Luana Lee

This is a 1955Lydia Lane article where actress Luana Lee talk about relaxation. Enjoy!

Hollywood lies in the fact that this is the city where dreams not only come true but where it happens almost overnight. At least that’s the way Luana Lee feels. She made the transition from messenger girl to contract player at MGM so quickly her head is still spinning. She suddenly awoke one morning to find that she’d been signed for a role in ‘It’s Always Fair Weather.” “When they told me they were signing me I was so thrilled I walked around in a daze for weeks. I couldn’t imagine how it happened I never got farther than the pro producers’ secretaries when I delivered them mail.” “You look pretty calm and collected now.” I remarked. “I guess I have developed a certain amount of calm, but it wasn’t always so. I used to be tied up in knots all the time, so much so that I couldn’t sleep nights.”

Since Luana looked so fresh and rested, I assumed that she had solved this problem. “The best lesson I’ve ever had In relaxation came from a book  called “The Living Light The part that has stuck with me is this. When you consider all the years the earth has been in existence and all that has happened in the world, your activity and your problems are minute and not likely to have any earth-shaking consequences. “Once I grasped this perspective of myself as a tiny part of the I gigantic whole, I found that I was much less tense. “The book is anonymously written and not too well known. Every time I run across a copy of it I ‘buy it and send it to some friend who I think would benefit from it. So far everyone has found it helpful.

“On the more specific side,” Luana continued, “reading in bed has a quieting effect on me and helps me fall asleep.” Luana was wearing one of the new long-waisted dresses that showed off her pretty figure. “I don’t have an overweight problem,” she told me. “It’s the reverse. I have to watch the scales to see that I don’t get too thin. I don’t look well if I let my weight go down too far. “Believe me,” she concluded, “it’s much more difficult to put on pounds than it is to take them off but I’ve found drinking a glass of chocolate milk with some cream mixed in at night and between meals helps me gain faster than anything else.” 

June Havoc

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actress June Havoc talks about a bunch o beauty stuff. Enjoy!

As I chatted with June Havoc on the set of “Willy” at CBS, she told me she loved living on the west coast except for one thing she becomes too relaxed. “Heavens,” I exclaimed, “What’s wrong with that?” June laughed. “Nothing, only that I gain weight. In New York I go at such a mad pace I burn up everything I eat, but here the pace is so much slower and with so much lolling in the sun I have a struggle keeping my figure in line. “For one thing, I have small bones which means a pound does more damage to me than two or three pounds would do to a girl with a larger frame. My bust is 36 and my waist is 23 and these measurements are pretty stable it’s what happens below the waist that is a problem.

“I have three dresses that I can wear only when my figure is perfect,” June continued, “and they act as a check. When these get tight, I know it’s time to take action.” “How?” I wanted to know. “Exercise,” she replied. “When I was in NW York I invested in a body-building course which has taught me how to keep my proportions just the way I want them. These are gentle exercises, done to soothing music. There’s nothing strenuous about them but they get results. This is a new approach to exercise. More attention is paid to circulation and breathing. It’s an exploded theory that you must work to a point of exhaustion in order to get results.

“As for diet, sweets are net a problem it’s salt that’s my undoing. I love it and could pour it on everything I eat, but taken in large quantities it causes water retention in the body, so I try to curb my appetite for it. “I’ve had to work to create an illusion of glamor. Beauty has always seemed a remote thing to me,” June confided. “My sister (Gypsy Rose Lee) Is such a naturally perfect specimen from head to toe, while I’ve had to work hard to make the most of’ my good points to create an illusion of glamor. “

A beautiful woman can get away with things other women can’t, but too often this makes her lazy. If she goes through life trading on her beauty, when that’s gone there is nothing left for her. June has beautiful hair which she admitted was one of her best assets. “I’ve never been temped to cut it, though I lighten it often, I have a virtual beauty salon at home a hair dryer, an electric cap to steam my hair and scalp when I give myself an oil treatment, a massage ta earance 35 90 TO 34.95 ble and i wonderful little vibrator which has a relaxing affect on the body. When 1 come home pretty tired after being on my feet all day, I can’t tell you what this vibrator does for me. I place it under my feet for a while, then at the back of the neck and I can just feel the tension disappearing. Another favorite relaxer of mine is a board which I lie on, set at an angle which reverses the pull of gravity. If I knew you better,” June said with a smile, “I’d be lying on it right now.”

I urged June not to stand on ceremony, and she obliged by taking the board from her closet and stretching out on it. In a few minutes she looked as comfortable and relaxed as a cat. “I thought you were the girl who found California too relaxing,” I laughed. “I do,” she said seriously, “except when I’ve had a hard day on the set then I get tied up in knots and need unwinding.” Shyness June confessed there were still a few things she had to overcome such as shyness. “Something which has helped me in that regard is a bit of encouragement someone gave me once as I was standing in the wings, waiting to go on stage. An old character actor who was standing behind me sensed my nervousness. He leaned over and said very softly, ‘Don’t be afraid. Look at all those people out there who’ve come here just to see YOU.’ It gave me a lift then and has done so many times since. “When you think highly of yourself, others will, too. I keep repeating this to myself and it acts as a sort of self-hypnosis because I manage to lose my fright.”

Doris Day – Take Two

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actress Doris Day talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

On the “Love Me or Leave Me” set at MGM, I found Doris Day going, through an exercise routine with a group of girls from the chorus. “You’re just in time Lydia,” Doris said with characteristic enthusiasm. “We’re all reducing our waistlines with this exercise.”. They were ; standing in a row with their feet spread apart, their arms outstretched to the sides, shoulder height. “Ready girls — to the right,” Doris said, “and keep those hips still.” They extended their right arms as far as they could reach toward the right. “Feel the pull on the left side?” Doris asked with a grin. “That’s what takes away those inches. Now let’s stretch to the left.”

Doris was humming a tune as she directed the group, first to the left, then to the right with a rhythm that might have been part oi a ballet step. A man from Publicity standing on the sidelines joined in the routine. Doris spotted him and called out that he was swaying his hips. “But I have to do it my way,” he explained, “until I limber up.” Later in her dressing room, Doris told me that this was her first CinemaScope picture. “I was frightened at the thought of what wide screen would do to my face,” Doris told me. “But alter I saw my lest and everyone liked it so much, I felt better. “I guess I’m getting used to my face. When I first started in pictures, I couldn’t stand to see myself on the screen. It made me so unhappy. I told Marty, (her husband and agent) ‘I’m not pretty enough for pictures’ and I would pick my face apart, feature by feature. ‘Other, people don’t look at you that way, he said.

“They get an over-all impression. It’s the impact oi your personality and talent that counts. Who else do you criticize the way you criticize yourself?’ “And he was right.” Doris admitted. “I was much too critical and I was making myself miserable. My advice is if you don’t feel that you are pretty, don’t worry about’it. Just try to make up for it in other ways.” “Like what?”‘I persisted. “Character.” Doris said quickly “Being warm, dependable, sincere, considerate, interested, think being a good listener ‘usually makes people feel you are charming” Doris was stretched out on he couch as she talked so still and relaxed, and I remarked about this.

“Isn’t it wonderful!” she said For the first time I’ve learned how to relax — and I owe it all to Norman Vincent Peale. I learned so much from his wonderful pamphlet called ‘How To Begin and End a Day Calmly.’ “Marty and I used to wake u in the morning with our radio alarm, to music and the news. I was the first thing we heard waking and I found out that this was a bad way to start the day. Now, before I get out of bed, lie quietly for a few minutes an  think of all the soothing words I know like serenity, tranquility, peace.

“Then I let my mind wander to some place that is very quiet. One of my favorite mental excursions is Grand Canyon. Marty an I went there on our honeymoon and I remember standing an watching the sunset with nothing as far as the eye could see but vast stretch of canyon. The vision of this puts me in such a relaxed frame of mind 1 hep out of bet feeling great. “I repeat this routine at night to help me unwind before I go I sleep. I think about canoeing on still, blue lake in the soft moonlight with no sound but the splash of the paddle dipping in and out o the water. It makes me sleep just to think about it,” Doris said concealing a yawn with the pail of her hand. “My, how do you manage grow such long fingernails,” I exclaimed.

“The secret is oil,” she said “Most people don’t realize ho drying nail polish is. Every time I change polish, I soak my fingers in oil. And I really mean soak. If you can give your cuticle and the under part of your nails this treatment just before you to bed, it stays on and soaks overnight.’ “You know,” Doris continue , “when we were talking about being relaxed, I forgot to mention something someone told me once that I’ve remembered and found very helpful. It was ‘Strive to be flexible sit loosely in the saddle of life.’ “Tenseness can spoil the best figure and loveliest features. If you can remember to ‘sit loosely’ you’ll have a much easier ride through life and this will be reflected in your looks.”

Marian Carr – Take two

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Marian Carr talks about relaxation and exercise. Enjoy!

Marian Carr established herself in Hollywood several years ago, then deserted her career for marriage. Now she has returned to her first love and Hollywood has given her a warm reception. She has made three pictures in rapid fire succession, the latest being The Indestructible Man” with Lon Chaney Jr. for Allied Artists Studio. I found Marian in her dressing room, stretched out on an upside-down board, when I kept our appointment at the studio. , “When I take a break,” she told me, “I find I can relax more quickly this way. “I think rest and relaxation are real beaut assets,” she continued. “But relaxation is two dimensional. You can’t really banish body tension unless you remove mental tension first. It isn’t always easy to do- it but it certainly improves your looks and your health if you can learn how not to get tied up in knots.”

There have been several books written on the subject of relaxation,” I volunteered. “I think people are beginning to ‘ “Yes,” Marian agreed. “I read The Art of Relaxation’ not too long ago and I learned a great deal from it There are so many different ways to relax, depending on your particular nervous system.” On a chair beside Marian were two curious looking dumb-bells with flat weights. I call these my beauty bells,” she said laughingly as she picked one. up. “I use them to hold that bustline. “I exercise with them every other day one day to build and the next day to rest I have this exercise which I do faithfully to help my figure. Holding a five pound weight in each, hand, she proceeded to demonstrate. “X lie on the floor like this, my spine relaxed, and stretch my arms sideways in what is known as the crucifix position.” She then raised her arms so that they were perpendicular to her body, keeping her -elbows straight, held them that way for a moment then lowered them to the original position. She repeated this 12 times.

“The second is done still lying on the floor,” she continued. This time I start out with my arms at my side, close to the body, raise them slowly above my head until they are perpendicular as in the first exercise and lower them back to the first position I do this 12 times also.” “That’s a curious number,” I commented. “Yes,” she agreed, “but the routine was worked out scientifically to firm the breast muscles and this rhythm seems to get excellent results.” She proceeded to do the third exercise for me, in the same position on the floor. She picked up a weight in each hand. “Bend your elbows so the weight  is over each shoulder. The upper part should be against your body. Lift the elbows as high off the floor as you can, feeling a pull as you go up. Hold a moment and then lower to original position. And do this one 12 times, too.”

Kim Novak

This is a 1955 Lydia Lane article where actress Kim Novak talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Columbia studio is expecting big things from Kim Novak. You saw her in “Pushover” and “Phffft”. Hollywood is full of beauties ‘ struggling for a film career, but this lovely girl from Chicago had no trouble at all. An agent saw her riding a bicycle in Beverly Hills, was so impressed by her fresh beauty that he asked to take her to a studio. She got a contract from her first test. “I’ve been working since I was a child,” Kim told me at lunch. “After I won a beauty contest for children, I became a model. It’s a good start because it teaches you how to handle yourself gracefully and to relax in front of a ” camera. “You also learn about clothes and colors. I feel very, strongly about the psychological impact of color not only on the way you feel but the impression you make on others. This field has been well explored for selling purposes and in industry.”

“Another thing modeling , teaches you,” Kim continued, ‘ “is the significance of posture. It isn’t so much what you have on, but how you wear it that counts. A poor carriage can mar a beautiful gown and on a good figure a run-of-the-mill dress can make a wonderful impression. “One of the first posture faults a girl should watch out for is a tendency to slouch especially if she is tall. Think of yourself as a puppet strung up behind your ears and walk with a feeling that if you slump the puppeteer will pull harder on the strings. Relaxed but Straight “Watch your posture when you are sitting down. Try to settle into your hips with a relaxed but straight back. This may require discipline at first but once you form the habit you’ll be uncomfortable all bent over. “When I first got my contract at Columbia I was afraid that the make-up men would try to make me over. But,” Kim confessed, “much to my surprise, the only change they suggested was to put a silver rinse on my hair which was an ashy blond. In every other way they emphasized naturalness. “Glamour to me means trying to look as well as you can and being as natural as possible.”

We chatted about good complexions and Kim said: “You can’t have a nice skin unless you learn how to remove your make-up so that there is absolutely nothing left in your pores. I have finally found a combination of cleanser, complexion brush and an astringent that really keeps my pores from getting clogged. “You know, when we were talking about posture,” Kim added, “I did’t mention an important point and that is feet. I know lots of girls look awkward because their shoes are uncomfortable and their feet hurt. This affects your whole body though your face is the first place to reflect dis comfort. – “No one cares what size shoe you wear. And if your arches are weak you can strengthen them easily with a few exercises. I like to pick up marbles with my toes and then try to hold them while I cross the room.” Hot Epsom Salts “A foot massage is my favorite way to relax,” Kim confided. “But bathing in hot water with Epsom salts stimulates the blood and helps to relax them, and,” Kim concluded, “when your feet are relaxed, you feel relaxed all over your body.”

My mini beauty hint – Dorothy Tree

This is a 1932 beauty hint by actress Dorothy Tree. Enjoy!

The secret of complete relaxation is important in maintaining one’s health and attractiveness. Whenever I have a leisure moment, I try to relax completely. If at home, I dip wads of cotton in witch hazel and place them over my eyes. This is the finest rest cure for weary orbs that I have yet found.

Carla Balenda

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Carla Balenda talks about voice and relaxation. Enjoy!

Carla Balenda is no stranger to Hollywood as she has been under contract to Columbia and RKO but she didn’t really hit her stride until she was chosen to be Mickey Rooney’s TV love. “I wanted to bean actress even when I was a little girl but you don’t have to be in the theater to be dramatic,” she told me as we chatted in her dressing room at NBC. “Every time you walk, walk as if you were on the stage with purpose and with grace. Shakespeare has had a lot of, influence on my attitude toward life. My dramatic coach Ed Edson has made him very real to me and her thoughts are now in a book called The World’s Your Stage. ”

As Carla talked, I was aware of the musical quality of her voice and told her so. “When I first heard my voice I thought it was loo high and thin, but then I was quite young. As you mature and leave childish things behind, your voice naturally lowers. When you find a grownup persons with a high voice, it’s I usually an indication that they ‘have not grown-up inside. “I think our voices play such an important part in the impression we make. ‘Use all gently,’ Shakespeare said. This applies especially to women. I try to apply this to all accomplishments to use everything I have to advantage. I think it’s fun to experiment  with yourself to give your friends a surprise occasionally. You’ll find they have much more attention to you when they can’t anticipate how you are going to look or what you are going to say.

Although Carla has a very busy schedule she gives the impression of being very i relaxed. There is nothing like getting your feet higher than your head to give your body complete relaxation. As soon as I finish a day’s work. I undress and lie on my ironing board – I put the board on a low cocktail table and as I relax I let m arms fall to the floor instead of crossing them in front “And while in this position, I try to let my mind go completely blank, then breathe to a count of six. I follow with a shower and end up feeling wonderfully refreshed.”

Agnes Moorehead – Take two

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Agnes Moorehead talks about a bunch of beauty stuff. Enjoy!

Agnes Moorehead is many things to her many fans. Some remember her “Sorry Wrong Number” radio skit which she has repeated many times. Others remember her as the fabulous red head with the reading company of “Don Juan in Hell.” But to movie goers she is usually remembered as a stern spinster. When I lunched with Miss Moorehead at Universal-International she appeared in the commissary in a nurse’s uniform, her red hair neatly drawn under a white cap. We had never met before and I soon remarked what a fascinating instrument she made of her voice. “I was born in Boston but as a child I was drilled in good speech by my father, who was a minister.”

Miss Moorehead lamented that our present system of education places so little value on diction. “Children are not taught to ‘toe the line’ and I feel that this is a definite oversight.” Agnes has three university degrees. “My father believed that no matter what one wanted to do in life, an education was a great asset,” she told me. Miss Moorehead’s voice took on a special quality as she talked of her parents. “MY FATHER and mother never forced any pattern on us except one of manners, courage and. discipline. We didn’t have much money but we were rich in many other ways. My early training h?” given me a serenity which made it possible for me to cope with many problems without getting ulcers or rushing to consult an analyst.” Returning to the subject of voice, Agnes continued: “I am sure that a bad voice has been the underlying cause of the break in many marriages. It does bad things to you to have to listen to a voice which splinters the ear. Speech is not as obvious a type of beauty as that which reaches the eye but the impact is powerful.”

“We can make or break ourselves by our attitude,” Agnes continued. “You can go a long way in making yourself over. A trait which undermines is that of being lethargic. “I’ve traveled all over the United States playing in little towns with people coming from miles around to hear us. But sometimes in these small communities I found a conformity which verged on a type of drabness which stifled individuality. But we should give expression to what we feel even though it is something quite different from what is felt by those around us.

“Though it is not as obvious a phase of beauty as makeup,” Miss Moorehead continued, “individuality can do flattering things to plain features. “WHEN YOU analyze beauty you discover that what registers in the face is equally as important as the shape of the features. What a large part vitality and a surge of health play. Interest and an active mind contribute to making a face attractive. This does not require a formal education. It may mean enthusiasm for growing things such as doing needle work. It is not the subject but the degree of intensity which stimulates and attracts people to you.” Agnes volunteered her top beauty secret. “It’s taking a nap in the afternoon,” she said. “If you can’t sleep, lie down for half an hour and rest. Try to still your stream of consciousness free your mind of everything that is pressing on it. Have you ever noticed how quickly fatigue and tenseness will rob a face of beauty?” she asked. “I always try to give myself plenty of time,” she added. “I am conservative In planning appointments because I dislike to rush. One way this can be avoided Is by not making appointments too close together. ”

“We are under “tremendous pressure and there is a great amount of worry and tension in most lives. But worry never accomplishes anything for anybody. I have practiced, to good advantage, turning my problems over to prayer. I am a great believer in the philosophy of making your weakness your strength.” MISS MOOREHEAD mentioned her delicate skin as one of her weaknesses. “I have learned how to care for it and to protect it but as a child I was bothered by freckles,” she explained. “My family encouraged me to be vain of them. They suggested that they were a mark of individuality and that they appeared only on the finest skins. “And as for red hair.” Miss Moorehead concluded, “I’ve always enjoyed dressing up to it. I’ve learned that pastels and true red are most becoming but I have avoided black. I think it is flattering only to a very young skin.”

Virginia Mayo – Take three

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Virginia Mayo talks about diet and relaxation. Enjoy!

Virginia Mayo has been so busy in Hollywood, making pictures and going oh personal appearance tours, that she had forgotten what it was like to be idle until she had her baby. ” “Before the baby came I Just’ stayed at home with nothing to do so I ate more than I should have,” Virginia told me recently when I visited her In her dressing room at Warner’s where she is making “The Talisman.” “The doctor worried that I might have a hard time getting back into shape.” Virginia was wearing a period costume but I could see that she wasn’t a pound overweight. I asked for her secret of regaining her perfect figure. “Now that I’ve started working it’s easy to diet but I do understand what a temptation it is to nibble when you are around the house. I gained 25 pounds, but in five weeks I was back to normal,” Virginia explained. “My doctor gave me a wonderful diet, the sherbet diet.”

“It was not difficult to stay on it because I was allowed enough so that I was never hungry. When I felt like eating something I could have lemon sherbet, which was made from a nonfattening recipe. “But I hate to exercise and it took sheer will power to do the routine which he worked out for me.” she added. “How long did you have to exercise?” “Only 10 or 15 minutes,” Virginia explained. “But it’s doing the exercises every day which gets you back into shape.” We were interrupted several times with people telling Virginia about changes in the shooting schedule and all through this she sat so calm and undisturbed that remarked about it. “I have no trouble relaxing; in fact, I have trouble getting stirred up,” came her surprised i admission. “I hate the way it makes me feel to be rushing inside so that I try never to hurry. I haven’t always been this relaxed it’s something that I have worked on very hard” Virginia confided.

“It would be helpful.” I suggested, “if you’d tell how you accomplished this.” “One of the main troubles is that people try to do too much in a day. They don’t allow enough time between appointments, they go rushing around so that at night they are simply exhausted. There is nothing quite as extravagant of our energy as working under tension. When you are not rushing, much more can be accomplished in much less time. “Very few people know how to plan so as to be on time. I find it helpful to work backwards to see how long it’s going to take to get there, how long it will take me to get dressed and then I add on few extra minutes for accidents, such as a run in my stockings or an unexpected telephone call.”

“Another thing to avoid if you want to be relaxed is allowing trifles annoy you. People are always getting upset over things which don’t matter, like someone cutting in front of you in traffic. A sure way to develop heart trouble is to have an antagonist attitude or a quick temper. Some people sap your energy and get on your nerves,” Virginia continued. “You have to discriminate or your life will get all cluttered up with friends’ who never know when to hang up the telephone or when to go home. If you are not careful a lot of time can be wasted in the name of friendship.” Virginia explained that you should not wear yourself out with meaningless appointments. “A social life is supposed to be fun but if you have to go out more than you enjoy it’s defeating its own end,” she said. “It all adds up to this: a very important thing is to overcome friction in your environment,” Virginia added.

“When there is disagreement or clashing of personalities just remember that there are two sides to every question. Try to make allowances, to see the other person’s point of view and you’ll find him trying to see yours.” Sense of Humor Helps “Do you have any more suggestions for staying relaxed?” I asked. “A sense of humor is a great help,” she answered. “Don’t take yourself too seriously see the funny side.”

“Never take sleeping pills unless ordered to do so by your doctor,” she added. “This stuff accumulates in your system and can make you a nervous wreck. I am dead set against them. You start taking them and the first thing you know you’ve built up such a tolerance for them that you have to take twice as many for the same effect. I have a friend who found out the reason they were not able to have a family was because of the damaging effect of sleeping pills. “If you can’t sleep at night because you are over-tired, try relaxing in a warm tub of water and sipping hot milk before getting into bed. “If you are worried, remember that every problem has a solution. One thing which helped me very much was to practice constructive thinking,” Virginia added seriously.

Marjie Millar

This is a 1954 Lydia Lane article where actress Marjie Millar talks about relaxing. Enjoy!

Marjie Millar came to Hollywood from Tacoma, Wash., and won her first screen test because she lost her slip. She was at a party given in the home of the Darryl Zanucks when suddenly she found her slip was coming off. Mrs. Zanuck took her to the ladies room and while she was repairing the straps she chatted with her hostess. As a result of this the next day she was invited to make a test. “I’ve been very lucky,” Marjie told me as we sipped tea in her Hollywood apartment last week. “That test got me a contract with Hal Wallis and my first part was with Martin and Lewis.”

“What is the most useful beauty suggestion you’ve learned in Hollywood?” I asked, getting down to business. – “Getting plenty of rest,” was her quick answer. “You might think you can get away with late hours but when you face a camera without enough sleep it shows. Your skin looks dull, your eyes have no spark and even your voice reflects fatigue. If you need a rest you can’t look your best.” We laughed at this unexpected rhyme. “That’s a practical jingle to remember,” ” I commented. “THERE ARE TIMES,” Marjie continued, “when circumstances make it impossible for you to stop when you are tired. And then it is a good idea to refuel just as quickly as it’s possible.

“Do you have a favorite way of letting down?” I asked. “I find it very restful to do eye exercises. When I relax my eyes I can feel strain going out of my entire body. For example try palming your eyes when you are tired. Cover your closed lids with your palms so that your fingers cross above your nose. When you place your hands correctly every bit of light is blocked out. Begin to breathe deeply and rhythmically. Try counting five as you exhale and to a count of five. After a series you should begin to yawn. This is a good signal that you are beginning to relax. ”

Another exercise I find helpful,” Marjie explained, “is to lie back and close my eyes and visualize the face of a large clock the kind you might see on the tower of a building. I slowly examine every number going around the clock first in one direction and then the other. This usually makes me sleepy so that by the time I’ve gone around three times I find myself drop ping off.