Monday, July 13, 2009

Early Entertainment

When I was 10 and up ... I watched "re-run movies" on a Saturday afternoons laying on my mom's bed. This is probably why I know films and stars from the 1930's and 1940's so well. I watched a lot of movies.

Bela Lugosi and all things Dracula (1931), "The Bride of Frankenstein" and all Frankenstein movies (1935). To make the perfect afternoon of movie-watching ... The Thin Man with William Powell and Myrna Loy, never missed one then or now. Oh, the draped evening dresses cut on the bias, cocktail hour ... I love that time captured in those movies. Of course, Charlie Chan ... the detective hero of my youth. I own the entire collection. "Bringing Up Baby", "The Philadelphia Story", "His Girl Friday" ... Katharine Hepburn, Cary Grant, Irene Dunne, Rosalind Russell ... fast paced slap-stick in good clothes. Gene Tierney in "Laura", "Leave Her To Heaven", "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir". Classics! I have mentioned a few of my favorites here ...

So the point of this post is ... imagine my surprise when we were watching CBS Sunday Morning's segment about Doris Day and the kids said "who's that?" My response: Hello? Rock Hudson? "Pillow Talk"? "Please Don't Eat the Daisies"? "Midnight Lace"? "Calamity Jane"? They look at me with a blank stare. They have been neglected. What have I done? I realize the selection of TV movie viewing if vast compared to my afternoon entertainment. What with 100's of channels, HBO, Showtime, On Demand. And then, stations don't really show vintage films anymore. (I hope they haven't lost them). TMC still shows classics. But now are the oldies considered films from the 70's and 80's? And right after that conversation they were off the movies to see Bruno. That is a heavy disappointment to bear as a mother. ;)

And let's don't even talk about the kids missing out on cartoons. Merry Melodies "Fresh Hare" and lots of fun films found on the Internet Movie Archive. I was really looking for the old cartoons filled with singing, dancing flowers that used to grab my imagination and never let go. Remember "Hollywood Picnic" - Color Rhapsody cartoon features some of the best Hollywood personalities of the 1930's in great caricatures including Shirley Temple, John Barrymore, Laurel & Hardy, The Three Stooges, Ned Sparks, W. C. Fields, Edward Arnold, Edna Mae Oliver, Martha Raye, Joe E. Brown and many more. John K. has a fun animation blog. This incredible list of classic cartoons. Found this "Skeleton Dance" by Disney, Iwerks "Balloon Land", "Ants in the Plants". This doesn't mean I don't love cartoons of the day.



"Our Mr. Sun" was made the year I was born. Combining animation and live action, Our Mr. Sun uses a scientist-writer team to present information about the sun and its importance to humankind. The animation! Eddie Albert? A must see.

6 comments:

Jeannie said...

When I live in Seattle my idea of a perfect Saturday was to head to Pike Place Market, gather fresh produce and seafood for dinner. Then home in the downpour, curl up on the couch with fresh cheese, bread, and channel 11 movies. Maybe a Doris Day movie day is coming up!

Kim Carney said...

That does sound perfect!

Michelle (a.k.a. la vie en rose) said...

this post made me smile. even though i'm younger than you i have long been a fan of old movies...i would catch them as re-runs on TMC and AMC (back when AMC showed the old classics). Cary Grant is a favorite...so I was glad to see you list His Girl Friday...which is one of my favorites. I still marvel over how he and Rosalind Russell delivered their lines together...the way they just flew. I also love Cary Grant and Irene Dunne in My Favorite Wife. I used to also like watching the Martin & Lewis comedies. And Danny Kaye...loved him... and Gene Kelly...and Van Johnson...who just died recently... i like the old Disney classics too...the ones with Hayley Mills...and the ones with Annette Funicello...and Tommy Kirk. i could go on and on...I just love those old movies. and I too would have been crushed if my child had to ask who Rock Hudson, or Doris Day for that matter, was. I guess I better start showing him those movies now.

dee said...

I have every film noir movie you can imagine. The Thin Man has been a fav for years. I just gave my niece a list of old movies I thought she might like. Mildred Pierce is up there on that list. Jezebel another. She never saw Gone with the Wind!!!
Charlie Chan was a favorite as well as Mr. Moto. I know they're not politically correct but I'm fairly sick of political correctness so sue me. She loved what I've suggested so far.

Kim Carney said...

OMG Dee, yes, Gone with the Wind! A list is a good idea.

Michelle .. but you are an old soul ... yes, make B watch some of those now so he will think they are the "new" movies coming out ')

Anonymous said...

This is so funny, I was just talking with Ashley about old cartoons wishing they would have them on for the kids to watch, I really do not like the ones that they have on, the cartoons characters look mean, although Hannah does like Tom and Jerry which was one of my favorite, but would love to see the cartoons with the bouncing ball to sing along with. Thanks for that post sorry for being late in responding

love ya,
lisa