is undated, but were we to guess, we'd say it's probably from around the time she appeared in the hit film Carmen Jones in 1954.
| Femmes Fatales | Apr 10 2010 |
Love is a many splintered thing.
Above, a promo shot of American actress and singer Dorothy Dandridge, circa 1954. Dandridge is a screen legend who behind the scenes suffered a lot of heartbreak and tragedy, including a mentally disabled daughter, and romantic relationships that ended badly. On the other side of the ledger she had talent to burn and was the first African American woman nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress, for her perfornamce in Carmen Jones. Her legacy is secure.
| Vintage Pulp | Apr 1 2010 |
I feel like the music sounds better with you.
Japanese promo poster for Carmen Jones, Otto Preminger’s all black version of Bizet’s opera Carmen, starring Dorothy Dandridge, Harry Belafonte, Pearl Bailey, and Diahann Carroll. Carmen Jones opened in Tokyo in April 1960.
JapanCarmen JonesCarmenBizetDorothy DandridgeHarry BelafontePearl BaileyDiahann Carrollposter artcinema
