Author: Renee Lou Dallow ( Bourgeoise Bloomers )
'Bourgeoise Bloomers,' is my blog on classic films and film stars from the 1930s to 1950s which I began in 2012. I also illustrate and paint. So the page, 'Renee Lou's Art And Illustration,' is my little gallery I guess.
Sometimes I go by the name of Hybiscus Bloom. My nom du plume.
Ava Gardner – Woman Of Mystery
7/20/1948- Hollywood, CA- The breeze toys with the classic Grecian costume of a modern Venus as she stands high on a Hollywood hilltop. Luscious Ava Gardner, who stars in the forthcoming “One Touch of Venus”, lends her beauty–and her arms–to the Twentieth Century conception of the legendary glamor girl.
Hollywood was tantalised by Ava Gardner. A raven haired beauty who had talent ,style and grit. She had to have the latter and plenty of it to deal with hubby number three Frank Sinatra who had more than enough grit of his own. 
Ava played the vixen who had been hard done by and often had an axe to grind in many of her films. In film noir she was the mysterious tough cookie who just wanted to be loved. Her first big break was in ‘The Killers’ with Burt Lanchaster. She was also very good at playing exotic types who didn’t belong but wanted to be accepted into the social elite. 
Because of her looks Ava was often chosen to play half castes. Notably in Bhowani Junction’ in which she plays a half caste Indian and in ‘Showboat’ where she is supposed to be black passing for white. She was perhaps to her best advantage when playing a Spaniard as in ‘The Barefoot Contessa’ as there is a strong possibility that this was her actual heritage even though her family background could only be traced to England. Ava married Micky Rooney ( A very odd couple ) and Artie Shaw ( who seemed to marry everybody ) before Sinatra. 
After Sinatra she never married again but did have a long running affair with Howard Hughes and with Ernest Hemingway who cast her in ‘The Sun Also Rises’. To Ava no -one could measure up to Frank with whom she enjoyed an extremely volatile relationship. She smoked like a chimney and died of pneumonia at the age of 67 in 1990.
‘The Past Tense Of Youth’ on ‘Blurb’
Yes I have written a novel. What is it about? Well it is, of course, set in another era. The glamorous era of the 1930s to be exact. 
Dinner parties, glamorous gowns and glamorous locations.
The story begins in the courtyard of an ancient palace with a young bride being lured back in time by a mysterious song. then moves back to the Hydro Majestic Hotel in ‘Medlow Bath ‘Blue Mountains’ Australia where she first met the man she would marry.
A beautiful setting for two beautiful people from different cultural backgrounds to fall in love. The couple married on the grounds of the bride’s stately home in Cumbria England and are in the third week of their honeymoon in a distant land. The land where the groom was born. Istanbul Turkey.
The palace is ‘Topkapi Palace’ the seat of the Ottoman Empire and the young bride has just left a guided tour in order to explore the harem quarters which are off limits to tourists.
It is here that the story begins to twist and turn as the reader is taken back to 1908 into the days of concubines and favourites in the last days of the Ottoman Empire and then involved in a scurrilous love affair between a gypsy and handsome soldier who looks remarkably like the groom who is still on a tour of Topkapi Palace.
While he is trying to find his wife she is trying to find out why the gypsy has lured her back in time and why her husband does not recognise her. This is actually only the first half and if you would like to find out what happens you can purchase the novel from ‘Blurb Books’. Just google the title and you’ll find it.
Apart from being a romance my novel is also a mystery. I have tried to evoke a film noir style of writing. Happy Reading.
© Renee Dallow ( Author. )
Asta: Detective Dog
Asta appeared in the ‘Thin Man ‘ films with Robert Powell and Myrna Loy who played Mr and Mrs Charles. He was the child they never had and went everywhere with his human parents. 
They took him on trains, in taxis, on planes, cruise ships… even to restaurants. 
In return Asta entertained and carried out important intelligence missions sussing out the bad guys. Often when Mr Charles was caught in a jam asta would know exactly what to do to get him out of it. 
Always on hand to chase a gangster up a tree, disarm a femme fatale with his winning smile or to distract an ex- con from carrying out yet another petty attempt at revenge.
Really though Asta was just your average adorable pooch and lived for his rewards.
Bourgeoise Bloomers 