It's Fanny Friday!

Mermay continues... and the mermaids continue to emerge from the deep!

'The Lady and the Monster' has both good and bad

The Lady and the Monster (1944)
Starring: Vera Ralston, Richard Arlen, Erich von Stroheim, and Helen Vinson
Director: George Sherman

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A millionaire's mind is preserved after death through weird science... and he soon begins to telepathically force his will upon others in revenge and to carry on with his evil ways. 

"The Lady and the Monster" is a great-looking film, with stylish sets and beautiful cinematography that takes full advantage of the black-and-white format. The excellent cast--headed by Erich von Stroheim, Vera Ralston, and Richard Arlen--give decent performances despite the fact that they are delivering some truly awful dialogue at times. The film is further undermined slightly by something of a tone-shift at the halfway point, but all in all, the good outweighs the bad here and it's a film that's worth your time. 

And speaking of your time, we are happy to make it easy for you to watch "The Lady and the Monster" by embedding it in this very post, via The Screening Room on YouTube.

(If elements of the story and some of the characters seem familiar, it's possible you'll either read the novel upon which it was based, or seen one of the other two films based upon the same source--"Donovan's Brain" by Curt Siodmak. This was the first screen adaptation, however.)

Fanny Friday

 

May is going swimmingly!

Mermaids continue to frolic in celebration of Mermay here at Shades of Gray!

 

Musical Monday with Childish Gambino & Young Nudy

Little Foot Big Foot (2024)
Starring: Donald Glover, Robert Bynes, Monyett Crump, Oscar Jordan, and Quinta Brunson

Director: Hiro Murai

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

In a roadhouse during the early 1930s, Johnny & the Pipe Dancers find themselves performing for a rougher-than-usual crowd.

 

"Little Foot Big Foot" is a catchier and more energetically upbeat than-I-expected tune that offers as many musical twists and turns as the video that supports it. And what a remarkable video it is--it's the sort of mini-movie that we were treated to during the late 1980s and early 1990s. Check it out by clicking below:

It's Fanny Friday!

We're Celebrating Mermay!

In honor or Mermay, here are a few drawings of mermaids (with a couple mermen mixed in)!

 
 If you like the art you see here, and you want more of it that you can even use in your own projects, you should check out In Deep with Mermaids, part of the NUELOW Games Stock Art Collection. It contains artwork by all the artists featured in this post.
 
 

Nylon Stockings on a Picture Perfect Wednesday!

There seems to be a day in honor/observation of everything you can think of. We've discovered that May 15th is National Nylon Stockings Day... so here are some pictures of ladies and their nylons. (And not much else in some cases.)

 
 
 

ggfga

It's a Fanny Friday!

It's Mermay!

So here are some drawings of mermaids for you to enjoy!

 
 
 
 

A Page Serenade on Cinco de Mayo!

 Anita Page is celebrating Cinco de Mayo by singing to the Moon Girls and Elmo Aardvark! (This is happens quite often when she's been chugging Coronas.)

Important notice about the Olympic Games!

 There's going to be an exciting new event at the 2024 Olympics!

#notfakenews

Fanny Friday!

Welcome to May!

The weather's getting better, so maybe it's time to follow in the footsteps of our forebearers... and head out into the forest with crates of booze and have "picnics" with our sweeties!

This illustration was originally an ad for Kupferberg Gold champagne that appeared in the German A&E magazine Jugend. It's another example of how they don't make 'em like they used to anymore!

Welcome to Mermay!

The idea of Mermay--a month-long celebration of the beautiful creatures of the sea--was originated by animator and illustrator Tom Bancroft. His hope was that it would inspire artists to practice their craft and share their creations with the world. 

Here at Shades of Gray, we may not be artists, but we love sharing the work of others for you to enjoy. Every Wednesday in May, you'll find three or more mer-portraits in this space. 

If you want images that are okay to use in whatever mermaid project you can think of, NUELOW Games has something that might interest you.


Also, if you feel like drawing some mermaids (or mermen for that matter), here are some tips on how to it from Mr. Meremay himself.

ddf