"All Things Bette and Beautiful" (and Bitchy, too!)

Ivan says:

It's been what, 4 months since we started posting on this blog, right? Well, I think it's about time we had a post that talked about the legendary and talented Bette Davis -- who happens to be at the very top of my all time favorite list!

I get the impression that Bette Davis is an acquired taste for many Baby Boomers. Aside from the mature gay men I know, I don't frequently find many folks who are die-hard Bette Davis fans, like me. Yes, it's a different style of acting but it was grand style, to be sure! The characters are unforgettable and form a long list of well-known names – Margo Channing, Charlotte Vale, Fannie (Mrs.) Skeffington, Julie Marsden and yes, even "Baby Jane" Hudson.

If you watch "All About Eve" (1950) and apply today's movie standards, it is an absolute hoot! Who could forget the immortal line, delivered by the argumentative Bette to her boyfriend Bill (her then real life boyfriend Gary Merrill), as she walks into the room just before Bill's birthday party begins, "Fasten your seat belt, it's going to be a bumpy night!" Anne Baxter as Eve and George Sanders as Addison De Witt also deliver some memorable lines. It's very soap opera-ish, very 40s/50s and quintessentially Bette! I've always thought the plot had many similarities to Bette's life – a prolific, highly praised, controversial and rapidly aging actress (Bette was 42 and pretty much washed up in Hollywood at the time) pushed off the pedestal by a younger, prettier and more energetic actress. I watch this movie EVERY time it's on TV ..., which is quite often, since my default TV channel is Turner Classic Movies. You can't take your eyes off her. There's also a nice turn by Celeste Holm as Margo's friend Karen. A classic movie if ever there was. One of my all time top three films.

Just as soap opera-ish, but 8 years earlier, is "Now, Voyager" from 1942. Bette, in her mid-30s, was in her prime and at her most beautiful (to my eye). With Paul Henreid and Claude Rains, two of Bette's favorite leading men, this is the famous “two-cigarette" movie that the boys go to see in "Summer of '42". The story: A depressed and dowdy spinster suffers a nervous breakdown. After a stint at a "rest home" she emerges a dazzling, if diffident, woman, who, during a South American cruise, meets a married man with a troubled home life. Although a love story, the movie also chronicles the psychologically tumultuous relationship between a wealthy, overbearing and unsympathetic matriarch (Gladys Cooper at her bitchiest) with her newly confident and slightly rebellious daughter (Bette). In the “Summer of ‘42”, Hermie and Benjie were enthralled by the movie – and so am I. Lest I finish this paragraph without quoting the famous last line of the movie; standing on a balcony in the moonlight with Paul Henreid, who has just lit two cigarettes, Bette chides him after he wishes they could spend the rest of their lives together, "Jerry, let's not ask for the stars, we have the moon!" Depending on my mood, this is either my #1 or #2 Bette Davis vehicle.

Together again with Claude Rains, who plays the part of "Mr. Skeffington", this is a dark movie for its time and for Bette. Bette plays an unsympathetic woman who marries her brother's boss to save her brother from going to jail after he embezzles a large sum of money from his employer. Bette ages 50 years in the movie and although her shrewish character is not very likeable, you've got to marvel at her transformation and her ability to become the character – heavy make-up and all. This movie doesn’t make my Top 10 list but it’s definitely a “Bitchy Bette” movie. A must see for anyone with a penchant for movies about strong-willed and determined woman. No memorable lines but yet again, another wonderful Claude Rains performance (I really like him!)

We take another step backward in time, now to 1938 and “Jezebel”. It’s a pre-Civil War period movie in which a 30-year-old Bette passes plausibly as a 19 year old in love with Henry Fonda, although she does everything to rebuke his advances – it’s all so very “Come here, I hate you – Go away, I love you”. The characters are every bit “Gone with the Wind” types, and Bette won the Best Actress Oscar in 1938 for her portrayal of the quintessential southern vixen, just as Vivien Leigh did for her 1939 portrayal of Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone with the Wind”. Favorite line: Bette to her Aunt Belle, as she prepares to go to the Debutante Ball in a fabulous, but politically incorrect gown, “ This is 1852, not the Dark Ages” – that’s such an unexpected line in a movie that takes place in the 1850s. My favorite scene: A headstrong Bette goes to the Debutante Ball in a flaming red dress, stunning everyone at the ball and shaming herself in the process (she was expected to wear white). Another one of Bette’s favorite boys, George Brent as a man she pretends to love, is in the movie.

Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in the same movie – does it get any better than that? Campy and creepy, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” is a triumph of Bette over the Beast (at least as far as her make-up is concerned). You gotta give it to her – how many actresses would allow themselves to be made-up quite so ghoulishly in an effort to augment the character’s disturbing behavior and eccentricities? When I first saw this movie as a young boy of nine at the Strand Theatre in Keyport, NJ, I was petrified by it [Remember those days, when there were no movie ratings and a kid could get into any movie? Not long after that, I started buying my own (our own) cigarettes!] Joan Crawford tied and bound by Bette, hanging from the ceiling, like a steer being readied for slaughter. Bette’s performance is a tour de force, perhaps inspired by the fact that Bette and Joan hated each other – there was a very long history of animosity between them and lots of public jabs. You have to wonder about the horrific and brutal scene where Bette kicks Joan mercilessly after she catches Joan using the phone – must’ve made Bette feel good that she got the better of Joan on the big screen! And how about the scene where Bette serves Joan a rat on a silver tray? Very scary! Piece of trivia: Bette did her own make-up in this flick.

Keeping in mind that paybacks are a bitch, here's my little trivia quiz for you – can you match the character names with the movies that were mentioned?

The characters: Margo Channing, Charlotte Vale, Fannie (Mrs.) Skeffington, Julie Marsden and "Baby Jane" Hudson

The movies: “Now, Voyager”, “Jezebel”, “Mr. Skeffington”, “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane” and “All About Eve”.

If you get stuck, there's always www.imdb.com.

Love you Syl, always have and always will!

The Dreaded Demolition, Drive-Ins and "The Dead." " Donnie Darko," "Designer Devils," Dustin and "Drop Dead Fred."

Syl Says:

The Dreaded Demolition

Oh Ivan, say it isn’t so—not our White Castle in Rahway! How could they do it? How could they obliterate that strange and wonderful place; close enough to allow us to visit frequently, far enough away to qualify as a” road trip.” It was fast food indeed, but still an exotic treat; a landmark as indigenous to New Jersey as “big hair “and the drive-in theaters of the recent past.
“Sliders”—Adieu!

Drive-Ins and “The Dead”

And, speaking of drive-ins: ah, the drive- ins. Ah, those hot summer nights as a child in my pajamas, playing on the rides, watching the movie while sitting on the hood of the car and going to sleep in the back seat. Ah, those hot summer nights as a young adult, in the car with the windows steamed up, in the back seat only half watching the movie (wink, wink).

I can still remember the static of the speaker in the window, the taste of the drive-in food: hot dogs, burgers, egg rolls wrapped in foil, popcorn and big sodas—not to mention the great movies including: The Blob, The Night Evelyn Came Out OF The Grave, The Night of the Living Dead (my fave.) and (oh yea) the one I didn’t see twice (wink, wink): Love at First Bite.

I remember the “Amboy’s Drive-In Theatre” on Rt. 9 in Sayreville. This one had great rides and no window speakers (the sound came over an AM station on the car radio), and the screen faced Rt. 9 and the Parkway. I can recall being stuck in a summer traffic jam on the old Edison Bridge and watching some soft-core porn while riding in the back seat of my parent’s car. The theater closed in the late 70’s and by the end of the 80’s most of the New Jersey drive-ins had slipped into obscurity.

Oh, what I would give to experience just one more drive-in movie!
Drive-Ins--Adieu!

"Donnie Darko"

Ivan, I would like to thank you for turning me on to this very cool dark drama. I’m surprised that I missed it when it came out in theaters because any time there is a movie where someone is talking to a 6 ft. tall (murderous) bunny rabbit named Frank—I am there. The “Goth” girl in the video store said that she purchased a copy and had to watch it over and over again. So I watched it, then went to the website for more info, then watched it again—and, armed with this info plus my understanding (as it were) of the “Theory of Relativity,” “The Quantum Theory,” “The Big Bang,” and “Black Holes” (due to reading Stephen Hawking’s books: A Brief History of Time and Black Holes and Baby Universes and Other Essays), I was able to figure out what was going on. I, however, want to watch it another time to try to tie up some details.

Finally, in the scene you refer to, where Jake (Donnie) slides his hand down his pants under hypnosis, you express your disappointment with the therapist (the still beautiful Katherine Ross) for waking him. I ask you Ivan: just what kind of therapist would she have been to let him take that to fruition? LOL!
Thanks again Ivan—I loved it!
Donnie--Adieu!

“Designer Devils”

By “Designer Devils” I am referring to the film you mentioned: The Devil Wears Prada. Meryl Streep is a “kick-ass” actress and it looks like my kind of movie. I was supposed to see it last week with a coworker-- unfortunately however, we did not go. I will definitely see it at a later date and then provide a review.
Last week’s movie date—Adieu!

Dustin

I also watched Midnight Cowboy recently—what a cowinkydink! I happen to love old movies of any genre, so I just love the 60’s ambience of this movie. Aside from the “cultural significance” of this film, the remarkable performance of Dustin Hoffman as the pathetic “Ratso Rizzo “impressed me the most. Truth be known, I was on this earth for only 16 years when I first saw this movie, and I didn’t really give a “rats ass” for my fellow man as of yet. To my immature teenage mind, the relationship between a male prostitute and a cruddy homeless guy was very humorous—still, the last scene where Ratso dies as the palm trees of his beloved Miami begin to pass by the windows of the bus touched me. Who can forget that scene?
Ratso--Adieu!

“Drop Dead Fred”

Never saw this one—never will! I only used this movie title because it rhymed! LOL!

ADIEU!

A brief thought about "The Thorn Birds" from Syl:

Did I read the book or did I see the mini-series first? I really can’t remember-- but I can remember the day in 1983 ( while discussing my excitement over the upcoming mini-series with my coworkers) when my mentor, a “prim and proper” older woman (my age now), expressed her sheer horror that I was about to watch such an abomination of a movie during “Holy Week” (yes, it began on “Palm Sunday” and ran through “Holy Week”). You see, my mentor was a devout Catholic, and the mini-series (I found out) “raised the ire of the “United States Catholic Conference.” It was with this knowledge then that I watched The Thorn Birds with such devilish fervor!
--"Kyrie eleison!"

Since that “Holy Week” of “priestly passion,” I have seen the mini-series several times and have read the book more than twice. I always fall under the spell of this achingly beautiful movie and fall in love with the sublime Father Ralph de Bricassart over and over again. I remember seeing a review of the book that stated: “…all else pales in comparison.” --Amen to that!

Ivan,I would also like to take this time to say to you, my dear old friend, that it gives me great pleasure and sheer joy to be able to work on this blog with you! After all these years--I think we are, only now, finding out all we have in common. Let this blog (and our eternal friendship) cause a bond between us that cannot be broken!
--Amen.

YOU Light Up My Life! YOU are a Complete and Total Delight!

Ivan says:

I love our little blog ... and I just love that we're doing it together!

For anyone who may be watching or reading, or simply anyone who cares, I'd like to set the record straight ... we've known each other for over 46 years, since kindergarten actually! We were the cutest! Precious little Italian/Polish girl and cute little French-Canadian/Irish boy! Kindgergarten, 1959/1960; First Communion, Nov, 1961; Holy Confirmation, May, 1966 (yes, I remember Geraldine); first cigarette, summer of '66; hanging out down at "The Flats", all the time; "Truth, Dare, Consequences, Private or Repeat", a regular diversion down at "The Flats"; "Sin One, Sin All", summer of '67; Bodo Reuter, Ron McDonald and Icky, 7th grade; first Slurpee, winter of '67; graduating 8th grade, June 1968, first liquor, spring of '69; first man to walk on the moon, July, 1969; Lorraine and Eddie, summer of '70 (and the infamous T-Bird); visiting Mr. & Mrs. Clericuzio at home in Cranbury, fall of '71; graduating high school (different schools), June, 1972; BINGO at St. Thomas High School in Edison, winter of '72/'73. That's a lot of history, and it's only the beginning!

But the real point of the story is: even to this day, you continue to surprise and amaze me. I've asked it before in this column and I'll ask it again ... how the hell does it come to pass that we have so much in common? Is it all the time we spent together during our formative years? Is it because we're the same age or from the same generation (Baby Boomers are THE BOMB!)? Is it because we grew up in Central New Jersey in the 60s/70s?

I'm going on and on because you've dropped yet another bomb! "The Thorn Birds". Aside from the obvious onscreen attraction in the form of the beautiful Richard Chamberlain, and aside from the 8 hour miniseries being one of my all time favorite films, "The Thorns Birds" is one of my all time favorite books (popular literature) ... it is in the top 3 or 4. Right up there with "Lonesome Dove", "The Fountainhead", and "The Stand". Of course, in the classical genre, there's nothing to compare to "Les Misérables" ... a definite must read. And then there's my favorite current book, "The DaVinci Code" -- I've twice taken the plunge in that book, the only time I've ever done that! But, I'm rambling -- as I'm prone to do.

It is just so amazing that you love "The Thorn Birds". Believe it or not, I purchased the VHS version when it was first released many years ago (decades before DVDs were even contemplated), and I watch it every so often.

Looking forward with great anticipation to your next post ... which I'm sure will be nothing short of Delightful, Delicious, Decisive, Dazzling, Dizzying, Divine, Delectable, Diverting, Distinguished, Distinctive and Downright De-lovely!

The Pop Quiz ( First Things First )

Sylvia Says:

1. Yes, you are correct: Leonardo DiCaprio. The movie is Total Eclipse. In this little known film Leonardo DiCaprio plays Rimbaud, the 19th century precocious boy-poet. Ivan, this movie is a must see!

2. Yes, correct: The lovely Richard Chamberlain as Father Ralph de Bricassart in The Thorn Birds (one of my all time faves.).

3. Yes, correct again: Macaulay Culkin in Party Monster.

4. And correct once more: Brad in Troy.

**********************************************************
Very Good Ivan! Check back very soon for my next post entitled:

"The Dreaded Demolition,

Drive-Ins and 'The
Dead.'

Donnie Darko,

'Designer Devils,'

Dustin,

and Drop Dead Fred."

( Not as good as your little jingle--but
what the heck! )

Ciao!

Sad, but True -- Harold and Kumar Would Be VERY Disappointed!

During my recent visit to NJ, I was saddened to learn that our beloved White Castle, on Route 1 in Rahway, NJ, has been torn down. Let's bow our heads for a moment to remember the lovely, exciting and memorable "road trips" at 300AM from Cliffwood Beach to Rahway for "sliders" and onion rings! Here's to the steamed up dashborard in my mom's '69 Chevy station wagon.

Stream of Consciousness ... The Saga Continues: Judy, Genes, The Jingle Junky, Joyful, Jon and Jake

Ivan says:

My Dearest Sylvia, I'm back in action. After six weeks of non-stop activities and a quick trip to NJ (sorry that we weren't able to hook up), I finally have a few minutes to sit down and complete a post. So, as I begin, I have to wonder, will there ever come a time when I stick to just one subject per post? It's so hard to do, especially when there's an extended time between posts. My mind floods over whenever I'm posting and God knows where I'll end up today.

Judy:

Funny that you should mention her -- she was my first ever musical concert. I don't recall how it came to pass -- I remember only that back in early June, 1969, I was at the (then) Garden State Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ (a stone's throw from our neighborhood). At the previous night's performance, Judy had been a "no show" and the following night, she fell off the stage. Shortly thereafter, she passed away and I remember feeling very, very sad at the time. My only frame of reference for Judy in 1969 was "The Wizard of Oz", which remains one of my all-time favorite movies to this day. But I was so excited to go see Judy. And yes, I am a bit surprised by your "Judy" confession, you sly girl -- I never knew!

Genes:

Even at the tender age of 15, it was obvious I had "the gene". This was also supported by the fact that my favorite album in 1968 (at age 14) was the soundtrack from "Funny Girl" (it would seem I knew I was "unique" at a very young age). At the time, I thought my fondness for Judy was just one of my many "queer" penchants -- it was incomprehensible to me that anyone else my age might have an appreciation for such astounding talent. Both my parents regularly played and listened to music from the 40s/50s, so I developed a taste early in life for something more than just 50s/60s rock-n-roll and the other types of music with which we were inundated during our formative years.

The Jingle Junky:

I remain however, a complete 60s music junky and recall obscure songs and artists (as is evident in my self published series "Uncle Ive's 45s" -- even if I still haven't found "They're Coming to Take Me Away" in MP3). I confess to loving all of those novelty songs -- "Gitarzan", My Girl Bill", "The Chipmunk Song", "How Much is that Doggie in the Window". And any catchy tune or jingle that we heard on the radio.

Joyful:

I loved your "What I Hate" and "What I Love" comments. I too can appreciate a good "chick flick". I just saw "The Devil Wears Prada" last weekend ... loved it! The joyful Stanley Tucci, highlighted in one of my previous posts, delivers the best line in the movie. To the unsuspecting Anne Hathaway, newly hired at a world famous fashion magazine, he declares, "Size 2 is the new size 4, size 0 is the new size 2 and size 6 is the new size 14". It was hilarious! I howled. The movie is a must see, for both Stanley's and Meryl's over the top performances as demanding and demeaning fashion magazine fanatics (Meryl as the editor and Stanley as her right hand man).

Jon:

I recently watched "Midnight Cowboy" ... WOW! It's been over 30 years since I last saw it and I'd forgotten how powerful a movie it was. At first, I was struck by the 60s sensibility of the movie and not sure if I could continue to watch the entire movie. But I quickly became engaged in the characters and the out-dated feeling quickly faded. "Midnight Cowboy" is certainly one of the top 5 movies of the 60s, so why is it that you don't hear much talk about it these days? "Five Easy Pieces", "Easy Rider", and other "gritty" 60s movies seem to be better remembered and more frequently mentioned, even though "Midnight Cowboy" won two Academy Awards, for both Best Picture and Best Director. Depressing? Yes. Disturbing? Yes. Sad? Definitely Yes. And yet sometimes poignantly funny. Dustin Hoffman is a wonder to behold and Jon Voight is breath-taking in all his studly presence! Another favorite of mine, Brenda Vaccaro (a one time girlfriend of Michael Douglas), is in the movie, as a lonely lady who gets the favors of Joe Buck (more like "lucky lady", I'd say). This is a must see movie ... The Good, The Bad, The Beggar and (most superbly) The Beautiful Boy!

Jake:

We've already done the Jake Gyllenhall "Brokeback Mountain" post, but I'd like to talk about "Donnie Darko" for a minute. After watching the movie last night, I had to visit the Donnie Darko website to make sure I "got" this movie -- I had a bit of a hard time understanding what was happening. I was happy to learn that I had a fairly good grasp of the plot, although the website clarified some of the more obscure scenes. The one phrase that keeps coming to mind about this movie is "thought provoking". Because it's a fantasy, you have to suspend belief to a great extent, but there's a lot to think about. I liken it to a two hour episode of the "The Twilight Zone", but with swearing. Favorite scene? While lying on his therapist's sofa under hypnosis, Jake describes an erotic scene from his mind's eye. He unbuckles his slacks and slides his hand down his crotch to begin masturbating. Stupidly, the therapist (an aged Katharine Ross) wakes him ... how utterly and completely disappointing! He is just as lovely in this movie as in "Brokeback Mountain". I wonder if the famed "Donnie Darko: The Director's Cut" has the scene in its entirety? And you think you're a dirty old lady?

PS: Answers to the Pop Quiz:

• Leonardo DiCaprio? (movie not known)
• Richard Chamberlain (movie not known, but wasn't he absolutely gorgeous in "The Thorn Birds"?)
• Macaulay Culkin (The Party Monster?)
• Brad Pitt (Troy)