Our Love is Here to Stay

As a birthday gift when I turned 15, I received the book, The Films of Gene Kelly.  A few years earlier, I had already begun a life-long love affair with, yes, I’m just gonna’ go ahead and say it - the greatest dancer on film.  I know, I know, I’m going to get rebuttal after rebuttal, but hey! this is my blog, and my turn to say what I think. 

I love dancing.  I wanted to take tap dancing lessons as a child, but I was given 6 years of piano instead. I am grateful, however; but unless you’re Oscar Levant, there isn’t a real great need for on-screen piano players!  I not only love dancing, I love the dancers - Eleanor Powell, Fred Astaire, the Nicholas Brothers, Cyd Charisse, Leslie Caron, Bobby Van, Donald O'Connor and the list goes on. I even love the actors who weren’t technically considered dancers, but danced with Gene and anyone else: Dan Dailey, Phil Silvers, Van Johnson, Frank Sinatra, and even Debbie Reynolds. Why, because I cannot dance (like that) and I so appreciate that gift and talent.

Some of my Gene Kelly memorabilia & ephemera

Biographies on stars are a dime-a-dozen, and if you have been reading my blog with any consistency, you know that is not what this blog is about.  It’s my little corner of passion for 'all things cinema.'  Today marks the 100^th anniversary of the birth of Gene Kelly.  (Did I already mention he’s my favorite dancer of all time?) I got to thinking about why this was true for me, because I do love this craft, and all that it requires and releases, and I don’t even have time to begin to mention my favorite films.  For most people who discuss this, it’s that question of “Fred or Gene?” I love Fred, please don't misunderstand me; he is the foundation for every dancer that has come out of Hollywood.  Always striving for perfection and new ideas for film, I agree, but there’s an aristocratic air that goes with the package.  For me, Gene is everyman.  He’s a guy you’d meet on the street and would be himself to you.  It’s the build - true and athletic in nature. No one could wear a pair of trousers or loafers like Gene.  The polo shirt was tight across the chest and the bands on the sleeves fit snugly around his biceps.  Now, ‘everyman’ doesn’t always look like this, but he does in my dreams.  He’s the guy who cares about himself, but doesn’t.  He’s just being who he is.  The sweater goes across the shoulders, ties over his chest. He slaps on a cap, and he’s good to go.

He’s a sailor, a pirate, hunter, stuntman, artist. He’s someone you might know. And, when he meets the girl, he’s always a gentleman.  She may not think so, but he has the right words to say, and the right ways to say them.  Gene didn’t like his voice, but the world did.  When he spoke in that slight-rasp and lilt, I melted like butter.  I still do. 

Let’s not forget about the scar. “I’m not a glamour boy. If they don’t like me with it, they’re not going to like me without it.”[1] When he was around 6 years old, he fell off his tricycle onto open cast iron, which cut his face over his lip. He never got to attribute it to anything ‘heroic,’ but it adds character to eyes that twinkled and a smile that sent girl reeling.  It’s the way he slowly puts his arm around Leslie Caron in the “Our Love is Here to Stay” number that makes this 50-year old woman feel young again.

Gene’s creativity was ground-breaking: dancing with animated characters, breaking newspaper in halves and quarters, performing gymnastic tricks high in the air on ladders, trading shoes for shoe skates, taking a George Gershwin masterwork and turning it into the best picture for 1951.  These are the actualities of a visionary of the likes of Gene Kelly.  I believe his best work was his vision.  He was able to take the concept and turn it into reality, and although this ‘reality’ was and still is imaginary, we believe every moment of it and want to be there, too.

Hear Gene Kelly's first wife, Betsy Blair talk about Gene in her words:

PBS's "American Masters: Gene Kelly"

In 1985, the American Film Institute (finally) recognized Gene Kelly for his contribution to film. (He was the 13^th recipient).  He won an honorary Academy Award in 1952 “In appreciation of his versatility as an actor, singer, director and dancer, and specifically for his brilliant achievements in the art of choreography on film.”  He was a director for film and television, and even made an appearance with the Muppets on The Muppet Show in 1980.

His body of work goes on and on.  Years could be spent on just discussing his dancing on film. Add another year for directing and choreographing and another for just television work.  With a recent surge of discussions on "where are the ‘real men'?," I believe those of us who love the work of Gene Kelly know where they are and what to look for.  Perhaps if we spent more time discussing his films and bringing his style to the forefront of conversations, those 'real men' might just re-emerge.

In the Pyramid book series on the history of the movies, Jeanine Basinger writes, “Kelly’s home studio, MGM, tackled this criticism head on by having Kelly allegedly issue such statements (on his lack of fan magazine appeal) as, “I’m just Joe Average.  I’ve got a wife, a kid, a car and a house.  There’s a million guys like me.”” [2] I dare disagree.  There is and never will be anyone like Gene Kelly again.

And now for your enjoyment:

                                                   Summer Stock (1950)

                                           It's Always Fair Weather (1955)

In a few weeks, I will reveal my favorite dance sequences captured on film. I hope you will tune-in for that.

Oh, I finally took those tap dancing lessons a couple of years ago…

---

[1] Jeanine Basinger, Gene Kelly – Pyramid Illustrated History of the Movies, (Pyramid Communications, 1976) 18.

[2] Ibid. 10.

How I Spent My Summer Vacation...

Growing up in the 60’s & 70’s, the world was still ‘small’ – no internet, no cellular devices, no cable television - for the common man, anyway. There was no such thing as ‘surfing’ or hundreds of other choices from which to watch. We had 7 or 8 basic channels that came through on our televisions, so we were at the mercy of the broadcasters for what was airing on any given channel.   So why does another weekly blog open by mentioning television?  Television was the medium with which I soaked up as many movies as I could.  We had the “Early Show” on CBS, there was a late-night movie on virtually every network, not to mention the local station; there was a movie of the week for almost every night of the week and sometimes even two!  Why television rejuvenated the television careers of many former movie stars, and even inspired films such as Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? 

Print ads for "The Early Show" on the local Los Angeles CBS affiliate

My "Early Show" ads are from my
John Wayne scrapbooks

But it was these summer nights that I have special memories of television movie nights.  School seasons were different and from the middle of June to the middle of September, we had 3 full months of ‘nothing to do.’  This is when I was able to take advantage of the late show and as many as I could talk my mother into letting me view.  I would pop out the hide-a-bed from the family room sofa, get a blanket & pillow and get as close to that television as possible. With the sound down low, I could see the likes of Showboat, On the Town, The Seven Little Foys, and The Paleface.  These movies increased my 'film-viewing-ography,' if you will, and formed the foundation of what has become my life-long obsession with this storytelling medium.

Life is different these days, I still stay up late, but for different reasons.  I am thankful that television has expanded and the choices are many.  However, on a sleepless night, there still is nothing better than finding an old movie on the air.  It’s like having slumber party with an old friend.

Fifteen Minutes of Fame

Earlier this week (August 6) marked the birthday of Lucille Ball, who came to Hollywood to be a model and movie starlet.  Learning the ropes from Ginger Rogers' mother, who took these hopefuls under her wing, she eventually found her way as a B actress and then broke through the cracks to the A list. But her destiny was made in the newly-forming small screen of television in a little show called, I Love Lucy.  Therein lies history, and really, no further explanation is necessary.

But why do I write of I Love Lucy in my movie blog?  Well, the fourth season of the series (and a portion the fifth season) finds Lucy & Ricky Ricardo and their best friends, Fred & Ethel Mertz, on a trip to Hollywood, California.  Now Lucille Ball, who had already been paired with the likes of Henry Fonda, Red Skelton, Gene Kelly, and the Marx Brothers on the big screen, is now portraying 'every woman' on the small screen and taking that which the viewers can relate to greater depths.  Who wouldn't want to rub elbows with the rich and famous by having lunch with Richard Widmark, dancing with Van Johnson, and getting into a picture yourself? I know I would!  "Lucy Gets in Pictures" is my favorite episode of the entire I Love Lucy series.  The scenarios and dialog Lucy shares with Bobby the bellboy,  the Mertz's, and especially the director who is unfortunate to have Mrs. Ricardo on the set are absolutely priceless, and yes, words that I would say!  Every scene makes me laugh hysterically and fall in love with Lucy once again.

Lucille Ball understood the 'regular Joe' who was watching her program and made Lucy Ricardo that much more relatable; her star-struck character was believable and lovable at a time when Lucille Ball was the biggest star in Hollywood herself.

Tradition!

Aha! You thought I was going to talk about Fiddler on the Roof - but, no. This week’s topic is, however, all about movie-watching traditions.  I know every family has them. 

When my children were younger, we would watch certain movies for holidays as well as our regular Christmas fare.  Easter was always Ben-Hur; Thanksgiving weekend was The Great Race, and summer? Well, summertime continues to be franchise-fests (and the kids are not even at home anymore)!  We certainly have our favorites.  And as I read posts on Facebook these days, I see many posts from summer movie marathoners.

Right now, we’re enjoying some Bond films that we don’t know the plots by memory – so this includes Sean Connery’s and Pierce Brosnan’s turns as 007 (since we know ALL of Roger Moore’s takes!

Later this summer, we’ll join in on those infamous adventures with Indiana Jones, followed by journeying into the “long time ago to a galaxy far, far away”.  

By then, it’s autumn, and we return to our "Sunday Movie Night.”  We take three weeks to visit the Shire and the far lands of Middle Earth, which then catapult us into “Space, the final frontier” and the films of both Captains J.T. Kirk & J-L Picard. 

Somewhere in there, the Christmas season arrives and those holiday films get sprinkled in during those few days.  Then, as late winter and early spring arrive, it’s time to venture into recent theatre releases that are no longer new, but new for us.  Late spring?  Add a few classics (which I watch on a regular basis regardless), and voila!

Add a comment and let me know what your traditions are when watching movies - I know you have them!

I will be taking a couple of weeks off and will return August 9th. 

When "All Wet" spells Classic

A week ago, I shared the wonder of seeing a classic film on the big screen. This past Thursday, I was once again able to do that with all my ‘daughters.’  We participated in the Turner Classic Films one-night nation-wide showing of Singing in the Rain (sponsored by Fathom Events).  The house was packed.  It was wonderful to see men, women, young and old, seasoned SITR veterans to first-timers. There were families and ‘party’ groups just all there to enjoy seeing the picture on the big screen, and we all there knew other people in other locations were doing the same right along with us. 

This showing was to celebrate the 60^th anniversary of the premiere of Singing in the Rain.  The digitally restored film premiered in April at the annual TCM Film Festival, so we were privy to an interview of Debbie Reynolds by the renowned Robert Osborn.  It included archival interviews with Donald O’Connor, Cyd Charisse, and Gene Kelly's widow, Patricia Ward Kelly.

As a seasoned musical lover, I enjoyed learning new insights and trivia, adding to my adoration of the genre, as well as these legendary performers.  Their hard work and perseverance have made this film be named AFI’s #1 Musical and secured these faces as "shimmering, glowing stars in the cinema firmament." * Every one of those on the screen are now legendary.  Not only Gene, Donald, and Debby, but also Jean Hagen was also a class act and brought her ‘dumb blonde’ Lina Lamont to life.  

Kathleen Freeman as the dialog coach, Phoebe Dinsmore – love her! - a consummate character actress. When Rita Moreno (Zelda) is on screen, you can’t take your eyes off of her! No wonder she eventually won an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy!  And Cyd Charisse? (My dad always said she had the ‘best legs in the business!’) Um…yes!  When she and Gene dance in the “Gotta’ Dance” numbers? You could literally feel the heat come off the screen – sex may have been under more control in 1952, and the film may be rated G, but you can’t generate that kind of’ steam today – Whoa!

To see the costumes and tiny details that otherwise get overlooked when watching on a home screen was fantastic!  From the brocade fabrics & buttons, to all the wig work and time period components that make this film universally loved, I was overwhelmed at times, not to mention some of the best song and dance numbers assembled into one film! 

A couple of years ago, I took tap dancing lessons. For two reasons mainly: to do something I had never done and had always wanted to do, and to appreciate that hard work that some of my favorite films stars could do and appear to make easy.  I often watch my dancing films just at the ‘foot level,’ (since I’ve seen them so many times, I can watch for different things each time now), and with the big screen showing, I could ‘up close and personal’ watch the mastery with which the dancing was executed.   My appreciation goes deeper even more so now.

Lastly, it was a pleasure to be part of these applause; we all knew those on screen couldn’t hear us, but we were appreciative of what we just saw and wanted to give our thanks.  That made it all worthwhile.

“What a grand, what a glorious feeling! I’m happy again!” **

 For more information on Singing in the Rain, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045152/ or http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/418/Singin-in-the-Rain/

   *Lina Lamont, Singing in the Rain

** Singin' in the Rain
(1929) (uncredited)
Music by Nacio Herb Brown, Lyrics by Arthur Freed