Be My Guest: Tracey Witt

My guest this month is Tracey Witt, a wonderful woman and friend of mine who I met on Facebook through Flick Chick, the fantastic classic movie page done by Marsha. Tracey hails from Minnesota and currently lives in Las Vegas and is a certified nurse. Her love of classic movies and stars is off the charts. So let's get right to it shall we....

Favorite classic stars: 

Tracey: Sooooo many to choose from! Some of the silent film stars would be Marion Davies, Gloria Swanson, Mary Pickford and Mabel Norman for the ladies....for the gentlemen Buster Keaton is at the top of my list along with Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin.....for the talkies The top of my list is the gorgeous miss Jean Harlow but also Myrna Loy and Marilyn Monroe....the gents include Clark Gable, Gregory Peck and Gary Cooper.

Monty: Impressive list Tracey. I knew that Jean Harlow was one of her favorites because when I post pics of her on Facebook, I always tag Tracey in them.

Favorite Films:

Tracey: Once again a long list of favorites.... Dinner at Eight, Red Dust, China Seas, all with Jean Harlow...hmmmmm.....Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, Bus Stop, How to Marry A Millionaire and Gone With The Wind.

Monty: I love all those films you named!

 First Classic Movie Experience:

Tracey: When I was a little girl in Minnesota there was a local TV station KROC, on Saturday nights they would have what was called KROC's Comedy Classics.  They would play Mae West, the Marx Brothers, WC Fields, quite a few silents as well. I loved them and it became a part of my life from then on.

Monty: very cool!

 Perfect way to watch a classic movie:

Tracey: Well first choice would to be on the big screen with other people who also love the classics, Second choice would have to be at home with someone special curled up on the couch together.

Monty: Both are great ways to watch the classics...can't argue with that.

 How many people do I know that love the classics too:

Tracey: Quite a few actually, just about everyone in my family likes the classics in one form or another. My Father would probably be the other truly classic fan in the family.

Monty: awesome Tracey. It's rare that so many family members share your love of classic movies. A lot of my guest that have been on here have stated they were the only ones who would watch them.

  Favorite Decade:

Tracey: Well, it's a toss up between the 20's and the 30's but I would have to give the 20's the edge. I adore the silents, they are an art work unto them selves and are absolute treasures. I do admit they're not for everyone and can be an aquired taste.

Monty: I need to watch more silents...but right now my fave genre is the 30's.

 Favorite film quotes:

Tracey: "I always get the fuzzy end of the lollipop"...."Well, no one's perfect"...."Come up and see me sometime"...."Made it Ma! Top of the world!"

Monty: Good ones!

 Classics I haven't seen yet:

Tracey: "Sunrise"..."Waterloo Bridge" ...."Ship of Fools"...."Jaws"

Monty: You may be the first person I've met that hasn't seen Jaws! It's a must see Tracey!

Favorite Genre:

Tracey: Well like I said anything silent, but the really good dramas I love including the Warner Brother's gangster pictures. All of the best dramas have at least a hint of comedy to them as well.

Monty: Cool..and I agree about the best dramas having a touch of comedy in them.

Movie theme part:

Tracey: Well big surprise there, a silent movie 1920's party. Perhaps channel the ultimate party hostess Marion Davies and throw a huge bash with live music, catered food and lots of champagne!

Monty: cool...I expect an invite when you have one ok?

Films that are loved but that I don't like: 

Tracey: My apologies to anyone who's favorite I mention. "Gunga Din" "Lawrence of Arabia" "Rocky" anything Three Stooges, or Abbot and Costello

Monty: That's cool Tracey...not everyone can like the same things....I'm not too crazy about Lawrence of Arabia either.

Biggest Film Fan:

Tracey: Once again my dad, he knows so many plots and lines from the classic and given a trivia contest would be a very hard man to beat.

Monty: that's great Tracey

Favorite film characters:

Tracey: Marilyn Monroe as Lorelei Lee and Sugar Cane...Jean Harlow in all of her movies are favorites....Mae West as Flower Belle Lee.....Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blane...... Buster Keaton as anyone, love them all

Monty: I love MM as Lorelei Lee..one of my all time favorite characters. Well that was fun....thanks Tracey for being my guest this month. I think we all here at All Good Things enjoyed getting to know you a little bit better.

My love of classic films is beyond measure

Monty

Jaws - 35 years later the seminal summer blockbuster still has bite

Just watched Jaws for the first time in about 2 years and it is still a great movie, one of my favorites. Steven Spielberg did a superb job in directing this thriller of a movie. And you would be hard pressed to find a film   that featured three better performances: Roy Scheider as beleaguered Chief Martin Brody; Richard Dreyfuss as marine scientist Hooper; and Robert Shaw as boat captain Quint, who gives an amazing performance. He deserved an Oscar for his performance; hell his Indianapolis speech alone should have given him the award. All the thrills, suspense, and humor that you remember from Jaws is still there and it feels fresh today amid all the summertime CCG wannabe blockbusters. The music score by John Williams still sends a shiver down my spine. And Jaws is a lot more bloodier than I remember. Especially the shark attack on Quint..it is truly graphic. It is very cool how Spielberg built up the tension through out this movie thanks to the music score and sound and brief glimpses of the shark. So when the 25 footer killing machine finally makes his full appearance it is quite the scene. As I said before the three leads carry this movie and Roy Scheider anchors it as Brody, a man conflicted on trying to do the right thing to save lives, even if it means closing down the beach for the summer. Which doesn't sit right with the mayor and the town council who count on the tourists every summer to bring in some money to their beloved town. Jaws is one of the true greats in cinema history with so many iconic images including the shot where Brody is dumping chum in the water when the shark rises up at him and Brody says the immortal classic line "You're gonna need a bigger boat". Jaws is one of my personal favorite films of all time and it was great re-watching it again.