Happy 104th, Nana!! I know it's late, but I did not forget.

Leading off a little differently than I have, since I started this Blog in my late grandmother's name, I thought I would go with some photos of how she looked in the last decade of her life. This is about how she looked when I re-connected with her in January, 1981.  Bonnie is my paternal grandmother, and as my parents divorced when I was little, well, you get it. I dug around in some boxes, and came up with these. Considering that she came from hard-working, honest and honorable middle California rancher/farmers, she exuded an almost regal air. She is probably in her early 70's in both of these candid, non-professional photos. To this day (if I can continue to be honest?) I wish I had asked her more about her work in "The Picture Business" as she called it. If I've any advice to anyone reading this, don't put things like that off until tomorrow.

Bonnie Bannon, circa mid 1980's

Bonnie Bannon, likely the mid-1980's again.

Bonnie Bannon, lower left, on cello.

Bonnie Bannon, from "One in A Million" upper left.

Bonnie Bannon, 4th from the right. Jack Benny, center.

And of course, the back side, with a back-story, and everyone gets a credit.   :)

Happy 103rd Birthday Nana!! That's Bonnie (Pauline Frances) Bannon to most everyone else.

I think I acquired all of these photos about the same time. I recall thinking it strange that they were all (I think they were?) from "The Great Ziegfeld". I think they mostly came from the same auction house too. In the period looking photo, Bonnie actually got her name listed (along with the other gals) on the back. I will apologize in advance, as these were not scanned, but I took these with my 2 year old smartphone..... better than nothing, right?

Giving the Gals a little credit.

I think this is the part where I promise to spend more time on this blog, and upload more of the photos and newspaper articles that Bonnie had the foresight to save. Well, I have a year to make good on what I hope to do.

Feel free to email this blog with questions or comments, because I know that good folks like you are taking the time to visit.

Good night, from Tehachapi, California.

Bonnie Bannon, far left.

Bonnie Bannon, far left again

Bonnie Bannon, 5th from right.

How about a little less "Hollywood" before I turn in for the night?

Bonnie Bannon, left. Catherine Mock, right.

This was sent to me a few days ago by one of Bonnie's nieces (thanks Cousin Tracey). I told her I would give her credit, both here and on my Facebook page. I am clueless as to the back-story, but if I had to guess, I would say it was Bonnie with one of her friends. It looks a bit like Southern California to me... a beach perhaps? Maybe Santa Monica, or Malibu? Anyway, just a sweet photo more than worthy of being uploaded here, because there is more to life than just "things Hollywood". Good night, from the high desert in California.  :)

And yet more from "The Great Ziegfeld". How much do you think those headdresses weighed? And where is Bill this time?

Bonnie Bannon, 4th from the left.... The prettier one

Bonnie Bannon, still 4th from the left. Yep, still pretty.

I had a great day a few weeks back, what with finding everything for sale that I have posted here today, on the same day. Better still, I got them all for a reasonable price. I want to take a moment and thank you (or all of you?) for taking time out from your day to visit my little blog. I've noticed that this blog has some pretty big days with a lot of visits. My fear here for the last few years is that one day this "well" will run dry. I need not have worried too much as I just found a lot more photos from Bonnie's estate that can be scanned and uploaded. And then there is all the newspaper articles that she seemed to save, whenever she got ink, be it flattering, or not so flattering.

Bonnie Bannon, 5th from the left this time. Still you-know-what.

Dave and Bonnie... a puff piece in Spanish.

Well then, here it is, nearly a year since my last post. It's possible that some of you reading this now might not have noticed, but it's true, I've not uploaded anything to this blog since Bonnie's 100th birthday last year. And now, on to this photo... ahem. I found this one on-line from a seller in South America. I don't really know anything about it, except it is probably another one of those sorts of sessions where a pretty chorus gal sits down next to someone (be it actor, director, or what have you) and after some photo's are taken, someone yells "Next!" and then that seat is vacated, and another gal sits down and tries to "find" what the last girl had, and they go from there. A Facebook friend that knows Spanish said that the flipside (which I always try to show when relevant) says something to the effect of Director Dave Gould is having problems with the film, and Bonnie Bannon is trying to help. Though she is my grandmother, and I can be a bit biased concerning her, I know enough to know that this is just another silly, meaningless, photo from MGM publicity mill. That said, I though it was a nice find, and like most of the photos on this Blog, they are a small glimpse into that thing we love called Hollywood. Feel free to translate it for me.   ;)