Seems Facebook has started an – “on this day 1 year ago memory” feature on my timeline. I look at this as either an opportunity to relive warm memories or regret an overshare posting that will follow me for eternity. Fortunately, my 1 year ago memory is one of my warmest; my observations of the movie that most influenced my life. So, in keeping with the spirit of retrospection, here’s “Fame” – Movie That Changed My Life, originally posted June 6, 2014.
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I was reading an article about music that influenced the author’s life. Since my thing is film, I started thinking about movies that affected my life. My very first thought was right on. “Fame” – Released May 16, 1980. Directed by Alan Parker. Screenplay by Christopher Gore. (Lyric:…baby remember my name.”)
The film chronicles the lives of aspiring students attending a New York High School for the Performing Arts. We follow their journey from auditioning to acceptance, through graduation. It won 2 Oscars – Best Music, Original Song -“Fame” and Best Music, Original Score.
Coming out of the theater that night my life had changed with the realization that I must pursue my lifetime love of music and performing. Honor my spirit!
From birth, I was an artist. Growing up in Motown there was music a plenty. Listening to Smoky Robinson, The Temptations, The Supremes, you get the idea, I could visualize the movie behind the song lyrics. I can’t prove it, but I believe I came up with the idea for the music video. Thanks for the credit MTV:)
I also loved to sing and knew the words to any and every song. Old or new, it didn’t matter. Yes, I was the girl with the hairbrush microphone pouring my heart out to Lulu’s “To Sir With Love.” My friends and I even got together forming our own girls group. Look out Diana Ross, there’s a new diva in town.
Throughout my school years, I found my way into choirs and in college I took an acting class or two. However, as an adult I never actually took the leap to being an actress and vocalist. Never declared, “I’m a performer.” Until I heard “I Sing The Body Electric.”
I sing the body electric.
I celebrate the me yet to come.
I toast to my own reunion.
When I become one with the sun.
Having left Motown in 1985 for Chi-town, my moment had arrived. Chicago is an incredible city and the theater scene is amazing! The local park district had a theater group so I dared myself to audition for the musical Pal Joey. I did, got cast, and, as they say, the rest is history. From that moment on I was either in a play, auditioning for a play or in rehearsals for a play.
I’ve performed in pretty much every musical you can think of: Bye, Bye Birdie, West Side Story, Little Shop of Horrors, Cabaret. (You get the idea) I found my theater family and my voice. I realized that performing was the missing piece of my soul, my essence. And it all started on that spring evening in May 1980 with Fame. “I’m gonna live forever. Baby remember my name!”
The Early Visionaries of American Film: A Series – Part 1
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…Women were the driving force behind Hollywood and the movies. This is the first part in a series paying homage to the women who broke the glass ceiling and wrote and directed the films that gave birth to the “Golden Age” of cinema and the motion picture industry. Unfortunately, when the men realized the gold mine films were becoming, the women faded away thanks to the Hollywood studio system. Well, as the saying goes, “that’s the way they do you.”
Frances Marion 1918
Frances Marion was a trailblazer. becoming one of the most powerful screenwriters of the 20th century. With a career that spanned decades, she became the first female to win an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay in 1930 for the prison life film The Big House, starring Robert Montgomery, Wallace Beery and Chester Morris. Her research included visiting San Quentin for the atmosphere and lingo of the inmates. The movie gave audiences their first experience of hearing prison doors slam shut, tin cups clanking on mess-hall tables and prisoners’ feet shuffling down corridors.
Frances also received the Academy Award for Best Story for The Champ in 1932. The tearjerker chronicled the relationship between a washed out boxer (Wallace Beery) and his young son (Jackie Cooper). Marion was credited with writing 300 scripts and producing over 130 films.
Born Marion Benson Owens (November 18, 1888) in San Francisco, California, she worked as a journalist and served overseas as a combat correspondent during World War I. On her return home in 1910, she moved to Los Angeles and was hired as a writing assistant, an actress by “Lois Weber Productions”, a film company owned and operated by pioneer female film director Lois Weber. (more on Lois Weber in Part 2 of the series)
Lois Weber – Film Director
Frances was quite beautiful and could have been an actress but preferred to work behind the camera. She learned screenwriting from Lois Weber and went on to become the highest paid screenwriter, woman or man. Hollywood moguls competed for her stories and stars of the day Mary Pickford, Lilian Gish, Greta Garbo and Rudolph Valentino brought her characters to life on the screen. From 1919 – 1939 her star was ascendant, born at the right place and the right time, honing her craft during one of the most liberating eras for women in film.
Mary Pickford
Lillian Gish
Greta Garbo
Rudolph Valentino
When Marion met Mary Pickford (actress, producer, screenwriter) they became best friends with Marion writing screen adaptations of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and The Poor Little Rich Girl for Pickford. As a result of the commercial success of “The Poor Little Rich Girl” in 1917 Marion was signed as Pickford’s “exclusive writer” at the salary of $50,000 a year, an unprecedented arrangement for that time.
Pickford was the celebrated “America’s Sweetheart” and in 1919 together with her swashbuckler actor husband Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., director D.W. Griffith (Birth of a Nation) and “The Tramp” Charlie Chaplin established “United Artists” pictures. These four were the leading figures in early Hollywood and this was their stand for independence against the powerful studio system. Mary was also one of the original 36 founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Mary Pickford, D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks
United Artists Logo 1919
Contract Signing 1919
In 1921, Frances Marion directed a film for the first time with Just Around the Corner. That same year, she directed her friend Mary Pickford in one of her own scripts entitled The Love Light. Their relationship was more than just writer and star, they were collaborators and the friendship between Pickford and Marion lasted more than 50 years.
Married four times, Frances Marion had two children with third husband, actor Fred Thomson. This was her longest marriage, lasting from 1919 until Thomson’s sudden and tragic death from a Tetanus infection in 1928. Frances’ great friend Mary Pickford had introduced them. Frances said it was love at first sight.
Fred Thomson and Frances Marion
For many years she was under contract to MGM Studios, but, independently wealthy, she left Hollywood in 1946 to devote more time to writing stage plays and novels. Frances Marion published a memoir Off With Their Heads: A Serio-Comic Tale of Hollywood in 1972.
Frances died on May 12, 1973 leaving a legacy of innovation, independence and inspiration for future aspiring female writers. The documentary, Frances Marion: Without Lying Down,” is an insightful profile of her life and achievements in Hollywood.
Mary Pickford and Frances Marion
Narrated by “Pulp Fiction” actress Uma Thurman and Oscar-winner Kathy Bates, who gives voice to the screenwriter’s own words taken from her letters, diaries. and memoirs. The documentary also features footage from more than twenty of Marion’s movies, with commentary by silent film historian Kevin Brownlow, and film critic Leonard Maltin.
I was fortunate enough to catch it on Turner Classic Movies recently and great news, it will be replayed on June 10th at 6:00 am (est). It’s also available for purchase at Amazon.com. I highly recommend checking it out!
“I’ve spent my life searching for a man to look up to without lying down.” Frances Marion
It’ll take more than 60 years before women are once again present in meaningful numbers at every level of film production.
I just celebrated a milestone birthday this past Thursday, May 21st but, while I was basking in my special day the news came out that renowned funk bassist and one of the grandfathers of slap bass playing Louis Johnson of The Brothers Johnson had passed that very day. We shared a common birth year and his death served as a stark reminder that tomorrow is not promised. An incredible talent gone way too soon.
Louis Johnson
(April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015)
When we think about birthdays it’s usually about the celebration of the years lived and those memories, moments and for me, in particular, special films and music. In the 70’s and 80’s Louis and his brother George played the soundtrack of my life. Songs like: “Get the Funk Out Ma Face”, and “Ain’t We Funkin Now” were always at the top of my playlist.
Louis’ innovative bass slapping technique
Louis and his George got their start playing for Quincy Jones who later went on to produce the brothers debut LP Look Out for #1 in 1976. Over the next five years, the Brothers Johnson racked up three Number One hits on the R&B charts: 1976’s “I’ll Be Good to You,” their 1977 cover of singer-songwriter and soul musician Shuggie Otis’ “Strawberry Letter 23,”(featured in Quentin Tarantino’s film Jackie Brown) and 1980’s smash “Stomp!”
Louis garnered the nickname “Thunder Thumbs” as a nod to his innovative bass slapping technique. His signature sound was from the Music Man StingRay bass which Leo Fender especially made for him to first use and promote, and form his slapping technique.
Louis Johnson brought the “funk” to Michael Jackson’s hits “Billie Jean” and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough”. He also appeared on “Off the Wall”,”Thriller and artists Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Aretha Franklin tracks. The Brothers Johnson’s 1980 album Light Up the Night, featuring “This Had to Be” was co-written by Michael, featuring him on background vocals. The album rose to the top of the R&B charts.
Although the news of his passing saddens me, I’m grateful for the time we shared through his incredible musical performances. I honor his legacy and say – Thank you, Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson for bringing the funk! You will be missed.
The 2015 Billboard Music Awards reminded me it’s been 30 years since the premiere of Director John Hughes‘ “The Breakfast Club”. Molly Ringwald was on hand (she looked good) to reminisce and introduce the band Simple Minds (except not really – it was just the lead singer who wasn’t looking or singing so hot) performing “Don’t You Forget About Me” which coincidentally hit on the Billboard Top 100 – 30 years ago this week.
I did a post a few months back on the original “Rat Pack” – Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Sammy Davis, Jr. Not the same as the ultra cool “Pack” from the 60’s, this new generation was crowned by the media in the 80’s as the new “Pack” – The “Brat Pack.”
“The Brat” Members were:
Emilio Estevez, Ally Sheedy, Molly Ringwald, Judd Nelson, Anthony Michael Hall,
Rob Lowe, Demi Moore, and Andrew McCarthy
St. Elmo’s Fire
Prerequisite to becoming a member of the “Pack” was being cast in either St. Elmo’s Fire or The Breakfast Club.
The Breakfast Club 1985
Directed and written by John Hughes, the coming of age storyline follows five teenagers, each a member of a different high school clique, who spend a Saturday in detention together and come to realize that they’ve bought into their respective stereotypes from peer pressure but are more complex than the labels they wear. They also deal with the pressures and expectations of their parents, teachers, and other authority figures. Critics consider it to be one of the great high school films as well as one of Hughes’ most memorable and recognizable works. Although I love The Breakfast Club, my heart will always belong to Hughes’ other classic – Sixteen Candles (1984). (but that’s another story)
Theatrical release poster
The Breakfast Club made the “Brat Pack” icons of their generation and forever associated with the films that we still celebrate and reminisce with each viewing. Although it’s been 30 years the themes still hold true. I don’t think we’ll be forgetting anytime soon the connection and memories of those characters.
Director John Hughes had a knack for tapping into teen angst and connecting with his audience. Some of his other memorable classics include – Sixteen Candles (1984), Pretty in Pink (1986), Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986), and Home Alone (1990).
John Hughes
John Wilden Hughes, Jr. (February 18, 1950 – August 6, 2009) was honored at the 82nd Academy Awards (March 7, 2010), by Sheedy, Hall, Ringwald, and Nelson who all appeared in a tribute along with other actors who had worked with him including Jon Cryer (Pretty in Pink), Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), and Macaulay Culkin (Home Alone).
Nicolas Cage was considered for the role of John Bender (Judd Nelson won the part)
John Cusack was also considered for Bender, but Hughes didn’t feel he looked threatening enough.
Rick Moranis was originally cast as the janitor but left due to creative differences and was replaced by John Kapelos
So, tomorrow in honor of John Hughes and the anniversary of the film, I’m going to break out my Breakfast Club DVD and celebrate 30 years of loving this film and bonding forever with “The Pack”.
Josephine Baker is most celebrated as the “Bronze Venus” and her infamous “Banana Dance” in Paris c. 1927. However, the sum of her life is so much more! I was blown away by her boldness and sexual freedom, but it wasn’t until I saw the 1991 HBO movie starring Lynn Whitfield as Josephine Baker that I started doing research on her life. Whitfield won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Special—becoming the first Black actress to win the award in this category which seems apropos since Josephine Baker was The Lady of firsts.
Lynn Whitfield – Josephine Baker Story 1991
I’ve always been intrigued by Baker’s provocative reputation but had no idea of her involvement in the fight for justice, racial equality and the civil-rights movement.
Born Freda Josephine McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri, (June 3, 1906 – April 12, 1975) she was an American-born French dancer, singer, and actress who came to be known in various circles as the “Black Pearl,” “Bronze Venus” and even the “Creole Goddess”. Her parents were Carrie McDonald and Vaudeville drummer Eddie Carson. Growing up poor she started working early cleaning homes and babysitting for wealthy white families.
Baby Josephine
Baker dropped out of school at the age of 13 and lived as a street child in the slums of St. Louis. Her street-corner dancing attracted attention from the Dixie Steppers which lead to her opportunity to appear in the groundbreaking and hugely successful Broadway revue Shuffle Along (1921). She performed as the last dancer in the chorus line, a position where, traditionally, the dancer performed in a comic manner, as if she were unable to remember the dance, until the encore, at which point she would perform it not only correctly but with additional complexity. Baker’s act set in motion the career which would make her an international star.
Josephine Baker dancing the Charleston, 1926
Josephine traveled to Paris, France, for a new venture, and opened in “La Revue Nègre” on October 2, 1925, at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées. Her erotic dancing and performing in next to nothing made her a sensation in Paris. The bohemian culture of interwar Paris embraced Baker’s skin color, allowing her to catapult to stardom. At the Folies Bergère, she performed the Danse Sauvage, wearing a costume consisting of a skirt made of a string of artificial bananas – voila! – a star is born.
Josephine Baker became the most successful and highest paid American entertainer working in France and the first Black woman to star in a major motion picture. Baker starred in three films which found success only in Europe: the silent film Siren of the Tropics (1927), Zouzou (1934) and Princesse Tam Tam (1935). She also starred in Fausse Alerte in 1940.
However, despite her acclaim in Europe, upon returning to New York in 1936 to star in the Ziegfeld Follies, she walked right back into good ole American racism. Audiences rejected the idea that a black woman could be so sophisticated and she was replaced by stripper Gypsy Rose Lee later in the run. Time magazine referred to her as a “Negro wench”. She returned to Europe heartbroken.
Josephine Baker and the French Resistance of World War II
Josephine returned to Paris in 1937, married a Jewish Frenchman, Jean Lion, and became a French citizen. In September 1939, when France declared war on Germany she was recruited by Deuxième Bureau, French military intelligence, as an “honorable correspondent”. Baker collected what information she could about German troop locations from officials she met at parties. She was awarded the Legion of Honor and given a Medal of Resistance for her work during World War II. She was also the first American woman to receive the Croix du Guerre, a notable French military honor.
Josephine Baker Legion of Honor
Josephine Baker and the Civil Rights Movement
Though based in France, Baker fought for American civil rights in the 1950’s and 1960’s. When she arrived in New York with her fourth husband French composer and conductor Jo Bouillon, they were refused reservations at 36 hotels because she was black. In 1951 when the famous New York Stork Club refused to serve Baker because she was black, she wrote letters to President Truman and enlisted the aid of the NAACP which focused a spotlight on the issues of inequality and racism in popular establishments.
Stork Club Controversy
Josephine Baker was one of the few female speakers at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963 introducing “Negro Women Fighters for Freedom”, including Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Congressman John Lewis. The NAACP, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, named May 20th Josephine Baker Day in her honor.
Josephine Baker in French uniform – March on Washington 1963
“The Rainbow Tribe”
Long before Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s multicultural family, there was Josephine Baker and her “Rainbow Tribe”. Josephine wanted to prove that “children of different ethnicities and religions could still be brothers.” Baker raised two daughters, French-born Marianne and Moroccan-born Stellina, and ten sons; Korean-born Jeannot (or Janot), Japanese-born Akio, Colombian-born Luis, Finnish-born Jari (now Jarry), French-born Jean-Claude and Noël, Israeli-born Moïse, Algerian-born Brahim, Ivorian-born Koffi, and Venezuelan-born Mara.
Josephine Baker and “The Rainbow Tribe”
On April 12, 1975 we lost Josephine after she suffered a cerebral hemorrhage, she was 68 years old. She performed right up to her death, starring in a retrospective revue at the Bobino in Paris, Joséphine à Bobino 1975, celebrating her 50 years in show business.The opening night audience included Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Shirley Bassey, (best known for recording the theme song to the James Bond film Goldfinger (1964), Diana Ross, and Liza Minnelli.
20,000 people lined the streets of Paris to watch her funeral procession. She received a 21 gun salute, making her the first Black American female to be buried with military honors in France. Josephine Baker leaves behind a legacy of accomplishments including breaking color barriers and fighting for justice and equality around the world. I thank her for channeling her celebrity into championing the rights of all.
Billy Wilder is one of my favorite directors because he’s not afraid to tackle controversial subject matters like alcoholism, adultery, and sexuality. His 1959 film Some Like it Hot is a fantastic example! I love this film not only because it’s hilarious and Marilyn Monroe is at the height of her sexiness, but it addresses the issues of gender roles, cross-dressing and gay marriage head on!
United Artists released Wilder’s Prohibition-era farce Some Like It Hot without a Production Code seal of approval, withheld due to the film’s unabashed sexuality including a central cross-dressing theme.
Okay, so here’s the set-up:
2 speakeasy musicians (Joe and Jerry) in 1920’s Chicago witness the infamous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. Obviously – that’s a problem. Busted by the hitmen they try to talk their way out of the situation. However, the gangsters ain’t havin’ it so they do the next best thing – Run!
Okay, so now what? Go drag, book a gig with the all-girl band Sweet Sue and her Society Syncopaters. Hey, it could happen.
Introducing Josephine and Daphne
Now, let’s meet Joe and Jerry
Jerry: You’d bet my money on a dog? Joe: He’s a shoo-in. Max the waiter knows the electrician that wires the rabbit.
Joe ( Tony Curtis) is a saxophone playing womanizer who’s borrowed money from every girl on the chorus line at the speakeasy. Jerry (Jack Lemmon) plays the upright bass and is Joe’s best friend. Although tired of Joe’s crap, he covets his prowess with women while simultaneously desiring a stable relationship of his own.
Their bond is put to the test when Joe (as Josephine) zeros in on Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe) and her strut when they arrive at the train station. Sugar plays ukulele and sings with Sweet Sue (Joan Shawlee) and the Syncopaters. By the time they arrive at their destination in Florida, Joe has sweet talked his way into Sugar’s life and is bound and determined to have a taste. Daphne (Jerry) on the other hand has a different experience; dealing with his jealousy of Joe and Sugar’s relationship while maneuvering the advances and courtship of much-married and aging millionaire, Osgood Fielding III (Joe E. Brown).
First of all, Joe E. Brown is a scream! Second of all, check out his career along with this performance.
And here we go – into the land of whoa, stuff we don’t talk about in 1959 and are really just scratching the surface of today:
Cross Dressing: Designer Orry-Kelly won an Oscar for Best Costume Design for his work. Seeing Marilyn’s gowns, Curtis and Lemmon insisted on wearing Kelly’s designs as well to make them look good as females. They played it straight as Josephine and Daphne which I believe gave weight and merit to the film. They may have looked good, but Marilyn was hot! As a young girl, I went, yes – one day I wanna rock a dress like that!
Gender Roles: Challenging what is deemed to be male/female expectations. By embracing their personas, Joe and Jerry learn from Sugar and Osgood what it means to walk in another woman’s shoes and deal with the complexities of being a woman in a man’s world.
Gay Marriage: The right to love for love’s sake. This is undoubtedly my favorite scene!
Joe to Jerry/Daphne – “It’s just not being done.”
“I’m a Boy”
This final scene is pure – Subversive Brilliance!
Despite Joe’s argument to Jerry and Jerry’s argument to Osgood about how outrageous their marriage would be – in the end, love will not be denied.
Billy Wilder, the Austrian-born American filmmaker is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood’s golden age. Wilder is one of only five people to have won Academy Awards as a producer, director and screenwriter for the same film (The Apartment). The American Film Institute has ranked these four Wilder films among their top 100 American films of the 20th century:
In 2001, AFIselectedSomeLikeIt Hot as the number one comedy film of all time.
Billy Wilder
Thank you, Billy Wilder for directing, producing and writing this screenplay. Art should be provocative, revolutionary; pushing the conversation forward. Humor and politics are not mutually exclusive. Question what is accepted. Fight for what is right.
Today we celebrate the legacy of Dr. Maya Angelou on what would be her 87th birthday. To commemorate the spirit and accomplishments of Dr. Angelou, she’s being honored by Oprah Winfrey on April 7th with her own Forever Stamp ceremony at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C.
Forever Stamp
Joanne Braxton, Professor of English and Africana Studies at William & Mary College is a friend of the Angelou family and was presented with the opportunity to be the project’s consultant by the United States Postal Service. In Braxton’s words: “I answered that it was a sacred work,” she recalled, “and that anyone who did it would be blessed. I was all in.”
The stamp features Atlanta artist Ross R. Rossin’s oil-on-canvas portrait of Angelou with the celebrated author’s quotation: “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” In addition, the stamp pane includes a short excerpt from Angelou’s book, Letter to My Daughter, and reads: “Try to be a rainbow in someone’s cloud.”
Rossin is a Bulgarian-American portrait artist known for his large-scale, realist portraits of modern and historical figures including: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Andrew Young, Hank Aaron, and Maya Angelou.
What an apropos acknowledgment of Dr. Angelou’s significance and influence in literature, music and art. Her gift was her ability to lift spirits and provoke ideals in our culture. I’m looking forward to purchasing this special recognition that honors her “forever spirit” for years to come.
In honor of Maya Angelou’s birthday, this is a special reposting of my tribute from May 28, 2014 on her passing.
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“Phenomenal Woman” – R.I.P – Dr. Maya Angelou
Renowned Poet, Author, Actress and Director dies at 86.
May her soul and her spirit forever soar.
A remarkable Renaissance woman who is hailed as one of the great voices of contemporary literature. Credited with a list of plays, movies, and television shows spanning more than fifty years.
As many of us have experienced, writer’s block can be the ultimate frustration. Have I really run out of ideas to express? Excitement to share? What the heck am I actually trying to write about?
The more I focused on my block, the more aimlessly my mind wandered attempting to find some spark of inspiration. Until, hallelujah Bruce Lee! Still wandering but this time on YouTube, I came across this video of the incomparable martial arts genius sharing his philosophical thoughts on life, love and growth.
I fell in love with Bruce Lee in 1974 after experiencing his unfathomable skill in the classic Enter the Dragon (1973) starring Bruce Lee, John Saxon and Jim Kelly. Lee was also one of the film’s writers. This was Bruce Lee’s final film appearance before his death from cerebral edema (swelling of the brain) at the age of 32 on July 20, 1973. The movie was released six days later. Although he had passed before I’d discovered him, and there’d be no future projects to come, I could still immerse myself in his work and cherish his memory.
He epitomized badass with his fine, muscle ripped bod and his “put my foot in your behind” attitude. Considered one of the greatest martial arts films of all-time, in 2004 Enter the Dragon was deemed “culturally significant” in the United States and selected for preservation in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress.
Enter the Dragon – July 26, 1973
Born Lee Jun-fan (November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) Bruce Lee was a Hong Kong American martial artist, actor, teacher, philosopher, and filmmaker who is widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of all-time; founder of Jeet Kune Do (The Way of the Intercepting Fist). A cultural icon of the 20th century, he’s credited with changing the way Asians are perceived in American films.
In March 1961 Lee enrolled at the University of Washington where he studied drama, philosophy, and psychology. There he met his future wife Linda Emery. They had two children, Brandon Lee (1965–93) and Shannon Lee (born 1969). Brandon followed in his father’s footsteps as a martial arts actor. It was crushing to learn that he was accidentally killed in a firearms accident on the set of his fifth film, The Crow (1993). The movie was completed and released in 1994 using a stunt double and effects.
Enter the Dragon made Bruce Lee an international star and cemented his legacy as an innovator in both martial arts and the martial arts film genre. This scene showcases his agility, strength and quiet contemplation.
He didn’t subscribe to the dogma of fighting styles but instead believed the moves should be fluid, not set positions. Those ideas were met with resistance from the sport but soon became respected after Lee proved his approach, not with words but with his emphasis on “practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency”; resulting in moves which had never been seen at that time.
Bruce Lee was truly ahead of his time and a soul taken from us too soon.
Thanks, Bruce for making myself and the world marvel and smile. Next time I’m faced with writer’s block I’ll think back on your philosophy and remember your words.
Gene Roddenberry had a vision of a time and space where all races, nationalities and creeds would work together with a common purpose. “…to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” He set precedence with an African-American woman, and Asian not only a part of the crew, but officers on a Starship. Roddenberry also tackled issues of class warfare, economics, racism, religion, human rights, sexism, feminism, and the role of technology.
Gene Roddenberry also imagined Spock. Half human, half Vulcan. Although Spock embraces his Vulcan, void of emotion logical side, he at times also has to deal with his less logical, emotional, human side. These are some of his best episodes. My favorite is “Amok Time.” Spock goes straight up “anger man” slamming dishes, changing ship’s course and going into blind “kill mode” against Kirk in the “koon-ut-kal-if-fee” fight. Awesome!
I saw an interview with Leonard Nimoy talking about his stint as The Great Paris on “Mission Impossible” and how that experience made him appreciate the complexity of Mr. Spock. As Paris, his character didn’t have those layers. As Spock, he had to balance keeping that stoic face and rational demeanor with storylines that required his ability to convey love, compassion and occasionally frustration in what I like to call his “Menage a trois” relationship with Kirk and Bones. A much more complicated approach to storytelling than the usual TV fare of 1966.
Thankfully we have the Star Trek series, the movies and his body of work to continue to revisit and enjoy. But the fact still remains, we’ll miss you Spock.
R.I.P – You’ll forever “Live Long and Prosper” in our hearts.
It’s officially the 1 Year Anniversary of iheartfilm and my first post!
My intent is to share my love of film with fellow aficionados and showcase movies that impressed and made me laugh, made me cry and contributed to my love of cinema.
Over the course of the year, I’ve had tremendous support and encouragement from fellow bloggers, friends and visitors from around the world.
Thanks so much for all the love and I hope you continue to come back and share a like or comment. If this is your first visit, hopefully, you’ll decide to follow. This is just the beginning as I continue to grow as a blogger.
iheartfilm is a personal passion I enjoy and have enjoyed sharing with you!
This site is about how to live our life in a meaningful way by accepting complete surrender to the Almighty with purity of mind and character. It is about the eternal religion of the world i.e. Hinduism which is very liberal to anyone because there are many branches or methods to get the divinity to turn our life into an ever blissful one.
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