R. I. P.: Gina Lollobrigida

I've not had a chance until now to mention that famed Italian actress and photojournalist Gina Lollobrigida passed away on January 16th, aged 95.  Although she was one of the most beautiful women in the world and a Big Name when I was a kid, I don't remember seeing any of her movies. 

But a few years ago, M.P. and I discovered the delightful romcom Come September (1961), which features Gina and Rock Hudson at the peak of their gorgeousness.  Lovely Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin are the junior leads, and the scenery on the Italian Riviera is superb.  If you haven't seen it, fellas, you certainly should - it's thoroughly entertaining from start to finish, and the ending is hilarious! 

Here's a couple of peeks for you:

 

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Sunday Drive: Autumn Leaves

As sung so beautifully by Miss Doris Day, 1956:

 

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Gomer Got Married

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

And now we know: Jim Nabors married his longtime companion Stan Cadwallader during a visit to Seattle this month.

Hawaii News Now - KGMB and KHNL

The guys have been a couple for 38 years, though Nabors has never been officially out until now. All good wishes to them, and more happy years together.

I know some of you fellas around my age will remember that in the winter of 1971-72, when the new meaning of gay had just barely begun to trickle into people's minds down here in the Southland, there was a funny story going around that Rock Hudson and Jim Nabors had gotten married. Which everybody laughed at because of course the idea of two men getting married was completely ludicrous in that day and time; and also, nobody could picture those two very opposite types making any kind of couple.

But there was a grain or two of truth buried in that garbled story, wasn't there.


Update: Snopes.com has the origins of the story.