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.