Today it’s supposed to be a very windy day so I hope I don’t lose any roof shingles but, I have to admit, I love wind....not when someone breaks wind, mind you, especially my dog Harley...Peeeeeeuuuuu. Last week, Denise mentioned The Wayward Wind Sung by Gogi Grant and I totally forgot about that beautiful song so I decided to go for the windy theme.
1. THE WAYWARD WIND SUNG BY GOGI GRANT-1955
As I said before, I really love this song. I find it dreamlike and ethereal for some reason. This song was written by Stanley Lebowsky with lyrics by Herb Newman. I had forgotten about this song until Denise mentioned it last week. So, thanks Denise and...by the way, what did you make for Thanksgiving?
2. THEY CALL THE WIND MARIAH SUNG BY VAUGHAN MONROE-1951
This comes from the Lerner & Loewe musical, “Paint Your Wagon” which I first heard when I watched the movie version starring Lee Marvin and Clint Eastwood...yes...these 2 in a musical. This was my favourite song from this musical sung by Harve Presnell in the film version. Apparently, it became very popular with the soldiers during the Korean War. I never knew that.
3. DUST IN THE WIND SUNG BY KANSAS-1977
Yeah, so this is about death but, hey, I still find it a beautiful song that was written by Kerry Livgren from Kansas.
So, I got...nuttin'! This week is nadda for me but I will check out what Wandering Through The Shelves will have as well as the others. Since it's American Thanksgiving, I thought I would pick some memorable TV episodes about this holiday starting with the best...
1. WKRP IN CINCINNATI: TURKEY DROP-1978
To say I died laughing is an understatement. I was laughing so hard my sides hurt. To this day, saying, " They're dropping like pieces of wet cement." Makes most people from my time laugh. Apparently this is based on a true story...only in America.
2. CHEERS: THANKSGIVING ORPHANS-1986
The gang are welcomed over at Carla's house where they must wait for the bird to be cooked. A food fight ensues in which the 3 Stooges would be proud.
3. FRIENDS: THE ONE WHERE ROSS GOT HIGH-1999
There are more than just one episode about this holiday but when Rachel screws up the trifle dessert, it made me laugh so much.
Debra finds out, from Ray, that her parents are splitting just when she is ready to deal with the turkey. OMG...I laughed and laughed.
5. THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW: THE ELEPHANT STORY-1978
Family...Vicki Lawrence plays the mom to Eunice, played by Carol Burnett. Harvey Korman plays Eunice's husband. Dick Van Dyke was in the sketch and the great Tim Conway, who could keep in character and always make Korman laugh. Well, this time, he kept going making everyone laugh but for Mama..Mama brings it all home putting everyone on the floor. Again I just was laughing, and laughing.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Here is a pic of my hubby and I, all Cinderellad out, for the work Christmas party and another of my sweet Harley.
He has a muzzle on vecauae he pucks up anything he can to eat it from plastic bags to rotted barnacles.
What will you choose as the winner, the nominee and neither but maybe should have been a winner. It's that time again to figure out what is what for the Oscars and I choose 1959 so let's see if you can guess who won, who was nominated and who came up empty handed.
1. STRANGE ARE THE WAYS OF LOVE SUNG BY GOGI GRANT
This is a song written by Dimitri Tiomkin with lyrics by Ned Washington that came from the film, "The Young Land" with young Patrick Wayne and Yvonne Craig. Sounds like a movie I'd like to see. Don't you love the name Gogi.
2. HIGH HOPES SUNG BY FRANK SINATRA
This song is from the film, "A Hole In The Head" where Frankie sings to a little kid to make the kid feel better. It's written by James Van Heusen and lyrics by Sammy Cahn. I have to see this flick one day, too.
3. PILLOW TALK SUNG BY DORIS DAY
I have seen this film which is a very funny movie especially by the great Thelma Ritter who plays Day's housekeeper. This was a big hit for day, written by Buddy Pepper and Inez James.
So, which song won the Oscar, which was nominated and which got nadda. This sounds familiar so if I chose this year already, forgive me... I'm beyond exhausted.
Wandering Through The Shelves has chosen this before and with good reason...it’s a great theme. I have been quite busy with my friend, from Vancouver, visiting, going to a Blues concert this eve and Friday, Christmas Office Party in Toronto. It’s also nuts at work so this is nice to write here....
1. OF MICE AND MEN-1939
This film is from the famous book by John Steinbeck that takes place during the Great Depression with 2 itinerant workers, one who is large, gentle but mentally disabled and the other, his best friend, who watches out for him. They are working on a farm for a sadistic owner with a horny wife wanting to save up enough money for their own farm but things never go as planned. This film is so well done and Lon Chaney Jnr, who played the big guy, Lenny, got rave reviews and rightly so. Burgess Meredith plays his protector and it is a good retelling of this book. I find it quite funny that my mom chose this book as the first book to learn English. This book is full of slang so...not the best book to learn the English language.
2. THE BIG SLEEP-1946
This is a fun film starring Bogie and Bacall when they came clean about their relationship and were going to marry. Raymond Chandler wrote the book but he couldn't even figure out the plot. Basically, Bogie is hired by a millionaire to find out what is going on with his one daughter. She is an alcoholic nympho who gets involved with the wrong type of people. You find out she is bring blackmailed for photos taken of her. Along for the ride is a dead body found with her and Bogie tries to figure everything out. Bacall plays the older sister who is involved in this whole mess up and messes up Bogie as well. I just watched the original 1944 version that made more sense...somewhat but it doesn't have that famous horse riding conversation which is so great. This version also has BVall in a horrible hat with netting which makes her look like she just visited some bees. I will be rewatching the more famous '46 version soon.
3. OLIVER TWIST-1948
This is my favourite version of this famous book by Charles Dickens with John Howard Davies as the Young boy who ends up in an orphanage and dares to ask for more gruel. He ends up on the streets and is taken in by this gang of pickpockets led by Fagin played so well by Alec Guiness. You wish this young boy will find out where he actually comes from and can escape the clutches of the denizens of the underworld in London. A great picture.
I'm not meaning to be a Debbie Downer (sorry to all the wonderful Debbies out there and...where did that quote come from??) but I have to mention some great songs about the 2 world wars. I actually had a great weekend...not working until Wednesday and off Friday for my work's Christmas party which should be fun. My friend V.J. came to visit me Friday night and left today, Tuesday so I have lost so much and need to catch up. Anyways, I gave a little thought to my mom and dad who both experienced the war but my mom as a German kid and teen and my dad as a Canadian soldier. I thought of my 2 uncles, my mom's brothers whom I never met-one was 19 and the other a little over 1 yr old. Uncle Kurt died on June 30, 1945, along with 178 other German soldiers, all of their "wounds" as told to the families by the Russians. The only soldiers left in the hospital were Russians and my Uncle's body was bull-dozed into a pit. The Nazis did horrific things as well as some Germans....but not all. We better never forget all the atrocities or they will be repeated..just look at what is happening now in the Ukraine. Beware....do not hate All Russians as they should not be white-washed like the German people have been. Anyways, here are my 3 choices for this week.
1. CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES SUNG BY JOHN MCDERMOTT-1993
This is a very moving song originally written and performed by John McCutcheon (you can listen to his version here...I hope) in 1984. He wrote based on the very famous truce between the Brits and Germans on Christmas Eve in 1914. The Allies could hear the German soldiers sing Silent Night and they started to sing too. The German soldiers gestured to meet in No Man's land and they did! They shared Christmas songs and gave each other gifts of food or whatever they had handy and even played Football, called Soccer for us folks. McCutcheon met some of the German men who came to his concert and heard this song. John McDermott, A great Canadian/Scottish tenor often comes to my little city and my ex and I brought my mom and my in-laws to hear him sing. He speaks very highly of all soldiers from all wars and sings many songs that people from war can relate to. My mom and my in-laws met John and i have a picture of my mom with John McDermott. I have to find it.
2. THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER SUNG BY VERA LYNN-1942
The great Vera Lynn died, in 2020, at the age of 103 with her wits still with her. She just did a collaboration with Katherine Jenkins (you can here it here..again, I hope) on this song giving the torch to Ms. Jenkins who must have been just tickled pink. This song was written by Walter Kent in 1941 when the British were fighting the war and won the air overhead made famous as The Battle of Britain (1940). This win, that the British soldiers thought they would never win, helped change the course of the war (one of many, thankfully).
3. THIS SONG FOR YOU SUNG BY CHRIS DEBURGH-1975
I heard about Chris DeBurgh when I was a teen and bought his very famous record. "Spanish Train" and this song was on this record and it made me cry. I started to read up about Passchendaele and found that this battle put Canada on the map as a great nation. When, in 1917, the British, Australians and New Zealanders could not take the ridge, we were sent in and, despite heavy rain, mud and less troops with heavy casualties (almost 16,000 Canadians died), The Canadians took the ridge but...for what? This Irish folk singer really knew how to write about this battle.
Can you think of any songs that make you think..."Lest We Forget?"
Revenge! There are actually quite a few movies about this theme, hell, Charles Bronson created a whole series of movies about this. I decided on comedies because there is just too much sniping out there. I will find it interesting what Wandering Through The Shelves will choose on her theme blog...here are my 3...
1. 9 TO 5- 1980
I have to re-watch this movie because it is very funny. I remember thinking Jane Fonda would be the hard ass gal, but she played the exact opposite. She, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton all play employees to this lousy bastard of a boss who thinks women should bring him coffee and let him touch their ass plus more, you know, Trump. ( sorry, couldn't help myself). They finally have enough and decide to teach him a lesson with hilarious results. I love the daydreams/dreams they have and how Dolly hog-tied him... she was very funny. It's so worth watching.
2. THE FIRST WIVES CLUB-1996
This film also has 3 women who were college friends with another woman but all went their separate ways. When the one commits suicide, the 3 reunite and realize they all are dealing with jerks for husbands. They decide to start this club and wish to create some "pain" on their ex's. I love what they say about the new young wife of one of the ex's because it's played by Sarah Jessica Parker. I know, I'm mean. Oh and Goldie Hawn plays an aging movie star who gets botoxed with huge fish lips....sort of what she looks like now.
3. THE OTHER WOMAN- 2014
One day, I wasn't feeling well and came across this flick. I saw it starred Cameron Diaz which meant it might stink, but I was pleasantly surprised and laughed out loud. Leslie Munn is very funny in this and Kate Upton is surprisingly not bad. Diaz plays a lawyer happily involved with a good looking man who seems too good to be true and is. When Munn visits Diaz, Diaz is horrified to learn he is married to Munn who plays this goofy wife who did all she could for her husband. She pleads with Diaz to get back at her ex and they finally decide to work together and travel to the Bahamas(I think) to see what he is up to. They find out he has a 3rd gal in Kate Upton and bring her into the fold. I watched this when my best friend was divorcing her narcissistic husband and saw so many similarities because I know her ex has money stashed away on that same island. This movie is about friendships just like the other 2 and some scenes just made me laugh out loud. I loved the scene when his wife decides to give him a very upset stomach or was that the stiff nipples? Kudos to the very good looking actor(Nikolaj Koster-Waldau) to play this character.
Last week I gave an early Christmas gift to my hubby which was an outing to see the Pink Floyd Tribute Band and they were amazing! My hubby loved it and, as a tribute band, he gave them a 5 out of 5 and he saw THE Pink Floyd back in 1975. I found the band a bit too loud for the venue and the sound kick back would verify that but, I bet, they are used to playing to bigger venues. I just took some Kleenex and placed it in my ears. What was funny was, during intermission, I handed out some tissue to people near me who also placed them in their ears. Most people were, ahem, older and I could hear people talk about their sciatic nerve acting up and the loudness...made me laugh since these people were the teens and early 20s crowd who smoked up, drank and watched this excellent band. One of my favourite songs, “The lunatic inside my head” lyric, I already talked about in an earlier post but I chose 3 that I thought this band did justice. Let me add the 3 women, who were the back up singers, just slayed it especially the gal on the right hand side who just nailed the singing of that lady in the original song.
1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL-1979
I remember when this came out and thought it was really “Neato” ...I was a dork but, yeah, I used that word often back then. This song was written by Roger Waters which is, somewhat, autobiographical. I thought the animation from this song was brilliant and loved the kids who sang on this great song.
2. MONEY-1973
Since I was a Credit Counsellor, am now a BIA Insolvency Counsellor and people are dealing with mega costs in groceries and gas, I thought this song quite apt. I also thought it had a brilliant opening which was written by Roger Waters from the great Dark Side of the Moon Album. I don’t think the lyrics or any other part of this song is dated.
3. THE GREAT GIG IN THE SKY-1973
I found out this song, with the great Clare Torry as the female vocalist, was never given any credit until many years later. She took Pink Floyd to court to get the recognition she deserved plus a part of the money. Originally, she went into the studio and, I think, on the 2nd take, she sang her piece as if her voice were an instrument...which it is. She is now given credit along with Richard Wright, for the composition of this song from The Dark Side of the Moon album. The lady who did this piece last Thursday just nailed it.
I gave my hubby an early Christmas gift. We saw a great tribute band to Pink Floyd. It was excellent except it was too loud in the venue we were in. I stuffed kleenex in my ears which helped. Other people also said the same thing so I think it was not my age. Anyway, it was a fun night for sure.
I didn't watch anything new in TV for the most part and fewer movies. I have been too tired often so just watched the same old.
FILMS
1. SEPARATE LIES-2005
This film stars Tom Wilkinson as a workaholic married to a nice gal who happened to have an affair with the neighbour who is a bit of an ass. There is also an accident involving an older man who was hit by a car while on his bicycle. I remember it was good but it quickly left my head. First film directed by Julian Fellowes.
2. COURT MARTIAL OF BILLY MITCHELL-1955
This is quite an excellent film starring Gary Cooper as Billy Mitchell who decided to not follow orders because he knew better. He was right, but he still was court- martialed. It's based on a true story which seems to be more accurate than many other films. I wanted to know more once I watched this movie and will watch a documentaryon YouTube about this man.
3. THE FEARLESS VAMPIRE KILLERS- 1967
A Roman Polanski film that is a horror comedy and it is quite funny, but also eerie and has some good scary moments. Polanski stars as an assistant to a buffoonish professor who believes vampires exist and they travel to Romania to find them. When the bathing girl is snatched by the count, the old buffoon and his side kick travel to the castle to kill the vampire. This is a funny movie but still has a chilling touch. When the other vampires awake, I did not expect this and it was well done. It costars Sharon Tate whom Polanski married but she was tragically killed by the Manson family when 8 1/2 months pregnant.
4 GREENZONE- 2010
An excellent war film when the U. .S military were searching for weapons of mass destruction only to realize there is no such thing. This really gives one a good idea what the soldiers were dealing with and how sad the whole war was, since the Bush people were after the oil. It's not that simplistic but it was about the oil.
TV SHOWS
1. SALTING THE BATTLEFIELD-2014
We only have the 3rd installment of this 3 part miniseries starring one of my Favourites, Bill Nighy. He plays Warriker, an MI5 agent, who finds out more to the story and it involves him going on the run with his love and finding out the truth to prove his innocence. Well done and acted.
2. FOYLE'S WAR-2002-2015
This is a 13 year series taking place during and after the war. It involves a detective who solves cases that are connected to the MI5 and sometimes, they are not. We only got the last season when our precious video store closed. They only had this last DVD. Now we must get the rest of the series. The actor who plays Foyle, Michael Kitchen is excellent in his subtle manner who always speaks the truth His right hand mam is a woman who never listens and must deal with her own homelife. Excellent series.
I chose this theme, which was nice of Wandering Through The Shelves to use as a theme, because you wonder how these actors can love each other on the screen but despise each other in real life. Some actors, like Joan Crawford, had few people who liked her...with good reason. Let’s just say I would never have wanted to know Ms. Crawford but that doesn’t mean she was evil since she always paid for a hospital bed in Texas( I believe) for people who could not afford it. No one knew about this until after she passed away. Olivia De Havilland and her sister Joan Fontaine really hated each other and didn’t talk to each other for over 40 years with Fontaine dying without any forgiveness on either part. We are well aware of Joan Crawford and Bette Davis’s famous feud since the Mini series was made about this recently but there are many other famous feuds between actors and when it comes down to it, it’s all about ego., for the most part. So, without further adieu, here are my 3...
1. GOLDEN EARRINGS-1947
This film stars Ray Milland and Marlene Dietrich as 2 people who find each other and fall in love. It’s a spy story where Milland is trying to retrieve information about poisonous gas but is found out by the dreaded Nazis. Enter a gypsy woman, yup, play by Dietrich, who hides him and sneaks him out but not before falling in love. Off camera, Milland was not enamoured by the fact that he would fall for an old broad like Dietrich even though he was only 6 years younger. Dietrich, heard about his way of thinking so in a scene with fish, she looked at him sucked out the eyeballs from some fish and then stuck her finger down her throat and threw them back up. Milland did a heave ho himself upon seeing her do this leaving Dietrich quite happy. She made it difficult for Milland throughout filming especially the kissing scenes. The film is not bad, not great but an ok flick, but I always laugh when I see Dietrich made up to look like a Gypsy.
2. JOHNNY GUITAR-1954
This is one crazy ass movie where the men seem to be in the womens’ roles and the female are the men. It’s quite a wild western with Joan Crawford owning a saloon who runs a tight ship and loves more than one man including Johnny Guitar played by wooden Sterling Hayden. Her rival and filled with jealousy is Mercedes McCambridge who wishes this chick would just upchuck and die. The antics off camera have become quite infamous with sides being taken between Crawford and McCambridge. Actually, after one scene Mercedes did created a round of applause by all the crew, Crawford became very jealous and would do her best to unnerve the Gal. Crawford was famous for knitting everywhere she went, so she would click her needles louder to disrupt the actress and, it seems, got her blackballed. According to McCambridge, she could not find work for quite a while and believes it was due to Crawford’s strength behind the camera and knowing all the big wigs.
3. HOLLYWOOD OR BUST-1956
This is the last movie starring the comedic team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. It’s a fun little comedy with Martin as a gambler who tries to swindle the naive Lewis out of the car he just won. Lewis won’t think of letting go of his car because he wants to go to Hollywood, with his Great Dane dog, to meet Anita Ekberg. The 3 of them( remember there is the dog) hit the road with Martin meeting a nice lass and realizing he likes this goofy guy. It's a nice comedy and typical formula for this duo but, by this time, this duo couldn't stand each other and never spoke to each other when not filming. They were close st one point but, by this point, they couldn't stand each other. One part was how Lewis was taking more and more control over their films plus getting more attention from their fans and the powers that be. When Frank Sinatra tried to get them to bury the hatchet when he brought Dean Martin onto Jerry Lewis’s telethon, the iciness was still apparent. Only when Dean Martin lost his son did Lewis call and they made, somewhat, amends. Lewis said he never watched this movie because it was just too painful.
Did I get your attention?? I just went to a Happy Birthday celebration of a dear friend of mine who turned the big 60 and he is a Scorpio....the Sex sign...lol. It made me think about sex in songs of which there are a ton and I'd love to know which songs you think about. I ended up thinking of Studio 54, the famous club of the 1970s where the staff had to, literally, hose down the sofas from all the sex on them from the night before. Big celebrity names went there and Disco was the rage. So, here we go....
1. YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HAT ON SUNG BY TOM JONES- 1997
This is a song from 1972, written by Randy Newman, who wanted to create a song that just seemed outlandish. It was made famous by Joe Cocker, (what an apt last name) but I went with Tom Jones who recorded this version for the film, “ The Full Monty”. I thought it was a good version since so many women threw their underwear at him when Tom Tom sang.
2. YOU SEXY THING BY HOT CHOCOLATE-1975
I remember this song back in the day and thought it funny and now, I I still find it funny but a good song to dance to. It was written by the lead singer, Errol Brown and bassist, Tony Wilson and became a great song to strip to not that I ever did. This was also in the very funny movie, “ The Full Monty.”
3. LOVE, LOVE TO LOVE YOU BABY SUNG BY DONNA SUMMER-1975
This was written by Italian, Georgio Moroder and created a big sensation because it sounds like Donna is having a very good time with herself. I decided on the shortened version but the 17 minute version became very famous.
I could have gone in so many different directions but the 70s Disco Era called to me.
Which songs do you think of when you think of Sex?
NAME: Gene Tierney (named after a favourite Uncle)
BORN: November 19, 1920
DIED: November 6, 1991
AGE: 70 years old
DIED FROM: Emphysema
MARRIED: Twice-Oleg Cassini & William Lee
CHILDREN: 2 Children
AFFAIRS: Tyrone Power, Howard Hughes, Kirk Douglas (His manly part should have fallen off from all the work out he gave it), JFK (Ditto), Prince Aly Khan
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Leave Her To Heaven (should have won)
TALENT: Great Femme Fatale
KNOWN FOR: The best overbite that most men would love to kiss; high cheek bones, brilliant green eyes; her sheer beauty.
This is one of the great beauties and one of the most tragic ladies that graced the silver screen. A definite beauty that could easily have played Scarlet O'Hara if she was famous back in 1939, but she was not yet, "discovered". She went to school in Switzerland and learned to speak fluent French before coming back to the States. She married the famous costume/fashion designer, Oleg Cassini and was longing to have children. She was overjoyed to become pregnant in 1943 and was healthy until she contracted Rubella shortly after volunteering at the Hollywood Canteen (Started by Bette Davis where the US Servicemen were served food and could dance with famous movie stars). The German measles didn't harm Gene but it was devastating to her unborn daughter, Daria, born severely mentally disabled. Years later, Gene met one of her fans who told her that she was in the service but was sick with the German measles. When she was told that Gene Tierney would be at the Hollywood Canteen, she left her quarantine and snuck out to meet her favourite star. Can you imagine meeting the person who gave you the measles that destroyed your child? Thankfully, Howard Hughes always made sure that Daria was given the best treatment in the best care places for children.
Gene had a few love affairs with JFK being one of them. Thinking he would marry her, she found out cruelly when he told her he could sleep with her but she was not marriage material if he wanted to run for office and, shortly after, married Jackie..nice guy... great president but an a-hole to women. Anyhoo, She also had an affair with prince Aly Khan but his family decided she was not marriage material and the affair ended. Rita Hayworth thought she dodged a bullet since Rita was married to the man.
Unfortunately, Gene suffered from severe bi-polar disorder and depression resulting in many numerous shock treatments which she wrote about in her autobiography and became an advocate against this type of treatment. She once, Christmas Day 1957, had to be coaxed off of a ledge, 14 stories up, by the police which was a tense 20 minutes. Thankfully, she found some peace with her 2nd husband (who was married to Hedy Lamarr previously) and could enjoy her life out of the limelight.
She started up smoking thinking she sounded "an angry Minnie Mouse" when she first heard her voice on the big screen. The smoking lowered her voice but gave her the emphysema that led to her death. She was luminous and a much better actress than given credit for at the time. She was one of a kind.
