Yesteryear

20 Amazing Photos of Gong Li on the Set of “Raise the Red Lantern” (1991)

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In the 1991 masterpiece Raise the Red Lantern, Gong Li delivers what is widely considered one of the greatest performances in world cinema. Playing the lead character, Songlian, she portrays a 19-year-old educated woman forced to become the “Fourth Mistress” (concubine) of a wealthy merchant in 1920s China.

Gong Li’s performance is noted for its “haunting” quality, tracing Songlian’s shift from a defiant, self-possessed young woman into a victim broken by a rigid patriarchal system. Her character initially believes she can navigate the system with her education and pride. However, she becomes trapped in a “deadly snake pit” of competition with the other three wives for their husband’s favor—symbolized by the lighting of the red lanterns and the privilege of a foot massage.

Gong Li represents a “tragic victim” who unintentionally becomes an executioner for other innocent victims within the house, eventually descending into madness as the cruelty of the household rituals takes its toll.

The film uses “penetrating close-ups” of Gong Li to convey her emotional isolation and internal struggle. This was the second major collaboration between Gong Li and director Zhang Yimou, following Red Sorghum, and it remains one of their most critically acclaimed works.

Why Is The Ball Dropping Twice On New Year’s Eve This Year?

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Every year, New Year’s Eve draws massive crowds to Times Square and millions more to their screens. People gather for one defining moment: the ball drop at midnight. That shared countdown signals the start of a new year and closes the chapter on the one before it. Over time, New Year’s Eve has become one […]

The post Why Is The Ball Dropping Twice On New Year’s Eve This Year? appeared first on DoYouRemember? – The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Ruth A

‘Diff’rent Strokes’ Star Melanie Watson Dies At 57

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For fans of classic television, Diff’rent Strokes remains a touchstone of 1980s family sitcoms. While much attention focused on its young stars, the series also introduced viewers to guest characters who left lasting impressions in only a few appearances. Melanie Watson was one of those figures, remembered for a role that carried both emotional weight […]

The post ‘Diff’rent Strokes’ Star Melanie Watson Dies At 57 appeared first on DoYouRemember? – The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Ruth A

Daniela Bianchi: Elegance and Charm in 1960s Cinema

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Born 1942 in Rome, Daniela Bianchi is an Italian actress best known for her iconic role as Tatiana Romanova, the beautiful Soviet corporal and love interest of James Bond, in the 1963 film From Russia with Love.

Before her rise to international fame, Bianchi was a professional ballet dancer and a successful fashion model, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss Universe 1960 pageant. Her portrayal of Romanova is often cited as one of the most memorable “Bond Girl” performances, characterized by a perfect blend of elegance, vulnerability, and classic cinematic charm.

Despite the massive success of the Bond franchise, Bianchi chose to retire from the film industry in 1970 after marrying a prominent Italian shipping tycoon, leaving behind a brief but luminous legacy as one of the definitive beauties of 1960s European cinema.

Rare Photos of a Very Young Anthony Hopkins During His Time in the British Army

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Before he became the legendary face of Hannibal Lecter or Odin, a young Philip Anthony Hopkins served his country as a soldier in the British Army. His service took place during the twilight of the National Service era, just before he launched into the formal acting training that would define his life. He completed two years of mandatory National Service in the British Army from 1958 to 1960. He served in the Royal Artillery and was officially known as 23449720 Gunner Hopkins.

Having graduated from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in 1957, Hopkins was called up for his mandatory two-year National Service. For a young man who was a gifted pianist and a “dreamer” who struggled with traditional academics, the transition to the disciplined environment of the Royal Artillery was a stark contrast.

Hopkins has often noted that he wasn’t naturally suited for the rigid, “no-nonsense” structure of the military. However, he has reflected that the experience instilled a sense of discipline and “standing up straight” that mirrored the advice of his father, a hard-working baker from Port Talbot.

Even while serving, his passion for performance remained. Upon his demobilization in 1960, he didn’t return to a “standard” trade; instead, he made his professional stage debut in Swansea in a play titled Have a Cigarette.

His time in the army acted as a bridge between his early studies in Wales and his move to London, where he won a scholarship to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 1961.

Though his military career was brief, Hopkins would later return to the uniform many times on screen. His real-life experience as a “Gunner” likely informed his portrayals of high-ranking military figures, such as Lt. Col. John Frost in A Bridge Too Far (1977) and Captain William Bligh in The Bounty (1984).

The 1902 Panhard et Levassor Type A2: A Pioneer of Modern Engineering

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The 1902 Panhard et Levassor Type A2 stands as a pivotal milestone in automotive history, representing the era when the automobile began to move away from the “horseless carriage” design toward a more modern architecture.

As one of the premier French manufacturers of the early 20th century, Panhard et Levassor utilized the revolutionary Système Panhard, which placed the engine at the front of the vehicle and used a rear-wheel-drive configuration, a layout that would become the industry standard for decades. The Type A2 was typically powered by a Centaure two-cylinder engine, producing around 5 to 7 horsepower, which was sufficient to propel the elegant wooden-spoke-wheeled vehicle at modest speeds.

Often featuring a “Tonneau” body style with rear-entry seating, the A2 was not only a feat of engineering but also a symbol of luxury and status during the dawn of the motoring age. Below is a collection of amazing photos of the 1902 Panhard et Levassor Type A2.

40 Funny Photos of Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in “Chris’s New Year’s Eve Party” (1962)

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Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance in “Chris’s New Year’s Eve Party” (1962), the fourteenth episode of the first season of The Lucy Show. It first aired December 31, 1962 on CBS. When her daughter Chris’s party is a flop, Lucy and Viv revive it with their silent movie sketch featuring Lucy as Charlie Chaplin. Not exactly a full scale show, it is still performed for an audience – Chris’s teenage friends.

Chris exacts a promise from Lucy that she can throw a New Year’s Eve party without Lucy’s interference. Neighbor, Harry Connors is pressed into service to chaperone the party, leaving Lucy and Viv on their own for the night.

Lucy and Viv take the boys to the Elm Tree Inn to stay out of Chris’ way. After a sweet but dull dinner with the boys, Viv’s boyfriend, Eddie, drops by to tell them that the party is a disaster and Chris needs their help.

Everyone rushes home to help. Lucy, with assistance from Viv and Harry, entertains Chris’ guests with a Charlie Chaplin routine that ushers in the New Year with great success. Photographer Ralph Crane captured this performance in a series of black and white photographs for LIFE magazine:

Mugshots of Bertha Liebbeke aka Fainting Bertha, One of the Midwest’s Most Infamous Pickpockets

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Bertha Liebbeke (often spelled Liebke), known by the alias “Fainting Bertha,” was one of the American Midwest’s most notorious pickpockets during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Bertha’s 1899 CDV mugshot (front and back) listed her many aliases. Her occupation was given as “prostitute,” possibly an effort by police to blacken her name. (History Nebraska)

A Chicago detective named Clifton Woolridge described Bertha as a “girlish young woman, with the baby dimples and skin of peach and cream, the innocent blue eyes, and the smiles that play so easily over her face as she talks vivaciously and with keen sense of both wit and humor.” Woolridge was clearly smitten with Bertha, and he was not the only man to fall into her trap.

She was born in March 1880 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. When she was in her mid-teens, Bertha’s father, William, died. Soon after his death she was diagnosed with St. Vitus Dance (now called Sydenham’s chorea), an infectious disease resulting in uncontrollable twitching and jerking movements of the victim’s face, hands and feet. The diagnosis got her sent to the Iowa Institution for Feeble-Minded Children in Glenwood. Due to age restrictions she was later transferred to the Iowa State Hospital for the Insane in Clarinda. She remained there for less than a year.

After her release from the mental hospital, Bertha claimed a man named Gunther seduced her. She also claimed he schooled her in the art of “larceny from the person.” She proved to be an excellent student. Not only was she good at getting the goods, she developed a unique approach to pickpocketing that took advantage of her beauty.

Bertha would locate a prosperous-looking gentleman in a crowd and smile demurely at him. Intrigued, he would come closer. When he got next to her, she would be suddenly overcome by a dizzy spell. The gallant gentleman would catch the lovely lady just in time to keep her from hitting the ground. She heaved a sigh, came to and thanked him, but not before she’d picked her rescuer’s pockets so skillfully that he didn’t notice the theft until she was long gone. When they reported their losses to the police, none of Bertha’s victims suspected her as the culprit.

Even after news reports about “Fainting Bertha” made her the most notorious female pickpocket in the Midwest, men continued to walk into her trap. She could steal anything—a wallet, a diamond stickpin, a gold watch—without batting an eyelash.

Margaret Reilly was one of Bertha’s many aliases. (Pittsburgh Daily Post, Feb. 22, 1925)

Before long Bertha was traveling by boat and train to all the big Midwestern cities, robbing conductors and passengers along the way. She also used her nimble fingers to steal from department stores, including Marshall Field’s in Chicago, where Detective Woolridge made her acquaintance. Over the course of her career she used at least nine aliases. By the turn of the century her photo graced the walls of every rogues’ gallery in the Midwest.

Being photographed by the police didn’t bother Bertha in the least. She smiled beguilingly when, as inmate #5693, she was photographed at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, where she’d been sent after a conviction for grand larceny.

Bertha smiled in her mugshots taken at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. (History Nebraska)

It was becoming clear that all was not well with Bertha’s mind. She suffered periodic bouts of insanity so intense it was impossible for prison guards, doctors or hospital attendants to control her. In the grip of one of these attacks, which often occurred at night, she had been known to break every window she could reach while screaming profanities at the top of her lungs. Her mood swings were extreme—one minute she was calm and the next, she was crying hysterically.

Unfortunately for hospital and prison officials, Bertha was not only good at stealing jewelry and cash, she also had a talent for lifting keys and picking locks. In 1905, when she was a patient in an insane asylum in Kankakee, Illinois, she escaped and tried to set fire to herself. By 1907 she’d been housed in seven different penitentiaries and asylums and she’d escaped a dozen times from them. She also frequently threatened to commit suicide. Back and forth between the hospital and the prison Bertha went.

A Young Patti Smith Photographed by Norman Seeff in New York, 1969

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In 1969, Patti Smith was still living on the margins of New York’s art world. She was known mainly as a poet, reading her work in small downtown spaces, drifting between cheap rooms, bookstores, and the Chelsea Hotel orbit. Rock stardom was not yet part of the picture. She dressed simply, often borrowing men’s clothes, cultivating a look that felt instinctive rather than styled. What mattered to her was language, attitude, and presence, not polish.

Norman Seeff, at the same time, was just beginning to define his photographic voice. He was fascinated less by celebrity than by creative tension, the psychological state of artists before they became icons. When he photographed Patti Smith in New York, he wasn’t documenting fame; he was witnessing potential.

The shoot took place in a studio on West 72nd Street and Amsterdam Avenue (or, by some accounts, in a kitchen in the Chelsea Hotel). Because Seeff was still learning how to interact with subjects, the session was informal and raw. You can even see photographic equipment in the background of some shots, which later became part of Seeff’s signature “behind-the-scenes” style.

What makes the photographs significant in hindsight is how fully formed Patti Smith already seems. Years before Horses (1975) and her emergence as the godmother of punk, the images already contain her defiance, vulnerability, and poetic gravity. You can see the same spirit that would later electrify CBGB and reshape rock imagery—only here, it’s still unfiltered and unsure of its own future.

Late Show Starring Joan Rivers, The

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1 9 8 6 – 1 9 8 8 (USA) 178 x episodes Joan Rivers was the first performer signed to the fledgling Fox network, which had high hopes that a late-night talk show hosted by the quick-witted comedienne would prove to be an auspicious inaugural series. After all, she had been “permanent guest host” of […]