Carlos Mencia Charged With 12 Felony Tax Counts
For failure to report $8.7 million in taxes.
Drinking Movies: Down and Out at Cannes
“Nicolas Cage went to Las Vegas to drink himself to death in Leaving Las Vegas, Tabea Blumenschein in Ticket of No Return went to Berlin, and I went to Cannes.”
40 Vintage Postcards of Jeanette MacDonald From the 1930s and 1940s
Jeanette MacDonald (June 18, 1903 – January 14, 1965) was a major American soprano, actress, and one of the biggest stars of Hollywood musicals in the 1930s and 1940s. She was renowned for her operatic voice, elegant screen presence, and romantic pairings, especially with Nelson Eddy. She starred in 29 feature films during this period, with several earning Best Picture Oscar nominations, and she recorded extensively (earning gold records).
She started in lighter, saucier roles at Paramount, often with Maurice Chevalier in films like The Love Parade (1929), One Hour With You (1932), Love Me Tonight (1932), and The Merry Widow (1934). She was nicknamed the “Lingerie Queen of the Talkies” for playful boudoir scenes and revealing costumes. Her image was sexy and carefree.
She shifted to more wholesome, genteel roles under Louis B. Mayer’s influence. Her hugely popular operetta pairings with baritone Nelson Eddy began with Naughty Marietta (1935) and included Rose-Marie (1936), Maytime (1937), Sweethearts (1938), and others up to I Married an Angel (1942). These romantic musicals featured duets, elaborate production numbers, and her powerful high notes. She also appeared in non-Eddy hits like San Francisco (1936).
Her film output slowed as musical tastes changed, but she continued with films like Smilin’ Through (1941) and The Sun Comes Up (1949). She focused on concerts, radio, recordings, and charity work during World War II. In the mid-1940s, she pursued grand opera (e.g., debuting as Juliet in Roméo et Juliette), aiming to elevate her classical credentials.
She was nicknamed the “Iron Butterfly“ for her ladylike beauty combined with toughness in contract negotiations. Her career introduced opera and operetta to mass audiences via film. She had a light, pure soprano voice with excellent high notes (including a famous high C), ringing vibrato, and clear tone suited to operetta and light opera. It was melodic and expressive rather than heavy Wagnerian. Her singing blended classical technique with accessible charm, popularizing “crossover” style. She was praised for technical skill, emotional delivery in duets, and bringing opera to moviegoers.
She married actor Gene Raymond in 1937 (a stable but not always happy union). There were long-running rumors of a romance with Nelson Eddy, which both denied. Health issues (including heart problems) began affecting her in the mid-1940s.
She remained active in concerts, TV, and recordings into later decades but is best remembered for her golden era in the 1930s–early 1940s as Hollywood’s “queen of the musical screen.” Her films are still celebrated for their romance, music, and glamour.
Natalie Wood: Glamorous Portraits From “Penelope” (1966)
In 1966, Natalie Wood was at the peak of her beauty and stardom when she starred in the lively comedy Penelope. These glamorous portraits capture the 28-year-old actress radiating confidence, charm, and effortless elegance both on and off the set.
Dressed in stylish costumes and showcasing her signature dark hair and luminous eyes, Wood brought a perfect mix of sophistication and playful energy to the role. The images beautifully reflect her status as one of Hollywood’s most enchanting leading ladies during the mid-1960s, showcasing not only her striking beauty but also the undeniable star power she possessed at this golden moment in her career.
June 18, 1963: Paul McCartney Celebrated His 21st Birthday at His Aunt Jin’s House at 147 Dinas Lane, Huyton, Liverpool
Paul McCartney’s 21st birthday party on June 18, 1963, at his Aunt Jin’s house became infamous for a violent alteration where John Lennon severely beat Cavern Club DJ Bob Wooler. While the milestone event at 147 Dinas Lane in Huyton, Liverpool started as a joyous celebration with Merseybeat royalty, it is remembered as one of the darkest days in early Beatles history.
Held inside and under a marquee tent set up in the back garden of Paul’s Aunt Jin (also known as Auntie Gin or Ginny). Local group The Fourmost performed at Paul’s request and famously refused to accept any payment for the gig. Paul’s brother Mike also had his comedy group, Scaffold, perform a set. Attendees included all members of The Beatles, Paul’s new girlfriend Jane Asher, Billy J. Kramer, and members of The Shadows (Hank Marvin, Bruce Welch, and Brian Bennett).
Late in the evening, the party took a chaotic turn fueled by heavy drinking. Legendary Cavern Club emcee Bob Wooler began repeatedly teasing John Lennon about his recent vacation to Spain with the Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, jokingly referring to it as a “honeymoon.” Heavily intoxicated and enraged by the insinuations, 22-year-old Lennon snapped. He viciously attacked Wooler with his fists and a stick, leaving the DJ hospitalized with bruised ribs and a black eye.
Lennon had to be physically dragged off Wooler. He later stated in The Beatles Anthology that seeing himself nearly kill Wooler was the shocking turning point that made him swear off personal violence forever.
“Bob Wooler had been insinuating that me and Brian had had an affair in Spain. And I must have been frightened of the fag in me to get so angry. I was out of my mind with drink – you know, when you get down to the point where you want to drink out of all the empty glasses; that drunk.“And Bob was saying, ‘Come on, John, tell me about you and Brian – we all know.’ You know when you’re twenty-one, you want to be a man – if somebody had said it now I wouldn’t give a sh*t, but I was beating the sh*t out of him, hitting him with a big stick, and for the first time I thought, ‘I can kill this guy.’“I just saw it, like on a screen: if I hit him once more, that’s going to be it. I really got shocked. That’s when I gave up violence, because all my life I’d been like that.”
Terrified that the assault would ruin the band’s rapidly rising career, immediate damage control took place. Brian Epstein took Wooler to the hospital while Cynthia Lennon hurried John away from the party. To avoid a high-profile, catastrophic lawsuit in the national press, John sent a telegram of apology and paid Wooler an out-of-court settlement of £200 to drop the matter.
