My, she was yar

Once again, I got side tracked from Sunday Night Football. This time it was Cary Grant. I caught The Philadelphia Story. It's all I have in me to not stay up until midnight watching Casablanca.

They just don't make men like they used to. Women either. It seems odd to me for as far as both genders have come, you don't see leading men and women with nearly the character of the films of 50 years ago. How does that happen?

The men were strong and unwaivering and solid. They said what they  meant and meant what they said. They were beautifully dressed in linen, even in Morocco. The women had class and decorum even when, standing on their own two hands they were going crazy.

What intrigues me it that for as often as these movies show folks losing their heads, they never lose their heads. It's fairy tale, I known that. But, I'm a fan of the straight shooter. You just don't see that as much these days.

The Philadelphia Story could be redone in today's time. Easily. The beauty of it is that you wouldn't have to change a single word and it would be just a relevant but not nearly the movie. Of course, no one could pull off Tracy Lord like Katharine Hepburn could. That was one hell of a woman. She was with Spencer Tracy when he died. He was a devout Catholic and would never, though separated, contemplate divorce. She did not attend the funeral. She thought it would be disrespectful. You would never see that these days.

I've, once again, lost my point. I just wonder where we lost class.

Comments

[Broadway Matron]

We lost "class" when we lost any sense of personal responsibility. Also when we decided that "good manners" were old fashioned. My generation screwed up majorly with their "If it feels good, do it" attitude. Or the ridiculous notion that children are adults and parents should be "friends" instead of parents. A 3 year old does not need an adult friend, they need a PARENT. Time enough to be your child's friend when they are 40 - and even then a parent never ceases to be a parent. We lost class when we lost structure, boundaries and adopted the "hooray for me, the hell with you" attitude.

[Broadway Matron]

P.S. "The Philadelphia Story" is one of my all time favorite movies - remaking it with Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra and adding music was one of the all time stupid moves - ahead of its time it seems since nowadays everything and anything is being made as a musical - there was a time that Broadway presented something besides mindless entertainment - there are no more playwrights it seems - just "adapters" pah! Broadway has become Disneyland East (or Disney World North - or however it goes with those places) Or we have such nonsense as "Hairspray" and "The Producers" -oy don't get me started!

[Kelli]

Having just dealt with this loss of class myself in which one of my "colleagues" planted a big wet one on the asst secretary of labor to say "goodbye" to him, I take heart knowing that "I" maintained a sense of decorum and that her lack of it will eventually come back to bite her in her ass.

[A Bowl of Stupid]

I've, once again, lost my point. I just wonder where we lost class.

Yes!! I've been wondering the same thing for years.

I mean, really -- what does it say about a society where a man can't get away with shoving his ex-wife in the face on the way out the door?

Jeez, it's no wonder America has no standardized health care system.

[kellypea]

Katherine Hepburn was one of my favorites -- especially in The Philadelphia Story. The entire cast is excellent. As far as class goes, I still see it in people, but it's drowned out by all the others pushing their way to the front of the line.

[Keli]

I just love the movies you mentioned, and you are so right about the lack of class these days. Conversations and dress were just more intelligent and stylish back then. Oh, give me practically any movie with Cary Grant and it's a pleasure to watch!