Women Are Strong

 

I got this idea from reading Anabel’s blog, the Glasgow Gallivanter with her travels around her  neck of the woods and beyond and has been speaking about the Suffragettes and their movement. These women were brave since they were not just belittled, but beaten and jailed all because they..we wanted the right to vote and be considered equal. We are still fighting this but, we have made headway and I thought of 3 songs…well, 2 songs and one major kick ass woman. It’s freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me hosted by the wonderful Cathy at Curious as a Cathy. Check out all the eclectic tastes people have when it comes to music. What I love is that music is what brings people together. Let’s get going…

1. SISTERS ARE DOIN’ IT FOR THEMSELVES SUNG BY ANNIE LENNOX AND ARETHA FRANKLIN-1985

This is the first song that came into my head. I love this song, love Annie Lennox and love Aretha Franklin. It was written by the Eurythmics team of Annie Lennox and David Stewart and it’s one of my favourites.

2. MY COUNTRY TIS OF THEE SUNG BY MARIAN ANDERSON-1939

I hope this video shows her singing this song because I can’t view it when in my blog. This brave, brave woman was denied singing at Washington Constitutional Hall by the racist daughters of the American Revolution because she was black. She was a contralto who sang so beautifully but was not given the basic right to sing at the Hall because of her skin colour so Eleanor Roosevelt( one woman I truly admire) took her name out of that Daughter’s thing and set Marian up to sing in front of the Lincoln Memorial where  over 75,000 people, of many colours came to see her sing. I think Marian is one brave lady and one amazing singer.

3. SISTER SUFFRAGETTE SUNG BY GLYNIS JOHNS-1964

This was sung by Glynis, Hermione Badderly and Reta Shaw but I just love Glynis who just passed away a couple of months ago at 100 years old. She played the wife of  George, a banker and strict husband and dad to the 2 kids who will soon be cared for by Mary Poppins. In the film she is all for women’s rights and she sings this song with the other 2 ladies and I always liked it.

Oops, I usually do my which one won the Oscar song…completely forgot so I will do that next week.

A Couple of Easy Cards..Sorta Easy

 

Simon Says-Add a Bit o'Green

Stamping Sensations- Spring

I found this fun and easy to do. I took distress inks and pressed them on a craft mat, watered it down and then pressed down my stamp. I stamped it onto white cardstock and it gave it a nice whispy look. This stamp is about 19 years old and I need to use it more. I stamped the sentiment in multi green dye ink and heat embossed it in turquoise sparkle. I placed it onto green cardstock, added the sticker border  and a bit of bling.

Butterfly Challenge- 3D decoupage, die cuts, colours in daffodil, dark green, Damson blue

Double D Challenge- 1st signs of spring

4 Seasons- daffodils from the mood board

Dream Valley- die cuts or punches

I like the mood boards and this was an easy card because I used the decoupage set and just pieced everything together. It was a bit finicky with trying to cut up the pop up dots to fit on the small pieces to create the 3D effect. I added the sentiment, the glitter in gold and, finally, die cut butterflies that I cut out from blue remnant pieces I had from my colouring escapades.

Best Oscar Score-1966

 

Did anyone watch the Oscars this past Sunday? Obviously, I did and found it very entertaining. I enjoyed Jimmy Kimmel, I enjoyed the Ken song where you could see that Ryan Gosling enjoyed himself and some of the speeches were great ( not the people who, deservedly, won Godzilla, that speech was horrid because he couldn’t read the acceptance speech). The fashions were, well, many just seem stupid and the after party get ups were created by hookers are us. Some were gross and so, so classless. 

Anyway, this time I am choosing the year 1966 and went with best score and this was when one still had Best Original Score and Best musical score Adaptation but I’m just doing Score this time around. I am choosing the one I think should have won, the one that did win and one that was nominated. Let me know what you think or if you would have chosen something completely different.

1. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY BY ENNIO MORRICONE

Believe it or not, this was not even nominated and I choose this score as the score that should have won. Ennio Morricone was in his best form here with almost every piece of music iconic. I love this theme but my favourite is the gold theme when Eli Wallach  is running through the cemetery trying to find the plot where the gold is buried. This is, to me, the one that should have won.

2. BORN FREE BY JOHN BARRY

I do love this music and it resonates with me because of the meaning of the song and, I am glad it won but Ennio should have taken it. That being said, I am glad it won.

3. HAWAII BY ELMER BERNSTEIN

This was a sweeping epic that stars Julie Andrews, Richard Harris and Max Von Sydow but, I find it a slog of a film to be honest. I haven’t watched it in years so maybe I should give it another go but…maybe later. I don’t mind the soundtrack which was composed by Elmer Bernstein.

So, do you agree with me or would you choose another soundtrack or do you agree with the Oscar pick?

Story of Love

 This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, the theme was submitted by John at The Sound Of One Hand Typing. Create a love story using top 40 music from Valentine’s Day of any year and I chose 1960…I think…the last one is from 1959 and not Valentine’s but it was a top hit. 

Selling Bosch products, door to door was not Ruth's idea of making it rich, but it did afford her the luxury of being on the road. She sold her restaurant, in Toronto, because she was not making any money from it. She drove to Welland, which, she thought, was the crumb de la crumb...blechh. Ruth parked her car, took out the Bosch stuff and started to knock on doors. One door opened and a very tall man stood in front of her. She was quite taken by his strength but also his kind eyes. She gave him the spiel and he quickly declined but offered her a cup of coffee. Ruth hesitated but his eyes made her feel safe and she accepted his offer. She truly felt that I Only Have Eyes For You.

Ruth, a young lady of 31, met her dream man, Frank, 46, and she knew he was the one but for one big problem...her current, deadbeat, abusive husband. The deadbeat would swat her, steal from her and disrupt her life. She took it, until one fateful morning, when she was cutting up tomatoes in her restaurant on Queen St. The brute woke up and got angry for waking him up by her cutting up the tomatoes, so he tossed the table with the tomatoes onto the floor. Ruth was livid as she was soon to open up her restaurant. She looked at him and, with the big knife in hand, she started for him. He started to cower and then he ran! Ruth, knife in hand, chased the jerk down Queen St. Stopping when his long underwear bottoms fell undone and his Lily white ass was bare as he continued down the street. Ruth leaned up against the building laughing and crying at the same time. She now realized how to control this coward. The rat came back, but she told him she slept with the knife and, when making his coffee, she would place rat poison in front of him making him sweat. Thankfully, he left and she sold the restaurant but now had to tell Frank about her marriage and was worried how he would take it.  She always smiled when Mack The Knife came on the radio even though she claimed she never liked the song.

Ruth told Frank all about the deadbeat and he listened to her travails with this nutjob. He looked at her and said, " Don't worry, Ruth, I shall always be by your side, through thick and thin. We are meant to be together so put your head on my shoulder, and I will protect you."

It took over 2 years to finally be rid of her ex. Frank paid the lawyers and, to be rid of him, paid the deadbeat’s lawyers to. 3 days after the divorce, they married and never looked back. They had 2 children, a boy and a girl, started a sawmill business and, even though they argued, their love was true. One day, while they reminisced, they thought of a song that made them both laugh...all Ruth yelled was "Alvin" and Frank started to chuckle. That dumb song made them smile and hold each other with happiness in their eyes. 

Only these 2 would fondly recall this song. This is for my parents.

Thursday Film Picks- Strong Women

 

This packs a wallop because you can choose quite a few women from any decade but I chose 3 that came into my head right away and 3 films where the woman wasn’t a scheming bitch or insane. So, here are my 3 films…I could have chosen so many more..

1. HIS GIRL, FRIDAY-1940

This is, I think, the quintessential strong female played to perfection by Rosalind Russell as a newspaper woman in a very male dominated field. Her boss and ex husband, Cary Grant knows how to get under her skin and knows that being married to poor Ralph Bellamy baking cookies and wearing an apron, is not her schtick. He gets her involved in a prime story and she gets to sink her teeth into it knowing full well what her ex is up to and she can match him in every way. It is very witty, fast paced and wonderfully acted by all the leads and the character actors.

2. WOMAN OF THE YEAR-1942

This is the film where Katherine Hepburn met Spencer Tracy for the first time and started the love affair that only ended with his death. This film, Hepburn plays a major league reporter, like Barbara Walters ( when Barbara was a kid/teen) who meets Tracy, a no nonsense sports writer. They soon find out they like each other more than just friends and end up marrying but Tracy did not realize that his wife was not ready to meet half way and be a marriage partner. I find this film quite mature for this time since it is hinted at that they sleep together before being married. This was not an easy feat during the censorship days. 

3. TO BE OR NOT TO BE-1942

This is the last film of the beloved Carole Lombard who tragically died in a plane crash, with her mom, when she wanted to rush back home, after a bond selling tour, to her husband, Clark Gable. In this film, she plays the wife to Jack Benny, in an acting tour group in Poland, who find out they must work with the resistance movement to help people get out of Poland and themselves as well. There are cases of mistaken identity and jealousy when Jack thinks his wife might be carrying on with a young Robert Stack. I haven’t seen this film in decades and need to see it again. I just remember how Carole was brilliant playing a spy to help her husband and her people. This is a great film that dealt with the war and the rumours of what was happening to the Jewish people. A must see…again for me.

What strong women films can you think of?

Earworm

 

Yup, that's me peeking over my big brute doggie, Harley, who like to lie right on top of me. He is a sweetie...big, but a sweetie.

Certain songs have popped into my head the last couple of weeks and I start humming them...a lot...lol. I think this can be part of the Monday Music Moves Me fest which you can find at Cathy’s blog here. Here are my 3 songs that keep popping into my head for no reason.

1. I COULD HAVE DANCED ALL NIGHT SUNG BY MARBI NIXON-1964

Julie Andrews made the musical part of Eliza Doolittle famous before the studio went with Audrey Hepburn in the film version( Julie Andrews wo the Oscar that year for Mary Poppins..she showed the studio). Unfortunately, Hepburn didn't have the same voice needed for the role so up came the ever dependable Marni to sing the songs which were written by Lerner and Lowe.

2. BUTTONS AND BOWS SUNG BY BOB HOPE- 1948

This is a funny movie and this song is a classic that was sung by Hope, Jane Russell and Trigger..er, I mean Roy Rogers in the film, The Paleface. It was written by Jay Livingston with lyrics by Ray Evans.

3. I'M GONNA WASH THAT MAN RIGHT OUTTA MY HAIR SUNG BY MITZI GAYNOR-1958

This song come from the magical team of Rogers and Hammerstein from the film version of South Pacific. Mary Martin ( Larry Hagman's mom) originated the role on stage and made this scene famous because she washed her hair right on stage which was a big deal back in 1949. 

Here's a funny gem from Frazier where he tries to sing his old stand by, "Buttons and Bows" but forgets the words. It's hilarious!

What song(s) have stayed in your head this past week?

Star of the Month-Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle

 

ROSCOE ARBUCKLE

BIRTH: March 24, 1887

DEATH: June 29, 1933

AGED: 46 years

DIED FROM: Heart Failure in his sleep

NICKNAME: Fatty…he hated this nickname

MARRIED: 3 times to actresses 1. Minta Durfee 2. Doris Deane 3. Addie Oakley Dukes McPhail

CHILDREN: NONE

FAMOUS PARTNERS: Mabel Normand, a gifted comedienne and very famous in her day

TALENT: an excellent singer who, when Enrico Caruso heard him sing, told him to leave his current job because he could become a famous singer

KNOWN FOR: his dexterity and finesse despite his weight. He got the very first pie in the face by Mabel Normand. He was known to be a great pie thrower as well.

Most people reading this post will have no clue who this man was but, if it wasn’t for him, we would not have Charle Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Bob Hope and the classic pie in the face. If any of you do know of him, it might be due to that horrible trial he went through, sorry, trials…3 for the same event…the so called “murder” of starlet, Virginia Rappe. The 3rd trial, he was finally found not guilty after a 5 minute deliberation by the jurors who composed a letter of apology to him and which he kept until the day he died. 

He was born the youngest of 9 and was such a large baby, anywhere from 13 to 16lbs, from what I have read, that his father did not believe it was his because both he and his wife were of slight build. When his mom died, 11 yrs later, his dad disowned him and he had to strike out on his own. He hit the vaudeville circuit and found his niche in slapstick comedy. In fact, despite his 300 pound girth, he was amazingly nimble, quick and delicate in his style. He made sure he never had a comedic take on his weight because he was quite self-conscious about his weight and hated his nickname “Fatty”. He helped the careers of Chaplin and Keaton (plus others) and Keaton never forgot this helping Arbuckle when many turned their back on him. In fact, in the mid 20s, he saw Bob Hope and told Bob Hope to go West and gave him som great pointers that Hope took and helped him in his career. 

Arbuckle was known to be shy around women and was always amiable even though he liked to party. One fateful Labour Day weekend in 1921, there was a big party hosted by Arbuckle and a couple of his friends in San Francisco during which Virginia Rappe died. The bottom line, Rappe was known to have had more than one abortion( apparently) and, sadly, they probably screwed up her body. She drank when she shouldn’t have  since she had been suffering from VD and Cystitis. Her bowels ruptured and she died 2 days later from peritonitis. From there all hell broke loose because Hearst newspapers saw gold in making Arbuckle out to be a murdering, sexual brute, Matthew Brady, the district Attorney, was very ambitious  bullying people to lie so he could get a name for himself and this bitch, Maude Delmont, made a name for herself lying so she could be in the papers. The people lapped it up and branded Arbuckle everything you can think of and his weight did not help because it was said he broke her bowels because of his weight….simply disgusting. Due to this scandal ( and others), Will Hays was brought in to bring in “morality” into Hollywood. The studio decided to turn their back on Roscoe because of Hays and the code. Roscoe started directing under William Goodrich and called himself “Will B. Good”. Sadly, he had just signed to make a feature film and had just signed a contract when he died in his sleep of a heart attack. 

For all the men who do abuse women and use them for their own measures, he was not one of them. I wish he was better known. 

FILMS

1. For The Love Of Mabel-1913

2. Fatty’s Day Off-1914

3. Mabel & Fatty’s Wash Day-1915

4. Mabel & Fatty’s Married Life-1915…I love this one..nothing changes even 100 yrs later

5. Fatty’s Faithful Fido-1915

6. Mabel’s Wilful Way- 1915

7. He Did and He Didn’t-1916

8. The Waiter’s Ball-1916

9. Coney Island-1917

10. Love-1919

Now, if you have time to kill and want to see how the censors came to stay in Hollywood, watch this episode( from a 13 part series on Early Hollywood…it is an amazing documentary that talks about the early days, directors, stuntmen, cameramen and stars) which details this event as well as others. I think it’s worth a watch.

Here is the link https://youtu.be/1nUIx1WXJbs?si=fv_mEP-4Jjo-2a2L