The Flickr Teenidol Image Generatr

Unknown artist, 2000, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA, relief

"The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" was a beloved American sitcom that aired from 1952 to 1966, making it one of the longest-running live-action sitcoms in U.S. television history. The show starred the real-life Nelson family: Ozzie Nelson, Harriet Nelson, and their sons, David and Ricky. It originally began as a radio show before transitioning to television, where it enjoyed immense popularity. The wholesome portrayal of family life, combined with a touch of humor, made it a cornerstone of classic television.

Ricky Nelson, the youngest son, became a teen idol during the show's run. He launched a successful music career, with hits like "Teenage Idol," "Hello Mary Lou," and "Travelin' Man." His performances on the show often showcased his musical talent, further boosting his popularity.

Ricky Nelson had a long, successful career as a recording artist and, tragically, died in the crash-landing of his band's DC-3 on December 31, 1985. He was 45.

[Sources: Wikipedia, and IMDb]

Shaun Cassidy/Linda Ronstadt: Vintage Magazine Comic Strip (PIZZAZZ/Marvel) 1978

*Appeared In: PIZZAZZ: Vintage Magazine Issue No. 10, July 1978 (Marvel)

Leif Garrett: Vintage Magazine Mini-Bio (PIZZAZZ/Marvel) 1978

*Appeared In: PIZZAZZ: Vintage Magazine Issue No. 10, July 1978 (Marvel)

Betty Lou is setting up the WABAC machine to travel forward to the early 1960s.

When at Woodstock, she heard a few people mention a music genre called "The British Invasion." With the death of Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry in prison for violating the Mann Act and Jerry Lee Lewis marrying his 13 year old cousin, seems like a good time to investigate the music she will be listening in the future.

She is not enthusiastic about the "Teen Idol" like Ricky Nelson, Frankie Avalon, Bobby Rydell , Fabian and the like...

April 13, 2024: Teen Idol (Curlin) and Joel Rosario come back after failing to break his maiden.

The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Meet Dracula: TV Tie-In Paperback Book (1978)

The Shaun Cassidy Scrapbook: "An Illustrated Biography" Paperback Book (Tempo Books) 1978

Shaun Cassidy: The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew Mysteries Paperback Books & Kenner Doll (70s Memorabilia)

The Shaun Cassidy Scrapbook: "An Illustrated Biography" Paperback Book (Tempo Books) 1978

Spanish postcard by Ediciones Tarjefher, no. 220. Photo: Juan Gyenes. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.

Spanish photographer Juan Gyenes is the subject of the new La Collectionneuse post at our blog European Film Star Postcards. Check it out on 26 February 2024!

Spanish postcard by Ediciones Tarjefher, no. 110. Photo: Juan Gyenes. Collection: Marlene Pilaete.

Spanish photographer Juan Gyenes is the subject of the new La Collectionneuse post at our blog European Film Star Postcards. Check it out on 26 February 2024!

Vintage postcard. Peter Weck, Edith Elmay, Günther Philipp, and Conny Froboess in Mariandl (Werner Jacobs, 1961).

Cornelia Froboess (1943) was as 'Conny' a teen idol in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Later she became a respected stage actress.

Austrian actor, theatre impresario, and director Peter Weck (1930) appeared in more than 100 films. With his natural acting style in costume dramas and Heimatfilms, he became the Golden Boy from Vienna.

Gunther Philipp (1918-2003) was an Austrian film actor, physician, and swimmer. From 1949 to 2002 he appeared as an actor in 147 films for cinema and television, mainly in comic roles. As an author, Philipp wrote 21 film scripts.

For more postcards, a bio and clips check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Spanish postcard by Archivo Bermejo, no. C- 245. Photo: Warner Bros. Troy Donahue in A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964).

American actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), was especially known in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a teen idol. His blond hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes appeared frequently on the covers of movie magazines. In the 1970s, alcohol and drugs problems cost him his career.

Troy Donahue was born Merle Johnson Jr. in New York, in 1936
He was the son of Merle Johnson Sr., the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors, and a retired stage actress. His father died when Troy was 14. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. Troy first came into contact with the acting profession while studying journalism at Columbia. At that time, he joined a repertory company. In the mid-1950s, he left for Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Actress Fran Bennett introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented Rock Hudson, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. He made his film debut in 1957 with a small, uncredited role in the Film Noir Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) starring George Nader. Larger roles followed, including in the drama The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1957) starring Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and the Film Noir Live Fast, Die Young (Paul Henreid, 1958). Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959), playing a man who beats up his girlfriend after he discovers she is black. The big break came in 1959 when Warner Bros. signed him to a long-term contract. The studio put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960). They also gave him a leading role opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959). The film was a huge success. The young, blond, blue-eyed Donahue became a star, especially with teenage girls, and regularly appeared on the cover of magazines.

In the following years, Troy Donahue played leading roles for Warner Bros. in several major films, especially those aimed at teenage audiences. Donahue's most successful film was Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961), in which he played the title character. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, Susan Slade (Delmer Daves, 1962). In Rome Adventure (Delmer Daves, 1962), he starred opposite Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married and divorced again in 1964. In addition to his film work, Troy Donahue could also be seen on television, first in Surfside 6 (1960-1962), one of several spin-offs of 77 Sunset Strip, and then in Hawaiian Eye (1962-1963), another spinoff of Sunset Strip. A more challenging role came with the Western A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964), about the conflicts between the US Cavalry and the Indians. In 1965, Donahue was cast as a psychopathic killer opposite Joey Heatherton in the thriller My Blood Runs Cold (William Conrad, 1965). While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. After years in the limelight, Troy Donahue went out of fashion and he was offered smaller and lesser roles. In 1966, his contract with Warner Bros. was not renewed. Low-budget television films became his main income. He had roles in low-budget films such as Sweet Savior (Robert L. Roberts, 1971), Cockfighter (Monte Hellman, 1974), and the horror film Seizure (1974), Oliver Stone's directorial debut. A small revival came when Francis Ford Coppola gave him a role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. The character in that film carried his own name, Merle Johnson. However, due to an alcohol and drug addiction, he disappeared from view from the mid-1970s. For a while, he was even homeless. In 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. In the mid-1980s he returned to film, mostly exploitation films for the low-budget home video market, e.g., Sexpot (1990) and Nudity Required (1990). But he also appeared in the cult classic Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990) starring Johnny Depp. The film spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards. Donahue's final film role was in the comedy The Boys Behind the Desk (2000), directed by Sally Kirkland. Troy Donahue was married several times, but never for long. His brief marriage to actress Suzanne Pleshette lasted from 4 January to 8 September 1964. In 1966, he married actress Valerie Allen. The couple was married for just over a year and divorced in 1968. He was also married to Vicky Taylor from 1979 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. Donahue had two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Troy Donahue died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 65.

Source: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

West-German postcard by Krüger, no. 902/23. Photo: Terb Agency.

American actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), was especially known in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a teen idol. His blond hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes appeared frequently on the covers of movie magazines. In the 1970s, alcohol and drugs problems cost him his career.

Troy Donahue was born Merle Johnson Jr. in New York, in 1936
He was the son of Merle Johnson Sr., the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors, and a retired stage actress. His father died when Troy was 14. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. Troy first came into contact with the acting profession while studying journalism at Columbia. At that time, he joined a repertory company. In the mid-1950s, he left for Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Actress Fran Bennett introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented Rock Hudson, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. He made his film debut in 1957 with a small, uncredited role in the Film Noir Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) starring George Nader. Larger roles followed, including in the drama The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1957) starring Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and the Film Noir Live Fast, Die Young (Paul Henreid, 1958). Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959), playing a man who beats up his girlfriend after he discovers she is black. The big break came in 1959 when Warner Bros. signed him to a long-term contract. The studio put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960). They also gave him a leading role opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959). The film was a huge success. The young, blond, blue-eyed Donahue became a star, especially with teenage girls, and regularly appeared on the cover of magazines.

In the following years, Troy Donahue played leading roles for Warner Bros. in several major films, especially those aimed at teenage audiences. Donahue's most successful film was Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961), in which he played the title character. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, Susan Slade (Delmer Daves, 1962). In Rome Adventure (Delmer Daves, 1962), he starred opposite Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married and divorced again in 1964. In addition to his film work, Troy Donahue could also be seen on television, first in Surfside 6 (1960-1962), one of several spin-offs of 77 Sunset Strip, and then in Hawaiian Eye (1962-1963), another spinoff of Sunset Strip. A more challenging role came with the Western A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964), about the conflicts between the US Cavalry and the Indians. In 1965, Donahue was cast as a psychopathic killer opposite Joey Heatherton in the thriller My Blood Runs Cold (William Conrad, 1965). While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. After years in the limelight, Troy Donahue went out of fashion and he was offered smaller and lesser roles. In 1966, his contract with Warner Bros. was not renewed. Low-budget television films became his main income. He had roles in low-budget films such as Sweet Savior (Robert L. Roberts, 1971), Cockfighter (Monte Hellman, 1974), and the horror film Seizure (1974), Oliver Stone's directorial debut. A small revival came when Francis Ford Coppola gave him a role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. The character in that film carried his own name, Merle Johnson. However, due to an alcohol and drug addiction, he disappeared from view from the mid-1970s. For a while, he was even homeless. In 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. In the mid-1980s he returned to film, mostly exploitation films for the low-budget home video market, e.g., Sexpot (1990) and Nudity Required (1990). But he also appeared in the cult classic Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990) starring Johnny Depp. The film spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards. Donahue's final film role was in the comedy The Boys Behind the Desk (2000), directed by Sally Kirkland. Troy Donahue was married several times, but never for long. His brief marriage to actress Suzanne Pleshette lasted from 4 January to 8 September 1964. In 1966, he married actress Valerie Allen. The couple was married for just over a year and divorced in 1968. He was also married to Vicky Taylor from 1979 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. Donahue had two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Troy Donahue died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 65.

Source: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Spanish postcard by C y A, no. 29. Photo: Warner Bros. Caption: Troy Donahue, co-stars in Warner Bros. Palm Springs Weekend.

American actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), was especially known in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a teen idol. His blond hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes appeared frequently on the covers of movie magazines. In the 1970s, alcohol and drugs problems cost him his career.

Troy Donahue was born Merle Johnson Jr. in New York, in 1936
He was the son of Merle Johnson Sr., the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors, and a retired stage actress. His father died when Troy was 14. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. Troy first came into contact with the acting profession while studying journalism at Columbia. At that time, he joined a repertory company. In the mid-1950s, he left for Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Actress Fran Bennett introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented Rock Hudson, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. He made his film debut in 1957 with a small, uncredited role in the Film Noir Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) starring George Nader. Larger roles followed, including in the drama The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1957) starring Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and the Film Noir Live Fast, Die Young (Paul Henreid, 1958). Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959), playing a man who beats up his girlfriend after he discovers she is black. The big break came in 1959 when Warner Bros. signed him to a long-term contract. The studio put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960). They also gave him a leading role opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959). The film was a huge success. The young, blond, blue-eyed Donahue became a star, especially with teenage girls, and regularly appeared on the cover of magazines.

In the following years, Troy Donahue played leading roles for Warner Bros. in several major films, especially those aimed at teenage audiences. Donahue's most successful film was Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961), in which he played the title character. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, Susan Slade (Delmer Daves, 1962). In Rome Adventure (Delmer Daves, 1962), he starred opposite Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married and divorced again in 1964. In addition to his film work, Troy Donahue could also be seen on television, first in Surfside 6 (1960-1962), one of several spin-offs of 77 Sunset Strip, and then in Hawaiian Eye (1962-1963), another spinoff of Sunset Strip. A more challenging role came with the Western A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964), about the conflicts between the US Cavalry and the Indians. In 1965, Donahue was cast as a psychopathic killer opposite Joey Heatherton in the thriller My Blood Runs Cold (William Conrad, 1965). While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. After years in the limelight, Troy Donahue went out of fashion and he was offered smaller and lesser roles. In 1966, his contract with Warner Bros. was not renewed. Low-budget television films became his main income. He had roles in low-budget films such as Sweet Savior (Robert L. Roberts, 1971), Cockfighter (Monte Hellman, 1974), and the horror film Seizure (1974), Oliver Stone's directorial debut. A small revival came when Francis Ford Coppola gave him a role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. The character in that film carried his own name, Merle Johnson. However, due to an alcohol and drug addiction, he disappeared from view from the mid-1970s. For a while, he was even homeless. In 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. In the mid-1980s he returned to film, mostly exploitation films for the low-budget home video market, e.g., Sexpot (1990) and Nudity Required (1990). But he also appeared in the cult classic Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990) starring Johnny Depp. The film spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards. Donahue's final film role was in the comedy The Boys Behind the Desk (2000), directed by Sally Kirkland. Troy Donahue was married several times, but never for long. His brief marriage to actress Suzanne Pleshette lasted from 4 January to 8 September 1964. In 1966, he married actress Valerie Allen. The couple was married for just over a year and divorced in 1968. He was also married to Vicky Taylor from 1979 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. Donahue had two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Troy Donahue died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 65.

Source: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

West-German postcard. Photo: Warner Bros. Troy Donahue in Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961).

American actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), was especially known in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a teen idol. His blond hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes appeared frequently on the covers of movie magazines. In the 1970s, alcohol and drugs problems cost him his career.

Troy Donahue was born Merle Johnson Jr. in New York, in 1936
He was the son of Merle Johnson Sr., the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors, and a retired stage actress. His father died when Troy was 14. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. Troy first came into contact with the acting profession while studying journalism at Columbia. At that time, he joined a repertory company. In the mid-1950s, he left for Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Actress Fran Bennett introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented Rock Hudson, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. He made his film debut in 1957 with a small, uncredited role in the Film Noir Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) starring George Nader. Larger roles followed, including in the drama The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1957) starring Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and the Film Noir Live Fast, Die Young (Paul Henreid, 1958). Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959), playing a man who beats up his girlfriend after he discovers she is black. The big break came in 1959 when Warner Bros. signed him to a long-term contract. The studio put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960). They also gave him a leading role opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959). The film was a huge success. The young, blond, blue-eyed Donahue became a star, especially with teenage girls, and regularly appeared on the cover of magazines.

In the following years, Troy Donahue played leading roles for Warner Bros. in several major films, especially those aimed at teenage audiences. Donahue's most successful film was Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961), in which he played the title character. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, Susan Slade (Delmer Daves, 1962). In Rome Adventure (Delmer Daves, 1962), he starred opposite Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married and divorced again in 1964. In addition to his film work, Troy Donahue could also be seen on television, first in Surfside 6 (1960-1962), one of several spin-offs of 77 Sunset Strip, and then in Hawaiian Eye (1962-1963), another spinoff of Sunset Strip. A more challenging role came with the Western A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964), about the conflicts between the US Cavalry and the Indians. In 1965, Donahue was cast as a psychopathic killer opposite Joey Heatherton in the thriller My Blood Runs Cold (William Conrad, 1965). While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. After years in the limelight, Troy Donahue went out of fashion and he was offered smaller and lesser roles. In 1966, his contract with Warner Bros. was not renewed. Low-budget television films became his main income. He had roles in low-budget films such as Sweet Savior (Robert L. Roberts, 1971), Cockfighter (Monte Hellman, 1974), and the horror film Seizure (1974), Oliver Stone's directorial debut. A small revival came when Francis Ford Coppola gave him a role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. The character in that film carried his own name, Merle Johnson. However, due to an alcohol and drug addiction, he disappeared from view from the mid-1970s. For a while, he was even homeless. In 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. In the mid-1980s he returned to film, mostly exploitation films for the low-budget home video market, e.g., Sexpot (1990) and Nudity Required (1990). But he also appeared in the cult classic Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990) starring Johnny Depp. The film spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards. Donahue's final film role was in the comedy The Boys Behind the Desk (2000), directed by Sally Kirkland. Troy Donahue was married several times, but never for long. His brief marriage to actress Suzanne Pleshette lasted from 4 January to 8 September 1964. In 1966, he married actress Valerie Allen. The couple was married for just over a year and divorced in 1968. He was also married to Vicky Taylor from 1979 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. Donahue had two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Troy Donahue died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 65.

Source: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Spanish postcard by Archivo Bermejo, no. C 43. Photo: Warner Bros. Caption: "Troy Donahue (John Hunter) de Warner Bros." John Hunter was the character Donahue played in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959), but the picture seems to be a studio portrait and not connected to this film.

American actor Troy Donahue (1936-2001), was especially known in the late 1950s and early 1960s as a teen idol. His blond hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes appeared frequently on the covers of movie magazines. In the 1970s, alcohol and drugs problems cost him his career.

Troy Donahue was born Merle Johnson Jr. in New York, in 1936
He was the son of Merle Johnson Sr., the manager of the motion-picture department of General Motors, and a retired stage actress. His father died when Troy was 14. When Donahue was 18, he moved to New York and got a job as a messenger in a film company founded by his father. Troy first came into contact with the acting profession while studying journalism at Columbia. At that time, he joined a repertory company. In the mid-1950s, he left for Hollywood to pursue his acting career. Actress Fran Bennett introduced him to agent Henry Willson, who represented Rock Hudson, among others. Willson signed him and changed his name to Troy Donahue. He made his film debut in 1957 with a small, uncredited role in the Film Noir Man Afraid (Harry Keller, 1957) starring George Nader. Larger roles followed, including in the drama The Tarnished Angels (Douglas Sirk, 1957) starring Rock Hudson and Robert Stack, and the Film Noir Live Fast, Die Young (Paul Henreid, 1958). Donahue achieved good reviews for a brief, but effective part in Imitation of Life (Douglas Sirk, 1959), playing a man who beats up his girlfriend after he discovers she is black. The big break came in 1959 when Warner Bros. signed him to a long-term contract. The studio put him to work guest-starring in episodes of their Western TV series, such as Colt .45 (1959), Maverick (1959), Sugarfoot (1959), The Alaskans (1960), and Lawman (1960). They also gave him a leading role opposite Sandra Dee in A Summer Place (Delmer Daves, 1959). The film was a huge success. The young, blond, blue-eyed Donahue became a star, especially with teenage girls, and regularly appeared on the cover of magazines.

In the following years, Troy Donahue played leading roles for Warner Bros. in several major films, especially those aimed at teenage audiences. Donahue's most successful film was Parrish (Delmer Daves, 1961), in which he played the title character. Donahue and Daves reunited for another melodrama, Susan Slade (Delmer Daves, 1962). In Rome Adventure (Delmer Daves, 1962), he starred opposite Suzanne Pleshette, whom he married and divorced again in 1964. In addition to his film work, Troy Donahue could also be seen on television, first in Surfside 6 (1960-1962), one of several spin-offs of 77 Sunset Strip, and then in Hawaiian Eye (1962-1963), another spinoff of Sunset Strip. A more challenging role came with the Western A Distant Trumpet (Raoul Walsh, 1964), about the conflicts between the US Cavalry and the Indians. In 1965, Donahue was cast as a psychopathic killer opposite Joey Heatherton in the thriller My Blood Runs Cold (William Conrad, 1965). While Donahue was happy to break type and play a different type of role, it was not well received by the public. After years in the limelight, Troy Donahue went out of fashion and he was offered smaller and lesser roles. In 1966, his contract with Warner Bros. was not renewed. Low-budget television films became his main income. He had roles in low-budget films such as Sweet Savior (Robert L. Roberts, 1971), Cockfighter (Monte Hellman, 1974), and the horror film Seizure (1974), Oliver Stone's directorial debut. A small revival came when Francis Ford Coppola gave him a role in The Godfather Part II (1974) as the fiancé of Connie Corleone. The character in that film carried his own name, Merle Johnson. However, due to an alcohol and drug addiction, he disappeared from view from the mid-1970s. For a while, he was even homeless. In 1982, he joined Alcoholics Anonymous, which he credited for helping him achieve and maintain sobriety. In the mid-1980s he returned to film, mostly exploitation films for the low-budget home video market, e.g., Sexpot (1990) and Nudity Required (1990). But he also appeared in the cult classic Cry-Baby (John Waters, 1990) starring Johnny Depp. The film spawned a Broadway musical of the same name which was nominated for four Tony Awards. Donahue's final film role was in the comedy The Boys Behind the Desk (2000), directed by Sally Kirkland. Troy Donahue was married several times, but never for long. His brief marriage to actress Suzanne Pleshette lasted from 4 January to 8 September 1964. In 1966, he married actress Valerie Allen. The couple was married for just over a year and divorced in 1968. He was also married to Vicky Taylor from 1979 to 1981. At the time of his death, he was living with his fiancée, mezzo-soprano Zheng Cao. Donahue had two children, a son and a daughter, and three grandchildren. Troy Donahue died of a heart attack in 2001 at the age of 65.

Source: Ed Stephan (IMDb), Wikipedia (Dutch and English), and IMDb.

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

Dutch postcard. Sent by mail in 1963.

During the late 1950s, American singer and actor Frankie Avalon (1940) was a teen idol with big hits like 'Venus' (1958) and 'Why' (1959). Avalon had an authentic music background to go with the pretty boy looks. During the 1960s, he starred in five beach party movies and other films. He made a come-back with Grease (1977).

Frankie Avalon was born Francis Thomas Avallone in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1940. His parents were Nicholas and Mary Avallone. Inspired by his father's trumpet playing, he started to get involved with music at an early age. At the CR Club in Philadelphia, where parents were offered the opportunity to let their children perform, Frankie presented his musical skills for the first time with trumpet solos. Performances in local talent shows followed and he won an amateur competition. The 12-years-old Frankie finally landed a spot on CBS's nationally syndicated 'The Jackie Gleason Show' in 1952. In 1954, he became a member of the dance band 'Rocco and the Saints', which participated in many local events and performed at youth clubs. One of the other members was drummer Robert Ridarelli, soon to call himself Bobby Rydell. In 1957, the record company Chancellor Records was founded in Philadelphia. One of the owners Bob Marcucci knew Frankie Avalon and helped him get a recording contract with the new company. Avalon and the Saints did a cameo in the rock and roll film Jamboree! (Roy Lockwood, 1957)) where they played 'Teacher's Pet'. Frankie's first single only attracted attention in his hometown, but 'De De Dinah' of his third Chancellor single, released in December 1957, became Avalon's national breakthrough. A piece of teen fluff, Avalon pinched his nose while singing the song to show how he felt about it. This nasal version was the one Chancellor released and Avalon performed the song on 'American Bandstand', a teen dance show hosted by Dick Clark. 'De De Dinah' soon sold a million copies. In the late 1950s, he became an idol for many teenage girls. In 1959, both his songs 'Venus' and Why reached the number 1 position in the Billboard Hot 100. By 1962, almost all of his singles were on the charts. In total, he reached the Hot 100 of the US music magazine Billboard 25 times. He also made foreign charts with 'Venus' and 'Why'. As a result of the British Invasion, interest in the now 23-year-old, whose music was always targeted at the teenage audience, waned. In 1963, Frankie Avalon changed record companies and moved to United Artists Records, a subsidiary of the film studio United Artists. However, he remained as unsuccessful as he did thereafter with a number of other companies. He only attracted attention on the record market again in 1976 with the disco version of Venus. His last single, 'You're the Miracle' (1983), was released on the CBS Bobcat label. After that, he successfully toured America with his old colleagues Bobby Rydell and Fabian as 'The Golden Boys of Bandstand'. The fifty-city tour was a huge success.

Frankie Avalon turned increasingly to the cinema in the 1960s. In the late 1950s, teen idols were often given roles in films, supporting older male stars in order to attract a younger audience. Alan Ladd's daughter was a Frankie Avalon fan, who recommended that he co-star with her father in the Western Guns of the Timberland (Robert D. Webb, 1960). Avalon sang two songs, 'The Faithful Kind' and 'Gee Whiz Whillikins Golly Gee'; both were released as singles. Frankie also had a supporting role in the John Wayne Western The Alamo (John Wayne, 1960), where he also sings 'Ballad of the Alamo'. He also appeared and sang the title song in the Sci-Fi adventure Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (Irwin Allen, 1961). His first major film role was in an adventure film set in Africa, Drums of Africa (James B. Clark, 1963). In the early sixties, there was a nationwide surfing craze and Avalon and Annette Funicello were the leading stars in the wildly successful Beach Party (William Asher, 1963). It was the first of the five official American-International 'Beach Party' surfer movies, directed by William Asher and written by Lou Rusoff. Soon followed Bikini Beach (William Asher, 1964), Muscle Beach (William Asher, 1964), Beach Blanket Bingo (William Asher, 1965), and How to stuff a wild bikini (William Asher, 1965). Frankie also starred in Skidoo (Otto Preminger, 1968) and The Million Eyes of Sumuru (Lindsay Shonteff, 1967). Later he invested in the 1950s-themed stage musical 'Grease', which reportedly made him a millionaire. In the film version, Grease (Randal Kleiser, 1978) starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, he took on a small role himself and performed the song 'Beauty School Dropout'. In 1986, Avalon and Funicello made another film, Back to the Beach (Lyndall Hobbs, 1987), a parody of their earlier beach movies. Avalon appeared in nearly two dozen TV episodes, including The Bing Crosby Show, The Patty Duke Show, and Full House, appearing often as himself. In 1990 he made a cameo as himself in the film Casino (Martin Scorsese, 1995), starring Robert de Niro and Sharon Stone. He made further cameo appearances in the film Chicks (James Melkonian, 1994) and in the TV series Sabrina the teenage witch (2001). In the meantime, as the owner of the health and beauty care line Frankie Avalon Products, he made a considerable fortune. His most recent film is Papa (Dan Israely, 2018). Frankie Avalon lives in Thousand Oaks with his wife Kathryn Utices Deibel. The couple has eight children.

Sources: History of Rock, Biography.com, Wikipedia (Dutch, German and English), and IMDb.

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