Sunday, March 26, 2023

PRESS UPDATE : MAIL+ MAGAZINE.. MY LIFE IN FOOD ... MARCH 26TH 2023 ..

MY LIFE IN FOOD

JOAN COLLINS

The screen icon tells Tom Parker Bowles about her soap-opera diet, dining in the company of Sinatra and her farewell dish: baked potato with lashings of caviar...







My first food memory was of my mother opening a small can of peaches at the dinner table. It was just after the war. She told us we were all sharing it for dessert, and I remember thinking, that’s not very much. But then again, we didn’t have much food back then.

My father was a very good provider and we never lacked for anything. We all ate so much less in those days, and never had any leftovers or rubbish. We had to finish everything on our plate, otherwise we were told that the children in India would starve.

School food at Francis Holland in Regent’s Park involved cabbage, boiled potatoes and a lot of overcooked meat. I wasn’t keen on any of it. But I’ve always had a healthy relationship with food.

While I was at Rada, in London, I was taken out for lunch at The Ivy, aged 16, by a fellow Rada actor. It was my first proper posh restaurant and I remember being absolutely overwhelmed by the glory of it, how beautiful it was.

When I was filming Dynasty, the catering table was full of the world’s most fattening foods. Hot dogs, cakes, buns and biscuits. But the four leading ladies were not allowed to touch any of that. They had a special table just for us, with carrots, celery and low-fat cheese. The camera adds 10lb and we had to keep a good seven or eight pounds below our usual weight. Sometimes we cheated, of course. We’re only human.

When I first got to Hollywood, I was only 20, and I went to the magnificent Romanoff’s restaurant. It was run by Michael Romanoff, who said he was a prince, but everyone said he wasn’t really. Anyway, it was the most extraordinary restaurant, all banquettes and booths, and you would see Lana Turner, Cary Grant and Fred Astaire. The food was wonderful. It was the first place I had steak Diane, a dish I still love, which they flambĂ©ed at the table.

The iconic Chasen’s in Los Angeles was another favourite, and you’d always see Frank Sinatra or Natalie Wood there. In fact every star was there. They’d all have their own tables. They [Chasen’s] were famous for their chilli, which was superb. But in those days, everyone used to go out all the time. Now glamour in Hollywood is very passĂ©. Or ‘outdated’, as they love to say.

In the good old days of flying, a trolley would be pushed down the aisle with a whole rib of beef, Yorkshire pudding and all the old English dishes. But I’m very allergic to shellfish, so I have to be careful. I was once on an American flight and ordered the chicken surprise. Biting into it, I realised the surprise – it was filled with shrimp. Thank God I had my EpiPen.

I can cook, and I have a few speciality dishes, like my spaghetti bolognese, which I learned to cook in Italy, when I was making Esther and the King [1960]. We have a cook at our house in the South of France but we don’t in London or LA. I used to cook a lot more, but my husband Percy started helping me and I finally said, ‘Why don’t you do it?’ So he does, and I can sit and watch TV. He’s a very good cook, but I do insist on making my spaghetti bolognese.

I hate shellfish because it will kill me. And I’m not keen on sushi, which everyone seems to love. Nor do I eat trendy things like tofu and kale that have no taste whatsoever.

I’m very partial to Mark & Spencer’s coronation chicken. I will be having it on the day of the coronation, which I will be watching avidly. I remember the last one. My favourite comfort food is scrambled eggs on toast.

My last supper would be potato paisan, which is baked potato with sour cream and tons of caviar. So delicious.

Joan Collins is on Instagram @joancollinsdbe. My Unapologetic Diaries, her latest book, is out now (Orion, £9.99)

Saturday, March 25, 2023

PHOTO FLASHBACK : WHEN IT COMES TO PROMOTION... JOAN IS SPECTACULAR AT IT!


 In the 1980's Joan endorsed the Revlon scent 'Scoundrel' with great success, while in the early 90's she launched her very own signature range of perfume and toiletries.. These rare photos feature Joan at various events to promote the perfume, where she signed boxes of the scent and promo photos in stores like Selfridges, Harrods and Dillards... 

Wednesday, March 22, 2023

EVENT UPDATE : SCHIAPARELLI COCKTAIL & DINNER LAUNCH .. HARRODS .. LONDON .. MARCH 21ST 2023 ..

 

Emilia Clarke, Ruth Wilson, Naomi Campbell, Gwendoline Christie, Joan Collins, Vanessa Kingori and Naomie Harris wore Schiaparelli Ready-To-Wear, designed by Daniel Roseberry, to the dinner celebrating the exclusive Schiaparelli opening at Harrods.


Joan attended an exclusive dinner at Harrods to celebrate the launch of classic design house Schiaparelli, new boutique which opened in the store. 

Expertly marrying pop culture references with haute-couture craft, Schiaparelli has revived its legacy for a new generation under the creative leadership of designer Daniel Roseberry. Now, you can shop the brand’s irreverent ready-to-wear and accessories in the First Floor Schiaparelli boutique – it’s one of just three of its kind worldwide.

Joan with Naomi Campbell & Daniel Roseberry 



Monday, March 13, 2023

BLU-RAY / DVD ALERT .. SUNBURN .. PLAION PICTURES GERMANY .. MAY 11TH 2023 ..


 Delighted to mention that Joan's 1979 comedy thriller 'Sunburn' will get a German  Blu-Ray & Dvd release from Plaion Pictures on May 11th.. The film was a star vehicle for former Charlie's Angels star Farrah Fawcett and it had a good supporting cast which along with Joan also featured Charles Grodin, Art Carney, John Hillerman and Eleanor Parker.. Althought it did well on video in the early 80's it has never gotten a dvd release apart from a Japanese dvd many years ago.. This German release includes the English and German soundtracks and subtitles.. 

ORDER SUNBURN ON BLU-RAY HERE!

 ORDER SUNBURN ON DVD HERE!

Jake Dekker is a private investigator hired by an insurance company to travel to Acapulco and investigate the death of a wealthy industrialist named Theron. To cover up his intentions, Dekker takes on the role of an independent, wealthy jet setter and hires the beautiful Ellie Morgan to pose as his wife. After the two arrive, they are invited to a party where they meet Theron's descendants. Based on Stanley Ellin's 1970 novel The Bind, the film became Farrah Fawcett's second starring role after she exited the popular TV series Charlie's Angels. She received $750,000 for her first film. Harrison Ford was originally announced as her leading man. Eventually Charles Grodin was offered the role after his success in Heaven Can Wait. Grodin admitted, "I was sixth choice for the role."

product details

age rating
16
picture format
1.85:1 (16:9)
actor
Charles Grodin , Joan Collins , Farrah Fawcett , Art Carney
film length
about 99 minutes
genre
action
Product Type
Blu ray
production decade
1979
Director
Richard C Sarafian
Languages
German , English
sound format
DTS HD Master Audio 2.0


Bonus material:
original theatrical trailer; picture gallery;








Wednesday, March 8, 2023

EVENT ALERT : ROYAL TELEVISION SOCIETY AWARDS 2023 .. THE GROSVENOR HOUSE LONDON .. MARCH 28TH 2023 ..


 Delighted to announce that Joan's sensational docu film 'This Is Joan Collins' has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Award in the Arts category.. The winners will be announced during a
ceremony at The Grosvenor House Hotel in London on March 28th...

PRESS UPDATE : THE INDEPENDENT .. INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY .. MARCH 8TH 2023 ..

 INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY 2023

I’ve been a feminist ever since I was old enough to be leered and sneered at

We have made great strides for equality but we need to stay vigilant, if only to honour the memory of those who helped gain our precious liberty, writes Joan Collins


I am a feminist and I have always been a feminist, even though for decades I didn’t even know the true meaning of the word.  As a 15-year-old, just hitting puberty, I despised being female. My bodily changes were embarrassing, and I had no desire to emulate my lovely mother or my six glamorous aunts. Instead, I opted to copy my father’s weekend attire: casual open-necked shirt, corduroy trousers, and flat brogues.

This phase of my life lasted approximately half a year. But when I embraced my femininity and entered the tricky world of showbiz, I was stunned at the absolute misogyny that rained down on not only me, but on all the other pretty starlets, as well as girls of the same generation working in fashion, retail, factories, and hospitality.

It’s sad to say that male interviewers, and in general men who were in a position of power such as producers, directors, actors and CEOs, were sneeringly condescending and patronising towards us, as were the attitudes in newspaper articles and TV shows.  Some men delighted in leering down our cleavage or patting our bottoms. Then there were the constant passes which, when rejected, elicited responses like “Are you frigid?” or “A girl who looks like you should love it”.  Or my favourite, “How do you like being a sex symbol?”.

Gritting my teeth through these often-demeaning interviews or meetings I secretly thought how absolutely ghastly these people were.  But I couldn’t answer them back as I would be called “difficult” or “a bitch” – a label with which I was saddled for many years.

Therefore, what a glorious feeling it has been in the last four decades, when women have finally been allowed to put their heads above the male-dominated parapet and answer back, and how important to be celebrating this freedom of women and women’s rights on International Women’s Day.  It staggers me that women and girls had to put up with being relegated to an inferior position and having no rights for thousands of years!



But it’s sad that in some parts of the world, this attitude still exists.  And it’s also somewhat disturbing that, even in our progressive western countries, our hard-won freedoms could be subtly eroded.  It worries me that we might be inadvertently subjugated with the censure of female-only spaces or words like “mother” and “breastfeeding” (and told we must use terms like “female parent” and “chestfeeding” instead.) We must beware that we are not being kicked back into inequality by politically correct stealth.  And with the awareness that International Women’s Day puts into acceptable feminism, I truly hope that this will never happen.

Since Emmeline Pankhurst and her brave group of suffragettes fought to win the right to vote (and I’m so glad she lived to see it achieved just before she died in 1928) we have made great strides for equality. But we need to stay vigilant if only to honour the memory of Mrs Pankhurst and her brave dedicated followers, many of whom gave their lives to gain our precious liberty.

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

EVENT UPDATE : GOSH! IT'S GYLES & JUDI & ALL THE DAMES.. THE LONDON PALLADIUM .. SUNDAY MARCH 5TH 2023 ..


 
Joan made a special surprise appearance at The London Palladium on Sunday afternoon as part of a one off charity Gala to raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospitel. Hosted by Gyles Brandeth and Judi Dench, the show gathered together a collection of legendary
Dames and was a celebration for Gyles 75th birthday. After star turns from Dames including Joanna Lumley, Floella Benjamin, Eileen Atkins, Penelope Wilton, Maureen Lipman, Twiggy Lawson, Patricia Routhledge, Harriet Walter and Sheila Hancock, the audience had a wonderful surprise when Joan came out to recite the classic John Lennon lyrics for 'Imagine'.  Another surprise even for Joan was the appearance of her good friend Christopher Biggins, who came on in full panto dame to present Gyles with a birthday cake.. A unique and unmissable event.. The above cast shot was taken especially for The National Portrait Gallery...

Friday, March 3, 2023

EVENT ALERT : DIE GOLDENE SONNE AWARDS .. SONNEKLAT TV ... KALKAR GERMANY .. APRIL 22ND 2023 ..


 
Delighted to announce that Joan will be presented with Sonneklat Tv's Golden Sonne Award during a gala ceremony to be held on April 22nd in Kalkar on the Lower Rhine...






Book your ticket directly for the gala* 👉 incl. Red Carpet Entrance, plus Gala Buffet, Drinks and After Show Party
Here you go to the event weekend 👉 incl. 2 nights A.I. Catering and 2 event nights
➡️ From € 279,- ,- https://bit.ly/3Xrv9xm
Or book an event weekend inc Excursion "Emerich on the Rhine"
➡️ From € 319,- ➤ https://bit.ly/3mdUxcJ
* If you have already booked the gala ticket and would like to book the excursion "Emmerich am Rhein", contact our colleagues at the service center at 089 - 710 457 505.









Wednesday, March 1, 2023

EVENT ALERT : A RABBIT'S FOOT POWER IN FILM DINNER .. THE DRAGON ROOMPhoto.. ISABELS MAYFAIR .. LONDON .. FEBRUARY 28TH 2023 ..

Photo (c) Ki Price

 

Joan was in Mayfair last evening to attend an exclusive dinner in The Dragon Room at Isabel's hosted by Charles Finch to launch A Rabbit's Foot Power of Film 2 day live event in association with Giorgio Armani...

Photo (c) Ki Price