Goodbye Peter Falk

The man who I liked best in POCKETFUL OF MIRACLES (1961), who was hilarious in MURDER BY DEATH (1976) and ROBIN AND THE 7 HOODS (1964)

and who teached me (yeah - and Natalie Wood - which makes us kind of classmates, doesn't it? ..) how to blow chewing gum bubbles in PENELOPE (1966)

has passed away.

Goodbye, Mr. Falk!

Let's face the music - and talk (1. Ennio Morricone)

I highly react to film music. I can’t help it – and I won’t help it. :”)

But I will try and - if I can - establish a little series in which I will write about scores, composers – and ways more about my enthusiasm for these awesome pieces of music that we often hear but seldom realize. I might pick one composer or one movie or... - we'll see..

This is going to be quite personal – but you can avoid to read to much about "yours truly" because I will name every post LET’S FACE THE MUSIC – AND TALK - so you will know when to hide..

So let’s start with the music I grew up with:

Maybe you should know that I grew up with a father who is a great fan of western and adventure films and whatever. – Let there be some dirty “real men” who know how to use their fists and now and then spit out a sassy sound bite – my dad will love it.

Can’t imagine anything more lovable when thinking of my highly intelligent dad than this big man laughing about some silly jokes and a fat guy socking a bunch of meanies – yeah, my dad is great. We had some fights and not so very beautiful moments but I think we go along now. (Yes, I moved out years ago – how could you guess that? Well, it seems that I am starting to become nostalgic and forget things – don’t we all?)

Some of the films my daddy loves have the greatest score you can imagine. He and my mother also have a large collection of records – and some of them content the music of one man on whose genius my family agrees completely about. It is the Italian composer and conductor

Ennio Morricone.

I think his name is best know from several “Spaghetti Western” scores (though he wrote music for “only” 30 -40 of them).

2007 he received an Honorary Oscar for his life achievement – and he was nominated for several other awards of which he won a lot..

Hans Zimmer once called him his favorite composer in the world – and Hans Zimmer isn’t bad himself, is he?

Ennio Morricone worked also with Brian de Palma for THE UNTOUCHABLES (1987) and MISSION TO MARS (2000), with John Carpenter for THE THING (1982), with John Boorman for THE EXCORCIST II (1977) and with Wolfgang Petersen for IN THE LINE OF FIRE (1993) - to just name a few.

But for me - and presumably many others - he will always be the man who wrote music like these:

MY NAME IS NOBODY (1973) – one of my father's favorite films.. And - you know: there are Terence Hill’s famous blue eyes.. I am a fan of dark eyes.. - but this man.. well.. – let’s change the subject. This Nobody was pretty cool.. and this melody is one of the most cheerful I know:

THE BALLAD OF SACCO AND VANZETTI (1971) – which is quite political – read more about Sacco and Vanzetti and ask wiki.

The song was originally written for the Italian docudrama SACCO E VANZETTI (1971) but is also used for GERMANY IN AUTUMN (1978) and in Wes Anderson’s amazing THE LIFE AQUATIC WITH STEVE ZISSOU (2004).

This was one of my favorite songs – and I still love it very much. It has a wonderful melody – very powerful. When I was a kid I used to hear it over and over at night and cry a bit.. Though I had no clue what this song was about. I always was an odd chick.. Maybe it was the organ..

But let's listen to Joan Baez:

THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966). Okay - who of you still says he/she doesn’t know anything musical by Ennio Morricone?

How can you possibly have survived till this day and don’t know this tune?? I use this one rather often to tease my sister – whenever she starts to give me the evil eye (just before she is about to “explode”) and the strain becomes really hard for me I start to hum this melody – including some sounds which may remind you of a duck in change of voice.. In most cases I think this melody saves my live, because my sister starts to laugh – and if someday it won’t be working anymore – well, it’ll be the perfect score.. ;”)

A FIST FULL OF DOLLARS (1964) – I just love how this melody builds up: First you hear a soft guitar, then a whistle is added and after that this trill and so on – it’s just awesome!:

For the fans: ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST (1968) – this one kills me. This is an unbelievable heavy piece of music – very dark and it is able to depress me. I guess that I couldn't possibly make a post about Morricone an leaving this one out..

And finally – you get a scene to see how Ennio Morricone’s music can make a scene quite impressiv which would be a bit dull ~ yeah! I said it. Just a bit, boys! Keep your shirt on! I don't say it's bad - I just say it's better with music. ;"p ~ :

It's from A FEW DOLLARS MORE (1965) and I post this scene in Italian – so you can completely concentrate on the music and the pictures. (Won’t work so good, if you’re able to speak Italian – but I just couldn’t find a version in “Elvish”..)

It's the finale - so you should be prepared of spoilers.. ;")

( I think this is kind of a favorite scene for mothers: “See? Even Clint Eastwood is able to clean up!”)

Tell me: Do you like Ennio Morricone's music? Have you got a favorite melody by him?

Just for fun I am adding a poll so you can vote for your favorite melody of those I presented here – quite interactive, eh? ;”)

Thank you very much for visiting this blog – and I hope you liked what you saw.

Yours (very well and) truly

Irene

Que sera?

My very good friend Monty of ALL GOOD THINGS has started the CLASSIC MOVIE ACTOR TOURNAMENT !!- and the Silent/ 30's Era is halfway through - today it is Clark Gable vs. James Cagney and William Powell vs. Errol Flynn. - and as always I am in the hm.. how shall I call it..: "non-winning team".. *sigh* - but maybe you can help that.. ;")

Just kidding - but I'd love you to go and vote for your favourite! But stay fair and vote just one time and don't push your favourite by unfair voting, please!

(Buster Keaton seems to be a bit depressed because he is out - don't be sad, Buster! I still love you, honey!!)

This month I am also a guest at Monty's blog who will asking me some questions and tries to make a star out of me.. Gee, I am feeling a bit like Judy Garland - you think I may get socked in the night I am finally going to win the Oscar? ;") ~ I am frequently training my Thank-you-speech for that Oscar night.. you all will break out in sobs, that's nothing you can avoid. Trust me! I am just about to look for the perfect dress.. ;"p well, not really.. ~

For I am a social star I am not the only leading lady this month on Monty's blog - I share top billing with Doris Day!! Can you imagine that?! ~ I am going to faint any minute.. ~

(Gee - Doris is almost ready - I got to get my make up, too!!)

That's it for June - and now we're talking about July:

I will attend PARIS IN JULY of BOOKBATH - which means on my bookblog ALL THAT GLISTENS COULD BE OLD I will be talking about books I read, which are setted in France or from French authors or whatever else, on my blog NOT SOPHISTICATED I will post some French music and maybe some other things connected with that theme - and of course here I will concentrate on films that are setted in Paris or France at all or have French actors in it or whatever - some tiny bits and pieces I think.. ;")

And for not being too onesided and also being a good guest I will ask Monty to be my guest in return here. Then he will answer some questions and I hope that he will tell us something about his blogs.. (That man is quite engaged.) This way I think there will be some post to release you from my french fixation in July.. ;")

Well, that's it for now - you now may enjoy your week-end!

Yours (very, very well) and truly

Irene

85 years - oh my!

"I'm not interested in money, I just want to be wonderful"

Today Marilyn Monroe - another of my heroines would be 85 years old - so happy Birthday Norma Jean!

"Please don't make me a joke. End the interview with what I believe... I want to be an artist, an actress with integrity."

Some random thoughts about… …THE GRASS IS GREENER (1960) and your opportunity to vote

Recently (that is 15 minutes ago…) I was watching the GRASS IS GREENER (1960) by Stanley Donen and I like Jean Simmons very much in this film. She is very funny – and in a hilarious way chichi. Though I think Deborah Kerr (who is funny, too – especially when she is dealing with a firearm) has the prettier wardrobe… - ... and the most difficult decision to make: Cary Grant or Robert Mitchum? – Say, that is a tough one! ;”)

– Speaking of tough decisions: Monty is going to make a tournament again: So go to his blog ALL GOOD THINGS and make up your choice – it is the chance to pick the most favourite actor! The tournament will officially start in June (which will be this week!!) but you might give your voice today and vote in a kind of a warm up: It’s Alec Guinness vs. Richard Burton! (there are only a few hours to go - so be quick!) I hope that I won’t tell too much when I reveal that next year there will be a giant tournament –and on four blogs you can vote for the ultimate favourite actress! (guess which little blog will be participating and present some of the ladies.. *yay!*)

Some of you have voted on my poll – Thank you very much for that!! – and decided that you’d also like to read some post about German/Austrian/British (well, let's say European - that way I can bootleg French movies into my blog, too...) films – as long as there is a connection to classic Hollywood.

Don’t worry, Peter Lorre: It won’t be too much of that – we’ll stay mainly in good old Hollywood. ;”)

I know that blogspot is giving all of us a tough time by not letting us do comments in an easy way - I hope that this will be fixed very soon, because I like leaving comments and appreciate all the hard work fellow bloggers are doing here. And of course I am more that happy if someone leaves a nice comment on my posts.. *ahem* ;")

Anyhow: Have a great time, folks! I am very happy to have you here!!

Yours (very well and) truly,

Irene

100 years - really?

A fact that could hardly escape you is that I have a huge crush on a certain actor, who would be 100 years old today.

It is the magnificent merchant of menace - the marvellous master of malice:

Vincent Price!!

So: Praise the Price - by watching a wonderful movie (with him in it..)

Not sooo far away from Hollywood - new series?

Dear friends and/or followers - I am asking for your opinion:

As you might know I am also interested in old German and Austrian films - hej, I grew up with them! ;")

Even if you did not know that - you'll be surely aware that several Hollywood stars (actors, directors etc.) sometimes worked in German/Austrian films - or started in Austrian/German films - most of them pre-Nazi-Germany..

So, here is my question:

Would you like to read something about German/Austrian films?

Like Fritz Lang 's German films like M?

Silent films with Marlene Dietrich? Or Ingrid Bergman 's only German film?




Or VIKTOR & VIKTORIA which would be remade in 1995 with Julie Andrews?

If you are interested to read about German and Austrian films - each and every one? Or just with some kind of Hollywood connection? ;")

Or are you just interested in strictly Hollywood movies? How about old British movies?


That is a lot to ask.. Please leave a comment if you like to!


Well, no! Wait! I try a poll! And now you have one week to make up your mind! (You're able to select mutiple answers.) ;")


Have a great weekend!


Love,

Irene