April 7 - Easter Parade

Today’s film is a musical with a scene that happens on April 7. I hope you will enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

EASTER PARADE                         

Don Hewes, a well-known Broadway star buys presents for his dance partner, Nadine Hale, but is stunned when she announces she is going solo. She is in love with a mutual friend of theirs Jonathan Harrow III “Johnny”. He tries to get Don to talk to Nadine, but Don says he doesn’t need her and can turn any dancer into a new partner. Don selects Hannah Brown, a girl singing at the bar where he is drowning his sorrows. She doesn’t believe him at first, but finally agrees to be his partner. Don creates an exotic persona for her and they perform as ‘Juanita and Hewes’ but their initial performance is a dud.  Hannah meets Johnny, who falls in love with her. Don decides that Hannah should be herself in the act. Performing as “Hannah and Hewes” they are a success and soon earn an audition for the Ziegfeld follies, but Don turns it down since Nadine is the star of the show. Johnny confesses his love for Hannah, but she tells him she has fallen in love with Don. Don works up a new act for them and after Hannah tells him he only sees her as a dance partner, he realizes he loves her too. The go to see Nadine’s new show and when she gets Don to dance one of their old numbers with her, Hannah, thinking Don still loves Nadine, flees.  Don tries to apologize and Johnny tells her she should show Don she loves him.  She goes to see him on April 7, 1912 [1:35:55 to 1:43:09] and acts like the argument never happened. They go walk in the Easter Parade on 5^th Avenue where Don proposes to Hannah and they become engaged. 

A big-budget MGM musical. A light and airy piece of fluff. If you’re looking for entertainment, this will fill the bill.

At 57:52 the year is given as 1912. At 1:02-50-52 we are told Easter is on April 7^th, which is the date Easter was on in 1912 as per http://www.easterbunny.com/date-of-easter/easter-date-for-1912.html

Producer - Arthur Freed

Director - Charles Walters

Awards – This movie won the Best Original Score Oscar at the 21^st Academy Awards

Screenplay - Sidney Sheldon, Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett

Runtime – 1 hour 43 minutes

Released – June 30, 1948

Starring –

Judy Garland as Hannah Brown

Fred Astaire as Don Hewes

Peter Lawford as Jonathan Harrow III

Ann Miller as Nadine Hale

Jules Munshin as François

Clinton Sundberg as Mike the bartender

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.

April 6 - East of Eden (1955)

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that occurs on April 6. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

EAST OF EDEN                       

Cal Trasker, the unloved son of rancher Adam Trasker has learned that, contrary to what he has told, his mother is not dead, but is alive and is the madam of a bordello in the nearby town of Monterey, California. He is unsuccessful in talking to her and rides the rails back to his home in the Salinas Valley. Cal’s father is obsessed with plans to ship frozen vegetables to New York.  After a discussion with his father about his mother, Cal returns to the bordello, but again is unable to talk with her. When the vegetables are being loaded on the refrigerated train, Cal has lunch with Abra, his favored twin brother Aron’s girlfriend.  However, the train does not keep the vegetables cold and the shipment is a complete loss. Cal decides to go into the bean planting business with a friend of his father’s Will Hamilton, as he believes that imminent US entry into the Great War will caused the price of food to skyrocket. Cal visits his mother again. This time he is   able to talk to her and convinces her to lend him five thousand dollars, which he invests in bean futures. On April 6, 1917 [1:03:47 to 1:03:52], the USA declares war on Germany. At a fair Abra is waiting to meet Aron, but runs into Cal and they spend time together. They kiss, but she says she still loves Aron. The townspeople attack Gustav Albrecht, who is of German descent. Aron defends him and is helped by Cal, but this causes a fight between them, as Aron thinks Cal helped him to impress Abra. Cal decides to give his father the money he has earned at surprise birthday party that he plans with Abra. At the party Aron announces he and Abra are engaged, to the discomfort of both Cal and Abra. Adam Trasker refuses to accept the money, which he views as being the product of war profiteering. Cal sees this as another rejection. Abra tries to console him with kisses, which infuriates Aron, who orders Cal to stay away from Abra. In revenge Cal tells Aron about their mother and takes him to the bordello to meet her. This so upsets Aron that he gets drunk and enlists in the Army. Adam cannot dissuade him and has a stroke. Cal plans to leave town, but Abra talks to the stricken Mr. Tasker and begs him to show Cal he loves him. When comes to say goodbye, his father asks Cal to stay and care for him, which he does.

A powerful film, with an impressive performance by James Dean. The film references the story of Cain and Abel, but I think it’s more like that of the prodigal son, who wanders but returns to the family fold in the end. A true cinematic classic and must see film.

  

Date given in film at 1:03:50 on a newspaper

Producer - Elia Kazan            

Director - Elia Kazan                   

Screenplay - Paul Osborn

Awards – This film won the Best Supporting Actress (Van Fleet) Oscar. It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Actor (Dean) Oscars at the 28^th Academy Awards.

Runtime – 1 hour 55 minutes        

Released – March 9, 1955

Cast –

Julie Harris as Abra

James Dean as Cal Trask

Raymond Massey as Adam Trask

Burl Ives as Sam the Sheriff

Richard Davalos as Aron Trask

Jo Van Fleet as Kate

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014. 

April 5 - Playing for Time

Today’s move is a drama with a scene that happens on April 5. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

PLAYING FOR TIME                      

Fania Fenelon, a Jewish cabaret singer from Paris is arrested and sent to Auschwitz. She is saved from hard labor by being recruited to join the Women’s Orchestra, which plays to calm arrivals and to entertain the German officers in the camp. The orchestra is led by Alma Rose, the niece of Gustav Mahler, who strives for perfection. She realizes that they must keep the Germans happy to stay alive.  The members try to deal with the horrible conditions in which they find themselves in different ways. They see the camp interpreter, Malla hung after trying to escape and they always are under pressure to keep Dr. Josef Mengele happy with their playing. One of their SS guards, Maria Mandel, ‘adopts” a little Polish boy after his parents are gassed. Alma is told she is to be released to give concerts for soldiers, but before she can leave Alma dies suddenly on April 5, 1944 [1:55:45 to 1:59:16]. The inmates are shocked that the German’s give Alma a funeral, but whisper that Alma was poisoned by a jealous guard. The orchestra continues, although the members argue among themselves. When the little boy dies, Maria Mandel goes mad. As the Soviet army approaches, the camp is evacuated and they are force marched West. Finally they are liberated by the British.

A fascinating film. A character study of people in very difficult surroundings. The movie shows how the various members of the orchestra tried to cope.

The New Grove Encyclopedia of Music and Musicians, 2^nd Ed., Vol. 21, ed by  Stanley

Sadie (Macmillian Publishers, Ltd., New York, 2001) at page 684 gives the date of Alma Rose’s death.

Producers - Linda Yellen and John E. Quill

Directors - Joseph Sargent and Daniel Mann

Screenplay - Arthur Miller

Awards – The film won the Outstanding Made for Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie(Redgrave), Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie(Alexander) and Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special Emmys. It was also nominated for the Outstanding Art Direction for a Limited Series or a Special and Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie(Knight) at the 33rd Primetime Emmy Awards.

Runtime – 2 hours 30 minutes                                    

Released - September 30, 1980

Starring –

Vanessa Redgrave as Fania Fenelon              

Verna Bloom as Paulette

Jane Alexander as Alma Rose

Donna Haley as Katrina

Maud Adams as Mala 

Lenore Harris as Charlotte

Christine Baranski as Olga 

Mady Kaplan as Varya

Robin Bartlett as Etalina

Melanie Mayron as Marianne

Marisa Berenson as Elzvieta

Viveca Lindfors as Frau Schmidt           

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.

April 4 - Nineteen Eighty-four

Today’s movie is a drama with a scene that happens on April 4. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight. .

NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR                   

Winston Smith lives in an alternate dystopian Britain where the Communists seized power many years ago. Britain is part of Oceania along with the Americas. It is eternally at war with either Eurasia or Eastasia. The repressive government, run by “the Party”, tries to control speech and thought, by monitoring everyone and shaping the language to where rebellious speech is impossible. Winston’s job is to rewrite old news stories, “correcting” them to be in line with current policy statements. At a mass meeting to express loyalty to “Big Brother” the mysterious leader of Oceania, and hatred of Goldstein, former ousted party leader, Winston spots Julia a girl who appears to be more orthodox than most. Although Winston appears orthodox and loyal, in reality he hates the Party, and on April 4, 1984 he starts a private diary, an illegal act. [00:20 to 11:04] Winston, as a member of the Outer party, is better off than the prols, the ordinary mass of people who live in poverty and are worked to death to support the eternal war.  Winston revisits the junk shop where he bought his diary, and the owner Charrington shows him an unmonitored bedroom. One day Julia slips him a note that says, “I love you.”  They meet in the country, where they can’t be observed. They have sex, in part as a protest. Winston rents the room from Charrington for their sexual trysts. O’Brien, an elite Inner Party member, who lives in luxury and can turn off the Party monitoring devices, gives Winston a copy of the new Newspeak dictionary, but concealed within it is a copy of The Theory and Practices of Oligarchical Collectivism by Goldstein, a forbidden book, which Winston reads. The book says that the war is perpetual and is never meant to be won. It is used by the leaders of the three superstates to keep their populations poor, disheartened and under control. Winston and Julia discover that their meeting room was being monitored and they are arrested.  They are both subjected to physical and psychological torture to break their will. Winston refuses to break and eventually is taken to Room 101 where prisoners are subjected to what they fear the most. In the case of Winston, this is rats, via a cage fitted to his head into which starving rats will be placed. Winston finally breaks and says “do it to Julia!” instead of to him. Later, after being released he and Julia meet and acknowledge they betrayed each other. As news of a great victory in the war is announced, Winston realizes he loves Big Brother.  

A depressing, but fascinating film. It may be seen as a warning about many trends in modern society, such as the decline of the nuclear family, the rise of government monitoring and propaganda along with the danger of political apathy. . 

Orwell, George. Nineteen Eighty-four. New York; Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1977. This book at page 8 and the film at 10:34 give the date.

Released - October 10, 1984

Runtime - 1 hour 53 minutes                                         

Director - Michael Radford                       

Starring - John Hurt as Winston Smith

                Richard Burton as O'Brien

                Suzanna Hamilton as Julia

                Cyril Cusack as Mr. Charrington

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.

April 3 - Bicentennial Man

Today’s movie is a science fiction film with scenes set on April 3. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.  

BICENTENNIAL MAN                          

On April 3, 2005 [3:25 to 9:07] the Martin family purchases a new robot, which they call Andrew. The family members react differently towards Andrew. The Mother is suspicious, the older sister is disdainful and the younger sister is frightened. After Andrew accidentally breaks a glass horse belonging to the youngest daughter, who Andrew calls “Little Miss”, he carves an exact replica out of a piece of driftwood. Andrew starts making art and sells it for a lot of money. When the Father tells the company robot about Andrew’s creativity, they want to scrap him. Years pass and  Little Miss asks Andrew to be an usher at her wedding. Andrew uses the opportunity of replacing a damaged thumb to get his face made more lifelike. Although he is grieved by the request, when Andrew asks, the father frees Andrew, but requires him to move out. Little Misses son Lloyd helps Andrew get the serial numbers and location of all other robots of his model so Andrew will be gone for several years while looking for them. Andrew meets Rupert Burns and agrees to fund his research into creating a lifelike external appearance for robots. Rupert gives Andrew a completely human looking external appearance. Andrew returns and finds Little Miss is now a senior citizen and is unsettled by the fact that her granddaughter Portia strongly resembles her. Andrew is hurt when Little Miss dies. Andrew and Portia become friends. Working with Rupert, Andrew designs biologic replacements for his internal organs and systems. After a kiss Portia distances herself from Andrew and gets engaged. Rupert is able to give Andrew sensory feeling. Andrew persuades Portia to end her engagement and they become lovers. Andrew asks the World Court to declare him a human being, but they refuse since Andrew is immortal. Rupert develops a way to give Andrew a blood system, which will cause his body to decay. Andrew goes to the World Congress. On April 3, 2205 [2:01:14 to 2:04:38] the World Congress declares Andrew a human being and validates his marriage to Portia. Andrew dies as this is being announced and Portia has herself disconnected from her life support system.

An intellectual science fiction film. This is not action and adventure. It is about love, slavery, emotion, memory and prejudice. 

The date he is activated is given in the film at 2:02:10.

Producers - Chris Columbus, Wolfgang Petersen, Gail Katz, Laurence Mark, Neal Miller,

                    Mark Radcliffe and Michael Barnathan

Director  - Chris Columbus

Awards – This movie was nominated for the Best Makeup Oscar at the 72^nd Academy

                 Awards

Screenplay - Nicholas Kazan

Runtime – 2 hours 12 minutes     

Released – December 17, 1999

Starring –

Robin Williams as Andrew Martin

Sam Neill as Gerald "Sir" Martin

Embeth Davidtz as Joanne "Little Miss" Martin (adult) and Portia Charney

Wendy Crewson as Rachel "Ma´am" Martin

Hallie Kate Eisenberg as Joanne "Little Miss" Martin (age 7)

Kiersten Warren as Galatea

Oliver Platt as Rupert Burns

Stephen Root as Dennis Mansky

Angela Landis as Grace "Miss" Martin (adult)

Bradley Whitford as Lloyd Charney (adult)

John Michael Higgins as Bill Feingold

Lindze Letherman as Grace "Miss" Martin (age 9)

Igor Hiller as Lloyd Charney (age 10)

George D. Wallace as the President of the World Court

Lynne Thigpen as the President of the World Congress

     

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014.

April 2 - The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler

Today’s movie is a drama that has a scene set on April 2. I hope you will enjoy this film and watch it tonight.

THE COURAGEOUS HEART OF IRENA SENDLER          

Irena Sendler is a Polish social worker during the Nazi occupation of Poland who works to save Jewish children. Some of her own co-workers and even her mother question the wisdom of doing this. She meets Jasio Laski, a boy who smuggles food into the Jewish ghetto of Krakow and whose father is a Jewish policeman. Irena renews her acquaintance with Stefan who knows several secret ways out of the ghetto.  When social workers are not allowed into the ghetto anymore, Dr. Majkowski helps her get nurses uniforms and false papers, as nurses can still enter the ghetto. Irena smuggles kids out, places them with Polish families, but insists the kids must speak Polish and act like Catholics. This causes concern among the Jewish parents who are afraid the kids will lose their Jewish identity. Irena assures them she keeps a record of where every child is placed. Officer Laski says he will help Irena if she will get his son out. The Gestapo confiscates the funds Irena was using to pay for placing the Jewish kids. Irena celebrates Passover on April 2, 1942 with Rabbi Rozenfeld and his family.[50:35 to 55:37]. They hear a report about Treblinka and the Holocaust. The Rabbi’s wife insists Irena must get their granddaughter, Carolina out. Trojan, a Polish underground leader starts supplying funds from the government-in-exile to Irena for use in saving the kids.  They forward money and forged identity papers to her through her laundry. The Germans start deporting orphans and block one of the secret ways.  Irena’s mother has a stroke. The Germans start clearing out sections of the ghetto and deporting the residents. Irena finds and persuades Jasio to leave the ghetto. While trying to get Carolina Rozenfeld out she and Irena are arrested, but Policeman Laski saves them. Jasio doesn’t show for his escape. That’s because he’s been arrested and put on a train for Treblinka. His father gets on with him and helps Jasio escape from the train. The laundry storeowner is arrested and later Irena is also. She is tortured and sentenced to be shot, but the underground bribes the German officer in charge to let her go.  Irena is smuggled out of the city and meets Stefan. At the end the real Irena Sendler praises the moms who gave up their kids to save them.

A touching movie. Irena was a true Christian and humanitarian. She more than deserved her nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.    

Producer - Cameron Johann

Director - John Kent Harrison

Screenplay - John Kent Harrison and Lawrence John Spagnola

Runtime – 1 hour 35 minutes

Released – April 19, 2009  

Cast – 

Anna Paquin as Irena Sendler                        

Marcia Gay Harden as Janina Krzyżanowska                         

Goran Visnjic as Stefan                                     

Nathaniel Parker as Dr. Majkowski                                      

Michelle Dockery as Ewa Rozenfeld

Steve Speirs as Piotr

Iddo Goldberg as Jakub Rozenfeld

Danny Webb as Trojan

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014

April 1 - Saving Jessica Lynch

Today’s film is a war movie with a scene that happens on April 1. I hope you will enjoy this movie and watch it tonight.

SAVING JESSICA LYNCH      

Pfc. Jessica Lynch is a soldier in the US Army Quartermaster corp. During the invasion of Iraq in the Third Gulf War a convoy she was traveling in took several wrong turns and ended up being ambushed in the city of Nasiriyah by fedayeen. Eleven Americans are killed and six, including Jessica Lynch are captured. Back at home in West Virginia her family are notified that she is missing in action. An Iraqi lawyer Mohammed Al-Rehiaef discovers Jessica is a prisoner in a hospital, as she was wounded before she was captured. He supports the American invasion, but his wife who works at the hospital does not. Jessica undergoes intense interrogation. The Iraqis show a tape of four of the prisoners. Al-Rehiaef crosses over to the American lines and tells them he knows where Lynch is being held. Iraqis are going to arrest Al-Rehiaef’s wife and daughter, but a cleric persuades the police to leave them alone. The army asks Al-Rehiaef to return to hospital to collect intelligence. Jessica thinks back over her decision to join the US Army, mainly to get GI Bill educational assistance.  Mohammed and his wife Iman argue about helping Lynch, but he finally convinces her and the family crosses over to the American lines.  The Army led by Colonel Curry plans a rescue mission. On April 1, 2003 [1:12:00 to 1:24:20] the rescue mission is launched. There are problems. Lynch is not in her room because she was taken out for surgery.  She is finally located and rescued. The Rangers dig up the bodies of the other soldiers who were killed in the battle who were buried in a mass grave at the hospital. Her family is overjoyed to learn she is all right and Lynch gets a welcome home parade. Mohammed and his family moved to the USA.

A decent docudrama. Controversy came after this production as charges were raised that it distorted the facts. I don’t know what really happened, but as entertainment it is good. 

I’m a Soldier, Too: The Jessica Lynch Story  by Rick Bragg (Alfred A. Knopf, New York

2003) at pages 129-131 and the film at 1:12:05 give the date of her rescue.

Producers - Bob Chmiel, Michael R. Joyce, and Dan Paulson

Director - Peter Markle

Screenplay - John Fasano

Runtime – 1 hour 34 minutes

Released = November 9, 2003

Starring –        Laura Regan as Jessica Lynch

Brent Sexton as Greg Lynch, Jr.

Denise Lee as Shoshona Johnson

Nicholas Guilak as Mohammed Al-Rehiaef

Crystle  Lightning as Lori Piestewa

Susan Peris as Iman Al-Rehiaef

Michael Rooker as Colonel Curry

Copyright by Ivan Walters 2014