The March Muchness Blog Tag!

Hello, friends!

It has been a while since I've been seen on this corner of the internet. I hope you are all doing well and not going to mad at tea parties. That seems non-sequitur, but it actually is my lead into what I'm going to talk about. I scrambled on to blogger today because I realized that I can't go a month without talking to you guys! I also had to get into the March Muchness fun before it was over! This is a celebration hosted by Christine Smith in honor of her 11th blogoversary and her love for Alice in Wonderland. Her blog's birthday! In addition to her, Sarah, Emily, Victoria, Maple Quill, Kenzie, Jessica, Emma, Esther, Merie, Josiah, and Kal, are all hosts!

I've been awfully silent, but I have been enjoying reading the posts, so you guys should check it out!

Today I'll fill out the tag they put together for the occasion and hope that I'm not late to a very important date...

The March Muchness Blog Tag:

1. List six impossible things you’d love to do – wild and crazy answers 100% welcome!

-Publish a book. I know, I'm really rowdy over here so you guys do not want to mess with me. Haha! I've written first drafts, but that's as far as I usually get, so it seems quite impossible.

-Go hang gliding. My younger sister and I have wanted to do this for as long as I can remember.

-Be in a play of some kind. I have always thought that I'm good at acting, but I would love to have that tested. This is me trying to be realistic, but I would totally love to be in a movie if someone gave me the option.

Um...(Guys, this is sad if I can't think of more than 3)

-Solve a Rubik's cube (I'm SO CLOSE, I just can't get a last row).

-Zipline across an island of Hawaii (I don't know if this is a real thing, but once again, it's something my sister and I have always wanted to do)

-Learn to actually cook. So you know, I don't die.

2. What is a topic that grew curiouser and curiouser the more you studied/researched it?

Basically everything. I start out mildly intrigued then I get ever more fascinated. Right now it is probably calculus because crazy things are starting to be possible.

3. If you could invite three fictional characters to a tea party, who would they be? 

Elizabeth Bennet, 

Edward Bloom, 

and Eliza Doolittle. 

(I was trying to have all three people have the initials E.B., but I couldn't think of a third one. This was for no reason other than I thought it would be fun. At least they all start with E. Any suggestions? (Not Edmund Bertram!)). 

Elizabeth because she is clever and will have something to say no matter the circumstance, Edward because he tells the best stories, and Eliza because she is my fair lady and has just as much of a right to be here as any of us. ("Cup o' tea!"). (I will also undoubtably be awkward so if she's nervous she'll know she's not alone). Do you guys think these three would get along together?

4. Which Wonderland character do you feel you’re the most like?

It really depends on the adaptation or version. Ack, and it's been too long since I've gone into some kind of a world inspired by Wonderland (that is published *cough*Rachel*cough* it is sad to wait for books to actually be on your shelves...). From the 2010 movie Alice in Wonderland, I would say that I'm the White Queen as I'm kind but a little ditzy. I don't know if our similarities carried over in the sequel when we got more backstory, though. Other than that, maybe the Dormouse because I always want to sleep. Always.

I don't know if I'm like him because we are not anywhere near the same circumstances, but for some reason I really feel connected to Jefferson in Once Upon a Time's version of Wonderland. So of course I have to mention him. How family comes first and you would do anything for them? That's a way the two of us are similar!

*cough* Totally not just because it's Sebastian Stan *cough*

5. If you could drink a magic potion that changed one thing about you, what would it be?

To discard all of my procrastination. No, not something that is straight caffeine, but can actually help motivate me.

6. How IS a raven like a writing desk?

Most birds have pinions, which are a certain kind of feather that helps them fly. A raven is like a writing desk because both deal with opinion.

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

Was anyone else TERRIFIED of Diablo?

7. If you were to make an enemy of Father Time, what time in the day would you choose to repeat?

Love this question! Most things that pop into my head right away are really emotional moments, so I don't know if I would want to live in them for ages. I would go mad. I'll chose just hanging out with my sisters in the tent in our backyard. It never gets old and is always a blast.

Wow, this is a classic case of MC misreading the question. I guess I would go with 10PM to best suit what I said above!

8. If you fell down a rabbit hole, what would the land you pop into look like?

I love the idea of bubbles being part of a world, so wherever I go should have transportation that involves that. Yes, I know that's a Oz thing, but I feel like it would work in a place like Wonderland (yikes, I nearly wrote Neverland. I guess you can tell it's late at night for me).

9. If you could have the body of one type of creature and the head of another (for example, the Mock Turtle has the body of a turtle and the head of a calf), what would that combination be and why?

I'm definitely having the body of some kind of bird so I can fly. That is a given. But, if I go with that, any combination looks terrifying when put on top of a bird's body. Oh, I know, a dragon! I'll have the head of a lion on the body of a dragon. That does not fit me probably, but it sounds like the most awesome thing ever so we're going with it. The reason being that I love lions and I love dragons. End of story.

Not gonna lie, I would probably look like this. But with wings.

10. Have you read or written anything stylistically close to Alice in Wonderland? Tell us about it.

Whoa, stylistically? I think the last time I read the original book I was in my stage of not caring one cent about writing style, so I have no idea. I know that Heartless - by Marissa Meyer impressed me by 100% capturing how I see Lewis Carroll's world, so I'll go with that.

11. If you could either be as tall as a tree or as small as a mouse for an hour, which would you choose and what would you do?

#bedroomgoals

Well, I'm already quite tall, so I do not need to be more so. I've always loved the idea of little people, so while both The Borrowers and The Secret Life of Arriety were disappointing to me, I would go with that. I'm basically a fairy at that stage, right? I'm just like Thumblina and need to find my wings! This is my second reference to flying in this post. I just really want wings, okay?

Has anyone else seen this movie?? My sisters and I watched it A LOT and my younger sister still counts it in her favorites. It's super sweet!

12. If you could give your younger or future self one piece of Very Good Advice, what would it be?

Well, as Alice says, "I can't go back to yesterday because I was a different person then.". I've been doing so much self-reflection about my past for papers that I cannot even begin to narrow it down. In that case, I'll tell my future self to be kind and open to talking about anything and everything. Fear held me back from talking in the past when I would have benefited from exploring and debating opinions.

Thank you so much to Christine and all of the others for hosting! What do you guys think of my answers?

What was the highlight of March for you guys? It will be March in my time zone when I post this, but it will probably be April when you read it, so tell me ideas for pranks for April Fool's Day! What do you guys think of my wisdom regarding ravens and writing desks? Has anyone else broken their heart over Jefferson in OUaT? 

Have a springy day! *shudders because of the terror those words give me now that I'm doing math...*

Chloe the MovieCritic

My Top 10 Movie Scores Composed by John Williams

Hello, everyone!

Do any of you love movies? In addition to that, do any of you love to be utterly swept away by these movies through the assistance of a dynamic score? I do, that's for sure. Here at Movies Meet Their Match I love to celebrate movies, music, and a birthday whenever I can.

What does a birthday have to do with all of this?

Well, the stupendous composer John Williams turned 90 today. And in honor of him, Rebecca at Taking Up Room is hosting a blogathon for him!

I haven't participated in a blogathon since September, but I couldn't stay in the shadows for this one! Ages ago I did a list of my top 10 movie scores, and since,  John Williams composed several, including (spoiler alert) my favorite of all time, it is only right that I give him a post all to his own!

I decided (thanks to inspiration from Hamlette, who also did a post like this. You should check that out and every entry into this blogathon!) to talk about my 10 scores he has composed. In preparation for this post, over the last few days I have listened to about 19 albums for scores. That's staggaring. And it made it so much harder to just chose 10 because every one I listened to deserves a spot on this list. But, I tried! I will probably wish to put in completely different ones as soon as I publish this post.

Also, because the Olympics are going on right now (One of my FAVORITE things in the world!), I should mention another fact. How many of you know that our own John Williams composed the EPIC anthem we all hear when we watch it? The Olympics theme makes me cry and I was astonished that I hadn't made the connection when I learned it was all because of him. I should have known better, as so many of his scores make me weep.

 

10. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002) & Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

I tried so hard to just pick one of these, but I couldn't. Chamber of Secrets has the utterly magic music surrounding Fawkes (above) (I LOVE that bird and we don't get enough of him but when we do I cry), so I couldn't leave that out. But the way Prisoner of Azkaban incorporates a clock is seamless, giving me chills. Also, the double touble choir sequence (above)? I once thought it was overly dramatic, but I dig it now. You see my conundrum. Which is why I am picking both in my number 10 spot. I have quite the soft spot for the first few Harry Potter movies and might love them more than the books. This changes at #4 for many reasons, but one of them might be that the music doesn't grip me in the same way it does when John composed it.

9. Home Alone (1990)

First, let me tell you that I felt guilty listening to Christmas music in February because it was putting me in the holiday mood. Maybe even more so than a few months ago. This is the only movie on this list that is set in our modern world without magic or adventure. There is a lot of action, but no exploration of new places. Only protecting what we love. Just listening to this music gives you questions of how you can be a kinder person. When you find music that does that, hold on to it. (Also, when you've listened to this then you go through a lot of Harry Potter you start to figure out John's tricks for making you feel it is Christmas immediately. This is one of the coolest things I've ever heard.)

8. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

Story time: One year (maybe it was around when Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls came out? I don't remember) my dad received one of those musical cards for his birthday, where you open it and it blares a song. It had Indiana Jones on it and probably said "Have an adventurous year" or something like that. It wasn't important. What WAS important was that it blasted out Indy's iconic theme. My sisters and I loved it so much that we would open and close the card non-stop, then proceed to dance around and come up with stories to fit the score to. I hadn't even seen the movie at that time. Finally, we drove my mom so crazy that she had to take it away. All the same, I am filled with adrenaline any time I hear those notes.

7. Hook (1991)

Another movie that I had sadly forgotten about. My sisters and I watched this a lot (though I still remember the first time!) so hearing the score again for the first time in years was straight nostalgia to my bloodstream. It is very gentle, yet has elements of playfulness and fairy dust sprinkled in. It is a balm of adventure to any tired soul. I sound overly sentimental, but it's true for me!

6. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Why do I always forget that John Williams wrote the score for this movie? AND he won an Oscar for it? I guess I usually just think about the songs with lyrics, but this is just as important. The soundtrack is only about an hour long, yet the movie is about three, so John helped carry it along. The Fiddler is such an important element to weave in, and he does that along with elements from the songs and so much more. This is one of those scores and soundtracks that together I could listen to on repeat. Without stopping. I'm serious.

5. War Horse (2011)

I should probably do a top 10 scores to do homework to because this would be on there. I have only seen the movie once, but I have listened to this score a lot since then. It has everything: jaunty tunes that lift my spirit, steady ones that build hope within me, and the soft plucking of a piano that rips my heart out. Sorry, my sentences are starting to not make sense anymore. What I love about this one is how subtle it is. It is a war movie, but listening to the soundtrack that wouldn't be your first thought. There are occasional bugle calls, horns, and the like which clue you in, but it is so soft for a war movie soundtrack. I LOVE soundtracks are knock you away with power (as you will see later), but this one tiptoes into my heart and destroys me every time I hear it. I don't mind.

4. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (2001)

Does anything scream magic as much the music to Harry Potter? It is a pure dose of wistfulness that never fails to give me shivers. It is a score that explores a new life and shows how even that can be mystical. This is rich in friendships and hard decisions, bravery and fear. This is a score that I can't attempt to describe because it does it so well itself.

3. The Adventures of Tintin (2011)

I can't think of another animated movie that showcases John Williams's skills. I couldn't be happier. When I need motivation with a splice of fun, I listen to Tintin. This soundtrack describes the movie so well: it is fun, mysterious, clever, and has twists all over the place. If you want a boost of adventure, watch this movie. Or enjoy the soundtrack. Whichever is easier to access for you. I have lost count how many times I have listened to this soundtrack over the last few months. This movie plays with tropes and the music does in a way, too. It can get dark in one moment, but turn you around and is empower you in the next. My brain is so giddy from listening to this soundtrack that I can't think straight to write about it. That tells you a lot!

2. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

The original Star Wars soundtrack isn't my favorite? The ultimate plot twist! But it was on the other list, so why is it not now? This is still my go-to movie score. The swelling of the instruments is one of my favorite sounds, and makes me so happy. I am putting this second because I listen to it so much, and when I listened to the 18 others this time around, one caught my attention just a bit more, that I had to stop doing my homework and just listen to it because I was reliving the movie. This one helps me power through homework, feeling like the Force was within me, while the one after this has me in awe.

And number 1 is:

...

...

...

1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)

Gotcha, didn't I? I know that a lot of people don't like this movie (which is still painful to think about for me, but I'm learning to let it go), but hear me out. Most times if I don't have anything good to say about a movie, I often still find I can say, "The score was nice!". This might be the case for you.

Listening to this I am transported to a galaxy far, far, away. I have lost count how many times I have seen this movie, but it is dozens. I nearly have the script memorized. But what I'm here to talk about today is the score. There is NOTHING I don't like about it. I love how Kylo Ren's score shadows Darth Vader's. I love the clarity we get with Rey's score, which is unlike anything I've heard. I love the hope. I love the bravery. I love the rebellion. I love the peace and purpose. It creeps upon you without you even knowing what these feelings are doing to you. I love the spark this music gives me. It lights me up. This music changes me every time I hear it. It brings me to deeper levels, and I feel refreshed and at home.

This music is home.

Happy Birthday, John Williams! You have made a huge impact in my life, and I know you will continue to do so as I watch more movies that you worked on.

Thank you so much to Rebecca for hosting this! Make sure to read all the good posts, HERE!

Can't forget about these guys.

What do you think, my readers? Did anything on this list surprise you? Have I convinced you to watch any of these movies? Do you have any recommendations for me for movies based on their scores? 

Thanks for reading!

Chloe the MovieCritic

2021 Tolkien Blog Party: 9 Fellowship Members Tag

Hello, all you Tolkien fans!

"A very merry unbirthday" to both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins! Yesterday was "Hobbit Day" as it was both of their birthdays. What nicely lines up with that is that Hamlette is well into the swing of her 9th Tolkien Blog Party! Check out all of the goodies of the giveaway HERE and all of the precious party entries HERE.

Nine years, folks. That is unbelievable. And I love that I can claim to have been a part of five of them, as this is my sixth year! Each year I have so many plans on how to participate fully...and every year I end up just answering the tag. Which is very cool and very different every year.

Any guesses of what I'm doing this year?

You got it, solely the tag answers. I had another fantastic post idea, but I highly doubt I will get it out before the week ends, so you'll have to wait for another whole year. Maybe not. Who knows? I guess as I had so much fun last year reviewing the movie Tolkien (2019) that this is a good break.

(If you're curious, here are what I said in all the other tags: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, & 2020.)

As this is Hamlette's 9th year doing this, the tag questions are around the Nine members of the Fellowship. (I totally made up the title "9 Fellowship Members Tag" for the title of this post but I thought it was cute)  Nine is a big number in the Lord of the Rings! 

"Nine rings for the elven kings..."

For those of you who are not familiar with Tolkien (don't worry, I was like that for many years), you don't have to worry about spoilers from this post of mine. It's your decision if you want to read this anyway if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

I'm answering these question through the lens of having read:

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, The Return of the King)

And having seen:

The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies (2014), The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), The Return of the King (2003)), and Tolkien (2019).

1. Aragorn: Favorite Tolkien hero/heroine

Hands down, Bilbo Baggins. He is what kept The Hobbit as my fifth favorite book of all time for so long (I recently bumped it down to number 10 just because it has been a really long time since I read it. Once I read it again, though, it will probably go higher). He is so relatable in his fear of leaving his home and security, but having that desire kindled within him to go somewhere new. I really have felt that so much this last year. And am still feeling it.

Or Faramir. Faramir deserves all the love.

Source

2. Boromir: Favorite Tolkien character arc

I have to say Boromir, because he arguably has the best arc. I hated it in the books but absolutely loved it in the movies. I have no idea why. Frodo also has a great character arc, one that is well worth following, but there is so much pain. And I don't really want to go through that.

Maybe Pippin? He makes me want to pull my hair out and lock him in a dark room in the beginning, but by the end he has mellowed out.

3. Frodo: Favorite song or poem by Tolkien

"Far over the misty mountains cold,

To dungeons deep and caverns old,

We must away, ere break of day,

To find our long-forgotten gold.” 

I have to go back to my Dwarven roots. I think of that almost every single time that someone mentions Tolkien. It's easy to memorize, which is another reason I have it here. Some things that Sam says are hauntingly gorgeous in their simplicity, but I don't have a good (i. e. Accurate) example to think of at the moment.

Source

4. Gandalf: Favorite wise Tolkien quotation

I feel it is cliche to answer this question with the one I'm going to use, but well, I'm going to use it. It has helped me a lot in the last few years.

'“I wish it need not have happened in my time,” said Frodo. 

“So do I,” said Gandalf, “and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”'

-The Fellowship of the Ring

It has been a long time since I read the books, but I don't think it is exactly the same phrasing? Or is it not the same phrasing in the movie? If I had my book copies I would check, but we're stuck with not knowing for now. Can anyone help me out here?

5. Gimli: A Middle-earth location you'd like to visit

Right now I'm not in the mood for any specific place. If I were to visit a Middle-earth location I would want to wander everywhere. In the forests of Mirkwood (trying to stay away from spiders), in the glades of Lothlorien, in Hobbiton, and even on the Barrow downs. I'd be fine with anywhere in the fresh air, so just not the mines of Moria. I don't usually consider Gondor or Rohan as I think of them as windy plains that seem too flat and dry, but they could be nice. Anywhere I can see the stars.

Source

6. Legolas: Favorite Middle-earth Weapon

This is often a question, and it is another thing that I never ponder. There are only two answers to this question: Legolas's bow and arrows or Sting. I guess The Ring could be considered a weapon, so if it is my favorite as in the one I am most impressed about its destructive abilities but wouldn't it used or to be anywhere near it, then that one. It is darker and deeper than terrifying.

Sorry, that's very confusing and I don't even know what I'm talking about at this time.

Yes. And you should be, too.

7. Merry: Favorite way to celebrate Tolkien's stories

With friends! To be completely honest, I don't usually think about Tolkien when I'm on my own. What I love is how there is so much fellowship surrounding these works. They are well known and well loved for so many around the world. I've had so many great conversations started because of The Lord of the Rings and I'm so grateful for that. That's why I love this party!

8. Pippin: Favorite funny Tolkien quotation

Books:

"Bilbo Baggins, a bur--a hobbit," said poor Bilbo, shaking all over, and wondering how to make owl-noises before they throttled him.

   "A burrahobbit?" said they a bit startled. Trolls are slow in the uptake, and mighty suspicious about anything new to them.

   "What's a burrahobbit got to do in my pocket anyway?" said William.

-The Hobbit

(I say it every year and never get tired of it.)

Movies:

-The Two Towers (2002)

9. Samwise: A Middle-earth food you'd like to try

I know people are always talking about the food, but I actually didn't notice them from reading the books at all. I'll say the only things I remember at the moment, which is Ent Draught and Lembas bread.

There you have it! Of the nine listed there, my favorite is definitely Sam, followed by Legolas. If you ask me about Frodo I'll pretend I'm not looking into a mirror.

A ginormous thank you to Hamlette for keeping this up for NINE WHOLE YEARS! It was one of the first blog parties I participated in, so I always look forward to it, especially when I have read more of Tolkien's works each year. Make sure to check out what everyone else says about Tolkien, HERE!

Thanks to all of you for reading, friends! How would you answer these questions? Does anyone else have a hard time paying attention to the food and weapons used? Can you rank these nine characters for your favorites?

Chloe the MovieCritic

What's My Line?: Olivia de Havilland

Welcome friends!

If youʼve stuck around this blog for a while you know that I love classic hollywood and I love birthdays, so when you can stick them together Iʼm a happy person! The birthday that Iʼm talking about today is bittersweet, though. 

Olivia de Havilland was born 105 years ago today, and this is the first birthday of hers that Iʼve celebrated on this blog where she wasnʼt with us. I didnʼt know when I wrote my review for her birthday it would be the last time she was alive on her birthday.

All the same, Iʼm talking about her today! Itʼs been awhile since I did my last post about Whatʼs My Line?, so Iʼm going to talk about her appearance on the show!

The basic rundown that I give you every time:

First of all, what is this game show? What's My Line? was a 30 minute game show that ran from 1950-1975.

How it worked:

A panel of four judges try to guess contestants' "lines" (jobs) by asking yes or no questions. The host/panel moderator, John Charles Daly, guided them and helped rework questions to fit the correct format. Each member of the panel would guess until they received a solid "no", a card is flipped, the contestant earns five dollars, and the next person on the panel begins to guess. When all ten cards are flipped the contestant wins! If the panel guess what their line is, then they still get however much money that they won in "nos".

L to R: The three regular panelists, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen, & the panel moderator, John Daly.

Does this sound boring? Far from it! The occupations are so unique, the panel has a hard time. Sometimes their guesses are so off, that it's a hoot! Plus, the highlight is that after two contestants there is the mystery guest! This guest is a celebrity and would be recognizable, so the judges wear blindfolds and get to ask one yes or no question before moving onto the next panel member and they have to guess who it is.

Blindfolds ready, panel?

For ages I would always just skip to the mystery person, but once I started watching full episodes I realized how much I was missing. 

They are hilarious as they josh with each other! For example, in one of the episodes that Iʼm going to talk about with a different contestant John kept pausing to clarify where Arlene was getting annoyed with it:

Arlene Francis: “John is dubious. How are you, Mr. Dubious?”

The celebrity is how I'm connecting it back to my blog. The plan for this series is to talk about all of certain celebrity's appearances. To me, I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they acted here. Some where shy, some were funny, some were bold, you get the idea!

If I were to review it like I do movies, I would say:

Length: approx. 30 minutes. 25 without advertisements.

Script: 10, Iʼve never heard a bad word.

Content: 9, sometimes there are one or two suggestive comments, but itʼs rare.

Age Range: Iʼve been watching this for a long time, but as I said, I didnʼt used to be interested in the first 2/3. I would say that little kids would like to just watch the mystery guest if they knew who it was, just because they wouldnʼt get how funny the rest of it was (especially if they canʼt read).

It is time to start! Will you come in mystery challenger, and sign in please...

Olivia de Havilland appeared as a contestant on Whatʼs My Line? on four separate occasions. Here are the dates and who was on the panel for each time:

May 25th, 1958: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Eamonn Andrews (who was part of the British version of Whatʼs My Line?), Dorothy Killgallen, & Bennett Cerf (this was Bennettʼs birthday so he had lots of jokes directed his way).

March 4th (which is the only day of the year that is both a date and a command, by the way), 1962: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Robert Morse, Dorothy Killgallen, & Bennett Cerf.

August 9th, 1964: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, Dorothy Killgallen, & Bennett Cerf.

August 8th, 1965: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Martin Gabel, Carol Channing, & Bennett Cerf.

Watching these episodes has me smiling from ear to ear! In each one Dame Olivia was so gracious, with a dazzlingly joyous smile and happy to be there! She always knew the panel and gave them lots of kisses and hugs! Everyone else is always brighter after sheʼs been there, too. After watching these episodes I want to go back in time to bask in her warmth. This amazing lady won two Oscars!

Time to discuss the attempts to disguise her voice! I talk about it with every contestant and I will continue to do so because it never fails to amuse me. She first tried with a French accent, but that didnʼt work as everyone knew that she was living in Paris. A gravelly tone and Russian accent were better alternatives.

They talked about the movies The Proud Rebel (1958) (Bennett said he cried through the whole thing!) and The Lady in a Cage (1964) which is one I havenʼt seen. They also talked about a play she had been part of where Bennett said it was beautiful and (this made me laugh!) she seemed a little sarcastic when she replied, “Yes, itʼs beautiful, thatʼs what everybody says, thatʼs the word they use.” Has anyone else noticed that?

Once someone has been on Whatʼs My Line? the panel usually recognize their tactics when they come back. But unlike others who did the same thing each time, she learned her lesson with each time and improved her methods! Youʼll have to watch the episodes for yourself to see how successful she was. You can find it easily on YouTube.

Here are some of my highlights! Olivia de Havilland will be abbreviated as OdH:

Bennett Cerf: “Would you be considered, by even your worst enemies, to be very very lovely looking?”

OdH: *gave a doubtful look*

John Charles Daly: *yells* “YES!”

Arlene Francis: “Are you better known for your work in pictures than any other medium?”

OdH: *deep gravely hissing voice* Yes

Arlene Francis: *mimicking same voice* Swell!

Dorothy Killgallen: “Have you ever played a dual role in a movie?”

OdH: “Yes.”

(If you were interested, I reviewed such a movie of hers right HERE last year)

John Charles Daly: “Thatʼs one of the great benefits of this job, I want to tell you, not all of you ever get a chance to hold hands with Olivia de Havilland and I do.”

Thatʼs all from me! Iʼve seen seven of her forty-nine feature films, so I have a lot to look forward to! What is your favorite role of hers? I am rather partial to her Maid Marian and Melanie, though her parts in The Dark Mirror (1946) are fascinating! Anything that I've seen her in has been incredible.

Happy birthday, our lovely Olivia. 

MovieCritic

What's My Line?: Doris Day

 Hi, everybody!

Today is Holy Saturday and while I talked about a religious movie in my last post, I’m sliding in before Easter to write about something else. Do you know what I love to celebrate on this blog? Birthdays. Today, April 3rd, Doris Day would’ve been 99 years old! That’s pretty incredible, and a lot of people think so because Michaela at Love Letters to Old Hollywood is hosting her Fifth Annual Doris Day Blogathon!

For my entry I will be talking about her appearances on the game show What’s My Line?. 

The rundown:

First of all, what is this game show? What's My Line? was a 30 minute game show that ran from 1950-1975.

This is how it worked:

A panel of four judges try to guess contestants' "lines" (jobs) by asking yes or no questions. The host/panel moderator, John Charles Daly, guided them and helped rework questions to fit the correct format. Each member of the panel would guess until they received a solid "no", a card is flipped, the contestant earns five dollars, and the next person on the panel begins to guess. When all ten cards are flipped the contestant wins! If the panel guess what their line is, then they still get however much money that they won in "nos".

L to R: The three regular panelists, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen, & the panel moderator, John Daly.

Now, this might sound boring, but I assure you that it isn't! The occupations are so unique, the panel has a hard time. Sometimes their guesses are so off, that it's a hoot! Plus, the highlight is that after two contestants there is the mystery guest! This guest is a celebrity and would be recognizable, so the judges wear blindfolds and get to ask one yes or no question before moving onto the next panel member and they have to guess who it is.

Blindfolds ready, panel?

For ages I would always just skip to the mystery person, but once I started watching full episodes I realized how much I was missing. The celebrity is how I'm connecting it back to my blog. The plan for this series is to talk about all of certain celebrity's appearances. To me, I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they acted here. Some where shy, some were funny, some were bold, you get the idea!

If I were to review it like I do movies, I would say:

Length: 30 minutes.

Script: 10, Iʼve never heard a bad word.

Content: 9, sometimes there are one or two suggestive comments, but itʼs rare.

Age Range: Iʼve been watching this for a long time, but as I said, I didnʼt used to be interested in the first 2/3. I would say that little kids would like to just watch the mystery guest if they knew who it was, just because they wouldnʼt get how funny the rest of it was (especially if they canʼt read).

It is time to start! Will you come in mystery challenger, and sign in please...

 

Source

Doris Day appeared on What’s My Line? on two different occasions. Here are the dates and who was on the panel for each time:

June 20th, 1954: PANEL: Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis, Steve Allen, & Dorothy Killgallen.

September 8th, 1957: PANEL: Arlene Francis, Robert Young, Dorothy Killgallen, & Bennett Cerf.

These episodes were a ton of fun to watch. Doris was just so sweet and charming! A fun fact is that on her first appearance on What’s My Line? it was her first ever appearance on television! She enjoyed the show as much as I did, as she said in the second episode:
“Oh John, it’s my pleasure and I must say that this is one of my very favorite shows. I really love it.”

Doris Day was known for her easily recognizable singing voice so she tried to disguise it both times with squeaking “yes” or “no” in a very high voice. I naturally compare sounds to animals, so she sounds like a mouse here. Bennett could be sometimes deaf so he asked, “Would you make your ‘yes’s and your ‘no’s a bit more different?” I thought it was plenty different. When the panel was taking a long time but they knew she was a singer John joked that he career would be over soon using those high notes if they didn’t hurry up.

It’s fun to be able to connect it to a timeline even when I already know the date that it aired. For example, in Doris’s first episode she mentioned that she was going to start making Young at Heart (1954) with Frank Sinatra soon, and in her second one they mentioned the movie The Pajama Game (1957). In the end credits of one the announcer mentioned the TV show Gunsmoke which I watched frequently a few years ago.

Here are some of my favorite parts from both shows, but these are only a small portion so you should find the episodes on YouTube and watch for yourself! Doris Day will be abbreviated as DD.:

DD has been answering in a squeaky “uh huh” this whole time and John hasn’t done any talking then:
Dorothy Killgallen: “Might you be described as a ‘glamour girl’ instead of a terribly serious actress?
John C. Daly: *deep voice* “Uh huh!”
The audience laughed and DD gave John a hug!


Arlene Francis: “Is your name alliterative?”
Steve Allen: “Watch your language.”
John C. Daly: “I don’t think whether our guest went to school or not got’s anything to do with this!”
This playing on alliterative vs. illiterate really cracked me up!


Arlene Francis: “Do you, uh, apart from acting, do you sing or dance?”
DD squeaks a yes, twice because the first one was a little weak. Which causes people to laugh.
John C. Daly: “Mr. Young.”
Robert Young: “Uh, you have a little trouble singing.”



Want to find out what this is? Watch the first episode!

Did she win or were the panel successful? You’ll have to watch and see!


Thanks to Michaela for hosting! Be sure to check out the other entries HERE.

Thanks to all of you for reading! I hope that you have a happy Easter tomorrow! Happy birthday, Miss Day!

MovieCritic

What's My Line?: Mickey Rooney

What's up, my fine friends!?

I hope that all of you are doing well. We have snow here, and I haven't gotten the chance to be in it too much, but I will soon. I love it!

Today, I am participating in KN Winiarski Writes's Mickey Rooney: A Belated Centenary Blogathon!

I was really excited when I saw this! I wrote a post on what would've been Mickey Rooney's 100th birthday, September 23rd, but was shocked when I didn't see anyone else do one. 

"Could the world have already forgotten Mickey Rooney?" I wondered.

Thankfully, the answer is no! So many people have signed up to write about him in these next few days that I'm extremely happy. Check out all of those posts HERE.

Since I reviewed a movie starring him, Little Lord Fauntleroy (1936), then, I thought that I'd do something different. (Though, I would love if any of you went and read that post in addition to this!)

Back in August I started a series that I had been wanting to begin for awhile, talking about one of my favorite game shows, What's My Line?! I started with talking about Esther Williams, and now it's Mickey Rooney's turn!

The rundown:

First of all, what is this game show? What's My Line? was a 30 minute game show that ran from 1950-1975.

This is how it worked:

A panel of four judges try to guess contestants' "lines" (jobs) by asking yes or no questions. The host/panel moderator, John Charles Daly, guided them and helped rework questions to fit the correct format. Each member of the panel would guess until they received a solid "no", a card is flipped, the contestant earns five dollars, and the next person on the panel begins to guess. When all ten cards are flipped the contestant wins! If the panel guess what their line is, then they still get however much money that they won in "nos".

L to R: The three regular panelists, Arlene Francis, Bennett Cerf, and Dorothy Kilgallen, & the panel moderator, John Daly.

Now, this might sound boring, but I assure you that it isn't! The occupations are so unique, the panel has a hard time. Sometimes their guesses are so off, that it's a hoot! Plus, the highlight is that after two contestants there is the mystery guest! This guest is a celebrity and would be recognizable, so the judges wear blindfolds and get to ask one yes or no question before moving onto the next panel member and they have to guess who it is.

Blindfolds ready, panel?

For ages I would always just skip to the mystery person, but once I started watching full episodes I realized how much I was missing. The celebrity is how I'm connecting it back to my blog. The plan for this series is to talk about all of certain celebrity's appearances. To me, I think that you can tell a lot about a person based on the way they acted here. Some where shy, some were funny, some were bold, you get the idea!

If I were to review it like I do movies, I would say:

Length: 30 minutes.

Script: 10, Iʼve never heard a bad word.

Content: 9, sometimes there are one or two suggestive comments, but itʼs rare.

Age Range: Iʼve been watching this for a long time, but as I said, I didnʼt used to be interested in the first 2/3. I would say that little kids would like to just watch the mystery guest if they knew who it was, just because they wouldnʼt get how funny the rest of it was (especially if they canʼt read).

It is time to start! Will you come in mystery challenger, and sign in please...

Source

Mickey Rooney appeared on Whatʼs My Line? on four occasions. Sadly, his first time is a lost episode! I canʼt find a way to watch it anywhere. From him talking about it on the other episodes I know that the panel guessed who it was. Iʼll talk about his other three appearances, though.

April 27th, 1952: PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Hal Block, Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf. (LOST EPISODE)

May 5th, 1957: PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel (Arleneʼs husband), Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf.

December 31st, 1961: PANEL: Dorothy Kilgallen, Martin Gabel (Arleneʼs husband), Arlene Francis, and Bennett Cerf.

January 16th, 1966: PANEL: Steve Allen, Arlene Francis, Jayne Meadows, and Bennett Cerf.

Mickey Rooney is famous for his comedy, and these short episodes are no exception. For some reason before watching it I thought that he was going to be quiet, but I was wrong. When he entered he would throw kisses to the audience and one time, on May 5th, he signed a different name for fun. He fully participated and was hilarious! His reactions to the panelʼs questions is so memorable, as he was usually incredulous because they kept thinking that he was a woman.

Sometimes the celebrity guests answered in disguised voices, and his were hilarious. One time he was this kind of old guy jowly voice (my best way to describe it! Dorothy described it as, “Is he talking through a comb with tissue paper on it?”), which of course means that the panel had trouble understanding him (they are so deaf sometimes) and John had to repeat stuff. Mickey Rooney threw it back at them, asking, “What did you  say?”, which looked like great fun to make fun of the panel. Another time he used a high, squeaky voice (thatʼs when they thought he was a woman!), and lastly he sounded, to me, like an old cat (if cats could talk).

From his appearance on this show I can tell that he was extremely friendly, funny (I already knew that, because who doesnʼt?), and just in general had a great humor.

Some esoterica: there were mentions of the movie Breakfast at Tiffanyʼs (1961) and The Lucy Show. In one episode there were two mystery guests, the other being Henry Barnes, who was a traffic commissioner when there was something to do with Mike Quill. Iʼve never heard of what they were talking about so I had to look it up. See, this is educational!

Now Iʼm going to say some of my favorite moments, but I have to limit myself and there are many that I didnʼt put, so you should watch the episodes for yourself to see what your favorite parts are. (Mickey Rooney will be abbreviated as MR):

Arlene: “Are you younger than Gabby Hayes?” 

MR: “There have been doubts.”

When they all thought that he was female and were asking weird questions (they later admitted that they were going for Kim Novak!):

Finally, Bennett: “Iʼm afraid that weʼve been barking up the wrong tree.”

Dorothy: “Iʼm terribly sorry.”

Bennett: “Do you sometimes play a musical instrument while youʼre singing before a television or nightclub audience?”

John: “Like play a tuba and sing at the same time, Bennett?”

Steve Allen: “Do you sing?” 

MR: “If you want to call it that.”

How many times did the panel guess who it was, and how many times did Mickey Rooney win? Youʼll have to watch for yourself! Three of these episodes are available on YouTube and I like to watch them while doing the dishes. You can just skip to the mystery guest, but the whole episode is a ton of fun.

Thanks to Kristen for hosting this event and giving me a chance to continue this series! Make sure to read the other entries HERE.

As I said in my post on his actual birthday, my favorite role that he played is Mi Taylor in National Velvet (1944), what is yours? Have any of you seen Whatʼs My Line?? Thanks for reading!

MovieCritic