Born #OTD 1924: Jane Greer

Photo: RKO Radio Pictures

Wishing the lady a very happy celestial centennial birthday. Please click here to read my short biographical piece on the life of this Golden Age of Hollywood starlet.

Photo: a portrait of the fair actress Jane Greer, clad in a glamorous, metallic two-piece ensemble. The bodice is strapless, adorned with a fine brooch at its centre, whilst the skirt is long and form-fitting, draping gracefully over her legs. Her tresses are styled in gentle waves, as she gazes directly at the camera with great poise.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Born #OTD 1902: Ann Harding

Photo: public domain

Ann Harding, born Dorothy Walton Gatley, was the daughter of a military man who ‘violently’ opposed her yearning for the stage, a tempestuous conflict that birthed a new identity. After achieving success on Broadway and in regional theatre in the Northeast US, she ventured to Hollywood at the dawn of the sound era and swiftly ascended to leading lady status. RKO promoted her as their answer to MGM’s Norma Shearer, although she was often lent out to other studios, including MGM itself. As was, and still is, all too often the case for actors and actresses in this cutthroat business, by the late 1930s she had become typecast ‘as the beautiful, innocent, self-sacrificing woman, and film work became harder for her to obtain’. Nevertheless, she continued to perform on film, stage, and television up to 1965.

Photo: Actress Ann Harding is seen sporting her signature long, flowing hair cascading over her shoulders. A serene yet thoughtful mien adorns her visage, as her gaze softly meets the lens. Clad in a garment that reveals her fair shoulders, she is adorned with intricate weaves. Soft light caresses her features, revealing a timeless beauty, ethereal and divine. Handwritten notes are visible along the edges of the photograph.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Died #OTD 1965: Constance Bennett

Fairest Constance Bennett, portraying Venice Muir in ‘Lady with a Past’ (1932) by RKO Pathé Pictures, Inc., is remembered today, marking the 59th anniversary of her departure from this mortal coil, stricken by a grievous haemorrhage of the cerebrum. Owing to her status as a devoted military wife and her unwavering efforts in entertaining troops stationed in Europe, she was granted the honour of interment within the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. May she forever rest in well-deserved peace.

Photo: Constance Bennett dazzles in the character of Venice Muir. In this portrait, she strikes an elegant pose, seated upon a polished wooden sideboard flanked on either side by ornate lamps. Constance is garbed in a stylish ensemble befitting the early years of the 1930s, with a shimmering silk blouse cinched at the waist, and trousers that flow most becomingly. Her tresses, styled with meticulous care, cascade in gentle waves. Upon her visage rests a thoughtful, slightly enigmatic expression. The scene behind her is adorned with a tapestry, its patterns intricate and captivating. She is a veritable embodiment of vintage glamour and timeless elegance.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Jane Greer: RKO’s ‘woman with the Mona Lisa smile’

The model, actress, and fair beauty Jane Greer is laid bare before our eyes in LIFE magazine, 8 June 1942. It was this very photoshoot that compelled Howard Hughes—a man of immeasurable wealth and influence, and one with a keen eye for talent—to take the young aspirant under his wing and bring her to Hollywood stardom. Their business relationship endured roughly a decade but was not without its share of tribulations. Arguably, her best-known role was in 1947’s 'Out of the Past', starring opposite Robert Mitchum and Kirk Douglas.

She was born Bettejane Greer in Washington D.C. on 9 September 1924 but legally changed her name to Jane Greer in 1945, proclaiming to the press: 'Mine is a sissy name. It's too bo-peepish, ingenueish, for the type of role I've been playing. It's like Mary Lou or Mary Ann.' For a very brief time (separating after just three months), she was the wife of saxophonist and bandleader Rudy Vallee. Her talents were recognised in 1960 when a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame was bestowed upon her. She continued to work in television into the 1980s.

Photo: Verily, Jane Greer is smoking in this relaxed and alluring pose. Seated against a dark backdrop, a playful smile dances upon her lips. She is draped in a dark sheet that covers her torso. In her dexter hand, a slender cigarette rests, with a wisp of smoke curling upwards like the very tendrils of desire. Her other hand, a vision of creamy flesh, finds a gentle resting place upon her breast. Her hair is a cascade of soft waves, amplifying her natural beauty.

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.