Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Just a stoopid fool with popcorn

No hike again today. Stoopid me. I just don't have any idea why I didn't get out there on the trail for at least a couple hours. Oh, and the weather, don't even get me started -- the temperature went all the way up to Freezing today. Al Gore might be on to something afterall! Out there in my hiking boots, some time to think and some time to listen to some great music, it woulda been perfect, I tell ya what, a mini-moment of bliss, if you will. Sorta. Maybe not bliss but extra special nice, surely indeed. But I just wasn't in the mood. Not in the mood for hiking? I must have some sort of fever... or a cancer! Probably more like a mental illness to not want to get out on the trail for some exercise and fresh air. Oi vay, ay caramba. Yes, I'm having a cow over this. Well, a small cow. Am I turning into a normal lazy American? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

But I decided to watch a flick tonight, a movie, a film, a talking picture. It's been so long since I made popcorn and put one on. Holy geez, I needed something to take my mind off that awful video I posted earlier. And now thinking about it again, it's just refreshing my memory. Great, yeah, swell.




Cynthia

1947

starring: Elizabeth Taylor,
S.Z. Sakall,
Mary Astor,
George Murphy


A young, 15 year old, Elizabeth Taylor plays Cynthia Bishop, a girl who isn't like all of the kids at school. Cynthia's sick. Her disease? She's just sick, that's all. Her illness has been one she's had since birth. Mom and Dad (Mary Astor & George Murphy) as well as her Uncle and Doctor (played by Gene Lockhart) are immensely over-protective. If Cynthia happened to get excited too much, if she exerted too much energy, that could spell trouble for her. So mother and pop made sure to watch, as best as they could, over everything Cynthia does. She's got a mind of her own, though. Her wonderful music teacher, played by S.Z. Sakall, encourages her to sing for she has such a lovely voice, perhaps the best around. Mom and dad don't like this idea. Too much freedom for Cynthia could mean the end. But Cynthia's determined.

There wasn't too much that was special about this film. Liz Taylor was seemingly held back from the top notch performance that she was capable of even at age 15. Still she did shine and S.Z. Sakall was the lovable old foreign dude that he always is. Mary Astor turned in a nice performance, also, keeping this family grounded and being reasonable when that's clearly what it was time for.

Not bad but also not too particularly memorable, either.

2 comments:

Erica said...

Ahhhh, "Cynthia." I recognized the screen shot immediately, and thought to myself: Liz Taylor & "Cuddles." If you watch the first "That's Entertainment," you'll learn that Liz's voice was dubbed in the singing parts by Jane Powell.

Did I ever tell you -- no, I probably didn't -- that my great great uncle was Louis B. Mayer? He was [on my mother's side] my great grandmother Dora's brother.

I got MGM movie musicals in my blood.

Zoooma said...

Noper, Erica, you never did tell me but now ya did and my response?

Errol Flynn was mostly with Warner Brothers and not MGM but he was my dad's 4th cousin's hairdresser's gardner's brother's dog's veterinarian's WWII Staff Sargent's daughter's former babysitter's mentor's father's best friend. So there!

Just kidding.

Very cool about being related to Louis B. He was such a force at MGM. Twas because of him so many great movies got made... back when they knew how to make movies. Haa! No, they can make good movies nowadays but they sure don't make 'em like they used to!

I watched a musical a month or two ago, with the one and only Fred (but not with Ginger.) RKO made some good ones, too.

Musicals aren't bad but give me John Wayne anyday. or Rita Hayworth, va va voom!!!!

one says one number and the other another
but they were set at the same time. Hmmm...

i love you amy uzarski.  always!
 
Calvin and Hobbes in the snow -- animated