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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Islands in the Stream

YouTube Tuesday presents: Bette Midler and Dolly Parton on the Divine Miss M's short-lived sitcom appropriately titled Bette!


With all these Bette Midler issues of After Dark I"ve been featuring, I thought we needed a little musical interlude.

Monday, August 30, 2010

After Dark May 1978 (Part 2)


Continuing on with this 10th Anniversary issue that featured Bette Midler in her third cover appearance, we can't forget her back-up group, The Harlettes. Make that formerly known as the Harlettes. The members changed throughout the years. I know of two famous women who were once Harlettes. The first was an original member named Melissa Manchester. That's right, Grammy winner Manchester started with Bette and Barry Manilow singing in the baths. Another famous former Harlette starred in a long running sitcom (11 seasons) as Peg Bundy. You guessed it, Katey Sagal was also a Harlette, but just missed being in this article. She didn't become a Harlette until later in the year. Sharon Redd, Ula Hedwig and Charlotte Crossley went out on their own to seek fame and fortune.

I love this graphic of Redd, Hedwig and Crossley.

Groups and singers got a special section in this issue including Keith Carradine who is more known to me as an actor, but did win an Academy Award for "I'm Easy" for Nashville.

Other singers got mentioned like Claudia Barry,

Starz (which included Rex Smith's little brother, Michael Lee Smith on the right),

Peter Brown (not the actor I featured in my Monday's Man posts),

Shaun Cassidy, one of TV's The Hardy Boys (yes, I do own a couple of his albums),

and Ava Cherry who had a new single called "Pretty Boy" ( I wonder if it was about Shaun Cassidy?).

While those singers were given little highlight spots, the Bee Gees' little brother, Andy Gibb, got a whole article about he was going to be as successful as his siblings.


Speaking of singers...actress Eartha Kitt who is also known for her feline singing voice was appearing on Broadway in the musical Timbuktu.

She appeared with Miguel Godreau,

Ira Hawkins,

and Mr. Universe, Tony Carroll.

While the plot of Timbuktu got some rather unfortunate reviews, Eartha Kitt remained unscathed.

Another new musical was On the Twentieth Century featuring Kevin Kline.

His co-stars were John Cullum, Imogene Coca and as you can see, the wonderful Madeline Kahn.

A trip to Club Ibis in New York would find a lounge show with five women and one talented young man by the name of Rodney Pridgen.

In the cabaret type show he plays a boxer,

and an exotic King Tut.

The 24-year-old loved to dance and would be dancing in the street if he didn't get to perform somewhere.

Speaking of dancers, how's this for a segue...Mikhail Baryshnikov and Twyla Tharp in Once More, Frank.


One final photo that I had to share before ending Part 2 of this issue. Street performer Stephen Varble who designs extravagant costumes out of garbage for his mime performances.

As Thombeau would say, "It's a look".

Sunday, August 29, 2010

After Dark May 1978


Here's Bette Midler appearing on her third cover of After Dark! This issue also happens to be the Tenth Anniversary Issue! There is so much going on in this issue, I am going to have to break it up into multiple posts. There are the regular features, plus a look back at some of their favorite moments, films and people. In William Como's "Speaking Out" column, he talks about the demise of Ballroom Dance Magazine and how it was reinvented as After Dark. I really need to post that first issue of After Dark. Maybe next weekend.

Bette Midler interviews The Divine Miss M. That's right! It was a cute little piece that shows the natural humor of Miss Midler.



There was a bit on the Ruby Awards, which I mentioned in an earlier post. It had a photo of the previous seven winners that included Bette Midler,

her former accompianist and friend and star in his own right, Barry Manilow,

Peter Allen,

Ann-Margret,

Lucille Ball,

Mae West,

and Ruby Keeler (here with Dorothy Collins) for whom the award was renamed.

That's right, the Ruby Award was originally called the Starry Night Award, but more on the award and the parties that were given in other posts.
Back to the issue. Since it was the 10th anniversary, William Como and the staff got together for a group shot to show you the faces behind the monthly madness of After Dark.

In continuing their retrospective, they talked about some of the movies that made an impact with the newcomers of yesteryear now being the stars of today. Nudity in mainstream films like The Strawberry Statement which featured Bruce Davison,

Midnight Cowboy with Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman,

Jane Fonda as Barbarella,

David Bowie who appeared in The Man Who Fell to Earth and was going to be starring in Just a Gigolo,

Myra Breckinridge star Raquel Welch who would soon be appearing in The Sin and The Animal.

Who else is going to be featured in this issue? I'm afraid you'll just have to wait and see. Check back this week for more from this double-size issue.
Until then, will somebody order me a Gay Bob doll? I really, really want one.

After Dark January 1973


Bette Midler graces the cover of her second issue of After Dark. According to the issue, 1973 may witness the emergence of a new superstar in the person of Miss Bette Midler. Her New Year's Eve concert at Philharmonic Hall sold out immediately and Atlantic Records' "The Divine Miss M" was a top seller. Her appearance in this issue was in a fashion layout featuring her in a variety of furs.

She may have been raised in Hawaii, but she looks right at home in this Blackgama floor-length ranch mink.

Here's Bette in a flared black beaver short coat with silver fox trim.

Joining Bette in the fashion layout were friends Wayne Clark, who was the producer of the off-off-Broadway musical Twanger, and model-about-town, Tom Moulton. Wayne is dressed in a black and white Rolls Royce sweater with flared flannel cuffed trousers and Tom is in a black and orange short-sleeved wool pullover worn over a black knit shirt with patterned trousers.

Glamorous Bette is in a white shadow fox fur from Norway.

Here is Bette in a natural blue fox and leather circular design coat, while Tom is in a wool navy blue and white check walking suit and Wayne is in a brown suede cloth coat.

Here are the boys in body-hugging wool knit pullovers.

Tom is wearing a bold-checked amber and navy suit with navy cashmere turtleneck while Bette is in a Summer Ermine with lynx collar and border.


Henry Edwards did an article on the softer side of Alice Cooper.

Glenn Loney's article recognized up and coming star Jason Miller who won rave reviews for his stage presence in That Championship Season.

Interestingly, his co-star in That Championship Season was Paul Sorvino. Paul, who is also a sculptor, was commissioned by the city of Scranton to create a bust of Jason. The bronze statue was unveiled in December 2008. The article mentioned that he was about to appear in a new horror film called The Exorcist. He would eventually be nominated for an Academy Award for his performance in that.

Susan Hayward, star of I'll Cry Tomorrow, got a spotlight in an article from Don Lee Keith.

Susan appeared in many films with some of the top leading men, including Clark Gable in Soldier of Fortune...

...and John Wayne in The Conqueror.

Susan tried the stage in a Las Vegas production of Mame. She grew tired of the same old lines, the same old songs every night that she eventually left the production and was replaced by Celeste Holm.

Susan found she loved TV movies, because she worked like a slave for the thirteen weeks of filming and then could take some time off. One of those TV movies was Heat of Anger in which she played a lawyer. It was supposed to be a pilot for a series, but it wasn't picked up.

Up and coming stars making names for themselves in 1973 were Robin Lane, who was appearing in The Chronicle of Nine at the Mercer Arts Center,

Mark Lambert, who Hal Prince signed for a leading role in his new musical A Little Night Music,

and David Huffman who recently appeared in the Philadelphia Drama Guild's production of Moliere's Tartuffe.

Regular After Dark writer and editor Norma McLain Stoop featured two young men in her article. The first was Donn Whyte who was appearing in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at New York's Mercer Arts Center.

Donn also played the dead father of a ten-year old boy in the semi-horror film Killers of the Dream.

The other young man was Kurt Dawson who found his first New York play after studying at England's Royal Academy was the controversial off-Broadway play Futz!.

He then got a job as Keith Baxter's understudy in Sleuth and began appearing on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns.

Some other highlights this issue were the debut of Irene starring Debbie Reynolds and Monte Markham,

Deborah Kerr in The Day after the Fair with Julia Foster,

and a dramatic reading of Don Juan in Hell with Edward Mulhare, Ricardo Montalban, Agnes Moorehead and Paul Henried.

William Como's semi-regular feature "Editor's Out-Takes" featured dancer/model Wesley Kone,

swimmer George Krasowski,

and dancer Brian Destazio.

Another photo featured was one by Curtis Brown that appeared in an exhibit called "Four Phases Plus One".

Only a couple of ads to feature from this issue. The first is for the film Travels with My Aunt starring Maggie Smith. I have been wanting to see this film, but have not been able to find it on DVD. I just love this drawing of Maggie Smith. Interesting tattoo possiblility.

The next is for Leather 'N' Things. It seems that in order to order them, taking the measurements are quite complicated so you have to write for details. At least you get to choose which side you want your key loop on.

Last, but not least for this issue, is a photo by Kenn Duncan to spotlight four jewelers. Actor Douglas Reynolds on the left is wearing bracelets from Whitt Goldsmith's on his left arm and from Frank's Jewelers on his right. Actor/model James Hand on the right is wearing a selection from Uptight Ltd. on his right arm and Boutique St. Tropez on his left.

Only one more Bette Midler issue to go. Stay tuned.

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