dual personalities

Tag: movies

March 15, 2024

“Impetuous. Homeric!”

by chuckofish

Happy Friday! My weekend will be quiet as daughter #1 headed off to visit daughter #2, leaving Mr. Smith with us.

The boy is taking the twins on an overnight camping trip, so they will miss Sunday with us. Sigh.

But Sunday is St. Patrick’s Day so we will be watching The Quiet Man (1952) as this is our March 17th tradition. It is a fairy tale, a make-believe wish of what Ireland is like, but I love it–mostly because John Wayne is great and at the height of his powers.

To get you in the mood to watch, here are a few fun facts to know and share about the movie.

As you recall, when daughters #1 and #2 and I were traveling in Ireland in 2011, we made a pilgrimage to Cong where the movie was filmed.

The Quiet Man Museum is around the block from Pat Cohan’s Bar.

The town of Cong, in County Mayo was just getting electricity in 1951 when the actors and crew were there. A few scenes show utility poles, but no wires are clearly visible. The town folk were excited because they thought the electricity wouldn’t cost anything. When they learned otherwise, they insisted they didn’t want or need it – get rid of it. (Later, of course, their attitude changed.)

Charles B. Fitzsimmons (Hugh Forbes, IRA man) and James O’Hara (Father Paul) were the real-life younger brothers of Maureen O’Hara.

The white-haired, frail Dan Tobin, who gets up from his death bed and runs to see the fight, was John Ford’s older brother, Francis Ford. Four of John Wayne’s children appear in the steeplechase scene, which Wayne directed while Ford was sick.

Barry Fitzgerald, who plays the character of Michaleen Oge Flynn, and Arthur Shields, who played the Protestant vicar Cyril ‘Snuffy’ Playfair, were brothers in real life. They were both Protestants born in Dublin, Ireland. Shields was the family name. The Oscar-winner Fitzgerald, who was nearly eight years older than his brother, was born William Joseph Shields.

It is Maureen O’Hara’s favorite of her own films.

John Ford won his fourth Best Director Oscar and the film was in the top ten moneymakers of the year. Winton Hoch won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

Stephen Spielberg, a great admirer of John Ford, paid tribute to The Quiet Man in E.T. (1982):

When the film was first screened in Boston, MA, Michaleen Flynn’s line on seeing the broken bed, “Impetuous! Homeric!”, was censored.

Well, watch it or don’t–that’s how I celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!

And here’s a bonus picture of Ida waving at the fish in the fish pond.

3 Comments
March 13, 2024

Saints and poets

by chuckofish

The other night I watched the old movie Our Town (1940), starring a stellar cast which included William Holden, Martha Scott, Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, and Frank Craven as the Stage Manager. He originated the role on Broadway.

I don’t know what it is about this movie but it just destroys me every time I see it. Once again I cried through the whole last act. Part of it is that Aaron Copland score. But most of it is the plain truth of it.

Wilder explained in his preface to the play that “‘Our Town’ is not offered as a picture of life in a New Hampshire village or as a speculation about the condition of life after death. . . .It is an attempt to find a value above all price for the smallest events in our life.” Well, I get that. The movie plays up the romance angle and it changes the ending, but for Hollywood, it does a pretty good job of conveying the message of the play.

I was in the play once–in eighth grade. I played Howie Newsome, the milkman. I saw it performed in Peterborough, New Hampshire, in a production by the Peterborough Players that included James Whitmore as the Stage Manager. (Wilder wrote some of Our Town at the MacDowell Colony in Peterborough, as well as in Zurich and on Long Island and all over.) And I’ve seen several versions on TV. But I do like the black and white movie, sets and all.

Here’s “The birth and life of an American classic: ‘Our Town’” from the Pulitzer files. Some people just don’t get it and write it off as folksy and sentimental. How wrong they are!

Reading the play is good, but seeing it is better. After all, it’s a play. For convenience sake, I recommend the movie.

5 Comments
March 11, 2024

Take my intellect and use ev’ry pow’r as thou shalt choose*

by chuckofish

It was a quiet weekend, mostly because it was a busy week punctuated by several visits to MoBap for routine appointments. We also spent eight hours there on Thursday while the OM had an ICD–an  implantable cardioverter-defibrillator–implanted. Fun city.

Meanwhile I am through with my semi-annual cancer checks (until September) and an infusion etc. Onward and upward.

In Sunday School we continued with the Westminster Confession and I cannot tell you how much I enjoy this class. The boy is in agreement. Such a smart class!

All things in Scripture are not alike plain in themselves, nor alike clear unto all; yet those things which are necessary to be known, believed, and observed, for salvation, are so clearly propounded and opened in some place of Scripture or other, that not only the learned, but the unlearned, in a due use of the ordinary means, may attain unto a sufficient understanding of them.

We are almost finished with chapter one!

We had a baptism in church–the fifth child in a family, who did not make a peep through the whole thing. I was impressed. As the elder walked her down the aisle, the congregation sang Jesus Loves Me and the twins chimed in with gusto. Once again they got an A for non-depraved behavior.

After church we went home for quiche and fruit salad and jelly beans, of which they ate plenty.

It was too cold for driveway sittin’ so the twins played with Legos while the grown-ups talked. Lovely. After everyone left, I watched some PGA–Scottie Scheffler won!–and took an unintended nap.

I didn’t watch the Academy Awards last night (of course). Instead I watched True Grit (1969), starring John Wayne in his Oscar-winning performance. It was a very good choice! Here’s his acceptance speech: humble and grateful.

And here is some news we can all use: good advice on how not to be a grumpy old woman. “It is good to give sober thought to the fact that life is short, and if we hope to finish well, we must intend to finish well.”

Have a great week!

*Frances R. Havergal, 1874

4 Comments
March 5, 2024

This leaping combustion of spring*

by chuckofish

In my daily Bible reading I am currently reading Deuteronomy. Moses really has his hands full with those stiff-necked Jews.

And if you forget the Lord your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I solemnly warn you today that you shall surely perish.

–Deuteronomy 8:19

Of course, nothing has changed since then and we are worse than ever. Remember what Calvin said about the human heart being a factory of idols. He had read Deuteronomy!

In other news, today we celebrate the birthday of American illustrator and author Howard Pyle (1853-1911). Pyle was widely respected during his life and continues to be well regarded by illustrators and fine artists. His contemporary Vincent Van Gogh wrote in a letter to his brother Theo that Pyle’s work “struck me dumb with admiration.” I had a copy of Otto of the Silver Hand as a child, which deeply effected me. Looking at his art makes me want to watch Captain Blood (1936)–clearly the art director of this film was a fan of Howard Pyle.

Sixty-seven years later Hollywood still looked to Pyle for inspiration…

Today is also the anniversary of the day the great actor William Powell died in 1984. He was in a lot of really good movies throughout his long career, most notably The Thin Man (1934) et al, My Man Godfrey (1936), Life With Father (1947), and Mister Roberts (1961). I recommend watching any of these. Pour yourself a highball first.

This is a good example of sports testimony. “So yes, a missed pop fly did lead to grace — revealed in the instincts of a loving father, the kindness and generosity of a doctor, and a gift that kindled a lifetime of enriching interests. Sometimes the things we fear the most do happen. But that is not the end; there is One who is more. In those panic-stricken and dark moments, grace mysteriously goes to work.”

And speaking of baseball, can you even believe the uniform debacle in the MLB? See-through pants? Mis-matched uniforms? Stupid Nike.

And did you hear that the “British Board of Film Classification has decided to raise the rating on Mary Poppins from U (for Universal) to PG because of racial slurs. At two points in the film the neighbor of the Banks family, Admiral Boom, uses the term “Hottentots,” which some people now consider a derogatory name for one of the indigenous peoples of South Africa. The film has also been criticized for blackface because of the scene in which sooty chimney sweeps dance over rooftops.” (World News Group) The world is a clown show.

Enjoy your Tuesday. Do not forget the Lord.

*D.H. Lawrence, “The Enkindled Spring”

4 Comments
February 26, 2024

A tisket, a tasket

by chuckofish

We had a warm, sunny weekend–quite a contrast with last weekend’s snowstorm. Everyone was out and about.

The Kirkwood Historical Society, on whose board I serve–note the official KHS quarter-zip–had their Trivia Night on Friday. It was a packed house at our old church and very festive. My team only had 5 players (compared to eight) but we managed to tie for first place. But we lost the tie breaker. Quel dommage.

Saturday I got up early to do the flowers at church. I think they turned out all right.

Then daughter #1 and I went to an estate sale and to the antique mall. We exhausted ourselves–well, I did–browsing, so we had a margarita in downtown Kirkwood and shared a quesadilla. Good times.

After watching golf/napping, the OM and I watched Night at the Museum (2006), because, after writing the Pop Quiz on U.S. Presidents in the movies last week, I wanted to see Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt again. He plays it very straight and with dignity.

I enjoyed the movie, mostly because it has no political agenda beyond emphasizing that history is, indeed, interesting. Also Mickey Rooney is truly hilarious. (“Are you crackin’ wise? I oughta punch you in the nose, Hopscotch.”) Of course, it’s ironic that since then they have removed the iconic equestrian statue of T.R. that stood for so long in front of the Museum of Natural History in NYC. I will spare you my thoughts on this.

In Sunday School we are starting a new session on the Westminster Confession of Faith, which I love. In our first class we got through one paragraph of Chapter One. Systematic theology! ❤️❤️❤️ The twins are great in church. They can say the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer and most of the Corporate Confession of Sin. They know the Doxology. This makes me very happy and I know the boy is proud of them. Lottie asked if she could bring her bulletin home.

After church we headed over to daughter #1’s house for brunch with Presbyterian Souffle. It was warm enough to frolic in the back yard with Mr. Smith and then walk up to Jackson Park and play on the playground.

Mr. Smith was living his best life.

Later that evening I ventured back to church for the Westminster Christian Academy touring ensemble concert. During spring break they are taking their show on the road–to Eastern Europe!–so this was practice for them. It brought me back to those days of yore when I sang in my high school choir and the boy sang in his high school choir. They sang at daughter #1’s church Sunday morning and she warned me that everyone was reaching for their Kleenex, but, verily, by the end of the concert I was a puddle of tears. What can I say?

And here’s Ida trying to decide which of my vintage Golden Books to read…

I can tell she’s leaning toward Sal Mineo in Tonka, but I know The Brave Little Tailor is a super fun and action-packed read. I read it to Katie when she was here a few weeks ago.

Have a good week! Embrace the simple pleasures in your life and be grateful for them. The blue sky, old movies, smart kids, small dogs, music, and Golden Books.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

–Dallan Forgail (8th Century)
4 Comments
February 22, 2024

A certain natural gift for rhetoric

by chuckofish

A few nights ago I watched the movie Pygmalion (1938) which I had not seen in many years. It is based on the play by George Bernard Shaw.

It was really good! The screenplay is by Shaw himself (he won the Oscar for writing that year) and stars Leslie Howard as Henry Higgins, a part he was born to play. Wendy Hiller plays Eliza Doolittle and the wonderful Wilfrid Lawson plays her father Alfred Dolittle. Here’s a clip that shows both of Lawson’s big scenes.

It’s readily available on Youtube and I highly recommend it.

I could launch into a vent on why no one can write a screenplay like this today, one that even includes a good amount of social commentary, but I will not. What’s the point? Instead I will repeat my old mantra: watch an old movie, read an old book, look up from your phone, step into the sun, step into the light!

As for going outside, yesterday afternoon, the boy and the wee bud came over after school while Lottie was in dance class. The bud said, “Can we have some driveway sittin’ time, Mamu?” and I, of course, said YES. Since it was in the high 60s, it seemed right–the first day of driveway sittin’!

He tuned up the Raptor and drove around the yard, waving at all the neighbors and every dog that walked by. The boy and I sat on the driveway and talked. When the OM came home from work, he joined us. Lovely.

And here’s a poem for Thursday by William Blake:

5 Comments
February 20, 2024

Pop quiz

by chuckofish

We haven’t had a pop quiz in a while, so I thought, it being the day after Presidents Day, we would have a quiz about U.S. Presidents in the movies.

  1. Not surprisingly, Abraham Lincoln appears as a character in the most number of movies. Which presidents appear the second and third most times?
  2. Henry Fonda played Abraham Lincoln in Young Mr. Lincoln (1939). Which President’s son did he play in The Longest Day (1962)?
  3. What President did Harry Carey, Jr., Tom Selleck and Robin Williams all play?
  4. Character actor Sidney Blackmer played this President five times, most notably in Buffalo Bill (1944).
  5. Who played Andrew Jackson twice?
  6. In how many movies does Shirley Temple sit on President Lincoln’s lap?
  7. Did Ronald Reagan ever “play” a President before he retired from acting and went into politics?
  8. Raymond Massey played President Lincoln twice in the movies and several times on television. The photo at the top shows him in what movie?

How did you do? I’ll post the answers in the Comments section later today.

Almighty God, who hast given us this good land for our heritage: We humbly beseech thee that we may always prove ourselves a people mindful of thy favor and glad to do thy will. Bless our land with honorable industry, sound learning, and pure conduct. Save us from violence, discord, and confusion; from pride and arrogance, and from every evil way. Defend our liberties, and fashion into one united people the multitudes brought hither out of many kindreds and tongues. Endue with the spirit of wisdom those to whom, in thy Name, we entrust the authority of government, that there may be justice and peace at home, and that, through obedience to thy law, we may show forth thy praise among the nations of the earth. In the time of prosperity, fill our hearts with thankfulness, and in the day of trouble, suffer not our trust in thee to fail; all of which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

–BCP
7 Comments
January 31, 2024

“I’m having a rhetorical conversation”

by chuckofish

Last week I watched The Producers (1967) on TCM. You know, the one about a washed-up Broadway producer who devises a plan to make money by producing a sure-fire flop–Springtime for Hitler. It was hilarious. As the producer Zero Mostel is beyond anything else ever. His comb-over is the best/worst in movie history. Gene Wilder is perfect as the overwhelmed accountant. It is silly, silly, silly. I’m not sure what today’s progressive audience would make of it, especially scenes like this:

…but I really don’t care. Everybody is insulted in this movie. Even old ladies.

Mel Brooks won the Oscar for Best Writing, Story and Screenplay–Written Directly for the Screen–for The Producers over writers Stanley Kubrick and John Cassavetes. I think he was a little surprised.

Back when the Oscars were worth watching!

Brooks is an interesting guy. It is noteworthy, I think, that Brooks graduated from high school in January 1944 and was immediately drafted into the Army. He was sent to Europe where he participated in the Battle of the Bulge, joining a battalion that was responsible for clearing booby-trapped buildings and defusing land mines as the Allies advanced into Nazi Germany. He was a real life Shecky Greene in Combat!. At the end of the war he was honorably discharged as a corporal. I bet he felt lucky to be alive. He headed to the Catskills to become a comic and the rest is history.

Sadly, the Hollywood elites of today are unable to make movies like The Producers anymore. They take themselves too seriously as artistes and produce overblown, overly-long messes. Mel Brooks never took himself too seriously and I am thankful.

So watch The Producers–It may be “shocking, outrageous, insulting”–but relax and let yourself laugh. It’s funny.

3 Comments
January 29, 2024

Postcards from the weekend

by chuckofish

Another rainy, overcast weekend filled with busy-ness. When did February become such a busy month?

Among other things, the bud had the Pinewood Derby…

He got the “Spirit of Scouting” medal…

…but his car came in 4th out of 12 in the race, so he missed out on a podium trophy by three-tenths of a second. C’es la vie.

Meanwhile the movers came to daughter #2’s house two days earlier than previously arranged, so they had a last-minute scramble to finish packing the night before.

This gives them more time to drive to Illinois, so it’ll work out.

They left on Sunday and will arrive on Monday, in plenty of time to close on their house on Tuesday.

The OM and I are poised to drive over to help them unpack as soon as we hear when the movers are actually going to arrive (probably Wednesday) with all their stuff. Prayers for traveling mercies all around.

This week our Sunday School class on the Doctrines of Grace (TULIP) focused on Irresistible Grace–“the point at which the things determined beforehand in the mind and counsel of God pass over into time.” Or to put it simply: “He who has begun a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ Jesus.” (Phil. 1:6) I love this class!

After church the OM went to the Blues hockey game and the rest of us all went to see The Wizard of Oz (1939) on the big screen. (Check out Fathom’s Big Screen Classics series here.) As you know, it is one of my top 5 favorite movies, so I jumped at the opportunity. Wow, to see this great movie as it was meant to be seen was fantastic. The art direction is A++++ and on the big screen you can see every detail. The incidental music is awesome and Judy Garland is perfection. In fact, everyone in it is great.

The bud’s favorite part was the tornado in Kansas and Lottie’s fave was Glinda. We all agreed that Toto reminded us of Mr. Smith through the whole movie. I hope we can talk about it further sometime–they had to rush off to Lacrosse practice!

Today is the birthday of one of my favorite ancestors, John Wesley Prowers, the Colorado cattle king who was an early inductee into the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum Hall of Fame in 1963.

I like to celebrate by watching a really good cowboy movie. This year we watched Red River (1948), one of the best and a favorite of mine. As Roger Ebert wrote, “….’Red River’ is one of the greatest of all Westerns when it stays with its central story about an older man and a younger one, and the first cattle drive down the Chisholm Trail. It is only in its few scenes involving women that it goes wrong.” I have to agree.

John Wayne and Montgomery Clift are perfect as father and (adopted) son. Every time I see it I am so impressed with both of them. And Walter Brennan gives one of his best performances.

I also watched Kevin James’ Irregardless stand-up special on Prime Video. I think he’s funny and he seems really normal. No bad language or vulgarity. No politics. Probably having an old lady like me like your comedy routine is the kiss of death, but oh well.

So it was quite a weekend. What did you do? What did you learn? There’s no place like home!

4 Comments
January 23, 2024

 Frosty wind made moan

by chuckofish

Yesterday we woke up to the world covered in a sheet of ice. The neighbor across the street got as far as the end of her driveway before she stopped and just left her car there and retreated into the house.

I had gone to the grocery store preemptively on Sunday, so I just hunkered down (once again) and stayed home. The OM worked from home as did daughter #1 and the rest of the world.

(Zoom calls at home.)

Moving along, today we remember Alexander Korda, the Hungarian–born British film director, producer, and screenwriter, who died on this day in 1956. He founded his own film production studios and film distribution company. He made a lot of good films, including some of my favorites, such as The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934), The Four Feathers (1939) and The Third Man (1949). Any of them would be worth watching as we toast this notable film producer. Because of his work with Winston Churchill before and during WWII, he was the first British film producer to be knighted.

And here’s a little Shakespeare for a wintery day:

(As You Like It, Act II Scene VII)

Plus, some wise words from C.S. Lewis:

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.” – Mere Christianity

Amen to that.

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