Sure, it's a Wednesday and things seem kind of grim, but if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's haute couture. Women, gay men (and the occasional straight man) all approve of classy, sexily-appointed stars, and the costume designers of the Golden Age of Film did one hell of a job, like the designer of Ginger Rogers' wardrobe for "It Had To Be You." Or Grace Kelly's costumer for "To Catch A Thief." Courtesy Heritage Auctions Courtesy Heritage Auctions Or how about Dorothy Dandridge's wardrobe as the ultimate Femme Fatale in "Carmen Jones?" ©Twentieth Century Fox and Rogers and Hammerstein The wavishing Kay Fwancis (she had a speech impediment) isn't too well known anymore, but she was a box-office giant in the '30s and no matter what she wore she made it look effortless. https://www.icollector.com/Royer-costume-sketch-of-Dolores-Del-Rio_i169652 And then there's the glorious Dolores Del Rio (one of the most beautif...

Greetings, music trollops, and welcome to another edition of Manor Music Monday, today with a little opera, a little Broadway, and a big serving of jazz. Confused? Don't be. Back in the day, whenever a musical opened on The Great White Way, the cast album would frequently rise to the top of the music charts. But wait - there's more. When "My Fair Lady" opened on Broadway, for instance, and released its cast album, what followed were seemingly endless LPs in which singing stars and celebrated jazz luminaries released their own versions of "My Fair Lady." Want to hear jazz notable Shelly Mann kick it with "My Fair Lady?" Step right up ! And on and on. With many musicals, it was an embarrassment of riches, like when "West Side Story" hit the boards and then the record stores . My grandmother, who was way into jazz, was all over these albums. Want to know - and hear - what this transformative music trend was all about? Then make sure and swi...