The
TCM (Turner Classic Movies) channel is really entertaining, love those endearing old movies… those awesome dresses, the pretty girls, the dapper looking men, the less action more story script, the clean and entertaining fun, and the captivating song and dance routines. They don’t make movies like this anymore…
Calamity Jane (1953) : This is one cute movie, the leading lady Doris Day (Calamity Jane) is like one of those rough and tough men, she can shoot and ride a horse better than any man, she even gets into fights with them. And her dressing is atrocious, she looks like a mean hard working cowboy… the soiled clothes, boots and the hip holster thing, not to mention her dirty blonde hair… yeah, she’s quite a sight. Her friend Howard Keel, the only man in town who can outshoot her and who is allowed to make fun of her is a nice level headed guy, he is the only one who tells her to act like a girl from time to time. Jane has the biggest crush on the lieutenant in town, but he is oblivious to it. Now a new singing sensation enters town and she befrinds Jane, and slowly the makeover begins… Jane starts wearing frocks and her face is clean and she looks lovely, and all the men start noticing her. But the one person she wants to be noticed by, the lieutenant… starts to like the singer friend and Jane is heart broken. Howard Keel consoles her and tells her that the officer guy wasn’t good enough for her anyway, and then through her tears she sees who she has really been in love with all this time… her own best friend! I know, sounds mushy and corny, but I loved the movie… the songs are really nice, and Doris Day as the gun slinging, loud talking and horse riding protagonist is adorable. Here’s a fun song from the movie, Jane and her friend Howard get into a small argument and the lyrics are funny…
The Impossible Years (1968) : This is a movie I saw long back on TCM and loved it, its bout a father dealing with his teenage daughters. The father, a renowned psychiatrist hates it when his eldest daughter who is 18 years old starts taking an active interest in boys. He freaks out when she wears a two piece bikini for a pool party or when she mingles with those new age hippies. One day she announces that she just got married, and the dad goes about trying to find out who she married & starts suspecting a hippie bike rider. This enrages the dad but he eventually discovers that she married his trusted and clark kent look alike teaching assistant. The harried dad is kinda relived that his daughter has chosen wisely and marrried a respectable & sensible young fellow, so there he is toasting the new couple and pouring champagne, when in walks the impressionable younger daughter in a two piece swim suit with a guy following her like a puppy and this is how the movie ends with the dad going bonkers all over again bout his younger daughters growing interest in boys. Very entertaining movie…
Romeo and Juliet (1968) : This has got to be the best screen adaptaion of William Shakespear’s most famous pair of star crossed lovers. I aboslutely loved it, Juliet (played by Olivia Hussey) was amazingly beautiful, so pretty and radiant… Romeo was okay (somehow guys that age looked kinda girlish). The clothes, the setting and everything was just perfect. Even though you know how it ends (shame on you, if you don’t) you can’t stop the tears from welling up towards the end. The great bard sure had a funny way of talking though, but if you pay attention to the words its easy to understand what the characters are saying. I sometimes wonder what Shakespeare is doing now, like is he hanging out with the angel of literature and writing plays in heaven?
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| Juliet on the balcony dreaming bout Romeo… |
The Girl Downstairs (1938) : Stumbled upon this romantic comedy one Saturday afternoon while switching channels and it was a rare treat. I like these kind of clean, old fashioned movies… they are like those good old Mills and Boons novels. Paul Wagner a wealthy playboy is currently trying to date Rosalind, the daughter of a rich fat man who despises the sight of Paul. When all of Paul’s efforts to meet Rosalind fails, he is forced to befriend Rosalind’s illiterate scullery maid, Katrina. Katrina who knows Paul as just another driver, starts falling for him and it isn’t long before Paul himself is quietly drawn to her kind, generous and innocent nature. Cute movie for a lazy Saturday afternoon.
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| Here they are, the playboy holding Rosalind… discovers true love in the maid, Katrina. |
Honest to Goodness- My experience with Hollywood classics is NIL, except for a few countable obvious ones. R&J aside, I haven't even heard(let alone watch) any of the rest in the list. But like you said, it's refreshing to watch a neat, old fashioned flick just to remind you of how simple n good life was back then – like the stern father hunting for his possible son-in-law – I mean those days have vanished from Hollywood. My favorite though (from I think the 3 or 4 I might have seen) is 'The Graduate'. An absolute treat !! I might watch The girl downstairs – I liked your review. 🙂
I haven't seen 'The Graduate'… heard of it though, have to check it out. And yeah, these movies are like a blast to the good old fashioned past.
I've seen all but that last one. I miss movies like this, too. (sigh)
While You Were Sleeping was a good one, so was IQ. If you haven't seen either of those movies, you should–they are in the style of these great old movies.
Have a GREAT day!
when will you download the last two movies and send it to me?? download gone with the wind too.. and Breakfast at tiffany's.. and mary poppins too..
Beth, I've seen While you were sleeping and I remember seeing IQ too, something to do with Albert Einstein and Meg Ryan… have to see it again though.
Nam, you won't like Gone with the wind… way too long.