One by one, the whole family disappeared leaving me alone with my pineapple and the remote control. My youngest daughter asked “Who comes to Maui to watch TV?” Not too surprising from Dr. Advice, but I expected better from her.
We may not have had any popcorn, which you are supposed to have in order to enjoy a movie, but there was plenty of fresh pineapple, and a papaya still left on the kitchen counter after dinner, and the prospect of Audrey Hepburn on the TV screen. Though we usually trundle off to bed by 9 p.m., Audrey would not appear until 10, and I didn’t intend to miss “Charade” starring her and Cary Grant, who you may remember was no slouch in the looks department.
They ran some preliminary shots of Audrey’s previous movies, and my oldest daughter joined me, she is very well-versed in movie trivia, from living in Southern California where it all happens. Those not in the know, say “It’s all so L.A.”! When the “Breakfast At Tiffany’s” short shot came on, she said she heard that Truman Capote really intended the novel of the same name to be about the life of a wild, beautiful young man in New York in the ’40s and ’50s. Because of the anti-homosexual bias of the times, though, he had to create a woman as the main character. I know that Capote wanted Marilyn Monroe to play Holly Golightly. Do you think some authors write a book with certain people in mind in case it gets picked up as a movie?
In the old Hollywood days, everyone smoked and drank martini’s, and the only one who never got into trouble for being drunk was William Powell as “The Thin Man”. The cops who pulled him over on the bridge (I forget which bridge) simply wished him a good day and sent him on his way still holding his martini. The gorgeous girls of Hollywood, sported fabulous clothes, had hair which never looked like they just got out of bed, gazed soulfully at their leading man, were never pictured in the kitchen fixing dinner, or scrubbing their bathrooms. Why wouldn’t we all want to be them? New York was impossibly glamorous and chic–and so was Audrey Hepburn, effortlessly stylish, charming and graceful. Just as she was in her private life.
By the time the feature movie started, both daughters and a ten year old great-granddaughter were curled up on the couches with me, ready to watch Cary, for perhaps the second or even third time, rescue Audrey from George Kennedy, the bad guy. Dr. Advice was snoring away in the other room.
Pachofa-Unfinished 
Yes, the martini and cigarette has disappeared. Never mind in the movies, I remember still smoking allowed in a cinema in Holland. I also remember someone lowering an icecream held by string from the upper stalls. A weird idea but caused much hilarity . It might have been a film about conquering Mount Everest or perhaps it was Tammy reflecting in a pond at her own image. The boys or girls going around with sweets and treats strapped around their necks in huge trays have also gone.
The size of those buckets of popcorn have compensated though. Now so large people buy a separate seat to accommodate the trunkful of popcorn.
It must be so hard to go without eating for 90 minutes.
Ah, papaya and pine apple! Now you’re talking.
LikeLike
I never understood the idea of “smoking” or “non-smoking” areas in restaurants. Did they think there was an invisible barrier that told smoke it was not welcome to come into that area?
I think we can blame the movies for many woman smokers. They DID look glamorous and seductive puffing away.
An ice cream cone in the movies? On the few occasions that we attend the movies, we see a handful of other people of a certain age, all of which are indeed carrying huge trays of food. Popcorn only comes in 20# bags!
LikeLike
…”And Dr Advice in another room…” Sounds like home. In these years my mother dragged me to the movies to collect the “premiums”: plates, utensils and what not, twice a week. To this day, 68 years later, I barely can stand through a movie unless it is a very goog one. As for those wishy washy, kleenex consuming melodramas, I can’t stand them and retreat to another room. .
LikeLike
I remember the “premiums” at the movies too. We used a set of dishes obtained that way for years. I don’t remember that kids could get them if attending alone, but when my mother came as well—
I love movies. Growing up in the shadow of Hollywood, like lots of other kids, I saw myself up on the silver screen. I dislike crazy comedies, horror and sci-fi though. Lately our tastes seem to lean to “All Creatures Large and Small” streamed by Netflix.
LikeLike
Audrey was impeccable, but Katharine Hepburn was no slouch. I loved movies from both of them: especially “The African Queen” and “Charade.” About as close as I ever got to real Hollywood was seeing African-Queen-the-boat at the Houston boat show some years ago.
I’ve never been much of a movie goer, but I’ve recently realized there’s a commonality among some of my early favorites. What did “Dr. Zhivago,” “Bridge on the River Kwai,” “Great Expectations” and “Lawrence of Arabia” have in common? Why, director David Lean, of course.
If you haven’t yet seen “The Hundred Foot Journey,” I think you would really, really like it. Here’s the “spoiler” — it has a happy ending. I’m all in favor of happy endings, particularly when the arrive after some complicated but totally satisfying plot.
We have a couple of new theaters in the Houston area now where you can have dinner and a movie, at the same time. People sit at tables rather than cramped up seats that always seem ready to nip at you, and you have have a proper glass of wine. I’ve not gone, but I’ve heard the food is decent and the wine is good. Beats popcorn!
LikeLike
Just as we look for certain authors of books, you grow to appreciate the skills of a good director. I will go see anything directed by Ang Lee. We recently saw “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner”. Hepburn and Spencer Tracy were marvelous as usual. Think of all the wonderful actresses of today—Meryl Streep, Judy Dench, Helen Mirren! We DID see The Hundred Foot Journey. Wasn’t it great?
We both love movies, though we don’t go often. We watch Netflix streaming, or rent one for a buck at the Redbox in the supermarket.
Did you watch Ken Burns’ The Roosevelts? Meryl Streep’s voice was unrecognizable. Of course while we were growing up, FDR was the only president we knew! I remember where I was when they announced his death. In the after-school soda shop, and we were all in a state of shock. The President is dead! What were we going to do? It was unreal.
LikeLike