guess who.

She grew up with the nickname Carly Jane by her family and close friends.

She is one of six actresses who have danced with both Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly.

She was discovered by Gene Kelly.

She has said, "Even now I feel furious with myself because whenever there's a camera pointed towards me my MGM training makes me smile. I don't like it. You can see it on all the people who came from that era because there was no question of them not smiling for the camera. Even Katharine Hepburn -- and God knows she was a dramatic actress -- if the camera is on her she smiles."

She and her daughter co-starred on an episode of "The Love Boat", in the parts of mother and daughter, both con artists, engaged in fleecing millionaires.

the adventures of bullwhip griffin

the year: 1967

the genre: adventure


the cast: Roddy McDowall (Bullwhip Griffin); Suzanne Pleshette (Arabella Flagg); Karl Malden (Judge Higgins); Bryan Russell (Jack Flagg); Richard Haydn (Quentin Bartlett)


the plot: Young Jack Flagg from Boston heads west to join the California gold rush with the hopes of restoring his family fortune, but his dedicated butler, Bullwhip Griffin, sets out to find him and bring him home.


don't miss: Grandpa's portrait. Classic Disney.


watch for: Bryan Russell. He played the little brother in Bye Bye Birdie. Too bad there wasn't a tortoise on 'roids in the wild, wild west!


listen for: "Grandpa used to say that people are 98% water and if you don't stir them up once in a while, they stagnate."


extra bonus points: Richard Haydn plays the hapless Mr. Bartlett. In addition to providing the voice of the Caterpillar in Disney's Alice in Wonderland, what is one of his most famous roles?

abcs: u-v

Up


Undercover Brother

What are your favorite "U" and "V" movies?

what a character

Name the movie where Jimmy Stewart played:

1. Roger Hobbs

2. Dr. Benjamin McKenna

3. Jefferson Smith

4. Mr. Krueger

5. Will Lockhart

6. Ransom Stoddard

guess who.

He was born Joseph Levitch.

He is known as a clothes horse. He donates his suits rather than having them cleaned and his socks after wearing once.

He was presented the French Legion of Honor in 1984 and was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

In Italy he has been given the nickname 'Picchiatello' (which means something like "nut" or "crazy").

In 1969, he announced an ambitious project of franchising a chain of (his name here) Cinemas. A firm believer in family entertainment, he said that the one inviolate rule of the chain would be that nothing other than family-oriented films would be shown. The project ran into trouble (including changing tastes in entertainment) and was never realized.

He always wore tiny lady's sized wristwatches, usually made by Cartier. They are easy to spot in all of his films.

Sammy Davis Jr. called him the "greatest white faker" when referring to him as a dancer.

moonstruck

the year: 1987

the genre: comedy

the cast: Cher (Loretta Castorini); Nicolas Cage (Ronny Cammareri); Olympia Dukakis (Rose Castorini); Danny Aiello (Johnny Cammareri)


the plot: Loretta Castorini, a Brooklyn bookkeeper in her late 30s whose husband died several years earlier in a bus accident, decides it's time to get married again. So she accepts the proposal of a nice, middle-aged fellow named Johnny Cammareri. Loretta is convinced her first marriage was cursed because she and her husband had gotten married at City Hall; this time, she's determined to do things right, even as she admits to her mother, Rose, that she's not really in love with Johnny. Loretta is convinced that marrying Johnny is the safe and sure thing to do - until she meets his estranged younger brother Ronny, who tends the ovens in a neighborhood bakery...



Disclaimer: I haven't watched this in a while, and even then it was on tv, so there may be some inappropriate parts. But this has one of my favorite wrap-ups/ending scenes. Great characters!

guarding tess

the year: 1994

the genre: dramedy

the cast: Shirley MacLaine (Tess Carlisle); Nicholas Cage (Doug Chesnik); Austin Pendleton (Earl Fowler)


the plot: Doug Chesnic is a Secret Service agent who takes great pride in his job, performing his duties with the utmost professionalism. However, his assignment for the last three years has been a severe test of his patience. Doug leads the team stationed in Ohio who protects Tess Carlisle, the widow of a former U.S. President, who is well-known for her diplomatic and philanthropic work. But Tess tends to regard Doug less as a security officer and more as a domestic servant...and she's not above contacting her close friend -- the current President of the United States -- to inform him of her displeasure. As Doug's three-year hitch with Tess comes to an end he unexpectedly gets the excitement he craves when Tess is kidnapped.



I like this one because of the great interplay between the two characters - similar to Driving Miss Daisy. It's a sweet dramedy with some hilarious banter.

abcs: t

The Thomas Crown Affair


The Awful Truth (okay, that should probably fall under the "A"s)


Thoroughly Modern Millie


That Darn Cat


That Thing You Do!


The Thin Man Series


Tammy and the Bachelor

What are your favorite "T" movies?

when you're sick...

Sorry I've been MIA this week. I've been under the weather.

Sadly, I was feeling so poorly that I didn't even feel like turning on the Tube. (I know - right on death's door!) But it got me thinking (in my semi-comatose state)...if I HAD had enough energy to move downstairs to the couch, what would I have watched...

The answer? Classic Looney Tunes.











Why? Could be the falling anvils, death ray guns, sound effects, Witch Hazel...hard to say.

Is there anything you watch that makes you feel better when you're under the weather?

abcs: s

Silk Stockings


Singin' in the Rain


Swiss Family Robinson


Seven Brides for Seven Brothers


School of Rock


Sahara


Seabiscuit

What are your favorite "S" movies?

what a character

Name the movie where Fred Astaire plays:

1. Biddeford "Pogo" Poole

2. Jervis Pendleton III

3. Johnny Parkson Riggs

4. Huckleberry Haines

5. Franklyn Ambruster

6. Finian McLonergan

best of: debbie reynolds

Tammy:


The Tender Trap:


Two Weeks With Love:


Bundle of Joy:

thor

the year: 2011

the genre: fantasy


the cast: Chris Hemsworth (Thor); Natalie Portman (Jane Foster); Anthony Hopkins (Odin); Tom Hiddleston (Loki - although I have to admit that I thought they were calling him "Gnocchi" the entire movie - but maybe that was because I was hungry.)


the plot: The warrior Thor is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.


This is the first "new" movie I've watched in quite a while. Oh, how I wish I had been watching it with Blaine, Logan and Scott, et. al - it reminded me of Fantastic Four, but funnier. If you take it as good clean fun instead of as a serious superhero flick, it's pretty enjoyable.

I laughed out loud several times - a nice mixture of places that were meant to be funny and places that really weren't. I mean, there were some really excellent lines: "Is it madness? Is it? IS IT?!" and "NO! I'll die a warrior's death! Stories will be told of this day!"
See what I mean?


listen for: "Is there a Renaissance Fair in town?"


extra bonus points: if you know what images the end titles were based on.


don't miss: how the locals respond to the appearance of Thor's hammer (Mjolnir).


did you know: Director Kenneth Branagh has been a fan of "Thor" since childhood. When Marvel Studios selected Branagh as the director, they sent him the complete collection of the Marvel Thor comics series as reference material for the character.


did you also know: Anthony Hopkins signed on as Odin despite never reading a "Thor" comic or knowing anything about the Thor mythology. It was the concept of the father and son relationship that intrigued him about the role.


also don't miss: Agent Coulson - or as Thor calls him "son of Coul" - once Thor gets his power back.


watch for: my favorite scene: "I need a horse!"