Article Archives: Bumps in the Night

The Ghost of Mae West, Part 4

This column first appeared in June 2012. Al is on vacation. Hopefully, by now, you’ve learned everything you ever wanted to know about Mae West. My own personal interest in Ms. West began about fifteen years ago at, of all places, the Louisville flea market. As you may have gathered … Read More

Mae West the Psychic, Part 3

In the early 1940s, Mae West was one of Hollywood’s wealthiest women. Although Mae’s best on screen years were behind her, she  was still immensely popular nationally and enjoyed international fame. She made an iconic cultural movie with W.C. Fields in 1940 called My Little Chickadee but soon her career … Read More

George Raft: The Original Gangster, Part 2

This column first appeared in May 2012. Al is on vacation. Just as Mae West was the original Hollywood Blonde Bombshell, George Raft was the original Hollywood Gangster. True, other actors played gangsters before him and many more portrayed gangsters after him, but not one of them boasted the gangster … Read More

Mae West: The Original Blonde Bombshell, Part 1

Al is on vacation. This column originally appeared in May 2012. Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield, Pam Anderson, Madonna; Blondes. In my opinion, they all owe a debt of gratitude to Hollywood’s original blonde bombshell, Mae West. Come this Halloween, it will be eighty years since Ms. West burst onto the … Read More

99 Birthday Cards for Doc

A   friend of mine is turning 99 this weekend. I’d like to ask you if you would join me in wishing him a happy 99th birthday by sending him a card or a note congratulating him on this milestone and thanking him for his service. Dr. Wayne C. “Doc” Temple … Read More