"I'll Take 'Potpourri' for $500, Alex!"

George Montgomery? Richard Carlson?  Yeah, as kid, me neither - except that George Montgomery sold Pledge® furniture polish and Richard Carlson sold some stop-smoking product on a local Los Angeles TV channel (KTTV).  Then as I got older, I learned that Mr. Montgomery had really been an actor prior to woodworking, and Mr. Carlson was also an actor of substance. After all, ‘Mrs. Richard (Mona) Carlson was a model in the Don Loper Salon fashion show episode #117 of “I Love Lucy” (‘The Fashion Show’).   Light bulb Moment.

I DO remember Joan Crawford on “Secret Storm” when she filled in for her daughter, Christina, and Joan Bennett was just the “old lady” on “Dark Shadows.” Just recently I watched The Woman in the Window and now I believe she is one of the most beautiful women to ever have graced the movies with her beauty!

I wonder how many of our future generations will realize who their ‘has beens’ once were?

*****

Last week, I referred to Amadeus as the “Father of the Biopic.”  Then I thought I should give runner-up mention to Thirty-Two Shorts Films About Glenn Gould (1993), the “Son of the Biopic.”  Thirty-Two is an ingenious look at the mind of the title subject with brilliant use of classical musical played by Glenn Gould himself.  Take 98-minutes and sit and watch – I guarantee you will be mesmerized.

*****

We went to a movie over Memorial Day weekend – “Movie Pests” part 3 (see past blogs).  She was one of those people who does not know how to whisper. I could block out most of it, but sadly, just as the turning point occurred, she decided to share with her fellow moviegoers the secret to the character’s flaw.  Thank you, lady – from the bottom of our hearts – no, truly.

*****

If anyone of my readers remembers the product Richard Carlson advertised, drop me a line – thanks!

Classic Pairings

My Top 10 Favorite Uses of Classical Music in Film

Classical music is used in countless films.  It can be used in brief, repeatedly as a theme, or supply an entire soundtrack. It can be heard in everything from Ace Ventura: Pet Detective (believe it or not) to Ed Wood, Mrs. Doubtfire to 10, or Kramer Vs. Kramer to The Witches of Eastwick. This week’s blog is at most a very casual list, and I am sure I am not the only one who has ever created a list and then said at a later date, “How could I have ever forgotten…?” But, when I think of classical music in films, these most always come to the forefront for me.  And hopefully, as my blog always intends, this list is to get you to think of your own favorites as well. So, with that in mind, here we go!

 

#10 – ANIMATED Fantasia (1940)

Although this is not a favorite film of mine, this Disney feature film brings classical music to the masses.  Mussorgsky’s "Night on the Bare Mountain" is a tour-de-force of intensity and fright, while Dukas’ "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" mixes the charm of the beloved Mickey Mouse with exposure of consequences of irresponsibility.  Schubert’s "Ave Maria" is a hallowed piece within this masterwork that must be watched again and again.

#09 –LEGEND Excalibur (1981)

I love the legend of King Arthur, and this adaption is an all-encompassing one. With the use of Orff's "Carmina Burana,” Wagner’s "Prelude to Tristan & Isolde" & his "Siegfried's Funeral March for Gotterdammerung, " the tale becomes even more mystical in its telling.

#08 – WAR The Dirty Dozen (1967)

How can you not love the escapades of Major Reisman and his rag-tag crew of military inmates in their quest to assassinate a hive of German top ranks, all the while we hear Joseph Hayden's "Emperor" and Johann Strauss II’s "Emperor Waltz"?  It just works!

#07 ROMANCE Somewhere in Time (1980)

Rachmaninoff's "Variations on a Theme of Paganini" becomes the background of one of the most romantic movies ever made; the beauty of Mackinac Island, Michigan, the idea of time-travel; and the beauty of both Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve are increased by the haunting melodies of this piece.

#06 SCI-FI Rollerball (1975)

The spine-chilling, hair-raising use of Bach's “Tocatta in Fugue” at the onset of the title sequence grabs the viewer from the start.  What in the world does this Baroque piece have to do with the future? At first glance, this science-fiction classic looks to have lost its effectiveness due to age; however, the storyline goes deeper than its 1970’s appearance, and the visionary message is louder than ever today than it was 40 years ago.

#05 MUSICAL An American in Paris (1951)

I fell in love with musicals around the age of 13 and soaked up as many as possible. With the use Gershwin’s signature piece to create Jerry Mulligan’s (played by Gene Kelly) dream sequence, it surrounds and enraptures us in the marriage of dance and music. For me, An American in Paris is the opera of musicals, and leads me to my next selection.

#04 OPERA Philadelphia (1993)

The depth of writing in this film not only makes Tom Hanks’s character an attorney, but a lover of opera.  This deepens our knowledge of Andrew Beckett and serves as a catalyst for our interest and concern for him. The score is woven with operatic fare, and Umberto Giordano’s “La Momma Morta” provides the backdrop for an emotionally moving motion picture sequence.

#03 – DRAMA/COMEDY The Four Seasons (1981)

Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” is the canvas of this how 'friends stay friends' story written & directed by Alan Alda. Alda weaves these love-hate relationships among the threads of Vivaldi’s composition, and the seasons turn, we see how friendship can be tried and tested. This is one of my Top 10 favorite films, and I will be bringing it back to the blog for more exposition in the future.

#02 BIOPIC Amadeus (1984)

This has to be the ‘father’ of all biopics, especially when it comes to the use of the subject's craft used within the story.  Aside the fact that this film garnished eight Oscars, Mozart’s music is used as the soundtrack that mimics the master’s life. I am always amazed at how 2 hours and 40 minutes can go by so quickly. This is mostly due to the perfected use of the song to story relationship.  My favorite are in the brightness of the "Symphony No. 25" & the darkness of the "Requiem."

#01 OVERALL Gallipoli (1981)

This sleeper film introduced me to Mel Gibson. But it had more impact than that – it is the briliant choices of music for this historical drama set in World War I. Bizet's "Duet from the Pearl Fishers and Paganini’s "Centone di Sonate No 3" are lovely pieces that add to our knowing the story's destiny; yet it is the haunting recurring theme of Albinoni’s "Adagio" that will solidifies the visual images in our minds of the unfortunate fate of subject.

The Act of 'Breathing In"

 In the latest issue of a periodical I receive, the media department published an article on the “Top 20 [Inspirational] Movies [in the past 20 years]. So, I was inspired to create my own list in similar gesture.

Here is my “Top 20 Inspirational /Films of Faith” - Several of these films are already the focus of the Christian faith and biblical principles, yet some are mainline films that explore themes of determination, the compelling drive of the human spirit, and selflessness.  Rather than providing plot synopses or giving anything away, I have used a quote from each film that encompasses each film's inspiration.  So many of these films have more than one quote that could do this. I will also mention that not all of these films are “family-oriented films,” nor are all films that contain appropriate life values. Please use discretion when deciding on any film to view for you or for others. These films always bring me to tears, to realize my own weaknesses, my strengths, and how love in a hurting world can change everything. I hope to read in the comments about other films that you find inspiring in your life.

Children of Heaven

#20 – Children of Heaven (1997)

         “You can wear my shoes.”

#19 – Saint Ralph (2004)

        “If we're not chasing after miracles, what's the

          point, huh?”

#18 – Evan Almighty (2004)

          “Let me ask you something. If someone prays for patience, you think God gives   

          them patience? Or does he give them the opportunity to be patient? If he prayed

          for courage, does God give him courage, or does he give him opportunities to be

          courageous? If someone prayed for the family to be closer, do you think God zaps

          them with warm fuzzy feelings, or does he give them opportunities to love each

          other?”

#17 – Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

         “The world is changing, Papa.”

The Shawshank Redemption

#16 – The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

          “Get busy living, or get busy dying.”

#15 – The Passion of the Christ (2004)

          “I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for My sheep. No one takes my life

            from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down and

            the power to take it up again. This command is from my Father.”

#14 – The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader (2010)

          “You wished yourself away. And with it, much more. … You doubt your value.

           Don't run from who you are.”

Babette's Feast

#13 – Babette’s Feast (1987)

          “Throughout the world sounds one long cry from

            the heart of the artist: Give me the chance to do

            my very best.”

#12 – The Natural (1984) See my blog “A Knight in Shining Jersey” (May 10, 2012)

#11 – Godspell: A Musical Based on the Gospel According to St. Matthew (1971)

          “Then the man they called Judas Iscariot went to the chief priests and said, ‘What

          will you give me to betray him to you?’ They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and

           from that moment he began to look out for an opportunity to betray him.”

#10 – The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

         “I do not think I am ready.” “It is for that very reason, that I know you are.”

Chocolat

#09 – Chocolat (2000)

            “Let me try to put this into perspective for you.

             The first Comte de Reynaud expelled all the

             radical Huguenots in this village. You and your

             truffles present a far lesser challenge.”

#08 – The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

            “Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth day, at dawn look to the east.”

#07 – Bruce Almighty (2003)

            “There were so many. I just gave them all what they wanted.”

            “Yeah. But since when does anyone have a clue about what they want?”

            “How do you make so many people love you without affecting free will?”

            “Welcome to my world, son. If you come up with an answer to that one, let me

               know.”

The Mission

#06 –The Mission (1986)

            “For me there is no redemption, no penance great

             enough.”

            “There is. But do you dare to try it?”

#05 – Schindler’s List (1993)

            “There will be generations because of what you did.”

            “I didn’t do enough!”

#04 – Les Misérables (1998)

            “I've tried to live my life without breaking a

             single rule... “

#03 – The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (2005)

            “Do not cite the Deep Magic to me Witch. I was there when it was written.”

#02 – The Return of the King (2003)

            “Now come the days of the King! May they be blessed.”

Ben-Hur

#01 – Ben-Hur (1959)

            “Almost at the moment He died, I heard Him

              say, "Father, forgive them, for

             they know not what they do."

            “Even then. “

            “Even then. And I felt His voice take the sword

              out of my hand.”

A Knight in Shining Jersey

As Mother’s Day approaches, I was thinking about my own mother and the movie stars that she enjoyed watching. She didn’t go to the movies much, but she did know the stars and took interest in them.  One in particular – Robert Redford.  Can you blame her?

Once I reached adolescence, Mom took me to the movies now and again (blog January 19, 2012 “Sweet on You”).  The last movie I ever saw with my mom was The Natural (1984; from a novel by Bernard Malamud).  My husband and I took my parents to the Cinedome (blog January 14, 2012 “You Must Remember This”) to see “Roy Hobbs – the Best that Ever Was.” We had heard this picture with Redford was ‘pretty good,’ and we thought it would be fun to see it with them (my husband and I returned a month later to see it again).  Little did we know that Mom would never make it to the movies again – she was diagnosed with cancer and spent the next year fighting a battle she would eventually lose.

But, Mr. Redford made her smile.  And, well, the movie was great, too!  It is in my Top 50 films of All-Time, and with its well-cast actors, direction by Barry Levinson, beautiful cinematography by Caleb Deschanel (yes, Mary Jo’s husband, and Zooey & Emily’s dad), and an unforgettable musical score by Randy Newman, it is a must-watch again and again.

Why do I love this movie – it is full of hope.  Hope that we can each follow our dreams and do that one thing that we know we were meant to do.  Roy Hobbs wanted to be a baseball player; and although events get in his way, he returns to that one love of playing ball for the New York Knights.  I’m not a ‘super fan’ for America’s favorite pastime, (although I spent a lot of summer time at Angel Stadium as a kid), but regardless of the fact that baseball is the passion topic of this film, the theme is universal: go out there and do what you love.  It ignites me each time I see that baseball go out to eternity – what we do with our lives can go on past our finite selves.  And so it was with my mother – she wanted to be the best mother to my sister and me.  Her legacy lives on in us and despite the fact that we two girls raised 5 boys between us, we pass that on to our sons and their families.  Robert Redford’s portrayal of “Roy Hobbs” (‘every man’) is a character of values and persistence – and well, the smile is nice, too.

Happy Mother's Day -

They're Playing Our Song

Back in the late 1990's, I sang and danced in a production of the stage musical "They're Playing Our Song," but this blog isn't about that...

It's really about a song - do you have one?  Often ‘our song’ is the song playing on the radio when you had your first dance with someone, the song played at your wedding (which could be the same song as the first), or some other moment in your history with that ‘special someone.’ 

Our song happens to be from a movie – surprise!  During the first few weeks of our dating, my then boyfriend, and now husband, the movie The Jazz Singer starring Neil Diamond premiered (December 1980).  Since Jonathan was (and still is to some extent) a Neil Diamond ‘super fan,’ it was a must-see movie for us; and again, and again… The Jazz Singer was a contemporary remake of Al Jolson’s 1928 film of the same name with a similar basic frame plot.  With a not-so-fantastic script, and B-list actors (including Lucie Arnaz and Franklyn Ajaye, and Laurence Olivier, excluded – although his role in this film is no Hamlet!), the only saving grace was Neil Diamond’s music and that amazing blue sequined shirt - I know my heart rate went up several points with that!

So which song is our song? If you guessed “Hello, Again,” you are correct!  Every time we hear it (which is not often on the radio, anymore) we get goo-goo eyed with one another and reminisce of days gone by.  It brings us back to that place of our youth, young love, and fond memories of movie going and dating.  I guess that’s why they call it “your song.”

Enough from me today – but, hoping that today’s blog will remind you of your song or even movie songs that you love.  There will definitely be more from me on that front.

But for now…just more of that blue shirt!