Swashbuckle ~ er ~ ing

I don’t remember how old I was the first time I saw a “swashbuckling” movie??? But, the way I drank in the classics, I was probably just a child. 🙂

Ah yes, there is nothing like a good swashbuckling movie. To be transported by the film makers to that time when men and women engaged in daring and romantic adventures! Oh yes, and they did it so well, the hero or heroine’s wish was to impress or attract attention. There was so much bravado and flamboyance. Who better, than the King of the swashbucklers to begin our journey.

Errol Flynn made our hearts swoon with his romantic escapades. *Sigh* What a guy! My husband says, he’s athletic.

Oh my goodness! Who doesn’t swoon at the sight of Douglas Fairbanks Jr??? Ronald Colman is the second gentle man in the photo in, Prisoner of Zenda. These men of the classics knew how to do swashbuckling right!

There is the Fox ~ Zorro and his horse Tornado! ~Mysterious ~Masculine ~Swoon worthy!

“Sink meh,” Percy can wield a sword! The Scarlet Pimpernel, the man of disguises!

Epic contemporary sword play ~ the rogue and the swashbuckling hero in, Pirates of the Caribbean.

If all phantoms could look like this??? Whoops! Did I say that out loud??? He was obsessed, wounded, mysterious. Me thinks he would be the “rogue.” Of course, we all remember the slashing sword fight at the cemetery!

My hubby is teasing me as I conclude this sudden blog post. You might ask, why is he teasing you??? Thank-you for asking! 🙂 One night, I was lying on the couch and a movie came on television. There was a castle with a moat. Weeeeeellll, a man in a dark costume came up out of the moat and I came up off the couch. Rick has never let me forget that. He has teased me without mercy and he is teasing me now. So, it might be a good idea to watch swashbuckling movies alone. Of course, there are many more heroic movies, I have just listed a few. Which ones have you watched? What are your favorites? lol. Enjoy!

 

 

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Classic Movie Friday!

The Scarlet Pimpernel 1934

Leslie Howard

Merle Oberon

The book is usually better than the movie, however, this movie is hilarious! Leslie Howard (Percy Blakeney) was excellent! Oh yea! He nailed it. I am sorry to say, the movie only takes the viewer halfway through the book, but it’s still a fun movie.

“They seek him here, they seek him there. Those Frenchies seek him everywhere . . . “

The Happy Tag

There is a Happy Tag going around and I decided this is great fun, so here I am participating in the Happy Tag! 🙂

“You share a bunch of things that make you happy.” I was sorta kinda tagged by http://www.classicsandcraziness.wordpress.com

She put her Happy List in categories, so I will also. 🙂

Let the happy begin!

Books

The Ordinary Princess, by M.M. Kaye

The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy

Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries by Agatha Christie

The Mitford Series by Jan Karon

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

The Map Across Time, by C.S. Lakin

Our Intrepid Heroine, by Ness Kingsley

Words ~

comfy

wooly

Inglenook

content

jovial

impertinent

retro

roguish

fop

verdant

eccentric

Movies ~

Hitchcock Movies

Emma

Little Women

Tangled

Casablanca

Dark Victory  – Bette Davis movie

Romantic Comedies

classicsandcraziness included music, but I omitted it because, even though I love music, I didn’t know where to begin. 🙂 I like classical, worship/Christian, jazz/swing and on and on the list goes.

Random ~

The First Snowfall of Winter

homemade bread warm from the oven

Hot chocolate

My dog’s fuzzy face

the first plants of spring peaking their heads above the ground

Big sweaters

crisp, juicy apple

walk in the fresh air

hiking in the mountains

tea

flying in a hot air balloon

cheesecake

If you are reading this, you are tagged. That’s right, everyone is tagged!

 

 

 

Murder ~ The Early Years

Murder/Suspense/Espionage has always been my favorite genre. When I was but a child, I would watch any classic mystery that was on television ~ AND ~I would devour, that’s right, devour any mystery I could find. (My husband says, the paragraph I just wrote sounds like a murder in the makin.’) 🙂

So! Here are the mysteries that had a profound influence! ~ that shaped me! ~ that molded me! that convinced me! ~ in those early years. Who doesn’t love Nancy Drew??? She’s awesome and she always seemed fearless to me. My friends and I would read her mysteries and then discuss them. Fun. 🙂

OH  MY GOODNESS! I love Charlie Chan mysteries. Charlie Chan was played by three different actors, however, my favorite was Sidney Toler. Victor Sen Yung played Charlie Chan’s #1 son, Jimmy. Jimmy was always very proud of his famous detective father. Jimmy was also a little tooooo helpful.

I will never forget the first time I saw “Laura,” starring Gene Tierney and Dana Andrews. I was so surprised! I loved it. What a twist! I’ve read the book too!

“Rebecca!” Oh my goodness! This is a Hitchcock movie. Joan Fontaine and Lawrence Olivier are in this movie of murder and suspense. I read the book before I saw the movie. Loved them both.

So, there you have it! Murder ~ The Early Years. There are so many more I could name. This list is but a few. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder, by Chris Cavender

My eyes are itching like the dickens, but I’m going to try to get this post written anyway. My eyes are a mess. *sniff sniff* I have “allergic.”

So, there is a murder at the pizza joint. HORRORS! While the citizens of Timber Ridge, North Carolina are snug in their beds, sleeping soundly, someone enters “A Slice of Delight,” the local pizzeria and murders Wade. Wade’s brother, Greg, is a suspect in the investigation. Eleanor, the owner of the pizzeria, and her sister decide to prove Greg’s innocent.

This is a good solid cozy mystery. I really don’t have much to say about it. 5***** stars!

 

Classic Movie Friday!

The 39 Steps ~1935~

Robert Donat

Madaeleine Carroll

No one does it like Hitchcock! Espionage, murder, counterespionage! A man on the run ~ hunted ~ that’s right ~ hunted, accused! A spy ring! Top secret information!

I’m not sure when I saw this movie for the first time??? I have read the book and I would recommend both movie and book. Enjoy. 🙂

 

“The Rivers End,” by James Oliver Curwood

This book was so good. 🙂 The copyright on it is 1919! Can you imagine? 🙂

Mounted Police Office Conniston has tracked and captured the outlaw John Keith for killing a judge. The two men are holed up in a cabin, in the Hudson Bay area, because of an Artic storm. Brrrr. Conniston is dying, so, because of a resemblance to one another, they believe they can successfully change identities and Keith can return to civilization as Conniston.

This was such a good adventure story. There was always a sense of foreboding ~ will the characters who knew Conniston believe Keith is Conniston? There were surprises in the story leaving this reader wondering if Keith’s secret was going to be revealed. There was a mystery with one of the characters. And, each time I read a book by Curwood, I either get frostbite because he describes the  northern winters so well, or I get lost in the wilderness, fearing I will never return to land of people. 5***** adventuress stars!

 

“A Scene Involving a Disguise”

Fun stuff! That’s right, FUN! Naomi at Wonderland Creek has a great activity on her blog. She discovered the activity from another blog ~ http://www.heidi-n-peterson.blogspot.com ~

I thought I would participate. 🙂 You can find her at ~ http://www.naomiblog15.blogspot.com ~

 

Those who participate are to find a book or a movie with “A SCENE INVOLVING A DISGUISE!” Of course, amazing disguises are in “The Scarlet Pimpernel!” Naomi mentions, “The Scarlet Pimpernel” also.

Drum roll please ~

We had reached Baker Street, and had stopped at the door. He was searching his pockets for the key, when some one passing said: “Good night, Mister Sherlock Holmes.”

There were several people on the pavement at the time, but the greeting appeared to come from a slim youth in an ulster who had hurried by.

“I’ve heard that voice before,” said Holmes, staring down the dimly lit street. “Now I wonder who the deuce that could have been.”

This perfect disguise that fooled the Master of Baker Street can be found in “A Scandal in Bohemia,” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – To Holmes, she was always, “The Woman.”

 

 

#4

Ivanhoe

Sir Walter Scott

As many of you know, I plan to read all thirteen unread books I have on my kindle in 2016. Well. I’m off to a good start. I just finished #4 today. And, in my humble opinion, it is not a quick read. It took me two weeks to read it! *shocker*

So, here I am trying to write a review on Ivanhoe. It was interesting. That’s all! Have a nice day! 🙂 haha.

If any of you are experts on Ivanhoe, I’d love to hear from you.

Because he journeyed with King Richard to the Crusades, the Disinherited Knight, has been – as his title implies – disinherited. Poor guy. I liked him. Anyway, he has returned to win the hand of the fair Lady Rowena and restore his relationship with his father. He soon finds himself in tournaments, with banners flying, the uproar of the crowds and fair ladies cheering the gallant knights on in battle. All is chivalry and damsels in distress etc. etc. It’s very Medieval with Norman – Saxon conflict.

I’ve heard there is a movie. Well, if film makers ever do a re-make, I think Chris Evans should play the disinherited knight. 🙂 Read and Enjoy.

Happy Valentine’s Day

Love is patient,

Love is kind,

It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self- seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

Love never fails.

I Corinthians 13:4 – 8 ~NIV