Happy Leap Year!

 

Are any of you celebrating a birthday today? Do you know of anyone who is? I could not find movies about the leap year…there is one, I believe, but that’s it…I think. Anyhoo, let’s see if March comes in like a lamb or a lion. It appears, in my neck of the woods is more like a lamb or a timid lion. Ok, I have a theme with my 3 film choices and let’s see if you guess what the theme is…

1. PUBLIC ENEMY-1931

This film is directed by one of my favourites, “Wild Bill” William Wellman, who made a star out of James Cagney as a brutal thug come gangster who is equal parts psychopath, sociopath, and brute. We see how he and his friend rise up in the gangster era with their molls played by Mae Clarke, Joan Blondell and Jean Harlow. The famous scene where Cagney pushes a grapefruit into Mae Clarke’s face was unscripted and caught Mae Clarke by surprise. The last scene is, to me, still one of the most brutal scenes done on film. Wellman could create a crisp, finely tuned film. His film, “Wings”, is the first best picture winner with great aerial battles that look quite realistic. It should be since Wellman was the first American to be part of the Lafayette #87 during WW1 and he received the Croix De Guerrero with 2 palms. I need to read his biography.

2. UP IN ARMS-1944

This was the first major film of Danny Kaye who plays a hypochondriac who gets drafted into the army. His best friend, Dana Andrews, volunteers, to keep an eye on his dumb ass friend. Their girlfriends join up as nurses but the gals like the other friend. Dinah Shore was the gal who really wanted Danny Kaye and they provide some good scenes with Dinah Shore singing some really pretty songs. Dinah Shore was more famous as a singer and, later, on TV shows including her daytime tv show plus dating Burt Reynolds. I need to watch this fun movie again as I haven’t seen it in decades.

3. THE FABULOUS DORSEYS-1947

I watched this movie last year and, the acting of these 2 famous brothers has a little to be desired but it’s entertaining for the music that they can do in spades. The 2 brothers are shown how they rise from obscurity to become famous but they quarrel…a lot! This one gal, played by Janet Blair, is trying to play peacemaker. In actuality, the 2 brothers did fall out back in 1935 over the way a song was being played but they did make this film and were on TV together where they introduced Elvis Presley. Jimmy Dorsey, who smoked and drank and died in 1957 from lung cancer, was brilliant for playing the Flight of the Bumblebee in one breath!

Can you figure out my theme? 

Bonus…

Lemmings...Leap or Jump

 

February has been warmer than ever, not good for the trees and plants and today it is supposed to hit 14C! It will be warm until Friday and plummet 20 degrees in a few hours...so March might be coming in like a lion or lamb. Our Kaspar is a lion who is sleeping like a sweet lamb so I thought this picture works.

Over at Monday Music Moves Me, we are talking about leap and/or jump. Obviously, that song by Van Halen came into my head but it was played to death back in the 80s and I found their video,...gross. I went another way as I like to do. Here are my 3...

1. JUMPIN' JIVE BY CAB CALLOWAY

I thpught of this great song and dance number by the superlative Nicholas Brothers. They should be in the same realm as Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly but, they are Black so...so very sad. This is from the film, "Stormy Weather", that featured an all black cast( Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and Lena Horne heading) with this number a highlight. I just don't know how they did this but they are breathtaking.

2. JUMP FOR JOY SUNG BY IVY ANDERSON-1941

This lady has a beautiful voice and died too young from heart failure. She had diabetes and other ailments  but Bing Crosby helped her out always because she helped him when he was starting out and he never forgot.

3. TAKE A LEAP SUNG BY JULIE ANDREWS AND DAVID HYDE PIERCE-2017

I hope I found the right video for this song. This is quite a sweet song and, to be honest, I'm not sure it is from 2917 because Julie Andrews lost her singing voice a long time ago due to a botched vocal chord surgery to remove polyps but she is here singing with David who played Frazier's brother Niles. 

What songs can you think of? 

Christmas Fun

 

Christmas Card Throwdown- Retiform Technique

Stamping Sensations- Animals, Birds & Creatures

Addicted to Stamps- Christmas 

This is an old style but I never made one like this and it was fun. I took a scrap paper, a sponge and a dye ink pad, in apricot brown, and started to create the geometric shapes. I placed down the paper onto a cardstock I had floating around for a while ( I created the background using red and green distress ink with water).  I took a few small stamps and bigger evergreen ones along with brown, green and red dye ink pads and started to stamp. To make sure you don’t stamp in other areas, you cover the area you don’t want stamped with posted notes. Once that was all stamped, I added the bow and the saying. 

ABC Christmas- cats and Dogs

CCAYR- Hearts

Crafty Animals- Anything Goes 

Sparkles Challenge-Hearts and Flowers

Inspiration Station- Dog and Cat ..Cuddly

I used my cuddlebug and an embossing folder I’ve had for a while but never used. I took some grey cardstock, cut it so it fit the folder and took my red dye ink and rub it on the flat side. I pressed it through and the red came right onto the card. I coloured in the rose and leaves with a glitter pen for some added oomph. I stamped my sweet pussy cat in black and used my tombow markers to colour in my pussy cat plus I added some glitter, obviously. I fussy cut her out and glued her in place. I added the hearts, the green leaves and the wood flower, that I coloured in red with the dye ink pad, and glued them in place. I placed it on some green cardstock, with some stamped greenery in green dye ink and voila!

Have a beautiful day and week ahead.

Old Love

 

Before I start, I will let you know who won the Oscar from yesterday’s song post. Once again, Joel got it right…”I’m Easy” won the Oscar while the theme from “Mahogany” was nominated and the other song from “Nashville”  got nuttin. 

Now, there are a ton…a ton of romance films from all genres but it’s almost always with young people and I do think, at times, that love is wasted on the young. I decided to talk about films that deal with old love and I went with a theme within a theme choosing all TV movies. Here are my 3…

1. LOVE AMONG THE RUINS-1975

This stars 2 greats, Katherine Hepburn and Laurence Olivier and directed by the great George Cukor who directed Hepburn 10 times, I believe. Hepburn plays a woman who loves ‘em and drops them with her latest paramour, a much younger man, being upset and sues her. She decides to fight and hires a famous barrister, played by Olivier, forgetting that she did the same thing to him 40 years ago but he still carries a torch for her. This is a lovely movie that is romantic during the early years of the 20th century. It may not be the best of Hepburn’s films or Olivier’s but it is nice to watch.

2. SUMMER SOLSTICE-1981

I saw this film when it first came out and thought it was a great swan song for both of these great actors. This film was the last film for both of them but you wouldn’t know it because they acted so well together. It’s the story about a married couple of 50 years and the ups and downs they went through in their marriage. It is a very good film about marriage and the highs and lows. I always loved Myrna Loy who got a Great role in this film and she acted her heart out. 

3. ONE SPECIAL NIGHT-1999

This is the 3rd and last pairing of James Garner and Julie Andrews who became great friends when they first met in the early 1960s and figured they must have kissed 500 times. In fact Julie Andrews always said Garner knew how to kiss because, in their first film, after he kissed her, her legs buckled. They decided to star in this TV movie about a man whose wife has dementia and is in long term care and Andrews plays a doctor. One snowy night near Christmas, his car get stuck and she picks him up only to get stuck herself. They find an unused cabin and spend a wonderful night, without any hanky panky, talking and find they actually have much in common. Unfortunately, a series of errors and misunderstandings, keeps them apart but you know something will happen to bring them together. Another sweet and touching film with a love that happens to people who are over 30. 

What movies can you think of that deals with a love between 2 older people? 

Which Song Won the Oscar for 1975

 

So I decided to choose another year from the 1970s because I haven’t been back to the 70s in a long time. 1975 is  a fun time with Jaws and Disco making headway. I’m joining in with the Monday Music Movies Me, even though it’s Wednesday. Let’s see if you can figure out which song won the Oscar, which one was nominated and which came up with neither…

1. I’M EASY SUNG BY KEITH CARRADINE

This song, is from the film, “Nashville” directed by Robert Altman  with a star studded cast and a film that I really want to see. This film was written and sung by Keith Carradine from the famous Carradine clan whose father was John Carradine and brother was David Carradine. 

2. IT DON’T WORRY ME SUNG BY KEITH CARRADINE

Yup, this come from the same film and was also written and sung by Keith Carradine. I had no idea he was so talented.

3. DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU’RE GOING TO SUNG BY DIANA ROSS

 This song comes from the movie, “Mahogany” starring Diana Ross and…it’s a dumb ass movie but it’s fun with the fashion and it has this song. This was written by Mike Messer( music) and Gerry Goffin ( lyrics) and became a huge hit for Ross.

So can you guess who won, who was nominated and who got nuttin’?

Had a Fun Crafty Weekend

 

The Flower Challenge- Use a Heart

The Male Room- Use a Heart

We Love Stamping- Romance

Inkspirational- Hearts

Little Red Wagon- Show Us Some Love

Simon Says- Fun with Foil

Tic, Tac, Toe Challenge- used Sparkle, Watercolor, Flowers #tttc241 

I created this card for my hubby and, I have to say, it looks pretty good:)). I took my cuddlebug and embossed the flower frame. I used my tombow markers to watercolour in the roses in a variety of blues. I used my dark blue ink pad and pressed that across the card and the colour adheres to the raised areas. I used glossy accents to create a shine on the roses. I stamped the sentiment and the heart in a sticky  embossing powder and used the blue foil for the 2 stamped pieces. Finally took double sided tape around the edges and placed the the 2 different blue foils on top. I glued everything in place and my hubby loved his card

52 Christmas Cards- Mushrooms

Sparkles Monthly- New Beginnings

I have not used my gnome stamps until now. I used my tombow markers and coloured in the gnome and the mushroom. I added glitter to the top of the mushroom, fussy cut it out and glued it to the white card stock. This cardstock was glued to the frame in red glitter. I stamped  the sentiment in green which must be 15 years old. Added the gold glitter border and the star crystals. 

Fab N' Funky- Paper Piecing

12 Months of Christmas- Die Cuts/Embossing 

Christmas Kickstart- Out On A Limb

This was fun to do! I enjoyed paper piecing the ornaments that I cut out using my sizzex machine from paper remnants I had on hand that was coloured up with colour bursts. I stamped the evergreen in green and glued the ornaments in place. I took red stickles and placed it  on top of the berries and glued it on top of a sparkly paper with border stickers and purple pearls in each corner. 

How was your weekend?

Bittersweet Romances

 

I can’t stand “Love Story” and other predictable boy meets girl, one’s rich, the other, poor, daddy hates the union. One dies…the end… snore. There are many romantic films..many…but I decided to center on the bittersweet romances of which there are…many. Here are 3 I chose for this week…

1. WATERLOO BRIDGE-1940

This film is a full on romantic melodrama that I should not like but I do. It stars Vivien Leigh and Robert Taylor as 2 people who meet on the bridge and fall for each other in the span of  a day or hours. She is a ballerina and he is upper class and they will be together no matter what. When shrivelled apple face Maria Ouspenskaya finds out his star ballerina went out despite her disapproval, she abruptly fires Vivien. Vivien soon finds out her love of her life has died in WW1 and soon becomes a lady of the night only, a year later, to see him very much alive. He is over the moon to see her again but can she tell him what she has become? This was Vivien’s  favourite film of hers as well as Robert’s favourite. It’s well acted and both stars are beautiful but I get frustrated by people making life so difficult. Stop being martyrs, tell them the truth and then hit the hay. 

2. SUMMERTIME-1955

This is a beautifully romantic drama that stars Katherine Hepburn as a spinster on her once in a lifetime trip to Venice who meets pouty-lipped Rosanno Brazzi and falls for his charm. When she decides to get all dolled up for her big date, I laughed because her hair was exactly the same…lol. This was directed by David Lean so it is a step above the typical romance plus you have Katherine Hepburn who is so good as a woman who has never given in to her impulses but decides to let Venice speak to her. Hepburn did her own stunts so that is her falling into the canal and she paid for it because she got something from it which resulted in her eye constantly tearing until the day she died. 

3. SUITE FRANCAISE-2014

We just watched this film starring Michelle Williams as a French woman who is living with her prickly mother in law, played by Kristin Scott Thomas while her husband is fighting in the early days of WW2. The Germans have just taken Paris and are sprawling all over France. Their small town is no different and a German unit takes over this town with the Captain staying at the fancy home where Williams and her mom in law live. The German, played by Matthias Schoenaerts, is a gentleman who hates the war and what Hitler is doing. He is a composer who loves music and hates having to do his duty which is repugnant to him. He and Williams fall in love but everything and everyone is against this union. A farmer kills a German, who deserves it, but now he is a hunted man and the German must find him. It is so well acted and sad. This is based on a book by Irene Nemirovsky, a Jewish woman who died in the concentration camps. Her daughter had the book and her mom asked her to read it and see about publishing it but, after the war, when she found out her mom died, she assumed it was her mom’s diary and could not read it. In the 1980s, she found the book and finally sat down to read it and realized it was not a diary but a fictional book set during WW2. Watching this movie made me think of my mom..when the Russians marched in, they were brutal especially since many were from prisons and were rapists and murderers which is what they did all around the German landscape. Sadly, my mom was a victim of gang rape( over many hours by 7 Russians) but 6 months later a Russian Captain and his troop set up camp on my grandparents’ home and made sure that the family was safe. While there he fell in love with my aunt, Tante Ilse, but, to my mom’s knowledge, they never acted on any feelings. Tante Ilse was already married and in love with her husband and this Russian was a true gentleman and made sure the killings and raping stopped in this area. One day, they got their orders to leave and that was that. 

That movie so bothered me that I dreamed a different ending which was much more positive and happy and how I wish it did end like that. Sadly, there were many French women that did get involved with German soldiers and officers but when the allies won, these women were vilified with their hair being shaved off and openly ridiculed. Sad how we humans can act because not all these women were collaborators.

Love Stinks!

 

Poor Harley, he's pouting and probably is thinking love stinks  because he got into trouble. This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, it's about love being beautiful or love stinking and I went that route. I will say, I am in a great relationship and love that man of mine and vice versa. I have gone through the pain of losing love and most of us have felt that pain so here are my picks...

1. LOVE STINKS BY THE J. GEILS BAND-1980

This song was the first one that came into my head. It was written  by Peter Wolf( not Peter the Wolf)  and Seth Justman and you just know they have been in a bad relationship. 

2. YOU OUGHTA KNOW BY ALANIS MORISSETTE-1995

Thos Canadian blew the world of music with her album, "Jagged Little Pill" which won many Grammys. This is raw and angry and  I love this song.

3. BAD TO THE BONE BY GEORGE THOROGOOD-1982

I love this song! We have all met a bad boy that we just love to get all hot and bothered with because they know the buttons to push. Guys...you have probably met a bad gal who knew how to drive in that screw. Sorry...

Robyn Engel, who is an angel, always has some fun poems about love..er..lust and sex which is very funny. She always has a poetry contest about Valentine’s Day and I, somehow, missed it. Here is my poem

Roses are Red, 

Violets are blue

Men (or women) can stink

But friends are always true

Christmas Snow flakes

 

Christmas  Throwdown-Blue and White

Christmas Craft Creations- Glitter and Sparkle

Hearts Quest Fantasy- Anything Goes but must be fantasy/ Fairy

I always enjoy creating a card in blue a d I love Angela so this was a no Brainerd for me. I used alcohol inks in blues to create a bit of a swirly effect and then added distress inks that I rubbed around the edges. I stamped the angel in white and then embossed it in snowflake white glitter using my heat gun. I added the white sticker border and snowflakes and, finally, I added some being in the corners. I layered the card o to dark blue and white shimmer paper.

Dream Valley- Add a Sentiment

12 months of Christmas- Die cuts/Embossing 

Sparkles Monthly- New Beginnings

Fab N' Funky- New Beginnings

I have this silvery shimmer paper and added alcohol inks in various colours  for the background. I used die cuts for the snowflakes and the 2  at the top right and bottom left border. This was die cut on sticky tape which was a bitch( sorry) to disconnect it from the paper without tearing the design. I peeled off the sticker tape and used glitter to make the snowflakes glitter. I attached the main snowflakes with pop up dots and used glue to adhere the corner ones. I cut out my new die cut stencil saying  and glued it in place and added a bunch of crystals.

No snow here and it feels like spring which I don't like because it's not good for the plants etc...I miss snow.

What Should Have Won Best Picture-1952

 

I am talking about the Best Picture of 1952 which, I consider, the stupidest win ever. Mind you I still have not seen “Around The World In 80 Days” with David Niven but this was a year Chock (or is that chalk?) full of great films and this movie, although entertaining, just doesn’t measure up to any of the others. I am going to choose 3 movies, the winner, a nominee and one that didn’t get any recognition for Best Picture and the one, I think, should have won although, ask me, on another day, and I might choose one of the nominees. 

The nominees for this year were “The Quiet Man”, “The Greatest Show On Earth”, “High Noon”, “Ivanhoe”, and “Moulin Rouge” and this is, gulp, the winner…

1. THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH

I like circus movies and this is a good flick starring a ton of major stars headed by Charlton Heston, Cornell Wilde and Betty Hutton with James Stewart, Dorothy Lamour and many others in supporting roles. This is a Cecil B DeMille production about the trials and tribulations of a circus and the people working on them including a love triangle and a big train wreck. It’s fun but why it won, I just don’t get it when you realize that “High Noon” and “The Quiet Man” were also best picture nominees. I love Jimmy Stewart but this should not have been nominated. 

2. THE QUIET MAN

This is one of my favourite films! It stars the great John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara as 2 people who fall in love when Wayne moves to Ireland to his mom’s home. When he see O’Hara he is instantly attracted but doesn’t understand the culture and how important her dowry means to her. Her brother, played by Victor McLaglin, refuses to give her her dowry nor his blessing and she is, upset that Wayne refuses to fight for what she feels is important. This is a superb film comedy directed by John Ford with many of his troupe in the film including the 3 principles, Ward Bond and Barry Fitzgerald. When Wayne’s character has had enough you are right with him and agree with his way of handling the dowry, his wife and her brother. The epic fight scene goes down in history as one of the best fight scenes captured on camera.

3. SINGING IN THE RAIN

I am dumbfounded that this brilliant musical was not nominated for best picture and I would choose this as my best picture. Mind you I go back and forth between this, “The Quiet Man” and “High Noon” but this musical is brilliant, not only in the dancing and singing but the story holds it up on its own even if there was no singing or dancing. It is very funny headed by Jean Hagan as a spoiled silent screen actress playing a beautiful, queenly lady but, in reality, can’t talk, is nasty and is as stupid as dumbnut. It takes place when silent movies are becoming a thing of the past and everyone is in a panic to make films , “All Singing-All Dancing” extravaganzas. It stars Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds in this film with Cyd Charisse making a wow appearance as a Louise Brooks Femme Fatale dancing sinuously around Gene Kelly. This would be my choice but The Quiet Man is a very, very close second.

This year also had the films, “ The Bad and The Beautiful”, “The Lavender Hill Mob”, “Viva Zapata”, “Come Back, Little Sheba”, “My Cousin Rachel”, “Rashomon” and “ Five Fingers”.

Which film would you choose as Best Picture? 

So, what year would you like me to choose and which category but, no best sound, documentary etc.. because I would not know them. The main awards and even best cinematography, art direction and costumes are all a go. 

Carnival in Venice

 

I would love to go to the carnival in Venice, all dressed up and go to an actual Masquerade Ball but I’m content to see the very beautiful costumes while I sit on my couch in my housecoat. I have joined the Monday Music Moves Me over at Curious As A Cathy. Here we go…

1. CARNIVAL OF VENICE BY PAGANINI

This is a famous piece popularized by Paganini who was a composer and famous violinist who made this Italian folk tune famous.

2. WALTZ IN BLACK MUSIC BY JASON ROWAN

I heard this and thought it was pretty neat and it works perfectly. 

3. CARNIVAL OF THE ANIMALS:THE SWAN

Hey, animals can have carnivals too and this is the most famous part of this musical piece composed by Camille Saint-Saens.

You will notice I don’t have the year of each piece because I couldn’t find them and..it’s late and I’m tired.

Aren’t the outfits amazing? 

Star of the Month: Thelma Ritter

 

THELMA RITTER

BORN: February 14, 1902

DIED: February 5, 1969

AGED: 66 years

DIED FROM: Heart Attack

MARRIED: Once to Joseph Moran

CHILDREN: 2 children. Her daughter followed her into the acting business

OSCAR WINS: None!

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: All About Eve(1950), The Mating Season(1951), With A Song In My Heart(1952), Pickup On South Street(1953), Pillow Talk(1959), Birdman of Alcatraz(1962)

KNOWN FOR: Her thick Bronx accent. Her small stature but never mess with her

I wanted to switch up the months since last year, I had chosen SZ Sakall for February and would have been a male again just like last year so I have gone with a gal once more and that is the great Thelma Ritter whom we all know in movies with her distinctive voice and sarcastic, but all knowing look she gives to many an actor. I found out that this multi nominated actress and Tony award winner still does not have her name on the Hollywood Walk of Fame! I just don’t understand that injustice and she should have one soon. She always wanted to be an actress and appeared in theatre where she met her future husband. They would appear in Vaudeville but he decided to get out of that business and became an agent. She took time off to raise their 2 children and all seemed to be going along when their friend and next door neighbour, George Seaton, asked her to play a bit part in the movie , “Miracle on 34th Street” as a tired shopper who wants to have a word with Santa. She was uncredited but made such an impression that she soon co-starred with Bette Davis, Anne Baxter, George Sanders etc as the loyal maid of Margo Channing in, “All About Eve”. She received her first of 6 Oscar nominations and there was no stopping her. She was in so many great movies but also appeared in many TV shows from “Wagon Train” to “Alfred Hitchcock Presents”  and winning a Tony Award tying with Gwen Verdon for the Musical show, “New Girl in Town.”

Sadly, she died of a heart attack, too young, in my opinion, at the age of 66…my husband’s age actually, and I can’t imagine him being gone at this age. I think she was no nonsense in life as on screen but she had a loving home, husband and raised 2 children. A success in every way.

FILMS 

1. All About Eve-1950

2. The Mating Season-1951

3. With A Song In My Heart-1952

4. Titanic-1952

5. Rear Window-1954

6. Daddy Long Legs-1955

7. A Hole In The Head- 1959

8. Pillowtalk-1959

9. The Misfits- 1961

10. Move Over, Darling-1963

Thursday Film Picks-Masquerade Balls

 

I love Katherine Hepburn in the sequined silver moth costume from the film, “ Christopher Strong” and thought this was a good picture for my theme this week which is all about the Masquerade. Let’s face it, it’s the time to have fun, drink, dress up and have some debauchery before lent brings down the steel hammer. I always wanted to go to a masquerade ball and hope it will happen one day. Here are my 3 picks…

1. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA-1925

Love this version of the Phantom with the incredible Lon Chaney creating some nasty and painful makeup to look the part of the Phantom. He is, so far, the only one to stick to the description of the book. This silent gem shows the Masquerade ball in early colour when he appears as Death. This is a 99 year old film that still can shock when Mary Philbin unmasks her benefactor. 

2. TO CATCH A THIEF-1955

This is a sophisticated film by Alfred Hitchcock  with a sophisticated Cary Grant and Grace Kelly in the leading roles. Cary plays a former cat burgler who must prove his innocence and hooks up with the watchful Grace Kelly who loves jewels...so does her mom, the scene stealing Jessie Royce Landis. I love...love Grace Kelly's gowns and the cat and mouse game she and Grant play with sex as an underlying theme. It culminates at a very fancy masquerade ball where Grant hopes to capture the real jewel thief.

3. THE PINK PANTHER-1963

I love this film and the climax, the masquerade ball, is one of the funniest moments especially with the zebra. Peter Seller's plays Inspector Clouseau who takes his beautiful wife, Capucine, to the Swiss Alps knowing that the famous Pink Panther Diamond will be there along with the owner, the sweet but voluptuous Claudia Cadinale. Little does he know that his lovely wife is in with the cat burgler played by urbane David Niven. Complications ensue when Nicen's nephew, played by Robert Wagner, comes to town and wants in on the action..the jewel and Capucine. The Ball is where it all takes place involving a fumbling knight, a court Jester, 2 gorillas and a zebra all driving around this French village..well, the Zebra trots, not drives. I find this car chase one of the best. 

Which Masquerade Ball comes to mind for you?