Vintage Film

film friday

This week's selection is Billy Wilder's wonderful social satire, The Apartment (1960).

Jack Lemmon stars as CC "Bud" Baxter, a struggling clerk in a huge New York insurance company.  He's discovered a quick way to climb the corporate ladder - by lending out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses.  He finds himself falling for his office's elevator girl, Fran Kubelik (played by the wonderful Shirley Maclaine), but is crushed to discover she is mistress to his boss, Mr Sheldrake, who has no intention of leaving his wife.  Should he cave in to corporate pressure and reap the reward of the executive washroom, or should he follow his heart?

Although you may be better acqainted with Wilder's Some Like It Hot, in my opinion this is - along with Sunset Boulevard - his best film.  Controversial in its day, it deals with themes of adultery, corruption and suicide in a no-holds-barred way.  Fran is blissfully happy when Sheldrake tells her he'll leave his wife for her, but things quickly turn sour when she attempts to take her own life by swallowing a bottle of sleeping pills.  Each character is faced with their own moral dilemma, and Wilder presents it to us in his trademark cynical manner. 

I love this movie.  Shirley Maclaine is so beautiful and innocent and Jack Lemmon plays the role perfectly.  Although the subject matter may seem dated in this day and age where morals rarely play a part in people's lives, the script is still as sharp and biting as ever.

Trivia: While filming the scene where Baxter sleeps in Central Park in the rain, Billy Wilder had to spray Jack Lemmon with anti-freeze to keep him from freezing.

If you have never seen this film before, it would make my day if you went out and rented/bought it now.  If you love old movies, you will not be disappointed.

road trip usa

Me and my man are heading for the road!

Greg and I are planning to do a road trip of the States in September 2008.  So excited.  Greg drove from the East to the West Coast and back in July 2003, just after we started going out, but I've never had the pleasure.  I've figured that while we're young and (relatively) carefree, we're going to escape the constraints of this dreary country and live life on the road.

So far, our route consists of...fly from NY to Atlanta (GWTW museum, here I come), head west and drive through Memphis (Graceland is a must), New Orleans, Nashville, Dallas, Phoenix, Tombstone, Vegas, through Death Valley and Yosemite, Tijuana, all up through the West coast through LA, Santa Barbara and San Francisco (the place I most want to go).  Can't decide whether to then get a plane or carry on driving up to Seattle.  Are we missing anything out? I know a lot of guys on here live in Portland, Oregon - is it a must-see place? 

From Seattle we'll drive up to Vancouver, and then through Montana and South Dakota (wana see the Black Hills), then Chicago and then drive back to NY for a week.  We're always going to New York so the East Coast delights can be sampled any time.  Our timescale so far is 6 weeks, but many of the places we'll only stop off at for a day and night.  I want to spend the bulk of the time on the West Coast as we'll rarely go back.  Any thoughts on this anyone?? Would love to know any tips or must-see places I'm missing out!

I really want to take Greg to the Joshua Trees near LA.  My sister got married there a few years ago and it's absolutely stunning.  We stayed at the 29 Palms Inn - which apparently is where lots of Hollywood bigwigs stay on vacation - and I want to go back there.

It's all going to cost us a fair few grand, so we're going to start saving pronto.  We'll have to hire a car and stay in motels, but my sister has her own travel company so can get us some good rates.  We'll probably get a convertible for most of the trip.  Can you imagine the photographic possibilities?

On a musical note, I've managed to book us tickets to see one of the best bands and one of the most outstanding musicians around today...

Roll on April...

i heart vintage dresses

I am a real aficionado of vintage dresses.  My wardrobe is jam-packed with countless dresses which are too impractical for daily wear, but look absolutely gorgeous.  I love the cut, the crazy prints, the fact that each dress has its own history; it doesn't have to try to imitate as it's the genuine article.

Of course, loving these gorgeous clothes comes with a little catch...often the hefty price tag.  I hate the fact that vintage is so in fashion at the moment and graces the page of every clothing and home magazine.  Sure, I love that the trends are reflecting a little of my personal taste for once, but I quite like loving something that nobody else does.  In a strange way I find it quite satisfying.

When we went to New York last summer, we spent virtually our entire time in the East Village/Lower East Side.  That's the place to go for gorgeous vintage clothes.  I bought a gorgeous 1950s peach, tulle ball-gown for $75 from a store called Wysteria Hysteria. It was on Avenue B between 10th and 11th.  It was such a great store, stocking clothes as well as antiques, furniture, vintage toys etc.  Unfortunately, when we went back at Christmas it had closed down.  Such a shame. 

Further up the road from there was another vintage place.  I can't quite remember the name of it, but I remember there being lots of gorgeous (and I mean GORGEOUS) clothes with expensive (and I mean OUTRAGEOUS) price tags.  Overseeing the floor was an uptight Frenchman with sneering condescension and appalling English.  (I do not mean that his nationality had anything to do with his apparent disdain and rudeness of manner - I used to live in the South of France and love many French people!)  Needless to say, we removed ourselves from the establishment pretty quickly.  We could tell he wanted to sweep us out with the trash.  If you have lots of cash and in the area, it's worth popping in, but a baseball bat may be handy in case you run into Frenchy...

Another great place is Zachary's Smile, which is located at 9 Greenwich St, just near Houston St.  It's full of stunning vintage clothes at reasonable prices...I bought the blue and red dress in the picture above for $110, which I think is reasonable because of the fantastic exchange rate.  It came with the original belt too and fits perfectly - a rarity with most vintage clothes. And blue and red are my favourite colours together.  Sarah Jessica Parker loves Zachary's Smile apparently, and I love SJP so that's all well and good. Go there if you can as it's gorgeous and the salesgirls are lovely.

If you're ever in London, you need to take a visit to Top Shop in Oxford St.  I got the striped dress in the top photo from the vintage section (bottom floor) for £55.  Absolute bargain and it's one of my favourite dresses.  The flagship store is great (four floors!!) but is always filled with self-consciously fashionable people, pouting in case a model scout's about.  Go early in the morning when the rails are filled and the floor less so, or Christmas Eve because Oxford St is empty!

And of course, where would a vintage lover be without the mecca that is ebay?? This dress was a bargain at £15.  I would tell you the name of the seller, but then I'd have to kill you...

Anyone else have a vintage obsession? Hats, shoes, bags, coats...frilly knickers?

another try

I decided to throw caution to the wind and attempted to scan a couple of my photos from New York on to the computer.  Oh, how optimistic of me.  Not only do I have the crappiest, cheapest scanner, but my laptop is filled with so many music and photo folders that there is no memory left.  I've had to scan them using the smallest possible resolution, so I do apologise for the dreadful quality.  Honestly, they really do look better than this.  The Music Hall picture is blurred slightly anyway, but I think this adds something.  I love street photography so much, and New York is the place for it.  I gave up after these two...I hope you like.

I would like to say a massive thanks to everyone who has left me such lovely comments.  It's been so rewarding and therapeutic for me starting this blog, and to have had such a welcome has really touched me and made it all worthwhile.  I'm so glad people like my photography and have such an appreciation for the medium.  Your generous comments and words simply inspire me to get back out and take more pictures, so today I dragged Greg around the town to pose in front of various ramshackle buildings...so he thanks you too!  I have a thing about sixties concrete tower blocks at the moment - they look great in grainy black and white.

My stressful afternoon wrestling with the computer has convinced me even more I need to get me a Mac...Hmm...a Mac-attack is what I need.

Now I'm off to make myself a cuppa and relax in front of the opening episode of American Idol with my knitting.  I love to hate and hate to love the programme, but I just can't resist Simon Cowell.  Although now they've added Cat Deeley to the mix, I think I may tire of it a little quicker than usual.  People who smile constantly make me a little suspicious...Sorry, I'm having a dark day today.  I love smiley people really!

Had my haircut this morning...first time I've ever had a fringe...

Have a wonderful weekend everybody...

film friday

Hear ye, hear ye...As blogger of this blog, I declare that Friday will officially be known in these parts as FILM FRIDAY.  All herald Film Friday.

Ahem.  Excuse my little pomp and ceremony this morning.  But I have noticed that even though this blog is indeed named Vintage Film, and although films are probably my biggest passion, I have hardly mentioned them at all.  So - to quote the legendary Mr Cooke - a change is gonna come.

Every Friday I will dedicate a little space to a "classic" film.  If you already know the film, then I hope you will enjoy the discussion.  If you've never heard of the movie, then get on to netflix and pop this into your queue.  Many of the films I will discuss have been with me every step of the way out of childhood and into...well...the present. 

Without any further ado, I present to you....Twelve Angry Men (1957).                      

Synopsis:- A young Spanish-American boy is on trial for the murder of his father.  The jury of twelve men are sent into a room to deliberate and come to an agreement on a verdict.  Eleven men are convinced he is guilty, but one man (Henry Fonda) has room for reasonable doubt.  What originally appeared as an open and shut case becomes a struggle to overcome each juror's prejudices and misconceptions and record a fair verdict.

Apart from the opening and closing sequences, the entire film takes place in one room.  But please, don't let this put you off.  At no point during this film will you feel bored, or fidgety, or thinking about your next cup of tea.  The director (Sidney Lumet) does an amazing job of keeping the drama tight and the audience riveted, and Henry Fonda plays Juror no. 8 with sincere passion and conviction.  The remaining cast is made up of many big-wigs from the Hollywood of the era, including Martin Balsam, Lee J. Cobb and E.J. Marshall, and they all deserve a mention. 

This film is fantastic.  A fine example of the "black and white" movie which I have lent to many dubious friends and had returned with rave reviews.  Each juror represents a different point of view often found in society, and all but two are identified by their juror numbers and profession: #1 High School Football Coach, #2 Bank Teller, #3 Owns Messenger Service, #4 Stock Broker, #6 Painter, #7 Salesman, #8 Architect, #10 Garage Owner, #11 Watch Maker, and #12 Advertising Exec.  The script is skillful at gradually peeling away layers to reveal each juror's true feelings and prejudices, until they are left with very little evidence and a great deal of doubt.

Trivia: Henry Fonda disliked watching himself on film, so he did not watch the whole film in the projection room.  But before he walked out, he said quietly to the director, Sidney Lumet, "Sidney, it's magnificent."

I recommend you see this movie and guarantee you will love it.  It was remade in the nineties (what a surprise) but don't let that put you off.  It's films like these which are why I love the movies.

 

Do you love this movie?

Do you hate this movie?

Do you want to know more about this movie?

Do you - ?

The jury wants to know.

new york new york

I have just got home after spending the evening at my class developing my New York photos.  We stayed with my sister at Christmas at her gorgeous brownstone Brooklyn apartment and had a marvellous time (when do we not).  Every holiday I have had for the last 5 years has been back to NY - I love it and it's so handy when you have family there.  Unfortunately I only managed to take two rolls of film this trip (didn't want to make people hang around for me) so not much to develop this time.  The pictures I did print came out really well though, so I'm happy about that.  I don't have a great scanner so don't want to put them on the computer just yet, but as soon as I can, I'll get them on here for you to see.  The ones posted here are taken on my Nikon D50 (digital).  Quality-wise, I still don't think digital has a patch on film.

 

I have a thing for photographing bathrooms - I don't know why, but there's something about them that fascinates me.  And by bathrooms, I really do mean rooms with baths in them (for all you Americans out there!).  I love sinks in particular (or basins!).  Do any of you have a particular object or scene you love to photograph? I'd love to know...  And any criticism/comments are always gratefully received.

My sister's gorgeous apartment - can you believe this fireplace?? She got the two lamps from this great vintage homeware store in Williamsburg for $90 for the pair...what a bargain...I picked up a really old suitcase and a great sixties typewriter which I had to lug all the way home...

Waiting for the plane home...Greg checks out the women.... Does anybody else have a boyfriend/husband who has an insatiable love of girly magazines?? I find it quite worrying.

de-lurking

I have been reading a lot of bloggers "de-lurking" recently and figured I should do the same.  I need to get over the classic English feelings of embarrassment I sometimes feel from talking about myself...Does anyone else really care, I sometimes wonder, but then I just give in to it.  That's a blogger's life, after all!

Ok, so some facts...

• I am 23 years old.
• I am the youngest of six siblings with two brothers (John & Dan) and three sisters (Sarah, Lorraine and Jessica).
• I am an Auntie to Tom, Jo, Luke, Daisy, Maggie, Lily, Isabella, Amelia and Archie.  They are all such gorgeous people.
• I'm obsessed with the 1930s-1950s. Clothes, furniture, architecture.  You name it, I obsess it.
• My first crush was Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice.
• I live in a town called Maidstone in the south-east of England with my gorgeous husband, Gregory, who is a trained cabinet maker and antique restorer.  He's scrumptious.
• When I was younger I would develop an annual obsession with a film.  I saw Titanic 11 times at the cinema and swore one day, Leo would be mine.
• There are so many things I want to achieve in my life that I don't know where to start.  I want to have a wonderful, loving family with three children, I want to make my husband a very happy man, I want to keep my faith strong, I want to make my own clothes, I want to knit, I want to write a novel, I want to be an accomplished photographer...the list is endless.  Sometimes I think that because I want to do so much, I'll never achieve anything.  Does anyone else suffer from equally depressive thoughts???
• At the age of five I won a colouring competition at my school fete.  The next day I was called up to the front of assembly where I was awarded a green and white pencil sharpener in the shape of a crocodile.  When my sister collected me from school that afternoon, I put the pencil sharpener in the basket underneath my nephew's pram and we walked down to the supermarket.  After realising that it wasn't there, we retraced our steps for half a mile.  I cried for days and not even my lovely sister buying me a McDonalds could stop the tears.  I think about that pencil sharpener every now and again and I feel the same pain in my heart.  Sad I know, but I can't help it.

Please share some of yours with me. I want to get to know all you bloggers out there!

Greggers and I at a friend's gorgeous wedding...April 2006.

tedious tuesday

Wow, it's been a week since my last post.  After jumping head first into this blogging malarkey with at least one post per day, I have faltered in my first week.  Disgraceful.  Anyhow, I will now make amends.

Not a good day today.  I'm sitting at work, bored at my computer, contemplating the potential joys of working part-time.  Greg keeps telling me to just do it and we'll find a way to cope financially.  What a wonderful husband.  He wants me to dedicate more time to my photography so I can make us millionaires.  No pressure then!  I'm tempted as I would have so much more time, but then I think about how the cut in wages will actually mean I can't do what I want to do.  No day trips to Paris or weekends in New York taking photographs, no new camera gear or gorgeous Mac computer...I have to make sacrifices either way!

The picture above is one of Cindy Sherman's Film Stills.  I haven't looked into much of her recent work, but her Film Stills are some of my favourite photography.  I love grainy black and white, and the use of urban architecture in her work really inspires me.  Each still is a picture of her in different wigs and clothing, acting out the different roles in which people like to place women.

I promise to post some of my own work soon.  9-5 jobs kill me.

gorgeous audrey

I went into Waterstones on my lunch break today and couldn't believe my luck when I stumbled upon this book.  "The Audrey Hepburn Treasures" is a hardback filled with photographs and memories of the beautiful lady, as well as tissue paper pockets of various items such as war papers, theatre programmes, family photo albums, handwritten letters, stage contracts, tickets and many other personal keepsakes.  The book is so lovingly crafted and enjoyable to read.  When I was a kid, I loved pop-up books and books which allowed you to really interact with the story.  This is one of those books.

It was half-price in the sale, so I got it for the bargain price of £15, which I was extremely chuffed with.  Even paying £30 is good value as it's such a great find.  There are countless books on Audrey in the shops, but this one offers something a little different from the endless fashion photos and gushing quotes. 

to click or not to click

In the last year, I have discovered how much I truly love photography.  Growing up with an avid photographer for a father, I was forced to endure long hours in front of harsh tungsten lighting and contrived poses.  I think I developed an appreciation of the medium, but I never spent much time with my Dad and so was never encouraged to take it up.  Last year I decided I would make a go of it on my own, and so with the support and encouragement of my wonderful husband, I purchased a Nikon D50 and haven't put it down since. 

The photos above were taken in my brother's bathroom in New York last year.  I love photographing houses and objects we always touch and use, but never think about.  The one of the glass doorknob has been my most popular print so far and it's one of my personal favourites.

I love photography.  I love black and white especially, although I've recently started to get more into colour.  In order to spur me on, I have set up my own website showcasing my work.  I'm not sure if I want to turn it into a proper business as I don't want something I love doing to turn into a stressful affair.  I've also purchased a Nikon F90x camera and lots of Tri-X film...Didn't manage to take many photos in New York last week so planning a trip back to take more...

I took this picture as a joke, but it wasn't until afterwards that I noticed the old couple in the car behind, watching me.  I now love this photo.

This was taken at Glen Ridge train station, New Jersey, as we were waiting for the train to the city.  I really love urban photography and strong contrast.

Self portrait.  My expression seems quite smug for some reason, but I love the colours from my outfit.  They didn't seem that garish in reality!

I love Autumn colours.  I got the afternoon off work and dragged Greg to the park to capture the amazing light.  Didn't have to do anything in Photoshop to this.