Thursday, November 13, 2008

Throwback Thursday-My mother the movie star...kinda

Ok, my throwback is not only a photo...but a movie trailer as well from the early 50's.

My mother was briefly in a (1953) movie, "Easy to Love".

My family is originally from Winter Haven, FL, and I grew up near Cypress Gardens. Spent a lot of time there as a child because the president of Cypress Gardens (back in the 70's) was a neighbor of ours. He would take us to work with him a lot so that we could keep an eye on his children. Free passes, and fun!

The movie was filmed at Cypress Gardens. When my mother was a teenager, she got to be in the pool scene of the movie "Easy to Love" starring Van Johnson, and Esther Williams. When you view the movie trailer for Easy to Love, there is a quick pool scene of women kicking there feet in the Florida shaped pool..she is one of them. Ok, so don't blink...or you will miss the pool scene clip in the trailer...hehe. She is really there...somewhere...ha!

Here is a photo that was used for advertising of the movie. She wasn't in this particular photo, but she was in the actual moving kicking her feet in the water. =)

The Esther Williams Swimming Pool
The Esther Williams Swimming Pool was built in the shape of the map of Florida, projecting out in Lake Eloise as a set for MGM technicolor movie filmed at Cypress Gardens.

Mom always had star quality, even though she was never actually a movie star. To this day my mother gets confused with Elizabeth Taylor. Once when mom flew here to visit Jordan as a baby, the airline pilot came out from the cockpit to meet who he thought was Elizabeth Taylor. People used to flag her down in town or in the car, to get a glimpse of who they thought was Liz.

My mom is a big fan of Liz, and even named my sister after her, "Elizabeth". =) Even when she was younger, she looked like the young Elizabeth Taylor. I need to get some photos to post of her when she was much younger. But she is in Florida..and I am here now in NC. :)

Mom and Dad 1968
This was taken in 1968 in front of Inman Park Baptist Church, Winter Haven, FL. My grandfather (dad's father) helped build this church.

My parents divorced in the mid 80's. My mother remarried shortly thereafter. My father is deceased as of Sept 24th, 1997,

6 comments:

The Gilley Family said...

Okay.... this has GOT to be my favorite blog in a long time! Partly because I appreciate the history of Winder Haven.... remember how pretty our yearbooks always were with all the Southern Bells in the background?? ...and partly that I love your Mom was in one of these old movies - which I STILL dearly love! It's sad that the park is closed now... but movies like this mark its existence! Thanks for sharing such a story with us, Jenn!

The Gilley Family said...

....I cannot type.... that would be WINTER HAVEN!!!!!!!!!!! Haaa

Rebekah Gonzalez said...

What a great throw back... :)

Jenn said...

Dani, yes I sure do! We had fun in High School didn't we, dear friend? When I was a little girl, I thought the Cypress Garden's belles were soooo beautiful and wanted to be one! When I became a teen, I never thought I was pretty enough, or thin enough to be one. ;)

Bundleboomama-Thanks so much for stopping by. Glad you enjoyed a little FL history, and family throwback.

Debra Kaye said...

Jenn,

We were recently at Cypress Gardens for a trip for our son's youth group. A bunch of Christian bands were playing there.

It's beautiful!

Beautiful pic of your Mom :)

rebecca said...

Wow! I just love the old photos...how classy! I would love to see pics of your Mom as a young lady.
God Bless!