Good ole' Octoberfest was big fun when I was younger and had some great memories, that I remember. I have had a few escapades in Kitchener, On. which is a huge event in this German city. I had a wild time which is just too lengthy to write here, plus wild times on 4 other occasions. What happens in Kitchener, stays in Kitchener...lol.
Now, in 1997, my, then husband and I went to Europe and we ended in Munich not realizing that we would be there, the final weekend of Octoberfest. We went to the Hofbrauhaus wanting to have 1 beer....we had 2 pitchers! I don't remember what happened while in the Haus, I only recall walking back to the Pension( bigger than a B&B but small than a small hotel). I got us back to the hotel but, to this day, I have no clue what happened, but that 15% beer was good. I'm joining in on Monday Music Moves Me for this week's theme...
1. LICHTENSTEINER POLKA BY WILL GLAHE & HIS ORCHESTRA-1957
This song and many other polkas have played at every hall, tent, bar etc... during this fest. This song was written by Edmund Kotscher and Rudi Lindt. I bet I have danced to this often.
2. FLIEGERLIED SUNG BY TIM TOUPET-
This is a new song, to me, written by Andreas Donauer or known as Donikkl, back in 2002, for kids, has become a big song during Octoberfest.
3. SIERRA MADRE SUNG BY ZILLERTALER SCHURZENJAGER-1990
This is a song that comes near the end of the festivities and most people sing a long to this which was written by Wolfgang Roloff and Hans Hee.
Bonus...
EIN PROSIT DER GEMUTLICHKEIT
Written by Georg Kunoth, a journalist, but made popular by Georg Lang who created this fun with his band which he kept singing every half hour or so. Well, this stuck and this happens throughout the evening, but the more you drink, the more you love singing this along with shouting Einz, Twei, Drei, pzuffer! I know i spelled that last word wrong, Debbie can help me:)
I was going to talk about architects but, aside from that slog of. Film, “The Fountainhead”, I couldn’t think about my others that I have seen. I decided to go with famous buildings and went with some icons that really hit me when I watched it. There is a hidden theme, that I didn’t mean to happen, but it did. Let’s see if you can guess…
1. KING KONG-1933
I still remember, and I may have been 5, when my dad told all of us to sit and watch “ Movies for a Sunday afternoon”. King Kong came on and I was mesmerized just like my dad must have been when he saw this film in the theatre when he was 20 ( yup, he saw it in the theatre!). When I finally saw Kong look at the screaming Fay Wray, taking her into the forest to his lair. The shipmates including her new love, are hot on their tail meeting many dangers from nasty dinosaurs to creepy crawlees( this occurred when Kong dumped the log full of men into the gorge. These creepy worms and spiders came out to finish them off. Later I heard that this sene was considered lost, yet I know I saw it. Since then, they found this lost scene and is now included back into the film.). They capture Kong and bring him to New York City to be paraded but don’t count on him breaking free, taking Wray up the famous landmark, the Empire State Building. This building was just built between 1930 to 1931. I believe this film helped make this building famous and remain so to this day. A great film with many iconic images.
2. THE AMITYVILLE HORROR-1979
This film stars James Brolin( Barbra Streisand’s husband) and Margot Kidder as real life husband and wife, George and Kathy Lutz who move into their dream home only to find out that their home contains evil forces plus they find out that a horrible murder(s) took place in 1974 when Robert DeFeo killed his entire family in this home. I haven’t seen this in years, but I remember it being ….stupid. I would have left that home in the first night. This home takes centre stage with the way the film looks especially those windows( sadly they have been altered due to all the tourists coming to see the house). For me the best acting is this home and I would get so scared….but I was not scared at all which is very strange since I get scared very easily. I will watch this again.
3. THE SHINING-1980
Well, of course, this iconic hotel is a must on this theme. It is Timberline Lodge in Oregon used in this very scary film that stars Jack Nicholson as a writer to take his family up to this lodge to make sure everything will work well through the treacherous winter. His wife, Shelley Duvall, and their weird, young boy, played so well by Danny Lloyd, settle into this strange hotel enjoying the big halls and the maze outside of the building. Jack is becoming more and more unhinged as he starts talking to the former janitor, has a drink at a 1920s club and makes out with one f-ed up gal in a hotel room. The young lad loves his big wheel( who didn’t have one back in the 70’s) rolling through all the halls before coming cross the 2 freakiest girl ghosts which scared the hell out of me and still does. The kid uses his special powers to contact the head chef, played so well by Scatman Crothers, who gets onto the next plane, gets into a snowcat reaching the hotel only to be axed by the now, deranged Jack. Oops, spoiler alert. Now Jack wants to murder his family. This is directed by Stanley Kubrick who know style. The colours and looks all contribute to the story of this film and enhances it in ways that is brilliant.
Did you guess my other theme that I have and didn’t mean to?
Let me know what iconic buildings, in films, left you with an impression.
I love my hubby so much. He stood by me when my mom developed dementia and, at the same time, he lost his job and his rheumatoid arthritis came roaring back. Through thick and thin, we stuck together and have been together for 20 years. He is my ADHD man because this disease ( is it a disease?) is very much part of our lives. For the past 2 months, his ADHD has been in the forefront and it has been tiring. It is hard to explain, because it represents itself differently in each person but his is the classic- he is bouncing off the walls, interrupts, quick to anger, has no time, very tired plus more. His mind is exploding because he is thinking of all the things needs to do all at once and can’t shut it down. He is working on the old home plus he fixes the landscaping at an Esso station that his best friend manages. He takes care of me and the every day house stuff despite his severe arthritis. He sis Speedy Gonzales on steroids…lol. With this in mind, he can exhaust me but how I love him. I am entering the Monday Music Moves Me which is Freebie Week.
1. YOU SPIN ME ROUND BY DEAD OR ALIVE-1984
This song pops into my head, often, when he is talking to me, then takes off to take care of something, tells the cats to settle down, veers downstairs to get something, comes up with something else, comes back to me to continue telling me the story, but takes off outside to tend to something only to come inside to go downstairs to get the item he originally was going to pick up. He comes back to me finishes the story, which takes an additional 10 minutes. When I start telling him a similar story which would take 3 sentences, he tells me he has no time, because he has to walk to dog, tend to the garden, clean the cat litter, cut up some wood and then he asks me what I was going to say. I tell him it’s not important and with tht, he gives me a quick kiss and off he goes…
2. YOU DRIVE ME CRAZY SUNG BY FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS-1988
My hubby will talk, a lot, about politics and what he has seen on the various news channels he watches. When he asks me if I know about such and such, and I don’t, he Says, “ how do you NOT know? You should know this.” He tells me that I should not drink my orange juice and soda water as much and should drink more water. I have told him that the water sits in my stomach and I have thrown up when I drank too much water. I can jump up and down and I sound like a jug of water because you can hear it swishing around. He criticizes, with the best intentions, that I eat the same thing and that may not be the best thing. If I leave something on the table, he brings it to me and tells me to stop doing that as it drives him crazy. I start not doing that but if I do it once after 3 months of not doing it, he tells me that I am constantly doing this. I always stand up for myself, but he disagrees with me and tells me that I am always doing it. Time and memory are selective. He can drive me nuts!
3. WIPEOUT SUNG BY THE SUFARIS-1963
I can come home, dead tired from working and counselling 7 people per day plus the paperwork after. Last night, I got home around 9pm. Hubby is amazing because he made me a salad-a very nice and rich salad with the chicken in the microwave ready to be heated and placed on my salad. He worked at the Esso station and was recuperating from his day. Remember, he is on major drugs which keep him vital. And if he was not on these, he probably would already be in a wheelchair with all his joints swollen. I sit down to eat in the TV room and turn the TV on only to have my hubby get upset because he was watching YouTube video on his phone. I told him when I had something on my IPad, he got angry because he was watching the TV and I should move to a different room. He does not remember this and starts a rant which I ignore and eat my delicious salad. When he asked me, again about something, I lost my cool and did raise my voice saying the day and time again. He gets all upset, tells me he can’t talk to me(lol), that he is tired and goes upstairs to brush his teeth. He comes down, gives me a kiss goodnight and goes to sleep. He has wiped himself out….and me.
For all this, he makes me laugh, he stands by me, takes care of the house and garden, walks the dog and makes sure I have dinner when I come home. We can talk about everything and, once we realize we are in agreement, we are aok and laughing. He tells me how lucky he is and that I am his angel.
DIED FROM: Pneumonia as a result from a devastating car crash
REAL NAME: Laura Augusta Gainor
NICKNAME: Lolly
MARRIED: 3 times most notably Adrian ( 2nd marriage)
AFFAIRS: Charles Farrell, Tyrone Power and possibly, Margaret Lindsay and Mary Martin
CHILDREN: 1 child, with Adrian
OSCAR WINS: Won 1 Oscar but for 3 films, the first and only time this occurred- Sunrise, 7th Heaven and Street Angel
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: A Star Is Born
TALENT: Oil Painting, she loved this over acting.
KNOWN FOR: her diminutive size- maybe 5 ft. Her quiet strength against the studio system. Possibly gay or bi-sexual..who cares.
Janet is the very first recipient of the Oscar when she was only 22 years old. She was the youngest winner until Marlee Matlin won her Oscar in 1986. The year was 1929 and for the first, and only, time she won for 3 film roles. She was a huge star and one that easily adapted to sound films from the Silent era. This was a huge event because so many big stars lost everything when sound films took hold. Some, like Karl Dane, committed suicide and others, went into alcoholism, like John Gilbert and Marie Prévost. Janet, dammit! Made it! Her dad was one who saw her as something more than just his little girl and trained her in song and dance, acting etc.. when her parents, sadly, divorced, her step-dad took over the reins and they moved to Hollywood. Janet made such an impression on her first film that she went from an extra to a co-star and a star was born.
She was the sweetheart of America and was teamed with Charles Farrell in 11 films! People couldn’t get enough of these screen lovebirds which carried on offscreen. They had a passionate affair with their mutual friend, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr. Often leading reporters astray. Charles proposed marriage but they broke up instead and she quickly married a lawyer. That didn’t last and during the mid-30s, she was often seen with Margaret Lindsay, another big star of the 1930s. Now Margaret was known to lean towards the ladies so there has always been speculation that these 2 had an affair. Oddly, Janet had, what one calls, a lavender marriage with Gilbert Adrian. He was/is a celebrated costume designer and well known gay man but they had a son together and stayed married until his death in 1959. Her last marriage was also nice one and, also, apparently, a lavender marriage to her friend and stage Producer, Paul Gregory and remained together until her death. The biggest speculation of a lesbian affair was with her close friend Mary Martin (Larry Hagman’s mother). Mary was also a screen star and a big theatre star playing Peter Pan to perfection. Robert Cummings( another actor) famously quipped, “Janet Gaynor’s husband was Adrian but her wife was Mary Martin.” You know, this could be the case and why not! I just think about my deep friendship with my best friend and we love hanging out with each other and we both feel we are soul mates but I am not gay. If we were in the entertainment field, I bet there would be speculation.
Janet made great films, both silent and sound and, after 17 years, she decided to call it a day although she did show up in some tv spots including, yes, The Love Boat, but she truly enjoyed oil painting. She considered herself a painter first and acting done on the side. One of her final films she made was “A Star Is Born” and, although not her final film, this film was a high point in her career. Sadly, she had a difficult ending. Janet, her husband, Mary Martin and her manager were in a taxi when a van ran a red light, hitting the taxi ramming it into a tree. Mary’s manager died. Mary suffered 2 broken ribs and a broken pelvis. Janet’s husband suffered 2 broken legs but Mary suffered a fractured collarbone, 11 broken ribs, pelvic fractures, a punctured lung and bladder and injuries to her kidneys. She was in the hospital for months. The driver of the van, a former policeman, was charged with drunk driving and went to prison for…3 years. Janet never truly recovered from these injuries and died of pneumonia 2 years later.
She was effervescent, sweet but strong in such a small frame. I wish more people would know her but both “A Star Is Born” and the great F. W. Murnau film, “Sunrise” will keep her in peoples’ minds for many years to come.
Over at Monday Music Moves Me, this week was all about Pirates and it got me thinking about all the Pirate movies that are out there. Thank you Cathy, from Curious As A Cathy, for this inspiration.
1. JAMAICA INN- 1939
Believe it or not, this is an Alfred Hitchcock film, but considered one of his lesser works. This stars Charles Laughton, who helped produce the film, and it co-stars Laughton’s protege, Maureen O’Hara in her first film role. This young gal wishes to live with her Aunt at Jamaica Inn which is right on the coast where many ships have run aground. She is caught in a storm and the kindly, rich man, played by Laughton, gives her shelter in his very large home. When she finally meets her Aunt at the Inn, she is, unwittingly, brought into a den of thieves who follow a pirate deliberately crashing the ships onto the rocks to steal their loot. As in all Hitchcock films, not everything is as it seems and this is a good movie to find out all that is going on.
2. THE PRINCESS AND THE PIRATE-1944
This is. Funny Bob Hope comedy that co-stars Virginia Mayo as a princess who is kidnapped by a pirate. Bob Hope plays an actor who takes cowardice to a new level. When the pirates’ men take on a ship where Hope is on, he disguises himself as a Gypsy. He is one butt ugly Gypsy! It is very funny and the ending is pure gold.
3. THE PIRATE-1948
This is a technically, beautiful film with rich colours especially the reds and oranges. Vincente Minelli has his mark on the cult film. It did tank at the box office but it is now a cult film that stars Gene Kelly and Judy Garland as a circus performer (Kelly) who falls for the unhappily engaged lady(Garland). When he dins out she has the hots for the mysterious pirate, Macoco. Kelly knows who the real pirate is and blackmails him so that Kelly can play the pirate. Things do not go as planned and he is looking at the noose meant for him. He dances with the famous Nicholas Bros. In the “Be A Clown” scene which is a highlight. Sadly, this could easily be cut from the film so it could be seen in the Southern States since they are still very prejudicial and would not see this film because of the dance scene.
O these re my pirate picks. What are your’s. Sorry for being late, I am writing this this morning and I keep dozing off. I have a bit of narcolepsy and ran out of my meds. My dr. Gave the wrong meds to my pharmacist so I have been out for 2 days now. I hope I don’t sleep at work but I probably will. It sucks!
Why am I showing Kaspar this week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, which is all about the Pirate? Well, I was watching a documentary about WW2 ships and the sinking of them by German subs. When one ship was sunk by a torpedo, they not only saved many soldiers, but they saved their mascot, a tuxedo cat ( sorry, I forgot his name). The cat is considered a good luck charm( I thought it was the opposite), well, this cat went to another ship which was, also, torpedoed and sunk..but the pussy cat survived and lived a nice long life. So, hats off to that tuxedo cat and to my Kaspar. Here are my 3 picks for the good ole’ pirate songs..
1. THE DEVIL’S SON BY THE JOLLY ROGERS-1997
I was looking for Pirate songs and heard this song about Blackbeard and thought this sounds great. I hope you enjoyed it.
2. GRACE O’MALLEY BY ROWDY BUNCH-2026
I love this Celtic style song about the famous Irish, female pirate from the 1500’s who defied convention and became a famous pirate. How cool!
3. MACK THE BLACK SUNG BY JUDY GARLAND-1948
This is a song, by Cole Porter, for the innovative film, “The Pirate” that starred Judy Garland and Gene Kelly. I always liked this song and Judy did a great job lusting after this mysterious pirate.
Hope you enjoyed my choices for Pirate songs…
Bonus..
GEORGE HARRISON SINGS A PIRATE SONG-1976
This is from some British TV show where George surprised everyone including his musicians, by singing a pirate song. He caught everyone off guard and I love it!
Oh, of course, I forgot to let you know last week’s Oscar guess for 1938. So, yup, “Thanks for the Memory” won the Oscar, “Jeepers Creepers” was nominated and “In September” received nuttin!
September is Suicide Awareness Month so I thought my theme would be about this jocular event that has touched ll our lives in one form or another. I decided to look at this in a more humorous vein and chose 3 films that strike a funny bone…
1. MEET JOHN DOE-1941
This Frank Capra film stars Barbara Stanwyck as a disgruntled former newspaper reporter who writes her last story, a fictional tale told as truth, about an ordinary man who decides to commit suicide on Christmas Eve as a protest against the ills of the world. Little did she or the men at the newspaper realize that this tale would create a storm amongst the readers. Now another Newspaper wants to show up the story as the fraud it is. Stanwyck and the guys look for the perfect bum to sell the story as true and in walks Gary Cooper. At first, he’s against this but soon convinces himself that he could be a force for good plus use the money he would make to get the operation he needs so he can play baseball again. When he wishes to tell the truth and holds a rally, the money men pull the plug so the average joes can’t hear him and believe the money men becoming a mob against Cooper. Of course, Stanwyck falls for this man and believes in the common man, even when they can turn against someone so quickly. I do like this movie but I became disenchanted with the average joes who could turn so easily against their “hero”. I just didn’t buy into the common folk being nice people when they could turn on someone at a drop of a hat. Love the acting from everyone even though I am not a big Cooper fan and it is quite funny in parts even though it deals with suicide. It is worth checking out.
2. THE END-1978
This is one funny picture that stars Burt Reynolds who finds out he has only a few months to live. Upset by how his last days will be, he decides to take his life into his own hands by committing suicide. The only problem is he sucks at it. He wakes up in a mental asylum and is pissed off that he is still alive. He meets a real nutjob, played so, so perfectly, by Dom DeLuise and asks this crazy to kill him because he does not want to die the way the Doctor decried. Dom is all too happy to oblige even when they escape from the asylum, Dom keeps trying and Burt wants it but they keep fowling things up. This was very well written and quite funny. Burt was great in this role and this film deserved to win more than it did, which wasn’t much. I need to see this again.
3. A MAN CALLED OVE-2015
This is not the Tom Hanks film, which is good, but I prefer this Swedish film that stars Rolf Lassgard as the ornery goat who is not well liked in his neighbourhood which is fine because he doesn’t care for most of them. Little does anyone realize how much pain he is in from losing the love of his life, his beloved wife. He decides to end it all, but just when he is about to do the deed, a new neighbour knocks on the door and she, played by Bacar Pars, needs Ove’s help. Every time he tries to commit suicide, she needs him which wakes him up that his life is not over and he can let go his anger and sadness becoming part of the new family. I love this film because of the acting, writing, directing and that wonderful orange cat. Tom Hanks is excellent but I love this movie more.
bonus…
4. HARD LUCK-1921
I love Buster Keaton and this was supposed to be a lost film until parts were found, not sure where, and it was reconstructed but the pivotal last part was still missing until it was found in some Russian archive. Buster is down on his luck who loses his job and his girl and decides to end it all. After many, funny attempts, he joins some troop trying to catch a poor armadillo bolstering his confidence. He just is beginning to love life when he dives off a pool, missing it and hits the ground so hard a hole appears. It doesn’t end there and it is very funny. Remember, Buster Keaton did all his own stunts and it is very real since there was no real trick photography and you find out how brilliant Keaton was because he had to be precise or, in my cases, he would have died. I hope you enjoy this famous short.
I don’t think I have done 1938 yet, which will conclude the 1930s so, since it’s freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me, I thought this will be the perfect time for you to figure out which song won the Oscar, which song was nominated and which came up with lint,,,,you know, empty pockets. Here we go…
1. SEPTEMBER IN THE RAIN SUNG BY JULIE LONDON
OK, this is a great song written by Harry Warren and Al Durbin and was in the film, “Melody For Two” originally sung by James Melton. I love Julie London( no kidding) so I chose her version from her album, “Calendar Girls” which I would love to own. This is a famous song that has been done by numerous singers and musicians and I understand why.
2. JEEPERS CREEPERS SUNG BY LOUIS ARMSTRONG
Who doesn’t love the great Satchmo, Louis Armstrong’s nickname, in case you don’t know. He introduced this song in the film, “Going Places” which was written by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. We get, not only his unique voice but his great trumpet playing. I always loved this song which seems to go with the mood of the upcoming month of October.
3. THANKS FOR THE MEMORY SUNG BY BOB HOPE AND SHIRLEY ROSS
This song became Bob Hope’s signature song that followed him on his many, many excursions to the wars to entertain the troops from World War 2 to the Persian Gulf. I always heard it on his many TV specials and when he did the talk show circuit. It first appeared on the, “ Big Broadcast of 1938” and it was written by Ralph Rainger with lyrics by Leo Robin and it’s such a Sweet moment in this movie.
So…can you guess which song won the Oscar, which was nominated and which came up with nuttin’?
I found out that September is National Cat Month, so this movie theme is all about the Pussy cat. There are a ton of cat movies and I already spoke about “Bell, Book and Candle” with James Stewart and Kim Novak( I think a couple of times)m so I am going with these pussy cat tails…
1. THE CAT FROM OUTER SPACE-1978
This is a silly Disney movie and I enjoyed watching way back when and would love to see it again. Basically, a spaceship crash lands on earth and out comes a cat. He has been separated from his mother ship and now must try to fix his ship so he can meet back up with his fellow felines. He hooks up with a scientist, Ken Barry, letting him know that his thoughts, while ridiculed by his fellow scientists, is right on track. Somehow, they get involved with gamblers and horse racing to make enough money to buy gold needed to fix the cat’s ship. You have Sandy Duncan, Harry Morgan, Roddy McDowell and McLean Stevenson in this silly movie, but the star is this cat who does steal every scene. Thank Goodness no AI is in this movie
2. THE ADVENTURES OF MILO AND OTIS-1986
I came across this movie one day while channel surfing and thought I’d give it a a chance since it’s all about the exploits of these 2 main characters-Milo is an orange tabby and Otis is a pug. Milo is always getting into trouble and Otis follows him to help Milo out. Milo ends up in a box on the edge of a river and what is a cat to do with a box? Yup, he jumps in it only for the box to dislodge and travel down the river. Otis, scared for his friend, follows him. Milo ends up out of the box and meets up with all sorts of animals on his journey home. He ends up in a pit where Otis finds him and helps Milo out of the pit. Together they find their way home. It is a sweet film with real animals, not animated, not A. I., just trained animals which is so cool. I really love this sweet fairy tale movie and would love to see it again.
3. HOCUS POKUS-1993
I finally saw this movie a couple of months ago and it is fun, especially love Bette Midler as her evil witch self along with her nasty sisters, Kathy Najimy and Sara Jessica Parker. They have been, unwittingly, unleashed onto present day earth. They mean trouble and the only ones to stop them are these teens and this black cat. The cat can talk because it is actually, a young man who was turned into a cat by these witches after they drained the life force of the love of his life way back in the 1500s. Now, these bad witches need the teens life force so they can remain young and not die by the time the sun rises. It's, also, a bit silly but I did enjoy the dance scene where these ugly witches put a spell on all the adults to have them dance and dance. I love the cat especially since he is a black cat. Black cats get a bad rap as I always found them very affectionate.
Yes, these are our 2 pussy cats, Kaspar( not Hitler) and Lexi, my sweet little girl who can be devilish on occasion. Kaspar is my hubby’s cat who just moos like a sick cow when he sees my hubby outside. As soon as hubby comes in, Kaspar meow cries running to him as if my hubby was gone for a month. He is a real suck and sweetly sleeps on hubby’s legs in pure contentment. Lexi, my sweetie, follows me everywhere and tells me when she wants to go upstairs. Why? She loves to drink the water from the tap. She is my suck who likes to redecorate my home by scratching off the wallpaper. She also loves to play fetch using the plastic round piece that comes off when you open an orange juice container. She meows and I look at her and see the orange round thingy by her feet. I throw it and she chases it, grabs it and brings it back to me! Yup, she fetches like a doggie and makes me laugh. It is national cat month and over at Monday Music Moves Me it’s all about the pussy…..cat.
1. MADEMOISELLE KITT SUNG BY EARTHA KITT-1956
I can not help but think of Eartha Kitt who loved to act like a sly, sexy kitty kat. She purred and moved like a black cat should. Just watch the old Batman TV show because Earthy Eartha took over the role from the purrfect Julie Newmar as Catwoman and was great in this sexy role. I enjoyed this song that was written by Mesi Julian which Ms. Kitt makes it her own. I hope I have the right song...oh well...
2. PUSSY CAT SONG ( NYOW! NYOW! NYOW!) SUNG BY LOUIS PRIME AND KEELY SMITH-1956
This is another fun song from one of the Andrews sisters and Bob Crosby. I found this very fun and engaging. What more can I say?
3. ROSSINI’S CAT DUET SUNG BY KIRI TE KANAWA AND NORMA BELLOWS-1982
When I first heard this song on the classical station, I started to laugh. It is so funny and you can tell the singers had a lot of fun.
What cat songs can you think of? Do you have a cat? What unique things do they do?
This was quite a great year for movies as well as for great actresses and whom did they choose? A long-winded movie with a boring actress. Anyway, here are the Best Actresses for 1943, the one who won, the one whom, I think, should have won and the one who was not nominated.
1. JENNIFER JONES IN THE SONG OF BERNADETTE
Jennifer Jones, a young, beautiful girl, in what the studios claimed was her first film ( she was in 2 other films under her real name, Phylis Isley) starred as Bernadette, the saint. So, before she became a saint, Bernadette saw the image of Mary in a grotto. Soon the grotto has healing powers and helps cure people when they partake of the waters. She enters the nunnery, pious and virtuous despite others not believing in her and in what she saw. This was a loooonnnng movie and I found it, boring. Jennifer was nice but was just blah. Frankly, I think she excelled in later films but not her first as Jennifer Jones. I believe her “attachment” to David O Selznick helped her achieve this stardom and her Oscar….just saying.
2. JEAN ARTHUR IN THE MORE, THE MERRIER
I recently rewatched this funny and sweet romantic comedy that stars Jean Arthur as a regular gal who has a large apartment and decides to rent out the one bedroom since there is a housing shortage. Enter Charles Coburn, a millionaire whose hotel room is not available, so he sees the advertisement for the room in the paper and, after much tribulation, Arthur agrees to let the older man sublet. Before you can whistle Dixie, the older man meets a young, new soldier, played by the ruggedly, handsome Joel McCrea, who needs a room for a week before being shipped out to Africa so, he sublets his half of his room. This creates some chaos for the rule-oriented Arthur but they all do their best to get along. This is a funny and engaging comedy. Arthur is brilliant as the uber-time management, tense gal who has no problem showing herself with cream on her face, mouth full of toothpaste and awkward in her style. She makes her character believable and funny while falling in love with McCrea. She has perfect timing as well as showing herself tenderness. I do think she should have won.
3. INGRID BERGMAN IN CASABLANCA
Ingrid Bergman was nominated this year, but not for her stellar performance in Casablanca as Ilse but for the film, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” as guerrilla fighter, Maria. Amazing that she was not nominated for her sublime performance as the beauteous Ilse who shows up Rick’s Cafe with her Husband, Victor Lazlo, played by righteous Paul Henreid. There, she sees Rick, played by cynical Humphrey Bogart, whom she feel in love with when living in Paris. Now, Rick has the letters of transit which will allow 2 people to leave Casablanca and travel out of Nazi controlled countries. I love this film with all the characters, the intrigues, the humour..it is perfect in every way. In fact, if Bergman would have been nominated for this role and won, I would not have an issue with it but I still give it to Arthur. Bergman played a role that could have been one dimensional but she puts all these nuances into her role to make her character believable.
So, have you seen any of these films? Do you agree or would you choose another?
Oh, for anyone who loves old films, actors and scandals, you should go to YouTube and watch this podcast called, “From Beneath The Hollywood Sign.” It is a great podcast with 2 people who just love film and discuss the films the people made plus some of the scandal like Thomas Ince’s death. They have a star of the month and this month, they chose Linda Darnell. Joel, I think you would love this and should check it out.
I’m watching a CNN special on 9/11 about people saving people on that horrific day 25 years ago and it is very, very moving, so very sad and yet one of hope and love. You hear the stories of people being;g saved by others and meeting each other 25 years later. This is incredibly moving so, I am changing what I was going to choose today, for the Monday Music Moves Me Challenge, and used these songs…
1. YOU’LL NEVER WALK ALONE SUNG BY SHIRLEY JONES
When I watched the film, “Carousel” when I was a teen and when this song came on, I cried because it was so moving. This was a Rogers and Hammerstein musical and another great musical that starred Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRea as the lovers who meet and fall in love around the carousel. I always find this song very inspirational.
2. TO DREAM THE IMPOSSIBLE DREAM SUNG BY RICHRD KILEY-1965
This song comes from, “ The Man From La Mancha” composed by Mitch Leigh with lyrics by Joe Darion and this song got me through my teen years. I still feel very close to this song and it has helped me through some tough times.
3. CLIMB EVERY MOUNTAIN SUNG BY PEGGY WOOD-1965
This is another famous song from the famous musical, “ The Sound Of Music”, the last musical from Rodger’s and Hammerstein and, arguably, the most famous. It stars Julie Andrews as a novice nun sent to govern Christopher Plummer’s 7 kids. She was not prepared to fall in love with him( and vice-versa) and runs back to the nunnery only to hear this song. This is what we must do in our life and be inspired to keep moving forward no matter what hurdles are presented to us.
I can’t believe it has been 25 years since 9/11. What songs inspire you?
Ok, yesterday I was so against school, today it’s all about how happy kids are where they find their true love and break out into song. We’ve all been there, right? I know, when I was bullied, I started to break out into song, sing about my right to be me and start to dance where every bullied student starts dancing in unison, ending in a fireworks light show. Too much? Ok, without further adieu, here are my 3…
1. STRIKE UP THE BAND-1940
Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland star in this fun musical with the exuberant, ADHD high school student, Mickey trying to get his band to Chicago to win a best band trophy sponsored by Paul Whitman( who plays himself). First, he and Judy put on a show and make enough money to buy the instruments for their high school but now he must get his band and female vocalist to Chicago, and after many faux pas’s, they make it and put on a big show. This is fun, energetic with great singing and dancing led by the young leads of Looney er , I mean, Rooney and Garland. I love the one scene with animated fruit in an orchestra..yup, you heard me…animated fruit.
2. GOOD NEWS-1947
This high school musical stars Peter Lawford and June Allyson as high school students who deal with all the angst associated with high schoolers….love and football. Basically, Lawford thinks he is in love with a popular gal and asks the gal who works in the library what to do. Of course, she is played by Allyson who falls for Lawford even though he’s an idiot. You have a subplot with, well, the same thing, one gal loves an idiot who loves another. In the end, everyone falls for the right person and they break out in an exuberant sing and dance number. It’s another fun flick and the one dance number, “ Pass the Peace Pipe” is so much fun, led by the tragic Joan McCracken( she was a gifted, although odd, dancer and singer who died young from diabetes). Today, this song would never pass muster just the title alone, can tell you why, but you would lose a great scene and one I wish, did exist in real life.
3. GREASE-1978
We should all know about Grease that stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton John as 2 high school students who meet and fall in love, before high school starts. Travolta is in some beach town for a family vacation where he meets Olivia and they have dreamy days and nights before he leaves. Now high school starts and she is a new student who is sweet and innocent and does not quite fit in with the tough gals in high school. She reunites with Travolta and is confused because he is not the sweet boy from summer vacation, but a leather-clad Rock’N Roller who is not the type of boy you bring home to meet dad. In between you have a lot of singing and dancing especially the high school dance. I love some of the staff, like Eve Arden, Sid Caesar and Joan Blondell that adds to this movie’s success. The happy ending shows Olivia giving up who she is as a person for the love of John wearing a slutty outfit so tight that Newton John had to be sewn into those pants. Mind you, she does look good and many young guys had the hots for Olivia but I just hate this ending. She conforms to what her boyfriend wants her to be leaving her own identity in the dust. What a crock!
So, any high school musicals you can think of? Did you ever break out into song? I bet you did😁
I am 62 years old and, when I see and hear back to school commercials, I still get the heebie-jeebies. When my mom would say how much she could not wait to go back to school, I just looked to her as if she was some freak. So, I wondered if there are any songs about the he’ll of going back to school. I wish there was one that came close to my feeling of dreck, but I came up with these 3 and joined the wonderful Monday Music Moves Me, on Wednesday.
1. ANOTHER BRICK IN THE WALL BY PINK FLOYD-1979
This is a great song about the harsh way teachers and administrators dealt with kids. The worst I got was having to stand in the corner, I think I was in grade 2…My hubby was one who would get the strap or the ruler but he knew what to do. Pull out a hair from your head and place it on your palm of your hand. When the ruler, or strap, came down, it would cut and blood would show and the disciplinarians would have to stop. Ahhh, school.
2. SCHOOL DAYS BY CHUCK BERRY-1957
This is just a fun song that I love and thought it was quite right….i hoped I would pass. Chuck was cool.
3. HIGHWAY TO HELL BY AC/DC-1979
This doesn’t have anything to do with school, but I always thought about it when I knew I had to go back. I do believe, strongly, in education but I hated the system, the constant bullying and some teachers were horrible but typical teachers for the day. In my day, we had teachers who would look down the girls’ tops and the “popular” girls knew so they unbuttoned their tops and, yes, they got As. We had teachers who believed in Hitler and would walk up and down the aisle with the big ruler smoking it down on any kids’ desk. Oh and the ones who would throw the chalk or eraser at you if they felt you were talking.
Yeah, I guess I’m a bit jaded:) Wht songs can you think of about your school years?
DIED FROM: Cirrhosis of the Liver from years of acute alcoholism
MARRIED: Once to Helen Cherry…bless her soul
CHILDREN: None
AFFAIRS: numerous affairs most notably with actress Anouk Aimee
OSCAR WINS: None
OSCAR NOMINATIONS: 1..Sons and Lovers-1960
FAMOUS FRIENDS: Kenneth More, Jack Hawkins and Rex Harrison
TALENT: His incredible acting talent who was always on time, knew his lines and delivered what was needed plus so much more. He hated Marlon Brando because of Brando’s eccentricity, being late and feeling superior to others.
KNOWN FOR: his love of Cricket. His legendary drinking, carousing, and keeping his private life, private.
When I saw “Brief Encounter”, I fell for Trevor Howard and thought he was so gentle, romantic, gentlemanly….the. I saw him in a later movie and thought..”What The Hell?” His soft features were gone and the cutting angular edges took hold. I had no idea that he was a raving alcoholic and, more than likely, a sex-addict. He was known to have numerous affairs and could drink and drink and drink. His wife stood by him, loyal, until he died…she deserved a medal! He and his sister lived with their parents in Ceylon before their mom took them on a long trip, first to California where Mary Pickford overheard the child, Trevor, speak about Father Christmas and was enchanted by him. Apparently, he was in a couple of her films, but this enchantment was short-lived as they travelled to Canada and stayed for a long time while his mom visited her family. When they returned to England he was sent to a boarding school. This must have traumatized him since he travelled and was with his family and now, 8 yrs old, he is all alone in a strict school which he hated. It was here that he started to play Cricket. He LOVED cricket making sure that he would see his beloved Cricket even when making a movie. He had it added in his contract that he would be off work during cricket matches! Brief Encounter put him on the map even though the character, a gentleman who longed for Celia Johnson, kissing her..he never understood the character because why have all this longing just get it done. In one of his movies, he shared the longest kiss, for that era, ending up in the Guinness Book of World Records! I still have to see that movie.
He was in the army and was credited for his valour as a paratrooper, seeing action and awarded the Military Cross. These were all lies! He was in the army but never saw any combat and was discharged for his mental instability and his psychopathic personality. The latter imprint was due to incessant lying about his childhood and school days. He was discharged, with the lies formulated by the studios and Trevor not denying it. His drinking escalated after his discharge and, when he was awarded the CBE by the Queen, he declined it. He was intensely private, loving his local pub, talking with the men in the pub rather than schmoozing with the film people, and watching cricket. He was a complex man who seemed a gentleman yet was moody and could throw things across the room, have a few DUIs where he lost his license for 8 years culminating in his death from cirrhosis of the liver. A sad end to a man who really was a great actor.
FILMS-( films I have seen with a couple I have not which is why they are near the bottom)
I was shocked to learn that Dolly Parton, who had a big soul, bigger than her voluptuous ta-tas. She was aok with all the comments and laughed with all of us. She helped so many people in need, started an amusement park and was always a ray of sunshine. Her different marriage lasted over 50 years until he passed away last year and, like so many couples in long marriage, she passed away a year after. She was small in stature but was a powerhouse in her singing, writing her own songs, acting, producing and a no- nonsense business woman. She was a huge philanthropist as well. We could all learn from her philosophy in life. Might I add that, in 1987, she started her own variety show. It only lasted a year but it gave my dad, who was dying of brain cancer, so much joy. I was a dumb ass 23 year old who thought she was old news but I will never forget how much happiness she brought to my dad in the last few months of his life. Thank you Dolly!
Before showcasing 3 of her films, I want to let you know who won the Oscar for best song of 1992, who was nominated and which song came up empty-handed. So, " A Whole New World" won the Oscar( it's Disney, big surprise). "Beautiful Maria Of My Soul" was nominated( this is a better song, in my opinion) and "I Will Only Love You" came up with nadda. Yup, this iconic song, written by Dolly and, whom I think, sang it better, was not nominated because it was sung before and shown on screens before.
Ok, here are my 3 films with Dolly...
1. 9 TO 5-1980
This is a very funny film starring Jane Fonda, Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton as 3 women who work in a big firm where their boss is a narcissistic, chauvinist jerk who believes women are subservient to men and him, specifically. Dolly is his personal secretary who is sick and tired that he just thinks her brains are at her chest. Fonda plays the mousy employee and Tomlin is the head of all the gals in the office. They are sick and tired of their jerk of a boss so they drug, kidnap and hog-tie him taking over his job. They make the place much better but they did kidnap this jerk. It's a very funny take on female empowerment and Dolly was a big surprise to critics and everyone with her acting and how funny she was.
2. BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS-1982
I enjoyed this movie when it first came out which starred Burt Reynolds, Dolly Parton, Dom DeLuise and Charles Durning. Dolly plays the Madam of a very popular and famous whorehouse where the sheriff, played by Reynolds, and the rest of the town enjoy its services. Enter a radio and TV personality, decides to take on this business and wants to shut it down. Dom DeLuise is hilarious in the role of the nast TV guy wanting to shut this down and Dolly is perfect as the madam. This did not make money maybe because it was a musical, but I enjoyed it.
3. STEEL MAGNOLIAS-1989
This is another, mainly female-headed cast, headed by Sally Field with Dolly Parton, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Darryl Hannah and Julia Roberts playing Sally's daughter. Dolly plays a hairstylist where everyone goes to get their hair done, gossip and find ways to help one another. Sally's daughter, Julia, gets married but has some bad disease or life issues and shouldn't get pregnant. Guess what? She does and things don't end well but the ladies are strong together and help out Sally when she needs it. I think my favourite character is Dolly and I couldn't take Julia for some reason, who was nominated for an Oscar for this role. This is my least favourite film of these 3 but I will watch it again, if nothing else is on TV.
PART 2
Dolly passed away on the 25th and Tim Curry died the following day. This was not a surprise because this brilliant actor suffered a severe stroke a few years ago and has dealt with so many health issues but he continued to work lending his voice to many animated shows and movies. He played many villains, butler's and one freaky transvestite. He was in many ensemble casts but always shone over the others just with his mischievous smile. He is good in "Home Alone 2" looking just like the Grinch in one scene, but I don't like MacCauley Caulkin so I chose 3 other films...
1 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW-1975
I am not a fan of this movie even though it has gained a huge cult following where one now engages with the film, yelling at it and throwing stuff at the screen. I did not appreciate getting a sandwich in the back of my head. This film stars Curry as well as Barry Bostwick and Susan Sarandan as newlyweds who get lost and end up at this freaky mansion. They meet all the ghoulish people there including sweet transvestite Curry. His voice is great for his role and he relishes in it. There are a few great songs that come from this movie which I have danced to many Halloween nights. Curry makes the film.
2. LEGEND-1985
This film stars Tom Cruise, Mia Sara and Tim Curry as the best devil I have ever seen. In this fairy tale, the Devil wants to bring the world into eternal darkness. To do this, he needs the horns of the 2 unicorns and enlists the help of some goblins. Cruise is the young lad who falls for Mia and is THE person to destroy the evil. This bombed at the box office which is a shame because it is a beautiful film. I love the look of this film and the makeup is excellent. It's worth a look.
3. CLUE-1985
This movie is based on the popular board game which I love playing. Tim Curry plays the butler, with Madeline Kahn, Eileen Brennan, Michael McKean, Lesley Ann Warren and Christopher Lloyd playing all the characters who were all told to come to this house. The mystery person is blackmailing them with information that can destroy their careers etc... mayhem ensues with the body count increasing. There are 3 endings to this film and i have only seen 2. This also bombed when it came out, but it has developed a cult following and the critics have since changed their minds and Harald this as a very funny film. It is funny and just a joy to watch despite the dead bodies.
I could jot just choose one or the other so this is a lengthy post, but I hope you enjoyed reading it. May they be happy, healthy and with their loved ones now.
1992 is this month's pick to find out which song won the Oscar, which one was nominated and which came up nadda! Im joining Monday Music Moves Me this Wednesday:))
1. I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU SUNG BY WHITNEY HUSTON
If no one ever heard this song, you must have been living on a deserted island for the 35 years. This song was written by the great Dolly Parton, whom I found out, last night, died yesterday. Im still in shock because I really thought she would live to be 95. This song became a huge hit from the film, "The Bodyguard" but, to be honest, I don't like Whitney's version of this. I feel like she screams it out and just didn't have great control, she let the song take over. I might not make sense but, that's OK, each have their style.
2. WHOLE NEW WORLD SUNG BY BRAD KANE AND LEA SALONGA
This song was written by Alan Menkin with lyrics by Tom Rice who are very much associated with Disney. This is no different since this comes from the animated film, Aladdin. The 2 who sang this were the voices of Aladdin and Jasmine expressing their love for one another.
3. BEAUTIFUL MARIA OF MY SOUL SUNG BY ANTONIO BANDERAS
This song is from the film, "The Mambo Kings" This was Antonio Banderas's first English language role. I love this song and always to see this film, but have yet to see it. Funny, Antonio Banderas turned down to sing the song at the Oscars so Placido Domingo sang it...the first Spaniard to perform at the Oscars.
So, can you guess who won, who was nominated and which song came up empty?
I Honour of the late, great Dolly Parton, here is her version of her own song, " I Will Always Love You."
I was watching a movie, yesterday, that I have never seen before, and I felt sad because the actress had died before the film was completed. It got me thinking about all the actors and actresses that died while filming their, unknowingly, last movie. I could have chosen films where the actors did complete their roles just before dying but I went with stars that died before the film was completed and the studios had to get a stand-in to complete the role. Ok, maybe a bit morbid, but I can lean toward the dark side…
1. SARATOGA-1937
This is the film I watched yesterday, for the first time, that stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in her final role. The film is a romantic comedy, with dramatic overtones, about a grandfather, played by Lionel Barrymore, who will be losing his stud farm except old friend Gable won the farm in a gambling venture. The granddaughter, played by Jean Harlow, is not happy about , well, everything and is not happy with Gable. Gambling continues, we see quite. Bit of horse-racing and, in the end, Gable wins over Harlow. To be honest, I didn’t care for the writing and so the plot is still vague. I even read the plot and it’s just not sinking in. All I know is that there is gambling involved and racehorsing. Racehorsing was a big deal in Hollywood with many stars going to the track and many owning horses like Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. While watching this film, I could see that Harlow did not look well-She looked a bit bloated and very tired. She collapsed on the set and, instead of staying in the hospital, she was home with her mom, a Christian Scientist. The story goes that the mom believed in holistic healing so did not believe in hospitals. When Gable visited Harlow, who was a good friend of his, he smelled urine in her breath. Louis B. Mayer also visited and that was enough for him to call the ambulance. Unfortunately, it was too late and Harlow died of Uremic poisoning at the age of 26. The film was going to be shelved but the public had an outcry to see Harlow’s last film so they brought in Mary Dees to sub for Harlow. Gable had a few more scenes but was very uncomfortable because he felt like he was filming with a ghost. She was way too young to die, but, boy, did she have quite a life in those 26 years.
2. BRAINSTORM-1983
This film stars Christopher Walken as a scientist who, along with his colleague, played by Louise Fletcher, develop a computer program that act7ally record a person’s emotions plus more. Walken is fighting to keep this away from the government who want to use it for their owns needs which may not be in the best interest to HQ Public. Walkin is married, but estranged, to Natalie Wood who becomes embroiled in this sci-fi thriller. Sadly, Natalie Wood died before filming was completed for her character. I remember when she died and all the news reports which included number of people who heard a woman crying for help in the middle of the night. According to reports, Robert Wagner, married to Natalie Wood, Wood and Christopher Walkin were drinking, a lot, on Wagner and Wood’s yacht. Their captain was asked to take the boat out and they travelled to a nearby island where they continued to imbibe and eat at some restaurant. They went back on the boat and while anchored on the water, there was a heated argument between the 3 due to rumours that Walkin and Wood were having an off-screen affair. Walking went to bed but Wagner and Wood continued to argue before retiring, sometime after, Wood went overboard and drowned. The official report is that she wanted to leave the yacht and tried to get into a dinghy, in the middle of the night, slipping, hitting her head and falling into the water. Everyone was sleeping so no one heard her pleas for help. I don’t buy that version nor do I believe that Wagner deliberately murdered her. I believe that the 2 were arguing, while very drunk and Wagner pushed her or hit her and she went into the water. He may have tried to look for her or not, but he made no attempt to find her or wake anyone up to help find her. He didn’t want to be found out to be a drunken lout who smacked his wife or pushed her away. Drunk people do very, very stupid things. Natalie Wood had a phobic fear of water so would never have tried to get into a small dinghy in the black water. When she was a kid, she almost died, on set, falling into a man made river scene only to be saved g the nick of time. A psychic told her she would meet her fate in water so Natalie Wood would not have tried to get into a small dinghy. In the end, the producers and the director got her sister, Lana Wood, to dub her sister’s final scenes. Sadly, the film was not a success and Wood died at the young age of 43.
3. GLADIATOR-2000
I can’t believe this film is 26 years old! This is great epic starring Russell Crowe as a former General for the Roman Army, close to the King who is betrayed by the King’s son played so creepily, by Joaquin Phoenix. Crowe is to be killed but he escapes and rushes back to his family only to find them dead on his farm. He is clubbed over the head and taken to become a slave trying to stay alive as a gladiator. The owner of these slaves is played by Oliver Reed who sees that Crowe is no ordinary gladiator slave and makes him toil so Reed’s group can appear at THE colosseum, in Rome. There, Crowe, who trained the men for combat, excels and beats the other gladiators winning the hearts of the public and the ire of the king, King creep Phoenix. Crowe and Reed did not like each other because Reed scoffed at Crowe’s dedication to his acting and Crowe was pissed off at Reed’s cavalier attitude to acting plus his drunken episodes and lateness on the set. Reed was known for his historic alcoholic ventures and uncaring ways to acting. So, one night, after filming in Malta, Reed with his wife, went to “The Pub” to have a bit to eat and a few pints. Sailors, from the ship, “ HMS Cumberland” came in and Reed challenged these sailors that he could drink them under the table and beat them at arm wrestling. These young chaps had no clue who they were dealing with…Reed drank, wait for it, 8 pints of beer, 12 shots of rum, 1/2 a bottle of whiskey, plus several shots of cognac. He arm wrestled 5 sailors and won each one but then he suffered a major heart attack and dropped to the floor. The ambulance came, but Reed died what he did best-drinking. Ridley Scott, the director still had a few scenes to do, so, using computer technology and a double, they superimposed his face on a double and worked around his character to finish the picture. Reed was only 61 yrs old and I am surprised he lasted that long. At least he died doing what he loved best, drinking.
Do you know of any stars that died before filming ended?
This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, it is all bout Vegetables and I am placing fruit in for good measure. I love oranges and eat 3 oranges per day along with 2 apples per day. I also love eating carrots which I eat daily but only raw carrots. I don’t like cooked carrots…blecchh. Broccoli is another vegetable I love since I was a kid and called them trees when I was little. Here re my 3.
1. THE LADY IN THE TUTTI FRUTTI HAT SUNG BY CARMEN MIRANDA-1943
This song is from the film, “ The Gang’s All Here” with the diminutive Carmen Miranda looking 10 feet tall in that huge hat. It is a great number staged by Busby Berkley using all the fruits into a number that is quite suggestive with the strawberries and bananas. The censor guys never caught on to what Busby was showing.
2. APPLES AND ORANGES BY PINK FLOYD-1967
This is a unique song by the famous band, Pink Floyd and was written by Syd Barrett just before he left the band. It’s quite. Different song about a girl a guy meets in the supermarket. It’s quite psychedelic and I like it plus it’s about the 2 fruits I eat the most.
3. VEGETABLES BY THE BEACH BOYS-1967
This song is quite unique, written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, and I really enjoyed listening to it.
