My dear friend, VJ, is on another adventure and right now, he has taken a trip into the Sahara, by Camel, and is staying in a tent overnight. He arrived in Marrakech, Morocco on Saturday and met up with a friend ready to embark on a 2 week travel around Morocco. This excursion has been on his bucket list and now it has been fulfilled! He contacted me via WhatsApp just to show me the golden desert and the caravan with his camel out front, resting where they will be pitching their tents. I told him, I hope no snakes or scorpions visit him in the night, but he is not fazed by this one bit. So, in honour of his escapade, I am choosing some desert songs that will work with the free theme over at Monday Music Moves Me.
1. WE’RE OFF ON THE ROAD TO MOROCCO SUNG BY BING CROSBY AND BOB HOPE-1942
This is a famous song sung by these 2 greats in their 3rd Road picture they did together. It’s sung almost tongue in cheek since they sing about making a picture with Dorothy Lamour who appeared in all but one of their famous Road pics. This song, written by Jimmy Van Heusen with lyrics by Johnny Burke is a fun entry to this funny movie as well as a great introduction to this famous duo. Well, you meet them beforehand, but this still helps develop these characters as they sing while fluffing up the camel’s hump. I wonder if VJ fluffed up his camel’s hump….not that there’s anything wrong with that.
2. THE DESERT SONG SUNG BY GORDON MACREA AND KATHRYN GRAYSON-1953
This is the 3rd remake of this Broadway operetta written by Sigmund Romberg with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein which takes place in Morocco and the Sahara Desert. Here we have Triple D Kathryn Grayson sing oh so lovingly to Gordon MacCrea, the hero in this film. I am certain that VJ is rolling his eyes to this loving tune sung by 2 great singers/actors that deserve better recognition today.
3. MARRAKESH EXPRESS SUNG BY CROSBY, STILLS AND NASH-1969
After the Hope and Crosby song, this was the 2nd song that came into my head and one that I thought was done by Bread or even Simon and Garfunkel but, nope this comes from this trio ( Neil Young was gone) and was written when Nash was in this city and took note to paper to develop these characters’ songs.
4 DESERT ROSE SUNG BY STING AND CHEB RABAH-1999
I am not a Police fan and not really a fan of Sting’s voice but I really like this song and felt it was perfect for my Desert theme. I really love Cheb’s singing which gives that Moorish feel.
I hope VJ looks at this post and can’t wait to hear about his escapades. What desert song can you think of?
This Betty Grable photo, with her famous, insured legs, was the biggest pin up during WW2 surpassing the seductive portrait done by Rita Hayworth in 1941. This 1943 photo, by Frank Polowny, was created when Betty was clowning around for the photographer and became a beacon for millions of GI’s. During WW2, musicals became huge box office because it made people forget the horrors of this war. Hollywood cashed in( of course!) with tons of musicals taking place in front of GI’s, on glittering ships with sparkly guns, and flags everywhere. Here are 3 films that invoked the patriotic fervour…
1. STRIKE UP THE BAND-1940
Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney were a perfect pairing when they were in t(sir late teens/early 20s and became lifelong friends. It’s the 2nd of the “Let’s put on a show” musicals that were huge hits with the American audience, the soldiers overseas and, well, worldwide. Mickey Rooney must have had severe ADHD because he always looks like he is ready to bounce off the walls and his conducting is something less than to be desired. The simple plot is that Mickey wants to put on a show, this time in Chicago in front of the famous band leader Paul Whitman. Things never go smoothly but all is well in the end and these kids never sounded so good.
2. SHIP AHOY-1942
The great Eleanor Powell is, sadly, not very well known today but she was big for a few short years in the early 40s dancing her way to the very top. She can tap dance like no one else and has a very unique style with a strength that just leaves me gobsmacked. In this film, she believes she is helping the allies when she is hired as a performer on board a cruise ship. Red Skelton plays a writer, with writer’s block, who is also on the cruise ship and comedic mayhem ensues. Soon Powell realizes she was duped by Nazi agents and finds a way to help the true allies by taping in Morse code. It’s a fun film highlighted by Eleanor's dancing. This gal danced as if she was on a battleship with huge guns in the background and, famously, with Fred Astaire in “Begin the Beguine”. Fred was extremely impressed with Eleanor but he felt she danced like a man and I can see that. She does not have that ladylike grace, at least to me.
3. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY-1942
Of course, I’m going to include this film that stars James Cagney as George M. Cohan, the theatrical giant at the turn of the century into WW1. Cagney played him perfectly including his dancing style and won an Oscar for this energetic role. You get the chance to hear many of his songs that were written with a patriotic flair. This scene hits perfectly with the feelings of the times. The States just entered WW2 6 months before and this film was to promote patriotism, give the soldiers something to live for, and have more people enlist. This is a good film even though the patriotic fervour hits you over the head.
I have to add this
This is from Strike Up The Band, a unique interlude, which was created by George Pal. Maybe he took a hit of acid before coming up with this…lol
This week, on Monday Music Moves Me, it is all about remembering the fallen heroes in the wars of WW1, WW2 and beyond. To me, the heroes are all the men, women, civilians and animals that served and endured the wars that shaped our countries and our future. It would be a much grimmer world if the Allies did not win over the Nazi Regime. My dad fought in WW2, was part of the Liberation of Holland before being wounded in one of the last skirmishes in April 1945 in the Reischwald Forest. My Uncle Joachim was only 1 yr old when he died in his mother’s arms (my Oma) and my Uncle Kurt was wounded in the Russian Front recuperating in the hospital, near Wittenberg when the Russians came in, June 30, 1945, and shot and killed all the German soldiers, 178, including my Uncle. They were thrown into a pit and buried stating that they all died of their wounds. My mom was only 12 when she saw her brother, dead, in her mom’s arms and was devastated when her big brother, Kurt, was killed. They were very close and the last time she saw her brother, he bought her a 3 strand pearl necklace. She survived both the bombings of Hamburg and Dresden and was part of the German Resistance movement who set the dynamite under the bridges because she was small enough to get under the steel girders. She was the enemy, so, too, my Uncles, obviously, more my Uncle Kurt who fought at the front, but, in the end, he was just a scared 19 yr old kid facing down the barrel of a rifle. In honour of my family, I am showcasing 3 songs…there are so many…
1. THE GREEN FIELDS OF FRANCE SUNG BY JOHN MCDERMOTT-2023
This sad song was written in 1977 by Eric Bogle about a fallen soldier in WW1. It’s such a beautiful song and sung by the great John McDermott, a proud Canadian singer who dedicates a lot of his time and money to the veterans of the wars. I am so proud to say the My ex and I took my mom and his parents to see John McDermott around this time, back in the 1990s. My mom was crying and dad, my in law, was visibly moved since he, too, was in WW2, as a medic who saw many horrors including a concentration camp where he was shocked to see a huge pile of shoes that went way, way above his head. It was something he would never forget. At the end of the concert, we met McDermott who was glad to take a picture with my mom and my in laws.
2. WE’ll MEET AGAIN SUNG BY VERA LYNN-1939
Vera Lynn is a British Institution who sang this song, written by Ross Parker and Hughie Charles, in 1939 and became an instant hit. Many servicemen thought of leaving their home not knowing if they will meet again so this was a song close to everyone’s hearts. In 2009, Vera Lynn, had a record of her hits which became a best seller at the age of 92!
3. AULD LANG SYNE DONE BY GUY LOMBARDO AND HIS ROYAL CANADIANS-1939
My dad loved Guy Lombardo and daddy would turn on the TV on New Year’s Eve, to watch Guy and his Royal Canadians, much to my chagrin. I was a bratty kid who thought this guy and his music was old and did not appreciate the music and how much Lombardo meant to the Canadians during WW2. This song became his signature tune which he played at the end of each concert.
Bonus…
BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLICAN SUNG BY JOHN MCDERMOTT-1999
Both my parents loved this song but, especially, my mom who took the lyrics to heart since she lived under Hitler and then, the Russians. She escaped, more than once, many skirmishes and, in 1950, got my grandfather out and into the West before the Russians had a chance to take my Opa, again, to the Gulags. We, are very, very lucky to be born in a free country with the wealth that we take for granted ( look at what we ll have in the grocery stores) and we have the freedom to speak our mind. We are blessed.
I was thinking of movies that take place over a day and then I thought, what about the night which does not involve zombies, vampires or homicidal maniacs. Here are my 3…
1. ARSENIC AND OLD LACE-1944
I want to own this film which I find hilarious. Cary Grant plays Mortimer Brewster, an author who writes about how marriage is so wrong, but he is marrying his girl next door, played so well by Pricilla Lane. After avoiding the reporters, they go back to their childhood homes to pack things up and start their life together. Little does Mortimer know that his 2 beautiful aunts have been killing men they feel are all alone. He finds out that the elderberry wine is spiked with something a bit stronger than wine. Their brother, who believes himself to be Teddy Roosevelt, is told there is another yellow fever victim. The night is young and gets even worse when Mortimer’s murderous brother and his sidekick doctor make an appearance at this wonky home. Over the next few hours, Mortimer saves an old cuss ready to drink the wine while trying not to be killed by his brother and get his aunts committed to the home for the missed nuts. Frank Capra directed a very funny comedy with many character actors shining over the lead, Cary Grant. In fact, Grant hated his over-enthusiastic portrayal of his character. Some people agree but I think his acting fits right in. It’s a very funny screwball comedy.
2. ROPE-1948
I finally saw this Hitchcock film last year that stars James Stewart as a professor of 2 students who feel the need to put one over the professor by killing their mutual friend and hiding the body in a big chest. These 2 men, who live together, and show all the markings of 2 gay men which was quite daring back in the day, decide to have a dinner party inviting much older people, including the victim’s parents and his fiancée. We proceed to follow these men, one loving the cat and mouse feel while the other an F’d up mess, as they talk to their guests taking the food off this big chest that holds the body of the victim. Hitchcock loved trying different techniques and, with Rope, he filmed the scene in one long 10 minute take which was the length of the film in the camera. When it was time to change the film, the camera would centre on, for example, Stewart’s back before the new 10 minute piece would begin. The whole film takes place in one set and you still feel the suspense. It’s not one of Hitchcock’s best film but it is still one to see. This film is based on the famous Leopold and Loeb case from the 1920s where these 2 students killed a friend just to feel what it was like.
3. AMERICAN GRAFFITI-1973
I can’t believe this film is 52 years old….it just can’t be, since I remember when this came out. This is a classic film about the last night of kids who will be venturing off to college the next day. There are many different mini plots from Ron Howard and Cindi Williams as 2 high school sweethearts hoping their love will keep going as he goes off to college to Richard Dreyfuss trying to locate the blonde he saw in a car( memorably played by Suzanne Somers). We the the Toad, played by Paul LeMat, trying to impress a gal and John, Harrison Ford, who has to deal with a precocious 12 yr old, played by a young Mackenzie Phillips. It is set in 1962 and it’s a perfect telling of kids in all sorts of angst. The feel of the film and the great music provided the real DJ, Wolfman Jack, just sets this film on another level of teen films. It is a major film one needs to see.
Have you seen all these films? I know Stephen may have seen American Graffiti(LOL) and recommends it every time he can but are there any films you can think of that take place in one night that is not a horror film?
John Lodge is a founding member of The Moody Blues, one of my all time favourite bands, and a leading contributor to the stupendous music this band created and performed. “Days of Future Passed” is an iconic album that is heralded, quite rightly, as one of the all time best albums ever. When he died, on October 10th, I was gut punched because I thought he would live into his 90s. There have been many tributes showcasing his most famous songs, “ Ride My See-Saw,” “Isn’t Life Strange,” “Evening Time To Get Away,” and “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock ‘N Roll Band.” I’m going with some songs that may not be as famous but just as inventive and great. I’m joining on freebie week over at Monday Music Moves Me
1. EMILY’S SONG-1971
2. TORTOISE AND THE HARE-1970
3. MINSTRAL’S SONG-1970
4. EYES OF A CHILD-1969
5. SEND ME NO WINE-1968
6. HOUSE OF 4 DOORS-1968
9. ONE MORE TIME TO LIVE-1971
10. SLIDDIN’ IN A SLIDE ZONE-1978
And his final album “10,000 LIGHT YEARS AGO”-2015…just the one song.
DIED FROM: Acute Anemia…I wonder if her Christian Scientist views contributed to her death
REAL NAME: Leatrice Johanna Zeidler
MARRIED: 3 times, the first to John Gilbert, a huge star who had a very sad and dramatic downfall when sound arrived.
CHILDREN: one daughter, Leatrice Joy Gilbert, an actress but an author of “Dark Star”, a biography on John Gilbert. This is an excellent biography which I highly recommend.
TALENT: her knack for understanding what women want from her clothes, perfume and hair
KNOWN FOR: Her portrayals of independent women in a corporate world often in Mannish suits but, also, exquisite gowns setting off fashion crazes. She was a Christian Scientist, a devoted follower.
A woman, who called herself “a ham at heart”, seems like quite the hoot when she was interviewed for the famous 13 part documentary, “Hollywood” by Kenneth Brownlow( a big film historian)..yup I own this but only in VHS since they ran into major problems trying to get permission from all these Estates. She is hilarious and you can see how much she loves the limelight. Her name was, originally, supposed to be Beatrice, but, on the way to her christening, her mom recalled that her husband’s former girlfriend was named Beatrice, she went through the alphabet until her mom came to a suitable replacement…Leatrice. She was one of the biggest stars of the 1920s, so big, that when, she impulsively cut her hair into a bob, it became a new craze for women around the world. When she started in films, Mary Pickford and Charlie Chaplin were already famous, she recalled seeing in restaurant windows that no dogs, cats or actors, were allowed. Later she earned over $250,000 for a film. ShE became Cecil B. DeMille’s muse placing her in romantic fare showing off some great fashions. When sound came, her career waned, partly due to her thick New Orleans accent, but she still acted until 1952 that starred Marilyn Monroe. She captivated John Gilbert whom she rebuffed at first, but, later, became his first wife and they had 1 child, Leatrice Joy Gilbert, famous for her book, “Dark Star” about the life of her dad, John Gilbert. The marriage didn’t last long and she married twice more but, I believe, John Gilbert, was still the love of her life. When she was interviewed about John Gilbert, she remembered his quote he left on a photo he gave her, “To my beloved wife, for whom God patterned the angels.”
FILMS- (Most I have not seen but want to remedy this)
Yup, that's me as a witch and my brother as a Mexican Bandito. I wore my mom's old dress along with my Bavarian sweater and a cape my mom made. My mom made the hat which I still have! This was before one could buy all the Halloween outfits, so you had to create your own. My mom was great in creating something from her wealth of stuff she had. She made my crooked nose out of bandaid and used regular make up for our ghoulish looks.
Since this is the day before Halloween, I was thinking of some shows that scared the hell out of me and I kept thinking of The Twilight Zone. I recall some of the episodes that really unnerved me when I first saw them and decided to share them with you.
1. IT'S A GOOD LIFE-1959
To this day, this Twilight Zone episode freaks the hell out of me. A young Billy Mumy, known for "Lost in Space"( and now over 70 yrs old), plays the supreme brat that no one dares defy. This kid just thinks what he wants and it happens which makes all the adults very terrified. They know, if they dare disagree with Trump, er, I mean this brat, they will be sent to the cornfield. Billy Mumy was really good as nasty, vile kid.
2. THE HOWLING MAN-1960
When I was a kid, I saw this episode and I did not expect this scene at all. A traveller ends up in a monastery where he hears a man ..howling. The monks, especially the head monk ( played, impeccably, by John Carradine) tells the traveller not to believe anything he says and that they captured the devil. Of course, the traveller is sceptical. I truly thought this would be some parable about not assuming a man is evil for some reason, but..I was wrong and thought that montage where the man turns into the devil shocked me. The way this was photographed was inspiring and the makeup is great.
3. THE HITCHHIKER -1960
Inger Stevens plays a young woman driving to a new city and a new life. She sees this man who is hitchhiking but she feels uncomfortable to pick him up, but she continues to see him. She feels nervous and uncertain so, she calls her mom but she hears her mom say that her daughter died in a car accident. The hitchhiker is the person to lead her to her final destination. This was one of the first episodes I watched and it was eerie and unsettling.
4. THE MASKS-1964
Yeah, I have to place 2 more episodes that are creepy. This episode is not so eerie but it is disturbing when an old, dying, rich man brings his remaining relatives to celebrate Mardi Gras. The 3 relatives are not nice at all, greedy, vain and lazy and only want the old man’s money but, in order to get the money, the old man told them that they must wear these Mardi Gras masks. He had them created to represent their main character trait. I love this episode because it stays with you and you feel justified in the end but what an ending.
5. NIGHTMARE AT 20,000 FEET-1963
Before he became Capt. Kirk, William Shatner was in this very famous episode as a man, who is recovering from having a nervous breakdown and was in the sanitarium to heal. While on the plane, he sees this monster on the wing of the plane trying to damage the wing. Understandably, he becomes very upset but no one believes him. He is trying to have someone believe him but to no avail. When Shatner opens up the cover over the window to meet the monster looking back at him, I jumped. I was a kid and it really got to me where I still look at the wings of the plane, when I am flying. Yes, I admit to this and I can’t help it.
Have you ever watched the original Twilight Zone? Which episodes creeped you out?
