Follow Me, Boys

This is a movie whose song I can still sing.  I used to know all the words, not I think I just remember the ones that are important to me in whatever instance I am in and need a pick-me-up.

Fred MacMurray...who doesn't love him? Unless it's the movie Double Indemnity...then I didn't like the role but loved the actor.

Lemuel Siddons (Fred MacMurry) is a sax player in a band after the war who decides a quaint town would the best place for him to jump ship and study law.  But studying law never gets enough time as he ends ups studying Vida (Vera Miles) and attempts to woo her.

This first plan, after not catching her attention, is to agree to lead the town's band of young boys.  I think this picture is the first march of hundred he went on.

Attempting to convince one very young Kurt Russell  (Whitey) to join in and leave the attitude at home was a huge effort.  The poor kid had a lot to contend with...loving his drunk father, dealing with his drunk father, and so wanting to belong.  And belong he has to.  But we get to watch the struggle and the growth of this boy.  How he wants and needs the acceptance but not always how to get it, give it. Then when he does and feels he made an error he decides to run away...which really brings his relationship with Fred to a fine point.  

  Of course we all know Fred wins Vida's heart and thus ensues a heartbreak on another level but together they make things work out.

And then there's John Everett Hughes (Charles Ruggles) who owned the little store Lem starts to work in.  He became the father/grandfather figure and you just adore him

The touching part was watching Lem age and yet still be current with the day and the boys until he can no longer do so.  What does such a man do?  Who remembers him?  That's the ending that still brings tears to my eyes every time I watch this movie.  And it makes me wonder what lasting effect I leave to the world?

Random Harvest

Random Harvest (1942)  made me fall in love with Greer Garson AND Ronald Coleman's voice.
Ronald Coleman  is an amnesiac WWI soldier who is in an asyluml but wanders off when victory is declared and there is celebrations in the street.  He wanders into a pub and there sees Paula (Garson) dancing and singing.

Paula takes care of him and they run off to keep him safe and eventually marry.  As Smitty improves he leaves to find a job and never returns to Paula.

We then are taken through years of seeing what each of these two leading characters have done with their lives.  And yes, there were tears as we see John engaged to someone else.  

Perhaps it's the tragic events of WWI that caught my attention or because I am a romantic at heart, I so wanted them to be together.  There's a small element of light/dark in this movie and you sure get a sense of what's coming if you pay attention to this lighting as well as the story line.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

I don't know a time when I haven't loved this movie...and this started years before my grandmother told me that a young Jimmy Stewart looked my father, Henry Czekala, who died when I was 4 months old but this just made it even more dear.

I read somewhere that this was a comedy.  I suppose there were light hearted moments but the intense  situation of corruption in politics in the US and the innocent being accused wrongly doesn't make it a comedy for me.

A senator dies unexpectedly and the other senator from this state needed this man to help him pass a bill. So the appointment goes to Mr.  Smith who is a flag-waving, country-loving patriot as well as a leader of the boys in his small town.  He seems fine to go along with things and visit the historic sites in DC until his secretary, (Jean Arthur)

a wise woman in-the-know, directs his attention to the things that are really going on behind the scenes in DC.

Can Mr. Smith stand up to the lies told against him and protect his 'boys'?  Can you rely on his new friend, the lovely Jean Arthur?  Can he successfully hold the floor in a filibuster?  This is one of those movies that makes you wonder what really goes on behind closed door in DC today and creates this pride in righteous men/women.

Song of the South

There is other ways to learn about the behind feet of the mules besides getting kicked by them.

Just cuz these tales is about critters like Br'er Rabbit and Br'er Fox don't mean you can't learn something.  If folks can't learn from these tales it just means they ain't got their ears tuned for listening.  Like or not they are too busy going about along all mixed up about their own troubles.

HOW YOU COME ON?

PRETTY GOOD SURE AS YOU'RE BORN.

And so begins my all time favorite movie.

This is a Disney movie (1946) that appears to be banned in the US.  Not for anything raunchy but because it doesn't portray slavery in the South as cruel.  Funny that one...I didn't  go to see this movie because of the slavery issue.   BESIDES, THIS IS MOVIE THAT TAKES PLACE DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION PERIOD (so perhaps these people actually wanted to stay put and not leave...but who knows.  And for those who object to the way the language is spoken in the movie, then I beg these same people to hit the streets and listen today). I went for the songs and the touching story.  Many years ago, in an attempt to find this movie, I located someone in England who had their form of the movie but willingly made it into a VHS tape and then a DVD for me that would work on our player. So my kids grew up with this wonderful and magical movie.  So my children were able to see the show.

This is a story of a young boy who is taken to  stay with his Grandmother because his father an editor in Atlanta was in a bit of trouble altho we don't hear what it is. But the parents are separating because of it and the mom will be with Johnny.  So  Johnny comes  and  is befriended by Uncle Remus (and actually this movie is based on a collection of stories of Uncle Remus. You can still find them in books in libraries if you look), a plantation worker, old and tolerated and really revered.  It is through this friendship that Johnny learns a thing or two about life among people who might not be his equal in some opinion and with bullies around him.  He learns about heartbreak and affection, love and faithfulness to friends.  And when he finds his "Laughin Place" it's right where you knew it had to be.  And how could anyone not love Br'er Rabbit, Br'er Fox, and Br'er Bear?   How could you not want to BE Br-er Rabbit?  

And now as I write this, I suddenly (after all these years, yes I am 68) realized that beyond the cartoon characters of this movie are flesh and blood Br'er Rabbit, Fox, Bear.

Oh wait...and then there's the songs. Songs we used to call Negro Spirituals but that's not PC today so they are just called Spirituals.  And the songs they tsing around the campfires about the Br'er Critters and how they all got that way.   But oh the stories Uncle Remus tells!  And the end, the song that we all know is sung with a different intonation and we still cry a little as we watch Uncle Remus walk up that hill and then the hold hands and walk off.

Yesterday Jocelyn told us something that moved Robert to his Laughin' Place and he's been a laughin for two days now...and every time he remembers what she said, he laughs again til the tears run down his face. Yessirree. We all need a good Laughin Place.

Zippety Do Dah!

I think it's time I go watch this movie again. Right now. Tonight.  How I wish you could join me.