Misidentified: The Jungle Girl

Hollywood Jungle Girl - the Actress Acquanetta - Jet Magazine Feb 14, 1952

Born Burnu Acquanetta in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to an Arapaho mother and a French-English-Cherokee father, she was given up for adoption and raised as Mildred Davenport by adoptive parents in Norristown, Pa. Accounts of her "real" story vary widely because early agents thought it best to conceal her Black heritage. Which really wasn't too unheard of back then because there was favoritism towards light skinned women within the race. And as for outside of the Black race, the lighter you were back then, the better you could pass for White. Therefore, you have two conflicting stories one being she was born on a reservation... The other story is she was born to light skinned working class Black parents.

After graduating high school, her exotic good looks brought her to New York to become a model. As her career took off, she took back part of her original name and, with the aid of helpful New York columnists, fabricated a South-of-the-Border background. In 1942 she landed a contract at Universal Pictures, where she played a succession of jungle girls and exotic beauties.

She is perhaps best remembered for her role in "Tarzan and the Leopard Woman" (1946). Other films included "Arabian Nights" (1942), "Captive Wild Woman" (1943) and "The Sword of Monte Cristo" (1951).

In the late 1950s, she married Los Angeles businessman Jack Ross and the two moved to the Phoenix area, where he became a successful automobile dealer. She starred in radio and TV commercials for her husband's Lincoln-Mercury dealership and became a socialite and philanthropist.

The couple donated money to help build a hospital in Mesa, Ariz., founded a theater in Scottsdale, Ariz., raised money for the Phoenix Symphony and served as a member of the Arizona Press Club. They also founded Combined Charities Inc., a foundation that allowed smaller charities to use the interest from its consolidated donations. Ross later ran unsuccessfully for governor.

In 1974 she published a book of poetry called "The Audible Silence." The couple eventually divorced in the 1980s, and among the property she gained in the settlement was the Mesa Grande ruins that scientists suspected was an ancient Hohokam temple. She eventually sold the site to city of Mesa, after obtaining promises that it planned to preserve the site as a museum.

This Black and Indian actress died in 2004 at 83 after having lived an apparently very full life with four children and seven grandchildren.

Pictures via google.
 Some enlightenment
 from Barry L. Atkins
via vieilles_annonces.

I Walk Like Jayne Mansfield

Before Anna Nicole Smith, there was Jayne Mansfield; American actress and sexual icon of the 1950s and 1960s!

 Left: Anna Nicole Smith.
(November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007)
Right: Jayne Mansfield.
(April 19, 1933 – June 29, 1967)

"If you're going to do something wrong, do it big, because the punishment is the same either way."

Fact sheet About Jayne:
1. Born as Vera Jayne Palmer.
2. She wore a blonde wig; naturally a brunette.
3. Height: 5' 6¼".
4. Measurements: 46D-18-36, after having kids!
5. She had four children, Jayne Marie Mansfield, Mickey Jr Hargitay, Zoltan Hargitay, and Mariska Hargitay.
6. One of her daughters, Mariska Hargitay, plays Detective Olivia Benson on "Law & Order: SVU".
7. She had a very high IQ.
8. She attended the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Dallas, UCLA, and Southern Methodist University.
9. She spoke five languages, and was a classically trained pianist and violinist.

Jayne Mansfield at the pink gates

of her house, which had her intials J M.

10. She was obsessed with the color pink. Jayne lived in a house located at 10100 Sunset Boulevard, in Beverly Hills. It was painted pink and became known as the Pink Palace.
11. She had a heart shaped swimming pool. It used to have "I love you Jaynie" in mosaic on the floor of it built by her husband at the time, Mickey Hargitay.
12. She turned down the role of Ginger on Gilligan’s Island.

Jayne Mansfield with Marilyn Monroe.

13. She actually admired Marilyn Monroe, even though, throughout her career she was compared by the media to Monroe and the other top sex symbol Mamie Van Doren.

14. 20th Century Fox signed a six-year contract with Mansfield to replace Marilyn Monroe as their resident blonde sex symbol.

15. Jayne starred in several popular Hollywood films that emphasized her platinum-blonde hair, hourglass figure and cleavage revealing costumes.

16. Jayne notoriously pulled publicity stunts by exposing her cleavage and fully exposing her boobs in "accidents".
17. She was a Playboy Playmate of the Month and appeared in the magazine several additional times.

18. She had a role in the film "Promises! Promises!", which is the first Hollywood motion picture with sound to feature a mainstream star in the nude.

On Location

She died in a gruesome car-truck accident at the age of 34. Some say she was beheaded upon impact. Others think the impact scalped her, or that it was her wig knocked off by the impact shown in photos after the accident. The car she was in at the time was a 1966 Buick Electra. All three people in the front seat including Jayne died instantly. The three children she had with Hargitay were also in the backseat at the time with four Chihuahuas. Miraculously, the children survived. One dog did die. Jayne's casket was completely covered in pink roses. The Jayne Mansfield accident resulted in the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild and the Louisiana State Police successfully lobbying Congress for the "Block Bar" a.k.a. "the Mansfield Bar", which was legislated in 1967 to be installed on all semi trailers and trucks to prevent cars from running up under the back of them. What a tragic ending.. like most Hollywood tales.



The Iconic "Queen of Comedy"

Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989)

You didn't think I would really not blog about this icon did ya? She is very much still remembered in the present day. I've been enjoying watching the "I Love Lucy" show on the Hallmark channel in the mornings. "I Love Lucy", first aired on CBS on Oct. 15, 1951.

It's the 60th year of "I Love Lucy"!

We even share the same birthday! Except the difference is that it's Lucy's 100th birthday! 

Turner Classic Movies is celebrating her birthday too!

Lucille Ball Filmography

Awards Won

I would soo love to go to the Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Center in her hometown of Jamestown, NY. I want to see the re-created Manhattan apartment set. How fun it would be to look at all of the specially made kitchen appliances and furniture in person at the Desilu Playhouse?! 

I would like to also visit her real childhood home, at what is now, 59 Lucy Lane and just take pictures out front. A small part of me even wants to see her granite headstone which has the name "Ball" scripted inside a large heart, like on the famous TV show. I only say that a "small" part of me wants to see it because while I want to pay my respect to her, how respectful is it to not let her rest in peace by trampling through her family plot???  Plus, that's so morbid. I just want to get a feel of the remnants of the "Queen of Comedy" herself. (Sigh) One day, hopefully sooner than later...

*Side note

*Plumbush Bed & Breakfast is a historic victorian property which is very nice and 30 minutes from the Lucille Ball - Desi Arnaz Museum. I wouldn't mind staying there while on voyage to see Lucille Ball artifacts!

The fact that she had an Cuban husband back then makes me love her more!
Just saying, it's always a plus when my Lady Icons aren't racists.

The Hollywood Museum - Hollywood, has an exhibit running now until Nov. 30, 2011. Appropriately titled, “Lucille Ball at 100 & ‘I Love Lucy’ at 60”



The Hollywood Museum in the Historic Max Factor Building.

 It features:

• “Redheads Only Room" where Max Factor worked on Lucy’s famous look, featuring their original signed contract.
• Awards, Certificates, Statuettes/Trophies, Plaques - including the special tribute to Lucy at the 33rd Annual Emmys (1981) and a congratulatory letter from President Ronald Reagan!
• The famous first national TV Guide (April 3, 1953) featuring Desi, Jr. on the cover as the $50 million baby!
• Items showcasing the genius of Desi – including original editing equipment which allowed for the technical advancement of TV production (3 cameras, live audience, on film)!
• A huge photography collection spanning Lucy’s life including her childhood, modelling career, films, radio and TV with some never-before-seen candid personal shots!
• Lucy's autographed leg cast from her 1972 ski accident at Snowmass, CO
• Personal annotated copies of Lucy’s scripts from TV shows and films!
• Desi's original recordings + sheet music!
• Montage of original photos from Lucy and Desi’s homes and apartments including Palm Springs, NYC and Beverly Hills!
• Costumes!
• Scripts from "I Love Lucy"!

WE LOVE YOU LUCY!

Three Guys Named Mike

photo via photobucket

One great movie is, "Three Guys Named Mike". If you're into the airline stewardess style, then you'll love this comedic tale of an American Airlines stewardess flirting with an adman, pilot and scientist. Actress Jane Wyman, actor Van Johnson, actor Howard Keel and actor Barry Sullivan star in this (1951) film. At the end of the movie Marcy Lewis (Jane Wyman) is forced to choose one fella after they find out about one another.  It's purely ironic that I just posted pictures of airline stewardesses the other day and tonight this movie is showing on Turner Classic Movies (TCM)!