Martin's Hollywood Journey

The Golden Age of Hollywood invokes images of sophisticated movie stars living a life of decadence and excess.  My mind pictures movie stars emerging from the latest automobiles and decked in furs and diamonds just to go to Schwab's.  This is a time of outrageous living created by this new job market.
 I am fascinated by old Hollywood and many times I have typed in "golden age of Hollywood" in my library's book search box in order to find an interesting read.  It was during one of these searches that I came across an author's name...Martin Turnbull.  I had never heard of him and my library didn't have a book written by him but Amazon told me that he had a book called the "Garden on Sunset".  Martin actually offered the digital book for free, so you know I got it.

The story is about three up and comers, Marcus Adler-a potential screenwriter, Kathryn Massey-who dreams of being a newspaper reporter and Gwendolyn Brick-a woman that longs to be a movie actress. It follows their Hollywood dreams and adventures.  Along the journey, the reader gets to meet HUGE stars.  Some in their decline, some in their heyday and a few in places where they didn't want to be caught.  Clark Gable, Rudy Valentino, Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall,  F Scott Fitzgerald, and HG Wells (there are so many more).

I recommend this Garden of Allah series for anyone that loves the Hollywood set and forgotten movie stars.  The series is now complete so start the first one, read straight through and say "wow, that was fantastic".

I want you to check out his website where as of today you can get the first two books in the series for free.  You might as well buy all of the others because you will be hooked.

Marilyn Monroe

It's been 50 years since Marilyn Monroe walked upon this earth.  Marilyn was never the greatest actress or the most beautiful woman, but there was something about her.  Maybe her vulnerability....her undying need to be loved that stemmed from a childhood of abandonment. Or maybe it was her ability to make us desire to watch her by the way she could get the camera to love her.  I have never been able to figure it out....never able to understand why a 9-year-old kid would watch Some Like it Hot one time and then she just could not get enough.

As a 9-year-old kid got her first poster of Marilyn from her friend Kelly.  Then this 9-year-old kid grew older all the while collecting Marilyn items. I would babysit just so she could make money to buy more Marilyn things. In 1987, the 25th anniversary of her death, many items were released commemorating Marilyn including her movies; this little girl bought all of them and even got the coveted Marilyn coffee mug.  Movies, paper dolls, books, pictures, magazines, newspapers... I had a little bit of everything.  In high school, my photo would be featured in a yearbook page showcasing the amount of Marilyn items she had.

Through the years, kids take over the tv and there is not time to watch the Marilyn movies.  Then the VCR is gone and no way to watch the VHS tapes.  It was time to sell them and go to the DVD.    All the VHS tapes were sold and I began to buy the DVDs...now only Bus Stop and There's no business like show business are all that is missing.  I am still reading Marilyn books over the years and is excited to see if maybe more books are published for the 50th.

 I never met her or saw a movie first run (or even on the big screen for that matter), but she has always been important to me.  Every year I remember her death on August 5 and think of what might have been.  What maybe Marilyn could have accomplished. Her career was really only active for about 10 years, so yes should have done so much more.  Her drug usage ruined all of that.  So if there is one thing we can learn from Marilyn it is for sure, DON'T DO DRUGS. 

 



 

Tommy Rall

So I wrote a fan letter to Tommy Rall of seven brothers for seven brothers fame. The dude is one amazing dancer, let me just say. If you ever get the chance to see kiss me kate you can his extraordinary work. Anyway, he is 80 so my expectations were not that high. John called me yesterday and told me that I had a case. I said open it. It was autographed photos of Tommy Rall. How cool is that? Very! Thanks, Tommy!

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Xanadu

Don't judge me because I like Xanadu. No siree bob, don't you dare. Yes, I know Xanadu has been laughed at for years and years and years. Basically, since the day it was released, but think not about the crappy storyline, or that one dude's bad acting...think about the movie.

The movie is an artistic wonder from the get-go. It has some wonderful paintings and that was just the first attraction for me and thrilling animation from Don Bluth. The second is a man that you may never have heard of Gene Kelly. He did a little song and dancing in his younger years, nothing to write home about but that is what he did. In this movie, he only dances twice and once on roller skates, he had to be 70 something when this movie was made. He even danced around Olivia Newton-John and made it appear that she could dance, but Gene was good at that trick (in that past life). This was his last movie by the way.

Kenny Ortega (High School Musical fame) was the choreographer...and I think he did a great job!!!

Then there is the soundtrack, even if Jeff Lynne won't admit it, the music is brilliant. ELO, the Tubes, Gene and Olivia. A perfect score for the fantasy film, set on roller skates.

I am writing this because I bought the movie years ago and watched it many times and then it disappeared. Where was it? I could not find it, I last remembered watching it on the way to Mason Ohio and Great Wolf Lodge. I figured that I dropped it out of the truck while traveling. NO I DID NOT, I found it yesterday, in a computer manual that I never even knew that I opened. I was gathering stuff to get rid of our stupid Celeron computer and there it was in the manual. I have watched it 3 times today. I have missed it so.

The greatest part to me is the ending...Gene Kelly "Drum Dreams" on roller skates. Then Olivia comes in and does a WOWING rendition of "Fool Country" and "First Stage out of this Town" and then "Xanadu".

As a child, my favorite part was after FSOTT (first stage out of this town) the music tempo changes and Xanadu starts, Olivia starts walking up the stage in this silver lame' dress, with her hair in a glitter corn roll type hairdo. I LOVE this part!!!!!

Guys, it's not a great movie plot-wise, as I stated but if you want a visually appealing movie, with great music and Gene Kelly, yeah this one is for you.

The gang's all here

I do believe that I have seen this movie about 50 times. It is about a guy (Andy) in the service that is engaged to a girl (Vivan) at home but meets a song girl (Edie) in a club and falls in love, but they give each other fake names (Casey and whatever that fake name that she was using was). She comes and sees him off to war. He goes to the South Pacific fights a good fight and comes home a war hero...while he is traveling home, his wealthy father decides to throw him a big party when he gets home. Problem is the club that Andy loves is closed so dear old dad has the whole club and all their entertainers stay at his house and his neighbor's house, the party will be at Andy's home. A great scene is when the remarkable Charlotte Greenwood does this dance with a dancer and displays the highest kicks I have ever seen anyone do in a musical...Her legs are SOOOOOO longs (she stood around 6 feet tall). Back to the plot, Andy's real-life girlfriend, Vivian and Edie have no idea that they have been swapping stories about their man and that their man is the same man. Meanwhile, Dorita (played by the wonderful Carmen Miranda) figures is all out and tries to stop the two girls from discovering what's up. All fails and Edie figures are out but take the high road, when Andy does come home and is all surprised about the party and Edie being there she pretends to love another. Andy is heartbroken but after the show, he convinces Edie and Vivian that it is Edie he loves.

Why am I telling you about this corny movie? Here are some reasons that this movie is worth watching:

1. The aforementioned Charlotte Greenwood scene
2. The leaving for the camp scene in which Edie calls "Casey" (she knows him) by the name of "Andy" but later when she learns "Casey" is "Andy" she is very surprised.
3. It's directed by Busby Berkley so there are FABULOUS, over the top dance numbers.
4. Carmen Miranda sings the lady in the Tootie fruity hat and it is simply perfection!!!
5. Benny Goodman sings a song about a town called "Paducah" and if you wanna you can rhyme it with bazooka.
6. And lastly, it is just a mindless entertaining movie...a weak plot, but lots of dance numbers and shows you how much Americans cheered for their country. My favorite line is "If you had a beard you would remind me of my two favorite men, Santa Claus, and Uncle Sam".