What I Watched on TV..a Little Late:)

 

I’m a week late posting this but…better late than never. So this is what I watched…

1. LIVING-2022

I love Bill Nighy, not the Science Guy, but a great actor who stars as a civil servant who pushes papers around and makes sure things never get done. When he learns he has cancer, he decides to start …living. He was Oscar nominated and justly so for this understated performance. It is quite moving, and an emotional film.

2. WHERE EAGLES DARE-1968

This film stars Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood as spies who must infiltrate a fortress on top of a mountain that houses top secret information and a top spy. This is no easy feat since Nazis are everywhere and there is a double agent…but who? Beautiful scenery, great action sequences and action galore. Love this movie. There was a delay in the making of this film when Burton went missing for 3 days…he went on a bender with his 2 good friends, Richard Harris and Peter O’Toole.

3. SHENANDOAH-1965

I finally saw this movie! A different western/war film that takes place in this lush valley with the patriarch, James Stewart, presiding over his brood of grown kids-all boys and one girl. We find out that he is a pacifist who does not believe the war to be just ( no kidding! The South are still fighting..um slavery anyone…geez!) and keeps explaining the reason to his sons, one in particular. When his youngest is taken as a prisoner just for wearing a confederate hat, he and his sons, sans one, go on a venture to bring the young one home. It is quite well written, sad, funny and shows the brutality of war without showing many battles. It is worth a look for sure and I believe people who dislike Westerns would still like this film because it is not a real Western.

4. LITTLE LORD FAUNTELOY-1936

This is another that I finally was able to see after decades on my list. It stars the young Freddie Bartholomew, the male Shirley Temple but with a bit less talent, as a young boy who finds out he is an heir to his father’s holdings and goes England, with his mom, to meet his curmudgeonly grandfather. It’s quite a fun film  which makes me wish all kids were a nice as this one.

5. THE OTHER MAN-2008

Liam Neeson plays the husband to Laura Linney, a fashion head who designs shoes. You find out early on that one day, she never returns and her husband is grieving until he finds out she has been having an affair with another man, Antonio Banderas and he decides to find this man. It sounds simple enough but it is anything but and leaves you with more than one surprise. A definite movie to watch.

6. ON WINGS AND EAGLES-2016

I was surprised by how much I loved this film that stars Joseph Fiennes as Eric Liddell, the Scottish Olympic gold medalist from 1924 who moved back to China (he was born there) after the Olympics and worked as a missionary until the Japanese invaded China during WW2. This man was amazing and very courageous since he helped his fellow prisoners in many a dark moment. This man was also written about in an Oscar film, “Chariots of Fire”. 

7. LEATHERHEADS-2009

I enjoyed this fun frolicsome screwball type of comedy starring George Clooney as the head of a pro football team in the late 1920s to early 1930s and how the pro football team was considered a joke unlike college football. Renee Zellweger plays a newspaper journalist sent to cover the team and the college kid playing for a pro team. She is no Jean Arthur or Rosalind Russell, but she gives it her best college try and is a bit annoying in her pinched up face but I enjoyed this movie and it’s a good sports flick.

8. IL POSTINO-1994

A gentle comedy that takes place in a small Italian fishing village where the lead, played so well and so tragically, by Massimo Troisi, who learns about love, life and what he wants from the exiled Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. It was up for many awards and won best Foreign film but, sadly, Massimo died a day after filming wrapped up. He delayed heart surgery to finish this film which was very close to his heart as he not only starred in the film but wrote it and co-directed it. 

TV

Ya know….I do have a couple of shows but I want to finish it before I talk about them and the others…I already talked about so I have Nadia here.

What did you see…or read in March?

Thursday Movie Picks- Erotic Thriller

 

Erotic Thriller is just a lovely form of movie isn’t it? Ok, maybe not lovely but something one can sink one’s teeth into including a Good book, Wandering Through The Shelves always chooses a good theme. So let’s slide right into my picks for this week…

1. THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE-1946

This is just THE postage stamp for an erotic thriller and it stars Ms. Erotica, Lana Turner and Mr. He-Man, John Garfield as a bored housewife married to an older, nice, but boring man who owns a restaurant. He hires John Garfield and soon the two young hot to trots get into some heavy breathing before figuring out a way to get rid of her boring husband. This is quite a great film that makes one want a cold shower due to the 2 leads. It’s well directed and I do like the cinematography as well.

2. DUEL IN THE SUN-1946

Lust in the Dust! Yes this was the nickname for this western, batshit crazy as flick. I would not say it’s a great movie because, well, it stars Jennifer Jones but, for some reason, I like it. It stars Gregory Peck as a bad guy who exudes sex and Jennifer plays a half-caste( let’s just ignore that elephant in the room) who is taken in by the family with Peck as a bad boy and Joseph Cotton as the good boy. The parents are played by Lionel Barrymore who thinks Jones will bring ruin with her, “she can’t help being a Femme Fatale because she is of mixed blood” and wants her gone but Lillian Gish, the saintly mother welcomes her with open arms. Of course, both sons fell for the gal but she ends up falling for..oh well just guess? This is one of the rare times Peck plays a bad guy and he does it well. I did wonder if this was a thriller but, I think it slips through because of the way the 2 leads deal with each other.

3. GUN CRAZY-1950

This was a B movie but has reached cult status as a version of the Bonnie and Clyde storyline with a Twist. The man, played by John Dall, although a quick shot artist, never wants to harm anyone falls for the Gal, played by Peggy Cummings, also a quick shot artist but she revels in wanting to kill. She brings him down the path of no going back as they go on the run after holding up banks and stores. It’s quite erotic as both leads get off each other from shooting guns and can’t help but be together. It’s truly worth a look.

Which films would you choose?

Stripping Pole Anyone?

 

Our Harley loves love especially his daddy. Speaking of who’s your daddy….my mind went straight to strippers..yup called me odd. I was wondering what to showcase this week and it went straight into the gutter with strippers and the music that came right into my head and here they are.. oh, by the way, I am joining Monday Music Moves me even though it’s Wednesday. 

1. PATRICIA, THE STRIPPER SUNG BY CHRIS DE BURGH-1975

I love the old Chris De Burgh before he went all Woman in Red and this comes from his album, “Spanish Train and Other Stories” album which is one of his best. I loved this song so much that I learned the lyrics to this.I find it a very funny song and can just imagine this gal from the 1920s in a courthouse.

2. LET ME ENTERTAIN YOU SUNG BY NATALIE WOOD-1962

Yea, Natalie Wood did sing here and she wasn’t bad at all. This is a good film about Gypsy Rose Lee who was a famous burlesque stripper who had one overbearing mother. This is a fun song with music by Jules Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, that was so well presented by Wood who exuded just the right sex appeal making stripping classy.

3. HEY, BIG SPENDER SUNG BY SOME CLASSY DAMES-1969

This is from the film version of  “Sweet Charity” that stars Shirley MacLaine and this is a great routine that came from the mind of Bob Fosse. It was written in 1966 by Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields. This is one of the best renditions.

One more….

THE STRIPPER SONG BY DAVID ROSE-1958

You know this had to make an appearance….

What stripper songs can you think of ?

Thursday Film Picks- Easter

 

Wandering Through The Shelves originated and still does this fun post but only twice per month now instead of every week but I love doing this so I pick my own theme when she is taking a break. Since Easter is almost upon us, I am going with some Easter movies that I watched every year at this time. It became a family tradition and here is the first…

1. EASTER PARADE-1948

I have to choose this musical because , well, duh! This film stars Fred Astaire, Judy Garland and Ann Miller about a famous dance and song team, Astaire and Miller who are romantically involved when Miller decides to break up the cat so she can hit the big leagues. Astaire meets Garland and tries to mold her into Miller’s style but it doesn’t work. He realizes, finally, that she is great but in her own way and they become a great team much to Miller’s chagrin. This is a fun, breezy musical with a lot of Irving Berlin tunes including the title song. Fred Astaire was “retired” but when Gene Kelly broke his ankle, he asked Astaire to replace him. Garland was better than average on the set and Cyd Charisse was supposed to be in Miller’s role but she tore up her leg muscles and in came Miller. 

2. THE TEN COMMANDMENTS-1956

Well, duh…lol. Of course this is a must see film for Easter starring God, er,  I mean Charlton Heston, as Moses before he found his God. This virile, sexy, man about pyramid is raised as an Egyptian and even walks like one. He is not like his “bro” virile, baldy, Yul Brynner, who wants to abuse the slaves and make them work for nothing who also lusts after his sister, Nefertiri, played by sexy Anne Baxter. Nefie only has eyes for her cousin, Moses and he lusts after her too. Unfortunately, it all comes out that Moses is Hebrew and therefore, a slave and is driven into the desert to meet up with Lily Munster, I mean, Yvonne De Carlo who is a shepherdess with 6 other sisters who are hard up for a man but Yvonne gets her Moses. Of course then he meets the burning bush( get you minds out of the gutter), his hair turns white and he becomes boring as sand. He and his family head back to the city where he wants his people freed and after many nasty things happen including the freaky green Angels of Death pay a visit and kill the first born sons, Yul lets  his slaves go and the thousands take off happy as a lark. Are they happy? Of course not, they just have to listen to Little Caesar, aka Edward G. Robinson, and despite all the miracles to save them, they decide to betray Moses and have an orgy around a gold statue. No, not the Oscar, but a golden calf, that they lust after while Moses is receiving the 10 Commandments from the finger of God. When he finally reappears with a bigger beard and whiter, he is pissed. I always thought Moses could have done a lot more if he just stayed where he was but nooooo, he went all martyrdom and became very boring. Hahahaaa. This is still a fun frolic that I love watching every year. I love the drama and the way Anne delivers her lines as she lusts after Moses plus the special effects are great.

3. BEN-HUR-1959

Another mega-biblical epic starring Chuck Heston as Ben Hur who is a wealthy Jewish man with a mom and sister and a really good childhood friend who happens to be Roman. Of course accidents happen when a roof tile falls onto a Roman soldier and Ben Hur is arrested by his friend and sent to become a slave on a ship while his mom and sis are thrown into prison and his house left to rot. When Ben Hur is thirsty, a man gives him water saving him so he can be a slave on the ship of a Roman. When the ship is sunk, Ben Hur saves the Roman who decides to make him his adopted, very grown up son. Ben Hur arrives back home but out for blood and to win the great chariot race. There is more to this story with Ben Hur giving a man water, the same man who did the same for him years before, as the man is heading to his crucifiction. This film won 11 Oscars, not sure it deserved ll of them but it’s a biggy without doubt. I love the fact that William Wyler, the director, told Steven Boyd, the actor who played Mesala, Hur’s best friend, to act as if he was in love with Ben Hur because they both knew what a prude Heston was and would never catch on…he never did. Love it!

What Easter movies did you watch?

Oh, I hope you watch the clip below of Ann Miller dancing to “Shaking The Blues Away” from “Easter Parade”. She was married to an abusive, alcoholic who threw her down the stairs while she was pregnant. She lost her baby, could never have children afterwards and she broke her back. She did all the dancing in a back brace!

Fragile…Musical Weep

 

What do experts say? No dogs on the furniture….hahahaaaaa. Our Harley just does not understand or care to:)). I decided to join Monday Music Moves Me which Curious As A Cathy co-hosts and it’s about music that can make you feel fragile. I decided to go with 3 women who were fragile themselves and sang, often with that fragility in their voice. Here they are…

1.  AM I BLUE-SUNG BY LIBBY HOLMAN- EARLY 1930s

This song was written by Harry Akst with lyrics by Grant Clarke back in 1929  and was originally sung by the great Ethel Waters but I went with Libby Holman who always sounded sad to me. This gal led quite the life which involved loss of riches, sex on both sides although she considered herself more of a lesbian, a lengthy affair with Montgomery Clift who was 20 yrs her junior, alcoholism and murder. After losing her son, many of her friends,  Monty etc…she ended her life by carbon dioxide poisoning at the age of 67.

2. STORMY WEATHER SUNG BY BILLIE HOLIDAY- 1952

This is a very famous song by Harold Arlen with lyrics by Ted Koehler written back in 1933 and a film was made  with the same name back in 1944. I loved this song when I heard it sung by Lena Horne and I adore the rendition by Judy Garland but Billie just had a style that really brought a sadness to it. This gal also led a very sad life starting in a brothel before making a name for herself as a great singer of blues and jazz. Unfortunately, she was an addict of both alcohol and heroin. She died at the young age of 44 from cirrhosis of the liver.

3. OVER THE RAINBOW SUNG BY JUDY GARLAND-1955

We all know this song from the Wizard of Oz also written by Harold Arlan with lyrics by Yip Harburg. It’s sung by the young Judy, aged 17, with magic and hope in her voice. This tv version is the only one showing how she always ended her many stage performances with this song. She is only 33 but she sings as if she has lived 100 years. You can tell that she no longer believes the magic but rather wishes it was this way and yearns for something she can no longer see. It always makes me cry and I wish I could hug her. She died of an overdose at the age of 47 …such a shame.

Now, am I not full of fun today?! 

Any songs make you feel fragile?

Star of the Month

 

BORN: April 7, 1928

DIED: July 19, 2014

AGED: 86 yrs

DIED FROM: Massive Heart Attack

REAL NAME: James Bumgarner or Baumgarner

MARRIED: once, to Lois Clarke. Married 2 weeks after meeting. Stayed married 58 years

CHILDREN: 2 daughters

OSCAR NOMINATION: once- “Murphy’s Romance” 1985

KNOWN FOR: His straightforward manner. Being a family man and honourable to them and his friends. Private. Doing his own stunts especially on “The Rockford Files”.  Fought for his rights against the studios with “Maverick” and won!  He also fought the execs  when doing The Rockford Files but was not as successful because, when he took time off for his health, the cancelled the show. Known to be a great kisser! Sally Field said he was the best and he knees felt weak whereas Julie Andrews felt her actual knees buckle after a kissing scene.  He revealed he was a lifelong pot smoker and it helped his pain. Oh and he was a staunch Democrat.

TALENTS: A major race car driver who actually competed in the Indianapolis 500 a couple of times. He played golf and loved sports.

What can I say, I love this actor and had a major crush on him when he was in The Rockford Files…I had no care that I was 11 and he was…a bit older. He looked ruggedly handsome and he was so funny on his hit TV show, “The Rockford Files.” I had no idea how much pain he was in while making  the TV show because of the stunts he did which wreaked his knees resulting in 2 knee replacements plus an ulcer and a heart attack. In fact, due to the stresses he was enduring from the show, mainly behind the scenes with the executroids, he separated from his wife and had to get his health, physically and emotionally. They, obviously, reconciled  and were happily married until he passed away. The staff and actors were so loyal to him that they all came back to do some more Rockford Files specials. Julie Andrews loved working with him and…vice versa.

This man was raised by his dad and a few step moms since his real mom died when he was about 5 years old but one step mother was very, very abusive and often beat him and his 2 older brothers. He is also a veteran of the Korean War and was wounded twice, once by enemy fire being injured in the hands and face and the other time, by friendly fire where he got smacked in the butt.  He ended up in movies and credits Charles Laughton as a mentor. He enjoyed working in film but, also, TV and, although he loved working with Julie Andrews, when he worked on TV commercials with Mariette Hartley, many people thought they were married in real life…they had great chemistry. John Wayne thought he was the best actor of his generation and he was one of the best as an actor and a human being who took no guff!

FILMS

1. The Children’s Hour-1961

2. The Great Escape-1963

3. The Thrill of it All-1963

4. Move Over, Darling-1963

5. The Americanization of Emily-1964

6. Support Your Local Sheriff-1969

7. Support Your Local Gunfighter-1971

8. Victor/Victoria-1982

9. Murphy’s Romance- 1985

10. My Fellow Americans- 1996

TV SHOWS

1. Maverick- 1957-1962

2. The Rockford Files -1974-1980

3.  8 Simple Rules -2003-2005

Thursday Movie Picks: TV Edition- Book Adaptations

 

TV time again and it's all about shows adapted from a book(s). This was a toughie for me. One came into my head right away but I struggled a bit since my brain is slowed from all the rotten weather. Today, it was sunny  then the winds picked up, rain followed by blizzard conditions and now it's a balmy -1. Hey, I wouldn't be a true Canadian if I didn't bitch about the weather. Head on over to Wandering through the Shelves to see what the others have chosen. Here are my 3...

1. PLAYHOUSE 90- 1956-1960

This was a weekly anthology series with some great stars and directors doing a live version( for the first year) before it was taped. Some of these TV renditions were later made into films like "Requim for a Heavyweight" and "The Days of Wine and Roses". Many of these shows were adapted from books. I haven't seen all episodes but I have seen a few, like Requim and this was stellar TV. The 50s had some great TV...can you imagine this being on regular TV now? I mean,  how can it compete  with the Kardashiasses and the real Love Boat? Our brains have really shrunk to walnut size.

2. LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE-1974-1983

Michael Landon went from Bonanza fame a studly Little Joe Cartwright to PA Ingalls, a dad with a wife and 3 girls..the middle one being half-pint, Laura Ingalls who wrote the stories of her family many years later. I read them when I was a kid and I was surprised at the differences but I was a kid and didn't know any better. I still love watching the show but PA Ingalls is a lousy carpenter. Everyone else seems to have a nice home where his family looks like they are in s big outhouse. The novels are simple but the tv show isn't and made a star out of Melissa Gilbert. Some episodes are amazing.

3. POLDARK-2015-2019

I've spoken about this series before but it's such a good show and Aiden Turner is so damn nice to look at that I had to talk about it again. Poldark comes back to England, from the war in the Americas, to find out people thought he was dead for the past 5 yrs. His dad is dead, his home is a shambles and his fiancée is engaged to his cousin. That's the first 15 minutes and it goes on from there where we get involved with Poldark  as he gets involved with dastardly plots against him and his land, war in France and politics. We get involved with other characters as well like a good doctor, a nasty pissant who marries his fiancée, his beautiful wife and her brothers  and more. It's well acted, written and the cinematography is excellent. 

Which TV shows can you think of that came from books?