A Few of Miss CherryBubbles’ Favorite Autumn Things...

Fall is my favorite season of the year and I observe many annual autumn traditions of my own making. One tradition involves reading books and watching movies with an autumnal backdrop or theme. I thought I'd share a few of my favorites with you...


Nothing says autumn like the biggest college football game of the year. Now, I'm certainly not the biggest football fan around, but I am a Nancy Drew fan. So, what do football and Nancy Drew have in common? They both appear in the 1932 fall-themed Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene, the 8th book in the Nancy Drew series. Nancy solves a mystery revolving around an unusual letter she receives at the beginning of the book, but most of the action takes place at Emerson College, where Nancy cheers on her special friend, Ned Nickerson, in the big game.

"Indian Summer is like a woman."  So begins Peyton Place by Grace Metalious, published in 1956 and quite controversial in its time, for revealing those things about small towns that one wasn't supposed to reveal. Sometimes I read the book... sometimes I watch the film version, starring Lana Turner. Sometimes I even read Return to Peyton Place.

The gorgeous fall foliage of northern Vermont provides the perfect backdrop for my most favorite autumn film, The Trouble With Harry. I simply can't imagine the movie taking place in spring or summer. It just wouldn't be the same. Although I have read the book it was based on, nothing, in my opinion, surpasses Alfred Hitchcock's film version.

What are your favorite autumn traditions?

 

No Man of Her Own... and Giveaway Drawing Coming Soon!

I just watched No Man of Her Own (1950) the other night for the first time. What a terrific film!



Basically, Barbara Stanwyck plays an eight-months pregnant woman whose unfaithful boyfriend hands her a train ticket back to where she came from. When the train wrecks, she is mistaken for another pregnant woman on the train whose husband is also killed in the wreck. The husband's parents and brother accept her and her baby as their daughter-in-law and grandchild. But, this deception is in danger of being exposed when... oh well, maybe you'd better just see the movie.

I found it interesting that, while the movie has all the elements of a typical film noir, Barbara Stanwyck plays the lead character, rather than a femme fatale (as in Double Indemnity). Of course, she was smashing as a desperate average woman helplessly pulled into desperate circumstances. If there isn't a "chick noir" subcategory within film noir, maybe there ought to be...

As is so often the case, Edith Head did the gowns for Barbara Stanwyck. She did a great job costuming Barbara as an average woman. It seems to me I read somewhere once that Barbara Stanwyck was rather long-waisted, which had to be compensated for in costumes designed for her. Anyone else ever hear that little tidbit?

I loved the interesting shots and scene changes in the film, and the way the train wreck is presented completely from the inside of the train. Mitchell Leisen directed this movie. I think the only other of his films I've seen is The Mating Game (one of my favorite movies). Daniel L. Fapp was Director of Photography (he was DP on West Side Story).

The only criticism I have is that the title doesn't seem to fit the film though. The title of the Cornell Woolrich story that this movie was adapted from is I Married a Dead Man... now, that's a film noir title!

Here's the first 10 minutes of the movie to tempt you...






Now, contrary to what you might think, I haven't forgotten about drawing a winner for the Mahalo to My Followers Giveaway. I plan to take care of all that in next week's post... can you handle the suspense? ;)

Tune in next week when Miss CherryBubbles chooses a winner!

This Is Not My Girl Detective, Or, A Review of "Nancy Drew"

Last night, I watched the 2007 movie, Nancy Drew.


I'd been looking forward to the latest incarnation of my beloved sleuth and was a bit excited to see that it was next in my Netflix queue. Sadly, my hopes for the movie being a well-done representation of Nancy in the modern world were dashed early on. But then, I was watching a Hollywood version of Nancy Drew, so perhaps my expectations were too high. And I can't help comparing the movie Nancy to the book Nancy. Nor am I a "young person of today".



Right off the bat, I was disappointed with the overall cartoonish, almost Scooby-Do-esque feel of the movie. This isn't as noticeable in the trailer, but when you watch the full movie, it becomes more obvious. In fact, several of Nancy's outfits have a more cartoon-like look, rather than appearing "old-fashioned" or vintage-style.

That being said, I do confess that I liked her painting smock - you can't see in this pic, but the pockets look like paint pallettes...


Another item I take issue with is Nancy being portrayed as a somewhat annoying anal-retentive goody two-shoes - not personality traits I usually associate with my favorite girl detective. In my book (pun intended), Nancy is intelligent, compassionate, capable, trustworthy, fun-loving, a problem-solver, and humble... and instead of Nancy trying to be like other girls, as is mentioned in the trailer, other girls wanted to be like her. I think there was an attempt to present the characteristics of the "book Nancy," but somehow the effect is rather one-dimensional.

Perhaps my biggest question is: why make a Nancy Drew movie without her stalwart chums, Bess and George?? Sure, we see them briefly at the beginning... at least I think it's them. Is it them? Bess and George are as much a part of Nancy Drew as her blue eyes (also missing from the movie), her trusty flashlight, and her roadster (don't even get me started on the one in the movie).

One final nit-picky thing.... Hannah Gruen, the ever-faithful housekeeper, may have had a German-sounding name, but she never had an accent in the 1930s to 1970s books, nor was her nationality ever mentioned that I recall. I concede that Hannah was a crackerjack cook and baker, though ;)

I will say this - Nancy Drew wasn't a terrible movie, but neither was I particularly impressed with the portrayal of Nancy and her world.

Have any of you watched this movie? Did you like it? Why or why not? I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Just another New Year's Eve...

Thought I'd share a bit of fun viewing for New Year's. My dearest and I always watch "After the Thin Man" on New Year's Eve - why, of course we have cocktails, but thankfully, no murders. Enjoy!

Dragnet: The Big Betty - Sgt. Friday makes an arrest on New Year's Eve



After the Thin Man - Nick and Nora celebrate the New Year with style and crime.



Sunset Boulevard - Norma Desmond throws a New Year's Eve party for two.



And, of course, it wouldn't be New Year's Eve without Guy Lombardo and the ball drop in Times Square!

"Here's to the bright New Year, and a fond farewell to the old; here's to the things that are yet to come, and to the memories that we hold."
-- Anonymous

Wishing you a very Happy New Year!!

It was a dark and stormy night....

Cue thunder crash!

Much as I love handing out delectable treats to the little goblins, monsters, and witches who visit on Halloween, I'd rather be watching a scaarrry movie whilst eating said treats. My taste in Halloween motion picture fare leans toward those featuring old, dark, haunted houses. That's what I get for reading all those Nancy Drew books in my formative years ;) I like a movie to be creepy, but not disturbing. Unexpected frights that make me jump are fun, but gore is just, well, gory. And isn't it too bad that scary movies don't include eerie theremin music anymore?

Grab some popcorn, turn out the lights, and enjoy my spook-tacular list of Halloween movie favorites....

The Cat and the Canary (1927) - Spooky mansion, family gathered for the will-reading, and Laura La Plante.



Dracula (1931) - Suave foreign-accented vampire, dames running around in their nightgowns, and Dwight Frye (the old fly-eater).



The Old Dark House (1932) - People caught in a storm, a creepy family in a sinister house, and Boris Karloff.



Topper Returns (1940) - Ghosts, madcap hilarity, and Joan Blondell.



The Uninvited (1944) - Haunted mansion on a sea cliff, the scent of mimosa, and introducing Gail Russell.



The House on Haunted Hill (1959) - Screams galore, eerie mansion, and Vincent Price.



Carnival of Souls (1962) - Scary man that keeps appearing unexpectedly, creepy organ music, and Candace Hilligoss.



The Haunting (1963) - Poltergeists, eerie statue in a spooky house, and Russ Tamblyn.



Halloween (1978) - Murderous maniac, downright scary theme song, and Jamie Lee Curtis.



Oh! What was that noise? Did you hear something too?

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!