Department Stores at Christmas

Thelma Ritter and Philip Tonge in
Miracle o 34th Street

In the movie A Christmas Story (1984) the opening scene features Ralphie and his friends rushing to see the Christmas window display at Higbee's department store. The scene reflected real life for many Americans in the 20th Century, as families would visit a local department store to see the window displays during the holiday season, which were always more spectacular than any other time of year. In the days before such discount stores as Kmart, Walmart, and Target, department stores could be found across the United States, not only in large cities. Most small towns had their own local department stores or stores belonging to a larger chain (such as Montgomery Ward).

The Christmas shopping season has long been important to American retailers, and the Christmas shopping season evolved rather early in the United States. It was as early as the 1820s and 1830s that sweet shops and candy stores in New York City began capitalizing on Christmas.By the 1840s many retail shops were already advertising themselves as "Santa Claus's headquarters."

In the late Nineteenth Century other factors came into play that would help shape Americans' experiences at department stores during the Christmas shopping season. It was in the late 19th Century that plate glass became widely available. As a result retailers began fitting their shops with large windows that spanned the full width of the building. Quite naturally, these windows would be used to display merchandise the shops had for sale. In other words, the late Nineteenth Century saw the birth of the window display.

Given the importance of the Christmas shopping season to retailers, it was not long before department stores would dedicate their window displays specifically to Christmas during the shopping season. While it is difficult to definitively say what the first Christmas window display in the United States was, a likely candidate is Macy's very first Christmas window display in 1874. Other department stores in New York City would soon follow suit.

After 1874, Christmas window displays would evolve rather quickly, as department stores competed to have the most eye-catching displays. What might have been the very first animated Christmas window display appeared at Ehrich Brothers in 1881. Ehrich Brothers' "dolls' circus" was notable enough to have an article dedicated to it in the November 27 1881 issue of The New York Times. In 1883 Macy's featured a Christmas window display that included steam-powered figures.

By 1897 department store window displays had become such a large concern that there would be an entire magazine dedicated to the subject. L. Frank Baum, now best known as the author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels, founded The Show Window, a magazine dedicated to window displays and their use in attracting customers. It was later retitled Merchants Record and Show Window.

With the 20th Century, window displays would become even more extravagant. As early as 1914, Lord & Taylor in New York City was using what is known as "elevator windows," whereby the entire floor of a window display can be lowered to the basement and dressed. For many years Lord & Taylor was the only department store to use elevator windows, and the shop became particularly well known for them.

It would be at Lord & Taylor that the first purely decorative Christmas window display was created; that is, it was a window display with no merchandise at all. James Albert Bliss, a renowned window dresser who had worked for Macy's and Wanamakers, as well as Lord & Taylor, created a display in 1937 called "Bell Windows." It featured no merchandise, only ringing bells over a winter wonderland.

Of course, Christmas window displays weren't the only means department stores had drawing customers into their shops. Even recent generations of Americans might have memories of visiting Santa Claus in a department store. Much like Christmas window displays, having Santa Claus in department stores was something that developed relatively early in the history of retail business in the United States. While it is difficult to say precisely what the first store to have its own Santa Claus was, it could have been Philadelphia merchant J. W. Parkinson in 1841. That year Mr. Parkinson had "Cris Cringle" or "Santa Claus."

Macy's in New York City first hosted Santa Claus in 1861. In fact, this will be the first year that Santa Claus will not be present in the store during the Christmas shopping season (this is due to the pandemic). Santa Claus would become such a tradition at Macy's that his arrival is marked by the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (which was originally called the "Macy's Christmas Parade" when it was first held in 1924, even though it took place on Thanksgiving).

While J.W. Parkinson and Macy's both had Santa Claus in their store in the mid-19th Century, many credit James Edgar for introducing the department store Santa as we now currently know him. In the late 19th Century James Edgar was the founder and owner of Edgar Department Stores in New England. Mr. Edgar was known for being both friendly and generous, and he enjoyed dressing up in costume. For the 4th of July he showed up at The Boston Store, his department store in Brockton, Massachusetts, dressed as George Washington. It probably surprised no one when, in 1890, he took inspiration from an 1862 illustration of Santa by  Thomas Nast on the cover of Harper's Weekly to dress as Kris Kringle at The Boston Store. While James Edgar may not have been the very first retailer to have Santa Claus in his department store, given that artist Thomas Nast largely shaped the modern appearance of the character, he may have been the first to actually look like Santa Claus as we know him.

Of course, in addition to having Christmas window displays and Santa Claus in the stores, the interiors of department stores would usually be decorated for the holiday. Upon entering any given department store, it was not unusual for individuals to be greeted by a huge Christmas tree. The walls might often be literally decked with boughs of holly. Christmas lights might often be in evidence throughout any given department store.

Given how common department stores were throughout the United States and the importance of Christmas to those department stores, it should come as no surprise that department stores have figured in holiday themed movies. Bachelor Mother (1939) features more of New Year's Eve than it does of Christmas, but we still get to see a department store during the holiday season. Ginger Rogers's  character, Polly Parrish, begins the movie temporarily employed by the fictional department store John B. Merlin & Son. We then get to see a department store during Christmas shopping season, complete with the crowds.  It would later be remade as Bundle of Joy (1956).

While the average American may not be familiar with Bachelor Mother these days, they are certainly familiar with Miracle on 34th Street (1947). What is more, Miracle on 34th Street is largely set at a real life department store, Macy's itself. Lending authenticity to the film is the fact that as much of it was shot in New York City as possible. Indeed, the movie even begins with the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Some of the film's earliest scenes were shot during the 1946 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. As the parade would not be stopped because of the movie being shot, the cast and crew had to work as quickly as possible. Each scene could only be shot once. For those who may be wondering, Edmund Gwenn did indeed play Santa at the 1946 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  The crowds present to watch the parade were not aware that it was Edmund Gwenn. They found out only after The New York Times published an article on Mr. Gwenn's stint as Santa the next day.

Not only were there scenes shot at the actual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but many scenes were actually shot at Macy's in New York City. This required the cast and crew to shoot in the store at night, because it would have been impossible to shoot during the day given the holiday shoppers that crowded the store during the day. This means that in Miracle in 34th Street we get to see something of the Christmas shopping season in Macy's during 1946.

Once Miracle on 34th Street finished shooting, 20th Century Fox had to screen the movie for Macy's executives and then for Gimbels executives (Gimbels was Macy's chief competitor, both in the film and in real life). Either company's executives could reject the movie if they didn't approve of it. Fortunately, both sets of executives were enthusiastic about Miracle on 34th Street, and felt that it presented Macy's and Gimbels in a positive light.

While Miracle on 34th Street centred on Macy's, Holiday Affair (1949) centred on another department store. There actually was a Crowley's department store, but it was located in Detroit. They did not have a store in New York City, as portrayed in Holiday Affair. In the movie, widow Connie Ennis (played by Janet Leigh) works as a comparative shopper for the fictional department store of Fisher & Lewis. Steve Mason (played by Robert Mitchum) is clerk at Crowley's and figures out that she is a comparative shopper. Unfortunately for Steve, he finds himself fired when he does not report her.

Unlike Miracle on 34th Street, Holiday Affair was not shot at an actual department store, although the interiors of a department store were realistically re-created on the RKO lot. We get to see Crowley's in all its holiday finery, complete with wreaths hanging on the wall. The movie also re-creates the crowds of holiday shoppers found in department stores during December.

While department stores figure in the plots of both Miracle on 34th Street and Holiday Affair, a department store figures only in two scenes in A Christmas Story (1983). That having been said, both scenes are significant to the plot. What is more, the department store featured in A Christmas Story was an actual department store. Higbee's was founded in 1860 in Cleveland. It moved to its Public Square location where it spent most of its history and was featured in A Christmas Story. Of course, here it must be pointed out that Higbee's stores were only found in northeast Ohio, while the film is set in the fictional town of Hohman, Indiana. The actual department store located in the hometown of Jean Shepherd (who wrote the stories upon which A Christmas Story) was Goldblatt's, a chain with stores in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

As mentioned earlier, the first scene in the movie involves Ralphie and his friends looking at the Christmas window display at Higbee's, it is here that we first learn that Ralphie wants an "official Red Ryder, carbine action, two-hundred shot range model air rifle." The second scene in A Christmas Story in which Higbee's appears is when Ralphie and his brother visit Santa Claus there. Just as the window display scene was shot at Higbee's, so too was the visit to Santa Claus. Here it must be pointed out that A Christmas Story turns the tropes of visiting Santa Claus on their heads. Many of the children are downright frightened of Santa. Santa and his elves aren't particularly polite. Of course, here it must be pointed out that A Christmas Story is largely told from Ralphie's point of view. As Ralphie and his family leave the store, there is a long shot of Santa and his elves. Santa is jolly as one would expect him to be, while the elves are polite to the kids. One can only assume that Ralphie's desire for a Red Ryder air rifle affected his perception (and memories) of the experience. Higbee's effectively ceased to exist in 1992, when it was bought out by Dillard's and its stores rebranded as Dillard's stores.

Sadly, department stores would begin a slow decline in the Sixties with the rise of such discount stores as Kmart, Target, and Walmart. By the mid-Seventies many department stores were experiencing difficulties. Since then, many of them have closed. Gimbels closed in 1987, as did Orbach's. Barker Bros. closed in 1992. The original Montgomery Ward shut down in 2001.  Many of the local department stores in small towns across the United States closed down much earlier. Today actual department stores can only be found in large metropolitan areas.

While department stores no longer play the role in Americans' lives that they did in the 20th Century, because of their ties to Christmas they continue to appear in recently released holiday themed movies.  Department stores feature in such movies as Serendipity (2001), Bad Santa (2003), Elf (2003), and yet others. Department stores may be a thing of the past and it can be argued they represent the epitome of Christmas commercialism, but for many Americans they form some of their earliest memories of the holiday experience.

TCM Remembers 2020

Yesterday Turner Classic Movies released the 2020 edition of TCM Remembers, their annual tribute to those movie figures who have died in the past year. This year saw more film-related personages die than other years, and many of them were big names. This year has seen the deaths of Rhonda Fleming, Alex Trebek, Sean Connery, Orson Bean, Honor Blackman, Carl Reiner Olivia de Havilland, Dame Diana Rigg, and many others. Because of the sheer number of film-related individuals who have died this year, it seems to me that most are displayed on screen more briefly than they had in past years. Of course, with as many people who have died this year, TCM was bound to miss a few. Robert Conrad, Adam Slesinger, James Drury, and Dame Barbara Windsor were not included this year's TCM Remembers. I have to think they might be added later.



Anyhow, here is this year's TCM Remembers:

The Late Great Ann Reinking

Dancer, choreographer, and actress Ann Reinking died December 12 2020 at the age of 71. She worked extensively on Broadway, appearing in such productions as Goodtime Charley, Chicago, and Sweet Charity.

Ann Reinking was born on November 10 1949 in Seattle, Washington. She started ballet lessons while still a child and studied with former Ballets Russes dancers Marian and Illaria Ladre. She was only twelve years old when she made her professional debut, appearing in Giselle with the English Royal Ballet. While she attended junior high and high school she studied at the San Francisco Ballet on a scholarship. It was following her graduation from Bellevue High School that she took at the Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington, offered by the Joffrey Ballet.

When Miss Reinking was 18, she moved to New York City. She danced with the corps de ballet at Radio City Music Hall. She was part of the ensemble in the tour of Fiddler on the Roof in 1968. In 1969 she made her Broadway debut as part of the ensemble in Cabaret. Ann Reinking would appear regularly on Broadway throughout her career. After appearing in the ensembles of Coco, Wild and Wonderful, and Pippin, she played the role of Maggie in Over Here!. Over the years she would appear on Broadway in Goodtime Charley, Chicago, Dancin', and Sweet Charity. She began work as a choreographer Tommy Tune Tonite! in 1992. She would contribute choreography to the 1996 revival of Chicago, Fosse, The Look of Love, and An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.

Ann Reinking also appeared at theatres outside Broadway. She appeared in Girl Crazy at The Muny in St. Louis in 1975, The Unsinkable Molly Brown in St. Louis in 1982, and Pal Joey at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago (on which she also contributed choreography). Miss Reinking toured with several productions through the years, including A Chorus Line and Bye Bye Birdie. She later provided choreography for a 1996 tour of Applause, a 1999 tour of Chicago, The Visit at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, and No Strings at the New York City Centre, among others.

Ann Reinking appeared very infrequently in films and on television. She made her film debut in Movie Movie in 1978. Afterwards she played Kate Jagger in All That Jazz (1979), Grace Farrell in Annie (1982), and Micki Salinger in Micki + Maude (1984). On television she guest starred on Ellery Queen, The Andros Targets, and The Cosby Show, and appeared in the TV movie A Night on the Town.

There can be no doubt that Ann Reinking was one of Broadway's most incredible talents, both as a dancer and a choreographer. Indeed, she won multiple awards throughout her career, everything from the Tony Award to the Drama Desk Award. Few dancers could move quite the way that Ann Reinking did, and her choreography was among the most inventive. As both a dancer and a choreographer, she was certainly remarkable.

Godspeed Dame Barbara Windsor

Dame Barbara Windsor, who starred in several "Carry On..." films and the soap opera EastEnders, died yesterday, December 10 2020, at the age of 83. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2014.

Barbara Windsor was born Barbara Ann Deeks on August 6 1937 in Shoreditch, London. In 1939 her family moved to Stoke Newington, Hackney, London. It was there that young Barbara attended St Mary's Infants' School. During World War II she was evacuated to Blackpool. She later attended  Our Lady's Convent in Stamford Hill. She trained at the Aida Foster School in Golders Green.

Young Barbara made her film debut in 1950 in Cinderella at the Golden Green Hippodrome in London. She mad her debut on the West End as one of the chorus in Love from Judy at the Saville Theatre. In 1953 she took the stage name "Barbara Windsor," taking inspiration from the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II that year. She made her film debut in The Belles of St. Trinian's in 1953. She made her television debut on the TV show Dreamer's Highway in 1954.

In the Fifties Barbara Windsor appeared in the movies A Kid for Two Farthings (1955), Lost (1956),  Make Mine a Million (1959), and Too Hot to Handle (1960). It was in 1964 that Barbara Windsor appeared as Daphne Honeybutt in Carry On Spying. She would become a regular in the "Carry On..." films. Over the years she appeared in Carry On Doctor (1967), Carry On Camping (1969), Carry On Again Doctor (1969), Carry On Henry (1971), Carry On Matron (1972), Carry On Abroad (1972), Carry On Girls (1973), and Carry On Dick (1974). She would later appear in various "Carry On..." revues on stage, along with other members of the "Carry On..." crew.

In the addition to the "Carry On..." films, in the Sixties Barbara Windsor appeared in Sparrows Can't Sing, for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role. She also appeared in On the Fiddle (1961), Hair of the Dog (1962), Death Trap (1962), Crooks in Cloisters (1964), San Ferry Ann (1965), A Study in Terror (1965), and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968). In addition to "Carry On..." films, in the Seventies Barbara Windsor appeared in the movies The Boy Friend (1971) and Not Now Darling (1973).

In the Eighties Miss Windsor appeared in the movies Comrades (1986) and It Couldn't Happen Here (1987). She would be absent from the big screen until 2010, when she provided the voice of the Dormouse for Alice in Wonderland in 2010. She voiced Mallymkun in Alice Through the Looking Glass in 2016.

Barbara Windsor appeared frequently on television From 1961 to 1962 she was a regular on the show The Rag Trade. She was later a regular on Wild, Wild Women. She guest starred on Armchair Theatre, The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre, The Plane Makers, Before the Fringe, Dad's Army, The Rolf Harris Show, Ooh La La!, Comedy Playhouse, and Up Pompeii!. She appeared in the "Carry On..." TV movie Carry On Christmas.

In the Seventies Barbara Windsor was a regular on Carry On Laughing, the television show spun off from the "Carry On..." films. She also played Saucy Nancy on Worzel Gummidge. She appeared in the "Carry On..." TV movie Carry On Christmas: Carry On Stuffing. She guest starred on Ooh La La! and The Punch Review. She appeared in the TV movie Come Spy with Me.

In the Eighties she was a regular on the show Bluebirds. She guest starred on the shows Both Ends Meet, Super Gran, The Management, and Family Fortunes. It was in 1994 that she began playing Peggy Mitchell, landlady of the Queen Victoria Pub, on EastEnders. She took the role over from Jo Warne, who had played the character in ten episodes at the start of the series. Barbara Windsor continued to play Peggy until 2016. She guest starred as Peggy Mitchell in the 2006 Doctor Who episode "Army of Ghosts." In the Nineties Barbara Windsor guest starred on the show You Rang, M'Lord?, Frank Stubbs Promotes, The Great Bong, One Foot in the Grave, and Cor, Blimey! Her final appearance was in the TV movie Babs in 2017, a dramatization of her life.

Although Barbara Windsor was well known her appearances in movies and television, she had a very successful stage career. In the Fifties she appeared in such productions as Many Happy Returns at the Watergate Theatre in London in 1955, Red Riding Hood at the Shakespeare Theatre in Liverpool in 1955 and 1956, and Fings Ain't Wot They Used T'Be at the Theatre Royal in Stafford from 1959 to 1960 and then the Garrick Theatre in London from 1960 to 1962.

In the Sixties Barbara Windsor made her debut on Broadway in Oh, What a Lovely War! at the Broadhurst Theatre. She received a Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Later in the decade she appeared in Twang! at the Shaftesbury Theatre in London in 1965 and Come Spy with Me at the Whitehall Theatre in London from 1966 to 1967. Her stage career would continue to thrive over the next several decades. In the Seventies she appeared in such productions as Cinderella at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool, The Owl and the Pussycat on tour in the United Kingdom, Carry On London! at the Victoria Palace Theatre from 1975 to 1977, and Dick Whittington at the Ashcroft Theatre in Croydon and then the Richmond Theatre from 1979 to 1980.

In the Eighties Barbara Windsor appeared in such productions as Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith in 1981, The Mating Game  (various theatres),  Babes in the Woods at the London Palladium from 1987 to 1988, and a British tour of Guys and Dolls. In the Nineties she appeared in productions of Cinderella, Guys and Dolls, Aladdin, and Entertaining Mr. Sloan. From 2010 to 2011 she appeared in Dick Whittingdon at the Bristol Hippodrome from 2010 to 2011.

Because of her association with the "Carry On..." films (now regarded as classics, but derided in their time), I sometimes think Dame Barbara Windsor was underrated. In truth, she was an incredible talent with a real gift for comedy. One could not look at Barbara Windsor without smiling. Indeed, people forget that Barbara Windsor was nominated for both a BAFTA Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for British Soap Awards for her role as Peggy Mitchell on EastEnders. What is more, while Barbara Windsor was an enormous talent when it came to comedy, she was very good at drama too. After all, both Bluebirds and EastEnders were dramas. Chances are good that Barbara Windsor will always be remembered for the "Carry On..." films and EastEnders, but she had a full career in which she played a wide variety of roles.

Godspeed David Lander

David Lander, perhaps best known for playing Squiggy on the hit sitcom Laverne & Shirley, died on December 4 2020 at the age of 73.  The cause was complications from multiple sclerosis. He had been diagnosed with the disease in 1984.

David Lander was born David Landau on June 22 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. He decided he wanted to be an actor when he was only 10 years old. He attended the High School for the Performing Arts and then continued his education at both Carnegie Tech and New York University. It was while he was in college that he teamed up with Michael McKean. Together the two moved to Los Angeles where they became part of the comedy ensemble The Credibility Group.

David Lander made his television debut in 1970 providing the voice of Jerry Lewis in the Saturday morning cartoon Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down?. In the early Seventies he guest starred on the shows Love, American Style; The Bob Newhart Show; Rhoda; Barney Miller; and Viva Valdez. He provided the voice of Jud in the animated TV movie Gidget Makes the Wrong Connection, which aired on The ABC Saturday Superstar Movie. It was in 1976 that he began playing Andrew "Squiggy" Squiggman on Laverne & Shirley. Along with Leonard "Lenny" Kosnowski (played by Michael McKean), Squiggy was a greaser who lived upstairs from Laverne and Shirley's apartment. The characters of Lenny and Squiggy were created by Michael McKean and David Lander while they were still in college. Both Michael McKean and David Lander would remain with Laverne & Shirley until the end of its run. In 1979 David Lander guest starred as Squiggy on Happy Days, from which Laverne & Shirley had been spun off. In the Seventies David Lander also appeared in the movies 1941 (1979), Wholly Moses (1980), and Used Cars (1980). In Used Cars David Lander played Freddie Paris and Michael McKean played Eddie Winslow, two techies who film commercials for the New Deal car lot.

In the Eighties David Lander had a recurring role on the TV show Twin Peaks. He provided the voice of Milo de Venus on the Saturday morning cartoon Galaxy High School and provided voices for the animated series Potsworth & Co. He guest starred on The Love Boat, Highway to Heaven, George Burns Comedy Week, Tall Tales & Legends, Matlock, Simon & Simon, Father Dowling Mysteries, Monsters, Married with Children, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Not Necessarily the News, Knight & Daye, Freddy's Nightmares, Head of the Class, Partners in Life, and Talespin. He appeared in the movies Pandemonium (1982), Imps* (1983), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), Steele Justice (1987), Funland  (1987), and Masters of Menace (1990). He provided voices for the English version of Le big-Bang (1987), Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988).

In the Nineties David Lander continued his recurring role on Twin Peaks. He was a regular on the TV shows On the Air and Pacific Blue, and he appeared on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful from 1997 to 1998. He provided voices for the animated TV shows ProStars, The Little Mermaid, Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills, Jungle Cubs, and 101 Dalmations: The Series. He guest starred on the shows Matrix, Family Album, Getting By, Family Matters, Dream On, The Nanny, Homeboys in Outerspace, The Drew Carey Show, L.A. Heat, Nash Bridges, The Weird Al Show, Diagnosis Murder, Mad About You, and Arli$$. He appeared in the movies A League of Their Own (1992), Ava's Magical Adventure (1994), The Modern Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1998), and Scary Movie (2000). He provided voices for the films Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992), A Bug's Life (1998), and Titan A.E. (2000).

In the Naughts David Lander was the voice of Henry on the animated TV series Oswald and the voice of Doc Boy on The Garfield Show.He guest starred on the shows Black Scorpion, The Simpsons, and Raising the Bar. David Lander appeared in the movies Say It Isn't So (2001), Jane White is Sick and Twisted (2004), Christmas with the Kranks (2004), and Zoom (2006). He provided voices for the movies Dr. Doolittle 2 (2001) and Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius (2001). In the Teens he appeared on the show Break a Hip. He was a guest voice on the animated shows SpongeBob Squarepants and Goldie and Bear.

David Lander was a wonderful comedian and actor, creating a number of memorable and at times humorous characters, often in tandem with Michael McKean. He was able to do a number of different voices, which not only helped him create characters in live action film, but made him in demand for animated projects as well. Even when he was only on-screen briefly, his characters remained memorable. Of course, it is likely he will always be best remembered as Squiggy on Laverne & Shirley. It was because of his considerable talent that Mr. Lander was able to create one of the most famous characters on television. That having been said, he did so much more.

The 40th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death

It was forty years ago today that John Lennon was shot and murdered by a deranged fan. Even now, forty years later, I can remember the morning of December 9 1980 when I learned the news. I was only 17 at the time and I was staying home from school with the flu. It is for that reason that come 7:00 AM I was still in bed. I was awake when my brother came into my room and said, "John Lennon's dead. He's been shot." I cannot repeat exactly what I said here as it is not family friendly, but it was to the effect that he was lying. It was then that I dragged myself out of bed and went into the living room to see the awful news on The Today Show on NBC. John Lennon was dead. I immediately broke down crying and I would continue crying on and off all day. I also listened to every Beatles album we had. Ultimately, I would cry more over John Lennon than I have any celebrity except my dearest Vanessa Marquez, whom I knew intimately and was in love with. It is sad fact that the remaining Beatles and I have something in common: someone we hold dear was murdered through gun violence.

It might seem odd to some for someone to cry over a person they did not know, let alone even met. When David Bowie died I know there were a few who mocked the widespread mourning that took place following his death. That having been said, the plain truth is that music artists, writers, actors, directors, and other artists have an impact on our lives, often in ways that we cannot understand and cannot adequately measure. Their works help us get through our bad times, add more joy to our good times, give meaning to our lives, and even help shape our attitudes to life. Among the things we have learned during this pandemic, it is that the arts--music, books, movies, TV shows, and so on--are essential to maintaining people's mental health. In those dark days following Vanessa's murder, it was in part the music of The Beatles that helped me get through it all. Although he had been gone for 37 years at that point, John Lennon had saved my life once again. Among the songs I was privileged to select for Vanessa's first memorial was John Lennon's song "In My Life." It was a song that Vanessa loved and a song that also expressed my feelings for her.

I have written a good deal about John Lennon on this blog, perhaps more than other single person besides Vanessa. Below are the posts I wrote on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of John Lennon's death and on the occasion of what would been his 70th birthday.

"The 30th Anniversary of John Lennon's Death"

"In Honour of John Lennon's 70th Birthday"

Below, I have included some of my favourite John Lennon songs.

Godspeed Pamela Tiffin

Pamela Tiffin, who appeared in such movies as One, Two, Three (1961) and The Pleasure Seekers (1964), died on December 2 2020 at the age of 78.

Pamela Tiffin was born on October 13 1942 in Oklahoma City. She grew up in the Chicago suburb Oak Lawn, Illinois. By the time she was 13, Miss Tiffin had already begun a modelling career, primarily in print ads and at runway shows. After she and her mother moved to New York City, she attended Hunter College and continued her modelling career.

As to how Pamela Tiffin began her acting career, there are two stories. One is that while vacationing in Hollywood, producer Hal B. Wallis spotted her while she was having lunch with a friend in the Paramount commissary. The other is that director Billy Wilder had seen her in an ad in The New York Times Magazine and was searching for her to cast her in his upcoming film One, Two, Three. He was surprised to learn she had been in Hollywood only a short time earlier.

Pamela Tiffin made her film debut in Summer and Smoke (1961), produced by Hal B. Wallis. That same year she played Scarlett Hazeltine, the spoiled, hot tempered daughter of a Coca-Cola executive. Miss Tiffin would have a thriving career for the next several years, appearing in the movies State Fair (1962), Come Fly with Me (1963), For Those Who Think Young (1964), The Lively Set (1964), The Pleasure Seekers (1964), and The Hallelujah Trail (1965). On television she guest starred on The Fugitive. She appeared in the unsold TV pilot Three on an Island, which aired on Vacation Playhouse in 1965. She then starred in the episodic Italian film Oggi, domani, dopodomani (1965) with Marcello Mastroianni. Afterwards she retuned to the U.S. to appear in the movie Harper (1966) and then on Broadway in Dinner at Eight.

For the remainder of the Sixties, Pamela Tiffin appeared in movies made in Europe, with the exception of the comedy Viva Max! (1969), the TV movie The Last of the Powerseekers, and a guest appearance on the TV show . The films she made in Europe were Delitto quasi perfetto (1966), Straziami ma di baci saziami (1968), and L'arcangelo (1969). 

Miss Tiffin continued to make movies in Italy in the Seventies, appearing in such films as Cose di Cosa Nostra (1971), Il vichingo venuto dal sud (1971), Giornata nera per l'ariete (1971), Los amigos (1972), Amore mio, uccidimi! (1973), La signora è stata violentata (1973), and Brigitte, Laura, Ursula, Monica, Raquel, Litz, Florinda, Barbara, Claudia, e Sofia le chiamo tutte... anima mia (1974). She retired from acting in 1974, making one last appearance in the TV mini-series Quattro storie di donne in 1989.

I sometimes think people know Pamela Tiffin more for her remarkable talent than her considerable talent. I find that sad, as she was incredibly talented. I remember when I first saw her in One, Two, Three when I was a child. Of course, I was struck by how beautiful she was, but I was also impressed by her talent. For a long time I was convinced that she actually was from Georgia. I wouldn't learn she was born in Oklahoma City and raised in Illinois until I was an adult. And at the time I didn't realize that her performance in One, Two, Three was only her second acting job. When it came to acting, Pamela Tiffin was a natural. Indeed, she played a variety of roles in her career. She was an eager teenager in State Fair, the flirty daughter of a millionaire in Harper, the lover of a reporter investigating a string of murders in the giallo Giornata nera per l'ariete, and the prostitute who falls in love with a gunfighter in Los amigos. While Pamela Tiffin's career was brief compared to many stars, she also shined brighter than most of them too.