Blogging Domino

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid, 1982

2012-01-27T07:42:00.002-06:00

Steve Martin stars in a 1940s-style film noir comedy. And even though it’s filmed in the classic film noir black and white, he doesn’t have his trademark white hair. He’s a handsome brown-haired detective looking for his client’s father’s killer. Since eighteen films from the 1940s are used in the story, Martin gets to have scenes with James Cagney and Humphrey Bogart among others. Names and places from those films are brought into this plot at odd angles. Comedic surprises abound.

This really isn’t a family-friendly film. I couldn't invite my kids to watch the comedy because of Rigby Reardon’s roaming hands. But aside from the crude humor, it’s really funny. If you’ve seen most of the eighteen films which make a brief appearance from time to time in this story, you may recognize the other films’ original intent and see how this story makes room for the mergers. The Steve Martin film makes the other films feel right at home somehow.

This is not an Oscar-winning film, like the others I reviewed this month, but it includes clips from seven (of the eighteen used in the story) films in which Edith Head had designed clothes. And this is Edith Head’s last film.

Clothes That Mean Something

2012-01-25T07:42:00.000-06:00

I’ve enjoyed this month of clothing, noticing Edith Head’s work, noticing clothing in the Bible. Today on Seek God With Me, I’ll take a look at a piece of clothing that has meaning. In the day of Moses, the clothing of priests had specific meaning. Everything that was on the garments had a purpose.

God explained how to make Aaron’s priestly garments and which ones to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. Where did they get the supplies to make everything? Exodus 28:1 tells us that Moses received an offering from those whose heart prompted them to give. It wasn’t a tax or a fee. It was freely given.

For more about clothes, join me at Seek God With Me.

Sabrina, 1954

2012-01-20T08:14:00.001-06:00

Linus, the more responsible of the two Larrabee brothers, is in the middle of working out a Larrabee-Tyson merger, a business deal with the family of the woman his brother will be marrying. David, the spoiled playboy brother, can’t seem to settle on one woman since they’re all so fascinating. So the fact that he’s agreed to marry is a big deal. When David sees the chauffeur’s daughter has come home from Paris a bit more grown-up than when she left, he hardly recognizes her. He also suddenly finds her more fascinating than his fiancé. Linus must rescue the business deal, even if it means wooing her himself.

Being with David is what Sabrina wants, but something is wrong. She doesn’t fit into the family’s expectations of the kind of woman David should be with, especially since he’s already engaged. Being with Linus isn’t really what Sabrina wants, but he makes her feel comfortable and secure, for a little while.

Billy Wilder directed this popular film starring Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, and William Holden. Although it received six Academy Award nominations, the only one taking home an Oscar for this film was Edith Head (Best Costume Design, Black and White). Head excels at making elegant suits for men and beautiful gowns for women, but French designer Givenchy made Hepburn’s gowns. It made sense because her character had been in Paris for two years.

Clothes That Fit

2012-01-18T09:45:00.001-06:00

Skin is a funny thing. It’s designed to protect your vital organs and muscles. You don’t put it on and take it off or shop for a bigger size. If you take care of it, it’ll fit perfectly for as long as you need it.

A relationship with God is like that. God can surround you, protect you, and cover you in such a way that his presence can be seen when others look at you. If you take care of your relationship with God, you’ll have it forever. And you’ll never grow out of it.

If you are humble about the beauty of your relationship with God, it’s like a beautiful woman with smooth, glowing, healthy skin. She doesn’t have to tell people she has great skin. It’s noticeable.

When you find clothes that fit as if they were a second skin, they’re comfortable. They give you freedom of movement and maintain privacy. They make you feel secure.

This weekend, I’ll review a movie that shows how a relationship, when two people work at it, can grow with you and bloom into something beautiful. There is freedom and security in a good relationship. The hero changes from selfish to selfless and gets rewarded for it with a relationship that will fit perfectly as long as he works at it.

Last week on my devotional blog, Seek God With Me, we saw that it’s a waste of time to put on armor that doesn’t fit. This week I’ll take a look at garments that always fit. Join me.

A Place In The Sun, 1951

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

Poor George Eastman wonders if he’ll be taken seriously by rich high society girl Angela Vickers. He’s forgotten all about the fling with poor Alice Tripp, but Alice hasn’t. How can he get Alice out of the way, so he can concentrate on Angela?

Elizabeth Taylor and Montgomery Clift pair up in this dramatic look at a man doing whatever is necessary in order to get what he wants. Shelley Winters did a great job as Alice. Clift’s acting was wonderful, but Taylor’s beauty stole the show.

George Stevens directed this film which was taken from Theodore Dreiser’s novel “An American Tragedy”. The black and white film won six Academy Awards including, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Writing of a screenplay, Best Music, and Best Cinematography. Edith Head won her Costume Design Oscar for a black and white film two years in a row. This one came right after winning the award for All About Eve the previous year.

Second-Hand Clothes

2012-01-11T08:08:00.002-06:00

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m taking a look at the clothes we get from others. Sometimes we get fabulous hand-me-downs from friends or family, and with a little adjustment here or there, they’re perfect for us. I grew up getting clothes my sister outgrew, and it didn’t bother me that they were someone else’s clothes. A neighbor girl had an outfit that was especially cute. When her mom gave the outfit to my mom to see if it would fit me, I was thrilled.

However, we sometimes find that other people’s clothes don’t fit us at all. If a seven-year-old boy tried on his father’s shoes, more than likely, they’d be dangerously big on him. He shouldn’t try to play sports in them.

Can you say no when someone offers you what works for them? This is the kind of thing I’m discussing at Seek God With Me. Won’t you join me?

The Sting, 1973

2012-01-06T08:40:00.002-06:00

In retaliation, swindlers join forces in an effort to con a ruthless racketeer out of his riches. Paying attention to body cues, a flick of the wrist, or the wink of an eye won’t help you know how they get away with their complicated cons. Paul Newman played Henry Gondorff, the experienced grifter. Robert Redford played Johnny Hooker, the young con artist looking for a team to help him pull off his ideal scam.

Unfortunately, there are no heroes in this crime comedy. It’s simply bad guys getting back at other bad guys. I think the reason it was so popular is because of the light-hearted touch lent to the movie by the ragtime music. Scott Joplin music became very popular because of this film. Many people began piano lessons during the 1970s using The Sting’s Scott Joplin sheet music.

Directed by George Roy Hill, who worked with the two stars in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in 1969, this film won 7 Academy Awards. Among them were: Best Art Direction-Set Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Best Writing, and Best Picture. Edith Head won her 8th Best Costume Design Oscar for the sharp 1930’s costumes in this film.

Our Garments

2012-01-04T20:59:00.002-06:00

This month, I’m reviewing movies that have great clothing choices in them. These are Edith Head movies. In fact, Edith Head won an Academy Award for Clothing Design in each of the movies I’ll review this month.

She received many awards for clothing design because she put a lot of thought into how the clothes would affect the actor’s portrayal of a character. In order to design clothes for a character, the movie’s setting is taken into consideration, as well as fabric stiffness and color, the cut of the garment, and what is needed from the garment in the scene.

When you and I pick out clothes for the day, we make our decision based on a variety of factors. Some of us spend very little time on the decision, only asking ourselves, “Is it clean and not all that wrinkled?” Some of us spend a lot of time deciding what to wear because of all the things that factor into the decision.

We can categorize the factors to think about when choosing clothing – 1: Things you think about and 2: Things you might not be thinking about, but probably should.

Things you think about: Is it up-to-date or fashionable? Is it appropriate for the event? Is it appropriate for the weather? Is it comfortable? Does the color look good on you? Do you feel happy when you wear it? Does it have meaning because it was a gift from Aunt Martha? Does it display your pride in sewing talents or sale-finding talents?

Things you might not be thinking about: What kind of offers are you inviting, Lil’ Miss Neckline? Does this outfit project an image or attitude that you want people to see when they look at you?

Join me at Seek God With Me where I’m uncovering the mystery of the first garments. You might be surprised at what those first garments were made of. Check it out.

The Preacher's Wife, 1996

2011-12-30T08:21:00.002-06:00

Denzel Washington stars in this Christmas film about Dudley, a messenger from God who appears to a family, makes them see things differently, and gives them hope. It’s an updated remake of the 1947 Cary Grant film, The Bishop’s Wife.

There are a lot of things in this film I think are culturally acceptable, but insignificant details and distractions in the film. These distractions don’t seem to bother anyone except those who have read the Bible. As I stated in my review of The Bishop’s Wife, there are some details which remind me of It’s A Wonderful Life. For instance, the angel was a human who died and became an angel who has to earn his wings as Clarence does or follow an Angel Handbook as Dudley does in The Preacher’s Wife.

The Bible does say that many of us have entertained angels and were unaware of it. That’s how this movie begins. Dudley is given the assignment of helping a preacher who is busy with his pastoral duties, but is missing out on important family time. The preacher is like many of us who have a generous heart, but haven’t been listening to God.

This preacher gives all he can in every situation, but nothing is turning out as well as he planned. I think if the audience would put themselves in his place, we would wonder how we missed God. Sometimes we forget where the power for our success comes from as this preacher did.

Of course the music was magnificent. Whitney Houston has always given unbeatable performances in her films. Listening to her songs makes any story distractions go far, far away. According to imdb.com, The Preacher’s Wife soundtrack spent 26 weeks on the Billboard Top Gospel Albums Chart and “is the best-selling gospel album of all time.”

I also loved the performance of the preacher’s mother-in-law, played by Jennifer Lewis. She played Whitney Houston’s mother, but the actresses are only six years apart in age. Interestingly, Whitney Houston’s real mother, gospel singer Cissy Houston, was in the show as a choir member.

The Bishop's Wife, 1947

2011-12-23T07:07:00.002-06:00

Cary Grant stars in this Christmas film about Dudley, a messenger from God who appears to a family, makes them see things differently, and gives them hope.

The screenplay was adapted from a Robert Nathan novel and had uncredited rewrites, including work by Billy Wilder. This film is almost like the Christmas classic It’s A Wonderful Life from 1946, except that nobody sees life as it would’ve been without them. In The Bishop’s Wife, the Bishop isn’t plucked out of his existence, but comes to the understanding that life is going on without him.

I could also compare this movie to Mary Poppins from 1964. Mary comes from the heavens, but not specifically from Heaven. She changes the perspective of the family members and gives them hope. The reality of all three of these movies is that nothing would’ve changed if the father didn’t apply the lessons he learned.

Cary Grant brings charm and controlled emotion to the story of Dudley. David Niven is the father who loves his family, but is distracted by the job of being Bishop Henry Brougham. He, like a lot of us, doesn’t know how to achieve success in every area of his life. So God sends Dudley.

Second Chance at Life 3

2011-12-21T08:46:00.002-06:00

A widow, depressed because of the drought and famine in the land and because of the emptiness of her kitchen, decided to make one last loaf of bread for herself and her son before they die. Elijah asked her to make a small loaf for him first so that her supply of flour and oil would never run out until it rained again.

That makes me think of the verse in Exodus 22:22, “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.” But in 1 Kings 17:7-24, Elijah never intended to take advantage of her. He was obeying God, and he wanted to bless her and prosper her by helping her act on her faith in God.

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m looking at a widow and her son who were given a second chance to live out their faith in God. When we get a second chance, we have to take the “do-over” seriously. We have to change something in how we respond to the situation or we’ll waste the opportunity.

Check out Seek God With Me today. Join me in looking at how we make changes in our lives and apply those life lessons.

You've Got Mail, 1998

2011-12-16T08:22:00.003-06:00

Joe Fox and Kathleen Kelly use email to get to know each other and want to meet so their relationship can develop further. They only know each other by their email address names, which don’t tell much about who they really are. While they correspond, they are unwittingly already aware of each other as competitors in the book industry. When Fox discovers Kelly’s true identity as his devoted email friend, he hides his feelings until he can change her view of him from competitor to supportive friend, and then when she’s ready… possibly more.

Starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan, this staple of chick-flick lists is a romantic comedy classic. By the time this movie came out, Tom Hanks had already become a household name by starring in Forrest Gump, Apollo 13, Toy Story, and Saving Private Ryan. And Meg Ryan had already starred with Tom Hanks in two romantic comedies: Joe Versus the Volcano and Sleepless in Seattle. Pairing this successful duo again was a no-brainer. It had to happen.

Director Nora Ephron worked with Hanks and Ryan when she directed Sleepless in Seattle in 1993. She and her sister Delia Ephron wrote the screenplay for You’ve Got Mail from the story in a play by Nikolaus Laszlo. This movie is an updated version of The Shop Around The Corner from 1940. Interesting that Meg Ryan’s store in the movie is named The Shop Around The Corner.

Hanks as Joe Fox is an unusual hero. His business is growing, which is good, but he’s putting small book shop owners out of business, which is bad. How does he change her opinion of him when he’s largely responsible for her losing her store which was given to her by her mother? He succeeds in making Kathleen Kelly and the audience fall in love with him because of his friendliness, patience, and creativity.

Second Chance at Life 2

2011-12-14T19:15:00.001-06:00

Don’t you love it when people forgive you for something you should’ve never done. That forgiveness lightens your burden and helps you to find the strength to do what you were made to do.

Join me at Seek God With Me. Today, I’m reading in the New Testament, looking at another person getting a second chance.

This is exactly why I love Christmas. The Nativity scene is found on cards, in yards, and used as decoration in houses. Christmas is about a baby being born to bring peace as a gift from God to man.

God didn’t wipe mankind off the face of the earth; he forgave us. He gave us a second chance to do what we should’ve done before. Love Him. It’s what we were created to do.

God gave us a second chance in the form of a little baby. Who doesn’t love an innocent baby? This year, when you see a nativity scene with wise men, angels, and animals, I hope you see Jesus.

The Shop Around the Corner, 1940

2011-12-10T22:32:00.001-06:00

This movie was based on a play by Nikolaus Laszlo, so it seems the play got a second chance at an audience when it was rewritten by Samson Raphaelson (and Ben Hecht) as a screenplay. And the Lubitsch-directed film got a second chance when it was remade as Nora Ephron’s You’ve Got Mail.

It’s a story of two pen pals who don’t realize they know each other. While their relationship develops in secret, they find each other unpleasant in person. When he sees that she’s his pen pal, he has to make her like him in person before he reveals his secret.

I loved Frank Morgan as Hugo Matuschek and James Stewart as Alfred Kralik. Both actors have been in so many films I’ve liked. Their performances here are wonderful as well.

Why was this movie set in Hungary? This was a tribute to director Ernst Lubitsch’s father’s Berlin shop where he worked as a child. He also said he’d known a shop like it in Budapest.

Second Chance at Life 1

2011-12-07T22:12:00.003-06:00

Maybe we should create a Glad I Didn’t list instead of a To Do list. We all get overwhelmed by all of the things we feel like doing, should do, or have to do. We list everything in those three categories and then sort them to make a short list that can be done. Even with our good intentions, our short lists turn out to be a little too long. But saying no is good for us, whether we like the word or not.

If you need a break from all the non-stop going, then sit and make notes about all the things that you could’ve done and glad you didn’t. You didn’t do some things that would’ve turned out very bad. The Glad I Didn’t list can help us deal with our Wish I Had list.

Or maybe we should pick something important from our Wish I Had list and do it. It’s like getting a second chance to do something that should’ve been done ages ago.

We all need our second chances. Give yourself a second chance to do something that you could’ve done, but didn’t because it wasn’t the right timing.

Throughout December, I’ll be sharing ideas about second chances. Join me at Seek God With Me for a look at people who were grateful for their second chance. Today, I’m reading in the book of John. Find out who has never had a Wish I Had list.

All Night Long, 1962

2011-11-26T08:41:00.001-06:00

Based on Shakespeare’s Othello, this is a story of racism, jealousy, betrayal, and love. Othello’s themes are transformed into the 1960’s setting and music.

This music-filled film stars Patrick McGoohan as Johnny Cousin (cue the bad guy music), Betsy Blair as Emily, Paul Harris as Aurelius Rex, Marti Stevens as Delia Lane, and Richard Attenborough as Rod Hamilton the host of the party. Many excellent jazz musicians were featured as themselves: Dave Brubeck, John Dankworth, Charles Mingus, and Tubby Hayes among others.

Crazy good music in this film. The musicians come together to play for each other rather than for a ticket-holding audience. Pure fun.

Geoffrey Holder, a dancer famous for many things such as winning a Tony award for directing The Wiz on Broadway and his 7-Up TV commercials, appeared as himself in this movie.

Music is Celebration

2011-11-23T07:36:00.002-06:00

Our Thanksgiving Day is a holiday we celebrate as Americans, but Christmas is celebrated all around the globe. If the whole world could pick one day to come together and express thanks for our individual blessings, not only would I be stunned by God once again making the impossible possible, I would also expect to hear celebration music from many different cultures.

I remember my children singing unashamedly during their play time. They made up their own songs or sang songs they heard on CDs. That memory makes me wonder what life would be like if adults belted out songs of thanksgiving when something good happened. What if adults used Thanksgiving weekend to show appreciation to God by singing to him?

Join me at Seek God With Me for a look at how we celebrate in song. Birthday parties have their song. What should we sing on Thanksgiving Day?

Pot O' Gold, 1941

2011-11-19T08:50:00.002-06:00

James Stewart plays James (Jimmy) Hamilton Haskell, the owner of a failing music shop who must accept help from his uncle. Jimmy’s Uncle Charlie owns a big factory in the city, but country boy Jimmy doesn’t really want to be a part of it. Uncle Charlie wants to hire him and help him flee the small town.

Paulette Goddard plays Molly McCorkle who sings with a new band that rehearses on the roof of their apartment building, which happens to be located next door to Uncle Charlie’s factory. Since Uncle Charlie is known for being a music hater, neighbors encourage the band and oppose Uncle Charlie’s attempts at shutting down the music.

When Jimmy mistakenly is hauled off to jail, he adds his harmonica to the lovely voices of his cell-mates. Don’t all jail cells house criminals with lovely voices? (James Stewart’s harmonica playing was dubbed by two musicians.) Uncle Charlie is surprised when he sees Jimmy in jail. The mix up is settled, and since her mom offered to put him in one of their rooms for rent, Jimmy has more time to spend with Molly.

Jimmy sorts through one tangle after another until Uncle Charlie’s worst fears come to pass. Then Uncle Charlie finds out that it isn’t in his best interests to be so stubbornly against music.

I love the down-home sweetness in the characters James Stewart plays. This character is so lovable that he doesn’t really have any enemies. However, if there had been another eligible girl in the show, there would’ve been real trouble.

In the beginning of the movie, the music shop features the music of a couple of children. One very young girl plays the piano like she’s been a professional her whole life. The little boy plays the trombone like he’s been playing in big bands for years. Eye-opening talent.

Music is Communication

2011-11-16T08:23:00.000-06:00

When my husband sings me a love song, I don’t hear the song as much as I hear his message. It’s a sacrifice for him since he’s not really a singer. I understand and appreciate what he’s doing to get his message across. When we sing in church, I’m pretty sure God feels the same way about us. He isn’t interested in hearing “professional performance” voices, because he wants to hear our message.

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m sharing about how we communicate with God in our music. Do you find moments of sheer joy and need to put on some music you can sing along with? Try singing to God today.

Join me at Seek God With Me.

Babes in Arms, 1939

2011-11-12T07:35:00.002-06:00

When kids of show people are told they’re getting sent off to school while their song and dance parents are on tour, Mickey Rooney, as Mickey Moran, leads the children in a show that town will never forget. He enlists the help of a beautiful out-of-work child actor without realizing she’s probably going to ruin his relationship with his girlfriend Patsy Barton, played by Judy Garland.

Mickey Rooney started his film career in 1926, and at 91 years old, he’s still working today. That’s the longest career in film history, performances in each of ten decades. I’ve seen him in Manhattan Melodrama 1934, Captains Courageous 1937, Babes in Arms 1939, National Velvet 1944, Operation Mad Ball 1957, It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World 1963, The Black Stallion 1979, The Fox and the Hound 1981, and Night at the Museum 2006. When The Muppets releases this month, I will have seen him perform in films released in eight of the ten decades.

Margaret Hamilton played Martha Steele. This was the second time that year she played a villain opposite Judy Garland. Babes in Arms released just two months after The Wizard of Oz.

There were some very memorable musical moments in Babes in Arms. Because of his work in this film, Rooney became the first teen with an Oscar nomination for a leading role. With both Rooney and Garland growing up as child actors and short as adults, (Garland was just under five foot and Rooney was 5’2”), they were easy to cast as teens even after they were older.

Music Makes Things Memorable

2011-11-09T07:46:00.002-06:00

I have found it interesting that you can find a lot of songs in the Bible. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea on dry ground, they sang a song. People sang about David’s bravery with, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” And in the book of Revelation (Rev 5:9) a song was sung to Jesus, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

What do you do to celebrate a major event in your life? Most people around me sing “Happy Birthday To You” a few times each year for their family and friends. I look forward to Christmastime because there are many opportunities to hear Handel’s “Messiah”, which is some of my favorite music.

What do you sing about?

Join me today at Seek God With Me for a look at how we mark those memorable moments with music.

The Great Ziegfeld, 1936

2011-11-05T08:40:00.001-05:00

William Powell is easy to love as the great Florenz Ziegfeld Jr. This generous man, who makes and loses fortunes in the entertainment industry, spends money on the people around him. He makes friends easily and knows how to put a luxurious show together.

Ziegfeld’s competition with Billings begins when they work as sideshow barkers and continues throughout their lives. When Ziegfeld produces extravagant stage shows, he has the eye of the public, but can’t seem to hold onto their money.

The love story is woven into the film, showing Ziegfeld as a poor producer with a heart of gold and a spending problem. Both of his wives were loved, but disappointed he couldn’t rise above his weaknesses.

This film won a Best Picture Oscar, the first biopic to do so. Other Academy Awards included Luise Rainer’s Best Actress win and Seymour Felix’s Best Dance Direction win. Academy Award nominations included Best Writing of an Original Story, Best Film Editing, Best Director, and Best Art Direction.

I enjoyed the scenes where Ziegfeld and Billings competed with each other. Billings was played by the great and powerful Frank Morgan, who played the great and powerful Oz in 1939. Speaking of Oz, Billie Burke, who played Glinda the good whose transportation was a bubble, was one of Ziegfeld’s wives. Myrna Loy played Billie Burke in The Great Ziegfeld, and even received a visit from the real Billie Burke while filming the story about her husband. This is one of the fourteen films Loy and William Powell were in together.

The actor who played the all-brawn, no-brain, strongman was Eugen Sandow, also known as the Father of Bodybuilding. He used both his brain and his brawn to build quite a career.

Music has Passion

2011-11-02T08:30:00.002-05:00

Music is a magical tool. You can make people cry by playing a sad song or laugh by playing a funny song. You can feel cold by playing popular Christmas songs, even in the summer. You can make people move if the music so hot your toes are compelled to tap.

I’ve heard a piano sound like a bee (Flight of the Bumblebee) and a trumpet sound like a horse. Music can set the stage for romance or give you a rhythm to skate by.

But the only time music moves you is when it is being performed with a lot of heart. The audience can tell if the musicians are giving it all they’ve got. This reminds me of the verse in the book of Revelation (Rev 3:15-16) that speaks to having a passion either for or against something.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

Having no passion at all is distasteful.

This month, I’m writing about music. I’ll post reviews of movies that have songs that make you want to dance. And on Seek God With Me, I’ll bring up Bible verses about how God uses music. Let’s start our vocal warm-ups as you Seek God With Me.

The Bad and the Beautiful, 1952

2011-10-29T09:38:00.001-05:00

This one is for aspiring novelists. Have you been told your stories are great except for your wooden characters, poor timing, and lack of tension? This movie should get you back on track.

Kirk Douglas plays Jonathan Shields the discouraged son of much-hated movie mogul Hugo Shields who left him no inheritance. After he paid people to be mourners at his dad’s funeral, he took up the mantle and became insanely determined to change the way people saw the name Shields.

Jonathan met Fred (Barry Sullivan), a man struggling to make an appearance on the big screen as a movie director because he was too humble to get the words out to promote his great talent. Jonathan met Georgia (Lana Turner), the depressed daughter of a well-known actor who hid his alcoholism from everyone but his daughter. And later in his career, Jonathan met writer Jim (Dick Powell) whose beautiful wife was a constant interruption to his career. All three held a grudge against Shields, but all three had reason to thank him for their career success.

Vincente Minnelli directed The Bad and the Beautiful very well, but missed out on getting an Oscar for it. Academy Awards went to Gloria Grahame, who played Jim’s wife Rosemary and won Best Actress in a Supporting Role, and to Charles Schnee for Best Writing, Screenplay. Oscars were also won for Best Art Direction/Set Direction in a Black and White, Best Cinematography in a Black and White, and Best Costume Design in a Black and White. Kirk Douglas was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role, but Gary Cooper won that year for his role in High Noon.

There is much to learn from this story. Jim the writer’s oft-repeated line in this story is, “I started to work.” That’s a familiar line with a lot of writers. Failures and successes come and go, but the determined will keep trying until they get another success.

An Orderly Account

2011-10-26T08:40:00.002-05:00

How do you spread the good news of Jesus Christ?

Not everyone tells their testimony the same way. Preachers preach from the pulpit, but not everyone has a pulpit. I know novelists who tell about Jesus in subtle ways through the characters they write. Over the past few years, there have been movies whose focus is sharing the love of Jesus in an entertaining format. There are parents who see their own children as their ministry.

We don’t all have the same audience.

On my devotional blog, Seek God With Me, I’m taking a look at writing an orderly account of your testimony. Many of us have something to tell about, but not many of us have written it down.

See what Luke has to say on Seek God With Me.

Scandal Sheet, 1952

2011-10-22T08:34:00.001-05:00

Mark Chapman, the editor who plans to turn a New York newspaper into a wealth-producing machine, will sell papers with scandal, sensationalism, and gossip, and he’ll get rich doing it. His latest scheme is the Lonely Hearts Club dance where lucky couples will marry someone they’ve just met and win valuable prizes. His paper will have the exclusive and run features on the couples who get together. However, Chapman didn’t count on meeting his long-ago-abandoned wife at the dance.

Reporters on the scene, Julie Allison and Steve McCleary, find clues to the identity of the one who murdered one of the women who had attended the Lonely Hearts Club dance. When they discover they know the murderer, they fear for their lives.

The audience knows who the murderer is, but that doesn’t spoil the suspense. Since I knew the clues, I could worry about which clues they would pick up on.

Broderick Crawford played editor Mark Chapman, but I’ve also seen him as the villain in Born Yesterday, 1950. Donna Reed’s character, Julie Allison, was smart and compassionate, but the two male stars were playing arrogant oafs. Cheering for Donna Reed’s Miss Allison and booing John Derek’s McCleary was fun as they worked through their personal differences and helped each other get to the bottom of the mystery. I could see how John Derek’s McCleary was fooled by his blind trust. I think the last time I saw John Derek was as Joshua in the Ten Commandments, which released in 1956.

Biddle, the photographer who worked with them, was played by Harry Morgan who played Col. Sherman T. Potter in M*A*S*H*.

Write The Words

2011-10-19T07:15:00.002-05:00

Can people really hear from God?

I believe we can if we’ll give God more of our attention. But what happens to the words He speaks to our hearts? How are we supposed to remember everything God tells us?

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m discussing the importance of a prayer journal. Keeping a journal is a good way to remember the direction God has been guiding us.

How do you keep God’s words?

There Goes My Heart, 1938

2011-10-15T07:12:00.002-05:00

Heiress Joan Butterfield has an argument on her yacht right before she escapes to the freedom of anonymity. Reporter Bill Spencer finds out who she is, keeps her identity a secret so he can write the story for his newspaper, and then falls in love.

Sounds like It Happened One Night?

Ed Sullivan got credit for writing the original story. I don’t know how original it was. He wrote the story for four movies in addition to this one before he became the host of The Ed Sullivan Show (or as it was originally known, Toast of the Town), which aired from 1948 to 1971.

It Happened One Night was released in 1934, and the story was written by Samuel Hopkins Adams. There were a few more movies, in addition to There Goes My Heart, who played off the success of It Happened One Night.

There are differences which make the story seem a little more original. Spencer, played by Fredric March, has never seen the famous heiress’s face. Most people haven't. When he finds out the heiress, played by Virginia Bruce, is working at Butterfield’s department store, he works his way into her life to get a great story. Then when he decides to tear up the story and walk out on the assignment, things happen without his knowledge and ruin his plans.

Storm in a Teacup, 1937

2011-10-08T06:48:00.002-05:00

A dog named Patsy is an unwitting participant in a politician’s fight for popularity.

Frank Burdon, played by 29-year-old Rex Harrison, meets Victoria Gow, played by 24-year-old Vivien Leigh, on a trip to a Scottish small town where he’s to accept a job at the local newspaper.

His job is to interview local politician William Gow, but something goes awry. Burdon runs into Victoria again and finds out she’s the politician’s daughter. That doesn’t stop him from falling for her, and she can’t seem to stay away from him either. When she finds out he’s written an awful article about her father, she isn’t impressed and doesn’t want to have anything to do with him. However, he’s charming and keeps her interest through it all.

The article Burdon wrote is about a woman who was too poor to buy a license for her dog. Sara Allgood plays Honoria Hegarty, the owner of the dog. She tries to get the politician, Gow, to help her fix her situation, but he was too proud to help her. Burdon sees Gow’s actions as he works on getting the assigned article written.

The problem with Gow’s attitude toward the woman is that it directly opposed what Gow wanted written about him in the assigned article. Since Gow can’t see himself like Burdon sees him, he doesn’t take any hints to correct his attitude. He even ignores his daughter’s pleas to help the woman. On the night Gow is scheduled to make an important speech, the townsfolk show up not to support Gow, but to bark at him. All Gow’s troubles escalate until Burdon ends up on trial.

Is this a courtroom drama or a romance? Is it a tail of woe? To be sure, Gow had a ruff time of it.

When Vivien Leigh had scenes of turmoil, her lines sounded British (of course), but her face was totally Scarlett O’Hara. But it would be two more years before she would take on that role.

Make It Plain

2011-10-05T08:19:00.002-05:00

I intend to listen when God speaks. We should all focus on God’s words when he speaks to a specific situation in our lives. We can write it down to remember what he said.

God has spoken to me about specific events in my life, and I made sure I did what he said. I wrote it down to help me remember it for later. I even told my husband and made it plain to him so he would understand what God had said.

Today at Seek God With Me, I am sharing the Bible verse that urges us to make our revelations from God plain to others. When we tell our revelations to those whom it affects, we are giving them the ability to apply God’s wisdom to the situation so they can be blessed.

Join me today at Seek God With Me.

Forsaking All Others, 1934

2011-09-30T08:04:00.001-05:00

Jeff, played by Clark Gable, comes home to find out that the woman he plans to marry is about to marry someone else. The happy couple and he were an inseparable trio growing up together. Now that it’s time to marry, Jeff wishes he hadn’t been away for so long.

Dill, played by Robert Montgomery, is doing what he should do… marry the woman who is in love with him. Mary, played by Joan Crawford, thinks Jeff has come to celebrate with her when she sees that he’s shown up for the wedding.

However, there’s another woman. When she shows up and gets her way, nobody’s happy. Jeff, being a gentleman, keeps quiet about his feelings. How can he correct such an awful mess? He has to wait for Mary to get over Dill before he can tell her the real reason he came back home.

Joan Crawford was in several movies with Clark Gable in the 1930s. She’s a powerhouse on the screen and needed to be paired with a man of considerable power. Clark Gable fit the bill.

Arthur Treacher played Dill’s butler in this film. He is known for being the perfect English butler in many films, and even played The Constable in Mary Poppins in 1964.

Director W.S. Van Dyke was known for consistently finishing films under budget. He directed Clark Gable in at least four films, but was known for his work with William Powell and Myrna Loy.

Continuous Noise

2011-09-29T07:22:00.001-05:00

This month has been full of proofreading tips to help us all remember those words many of us don’t catch the first time through a paragraph. One more word I’d like to give attention to is continuous. There is a big difference between continual and continuous.

A continual murmur is the sound the crowd makes in a large room. It isn’t the same volume the whole time they’re in there. Most of the time the crowd noise starts with a few people visiting, so it’s a small hushed noise. It might break off and let a little silence in for a moment, but the noise usually starts up again. With most crowds, the noise gradually gets louder unless there is a distraction which causes people to stop and stare, stilling the noise for a bit. This is a continual noise. But it’s not continuous.

At night, I can stay up late and work in silence when everyone else is in bed. The only noise I hear is the refrigerator. I don’t even hear it running because it’s so easy to tune out the low hum of the motor. There isn’t a variation of volume like with a crowd noise. It’s constant. The sound is continuous.

I can understand why it’s easy for people to get these two words mixed up. But once you understand the differences between words with similar meanings, you are more able to use them correctly. These days it isn’t difficult for me to remember that continual means something continues over time with short breaks and continuous means uninterrupted.

If we wanted to create a journal of Top Ten Proofreading Tips, it might come in handy when editing that rough draft. I’ve listed seven words on this blog that we could include: its, lay, ensure, imply, you’re, discreet, and continuous.

Are you thinking of more words to include when you create your proofreading list? Yes? Good. Happy proofreading!

Correction Is Not For Fools

2011-09-28T09:00:00.002-05:00

God gives us the ability to study and decide what is right and what is wrong. We have a conscience and a brain, which are awesome gifts from God. So we should use our gifts and abilities to grow into the people God designed us to be.

Proverbs 1:7 tells us “…fools despise wisdom and instruction.” Since we’re not fools, we can choose to study and find those treasures of wisdom, hidden by God for us to discover.

Look with me at the rest of the first seven verses of Proverbs on my devotional blog, Seek God With Me. We can look for wisdom as we seek God together.

Being Discreet

2011-09-26T07:35:00.003-05:00

Sometimes when we rush through a message, we type too fast. The letters are all there, but in an odd order. I don’t know how many times I’ve typed “hte ” instead of “the”. I don’t know because the word automatically changes when I move on to the next word. Thanks, AutoCorrect!

But for words we don’t use all the time, we have to be on guard against misplacement of letters in a word.

This common problem affects how people read and understand our messages. One word that comes to mind in this confusing spelling mix-up is discreet. Since there is a double-e, it should be pretty easy to keep them together. However, even the easy words get misspelled. If the word comes out wrong, it usually looks like discrete. This is a problem because that is a word with a definition that’s not even close to discreet’s definition.

Discreet means judicious regarding conduct or speech, showing wisdom or discernment. Discrete means individually separate and distinct.

I’m sure you know other words which are butchered by rushing fingers. If we take the time to check our messages before sending them out, we’ll achieve successful communications more often.

Happy proofreading!

Elmer Gantry, 1960

2011-09-24T09:13:00.002-05:00

Burt Lancaster plays Elmer Gantry, a traveling salesman who can slip into any role he chooses and use whatever means necessary to get what he wants. He can twist any situation to his favor. So he becomes a manipulative evangelist.

When Elmer Gantry finds Sister Sharon Falconer, a successful traveling preacher played by Jean Simmons, he sees his next challenge. She wants long-term success in spiritual things, but isn’t above temptation.

Shirley Jones won her only Academy Award playing prostitute Lulu Bains. The Bains character was so far from her other roles, the Oscar was proof to the world that she could really act.

This film, directed by Richard Brooks, received three Oscars: Best Actor in a Leading Role went to Burt Lancaster, Best Actress in a Supporting Role went to Shirley Jones, Best Writing in a Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium went to Richard Brooks.

You're Welcome

2011-09-22T07:55:00.002-05:00

"Your Welcome!"

How many times have you sent or received a text or an email like that?

When my daughter sent me that message, I had to mention it to her. From anyone else, that message would’ve been understood, appreciated, and deleted. But because I’m still in the process of raising kids, I have to make sure they know to proofread before hitting Send.

They are old enough by now to know that a contraction is two words combined into one, with the appropriate use of an apostrophe. You’re is a contraction which means you are. Your is a word which shows you possess something. The possessive your is often used by mistake when people are too distracted and hurried to make sure they’ve put the apostrophe and the e in the right place. For instance: You’re wearing your shoes.

If one of my kids sends me a message like “Your Wonderful!”, sandwiched between two sentences thoroughly appreciating the second word would be a comment about the first word. “My wonderful what? ;) ”

Happy proofreading!

Receiving Correction

2011-09-21T20:54:00.002-05:00

Jeremiah 5:3

LORD, do not your eyes look for truth? You struck them, but they felt no pain; you crushed them, but they refused correction. They made their faces harder than stone and refused to repent.

Refused? Boy! Talk about determined!

People who refuse correction are either being corrected by someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about, or they’re being stubbornly arrogant. I can listen to correction from expert teachers, but I have a hard time being corrected by someone less experienced than I am.

What happens when your experienced teachers need correction? Should you give up or keep doing what you know is right?

On my devotional blog Seek God With Me, I’m looking at the idea of doing nothing wrong. Is it possible? Check it out and see.

Are You Implying I'm Wrong?

2011-09-19T08:07:00.002-05:00

Some words we hear in conversation are not used correctly, but we accept them anyway because we don’t know them. And then we use them – incorrectly. It’s like a virus. It spreads from person to person until someone stands up for what’s right. And then you hear, “But everyone says it that way.”

If everyone is doing it, that doesn’t make it right.

Today I’d like to speak my mind about the difference between infer and imply. To infer is to receive information from a message or to guess information from a message. To imply is to put a suggestion into the message or send a suggestion without stating it directly.

The perspective of the two words is different. The person who infers is the listener. The person who implies is the speaker.

We infer, either correctly or incorrectly, a lot during conversations. You can say, “From what you’re saying, I gather you’re not going to the party.” You infer because of an assumption. The inference, based on what was spoken and paired with your prior understanding of the other person’s history, can be responded to by the other person by acknowledging its accuracy or inaccuracy.

We also imply things almost every day. Many times we’ll leave out information we thing the other person will understand if we don’t say it. If you take a test and go to the front of the room to turn it in, but the teacher looks it over, only to say, “You still have another fifteen minutes of class time.” And she hands it back to you. You know that teacher was implying that you’ll want to take another look at your test before turning it in. You can receive her message without her stating it directly. She was implying that she saw a wrong answer and wanted to give you a chance to correct your mistake. Sometimes we try to avoid a direct answer by using language that makes it clear without the possibility of our being quoted as saying it directly.

Both of these words remind us that we make judgments all the time in our conversations. Other people imply information, and we infer information from what they said. We can use each word properly and know that we’re putting effort into communicating well.

Happy proofreading!

Only Angels Have Wings, 1939

2011-09-17T09:00:00.002-05:00

This film shows the risks taken by pilots flying the mail back and forth from island to island. They’re separated by mountains and ocean. The ship that drops off a mail bag also drops off Bonnie Lee, played by Jean Arthur. She doesn’t get back on it because she’s fascinated by Cary Grant, who plays Geoff Carter, the man who manages the pilots. He’s not interested in her or any other woman. Bonnie knows that means he was hurt by someone. When that someone comes to the airport as the wife of a pilot who wants a job, Geoff has to face his history.

The new pilot, Bat MacPherson, is ashamed of his reputation among the pilots because of his past, but doesn’t want his wife to know. He’s given all of the dangerous jobs: flying to places others deem too dangerous or flying in weather that is too stormy.

Geoff struggles to persevere through deaths of his pilots and financial woes. Bonnie sees Geoff’s character through the difficulties of his job and falls for him.

Richard Barthelmess plays Bat MacPherson, who is the husband of Judy MacPherson, played by Rita Hayworth. He was one of the thirty-six founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and he only acted in three more films after this.

I also enjoyed Kid Dabb, played by Thomas Mitchell. He acted in 103 movies and TV series, notably as Gerald O’Hara in Gone with the Wind 1939, as Doc Boone in Stagecoach 1939, as Uncle Billy in It’s a Wonderful Life 1946, and as Mayor Henderson in High Noon 1952.

Director Howard Hawks made action-adventure films like Only Angels Have Wings and comedies like Bringing Up Baby, 1938. Cary Grant was in both of those.

To Ensure Your Word Is Right

2011-09-15T08:43:00.001-05:00

My daughter came to ask my advice because she was going to be graded on an in-class essay. I reminded her of the literary devices she uses well. She’s young, but already has a signature style. But I also reminded her of the pitfalls to avoid. If she’s in a hurry, like most of us, spelling can be a problem.

When you are writing, spelling counts. One little letter changes the meaning of an entire sentence.

For example, ensure and insure are often used improperly. To ensure is to guarantee that something happens. To insure is to take out an insurance policy on something. You’ll have a hard time getting an insurance agent to help you wake up on time, but you can ensure that you wake up on time by setting an alarm clock.

One letter, the first letter of those two words, makes a big difference. There are other words like that pair, and we usually know which words we mix up most often. Taking the time to watch out for simple spelling errors will help make our message more readable and enjoyable.

Happy proofreading!

Being Teachable

2011-09-14T13:21:00.002-05:00

This month, I’m sharing writing tips to help with our moments of proofreading. These writing tips will help us make appropriate changes so we can create a more understandable message. Receiving correction is something everyone does sooner or later. The movies I’ll review this month have characters who must accept correction before they can have a happy ending.

I know there are a lot of people out there who are doing a lot of instant messaging, texting, emailing, Facebooking, Tweeting, etc – and are not interested in checking for and correcting spelling errors. I understand texting and Tweeting with abbreviated versions of words because of limited space or time. However, longer messages like emails and Facebook posts can be more easily understood if the author of the message would do a simple proofread before sending.

We all know that everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made plenty of them. And since I don’t want to lose friends and annoy people in general, I’ve decided to not correct anyone’s spelling in those social media communities. But, really, don’t you get tired of seeing, “Your nice to!”

It’s actually pretty easy to change our spelling, punctuation, grammar, and word choice habits. But what’s more important is the message. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, we read, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” If people don’t understand the message because of poor proofreading, that can be fixed quickly. But if people read an error-free message and find it meaningless, we should start over and find something important to say before trying to be heard.

On my devotional blog, Seek God With Me, I’m spending a little time on choosing worthy words. Join me there and seek God with me today.

Chickens Don't Lie

2011-09-12T07:39:00.002-05:00

I have spent years listening to people telling other people to “lay down”. I don’t often correct them. So for all of you who say that regularly, you really mean to say, “lie down.”

Lay is past tense. Lie is what you are telling someone to do in present tense.

When I was in school, my teacher told us to remember that chickens lay, people don’t. That was memorable for me. Now when I hear the lay/lie confusion, I picture a chicken laying an egg. I can’t stop the image. It just appears in my head as if urging me to correct the speaker.

Here’s another way to look at it. You can lay something down (as in “chickens lay”), or you can lie down by yourself.

I hope this helps clear up the confusion. Happy proofreading!

Wife VS Secretary, 1936

2011-09-10T09:13:00.002-05:00

Clark Gable and Myna Loy are Van and Linda, a couple married only four years. His business takes him away with his secretary on a trip so secretive he doesn’t even tell his wife the truth. Of course, she can trust him to be faithful. Can’t she?

Jean Harlow, the original blonde bombshell, plays his secretary. This role gives her room to play it straight. She isn’t the scheming climber trying to breakup the boss’s marriage, but few believe the truth.

James Stewart is her boyfriend. If he won’t believe her who will? Stewart has a couple of very memorable scenes, one in particular in the car with Harlow.

I really enjoyed Harlow’s performance in this film. Although she worked well with James Stewart, she made five films with Clark Gable. According to Imdb.com, “She was the very first film actress to grace the cover of Life magazine in May 1937.”

This film was directed by Clarence Brown, who also directed National Velvet in 1944 and The Yearling in 1946. Along with Robert Altman and Alfred Hitchcock, he was nominated for best director at the Academy Awards five times without winning.

It's ITS

2011-09-08T13:15:00.002-05:00

For me, September has always meant the first full month of school. And going back to school means putting effort into doing a better job of proofreading. It is so easy to become lazy during summer. We tend to forget spelling and punctuation rules while we’re in relaxation mode. So this month, I’m giving a few simple tips on stepping up our proofreading.

First, I’ll spend a little time on the use of apostrophes.

Which word do you use when you want to use a pronoun for an inanimate object which possesses something? For instance, the chair’s leg. The chair isn’t a he or a she. The chair is an it. The chair’s leg could also be written as its leg.

Too many people want to put an apostrophe in the word as if it were a proper name, like David’s leg or Terri’s leg. That would just be wrong.

When people scatter apostrophes through their writing, they need to take another look and realize that there are rules for using apostrophes. Yes, rules. And here are a few:

Use an apostrophe to show possession when using proper names, not pronouns. Susan’s chair was fixed today. Its legs are finally straight.

Do not use an apostrophe to show that a noun is plural. Wrong: The boat’s are in a race.

Use an apostrophe to combine two words into one contraction. She’s doing a fabulous job. I’ve already congratulated her.

Do not use an apostrophe by random selection just because you think it makes the word look prettier. Wrong: My balloon rise’s higher than your’s.

Does this help you?

Happy proofreading!

Fort Apache, 1948

2011-08-26T07:17:00.001-05:00

John Ford directed this movie about how wars make heroes out of stubborn commanding officers. The decisions made by Lt Col Thursday leave an indelible impression. Unhappy to be at Fort Apache to begin with, he gains control of his command by making some subordinates bend to his orders, rather than him bending to their advice. Poor Miss Thursday gets caught up in the crossfire between her father and others.

Shirley Temple, at this time a twenty-year-old new mom, played a very loving Philadelphia Thursday. John Agar, who married Shirley Temple in 1945, played 2nd Lt Michael Shannon O’Rourke. What a coincidence to see them paired up on film.

John Wayne and Henry Fonda were often in John Ford movies. In this one, they play against each other with Fonda taking the role of the arrogant and unteachable Lt Col Owen Thursday. Both actors gave emotional performances that made the story of a self-destructive leader watchable.

Ward Bond was Sgt Maj Michael O’Rourke. Bond started acting because he used to play football with John Wayne. He was in some John Wayne movies, some Henry Fonda movies, and was often directed by John Ford. He was a supporting actor in many well-known movies like Gone With The Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, The Maltese Falcon, and Mister Roberts.

Obedient and Loving

2011-08-24T08:15:00.000-05:00

This month, I’ve been sharing different ways we can be like Jesus as seen in John 14:9-15. If there is one thing we can see displayed in the 33 years Jesus was on Earth, it is love. His love is still as strong today as it ever was. And he still draws people to him with that little four-letter word.

Join me at Seek God With Me for today’s look at the loving relationship we can have with God if we’ll take the time to get to know him.

Operation Mad Ball, 1957

2011-08-19T08:26:00.001-05:00

Private Hogan has to take his scheming to a new level to make sure the soldiers of an Army surgical hospital in post WWII France get to have their dance. But he must evade Captain Locke – who seems to be out to get him – and win the heart of beautiful nurse Lieutenant Betty Bixby.

Jack Lemmon plays the very sneaky Private Hogan. Lemmon’s first film was It Should Happen to You in 1954. Most people know his work in either Some Like It Hot from 1959 with Tony Curtis and Marilyn Monroe or The Odd Couple in 1968 with Walter Matthau.

Mickey Rooney is a groovin’, rhymin’, swingin’ Master Sargeant Yancy Skibo. I love Mickey Rooney most of the time anyway. But in this movie, he made me laugh extra hard.

Kathryn Grant is now known as Kathryn Crosby since she was married to Bing Crosby for 20 years. She was able to begin a film career because of her participation in beauty pageants. Her acting wasn’t bad either. She punched Jack Lemmon in the belly in this movie in her role as Lt. Betty Bixby.

Dick York was a very helpful Corporal Bohun. In 1960, he was in Inherit the Wind with Spencer Tracy, Fredric March, and Harry Morgan. He did very few movies, but was in a lot of TV shows. York was Darrin Stephens in Bewitched from 64-69.

Obedient and Submitted

2011-08-17T08:22:00.001-05:00

What do you pray for?

Do you ask God for anything and everything you can think of? Some people act like they think that’s what God is there for. Did Jesus tell us we could ask him for anything?

Well, sort of.

Today, my devotional blog, Seek God With Me, is taking a look at asking God for anything. We do stupid things and then ask God to get us out of trouble. Often we hear the phrase, “And I’ll even start going to church from now on if you do this for me.” Bargaining with God is not what Jesus had in mind when he said we could ask him for anything.

Come to Seek God With Me and find out what he meant.

And then come back this weekend and enjoy the review of a movie where some are obedient, some are submitted, and anything is possible.

In Harm's Way by Irene Hannon

2011-08-15T08:22:00.002-05:00

This is a story of family lost but not forgotten, a reunion long past due, and a man who hopes he can protect the one he loves. When protection seems out of reach, there is still hope.

Rachel couldn’t have known that her whole life would change the moment she first saw the raggedy doll. Had it been accidentally dropped and lost? Or was it hidden in the icy parking lot on purpose?

Special Agent Nick Bradley saw something in the way Rachel Sutton responded to him and to the doll. She wasn’t the usual attention-craving weirdo coming in off the street with a wild tale. She was normal. Except when she held the doll.

Irene Hannon caught my attention right away with the final installment of the Heroes of Quantico series. This interesting plot with tale-twisting turns was a fun read. Hannon’s believable characters grabbed me and took me along with them on a journey of suspense and love.

Mister Roberts, 1955

2011-08-12T08:38:00.001-05:00

This film, starring Henry Fonda, James Cagney, William Powell, and Jack Lemmon, was a fun look at boredom on an unimportant cargo ship in the Pacific during the later years of WWII. Mister Roberts, played by Henry Fonda, would like to get a transfer approved so he could see some action before the war is over. However, his transfer requests are continually being disapproved by Captain Morton, played by James Cagney.

While Mister Roberts tries to keep the crew peaceful by going around his boss or standing up to him, Ensign Pulver, played by Jack Lemmon, always avoids Captain Morton. The crew can’t help but respect Mister Roberts. They want him to get that transfer he’s been wanting for months. When Roberts finally does get the transfer, the men realize the mark he’d left on their hearts.

Jack Lemmon’s work on this film won him a Best Actor Academy Award. He was energetic in a lazy character’s role, which sounds contradictory, but it’s not. Lemmon always brought energy to any role he played. He brought humor, sharp timing, and in the end, he brought the emotion that made the film.

Mister Roberts was William Powell’s last film. I’m a William Powell fan, so it was great to see him finishing his long career with such a fun movie.

The ship’s crew and others in the film included a lot of familiar actors. Martin Milner, of the Adam 12 police-themed TV show, played a Shore Patrol Officer. Betsy Palmer played Lt. Ann Girard in this film, but you might know her as Mrs. Pamela Voorhees (Jason’s mom) in Friday the 13th. John Wayne’s son, Patrick Wayne, played Bookser. Phil Carey played Mannion in this film, and then in the 1980’s began a twenty year stretch playing Asa Buchanan on the soap opera One Life To Live.

Ward Bond played Chief Petty Officer Dowdy in this film, and he was in many other well-known movies without a well-known role. He was in Bringing Up Baby with Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn, You Can’t Take It With You with James Stewart and Jean Arthur, Gone With the Wind, The Grapes of Wrath, and It’s A Wonderful Life with James Stewart. In fact, he played Bert, the cop on It’s A Wonderful Life, after whom the muppet Bert on Sesame Street is said to have been named.

Obedient and Faith-filled

2011-08-10T07:35:00.002-05:00

How many miracles have you done today? Jesus said we could do miracles, but only if we believe in him.

At Seek God With Me today, I’m imagining what it would take for me to do what Jesus did. Come join me and think about how close you’d have to be with God for him to do miracles through you.

And then come back this weekend for a movie review that has a little obedience in it and a lot of craziness.

June Bride, 1948

2011-08-05T08:20:00.001-05:00

A New York magazine editor is trapped into working with her old boyfriend after three years of nursing a broken heart. Bette Davis plays Linda Gilman, the editor who must pull out a cover story with or without her writer. Robert Montgomery plays Carey Jackson, the writer who keeps the cover story interesting.

Montgomery did a great job of standing up to Davis in her role as his boss. Her character was strong like a bulldozer and gentle like a…bulldozer. Actually, she did have a couple of moments of sweetness, but as with most of her roles, they were rare moments.

IMDb.com lists this movie as Debbie Reynolds’ film debut. Don’t blink. She’s the bride’s girlfriend at the end. I blinked and had to go back and watch the ending again to find her.

Boo, the younger sister of the bride, is played by Betty Lynn. We know her better as Thelma Lou, Barney Fife’s girlfriend from The Andy Griffith Show.

Another familiar face is that of the secretary who recognizes Carey Jackson who’s just come back from overseas. She’s a young Sandra Gould, who later becomes Gladys Kravits on the TV series Bewitched.

Edith Head designed costumes for this film. She did a great job on the Bette Davis dresses. I always look for the name of the costume designer in the credits to see if it’s Edith Head. I just love her work.

Obedient and Humble

2011-08-03T07:23:00.000-05:00

Jesus always obeyed his Father, and he was never arrogant. Many of us struggle to accomplish all the things we think God wants us to accomplish. It’s easy for us to get sidetracked because we need a little pat on the back for our efforts. We want to feel appreciated. When we get accolades, it makes us feel better, but is that what we really need?

How do you stay humble when people are wowed by your God-given gifts?

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m looking at ways to change our attitude from “Look what I can do” to a more humble mindset.

Don’t forget to come back this weekend for my review of a movie in which sparks fly – and the heroine could learn a few things about humility.

Driftwood Lane by Denise Hunter

2011-07-29T08:15:00.001-05:00

Meridith Ward is likeable even when she’s in turmoil. She has her hands full of life-changing decisions, but she does her best to be there for the children who are more like strangers to her.

Enjoyable Jake Walker has his eye on her – as much as possible. But not for the reason most men would. He wants to find out if Meridith is a wacko. He has to find evidence that she isn’t fit to be the guardian of his sister’s kids.

The more Jake watches Meridith care for the kids, the more he’s convinced that she’s good for them. But that causes new problems.

One of my favorite authors, Denise Hunter has given her fans another fun beach book. I have enjoyed all of her Nantucket Love Stories. The characters hold back from each other, allowing the reader to squirm and enjoy the tension. The children in this book feel real, not stereotypical. I can’t wait to read Hunter’s next novel.

Love Each Other

2011-07-27T07:05:00.002-05:00

Summer is hot! Since the heat sometimes makes us a little cranky, it’s so easy to become selfish during the summer months. I wanna go to the beach. I want ice cream. I’m gonna watch TV all day.

As a parent, I try to raise my kids to love each other. I want to know that they’ll grow up enjoying each other, not trying to get each other back for something one has done to the other. Unforgiveness can be overcome with love. Neighborhood unrest can be overcome with love. Crankiness can be overcome with love.

At Seek God With Me today, I’m showing off a powerful weapon. With practice, anyone can use this weapon against hate and unforgiveness. Join me at Seek God With Me.

West Side Story, 1961

2011-07-22T08:02:00.001-05:00

Two opposing gangs fight over who owns which part of the neighborhood. However, just like in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, there are two who fight to belong to each other. The escalating fights bring deaths to both sides.

West Side Story was directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise who shared the Best Director Oscar. This movie won ten Oscars: Best actor in a supporting role: George Chakiris; Best Actress in a supporting role: Rita Moreno; Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Color; Best Cinematography, Color; Best Costume Design, Color; Best Director; Best Film Editing; Best Music, Scoring of a Musical Picture; Best Picture; and Best Sound.

Natalie Wood played Maria, the beautiful heroine who was in love with the wrong man. Tony was played by Richard Beymer. The two of them made the movie so much more than a dance fight. Russ Tamblyn played Riff. He was in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in 1954. He’s a recognizable face in dance movies.

The fabulous Rita Moreno played Anita. She was in Singing in the Rain in 1952 and The King and I in 1956. She was also memorable in her many roles during 780 episodes of The Electric Company in the 1970s.

George Chakiris played Bernardo. This was his first major role in a film. Until this movie in 1961, he’d been a very popular, yet uncredited, dancer. In 1954, he was a dancer in Brigadoon (with Gene Kelly), There’s No Business Like Show Business (with Ethel Merman and Donald O’Connor), The Country Girl (with Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby) and White Christmas (with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye).

The Unforgiven, 1960

2011-07-15T07:21:00.001-05:00

Burt Lancaster plays a caring brother in a family who defends the adopted sister who is looked down upon by neighbors because of her skin color and possible racial difference.

Audrey Hepburn suffered a miscarriage a few months after being thrown from a horse while filming this movie. In some scenes, director John Huston used a double for Hepburn since she was in the hospital for six weeks.

Veteran actress Lillian Gish, who played the mother of the Zachary family, was able to shoot quite well before filming began. That may be a factor in her appearing so comfortable around guns.

Audie Murphy had already starred in a movie directed by John Huston and had written his autobiography and had starred in a box-office record-breaking film To Hell and Back which was the film version of his autobiography. His movie held that record for twenty years.

Murphy’s acting career came after he was announced as the most-decorated WWII combat soldier. Murphy was turned down by Navy, Marines & Paratroopers when he applied for service. He was thought of as unfit for combat as a new private. But according to Arlington National Cemetery records, traffic to Murphy’s grave is second only to President John Kennedy.

Friends

2011-07-06T08:18:00.003-05:00

My husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary this year. He and I have a lot of years invested in our relationship. We met when I was in seventh grade. We became friends in our church youth group and did a lot together in our large group.

I like reading books and seeing movies where friends turn to each other and fall in love. I have a long list of favorite movies, but two on the list are Gigi and Sabrina (with Harrison Ford). In these two movies, the hero has been around the heroine long enough to know her really well. Over time, their relationship changes, and he realizes that she’s the only one who could make him happy.

Since I’ve experienced a relationship like that, I want to encourage all couples to be friends first. I know how stabilizing that kind of a relationship is. A friendship is even important to God.

On today’s Seek God With Me devotional blog post, I’m discovering how important friendship is to God. Join me and see how Jesus spoke to his disciples about it.

In High Places by Tom Morrissey

2011-07-05T07:40:00.001-05:00

This is the story of a father and son who need each other, love each other, but are not always there for each other. Escaping their past together brings them a new future.

Patrick Nolan and his father, Kevin, have enjoyed climbing together because it’s challenging. But life itself is challenging.

While he’s still young, Patrick’s mother leaves him with questions he can’t answer. When he has an opportunity to ask his questions to the right people, he’s satisfied with the answers. But he must try to convince his father, who is a stubborn doubter. Kevin wants answers too, but would rather climb to deal with his inner turmoil.

I loved the boy’s view of a budding romance when he meets Rachel. His perspective is refreshingly honest and still pure. The way Rachel tries to help Patrick made me see them as real kids. I believed the friendship.

Tom Morrisey’s novels make me think about why a character would do what they’re doing. He never makes me notice his writing, just his characters. Even though I probably will never climb the way Patrick and Kevin did, I enjoyed the technical jargon of the climbing world. It wasn’t so over-my-head that I felt left out of the story. Patrick’s rescue moment even kept me glued to the characters, not the rock.

HAPPY JULY 4

2011-07-04T07:47:00.002-05:00

Enjoy today's festivities. Celebrate!

Be safe.

Today, as you sing patriotic songs and watch fireworks, don't forget to tell someone you love them.

Gigi, 1958

2011-07-01T08:07:00.002-05:00

Leslie Caron is an energetic and delightful Gigi, whose friendship with rich playboy Gaston, played by handsome Louis Jordan, develops over years of youthful frivolity. But the friendship is in jeopardy as the young girl turns into a young woman.

Gaston wins over Gigi with a heartfelt and sincere love. This is the kind of movie you watch with a bowl of popcorn and a sigh. It's a beautiful movie with a touch of humor and a lot of songs.

The way Gaston falls in love with Gigi is like someone growing up in the church knowing who God is, but not feeling in awe of God. It doesn’t feel like he needs or wants her, but keeps coming back to her. Then when he sees her like he’s never seen her before, everything changes.

Gigi won nine Oscars. Among them were Best Picture, Best Director, Best Writing, and Best Costume Design. Along with three Golden Globe wins, it also won the Writers Guild of America award for Best Written American Musical. It even won a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album, Dramatic Picture Score or Original Cast.

In addition to showing off great costumes, this movie, directed by Vincente Minnelli, capitalizes on the romance in the story. One of my favorite songs in the movie is the duet with Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold. Do you remember it well too?

Maurice Chevalier plays Gaston's uncle and sings the movie's most famous song, a showstopper, "Thank Heaven for Little Girls". He's a charmer.

Prepare for Love

2011-06-29T19:42:00.001-05:00

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m answering the question, “What does it mean to prepare a place for God in your heart?”

If God wants to spend time with you while you’re on vacation, welcome Him and do not hide in valleys and behind mountains. If you’re at home, inviting the greatness of God into your living room will make God feel welcomed. When God comes in where He is welcomed, He will reveal something of Himself to you and you won’t be the only one who sees what God reveals.

There is more at Seek God With Me. Join me.

The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter

2011-06-25T09:05:00.000-05:00

Excitement whirling from a flurry of wedding details came to an abrupt stop in the face of a major disaster. The groom made a very poorly timed phone call – and announced his refusal to participate.

After that devastating call that stopped the wedding that she’d planned for months and which would coincide with the release of her self-help book Finding Mr. Right-for-You, she listened to the only option that didn’t result in the demise of her career. Just because her marriage was ruined, there wasn’t any point in ruining her career too.

She heard the offer to substitute one groom for another and let the man take his place at the altar. If no one confessed that the groom wasn’t the originally planned man, this whole thing might work. But if anyone leaked the untimely details…

Lucas Wright became Kate Lawrence’s Mr. Right. As long as they kept up the pretense in public, everyone would be happy. Except her of course. And him. But she didn’t know why he did it. He said he wanted her to help his parents’ marriage since she was so good at counseling people in troubled relationships, but that would take time.

And for her, time moved slowly. Getting adjusted to living with a male roommate and his large, shaggy dog was slow-going. But they made it a believable relationship to anyone who saw them together.

Lucas annoyed her at first, but over time she saw his gentle manner and the care in his eyes. He kissed her when no one was around to watch. His family even crept into her heart. She hadn’t counted on any of that.

The one man she’d counted on had failed her at a very inconvenient time. She felt forced into a very risky marriage. But Kate found out that in order to find true love, sometimes you have to take a risk. Love makes it worth it.

I love Denise Hunter books. The shaggy, slobbering sheepdog in this book nudged his way into my heart as I read. I’m familiar with goofy, lumbering dogs. This one wasn’t a major player in the book, but it made the characters loveable and warm.

The Magnificent Seven, 1960

2011-06-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

I don’t watch very many Westerns, but I must say I liked The Magnificent Seven. Starring Yul Brynner, Steve McQueen, and Charles Bronson, this movie is about men doing good works in a Western Movie kind of way.

In stark contrast to much of what we see on TV and in movies today, there wasn’t any cussing in the story. At least I didn’t remember hearing any. What a refreshing way to show tough guys. And they were certainly tough. But the subtle movements and expressions showed their hearts beneath the tough guy exterior. They had to have hearts or the movie wouldn’t be believable.

Seven bad guys decided they could work together to save a town. Even though they were used to being feared by the good people of the towns they visited, they eventually felt welcomed by the people whom they planned to help.

Eli Wallach was superb as usual. I always loved him in whatever role he played. This is a man whose career spanned 59 years as of September 2010 when he was in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps. Aside from Calvera in The Magnificent Seven, another memorable role he played was Tuco in The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. Wallach has won a Tony Award, an Emmy, and an Honorary Academy Award.

Good Works

2011-06-22T19:00:00.002-05:00

Before I said goodbye to my daughter this morning when she left for camp, she promised to be supportive as her small group of friends tried to quench the teen “attitude” . They’re good girls, and I don’t think they’ll have attitude problems. I think they’ll be involved in serving others.

The girls know they were created to do good works, but they have a variety of gifts. It’s fun to see the threesome accomplishing things together that none of them could accomplish alone.

At Seek God With Me, I’m telling a little more about that story. Some of you will recognize the Bible verse from the book of Ephesians which goes along with it.

Everyone has gifts. Using those gifts to benefit others is a way of performing good works. But with so many options in front of us, how do we know what to do?

Seek God With Me and find out for yourself.

Camelot, 1967

2011-06-17T07:55:00.001-05:00

Not long after Arthur and Guinevere meet in a romantic forest in Camelot and are married, the knights from all around find out about an unusual plan of King Arthur’s and come join him at the round table. Lancelot Du Lac comes from France to be one of King Arthur’s knights. He’s the very best at everything – and he knows it. Guinevere falls breathlessly in love with Lancelot after she fails at trying to prove he’s not all he claims to be. King Arthur figures out their affair, but chooses to show mercy. He presses on to build a court system instead of letting bloodshed rule the land. When Guinevere lands in his court, Arthur must make a decision. Should he protect his queen and destroy the court he worked so hard to create or keep the court going and risk her life?

Richard Harris is King Arthur. He may be mostly known these days for his role as Dumbledore in the Harry Potter films. Franco Nero played Lancelot and is married to Vanessa Redgrave who played Guinevere. A year before Camelot, Richard Harris and Franco Nero both worked in The Bible: In the Beginning… Richard Harris was Cain and Franco Nero was Abel. They act like brothers in Camelot as well.

Camelot was filmed in both California and Spain. The Alcazar de Segovia and the Coca Castle in Segovia, Spain are now popular tourist attractions.

Shine Your Light

2011-06-15T08:01:00.003-05:00

This week, I’m sharing with you the idea that you have greatness in you for the purpose of sharing with others. Maybe it’s hard for you to believe, but God can give you ideas that can be like a light to someone else’s darkness.

Do you have a talent you could use to help others? Join me at Seek God With Me and let your heart listen for new ways to use your God-given gifts.

Born Yesterday, 1950

2011-06-10T08:34:00.001-05:00

Judy Holliday plays Billie Dawn, a dumb blonde who isn’t dumb at all. Her millionaire boyfriend Harry treats her like dirt and even slaps her, but in his quest to surround himself with the best, he makes one mistake. He hires Paul (William Holden) to educate his girlfriend Billie so she won’t sound so dumb when he introduces her to people.

Paul and Billie take this education opportunity seriously and in their time together, they fall in love. Paul educates Billie well enough that she’s able to see what’s going on behind the scenes with Harry and his lawyer. And she’s smart enough to do something about it.

Judy Holliday’s performance gives hope to people who want to have an impact on their surroundings. Billie shows that the opinions of others don’t matter if you are determined to rise above them. Believe those who believe in you.

Need a Revelation?

2011-06-08T07:54:00.002-05:00

Join me this weekend for my review of a movie about a woman who gets a revelation. In the movie she doesn’t recognize that God is with her to get her out of the trouble she’s in. However if you see yourself in the same kind of predicament she was in, you should know that God knows how to give you new ideas to help you climb out of your hole. God can reveal things to you about yourself and your situation. He can change your life.

In the movie, the woman receives motivation to learn new things. If you’ve been told you can’t do anything right, listen for God to whisper into your heart His words of love, “You have gifts. You can learn new things. You can achieve success.”

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m enjoying the fact that God loves to reveal himself to those who are interested in getting to know him better. Open the eyes of your heart and seek God with me.

All Through the Night by Davis Bunn

2011-06-07T08:00:00.002-05:00

Wayne’s past in Afghanistan only partly prepared him for his second chance at life, the fight he never expected to be confronted with. Analytical skills and muscles weren’t all he’d need for the work he faced. He’d need prayer too.

After a group of retired people get scammed out of all of their money, they need a hero. Wayne takes on the job of returning what they lost. But he finds that to be only the beginning of an enormous maze of questions all tied to CEO Easton Grey.

Tatyana and her red Ferrari capture Wayne’s attention easily. She works closely with Mr. Grey and needs Wayne’s help in shutting down the mysterious darkness threatening them all.

Wayne’s group of friends grows to include a wide variety of ages and backgrounds. They all believe Wayne can right the wrongs, but can he actually fix the problem? Not without a lot of help.

God is a big part of Davis Bunn’s story of righteousness triumphing over swindlers. The suspense kept me interested, but the characters kept me connected. This book showed that you can be more than who you were.

Summertime for Writers

2011-06-04T10:58:00.003-05:00

Summer is finally here! Hooray! Now I can relax.

No, actually, I can't relax just yet. I have blog posts to write.

I took some time off from the world of blog posts so I could spend a little more time in the world of parenting. It's important for parents to live in the moment while their kids are still young. In a few short years from now, my kids will be on their own. If I miss this time with them, I'll regret it.

Next week, I'm starting up my reviews and devotions again. Some months will be jam-packed with blog posts, and others will be sparsely populated with posts.

The important thing is ...I'm still writing.

God gave me the desire to write. It's a gift. He expects me to develop my gifts and allow them time to mature into something beautiful. My mom is a piano teacher who insists that her students practice between lessons. As a writer, I continue practicing my craft, hoping that when my time comes to publish a novel, my gifts will be ready. Practice makes publishable.

Yes, my kids will always come before writing. But now that they're on less of a schedule, I have a little more time for me.

Yay! Summer!

A Face In The Crowd, 1957

2011-03-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

Directed by Elia Kazan, this film shows the talents of Andy Griffith in a role few people today have seen him in: a no-good scoundrel. Griffith joins Patricia Neal, Anthony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, and Lee Remick in the telling of a tale that’s easy to watch and hard to forget.

Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes, played by Andy Griffith in his film debut, is a drunk who is found singing in a jail, but becomes a celebrity who’s drunk on power. Patricia Neal is Marcia Jeffries, the reporter who discovers this new country bumpkin star. Walter Matthau plays Mel Miller, Marcia’s friend who tries to talk sense to her and save her some heartache. Lee Remick makes her film debut as a baton twirling beauty who catches the eye of the powerful celebrity.

No one knew what would happen when Lonesome Rhodes made his radio debut after waking up on a jailhouse floor from a drunken binge. There was a lot of common sense in his funny sayings, but his audience didn’t realize he didn’t have the character to go with it.

To Be Blessed

2011-03-02T07:55:00.002-06:00

Blessings of all kinds come from God. Children are blessings. A promotion at work and a special card from a friend are blessings too. But what do we do with blessings when we get them?

What we do with our blessings is determined by our inner motivations. We could hear praise from someone and turn into an arrogant bragger, or we could receive the praise graciously. We could turn a blessing into an opportunity to be a greedy manipulator, or we could be a person of integrity.

Blessings can be opportunities. Join me at Seek God With Me where I am sharing thoughts on how to handle blessings.

Don’t forget to check back with me this weekend for the review of a movie about a man who was abundantly blessed by God, but whose blessings weren’t really used the right way.

Desk Set, 1957

2011-02-25T07:08:00.002-06:00

Beautiful young Katharine Hepburn is Bunny Watson, a television research department head. She’s smart and knows how things should run. But when a strange man enters her world, he turns everything topsy-turvy.

Spencer Tracy stars as the perplexing Richard Sumner. He’s supposed to go about his business in secret so no one knows he’s going to computerize the office. However, Bunny figures him out.

The pairing of Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn always brings sharp dialogue and well-timed humor to a film. This was the 8th of nine films Tracy and Hepburn starred in together.

Today’s American audience has a hard time imagining a world where a company can exist without a computer. We laugh at the crazy concept of what they used to see as cutting edge technology. This film’s computer reminds me of the computer in Apollo 13 which was also state of the art at the time, but a far cry from what today’s teens use for their own entertainment.

The screenplay, written by Phoebe and Henry Ephron, was taken from the play by William Marchant. The Ephrons wrote four films directed by Walter Lang: The Jackpot starring James Stewart, On the Riviera starring Danny Kaye, There’s No Business Like Show Business starring Marilyn Monroe, and Desk Set. I think most of my generation is more familiar with Nora Ephron, their daughter, for writing Meg Ryan movies like When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.

Making Changes

2011-02-23T07:55:00.001-06:00

Technology has changed the way people think. When we want to take notes, more people use handheld devices to type or record notes. There are always those who remember what a piece of paper and pen can be used for, but they are a small group these days.

Using software instead of old school tools helps some of us use our time more efficiently. Today, there are many ways to communicate with friends and family in far away places, ways that our grandparents couldn’t have dreamed of. We get information faster than we ever have, and some of it is even helpful.

This weekend, check out my review of a movie that features the idea of updating our technology. This is an idea that has moved into every corner of life. Churches and schools use the latest technology to reach out to young ones who are used to hearing about digital communication tools.

On today’s post at Seek God With Me, I’m discussing the idea of adding a communication room of a different kind to your home. I hope you’ll join me.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, 1941

2011-02-18T08:05:00.001-06:00

Spencer Tracy stars as the mysterious Dr Henry Jekyll. The good doctor experiments with dangerous drugs in an effort to help people control those evil urges that he’s sure everyone has. His motive is to benefit his society, but something goes wrong. When he pours a potion into his mouth, it changes him.

Ingrid Bergman, as barmaid Ivy Peterson, is attracted to Dr Jekyll, but afraid of Mr. Hyde. Lana Turner plays the innocent and refined Beatrix Emery. Donald Crisp plays Sir Charles Emery. I’m reminded of his role as Elizabeth Taylor’s father in National Velvet, which he wouldn’t be in until 1944.

This horror film is based on the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson; however, the story changed slightly for the film. Another horror film was also released in 1941: The Wolf Man, starring Lon Chaney Jr. and Bela Lugosi.

Close Your Mouth

2011-02-16T08:03:00.002-06:00

This weekend, I’ll review a movie about someone who sometimes just isn’t himself. He has a strong desire to help others, but that same desire gets him into trouble.

If you see yourself in that description, let me assure you that you’re not alone. Many people with a desire to help others get themselves into trouble when they risk the lives of others by overcompensating for a weakness or ruin a relationship with one in order to help another. We also get into trouble by simply overscheduling our lives in an attempt to be there for everyone who needs us.

When you take on too big of a job and can’t see over your inbox, take a moment and discover the peace of a relationship with Jesus Christ. “Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Romans 7:25

Join me at Seek God With Me for more on this topic.

Sometimes we all need a little help living up to our intentions.

Adam's Rib, 1949

2011-02-11T07:19:00.002-06:00

Professional and home life intersect and cause trouble for The Bonners. Both lawyers, they take on opposite sides of a case involving a woman who shot her husband. Amanda wants to stand up for women everywhere, so she pulls out all the stops to win her case. How will the courtroom arguments affect their domestic bliss?

With Katharine Hepburn as defense attorney Amanda Bonner and Judy Holliday as client Mrs. Attinger, the men never had a chance. Spencer Tracy, as Adam Bonner, brings life to the ending with a surprise twist.

This is only the second credited film for Judy Holliday. She gave a fabulous performance, but the next year she gave a Best Actress Oscar-winning performance in Born Yesterday in a role she originated on Broadway.

George Cukor directed this as well as nine other Hepburn films. He directed four other Judy Holiday films. Ruth Gordon and her husband Garson Kanin wrote the screenplay. They also wrote The Marrying Kind starring Judy Holiday and Pat and Mike starring Hepburn.

A Couple In Love

2011-02-09T07:57:00.002-06:00

February is known to many as the Month of Love. I’m taking this opportunity to share some thoughts about a loving married couple on my devotional blog Seek God With Me.

Ephesians 5:28 tells us that “he who loves his wife loves himself.” In the book of Ruth, we find Boaz, a man who discovers a woman who is a treasure to him. They each show faithfulness and end up in love.

Join me at Seek God With Me and see how Boaz loves himself enough to truly love his wife.

Captains Courageous, 1937

2011-02-04T08:48:00.001-06:00

Spencer Tracy is Manuel Fidello, the man who saves the life of a little brat. The brat was played by Freddie Bartholomew, a popular British child star. He is shown in the beginning of the film as a legend in his own mind. He needs to be taken down a notch, but no one is able to fix what is broken in the boy. His dad tries to keep an eye on him while allowing him plenty of time to play and be a boy. When the boy is swept overboard and his dad isn’t close enough to notice, he is picked up by a nearby fisherman. Enter Spencer Tracy.

I loved how Spencer Tracy’s Manuel disciplined and cared for him. Manuel showed him how to be a real man of the sea.

The movie was adapted from a novel by Rudyard Kipling. Spencer Tracy won the Best Actor Academy Award. The film was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Film Editing, and Best Writing of a Screenplay.

Lionel Barrymore is the captain of the fishing boat that took the boy in. He gave him a chance to grow up and learn about life. Barrymore is well known for playing Mr. Potter in It’s A Wonderful Life, but he would have to wait almost ten years after this film before he could take on that role.

Mentoring

2011-02-02T07:42:00.002-06:00

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m highlighting some of the words of Apostle Paul who said in 1 Timothy 5:24-25, “The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgment ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.”

Paul was a mentor to Timothy and trained him to do good deeds and minister to the needs of others as he is backed by the power of God’s love. Paul’s love was evident in their relationship. It is this father-figure example that comes to mind when I watched a Spencer Tracy movie where Tracy’s character begins a mentoring relationship with a young boy. The boy never forgets who helped him mature into a kinder person. Watch for my review of that movie this weekend.

But don’t forget to check out the devotional post at Seek God With Me which takes a look at the training Paul gives to Timothy.

The Ladykillers, 1955

2011-01-28T07:25:00.001-06:00

Alec Guinness, as Professor Marcus, dupes elderly Mrs. Wilberforce, played by Katie Johnson, into believing he and his friends are musicians who must rent one of her rooms. The “band” of criminals plan out all the details of their robbery but run into many problems. Just as the thieves think they can taste success, it turns sour.

Before they played Chief Inspector Charles Dreyfus and Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the Pink Panther series of movies, Herbert Lom and Peter Sellers played two of the musician-criminals in The Ladykillers. Peter Sellers added to the comedy of the film by doing voice-overs for Mrs. Wilberforce’s birds, according to imdb.com.

The tagline for the film made me laugh: Meet “The Unholy Five” …The Most Befuddled Set of Assorted Thugs That Ever Fouled Up a Million Dollar Bank Robbery!!

The film was incredibly funny. William Rose was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Writing/Best Screenplay – Original.

Making Them Pay

2011-01-26T08:20:00.001-06:00

This coming weekend, I’ll review a movie I’ve enjoyed. It’s a classic crime comedy starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers. The story shows criminals who get their due. Watching it, I guessed that the heroine of the story would have a bigger role in their comeuppance. But now that I think about it, the movie is a great example of chapter twelve of the book of Romans.

A quick summary of that chapter might be that we are to 1. be alert to God’s will so we can do it, 2. use the gifts we’ve been given so we can strengthen each other, and 3. live in love and patience. Verse thirteen reminds us to practice hospitality, and verse seventeen reminds us to live in harmony with one another.

The heroine of the story finds out she’s been duped and becomes quite displeased with the criminals. However, she doesn’t have to make them pay because the criminals get caught up in their own distrust.

Verse nineteen of Romans 12 tells us to leave room for God’s wrath. The movie isn’t really a Christian film, but it shows how leaving God enough space to work on our behalf can bring overwhelming blessing into our lives.

Today on Seek God With Me, I’m sharing a different set of verses to illustrate this issue. When some people read Romans 12, they often remember “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” But they forget all the other verses in the chapter. And often that verse spurs them on to take revenge on their own, rather than to wait on God’s hand in the matter.

Join me for today’s devotional at Seek God With Me.

Arsenic and Old Lace, 1944

2011-01-21T08:31:00.001-06:00

Two aunts have a secret, one that doesn’t bother them at all. It’s their charity. But it bothers their nephew Mortimer. It has something to do with the hats in the cabinet. They think they’re doing something helpful. The sweet old ladies have “helped” a dozen old lonely men. So who will be the thirteenth?

Cary Grant as Mortimer Brewster and Peter Lorre as Dr. Einstein keep us guessing as they discover the bodies of the gentlemen Brewster’s aunts have killed with arsenic poisoning.

Are they nuts? Mortimer’s sure that his whole family is nuts.

Mortimer’s brother, Jonathan Brewster, was played by Raymond Massey in this Frank Capra directed film. They would’ve cast Boris Karloff in that role, but Karloff was unable to do the picture because he was appearing in the Broadway play. The running gag about Jonathan looking like Karloff keeps the humor going. They shot the film while the play was still on Broadway, but didn’t release the film until the play finally closed in 1944 after 1,444 performances.

According to imdb.com, Cary Grant donated his $100,000 salary to the U.S. War Relief Fund. The film released to the American theaters in late 1944, but was shown to the Armed Forces overseas during 1943.

God Bless the Old Folks

2011-01-19T07:46:00.003-06:00

One of the funny moments my family remembers is when my little brother was asked to pray over our meal when he was five or six years old. We were visiting my mom’s uncles and aunts. Everyone bowed their head and waited for their food to be blessed by God from the prayer of a child. My brother was brief, but a little distracted. No one knows what he was thinking that day. He ended his prayer with, “And God bless the old folks for they know not what they do.”

We never could figure out that prayer, but we agreed with a grin. Yes, God, bless the old folks.

Today at Seek God With Me, I’m reminding us all about the need for respect in our homes, churches, and schools. If we don’t learn respect for young and old alike in those common places, where will we learn it?

Join me at Seek God With Me.

The Talk of the Town, 1942

2011-01-14T08:12:00.001-06:00

The Talk of the Town is about proving innocence. Cary Grant is Leopold Dilg, a man believed to have committed arson and murder who escapes jail in order to set the record straight about his innocence. Jean Arthur, as Miss Nora Shelley, encounters the wanted man when he tries to find shelter.

Ronald Colman gives a beautiful portrayal of Prof. Michael Lightcap, the law professor who has rented Miss Shelley’s cottage for the summer. The poor guy just wants some peace and quiet, but finds himself embroiled in the deceptions going on around him.

The relationship between Cary Grant’s character and Prof. Lightcap was developed with intelligence and sincerity. The Professor was charming enough for any woman to want to be with, but Cary Grant was just a smidge more enticing.

Lloyd Bridges made an unmistakable appearance in this movie as Donald Forrester. However, he wasn’t a big enough star at the time to be listed in the credits. According to imdb.com, he was in 24 films in 1942. Fifteen of those roles were uncredited. During his sixty-plus years of acting, Bridges appeared in 216 movies, 32 of which didn’t list him in the credits. I think this shows that any successful career begins with hard work.

Accusing the Innocent

2011-01-12T08:04:00.002-06:00

Why would a God-fearing man lie about crime? I’ve written about this at Seek God With Me.

While I’m not one to laugh at crime in the real world, there are instances when a crime was used in the past to bring people together. For instance, Joseph (in the book of Genesis) accused his brothers of a crime they didn’t commit in order to save their lives.

Read about accusing an innocent man at Seek God With Me.

It's A Wonderful World, 1939

2011-01-07T08:34:00.001-06:00

This amusing movie is about a man who gets inconvenienced by a famous woman who is in the wrong place at the right time. James Stewart stars as the hero in this film which was released only five months before Mr. Smith Goes To Washington and seven years before his more famous film of a similar name It’s A Wonderful Life.

James Stewart is Guy Johnson, a private investigator who wants to save his client, a millionaire accused of murder. He has to find the next victim before anyone else gets killed. Claudette Colbert, as Edwina the poet, happens to be in the way, but helps him solve the mystery and falls for him in the midst of it.

Lots of laughs in this romantic comedy. Too bad the cops are shown to be dim-witted idiots who stand around while Guy and Edwina work the case for them. It’s too funny to be taken seriously, although James Stewart puts on some serious charm as a PI trying to save lives and earn his big payday. With a little more thought to the writing, this could’ve been much more entertaining. But as it is, it’s another look at why James Stewart is such a big star. He makes any movie worthwhile.

Stop The Villain

2011-01-05T07:57:00.001-06:00

This month, I’ll share some movies I’ve enjoyed which star some appealing actors and actresses. These are romantic crime comedies, a genre that is hard to write well. I love the romance and the comedy, but the crime part of the story gives it the tension that makes everything work well together. Besides, stopping the villain is what makes the hero lovable.

Join me at Seek God With Me this month as I take a look at crimes in the Bible.

Today’s post is about a hero who helps stop a villain. This man wasn’t a hero because of his glimmering smile and well-muscled body, but because of his integrity, intelligence, wisdom, and reverence for the king. Check out Seek God With Me and take a look at this man of honor.

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-24T07:23:00.001-06:00

What if you weren’t there? Would anyone notice?

In It's a Wonderful Life, George Bailey suddenly finds himself not just homeless, but removed from his existence. He was given the rare gift of seeing how his life affected others.

While watching this movie, I try to imagine the events and people I’ve had an impact on. Who is better off because I’m here? I’m sure I’m not the only one who asks those questions. Many people want the encouragement that what they’ve done wasn’t all for nothing.

This heartwarming film, starring James Stewart as George Bailey and Donna Reed as Mary Bailey, has become a Christmas tradition.

A guardian angel named Clarence hasn’t gotten his wings yet, but his last chance depends on George’s look back at what life in Bedford Falls would’ve been without him. The message of how one life affects another comes through clearly.

Lionel Barrymore as Mr. Potter brings evil to the screen in a way that, even to this day, makes me want to shout out and warn Uncle Billy about him. And the policeman and taxi driver, Bert and Ernie, remind me of the Sesame Street characters every time I see them.

Frank Capra directed this film which won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture. It was also nominated for five Academy Awards. Capra said that of all his films, this was his favorite.

It’s a Wonderful Life was ranked in 2006 by the American Film Institute as the #1 Most Powerful Movie of All Time.

Slightly Dangerous, 1943

2010-12-17T07:51:00.002-06:00

This romantic comedy is the story of dark-haired Peggy Evans, played by Lana Turner, who’s a bored woman who does exactly as she’s supposed to until she can’t take it anymore. She proves she can do her job blindfolded to the dismay of her boss. The blindfolded scene was very well done. The full cast and crew list on IMDB.com lists Buster Keaton as a comedy consultant for this film. He may have had something to do with the very entertaining early scenes.

Peggy finds herself making a drastic change so she doesn’t end up unhappy for the rest of her life. So she gets her hair dyed blonde and buys new clothes. It changes her personality and her sense of freedom. She becomes slightly dangerous.

Walter Brennan as Cornelius Burden, father of missing Carol Burden, takes Peggy into his family because he believes she’s the grown-up version of his missing daughter Carol. Dame May Whitty plays Baba, the woman who took care of Carol before she disappeared.

Robert Young is great as Bob Stuart, her manager, who figures out her new life. He gets fired for being too rough on her at work and is seen as the cause of her suicide since all she left of her old life was a note that sounded like a suicide note. In order to get his job back, he must prove that Peggy isn’t dead. He must bring her back to her old life.

Peggy enjoys her made-over life, but hates that she’s taking advantage of innocent people who have suffered. She finds that it’s too hard to confess that she’s not who she seems. How will she make things right?

Who Can Rescue A Child?

2010-12-15T08:04:00.001-06:00

It doesn’t take a lot of money to donate toys to homeless shelters at Christmastime. You might even schedule a time to go sing and play with the children there. Years ago as one of the adult leaders of my church’s youth group, I drove our teens to a homeless shelter to sing Christmas carols and play with the kids. Everyone had a great time. The teens learned that giving their time and energy was a lot of fun. The teens also learned that even though they didn’t have a lot of money, they had a home. The trip boosted their gratefulness.

If you need a little encouragement to give an unbudgeted gift this Christmas, join me at Seek God With Me where I’m sharing gift-giving ideas. Anyone can meet a need. Just look around at those near you, and you’ll see someone you can help.

The Bells of St. Mary's, 1945

2010-12-10T07:56:00.001-06:00

Bing Crosby as Father O’Malley and Ingrid Bergman as Sister Benedict pair up to battle for control of the leadership of St. Mary’s parochial school. Using prayer, she fights for a new building. She hopes Mr. Bogardus will donate his building, which is still under construction.

There are plenty of songs in this film, as expected. Bing Crosby croons at times, sharing familiar tunes and some new to me. Even Bergman sings at the piano.

The story of Father O’Malley and Sister Benedict is like a boxing match itself. At times, it seems one of them is ahead, then the other wins a victory. Each taking his or her turn until the end. Even the little boys fight, using two schools of thought. The newer boy is commended by Father O’Malley for his promising techniques. But the “loser” of the fight has turned his cheek as instructed by Sister Benedict. After their talk, Sister Benedict decides to train the boy to box correctly and miss any fists that might come against him again. But she’s also got some fights to attend to. Although she’s devoted to children, she continues through the months with a determined attitude for the building next door.

This film won an Academy Award for Best Sound, Recording. Seven other nominations passed them by, including Best Picture. This was the first time a sequel had been nominated for the Best Picture Oscar. The first Father O’Malley film, Going My Way, won Best Picture a year earlier. Bing Crosby was nominated for Best Actor in both films, but won for Going My Way. This is remarkable because this was the first time an actor had been nominated for playing the same character in two different movies.

A Reunion of Children

2010-12-08T12:26:00.001-06:00

Joseph and his brothers were separated for years because the brothers sold Joseph into slavery. When he saw his brothers again, they didn’t recognize him. So he questioned them and found the answers he sought while they thought he was a stranger.

What would be your quest if you were separated from your family and then had a chance to be reunited with them? What would you want to know or do or see?

Discover what Joseph did for his father and brothers as you join me at Seek God With Me.

The Hucksters, 1947

2010-12-03T08:02:00.001-06:00

Clark Gable and Deborah Kerr pair up in this peek into the advertising industry. Gable, as Victor Norman, tries to land a high-salaried advertising job by helping an ad agency’s client get an endorsement from a beautiful war widow. The widow, Deborah Kerr as Kay Dorrance, sees the interaction between her children and Gable which helps her fall for him.

This was Deborah Kerr’s first American film. To help movie-goers pronounce Kerr’s last name correctly, one of the taglines for the film was “Gable’s New Star is Deborah Kerr (rhymes with star).”

Ava Gardner was in several uncredited roles before she was able to play a possible love interest for Clark Gable in this film. She later played a love interest for Clark Gable in the 1952 film Lone Star and in 1953’s Mogambo.

Irene was very busy designing costumes from Ginger Rogers’ gowns in Shall We Dance in 1937 to Doris Day’s gowns in Lover Come Back in 1961. For The Hucksters, Irene supervised the designs of Deborah Kerr’s gowns as well as Ava Gardner’s.

Children Hear From God

2010-12-01T07:01:00.001-06:00

Last month at Seek God With Me, I shared the story of Hannah who had wept before God about having children. She persevered in prayer until Eli the priest said her prayers would be answered. She had a son, Samuel, who was to be raised by the priest in the service of God. Eli taught Samuel about living in submission to God.

Join me today at Seek God With Me where I’m sharing the story of Samuel, a story of faith, dedication, and obedience. I think it would do us all some good if we would lie down and listen for God’s voice.

A Woman's Secret, 1949

2010-11-26T08:11:00.002-06:00

Estrellita, played by Gloria Grahame, is a singer who’s on her way up thanks to the efforts of Marian Washburn, whose day has come and gone. The audience faces question after question as the plot unfolds. Why would Estrellita want to quit her singing career before she’s really hit her peak? How did Estrellita really get shot?

Marian Washburn, played by beautiful Maureen O’Hara, confesses to the shooting, but did she really do it? Why would she confess? Why would she be willing to go to jail if she didn’t shoot her?

Washburn’s longtime and devoted friend, Luke Jordan, played by Melvyn Douglas, tries to put all the pieces together to free Washburn. He’s sure she’s innocent, but he has to convince the police inspector of that. He can’t give up. If Estrellita dies, Washburn is faced with a homicide charge.

While the police inspector mulls over the facts, his wife adds her opinions. She is a fan of murder mystery stories and has ideas that may help solve the mystery that is baffling her husband. The police inspector’s wife is played brilliantly by Mary Philips. She gave life and humor to the end of the story.

The nurse who cares for Estrellita in the hospital is played by Ellen Corby. I remember Corby as Granma Walton on the TV series The Waltons from the 1970s. If you watch this movie before bed, don’t forget to say “’Night, Granma.”

Another Devoted Mom

2010-11-24T19:48:00.001-06:00

How do you get what you want?

Throwing a fit doesn’t work very often. It only makes onlookers put more space between them and you. Those tears a wasted.

But the tears of the devoted are never wasted. One who is devoted to something important sheds tears only when they cannot be held back. The face of the devoted shows strength and wisdom. Tears power down those cheeks, determined to leave tracks, determined to change what has been.

Join me at Seek God With Me where I’m sharing Hannah’s story. She was a mother who had to persevere through difficulties for years before she got what she wanted. But she was not disappointed.

The Gorilla

2010-11-22T08:23:00.002-06:00

Here’s a riddle:
If a 15-foot gorilla walks into a shopping mall, where is he going to go?

Answer:
Anywhere he wants.

At least until we vote him out of office. … Today’s rant is about the way our government has become a 15-foot gorilla.

Our government was designed to benefit the citizens and protect the people. The people are the power behind the government, or are supposed to be.

There are those in this country who are still hopeful that our government will get back on track with its original guidelines. We can affect our nation, but we won’t do it sitting idly by, just waiting. There are those who are mad enough to join a cause and fight for it. Right now, there are an impressive number of causes being fought for. Or fought over.

The people of this country have a voice, if they’ll raise it. I’ve seen our penchant for voting change the lives of singers on American Idol and dancers on Dancing With The Stars. Americans love to vote. However, we need people to step into political office and give us an opportunity to vote for someone we believe in.

The gorilla can’t be allowed to grow bigger, stomping through the country while we run for cover. It can’t be allowed to carry us with it in one of its hairy hands while it climbs up tall buildings, smashing tiny airplanes.

In case you’ve never seen the movie King Kong, the gorilla loses. The girl wins. But she didn’t win because she was kicking and screaming for help. There was a plan. There was someone passionate enough and wise enough to know how to get the girl and bring her back to where she was supposed to be.

A lot of people feel strongly about our government and worry about our weaknesses. This country has never been perfect, and it’s never going to be. But we might strengthen it by working together and correcting its path.

You don’t have to be a politician to know America was founded by people who believed God. I think it’s time this country in all its beautiful diversity came together in peace, building each other up in love.

National Velvet, 1944

2010-11-19T07:41:00.003-06:00

The horse was all Velvet Brown could think of, day and night. While her sister was crazy over a boy, Velvet was crazy over a horse called The Pie. With a horse as wild and strong as The Pie, what else was there to do but enter the horse in the Grand National Sweepstakes, the biggest race in England? Velvet was utterly devoted to that horse.

The one person who encouraged Velvet the most was her mother. Mrs. Brown had swum the English Channel with the help of a coach who trained her well and helped her complete her swim. She knew Velvet had what it took to get her horse to the finish line.

Elizabeth Taylor played Velvet Brown and earned her place as MGM’s top child star because of the success of National Velvet, only two years after her first screen test.

Velvet’s father, played by Donald Crisp, added humor to the film. Crisp had already worked with Elizabeth Taylor in Lassie Come Home in 1943, which was Taylor's second film.

Mi Taylor, played by Mickey Rooney, was the young man who helped Velvet achieve her dream. I loved Mickey Rooney’s passion and apathy and affection and determination. The scene where he cheered at the race was priceless.

I enjoyed seeing nineteen-year-old Angela Lansbury in the role of Velvet’s sister, Edwina Brown. National Velvet was only her second film.

The very talented Anne Revere won the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role because of her work as Velvet’s mother. Also receiving an Oscar was Robert Kern for Best Film Editing.