Will you be a patriot or a lover?

Happy Fourth of July!

Er.. remember that time when I said I was going to post every week on this thing? Oh, yeah, about that. Anyway, here we go...

This won't be much of a post because
a) It's 1 in the morning and I work tomorrow
b) I don't know a whole heap about these movies and, while I'd love to do more research on each of them, see a, above and
c) okay, I don't actually have a point c, but I wanted to keep this list going.

I just wanted to talk about my favorite patriotic movies and on this patriotic holiday, it seemed appropriate to share them.

Holiday Inn (1942)

Fred Astaire's "Let's Say It With Firecrackers" routine has been a long-time favorite of mine. I love the music, the firecrackers, his facial expressions, his hopping around, his attitude, his outfit. I mean, really, it's a fantastic sequence. What's not to love? That's really about all this movie has in terms of Independence Day references. But, isn't that enough?

Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

Born on the 4th of July and all! Talk about made for a holiday viewing! This movie really is wonderful. It has so many fantastic songs, James Cagney is brilliant, Joan Leslie is delightful, it's funny, touching, and makes you feel pretty good about being American.

1776 (1972)

This is what I'll be watching when I get home tonight as I kick back with my subway leftovers and kick off my wet work shoes (yes, I know, I really know how to party). I love this movie. Really. It's so much more than the movie your US History teacher made you watch Sophomore year. It's so funny, the songs are amazing, the performances are fantastic. It makes me cry. It's romantic. It's one of my favorite movies ever. Tonight's viewing may very well begin yet another segment of my life where I watch the movie over and over again - and, do you know something? I wouldn't mind. It's totally worth every minute of its 3 hour running time (ok, I could do without a good portion of "Molasses to Slaves to Rum" and "Mama, Look Sharp" depresses me beyond belief... but every other minute is pure delight).

I'll be posting videos of these movies on my Facebook page today (provided I remember, of course). Those are my top picks for today. What are your favorite Fourth of July flicks?

Give me a P-I-A-N-O Oh! Oh!

First off, Happy New Year's! Okay, it's New Year's Eve. But I won't see you until next year so... Happy New Year's!! Oh, and I have a special new year's treat: a new movie!


Second off, I'd like to thank my wonderful, wonderful followers for following me because on Tuesday I surpassed my goal of 15 followers by New Year's. Hooray!! And a big, warm, grateful thank you to Amanda Cooper at A Noodle in Haystack for mentioning my blog!



I also want to thank everyone who voted in this week's poll. Tom voiced concern about a possible tie and there actually was one: Susan from Miracle on 34th Street and Zuzu from It's A Wonderful Life both received 4 votes! Daphne and Vanderbilt from Holiday Inn earned 2 votes, coming in second. Thank you again to all who voted! And don't forget to vote in this week's poll: do you prefer light films or dark films or do you prefer both in equal proportion?

And I also want to thank everyone who suggested Cagney movies for me. I've added them to my Netflix queue and I can't wait! Thank you so much! I also realized after I wrote the post that I already knew of two light Cagney movies (oops) that I, in fact, own (oops): A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935) and Footlight Parade (1933). I plan to rewatch these while I wait for the others to come in the mail. Thank you again everyone who suggested titles to me. I've taken your advice to heart and I will report back when I've seen the movies.

I've decided to do slightly more than just a spotlight on a musical number. Perhaps it's because it's the end of the year and I'd like to have a slam-bang finish or perhaps it's because my growing number of followers has inspired me to new heights... in any case, today I'm discussing "I Love A Piano" from Easter Parade (1948). I decided on this number in part because Andrew at Encore Entertainment asked if Easter Parade is good. The answer? Yes! It's a wonderful movie. The chemistry between Judy Garland and Fred Astaire was so great that the studio made preparations for another Judy and Fred film: The Barkleys of Broadway. Unfortunately, Judy Garland was having difficulties at this time and so a different actress was cast... Anyway, I picked this number (which begins at 3:34) because it is so enjoyable to watch. I love how Hannah's character blossoms as she becomes more like herself. The way she sings, the way they dance - they look like they're having so much fun! I love the way musical numbers develop character (that is, I love when they do). This scene shows Hannah's and Don's relationship perfectly - he grabs her up and swings her around, but is he doing that because he loves her or because it's part of the dance?



As I rewatched the scene in preparation for this post, I realized that there was more to be said about this number: namely, how much fun people seem to have when they're dancing on a piano. Fred and Judy do it here and I've found a few other examples....

Gene Kelly does it in American in Paris (1951).

Shirley Temple does in Curly Top (1935).

Fred Astaire even does it again in Let's Dance (1950).

Apparently Hannah isn't the only one who loves pianos. If you had the chance, would you dance on one?

Stix Nix Hix Pix

The other day I did something that I've wanted to do for quite some time: I revisited Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942). Which, incidentally, is #9 in my count-up:


It's odd revisiting a film that you haven't seen since childhood - there are scenes you vividly remember and whole sections that you completely forget about.

There are two scenes in particular that I remembered from the film: the one where George brings Mary flowers and chocolates because he's given her song to Fay Templeton and the scene where Josie tells George that she's getting married. For some strange reason, those two scenes stuck out to me and when I watched the film the other day, they were just as I remembered them - except I understood them better. I'm not sure why, but the second, the scene between Josie and George, moves me in some indescribable way. I can't quite put my finger on it. I've rewatched the scene a couple of times after having finished the movie, trying to figure out why I love it so much. I think it's the tenderness in the scene - the way George gently guides Josie to the bench, the way he puts his hand on her cheek, his smile when he looks at her (I also think that I saw the scene a bit differently when I realized that Josie is played by Jeanne Cagney, James Cagney's sister). In any case, there is something in this scene that moves me somehow. I remembered it from when I was a kid and after I finished the movie, I replayed the scene in my mind.

I love watching films as an adult that I watched as a kid because I can appreciate the emotion that goes into a scene more now. And I appreciate the performers a great deal more too. You see, I have a confession to make: I've seen very few James Cagney movies. I prefer light and fluffy movies. Films that have dark and heavy plots really bother me and I rarely revisit them. I may appreciate them, I may admire the artistry, but I rarely enjoy dark films. Thus, I've avoided Cagney films because I imagine them to be filled with violence, angst, and unpleasant tension. The trouble is, I watch something like Yankee Doodle Dandy (which I realize is not exactly fluffy) and I yearn to see more of Cagney's powerful acting.

So, my question to my readers is: what is the solution to my problem? What are your favorite Cagney films? I know there are Cagney fans out there - which movies would you recommend? Or am I going on a wild goose chase, looking for a semi-light Cagney flick?

Any suggestions?