Gone Too Soon

 

I was watching a movie, yesterday, that I have never seen before, and I felt sad because the actress had died before the film was completed. It got me thinking about all the actors and actresses that died while filming their, unknowingly, last movie. I could have chosen films where the actors did complete their roles just before dying but I went with stars that died before the film was completed and the studios had to get a stand-in to complete the role. Ok, maybe a bit morbid, but I can lean toward the dark side…

1. SARATOGA-1937

This is the film I watched yesterday, for the first time, that stars Clark Gable and Jean Harlow in her final role. The film is a romantic comedy, with dramatic overtones, about a grandfather, played by Lionel Barrymore, who will be losing his stud farm except old friend Gable won the farm in a gambling venture. The granddaughter, played by Jean Harlow, is not happy about , well, everything and is not happy with Gable. Gambling continues, we see quite. Bit of horse-racing and, in the end, Gable wins over Harlow. To be honest, I didn’t care for the writing and so the plot is still vague. I even read the plot and it’s just not sinking in. All I know is that there is gambling involved and racehorsing. Racehorsing was a big deal in Hollywood with many stars going to the track and many owning horses like Fred Astaire and Bing Crosby. While watching this film, I could see that Harlow did not look well-She looked a bit bloated and very tired. She collapsed on the set and, instead of staying in the hospital, she was home with her mom, a Christian Scientist. The story goes that the mom believed in holistic healing so did not believe in hospitals.  When Gable visited Harlow, who was a good friend of his, he smelled urine in her breath. Louis B. Mayer also visited and that was enough for him to call the ambulance. Unfortunately, it was too late and Harlow died of Uremic poisoning at the age of 26. The film was going to be shelved but the public had an outcry to see Harlow’s last film so they brought in Mary Dees to sub for Harlow. Gable had a few more scenes but was very uncomfortable because he felt like he was filming with a ghost. She was way too young to die, but, boy, did she have quite a life in those 26 years.

2. BRAINSTORM-1983

This film stars Christopher Walken as a scientist who, along with his colleague, played by Louise Fletcher, develop a computer program that act7ally record a person’s emotions plus more. Walken is fighting to keep this away from the government who want to use it for their owns needs which may not be in the best interest to HQ Public. Walkin is married, but estranged, to Natalie Wood who becomes embroiled in this sci-fi thriller. Sadly, Natalie Wood died before filming was completed for her character. I remember when she died and all the news reports which included  number of people who heard a woman crying for help in the middle of the night. According to reports, Robert Wagner, married to Natalie Wood,  Wood and Christopher Walkin were drinking, a lot, on Wagner and Wood’s yacht. Their captain was asked to take the boat out and they travelled to a nearby island where they continued to imbibe and eat at some restaurant. They went back on the boat and while anchored on the water, there was a heated argument between the 3 due to rumours that Walkin and Wood were having an off-screen affair. Walking went to bed but Wagner and Wood continued to argue before retiring, sometime after, Wood went overboard and drowned. The official report is that she wanted to leave the yacht and tried to get into a dinghy, in the middle of the night, slipping, hitting her head and falling into the water. Everyone was sleeping so no one heard her pleas for help. I don’t buy that version nor do I believe that Wagner deliberately murdered her. I believe that the 2 were arguing, while very drunk and Wagner pushed her or hit her and she went into the water. He may have tried to look for her or not, but he made no attempt to find her or wake anyone up to help find her. He didn’t want to be found out to be a drunken lout who smacked his wife or pushed her away. Drunk people do very, very stupid things. Natalie Wood had a phobic fear of water so would never have tried to get into a small dinghy in the black water. When she was a kid, she almost died, on set, falling into a man made river scene only to be saved g the nick of time. A psychic told her she would meet her fate in water so Natalie Wood would not have tried to get into a small dinghy. In the end, the producers and the director got her sister, Lana Wood, to dub her sister’s final scenes. Sadly, the film was not a success and Wood died at the young age of 43.

3. GLADIATOR-2000

I can’t believe this film is 26 years old! This is  great epic starring Russell Crowe as a former General for the Roman Army, close to the King who is betrayed by the King’s son played so creepily, by Joaquin Phoenix. Crowe is to be killed but he escapes and rushes back to his family only to find them dead on his farm. He is clubbed over the head and taken to become a slave trying to stay alive as a gladiator. The owner of these slaves is played by Oliver Reed who sees that Crowe is no ordinary gladiator slave and makes him toil so Reed’s group can appear at THE colosseum, in Rome. There, Crowe, who trained the men for combat, excels and beats the other gladiators winning the hearts of the public and the ire of the king, King creep Phoenix. Crowe and Reed did not like each other because Reed scoffed at Crowe’s dedication to his acting and Crowe was pissed off  at Reed’s cavalier  attitude to acting plus his drunken episodes and lateness on the set. Reed was known for his historic alcoholic ventures and uncaring ways to acting. So, one night, after filming in Malta, Reed with his wife, went to “The Pub”  to have a bit to eat and a few pints. Sailors, from the ship, “ HMS Cumberland” came in and Reed challenged these sailors that he could drink them under the table and beat them at arm wrestling. These young chaps had no clue who they were dealing with…Reed drank, wait for it, 8 pints of beer, 12 shots of rum, 1/2 a bottle of whiskey, plus several shots of cognac. He arm wrestled 5 sailors and won each one but then he suffered a major heart attack and dropped to the floor. The ambulance came, but Reed died what he did best-drinking. Ridley Scott, the director still had a few scenes to do, so, using computer technology and a double, they superimposed his face on a double and worked around his character to finish the picture. Reed was only 61 yrs old and I am surprised he lasted that long. At least he died doing what he loved best, drinking.

Do you know of any stars that died before filming ended?

Vegetables and Fruit Songs

 

This week, over at Monday Music Moves Me, it is all bout Vegetables and I am placing fruit in for good measure. I love oranges and eat 3 oranges per day along with 2 apples per day. I also love eating carrots which I eat daily but only raw carrots. I don’t like cooked carrots…blecchh. Broccoli is another vegetable I love since I was a kid and called them trees when I was little. Here re my 3.

1. THE LADY IN THE TUTTI FRUTTI HAT SUNG BY CARMEN MIRANDA-1943

This song is from the film, “ The Gang’s All Here” with the diminutive Carmen Miranda looking 10 feet tall in that huge hat. It is a great number staged by Busby Berkley using all the fruits into a number that is quite suggestive with the strawberries and bananas. The censor guys never caught on to what Busby was showing. 

2. APPLES AND ORANGES BY PINK FLOYD-1967

This is a unique song by the famous band, Pink Floyd and was written by Syd Barrett just before he left the band. It’s quite. Different song about a girl a guy meets in the supermarket. It’s quite psychedelic and I like it plus it’s about the 2 fruits I eat the most.

3. VEGETABLES BY THE BEACH BOYS-1967

This song is quite unique, written by Brian Wilson and Van Dyke Parks, and I really enjoyed listening to it. 

What veggie or fruit song can you think of?

Best Actor-Who Should Have Won for 1945

 

1945 nominees for Best Actor were not a lot of great choices, to be honest….it could have been much better but the Academy decided to go with ho-hum actors. This could have been a much better year instead of …meh. The first actor is who won the Oscar, the 2nd is my choice as to who should have won…

1. RAY MILLAND IN THE LOST WEEKEND

This is a Billy Wilder film and one of the first to depict a troubled alcoholic and his downward spiral into alcoholism despite the love of a woman and his brother’s devotion. All he wants is to drink and will do whatever it takes to get that drink. Ray Milland was known as a light comedian but wanted to be more so he went after this role. He convinced Wilder and it won him the Oscar, and I have no idea how he won this. Wait, I do…a light comedian acts in a serious role as an alcoholic…some things never change. I can’t stand this movie, not because of the directing or the character actors or the main actress, played by Jane Wyman, but because of Ray Milland. To me, he greatly overacts to the point where he made me laugh out loud ( he has booze in a paper bag and he is looking all around wondering what everyone else sees. His eyes seem to pop out of his head as he looks at everyone in a paranoid manner and it made me laugh. I just can’t get into his character because he is very unlikeable, condescending  and obnoxious. 

2. EDWARD G. ROBINSON IN SCARLETT STREET

Edward was not even nominated for his brilliant turn as a hen-pecked husband who loves to paint. He is taken out by his work to celebrate all the years working at the bank and as he walks home he meets up with a beautiful woman, played by, now brunette, Joan Bennett. He helps her out and thinks she is quite the lady but, she is anything but. She is slovenly, lazy, two-timing wrench who sees her mark. Edward is smitten and places her in  a nice apartment, buying her whatever she desires. He just loves to paint her and she is fine with this and so is her boyfriend played so slimely by Dan Duryea. Through a series of events, Edward's paintings get noticed by a reputable art dealer and his paintings are being sold but they think the artist is the broad. Poor Edward has no idea but continues to give this gal her every wish to the point where he now embezzles from his work. We all know this actor as a rough gangster so this is a new character he plays and he acts so well that you believe him to be this sad, beat upon man. Edward was, actually, a very soft soul who hated guns and would often close his eyes causing the director to yell "Cut" until he got the take. Edward was also a lover of art and had quite the collection. I believe Edward G. Robinson deserves the Oscar for this role and, yet, he was not even nominated.

3  CORNEL WILDE IN A SONG TO REMEMBER 

This is one of the many romanticized bios that the studios made during the 40s, this being one of them. Cornell Wilde was a handsome stud and one I had a crush on when I first saw this film. I always got a kick out of how these great composers composed...from figuring out how to play his new work to playing the piece with full gusto all within 30 seconds. This is a very fictionalized account of Chopin's life including his affair with George Sand. She decided to dress and act like a man since men made it on the world where women were delegated  to bring them their slippers. Merle Oberon played Sand but had to play her as the villain because  you can't have a strong woman who dresses like a man, as a woman with strength.  Chopin was proud of his Polish heritage and fought to have Poland become independent. Cornell was good in his role but nothing special, again, in my opinion. 

The other nominees were Gregory Peck in "Keys for the Kingdom"; Gene Kelly in, "Anchors Aweigh;" and Bing Crosby in"The Bells of St. Mary's."

Humphrey Bogart wasn't nominated for his role in " To Have and Have Not." John Wayne in "They Were Expendable." And even Hurd Hatfield in "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

August

 

August, the last hurrah before school starts…I still get the shivers when I see back to school commercials. This is also the month when families decide to take a trip with their kids…apparently, that is supposed to be fun. Did you hear about the brat who would not sit down and get strapped in in his airplane chair? Where the FUCK were his parents? The airplane was taxiing when it had to turn back because of that brat and his delinquent parents. I hope they were thrown off the plane and continued on. How rude to all the others in the plane causing much conflagration on the plane, and the whole airport with the costs including the people who tell the planes where to go. Anywhoo….here are my picks for music about August and I am joking the Monday Music Moves Me which is always fun.

1. TIME FOR AUGUST SUNG BY JULIE LONDON-1956

Of course, my Calendar Girl, Julie, is here singing another sultry number from her album, “ Calendar Girl”. I am really enjoying this album and sharing each month with you.

2. STUCK IN THE AUGUST RAIN SUNG BY JETHRO TULL-1995

This was written by the lead singer and flutist, Ian Anderson who sings about the rain in the month of August. My brother introduced me to this band when I travelled with him to school. When I heard him sing about picking his nose, I was grossed out and then Giggled as only a young teen can. I love the style and how unique this band is. I thought this was a good song since St. Catharines, at the beginning of August, received something like 248mm of rain in 2 storms within a week. We made it on the national news due to the amount of rain we received. 80% of basements got flooded and so much was destroyed. There were mountains of garbage, formerly treasures etc.., on the lawns of so many homes. Our mayor called for a State of Emergency as he stood in his flooded basement. Our basement was dry! We had new pipes placed in about a decade ago and my sweetheart fixed around the house and placed extended the eavestrough to have the rain fall further away from the house.

3. COLD WIND IN AUGUST SUNG BY VAN MORRISON-1977

This is a really great song by Van Morrison who captures what August is supposed to be..the oncoming of Fall. Now it just feels like another hot month with the cool nights now starting in September. I really like this song and Morrison puts his own stamp on it with his style.

So, do you know any August songs?

The Working Man

 

It’s summer vacation for many right now since it is summer, the kids are out of school and parents take off to Disney, any amusement park, go camping or swim in a nearby pool, lake or ocean, for many of poor slobs, we are still working and punching in the clock. I decided to use the theme of the working man and here are my picks…

1. THE CROWD-1928

This is one of my favourite films about the average Joe who marries, starts a family and works trying to support them over highs and great lows! It stars the tragic James Murray as Everyman working in the cog of life. His fellow worker and friend suggests they double date and go to Coney Island. James meets his blind date, played by Eleanor Boardman( married to the director, King Vidor) and is immediately so smitten that, at the end of their date, he proposes and she accepts. Her brothers and mother disapprove of the union and his wife wonders why her husband does not move up in his workplace like his friend. They have 2 children while he tries to make ends meet. When something horrible happens, he is thinking of suicide but he is brought back from that ledge to continue living. This is a great film made near the end of the silent movie era. James Murray catapulted to stardom, but could not handle the fame ending up as a bum on skid row, dying from alcoholism. The director, King Vidor offered him a role in his movie but the actor told him off and disappeared. King Vidor wanted to make a movie about this man but never had the chance. Eleanor Boardman, I watched her interviews in the 13 part documentary on “Hollywood” and she is someone I would not want to know. She dissed Garbo in a prejudicial manner and mentioned this film. She was hoping to wear beautiful gowns and look glamorous only to be in this film wearing dowdy clothes and little make-up. I don’t believe she realized what a great movie this is. It is one, I say, is a must see.

2. THE GRAPES OF WRATH-1940

This is another great film that is a must see, but I can’t watch this film over and over. It is one dour film that stars Henry Fonda as Tom Joad, an ex con who comes home just in time to see his family packing up all they own to travel to California. These people, the salt of the earth, have been hit hard by the dustbowl and the Great Depression. They travel to California hearing there are jobs there and embark on their journey. The person holding the family together is Ma Joad, played by Jane Darnell, who keeps the hope even when hope seems to be dead and gone. When they get to California, they get a job picking fruit but are basically slaves to the unscrupulous owners living in shanties and paid very little. Fonda goes to a secret meeting but it ends with his friend, Casey ( played by John Carradine, whom I love), dead and Fonda killing the guard in self-defense. They all leave and wind up at a reputable company with cold and hot running water and toilets which this kids have never seen before. There are. Couple of great scenes where Ma Joad speaks about family and living forward while Henry Fonda has one the greatest speeches that is shown every time one talks about this film. It is not only brilliantly acted but I love the cinematography courtesy of the great Gregg Toland. 

3. MARTY-1955

Talk about an every guy, Ernest Borgnine plays a regular butcher who lives with his mom and deals with her, his siblings, and his friends all barrage him for still being single. His mom nags him into going to a ballroom for dancing and meeting people. There he meets Clara, a plain looking school teacher( of course), and they dance and talk the night away. Both are flying high with their romantic pairing until he goes home and finds out his Aunt has moved in and freaked out his mom saying that once Marty marries, mommy will be kicked out. Mom, fearful of this, disses his new gal  as well as his friends who further belittle her. Marty lets himself be manipulated by everyone and does not call her as he promised. Thankfully, he starts to see that he is not living for himself but for everyone. He gives a great speech and calls Clara up who wipes her tears away and accepts the call. There are many films made in the 1950s that have this look of black and white blandness. It is not a full on happy film but one which instills hope for the average person. I may not watch this film many times, but I do think it’s another film to watch.

What films make you think of the average Joe…or Jill.?

Love Smoked Turkey on German Rye Bread

This week is an interesting theme, over at Monday Music Moves Me, which is all about the sandwich. I was going to do an acrostic, my first, but, as you can see, I am very late publishing this week. We just came back home yesterday. It’s an 8 hour drive with 2 quick stops to gas up and go to the loo. We came home to a mess. Bless my ex for taking care of the animals, but he is messy and his passive-aggressive nature comes out by not doing something we asked him to do like giving out pussy cats wet food. My hubby checked and noticed that no cans were in the recycle bin and the same one was still in the fridge. We had it all written down. If my ex can do the minimal, he will. He left our bedroom door open so, of course, our lovely Harley used that for his bed and the hair on the comforter made the colour look grey instead of a deep blue. I am still thankful that the animals were all good and that he took Harley for his walks. We took 3 hours to clean up with some cleaning is just due to out fur babes:)). We were so happy to see them and vice versa. My baby, Lexi, kept meowing and I had to reinforce I would not leave. Harley is beside me now, happily sleeping and Kaspar was very happy to see his daddy. 

OK back to the music, I decided to use what I eat every day…I have a half slice of German Kaiserbrot rye, 2 slices of smoked turkey on the bread with 1 slice of harvarti cheese, carrots, Motts fruit cup and 2 gingerbread cookies. I love my lunch!!

1. COMIN’ THRO’ THE RYE SUNG BY JOHN MCDERMOTT-2019

This is an old traditional Scottish song created with the lyrics from Robert Burns. I decided to go with my fellow Canadian, John McDermott, who never fails to sing songs so beautifully.

2. SWEET SURRENDER SUNG BY BREAD-1972

I do love the songs from the band, “Bread” and it fits for this theme. I could have used only Bread songs but, I didn’t want to:)

3. COLD TURKEY SUNG BY JOHN LENNON-1969

Ok, this has nothing to do with turkey meat but when John Lennon and Yoko Ono went cold turkey when they came off their array of drugs especially heroin. They locked themselves into a room and went through hell to quit this horrible drug.

What is your favourite sandwich? Any sandwich songs you love? 

My John McDermott will not play for us Canadians even though he's Canadian! I placed this one in and hope it is nice.

Star Of The Month- Joan Blondell

 

JOAN BLONDELL

BIRTH: July 30, 1906

DEATH: December 25, 1979

AGED: 73 years

DIED FROM: Leukaemia 

REAL NAME: Rose Joan Blondell

NICKNAMES: Rosebud, Bud, Buddie

MARRIED: George Barnes ( Cameraman); Dick Powell ( Actor/director), Mike Todd ( producer)

AFFAIRS: Clark Gable who proposed marriage but she declined; John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Bing Crosby, Pat DiCicco (producer), Ronald Reagan

CHILDREN: 2 children Norman Powell-producer & TV Executive and Ellen Powell- Make-up Artist

BEST FRIENDS: Glenda Farrell, James Cagney, Bette Davis, Barbara Stanwyck

FAMOUS RELATIVES: Gloria Blondell(sister), Both Parents, known as The Bouncing Blondell in Vaudeville

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: The Blue Veil-1952

TALENT: Excellent cook known for her cheesecake, Barbeque sauce and Chinese spiced chicken. Wrote a novel called, “Center Door Fancy” which is a thinly veiled 

KNOWN FOR: Her sassy, working girl ( Not that kind of working girl) who audiences could relate to. Her great humour and salty language.  She called Bette’s exes the Foreskins because Her friend, Bette Davis, was married 4 times. Her big, blue eyes and was a Wampas Baby Star.

This wise-cracking dame from pre-code Hollywood played the no-nonsense friend in many films from 1930 to 1934 often paired with James Cagney, in 6 films, in which he said that, “Next to my wife, Blondell is the only other woman I ever loved.” No, they were never romantically involved even though he stated Joan’s ass was the best he’s seen and has a great body. Before she became famous, she was part of her parents’ Vaudeville act since she was literally, born on the road, sleeping in dresser drawers. Once her sister(whom she was always close to) came along, the parents decided to settle down for the children and their own selves. When, Joan was working in the library, in 1927, she was raped by a police officer who threatened to kill her if she ever revealed what had happened and she kept this to herself until revealing this in her memoirs. She fell for Dick Powell when they were teamed in a movie and the marriage appeared good until she found out he was having an affair with June Allyson ( who often portrayed a wholesome girl next door). The divorce was not, shall we say, great but she bounced back into the arms of Mike Todd…not a great choice. He was a producer but a huge gambler in many areas and went through Joan’s savings never paying her back. In fact, this narcissistic jerk, although their sex life was fantastic, he was emotionally and mentally abusive and, according to Joan Blondell, physically, once holding her over the balcony, by her ankles..what an asshole! Her life was one of happiness and one of difficulties, I guess like most people. When she was giving birth to her son Norman, it was a 20 hr labour, with many complications including a fractured coccyx (ouch!) and the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck. This birth must, still, have been glorious since she had, at least, 2 abortions prior, to her first husband’s insistence. In later years, she became plump, which she didn’t mind but had to deal with rheumatoid arthritis but continued to work all the way through. She had to deal with a notorious 2 episode performance on The Lucy Show, where she was to become a regular but, Ball treated her horribly dissing her in front of the crew and the studio audience whereby Joan told her to F-Off and walked off the set. Ball was friends with June Allyson and Dick Powell which might have been one of the reasons for her horrible treatment of Joan. Joan worked until the end including Grease and Opening Night, a John Cassavetes film. She deserves to be well known today and is among the greats because she is a grande dame among dames.

FILMS ( I have not seen the last 5)

1. Topper Returns-1941

2. Support Your Local Gunfighter-1971

3. The Cincinnati Kid-1965

4. Nightmare Alley-1947

5.  Public Enemy-1931

6. Golddiggers of 1933-1933

7. Footlight Parade-1935

8. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn-1945

9. Desk Set-1957

10. Blonde Crazy

" A wife must smile through mental pain and develop a thick skin when her husband doesn't notice how pretty she is. Do not be jealous and do cultivate feminine mystique, and laugh until you pee. Remember he will always want a comfortable chair. Do not forget to praise his looks....and, above all, do not fart before the 3rd year of marriage."