OH RIGHT, THAT LONG-LOST LIST OF 20

Months ago, in response to some (now) dimly remembered on-line tag, I began an alphabetical list of my twenty favorite film actresses. The ones who, for whatever reasons - charm, beauty, warmth or simply the fact that I liked the cut of their jib – had meant and continued to mean the most to me. The list was fully formed – and hasn’t changed. But I only managed to post mini-tributes to the first half-dozen. Then just filed the project under P for procrastinate and let it ride. Hopefully I’ll eventually build up enough steam in my kettle to write a little about each of these ladies. ‘Cause for every one of them – year after year – I continue to feel the kind of proprietary fondness one might exhibit for daughters or sweethearts, mixed, of course, with a kind of comfortably nostalgic movie fan awe. But for now – and for the record – here are all twenty names.

1. JEAN BROOKS
2. JUDY CANOVA
3. MAHIMA CHAUDHARY
4. PEGGY CUMMINS
5. ARLENE DAHL
6. JUDY GARLAND
7. KATHRYN GRAYSON
8. MARY BETH HUGHES
9. JOI LANSING
10. IRIS MEREDITH
11. NELL O’DAY
12. HELEN PARRISH
13. ROSSANA PODESTA
14. JANE POWELL
15. CONSTANCE SMITH
16. GENE TIERNEY
17. HELEN WALKER
18. FANNIE WARD
19. ESTHER WILLIAMS
20. LORETTA YOUNG