"Under the clock at the Astor at seven."

The Clock

1945

Starring Judy Garland and Robert Walker

The wartime romance The Clock is a story about a whirlwind romance between Corporal Joe Allen (Walker) and a lovely woman named Alice Mayberry (Garland). The two meet by chance on a busy day in New York City. Joe is a soldier in the United States Army, and he finds himself on a 48-hour leave in a city where he has never been before, and he doesn't know a soul. He is in Penn Station when Alice trips over his duffel bag and breaks the high heel on one of her shoes. Feeling as though he must make amends for his carelessness, Joe offers to fix her shoe for her, which he does. While her shoe is being worked on, Alice talks with Joe and learns that he is on leave in the city and he doesn't know where to go. She still has to catch the bus back to her apartment, so she says he can come along and she'll point out some of the city's different landmarks and other places he might be interested in. It soon turns into a small adventure, when they make stops to walk through Central Park, and to spend time at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. They have a wonderful time together, and Joe realizes he would like to spend more time with Alice. He asks her out for the evening, which she refuses at first, but then she finally gives in and says that she will meet him under the clock at the Astor Hotel at 7 pm.

Everyone thinks Alice is crazy for agreeing to go on a date with a strange soldier that she barely knows, and she contemplates not going. She just can't stand him up, though, so she gets ready and goes to meet him. Joe buys her flowers for her hair, and takes her out to dinner. They miss their bus afterwards, but end up accepting a ride from a kind, old milkman, in exchange for helping him deliver the last of his early morning milk. The milk truck gets a flat tire halfway through the route, so they pull up to a late-night diner to use a pay phone and call for assistance. While they're there, the milkman gets hit on the head by a drunk. Alice and Joe help him back out to the truck where they tell him to rest and take it easy for a bit. He ends up falling asleep, so Joe and Alice take it upon themselves to deliver the last of the milk. When he wakes up, in return for their kindness, he asks them to come home with him and have breakfast with him and his wife. While eating breakfast, the milkman and his wife talk about how they fell in love so quickly and have been happily married ever since. Joe and Alice think about everything they say, and about how they feel towards one another, and then they realize that they want to get married--but they only have 24 hours to do it before Joe's leave is up.

They go on a mad dash all over New York City to fulfil all the requirements of the law in order to be legally married. For a time they are afraid that it won't be able to happen until Joe comes back, but with help from friends and managing to pull a few strings here and there, they finally get married. Joe returns to war the next day. Alice accompanies him to the train station and they say goodbye. The movie ends with Alice walking back through the station, going home to happily wait for her husband.

When it was first released, The Clock was not that warmly received for a few reasons. One reason was because, at the time, WWII had just ended and American audiences did not want to see another wartime romance--there had been so many, and they were craving something different. Probably it's biggest fault, though, was that it starred America's singing sweetheart, Judy Garland, but she didn't sing a single tune in this particular feature film. This was intentionally done. Garland was coming out of her years as a child actress, and she really wanted to do a film that would make her look like the adult she was. Her future husband Vincente Minnelli directed the film and, in my opinion, she never looked more lovely on the big screen.

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"I've never been alone with a man before,even with my dress on.With my dress off,it is MOST unusual."

So,this post is about one of my favorite movies, which I cannot believe I didn't own until two weeks ago when I received it as a birthday present.

I've now fallen in love with it all over again.

Roman Holiday
1953

Starring the beautiful Audrey Hepburn, and equally beautiful Gregory Peck

Princess Ann (Hepburn) is on a Royal tour of various European capitals to politically establish her country's allied position with surrounding nations.Despite having the opportunity to travel to all of these beautiful countries, Princess Ann is extremely unhappy. Her days are already filled for her with meetings, luncheons, press conferences,and balls which she must attend, when all she really wants to do is be one of the people. She longs to stretch her legs, and tour all of these historical cities that she has been sent to.

One night, Princess Ann's unhappiness overcomes her and she throws a fit.A doctor is sent for, and he gives her a sedative to help her sleep, but warning that it will not kick in until later.Once she is left alone in her room, Ann devises a plan to sneak out of the royal palace, and truly discover Rome for herself.She manages to do just that, but her discoveries only reach as far as a distant street before her sedative begins to take over.Unable to keep upright, she collapses onto a bench, where she is lying in a stupor when American reporter Joe Bradley (Peck) finds her as he is waiting for a taxi.

Joe doesn't recognize her as the Princess. He tries to wake her up, but she is apparently intoxicated and has no intention of behaving normally. He asks her name, to which she replies "Anya Smith." He then tries to give Miss Smith some money,which she refuses,still in a haze and continually sinking lower.Joe is completely baffled, and doesn't want to leave her in the middle of the street at night.When his taxi arrives, he puts her in the back and tries to ask her where she lives.After several failed attempts, he finally receives an answer: the Colosseum.Not knowing what to do, he drives the strange Anya Smith to his own apartment, where he figures she can stay for the night, until she sobers up.

In the morning, Ann wakes up and is initially frightened at finding herself in unfamiliar surroundings. Eventually, it dawns on her that she really did escape the palace, and she can do whatever she wants, all day long.While all these revelations are occurring to her, Joe is having a revelation of his own. He learns that he has the Princess Ann, not one Anya Smith, sleeping in his apartment, through a local newspaper.He rushes to his editor and offers an exclusive story on the Princess, through being able to spend the day with her and observe her interactions with the city of Rome.He then runs back to his apartment, where he continues his charade of wanting to help the poor,lost Anya Smith.

He agrees to taking a holiday from work (without revealing what his true profession is) to be her guide and show her around the city of Rome,recruiting his friend Irving to secretly take pictures of her for the article.Ann is delighted and spends the best day of her life doing all the things she's never been able to.She cuts her hair, eats a gelato on the Spanish Steps, rides a Vespa around the city, visits the Mouth of Truth, and goes to a fair.Throughout the day, while observing Ann taking delight in the smallest things, Joe realizes he's starting to fall in love with her. He begins to rethink publishing the article and all the pictures, too.

At the little fair on the water that night, Joe and Ann dance together. He and Irving also help her escape the police, who have been searching for her all day.After their narrow escape, Ann and Joe also share a kiss.Ann realizes that they both have feelings for eachother, but also realizes that she cannot keep running forever, and things cannot work out for the two of them.Not realizing that he's known it all along, she tells Joe who she really is, and has him take her back to the embassy.The two embrace one last time, and then part ways after she asks him not to watch her go, but just to leave her.

Joe tells Irving to forget about all the pictures.Once Irving learns who the pictures are really of, he is tempted to publish them on his own, but decides not to.Instead, he prints them and gives them to Joe.At a press conference the next day, Ann pieces together exactly everything that was going on when she sees Joe and Irving in the crowd.Irving manages to slip her copies of the pictures as well, and she and Joe give eachother formal, distant messages of gratitude and love before they part ways for the last time.

"I could do some of the things I've always wanted to."

"Like what?"

"Oh, you can't imagine.I-I'd do just whatever I liked all day long."

"A kiss is a lovely trick..."

"...designed by nature to stop speech when words become superfluous." -Ingrid Bergman

This post is just a fun one for me, and hopefully an interesting one for you.
This lovely woman is probably one of my favorite actresses, and this post is completely dedicated to her.

Ingrid Bergman
Born August 29, 1915
Died August 29, 1982

Ingrid Bergman was born in Stockholm to a Swedish father and a German mother. When Ingrid was three years old, her mother died. Ingrid was raised by her father, who was a photographer, and an artist. She claimed that her father was one of the most supportive and inspirational people in her life. The two of them lived very happily together until her father also died when she was thirteen. She then moved into her Aunt and Uncle's home, remaining in Stockholm.
Ingrid was desparate to be an actress, and her Uncle made a deal with her.He allowed her to try out for a position at the Royal Dramatic Theater, saying that if she made it they would support her, but if she did not, then she would put away her dreams of becoming an actress.Ingrid, only seventeen years old, was given a spot at the Theater. However, Ingrid only remained there for a short period of time. While on holiday, whe was offered a bit part in a Swedish film. After that, she made the decision to leave the stage, and step in front of the camera.Ingrid quickly established herself within the ranks of the Swedish film institute, and maintaned a steady film career in Stockholm for the next five years (1935-1939).
In 1936, Ingrid starred in the Swedish film Intermezzo,which opened the door to Hollywood.David O. Selznick decided to remake the film in 1939, and brought Ingrid to America for the role.Her career was just as prosperous in the United States as it was in Sweden, audiences falling in love with her every picture.
Ingrid Bergman went on to make 37 major motion pictures, remaining active until 1982 when she died of breast cancer on her birthday.

This is just one of my favorite movies of Ingrid Bergman's that I've picked, that I think anyone can enjoy.

Notorious
1946
A film by Alfred Hitchcock

PLOT

At the end of WWII, Alicia Huberman (Bergman) is recruited by American government agent and correspondant T.R. Delvin (Cary Grant) to investigate a band of Nazis that has relocated to Brazil. Alicia and Delvin fall in love while waiting for orders in Rio de Janeiro, and Delvin struggles to keep things professional. The orders finally come through saying that Alicia is supposed to seduce Nazi leader Alex Sebastian (Claude Rains). Delvin hears of her orders first, and automatically tries to convince the agency that she shouldn't do it, but they remain firm. Delvin is crushed, but knows there is a job to do, so he dutifully informs Alicia of her orders. At first, Alicia is confused,feeling sure that Delvin had cared for her.She eventually decides she must have been mistaken.
Alicia is carefully placed in Sebastian's inner circle, and he quickly falls for her.Alicia hopes that Delvin won't be able to keep his feelings from her due to jealously when she tells him that Sebastian has proposed.Delvin,however,keeps his distance and tells her to do what she thinks is best.Alicia is heartbroken,and offended,so she accepts Sebastian's offer.
There isn't much to be observed within her new home that seems suspicious.The only thing she can tell Delvin is that her husband will not give her a key to the wine cellar.Alicia becomes more suspicious of the wine cellar as time goes on, so Delvin tells her to host a party-a reason for him to come and help her investigate.On the night of the party,Alicia steals the key from her husband.Delvin and Alicia find black sand (uranium) in some of the bottles.Delvin takes a sample,and cleans up the bottle he broke open in the nick of time,but Sebatian is not easily fooled.He finds remnants of broken glass and sand, and becomes wary of his wife.
Once Sebastian has enough evidence that his wife is spying on him, he knows he must get rid of her without attracting attention.He decides to poison her slowly.Alicia soon becomes extremely ill, and can't get out of bed.Delvin becomes concerned when he doesn't hear from Alicia,so he sneaks into the Sebastian's home and finds her,ill.She tells him that she knows she is being poisoned,but she is too weak to do anything.Delvin finally tells Alicia that he loves her, and he carries her out of Sebastian's home himself,to safety.

If you're interested in reading more about Ingrid Bergman, I recommend Ingrid , a biography by Charlotte Chandler.I've read it myself, and it's wonderful,light,romantic,and interesting.It's available online at Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ingrid-charlotte-chandler/1012230623?ean=9781557837356&itm=1&usri=ingrid

To watch the official trailer for Notorious, head over to TCM:
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/160387/Notorious-Original-Trailer-.html

"I can never buy a garment without thinking about the woman who owned it."-Phoebe Swift

A Vintage Affair

2011 novel by Isabel Wolff

I know what you're thinking: 2011?That's not very old.

And you would be correct.

It's a modern novel with some very vintage twists and throwbacks.

PLOT

The story centers around Phoebe Swift, who lives in England, and has recently quit her job as an auction house buyer in order to fulfill a dream by opening her own vintage clothing shop, Village Vintage. Phoebe is also trying to adjust to her new life without her best friend, Emma, who died recently. To acquire new merchandise for her shop, Phoebe goes to auctions, buys and sells online, and also makes house calls to inspect and buy peoples vintage clothes.

Through this, she meets an elderly woman named Mrs. Bell, who is a WWII survivor from France, and is dying of cancer. While inspecting some of Mrs. Bell's clothes, she is highly intrigued by a child's handmade blue coat. When she asks Mrs. Bell about it, the older woman tells her that it is not for sale, and she does not want to talk about it.

Eventually, Mrs. Bell comes to trust and admire Phoebe, and does tell her the story of the blue coat-a story of friendship, and betrayal. A story that Phoebe finds she can surprisingly relate to.

The book takes you through all of Phoebe's adventures while she looks for new clothes, new friends, new lovers, and a new start at life.

If paints a colorful picture of the south of France in the 1940's, and gives the reader a look at some of the most prominent names of vintage fashion.

It's funny, touching, historical, romantic..

And I loved it.

If you're interested in reading it for yourself, head over to your Barnes & Noble.

It's also available in paperback, and for NOOK books online:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-vintage-affair-isabel-wolff/1018391104?ean=9780553386622&itm=1&usri=a%2bvintage%2baffair#Details