Odds fish, m'dear!

Okay. Let's try this again. First off, I want to announce that I got to do a guest blog for one of my favorite bloggers, Emma Wallace. I wrote about Fran Jeffries. Yay Fran Jeffries!

So this week I want to talk about one of my absolute favorite films. It's not actually a contemporary film and it's really relatively obscure, I think. It's a movie that I'm always a bit wary to show around because if people don't love it, I take it personally or I get defensive. It's pretty silly. That's how I get around my favorite films though. Is anyone else that way?

So, for #33 on my list:

The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)


This film is based on two books by Baroness Orczy, The Scarlet Pimpernel and El Dorado. The basic plot (which is similar to the '34 version with Leslie Howard) is as follows: Sir Percy Blakeney is the most fashionable fop in London. What no one, including his lovely wife Marguerite, knows is that Sir Percy is also the mysterious hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, who saves innocent French aristocrats from the guillotine. When Percy believes that his wife caused a man and his family to be executed, he is unable to trust her again. Will Marguerite be able to regain her husband's trust? Will Percy be able to rescue the dauphin, heir to the French throne?

It's all very thrilling. I love the Scarlet Pimpernel. I love the books. I love the movies. I love the Broadway musical. I'm basically smitten with Percy Blakeney. I'm collecting the books and I have 11 of the 12 Sir Percy books (that is, the Scarlet Pimpernel books that deal directly with Percy, not his predecessors or descendants. And it's not including Sir Percy Looks at the World, which is another one I want to own). I'm basically obsessed.


So, when I show this movie to anyone and they make fun of it or they say, "this movie is really silly," I get all upset because I've built it up in my mind to absolutely perfect. Do any of you have movies like that? It may not be the best movie ever but it's still a favorite and I will continue to preach its awesomeness. So, it absolutely must be on my top 100 movies list. And there you have it.

And here is one of my favorite promo pictures ever, which just so happens to be from this film!

"I ain't no native - I was born here!"

Quote of the week! In memory of the great Tony Curtis, this quote of the week is from one of his films:

"I ain't no native - I was born here!"



RIP Tony Curtis. You were truly a wonderful actor.

It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow...

Okay, it may be a little while for me since I live in Florida.



Hello all! I had the urge to blog today. I'm not sure this will fit into any particular segment and it won't be a 100 movies post. It's just a post about fall. I'm feel fall-ish today, how about you? I'm not sure if it was because it was actually chilly last night or maybe because I had a day off today but I woke up this morning with the distinct feeling that it's fall. And all of a sudden, I wanted to start drinking Starbuck's Toffee Mocha and wear sweaters and listen to Christmas music. It was slightly disappointing to walk outside to weather in the 90's. Ah well. I still got a Starbuck's Toffee Mocha. But no sweaters and not quite time for Christmas music.

But it doesn't stop me from wanting to pull out the holiday movies and begin dusting them off - just in preparation, of course. And it won't hurt for me to take my winter hats down from the shelves - just so they'll be handy when I need them, you understand. I suppose I tend to lump fall and winter together. When I think of fall, though, I think of October-December. I consider January-March wintertime because that's when it gets really cold over here.


Is anyone else feeling fall-ish right about now?

I'm feeling absolutely sklonklish!

I'm back, baby doll! Hopefully. Emma Wallace left a very kind note on my quotes post, asking me to come back. I was very touched! So, here I am! Every time I start getting back into the swing of things, I get slammed with a crazy week and then it all collapses. So frustrating.

Anyway, today I'm going to do a 100 movies post. A good while ago, I did a quotes post with this quote:
"Good work, Junior! Better than working for a living!"
Emma was the only one to guess and get the answer to this one - the movie is The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947) starring Cary Grant, Myrna Loy, and Shirley Temple. Which just so happens to be #32 on my count-up!

The film is pretty wacky so bear with me on this one. Bachelor Richard Nugent (Grant) has a tendency to attract trouble - not that he causes any and when he is brought before Judge Margaret Turner (Loy), he finds her narrow view of the facts rather frosty. But when Richard speaks at Margaret's sister's school, that's when the trouble really begins because Susan (Temple) falls head-over-heels for him! And when Susan sneaks up to Richard's apartment, claiming that he asked her to model for him, he finds himself in a pretty tricky situation.


Like I said, pretty wacky. I remember lending this one to my aunt and she returned it saying that it was a little "unrealistic." Well, of course it is! That's what makes it so fun! No one would ever actually sentence a bachelor to date a teenager in order to get him out of her system (this movie would really never work today). But, in the movies, it's fun! Especially with such a stellar cast.

As an adoring Shirley Temple fan, this is one of my favorites. The film was the studio's attempts to bring her back into the limelight. I really wish it had worked because I think she is fantastic in this one. (Plus, she's absolutely adorable - but in a different way. Check out her outfit in the clip below and her hair in this photo. How cute is she?)



And then, of course, you have the wonderful pairing of Cary Grant and Myrna Loy and they're wonderful. The storyline causes their relationship to be a little odd but I think they really make it work. I really enjoy Grant's humorous charm and Loy's wry skepticism. So much fun!

I really recommend you check the movie out for yourself but if you're not convinced yet, I'll post my favorite scene below to whet your appetite:



P.S. I feel that I should apologize for actually misquoting my own quote of the week. The original quote, now that I think of it, is actually, "Good for you, Junior!" not "Good work, Junior!"

"Good work, Junior! Better than working for a living!"

Quote of the week! Where is this quote from?

"Good work, Junior! Better than working for a living!"

Good job to Wendymoon and SassyGinger for getting last time's quote which was from Alice in Wonderland.

The safe and sane may choose mundane but let's effervesce!

Several months ago, I posted an interview with the fabulous Emma Wallace. Unfortunately, the interview got lost in the shuffle with the lists I was posting that week. So, I've decided to repost it this week in lieu of my (semi)regular segment post. Enjoy! Oh, and Happy September!!





Emma Wallace, a fellow blogger and incomparable musician, has just released her new CD - Temptation. This album transports you to a Parisian cafe with Emma's fun, flirty, and clever music. This new CD really renews my frustration that Emma is not more widely known. Her lyrics are so witty and relate-able and her tunes are so catchy and stick-in-your-head-able! I firmly believe that Porter and Gershwin would appreciate her talents (by the way, did I mention that she has a song entitled "Fred Astaire?" It's true!). I had the opportunity to interview Emma and ask her a the questions that I've had ever since listening to the CD:

Q: Which comes first - the lyrics or the tunes?

A: I find tunes muuuuch easier to write! I have a little treasury of tunes and then when I get an idea of some lyrics, I go through my tunes I've have already created and work them with the lyrics. Sometimes, like Fred Astaire or Stay With Me Tonight, they both come at the same time.

Q:I understand that you mixed this CD yourself, which means all of the instrumentation, the tempo, the volume were all arranged by you. I find that incredibly amazing! I love the way you incorporate different instruments into your music, for example, the accordion in "Connoisseur" and "Ambitious," the horn in "Song in My Head," the clarinet in "Fred Astaire," and the strings in "Mailbox." How do you know which instruments you'd like to add, when to bring in a crescendo, when to change the pace? What is the process for preparing the song for the CD?

A: The arrangement was one of the hardest things of my recording because I tend to either hear it just as the piano/voice or with a full band or orchestra! So I ended up finding songs that I liked that had a similar feel that I wanted to capture, and then using their instrumentation as inspiration. As far as volume, that wasn't too difficult to figure out because it doesn't change from when I just do piano/vocals. I recorded the piano first, then added the other instruments and last of all, added vocals.

Q: Is it harder arranging the music for the CD or writing it for the first time?

A: Well, arranging is very technical, so that was quite hard. There is sometimes a frustration when I try to figure out the perfect part of writing a song, but I think it's ultimately more enjoyable and I love when the creativity just begins to flow!


Q: If they were to make a biopic of your musical career, who would play you and what would be the title of the film? I'm wondering if you would follow in the line of other musician film titles like Beyond the Sea, De-lovely, Walk the Line, and La Vie En Rose - although, I expect your movie would be a lot sunnier.

A: Ooh! Fun question! I think Song in My Head would be a good title! Or maybe A Reason to Stay Up All Night. For modern actresses, I'd like to have Rachel Weisz or maybe Drew Barrymore. If I can pick from anyone, can I choose Ginger Rogers? Or maybe even Natalie Wood or Jane Fonda from Barefoot in the Park? Wait, wait - I've got it - I choose Julie Andrews. And, yes, I would definitely want a happier vibe!

Q: And because this is an old film blog, I'll ask some old film-related questions:
- Favorite actor?
A: I'm assuming classic film star so... Gene Kelly!

- Favorite actress?
A: I like both Kathryn Grayson and Ginger Rogers but Myrna Loy and Cyd Charisse are definitely up there. And read below for my rant about the marvelous Ms. Andrews.

- An underrated/overlooked actor/actress that you really like?
A: I think Kathryn Grayson could get more press. She's gorgeous and super versatile. Lena Horne is also fabulous and stunning. And Julie Andrews is so amazing at melting into whatever role she has. I don't think most people consider Mary Poppins or Sound of Music to be "Julie Andrews" films, because she simply becomes Mary Poppins and Maria. She's also so pretty and talented yet exudes niceness and intelligence. A winning combination (now does that make me picking her to play me a little narcissistic?!)



- Favorite dancer?
A: Umm... Gene Kelly

- Favorite singer in a film?
A: Hmmm... Gene Kelly! Really, though, he has such a smokey voice and I love his style. Julie Andrews, of course, is also marvelous.

Thank you so much, Sally, for interviewing me!


You're quite welcome! And thank you for answering! If you have not already done so, I highly recommend you go buy Temptation. And if you have already done so, do a good deed and buy it for somebody else! You may recognize the artwork above is by the fantastic Kate Gabrielle. Isn't it lovely?

It's not that I don't like your charms but I'm liable to like 'em too much!

After my whole Gloria de Haven-related post, I decided to continue the theme in a 100 movies post. Yes! The 100 movies list is back!

#31 Two Girls and a Sailor (1944)


The film tells the story of two vaudeville actresses, Patsy and Jean Deyo (June Allyson and Gloria de Haven) who hold canteens in their apartment for servicemen. When a secret admirer, "Somebody," starts sending Jean orchids and, later, buys her the deed to an abandoned warehouse, Patsy sets out to discover his identity. Complications arise, however, when the two sisters fall in love with the same guy, a sailor named Johnny (Van Johnson).


In typical '40's musical fashion, this film is chock-full of songs, most of which have nothing whatever to do with the plot. There's a host of great actors making cameo appearances, which is a lot of fun: Jose Iturbi, Gracie Allen, Lena Horne, Harry James, and Xavier Cugat to name just a few.

This movie is tons of fun. There are lots of great lines and great songs. It's hard to find, unfortunately. I got ridiculously excited when I discovered it was offered in the WB Archives collection. I highly recommend it.