Mishmash

So last night I had sort of a screwball comedy marathon. On the menu were Bachelor Mother, The Ex-Mrs. Bradford, The Awful Truth, and My Man Godfrey.

Well, I'd seen Bachelor Mother already, of course, and The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (aka the movie that made me wild for Jean Arthur). The Awful Truth was new though. I'd wanted to see it ever since that Cary Grant biography I watched a few weeks ago. It finally arrived in the mail Tuesday and last night was the first chance I had to watch it. It was great-- sign me up as an Irene Dunne Fan.

My Man Godfrey I watched because I'd never really given it a chance (aside from the "Godfrey loves me, Godfrey loves me!" scene, which is marvelous). I adore both Carole Lombard and William Powell, so I'm not really sure what it is.

I'm pretty sure I woulda liked it minus Carole's bangs. Hopefully that doesn't make me sound too, oh I don't know...but really. They were terribly distracting, like Rachel Weisz's in The Mummy. Heck, even Judy's were a wee bit distracting in MMISL. Anyway, I'm still in a sort of Carole mood, so tonight it's Nothing Sacred with the equally amazing Frederic March.

In other news, I had a dream about La Rochefoucauld (who could survive with such a name?). I wish I'd remember more of it. I know I was wearing a wig a la Jayne Mansfield, but can't recall anything else. Whenever I write little bits down like this, I seem to remember more and more as time goes by. Excercising my dimethyltryptamine receptors, I guess.

Earlier I was reading Sylvia Plath's journals...(hm, that sounds like I'm being nosey, huh? Note: they're published. ;) ) Anyway, I came across a great quote.

"I wonder about all the roads not taken and am moved to quote Frost...but won't. It is sad to be ably only to mouth other poets. I wan't someone to mouth me."

Pretty wonderful, huh? It made me smile. Un-split infinitives always have that effect on me.

But really, doesn't everyone feel that way? I know I do, from time to time. So here, I'm giving you a chance to mouth me (hm, maybe that'll catch on as a new phrase or something...)

Really the only poem of mine I like. Here goes. :)

To the Editor

I try my best to write deep verse
But that is infinitely worse
Than nonchalance, which is not quite
As desperate or sad a sight.
Believe me dearie, if I were
To try a line you’d much prefer
The simpler stuff which freely flows
To higher-minded purple prose
Oh, words and I, we get along
And sentiment is sometimes strong
But pretty soon, all reason’s drowned
By concepts, words, and thoughts profound.
Still, in and out of dreams I creep
Determining which thoughts run deep
But as my lowly lines foretell,
My mind remains a shallow well.
Eventually I drop my pen
And face the fact I’ll never win
It’s off to be where I sleep soundly
--I could never write profoundly.

PS. I found several (okay two) pictures of some of my favorite actresses (okay two) holding cats and thought I'd share. And it kinda sorta fits, as I've mentioned both Joots and Carole, the first being from 1940 (with Clark Gable) and the second being from the set of Strike Up the Band (with Mickey). Enjoy.

Photo(s) of the Day

As you most likely did not know, I've been running (is that the word?) another website until just recently. It was a bore, which was one reason I stopped publishing it. Anyhow, there were quite a few "photo of the day" posts there, so to save time (mine and yours) I'll put them here.
Swell, huh?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRp2bhLyAHA

The first Ginger Rogers movie I had the pleasure of seeing was Stage Door. If you haven't seen it-- it's fabulous. Beyond that. Often though, people seem to overlook it for The Women, a movie made in 1939 that captured the attitude but not really the mood or magic of Stage Door.

Anyway, that's the one that made me a fan. After that, I bought Carefree, which has Ginger paired with Fred Astraire. It's not one of their most musical movies--it has only three or four songs--but it's pretty terrific to see Ginger chasing Fred for a change.

As it stands now, Ginger's one of my favorite actresses. At first I didn't think she was particularly attractive, but now she seems like a sort of blonde Vivien Leigh...especially about the mouth. Anyway, above is a link to see her first appearance on What's My Line. Fun stuff.

*Honorable mentions go to The Major and the Minor, with Ray Milland, and Bachelor Mother, a neat little comedy co-starring David Niven.

When I was younger...oh, about 10, I had no real interest in Doris Day. I thought her too nice for her own good. Then, a few years later, I saw the movie Antz. Hold on, I'm getting there. Anyway, at the end of Antz there was a song called "High Hopes," sung by, would you believe it, Miss Doris Day.

Long story short, I saw everything of hers I could...including this picture-- ain't it a kick?

For non-fans (that is, non-fans as of right now), try Romance on the High Seas. She plays a club singer and does a great job...not a normal role for her, as this character's a bit more, let's say, willing, than most of hers. If you're not much for musicals....get out of here. Or, try Alfred Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much. But make sure it's the later version, otherwise you're liable to hate me. And we wouldn't want that.

Oh Rita. Oh Orson. Oh why couldn't it have worked? Oh, abuse. Maybe. Either way, they were quite the cool coupling in the forties.

Orson Welles is known for directing what AFI calls the "most historically influential film" ever, Citizen Kane. I like Citizen Kane, but prefer his later noir Touch of Evil, with Janet Leigh.

I first saw Rita Hayworth in Gilda (who didn't?) and thought she was fabulous (ditto). After that, I went on to watch Cover Girl and Pal Joey. So she didn't sing.

This picture's from the set of The Lady from Shanghai, which is another really good one. And how cool is her hair?

The first time I saw Leslie Caron (in An American in Paris, her first film), I wan't too impressed. I loved her "introduction" scene, but otherwise the character just didn't do it for me, probably because there wasn't much character there.

I much preferred her in the musical Lili, which is a delight (ever heard the song "Hi Lili, Hi Lo"? It's marvelous). I was apprehensive about watching Gigi at first...I'd always thought Audrey should've gotten it. Then I found out it was the Freed Unit's last MGM big-production musical, so of course I had to watch. Brilliant.

Leslie Caron's always great with character, making each one she plays her very own. Father Goose and Fanny are two more of hers I'd recommend.

She's one of a very few leading ladies from the Golden Age to continue acting today, and she's just swell.

So, are we all agreed that Judy Garland was indeed the greatest entertainer of the twentieth century? Cool, that's good to know.

I saw Meet Me in St. Louis when I was five or so, and loved it, but didn't really become interested (okay, obsessed) with Judy Garland until I about twelve years later. If you haven't, see Easter Parade. And For Me and My Gal. And A Star is Born. And Presenting Lily Mars. Ooh, and The Clock. Heck, they're all really, really good, even for people who insist they "can't stand musicals," the big saps.

Annnd...Joan Crawford's nice too. :)

Really, check out A Woman's Face and Mildred Pierce. I never really got into Joan Crawford until just recently...I'd preferred Bette Davis all my life (and still do), but Joan has some great parts as well. Sad that she's known mainly for...oh, you know.

Above: Joan Crawford gives Judy an engagement present.