Old Movies

I love old movies.
As a kid, I would come home from school in the winter and watch an afternoon movie in black and white. There were these series that I loved called The Dead End Kids. 
I think that was from the '30's. 
I got such a kick of those when I was very little. 

As I grew up the trend continued. I happen to love movies from the 40's and 50's. Adam's Rib is one of my all-time favorites. I loved Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. But I also loved Gregory Peck, Claudette Colbert and so many more. 

One snowy winter afternoon when I first moved in with Rick he came home to me watching A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. 
At the commercial, I told him how I loved this book as a kid. 
He just said, "But it's black and white" 
"So was the book, Rick" was my reply. 
He didn't find that as funny as I did. 
He acted like black and white made a difference. 
He sat down and grabbed some of my popcorn and watched it with me....for 10 minutes. Then he said, "I just can't do it Margaret"  
He got up and left the room. Good, more popcorn for me. 

When I got married the first time, my first husband would laugh at me when he saw me watching those ole black and whites. Or as he called them, "hat movies" 
He would walk into the room and say, "Ah, not another hat movie"
To which I would reply, "Better than men in skirt movies"
That was our running joke.
All the men and women wore hats he noticed in the ole black and whites that I loved. I hadn't really noticed that until he said it to me and sure enough they always had on hats. I thought surely it was just some, but generally, they all did wear a hat at some point in the movie. 
Especially the men. 
He liked those stupid gladiator movies and so I ripped on him about men in skirts. 

I remember the original movie called A Star is Born. 
It starred James Mason and Judy Garland, all in black and white. 
I did not love it but I saw it. It was not memorable for me though.
Then in the 70's my best friend Susan and I went to see Kris Kristofferson and Barbra Streisand in what was at the time the newest version.
I saw that movie version more than once. Yes, I loved it. 
I bought the album.  I think I was all of 20 at the time. 
I thought it was by far the best version of A Star is Born.
And Kris Kristofferson was hot to Susan and I and that didn't hurt movie sales I am certain.

When I heard Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper were making another version I thought that sounded like a very bad idea. I mean c'mon who can top the Kristofferson version? In my mind, no one!!
Well, until I saw a couple of trailers.



Now I want to see this. 
I wish Susan lived closer to me than 6 hours by car.
I think it would be such fun to see this with her again. We were so damn crazy about that movie. We were roommates at the time as well. We went from the movie to the record store and home to put it on the turntable. 
Oh my God we're old. 

I saw an interview where Bradley and Gaga said there was no lip-synching at all in any scene. He claims he couldn't sing and worked long and hard for a year to get as bad as he is. I saw this and did not think he was bad. We all know Stephanie, "Lady Gaga" can belt. 

Even though I know how it will end. Even though I know there is going to be trouble and what that trouble is, it still makes me want to see this version. 

Anything to get me away from politics. Anything.