February 26, 2010
-
The Lady Vanishes
By the time my mother moved in to the apartment next door to ours in 2006, she had acquired quite a collection of movies. Her favourites were the ones she had taped from late-night television and TMC. “Matinee At the Bijou” and stuff like that, complete with serials (she loved Buster Crabbe), newsreels, cartoons, and shorts. A bunch of Three Stooges episodes and movies. Abbott and Costello. Dracula, Frankenstein, and The Wolfman… Lugosi, Karloff and Cheney. Westerns… lots of John Wayne and Randolph Scott, Roy Rogers, and The Sons of the Pioneers.
Mysteries. She loved a mystery.
I wish I had watched more mysteries with my mom.
When I miss my mom so badly that I can’t sleep, I sneak out into the living room, and through the X-Box, I get into my Netflix account. I don’t watch the latest movies or television shows. I don’t watch MY favourite old films.
I watch something that my mother loved to watch. A western or a mystery. Black and white. Sometimes, a silent movie.
I turn the lights off, make popcorn and watch old movies, one after another, while my husband and my father-in-law snore away down the hall. I kick back in my FIL’s recliner, with a blanket around me; I get as comfy as possible. I’m there for hours; I disappear into the movies.
I think of my mother’s voice… always quiet during a movie, if she talked at all. Shushing people around her, even though she’d seen the film at least one hundred times. When something funny happens in the movie, I think of her laugh, the really happy one. When something tragic happens, I can hear her sigh and say, “Yoy, eesh-tehr-num.” (It’s Hungarian. It means “God help us,” I think.) When “the bad guy” in a movie gets his comeuppance, I can hear my mother cheer.
There are a couple of films that I haven’t been able to watch since she passed away in 2008: Laura and The Lady Vanishes. They are two that she watched over and over again, near the end. Two of her favourites. Two of MY favourites. We watched them together many times.
I tried to watch The Lady Vanishes last night/this morning. It just recently became available on the Netflix instant-watch thingy. About ten minutes into it, I had to shut it off. I had started crying during the opening credits.
I ended up watching a Hammer Production, instead: Dracula A.D. 1972 (Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing). I could hear my mother giggling and saying things like, “This is so bad, it’s good!” and “What a stupid woman! Why doesn’t she just run?”
I found myself imitating her, laughing at the ridiculous fake blood and Mister Lee’s red contact lenses (My mom would have said to the screen, “Try some Visine… it gets the red out, Count.”).
The Lady Vanishes and Laura will just have to wait a little longer, I guess.
Comments (21)
these blogs frequently make me feel nostalgic and sentimental tho my mom is live and well. she was born in 30, and that’s really all they had to do during the great depression. she LOVES movies so much! she’ll often, to this day, take herself out to a movie.
when she visited last she taught me about the movie “Love affair” and “an affair to remember” and “sleepless in seatlle and how they all intertwined. I had no idea.
you’re brave to go back and watch them.
I don’t think I’ve heard of The Lady Vanishes, but I’ve watched a lot of John Wayne..
“Try some Visine… it gets the red out, Count.”
if yer sneakin in and watching movies in the middle of the night – you’re just asking for it. but seriously, those were some good memories with your mom, weren’t they?!
I am glad for you that you have these memories. I dread losing my mother. I hope I can handle it as well as you do outwardly.
Be blessed.
I love movies! I can watch them over and over. “The Big Fish” affects me greatly. It could be my father’s and my story. I can hardly watch it. The dying man was so much like my father telling his story when he was dying. His funeral confirmed so much. Nice post!
(((HUGS))) Your mother watched some wonderful things. I’m glad you have these memories and can bring her voice and remarks to mind. She’s with you – you know… But I understand the ones that are hard…. peace always to you
I find myself watching “Now, Voyager” and “Pinky” for the same reasons. My mother loved them.
And, since you like to start junk… SWEEEET Caroline! Good times never seemed so good…”
@La_Chose_En_Soi - So good! So good! So good! LOL Merci! I shall now drive Ken insane with my really horrible and depressing Neil Diamond impression!
Now Voyager and Pinky were flicks my mom enjoyed, too. I’m not sure that she owned them, though. I’ll have to ask my younger brother; he has the lion’s share of her movie collection.
I’ve got to go sing Cracklin’ Rose or sumpin now… Sending you and yours love, prayers and happy thoughts in general! <3
@peacenow - ::: Hugs backatcha ::: Thank you, Sparkly Lady!
@DistantShipSmoke - I’m going to have to see that one. Thank you.
@dharmalaughs - You are very sweet. Thank you!
@rnjennison - Yes, they were great memories. That’s why I enjoy watching (most of) them. I’m sure I will see The Lady Vanishes and Laura again, and maybe I will cry again… but maybe I NEED a good cry, you know? Thanks, Babycakes. Hope you are having a great night! <3
@isingstupidsongs - LOL She said some funny stuff to the TV screen at times! The Lady Vanishes is a classic Alfred Hitchcock; it’s pretty darned good. Thanks for coming by!
@And_I_love - My mom was born 12/04/1928. She always told me that no matter how hard times were, my grandmother could always scrounge up money for my mom to spend Saturday at the theatre with her friends… OH! And my taught me about Love Affair, An Affair to Remember and Sleepless in Seattle (She didn’t care for Meg Ryan… it used to crack me up when she’d go off about her). I watched An Affair To Remember when I was 10 or 11, on a Saturday morning… and my mom started telling me about Love Affair. Years later I rented Sleepless in Seattle… and the Meg Ryan bashing began!
I don’t know if I’d call it brave, but thank you. I’m not In the Black Pit of Depression anymore; I’ve been “out” for more than six months now… But I DID just move over 1,000 miles away from my family, my friends… and I am a bit homesick… so, watching one of “her” movies or drinking some Earl Grey with a couple of Pecan Sandies once in a while… It makes me feel closer to her, like my mom’s kinda with me.
Okay, this is totally becoming a novel-length comment response! Thank you so much for the comment and the rec. Have a wonderful weekend! xoxo
Your mother had great taste in movies. I’m sorry she’s gone.
I’m sorry that she’s gone but I’m so happy that y’all had something like that to bond over. My grandmother asked me to help her bake a cake for this past Christmas but I was too busy and selfish to help her. She died on January 5. The guilt eats at me every day. I know it’s hard for you to see through the grief but one day you’ll be thankful that you have those movies that are attached with so many memories to her.
It’s a good way to remember her. One day you’ll be able to watch those movies, I’m sure.
Thank heavens for memories
and old movies too~
@the_rocking_of_socks - Thank you… and thank you.
@Ampersands_Anonymous - I’m so sorry about your grandma. I totally get it about the cake. I feel like I was so busy “taking care” of my mother that I didn’t do the little things, like watching those movies ten more times (she had Dementia… she’d swear she hadn’t seen Laura in a least ten years, about 20 minutes after watching it!). I still feel guilty, but it lessens gradually… my mother wouldn’t want me to go around feeling guilty. That helps. I’m sure your grandmother wouldn’t want you to feel bad about the cake, and I’m sure you have tons of very happy memories of/with her to reflect on and enjoy. Thank you so much for your sweet comment. I really appreciate it. ::: hugs :::
@Belegost_the_Naugrim - @Cynsjrl - Thank you both so much! Memories and movies sometimes go together.
I love the old classic films myself. They just don’t seem to make movies like those anymore. Somehow, the individuals we were so close to seem to live on in how we do the things they used to. Your mother had a great sense of humor and a great heart that matched the mood of whatever film she watched with you. Just keep watching those movies and reliving those memories. They’ll stay with you always.
@zionlover - ::: hugs ::: you’re awesome. I did not realise until today that I had not friended/subbed under this account (You only know me as Vignettery, I guess). I don’t know why I just assumed I had met you over “here” first. I guess it just sort of feels like I’ve known you a little longer. Weird, huh?
Thank you for the rec and for the very sweet comment. I repeat: you’re awesome! Enjoy the weekend!
My ex-girlfriend used to love Breakfast at Tiffany’s…I could not for the life of me enjoy that movie…she watched it with such excitement…much like you describe of your mom…
Here’s to memories…
Heh. Visine. I love this. the best reasons to love things.
It’s nice to be able to feel close to loved ones in this way.
@SamsPeeps - Is that you, Ness? Haha. I was wondering how SamsPeeps knew me so well. You’re so welcome and thank you so much for that trip down memory lane.
@zionlover - LOL Oui, c’est moi! This is my regular old everyday blog…
@youandwhosearmy - You know what? I’ve never seen that movie. I’ll have to see if it is on Netflix. Thanks
Funyun Luvun LOL
@MooncatBlue - Thank you! My mom always had some kind of advice to give the characters… One time, she was opening up a roll of lifesavers (pep-O-mint) while The Wolfman was on, and there’s a sort of close-up of Lon Chaney Jr growling… my mom holds the roll of lifesavers toward the screen and says, “Here, buddy. I think you need these more than I do!” I always got a kick out those little things she’d say.
@TheCheshireGrins - Thank you so much. Hope you are having a good weekend!