UPDATE ON FATHER'S MONTH

I was not fully aware of how much my parents loved the same things until I started this month in honor of my dad. They listed almost the same celebrities and films when each week began. This shouldn't have made it challenging for me, but I should have know that at some point things would be revisited.

To combat this small dilema, I came up with a new concept for a celebrity post. For those that I have done a basic biography on I switched to covoring some of the different parts they have been in. This has even evolved to posting on our favorite films of theirs.

This concept involed a lot more research than I anticipated, and I would often dip into films that I had'nt seen since I was very young. I would watch short excerpts from the pictures to remind myself of the storyline and their performance, and then spend time finding just the right picture to add to the story. With that being said, my posts have taken a few days at a time to complete.

I only have a couple more days left for my fathers month and I hope to squeeze in a couple more posts before its through.

FAVORITE FILMS OF WARD BOND

Earlier I mentioned a favorite actor of my parents, and now my father would like me to post on him. The man is Ward Bond, an amazing actor in his own right.

To list all of his films would take a large amount of time and detail, but I wish to highlight some of them. The complete tally is way over two-hundred and many of them are among the classics of our day. This was a particular impressive task that he achieved, since he died at the young age of fifty-seven. His voice and stature are unforgettable, yet he could play one part as well as another without the two being similar.

He was a good friend to John Wayne & John Ford, and appeared in many of their pictures. In fact the partnership with Ford created the longest record for director and star to appear together, twenty-six films. Bond himself starred in multiple pictures a year, once reaching a staggering thirty films in just one year in 1935.

Here are some of the favorites:

In 1939 we see him in two of the most popular films of its time, Gone with the Wind & Drums Along the Mohawk. I actually prefer Ford's film over the popular Fleming classic. Here we see Bond in a role he'd play a countless other times, the comedic country folk who added muscle to any fight. Always a friend of the lead and ready to follow at any moment.

Then in 1940, he finds himself in one of the most monumental pictures of it's time, The Grapes of Wrath. This character was more silly than comedic, and that's the beauty of his talent. In one film he is a convincingly brainless wit, and in the next he is a dominating strategic soldier.

Before he moved onto more dominating roles, he plays the country folk fool once again in Sergeant York (1941). His role was as the spirited friend of York who most often found in a tavern. He and Cooper did an amazing job of bringing this part of America to the screen. You would think that he was incapable of ever playing an sober person.

His strength and stature now came to the fore-front when he played the legendary John L. Sullivan in Gentlemen Jim (1942). He was the ultimate candidate for this gigantic American role. The scene in the end is one of the most endearing and humble that I have ever seen on screen. The movie itself is a treasure of a film to watch.

With WWII in full swing, he landed a great role on a classic film, A Guy Named Joe (1943). In a cast with some of the best of Hollywood, he didn't look left out. This film is an amazing one to watch and taught the World a new kind of love story.

Switching to a more modern role in Frank Capra's It's a Wonderful Life (1946), we discover that Bond can play anything. His part as "Bert" the cop has always baffled me. "How could this be the same guy in that other film?" I've watched it so many times before I even noticed it was him. That's alright though, as a kid I use to get Cooper & Stewart confused. True story!

He went on to be in many other amazing films as the years went by. Two of them in particular were shot in the same year, but as completely separate characters. The two films were 3 Godfathers (1948) & Joan of Arc (1948). With one, he played a common role as the sheriff hunting down the outlaws. The other placed him in a era he had never played before, the close ally of Joan of Arc in France. Both films are personal favorites and it's no wonder that Bond would be in them.

In 1952, he plays in the side role of Father Peter Lonergan, who wouldn't leave his fishing pole for almost anything. The Quiet Man brings together the Ford cast again also making this one of my favorite roles of his. Who would of thought that a witless country folk / cowboy could ever have played man in the cloth so well.

There are many films that I did not list that happened during and after the ones listed above. It seems every time I love a new film, I discover Ward Bond in the cast. He was not a fill in character, but an interesting side story to every script he played. You wanted to see more of what that character did and what he would rather be doing. This is truly one of the greatest supporting actors in the history of Hollywood.

NELSON EDDY AND HIS OTHER LEADING LADIES

Some may have never heard of Nelson Eddy and others may have thought he only did movies with Jeanette MacDonald. The truth is that he became well known when he starred with MacDonald in their first film together, Naughty Marietta (1935). They went on to make two more successful pictures, Rose-Marie (1936) & Maytime (1937). It was then that MGM decided to double their profits by splitting the pair up. Now Nelson Eddy would be seen in his own spotlight.

In 1937 he was paired with the already famous Eleanor Powell, in Rosalie. The combination proved for a popular film, but they both came from different universes. Powell was dubbed for her singing and Eddy couldn't dance like Astaire.

Again MacDonald and Eddy were reunited for another two films: The Girl of the Golden West (1938) & Sweethearts (1938). It was after these films that Eddy starred in one of my favorite films.

Let Freedom Ring (1939) came in a year so many other classics were born. Probably for such a fact, this movie is not very well known in our day. For the first time he was the main lead. Sure, he had a leading lady by the name of Virginia Bruce, but she came secondary to the big story. This was also the first time that America got to hear him sing some of his down to earth songs. It is patriotic and suspenseful. This film is a must see!

Another film of his made in 1939 was by the name of Balalaika. His leading lady was Ilona Massey who was a singer that he became interested in. Turmoil begins when he as an officer must go against her father and brother during the revolution in Russia.

For the third time the popular duo was reunited for two more films. These films were New Moon (1940) & Bitter Sweet (1940). New Moon is a much loved film among my family and revived some of the success that they had experienced in the past. Studios had begun to move onto war pictures at this time so they were separated again.

The following year, he starred in The Chocolate Soldier (1941) with Risë Stevens. This was to be another foreign opera setting for Eddy and is beautifully done.

Now it comes to their final film together, I Married an Angel (1942). With the onset of WWII and other important distractions this film did not reach their former glory. The script, in fact, had come up ten years before for MacDonald, but was rejected for its racy plot theme.

It was in this next film that Eddy was seen more for his acting abilities then his voice. The film was the ever popular Phantom of the Opera (1943). With a "killer" cast, no pun intended, he once again took his place amongst the stars. Another interesting fact for this film is that the artwork given to Christine, played by Susanna Foster, was made by his own hands. He had a true talent of all arts.

Knickerbocker Holiday (1944) was to be his next film. The originally story was an allegory on the Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal." When the story came to film it was watered down extremely for the era in which it was released. Though he had a leading lady by the name of Constance Dowling, it probably shouldn't be listed with the other romantic films.

Though he did not have a singing partner for this film, it is still worth mentioning. In 1947 he voiced in a Disney short Make Mine Music as "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met." In this cartoon we get to see the expansive talent of Eddy. He shows off his range along with his different styles, including the lovable "Shortnin' Bread."

His final film on the silver screen was with one of his previous leading ladies, Ilona Massey, in Northwest Outpost (1947). The lead for the lady was actually reserved for Jeanette MacDonald, but due to her rapidly failing health she was replaced by Massey.

Well there you have it, the full successful career of Nelson Eddy made with those who may have stood next to him but looked up to him. He was a gentlemen, an artist, an actor and a first class American. We would all do well to admire his talent.

LIKE A BUMP ON A BLOG

I've been meaning to keep up on a post each day, but lately it has been a little tough. I have been busy with other events and should return to full speed shortly. I can't express how much I have learned from doing the research for each post. My admiration for those of the past has grown and I have new appreciation for some of the films I already loved.

This month is in honor of my dad and I hope to cover all of his favorite things. When I began the John Wayne project, I had no idea how much time it would consume.

If you have any ideas of what you would like to see or anything I can improve, please comment.

THE FACES OF JOHN WAYNE

I finally made the collages I wanted for the faces of John Wayne. I have them is sections with labels written below. It took awhile to find all theses pictures, since some of them were titled inaccurately. The most blatant mistake was with The Longest Day (1962) & Cast a giant Shadow (1966). They kept showing a particular picture of Wayne and claimed it for The Longest Day. The only problem with it was that he has two stars on the helmet and he was only a Lieutenant Colonel in that movie.

HERE THEY ARE:

From left to right:

Col. Mike Kirby, Gen. Mike Randolph, Col. Joseph Madden, Lt. Col. Benjamin Vandervoort

From left to right:

Top: Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan, Captain Rockwell 'Rock' Torrey, Lt. (J.G.) 'Rusty' Ryan

Bottom: Lt. Dan Brent, Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan, Lt Cmdr. Duke E. Gifford, Frank W. 'Spig' Wead

From left to right:

Rusty, Sgt. John M. Stryker, Maj. Daniel Xavier Kirby

From top left to right:

Pat Talbot, Capt. Jim Gordon, Col. Jim Shannon

From left to right:

Top: Capt. Nathan Cutting Brittles, Col. John Marlowe, Col. John Henry Thomas, Ethan Edwards

Bottom: Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman, Capt. Kirby York, Col. Cord McNally, Lt. Col. Kirby Yorke, Hondo Lane

I didn't include a law enforcement collage since the branches are so different from each other. It was fun for me to notice name comparisons. One special one is the last name shared by two Navy officers he played: Lt. Cmdr. Wedge Donovan in The Fighting Seabees (1944) and then as a Navy veteran in Donovan's Reef (1963) as Michael Patrick 'Guns' Donovan. I'm not sure if it was planned that way.

THE TITLES OF JOHN WAYNE

Since I already did a small biographical post on John Wayne when my mother chose him as a favorite - This time around I wanted to touch on something different about him. John Wayne is known as the actor to have played more leads than any other movie star. He's been in the almost every branch of the service and even the law enforcement. The only actor to come close to him would probably be Tom Hanks.

This project took me a lot longer than I thought and I didn't even do what I wanted to do in the first place. I have not included the times that he was a rancher or just a simple cowboy. You may also notice that I have not included any films before 1940. This post would be twice as long and it would repeat itself often if I did. The films in that era often only changed the name of the characters rather than the story itself.

The list below begins with his titles throughout his filming career. The movies next to it display what films they were.

GUNFIGHTER: The Shootist (1976), The Train Robbers (1973), El Dorado (1966), The Sons of Katie Elder (1965)
FIREFIGHTER: Hellfighters (1968)
U.S. CONSUL-GENERAL: The Barbarian and the Geisha (1958)
PILOT: The High and the Mighty (1954), Island in the Sky (1953)
UAAC: Big Jim McLain (1952)
FOOTBALL COACH: Trouble Along the Way (1953)
BOXER: The Quiet Man (1952)
OUTLAW: 3 Godfathers (1948), Angel and the Badman (1947)
ENGINEER: Tycoon (1947)
GAMBLER: Dakota (1945), Flame of Barbary Coast (1945), Lady for a Night (1942)
PHARMACIST: In Old California (1942)
LAWYER: Lady from Louisiana (1941), A Man Betrayed (1941)
SEA CAPTAIN: Blood Alley (1955), The Sea Chase (1955), Wake of the Red Witch (1948), Reap the Wild Wind (1942)

Now onto the ranks and branches of service he has played in. Some of the films had him simply as one who had been an officer, like Donovan's Reef (1963), so I listed these as a veteran. Other's may include films in which he was promoted in the story. With these I kept close to the title given to him in cast and crew synopsis on the picture.

NAVY

CAPTAIN: In Harm's Way (1965)

LIEUTENANT COMMANDER: Operation Pacific (1951), The Fighting Seabees (1944)

LIEUTENANT: They Were Expendable (1945), Seven Sinners (1940)

PILOT: The Wings of Eagles (1957)

VETERAN: Donovan's Reef (1963)

ARMY

GENERAL: Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)

COLONEL: The Green Berets (1968), Back to Bataan (1945)

LIEUTENANT COLONEL: The Longest Day (1962)

MARINES

MAJOR: Flying Leathernecks (1951)

SERGEANT: Sands of Iwo Jima (1949)

VETERAN: Without Reservations (1946)

AIR FORCE

U.S. AIR FORCE:

COLONEL: Jet Pilot (1957)

CHINESE AIR FORCE:

CAPTAIN: Flying Tigers (1942)

ROYAL AIR FORCE:

PILOT: Reunion in France (1942)

 MILITIA

KENTUCKY: The Fighting Kentuckian (1949)

TENNESSEE: The Alamo (1960)

UNION

GENERAL: How the West Was Won (1962)

COLONEL: Rio Lobo (1970), The Horse Soldiers (1959)

LIEUTENANT COLONEL: Rio Grande (1950)

CAPTAIN:  She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949), Fort Apache (1948)

VETERAN: Hondo (1953), The Undefeated (1969), The Searchers (1956), Rio Lobo (1970)

LAW ENFORCEMENT

US MARSHAL: Rooster Cogburn (1975), Cahill U.S. Marshal (1973), True Grit (1969)
TEXAS RANGER: The Comancheros (1961)
SHERIFF: Rio Bravo (1959)
LIEUTENANT POLICE OFFICER: Brannigan (1975), McQ (1974)

I wanted to include a whole bunch of pictures, but that task would've taken another week. I may make a couple collages later on when I get a chance. If there are any errors to this collection, please comment below so I can correct it.

DAD'S TOP TEN ACTORS AND ACTRESSES

Now onto my dad's favorites movie stars. Some of his favorites could not fit into the top ten like Gregory Peck & Donna Reed but how could you not pick the ones he has. Another of his favorite actors is Ward Bond. His powerful voice and stature put him in the same lineup as my dad. He is one of those not-so-well-known kind of stars, but he has had some pretty colorful performances.

Here is his list:

TOP FIVE ACTRESSES

#1. Jeanette MacDonald

#2. Jean Arthur

#3. Maureen O'Hara

#4. Greer Garson

#5. Ingrid Bergman

TOP FIVE ACTORS

#1. John Wayne

#2. Gary Cooper

#3. Nelson Eddy

#4. Jimmy Stewart

#5. Red Skelton

EDISON, THE MAN (1940)

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Producer: John W. Considine Jr.

Director: Clarence Brown

Awards: Nominated for Best Writing, Original Story.

Release Date: May 10th, 1940

Origination: A Biographical film of the inventor Thomas Edison.

Interesting Fact: Tracy was so upset by the lack of acknowledgement from the academy on this film that he swore to never attend another Oscar night. Even though he was nominated six more times for an Oscar he never did return.

Thomas A. Edison: Results? Man, I got a lot of results. I know nine thousand things now that won't work.

The man in whom they portrayed in this film is the greatest inventor of our time. Critics still belittle him and in the end they are the ones who turn out small. His contributions are so far reaching that it is impossible to measure his work. He did not invent electricity, but rather entered the unknown to harness it for us. He successfully fought off big corporations and the almighty dollar to give us a better and cheaper lifestyle. He was not a big wig or political millionaire, in fact, he fought this war of ideals in poverty. What an amazing man with such an amazing story.

This film brought to light, no pun intended, some of the hardships and success of Edison. Tracy believed in this film and was perfect for the part. The scene in which his workers are given their final pay and encouraged to leave, yet return to work the next day is one of my father's favorites. This film followed the Rooney depiction of Young Tom Edison. Both of these film are important to see in a lifetime. They will encourage you to treat no idea as small and to keep moving even when things get dark.

This scene, near the end of the film, does a wonderful job of

summarizing the work of this great man.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

MCLINTOCK! (1963)

Studio: United Artists

Producer: Michael Wayne

Director: Andrew V. McLaglen & John Wayne

Awards: Two Laurel Awards.

Release Date: November 13, 1963

Origination: Based on the Shakespeare play Taming of the Shrew.

Interesting Fact: This film was released nine days before the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Promotions of the film were postponed, but the film still remained popular and has become a classic.

George Washington McLintock: Half the people in the world are women. Why does it have to be you that stirs me?



This was my Grandpa Eddies all time favorite film. It's no wonder that my dad would list this in his top ten. The film itself was a reunion of some of the John Ford stars and was also to be the second to last film with Wayne & O'Hara together. This movie also began a new goal of Wayne's. Each film after this had a message to it, whether political or family oriented. The message in this film was both. Even the shady Governor was named after the liberal senator Herbert H. Humphrey.

This has been a classic in our family for generations and is still enjoyable to watch. My wife and I enjoy the cameo of Jerry Van Dyke as Matt Douglas Jr. This is truly a great film to watch.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

NAUGHTY MARIETTA (1935)

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Producer: Hunt Stromberg & W.S. Van Dyke

Director: Robert Z. Leonard & W.S. Van Dyke

Awards: It won the Best Sound Oscar and was nominated for Best Picture. It has also been awarded the Photoplay Medal of Honor and was placed on the National Film Registry in 2003.

Release Date: March 29th, 1935.

Origination: Based on the 1910 operetta written by Victor Herbert.

Interesting Fact: For this film Frank Morgan was required to shave his mustache. He had not shaved for seventeen years and grew it back again for his future films.

Richard: Who are you?

Marietta: Someone.

This was the first time that the world fell in love with Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald. They would go on to be in seven other films together. I have written about the "singing sweethearts" in an earlier post if you wish to find out more about them. This film also brought to us the famous "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life." This song became a sort-of theme song for MGM and was sung at Louis B. Mayer's funeral. The scene where Jeanette's character is waiving goodbye to a random person on the dock has become a common farewell in our family, "Bye, Brother!" It has romance, adventure and memorable songs. This is a defiant must-see.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

MAYTIME (1937)

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Producer: Robert Z. Leonard & Hunt Stromberg

Director: Robert Z. Leonard

Awards: Nominated for Best Musical Score and for Best Sound.

Release Date: March 26th, 1937

Origination: Inspired by the 1917 Operetta, Maytime. The music was by Sigmund Romberg and the Lyrics and book were written by Rida Johnson Young.

Interesting Fact: As the third in a sequence of eight films together, this film is considered the best of Nelson Eddy & Jeanette MacDonald. Jeanette contributed this success to the talent of Robert Z. Leonard who was a singer himself.

Paul: That day did last me all of my life. Don't cry, Marcia. You won't be lonely. I'll be close always.

For those who love the partnership of Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy, this film is one of the most treasured ones. Some may suggest that this was the story of their life together before and after death. Oddly enough, Jeanette had just been engaged to Gene Raymond during this picture. Both Eddy & MacDonald had wonderful marriages with their own spouse, but many dreamed that they were married to each other. Maybe the ending of this film was reenacted in heaven, who knows?

My father loves this film for it's simple message. No career should come before love; not for man, not for woman. For someone you love, all things should be secondary.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

THE GOOD EARTH (1937)

Studio: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Producer: Irving Thalberg

Director: Sidney Franklin, Victor Fleming & Gustav Machatý

Awards: It won Best Actress & Best Cinematography at the Oscars with nominations for Best Director, Best Film Editing & Best Picture. It also won a National Board Review award.

Release Date: January 29th, 1937

Origination: Based on the 1931 Nobel-Prize winning novel written by Pearl S. Buck.

Interesting Fact: The producer of this film, Irving Thalberg, died before he saw the film completed.

Wang Lung: I would sell all my land if I could heal you.

In the words of my dad, "This movie makes you want to buy 40 acres of land." This is a favorite of my parents and they often tell stories from it. It is a beautiful story of the struggles faced by Chinese peasants. The author lived in China with her parents who were missionaries. She wrote other books about China, but this was probably her most famous one. This movie is both inspiring and humbling. It will make you feel grateful for the things you have and remind you to cherish the things that are most important. This is truly a must-see film!

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

SIDE POST: DRAGNET 1967

My wife and I really love to watch TV shows together. We have watched the complete series of The Dick Van Dyke Show, MacGyver and even The Big Bang Theory. We have also watched a few seasons of shows like Get Smart, I Love Lucy, The Wild, Wild West & Bewitched. This has become one of our favorite past times together. We often think back to places we lived and categorize them by what TV show we were watching then.

Recently my wife wanted to start a new series. She asked if there were any other good ones to see, so I gave her a list and we decided to try out Dragnet. She found it online for free at hulu.com where we began with season one.

The moment we started it, she was surprised to find the theme song familiar. The show was ahead of it's time and it inspired series like CSI and others. Each story is true but the names were changed to protect the innocent. Best of all, if someone is brutally killed, you don't see the body. If someone robbed a store or bank, you don't see the incident. Think of it for a moment. Is it possible that certain acts of violence have been inspired by what they saw on television. In this show you only see the work done to stop the evil, not what caused it. Call us old fashion, but we both find this kind of entertainment funner to watch.

Not only would I consider this show a must see for any family, it is also for anyone who loves crime fighting as well. It adds a little humor as the first season progresses but the mystery is still there. There is no hidden clues, no revealing twists in the characters. They may not find the villain by themselves and may even have to drive far to get to those who did. It's just true stories, just the way they happened.

Some of you may have never heard of this show. Others may have heard about it, but were not sure if it's for them. That's where I come in, I WRITE A BLOG!

FATHER'S MONTH

In honor of Father's Day this month, I will be dedicating the whole month's posts to my father. I was actually surprised by his top ten movie list. I expected a lot more John Wayne films. After he gave me his top ten, he told me why he picked theses certain ones.

Time is very important to my dad. Anyone that knows him knows that he keeps himself very busy. Though he is retired, he stays busier than any working person I know. He can't stand to just sit around and waste time. With this in mind, he likes to watch movies that teach him a message rather than just to be entertained by it. Some of the lessons may be how to treat someone better, or how to be better.

I mentioned earlier how he became interested in old movies, but let me write it again. My dad didn't always have a fondness for watching movies. He was born in the forties on a farm, far away from any television set. My mother on the other hand grew up around Hollywood and her father worked in the media industry.

Now I'm not saying that my dad works harder than my mom. She bore twelve children with five miscarriages; he is just trying to catch up. He holds his time as something very precious, and with all of his responsibilities, he uses it very efficiently.

This is why his top ten movies are one you should see. They can inspire you and remind you to improve your life and those around you. Here they are:

#1. Random Harvest (1942)

#2. The Good Earth (1937)

#3. Maytime (1937)

#4. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

#5. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

#6. Naughty Marietta (1935)

#7. New Moon (1940)

#8. McLintock! (1963)

#9. Edison, The Man (1940)

#10. Madame Curie (1943)

You may notice that some of them are romance films. This is greatly due to my mother's influence in the home. There is actually a great story in are family that surrounds those movies.

Back in the eighties my mom & dad were taking my grandpa Barraclough to a movie theatre in where they only showed the goldie oldies. His father-in-law noticed a picture of Jeanette MacDonald & Nelson Eddy outside of the theatre near the concession stand. It was covered with pop stains and candy in areas, but the majority was intact. My dad walked up to the manager and asked where he could find a picture like that. The manager replied that he didn't know and offered it to them. My parents were over joyed and took it home. Over the next few months my father cleaned and penciled in certain areas to cover the stains and then placed it in a frame under glass.

This picture has remained in their home ever since, and it is a treasured jewel of the house. It strikes up many conversations with those unfamiliar with old movies or those actors in general. This then creates a new interest in the things of the past that are still enjoyable today.

AN END TO MOTHER'S MONTH

I was unable to complete the last two posts for my mother that she wanted listed. Instead I wish to list them here before I move on to father's month.

Ever since we began this month dedicated to my mother, we both knew that this would be an inadequate amount of time to list the things my mother loves about old Hollywood. The top ten list was a joke, as countless forgotten favorites were later remembered. Usually the conversation would start something like: "Duh, how could I have forgotten to list that movie!"

With as hard as it was to create a top ten movie list, it was just as hard to formulate a top ten movie star list. So many actors and actresses have touched her life deeply and she wanted so badly to make sure others knew of their performances.

Now I wish to list some of her other favorite films that have not been mentioned earlier:

THE GOOD EARTH (1937)
This is a favorite of both my mom and dad. The humility of the people and the trials they face is stirring and memorable. I remember getting ready for a big family dinner and my parents would remind us of the scene where they were cooking mud due to the famine. This is truly a beautiful film!

BOMBARDIER (1943)
This is another one of those films that may have been forgotten in our day. With all the war movies made during this era, there is little wonder why some of them slipped through the cracks. She remembers visiting one of her cousins home as the kids were getting ready to watch this film. The kids were so excited to see it again and called it the best movie ever. She compares every war movie to this one.

THE JAZZ SINGER (1980)
I know, this film was not made in the early Hollywood years but the title was. My mom wanted me to list this movie because she loves Neil Diamonds singing in it. She also loves the scene when his father excepts him for who he is.

THE TALK OF THE TOWN (1942)
It includes three of her favorite movie stars: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur & Ronald Coleman. Their performances were perfect and the storyline is wonderful. The humor and suspense had an equal part in making this a family favorite. To the very last you still don't know who will win the hand of the lady.

THE STORY OF LOUIS PASTEUR (1936)
My mom loves true stories put to film. Though Hollywood may add a few things to make it appealing to the masses - They focused on the good a person did, rather than tell you all the unimportant details of their life. This one her favorite biographies. He was the Columbus of medicine, and help to convince the people the actual cause of diseases.

THE STORY OF VERNON AND IRENE CASTLE (1939)
This film came to the screen when so many other classics were occupying the charts. It is her favorite Astaire & Rogers film. It is the story of two fantastic dancers, played by the finest dancers of the time. Her grandmother, Bytheway, use to put her hair up like Irene Castle.

BATTLE OF THE BULGE (1965)
Because of my mothers love for history and patriotism, we would watch countless war movies together. This tradition has been passed down to even the Grandsons. This is one of her favorite war stories. We thought we had the Nazi's licked after D-Day, but they were prepared to fight back in due time. That time is conveyed in this film and the victory was due to the lack of gasoline.

A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966)
This film reminds her of her father, Clyde Barraclough. He was definitely a man for all seasons. She just loves the commitment he kept to his king and to his conscious, even though they would conflict many times. What a great example it is to any citizen of a country who must be loyal to both.

ANASTASIA (1956)
Here is another story that has been formatted to bring in audiences. Whether Anastasia lived through the massacre or not, didn't matter. It was the hope and mystery of this film that makes it appealing.

BOY'S TOWN (1938)
This is one of the greatest Tracy and Rooney films. Tracy won an Oscar for his portrayal of Father Flanagan. It taught the world a few things about boys and was immortalized forever with the statement: "There is no such thing as a bad boy."

YOUNG TOM EDISON & EDISON THE MAN (1940)
There is a funny story in our family about this man. My brother Eddie was given the name Eddie Edison Lewis when he was born. Not until he was eight years old did they realize during a school report on Thomas Edison that they shared the same birthday of February 11th. These two films are the perfect tribute to a man who changed the world forever.

FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX (1965)
My mother loves the endurance and faith of the men portrayed in this film. Though the odds were piled against them they continued each day. Our favorite scene is when they discover that the man remodeling the plane actually only ever worked on toy planes.

FRIENDLY PERSUASION (1956)
This is a beautiful film about a side of history that we rarely think about. Those who must honor their religion but are also called to defend their country. My mom loves the scene which causes the mother to act out in violence for the protection of her precious duck.

EL-CID (1961)
The story of this man needed to be told and who better to do it than an actor who played Moses and Ben-Hur. It is an amazing tale of a man who honored and fought for a king who did not honor him back. He helped protect Spain from becoming engulfed by the forces that surrounded it. The ending, though fictional, is hair-raising and chilling. I love this movie too!

There are many others that both of us wished we could have listed. Now it is time to turn to my dad and ask what he loves most about Vintage Media.