Yesteryear - Creative Underworld

Take Three

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1 9 6 1 – 1 9 6 2 (Australia0 26 x 30 minute episodes Debuting on 17 March 1961, this half-hour variety show was broadcast live from Melbourne by the Australian Broadcasting Commission. The fast-moving show combined comedy and song presented without a compère or host. The three cast members were English-born comedian/actor Johnny Ladd […]

Bentley’s Bandbox

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1 9 6 0 (Australia) 6 x 30 minute episodes Premiering on Tuesday 26 July 1960, this short-lived variety show from the Australian ABC was hosted by comedian Dick Bentley and featured comedy, song and dance as a temporary replacement for the live variety show Make Ours Music. Unfortunately, the kinescope recordings used for the show were of […]

Robert Guillaume Show, The

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1 9 8 9 (USA) 12 x 30 minute episodes Former Soap and Benson star Robert Guillaume portrayed marriage counsellor Edward Sawyer, who could have used some counselling himself in this short-lived ABC comedy. For one thing, he was divorced, a fact he didn’t mention to most of his nutty clients. Moreover, the woman he was […]

Rare Portrait Ambrotypes of Japanese People From the Late 19th Century

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In the late 19th century, as Japan navigated the transformative Meiji Era, the ambrotype, known locally as garasu-shashin (glass photos), became a cherished medium for capturing the nation’s changing identity. Unlike the fleeting paper prints of the time, these underexposed glass negatives, backed with black material to create a positive image, offered a hauntingly sharp and ethereal depth.

Sourced from tokyogaz, these portraits are remarkable for their cultural synthesis, they often depict subjects in a state of flux. Typically encased in custom-carved Kiri-wood (Paulownia) boxes, these ambrotypes were treated not merely as photographs, but as sacred family talismans, preserving the stoic dignity and quiet grace of a society standing on the threshold of the modern world.

Ambrotype in pawlonia wood case. Father and son in kimono and tabi, January 2, 1882

Ambrotype of 3-year-old boy named Sawa Genzo

Ambrotype of a 19-year-old man, April 8, 1888

Ambrotype of Japanese gentleman named Suzuki Gohei in kimono, 1898

Ambrotype of three men seated at a table, upon which there is a stack of books. One of the men has a ‘chon-mage’ or top-knot

Portraits of Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra Taken by Philippe Le Tellier, 1962

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In 1962, French photographer Philippe Le Tellier captured iconic behind the scenes portraits of Elizabeth Taylor on the set of Cleopatra at Cinecittà studios in Rome. His photographs are notable for showing the actress in her elaborate regal costumes while highlighting her relaxed and human side during the film’s famously high-pressure production.

The photos were taken primarily in March 1962 during the Roman phase of filming. His work often features Taylor in her iconic blue crown or golden headdress, showcasing the Academy Award-winning costume design. These images remain essential pieces of film history, depicting Taylor at the peak of her “screen goddess” status amidst the extravagance and scandal that defined the production.

Vintage Cover Photos of ABC Film Review Magazine in the 1950s

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First published in 1950, ABC Film Review (later known simply as Film Review) was a cornerstone of British cinema culture for over half a century.

Originally created as a promotional magazine for the Associated British Cinemas (ABC) circuit, it quickly transcended its marketing roots to become the UK’s longest-running film publication. For generations of moviegoers, the magazine was an essential companion to the silver screen, famous for its glossy star portraits, behind-the-scenes features, and its comprehensive “descriptive reviews” that helped shape public taste.

By capturing the transition from the Golden Age of Hollywood to the blockbuster era, ABC Film Review served as a vivid historical archive of changing cinematic trends and celebrity fandom. Even as digital media eventually took over, the magazine’s legacy remains a nostalgic symbol of a time when the magic of the movies was first captured on the printed page, making it a prized collectible for cinephiles and historians today.

Below is a collection of ABC Film Review magazine covers from the 1950s.

ABC Film Review magazine first cover, 1950

ABC Film Review magazine cover, 1950

ABC Film Review magazine cover, March 1951

ABC Film Review magazine cover, April 1952

ABC Film Review magazine cover, August 1952

30 Stunning Portraits of a Young and Beautiful Betty Hutton in the 1940s

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Betty Hutton (born Elizabeth June Thornburg; February 26, 1921 – March 12, 2007) was an American stage, film, and television actress, comedian, dancer, and singer. She rose to fame in the 1940s as a contract player for Paramount Pictures, appearing primarily in musicals and became one of the studio’s most valuable stars. She was noted for her energetic performance style.

She started the decade on Broadway with hits like Two for the Show (1940) and Panama Hattie (1940), where her “overdrive” energy even led to songs being cut to keep the show balanced. After signing with Paramount in 1941, she made her feature debut in The Fleet’s In (1942). Her major breakthrough came in Preston Sturges’s screwball comedy The Miracle of Morgan’s Creek (1944), which proved she could handle both comedy and dramatic acting.

During World War II, she was a favorite for entertaining the troops and starred in morale-boosting hits like Star Spangled Rhythm (1942) and Here Come the Waves (1944). She dominated the mid-to-late 1940s with films like Incendiary Blonde (1945), where she played Texas Guinan, and The Perils of Pauline (1947).

Below is a selection of 30 stunning portraits of a young and beautiful Betty Hutton in the 1940s:

Amazing Photos of Johnny Cash Taken by Michael Rougier for LIFE Magazine, 1969

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In 1969, photographer Michael Rougier captured one of the most intimate and revealing photo essays of Johnny Cash for LIFE magazine. Unlike the grit of the Folsom or San Quentin concert photos, Rougier’s work focused on Cash’s life during a massive career pivot.

This was a “rebirth” year for Cash. He had recently married June Carter, was celebrating the success of his live prison albums, and was filming The Johnny Cash Show at the Ryman Auditorium.

One of the most famous shots depicts Cash walking along railway tracks near his home in Hendersonville, Tennessee, carrying his guitar. He was also photographed posing in front of the historic Dixie 576 steam locomotive in Nashville.

Rougier documented Cash during recording sessions at Columbia Studio B in Nashville. The collection includes intimate photos of Cash with family and friends at his Tennessee home, as well as portraits with fellow artists like Glen Campbell.

Rougier was known for his “fly-on-the-wall” approach. Because Cash was notoriously guarded, these photos are highly regarded for their authenticity. They didn’t feel like staged publicity stills; they felt like a window into the life of a man who was finally finding peace after years of drug addiction and legal trouble.

Poltergeist: The Legacy

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1 9 9 6 – 1 9 9 9 (Canada) 87 x 60 minute episodes The Legacy was a secret society that had been formed in the 6th Century as humanity’s last line of defence against the evils of the supernatural world and “those creatures that inhabit the shadows and the night.” Over the centuries, […]

Evening at the Improv, An

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1 9 8 1(USA) 1 9 8 8 – 1 9 9 5 (USA) 389 x 60 minute episodes Initially syndicated in 1981 with Budd Friedman (the founder of the original Improv club in New York) as host, An Evening At The Improv became a long-running late-night showcase of stand-up comedy. The show was broadcast […]