To have a memory is to be a radical

A Star Lit Halloween

Here's the last of this year's Halloween graphics,
from the days when Hollywood was the prime image maker...




Clara Bow



Betty Grable

 

Judy Garland

  

Grace Bradley

 

Nan Grey

 

Nan Grey



1950's Gay Halloween party - that's George Maharis on the right

 

Boris Karloff



 

Alfred Hitchcock



Bert Lahr

 

Maila "Vampira" Nurmi.




Elvira, Mistress of the Dark




Lon Chaney Sr, in the two strip technicolor Bal Masque Sequence from the silent version of The Phantom of the Opera




Baby Jane Hudson and Blanche Hudson



Gooble Goble, Gooble Goble, One of us, One of Us.

The Exorcist

The Village Halloween Parade - part two

Somewhere along the way, they began closing down Christopher Street after the parade - every one headed over there anyway, to see and be seen, and to continue the party. As the after parade caught on, there started to be too many people packed onto Christopher Street. One year it was exceptionally crowded - the fleet was in town. At the block where Christoper meets 7th Avenue, it was just a little tighter than shoulder to shoulder. A car was parked a few feet from the intersection. It wasn't going to be able to move for quite some time. One of the local tv stations showed up to get footage for the 11:00pm news. What had been a slight breeze picked up speed a bit. Suddenly, the news crew turned on a spotlight. And in that very instant, a drag queen  gussied up as Diana Ross jumped onto the car's hood and began to strike various Diana Ross poses. Her long hair billowed in the breeze. She was directly in the center of the camera's spotlight. As everyone turned to see what was going on with the sudden appearance of the spot, they saw the vision. What sounded like a thousand people began to cheer. It was wonderful.

Kids from the suburbs began to come to the parade to see the sights, quite often they were more than a wee bit tipsy. The "vibe" of the parade began to change. It was moved from the Village's streets to 6th Avenue. Our neighborhood parade had grown too large, and it just wasn't the same anymore. I haven't lived in the Village for, what, 25 years or so. The parade has become a huge annual blockbuster event. I tried to find pictures of the parade back when, but all I could find were shots from the last few years. On YouTube, I stumbled upon footage from the 2008 parade. A contingent of zombies seemed to be next up. Suddenly music started. Someone dressed as Michael Jackson stepped forward and began dancing - with a few hundred zombies - recreating the dance from "Thriller". There is hope for the parade yet.

I hope you had a great Halloween