2007.1.386

• photography

Black and white photograph of actress/dancer Ann Miller (left), actress/comedian Lucille Ball (right) and actor Richard Carlson (center). Both women have one hand under Carson's chin. Miller, wearing a black studded wrist band is smiling up at Carson. Carson, wearing a suit and tie, is looking to his right and looks slightly puzzled. Ball, wearing a polka-dotted shirt or dress is leaning over Carson's left shoulder and looking up at him as if she is waiting to see his reaction. The image has been physically cut around the three figures so that most negative space has been removed. Additionally, surface areas of the photo have been painted in areas to show contrast for reproduction purposes. Caption affixed to back reads: "ANN MILLER, RICHARD CARLSON and LUCILLE BALL go in for a touch of light romance in 'Too Many Girls'; JOHN GARFIELD, FRANCES FARMER and PAT O'BRIEN are soon to be seen in the 'Flowing Gold'; JACK OAKIE and BETTY GRABLE are linked in 'Tin Pan Alley'; and a group of Cecil B. DeMille's warriors in 'North West Mounted Police.'"

Ann MillerFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Miller (9/19/2007)Ann Miller (April 12, 19231 _ January 22, 2004) was an American dancer, singer and actress, who was christened Johnnie Lucille Collier. Born in Chireno, Texas (some sources cite Houston, where she was raised), her father insisted on the name Johnnie because he had wanted a boy, but she was often called Annie. She took up dancing to exercise her legs to help her rickets. She was considered a child dance prodigy. In an interview featured in a "behind the scenes" documentary on the making of the compilation That's Entertainment III, she said that Eleanor Powell was an early inspiration. Miller was given a contract with RKO at the age of thirteen (she had told them she was eighteen), and remained there until 1940.The following year, Miller was offered a contract at Columbia Pictures, where she bumped friend Lucille Ball from the throne as "Queen of the B-Movies". She finally hit her mark (starting in the late 1940s) in her roles in MGM musicals such as Kiss Me, Kate, Easter Parade, and On the Town. Miller was famed for her speed in tap dancing; she claimed to be able to tap 500 times per minute. She was known as well, especially later in her career, for her distinctive appearance, which reflected a studio-era ideal of glamor: massive black bouffant hair, heavy makeup with a slash of crimson lipstick, and fashions that emphasized her lithe figure and long dancer's legs.For her contribution to the motion picture industry, Ann Miller has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6914 Hollywood Blvd. She died at the age of 80 from cancer which had metastasized to her lungs, and was interred in the Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California. Richard Carlson (actor)From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Carlson_%28actor%29 (9/20/2007)Richard Carlson Publicity Photo from "The Last Command"American movie actor Richard Carlson (April 29, 1912- November 21, 1977) was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota. In the 1930s Carlson appeared on the Broadway stage after studying and teaching drama in Minnesota. His first film role was in 1938 (David O. Selznick's The Young in Heart). He worked as a freelance actor, appearing in many different film studio works, beginning in 1939 when he moved to California. Before the war, he appeared mostly in comedies and dramasLike many actors, Carlson served in World War II, interrupting his acting career. After returning he found it difficult to win new roles, and his future in Hollywood remained in doubt until 1948. In that year, Carlson was cast in two low-budget film noir releases, Behind Locked Doors and The Amazing Mr. X. Despite this, real success in Hollywood eluded him until 1950, when he co-starred with Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger in the highly successful jungle adventure film King Solomon's Mines, shot on location in Africa. Lucille BallFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucille_Ball (9/20/2007)Lucille D_sir_e Ball (August 6, 1911 _ April 26, 1989) was an iconic American comedian, actress and star of the landmark sitcom I Love Lucy, a thirteen-time Emmy Award winner (awarded 1953, 1956, 1967, 1968, 1976 [9 awarded]) with more than twenty-three other nominations. She was a charter member of the Television Hall of Fame. A major movie star and "glamour girl" of the 1930s and 1940s, she later achieved success as a television actress. She received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1986. Ball, known as the "Queen of Comedy," was also responsible with her then-husband, Desi Arnaz, for the foundation of Desilu Studios, a pioneering studio in American television production in the 1950s and 60s.

Used: Oakland Tribune