Can We Talk 2

Old Movies

         I love seeing movies from the 30's and 40's, and even beyond. Seeing the stars in the early days is like making a big, exciting discovery. Seeing attitudes and artistic approaches to history and culture in other eras is enlightening, too. (I don't like to admit that movies from the 50's to the 80's are now of historical interest, since I was alive when they were made.)

         I wish AMC and TCM and other nostalgia channels had been around when I was younger. I've always had a thing for black and white, but You didn't have access to so many, or commentary on them. I believe I could have found a happier niche in life had film history been an available college major when I was young. I'd be in heaven studying directors, acting technique, theater history, editing, and so forth, and watching film without feeling like I was neglecting more important things. In my old age, I'd be an authority on something I loved.

         Now, since I've developed an obsession with westerns and consider it my hobby to gather info, I do know a lot of the old stars and am beginning to recognize recurring themes. Instead of just watching for the story lines and the messages that an English major would notice, I pay attention to editing, to lighting, to costuming and make-up, to authenticity of the timelines and historical settings, even the appropriateness of musical backgrounds.

         Yvonne De Carlo played Lily Munster, so whenever I saw her in something, I would think of the woman who played Lily, a face known in every household. Now I've seen her in a number of westerns, including Bonanza and The Virginian, I remember her name. She was an important supporting character in a John Wayne movie, McClintock, and was attractive. In one episode of The Virginian she played a comical role; although an attractive mother, it was typical of the mixed up comedy of The Munsters. In a second episode, she was a beautiful opera singer and love interest of Judge Garth, almost unrecognizable, but more like her real self. I recently saw her in a 1949 film in the leading role, The Gal Who Took The West. It was a comedy, but she was beautiful and sexy. I don't believe it was the usual cowboy era, but later on. Nonetheless, it was exciting to see her in a different type role with more subtle hair and make-up.

         Gunsmoke was on TV for 20 years. I believe just about every movie star or TV star working during that time period appeared at least once on Gunsmoke. I surprise myself now at how many young faces I recognize on that show, people I never knew before. You know all these faces you've seen before but you never knew their names. I know a lot of the names now. Or at the least I see a cowboy and know that he was in some famous movies. I never paid attention before.

         I think TCM is playing older movies than they did at first. I appreciate the commentary on innovations in each film. Like a Sci-Fi movie before Spielberg. Just a little thing, like demonstrating a simple technique to make it look like a stationary train was moving through a long tunnel. Movies tend to be more authentic than TV shows in some respects, but they can mess up, too. Like having a performance within a show that uses a song or music style that didn't really exist in the time period of the story. Or putting pointy toe high heels on saloon girls from the 1880's. Or using blue eye shadow on females prior to the 50's; these were made primarily in the 60's and 70's, proving the costumers and make-up people didn't do their homework. Another error is putting women's jewelry from the 50's or beyond on Indians, both male and female. Indian costumes were frequently made up and not researched. Study some photos from the turn of the century and you'll see the commonly made errors there.

         I;d like to think that today's TV shows and movies are avoiding these common oversights. The ease of surfing the Internet for historical data and National Geographic files should help quite a bit. At any rate, it makes me happy to see an old film I've never seen or haven't seen in along time.