If they were still alive today...

Perhaps the first American-born opera star, Geraldine Farrar would be 129.  She was noted not only for her beautiful voice, but for her great physical beauty as well.  She had something of a "cult" of followers, young women who followed her around as she toured, called "The Gerry-Flappers" (below).  Farrar was also a major silent film star as well.

Here she is , singing the "love duet" from Puccini's La Boheme with Enrico Caruso, 99 years ago.  For some reason, this recording was never publicly released:



Husband of Judy Garland, father of Liza, and director of some of the greatest Hollywood musicals in history (Meet Me in St. Louis, An American in Paris, Gigi)Vincente Minnelli would be 108.
Once called "The Shakespeare of Hollywood," Academy Award-winning screenwriter/playwright Ben Hecht would be 118.

Jewish gangster, Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel would be 105.  He was pivotal in the development of Las Vegas, Nevada and was a major player in the Genovese crime family.  He was portrayed by Warren Beatty in the 1991 film, Bugsy.  And he was one snazzy dresser!










Welsh film actor Stanley Baker would be 83.  He's most noted for having turned down the role of "James Bond" in the original Bond picture, Dr. No (which of course went to Sean Connery).  He said he didn't want to commit to a three-picture contract.  Oops.












Stage and screen comic actor Zero Mostel would be 96.  He was yet another performer who was "banned" from the screen in the 1950's, due to the McCarthy blacklist in Hollywood.









One of the original founding members of The Rolling Stones, Brian Jones would be 68, had he not drowned in his own swimming pool while under the influence of drugs at the age of 27.  Not to be unkind, but that is one hell of a face he had there!