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.

What Should Have Won Best Picture-1979

 

Happy Birthday My Brother, Baron! I can't believe that you are now a pensioner. I still think we are at home, with mom and dad, playing hide and seek with the Lennoks, after 9pm…gosh, that was so much fun! In honor of my brother's birthday, I asked him which film or actor should have won the Oscar and he, immediately, mentioned Apocalypse Now and I agree with him 150%. So who actually won and which film didn't even get nominated is mentioned below..

1. APOCALYPSE NOW

I can't understand how this film did not win because this is not just a movie, it is a film worthy of being called Art. Like “Citizen Kane,” “It's A Wonderful Life,” “Rear Window,” and “Schindler's List,” this film is one we all know whether we have seen it or not. In fact, it is so famous, not only for the actual film, but for all the behind the scenes mayhem. France's Ford Coppola sank all his money into the making of this film which almost bankrupted him. The star of the film, Martin Sheen suffered a heart attack and then there is the tornado called Marlon Brando…”The Horror…The Horror”. There is a documentary about the making of this film which is just as riveting as the film. We follow Martin Sheen who must, during the Vietnam War, locate and exterminate Kurtz, played by Marlon Brando, a colonel gone rogue. We follow Sheen, with a handful of young soldiers, travel into the heart of darkness (an actual book, that I need to reread since I didn't understand it when I initially read it back in high school) finding out more about the brutality of life and its meaning, if there is any. Robert Duvall should have won Best Supporting actor for his portrayal of a crazy, surf loving, Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore who, “loves the smell of napalm in the morning.” This is a must-see film for its acting, plot, music, scenery and the artistic look of the film. What are your thoughts on this film, Baron?

2. KRAMER VS KRAMER

This is the film that won Best Picture as well as Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress, Director plus Beat Adapted Screenplay and.. while it is a good film, I just don’t understand all the hoopla. It is one of the first films to depict a man dealing with raising his child on his own after his wife leaves to “find herself.” He is trying to balance his work while dealing with his son who misses his mom by acting like a real brat ( the ice cream scene is great). I just watched this film again, not having seen it since I saw it in the theatre back in 1979. I still maintain that this is a good film with Hoffman giving a great performance as the out of touch husband who must be the dad to his son(Justin Henry who  was nominated in the Beat Supporting Actor category) when his crying wife, played by Meryl Streep, needs to find herself and leaves them. When she returns, she wants her son and takes her husband to court while crying most of the time. Yeah, she won the Best Supporting Actress and I just never understood why she won. For me, she is over-rated and I know I am in the minority in this. Regardless, this is a film worth seeing and it does rug at the heart strings.

3. THE CHINA SYNDROME

This film is a very scary film because it is quite realistic. Why? It deals with the possibility of nuclear meltdown which was met with harsh criticism by the execs at the nuclear power stations. Unfortunately, 12 days after the release of the film, there was a nuclear meltdown at Three Mile Island causing radiation to seep out and the surrounding area to leave their homes and not return. This film is about such an accident possibly occurring but it is a film of fiction, so-called. It stars Jack Lemmon as a high level executive who sees how shoddy work is creating a nuclear meltdown, but no one is listening to him. At the same time, a reporter and cameraman, played by Jane Fonda and Michael Douglas, are doing a story on the nuclear power plant when Lemmon, suspecting a nuclear meltdown, takes over the plant in order to bring awareness to the public about the safety concerns of this plant. The higher-ups and money men want Lemmon shut down and will do anything to get this done. It is an intense, well-acted film that is eerily relevant even today and this was not even nominated for Best Picture.

The other films that were nominated were “Breaking Away”, “All That Jazz”, and “Norma Rae”. 

Films not even nominated were “Alien”, “Manhattan” and “And Justice For All”. 

Do you agree with this or do you feel another picture should have won or do you agree with the Academy? 

UFO Time, it’s UFO Time

 

This is Wednesday which means it’s Monday Music Moves Me today on my blog and this week’s theme is all about the UFO. I do hope you enjoy these cinematic delights…

1. MAIN THEME FROM INVADERS FROM MARS BY MORT GLICKMAN-1953

When I saw this film, I have to say, it freaked me out and the music was a contributing factor in making me  me freak out. Funny, originally, this music was thought to be created by Raoul Kraushaar but, now the consensus is tht Mort Glickman created this piece. How do you like it?

2. DUEL OF THE FATES BY JOHN WILLIAMS

John Williams is one prolific composer often pairing with Steven Spielberg to create an indelible partnership scoring so many films with him but Star Wars is THE biggest film. Of course, I did not pick the most famous theme but chose the vital fight scene between Darth Maul and Obi Wan Kenobi. I find this piece of great music the most thrilling  and it does take place in outer space.

3. PRELUDE AND OUTER SPACE BY BERNARD HERMANN-1951

This great, eerie music comes from….klaatu, barrada nicto…..”The Day The Earth Stood Still”. I think this is still one of the best films about men that come from outer space and this music just heighten the tension. I think it’s a perfect take on the paranoia that gripped the States back then( not to say now!)

So what UFO music can you think of?

ANUS OF URANUS BY KLAATU-1976

Love this Canadian Band that originated "Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft".

Star Of The Month-Donald Crisp

 

DONALD CRISP

BIRTH: July 27, 1882

DEATH: MAY 25, 1974

AGED: 91, a couple months short of his 92nd birthday 

DIED FROM: Heart Attack after a series of major strokes

MARRIED: 3 times, the first ended in her tragic death a year after they married. The other 2 ended in divorce

CHILDREN: None

OSCAR WINS: “How Green Is My Valley”

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Once, see above

TALENT: beautiful, operatic voice( who knew?), keen business sense becoming one of the wealthiest actors. Acting talent but also directing as well as a Production and Studio Exec.

KNOWN FOR: His soft, but commanding voice. His love of acting, keeping his private life private. Slightly( HA!) exaggerated early life. Was an Intelligence Officer in WW1 and in the army reserves in WW2 becoming a Colonel. 

Joel spoke about Donald Crisp when I mentioned “Broken Blossoms” last month and I thought Donald would be perfect for Star of the Month ( Thanks Joel:)). He was known stature and large hands, but with a soft, mellifluous voice. He spoke about his Scottish heritage, his dad as a physician to the King, graduating from Oxford and fighting in the Boer War. The problem is that Mr. Crisp slightly exaggerated….well, lied about his more common lineage. He was not Scottish at all, but English and born, the youngest of 10 kids to a labourer dad and mom. He went to school, but not Oxford and there is a question about him being in the Boer War since he was living at his parent’s home driving a horse and buggy for a job in 1901. He could have been part of the Boer War as a trooper before being injured but not sure on this one. Don’t think too badly on this man since we have no idea what it was like to deal with class discrimination. No matter, he was very studious and highly intelligent plus he could have easily taught elocution lessons. It was decades later that the truth came out about his lineage and, in fact, my books uphold his elaborations. I found out this information on the internet with many spots, like IMD, still quoting that he is Scottish with a dad as a physician to the King ( or a cattle farmer) and an Oxford (or Eton) graduate. 

When he came over to the U. S., he was found to have a beautiful singing voice, while on the ship, and was hired for the Grand Opera House in New York City. There he met George M. Cohan and became a stage manager where he met D. W. Griffith who took him out to Hollywood. He became his assistant director and acted in a few of his films like “The Birth of a Nation” portraying Ulysses S. Grant. During the teens and 20s, he not only acted but directed many silents including “The Son of Zorro” with Douglas Fairbanks and Buster Keaton in “The Navigator” ( Keaton did fire him though). He was also a Production and Studio Exec. but tired of all the crap he had to deal with so, when sound came, he stayed with acting. Well, not exactly, he was keenly adept at business and became a power broker and was a huge help to the Bank of America!  He was on their board and was a chairman, held in great respect since this was during the Great Depression and WW2. Many films can be thankful to Donald Crisp because he was a main reason the producers got the financing to make so many of these classic films. 

This man knew how to make money and command respect while enjoying making movies. He really enjoyed acting and we know him from his looks and his speech even if most no longer know his name

FILMS ( My Favourites)

1. How Green Is My Valley-1941

2. Lassie, Come Home-1943

3. The Uninvited-1944

4. National Velvet-1944

5. Broken Blossoms-1919

6. Son Of Lassie-1945

7. The White Angel-1936

8. Wuthering Heights-1939

9. The White Angel-1936

10. Svengali-1931

11. Jezebel-1938

12. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde-1941

13.  Charge of the Light Brigade-1936

14. City For Conquest-1940

15. The Birth of a Nation-1915  ( there are other films he has been in that I would choose over this, if I saw them…this film is a big film historically, but very racist and reinvigorated the KKK)

Ann Blyth

 

One of the last of old Hollywood died last week at the age of 98… Ann Blyth. She would have been 99 in August and I was really hoping she would live to 100. I’m not sure why her death struck me but, I think, it is because so few are still alive. Hell, this gal worked with Joan Crawford and had nothing but nice things to say bout her! I first saw her in a musical and fell in love with her voice before I saw her as the viper brat to Saintly Joan. So, here’s to Ann..

1. MILDRED PIERCE-1945

This is the film that established Ann as a star and revitalized Joan Crawford’s career( she won the Best Actress Oscar accepting the award in her bed since she was, cough… sick with the flu) where Joan plays Mildred, a woman who has the worst daughter one can think of. Mildred and her spouse divorce after losing their sweet daughter to pneumonia. Mildred spoils he oldest daughter who is quite happy taking. Mildred finds a job as a waitress and before you can say, “Crocodiles eat their young,” Mildred opens her own restaurant and becomes quite successful. Mildred meets this suave A-hole who sweeps her off her feet while seducing her bitch of a daughter, very willingly, I might add. This is a must-see film, in my opinion, for all the noir imagery, the acting and Crawford’s shoulder pads. Ann Blyth excels as the nasty bitch of a daughter who takes and takes making her mom feel bad for making her into a nasty bitch….hmmm..maybe some parents should watch this on how not to raise their children. 

2. MR. PEABODY AND THE MERMAID-1948

I love anything dealing with mermaids and saw this fun movie years ago when the great Elwy Yost hosted Saturday Night At The Movies on TVO( the Canadian PBS) who showcased 2 movies with interviews from the famous stars, directors, producers et al from the classic days of Hollywood (I wish TVO would bring this back because I would watch this all over again). This film stars William Powell who, to help regain his strength after being ill, takes a Caribbean holiday with his wife. When he goes out fishing he is shocked when he reels in a mermaid, played so well by Ann Blyth. For whatever the reason, he brings her back to the resort and dumps her into the deep pool right near his room. This mischievous mermaid sings and smiles but is unable to talk, but that doesn’t bother Powell who falls in love with her, forgetting all about his wife. This is not a classic but it is fun movie that makes you smile.

3. THE STUDENT PRINCE-1954

This is the first film I saw Ann Blyth in and just fell in love with the movie and with her as the barmaid who falls in love with the Prince. Her exquisite, operatic voice is in full form as we follow the Prince( originally was supposed to be Mario Lanza but he was fired due to his diva-like ways and Edmund Purdom stepped in) who is a student of the old Heidelberg University. He and the other boys end up at an Inn which is popular with students who love to drink. There the Prince meets Kathie, the innkeeper’s daughter, and they fall in love but can their love survive the duty that the Prince is expected to adhere to? It is a beautiful musical that struck me deeply as a 10 year old kid. I loved the romance, the colour photography, the acting of Blyth as well as the character actors Edmund Gwenn and S. Z. Sakall and the singing. Thankfully, the producers still had Mario Lanza’s singing voice and used it to dub Edmund Purdom. I’d love to see this film again.

Do any of you know this actress? I hope so.