Category: Music & Film

Chaplin the Visionary

The Power & Courage of Charlie Chaplin’s Prophetic 1940 Film

“The Great Dictator”

Today, 70 years ago, the Nazi concentration camp of Auschwitz was liberated and the first photographs emerged of the scale of the horror. In hindsight, one realizes to what extent Charlie Chaplin‘s 1940 film “The Great Dictator” was visionary and courageous. Chaplin later said that “he would not have made the film had he known about the actual horrors of the Nazi concentration camps at the time”.

This solemn day of remembrance, when the world saw the first images of Auschwitz, reminds me never to ignore the signs of oppression and often artists and intellectuals are the first who have the courage to speak out: let’s listen and act…

CampCCThe “Jewish barber” character from the film The Great Dictator in a concentration camp.

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Audrey the Authentic…

 The Art of Aging Gracefully

Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible’!
Audrey Hepburn

Audrey MakeupPhotograph by Douglas Kirkland 1966

Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) needs no introduction or accolades, she is simply the epitome of style and substance. Rather than clinging to her youthful look, she embraced every stage of her life with wit, class and grace. You will find “Create the look” (and a video tutorial) at the end of this post!

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Jungle Love

The Lasting Power (and Danger) of Leopard Print

Leopard print is a dangerous thing, there is a thin line between fabulous and vulgar…My glamorous New York friend Marilyn always says: “the real test of love is when your man accepts some leopard in his life…”

VogueCover Vogue November 1939 Cover by Carl “Eric” Erickson

Leopard is a great pattern both for interior design (see “Create the look for Less” below) or fashion.

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Sturm und Drang

How Goethe’s poetry and prose seduced me to love the German language…

“I love those who yearn for the impossible”

GoetheJohann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)

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My Personal Top 10 of Female Singers – No 1

…in no particular order & with my favorite recording…

Number One: Maria Callas

callasMaria Callas 1923-1977

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