"Roman Scandals" collect the whole series.

From the Eddie Cantor movie "Roman Scandals". I am sure that Lucille Ball is in a few of these, let's see if I can figure out where she and Bonnie are. Here's a news flash.....

Bonnie Bannon, front right with mirror in her right hand. Lucy absent?

Bonnie Bannon front row,  left.

Bonnie Bannon, behind gal in the front. Barbara Pepper 3rd row back, on left.... I think.

Bonnie Bannon, back row, on the grass.

The wigs don't help at all.  You might have noticed, I opted again to include Bonnie's hand-written notes around the edges, on the paper that she mounted these on originally.

That guy Bill again.... how does he do it??

  I will do one more today, on the day of her 100th. A photo like this might be a bit of a come-down after the photo with Lucy and friends, but I am gonna do it anyway. I think this is just a fun publicity photo from "The Great Ziegfeld". And like I said in an older post from the same movie, they probably just brought the gals in small bunches, shot pics until one or more of them stopped saying "my eyes were closed in that one" and then brought in the next group. As I might have referenced with the other William Powell upload, life must have been pretty rough for Bill that day.
        As an aside, you might have noticed that it looks a bit ragged at the top. I could have easily cropped this photo, but I think in the interest of purity, I still have it attached to the non-acid free paper that Bonnie originally mounted this and most of her other publicity photos on. Included (again, on purpose) are Bonnie's notation as to what this is. Pretty sure that is her, third from the left. I am wondering, just a bit, what flavor the studio chose to serve that fine day..... Any ideas?   ;)

And now, for the first time anywhere.

Left to right, Mary Lange, Vivian Keefer, Omar Kiam, Lucille Ball, Bonnie Bannon, Jane Hamilton.... Hey, where's the dog??

I have been waiting on this day, of her 100th birthday to upload/release these. These too, come from Bonnie's private collection. Besides being great pics (from 1933) I am thinking, you might recognize a quite young Lucille Ball. Family legend has them (Bonnie and Lucy) as roommates back in the early days, which sounds quite believable to me, what with two girls out of their element, in

Left to right. Awww, forget it, I did it already, and I could not make it fit. Oh look, it's Rexey the dog! 

Hollywood, trying to make it. Some years ago, I conferred with Thomas Watson, who runs the site Lucyfan.com, and while he believes that Bonnie and Lucy were very likely roommates, he feels it probably wasn't just the two of them, but a group of gals trying to get the get-by, as I like to say. If you have seen my older post of Mary, Lucy, Bonnie, and the Big Strawberry, then you have seen that great, obscure (throwaway?) photo. You should know that you can see that great find on his (Thomas's) site as well, as I shared it with him some years ago. That said, these two marvelous photos that I have been holding onto just for this day, and just for this occasion, will be on his site soon, with my blessing. Mr. Watson is waiting until I give him the word, after these two get uploaded for the first time ever (here and my personal Facebook page). These are not just great pics (and very small, around 4x5 or something) but they have a bit of history as Lucy is just starting out, and she is flanked by her friends (and fellow dreamers). I like how Bonnie wrote their names on them, back in the day, as it helps to identify the other gals, and Mr. Kiam, that was a heavy hitter in Hollywood at that time, and some years following. As I don't really know the back-story here, I would like to believe it is just some friends in the picture business (as Bonnie and Lucy called it) taking a break and going out for a good time. I hope you enjoy it, and I really do think it is special on a lot of levels. I am curious as to where these might end up, it is the web after all. Now to push the "publish" button. Oh, and I just noticed, Ms. Keefer has what looks like "Rexey's" cousin wrapped around her neck, no wonder he looks like he wants to get away!   ;)     Cheers!

I'M GOING TO HOLLYWOOD, I'M GOING TO HOLLYWOOD!! Maybe Bonnie said that?

A good friend found this clipping earlier this year. As I am still not completely sure which family legend is true (there are a few versions) this little blurb in the Bonnie's local paper (the Fresno Bee) might very well have been what gave her the idea to "go to Hollywood". I am pretty sure that folks must have been telling her most of her life how pretty she was, perhaps even telling her "you oughta be in pictures"..... or at least, that's what I like to believe (sorry, I can't help it). Part of the legend is that she was working at a local Warner Bros. theater, but that doesn't explain her getting to be a "Goldwyn Girl" or also known as one of the lucky 7. The uploaded newspaper clipping is a bit grainy, but I hope you can make it out. If I keep working on this Blog, as is my intention, I will eventually run out of pictures of her worth uploading. It is at that point where this thing will go deeper, as it seems that every time Bonnie got ink, she preserved it in a scrapbook. But until that time, let me see if I can upload some more cool pics today.

Happy 100th Birthday, Pauline Francis Bannon!!

Birth certificate, Pauline Francis "Bonnie" Bannon

Well, here we are, on a day I have been waiting awhile for. As Nana (sorry, it's still weird calling her by her first name, even if it was not her birth name) would have been 100 today, had she not passed so many years ago. Like a great many of the things I have uploaded here, this comes from her personal collection that I have owned since my father's, her only child's passing. She was born in California's Central Valley, as one of 5 children. I have seen pictures of her siblings (all of them have been gone for some time now) and for the most part, all of them were actually an attractive-looking bunch. Not surprisingly, Bonnie's (see, I can do it) folks were hard-working and honorable, and instilled good values into their children. And while she never had a really big career in Hollywood (her choosing, perhaps?) this simple document is proof that one can come from fairly humble beginnings and go on to become more. I still have not learned yet where the name "Bonnie" came from, but as I am in contact with 3 of her nieces, perhaps one of them will tell me as I will post this on my Facebook page as well (Warren W. Jones). Perhaps yet another family mystery will be solved?

Hollywood Cavalcade, aka, A Day at the Beach..... in color this time.

Bonnie Bannon, above umbrella, third from the left.

Bonnie Bannon, above Alice Faye's right shoulder.

It has taken me over three months to put upload these. It is my understanding that these two photos are screenshots from the movie "Hollywood Cavalcade". They were forwarded to me by a gentleman named Dave in England that runs a fantastic Laurel and Hardy site called "another nice mess". As a matter of fact, he has a few pics of Bonnie I gave him from this blog, and perhaps a few others not yet on here. I say that to say this; it is possible that a lot of the traffic this little blog gets is because of Dave linking my blog to his site where he has the aforementioned pics of Bonnie. It is very possible that is how you got here. So, giving credit where credit is due, thank you for that, Dave. Also giving credit where credit is due, someone named Peyton Ennis that visited his site, is the person that pulled these fine screenshots. So, with all that taken care of, let's give them a look, shall we?

Bring in another group of gals..... please.

Bonnie Bannon, in white.

From the look of this, I would say that this is from Bonnie's personal collection that passed from her, to my late father and then to me. This looks like one of those cute starlet photos where they called in groups of them, put them through wardrobe, hair and makeup and took a whole bunch of pics, and tossed the ones that did not work. Bonnie (in white) is nearly front and center, like she tended to be. Not sure why, but I would like to believe that there was a special sort of blessing on her life..... sometimes, there just is.
            The only other gal that I can correctly identify with certainty is Wanda Perry, who is at Bonnie's immediate right. I am not sure if I have mentioned this before, but as I possess Bonnie's personal phonebook (blackbook?) that Ms. Perry is one of the few names in it from back-in-the-day. This tells me (I guess it is an assumption) they they were cool all the way into the late 80's.  Some other names in her book include: Barron Hilton (Son of Hilton Hotel founder, and Grandfather of Paris) Arthur Lake, Frankie Lane, and legendary jockey, Eddie Arcaro. As this blog is continually ongoing, I plan to eventually scan pages from her phonebook (with some small details removed) as well as upload all the old newspaper articles she saved. And as I have said for years, good or bad ink, she seemed to have saved all of them. It should make for interesting reading.

The Late George Aply (1947)

Here is what looks to be a fine Ronald Colman comedy, directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (Joe probably had to make sure to put the "L" in there so he would not be mistaken for all the other guys in Hollywood with the same first and last name). This is one I have yet to see, but from the look of the publicity photo, Bonnie could have had two lines of dialog, don't you think?? Awww, who am I kidding, she probably just eased gracefully into the scene (as she tended to do) and performed what I have I have referred to all these years as "SAS" (stand and smile). I am sure that sounds pretty easy to do, but try holding an attractive smile for about 10 seconds or more, and not looking creepy, or like someone with issues. A good example of SAS is in 'The Flying Deuces" when Georgette is facing her father, and the director opted to to put Bonnie between them.
              A quick peek at this movie's IMBD just now taught me something (and when does a quick peek at the IMBD not?). It seems that a woman (also uncredited) born Diana Love Dill, was married to a gentleman from Nov. 1943-Feb. 1951 named Kirk Douglas. Michael Douglas and Joel Douglas came from that 8 year union..... a long time by some Hollywood standards.

 Bonnie Bannon, second from right. Ronald Colman, the only guy in the photo. No clue about the other two.

The Flying Deuces, starring Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, and some others.

I found this recently, I don't often search for publicity photos from this well known L&H movie, but sometimes you get lucky. It's a big photo, not the standard 8x10, so it did not fit on the scanner that well. Something had to give in order to keep the French caption intact (I bought it from a French vendor).  I think one of "Georgettes Girlfriends" as they are credited got a little taken off the top. While it is a great photo, I must have missed something in the translation. It is not over 70 years old, and looked to be on pretty new paper. It is likely a screen pull, that someone thought they could make a buck (or Euro) on.

Bonnie Bannon, far right. Jean Shepard, third from left. The other two?  Beats me.

             I am somewhat proud of Bonnie in this movie, as she is the only "girlfriend" in the movie that has any dialog, scant as it may be. As I had only known Nana after she turned 50 or so, her voice was much different than this, but not as deep as her former roommate, Lucille Ball's. It is my understanding that this particular L&H is not only popular because it is pretty good, but because T.V. stations across the nation got to broadcast it for free, from the early 1950's onward. The exact reasoning of which, I don't completely understand, or wish to bore you with.

Happy Easter, 2013.

Hard to recall when I picked this one up, but I thought as it is Easter Sunday (still) in my part of the world (Southern California) that I would put up this somewhat whimsical pic. I think the back-side has one of those descriptions (captions?) of what you are looking at. Sadly, I do not have the time right now to look through my extensive collection of her scanned photos to find it and add it. I am pretty sure that Mary Lange is on the far right. I put this on my Facebook page today as well, and one of Bonnie's nieces remarked that Bonnie appears to be the only one of the three gals that is holding the rabbit with any sort of technique. Could it be because Bonnie was raised on a ranch in Fresno, California? To be fair, Ms. Lange and the other gal are made to hold two of the squirmy things apiece.... Which makes me wonder how Nana got out of that one?  :)

Bonnie Bannon left, Mary Lange, still there.... Just Kidding!

              Again, Happy Easter to all of you that took the time to read this. I have made some changes so that, if you make a comment, or ask a question, it should go straight to my email that is tasked to this Blog. That way I can get back to you in a timely fashion.

Sorry, no real back-story here.

Bonnie Bannon, center.

Bonnie Bannon.... smiling

Nope, don't have any idea... I just thought they were pleasant enough to upload. Perhaps you feel the same way?  :)

Pauline Francis Bannon.... the really early years.

Bonnie Bannon

Bonnie Bannon

I am pretty sure that "Nana" was already known as "Bonnie" by friends and family long before she came to Hollywood, or long before these were taken. She looks so impossibly young to me in these photos (she would have been 100 in June of this year) that I am going to speculate that these could have been taken shortly after her arrival in Hollywood, from Fresno, Ca.
           She was not without a plan, as she did win some sort of Starlet search in her region by one of the major studios. I wonder how often she must have heard things  growing up like "You are so pretty" and "You sure are beautiful" as well as others along those lines. She came a long way from being a rancher's daughter being raised in Central California...... and not all of it so great, as the proven fact of 4 marriages will attest.

Bonnie Bannon.... this is getting old.

"The Great Ziegfeld".... at least, I am pretty sure.

This particular photo was found floating on the web somewhere. As stated in the header, I am pretty sure it is from "The Great Ziegfeld". It is a bit hard to tell, but I believe this to be the same rock as the one seen in the "Hollywood Cavalcade" that I posted awhile back. If so, then it could have been one of those "go to" spots that they like to use back then. Bonnie (if you did not already know) is fourth from the right, or is it left? I am pretty sure that that is Mary Lange on the far left, and Wanda Perry, third from the right..... the others I just don't know.

Gold Digger's of 1933..... We are a few gals short.

The credit for finding this one goes to Richard Smits, of the Netherlands. Before corresponding with him by email, Bonnie had maybe 16 IMDB.com credits. Because of Richard's tireless efforts (for Bonnie and others in the same Starlet System) I believe her credit count has just surpassed 30. I have plenty of newspaper articles that she kept that I should "mine" so that she can get the credit(s) that she deserves. Just one more thing I hope to get around to this year.

Somewhere between those acting jobs, aka, a girl's gotta eat.

 These 3 are from Bonnie's personal collection. I think they are self-explanatory. What I do not know at the time of this posting is whether or not she ever really pursued commercial work like this. I have intentionally left her note as to what one of them is. I could have easily cropped it out before uploading it, but I thought it was better to leave it in, to tell the story, so to speak, and that it is in her own hand from probably more that 75 years ago. On a different note, I am flattered that this Blog has gotten the visits that it has (over one thousand as of today's date). This tells me that there must be an interest in this sort of thing. I will try not to disappoint.