Happy 100th Birthday Robert Taylor

Good morning. Today is Robert Taylor's 100th birthday and Beatrice, Nebraska is having a big party for its home town celebrity.

On Monday, the mayor gave a proclamation declaring it Robert Taylor week. Tuesday night, the library hosted a showing of Camille to a large crowd. Camille was one of his earliest films.

Thursday night the library had a book talk about the book, Camille, lead by Dr. Steve Shively.

Tonight starts the big events. A birthday dinner will be given at the Paddock Hotel serving some of Taylor's favorite foods. The program will include his children, Terry and Tessa Taylor; authors Linda Alexander, Charles Tranberg, and EA Krall; and film historian, Bruce Crawford. Following the program, Westward the Women will be shown at the Beatrice Community Playhouse.

The drawing above was done by Jean Schneller and was autographed by Taylor. She gave us permission to use it for our event.

Wish you could all be there with us.

Nebraska Nellie

In Memoriam of our Robert Taylor

On June 8, 1969, Robert Taylor, aka Spangler Arlington Brugh, died of lung cancer at the age of 57. On August 5, 2011, we will be celebrating his 100th birthday in Beatrice, Nebraska, his hometown.

He starred in many classic films with many leading ladies. His films are often shown on Turner Classic Movies. He starred in westerns, romantic comedies, dramas, and musicals. His name was changed by Louis B. Mayer.

I hope you can join us during the weekend of the 5th to honor my favorite famous Nebraskan. We will have his son and daughter as special guests and Linda Alexander, author of "Reluctant Witness: Robert Taylor, Hollywood and Communism" and Charles Tranberg, author of "Robert Taylor, A Biography".

For inquiries, please call the Gage County Museum at 402-228-1679.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Nebraska Nellie

Landing gear

This one is also one of my favorites. It looks surreal to me. So prehistoric. I plan to frame my crane photos and dedicate a wall in my office to them.

Nebraska Nellie

Sandhill Cranes

This one is so interesting to me because of how they land. I drove around the roads near the Platte River to watch them feed in the corn fields.

Nebraska Nellie

Sandhill Cranes

This photo was one of my favorites. How can you do better than to have one dancing, one flying and one in the middle looking on.

Nebraska Nellie

Sandhill Cranes

I love to watch the cranes flying and dancing and they sound prehistoric.

Nebraska Nellie

Sandhill Cranes

Two weeks ago, I went out near Kearney to see the cranes. I try to go every year and have for the last 11 years. I always try to get some good photos of the cranes, but it is very difficult because as soon as you get near, they start moving away. I felt more successful this year in large part to my new lens.

Nebraska Nellie

Near Scottsbluff

This month I will be posting photos from around Nebraska. This was taken from the top of Scottsbluff in western Nebraska.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy Birthday, Nebraska!

Nebraska became a territory after Congress passed the Kansas Nebraska Act on May 30, 1854. Nebraska was settled in the 1860's after the Homestead Act. In fact, Daniel Freeman was the first one to sign up for homestead land and settled by Beatrice, Nebraska.

On March 1, 1867, Nebraska became the 37th state. In the last few years, I have been traveling around Nebraska to photograph its beauty. Nebraska is over 450 miles wide and it's amazing how different it looks from east to west.

The east is pretty flat and green. The sandhills are in the middle and in the northeast there are grasslands and a man made forest. Last year, I went to Toadstool Park. Who knew that we had something like that in our state. In in north, there is the Niobrara and Ashfalls. In the western part of the state, we have buttes and bluffs, Chimney Rock, and Scottsbluff to mention a few of our most interesting sites.

I plan to get lots more photos this year.

Nebraska Nellie

I have been working on photos and photo cards with my photos from travels.

Happy Day! It's March 1!

Today is March 1. It was a beautiful day. It got up to about 60 degrees and it was great to not have to wear my big heavy coat. The only thing I'm concerned about is the "In like a lion, out like a lamb" and vice versa.

Let's hope it's spring.

Nebraska Nellie

First Friday

Tonight was First Friday here in Lincoln. This means it was time to go to the galleries to see the art. This was particularly exciting because the galleries were featuring photographs. Sheldon Museum is having a photo contest on tranforming vision. I plan to enter some of my photos. Can't wait.


Nebraska Nellie

Happy Groundhog's Day!

I just checked the official website groundhog.org and it says we're having an early spring. Thank God for that. I think we have all had more than enough of this winter. It's time to warm up and plant some nice things.

Nebraska Nellie

Robert Taylor in Camille.

Today I went to see Camille with Robert Taylor from 1936. Taylor was gorgeous and charming as usual in this role. This is also one of his early roles and is one of his more famous movies. Taylor falls in love with Garbo, much to his father's dislike. Taylor's father is played by Lionel Barrymore. I enjoyed it very much.

Next Sunday is Waterloo Bridge.

Nebraska Nellie

Robert Taylor in Magnificent Obsession

Last Sunday, I saw the film Magnificent Obsession with Robert Taylor from 1935. Irene Dunne, another favorite of mine (although not a famous Nebraskan), co-starred. I have only seen it one time before on TCM and I love this version. Taylor plays a young arrogant playboy at the beginning who becomes a doctor to help the woman he loves. This movie was one of his first starring roles. He would have only been 24 when he played this role.

This August, Robert Taylor, born in Filley, Nebraska and raised in Beatrice, would have turned 100 years old. They are showing six of his films on Sunday afternoons at the State Historical Museum here in Lincoln to start the year's celebration of one of my favorite famous Nebraskans. There are four more weeks to see the films. Come join the fun.

Nebraska Nellie

Dick Cheney--70th birthday

Today Dick Cheney turns 70 years old in Lincoln, Nebraska. He moved to Wyoming at about age 13 and I believe he really claims Wyoming as his home state. That probably suits the majority of Nebraskans just fine. He was vice president during the George Bush (43) administration.

Nebraska Nellie

Happy Birthday, Paul Revere.

Happy birthday, Paul Revere Dick. Paul was born on January 7, 1938 in Harvard, Nebraska. He started a band called the Downbeats, and in 1960, the name of the band was changed to Paul Revere and the Raiders. They had many hits and still tour with the band. Please check their schedule at paulrevereraiders.com. They often play in Branson, Missouri. I would love to go see them. They are also on twitter at PRandR.

Let's all wish him a happy birthday and many more.

Nebraska Nellie