It was already pouring this morning when I put on the 1938 MacDonald-Eddy vehicle Sweethearts. This is pretty much a modern romantic comedy crossed with a backstage musical. They play Gwen and Ernest Lane, the darlings of Broadway and the star of Sweethearts, a smash-hit operetta. They're tired of doing the same thing day-in and day-out and wouldn't mind trading the grind for Hollywood sunshine. Their producer (Frank Morgan) sees them as his meal ticket and is desperate to keep them in New York...even if he has to concoct a phony romance between Ernest and the duo's secretary (Florence Rice) to do it.
This was MGM's first film in the new three-strip Technicolor, and the biggest movie factory in Hollywood pulled out all the stops. From huge chorus numbers (Jeanette and Ray Bolger's "Wooden Shoes" and the "Pretty as a Picture" song at the piano) to elaborate costumes that take advantage of MacDonald's red curls and Eddy's golden waves, this movie shows off a far more advanced Technicolor than what showed up at the end of The Cat and the Fiddle. My sisters and I loved the sequence where MacDonald parades in a line of gowns in what amounts to a mini-fashion show; we used to compare the outfits and decide which ones we liked best on her.
This is also proof that the MacDonald-Eddy movies could be quite witty when written by someone besides studio hacks. Dorothy Parker provided the dialogue here, and it sparkles in a way that some of their other movies don't. While not my choice to start off with (that would be Naughty Marietta or Rose Marie), this is still a lot of fun for fans of MacDonald and Eddy or 30s musicals.
The rain still hadn't stopped by 11:30. There was no two ways around it. I really had DVDs to return. I rode to the Haddon Township Library and got very wet. Despite the weather, the library wasn't that busy when I arrived. It must have been earlier. There was a huge stack of DVDs to return. The kids' section needed to be organized, too, especially the overflowing S - Z rack. I was delighted to find a new set for the 2009 version of Strawberry Shortcake, as well as the first collection of episodes for last year's Care Bears reboot, Welcome to Care-A-Lot. Also took out the movies ParaNorman and Snow White and the Huntsman, and I found a disc of Rick Steves episodes that toured Ireland and Scotland in honor of St. Patrick's Day.
The rain was still coming down as I headed to the Westmont Plaza, though not as heavily as it did on my way there. I revised my plan for the day. Stopped at the Westmont Bagel Shoppe for a quick Pizza Bagel and fries. It was 1:30 when I had lunch; the only other people there were one other woman and The Chew on TV. Stopped at Rite Aid quickly for contact lens solution and Epson bath salts. And of course, the rain was down to sprinkles by the time I finally made it home.
There was a reason I bought those Epson salts. As soon as I got home, I filled my bathtub, dissolved the salts, and laid back for a good, long soak. I don't usually take baths. They take too long for someone who works a lot. Mom said it might help with my aching legs. My only other plans for today was cleaning and baking. I could still bake; I'd do the cleaning tomorrow.
I stayed in that bathtub for a good hour-and-a-half. It felt wonderful. I read The Sea Hawk, ran my Jazz for a Rainy Afternoon CD, and just enjoyed the quiet time. In this case, Mother does know best. Not only do my legs feel a bit better, but I feel so refreshed. (My left foot is still sore, though. I must have pulled a muscle. Maybe I can find something at work that'll help with that.)
After I finally dragged myself out of the tub, I ran the Care Bears while baking "Curly's Clumsy Tummy Ache Birthday Cake" from The Three Stooges Cookbook. It's pretty much a Devil's Food Cake made with sour cream and pudding between layers. I replaced two of the three eggs with egg whites, the sour cream with plain Greek yogurt, and eliminated the need for the pudding by baking it in a bundt pan. Yum! It's moist and rich, the best cake I've made in months.
Welcome to Care-A-Lot is an attempt to return to some of the original Care Bears Family formula. Tenderheart is once again the Lead Bear; his deep voice suggests that he's also taken Gram's place as the elder parent figure. Wonderheart is Tenderheart's niece and is now the baby of the group. Grumpy and Funshine pretty much retain their resident mechanic and sports-lover status from the previous show. Harmony is a singer; Share is a baker. Cheer is around to loudly cheer on everything. Beastly of Family is back, but he's been redesigned as a fuzzy green critter and is now the head villain with lackeys of his own. He's still not all that bright, though he's been upgraded slightly since the 80s. Returning from Adventures are Bumblyberries and referring to the stomach symbols as "Belly Badges." (I wish they'd kept Oopsy - I kind of miss him.)
Another interesting thing about this series is it does something no other Care Bear show has ever done - acknowledged that sad feelings can be as helpful as happy ones. In "Sad About You," little Joy is not living up to her namesake emotion. She's so upset that her best friend moved away, she vows never to make friends again. While Grumpy explains that sometimes that everyone feels sad, especially after something bad has happened, the others show her that making new friends outweighs the fear of losing them...and you always have your memories.
It also lets the Care Bears be something besides perfectly sweet. Share gets very upset and competitive when Grumpy's haphazardly concocted cookies seem more popular than her by-the-book goodies in "Jealous Tea." They both learn a lesson in jealousy when Share calls Beastly in to destroy Grumpy's stove...and a kid is blamed.
Switched to Rick Steves while I improvised a dinner from The Three Stooges' Cookbook. Shemp's Stringy-Haired Spatting became Larry's Curly-Haired Pasta with rotini pasta instead of spaghetti (I don't have a pan big enough for string pasta), and carrots, mushrooms, and onions instead of zucchini (zucchini is out of season).
Ireland is a beautiful country with a unique and often tragic history, and that's reflected in the first episodes on the Steves disc. I especially loved the fishing villages and seaside towns like Cobh, and the beautiful islands, including the lovely little town of Insmore that looked like something out of The Quiet Man.
Oh, and while the rain was for all intents and purposes gone by the time I was in the bath, the clouds hung around until around 6....when the sun finally emerged long enough for a gorgeous red-and-gold sunset.
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