Saturday, June 14, 2008

Movie Innocence

Tonight I watched 2 movies...The Music Man and Walk, Don't Run. These are 60's movies...1962 & 1966 respectively. I've seen both before but could watch both over and over. I have in fact. Both have sweet and innocent love stories, no violence, no blood, no 'f' word. Just good stories that leave you feeling better for having watched them.

The Music Man tells the story of Professor Harold Hill, a con man who goes into Iowa to swindle an entire town by selling them on a boys band, not to be confused with a 'boy band' of the new millennium. His plan is to have the money collected for the instruments and uniforms and be on the last train out of town but he falls for Marian the librarian who sees right through him from day one but later realizes that he has instilled a sense of pride into the town that benefits them all. And he tells Marian's little brother Winthrop that for the first time in his life he got his foot caught in the door. Everything works out, of course, and the 76 trombones go marching down the street. Love it.

One side note, Winthrop is played by cute little Ronny Howard, later little Opie Taylor and bigger Richie Cunningham. I saw an interview that he was pointing out that the camera never showed his feet as he was dancing to 'Gary Indiana'. And once on Happy Days, Marion & Howard came out of 'The Music Man' and she commented on how much Winthrop reminded her of Richie when he was little. Too funny.

Walk, Don't Run was Cary Grant's last movie. Older but still a compete charmer. He is a businessman in Japan during the Olympics who shares an apartment with young and beautiful Samatha Egger. He ends up meeting Jim Hutton the street and bringing him as another roomie at the apartment. He then plays matchmaker for Sam and Jim who are adorable together. Again another happy ending. Just like I like them!! Cary Grant was too adorable. Always