Some relaxing time with Kyle and Alison 1980s

Some relaxing time with Kyle and Alison 1980s

I discovered these in a folder on my desktop, I’m really not sure where these came from or who possibly sent me them? But they are certainly nice shots. The pictures show Clint relaxing with both Kyle and Alison – looking at the terrain, I can only assume this is in Carmel. If I had to guess a date for these, I would probably say around 1983/4. A couple of nice shots that I didn’t want lost. 

Clint at the RFK Tennis tournament - Forest Hills, New York City, August 27th 1977.

Clint at the RFK Tennis tournament - Forest Hills, New York City, August 27th 1977

Firstly, a bit of background information and some great rare photos. So, what were the RFK tournaments? The annual Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Tennis Tournament began at the West Side Tennis Club and carried on throughout the ’70s. It was a celebrity pro-am tournament that saw stars paired with professional male and female players in several tennis matches. Plenty of big Hollywood celebs made appearances at the event over the years. The purpose of the tournament was to raise money for RFK charity programs through entry costs. Both players and observers were charged, with celebrity entry costing $2,500 (over $10,000 by today’s standard) and observer entry costing anywhere between $5 and $100 (up to $480 by today’s standard). 

Below: The Proham for the 1977 event

As could be expected, a considerable number of Kennedy family members opened their schedules every year to attend the memorial for their late kin. Brothers and sisters of Robert, as well as nieces and nephews, gathered in the stands and laced up their tennis shoes to watch and to play as both celebrities and professionals rallied back and forth on the court.

Some notable members of the Kennedy clan that attended the event included Ethel, Ted, and Eunice Kennedy. Often spotted together while watching the tennis matches were John F. Kennedy Jr., Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver, and Jackie Kennedy.

The stars were ready to grab their rackets

Considering it was a celebrity event; it’s no surprise that some of the biggest stars of the time made their appearances at the RFK Tennis Tournaments. Every year, viewers could spot a variety of actors, singers, models, and other entertainers in the stands and on the courts. Some names include Chevy Chase, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dustin Hoffman, Valerie Perrine, Clint Eastwood, Cheryl Tiegs, and many more.

Below: While the tennis tournament was for a good cause, many celebrities took the opportunity to flaunt their personal “tennis club” style, wearing preppy attire they would not be seen in otherwise. Some even decided to show off what they had going on underneath their clothes

Put a group of celebrities in a room together and they’re bound to socialize. Singers were seen shaking hands with politicians while athletes shared jokes with actors. It was a unique experience that put a lot of America’s most famous names in direct contact with one another, making for some pretty incredible photographs.

So, as this event took place almost exactly 48 years ago this month, I thought I would post a nice full set of 18 photos from this event. *The 18 negatives here are from my own personal collection; I have left the original watermarks on them from when I originally obtained the negatives. I know this is a slight distraction and takes away some of their charm, but unfortunately there are still people out there who continue to steal and use images simply in order to profit from them. I really don’t mind sharing However, I didn’t buy these so that other may earn money and profit from them. That just isn’t right. Many Thanks. 

Novelty Stamps: Fake but First Class

Novelty Stamps: Fake but First Class

To be completely honest, I have a fair amount of these ‘quirky collectables’, totally worthless of course, but nevertheless often irresistible. I will have to get some other examples scanned and put here on the same page. 

I thought I’d kick off with this latest one I acquired a few weeks back, which feature Clint as Coogan as well as the Triumph TR6 motorbike. But of course, nothing is quite what it seems, in fact the bike featured on the stamp has a whole different story. Our resident Triumph expert Davy Triumph explained, ‘The image on the stamp is undoubtedly a TR6 but this is a "Pre Unit" construction which dates to around 1961/2. These were phased out early 60s in favour of the Unit construction engines. Coogan’s Bluff features Don Stroud riding a 1968 500cc Triumph Daytona T100, while Eastwood rides a 1968 Triumph Trophy TR6 650cc’

Clint and Don comparing CC

Below: The Coogan's Bluff novelty stamp

Lots more to come…

Here we A Go-Go again!

Here we A Go-Go again!

I have to thank our friend Kevin Walsh for coming up again with another variant of the For A Few Dollars More A-Go-Go Theme. This one has popped up in various guises, but I don’t think I have seen this one before which is nice and vivid. Performed by the Man Chau Po Orchestra, this Stereo 7” EP (MEP. 5) was released in Hong Kong in 1966. The more familiarly seen version is the Singapore release (REP 511) of the same year. 

As well as the Eastwood related content (For A Few Dollars More, Per Qualche Dollaro In Piu' and Titoli), the record also included A-Go-Go from River Kwai – you just have to love it. 

Below: Probably the more familiar design of the same release, this version came from Singapore

Rare UK Rowdy Single finally comes home!

Rare UK Rowdy Single finally comes home!

It was nice to finally put this to bed last month. It's not that they haven't come along before, but often due to the thin paper sleeve, copies of Clint's UK 7” single release Rowdy / Cowboy Wedding Song (1962) often show up badly beaten, torn, crushed up and stained - and still at an incredibly expensive price - a price I wouldn’t' of minded paying IF the quality was there... So a few have come along, and generally I’d decided to let go – opting instead to wait for the next Bus to come along. 

Thankfully all the stars were aligned last month when this beautiful example came my way. haggled a bit on the price, and finally settled on a mutually acceptable figure. 

It's so ironic, because I have rarer demo pressings of the single - but still needed the elusive UK picture sleeve release. I still believe the UK release was the only one to come in a picture sleeve. 

It’s been a long time coming, but proof enough that everything eventually comes to those who wait.

Below: The original flyer from Cameo Parkway Records, February 19th, 1963

Clint on the set of Space Cowboys

Clint on the set of Space Cowboys

I spotted this rare still of Clint on the web some months ago - I hadn't seen it before so thought it was worth saving. I like the name sticker on the floor, just to avoid any confusion as to where Clint is seated.

Actress Loni Anderson dies aged 79

Actress Loni Anderson dies aged 79. 

Whist Loni Anderson wasn’t ‘directly’ linked with Clint, she was nevertheless part of that 1984 crowd that came out of that whole City Heat period. Anderson, who died after a long illness, gained her greatest recognition on screen in the American sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, playing Jennifer Marlowe, the intelligent, cool and collected receptionist at a flagging Ohio radio station.

The 1983 film Stroker Ace, starred Burt Reynolds as an arrogant racing driver alongside Loni Anderson. The action comedy was deemed a flop by the public and critics, leading Reynolds to say that it was responsible for his career nosediving. 

The off-screen romance between Anderson and Reynolds led in 1988 to their marriage, his second, her third. The ceremony, in a purpose-built chapel at Reynolds’s Florida ranch, was top-secret, although pictures were released of Anderson wearing a canary-yellow, seven-carat diamond ring. “I feel like Cinderella,” she said. “I married Prince Charming.”

But an acrimonious divorce followed six years later, with Reynolds saying: “She bought everything in triplicate, from everyday dresses to jewellery, to China and linens.” He added that he gave her a platinum American Express card with a $45,000 credit limit that she “maxed out in half an hour”. Both claimed infidelity by the other.

RIP

Sssss*** teams up with High Plains Drifter

 Sssss*** teams up with High Plains Drifter

Yes, overall, the year of 1973 was a pretty ok year for Universal, Clint’s studio offering that year featured High Plains Drifter. However, there were also some really disappointing offerings from the studio, no more so than Sssssss (which could have stood for Shit) but instead represented the Ssssss of snake in this quite awful Horror movie starring Strother Martin, Dirk Benedict, and Heather Menzies. 

Probably due to disappointing box office, Sssssss also ended up paired with none other than Clint’s High Plains Drifter! Yes, I’ve seen High Plains Drifter doubled up with some titles in the past, but this piece of garbage? I’m struggling to try and find any sort of connection – but I’ll be damned if I can?

Anyway, proof (if it were ever needed) below – courtesy (I think) of our friend Davy Triumph   

Photo Opportunity #64 Clint with Elliott Kastner

Photo Opportunity #64 Clint with Elliott Kastner

July has been a pretty quiet month, apologies to all, but I’m still up the hospital at least 3 times a week, and a minimum of 4 hours a time, - which is both tiring and draining. Thank you for all your continued kind wishes and understanding.

For this month’s Photo Opportunity, I’ve pulled out this cracking shot of Where Eagles Dare producer Elliott Kastner on the MGM cable car set with Clint in between shooting.