I stamped the Angel in silver and embossed her in a silver sparkle . I took Tim Holtz Distress inks and, with a soft brush, coloured the background with a soft blue and pink. I placed it on a grey card background, added the border stickers and the stars. Nice and simple card today.
Best Actor for the films of 2003 was quite a good year in film. I thought most of the actors nominated deserved to be there..most of them. This will be a Bit different because, this year I agree with the Academy, barely, but I agree. So let’s see what I chose..
1. SEAN PENN IN MYSTIC RIVER
Sean Penn is a controversial figure because, he seems to be an a-hole, but one with conviction. In this film he plays one of 3 childhood friends where he grew up the become the local gangster. The other, played by Kevin Bacon, is a cop and Timothy Robbins plays an ex-convict who owns a convenience store. Penn’s daughter is found murdered and wants to find justice, his way while cop Bacon is just trying to find the killer. When Robbins shows up bloodied with an injured hand changing his story every 2 minutes, he comes the prime suspect. The issue is, is he guilty? I will have to say, Penn deserves this Oscar. It’s a showy role, but a great one and Penn delivers one of his best acting especially when he shows up at the crime scene. He’s intense but for all the right reasons. So, yes, he deserved this Oscar but I almost chose another actor for an understated performance who should have been nominated.
2. JEFF BRIDGES IN SEABISCUIT
My hubby and I just rewatched this stellar film a couple of weeks ago and it just grabs your heart in so many ways. It is about the famous horse, Seabiscuit who grabbed the nation’s attention back during the Great Depression of the 1930s. 3 lost men, feeling out of place in a world changing around them come together due to a horse feeling much the same way. Each are damaged and hurt by the world they live in. Chris Cooper plays a rodeo performer and cowboy who no longer fits in with the modern world. He is hired by Rich Jeff Bridges, who made his money in cars but becomes enchanted with the world of horse racing. Bridges wants nothing to do with cars since his son died in an accident, his wife divorced him and he is unsure where his life will go. When he sees Seabiscuit, he sees something in himself and buys the horse and asks Cooper to train him. Cooper meets up with Red, played by Tobey Maguire, a defiant kid working in the stables and sees that he is just as lost and damaged as Seabiscuit. You follow all 4 of these damaged souls become famous because of The little horse that could. It culminates when Seabiscuit and the Great “War Admiral” come together for a race and the country stops to listen on the radio about this mighty race. Jeff Bridges gave a quiet, resilient performance as the rich man who understood what broken means and quietly restores the health of all 3, the cowboy, the jockey and the horse. How Jeff didn’t even get nominated is beyond me and if he would have won the Oscar, I would have been happy. Where Penn’s performance was flamboyant and magnetic, Bridges was calm, steadfast and equally magnetic, just in a different way.
3 JOHNNY DEPP IN PIRATES OFNTHE CARIBBEAN
Yup, Depp was nominated for his comedic performance in the comedy fantasy about a blacksmith (Orlando Bloom) and a Governor's daughter (Keira Kneightly who meet and fall in love amidst the Mahem of the Pirates who want to retrieve the medallion since it is part of a treasure horde they need to retrieve to undo the curse they are under. It’s a fun movie that grossed a ton of money and made many sequels. Johnny Depp developed this character that is flamboyant and over the top. I don’t mind it but I never thought he deserved to be nominated. To be honest, I now find the character a bit irritating and wish Depp would stop all those quirky mannerisms of this character. These films are funny and the make-up deserves an Oscar but not Depp.
Do you agree with my assessment? Just so you know, the other nominees were Ben Kingsley for “House of Sand and Fog”, Jude Law in “Cold Mountain” and Bill Murray from “Lost in Translation.”
The photo, above, is of the famous Seabiscuit, with his jockey, Red Pollard who was a very famous race horse that made the nation forget the Depression for a while and bring hope to the masses. This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, is all about Horse racing or horses. I almost went with, “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” but I was intrigued about the horse racing side. It’s the fancy side of sports where men dress up in their finery and women wear fancy clothes and very silly hats. My dad went to the Woodbine Horse Racetrack in the 1930s, gambled on the horses and lost all his money! This was a big blow since it was at the height of the Great Depression. He walked home…from Toronto to Welland, Ontario. It takes over an hour by car( without traffic), so this was one long walk. He never went back and learned a rough lesson.
Here are my 3 songs about Race Horses and Racing…
1. THE SEABISCUIT SONG SUNG BY FRANK LOVATO JR-2009
This is a song written by Frank Lovato who is not famous, but wrote this wonderful song about the legendary Seabiscuit, a horse that griped the nation back in the 1930s. An excellent film, that I just rewatched, excels at telling the story about 4 broken males…the horse, the jockey, the trainer and the owner. It’s a must-see film.
2. MOLLY AND TENBROOKS SUNG BY BILL MONROE & THE BLUE GRASS BOYS-1947
This song depicts the rivalry of these 2 famous horses from the 1880s. It became a hit when Bill Monroe sang it in 1947 although it wasn’t released until 1949.
3. WHERE THE TURF MEETS THE SURF SUNG BY BING CROSBY-1937
The Del Mar Racetrack was created by William A. Quigley who was a great friend of Bing Crosby. Bing is the reason Del Mar exists and invested in building this racetrack by the sea. It became a big place to go and see all the famous stars of the day dressed up waiting to see the races. In fact, there were quite a few actors who owned racehorses and were avid goers to the Racetrack. Bing Crosby, Fred Astaire, Elizabeth Taylor and Rita Hayworth all owned thoroughbreds and went to the races. This song was written by Crosby, Johnny Burke and James Monaco.
Which song do you think of when you think of horse racing?
The Daffodil Stamp is a cling on Stamp. It's not adhered to wood but is a clear stamp that you can peel off of plastic and put it on a hard plastic base to stamp the card. It's by Flourishes, a Marcella Hawley design.
I had this left over piece of glitter lavender plus this corner butterfly cut out that I used my sizzex to cut it out. I took water colour paper and sprinkled colour bursts in yellow and purple to create the background. I stamped the flower in purple and embossed it in clear embossing powder. I fussy cut the flower out and adhered it to the card with pop up dots. I stamped the smaller flowers and embossed them as well. I coloured them all with tombow markers. I placed some greenery around using purple dye ink. These stamps are cling on( not Klingon...nyuck, nyuck). I added the crystals and here is the finished card. A little darker than I wanted but it still works.
CCAYR-Words beginning with I-Inspiration and J-Jewels
I enjoyed creating this simple card using the sketch from 52 Cards as my inspiration. I took my die cut to create the circle and embossed the saying in a blueish embossing powder. I took a couple of scrap papers to make the background. I used my pastel chalks on the white paper to create the bluish background and glued everything together. As a final sparkle, I added the white “jewels” and the sticker stars I. Silver and gold.
My dad fought in World War 2 and was injured in the Reischwald Forest near the end of the war. He was sent to Belgium to recuperate from being shot. He awoke and found he was unshaven, was cold and found out his dad was told he died. The Red Cross came in and offered to shave him, give him a blanket and write to his dad… for a fee! They were going to charge him to bathe him, shave him, charge him for a blanket and charge him for writing a letter. My dad told them, to take their offer and shove it where the sun don’t shine. Later, the Salvation Army came in and did all of this without asking for one dime. He was warm, clean shaven, bathed and, most importantly, wrote a letter to his dad and mailed it free of charge. When I met my ex, his dad was also shot near the end of the war, sent to a Belgium hospital and had the exact same experience! 81 years ago, both brave men went through the same experience and I thought this would be a great theme…the military hospital. I love the film, “M.A.S.H.” But I spoke about it more than once so I chose not to talk about it this time. Here are my picks on Military Hospitals…
1. CAPTAIN NEWMAN M.D.-1963
This is an under-appreciated film that stars Gregory Peck as a Military psychiatrist who chooses unique therapy methods to try and help his many patients dealing with all sorts of PTSD, which used to be called Battle Fatigue in WW2 and She’ll Shock in WW1. Peck is under-staffed, but he is able to convince Tony Curtis, an orderly with an unorthodox way to help the patients, plus Angie Dickenson, to help him deal with his, too many, patients. The patients include Bobby Darin, dealing with survivor’s guilt abusing alcohol, a soldier who is catatonic who hid out in a basement for a year in a Nazi occupied town and a colonel, played so well by Eddie Albert, who is severely unhinged because the men who served under him died. It is not all serious but also has some good comedic moments.
2. 36 HOURS-1964
This is a little different because it’s about an army Major, played by the always great James Garner, dealing with amnesia in an U. S. military hospital. His psychiatrist, played by Robert Taylor and Taylor’s nurse, Eva Marie Saint, are trying to help him remember the details of early June, 1944. It is 1950, and Garner is trying to recall what his life was before the War ended until he sees his paper cut on his finger. When he dupes one of the orderlies who promptly stands at attention in a very German way, he realizes he is being duped. The war is still on and it is early June, 1944. He has been captured and the bad Germans are trying to get him to disclose details of an oncoming invasion. It’s a pretty good thriller with all sorts of duplicity going on. It’s a good thriller with great actors and worth a watch.
3. COMING HOME-1978
This film was made because of Jane Fonda’s dedication to her negative views about the Vietnam War. She plays the wife to Bruce Dern, who is about to be deployed to Vietnam. When he leaves, she changes her life by moving into an apartment and buying a sports car. Her friend coaxes her to volunteer at a military hospital where she meets an angry Joh Voight. He is a Vietnam Vet left a paraplegic because of thewar. They knew each other in high school and slowly develop a friendship which leaves to love. This happens surrounded by the turmoil and destruction of human beings because of this war. Their bliss is interrupted when her husband returns broken because of the war. I saw this when it first came out and should see it again. I would have liked the film if it centered less on the lovey story ( and Fonda’s orgasm scene) and more on the actual soldiers. I do remember the Oscars because this film was up for many awards along with, “The Deer Hunter” which became a bitter rival. I think the 2 directors even started to fight at one of the awards shows…oh brother.
Bonus..
TV SHOW M.A.S.H.- 1972-1983
I love this TV show that ran for 11 seasons and the finale is still the highest rated TV ending..ever! This show came from the 1970 film of the same name. Alan Alda plays Hawkeye Pierce, a top notch surgeon, Loretta Swift plays head nurse, Major Margaret “Hot Lips” Houlahan who loves men that outrank her.Gary Burghoff plays the company clerk, Radar O’Rielly, who also appeared in the film. Mclean Stephenson, Larry Linville, Wayne Rogers, Jamie Farr and William Christopher were in the first part of this series but in season 4, McLean and Rogers left the show and, in season 5, Linville left. Harry Morgan, Mike Farrell and then David Ogden Stiers entered the show and stayed until the end. This show started out as an all out comedy with some serious overtones but, once Alda became the star of the series, he changed the format and it became more of a dramedy. I do love the early episodes and, I think, once Alda became Creative Consultant, director and writer on the series, it lost that black satiric comedy. I do believe Alda went overboard in a couple of episodes clubbing us over the head with his preach ways. Overall, though, this show is one of the very best written shows that takes place during the Korean War at a MASH hospital. I hope young people find this show and continue to keep this famous as it deserves to be.
It is freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me and it’s the first week of May…May! I can’t believe we are in the 5th month already, the days are longer, more birds are singing and it’s warm….forget that last one. I just hope we have a Spring and it doesn’t go to major heat waves. Anywhooo…here are my 3 songs about the Month of May
1. THE MERRY, MERRY MONTH OF MAY SUNG BY NELSON EDDY-1948
Poor Nelson Eddy was a big hit with Jeanette MacDonald in the mid to late 30s singing light operetta before falling out of favour. In his nightclub act, he had a good sense of humour and would often make fun of his old persona from his movies. His baritone voice worked well with MacDonald’s soprano and they had great chemistry. This old song, was written back in 2862 by Stephen Foster which, I’m certain, we have all heard versions of this song.
2. MAY TIME SWING PERFORMED BY SUSANNA HEYSTEK-2015
Apparently, this is a Canadian song, written by Graham Townsend that is quite popular. I don’t really know it but enjoyed listening to it and decided to showcase it here.
3. PEOPLE WHO ARE BORN IN MAY SUNG BY JULIE LONDON-1956
Julie London created a whole album based on each month of the year and this is her version of this May song written by Earl Brent. I have a whole new appreciation for this seductive siren that I first learned about when she starred as a nurse on the tv show, “Emergency.”
DIED FROM: Pulmonary Complications caused by breaking her ribs falling over her cat
MARRIED: Never Married
AFFAIRS: None
CHILDREN: None
FAMOUS FRIENDS WITH: Margaret Hamilton ( the witch in “The Wizard of Oz”) and RobertStrong Woodward (American Painter).
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: The Gorgeous Hussey-1936: Of Human Hearts-1938
OSCAR WINS: None
TALENT: an Intellectual, Love of Elocution, love of acting
KNOWN FOR: loving acting, loving cats, world travel, Fashion
This lady has been in countless films often playing the mom who just needs some TLC. She is often long suffering but resilient, soft but with a hidden strength, she had a soft voice that could turn cold and sharp…she was a superb actress that made her mark as a character actress. She may have been typecast as the “mom” but she made the most of it and we remember her face if not her name. We all know her as the mom to Jimmy Stewart I. “it’s a Wonderful Life,” which was their 4th pairing together on film( she played his mom 8n an episode of his TV show, “The Jimmy Stewart Show.”) and they shared a special bond getting along famously which showed on their on screen chemistry. She became famous when she was in her early 40s and worked u til her untimely death at age 92. This very intelligent lady, with a Masters in Oratory, loved philosophy, and high fashion. She had a huge collection of vintage fashion with many gowns designed by Natasha Rambova ( once married to Rudolph Valentino). She was an avid traveller venturing to Australia, around the world trips and a few trips to Africa and on safari, even well into her 80s. She loved her work and was only disappointed twice, once when not given the role of Ma Joad, in, “The Grapes of Wrath” and, “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.” For the role of Ma Joad, she went to visit the migrant workers and bought a jalopy to drive around in, believing she secured the role. For Tom Sawyer, she actually got the role when May Robson fell ill but lost it when Robson recovered faster than expected. Nonetheless, she continued working receiving a standing ovation when she won the Emmy for her role as Martha Walton in the TV series, “The Waltons”. She makes my eyes tear up every time I watch, “Make Way For Tomorrow,” as the old wife and mom Separated from her husband by her unfeeling kids. It’s a timeless film and one that should have been nominated for Oscars in many categories. In fact, I think the director, Leo McCarey and Beulah should have been nominated. Sadly, this lady, dedicated to her work who never married or even had affairs, loved cats. Her favourite cat, Mr. Cat, was the reason she died. She tripped over her cat breaking 3 ribs and dying from pulmonary complications as a result of her broken ribs. I hope her cat still got a good home. She is one of the Grande Dames of supporting actresses that is remembered to this day.
