laffite

*Miss Goddess* I just saw you on DVR-delay, home from work. You are great! I admire you and Cinemaven and all the others for getting up there and doing so well. I did not see the film this time but I'm recording, complete with the expert analysis, for my next viewing. So it will be the Miss Goddess (how apt that name is!) copy of GWTW that will be viewed. Laffite PS: *Miss Goddess* if you ever become a damsel in distress, I hope you will avail yourself of the services of Dread Pirate Laffite's Damsel-in-Distress Saviour Service (DPLDIDSS), who would be most happy to save you. PPS: Thanks again for being on TV for us. You were wonderful!

Hi, *Cinemaven*, I enjoyed your appearance so much, you were just great! Sometime ago I wrote how I admired your ?ramble? on this movie and you got after me a little bit for not talking about the movie and I said I would say something when I had a chance to see it again. I never imagined that the next time I would see would be when you, yourself, would make it possible and that you would be right there on TV to tell me about it. Gosh, you are so accommodating. Thank you. It?s a particularly wonderful choice, such a good movie, a great story with practically no wasted scenes or dialogue. A very tightly woven and wonderfully focused story, and as you so aptly pointed out, a ?m?nage? of filmsters whose collaborations really makes this a great. And you gave us not only the Great Bette (in the ?Jewel in the Crown? of her career) but we got some wonderful surprises by other members of the cast. It?s been said many times but it?s difficult to emphasize just how great James Stephenson is here. He is, of course, the lawyer, Howard Joyce, and his character is quite at the center of things. He is the anchor that holds the story together in a way. All the other characters are out of control in some way. Mrs Crosbie is on the defensive, Mr Crosbie is clueless, Mrs Hammond is aggrieved and menacing, and Ong (the little devil) is methodical and controlled but nevertheless quite ambitious. They seldom deal directly with each other?rather their most important scenes are the ones they have with Howard Joyce. It?s wonderful to watch him. He seemed totally unaware of a camera, he was just plain real. There?s a bit of the understatement about him too. Many actors might have hammed it up a bit. I loved the line, ?Juries can sometimes be very stupid and it?s just as well not to worry them with more evidence that they can conveniently deal with.? That?s really too funny. Of course, he is being delicate with Mr Crosbie, who he must convince to ?get hold of the letter.? When he is not being delicate, he is being quite plain spoken, especially with Leslie. Howard Joyce is the chorus, I identify with him in this story because he knows what we know about Leslie and he is practically the only voice of reason that keeps the story sane...until, of course... ?and, of course too, Howard has to deal with?Ong. The little Ong is a memorable character. The acid half-smile and sodden innuendo, the masterful gamer. The Jalopy scene provided some welcome comic relief, though Ong himself is a bit comical (in a noir sort of way). I?m sure he is commanding limos by now. A character of great nuance, his eyes dart almost imperceptibly side to side when Howard breaks the rules for a moment to ask, ?And what are you getting out of this?? Ong answers and then adds, so Ong-like, ?and the great satisfaction of being of service to you and our client,? punctuated by a slight oriental bow, the high cheek bones, the frozen smile (or is it a grimace). The look on Howard?s face tells it all?like, oh brother. Like I said?limos. There is surely at least a bit of camp in Bette?s performance but as you and O point out, she does not go over the top (and further, as you point out, Cine, thank you William Wyler. I think he did the same for her in Jezebel, toned her down) I like especially her re-telling of the events---the truth, this time---of how she felt about Mr Hammond, this when Robert has the full word on the letter. Bette prancing around, arms flailing, I really think she is a better actress when her character is telling the truth, haha. But it is so beautifully choreographed and she executes brilliantly. This is what she is best at. But she has so many good scenes here and as Mr O pointed out, those eyes, those big wide eyes. Her most quotable line in the movie, of course we know, but I am struck with some words she uttered moments before, to her husband, Robert, ?You are so kind and generous. You should have the sort of wife you really deserve.? This is so true and uttered so earnestly, so it seemed to me, that I felt a lot better about her after that. *Cinemaven*, I know how much you ?like? Gale Sondergard and how good she is. I agree. If there is something more daunting that the Ongian smile, it must be the Sondergardian Glare. Devastating! I tried identifying with Bette as she approached Mrs Hammond in that great scene. All I can say is, yike! When that scene ends, we see Mrs Hammond turn to leave the room but the camera fails us just as she turns to wheel around. I wish they had kept the camera on her for the time it would have taken her to actually exit. For someone who says few, if any, words in the entire movie, she certainly leaves a mark. It might be fun to think of possible endings to this movie had The Code not been in effect. The ending, as it stands, is not really that bad in some ways. It is very noir, at least. Not much, but at least a little something. I remember reading your earlier and terrific posts on this thread. Thank you, thank you, *Cinemaven*, for bringing this movie to our attention and for being on television so we can see you. You are great. Laffite //

*hey johnny on the spot!* hey theresa! *You have a good rep but not without a few latent Van Pelt tendencies* *well im surely that shows how much a pirate knows! heehee!* We Pirates don't know much, but we're good butterscotchologists and VanPeltFussbudgetism experts. *soo......."gulliable pirates are fickle when their rum is gone" heehee!* Fickle is not quite the word. How about "desperate." *well maybe flattery would work on butterscotchgreer, but not on la captaine buttercup. heehee! off the plank already!* Hey, I thought buttercup was a princess *my Rigoletto is coming up next week ... the tenor has that famous aria in this one, "La Donna e Mobile." Do you know what that means?* *oh! i bet your excited! im not surely what it means, but i recognize it. im trying to think of where ive heard it before.* It's the story of a sweet young thing who falls tragically in love with a philanderer. Usually the tenor is the hero in Italian opera but here he is the villian. He will stop at nothing to achieve conquest over the fair sex. When he sings "La Donna e Mobile," (Woman is Fickle), he is saying that they are not constant in love and one who thinks they might be are asking for trouble. Hence, his life as a philanderer. The tragic heroine is the daughter of the Court Jester, the baritone, and the story is also about the bond between father and daughter. In a way, she has to choose between the bond with her father and her love for the unscrupulous Duke. Of course we know what she does...et voila, la trajedie!. *hey! thats not fair! if i cant have my smithy movies, then you cant go to Rigoletto! heehee!.....you were saying......* Uh, well...okay you're off the hook this time, wiley one that you are. One smithy movie this week, but that's it. ..

57 'HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, HITCH...HE'S GOT A REAL KNIFE!!!"

Tom and Viv nw : butterscotch

*hey johnny on the spot!* hey theresa! *There, you see. I told you, you are no Van Pelt. You're nice.* *sshhhhhh! dont tell anyone. i have my reputation to protect you know. heehee!* You have a good rep but not without a few latent Van Pelt tendencies *well mr. spelling king, i know two different definitions and i dont thinks you are dislplaying the word in the form of "changing into different shapes"...i certainly think im in the shape of a person and always will be. heehee! so you must be saying im "versatile"? well at least my lucy purse knows im not on van pelt's side.* But wait? It also means changing one's ways, like...uh, fickle. Let me use it in a sentence: "Girls are fickle and therefore protean as all get out." See? *flattery shant keep me from throwing thy off the plank.* And here I thought flattery got me everywhere. So much for sayings. I'd rather do the plank then have to sit in a room with LVP. *As Anna Russell says, you can do anything in an opera, so long as you sing it.* *very well said! i like that! wow! thats puts a whole new meaning to the word "Opera" for me.* Speaking of opera---a sort of musical, in a way---my Rigoletto is coming up next week. I've had tickets for months. The review in the local rag was not that hot. What me worry? I can't wait! BTW, the tenor has that famous aria in this one, "La Donna e Mobile." Do you know what that means? *oopsey daisies! slip of the keys i suppose. * I should make you walk the plank for that but I'll reduce the sentence: no smithy movies for a week ...

*Not so, Monsieur!! I have read many of your excellent posts on these boards...* Oh my, I wasn't looking for that...but very kind of you to say so, and from one of our elite Ramblers too! Laffite said : *Laffite, who is no Inigo.* Rohanaka said : *And to THAT I can only say, based on the things I have read... that mostly likely... Inigo is NO Laffite!! :-)* I don't know about that. If I could have just one scene in my life that he had. For instance, how about this: (drawing sword) "My name is Jean Laffite. You stole my Twinkies. Prepare to Die!" See? It just won't work L.

*the movie where Judy sings "How About You?" is Babes on Broadway. walk the plank!! or ill push ya off woith my fake machete! heehee! okay it counts.* There, you see. I told you, you are no Van Pelt. You're nice. *you push Bellatrix at me casting spells on me and you want me to be merciful to you? goodness!......i should just toss you overboard without your rummy now!. heehee!* Whup, spoke to soon. Now you want to be like Van Pelt again. Oh well, you're a girl, you know how they are, once again behaving in a Protean way. (Okay, vocab girl, what's that one mean?) *they SHOULD have an Oscar for best kiss in a moetion picture. i think you need to write them to put it in the ballot.* You would write a much letter than me. I'm not sappy enough. *that will be the best one! heehee! its so interesting that you put that Romberg is like "the Puccini of Operetta".* He was gifted, no doubt. Not only a few beautiful songs, but many. *i like that! i think the song youre looking for is called "Will You Remember?" that Jane Powell sings with Vic Damone. that song is so beautiful, but i dont know which version i like better, the jeanette-nelson version or jane-vic version. they all have pretty voices to me and suit the song well.* It's a toss-up. Both versions are very good. *i do like that they can get away with that in operas and operettas when they sing to each other even in death...* As Anna Russell says, you can do anything in an opera, so long as you sing it. *well i dont wanna say which one died to spoil it for others,* But later on in that paragraph you unwittingly told which one. But it was my fault, I was the one who should have issued a spoiler alert when i brought it up in the first place. Stupid Laffite We pirates have a lot to learn, sometimes. (I was hoping Netflix might have Deep in my Heart but they don't. It's probably not on DVD.) L

*RE: Mandy Patinkin.... I first remember seeing him in The Princess Bride...had no idea he did anything but play "swashbuckling" comedy till then. ha! :-) Over the years I've enjoyed both his singing and his acting... He's pretty versatile guy.* As an honorary and would-be swashy of dubious achievement (providing I've ever achieved anything at all), I hold the amazing Mr Patinkin as an idol. I mean, as a swashbuckler, the portrayal of Inigo Montoya ranks atop the list for me, the Mr Cool of Swashies. Laffite, who is no Inigo.

This was delivered to my inbox, a newsletter I get everyday with tidbits on any subject imaginable. This one is on the Big Guy, apropos to current discussions and I thought to share it. Laffite ====================== In today's excerpt--on the _500th anniversary_ of his ascension to the throne, we read that England's King Henry VIII went from a benevolent Monarch with a 35 inch waist to cruelty and a 54 inch waist: "Henry was clearly good-looking. The Venetian ambassador Sebastian Giustinian described him as 'the handsomest potentate I ever set eyes on.' ... Henry was gifted in other ways too. He demonstrated great intelligence and mental acuity. ... As a skillful linguist, Henry spoke French, Spanish and Latin. He was a talented musician and composer. ... "Ambassadors noted how beautifully he danced, while an observer of the 1513 campaign against France recalled the king practicing archery with the archers of his guard, and how 'he cleft the mark in the middle, and surpassed them all, as he surpasses them in stature and personal graces.' He was fond of tennis, and was also 'a capital horseman, and a fine jouster'. Henry delighted in hunting, tiring eight or ten horses a day before exhausting himself. ... Perhaps most surprisingly of all, commentators almost universally described his nature as warm and benevolent. ... "What a contrast this is to reports of Henry VIII in later life. The most obvious change was in the king's appearance. Between the ages of 23 and 45 his waist and chest measurements increased gradually from 35 to 45 inches. After his 45th birthday in1536, he quickly became gross - by 1541, his waist measured 54 inches, his chest 57. But this was the least of the changes. Instead of being known for the ease of his companionship and gentle graciousness, the older Henry was reputed to be irritable, capricious and capable of great cruelty. ... "His volatile moods [became] a source of anxiety for his counselors. He was violent with some - he would 'beknave' his erstwhile closest confidant and chief minister Thomas Cromwell twice a week, hitting 'him well about he pate'. Others he berated - after Cromwell's execution in 1540,Henry blamed his advisers for having 'upon light pretexts, by false accusations ... made him put to death the most faithful servant he ever had'. ... Henry had become a misanthropic, suspicious and cruel king, and his subjects began (discreetly, for such words were illegal) to call him a tyrant. ... "The year 1536 contained all the ingredients necessary to catalyze, foster and entrench this change. It was Henry VIII's annus horribilis. In the course of one year, the 45-year-old king suffered threats, betrayals, rebellion, disappointments, injury, grief and anxieties on a terrific scale. A near-fatal fall from his horse in January 1536 left this great athlete of the tiltyard injured and unable to joust again, when for Henry the pursuit of physical masculine activity was strongly linked to his sense of self. This injury was also the key to his later obesity. Henry's wife, Anne Boleyn, suffered a miscarriage of a male child on the same day as his first wife's funeral. ... Anne was 'discovered' to be an adulteress [which] provoked her rapid arrest, trial and execution on May 19th. "In July, soon after Henry had forced his daughter Mary to swear to her own illegitimacy, Henry's only son, the illegitimate Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond and Somerset, died aged 17, leaving the king entirely heirless." *Suzannah Lipscomb, "Who Was Henry VIII?"* *History Today, April 2009, Volume 59,* *Issue 4,* *pp. 14-20.* ---------------------------------------- The newsletter comes from Delanceyplace.com. Check it out. Message was edited by: laffite

*CineMaven, lzcutter, Kyle, MissGoddess, Mongo, et. al. are standing in for all of us. TUNE IN!* Have these segments been taped yet...and may I know when they will be broadcast. Boy, I can't wait! Thanks! L

*Ch3,* thanks for mentioning that. I feel a little sheepish now because Vic was, as you say, one of the best. My memory of the movie just doesn't serve me well. Most probably then, it was probably a duet, they wouldn't have someone of Vic's stature just stand around for someone else (but I think it was basically Jane's number). ..

55 "Hey, can someone out there please fix the projector. We're gettin' damn tired of doin' this!"

*hey mon swasheroo!* Hey there! *that still isnt 10! you need one more silly pirate!...i otta throw you off the plank for not doing that! heehee!* You're too nice to do that. That's something that Lucy Van Pelt would do, not ButterscotchGreer . But just in case...(you can't be too careful), how about Babes in Arms ! Or is it Babes on Broadway ? Babes in Toyland ? You see how bad I am (maybe I should walk the plank after all). It's the one where Judy sings "How About You?," and Mickey does imitations of John Barrymore and Clark Gable. Does that count? I remember liking New Moon , 1930, with Lawrence Tibbett and Grace Moore, a couple of Metropolitan Opera Stars. I don't have to tell an expert like you that New Moon was written by SR. *laffite: Now if some of us (gee, I wonder who?) would start watching a few, maybe he would have a better list* *theresa:(muttering) yeah maybe i wouldnt have to push you off the ship or dump lucy on you.* Please push me off the ship. Be merciful. *thats an interesting list, though, i like it oddly enough, but maybe i shouldnt say that. heehee!* I heard that . *The Student Prince was a great movie full of great music, i had always been a fan of Ann Blyth and loved her in this movie. i used to not like it when i was younger and grandmama made me watch it, but i grew accustomed to it and now i love watching it. she loves humming to ths music in it! Edmund Purdom did a great job with is voice too. they make a cute couple.* When it's summertime in Heidelberg, There's beauty everywhere... I'm not surprised you didn't like it as a kid. I think that show is kind of grown-uppy in some ways, or at least the songs are. "Golden Days" isn't exactly a toe-tapper that a young person might take to or identify with, obviously...but what a beautiful song, as is the one above. *isnt Deep in My Heart the one with Merle Oberon, Jose Ferrer, and Walter Pidgeon? i think so. yes it is! i remember, Paul Henried , Janie Powell and Gene Kelly guest starred* I recall Ferrer doing this tour-de-force one-man bit where he did a musical skit taking all the parts. He had to do a little singing elsewhere and wasnt' that bad. As Sigmund Romberg he would sing some of his new songs to Helen Traubel, who joined on a couple of occasions. Helen was a former opera singer who did a lot of Wagner. It's not easy to sing Wagner and then switch gears and sing in the easy way she did in a popular style. She was perfectly at home. Many opera stars have difficulty, they can't help sounding affected, as if they were still singing opera. Helen had a reputation for having squabbles with authorities at the Met and so it is interesting to see her having such a good time with this movie. She looked as if she really enjoyed doing it. I'm sure you remember that, in this movie, a biopic, whenever he came to write one of his biggest shows, the movie took a time out and gave us a number from that particular show. These set pieces were big productions, some of them quite lavish. Jane Powell sang that famous song from Maytime that Nelson sang in his version with Jeannette (Terrible I can't remember the title...the plank?). She sings to this good looking guy who I don't think sings a single word, he is simply the object of her sweet affection as she sings away. At the end she plants a smoocheroo on the kisser that he probably still hasn't gotten over. If they had Oscars for Best Kiss in a Motion Picture, she would have ran away with it. (Notice how I always remember the most salient facts about a given picture.) I like Romberg, he wrote so many beautiful melodies. He's like the Puccini of Operetta. *Maytime is a sad Nelson and Jeannette movie. its greatly acted in and their singing couldn't be more perfect, but i hate how it ended,* Well, one of them died, now which one was it?...I'm terrible (the plank?). But that's the beauty of musical, operetta, and opera for that matter, you can still sing to each other even when one of you is dead. Surely you must have liked that, yes? How about in Sweet Hearts, when Nelson Eddy dies and Jeannette would run up stairs to the balcony and talk to him. And then one day she looked up and saw his big old face looking down from the sky and they sang this duet. Boy was that corny. (Ooops, sorry. Gotta watch myself these days...the plank...or worse, Miss Van Pelt, ew)

Well, I'd like to list my 10 favorite musicals or at least try to since I'm not sure I've seen that many. Like *Miss Goddess*, Musicals are not my favorite genre (Do you still love me too? ) But if I had to come up with a favorite off the top of my head it would be The King And I because it's the only musical I think of at the moment where I caved and became a Weeping Willie. Yes, there a couple of moments there that do me in. I like Fiddler on the Roof a lot too. Both of these musicals have leading men that were born for those roles it seems to me. Deborah Kerr is perfect. The "Uncle Tom's Cabin" routine is extraordinary. All those Oscar & Hammerstein musicals were great. The King of Siam was accused of being a "barbarian" and as Jean Laffite of the Rolling Main I can identify with that as I have had to sustain similar verbal attacks from my enemies and even my friends (when I have any). BTW, if *MissB* is reading this I hope that when you came to the part when Laffite becomes a Weeping Willie that maybe just at that moment you thought of Gary or Darcy or were somehow otherwise distracted and will not remember that about the weepin' willie 'cause it's not befitting a barbarian like me to be having Weepin' Willie moments over some corny musical and I wouldn't want it to get around . My mother loved Seven Brides and I've seen that one too but a long time ago. I remember liking it. I like Nelson-Eddy stuff although they are more properly operettas...I think. I like Rose Marie especially. Jeanette sings some real opera arias in that one that were pretty good. I like Sigmund Romberg's songs a lot. He wrote Maytime and The Student Prince. I even enjoyed Deep in My Heart, the life of Romberg, and I like the way they did some of his songs, some of those little productions were quite elaborate and classy. Musicals were very popular when talkies started and when TCM first started I enjoyed watching those...but I don't have titles? They really did it up good though, talk about elaborate. I like The Show of Shows and Hollywood Revue of 1929. I don't think TCM has shown those in awhile. I wish they would. So, my 10 favorite musicals are as follows: 1. The King and I 2. Fiddler on the Roof Theresa, this thread is a good idea. It's only logical that Musicals have a thread in Favorites. Now if some of us (gee, I wonder who?) would start watching a few, maybe he would have a better list. .. Message was edited by: laffite

Gone With The Wind nw : danish

*Molo,* Not to talk this to death, but just a few comments... ?regarding the scream *I thought Henry was being fairly sensitive here. At least for Henry* *?and then mentions he's been reading in Leviticus. The look on Catherine's face, when he mentions that particular book, shows that she already knew what was going on.* The look on her face was heartbreaking, no other way to put it?and you chose the correct cap to show it. His lowering the boom on her still is brusque to me but in the interest of economy it would have been difficult to depict otherwise and besides and more importantly it made for a good scene. As far as the scream goes, you say: *It may have been a bit over the top. I felt it was in keeping with Catherine's manner. The shock, the realization of what Henry was actually proposing was something that struck to her core. She was never one to whimper. When she felt angry, frustrated or hurt enough to let her emotions spring forth, she usually erupted in a guttural roar. It was something akin to a boiling pot whose lid is popped loose just long enough to release enough steam to keep it from boiling over. I think in this case Catherine let herself boil over?It also had the necessary effect of ending the conversation. The last thing she wanted to do was argue over the details of the situation with Henry.* Even though I don?t like it (I would have preferred that she simply faint) I know that it probably plays well with most viewers and let?s face it it packs a wallop, dramatically. It is rather preposterous that Henry would come to her after _all these years_ with this obviously transparent stratagem to get out of the marriage, considering all those things you enumerate so well regarding her longstanding and revered stature as queen, wife, Regent, popularity, and all the rest. You cite reasons in Catharine?s character why she would go ballistic but for purely dramatic purposes as well it?s almost as if that there are in reality no mere words that would constitute a reply to such an outrage and you allude to this too (and it?s implied by her reaction). I tried to watch that scene again and it doesn?t work for me---but I?ll take responsibility for that. Dramatically, it?s a good coup. *She raises her voice to him. He raises his voice to her and she gets up and bellows at him in an even louder voice. She looks him in the eye and matches his anger with her own* Crosbie was positively stunning in this regard. She is absolutely fearsome with that angry contralto. Whew! *In the court scene when she pleads her case to him directly, he is silent, even shaken up.* She gives a great little speech there. She really backs him into a corner and I almost felt a little uncomfortable for him. If I remember correctly, she finishes with a question and he doesn?t answer. She then says something else and then leaves the court room. I wanted her to simply wait there and see what he would say. She let him off the hook by leaving, I thought. It wouldn?t have made any difference, of course, he probably would have eventually waved her off, still? *It is a little rich that Anne would complain so much about Henry's mistresses, considering her own path and her total contempt for Catherine.* Regarding ?her own path? I had to google Ann after watching her episode just to see how bad her path really was. The BBC made it clear that the charges were trumped up and that the appellation, ?The Great ****? came from the public, who as we know, seldom knows the truth. They didn?t like her because they worshipped, and rightly so, Queen Catharine. It seems that Anne was rather educated, polished in her manners (hmm, I wonder how Dorothy would have portrayed this side of Anne), and even tried to advocate for the poor. Her ambition to become Queen entailed the gutsy stratagem of repulsing Henry?s advances in the hope that he wanted her bad enough to make her Queen, and it worked. I admire that. Prior to the marriage and while at Court she had two ?high-profile? love affairs, one with this fellow Henry Percy and the other with the then and still famous poet, Sir Thomas Wyatt. And there seems to be a consensus from my cursory reading that while Queen she did nothing untoward because she was smart enough to know the risks involved, that is, assuming that she would have had the inclination in the first place. I know so little but my sense is that she gets a bad rap. Or am I just looking at the bright side. She is no angel, to be sure. Her role in the death of Sir Thomas More is damning. But how bad was she, overall? *I have miscarried of my savior she is supposed to have said.* In real life, you mean? Did she mean ?savior? referring the King anointed as Head of the Church?or was she referring to her own her demise because a healthy son would have ?saved? her? I doubt the latter...but it almost fits. *Can you imagine having someone like Cromwell against you with the deck stacked?* Are you trying to give me nightmares? *I guess I can see a comical aspect in that he was so nearly a caricature of a plotting conspiratorial bully.* That?s much better put than what I said?and with that funny sort of looking hat, the crossed eyes, and that rhythmic cadence to his speech, which somehow adds to the effect. *I did enjoy the scenes with the King. I think Cromwell saw Anne as such a threat to him in both a political and personal respect that he felt he had to take a chance even during her pregnancy.* Well, it cost him a blow on the head with a book, but at least he kept it?his head, that is. (for the time being, anyway) *Yes, the infamous Lady Rochford. I'm not exactly sure what her beef was. If it had more to do with her husband or with Anne. As portrayed here, she didn't have much love for either of them.* Yes, too bad?or we might be able to say that she was jealous of Anne for the attentions of her husband (though certainly she, Lady Rochford, knew there was no incest). No, it seems that Lady Rochford is simply a fussbudget, but also a fussbudget who was fingered by Cromwell to co-operate. *I also enjoyed her conversations with Archbishop Cranmer, especially toward the end. She was very forthright with him.* I thought she ran circles around him. *I think you mean Anne there instead of Jane. You seem to have Jane on your mind. * Haha, thanks for noticing that. I had not seen the Catharine and Anne episodes, to my knowledge anyway, but I do remember at least a little of Wives III and IV, and especially the former, sweet Jane. He was her favorite, I do believe?but let?s not get ahead of ourselves. *What are her true feelings for Henry in the end? What did she really think of him? She did write a final letter and I would have to seek out it's text but I think her wit remained with her to the very last regarding Henry.* When both Catharine and Anne speak well of Henry and appear to remain loyal to him in their last minutes, is it not because, or at least in part because of his position as King and therefore head of the Church? To speak openly against him for personal reasons would not only be ignoble but might even jeopardize their immortal soul. But what they really thought is more difficult to know, it seems to me (except for the obvious assumptions). *They were both remarkable women brought together in a time and place where they would help shape history, whether they realized it or not. Catherine would have been pleased to see Mary crowned Queen, but she would have hated how her life unfolded. Mary was so messed up by the whole experience of her childhood. Her brief and sad reign (trying too late to undo history) only marked time until Elizabeth could take the throne. While Mary worshiped her mother, Elizabeth never knew hers, and thought it best never to mention her. Then there is Henry, what did all his effort gain him? What a trick of history that brought England it's greatest Queen and a golden age.* So well said there. *In the end it was the lack of a male child that really sealed her doom. I'm not sure what would have happened if she had lived.* As a history guy you probably appreciate at least as much as I do the vagaries of chance and the unfolding of events. It is astonishing to realize that if Anne had produced a healthy son that ended up living a long time, there would have no Elizabeth! Boggles the mind (to coin a phrase). Molo, I think you?re two posts on these ?wives? are so excellent. Not much to quarrel with. I had more written here but decided to cut it because I was either in agreement or was simply rehashing. You have delved a bit deeper than I have, especially with the Catharine episode. You write with precision and thoroughness and I appreciate the history lesson. Also you have a flair for choosing just the right screen caps. I know you like this series anyway but I?m glad you took the time to view these episodes again and write so winningly about them. You are quite busy on these boards, even in demand I would say, so thanks. I have the next disc on order from NetF and maybe we can talk a little about that one as well, in due course.

Well...that Captain Renault sure gets around... ..

*You?re suppose to wear green! Im ashamed of you Johnny! Green is even my favorite color! I wore my favorite green shirt today, why didn?t you wear yours? You should just wear one of those pretty green shirts with the saying on it that says, ?Im an Irish pirate, pinch me.?* Well, uh, okay...I'll do it next year *last year at St. Patrick?s day me and my family were with the Ice Bats hockey team players and my grandmother gave me a green shirt that said, ?kiss me, Im Irish.? Goodness! EVERY single hockey player I knew came up to me and kissed me on each one of my cheeks.* I think there was more to it than that green shirt. I think they thought you were just too cute ..

*It reminds me of Rick's line to Annina in CASABLANCA, when she asks what kind of man Captain Renault is: "He's just like any other man, only _moreso_."* "...moreso," should be "more so."

55 "Okay, you guys, quit your jawin', you can sit through a Joan Crawford movie if you try."

Kurosawa's first color film, Dodes'Ka-den, is finally out on DVD and debuts today on Netflix. A series of vignettes showing life in a slum area. There is no real narrative but the same characters keep showing up. The title is onomatopoetic for the sound of a train as it rolls over the tracks and pertains to the first sequence of the movie in particular, and in a rather sad way, I'm afraid. This movie borders a bit on the depressing but it's easy to keep your head up because this is such a good movie, IMO. This movie doesn't seem to get mentioned much in discussions of K's movies. Maybe it doesn't have a good rep, don't know...but I liked it and am glad to see out on DVD.

I have eschewed green today with the express hope of being pinched...but so far I've had no takers //

Good morning Jackie I should clarify, I don't get Coltrane just yet, he's a little out there for a newbie---but "My Favorite Things," is very accessible and the damn thing runs through my head for hours at a time. Thelonious' album _Monk's Time_ is hard not to like. The solo piano pieces are superb but I like everything on that album. Freddie Hubbard is no problem for me, I'm looking forward to hearing a lot more. I haven't heard much Miles really. I haven't even heard _Kind of Blue_ yet. And you're nobody until you've at least heard that one. L So if you're ever on the rolling main and see a pirate ship with the captain on the quarter deck with I-Pod to ear, that's probably me listenin' to Freddie