Help identifying the movie stars on Pope Ringo's robe
This image is from "Lisztomania" (1975), a bizarre acid-trip rock-opera biopic, about classical composer Franz Liszt. Roger Daltrey of "The Who" stars as Liszt, while Ringo Starr from the Beatles cameos as the Pope. Pope Ringo pays the womanizing musician a surprise visit while Liszt is in bed with a naked woman (Little Nell from "Rocky Horror Picture Show"). This scene is only the tip of the iceberg of the insanity that is "Lisztomania."
In the Director's commentary, Ken Russell says that the photos on Ringo's robe are of "movie stars." Russell says this is a homage, because the movies inspired him to convert to Catholicism. (Yes, a practicing Catholic convert made "Lisztomania.")
Unfortunately, Russell didn't elaborate on how the movies converted him, or who the specific stars in the photos are. Google Reverse-Image Search doesn't work, because the photos are still too blurry even in H.D. I can only make a guess at who a random photo is of, Google the actor, and search for a matching picture.
So far, I've only been able to identify one: Greta Garbo, on the bottom right (Ringo's left).
I believe that's Charlie Chaplin on his shoulder. This would make sense, since there's an entire scene earlier in the movie that homages Chaplin, implying that Russell is a fan. And in the commentary, Russell confirms that he loves Charlie Chaplin. If anyone can find the exact photo of Chaplin used, or correct me if it's actually someone else, please share.
Moving on, I'm 95% sure that's Katherine Hepburn on his back. But I can't find the exact photo on Google.
We see a few more stars, as Liszt kisses the Pope's holy cowboy boots.
I'm stumped on those two guys in the Arabian headgear. I Googled stills from "Lawrence of Arabia" (all of them), "The Thief of Baghdad," "The Mummy," "Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy," and "Two Arabian Knights," and haven't found a match. I feel those two shouldn't be too hard to identify. I can see them clearly enough to make out their faces, I just don't recognize them. As for the picture above them and the one below them, I'm stumped.
The big color picture of the woman doing the jazz hands is...also a mystery. I searched Audrey Hepburn and Liza Minnelli, to no avail.
I don't know who the mustached sailor on the upper-right is. To the left of Jazz-Hands, under (probably) Chaplin, is an actress from the '20s or '30s. Possibly Clara Bow, or a young Mary Astor. The picture directly under her, I can't even make out. The trio on the bottom is also a mystery; I thought the Three Stooges at first, but seeing the picture from a different angle makes me think one or two of the figures may be women.
The man with the blond or light-brown hair, on the left, could be James Dean or Burt Lancaster. Over on the right is a couple from what looks like a '20s or '30s movie.
It's a long shot, but maybe someone can recognize a famous photo even at this distance.
I'm surprised not to see Marilyn Monroe, because Ken Russell seems to be a big fan of hers. Maybe she is in there and I missed it. Naturally, I'm also a tad disappointed that an eccentric like Ken Russell doesn't seem interested in Peter Lorre. But again, maybe he's in there too.
I wonder if people thought that Sir Isaac Newton was cooler before he was hit on the head sitting underneath that apple tree. Or if Franz List was sexier before he appeared on stage, at the piano, entrancing audiences with his rhapsodic Hungarian music.
I wonder if I’ll get the chance to forget who I am too, when the world learns my name.
