Thursday, July 4, 2019

Wandering Through The Shelves-Parenthood

Wandering Through The Shelves decided to choose Parenthood as the theme for this week. Pick 3 films that match the theme. Well here we go....

1. STELLA DALLAS-1937


This remake (one was done in 1925 which I would love to see) stars the great Barbara Stanwyck as a blousy, uneducated poor woman who wants to climb ahead through any means. Enter hapless John Boles as a wealthy young man saddened to learn his true love married someone else. Who is to pick up the pieces but good ole Stella. He marries (the idiot) Stella and she quickly gets knocked up and has a baby girl. Much to Stella's surprise she has motherly instincts and will do all she can to give her daughter the life she wanted. It's a 4 hanky movie with Barbara Stanwyck playing Stella to the hilt and deservedly, being nominated for an Oscar. It was remade with Bette Midler but this film is much better and it really made me cry..and that takes a lot for me to sob especially the train scene and the ending.

2. PENNY SERENADE-1941


I know I talked about this movie long time ago but I really love this hidden gem that stars Cary Grant as a fast talking huckster  and Irene Dunne as his cherished wife who miscarries after they go through an earthquake. She can no longer have children but decide to adopt and her husband, very reluctantly, agrees. The baby girl captures their heart and  they can't help but watch their baby sleep and shower her with all the love they can give. I love how their friend shows them how to make a diaper...quite funny and sweet. This film also made me cry with some unexpected turns and it is worth a look.

3. FATHER'S LITTLE DIVIDEND-1951


This is one of the earliest genuine sequels to a great film, Father of the Bride, played by the same people-Spencer Tracy as the over-protective dad, Joan Bennett as his loving wife and Elizabeth Taylor as the bride and now a young mom to be.  I love the first movie better but this is another funny movie where their daughter (Taylor) is pregnant and going through all the hormonal changes the 1950's medical teams thought expectant moms go through. Her mom and the in-laws are happy to redecorate their childrens' home but dad Tracy is overly cautious and wondering about all the errors that might happen. I love the scene in the police station. A funny, and entertaining film made poignant by the fact that Elizabeth Taylor had just miscarried due to her bastard first husband (Conrad Hilton) beating her to a pulp.

I am on a 2 week vacation right now so I wrote these ahead of time. We are visiting my hubby's Aunt who lives right on the Richelieu River about an hour south of Montreal. It is really relaxing and beautiful.

28 comments:

  1. Hi Birgit!

    I'm not crazy about children, but I can tolerate movies that revolve around well behaved babies. (Remember the 1960-61 TV series Happy starring Yvonne Lime as the young mother of a talking baby?) I first saw Father's Little Dividend in 2007, the year I binge watched films of the mid 20th century and earlier, including as many Liz Taylor titles as I could find.

    First I want to remind you of my recent post with Alan Hale, Jr. as The Skipper, as train engineer Casey Jones and as a newspaper reporter opposite Marilyn Monroe in Home Town Story. I was happy to see his actor father, Alan Hale, in that clip from Stella Dallas. Junior and senior shared the same mannerisms and same hearty laugh, didn't they? I have always appreciated the acting of Barbara Stanwyck. I see the cast of that film also included "Ma Kettle" - Marjorie Main.

    I like Cary Grant and need to see Penny Serenade. It features "Uncle Joe" from Petticoat Junction - Edgar Buchanan - and Ann Doran from Rebel w/o a Cause and one of my favorite sci-fi horror films: It! The Terror from Beyond Space.

    In addition to watching Liz in Father's Little Dividend, I saw her and the same cast in the first picture of the series, Father of the Bride, released the previous year. One of my favorites, Russ Tamblyn, is in both films.

    Have a happy Thursday and a fine weekend, dear friend BB!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. i am ERIC BRUNT by name. Greetings to every one that is reading this testimony. I have been rejected by my wife after three(3) years of marriage just because another Man had a spell on her and she left me and the kid to suffer. one day when i was reading through the web, i saw a post on how this spell caster on this address AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com have help a woman to get back her husband and i gave him a reply to his address and he told me that a man had a spell on my wife and he told me that he will help me and after 3 days that i will have my wife back. i believed him and today i am glad to let you all know that this spell caster have the power to bring lovers back. because i am now happy with my wife. Thanks for helping me Dr Akhere contact him on email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
      or
      call/whatsapp:+2349057261346










      i am ERIC BRUNT by name. Greetings to every one that is reading this testimony. I have been rejected by my wife after three(3) years of marriage just because another Man had a spell on her and she left me and the kid to suffer. one day when i was reading through the web, i saw a post on how this spell caster on this address AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com have help a woman to get back her husband and i gave him a reply to his address and he told me that a man had a spell on my wife and he told me that he will help me and after 3 days that i will have my wife back. i believed him and today i am glad to let you all know that this spell caster have the power to bring lovers back. because i am now happy with my wife. Thanks for helping me Dr Akhere contact him on email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
      or
      call/whatsapp:+2349057261346

      Delete
  2. I did enjoy Father's Little Dividend, but I don't know the other 2. There are so many films about this topic, isn't there? I can think of a whole lot just now, but mine are all recent ones. Thank for sharing these. I now need to check out the first 2. happy Thursday! And Happy Belated Canada Day too. hugs-Erika

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  3. Enjoy your vacation!
    The movie Parenthood was funny. And confirmed my desire not to have kids.

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  4. I love kids as long as they are mine, LOL. I've seen all of these but it was a long while ago. My first thought was "Mommie Dearest". Way at the opposite end of what you chose.

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  5. I've never even heard of any of these. Ironically, I saw Denise's comment and Mommie Dearest is on TV today. Hope your vacation is as relaxing and enjoyable as you hoped.

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  6. Happy vacation, Birgit! ☺ I remember Stella Dallas. Barbara Stanwyck is one of my all time favourite actresses and she gave a fantastic performance in that one! Heard of the other two, but don't remember watching them. For this genre, the first movie that came to mind was "The Parent Trap", starring Hayley Mills. Or, how about "Three Men and a Baby"? That was so funny! ☺

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  7. Love the first and third! The second....well I think it's rather mawkish but well-acted.

    Stanwyck is so great in Stella Dallas. She really believed in the script to the point of dying her hair for it, the only time in her long career she did so and was bitterly disappointed when she lost saying she had poured her guts into it. That last scene is transcendent.

    We have a semi match, I used Father of the Bride. The sequel is sweet, though I agree not a match to the first, and I love that it has an actual unique title rather than the loathsome, lazy habit for sequels now of simply sticking a 2 or 3 after the title as if the public isn't canny enough to realize it's a followup.

    Aside from our somewhat match I went with a couple of comedies, one more madcap than the other.

    Parenthood (1989)-Ron Howard directed this gentle, insightful comic drama of a group of siblings-Gil (Steve Martin), Helen (Dianne Wiest), Susan (Harley Jane Kozak) and the ne’er do well Larry (Tom Hulce)-their parents (Jason Robards & Eileen Ryan), their somewhat dotty grandmother (Helen Shaw) and their various spouses and offspring (including Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis, Martha Plimpton and a very young Joaquin Phoenix) as they navigate the big and little issues of child rearing.

    Mr. Mom (1983)-When automobile engineer Jack (Michael Keaton) is downsized his wife, Caroline (Teri Garr), returns to work as an ad exec with Jack taking over as homemaker and caring for their three kids. Though he eventually gets the hang of it there are many hilarious misadventures beforehand. But then tensions start to rise between Jack & Caroline as her work demands increase and his jealousy rises. Daffy and fun.

    Father of the Bride (1950)-When the apple of Stanley Banks’s (Spencer Tracy) eye, his daughter Kay (Elizabeth Taylor-breathtakingly beautiful), announces at dinner her engagement to Buckley Dunstan (Don Taylor) he’s thrown for a loop. But he discovers that the realization that Kay is grown up is nothing compared to the problems he encounters planning her wedding! As things get hectic, Stan's wife, Ellie (Joan Bennett), tries to be the calm in the center of the storm, but even she might not be a match to Stan’s jitters. Released to coincide with Elizabeth Taylor’s first (disastrous) marriage to Nicky Hilton this was an enormous hit.

    Enjoy your vacation!!

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  8. Sounds like a great place to have your vacation. Enjoy! I haven't heard of these but they all seem like something I would want to see.

    betty

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  9. I haven't heard of any of these lol. Enjoy your vacation!

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  10. Got me here. Haven't seen any of these.

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  11. O for 3 this time. Ones like Father of the Bride, Parenthood, and Cheaper By the Dozen pop on in at our sea.

    Enjoy your vacation!

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  12. OMG. I didn't realize Elizabeth Taylor had an abusive husband.
    Enjoy the vacay. We've left the light on for ya.
    Hugs

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  13. Hi Birgit, the only film I've scene is Penny Serenade and wept buckets, it's a brilliant film and Cary Grant is brilliant in it, Kate x

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  14. I'm familiar with all of these. I haven't seen them, but I'm aware of them.

    This made me think of Journey for Margaret, but I don't know if it would really fit the theme.

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  15. Nope, unfamiliar with any of these. I thought of The Parent Trap.

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  16. I've only seen the first pick and I've watched it a few times. That's a good pick. Guess I'll suggest my old favorite The Greatest Showman--yeah, I'm obsessed. But it is a great film about parenthood.

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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  17. Often I haven’t seen any of the films - this time I have to confess I haven’t even heard of any of them! Hope you are enjoying your vacation.

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  18. That's quite a wander! Like Anabel who commented above, I haven't even heard of these movies. I think some days it would be so nice to just sit and watch really old films, usually after a visit to your blog!

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  19. I love a lot of the older movies and one includes the Little Dividend. Something about the humor of Spencer Tracy back then was priceless, and Ms. Taylor was a great actress. I remember meeting the great Elizabeth Taylor for the first time in the hilarious Life With Father when she played the slightly boycrazy role. Such a beautiful woman and wonderful actress, abused by her asshold dad, and then again by asshole Hilton. I always loved her Aids activism and thrilled that her grandkids have taken up the fight. I sure hope you're having a wonderful and relaxing vacation, sending some hugs your way. RO

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  20. BIRGIT ~
    I'm late getting here this time, but I guess it doesn't matter since you ain't here at all! ;^D

    I hope you're having a terrific vacation and come back rested and ready to take on the world.

    Well, if the theme is Parenthood, then I'm going to start by going with the obvious. That is 'PARENTHOOD' (1989), starring Steve Martin. It's a light comedy which I really enjoyed, much to my surprise.

    And one Steve Martin movie deserves another: 'FATHER OF THE BRIDE' (1991), a remake of the Spencer Tracy movie you mentioned above. This was one of the extremely rare examples of when I thought a remake was actually as good as the original. That scene where Steve Martin finally loses his mind and is rampaging through the grocery store makes me guffaw-out-loud!

    And, then, of course, the original 'FATHER OF THE BRIDE' (1950). Tracy was terrific, and for me, the standout scene was that Dali-esque nightmare Tracy had. That was so funny and well executed!

    I hope you're having fun, Birgit.

    ~ D-FensDogG
    STMcC Presents BATTLE OF THE BANDS

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  21. I haven't seen these but they sound like great movies.
    Hope you're having a grand time.

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  22. I’m baaacccckkkk...evil laugh...no, tired laugh but I have no idea why since it was nothing but relaxing. Thanks for letting your comments even though most of you don’t know the movies I chose:). I love some of your picks and enjoyed the Steve Martin films which are fun to watch. Penny Serenade doesn’t pull any punches in going for the heart strings but I don’t care because it’s so well acted and, yes, Shady, I love the character actor who later appeared on Petticoat Junction.

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  23. I've only seen bits of Penny Serenade. Now I'm going to find it so I can see the whole thing, thank you very much, Birgit.
    Glad to hear you had a great relaxing time.

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  24. i am ERIC BRUNT by name. Greetings to every one that is reading this testimony. I have been rejected by my wife after three(3) years of marriage just because another Man had a spell on her and she left me and the kid to suffer. one day when i was reading through the web, i saw a post on how this spell caster on this address AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com have help a woman to get back her husband and i gave him a reply to his address and he told me that a man had a spell on my wife and he told me that he will help me and after 3 days that i will have my wife back. i believed him and today i am glad to let you all know that this spell caster have the power to bring lovers back. because i am now happy with my wife. Thanks for helping me Dr Akhere contact him on email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
    or
    call/whatsapp:+2349057261346










    i am ERIC BRUNT by name. Greetings to every one that is reading this testimony. I have been rejected by my wife after three(3) years of marriage just because another Man had a spell on her and she left me and the kid to suffer. one day when i was reading through the web, i saw a post on how this spell caster on this address AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com have help a woman to get back her husband and i gave him a reply to his address and he told me that a man had a spell on my wife and he told me that he will help me and after 3 days that i will have my wife back. i believed him and today i am glad to let you all know that this spell caster have the power to bring lovers back. because i am now happy with my wife. Thanks for helping me Dr Akhere contact him on email: AKHERETEMPLE@gmail.com
    or
    call/whatsapp:+2349057261346

    ReplyDelete