No mysteries this week folks. No hanging on by your nails for the
answer. I’m going to tell you straight out who they are. In a minute
that is.
I imagine that there are at least some of you for whom–like me–
memorable film moments will linger in the mind forever. I have a few.
Re: The boat scene with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn on the
African Queen. The final scene with Claude Raines and Humphry Bogart
in Casablanca. Lauren Bacall when she taught her husband how to
whistle: Just purse your lips and blow. The cat in the doorway
rubbing against Orson Welles’ feet in The Third Man (my favorite of
all time movie) and last but not least… the gas chamber scene with
Susan Hayward in I Want To Live. There is nothing that will ever beat
that scene for out and out gripping. Best anti-capital punishment
movie ever made. Did you know David O. Selznick discovered her by
spotting a picture of her modeling a hat on the cover of Post
Magazine. Her first audition was for Scarlett O’Hara which everyone
knows she did not get.
As co-incidence would have it–ain’t co-incidence a great invention-
-I happen to have a Suite of Turquoise and Diamond Jewelry that once
belonged to Susan Hayward. The Suite was designed by that greatest of
great jewelry houses… Van Cleef & Arpels. It is comprised of a
Necklace/Bracelet Combination… a Pair of matching Pendant Earclips
and a Ring. Necklace detaches to form 2 bracelets. Total diamonds for
this set numbers 372. Total diamond carat weight is: 24.75 carats.
Back in 1984 this set was worth about $22,000. Today … what with
inflation… the worth would be: $44,842.28 to the penny. Yes
folks… there is a calculator for this out there. There is a
calculator out there for everything.
As a totally unrelated bit of nonsensical trivia: How many times do
you think an average heart beats before one dies? I read somewhere
that this is the same for all living creatures. We all live the same
amount of time when measured in heart beats. Of course this is all
baloney… is it not? Regardless, I think it’s time to try hunting
down a gold talisman with the powers of slowing down heart beats.
Somebody must have this somewhere… dontcha think? Maybe the
ancients. Maybe the goldsmiths of yore.
Anyway… here’s how it works with Tidbits. When I do this thing on a
Thursday… a scant few hours before I send it out… it tends to be
a tad short. When I do this thing on a Sunday… a full five days
before transmission… it tends to be a tad more meaty. This issue
was done 10PM Thursday. Who woulda thunk it?
For those of you who are new to this thing called Tidbits…may I
direct you to my home page at http://www.tyler-adam.com where you
will scroll down the left side menu till you get to the area that
says Current Tidbits… and you will see represented on our pages an
image of one of Susan Hayward’s jeweled collections.
And there ya have it. That’s it for this week folks. Catch you all
next week.
Benjamin Mark