Hello! A couple of exciting things have happened to me since my last post. On Monday I learned that Vivian Vance and William Frawley (I Love Lucy's Ethel and Fred Mertz) are among this year's inductees into the Television Hall of Fame! Lucille Ball was one of the innaugural inductees in 1984, and I believe Desi Arnaz was inducted posthumously, along with I Love Lucy, in 1992. So, HOORAY for Viv and Bill! It's about time! Read about Viv and Bill's "illustrious" company and the full story here. I hope someone special like Keith Thibodeaux (Little Ricky) or Lucie Arnaz (daughter of Lucy and Desi) can accept the awards on Viv and Bill's behalf. Or if the Academy wanted to get creative they could get one of Bill's My Three Sons co-stars and Ralph Hart, Vivian's son on The Lucy Show, to accept.
Speaking of Lucie Arnaz, she is the subject of my second exciting event. Earlier this month, Lucie Arnaz auctioned authentic Lucy-Desi memorbelia from her personal collection and I was lucky enough - FLOORED is more like it! - to be able to win a postcard that Lucille Ball wrote to her mother from London in the 1960s.
That postcard is obviously now one of my most prized possessions, and as soon as I received it I Lucie a note to tell her how grateful and excited I was to have won this postcard and to thank her for her generosity. It was a heartfelt letter of appreciation, if I do say so myself! You can imagine, then, how pleasantly shocked, touched, and THRILLED I was when I came home from work yesterday and discovered that there was a note from Lucie Arnaz waiting for me in the mail! On Lucie's personal stationary, and in her own handwriting:
My day, my week, has been made!
The real purpose of this post, however, is to honor Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's 71st wedding anniversary on November 30, 1940. Lucy and Desi's deep, passionate, heartbreaking, and, ultimately, enduring love affair has been the subject of literally dozens of books (I should know - I own 45 of them!), and I don't think I can say much else about this fascinating and extraordinary couple that hasn't already been said. I love them, and I love the wonderful gift they left for their millions, billions of fans. I think the best way for me to honor them is to share some of my favorite Lucy-Desi pictures (these come from the massive file of Lucy pictures I've amassed over the years). Enjoy!
Newlyweds!
A little PDA never hurt anybody.
Face-to-face.
Flaunt what you've got, baby!
Sweet nothings?
Clean-up crew!
I love a couple that likes to party!
Now this looks like fun!
I don't dig scruffy mans, but Desi can pull it off. For the record, I prefer him clean-shaven!
I love that this is in color!
I wish I could stay here all day and post pictures, but unfortunately I have my grad class in an hour and I've made myself late! Ciao, darlings, and Happy Anniversary to Lucy and Desi!
I have to begin this post by saying that I am totally addicted to blogging! I guess I've been surpressing my urge to write like this for so long that the words seem to be pouring out of me. (Yes, that's corny, I know). I do plenty of writing for my graduate program, but it's non-creative writing littered with education jargon (I'm working on my master's and dual certification in special education). I haven't had the chance to write like this since I was an undergraduate, and I've missed it! Thank you, too, to the three kind souls who are now following me, especially my beloved Samantha, who has been my friend since we were fourteen years old and writing in our LiveJournals, which everyone and their Aunt Alice had. Thank you, also, to Natalie and Rianna for following me. I'm looking forward to reading all you have to say! :)
In my first post, I mentioned that Nora Charles tops my list of "Movie Characters I'd Like to Be." I thought I'd expand on that list and generalize it a teensy bit to "Characters I'd Like to Be." Most of these characters will be from classic films, but I am including some TV characters and non-classic film characters so I can relive some of my childhood fantasies and honestly, when picking a breakfast food can be as stressful as choosing a husband, what fun are limits? After the first couple characters, the list has no particular order. Also, in regards to the pictures, please read the disclaimer at the bottom of the page. Any Youtube video I post is purely for entertainment purposes and does not belong to me! Anyway, on to the list!
1. Nora Charles, portrayed by Myrna Loy in The Thin Man series
With a face scrunch as cute as this, Nora Charles tops my list of characters I wish I could be. With wit, grace, charm, a stellar wardrobe, and money to boot, Nora Charles is not only the perfect wife, she's the perfect partner for detective hubby Nick. She not only helps him on the job, but she can match him drink for drink. A welcome relief to the wearied Depression audience in the 1930s, in one word, Nora's just FUN!
Favorite Nora line:
Nick: How'd you like Grant's Tomb?
Nora: It's lovely. I'm having a copy made for you.
For a glimpse into the clever and glamourous world of Nora Charles, check out this Youtube compilation of witty Thin Man lines:
2. Lucy Ricardo, portrayed by Lucille Ball on I Love Lucy
"For Rapid Robert, Because he loves beauty, Lucy" (given to Bob Hope on the set of The Facts of Life)
I can't say I'd want to get starched in a starch vat, experience the sensation of six dozen crushed eggs oozing down my chest and legs, or be forced to eat pounds of chocolate to keep up with a lightening speed conveyor belt, but if I ever did find myself in any of those situations, I can only hope I'd be able to do so as gracefully and humorously as Lucy Ricardo. Her inclusion on this list is inevitable since I love Lucille Ball more than life itself and I Love Lucy is and always will be my favorite TV show, but I admire Lucy Ricardo for her zany cleverness, her chutzpah, and the fact that she has brightened my day on so, so many occasions.
I can't possibly pick a favorite Lucy Ricardo line, so I'm just going to share one of my favorite Lucy Ricardo moments - the ultimate Lucy Ricardo moment, really:
3. Margo Channing, portrayed by Bette Davisin All About Eve
I hope I'm never "Eve'd" as heinously as Margo Channing was, but who wouldn't want the brass cajones of this grande dame? Everytime she enters the room she cuts through the atomosphere like a knife, but I love that beneath her brassy and brash exterior she's really a loving and generous lady.
Favorite Margo line:
Margo: I'll admit I may have seen better days, but I'm still not to be had for the price of a cocktail, like a salted peanut.
Margo's acerbic wit at its finest:
4. Ariel, voiced by Jodi Benson in The Little Mermaid
Yes, yes, yes, you've read this correctly! The Little Mermaid remains my all-time favorite Disney movie and when I was a little three year old girl who insisted on wearing a pink polka dot dress everyday and I sang more often than I spoke, I absolutely idolized Ariel. In fact, I really took it a step further because I thought I WAS Ariel. I grew my hair long to look like Ariel, I sang all the time, and I even quit sucking my thumb cold turkey because Ariel didn't suck her thumb. Who needs parenting when you have Disney movies?
Favorite Ariel line:
Ariel: Flounder, don't be such a guppy!
Okay, okay, okay, so it isn't Ariel singing, but it's the best song in the movie:
5. Fraulein Maria, the lady who will never be a nun/Maria von Trapp, portrayed by Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music
Remember how I said that when I was little I thought I was Ariel from The Little Mermaid? Well, I currently live my life believing that I am Fraulein Maria, beloved musical governess. The Sound of Music is one of my all-time favorite movies and I can quote it and sing it backward and forward, inside out. Does anyone know when and where there will ever be a Sound of Music sing-along? I have been dying to go to one ever since it was the plot of a Will & Grace episode six years ago. Anyway, I really can't think of anything clever to say but honestly, I ask you, why WOULDN'T you want to be a singing nun who lives in a beautiful Austrian village and marries a rich Navy officer? Hellooooo? Nix the damn Nazis, obviously.
Favorite Maria line:
Maria: Oh, well, God bless What's-his-name!
Favorite song. I was looking for the reprise scene at the end (which makes me cry if I'm feeling particularly sentimental), but I love this scene, too:
6. Lisa Fremont, portrayed by Grace Kelly in Rear Window
I really wish I could be Grace Kelly, PERIOD, but I chose Grace Kelly as Lisa Fremont. I almost chose Grace Kelly as Frances Stevens in To Catch a Thief because her wardrobe is equally stunning and HELLO, Cary Grant, but Rear Window is a better movie and I find the character of Lisa to be a little more likeable. I love the juxtaposition of Lisa Fremont's ultra-sophistication with her down-to-earth utter devotion to Jeff (Jimmy Stewart). And, as I said, her clothes are to die for.
Favorite Lisa line:
Lisa: Well, if there's one thing I know, it's how to wear the proper clothes.
I couldn't find much in the way of actual scenes from this fabulous film, but here's the trailer:
I know there's more I could add to this list (Sugarpuss O'Shea, anyone? Alice Sycamore?), but I'll leave it at this for now. I think my next list will be "Characters I'd Like to Date and/or Marry." Hubba hubba! I know it's tough getting back to the daily grind tomorrow (ugh), but have a happy Monday! At least it's the Christmas season! :)
Before anyone who might be reading this looks at the title and says "asdjkf%#! How can you call classic film a ferocious beast?!", let me explain myself. Did your elementary school teacher ever read Maggie and the Ferocious Beast to you? And then of course there was the obligatory TV series on Nick, Jr. And I think a movie was thrown in there somewhere, too. Perhaps I have a special affinity for it since the heroine shares my name, just like I felt particularly akin to Muggie Maggie in the third grade.
Anyway, Maggie is a little girl who befriends a ferocious beast who's really not ferocious at all and they go on lots of fun adventures together with a talking pig. Maybe I just always felt so happy when there was a character named Maggie (do you know what it's like to be a child and LOVE your name but never to be able to find it among those tacky name magnets and keychains?), but I feel Maggie's adventures with the Ferocious Beast parallel my relationship with classic film. How is that, you ask? And how dare I ever expect you to be able to make that inference based on that loose, rambling attempt at a metaphor?
I lovingly label classic film my ferocious beast because it's been a part of my life for so long that it's difficult to remember a time when I DIDN'T love old movies. Furthermore, I liken them to the ferocious beast because although there is a large yet relatively hidden contingent of people about my age who love classic film just as much as I do, we seem to be outnumbered by our peers with a black-and-white film phobia. Now, this isn't always their fault. Not all of them are fortunate enough to have had mothers who planted and nurtured an appreciation of old movies from a young age. So there are many people who don't know the joy of watching an old, black-and-white (or glorious Technicolor) movie - and yes, it is a JOY - because they simply have never had that experience. However, it literally makes me cringe like Gloria Swanson in Sunset Blvd. when I hear someone say, "Oh, I don't want to watch that. It's in black and white! and has clearly been transported here by a league of bubonic rats!" Well, scratch the last part of that trite complaint. But still. To those people I say, after Norma Desmond exits my system and I regain my composure, "Pretty pleeeeeease give it a try?" Because although I can have my Margo Channing moments in the classroom in almost all other instances I am about as assertive as Mr. Peepers. Anyway, my long-winded point to all of this is that old movies, in the unknown, may seem like an outdated, scary, ferocious beast, but when you take the time to get to know them, they are cuddly, comforting, and terrific company. After all, it was Mrs. Miniver who aided my recovery after the traumatizing experience of getting all of my wisdom teeth pulled at once when I was a senior in high school.
So thank you, Greer Garson, and all of the other actresses, actors, and directors of Hollywood's Golden Age, who have provided me with comfort and amusement for the past however many years. The classic film, by the way, that first made me a true fan of Old Hollywood was Alfred Hitchcock's Rebecca. What's not to love about that?
Hello! and welcome to Nora Charles' Corner, my oh-so-remote corner of the internet bloggosphere. This blog is named after one of my very favorite movie heroines, who, for thirteen years, was played to perfection by Myrna Loy, one of my favorite actresses. In fact, I love Myrna Loy, Nora Charles, and the Thin Man series so much that the three of them were the topic of my Honors Thesis my senior year of college. However, I hope to approach this blog with a lot less hair pullage, anxiety, and carbohydrate consumption.
Why did I decide to start blogging? I love to write and, if you will excuse me for a moment and allow me to sound like an arrogant cornball, have been told by many people that I have quite a talent for it. Some of these same people have suggested to me for ages that a blog would be right up my alley. Actually, I've been wanting to start a blog for over a year and I actually made one but didn't like the URL (fickle much?). But last night, as I was lying in bed in a Thanksgiving-induced food coma, I was watching Another Thin Man to take my mind off the painful burp bubble that seemed to be in constant growth between my stomach and my diaphragm. As I lay burping and enjoying the movie for the millionth time, I found myself paying particular attention to how supremely perfectly Myrna Loy tackled the role of Nora Charles. She simply is. Her sublime wit, grace, and charm are enviable. On my list of "Movie Characters I Wish I Could Be," Nora Charles is at the tippity top (in addition to her wit, grace, and charm, who wouldn't like to be able to drink that many martinis and almost never get a hangover?). And then I thought to myself, "Wouldn't something incorporating Nora Charles be the perfect name for the blog I've been meaning to start since last Thanksgiving?" I know "Nora Charles' Corner" is hardly an inspired title, but I think the alliteration would make my third grade teacher proud. The URL, by the way, comes from one of my favorite lines from an opening scene of The Thin Man, when Nick Charles (played seemingly effortlessly by the magnificent William Powell) is giving the hotel bartender a lesson in cocktail mixing:
Nick: The important thing is the rhythm. Always have rhythm in your shaking. Now a Manhattan you shake to fox-trot time, a Bronx to two-step time, a dry martini you always shake to waltz time.
So now that this blog is finally off the ground and running, what can you expect from this twenty-three year old substitute teacher and graduate student with a penchant for writing and a love of old movies? I can't claim that this blog will be exclusively about classic film and Old Hollywood, but since that is my biggest passion, and one of my favorite things to write about, I'm sure there'll be plenty of posts with movie reviews, (what I deem) interesting and fun anectodes, and odes to my favorite actors, actresses, and directors. By the way, even though this blog was inspired by The Thin Man and is named after Nora Charles, Lucille Ball is - and has been for the past ten years - my all-time FAVORITE actress/personality and I love to write about her. So be warned that from time to time my ramblings about Lucy may seem slightly out of proportion to my ramblings about the other actresses I love. Also, since I am a social studies teacher, general history buff, and most decidedly a reincarnated flapper, I'm sure there will also be posts relating to quirky, fun, and relevant history topics. Finally, as my family and friends will tell you, I have an extremely eclectic range of interests, so I'm sure there will also be totally random posts about whatever happens to spark my interest for the day! And I love pictures and Youtube so hopefully this will be one of the few "dry" posts sans either of those (in the words of Disney's Gaston, "How can you read this?! There's no pictures!").
I will add descriptive pages to this blog and try to pretty it up later today or this weekend. But for now, welcome aboard, thank you for sailing with us, and I hope you enjoy the ride!
