He’s an Academy Award-winner whose mark on Hollywood is still evident today. Actor Jimmy Stewart will be honored with a stamp bearing his face on Friday and you can join in on the festivities.
The U.S. Postal Service will officially release the new Jimmy Stewart stamp at ceremonies in Pennsylvania and Hollywood. The Pennsylvania ceremony will be held at the Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, the actor’s hometown. The other will be held at Universal Studios in Hollywood.
The Postal Service first announced that Stewart would be gracing a stamp last October. The picture on the stamp is based on a portrait of the actor as he appeared in a publicity photo for 1949’s “The Stratton Story.”
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Stewart’s death. The legendary actor starred in more than 80 movies including “It’s a Wonderful Life,”“Rear Window” and “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.” In 1941 he an Oscar for “The Philadelphia Story.”
He may not have won an Academy Award, but he certainly won the hearts of millions of moviegoers and music fans.
Celebrations to honor Elvis Presley are underway as we speak at the singer’s former residence in Memphis, Tennessee. But, there is a couple of Elvis Presley fans who want to give Graceland a run for the money by refurbishing the King’s old desert home in California and making it a tourist attraction.
Reno and Laura Fontana bought Presley’s Palm Springs home site unseen in November and now they say they want to make it the Graceland of California.
The couple says the house already draws quite a number of gawkers—-many of them taking part of celebrity tours in Palm Springs. The Spanish-style white stucco home has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms, with a sunken tub and a pool. According to the Fontana’s, Elvis and Priscilla Presley bought the home in April 1970 and used it as a vacation home.
Currently, the Fontana’s receive requests to tour the inside of the home from at least a half dozen groups per day. Reno says he has been providing Elvis fans a chance to take a peak inside, but right now, there’s not much to see in the unfurnished home.
The Fontana’s, lifelong Elvis fans themselves; say they have big plans for the former Presley vacation home. They say they want to decorate the home in elaborate Elvis style furnishings and build a chapel, banquet hall and recording studio to attract weddings and recording business.
“We may have our names on the deed, but we are the caretakers,” Fontana said. “This house belongs to Elvis fans around the world.”
Would you make a pit stop in Palm Springs to tour Elvis’ former vacation home?