The Working Man

 

It’s summer vacation for many right now since it is summer, the kids are out of school and parents take off to Disney, any amusement park, go camping or swim in a nearby pool, lake or ocean, for many of poor slobs, we are still working and punching in the clock. I decided to use the theme of the working man and here are my picks…

1. THE CROWD-1928

This is one of my favourite films about the average Joe who marries, starts a family and works trying to support them over highs and great lows! It stars the tragic James Murray as Everyman working in the cog of life. His fellow worker and friend suggests they double date and go to Coney Island. James meets his blind date, played by Eleanor Boardman( married to the director, King Vidor) and is immediately so smitten that, at the end of their date, he proposes and she accepts. Her brothers and mother disapprove of the union and his wife wonders why her husband does not move up in his workplace like his friend. They have 2 children while he tries to make ends meet. When something horrible happens, he is thinking of suicide but he is brought back from that ledge to continue living. This is a great film made near the end of the silent movie era. James Murray catapulted to stardom, but could not handle the fame ending up as a bum on skid row, dying from alcoholism. The director, King Vidor offered him a role in his movie but the actor told him off and disappeared. King Vidor wanted to make a movie about this man but never had the chance. Eleanor Boardman, I watched her interviews in the 13 part documentary on “Hollywood” and she is someone I would not want to know. She dissed Garbo in a prejudicial manner and mentioned this film. She was hoping to wear beautiful gowns and look glamorous only to be in this film wearing dowdy clothes and little make-up. I don’t believe she realized what a great movie this is. It is one, I say, is a must see.

2. THE GRAPES OF WRATH-1940

This is another great film that is a must see, but I can’t watch this film over and over. It is one dour film that stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, an ex con who comes home just in time to see his family packing up all they own to travel to California. These people, the salt of the earth, have been hit hard by the dustbowl and the Great Depression. They travel to California hearing there are jobs there and embark on their journey. The person holding the family together is Ma Joad, played by Jane Darnell, who keeps the hope even when hope seems to be dead and gone. When they get to California, they get a job picking fruit but are basically slaves to the unscrupulous owners living in shanties and paid very little. Fonda goes to a secret meeting but it ends with his friend, Casey ( played by John Carradine, whom I love), dead and Fonda killing the guard in self-defense. They all leave and wind up at a reputable company with cold and hot running water and toilets which this kids have never seen before. There are. Couple of great scenes where Ma Joad speaks about family and living forward while Henry Fonda has one the greatest speeches that is shown every time one talks about this film. It is not only brilliantly acted but I love the cinematography courtesy of the great Gregg Toland. 

3. MARTY-1955

Talk about an every guy, Ernest Borgnine plays a regular butcher who lives with his mom and deals with her, his siblings, and his friends all barrage him for still being single. His mom nags him into going to a ballroom for dancing and meeting people. There he meets Clara, a plain looking school teacher( of course), and they dance and talk the night away. Both are flying high with their romantic pairing until he goes home and finds out his Aunt has moved in and freaked out his mom saying that once Marty marries, mommy will be kicked out. Mom, fearful of this, disses his new gal  as well as his friends who further belittle her. Marty lets himself be manipulated by everyone and does not call her as he promised. Thankfully, he starts to see that he is not living for himself but for everyone. He gives a great speech and calls Clara up who wipes her tears away and accepts the call. There are many films made in the 1950s that have this look of black and white blandness. It is not a full on happy film but one which instills hope for the average person. I may not watch this film many times, but I do think it’s another film to watch.

What films make you think of the average Joe…or Jill.?

Love Smoked Turkey on German Rye Bread

This week is an interesting theme, over at Monday Music Moves Me, which is all about the sandwich. I was going to do an acrostic, my first, but, as you can see, I am very late publishing this week. We just came back home yesterday. It’s an 8 hour drive with 2 quick stops to gas up and go to the loo. We came home to a mess. Bless my ex for taking care of the animals, but he is messy and his passive-aggressive nature comes out by not doing something we asked him to do like giving out pussy cats wet food. My hubby checked and noticed that no cans were in the recycle bin and the same one was still in the fridge. We had it all written down. If my ex can do the minimal, he will. He left our bedroom door open so, of course, our lovely Harley used that for his bed and the hair on the comforter made the colour look grey instead of a deep blue. I am still thankful that the animals were all good and that he took Harley for his walks. We took 3 hours to clean up with some cleaning is just due to out fur babes:)). We were so happy to see them and vice versa. My baby, Lexi, kept meowing and I had to reinforce I would not leave. Harley is beside me now, happily sleeping and Kaspar was very happy to see his daddy. 

OK back to the music, I decided to use what I eat every day…I have a half slice of German Kaiserbrot rye, 2 slices of smoked turkey on the bread with 1 slice of harvarti cheese, carrots, Motts fruit cup and 2 gingerbread cookies. I love my lunch!!

1. COMIN’ THRO’ THE RYE SUNG BY JOHN MCDERMOTT-2019

This is an old traditional Scottish song created with the lyrics from Robert Burns. I decided to go with my fellow Canadian, John McDermott, who never fails to sing songs so beautifully.

2. SWEET SURRENDER SUNG BY BREAD-1972

I do love the songs from the band, “Bread” and it fits for this theme. I could have used only Bread songs but, I didn’t want to:)

3. COLD TURKEY SUNG BY JOHN LENNON-1969

Ok, this has nothing to do with turkey meat but when John Lennon and Yoko Ono went cold turkey when they came off their array of drugs especially heroin. They locked themselves into a room and went through hell to quit this horrible drug.

What is your favourite sandwich? Any sandwich songs you love? 

Star Of The Month- Joan Blondell

 

JOAN BLONDELL

BIRTH: July 30, 1906

DEATH: December 25, 1979

AGED: 73 years

DIED FROM: Leukaemia 

REAL NAME: Rose Joan Blondell

NICKNAMES: Rosebud, Bud, Buddie

MARRIED: George Barnes ( Cameraman); Dick Powell ( Actor/director), Mike Todd ( producer)

AFFAIRS: Clark Gable who proposed marriage but she declined; John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, Pat DiCicco (producer), Ronald Reagan

CHILDREN: 2 children Norman Powell-producer & TV Executive and Ellen Powell- Make-up Artist

BEST FRIENDS: Glenda Farrell, James Cagney, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck

FAMOUS RELATIVES: Gloria Blondell(sister), Both Parents, known as The Bouncing Blondell in Vaudeville

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: The Blue Veil-1952

TALENT: Excellent cook known for her cheesecake, Barbeque sauce and Chinese spiced chicken. Wrote a novel called, “Center Door Fancy” which is a thinly veiled 

KNOWN FOR: Her sassy, working girl ( Not that kind of working girl) who audiences could relate to. Her great humour and salty language.  She called Bette’s exes the Foreskins because Her friend, Bette Davis, was married 4 times. Her big, blue eyes and was a Wampas Baby Star.

This wise-cracking dame from pre-code Hollywood played the no-nonsense friend in many films from 1930 to 1934 often paired with James Cagney, in 6 films, in which he said that, “Next to my wife, Blondell is the only other woman I ever loved.” No, they were never romantically involved even though he stated Joan’s ass was the best he’s seen and has a great body. Before she became famous, she was part of her parents’ Vaudeville act since she was literally, born on the road, sleeping in dresser drawers. Once her sister(whom she was always close to) came along, the parents decided to settle down for the children and their own selves. When, Joan was working in the library, in 1927, she was raped by a police officer who threatened to kill her if she ever revealed what had happened and she kept this to herself until revealing this in her memoirs. She fell for Dick Powell when they were teamed in a movie and the marriage appeared good until she found out he was having an affair with June Allyson ( who often portrayed a wholesome girl next door). The divorce was not, shall we say, great but she bounced back into the arms of Mike Todd…not a great choice. He was a producer but a huge gambler in many areas and went through Joan’s savings never paying her back. In fact, this narcissistic jerk, although their sex life was fantastic, he was emotionally and mentally abusive and, according to Joan Blondell, physically, once holding her over the balcony, by her ankles..what an asshole! Her life was one of happiness and one of difficulties, I guess like most people. When she was giving birth to her son Norman, it was a 20 hr labour, with many complications including a fractured coccyx (ouch!) and the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. This birth must, still, have been glorious since she had, at least, 2 abortions prior, to her first husband’s insistence. In later years, she became plump, which she didn’t mind but had to deal with rheumatoid arthritis but continued to work all the way through. She had to deal with a notorious 2 episode performance on The Lucy Show, where she was to become a regular but, Ball treated her horribly dissing her in front of the crew and the studio audience whereby Joan told her to F-Off and walked off the set. Ball was friends with June Allyson and Dick Powell which might have been one of the reasons for her horrible treatment of Joan. Joan worked until the end including Grease and Opening Night, a John Cassavetes film. She deserves to be well known today and is among the greats because she is a grande dame among dames.

FILMS ( I have not seen the last 5)

1. Topper Returns-1941

2. Support Your Local Gunfighter-1971

3. The Cincinnati Kid-1965

4. Nightmare Alley-1947

5.  Public Enemy-1931

6. Golddiggers of 1933-1933

7. Footlight Parade-1935

8. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn-1945

9. Desk Set-1957

10. Blonde Crazy

" A wife must smile through mental pain and develop a thick skin when her husband doesn't notice how pretty she is. Do not be jealous and do cultivate feminine mystique, and laugh until you pee. Remember he will always want a comfortable chair. Do not forget to praise his looks....and, above all, do not fart before the 3rd year of marriage."

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?