Couldn't have said it better myself

Today marks the 72nd anniversary of the appearance of the greatest newspaper headline ever -- or, at the very least, the greatest headline ever to appear in a trade publication.

It was on this day in 1935 that the front page of Variety blared the following:

Over the years, that aggregation of words has brought me great joy. I've no idea who penned that headline -- I'm not sure anyone knows -- but I tip my hat to him or her today.

There are certain achievements that ought to give one a free pass for life, and certainly the coining of that headline qualifies, in my book.

Flo, Forties-syle

There's a vintage store in my neighborhood that mostly sells small things -- glasses and cocktail shakers, postcards, Christmas decorations, and lamps.

But yesterday when I passed by, they had three 1940s dresses hanging from the awning out front -- two were cotton floral prints, one was a more formal dress in black crepe.

The price for all three, combined, was only $55. I'd never seen clothes at this store -- they really don't have the room -- but these were very appealing, the prices were certainly right, and I thought they just might fit my gal Flo.

I took the plunge, figuring I'd sell them on Ebay if they didn't fit or, less likely, if she didn't like them. Turns out she loves them. What's more, two of them fit like a charm, and the third needs just a small bit of taking in.

I feel as though I pretty much hit the jackpot -- see what you think.

Happy birthday, Ms. Stanwyck

Barbara Stanwyck, one of my favorite actresses, would have turned 100 on Monday, had she managed to stick around that long (oh, would that she had!). To mark the occasion, Turner Classic Movies is airing a 24-hour tribute. There's some good stuff here -- and, of course, some key omissions (all times eastern):

6:00 a.m. -- NIGHT NURSE (1931) A nurse discovers that the children she's caring for are murder targets. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Ben Lyon, Clark Gable. Dir: William A. Wellman. BW-72 mins

7:15 a.m. -- A LOST LADY (1934)
A bitter woman who thinks she'll never love again marries, only to fall for a brash young man. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Frank Morgan, Ricardo Cortez. Dir: Alfred E. Green, Phil Rosen. BW-61 mins

8:30 a.m. -- LADIES THEY TALK ABOUT (1933)
A lady bank robber becomes the cell block boss after she's sent to prison. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Lyle Talbot, Preston Foster. Dir: Howard Bretherton, William Keighley. BW-69 mins

9:45 a.m. -- BREAKFAST FOR TWO (1937)
A Texas heiress competes with a gold digger for the love of a playboy. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Herbert Marshall, Glenda Farrell. Dir: Alfred Santell. BW-68 mins

11:00 a.m. -- MEET JOHN DOE (1941)
A reporter's fraudulent story turns a tramp into a national hero and makes him a pawn of big business. Cast: Gary Cooper, Barbara Stanwyck, Edward Arnold. Dir: Frank Capra. BW-122 mins

1:15 p.m. -- CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT (1945)
A homemaking specialist who can't boil water is forced to provide a family holiday for a war hero. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-102 mins

3:15 p.m. -- THE TWO MRS. CARROLLS (1947)
A woman slowly discovers that her artist husband is a deranged killer. Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Barbara Stanwyck, Alexis Smith. Dir: Peter Godfrey. BW-94 mins

5:00 p.m. -- JEOPARDY (1953)
A woman desperately seeks help to prevent her trapped husband from drowning. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Barry Sullivan, Ralph Meeker. Dir: John Sturges. BW-69 mins

6:15 p.m. -- THESE WILDER YEARS (1956)
A wealthy businessman sets out to find his long-lost illegitimate son. Cast: James Cagney, Barbara Stanwyck, Walter Pidgeon. Dir: Roy Rowland. BW-91 mins

8:00 p.m. -- BABY FACE (1933)
A beautiful schemer sleeps her way to the top of a banking empire. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, George Brent, John Wayne. Dir: Alfred E. Green. BW-76 mins

9:30 p.m. -- BARBARA STANWYCK: FIRE AND DESIRE (1991)
Barbara Stanwyck's multi-faceted career reveals uncanny reflections of her off-screen life. Cast: Sally Field, Barbara Stanwyck, Gary Cooper. Dir: Richard Schickel. C-46 mins

10:30 p.m. -- ANNIE OAKLEY (1935)
The famed female sharpshooter learns that you can't get a man with a gun when she falls for a rival marksman. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Preston Foster, Melvyn Douglas. Dir: George Stevens. BW-90 mins

12:15 a.m. -- CLASH BY NIGHT (1952)
An embittered woman seeks escape in marriage, only to fall for her husband's best friend. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Robert Ryan, Marilyn Monroe. Dir: Fritz Lang. BW-105 mins

2:15 a.m. -- EXECUTIVE SUITE (1954)
When a business magnate dies, his board of directors fights over who should run the company. Cast: William Holden, June Allyson, Barbara Stanwyck. Dir: Robert Wise. BW-105 mins

4:15 a.m. -- SORRY, WRONG NUMBER (1948)
A neurotic invalid accidentally overhears a phone conversation plotting her own murder. Cast: Barbara Stanwyck, Burt Lancaster, Wendell Corey. Dir: Anatole Litvak. BW-89 mins