Folks
keep asking me to post a pic of myself and while I appreciate the interest, when I have done so in the past the general reaction has been, well, let us say 'surprising' to the normal person. Having experienced a long, eventful and rather sordid life of hedonistic debauchery, the story of which is apparently written on my face, I'm somewhat hesitant to expose the uninitiated to such a craggy display of life's etchings, but thanx for your interest.In Other news, I am in receipt of an Email from 'One Tologonwith' and want to thank you for your very kind words. Having some free time on my hands I bought a book from good old Barnes & Noble on the uses of HTML and set about to take advantage of all the free sites available on-line. This is the result. Bear in mind my HTML programming skill level is still at the '..monkey see, monkey do..." level but I do enjoy learning new things. Thanx again for taking the time and your very kind words.
Monday May 28th. already and Memorial Day is almost over. We are expecting a general exodus of colorful touristas here in Key Largo, and a return to the serenity of laid-back island life. The grocery stores have been packed and the plethora of eating establishments have been overflowing with long lines of the hungry awaiting the next seating. Do you remember the 1948 release of the Humphrey Bogart film "Key Largo" here on the right?
Well, most of it was shot on the studio soundstage but that building shown as the hotel really does exist here in Key Largo and some of the scenes were actually shot there. Of course it has all fallen into the clutches of commercialism these days and has been turned into a local watering hole. I stopped by for a drink last evening on my way home from the marine store and it too was filled to overflowing with a robust and boisterous crowd of youthful holiday revelers. Through the smiling animated faces of the hopeful youths, there up on the wall was a poster of Humphrey and Lauren. Edward G. Robinson had a corner display all to himself and even Lionel Barrymore's wheelchair was on there.
So I hoisted a brew and said '...so here's looking at you kid...' the startled youth next to me came up with a quizzical look on his face and finally shrugged his shoulders and walked off scratching his head with no clue what I was talking about. Such is the lot of old movies I guess, no matter how profound. In any case I did get a chance to finally put some finishing touches on the Blog entry for the Cary Grant/Grace Kelly entry of "To Catch A Thief" (CLICK HERE), let me know what you think and I hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day!
Movie Classics
All the latest movie news that's fit to print! That’s right, I said it. I collect screenshots all those 'movie prop' headlines you see in the movies, especially the older ones. They used to actually print up a half dozen copies of those papers for the actors to further the storyline with. I always wondered if the fine print actually said anything or was just gibberish.
All is well here in Movie Classics Land and Memorial Day is this coming weekend. We've been flooded out with rain this last week as Miami got ten inches of rain just yesterday. Miami is expecting two million visitors over the long weekend and here in Key Largo all the locals are expecting to hold up and hunker down as the tourists are expected to begin the invasion tomorrow.
All the rain has allowed me some indoor time to play with a new Blog entry. "To Catch A Thief" with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly and I really enjoyed putting that one together. CLICK HERE to take a look and let me know what you think.
Movie Classics
They were big and beautiful and a defining icon of the era.
"The GM Futurliners were a group of stylized buses designed in the 1940s by Harley Earl for General Motors. They were used in GM's 'Parade Of Progress', which traveled the United States exhibiting cutting edge technologies of the period. The Futurliners were used from 1940 to 1941 and again from 1953 to 1956. A total of twelve were built and nine were known to still exist as of 2007.".
How cool would it be to own this piece of American history? Originally they were used to travel around displaying some of the many ultra modern devices in final stages of development in R&D Labs around the country, modern science fiction miracles. Micro wave ovens, stereophonic music, televisions that could receive pictures from the air and display them in your home (...nobody believed that one...). Unbelievable miracles all and the American future was as bright and shiny as these Futurliners! (Click The Pix)
The only other thing I could think of that might be as much fun, is of course the Oscar Mayer Weinermobile. Who wouldn't like to show up at work driving this puppy? NO ONE!
★ Click the Pic to Enlarge the Weinermobile ★
Well, the sun is shinning and the Mahi are biting so I better get my day started. Here's hoping you have an excellent Tuesday and here's some music to play with to start your day!
Movie Classics
May 10th. 1954 was the day Bill Haley released this song as a single (later released as an album) and the Rock N’ Roll era began for me. It was on the ‘B’ Side of the release and nobody had ever heard anything like it and a year later Bill appeared on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ to sing his now, No. 1 Hit! I was twelve...
The weather forecast is for scattered thundershowers today so no sailing for me. I hate to be out on the water with a metal mast sticking up in the air as I watch lightning strikes here and there, very unnerving. So it’s all Blog today…
Updating several of the Blogs and correcting any broken links. If you find any please send me a comment so I can fix them. Put in a new slider over on the the 'Still Shots' page, take a look and let me know what you think.... (CLICK HERE).
Dear Movie Classics;
I’ve never written to you before but I really need your advice on what could be a very crucial decision. I’ve suspected for some time now that my very attractive wife has been cheating on me.
The usual signs…. The phone rings, but if I answer the caller hangs up. My wife has been going out with the girls a lot recently although when I ask their names she always sez “...just some friends from work, you don’t know them…”.
I always stay awake to look out for her taxi coming home, but she always walks down the drive, although I can hear a car setting off, as if she has gotten out of the car around the corner. Why? Maybe she wasn’t in a taxi.
I once picked her cell phone up just to see what time it was and she went berserk and screamed I should never touch her phone again and why was I checking up on her.
Anyway, I have never broached the subject with my wife. I think that deep down I just didn’t want to know the truth, but last night she went out again and I decided to really check up on her.
I decided I was going to park my Harley next to the garage and hide behind it so I could get a good view of the whole street when she comes home. It was at that moment, crouching behind my Harley, that I noticed the rocker boxes on my engine seemed to be leaking a little oil.
Is this something I can fix myself or should I take it back to the dealer?
...Jim572
Dear Jim572; I ran into that very problem myself some years ago but in the end, all turned out well....
I'll send you a private Email describing how I handled that situation.
Movie Classics
Y
esterday was one of those rare sailing days when everything was perfect. The sun was out, the wind was from the southeast, the water was a brilliant aquamarine and clear as drinking water and I sailed down the Key as far as the Hilton Hotel (5 miles) in my little Hobie Mirage passing those giant yachts full of party goers.
Instead of "Tailgate Parties" here in the Keys, they have "Boat Parties". Everyone that can beg, borrow or steal a boat of any kind, from a small outboard motorboat to a giant yacht agrees to meetup (via the internet) at a specific location, usually on the lee side of one of the sandy keys and as the water is only about 3 or 4 feet deep one can often just walk over to another boat and meet a variety of new bikini clad "acquaintances".
I get to chuckle as I pass by the testosterone laden with boom boxes blasting and for some unknown reason an accompanying large cloud of well, smoke hovering over the Kegger Boats. Hmmm... I wonder what that could be? As the sun sets on the horizon and a starry darkness blankets everything, someone breaks out the fireworks (legal here in Florida) and the show begins...
As a very old man this brings up a smile and a time to remissness about days gone by as I sail along. A time when everyone in the office had an ashtray at their desk and seat belts were unheard of. Women were relegated to the secretarial pool and were the object of sexual innuendo that would get you locked up in today's office environment. When pregnant women still smoked and drank, my mother did and I seemed to have survived somehow. A time when men ruled the roost and a good looking woman that understood men could get just about anything she wanted...
'The Apartment' (1960) with Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine, 'Breakfast At Tiffanys' (1961) with George Peppard and Audrey Hepburn, is the era in which I grew up which leads us to todays' offering...
Click Pic Above for More
Click the Pic above and see the commentary by Vanity Fair's Jonathan Kelly. He looks way too young to be putting forth how it was in the early sixties but I love this show. Suddenly I take a wave over the bow and the splash of wind driven saltwater on my face brings me back to the present. This definitely the good part about getting old...
Well I hope you get a chance to see Mad Men. The sun is starting to come up so I'll sign off for now.
Hope You Have A Great Day
Movie Classics
Yesterday it was all Rita All The Time, today it's the sexiest tobacco farmers' daughter ever, beautiful Miss Ava Gardner! Gadzooks, I just don't think it could possibly get any better that Miss Ava.
That would be great if they could make a calender with GIF files. Here's the hardcopy one I use to run off on the printer and keep on the frig every month (CLICK HERE).
All is well in Movie Classics Land this morning although we are waiting for the trailing end of a storm to pass away before we can set sail again. When it rains down here in the southern latitudes, it POURS! Weather, Winds & Tides are a big concern and chief subject of the breakfast routine down at Henrietta's Cafe.
Here's one for ya, just on a fluke I started watching a new TV program which probably won't last very long but while it's here I'm really enjoying it. The Robertson family of Louisiana has built a multimillion-dollar business called Duck Commander out of small, simple devices that mimic the call of the wild duck, which says that out there in the rest of America, ducks are more interesting than, say, catfights among the real housewives of New Jersey.
Click Pic for some great clips!
They've become millionaires and it's kind of like a real life 'Beverley Hillbillies' and well worth watching! I absolutely agree with much of the philosophy of Phil and Si. Give it a try!
Movie Classics
Rita
Hayworth was one of my very very favorite actresses. If ever there was one person I could sit down and have coffee with it would be Miss Rita. I would love to do an entire Blog about her life but there are so many well written Blogs on-line about her I'm sure it would just get lost in the flotsam and jetsam of cyberspace.One of the very best Bio's I've seen is not written at all but a one hour video detailing her extraordinary life (CLICK HERE).
Miss Rita had a propensity towards very controlling men in her life. Her marriage to Orson Welles was quite a surprise. He seemed very much a 'Free Spirit' and not even interested in owning a house or raising children. The hotel life for Orson, where others would clean up and take care of the mundane chores on a daily basis. I have a hard time picturing Orson taking out the garbage.
Well, it's time for me to go out sailing so here's some great Pix of Miss Rita and just down below are five full-length movies.....
just click the title to start the movie...
Movie Classics
For a quick look into the daydreaming mind of Movie Classics, just move your mouse pointer over my picture on the right. That's right, Kulnaka Country ! Martine Beswick and Edina Ronay! Of course when ever anyone asks me what I'm thinking about I always say "...uh, the grandkids of course...". Such is the mind of the avid fisherman, just a little something to while away the hours while waiting for a bite!
One of the best things about the Hobie Mirage is you can just sail up to just about any local restaurant and tie up your boat and eat lunch....
Lana Turner is always a favorite for those daydreaming hours spent afloat here in the Keys. She's always been a favorite among the huge cast of characters I've managed to accumulate in the old libido after 70 trips around the sun.
Well the sun is coming up so I better get the day started. If you are interested here's the view off the back deck as of this writing (Click Here).
Have A Great Day!
Movie Classics
Today is Monday April 9th. 2012. I have been having so much fun down here in the Keys! It's definitely a world based on Water! Fishing and Boating is a way of life down here.
Take a look at where I am located (CLICK HERE) and you'll see why. Mrs. Movie Classics is off in Mumbai India for 2½ weeks so I've been on my own. Life be been very good for Movie Classics. I've even tried my hand at fishing and snorkeling.
Old Movies in the evening, sailing, fishing and snorkeling during the day is putting a big smile on my face.
The African Queen is located just down the street. That's right, I could hardly believe it as I pulled in the parking lot of the Holiday Inn at mile marker #100 (Mile Marker is how everyone navigates around here). I could just see Capt. Charlie Allnut pulling her through the leech infested waters of the Ulanga River with prim and proper but gutsy Miss Rosy Sayer giving him directions from over his shoulder. I’ve often thought of that scene when Mrs. Movie Classics starts giving me directions while I’m driving along.
She looks wonderful for 100 years old . Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn would be delighted at how well maintained she has been kept. Last December Lance Holmquist and his wife Suzanne rescued her from a decade of neglect. The former owner Mr. Jim Hendricks passed away in 2002 and was her first savior. When he passed away the boat became neglected but not forgotten. I’ve seen that movie at least a dozen times and it never gets old. Here’s a couple of pix…
As seen in the movie.
As she is today.
Movie Classics
We Love Old Movies
Today is Sunday March 25th. 2012. We have returned to the Florida Keys (Key Largo) and all is once more right with the world. It’s endless summer down here and I’ve noticed more than one mega-yacht behemoth bearing that very name (‘Endless Summer’) zooming past me with well tanned bikini clad sunglassed passengers holding champagne glasses. This is definitely a place for Big-Boy toys.
I have taken delivery of my petit Hobie Mirage Tandem Island and life is good! The serious matter of naming the intrepid vessel has arisen and few today appreciate the customs and traditions of such an event. Sailors are generally a superstitious lot and you can laugh, but ignore them at your own risk.
In olden times boats were considered to have souls, and nothing with a soul should ever identify itself with the Gods or their property. This is why boats were never painted the colors of the sea, such as blue or green. Never leave for a cruise on Friday, the first Monday in April, the 2nd Monday in August or Dec. 31st.
It’s always bad luck to bring flowers, priests, black traveling bags or lawyers on board. Saying the word pig, wearing the cloths of a dead man, hearing bells or losing a bucket overboard will also doom the uninitiated. Laugh if you will but one should never forget to put a coin under the mast when launching your boat. Even the U.S. Navy takes this seriously as the destroyer U.S.S. Higgens was launched in 1999, it had 11 coins placed under the mast, all heads up and many quite rare.
Exactly why I get such pleasure out of sailing around to the various little uninhabited mango incrusted Keys and finding a little white stretch of sandy beach to run the boat up on, drink a beer and eat the salami sandwich I packed away is a mystery. Perhaps it takes me back to my mis-spent youth when I lived in Sausalito down at Gate Six and watched the red-legs hold off the sheriff’s deputies back in the sixties . I used to sail a funky little homemade catamaran out on the bay and dream of this very activity.
December 28th will mark my seventieth trip around the sun and I’ve seen many a boat bearing the names of women or a clever play on words. The funniest one I’ve seen to date is “NEVER AGAIN II”. It seemed to sum up the human spirit very succinctly. I’m open to suggestions so leave me a comment and let me know what you think it should be. It’s starting to get light out and I’ve already made my sandwich so I’ll head down to the pier and make ready to launch….
..Have a great Sunday...
Movie Classics
Today is March 5th. 2012 and that leaves only four more days until we return to Key Largo.
We are at this moment in Saint Augustine Fl. just south of the border with Georgia. In a beach front little place that has it's own elevator! I'll see if I can grab a pic before we leave.
In the fast paced world of "retirement" I have at last found the time and inclination to pursue those little known and eccentric branches of the cinema that would constitute the "strange and unusual". Flea Picker is just such a pursuit. It means the picking of fleas off your favorite canine and dressing them up in clothes and selling them by the dozen. I am not kidding! check it out by clicking for the video on the right.
In 1937 Paramount Pictures commissioned 'Unusual Occupations', a new series of theatrical short subjects from Jerry Fairbanks Productions. These ten minute films, shot in glorious Magnacolor, cost the Studio nearly as much to produce as their full-length features. The series profiled strange jobs, weird work, bizarre hobbies & crazy collections from all over the globe. It was considered a very high risk venture. It wasn’t expected to last. It ran for 12 years.
'Unusual Occupations' throws the spotlight on ordinary, everyday people who have chosen “the path less travelled” in the pursuit of extraordinarily odd jobs, crazy careers and hysterical hobbies. The series presents an incredible chronicle of pop culture, lifestyles and remarkable achievements by individuals the world over.
It's been awhile since I've updated the 'Daily Blog' because we have moved to the home of the 'African Queen'! That's right, we've relocated from New York to KEY LARGO. Down in the Keys just off the southern tip of Florida on the largest island. We've been extremely busy although I have updated and cleaned up many of the older blogs and even found a little time to post some new ones.
The "African Queen" is located just down the road at one of the hotels. I've been lucky enough to climb aboard and sit on the seats occupied by Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn during the shooting of this fabulous movie in 1951. The boat itself has quite a history and the old boiler from the boat now sits in the lobby of the hotel. I'll see if I can make a short video next time I drive by.
Key Largo is fabulousness itself and I love it here. I've taken up Kayak Sailing instead shoveling snow in New York. Will take delivery of a Hobie Tandem Island Mirage March 9th. and I'm very excited about this. There are many small islands around here on the Bay side of Key Largo in which I will christen the boat on it's maiden voyage. Here's a short video....
That is NOT me in the video!
That is NOT me in the video and I'll see if I can make one of my own and post it when the boat arrives. This not kite surfing or base jumping but then again I'm old (I remember the first television). So to be six miles at sea in a single handed kayak is quite an adventure for an old guy like me.
Two recent movies: I pulled out to watch, Antonioni's 1966 release of 'BLOWUP'. Mrs Movie Classics has really come around and is starting to develop a fondness for these old movies having actually begun to quote lines from one every now and again. Her most recent was '...Nothing like a little disaster for sorting things out...' from this movie.
The idea of runway 'Supermodels' began about this time period and the top 'Supermodel' of the day (1966) was Miss Verushka von Lehndorff. Appearing in practically every magazine advert of the day and having a large following among the testosterone laden appeared as herself in this movie. (CLICK HERE)
The other one was Alfred Hitchcock's 1954 release of 'Rear Window'. A real masterpiece with a very clever plot. Just about every person on earth has seen this movie at least once and is familiar with Jimmy Stewart and Grace Kelly's performances. There are thousands of reviews on-line about this movie but I felt a need to get my two cents in so take a look and let me know what you think. Mrs MC loved this one (CLICK HERE)!
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Just finished adding in a podcast to the Elizabeth Taylor Blog. I found it on the BBC website and was surprised to find one about Elizabeth and Richard's second marriage.
One of the other benefits of living here is the site of the Hotel in which they shot another Humphrey Bogart movie in 1948 (this time with Lauren Bacall) and a terrific ensemble cast including Edward G. Robinson -- "Key Largo". It's a bar now but they make full use of the association with the movie! I'll see if I can make a short video of what it looks like today.
Well, enough for now, I'll add more as the month goes on....
Got a Pic related to this Blog you'd like to see published here? Upload it right here and please be sure to tell me exactly who it is and any other info you may have. I'll be glad to include it right here with your name or website!
Movie Classics
