American postcard by Pik:nik Free Postcards. Image: Tower Records / MCA. Advertising for the soundtrack of To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (Beeban Kidron, 1995) with Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo.

Patrick Swayze (1952-2009) was an American actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. He had his big break with a starring role in the hit Dirty Dancing (1987). Swayze scored big again with a tough-guy role in the rollicking action drama Road House (1989), as well as the romantic lead in the supernatural drama Ghost (1990).

Patrick Wayne Swayze was born in Houston, Texas, in 1952. His mother, Patsy Swayze (née Yvonne Helen Karnes), was a well-known choreographer whose credits include choreography for Urban Cowboy (James Bridges, 1980) and other films. His father, Jesse Wayne, was a chemical plant engineer and a former rodeo cowboy. Patrick went through school and soon found that both dancing and acting were in his blood. With his mother as his first dance teacher and a father who encouraged him to keep up with sports, young Patrick soon found himself on stage as a dancer as well as an actor. He was also a member of his university's gymnastics team. He took classes with the Houston Jazz Ballet Company, Harkness Ballet Theatre School (New York) and Joffrey Ballet Company, among others. Finally, he joined Eliot Feld Ballet Company as a dancer. The role of Danny Zuko in the original Broadway production of 'Grease', which had already made John Travolta famous, was the opening to Hollywood for Swayze. In 1975, he married the dancer, actress and lyricist Lisa Niemi, whom he had known since he was 19 and she was 15 and a student at his mother's dance school. From 1979 he played leading and supporting roles in film and television productions such as the television movie The Renegades (Roger Spottiswoode, 1982) and the feature film The Outsiders (Francis Ford Coppola, 1983) with C. Thomas Howell, Matt Dillon and Tom Cruise. He became known to a wider audience in the action film The Red Dawn (John Milius, 1984). Worldwide success was the Miniseries North and South (Richard T. Heffron, 1985), based on the trilogy of novels 'North and South' by John Jakes. In the twelve-part miniseries, Swayze played plantation owner Orry Main, one of the two main roles alongside George Hazard, portrayed by James Read. Swayze had a close friendship with James Read for a time.

Patrick Swayze became best known for his role as a dance teacher in the highly successful dance film Dirty Dancing (1987), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination. Before his starring role, few fans knew that Swayze was an excellent dancer. In addition to his acting, he also worked as a singer for the film. He contributed the power ballad 'She's Like the Wind' to the film's soundtrack, which charted worldwide. He played an expert barroom bouncer in the action drama Road House (Rowdy Herrington, Joel Silver, 1989) opposite Kelly Lynch and Ben Gazzara. For his portrayal of Sam Wheat alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore in Ghost (Jerry Zucker, 1990), Swayze received his second Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in 1990. The tragicomedy was the highest-grossing film of 1990 and ended up grossing more than $200 million. The surfing thriller Point Break (Kathryn Bigelow, 1991), with Swayze opposite Keanu Reeves, became another worldwide box-office success. He earned another Golden Globe nomination for playing a drag queen in To Wong Foo, thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (Beeban Kidron, 1995). After the death of his father in 1982, Swayze struggled with alcohol problems. After his sister committed suicide in 1994, he decided to go to rehab. After a three-year break from the film business, Patrick Swayze returned to the screen in Black Dog (Kevin Hooks, 1998) as trucker Jack Crews. After that, he mostly appeared in supporting roles and independent productions such as the dark mystery drama Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001) starring James Gyllenhaal, Waking Up in Reno (Jordan Brady, 2002) and 11:14 (Greg Marcks, 2003). In December 2003, he returned to Broadway as a replacement for the lead role of Billy Flynn in the acclaimed revival of John Kander & Fred Ebb's musical, 'Chicago'. In 2008, a spokesman for Swayze announced that he had pancreatic cancer. The spokesman denied that the actor had a short time to live. At the time, Swayze was responding well to treatment and was able to continue his daily activities. However, his condition worsened and a year and a half later, in 2009, Swayze died at the relatively young age of 57.

Sources: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Cammila Collar (AllMovie), Wikipedia (Dutch and German), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Patrick Swayze Patrick Swayze American Actor Film Star Wesley Snipes Wesley Snipes John Leguizamo John Leguizamo Film Kino Cine Cinema Picture Screen Movie Movies Filmster Star Vintage Postcard Postkarte Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Postal Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar 1995 Poster Affiche Drag Gay Pik:nik Soundtrack MCA Tower Records

© All Rights Reserved

Vintage press photo by UIP / United Artists, no.156/29. Photo: Lorey Sebastian. Nathan Lane as Starina in The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996).

The American comedy The Birdcage (Mike Nichols, 1996) is the American remake of the French-Italian film La Cage aux folles/Birds of a Feather) (Édouard Molinaro, 1978) which was based on actor-playwright Jean Poiret's play 'La Cage Aux Folles' (1973). Director Mike Nichols teamed up with his former partner/screenwriter Elaine May for the first time in many years and for the first time together in films to create this sophisticated, remake of the phenomenally popular French musical farce. The film stars Robin Williams, Gene Hackman, Nathan Lane, and Dianne Wiest. Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart - pre-Ally McBeal, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski appear in supporting roles.

Jean Poiret's original play 'La Cage aux Folles' ran for almost 1,800 performances, from 1973 to 1978, at the Théâtre du Palais-Royal in Paris. The French film version, La Cage aux folles/Birds of a Feather( Édouard Molinaro, 1978) starring Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault, was also a considerable commercial success. It became one of the highest-grossing foreign-language films released in the United States of all time. It won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and was nominated for three Oscars: Best Director (Molinaro), Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Costume Design. Michel Serrault won the César Award for Best Actor. The film was followed by two sequels: La Cage aux Folles II (1980), also directed by Molinaro, and La Cage aux folles 3 - 'Elles' se marient (1985), directed by Georges Lautner. The 1983 Broadway musical 'La Cage aux Folles' based on the play and the film, was also successful. In 1996, an American remake titled The Birdcage was released and relocated to South Beach. It was the first time Mike Nichols and Elaine May, who helped define improvisational comedy in the 1950s, worked together on a film. The stars were Robin Williams and Nathan Lane.

Val (Dan Futterman) and Barbara (Calista Flockhart) are engaged to be married. For a long time, they have wanted to avoid their parents' meeting but now it really has to happen. However, this does not seem very simple. Val's father Armand (Robin Williams) owns a gay nightclub called The Birdcage in South Miami Beach. His long-time lover, Albert (Nathan Lane), stars there as Starina. Barbara's father (Gene Hackman) is an ultra-conservative senator from the Republican Party and co-founder of the Committee for Moral Order. The Senator and family descend upon South Beach to meet Val, his father and "mother." Role-play is set in motion to avoid a negative reaction from Barbara's moralistic parents. What ensues is comic chaos. Three songs written by Stephen Sondheim were adapted and arranged for the film by composer Jonathan Tunick. Albert's first song (as Starina) is 'Can That Boy Foxtrot,' cut from Sondheim's Follies. 'Little Dream' was written specifically for the film, and ultimately used during Albert's rehearsal with the gum-chewing dancer. While Armand and Katharine dance in her office, they sing 'Love Is in the Air', cut from A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. In addition to the Sondheim songs, Tunick utilized dance-style music such as Donna Summer's 'She Works Hard for the Money' and 'We Are Family', along with Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine's 'Conga'.

TheBirdcage (1998) grossed $18,275,828 in its opening weekend, topping the box office. It remained at No. 1 for the next three weeks. The film received positive reviews upon its release. Roger Ebert in the Chicago Sun-Times: "What makes Mike Nichols' version more than just a retread is good casting in the key roles, and a wicked screenplay by Elaine May, who keeps the original story but adds little zingers here and there ('Live on Fisher Island and get buried in Palm Beach - that way you'll get the best of Florida!')." Derek Armstrong at AllMovie: "Mike Nichols' The Birdcage is a funny, slapstick, but ultimately slight farce, notable as a forerunner in the movement to make gay characters mainstream and profitable at the box office. It succeeded big time, winning a broad audience and raking in close to $125 million. It's rare that another actor gets to upstage Robin Williams, but Nathan Lane does so wonderfully, playing an ungracefully ageing drag queen who performs at the Miami nightclub owned by Williams, his subdued life partner." The Birdcage was nominated for, among others, an Academy Award for art direction and Golden Globes for best comedy and best comedy actor (Nathan Lane). In addition, the film actually won American Comedy Awards for the funniest lead actor (Lane) and most humorous supporting actress (Dianne Wiest) and a Screen Actors Guild Award for all actors' acting.

Source: Roger Ebert (Roger Ebert.com), Derek Armstrong (AllMovie), Sandra Brennan (AllMovie), Wikipedia (Dutch and English) and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Nathan Lane Nathan Lane American Actor Hollywood Movie Star The Birdcage 1996 Movie Movies Film Cinema Cine Kino Picture Screen Filmster Star Vintage Press Photo UIP United Artists Lorey Sebastian Lorey Sebastian Gay Drag

© All Rights Reserved

French lobby card by C. Darmon, Paris. Benny Luke as Jakob 'the maid' in La Cage aux Folles/Birds of a Feather (Edouard Molinaro, 1978).

La Cage aux Folles/Birds of a Feather is a French-Italian film by Edouard Molinaro released in 1978. The screenplay is based on Jean Poiret's play of the same name (1973). At the French box office in 1978, La Cage aux folles was only beaten by the prison drama Midnight Express.

'La Cage aux Folles is a nightclub in Saint-Tropez that puts on a transvestite show whose star is Zaza. Zaza, the stage name of Albin Mougeotte (Michel Serrault) lives with Renato Baldi (Ugo Tognazzi), the owner of 'La Cage aux Folles. They have been a gay couple for 20 years. When Laurent (Rémi Laurent), Renato's son from a failed marriage, comes to tell his father that he is getting married, the couple's existence is turned upside down. Andréa (Luisa Maneri), the bride-to-be is the daughter of a very conservative politician (Michel Galabru) representing the Union de l'Ordre Moral. Andréa's parents are very curious about the profession and social status of their future son-in-law's parents and insist on meeting them. Zaza will take on the role of Laurent's mother.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Benny Luke Benny Luke Cage aux Folles 1978 La Cage aux Folles Movie Movies Film Cinema Cine Kino Picture Screen Filmster Star Vintage Lobby Card Drag Gay Beefcake

© All Rights Reserved

French lobby card by C. Darmon, Paris. Ugo Tognazzi and Michel Serrault in La Cage aux Folles/Birds of a Feather (Edouard Molinaro, 1978).

La Cage aux Folles/Birds of a Feather is a French-Italian film by Edouard Molinaro released in 1978. The screenplay is based on Jean Poiret's play of the same name (1973). At the French box office in 1978, La Cage aux folles was only beaten by the prison drama Midnight Express.

'La Cage aux Folles is a nightclub in Saint-Tropez that puts on a transvestite show whose star is Zaza. Zaza, the stage name of Albin Mougeotte (Michel Serrault) lives with Renato Baldi (Ugo Tognazzi), the owner of 'La Cage aux Folles. They have been a gay couple for 20 years. When Laurent (Rémi Laurent), Renato's son from a failed marriage, comes to tell his father that he is getting married, the couple's existence is turned upside down. Andréa (Luisa Maneri), the bride-to-be is the daughter of a very conservative politician (Michel Galabru) representing the Union de l'Ordre Moral. Andréa's parents are very curious about the profession and social status of their future son-in-law's parents and insist on meeting them. Zaza will take on the role of Laurent's mother.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Ugo Tognazzi Ugo Tognazzi Italian Actor Acteur Attore Michel Serrault Michel Serrault French European Film Star La Cage aux Folles 1978 Movie Movies Film Cinema Cine Kino Picture Screen Filmster Star Vintage Lobby Card Drag Gay

© All Rights Reserved

Vintage autograph card.

Dame Edna Everage is a character created and performed by Australian comedian Barry Humphries, who passed away Yesterday, 22 April 2023. Dame Edna was famous for her lilac-coloured or "wisteria hue" hair and cat eyeglasses or "face furniture", her favourite flower, the gladiolus ("gladdies") and her boisterous greeting: "Hello, Possums!" As Dame Edna, Humphries wrote several books including an autobiography, 'My Gorgeous Life', appeared in several films and hosted several television shows on which Humphries has appeared as himself and other alter-egos. Barry Humphries was 89.

Barry Humphries regularly updated Dame Edna. Originally, she was a drab Melbourne housewife satirising Australian suburbia. Then Humphries caused the Edna character to adopt an increasingly outlandish wardrobe after performances in London in the 1960s through which his Edna character grew in stature and popularity. Following film appearances and an elevation to damehood in the 1970s, the character evolved to "Housewife and Superstar", then "Megastar" and finally "Gigastar". Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Dame Edna became increasingly well-known and popular in Europe and North America after multiple stage and television appearances. Dame Edna described her chat shows as "an intimate conversation between two friends, one of whom is a lot more interesting than the other". Humphries used the character to satirise the cult of celebrity, class snobbery, and prudishness and to poke fun at the political leaders and fashions of the times. Her larger-than-life persona and scathing commentary on society and celebrity, as well as her habit of treating celebrities like ordinary people (on her TV shows) and ordinary people like celebrities (in her stage shows) have become signatures.

Although Barry Humphries stated that Edna was a character he played, Edna referred to Humphries as her "entrepreneur" or manager. Humphries and his staff of assistants and writers only referred to Edna as "she" and "her", never mixing the character with Humphries himself. It is this precision and richness of identity which gave Dame Edna her unique force as a character. In 2000, Humphries received a Special Tony Award for a Live Theatrical Presentation, for his one-person show "Dame Edna: The Royal Tour." He was awarded the C.B.E. (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2007 Queen Elizabeth's Birthday Honors List for his services to entertainment. In March 2012 Humphries announced that the character would be retired at the end of that stage tour; however, a year later, he decided to bring her back. Humphries appeared in several films, including Bedazzled (Stanley Donen, 1967),Immortal Beloved (Bernard Rose, 1994)Welcome to Woop Woop (Stephan Elliott, 1997), The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (Peter Jackson, 2012) and Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie (Mandie Fletcher, 2016). Barry Humphries admitted that he was ashamed of Les Patterson Saves the World (George Miller, 1987).

Sources: Wikipedia and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Tags:   Dame Edna Dame Edna Everage Barry Humphries Barry Humphries TV Television Drag Personality Comedian Film Cinema Cine Kino Picture Screen Movie Movies Filmster Star Mega-star Giga-star Possum Vintage Postcard Carte Postale Cartolina Tarjet Postla Postkarte Postkaart Briefkarte Briefkaart Ansichtskarte Ansichtkaart R.I.P.

© All Rights Reserved