That shrove is an old word so lets hope that RJ and Spitty don’t give it short shrift and can do it the justice it deserves Jem.
I was fortunate to start travelling when it was still an unworldly world, and mostly safe for the lone traveler providing you adhered to a countries customs and ways and avoiding saying “Parlez vous fish and chips oh” loudly at any native you happened to meet. Always a dead give away that you were a Brit abroad for the first time who rightly deserved being ignored…
Cruise ships with their masses that swarm ashore for the odd hour or two so they can say they went to a certain popular spot just isn’t travelling. It’s more like collecting place names not to mention the damage done.
As a spotty pre-pubescent schoolboy, I watched the Guns of Navarone during an evening film club.
The projector and screen was set up sideways on the school stage with the blackout curtains drawn, and we all cheered along to a jolly good rumbustious film.
There was a sequel called Force Ten from Navarone, but I don’t think it was ever made into a film. If it was so these days, it would probably have been called The Guns of Navartwo.
I have never found the need to be shriven, and nobody in my family has ever tried to make me shrive. There are enough things on my list of “I’ve had an idea dear” to act as an act of penance without adding anything else.
Them who want broad fat minds is welcome to them, but when all is said and done there’s no place like home.
I watch a lot of 1930’s films on youtube, nearly all of them are remastered and look so clear on the screen. The 30’s is my favourite decade although I wasn’t even born then, In my opinion British cinema was on a roll then and who knows what classics we would have had if the war hadn’t put a stop to it all. Another reason I love looking at 30’s stuff is there’s not an atom of plastic in sight.
When I’m looking at these old films it’s hard to imagine that everyone in the films are now all dead, bright young things dancing about, charming well dressed young men with early BBC radio newsreaders accents, all so very much alive and kicking.
I heard a chap say in an oldie I watched last night “What the blazes is that?” I got a bit of a start, “Blazes” almost sounded worse than the “F” word, who knows the F word is losing it’s clout maybe blazes will make a comeback.
I’m with you,Jem. My favourite film ever is still “Oh,Mr Porter!” with Moore Marriott,Graham Moffat…and the leg-end that was Will Hay. 1937,black-and-white…and brilliant. Makes a chap wish Buggeskelly were a real place…#sigh#…
don’t forget all those Utube interviews with the stars of yesteryear - they often gave away hollywood secrets- groucho marx who probably only made B/W films was interviewed in color - spoils it a bit don’t it but they showed plenty of b/w clips to compliment the show.
The Marx Bros never really hit the mark for me,gummy. NOT saying they were rubbish…but after a while their humour became predictable. Rather like Norman Wisdom…yet,even once he was filming in colour,ol’ Norm still ‘had it’. Have you seen the footage of him collecting his knighthood from The Queen? He bow,turns,walks away-and trips [deliberately]…HMQ can’t help but grin as he does so. THAT’S being a legend!
Once you could buy a ticket on the Cornish Explorer which permitted you to travel free on any train anywhere in Cornwall!
Oh what days - "there was only one working mine left in Cornwall [near St Just]. but the landscape was scattered with abandoned mineworks which looked like ruined churches in ghost villages…many solitary cottages…it looked to be the most haunted place in England, and then its reputation for goblins seemed justified. We came to Penzance [somewhat ambitiously style the "Cornish Riviera…John Davison the Scottish poet drowned himself here]…there were few pleasures in England that could beat the small three-coach branch line train…We went along the river Hayle and paused at the station called Leland Saltings, which faced green -speckled mud flats.
Paul Theroux - The Kingdom by the Sea - Penguin books 1984
I must admit I remain nostalgic for the Britain of the '80’s - I had left it in '77 and returned in '81 so I doubt much had changed.
I once had a Norwegian girlfriend called ‘sense’ as soon as I moved in too close and clamped her she said ‘gummy this is just futility’ I didn’t know what she meant - do you?? I always thought ‘sense’ was a great name for a girl - was I being futile?
He once met a girl who was shriven
As shriven as pure driven snow
She always performed best on Tuesdays
Absolution in all she would show
She would let down her guard on Ash Wednesdays
The pancakes she would gorg by the plate
But when she was gentily Lent on!!
Then fasting was right in her face
If ya wanna speak froggie then speak it
It will be mardi on grass from now on
But it all means the same – you go quietly insane
As ya stomach empties it all through ya arse!
When you think of past film stars I am not sure who could, would or should be considered a legend out of today’s actors.
For me legends were made and remembered by the daring do’s of the heroes. Who could forget Flash Gordon and Dr Zarkovs tin foil rocket ship. I never thought for one moment that he would not defeat Ming the Merciless .(I think of him each time I cover a chicken with foil ready for roasting)
I also thought every boy should have been brought up in the jungle as Johnny Weismullers Tarzan was because anyone who can wear a scrap of cloth and swing through trees the way he did was and still is a legend to me. Boxer shorts or Y fronts would never have left such an impression would they ?
Never a John Wayne fan but oh when he drags a very obviously willing Maureen O’Hara across those fields in the Quiet Man, that good lady still valiantly managed to retain her shoes, her tam o’ shanter and her dignity. No mean feat that. Now that was truly the makings of a legend.
disgusting - this is no way to treat a lady - remove this clip immediately or I will report it to the equal opportunity board - feminist movement and every other board I can think of - who posted it ?? a woman member - remove her from this site - she is an abomination!!
anyway that tart John wayne was a lady himself - loved dressing in womens clothings in private and parading around the house as a woman! - disgusting
That’s what I love about youtube, you can get clips from “Hair”, snaps from “Jaws” and stills from “Whiskey Galore”, not to mention reels from “Riverdance”
The Quiet Man was filmed in the village of Cong on the Mayo/Galway border. They all loved Wayne down there in fact you could say he was King of Cong. They loved him so much they even had a statue of him made, not a lot of actors have claim to that.
So he wears women’s clothes in his leisure time, what’s the big deal? So did The Hulk, Lou Ferrigno, actors just can’t resist dressing up.
Reminds me of that old rhyme.
Johnny is a nice boy
Wears his Sisters clothes
Don’t know what to call him
But I think he’s one of those.
Gummy now don’t you go having a bowel movement over this but knowing what that particular Quiet man had in mind once he had reached their cottage, there was not a women in the cinema who would not have willingly swapped places with Maureen O Hara. The cave women fantasy still lurks deep within us
John Wayne wore 4 inch lifts in his shoes hence that clenched butt way of walking that he had. We all knew he wore lifts but I didn’t care then and I dont care now as he was just a film actor entertaining me for a few hours. Anything off screen was his business and was no doubt blown out of proportion anyways.
Actors then made a film either for the money as Robert Mitchum once said or because they knew a damned good script when they saw one like Olivia de Haviland did with The Heiress.(One of the best films ever made)
None of this constant psychological breast baring claptrap we now get from todays film luvvies explaining why they just had to do a particular role.
Funny how even having such worthy reasons they would never do it for free though.
Rin Tin Tin never worried about motivation or concepts and all that junk.
old johnny wayne heh - there is no evidence that I can see that he ever actually satisfied a woman in the flesh - it was just for the celluloid wasn’t it - now Errol flyn there was a mans man?? and don’t let’s forget little legs Cagney and hump a girl Bogart!! etc etc
