Idiots: On Munch and von Trier
“Not direct access to reality, of course, but a different kind of access.”
Ella Raines: The Striking Beauty of 1940s Film Noir
Ella Raines (1920–1988) was an American actress celebrated for her striking beauty, sharp intelligence, and commanding screen presence during Hollywood’s Golden Age. With her high cheekbones, expressive eyes, and elegant yet strong features, she stood out as one of the most distinctive leading ladies of the 1940s.
Raines gained critical acclaim for her performances in classic film noirs such as Phantom Lady (1944) and The Suspect (1944), often playing independent, intelligent, and resilient women. Though her film career was relatively brief, she left a memorable mark with her sophisticated style and natural acting talent.
These captivating vintage photos capture the cool elegance, sharp intelligence, and magnetic presence of Ella Raines, one of the most distinctive and underrated beauties of 1940s Hollywood.
22 Romantic Photos of Rob Lowe and Melissa Gilbert in the 1980s
Rob Lowe and Melissa Gilbert had a highly publicized, on-and-off relationship that lasted for six years, from 1981 to 1987. Both actors were just 17 years old when they began dating. At the time, Gilbert was already a massive television star from her role as Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie. Meanwhile, Lowe was a rising talent whose career completely skyrocketed during their relationship due to “Brat Pack” films like The Outsiders.
The two met briefly at age 14 but officially began dating at 17 after crossing paths at a traffic light. In her memoir Prairie Tale, Gilbert recalled falling “instantly, hopelessly and stupidly in love.” Gilbert has described the relationship as “very tumultuous,” largely because she was unprepared for Lowe’s rapid rise to heartthrob status. She noted that female fans would completely ignore her, pushing right past her to slide phone numbers into Lowe’s pockets, which she called “hard and horrible.”
As Lowe’s fame grew, so did his reputation as a Hollywood “bad boy.” He later admitted to being unfaithful multiple times throughout their long-distance relationship, including liaisons with co-stars like Nastassja Kinski and Demi Moore. After discovering Lowe’s infidelity, Gilbert had a brief retaliatory fling with actor John Cusack, one of Lowe’s good friends, which she described as her own private “screw you.”
Despite the ongoing drama, Lowe proposed to Gilbert in 1986, and she accepted. Shortly after the engagement, Gilbert learned she was unexpectedly pregnant. When she told Lowe, he admitted he was not ready to be a father or commit to a family, which caused the relationship to unravel for good in 1987. Shortly after their final breakup, Gilbert suffered a devastating miscarriage. She wrote in her book that losing both her baby and her relationship with Lowe “hurt like hell.”
Despite the painful ending, both stars eventually found closure and managed to maintain a mutual respect and friendship in their later years. Both wrote openly about the relationship in their respective memoirs. Gilbert eventually found long-term happiness, marrying actor Timothy Busfield in 2013. Lowe has been married to makeup artist Sheryl Berkoff since 1991.
1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 Tourer: Pinnacle of the American Brass Era
The 1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 Tourer was one of the most luxurious and exclusive American automobiles of the Brass Era. Built by the Simplex Automobile Company in New Brunswick, New Jersey, it was powered by a massive 9.7-liter (597 cubic inch) inline-six engine producing around 110 horsepower — an enormous output for the time.
Renowned for its exceptional engineering, superb craftsmanship, and elegant proportions, the Crane Model 5 was favored by wealthy industrialists and sportsmen who desired both high performance and supreme comfort. The Tourer body style featured graceful lines, large wooden-spoke wheels, and an open design ideal for long-distance touring.
With a price tag that rivaled the finest European marques, the 1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 represented the pinnacle of American luxury motoring before World War I. These striking photos beautifully capture the commanding presence, refined proportions, and undeniable prestige of the 1915 Simplex Crane Model 5 Tourer, a true symbol of American automotive excellence in the early 20th century.
Photos of Rosalind Russell in the 1930s
In the 1930s, Rosalind Russell (June 4, 1907 – November 28, 1976) transitioned from a Broadway stage actress into a major Hollywood film star under contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). After entering the Hollywood studio system in 1934, she spent most of the decade playing supporting roles, sophisticated “other women,” or filling in for roles passed on by established stars like Myrna Loy and Joan Crawford. However, by 1939, she broke through her initial typecasting with a manic, comedic performance in The Women, cementing her status as one of Hollywood’s premier comediennes just as the decade closed.
Russell arrived in Los Angeles in the early 1930s and briefly signed with Universal Pictures. Feeling neglected there, she cleverly negotiated her release and signed a seven-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM). At MGM, executives often used Russell as a bargaining chip. They explicitly cast her in secondary roles or used her as leverage to keep Myrna Loy’s salary demands under control. She made her official screen debut in the 1934 dramatic mystery film Evelyn Prentice, starring alongside William Powell and Myrna Loy.
Before finding her definitive comedic niche, she played serious characters, such as a fanatical, manipulative housewife in Dorothy Arzner’s Craig’s Wife (1936). She also starred in the psychological thriller Night Must Fall (1937) and the British medical drama The Citadel (1938). She gained her first wave of major critical acclaim starring opposite Robert Young in the 1935 drama West Point of the Air, proving she could carry top-billed material.
Desperate to break free from rigid, dignified typecasting, Russell aggressively auditioned five times for director George Cukor to secure the role of the venomous gossip Sylvia Fowler in the all-female comedy The Women (1939).
Stealing scenes from Hollywood heavyweights Norma Shearer and Joan Crawford, her physical comedy and frantic facial expressions in the film became a massive hit. This performance perfectly set the stage for her legendary, fast-talking role in His Girl Friday just a few months later in January 1940.
