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.

MOTHER'S MONTH CLOSURE & FUTURE POSTS

Ever since this month began, I have had countless special conversations with my mom about her favorite movies and actors. It has been quite special and rewarding to hear her thoughts on the greatest age of Hollywood. I have also had some amazing discoveries and re-discoveries on the things she loves, and I hope that if anyone is reading this that they have come to appreciate these things as much as she has cherished them.

For the last week of the month, she wanted me to post on a few of the films she may not have remembered to list as her favorite. The films that I will be posting on, along with the ones listed earlier, are true classics though they may have not made it in to the most known list. That has been her mission all along - To share with those close to her, the films that they may have never known of, but will never forget.

Throughout this month, I have had an idea of a theme for the months to come. I thought that it might be interesting to dedicate a whole month to a specific year in movies. The year of 1939 is one that catches my attention. It is known as the biggest year at the academy awards and brought us classics like Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wizard of Oz & Gone with the Wind. With these hard hitters taking the spotlight, films like: On Borrowed Time, Dodge City, Gunga Din, Beau Geste, Drums Along the Mohawk, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Young Mr. Lincoln, Babes In Arms, They Shall Have Music, The Story of Vernon and Irene Castle and many other amazing films didn't get enough light to survive.

Before I use this theme, I will be dedicating this next month to my father's favorite movie's and movie stars. Just as a reminder, my father looks and talks just like John Wayne so don't be shocked to see his movies listed a few more times than others.

I'm excited to learn more about my dad and his thoughts on the films of the past. At first he didn't have an enthusiasm for these things, but he has come to treasure these movies almost as much as my mom. The main reason for this transition is his love for his wife. How can you not love something that is loved by someone you love most of all. My father is the perfect example of unselfish love and he may have learned it from my mom.

SONG OF THE SOUTH (1946)

Studio: Walt Disney Productions.

Producer: Walt Disney.

Director: Harve Foster & Wilfred Jackson

Awards: This film won an Oscar for Best Original Song "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" and another Oscar as an Honorary Award. It was also nominated for Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture.

Interesting Fact: Though this fact is mostly well known, this film is the inspiration for the popular Splash Mountain ride in the Disney parks.

My Favorite Scene: The whole movie is full of song and story. I love every bit of it.

Uncle Remus: It happum on one ah dem Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah Days. Now dat's the kinda day where you can't opem yo mouf widout a song jumpin right out of it!

I am shocked and appalled by the negativity of which this film has received. It is a fine story about a fine lesson, but some people get too distracted by trivial fiction. I can think of a hundred other films that should be disgraced for their content other than this picture. When my mother watched this film, Uncle Remus became her best friend. She waited on his every word and admired him for his wisdom. I wish this film would be released on DVD, but it looks like it never will. I wish to state how much I loved this film as a kid. It taught me a lesson, not an ideology, that places existed I'd not even know about. It is truly a family classic and one of the greats.

This is a small clip from the movie.

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MOVIE?

DAVY CROCKETT: KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER (1955)

Studio: Walt Disney Productions

Producer: Walt Disney

Director: Norman Foster

Awards: None

Interesting Fact: The main theme "The Ballad of Davy Crockett" became an instant hit and held the #1 spot on the music charts for a couple months in 1955. Can you imagine a song from a kids movie doing that in our day.

My Mother's Favorite Scene: My mom loves the scene where he attempts to grin down a bear. I like the closing of the film, where Davy is swinging away.

Davy Crockett: I'm half-horse, half-alligator and a little attached with snapping turtle. I've got the fastest horse, the prettiest sister, the surest rifle and the ugliest dog in Texas.

This is another expression of Walt Disney's love for the American heritage. Some of his films on the topic were animated, but it was films like this one that he chose to tell in live action. Every boy in America now had a new hero, and any money they could muster would be invested into a coon-skin cap. I too, as a boy, admired this giant of man. He was a true American hero, who fought the battles that needed fighting and forged the terrain that needed forging. Whether Disney got all the facts right or not, this picture shed new light and amazement on a man who loved this country. That alone is good enough for me.

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett"

My mother's favorite scene.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCENE?

JOHNNY TREMAIN (1957)

Studio: Walt Disney Productions

Producer: Walt Disney

Director: Robert Stevenson

Awards: None

Interesting Fact: Though Disney himself never saw the building of Disney World, he had intended that there was to be a Liberty Street. As they formulated the possibility of this road, they discovered a large elm tree near the Magic Kingdom, and moved it to it's current location as the Liberty Tree. In the tree hangs thirteen lanterns, which represent the original thirteen states.

My Mother's Favorite Scene: She loves to see that beautiful tree lit up in the film. My mother loves anything patriotic and scene is full of patriotism.

Samuel Adams: "This meeting can do nothing more, to save the country!"

Here is a film where we get to see the patriotic side of Walt Disney. This is one of my mother's favorite Disney films. One year she bought everyone in the family the DVD. Disney had a certain talent of teaching an audience about history. It is as entertaining as it is educational. though some aspects are purely fictional, Disney wove it very well into the story.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SCENE?

WALT DISNEY (1901-1966)

WALTER ELIAS DISNEY

Born: December 5th, 1901 (Cichago).

Died: December 15th, 1966 (lung cancer).

Marriage: Lillian Disney (1925-1966 His death).

Children: Diane Marie Disney & Sharon Mae Disney.

Awards: No one else has won as many Academy Awards as Disney. He has twenty-two Oscars and nominations for an additional thirty-seven. Among his other entertainment awards are a Directors Guild of America, an Emmy, three Golden Globes, ten Laurel Awards, two NY Film Critics Circle Award, six Venice Film Festival & two stars on the Walk of Fame. He also has received a few awards posthumously.

Interesting Fact: In 2000, he was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame for his work on the multiplane camera.

My Mother's Favorite Movie: Cinderella (1950). This has been my mother's favorite since she was a little girl. My favorite hidden gem of his, is Song of the South (1946). This is the film that Splash Mountain is based off of. It has been banned for it's use of the "N" word.

Cartoon Artist, Movie Director, Producer, Host, Actor, Writer, Inventor, CEO, Entrepreneur, Theme Park creator are a few of the titles he possessed. Walt did it all, and then he kept on going. I've always thought to myself, where this world would be if he had been allowed to live a little longer. In the short time he was with us, he recreated the entertainment industry on so many levels and established a legend that lives on to this day.

To state it simply, Walt Disney was a genius. His thoughts were original and his heart was always in the right place. He's given the world more joy and happiness than any other person I can think of on our day. His love of art and music recreated a whole different kind of expression. With his masterpiece of a film, Fantasia (1940), he helped the world see music in a whole new color.

With one foot in the past for heritage and the other foot in the future for progress, Walt created a trail for the bright minds of this country to follow. His ideas and dreams spread into the four corners of the world and soon his name became a household word for good. I love this man for his patriotism, vision and love for the pure. In an earlier post I suggested four men to be placed on a new Mount Rushmore. Today, I correct it to include: Ronald Regan, James Cagney, John Wayne & Walt Disney.

This clip expresses some of the work Disney did in creating a better future.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE OF HIS?

MOTHER'S MONTH CONTINUED

For the rest of this month, I will be posting on some of my mother's favorite things about old Hollywood. I started last night with the post on Edith Head. Who knows what will be the next topic. It will be a mystery to even me. Each topic is unique to my mom, for the fact that she experienced it when it happened. Somethings that I may post on have had a positive influence on her life. I hope you enjoy her loves.

EDITH HEAD (1897-1981)

EDITH CLAIRE POSENER

Born: October 28th, 1897 (California).

Died: October 24th, 1981 (bone morrow disease).

Marriage: Charles Head (1923-1936) & Wiard Ihnen (1940-1979).

Children: Godmother to one of the daughter of Anne Baxter.

Awards: With eight Oscars wins and an additional twenty-seven nominations, she was the Queen of the Academy Awards. It was not uncommon for her to be nominated on two to three movies at a time and win all of them. If you would like to see a break down of her wins and nominations visit IMDB.com. She also has a star on the Walk of Fame and received a Laurel Award and was nominated for a BAFTA award.

Interesting Fact: In 1920, she achieved a masters degree in French at Stanford University.

My Favorite Movie: Not knowing much about the costume designing industry myself, and looking over the large list of films that she contributed too, I find it hard to pick a favorite film based on its designing alone. As strange as it may seem, I would feel that The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) is as close to a favorite of hers as I can pick. John Wayne's rugged look in this picture is apart from all of the rest of his. Each character is true to the western feel, yet they are completely separated from each other by their appearances.

When I was younger, I remember my parents finishing a movie off by searching for Edith Head's name in the credits. My mother would often say, "I knew it," upon the discovery of her talent in the film. She has won more Oscar's than any other woman of Hollywood and set the style of fashion for nearly sixty years. She also worked with almost every major director and movie star during her career, many of which became personal friends of hers.

In our day, she was recreated in the Pixar film The Incredibles (2004) as Edna E. Mode. In this film, she is in her common chopped bangs hair cut with her large glasses. I found this a fitting tribute to Edith, as a new generations curiosity of this women was born again.

This is a compilation of some of her films put to "Clair De Lune."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

JUST WATCHED

I just watched two amazing films I had never seen before with my family last night: Make Way for Tomorrow (1937) & Me and the Colonel (1958). I found both of them on YouTube.com in a complete movie setting.

Before I talk about the movies themselves, I just wanted to tell you a little bit about what led up to this moment. Right when I started this Blog, I began to hear of a movie called Make Way for Tomorrow. It was a film that I had never of as a child, but it had many followers and comments online. My first encounter with the film came when I did a post on Leo McCarey. Immediately I became very impressed with this director and found that his favorite film was this one. Later as I began a timeline for the leading ladies of Hollywood, I was reading a book titled "They had Faces Then," written by John Springer & Jack D. Hamilton. Both of them expressed their appreciation for the talents of Beulah Bondi, and then mentioned this as their favorite film of hers. So last night, I put on YouTube and sat down to watch it. Throughout the movie, my little seventeen month-old was hooked as my wife kept saying: "This is so sad."

Now to talk about the movie itself. Even though this film does not involve different ideologies or opposing political ideas, it is one of the most controversial films I have ever seen. Its story has a silent truth to it, that can inflict silent pain on those who see their own private actions played out.

I grew up in a home where my parents took care of both sets of grandparents and my dad's handicap sister. Needless to say they had a handicap daughter of their own to watch with two to three other children, out of twelve in all, living at home. My grandparents had other offspring that could have watched them, but each of them had their own reason for being unable, so my parents lovingly took them in. My parents moved out of their already small master bedroom and into an even smaller room in the basement. I learned what it meant to be a Samaritan as I grew up in this home. I loved having them in my home. Throughout my life we lived in a different state then them, and this was my chance to have them all to myself.

Something impressive about Bondi, is how well she did at looking and acting like a grandmother in her late forties. This film shows many different perspectives of a child's feelings for their aged parents, and all of them are saddening. After seeing this film you want to call your parents and talk to them for a few hours. It is a fantastic picture. It also is full of touching scenes of this elderly couple when they should be celebrating fifty years together, instead of saying their final good-byes.

Right after we watched this film, a whole bunch of complete movies were available to watch. The one that caught my eye was a film with Danny Kaye titled, Me and the Colonel. I had heard of this film before and turned it on with the intent of just watching the beginning. My son and I were hooked from the beginning. We stayed up until 11:30 to finish it together.

Made in a year when Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor reigned supreme and Jimmy Stewart was getting over his fear of heights, came this slightly comedic WWII drama. It was refreshingly funny, but not the common Danny Kaye funny you see in his other films. His acting in this film showed a slightly serious side, and proves once again his amazing talent as a performer. Curd Jürgens also did an amazing job as an upstanding Polish officer, who runs to his love before he runs to his escape. The film has a few lines that are instant classics and you never know where the story will go. I recommend this film to any one who loves WWII dramas.

All in all, I am surprised by how many films of the past are not as well known as others of the same era. If you have not seen these two films, I promise you wont be disappointed. They are now both apart of my favorites.