The Drifters

This afternoon after school, I've been listening to The Drifters. It's so refreshing to listen to their sweet, amazing songs. I like them both with and without Ben E. King. My favorite of their songs is "Up on the Roof." It's just so relaxing and it reminds me of summer for some reason... not sure why. I just wanted everyone to know that it's the middle of the week, and I know it's stressful. But if you just want to unwind, listen to some of The Drifters. Their music is sure to get you relaxed!!! Have a great week.

Happy Birthday, Gloria Swanson

As it would have been Gloria Swanson's birthday today, I figured I would make a post with a little about her and my favorite movie of hers, Sunset Blvd. She was born on March 27th (today) in 1899 in Chicago, Illinois. She was the daughter of Adelaide and Joseph Theodore Swanson, and they separated when she was young. Her first film was in 1914, and she was cast as an extra in The Song of Soul. In 1916, she moved to California to further pursue her acting career. She starred in dozens of films and soon became a silent-film star.                    Here's Gloria Swanson in 1921.

And now a review on Sunset Boulevard...

What is there to say besides the fact that it is one of the best movies of all time? (It scores #6 on the list of my favorites on my "Movie" tab) And if you haven't seen it, then I highly advise that you do. It's the story of the over-the-hill silent-film star who has become a dellusional recluse, Norma Desmond, and her encounter with the young filmwriter named Joe Gillis. She imprisons him in her home and makes him write a screenplay designed specifically for her to make herself known in Hollywood again. She falls in love with him (although she is old enough to be his mother) and all the while he is having an affair with another woman. It's a truly gripping and amazing movie that I think anyone will be impacted by.

This movie holds one of the most famous lines of all time: "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up."


And the sad thing is, is that I'm sure cases such as Norma Desmond's have happened with other silent-film stars, when they just can't get past the fact that they're not famous anymore and will most likely live their lives in solitude.

...on that happy note... happy birthday to an amazing actress, Gloria Swanson.

"We didn't need dialogue. We had faces!"

Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie

Before I bought "Lucy and Desi: A Home Movie," I looked at the reviews online, and there was not one review that wasn't glowing with praise for it. I decided to buy the DVD and I am so glad I did. As I am an I Love Lucy fanatic, I've already seen tons of pictures concerning Lucy and Desi. However, I had only seen a fraction of what the movie disclosed to me. Not only are there photographs, there are also interviews with family and friends, and numerous videos that were taken with Lucille and Desi in them. It gave me a way to look at them that wasn't simply "Lucy and Ricky" from their TV show, but as a real family. It was very truthful and I would recommend it to anyone who loves Desi and Lucille (or Ricky and Lucy) or whoever would like a great documentary about great, smart, and intellectual people. I wish I had watched this before I wrote my biography on Lucille Ball; this movie gave me so much more information, on a personal level, about her, Desi, her family, her friends, and her career.

I bought it from Barnes and Noble (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/) for, I think, $18 but you can find it for $11 at Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/) and $13 at Deep Discount DVD (http://www.deepdiscountdvd.com/). It's really worth buying, not just renting. From now on, I think I'll refer to it if I ever need any "Lucy Information." :)

Check it out...

Be sure to check out my new tab, "Music." I spent over an hour preparing it this morning. :)
It's alongside my tabs about Movies, Fashion, and I Love Lucy. I hope you enjoy it!

A New Necklace!

Today, I got a new necklace, and not just any ordinnary necklace... an I Love Lucy one! My mom's friend made it by hand and she makes such pretty jewelery. But this is my favorite by far. Probably because it's I Love Lucy and I'm a sucker for Lucy stuff. :)

I know it's kind of hard to see because my lighting is kind of bad, but on the bottom it says Love and in the background are those conversation hearts that you get on Valentine's Day. I am so excited about it!

Coming Soon

An "I Love Lucy" page is currently under construction! I just wanted to update what I'm up to to everyone so that I don't leave you on the edge of your seat. :)

My Favorite Movies

Here's a list of my favorite movies. Actually it's just the first 20, but I have composed a list of my top 65 favorites, so I'll share them with you a little at a time. Here's the link to the list:

My Top 20 Favorite Movies

Thanks for reading and enjoy!
PS- If you haven't seen some of these movies, I suggest that you see them. They're all masterpieces!

Also-- if you're interested in seeing a full-length list of my favorite movies, please view the Movie tab at the top of my page. :)

This is a Norman Rockwell painting called "The Movie Star." I thought it was fitting for this blog post.