In my Absense (part one: film-related)

So when I left here, I was in love with Van Heflin.

But while casually working my way through his body of work -- something I've attempted several times over the past few years -- I instantly fell for someone else!

Watching PRESENTING LILY MARS, a silly MGM 'musical' from 1943, sent me into a Judy Garland obsession. I've always liked Judy, but since MGM movies in general annoy me, I had never seen more than her most famous titles (WIZARD OF OZ, MEET ME IN ST. LOUIS, etc.), so off I went to Netflix, renting EASTER PARADE.

As I awaited it's delivery, I thought I'd prep myself by returning to a Fred Astaire mood: I finally watched my dvd copy (a Christmas gift I foolishly tossed aside!) of HOLIDAY INN, then my long ago dvr-ed copy of YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH.

Both were wonderful...and it definitely did the trick of making me love Fred even more...so then when EASTER PARADE finally got here, I was in love with Judy, in love with Fred, and I'll be damned if EASTER PARADE wasn't absolutely wonderful! One of my most favorite movies I've watched all year!

I hated to send it back to Netflix, but luckily, the real Easter was only a week or two later, and I was able to tape EASTER PARADE off TCM. After several viewings of that, I made the mistake of watching a God awful Judy film (just wait til I review it!), then the not-so great Fred Astaire film: SILK STOCKINGS.

The sight of Fred dancing the 'The Ritz Roll and Rock' made me long for a time when Fred was younger, more graceful, and the dances MEANT something...something beautiful and poetic...sexy, and romantic! (Sigh), in other words: where's Ginger when I need her?!

I had grown content to do without her...I loved Fred paired with Rita Hayworth in YOU'LL NEVER GET RICH (for you Fred and Rita fans out there, I've also got YOU WERE NEVER LOVELIER on my dvr, but I'm saving it for a rainy day, AKA, a lonely night) and Fred with Judy Garland was terrific, but still...something was missing.

So I returned to the ten films made by Fred and Ginger. I watched every one, over and over, and damn it, this time I made notes...I've got a whole stack of 'em! Equaling enough material for a forty part series.

-- Trust me, it's already organized and counted!

So that's what I did, film-wise, during my absence: if this film blog were my own home-schooling equivalent of film school, then the upcoming Fred and Ginger series shall be my thesis.

Assuming a thesis is what I think it is...you know I never graduated college. I went one semester and dropped out.

But that's what I've been calling it, jokingly; but really, since I couldn't blog while my computer was crashed and comatose, I basically 'blogged' by hand.

After I finished their collection, all I wanted was Ginger. So I finally watched her Oscar winning performance in KITTY FOYLE.

And out of respect for a truly great actress, I did retire my venture into Judy Garland land on a high note, with Judy's most potent film, A STAR IS BORN (1954).

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-- Related reviews to eventually follow.

Thanks for listening.

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