Category Archives: ’20s

Enjoy the Silents: Leatrice Joy

Leatrice Joy — a silent-movie star famous for her independent female characters, her boyish bob and for marrying mega-star John Gilbert (1897-1936) and bearing him a child — was born 124 years ago today. (more…)
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What’s a Rose Marie? A Review of ‘Wait for Your Laugh’

I first experienced Rose Marie (b. 1923) when I stumbled upon the 1933 pre-Code film International House on TV back when I was a kid in the '70s. Watching this cute little girl, whose career predates that of Shirley Temple (1928-2014), belting "My Bluebird's Singing the Blues" — not to mention suggestive elements like racy…
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5 Famous People with 100-Year-Old Parents

Only a few truly famous people, people noteworthy for more than simply longevity, have lived past 100. But there are a number of famous folks past the age of 70 who you may be surprised still have a living parent, all of them 100 or more! (more…)
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The Naked Truth About Nude Swimming at School

I'd heard of this, but wasn't aware I just missed it (THANK GOD — I was fat and accused of having breasts playing shirts vs. skins basketball), but boys in the U.S. were mostly required to swim totally nude in school pools right through the early '80s. Girls were usually allowed to wear simple suits.…
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