BEFORE: It's hard to program for Easter, once you've already watched films like "Hop". My mind worked in a more biblical fashion, based on the original meaning of the word "scapegoat". Back in ancient times, the Hebrews would strand a goat out in the desert as a ceremonial part of the Day of Atonement, symbolically carrying the sins of the community with it.
Easter itself doesn't carry much weight with me, since I've removed myself (mostly) from the trappings of religion. All that's left is a big meal and some kick-ass candy, like marshmallow eggs and chocolate bunnies filled with peanut butter. We went into the liquor store the other night after dinner, and I was looking to pick up some more pre-made pina coladas, but I guess that's not in season yet. "Monday," the guy said, but that's what he always says when he's out of something. Instead he pointed out that there was still some pre-made bottled eggnog left from Christmas, and I figured, why not? Easter eggs, Easter eggnog, right? Christmas has so much going for it with food and drink - rum punches, mulled cider, etc. - it can afford to give up one of its alcoholic beverages and not even miss it. So I propose we move eggnog from a Christmas drink to an Easter drink. You can add some food coloring and make it pink or light blue or something if you want to be festive.
Linking from "The Postman Always Rings Twice", John Garfield was also in the 1943 film "Thank Your Lucky Stars" with Bette Davis (last seen in "All About Eve")
FOLLOW-UP TO: "Kind Hearts and Coronets" (Movie #803)
AFTER: This film is based on a book by Daphne Du Maurier (we'll see more of her work in the upcoming Hitchcock chain...) and is predicated on the same belief as "The Prince and the Pauper", namely that if there are enough people in the world at one time, it's possible for someone to have an unrelated nearly-identical twin. But here the resulting switcheroo is used by one of the doubles (the rich one) to create an alibi for himself so that he can pull off the perfect murder (which was also the goal last night in "The Postman Always Rings Twice").
The lead character here, John Barratt, is an unmarried university French teacher, who takes his vacations in Paris, where he encounters his doppelganger in a pub - where Barratt has no family, the Count has "too much", along with a fortune and a failing family business. Oh, and a mistress he forgets to tell Barratt about.
Barratt protests at first after the switch is made (a lot of alcohol and some sort of drug is involved) but he soon goes along with the charade, either because the Count's life is more fascinating, or perhaps returning to his own would be too boring, but soon develops an affinity for the people in the Count's family, or perhaps he feels he can help them all somehow, by being the man that the Count usually isn't.
Someone apparently remade this film in 2012 - I know some people are against black and white films, no matter what.
Also starring Alec Guinness, Peter Bull, Nicole Maurey, Irene Worth, Pamela Brown
RATING: 4 out of 10 glass blowers
No comments:
Post a Comment