Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Jean Seberg
Born Jean Dorothy Seberg November 13, 1938 in Marshalltown Iowa. She was a beautiful american actress starring in 37 films in Hollywood and Fance. Most notably known from her role as Patricia in Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 film Breathless, French title: À bout de souffle, in which she co-starred with Jean-Paul Belmondo. During the later part of the 1960s, Seberg used her high-profile image to privately voice support for the NAACP and Black Panther Party. Though she had done nothing illegal, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover considered her a threat to the American state. Her telephone was tapped and her private life was closely observed, similar to the way they did Martin Luther King Jr. She knew about this and felt chased. According to documents that had been obtained by Seberg's lawyers and were released publicly by the FBI, an unnamed agent in Los Angeles proposed to Hoover that the actress, who was several months pregnant, be discredited with a rumor that her baby's father was Black Panther leader Raymond Hewitt. Said the agent in a memo, which was dated April 27,1970: "The possible publication of Seberg's plight could cause her embarrassment and serve to cheapen her image with the general public." Hoover agreed to the plot against Seberg and in a memo to Washington her stated that Seberg was a financial supporter of the BPP (Black Panther Party) and that she needed to be neutralized. These reports were picked up by French publications, The LA Times and Newsweek. During this time Seberg was a huge star living in Paris. At 7 months pregnant on August 23, 1970 Seberg went into labor and gave birth to a girl named Nina. Sadly the baby died 2 days later. The actress claimed that the shock of reading all the false stories had caused her premature labor and led to her baby's death. Seberg proceeded with a law suit against all the publications and won an out of court settlement and public apology (To bad this apology from the FBI wasn't given to Martin Luther King Jr. or his family) Later Seberg's husband French Author diplomat Romain Gary insisted the child was his, but Seberg says she confessed that the chid was a result from an affir she had with revolutionary student Carlos Nevarra during their separation. Gary and Seberg divorced by years end and she became dependent on alcohol and prescription drugs. She had two more marriages and the latter of the two she claimed abuse.
In August 1979 Seberg went into hiding and was found dead in the backseat of her car 11 days later. The police report stated that she had taken a massive overdose of barbiturates and alcohol. A suicide note that read: "Forgive me. I can no longer live with my nerves" was found in her hand. However, it is often questioned how she could have operated a car with that amount of alcohol found in her body, and without the corrective lenses she always maintained while driving. A year later, her former husband Romain Gary committed suicide too.
Seberg remains a female icon with her timeless beauty and classic style. I loved the quirky innocent role she played in Breathless. I remember seeing her in fashion magazines and different articles on her life. I felt drawn to her the first time I saw her beautiful piercing eyes and can't imagine how it must have been to know her. Although she lived a troubled life she remains talked about and emulated in fashion today. To Mark the 50th Anniversary of the film Breathless Rialto films has acquired the US Theatrical rights to re-release the film with a new 35mm restoration which was recently unveiled at the International Film Festival. The theatrical release launches May 28th at New York film forum. I can't wait to see it!
Endless Love,
Ronnie.B
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Diahann Carroll
Born July 17, 1935 as Carol Diahann Johnson in Bronx NY. Her family later moved to Harlem when she was an infant. At age 14 one of Diahann's first jobs was modeling for Ebony magazine in a Petticoat layout for Johnson Publication the magazines publisher. She later went on to work for Macy's Dept store at age 15 in the hat department. After graduating from high school she enrolled at New York University where she intended to study psychology. Despite her attempts to comply with her parents desire that she complete her education, singing and modeling proved a more compelling lure than school work. After winning $3000 on "Chance Of A Lifetime" television show, it netted her a weeks engagement at a nightclub and the club owner also ran a talent agency and soon offered her a contract. She later went to California and auditioned for the film Carmen Jones. Diahann didn't get the lead role but was cast sidekick to Dorothy Dandridge instead.
Diahann Carroll spent more than 40 years in show business, making a name for herself as a glamorous night club singer and as an actress who has performed on Broadway, Feature Films and Television. She appeared in prestigious African American themed films such as Carmen Jones (1954) and Porgy and Bess (1959). Between 1968 and 1971 she starred in her own television series, Julia. She was the first African American woman with her own television series! In 1960 a Broadway musical was written specifically for Carroll. The production depicted a fantasy story of a top African American model in an interracial romance with an American writer who suffered from writers block. The costumes cost over $15,000 just for Carroll. After helping her lover recover, he goes back to Maine and she stays in Paris. The couple part ways with no strings attached, the title of the musical being, No Strings. Diahann Carroll's amazing role in No Strings won her a Tony award for Best Actress. She later went on to do the film Paris Blues starring opposite Sydney Poitier with whom Carroll had a 9 year love affair. Diahann and Sydney were engaged but decided to call it quits in 1968. Carroll is compared often by her well coiffed images and was called the "Black Jackie Kennedy" and much later was compared to a "Black Barbie Doll". In 1974 Diahann was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in the film Claudine (I love that film!!) And in 1984 she starred in one of my all time favorite television soap operas Dynasty, where she played the beautiful stylish Dominique Deveraux!! The cat fights with Dominique and Alexis were classic and her boyfriend on the show was no other than the hot and sexy Billy Dee Williams!! In this same year she released her autobiography Diahann! Well known for her extravagant taste in clothing and lifestyle, Diahann Carroll is a vintage icon!
I'm sharing my love for Diahann Carroll because I think she exudes beauty, grace and style! During a time when the industry was ran and dominated by men it took a strong feisty woman like Diahann Carroll to open doors for women and break barriers for women of color. She is a strong role model with a sense of independence. When I was younger I dreamed of being her as Dominique Deveraux!! I wanted her clothes, her wigs, her jewels, but mostly her ATTITUDE! Diahann Carroll is an award winning actress, successful entrepreneur, devoted humanitarian and breast cancer survivor at age 74. Indeed, Carroll's ability to survive and preserve has made her career an example for us all!
Endless Love,
Ronnie.B
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