Rendezvous Movies

 

Yesterday, I wrote about songs with a Rendezvous as the theme and it made me think about movies with this as a big part of the plot. So here are my 3 films that came, right away, into my head when I thought of that word…rendezvous…

1. BRIEF ENCOUNTER-1945

This is the first film that popped into my head and it is a brilliant film that does not age. It does not involve 20 something, beautiful kids but middle aged, real people in real situations. Celia Johnson is in a happy marriage but she feels a bit stifled, like she’s missing something. At the train station, she gets something in her eye and a kindly doctor, played by Trevor Howard, helps get that speck of dirt out of her eye. They talk and, instantly, they feel a strong attraction. Over time, they continue to meet at the train station and fall in love. They decide to consummate their love but her guilt takes control. It’s brilliantly acted, the storyline is perfect because it happens today. She’s in a good marriage, married to a kind man but we can’t control emotions. It’s a must see film.

AN AMERICAN IN PARIS-1951

This film, arguably, won the Best Picture Oscar and it’s a worthy contender even if I don’t think it should have won. This film musical is famous for the 20 minute ballet set to Gershwin music with impressionist paintings as backdrops. It’s original and inventive even for today. Gene Kelly is an American trying to make it as a painter, in Gay Paris, along with his piano composer friend, Oscar Levant ( he always brings great sarcasm to the screen). At a nearby Cafe, they meet up with their famous cabaret friend who talks about his love for a girl who is perfect in every way. At a party, Gene meets a girl, Leslie Caron, and wants to know her even more. After some misunderstandings, they meet under the bridge along the Seine and have a loving rendezvous. He soon learns that she is his friend’s girlfriend and is devastated. The climatic ballet is one you can watch all on its own and it is brilliant, but I always loved this simple scene of the 2 who meet and dance under the bridge,

3. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE-1993

I’m finally talking about this film which is a remake of  the Cary Grant/Deborah Kerr film, “an Affair To Remember” which is a remake of “Love Affair” that starred Gene Arthur and Charles Boyer. This is a sweet film that stars Tom Hanks as a bereaved widower who is still dealing with the loss of his wife. He has a precocious son who feels his dad needs to find a new woman to fall in love with. The boy calls onto a radio show and Tom ends up on the radio talking about his wife whom he loves. Now, every woman wants to meet this man including news woman, Meg Ryan. As she looks into this story she becomes more enamoured with Tom Hanks. The kid believes they need to meet on top of the Empire State Building like in the Grant/Kerr film and makes sure this will happen. It’s a wonderful romance comedy which was a big theme in the 1990s and often did star Meg Ryan. This is one of her better films.

So what films makes you think of rendezvous?

Rendezvous

 

Lexi, aka the little tyrant, wants to be friends with Kaspar and, here, our Harley and it works …at first until the the brat attacks their tails or smacks them with her paw…she’s crazy but she just makes my day…just like my Harley. Over at Curious As A Cathy, she has the Monday Music Moves Me, with this week’s theme being about Rendezvous and I decided on 3 songs that have Rendezvous in the title. Here they are…

1. RENDEZ-VOUS A PARIS SUNG BY MAURICE CHEVALIER-1954

I knew Maurice Chevalier had to have sung a song about meeting up with some gal. This song was written by Chevalier and Fred Freed. It’s just…so Chevalier.

2. GARDEN RENDEZVOUS FROM THE KING AND I-1956

This is a song written by Rogers and Hammerstein when the illicit lovers Tuptim and this Lun Tha fall in love and meet in the garden to sing “We Kiss In a Shadow”. Tuptim is betrothed to The King of Siam to be his 24th or whatever wife, she doesn’t want to be with him at all but this is not a choice. It’s a sad subplot to the famous musical and one  that sticks with you.

3. AT THE CAFE RENDEZVOUS SUNG BY DORIS DAY-1951

I knew Doris Day before she was a virgin. I’m not sure who coined this joke but this song seems to fit considering how well she sings this. It was written by Sammy Cahn and it works well for good ole Doris.

What Rendezvous songs can you think of?

Star of The Month-Donald Sutherland

 

DONALD SUTHERLAND

BORN: July 17, 1935

DIED: June 20, 2024

AGED: 88 years old

DIED FROM: a long illness

MARRIED: 3 times- the first to a teacher, Lois Hardwick 1959-1966,; 2nd to an actress, Shirley Douglas 1966-1970 and, lastly, to Francine Racette-1972- his death

AFFAIRS: had a few when first married including with his soon to be 2nd wife who gave birth to twins not quite 9 months later. Jame Fonda..a 2 yr love affair.

CHILDREN: 5 children most in some form of film business with Kiefer Sutherland being the most famous.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: None!

TAKENT: sculpture and art

KNOWN FOR: his unique voice, tall, lanky frame and his love of the Montreal Expos

This Canadian icon just died, sadly and, even though he was 88, he just seemed to keep going and so it was, therefore, a shock. He was born and grew up in New Brunswick, Canada loving all things Canadian, especially, of course, Hockey. He was a life long Montreal Expos fan and delayed a film shoot so he could attend their games since they were close to the play offs( they finished 3rd). He actually suffered rheumatic fever, hepatitis and polio when he was a kid and, thankfully, didn’t suffer any side effects from these horrible diseases. Later on, when filming “Kelly’s Heroes” he contracted spinal meningitis and, almost died. In fact, the doctor said his heart did stop and he was not surprised as he claimed he had an out of body experience. 

He appeared in some early flicks like “Die, Die, My Darling”  and a Roger Corman film but he also appeared in an “Avengers” episode and 2 episodes of  “The Saint”. He asked Roger Moore, start of The Saint, if he could take a piece from this episode he was in for  a role he was hoping to get and he did get the role..in “The Dirty Dozen”. In his early days, he seemed to play a lot of “simpletons”  due to his look and height of 6’4”. Sorry if this is a politically incorrect word but, I just don’t know what else to say and, frankly, don’t care right now.:). Ok, he became quite well respected because he could play comedy, heroes and really despicable villains plus he was known as quite amiable and loved a good joke. Despite many good roles he was never nominated for an Oscar and only received the honourary Oscar in 2017.

He was also known for his strong anti Vietnam leanings which he shared with Jane, “Hanoi Jane”, Fonda( the idiot) making 2 anti Vietnam films with her. I’m certain he was on Nixon’s list of bad people, which, like Gregory Peck, I would take as an honour. He was at the opening Olympic Games in Vancouver, in 2010,  doing the voice over narration describing Canadian history as well as being a flag bearer. In 2019, he received the companion of the Order of Canada which he loved to receive.

A unique individual with a great voice and talent, he will be sorely missed.

FILMS ( MY FAVOURITES)

1.  Start The Revolution Without Me-1970

2.  MASH-1970

3. The Dirty Dozen-1967

4. Kelly’s Heroes-1970

5.  The Great Train Robbery-1978

6.  Murder By Decree-1979

7. Eye Of The Needle-1981

8. Space Cowboys-2000

9. Bear Island-1979

10. Invasion Of The Body Snatchers-1978

I still need to see 

1. Don’t Look Now-1973

2. Day Of The Locust-1975

3. Ordinary People-1980

4. The Hunger Games Series-2012 etc..

There’s more! Some I have seen and some I haven’t but that’s what I can recall. 

By the way, last week Oscars…Working Girl won, Bagdad Cafe was nominated and Kokomo got nadda.