Birthdays, progress, and some wild boys!
OK, lets deal with these in turn, and allow people to catch up on everything.
- Yesterday, a certain, very cute silent movie actress celebrated her birthday in heaven. Yes, hopefully at least some might work out, yes, Gertrude Ormstead was born on November 13th, 1897. No, I’m not really into dead 122 year old’s, but if she was young, and actually fancied me, well… Today in 1906, another famous silent movie actress was born, one who found more fame thanks to OMD, Louise Brooks, but besides that…
- Progress for me. Well, tomorrow marks the halfway point in my treks to Leeds for treatments. Yes, after tomorrow morning, it will be 15 down, and 15 to go, ooh! As I was told this morning, things seem to be going well so far, but we still have plenty more to do, thats for sure. But tomorrow, when I pick up my new supply of steroids I need to take each morning, I’m reducing the daily dose from 2 mg, to 1.5 mg, and if all is fine, might well be down to 1 mg by this time next week. Equally, if I’m not happy with the new dose health wise, I’m to go straight back up, but for now…Just think, I was on 16 mg daily at the time of the surgery!
- The wild boys? While getting your radiotherapy treatments, you get a musical soundtrack played in the room. They’ve got me worked out well, as most mornings up to now, I’ve had the delights of the sort of music I love from the 1960’s. This morning I moved on a decade, to a couple of punk songs from the end of the 70’s. I cant remember the first one now, in truth, believe me, thats what radiotherapy can do to your memory at times. But anyway, as the video will show, it was the second song that had me smiling more anyway. Never thought I’d be laid on a bed, being treated for cancer, and hearing Jimmy Pursey blasting out that song.
- A fact that some will get the comment, others wont, but anyway… I was asked at the end of the session today if I was planning to take my face mask home with me when all this was over. Answer is yes, I thoroughly plan to do so, but… I joked it will need a silver paint job, which I got round by mentioning I’d written science fiction, but lets face it, thats not the whole reason! But yes, I might need someone to do a decent paint job for me, but fine, that would be fun!
Yes, Gertrude nearly lost her soul, with the help of Lon Chaney in ‘The Monster’, could I lose my humanity to a silver face mask, even if only plastic, lol? Then, if I could get matching body suit, giggle.
OK, the video comes from item 3, but I suspect you’d worked it out. Been brave, gone with a live version, but if you want the studio version, not hard to find. Will warn, there are a couple of uses of the f… word in this live version, so if you are of delicate nature?
Just an old fashioned girl
As regular readers might know, I’m an old fashioned girl, into old fashioned dress styles, and old fashioned movies. I seem to cross the period between the end of the silents (the only Lillian Gish film I’ve seen is The Wind), and the early years of talkies, up to about 1939 or there about, though I do love my 50’s sci-fi, probably because of all those robots, lol. But a 20’s sci-fi, crossed with horror, crossed with an adorably cute lady, well…? Not that I suspect most of you will have heard of Gertrude Olmstead, but more might have heard of Lon Chaney, I hope?
Yes, they acted together in a film in 1925, named The Monster, when Lon planned to do wicked things to Gertrude, but beyond ‘very loosely’ restraining her, none of them came to be. Someone described this as horror-satire, and it certainly works as a genre, in the sense that Chaney overacts delightfully, dies in the end, and Gertrude gets to flutter doe eyed looks at a couple of guys (not Chaney) at regular intervals. I will provide a link at the end to the full movie, but its not great film quality (it is nearly 100 years old), it is silent (no musical accompaniment), but if you can take 95 minutes of that, feel free to watch it. If not, just start at about 75 minutes where the ‘horror’ begins, if you wish to see any of it?
Yes, Gertrude is my silent movie crush, guilty as charged. I have no idea what she was like as a person in real life, but given she married only the once, for 42 years, until her husband passed away, I would assume she couldnt have been that hard to live with? Joan Crawford didnt like her, but many would see that as a good thing, lol!
I have actually had this film saved on this free site for a while, but was saving it for the right moment, but thought this weekend was probably it. Yes, it was. If anyone can find, and wants to buy me another recommended Olmstead film, California Straight Ahead in a version that works in the UK (cant find it online, and only US Zone DVD), I’d be so grateful. (Thanks to @MoviesSilently on Twitter for that tip)
But yes, if I had got the chance to do naughty things to a young Gertrude Olmstead, I might not have said no, so…
Right, firstly the video. This is old fashioned in more senses than one, though it might be handy if I could find myself an old fashioned millionaire, lol
Secondly, for anyone who wants to see my secret silent movie crush (even if I’m 100% certain she had no lesbian inclinations)
And who would you like to date today?
(Disclaimer for those who need it: There is zero evidence that Gertrude Olmstead was bisexual, lesbian, or any other sexual preference except straight, so despite comments here, her honour should be treated accordingly. Indeed she was married happily for 42 years, until her husband passed away. However, she seems to have had more than a few shots taken, gender cross style, so who knows?)
As someone who (all too often) went out on dates as a man, for obvious reasons at the time, I do think its a bit of a shame that I’ve never got to do a proper date as a woman. Clearly I’ve done group meals as a woman, and indeed had a few dinners alone with Eric, but nothing in a romantic sense, though some of the restaurants might have thought otherwise. No, I’ve never done an actual date with a woman, as a woman, now that might be fun too!
But how about the ultimate in amusement, a date, me dressed utterly feminine, and a woman, dressed in a more male style? Therefore, when I saw these two pictures of said lady, Gertrude Olmstead, on one of the vintage Facebook groups recently, it did amuse me that I fancied her in both styles
Twist my arm, an all girl date would be heaven. But seriously, her dressed like that, as a man, oh goodness, I could easily swoon in his arms, and let ‘him’ have ‘his’ wicked way with me! As I say, checking her out on Google images, this is far from her only ‘boyish’ image, but its wrong for me to suggest anything more than for film roles, or promotion shots?
But fine (she died in 1975, aged 77), post my SRS surgery, her with a strap on, I could just be in heaven! Is it silly to want to have sex with a woman dressed as a man that way? Oh, and I’ve found an earlier shot of Gertrude, where I could very happily swap places with her!
I know, you could soon get your arms out of there, but I doubt I’d want to, given its Lon Chaney threatening to do something evil to her, back in 1925!
So yes, RIP Gertrude Olmstead (1897-1975), and please forgive me this little piece of wishful thinking. But yes, take it from me, you have the style to look gorgeous as both a woman, and a man!
The video, another woman that seemingly I could fancy as a woman, and with the right, minimal makeover, as a man, Laura Branigan. Apt title, lol!
stevielounicks 
Recent Comments