Luz Del Fuego was a fascinating woman who founded the first “naturist” club in Brazil in 1955, on the island of Tapuama. She was a dancer, activist and an icon of feminism.  Her murder in 1967 is still surrounded by controversy.

Pictures of Luz do not do her justice. This video has reawakened my interest in her. Don’t watch it if you have a thing about snakes.

Before there was Angelina Jolie, there was Claudia Cardinale.   She reminds me of Angelina, but Claudia is earthier, more sensual, more European. Less otherworldly but so much sexier.

I first saw her in the Pink Panther when I was a little kid, and I was mesmerized by her. (So was my dad, who pointed out her attributes.)

I think Angelina comes closest to the old ideal of movie star beauty.   Who else is there that will linger in the memories of today’s young moviegoers like Brigitte Bardo, Vivian Leigh, Sophia Loren, or Ava Gardner?

Are film stars less strikingly beautiful, or just less conventionally attractive?   Is the old   kind of beauty extinct?

What’s your opinion? And who are your candidates for passing the test of time?