My Fellow Gingerologists, I give you...

GINGERPICS!!!
...As most of you know, as Chief Gingerologist, I have had a tendency to test the limits of PayPal on occasion (BTW, a REAL 'Pal' wouldn't do that to my Visa card... :-[ ) regarding Gingerbilia on eBay (which is Pig Latin for 'BE'...as in 'This will BE the end of my savings account...oof).
Anyway...I have been sorting through my 'acquisitions' and ran across these photos, which are 14x11s (weird size, it seems)... honestly didn't remember I had them (the first step is to admit...you have a PROBLEM...albeit a nice one :-] ) (BTW, sorry for all the parentheses...) (it won't happen again...) (no, REALLY...)
After checking these out, they are AWESOME!!! The COOL thing about these, other than being in color, is they appear to be 'untouched', in that they are just the 'raw' photos - although most of them are movie promo pics... they are 'glossy', on good ol' Kodak paper... but Ginger just looks so cool in these, even without any 'touch-ups'...there's something about the 'real' look of some of these that is really nice, IMHO... Anyway, enough jibber-jabber... on with the pics! [Oh, P.S. - I will have a few comments below each...and note I used brackets here, NOT parentheses...]

...Perhaps my fave of the bunch... not really sure if this is in support of a movie, or just a 'general promo' deal... her hair does not really strike a memory of a correlating movie role, except for maybe 'Lucky Partners?' Honestly, tho, it really looks like she just came in off the street and spontaneously sat down for a photo shoot... and what a photo shoot, y'all! Her smile is just sheer perfection here (well, it ALWAYS is, but REALLY awesome here...) She is also rocking that 'basic' sun dress, too...and killer heels... and her hair is DEFINITELY early 40's, but not TOO 'poofed up'... just right, IMHO...yow yow YOW!!! ...ok, well, we better move on, cause I could be here on this one indefinitely, y'all...

One of the pics from the 'Lady in the Dark' promo sessions... Ginger in a tutu? That would be a BIG OL' yepyepyep from Huey! And again, such a great smile... I really don't remember anything like this in the 'Jenny' scene, however...guess I need to go watch it again (it doesn't take much of an excuse for me, y'all...) Her hair is cool in this one, just kinda 'up and out'...and the ribbon/feathers paraphanelia in it is also working well for a cool effect...and on a side note, given that Our Miss Ginger was a bit under 5'-5", that must be either a small horse or a large pony (where the threshold between the two are, who knows...) Oh, to be a small horse or a large pony for just a few moments in the time-space continuum... :-]


Not sure where this is - looks like a Greek Temple or something in the background...let's just assume that, as our Gingery goddess is observing something in the distance... could it be? YES! the prodigal Cabana Boy, returning from the local Baskin-Robbins...or whatever they had back then...with a couple of drums of Miss Rogers' fav flavor, er... well, whatever that may be (I still say it was Chocolate, y'all...) BTW, I LOVE the Green and Gold combo [my team's colors (UAB)] - and for facing the sun's glare, she is just SO fine... If I had to pick out ANYTHING here that would be not as 'perfect', her lipstick color might be just a bit too 'bright' or whatever... but I would eagerly help her remove it for another shade :-)

Not sure where this one is from, but just a pretty pic, for dang sure... hmmm...quite the bow or whatever on the hat and collar - not that I am a fashion guru, but this one must be from the early 40's as well. A few 'freckles' and 'lines' show up here, but I think it gives her that 'real' look, and honestly just that much more fetching to me... oh, and note that her 'beauty mark' is reversed, which means... that the picture is reversed. ...a REAL Gingerologist would catch that right off the bat.

This one is I THINK from 'Dreamboat', although not sure which scene... there were actually two pics of this 'series' included in the set, but this one was just a WEE bit better (the other one is awesome as well). Just a note here... if we ever did a 'best Ginger eyebrows' poll, Huey would vote for these... perfect. And the hair curls...dang those are cool! And another thing...could that be a 'Ginger Rogers rose' in her hair? It DOES appear to be similar, from the few pics I have seen of that rose variety...

OK... I KNOW that THIS pic is from 'Dreamboat'... and this AWESOME dress is documented in Ginger's bio as follows: "One day, Marilyn Monroe dropped by the set (of Dreamboat) for a visit. I was wearing a wonderful gold lame evening dress and Marilyn liked it. Moreover, she told the front office (of MGM) she wanted it. She got it and wore it in a brief scene in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes." Ginger is made up a bit in this one, to emulate the 'silent era' actress, which had to go extra on makeup for whatever reason (maybe y'all could explain that one... I understand why extra makeup is needed for a stage play, but I think the transition to movies from stage was gradual in this respect... although it could be I don't have a bloody clue as to what I am rambling on about...) ANYWAY, Ginger rocks this dress quite nicely... not sure if this was the SAME dress Marilyn wore, but I'm pretty sure she rocked it as well... I dig the cape... Ginger in a cape... kinda redundant in a way, since we all know that Ginger has superpowers unbeknownst to most...
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Well - hope you liked these as much as Huey!!! I will continue to plow through my 'stash' and hopefully find some more awesome Gingery goodness!

A programming note: TCM will be airing 'Top Hat' on Thursday, November 25, at 12:30 AM - yep, that's EARRRRLY Thanksgiving Morning...so if you plan on having insomnia that night, it would be a very entertaining way to pass the time... otherwise,

...Y'all have a VERY Gingery Thanksgiving!!!

KIG!

VKMfanHuey
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...odds and ends...

Hope everyone is well out there!

...first of all, I have been out of pocket for the last few days, as my son (15 months old) had to have 'minor' surgery today, to 'open' a tear duct in one eye, as well as having his adenoids (throat stuff) removed. He is doing well, and zonked out in his crib tonight.

Also, Jean Howard of 'Discovering Ida' has found info regarding an episode of Dinah Shore, which featured Ginger AND Ida Lupino... no 'footage', tho... sounds like an OGRE assignment to me... :-) Go check it out at this link:

http://idalupinofan.blogspot.com/2010/11/gingery-connection.html

And finally, just a 'blurb'...or as you young 'uns call it nowadays, a 'Tweet' (well, if I was hooked up with 'Twitter'..why isn't it 'Tweeter'?) ...well, I was just reading the book I mentioned back on November 3, and ran across this passage regarding politics, which just stuck me as "Classic Ginger": "...There was talk in the papers (in the late 1940's) that Ginger was to run for Congress as a representative for California. I asked her about this and about what would be her platform. She smiled and replied, 'Cheaper and better ice cream for all!' - that was enough hint to me the rumour was nonsense."

Well, that's about it - just 'updating' and staying 'in touch' a bit... Sorry for the absence of any GingerPics... will try to make up for it in the next post :-]

Keep It Gingery, y'all!!!

VKMfanHuey
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"Bachelor Mother" out on DVD via WarnerArchive...

...Well, Old C.K. over at 'Hollywood Dreamland' beat me to the 'breaking news' (nice work, Mr. Haven!) - but the Warner Archives has released "Bachelor Mother" on DVD! Here is the link below:

http://www.wbshop.com/Bachelor-Mother/1000180331,default,pd.html?cgid=ARCHIVENEW

Great to see another GingerFilm available, especially this one, which is honestly in my Top 5, period! The WB archive DVDs are very 'basic', with no 'extras', and usually a fair copy of the movie, but not restored... but this one would be worth it if you don't have it... I'm buying a copy, and I have it off of TCM already!

The only thing is, I am just not too fond of ANY of the posters for this movie I have seen thus far, and the one they use on this cover is among the 'least'...doesn't really look like either of them... oh well, no biggie... the one at the top here is probably the best of the bunch, although this 'Spanish' one below is the coolest one of Ginger - but ol' Dave is truly an 'afterthought' on this sheet!
Anyway, I hope this helps y'all out in your collection! Good to see WB still cranking them out... I will check on the other studios which are doing this (namely Columbia/Sony and 'tenatively' Fox)...hopefully we will see plenty more of GingerFilms, along with all the other great ones of the 'Golden Age'!

KIG, y'all!

VKMfanHuey
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Veteran's Day...

A time to say THANKS to all the men and women who have, or are currently serving in the armed forces abroad and stateside... the sacrifices you have made for our freedom are immeasurable and deeply appreciated.

Here are some of the 'major connections' Ginger has had to our military over the years:

Well, at the ripe old age of six, she was 'recruited' for a bond drive advertisement in Missouri for World War I.

Ginger's mom, Lela, was one of the first ten women in history to join the Marine Corps, in 1918, as a stateside publicist to drum up support and recruits, even as WWI was drawing to a close. It would be KILLER to find a pic of Lela in uniform! :-]

Lela met her second husband, and Ginger's eventual 'last-name-sake', John Logan Rogers, after he was released from a Veteran's Hospital in New York, where Lela just happened to be stationed at the time.

Of course, Ginger's third husband, Jack Briggs, was a Marine Private First Class, whom she met during one of her many USO drive appearances. He did a tour of duty in the South Pacific in WWII.
Ginger was a popular 'celebrity' during WWII, as a 'pin-up', on the sides of bombers, etc...

And then there are the movies Ginger did which were in support of the war effort - such as "Major and the Minor", "Once Upon a Honeymoon", and "Tender Comrade".

But the best and most compelling of her 'wartime' films has to be "I'll Be Seeing You", the story of a veteran who is recovering from what is now known as 'post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), who meets and subsequently falls in love with a girl who happens to be on furlough from prison for murder (in self-defense, mind you...).
This movie deals with PSTD in a sincere and honest manner, addressing a 'avoided' topic in that day. I'm sure most of y'all have seen it, but just in case you haven't...it's a good movie - ya need to check it out.

Another 'once-removed' connection to Ginger regarding WWI is the 1930 movie her second husband, Lew Ayres, starred in, "All Quiet on the Western Front"; I watched this one a few days ago, and was quite surprised by the 'realism' of the battle scenes and the depiction of the 'kids' sent to battle grossly unprepared and surviving such bleak conditions (it is told from the German' side, although the actors are decidedly 'English-American' acting). Ayres really did a great job in it, and it is another one I would suggest viewing if you haven't already...

As for 'here and now', just a 'shout-out' to my hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, which was, and still is, a major player in the development of Veteran's Day. The concept for the observance is as follows below, from www.bhamwiki.com :

"Veterans Day is largely intended to thank living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to United States national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served - not only those who died - have sacrificed and done their duty. Like its predecessors, "Armistice Day" or "Remembrance Day" in other parts of the world, Veterans Day falls on November 11, the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I. (Major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice.)

"Armistice Day" was first commemorated in the United States by President Woodrow Wilson in 1919, and 30 states made it a legal holiday. On November 11, 1921 the remains of an unknown soldier were entombed in Washington D.C. as a memorial to all who died in service to the United States. Congress passed a resolution in 1926 inviting all States to observe the day, and then passed another resolution in 1939 making it a federal holiday.

Raymond Weeks, a World War II veteran and Birmingham citizen, led efforts to expand Armistice Day to salute the veterans of that war. He led a delegation that presented the idea to General Eisenhower, the Army Chief of Staff. With his blessing, plans were made for the first Veterans Day celebration, held on November 11, 1947 in Birmingham. A parade was held downtown, beginning a tradition which continues with what remains the nation's largest Veterans Day Parade.

After years of lobbying, a bill to formally change the name of the federal holiday was introduced by Representative Edwin Rees of Kansas. It was signed by President Eisenhower on June 1, 1954.

The National Veterans Award was created in Birmingham in 1954 for the first National Veterans Day. Weeks was given the Presidential Citizens Medal in November 1982 for his efforts on behalf of U. S. veterans."

source: www.bhamwiki.com

Well, I hope this post was informative - a bit of a 'departure' from a typical G-ology post... we obviously delve into the 'minutia' of Ginger, which is our mission, right? But it is always important to understand the true meaning of a VERY important observance and act accordingly...in short, thank someone you know who has, or is, serving for our country.

VKMfanHuey

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...OK...SOMEbody's been holding out on us...

...regarding Roberta...well, MAYBE. I am currently reading an 'unauthorized biography' of Ginger that was written in the 60's by a dude named Dick Richards, who was (or still may be) a film critic of the Daily Mirror, a London newspaper. He had met Ginger a few times, seen and reviewed most of her films, and wrote this bio around the time she was starring in the London production of 'Mame' - the first chapter talks about how that production came about with Ginger in it. But the second chapter begins the 'chronological' story of Ginger, and overall seems pretty accurate...
...BUT, check THIS out - on page 74 of this tome, he states the following regarding the film 'Roberta': "I'll always recall a gown of glittering gold metal leaf cloth worn by Ginger. Above all, the dress parade which was the film's climax was in colour, then a comparative novelty, and it was rich and rewarding. It revealed Ginger's hair as by no means a fiery red but a soft, fair auburn and at the sight of it her male fans in the cinemas should have renewed their marital vows."
...OK - so... WHERE IS THIS COLOR (or 'colour') VERSION? Did WB just 'blow off' the color portion and made it all B/W throughout? Or was this an 'English only' thing (which would have been kinda weird to not have been that way stateside...) - see, every time things seem to be in harmony in GingerLand, something like this pops up, which just...BUGS me!!! Well, y'all can relate... OGRE - sounds like a mystery for you to unravel... oh well, we at least have Maria to provide us with awesome color 'stills' from this great film...
Anyway, overall this is a pretty interesting book, and dude is definitely a big Ginger fan, but there are a few 'iffy' parts here and there, at least in comparison to Ginger's bio... another big "???" is that he claims Ginger's favorite GandF movie is 'Top Hat'... er, that's first time I've heard that... I tend to think it was probably her LEAST fav, if just for the 'feathers' incident alone, not to mention the presence of Mr. Sandrich... and she says herself that 'Swing Time' is her fav, so there ya go.
BTW, be on the lookout for MY 'unauthorized biography', "Huey Rogers: The Bodacious Life of a Cabana Boy" - guess I COULD do the 'novel writing' contest or whatever... if only time would allow...
Well, hope everyone survived Halloween... guess Thanksgiving is next....well, it's really Veteran's Day next... so lots of stuff ahead. In the meantime...

Keep It Gingery!!!
VKMfanHuey
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