Via this funny post at Kitschy Kitschy Coo, I found a link to this vintage photo of a singing diva that certainly looks an awful lot like Madonna — like vintage Madonna, anyway. (And don’t you just love that gown she’s wearing?!)

1929 Singing Diva

Do you know who she is?

It’s Olga Baclanova (pronounced bahk-LAH-no-vah), known best for the cult classic Freaks (1932).

She sure reminds me of Madonna.

Olga Baclanova

Olga doesn’t always bear such a striking photographic resemblance to Madonna though…

Olga Baclanova Wearing Hostess Pajamas, 1929

Here’s what’s printed on the back of that vintage promotional photo:

HOSTESS PAJAMAS are introduced to Hollywood by Baclanova, Paramount’s Russian artist, who selects green and silver metal cloth, bound with shimmering silver braid for an unusual costume. Exotic modernistic earrings complete this effective ensemble.

The only thing better than black velvet is vintage black velvet!

Norma Shearer: Black Velvet Glamour

To be as stunning as Norma Shearer, check out these current auctions on eBay:

This incredible vintage black velvet two-piece walking suit from the 20’s or 30’s is loaded with so many great features I may just pass out! (Click the link or the photos below to see all the glamorous details!)

Vintage Black Velvet Walking Suit

Back Of Vintage Velvet Walking Suit With Tasseled Scarf

This vintage black velvet bias cut evening gown may seem austere at first glance, but notice the body-hugging silhouette and rich details which make it anything but puritanical — and then there’s the plunging back with T-Strap, loaded with silver and white beading and red rhinestones in a dramatic Art Deco design. Talk about leaving a lasting impression!

Vintage Black Velvet Evening Gown With Exquisite Art Deco T-Strap On The Back

PS Don’t forget to enter my home spa skin care and “teddy bare” lingerie contests! (I wish I could enter!)

Via Kitsch Slapped’s latest edition of the History Is Ephemeral Carnival, I found this article about Little Lucille Ricksen. I don’t think I’ve ever heard of her, even though she was a contemporary of Dorothy Mackaill and Clara Bow:

Her career began as a child model and at the tender age of eleven, was cast by Samuel Goldwyn in a comedy serial entitled “The Adventures of Edgar Pomeroy.” There were twelve installments and were based on stories of Booth Tarkington. She became a leading lady at the young age of thirteen after being “discovered” by Marshall Neilan.

Lucille Ricksen

On March 13, 1925, at the age of 15, Lucille Ricksen died of tuberculosis.

Image via SilentLadies.com.

Stunning vintage 1920’s monkey and sheared beaver fur capelet:

Vintage Monkey Fur Capelet

The capelet is especially stunning against the royal blue. Below, Gloria Swanson wears a whole lot more monkey fur…

Gloria Swanson Wearing Monkey Fur

However you feel about fur, please remember, this is vintage; the crime was committed long ago.

Need a flashy and fabulous fashion accessory? Don’t want to spend to much money? Have no fear, go online and find affordable chic jewelery.
Everything from bracelets to loose diamonds.

The trouble with girls & young women today is they just don’t know enough about fashion history.

Overheard at the mall (and no, dear daughter, I wasn’t listening to you & your friends; I heard this while waiting in the food court for you), a group of teens discussing the 80’s fashion comeback. They apparently, if my teen-to-adult translator was working right, were disappointed to find that stores weren’t selling “classic 80’s Madonna, like from her Desperately Seeking Susan days.”

Desperately Seeking 80s Madonna

“Where,” they snarkily commented, rather than asked, “are the short skirts, the wild boots?” — “That stuff was rad original and iconic!”

Clearly these girls didn’t know that Madonna had ripped-off — or borrowed — from Joan Crawford, so how could I tell them that pretty much everything from Madonna’s “rad original & iconic look” (save for the neon colors - ugh) was the vamp revamping past fashions?

Sure, they might have guessed that the “granny booties” were a version of antique boots or Victorian shoes — daringly paired with short skirts. But clearly they didn’t have a clue that this had been done before too. And with cuffed (decorated, even!), slouch, calf-height boots yet.

Movie Makers: Short Skirts & Boots (1919)

Even the disheveled hosiery can be traced back to someone else… Now that’s old school!

Marie Prevost with Stockings (One Over The Knee, The Other Rolled Below The Knee) And Cuffed Slouch Boots (1918)

If those teenagers would have listened to the creepy old lady who rambled to them at the mall — or if they visited here and read this post — and got back to fashion schooled, can you imagine the “No way!”s? *wink*

If you’re in the mood for some boots inspired by 1980s Madonna, 1910s Marie Prevost, et all, check out Jimmy Choo’s ‘Jinx’ Cuff Boot & Jeffrey Campbell’s ‘Us’ Ankle Bootie.

Jimmy Choo's Black Cuffed (With Grommets) Boot

Jeffery Campbell Black Studded Ankle Bootie

Sure, “bee” is a pun based on the flapper expression “the bee’s knees,” but it’s also an art deco color scheme. Because most of what we see of flapper attire is in black & white, you may not know it, but a pretty warm yellow paired with dramatic black was a rather common color combination (often leaving the yellow looking like “white” or at least ivory in vintage photographs).

Since the straight “tube” flapper style of dress (combined with smaller sizing) can make most actual vintage flapper clothing too small for most of us to wear (or be unflattering when we do!), you can add in touches of the roaring twenties with fabulous flapper art deco touches.

I found some lovely yellow & black art deco designed (so that’s vintage style, not actual vintage) silver plated barrettes with black & yellow enameling and Swarovski crystal accents — what a pretty way to manage your bangs while you work on growing out that bob!

Vintage Style Art Deco Hair Barrett in Black and Gold

If you’d like something a bit softer, less geometric, in design, how about this lovely actual vintage art deco enamel and Czech yellow necklace with flowers and feminine ovals:

Vintage Art Deco Necklace with Czech Glass & Enameling

To add to your flapper look, finish off with some actual vintage shoes. These silver shoes with a top ankle strap match the metal of the barrettes and necklace and go with nearly any modern ensemble too.

Silver Leather Flapper Shoes With Top Strap

Of course, if you’re looking for more of a basic & casual shoe (with more size options too), try these Cortny flats with three ankle straps by Elizabeth & James — a more modern version of the flapper shoe in versatile (and popular this season!) ballet flats.

Cortny Ballet Flats with Three Ankle Straps

Silent Film Star Ruan Lingyu

Before I begin telling the story of Ruan Lingyu, it’s important to note that I fell in love with her in her films first, before I knew anything about her; it would be my hope that you did the same. But, knowing how few people watch silent films, let alone international ones, I will be content if you become so fascinated with the woman that you must see her act.

Ruan Lingyu was born Ruan Fenggeng in Shanghai on April 26, 1910, to a poor migrant family from Canton. By the time she was six, her father had passed away. Not long after that they moved away from Shanghai when her mother got work as a housemaid in the home of the wealthy Zhang family. By the age of 16 Ruan dropped out of school — and moved in with the Zhang’s son, Damin.

Zhang Damin

Like scenes straight out of The Peach Girl, there was very strong opposition by Zhang’s family to such cohabitation, resulting in Zhang being financially cut-off from his family and the firing of Ruan’s mother.

This, along with spoiled Zhang’s gambling problem, left 16 year old Ruan working to support the entire household.

In 1926, Ruan spots a “film actors needed” ad for Star Movie Studios. Becoming an actress was a rather remarkable choice at the time.

Prior to 1920, only a few short movies had been made in Shanghai & Hong Kong — and all the performers were male, including the female roles. This had less to do with a desire to follow Shakespearean theatre traditions than it did with the cultural expectations of women.

Proper Chinese women were modest; they would never dream of displaying or promoting themselves publicly.

Actress Ruan Lingyu

Such willingness & desire to have themselves projected onto film screens for the public to see made such women indecent — in fact, actresses were even called prostitutes.

But with the help of Zhang HuiChong, Damin’s elder brother, Ruan went for an interview and audition at Star Movie Studios. (Zhang HuiChong, himself a star in swordplay films for the Commercial Press in the early 20’s, married Xu Sue/Wu Suxin, a rather famous actress working at the Great China Film Studios, and together they created the short-lived United Film Studios — sometimes referred to as the HuiChong Film Company — from 1924-1927.) Sixteen year old Ruan was hired.

Her diligence & beauty outshone her lack of acting experience and she was cast in 1927’s A Couple in Name Only (aka The Nominal Couple), directed by Bu Wancang (aka Wancang Bu &/or Richard Poh) before joining MingXing Studio & creating her stage name, Ruan Lingyu.

She made a few films at MingXing, but it wasn’t until she left MingXing and joined Da Zhonghua Baihe Film Company (which quickly merged with other companies to become the Lianhua Film Company) that she found real success and Shanghai stardom in A Dream in the Old Capital (aka Reminiscence Of Peking, 1929).

Ruan With Daughter XiaoYu

By this time Ruan and Damin were having problems. Due to his affairs, gambling & general irresponsibility, they had parted several times and Ruan supposedly tried to commit suicide at some time between 1927 and 1928. By the end of 1928, their relationship crisis seems to be over and XiaoYu, a daughter, is adopted. However, Damin continues to gamble and live off Ruan’s money.

Ruan continues to make films for Lianhua and her popularity grows. Gary Morris, at Bright Lights Film Journal, has this to say about Ruan’s days at Lianhua:

[She] would find her greatest successes in a series of intense female-centered melodramas, many of them engaged with such pressing social issues as poverty, class conflict, prostitution, illegitimacy, women’s rights, suicide, and occasionally a political film that grew out of anxieties around Japan’s invasion of Shanghai.

Vintage Cosmetics Poster Featuring Ruan Lingyu

During the Japanese invasion of 1932, Ruan & Damin fled to Hong Kong. Once the situation became stable, the actress returned to Shanghai alone where two important events occurred.

First, the actress became involved in her first leftist inspired film, Three Modern Women. This film would launch her to another peak of her career, earning her second place on the 1933 list of the Top Ten stars in a Movie Queen, a contest run by local publications.

Tang Jishan & Ruan Lingyu

Second, with Damin still in Hong Kong, Ruan would meet wealthy merchant Tang Jishan, the “King of the Tea,” at a party; by March of 1933 Ruan had moved into Tang’s home.

On April 9th, Zhang returned from Hong Kong, prepared to make a fuss with the press regarding his romance with Ruan. Clearly motivated by money, he sells out a few days later, signing an agreement stating that in return for not bothering her again, Ruan would provide him with 100 yuan per month for the next two years. This leaves Tang and Ruan free to announce their engagement on August 8th of 1933.

New Woman (1934) Promotional Movie Still

In 1934 Ruan stars in Cai Chusheng’s A New Woman, considered by many to be her best film. But the press takes issue with the film.

In the film, Ruan’s heroine has been forsaken by her husband and, failing to make a living from writing, was forced to become a prostitute to raise her child — and then to commit suicide. It wasn’t so much the ethics or morals of the plot which angered the press. Rather it was the film’s inspiration — the life & death of writer & actress Ai Xia who took her own life in 1934, shortly after starring in her own scripted film, A Modern Woman. It was the film’s accusation that the suicide had been a result of the negative publicity which upset the press, especially the Journalists’ Union, which considered the film a negative portrayal of their trade. Even though the film was very well received by audiences (sending Ruan’s fame soaring), the film was edited to tone down the ‘blaming of the press’ parts and the studio was forced to issue and apology. But the press was still not happy…

Ruan On Vintage Magazine Cover Promoting Goodbye, Shanghai

At this time Damin, despite his signed agreement, returns. Perhaps his gambling debts forced his hand, or maybe he just was greedy, but in any case, he returns to extort more money from the even more popular (and wealthy) actress. This infuriated Tang who, despite insider suggestion that it upset Ruan, brought Damin into court on December 27, 1934.

This resulted in a media frenzy.

Despite public adoration of Ruan, the press feeds off the former couple’s previous living arrangements. Not so much focused on the scandalous nature or unmarried cohabitation, but arguing that such a living arrangement between “the moderns” was a sort of common law marriage — and one not dissolved by the signed agreement. Tang & Ruan are accused of fanghai hunyin jiating zui, the equivalent of an attack on family values & marriage in general.

Complicating matters, Damin’s family, with its old traditions & history of imperial officers, outranked Tang’s “new money” and simple “merchant” status. Tang’s history of divorces and affairs before marrying Ruan didn’t win him any points either. Not that Damin hadn’t been a louse; but he was a louse from an established, traditional, respected, wealthy family.

Ruan Lingyu

But no matter what the men did, it was Ruan who endured great scrutiny and even loses pubic favor in the sordid scandal. She is summoned to appear in court on March 9th, but sometime during the night of March 7th, after writing several letters, she commits suicide — with a overdose of sleeping pills just like her role in A New Woman.

Ruan Lingyu was found dead on March 8, 1935 — International Women’s Day. The day her film, A New Woman, was due to be screened as a fundraiser for a woman’s educational center.

Stay tunned for part two, to be posted Friday; there’s a whole lot more to Ruan’s story!

Deanna, of Kitsch-Slapped (and about a million other blogs), just posted about how she and her sister could see color even though they only had a black & white TV, which reminded me of a few things…

One being how I perplexed my dad by comparing women on television to past glamour icons. I too had compared some woman or other to Rita Hayworth and he asked me how the heck I knew who she was (and when I knew who Fatty Arbuckle was, he just about fell over). Mom countered with a, “Just about the only things your daughter reads or watches were made before 1960,” in that don’t-you-even-know-who-your-daughter-is? tone that made him both flush & squirm.

That weekend he came home with an armload of classic films he’d rented — just for the two of us to watch — and when we watched them, he chased mom out of the room or shushed her so “we film buffs” could be left alone to enjoy our movies in peace. *wink*

The second thing Deanna’s post reminded me of was how I sometimes see or imagine the color in black & white films — especially the fashions. But mostly I just wish I could see them in all their glory. *sigh*

Unless it’s lingerie and the film is from the 1920’s or 1930’s.

Still from Our Blushing Brides featuring lingerie

Whenever I see lingerie in films from that period, like Joan Crawford & gals in Our Blushing Brides, then I happily “know” that what they are wearing is either peach, pink or ivory — with ecru laces.

I know that there may occasionally be other colors (black, for instance, was popular — and easy to ’see’ on screen, and other pastel shades in blue and green), but when shopping for vintage lingerie or loungewear, the evidence in old catalogs and on vintage clothing store racks supports my visions of ivory, peach, blush & pastel pink lingerie.

1924 Lingerie Catalog Page

There are several likely reason for this.

It has been noted that soft & dreamy pastels were favored by high society at this time (along with an influx of Oriental colors & design influences; mainly seen in dresses, not so much with lingerie); pastel fashions require light colored lingerie. The popularity of pastels at this time is seemingly a combination of a response to the somber dreary wardrobes of WWI and the fact that wearing such light colors was surely impractical to the lower classes who had to work — hard toil would soil soft shades easily, leaving distinct marks of classes.

Pastel Blush Colored 1920s Lingerie

I also suspect that home sewing had its affects on color too. Because construction of flapper’s dresses & the lingerie worn beneath them (and the fashions which followed) were based on a straight shift, they were less complicated to make than earlier fashions. This meant it was much easier for women to produce the latest fashions at home using a simple — but fashionable — dress pattern. (Modifying a single pattern slightly, or embellishing it, to create more individual looking dresses.) Those sewing at home would likely copy the fabrics & colors of the days fashions as well, with the middle classes especially emulating high society’s love of pastels. However, fabric would still be costly — especially silks — and likely one made the most of the bolt of fabric they had. A household’s fashions would literally be cut from the same cloth, leaving all the women to have their lingerie in the same shade.

Lace and Silk Creme Cami

Another reason for the popularity of lingerie in pastel shades during the 1920s and 30s is a practical one. Many lingerie pieces, panties, shifts, slips, camis, & chemises, did dual duty as nightwear and foundation garments, worn under clothing and off-white & peachy-pink shades would match or blend with most flesh tones — if you were “white”, anyway. (And fashion was — and still is — primarily made for white women.) Such neutral fleshy shades would be very practical, diminishing color lines beneath the sheer and lightweight dresses of the time.

1920s Peach Silk Chemise with Ecru Lace

Such fleshy shades were also in and of themselves sexy — in an age of “dare to bare” flapper fashions, clothing was not only cut to expose arms and legs, but the colors suggested nudity. This would be especially enticing on the more natural-than-forced curves than the past fashion silhouettes where the even looser fitting garments would evoke a peek-a-boo feeling, if not actual body parts.

Lace Bodice on Pink Vintage Full Slip

These are my theories, based on what I know of the times. But what clearly remains of lingerie from this time period are these pastel pieces in peach, pink, blush and ivory shades; and most with lace, crochet and/or tatting accents in ivory and ecru.

If and when you spot authentic vintage lingerie from the 1920s & 1930s in other shades, you should expect to pay more. I suggest you do it — happily. You don’t know if or when you’ll find anything else like it to hug to your chest (or to drape over it later!) *wink*

Vintage Ivory Silk Tap Panties With Ecru Lace

Speaking of vintage swimsuits… Via A Slip of a Girl, I found this vintage styled knit swimsuit by Ashley Paige, appropriately called Bathing Beauty.

Ashely Paige Bathing Beauty Swimsuit

Doesn’t it have the same sweet appeal of the authentic vintage swimwear shown on this antique French postcard?

Swimsuit Model On Vintage French Postcard

Without John Sidney Blyth Barrymore, we wouldn’t have the lovely & talented Drew Barrymore (his granddaughter), nor would we likely have many of the films we have today.

John Barrymore

While many ascribe the arrival of the the talkies to The Jazz Singer (1927), the first feature-length film with synchronized sound was Don Juan (1926), a Warner Brother’s production starring John Barrymore as the legendary lothario. (In which Barrymore set a record of 191 kisses in one film production!)

Mary Astor and John Barrymore in Don Juan, 1926

The film wasn’t officially a talkie; it featured no dialog, but via Vitaphone (technology invented by George Robert Groves now owned by the studio) music and sound effects were synchronized to the film’s action.

The New York City premiere of Don Juan was also used by Warner Bros. as the premiere for the new Vitaphone technology, the Vitaphone Prelude, where the technology was presented with various demonstrations — including performances of the New York Philharmonic (they had done the music for the film) and six Vitaphone shorts. Despite the film’s erotic subject and nature, the premiere in New York City had a welcoming speech from Will H. Hays, the censor behind the Production Code.

Premiere of Don Juan at Warners' Theater

Much was riding on this film. Sam Warner was a rare and nearly lone voice in Hollywood who stood in support of Vitaphone and talking films in general. His arguments for the use of musical soundtracks really only won for practical business reasons, not for the art of film making, as explained by George Groves tribute website:

It was considered as a cost-effective means of replacing the large symphony orchestras which played in the more luxurious theatres. Plus the masses in the flea-pits who only had a pianist or organist could now enjoy a full orchestral accompaniment to their films. Because of Vitaphone, uniformly good presentations could be made wherever a film was shown.

On September 3rd 1926, less than a month after Don Juan premiered, Jack Warner was quoted as saying that talking films would never be successful because they “…fail to take into account the international language of the silent pictures and the unconscious share of each onlooker in creating…the imagined dialogue for himself.”

But quickly he and the studio would change their minds.

Don Juan had tremendous box office draw, so even though it didn’t recoup all the money put into the film, Warner Brothers saw its success and invested once again in Vitaphone and director Alan Crosland, with The Jazz Singer — a film which would set box office records.

It’s fair to say the novelty of sound synchronized with moving pictures gave Don Juan a huge box office push; but no one should discount the effects of the talented John Barrymore.

Watching the film again last night (on TCM’s Sunday Silents), it’s easy to see Barrymore as charismatic as Don Juan himself. Barrymore is charming & captivating acting in both the betrayed aging father & the bitterly indoctrinated son roles. He performed all his own swashbuckling stunts too.

John Barrymore and Montague Love fencing in Don Juan

But it’s his performance in the titular role as the hurt man hiding his wounds behind the mask of handsome heartless rogue which reaches across the decades to pull at this woman’s heart.

No small feat as the actor was reportedly unhappy with playing such “pansy parts” as this romantic role… Yet there he is, the swashbuckling & romantic hero — oh-so swoon-able!

Swoon-able Swashbuckling Barrymore

The Jazz Singer may get most of the credit for the technological film advance of sound, but I’m a firm believer that without John Barrymore’s Don Juan, Sam Warner would have lost his battles for sound and Warner Bros. may have taken a very different path. So thanks, John.