Three Weeks Til Christmas...

Cheryl Crane, infamous daughter of Lana Turner and ex-husband Stephen Crane, is the internet proprieter behind Lana Turner Estate Property, the eBay store auctioning off dozens of dazzling digs once owned by Miss Lana herself. Fabulous finds like vintage jewelry, hats, and ashtrays and even personal effects like handbags, perfume, and lipstick are up for sale, with each individual listing providing a complete description of each item and Cheryl's memories of its significance to her mother. There's the decanter set from Frank Sinatra, an ashtray given by Bob Hope, and a pair of emerald-and-pearl earrings that Miss Turner swapped with one Ava Gardner all up for grabs, the last of which I would probably denounce all of my worldly goods simply to wear for an evening.

Whether or not you have $125 to spend on genuine Lana-owned gold bangles or faux diamond bracelets, the anecdotes that Crane unknowingly offers are worth even more than that. In her precise but offhanded descriptions of her mother's treasures, Crane reveals facets of Lana you may not have read about in mama's autobiography, like the fact that she had to keep her massive collection of costume jewelry in custom-made storage, loved to wear pearls with black clothing, and swooned over Bob Taylor's expert wooing skills.

Under a photo of Lana and uber-stud Robert Taylor, for instance, is the caption

"At the time this photo was taken Mother and Robert Taylor were in the middle of a hot and heavy love affair. She always gave him credit for being a good KISSER.........."

Pawing through Lana Turner's jewelry collection, hearing firsthand accounts of her day-to-day life, perusing gifts from past lovers...this is essentially like having a gossipfest sleepover, only without the pajamas and popcorn. I absolutely love it. All this really means for me, though, is that I need a second job. My life will not be complete until I can wear a pair of Lana Turner's screwbacks!

Breaking News: I Hate IMDb

In my nearly ten years as a classic film fan, The Internet Movie Database has proven a veritable mecca, reliably rife with quotes, anecdotes, information, and trivia on my favorite films and the stars I love. But its millions of registered users have found its functions rendered inaccessible this week while the entire site undergoes some major aesthetic changes, and I, for one, hate them (the changes, not the users).

Though its official question-and-answer page regarding the site explains that its old layout was "antiquated and, according to the traffic patterns, not as utilitarian as we would have liked", IMDb's new pages seem completely unnavigable, especially to seasoned users who are accustomed to the original layout's exact placement of specific information. A lack of discrepancy between the various fonts that serve as titles, active links, and actual text makes for a confusing read, too.

Luckily, IMDb is incredibly user-friendly and is encouraging feedback on the site overhaul, although that function is currently unavailable in the midst of the site reconstruction. I recommend sharing your thoughts on the new look - especially if you've found this blog while perusing IMDb's numerous message boards - either with IMDb, or by posting your comments below.

In the meantime, though, you can join me in carrying on as though not a thing has changed at my favorite site, and surf as you usually would on Former IMDb (same site, with the layout you love). Down with change!


Update, 2/20: My precious IMDb remains the same as of today! The new changes that were implemented last night are no longer available, and the extra features like message boards are now accessible again. Perhaps I have more influence than I thought...?

New Sites Posted

I recently received the link to a new site, MickeyRooneyFanClub.com, by its very friendly founder, Jessie. I do hope everyone takes a spin by there, as it is very well-organized, has great polls, memorabilia, and facts (and of course, it boasts a myriad of Mickey photos organized by decade). After several futile google searches, I can testify as to how difficult it is to find informative, comprehensive websites on our favorite leading men - so we're lucky this one's a certified gem. Be sure to check it out!

I've also added a fantastic Joan Crawford fansite that I stumbled upon while searching for the photo I used for the post immediately preceding this one. It's been comprised by a huge Joan fan, a young man named Neil, and I urge you to set aside some time to browse through the immense photo galleries, read fan letters, and learn a little about this oft-overlooked screen sensation and her significant contributions to film and history.


Do enjoy perusing these sites! I am more than happy to link to your sites if they pertain to classic cinema - please e-mail me to get a post!