No Place Like Movies at Home: It Happened in Brooklyn

It has been a little bit of time since I last updated. That's because I have actually had plans this week! I got to go out a little bit and I have had fun. However, I did get to watch a movie last Monday, it just took me a little bit to update here. The movie that I watched last Monday is yet another Frank Sinatra movie called It Happened in Brooklyn. 

This wonderful, sweet film is from 1947 and it's about a soldier that is coming home from his time the military is is going home to Brooklyn. However, he is a very shy young man and doesn't have many friends. The nurse, also from Brooklyn, says he can't be from Brooklyn because if he was then he would be more outgoing. After getting his feathers a little ruffled he goes out to the party that is happening below and try to make friends and prove the nurse wrong. he tries and fails. However, he meets a young piano playing that is playing classic music but doesn't know much about popular music. They get to talking about Brooklyn and how wonderful it is there. The piano player's uncle says that Brooklyn sounds like the place that his nephew needed to go to be around people his own age. When Sinatra gets back home, meets a girl, and tries to find a job, that is just what happens. The Piano players shows up at his door. 

Yes, I know that we have done a lot of Frank Sinatra, but I don't care! I love this man. This is actually the first non- Gene Kelly movie I saw Frank Sinatra in. I think it's sweet, and haven't Jimmy Durante in this film makes is as funny as it is. However, I totally forgot the Peter Lawford was in the movie. Making this one of the first time the members of the Rat Pack are in the movie together. However, the amazing kicker is at the start of the film when Gloria Grahame is in he movie at the beginning too! If you don't know who she is right off I'll tell you. She is Ado Annie in the movie Oklahoma!. We are almost done with the Younger Years collection, just two move movies to go!

No Place Like Movies at Home: Higher and Higher

We are about half way to half way getting through my Frank Sinatra collections. For today's viewing we are watching Mr. Sinatra's very first credited on scene credit. Who is Mr. Sinatra playing in this 1943 film? Why, himself of course!

In the crazy household lives a millionaire, Mr. Drake. He has a very important dinner to attend and all of the house workers are getting everything ready for the night. When they get to meal time they find that they are the guests. It is soon learned that the reason they have not been paid in 7 months is because Mr. Drake is a millionaire no more. Everything is starting to look bleak until Mr. O'Brien, Jack Haley, gets a million dollar idea... literally. The scullery maid, Millie (Michele Morgan), could pass as the long unseen daughter of Mr. Drake, and can possibly trick a rich man into marrying her before everything goes bust. The problem is that Millie is in love with O'Brien, but is trying to make him jealous with the crooner that lives across the street (I am sure you are seeing were this is going folks). However, Millie goes along with the plan, until Frank Sinatra shows up at the door and throws everything into a loop. O'Brien has to keep Millie focused on falling for the another millionaire, while trying to keep her away from Sinatra, even though she is really in love with O'Brien and he has no clue. Hopefully everyone can fall in love the the right person and still get to keep their home.

I really didn't want to watch this movie tonight. Manly because I was tired and didn't really feel like dealing with movie stuff, even though it's less work than actually finding something on tv to watch. I knew that I really should so I popped the movie in. However, it took like one solid minute before I was totally hooked. The movie starts with a wonderfully upbeat song, that you can't help but tap your feet to. Then I got excited for seeing Jack Haley, AKA the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz, and that was a great treat! I mean I haven't really seen him in a whole lot other than The Wizard of Oz. This movie is 100% hysterical! It was a lot more interesting than the last film I watched in the collection. The comedic timing is perfect, the song are always wonderful when Sinatra is crooning them, and it was just simply fun. The only thing that you can tell is that Mr. Sinatra is no really used to having to act, which isn't surprising since this was his first acting role. He has a great first line too "Hi, I'm Frank Sinatra". I mean come one I would have fainted too! 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Double Dynamite

We have spent of quality time with Gene Kelly and Frank Sinatra the last couple of sessions. We might be saying good bye to Mr. Kelly for a while but Frank is gonna be around for a very long time! The next collection that I have of Mr. Sinatra is his Younger years collection. This is a collection of five movies that are some of his earliest, and lets face it, some of his least remembered films. Granted, not every one of them is not remembered but there are a few. The first one that we are going to look like is one that very few would have heard about from 1951 Double Dynamite.

Double Dynamite stars the ever wonderful Frank Sinatra as a bank clerk who is hoping to get a raise so that he can marry his girl, Jane Russell. As luck would have it he doesn't get the money and his dream is put to an end. However, "luck" is not done with him. After postponing his whole life due to lack of funds, Sinatra helps a man from getting the beating of his life. Turns out the man he saved is a bookie. He loans Sinatra $1000 and bets it on a fixed race. Long story short Sinatra walks away with $60,000! He is so excited that goes to his friend, Groucho Marx, to help him gets presents for his future fiance. However, during his spending spree the bank finds that there is $75,000 missing. They say that they are going to start looking into the employees lives to see who might have stolen it! So, the question is is Frank Sinatra spending stolen goods or did his win that money "legitimately"?

Not gonna lie, not one of my favorite Frank Sinatra films. I mean it was cute, and sweet, and funny but it's not memorable like some of his other roles. There are some of the films that are so fun to watch that you can't look away, and this one I found myself easily distracted. Even trying write about it right now it's hard to stay focused. I am more looking forward to some of the other movies of his that I will be seeing this week. However, it was really fun to see Groucho Marx and Frank Sinatra in the same film. Every scene that he was in was fun to watch. Other than that not much to write home about.   

No Place Like Movies at Home: Anchors Aweigh

We are down to our last Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly movies. Don't worry there are still plenty of movie with each of them in it but not anymore together. We still have a ways to go with Frank Sinatra movies, but Mr. Kelly will be getting a break. Let's board the ship together again, from 1945 Anchors Aweigh.

Once again we join Mr. Sinatra and Mr. Kelly as sailor on the ship (the USS Knoxville!) and about to get leave. However, we get a whole four days with them instead of just 24 hours. The reason for this wonderful time off is because of the heroics of Clarence (Sinatra) and Joseph (Kelly) in an attack that happened before the film began. Joseph saved Clarence from drowning and now they get four days in the great city of Los Angeles! Joseph has a girl waiting for him on shore, and Clarence begs Joe to let him come along. Clarence doesn't know how to get a girl of his own and he thinks that since Joe saved his life that Joe owes him something (not what you were expecting right). Joe agrees before they are both picked up by the police. They are very confused because they haven't been off the boat long enough to get into any sort of trouble. Once they are at the station they meet Donald, a little boy who has run away from home in hopes to join the Navy. Joe and Clarence end up getting him home in time to meet Aunt Susan, played by Katherine Grayson, an aspiring actress and singer. Thus, starting a crazy adventure of love, jealousy, and the search for a famous piano player named, Jose Iturbi. 

The one thing about these movies that Mr. Sinatra does with Gene Kelly is the fact that all three of them make it seem like Mr. Sinatra isn't interested/ can't get a girl.... what in real life he could have had any girl he ever wanted, including me! However, this movie has some great songs, and wonderful moments. I think this is Mr. Kelly's funniest movie of the three. His voice cracks more, and he gets into more shenanigans then in the other two. However, Mr. Sinatra still sells every song presented to him. He also gets to do more laughable stuff. The best moments in the movie, for me, is when they are singing "I Begged Her" to the other sailors as they are setting in for the night. 

You can't forget Katherine Grayson as well. There is not any movie stars today who sing opera when the rare musical comes out. However, it's still pretty rare back when musical were mass produced too. It's a crazy balance that you have to have to get opera sung in the same musical that Sinatra is crooning in. Also to do it in a way were they don't sing together in the movie at all. However, I always forget just how amazing Ms. Grayson is! I don't have very many movies with her in it but she is always a wonder to watch!

If you are a classic film lover but never have seen this film all the way through I am sure you have seen on very famous clip of it. This is the film where Gene Kelly dances with Jerry the Mouse in animated kingdom. It has to be on of the very first times that animation and live action cross over in a movie like this. I mean even if you are not a movie lover they actually did have a small part of that clip on a phone commercial not too many years ago. It's always fun to watch and makes me wonder who came up with the idea and how they made that happen!

This is still my least favorite of the three but I enjoyed it so much more than I thought I would. It's been so long since I have seen it that I really have forgotten about it. I am glad to have had the opportunity to watch it again.    

Jack of All Trades: April

Holy Cow! I did not realize just how far behind I was until the month of May started! I was even good last month and got my volunteering done at the start of April and I totally forgot to write about it at all!

At the beginning of the year when I set out to do this I had lots of high hopes. I was gonna two a month, I was gonna do different ones, I was gonna do them with my friend Nikki, and it was gonna be hard to narrow it down cause there are lots of options. Then pandemic happened. Yes, I do hate bringing it up cause I am tired of hearing about it, dealing with it, talking about it, I am just over all all done with it! However, It has effected everything in our lives. The many options that I had to volunteer with at the beginning of the year and drastically dwindled down to a slim few. Everything was canceled. In the month of March there were so few things opened that I was wondering if there was going to be anything to volunteer for. However, there was one opened that I could do.. food prep for the Salvation Army. 

Now almost everyone knows about the Salvation Army because of their big end of the year rally where they have tons of people who ring the bell outside of stores during Christmas time. They do other things to raise awareness and money year round. However, I have never seen those efforts in action after everything is raised. That is until last month. They were on my list to help out but it was for the end of the year ringing the bell. I didn't think that I would be helping to feed the homeless. I volunteered to help with food preparations to feed about 30 of the homeless is downtown Knoxville. 

When I signed up there was only one spot that needed to be filled. When I got there the gentleman that was there thought no one had signed up! I was thinking that there was going to be more people there, that it was going to be for one meal. Nope, we prepped for lunch, dinner, and breakfast the next morning. I rinsed off fruit, made doughnut trays, and then I made 50 sandwiches and did this in about and hour and half time. I won't lie just showing up to help I felt really good. I have been on that end where I thought I was going to take on a big project by myself, and come to find that I had help was so wonderful! So, just showing up to help in any small way that I could was great. 

What was also good is that I got to take out my old hotel breakfast skills for a long over due test drive. Not gonna lie, I was not the best at working breakfast, I could never keep up with the pace of what needed to be cooked as people where coming down. However, not having to worry about the people being right in front of me waiting for food made everything run much smoother for me! 

So, since starting all of these challenges in 2014 I have incorporated them into my life after the year was up. I still watch the newest Best Picture winner, I go to as many movies as possible, I do things that scare me and step out of my comfort zone, and I have still been reading! I mean I have read two books so far this year already, and I am in the middle of another. I do volunteer for my church, but I think that if you are going to be a member of the church you should help out in the church where you can. I really want to add volunteering once of month or, every other month, next yer. I want to do it for one place so I can become familiar. I really think that this might be in the running for that for me. I really enjoyed it. I really didn't think I would. What I had planned to do in March got canceled and I just picked this because I needed something. I guess that it wasn't what I wanted but it was what I needed. 

If you would like to volunteer for the salvation army, or just find out more information click below and enter your zip code to find your local chapter!

https://www.salvationarmyusa.org/usn/

 

No Place Like Movies at Home: Take Me Out To The Ball Game

America's favorite pastime is the subject of our next major motion picture! It is another great film from 1949 Take Me Out To The Ball Game.

Sinatra, Kelly, and Mushin once again meet on the screen to celebrate the best sport in the world, Baseball! Kelly and Sinatra are not only on same professional baseball team, the Wolves, but they are also a due on the vaudeville circuit. The few months that they get off during baseball season they tour together as a singing duo. However, Kelly is a wild soul who longs to break the rules when it comes to the baseball club. There is a curve ball thrown into his plans as he comes back to the spring season. there is a new owner of the club. They also want to come down and travel with the team to see how they work. The curve ball? The new owner is a woman, the lovely Ester Williams. The movie also brings back the always funny Betty Garrett, who is yet again in love with Mir. Sinatra (I mean who isn't). 

This has to be one of my favorite movie scores. I only discovered that when watching it this time around. Every song was wonderful, and fun. Every song was perfectly placed, and I would love the have the record for this movie. This is one that I think I need to give more love in the future. I always remember One The Town and Anchor's Away but this one I seem to forget. 

It did also help with my baseball blues. No baseball during this time has been hard. I really can't wait till that starts again. I guess that watching movies will have to do.

No Place Like Movies at Home: One the Town

Now I am at the new official start of my movies... be prepared for a LOT of Frank Sinatra for a while. The first of my Frank Sinatra collections is a set of three movies that Mr. Sinatra did with Gene Kelly. These three movies are some of the most memorable and heartwarming musicals to ever be created. The first of the three is On the Town.

This 1949 movie is about three sailors who have only 24 hours in the great city of New York before they have to report back to work on the ship for who only knows how long. They are ready for all of the adventures that New York City has for them.... so they think. Chip, Sinatra, wants to take in all the sites his grandfather saw when he was young. The museums, the shows, the most popular places to go. He his his grandfather's tour book.... from 1904. Gabey, Kelly, wants to take in the sites as well. Instead of pretty buildings, he wants to take in pretty girls. Ozzie, Munshin, wants to do a little bit of everything! When they hit the subway Gabey sees the most beautiful girl, on a poster that is. The hunt begin to find this girl in the city that never sleeps.... and they find that 24 hours is not nearly has much time as they think. However, they find that you can find love just about around every corner in New York!

Out of the three movies in the collection this on in my favorite! I love the leading men, and with the leading ladies being Ann Miller, Betty Garrett and Vera-Ellen, it's a very hard movie to resist. I will say that this is also the movie that really had me fall in love with vintage clothing. I watched this movie, again, about 10 years ago and could not get Ann Miller's green dress out of my mind. Then I found it for sale on Tatyana's Vintage clothing website and bought it right then and there. I have had very few other vintage style dresses at this point but to have one come to life was something that was really cool!

This movie also show cases Jules Munshin much better as well. I believe this was the very next role he had after the cameo in Easter Parade. It shows that he is a great dancer, singer, and comedic actor. He keeps right up with Kelly and Sinatra through it all.

If there are people out there who say that they don't like musicals but want to try but have no idea where to begin, this is one of the best ones to start them out with. It's fun, funny, sweet, has some really great songs, and it' just a lighthearted affair. This will always be a movie that I come back to. This will always be a movie that I can enjoy.