Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 293

I am probably more impressed with my modest Anna Lehr collection than anyone else. Lehr was Ann Dvorak’s mom and  a film actress for roughly a decade starting in 1912. Every now and then I come across a piece of memorabilia from one of Lehr’s films like this lobby card from A Man Without a Country starring Arnold Daly.

The film was based on an 1863 short story of the same name by Edward Everett Hale. Curiously, most of the time this 1918 movie is credited as being called My Own United States so I am not sure if this card is from a re-titled subsequent release.

Lehr is around twenty-eight in this photo and think traces of Ann are definitely visible.

Happy Sunday!

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 291

The photo collection I oversee is massive and is comprised of many collections, one of which includes photos from the Turnabout Theatre.

The Turnabout was a live performance/puppet theatre which operated in Hollywood from 1941-1956. It was run by Forman Brown, Harry Burnett, and Richard Brandon aka the Yale Puppeteers and got its name from the audience seats which could be “turned about” to view the puppet stage at one side of the theater and the human performers on the other side. Elsa Lanchester (above) was the most notable member of the troupe and talks about the Turnabout with great affection in her autobiography.

Celebrities could frequently be spotted at the theatre and the puppeteers would even make puppets in their likenesses, such as Gary Cooper or evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (this is one of my favorite photos in the collection) .

No, I don’t think there was ever an Ann Dvorak puppet. However, the theatre had a large blackboard which the celebs were invited to sign. Back when I interned at the LAPL Photo Collection in 2004, I watched a documentary about the Turnabout which flashed the photo at the top of this post. “There’s Ann Dvorak’s signature!,” I shrieked to my cat who was the only other living thing in my apartment.  She was not nearly impressed as I was, but even all these years later, I am still tickled that Ann Dvorak visited the Turnabout Theatre.

It’s also worth noting the Turnabout’s place in L.A.’s LGBT history. In 1933 Yale Puppeteer Forman Brown penned the novel Better Angel, under the pseudonym Richard Meeker. The book  is now regarded as one of the earliest works of fiction to portray a gay lifestyle in a positive light.

All photos from the Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection. The entire Turnabout collection can be searched here with great difficulty (we’re working on it). 

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 290

The  I Was an American Spy  one-sheet is an easy Ann Dvorak poster to disregard, at least for me. It’s not a rare poster – there’s three of them on eBay right now. There are so many copies of this thing floating around that it was the first large piece of Ann paper I ever obtained, sometime around 1998. So, not only is it something I have had long enough to take for granted, but it shows up so often that it’s kind of a bore to see.

However, when you really stop to look at it, the poster does have its merits. This is one of the few films where Ann Dvorak was the bonafide star, meaning it’s also one of the few posters that focuses on her. How could we not love that giant brooding Ann head? While running into this one may be yawn-inducing for an Ann Dvorak collecting snob like me, it’s a piece of Ann that’s easy to find and affordable for someone wanting some vintage memorabilia. I paid $20 for this poster 15 years ago and you should not pay much more.

Finally, any paper with Ann Dvorak on it is worthwhile, so that’s really reason enough to celebrate the I Was an American Spy one sheet.

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 279

After a blistering week at work, I am taking it easy today by sharing this recently purchased photo of Ann Dvorak in her finest badminton gear,

Happy Sunday!

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 274

My Ann Dvorak collection could probably be described as substantial. It mainly consists of photos, lobby cards, and posters, but I’ve also picked up a few odd ball items over the years. I think this is one of the more unique pieces.

This card would have come out of machine at an arcade or some other place of amusement. I’m not sure if it would have been a machine with an animatronic fortune teller lady, like in the movie Big – but I sure hope so. On one side is a portrait of our Divine Ms. D and some biographical information. If that weren’t enough excitement, on the other side is a lengthy fortune stating the cardholder cares for all that is not abused and trampled upon by others.

Is there anything as cool as 1930s movie memorabilia?

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 272

 

I love this herald for a number of reasons. First off, it’s Three on a Match which is my favorite Ann Dvorak film. Secondly, it folds up giving us a weird hybrid of Bette Davis’ forehead, Joan Blondell’s eyes and nose, and Ann’s lips and chin. Next up is the claim that Bette has brains, Joan has beauty, and all Ann has to offer is kisses. And let’s not forget the baffling tagline, “It takes 3 girls in one to ‘take’ one man.”

The piece folds out to reveal what brains, beauty, and kisses actually look like and to describe a film that only vaguely sounds like Three on Match.  Ah, la publicité!

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 269

Yesterday, I briefly touched on how Ann Dvorak’s role in Our Very Own was so small, that she was not even included on one of the eight lobby cards. Unfortunately, that was also the case with the 1938 screwball comedy Merrily We Live. However, when the film was re-issued a few years later a small b/w image of Ann golfing with star Brian Aherne was miraculously included on the one-sheet.

(This week, I seem to be hitting a Ann Dvorak blogathon brick wall, so please bear with these shorter posts)

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 268

This photo was a recent eBay purchase that I am simply nutty about (esp since it was dirt cheap). We’ve discussed Our Very Own  before, where Ann plays “Gert,” a working class woman whose past catches up to her when the child she gave up for adoption (Ann Blyth) shows up as a teenager. Ann’s role is small, but stands out and it is one of the more memorable performances of her career. One of the major downsides to such a small supporting role is that Ann does not appear on any of the posters or lobby cards, and in very few photos. So, while many would bypass this less than glamorous image of Ann, for me it’s an absolute gem.

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 258

Drawing from the discussion with commenter Scott on yesterday’s post, I dug up the one other photo I have from the session Clarence Sinclair Bull did with Ann Dvorak and Marjorie King (again, NOT Raquel Torres) on the beach.

The back of this photo identifies the location as Malibu. Not sure whose dog that is. This photo is numbered MG-15907 and the other one I own is MG-19523, so there are at least 16 more of the MGM lasses. And I intend to find ALL of them!

Happy Sunday!

Year of Ann Dvorak: Day 256

 

I am taking the easy way out today and just posting a photo because I spent the last two nights seeing the Pixies in concert, who did not take the stage until 10pm both nights. While this would have been fine and dandy when I was 17, it’s a bit hard on the bones when you’re the same age as Jack Benny. Side note, last night’s show was at the Mayan Theater, which just may be my favorite Los Angeles movie palace (though it was originally intended as legitimate theater).

This photo of Ann is a recent eBay purchase and while there is no info on the back, my guess is that it was taken during the filming of Sky Devils in 1931. I have never seen any other images from this shoot which is saying a lot after nearly 16 years of collecting.

Happy Friday!