Category Archives: Awards

Movie Music Magic – Danny Elfman đźŽĽ

Posted by donnamarie on
Danny Elfman

Danny Elfman

Music is essential to a film production. It sets the tone and mood and helps tell the movie’s story. A great musician “behind the camera” is Danny Elfman, who’s scored such film’s as “Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure”, “Batman”  and “The Nightmare Before Christmas”.

Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American composer, singer, songwriter, and record producer. From 1976 to 1995 he was the lead singer and songwriter for the rock band Oingo Boingo.

In 1976, Elfman entered the film industry as an actor. In 1982, he scored his first film, Forbidden Zone, directed by his older brother Richard Elfman. Among his honors are four Academy Award nominations, a Grammy for Batman, an Emmy for Desperate Housewives, the 2002 Richard Kirk Award, and the Disney Legend Award.

I first became aware of Danny Elfman from his band, Oingo Boingo. Their ska driven music was freeing and fun.  Ska-influenced the new wave band in 1979, and then changed again towards a more guitar-oriented rock sound, in the late 1980s. The band’s appearance in Back to School energized the soundtrack with “Dead Man’s Party”.

Oingo Boingo Deadman's Party

“Back to School” (1986)

Some of Elfman’s music influences were Bernard Hermann, Franz Waxman, and Philip Glass. In 1985, Tim Burton and Paul Reubens invited Elfman to write the score for their first feature film, “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”. Elfman was apprehensive at first, because of his lack of formal training, but with orchestration assistance from Oingo Boingo guitarist and arranger Steve Bartek, he achieved his goal of emulating the mood of such composers as Nino Rota and Bernard Herrmann.

Elfman immediately developed a rapport with Burton and has gone on to score all but three of Burton’s major studio releases. Elfman also provided the singing voice for Jack Skellington in Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas and the voices of both Barrel and the “Clown with the Tear-Away Face”. Years later he provided the voice for Bonejangles the skeleton in Corpse Bride.

Trivia: Elfman also composed the theme to “The Simpsons”.

Burton has said of his relationship with Elfman: “We don’t even have to talk about the music. We don’t even have to intellectualize – which is good for both of us, we’re both similar that way. We’re very lucky to connect”. (Wikipedia)

Danny Elfman’s score of “Batman” (directed by Tim Burton) won him a Grammy Award.

Elfman admits his favorite movie to score was “Edward Scissorhands” (Tim Burton director).

edward scissor hands

Tim Burton, Winona Ryder, Johnny Depp and Danny Elfman in 1990.

Danny Elfman has three children: Lola (born 1979), Mali (born 1984), and Oliver (born 2005). On November 29, 2003, he married actress Bridget Fonda.

In October 2013, Elfman returned to the stage to sing his vocal parts to a handful of Nightmare Before Christmas songs as part of a concert titled Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton. He composed the film score for Oz the Great and Powerful (2013), and composed additional music for Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) together with Brian Tyler.

 

Nora Ephron – “I’ll Have What She’s Having”

Posted by donnamarie on
Nora Ephron

May 19, 1941 – June 26, 2012

Our next artist for “The Faces Behind the Camera” theme is Nora Ephron – writer,  journalist, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, novelist, producer, and director. Probably best known for her romantic comedies – “When Harry Met Sally”, “Sleepless in Seattle” and drama “Silkwood”. She was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Writing: for Silkwood, When Harry Met Sally, and Sleepless in Seattle. She won a BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay for “When Harry Met Sally”. Ephron received a posthumous Tony Award nomination for Best Play for her play “Lucky Guy” which starred Tom Hanks.

 

I love “Sleepless in Seattle” because of Nora Ephron’s smart writing, directing and the entire ensemble cast. This is one of the best scenes, comparing the tear-jerker “An Affair to Remember” versus “The Dirty Dozen” – Hilarious! Don’t get me wrong, both “You’ve Got Mail” and “Silkwood” are brilliant films. Right now “Sleepless” just resonates with me.

Ephron hails from a writing family starting with her stage and screenwriter parents – Henry and Phoebe Ephron. Her parents used her infancy as the subject of their play “Three’s a Family” and based their comedy Take Her, She’s Mine (1963) starring Jimmy Stewart and Sandra Dee on letters their 22-year-old daughter wrote them from college. Their screenplays include There’s No Business Like Show Business (1954), Carousel (1956) and Desk Set (1957). Nora is also eldest of four daughters – all writers.

Miss Ephron had a distinctive voice and didn’t shy away from controversy. She took on a satire lampooning the New York Post which actually resulted in a job offer as Reporter from The Post, a gig which lasted 5 years.

 

Nora Ephron 1972

Nora Ephron 1972

 

As a writer for Esquire magazine she took on her former boss – Dorothy Schiff, owner of the Post and also Betty Friedan for starting a feud with Gloria Steinem and her alma mater Wellesley, which Friedan said had turned out “a generation of docile and unadventurous women”.

Fun Fact: Nora Ephron was married to journalist Carl Bernstein (1976-1980) of Watergate fame and she correctly guessed the identity of “Deep Throat” (the source for news articles written by her ex-husband Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward during the Watergate scandal) before his name was revealed in 2005.

On June 26, 2012, Ephron died from pneumonia, a complication resulting from acute myeloid leukemia, a condition with which she was diagnosed in 2006. In her final book, I Remember Nothing (2010), Ephron left clues that something was wrong with her or that she was ill, particularly in a list at the end of the book citing “things I won’t miss/things I’ll miss.”

 

nora ephron quote

 

The Tribeca film festival established The Nora Ephron Prize which is a $25,000 award for a female writer or filmmaker “with a distinctive voice”. The first Nora Ephron Prize was awarded in 2013 to Meera Menon for her film Farah Goes Bang.

Her death was a shock to many as she didn’t reveal her illness. Her brilliant writing and filmmaking talents are a definite loss to the industry.

 

Filmography

Feature films

Year Title Credited as
Director Screenwriter Producer
1983 Silkwood Yes
1986 Heartburn Yes
1989 When Harry Met Sally… Yes Yes
Cookie Yes Yes
1990 My Blue Heaven Yes Yes
1991 The Super (uncredited)[20] Yes
1992 This Is My Life Yes Yes
1993 Sleepless in Seattle Yes Yes
1994 Mixed Nuts Yes Yes
1996 Michael Yes Yes Yes
1998 All I Wanna Do Yes
You’ve Got Mail Yes Yes Yes
2000 Hanging Up Yes Yes
Lucky Numbers Yes Yes
2005 Bewitched Yes Yes Yes
2009 Julie & Julia Yes Yes Yes

 

 

The Faces Behind the Camera đź“˝

Posted by donnamarie on

TCM movie lovers

If you’re a movie junkie like me you probably not only know the stars of the film but the Director, The Cinematographer, the Editor, Writers and possibly the Key Grip. The faces behind the camera.

If you attend a movie with me, be prepared to stay through the end credits. I feel it’s imperative to acknowledge those artists who are responsible for the project. Staying for the credits also gives you a foundation to critique a film based on the direction, writing, and editing. Whether or not to see a movie based on a Director’s previous track record or the Cinematographer’s eye for the visuals.

image

This month is dedicated to educating and paying homage to the artists who help put it all together. Let’s begin with one of the top 2 of my favorite Directors, Billy Wilder.

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder

Billy Wilder (June 22, 1906 – March 27, 2002) was an Austrian-born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist and journalist, whose career spanned more than fifty years and sixty films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood’s golden age.

Billy Wilder with Oscars

With The Apartment, (starring Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine, and Fred MacMurray) Wilder became the first person to win Academy Awards as the producer, director, and screenwriter for the same film. “The Apartment” was nominated for ten Academy Awards and won five, including Best Picture.

The Apartment (1960)

I love Billy Wilder because of his versatility in films and his testing the boundaries of societal norms. The first movie that comes to mind with his pushing the boundaries is “Some Like it Hot” 1959 starring Marilyn Monroe, Jack Lemmon, and Tony Curtis.

The plot revolves around two musicians who dress in drag in order to escape from mafia gangsters whom they witnessed commit the Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. These are the final lines of the film delivered by (Daphne/Jerry) Lemmon and Joe E. Brown (Osgood) in regards to their pending marriage: Daphne/Jerry: But you don’t understand, Osgood! [Whips off his wig, exasperated, and changes to a manly voice] Uh, I’m a man! Osgood: [Looks at him then turns back, unperturbed] Well, nobody’s perfect!” Wow! for 1959 that was pretty radical.

Some_Like_It_Hot_poster

“Some Like It Hot” is considered to be one of the greatest film comedies of all time. It was voted as the top comedy film by the American Film Institute on their list on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs poll in 2000. The film is also notable for featuring cross-dressing and homosexuality, which led to it being produced without approval from the Motion Picture Production Code. The Code was the set of industry moral guidelines that was applied to most American motion pictures released by major studios from 1930 to 1968. The Production Code had been gradually weakening in its scope during the early 1950s due to increasing societal tolerance for previously taboo topics in film, but it was still officially enforced. The overwhelming success of “Some Like It Hot” was a final nail in the coffin for the Hays Code.

Wilder became a screenwriter in the late 1920s while living in Berlin. After the rise of the Nazi Party, Wilder, who was Jewish, left for Paris, where he made his directorial debut. He moved to Hollywood in 1933, and in 1939, he had a hit when he co-wrote the screenplay for the screwball comedy Ninotchka. Wilder established his directorial reputation with Double Indemnity (1944), a film noir he co-wrote with crime novelist Raymond Chandler. Wilder earned the Best Director and Best Screenplay Academy Awards for the adaptation of a Charles R. Jackson story The Lost Weekend (1945), about alcoholism. In 1950, Wilder co-wrote and directed the critically acclaimed Sunset Boulevard.

Wilder was recognized with the American Film Institute (AFI) Life Achievement Award in 1986. In 1988, Wilder was awarded the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award. In 1993, he was awarded the National Medal of Arts.

Billy Wilder’s films:

Year Film Involvement
1934 Mauvaise Graine (also known as Bad Seed) Director/Writer
1942 The Major and the Minor Director/Writer
1943 Five Graves to Cairo Director/Writer
1944 Double Indemnity Director/Writer
1945 The Lost Weekend Director/Writer
1945 Death Mills Director
1948 The Emperor Waltz Director/Writer
1948 A Foreign Affair Director/Writer
1950 Sunset Boulevard Director/Writer
1951 Ace in the Hole Director/Writer/Producer
1953 Stalag 17 Director/Writer/Producer
1954 Sabrina Director/Writer/Producer
1955 The Seven Year Itch Director/Writer/Producer
1957 The Spirit of St. Louis Director/Writer
1957 Love in the Afternoon Director/Writer/Producer
1957 Witness for the Prosecution Director/Writer
1959 Some Like It Hot Director/Writer/Producer
1960 The Apartment Director/Writer/Producer
1961 One, Two, Three Director/Writer/Producer
1963 Irma la Douce Director/Writer/Producer
1964 Kiss Me, Stupid Director/Writer/Producer
1966 The Fortune Cookie Director/Writer/Producer
1970 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Director/Writer/Producer
1972 Avanti! Director/Writer/Producer
1974 The Front Page Director/Writer
1978 Fedora Director/Writer/Producer
1981 Buddy Buddy Director/Writer

Wilder received a total of twenty-one Academy Award nominations; eight for Best Director, twelve for writing, and one as the producer of Best Picture. With eight nominations for Academy Award for Best Director, Wilder is, together with Martin Scorsese, the second most nominated director in the history of the Academy Awards, behind William Wyler, and the second most nominated screenwriter behind Woody Allen.

Wilder won a total of six Oscars: Best Director for The Lost Weekend and The Apartment, Best Screenplay for The Lost Weekend, Sunset Blvd, The Apartment, and Best Picture for The Apartment. In addition, he received the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award in 1988.

Billy Wilder"s grave

Wilder died in 2002 of pneumonia at the age of 95 after battling health problems, including cancer, in Los Angeles and was interred in the Westwood Village Memorial Park Cemetery in Westwood, Los Angeles near Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau. Marilyn Monroe’s crypt is located in the same cemetery. Wilder died the same day as two other comedy legends: Milton Berle and Dudley Moore. The next day, French newspaper Le Monde titled its first-page obituary, “Billy Wilder dies. Nobody’s perfect”, quoting the final gag line in “Some Like It Hot”.

 

 

 

Liebster Award Number 3!!

Posted by donnamarie on

Liebster-Award

I am so honored to be nominated again. I love the idea of this award because it welcomes new, awesome bloggers into the community. It feels good to be receiving but also giving back to the WordPress blogging community. I’d like to thank my wonderful nominator: Realwgeegiemidget for the opportunity to highlight other fellow bloggers! Make sure to check her out!

Now, some info on just what the Liebster Award is all about.

The Official Rules Of The Liebster Award 

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

1. thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog.

2. display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.)

3. answer 11 questions about yourself, which will be provided to you by the person who nominated you.

4. provide 11 random facts about yourself.

5. nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 1000 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

6. create a new list of questions for the blogger to answer.

7. list these rules in your post. Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

My nominees are:

Simpleheadgirl

Raulconde001

The Narrow Lens

My Food Mission

CURIO

Congratulations! Here is your award to cut and paste to your blog.

From – https://iheartfilmblog.com

Liebster-Award

Questions for me:

  1. How did you choose the name for your blog? The name is a result of my love of film.

  2. How did you decide on the subject of your blog? I’ve always loved film and studied in college. One day I thought I’d like to share my love with others. Hence my blog.

  3. If you could choose a film to be reviewed in this blog which one would you choose? The Princess Bride.

  4. Why? It’s a classic and I’d love to read your take on it.

  5.  Which of my film reviews would you pass onto a friend if you wanted them to see the film with you? Galaxy Quest.

  6. Why? Loved your review focusing on Alan Rickman. (He’s so great) Also, your review provides a great synopsis of the film and makes the case for watching.

  7. Which of my TV  reviews would you pass onto a friend if you wanted them to watch the programme with you? Dallas.

  8.  Why? I love your enthusiasm and insider facts. I too was a fan and never missed an episode. I feel the same way about the Dallas sequel and love your reference to George Lucas and the Star Wars pre-sequels which I detested.

  9. If you could move anywhere as an expat where would you move? Italy.

  10. Why? Just saw the new Michael Moore film “Where to Invade Next” and Italy looked mighty good to me. Plus I’ve always wanted to travel there and I’m currently making plans to visit in 2017.

  11. Final question… What 3 tips would you give for a first time blogger?  1. Write what you’re passionate about. 2.Think, what would I like to read in a blog post. What draws me in? 3. Read other blogs and comment. You might get ideas for your own but mostly it’s great to be part of the community and get feedback from fellow bloggers.

Random facts about me:

  1. I’ve performed in Community Theatre as Actress and Singer. “Little shop of Horrors” was my favorite.

  2. Political junkie.

  3. Love Minions.

  4. Would rather be hot than cold.

  5. Love watching HGTV.

  6. Love classic films from the 30’s and 40’s.

  7. Beach vacations are my absolute favorites.

  8. My other WordPress blog – Livinginthemoment2015 is about finding inspiration in my fight against both Colon and Breast cancer.

  9. I enjoy a good peanut and jelly sandwich.

  10. Bette Davis is my favorite classic actress.

  11. I am a wife and mother of two beautiful children.

Questions for my nominees:

  1. What’s been your favorite vacation?

  2. Coffee or Tea?

  3. What’s your favorite film from the 1980’s?

  4. What inspired your blog name?

  5. Favorite post from your blog?

  6. What prompted you to follow my blog?

  7. Favorite time of year?

  8. What inspires you to write?

  9. Where would be your dream vacation?

  10. What TV show would you prefer to promote your blog?

  11. What’s your favorite cartoon from childhood?

So now’s your turn nominees. Please comment on this post so I know you’ve accepted and I can keep a look out for your post.

Congratulations!

congratulations

 

 

 

What’s Love Got to Do with It?

Posted by donnamarie on

This film “What’s Love Got to Do With It?” is from a previous post but I think it exemplifies the strength and determination that is the perfect subject matter for Black History Month. Tina Turner’s tumultuous life is explored and documented with the impeccable interpretation by the dynamic Angela Bassett.

Angela Bassett
Laurence Fishburne and Angela Bassett
Tina Turner & Ike Turner
Lyrics

Angela Bassett’s performance of Tina Turner’s iconic “Proud Mary” in the biopic, “What’s Love Got to Do With It?”(1993) is a tour de force tribute to Tina Turner and musical numbers from films with dynamic female leads.

James Brown may have been the hardest working man in show business, but he wasn’t being physically abused every day by his spouse. Unlike Tina Turner, the hardest working woman in show business who simultaneously raised a family while delivering show stopping, gut wrenching vocals that, at that time, girls weren’t supposed to be able to deliver.

 

What's Love Got to Do with it poster

 

Quoting my favorite critic – the late Roger Ebert’s review from 1993 – “…ranks as one of the most harrowing, uncompromising showbiz biographies I’ve ever seen.”

Bassett kills it with her living, breathing and – Whoa, check out those guns – transformation paying homage to the Queen of Rock – Tina Turner!

This is Angela Bassett’s hard work paying off; seamlessly blending Tina’s vocals with a powerful performance of her hard rockin’ hit – “Proud Mary”.

Tina Turner’s (Anna Mae Bullock) life is a testament to her resilience. I’ve been fortunate enough to see her live and believe me she is truly a force of energy “leaving it all on the stage” with every performance.  “Proud Mary” (written in 1969 by singer/songwriter John Fogerty and recorded by his band Credence Clearwater Revival) is one of her most recognizable signature songs.

Tina’s interpretation is worlds away from the original southern rock version. With a completely different arrangement, it opens with Tina teasing that sometimes the audience might like to hear them do a song “nice and easy” but “we never, ever do nothing nice and easy” we always do it “nice and rough”. She further sets up the number by enticing the crowd with they’re going to do the first part “nice” but they’re going to do the finish “rough”.

The song reached #4 on the pop charts on March 27, 1971 and won the Grammy Award for Best R&B Vocal Performance by a Group in 1972.

 

Tina

Tina lived a life of poverty growing up in Nutbush, TN in the 1940’s, but found solace in the spirit and freeing experience of music and singing in the choir of her Southern Baptist church. She began her musical career in St. Louis in the 1950’s singing in Ike Turner’s Kings of Rhythm band.

Ike Turner (her husband) ended up trying to destroy not only her passion but her life. With hate in his heart and jealousy of her talent, he systematically physically and mentally abused her for years. However, through her strength of will and perseverance, she fought back, sued for divorce, and walked out the courtroom in 1978 (in spite of what Ike tried to prevent) with her dignity and above all – Her Name!

I love Tina Turner and smile because this routine has been performed more than once in the living rooms, basements, wherever by a generation of “rock girls” (myself included). Tearing it up, whipping our hair back and forth and just knowing we are too doggone hot!

This Grammy-winning performance of “Proud Mary”(1971) showcases the dynamic energy and incredible legs of the one, the only, the incomparable – Miss Tina Turner!

 

“Lady Sings the Blues” đźŽ¤đźŽ¬

Posted by donnamarie on

lady-sings-the-blues-(1972)

“Lady Sings the Blues” (1972) is the biopic of the troubled life and career of the legendary Jazz singer, Billie Holiday. Loosely based on her 1956 autobiography which, in turn, took its title from one of Holiday’s most popular songs. It was produced by Motown Productions for Paramount Pictures and directed by Sidney J. Furie.

When I first heard Diana Ross had been cast as Billie Holiday I thought, she can’t act and will never pull it off. I wasn’t a big Diana Ross fan but when I saw the movie I had to give her credit for her phenomenal, Oscar-nominated performance. She lost to Liza Minnelli in “Cabaret”, but I thought Ross deserved the award.

The opening sequence (which was shot in black and white in still pictures) made me sit up and go, whoa, she’s serious. Diana Ross, the glamorous diva wore no makeup and looked the part of a heroin addict. The movie overall was a triumph not only for Ross but the incredible cast including – Billy Dee Williams as Holiday’s boyfriend Louis McKay, and Richard Pryor as Piano Man.

ladysingsthebluesopeningscene

(In 1936, New York City, Billie Holiday (Diana Ross) is arrested on a drugs charge.)

The story takes us from Billie’s tumultuous youth when in 1928 she is raped in the Baltimore brothel where she works as a housekeeper. She runs away to her mother who proceeds to get her a job in another brothel in the Harlem section of New York where she becomes a prostitute. Seeing that her life is going nowhere, she quits and heads to a local nightclub to become a showgirl. Billie has always had a love of music and has a remarkable voice. After “Piano Man” (Richard Pryor) accompanies Billie on the song”All of Me“, Jerry, the club owner, books her as a singer in the show.

Billie Holiday

billie-holiday

Eleanora Fagan (April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959), professionally known as Billie Holiday lived a life that was an American tragedy full of turmoil, racism, and drug abuse. Despite all this we are left with her incredible song catalog and heartfelt performances.

Holiday had a tremendous influence on jazz music and pop singing. Her vocal style, strongly inspired by jazz instrumentalists, pioneered a new way of manipulating phrasing and tempo. “God Bless the Child” became Holiday’s most popular and covered record. It reached number 25 on the charts in 1941 and was third in Billboard’s songs of the year, selling over a million records. In 1976, the song was added to the Grammy Hall of Fame.

Billie Holiday died of cirrhosis of the liver in 1959 when she was 44. The biggest triumph of her career was her sold-out, standing ovation performance at Carnegie Hall.

Awards and Honors

“Lady Sings the Blues” was nominated for five Academy Awards. The nominations were for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Diana Ross), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration (Carl Anderson and Reg Allen), Best Costume Design (Norma Koch), Best Music, Original Song Score and Adaptation (Gil Askey & Michel Legrand) and Best Writing, Story and Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced.The film was also screened at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival but was not entered into the main competition.

Soundtrack

Motown released a hugely successful soundtrack double-album of Ross’ recordings of Billie Holiday songs from the film, also titled Lady Sings the Blues. The album went to number one on the Billboard Hot 200 Album Charts, for the week-ending dates of April 7 and 14, 1973.

Piano Man and Billie
Billie’s southern band tour
Billie with Louis McKay
Diana Ross and the real Billie Holiday

 

 

“Ain’t Misbehavin” – Fats Waller đźŽąđźŽĽ

Posted by donnamarie on

aintmisbehavinposter

Thomas Wright “Fats” Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943)

“Ain’t Misbehavin” is a musical tribute to the incomparable, Fats Waller. It originated at Broadway’s Longacre Theatre on May 9, 1978. The original cast included: Nell Carter, AndrĂ© DeShields, Armelia McQueen, Ken Page, and Charlayne Woodard. It ran for 1604 performances and closed on February 21, 1982. The book was by –  Murray Horwitz and Richard Maltby, Jr., and music by various composers and lyricists as arranged and orchestrated by Luther Henderson. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical.

On June 12, 1982, NBC broadcast the revue with the original Broadway cast and that’s what this post is about and how I experienced the production, which blew me away! Fats Waller songs are classic and give a jumpin’ snapshot of the 1920’s and 1930’s with the cast so brilliantly bringing his songs to life. His signature song was “Ain’t Misbehavin” which is the opening number for the 1982 production.

Waller was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer, whose innovations to the Harlem stride style laid the groundwork for modern jazz piano, and whose best-known compositions, “Ain’t Misbehavin‘” and “Honeysuckle Rose”, were inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1984 and 1999.

aintmisbehavinFats_Waller_edit

“Ain’t Misbehavin” was a feature number in the acclaimed 1943 film “Stormy Weather”.

Some of my favorite songs from the NBC production are: “Ain’t Misbehavin”, “The Joint is Jumpin”, and the hilarious”Your Feet’s too Big”.

There were plenty of awards for the 1978 production of “Ain’t Misbehavin” including:

Drama Desk Award

Award – Outstanding Musical

Won – Outstanding Actor in a Musical–Ken Page. Won –AndrĂ© DeShields

Won –Outstanding Actress in a Musical –Nell Carter.

Theatre World Award

Won – Nell Carter. Won –Armelia McQueen

Tony Award

Won-Best Musical

Won-Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical –Nell Carter.

Won –Best Direction of a Musical –Richard Maltby, Jr.

aintmisbehavinfats_waller-aint_misbehavin_-_the_new_f.w._musical_show

 

 

 

 

 

2nd Liebster Award Nomination!

Posted by donnamarie on

Liebster Award

I was nominated by https://sindenlee3.wordpress.com/.  Thanks so much for the nomination! I am truly honored. This blog is lots of fun and great for movie junkies like me. Be sure to check him out.

Liebster Award

Here are the Rules:

  • Acknowledge the blog that nominated you and display the award!

  • Answer the 11 questions that the blog gives you.

  • Give 11 random facts about yourself.

  • Nominate 5-11 blogs that you think are deserving of the award that has less than 200 followers.

  • Let the bloggers know you nominated them.

  • Give them 11 questions to answer!

Don’t forget to let me know when you’re done answering your questions! I’d love to see your answers!

ALSO, IF YOU DON’T WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS NOMINATION, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND! 

11 Random Facts about Myself:

  1. I am currently in Chemotherapy treatment fighting both Colon and Breast Cancer.

  2. I’ve performed in community theater and had the lead role in Neil Simon’s play – “Proposals”.

  3. I have 2 favorite directors – Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder.

  4. Wow! I will have been married for 38 years on September 23, 2016.

  5. I love classic Universal Horror movies.

  6. My favorite book is “The Four Agreements” by Don Miguel Ruiz.

  7. I’m a member of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated Sorority.

  8. I’m a The University of Michigan Wolverine!

  9. My car was struck by lightning.

  10. I’m a music lover and fan of – Adele, The Beatles, and The Parliament/Funkadelic and many more.

  11. I love, love, love the Minions!

Blogs I nominated:

https://americaoncoffee.wordpress.com/

http://giggin.me/

http://www.juliannaricci.com/

https://anchorlessapparition.wordpress.com/

https://chloelcg.wordpress.com/

My Questions and Answers:

  1. What morals do you stand by? Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

  2. What/ who is most important to you? My family.

  3. What is wrong with this world? Prejudice.

  4. Who do you look up to? My sisters.

  5. If you had a time machine where would you go? Back to my childhood.

  6. What part of your body are you pleased with? All the parts.

  7. Which actor/actress do you like most? I love Bette Davis.

  8. When were you last wrong? Earlier today.

  9. Why did you follow my blog? You’re a movie junkie like me.

  10. Where would you live in this world other than the country you live now and why? The British Virgin Islands. Why? Love the beaches.

  11. What makes you feel free? Nature.

Questions for you: 

  1. What’s your daily mission?

  2. Dogs or Cats?

  3. Favorite vacation?

  4. Favorite music genre?

  5. Favorite actor/actress?

  6. What makes you smile?

  7. Favorite movie?

  8. Stay in or go out on a Friday night?

  9. Favorite adult beverage?

  10. What would you like to accomplish?

  11. Favorite time of day?

 

 

 

Selma

Posted by donnamarie on

 

Perserverance

January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968

Selma is a 2014 American historical drama film directed by Ava DuVernay and written by Paul Webb. It is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery voting rights marches led by James Bevel, Hosea Williams, Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Lewis. The film stars actors David Oyelowo as King, Tom Wilkinson as President Lyndon B. Johnson, Tim Roth as George Wallace, Carmen Ejogoas Coretta Scott King, and rapper and actor Common as Bevel.

Selma

At first, I was skeptical on how this history would be portrayed. I didn’t want a melodrama about Bloody Sunday and those on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement. But, Director, Ava DuVernay did an incredible job and for me, the film should be included as part of the historical record.

Selma was a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. In your living room. In your face. The first march took place on March 7, 1965, organized locally by SCLC Director of Direct Action James Bevel, who was directing SCLC’s Selma Voting Rights Movement. State troopers and county posse men attacked the unarmed marchers with billy clubs and tear gas after they passed over the county line, and the event became known as Bloody Sunday. Law enforcement beat activist Amelia Boynton unconscious, and the media publicized worldwide a picture of her lying wounded on the bridge.

Selma had four Golden Globe Award nominations, including Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Actor, and won for Best Original Song. It was also nominated for Best Picture and won Best Original Song at the 87th Academy Awards.

Whether you know the history or just learning, I consider the film Selma essential viewing for a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement.  A Movement which we must always remember and never forget as …

The Struggle Continues.

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Happy New Year! đźŽŠ

Posted by donnamarie on

Thinking about what film to feature for this post I posed the question, what movie could entertain and at the same time set a positive attitude for the new year?

positivestronger2

Looking through my film collection, I came across “Legally Blonde” (2001) and thought, yeah, this totally fits the bill. A fabulously positive tale about sorority queen Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) and her awesome dog “Bruiser”, who discovers her inner feminist and realizes she’s smarter, has her own power and possesses more heart than her stupid ex-boyfriend – Warner Huntington III (Matthew Davis).

Legally Blonde

I admit when I first heard of the film I figured it was light weight and would be so-so, but boy was I wrong. The message of “Legally Blonde” (Be True to Yourself) will always be relevant and the film can be an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to young girls and women the strength and determination of a focused woman!

Graduated Harvard Law with Honors

When Elle is dumped by Warner, (her stupid ex-boyfriend) she decides to apply to Harvard Law (where he’s attending) and win him back. This isn’t just some pipe dream. Although she graduated with a Fashion Merchandising degree from UCLA, she studies around the clock for her new goal, taking the Law School Admission Test which she scores 179 on, one point below the highest possible score.

legallyblondeharvard2

A perfect example of what I love about Elle’s style is that her law school application is chock full of personality. She creates a video essay demonstrating her unique qualifications (including, she was in a Ricky Martin video) and her resume is pink and sweetly scented. Proving you don’t have to change the essence of who you are to accomplish your goals.

Even though her initial motivation to attend Harward was wack, that path eventually led her to chart a new destiny for herself. Affecting how people perceived her (dumb blonde) into smart, original, diehard friend who doesn’t give up and encourages others to do the same. Like with her manicurist friend Paulette. Elle helps Paulette gain custody of her dog back from her ex-husband, and she also helps her seduce the delivery man on whom she has a crush.

Got into Harvard!
Elle and Bruiser
“If you’re going to let one stupid prick ruin your life, you’re not the girl I thought you were.”
First law class
Elle and friend Paulette
Words to live by

Hadn’t watched “Legally Blonde” in quite some time so I’m so glad I posed the question to myself – what’s a good positive new year movie? This film definitely qualifies and I love Elle, Bruiser and the enduring message of empowerment and friendship!

 

Gotta Love Her!