ON THIS DAY in 1786, American frontiersman and soldier Davy Crockett was born. His exploits were dramatized in the 1955 Disney film, DAVY CROCKETT, KING OF THE WILD FRONTIER, starring Fess Parker.
Movies
ON THIS DAY in 1888, British Army officer T. E. Lawrence was born. David Lean’s 1962 epic, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, starring Peter O’Toole, was based on Lawrence’s experiences in Arabia during the first World War.
I don’t really like scary movies. My brain takes them seriously.
Thanks to some long forgotten film, I suffer from an unnatural fear of quicksand (although I’ve never actually even seen quicksand). I worry sometimes about dolls coming alive.
And, of course, thanks to JAWS (1975), I still have a deeply entrenched fear being torn apart by those pesky, jagged teeth of a shark — even when I’m in a freshwater lake.
How can it be that it’s already more than 35 years since I first heard John Williams’ two terrifying musical notes of doom?
It seems impossible that there are still people who haven’t seen this classic film whose promotional poster tells all.
But if you have never seen it or if you haven’t seen it in a long time, it’s time to think about an end-of-summer group watching event. JAWS is frightening and campy and full of howl-inducing fun.
Best yet, just yesterday on August 14, the new Blu-ray version was released as part of Universal’s 100th Anniversary series. The restoration gives the film “the sight and sound that I didn’t get when I made the movie,” says director Steven Spielberg.
The release of the JAWS Blu-ray was also also timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Discovery Channel’s annual celebration of Shark Week.
As a result, shark is totally in the air. It’s time for a shark party.
There are tips on shark drinking games at sites like Brobible. Shark paraphernalia is available at sites like The Jungle Store and Cafe Press. And amazing feats of shark party creativity are rocking the boat on Pinterest.
You can even have your shark spotters take a quiz. There’s a fascinating collection of JAWS trivia on IMDB. (Did you know that Peter Benchley was livid about the ending of the movie? He didn’t think it was believable. Spielberg told him that the audience would believe anything after watching the movie for two hours, even the blowing up of the mechanical shark.)
I’ll still be scared when watching this one, but sort of like being scared with a good friend. JAWS has everything for a chomping good time.
Gloria Bowman is a writer, storyteller, blogger, movie lover, freelance editor,
and author of the novel, Human Slices.
Access her blog at www.gloriabowman.com; on Twitter @GloriaBow
ON THIS DAY in 1965, the Beatles played before approximately 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. The concert–which marked the birth of stadium rock–was documented in the 1966 film, THE BEATLES AT SHEA STADIUM.
ON THIS DAY in 1980, Polish electrician and human rights activist Lech Wałęsa scaled a fence at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk where a food price-hike strike was taking place. Wałęsa became the strike’s leader, his actions leading to Poland’s Solidarity movement. In 1981, the film MAN OF IRON, directed by Andrzej Wajda, told the story of how the movement persuaded the Polish government to recognize workers’ rights.
Growing up in Chicago in the 70’s, we were blessed with having some of the best local television stations in the country. At the top of the list was WGN; Cubs baseball, classic television shows, and lots and lots of movies. Every Sunday morning, if there wasn’t a baseball game, there were movies from 11 AM until 3. 11:00 – Charlie Chan. 1:00 – A comedy. Mostly Abbott and Costello movies. I don’t think I missed one. I can’t even say that I was a fan, but they were always on; I took them for granted.
That’s why I was surprised to run across one of their movies that I’d never heard of, The Noose Hangs High. An awkward title for an independently produced feature they did in 1947. So independent that Lou Costello’s mother was one of the producers!
I won’t go into details of the plot because it really doesn’t matter. What does matter is if you are going to watch one A&C film, this would be the one I would show people. They pulled out all of their old comedy routines for this film. Word confusion, getting dressed then undressed, and best of all ‘the Mustard sketch’.
Lou Costello, yet another man/child character, is funny, but the marvel when I saw this scene is Bud Abbott. Groucho Marx called him the best straight man that there ever was… and it’s true. He makes nonsense sound logical.
The full movie can also be watched on Hulu.com. But with commercials.
Not really a group watch movie, but it sure was nice to see the boys again. 
Death scenes from 36 of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies, synchronised to climax in unison…
ON THIS DAY in 1860, Annie Oakley–sharpshooting star of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show–was born. In 1935, her life was portrayed by Barbara Stanwyck in the film, ANNIE OAKLEY.
ON THIS DAY in 30 B.C., Cleopatra VII Philopator, last ruler of the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty, committed suicide, allegedly by means of an asp bite. In 1963, she was portrayed by Elizabeth Taylor in the epic CLEOPATRA, also starring Richard Burton.
FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD (1967) contains some of the most memorable scenes in cinema — including suicidal sheep and maniacal casket cracking. This epic love story is a near-perfect convergence of scene, score, story, and performance. The only thing that doesn’t work in this film is Julie Christie’s hair and makeup. Maybe it’s the frosted lip gloss. As in Dr. Zhivago, she just doesn’t quite seem historically accurate, although she is otherwise perfect.
Christie stars as Bathsheba, the unattainable catch of the English countryside, who struggles with her passion and lack of passion for the men in her life: Peter Finch as the desperate suitor, Alan Bates as the regular guy, and Terence Stamp as the hot bad boy. While Bathsheba struggles over finding the right man, she is also rolling up her sleeves to deal with the the trials and tribulations (and joys) of day-to-day farm life. She’s a flirt and a heartbreaker, passionate and vulnerable. She is also smart, powerful, and confident.
The film is based on the book of the same name by 19th century novelist Thomas Hardy. And although I love the book, watching the movie is way, way easier and more satisfying than slogging through Hardy’s heavy prose.
When I read that there was a remake of MADDING CROWD as a “romantic comedy,” I couldn’t help but be curious. The only thing I’m curious about now is that someone thought that might be a good idea.
TAMARA DREWE (2010), starring Bond girl Gemma Arterton, boasts better historically accurate hair, but the film is flat and dull as it traces Ms. Drewe’s quest to find love among her choice of uninteresting village men. So much for a laugh riot take on a classic.
I was so hopeful with the opening of this film, which begins with a classified post advertising a country writers’ retreat that is “Far from the madding crowd.” But the film is all downhill from there. Homage to Hardy abounds — but is it really funny when one of Tamara’s suitors is trampled by stampeding cows? If there were a Monty Pythonian take on it, perhaps.
There are a few clever takes on the classic-to-contemporary theme, like casting a rock star in the role of a typical Hardy bad boy, and instead of misunderstood letters there are missent emails. But if you’re looking for a few romantic comedy laughs, you won’t find them. Better to watch the original drama instead.
Sadly enough, FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD wasn’t released on DVD until 2009, so I think it’s been missed by many home theater fans. The trailer for the film is far from compelling (and you get to see why Julie Christie seems to be a time traveler instead of a 19th century beauty). Nonetheless, if you enjoy period dramas, tragic love stories, rain, and the English countryside, you’ll enjoy FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD. A romantic “comedy” remake of it? Not so much.
Gloria Bowman is a writer, storyteller, blogger, movie lover, freelance editor,
and author of the novel, Human Slices.
Access her blog at www.gloriabowman.com; on Twitter @GloriaBow
ON THIS DAY in 1926, Danish socialite Claus von Bülow was born in Copenhagen. Von Bülow was convicted of attempting to murder his wife Sunny via an overdose of insulin (thus leaving her in a lifelong vegetative state), but the conviction was reversed. The story was retold in the 1990 film, REVERSAL OF FORTUNE, starring Jeremy Irons and Glenn Close.
Good evening and welcome to the virtual birthday celebration for one Mr. Alfred Hitchcock. On Monday, August the 13th, Alfred will be 113 years old. Although he’s not quite as sprightly as he once was, his films haven’t aged a bit. And so to celebrate this occasion, you are being cordially invited to test your memory of Hitch’s films by taking part in this party-ish quiz. Please think responsibly.
Good luck, Mr. Thornhill, wherever you are…
Take the Quiz!(*The quiz title was inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s North By Northwest: “Something wrong with your eyes?” “Yes”, says the sunglass-clad Roger O. Thornhill (Cary Grant), “They’re sensitive to questions”. Previously, Roger’s assailants pretended to Roger that his early, forced and drunken departure via automobile was of his own free will: “It was a dull party. You didn’t miss a thing.”)
ON THIS DAY in 1988, the United States authorized the Civil Liberties Act, which gave $20,000 payments to Japanese Americans who had been interned or relocated by the government during World War II. The 1990 documentary short subject Oscar winner, DAYS OF WAITING, tells the story of an artist who went voluntarily to one of the internment camps.
Several years ago when Netflix started streaming some of their content via the Internet I would occasionally. It was only available to me on my computer and sitting in my office chair watching a movie seemed uncomfortable and awkward. Then about a year ago, I purchased a Roku which allowed instant viewing of the Netflix library through my projector system and to my television. Also at this same time, Netflix started adding the mother load of movies. Things that haven’t seen the light of day in decades, movies that had never nor would ever have a chance of being released on DVD.
There are so many movies that are on there now that I thought it might be helpful to start sorting through them for future group movie nights. Some are truly buried treasures, and some should have remained buried.
Last night I came upon something that I thought I’d never see… a Jerry Lewis movie I’d never heard of: It’s Only Money.
Combining two of my guilty pleasures, Film Noir and Jerry Lewis! Even though I completely see why people would hate Jerry Lewis, his boy/man character, Borscht Belt humor, gags that are so predictable you can see them coming a mile away… But he stil makes me laugh; especially his work with the wonderful director Frank Tashlin. Tashlin was an animator before a director and this film in particular brings the exaggerated styling of a Warner Brothers cartoon to life. Mix that with some dark and stunning cinematography, some brilliant characters like Jack Weston, Jessie White and Mae (Olive Oil) Questel, and you have a classic comedy that seems to have slipped through the cracks.
(One odd moment was that although I didn’t remember anything about this film; I did recall the horrifying lawnmowers featured in the climax. Monstrous machines with large grinding teeth that chase everyone around. I remembered the feeling of being terrified of them; but nothing else about the film. The lawnmowers are out a Stephen King novel. And made me wonder if he recalled them when he wrote his short story, The Mangler about a killer machine.)
Granted this film might not be for a group if you have people who hate Lewis, because Jerry is as Jerry as you can get. I gave up counting the number of times he did his ‘Hey Lady’ routine or made his Jerry-Lewis-being-funny face. But if you grew up with these slightly innocent romps they don’t disappoint. 
ON THIS DAY in 1942, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi was arrested in Bombay by British forces, thereby launching the “Quit India Movement”. The incident was reenacted for the 1982 biographical film, GANDHI, starring Ben Kingsley.
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