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? 

My John McDermott will not play for us Canadians even though he's Canadian! I placed this one in and hope it is nice.

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."