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Movie Greats


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I'm sitting here watching Glenn Miller Story and remember when I would sit with my grandmother and watch movies she grew up with. In doing so I developed a sense of appreciation for what all those involved had done and accomplished.

 

It's hard to replace the likes of James Stewart, June Allyson (who had a unique voice), and Henry Morgan because they were some of the best for their time. I also have High Society with Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong which remains one of my favorite classics.

 

In a lot of ways I wish that they were still around and movies like those mentioned were still being made. Fred's unique dancing style has really never been duplicated or impersonated. It's been said that his style was always hard for other actors performing with him to keep up with.

 

They paved the way for actors I remember during the 1980's. Robin Williams, Eddie Murphy, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, John Candy, all of them performed beyond expectations. As much as I hate to say it, and while there are some good movies today, I feel the movie industry is really missing the talent that once entertained us.

 

My Grandmother and I were really blessed one day as a vacation to Branson, Missouri, only a 30 minute drive from where I once lived, landed us a chance to meet a popular icon. Next to the hotel we were staying in was a small outlet with a Red Skelton Museum. We paid it a visit only to discover also visiting the store Red himself. We didn't ask for an autograph but we did tell him how much we still watched his shows on TV and VHS. He seemed shocked that a teenager knew who he was. He invited us to lunch with him. Best hour of my life. It amazed me that how he was in real life was not much different than how he was when performing. He passed shortly after that.

 

I guess I'm just rambling on about memories I have. I think the movie industry could learn a thing or two from what these previous professionals did. Just don't screw it up. They already screwed up Ghostbusters and Footloose.

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I'm very much one of those people that won't play the "things were better back when..." games.  It's all an illusion.  They made crappy movies back then and they still do.  And they still make great ones. 

Let me give you an example.  Go watch "Coco".  If you could bring back Walt Disney today and watch that with him, you think he'd say "Snow White was better"?  Nope.  Because it isn't.  It's fair to say that today's animated films build on what came before.  But to completely discount new stuff....movies, music, sports, games...is just your perfectly natural instinct to fear change. 

That Red Skelton story is cool, and the same can happen today.  Just keep your eyes open...aging stars are out there and happy to share their time.  Join Facebook or Twitter and be amazed at the personal contact you can have with TONS of famous folks who are kind and gracious all the way. 

 

Me personally -- I absolutely LOVE the silent films that came way before my time.  Any movie by Buster Keaton is pure joy to me.  It's fantastic that those old movies are still mostly available for anyone to watch and enjoy.  And that's the real beauty of our modern age.  So many things to learn and enjoy and share.  Old and new. 

Jimmy Stewart and all those you mentioned WERE great.  And so are newer stars.  Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Frances McDermond, Meryl Streep, etc, etc. are all incredibly talented. 

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I'm very much one of those people that won't play the "things were better back when..." games. It's all an illusion. They made crappy movies back then and they still do. And they still make great ones.

 

Let me give you an example. Go watch "Coco". If you could bring back Walt Disney today and watch that with him, you think he'd say "Snow White was better"? Nope. Because it isn't. It's fair to say that today's animated films build on what came before. But to completely discount new stuff....movies, music, sports, games...is just your perfectly natural instinct to fear change.

 

That Red Skelton story is cool, and the same can happen today. Just keep your eyes open...aging stars are out there and happy to share their time. Join Facebook or Twitter and be amazed at the personal contact you can have with TONS of famous folks who are kind and gracious all the way.

 

Me personally -- I absolutely LOVE the silent films that came way before my time. Any movie by Buster Keaton is pure joy to me. It's fantastic that those old movies are still mostly available for anyone to watch and enjoy. And that's the real beauty of our modern age. So many things to learn and enjoy and share. Old and new.

 

Jimmy Stewart and all those you mentioned WERE great. And so are newer stars. Harrison Ford, Robert DeNiro, Frances McDermond, Meryl Streep, etc, etc. are all incredibly talented.

 

Wife and I watched Coco on Netflix and loved the movie. All of those actors/actresses you mentioned are talented as well. Albert Finny really got into his parts. It was hard to actually see him instead of his characters in Murder on the Orient Express and also in Annie. Jeff Bridges is one of my favorite actors but not for TRON alone but also for Tucker. Another favorite is Spencer Tracey because he portrayed Thomas Edison so well, a movie I have not been able to locate.

 

I really wasn't trying to play the BITD game. But I guess I did, unknowingly. I guess a part of me wishes those people were still around to hear from every now and then. Time always changes things which is good but sometimes changes come too fast for me. Most of it boils down to me being more comfortable with the way things were because it worked and seemed easier. Maybe I'm blindfolded.

 

I would easily pick old analog TV over digital any day when it comes to using an antenna. Where we are digital channel by antenna are practically nonexistent. We get five on good days. I could deal with static more than I can blocky videos that cut out. Just an example.

Edited by kamakazi20012
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Same here on the digital TV.  We live in a valley between two mountains -- no reception.  So I keep cable mostly to be able to watch sports.  But the few channels we do get are really awesome.  I love the higher resolution of HD tv.  And things like Netflix are incredible if you really stop to think about it.  Thousands of movies and TV shows in high def at any time you want.  Even on a phone or tablet!  Incredible.  And the TV's these days.. bigger screen, no lines visible, and they take up LESS space!  Progress is good. 

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Progress is great. I think I take for granted that I have the ability to watch pretty much anything I want on a device that I can hold in my hand with no wires attached. I can also listen to ANY FREAKING SONG I want on that same device. No matter sitting next to my old boombox, finger on the record button, hoping the DJ will cue up the song I want to hear.

 

I don't always take those facts for granted, as I will occasionally stop to think about what I was doing when I was my daughter's age. But I still will whine & complain that there's nothing on TV and yeah, I can punch up Hulu, Netflix or Amazon but that would require pushing a few extra buttons and really, who has time to deal with that hassle?  :lol:  (I vividly remember not having cable, receiving MAYBE three clear channels & when I did get cable, having the controller box be tethered to the TV. :)

Things were definitely simpler 30+ years ago but that was because we didn't have so many options. It's almost overload nowadays, which isn't totally a bad thing. Personally, I'm able to discover more classic films & shows that I missed growing up. I watched The French Connection a few months ago & it was so great seeing NYC before it was cleaned up. Good stuff.

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I remember having three channels that were sometimes clear but most of the time had static which I dealt with. Grandma had cable, the first RCA CED player, and eventually got a VCR. Man the quality of those old machines compared to what I had at home kept me mesmerized.

 

Wife and I just watch Netflix's animated White Fang which I enjoyed. The artwork done in the movie was something I never seen before. The characters had this almost paint-by-number like styling. Pretty cool. Netflix has also been good for watching shows we would not normally get in the States. We've found a few BBC shows we have enjoyed. Land Girls and Call the Midwives were good.

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