Ladies in lavender (or lilac)

PAL JOEY is a so-so musical I had not seen since I was about 12 - but I was transfixed by it seeing it again over the weekend - its a diluted version (for 1957) of the show, but Kim Novak looks incredible in that lilac or lavender clinging dress with matching gloves. Rita looks good too as the reformed stripper whom Frank sings "The Lady Is A Tramp" to, and of course that cute doggie ... Kim's finest hour perhaps? - though I also like her lavender hair look in 1958's BELL BOOK AND CANDLE (and then there is VERTIGO...). A report on her other 1957 starrer JEANNE EAGLES coming up soon ...



A delicious anecdote by Dame Eileen Atkins in the weekend papers, on when she and Judi Dench and that great cast (Julia McKenzie, Imelda Staunton, Francesca Annis etc) were making the hit series CRANFORD a few years ago. The dames were got up in their period dresses and bonnets and while waiting for their cue to go on Judi turned to Eileen and asked "come on, tell me - what have you had done? there must be something...", Eileen retorted "If I had something done, do you think I would look like this" looking her most severe as the Victorian spinster. Collapse of both ladies laughing. Eileen (the original Childie in THE KILLING OF SISTER GEORGE) also spills the beans on the night Colin Farrell tried to get her into bed .... Judi of course was also marvellous in LADIES IN LAVENDER with her pal Dame Maggie - and probably had the best number in the otherwise forgettable NINE ! Dames !