Saturday, December 31, 2011

Farwell 2011!

I hope everyone has a safe and fabulously exciting new years! If you plan to relax and stay home, I suggest some appropriate movies for the night.



Kat and Cary live it up in "Holiday"


Shirley feeling blue at 12 in "The Apartment"


Who will dance with Charlie? "The Gold Rush"


Fred looking for a hat in "Holiday Inn"

See you next year!

Friday, December 30, 2011

"The Long, Long Trailer"

In 1953 Lucy and Desi made a cute film called "The Long, Long Trailer" about a newlywed couple who decide to live in a trailer as they circle the country. Sounds great, right? But this flick has many hitches along the way. Pun intended.



Nicky is talked into buying a trailer so that after the wedding they can have a home together since Nicky travels so much for work. They go to the trailer convention and Tacy falls in love with a beautiful, yellow, 40 foot, 3 ton trailer that costs way over budget. But the bride-to-be insists, and after Nicky's pocket book is drained, they are the proud owners of a house on wheels. After the wedding, Tacy and Nicky are on their way!


I want this dress for my wedding. Seriously! This is the dress I have been looking for. Why can't I find one like it?




"Um, Tacy, do we really need all this stuff?"


First stop: a cute little trailer park with trimmed greens and a sparkling pool. If trailer parks looked like this, we would all want to buy ourselves a trailer! Nicky goes to lift his new bride through the doorway when...


..the other "trailorites" see them and think Tacy is injured her ankle. Neighbors to the rescue!



They wrap her foot up and slip her a sleeping pill. Oh well for sexy time on their wedding night! Nicky finds his trailer has turned into the life of the party as all the trailorites hang out while Tacy sleeps away.


The next morning they book it out of there for some peace and quiet. Tacy suggests they find a place in the forest. This sounds just fine until they hit a bump and get stuck, just in time for rain. Plus no hook up for gas or electricity.


Three days in without a wedding dinner and Tacy thinks she'll cook while Nicky drives to save some time. I love this scene. She is trying to toss her Cesar salad while the trailer is in motion and the whole idea falls apart. The fiancee didn't like this one bit. He gets frustrated when movie plots are so obviously not going to work!


"Is din din ready yet?"

Along the way, Tacy has been collecting rocks from each place they visit so when they do get a home they can line the walkway with them. These are some big rocks and they start to weigh the trailer down. She also accumulates some jarred fruits for the road and they trailer starts to look like an episode of Hoarders until Nicky tells her to throw it all out. They are going up a mountain the next day!


Tacy decides she has a better plan, and it doesn't include throwing anything away. Nicky also gives her a chance to drive the trailer, a feat that Nicky has stressed over himself the whole time they have owned the thing. Tacy does a great job but is too relaxed for Nicky's taste and they start to quarrel.


The next day brings the mountain, at 8,000 feet elevation!





The honeymoon phase seems over as the longer they own the trailer the more problems they have. Can the marriage last? Will they have to sell the trailer?


 This film is so adorable. I love the costumes, I want the trailer, and you can't beat the chemistry between the two. This was the 3rd of 4 movies they would do together.


Foreign Film Poster Friday


"Yankee Doodle Dandy" 1942

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Picture Of The Day


Perfection.

Time To Knit!

They ladies use their time wisely on set. I wonder what they are making...


Bette


Gloria 


Audrey 


Doris 


Bette(again)and stand-in Sally Sage


Alfred and Ingrid


Katharine and Ginger


Joan


Mary


Sophia


Frank and Jane


Carole (Love the shoes)


Deborah and Stewert


Bette (again) The woman liked her some knitting!

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Almost "The Women"

My good friend Mr. Tiny over at Wacky Tacky loaned me his copy of "The Opposite Sex" starring June Allyson and Dolores Gray. I was hesitant. I knew this film was a remake of the greatest film ever made, "The Women" but would it live up? Would it suck so bad I would have to return the film without watching the second half? 


The beginning started out fine. We meet our ladies at Sydney's, the hair salon where women beautify and salon workers gossip. Just like in "The Women". We're off to a good start. Mrs. Fowler (Dolores Gray)learns that BFF Kay's husband is cheating. Oh what news! She finds her other BFF Edith (Joan Blondell) to spread the word. 

The mistress is dance girl Crystal Allen (Joan Collins) and what a dish. Hubby is the shows producer and Kay soon learns via salon girl. Meanwhile, all Kay's friends have told everyone but her. 


Notice Kay's hubby is no other than Leslie Nielsen. What a fox!


Unlike "The Women", TOS has men in it. At first I was anti, but it suits this film well. I like better to imagine what their husbands look like when watching the 1939 film, but it doesn't hurt in this film to see what the males look like.


The night Kay finds out about her cheating man is the same night as their ten year anniversary party. Kay plays if off and doesn't let on, but we see her reminisce about meeting her husband back when she was a night club singer and things were good.


Once the cat is out of the bag Kay finally runs head on with Crystal. This film version is sassier and at the end of their scene together Crystal gets slapped!



Kay's dress in this scene is my favorite in the film.


Before June slapped Joan, director David Miller told Joan not to back away and that Kay would only pretend to slap her. He told June to let her have it because Joan would back away. Sneaky, sneaky! The result is great! Joan's earring even falls off and Joan was mad at June for days thinking she slapped her on purpose!

Once the drama is over it is off to Reno for Kay. Just like in "The Women" she meets to gals on the train, Gloria (Ann Miller) and the Countess (Agnes Moorehead). Oh amour amour! Buck Winston picks them up as he helps out on the "divorce ranch". The gals are smitten and some are looking for their next husband! Charlotte Greenwood plays the ranch owner. This is her last film role after  a 40 year career. I tried to find a picture but no luck.


Sylvia turns up after she learns that Mr. Fowler is stepping out with a lovely lady. Turns out it is someone they know! Cue in cat fight...


Meanwhile Crystal has married Kay's unhappy ex and gets her see-thru bathtub just like Joan Crawford did. (Although I like Crawford's better, naturally). She is now seeing Buck Winston while at the same time as another friend. These girls get around!


The finale of this film is a bit different than the original, but I very much liked it. It was bitchy-er than the original, and who doesn't love some girl on girl war games? 

 The original will always be the best, but I surprisingly enjoyed this one as well. It was as if the Orange County Housewives got together and remade this film. Much cattier, more dirty looks from across the room. The cast was pretty well put together and each character still had their flare. If you have not see "The Women", go see it first, and afterwards see this one to compare for yourself!