Sorry As I Know it has been much too long... New News to share on Sharon: Sharon's friend Judy Gutowski Passes and New Art from Kerstien Matondang for Xmas!

I wanted to apologize to all the fans of Sharon that I have not gotten back to blogging sooner!


I certainly have missed everyone and of course, I miss Sharon.  This blog makes me feel at least a little close to who she really was.  I often reflect on all of the wonderful traits she had...


Anyway, back to some news...

Adam Bardach

My thoughts and prayers go out to Adam Bardach and to his family for the loss of his mother, Judy Wilson Gutowski Evans.  You'll remember that Adam's father is Gene Gutowski.  He and Judy were married when they knew Roman and Sharon.  Sharon was a very close friend to Judy and Gene.  Adam told a friend of mine that recently Judy passed away on Thanksgiving of this year.  I am truly sorry for your loss. 


Sharon and Judy were the greatest of friends and Judy, I am told, missed Sharon very much.  You'll remember that Judy inherited Sharon's engagement ring from Roman when Sharon died. 


RIP to Judy!

Adam Bardach recently has done a new documentary called "Ultrasuede: In Search of Halston" about the legendary fashion designer.  Here are some photos from the Premiere: 

Producer Bardach with 'Halston' director Whitney Sudler-Smith.

The two at the Tribeca Film Festival.

I found this about the documentary:

http://www.emanuellevy.com/comment/details.cfm?id=15479

UltraSuede: In Search of Halston

The new documentary by Whitney Sudler-Smith takes viewers on a fun-and-fact-filled journey through the life and times of the country’s first celebrity designer. "Ultraswede: In Search of Halston" will have its World Premiereon Friday, April 30th at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Arguably, no one represents the 1970s quite like legendary designer Halston, and Sudler-Smith’s film, two years in the making, combines a prodigious amount of archival footage, (meticulously researched and sourced from every possible outlet), and stunning still photographs brought to thrilling life with imaginative 3D effects.

More importantly, there is a colorful array of interviews with various cohorts, commentators, witnesses, and survivors of Halston’s empire: Andre Leon Talley of Vogue, his best friend, Liza Minnelli; two of his leading models, Anjelica Huston and Pat Cleveland; fellow designers Diane von Furstenberg, Stephen Burrows, Naeem Khan, and Ralph Rucci; musicians Billy Joel and Nile Rogers (both of whom used “Halston” as a lyric in hit songs); journalists Bob Colacello and Glenn O’Brien (of Andy Warhol’s Interview), Jim Moore of GQ, Cathy Horyn of the New York Times, and Amy Fine Collins of Vanity Fair, among others.

Ultraswede: In Search of Halston" is produced by Adam Bardach, Anne Goursaud and Nicholas Simon; written by Anne Goursaud, and executive produced by Mark Urman and Shawn Simon.It will be presented as a gala special event under the festival’s “Tribeca Talks” rubric and will be followed by a panel including Talley, Smith, Cleveland, and Rucci, among others.

My best to you, Adam on your recent project and I am looking forward to more in the future.

Sharon and Roman -- Fantasy Art by Kerstien

In other news... The great and fun artist Kerstien Matondang has once again updated her site and knocked me out with her wonderful talent:
 
http://www.kerstien.se/sharoninart.htm
 
Be sure and check her updates page for some more great stuff like Sharon Tate Paperdolls!  What a fantastic idea!
 
My best wishes to everyone and I will try to play catch up on all the recent Sharon news from the past months soon!

Photo Comparison of the Week, A Viewer Can't Get Enough of Sharon in FVK, and a Very Hot Ebay Item

Photo Comparison of the Week:

Actress Ali Larter is reminiscent of Sharon in this photo:

Can't Get Enough of Sharon?  Apparently this viewer only had eyes for her during his viewing of "The Fearless Vampire Killers":

http://shane-movies.blogspot.com/2010/03/fearless-vampire-killers-or-pardon-me.html

 

For a quick rundown of his comments here are some:

"I'd only known Sharon Tate as a name. I'm not going to claim that she's the greatest actress who ever lived or anything, but there sure was something appealing about her.  My eyes were a little angry every time Sharon Tate wasn't on the screen. But my eyes needed to calm down since most of her scenes seemed to take place in bathtubs.  And after a bit, I really stopped caring about the plot so that I could focus on Sharon Tate."

We agree that Sharon was something special! ;)

And here is a rare video of Roman and Sharon offered on ebay now that sounds interesting and is quite a hot item! :

http://cgi.ebay.com/Rare-Roman-Polanski-Video-from-1968-with-Sharon-Tate_W0QQitemZ320504173549QQcmdZViewItemQQimsxZ20100324?IMSfp=TL100324145018r38121

Rare Roman Polanski Video from 1968 with Sharon Tate

“The New Cinema” a unique 15 minute 1968 tape featuring top Hollywood performers, producers and directors, including Roman Polanski, Sharon Tate, Dustin Hoffman, Andy Warhol, Peter Fonda, Mia Farrow, Francis Ford Coppola George Lucas, Michael Pollard, Dick Gregory and veteran actress Dame Edith Evans, all informally discussing changes in movie and TV production, predicting future TV and big screen developments, various cultural changes, additional violence in films, and the participants’ individual general philosophies of film making. The film is narrated by Paul Winfield.

This fascinating informal conversation among top film personalities was filmed at the Tate-Polanski home only months before the unthinkable 1969 “Manson Murders” led by Charles Manson and his Manson “family” cult’s 1969 murder spree tragically taking the life of Sharon Tate, occurring on this very same spot!

When the premiere of this film was held in a private screening room for top film producers, directors and performers, Hollywood columnist Rex Reed wrote “The Beverly Hills Hotel screening room could hardly contain the excitement.. ‘The New Cinema’ may revolutionize television.”

Among accurate predictions of things to come are included: massive use of “the split screen” technique and rapid film cuts -- none of which had yet been incorporated into films to any degree.

This unusual film was never packaged and distributed commercially, and has only been seen by a few people. Both of the producers, Buckey and McDermott have passed away and this is one of the few existing copies of the tape. It is currently in the possession of Wink Blair, President of Wink Inc. Public Relations. Page Buckey gave the tape to her when he was serving as an associate of hers at Wink Inc. Pat McDermott, co-producer of the tape is also now deceased.

Sharon's friend, Donyale Luna & More

Yesterday we learned about the great African American model Donyale Luna and some of the discrimination she faced during the sixties.  Here is more about this unique and unforgettable lady:

Donyale Luna sporting colored contact lenses which she did on occasion for fashion magazines and such.

Long before Iman, Naomi, or Tyra ever set a stiletto on the catwalk, Donyale Luna was strutting her way across the globe. Born Peggy Anne Freeman, Luna grew up in Detroit, where her home life was far from idyllic (her father was murdered when she was 18). The following year, photographer David McCabe spotted the lithesome beauty on the street, and it wasn't long before she was pursuing modeling in New York City. Her arrival in 1964 had magazine editors and designers competing to book the singular-looking teen.

"Back in Detroit I wasn't considered beautiful or anything, but here I'm different," Luna explained of her success. "They were looking for a new kind of model, a girl who is beautiful like you've never seen before." With her spellbinding features, ultramarine contact lenses, and seemingly endless limbs (she was 6' 2"), she certainly fit the bill. And at the height of her career, she charged a hefty day rate of $60 because, as she succinctly put it, "Being what I am, I can get what I ask."

Another image from the "Rosemary's Baby" premiere in France with Peter Sellars, Mia Farrow, boyfriend Iain Quarrier and Sharon Tate.

As much a child of the sixties as the face of it, Luna spent her off-hours partying at Andy Warhol's Factory and canoodling with the likes of Rolling Stones rocker Brian Jones and sometime paramour Klaus Kinski. Her nightlife pursuits took their toll on both her career and her health, and on May 17, 1979, she was pronounced dead from a drug overdose at a clinic in Rome. But not before her beauty was immortalized in Fellini's Satyricon, The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus, and several of Warhol's films, as well as in the pages of Paris Match, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue.-- By Evelyn Crowley

For more biography on her life please check out these two sites that include more photographs as well:
 
http://www.afrobella.com/2007/04/27/lost-ones-donyale-luna/
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donyale_Luna
 
http://aliyasking.com/2009/02/26/a-story-id-like-to-writesomeday-donyale-luna/
 
Luna, as we have stated before, suffered from racial prejudice.  Here is another short article mentioning her when she encountered this when she was with friends:
 
Photoplay February 1969
 
4 : 00 am Breakfast Incident by Steve Brandt
 
If you've read anything about our 4 : 00 am breakfast caper, let me give you the facts before they're distorted
any more (which seems highly improbable judging by some of the reports I've read !) MIA FARROW, myself, DONYALE LUNA (a beautiful six foot Negro model who soon makes her film debut in OTTO PREMINGER'S "Skidoo"), Luna's beau, producer IAIN QUARRIER and DONALD CAMMELL (he just directed the new MICK JAGGER film "Performance") decided to top off our evening of disco-dancing with a late breakfast. Having been there before, Iain suggested The Cavendish, a hotel which had an all-night restaurant. We arrived and entered, everyone was seated at the table, and then Donyale (who'd been primping in the ladies' room) made her entrance. At this point, one of the staff approached our table and advised us we couldn't be served. "Why not ?" we queried. We were then told it was because none of the men were wearing ties. It was at this point one of us noted, of the four occupied tables in the restaurant, at least two tables were comprised of men not wearing ties. We pointed this fact out to a grumpy middle-aged manageress who then said, "No reason, I just want you out of here!"

It was obvious to all of us because a Negro woman was seated with us, we were being asked to leave. Even a very self-conscious Miss Luna blurted, "Why, is it because I am colored?" The manageress then walked away. Within 10 minutes, four policeman came running in and advised us we had to leave. Right or wrong, they added, it was the hotel's perogative to refuse service to whomever they wished. "But we just wanted to know why?" Mia chimed in. The police themselves admitted, no reason was given. "Well, then, we'll sit here until we get an explanation." I figured I might as well get in on the issue.

A few seconds flew by and two waiters grabbed Iain and started pulling him out of his seat. Iain fought back and then the police joined in. Before we knew it, six men were on top of Quarrier, with Mia and Donyale screaming "Leave him alone," as they tried to help him out. Both slender ladies were pushed clear across the room ! Next we learned Iain was being arrested for "obstructing justice." Mia announced, "If you're taking him, we're coming too !" and we all traipsed down to the police station. After waiting an hour (in a cold room) Quarrier was released.

Both Mia and I stayed on in London, just to give testimony at his hearing. Though we protested, Iain was found guilty. Although he was only fined $20 (after all the headlines there), the principle of the incident still bothered all of us. As we left the court, people ran up and said "We believed you...we're on your side...take it to a higher court." We decided not to take it to a higher court, instead, La Luna reported the incident to the
Racial Discrimination Board. And that, as they say, is that. I rest my case."

No wonder Luna didn't want to discuss her true heritage...

Another blog shows off classy nude Sharon Tate Christmas photos:

http://dancas.livejournal.com/9420.html

http://tarkus-magicmac.blogspot.com/2009/12/b-side-sharon-tate.html

Yes I know they are actually from The Fearless Vampire Killers but they do look Christmassy this time of the year.