"Who said anything about goofing off?"-Van Johnson

Hello, all.

I have no book to post about (yet), and I already did a post on January's Star of the Month, but I just felt like posting something.

So, here's a fun post (not that all of my posts aren't fun for me)!

It's about one of my favorite actors, so I hope you enjoy!

Van Johnson

Born August 25, 1916

Died December 12, 2008

Charles Van Dell Johnson was born in Rhode Island in 1916. He was an only child, and had a troubled childhood. His mother was an alcoholic and left the small family when Johnson was very young, and he never seemed to get along very well with his father. He was known for his cheerful attitude throughout his life, but behind the scenes was said to be easily upset by things and suffered from bouts of melancholy.

Johnson was interested in acting and theater from an early age. He performed for social clubs and other such groups when he was in high school. Once he graduated he concentrated on building a career for himself, moving to New York City in 1935. His first big acting gig was a part in New Faces of 1936 on Broadway. After that he had small chorus jobs, off and on, until he was cast in the movie Too Many Girls in 1939. It was with many thanks to Lucille Ball that Johnson got his first contract with Warner Brothers Studios. His relationship with the studio didn't last long, but helped with publicity. Once he was finished with Warner, he gained a lasting contract with MGM.

Johnson starred in around 35 major motion pictures for MGM from 1943-1954. His first big film role with the studio was in A Guy Named Joe (1943), but some of his other well known roles were Marcus Macauley in The Human Comedy (1943), Ted Lawson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Andrew Larkin in In the Good Old Summertime (1949), Daniel Pierce in Invitation (1952), and Charles Wills in The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).

Johnson's career didn't end when he left MGM, however. He went on to star in around 18 more movies, and was a part of 21 television productions. It is believed that he started the idea/tradition of "sitcom-walk on" appearances when he made a cameo appearance on the I Love Lucy Show in 1955.

Johnson was married to actress Eve Abbott from 1947 to 1968. The couple had only one child, a daughter named Schuyler (which is one of my favorite names....but only if I pronounce it.Which I supposedly do incorrectly). He stayed active in his career until 1992, when he went into retirement. Van Johnson died of natural causes in 2008, at the age of 92.

Now, I picked a movie starring Van Johnson (and alot of other people), which he made during his time at MGM.

Battleground

1949

Starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, and James Whitmore

Battleground is a WWII film that tells the true story of the 101st Airborn Division. The soldiers are in Bastogne, Belgium. They were sent to the frontlines to try and cut off a suspected German attack. There is a change of location several times, until the troops end up on the outskirts of town, in the woods. They are attacked at dawn, and over the next couple of days, the small division finds themselves surrounded, low on ammunition, and soon low in numbers as men get wounded and killed. There is a snow storm, and the weather conditions prohibit transport planes from delivering supplies. But the group perseveres until they can be relieved, earning themselves the nickname "Battered Bastards of Bastogne." The siege of Bastogne is a victory for the American troops.

There are several remarkable things about the movie Battleground. One is that it is considered to be the first significant film about WWII that was released shortly after the war. Also, 20 veterans from the 101st Airborn Division were called in to help train all the actors, and they acted as extras on the movie set. The movie is excellent, and received a good deal of recognition for portraying a very vulnerable side to the soldiers.The movie won 2 Academy Awards.

That's all for today!

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Photo Contest!

Alright, this is definitely a first for Think Classic, and I'm not 100% sure how it's going to turn out, but we're going to try a photo contest!

THE RULES

Since this is basically just an experiment, I'm going to keep the rules really simple.

1. Find a black and white picture you really like. It can be anything. A picture of yourself, your friends, tattoo, jewelry, clothes, travel, a picture you took, or a picture you find online,etc. Just try to be creative and choose a picture you love.

2. Submit it to me either by tagging @Think_Classic in the picture you submit to Twitter, OR post a picture of your choosing on the Think Classic Facebook page wall (link below).

3. You have a week to submit your photo.I will stop accepting them at midnight on Wednesday, January 25.

4. ***PLEASE, if you are searching for a photo online, pay attention to whether it is copyrighted, because Think Classic will not be held responsible for any copyright infringements***

THE PRIZE

For the month of February, 31 Days of Oscar will be going on with TCM, so there is not a specifically chosen Star of the Month.

The prize for the photo contest winner will be a brief mention of them in a post that also includes a write-up on who they would choose for Star of the Month, what movie with that star they would choose for Movie of the Month, and why.

I'm looking forward to seeing what people submit, and who the winner will choose as Star of the Month!

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"I never regretted what I turned down."-Angela Lansbury

STAR OF THE MONTH

Angela Lansbury

Born October 16, 1925

Angela Brigid Lansbury, oldest child of Moyna MacGill and Edgar Lansbury, was born in Poplar, London in October of 1925. Her mother was an actress, and often took her to the theater to see plays. Lansbury also studied the dramatic arts at two different schools in her early days.

In 1940, Lansbury's mother relocated the family to the United States. They originally started out in New York, but eventually settled in Los Angeles, where Lansbury began to work at a local department store. At the age of 18, Lansbury was offered a part in the movie Gaslight (1944). She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role.

From there, Lansbury's career took off. She has maintained a very successful career in theater and television, as well as movies. She has been in 17 theater productions at Broadway and West End, including Mame, Hamlet, and Sweeney Todd; been a part of 22 television productions, probably one of her most famous being Jessica Fletcher in the series Murder, She Wrote; and she has been in 54 major film productions (including her upcoming 2012 film Adaline), with some of her most notable roles being Semadar in Samson and Delilah (1949), Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Salome Otterbourne in Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile (1978), and Mrs. Potts in the Beauty and the Beast franchise.

Angela Lansbury is still alive and well at the age of 86. She became a naturalized United States Citizen in 1951, and now resides in New York.

MOVIE OF THE MONTH

The Picture of Dorian Gray

1945

Starring Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury

Dorian Gray (Hatfield) is a very young and extremely easily influenced man. He comes to believe that the two most important things in life are youth and money. He decides life is only worth living if you have those two things forever. His friend Basil paints a portrait of him as a gift, and Dorian makes a wish that his portrait would age instead of himself, so that he could look as young and pure as his likeness.His wish magically comes true, and Dorian does not outwardly age.

Time passes, and Dorian falls in love with a young actress named Sibyl (Lansbury). Unfortunately he is easily convinced by an acquaintance to break her heart and abandon the relationship for "more important things in life." So, even though he really does love Sibyl, he leaves her, and shortly afterwards learns that she has killed herself.

Rather than grieve for this loss, Dorian locks away his emotions and concentrates on worldly things.He begins to notice that the portrait of himself is changing. It frightens him, so he locks away the portrait in his childhood playroom, where nobody can see it.

Time passes, as it always will, and Dorian continues to remain young, even though he should be aging. He occasionally looks at his portrait which has become uglier as he has become more sinful, cold, and hedonistic over the years. He does not, however, change his ways, and the portrait haunts him, constantly weighing on his mind. Eventually his paranoia over it causes him to murder a close friend. Dorian feels his responsibility for the crime, and realizes the person he has become. Wishing to spare Gladys (Reed), the girl he now loves, he stabs his portrait in the heart, thereby breaking the spell and killing himself.

As you might recall, I did a post on The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is based on the novel of the same name by Oscar Wilde, back in June.Obviously it isn't a bright, cheerful story, but it is very interesting. Wilde makes quite a statement on his views towards secular humanism and hedonism, etc. The film is beautifully and artistically done, and presents a fascinating story.

You can view the official original trailer here:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/58887/Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-The-Original-Trailer-.html

And you can see selected clips from the movie play consecutively here:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/252354/Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-The-Movie-Clip-Moral-Leprosy.html

That's all for today!

Don't forget, you can still see more Angela Lansbury movies on TCM every Wednesday in January.

Also, I'll be posting official information about the photo contest tomorrow.

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Welcome!

Welcome, welcome, welcome to the new page for Think Classic!

I really hope you like it.

I just figured I would try something a little different for the new year.

A little on the bright side? Yes, I know. But it's fun, and still vintage, so I think it will work for a while even if it's not permanent.

Just a forewarning though--As you can see, the text colors I have been using for the last year or so just aren't working as well with the new layout and background, so I will be playing around with what colors work.Right now I'm thinking: dark pink for key words, powder blue for dates/numbers, and pastel purple for titles, etc.

I also want to extend my apologies for being absent for a little while.

You know how the holidays go. I was traveling, and didn't always have internet access, and starting back to school, etc.

But I'm getting cozily settled back into my routine again, so I should be getting back on my horse and getting this show on the road.So, I can't tell you how much I appreciate your patience.

Now, I have a couple announcements:

First, just a heads-up, that I will be doing a post on TCM Star of the Month Angela Lansbury this Sunday, January 15. So look out for that.

Second, I am interested in doing a little contest. We'll see if this is actually achievable, but I would like to do some sort of a photo contest, where the winner will get their own brief background mention in a post that also includes a write up on who they would pick for Star of the Month and why. I think I'll tie up all the loose ends of this idea and the official details will be included at the end of the post for Angela Lansbury.

So, I think that's about it for now.

I'm so excited about a whole new year of posts on everything classic and vintage. A whole new year of being able to share my passion.

Welcome back, if you're one of my faithful followers, and just plain welcome if you're just joining us here at Think Classic!

Don't forget to follow @Think_Classic on Twitter for regular updates.

And comment, whether good or bad, as always. You have no idea how great it is to get feedback.

"New Year's Day is every man's birthday."-Charles Lamb

There's a lot of good history and tradition behind New Year's Eve and New Year's Day celebrations, and since the new year is in sight, I thought it'd be fun to give a little backgroud.But not in a droll, boring kid of way, of course.

As most people know, even if they don't live in the United States, in America, one of our biggest celebrations for New Year's Eve is the ball drop in Times Square.

The original ball was dropped on New Year's Eve in 1907.

The ball was made of wood and iron, weighed around 700 pounds, and only measured 5 feet in diameter.

Now, if you know anything about the New Year's ball we currently have perched in Times Square, you couldn't help but notice that it has undergone some drastic changes for the better since 1907. It was replaced for the first of several times in 1920.It remained the same size of 5 feet in diameter, but was made only of iron, and weighed around 400 pounds.That ball stayed in use until the 1950s, when it was replaced for a second time with a ball made of aluminum, making it weigh a slight 150 pounds.
The year 1995 brought some interesting changes.Rhinestone and strobe lights were added to the ball.This was also the first year that the ball was lowered with computer technology.
A new ball was designed for the new millenium-radically different from the old ones.
This new ball measured 6 feet in diameter, weighed over 1,000 pounds, was covered in over 500 Waterford Crystal triangles, and was illuminated with 600 bulbs (both internal and external) plus strobe lights and spinning mirrors.
One thing I hadn't known before today, but I think is really neat, is that many of these triangles on the New Millenium ball were inscribed with messages like "Hope for Fellowship," "Hope for Wisdom," "Hope for Unity," etc. The New Millenium ball was used for 7 years.
Then, for the 100th anniversary of the ball drop, yet another ball was made.This ball was 6 feet in diameter, weighs 1,212 pounds, and was lit with LED lights. This fifth Centennial ball was used for only one year (which seems a little extravagant/excessive to me, but what do I know?).
It was then replaced by the ball we will be using tomorrow night.The same design was kept, but it was enlarged so that the current ball sitting in Times Square as I type is 12 feet in diameter, weighs over 11,000 pounds, and has over 9,000 bulbs that light it.This new ball is so much bigger and heavier that the flag pole it sits on had to be rebuilt to support it.

"Should old acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should old acquaintance be forgot
And old lang syne?
For auld lang syne,my dear,
For auld lang syne,
We'll take a cup of kindness yet,
For auld lang syne."

First verse and chorus to the song Auld Lang Syne, based off of a traditional Scottish poem.
The phrase "auld lang syne" translates to something along the lines of "old times," and is sung at many things that signify the ending of one chapter in life and the beginning of another, but is most widely known today for being sung at midnight on New Year's Eve.
Listen to the song here:

And, with that, I wish you a very safe and happy New Year's Eve tomorrow.
Celebrate it with people you love.
Here's to resolutions
hope for a new year
and hope that the New Year's Eve ball really doesn't get stuck halfway down the flagpole.
;)

"For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice."-T.S. Eliot

"Some people swear there's no beauty left in the world, no magic. Then how do you explain the whole world coming together to celebrate the hope of a new year?"-New Year's Eve, 2011

I heard the bells on Christmas day...

"I heard the bells on Christmas day

Their old familiar carols play.

And wild and sweet, the words repeat

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

I thought how, as the day had come,

The belfries of all Christendom

Had rolled along th' unbroken song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.

And in despair I bowed my head.

'There is no peace on earth,' I said.

'For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men.'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

'God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail

With peace on earth, good will to men.'

Til, ringing, singing on its way,

The world revolved from night to day.

A voice, a chime, a chant sublime

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Poem written on Christmas day in 1864 by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

And the best version of the song that I have found yet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bK8xB1opuQ8

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

"'Bah!' said Scrooge, 'Humbug!'"

A Very Vintage Christmas post #10

A novel, first written in 1843 by Charles Dickens,A Christmas Carol tells the tale of a man by the name of Ebenezer Scrooge-a miserable old man, who has lost all faith in the spirit and true meaning of Christmas.On Christmas Eve night (how ironic),Scrooge gets a visit from four ghosts.The first, the ghost of his old business partner, Jacob Marley, who tells him that in order to save himself from a terrible fate, he must accept the visit of three ghosts, all who have different things to show and teach him.

Though very reluctant, Scrooge goes along on adventures with the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future.He is shown the happiness that he felt at Christmas as a child, the devastating life events that hardened his heart, the happiness that Christmas still holds for those around him, and what would happen/how people would feel if Scrooge were to die then.

After seeing and experiencing all this, Scrooge awakens on Christmas Day, full of new hope and happiness in the holiday and in mankind.He is determined to live his life as the best man he can be, full of good humor, understanding, and helping his neighbors.

Over the years, A Christmas Carol has been adapted into 22 film versions, 24 television versions, as well as numerous radio and theater versions.

You can see many of the above mentioned different versions on televison throughout the Christmas season.

You can price/buy the film and the book at http://www.amazon.com

The book is available,free of charge, for Kindles.

I would highly recommend just about any of the film/televison adaptations, and I would also recommend reading the book.I, myself, have been reading the book and intend to finish it tonight, on Christmas Eve.Charles Dickens was known for his ability to paint a picture with words, being extremely descriptive with his writing.So, the book is rich, full of details, and is a great story, all about finding the true meaning of Christmas.

This is the last Christmas movie post for A Very Vintage Christmas.

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And have a very merry and A Very Vintage Christmas!