Seven - minus one - days of.. ..Peter Sellers (3)

Yes.. here it is! The 3rd post of six about Peter Sellers.. And again I did not make it in time - so I have to try to maybe post another Peter Sellers post today.. Well.. I could imagine doing more dreadful things..

And as you by now were all expecting - you did, didn't you?? - is the film I am writing now

WHAT'S NEW PUSSYCAT? (USA, 1965) by Clive Donner and Richard Talmadge.

I love the taglines of this poster - and I hope you noticed them: 

"Pussycats will purr-r-r-r and tigers will r-r-roar..." 

and under that list of the cast: 

"They're all together again! (for the first time!)"

It was the first film Woody Allen wrote - and the first he appeared in - and also the first film I ever saw him in (which is of course the most important info for you here.. No doubt in that..).

~ Peter O'Toole - really in trouble.. ~

Paris, France: Michael James (Peter O'Toole) has a serious problem: Women go after him.. Well.. that's not the actual problem since he enjoys that.. The problem is: His girlfriend Carole (Romy Schneider) would like to marry him - but he is afraid he is not strong enough to resist.. So he tries to get helpt from psychoanalyst Dr. Fassbender (Peter Sellers)..  But also the Doctor has his troubles since he is madly in love with one of his patients Renée LeFébvre (Capucine who was with Peter Sellers in THE PINK PANTER (1963), too -and who's birth name actually is Germaine LeFébvre..) - much to the chagrin of his Valkyrie wife.. And then there is Michael's not so successful friend Victor (Woody Allen) - who would love to make a pass on Carol.. Not helpful for Michael is that neurotic stripper Liz Bien (Paula Prentiss again in a film with Peter Sellers..) and parachutist Rita (Ursula Andress) take some interest in him - and he really has troubles to say no.. And Carole isn't actually naive.. 

~ Do not know what to do? .. ~

~ Oh come on, Peter O'Toole! Don't play hard to get with Paula Prentiss.. ~

I absolutely love the cast of this film! When I was talking with Monty about it he noticed that it had with Mr. Sellers and Mr. O'Toole two Peters in the lead.. He is right.. But they are so amazingly different from type and (film-) character.. And yes.. I actually prefer Peter Sellers - though his hairstyle here is one of the most awful I ever saw.. I am really not too much into long hair on men....

~ Peter ² - or: Another friendship baptized with some liquor.. ~

Of course I am very pleased to have one of my number one actresses - my beloved Romy Schneider in one of the most important female parts of this film.. I really, really love her - and her Carole really isn't the typical prissy fiancée.. Besides that she makes one of the most funny and dangerous looiking  stunts when her characater passes out highly drunk.. Oh - and in the moment she finds Capucine sprawling in Peter O'Tooles bed.. Her look is so utterly ironic - I think it might be the most funny scene in the whole film...

~ a most attractive and funny cast this is.. ~

Anyway the actresses in this film are outstanding as we have the wonderful Capucine and Ursula Andress - incredibly sexy - and I might repeat myself: but I think Paula Prentiss might be one of the funniest women ever.. Come to think of it: All the female characters in this film are really funny..

~ Guess what she is wearin? ... that's right - a cap.... .... ~

When you watch this film - please, watch out for Richard Burton who will talk to Peter O'Toole in the bar scene - and one of my favourite French singers Françoise Hardy has a small part in the last scene when Peter Sellers tries to make a pass on her..

This film actually is a bit semi-autobiographical since it is based a bit on Warren Beatty - he used the line "What's new, Pussycat?" very often it seems - he was to play the lead part - but backed out when his part was getting smaller and his then girl friend Leslie Caron was not casted.. Well.. for me since I am not so fond of Warren Beatty I think it's great that he stepped out on this one.. I actually cannot really see his charme anyway.. 

~ Having troubles with females, too - Woody Allen with Romy Schneider.. ~

Woody Allen as Victor is quite funny, too.. Poor chum.. Wanting to get some loving.. and always has to take  backseat to Peter O'Toole.. The scene of Victor's birthday party was actually filmed on Woody Allen's 29th birthday.. my, my.. time flies..

And maybe now it is time for another confession.. (Honestly - I confess so much on this blog that I think I will have to think about re-naming it into something like: "Confessions of a German Fräulein".. hm.. a new series ahead?): Peter O'Toole is not actually my cup of tea - lookwise.. I am simply not soo much into those pretty boys.. - but in the moment he first appears in the screen I hear myself gasp  - every time I watch this film....

~ "Look, I know you'll think this is crazy.. but.. er.. when the light hits me from a certain direction..
- I'm handsome..." .... yes.. very good light in this film.. ~

And yes: I was a bit shocked when Peter O'Toole announced this week that he retires from movie making..

~ Capucine - absolutely stunning.. ~

Of course the dialogues are very funny - it is a Woody Allen film after all..

Have some examples...

Liz Bien (hehehe.. I adore that name..) and Michael James having a little dialogue:

Liz: "You're right. I must face my problems. I can't go through life being a semi-virgin."

Michael: "What - in the name of all that is gracious - is a 'semi-virgin'??"

Liz: "Here I'm a virgin. In America I'm not."

Michael: "What do they do? Stamp it on your passport?"

~~~~

Victor: "We played strip chess. She had me down to my shorts and I fainted from tension."

~~~~

Dr. Fassbender (yes.. I am pleased with that name..) esplains to Michael how it could happen that they meet in a strip club:

Dr. Fassbender: "I.. uhm.. decided to follow you here."

Michael: "... If you followed me here - how did you contrive to be here before me??"

Dr. Fassbender: "I followed you.. ... ..very fast."

~~~~

I also love one sentence which Peter Sellers ad-libbed as he refered to Ursula Andress, who was in DR. NO  (1962) saying that she knew James Bond.. It made her laugh, too... 

~ ... na caption needed, I guess.. ~

You will hear a lot of accents in this film - and I hope that mine sounds a little bit like Romy Schneider's and not like Dr. Fassbender's.. 

Though in my opinion in the end it's almost a bit too much of crazy slapstick in this film I highly recommend it - and seeing how much fun Romy Schneider had playing this makes good for all the silliness in my opinion.. Well.. when she is happy I am happy too, I guess...

So - if you like to take a deep breath and take the plunge to watch 108 minutes of complete craziness..

Thank you so very much for listening

Irene

~ not exactely the expression I meant.. but well..  ~

All day long I thought of you..

Well.. not of YOU maybe.. though.. who knows.. no.. actually it was her:

Romy Schneider.

Exactely 30 years ago on May 29, 1982 she died at the age of 43. And when ever I wrote today's date down today (and I wrote it quite often) I was thinking of her.. She is one of my really favourite actresses ever. I know I use "favourite actress/actor" a lot - there are so many I like.. But there is a little "inner circle" of just a few.. A few of whom the most are a little dickey or have a little crack.. The broken and despaired.. ok.. let's leave that..

Back to Romy and me.. 

We met when we were very young.. she was a teenager and became Empress of Austria and married a really boring man (sorry, Mr. Böhm.. but: Franz Joseph wasn't the kind of guy I would go for..)

~ I hated and loved those SISSI-films..
- but I think I might write some posts about those films which made her a star in Germany later on..  ~

 and I was a child and became obsessed with films.. - not because of her or her films - it was just that we met at the right moment - and the more I learnt about her troubles and fights the more we grew together.. She gave me a feeling of being ok even if all people around you expect things of you you do not want or are not able to do. A feeling of not beeing alone..

And for I found her not sooo breathtaking when she was young but just beautiful when she grew older I had the hope that maybe someday even I could be pretty.. a bit.. well thoughts of a caterpillar looking at a butterfly, I guess..

Since then we spent a lot of time together.. 

We cried together 

We were afraid together

We laughed together

We had a heck of a time - though she was dead already and all that was left were some shimmering images on film - but at some points I think: we all are merely some glimmer in another person's eye..

She was the best friend I never had - so:

Romy, I think I love you.

Yours 

Irene

R-r-r-aving about things with "R" .. - attending a meme without a name..

Via DKoren and her fabulous blog SIDEWALK CROSSINGS I found this meme.. (Her post is linked - so you can read about her favourite things beginning with the letter "M".. - I also think this is part of the rules - though it isn't actually said there..) 

Here are the rules:

"How to Play: Comment to this entry and I'll give you a letter. List ten things that you love that begin with that letter and then post that list on your journal."

Now this sounds like fun - doesn't it?

The letter I got was "R" - hence the title of this post.. Though it's no part of the rules I am trying to name ten "things" I love beginning with "r" which are related to films..

~ picture source: muppet.wikia.com ~

So - let's see - here they are in a random order just the first ten "things" with "r" that I can think of:

• R like Raft, George - I am more than just fond of this gentleman.. He is one of my altime favourites..

• R like RAVEN, THE (1963) - well.. of course I LOVE that one!! It has Vincent Price, Peter Lorre, Hazel Court and Boris Karloff!! I am looking forward for THE RAVEN (2012) - a film about Edgar Allan Poe (Love him!!) which will be here released in cinema this year in September - I guess everywhere else it's by now almost forgotten.. 
  
  
  Of course I love the poem of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe:

  - and that corvids are some of my favourite animals you know by now anyway..

• R like Roscoe Karns - I love that guy! An appearance of him in a movie can brighten my day..

• R like Renfield - this is one of my favourite fictitious characters ever - performed by my beloved Dwight Frye in the 1931 adaptation of my favourite novel DRACULA of course. His laughter and his whole interpretation of this part was just magnificent!

• R like Romy Schneider  - another one of my favourites..

• R like Russian composers.. I love a good score - also very much when it's got some classic music.. (Tchaikovsky was always one of my favourites..)

• R like Robinson, Edward G. - another one I simply adore..

• R like Ricky Ricardo - I ♥ LUCY - I really do.. And I adore Ricky.. Like him I have troubles with my "slight accent" - though my isn't as cute as his is.. I guess I sound like a Nazi spy from the old movies trying to sound like a cockney flower girl..

• R like "Rosebud" ... think what you want of Orson Welles and CITIZEN KANE (1941) - for me that was a stroke of genius..  - and it had Agnes Robertson Moorehead.. 

• R like Ryn, Nicholas van - one of my favourite Vincent Price film characters. It's from the amazing DRAGONWYCK (1946).. I love that maniac..

Not bad - hm?

If you like to get a letter please leave a comment and ask for one - you can of course also comment without getting a letter..

Hope you enjoyed this..

Have a lovely day - and thank you very much for listening!

And thanks to DKoren for letting me join the fun!

Irene

Day 3 of Berlinale - Young Adults & Romy Schneider

Hello - welcome again to a little post about Berlinale..

~ Berlinale 2012 ~

There are always films that interest me – but not enough to actually watch them in cinema – but maybe one late night when I am not able to sleep and some minor TV broadcast is showing them.. One of those films might be

JOVEN & ALOCADA 

(=  YOUNG & WILD). 

It’s a film made in Chile and the story seems to be quite simple: It’s about a girl – secretly a blogger.. – who is expulsed from school because she had intercourse with a boy. She is from a posh family - and her mother tries to save her soul via religion - and then the girl starts an affair with her best (girl-) friend..

The most interesting part for me is that this film is reportedly kept a lot like a blog - and I'd like to learn how that might look..

It’s one of the films which is classified as a Young Adults’ film. At the Berlinale are also several films for younger persons and children featured. This series of films is called “Generation” and for the young adults it is also called “14+”.

 Now to the bygone days of Berlinale:

Here we have the very young Romy Schneider and Horst Buchholz..

Romy was very often guest at the Berlinale:

Here 1968 with her then husband Harry Meyen:

~ don't you just adore her laughter? ~

And in 1980  with Harvey Keitel:

– this is about two years before her death –

and quite quick - a picture of Romy Schneider matching my Mirror, Mirror series..

Thank you very much for listening!

Yours

Irene

Completely havin kittens.. ..2011 wrap up - and a new one..

 Welcome to the last completely having kittens post of 2011..

This is part of a meme hosted by Michelle @ THE TRUE BOOK ADDICT.

Michelle re-posted some of her favourite Cat Thursday pics, which she shared with us through 2011. I'd like to share three of them with you, too before I am going to show you twelve of my favourite this year (followed by a "brand new" one on this blog..)

Here are three I borrowed from Michelle, who posted loads of great pics beside those..: 

And my favourite of them:

Okay - here are my 12 favourite pictures I posted this year on this blog:

 I was participating on this meme before I started it here - I did it on another blog of mine NOT SOPHISTICATED (I'M THE SWEET AND SIMPLE KIND)..

Frankly - I love almost every picture I posted in this series - so I had a hard time to pick just twelve of them.. But here we go - and of course we'll end with my favourite picture of them all..

We had a lot of cats showing their pals (most of them I confess are my favourite actors):

Ava Gardner

Agnes Moorehead

 Elizabeth Taylor

Marilyn Monroe

James Mason

Judy Garland

 Alain Delon

Ursula Andress

(I simply had to re-post both pictures..)

Peter Lorre

Laird Cregar

Romy Schneider

 And here is the new picture - sporting one of the few actors I dare to call by first name when talking about her (another one would be Romy Schneider..) - our cat-lady of the week is a lady who would have turned 110 years this week:

Marlene Dietrich

* Decemeber 27, 1901  Berlin-Schöneberg, Germany

† May 6, 1992 Paris, France

Thank you all for listening!

Yours

Irene