My Mother And Movies
On this very special day, I would like to spend some time talking about a great lady--My Mom--and the films she loved..
From a very early age, I remember spending many Saturday afternoons with mom, watching a show called Creature Double Feature, where a local host would introduce classic horror films like Frankenstein, Dracula, (both from 1931), House of Wax (1953) The Blob, (1958) I Was a Teenage Werewolf (1957)-just to name a few.
Mom's favorite film star was James Cagney. Sitting down with her to watch White Heat was a both a treat and chore, because I really didn't understand the beauty of the black and white film yet. Into my adulthood I appreciate it as the masterpiece that it is. When the 4th of July rolled around, Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) became a family tradition. When Cagney died on March 30th 1986, I vividly recall her shedding a few tears upon hearing the sad news.
Mom liked films about the underdog overcoming adversity. The saga of Rocky Balboa was among her favorite of the genre.
Speaking of sagas...even though the first two Godfather films were not meant for kids my age, the first time they hit broadcast TV in the mid 70's, I was allowed to watch them. Of course I'm so glad my parents made the exception.
As mother and son we shared many other favorite films over the years. Comedies like Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, and High Anxiety, all from the mind of a master named Mel Brooks. We also got a kick out of Peter Sellers as Inspector Jacques Clouseau in the original Pink Panther movies, as well as his turn in the underrated Murder by Death (1976).
She would even indulge me by sitting through multiple viewings of Superman and various "Star Trek" flicks...especially Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, without much of a fuss. Star Wars, on the other hand, was a tougher sell for some reason...
Sadly, cancer took her from our family nearly 11 years ago...
Thanks Mom for all of your love, support, and kindness for all of those years. I miss you every day. But I'm grateful that we shared lots of love, laughter, and of course many movie memories.
"Made it, Ma! Top of the world!'
1 comment:
What a sweet tribute to Mom and the movies she shared with you. There was nothing like a Saturday or Sunday afternoon watching movies with her, especially when she would comment about the "great acting" when it was an overly dramatic scene! It was fun sharing those moments and creating great memories. Thanks for reminding me of those special times.
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