The Silver Screen Oasis

The jewelry on Ms. Swanson is absolutely to die for! What a snapshot of glamour in the late 20's.

Here is another great shot of LA Swanson:




This has to be from the Thirties!

Here are Claudette, Joan, and Katharine spread all over the place!







And, here are the ORIGINATORS of PANTS: Garbo, Dietrich, and Hepburn







And, I had to throw in one more of Dietrich in Seven Sinners:



It is no wonder they were the ICONS of Glamorous Fashion!

The FACE of Glamour:


Joan Crawford


Katharine Hepburn


Claudette Colbert


Dolores Del Rio


Gloria Swanson


Marlene Dietrich


Norma Shearer


Greta Garbo


Carole Lombard


Constance Bennett


Kay Francis

Yup, Miss Goddess, they certainly did have IT! But, the times were different: the make-up, the clothes, the photography. They all blended and lent themselves to the creation of glamour that lasted only a blink of the eye. I am forever grateful to the studio systems for creating such images. I watch the red carpet at the Oscars and such. It is all so casual, and a little vulgar, but so is most everything else today.

There is nothing there that compares to the excitment of seeing a STAR from that era. One of my favorites is watching the clips of the old premieres as the cars drove up to the awaiting crowds hoping to catch a glimpse of their favorites. Those huge lights shooting up into the night criss crossing each other, the scream of the crowds as Jean Harlow steps out of the car, or Constance Bennett and Gilbert Roland stepping out of the caned-door Rolls Royce, the thousands who gather and crowd the streets, and all in black and white. Nothing like it!

I think it was an art form, created by a myriad of atrists and technicians to create a world of glamour and mystique. It created another world for people to disappear into during the depression and the war and other times of trouble.

Well, we are in troubled times, now! Where are they? Oh, yeah, they are right here with us through thick and thin.

Of the eleven women, it is the hardest to find photos of Constance Bennett. But, I was lucky enough to come across this series! I can't tell you the name of the movie, but as usual, she looks fantastic.

And, although I am liking Constance more and more, I am really becoming fascinated with Kay Francis. I don't think I have seen very many of her films, but if these pictures are any indication of how she comes across, I have got to see more!

I really like the imperfect hair that the Constance Bennett photos offer. It's not all tugged and plastered into place.

I love the angles and light in these glamour shots - the creation of their artistry is fabulous, and shows an incredible teamwork. I can appreciate that, but there's always something of a question, "What would these people be like at a café, across from me?" and I enjoy those fantasies a bit more when Constance Bennett flips her hair and the photogs don't send in their troops to make everything so perfect.

Oh, so right, Ollie. I wish, every once in a while, that the hair were a little more messed or loose. In Grand Hotel, in the bedroom scene with Garbo and Barrymore, Greta had a bobby pin in her hair to keep it in place. I have often thought how much more effective that whole scene would have been had her hair been tossed and flipped!

And, I hope they show more Kay Francis, too.

Lovely pictures of Constance Bennett, I think they display her beauty very well.

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I grew up with Agnes on TV, and had almost zero inclination to see those characterizations in a positive light. But her film history gave me an introduction to her physical appeal, and seeing some of those TV appearances later made me appreciate her aging process, too.

These younger-faced photos show such an interesting face, with so many sometimes-odd features - too-long-of-cheeks. Too-long-of-nose. Too many odd features that, all put together, cover a range. It's such an interesting face, and her ability to put a Sullen look is just amazing. So many people can "go plain" but she has all those features that "go Sullen" and so wonderfully. Then she can light up her exploding smile and that's always so unexpected.

Just a fascinated face. I wonder what Leonardo would have done with a face like hers? It'd probably be famous for another 500 years.