Hulinsporg!

This is one of my favorite New Year's scenes! So cute!!

"The next person that says, 'Merry Christmas' to me, I'll kill 'em."

Last week's quote: "I could dance nightly just holding you tightly, my sweet" is from Holiday Inn. Fred Astaire sings it in, "Easy to Dance With," which was written by the brilliant Irving Berlin.

This week's quote is: "The next person that says, 'Merry Christmas' to me, I'll kill 'em."

Mi mi mi mi, re re re re, do so mi do la si.

Rachel at The Girl with the White Parasol, set up a movie meme for New Year's and I decided to participate! Yay!!

1. What is your all-time favorite Grace Kelly costume?
I must confess. I've seen very few Grace Kelly movies. I know, I know. She's amazing. She's beautiful. She's pretty much perfect. But I've still only seen To Catch a Thief and High Society. And I haven't seen either in quite a while so this question is stretching my memory a great deal (and we're only at the first question!) It's honestly a toss up between one in each. I'll go with this one from High Society.



2. What classic film would you nominate for a remake?
Can I say none? I know you've all heard my rantings about contemporary remakes. They're just awful. Most of them, anyway. If it were done well, though, I think I could go for another Scarlet Pimpernel adaptation (the important phrase here being "done well" - or maybe I should say, "done right.") Despite the fact that both Anthony Andrews and Leslie Howard are flawless in their versions of Percy Blakeney, I love his character so much, I could go for more versions!

3. Name your favorite femme fatale.
Cyd Charisse. I'm not sure if that's the type this meme is talking about but that's what I think of. I suppose her most iconic role as a femme fatale would be as The Brunette in The Bandwagon.
For the most part, I feel like femme fatale roles pop up most in film noir and I'm not much into the genre (yet).

from Doctor Macro

4. Name the best movie with the word "heaven" in its title.
To be honest, the only one I've seen is My Blue Heaven with Betty Grable and Dan Dailey and I really, really, did not like it. At all. I even did a search in case there were movies I'd forgotten about. Nope. Just that one.

5. Describe the worst performance by a child actor that you’ve ever seen (since Laura gave me the idea).
Oh! I know this one! Okay. So, typically I like a lot of child actors. I'm a big Shirley Temple fan (it's only beginning to dawn on me that not everybody loves her) and I like kids in general. Even when they're not good actors, I can usually admit that they're pretty adorable and I figure that's why they were cast. I had a whole bit written about Dean Stockwell and how he needs to get it together because he's always messing people up. But then I remembered. At least Dean Stockwell is cute. There's one major child actor that I'm pretty sure I've yet to like in a role.


A good portion of the reasons I don't like Meet Me in St. Louis is that little girl up there. She lies about the incredibly good-looking and unbelievably nice boy-next-door. She tears apart her snowmen (what did they ever do to her?). And she's pretty morbid. I like her whole character less than I like Zuzu's line about the bell-ringing-angel-winging connection (which, for some reason, is a line that I really don't like).

6. Who gets your vote for most tragic movie monster?
I don't watch too many monster movies but I'm gonna go with Beast. Because, to be honest, that's really the only movie monster I can think of.



7. What is the one Western that you would recommend to anybody?
Does Oklahoma count as a Western? I do enjoy watching a cowboy Gene Nelson dance and a cowboy Gordon MacCrae sing. Aah. If more Westerns had dancing and singing cowboys, I'd be more inclined to watch them. When I think of typical Westerns, I just think of a lot of death and a lot of desert - neither of which is appealing to me.

8. Who is your ideal movie-viewing partner?
I watch movies with people to bond with them. That's kind of how I get to know them. In a way. So the people I'm closest to: my sisters, my mom, my best friends, are the ones I've watched lots and lots of movies with. I look forward to getting home from work so that I can watch a movie with my sister. (These nights are often the highlight of my week!) I've randomly driven to my mom's house because I've discovered a movie that we have to watch together. My college roommate and I made movie watching a near-nightly experience. We'd walk all the way across the dorms to pop popcorn (our hallway's microwave was broken) and then we'd settle down and watch a movie. Invariably, we'd start at our desks and then I'd joke, "do you want to take this to the bedroom?" Which was a pretty stupid joke but I always thought it was funny - and then we'd watch the movie sitting on a bed. I take great pride in introducing Fred and Ginger, Nick and Nora, Errol Flynn, Cary Grant, Gene Kelly to my roommate.

9. Has a film ever made you want to change your life? If so, what was the film?
Like every one else who's written in this meme, I would say that old movies in general have made a huge impact on my life. But, oddly enough, the movie that's impacted my way of thinking most is probably Tangled. The idea that you can have more than one dream in life has seriously freed me to a world of possibilities. I'm not nearly so stressed out about finding my dream because, hey, whether it works out or not, there's another dream waiting.



10. Think of one performer that you truly love. Now think of one scene/movie/performance of theirs that is too uncomfortable for you to watch.
I thought this one would be difficult but it wasn't. It turned out to be easy. Errol Flynn in Dodge City. I hate to say that I did not like that movie and mostly because of him. I didn't like his character at all. Now, it's very normal for Errol to be cast as a cocky, smug, self-righteous guy but in this movie, he was just insufferable! Ugh.

At least he was pretty.

from Doctor Macro

11. On the flip side, think of one really good scene/performance/movie from a performer that you truly loathe.
I can't honestly say that I truly loathe anybody. There are actors that I certainly don't care for much. And there are several that I'm still beginning to warm up to - Jean Harlow, for example. I'm not a terribly huge Bette Davis fan - mostly because I've seen so few of her movies. But I did adore her in It's Love I'm After. She was so cute!

12. And finally, since it will be New Year's soon, do you have any movie or blogging-related resolutions for 2012?
Well, I've recently hit upon the idea that I'd like to watch a new movie each week. BAHAHAHA. Right. Ah well. It was funny, wasn't it? My schedule is so crazy and so irregular that I really don't think I'll be able to hold to this one, but it would be awfully nice, wouldn't it? 52 new movies in 2012. I rather like the idea. Lots of space to expand my horizons.

P.S. If anybody knows what the blog title is quoting, I shall be incredibly impressed! It's a really weird line to quote.

Rave on. It's a crazy feeling.

People always tell me I was born in the wrong decade. I disagree. I was born at just the right time. If I had been my age in the twenties, I wouldn't have had the freedom I have now. It seems like only flappers were daring enough to wear sexy clothes and I'm not sure I'd have had the courage to be as flamboyant as a flapper. If I'd been my age in the thirties, I would have had to deal with the Great Depression. We're having bad times now, but at least I have a job and nice clothes, good food, and a nice bed to sleep in. While it would have been lovely to see Fred and Ginger on the big screen, I wouldn't want that to be an escape. I like it being integrated into my ordinary life. If I'd been my age in the forties, we'd be in the middle of a war. I'd possibly be working in a factory or a plant or something. Though I think I'd be up to the challenge, I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy it much. If I'd been my age in the fifties, I'd have to go through the McCarthyism and that just annoys me. Nope, I'm happy living now - where I can enjoy the nice parts of the past: the movies, the music, the fashion - without having to deal with the drama and the difficulties.



But, I do wish we could bring some of the fun back into fashion. Why can't there be more sock hops where I can dance to good old fashioned oldies? Or a cocktail party where I can sport a fancy cocktail dress? Or a nightclub where we go and watch a few performers and then dance a little to a live band? Wouldn't that be swell? Wouldn't that be keen?



These are the things I wish were still around. I don't wish for the ideas that women should be housewives and movies should be censored. As a society, I think we're smarter now. We're getting a little more open-minded, a little more accepting of people. It's a slow process, but we're getting there. I like living today, where I can date whoever I want, no matter what race, religion, creed (or, for that matter, gender, where I so inclined), without having to ask for my father's permission. I'm glad I can wear dresses that go above my knees without being scandalous. I like having electricity, my own car, the internet. I have a fabulous collection of movies dating from the 20s to the 60s and multiple playlists on my iPhone that I take with me wherever I go. It's nice living today!

But, having all of the movies, the books, the music at my fingertips, only makes me yearn for the old-fashioned things to make a come back. It seems that whenever we try to bring these sorts of things back, it's stagey. It's all costume parties and older people being nostalgic. I suppose it's only a pipe dream, but I think it would be neat if these sorts of things could creep back into fashion naturally. We could go to sock hops without having to wear poodle skirts and scarves. We could listen to big bands and not be the only young people in the room.

Well, a girl can dream.

Kissing the new year in...

In preparation for New Year's Eve... here's a video I made a while ago. I hope you enjoy it!!

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everybody!!

I hope your Christmas is filled with yummy food...


beautiful weather...



music...


magic...

photo is from Doctor Macro

with loved ones nearby!

photo is from Doctor Macro

12 Days of Christmas movies!

Now, without further ado, a compiled list of contributions to...


1. the melody lingers on
a Christmas movie montage by Kate Gabrielle

2. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
a commentary by Millie

3. It's that time of year when the world falls in love
a Christmas movie montage by me

4. Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
a movie review by Rianna

5. Remember the Night (1940)
a movie review by Natalie

6. The Thin Man (1934)
a movie review by me

7. It's A Wonderful Life (1946)
a movie review by Audrey

8. Christmas in Connecticut (1945)
a movie review by Amanda Cooper

9. A Charlie Brown Christmas (1965)
a music discussion by Emma

10. I'll Be Seeing You (1944)
a movie review by Clara

11. It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)
a movie review by KC

12. My Reputation (1946)
a movie review by Jacqueline T. Lynch


Once again, thank you to all the wonderful bloggers who contributed this year!!!

"I could dance nightly just holding you tightly, my sweet."

Last week's quote: "'Serious calamity?' This is good?" was from Christmas in Connecticut.

This week's quote is: "I could dance nightly just holding you tightly, my sweet."

You act as though it were the only present you ever had.

Now, it's time for my Christmas movie review. There have been some great ones so far and I can't wait to post a full list on Christmas Eve!

This year, I held off on calling dibs on a movie because last year, I reserved a movie before everyone else did - and that didn't seem fair. So, this year, I waited. And, as I waited, pretty much every classic Christmas movie that I really love got snatched up! Yipes! So, after much deliberating, I decided on this classic Christmas movie.

The Thin Man (1934)

The plot, for those unlucky few who have not seen this movie, is as follows: Inventor Clyde Wynant is often mysterious, even to his daughter, Dorothy, his laywer, MacCauley, and his girlfriend, Julia. But when he doesn't return at Christmastime as he promised, Dorothy begins to worry and brings the disappearance to the attention of former sleuth, Nick Charles. When Julia is found dead in her apartment by Wynant's ex-wife, everyone is on the lookout for the mysterious man. But is he the culprit? With Nick and his glamorous wife, Nora, on the case, the case is sure to be solved - with plenty of drinking and joking around, of course!

How's that for a nutshell? Not too bad. Okay, so this movie has very little Christmas in it. But, let's be honest, a lot of my favorite Christmas movies have very little to do with Christmas: White Christmas, Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut. They usually take place around Christmas, like The Thin Man but hardly depend on Christmas to carry the theme of the story. Even the quintessential Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life, takes place, for the most part, at times other than Christmas. It's just that the climactic portion of the film is on Christmas Eve. What do all of these films have in common though, besides time of year setting? They're such fun movies to watch! And they usually have some sort of feel-good part about them that makes them fun to watch with a mug of hot cocoa. The Thin Man, being a murder mystery, can be tricky to label as "feel-good fun" but it is!! It's so laugh-out-loud hilarious! It's absolutely delightful. It's one of my all-time favorite movies ever.

If you're still in doubt as to whether it counts as Christmas movie, here's some proof. Nick and Nora throw a Christmas party (in one of my favorite dresses worn by Nora. I want this dress!!!)

See? There's a Christmas tree and Nora's super cute candy-cane dress!!

and they play with their Christmas presents on Christmas morning. Such a funny scene!!



Check back again on Christmas Eve for a full list of Christmas posts!! For those participating, please continue to let me know when you've written yours so I can add it to the list!

And it's simply groovey!

It's almost Christmas! Hooray! I'm going to include 2 clips today. Both are from Miracle on 34th Street. But one is the trailer and it is, in my opinion, one of the funnest trailers ever. It's so cute! And I love all of the random cameos!



the second clip is just one of my favorite scenes. It makes me tear up every time!

Why do I believe? I guess that I believe because!

Stumbled upon this gem while perusing through Doctor Macro. Such a cute photo!!

Gee! That's swell!

Hooray!! All of the spots for the 12 Days of Christmas blogathon have been filled!!

Just a few notes for the lovely bloggers who are participating, please have your post written by the 23rd (the 23rd being the last day to write it) and let me know in a comment on one of my blog posts. I'd like to compile a list, like I did last year, with all of the posts so that everyone can link to each post. And I'd like to write the list up on Christmas Eve. Thank you!

I can't wait to read your posts! If anyone is concerned about style or format, feel free to do whatever you'd like. Last year, I used a format, but variety is nice, so any kind of post will be fine!

"'Serious calamity?' This is good?"

Last week's quote, "And when it's Christmas, I believe in Santa Claus," was from It Happened In Brooklyn. Okay, so it's not a Christmas movie, but it's a Christmas-y line in the song! The song was sung by Frank Sinatra in the song, "I Believe" which was written by Sammy Cahn and Jule Styne.

This week's quote is: "'Serious calamity?' This is good?"

It's that time of year when the world falls in love...

So, the marvelous Kate Gabrielle contributed to the 12 Days of Christmas movies blogathon by compiling a fantastic vid, which you can see here.

I thought I'd follow her lead and do the same thing. I'll have a regular post about a Christmas movie coming up soon. Which means I'll be taking up 2 entries in the blogathon. Which means there are less spots than before: only 4 remaining, so grab one while you can!!

And here is my first contribution to the blogathon. It's another classic Christmas movie vid. I think it's interesting to see how Kate and I picked a few of the same movies but differed a great deal as well. Just goes to show that I have a lot of catching up to do when it comes to classic Christmas movies! I hope you enjoy my vid! It has one of my absolute favorite Christmas songs in it.

Oh, yeah. Deep blue.

No Christmas would be complete without a viewing of White Christmas. So, without further ado, let's look at the Sister number - both of them!





I love the part in the first one where the guys are talking about their eyes and the girls are, apparently, just standing on stage, smiling. What kind of a number is that? It's so silly! I love it!

it must be beautiful in Vermont this time of year...

One of my absolute, all-time favorite Christmas movies ever!! White Christmas. It's also one of my favorite songs in the movie and it's probably one of my favorite dance scenes period. I don't know. I should compile a list. But it'd be a long list.

Anyhow... I think this photo is simply spectacular. Don't you?

"And when it's Christmas, I believe in Santa Claus."

Last week's quote: "I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe" is from Miracle on 34th Street.

This week's quote is: "And when it's Christmas, I believe in Santa Claus."

I'm in love... with a voice.

So, I'm starting a new series all of a sudden. I don't know why. I just had a sudden urge. These are going to primarily get posted on Tuesdays. I'm not sure whether they're going to be regular or not. And I'm not sure if they'll be themed. Here's the series: movies I want to watch.

The wonderful thing (well, one of the wonderful things) about interacting in the blogging world is that you get to exchange ideas with like-minded people in a very unique way. We don't have to have long drawn out conversations. I say my piece, you say your piece, someone else says their piece and then we're all done. It's so tidy! Anyway, I already have a list going of movies I love (my 100 movies which is sadly neglected of late) so I thought it'd be nice to have an opposite list: movies I want to watch. Then, if you've seen the movie, you can tell me what you think, whether or not you think I'd like it, and so on. If you haven't seen it but want to, then it might prove to be for your edification as well as for mine!

So, let's get started. I'm actually going to start off with two (yeesh! cheating already!) because I'm happen to be debating between the two as to which one I want to buy. I'm going to be risky and buy a movie I've never seen. Yipes! I'm pretty sure I'll be happy buying either one but which one will I like more? This is the difficulty. Here are the movies:

Three for the Show (1955) - Betty Grable, Jack Lemmon, Marge and Gower Champion.
All 4 of the leads are reasons to want to see this movie in my opinion.
I'm also fascinated by the fact that the Too Many Husbands/My Favorite Wife plot line spouted so many remakes. It's incredible! I believe this one has a great deal of potential as it adds a very crucial plot point that was direly needed in predecessor Too Many Husbands - a fourth character to the love triangle. We're supposed to like both of the husbands. She's supposed to want both of them. We can't have one husband be likable and the other one unlikable; otherwise it's too obvious a choice and we'd wonder why she married him in the first place. With a second girl in the mix, we get a satisfying ending, a more palatable ending. I'm beginning to really, truly love Marge and Gower Champion and I want to see them dance together some more. Thus the main reason for my wanting to buy this film.

Rich, Young And Pretty (1951) - Jane Powell, Vic Damone, Fernando Lamas.
Vic Damone. Need I say more? Also, Fernando Lamas. The guy was pretty horrible to little Esther Williams but he was awfully pretty.
To be honest, I know very little about the plot line. I'm in love with Vic Damone so that's my main reason for wanting this one. I really like Jane Powell too so I'd like to see them together. I've read they're very cute together in this one.

Any thoughts on either movie? Have you seen one or the other?

It all started with...

Guess what? It's Walt Disney's 110th birthday! Happy Birthday, Walt! Hooray!!

Photo source here

Second of all, if you didn't catch it last time, I'm doing a blogathon: 12 Days of Christmas Movies. You can comment on either this post or the post I've linked to to sign up. There are still 6 more spots available. Now, for those who have already signed up, I want your input: would you like to do it like we did last year? Where we just posted and then, at the end, I did a list of everyone's posts?

- or, as David suggested, we have a timetable and everyone gets a day to do their posts?

Let me know what you think!!!***

***Okay, so Audrey mentioned a timetable would be too stressful. This is a pretty small blogathon and I'd like to keep it as stress-free, fun, and easy as possible. So, no timetable. But, let's have a bit of a deadline so I can have a chance to gather all of the posts up and compile my list. Can we have all of the posts done by the 23rd? That'll give me a couple of days to get a list. Thank you! If you haven't signed up yet, don't forget to let me know you're interested! And if you have signed up, don't forget to tell me when you've written your post!

I'll take it!

One of my favorite scenes from the classic Christmas movie. Although, to be honest, I'm a little disappointed that they don't have the whole scene in there. I like the whole "this is a very interesting situation!" bit.

May your days be merry and bright

This is such a nice picture! I have a hard time listening to this song without thinking of this version - with the bells and the pipe and the whistling. It's so classic!


Image source here.

I wish I'd thought of it first.

So, I've been thinking. How would it be if we do another 12 Days of Christmas Movies blogathon this year? Would you participate? It went really well last year! There were so many good movies listed! And I really enjoyed going to everyone's sites. Let me know if you're interested. I'd like to have all of the spots filled by the 11th. Keep in mind that there are 11 spots to be filled as I'd like to do a post too!!

If interested, please comment with the movie you'd like to do. I won't hold you to it if you decide to change your mind, but this way we can avoid duplicates and so on. Oh, and it's okay if you choose a movie that was chosen last year. There are only so many Christmas movies to go around! I haven't even decided what movie I want do this year. Last year, I picked first so I'd like to see some other people pick before I do.

Here's the logo:

"I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe."

Last week's quote: "You oughta be wearing golashes" is from Swing Time.

This week's quote is: "I believe. I believe. It's silly, but I believe."