Classic Hollywood Stars Like We’ve Never Seen

Oh Stevie Nicks! You were the queen of the '70s. While fronting Fleetwood Mac, her band topped the charts. But offstage, her life was out of control - there was a lot of partying and a lot of money being spent. During the making of the Rumors album she said, "I used to carry a gram of cocaine in my boot." For years, Nicks battled addiction - which escalated during the '70s and brought turmoil within the band when she had a "doomed" affair with drummer Mick Fleetwood; during a drug-fueled frenzy.

Nicks got a wake up call in 1986, when a plastic surgeon's warning convinced her to go to rehab. The surgeon looked into her nose and said "You have a really big hole in your nose and it's very dangerous." He told Nicks that your next hit could be your last hit of anything - because the hole in your nose is very high and you could have a brain hemorrhage. Wake up call! Nicks listened to his warning and changed her ways. Smash-cut present day, Fleetwood Mac is back out on the road and touring.

What a party this must have been. Celebrities hanging out with each other is so intriguing, And here's three musical icons, Keith Richards, Tina Turner, and David Bowie - ripping up the town of NYC - while drinking right from the bottle. Sure, this might be a typical night out for these musical heavies, but behind the camera is Bob Gruen - one of the most well-known and respected rock photographers. For over forty years, Gruen has been photographing the likes of  Muddy Waters, the Rolling Stones, Elvis, Madonna, Bob Dylan, The Clash, and Johnny Rotten.

When John Lennon moved to New York in 1971, Gruen became John and Yoko’s personal photographer. He's responsible for the iconic images of John Lennon wearing a New York City t-shirt as well as the former Beatle standing in front of the Statue of Liberty giving the peace sign. Gruen's photos show an intimacy he has with his subjects  - who let him get up close and personal - especially when they're chugging bottles of Jack Daniels.

Without a doubt, Sophia Loren is one of the sexiest women to ever grace the silver screen. Here she is in 1955 being photographed by David Seymour - the photographer best known for known for his portraits of such actresses as Audrey Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman. Seymour captured this iconic photographic series of a young Sophia Loren - shot at her home in Italy.

Born in Poland, Seymour began his career in Paris during the '30s - and is also known for his photographs of the Spanish Civil War and for the UNICEF-commissioned project Children of War. Seymore is also one of the co-founders of Magnum Photos - along with such photography heavyweights as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, George Rodger, and William Vandivert.

Taking time to photograph Sophia Loren was a much easier assignment than his later work; Seymour was killed by Egyptian machine-gun fire when he traveled near the Suez Canal to cover a prisoner exchange in 1956.

Actress Ali MacGraw is most famous for her leading role in the 1970 Love Story. (Though she was also great in the 1969 movie, Goodbye Columbus.) Besides making epic movies, MacGraw also had epic romances. She was married to legendary Hollywood producer Robert Evans (some '70s-style partying was going on there), and then ended up leaving him for screen icon Steve McQueen, who she costarred with in the 1971  Sam Peckinpah film,  The Getaway.

MacGraw described her chemistry with McQueen: “This was a man who could walk into any room and man, woman, and child all would go, ‘Whoa, what’s that?’ And I was no exception.”

The couple eventually split up in 1977 after a five-year tumultuous romantic roller coaster road of a relationship.

I would love to hear Morgan Freeman do a voice over about his time being in the military as a radio technician. Growing up, Freeman was a fan of war films, particularly movies about fighter pilots. He became so entranced by the idea of flying that he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1955. In fact, his interest in flight was so strong that he turned down a scholarship in drama from Jackson State University in order to join up with the military - though he was grounded from flight by being assigned his radio technician duties.

Says Freeman: "I joined the Air Force. I took to it immediately when I arrived there. I did three years, eight months, and ten days in all, but it took me a year and a half to get disabused of my romantic notions about it."

Freeman's love affair with flying ended in 1959, when he left the Air Force and move to Los Angeles to pursue becoming an actor.

The 1986 movie, Youngblood, has Patrick Swayze and Rob Lowe playing teammates trying to make it in the Canadian Junior Hockey circuit. And guess what? There's conflict in the plot when Lowe's character, Dean Youngblood, hooks up with the coach's daughter. Holy penalty box!

This wasn't the first time that Swayze and Lowe appeared together on film. They were also featured in the 1983, Francis Ford Coppola film, The Outsiders. And crazy enough, Keenu Reeves also appears in Youngblood - who Swayze would later costar with in Point Break. Reeves, a Canadian, was the only one out of the three who had prior hockey-playing experience. Swayze had some previous training as a figure skater and Lowe had to be taught skating from scratch.

Farrah Fawcett was a native of Texas - who became a true Hollywood success story. Her father was an oil field contractor. Acting wasn't her first pursuit, Fawcett attended the University of Texas in Austin and graduated with a degree in Microbiology. An agent noticed her and encouraged her to pursue acting after she won a campus beauty contest. She moved to Los Angeles he quickly got numerous TV commercial roles - hawking such products as Ultra-Brite toothpaste, and Wella Balsam shampoo, as well as making appearances on several TV shows.

Life took a turn for Fawcett in 1973 when she married the 6 Million Dollar Man, Lee Majors. She came to the attention legendary producer Aaron Spelling, and won the role which cemented her legacy when she was cast in 1976 on the TV series Charlie's Angels.

The world became less exciting when Freddie Mercury passed away in 1991 from complications due to AIDs.  Jim Hutton lived with Mercury for the last six years of his life and throughout the worst of his illness until the very day he passed. Before meeting Mercury, Hutton was a hairdresser in his hometown in County Carlow, Ireland. Soon after they began dating, Hutton lived with Mercury in his Garden Lodge home -  where they stayed together until Mercury’s death.

Hutton and Mercury began their relationship in a time long before same-sex marriage. Though they officially weren't married, they both wore wedding rings to show their commitment to each other.  Mercury died wearing the wedding band that he had given him. 

What's great about this photo is  - and how high off the ground is Pete Townsend? It defies all laws of logic. This photo was used as a publicity shot for their 1970 tour in support of both the albums, Tommy and Live at Leeds albums. The band's stage act on the tour was dominated by the performance Tommy - the legendary rock opera that later went on to be made into a movie. Once Tommy was released, The Who became rock superstars and began to perform in considerably larger venues than their previous tour. The tour began with a two-day stint at the New York City's Metropolitan Opera House - which incorrectly billed as their final performance of Tommy.

Conan the Barbarian is the movie that put Arnold Schwarzenegger on the movie superstardom map. The film was just the simple story of a barbarian seeking vengeance for the death of his parents and tribe. One thing about Schwarzenegger transforming into the role of a musclebound protagonist, he wasn't wearing a wig for the part. In 1979, Schwarzenegger began growing his hair long for the role of Conan - that's how dedicated he was.  Both Schwarzenegger and costar Sandahl Bergman did their own stunts in the movie because finding suitable body doubles for the pair was nearly impossible. 

James Earl Jones was a last minute addition to the cast. Not only did he and Schwarzenegger instantly bound, but Jones also coached Schwarzenegger on acting.

Before she was Princess Leia - Carrie Fisher was appearing with Warren Beatty in the 1975 Hal Ashby movie, Shampoo. This was Fisher's film debut in the role of Lorna Karpf. (Not as memorable as Princess Leia.) Fisher admitted that she was cast in the role through family connections. When Beatty first ran lines with her, he did so while eating. Paul Simon wrote the original music for Shampoo - and he would later end up marrying Fisher.

Little trivia side note: The Beatty character in Shampoo was based on actual hairdresser Jay Sebring, who once dated Sharon Tate - and both who were murder victims by the hands of the Manson Family. 

Gilligan never knew how good he had it. This man-child was stuck on a deserted island with both hotties Ginger and Mary Anne - and yet he chose to sleep in a hammock with Skipper. What's the deal with that? Gilligan's Island ran as a TV series from 1964 to 1967. The show was also shot in the same lagoon used in the movie Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Something to look for next time you watch: In the very first shot of the opening credits, the American flag can be seen flying at half-mast over the harbor. The reason for this: President John F. Kennedy was assassinated shortly before the shot was filmed.

What would Star Wars be without David Prowse's body and James Earl Jones' voice - dictating the role of Darth Vadar? British bodybuilder was never intended to voice the role of Darth Vadar - though he did do the lines while they were filming. Prowse couldn't cut the menacing cake when delivering the lines - which terrified the production crew because they didn't know what Darth Vadar would end up sounding like. The voice  was later dubbed in by the Broadway actor/voice of CNN Jones.

Prowse was tall at 6 ft 6 in and had won the British heavyweight weightlifting championship in 1962. He had previously appeared in the role of Frankenstein and did a stint on the Benny Hill show. In 1978, he helped train Christopher Reeve for the role of Superman. He originally thought he was up for the role - only to realize he would be the star's trainer. 

 

Besides Bond, the Bond girls  and all the cool gadgets - one of the true stars of the James Bond movies is the array of amazing cars. The Lotus Esprit Series I was known for its ability to turn into a submarine and appeared in the 1977 movie, The Spy Who Loved Me. In this Roger Moore-era Bond film, the car was the catalyst for one of the best 007 chases ever - which took place underwater.

The white Lotus Esprit gave something for the Brits to cheer about. It was the first British sports car to be featured in a Bond film since Goldfinger’s Aston Martin DB5. The Lotus Esprit is a car that drives shaken not stirred!

Back in the 70s and early 80s - it was a common TV fixture to see Battle of the Network Stars. It was a program dedicated to largely C-list celebrities engaging in athletic contests - and was presented by legendary sports announcer, Howard Cosell. The show allowed celebs to show their athleticism as well as appear in tight fitting swimsuits. Here was your chance to see Scott Baio take on Sonny Bono in a track and field event. Linda Carter aka Wonder Woman was no exception - as in this photo where she limbers up for one of the Battle of the Network Stars classic events such as the Tug o' War, the Obstacle Course, and the Dunk Tank. There was always drama to see as everyone wondered which network would win in the end.

Look at this meeting of the minds. Mr T meets MJ. Before he was on the A-Team, Mr. T was a bodyguard for Michael Jackson in the early 80s. He also had other such celebrity clients as Steve McQueen, Diana Ross, and Muhammad Ali. T - and would charge more than $3000 per night to protect these A-list stars. I'd pity the fool who couldn't afford his services. Mr. T once said of the job,  "To be a bodyguard is to be a kamikaze pilot.” His business card at the time stated: “Next to God, there is no better protector than I.”

In the  70s, T aka Laurence Tureaud also worked as a bouncer in Chicago - after an unsuccessful tryout with the Green Bay Packers.

Ed Clark was a photographer for Life Magazine throughout the 40s-60s. In 1950, he got the call that changed this career; a friend at 20th Century Fox asked if he would photograph a young blonde bombshell; a little-known 24 year-old actress named Marilyn Monroe.  So the two rendezvoused in Hollywood for a photo shoot. Clark recalled in a later interview: “She was almost unknown then, so I was able to spend a lot of time shooting her. We’d go out to Griffith Park and she’d read poetry. I sent several rolls to LIFE in New York, but they wired back, ‘Who the hell is Marilyn Monroe?’”

And the rest is Marilyn Monroe beauty icon history.

In the 70's, this was the creme de la creme of comedy. Man, if you could fuel the comedy brainpower of the quartet (Lorne Michaels we are including you too) - it could light up a small city in Jersey. Most notably, Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi didn't pop out of nowhere before they changed the face of comedy by appearing on the original Saturday Night Live. Chase got his start with the Channel One Theater in New York City, where he would write and perform video sketches which later appeared in the 1974 cult movie: The Groove Tube. Aykroyd and Belushi were stars of Second City - which had theaters in Chicago and Toronto. Right before the launch of SNL, Chase joined Belushi to be part of the National Lampoon Radio Hour - which spawned the live touring show, Lemmings, which featured such future SNL stars as Bill Murray, Gilda Radner, and Christopher Guest.  

Here they are captured in a moment in the 70s when they were the le enfant terribles of comedy.

Oh yeah, The Runaways. This is band that paved the way and made it safe for women to play rock and roll. Not to mention, it also launch the careers of Joan Jett and Lita Ford. Formed in 1975 when they were teenagers in Los Angeles - The Runaways release four studio albums and received most of their major success overseas; especially in Japan. These rock goddesses are known for such songs as Cherry Bomb, Hollywood, and Queens of Noise.

The band eventually broke up over musical differences. Joan Jett wanted to take more of a Ramones punk rock direction - while the other members wanted more of a hard rock/metal sound.

Big Rock and Little Rock - both looking pretty snazzy. So, as this 1981 photo shows, you can clearly see where Dwayne Johnson got his muscles from. No surprise, Johnson grew up in a family of professional wrestlers. Not only was his dad, Rocky Johnson - a professional wrestler, but also his grandfather: "High Chief" Peter Maivia. His uncles, Afa and Sika Anoaʻi  were known as "The Wild Samoans." In fact, Johnson's grandmother,  Lia Maivia, was one of wrestling's few female promoters in Polynesian Pacific Pro Wrestling. So it was a nature progression that Dwayne also first got into wrestling - before embarking on a movie acting career.

Who the hell does Meryl Streep think she is - riding public transportation just like you and I!? Cited as the best actress of her generation- Streep comes from some serious old-world money. Some of her ancestors were descended from 17th-century immigrants from England, while her eighth great-grandfather, Lawrence Wilkinson, was one of the first Europeans to settle in Rhode Island. She is also a distant relative of William Penn - the founder of Pennsylvania and her family is among the first purchasers of land in the state.

Besides having all that going for her, Streep was also a natural actor. Her Vassar drama professor noted, “I don’t think anyone ever taught Meryl acting. She really taught herself”.

 

Believe it or not, it's been over 8 years since Jack Nicholson has been in a movie. Has Jack gone away forever? Here he is back in 1981 - kicking it at his home in Aspen, Colorado. Capturing the image is Scottish photographer, Albert Watson known for capturing amazing images of celebrities, fashion, art photography. I'm sure you've seen his work before. Watson shot that iconic photo of Steve Jones with his thumb on his chin. Watson only had an hour for the shoot and was told that Steve Jobs hates photographers. Watson put Jobs at ease by telling him he could get the shot in a half-hour.

It's with these sense of ease that Watson has the ability to put such icons as Nicholson and Jobs at ease  - to capture a photo that tells a story. 

Here's Led Zeppelin's frontman, Robert Plant, looking like he's walking out of the pages of The Hobbit - with his family on their property in Wales. His wife, Maureen Wilson, is the daughter of the chief of the Calcutta mounted police. She appeared uncredited in the 1976 film The Song Remains the Same, during a scene which was filmed on the Plant family property. The two met at a Georgie Fame concert in 1966 and were married in 1968. Plant credits Maureen for helping him through the early years during times when he was financially strapped for cash.  Plant wrote the song  'Thank You' as a tribute to his wife.

In 1978, Star Wars mania was in full tilt. And Carrie Fisher hosted Saturday Night Live. She kicked off the show dressed as Princess Leia in the opening monologue. But it didn't end there; Fisher also appeared as Princess Leia in a sketch that featured Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radner, and former senator Al Franken - where Star Wars was reimagined as a 1950s Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach movie comedy.

Said Fisher on the opening monologue: “I felt a little awkward coming out here in my Princess Leia costume, because it might seem like I’m exploiting Star Wars. But I went along with it because if I came out as myself, who would recognize me.”

Risky Business is by far the best Tom Cruise movie. The 1983 film cemented the pint-sized star into superstardom. During the filming Cruise, who was 19, had an intense affair with his co-star, Rebecca De Mornay — who who was 23 at the time. Their romance had some obstacles. De Mornay was dating actor Harry Dean Stanton at the time - who would sometimes turn up on set.

They kept up their relationship after the movie wrapped - and tried to keep it going long distance when Cruise was off in London filming the action/fantasy movie: Legend. But nothing lasts forever, the relationship ended when Cruise returned to the U.S. to film Top Gun.

The 1954 musical, Carmen Jones, featured an all-black cast and was a glorious attempt to merge grand opera with new lyrics by a Broadway master Oscar Hammerstein II.  The movie sizzled with the appearance of Dorothy Dandridge in the lead; a role which got her nominated for the Oscar - a feat for an African American woman at the time. Dandridge started her career by singing at such esteemed venues as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. She was also nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1959 for her performance in the movie Porgy and Bess.

Sadly, Dandridge died penniless of a drug overdose in 1965 at the age of 43.

John Candy was a fireball enigma on stage during his early days at Second City theater. Born in 1950 in Newmarket, Ontario, Candy first enrolled in community college as a journalism major. After graduating college, Candy got small acting parts and appeared in the 1973 film, Class of ’44 - though his role was uncredited. That same year, when he was only 19-years old, Candy joined the resident ensemble of The Second City Toronto. That launched into the legendary comedy TV show, SCTV in 1976. The show later got picked up by NBC, and Candy received a pair of writing Emmys for his role with the production.

Holy hell! Look how young Cheech looks in this photo. And Chong too! Did you know the legendary comedy duo got their start in Canada? It's true, the two met in Vancouver in the late 60s. Chong was a Canadian citizen while Cheech moved there from Southern California to avoid the draft. Remember, it was the height of the Vietnam War. The pair started performing at standup club - and then moved the show to music venues; where they truly became comedy's first rock and roll act. By the end of the 70s, Cheech and Chong became the biggest selling comedy act in recording history.

Here's young Mick Jagger from back in 1966. The Rolling Stones tour that year started on June 24 and ran through July 28. The tour was in support of the album: Aftermath. The last gig was a stop in Honolulu, Hawaii - which was also broadcasted on the Hawaiian radio station KPOI. Aftermath was released by Decca Records and was an artistic breakthrough for the Stones - it was the first studio album to consist entirely of original Mick Jagger/Keith Richards compositions. Brian Jones musically did his part by introducing the Stones to the sitar, Appalachian dulcimer, marimbas and Japanese koto. Aftermath was also the first Rolling Stones album to be recorded entirely in the US at the RCA Studios in California.

Here's Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman frolicking on the beach back in 1973. During this era, Seymour appeared as one of the best Bond women of all time - in the movie, Live and Let Die. The movie was Roger Moore's first outing as James Bond and Seymour played Solitaire: Bond villain Kananga's psychic who ends up falling for James (as all women in James Bond films do). Extra kudos to Live in Let Die for having the best Bond theme song - which was performed by Paul McCartney and Wings; and was later covered by Guns and Roses.

Johnny Depp is originally from Kentucky and grew up mostly in Florida. And from this photo, you can pretty much see that. Depp began playing guitar when he was 12. He began playing in garage bands and ended up dropping out of high school to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. Depp ended up moving to Los Angeles with his band, The Kids - but unfortunately the band split up before signing a record deal. But rock wasn't in the cards for Depp. In 1984, he got his first scary film role in the movie, A Nightmare on Elm Street. In the movie, Depp plays one of Freddy Krueger's victims.

 

Along with the band, The Runaways, The Wilson sisters of Heart - proved that women could play some mean kickass rock and roll. Here's Ann Wilson back in 1976, sporting some groovy renaissance festival clothes. At the time it was unheard of that women could play Led Zeppelin-style guitar riffs. The band was originally called White Heart - but somewhere around 1970 the "White" bit got dropped. After Ann Wilson joined in the early 70s, the band was briefly renamed to the unfortunate: Hocus Pocus. Though their origins are Seattle, Washington - for a brief while their home base was Vancouver, Canada - where they recorded their debut album, Dreamboat Annie.

Does this man look like he could bit the head off a bat to you? Here's the reality TV star/Prince of Darkness back in his early days. Growing up in Birmingham, England, Ozzy was drawn to the stage at an early age. Believe or not, his first performances were in school plays - doing Gilbert and Sullivan's The Mikado and HMS Pinafore. Like everyone else at the time, Ozzy was influenced by the Beatles - and he credits, She Loves You - as the inspiration for becoming a musician.

After leaving school when he was 15, a few jobs Ozzy held while pursuing his dream include: construction site laborer, trainee plumber, apprentice toolmaker, car factory horn-tuner, and abattoir worker.

It doesn't get anymore cooler than Steve McQueen. This is a photo of him from a 1963 issue of Life magazine. The photo taken by  John Dominis - who was also a war photographer during Vietnam - and who would frequently photograph Frank Sinatra as well.

The Life magazine caption read:  "Steve is a jazz lover — he takes his portable stereo with him wherever he goes," Dominis wrote in his notes. Pictured: At the Palm Springs bungalow, McQueen puts on a record, with LPs by Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, and Frank Sinatra and Count Basie scattered at his feet"

As her name implies, Marta Kristen is a Norwegian-born American actress who is best known for her role of Judy Robinson on the TV show, Lost in Space - which ran from 1965-1968. Before becoming a space hottie, Kristen appeared on a 1961 episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents called: Bang! You're Dead. Ironically, her future Lost in Space costar, Billy Mumy also appeared in the episode. Her first major big break was in the 1965 teen flick: Beach Blanket Bingo. Kristen also made a cameo in the 1998 movie reboot of Lost in Space.

 

As the host of American Bandstand, Dick Clark was king of the teenagers. Richard Wagstaff Clark began his career in radio. Actually, it was in a mail room of a radio station: WRUN, an AM radio station in Rome, New York that was owned by his uncle and managed by his father; so apparently he had some connections. In 1952, Clark took a job as a DJ at radio station in the suburbs of Philly and began substituting for the host of a show called: Bob Horn's Bandstand. Fortunately for Clark, Bob Horn was arrested for drunk driving and fired - so Clark become the show's permanent host. And from then on out, Clark was saying, "Just a little dab'll do ya!"

Oh boy - that sweater vest is regrettable. The music group, Bananarama, came together in London back in 1981. Childhood friends Sara Dallin and Keren Woodward met Siobhan Fahey while studying journalism at the London College of Fashion. Crazy trivia: Dallin and Woodward were living at the YWCA and were about to be evicted when Paul Cook of the Sex Pistols offered them a place to live above the former Sex Pistols rehearsal room.

The vibes paid off, the trio started doing backing vocals for such bands as: The Monochrome Set, Iggy Pop, Department S, The Nipple Erectors, and The Jam. Bananarama then recorded their first demo in 1981, which landed them a deal with Demon Records.Their first single caught the ear of Specials frontman, Terry Hall, who collaborated with them on his side-project: Fun Boy Three.

Candice Bergen is probably the most famous daughter of a world-renown ventriloquist. Her dad is Edgar Bergen - a ventriloquist who was so big in the 1940s - that they allowed him to do ventriloquism on the radio. Growing up, Candice felt overshadowed by her father's wooden dummy, Charlie McCarthy - who even had his own room in their family house. She would become irritated when people referred to her as "Charlie McCarthy's little sister." So issues had to develop out of that. At age 11, she began appearing on her father's radio show and alongside him on a 1958 episode of Groucho Marx's quiz show You Bet Your Life.

 

Cheap Trick is the ultimate bar band that made it big. And talk about style - Cheap Trick had it. The group began playing locally in Rockford, Illinois in 1969. Before Cheap Trick formed, guitarist Rick Nielsen created several bands with names such as: The Boyz, The Grim Reapers, Fuse, Nazz, and Sick Man of Europe. After a few carnations, Cheap Trick officially took their name after a European tour in 1973. The origins of the name was inspired by the band's attendance at a Slade concert, where they noted that the band used "every cheap trick in the book" as part of their act.

Their album, Cheap Trick at Budokan, was intended to be exclusive to Japan. Due to popular demand, Epic Records released the album in the United States in 1979.

 

Where's William Frawley, who played Fred Mertz, in this photo? This photograph is from a 1955 episode of I Love Lucy called: Lucy and John Wayne. Talk about jumping the shark, in this season they had the cast go out to Los Angeles from New York - so Ricky can work on a movie. That was their Fonzi on water skis moment. The episode coincided with the release of John Wayne's movie, Blood Alley. The premise is Lucy steals John Wayne's footprints from Grauman's Chinese Theater.

John Wayne must of been a big fan of Lucy - because he later turned up as himself on an episode of The Lucy Show.

Talk about a bunch of badasses; here's the cast and director of the 1968 film classic: Once Upon a Time in the West. Spaghetti Western auteur, Sergio Leon, co-wrote and directed this epic Western.It gets better: legendary composer, Ennio Morricone, also did the film score. Once Upon a Time in the West came right off the heels of Leone's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Leone was all set to move on from directing Western when Paramount Picture made him an offer too good to refuse - and gave him access to star, Henry Fonda. After Clint Eastwood turned down the role of playing a heavy in the film, the part was offered to Charles Bronson.

The original running time of the movie was 2 hours and 46 minute when it was first released in 1968.

This shot screams '80s. Talk abut a chance meeting. This photo was taken in 1989 when Eva Mendes was a 15-year old high school student - who happened to be a huge fan of the TV show, Who's the Boss?, and it's star, Alyssa Milano. At the time, Milano was a 16-year-old child actress. She had come to Mendes' local mall for an autograph signing session. Mendes recalls, "I lost my damn mind. I was obsessed."  Nine years later, Mendes got her first screen role on the medical drama series: ER.

Before she appeared on the CBS sitcom: WKRP in Cincinnati, Jan Smithers could be seen on an 1976 episode of Starsky and Hutch - in the role of Sharman Crane. Smithers grew up in Woodland Hills, California and got her start by modeling. She first came to the  public eye as a teenager when she was featured on a 1966, cover of Newsweek, seated on a motorcycle. Smithers was married to actor James Brolin from 1986 to 1995. Smithers played Bailey Quarters on WKRP in Cincinnati from 1978–1982.

Stevie Nicks always used to have that witchy look to her. And she got some help from fashion designer Margi Kent - who also created stage wardrobe for George Harrison and Neil Diamond.

On working with Nicks, Kent said: “Stevie was the only woman in rock and roll to really go there with her costumes. She really did have a concept, a look and a character in mind that she was projecting when she was on stage. She is possessed by that particular song, the energy flows through her and I design the costumes to help that.”

In the 1953 comedy, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn Monroe informs the world that "diamonds are a girl's best friend." The movie was directed by Howard Hawks and follows the plight of showgirls Lorelei Lee and Dorothy Shaw who travel to Paris.

This was Jane Russell's only film with Marilyn Monroe. The two screen icons got along well and Russell nicknamed Monroe "Blondl." Not to say there wasn't difficulties, Russell was also the only person on the set who could coax Monroe out of her trailer to begin the day's filming. Russell was reported to have gotten $200,000 for making the film while Monroe only got my $500 a week.

Here's Tom Petty looking cool in the late 70s while sporting a Steel Pulse T-shirt and cowboy boots - great style for a man from Florida! Growing up, Petty dropped out of high school when he was 17 to play bass with his band, Mudcrutch. He also took guitar lessons from Don Felder of The Eagles. To help pay the bills in the early days, Petty worked as a grave digger and on the grounds crew for the University of Florida - even though he wasn't a student.

Little known trivia: Petty can be heard on the animated TV show, King Of The Hill, as the voice of Luanne Platter’s husband.

 

The 1971 film, Harold and Maude, was one of the first cult movie classics - it played for a total of 1,957 showings from mid-1972 until June 1974 at the Westgate Theater in Edina, Minnesota. The film follows the exploits of a 20-year old in love with a fun-loving woman in her 80s. Director Hal Ashby intended to film a scene where Harold (Bud Cort) and Maude (Ruth Gordon) were making love -  but Paramount nixed this idea.

Suzanne Somers filmed a cameo for the movie as a "deodorant girl" during a funeral - but the scene was cut.

This movie looks schlocky - but in a good way. The 1978 movie, Starcrash, combines sci-fi with opera. It was directed by Luigi Cozzi - who went on to direct Hercules. The cast not only included Christopher Plummer (who was paid $10,000 per day) but also (wait for it, wait for it...) David Hasselhoff. Churned out in a mere 18 months, Starcrash was supposed to be Cozzi's answer to Star Wars. It wasn't. It gets better: Hasselhoff got food poisoning during shooting so a production assistant wearing a mask had to fill in for him during a number of scenes. Hasselhoff also did most of his own stunts - which resulted in accidently knocking out an Italian stuntman's tooth. The film was paid tribute to when featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000. 

Back in the 70s and early 80s, Studio 54 in NYC was the place where celebrities and the beautiful people would let loose. And this most have been a hell of a night out. Richards and Belushi actually were good friends; the two met when the Rolling Stones appeared on Saturday Night Live. It's strange to think that Keith Richards has outlived both John Belushi and James Brown - but he has.  Richards once offered this piece of advice to Belushi: “There’s a difference between scratching your arse and tearing it to bits.” Belushi either didn't listen to the Rolling Stones guitarist - or didn't know what the hell he was talking about.

Mary Lou Retton was America's sweetheart when she won the gold medal in gymnastics during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Retton won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. That's why President Ronald Reagan had to show his kudos.

Retton, an ardent Christian conservative, became an outspoken supporter of the Reagan Administration and appeared at campaign rallies for his reelection in her home state of West Virginia. Retton also  delivered the Pledge of Allegiance at the 2004 Republican National Convention.

Keith Richards is a pro when it comes to pouring a glass of vodka from a Stoli. The Rolling Stones guitarist is medical mystery of modern science; how has he survived all these years with the amount of hard living he has endured? Keith Richards chain-smokes, drinks heavily, and most likely will outlive all of us.

Richard's grandfather, Augustus Theodore "Gus" Dupree, toured Britain with a jazz big band called: Gus Dupree and his Boys. He was the one to give a young Richards his first guitar - which he'd play at home and practice by listening to records of Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and other great old-timey bands. Let's drink some Stoli to that! 

Shemp or Curly Joe was my favorite Stooge - but you got to love Larry, Curly, and Moe. The Three Stooges began as a vaudeville act in 1922, billed as: Ted Healy and His Stooges. The trio stayed together in some sort of form until 1970. They filmed 190 shorts for  Columbia Pictures - which have been airing regularly on TV since 1958. The Stooges were known for hitting each other in the face a lot. When Curly suffered a stroke in 1946, Moe's brother, Shemp, jumped in to fill his shoes.

In the 70s, the remaining Stooges were scheduled to co-star in the R-rated film, Blazing Stewardesses. One week before filming Moe was diagnosed with lung cancer and the Stooges had to back out.The surviving Ritz Brothers ended up replacing the Stooges 

 

Look at young JFK and Jackie - smiling the smile that only can be smiled when you're both born into filthy wealth - and a presidential career looms in your future. In May 1952, this elite power-couple met at a dinner party in Washington DC. They were introduced by a friend. Kennedy was instantly smitten and quipped: "I've never met anyone like her." The two dated for two years when JFK popped the question and presented Jackie with a Van Cleef & Arpels ring set with a 2.88-carat diamond and 2.84-carat emerald. They were wed at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church with over 800 guests - and honeymooned in Mexico.

Before she was married Mick Jagger, as well as gross conservative billionaire Rupert Murdoch, Jerry Hall was a model from Texas. Talk about getting discovered, Hall was sunbathing in the French Riviera on a beach in Saint Tropez when fashion agent Claude Haddad discovered the Texas beauty. She then moved to Paris and shared an apartment with singer Grace Jones, and Jessica Lange. Her first big modeling gig was appearing as a mermaid on the cover of the 1975 Roxy Music album, Siren. By 1977, Hall was making $1,000 a day for modeling gigs - and had appeared on over 40 magazine covers - including Italian Vogue and Cosmopolitan.  Clocking in at 6 feet tall, Hall modeled for Andy Warhol on numerous occasions.

Raquel Welch put the prehistoric bikini on the map - in the 1966 movie, One Million Years B.C. The film helped to launch here as the new reigning 1960s international sex symbol - and propelled her to producing one of the best-selling pin-up posters of all time. After Marilyn Monroe's death in 1962, buxom Welch effortlessly assumed Monroe's thrown and wiped away the notion that blondes had more fun by becoming a brunette sex goddesses.

In her early days, Welch worked as a local TV weather girl in San Diego and began modeling for Neiman-Marcus. She also did bit parts on the TV shows Bewitched and McHale's Navy.

Celebrities love their cars. And Zsa Zsa Gabor was no acceptation. Here she is behind the wheel of her Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing. What a cool ass car. Gabor began her career when she was crowned Miss Hungary in 1936 - and started a stage career in Vienna. She emigrated from Hungary to the United States in 1941 - where she enamored Hollywood with her European flair and style. She went on to play the lead role in the 1952 John Houston movie, Moulin Rouge.

Did you know that the original name for Debbie Harry's band, Blondie, was: The Angel and the Snake? Good thing they went with Blondie in the end - which was named after Harry's nickname. Strange though because in high school Harry's nickname was "Moon" - due to her oval face. Blonde almost made James Bond history. The group was originally slated to record he title song for, For Your Eyes Only. Their 1981 album, The Hunter,  includes the track: For Your Eyes Only. The producers rejected it and settled on a track by Sheena Easton instead.

What a bunch of cool dudes. Before The Heartbreakers, Tom Petty was in a band called: The Epics. The band had a business card with the motto, "...for love or money." Out of the original Heartbreakers, only one of the members wasn't born in Florida. The band first became hugely popular in the UK before making it big back in the States. In 1988, Petty joined the supergroup, The Traveling Wilburys, which also included George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne. In 1999, Tom Petty, along with his original band  the Heartbreakers, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for their contribution to the recording industry.

Lynda Carter will always be entwined with being the best Wonder Woman in screen history. Before being cast in the role, Carter had already achieved some other woman wonder feats. She was crowned Miss World America 1972 - and went on to finish as a semifinalist in the Miss World 1972 pageant. This kickstarted her TV career. Carter made her first TV appearance in an episode of the 1974 police drama, Nakia. She was soon making appearances on such TV shows as Starsky and Hutch. In 1976, she landed the role of Wonder Woman - which lasted on TV for three seasons.

In 1958 the moniker “sex kitten” was invented for Brigitte Bardot. She was the queen of French cinema - who retired in 1973 right before her 39th birthday. Bardot appeared in more than forty movies and recorded several albums, most notably with French music legend Serge Gainsbourg. Upon retirement, Bardot used her fame to promote animal rights causes. On a creepy note, her husband Bernard d’Ormale is a former adviser of the Front National, the main far right party in France, known for its nationalist and conservative beliefs. Yuk - couldn't a sex kitten do much better than that?

Dating back to the '70s, this picture of Jane Seymour (of Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman fame) has aged very, very well. Tasteful, yet sexy, and all-around a timeless iconic, beautiful woman, she is even wearing the kind of lingerie that's so good that they still make it today.