Waldina

Today is the 78th birthday of Edie Sedgwick. She died 49 years ago. Strange to think.  She will always be young.  I am not exactly sure why It Girls tend to end up cautionary tales of what happens when you fly to close to the sun, but they do. Maybe in order to be an It Girl, it requires quite a bit of excess (money, drugs, alcohol, etc) and it is hard to get away from those things without scars. Whatever the reason, she was irreverent, insolent, and gorgeous. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 128th birthday of the silent film actor Harold Lloyd. That clock scene is one of the most famous silent film scenes ever created. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 91st birthday of the second Darrin Stephens: Dick Sargent. He was part of my favorite show as a kid:  Bewitched. It had everything:  magic, eccentric family members, great home decor, a crazy neighbor, an awesome family doctor, and the man that witnessed it all like the exasperated voice-of-reason mortal that we would have been if we were there. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.

Today is the 89th birthday of the artist Fernando Botero. Is art and subjects are immediately recognizable and that is what makes him one of the most interesting living artists. The world is a better place because he was in it.

Today is the 88th birthday of the woman who has as much drive and determination as she did talent and it showed:  Jayne Mansfield. She created her signature style and color to be easily memorable and quickly identifiable.  Brilliant marketing. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the 72nd birthday of the domestic terrorism victim Addie Mae Collins. An innocent little girl killed because adult men were afraid of things they didn’t know or understand. Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Today is the birthday of the 99th birthday of Barbara Hale. She played Della Street on Perry Mason, which if you haven’t watched lately, you should. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she left.

Today is the 71st birthday of the the model/designer/style icon Tina Chow. Her mixing of high and low fashion, minimalism, and androgynous styles was one of the first examples of an influence that is still felt today. In the 70s and 80s, she knew everyone and everyone knew her. The world is a better place because she was in it and still feels the loss that she has left.

Seventy-four years ago today, the film New Orleans premiered. It is an American musical romance film featuring Billie Holiday as a singing maid and Louis Armstrong as a bandleader; supporting players Holiday and Armstrong perform together and portray a couple becoming romantically involved. During one song, Armstrong’s character introduces the members of his band, a virtual Who’s Who of classic jazz greats, including trombonist Kid Ory, drummer Zutty Singleton, clarinetist Barney Bigard, guitar player Bud Scott, bassist George “Red” Callender, pianist Charlie Beal, and pianist Meade Lux Lewis. Also performing in the film is cornetist Mutt Carey and bandleader Woody Herman. The music, however, takes a back seat to a rather conventional plot. The movie stars Arturo de Córdova and Dorothy Patrick, features Marjorie Lord, and was directed by Arthur Lubin.

Today is the 103rd birthday of the actor William Holden. Have you seen Sabrina and Sunset Boulevard and Born Yesterday and Bridge over the River Kwai and Picnic and Towering Inferno and Network? Those films are are on my shortlist of my very favorites. The world is a better place because he was in it and still feels the loss that he has left.