Tuesday: Words and Music (1948)
This is inspired by a real songwriting pair. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (Mickey Rooney) were famous songwriters. In the movie we see their journey from the beginning. Richard is a musician looking for someone to write lyrics for his music. A friend introduces him to Lorenz. Lorenz is always late and all over the place. But he write great songs. They are able to work together. They struggle to get anyone to buy their songs. Then they get into Broadway musicals and become a huge success. Lorenz falls for a singer. She likes him but not in that way. After her rejection he is never the same again. They continue to go on and do great work but his heart is never fully in it. Richard falls in love with a young woman who is the sister of a friend. They support Lorenz who's health starts to fail. I liked this movie. There were some good musical numbers. As always I am impressed by Mickey Rooney's energy. He always seems to be bouncing off the walls. The main reason I watched this movie is because Gene Kelly is in it. I'm trying to watch all his films. I didn't know much about this movie other than he was in it. When you pick a movie like that you risk them not being in it very much. Gene was only in it for two scenes. But I still enjoyed the movie.
Wednesday: The Mortal Storm (1940)
The movie begins in a small village near the German Alps in the 1930s. It shows the beginnings of Hitler's rise to power, especially with his followers. Martin and Fritz are friends who admire their Professor, Viktor Roth. Fritz is engaged to the professor's daughter Freya. Viktor and his family are not Aryan. When Hitler gains power everything changes. Fritz becomes a Nazi. Martin will never join the party so their friendship ends. Freya breaks off the engagement. Her father is arrested and attacked. Fritz does nothing and expects her to believe everything he believes. She finds comfort in her friendship with Martin. They fall in love. Another of Martin's beloved professors is attacked. Martin knows a secret path to Austria where the professor will be safe. But his plan is discovered and he can never come back. Freya struggles with losing her brothers to Nazism and all the madness in town. She must escape. I liked this movie a lot. It was very well done. I haven't seen a lot of movies about WWII from the perspective of normal German people.
Thursday: Double Feature- The Ritz (1976) and The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
The Ritz is about a guy named Gaetano. His is on the run from his brother-in-law who wants him killed because he inherited part of the "garbage truck" (mob) business. He ends up in a gay Turkish bath house. He doesn't realize that at first and is weirded out by what his happening to him. He meets several of the other guests. There is Claude who has a thing for large men. Chris who is witty and up for a good time with anyone. And there is Googie who performs musical numbers at the bath house. There is a lot of mistaken identities. Gaetano gives his brother-in-laws name in the hotel log book. Bellboys tell Googie that his a producer for broadway plays. Gaetano thinks Googie is a man. A lot of crazy things happen mostly all for comedic effect. I liked this movie ok. It is unique.
The Barefoot Contessa is about a rich movie producer who travels to Spain with a manager and a director to find a fresh face for his next film. They want a local dancer named Maria. She resists coming with them to do a screen test. Harry, the director, is able to convince her to come. Maria has a raw talent and beauty. She makes the movie and becomes a success. But she is never happy. She feels that her life is being controlled by others and she can never be free. I liked this movie.
Friday: Blinded by the Light (2019)
Javed is a young Pakistani man living in a small town in England in the late 80s. He is struggling to find his place. His family has their own ideas of who he should be. His father wants him to work as an engineer and provide for the family. He faces racism in town and at school. He wants to be a writer but lacks the confidence. He meets a new friend at school, Roops, who introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. He instantly takes a liking to the music and can relate to a lot of what is being said in the lyrics. The music also gives him confidence to put his writing out there and ask out the girl he likes. He still continues to struggle with his family disapproving of him and racism. But the music helps with it all. I really liked this movie. It is by the same female director who directed Bend it like Beckham.
This is inspired by a real songwriting pair. Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart (Mickey Rooney) were famous songwriters. In the movie we see their journey from the beginning. Richard is a musician looking for someone to write lyrics for his music. A friend introduces him to Lorenz. Lorenz is always late and all over the place. But he write great songs. They are able to work together. They struggle to get anyone to buy their songs. Then they get into Broadway musicals and become a huge success. Lorenz falls for a singer. She likes him but not in that way. After her rejection he is never the same again. They continue to go on and do great work but his heart is never fully in it. Richard falls in love with a young woman who is the sister of a friend. They support Lorenz who's health starts to fail. I liked this movie. There were some good musical numbers. As always I am impressed by Mickey Rooney's energy. He always seems to be bouncing off the walls. The main reason I watched this movie is because Gene Kelly is in it. I'm trying to watch all his films. I didn't know much about this movie other than he was in it. When you pick a movie like that you risk them not being in it very much. Gene was only in it for two scenes. But I still enjoyed the movie.
Wednesday: The Mortal Storm (1940)
The movie begins in a small village near the German Alps in the 1930s. It shows the beginnings of Hitler's rise to power, especially with his followers. Martin and Fritz are friends who admire their Professor, Viktor Roth. Fritz is engaged to the professor's daughter Freya. Viktor and his family are not Aryan. When Hitler gains power everything changes. Fritz becomes a Nazi. Martin will never join the party so their friendship ends. Freya breaks off the engagement. Her father is arrested and attacked. Fritz does nothing and expects her to believe everything he believes. She finds comfort in her friendship with Martin. They fall in love. Another of Martin's beloved professors is attacked. Martin knows a secret path to Austria where the professor will be safe. But his plan is discovered and he can never come back. Freya struggles with losing her brothers to Nazism and all the madness in town. She must escape. I liked this movie a lot. It was very well done. I haven't seen a lot of movies about WWII from the perspective of normal German people.
Thursday: Double Feature- The Ritz (1976) and The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
The Ritz is about a guy named Gaetano. His is on the run from his brother-in-law who wants him killed because he inherited part of the "garbage truck" (mob) business. He ends up in a gay Turkish bath house. He doesn't realize that at first and is weirded out by what his happening to him. He meets several of the other guests. There is Claude who has a thing for large men. Chris who is witty and up for a good time with anyone. And there is Googie who performs musical numbers at the bath house. There is a lot of mistaken identities. Gaetano gives his brother-in-laws name in the hotel log book. Bellboys tell Googie that his a producer for broadway plays. Gaetano thinks Googie is a man. A lot of crazy things happen mostly all for comedic effect. I liked this movie ok. It is unique.
The Barefoot Contessa is about a rich movie producer who travels to Spain with a manager and a director to find a fresh face for his next film. They want a local dancer named Maria. She resists coming with them to do a screen test. Harry, the director, is able to convince her to come. Maria has a raw talent and beauty. She makes the movie and becomes a success. But she is never happy. She feels that her life is being controlled by others and she can never be free. I liked this movie.
Friday: Blinded by the Light (2019)
Javed is a young Pakistani man living in a small town in England in the late 80s. He is struggling to find his place. His family has their own ideas of who he should be. His father wants him to work as an engineer and provide for the family. He faces racism in town and at school. He wants to be a writer but lacks the confidence. He meets a new friend at school, Roops, who introduces him to the music of Bruce Springsteen. He instantly takes a liking to the music and can relate to a lot of what is being said in the lyrics. The music also gives him confidence to put his writing out there and ask out the girl he likes. He still continues to struggle with his family disapproving of him and racism. But the music helps with it all. I really liked this movie. It is by the same female director who directed Bend it like Beckham.
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