Pin-Up Bombshell Betty Grable Was Proud To Bring Joy To Soldiers, Daughter Says
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As soldiers trekked across the globe into the brutality of war, they carried tokens to keep up morale. Some of that inspiration came from the iconic pin-up model Betty Grable, whose image was stamped across planes, barrack walls, and even bomber jackets.
Grable became immensely wealthy for her modeling work, but the primary currency she enjoyed was the joy she could give America’s troops serving overseas in World War II, according to her daughter, Victoria Colucci.
Betty Grable expressed what an honor her success was
Colucci shares that Grable considered herself simply “a dancer who could act.” In a career that spanned four decades, Colucci says Grable felt that “one of her greatest accomplishments in life was bringing a little happiness to our soldiers,” explaining, “She would get letters from soldiers and she’d reply. She was proud to help light up the world when it was so dark.”
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The dazzling whtie of her bathing suit was part of that light, the outfit she donned for one of her most famous photos, and the one that ended up traveling with so many soldiers overseas. It was taken by 20th Century Fox studio photographer Frank Powolny. It was he who suggested they take a picture of Grable’s back, “just to be different,” and she agreed to the change of routine. She tried different poses and “clowned around,” in Powolny’s words, and just two photos later, they had the shot.
A wealth of talent – and money
Betty Grable was born on December 18, 1916 and, under pressure from her mother, worked towards becoming a performer, first winning several beauty contests while secretly battling a fear of crowds. None of this showed up on the camera during photoshoots by 1943, when she posed for a promotional picture for the film Sweet Rosie O’Grady.
Instead, her image attracted the attention of immense crowds, to the point that she surpassed Rita Hayworth as the number one pin-up girl during World War II. As a publicity stunt, her studio insured Grable’s legs for $1 million, while she herself became both the highest-paid actor in Hollywood and the highest-paid woman in any industry in America, earning over $3 million over the course of her career.
The same year that photo was taken, Grable married Harry James, a trumpeter and bandleader. Together, they first had Victoria Elizabeth “Vicki” Bivens in 1944, then Jessica Yahner in 1947. Jessica passed away in 2016. Meanwhile, Grable and James’ marriage eroded by 1965 after bouts of infidelity and alcoholism. Grable then dated dancer Bob Remick and the two remained together until her death in 1973. Both Jessica and Victoria observed their mother’s work, evidenced by pictures of the two watching her rehearse in the ‘50s.
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How ‘The Waltons’ Star Judy Norton Stepped Away From Mary Ellen Each Work Day
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The Waltons took up Judy Norton’s life for over ten years, starting when she was just a young teen. For adults, mastering their craft, acclimating to a life of scrutiny, and unwinding from a demanding job proves a tricky balance. But Norton, who played Mary Ellen throughout the franchise, had a routine of her own for doing the latter.
Norton, 63, discusses this and more behind-the-scenes information on her web series dedicated to The Waltons, hosted primarily on YouTube. There, she shares videos revisiting episodes or else answering fan questions. One follower wanted to know how Norton essentially turned off her work persona each day.
Fans want to know a typical Waltons schedule – before the family “goodnight!”
For viewers, The Waltons ended each episode with the family members wishing one another a restful slumber – with a little gentle chastising thrown in. But the work day did not always end for the cast there. “I know you all probably had to work long hours,” one fan wrote to Norton, “but was it hard to transition back to real life when you were given time off from the set? Also, did you all go home every day after filming or did you guys have to live on the set for a time?”
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Norton informed the fan that when they finally stopped shooting at the end of each day, that was the last the cast had to see of the set until the next day; the locations were actually multiple sets on a soundstage. There were no designated sleeping quarters for actors who maybe wanted to take their home to work with them. However, they could catch a moment’s respite in their trailers. As for shutting down the thespian parts of their brain, Norton found it an easy task.
How Judy Norton stopped being Mary Ellen Walton each day
Mary Ellen Walton is the headstrong oldest daughter of John and Olivia Walton, a sawmill manager and homemaker respectively. Mary Ellen grows up to be a nurse. Becoming someone else so entirely requires much of the body and mind reshaping how they operate and coming down from that buildup can be demanding itself.
Not so for Judy Norton. “As for going home, yeah, it was long hours,” she agreed. “But, I’ve always found it pretty easy to just, ya know, take a deep breath at the end of the day, no matter what kind of work I’ve been doing, and let it go.” Each day, that meant, “I’m happy to step off the set, change my clothes, and go back into my own life.” However, she added, “Every actor is different.” How do you unwind at the end of a long workday?
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Judge Judy’s Granddaughter Shares What Her Grandma Taught Her
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Judge Judy Sheindlin is now on IMDb TV. After 25 years of filming her show, Judge Judy, she has now moved on to another show which is called Judy Justice. This time, she has a very special co-star: her granddaughter Sarah Rose. Sarah wrote a very touching letter about her grandma called “Nana” which was first published by Good Housekeeping.
Sarah is her law clerk on the show and Judy introduced her in the trailer. Judy shared, “My law clerk happens to be my granddaughter. Sarah is wired like I am. She’s a little snarky. I like that.” It seems that she learned a lot from her grandma both personally and professionally!
Judge Judy’s granddaughter writes a touching letter about what Judy taught her
In the letter, she wrote, “Throughout my life, your support and guidance have made me feel confident and secure in a way that’s allowed me to take risks and enjoy life in a way very few have the chance to experience. Throughout your life and your multiple successful careers, you have created a strong safety net for our entire family. This is one of the best gifts you could have given any of us. It has allowed us to go out in the world and venture down our respective paths knowing that you would always be there to support us or pick us up and dust us off if it didn’t go our way.”
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She continued, “That is one part of our life together that I wish the public got to see: the pure joy you get when the whole family comes together and shares life experiences and stories that have been made possible by your hard work and dedication.”
Sarah added, “I love you more and more each day and cannot wait for the future lessons we’ll get to share. You are the light of my life, and I love and respect you more than you know. With your advice and direction, I have all the tools I need to be a strong, independent woman. I am so lucky to have you as my biggest cheerleader and supporter — and very best friend.” Read her entire letter here.
Watch Judy Justice on IMDb TV. New episodes air every weekday.
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Linda Thompson Feels Elvis Could Come Back, What He Would Say About His Legacy
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There have been theories that Elvis Presley has been alive this whole time, but former girlfriend Linda Thompson feels if anyone could come back, it would be the King. And if he did, to find a world still analyzing his life and work, Thompson feels she knows how he would react.
Thompson sat down for a talk with Sheri Lacker, daughter of Memphis Mafia member Marty Lacker, and who runs a YouTube channel named after the famous group of friends and colleagues. In the 15-minute video, Thompson discusses Elvis’s spirit and just how attuned to him she still feels, enough so to gauge how he might do or fare today.
Linda Thompson feels if anyone could come back it would be Elvis Presley
“If anybody could maintain their energy,” Thompson expressed, “It wouldn’t be Houdini who could come back, it would be Elvis.” Time notes that theorists who don’t believe Elvis died at all either feel he faked his death to go into hiding or that they definitely saw him walking around the other day; one dedicated author points to an FBI-led witness protection program. But Thompson is citing the sheer spirit and presence of a man she knows passed but lives on so strongly in his legacy.
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“You couldn’t be around Elvis Presley and not love him. You couldn’t be around him and not recognise the magnanimous person he was,” Thompson explained. “The huge presence that he was, the winsome personality that he had.”
And what would he feel to see how things are today?
Though he rose to fame in the 1950s and died in 1977, Elvis Presley remains a pop culture icon who is still celebrated to this day. Performing arts centers host the event Elvis: The Concert of Kings to “bring to life the music and charisma of Elvis Presley, from the electrifying early years of the 1950s, to the stunning sex-symbol era of the 1960s.” If Elvis were to come back, or even to just know the reception his work still receives, how would he react? Linda Thompson has some ideas.
“If there is any chance he is up there looking down on us, I know he is so honoured and so humbled and so grateful, so appreciative for your loyalty and love and devotion for keeping his memory and his legacy and music alive,” Thompson believes. “I just wanna thank you all for that. It is an amazing thing to see after all these years and I know he would be awestruck by it.”
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‘The Waltons’ Star Jon Walmsley Paid Tribute To Country Music Icon Merle Haggard
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Among the many factors that drew viewers to watch The Waltons were the diverse talents among the characters. Mary Ellen became a nurse, Jim-Bob showed his mechanical savvy, and John-Boy is the passionate writer. Jason’s musical inclinations mirrored those of his actor, Jon Walmsley, who used his talents to honor country artist Merle Haggard back in 2017, a year after the singer’s passing.
Throughout nine seasons of The Waltons, viewers got to hear Walmsley’s actual musical talents whenever he performed. All the while, Walmsley continued to cultivate his skill and career as a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist.
Jon Walmsley honors the late Merle Haggard
2017 marked the 45th anniversary of The Waltons, celebrating its original release, which occurred on September 14, 1972. Key members of the show enjoyed a Waltons-themed weekend to mark the occasion, and in celebration, Walmsley performed for his former colleagues as well as loyal fans in celebration.
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For his tribute to Haggard, Walmsley played “Workin’ Man Blues,” something of an original “9 to 5” tribute to those deep in the hustle to keep themselves and their families afloat each day. While the message itself is still universal today as it was in 1969, Walmsley got to enjoy a personal connection with Haggard after a fateful meeting – through The Waltons no less.
Recruiting artistic talent and becoming one
Haggard’s youth was marked by hardship, especially after his father died and Haggard fell into trouble enough he ended up incarcerated. By 1960, after release, he vowed to turn over a new leaf, and so began his journey to country music stardom. By the time The Waltons was just starting, Haggard had “Okie From Muskogee,” “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” and “Irma Jackson” released, and was considered one of the most famous country singers in the world – even as Haggard himself oscillated between just what kind of message he wanted to send with his music. So, when season five of The Waltons rolled around in 1976, Haggard offered major star power as a guest.
On October 7 of that year, Jon Walmsley got to meet and work with Merle Haggard when the singer appeared as Red Turner in the series. “I was thrilled to have him come on the show as a guest star, and even more so that the main plot of the show was the relationship between our two characters,” Walmsley reflected. “We spent a lot of time together during that six or seven days away from the camera. We did a lot of playing guitar on the set between takes. In fact, the assistant director had to tell us to shut up because they couldn’t concentrate on their work.”
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Julian Lennon’s Emotional Response To The New Beatles Documentary
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Disney+ is about to release the first episode of the new Beatles documentary called The Beatles: Get Back. It will be a six-hour documentary released in three parts. It will show unseen footage of the Beatles during their 1969 recording sessions of their last album Let It Be.
Friends and family of the Beatles were able to see the documentary already. Julian Lennon, the son of the late John Lennon, got emotional after seeing the documentary. He shared more about his experience on his Instagram page. With it, he shared a photo of himself and his half-brother Sean Ono Lennon.
John Lennon’s son Julian shared his experience watching the new Beatles documentary
He wrote, “What an Amazing night, firstly seeing ‘Get Back’ & then Stella’s Event afterwards…The One True thing I can say about it all, is that it has made me so proud, inspired & feel more love for My/Our family, than ever before… And the film has made me love my father again, in a way I can’t fully describe…. Thank you to All who had a hand, in bringing this project to fruition… Life Changing 
”
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Julian also shared a promo video of the documentary and wrote, “Only one more day to go…. Tomorrow, be the first to see part-one of #TheBeatlesGetBack. See Peter Jackson’s three-part Original Docuseries on @DisneyPlus.” Fans were happy to see Julian give his stamp of approval on the project! Julian shares frequent updates on social media and is a musician, just like his late father.
You can watch the first episode of The Beatles: Get Back on Disney+ on November 25, with the next two episodes streaming on Nov. 26 and 27. Watch the trailer below. Will you be watching?
The post Julian Lennon’s Emotional Response To The New Beatles Documentary appeared first on DoYouRemember? – The Home of Nostalgia. Author, Lauren Novak