Elvis’ love for Hawaii ran deep, and during his lifetime he visited often. Whether it was to perform concerts and benefits, film a movie, or just to vacation, the islands would always draw him back. Elvis sailed to Hawaii from Los Angeles aboard the SS Matsonia on November 5, 1957. ... Read More »
CELEBRITIES
THE MAN BETWEEN – Sir Carol Reed’s Berlin-Set Thriller starring JAMES MASON
Why it’s time for Carol Reed’s Berlin-set thriller The Man Between to come out of the shadow of The Third Man. Starring James Mason and Claire Bloom, the film captures many scenes of post-war Berlin. The Man Between (1953)? When reviewing Carol Reed’s postwar thrillers, it’s usual to dismiss The Man Between (1953) ... Read More »
FIRST GAY CRUISE sailed in 1987 aboard the SS BERMUDA STAR
The first all-gay cruises were operated by RSVP cruises aboard the SS BERMUDA STAR over thirty years ago. This is a retro look at gay life in the 1980s aboard the first gay cruises. Operated by gay pioneer RSVP, the passengers dubbed the ship Bermuda Star Cruise Line ship the SS BRENDA ... Read More »
GIRL’S, GIRL’S, GIRL’S – New York’s famed EARL CARROLL THEATRE
In December 1934, the refurbished Earl Carroll Theatre located on the south-east corner of 7th Ave and 50th Street, New York City, opened as the French Casino. This glittering supper club was described by Fortune magazine as ‘a vast scarlet and silver restaurant which, in terraced rows of tables, seats ... Read More »
ELVIS PRESLEY takes the train from NEW YORK to MEMPHIS in 1956!
“Elvis who?” Photographer Alfred Wertheimer recalls uttering that very question in early 1956. A publicist from RCA Victor Records had contacted him, asking if he was available to photograph a young singer named Elvis Presley. “I’d never heard of the man,” Wertheimer told TIME Magazine in an article 40 years ... Read More »
The AMBASADORE EAST – Lunch at the PUMP ROOM with NATALIE WOOD and ROBERT WAGNER
When Ernie Byfield opened The Pump Room in the Ambassador East Hotel on October 1, 1938, he undoubtedly had little idea that he was beginning an enterprise that would still be thriving to this day. Today, The Pump Room remains a highly acclaimed restaurant and Chicago landmark. Located in Chicago’s ... Read More »
“Luscious” LUCIUS BEEBE, gay raconteur & image of celebrity!
From the 1930s until his death in 1966, a self-proclaimed hedonist, he was the image of a celebrity. An author, journalist, historian, raconteur, gourmet, and bon vivant extraordinary – this amazing personality was one of the first gay men to have a publicly open relationship. Columnist Walter Winchell called ... Read More »
David Bowie traveled by ship and train. No flying for this star!
David Bowie (8 January 1947 – 10 January 2016), who starred in the film The Man Who Fell to Earth, had a long-standing fear of flying. Bowie sailed aboard Cunard’s QE 2, the Italian Line’s Leonardo da Vinci, P&O-Orient Line’s Oronsay and Canberra along with many other ships. So while ... Read More »
Five reasons to watch the Cold War thriller The Man Between starring James Mason
Why it’s time for Carol Reed’s Berlin-set thriller The Man Between to come out of the shadow of The Third Man. Starring James Mason and Claire Bloom, the film captures many scenes of post-war Berlin. The Man Between (1953)? When reviewing Carol Reed’s postwar thrillers, it’s usual to dismiss The Man Between (1953) ... Read More »