After Laughter

Turban Day

Born Winifred Shaughnessy Kimball of Salt Lake City Utah in 1897, Natacha Rambova was a remarkable woman that led an incredible life. Though she is mostly unknown today, her many talents had a major impact on film, fashion, history and pop culture.

Here are just a few facts about Ms. Rambova-

• The great-granddaughter of founding Mormon Church apostle, Heber C. Kimball
• The step-niece of America’s first interior decorator, Elsie de Wolfe
• The step-daughter and cosmetics heiress to perfumer Richard Hudnut 
• Protégé and lover to Theodore Kosloff, and dancer in his Russian Imperial Ballet
• Hollywood set and costume designer responsible for bringing the  Art Deco aesthetic to the silver screen
• Protégé and collaborator to Alla Nazimova
• Second wife to Rudolph Valentino [and love of his life]
• Couture designer, with upscale shop on 5th Avenue in New York City
• Influence to Erte
• Spiritualist, follower of Madame Blavatsky and George Gurdjieff and supporter of the Bollingen Foundation
• Author of astrology
• Published Egyptologist [collection donated to the Utah Museum of Fine Arts]
• Major antiquities collector [donated to the Philadelphia Museum of Art]
• Made the turban a popular ladies’ accessory by implementing it as her trademark look

Happy 113th Birthday Madame Valentino

Costume Sketches by Natacha

 

Alla Nazimova as Salome [sets and costumes by Natacha]

Valentino and Nazimova in Camille [sets and costumes by Natacha]

Natacha and Rudy

Happy 75th Birthday to the King!

Here is a clip of my favorite scene from my favorite Elvis movie, "Loving You".

Blood Tea & Red String

is my cup of tea.

Get Out Your Sparklers!

I’m so excited this is finally out! I recently watched Thrill of a Romance and Easy to Love for the first time, which was pure unadulterated Technicolor eye candy. For anyone in this tight economy who doesn't have the disposable income to rush out and spend the money on the box set, be assured that it is available for your immediate viewing please on Netflix.

Years ago when I first became interested in Esther Williams, I started by renting her movies at Le Video, a specialty video store in San Francisco’s Sunset district that has rare and hard to find films. They had a decent selection considering all of her films were all out of print, but in order to watch the ones I couldn't find for rent I began purchasing used VHS tapes on Amazon.com, and sometimes spent up to $30 on one (being out of print, they could go for a lot more). It’s a little bittersweet to look at these VHS tapes that have completely lost their value now that TCM has put out this collection… but I can’t wait to finally see Million Dollar Mermaid on DVD!