FILMS FROM OUT OF THE PAST

On Thanksgiving day just as we have done the past several years we went to my daughter-in-laws sister's house to celebrate and eat.  Peggy, daughter-in-law Carol's next older sister' and her husband Dale always have a big Thanksgiving celebration.  This year there were 38 ranging in age from one month to 87 years.  I was next to the top in the latter category.


Peggy knowing of my interest in films asked me a very pointed question, "What is your all time favorite film."  After a moments recollection I picked one from the past, one I had first seen in the late 40's or early 50's the great French classic "Les Enfants du Paradis" or as translated into English "The Children of Paridise." 

Peggy was not familiar with this title and after carefully spelling out the French noted she wanted to see it which motivated me to seek out the review I had done of the film in Mensa Classic Films in it's first year of publication.  I brought this up on the computer and found my self in deep thought about the film and why I had seen it back in those days when I was still in college.

J suspect that some of it was due to the interests of my girl friend of the time.  Her name was Valya Terry and she was in films where she acted under the name of Janet Martin.  She was a very interesting and beautiful girl and had a rather interesting background.  Her parents had left Russia during the revolution and headed for France and eventually the U.S.  Her mother was a folk singer and appeared at a number of theatre's all over the U.S.  Valya grew up with a natural exposure to show business and because of both a natural and beautiful singing voice and strong dancing skills the fell easily into screen roles.

Perhaps because of he European background or perhaps other reasons as well Valya enjoyed foreign language films.  I had enjoyed movies since I was a kid and went with my father when very young.  Later while growing up my parents devoted Friday nights to taking my sister and I to movies at the local theatres in the area where we lived in the Silver Lake and Los Feliz districts of Los Angeles.

During the period that Valya and I were a team snf saw a lot of foreign films some of which are no longer available as far as have been able to determine.  This long ntroduction now leads to the films of out the past.

Appearing at relatively at the same time as "les Enfants Du Paradis" was another film of great romantic intensity.  It was called "Carmen" and was largely based on the opera of the same name.  It starred the very voluptuous French actress Vivien Romance and the great French romantic idol of those times Jean Marias.  Bizet's music was a significant presence in the film as it was written for the opera.

I have never seen Vivien Romance in any other film but Jean Marais appeared in a number of others the most famous of these "Beauty and the Beast" where he wore elaboratie make up in his role as the man who looked like a lion.  Josette Day, played beauty, in and was very successful in that role.  One of the many interesting aspects of the film was arms and hands holding candelabra with burning candles and no human body attached.   This strange apparition also occurred in another film staring Marais, "Eagle with Two Heads."  Like in the previous mentioned film there was no physical connection between the arms and hands holding the chandeliers. they provided a rather abstract and mysterious way of providing light.

One further film that disappeared as far as I can tell was a German production of  "Dei Fledermaus": which was started in Germany whilr World War II was still in full fury.  It was eventually finished in Prague after the war and released in 1946.  The picture varied to some extent from the original plot but was shot in glorious pink enhanced color.

I have seen Beauty and the Beast and Les Enfants du Paradis in recent years and find them just as enjoyable as when they were first viewed.  I only wish the other films I mentioned were as readily available by DVD or on TV.

Since this is my first input in several months I find I am a bit rusty.  I have several photo's I want to include and hopefully I will eventually be able to supplement the narrative.  However, this should not impede your reading of this post.