Robert De Niro and Michael Jackson on the Set of “Smooth Criminal”

In 1987, while Michael Jackson was filming the Smooth Criminal short film, his friend Robert De Niro arrived on set, driven simply by admiration and curiosity.

Between takes, De Niro watched Michael rehearse his steps, perfecting every detail with almost maniacal precision. He wasn’t there to shoot, nor for the spotlight. Just to witness with his own eyes a genius in action.

This behind the scenes encounter is a little-known moment that brought together two of the most influential figures in music and cinema at the peak of their careers.

Romantic Photos of Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo From “Fort Dobbs” (1958)

Fort Dobbs is a 1958 American Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo. Set during the French and Indian War, the film follows Sergeant Clint Keyes (played by Walker), a tough and resourceful soldier tasked with protecting settlers on the frontier from hostile Native American tribes allied with the French.

The story centers on Keyes escorting a group of settlers, including a strong-willed woman named Cynthia Dobbs (Virginia Mayo), to safety as they seek refuge at Fort Dobbs. The film combines action, suspense, and drama as they face ambushes, wilderness dangers, and conflicts along the way.

Known for its rugged outdoor cinematography and classic Western themes, Fort Dobbs reflects the genre’s 1950s popularity while highlighting frontier survival and courage. Take a look at these romantic photos capturing Clint Walker and Virginia Mayo together during the filming of Fort Dobbs in 1958.

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26 Fun and Candid Polaroid Snaps From the Making of “Twin Peaks”

These behind the scenes Polaroids from the show Twin Peaks were used for continuity and also for fun, capturing candid moments on set. These Polaroids, taken by the on-set dresser, Mike Malone, served as a visual record for set details, like the placement of props, to maintain consistency between scenes. Additionally, the Polaroid camera was used to take informal, behind the scenes photos with humorous captions.

“Back in the day, the only way to keep track of continuity for set, for example: a certain blanket was lying over a couch, or a certain pillow was in a certain position, you take a Polaroid of it, and you mark that for this scene, this is there, then you have a record.  But in our youthful hijinks, we would use the Polaroid [camera] to take funny pictures behind the scenes and put funny captions on the Polaroids.  There are a lot of Polaroids out there that don’t have anything to do with continuity, let’s put it that way!”

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30 Photos of English New Wave Band Bow Wow Wow in the 1980s

Bow Wow Wow are an English new wave band, created by manager Malcolm McLaren in 1980. McLaren recruited members of Adam and the Ants to form the band with then 13-year-old Annabella Lwin on lead vocals.

The band’s music was characterized by a danceable new wave sound that drew on a Burundi beat provided by Dave Barbarossa on drums, as well as the subversive, suggestive, and sometimes exuberant lyrics sung and chanted by their teenage lead vocalist.

Their debut single, “C·30 C·60 C·90 Go!,” released in July 1980, was groundbreaking as the world’s first-ever cassette single. In November 1980, they released a cassette-only mini-album, Your Cassette Pet, which included tracks like “Sexy Eiffel Towers” that sparked early controversy due to suggestive moaning from the then-14-year-old Lwin.

Their first full-length album, See Jungle! See Jungle! Go Join Your Gang Yeah, City All Over! Go Ape Crazy!, was released in October 1981 after they signed with RCA. Their 1983 album, When the Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going, opened with the track “Aphrodisiac,” which, despite Lwin being only 16 at the time of its release, featured lyrics about drug-fueled sexual encounters.

The original lineup of Bow Wow Wow disbanded in 1983. Lwin pursued a solo career, while the male members (Ashman, Gorman, and Barbarossa) went on to form the band Chiefs of Relief.

Bow Wow Wow's legacy lies in their unique sound, their pioneering use of the cassette single, and the indelible mark they left on new wave music, even amidst the constant scrutiny and controversy surrounding their image and management.

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Gorgeous Photos of Lisa Ferraday in the 1950s

Lisa Ferraday (1921–2004) was a Romanian-American actress and model known for her elegant presence in Hollywood films during the 1950s. Born in Arad, Romania, to a Transylvanian diplomat, she grew up in Europe and worked for the Red Cross during World War II, surviving imprisonment by Soviet authorities.

After moving to the U.S. in 1948, Ferraday began acting in films such as China Corsair (1951), Rancho Notorious (1952), and Death of a Scoundrel (1956). She also worked in radio, theater, and television, and briefly as a disc jockey. Ferraday married twice and had one daughter. She died in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2004.

Take a look at these gorgeous photos to see portraits of Lisa Ferraday in the 1950s.

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Crowd at Coney Island During the July Heatwave in 1940

Weegee’s photograph, “Crowd at Coney Island,” taken on July 21, 1940, captures a bustling scene of people enjoying a hot summer day at the beach. The photograph, published in the newspaper PM, depicts a massive crowd under a temperature of 89 degrees, with the caption “They came early, stayed late.”

People came to Coney Island for the salt water. Many of them spend the day and night and spend no more than 25 cents. They came with their bathing suits under their clothes, or they negotiated a furtive quick change under the boardwalk. Perhaps they brought a few sandwiches. Or maybe they will buy a few frankfurters... The beach policemen testify that there are youths who spend the whole summer on the beach and never pay a nickel’s rent.

Weegee, whose real name was Arthur Fellig, was a master of capturing candid moments. He was known for using a variety of techniques, including infrared film to shoot at night without being noticed, to document the underbelly and everyday life of New York.

“At Coney I had two kosher frankfurters and two beers at a Jewish delicatessen...” said Weegee. “Later on for a chaser I had five more beers, a malted milk, two root beers, three Coca Colas and two glasses of buttermilk. And five cigars, costing 19 cents.”

Amazing Photos of the 1934 Auburn Twelve Salon Speedster

The 1934 Auburn Twelve Salon Speedster stands as one of the most iconic and striking examples of pre-war American automotive design. Produced by the Auburn Automobile Company, this car epitomized the daring spirit and luxurious innovation of the Art Deco era. With its sleek, boat-tail rear end and sweeping fenders, the Speedster was as much a work of art as it was a machine.

At its heart was a powerful 160-horsepower, 6.4-liter (391-cubic inch) V12 engine—hence the “Twelve” in its name—engineered by Lycoming, a company also owned by Auburn's parent corporation. The engine was mated to a three-speed manual transmission with a unique dual-ratio rear axle system, effectively offering six forward speeds and exceptional flexibility. This allowed the Speedster to cruise effortlessly at high speeds, and in fact, Auburn guaranteed that every model was capable of exceeding 100 mph, a staggering claim for the time.

The “Salon” designation marked it as an elite model, featuring the finest materials, hand-finished details, and Auburn’s most advanced technology. Signature design elements included chrome-plated exhaust pipes arching from the engine bay, a sharply raked windshield, and artful interior flourishes like machine-turned dash panels and premium leather trim.

Despite its brilliance, the Speedster was born into hard times. The Great Depression had taken a massive toll on luxury car sales, and Auburn—under the direction of the flamboyant E.L. Cord—struggled to stay afloat. Although the Twelve Salon Speedster garnered attention for its performance and aesthetics, it could not reverse the company’s fortunes. Auburn ceased production in 1937, just a few years after this masterpiece debuted.

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