Sixties Posts

CINEMA RETRO

The new Cinema Retro is out on the stands featuring Part II of my three-part series on Elvis Presley and his swinging sixties starlets. This portion focuses on the years 1965 to 1966 and features comments from Shelley Fabares, Chris Noel, Gail Gerber/Gilmore (at left), Linda Rogers, Francine York, Ann Morell, Sue Ane Langdon, Irene Tsu, and the late Julie Parrish. Films discussed include Girl Happy, Harum Scarum, Tickle Me, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style.

The magazine also has wonderful articles on the making of the 1966 Batman movie; Charles Bronson in Death Wish; and interviews with David McCallum and John Phillip Law. Worth checking out.

RIP Yvonne De Carlo

Though she wasn’t a 60s starlet, I always liked the sultry Yvonne De Carlo who passed away today from natural causes. She was 84. I remember her most from The Ten Commandments where she played Sephora and of course as Lily Munster on The Munsters, which I always preferred over The Addams Family. Not a comedic actress, Yvonne was able to more than held her own opposite Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis and was a trouper joining in on the slapstick where she got many laughs. Years later she began popping up in grade Z horror movies but she always gave a vigorous performance. Theatre queens love her from her turn in Follies where she sang “I’m Still Here” and I am sure she was just fabulous.

CELESTE YARNALL

The new year has started off just right as Fantasty Femme cover girl Celeste Yarnall will be co-starring as a nurse in a new movie called The Two Sisters starring Erin Daly, Kathleen Reed, and cult horror film actress Brinke Stevens. Check out the official web site for more information.

JOSEPH BARBERA

Animation legend Joseph Barbera of Hanna-Barbera passed away recently. Click here to read a wonderful tribute to him by my friend Shaun Chang.

Though you usually don’t associate starlets with Saturday morning cartoons Hanna-Barbera gave us many line-drawned gals who if were flesh and blood would be featured in any of my books: Betty Rubble of The Flintstones; Judy Jetson of The Jetsons; Daphne of Scooby Doo…Where Are You?; Alexandra the real star of Josie and the Pussycats; and Penelope Pitstop of The Wacky Races. They also gave us Jonny Quest where every young gay boy dreamed of living in this all-male household traveling the world getting in all sorts of adventures and predictaments only to be saved by that hunky Race Bannon…ah but that’s another post.