Hello fellow Friday Fictioneers, hope you’ve all had a good week. Mine has been hectic, got back from holiday last week (will post about it soon) to a pile of emails – do emails pile? Anyway, there were quite a lot of the little devils waiting for an answer…
Today, once again we bow to the summons from Madame Rochelle – thankfully she is still in charge of the proceedings, and to the photographic skills this week of Kent Bonham.
100 words are what is required to enter the world of Friday Fictioneers, what are you waiting for? Join us, we are quite normal – most of the time…
Copyright Kent Bonham
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
A Silent Star
Nora wanders onto the dimly lit set. Everything is different now. She falters then sees the lights. Standing in the bright spotlight of her memory she laughs, remembering heady days of stardom, the fawning of countless suitors.
Eyes wide, she strikes a pose for imaginary cameras, blowing kisses to imaginary fans.
‘My darlings, I’ll come back to you soon,’ she shouts to the empty space as the light fades.
‘Nora, the visit is over, time to go. Come along quietly. Look, your fans are waiting.’
‘They still adore me.’
She darts away, her high-pitched laughter ringing through the building.
*-*-*-*-*-*-
A nod to ‘ Norma Desmond’ the ageing silent star, played superbly by Gloria Swanson in the film “Sunset Boulevard”
Thanks to Rochelle, the Norma Desmond send up, by the brilliant Carol Burnett
40again's Blog 
Well done, darling. Nora Desmond is such a sad character.
LikeLike
Thank you Helena, she was and Gloria Swanson was so OTT, but a great performance I thought.
Dee
LikeLike
Shades of one of the best stories in narcissism. Also, one of the creepiest movies ever made. Check out Carol Burnett’s version of “Norma Desmond” and you’ll roll with laughter.
LikeLike
Thanks Kent, I think I’ll add the link Rochelle has given me to the post, such a contrast to the original
Dee
LikeLike
That was creepily smooth, I could picture those ageing stars of yester year 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you Helen, pleased you liked it.
Dee
LikeLike
Love it! Absolutely. One year, long ago, I dressed as Nora Desmond (or was it Gloria playing Nora?) for a costume party. Not many got it, Alas. (have I mentioned I love Carol Burnett’s take on Nora? 🙂 Well done.
LikeLike
Hi Shandra – good to hear from you.
Well done on the fancy dress bet it was great and a shame not too many people got it.
Rochelle has mentioned Carol Burnett – I hadn’t seen her send up before, its brilliant.
Dee
LikeLiked by 1 person
Welcome back, Dee. I hope you had a great time. As for email, it piles up all right as my inbox can demonstrate! Good luck with that.
janet
LikeLike
Hi Janet
Good to be back, had a lovely time. Emails disappeared as if by magic…
Dee
LikeLike
What a lovely bit of history. You can feel the desire and dread in this piece. Well done.
LikeLike
Thank you Alicia and it’s good to hear from you.
Pleased you liked the story.
Dee
LikeLike
Nora is one of my favorites. You do her so well. Lucy
LikeLike
Thank you Lucy, what a lovely comment.
Dee
LikeLike
Those old movies always had a flare for the dramatic. You captured it well.
LikeLike
Hi Dawn
More so because they were in black and white I feel. Glad you like this and thanks for reading.
Dee
LikeLike
I do love black and white!
LikeLike
Very poignant. Excellent take on the prompt. Norma/Nora on a supervised day out. Now get cracking on those emails… the holiday’s over. 🙂
LikeLike
Yes m’am!
Emails all sorted now. glad you liked this take on the prompt
I have a lot of reading to do today to catch up.
Dee
LikeLike
Dear Dee,
Most of my emails can be taken care of with the delete key as it’s mostly spam. 😉
Lovely take on the prompt. You’ve captured the aging silent film star. Since it’s already been mentioned twice I’ll provide the link to the Carol Burnett sketch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLO4z5m89TE Enjoy, if you haven’t already.
Shalom,
Rochelle
LikeLike
Dear Rochelle
Thank you for the link for the Carol Burnett sketch. I hadn’t seen it before, think I’ll add to the post – sort of before and after.
Pleased you liked my take on the prompt, have to catch up on the other FF stories now.
Have a great weekend
Dee
LikeLike
As a kid, I was constantly imitating Nora Desmond. Love where you went here, Dee… you really capture the feel of the silent star.
LikeLike
Pleased you liked this, the film frightened the daylights out of me when I watched it first with my grandmother, who was a great Swanson fan.
LikeLike
Ah, Sunset Boulevard. I thoroughly enjoyed that movie when I watched it for a film class. Damned if Gloria Swanson’s portrayal of Nora wasn’t creepy as hell. You pulled off her personality really well here!
LikeLike
Oh thank you, so pleased you thought so. I enjoyed writing this.
Dee
LikeLike
Dreams of costumes and make-up. She was happy, is happy. Nice story.
LikeLike
Thank you Patrick, glad you liked it.
Dee
LikeLike
Great take on the prompt, Dee. I love a bit of history!
LikeLike
Thank you Amy
LikeLike
Well? When are you ready for your close-up, Mr. DeMille?
LikeLike
Hi Perry, good to hear from you
No close ups please!!
LikeLike
I may not know her but your story was bitter sweet..well written too, a sort of introduction to someone like me 🙂
LikeLike
Hi Camgal
Pleased you liked this story of a faded silent star
Dee
LikeLike
Well-done presentation of an old star who, like Norma Desmond, has lost her link to sanity. I have to watch Carol Burnett’s video. I’m so glad Rochelle furnished the link. Carol was hilarious. I’ll never forget her sketch as Scarlett O’Hara wearing curtains in Gone With the Wind.
LikeLike
Hi Patricia
I hadn’t seen the Carol Burnett clip, I’m going to try and add it to the post alongside the original, should be fun
Thanks for reading
Dee
LikeLike
the dreams, the depression, it’s palpable. wonderfully captured, Dee.i enjoyed your take on the prompt 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you KZ
Must have been so depressing for the stars of the silent films who didn’t make it to the talkies.
LikeLike
Interesting how the introfuction of sound made life hard for some of the silent star moviestars…
LikeLike
Yes sound signalled the end of many careers. Thanks for reading.
LikeLike
I loved this, Dee. We are all replaceable. As Nora, will eventually realize.
LikeLike
Thank you Russell. We are indeed, as we learn eventually.
LikeLike
hooray for me. i can honestly say that she had come to mind before i saw that it was actually geared towards her. yay me. and yay to you for having written it so well to have gotten me there. well done.
LikeLike
pleased you are happy and pleased you saw Norma in the story, mission accomplished. thanks for reading
LikeLike
Clever piece. Great line… Standing in the bright spotlight of her memory. I have to watch Sunset Boulevard again… thanks.
LikeLike
Hi Ted, great to hear from you, pleased you liked it.
LikeLike
You found great inspiration for your story. Nice work, Dee.
LikeLike
Thank you Patti
LikeLike