Short-Haired Sweetheart

Ellen Parker (no relation) had really short hair and a really short career from about 1956 to 1958. She played Robert Loggia's long-suffering girlfriend in The Lost Missile (1958) and then she played Robert Loggia's deaf-mute girlfriend in Cop Hater (1958). And that's about it. Oh...and she appeared in a 1958 episode of the TV series M Squad, which is where I discovered her yesterday. And that's our raison d'être here.

Heavenly Brooke Adams

Brooke Adams and her oh-so-kissable turned-down mouth in Days of Heaven (1978) from a neat little screen-capture site called Screenmusings, which I like so much that I've added it to a new link list way down on the lower right.

There's more Brooke Adams and HERE and HERE.

Guys and Dolls and Gams

Sexy Picture of the Day

A lot of online movie blog people don't seem to like Jean Arthur. I really like Jean Arthur. Folks say they don't like her croaky voice. I love her croaky voice. To me she always seems to talk like you've got your hand up her skirt. And I find this particular photograph entirely sexy. I'm not sure why. It was just too special for a regular "Kitchenettes" type post. I left it large so you can use it as a desktop wallpaper...in case you like it as much as I do. We'll say it's a whatchamacallit gift. From me to you. For this special day, uh, Friday.

Happy Birthday, Ava

December 24th is Ava Gardner's birthday. If she were
still here, she'd be partying. Big time. Uh-huh.

The Really Short Wish List

I SUPPOSE
LIKE A LOT OF BOYS
ALL I REALLY WANT
FOR CHRISTMAS. . .

IS A TOY
THAT I CAN UNWRAP
AND PLAY WITH

Gun Love 7

Birthday Girl Ruth Roman

December 22nd is Ruth Roman's birthday.


Happy birthday, Ruthie.

Out On A Limb

More here.

Birthday Girl Mala Powers

December 20th is Mala Powers' birthday.

Lean and Mean

I've been watching Lee Marvin in M Squad, the half-hour 1957-60 TV Chicago crime show. The complete series, 117 episodes, is now out on DVD. There are lots of second unit shots of Lee Marvin wandering around The Loop. (The 1982 comedy series Police Squad borrowed a lot from M Squad.) Marvin plays a weary police detective named Frank Ballinger. He narrates the stories, somewhat like Joe Friday did in Dragnet, but with a lot less moralizing. The characters in M Squad tacitly acknowledge the presence of organized crime and police corruption in the city. This apparently upset Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley, who banned almost all filming of TV and movies in the city for 20 years. Of course, the Chicago Outfit was then and is now active in the city. Anyway, M Squad is entertaining, and I love the lean and mean half-hour format. Oh...and it has a jazzy score. Below are some Life magazine photos of the real CPD from that era.