BRONXGIRL'S MOTHER, HENRY FONDA'S HIRSUTENESS, ETC.

[Bronxgirl48]

Ah, tak!

 

I wish I was brave enough to tackle that Savarin au Rhum for the holidays, although not so sure about the turtle soup, lol.

 

 

Mom got excited today, and was convinced she'd win Lotto and be able to have us both living blissfully on the French Riviera -- I took her to a Chinese buffet and she got this in a fortune cookie: "You will be spending a lot of time at the mountains and near the sea". This can only mean the Alpes Maritimes and Mediterranean, because we certainly don't have mountains in Florida, lol.

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Jul 16, 2012 1:57 PM

[Bronxgirl48]

Sink me, I'm loving Leslie Howard as SOTM! Cannot wait to see BERKELEY SQUARE! He's hilarious in IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER -- perfect comic timing. Moonstruck Livvy is so funny -- Ashley can't get rid of Melanie, lol.

 

http://www.blakeneymanor.com/phrase.html

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Jul 16, 2012 2:01 PM

[Capuchin]

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}Ah, tak!

> "You will be spending a lot of time at the mountains and near the sea".

 

With my luck, it'd be mountains of laundry and a sea of troubles.

[Bronxgirl48]

Hi, Capuchin! LOL

 

I miss SansFin terribly.

 

Send her this, with my love:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Bronxgirl48]

CAPUCHIN, send her Bud and Lou, too:

 

 

[Capuchin]

Links sent along with your good wishes. (I don't know when she'll get to watch them.)

 

She's been to a lot of movies there. Her favorite so far is Бедуин. I found a trailer for it.

She says it's nicely twisty. (Did she ever mention she's half Cossack? )

(I'm afraid my Russian is rusty. I can follow it, mostly, but can't offer a translation.)

 

This is why she decided to go to St. Petersburg for a bit.

And it's supposed to rain again tomorrow (or is it today? Two weeks ago next Tuesday? The time difference always gets me.)

[Bronxgirl48]

Spasiba, Capuchin! It'll be interesting to find out if Abbott & Costello translate well into Russian, ha!

 

I wish I could understand the language. My grandmother was from the Ukraine, and she taught me how to say "I love you", which always sounded like "ya tibla yabloo", lol.

 

Odessa's looking pretty darned wet there.

 

She's half Cossack, eh? Watch out! LOL

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Jul 16, 2012 2:02 PM

[Capuchin]

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}

> My grandmother was from the Ukraine, and she taught me how to say "I love you", which always sounded like "ya tibla yabloo", lol.

 

There's a great scene in *Tovarich* where a boy tries to say that to Colbert, and he mangles it.

 

Did your grandmother speak Russian or Ukrainian?

 

> She's half Cossack, eh? Watch out! LOL

 

You don't know the half of it!

[Bronxgirl48]

I don't remember that scene in TOVARICH -- I'll have to look out for it.

 

Interestingly, I was talking about my grandmother to Mom this afternoon, and she told me that her mother wasn't Ukranian, as I had always thought growing up, but Russian. I know that my grandfather, Mom's dad, was born in St. Petersburg, but Grandma came from a small, rural village that Mom thinks is something like "Hamla" or "Humla"; she can't remember. So then I go on the computer and find a list of over 1,000 cities and towns in Russia, listed alphabetically, but -- no "H's".

[Capuchin]

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}

> Grandma came from a small, rural village that Mom thinks is something like "Hamla" or "Humla"; she can't remember. So then I go on the computer and find a list of over 1,000 cities and towns in Russia, listed alphabetically, but -- no "H's".

 

Х in Cyrillic is usually Kh in Latin letters.

 

Kholm (Холм) isn't far from St. Petersburg.

 

If your mom has her birth certificate, it should be listed under mother's place of birth.

[JackFavell]

Damn me, That Pimpernel fellow is perrrfect in It's Love I'm After! I love him in roles that let his overweening ego shine.

 

I drifted in and out of sleep watching him last night in A Free Soul, Outward Bound and Captured. I think all of them were quite successful roles, some of them more interesting than the roles he's famous for.

 

Gad, I love that man.

[Bronxgirl48]

Mom is second generation; like her siblings, they were all born in the U.S. My grandmother and grandfather met here when they came over from Russia -- I think they were already living on the Upper West Side (way before gentrification, lol). Then they spent some time in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, before eventually settling in Da Bronx.

 

I'm still confused about that alphabet. So you think grandma's hometown is Kholm? I guess I'll never know...

[Bronxgirl48]

IT'S LOVE I'M AFTER has wonderful comic pitch all around, it never sags or becomes desperate --even Bette's natural fierceness is the perfect foil for all the (elegantly) farcial moments. Did you catch NEVER THE TWAIN SHALL MEET? Oh, my goodness, ha! Drawing-room Leslie follows scary-eyed, hip rotating, I-love-you-long-time Conchita Montenegro to her Polynesian island where Leslie's dormant but hide-bound British "civility" comes to the forefront and watches with politically incorrect horror as the natives go about their relaxed "uninhibited" lifestyle. Conchita tries to put him at ease: "It is nothing strange to my people". But Leslie just can't cope, and winds up venting his frustration and bending the old elbow at an ex-pat watering hole. In no time at all he "deteriorates" into a sweaty, jealous, disillusioned mess.

 

SMILIN' THROUGH, however, was a revelation! Oh...my...goodness! The ending puts THE GHOST & MRS. MUIR and WUTHERING HEIGHTS (together) almost to shame! I was a Kleenex-riddled puddle. Exquisite cinematography (you'll be reminded of the 1940 WATERLOO BRIDGE) poetic, sentimental, beautifully crafted, bittersweet story of love, revenge and redemption -- Tommy's ma (Beryl!) runs the tea "shoppe" where Fredric March (giving the kind of strong, "modern" performance he'd be known for later in his career -- this is only 1932, but he's not florid at all!) and Norma Shearer ritually meet in order to keep their romance a secret from her Uncle Leslie, who is consumed with hate over a tragedy that has haunted him for fifty years, and he can't seem to let go of the memory. I adore this movie! Norma's "Isn't it a pity...?" will have you drowning in tears.

 

Fell asleep during FIVE AND DIME, only saw bits and pieces. Douglass Montgomery and Richard Bennett's characters were more interesting to me than Leslie and Marion's.

 

 

OUTWARD BOUND was disappointing. Creaky, stage-bound early talkie, the primitive techniques overshadowing for me any emotional investment in the spiritual/philosophical messages. Laughable in spots, including Leslie unfortunately, especially when he intuits the voyage's true nature. Beryl again! And Helen Chandler, who I'd never seen in anything other than Mina in DRACULA, sounds exactly the same, lol, i.e. annoying, with that weird, high-pitched, tremulous voice. I did like Doug, Jr., however. I don't remember the remake, BETWEEN TWO WORLDS, all that well, but it's got to be better.

 

 

I've noticed Leslie's trademark mannerism -- In nearly every film, he leans (usually against a mantle) and rests hand on cheek, in a contemplative, soul-searching manner. It's what gives him that "sensitive" label.

 

 

Was pleasantly surprised by the geriatric ROMEO AND JULIET. My eyes, however, didn't focus on sweet, passionate, elderly Leslie, but gravitated towards Reginald Denny, and I don't just mean his delightfully rakish, crooked lower lip that always makes his hearty laugh very sexy. Reggie sure looked good in costume, but that silly codpiece or whatever it's called, lol, was distracting. I was embarrassed by Jack, sorry to say (even though Leslie seemed to enjoy Barrymore's performance) Edna Mae Oliver stole every scene as Nurse. "Scurvy knaves!"

 

 

I missed STAND-IN, FIRST OF THE FEW, and THE GENTLE SEX.

 

 

Lionel is terrific in A FREE SOUL. And Gable! Quel homme! (his democratic, down-to-earth masculinity shines even in THE EASIEST WAY with a very natural performance as Connie Bennett's working-class brother-in-law) You can't learn that in acting class, lol.

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Jul 19, 2012 1:55 PM

[Capuchin]

> {quote:title=Bronxgirl48 wrote:}{quote}

> Mom is second generation; like her siblings, they were all born in the U.S.

 

It might vary from state to state, but every birth certificate I've ever seen had a section for the mom's statistics, one of which is place of birth. So your mom's birth certification might list your grandma's hometown.

 

> I'm still confused about that alphabet. So you think grandma's hometown is Kholm? I guess I'll never know...

 

Cyrillic is fun! The more vodka you drink, the more sense it makes.

 

It might not be Kholm. If I remember correctly, Kho is for a hard H sound, and Khe is for a soft H. It depends on how your mom is pronouncing what she remembers. (Understand, I haven't read or spoken Russian regularly for 40 years. I've relearned some key phrases, but these days, I mostly just try to figure out what Masha is muttering under her breath so I'll know whether I should say something comforting or run for the hills.)

[Bronxgirl48]

Finding Mom's birth certificate might be like looking for a needle in a haystack, because nothing is too well organized in her home, and that's putting it mildly, lol. I keep telling her I'll come over and straighten things out, but she always keeps putting it off. Don't ask me why. She's got chicken from 2 years ago in the freezer, and cans of tuna fish in her pantry that are older than Betty White.

 

I'm on summer break until the end of August, so maybe I should learn Cyrillic, just to keep me busy in between my French and Italian Riviera forays at YouTube, lol. I wish I could drink vodka; unfortunately, anything other than, say, half a glass of Miller Light gives me a headache.

[JackFavell]

I've got them recorded but missed Never the Twain.... I am rushing to watch it now, after your description!

 

I only saw part of *Outward Bound*, as I was dozing, but in the part I saw, Leslie far outshone anyone else. You are right, it is horribly stage bound, but I find myself fascinated by these types of moves from the early talkie era. *Between Two Worlds* is excellent, Garfield and Henreid are tremendously good and the whole thing works far far better in the 40's version.

 

I've seen *Smilin Through* before and thought it was just great, somehow I had always thought it was considered a mouldy story, but I thought it was excellent. I was a puddle of tears watching it too, I guess it's time for another watch. Have you seen *Secrets*? It's also much better than I had thought it would be, aside from a complete switch in storyline halfway through, making it almost a western.

 

You must get to see Stand In sometime! It's fabulous. First of the few is a very thoughtful biopic and Howard is perfectly cast as a scientist/inventor/airplane engineer. I believe it was a pet prolect of Howard's.

 

I purposefully missed Romeo and Juliet (geriatric, ha!) but I lately have really come to appreciate Reg Denny, he can be funny, dramatic, absent minded, loopy, weak, strong and silent, pretty much whatever you've got. Extremely versatile, I think he MAKES any movie he's in. He has BEAUTIFUL arms, check out Lost Patrol sometime. woof.

[SueSueApplegate]

Ladies, I really have enjoyed the Leslie Howard films. I loved that story that Celeste Holm told about appearing on the stage with him. (The one about the "accidental" kiss.)

 

Bronxie, my Mom loved to archive food. It all started back in Tampa, Florida, when she figured out how to make our very own T.V. dinners. She would save all the aluminum trays from previous frozen meals and make a huge pot of stew or a casserole with vegetables, cover the trays with "heavy duty" foil, and in a few weeks, they would magically appear whenever my Dad was out of town, and she didn't want to cook a big meal.

[JackFavell]

That's a great idea!

 

Where can I find this story from Celeste Holm?

[Bronxgirl48]

Reserve your bedrooms now!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFeS2jkuaXk&feature=relmfu

[Bronxgirl48]

Then we'll pop on over to Lake Como, and hope the Clooney is not around:

 

 

[Bronxgirl48]

I'd prefer to forget UNDER THE TUSCAN SUN with Diane Lane, but not this:

 

 

[SueSueApplegate]

Wow! What a view!

 

The following looks just like a place I visited last year in the Hill Country near New Braunfels, and I think it's just perfect for 'lil ole me! (It's in Umbria, however. Do forgive....)

[Bronxgirl48]

SueSue, I love, love, LOVE that Umbrian home! Just my style -- the modern mixed with rustic/classic. Perfecto!

 

Your mom was so ingenious with those frozen meals. I developed a passion for Swanson t.v. dinners. My favorite was the turkey w/stuffing, peas, cranberry sauce, and the little brownie (or was it an apple dumpling) they'd include for dessert.

 

Not sure what I'm going to eat in celebration of the London Olympics next week. Maybe some curry and chicken tandoori, along with fish and chips, all washed down with cups of Darjeeling tea.

[Bronxgirl48]

Haven't seen SECRETS, but I do remember Reggie in THE LOST PATROL, and I know what you mean about his arms! You know, for years I always identified him as tweedy, middle-aged architect Simms helping Cary and Myrna in BLANDINGS, but it took TLP to reveal what a hunk Denny really was. Agree that SMILIN' THROUGH'S storyline is decidedly quaint, but it also has a modern edge with the lovers dealing not only with their own generational family problems but also the stresses of World War I.

 

I wanted to RIP that moustache off Ricardo in TEN CENTS A DANCE! I don't think it flattered him one iota. His character was just too good to be true, though, wasn't it, lol? Don't know what possessed Missy to marry that worm Eddie. Clara Blandick in SHOPWORN seemed to be auditioning for the Wicked Witch of the West, ha! I'm probably the only woman in the world who actually thinks Regis Toomey is sexy, but then, this is coming from a person who gets excited over Nelson Eddy and Ralph Bellamy. Babs and Adolphe Menjou have surprisingly great chemistry in FORBIDDEN, but the plot kept getting more unbelievable by the minute, and I couldn't buy "No. 66's" drastic actions at the finale. ILLICIT had an interesting premise, but there wasn't enough of Ricardo.

 

Edited by: Bronxgirl48 on Jul 22, 2012 6:20 PM

[Bronxgirl48]

I'm glad someone else agrees with me about THE MASK OF ZORRO! When Catherine started hopping about like a ninja swordsperson, that really grated on my nerves, as well as the obligatory "modern" pandering to the audience by having Zorro playfully tear off her clothes with his rapier. Where's the romance?