Lethal Dose

Click to um, enlarge.

Today I had a great conversation w/Rod McKuen, who was drinking a diet red bull. He said to me, “Costco is my favorite place!”

I never thought I’d have the chance to tell McKuen (or Richard Hell for that matter, even though he lived in my NY neighborhood) this story … but I got my chance! “In high school, I used to turn in song lyrics to my creative writing class and see who’d get better grades. I turned in this song, ‘Blank Generation’ (he nodded and pointed - he knew it!) and my teacher said, “Donna! I’m impressed, you’ve taken Rod McKuen to a different level!’ and I had no idea who ‘Rod McKuen’ was!” He CRACKED up. “Beat Generation!” He laughed even more when I told him I was from Lowell, MA … for your beat studies, that’s Jack Kerouac’s hometown. And the high school where I turned in such a work of staggering genius was the same where Mr. K played on the football team.

Look! You can listen to Bob McFadden and Dor (guess who?) and watch the Brunswick 45 spin around:

and here’s Son of the Mummy:

A disgusted Peter Lawford in “The Oscar”

A disgusted Peter Lawford in “Skidoo”

Here’s some screenshots I took from the dream sequence:

Studio head Joseph Cotten, who had a “bad feeling” …

A disgusted Peter Lawford

Jill St. John lets him have it!

Uncle Milty is repulsed by the lack of integrity:

If this isn’t a review to die for, I don’t know what is!

The Oscar, a film that should ideally be viewed with your head under a hair drier - in or out of a beauty parlor. Otherwise you run the risk of hearing clearly some of the raunchiest dialogue ever to emanate from big screen - with plot and characters to match. - NY Herald Tribune

From one of my favorite bad movies EVER — The Oscar!

Today I saw Dino De Laurentiis at Target.

How the hell did Keenan Wynn get there?

RIP, Liz! She was fabulous.

Inspired by my pal TJB, who blogged yesterday about one of our favorites, Tommy Noonan - here’s another one of our favorite hunky straight men w/glasses: George Fenneman! Yes, you read that right. I finally confessed to the Mister the other day that I had a crush on George when I was younger. Now he can’t stop teasing me: “Oh, you might want to tivo that in case … George Fenneman is in it!”

Did you know that he’s the voice that says, “The story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent” on Dragnet?

George: I like him better w/glasses, but he’s no slouch without.

Keith Olbermann: Definitely a Noonan!

*”Noonan” (adjective)
- having an attractive, well-proportioned, and imposing appearance suggestive of health and strength, along with glasses; good-looking: a handsome man, preferably in large glasses.
- having a handsome, well-developed physique, usually hidden under a stuffed shirt, wearing glasses.
- sexually interesting or exciting; often mistaken for a scientist.

Read my piece on Hollywood Forever here.

… the Constance Bennett way!

Or as I like to call her, “Saint Constance of Bennett.” I like to post this every few months, a sort of refresher course, as it were.