This is Dagmar, she was a big personality back in the 1950s on TV and also known for her…assets. In fact the front bumpers that jutted out from the early Cadillacs, were called Dagmars by the youth hot rodders. You hear her name in one of the songs I am choosing today. It’s freebie week at Monday Music Moves Me and I’m still thinking of school so here we go…
1. HIGH SCHOOL CONFIDENTIAL SUNG BY ROUGH TRADE-1980
I love this song and we must have all known one girl that seemed to attract all the attention. In my school, her name was Penny Banks..I’m not kidding, that was her name and she had long blond hair that her mom created the “10” look just like Bo Derek. All those tiny braids looked amazing on Penny and I swear, when she moved her head, everything went into slo-mo mode. We all thought she was cool especially since she was dating a senior. Now, I think he was a pig for dating a 14 yr old but back then, she was cool. She was one girl that never bullied or abused me despite being cooler than cool. Carole Pope nails it as the lead singer.
2. SCHOOL CAFETERIA BY WEIRD AL YANKOVIC-1976
I am one that always found this strange, strange man funny and his take on the cafeteria food was so true and funny. I rarely ate cafeteria food.
3. VARSITY DRAG SUNG BY JUNE ALLYSON, PETER LAWFORD AND CAST-1947
I’ve been to more than one school dances watching the teens slo mo dance and laughing when the music got faster and the kids didn’t know what to do, like when Staircase to Heaven was played at every end to the school dance. For once, I’d love to see a school dance be like the one you see here. Wouldn’t that be fun…totally unrealistic, but so much fun.
DIED FROM: kidney and liver failure as a result from a failed suicide attempt.
MARRIED: Twice- Yvonne Vallee and Nita Raya
AFFAIRS: Frehel, Mistinguett( volatile but was the love of her life), Arletty, Marlene Dietrich( big surprise), Lise Bourdin, Kay Francis, Miriam Hopkins, Merle Oberon, Toby Wing, Genevieve Tobin and just a out every chorus gal etc...
CHILDREN: None!
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: THE Big Pond, The Love Parade
TALENT: Acrobat, Singer, Cabaret Star, painter
KNOWN FOR: aside from bedding tons of women...he was known for his miser like ways. His trademark Boater hat and tux. His ego but also his morose manner.
Maurice Chevalier is known for his French accent and lover and love for life man that is often imitated. So much so that, today, most people have no idea that the French guy is from Chevalier. What's funny( sad funny) is that he suffered from depression, and was a bit of a cranky dude. His dad was an abusive alcoholic who left the family and his eldest brother got married and, also, left. Their mom did everything she could to keep the 2 boys fed ending up in the hospital due to stress. Maurice went out to earn money, becoming an acrobat but, when he fell and was badly injured, he went on to other jobs..many others until he decided to sing. This did not go well but his brother and mom told him not to give up and he didn't. Before he could whistle French, he was becoming known. Soon, the biggest name in French entertainment, Frehel, took him on, in more ways than one. The problem...she had a major alcohol and cocaine addiction and he got hooked on cocaine. Well, once he could move on..he did and became an item, off and on with a big star, Mistinguett.
World War 1 came on and he had to serve but was captured, in 1914, and was sent to a POW camp where he kicked his cocaine habit and learned Englush. Due to Mistinguett's knowledge of key people, she was able to free him in a prisoner exchange. How did Maurice thank her? He left her on to another gal, Arletty, and another and another.
He hit the very big time when he came to Hollywood as a big star from France and he let everyone know this. He thought he was God's gift to women as well and tried to bag as many as he could, which he did. One who did not like his advances was Jeanette MacDonald who starred with him in 4 of his early pictures. He would deride her after because she rebuked him. They, actually, made a great team which helped the musical regain its footing.
He decided he liked the stage more and moved back to France where he married for a 2nd time, to a Jewish lady. When Hitler took over France, they headed to the South which was more removed from the horrors of war. Unfortunately, The Nazis wanted him to sing and he would politely decline until they gave him an ultimatum..come with us or your wife and her family will be killed. He agreed to go with them and sing but on condition that they free 19 French POW'S. Despite him singing for the Resistance before being taken by the Nazis and singing for the POWs, he was initially charged as a collaborator and was almost hung but people came forward and he was vindicated. Not so much the U. S of A who placed him as a Communist because he signed the Stokholm Appeal to prevent nuclear arms being made. In 1946, he divorced his wife and continued on performing, in more ways than one. Finally, when he was much older, he became the man we know more for than his earlier work. He was the happy-go- lucky Bon Vivant who loved love, life and champagne. He was in quite a few Disney films, the last years of his life but most he worked with, felt he was the exact opposite..cantankerous, moody and not very happy. He probably suffered from depression but went undiagnosed..mostly. He tried suicide more than once and the last time, taking barbituates, he hurt his kidneys and liver which led to his death. He is buried beside his adored mom whom he loved more than anyone.
FILMS
1. THE LOVE PARADE-1929
2. THE BIG POND-1929
3. THE SMILING LIEUTENANT-1931
4. ONE HOUR WITH YOU-1932
5. LOVE ME TONIGHT-1932
6. THE MERRY WIDOW-1934
7. GIGI-1958
8. CAN-CAN-1960
9. A BREATH OF SCANDAL-1960
10. IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS-1962
I haven't seen any of his early films which I want to rectify one day. I love Gigi, Can-Can and Love In The Afternoon as well as the Castaways one.
This week, even after all these years, makes me break out in a cold sweat because I hear all those Back to School ads. I never liked school and couldn’t wait until I was finally over with it. It made me think of my last week before school, my fun time at Crystal Beach, a great old amusement park and the bullies…ughh. You know, I bet, if I spoke to the kids today, not much has changed. Funny, the CNE, the Canadian National Exhibition, has been on for 2 weeks and ends on Labour Day, is an institution for over 100 years. So here are my 3 film picks…
1. AMERICAN GRAFFITI-1973
To say this is an iconic film detailing the last night of high school grads before they embark on a new life outside of High School, is an understatement. It is an ensemble cast with Ron Howard, Richard Dreyfus, Paul LeMat and Charles Martin Smith as 4 grads who have different events happen to them during this fun night before they go off to school. Good ole Ronnie tells his steady girlfriend, played by Cindy Williams, that it should be ok to see other people while away at college. Another falls for a Blonde in a neat ole car..well, ole for us. We have a great drag race and all other forms of shenanigans including a young Harrison Ford. This film is considered one of the best films of the 70s and, simply, one of the best films. It’s well acted, directed and love the look of it.
2. MY BODYGUARD-1980
I saw this in the theatre and loved it because I could relate to it so well. This kid is bullied on a regular basis and decides to hire a bodyguard…the meanest, loner kid of the school. Over time, the 2 develop a real friendship while learning about life from the kid’s grandmother, played to wonderful delight by Ruth Gordon. She is one of my favourite character actresses who knows more than anyone realizes. I love this film which touched my heart, not just because of the bullying but about love and friendship.
3. THE LOST BOYS-1987
This is a fun vampire film starring Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Jamie Gertz, and Diane Wiest as the mom to 2 boys who brings her boys to her hometown after her divorce. They go live with her dad and, it’s summer time so where does one hang out? The local fair grounds is the centre of fun…and the centre of vampires. The oldest falls for this Gypsy type girl but she belongs to a young Kiefer Sutherland. Well, Kiefer and his band of 80’s hairstyle misfits invite Jason to have some fun like hanging off the train trestle bridge and seeing how long they can hold on while the train goes by. The next morning, a young Jim Morrison..um… Jason Patric is all moody and now, can’t stand the sun. The vampires have been bad boys…what can one do. This is a fun cult movie that is quite hilarious at times and I love the old coot who plays Diane Wiest’s dad. There are some cool sets like the old hotel and special effects which are also really quite good.
What movies make you think of school, your summer vacation or the last week before school started?
I hated school…not just disliked, but hated. There were some good moments but, overall, hated it. Being mercilessly bullied, spat upon, told daily I'm ugly, wishing I would kill myself because everyone would be better off, my life being threatened and going for X-rays every year on my hands because they tried to break my fingers, did not make high school fun. I thought grade school was bad but this was worse and I started my years of hell when I turned 14 in 1978. By the time I was 16, I was terrified and believed what the bullies said. Around this time, I met this girl, from another high school, named Tracy, who was a force and didn’t think twice about being my friend. She told me to loosen up when I danced and taught me to feel the music and just go with it. Well, you couldn’t hold me or us back when it came to dancing and having tons of fun. We ended up going to this Disco called Charlie Chan’s that was in the basement of this plaza ( Fire code anyone) which we could go to on Sundays when it was open for people under age. No alcohol was served but we could get pop and enjoy dancing. Monday Music Moves Me has school on their mind for the theme and I went for music that was fun when I was a teen. These are 3 songs we often danced to.
1. PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT BY MEATLOAF-1977
I loved the whole album, "Bat Our Of Hell" by Meatloaf and, I think, this is a great album. I was so naive that I didn't get the meaning but it didn't matter as I just danced. At the time I didn't know that Meatloaf looked like a meatloaf or that the excellent female singer, Ellen Foley, looked like a skunk all I knew was that this was a great song fun anecdote that, I know, my brother knows...the announcer on this song is spoken by New York Yankees shortstop, Phil Rizzuto who became a famous announcer.
2. ROCK LOBSTER BY THE B- 52'S-1978
This band is one strange, weird band that I enjoy listening to. This song could be long but I wentbwith the shorter version. How we danced like crazy loons only to slowly fall down, down, down finally ending up on our backs kicking our feet and arms up in the air behaving like dead flies. Everyone on the dance floor knew this is what had to ve done, damn the dirty floor only to jump up and start flaying about once again. Today, I would be staying on the floor and crawling off.
3. LE FREAK BY CHIC-1978
Now, how Disco can one go than with this song that we often hear in movies or stations centering on 70s music. Actually, the 70s had all kinds of music from Disco Sucks music to great Rock bands like Pink Floyd to ABBA. I think I did "The Robot" dance to this song.
What school songs do you remember fondly?
Our Lexi was spayed last Wednesday and has to wear this onesie for 2 weeks and she can't be her nutty self for another week still but she is healing well.
I love a good ole western and I have a theme within a theme because the 3 I chose stars John Wayne and they are all directed by grumpy John Ford. John Wayne has truly fallen from favour in the past few years and not without some merit but I believe he is not a simple a- hole like many say. Now, I never met the man but I've read quite a few books and articles including the Playboy one. He actually reminds me of my dad. My dad was an old timer who said some wrong things but his actions spoke differently. When Satcheen Littlefeather declined the Oscar on behalf of Marlon Brando because of the plight of the American Indian, I remembered my daddy saying, " God dammed son of a bitch, someone take her off the stage." If my dad was there, he probably would have been held back, like Wayne, but not to abuse her but to go to the microphone and say that there is a time and a place. Remember, every woman who worked with Wayne always said that he was never mean but gentlemanly to them even when he took Maureen O'Hara through the country on her keester. My dad could be ornery and sometimes unfair but he was very loving, would stand up when he saw injustice, loved Christmas and, when he died, there were people who stood outside to pay their respects. If my dad was famous, he would be looked at in a more negative light rather than the complicated person he was. Old timers could be very wrong but we can’t make them just two dimensional.
1. STAGECOACH-1939
This film brought back the classic western, made John Wayne a star and made Monument Valley a star as well. John Ford created the classic story we now see in movies, TV and everything in between, where a group of travellers all with a story board a stagecoach. We have the genteel southern, pregnant lady, a card shark, a hooker with the heart of gold, a corrupt banker, an alcoholic doctor and so forth. Along the way they meet up with the Cisco Kid, played by John Wayne, who hooks a ride with the stagecoach much to the travellers’ chagrin since he is a wanted man. Throughout their travels, they deal with each other, a birth, prejudice, the great valley and, of course, Indians. Along with the Indians, we have the Calvary come in to save the day before Cisco decides to deal with some bad, bad men. This is an excellent film that Orson Welles watched 40 times before making Citizen Kane. It’s where we have great cinematography showcasing that great valley and excellent stunt work made famous by Yakima Canutt. A must see, in my humble opinion.
2. FORT APACHE-1948
This is another excellent film directed by John Ford that not only stars Wayne but also Henry Fonda and Shirley Temple plus his staple of Ford players like Ward Bond. Fonda plays a by the book, snot nosed commander of this outpost with Wayne as second in command who has a much better understanding of the Native American than Fonda. Shirley Temple plays Fonda’s daughter who falls in love with one of the soldiers played by her real life husband at the time, John Agar. This is a good character study and a good action film where the Navajos played Apaches and were always thankful to Ford for providing jobs to their reservation helping them financially. Poor John Agar took the brunt of Ford’s nastiness but John Wayne took him under his wing helping him through this film and always grateful to The Duke. Henry Fonda had issues with Ford, on the set, and their friendship broke as a result. Maybe Fonda’s Democratic leanings didn’t jive with Ford’s right wing thinking..maybe but Ford could be a real nasty asshole and would pick on a person like Agar( Wayne got smacked down in Stagecoach). Who knew the very young Shirley Temple was pregnant during the making of this film.
3. THE SEARCHERS-1956
“That’ll be the day”..a quip Wayne says, as Ethan Edwards, throughout the film and one that a young Buddy Holly was inspired to write a song around that quip, after seeing the film. You have Monument Valley, Ford’s stock company, John Wayne, Indians and the Cavalry along with Olive Borden and Harry Carey Jr as a tribute to the silent Western star Harry Carey who was married to Olive and HarryJr was..his son. This is arguably, considered the best western ever made and I love it. John Wayne loved this film and named his youngest son, Ethan. He plays a man who visits his brother, sister in law and their kids. You can see that Ethan and his brother’s wife have an unrequited love shown only by subtle gestures. Unfortunately, Comanches come and kill most of the family taking the 2 daughters. Ethan, now, full of vengeance, is on a quest to get the girls back but he is saddled with their adopted son who is part Indian. Wayne’s character can’t stand the young man because of his skin colour but, over 5 years, they grow to understand one another. Natalie Wood plays the younger niece taken in by the Comanches and is a wife to Scar, a murderous man full of hate just like Ethan. You have no idea what Ethan will do once he “saves” her from the Natives he despises. Vera Miles, who is still alive, and will be 95 on Friday, is the love interest to Jeffrey Hunter, who plays the adopted son of Ethan’s brother. 2 anecdotes…when a young Indian girl became very sick with the flu and had a very high temperature, JohnWayne got his own plane to bring her to the hospital and paid for her care. The young Comanche woman who becomes the wife of the young lad was quite upset and Wayne asked her what was wrong. She asked the big wigs to be allowed to go to her son’s wedding but was denied. She only wanted 3 days but the executroids said no until Wayne stepped in and said he is going to be gone for the exact same days. He made sure she could get to her son’s wedding and be back without any problem.
What cowboy and Indian movies can you think of?
So, yesterday I had my which song won the Oscar yadda, yadda… Sooner or Later, Dick Tracy, won the Oscar, the John Williams song from Home Alone was nominated and Mo’ Better Blues from the film of the same name got nuttin’!
It’s freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me which you can see at Curious As A Cathy. It’s time to figure out which song won the Oscar, which one was nominated and which got nadda for the year 1990. I will try to remember to post which is which on my Thursday film list. So here we go, let’s see if you get it right…
1. SOMEWHERE IN MY MEMORY BY JOHN WILLIAMS AND CONDUCTOR
This Famous piece is played everywhere and comes from the original “Home Alone” film. We know the story where the kid is left behind and the family doesn’t realize it until mom is on the plane. I am not a fan of Macaulay Caulkin but the brat is good in this but I love Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern as the comedic, inept robbers who remind me of something out of a Warner Bros. Cartoon. This music is from a prettier side of the film which takes place during Christmas and is justly famous.
2. MO’ BETTER BLUES BY BRANFORD MARSALIS QUARTET WITH DENZEL WASHINGTON & WESLEY SNIPES
This song is from the film of the same name that stars Denzel and Wesley and…who knew they were this talented!? Actually, Denzel does not play the actual trumpet..sorry. This song was written by Lee III and the soundtrack is quite good and the film stars and is directed by Spike Lee who needs to take a chip off his shoulder but that’s for another day.
3. SOONER OR LATER SUNG BY MADONNA
This song, by Stephen Sondheim, came from that flick, “Dick Tracy” that stars Warren Beatty as the square-jarred detective who tries to keep crime at bay. The many criminals are a Who’s who of actors and the moll is played by Madonna at the height of her Marilyn Monroe phase. During the making of this, those 2 libidos on 2 legs got it on while making the film. Sadly, good ole’ Madonna had a hard time with the song and wondered who would write this crappy song. Yeah, classy.
So….who won, who was nominated and who came out empty-handed?
I was thinking of the movies that came out in August and then, I thought, what came out on my birth year, my brother’s and my hubby’s so I checked it out and came up with these 3… yeah, I’m a bit late, I have been working long past my quitting time and getting home late. You’d think I would write this way ahead of time but…nooooo, that would be too organized.
1. MARY POPPINS-1964
Oh we all know this film which was a huge hit the year I was born. I can’t believe this film is 60 years old nor that I’m 60 but, I digress. This Disney film concerns a family where the children seems to be ignored because the dad is very busy with work and the mom is very busy with her suffragette movement. In come Mary Poppins, with her trusty umbrella, who becomes the nanny and helps teach the kids and the adults with the aide of the trusty chimney sweep Dick Van Dyke ( who’s real name was Penis Van Lesbian before his agent change his name). It’s a very sweet, fun and engaging film with many famous moments from that Super…..ousuos song, the Chimney Sweep song, a spoonful of sugar, the animated sequence( where many boys today emulate the penguin look with their pants hanging way past their skinny butts) and, my favourite, Let’s go Fly a Kite. Kids, today, know this film which says something.
2. COME SEPTEMBER-1961
This is quite funny and sweet romantic comedy that stars Rock Hudson as a rich businessman who travels to his villa in Italy every summer but, this time, he goes early and finds out his major duomo( like a head butler who oversees the entire villa) has converted Rock’s villa into a hotel. Rock is not happy that young kids, with high hormones, are having a great time and Rock doesn’t like any of this. His gal, Gina Lollobrigida, arrives from Rome and they start having a row. Rock becomes chaperone to the kids and Gina looks great. It’s not a grand film but it is fun, with Sandra Dee and Bobby Darrin as the young leads. These 2 met on the set and married shortly after filming ended. Oh, my brother was born this year!
3. GUNFIGHT AT THE OK CARROL-1957
There are many versions of this famous true story about the Brothers Earp who fought the Clanton gang with the infamous gunfight at the corral. Doc Holliday, played by Kirk Douglas, becomes friends with Wyatt, played by Burt Lancaster and helps try to keep order in the town. This film is very…very loosely based on the real adventure with many inaccuracies but all is forgiven because it’s an engaging film with the 2 leads having great chemistry. In fact, Burt and Kirk were friends off screen and had great camaraderie. Just sit back, enjoy the film that came out the year my hubby was born.
