The A to Z Challenge
...Ralph Bellamy to Ginger Rogers in ...
1. CAREFREE-1938-MUSICAL
DIRECTOR: Mark Sandrich
STARS: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Ralph Bellamy
PLOT: Fiance seeks out psychiatrist(Fred) to find out why his gal keeps putting marriage off. When the gal falls for the psychiatrist, he hypnotizes her to hate him which works all too well and to his regret.
QUOTE: Men like him should be shot down like dogs! Shot down like dogs!
OSCAR NOMS: Art Direction, Musical Score, Best Song-"Change Partners"
OSCAR WINS: nil
LOVE: The Dancing!
FAVOURITE SCENE: When they dance The Yam! Fred takes Ginger and they dance around the tables as he lifts her from one table to another...effortless looking.
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: Amanda Cooper (Ginger)-she is too funny
TIDBITS: Fans wanted these 2 to kiss finally so at long last it happened, in slo-mo much to Fred's dislike as he hated mushy scenes.
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Fred Astaire to Judy Garland (Easter Parade) to Liza Minelli (her daughter)
2. CABARET-1972-MUSICAL
DIRECTOR: Bob Fosse*
STARS:Liza Minelli*, Michael York, Joel Grey*, Marisa Berenson, Helmut Griem
PLOT: Young, bohemian, American girl is the main star of the Kit Kat Cabaret falls for a young Britsh, writer amid the up and coming Nazi Regime.
QUOTE: What is "Bumsen?" Knowing what that word is, I asked my Aunt when she was visiting from Germany. She was shocked. My mom had no clue and my aunt had to tell her. I thought my mom was going to make me wash my mouth out with soap-heheheeeee. I am evil at times
OSCAR NOMS: Best Picture, Best Screenplay
OSCAR WINS: Director*, Best Actress*, Best Supporting Actor*, Art Direction, Cinematography, Editing, best Score & Best Sound.
LOVE: The story- a mix of gaiety and fun but with impending doom.
FAVOURITE SCENE: When the MC sings to his sweetheart, a gorilla. You think it is funny until the end when it shows how menacing it truly is.
FAVOURITE CHARACTER: The M.C.
TIDBITS: Apparently the character of Sally Bowles is based on Jean Ross who led quite the life but was not as loose as the Sally Bowles character according to her son.
SIX DEGREES (MORE OR LESS) OF SEPARATION: Liza Minnelli to Judy Garland (Mother) to Marlene Dietrich (Judgement at Nuremberg) to Gary Cooper (Morocco) to.....
Forgot Michael York was in Cabaret. That was before Logan's Run.
ReplyDeleteYup, it was before. He was in quite a few good movies in the 70's.
DeleteOne day I will try to sit through all of Cabaret in one sitting and not just watch bits and pieces.
ReplyDeleteIf it's not to your liking then it would be hard to sit through
DeleteCabaret was a fabulous film - I've never seen Carefree, but those old musicals were much loved by my mother. :)
ReplyDeleteCarefree is such a fun film...I actually like it quite a bit due to the comedy
DeleteCabaret was a fabulous film - I've never seen Carefree, but those old musicals were much loved by my mother. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is another movie I need to add my "to watch list".
ReplyDeleteHope you see it...which one??
DeleteGet it Ginger! She's fully committed to the dance isn't she? I always appreciate your research, sharing and photos! I'll be back for more.
ReplyDeleteThanks...I have many books to look through. She is committed to the dance especially since Fred wasn't the strongest.
DeleteGet it Ginger! She's fully committed to the dance isn't she? I always appreciate your research, sharing and photos! I'll be back for more.
ReplyDeleteTwo such different and yet wonderful films. I love seeing the old movies that have dance in them. People actually followed one another and made the movement beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThey are very different but still are both musicals which is cool. I love ballroom dancing and the beauty of it.
DeleteI haven't seen the first one, but now I want to. ☺ Loved Cabaret! Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey were perfect in that. Your "Bumsen" anecdote made me laugh. Not as bad as the "F" word. ;)
ReplyDeleteI lit love that first one and it is one of my favourites of the Astaire/Rogers musicals. You should have seen my mom's face...priceless. Her sister had to tell her since my mom has such an innocence when it comes bad words. In fact, my mom felt the soldiers never swore...delusion is bliss
DeleteBumsen.....
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued.
I can guess, but I am intrigued.
Ahhh.yes, I had fun with my mom.
DeleteBumsen.....
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued.
I can guess, but I am intrigued.
Ohhhh, your blog post used a 6 letter word. (Is that a thing in Germany?) LOL
ReplyDeleteI hope you didn't have to use Lava. That's a wicked soap to have your mouth washed out with. Trust me.
Carefree sounds like a fun film. I've never seen it before.
My mom is so naive in so many ways and she hates bad words, which amazes me since she married a lumberman. Hope you get to see Carefree
DeleteHi, dear Birgit!
ReplyDeleteMusicals aren't my strong suit, but Mrs. Shady #1 and I went to see Cabaret when it was first released. I admire Ralph Bellamy and remember his roles in the TV series Eleventh Hour and his big screen appearances in Rosemary's Baby and Trading Places.
Thanks, dear friend BB!
You're missing out:) Ralph Bellamy seems to have been in every movie-lol.
DeleteI have never seen either one of them.
ReplyDeleteMaybe one day.....
DeleteCabaret is a great story, with such iconic music. I've seen it as a live theatre production, and was surprised by how much I liked it.
ReplyDeleteI love the little letter cards you're making! What will you do with them after the Challenge?
Cabaret is great and such an iconic story (from a play and film called I am a Camera). Thanks about my letters...I actually
DeleteLay don't know what I will do with them but if there are any you would like, let me know
Carefree seems familiar. I think I might've turned it on midway through or something on TV. I love DANCING.
ReplyDeleteYou will love this movie then. I love this dance shown above
DeleteCabaret I've seen snippets of here and there. Never even heard of the first one before though. Good musicals are fine by me though.
ReplyDeleteIt is a great movie and the first is so funny which is a great marriage with the dancing
DeleteYour letter cards are magnificent!
ReplyDeleteCan you believe I've never seen Cabaret?? I've never been one for musicals so I guess it's no surprise that I haven't seen it but geez, I really ought to catch that one!
Love that photo that you posted of Fred and Ginger. Wow, he's really flinging her in the air. Bet she was light as a feather!
Michele at Angels Bark
Glad you like my letter cards. Cabaret has a great story and so chilling. Ginger was light on her feet but Fred was not the strongest so this was quite the feat because she had to help fling herself also.
DeleteCabaret is in my Top Ten list of movies.
ReplyDeleteIt's one of the best and won best director against the Godfather
DeleteYou had me at Fred & Ginger - irresistible.
ReplyDeleteThey are such a great team....the best!
DeleteI want to see Cabaret sometime.
ReplyDeleteYou should because it has a great story as well.
DeleteNot seen the first one, Carefree, I expect I would enjoy it. I did see Cabaret but apart from the beginning I don't remember anything about it. I did like Lisa Minelli singing Money Money Money.
ReplyDeleteI think you would enjoy Carefree. That song is great and one of my favourites
DeleteI've seen Cabaret. Joel Grey was great in it. I think Liza was miscast.
ReplyDeleteI am surprised you feel she was miscast. Who would you have preferred to see?
DeleteCabaret - just wonderful, I have seen it so many times. Tomorrow Belongs To Me makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. I have also seen it on stage, and as a play, I am a Camera, from Isherwood's book. The film is a very different beast.
ReplyDeleteThe Glasgow Gallivanter
That scene with the kid singing is chilling and it starts off so sweet and beautifully sung.
DeleteI've never seen Cabaret. Obviously, I've seen Carefree. I should rectify the Cabaret situation one of these days.
ReplyDeleteCabaret is truly a great film.
DeleteDon't you just love Fred Astaire? I don't think he's ever been in a bad movie.
ReplyDeleteHe dances so well...understatement of the year! A Damsel in Distress is not that great but that is due to Joan Fontaine as his partner
DeleteI love Fred Astaire!
ReplyDeleteHe is great...simply the best.
DeleteI saw Cabaret years ago when I was young and impressionable; my friend and me who saw it together talked about it almost constantly for weeks afterwards.
ReplyDeletebetty
There is so much to this film that one can talk about it for a long time which makes sense since books are dedicated to this film:)
DeleteThe first one you mentioned is a mystery, but I loved Cabaret!
ReplyDeleteCherdo
Cherdo on the Flipside
"Favorite Characters, Favorite Lines" on the A-to-Z Challenge 2016
It is one of the best, in my opinion, of the Asatire/Roegrs films mainly due to the comedy which is all due to Ginger. I hope you see it.
DeleteCarefree sounds like fun to watch, I enjoy musicals with a lot of dancing :)
ReplyDeleteTerrific choices. Can't get enough of Ginger and Fred and Cabaret with Liza such a classic.
ReplyDeleteThese two are quite diff yet equally fab. Rogers-Astaire...can't get enough.
ReplyDeletex Asha