Angels

 

It’s less than a week before Christmas and my tree has lights on it…and nothing else! I usually have it all decorated, but I’m a bit late. It will get done and all will be ok…yeah..still have to go Christmas shopping too. It’s crazy..I know. With work being always crazy, feeling ill( will see the Dr tomorrow) and Bell being assholes, I thought of my mom and daddy and how much Christmas meant to them. I thought of angels and know they are angels and thought of the Christmas movies that involve angels so here we go.

1. BEYOND TOMORROW-1940

This is a little known gem, in my opinion, starring 3 character actors, Charlie Ruggles, C. Aubrey Smith and Harry Carey, who are successful businessmen celebrating Christmas with the diminutive Maria Ouspenskaya playing the Russian landlady. Harry is jaded about the goodness of men so the other 2 decide to prove him wrong and they throw their wallets out to prove men are good( Hahahaaaa). The first woman to find a wallet, takes the $10 out and pays a man to drive her somewhere. The other 2 are found by a young man and woman who deliver the wallets to the home and are invited in for Christmas dinner. They accept and the 3 men are delighted to see the 2 fall in love. Unfortunately, all 3 men are killed in a plane crash but their spirits return to the home they live at. Harry is still somber about mankind but the other 2 believe and realize the 2 lovebirds need help when they see the young man become famous but become stupid falling for a wretched woman forgetting the sweet gal he truly loves. Makes me think of what my Oma said, “ When the dick is up, their brains are up their ass!”  Will the 3 angels see tru love triumph? Will the man wake up and realize he’s been an idiot? This is not a great film but it is a superlative B film which is held together by these 3 elderly actors especially the great Harry Carey as the disgruntled older man who does not believe mankind is inherently good. We can relate to this now, with all the sadness in the world and bitter, nasty words being said, we must see beyond this and know that goodness will win out. Look at the people who rose above and defended the defenseless. We will see good triumph.

2. IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE-1946

You know I will speak about this great film that stars James Stewart as George Bailey. He is a man ready to take his life believing he has done nothing to help the people he loves or the town until Clarence, played so well by Henry Travers, comes down from heaven to help George see how much he has helped his world he lives in. Clarence decides to show George what life would be like if he were not born and, boy, does George get a rude awakening when he see how cold and unloving the town and people are. This is my favourite film and I cry, every time, I see the ending…not out of sadness, but out of joy! Very few films can make a person cry out of sheer joy especially when George’s brother arrives. The cast is perfect but Jimmy Stewart drives the film and, I think, that is partly due to the PTSD he was dealing with after coming back from the war. His prayer scene is iconic and the tears are real. 

3. THE BISHOP’S WIFE-1947

Cary Grant plays the debonair angel, named, of all things, Dudley, who comes to earth to help a Bishop raise funds for a cathedral. The bishop is truly thankful, but becomes very annoyed when Dudley ingratiates himself within his household, especially the Bishop’s wife, played by the holier than thou, Loretta Young. The Bishop, played by David Niven, becomes more jealous and dislikes Dudley even though the Angel is helping him. The casting is excellent ( well, anyone could have played the wife..like Donna Reed) and I can’t believe that Cary Grant was supposed to play the Bishop and David Niven was supposed to play Dudley. Thankfully, Cary Grant saw that Dudley was more to his liking and the powers that be agreed. This is a lovely film with an understated performance by Cary Grant and a shiny performance by Monty Woolley as the curmudgeonly professor who knows what Dudley is. 

What other angel movies can you think of that takes place around Christmas? Are you all ready or like me?

Which Song Won The Oscar-1951

 

I can’t believe Christmas is one week away! I’m back at work, I think I have a lung infection but I’m going to see the Dr on Friday. I am changing my tv, internet and phone to Bell…I’m in it now but this was a mistake. It’s been a nightmare…over 10 hrs on the phone last week, 5 technicians over at my home, I still don’t have my home phone connected nor the TV and I saw a bill I received from Bell for $599! This won’t do but will deal with it on Friday. 

Today I am choosing the year of 1951, so let’s see if you can guess which song was nominated, which won and which got none! I’m joining Monday Music Moves Me on a Wednesday, like I normally do and it’s “Anything Christmassy”.

1. SILVER BELLS SUNG BY BOB HOPE AND MARILYN MAXWELL

I still need to see the film, “The Lemon Drop Kid” that stars Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell but this song is now a Christmas standard and I consider it a Carol, not just a song. This song was written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans and it was originally called “Tinkle Bells” until Evans’ wife told him there is no way you can call it that because “tinkle” was a slang word for…you know.

2. IN THE COOL, COOL, COOL OF THE EVENING SUNG BY BING CROSBY AND JANE WYMAN

Another film I need to see, “ Here Comes The Groom” that stars Bing Crosby and Jane Wyman(. Ronald Reagan’s 1st wife), introduces this famous song that was written by Hoagy Carmichael with lyrics by Johnny Mercer.  This is a fun song and quite catchy.

3. A KISS TO BUILD A DREAM ON SUNG BY KAY BROWN

This song was written by Bert Kalmar, Harry Ruby and Oscar Hammerstein 3rd. The first 2 write it for a Marx Brothersk movie but never used it. Oscar found it and reworked it for this film, “The Strip” that stars Mickey Rooney. Yup, another film I need to see.

So, which film won the Oscar, which was nominated and which came up nadda?

Who Should Have Won Best Actor-1987

 

I’ve had the week off for decorating purposes since I can no longer work, come home and start decorating. I just hate that and am trying to come to terms with this shit…oops, sorry. My decorating is coming along but I still have to put some more decorations up, iron the Christmas table cloths, put up my Nativity Scene and my Village..oh and the Christmas Tree which we still need to buy. I still have to bake too…I hope to visit some of your blogs very soon and thank you so much for visiting mine and commenting. I just so very much appreciate it🥰. 

I am going to choose whom,I’m think, should have won Best Actor, for 1987, and, yup, he was not, even nominated, if he was, I bet they would have placed him in Best Supporting category even though he is equal to his acting partner. Let’s see if you agree with me or offer someone different or agree with the academy.

1. JOHN CANDY IN PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

I watch this, almost, every year and, even though this takes place over the American Thanksgiving, it could easily be a Christmas movie. It stars the great John Candy and Steve Martin as 2 very different men, from different classes, who keep meeting up until they must join forces to get Steve Martin home for Thanksgiving. Much to Martin’s chagrin, Candy finds a motel room when their plane must land in Wichita because Chicago got belted with a snowstorm. One horrible event after another occurs, all the while Candy’s character tries to help Steve get home. This is an endearing, warm and very funny film where we can  recall scenes smiling when we do. Steve Martin and John Candy are great together and, if Candy lived longer, I bet they would have worked together in other films. The scene, above, just shows the range that Candy had as an actor and the words were improvised by Candy! The director loved it that he kept it in the  film and so glad he did. You find out what a dick Martin is and how he loosens up and becomes more human, thanks to Candy’s Character. Candy was not even nominated and this whole film was neglected. Steve Martin deserved a nomination as well as the actual film, the directing and that score! The music is so well placed in every scene that just adds to the richness of each scene. 

2. MICHAEL DOUGLAS IN WALL STREET

Michael Douglas finally won Best Actor in this film that co-stars Charlie Sheen as a young up and comer Wall Street broker who is taken under the wing, by Michael Douglas, a corporate Raider. It shows the underbelly of this world that I would never want to be part of. Oliver Stone showcases both actors to their best advantage and Douglas is excellent in his role as the evil Gordon Gekko who will do anything to make more money. I have seen this film and, while it is excellent, I could not get into the characters. I watched it and, promptly, forgot about it. Douglas deserved more accolades for the films, “Falling Down” and “The Wonder Boys.” 

3. ROBIN WILLIAMS IN GOOD MORNING, VIETNAM

Robin Williams wowed the critics and the audience about this real life DJ who shook things up in Vietnam and winning over the soldiers who are fighting in a war that they can’t win. Robin deserved the nomination since he explodes on the screen with his riffs, all spontaneously done by Robin, as well as his serious side coming through when he meets the soldiers who are fighting against all odds. This film could not exist without Williams who makes the audience laugh and cry in the span of 10 minutes. It’s a film worth seeing.

Do you agree with my assessment or would you agree with the Academy..or would you choose someone completely different?

Christmas Music

 

I’m on vacation this week so I am late reading people’s blogs and writing here. I’m just going to have  some Christmas music I love…

1. WALKING IN THE AIR SUNG BY KATHERINE JENKINS-2020

This comes from an animated Christmas film from 1982, composed by Howard Blake. This is a Finnish film that has become a staple Christmas favourite in Finland and in England. This song has grown in stature over the years, and rightly so. I love this song nd my hubby considers it one of the best Christmas carols.

2. O BAMBINO SUNG BY THE HARRY SIMONE CHORALE-1965

I love this song and it is one of my all time favourites. It was originally written by  Remo Capra, Tony Verona with music by Alfonzo Maria De’ Liguori but became most famous by Harry Simone from his arrangement. To me it is one of the most beautiful of carols.

3. SUO GAN SUNG BY CHARLOTTE CHURCH-2001

I tried to find the version sung by John McDermott from his album, “Christmas Memories” but I couldn’t find it, so I found this version sung by a young Charlotte Church, a child prodigy who has an amazing voice. This is a traditional Welsh lullaby created by an anonymous writer from around 1800. It’s such a pretty song and one I love listening to.

Any songs you love that are not traditional carols? Check out Monday Music Moves Me to see what the others have chosen this week.

Christmas Films I Finally Saw!

 

There are some films that have escaped my viewing until now. You won’t believe the first film that I have not seen until last weekend! Actually, you won’t believe the second film I have not seen until last year Christmas. So let’s start…

1. CHRISTMAS IN CONNECTICUT-1945

Yes, this classic film is one that has escaped my viewing until last weekend. To be honest, I found this film in the bin in Walmart for under $6. Bucks! This is such a funny film and one I a. So happy to say I have finally seen and own. It starts off with 2 sailers who have survived the sinking of their ship by a German Submarine and were finally saved after adrift for many days. In the meantime, the head of a major corporation, wants his star of the magazine, to invite this sailer to her home in Connecticut for a splendid Christmas meal. Barbara Stanwyck plays this early version of a Martha Stewart who cooks up a storm of great meals while living at her cozy home in Connecticut, that she has decorated in her own style that people love to copy. The problem is that she has no home in Connecticut and has no idea how to cook! Now, she must entertain a soldier there for Christmas as well as her boss, played so well by Sydney Greenstreet and she is at a loss as well as her publisher. In comes a very rich man who wants Barbara as his wife who lets her use his home provided she finally accepts his marriage proposal. They all travel to that nice home, with an great fireplace, I might add, bringing along her fatherly friend, S. Z. “Cuddles” Sakall, who is the real chef behind her famous recipes. When the soldier, played by Dennis Morgan, arrives, sparks fly between him and Barbara but the ruse must continue which contains many funny moments. It’s a great movie and one I will watch every Christmas.

2. HOME ALONE-1990

Yes, I never saw this film until I, reluctantly, saw this with my hubby and the end of Christmas last year and really enjoyed it. I remember when it came out and became this mega hit with  so many interviews with MacCauley Caulkin, that browned me off wanting to see this movie especially because of this smarmy kid. I did my very best to avoid any movies starring this brat, as you can tell, I am not a lover of children who are smart asses, but, over the years I have seen a few like “ Uncle Buck” and “Home Alone 2”. Now, after all these years, I watched this movie and got a kick out of  the antics the 2 dumb ass robbers get into when they try to rob the home that the kid is living in. It starts off when the family are travelling to Paris for Christmas, but when the kid takes a hissy fit, mom, played by the golden Catherine O’Hara, sends him to the attic to sleep overnight. In all the chaos, the family take off for Paris forgetting about the brat. Kevin, the brat’s name, is happy being on his own, at first, but soon misses his family especially his mom. He notices the 2 bozos who want to rob the place and sets up booby traps all over the house. The  2 robbers, played so well by Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern, have one mishap after another evoking the old Warner Bros. Cartoons that Wile E. Coyote got into. It is funny and strangely endearing even though the family are truly bad…who forgets their son!? Mom realizes she has left Kevin at home, while on the plane to Paris and does everything she can to get home. It is a fun movie, not a great one, but a fun one.

3. LAST CHRISTMAS-2019

Emilia Clarke is one big fuck-up..sorry for the swear word but it really deserves to be used here. She drinks too much, sleeps around, has no care for other peoples’ stuff and is always late at work which she  wishes she could be anywhere else. She works, in downtown London at a year round Christmas store run by the evocative Michelle Yeoh, who keeps giving this gal 2nd and 3rd chances. After burning her last friend, she must endure living back home with her overly dramatic mom, played so well by Emma Thompson who wrote the script and produced the film. Her dad drives a cab who would rather work all the time than be home with his wife who centers on the negative a bit too much. Her sister is fed up with her ..um..fucked-up sister, believing people cater too much to Emilia. While at work, Emilia sees a young guy on his bike and goes out to speak with him. They are drawn to each other and start spending a lot of time together where he starts showing her that her life is precious and  should not be burned nor the people around her. You find out that this girl, who has the gift of a beautiful voice, suffered a severe illness which affected her heart resulting in a heart transplant. Over time, she starts to realize that this young guy really believes in her and they fall for each other. This is a witty movie and I love Michelle Yeoh’s quips as well as her budding romance with a Dane. Emma Thompson rules her scenes as the a former Yugoslavian who her and her family had to escape the war in her country, and focuses on the negative. There is also real chemistry between Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding as her love interest. What’s very strange is that Emilia Clarke, when on “Game of Thrones” suffered 2 brain aneurysms, in 2011 & 2013, and almost died. This is a good movie and worth seeing.

Which Christmas movie is still on your radar to see or have you just seen it?

Are They Christmas Songs?

 

It’s the Christmas Season and it’s whatever music moves you over at Monday Music Moves Me and it is  all about Christmas this month so I’m starting off with music that isn’t about Christmas but they have become Christmas songs. Now, one, I understand but the other 2, I don’t quite get. Let’s not pussyfoot around and let’s get to it….

1. WINTER WONDERLAND  BY GUY LOMBARDO-1934

This is a song that seems to be played every hour on the hour during the Christmas season and just bout every singer has sung this. The music is by Felix Bernard and the lyrics, by Richard Bernhard Smith who thought up the words when he saw Honesdale Central Park, PA. Covered in snow. This became a huge hit for the Canadian Guy Lombardo  and his band, 91 years ago. There are over 200 different recordings of this song.

2. BABY, ITS COLD OUTSIDE SUNG BY RICARDO MONTALBAN AND ESTHER WILLIAMS-1949

This has become such a controversial song and I think most of us need to take a pill and  settle down. This song was written by Frank Loesser along with his wife, Lynn Garland who sang it at their dinner parties when they thought it was time for the guests to leave. It became a huge hit and has been covered by many singers over the decades and somewhat done to death. Later in the film, the roles are reversed with Betty Garrett chasing Red Skelton while singing this song and it is very funny.

3. MY FAVOURITE THINGS SUNG BY JULIE ANDREWS AND THE KIDS-1965

Nothing says Christmas than the warm summer sun, greenery and, oh yeah, Nazis! This song is sung by Julie Andrews to the kids who are scared by a thunderstorm( wussies). Christmas is mentioned in the song, written by Rodgers and Hammerstein, so that makes it a Christmas song. It is a great song, sweet and fun before the meanie Christopher Plummer stops the singing with one cold stare. 

So, what songs are played at Christmas, but it is not supposed to be a  Christmas song? Let me know.

Bonus…BETTY GARRETT AND RED SKELTON…

Star Of The Month-Jeff Chandler

 

JEFF CHANDLER

BIRTH: December 15, 1918

DEATH: June 17, 1961

AGED: 42 years

DIED FROM: pneumonia and blood poisoning after back surgery

REAL NAME: Ira Grossel

NICKNAME: Big Grey

MARRIED: once, to Marjorie Hoshelle-divorced

AFFAIRS: Esther Williams, Gloria DeHaven, Ann Sheridan, Julie Adams, Barbara Shelley, Mamie Van Doren(who didn’t!), Marilyn Maxwell, and Eartha Kitt

CHILDREN: 2 daughters. Both died in the early 2000s from cancer. His Aunt, Uncle and Grandfather also died from cancer. Genetic link to this horrible disease.

FRIENDS: Susan Hayward, Gordon MacCrea, Sammy Davis Jr.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Broken Arrow for his role as Cochise

OSCAR WINS: Nil

TALENT: singer, violinist, song writer

KNOWN FOR: Grey Hair and Chiseled features plus body hair. That had to be shaved for the movies so he was, often, quite itchy. An avid Democrat, proud of his Jewish Heritage and into civil rights.

What is sad is that Jeff Chandler is known more for what Esther Williams wrote in her autobiography, which was proven to be false, by her own admission, than for his acting ability plus his many other talents.  She wrote that he was a cross dresser and loved to wear women’s clothing, panties etc… while playing a he-man in his many films. This disgusting gossip went “viral” with all the TV shows, like “ Entertainment Tonight” plus even regular news, discussing Chandler’s “hidden”  fetish asking Esther Williams about his life. She loved talking all about this which made her book a best seller. Much later, it came out that she was asked to spruce up her autobiography so she decided to ruin this man’s reputation just to sell her book. She is not a nice person, sadly. I don’t care if a man wears women’s clothing as long as he is a nice person…let him do whatever he wishes, but when a man is not a cross dresser and can’t even defend himself because he has been dead over 40 years, that’s just very, very wrong. 

Jeff Chandler was very proud of his Jewish heritage starring in a couple of films and supporting them when they attacked Egypt which caused a stir. He formed his own production company, was a radio star plying the love interest to Eve Arden in “Our Miss Brooks” plus he was a singer and violinist. He played many Indians in film, which is now considered in bad taste, but these were the times so let’s get over it and move on. He also played many heroes from chivalrous heroes to swashbucklers and adventurers. 

He had many affairs which is understandable given his rugged good looks and his silver hair which started to turn white when he was 18. His chiseled features became the model for the main character in the comic, “Johnny Quest”. He loved baseball, was in WW2, and was a devoted friend. He went to school and became a life-long friend of Susan Hayward, and, when Sammy Davis Jr lost his left eye in a car accident and his right eye was feared to be affected, Chandler volunteered to have one of his eyes  taken, but the technology was not ( and is not) available. He had many talents but, sadly, he died suddenly and it was blatant malpractice. On the set of one of his movies, he injured his back ( playing baseball with U. S. soldiers who were extras in the film) and underwent surgery but his artery was knicked, developed blood poisoning and died. His family sued and won the case.

This man should be known for his acting, his devotion to his friends plus his many talents not the gossip that was proven to be false. 

FILMS

1. Broken Arrow-1950

2. Cochise-1950

3. Two Flags West-1950

4. Smuggler’s Island-1951

5. War Arrow-1953

6. Foxfire-1955

7. Merrill's Marrauders-1961

8. Thunder In The Sun-1959

9. The Tattered Dress-1957

10. Man In The Shadow-1957