Friday, November 20, 2009

Week's End - Lena in Black & White



Glamorous Lena in 1948 (in Paris & NYC). I cracked up listening to various versions of I Feel Smoochie (LH reportedly singing it in close-up club shot). I could not pull off saying it, much less singing it, & be glamorous. (Yes, I know I am not glamorous no matter what. Don't rub it in! Snarl.) Julie the Cat seemed to enjoy a few versions of the song but then, being a modern sophisticat, she barfed onto the modem, nearly shorting it out. This sums up the last few weeks.

Update: 9 May 2010 - RIP, Lena. She did a lot more than look fabulous; she fought for civil rights - her own & others (notably, African-American GIs in WWII). Obituary, here. It's more than annoying that everyone seems to have chosen "sultry" for their headlines. Ah well.

[photographs by Yale Joel & W. Eugene Smith for LIFE archives/Lena arriving in Grand Central Station via myvintagevogue]

3 comments:

Mary-Laure said...

"Sophisticat", how cool is that?

Lena is beautiful. I love all those amazing singers who made standards their own. Such style, such voices.

liz.blog said...

Have you read the new Lena Biography "Stormy Weather" by Jim Gavin? rave reviews.

Giulia said...

M-L--It's so true: style. Can't buy it. No way.

Liz--No I've not read it. I think I read the reviews but not sure. Will put on my list for the library, immediately.

xo

Susan