Queen Kelly: Norma and Max's Wild Ride

Some stories are so perfectly symmetrical you just have to sit back in amazement and feel that the universe is truly some magical Rubiks Cube.I am blessed to live in a location that affords me the opportunity to see silent films on the big screen with live accompaniment (usually by the there-are-no-words-to-describe-his-majesty Ben Model). This month’s offering: the fabled "Queen Kelly" starring Gloria Swanson and directed by Erich Von Stroheim.Von...

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DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN.......

Don't you just hate it when an artist's work is judged by the personal life of the artist? Doesn't it just irk you if someone declares their dislike based upon an artist's  love life, family life or political affiliation? Well, it really bugs me, and here are three of my pet peeves.Joan CrawfordJoan Crawford was a great star. These are not just words. From a career that started in 1925 and ended in 1970, this woman was the very...

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BLUE JASMINE: Woody takes a cable car named Desire

Imagine if Blanche DuBois was married to Bernie Madoff and you have an idea of the flavor of Woody Allen's latest film, "Blue Jasmine."As the story of Jasmine French (a scorching performance by Cate Blanchett) unfolds, you can't help but immediately think of Ruth Madoff, the elegant, suffering wife of financial swindler Bernie Madoff. A Park Avenue socialite, she knows all the best people, throws the best parties and wears the best clothes and jewels....

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SCANDAL! One Night at Jean Harlow's: Was it Murder or Suicide?

Welcome to 2013 - a year of scandals at A Person in the Dark. Yes, I love movies, but I confess I am a sucker for those juicy Hollywood scandals of old.August's scandal: The Death of Paul BernWhen 21 year old blonde bombshell Jean Harlow wed 42 year old MGM producer Paul Bern in 1932, eyebrows were raised and tongues wagged. What could the young, vibrant and ultra sexy starlet see in mousy Paul Bern other than a meal ticket to the top?Harlow...

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