Posts Tagged with Happy Birthday

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY GEORGE CHAKIRIS

Today we are wishing a true Hollywood legend  George Chakiris, a very happy birthday.

Chakiris is an American dancer, singer and actor. He is best known for his appearance in the film version of West Side Story as Bernardo, the leader of the Sharks gang, for which he won both the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor and the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor.

Chakiris began his film career in 1947, starting off with a string of uncredited roles as backing dancers.  His 6th film appearance saw him as one of the suited men vying for Marilyn Monroe’s attention in the now iconic musical number “Diamonds Are A Girls Best Friend” from 1953’s “Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.”


“One of my favorite credits is to say that I worked behind Marilyn Monroe and I love saying that.” George remembers fondly, “ She was phenomenal. She only about twenty six when she made that film but Marilyn was an actress who was deeply concerned about her work and was very conscientious. Let me give you an example of her professionalism: If there ever was a cut for any reason, she never went back to her trailer to check her makeup. She’d be there on her starting mark and ready for the next take.”

Eagle eyed Marilyn fans will also see him pop up very briefly in “How To Marry A Millionaire” in Marilyn’s character Pola’s dream sequence and during several musical numbers from “There’s No Business Like Show Business.”

Mr Chakiris has also been a wonderful friend to “Marilyn Remembered” over the years, speaking at various memorials, attending events and always happy to chat with his many fans.

Thankyou Mr Chakiris and happy birthday!

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAUREN BACALL

Today we are wishing the legendary actress of the silver screen, Lauren Bacall a very happy birthday on what would have been her 94th birthday.

Bacall was an icon of the silver screen with an illustrious career spanning nearly 7 decades.  Some of her biggest acting screen credits include: “The Big Sleep,” “To Have And Have Not,” “Key Largo” and the 1953 romantic comedy “How To Marry A Millionaire” co starring Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable.

Bacall wrote of her impressions of Monroe and Grable in her autobiography ‘By Myself… And Then Some.’

“I returned home to prepare for my role of Schatze in ‘How To Marry A Millionaire.’  Marilyn Monroe and Betty Grable were to be in it as well – it was about three girls looking for millionaire husbands, and it was funny, witty and even touching.  I hadn’t really known either of my co-stars before and hoped the association would be a good one. 
As Cinemascope was a new experiment for everyone, it was difficult.  One had to keep actors moving and not too close together, as the screen was long and narrow.  You shot longer scenes in Cinemascope, five or six pages without a stop, and I liked that – it felt closer to the stage and better for me.  Betty Grable was a funny, outgoing woman, totally professional and easy.  Marilyn was frightened, insecure – trusted only her coach and was always late.  During our scenes she’d look at my forehead instead of my eyes; and at the end of the take, look to her coach, standing behind Jean Negulesco, for approval.  If the headshake was no, she’d insist on another take.  A scene often went to fifteen or more takes, which meant I’d have to be good in all of them as no one knew which one would be used.  Not easy – often irritating.  And yet I couldn’t dislike Marilyn.  She had no meanness in her – no bitchery.  She just had to concentrate on herslf and the people who were there only for her.  I had met her a few times befor, and liked her.  Grable and I decided we’d try and make it easier for her, make her feel she could trust us.  I think she finally did.”

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MITZI GAYNOR

Today we are wishing a true living Hollywood legend, Mitzi Gaynor a very happy 87th birthday.

Gaynor is an American actress, singer, and dancer. Her most Notable films include “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (1954) and “South Pacific”, the 1958 motion picture adaptation of the stage musical by Rodgers and Hammerstien.

Of course fans of Marilyn’s earlier screen roles will also know that both Monroe and Gaynor co-starred in “We’re Not Married,” though neither had any scenes together.

Mitzi Gaynor in “We’re Not Married.”


Gaynor has always spoken very highly of Marilyn, a great example can be watched here when she was interviewed about her time working with the screen icon in 2012:https://youtu.be/_cZ2i7PL8I0

She was also once quoted as saying:

“I played Ethel Merman’s daughter in that picture and we became best friends …Marilyn Monroe played a hat-check girl in the picture, but she wasn’t around all the time. She was busy creating Marilyn Monroe. If you see that picture now, though, and really pay attention to it, you realize that Marilyn steals the whole damn picture.”

For more information on her long and varied career, visit her official website: http://www.missmitzigaynor.com

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY RORY CALHOUN

Remembering Actor Rory Colhoun who was born 8th April 1922.  Colhoun had a long and lengthy career in both movies and television spanning just over 5 decades.

Marilyn fans will recognise Colhoun as a frequent co-star, sharing the same billing in no less than 3 of Monroe’s pictures: “River Of No Return,” “How To Marry A Millionaire” and one of her earliest movies: “A Ticket To Tomahawk.”

Colhoun passed away April 26th 1999 aged 76.  For more information on him, head here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001983/

In “River Of No Return.”
In “How To Marry A Millionaire.”
In “A Ticket To Tomahawk.” Marilyn can be seen in yellow to the left of Calhoun.