Boats

 

Since I have been seeing a ton of boats the last few days, I thought it only the best to showcase films with the word, “boat” in the title…

1. LIFEBOAT-1944

I have spoken bout this film before but I love this under-rated Hitchcock film that takes places, entirely, on a lifeboat. We first see the great Tallulah Bankhead in the lifeboat who helps a rugged John Hodiak on board followed by more and more passengers from a sunk ship that engaged and sank the German Sub at the same time. Now the cast of characters are all on a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean who have an additional survivor, a German from the sunken sub. You still have love, loss, suspense, betrayal and wondering whether everyone is whom they say they are. My favourite is Tallulah who keeps losing her precious items from her fur coat to her diamond bracelet. This is a film that is much better than many give for a Hitchcock film. 

2. THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT-1966

This stars Doris Day as a young widower who helps her dad’s business by appearing as a mermaid under his glass bottomed boat for the tourists. She is hooked by a fisherman, played by rugged Rod Taylor and is not happy that her bottom half is on his fishing line and not on her naked bottom. He has a new invention for the space industry called GISMO and has run into Day at the Aeronautic research business where she works. There is a huff and puff Day trying not to fall for the dreamy eyed Taylor who wants only Day. Through a series of innocent events, Day is suspected to be a spy leading to much hijinks. I love Dom DeLouise and Paul Lynde trying to watch Day believing she is a Russian spy. I also adore the cameo of Alice Pierce and George Tobias as the husband and wife made famous from Bewitched. It’s a fun movie and one to watch  even though I wish Rock Hudson played the Taylor role.

3. DAS BOAT-1981

Talk about a tense film! This boat is, actually, a submarine, a German U-Boat during the battle for the Atlantic when many German subs sank many, many ships that were crossing the Atlantic either bringing supplies, troops or both over to England. We meet the boat’s crew who are proud sailors but not necessarily Nazis, except one who shaves and wears his uniform. The others tolerate, if not berate, the moron as they go unshaven in solidarity to their unit. You feel the close quarters of these men and hope they do not sink when they are repeatedly depth charged and fired upon. When they sink a ship, they are unable to bring aboard the survivors due to their sub’s damage. You notice how that ardent Nazi gives up his uniform and starts to grow a beard realizing the Nazi way of thinking is…shit. It’s a brilliant piece of film making that deserved the Oscar for best Foreign film. It is not uplifting but it is well acted, directed and written and makes you think well after the film is done. 

So any movies you can think of with Boat in the title? What about famous boats?

Enjoying My Vacation

 

We are enjoying our time at my hubby’s Aunt’s house which is right on the Richeleau River. It’s crazy on the weekends in this river with sailboats, fast boats, fat boats and yachts plus skidoos and water skiing. There is almost always a breeze which is most needed on these hot days. I thought of these songs for Freebie Week over at Monday Music Moves Me.

1. COME, SAIL AWAY BY STYX-1977

This is a great song that I love and brings back great memories of my time at Crystal Beach when I rode the rides especially the Blitzer which often played this song.

2. CALYPSO BY JOHN DENVER-1975

I love John Denver and he is one of the people I am still saddened about, to this day, that he died, like John Candy and Robin Williams. This is a song he created for his friend Jacques Cousteau whose boat was The Calypso.

3. ROW, ROW, ROW YOUR BOAT SUNG BY BING CROSBY AND ELLA FITZGERALD -1967

This is an old children’s rhyme that we all know…and, if you don’t, you have been hiding under a rock. I had to sing this song when I was in grade school as, I’m sure, you did as well, but this song has made it into many TV shows and movies but this one was sung by good ole Der Bingle with Ella Fitzgerald on an episode 9f The Hollywood Palace.

Travels To My Aunt

 

This weekend my hubby and I will be travelling to visit his Aunt, who lives about an hour South of Montreal right on the Richelieu River. It’s a long drive, about 8-9 hrs, but it will be so nice to see her. She just lost her husband, this past February so it will be a nice distraction for her. I’m glad we will be there for her birthday because it’s the first birthday without her husband. She’s one strong lady so I know she will be ok, but she lost her best friend a couple of years back and other relatives which happens as we get older…that just sucks. I thought this would be a good theme for this week’s movie time.

1. THE AWFUL TRUTH-1937

I just watched this film for the first time and truly enjoyed it. It stars Cary Grant and Irene Dunne as a married couple who mistrust each other so much that it leads to divorce. During the divorce proceedings, they each claim that their beloved dog is theirs( the famous Asta) with Dunne winning their dog but through scheming hands( she showed the dog his favourite toy unbeknownst to the court), She is wooed by Ralph Bellamy as a Texan oil tycoon travelling with his mommy. Grant gets involved with a showgirl who knows how to Oomph during her singing number. Throughout this film, we have her beloved Aunt Patsy who is all too wise to the true goings on between these 2 people whom she loves. Cecil Cunningham delivers a great performance as the all too knowing Aunt and lends perfect support to the cast.

2. BRINGING UP BABY-1938

This film stars Cary Grant as a palaeontologist  who is constructing a Brontosaurus but needs one bone to complete it. He also needs money to complete everything which seems likely since he is engaged to a socialite. The day before his marriage he meets Susan played by Katherine Hepburn who never looked so beautiful and uninhibited. Through a serious of mishaps, they end up going to her Aunt’s home to deal with Baby, a tamed leopard her brother sent to her. He has his dinosaur bone but her Aunt’s dog( yup, Asta) grabs it and burys it. Hepburn realizes she loves Grant so she steals his clothes resulting in Grant wearing a fancy negligee and robe. In enters Hepburn’s Aunt, played so imperiously, by May Robson, who sees Grant in the frilly negligee which leads to a hilarious scene. He soon finds out that the Aunt is the lady who he has been trying to get the funds to support his museum. Baby escapes but so does a circus leopard who is much less tame and Hepburn and Grant embark on a hilarious romp through the countryside and the local jail trying to retrieve Baby by singing, “ I can’t give you anything but love, Baby”.  This film bombed at the box office but is now considered one of the best screwball comedies. This Aunt is played so well by the character actress, Ms. Robson, and she holds all the cards for this couple to realize they both love each other plus she has the money to help the museum. 

3. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE-1944

Mortimer Brewster, played by Cary Grant is a writer who thinks marriage is a big sham. He is at the courthouse ready to marry his girl next door, played by Pricilla Lane. They marry and they go to their homes to pack their things for their honeymoon. Grant lives with his 2 sweet old Aunts, played so wondrously by Jean Adair and Josephine Hull. They are such sweet, doting aunts who live with their brother who thinks he is Teddy Roosevelt. The one problem Grant finds out is that his loving aunts are serial killers. They don’t need to be but when they meet old men, because they post a room for rent sign in their window, they feel sorry that these men are all alone. To ease their suffering, they give the men elderberry wine laced with arsenic, strychnine and cyanide and ask their brother to bury the body, he happily does so believing it is another yellow fever victim. Grant is in shock realizing his aunts are killers but he doesn’t want them to go to jail so he contacts Happy Dale Mental Asylum to have them committed. Unfortunately, his evil brother with a doctor in tow, arrives to hide from the police bringing, with them, their 12th victim. They try to hide the body in the window seat, but it is already taken by another body dine in by the sweet old Aunts. Now the brother, played so well by Raymond Massey, is pe-ohed that his aunts equal him in kills so he wants to kill his brother to make it 13. This is one of my favourite screwball comedies which Grant disliked because he felt he hammed it up way too much. I think it leads to his role and the madness that lives in the house. The film belongs to the 2 aunts who just take on their roles with such gusto. Its madcap but a lot of fun.

Did you catch my theme within a theme? What films can you think of that has an Aunt in a role that helps carry the film? Let me know

Dog Days of Summer

 

The picture, above, was taken, last Wednesday, from my work place. To say it was hard to breathe in would be apt plus it felt like I was in a sauna. The ugly smell worked its way into the air conditioners, but it was still much better than working outside. The following day, the sky was white and I thought I would see ash, but, thankfully, that did not happen. This is not the usual dog days but I had to showcase it and it saddens me that, when the U. S. have major wildfires or any other major calamity, our firemen travel down to help. Last year ( I think it was last year) when there were those major wild fires in California, many of our firefighters went down to help. Now, I’m not sad about that, but sad that when many Canadians have lost everything due to the wildfires in northwest Ontario, the horrible smell and crap from the fires drifted where I live and went south into the U. S. Your so-called leader used this to add more tariffs and blamed us! I am praying that most of you do not blame Canada for something we have no control over since this is Mother Nature. I don’t believe any firefighters, from your nation, come to help ( I hope I am wrong and please correct me if that’s the case), but I do believe you feel bad for the many people who lost everything. Remember, there have been times that your smoke came our way and we did not blame you. I am sorry but I just had to speak out about this latest diarrhea spewing from your hairpiece in the Oval Office. 

Ok, the dog days of summer which are hot, humid and sweaty! Back in the day, I did dance the night away to these songs I have listed below and I went with a different part of what Heat does….sweat! I am joking the Monday Music Moves Me and here we go…

1. DANCING WITH MYSELF SUNG BY BILLY IDOL-1981

I cannot believe that Billy Idol played at my University the first year I attended. I danced to this song and many other hit songs from him while I was, maybe, 10 ft from the stage and could have touched him. It was a lot of fun to say the least and, even though it was early September, it was hot. 

2. EVERYBODY DANCE NOW SUNG BY C + C MUSIC FACTORY AND MARY WASH-1990

Even though this has rap in it, I really like this song and danced to it so many times and also sings about sweat because that’s what most people do. When you watch the video you see this nice thin gal sing this song, but it came out that she just lip synced and Mary was the singer. It went to the courts to have her recognized on this song…how sad is that? 

3. NEED YOU TONIGHT SUNG BY INXS-1987

I love this band and this song which was a main reason for buying the CD. I played that CD so many times, I wore it out…lol. This is one sexual song and who doesn’t want to have that kind of sweat. I was really upset when Michael Hutchence died and it is ruled a suicide. I don’t think it was by suicide but, like David Carradine, I think he was trying to seek sexual pleasure by choking himself but, like Carradine, died as a result. That is just a little too weird but it happens. His voice just exuded sex and was perfect for this song and many others. 

Which songs did you dance to that made you sweat?

You Don’t Believe Movies

 

I love films where the main character is not believed. When I started to think of films, my mind went blank except for “Gaslight” and “Rear Window” but there really so many more. With this in mind, I thought of these 3 films where no one believed the main protagonist nd here they are …

1. CHASE A CROOKED SHADOW-1958

I saw this film just the other day and really enjoyed it. It stars Anne Baxter as an heiress in Spain who lost her brother in a car accident a year ago and, recently, her father. When a young man shows up claiming to be her brother, she is dumbfounded especially that everyone believes this man ( Richard Todd)is her brother. She goes to the local police imploring that the young man is not her brother and the policeman ( Herbert Lom) starts to believe her. She believes that this man and the housekeeper he brings with him, are after her money, if only she could prove it. This is an intense film from the beginning especially the car speeding scene along a treacherous, winding road. What makes even more intense is that Richard Todd and Anne Baxter were the people in the car and Richard was driving! I would not have done that scene no matter what!

2. HUSH, HUSH, SWEET CHARLOTTE-1964

This was supposed to star Bette Davis and Joan Crawford as a kind of sequel to their big hit, “ Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” but, Joan was in one of her diva moments( one of many) and was fired which suited Bette just fine since they did not like each other. Bette plays a southern belle from a time that no longer exists. Everyone believes that she killed her fiancée 40 years ago, decapitated him, but there was insufficient proof to arrest her. Bette’s character, Charlotte was never the same and became a recluse in her fading mansion, but now her place is wanted by the State and has evicted her, but she is not going without. Fight. She writes to her cousin to help her and her cousin( played by Bette’s friend, Olivia DeHavilland) arrives who is fondly remembered by the people in the area including the country doctor, played by Joseph Cotton. They soon realize that Bette is sliding into madness and they are not sure what to do. This is a movie that I prefer over Baby Jane. Bette gives another great performance as the fragile Charlotte who professes her innocence but nobody believes her. The characters around her give their best including her dedicated maid played by the great Agnes Moorehead. It’s worth checking out.

3. BUNNY LAKE IS MISSING-1965

I saw this film years ago, when I still lived at home, when it was on at 2am and I could not turn away. Carol Lynley arrives in England with her 5 yr old daughter to spend time with her brother. She takes her daughter to school but when she goes to pick her up, nobody remembers seeing this girl. The mom, understandably, upset, contacts the police but no one remembers the little girl. When her brother supports everyone else, it begins to show that maybe the mom never had a girl, that she came to England alone. She prays that the police chief, played by Laurence Olivier, will believe her but it seems he feels she needs to see a rubber room. I realized that I questioned whether Bunny truly did exist. This is a taught thriller that keeps you on the edge of your feet and your own sanity. I need to revisit this film.

So, what films can you think of?

By the way, yesterday’s answer to which film won the Oscar…it was “Beauty and the Beast”, “ Be Our Guest” was nominated and that great song, “Tears In Heaven” never got a nomination…that is abhorrent in my opinion. The other songs that were nominated were, “ Belle” from “Beauty and the Beast”, “Everything I Do, I Do It For You” from Robin Hood and “When You’re Alone”  from Hook.

Yesterday and Today the sky looks like a sick apricot colour due to the fires in Northern Ontario. Breathing is horrible so, everyone affected by this, stay inside and stay cool.

Which Song Won The Oscar-1991

 

I am choosing 1991 to guess which song won the Oscar, which was nominated and which got nuttin’ honey. I am joining Monday Music Moves Me on Wednesday so let’s see if you guess correctly…

1. BE OUR GUEST SUNG BY JERRY ORBACH AND ANGELA LANSBURY 

I do love this song and this is a nice version of one of my favourite Grimm Fairy Tales, “ Beauty and the Beast.” This was written by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman and it’s a great hit. The sex starved candlestick and the fat teapot sing this to Beauty to make her feel  more at home in this castle ruled by the Beast. My mom hated the look of the beast because his massive upper frame could never be held up by the tiny ..um…bottom half. I have to agree but it’s still fun. For the best rendition of this classic fairy tale, please see, “ La Belle et La Bette.” A French film by Jean Cocteau.

2. BEAUTY AND THE BEAST SUNG BY ANGELA LANSBURY

This song, written by Menken and Ashman, was sung by Angela Lansbury while Beauty and the Beast dance in the grand ballroom lending  to the air of true romance. It’s a nice, simple song that impacts the plot which is all about love overcoming all obstacles.

3. TEARS IN HEAVEN SUNG BY ERIC CLAPTON

This song comes from the film, “Rush” about 2 undercover cops who become hooked on drugs and how their lives are destroyed by the drugs and their troubled work. This song was written by Clapton and Will Jennings and is a truly heartbreaking song because Clapton wrote is for his 4 yr old son, Conor, who fell from the 53rd floor of Conor’s mother’s friend. I remember when this happened and my heart went out to Clapton, the mom and her friend who must be still dealing with the guilt she must have felt since this tragedy happened while Conor was under her care. It is a most heartbreaking song.

So, which song won the Oscar, which one was nominated, and which got nuttin 

Embossed Cards

 

I have created a Slew of cards but I have slacked in showing all of them. These are the latest cards I created which I really enjoyed doing and have joined a few challenges. Oh, the picture, above, was taken by my best friend from her kitchen window.

Inkspirational- Inspired by the Colours in the photo

Alphabet Challenge- Festivities 

I follow the sweet and wonderful Sandra Cox, a writer and  fellow blogger who showcases what is in her garden every Tuesday. She inspired me to create a card( plus more) with flowers. I used the 3D embossing folder, the floral folder, and ran it through my sizzex to emboss the image. Instead of using the raised side which is the normal side to use, I used the other side where the image is “sunken in”. I grabbed my distress ink pads and took a soft bristle brush, to pick up the colour and coloured in all the flowers and leaves. After all the colouring, I took my black ink pads and lightly swiped it cross the whole card until it covered all the raised parts revealing the flowers. I enjoyed colouring and picking the colours. I have to try this using other mediums like prisma colouring pencils, chalks, shimmer paints, perfect pearls, etc…

52 Christmas Cards- Colour Challenge-brown, apricot, moss green

Fab N’ Funky- Christmas In July

Addicted To Stamps- Make Your Mark

I am into creating these cards using colours on the reverse side of the 3D embossing folder. I used my distress ink pads to create these cards using moss green on the leaves and the apricot on the berries. I wanted some difference between the leaves so I took a marker( I bought these at Dollarama+ ( there is nothing in there for a dollar any more) in a moss green and coloured some of the leaves. I took my stickles, in an apricot looking colour, and glittered up the berries and then adhered it to an apricot card, which I used a tombow marker to create that unique colour, and a moss green before I  glued it to a dark brown cardstock. Finally, I used my sizzex to cut out the “Merry Christmas” saying, gluing it onto the card. I didn’t want to add anything else because it would take away from the image.

Try It Tuesday-Animals

Crafty Animals- Anything Goes

Sparkles Monthly- Masculine

We Love Stamping- Summertime

I sent this card to my friend, V. J. In Vancouver who loved it which makes me very happy! I just bought this “butter”..it’s creamy goop that you spread on paper and it’s perfect with stencils. I used a lilac, soft light blue and a vibrant darker blue and spread it like one spreads butter. I lifted the stencil and…voila! From there I took a piece of blue paper and stamped the saying that is, about a year old. I felt the background wasn’t dark enough so I took my blue marker and coloured around it. I glued it down on the card and then I stamped the dragonflies in blue and embossed them in a blue embossing powder. Finally I took some iridescent blue and painted it on the wings. I fussy cut them out and glued them on the card. 

I have done more cards, but I just lost track of time to showcase them. I promise to show more.