#where is her wagon of awards

[samandcolbyownme]

Summary: You’re an actress and you get nominated for a big award show so you take Tara and your boyfriend, Zach.

Warnings: SMUT18+, sexual innuendos, strong language, mentions of alcohol, reader drinks, flirting, banter/joking with Zach, Zach being Zach, after party, unprotected sex, quickie, hair pulling, pet names (cute), funny and fluff with a little bit of filth

Reader has a laid back, jokester personality, kinda like Jennifer Lawrence, or even Emma stone maybe?

Word count: 4.6k | not edited

I wasn’t going to add smut into this but then I did, so enjoy!

╔═══━━━─── • ───━━━═══╗

Zach has been your boyfriend for almost a year now. Everyone knows you’re together, hell. It was hard to hide it even the first few months.

You are a huge success is the acting industry, you’ve been in every genre of movie and tv show, and everyone absolutely loved you.

“Tara is running a little late.” Zach yells out, his voice growing closer, “Where-“ he groans, “are you?” The bathroom door pushes open and he tilts his head, “I’m going to need to put a bell on you or something.

You’re nervous. In shock. Absolutely terrified out of your mind - The Oscars was a huge deal for you.

You laugh lightly at his joke as you pick up the brush to brush your hair again, Cindie - you’re makeup artists, loves when you have your hair tangle free for her.

“Whoa, pump the breaks.” He walks in, closing the door behind him. He turns you to face him, fingers gently tilting your head up, “You’re nervous.”

You purse your lips and bite down on the inside of your cheek, as you can feel tears welling.

All you do is nod and that was enough for Zach. He wraps his arms around you, sighing out, “How many time so I gotta tell you, baby. You’re dating Zach justice and we never lose.”

You look up at him, laughing as you shake your head, “I’m so glad I have you.”

And you really were. Zach was your calm in the storm of the bad days with being so popular. All the flying, the not really having time to eat. Hell, you can barely get a minute alone to yourself most days.

Zach understands that, so he tries to give you your space when you’re home, but you never wanted to be alone when he was around.

“I get that a lot, but thank you. It’s an honor to called yours, m’lady.” He pretends to lift an invisible hat toward you and you smirk.

Zach knew just how to make you laugh. He loved hearing your laugh, he also loved to see how bad he could embarrass you. Once you guys got comfortable and cozy around each other - which was super fast.

You and Zach clicked instantly, like, you both knew you and him were endgame.

You both loved to roast each other, that’s mainly how you flirt, but, Zach does have his sweet and sensitive side when it comes to you. He knows when it’s okay to push and when it’s not.

One time when you were out shopping, there were people around and you weren’t really paying attention.

You were more or less focusing on whether or not this top was in your size. You feel a hand on your back and Zach leans in, “I’m going to go look at the shoes.”

You look up at him with a smile, “Okay. I’m almost done over here so I’ll find you.” He nods once, “Gimme a kiss.”

You stand on your tip toes and press your lips to his. In quick second, Zach steps back, his voice loud enough to draw attention of the people close by, “don’t kiss me, you’re my sister.”

Your smile drops and you freeze, quickly coming to terms with what just happened as you look over to a small group of people staring, “Zach!”

You run after him, clinging to his arm as you laugh, “You’re such a fucking asshole.” He laughs, “You love me.”

“I do.”

You hear the front door open and Zach closes his eyes, “Who gave her a key?”

“The Glam Wagon isn’t here yet?” Tara yells as she walks up the steps, “Hello?” There’s a knock on the door, “Y/n?”

“Go away we’re having the thing you do when you know, you take your pants off and smash genitals together.” Zach explain and you laugh, “Oh my g- Tara you can come in.”

The door opens and Zach is standing infront of it so Tara hits him again, “Move you jerk.” She comes in and looks at you, “What’s wrong?”

Zach looks at you and you sigh, “I’m nervous.”

Tara nods, “I would be, too. I mean, I’m nervous just going as your guest.” She lays a hand on her chest then motions to you as she shakes her head, “I honestly cannot imagine what you’re feeling.”

You nod and laugh slightly, “Oh fuck, this is actually happening.” You rest your forehead on Zach’s chest and he pats your back, “What did I tell you?” He pokes you, “Hey.”

You stand up, looking up at him as you monotone-ly repeat his catchphrase back to him while you fight a smirk, “I’m saying Zach justice, and we don’t lose.”

You mainly said it to get Tara’s reaction. She stares at Zach for a few seconds before letting oit a laugh, “no, there’s no way you say that to her.”

“Um, yeah?” Zach scoffs, “Why wouldn’t I tell her that?”

“Glam Wagon is here!” Cindie yells out from downstairs and you look at Tara, “Time to get pretty.”

You all file out of the bathroom and go downstairs, greeting Cindie and her crew, “Hey, Cindie. How are you?”

She smiles and nods, “I’m great, now..” she stops, pursing her lips as her eyes move to Zach, “Zach, sweetie..”

Zach looks up at her, “What’s up, Cin?” She laughs slightly, “Please tell me that you’re not wearing that.”

“Hey.” Zach holds his hand up, “Don’t hate me because you ain’t me, alright.” He tries not to laugh and you bite down on your lip so you don’t laugh, “Um.” You clear your throat, “I have a stylist coming for him, Cindie. Don’t worry.”

She nods and smiles as she looks away, “Alright, what are we doing for you ladies this afternoon.”

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

You see Zach’s eyes brighten at the sight of the final look on your face and hair. He swallows and nods, “You.. look like.. I need to.. excuse myself to the bathroom for a quick second.”

You roll your eyes, smiling at his hidden compliment, “Thank you, baby.” He winks at you and you spin over to look at Tara, “That lip color is your shade.”

She looks over at you and raises her brows, “Really?” Her voice goes higher as she bounces her legs on the metal bar of the hair chair, “Eeeee. I’m so excited to see it.”

“It looks incredible.” You turn to Zach, “can you grab that dress bag please?”

He stands up, “This one?” He points and you nod. He grabs it off the rack and goes do lay it over his arm but everyone in the room freaks out in unison, “Don’t lay it on your arm?”

Zach rips it up straight and jumps, “Oh my god that was scary!”

You all laugh and Zach makes sure to dramatically hold the dress out from him as he follows you to your bedroom to change.

“You can hang it up on here and then unzip it.” You point to a hook and start to undress. You didn’t need a bra for this so you slipped off the one you had on.

Zach turns around he’s like a teenager finding out what books are, gawking at them like this is the first time he’s ever seen yours, his eyes flick up to yours and he smirks.

“Don’t look at me like that.” You warn as you walk over to pull your dress out, “We don’t have time for you to look at me like that.” You laugh as you gently lay the dress down and step into it.

You pull the fabric up over your thighs and Zach is just in awe of this whole situation, “I, um. I was just admiring how good you happen to look without clothes on.”

He loved your body in every single way and there was nothing that could change his mind. He was proud to be yours, but he was even prouder that you were his.

“Can you zip me up, please?” You look at him over your shoulder and give him a small smile. He nods, “I can do a lot more than that if you want.”

He chuckles as you roll your eyes laughing, reaching forward and grabbing the small oval shaped zipper.

He places a hand on your hip as he drags it upward. You walk over to the mirror once you have it on and give yourself a look over, “This dress is-“ you scoff, “I’m in love.”

“Whoa, whoa, settle down now, let’s remember who’s actually able to love you in ways that you really like.”

Zach smirks at you and you nod, pointing to him, “You’re right.”

He walks over to you, arms sliding around your waist, “You look beautiful.” His eyes lock on to yours in the mirror, “Everyone loves you. I love you.”

He presses a gentle kiss to your neck, “You’re coming home with an award.” He presses another kiss, “We’re going to celebrate with everybody.” He kisses your neck once more, then looks up at you, “Then I’m going to bring you back here and I’m going to do whatever you want me to do.”

An excited shiver goes down your spine, Zach really can sweep you off of your feet.

Tara pushes the door open, “Zach get out. I need to change.”

Zach laughs slightly, “No, y/n. That’s why I wont lay on the sunroof of your car and allow you to act like a hamster.”

Your eyes go wide and you laugh, snapping your head to Tara. She’s giving you both a funny look, “Excuse the fuck out of me, but what are you trying to fucking do?”

Zach laughs and walks out, closing the door behind him. You sit down on the bed, “He was just fucking with me. Trying to embarrass me.”

Tara laughs as ahe changes into her dress with feathers at the top hem, “I figured. You guys are always roasting each other.”

She turns and backs up so you can zip up her dress, “And I think that’s so funny because, like now.” She turns around to face you and she laughs, “You know things we don’t, and it’s just, so funny.”

You laugh and nod, “Right, before you came in, he was giving me this speech about how he’s proud of me, how he loves me and everyone loves me.” You smile, “He’s such a sweetheart.”

Tara walks over to grab your guys heels, “When Zach told me that you messages him. I’m not gonna lie.” She sits down on the bed next to you and hands you your heels, “I was kind of shocked.”

You laugh and lean down to put your shoes on, “Really?”

She nods, “I mean, it wasn’t until after I seen your movies that I understood why Zach was so crazy about you. You guys literally have that click. And it’s so nice to see someone treat Zach the way he deserves.”

You purse your lips, “Girl, I’m gonna cry. You can’t give me this speech now. I’m already a nervous wreck.”

Tara pouts and laughs, “Noooo. Don’t cry.” She moves over to hug you, “I’m sorry, I meant it as a good thing.”

You laugh, “I know, but it doesn’t matter.”

She laughs and stands up, “Come on. We are going to go take a shot or two before we go. I’m sure Zach is already ready, his stylist was here when I came up.”

“Alright.” You take a deep breath, grabbing your bag before you nod, “Let’s go win an award.” You look at Tara and she nods, “That’s the spirit.”

You walk down the steps and you hear a sharp ‘Eeeooww’. You look directly at Zach and he smirks, “Lookin’ good, ladies. Lookin’ good.”

You smirk and look around at the Glam Wagon - you have them that nickname after hiring Cindie. She absolutely loved the nickname, so it stuck.

“Oh. My girls.” Cindie presses her hands together and sighs, “You both look absolutely stunning!” You walk down and you both spin for her, “Y/n. That taupe color looks so good with Zach’s suit.”

You look at Zach who moves to stand next to you, his arm falling around your waist. Tara nods, “You guys look so good. I’m so glad you picked me to third wheel.”

You laugh and shrug, “Couldn’t have picked anyone better.” You hear a beep and you point, “Car is here. Let’s go.”

“Oh wait!” Tara says pulling you into the kitchen. She quickly grabs two shot glasses and puts a shot of tequila in both, “We don’t have time for vodka. Here do you bitch.”

You both laugh as you grab the shot glasses and tap them off the counter before taking them. You both cringe, groaning as you set them down.

In a harsh whisper while pointing to the door, “Let’s go.” You run to the car, giggling as you hold on to Tara’s hand.

“Oh what did you make her do, Tara?” Zach asks as he watches you get in, smiling wide. Tara gets in next to you and you laugh, “We may or may not have-“

“Took a shot of tequila?” Zach cuts you off with a laugh and you nod, “Oh god, is if that bad?”

“I think I did, too by the way the smell violated my sinuses.” Zach laughs and points to your bag, “I put a pack of gum in there for you.”

Tara leans forward and Zach looks at her, “Don’t even.”

Tara sits back, laughing as she takes a piece of gum from you. You hand one of Zach and he takes it, “Why thank you, I’d love a piece.”

“You’re ridiculous.” You laugh as you bite down on the small stick of gum, “But I love you.” You look over at him and he smirks, “I know you do. I love you.”

He pecks your lips and Tara yells, “Selfie!”

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

The ride to the venue was full of all of you yapping, talking about your speech, laughter. Your nerves were definitely calmed.

That was until the car stops and you see someone walking towards Tara’s door, “Oh fuck.” Zach squeezes your hand, “You got this baby, Tara and I are right here with you.”

You take a deep breath, “Okay.” Tara opens the door and starts to get out while Zach gets out his did and walks around to meet you. He holds his hand out, allowing you to take it as you get out of the car.

He makes sure you don’t flash anyone with your low hanging neck line and the high splitting v in your dress, “You ready?” He whispers and you look up at him with a smile, “I’m ready.”

You take his hand into yours and you start to walk down the carpet, stopping for pictures of just you, lots with Zach of course, you and Tara, and then finally some got shots with all three of you.

You looked up at Zach, smiling wide as his hand nestled securely on the small of your back.

“Stay right there, y/n.” “Don’t move!” “That’s absolutely perfect, yes!”

You laugh slightly as you hold your stare on Zach, “Kiss me.” You mouth and he licks his lips before he leans in, dipping you down as he closes the space.

Tara is cheering loudly which makes you smile within the kiss and Zach stands you up, “They are eating this up like thanksgiving dinner.” He kisses your head, “What did I tell you?”

You laugh slightly as you walk with him into the venue, “They love me.”

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

The next hour went by so slow, but you were still having a good time. Talking to other celebrities, introducing them to Zach and Tara.

You and Zach subtle taking jabs at each other, “I mean, I guess I had nothing to do.” Zach rolls his eyes with a laugh.

“Don’t mind him, he doesn’t have fun in his vocabulary.” You laugh and Emma laughs, “That’s okay. Neither does my husband. It was so good to see you again.” Emma leans in and hugs you, “Good luck tonight.”

“Hey, you too!” You smile and sit back down. Tara wraps her hand around your wrist, “That.. was Emma Stone.”

You nod, “I’m nominated in the same category as her,” you tilt your head, “Along with Jessica Chastain, Sandra Bullock, Shailene Woodley, and Natalie Portman.”

Her eyes widen and the lights go down, “Oh, oh. Here we go.” Your hand slides down find Zach’s. The nerves were setting in again.

He gives your hand a tight squeeze, nodding at you when you look over at him. You smile and lean back into your seat, hand still in his as you listen to the host start the show.

About an hour later - it’s your category.

The crowd applauses as Julia Roberts walks out onto stage. You take your hands from Zach and Tara and brush them over your thighs, trying to keep your heart from racing any faster.

“You’re okay.” Tara says quietly, “We got this, okay.”

You nod and look up, getting ready to smile because you know the cameras will be on you when she says your name.

“Y/n y/l/n for her role in The Strangers: Chapter One.”

You smile waving shyly to the camera and the two other nominees are announced. You return your hands to Zach and Tara’s and you’d think they were just as nervous as you were.

“The Oscar for the Actress In A Leading Role goes to..” the envelope opens, “Y/n Y/l/n.”

Everyone erupts in cheering and clapping. Zach pulls you to your feet and you look at him, “You won, baby. You frickin’ won!”

“Go, go, go!” Tara pushes you forward and you make your way to the stage, still in absolute shock. You get up and hug Julia, “Oh my gosh, hi. Thank you.”

You turn, taking the award from the gentleman on the stage, “Oh my g- thank you.” You walk over do the mic and let out a sigh, “Oh my gosh, wow. Thank you, all so much. Especially to the ones who voted for me, you’re why I do it. I love you so so so much.”

You laugh slightly, “I also wanted to give a quick little shoutout to the dress.” You pause and the audience erupts with yells and clapping, “Shout out Marchesa, and also, shout out to my boyfriend, Zach Justice who’s gonna be taking it off of me later. Thank you.”

You laugh as you wave, leave the stage with Julia. She wraps her arm around you, congratulating you once more before you make your way backstage to where a shit ton of people were waiting, ready to snap as many pictures as they can while you hold your eight and a half pound trophy.

You felt like you were on top of the world, after all. You are one of be youngest actresses to win an Oscar, you’re just good at what you do.

After a while of answering all the questions in the world, you’re ushered to where the crew brought Zach and Tara.

You walk through the door and as soon as Tara locks eyes with you, her mouth drops. You walk over and sit down between them on the couch, looking at them innocently, “What?”

“You did not just say that.” Tara leans in laughing, “y/n.” Zach looks over at you, “Oh, yeah. She did. On worldwide television.”

You lean in towards Zach, “Remember how I told you I was going to get you back for calling me your sister in front of all those people and then twitter blew up about it?”

Zach sighs before letting a laugh slip out, “You really one upped me this time.”

You laugh, “Do you still like me?”

Zach gives you a funny look, “Once my embarrassment subsides, this will be the funniest thing ever.”

“It already is the funniest thing ever. Zach.” Tara laughs, taking the trophy from your hand, “You have definitely met your match with this one.”

You laugh and he leans in to press a kiss to your lips, “I gotta start studying more. I can’t have a girlfriend who’s funnier than me.”

“Zach, this girl just won an Oscar. I don’t think you get to decide who the funnier one is.” Tara leans forward, laughing at Zach and he rolls his eyes, smiling at you, “You did win, and I am so proud of you for that, babe.”

He gives your thigh a squeeze and you were sure if it was the alcohol you drank with Tara, Zach just looking hot as fuck in his designed suit, or the post winning adrenaline - but you did know, you weren’t going to be able to handle not having your hands on him for much longer.

The door opens and a guy with a headset on comes in, “Y/n. If you’d like, since there isn’t a whole lot of time yet for the show, would you want to just head straight over to the Official After Party?”

You look between Zach and Tara, “We will need to stop back at the house so we can change, if that’s okay.”

The guy nods, “That’s more than okay. I’ll send a car for you.”

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

Once back the house, you’ve barely made it into the beddoor before Zach has your zipper going down your back.

You let out a laugh, “Can we at least get into the room first?” You hear a huff as you walk in, and Zach pulls you back into him as he kicks the door shut, “I just wanna show my girl how proud I am of her, okay?”

He spins you around, arms on your biceps, “Now, please, get that cockblock of a dress off your body.”

Your eyebrows raise and you nod, slipping the straps from your shoulders letting them fall down your arms, your dress pooling at your feet.

“Now that’s what I’m talking about.” His hands move to your waist as he backs you up to the bed. You move up to lay towards the top, watching him undress.

Zach looks at you and he smirks as he unbuttons his shirt. You bite your lip and nod, “Oh yeah, nice and slow, baby.”

Zach lets out a laugh as he shrugs his shirt off, but he secretly loves when you talk dirty to him.

Your eyes follow his hands, undoing his belt, then his pants. He quickly gets them off and is crawling up the bed towards you.

He plants little kisses along your body as he travels up, making his way to your neck. You tilt your head back, hands running up his bare chest, “Zach, baby please.”

You let out a whimper as he sucks a small mark into your skin, kissing up your neck and down your jaw to your lips.

You slide a hand down to the waistband of his boxers, slipping your fingers in to run them over the head of his leaky cock, “Need you.” You whimper out quietly, “Please.”

Zach sits up on his knees, pushing his boxers down as his eyes trail down your body. He watches you take your panties off, tossing them aside before you spread your legs.

His body moves to hover over yours and you feel the head of his cock pressing against your clit. You whimper, rolling your hips as you slide a hand up his arm.

Zach’s hand slides down to your hip as he pushes to slide in, a gasp leaving his lips as your chest squishes against his as you breathe out a quiet, “Fuuuck.”

Your legs immediately move to wrap tightly around his hips, arms doing the same to his neck as his thrusts grow to a quicker pace.

As much as you wanted to have him do whatever you wanted, there wasn’t much time. So, that’s being saved for a little later.

“Fuck, baby.” Zach groans into your neck, “Feels so good.”

You turn your head, lips meeting his in a sloppy embrace. He brings a hand up to cup your cheek as he pauses his thrusts, “Look at me.”

You look up at him and he rests his forehead against yours, “I am so beyond proud of you.”

You bite down on your lip, “Yeah, telling the world that you were ta-“ Zach cuts you off with a scoff, “Not that, that not.” He laughs slightly, “I’m being serious here, sweetheart.”

You smirk, “sorry.”

He pecks your lips as he starts to slowly thrust into you again, his voice in a low tone, “I’m so proud of you.” He presses a kiss to your forehead, “No one else deserved that award like you do.”

You bite down on your lip, muffling your moans as his words edge you closer.

You didn’t care about the time at this point.

“I love you and I am so proud to call you mine.”

You crash your lips onto hips, squeezing his cock as you whimper out, “M’so close, Zach.” You let out a moan, breathing out, “I love you.”

Your hand moves to his hair, tugging slightly as you arch your back off the bed, “Fuckfuckfuck.” Your nails dig into his skin, moaning louder as you cum around him.

“There ya go.” Zach whispers gently, “Fuck.” He groans into your neck and you feel his thrusts turn rather sloppy, rather quickly.

He pulls out, spilling his cum onto your pelvis with a groan. You cup his cheeks and pulls him into you, kissing him as you swallow his moans with ease.

He leans back, looking down at you with a smirk, “That award winning pussy will do it for me every time.” He winks at you and you feel the heat in your cheeks rising as you let out a laugh, “Get me a towel, please.”

You laugh again as Zach grabs you a towel, “Here ya be. Which dress are you wearing? I’ll get it out.”

You smile at Zach, admiring just how much you loved him, “It is the pink one right there.” You point and he pulled out the dress, holding it up for you to see.

You nod, standing up to go take it from him, “You know we’re leaving early tonight, right?”

Zach nods, watching as you pull the dress up over your ass, “Oh, yeah.” He looks at you when you turn towards him, “Please leave me taking this dress off out of everything, tonight.”

You smirk, walking up to him, “What? You don’t want me to out Zach-“ You raise your brows, “The Zach again?”

He cocks his jaw do the side and sighs, “When you put it that way..” he chuckles as he leans in to kiss you.

Tara bangs on the door while yelling from the other side, “Are you two ready yet? If not wrap it up because we have to go!”

“To be continued?” Zach smirks giving your ass a squeeze, and you nod, looking up at with a smirk, “Of course.”

.·:*¨ ✘ ¨*:·.

Sorry it took an extra day or two, but here it is. I feel like it sucks, but let me know what you think. As always, I love yas! Thank you for being here. 🖤

Likes and reblogs are majorly appreciated!

[masonmiamor]

Public events - - Mason Mount x Reader

summary: you attending a footy event with mason, first time out together as public.

You stood in front of the black rimmed mirror, fixing your dress where it had wrinkled or crumpled up. You tilt your head to the side trying to see how you could adjust it, before giving up. You leaned over reaching and grabbing your gold jewelry, closing the earring when hearing footsteps.

Mason appeared behind you, wrapping his warm arms around you, feeling his breath on the nape of your neck. “Ready?” his voice is slightly deeper and groggy.

“Nope,” you said, popping the P at the end. He smiled before swiftly turning your body toward his. “You look beautiful, baby. So stunning in this black dress. Whatever happens tonight i’ll be here,” his left hand stroked your cheek as his brown eyes stared up and down at you.

“Thank you Mase. How do you manage to do this? I’m scared of what the media and fans will say,” you admit. It would be a small issue as you were unsure how people would react. They speak highly of him always. Sometimes it doesn’t feel real he’s actually yours. You’ve received small comments then and there but now? Whole different perspective.

He shook his head and sighed, “I’m still not used to it, if I'm being honest. Who cares what others will think, all that matters is that we’re both happy and in love. People will judge always, sometimes for no given reason.”

“I’d like to say to put your mind at ease there’s no bad out there, but I'd be lying. Just focus on me, my special night,” he cheeked now resting his hands on your bum.

You cocked your head to the side at his movements, “So proud of you. Just look at you! You’re 23, playing at an elite team, winning two POTY, and now nominated for a big award, I’ll say tonight will be very special,” you praised, seeing his cheeks turn slightly red, is he actually blushing.

Mason kissed you softly, you holding his cheek. He walked over to the wall where pinned you against it. His lips drag from the corner of your mouth, down to your jawline, neck then exposed collarbone. Pressing open wet mouth kisses. You struggle to hold back a moan, just whimpering at his teasing.

“This dress is driving me insane.”

———

The black G-Wagon parks in front of the event center, you check one last time on your phone your lipstick isn’t smudge, and your hair not being frizzy. The activities before leaving popping up in your mind again.

A usher guides you through big wooden doors down to a red carpet. Mason holds you tight against him by your waist. He walks down to greet fans, taking pictures, signing autographs, and making small talk. You step behind him, letting him do his job. You watch as he is gentle and caring with them. You take a picture and upload it to your instagram story.

You shift your weight from one leg to the other when hearing remarks from two people in the crowd and a trio of women similar to your age.

“Is that really her?”

“Mason brought her?”

“Why is her posture like that? Please!”

“She's eh, honestly expected more from him…”

When he returned back he kissed you passionately, hearing the women gasp and gossip about what had just happened. “Okay okay, that’s enough. You’ll get lipstick on you Mase,” you said giggling.

“Don’t care. Couldn’t let them talk about the women I love like that… Shall we?” he interlocked your hands together posing in front of cameras and bringing you along to interviews.

Once seated at the table with some of his teammates like Kai and Sophia you finally relaxed a bit. Yawning and your feet already aching from the heels. Mason took his phone out and took pictures of you discreetly. Admiring one and putting it on his story, soon enough wallpaper.

“Have I mentioned how much I love you Y/n? Your hair, eyes, hell even lips!” Mason was pure rambling now, maybe the alcoholic drinks setting in his system. “Maybe then and there. Yes Mase, but you still make me shy after hearing it for a while.”

“Good. Don’t get tired of hearing it.”

yourusername added to their insta stories!

[kwebtv]

Character Actress

Susan Oliver (born Charlotte Gercke, February 13, 1932 – May 10, 1990) Actress, television director, and aviator.

After working in summer stock and regional theater, and in unbilled bits in daytime and primetime television shows and commercials, she made her first major television appearance in a supporting role in the July 31, 1955, episode of the live drama series Goodyear TV Playhouse and quickly progressed to leading parts in other shows.

Oliver did numerous television shows in 1957, and appeared on stage. After she had larger roles in live television plays on Kaiser Aluminum Hour, The United States Steel Hour, and Matinee Theatre. Oliver then went to Hollywood, where she appeared in the November 14, 1957, episode of Climax!, one of the few live drama series based on the West Coast, as well as in a number of filmed shows, including one of the first episodes of NBC's Wagon Train, Father Knows Best, The Americans, and Johnny Staccato.

On April 6, 1960, the 28-year-old Oliver played a spoiled young runaway, Maggie Hamilton, who gets soundly spanked by scout Flint McCullough (Robert Horton), in "The Maggie Hamilton Story" on NBC's Wagon Train. On November 9, 1960, she was cast as the lead guest star in "The Cathy Eckhart Story" on Wagon Train, with husband-and-wife actors John Larch and Vivi Janiss as Ben and Sarah Harness.

Oliver was cast in the 1960 episode of The Deputy as the long-lost daughter of star Henry Fonda's late girl friend, and appeared in Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre episode "Knife of Hate" as Susan Pittman. In 1961, Oliver played the part of Laurie Evans in the episode "Incident of His Brother's Keeper" on CBS's Rawhide, and in 1963, she played Judy Hall in the episode "Incident at Spider Rock", Also in 1962, Oliver appeared as Jeanie in the television series Laramie in the episode "Shadows in the Dust".

Oliver was cast in episodes of Adventures in Paradise, Twilight Zone, Route 66, Dr. Kildare, The Naked City, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Burke's Law, The Fugitive, Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., I Spy, The Virginian, The Name of the Game, Longstreet, and Mannix. She made one appearance on The Andy Griffith Show and ABC's family Western series, The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters. She also made two appearances in Quinn Martin's The Invaders (episodes: "Inquisition" and "The Ivy Curtain") on ABC,  In 1965 she  appeared in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 

Oliver played the female lead guest character Vina in "The Cage" (1964), which was the first pilot of Gene Roddenberry's new show, Star Trek. Two years later, Oliver's performance was reused in the first season, two-part episode "The Menagerie" (1966).  

In 1970, she appeared as Carole Carson/Alice Barnes on the television Western The Men From Shiloh (rebranded name for The Virginian) in the episode titled "Hannah".

From 1975 to 1976, Oliver was a regular cast member of the television soap opera Days of Our Lives. In 1976, she received her only Emmy Award nomination (for "Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress") in the three-hour-long, made-for-TV movie Amelia Earhart, broadcast on October 15, 1976, on NBC-TV.  (Wikipedia)

[rachelkaser]

Stay Golden Sunday: Yokel Hero

Rose has been nominated for St. Olaf's Woman of the Year, and Dorothy and Blanche decide to "help" her get the award.

Picture It...

Blanche, Dorothy, and Rose return home, sweating, from a charity softball game, only to discover the air conditioner is out. They go into the kitchen for ice cream and find Sophia basking in the fridge with her robe open. She already called the repairman, who's running late. Rose exclaims when she finds a letter in the mail -- she's been nominated for St. Olaf's Woman of the Year, her town's highest honor. She really wants to win and goes to tally her achievements. The AC repairman arrives to a bit of an unwelcome sight.

Days later, Sophia, Blanche and Dorothy are still overheating. Rose wanders through the living room in tears, and the other Girls pursue her into the kitchen. Rose says she was writing down her accomplishments and realized she hasn't achieved very much. Dorothy and Blanche attempt to reassure her by talking about all the things she does to help people (Sophia isn't much help). After Rose leaves the kitchen, depressed, Blanche and Dorothy talk about how they wish they could show Rose how great she is.

Dorothy comes up with the brilliant idea to "punch up" Rose's Woman of the Year resume, and Blanche immediately agrees. They look over Rose's list of accomplishments and begin adding increasingly unbelievable embellishments -- which they believe they can get away with because "this is going to St. Olaf." Later, Rose is feeling better just as three St. Olafian men appear at the door: They're the Toppelkoffer triplets, they're on the Woman of the Year blue ribbon panel, and they're here to give Rose her final interview.

DOROTHY: How odd. You don't look anything alike. BEN: Oh really? Well back in St. Olaf, nobody could tell us apart. SVEN: You can imagine all the fun we had playing tricks on our teachers in school! SOPHIA: Which of you brothers has custody of the brain?

As Rose goes to get refreshments, the Triplets tell the other Girls they need to verify the facts in her biography -- but if Rose wins, the girls are invited to St. OIaf to attend the ceremony. Blanche and Dorothy attempt to dissuade them, but they are adamant they must question her. Rose comes back, and the Triplets ask her about the exaggerated stories. She's baffled, but Dorothy successfully deflects, citing Rose's humility. The Triplets confer for a moment, then declare that Rose has won and is St. Olaf's Woman of the Year.

As promised, the Girls are on their way to St. Olaf -- by way of a tiny tin can of a plane, which Rose explains is small enough to land at the St. Gustav airport. Rose is ecstatic to return to her hometown and says the award represents the fundamental goodness and honesty of the people in St. Olaf . . . Blanche and Dorothy get very uncomfortable. At they prepare to land, Rose drops the news that the trip to St. Olaf will take a couple of days...days?!

BLANCHE: Sophia?! DOROTHY: Ma?! SOPHIA: *muffled* What? DOROTHY: Ma, where are you? Are you alright? *toilet flushes* SOPHIA: I am now.

The Girls make it onto the train to Zumbro Falls, but the airline lost their luggage, so they have nothing but their purses and the clothes on their back. Rose and Sophia leave the car to go sight-seeing. Dorothy confronts Blanche and says she thinks they should come clean to Rose about lying on her biography. Blanche agrees and they decide to confess when she returns. However, they're distracted when Sophia apparently disappears in the Zumbro Falls tunnel.

Next, the Girls are on the "shuttle" to St. Olaf, a hay wagon drawn by a donkey. Rose contemplates the familiar sights on the outskirts of town and "calls" her old friend Ingrid by hollering into the night. Rose is all aflutter about winning the award. Realizing who she is, the wagon driver turns around and says he's honored as she beat out local legend Emma Immerhoffer for the award. He notes all that Emma did, including running an orphanage and soup kitchens and Rose is again stunned that she won.

INGRID: *in the distance* BYE-BYE ROSE! ROSE: BYE INGRID! Oh thank you, Blanche, that was a great idea! SOPHIA: It's great bringing two idiots closer together. DOROTHY: I think that's the motto of the St. Olaf Telephone Company.

Blanche and Dorothy finally confess that they exaggerated things in her biography. Rose is furious, saying they lied about her. She immediately demands the driver stop at a payphone, saying she's going to confess what happened and that she won't be accepting the award. Back in Miami, Rose is giving them the silent treatment, though she forgives them after they apologize to her. There's a knock on the back door: It's Dr. Harry Weston, their neighbor, with the mail they got while they were gone.

Dorothy criticizes Blanche for aggressively hitting on Harry, who's a widow of 18 months, which Blanche argues is enough time. Rose opens a package she received: It's the Women of the Year trophy. She says they awarded it to her anyway because of her honesty and integrity (Emma Immerhoffer was disqualified). As they prepare to devour the gold foil-encased chocolate trophy, the other three Girls raise their mugs in tribute to Rose.

"Congratulations, Rose Nylund! You are St. Olaf's Woman of the Year! Oof-dah!"

How many episodes has it been now of Blanche and Dorothy going behind Rose’s back and doing something that almost ruins their friendship? I’ve genuinely lost count. This isn’t even the first episode where they’ve done it under the misguided belief they were helping in her in some bizarre way — though at least this time they didn’t accidentally get her a date with the weirdest incel on God’s green earth.

BLANCHE: Sophia, why don't you want to sit back here with us, honey? SOPHIA: Because after three days on the road with you guys, this jackass smells better. DRIVER: Thank you!

I can understand the impulse, though: Poor Rose's self-esteem takes a hit when she believes she's not worthy of Women of the Year. Ain't that always the way? You can see all the good things your friends do, but they can't see it themselves? Also, if I thought my exaggerated biography was going to St. Olaf, I might also be tempted given the town's colorful outlook on the world.

Still, while their hearts were in the right place, Blanche and Dorothy swiftly realize they're in the wrong and that they have to tell her the truth. At this point, I don't know if I can even be upset with Rose for forgiving them so easily -- it sounds bad to say, but this is far from the worst thing they've done behind her back, even in the name of "helping" her.

The fact that the committee that gives the award -- who nominated Rose in the first place, anyway? -- recognizes her integrity and chooses to give her the award anyway is a nice outcome of the whole thing. The disqualification of Emma Immerhoffer may have had something to do with it, but it's still good to see others recognizing Rose's good qualities as a person. Even the Toppelkoffer Triplets need little prompting to name her Woman of the Year.

To be honest, I think I'd rate this episode a bit lower if it weren't for the extended travel sequence, which gives us some fun glimpses of the Girls trying to get to St. Olaf, where the logic gets moonier the closer they get to the city in question. We see the Girls on a plane, a train, and an automobile-of-sorts (a hay wagon) to get to St. Olaf. Also, the Girls' bad luck with airlines continues as their luggage is lost yet again.

SOPHIA: What happened to Emma Immerhoffer? ROSE: She was disqualified when they found a skeleton in her closet. DOROTHY: What was it? ROSE: Mr. Immerhoffer.

They haven't even gotten to St. Gustav when a guy flings himself out of the plane to get to Beaver Falls. The very bored-looking stewardess pulling the doors closed behind her is the cherry on top. Then they get on the train to Zumbro Falls, which isn't as strange, except it goes past Mount Losenbaden, the inverse Mount Rushmore. As provincial as it is, the hay wagon is somehow the most sedate part of their travel.

I have a couple of questions about the heating issue that takes up the first few minutes of the episode (and is presumably at least part of the motivation for the other Girls to fly to Minnesota with Rose). In the very first scene, the reason it's so hot is because the air conditioner is broken, but the repairman shows up. Yet in the next few scenes, it's still hot in the house. So did he not fix the air conditioning? Did Sophia sprint through more sprinklers in her skivvies?

ROSE: I just can't believe we're on our way to St. Olaf. Oh, I'm so excited! You girls are going to love it! But I guess everybody thinks his hometown is pretty special. SOPHIA: I know I do. I'll never forget when I went back after many, many years. Everything was just as I remembered it. Garbage in the streets. Prostitutes in the doorways. A couple of guys hanging by their heels in the town square -- oh, I can't go on. Got a handkerchief? BLANCHE: Honey, why are you getting all teary? Sicily sounds just awful. SOPHIA: That wasn't Sicily. That was my first apartment in Brooklyn.

Speaking of Sophia, I like the fact that she's not left behind in an episode where they leave the house. With Estelle Getty's stage fright, it'd be so easy to do this with the character, but Sophia being on the trip adds an extra bit of acidity that you don't get when she's not around. There's also a bit of softness from her this time around: She may cut all of her roommates and even the Triplets down the entire episode, but when Rose wins, she's the first person to stand up and sincerely congratulate her in the same way the Triplets did.

This is the first time we see Dr. Harry Weston -- the main character in the revamped Empty Nest spinoff. The first episode for Empty Nest aired in October 1988, and this episode aired in November, so they wasted no time with the crossovers, which will recur occasionally. Funnily enough, the pilot episode was also about a woman coming onto Harry 18 months after the death of his wife. This is also the first we see of his beautiful dog, Dreyfuss, who would make more appearances in The Golden Girls than Harry himself.

Episode rating: 🍰🍰🍰 (three cheesecake slices out of five)

Favorite Part of the Episode

Sophia deals with the Miami heat:

[starmaniamania]

In case you missed it - Starmania 2022 - Acte 2

Same deal as with Acte 1 -- stuff that might be widely known or not, but which I'm writing down for future reference and so we can compare notes! :p

Needless to say, just like part 1 but also maybe even more so, this is FULL OF SPOILERS, so if you want to preserve the mystery or find out for youself etc., do not read it! :p

Y'a de la police dans toute la ville

There are two magazines, one with each Stella on the cover (I think it's the same picture as the one they use for the Stella portrait that's hanging in her villa)

Obviously the whole "boulevard du crépuscule" thing is a ref to the last scene of "Sunset Boulevard" (1950) during which ageing ex-star Nora Desmond descends the grand staircase of her own villa to get her infamous "closeup with Mr DeMille"; except she's actually insane and is being arrested and led to jail for murdering someone. This is not specific to the 2022 version but it does explain its passion for stairs in the Stella villa!

Les adieux/Le télégramme

On top of Stella's piano: some sculptures (awards?), the same portrait of her (twice I think) + an image of her sitting on a moon. I don't know if that's about anything in particular, but it always makes me think of Sabrina Lory sitting on a star in Starmania 1989.

The telegram that the maid brings has the actual text handwritten on it.

Speaking of the maid, I've mentioned it before but as far as I can tell the rule for who's playing is: Maag!Stella with Jeanne!Maid, Jeanne!Stella with Alice!Maid, and sometimes Gabrielle fills in for the maid if Jeanne or Alice aren't up to it I guess! I've never actually seen Alice be Maag's maid but I know it's happened.

The face acting of the maid is so funny always -- she goes from incredulity (at what Zéro is saying and at the fact that Stella seems taken by it) to anger, and then at the very end ("Devant la destinée...") she facepalms with the telegram in hand.

Trio de la jalousie

The camerawoman who films Cristal's message (and it's always been a woman as far as I know, for reasons that used to be unclear to me but are now obvious) is actually being stashed in the trunk of the car; one of the Etoiles Noires gets her out, and puts her back inside at the end.

The car is being driven by a stage tech

During William!Johnny days, you can still see him as an Etoile Noire in the background of Cristal's recorded message that airs during the Zéro Janvier meeting

Obvious but didn't really really compute for me for a bit, this scene shows not only the break between Johnny and Sadia, but also the departure of a bunch of Etoiles Noires who leave with her.

Meeting de Zéro Janvier

The flag bearers, who are dancers, mouth the "payapapa, zéro janvier président de l'occident" bits but none of them is mic-ed, the sounds comes from the wings, as do almost all additional vocals which are done live from the "choir cabin" or a stand-alone mic, as seen here with Jeanne Jerosme doing the Stone harmonies (I'm guessing) or Aurel during (David's Blues??)

Depending on the day and the Zéro, there are hints of violence in the way Zéro handles Stella -- he's all smiles when introducing her to the crowd, but sometimes you get a burst of anger or brutality in the way he grabs her arm and releases it, which is super chilling.

If you focus on Stella's face during the presentation of Zéro's agenda, it takes you on a real journey of realization of what, exactly, she hitched her wagon to. Big "YIKES" energy!

La procession du Gourou/Sex shops (instrumental)

Some people never appear in this scene, whether they're playing their main roles that day or not. As far as I can tell, that's Simon, Alex, Côme and Miriam. I think I've seen everyone else at least once, and some people more than seems logical (as previously mentioned, William is part of the procession even on the days where he's being Johnny, which makes no sense and has not been explained to me in any satisfying way yet :p) I've heard of Côme being in it exactly once, but frankly I'll believe it when I see it :p (it was a Sat afternoon on tour when some dancers were off and someone from the cast was in the audience, so I guess they could have been short-staffed!)

As a consequence, according to Simon himself, this scene features some pre-recorded background vocals. I guess there aren't enough people off-stage to really make it sound the way it should!

The choreography of the scene changed partway through the first tour, with Stella dancing much less and doing more of a confused "where am I, what's going on, who are these people" sort of thing. I thought it worked really well; I think it's due to Maag's physical injury which might have made it difficult for her to do the full cardio-heavy choreography.

The Gourou's magical apparition trick is very simply done by having whoever is doing gourou show up straight from the back of the stage, crouching, while the lights distract you

The Gourou and Stella share a microphone during that scene; she obviously can't dance with a mic in her hand. After this scene, the maid brings Stella her mic back at the same time as her shawl during "Le retour à la villa"

During Sex Shops you can make out the silhouette of the "agent secret" looming in the background and stalking around the stage. Dancers mime more or less explicit sex acts (I've seen people full on wanking, or making obscene tongue wags while kneeling in front of Stella)

Le retour à la villa/Ego Trip

The main brings Stella her shawl (the same one she has over her head during the Act 1 Stella at the Underground Café cameo??)

in the few seconds of the ramp-up to "Retour à la villa," Stella usually messes up her hair more to really make the "J'arrive de chez mon coiffeur" line ultra funny.

The secret agent/maid side-show during Ego Trip: starts with awkward flirtation, sometimes born out of concern if, for example, Zero throws Stella's black dress directly at the maid. They disappear behind the stairs where the Agent takes off part of his costume/unfastens his belt, and then starts with the maid getting some nice oral on the stairs (stage left) which isn't always visible depending on where you're sitting :p Jeanne said that this was initially improv by her and Aurel which Thomas Jolly decided to keep :p Finally when they're at the top of the stairs, still fearing discovery, the maid collapses into the agent's arms.

Coup d'éclat/Plus rien à perdre

The last of the Etoiles Noires can be seen exiting the "hangar" at the beginning of the scene, implying that Johnny and Cristal really are alone in their plot.

I don't think we need to talk about The Kissing in detail; suffice to say that one of the possible combinations of Johnny/Cristal is an IRL couple and it shows by how they just, like, fully Go For It in front of God, 5000+ audience members, and their colleagues all watching them from the choir cabin. The other combinations vary between "pretty convincing stage kiss" (Côme/Gabrielle) and "no kiss" (William/Gabrielle, and I've been told William/Lilya). When I saw William and Gabrielle, she sometimes unzipped her top so he could nuzzle her neck; I've seen some butt grabbing by William and have been told of at least one forehead kiss (??).

During the bit where Johnny has his hand around Cristal's neck, Lilya and Gabrielle play it a bit differently: Lilya usually leans away from Johnny in a sort of "you're strangling me" pose, while Gabrielle initially leans back into him, sometimes closes her eyes to show she's enjoying the moment. It gives their Cristals a slightly different flavour whereas the rest of their interpretation is on the whole pretty close.

At the end of the Monopolis reprise, gentleman Johnny escorts Cristal into the car before driving off, somehow handling the driving in reverse, the singing and the mic holding!!

Monopolis hologram

The hologram is wearing France Gall's iconic gold lamé suit from her own Cristal days, but as far as I know, the pose (sitting on a stool which is really, physically present on stage) was created for the show, possibly using this tv appearance as a reference.

Marie-Jeanne taps the "frame" to "turn off" France Gall at the end of the number.

Départ de Ziggy/Nos planètes se séparent/Les uns contre les autres

Obviously there's a whole visual metaphor with Marie-Jeanne and Ziggy orbiting each other, but on different planes, and then being separated from each other by the rays of light which act like bars.

When the rest of the characters show up, they're set up as couples which reinforce the dynamics of the end of the show: Johnny/Cristal, Zero/Sadia and Gourou/Stella.

The whole Naziland bit

All of this is VERY subject to day-to-day variations, because there are so many people on stage doing so much at all times, I think they're all freer to change stuff a bunch!

There are a LOT of little easter eggs hidden throughout the Naziland bit, which change depending on which dancers/singers are on stage that day, and also I guess depending on their moods! You can spot people making out in alcoves (usually Malaika and whoever isn't doing Johnny) and being spied on by Louise; a dancer standing on his head being served a glass of champagne upside down; dancers using Ambriel or Miriam's massive black hat as a prop for various shenanigans. Some people are smoking electronic cigarettes, others are doing lines of coke (usually dancer Louis in his purple suit; sometimes Malaika), we've seen William sprinkling something into Ambriel's glass... I'm sure there's more I've never seen, and also there will be more/different ones if the cast changes!

When Zéro and Stella show up, initially she refuses a drink from the waiter and pretty much gets one shoved into her hand anyway. Then while Sadia is telling Zéro about the Etoiles Noires, Stella gets swept away by a dancer and only reappears, stumbling already, for the final "cheers" with Zéro at the end of the song.

While Zéro is getting congratulated for winning, I've seen (not every time) Ziggy come down from his DJ tower to congratulate him and get kicked away like a dog by Zéro.

Le rêve de Stella

In the transition towards the Rêve, the troupe walks upstage sort of in slow-motion and slow-dances for the first few seconds of the song; this is another moment where you can definitely spot the cast's real-life couples getting it on :p

At the end of the Rêve, Stella "disappears" through the cunning use of a spotlight being turned off (topical), a tech hanging out in the tower and grabbing her hand to guide her back into the alcove and then a black sheet being pulled in front of her to make her "invisible."

Everyone's seen Stella's shredded dress caught on the tip of the star, right? RIGHT?? We all get it? (You'd be surprised!! lol)

La mort de Cristal/SOS/Stone

During the bass-heavy transition after the Rêve, you can see Johnny and Cristal inside the structure, holding the bomb together

Sequence of events once the structure splits into halves and they get out: PREMIERES (thanks @braimee for bringing this to my attention): [missing bit I've never seen] Johnny is kneeling at the front of the stage while Cristal goes upstage with the bomb. She gets shot and falls down. Johnny scrambles to her, lifts her up in his arms (effortfully lol), she does "Au secours..." and dies. He sets her down as a high-pitched "flatline" sound is hear, and then starts SOS. LATER ON: they both kneel around the bomb -- Cristal touches Johnny on the arm -- sometimes they share a chaste kiss or she touches his face like, "hey, be careful" -- they stand up -- JOHNNY STARTS TO LEAVE ALONE WITH THE BOMB -- Sadia comes out on the structure and shoots Cristal. This makes it 50x more tragic still because to me, it means Johnny, who was only into the bomb idea to please Cristal, takes the risk on himself and leaves her behind so she can be safer, and that's what dooms her. AUGH.

Côme is right-handed and William is left-handed; their Cristals fall to their deaths on opposite sides so they can hold their mics with their dominant hands.

Not positive but guessing Johnnies pull their mics from the same place they put them back in at the end of the curtain call: a little custom pocket in the black pants. Actually @braimee reminded me that Cristal has a mic, as she does her heartbreaking "Au secours..." bit before falling over, and so presumably Johnny then uses that same mic for the song! Thanks! :D

During Stone if you're on the side you can see techs scattering the black shreds of paper in front of big fans to blow up into the smoke like "debris/birds."

The lighting/staging at the end of Stone is very similar, if not identical, as the one at the end of "La Complainte" -- you get to decide what that means to you :p

And of course, Act 1 ended in an explosion of hearts while Act 2 ends in an actual explosion #symmetry

Annnnnd I think that's it??? Please don't hesitate to let me know if you read these to the end haha, and what you thought/what I missed etc.!

[rockislandadultreads]

Dystopian & Apocalyptic Fiction Picks 

Docile by K.M. Szpara

To be a Docile is to be kept, body and soul, for the uses of the owner of your contract. To be a Docile is to forget, to disappear, to hide inside your body from the horrors of your service. To be a Docile is to sell yourself to pay your parents' debts and buy your children's future.

Elisha Wilder’s family has been ruined by debt, handed down to them from previous generations. His mother never recovered from the Dociline she took during her term as a Docile, so when Elisha decides to try and erase the family’s debt himself, he swears he will never take the drug that took his mother from him. Too bad his contract has been purchased by Alexander Bishop III, whose ultra-rich family is the brains (and money) behind Dociline and the entire Office of Debt Resolution. When Elisha refuses Dociline, Alex refuses to believe that his family’s crowning achievement could have any negative side effects—and is determined to turn Elisha into the perfect Docile without it.

I Keep My Exoskeletons to Myself by Marisa Crane

In a United States not so unlike our own, the Department of Balance has adopted a radical new form of law enforcement: rather than incarceration, wrongdoers are given a second (and sometimes, third, fourth, and fifth) shadow as a reminder of their crime—and a warning to those they encounter. Within the Department, corruption and prejudice run rampant, giving rise to an underclass of so-called Shadesters who are disenfranchised, publicly shamed, and deprived of civil rights protections.

Kris is a Shadester and a new mother to a baby born with a second shadow of her own. Grieving the loss of her wife and thoroughly unprepared for the reality of raising a child alone, Kris teeters on the edge of collapse, fumbling in a daze of alcohol, shame, and self-loathing. Yet as the kid grows, Kris finds her footing, raising a child whose irrepressible spark cannot be dampened by the harsh realities of the world.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

“That girl’s got more wrong notions than a barn owl’s got mean looks.”

Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her—a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda.

The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing. They'll bring the fight to you.

In Upright Women Wanted, award-winning author Sarah Gailey reinvents the pulp Western with an explicitly antifascist, near-future story of queer identity.

The Book of Flora by Meg Elison

In the wake of the apocalypse, Flora has come of age in a highly gendered post-plague society where females have become a precious, coveted, hunted, and endangered commodity. But Flora does not participate in the economy that trades in bodies. An anathema in a world that prizes procreation above all else, she is an outsider everywhere she goes, including the thriving all-female city of Shy.

Now navigating a blighted landscape, Flora, her friends, and a sullen young slave she adopts as her own child leave their oppressive pasts behind to find their place in the world. They seek refuge aboard a ship where gender is fluid, where the dynamic is uneasy, and where rumors flow of a bold new reproductive strategy.

When the promise of a miraculous hope for humanity’s future tears Flora’s makeshift family asunder, she must choose: protect the safe haven she’s built or risk everything to defy oppression, whatever its provenance.

This is the third volume in “The Road to Nowhere” series. 

[hughjidiot]

Surprise, everyone: here's a sneak preview of my next Mollibby oneshot! Wanted to do something special to celebrate the thirtieth chapter of my anthology, so I'm doing something similar to what the show did in Festival of Lights where it's several mini-stories in one. Knock on wood I should have the full chapter out sometime next week. Enjoy!

---

Gravel crunched beneath the tires of the McGee van and the Stein-Torres station wagon as the vehicles rolled through the rural Brighton Forest road. Warm sunlight streamed through the branches of the trees that lined the lane, their leaves swaying getley in the breeze. After several minutes they reached their destination: a small circular clearing with a fire pit surrounded by log benches. The vehicles pulled to a stop, and from them out stepped (or in one case, floated) the several campers.

“Ah, smell that clean country air!” Molly said brightly, inhaling deeply through her nose.

Darryl looked up from his phone and sniffed the air. “Smells like wet mulch and animal dung.”

“Yup!” Libby shrugged her heavy backpack off her shoulders, letting it plop down on the grass. “That’s nature all right.”

“Boy we’ve got some beautiful weather for this,” Pete remarked, looking up at the clear blue sky as he helped his wife pull camping supplies from the back of the van. “And hey, since we’re not homeless this time maybe we can actually enjoy the outdoors.”

Leah reached up to untie hers and Libby’s equipment from the roof of her car. She glanced towards the McGees, and did a double take when she saw Sharon hefting four huge grocery bags. “Geez Sharon, pack enough snacks? I mean I know there’s six of us, but we’re only gonna be out here for one night.”

Sharon chuckled, glancing upwards towards the roof of the van where Scratch the ghost was lounging, visible to all except Leah. “I just wanted to be sure we packed enough for everyone.”

“You’ll be thankful for the extra grub when I show you all how to make my award-winning double-decker smores,” Scratch said, reclining on the roof.

“You’ve won awards?” Pete asked with a raised brow.

Scratch shot him a pointed look. “It’s an expression, Peter. Who are you, the fact police?”

“All right, ladies and gents!” Molly announced, clapping her hands. “Let the first ever McGee-Stein-Torres Camping Extravaganza begin!”

[linneatanner]

David Fitz-Gerald A Grave Every Mile #Pioneers #HistoricalWestern #WesternAdventure #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub @AuthorDAVIDFG @cathiedunn

FEATURED AUTHOR: DAVID FITZ-GERALD I’m delighted to welcome David Fitz-Gerald again as the featured author in The Coffee Pot Book Club Blog Tour held February 12th – 16th, 2024. He is the author of the Western / Historical Fiction, A Grave Every Mile (Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail), which was independently released on December 24th, 2023 (204 pages). Below are highlights of A Grave Every Mile, David Fitz-Gerald's author bio, and an excerpt from his book. Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2024/01/blog-tour-a-grave-every-mile-by-david-fitzgerald.html HIGHLIGHTS: A GRAVE EVERY MILE   A Grave Every Mile: A Pioneer Western Adventure (Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail) By David Fitz-Gerald Blurb: Embark on a harrowing trek across the rugged American frontier in 1850. Your wagon awaits, and the untamed wilderness calls. This epic western adventure will test the mettle of even the bravest souls. Dorcas Moon and her family set forth in search of opportunity and a brighter future. Yet, what awaits them is a relentless gauntlet of life-threatening challenges: miserable weather, ravenous insects, scorching sunburns, and unforgiving terrain. It's not merely a battle for survival but a test of their unity and sanity. Amidst the chaos, Dorcas faces ceaseless trials: her husband's unending bickering, her daughter's descent into madness, and the ever-present danger of lethal rattlesnakes, intensifying the peril with each step. The specter of death looms large, with diseases spreading and the eerie howls of rabid wolves piercing the night. Will the haunting image of wolves desecrating a grave push Dorcas over the edge? With each mile, the migration poses a haunting question: Who will endure the relentless quest to cross the continent, and who will leave their bones to rest beside the trail? The pathway is bordered by graves, a chilling reminder of the steep cost of dreams. A Grave Every Mile marks the commencement of an unforgettable saga. Start reading Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail now to immerse yourself in an expedition where every decision carries the weight of life, death, and the pursuit of a brighter future along the Oregon Trail. Buy Links: This title is available on #KindleUnlimited. Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/agem SERIES TRAILER: GHOSTS ALONG THE OREGON TRAIL   FEATURED AUTHOR: DAVID FITZ-GERALD   David Fitz-Gerald writes westerns and historical fiction. He is the author of twelve books, including the brand-new series, Ghosts Along the Oregon Trail set in 1850. Dave is a multiple Laramie Award, first place, best in category winner; a Blue Ribbon Chanticleerian; a member of Western Writers of America; and a member of the Historical Novel Society. Alpine landscapes and flashy horses always catch Dave’s eye and turn his head. He is also an Adirondack 46-er, which means that he has hiked to the summit of the range’s highest peaks. As a mountaineer, he’s happiest at an elevation of over four thousand feet above sea level. Dave is a lifelong fan of western fiction, landscapes, movies, and music. It should be no surprise that Dave delights in placing memorable characters on treacherous trails, mountain tops, and on the backs of wild horses. Author Links: Linktree https://linktr.ee/authordavidfitzgerald Website: https://www.itsoag.com/lastthing Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDAVIDFG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authordavefitzgerald/ Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/AuthorDaveFITZGERALD Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/david-fitz-gerald Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/dfitzgerald Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17341792.David_Fitz_Gerald EXCERPT: A GRAVE EVERY MILE   First day on the trail, April 15, 1850 Our three teams of oxen, led by Hardtack and Scrapple, stand ready to do their job. It takes a while before it’s our turn to begin pulling, with fifteen wagons ahead of us. When the wheels of the wagon before us begin to turn, Larkin cracks the bullwhip and shouts, “Hi-yah!” He snaps the whip again, and the poor beasts lumber forward. The broody hen squawks in her box. Straps hold the cage in place on a shelf on the wagon’s exterior. Ridge, the devil-eyed goat, blats in protest as the rope that ties her to the back left corner of the wagon drags her along. I can’t see Blizzard, tied to the other corner of the wagon. The children and I begin on foot, following closely behind Larkin. I hate it when people are cruel to animals. I should hold my tongue, but I cannot. “Must you snap that whip so sharply? It’s barbaric. We should thank the oxen, not whip them.” “Don’t be ridiculous, Dorcas. I’m not whipping them. I’m whipping the air above them. You know that. We can’t get to Oregon if the oxen don’t move. Don’t carry on like a child.” Of course, he's right. Somehow, dressing a deer doesn't phase me. I can snap a chicken's neck and pluck its feathers, but the idea of hurting beasts of burden saddens me. “Couldn’t you just tap them lightly on the rump rather than scare the poor creatures?” “Look, see, we’re already falling behind. We need to drive the oxen faster if we want to get to Oregon before winter.” “But…” “That’s enough, Dorcas. Don’t pester me anymore.” My molars tighten against each other. I know a woman shouldn’t bicker, argue, or nag. Usually, Larkin doesn’t complain about having a garrulous wife. Still, it rankles when he tells me not to pester him. After walking alongside for half an hour, Dahlia Jane says she is tired. One mile down, one thousand, nine-hundred and ninety-nine miles to go. I lift the child into the wagon. Fortunately, she is content to play quietly by herself. I walk for a while beside Blizzard. He always seems to listen and understand me when I share my troubles, worries, and complaints. His coat is sleek beneath the palm of my hand. I can never resist stroking his neck. "We’ll take a ride together soon. I promise." Dahlia Jane hasn’t moved from her nest in the back of the wagon, so I return to walk with the other children. I’m surprised to find Christopher where Larkin was. Larkin is missing. I glance about and don’t see him anywhere. Andrew smiles and says, “Nature calls.” Rose slaps her forehead and looks at her hand to see if she squashed a bug. Christopher seems to have mastered snapping the bullwhip above the oxen, and it makes me cringe even more than when Larkin does it. After half an hour, Larkin tells Rose it’s her turn. She had been complaining about boredom and appears to have come alive as Larkin calls out her name. “Alright, Rose. Here is the whip. Hold it high and flick it hard with your wrist so that it snaps in the air above the kine.” Rose asks, “What if I accidentally hit them with it?” Larkin answers, “Don’t worry. It will not hurt them. They have thick skin and dull nerves.” I can’t help but say, “Larkin, how do you know how they feel? Please don’t beat our animals.” Larkin replies, “We’ll try, but the children must learn how to drive them. If you can’t bear to watch, may I suggest you visit our neighbors?” “Very well, then.” It doesn’t make it any better knowing they whip the beasts while I’m gone, but I pluck Dahlia Jane from her burrow and wander back to the next wagon.   Instagram Handle: @thecoffeepotbookclub         Read the full article

[clarklovescarole]

March 1939: Divorce Final, Wedding Watch On!

March 1, 1939 – The Miami News

That forthcoming marriage date for Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, first itemed here weeks ago, will come off on schedule – they spent the last fortnight with interior decorators getting their new home ready to move into on the wedding day.

March 2, 1939 – Spokane Chronicle

The mule which Carole Lombard presented Clark Gable as a gag gift on his birthday has been put to work pulling a plow over the star’s 14-acre tract at Encino…

March 2, 1939 – San Francisco Examiner

Carole Lombard, wearing a farmer’s straw hat and overalls, driving Clark Gable’s station wagon…

March 3, 1939 – Los Angeles Times

If anybody asks you today “What’s new?” you can tell them Clark Gable, who will marry Carole Lombard on St. Patrick’s Day, has purchased 12,000 chickens for his new ranch…

March 4, 1939 – Buffalo Evening News

Clark Gable Expects Freedom on Tuesday

LAS VEGAS, Nev. - By next Tuesday, Clark Gable may be free to marry blonde Carole Lombard, his almost constant companion at picture colony affairs for the past three years. 

Mrs. Maria Gable, 49-year-old wife of the actor, on Monday will complete the required 42 days of residence here and will be eligible to obtain a decree immediately.

There were indications, however, that she would not appear before Judge William E. Orr before Tuesday.

Mrs. Gable arrived here Jan. 22, rented the palatial new home of her attorney, Frank McNamee, and appeared little in public, although she was noticed occasionally with friends at a swanky gambling casino. Visitors from Hollywood, where she is one of the film sets most popular hostesses, were frequent. Her outside activities were restricted to several fishing expeditions to Lake Mead, behind Boulder dam, and a trip to the skin run on nearby Mt. Charleston.

She and the 38-year-old screen hero were married eight years ago in Santa Ana, Cal. They separated four years ago because of what she termed “temperament.” Under a property settlement effected two months before the separation, Mrs. Gable received $286,000 from her husband in three years. The settlement was taken to court in Los Angeles in January for clarification, the last preliminary to her journey here.

March 7, 1939 – Hartford Courant

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard have confirmed the chatter that they will have as quiet a wedding as possible under the circumstances – i.e. with the whole country alert to their plans. They want Gail Patrick and her husband, Bob Cobb, as witnesses, but this will be a last-second decision depending on last-second circumstances.

March 8, 1939 – San Francisco Examiner

Divorce Awarded to Mrs. Clark Gable

LAS VEGAS – Mrs. Maria F. Gable was granted a divorce today when she testified in a cheerful voice that her noted screen lover husband, Clark Gable, deserted her and refused to come back. 

The decree was handed down by Judge William E. Orr in a courtroom from which all but witnesses and press had been barred. The hearing last but 4 minutes.

CHARGES DESERTION

Smartly garbed in a simple black frock, short hip-length jacket, black straw hat and black shoes and gloves, Mrs. Gable gave her name, said she had lived in Nevada for six weeks and then told how she married Gable, then just getting started on his film career, in Santa Ana, Calif, on June 19, 1931.

Her attorney, Frank McNamee, Jr., asked her if there was any community property. She answered “no.” Then he asked if she charged desertion, and her answer was “yes.” 

“Were you deserted in October 1935, and did Mr. Gable disregard the marital bonds?”

“Yes.”

“Was this done willfully and without your consent and without any reason on your part?”

“Yes.”

SOUTH AMERICA TRIP:

Then she added:

“He said he was going to South America and that when he came back, he wanted to try it alone.” 

“Did he try it alone?” 

“Yes,” 

“Was this without your consent and without cause or reason on your part?”

“Yes,” she replied, with a tiny smile, and went on: “He said he wanted more freedom. He came to my house several times after that, but only to talk to me.” 

NEVER OFFERED:

“Did he ever offer to return to the martial state?” queried the attorney.

“No.”

“Again, was this without your consent?” 

“Yes.”

She then was shown a waiver and identified the signature as that of Gable.

Judge Orr asked her:

“The only reason he went away was because he wanted more freedom?” 

“Yes,” was the calm reply.

“The decree may be granted,” commented the judge and the case was over in rapid-fire Nevada style.

Gable, who settled approximately $286,000 on his wife since their estrangement, filed a written appearance and waiver by mail yesterday.

March 8, 1939 – Evening World

Steps out of Gable’s Life

March 8, 1939 – Daily News

Gable Divorced: Carole Admits She’ll Wed Him

Las Vegas, Nev., March 7 – Clark Gable, whose large ears could not prevent his becoming Hollywood’s All-American heartthrob was free tonight, as a result of a divorce his second wife obtained here, to marry blonde Carole Lombard, his partner in the film colony’s most famous “Unmarried Husbands and Wives” romance. 

In Hollywood, comedienne Carole nonchalantly admitted their intention to climax with a wedding ceremony their long and close friendship – one of several such Hollywood romances recently publicized by a fan magazine under the attention-inspiring title of “Unmarried Husbands and Wives.”

But apparently there will be no hurry.

“We have made no plans,” she remarked, “but when Clark gets a few days off and I am not busy, perhaps we will sneak away and have the ceremony performed.” 

Gable busy in Hollywood on the set of “Gone with the Wind,” smiled but said, “We have made no plans for the time or place.” 

The way to wed was cleared this afternoon when Mrs. Maria (Rhea) Gable, 48-year-old second wife of the 38-year-old film hero, received a divorce after a five-minute private hearing before judge William E. Orr. 

Property settlements and other preliminaries to the divorce, for which Gable paid Rhea $286,000 – plus income tax – were arranged before Mrs. Gable came here six weeks ago.

Difference in their ages was blamed for the breakup of the Gable marriage. Mrs. Gable, a Texas oil heiress, was the mother of two children when he married her at Santa Ana, Cal., on June 19, 1931. At today’s hearing she charged her deserted her in October 1935.

“He said he was going to South America,” Mrs. Gable, dressed in black with pink trimming, testified about the desertion. “When he came back, he said he wanted to try it alone. He said he wanted more freedom.” 

“After this, he came to the house several times to talk to me but never offered to return to the marital state.

“I came here on Jan. 20, 1939, and have been here ever since.”

Mrs. Gable, a cheerful witness, said she plans to leave for New York tomorrow to visit her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Wood. She will return to Beverly Hills in about a month, she said, and make her home there.

It was about the time of Gable’s desertion of his wife that he met Miss Lombard at an “all white” party at which she appeared in a red dress. They have been constant companions during the last four years. 

Gable’s first wife, whom he married in 1924, was the former Josephine Dillon. They were divorced after four years.

March 8, 1939 – The Knoxville News Sentinel

Scarlett O’Hara All That’s Between Gable and Carole

By Frederick C. Othman

Clark Gable knelt at the feet of a red-haired Englishwoman today, fingered a pair of sweeping sideburns, said “Scarlett, honey, ah love yuh,” and wondered how long it would be before he could marry blonde Carole Lombard.

It may be tomorrow. It may be next week, or next month. It all depends on the on-again, off-again progress of the movie “Gone with the Wind.” He was at the studio early today acting the romantic part of Rhett Butler, romantically but obviously a little impatiently. Not far away, in her home, Miss Lombard was downright impatient, and she said so. 

“When Clark gets a few days off and I am not busy perhaps we will sneak away and have the ceremony performed,” she said upon hearing that his second wife, Mrs. Rhea Gable, had been granted a final divorce decree in Las Vegas, Nev.

Gable Is Silent

But Gable, No. 1 Hollywood leading man, only grunted “no comment” and turned again to hold the hand of Miss Vivien Leigh, English actress who has the part of Scarlett O’Hara, in the movie “epic” of the Civil War.

Today Gable’s ranch house in the San Fernando Valley was being dolled up to grant the very whim of even the most discriminating bride. Her close friends in the movie colony expected Miss Lombard’s blonde beauty to grace it very soon.

Mrs. Gable No 2, who is 48 and 10 years his senior, obtained her decree in one of Nevada’s famous five-minute court sessions before judge William Orr. She said he had deserted her. The clerk handed her a decree, brightly bordered with red ribbon, and she walked out sans husband.

Get Big Salaries

A few hours later she was at the roulette table of the swank Las Vegas Apache Casino playing, as usual, heavily. She said she probably would return her today, then later visit friends in New York. She had no further matrimonial plans, she said.

When they say “I do,” Gable and Miss Lombard will become one of the biggest-salaried families in the world. She gets $450,0000 a year, most of which she says she is glad to return to the government in income taxes. He earns about the same, so his $35000 exemption as a married man won’t be much help.

Mrs. Lombard, who is 29, has been married once before, to William Powell. She divorced him in 1929.

The divorced Mrs. Gable was the actor’s second wife. 

March 8, 1939 – San Pedro News

Wedding to Carole Lombard Near, Admits Clark Gable

Clark Gable, whose one-mule ranch lacks a woman’s refining influence, let the world guess today on how soon he’ll bring home Carole Lombard as Mrs. Clark Gable No. 3. 

It may even be this weekend, but Clark wasn’t saying, as he received the news that his second wife, Marie, had given him his freedom by a four-minute divorce trial yesterday at Las Vegas, Nev.

fixing UP THE chicken coops and pitching hay for the mule “Bessie,” which Carole gave him as a birthday present last month, the he-man film hero admitted his nuptials were near but he hasn’t made plans “for the time or place.” 

Gable was supposed to have been paying court to Vivien Leigh in the ruffled shirt and long sideburns of a southern dandy, but his studio call for “Gone with the Wind” was cancelled because the script, after more than two years of preparation, still needed tinkering.

Today, however, he was to report on the set to resume his Rhett Butler role opposite Miss Leigh’s Scarlett O’Hara with a new director, Victor Fleming replacing George Cukor. 

It may be as long as three months before the oft-delayed and still sporadic “Wind” is completed and few friends think Gable will wait until then for another leap into matrimony. 

Miss Lombard is not exactly pining in inactivity, either. She must pose for portraits and poster art this week before starting a new picture.

Amateur Cupids speculated that the pair probably would slip off to Yuma, Ariz., or a Nevada point in a quick elopement and delay a honeymoon until their movie assignments are out of the way.

March 8, 1939 – Fresno Bee

The vigilant movie reporters who are shadowing Clark Gable and Carole Lombard waiting for them to marry following Ria Gable’s divorce, granted yesterday, can relax. Right from headquarters I am told there will be no marriage until the house in the valley is completed. Right now it is in a state of complete reconstruction. Clark is working on Gone with the Wind, and Carole starts Memory of Love at RKO April 1st – so, unless there is an elopement, which I doubt, the marriage won’t take place for some weeks.

March 9, 1939 – The Holyoke Daily Transcript

Pictured together as they watched a Los Angeles, Calif., boxing match are motion picture stars Clark Gable and Carole Lombard. Clark and Carole are expected to be married soon, now that Mrs. Gable has secured her divorce.

March 9, 1939 – Los Angeles Times

Ranch Chores Occupy Gable

Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, free to marry since Mrs. Ria Gable obtained her final divorce papers at Las Vegas last Tuesday, spent yesterday gardening – but a considerable distance apart.

The husky film star went in for agriculture in a big way.

Miss Lombard, on the other hand, contented herself with planting petunias on the grounds of her spacious Bel-Air estate. 

At his Encino ranch, Gable sat at the wheel of a tractor and indulged in a bit of spring plowing around his citrus fruit specimen trees. He tapered off toward evening with a spot of chicken coop patching and painting.

Yet as Mrs. Gable returned to reoccupy her home in Beverly Hills, which Actress Ina Claire had leased during her sojourn in Nevada, not a hint came from the actor or his comedienne-friend regarding their future matrimonial plans.

It was the belief along Hollywood’s gossip row that Gable and Miss Lombard probably would stroll quietly into the Los Angeles marriage license bureau at closing time some afternoon and apply for permission to wed – just like ordinary folks. 

March 9, 1939 – Lansing Star

Clark and Carole Keep Far Apart

While all Hollywood watched with closer than close interest, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard stayed quite far from each other today.

Gable, free to marry the beauteous Miss Lombard as a result of the divorce obtained Tuesday in Nevada by Mrs. Maria Gable, was doing a great deal of agricultural work at his new San Fernando valley ranch.

Miss Lombard was conferring with her mother Mrs. Elizabeth K. Peters, who is contesting the will of an aunt by marriage, Mrs. Nancy McMahon Cheney, disposing of a share in a $1,274,000 estate.

And neither Gable nor Lombard would say a word about getting married, although everybody in Hollywood has predicted it would take place almost any time.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Gable returned from Las Vegas where she divorced Gable on grounds of desertion, to her home in Beverly Hills and prepared for a trip to New York and Texas.

March 10, 1939 – Los Angeles Times

If, as and when the ceremony occurs, and there seems to be no question that it soon will, Wesley Ruggles will be a particularly interested guest at the wedding of Carole Lombard and Clark Gable. It was Ruggles who first introduced them in 1933 when they were signed to appear together in one of his pictures, “No Man of Her Own.” And almost the first scene they had together was a fond embrace…

March 12, 1939 – Great Falls Tribune

Clark and His Carole

Here is the latest picture of Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, made as they attended the fights in Los Angeles. Divorce of Gable by his wife in Las Vegas, Nev., paved way for marriage of the screen actor and the blonde Carole. 

March 12, 1939 – San Francisco Examiner

If you want to see Carole Lombard these days, you’ll find her out on her 14-acre ranch in San Fernando, wearing overalls and planting seeds like everything.

March 12, 1939 – Evening Star

March 13, 1939 – Pittsburgh Press

Clark Gable need only walk across the street now for his laughs. Groucho Marx recently closed a deal whereby he has purchased an eight-acre estate directly across the street from Gable’s new ranch in Encino.

Gable purchased the Raoul Walsh property. Marx bought the Bleasdale property, with large home, orange grove, and facilities for keeping riding horses, and is moving in immediately.

March 15, 1939 – Kansas City Star

Clark Gable is so excited about getting his new home in the valley ready for himself and Carole Lombard, he refuses to come to the studio for polka dancing lessons. Instead, the dancing instructor goes out to the Gable mansion and tries to teach him to tread the light fantastic with music supplied by tractors and plows. 

March 16, 1939 – Los Angeles Times

Tom Douglas and Rex Evans, former actors, have been decorating like mad – Clark Gable’s new house, which will be finished tomorrow. While the wires are burning up due to the effort to find out the wedding date of Clark and Carole, Clark, when he gets a couple of hours off, doesn’t bother about anything except tilling his soil. No King and Queen stuff for either him or la Lombard. They’ll break the news to all the papers at the same time.

March 16, 1939 – The Call Leader

Speaking of GWTW, it certainly will wreak havoc with any plans Carole Lombard and Clark Gable might have for a real honeymoon. Even before the recent delays, MGM figured that Clark would be busy on the picture for five months.

March 21, 1939 – Times Tribune

Carole Lombard has hired 24 gardeners to complete a rush job on Clark Gable’s Encino estate. Carole’s mother, Mrs. Peters, has put on record her desire for a church wedding, or a ceremony in a private house performed by a preacher. Well, we shall all know soon what Clark and Carole intend doing.

March 22, 1939 – Fort Worth Star Telegram

Associated Press

Hollywood - Carole Lombard was found directing a crew of workmen remodeling a 14-room house at Encino near here Tuesday.

“I don’t know – we don’t know yet,” she replied to a query as to when and where she and Clark Gable would be married.

“How did you find this place?” she asked in turn. “I asked those fellows at the studio to keep it quiet.”

This “honeymoon cottage,” now owned by Gable, formerly belonged to Director Raoul Walsh and is situated on an orchard-studded estate. It has detached servants’ quarters, stables, a rumpus room, and bar, but no swimming pool.

Gable was divorced by his second wife, Rea, in Las Vegas last March 7 and reports have been current that he and Miss Lombard would marry soon. 

“As soon as I know, everybody will know,” Miss Lombard promised.

March 22, 1939 – Pittsburgh Sun Telegraph

You don’t think, do you, there was anything personal in the gift Carole Lombard sent me yesterday – a lemon the size of a grapefruit she swears she picked off a tree on Clark Gable’s ranch…

March 23, 1939 – The Winnipeg Tribune

For the first time in his career, Clark Gable is shying from newspaper visitors. Those going on the set of “Gone with the Wind” are told that any conversations with Gable must omit queries concerning his approaching marriage to Carole Lombard. “He is getting very tired of it all,” explains the main in the front office, “and has become extremely sensitive.” 

March 23, 1939 – Daily News

Gable, in addition to playing the part of Rhett Butler, a task which is exhausting enough in itself, is bedeviled too by the newspaper men and fan magazine writers who want to know when he is going to wed Carole Lombard… Every writer out here is hopeful of an exclusive story, but if Gable is as smart as I figure him to be, he won’t play favorites on this one… He had better call in all of the crowd at the same time and announce the wedding date, because I don’t know of any performer who has received such nice treatment from all of the press as the big Ohioan… When I was leaving him yesterday, he said: “You’re the only writer who hasn’t asked me the date,” and if he wants to know why, the above nine lines are the reason.

March 25, 1939 – Hartford Courant

A happy-looking “six-some” at the Beverly Brown Derby – Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Robert Taylor, Barbara Stanwyck, Gail Patrick and husband Bob Cobb. Facing them were a radiant couple – Hedy Lamarr and Gene Markey, both wearing trousers.

March 25, 1939 – The Winnipeg Tribune

March 28, 1939 – Philadelphia Inquirer

(Louella Parsons)

It is surprising the way gossip here spreads. A rumor started that Carole Lombard and Clark Gable had quarreled. It was announced over the radio and all the way from New York came a query to this desk. The whole thing is ridiculous. 

Yesterday Clark entertained Carole, her mother, Mrs. Bess Peters, and her brother Freddie, who has been in New York, at the ranch in the Valley, where the newlyweds will make their home. 

Just because they didn’t marry the moment Clark was divorced from Mrs. Ria Gable is no sign there is trouble or that there will not be a marriage. These two have planned their whole future together and it is absurd to think there is any difficulty. 

March 29, 1939 – Democrat and Chronicle

Hollywood (INS) - Clark Gable and Carole Lombard are not going to be rushed into marriage, friends of the stars say. 

Gable, whose wife divorced him, has been free for some two weeks to take the bride of his choice, but neither he nor Miss Lombard has time for the kind of wedding that is to their fancy.

There is no telling what the stars may decide to do. But they have in mind something in the way of an old-fashioned wedding, and not one in the Hollywood manner, with an airplane trip to another state and newspaper reporters on the trail. An elopement, it’s called.

Gable is busy with “Gone with the Wind.” He is before the camera almost every day, and will be until around the first of July. Miss Lombard is almost equally active at her studio, and is available only for a weekend wedding sans honeymoon. And a weekend wedding is not listed as the preference of either.

[thirvvy]

Villanelle from killing eve is just the same character Darren Criss’ Andrew from American Crime Versace except shes a queer women, 10000% more terrifying and more complex, all while being actually likable and played by a more skilled actor...so

thats that

[courtneyshortney82]

Gracie Update

Read it HERE!

I had to get this chapter out to say thank you for all of the love Gracie received in the Moonshine Awards. I'm still trying to process it. I'm so blown away by it. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's my favorite so far. I really have to thank @im-immortal she always gives me the best notes on my chapters and then edits them so amazingly well. She gives up a big chunk of her time off every week to edit my fics. Also she was just voted Author of the Year!!!!! An honor that is so well deserved and I'm so proud of her!

"Yer twirlin' again." Rick’s voice jolted Daryl out of his head.

He put the knife in his hand down on the porch with more force than necessary and glared over at Rick.

"Fuck off… yer ‘I almost died’ bullshit ain’t gonna be a free pass much longer,” he growled out.

Even though it was a lie. He'd been on the other side of that bridge and watched it blow up. Those few hours when they'd all thought Rick was gone had been hell. Then that wagon had torn through the gates, Beth shouting directions and covered in blood.

"Well, if ya didn't have fancy twirlin' knives, I wouldn't give ya shit." Rick’s eyebrows rose from where he was sitting on the porch. His bad leg was propped up on a crate someone had found for him.

“Fancy knives have saved yer ass more than once, asshole,” Daryl grunted, but he could feel the half-smile on his face.

[toadwarts]

Special Delivery

Companion piece to Safe At Last.

After two humans escaped from an abusive home and found a new home working alongside Duke, they have begun settling into their new lives as merchants and their polyamorous romance with The Duke. Our primary character (aka the Reader) is struggling with the way he is perceived by the villagers, but is pleasantly surprised when The Duke returns with a special gift... Just the thing to help him feel better.

Fluffy hurt/comfort poly oneshot written in first person but made so that you can insert yourself if wanted. This story centers on a transmasculine protagonist!

Read on A03 or Fanfiction.net!

I sat in the back of the Duke’s caravan, lonely and bored. Both the Duke and my primary partner had been out for hours, making deliveries around the village and to the factory. I had stayed behind to look after the caravan and make sales to anyone who might approach--not to mention I wasn’t terribly keen on meeting any of the four lords yet. It had been months since we began staying with the massive enigma of a man, and only a few days less of that time since we had become a delightful little polycule. 

Life in the village hadn’t been easy--there were a lot of mysterious dangers, and you had to be cunning with both your words and weapons. Even still, it was as if The Duke commanded respect of all who lived within the confines of this little world, and so the three of us were safe/ When asked, The Duke would simply flash an award winning smile and say, “I suppose it’s one of the perks of having world class customer service!”

Still, The Duke being so...enigmatic could be exhausting, and perhaps a little bit annoying at times. But he was a good friend and even better lover, and always made sure that we were cared for. If he wanted to keep his secrets, I suppose it was his business. One day, after building up plenty of trust...perhaps we would be privy to them. After all, we had our own secrets too.

“Hello? Is anyone there?” 

I startled at the sudden noise, hopping up to my feet. No one had approached the caravan all day, but I needed to make sure my customer service was perfect, else The Duke would be most displeased!

“Hello,” I said, my voice chipper. “How can I help you out today?” The customers seemed to be a couple--a thin man and woman, dressed all in black with their hats pulled low on the crowns of their heads. Their hands were intertwined, both of them shivering in the cold. 

“We were looking for meat. Sausage, if you have it. And a few nails so we can fix our fence.” The man said, fidgeting with his jacket. 

“Of course! Anything to help out a loyal customer. Just let me go and grab them from the back.” I said cheerfully, forcing a big smile. I wasn’t prone to very much facial expression myself, but trying to mimic The Duke definitely helped. It was almost like putting on a costume.

I traversed back into the caravan, rooting around for what was needed. I kept my ears perked to listen to the customers as I unraveled a rope of thick sausages, placing them gently into a pristine paper bag. 

“I wonder where that girl came from. The boy too.” The woman said. “The Duke has seemed to take quite a shining to the two of ‘em, and it looks like The Lords don’t mind them too much either. Surprised Dimitrescu hasn’t taken that maiden for herself.” 

I felt ice shoot through my bloodstream. The girl. The boy too. A sour feeling entered my mouth. My partner didn’t go by any gender, and me… Well, it seems that my binder didn’t work well enough today. Really, I suppose it was my voice that gave me away. I had always felt disconnected from its lilting, high pitch. I hunched my shoulders and huffed, finishing packaging their order. It couldn’t be helped. A lot of people couldn’t understand.

I approached the front of the caravan, wanting this transaction to be over as soon as possible. “Here you go.” I said, doing my best to open up the back of my throat and make my voice sound deeper. Foolish and a waste of time, I’m sure. “Everything is packed up now. I hope that you find it all to be of the highest quality. If you have any qualms, please come back to see us.” 

“Thank you ma’am.” The woman said as her husband dug around in his pockets for the appropriate amount of lei. “Such a sweet young girl. Where did you come from, dear?” 

My stomach twisted, and I did my best to keep the discomfort out of my voice. “Um… Further away. I left home, and stumbled across the village while looking for somewhere to camp.” I didn’t see the point in correcting them and starting up a whole new conversation that they likely wouldn’t or couldn’t want to understand. 

“How unfortunate. We’ve been having a lot of problems lately, miss.” The man said, counting up his lei. 

Tch. Did they have to keep gendering literally everything they say?! Geez.

“Like werewolves?” I couldn’t help but smirk a little. “Well, it’s definitely a step up from where I came.” 

“I suppose so. Especially with special treatment from the merchant.” The man sniffed, flinching when his wife elbowed him. 

“I’m sorry about that. He didn’t get enough sleep last night,” The woman apologized, handing me the lei. 

I nodded, smile tight and strained. “No problem! I do hope you get to feeling better.” I handed them their items and swallowed hard. “Have a wonderful rest of your day and good luck fixing your fence!!” 

They waved me off, and I slunk back into the caravan. I knew the village definitely had a few gossips, but I hadn’t imagined it would be so annoying. I had already heard some adolescents talking about how funny it was to see a woman with such short hair and a flat chest, chattering about my partner and I… I’d argue that the most dangerous thing in this village wasn’t the werewolves, but perhaps the strain on the villagers that had them biting at each other’s ankles… Or mine, at least. Maybe they’d eventually warm up to me like they did The Duke though. Even my partner was having an easier time settling in to it all. 

I guess I just felt out of place. The only time I did feel right was when I was curled into The Duke’s soft side, my hand entwined with my primary partner’s across his ample belly, their soft breaths lulling me into a comfortable slumber. 

My ears perked as the door to the back of the caravan opened. My primary partner stood there with a broad grin, eyes shining. “Hey there, dear!” They said happily. “We have a surprise for you. Well, Duke does, I’m just happy and along for the ride!” 

I cocked my head. A gift was certainly something to perk up the mood--and The Duke was certainly top tier at finding the perfect gifts… Who knows what he may have brought?

Speaking of The Duke, he leaned on his cane as he squeezed into the wagon. “Hello, my dear boy!” He said happily. His words sent flutters of delight through my stomach, making me smile. “I’ve got a bit of a gift for you. Something you’ve mentioned a few times. I hope you might like it!” 

I stepped forward, eyes glinting curiously. The Duke turned a bit, shutting the door to the wagon behind him. When he turned, a small black box was in his hands, seemingly procured from thin air. Without skipping a beat I came closer, feeling my cheeks pinken with shyness. “What is it?” 

“Well, you’ll have to open it to find out, won’t you?” The Duke smiled broadly, holding the box out. 

I took the box from his hands as he sat down, my partner bouncing with giddiness. I carefully unfolded the top, seeing that whatever was inside was wrapped in deep red satin, the color of blood. Fitting, for the village. Gingerly, I pulled the satin back, curiosity thrumming through my fingers. 

I gasped. 

A little vial, full of clear liquid, and a set of alcohol swabs, syringes, and band-aids. 

It couldn’t be. 

“Is… Is this…?” The words were so small in my throat, barely breaking out of my mouth. 

“It is.” The Duke nodded, clasping his hands together and smiling softly. “Testosterone.” 

Tears sprung to my eyes, a laugh emerging unbidden from me. Ever since I had come out, I had wanted to transition--but I had never had the opportunity in my old abusive home, and I imagined somewhere out here would never hold the chance either. I had dreamed of the changes for so long--a deeper voice, bottom growth, body hair, facial hair… Hell, even building more muscle easier so I could achieve the musclechub look I had always been enamored by! 

“How did you do it?” I choked out, pressing the back of my hand against my watery eyes. My primary partner was at my side, arm around my shoulders. They planted a kiss on my head, holding me tight. 

“Why, I can procure any goods I need!” The Duke laughed heartily. “It is only a matter of time before an item is in my hands. And now it’s yours, free of charge.” 

I sniffled. “Duke… I don’t know what to say. This is amazing. This is my greatest dream. Thank you. Thank you so much!” I handed the box to my primary partner and ran to him, throwing my arms out. He leaned forward, hulking arms wrapping into me and pulling me into him. “Thank you!” 

“Of course, my dear! Anything for you.” He planted a gentle kiss on my forehead as he pulled me up to his chest. “And I know from our conversations about hormone replacement therapy before that you had concerns about vaginal atrophy and hair loss. Remedies for those are on the way as well!” 

“You are amazing.” I said breathlessly. After all the abuse my primary partner and I had endured over the years, I never could have imagined that we would have ended up in a place so terrifying and yet...so safe. So like home. A place where dreams could come true. 

“Well thank you, my dear. The customer is always right!” He said cheekily. 

My primary partner approached, holding the box as if it were the most prized thing in the entire world. “My good sir,” They said with a flourish. “I believe it is time for your first injection of boy juice!” 

“Boy juice.” I repeated. “Wow.” Then took a deep breath. “Yeah. Let’s do it.” 

“Let me administer the first shot for you, to show you how it’s done.” The Duke said, lowering me into the seat next to him. 

I nodded, suddenly feeling my palms get sweaty. “Yes. That sounds nice. I’m a little scared of the needle.” I laughed nervously. “Hey hon...you think you could hold my hand?” 

My primary partner nodded, fingers intertwining with mine. “I’ll be right here.” 

The Duke took the box, balancing it on top of his belly. Carefully, he loaded up the syringe with the testosterone, making sure to get the air bubbles up and load the approximate dose. “Now now, my boy, the friend I got this from let me know that this is a subcutaneous injection, and we’ll be starting off with a lower dose to start, and then you can choose if you want to go lower or higher from there. If we can get a bit of your blood later, I’ll have another friend of mine run tests on it to make sure it’s safe.”

“Wow, you really can do anything and everything…” I smiled, shaking my head in disbelief. “You’re incredible, Duke.” I lowered my pants, revealing the skin on my thigh.

“Perhaps so, but you must know that you are just as wonderful. It is a pleasure to get to share my life with such a wonderful man.” The Duke said pleasantly, swabbing some skin on my thigh. “Truth be told, I had grown a bit lonely myself. Having you two as companions and then something more… Well, I have to say it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time.” He sighed. “Ah, to love and be loved. One of life’s greatest joys, right next to lei.” 

My primary partner grinned. “Always with the lei.” 

“I’m a man who knows what he wants in life!” The Duke tapped the syringe with one finger. “Now, are you ready?” 

I looked to my primary partner, feeling as if some holy light was glowing behind my eyes. Starting now, I would be transitioning. I would be something new, something self made. I would be myself. They squeezed my hand, nodding encouragingly. “You got this.” 

I took a deep breath. “Alright, Duke. I’m ready.” 

[dovebuffy92]

Spoilers Below

INTRODUCTION

In Euphoria Season Two Episode Five, ” Stand Still Like the Hummingbird,” directed and written by series creator Sam Levinson, Rue Bennett (Zendaya), finally hits rock bottom and drags a bunch of people down with her, including Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney). ” Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” is the most raw episode of Euphoria Season Two because it has a linear storyline, no narration, and contains no surreal or dreamlike scenes.

Episode Five begins with Rue’s mother, Leslie Bennett (Nika King), and her little sister Gia Bennett (Storm Reid), telling her that they know she has been popping pills. Rue completely freaks out, terrorizing her remaining family. She suffers from withdrawal symptoms and fears the wrath of drug dealer Laurie (Martha Kelly). Laurie has threatened to sell Rue into sexual slavery if she doesn’t pay her back. Rue feels completely exposed when she realizes that her girlfriend, Jules Vaughn (Hunter Schafer), and friend Elliot (Dominic Fike) overheard her violent meltdown. She lashes out at Elliot and Jules for revealing her self-destructive behavior.

Leslie and Gia drive Rue to the hospital to get detoxed. Rue jumps out of the car when she learns that she will be placed in rehab after detox. She hunts through her friend’s houses for drugs because she can’t handle the painful withdrawal symptoms. Rue crosses the line at Fezco’s (Angus Cloud) home when she tries to steal pills from his grandmother Marie O’Neill (Brynda Mattox). However, she doesn’t find the opioids she is looking for, so she breaks into a stranger’s condo and steals some jewelry. Some cops spot Rue behaving weirdly.

The cops chase her around suburbia until they give up. Finally, Rue finds her way to Laurie’s apartment, where the drug dealer manipulates her into injecting pure morphine into her system. Rue has never used needles before. Laurie attempts to sell Rue to sex traffickers or pimp her out, but she escapes the bolted-up apartment. ” Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” ends with Leslie and Gia staying up late at home, hoping that Rue will walk through the door any minute.

THE ADDICTION MONSTER

Rue reveals the monster that drug addiction has turned her into when she goes into withdrawal. “Stand Still Like the Hummingbird” does an excellent job showing how addiction hurts everybody who cares about the addict.

Episode five begins with a close-up on Gia’s tortured face as she hears her mother telling Rue that she knows she fell off the wagon. When Rue unfairly accuses Gia of snitching, her little sister tries to distract herself by writing in her notebook and puts earbuds on to block her out. It’s devasting seeing Gia beg her mother to tell Rue that she didn’t “say anything” because she can’t bear Rue being angry at her. Especially since earlier, Rue gaslighted Gia into thinking she was smoking weed and that if she tried to get her big sister help that she would commit suicide.

Sadly, Rue yelling at Gia is not the worst thing she does to the people she loves. Rue hits Gia when her sister tries to pull her away from Leslie. Their mother, Leslie, slaps Rue and pushes her out of Gia’s bedroom. The mom holds the door closed because she doesn’t want Rue to hurt Gia again. The drug addict bashes the bedroom door repeatedly, yelling about her pills.

Meanwhile, Gia curls up in a ball crying as Leslie comforts her youngest daughter. Rue destroys her and Leslie’s bedroom, trying to find her suitcase full of pills. The drug addict returns and successfully breaks the door down. Leslie uses her body to protect Gia from Rue. Rue shouts at them as she asks what they want her to do.

Rue continues running around the house to look for the pills. She yells about how she doesn’t recognize herself, how she wishes she was different too, and how she hates herself. Rue doesn’t care about her life because of low self-esteem and anxiety. She uses opioids to mask that pain. She doesn’t want to return to the person she once was because she would have to face her behavior. Rue reacts so violently to everybody, including Jules knowing the truth because now all the illusions of the perfect daughter or girlfriend are gone. They can finally see Rue, the monstrous addict.

HURTING HERSELF AND OTHERS

Rue physically and emotionally damages everybody, including herself, after escaping her mother’s car. The first prominent example is when Rue runs into traffic two times. She exits Leslie’s car in the middle of the road and runs away from the police into traffic. Rue risks death or physical injury from a car hitting her. Both times Rue also runs away from help. Leslie is taking her from rehab to aid in her withdrawals and recovery. The police would have taken her off the streets and hopefully into her mother’s custody. Rue running into traffic hurts her mother and little sister, who are worried about her safety and now need to spend their time trying to track her down. Rue causes a car accident the second time around because drivers swerve around trying to avoid hitting her. The cars are totaled, and some passengers or drivers are probably injured.

Rue’s actions emotionally harm Cassie. Leslie tracks Rue down to Cassie and Lexi Howard’s (Maude Apatow) residence. Rue is looking for opioids and a safe place to crash. Cassie, Lexi, Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie), Kat Hernandez (Barbie Ferreira), and the sisters’ mother, Suze Howard (Alanna Ubach), are all present. When Rue cries about how she can’t handle being clean forever, Cassie attempts to comfort her. Cassie says that she must take recovery one day at a time. Rue acts vindictively to distract from her intervention and punish Cassie for her remark. She reveals Cassie and Nate Jacob’s (Jacob Elordi) romantic affair. This revelation causes total mayhem starting with Maddy yelling at a crying Cassie. Cassie denies the truth while Suze tries to calm the situation down. Rue’s drug addiction has not only destroyed her life but now Cassie’s universe as well. She has lost her best friend Maddy and is now a possible social pariah. Will this reveal lead to Cassie dealing with her need to be romantically loved no matter the consequences?

LAST THOUGHTS

Was that Rue coming home in the last scene? Can Maddy and Cassie ever be best friends again? Let me know your thoughts about Euphoria Season Two Episode Five in the comments below.

[tcm]

Ernest Anderson - A Stunted Career By Hollywood By Kim Luperi

Two things blew me away when I saw IN THIS OUR LIFE (’42) for the first time: 1. How entitled, unrelenting and awful Stanley (Bette Davis) is, and 2. Ernest Anderson’s powerful debut as Parry, an aspiring Black law student who unjustly lands behind bars. Based on Ellen Glasgow’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, IN THIS OUR LIFE finds Stanley running off with her sister Roy’s (Olivia de Havilland) husband, driving him to suicide and framing a fatal hit and run accident on Parry, the son of the family’s maid, Minerva (Hattie McDaniel).

A graduate of Northwestern University’s School of Drama and Speech, Anderson worked over 30 years in Hollywood. While he appeared in classics like THE PALM BEACH STORY (’42) and THE BAND WAGON (’53), the majority of his roles went uncredited. That said, his glowing debut performance in IN THIS OUR LIFE as an ambitious, educated Black man, a break from the subservient stereotypical parts he’d play the remainder of his career, deserves praise and recognition.

Stories differ as to how Anderson was discovered (working as a serviceman on the Warner Bros. lot or as a waiter in the studio’s restaurant), but one factor remains the same: Davis. Apparently, she arranged for an interview with director John Huston, and Anderson landed the part. Huston actually invited the opinions of Oscar winner McDaniel and the “uncompromising” Anderson on set, according to Thomas Cripps in Slow Fade to Black. Anderson fought for his character’s integrity and stood up to dialogue director Irving Rapper, who “presumed business as usual during rehearsal” and attempted to encumber Parry with a stereotypical drawl. Frustrated, Anderson reported Rapper’s behavior to Warner Bros. and Huston, who defended the actor’s request for dignity and called the script a “mistake.” These progressive changes resonated with Anderson and other Black Americans; in fact, Black soldiers met Anderson’s sequences with such appreciation at base screenings that they requested to rerun them.

Anderson displayed quite a range in his few scenes. With Roy, who supports his endeavors and helps him land a job in Craig’s (George Brent) law office, Parry talks with a sense of warmth and comfort that match her friendly demeanor. While he sheepishly beams with pride when discussing his aspirations, he balances that with restraint, well aware of reality and the hurdles he faces. “A white boy, he can take most any kind of job and improve himself,” Parry tells Roy, “… but a colored boy, he can’t do that. He can keep a job or he can lose a job, but he can’t get any higher up.” That’s why Parry’s setting his sights high.

When Stanley falsely accuses Parry of the hit and run, the social and racial injustice inherent in the 1940s American South is on full display. Wrongfully imprisoned, Parry reacts to Stanley’s pleas for his confession with a sorrowful voice full of suppressed contempt and exhausted futility. His reaction carries the weight of the devastating truth of the discrimination he faces. Whatever Stanley says – truth or lies – the system will side with her. Whatever Parry says – well, it won’t matter in the court of law. “It ain’t no use. It ain’t no use in this world,” Parry solemnly concedes. Indeed, with her name and money, Stanley would get off with a slap on the wrist, whereas Parry’s life would be ruined. IN THIS OUR LIFE bluntly captures white privilege in action for a society that was decades away from grappling with such an idea, and almost 80 years later, that shattering injustice is still something we witness far too often.

The truths that the movie depicted meant different audiences saw different versions of the film. Per The Hollywood Reporter, Warners cut Roy conversing with Parry “in friendly fashion” from prints in the South for fear they may incite white audiences. On the flip side, Variety reported that two sequences, including one where Parry tells Stanley off, were excised from prints screened in Harlem – but no other theaters in New York City – to “obviate any disturbances” since race riots had rocked the city months prior. (The two scenes Variety mentioned don’t appear in the film that screens today.)

Anderson’s small yet mighty turn brought him accolades, including a Best Acting Award from the National Board of Review. Variety remarked that Anderson “stands out,” while The New York Times called his performance “remarkably good” and highlighted his subplot as “the one exceptional component of the film—this brief but frank allusion to racial discrimination. And it is presented in a realistic manner, uncommon to Hollywood...” Such obvious potential should have netted Anderson parts that matched his ability, but Parry proved a rare, progressive character for 1940s Hollywood, painfully showing how racism restricted so many gifted performers from sharing their talent with the world.

[introvertguide]

Modern Times (1936); AFI #78

The next film on the AFI list up for review is the Charlie Chaplin classic, Modern Times (1936). This movie is pretty universally loved with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It is one of Chaplin's overtly political films along with The Great Dictator (1940). Chaplin's tendency to poke fun at America for the way they handled the idea of Communism made this film rather unpopular during the 50s and 60s but has won back audiences since. There is not a lot to the plot of the movie, but it is something that I do in these reviews so let me start with a...

SPOILER WARNING!!! IT IS NOT DOING A LOT TO HURT THE FILM, BUT I AM GOING OVER THE EVENTS OF THE MOVIE!!! I HAVE TO WARN PEOPLE FIRST, SO HERE IS YOUR WARNING!!!

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The Tramp (Charlie Chaplin) works on an assembly line, where he suffers greatly due to the machinery. His coworkers hate him and his boss pushes him around. As the least productive worker, he is volunteered to try out a new feeding machine that will allow workers to be fed and continue to work. It is all too much and he starts having moments were he can't control his movements. He eventually suffers a nervous breakdown and runs amok, getting stuck within a machine and throwing the factory into chaos, so he is then sent to the hospital. Following his recovery, he leaves the hospital and sees a car drop a red flag that signifies a load sticking out of the back (it is an American thing.) The Tramp is mistakenly arrested in a Communist demonstration when he chases the car waving the red flag and protestors walk up behind him. As a comment on the time, he is immediately arrested (it will happen a lot in this film). In jail, he accidentally ingests smuggled cocaine, and, in his subsequent delirium, he is lost by the guards and avoids being put back in his cell. He realizes what he has done and, when he returns, he stumbles upon a jailbreak and knocks the convicts unconscious for which he is hailed as a hero and given special treatment. When he is informed that he will soon be released due to his heroic actions, he argues unsuccessfully that he prefers life in jail. It is not made super apparent, but he will try to get sent back to jail for the rest of the film.

Upon release, he applies for a new job as a boat builder with a note from the sheriff saying he is trustworthy, but leaves immediately after causing an accident in which the boat is prematurely launched and subsequently sinks. Soon after, he runs into an orphaned girl named Ellen (Paulette Goddard), who is fleeing the police after stealing a loaf of bread. Determined to go back to jail and to save her, the Tramp tells the police that he is the thief and asks to be arrested, but a witness reveals his deception and he is freed. This does not help his plan, so he then eats an enormous amount of food at a cafeteria without paying to get arrested. He once again encounters Ellen in a paddy wagon, however it soon crashes and she convinces him to escape with her.

The two roam the town and consider life with a house of their own and this motivates the Tramp to find work. He gets a job as a night watchman at a department store and lets Ellen in so they have a place to stay. There are some shenanigans on roller skates until the Tramp encounters three burglars led by "Big Bill," a fellow worker from the factory, who explains that they are hungry and desperate. After sharing drinks with them, he wakes up the next morning during opening hours and is arrested once again for failing to call the police on the burglars and for sleeping in the store’s clothes on a desk, shocking a customer and the storekeeper.

He spends some time in jail and, days later, Ellen takes him to a run down shack to live in that she found. The next morning, he reads about an old factory’s re-opening and lands a job as a mechanic's assistant. The other workers then suddenly decide to go on strike, and tell the Tramp to leave with them. Outside the factory, he accidentally launches a brick at a policeman and is arrested again.

He is released two weeks later and learns that Ellen is now a café dancer. She gets him a job as a singer and waiter, but he goes about his duties clumsily. During his floor show, he loses his cuffs, which bear the lyrics to his song, but he rescues the act by improvising the lyrics using gibberish and by pantomiming. Ellen is unfortunately wanted for vagrancy and, when police arrive to arrest Ellen for her earlier escape, the two are forced to flee again. Ellen despairs that their struggles are all pointless, but the Tramp reassures her. At a bright dawn, they walk down the road towards an uncertain but hopeful future.

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One thing fun that happens throughout this film is the music. There is the standard action music and that amazing gibberish number that was performed by Charlie Chaplin, but the lover's theme was written by Chaplin as well and it was later given lyrics, entitled "Smile," and notably performed by Nat King Cole. Here is a link to a YouTube video that has a nice montage of Chaplin films:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rkNBH5fbMk

Charlie Chaplin was also finally awarded with a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award after being unofficially blocked from Hollywood for decades because he refused to speak out against Communism. He received the longest standing ovation in Academy Award Ceremony history and his face is worth a million words although he barely speaks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3Pl-qvA1X8

So the video quality on the version that I saw was remastered and is absolutely beautiful. It is too bad that Chaplin did not get to see his work in such high resolution because it looks great. The jokes are mostly visual since it is a silent film and the crisp picture makes it obvious that the jokes still stand up. The commentary and satire is very straight forward and the slightest knowledge of the country at the time lets the viewer in on the joke. There is reference to poverty, fear of working in a dead end job, never finding love, and becoming irrelevant in an ever expanding world of mechanization. It is much more than just slapstick.

The woman that played the oldest orphan (Paulette Goddard) was in a relationship with Chaplin during the filming of the movie and the two were eventually married for 6 years. She was also the leading lady in The Great Dictator. Honestly, the constant scandal of Chaplin either marrying or impregnating his leading ladies (or both), his ambiguity about his politics, and his tendency to poke fun at the American government really hurt the box office returns for this film. In hindsight, though, it is easy to see that it was the public that was wrong and this movie is genius.

So does this movie belong on the AFI top 100? Oh yes. It probably deserves to be higher than it is, but that is more opinion. It is good satirical comedy that highlights the fears and anxieties of a nation and a major tipping point in history. It is discovering the public identity of a country through the eyes of a fool along the lines of Don Quixote or A Confederacy of Dunces. It absolutely belongs on this list. Would I recommend it? Absolutely with no caveats. This is a great film for any age group and I wish there was a way I could introduce it to the younger generations. It is historical, it is funny, and it is a good story that is relatable across generations. Great film.

[dramaintherain]

UHM JI WON 🌟 | Korean Actors 200

Uhm Ji Won started her career as a magazine model after being street cast, then worked as a TV reporter before acting minor roles in sitcoms. For a while, she was active as an entertainer for variety shows and programs for children rather than as an actor. She debuted in 2000 with the horror movie Record. The movie itself did not receive much attention, but Uhm Ji Won, who was the main character of the twist, began to show her presence little by little. Although she gained popularity with the TV drama Golden Wagon (2002), Uhm mostly stuck to movies. She proved her acting chops in Mutt Boy (2003), where she performed with Jung Woosung. Uhm was nominated for the Best New Actress at the Blue Dragon Award for her deft portrayal of the character who seemed calm and indifferent but rather eccentric.

Since then, Uhm Ji Won has appeared in movies for nearly 20 years without a break and has worked in a wide range of genres, including crime thriller, melodrama, historical drama, action, horror, and romantic comedy. The spectrum of her characters is as diverse as the genres she has covered. Few of her contemporary Korean female actors have experienced such drastic changes in their characters’ careers. Although Uhm focused on commercial films, she also appeared in short films or art films such as Tale of Cinema (2005) and Like You Know It All (2009), directed by Hong Sangsoo. Even in the mainstream, she often chooses films with unique concepts. Foxy Festival (2010) is a rare Korean film dealing with sexuality, while Missing (2016) has a feminist color. And The Odd Family: Zombie on Sale (2019) is a zombie comedy.