Girl Week 2021

 

I am going to attempt to write each day for a full week about Ladies... films that starred women, directed, written, anything where women were prominent in the making of the film. This Girl Week is hosted by Dell On Movies, another mad movie nut whom you should take a look at because he has seen some fun films especially the bad ass gals from the 60s and 70s like Pamela Grier.  Here is my first  entry...

WAY DOWN EAST-1920-STARRING LILLIAN GISH(OCT. 14, 1893-FEB. 27, 1993)

The great Lillian Gish stars in a melodrama, directed by D.W. Griffith, about an innocent, naive woman who is duped by an a-hole into believing they get married. He knocks her up before revealing it was all a sham and leaving her to deal with the townsfolk and her family. She has the baby but, the baby dies and, disgraced, she leaves town and ends up at the steps of a lovely family with a very nice young man, played by Richard Barthelmess. The climatic scene took place in a real blizzard where the cameraman, Billy Bitzer, made a small fire under his camera so it would not freeze. Lillian's face was frozen from the winds and, when she ended up on the ice flow, she decided to have her hair and hand in the frigid waters. Afterward, part of her hair literally broke off and her hand suffered nerve damage and gave her pain for the rest of her life. 

Lillian was one of the first actresses to be known by name (the first was Florence Lawrence) starting in 1912. She became a stock actress with D. W. Griffith working in his films for many years and spoke highly of him until her dying day. She believed the Silent Cinema was the best form since everyone around the world could enjoy the films and not be hindered by the language barrier. She was also  strong in her belief to not enter World War 2 since she saw the horrors of World War 1 first hand.  

Lillian and her sister, Dorothy, opened their home to young actresses who came to Hollywood hoping for a career, and made sure they were taken care of. The home is now an exclusive hotel (I think the hotel built on from pictures I looked at). Lillian fell out of favour in the mid to late 20s, so she returned to the stage and received many accolades before returning to film in the mid 40s. 

She looked quite waif-like but was made of sturdy stock surviving the flu from 1918 (50 million died), going above and beyond in her films, if she thought it would give a greater effect. She learned French, German and Italian when she lived, for a time, in Europe. Showed John Huston and Burt Lancaster up, who were going to teach her how to shoot, when she shot more accurately and faster then them because she was taught how to shoot by the western outlaw Al J. Jennings. 

In 1976, the Bowling Green State University named their Theatre and Film Department after Lillian and Dorothy Gish(she was an actress as well) and Lillian attended. Over the years, they received memorabilia and photos to be displayed plus they received donations from her friends and associates to enlarge it. Unfortunately, in 2019, the Black Student Union called to have her name taken off because of her involvement in the horrible film, "The Birth Of A Nation." Her name was taken off of it which is a shame. Over 50 famous people from Helen Mirren, James Earl Jones to Martin Scorsese signed a petition to have her name reinstated. I would have signed this as well. Gish's other worthy films of notes:

Broken Blossoms-1919 (also quite racist but take it for the times)

Orphans Of The Storm-1921 (stars her sister, Dorothy, as well)

The White Sister-1923

The Scarlet Letter-1926

La Boheme-1926

The Wind-1928

Duel In The Sun-1946

The Night Of The Hunter-1955

The Whales of August-1987

I abhor that film (The Birth Of A Nation) from the moment I saw it and do believe her reverence for Griffith is rose coloured to say the least, but her acting and what she gave to the world should never be diminished. The memorabilia did show pictures from this film but I think it should still be shown, but have it put in place by African American scholars, film makers etc who can shed the horrors of what this film did to resurrect the evil and vile KKK. I love this actress but I don't agree with everything she stated and I hate censorship. One must learn from history so it has a tougher time to repeat itself. Just a thought...

By the way, the early times of Cinema up until the later 1920s, had a huge amount of women in front and behind the camera. Check out Alice Guy, a director (great documentary I watched called "Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blanche" narrated by Jodie Foster. Lois Weber(starred, directed and wrote her films), Lotte Reiniger an animator who developed the multi-planed camera that Disney took and further developed it for his works. Writers were plenty like Anita Loos, Frances Marion, June Mathis and even a producer, African-American, named Maria P. Williams-an amazing lady!

Sorry for the lengthy post:)

 

Thursday Movie Picks- Book Adaptations

 

Wandering Through The Shelves has chosen book adaptations as the theme this week and it is another big one because Hollywood loves to make movies from books. Almost every time, the book is better and people are disappointed when they see the film. I always say, watch the movie first then you won’t be as disappointed:). Anyhoo, here are my 3...

1. THE GRAPES OF WRATH- 1940

If you haven’t seen the film you probably have seen the clip of Henry Fonda saying “He’ll be there” and is considered one of his finest performances where James Stewart, who won the Oscar that year, voted for his best friend rather than himself. The book is written by John Steinbeck about the Great Depression and how many farmers had to leave their home to look for work because of the Depression and the Dust Bowl that hit many states. We follow this family with the heart of it ruled by Ma, played by Jane Darwell. Her eldest, Henry Fonda, just got out of prison, and helps his family get to California and works for a pittance on the fruit farms. This movie is actually quite good as is the book but neither are uplifting but one should see this at least once.

2. DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE-1941

There are many versions of this story with even the fun flick, “Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde” being part of this, but this film, that stars Spencer Tracy in the lead, is not considered a great rendition. The more famous one is the earlier version starring Frederic March, back in 1932,  but I still have to see this version. This story, written byRobert Louis Stevenson, never had a “barmaid”( think  prostitute) or a fiancé  but it doesn’t distract one from the  film version and I always had a soft spot for this film. Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner switched roles because Bergman was getting sick of  playing goody two shoes so she got the slutty barmaid and Turner was the wholesome( HA!)  fiancé. I thought Tracy was ok if a bit hammy but I really liked Bergman who still played the slut in a wholesome way.

3. GREEN MANSIONS- 1959

Audrey Hepburn played the lead role of Rima the forest girl in the jungles of the Amazon who heals a young man, played, sadly, by Anthony Perkins, from a snakebite. He learns  how a tribe wants to kill her but she is gentle, naive and one with nature. The film has its flaws, like Perkins and it does not compare to the book, written by William Henry Hudson, which has a fairy tale allure that is very hard to show in a film. You may have seen pics of Hepburn with a fawn in her home because the fawn was used in the movie and her director/husband wanted the animal to be comfortable with her. See the movie first, then read the book otherwise you will be disappointed like I was.

Which films would you pick?

Some Songs...What Should I Choose

 

Yesterday, I went out with my hubby to a a couple of stores, the bank and the drug store..yeah, I did too much but I was happy to get out. I plan to not do that much today except a little dusting...fast dusting. My German ancestry would not be happy with that😀.  I am late writing this (no kidding) but I hope you like my picks since I am going hippie. I do have quite the eclectic taste in music and love classic rock, old style rock and roll, I do truly like. Some heavier metal stuff like AC/DC and even some Judas Priest but just don’t make me have to listen to really heavy stuff with the lead singer sounding like he got his voice from Mephistopheles. I don’t like Rap or Hip Hop or most popular music today. Now there are always some exceptions but most are a big NO.

  So, I am going Woodstock as in the famous concert from 1969, that my brother still wishes he would have been old enough to be there. I love the documentary that was made that shows all the big acts. I had no clue that Sha Na Na was there..very strange to me til this day. So here are my 3 songs that I love...

1. WHITE RABBIT BY JEFFERSON AIRPLANE-1967

I love Grace Slicks’s  voice and this song just fully displays how strong her voice was. I always thought this was such a unique song. It’s a shame that she got so, so heavy into drugs, like many did back then. 

2. SEE ME, FEEL ME BY THE WHO-1969

The Who gave a great performance at the concert with Pete Townsend destroying, yet another guitar. Drug induced with very tight pants, they gave great performances and my brother was lucky enough to see them back in 1979, I think. Mind you, he saw them 2 weeks after the disaster in Cincinnati where many people died due to selling too many tickets. The kids rushed a door to get in and people were crushed with 11 dying and many injured. Anyway, my brother left the concert early because the people were pushing to the front just like what happened 2 weeks prior. He did not want to be a casualty. Thankfully, nothing happened and that type of selling was stopped. 

3. WOODSTOCK SUNG BY CROSBY, STILL, NASH & YOUNG-1970

Our Canadian, Joni Mitchell, penned this song and was made famous by this great group. I always loved this song which seemed to sum up what Woodstock was and is.

Any songs you love from this famous concert?

Thursday Movie Picks- Dream Sequences

 

So, as I said, I am slowly on the mend...ever so slowly, but at least I am watching a lot of movies. I am sleeping like my old self again which means plenty of wonky dreams and I have truly wonky dreams that can be movies. This is the theme this week...all about dreams, a fun one which Wandering Through The Shelves came up with so here are my 3...

1.  SPELLBOUND-1945

This film is almost a given for this week’s theme because of the famous dream sequence created by the artist, Salvador Dali. Alfred Hitchcock directed this film that stars Gregory Peck as an amnesiac patient and the doctor, played by Ingrid Bergman, who wants to help him and, hopefully, make sure he is not a killer. It’s not my favourite Hitchcock film but that doesn’t mean it isn’t good and this dream sequence, when Pecks character is under hypnosis, is totally Dali and quite excellent.

2. THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY-1947

Yes, there is a remake and, yes, watch the original with the great tongue twister Danny Kaye who could sing a song  with a bunch of twists and turns that make you wonder how he could sing it with such precision. Good old Walter is teased and henpecked by everyone from his mom, the people at work to his girlfriend and  his best friend..so-called. What is the guy to do but daydream that he is a great man of adventure full of courage and charm. In his dreams is a ravishing blonde, played by Virginia Mayo, his oft screen partner,  who ends up to be more real than he realized when he runs into her. She gives him something for safekeeping and he is now on a real adventure. It is funny, charming as only these 2 leads can do and it's worth a look.

3.  DREAMSCAPE-1984

I saw this in the theatre when it first came out and really enjoyed it. I saw it years later and, even though the special effects don’t measure up as they used to, it is still a good movie that stars Dennis Quaid as a psychic who used to be part of an experiment that he no longer wanted to be part of. He is brought back in by his old mentor, played by Max Von Sydow to help a child who is having horrible nightmares but also to help the President of the United States who is also dealing with bad nightmares. Soon, he finds out there is a conspiracy to kill the president using dreams to do just that. I enjoy the originality of this movie that also co-stars Kate Campsaw and Christopher Plummer. Remember when the film was made when you think of the special effects since no CGI existed then and you will really enjoy this romp into nightmare land. Besides, I think the effects are not that bad to be honest. Oh, and don’t worry, it is not a horror movie.

Which films would you choose and do you have wild dreams?

I’m AOK and fun with Music

 

So, I was going to write earlier, a separate post, but time got away from me-I’m a bad, bad girl. I ended up not going to the emergency( Kill me later) because that night, I bled less and I have been bleeding less and less so the scare I had that past Saturday must have been my body adjusting. I am still weak but I am walking, not far, but I am walking. I am watching movies galore plus all the extras on the DVDs because I am a movie geek. I will call my dr. On the 16th to just make sure all is ok but I think I am on the road.

Now, this week, for music fun, I decided to go back to my teen years and chose 3 songs that were big in my day and ones that made an impression on me and here they are...

1. STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN BY LED ZEPPELIN-1971

I do like Led Zeppelin, believe it or not, as they are one of the best bands ever with great music and intelligence behind their songs contrary to the popular songs of today. This particular song was the ending to every school dance to the point that I was sick of it. I was never asked to dance so I would watch the fellow kids and teens slow dance to this song but, as the song got closer to the end, the tempo picked up and these kids had no clue what to do. It always made me laugh out loud as some tried to continue to dance slow while others tried to dance fast and had no clue how to. It still makes me laugh.

2. PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT BY MEATLOAF-1977

I have the CD, “Bat Out Of Hell” and aside from the title song, the rest are famous and great to listen to. I was a very naive 13 yr old country girl living on a sawmill dancing to this song, not at all knowing what the true meaning was. All these songs are just so suggestive sung by an overweight, sweaty guy who makes me go..”Ick” but that’s ok because these songs are priceless and I just love this one.

3. ROCK LOBSTER BY THE B52’S-1978

The B52’s are a wacko band that truly seem to have taken one too many LSD hits, but I love them and when this song came out, it was a huge hit. When I was a teenager, very innocent and timid, I met a girl named Tracy, who went to another school, and she brought me out of my timid ways and helped me to dance like no one was looking and no one cares. In the city I now live in, There was a disco called Charlie Chan’s in the basement of a restaurant in a plaza. Never mind that it was probably a fire trap, Sunday’s were all for us underage people who wanted to dance, have fun and dance while drinking Coca Cola. This song was played every time and boy would we all dance to this song when the part came up where the singer says "Down, down, down” we would all slowly drop down onto the floor before we ended up on our backs kicking our hands and legs up in the air like dying flies. Abruptly, we would get up and continued dancing...such fun.

Which songs were played always during your teen years?

Thursday Movie Picks: Oscar Edition-Best Animated Film

 

Well, today I am off to the emergency because I am bleeding more than I should be according to my GP. My surgeon is off on holidays until the 16th so this visit is to just make sure everything is normal and not Abby-normal😁. It sucks but better to be safe than sorry.

Now, it is another Oscar round over at Wandering Through The Shelves  it is all about animated films. Snow White win a special Oscar back in 1937, well, one regular Oscar and 7 small ones, but animated films were not recognized until Beauty Adn The Beast when that film was up for Best Picture. This finally woke up the Oscar people to recognize the people who create animated films. Here are my 3...

1. SHREK-2001

I love this first animated feature the best because of the unique way all the fairy tales were brought to life. I laughed so hard at the evil way they dealt with the 3 bears. Poor Mama Bear is taken away by that Lord Farquaad only later to see her as a bear rug. I was shocked and laughed so hard..maybe I am evil. Anyway, all the magical creatures are to be taken away but the talking donkey escapes and ends up at the bad ogre’s place-Shrek which means “Terror” in German. Somehow, Shrek and donkey must fight a misunderstood dragon to save the beautiful princess in the tower. It is very funny and touching even. Worth looking up.

2. THE INCREDIBLES-2004

I have to see this one again since it’s been a long time since I saw it in the theatre. Basically, people with superpowers have given up fighting evil and have regular jobs because regular folk are not happy with them. Hubby works in some pencil pushing drab place and dreams of  fighting evil. He has super s5rength while his wife is very elastic. They have 2 kids with their own powers and all of them somehow end up at an evil man’s lair and mat fight him to save mankind. Something like that. It’s quite witty and I love the lady who makes their outfits which seems to be a cross between Coco Chanel, Anna Wintour and Edith Head which turns out to be my favourite character.

3. TOY STORY 3- 2010

I still have to see the latest Toy Story but this one is quite a good movie in this franchise. We now know all the characters since this is the 3 movie, but it is well written and a heartfelt one. Basically, the kid has grown up and is off to college. He decides to give his toys away but, at the last minute, decides against this but the box of toys are mistakenly taken away to a daycare centre. They meet other toys but soon realize it is run by an embittered teddy bear who has his own minions. Woody and the rest decide to escape but that is easier said than done. It’s quite a nice story and worth a look.

Which 3 films would you choose?

My Own Weekly Music Theme

 

My Wallace has nothing to do with music but, after having to go through an operation earlier this year, he had to wear the satellite dish. He reminded me of a doggie trying to get some music tuned in to rest his weary soul, so I thought this was a good picture. Jingle, Jangle, Jungle is on hiatus with her Weekly Music Challenge but I thought I would do my own thing for November and December.

I decided to showcase Ennio Morricone who is one the greatest composers to grace the movies. He finally won an Oscar for his score on "The Hateful Eight" but he should have won many times before, especially for his famous music on the spaghetti westerns. Since I have been laying around, I have watched  a couple of the Westerns again and just love the music so here are my 3 picks that I just love.

1. THE ECSTASY OF GOLD FROM THE GOOD, THE BAD &. THE UGLY-1966

Actually every piece of Music from this film is excellent and I have the  album for this film. The main theme is very famous but there are so many other pieces in this film that are just as great as the main theme including this one I chose. This piece of music is when, “The Ugly” is searching for the grave that will hold the gold. It is brilliant.

2.  THE FINAL DUEL FROM FOR A FEW DOLLARS MORE- 1965

This film is the second film in the “trilogy” starring Clint Eastwood. This film pairs Eastwood with Lee Van Cleef as bounty hunters after a very, very bad bandits but for different reasons. There is a running musical theme throughout this film that is both sad and quite beautiful. This theme is in the final duel which is a great listen but this theme is used throughout the film and Ennio makes it unique each time.

3. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST MAIN THEME -1968

Do you know that the director of these films, Sergio Leone worked his films around Ennio Morricone’s Music because Leone felt the music was most important which is one reason why scenes are long but never, ever boring. Once again, there are so many musical pieces in this film that are just brilliant but I chose the main theme because it is, again, just great.

Which musical piece from Morricone do you love/like?