More from TCM--Mostly Warners Brothers

Lately, I've really been into old movies from the 30s (mostly) and 40s. Some are classics, some not so much. 

One of my top five films and favorite Bette Davis movie is The Letter. I've written about it here. I ended up watching it in bits and pieces as I made dinner, etc. In this last watch, I was shocked that I didn't remember one scene. Leslie (Davis) and her attorney (James Stephenson) go to retrieve the incriminating letter of the title in a store. Leslie handles an ornate knife. The knife appears in one of the final scenes of the movie. I really need to rewatch this film with no distractions to truly appreciate it. 

The most recent film I re-watched was Bordertown; here's my post about it. I don't have a lot to add, but it struck me on this viewing is how unlikable all the characters are. 

At the beginning of the film, Johnny (Paul Muni) is lauded for his hard work escaping a life of crime. But Johnny is unbelievably arrogant as well as hot-headed, and prone to violence. He takes all the wrong lessons from his failure as a lawyer and from his interactions with snobby socialite Dale (Margaret Lindsay.) Dale is cruelly oblivious to Johnny's feelings. 

Marie (Bette Davis) is a murderer who falsely accuses Johnny. Johnny's mother (Soledad Jimenez) is slightly more than a stereotype because she didn't believe in him. She prays for him to win his first case. Padre supposedly supports him, but might as well be singing, "stick to your own kind" a la Anita in West Side Story.

Only Charlie Roark (Eugene Pallette) Marie's husband and murder victim and Johnny's boss then partner, is remotely likable. And he is portrayed as a drunken clown.

I still enjoy watching this film. 

Visitors

My brother Jim and his girlfriend Liz are coming to visit tomorrow. Jim helped us move and has been here a few times. But this will be his first time as a visitor. We had expected to have a few visitors before this, but plans changed. 

We don't have many plans, but I've got some restaurant ideas and Annette invited us to dinner one night. It should be fun. 

Ducklings!

In the winter, Jace and I would see at least a dozen ducks each day--many on the pond closest to us.

We've seen much fewer ducks recently and only a few females. In the last few days, we've seen some mamas with babies. One with one baby, another with four, and a third with six or seven. It's adorable watching them try to keep close to their mothers.

It makes me happy every time to I see them. Are baby bunnies next?

Book Eight: Sphinx by Robin Cook

We have two Little Free Libraries on our street, and I picked up this book there. I had read Coma years ago and liked it. This was quite a change from my last book.

Egyptologist Erica Baron, a specialist in New Kingdom hieroglyphics, is on a long awaited dream trip to Egypt. On her first day in Cairo, she is shown a priceless statue of Pharaoh Seti I and then witnesses the murder of the shopkeeper who showed her the statue. Erica finds herself caught between black marketers, a director of antiquities, and a charming Frenchman who wants to stop the export of Egyptian treasures.

Unfortunately, Erica is a Mary Sue. All the men she meets lust after her, they're particularly fascinated by her legs. But, she's just not that interesting. It was only when she is locked in a tomb that I became more interested, but I wasn't interested enough to not fall asleep. Twice. 

Overall, this book was disappointing.

Closing Out April

It seems like just the other day that I wrote a post closing out March. And here we are. 

This year I'm going to agree with  TS Eliot. Jeff's sister Melissa died on the 15th.Cancer. I'm so glad we got to see her in March. We spent more time with her than we expected so that was a bonus. 

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The weather has been crazy: 90s to 50s to freeze warnings. Parts of the country are still experiencing heavy snowstorms. We've broken the climate. 

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On a more positive note, Jeff, Jace and I returned to Bowley's after Jace's vet appointment. We had drinks and listened to a two-man band. It was relaxing and fun, and we plan to go back. 

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Hoping to get organized and get some of those little annoying things done this weekend. 

Book Seven: The Princes in the Tower Solving History's Greatest Cold Case by Philippa Langley

This book was fascinating. The author Philippa Langley was the historian who led the Looking for Richard Project and discovered the grave of Richard III. That discovery upended accepted historical dogma as myths. 

In this book, Langley turns her attention to what traditionalists consider Richard's most horrific crime--the disappearance and presumed murder of the Princes in the Tower (King Edward V and Richard Duke of York.) The Missing Princes Project treats it as a cold case missing persons investigation. 

Looking beyond English sources (under the control of Richard's successor Henry VII) in the Netherlands, Ireland, and elsewhere, the Project uncovered evidence that both Edward and Richard survived their time in the Tower and attempted to regain the throne from the Tudors. 

Langley and her team aren't done. Phase Two of The Missing Princes Project will continue its original research and search of international and private archives. I can't wait to read what it finds. 

Lola's Anniversary, National Beagle Day, and Earth Day

All good holidays to celebrate. 

Ten years ago we picked up Lola from DAWS. It's hard to believe it's been that long. She was a good girl, and I'm happy we got to live with her, take care of her, and love her.

How appropriate was it to adopt a beagle on National Beagle Day? I doubt we knew that at the time. It was just just serendipity or synchronicity or something. 

As for Earth Day, I'm discouraged; surprised Trump didn't issue an executive order banning it. There has been so much damage to environmental initiatives and programs. It makes me sad. We have really fucked up.