ON THE COVER : STORY .. MAY 1985 ..

This 1985 Belgian magazine cover features Joan in a promo photo from 'Sins'...

PHOTO OF THE DAY : JOAN LOOKS AHEAD TO THE 80'S!

This rather lovely early 80's show features Joan before the advent of 'Dynasty' ...

PHOTO EXTRA : RENE LAPS UP JOAN'S POOLSIDE COMPANY!

Joan currently enjoying her summer break at her St Tropez home, welcomes her friend and stylist Rene Horsch to share in the fun and frolics.. Here is a sensational shot of both of them.. Joan looking fabulous as usual.. Thanks to Rene for sharing this shot...

PHOTO OF THE DAY : JOAN AND THE TECHNICOLOR PRESSUP!

This is another great Harry Langdon shot for a fitness magazine shoot..

PHOTO OF THE DAY : JOAN KEEPS CAMERA LENS AT ARMS LENGTH!

This photo was taken from a magazine shoot after Joan began working on Dynasty..

ON THE COVER FLASHBACK : LITTLEWOODS CATALOGUE 1989

I featured this cover in 2010 and this week Littlewoods uncovered vintage covers to celebrate it's 80th Anniversary..

This cover from the Spring /Summer of 1989, features one of my favourite photo's of Joan by Gary Bernstein, taken for her "Prime Time" USA book cover. This cover is for Littlewoods a home shopping catalogue, inside Joan modeled various outfits/nightwear under the banner "Megastar Magic". This catalogue also featured Jerry Hall & Jane Seymour and Hollywood designer Travilla as well as Zandra Rhodes.

PHOTO OF THE DAY : EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED FROM JOAN!

This stylish shot features Joan in an episode of the British suspense series 'Tales of the Unexpected', entitled 'Neck'.. Which also starred Peter Bowles and Sir John Gielgud...

PROMO FLASHBACK : SPECTACULAR JOAN!

This promo card was used at events where Joan made appearances to promote her fragrance 'Spectacular'.. She signed copies for buyers and fans..Featuring a fabulous image by Gary Bernstein...

ON THE COVER : TV RADIO EXTRA .. NOVEMBER 1987

This cover features Joan as Katrina Petrovna in the 1986 mini-series 'Monte Carlo'...

PHOTO OF THE DAY : TIMOTHY IS TICKLED PINK BY JOANIES HAT!

Here Joan shares a joke with Timothy Dalton in the 1985 mini-series ..'Sins'...

ON THE COVER : NZ WOMAN'S WEEKLY .. JUNE 1984 ...

This cover from 1984 features a photo also used for 'Cosmopolitan' with a story about John Forsythe's displeasure at Joan's Playboy spread!

PHOTO OF THE DAY : JOAN GIVES ROBYN SOME POINTERS ON MEN!

This great still features Joan as football manager Pam Dugan in the popular 1984 tv movie 'Her Life As A Man', pictured with Robyn Douglass, who plays a journalist who loses her job and can't get another because she is a woman. To get a job in Sports reporting she resorts to impersonating a man to fool her chauvinistic boss played by Robert Culp...

PHOTO OF THE DAY : A LEGGY LEGEND THAT'S JOAN!

This little seen shot of Joan was taken for a magazine shoot....

PHOTO OF THE DAY : SPACED OUT JOAN IN A 1999 HAIRPIECE!

This photo features Joan in an episode of the cult 70's series 'Space 1999' in which she guest starred with Martin Landau and Barbara Bain..

60'S FOCUS : SEVEN THIEVES .. 1960 ..

 20TH CENTURY FOX
Presents
SEVEN THIEVES
Starring

EDWARD G ROBINSON as Theo Wilkins
ROD STEIGER as Paul Mason

JOAN COLLINS as Melanie
ELI WALLACH as Pancho

ALEXANDER SCOURBY as Raymond Lemay
MICHAEL DANTE as Louis
BERRY KROEGER as Hugo Baumer
SEBASTIAN CABOT as Casino Director
MARCEL HILLAIRE as Duc Di Salins
JOHN BERARDINO as Chief of Detectives
ALPHONSE MARTELL as Governor
JONATHAN KIDD as Seymour

Assistant Director - Ad Schaumer
Art Director - Lyle R Wheeler & John De Cuir
Director of Photography - Sam Leavitt A.S.C
Music by Dominic Frontiere
Screenplay by Sidney Boehm
Based on a Novel by Max Catto
Edited by Dorothy Spencer

TIME FOR A TOAST!

Costumes by Bill Thomas
Produced by Sydney Boehm
Directed by Henry Hathaway

It was known as the robbery that rocked Monte Carlo! When Paul Mason is summoned to the French Riviera by an old friend, he soon learns he is asked to lead in the robbery of the Monte Carlo casino! Reluctant at first, he soon meets his accomplices and with the help of a glamorous stripper, Melanie, the scene is set for a daring heist! Where every move is a gamble, where the stakes are high for the Seven Thieves!

(c) 1960 20TH CENTURY FOX  102 MINS  B/W  REG 1 DVD / FOX HOME ENTERTAINMENT .

FRENCH POSTER

THE STAKES ARE HIGH

ADVANCE POSTER

PAUL MEETS MELANIE & PANCHO

Although shot in 1959, "Seven Thieves" was released in B/W, probably to give it the look of a film noir. Joan plays the only female role in the film and she holds her own against a heavyweight Hollywood cast. Even though she was still getting over losing the role of "Cleopatra", she had found consolation in a new love by the name of Warren Beatty. For her role as Melanie, a stripper in a Parisian cellar cafe, she had to undergo many hours of classes in striptease from the legendary Burlesque star Candy Barr. But all her efforts were lost in the final cut of the film, as any of the 'Bump & Grind' she learned was left on the cutting room floor, along with her clothes presumably! Regarding clothes, Joan fared much better as the film was nominated for a Best Costume Design Award at the 1961 Oscars. The films costume designer Bill Thomas recalled.

JOAN  FITTED BY BILL THOMAS FOR THAT DRESS!

" Joan Collins has the best figure I've ever dressed. She has perfect proportions, with everything just where it should be, and the right size! The wardrobe for Joan in the film looks sensational on her. As a stripper Joan has to wear some highly interesting garments! When she attends the Governors Ball, on the night of the robbery, she has to look like a great lady. We ran the gamut of feminine attire and I enjoyed every minute of it. Her gown in the ball scene was named "Black Ice".It is jet black, bugle beads and sequins, designed to fit scales on a fish. We fitted the dress eleven times to get the really close tolerance I wanted."

JOAN ADDS A TOUCH OF CANDY!

The dress cost $2,500 to make and Joan loved it so much, she wanted to buy it after the film was completed. But she changed her mind whn it became apparent that it was impossible to sit down in!
The producer Sydney Boehm wanted realism in the film and actually employed real Beatnik's from Venice for the extras in the cellar cafe scenes.The stage that Joan preforms her sexy routines was previously used in the 1959 version of "The Blue Angel", which starred May Britt. After shooting the film, Joan commented to the New York Post...

JOAN IN BLACK ICE!

" I have two more years with Fox. I am not unhappy at all about that! In fact you may say, I look forward to the day!"

Joan's only positive things to say about the film were that she was glad of the oppurtunity to work with Edward G Robinson and she was the only female in the film, unlike previous films like "The Bravados", she was essential to the plot. After "Seven Thieves", Fox offered her the role of Clara in a production of D.H. Lawrence's novel "Sons and Lovers". But Joan decided not to do the film, even though she had gone through with the makeup and wardrobe tests for the film. It was set to be shot in England and it would have allowed her time she could have spent with her family. But it seemed Joan had let her heart rule her head and take advice from her new love Warren Beatty, who persuaded her not to do it. They were so smitten with one another, they could barely be apart! But Joan would soon come to regret turning down the film, as not only was it a big hit, but it was nominated for a clutch of Oscars, including a Best Supporting Actress nomination for the role she turned down! Joan was then offered another western called "Big River, Big Man", but Fox decided to cancel the film. Then it was another film she hated the script for called "Madison Avenue". She refused to do it and was glad as it was awful, that ended up starring Dana Andrews and Eleanor Parker. Viewed today "Seven Thieves" is ood old fashioned movie making, wih a great cast and certainly one of the better crime capers of the era!

(c) 2010    Mark McMorrow.

PHOTO EXTRA: ALEXIS IS AHEAD IN THE GALMOUR STAKES!

As Dynasty season 9 gets a UK dvd release on November 5th, here is a great photo of Joan as Alexis.. When artwork is available for the set, will feature with a link... Paramount also release all 9 seasons in one box set the same day.. Artwork and link to follow..

PHOTO OF THE DAY : HANDS ON JOAN IS SITTING PRETTY!

This rare shot features Joan looking radiant in a promo photo for a BBC series 'The Great Picture Chase' from 1989...

PHOTO OF THE DAY : JOAN'S STEPS TO A HEALTHY DIET!

This lovely shot, finds Joan taking a break from shopping in St Tropez markets for her lunch provisions.. This was part of a shoot for a magazine a few years ago..

BOOK ALERT : HOLLYWOOD UNSEEN .. ROBERT DANCE .. ANTIQUE COLLECT..

A wonderful new coffee table book to be published on October 24th, reveals the images from all the legendary Hollywood studio's publicity departments.. Photographs that remained unseen for many years.. Taken from the John Kobal collection of Hollywood images, the book is a treasure trove for lovers of the Silver Screen.. The book's author Robert Dance has also compiled the catalogue of the exhibition 'Glamour of the Gods' which recently enjoyed a good run at the National Portrait Gallery and which featured Joan.. Delighted to reveal that Joan has written a foreward for this book, she of course an expert on the subject, having spent her career in the stills gallery and in front of the lens.. An essential addition to any book collection, will add a link to order shortly on sidebar..

DVD ALERT : ESTHER AND THE KING (DAS SCHWERT VON PERSIEN) .. KSM KLASSIER..

Just to mention that Joan's 1960 biblical epic 'Esther & the King' will get a German dvd release on September 17th from KSM Classics... The company promise a Widescreen release, with Dolby soundtrack on both German and English options.. This film has appeared on numerious poor quality editions, so hopefully this will be a step up quality wise.. Have ordered it myself, will report on how good it is when it arrives next month! Will put a link on sidebar later in the week..