MY FAVORITE BRUNETTES 4

Welsh actress Catherine Zeta Jones was the "bad girl" in THE PHANTOM (1996), which I recall seeing when it came out but she really caught my eye in THE MASK OF ZORRO (1998). I literally could not take my eyes off of her every time she appeared on the screen. I thought she had to be a Latina actress but I was shocked to find out she was from Wales. She was hands down the best thing about MASK OF ZORRO.

I've only seen a couple of her other films, ENTRAPMENT (1999), a so-so caper film made watchable by the pairing of Zeta Jones and the legendary Sean Connery and AMERICA'S SWEETHEARTS (2001), a middling romantic comedy that Judy and I rented one night.

After my first exposure to her, I immediately cast her in my imaginary WONDER WOMAN film as Princess Diana with the still breathtaking Lynda Carter as her mother, Queen Hippolyta. Sadly, that onscreen team-up will never happen but a guy can dream can't he?

By the way, my closest brush with Catherine Zeta Jones came when I met "Zorro" himself, Antonio Banderas. He was shopping in the store one afternoon while his wife, Melanie Griffiths was shooting a film at a nearby location. Every female employee was going nuts over having him on the premises. I told them to just leave the guy alone. Later, I was walking the floor and our paths crossed. I just asked him if there was anything I could help him with. He said no and I went back to my office where I immediately called Judy with the news that "I"m bigger than Zorro!" She had no idea what I was talking about until I explained that I had met Banderas in the store. He's a little guy. I'm no giant and I certainly weigh less now than I did then but I'm pretty sure I could have taken him sixteen years ago.