Blind Item #8
Posted by ent lawyer at 10:45 AM
Labels: blind item
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20 comments:
Mario Lopez
+1
Ryan Seacrest wannabe is always Mario Lopez
“If you wanna get my job job ya getting lifts put in.. makes ya feel the big man,the money 💰 never endssss
How does he find time to do a radio show, extra and have a family. He is gonna hate paying child and spousal support. Get rid of the side piece
Excellent point, Sd!!
Why do people get married, if they know they will be cheating..There's been stories about him cheating before and after marrying
the saddest part is I read blinds when he and his wife were first dating about his really pushing her to get plastic surgery, a trainer etc and make herself "more up to his standards" for red carpets and functions. Anyway she'll get a load of cash and still have her bod and face to move on to another guy, one who maybe CAN be faithful.
Due to popular request after my two other attempts, here's a third and final blind item about Hollywood. This one is epic.
The Golden Girl (part 1)
It’s rare for an actor to have credits encompassing 75 years. GG has that, but it’s far from being the most remarkable thing about her.
Let’s start by the beginning. GG was a child actress, managed by someone who was probably the first film momager, even before Jackie Coogan made his screen debut. She was so pushy and ambitious that GG’s father committed suicide. GG was anyway an extremely skilled child performer, as an actress but also outside acting, getting rave reviews onstage for this other thing at 16, and the woman who was arguably the most famous person in this other art even wanted to take her as her protégée, which the momager refused.
GG turned 18 and married a studio mogul, who was twice as old as her. GG hated this idea, but her mom lobbied for it, because of the fame and money it would bring to her. Actually, it didn’t bring her much money as, predictably, Prince Charming wasn’t as wealthy as he looked (studio owners are often burdened with debt). Their marriage was a happy one, resulting in actual love and a child, but a short-lived one, as the hubby died suddenly, shortly before the event that would have made him wealthy, and told in one of the most famous films about Hollywood.
GG then made a return to the screen and shot her most famous part for a A+ director. The director at the time pushed for realism in filmmaking, which resulted in her being seriously burned during the shooting of one key scene. Her eyebrows never grew back properly. The film didn’t make a star of her in the US, but turned out to be very popular in Europe, which we will talk about shortly.
After that, GG found it hard to get parts in major productions. Not because her high profile film flopped, not because of the eyebrow situation, not because of the transition to sound (she had a fine voice), but because she was blacklisted. When GG married Prince Charming, they had an unofficial agreement. If they had boys, they would be raised accordingly to the father’s religion. If they had girls, it would be the mother’s religion. They only had a daughter, which was PC’s sole heir. PC’s remaining family, who was still in the movie business, arranged it for GG to struggle in poverty in order to gain custody of her daughter and raise her according to their religion. GG ultimately relented to that request, but regretted her decision very fast. She was only allowed to see her twice over the course of thirty years. She tried to regain custody of her daughter (and to get a part of PC’s estate), and the family of PC kept on having her blacklisted, to prevent her from being able to pay good attorneys. It resulted in her first suicide attempt a few months later.
I’ll pass on a few events that would be the highlight of somebody else’s life. Widow for the second time after three weeks (or months) in another wedding? Check. Affair with a famous world boxing champion? Check. Marriage to the trainer of the champion? Check. Second marriage to the trainer (the first one was annulled as he was still married to somebody else)? Check. Second suicide attempt? Check. She had actually more weddings than Stan Laurel. Affair in Australia with a Japanese man who told her about Pearl Harbor weeks in advance? Check.
The Golden Girl (part 2)
Now, let’s switch to Europe a few years before, Europe in which her most famous film, the one that had flopped in the US, had gained a huge following, including in countries that weren’t much into American films anymore. She was offered a contract in one of these countries. The leader of the country had actually written her fan mail long before he was in charge, calling her his favorite American movie star. His name hadn’t rung a bell in her at the time, but she ended up meeting him at his private residence, along with a few officials. She found him charismatic, but smelly, as he would fart a lot. She also realized that his interest in her wasn’t merely professional. He made a pass at her, and she kicked him in the ball. She’s indeed one of the few people who had that privilege, and lived long enough to brag about it.
Needless to say, she left the country on the very next day. As her film career was going nowhere, she switched back to the stage, allowing her to return to her other talent. It was around these days that she was actually raped by a hitchhiking soldier. Her testimony resulted in getting him convicted for life.
After the war, GG changed paths completely. Her second career was extremely successful. She got a record number of trophies in that category, was a supplier to the Hollywood A-list, and actually published several reference books on that matter. She also reconnected with her daughter, after half a century. Her story ultimately caught the attention of a few journalists, she published her autobiography at 84 and made a final screen appearance on the same year.
Side notes:
- GG’s daughter was raised in the industry but she ultimately left it to marry a businessman and philanthropist. They were married for 50 years and passed away a few months apart.
- GG also had a half-sister, who was a successful actress on her own. She had an on-screen uncredited relationship with another prince charming in a film you all know. And she’s still alive to talk about it.
This sounds like Lina Basquette (stage name spelling) who was married to head of Warnee Bro n he died before the famous Jazz Singer film opening! Sad life-poor woman! If not her, similar story for sure!
It is her. I didn't even need to change details in her life to make her sound more interesting.
Golden (and Godless) Girl: Lina Basquette
Most famous performer: Anna Pavlova, ballet
Prince Charming: Sam Warner
The event told in one of the most famous films about Hollywood: The Jazz Singer, first talkie, produced by Sam Warner who died from pneumonia days before the premiere. Mentioned in Singin’ in the Rain.
A+ director/film: Cecil B. DeMille, The Godless Girl, a drama about atheism and faith. In Soviet Union, they wouldn’t show the final roll where she finds faith, and it was extremely popular.
World boxing champion: Jack Dempsey
Flatulent foreign country leader: Adolf Hitler (come on, the “kicked him in the ball” mention, singular, was a tell-all). Also met Goebbels and Rudolf Hess in Berchtesgarden. Of course, we only have her side about the meeting, but that's what she started telling in the seventies.
Second career: Great Danes breeding. It actually cost her her last marriages, but she reportedly is the person with the most trophies in dog breeding.
Half-sister: Marge Champion, actress and dancer, who was the live action model for Snow White (and the Blue Fairy in Pinocchio). Her third husband, TV director Boris Sagal died beheaded. He was exiting a helicopter, and turned the wrong way, which resulted in him walking into the tail and the rotor blades. She will be 100 in September, and was still giving interviews five years ago.
Thanks, Angela! These are good readin’! 😀
Goering, he had 2 but very small.. Thanks again Angela!
Holy Moses! but I'm not familiar with Lina Basquette. Will have to start looking out for her movies.
Godless Girl was featured in a series of DVD boxsets, Treasures from the American Film Archives. That's how I had the idea to search for her on Wikipedia, and found this amazing life.
She's also in "The Younger Generation", which was the first (partial, like The Jazz Singer) talkie by Frank Capra. It airs from time to time on TCM. After that, she started to get blackballed because of the situation with the remaining Warner brothers, and she had to settle for Poverty Row productions, mostly westerns.
I grew up listening to stories from family in the biz at MGM, etc. How sad to never really have happiness in her life that lasted-tragic & why I don't believe Karma is real n good guys win in the end-not always true sadly.
Another awesome share, Angela! Thank you! This lady has lived about six lives in one! Fun facts on Hitler, too, for good measure!
I'll never understand why women marry known serial cheaters. Feel sorry for the children, but not her.
My TV is set to TCM. Will look for 'the Younger Generation'. Thanks. Sorry to hear this will be your last old Hollywood blind.
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