An Affair to Remember

Ok...so to start with, one of the most romantic and wonderful movies of all time. I am a puddle by the end of the movie. And I don't think Cary Grant has ever been more charming and handsome in any role as this one. So everyone probably knows the story: Two people engaged to other people meet on a ship and fall in love with one another and decide to meet on top of the Empire State Building on Valentines. Yes yes yes....everyone knows the movie. BUT...can we just stop and discuss one of the more romantic scenes ever witnessed on the big screen? Its so simple and not at all disturbing or ackward to watch (which makes my love for these films all the more intense: Note to film directos and writers of today--take some tips and points from the movies of old.) So back to the most romantic scene: Nicky (Cary) meets Terry (Kerr) on top of the ship after spending the day with his grandmother. Terry is crying and tells Nicky that that is what beauty does to her. So he leads her down the stairs and he gets to the end and she pulls him back up two stair steps and all you see is their legs and then she is crying again and of course she is crying because that is what beauty does to her and then I'M crying because GOD!!! Where did this type of romance go in our society? A simple kiss not even witnessed by anyone but says so much more than any sex scene in todays films or TV. And I want to be led down the stairs by my hand! And then the end....OH MY LORD THE END!!!! Oh my Lord....HE SEES THE PAINTING!! And he runs back to her...and they hug and they cry and OH GOOD LORD ITS BEAUTIFUL. Beautiful film. Beautiful story. Oh I just love it. I love it. Grant has raised himself a few notches in my book. Their acting is effortless and natural. Their chemistry together is beautiful to watch. See the movie for God's sake if you haven't seen it--YOUR LIFE WILL THANK YOU FOR IT!!

That is all for now....adiue (is that how you spell it?)

A Gentleman's Agreement

OK. So the year is 1947. Out comes a little controversial movie about anti-sematisim staring no other than the divine Mr. Peck. (Put his name behind anything and I'd consider it gold). The movie in which I speak of is "A Gentleman's Agreement" which about a single father (god he plays being a single father so well!) who is a journalist woking in NYC. He is given the assignment to write about antisemtatism which was a pretty risky movie for Fox studios seeing as how this was an incredibly sensitive subject at the time in our country-WWII going on and Hitler taking over Europe whilst killing millions upon millions of Jews. And only Mr. Peck could carry it with such passion and grace. This is probably my second most favorite movie of his because he has such a fervor to convey all the emotions that went on back then and how it must felt to be called "dirty Jew" or have your son come home crying because the boys at school wouldn't let him play dodgeball because he was jewish. Rather than just write the facts about how it must feel, Philip Green (Peck) pretends to be Jewish for two months and finds out how ostricized and how unfairly the Jews were being treated at this time in history. Great film. Great message. Great acting.
**Side note***
The leading lady is none other than Dorothy McGuire who later went on to play the Swiss Family Robinson mother as well as Old Yeller's mother in the Disney hit films that I grew up loving. I KNEW SHE LOOKED FAMILIAR!!!

**Side note**
Favorite scene I do believe would have to be Green consoling his son in the bathroom. Awww!! That's the kind of parent I want to be

So in conclusion, can any film with Gregory Peck be bad? Nope. Sorry. It can't. So watch the movie. It was great.

Until we meet again...expect my next review to be a Cary Grant film because he pretty stellar as well. I'm in the mood for a little Grant

A Place in the Sun

So onward we move to another movie which is a total buzz kill: A Place in the Sun. The movie wasn't bad necessarily (great acting, great actors, good story line) but wow....what an ending. Let's just say you don't walk away from this movie feeling inspired or anything. You should probably keep all sharp objects away from you for a good hour after the movie because you just want to kill yourself. That being said, you can't not like it. I mean...Elizabeth Taylor anyone?!?! She's GORGEOUS!! Gorgeous I tell you!!! Her lips....wow! Also starring, Montgomery Clift who is mildly handsome in my opinion (a little puny in this movie. He's much better looking in "From Here to Eternity") and we also have Shelley Winters. The movie was nominated for best actor (Clift) and actress (Winters) and best movie, but did not win. Clift stars as George Eastman, a hardworking young man who came from nothing and comes to work for his very successful uncle at "Eastman's". There, he meets "Al" (Winters) and they have a bit of "thing". He meets Angela Vickers (Taylor) at a party and its love at first sight for him, although she doesn't give him the time of day. So time goes on, he fantasizes about Angela Vikers while dating Al. What I love about old movies is that they don't show a full out sex scene--its just implied. No clothes coming off, no loud moaning noises that leave feeling very very ackward when you are sitting there with your mother or father. Its just implied that when he goes in the room at night and the next scene is the day and he is leaving you know that they "did the deed". And the deed they did do because Al becomes PREGNANT!! SCANDELOUS!!! Which is quite a shame for George Eastman because he meets up with Angela Vickers and she is completely taken with him and they completely in love. So now what? What is George Eastman to do with Al and his illegitmate child? Kill her of course! But does he? Who knows?!?! Well I do since I watched the movie. I leave you with this cliffhanger and its up to you to find out if he does or doesn't.
Until tommorrow...

For my next film, in my opinion is titled with the greatest name ever to grace God's green earth: Rebecca. Yes my dear friends, this movie is graced with one of the most lovely sounding words int he english dicitionary. So the movie "Rebecca" is based off the best selling book "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier. I have also read the book and its fantastic as well. Rebecca was Alfred Hitchcock's first American movie he ever directed and lemme tell you, it was great. Black and white films are near and dear to my heart. The lead actors in the film are Laurence Oliver, who was married to Viven Leigh of "Gone with the Wind" and Joan Fonataine who is still alive and well, one of the last 30's film stars to still be living. It was nominated for an academy award for best picture and won the great honor. The story is about a young man, Maxim de Winter, recently widowed who meets and falls in love with a beautiful young lady whose name is never given in the film, she is simply "Mrs de Winter". Maxim is incredibly wealthy and takes his new bride to his home, Manderley--a mansion beyond mansions. The film is about how the new Mrs de Winters always feels second rate to Rebecca, Maxim's first wife, and how she feels the servants in the household are out to get her. There is a huge twist at the end though that you never really see coming. Good movie.
The acting was great. I gotta say that Mr. Oliver is quite handsome (but then again, everyone looks great in black and white) and Ms. Fontaine is beautiful in her role. I love the way they speak and call eachother "darling"--no one says darling anymore. It was a great film and I thoroughly enjoyed it. As always, the book is better, but its always nice to see what you read brought to life.

So I've decided to write again

So I've decided to enter back into the world of blogging, not that a lot of people actually read these things, but it makes me feel good to write this stuff out. The question is, what to write about? Nothing exciting ever happens in my life so that kind of limits my frame for writing. And suddenly it came to me: Old movies. I've always loved old movies. The movies of yesterday were all about content and substance. Today its all about a profit. While perusing the isles of Target I was completely aghast at some of the ridiculous titles of todays movies. None of these movies are ever going to be looked back on in 50 years the same way one looks back on, lets say, The Sound of Music which has and will always stand the test of time. Movies back then connected with the soul. The actors believed in their craft and they had TALENT!! More than just being a pretty face, they had the entire package: brains, beauty, and talent. So many actors of today are a pretty face and fit a certain sterotype. Moves stars back in the day (and they WERE movie stars in every sense) were more than a pretty face. The had the entire package. They were suave, and distinguished and oh so handsome or oh so classy. Who do we have today that reminds me of old hollywood? Mr. George Cloony is a Gregory Peck to me or John Hamm, a modern day Cary Grant. But....other than that I dont see royalty like I see way back when: Peck, Grant, Kerr, Taylor, Bogart, Leigh, Gable, Hepburn.
So anyways, I love the old movies. I feel like I was born in the wrong generation. I love classical music and I love to read. I'm weird. Yes. I know. But completly awesome too. My love for the classics has led me to write about them. I'll watch the movies and write a little blog about it.
Lets begin with the movie in which I watched last week: To Kill a Mockingbird.
So, To Kill a Mockingbird, based off Harper Lee's legendary classic and award winning book, (which if you haven't read you need toread or if it's been a while you need to read it again!!) can be summed up in one word: Amazing. For starters, you've got Mr. Gregory Peck himself who is simply God's finest work. Peck plays the widowed father Atticus Finch. He plays a lawyer who is representing a black man who is being accused of raping a white woman. Now this movie takes place during the Great Depression in Alabama where there was strong prejudices against the black man. They were seen as lesser than and inferior to the white man. So for Atticus to represent this man brought on a lot of talk and a lot of bigatory towards not only the accused but Atticus and his family. The movie is narrated by Scout, Atticus' young and precocious daughter. The movie is seen through her and her brother, Jem's eyes which is a great take on a sensitive issue. I wont give away the ending, but let's just say, Gregory Peck's speech in the trial will leave you with goosebumps (In the name of God, do your duty. In the name of God, restore this man back to his family--amazing!) Peck won the 1962 Academy Award for his role in this movie and he completely deserved it. He was divine. He WAS Atticus. And the children who play Scout and Jem were completely unknown, and never really acted much after this. Mary Badham was nominated for her role as Scout, but did not win but was the youngest actress to ever be nominated. For her one role to play, Mary certainly scored a homerun: Gregory Peck as her father, a nomination, and a movie that will stand the test of time. Not bad. Not bad at all.
There's so much emotion in this film. There's so much depth. And you walk away from the movie feeling like you've gained something. The musical score is pretty amazing as well-Mr Elemer Bernstein did very well in composing the music for the movie.
In conclusion, READ THE BOOK!!! And see the movie. You will love it.

Which brings me to another Gregory Peck movie in which you will find delightful: Roman Holiday.
Roman Holiday stars Peck and newcomer Audrey Hepburn. This was her first American film and in which she won her first Academy Award for her role as Princess Ann. Peck plays Joe Bradley, an American reporter who is residing in Rome, Italy. The princess Ann has made her last publicity stop in Rome. She is tired and sick of being a show girl and saying all the right things, so she runs away from home and has the incredible luck of running into Bradley/Peck. Lucky whore. :) Bradley, realizing who she is, feigns ignorance and takes her on a "Roman Holiday" for the day. His motives are completly selfish in that he wants an inside scoop of the famous Princess Ann and Ann wants annoynmity and thinks she has found it in Bradley. Well, the day is filled with adventures and romance. Ultimatly, they fall in love. Again, I'm not giving away the ending.
Peck is simply debonair and completely dreamy (but when is he not). Hepburn is divine. She is beautiful and funny and like a breath of fresh air. The movie is asthetically pleasing (I mean who doesn't love Rome right!?!?!) and the chemistry between Peck and Hepburn is almost tangible. They were great together!! It was the perfect blend of humor, drama and romance.

So I could go on and on but I wont. I'll be back for more.