Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Wrap-Up

Hobbies of the Stars (Source)

September is coming to a close and that means it's time to wrap up my Stars & Their Hobbies series. I hope you've enjoyed this series as much as I have! It's been a lot of work. Even though the posts are relatively short, some of them required up to 2-3 hours of research. My goal for each post was to include the following: a photo of the star doing their hobby, a quote from them about their hobby and some fun trivia. This ideal scenario wasn't possible for every post but gosh darn it I tried! Below are some interesting (and some strange) hobbies that didn't make it into the mix.

Anne Shirley enjoyed sand skiing.
Lew Ayres was an amateur astronomer.

Billie Dove collected rare perfumes.

George Montgomery made furniture.
Lila Lee flew airplanes.
Gary Cooper was an amateur taxidermist.
Mel Torme had so many hobbies that it led to a divorce.
Dorothy Lee collected toy dogs.
Lyle Talbot and Ann Dvorak studied bacteriology.
Robert Mitchum wrote poems, songs and jokes.

Jerry Lewis played the drums.

Vincent Prince loved cooking and wrote cookbooks.

Tony Curtis had a collection of pipes.

Lewis Stone's hobby was cabinet-making.
Rock Hudson had a vast collection of films.

In addition to Steve McQueen, Paul Newman and James Garner were both race car enthusiasts.


A big thank you to Laura, Jessica, Terry, Kate Gabrielle, Neil, Jonas, and Sebina for all of the tips! They helped make this series possible.

If I find more ideas for posts in the future, I'll make sure to revive this series.

Now I leave you with an MGM short from 1939 entitled Hollywood Hobbies. It features two young tourists exploring Hollywood on a tour and spot some MGM stars along the way.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here  to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Hedy Lamarr

Hedy Lamarr, inventions

"Heddy invented as a hobby. Since she made two or three movies a year, each one taking about a month to shoot, she had spare time to fill. She didn't drink and she didn't like to party, so she took up inventing. When she was a girl, her father, a Viennese banker, had encouraged her interest in how the world worked, taking walks with her and explaining the mechanics of the machinery they encountered. As a young woman, before she emigrated from Austria to the United States, se married a munitions manufacturer and listened in on the technical discussions he head with his Austrian and German military clients. She also had a keen sense of the world's large and small failings, some of which she decided she could fix. In hollywood she set up an inventor's corner in the drawing room of her house, complete with a drafting table and lamp and all the necessary drafting tools." -- Richard Rhodes, Hedy's Folly

Hedy Lamarr and George Antheil's Patent

Stay tuned for more on this coming up!

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Greer Garson

Greer Garson, racehorses

“All of a sudden I found myself in a race to get the sports pages in the morning.” – Greer Garson

In 1948 Greer Garson met Buddy Fogelson, a man of many trades including horse and cattle breeding. They married in 1949 and were together until Fogelson’s death in 1987. They operated Forked Lightning Ranch where they bred thoroughbred racehorses. They purchased Ack Ack, a champion thoroughbred, for $500k. Ack Ack was in many races including Withers Stakes, Hollywood Gold Cup and Arlington Classic, won several awards and was recognized as an American Thoroughbred Hall of Fame racehorse.

“Ack Ack was a national treasure” – Greer Garson

It’s very clear that Garson’s love of racehorses was influenced by her husband Fogelson. She said,

“living with Buddy has broadened my life… I’ve shared the excitement of sitting up with him all night waiting for a gusher to come in answering fan mail for a horse.” (Source )

Garson enjoyed betting on races. She'd pick the horse with the longest tail and bet on it. This never proved to be an effective tactic.

Buddy Fogelson and Greer Garson receiving the 1971 Eclipse Award
for Outstanding Older Horse (Ack Ack) from Mervyn LeRoy

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart aboard his yacht "Santana" circa 1945.
Source: LIFE Magazine

Humphrey Bogart, Sailing

“Unless you really understand the water and understand the reason for being on it and understand the love of sailing and the feeling of quietness and solitude, you don't really belond on a boat anyway.” – Humphrey Bogart

Humphrey Bogart loved sailing especially on his beloved yacht the “Santana”. He and his wife Lauren Bacall owned and sailed the yacht from 1945 until his death in 1957. Other notable stars who owned the Santana include Eva Gabor, George Brent, Ray Milland, Dick Powell and June Allyson.  Guests on the Bogart’s yacht included Ingrid Bergman, Richard Burton, David Niven and Frank Sinatra (Source).

Sailing was an important part of Bogart’s life. He developed a passion for sailing as a child when his family would summer on Lake Canandaigua in New York. He was a member of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and Los Angeles Yacht Club and participated in races including the San Clemente Island and Channel Islands races.

"An actor needs something to stabilize his personality, something to nail down what he really is, not what he is currently pretending to be." - Humphrey Bogart

You could say the Santana was the love of Bogart’s life, besides Lauren Bacall. Bogart had a minuature model of the Santana in his home. The boat in his film Key Largo was named the Santan. In 1947, Bogart started his own production company Santana Productions which produced films such as Knock on Any Door (1949), Tokyo Joe (1949), In a Lonely Place (1950), Sirocco (1951) and Beat the Devil (1953) among others.

There are many wonderful photos of Bogart on his yacht including a series shot by noted photographer Peter Stackpole in 1945 for LIFE magazine. Below is a home movie of Bogart and Bacall on board the Santana. Enjoy!

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Artists

Many actors and actresses from the golden age of Hollywood found solace in painting, sculpting, drawing and other art forms. It was away to express themselves creatively but in a much more private space than in front of a camera.

So far in the series I've devoted each post to one hobby and one star. In this instance, I felt I couldn't pick just one star so I decided to include as many as I could.

Frank Sinatra's art studio

Frank Sinatra at his art studio

Frank Sinatra painting

Linda Darnell and her painting, circa 1948 - Source

Linda Darnell and her sculpture - Source 

Kim Novak in front of one of her paintings

Dirk Bogarde - Source

Ginger Rogers

Ginger Rogers painting - Source

Tony Curtis - Source

Lionel Barrymore's etching of himself in the Grand Hotel

Claire Trevor

Claire Trevor's painting of Tyrone Power circa 1958
Source

UC Irvine has a Claire Trevor School of Arts!

Mae Marsh Painting, circa 1932 - Source

Thank you to Kate Gabrielle of Scathingly Brilliant, Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings, Sebina and Neil for the tips. And thanks to Kate who gave me the photos for Frank Sinatra and Kim Novak!

Note: This post is a work in progress. I'll be adding more stars and their artwork so stay tuned!

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Colleen Moore

Colleen Moore, Doll Houses

Thank you to my good friend Jonas of All Talking! All Dancing! All Singing!  for letting me know about this! Silent film star Colleen Moore was obsessed with creating the doll house of her dreams. The financial freedom of being a Hollywood star gave her the opportunity to invest in her passion. Or as Jonas delicately puts it “when the money started rolling in she went completely bonkers in dollhouse mania de luxe.”

Moore started on the Fairy Castle project in 1928 and it was completed in 1935. Some of the people involved in the project include architect Horace Jackson (floor plan), Harold Grieve (interior design), Walt Disney (original art), artist George Townsend Cole (mural) and actor Rudolph Valentino (figurines). Around 100 people worked on the project and the final cost was substantial. The castle includes antiques and materials from all over the world!

Moore could have kept her hobby to herself but instead she shared the happiness with others. During the Great Depression, Moore took her doll house on tour. Kids all across the country got to see the Fairy Castle up close and the tour also served to raise money for different children’s charities. In 1949, the Fairy Castle made it’s final stop at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. You can see the Fairy Castle today at the museum’s special exhibit or take a virtual tour online.


Below is a video from British Pathé of Colleen Moore introducing the completed Fairy Castle in 1935. She refers to it as an Enchanted Castle but it's been known as the Fairy Castle for many years.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here  to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Roddy McDowall

Roddy McDowall, Home Movies

Roddy McDowall was a trustworthy kind of a guy and he made many close friends in Hollywood. Every Sunday he would have an open house at his Malibu Beach home. This was a time when the Hollywood elite could come over relax and be themselves. They let their guard down when they were with McDowall. Guests at his open houses would include Natalie Wood, Lauren Bacall, Rock Hudson, Dennis Hopper, Jane Fonda, Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Kirk Douglas and more.

We all know McDowall had skills when it came to cameras. Besides being an actor he was also a film director and photographer. A few years ago we learned that one of his hobbies was shooting home movies. Several silent home movies from 1965 emerged and were put on the internet for us to enjoy. They're an intimate look at Hollywood in front of a very different type of camera.

This is a YouTube playlist of 22 of McDowall's silent home movies.

Thank you to Laura of Laura's Miscellaneous Musings for the idea for this entry!

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Jill St. John

Jill St. John, Model Trains

Singer Grace Slick on visiting Jill St. John - "Her house included an indoor/outdoor swimming pool, a vast array of tropical fish and a basement filled with miniature trains." (Source)

While doing research for my Stars & Their Hobbies series, I stumbled upon a New York Times bio listing Jill St. John's hobbies as collecting model trains and dating high-profile men. I've encountered the dating-men-as-a-hobby thing multiple times in my research. It's something that frustrated me because it's such a double-standard. 

I was intrigued by the idea of Jill St. John collecting model trains so I did some research. I discovered that both her real hobby of model trains and her "hobby" of dating men are somewhat linked.

On her childhood – “I was always working… I missed a lot of things kids do. Maybe that’s I collected and put together electric trains from Germany for a while. I made the little trees and houses and everything. But then I gave it all to a boys’ home because my dates were paying more attention to the trains than to me.” - Jill St. John (Source)

St. John's hobby was a way to recapture some of her lost childhood and it seems the men in her life intruded of her private interest. One source claimed a Walter Robin (either a hotel magnate or toy tycoon, I couldn't tell which one) sold her $2,000 worth of model trains and track in 1963. Another source said that her ex-husband Lance Reventlow gifted her 200 feet of model trains and tracks valued at $10,000. 

I wonder if Jill St. John picked up the hobby again after she ditched her collection in 1971? Over the years she's had other hobbies including collecting Faberge jewelry and teddy bears, playing chess and doing yoga.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Ann-Margret

Ann-Margret, Motorcycles

"There are two types of motorcycle riders: ones who have had an accident and ones who will." - Ann-Margret 

Ann-Margret looks damn good on a motorcycle. A lifelong enthusiast, she was introduced to motorcycles by her Uncle Carl in her home country of Sweden. Once she got that first thrill for speed she was hooked. You can watch Ann-Margret's amazing motorcycle skills in Viva Las Vegas (1964) and The Swinger (1966).

Ann-Margret and Elvis Presley in Viva Las Vegas

During the 1960s, Ann-Margret would often be found riding a Triumph motorcycle and she even appeared in advertisements for the company. At one time she owned a custom Harley that was painted lavender with daisies on it.

Ann-Margret with her custom Harley (Photo Source)

In 2000, Ann-Margret got into a serious accident while riding in Minnesota as Grand Marshal for an NHRA event. She veered off into a sandy patch, hit a rock and was thrown from her motorcycle. She suffered a fractured shoulder and three broken ribs. However, that didn't stop her and Ann-Margret continues to be a badass on a motorcycle.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Norman Lloyd

Norman Lloyd, Tennis - Photo Source

“You've got to stay active as you get older. And tennis is a great way to do that. It helps to take away all the aches and pains.” – Norman Lloyd 

Norman Lloyd turns 100 this November. The secret to his longevity: tennis!

I had the pleasure of seeing Lloyd at the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival. Leonard Maltin introduced him and joked with the audience that Lloyd’s appearance was getting in the way of his daily tennis match. I was very intrigued by the fact that the then 98 year old Norman Lloyd played tennis daily! Recently he’s had to reduce his matches to twice a week but I truly believe that the tennis he’s been playing for decades is what has kept him sound in body and mind for such a long time.

Lloyd has played tennis against many film stars including Joseph Cotten and Spencer Tracy and he's also participated in celebrity tournaments. His most well-known partner was Charlie Chaplin. About their regular matches he said:

“I played tennis with Chaplin about four times a week. We played in the late afternoon, five o’clock in summer after the heat had lessened, earlier in winter. After the game, we stayed in the tennis house for a while to chat, and Charlie would often invite me to the house for a drink – scotch old-fashioned, his favorite.” (Source)

Lloyd plans a big tennis tournament for his 100th birthday.

Sources (1 and 2) 

Norman Lloyd on the court with Charlie Chaplin - Photo Source

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Eli Wallach

"Let me tell you a little about myself. As an actor I've played more bandits, thieves, killers, war lords, molesters and mafiose that you can shake a stick at... As a civilian I collect antique clocks, tell endless stories of my days as a medic in World War II, watch every tennis match, live for my family, daily mail, run the dishwasher, take pictures of faces in the bark of trees..." - Eli Wallach, 2010 Governors Awards Acceptance Speech

If Eli Wallach wasn't already the subject of my adoration now I have a new reason to fawn over him. He collected antique clocks! It's been said that the ticking of the clocks helped him think. When asked what he would do if he wasn't an actor, Wallach said, “I’d open a little clock shop somewhere... I collect little clocks. Don’t ask me why. My wife has no concept of time. I get to places twenty minutes before and she’s always late.” (Source)

Watch A.O. Scott's video of his visit with is uncle Eli Wallach in 2010 on the New York Times website. You can catch a glimpse in the background of a few antique clocks adorning Wallach's shelves in his Manhattan apartment. God speed Eli Wallach!

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ James Mason

James Mason, Cats

"Cats do not have to be shown how to have a good time, for they are unfailing ingenious in that respect."- James Mason

 

James Mason loved cats.

His wife Pamela Mason also loved cats.

Together they had lots of cats. In 1946, they had 12!

 

James Mason liked to draw his cats.

He and his wife even wrote a book about their cats entitled The Cats in Our Lives which was published in 1949. They later published a fiction anthology entitled Favorite Cat Stories of Pamela and James Mason.

 

James Mason loved cats. It's as simple as that.

Thank you to both Kate Gabrielle and Terry for the tip about James Mason! Terry has a write-up of Mason's hobby on his blog A Shroud of Thoughts  and Kate shared some of Mason's cat drawings on her blog Silents and Talkies.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Clara Bow

Clara Bow, Sports

"I became a regular tomboy - played baseball, football and learned to box." - Clara Bow

Clara Bow playing baseball circa 1926 - Source

Clara Bow boxing in heels - Source

Clara Bow playing tennis

Clara Bow was a tough cookie. She had a rough childhood and growing up poor in Brooklyn didn't help things either. And although Hollywood would come to see her as the glamorous IT girl, at heart she was really a tomboy. She played baseball, tennis and other sports and was even a track-and-field star in high school.

Clara Bow and USC Football

She also really loved football and would attend as many USC Trojans games as she could. At the end of football season, she'd entertain the entire football team at her home. This led to a nasty accusation that she did more than just wine and dine them. She did date USC quarterback Morely Drury at one time but really she was just a fan of the sport. The scandal did adversely affect Bow adversely and she took former secretary Daisy DeVoe, who started the rumor, to court.

Clara Bow with Chester Colins circa 1927

Clara Bow also loved roller skating and could be spotted skating up and down her driveway.

Source

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Lauren Bacall

Everyone agrees that Lauren Bacall collected beer steins. Except for Lauren Bacall.

When Bacall passed away passed away last month at the age of 89, several online obituaries claimed that Bacall's only hobby was collecting beer mugs/steins.

I did some research on this and came across an interview with Lauren Bacall by Rebecca Winters of Time magazine. Here is there exchange:

Winters: Your fan websites say you collect beer mugs.

Bacall: That I collect what? Absolutely untrue. Your not serious! I don't drink beer. I've been accused of a lot of things but that's a new one.

I think this rumor started on the internet when people saw these photos of Lauren Bacall at home with Humphrey Bogart. You can see beer steins on display behind them.

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.

Stars & Their Hobbies ~ Harold Lloyd

Harold Lloyd, Great Danes

The great silent screen actor Harold Lloyd really loved dogs, especially Great Danes. His favorite was “Prince” who often appeared in family photographs and home videos. Lloyd had as many as 65 Great Danes, maybe even more, in his kennel on his Greenacres estate. He bred Great Danes and entered them in shows, winning blue ribbons along the way, and he also kept St. Bernards and Scottish Terriers. He loved his dogs iso much it's been said that he even set aside a plot of land on Greenacres to serve as a dog cemetery.

At one point during WWII, he had to reduce the number of dogs in his kennel from 60-80 down to 20. There are various reasons why he might have done this and the reasons differ greatly depending on which source you read. Here are some of the reasons given by various sources:

• the barking bothered his neighbors
• an epidemic killed most of them off
• a WWII related meat shortage resulted in not enough food for the dogs
• a city ordinance demanded the number of dogs reduced for safety reasons
• Lloyd sold the land the kennel was on to the Mormon church to be a future site for a tabernacle

Whatever the reason, it must have hurt Lloyd to lose more than half of his kennel during the war. Lloyd’s Great Danes were a source of pride for him, his kennel was considered one of the best in the world and Hollywood filmmakers would even borrow his dogs for movies. Some of his prized Great Danes can be seen in the film The Most Dangerous Game (1932).

Lloyd with his Great Dane "Prince" - Source

And again with Prince - Source

My series Stars & Their Hobbies explores how notable actors and actresses from Hollywood history spent their free time. Click here to view a complete list of entries.