Another ephemera find I came across this past weekend was a great copy of an old PhotoPlay Magazine. It was published in March of 1954 with Debbie Reynolds gracing the cover.
The spine printing has all but worn off but the articles are in good shape. I just finished reading one of the articles titled “New – Crazy Costs of Hollywood Divorce” by Shelia Graham. It was funny to realize the difference from 1954 divorces to today. It was a high price to pay $100 a week in alimony back then. And, sometimes it was an annual amount for life or until the ex-spouse remarried. Anything from $15,000 to $36,000 a year was not uncommon.
According to the article, a lot of the time they would pay lump sums to the ex-spouse just to be rid of the marriage. Lump sums ranged anywhere from $10,000 and up.
Another great article in the PhotoPlay magazine was about Marilyn Monroe. Titled “Orphan in Ermine” by Jane Corwin, the article talks about her fatherless childhood and her searching for herself. It was a fantastic read and almost a fortune telling of what the last 8 years of her life would be like.
Below are some photos from the contents of the magazine. It will end up in the Vintage With A Twist booth, too!
March, 1954 Cover
Debbie Reynolds Article
Marilyn Monroe Article
Sugar & Spice Article – Leading Ladies
March, 1954 Back Cover
PhotoPlay magazine was one of the first American film fans magazines. It started out in 1911 and continued (through mergers) until 1980 when employees were moved to “Us” magazine.
Just a bit of Hollywood’s history for the reading!
Connect
Connect with us on the following social media platforms.