Hollywood tragedy: Elvis, Marilyn, and James Dean

Postcard: Tyrone Power in "Blood and Sand" (1941)

Old Hollywood -- maybe not ancient, silent, black'n'white, but still really old Hollywood. Those were the days. Stars actually had privacy back then, or at least an agent who spent time keeping them out of the newspapers! Imagine. There will be a day far into the future when Lindsay, Zack, Miley, Angelina, Casey, Katie, Brad, Ben, Matt and every Hollywood star who's ever appeared on the cover of People magazine will be as fondly recalled (if not as outrageously costumed) as Tyrone or Carmen. Even Lindsay has already dressed up -- or is that dressed off? -- as Marilyn, so that day may not be as far off as I hope.

What the current crop of stars needs is, of course, some real tragedy, and not "the court took my babies away" trailer sagas of Britney'n'K Fed. (Her head-shaving seems like a promising start, but still: hair grows back.) Real tragedy, like the heart attack that killed Tyrone Power on the set of Solomon and Sheba in 1959. The postcard above shows Tyrone in costume from his remake of the Valentino flick Blood and Sand. (Nice pants!) The flip says Power was "the star in a host of big pictures," but no mention of a few that got away: he turned down the Burt Lancaster role in From Here to Eternity, and was turned down for the role of Ashley Wilkes in Gone With the Wind. Adding insult to injury, the director of Solomon and Sheba kept Power's performances in the completed film. Now, that's tragic. My friend Liz sent this card in 1988, originally from the Movieland Wax Museum, then she and Joy were off to Seattle, Canada and points north. In May. Brrrr.

Postcard: Carmen Miranda

My sister Rene sent this card of the other divine Miss M (above) just before I went to visit her for July Fourth, 1994. Carmen provides more Hollywood tragedy: another early heart attack, in 1955. She didn't smoke or drink, says her biography, so maybe it was the outrageous headwear that did Miss Miranda in. James Dean made his exit by car crash on September 30, 1955: it was a busy year. Death is such an iffy career move, but in the case of the movie mags, like on the postcard below, tragedy sells. Is it any wonder Elvis would come to a tragic end after being paired with Jimmy here? The flip only mentions Dean, so apparently it was only a matter of time. Those magazines knew. I bet Col. Parker sweated over Elvis' death odds every morning for years ....

Postcard: Elvis & Jimmy, direct from Amsterdam (1987)

Patrick writes from Amsterdam, 1987:
More soul music on the radio here than in Atlanta. Not necessarily better. Lots of Afro/reggae/hiphop groups playing around town ... Record stores -- one had a "wreckabilly" category ... more 60s and psych discs than you could shake a thai stick at -- Georgia Satellites disc elsewhere. Many music videos for sale. Guy in front of the train station w/ Strat, playing "Blue Suede Shoes." I give it a 2.

Postcard: Marilyn sends square-cut or pear-shaped birthday wishes from Rocky, 1986

And what more can be said about Marilyn? Not much at this late date. I don't know, maybe Lindsay's recent magazine photos posing as Marilyn may be one of those weird omen-like events that begs the phrase be careful what you ask for. Look what happened to poor Anna Nicole, for instance -- she was pure Texas trailer, but she didn't fool around with that Britney haircut jive. She went straight for the slow-motion pills, just like Marilyn. Rocky, once an actor, writes: I'm going to be in New York all summer and possibly for years to come. (See the "Woody and Christ at the Met" card in the post of March 22) -- Rocky eventually studies for the Episcopal priesthood, side-stepping all the lure of that Hollywood drama. Smart boy.