We should have known that one of SSUWAT's most cherished friends, MC of the fabulous MattAdore, would be the first to recognize our latest Mystery Guest. Yes, cherubs, that prettily plump girl would grow up and slim down to become the astonishingly wasp-waisted Vera-Ellen! Sadly, it's widely believed that Vera-Ellen's early chunkiness and subsequent success as "the smallest waist in Hollywood" were the cause and effect of a silent battle with anorexia. She also had to deal with the crushing blow of losing her only child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in 1963, after which she completely withdrew from public life. Vera-Ellen has given us endless hours of pleasure thanks to her brief, but fabulous, film career; we only hope that she's moved on to a better, more peaceful place. MC, our darling, when do we recreate the "Sisters" number from White Christmas?
I had just turned eleven in 1954 when we moved to New Orleans and a month later, although unable to understand a single word of English, I had seen "White Christmas" half a dozen times. I loved all the musical numbers specially "Sisters", which was the first 45 single that I ever bought, lovely Rosemary Clooney with her beautiful bedroom eyes and most of all, Vera-Ellen.
ReplyDeleteFifty-five years later I still love "White Christmas" and Vera-Ellen and still get goose bumps as I watch my two favorite musical numbers of all time: "The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing" and "Mandy".
Miss Turnstiles ! One of my first crushes in Call Me Madam ! Perhaps her biggest rival was Mitzi ?
ReplyDeleteYou name the time and place, my sweet, and I'm THERE! Of course, I'll be taking the role of the plumper of the sisters. I must insist that you also recreate V-E's most deathless line of dialogue ever, also from "White Christmas": "After all...I'm not exactly repulsive, am I?"
ReplyDelete@ Michael O': Vera-Ellen HAD no rivals!
There is a certain "Marge Champion je ne sais quoi" in this lovely picture, non ?
ReplyDeleteHow ironic the the "Smallest waist in Hollywood" would appear in "White Christmas" the first picture shot in widescreen "VistaVision".
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