Wayback Wednesday - The Summer Movie Edition

This summer my husband and I have been working our way through my boxed set of beach movies. Every Monday night is "Old Movie Monday" at our house, and even though we had watched a few of these before, we decided this summer to watch them all, and in the order they were released. So far we've watched

- Beach Party (1963)

- Muscle Beach Party (1964)

- Bikini Beach (1964)

and 

- Ski Party (1965) which is technically not a beach movie, but it is included in the box set, and is actually one of my favorites.

These movies are campy, but I love them! I actually have very fond memories of watching them with my mom. Her favorite was How To Stuff A Wild Bikini and Pajama Party, which, sadly, is not included in the box set.

If you've never seen them, or you just want to take a little trip down memory lane, you can watch them online, most of them for free!

- Beach Party

- Muscle Beach Party

- Bikini Beach

- Pajama Party (only available on Prime)

- Beach Blanket Bingo - one of my personal favorites!

- Ski Party - another favorite!

- How To Stuff A Wild Bikini - and yet another favorite!

There are also two movies in the boxed set that I couldn't find free online, Thunder Alley and Fireball 500, both of which are about racing, which makes them less desireable to watch, at least for me.

Another movie with a beach theme that I love is Summer of 42, which is the story of a young boy who develops an innocent love for a young woman whose husband is in the military. It stars a young Jennifer O'Neill, who has always been one of my favorites. I especially remember the Theme From Summer of '42, which was sung by my mother's favorite crooner, Andy Williams, and I absoutely love this instrumental version. 

There are a number of movies with a summer theme or setting, such as;

- American Graffitti (Netflix)

- The Parent Trap (1961) - (Disney)

- Rear Window  - my all time favorite Alfred Hitchcock! (Netflix)

- To Catch a Thief - summer on the French Riviera! (Pluto)

- A Summer Place - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 (Daily Motion)

And then there's always my favorite summer movie, Gidget, which I wrote about, here.

Hopefully I've listed at a least a few that may be new to you that you can enjoy as hot days of summer amp up. What about you? Do you have any favorite movies you watch in this season? I'm always looking for new recommendations!

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Wayback Wednesday - My Favorite Summer Movies - Gidget

From now until September, I thought I would highlight some of my favorite classic movies that were set in summer, and I'm going to begin with one of my favorites, Gidget*.

I was first introduced to Sandra Dee as a young girl, originally through the movie If a Man Answers (another favorite I'll discuss some other time). I enjoyed her so much in that role that I began searching out every movie she starred in.

Back then I watched most of my favorite old movies on Turner Classic Movies or AMC, which is where I first remember watching Gidget*. 

Based on a novel by Frederick Kohner, Gidget: The Little Girl with Big Ideas*, the movie was released on April 10, 1959. It was so popular that some consider this film as the beginning of the entire beach party genre of films. It inspired several sequals, a television series starring Sally Field, and more than one made for television movie.

Gidget highlights one summer in the life of Francis Lawrence, a young seventeen year old girl who finds that her playful, tomboyish ways no longer fits with her girlfriends who have moved on to "man hunts". While the girls do everything they can to catch the attention of the local beach boys, it's sweet innocent Francis who ends up stealing the show. When Francis shows an interest in learning to surf, the guys quickly nickname her Gidget, part girl, part midget. And while it takes a little work and determination, she quickly masters the board and becomes one of the "boys", eventually winning the heart of Moondoggie, who asks her to wear his pin. It's a sweet, innocent movie, that sends the message that the best way to make friends (and maybe win a boy's heart), is to simply be yourself!

Following the original movie there were a number of sequels, a few released in theaters and a few more on television.

Gidget Goes Hawaiian*

Released in 1961 and starring Deborah Walley as Gidget

Gidget Goes to Rome*

Released in 1963 with Gidget portrayed by Cindy Carol 

These three films inspired the TV series, Gidget, starring Sally Field, which is one of my favorite adaptations, but sadly did not do well in the ratings and only lasted one season.

Then, beginning in 1969, there were a few made for television movies, including;

Gidget Grows Up  which starred Karen Valentine in the title role.

followed by, 

Gidget Gets Married in 1972 when Monie Ellis was featured.

and finally . . .

Gidget's Summer Reunion released in 1985 with Caryn Richman in the final role of the pint sized surfer.

Last summer Amazon Prime featured all of the movies as part of their subscription plan, but they no longer appear to be available. And while you can pick up the first three movies in the series relatively cheap (if you buy a good used copy), I did manage to find them available free online, should you want to watch them.

Gidget on Tubi

Gidget Goes Hawaiian on Tubi

Gidget Goes to Rome on You Tube

Gidget (TV Series) on Tubi

Gidget Grows Up will be available on Tubi beginning August 1, along with . . .

Gidget Gets Married

and finally, you can watch Gidget's Summer Reunion in two parts on Daily Motion,

- Part 1

- Part 2

Of the series, my favorites are the original, the TV series, Gidget Grows Up and and Gidget Gets Married. Gidget Goes Hawaiian is cute, too, I'm just not a big fan of Deborah Walley and found her far too different from Sandra Dee.

Oddly enough, James Darren portrays Moon Doggie in the first three movies, along side three different actresses!  Apparently they wanted Sandra Dee to reprise the role, but by then she was under contract to Universal Studios and filming the Tammy series of movies (another of my absolute favorites that we'll discuss soon), and they would not release her. Deborah Walley did not reprise the role in Gidget Goes to Rome due to pregnancy.

There are also a number of other inconsistencies in the films as well, most notably that in the first three movies Gidget has a mother, but the role was dropped with the television series and the first two made for television movies. In Gidget Goes to Rome, Gidget's father is portrayed by Don Porter, who I absolutely adored! He went on to reprise the role in the TV series. Lynette Winter also portrays LaRue, Gidget's best friend in the TV Series, another character I adored, as well.

If you've never watched the Gidget movies, I highly recommend me. I've already mentioned my favorites, but if you've never watched them I would definitely start at the beginning and just work your way through. The acting is a bit campy, especially in the made for television movies, but I personally like the nostalgia. If you are familiar with these movies or decide to watch them, let me know which ones are your favorite!

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Small Things - First Saturday in March 2024

"Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor, but is made up of many small things, rather like an old fashioned piecework quilt. No two people have the same, but we all have our own, whether it be listening to Beethoven's fifth with a beloved friend, or seeing a neighbor at the back door with a basket of white dahlias. Or after a long, hard day, having the family say, "That was a good supper."

- GLADYS TABER

In no particular order, here are six SMALL THINGS that have saved me this week.

1. If you've been visiting with me here, then it will come as no surprise to you that I LOVE old movies and sitcoms. 90% of what I watch are movies and sitcoms from the 50's, 60's and a few from the 70's. So I was overjoyed when I came across this YouTube channel, Keeping Walt in Disney, which "celebrates the Disney of Walt's era", which I'm sure at least most of us can agree (at least if you're my age!), was the best! I hardly know where to begin! Will it be, Savage Sam, The Three Lives of Thomasina, Beyond Witch Mountain? The collection is vast and memorable! If you loved watching Walt Disney as a child, take a trip down memory lane and revisit a beloved classic!

2. As I said, I watch very little in the way of modern day television, but if and when I do it's usually on PBS. I just finished watching Season 4 of All Creatures Great and Small, and let me tell you, this series is my current personal favorite! Have you seen it? It's available with a subscription to Masterpiece through Prime Video, or you can also subscribe through PBS, which is what I do. I've started over from the beginning now with Season 1 and I'm amazed at how much I had forgotten! I heard just this week that they are currently filming Season 5 and there will be a Season 6! And to top if off, one of my favorite characters, Tristan Farnon is returning this coming season!

3. discipleship.org I haven't spoken much about my spiritual life in recent months, well, let's be honest, I haven't spoken on much of anything. But that is, in part, because of the deep work the Holy Spirit has done and is continuing in my life. Perhaps I'll share more in an upcoming post, we'll see. I have spoken before about the profound impact that John Mark Comer and these videos have made on my life in recent years.  John Mark has recently written a book, Practicing The Way (AFFILIATE LINK), which speaks to this same subject, as well. I am going to be reading it soon with a friend of mine, and from there we may begin meeting with a small group of women who are interested in reading it as well, and then who knows, we'll see where the Holy Spirit takes us. discipleship.org has a wealth of free ebooks that I've been perusing, as well, some along the same line of thought as Practicing The Way. If you're interested in learning more about a more ancient, holistic, relational, embodied and emotional model of discipleship, I encourage you to check out the Practicing The Way videos, reading the book, or look through the offerings at discipleship.org.

4. This post I read on Facebook this week, "I want to be a come as you are friend" Kind of in line with the small group my friend and I are considering starting up this year.  I listened to a podcast this week that spoke to this as well. So many people feel like they can't come to church in their brokenness, so they put on this false self in order to be accepted. And I'm just shaking my head thinking, if you can't be broken you and saved you at the same time? This was never a prerequisite for Jesus, and the church needs to have the same capacity as Jesus. Either that, or stop saying "come as you are" when what they really mean is, "come until we find out". Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of churches that are doing this well, I'm not here to call out specific churches (althought I could). I'm talking Big C church, as in natinal/global. We need to do better, and I want to be a part in that!

5. This recipe for Big Mac Smash Burger Tacos. Can't say it's actually saved me, because we haven't made them yet. But I haven't been able to get it out of my mind since I saw it. Weird thing is I'm not even much of a Big Mac fan, like I NEVER order it! But I have had it, and something about this recipe just has me intrigued. Part of me thinks why mess with tacos, especially with a Big Mac? But I'm going to have to try thig one. Have you made this? What are your thoughts? Watch for a follow up post soon.

6. The Cold and Flu Bomb.  I mentioned in my post yesterday that I've been battling some upper respiratory crud this week. We actually had to take our daughter to the ER this week and she ended up being diagnosed with pneumonia, which kind of freaked me out, since I already had symptoms. Things did get worse for me, but never along the lines of her symptoms. Still, I've felt pretty crummy for several days now, but yesterday things finally took a turn for the better. I attribute it to the recipe that I am about to share with you. It brought me back from the worst case of flu I've ever had in my life a few years ago, and whatever it is I've been fighting this week couldn't stand up to it.  I had actually forgotten about it (HOW??), until I became so frustrated with all of the OTC treatments I'd been pushing for days.  Two doses of this and that same night I was already feeling relief. I'm still not quite 100%, but I'm still taking it and every day I feel better than the last. If you ever get the flu or just a really bad cold, this stuff works!

COLD AND FLU BOMB

*1 clove or garlic, minced

*1/4 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

1 Tablespoon of honey (local is best)

1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon (organic)

Add this to 1/2 hot, 1/2 cold filtered water. Should be warm, but not too hot. Drink 2-3 x per days until symptoms subside. 

*The minced garlic and ginger may float to the bottom. I mince mine fine and they still find their way to the bottom of the cup.  I use a spoon and stir it as I drink and also spoon the piece up and put them in the mouth and then chase it with the liquid. The garlic and ginger are essential to fighting colds and flu, so don't let it sink to the bottom and stay there! Get every last piece!

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My Favorite Summer Movies - Father Goose

I'm back today with another one of my favorite old movies, Father Goose!  While this movie doesn't necessarily indicate that it is supposed to be summer, the island setting definitely lends a summertime feel for me!

I love just about everything that Cary Grant stars in, Arsenic and Old Lace, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, or That Touch of Mink, just to name a few! But Father Goose is definitely one of my favorites!  Lesley Caron is an actrees I've only seen in a few films, including Father Goose.  I liked her in Gigi but I'm not familiar with many other of her films. Perhaps I'll have to check them out and see if I can add a few new-to-me favorites! But the chemistry between Cary and Lesley is fabulous and watching Cary be charmed by a group of litle girls is simply endearing!

The story is set at the height of World War II, when Walter Ecklund (Grant), is coersed into taking a postion as a temportary lookout for Japanese war planes on a remote island. But when another lookout turns up missing, Ecklund is sent on a welfare check where he discovers chaperone Catherine Freneau and her seven young charges, who were sent to the island on an emergency evacuation. Forced to return his post with Freneau and the girls in tow, the eight island mates must now learn how to live together without being discovered by the enemy and becoming enemies themselves. Ecklund's drinking habit and poor manners, and Freneau's strict standards set the stage for some hilarious debate!

And while I love the chemistry and banter between Grant/Caron, it's the children in the movie who really make it for me, especially their interactions with Grant.

Seven girls, Harriet (Harry), Elizabeth, who develops a bit of a crush on Ecklund, Christine, Jenny, who wouldn't talk for awhile until Ecklund helps her find her voice again, Anglique, Dominque and Anne who mistakes a stick for a snake and convinces Walter that Ms. Freneua is dying. I would have to say that of all the girls Jenny is probably my favorite, and I particularly like Harriet, or Harry, as she prefers to be called. In the beginning Ecklund is all but repulsed at the idea of sharing an island with a bossy woman and seven little girls, and the women do take some liberties in "setting up house". But it is sweet to see as over time they all begin to soften and grow to care for one another.

 .

Father Goose is a delightful movie and one that I would recommend for families with older middle school to high school aged children primarily due to Grant's character having a drinking problem. Though it adds a humerous element to the storyline, it is undeniable that Walter Ecklund loves his whiskey, and hits the bottle, frequently. Please understand that this is simply my recommendation based on my own personal experience. It is up to each individual family to decide what they deem as appropriate viewing for the children in their household. You can watch the trailer above to give you a feel for the content. If you've watched Father Goose and loved it, or not . . . I'd love to hear from you! And if you've never seen it and decide to give it a try, let me know!

Until then, my friends, keep savoring the summer days!

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