Spielberg´s recommendation for Christmas

I came across a video interview with Steven Spielberg some weeks ago. As the interviewer made it clear, Spielberg´s filmography is part of our collective memory. He has directed lots of films which are completely different from one another and according to Spielberg, that´s what characterizes his way of making films: diversity, that is, the fact that his stories are very different. Nevertheless, there is a recurrent theme in those stories: human relationships, for example, the relationship between parents and children or the personal struggle of one man to defend his values. Of course, he spoke about his last film Bridge of Spies which is a story about one of those men who stands for what he believes to be right. However, what caught my attention the most was the part in which he explained that he loved watching films from the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s, in fact, he said that these days, comparatively, he watches more films made in those decades than films made over the last five years. He made reference to Billy Wilder, Fritz Lang or Ernest Lubitsch and he mentioned The Shop Around the Corner as a film that he had watched lately. Spielberg´s interview made me think of this film whose title is likely to ring a bell but at the same time, it may be unknown for some people. The German film-maker Ernest Lubitsch directed this film in 1940 after having had a big success thanks to Ninotchka. The Shop Around the Corner is usually described as one of the best comedies in the history of cinema: it is a Hollywood film whose story is set in Budapest and has Margaret Sullavan and James Stewart in the lead roles. (The plot of You´ve got Mail is said to be based on the story of The Shop Around the Corner). If you love comedies or especially romantic comedies or just old films, you´re bound to enjoy The Shop Around the Corner. This film is a classic and even if you aren´t fond of black and white films, why don´t you give it a chance on Steven Spielberg´s recommendation? The film is set at Christmastime and it deals with the story of the employees – and particularly a couple – in a shop where customers buy Christmas presents, apparently a simple story turned into one of the best romantic comedies but that´s the greatness of good film-makers: creating memorable stories out of the lives of ordinary people.

This Christmas, why don´t you go to “the shop around the corner” to discover the gifts that are on display? I´m sure you won´t regret it.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

                                  

“We´ll always have Paris”

Today, just a memorable line from Casablanca to recall Paris: the energy, the history, the beauty and the light of this wonderful city. In spite of the horror, the pain, the frustration, the fear and the devastation caused by last Friday´s terrorist attacks, we´ll always have Paris.

Goodbye to Maureen O´Hara

Once more it´s time to say goodbye: Maureen O´Hara died last week. As with other actors, her death can´t be considered a sudden one since the actress was 95 years old but Maureen O´Hara wasn´t just an ordinary actress, in fact, very often, she was referred to as a Hollywood legend that reminded us of the golden age of American cinema. She had a prolific career which spanned several decades and her name was linked to some classics of the history of cinema such as Jamaica Inn, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, How Green was My Valley, Miracle on 34^th Street, Rio Grande, The Quiet Man or Our Man in Havana.

Maureen O´Hara was Irish but she had dual citizenship with the United States where she developed her career and thanks to which she received an honorary Academy Award.  She had a very special beauty – red hair, big green eyes, stunning presence – typical of her Irish background which made her outstanding and unique but she was also a strong woman who usually played passionate and sensitive heroines. She worked with a big number of film directors but perhaps her most memorable roles are associated with John Ford and her partner in those films, John Wayne, who became a very close friend. By the way, it is usual to see bars or Irish pubs which are called The Quiet Man, a clear reference to the film starring both actors but maybe you were not familiar with this fact!

A scene from The Quiet Man that captures the chemistry between Mauren O´Hara and John Wayne on the big screen, a couple of very good friends in real life.

 Have you watched any of the films mentioned? Were you familiar with the life or the filmography of this actress?