movies

I love old movies. I've been watching them a lot lately. On AMC, TCM, anywhere I can find them. I guess it's a good thing that while I was in New York for Robs wedding, mom had me go through all her VHS's (since we have a combo dvd/vhs player). There were a ton of old movies that she had taped off tv, and some she bought. I've watched (so far): Cheaper by the Dozen, Bells on Their Toes, Showboat, and Life With Father. Interesting things about these movies. I've been watching them since I was little, but it's amazing what you notice when you haven't watched them for a while. For instance, in Cheaper by the Dozen (from here on out it will be CD) they got the birth order right. Janie was the 11th child, Robert the baby. However in Bells on Their Toes (BTT), they are showing Janie's graduation from college. Mrs. Gilbreth is reminiscing about life after Mr. Gilbreth died (that happened at the end of CD). She mentions that she cant believe her baby is graduating. The whole rest of the movie Janie's the baby, and Robert is older than her. Also, during BTT In the scenes where they show all the kids, there are only 11 kids. 6 boys, 5 girls. Very odd. I know they mention in CD that they had 4 girls first and then a boy. In BTT I don't know what the order is, only that 11 is a boy and 12 is a girl.

Next order of business. In Life with Father (LF) the second son (John) is the same boy that Earnestine (BTT) got engaged to after the summer at Nantucket. He was in LF first, so he looks much younger and much smaller (he definitely bulked up before BTT). Also, I didn't know Elizabeth Taylor was in LF...not until I saw it in the credits. However, while watching it, I hit myself over the head since I saw her and realized that I was being stupid. I recognize her. She was very young (the movie was made in 1947). Also, how weird is it that the father goes to an employment agency to find a new maid. He walks into a room to find it filled with women. I think that's odd, having all those women sit around waiting for employment. All together. Clarence SR plays a song on the piano that the older kids sing on the beach in Nantucket during BTT.

Now, about Showboat (SB). While watching SB, I realized the amount of influence that slave music played in that movie. There was a lot of gospel type music and lots of soulful music. Very beautiful. Also, while watching it, I wondered...was it worse (in the 1890's) to be half black, or a bastard? Julie (the leading lady on the ship during the first part of the movie) was the daughter of a black woman and a white man. So, that being said, she was half black. But, chances are she was also a bastard, since the races very rarely married one another. There lies my problem...which was worse? I guess being a half black bastard was probably the worst, but out of the two which was? (I would like to state for the record, that I personally don't think either is wrong, but there was a stigma that followed such persons in that time period).

Now on to Gavin. The DVD player is acting up. So, we've been watching the kid tapes that I got from mom. He LOVES Disney movies. So far we've watched Old Yeller, Hercules, 101 Dalmatians (the live version), and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. He loves "helping" me pick out a movie. I'll ask him if he wants to watch a movie, and he'll run over to the bookcase where all the dvd's are and point and talk..almost like he's trying to figure out which one to watch. When I go to the closet where the tapes are, he follows me and points til I get the one he wants to watch. Then he takes it and runs to the entertainment center. When it starts, he gets his blanket, wraps up in it, and puts his head on the arm of the couch. He's soo cute. He also dances to the music.

Anyway, there will be another post (hopefully tomorrow) with pictures of the Trace Adkins concert we went to on the 3rd, Gavin and Lena's first bath together, and Lena talking to a turtle.