As tensions mount throughout the Gulf Coast, I can only hope that Hurricane Rita takes after its brilliant but volatile namesake and has a bark bigger than her bite. Should we be concerned that Rita Hayworth starred in 1937’s “Trouble in Texas” and that her last film was called “The Wrath of God?”
I can’t remember the last time we ever had two hurricanes of this magnitude so close together. What’s going on? Wilco is supposed to headline at the Austin City Limits Music Festival this weekend and my sister and her kids were heading down to Texas tomorrow morning. I think she just cancelled her trip, thank God, since the poor Katrina evacuees along with thousands of other Houston residents are now flooding into Austin and need all the hotel rooms they can get. Even though Austin is far from the coast, they’re still anticipating a major storm and supplies are low everywhere. There will be a decision later tonight whether the entire festival is going to be cancelled.
Rita Hayworth died in 1987. Had she lived, she would have been 86 in a few weeks. I’m glad people are taking Hurricane Rita more seriously than they took the actress. Because of her incredible beauty, her abuse at the hands of Columbia Studios president Harry Cohn, and her unusually early descent into Alzheimer’s Disease, I don’t believe she is given the credit she deserves for her acting chops. “We are all tied to our destiny,” Rita said sadly before she slipped away, “and there is no way we can liberate ourselves.” Let’s hope that the same is not true for all those people in the hurricane’s path.
"Should we be concerned that Rita Hayworth starred in 1937’s “Trouble in Texas” and that her last film was called “The Wrath of God?”
Danny, you really thought this one through, didn't you?!
Love the photo you chose of the late great Rita...
Posted by: Pearl | September 22, 2005 at 01:31 PM
I still think that pin-up photo of her -- which so successfully objectified her that it probably ruined any hopes she had of being a successful actress -- is one of the sexiest human images ever captured.
Posted by: david | September 23, 2005 at 07:18 AM
Danny,
Didja know today is Mickey (Andy Hardy) Rooney's 85th B-day? 'Course ya did! :-)
Posted by: Mikal | September 23, 2005 at 01:53 PM
David, I could not agree more—that photo you mentioned IS the sexiest human image ever captured.
Oy, Andy Hardy's birthday and I didn't know it? Shame on me! And he's still "putting on a show" with the same verve as when he was running through barnhalls with Judy Garland. Here's an article about his birthday performance. And he just made his 261st film, God love him! Happy Birthday, Joe Yule, Jr.!
Posted by: Danny | September 23, 2005 at 03:14 PM
Harry Cohn story:
Back in the late 80s, a much older woman I was romantically involved told me her dad had worked as one of Cohn's aides at Columbia. Apparently one of his staff had let Marilyn Monroe slip through the studio's clawed fingers, and Cohn was threatening all his remaining underlings with serious retribution if they didn't soon find another blonde sex symbol that could draw the same B.O. as Norma Jean.
(Cohn was, of course, the guy who had a two-way intercom system connected to all of his soundstages, so he could both silently listen in on his employees' doings, and bark orders at them from afar. When a visitor to a soundstage heard one of Cohn's expletive-laced rants coming over the intercom, and wondered aloud, "Who is that?", the speaker croaked back, "GOD!")
Well, my G.F.'s pop got to work, and eventually came up with Kim Novak. Although that move saved him his job, and kept Columbia's leading-lady receipts in the black, Cohn never warmed up to Ms. Novak, and always referred to her as "that fat Polack."
They just don't make 'em like that any more...
Posted by: Mikal | September 23, 2005 at 11:31 PM
Thanks for the fascinating Harry Cohn story, Mikal. What a pig that man was—it's amazing how many beautiful women Cohn found time to torment during his career. Hayworth and Novak made some great films, but I wonder what they could have done if they'd been allowed to flourish.
Posted by: Danny | September 24, 2005 at 05:20 AM
I live the greater Austin area, and we didnt even get rain. It was 103F Friday and in the mid 90s Saturday and today.
The ACLF went on as scheduled.
And I love Rita Hayworth with Fred Astaire in "You were never lovelier" and, to a lesser degree, in "You'll never get rich."
Posted by: kornelios | September 25, 2005 at 02:18 PM
Hey, Danny, I was just reading this one and thought about the fact which you are all probably familiar with, but...when Fred Astaire was asked who his favorite dancing partner was, he said, Rita Hayworth! I love that Rita was his favorite, don't you? Also, Larry Parks made a picture with her at Columbia and he always spoke very highly of her, as does his wonderful talented widow, Betty G. I know that the Parks Family, for many many years bought their Christmas tree's from a relative of Rita Hayworth...can't remember if it was a brother and his family or who, but, whoever it was, there was a lovely feeling about them, too. That Life Magazine photo that you both are refering to is one of the most incredible pictures, ever, isn't it? But I like the one you used, too! Lovely post!
Posted by: OldLady Of The Hills | October 10, 2005 at 03:29 PM