Mabel Williams was the inspiriation and face for Lash-Brow-Ine ads in 1915, followed by silent film star, Ethel Clayton.
Mabel Williams
Ethel Clayton
Ethel Clayton (November 8, 1882 — June 6, 1966) was an American actress of the silent film era. Clayton's screen debut came in 1909, in a short called Justified. She jockeyed her early film appearances with a burgeoning stage career. Her pretty blond looks were reminiscient of the famous Gibson Girl drawings by Charles Dana Gibson. On the stage she appeared mainly in musicals or musical reviews such as The Ziegfeld Follies of 1911. These musical appearances indicate a singing talent Clayton may have possessed but went unused in her many silent screen performances.
Read more about Mabel Williams and her tremendous contribution to brother, Tom Lyle Williams, Maybelline Company, in the Maybelline Story. Pick up your copy of The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It at Barnes and Nobel, Amazon, or buy a signed copy from maybellinestory.com. Also now available on Kindle and ebook for the Nook.
The Maybelline Story at Barnes and Noble, in the Americana Mall, Glendale California,
Is now available on ebooks for your Nook. Here I am holding the new Nook with the Maybelline Story.
While I was there I signed a few copies of my book and discussed scheduling a book signing for the near future.
My old friend, Tama Walley, was in town from Mali, West Africa, promoting her charity, Instruments 4 Africa and checking out the Maybelline Story with my new friend, Candace Savalas, who by the way is the daughter of actor Telly Savalas aka Kojak "Who Loves Ya Baby?"
Candace Savalas is in the process of writing her father's story in a memoir she hopes to publish soon.
A tribute to my yoga teacher Jason Winn, whose encouragement helped make it possible for me to complete my book, The Maybelline Story.
With his support, a momentum built that took me places in my consciousness I might never have achieved on my own. I want to thank Jason with all my heart for the many gifts I received as his dedicated student for many years.
Jason Winn's studio in Laguna Beach, which he opened with his sister Melissa, was known as an oasis for yogis who traveled from all over the world to take class from him.
A teacher who lead by example, Jason was wise and strong enough to give correction to posture exactly when needed – objectively, encouragingly and always from his heart. During recent years, Jason dedicated time to the US Yoga Federation on its journey to the Olympics. He was the shining star in the Bikram Yoga community
Melissa Winn Carrier: "- click here to see a picture of Jason when we all went to see Star Wars for his Birthday in 2002. Can you pick me out in the group?
Click below for a tribute to Jason Winn.
There was a memorial service for Jason on Sunday, June 27, 1010 in Santa Barbara. For more information, visit his Facebook fanpage, Jason Winn or his website: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-50qpheRnYg
Maybelline was synonymous with fashion, style and indisputable Hollywood glamor. Here are a few of Tom Lyle's favorite movie queens of the silver screen during the 1940's.
Dorothy Lamour starred in the "Road to..." movie series with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in the 1940s and 1950s. The movies were enormously popular during the 1940s, and they regularly placed among the top moneymaking films each year
The Unique Beauty of Gene Tierney - Excerpted from Michael Atkinson's essay, Dec 1994 Movieline magazine. "Among faces, Gene Tierney's is a tournament rose, an Opaline study in serene, sexualized perfection, a mad musky Egyptian daydream of cat thoughts."
Lana Turner was discovered and signed to a film contract by MGM at the age of sixteen.
Joan Crawford is the movies personified. The embodiment of the American Dream and the official face of Maybelline in the 1940's.
Known for her sultry good looks Merle Oberon played Cathy Linton in Wuthering Heights with Laurence Olivier in 1939. The 1940's proved to be a very busy decade where she appeared in no less than 15 movies.
Click on videos below for Scrapbook of beautiful 1940 stars - many gorgeous faces used in Maybelline Ads - Tom Lyle sure knew how to pick-em.
Alice Faye illustrated in this Ad was considered Tom Lyle's ideal Maybelline image and he kept a framed 8 by 10 photo of her on his baby grand piano for years next to a vase of long stem red roses.
A giant neon Maybelline sign with Alice Faye's Eyes stood in the middle of Times Square and was shot in a scene for Alexander's Ragtime Band.
Alice advertises both Lux Soap and Lillian Russell in this ad. An example of a studio selling their stars and making deals with other companies at the same time to promote their products.
Click to see a video of Alice Faye in Alexander's Ragtime Band.
Alice Faye introduced almost twice as many 'Hit Parade' songs in her movies (23) as each of her closest competitors: Judy Garland (13), Betty Grable (12) and Doris Day (12).
Faye starred in the Technicolor musical Hello, Frisco, Hello. Released at the height of World War II, the film became one of Faye's personal favorites and one of her highest-grossing pictures for Fox. It was in this film that Faye sang "You'll Never Know." The song won the Academy Award for Best Song for 1943 and the sheet music for the song sold over a million copies. However, since there was a clause in her contract (as was the case with most other Fox stars) stating that she could not officially record any of her movie songs, other singers like Dick Haymes (whose version hit #1 for four weeks), Frank Sinatra, and Rosemary Clooney have been more associated with the song than Faye. However, it is still often considered Faye's signature song. That year, Faye was once again named one of the top box office draws in the world.
Read more about the beautiful, talented top box office star Alice Faye and her friendship with Tom Lyle Williams in
The Maybelline Story and the Spirited Family Dynasty Behind It.
Tom Lyle's dear friend Alice Faye has a Stay on the Walk Of Fame in Hollywood, but I don't think he'll be chosen this year. Though Tom Lyle pioneered the Hollywood Star System, he didn't work directly in the studio like Max Factor. Tom Lyle may not of made-up the stars for films but he helped skyrocket them to fame through placement in Maybelline ads. Alice Faye shown in the Lux ad above is a perfect example of what Tom Lyle did for Hollywood starlets and super stars. You must read the book to learn more of it. Thank you for following the Maybelline Blog.
Maybelline's Glamorous Super Model and film Goddess Rita Hayworth - a favorite GI Pin Up Girl.
In the 1930s, Rita Hayworth (1918-1987) was confined to leads in "B" pictures, but through much of the 1940s she became the undisputed sex goddess of Hollywood films and the hottest star at Columbia Studios.
Whether illuminating the screen with a song and dance or beaming from a magazine photo, Rita Hayworth was an unforgettable sight. Capitalizing on her inherited beauty and talent to become a legendary motion picture star, Hayworth captured the hearts of countless American servicemen during the 1940s. At her peak, she epitomized American beauty,
Every woman in the world wanted the sex appeal love goddess, Rita Hayworth exuded on camera with her bedroom eye's batting from the silver screen. Every serviceman dreamed of coming home to a doll like the voluptuous Rita Hayworth and Tom Lyle capitalized on her selling power. During the World War ll in America romance was portrayed in every advertisement from the beauty of Maybelline eyes to the chic sex appeal of Chesterfield cigarettes. Young love meant morale building and that encouraged the boys fighting for their country to come home soon. Rita Hayworth epitomised, youth, energy, romance and hope for bright future, a better future. She was the seductive siren who called the boy's home with a glint of promise in her beautiful Maybelline eyes.
Who wouldn't want to come home to a sex goddess like glamorous, sexy, gorgeous Rita Hayworth! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q1SMBjfSjI click here to see Rita singing in her famous 1946 film, Gilda (1946) - a black-and-white film noir directed by Charles Vidor. It stars Glenn Ford and Rita Hayworth in her signature role as the ultimate femme fatale. Read more about Maybelline and the Hollywood Star System in The Maybelline Story. Buy your copy form Amazon for a greatly reduced price today.
Betty Grable was featured in a Maybelline Ad in the Sunday Paper doing a Before and After sequince while Grable was staring in Du Barry Was a Lady an Original Broadway Production in 1940. Grable was known for her million dollar legs posing as a famous Pin Up Girl during World War 11.
Betty Grable on the cover of Life Magazine December 11, 1939 - A Musical Comedy in Two Acts Music and Lyrics by Cole Porter Book by Herbert Fields and B. G. De Sylva Tryouts began November 9, 1939 at the Shubert Theatre, New Haven November 13, 1939 at the Shubert Theatre, Boston November 27, 1939 at the Forrest Theatre, Philadelphia Opened December 6, 1939 at the 46th Street Theatre, NYC Transferred October 21, 1940 to the Royale Theatre Closed December 12, 1940; Ran for 408 performances
In 1940 Grable was also featured in 20TH Century Fox Pictures "Down Argentine Way," as well as on this full page color Maybelline ad. Down Argentine Way (1940) Musical. Cast: Betty Grable's first leading role, and introduced Carmen Miranda to America. Don Ameche, The Nicholas Brothers, Charlotte Greenwood and J. Carrol Naish. Director: Irving Cummings. Producer: Darryl F. Zanuck. Cinematography: Leon Shamroy and Ray Rennahan. Costumes: Travis Banton.
Read more about Betty Grable during the filming of Down Argentine Way and why she was chosen for the film and the Maybelline Ad over Alice Faye, in The Maybelline Story. Purchase the book from Amazon or a signed copy from Sharrie on this website.
Hedy Lamarr - known as the "Most Beautiful Woman in the World." So naturally Tom Lyle chose her as one of his "Most Beautiful Maybelline Faces of the Decade."
Hedy Lamarr was was an Austrian-American actress known primarily for her extraordinary beauty and her celebrity in a film career as a major contract star of MGM's "Golden Age".
Exotic and liberated Hedy Lamarr was known as the ultimate Pin Up Girl during World War 11. Maybelline used her image to target the 30 somethings rather than the teen market where up coming starlets ruled the day. Tom Lyle targeted every aspect of the female market during the decades but none were more prosperous then the mature woman until the Baby Boom came of age in the 1960's.
Hedy Lamar video. click here. More Maybelline Super Stars during the 1940's next week... also you can but the Maybelline Story and lean more about Tom Lyle's genius for advertising and marketing in The Maybelline Story. Buy a copy from Amazon for a greatly reduced price today, you will love it.
Marjorie Woodworth, a true California Girl, born in 1923, captured the teen-market at 15, when she played a Baton Twirler in Alexander's Ragtime Band, (staring Tyrone Power, Alice Faye and Don Amechein 1938.) Woodworth was discovered and being groomed by 20Th Century Fox to be the next Blond Bombshell much like Jean Harlow, Bettie Grable and Alice Faye.
Like so many young starlets Tom Lyle contracted to do full page, glossy color print ads for Maybelline, Woodworth aspired to be a Super Star but never made it to the top. However she did become a favorite GI Pin Up Girl during World War 11 and drove the youth-market into dime stores where they purchased truck loads of Maybelline.
Woodworth played a featured role in the Musical Comedy, Broadway Limited is a 1941, (directed by Gordon Douglas, starring Victor McLaglen, Dennis O'Keefe, Patsy Kelly, and Zasu Pitts.) She was known as the All American Co-Ed, and cast in the 1941 film All American Co-Ed.
The Girl Next Door, Pin Up Girl, Blond Bomb Shell and the next Jean Harlow - Woodworth created the perfect image for Maybelline during the early 1940's when teenage age girls gained spending power and developed their own identity. The average high school girl with an extra dime for a 10 cent box of Maybelline might easily change herself into a glamorous Star with a few strokes of a little black brush.
18 year old Marjorie Woodworth lead the parade as teenage girls came of age during the WAR YEARS.
Pick up your copy of The Maybelline Story and see how my mother, Pauline Mac Donald, Bill Williams girl friend was transformed into his favorite high school sex symbol, Marjorie Woodworth, with a little Maybelline on her eyes when she was 15.
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