Yes, It's REAL! Captured For A BBC Documentary!

The Great Communicator At His Very Best!

This is one of Ronald Reagan‘s famous stories about a bride that walks into a bridal shop.
This was filmed from a tribute to him many years back. 😁 pic.twitter.com/KTy8pOewVb

— Leah Rain ✝️🇺🇸🎸🏝️ (@LeahRain77) May 15, 2026

There's A Reason Why This Movie Is Triumphing

Yesterday, I went to a nearby theater to see Reagan, the movie.

I honestly didn't quite know what to expect. Oh, sure I'd heard about the movie and followed its somewhat twisted path to fruition. And I saw photos and clips of Dennis Quaid in the title role. I also read that audiences were giving the movie high marks while critics (no surprise here) were panning it.

But when it comes to movies these days, you're never really quite sure. And, in fact, all too many current forms of entertainment come up short of expectations.

Not so this time. For more than two hours, I sat transfixed -- transfixed by a story I already knew; a story who's high points, low points and ending I was already familiar with. Why? Because the tale is exceptionally well told via flashbacks and a backstory replete with details and surprising facts I hadn't known.

In short, this is a sweeping biopic that tells the story of a man whose journey would be enough to encompasses several lives and in fact, spans several careers. 

Dennis Quaid nails it as Reagan, recreating his presence, his mannerisms, the cadence of his voice and his resolute self assurance. But we also see the hardships that Reagan suffered and the doubts and defeats he was called upon to overcome. Again, Quaid's three-dimensional, nuanced performance gives the character depth and substance. Here, you will discover the Ronald Reagan beneath the iconic image.

Beyond that, the entire first-rate cast is effective with standout supporting performances by Jon Voigt and Penelope Ann Miller. Most of the important moments in this man's rich and consequential life are accurately and dramatically depicted with great care and craftsmanship. These include his childhood, the roots of his Christian faith, the Hollywood years and his time leading the Screen Actors Guild (SAG),  his services as Governor of California and his emergence on the national political scene.  All of these set the stage for his White House years which make up a big chunk of the movie.

If you lived through the Reagan years the film will have a special resonance for you. You will relive moments that you remember -- moments that may have deeply influenced you and moments that certainly impacted your daily life during that time. Quite frankly, it was very emotional for me.

If you did not live through the 1980s, you will learn about a great man, the values that motivated him and an extraordinary era that renewed America's spirit and its sense of purpose. This is a beautiful film to watch. It's majestic -- particularly in its depiction of  California's vast coastline and the scenes set at the Reagan Ranch in the San Ynez mountains. The ending, by the way, is  poignant and deeply meaningful.

Like it or not, historians now rank Ronald Reagan among our ten most successful presidents. His impact cannot be denied -- and that alone demands our attention.

Don't miss Reagan -- and be sure to see it on the big screen to enjoy its true impact!

'Reagan' Film Soars At Box Office: BLOCKBUSTER!

 

Celebritizing The Presidency: Origins And Outcomes

It's 2024 and in the battle for presidency we now have a certified celebrity (and former president) running against a wannabe celebrity who's launched a pop up campaign built around imagery, sloganeering and cosmetic promises.

And we just witnessed the routing of a sitting president, triggered in part by an op-ed penned by the celebrity pal of the victim's former running mate.

How did we get to this point? How did the Presidency of the United States become celebritized?  Because, make no mistake, that's where we're at.

In the modern era of mass communication it all started with Franklin D. Roosevelt and the emergence of radio. In Roosevelt's day, radio was the most powerful medium imaginable. For the first time, the president could enter your living room and speak directly to you. You could hear his voice, live on the radio. His cadence, his tone, his feelings and his emotion became reachable, touchable, real. And FDR mastered the power of radio with his legendary fireside chats.

Radio is what they call a "hot" medium. It's intimate and engaging because it requires the listener to imagine the appearance, the movements and the mannerisms of the person whose voice comes through the speaker. FDR understood this and he tailored his messaged warmly and informally as if he were having a conversation with one person, sitting right beside him.

Roosevelt also surrounded himself with famous friends. He welcomed the support of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland, the most popular young movie stars of the era and he made sure to be seen not just with them but with the then reigning "King of Hollywood" Clark Gable as well as other stars of the 1930s and 40s. Roosevelt often colluded with the big Hollywood studio bosses and was regularly featured on the silver screen in the filmed Movietone News that was the in-theater precursor to television. FDR's face, his distinctive profile, his voice and his moving image were everywhere. He was the first celebrity president of the electronic age.

In the years that followed Roosevelt's death it was hard for any leader to match let alone eclipse his celebrity.  True, Harry Truman played the piano while Lauren Becall sat atop the spinet and swooned. And Ike brought an iconic smile and the first Madison Avenue produced TV spots to the presidency. But it wasn't until John F. Kennedy in 1960 that celebrity reached a new zenith in the oval office.

Few people recall that among his many other endeavors, Kennedy's millionaire dad, Joseph P. Kennedy was a Hollywood producer. The old man was determined that his strikingly handsome young son would become the leader of the free world. So John Fitzgerald  "Jack" Kennedy was given the moniker JFK and presented to the public via the best image-makers money could buy. He was dressed by the finest tailors, photographed by world renowned photographers, depicted in the most eye-appealing settings, seen with all the right people and armed with the words and witticisms of America's top speechwriters and wordsmiths. America was sumptulously seduced.

Just as FDR mastered radio, JFK was the first president to master  the world of television, a "cool" medium which perfectly suited Kennedy's magnetic presence. Of course, it helped that Jack Kennedy was also smart, charming and married to a beautiful, classy, worldly woman who gave birth to two adorable children. And it also helped that he hobnobbed with the likes of Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack while she brought artists such as Pablo Casals into the White House to perform. They probably single handedly popularized the word glitterati. And all of this reached a dazzling crescendo on May 19. 1962 when Marilyn Monroe sang "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" before a captivated crowd at Madison Square Garden. That was the night that celebrity and the presidency were as tightly bound as Marilyn and her dress.

Still, it took another 20 years for America to crown its first genuine celebrity president by bringing an actual, verified, rock-solid Hollywood star into the White House. And, as the late producer, director and actor John Houseman would say, Ronald Reagan "did it the old-fashioned way, he earned it." Reagan served eight tumultuous years as Governor of California and didn't win the White House until his second try when he was nearly 70 years-old.

By the time he became president Reagan had been a celebrity for nearly four decades. He was comfortable with fame and all its trappings. Indeed, for the better part of his life, that's all he knew. On top of that, he had already mastered radio (he was an announcer and a sportscaster) the movies (he appeared in more than 50 films and helmed the Screen Actors Guild) and television (he hosted and appeared in a top-rated TV series). This made Reagan a triple threat and established him as The Great Communicator. 

And let's not forget that First Lady Nancy Reagan had herself been an actress and had appeared on stage and in the movies. So, this pair needed little or no media training, that's for sure. And while Hollywood stars and other celebrities remained within their galaxy, the Reagans were mostly unfazed by Tinseltown's glitz and glamour. They'd been there, done that. And this is precisely what set them apart.

As they sat in front of the tube each evening and ate their dinner off of TV trays, Ronald and Nancy Reagan wore celebrity like a set of snuggly jammies. In the process, they gave celebrity the one thing it most sorely lacked -- credibility! Knowingly or not, they opened the door to the possibility of a President Donald J. Trump.

Like Reagan, Trump was a celebrity for many years before he sought the presidency. And like Reagan, he was (and is) comfortable with his own fame. Like Reagan he was successful in several other endeavors before he sought the White House. Like Reagan, Trump had also been a TV host and star of a top-rated show. And like Reagan, Trump has sought the presidency more than once. Beyond all that, both men have been the target of an assassin's bullet and both men survived.

The difference is this: Donald Trump has taken the credibility that the Reagan's gave celebrity and he's made it familiar and accessible. Trump's authenticity is on display 24/7 for everyone to see. And Trump has weaved all this into a powerful movement based on the sort of bedrock faith that creates an army of true believers. 

Not since FDR has America seen this sort of trust in one personality. Not since JFK have we seen this sort of affection for an imperfect but nonetheless compelling public figure. And not since Reagan have we seen have we seen this sort of adulation. 

Of course, between Reagan's departure from office in 1989 and the emergence of Trump in 2016 we did have the era of Barack Obama. But for all its flash and graphic messaging, Obama's presidency lacked the depth of Roosevelt, the panache of JFK, the comfort of Reagan or the daring of Trump. Indeed, while Obama wrote about audacity President Trump continues to define it.

Where does all this leave us? Well, we now know that celebrity, embodied by the right personality, is more than skin deep. It's more than surface celebrity. It's powered by ideas, aspirations and character. It reaches us on a visceral level. And all this is part of its allure.

Now combine this with power -- real power, as in the Presidency of the United States -- and you have something that's transformative.

Remembrances Of Christmas Long Ago . . .

Reagan Biopic Set For Release Later This Year

 

One of our very favorite actors, Dennis Qauid, has been tapped to play Ronald Reagan in the widely anticipated biopic Reagan. Quaid is absolutely perfect for the role and we can't wait to see this movie which is expected to be released soon.
Above, Megyn Kelly joins Dennis Quaid at the former home of Ronald Reagan, known as The Reagan Ranch, in California. Quaid tells Kelly why Raegan was his favorite president, and about the research he’ll be conducting in order to bring the role to life.

Below, some of our photos from when we visited the Reagan Ranch -- one of our favoritejourneys of all time!

Our day at the Reagan Ranch was something we will never forget.
And we'll always remember as well the good friends we made on this trip - those who came up to the ranch with us along a 40-minute, crisscrossing journey from Santa Barbara to the top of the San Ynez Mountains.
If you cringe at the thought of narrow winding roads with little margin for error or you dread heights, this is not the trip for you. But if neither of those factors are a problem, the payoff is beyond belief.
Rancho del Cielo, or "Sky's Ranch" or "Heaven's Ranch," is a 688-acre (1.075 sq mi) ranch located atop the mountain range just northwest of Santa Barbara. It served as a retreat and Western White House for President Ronald Reagan and beloved First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The ranch was originally named Rancho de los Picos after José Jesús Pico—a descendant of Santiago de la Cruz Pico who arrived with the Anza expedition in 1776—who homesteaded it and built the original adobe house in 1871. The Pico family owned the ranch until 1941, when Joe, one of Jose Pico's sons, sold it to Frank Flournoy, a Santa Barbara County surveyor, for $6,000 (equal to $96,204 today). In turn, he sold the ranch to Roy and Rosalie Cornelius, who then purchased additional land for the property which came to be known as the Tip Top Ranch.
The Reagans bought the ranch from the Corneliuses for about $527,000 in 1974 (equal to approximately $2,520,000 today) when his second term as Governor of California was nearing an end. The ranch contains a pond called Lake Lucky, stables, a barn for horses, and a 1,500 ft² (139 m²) house decorated with 1970s-style western and Spanish influenced furnishings. The ranch is located on the crest of the Santa Ynez Mountains adjacent to Refugio Pass. It can be reached from the ocean side of the mountains by the one-lane, paved Refugio Road from U.S. Route 101, and from the other side of the mountains by an unpaved, one-lane road from Solvang, California. At times, the dirt road is not passable during the rainy season.
Reagan spent breaks from his presidency at the ranch, which became known as the Western White House. He signed the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 at the ranch and at various times hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, Queen Elizabeth II, and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. After leaving the presidency in 1989, the Reagans moved to a home in Bel-Air, California but kept the ranch as a getaway.

Mrs. Reagan's personal touches can be found throughout the ranch and the small ranch house that the Reagan's called home. Though she could have never been characterized as a "ranch gal," Nancy Reagan recognized the importance of this celestial retreat to Ronnie and she made it comfortable in the rugged, natural style that he preferred. Over the year she came to love the ranch as a place of solitude and tranquility.
Because of his Alzheimer's disease, Reagan last visited the ranch in 1995. Mrs. Reagan last visited in 1998, before selling the property to the Young America's Foundation, a conservative group which preserves it today as a living monument to Reagan's ideas, values, and lasting accomplishments. Although the ranch is officially closed to the public, Young America's Foundation offers students and supporters the opportunity to visit the property Reagan called "heaven."

All photos copyright 2016, 2018 by Dan Cirucci.

Oh, My! Go Out And Buy A Huge Supply Now!

 

Ten Things You Never Knew About Nancy Reagan

So, you think you know everything there is to know about Nancy Davis Reagan?
Not quite.
Here are some things you may not know:

1) Nancy Davis was not her real name. She was born Anne Francis Robbins. Her father, Kenneth Robbins was a used-car salesman who abandoned the family. Nancy was the name she came to be known by and she took the last name of her stepfather, Dr. Loyal Davis, who adopted her. She always regarded Dr. Davis as her real father.

2) Many people thought Nancy Davis Reagan was born in 1923 but that was a fib as somewhere along the way Nancy conveniently shaved two years off her age. She was born in 1921.

3) Nancy was born into show business. Her mother, Edith Luckett was a stage actress who traveled the nation in touring companies. Her godmother was the great silent screen star Alla Nazimova. She wasn't terribly impressed with show people as they were part of her everyday experience. She grew up around stars like "Uncle" Walter Huston and Spencer Tracy.

4) Nancy suffered through a long separation from her mother from the age of two to the age of eight. During that time she lived with her aunt while her single mom trouped the boards. It wasn't until her mother married Dr. Loyal Davis and settled into domesticity that Nancy knew a stable family life.

5) Though most people know that Nancy Davis was a movie actress (she was under contract to MGM and appeared in 11 movies, one with Ronald Reagan) most people don't know that Nancy appeared on Broadway in the musical Lute Song with Mary Martin.

6) Though California became her home, Nancy's roots (like Ronald Reagan's) were firmly planted in the midwest. In fact, they both came from Illinois: he from Tampico and she from Chicago. She shared with him old-fashioned, small-town midwest values. These included discipline, modesty and good manners.

7) For a time when the Reagans were first married Nancy was the family breadwinner. His career as an actor was in decline while she was still able to make a buck.

8) Those who knew her best say Nancy was actually quite frugal. She watched the family budget closely and was equally vigilant regarding taxpayer dollars. She was actually quite careful to keep White House expenses under control. Those who visit the Reagan's ranch house in California are startled to see how tiny, simple and unadorned it really is. BTW: That "controversial" White House china didn't cost us one cent of taxpayer dollars. It was paid for by private donations.

9) Nancy was always gay-friendly. She quietly advised tolerance to those of all sexual persuasions, invited gay friends from Hollywood to the White House, encouraged the appointment of gays to administration jobs and worked behind-the scenes to increase understanding of the growing AIDS epidemic. When the rising young makeup artist Way Bandy died of AIDS, an autographed, framed photo of Mrs. Reagan stood on a night table alongside his deathbed.

10) Mrs. Reagan encouraged compromises on budget policies to preserve some programs for the poor and others in need; she often restrained President Reagan from actions that would further restrict abortion rights and she successfully prodded the President to approach the Soviets and reach historic arms agreements.

The Lowdown On 'Movie Nights' With Power Duo!

NEW EVENT LECTURE AND BOOK SIGNING WITH MARK WEINBERG INCLUDES MOVIE SCREENING OF KNUTE ROCKNE: ALL AMERICAN MARCH 06, 2018 5:30 P.M. - MOVIE SCREENING 7:15 P.M. - PROGRAM 8:00 P.M. - BOOK SIGNING Please join us for a fun evening at the Reagan Library Museum with Mark Weinberg, former special advisor and press secretary to President Reagan, as he discusses his new book, Movie Nights with the Reagans(Publish Date: February 27, 2018). This event is free to attend, however books must be purchased in the Reagan Library Museum Store to receive signature. Over the course of eight years, Mark Weinberg travelled to Camp David each weekend with Ronald and Nancy Reagan. He was one of a few select members invited into the Aspen Lodge, where the First Family screened both contemporary and classic movies on Friday and Saturday nights. Movie Nights with the Reagansis a nostalgic journey through the 1980s and its most iconic films, seen through the eyes of one of Hollywood’s former stars: one who was simultaneously transforming the Republican Party, the American economy, and the course of the Cold War. LEARN MORE

Is This LONG Past Due. Or What?

Who should win the Oscar.
Who may win the Oscar?
Who will win the Oscar?
Here's someone who long been a natural for the award. And the honor is long past due. Agreed?

Truly, The Place Is A Veritable Shrine . . .

A Testament To Good Taste And Lives Well Lived

Over the weekend we had a chance to view many, many items from The Private Collection of the President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan at Christie's in Manhattan at Rockefeller Center.
All of these items will be put up for sale. The sale comprises over 700 items from the post-Presidential home in Bel Air and is split between two auctions. The live auction runs over the course of September 21 and September 22 at Christie's New York at 20 Rockefeller Plaza. In addition, there is an online only sale, which opens on the September 19 and closes over September 27 and September 28. Per President and Mrs. Reagans' wishes, the sale will benefit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute.
"The generosity and foresight of President and Mrs. Reagan ensures that the Foundation, and the presidential library it supports, will be equipped to pursue its mission," said John Heubusch, Executive Director of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute. "It is our honor to fulfill their wishes for the benefit of countless numbers who will visit the Reagan Library in the future."

The many pieces of furniture, art, silverware, dinnerware, jewelry, books, mementoes and personal items reflect the Reagans' myriad of interests including the old west, Chinese art and furnishings, politics, the movies, history, California, fashion, design and Americana. 

Please enjoy the photos that we took of many of the items:

An American folklife painting by Grandma Moses.

A wide and varied collection of elephants, many in jade.

President Reagan's doodles, on White House note paper, signed.

One of our favorite pieces, a red, white and blue bejeweled ring, gold.

A 1984 needlepoint depicting Reagan's landslide re-election sweep.

A painting by Frank Sinatra.

Some of Mrs. Reagan's day and evening handbags. The ones in the front are by Judith Leiber.
Left, rear is by Hermes and is the most valuable of the four.

The evening gown is by James Galanos . Mrs. Reagan owned in for many years but asked that it be dressed up a bit after she became First Lady, so Galanos added satin straps and bows.

All photos copyright 2016 by Dan Cirucci.