18 Photos of Daryl Hannah as Madison the Mermaid in the 1984 Film “Splash”

Daryl Hannah’s portrayal of Madison the mermaid in the 1984 film Splash was a defining role of her career and a pop culture phenomenon. Her performance was praised for its balance of ethereal innocence, natural swimming grace, and playful wit, helping to make the film a romantic comedy classic.

The fully functional, custom-made mermaid tail worn by Hannah weighed 35 pounds and took approximately three hours to put on. Hannah, who had a childhood fascination with The Little Mermaid and often swam with her legs bound, performed all her own underwater stunts. She swam so quickly in the tail that the underwater safety team often struggled to keep up with her.

In the film, Tom Hanks’ character, Allen Bauer, names the mermaid Madison after a street sign (Madison Avenue) in New York City. This is widely credited with the name's surge in popularity as a girl’s name in the following decades.

Despite the on-screen magic, filming was physically demanding. The long hours in the water and the heavy, restrictive tail meant Hannah often had to be lifted by crane during lunch breaks and was fed by cast members while remaining wet.

Splash, directed by Ron Howard, was the first film released under the Touchstone Pictures label, a Disney subsidiary created to produce content with more mature themes for an adult audience. The film was critically and commercially successful, earning over $69 million on an $11 million budget, making it the tenth-highest-grossing film of 1984, and received praise for the acting, humor, and chemistry between Hanks and Hannah.

See more»

James Dean Photographed During Rehearsals for “The Thief” in New York City, 1954

These photographs of James Dean were taken by his friend, photographer Roy Schatt, in 1954. The photos were taken in his New York City apartment and during rehearsals for the play The Thief.

The images depict Dean in various candid moments, sometimes “playing” with a statuette reproducing Rodin’s “The Thinker,” or simply lost in thought, offering a glimpse into his creative process during his New York theater days before he became a major film star.

“Dean didn’t always stick to the script.” – Roy Schatt

Schatt was the official photographer for the Actors Studio, where Dean was a student. The two became friends, and Dean, who had an interest in photography himself, even received mentorship from Schatt.

30 Elegant Photos That Show Women’s Hat Styles in the Late Victorian Era

The late Victorian era saw a significant transition in women’s headwear, moving away from the smaller, face-framing bonnets of earlier decades towards diverse and often larger, more elaborate hats.

As hairstyles grew fuller and were piled high on the head, hats became designed to perch atop this elaborate coiffure. Popular styles included the Toque (a small-crowned, close-fitting hat), and various wide-brimmed hats with upturned brims, often associated with the emerging “Gibson Girl” look of the 1890s. Extravagant trimmings were the hallmark of the period, with hats lavishly decorated with feathers (sometimes whole, stuffed birds), silk flowers, ribbons, lace, and buckles.

Towards the end of the century, more masculine styles, such as the simple straw Boater hat, also gained popularity for sporting activities and less formal outings. These hats were secured to the hair using long hatpins to ensure they stayed in place despite their substantial size and decoration.

See more»

A Gallery of 50 Amazing Portraits of Ozzy Osbourne in the 1980s

In the 1980s, Ozzy Osbourne (December 3, 1948 – July 22, 2025) established a highly successful solo career after being fired from Black Sabbath, reinventing himself as an arena rock star known for both influential music and controversial, wild antics.

Fired from Black Sabbath in 1979 due to his severe drug and alcohol problems, Osbourne was in a bad place financially and mentally at the dawn of the decade. His future wife and manager, Sharon Arden (later Sharon Osbourne), took charge, helping him assemble a new backing band. This led to a major career renaissance that ultimately overshadowed his former band.

In 1980, he released his debut solo album, Blizzard of Ozz, which achieved multi-platinum status and featured hits like “Crazy Train” and “Mr. Crowley.” The album showcased his collaboration with the talented young guitarist Randy Rhoads, whose blend of classical influence and raw energy became a defining characteristic of Ozzy’s early solo work.

He quickly followed up with another successful album, Diary of a Madman (1981), before the tragic death of Rhoads in a 1982 plane crash. Throughout the decade, Osbourne released several more multi-platinum albums and became an MTV staple, bringing heavy metal into the arena rock era. 

Ozzy became known for his extreme stage antics and offstage behavior, which garnered significant media attention and controversy. In 1982, during a show in Des Moines, Iowa, a fan threw a bat onto the stage. Believing it to be a rubber prop, Osbourne bit off its head, an infamous moment that required him to receive rabies shots. Also in 1982, in San Antonio, Texas, a drunken Osbourne was arrested for urinating on the Alamo Cenotaph, resulting in a 10-year ban from performing in the city.

His theatrics and lyrics led to accusations of promoting Satanism by the Christian right, and he was one of the rock stars targeted by the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC). He continued to struggle significantly with drug and alcohol addiction throughout the decade, which often fueled his erratic behavior and led to professional and personal strife. He eventually sought help at the Betty Ford clinic.

In the 1980s, Ozzy Osbourne transformed from a washed-up former Black Sabbath singer into one of the most iconic and successful solo acts in heavy metal history, a “larger-than-life persona” that ensured his enduring legacy.

See more»

Julian Rose: London’s Forgotten Post-War Couturier

Julian Rose was a prominent but often underappreciated British fashion designer whose eponymous label flourished in London’s Mayfair district, particularly during the post-World War II opulence of the 1950s and early ’60s.

Operating from his fashion house at 52 South Molton Street, Mayfair, London, Rose was known for his glamorous and meticulously crafted evening wear, bridal gowns, and sophisticated day dresses. He was a significant figure in the London couture scene, frequently featured in the editorial pages and advertisements of British Vogue, where his collections were modeled by stars like Barbara Goalen. His designs often embraced the period’s extravagant silhouette, incorporating detailed embellishments like sequins and embroidery.

Although his name may be less familiar today than his contemporaries, Julian Rose was a highly sought-after couturier whose coveted pieces were famously worn by stylish women of the time, including reports of them being seen on Audrey Hepburn.

Barbara Goalen in silk ombré chiffon evening dress by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar, September 1950

Barbara Goalen in an "all occasion" suit from Julian Rose, Vogue UK, February 1951

Barbara Goalen in beautiful velvet and tiered taffeta dress by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar UK, November 1951

Barbara Goalen in cocktail suit in gold and black brocade by Julian Rose, Harper's Bazaar UK, September 1951

Barbara Goalen in evening dress by Julian Rose at Dickins & Jones, Harper's Bazaar UK, October 1951

See more»

30 Publicity Photos From the Set of the 1954 Classic “White Christmas”

White Christmas is a 1954 American musical film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen. Filmed in Technicolor, it features the songs of Irving Berlin, including a new version of the title song, “White Christmas,” introduced by Crosby in the 1942 film Holiday Inn.

Norman Krasna had written the original story, which was intended for Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire. When Astaire was ultimately replaced by Danny Kaye, comedy writers Melvin Frank and Norman Panama were hired to add special material for Kaye. Panama and Frank felt that Krasna’s entire script needed rewriting, and director Michael Curtiz agreed. “It was a torturous eight weeks of rewriting,” said Panama. Frank said that “writing that movie was the worst experience of my life. Norman Krasna was a talented man but ... it was the lousiest story I’d ever heard. It needed a brand new story, one that made sense.” They rewrote the screenplay themselves at $5,000 a week.

Principal photography took place between September and December 1953. The film was the first to be shot using Paramount’s new VistaVision process, with color by Technicolor, and was one of the first to feature the Perspecta directional sound system at limited engagements.

Made on a budget of $2 million, White Christmas earned $12 million in theatrical rentals (equal to $140 million in today), making it the highest-grossing film of 1954. It was also the highest-grossing musical film at the time, and ranks among the top 100 popular movies of all time at the domestic box office when adjusted for inflation and the size of the population in its release year of 1954. Between the original release and subsequent revivals, the film grossed $30 million at the domestic box office.

See more»

Adorable Photos of 13-Year-Old Britney Spears From 1995 Show the Pop Princess as You’ve Never Seen Her

Before she became a pop phenomenon, Britney Spears was just a fresh-faced teen from Louisiana with huge hopes and dreams, and these amazing pictures prove that Britney was destined to be a star. In the photos, which were shot in 1995 by fashion photographer David Baren, 13-year-old Britney posed in a variety of cute ensembles, including a truly ’90s-era denim vest and ripped jeans, and showed off her now-famous dance moves in an abandoned warehouse.

One look consisted of a schoolgirl skirt and tied-up tee, giving a nod to the outfit that would catapult her career just five years later. Alycia Lerer, the artist development manager who worked with Britney in the early 1990s, spoke out about helping her style the look on the set that day, saying, “It’s a good sign because it means I did something right with my styling of her! The whole photo shoot was absolutely the inspiration to her music video.”

Lerer also reflected on the first time she met the young singer, saying, “She was a very sweet girl and very innocent but still very much on the ball. She was a good kid.” She went on to reveal that when she’d be talking business with Britney’s mom, Lynne, “Britney would be singing or dancing,” adding, “Brit was very involved in her own styling too, and was aware of what she did and didn’t like, even at 13.” She went on to describe Britney’s singing voice, saying, “She had the voice of an angel. She sang a Whitney Houston track, ‘The Greatest Love of All,’ and blew me away. I had tears in my eyes.”

See more»