Frank Sinatra and Mood Indigo

Singers nowadays. I mean really. I'm fed up.

With few exception, the female singers' voices are either auto-tuned beyond recognition, or so weak that either way they are impossible to tell apart from each other. And the male singers...if they don't sound like girls--which too many do--I wouldn't be able to tell the one from another. Honestly, I couldn't differentiate Kenny Chesney from Tim McGraw to save my life, and that's just country. Oh yeah, and what is the attraction to a certain much-mocked Canadian superstar? My faith in humanity is certainly on the downhill slope.

My personal favorite singer hails from a different decade, a different era...a different style and skill entirely. I by that, I mean that Frank Sinatra is approximately 100x better than any of the poor excuses that society offers today.

Sinatra had a manly voice, a smooth voice, and he sang elegant and intelligent thoughts of days of bygone romance. Still, some would choose various modern "artists" over my favorite. How dare they! (Just kidding, I understand that it's their preference...and everyone has one life to mess up any way they want. I guess.)

A friend once told me that Taylor Swift had songs for every feeling and every emotion. Songs for mean people. Songs for sad people. Songs for cheating people...and a couple of ditties for happy people. 

Sinatra, on the other hand, only sang happy songs for people in love and people who were only ever happy and hopeful all the time. His music was for the chronic optimist. 

I had a difficult time refuting this, as up until that time I had only listened to all the happy songs...even the slow-paced ones weren't exactly depressing. So I was forced to rest with the fact that my favorite was more skilled by far than Miss Swift, but woefully lacking in variety. 

That is what I thought...until the other day. Friday, I believe it was, I found a whole new realm of Sinatra, one that was wonderful for that moment. I found not just sentimental, but heart-breakingly sad songs, all on the same marvelous album.

Mood Indigo

Glad to Be Unhappy

In the Wee Small Hours

Deep in a Dream

...and my favorite, I Get Along Without You Very Well. 

and many others. 

I knew that I Frank Sinatra was my favorite singer, but I didn't fully realize on how many levels. Now, I will be sure to listen to one of his songs in any mood, since there's always one that fits.

Also, Frank Sinatra wore the greatest hats. I think that all men should wear hats like his. 

Must-See Classic Movies

A friend of mine asked for a list of "must-see" classic movies...and so here 'tis. Of course, those studios in 1930s-1950s produced movies even faster than they do now, and I'm sure that there are some classics that I have yet to see. 

...but still, here's a start:

 Citizen Kane--the most perfect movie ever made. I'm not the only one that says that.

 Casablanca--it's not just a cliched old movie. It really is fantastic.

 The Best Years of Our Lives--a great film about three soldiers readjusting from WWII.

Since You Went Away--my favorite home-front movie ever.

Mrs. Miniver--an Oscar-winning classic about the British home-front.

It's a Wonderful Life--I'm sure everyone knows about this one. ;)

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington--...and this one...

Shadow of a Doubt--Alfred Hitchcock's favorite of his own films. (There's no blood and gore.)

Bringing Up Baby--Cary Grant plays a paleontologist and Katharine Hepburn is a ditzy heiress. Both of them end up chasing a leopard around the Connecticut countryside. Funniest movie ever.

Seven Brides For Seven Brothers--a musical about just what the title says..how seven brothers manage to get their brides. It's "terribly" funny.

Notorious--Another thriller of Hitchcock's--no blood/gore in this one either, just a great spy thriller.

Woman of the Year--a great Tracy/Hepburn comedy about completely opposite newspaper reporters

Adam's Rib--another Tracy/Hepburn comedy about two lawyers who manage to be the opposing councils in a trial.

Pat and Mike--last Tracy/Hepburn, trust me...about an athelete-of-all-trades and her trainer.

The Long, Long Trailer--a hilarious Lucy and Desi full-length about a couple who honeymoons in a trailer, driving it themselves. "TRAILER BRAKES FIRST!"

Singing in the Rain--one of those classic and well-known musicals...it's awesome.

Showboat--a musical about a riverboat on the Mississippi. Some of the most beautiful music.

Arsenic and Old Lace--Cary Grant thinks he's going insane. Needless to say, this is a great old comedy.

To Have and Have Not--Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.

Dark Passage--you don't even see Bogie for the first half of the movie, but it still manages to be a great thriller.

His Girl Friday--another Cary Grant comedy about newspaper reporters...you may need subtitles, they talk faster than I've heard anyone talk in my entire life.

The Man Who Came to Dinner--great Christmas comedy

Kiss Me Kate--a musical retelling of Taming of the Shrew. More wonderful songs.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game--Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly teamed up for a few musicals, but this is my favorite.

Three Guys Name Mike--not particularly well-known, but it's definitely my favorite romantic-comedy. Ever. The body of the film is not the most scintillating, but your heart will melt (melt, I tell you) at the end, mostly if you're a girl.

On the Town--another Sinatra/Kelly musical, but this time with Ann Miller and Betty Garrett supporting. It's pretty fantastic, too.

Well, there's a list that watched all at once would take up the better part of a month. ;) I hope that it's enough....and anyone can feel free to comment with their favorites that I may have missed! 

Swing Time

I can't think of a way to say this other than....I love Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire. Maybe a good alternative would be "I love Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers." Yes, that would work too.

Every time I watch their dances, I am absolutely mesmerized by them.

  
                    Backwards and in heels.

                                  

...and rollerskates. Did you evah?



My favorite dance ever, it always gives me warm fuzzies.

I don't know why, just does.

-----------------

"When two people love each other, they don't look at each other, they look in the same direction."  {Ginger Rogers}

"I have no desire to prove anything by dancing. I have never used it as an outlet or a means of expressing myself. I just dance. I just put my feet in the air and move them around." {Fred Astaire}

What's your favorite Astaire/Rogers film? Are there any other dancing teams from the era that you like?

Begin the Beguine...

~Olivia

Singing in the Rain. (I Wish.)

I wanted, I needed, I felt compelled to post on here right now. I feel that an update is needed, just so that you don't feel like I give up so fast.

You: that Olivia, she can't stick with anything for long, way too distracted. Tsk, tsk.
Me: SQUIRREL!

Anywho.

So here is what I've been up to to date. Well, that's just something I say. Here's what I can remember.

• School started on Monday. On the one hand I'm excited, on the other hand, I'm very nervous. I REFUSE to feel overwhelmed. I can grit my teeth and do this. With the help of God. I think that I'll love all that I'm doing that is speech-related...Chemistry, not so much. On my bucket list is to make an "A" in a difficult class. Maybe this will be it.

• I'm very happy that our governor, Rick Perry, is running for President. This country needs a little of what he embodies: strength, conviction and a good, hearty dose of Texas cowboy. 

• South Texas is almost literally cracking under this heat. With temperatures uniformly in the triple digits and no significant rain since the beginning of time, you just KNOW that that green grass was painted.

• On that note, my imagination is so vivid, and my thinking so wishful, every now-and-again...I can almost feel fall. Ah.

• I am considering how plausible it is for me to get all my homework done by the weekend so that I can sew myself one of the Sense and Sensibility Patterns swing dresses. That would be fun...to wear. 

•  I just completed my latest mission: to find vintage-style shoes. Target, of all places had a wonderful pair, not too 'spensive and very 30's/40's. I am smiling right now.

Well, that's all I can think of right now to post, so I will take my leave for tonight. Rest assured, I have some wonderful (IMHO) ideas for posts that revolve around 1940s-vintage greatness, so I'll try to have those up as soon as I do that Chemistry stuff.

I got a really nice compliment from a friend (you know who you are if you indeed see this) lately on this blog. I feel inspired to post. Thanks so much to everyone who I know either from Lucie Land or real life who has seen this and told me...it makes my day every time. :)

Adios,

Olivia

Actually, I saw one of the weather reporters down here do this once. I think we'd all be doing it if it rained again.

"I'm singing in the rain
Just singing in the rain
What a glorious feelin'
I'm happy again
I'm laughing at clouds
So dark up above
The sun's in my heart
And I'm ready for love..."



The Death of a Bookstore

oh, maybe just a little. Let's just say...Borders is closing and I'm all very sorry. Mostly, I'm glad because it forced such really nice sales as this one. The sticker says: $4.99. Cue a happy squeal.


Coffee table book or no, this has so many really nice quality pictures and quotes.

Because I am crazy and had $10 to spend before the store collapsed on our heads, I bought two. Isn't that great?

Anyway, I'm done ranting and raving and bragging now. How are you? ;)

Feelin' Forties

I'm one of those slightly wacky people who do one, some, or all of the following:

watches old movies
listens to The Andrews Sisters (and other '40s music)
listens to old radio plays
is not afraid of corny-ness
loves the color red on its own merit, and also because that's the color they painted their nails back then.
paints *her* nails red
knows the names of all the old movie stars, and most of their relationships with each other
picks clothes based on the era she feels like. Generally, this spans 1930's-1950's.

Consider yourself warned.

Right now, I'm just sitting here listening to a 1945 broadcast of Jack Benny, and am in a mood that I describe as "feelin' forties." Since it's the end of the day, I already painted my nails red, and there's not really much of a point in dressing to fit the mood...or watching a movie to fit the mood...or in writing a book to fit the mood. So a post attempting to describe this feeling is going to have to do.

Feelin' Forties is...

Feelin' forties is the sensation when you realize that the golden age of not only Hollywood, but the whole idea of classy-ness, is practically dead. It's a sort of hopelessness, and is worsened by gazing at pictures of the ordinary people going about their ordinary lives. With style and dignity. 

Feelin' forties intensifies the feeling that I've felt on a regular basis since I was 8 years old and obsessed with the Revolutionary War--the feeling that I was most definitely born in the wrong century. Or decade. But whatever.

Feelin' forties is when I am inspired to sew. Because I am a poor teenager who cannot afford to fill her closet with $80 vintage items off of Etsy, size 2 (which is way too small, just so you know). So I must content myself with finding some time to sew my own. Good thing I have a love/hate relationship with that ol' sewing machine.

Feelin' forties is the momentary determination to reform the world back to the days of 'do your bit' and home front thrifty-ness. (Preferably without the war.)

Forgive my running on and on. It's late on a Saturday night, and I don't have any more intelligent thoughts running through my head.


Feelin' Forties,
Olivia