I have been humming the title song to this Irving Berlin musical for weeks. To me the song is tremendously positive, optimistic and hopeful. What woman wouldn't want to "walk down the avenue" arms linked with a "swell" who sees not a myriad of imperfections and failings but "the grandest lady" when he looks at her? Wow!
Judy Garland plays Hanna Brown. Hanna is a dancer in a small chorus line.
Fred Astaire plays Don Hewes, a dancer who has achieved a degree of fame and fortune.
Nadine Hale played by Ann Miller is Don's dancing partner. When Nadine informs Don that she has quit their team in order to strike out on her own Don is greatly disappointed. Don's career is now on the line. He must replace Nadine and as he is miffed at her, decides to do it Pygmalion style, by choosing the first dancer he sees. Of course he sees Hanna.
The story takes place within the space of one year, from one Easter to the next.
When Don and Hanna pass Nadine the first Easter Hanna is intimidated. Don assures Hanna that the next Easter she will be as confident and successful as Nadine.
Besides Irving Berlin's songs, (IMDb lists 18 in this movie!) there are wild, brightly colored costumes and wonderful dancing. Ann Miller was elegant and graceful, I thought, a treat. If you don't mind getting a song or two stuck in your head, dust off "Easter Parade".
Friday, March 27, 2009
Saturday, February 14, 2009
The Odd Couple, 1968
Oscar Madison:
I can't take it anymore, Felix, I'm cracking up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you're not here, the things I know you're gonna do when you come in irritate me. You leave me little notes on my pillow. Told you 158 times I can't stand little notes on my pillow. "We're all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Ungar!
Valentine's Day is a good day to make a pot of spaghetti (or was that linguine?) and spend time with my favorite couple; The Odd Couple.
This is my absolute favorite, warm fuzzy, feel good movie.
Jack Lemmon plays Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau plays Oscar Maddison
Oscar is a simple man with a big heart and some great friends to go with it. Unfortunately Oscar's marriage failed. Divorced, Oscar rambles around in a big apartment full of things left by the wife and child.
Felix is a complicated man with some great friends and many emotional and physical difficulties.
The movie begins on the night Felix's wife asks for a divorce. After tinkering with suicide a distraught Felix eventually arrives at Oscar's door and into the care of friends. As the friends go home Oscar takes up suicide watch on his own.
Oscar's house is too big for him and he is not interested in cleaning it. His kitchen is a bio hazard.
Felix is now homeless is a cleaning fanatic. Sharing a home seemed like a good idea at the time.
But Oscar's casual approach to housekeeping and life quickly clash with Felix's agonizingly picky standards. Another blowup was inevitable for him.
My grandmother used to say you could tell a lot about people if you knew what made them laugh. This movie makes me laugh and I have no idea what that says about me.
I can't take it anymore, Felix, I'm cracking up. Everything you do irritates me. And when you're not here, the things I know you're gonna do when you come in irritate me. You leave me little notes on my pillow. Told you 158 times I can't stand little notes on my pillow. "We're all out of cornflakes. F.U." Took me three hours to figure out F.U. was Felix Ungar!
Valentine's Day is a good day to make a pot of spaghetti (or was that linguine?) and spend time with my favorite couple; The Odd Couple.
This is my absolute favorite, warm fuzzy, feel good movie.
Jack Lemmon plays Felix Ungar and Walter Matthau plays Oscar Maddison
Oscar is a simple man with a big heart and some great friends to go with it. Unfortunately Oscar's marriage failed. Divorced, Oscar rambles around in a big apartment full of things left by the wife and child.
Felix is a complicated man with some great friends and many emotional and physical difficulties.
The movie begins on the night Felix's wife asks for a divorce. After tinkering with suicide a distraught Felix eventually arrives at Oscar's door and into the care of friends. As the friends go home Oscar takes up suicide watch on his own.
Oscar's house is too big for him and he is not interested in cleaning it. His kitchen is a bio hazard.
Felix is now homeless is a cleaning fanatic. Sharing a home seemed like a good idea at the time.
But Oscar's casual approach to housekeeping and life quickly clash with Felix's agonizingly picky standards. Another blowup was inevitable for him.
My grandmother used to say you could tell a lot about people if you knew what made them laugh. This movie makes me laugh and I have no idea what that says about me.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Pat and Mike, 1952
Spencer Tracy stars as sports promoter Mike Conovan and Katharine Hepburn as Pat Pemberton, a diversely talented athlete..
William Ching plays Collier Weld, the man Pat is engaged to marry.
A college administrator, Collier has big plans for his future. Collier hopes to finagle a large donation for the college from a wealthy couple during a game of golf. The talented Pat is to partner with the wife assuring her of a win. The wealthy couple will then presumably be in a generous mood.
But Collier has no confidence in Pat’s talent. He dogged her around the course pressing her to “do better”. . To make things worse, the wealthy wife gave Pat non-stop pointers and free advice. As people tend to do under that kind of pressure, Pat preforms poorly and disappoints Collier’s ambitions.
Pat is at a crossroads. She fancies having a “50-50" partnership with her man. Her self respect and confidence hinges on her athletic ability. But she cant preform well when Collier is around. Pat decides to prove to herself that she has what it takes to preform (and hold up her end?)
Here comes Mike Conovan, sports promoter. Recognizing Pats ability he takes her on as a client. Both Mike and Collier intend to profit from Pat’s ability. But Mike truly believes in her. Where Collier would say: “don’t screw up”, Mike says “well done”. Not hard to see where this is going.
But what about Pat’s goal of a 50-50 partnership? In one scene Pat saves Mike from a young Charles Bronson and a couple of other tough guy types. Mike was none too happy about being protected by a woman and brooded about it.
I wonder, is 50-50 really achievable? In any partnership one will always be the smarter, stronger, kinder and so on. The balance is always shifting. If you cant shift with it you end up brooding or worse.
William Ching plays Collier Weld, the man Pat is engaged to marry.
A college administrator, Collier has big plans for his future. Collier hopes to finagle a large donation for the college from a wealthy couple during a game of golf. The talented Pat is to partner with the wife assuring her of a win. The wealthy couple will then presumably be in a generous mood.
But Collier has no confidence in Pat’s talent. He dogged her around the course pressing her to “do better”. . To make things worse, the wealthy wife gave Pat non-stop pointers and free advice. As people tend to do under that kind of pressure, Pat preforms poorly and disappoints Collier’s ambitions.
Pat is at a crossroads. She fancies having a “50-50" partnership with her man. Her self respect and confidence hinges on her athletic ability. But she cant preform well when Collier is around. Pat decides to prove to herself that she has what it takes to preform (and hold up her end?)
Here comes Mike Conovan, sports promoter. Recognizing Pats ability he takes her on as a client. Both Mike and Collier intend to profit from Pat’s ability. But Mike truly believes in her. Where Collier would say: “don’t screw up”, Mike says “well done”. Not hard to see where this is going.
But what about Pat’s goal of a 50-50 partnership? In one scene Pat saves Mike from a young Charles Bronson and a couple of other tough guy types. Mike was none too happy about being protected by a woman and brooded about it.
I wonder, is 50-50 really achievable? In any partnership one will always be the smarter, stronger, kinder and so on. The balance is always shifting. If you cant shift with it you end up brooding or worse.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Egg and I, 1947
The Egg and I was the first of the Ma and Pa Kettle movies and in this movie, Ma and Pa are supporting characters.
The stars: Claudette Colbert as Betty MacDonald, Fred Macmurray as Bob MacDonald, Marjorie Main as Ma Kettle and Percy Kilbride as Pa Kettle.
Eugene, Michael and Eileen Irwin, 1947
"The Egg and I" has many beginnings. The post WWII world picks its self up and dusts its self off, to renew the business of living. Newly weds Betty and Bob are beginning their life together. They learn and begin a new occupation; chicken ranching. They move to a new home where they meet new neighbors. In due time, in all this newness they begin their family.
There are plenty of hardships and disappointments along the way, the same sort endured in the real world. But Betty and Bob overcome or find their way around the obstacles.
As this new year begins "The Egg and I" is a pleasent reminder that hope and courage are alive and well. Out in the "real" world there will always be brave souls beginning new jobs, lives and any number of things. Hopefully they are having an occasional laugh along the way.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Design for Living (1933)
The plot in a nutshell: Three young, struggling, American artists are trying to make a living in Paris: Fredric March as Tom Chambers, Gary Cooper as George Curtis and Miriam Hopkins as Gilda Farrell.
Both of the men become romantically involved with Gilda.
Tom and George have been friends for many years and the romance threatens to break them up. This is unacceptable. The solution:
All work and no play. They call this their “gentleman's agreement”. Instead of hanky panky all their energies are to go into the MEN’S work. ( It was a given that the woman’s work had no merit and was not worth improvement!!) The woman’s role in the men's work was that of a ham fisted critic, all stick, no carrot. Funny
The art of both men progressed. Each man had a variety of successes.
But does the "gentleman's agreement" work? Well, Gilda was "no gentleman".
Both of the men become romantically involved with Gilda.
Tom and George have been friends for many years and the romance threatens to break them up. This is unacceptable. The solution:
All work and no play. They call this their “gentleman's agreement”. Instead of hanky panky all their energies are to go into the MEN’S work. ( It was a given that the woman’s work had no merit and was not worth improvement!!) The woman’s role in the men's work was that of a ham fisted critic, all stick, no carrot. Funny
The art of both men progressed. Each man had a variety of successes.
But does the "gentleman's agreement" work? Well, Gilda was "no gentleman".
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Three Faces of Eve, 1957
Ralph White to Eve White: I've never seen you take a drink before.
Eve Black to Ralph: Honey, there are a lot of things you've never seen me do before. That's no sign I don't do 'em.
I have been watching "My Own Worst Enemy". In the show Christian Slater plays "Henry" who works for some kind of terrorist organization, perhaps the government. Not clear.
The part of the show that interests me is Slater's split personality. In his brain a chip has been implanted giving him two distinct personalities: "Henry", an assassin spy type and "Edward"; an ordinary guy complete with his own memories, life and reality. When working properly the brain chip switches his awareness to one or the other personality.
An intriguing idea. Story telling aside, is it truly possible to have more than one personality?
"The Three Faces of Eve" is supposed to be based on a true story about a woman suffering from "split personality". Joanne Woodward plays Eve White, Eve Black and Jane. Her transitions between the three personalities are similar to Henry and Edward's. There is a dizzy spell followed by an extremely brief black out and then "poof" they are switched.
The title to this as well as Joanne's portrayal suggests to me that Eve was one personality. The different Eves and Jane are well but separately developed "facets" of that one personality.
This interpretation does not upset my apple cart. There can't really be two personalities in our heads, can there?
I know, I know, make some popcorn...
Eve Black to Ralph: Honey, there are a lot of things you've never seen me do before. That's no sign I don't do 'em.
I have been watching "My Own Worst Enemy". In the show Christian Slater plays "Henry" who works for some kind of terrorist organization, perhaps the government. Not clear.
The part of the show that interests me is Slater's split personality. In his brain a chip has been implanted giving him two distinct personalities: "Henry", an assassin spy type and "Edward"; an ordinary guy complete with his own memories, life and reality. When working properly the brain chip switches his awareness to one or the other personality.
An intriguing idea. Story telling aside, is it truly possible to have more than one personality?
"The Three Faces of Eve" is supposed to be based on a true story about a woman suffering from "split personality". Joanne Woodward plays Eve White, Eve Black and Jane. Her transitions between the three personalities are similar to Henry and Edward's. There is a dizzy spell followed by an extremely brief black out and then "poof" they are switched.
The title to this as well as Joanne's portrayal suggests to me that Eve was one personality. The different Eves and Jane are well but separately developed "facets" of that one personality.
This interpretation does not upset my apple cart. There can't really be two personalities in our heads, can there?
I know, I know, make some popcorn...
Monday, October 20, 2008
Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 1956
"In my practice, I've seen how people have allowed their humanity to drain away. Only it happened slowly instead of all at once. They didn't seem to mind...All of us - a little bit - we harden our hearts, grow callous. Only when we have to fight to stay human do we realize how precious it is to us, how dear." Dr. Miles J. Bennell
This movie has a theme that pops up in science fiction thriller type movies: Earth is invaded, usually by creatures from outer space. Although monstrous the creatures are able to assume a human guise in order live among Earthlings without detection. The invaders purpose is generally the domination of Earth although they sometimes just want to study us. Usually one person knows the frightening truth. But in trying to reveal the truth that character at best discredits himself. At the worst, he is put into a straight jacket. For the truth is always too fantastical to be believed. The "good guy" is usually alone in his struggles; betrayed by those closest to him. Few things could be more horrifying than looking into the familiar eyes of a loved one only to discover an alien enemy.
Keven McCarthy plays Dr. Miles J. Bennell. He is the guy who is wise to the situation; trying to be believed while running from aliens.
Dana Wynter plays Becky Driscoll; his ankle twisting female interest. She was the one person Dr. Bennell trusted; the only other person whose body had not been "snatched".
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" lives up the the name "thriller". It digs down into that lower part of my brain, past reason, and strikes a cord of fear. It never fails to give me goosebumps. I first saw "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" in a movie theater. It was the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland.
Walking home I noticed other people on the sidewalks walked wooden legged, vacant eyed. They did not talk to one another. (I am sure that is what I saw!) The street lights cast lurid shadows on all their faces. Horrible!
Homer: "I suppose you want to probe me. Well, might as well get it over with. unzips pants.."
Kang: "Stop!! We have reached the limits of what rectal probing can teach us."
The Simpsons "Tree House of Horror VII".
This movie has a theme that pops up in science fiction thriller type movies: Earth is invaded, usually by creatures from outer space. Although monstrous the creatures are able to assume a human guise in order live among Earthlings without detection. The invaders purpose is generally the domination of Earth although they sometimes just want to study us. Usually one person knows the frightening truth. But in trying to reveal the truth that character at best discredits himself. At the worst, he is put into a straight jacket. For the truth is always too fantastical to be believed. The "good guy" is usually alone in his struggles; betrayed by those closest to him. Few things could be more horrifying than looking into the familiar eyes of a loved one only to discover an alien enemy.
Keven McCarthy plays Dr. Miles J. Bennell. He is the guy who is wise to the situation; trying to be believed while running from aliens.
Dana Wynter plays Becky Driscoll; his ankle twisting female interest. She was the one person Dr. Bennell trusted; the only other person whose body had not been "snatched".
"Invasion of the Body Snatchers" lives up the the name "thriller". It digs down into that lower part of my brain, past reason, and strikes a cord of fear. It never fails to give me goosebumps. I first saw "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" in a movie theater. It was the 1978 version with Donald Sutherland.
Walking home I noticed other people on the sidewalks walked wooden legged, vacant eyed. They did not talk to one another. (I am sure that is what I saw!) The street lights cast lurid shadows on all their faces. Horrible!
Homer: "I suppose you want to probe me. Well, might as well get it over with. unzips pants.."
Kang: "Stop!! We have reached the limits of what rectal probing can teach us."
The Simpsons "Tree House of Horror VII".
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Death Becomes Her, 1992
Madeline: Do you know that they do to soft, bald, overweight Republicans in prison, Ernest?
I have revisited a witch story and a ghost story. Time for a monster story; a monster of the green eyed variety... bwa ha ha
Madeline Ashton, played by Meryl Streep and Helen Sharp played by Goldie Hawn, envy one another. They fawn over one another with cool smiles and pleasant words. Inside they each seeth with envy never missing an opportunity to one-up the other. Over the years Madeline Ashton has successfully wooed and stolen away each of Helen Sharp's men.
Helen is thinking of marriage to Dr. Ernest Menville played by Bruce Willis. Does Helen say "woo hoo!" go and be happy with Menville?
NO!, of course not. What fun would that be? Helen decides that her dear Ernest must pass the "Madeline Ashton test" before she will marry him. Monstrously naive for a man of his accomplishments, Ernest fails the test most miserably- for all concerned.
Madeline is an actress whose popularity seems to be slipping away. For some reason she never suspects her acting ability to be the cause. Instead she blames her wrinkles and liver spots. She figures marriage to her "best friend's" man will be just the thing to sooth her ego. And oh yeah, I should mention that Earnest happens to be an extremely skillful plastic surgon...
The phrase "I'd sell my soul for..." is wistfully tossed about by the characters. The women are tempted by lasting beauty and Ernest by lust.
Isabella Rossellini plays Lisle Von Rhoman; a dark, powerful temptress whose bare boobies are covered by mesmerizing strands of beads. Lisle sells or trades eternal beauty to souls able and willing to pay her price. She lives in a castle-like mansion surrounded by lightening pierced "dark and stormy nights". She forgot to mention:
Lisle: "Now, a warning."
Madeline: "NOW a warning?"
Lisle: (to Ernest) "SEMPRE VIVE! LIVE FOREVER!"
I have revisited a witch story and a ghost story. Time for a monster story; a monster of the green eyed variety... bwa ha ha
Madeline Ashton, played by Meryl Streep and Helen Sharp played by Goldie Hawn, envy one another. They fawn over one another with cool smiles and pleasant words. Inside they each seeth with envy never missing an opportunity to one-up the other. Over the years Madeline Ashton has successfully wooed and stolen away each of Helen Sharp's men.
Helen is thinking of marriage to Dr. Ernest Menville played by Bruce Willis. Does Helen say "woo hoo!" go and be happy with Menville?
NO!, of course not. What fun would that be? Helen decides that her dear Ernest must pass the "Madeline Ashton test" before she will marry him. Monstrously naive for a man of his accomplishments, Ernest fails the test most miserably- for all concerned.
Madeline is an actress whose popularity seems to be slipping away. For some reason she never suspects her acting ability to be the cause. Instead she blames her wrinkles and liver spots. She figures marriage to her "best friend's" man will be just the thing to sooth her ego. And oh yeah, I should mention that Earnest happens to be an extremely skillful plastic surgon...
The phrase "I'd sell my soul for..." is wistfully tossed about by the characters. The women are tempted by lasting beauty and Ernest by lust.
Isabella Rossellini plays Lisle Von Rhoman; a dark, powerful temptress whose bare boobies are covered by mesmerizing strands of beads. Lisle sells or trades eternal beauty to souls able and willing to pay her price. She lives in a castle-like mansion surrounded by lightening pierced "dark and stormy nights". She forgot to mention:
Lisle: "Now, a warning."
Madeline: "NOW a warning?"
Lisle: (to Ernest) "SEMPRE VIVE! LIVE FOREVER!"
Thursday, October 9, 2008
What Dreams May Come, 1998
...And for my soul, what can it (suicide) do to that,
Being a thing immortal as itself?... From Shakespeare's Hamlet
The title of this comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet; that soliloquy which starts:
"To be or not to be".
Hamlet is contemplating suicide, weighing the pros and cons; the cons being mostly an unknown factor.
I imagine just about everyone wonders what is beyond this life. Eventually most are able to see it as a mystery and thus avoid turning into a Woody Allen character; stewing over death, the expansion of the universe and other things over which we have no control...
"What Dreams May Come" is adapted from a book of the same name by Richard Matheson.
Among many others it stars: Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen, Annabella Sciorra as Chris's wife Annie, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Albert Lewis and Max von Sydow as The Tracker.
Chris and Annie are beautiful people, very much in love who suffer a tragic loss. The story relates to the consequences of their reactions to the loss. Their separate choices determine their separate destinies in both this life and in the after life.
Some interesting parallel themes between "Hamlet" and "What Dreams May Come":
-suicide "...For in that sleep of death what dreams may come..." Shakespeare
-ghosts or spirits
-immortality
-defying hell
-multiple calamities
"What Dreams May Come" in addition, embraces the theme of the transformative power of love. It emphasizes our power to choose and to accept consequences; not what happens to us but how we react.
It is a beautiful picture of one man's heaven.
..."We defy augury; there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all."...
Shakespere's Hamlet
Being a thing immortal as itself?... From Shakespeare's Hamlet
The title of this comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet; that soliloquy which starts:
"To be or not to be".
Hamlet is contemplating suicide, weighing the pros and cons; the cons being mostly an unknown factor.
I imagine just about everyone wonders what is beyond this life. Eventually most are able to see it as a mystery and thus avoid turning into a Woody Allen character; stewing over death, the expansion of the universe and other things over which we have no control...
"What Dreams May Come" is adapted from a book of the same name by Richard Matheson.
Among many others it stars: Robin Williams as Chris Nielsen, Annabella Sciorra as Chris's wife Annie, Cuba Gooding Jr. as Albert Lewis and Max von Sydow as The Tracker.
Chris and Annie are beautiful people, very much in love who suffer a tragic loss. The story relates to the consequences of their reactions to the loss. Their separate choices determine their separate destinies in both this life and in the after life.
Some interesting parallel themes between "Hamlet" and "What Dreams May Come":
-suicide "...For in that sleep of death what dreams may come..." Shakespeare
-ghosts or spirits
-immortality
-defying hell
-multiple calamities
"What Dreams May Come" in addition, embraces the theme of the transformative power of love. It emphasizes our power to choose and to accept consequences; not what happens to us but how we react.
It is a beautiful picture of one man's heaven.
..."We defy augury; there's a special providence in the fall of a sparrow. If it be now, 'tis not to come; if it be not to come, it will be now; if it be not now, yet it will come: the readiness is all."...
Shakespere's Hamlet
Friday, October 3, 2008
The Witches of Eastwick, 1987
"Do you think God knew what He was doing when He created woman? Huh? No shit. I really wanna know. Or do you think it was another one of His minor mistakes like tidal waves, earthquakes, FLOODS? You think women are like that? S'matter? You don't think God makes mistakes? Of course He does. We ALL make mistakes. Of course, when WE make mistakes they call it evil. When GOD makes mistakes, they call it... nature. So whaddya think? Women... a mistake... or DID HE DO IT TO US ON PURPOSE?"
Daryl Van Horne
This movie is adapted from a book of the same name by John Updike.
Besides popcorn and your usual movie fare, have some cherries on hand to snack on while you watch this movie. Out of season no doubt. How about cherry pie, chocolate covered or...
The witches: Cher as Alexandra Medford, Susan Sarandon as Jane Spofford and Michelle Pfeiffer as Sukie Ridgemont. Jack Nicholson stars as Daryl Van Horne, presumably the Devil.
The witches are each creative women. Susan Sarandon plays a musician, Cher plays a sculptor and Michelle Pfeiffer a writer. They are good friends and enjoy evenings together sharing snacks, gossip and a very special bond: it seems whenever they focus on the same desire the thing they long for materializes.
On an evening when talk turns to men each adds to a wish list of qualities they would like to see in the ideal male. As they are all wishing together, poof! Enter Jack Nicholson.
He seems alternately bumbling and terrifying as he sets out to seduce each of the witches.
Interestingly, each woman’s talent (and hair!) blossoms after a romp with the big D. The Devil is intent on producing an heir. When the witches discover his intentions they make some plans of their own.
Why does the Devil need an heir you ask? I dont know, eat your popcorn!
This movie left me with some things to ponder:
Why three witches? Never two or five but three?
Why does sex with the Devil give a woman really big hair?
And finally, the idea of gaining creative genius through a deal with the devil pops up now and then in books and movies. Where did it start?
Daryl Van Horne
This movie is adapted from a book of the same name by John Updike.
Besides popcorn and your usual movie fare, have some cherries on hand to snack on while you watch this movie. Out of season no doubt. How about cherry pie, chocolate covered or...
The witches: Cher as Alexandra Medford, Susan Sarandon as Jane Spofford and Michelle Pfeiffer as Sukie Ridgemont. Jack Nicholson stars as Daryl Van Horne, presumably the Devil.
The witches are each creative women. Susan Sarandon plays a musician, Cher plays a sculptor and Michelle Pfeiffer a writer. They are good friends and enjoy evenings together sharing snacks, gossip and a very special bond: it seems whenever they focus on the same desire the thing they long for materializes.
On an evening when talk turns to men each adds to a wish list of qualities they would like to see in the ideal male. As they are all wishing together, poof! Enter Jack Nicholson.
He seems alternately bumbling and terrifying as he sets out to seduce each of the witches.
Interestingly, each woman’s talent (and hair!) blossoms after a romp with the big D. The Devil is intent on producing an heir. When the witches discover his intentions they make some plans of their own.
Why does the Devil need an heir you ask? I dont know, eat your popcorn!
This movie left me with some things to ponder:
Why three witches? Never two or five but three?
Why does sex with the Devil give a woman really big hair?
And finally, the idea of gaining creative genius through a deal with the devil pops up now and then in books and movies. Where did it start?
Thursday, September 11, 2008
The Greatest Show on Earth, 1952
A very few of the stars: Betty Hutton, Charlton Heston, James Stewart, Dorothy Lamour...
The list goes on.
My grandmother always got a dreamy look when she told us grandchildren about the circus. She said when the farm children heard the circus trains they tied their coins in handkerchiefs, “climbed on their ponies and galloped over the hill”. They ate peanuts, popcorn and cotton candy which Grandma made sound like food for gods.
I am reading “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen and wanting to remember more of what Grandma said about the circus. There is a movie for everything, I believe.
The Greatest Show on Earth is partly a documentary. The movie shows some of the set up: the center poles being set, the canvas being unrolled and raised and the loaded trains.
It mentions the class distinction of laborers and performers: “stardust and sawdust”
The movie also tells a story with “three rings” of plot:
Two overlapping romantic triangles
a (very) friendly professional competition
and the survival of the circus against a crummy economy and shadowy but ever present con artists who follow the circus like parasites.
The documentary parts are interesting. And I enjoyed both the movie actors drama as well as the “real” circus performances which are interwoven. And the locals are interesting too. Read the signs the crowd carries and on the buildings of their towns. Also, watch the audiences carefully. I believe I saw Bob Hope and Bing Crosby looking up in slack jawed awe. There are many other familiar faces!
umm, I can smell the popcorn and a subtle whiff of elephant poo. Enjoy this great movie.
The list goes on.
My grandmother always got a dreamy look when she told us grandchildren about the circus. She said when the farm children heard the circus trains they tied their coins in handkerchiefs, “climbed on their ponies and galloped over the hill”. They ate peanuts, popcorn and cotton candy which Grandma made sound like food for gods.
I am reading “Water for Elephants” by Sara Gruen and wanting to remember more of what Grandma said about the circus. There is a movie for everything, I believe.
The Greatest Show on Earth is partly a documentary. The movie shows some of the set up: the center poles being set, the canvas being unrolled and raised and the loaded trains.
It mentions the class distinction of laborers and performers: “stardust and sawdust”
The movie also tells a story with “three rings” of plot:
Two overlapping romantic triangles
a (very) friendly professional competition
and the survival of the circus against a crummy economy and shadowy but ever present con artists who follow the circus like parasites.
The documentary parts are interesting. And I enjoyed both the movie actors drama as well as the “real” circus performances which are interwoven. And the locals are interesting too. Read the signs the crowd carries and on the buildings of their towns. Also, watch the audiences carefully. I believe I saw Bob Hope and Bing Crosby looking up in slack jawed awe. There are many other familiar faces!
umm, I can smell the popcorn and a subtle whiff of elephant poo. Enjoy this great movie.
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