I’m writing this late which is par for the course…lol. Since this past Sunday was Father’s Day, I thought, why not carry this to films….
1. LIFE WITH FATHER-1947
William Powell plays the dad who believes he is the one in charge…hahahaaaa. Actually, it’s his wife, of course, played by the ever elegant Irene Dunne, who handles the house and all their kids 2 of which are played by Jeanne Crain and Elizabeth Taylor. When it is found out that dad was never baptized, you’d think Hell is knocking on their door. The wife is not happy and will do all she can to get her husband baptized so he can enter the gates of heaven. It’s actually based on a true story….just like my next film choice…
2. CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN-1950
I love Clifton Webb who plays the patriarch to 12 children and husband to Myrna Loy, while he tries to maintain order and control in a very hectic household. I love Steve Martin and he is funny but I love Clifton who always added an acerbic charm to his roles. This is based on another true story but the father died of a heart attack when only in his early 50s with his wife living another 40+ years. It’s in this film..oops, spoiler alert but knowing this doesn’t diminish the charm.
3. TAKE HER, SHE’S MINE-1963
This is a sweet picture with James Stewart as an over anxious father who has sent his daughter to Paris. Funnily, no matter where he goes, people think he looks like this tall, lanky actor where they can’t recall the ctor’s name. It’s a running gag that made me laugh along when he ends up on a Parisian tourist boat here he starts losing his clothes..I can’t remember why but it’s funny. This film was done when Stewart played a typical dad in a few 60s films and this is a fun movie even if it is not the best but nothing is truly bad when Jimmy is in it ( well, maybe the FBI story..ughh).
I used this picture of my dad recently but it still works and he looks so handsome. He was just 28 years old and saw so much already like so many men…and women did during that time. This is for my daddy who’s been gone for 36 years but I feel him near every day. I am joint the Monday Music Moves Me over at Curious As A Cathy.
1. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY SNG BY DORIS DAY-1944
This song was THE song for the servicemen coming home. My dad, who was wounded in the Reischwald forest near the end of the war, recuperated in a Belgian hospital, didn’t return until 1946 but, I’m certain, this song was still on top. It was written Les Brown and Ben Homer with lyrics by Bud Green and was a huge hit.
2. ENJOY YOURSELF WITH GUY LOMBARDO-1949
My dad loved Guy Lombardo and his all Canadian Band and saw them in concert plus he’d watch them on TV. I remember watching the New Year’s Eve specials with daddy who was always insistent on watching this Big Band orchestra on the CBC ( the Canadian TV channel). When Guy died, I remember my dad being very upset by this. This song resonates with me since I recently turned 60. This was written by Carl Sigman with lyrics by Herb Magidson.
3. THE LOG DRIVER’S WALTZ-1979
I’ve had this on my blog before but I just love this short from the National Film Board of Canada. My dad was in the logging and sawmill business, off and on, for most of his life. One of the happiest times is when he met my mom and they knew they were meant to be together. He was working at the Atlas Steeles and hated it, and bitched about it constantly until my mom finally told him to do something about it. This is when they found a very run down sawmill and a home surrounded by weeds, with no stairs to the basement but a door that opened to the downstairs ( I was 1 yr old and my brother was 4). Oh, and it was infested with mice and flies. My dad found his dream home and my mom didn’t want to tell anyone where she lived. Those 2 worked tirelessly and made a beautiful place where my brother and I grew up and, to this day, have fond memories.
I am actually choosing what should have won for best song and it is for a song that was not even nominated. So here are 3 songs and even though I like the won that won, I think my choice should have won yet it wasn’t even nominated.
1. THUNDERBALL SUNG BY TOM JONES
This is the song, I think, should have won the Oscar but it wasn’t even nominated which is a crime. Tom Jones sang this so well that, in fact, he almost fainted when he hit the final note.
2. THE SHADOW OF YOUR SMILE SUNG BY ASTRUD GILBERTO
This song, from the film, “The Sandpiper”, won the Oscar and I do like it but I don’t think it should have won. Actually I would have chosen “The Legend of Cat Ballou” over this because it s a great song that was nominated,
3. I WILL WAIT FOR YOU SUNG BY DANIELLE LECART
I hope I got the song…Catherine Deneuve stars in this film but did not sing it. Danielle LeCart was the actual singer for this famous song. You may not have seen this French film but, I bet, you know the song.
One last song that was also nominated that year and, sung by Tom Jones
Why did I include this last song? Well, meet our newest member of the family…
Meet Lexi...she is 8 weeks old and we found her from my best friend's collegue. His family have a cat that they were going to take in to get spayed but missed the time line resulting in pussy cat getting pregnant and having 6 kittens. We got a cute little girl and named her after their 11 yr old daughter who cared for the kittens. She is a handful but she is so cute.
We went to a wedding last Friday at a winery and it was a lot of fun. My best friend’s son got married and I remembered when he ran around the house naked as a jaybird, laughing away. Now he’s a married man and a really good son to his mom. I remember being at weddings dancing away looking at the older people wondering what kind of music they were listening to. Now, I’m that older person wondering what the hell kind of music they were playing which was a lot of rap crap. They did play some good music, to be honest and, I even danced to some of that rap crap. Last week was about Wedding songs at Monday Music Moves Me and I thought I’d continue on. That theme and the wedding I attended, made me think of the music I played at my wedding and here are 3 of them…
1. MONY, MONY SUNG BY BILLY IDOL-1981
I love this song sung by Billy Idol which is not the original version but, I think, the best version. I danced to this so many times when in University, on campus and off and, in fact, Billy was at our university back in 1983 with me dancing a few feet from him. I’m surprised he was at our school. In 1997, when I got married, I had this at my dance and my former boss danced up a storm because it was his favourite. That’s a great memory
2. RELAX, DON’T DO IT SUNG BY FRANKIE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD -1983
I love this song and danced and danced so, when it came time for my wedding, I was determined to have this play but do you think I could find an original version at that time? Nooope! They had talking through it or the hockey theme with it. I finally found the version I wanted..the original…who knew it would be so difficult to find.
3. SHARP DRESSED MAN BY ZZ TOP-1983
I love ZZ Top and this is another song that had to be in my wedding. This record which included “Legs” and others was a huge record that placed this great band on top where they even appeared on a dream episode of the TV show, “St. Elsewhere”.
I had many other fun songs but these 3 are what came into my head at first. What songs did you dance to at your wedding or at a fun wedding you attended?
It’s Wedding month and I spoke about songs at weddings yesterday and, tomorrow, I will be at a wedding. My best friend’s son is getting married…wow. I remember when she changed his diapers. On that lovely note, I’m choosing 3 movies that are all about the wedding..kind of…
1. FATHER OF THE BRIDE-1950
I spoke about this brilliant film before and I have to go to it again because it’s a great comedy about a family getting ready to marry off their daughter, played by the beautiful Elizabeth Taylor, who was going down the aisle herself, for the first of many times( little did she know she was marrying an alcoholic, abusive jerk- Nicky Hilton). Spencer Tracy plays her reluctant dad having to give away his one and only daughter. Joan Bennett plays the very happy mom who is all about making the wedding perfect. It’s very funny, better than the remake, well acted and we can relate to all of it.
2. A WEDDING-1978
This is a film I so want to see again since it has been decades since I saw this. It’s directed by Robert Altman with his signature style and has an all star cast from Lillian Gish, Mia Farrow, Desi Arnaz Jr. to Carol Burnett and Victoria Gassman. 2 wealthy families are meeting for the wedding day but the family from New York freak out because they believe the Chicago family has mob ties. The end result, no one but the immediate family from New York show up. Oh and the scion of the New York clan, played so well by Miss Gish, dies and no one notices as they keep entering her bedroom. Everyone talks over the other, a typical Altman trait with a finesse that made me laugh.
3. MY BIG, FAT, GREEK WEDDING-2002
This became a sleeper hit back in 2002 and stars Nia Vandelos, who also wrote the script, as the poor gal of a Greek family who feels she will never find a man like her sister who is not only married but have multiple kids in tow. Her parents own a Greek restaurant where everyone helps out. In comes John Corbett, a teacher, who, along with his friend, check out this place and he notices Nia. Over time, they meet again, fall in love and a wedding is planned. This is sweet, hilarious and you never think of windex the same way again. Nia took her memories, growing up in Canada with her Greek parents, helping them run their Greek restaurant.
I haven’t been to a wedding in eons so this should be nice especially since it’s held at a winery.
I'm not sure these 2 will be headed for wedded bliss but, they can put up with one another. Wedded bliss does happen to quite a few but, others, not as much. I'm divorced, my brother as well, my best friend and my sister. It's how it can go in life but the wedding day can still hold fond memories. Over at Monday Music Moves Me, the theme are Wedding songs. I chose 2 that were at my brother’s first wedding and the last, was mine.
1. FOR MY LADY BY THE MOODY BLUES-1973
I have had this song on my blog before but I love it and it was my first dance with my, now ex but great friend, new husband. I love this song so much which was written by Ray Thomas for the album, “Seventh Sojourn”.
2. A WHITER SHADE OF PALE BY PROCUL HAREM-1967
When my brother got married back in 1984, they decided to have this song played in the church while they signed all the documents that they just got hitched. It was performed on the church organ so, not quite the same thing but I always loved this song. I think my parents were a bit baffled by this selection:)
3. THIS IS THE DAY BY CAPT. BEEFHEART AND HIS MAGIC BAND-1974
This was the first dance my brother had with his first wife and….I don’t remember it but this sounds so much like my brother that it just works. I love the uniqueness.
NICKNAME: The Girl On The Crescent Moon, from the Ziegfeld Follies…she was just 13.
MARRIED: 4 times- Edgar James, a rich lumberman. Charlie Chaplin, Burgess Meredith( Jack Lemmon’s dad in “ Grumpy Old Men”) and Erich Maria Remarque( German novelist of “All Quiet On The Western Front”)
AFFAIRS: George Gershwin, Diego Rivera, Clark Gable, Andy Warhol plus others
: never had any. Miscarried a boy when married to Meredith which greatly saddened her, a rare event.
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: “ So Proudly We Hail”
TALENT: Aside from marrying wealthy men, she was very business savvy and grew her wealth. Her charm, making any party or social function better.
KNOWN FOR: her famous jewelry collection. Her fierce independence, intelligence and shrewd business dealings. She was to be The Scarlet O’ Hara in “Gone With The Wind” until Vivien Leigh appeared so that, along with her “leftist leanings”, she lost the part.
This is another actress who was very close to her mom to the point where they were grifters, when Paulette was a teen, getting a hold of money from unsuspecting rich men and pilfering their wallets. Ahh, what sweetness and delight. When her mom and dad separated, it seems that the mom took her daughter all around the States and even into Canada for a while. Years later, it came out that her mother absconded with her daughter so the father would have no ability to see his daughter. After Paulette became a film star, she went on record that she didn’t know her dad and he sued and won the case receiving $35 per week from his daughter. Paulette and her parents would make a great case study wouldn’t they.
Paulette became a Ziegfeld girl after her influential uncle invited her to meet Florenz Ziegfeld and, from there, she met many older, and rich, men. Paulette married a very wealthy man when she was 17 and divorced soon after with a nice settlement in tow. She got into films and met Charlie Chaplin whom she fell for and starred in 2 of his great films, “Modern Times” and “ The Great Dictator”. He was the one who told her to revert back to her brunette hair rather than the popular platinum hair she had which was all the rage back then. I have read that they never married, merely lived together, but also read they married in Mexico, China and on a ship…who knows, but she was a big influence on Chaplin as well and remained good friends with his 2 sons even after Chaplin and her parted company.
She met her 3rd husband Burgess Meredith on the set of “Second Chorus”with Fred Astaire, a film Astaire considered his worst. She did actually hold her own in the dance numbers but it’s not a great movie, neither is “Pot O’ Gold” with Jimmy Stewart. In fact, this is one of the few actresses that Jimmy Stewart did not care for and the feeling was mutual. She was too brash for him and too much needing to be noticed. She thought he was not a great actor…what does she know.
In the later 50s, she married the German novelist, Erich Maria Remarque but they seemed to live in separate rooms and residences. Well, when he died, she inherited his fortune but she knew how to add to it with shrewd business deals. Later she enjoyed being a socialite known for her intelligence, humour and effervescence. She had to deal with breast cancer in the 1970s and recuperated but, due to her cigarette habit, she got emphysema and died of a heart attack.
She was complicated, independent, fun, talented and so much more than just a gold digger, which, I believe, she was, but she knew how to make money on her own and, when she died, she gave 20 million to the New York University to fund an institute devoted to European studies named in Remarque’s honour. Her art collection, partly inherited when Erich died, and her jewelry collection also went on the auction block although I don’t know where the money went to. She was an interesting woman whom I always enjoyed watching on the big screen.
