coopsgirl

You should have seen how many kleenexes I went through making that one - ha! I looooove Lou Gehrig (and Gary ) and I'm a huge baseball fan and as much as I love that movie I can't watch it too often b/c it makes me cry my eyes out everytime. That stinks to have the flu at Christmas, I hope you feel better soon .

Thanks! I don't have any actual film footage of Gehrig so I thought it would be neat to use the movie clips and then also put in some pics. I love that song too and the guy who wrote it really captured Gehrig perfectly. I loved the line about how he was 'the man who drove the car while others slept' b/c he was always there day after day playing sick and injured b/c he loved the game and the team so much. He was never one of those players who think the fans should be honored to see him play, he saw it as an honor to get to play. It's a shame more players don't see it that way.

Here's a video I just finished yesterday and it's definitely one of my faves so far (but I think I say that about everyone - ha!). I hope y'all like it and are having a great Christmas!

*Now don't be making fools of yourselves over the guy in the white shirt.* Age before beauty girls, so that means me first!!!!!!

*I'll tell your mom to jam Coop in the closet with you.* Good, I could use some cheering up. I knew it was gonna be a slow day at work so I brought in Jonathon Eig?s book *Luckiest Man* about Lou Gehrig and I just finished it a few minutes ago. What a remarkable man . He?s my fave player (even more than Sugarbritches ). My assistant band director in high school died of ALS. He was a real nice guy and I?ll never forget when he told us that he was having to quit b/c of it. Once you start to show symptoms, most people die within a few years and I think he only lived another year or so. It?s amazing how long Stephen Hawking has lived with it. It?s funny too b/c while reading it anytime they had a quote from Lou or printed part of a letter he had written, I heard Gary?s voice in my head even though I know what Lou?s voice sounded like. It?s hard for me to separate the two since Gary did such a fantastic job in that film. I think that one and *High Noon* were the very best of his performances. It only took me about four days to get through it and a couple of days ago I read one part where in the 20s Lou had bought his first car; a used Packard. That night I had a dream that Lou and I were a couple and we were out shopping for used cars. He looked so cute too in a suit and little bow tie :x. I?ve had one other dream about him before and I get all choked up thinking about it. My parents and I were at a ball game (it was a pretty generic looking park and I don?t know who the teams were) and we were sitting pretty high up in left center field. It was in between batters and we were talking as we waited for the next guy to come up. All the sudden people started cheering and it spread through the park as everyone realized Lou Gehrig, wearing his Yankee uniform, was walking up to the plate. Everybody stood up and kept on cheering and he took his cap off and just barely waved it a little to recognize the crowd then he stepped in the batter?s box. On the first pitch he hit a homerun to right center and we watched as it went into the crowd. Fireworks went off (even though it was a day game) and that place was just going crazy. That?s one of the best dreams I?ve ever had, and I?ve had some doozies . Also a lot of people like to point out that in the movie, Gary signs things with his right hand even though Lou was a lefty. From the book I learned that Lou did write with his right hand b/c in those days teachers made everyone learn to write right-handed. I imagine it was just a mistake in the movie, but still, I think it?s funny that what looks like a continuity error is really correct.

*Coop CANNOT be on page two.* Good pics. I hope everyone is ready for Christmas. We finally got all our shopping done Saturday and my relatives are coming up to our house tomorrow. It'll be the first time in 13 years (since we moved from Tarkington to Central Texas) that we'll have Christmas at our house.

I think it?s unanimous; none of us want to be in that Capital One commercial where they ask ?what?s in your wallet??

*Oh my gosh, I want to come home in the evening to find them sitting in my living room listening to the radio.* Me too :x. Here?s another cute pic of Gary with a dog. I?m not much of an animal or kid person, but seeing him with either one of those just makes me melt. Here?s a cute one of Gary with a little boy. I think it?s maybe his nephew or a young cousin but I?m not sure. That?s funny about carrying around that pic with you. Us Gary fans are waaaay too much alike sometimes ? ha!

I like *Distant Drums* too, it?s a fun movie. The color looks good for most of the movie but there are a few scenes that look like they could use some restoration. I guess we shouldn?t complain though b/c at least it?s out on dvd. They also used real Seminoles for this one instead of white people with bronzer . I call them the disco Indians b/c they sure are wearing some flashy clothes .

Well, my fave old shows are *Andy Griffith*, *I Love Lucy*, *Beverly Hillbillies*, and *Ozzie and Harriet*. It's been years since I've seen any *Patty Duke*, *Mister Ed*, or *Donna Reed* episodes but I used to love those too. They just released the first season of *Donna Reed* and I'm hoping to get it for Christmas. My absolute favorite TV character is Don Knotts as Barney Fife. He was just awesome :x. I also kinda like this guy (Tom Welling from *Smallville* ).

*As for myself, I'm going to make the top photo a bit smaller so I can fit it into my wallet.* I don?t know if you?re joking or not but I actually do carry around a wallet sized pic of a picture I took of Sugarbritches (Brad Ausmus, my fave Astro) in my checkbook . I?ve been meaning to do the same for Gary and when I finally got around to it I realized my printer was acting up and not printing pictures correctly. I gotta get that fixed . I didn?t realize those would be so big when I posted them. Oh well, I guess it?s alright . I've had quite a few dreams about him in that outfit - yummy!!!

Here?s a link to Gary?s page at the Doctor Macro website. It looks like they uploaded some more pics and even of the ones we already have, these may be higher quality images. *Merry Gary Christmas!!* http://www.doctormacro1.info/Movie%20Star%20Pages/Cooper,%20Gary-Annex.htm There were a lot of pics so I didn?t want to post them all but I couldn?t resist posting these beautiful color shots from *Distant Drums*. :x I think I?m feeling a little lightheaded .

That?s nine cats too many! Every Christmas here in Austin there are a group of tuba players who get together and play Christmas songs on the steps of the capital building. I work about a block from there so we usually walk over and listen to them and they?re having it again this Friday. Maybe this guy will show up this year :x.

Hey TV's Frank! *"Keep down" is an order. The Pirates must keep down in the standings.* I have a feeling my ?stros will be joining you this season ? ugh! *I just watched your "Coop as Bond" video. That was highly creative and nicely pieced together. Bravo!* Thanks! The first time I saw *City Streets* (the last few clips are from that one) I couldn?t help but notice how much Gary looked like a James Bond type character in the end scenes. I?d been wanting to do this video for awhile and I?m glad it turned out well. *Did you have to blow the dust off of The Fountainhead DVD?* I may have only seen that one all the way through once, but there are a couple of scenes I have watched many, many times . Phew! I think I?m gonna have to go outside and cool off .

Hey Dan, I have heard about the possible blu-ray release of *Wings* and I'm really looking forward to it!!

I know how much Kim likes *Beau Geste* so here are some screencaps from it. *The three brothers catching 40 winks*

I?m also one of the big Beatles fans here. Getting to go to Liverpool a few years ago when I was in England was so awesome; it makes me smile to think about it . I?ve also been inside Abbey Road Studios, just the lobby though b/c that?s as far as I could go. The security guard was nice though and he let me just stand in there for a minute. When I was out Christmas shopping last weekend I found a Beatles Monopoly game and I had to get it. I like *MMT* but I think you have to be a pretty die hard fan to like that one - ha!

Thanks! I'm not sure how long that one took b/c I started it a few weeks ago and just finished it this evening. Probably several hours b/c this one was kind of tricky.

Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig.......these are only pretenders. Here's the real James Bond .

I've been wanting to make this video for a while and I finally got time to do it. It's Gary as James Bond...ahhh the magic of editing .

I think it was 1920 when women got the vote. Unfortunately that sort of behavior remained quite prevalent in films decades later but not quite so much anymore. There is still violence against women but it?s usually very definitely portrayed as wrong. I don?t have anything against showing it if it?s part of the story b/c domestic violence is a part of life, what I dislike is the attitude that the woman should just accept it and then forgive the abuser. I?m not a raging feminist or anything but hopefully we can all agree that senseless violence against anyone is just wrong.

There?s a part in *Street Angel* that irks me too (I don?t want to give it away though) but I do really like that one and Charles Farrell is just super hot as the struggling painter. I look the other way for a lot of things b/c I know times were different then but generally I just don?t like those films where the man treats the woman like dirt and is abusive and then she just automatically forgives him, as if she was the one who did wrong. *Sunrise* is the worst example of that I?ve seen so far so I guess that?s why it bothers me more than most. Janet Gaynor did look cute with blond hair though .

I had already seen *City Girl*, *Street Angel*, *Seventh Heaven*, *The River*, and part of *Sunrise*. I just can?t get into *Sunrise* even though practically everybody raves about it. I just don?t like the plot. If my husband cheated on me with some tramp, tried to kill me and then wanted to make up and go on vacation; I think I?d have to knock him on the head with a shovel.

I couldn't find any stills from either of those films but here are some pics of the actors from *After Tomorrow* and *Bad Girl*. Charles Farrell :x ? he?s in 7 of the 13 films Marian Nixon Sally Eilers Minna Gombell James Dunn

I have the set and it?s great, well worth the money if you can spare it. The two books that come with it are very well done with lots of great pics and info about the productions. I have watched a little bit of each film just to see how they looked and I believe each movie has some type of special feature, usually including a large gallery of stills. *Seventh Heaven*, *The River*, and *Street Angel* are the lowest quality b/c they did not have original negatives to work with, but they are still quite good for their age and very watchable. All the other films are stunning especially *City Girl* (one of the silents) which looks like it could have been made yesterday as well as all the talkies which just look pristine. So far I have watched *After Tomorrow* and *Bad Girl* all the way through out of the films I hadn?t seen yet. Here?s my review of them from Silver Screen Oasis. *After Tomorrow* was released in 1932 and stars Charles Farrell as Peter Piper (but nowhere in the film does he pick a peck of pickled peppers ), Marian Nixon as his fianc?e Sidney Taylor, Minna Gombell as her mother, William Collier, Sr. as her father, and Josephine Hull as Peter?s mother. Peter and Sidney both work in the Empire State building and the opening shot is really neat as it pans down from the top of the building to the street. Peter and Sidney have been engaged for three years and they are saving all the money they can so they can get married. I think some of the other women there spend more time throwing themselves at Peter than they do working but I can?t really blame them for that. When Sidney sees one of the girls flirting with him he just blows it off and jokes with Sidney that he can?t help it if he?s hot stuff. They live in the same apartment building with Peter living with his mother and Sidney living with her mother and father. Peter?s mother is incredibly clingy and overprotective and very, very jealous of the time he spends with Sidney. Sidney?s mother is very distant and quite rude to her daughter and husband. Sidney?s father seems to be the only ?normal? parent in the bunch and she is very close with him and their relationship is portrayed very lovingly. They finally get enough money saved up but Sidney?s father has a heart attack the day before their wedding (his second in recent years) and they use their savings to get him the best medical care they can. I won?t say anymore b/c I don?t want to give it away but it?s really a wonderful film. I really liked how these seemed like real, regular people dealing with issues that many people would have been going through during that time (and today as well). It wasn?t overly dramatic or sappy sweet but seemed very natural and real. I especially liked one conversation between Peter and Sidney about the physical part of their relationship. Once their wedding has been postponed and they are now going on nearly four years of being engaged, Sidney fears she may lose him so she tells him they should take a weekend trip somewhere and just keep it secret. He knows she is suggesting they should consummate their relationship and he tells her that they are not going to do that b/c he knows she wouldn?t feel right about it. He tells her that sex isn?t everything in a relationship and that he loves her and he?s not going anywhere. He kinda hesitates a minute before he actually says the word ?sex? and you can tell they both feel a little uncomfortable talking about it but it doesn?t come off as hokey at all. It seems very genuine and I can imagine many couples back then had similar conversations. I wonder if truly sweet guys like him even exist anymore? *Bad Girl* was released in 1931 and stars Sally Eilers as Dot, James Dunn as Eddie, and Minna Gombell (playing a nice girl for a change) as Dot?s best friend Edna. Dot and Edna both work in a department store and in an early scene they are complaining about how all men think about is sex as they are always having unwanted advances forced on them. They are both on a ferry boat when Edna tells Dot she has found a guy who won?t flirt with women. This turns out to be Eddie who works at a radio repair shop and indeed he seems very hardboiled and won?t flirt with either of them. However his resistance crumbles and he walks Dot back home. They begin dating and one night when Dot thinks he has stood her up she goes to his boarding house to see what?s up. He lost track of time working on a radio and our ?bad girl? turns out to be very good indeed as she keeps telling Eddie it wouldn?t be right for her to stay any longer with him alone. It?s raining though and he convinces her to stay. Nothing happens other than some innocent cuddling but the time gets away from them and it?s 4 in the morning before he takes Dot home. Dot?s brother is brutally overprotective and she?s afraid he will beat her which he has done before for coming in too late. Eddie kinda clumsily proposes to her and she accepts. Although they both love each other they are too afraid to really show it and Eddie?s character is especially cute as he tries to hide how much he loves her b/c he doesn?t like mushy stuff. When Dot goes up to her apartment she finds her brother with Edna. He has a crush on her and when Dot didn?t come home he called her thinking she was with Edna so Edna came over to wait with him. When Dot tells him she?s getting married he assumes it?s a shotgun wedding and throws her out of the house. She temporarily moves in with Edna who is a widow with a young son. The scenes with Edna and her son were very well done. Edna finds him in the kitchen doing an experiment with some milk and black ink and he?s made quite a mess. She gets frustrated with him but later she gives him a big hug and just laughs as he didn?t do that out of meanness but out of curiousity as he?s just a young kid. Dot and Eddie get married and soon afterwards she gets pregnant. They had no plans to have kids however as Eddie is very against having children if you don?t have the means to take care of them and Dot?s mother died giving birth to her and she is very scared. I don?t want to give too much away but what happens over the rest of the film is very sweet and touching and we see how much these two love each other and will do everything in their power to make the other one happy. I was very impressed with both of these films and they should definitely be more well known. There are so many films from this era that show how the upper middle and upper class live and that?s fine, I like a lot of those films, but these movies show how the majority of people really lived and it?s not glamorized or degrading but very realistic and touching.