Pawsome Pet Pictures: Cher.

Personal Quote:

I haven't a clue why I've lasted so long. There's no reason. There are many people more talented than me. I think it's luck.

Classic TV Blog Association: The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

Whenever I think of the 70's popular TV shows, The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour, is at the top of my list. My mother and I always looked forward to watching, The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour a variety show every week. We could hardly wait to see Cher's costumes, which were always amazing. The show premiered on August 1971. After, Sonny and Cher had stopped making albums and Cher's first feature film, Chastity, was not a success. The couple decided to sing and tell jokes in nightclubs across the country. CBS head of programming Fred Silverman saw them one evening and offered them their own show. Originally The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour was supposed to be a summer replacement series, but high ratings Silverman decided to give them a permanent spot on the schedule.

Each episode would open with the show's theme song, "The Beat Goes On".

Video: "The Beat Goes On".



In each episode:

Sonny would allow Cher to put down him down in a comic manner.

   

There was many corny comedy skits, mixed in with musical numbers:

One of my favorite skits was the cheesy weekly she's a V-A-M-P, vamp.": This skit was introduced with a song sung by Cher.

Video: She's a V-A-M-P, vamp.





In another skit, Cher played a business executive, in a three-piece suit. She would come home to Sonny, a house-husband worn down by housework and Sonny would complain about how bad his day had been.

In the third season Cher introduces her greatest character of all, Laverne the laundromat lady.

Video. Cher as Laverne with Teri and Joe Namath as quest.

 

Three cast members who regularly appeared in sketches were: Teri Garr, Murray Langston (who later found brief fame as "The Unknown Comic" on The Gong Show), and Steve Martin (who also was one of the show's writers). The long guest list on the show was the popular stars of 70's era.

At the end of each episode, Sonny and Cher would sing their hit "I Got You Babe" to the audience, sometimes with daughter Chastity Bono. I have to admit watching this very charming video(posted below) brought a tear to my eye it was so cute.



The show was canceled May 1974, because of the couple's divorce, although they would reunite in 1976 for The Sonny and Cher Show, which ran until 1977.

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

Both cars were taken straight off Ford’s San Jose assembly line and the Motor Company commissioned George Barris to personalize these cars for Sonny and Cher.

Sonny’s Mustang was finished in Murano Gold Pearl, with a dark brown side panel and orange and gold fade-away treatment over the wheel wells and grille openings. The interior was upholstered with Bobcat fur and antique buffed leather trimmed with rustic suede.

Cher’s Mustang featured a hot pink pearl finish, blended with candy red, deep red side panels and a matching fade-away treatment. It also had white Ermine fur and black antique Scottish leather upholstery, trimmed in hot pink suede.

Both cars were fitted with opulent three-inch long Mouton fur carpeting, Sonny’s in gold and Cher’s in hot pink.

Video: Of inside the groovy cars.

 

Both cars were used in Sonny and Cher’s only feature-length movie, Good Times(1967).

Good Times is a 1967 musical comedy film starring Sonny and Cher. Sonny and Cher appear as themselves in this spoof of various movie genres: mysteries, westerns and spy thrillers.

The plot revolves around a movie contract offered to Sonny by executive Mr. Mordicus, played by George Sanders. Sanders also plays the antagonist in each of Sonny's ideas for the proposed movie, which are played out in a number of skits featuring music and dancing.

The movie is best known as the directorial debut of William Friedkin, who would go on to direct The French Connection, for which he won the Oscar for best director in 1971. He would also direct The Exorcist, for which he received a best director nomination.

Suspect (1987).

Suspect (1987) Mystery/courtroom/drama. Cast: Cher, Dennis Quaid and Liam Neeson. Directed by Peter Yates.

In Washington DC, around Christmas, a United States Supreme Court Justice commits suicide, with no explanation...

Shortly after the suicide, a file clerk at the Justice Department Elizabeth Quinn's body, is found floating in the Potomac River and Carl Wayne Anderson, a homeless, deaf-mute Vietnam veteran, is arrested for the crime, because he was sleeping in Quinn's car the night of her murder and he also was found with Quinn's wallet.

At first, D.C. public defender Riley, assigned to represent Anderson, finds it difficult to communicate with the deaf-mute. Eventually, they do find a way to communicate with each other.

As the investigation by Riley, with unethical assistance from Sanger, continues, they begin focusing on Deputy Attorney General Paul Gray. Believing, that a key found on the victim's body has something to do with the Justice Department.

Riley and Sanger, break into the Justice Department, late one night and find out the key unlocks a file cabinet, which contains trial transcripts from federal cases from 1968 that Quinn was working on.

The trial is conducted by federal judge Matthew Helms. Helms is rumored to be the President's nominee for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.

Judge Helms, begins to suspect that Riley may be collaborating with Sanger, which would be a disbarment offense of jury tampering.

In a law library, Riley and Sanger narrowly avoid being caught by Judge Helms, who sequesters the jury to avoid any contact between Riley and the juror. Riley and Sanger suspect that Elizabeth Quinn found something suspicious.

Fixing a case requires participation from both the prosecutor and the trial judge. Riley and Sanger think they will find evidence that Gray was a prosecutor on a rigged 1968 case, which would be his motive to murder Quinn...

Riley goes back to Quinn's car and finds an audiotape that the police did not uncover in their investigation. The tape is the one made by the Supreme Court Justice who committed suicide... Will they be able to expose the truth?


 

Cher, is very believable in her role as a attorney, who was committed to helping society's outcasts. In this fast moving film, she proved to movie goers that she could perform in serious roles.

Liam Neeson, spent a couple of days in a homeless shelter, to help with his performance in his unforgettable first film role, as the homeless, deaf-mute Vietnam veteran accused of murder.

Dennis Quaid, at his cocky best as the lobbyist/juror.

Pawsome Pet Pictures: Cher.

Personal Quote:

"I don't like my voice that much. I think I'm a much better actress than singer. Singing is like going to a party at someone else's house. Acting is like having the party at your own house. When you go to someone else's house for a party, it's not your responsibility at all, but when you have the party at your own house, there's a lot of responsibility. Everyone has to have a good time. So for me, acting is deeper".

"Goddess of Pop" Cher.

Cher(born May 20, 1946), is best known for her famous contralto singing voice and for having performed in many areas of entertainment. Also, she seemed to know that her style was just as important as her singing ...

Video: Top 20 Cher Songs.

 

Cher, Jackie and Georganne.

Cher's mother, Jackie Jean Crouch, who after divorcing Cher's father, eventually married actor John Southall, the father of Cher's half-sister, Georganne.

Crouch, dreamed of an acting career while working as a waitress. She changed her name to Georgia Holt and landed minor roles in films and on television. Holt secured acting parts for her daughters as extras on the television show, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet.

Cher's family first noticed her creativity when in the fifth grade, she produced, directed and choreographed a bunch of girls in the musical, Oklahoma!. She could not convince the boys to participate, so.. Cher acted the male roles and sang their songs.

Cher's early role model was Audrey Hepburn, because of her role in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany's. Cher began to pattern her outfits and behavior after character portrayed by Hepburn.

Cher has appeared in comedy, drama and romance films. She has appeared in thirteen films, including two as a cameo. She has also appeared in one starring theater role, numerous television commercials and directed a piece of the motion picture, If These Walls Could Talk in 1996 and some of her music videos of the Geffen-era in late 1980's and in early 1990's. Cher has starred in various international television commercials, as well as high profile print advertising for Lori Davis (1992).

Video: The Tonight Show interview with Sonny and Cher, with a surprise visit from Goldie Hawn.

Before she started her film career, she had a couple of hits in the 1960s, as a solo artist, and with her ex-husband Sonny Bono as the couple... Sonny and Cher.

Cher, Sonny and David McMallum

Her first appearance as an actress was in 1967 in the television series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. as the model Ramona.

That same year, she started her film career with Sonny Bono in the film Good Times. Put together in a similar style to the musical duo's TV show "The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour". When Sonny gets offered a role in a movie, he talks Cher into giving it a try. The proposed script, however, turns out to be not very good. Sonny has ten days to come with his own script. The film follows his daydreams as starring as a Wild West sheriff, a jungle king and as a private eye.

Video: A clip from the film Good Times.



Later, she performed as a solo actress in the low budget film, Chastity.

She made her Broadway debut in Robert Altman's, Come Back to the Five and Dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean in 1982. The play was a critical and commercial success and Cher received strong reviews for her stage work and paved the way for her to be cast in the film version the following year, that garnered her a Golden Globe nomination.

She was next cast with Meryl Streep and Kurt Russell in the drama, Silkwood, (1983) directed by Mike Nichols, inspired by the true-life story of Karen Silkwood, in which she performed very well in her very unglamorous role as a lesbian, who worked in at the Kerr-McGee plant in Cimarron, Oklahoma.

Cher then appeared in the drama, Mask (1985) directed by Peter Bogdanovich and with Eric Stoltz, Sam Elliott and Laura Dern. The film is based on the life and early death of Roy L. "Rocky" Dennis, a boy who suffered from craniodiaphyseal dysplasia. The film was considered her first critical and commercial success as a leading actress and firmly established her as an actress. For her role as a mother of a severely disfigured boy, Cher won the Best Actress prize at the Cannes Film Festival.

Please click here to read past review.

In 1987, she starred in three films:

The thriller, Suspect, with Dennis Quaid and Liam Neeson. A story begins when a judge commits suicide and his secretary is found murdered. A homeless deaf-mute man, is arrested for her murder.

Public defender Kathleen is assigned by the court as his lawyer. She wants to find the real killer and gets help from the congressional advisor, Eddie Sanger who is called to be on the jury panel.

Together they discover a dangerous circle of corruption in high places.

The film has been credited for the high quality of acting despite the severe loopholes of the story. Cher, in the lead role, received positive reviews.

One of my favorite Cher films, The Witches of Eastwick, with Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer. A story about Three single women in a small town, who have their wishes granted. At a surprising cost, when a mysterious man arrives in town.

 Video: The Witches of Eastwick movie trailer.

The romantic comedy Moonstruck, with Nicolas Cage and Olympia Dukakis. The story is about Loretta Castorini, a book keeper from Brooklyn, New York, who finds herself in a difficult situation when she falls for the brother of the man she agreed to marry the best friend of her late husband who died seven years before. Moonstruck is also her most commercial success to date.

During 1989-1991, Cher refused roles: The War of the Roses, Thelma and Louise and The Addams Family for the Richard Benjamin's Mermaids with Bob Hoskins, Winona Ryder and a then 9-year-old Christina Ricci. A story about an unconventional single mother, who relocates with her two daughters to a small Massachusetts town in 1963, where events and relationships both challenge and strengthen their family bonds.

Cher made cameo appearances in the Robert Altman films The Player (1992) and Pret-a-Porter (1994).

She starred in the poorly-received film Faithful (1996) with Ryan O'Neal and Chazz Palminteri. In the role of a depressed housewife whose husband is having an affair contemplates suicide, but changes her mind when she faces death by a killer hired to do it for her.

Then, later in 1999, Cher co-starred in the well-received Franco Zeffirelli film Tea With Mussolini, with Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Joan Plowright and Lily Tomlin. A Semi-autobiographical tale from the early life of director Franco Zeffirelli. An illegitimate child is raised by an Englishwoman in pre-WWII Fascist Italy, part of an English community in Florence presided over by a diplomat's widow. Elsa Morganthal Strauss-Armistan is a wealthy American collector of modern art who visits "Scorpioni" on occasion.

She was also seen, in the Farrelly Brothers comedy Stuck on You (2003), with Matt Damon and Greg Kinnear, who play Bob and Walt Tenor twin brothers, who share a liver. Thanks to their teamwork, being conjoined twins is not a handicap to them. But, when Walt's dreams of stardom of acting on the screen and Bob's shyness clashes, they both begin to fall out. This doesn't help when Bob's Internet girl arrives in town, unaware of their handicap and when Walt gains his own TV show with Cher.

I also love this film about a small-town girl, who goes to Los Angeles and finds a spot in a neo-burlesque club run by a former dancer.

Please click here for past movie review.

Cher has received many awards and nominations for her work in films. She was nominated six times for the Golden Globe Awards and won three times, in 1974 for Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, in 1983 for Best Supporting Actress in a Drama for her role in Silkwood and in 1987 for Best Actress in a Comedy for her role in Moonstruck. She was also nominated twice for the Academy Award, in 1984 for her role in Silkwood, and in 1987 when she won the Best Actress award for her role in Moonstruck.

Cher emerged as a fashion trendsetter in the 1960's, popularizing the jet black long hair, bell bottoms, bare midriff, bandanas, and Cherokee-inspired tunics.

She began working as a model in 1967 for photographer Richard Avedon, after the modeling industry discovered her.

Avedon took the famous photo of Cher in a beaded and feathered nude gown for the cover of Time magazine in 1975.

Cher has appeared five times on the cover of Vogue magazine, between 1972 and 1975.

Through her 1970s television shows, she became a sex symbol with her inventive and revealing Bob Mackie-designed outfits, and fought the network censors to bare her belly button. She was noted as the first woman to expose her belly button on television.

Cher is also known for wearing wigs ever since her 1970's TV shows.

In 1972, after she was featured on the annual "Best Dressed Women" lists, Mackie stated: "There hasn't been a girl like Cher since Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo. She's a high-fashion appeals to people of all ages.

She can stand there in the wildest garb and get away with it. It's fun to watch a performer who is so connected with fashion."

In May 1999, after Cher was honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with a special award for her influence in fashion.

She was the world's Barbie doll, a living fashion fantasy week after week on TV, who landed simultaneously on best and worst dressed lists.

On November 22, 2012, Cher debuted "Woman's World", the lead track from her upcoming new studio album, originally due to be released in March 2013. "Woman's World" will be released to contemporary hit radio in June 2013.

At the end of February 2013, Cher made an announcement on Twitter that the record company rescheduled the album's release for September.

Still untitled, the album received production from hip hop musician Timbaland and songwriting from Pink and Lady Gaga. Please go to Cher's website. to learn more about what she is doing now.

This Month on TCM: The Defining Era of Women in Film, Hosted by Cher and Robert Osborne.

TCM's New Friday Night Spotlight Hosted Movies, with a different theme and host each Month. TCM starts off with, A Woman's World: The Defining Era of Women in Film, Hosted by Cher with Robert Osborne.

A collection of 17 films handpicked by Cher to showcase the evolving roles of women from the late 1930's to the early 1950's.

Cher, last appeared on TCM with Robert Osborne as a Guest Programmer in September 2011.

Please click here for list of Cher films from Sept. 2011.


The complete schedule for A Woman's World: The Defining Era of Women, is listed below:

 

Friday, April 5 – Motherhood:

8 p.m. – Mildred Pierce (1945). Click here for past review.
10 p.m. – Stella Dallas (1937). Click here.
Midnight – Penny Serenade (1941).
2:15 a.m. – Bachelor Mother (1939). Click here.

Friday, April 12 – War Effort and the Homefront:

8 p.m. – So Proudly We Hail (1943). Click here
10:15 p.m. – Since You Went Away (1944). Click here.
1:15 a.m. – The White Cliffs of Dover (1944).
3:30 a.m. – Three Came Home (1950). Click here.
5:30 a.m. – The Best Years of Our Lives (1946).Click here.

Friday, April 19 – Working Women:

8 p.m. – His Girl Friday (1940). Click here.
10 p.m. – Woman of the Year (1942). Click here.
Midnight – Tender Comrade (1943).
2 a.m. – The Devil and Miss Jones (1941).

Friday, April 26 – Women Taking Charge:

8 p.m. – The Great Lie (1941). Click here.
10 p.m. – Kitty Foyle (1940).  Click here.
12 a.m. – The Palm Beach Story (1942). Click here.
1:45 a.m. – The Women (1939). Click here.

Fab movie.. Burlesque (2010) or was it made in (1933)?

Burlesque(2010). Musical film directed and written by Steven Antin. This film was the debut of singer Aguilera as an actress and also starred Cher, Eric Dane, Cam Gigandet, Julianne Hough, Alan Cumming, Peter Gallagher, Kristen Bell, Stanley Tucci and Dianna Agron. Cher and Aguilera contributed to the soundtrack album, with Aguilera contributing eight out of the ten songs with Cher taking the remaining two. The album was released in the USA on November 22, 2010. The song "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me", sung by Cher, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in 2011.

The film starts with Ali Rose, working in a bar, wanting a new life.. packs up her things and performs one last song "Something's Got A Hold On Me".

After moving to Los Angeles, Ali begins looking for places to audition, with not much luck. One night while walking, she follows the sound of music into a burlesque club, where Tess and the dancers perform "Welcome to Burlesque."

Ali, loves what she sees and decides to do anything she can to stay. Her new friend Jack refers her to Tess for an audition, Ali is shown the door. Instead of leaving, Ali begins working as a waitress, while Tess and Sean look on in disbelieve with Jack asking Tess to give Ali a chance. Returning home to her apartment, she finds that it has been broken into and that her money has been stolen. She shows up at Jack's apartment and he allows her stay with him.

Later Ali, who does not like to lip-sing, tries to talk Tess into letting her singing, but.. Ali is told that the customers love the old classic songs. When Georgia becomes pregnant, auditions are held to replace her. Ali audition's after everyone leaves and talks Tess into allowing her to become one of the club's dancers. When dancer Nikki shows up drunk, Tess orders Ali to take her place.

Nikki, wanting to get even with Ali, takes the opportunity to turn off the music in the middle of her performance. Sean, is about to lower the curtain when... Ali, begins to sing the song live. Everyone is impressed by her beautiful voice. Tess, announces that she will create a new show around the new lead singer and dancer. Sean, tells Jack that he should make a move on Ali before it's too late.

Tess, worried  that she is going to have to shut down the club, sings "You Haven't Seen the Last of Me". A jealous Nikki shows up drunk and gets into a fight with Tess and falsely confessing that she slept with Vince after his and Tess' honeymoon. Angry, Tess throws something that breaks Nikki's car window as she drives away.

Ali and Jack, are always at each other throats as she begins dating Marcus. At Georgia's wedding, Jack calls off his engagement, after getting drunk. That night, Ali and Jack sleep together, but the following morning Jack's fiancee returns unexpectedly and tells Ali that the engagement is still on. Jack denies this and asks Ali to leave.

Back with Marcus, Ali finds out about air rights, an empty space above a building. Ali breaks things off with Marcus, soon after she finds out she was about to be used. She tells Tess everything. Will they be able to come up with a a plan to destroy Marcus's plans and make enough money to buy out Tess's partner's share?

The film Burlesque, has it all: glamour, awesome songs and dance numbers that look like they came straight out of a 1933 musical with a splash of sexy fun.

Christina María Aguilera (born December 18, 1980), first appeared on national television in 1990 as a contestant on the Star Search program, and went on to star in Disney Channel's television series The Mickey Mouse Club from 1993 to 1994.

 Aguilera signed to RCA Records after recording "Reflection", the theme song for the animated film Mulan (1998). In 1999, Aguilera came to prominence following her debut album Christina Aguilera, which was a commercial success spawning three number one singles : "Genie in a Bottle", "What a Girl Wants", and "Come On Over Baby (All I Want Is You)." Her sophomore and her debut Latin-pop album, Mi Reflejo (2000), a Christmas third studio album, My Kind of Christmas (2000), and several collaborations followed which garnered Aguilera worldwide success.

After parting from her management, Aguilera took creative control over her fourth studio album, Stripped (2002). The album's second single, "Beautiful", was a commercial success and helped the album's commercial performance amidst controversy over Aguilera's image. Aguilera followed up Stripped with the soul, jazz and blues inspired, Back to Basics (2006), released to positive critical acclaim. The album produced three hit singles "Ain't No Other Man", "Hurt" and "Candyman".

 Four years later Aguilera released her sixth studio album, Bionic (2010), which incorporated aspects of R and B, electropop, and synthpop and was met with mixed reviews and low sales. Aguilera's seventh studio album is set to be released in 2012.

Aside from being known for her vocal ability, music videos and image, musically, she includes themes of dealing with public scrutiny, her childhood, and female empowerment in her music. Apart from her work in music, she has also dedicated much of her time as a philanthropist for charities, human rights and world issues which include her work as a UN ambassador for the World Food Programme.

She made her feature film debut in the musical Burlesque (2010), earning Aguilera a Golden Globe nomination for Best Original Song. Aguilera's work has earned her numerous awards and accolades, including a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, four Grammy Awards and one Latin Grammy Award, amongst seventeen and three nominations respectively.

Rolling Stone ranked her number fifty-eight on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time, ranking as the youngest and only artist on the list under the age of thirty. She was ranked the 20th Artist of the 2000–09 decade by Billboard and is the second top selling single artist of the 2000s behind Madonna.  Aguilera's albums sales are estimated at over 50 million units worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. Aguilera is currently a coach and judge on The Voice.

TCM Guest Programmer: Cher.

Cher, began her career as a backup singer and later became famous with her husband at the time Sonny, with their song "I Got You Babe" in 1965.



She later established herself as a solo recording artist, and became a television star in 1971 with The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, a variety show for which she won a Golden Globe. Her performance in the film, Silkwood earned her a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1984. In the following years, Cher starred in a many films: Mask, The Witches of Eastwick, and Moonstruck, for which she won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1988. The films listed below are some of Cher's favorite classic movies. How great that she is sharing them with us..

Follow The Fleet(1936). A musical/comedy, which stars Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Randolph Scott, Harriet Hilliard, and Astrid Allwyn, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. Lucille Ball and Betty Grable also have small supporting roles. The film was directed by Mark Sandrich, based on the 1922 play, Shore Leave by Hubert Osborne. Please click here to read Follow the Fleet movie review.

 

Hobson's Choice(1954). Directed by David Lean. Based on the play of the same name by Harold Brighouse. It stars Charles Laughton, who plays the role of a Victorian boot maker Henry Hobson, Brenda De Banzie as his eldest daughter Maggie and John Mills as his employee. Prunella Scales, performs in one of her first roles, as daughter Vicky Hobson.

 

The Big Street(1942). Drama. Cast: Henry Fonda and Lucille Ball, based on the short story "Little Pinks" by Damon Runyon, who also produced the movie. Directed by Irving Reis.

The film is about busboy named Augustus Pinkerton II , aka as "Little Pinks," and his friendship with self centered singer Gloria Lyons, who is crippled in a fall after her night club owner boyfriend, Case Ables, pushes her down a flight of stairs. Penniless, Gloria is forced to rely on Pinks, who invites her to stay with him in his apartment.

When Pinks' friend Violette Shumberg marries Nicely Nicely Johnson and move to Florida, Gloria orders Pinks to take her there to recuperate.

There she finds a old boyfriend, Decatur, who loses interest in her when he learns that she is an invalid. She takes her anger out on Pinks, who leaves her to find work as a busboy, returns only when Violette tells him Gloria is very ill.

Gloria tells him that she wants to spend one last night in a beautiful gown bedecked with jewels. Pinks breaks into Mimi Venus's home, where he overhears her being blackmailed by one of Case's men, who wants her jewelry. Pinks disguises himself and gets the jewelry back from the thief, then tells Case he will turn him over to the police unless he hosts a party with Gloria as the guest of honor. Gloria, now knows all that Pinks has done for her.

A tragic story with a side order of comedy. I thought Lucille Ball, played the part as a troubled woman, who believes she's something she is more than she is not, perfectly.

Lady Of Burlesque(1943). A mystery starring Barbara Stanwyck and Michael O'Shea, based on the novel The G-String Murders written by famous strip tease artist Gypsy Rose Lee. The plot is about the murder of two strippers, backstage of a New York burlesque theatre and finding the killer.