Movie Memories

What if obituaries had to be honest?

Honest obits might go something like this: Myra Ruth Littleberg Funeral arrangements for Myra Ruth Littleberg, 91, of Ithaca, New York, who passed May 1, 2019 while reading a book at home, are pending at Ike’s Nondenominational Funeral Emporium on Hickory Street. Littleberg served as No. 2 Librarian for 25 years at the main Ithaca Library. She kept to herself, spoke in a whisper and was quick to “shush” loud talkers even outside the library. While researching Littleberg’s quiet life at work and at home with her three cats (Purrcy, Cuddles and Twerk), this reporter discovered, and thus must report,... Read more

Fall guys

Courtesy: IMDb.com

Don't let Gary Kent's personal kindness and gentle demeanor fool you.

Inside Kent, the subject of Joe O'Connell's fascinating documentary Danger God, rages a cunning creative lion of a stuntman, writer, filmmaker, author and actor who fell off a horse for a young Jack Nicholson in some Monte Hellman Westerns in the 1960s, got in a knife fight with The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant in the '70s, flipped cars, orchestrated and participated in scores of cinematic fist fights and had a run-in with Charles Manson (Yes, that Charles Manson) along the way.

Rush, rush, busy, busy: Great week

What a busy, crazy-good week at Camp Movie Memories last week.

Tuesday: "A Salute to the Great War Movies" at The Preston of the Park Cities.

Thursday: "'Casablanca' -- Hollywood's Classic Happy Accident" at the Southwest Women's Club meeting in Duncanville with Suellen offering a great assist (resulting in a 5-star review on Thumbtack.com).

Friday: "Hollywood's Hot Movie Scandals" before a large, enthusiastic crowd at the Canyon Creek North Garden Club in Plano.

Secrets & Lies

(Courtesy: google.com)

Let's face it, thanks to the Age of Social Media everyone is free to spew their political stance, opinion, jokes, opinion disguised in jokes, photos of cute kitties romping with lions (and/or mice, doggies, etc.), what we're having for breakfast, lunch, brunch and munch and things really much too personal for universe-wide distribution ("Does this look infected to you?")

The line between truth and fiction has become severely Mr. Magooed.  For those of you who don't know and are probably under the age of 100, that means blurred.  (Mr. Magoo, you see, was ... Oh never mind!)

So, how about some unabridged truth?

Daddy Dearest

Father's Day was June 16.  So here's a question:  Who is the best movie father in cinematic history?

(Courtesy: Walt Disney)

We could certainly make a case for Geppetto, the elderly woodcarver of Pinocchio, Walt Disney Productions second full-length animated feature of 1940.

Geppetto wanted a son so badly that he carved one out of wood.  A Blue Fairy gave the puppet life and freed the lovable-but-gullible "boy" from his strings.  My nose would grow and grow if  I denied that Pinocchio made an indelible impression on me as a boy.

Crimes and Mister Meanies

You're probably familiar with the current crop of #Me Too movement suspects and convicted perpetrators. 

To mention just a few:  Major indie studio movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's trial for alleged sexual abuses of dozens of female complainants is coming up soon.  Excellent actor Kevin Spacey, facing charges for allegedly groping a teenage boy, has seen his "House of Cards" crumble.  And, sadly, Bill Cosby, formerly known as "America's Dad," is doing 3-to-10 in the slammer after being convicted on three counts of sexual assault.

What about those I'm calling the #Them Too perps?  I had a great time over at HarborChase of the Park Cities retirement community (in the Dallas area) recently with my Movie Memories presentation titled "Hollywood's Hot Movie Scandals."