family home movies
antipos...@my-deja.com
house this weekend, and we wound up watching a videocopy of some old
family home movies, which date from around 1960 to 1977, and which
we've tranfered to video. Even though the picture quality is not the
greatest, I love watching these. My parents must have purchased their
camera and projector when I was born, because there are a number of
reels of me as a baby, including one scene from around the time I had
just learned to walk.
What's some of the content of your family's home movies? Here's some of
ours.
-one funny and rather surreal scene of my aunts and an uncle dancing
around in my parents kitchen. It's probably St. Patty's Day, because my
uncle's wearing a green plastic derby on his head. My aunts are wearing
mu-mus, and my one aunt is doing the charlston and pretending a big
whiskey bottle is a ukelele.
-My brother and his friend Louis from next door, doing the twist in our
back yard. My brother is around 4. It's amazing, but it seems like in
the early 60s, everyone was dancing the twist, from grandparents to
toddlers.
-some amazing (now) retro furniture inside our house, and other houses.
There is a Jetsons style table which I wish I now owned. I'm sure we
long ago failed to recognize its future value and tossed it out.
-shots of me and my dad, with me hamming it up for the camera, while
playing around on some Army tanks at a park in Fort Knox, Kentucky,
where my cousin was stationed while in the military; we went out there
to visit in summer 1973.
-visits to various amusement parks, most of which no longer exist; eg.,
"Freedom Land," in the Bronx, now the cite of the Co-Op City housing
complex, and "Cowboy City," a western style theme park (complete with
fake Cowboy and Indian battles, how un-PC) somewhere here in NJ;
unfortunately, we've got no footage of Palisades Amusement Park. Also,
footage of me as a baby sitting in a pumpkin patch at a farmers market
we used to trek to each October.
-some very old fashion looking nuns and priests from my older sister's
first communion ceremony.
-lots of other fun and interesting scenes.
Tom
Sent via Deja.com
http://www.deja.com/
Dixon Hayes
parked in the background. That's always good for some "Wow, that's old!"
laughs but not from my mother, who appears in her black butterfly frame glasses
that were so in style back then...
Three other favorites that I appear in: the prom/coronation, with me in my tux
(and shaggy hair), circa 1982; my high school graduation, same year; and the
videos of me in the hospital holding each of my newborn children, most notably
that 1990 video where my daughter is crying and I get her to stop by stroking
her cheek.
Dixon
=============
"Let's dance, Maude...you're starting to get to me!"
--Barney Fife
Remember THE Hollywood Squares...the original and the best
http://www.geocities.com/screenjockey/classicsquares.html
WiNK
overdose on nostalgia. My favorite scenes are:
The New Year's Party, circa 1969 Las Vegas.... My mom and dad and some of
their VERY cool Vegas friends..... they looked like a colorful, exciting
bunch....especially liked my dad's closeup of Fred Waring Jr.'s girlfriend's
butt in the gold lame' jumpsuit. That sounds like I am perverted. :-) The
*point* is...my mom was really up in arms about his camera-work!
My 3rd birthday....I'm decked out in go-go boots, red patent jumper and
playing a fake guitar. I'm thinking....my parents shaped my heavy metal
future (circa late 80s, that is.) This was the birthday I received a "Sock
it to Me" sweatshirt, as well.
The Giant Bear in South Dakota.....don't know why I like this part......
then jumps over to Yellowstone and Old Faithful.... my brother and I dancing
around wildly while Old Faithful erupts in the background. Brother has me
in a full nelson and I am no longer smiling. (See, my dad spliced these
reels together back in the days when he still went out gambling and drinking
in Vegas. :-)
My little brother....dressed up like a girl, playing football in the
yard--age 2.
My first day of kindergarten..... I'm wearing a blue polyester jumper,
bright white blouse and knee highs. Gripping my satchel filled with jumbo
crayons, an empty juice can, pencils, Ross school glue with the pirate on
the front, and a Big Chief tablet. The school is maybe a block away from
my house..... and, after I jay-walk to the other corner, I'm turning around
every 10 seconds to wave at my father... all the way up to the front door
of the school. I can't watch this part without getting teary..... it's such
a carefree memory of mine.
Nadine
--
"Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4%
evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple."
<antipos...@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:95nc0s$oj5$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
rach
My parents didn't have enough money at the time for movie cameras but I
never knew how tight things were until the last year or so... but my dad was
a photographer. One of my favourite pictures (other than the one of my Popa
and I on the web site) is of my dad and I sitting in an ugly green over
stuffed chair. I am on his lap, about 3 years old, and we're reading Popular
Mechanics. Man, I miss my dad.
--
rach
"cheer up, my brother, come live in the sunshine - we'll understand it all
by and by...
WiNK <tcbel...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:6eIf6.77$M8.135...@news.frii.net...
The Wanderer
news:95nc0s$oj5$1...@nnrp1.deja.com...
> -one funny and rather surreal scene of my aunts and an uncle dancing
> around in my parents kitchen. It's probably St. Patty's Day, because my
> uncle's wearing a green plastic derby on his head. My aunts are wearing
> mu-mus, and my one aunt is doing the charlston and pretending a big
> whiskey bottle is a ukelele.
>
> -My brother and his friend Louis from next door, doing the twist in our
> back yard. My brother is around 4. It's amazing, but it seems like in
> the early 60s, everyone was dancing the twist, from grandparents to
> toddlers.
They did Tom. Everybody twisted right up to the President of the U.S.
(Kennedy)
>
> -some amazing (now) retro furniture inside our house, and other houses.
> There is a Jetsons style table which I wish I now owned. I'm sure we
> long ago failed to recognize its future value and tossed it out.
Ditto!
>
> -visits to various amusement parks, most of which no longer exist; eg.,
> "Freedom Land," in the Bronx, now the cite of the Co-Op City housing
> complex, and "Cowboy City," a western style theme park (complete with
> fake Cowboy and Indian battles, how un-PC) somewhere here in NJ;
Been there. (Really.) Done that.
unfortunately, we've got no footage of Palisades Amusement Park.
Ditto.
>
> -some very old fashion looking nuns and priests from my older sister's
> first communion ceremony.
You and me both brother. It was an Irish thing. And somebody had to pray for
all the drinkers.
Sounds like we're related.
--
Buddy
from Brooklyn
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Thebes/5591/
"If women didn't exist, all the money in the world would have no meaning."
Aristotle Onassis
Oil Impressionist
You betcha! All the posts before me are great testaments to memories
on film/video/photos.
This past summer, we had my folks' wedding movie (in living color)
placed on video. My mother has practically worn out the thing. We
gave it to my folks for their 50th wedding anniversary, and it was the
sweetest thing to see them look at each other in "that" way and kiss
almost like they did in the movie. :)
Weird though . . . as a kid when we would watch that, I was always
thinking about what my wedding would be like when I was all "grown
up." Now I see those two twenty-two-year-olds at their wedding in
1950, and they look so damn young!!!
Other film memories . . .
Strolling out to the living room, in footy PJs, on Christmas morning,
trying to see the tree decked out and surrounded by presents, rubbing
my eyes, nearly blinded by my dad's harsh movie lights
ablazin'. "Turn it off, Daddy, turn it off!"
When my brothers and I would argue, my folks would send us to "our
corners" to calm down, then we could come on out and talk about things
a few minutes later. Well! My Dad sent us to our corners one night
for something we thought was rather trivial. Little did we know he
would film us. But those harsh lights gave him away that time!
The movies I most cherish are films taken of my family before I was
born. The backyard hockey rink with my three brothers and their
friends, and my dad helping my mom to her feet, time and time again. :)
Cool thread, Tom!
Dawna
--
~~A deadly secret lies within LAURA'S LEGACY, available @ Amazon.com
Our web site: scribes.virtualave.net/
alt.culture.us.1970s website: members.nbci.com/oroborus12/70s.html
Tiny Dancer
And he may be sorry he asked, this turned into a novel, hang onto something!
>Does anyone love watching old home movies?
Oh my, yes, ask the lucky members that got to see mine on the Toronto visit! :-)
No one fell asleep or anything so I think they enjoyed 'em and I love travelling
down Memory Lane.
>-some amazing (now) retro furniture inside our house, and other houses.
>There is a Jetsons style table which I wish I now owned. I'm sure we
>long ago failed to recognize its future value and tossed it out.
I wish we had realized the value of *filming* all that weird and wonderful
retro furniture nevermind saving it, you have yourself a keeper there, Tom!
I have some still pics of our apartments back then, even one of my Parker
Stevenson Wall with the floor to ceiling 16 and Teen Beat pics (Elton was
on the ceiling 'cause I ran out of room, I had my teenage priorities and Elton
was an old dude back then!) but no films of people sitting around on wacky
but (now) fab furniture or smoking with those long ciggie holders even *sigh*
>-visits to various amusement parks, most of which no longer exist; eg.,
>"Freedom Land," in the Bronx, now the cite of the Co-Op City housing
>complex, and "Cowboy City," a western style theme park (complete with
>fake Cowboy and Indian battles, how un-PC) somewhere here in NJ;
>unfortunately, we've got no footage of Palisades Amusement Park.
I have never heard of those two which means I would love to see them!
They sound so old-fashioned. What, pray tell, was the theme of Freedom
Land? I have these awful images of kids huddling in Underground Railroad
simulations or something! Palisades would have been cool, I haven't been.
I have movies of the CNE but they're from the late '90s, they're no fun for at
least 20 years or so :-)
I have a one hour videotape of our movies from the late '60s and early '70s
and, knowing I was a very lucky kid to have an international upbringing, thought
you all might get a kick out it. Stuff from Vietnam, Japan, China, England, Hawaii,
Minnesota, Vancouver, from on board a cruise ship in the South Pacific, to the
view from a helicopter in Vietnam, to a rickshaw ride in Hong Kong, it goes on
and on! No sound, of course, so I made a music tape with appropriate songs,
even tried to synch the words to the actions onscreen. It works *beautifully* now
and then but, due to age and poor recording equipment to begin with, it's really
getting hard to enjoy all my hard work. This posting is two-fold: to share some
movie memories (which I *really* hope people enjoy seeing as it's so long!)
and to list the songs in the hope someone can make me a tape or burn me
a CD which I will be more than happy to pay for. Here's the list, in order (very
important!), followed by some memories. The songs were chosen not by year
but by their importance to me personally or if the lyrics and sentiments matched
the images etc.
Band On The Run - Wings
Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
What'd I Say - Ray Charles
Break On Through - The Doors
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell
Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
Without Your Love - Roger Daltrey
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and The Papas
Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles
Looking For The Summer - Chris Rea
The Show Must Go On - Three Dog Night
(alternate choice - Rock On - David Essex)
Everybody's Talkin' - Neil Diamond
Photographs and Memories - Jim Croce
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
Good Lovin' - The Rascals
Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
My Favorite Year - Michael Feinstein
Band On The Run - Wings
The video starts in Vietnam when my parents performed there with their
band, no shots of me yet, natch! I was 5 when they went in '69 so I stayed
behind with friends in Hong Kong (long enough to take a picture with my
class, I'm the only little white face beaming in the crowd, too cute!). So this
song covers street scenes of Vietnam and, when the guitar part starts, we're
in the entertainers' hotel everyone stayed at with a row of blonde ...ahem...
dancers standing next to my Mum overlooking a railing. In the courtyard below
one of the bands is practicing. This synchs perfectly with the sunshine glinting
off one of the guitars as the camera pans down, wailin'! Next we see the VW
van loaded with our band and their instruments trying to back out of an alleyway
("If I ever get out of here.."), the part where the song really kicks into touch finds
the van finally pulling out and starting to roll. Looks really good when it works!
Included with this song is my Mum doing the laundry in the communal washtub
as one of our guitarists, Bob, walks over ("And the first one said to the second
one there, 'I hope you're having fun!'"). He, he, I like that one :-) That washtub
was really just a shallow concrete pool they all had to wash *everything* in
including themselves, ewww!
Here we find the first of the many helicopter shots, my Dad was a closet pilot
and loved watching these puppies take off and land. I want to call them Hueys,
the big bubble shape ones with open doorways, is that right? You couldn't pay
me enough to get on one myself and my Mum hated every minute. Dad was
beside himself with joy so the whole Vietnam trip was a mixed blessing for them!
We're at a military airport now as Dad filmed all kinds of needle-nose types
taking off and just sitting around. You can see a huge Pan Am jet in one shot
so that's cool, they're long gone.
The song ends with scenes of Mum and Bob frolicking in the waves on China
Beach. Bob does a trick with his cigarette that he was very proud of. Takes a
puff so you can see the smoke he exhales, puts the ciggy back in his mouth as
he ducks underwater, pops back up and .. takes another puff and exhales all
this smoke! Wow! Took me years to figure out he turned the thing around so
the lit end was in his mouth, d'oh! :-) Just part of why I had such a crush on good
old Bob, he was great fun and always kept me entertained. Turned out he was
the beginning of what turned into a brief trend for me, falling in love with gay guys!
Good Day Sunshine - The Beatles
Mainly a lot of sunshiny day scenes loading the van and wiggling at the camera,
talking to friends, swimming and a long part with a stuck Jeep on a countryside
road. All dirt road with this one pole on the street and this guy in fatigues has
rammed his Jeep up against it. A bunch of local kids gather to help him push it
out which he finally does. *Why* my father wanted the whole thing on tape is
beyond me! The song ends as they wait on a helicopter pad for another plane.
What'd I Say - Ray Charles
Love the song and this is a full-out, long rockin' version. I mainly chose it for
the live feeling (not sure if it is) to coincide with the whole entertainer in Vietnam
scene going on. More a theme than anything synching. There's a brief and,
alas, too dark clip of the Playboy show with a row of gals dancing to a tent full
of guys. Wish you could see this better but the swinging hips work with the music.
More copter shots this time from inside as well as out, really good scenic views
including a herd of buffalo that runs across the pad! We zoom in on a battleship
from above at one point. I like when we see my Mum, wearing a short hot pink
dress with black feather trim and white go-go boots (love it!), stuffing her ears with
cotton balls before getting into the copter. The music also works well with the guys
walking swiftly towards the plane with the wind whipping back their hair and their
clothesbags pressed against their bodies by the copter backlash, the girls right
behind them scuttling along on their highheels and holding their scarves tight.
Looks just like a video shot!
The place they land is a base and it looks like the name How Tre on the door
to the Officers Lounge hut, in case anyone knows where this is. Dad takes some
beautiful panoramic countryside shots here from the top of the lookout tower and
a local hillside, all misty and green.
Break On Through - The Doors
Ya simply gotta have The Doors during the Vietnam scenes. More aerial shots
here as well as a supply truck driving onto one of those huge ferry-type ships
(what on earth do you call them? The gangplank gate lowers down for vehicles
to drive on and be ferried across the water but it's not a ferry). And here's why
I really chose the song. We cross the water on the ferry thing (Mum sat in the
Jeep, no way was she getting out to walk around!) and, as it begins to land,
massive hordes of previously unseen Vietnamese are suddenly waiting to
get off the boat (a sea of those pointy hats as far as the eye can see!). Right
as Morrison starts wailing away ("Break on through to the other side!") the
gate starts to lower and these people swarm onto the shore, not even waiting
for the gate to reach land, just leaping off the end into the shallow waters. This
was the Vietnamese version of rush hour, everyone was off to work in the
marketplace near there. Amazing to watch, I still get a big kick out of it.
Back to aerial shots and here comes the love of my young and tender-hearted
life. The captain of this particular plane, a hunky, blonde young thing, turns to the
camera and waves as he grins a huge dimpled and toothy smile *sigh* It lasts
for all of maybe 2 seconds, we never see him again and I've loved him all my life.
Way too weird to consider where he is now or what happened to him so I don't,
he's just frozen in time as this beautiful image of a lovely Army pilot.
Sunshine Superman - Donovan
One of my Dad's brief appearances as he was the primary camerman. He's
sitting in a really small airplane built for two (wish I could label all these planes
for the buffs) about to take off. More nice aerial shots of the landscape here,
farms, jungle, communities, military bases with swimming pools. It was taken
during his brief romance with a goatee which was quickly squashed by Mum
and I so it's historical footage around here (and hysterical to see him looking
that dorky!). Next we're on a firing range shooting off rounds and, who's that
guy pumping a machinegun like a pro? Good heavens, it's the dork with the
goatee, my father! Surreal.
Next we wander around a neighboring village visiting the wildlife. Dad got a
big kick out of a certain part of this elephant's anatomy so he zoomed in until
the image filled the screen. My grandparents used to get these films when they
were done (so we wouldn't lose them en route), what I wouldn't give to have seen
my Grandma's face when they watched this one!
Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel
I just love this song and had to have it synch with the next footage of a copter
landing. Those rotors sound way cool cranked up! If it works, my Dad's on a
tower pointing to a huge mortar hole in the side when Billy sings, "And we were
so gung ho to lay down our lives". Would have been nice to synch the other
clip with the line "They sent us Playboy" but it ruined the mood. When he hits,
"And it was dark, so dark at night", there's footage of a copter landing on a
hill during a storm. A fire is lit near the runway in a trashcan for the smoke to
light the way for the pilot. Cool :-)
More clips of the base, one from a firing range where two of the band members
shot off some rounds. As we hit the end, "They heard the hum of our motors, they
counted the rotors", we're on a muddy field where a copter is idling, its rotors
moving slowly, as a huge cargo plane pulls up beside it, "and waited for us to
arrive". As the song ends the copter flys off. Our trip through Vietnam ends with
brief shots of villagers filling a water bucket in what looks like a horrible smelly ghetto.
Heart-warming, thanks, Dad :-P
The Circle Game - Joni Mitchell
Awwww, who's that adorable child peering out a ship's window as she pulls
into Hong Kong harbour? Sound the trumpets, alert the media, now we're cookin',
it's me! :-) Now here I come being pulled in a rickshaw followed by my Mum who
was not a small woman, you can't help but feel sorry for the poor skinny guy pulling
her! Here we see some snazzy neon street signs in Hong Kong. Oooo, the Moulin
Rouge and Casablanca, wow! Ummm, those are strip clubs, Dad, what on earth?!
Here's the zoo, much better. As Joni sings, "Then the child moved ten times round
the seasons", I'm sitting in a kid's airplane ride wearing my lime green dress with a
polka-dotted Peter Pan collar nearly as big as me going round and round and
waving at Dad when I remember he's there. A few snapped heads as we come
to the corner and I whip around to wave!
As we reach the "skated over ten clear golden streams" we're in the zoo's skating
rink (the whole place is packed, BTW, people everywhere) which works out nicely,
I must say. Here comes Mum with her arm around me ... oh gawd, she's wearing the
hot pink number from earlier, we look like colorful freaks among all those brown suits!
Not sure what it means but the prevailing color here is brown, everyone's wearing it.
A classic scene here for our family. A children's slide in the same zoo, tons of
kids lined up and there I go. I get to the top, it's my turn and I let the kid behind
me go ahead of me, "Oh no, after you.". He sits down and then crosses his arms
in a defiant pose as he slides down with a grin. Weirdness. Then, of course,
all the other kids in line shove ahead and I'm stuck standing at the top crammed
into the corner! The tape stops until I finally go down ... face first just to be different.
Started my lifelong problem with being bullied! And then we're feeding the
elephants, my Mum in pink standing out like a sore thumb around all the little
Oriental kids.
The song ends in an airport as Dad enjoys more planes landing. There's a
Japan Air Lines plane and a Alitalia next to a TWA, cool.
Teach Your Children - Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young
I really liked the opening line about "you who are on the road", fits in well with
my parents and I love CSNY anyway. For this song I'm in a small park by the
side of a busy road wearing awful brownish striped pants and swinging about
2 inches off the muddy ground beneath my feet wearing flip-flops. Looks like
loads of fun, not! And in the sandbox, which is more mud than dirt, building a
mound (I never did attempt a castle or anything, just a mound).
Without Your Love - Roger Daltrey
Someone hand me a Kleenex, I'm gonna start bawling! Off the soundtrack to
the great movie, "McVicor" (sp?), here's a gorgeous tune asking "where would
I be without your love?" Cue the scenes of me swimming in a luxury hotel pool
with my parents, being tossed from one to the other, watching Dad dunk Mum's
head underwater and laugh (she's wearing a great pink flowery bathing cap that
went around the world twice, it's in all the swimming scenes), and there's me in
Dad's arms as we leap off the divingboard together (I used to love running this
backwards on the projector). Magic. The shots of me coming out of the water
with my hair all plastered to my face could pass for my son years later, spooky.
The part that goes, "And if I should ever wander away too far, you come looking
for me with open arms" is when I'm being tossed back and forth. Priceless.
Mr. Tambourine Man - The Byrds
Starts with an interesting shot, the band sitting around in a cheap motel
watching themselves on a local TV show. It was some kind of talent thing and
a young girl won it but there's Mum on TV in her tall wig and fake eyelashes
and the boys all decked out in their snazzy outfits (black and white TV, alas!)
as she watches from the motel chair with her hair in a ponytail, no makeup, and
shorts. The music really suits the crowd dancing scenes, they're all doing funky
dances, a lot of The Swim motion. One of the band names that appears onscreen
is SO '60s, The Quests, don't you love it?
Daydream Believer - The Monkees
As the nasally and oh-so British voice of Davey Jones starts singing, we're
landing in England and then pop over to the house we rented in Manchester.
Through the front door comes ... The Monkees! Well, actually it's the drummer,
Kenny, waving his sticks in the air, the other guitarist, Lenny, with a guitar around
his neck, long hair and the worst outfit you could imagine (lime green/beige pattern
shirt with black and white patterned shorts) and my Mum slapping her tambourine
against her leg (over the years she wore her wedding ring down to the nub with
all the banging and has a bruise on her leg to this day) as they cavort around
the front yard. She shakes the tambourine at a passing dog for some reason,
scares the heck out of him! And here comes Dad in the next section wearing a
really funky John Phillips-type hat (the one he wears in the video for the next
song) and that goatee, he looks like an old beatnik. The music fits in very well
with a party we see next with my Mum dancing with Kenny and the woman that
would become his wife, Rita, and a guy playing a flashlight like a flute.
California Dreamin' - The Mamas and The Papas
As I walk outside with fresh snow covering the ground, this song starts. Lots of
snowy scenes here including a precious glimpse of my Grandma tossing
bread crumbs to the birds in her backyard (we've moved down to Essex now)
and a snowball fight between my Mum and I (she's wearing those white go-go
boots again, really appropriate!). This part ends as we see me on the side of
the road feeding the ducks in a pond in a black and white skunk pattern coat.
Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
This kicks in as we hit the road in the car (blue Chevy station wagon), lots of
scenes through the front window of nameless snowy hills flying by, I thought
it was a very appropriate tune :-) Also scenes from a kayak race which the
tune works with. Lovely countryside scenes now with a small herd of sheep
in a mountainous field (very rocky) and, speaking of inappropriate footwear,
here she comes again in those go-go boots! Amazingly, she doesn't take
a tumble, what a woman.
Hello, Goodbye - The Beatles
Chosen mainly because the music starts when we're all saying goodbye to
some friends we'd stayed with in northern England. Next comes a zoo where
one of the bears tries to say "hello" to another bear and little kiddies have to
be shielded from the horror!
Looking For The Summer - Chris Rea
One of my fave summer songs, it just sounds like you should be driving by
the seaside in a convertible. Best we can do here is more of the zoo with
our friends. One neat part has a full-scale model of a whale where you walk
into his mouth and out his tail. And why are we being allowed to pet the ram
with his massive horns inches away from our faces? And here's the paddleboats,
nice and summery even if it is a grey English day. Here's the mother of one
of my buddies riding a mechanical Bugs Bunny, too weird.
And here's my best childhood summer memory as we switch to Bangkok,
Thailand, and the front of the amazing place we stayed, Hotel Dusit Thani.
Dad didn't bother filming anything else, alas, luckily we took some snaps.
This was at least a five star hotel, very ritzy, the band played the lounge for
two glorious weeks while I swam like a fish in the pool and ate fruit plates
every day for lunch. I felt like such a big shot signing my name to the bill.
Years later I found out these fruit platters cost nine bucks each, whoa!
I apparently used to chat to the staff in fluent Thai telling them when to clean
the room and such, seeing as my parents always slept late. I can't spell it
properly but all I remember now is TOWE LIE which means "how much does
it cost" and SEW A DEE KAA which means "thank you", just the important stuff :-)
They had a movie theatre in the hotel where I saw "Yellow Submarine" about
10 times (when I wasn't swimming). Sad to say I never registered the scores of
beggers on the streets outside the hotel, they became part of the scenery with
their outstretched hands and filthy clothes. I remember some were dragging
themselves around on wooden crates on wheels they were so old and weak
(picture a recent ep of The X-Files, *that* guy), Meanwhile, I was a few feet
away eating nine dollar fruit plates and dancing with royalty when there was
a big wedding for some local dignitary. The day after the wedding, I spent the
day playing with the remnants of the ice sculpture swans and flowers left by and
in the pool. Surreal memories of making like Esther Williams and bounding out
of the water from beneath a blanket of flowers fully orchestrated with the strings
section in my head (the pool was off-limits but the pool guy and I had a deal and
not *that* kind of deal!). I loved those two weeks.
Here's some actual swimming to fit with the song, myself and two other kids in our
manager's pool. He had a rooftop grotto set up with rocks all around the poolsides,
a small waterfall and a glass roof to keep out the elements. Gee, ya think we may
have been paying him too much or what?! Actually, years later, he was charged
with fraud, turned out he'd been skimming off all of his clients. But, by golly, I loved
that decadent pool!
Rock On - David Essex
I lost my original choice when I had to re-record the tape which was Three Dog
Night's version of "The Show Must Go On" (that choice will become clear shortly).
I do like hearing "prettiest girl I've ever seen, see her shake on the movie screen"
as the cute little pudgy version of me frolicks in the water :-)
Wish we had sound for the next scene, we're at a backyard party and you can
see Lenny strumming the guitar and my Mum singing along, a drink in one hand
and a ciggie in the other (she quit about 10 years ago). Love to have that audio.
We must be in Minnesota now as we're in the parking lot of a school and we
did a big school tour through Minn. Kenny and Lenny are demonstrating how
to throw a boomerang which was part of the package deal with the schools.
One of the numbers, "My Boomerang Won't Come Back", was a big hit so
they decided to throw it around outside as well.
The tailend of this one is why I chose Leo's song first as we're now in the
Como Zoo in Saint-Paul (is that still there?) watching seals perform for us.
I have very mixed feelings about these kind of performances now, not comfy
with them at all, hence the tune ("Although I chose this lonely life it seems
a'stranglin' me now", "I've been used", "There's an enormous crowd of people,
they're all after my blood", "I wish you'd help me escape, help me get away").
Everybody's Talkin' - Neil Diamond
I didn't have the original version and have always liked Neil's so here it is.
This covers some more of the seals, some monkeys running around one
of those deadly metal circle rides we used to spin around on as kids, and
feeding the bears.
Photographs and Memories - Jim Croce
This one should be a must for any '70s home movies. Now we're on a frozen
lake my Dad had cleared a rink from as he tries to show me how to skate. He
keeps whizzing from side to side slowing down as he glides into the snowbank
while I keep landing on my knees! Bittersweet stuff as Jim sings, "back to a
happier day when I called you mine", my Dad's in Australia now and we've
been distant for a long time *sniff*
Back in the car as we pass a sign for Wrigley Field in Chicago. No gigs there,
I guess, we must have been on our way to Fort Bragg in Massachusetts as we
pick it up on Christmas morning. Other than seeing our friends again, salt of the
earth people we're still in touch with, the best part here is seeing the Dawn Fashion
Show toy in action briefly where the stage revolved. A snowball fight with one of
our friends and his daughter ensues as the song ends *sniff*
Everybody Wants To Rule The World - Tears For Fears
We have arrived in Mecca for my parents, there's the Grand Old Opry :-) Shots
of Nashville, the Country Music HOF and one very exciting shot of Johnny Cash's
trailer for his NBC show! Seriously though, neat to see the old NBC logo.
We're now on the highway in Missouri, Dad's digging the car out of the snow.
Wearing a lovely multi-colored striped pair of pants I might add. Nice shot of
him leaning on the window of a Missouri State Trooper's car getting directions.
Scenes of the tow-truck arriving and then us driving into Iowa behind it. It's a
good driving song, I thought.
Good Lovin' - The Rascals
We switch to Hawaii now and a beach volleyball game and BBQ. My Dad
looks stunning in yellow shorts, black socks and sneakers, bless 'im. He
gets some good shots in, though, before we switch to why I chose the song.
A Hawaiian/Polynesian dance troupe of gals shaking their hips in those
florescent skirts and leis that glow under black light, remember them? There's
another band with the same shirts and the guy thinks he's Little Richard or
something, very hammy and cute. The girls go through about 4 costume
changes, highly entertaining and synchs well. Shame it's indoors and a bit dark.
Losing My Religion - R.E.M.
I just threw this in 'cause I like it, no special meanings. Starts with scenes of
Hawaii taken from a hilltop observation deck on a sunny day, very nice.
We move to another zoo and good close-ups of kangaroos we could pet
and lions we couldn't :-)
The rest of the song covers the too-few clips we have from the one big cruise
we went on on The Ocean Monarch. Three weeks, my parents were just one
of a half-dozen bands booked and they rotated the schedule so they only
ended up doing about 5 shows the whole time. Meanwhile I lived the high life!
Mainly in the indoor and "outdoor" (upper deck) pools and we thankfully have
a great clip during some rough weather where the outdoor pool has turned into
a massive wave pool years before they were invented! I wasn't in the pool on
days like that, my parents did have some control, but there's about 20 people
packed in there getting whipped from side to side and loving it! Guess maybe
some of the guys did "lose their religion" that day ;-)
My Favorite Year - Michael Feinstein
Not necessarily my fave year of all time, just a lovely tune to wrap things up.
It was written for the movie of the same name with Peter O'Toole but never
used so Feinstein put in on one of his albums. I love his voice. And we come
full circle as I fall for yet another gay guy! ;-) Anyhoo, this is mainly Vancouver
with me feeding the swans in Stanley Park in a fetching blue and red poncho.
Nice shots of the cars around the park and the city's skyline. Then a kid's party
with a game of charades. I look cute as the Dickens in my shag haircut and
blue and white long dress.
We end with dark shots of Waikiki Beach. There's a catamaran by the shore
and a figure emerging from the waves at a trot. It's my son, Riel! No, wait, it's
a topless version of me, turn off the camera!!! And he does :-)
That's the whole thing, sorry it got so long-winded, hope it was a fun journey.
I am definitely saving some of the messages in this great thread for the site,
some wonderful memories out there, thanks for starting it, Tom.
Cheers,
TD
I could whistle up an old tune
That your memory might recall
Rustle up some reminisce
'Bout the good old days and all
from Harry Chapin's "If My Mary Were Here"
Webmistress of the official a.c.u '70s site
http://members.nbci.com/oroborus12/70s.html
The Sesame Street Lyrics and Sounds Archive
http://i.am/tinyd
Tiny Dancer's X-Files Episode Guide
http://www.insanity.com.au/td/
mar...@my-deja.com
months (1962 or so) to my heyday in the high school marching band (about
1977).
Dad transferred them to video and did narration. You can tell he is
quite choked up at times, but I have 3 video tapes of these precious 8mm
and Super 8 films that I love to watch with my daughter.
Things that are a riot:
The old cars, hair and glasses fashions
various shots of us kids with the old fashioned droopy cloth diapers
So many of the trees and bushes look sooo small
The shots of the downtown where I grew up as it was in the 60s and 70s.
My brother the young jock in his football/baseball/basketball getups
Me in my various marching band getups
Footage of our old pets (all now deceased)
My grandparents back when they smoked unfiltered Camels and Grandpa
still had some black hair (now both deceased)
Us with our friends back in the elementary school days. Some of those
kids we still see today!
Now I'm in the mood to watch these again. Thanks for the reminder!
In article <95nc0s$oj5$1...@nnrp1.deja.com>,
antipos...@my-deja.com wrote:
Anne
And he may be sorry he asked, this turned into a novel, hang onto something!
>Does anyone love watching old home movies?
Oh my, yes, ask the lucky members that got to see mine on the Toronto visit!
:-)
No one fell asleep or anything so I think they enjoyed 'em and I love
travelling
down Memory Lane. <snipped>
Cheers,
TD >>
I have to say, TD, that YES, I did enjoy seeing your home movies and listening
to the audio accompaniment you made. I can't hear "Goodnight Saigon" without
thinking of sitting in your apartment and the viewing images of your parents in
Vietnam. It really made quite an impression on me. For those of you who can't
imagine it, let me just tell you that Rhonda did an incredible job. Although,
I don't have the capabilities at home to burn a CD for you, I can get access to
another computer to get it put together for you. It may take a little time,
but e-mail your address to me and I'll get it to you.
Anne :-)
Nanc
couldn't tear myself away from your post. I would LOVE to see your movies.
You have wonderful way of describing them, I could see it all in my head.
Gotta go now --thanks
Nancy
Tiny Dancer
>I have to say, TD, that YES, I did enjoy seeing your home movies and listening
>to the audio accompaniment you made.
Excellent, glad to hear it! :-)
>I can't hear "Goodnight Saigon" without thinking of sitting in your apartment
>and the viewing images of your parents in Vietnam. It really made quite an
>impression on me. For those of you who can't imagine it, let me just tell you
>that Rhonda did an incredible job.
Thanks, hun, it was a lot of work but it was worth it! Now I have to keep bugging
my Mum to make a audio tape of her memories. I'd like to have her watch the
tape and tell what she remembers as it appears as she can narrow down where
we were and who those people were etc. My Dad will never do it and doesn't
have the recall my Mum does.
>Although, I don't have the capabilities at home to burn a CD for you, I can get
>access to another computer to get it put together for you. It may take a little time,
>but e-mail your address to me and I'll get it to you.
Thank you *very* much, Anne, I'll send it on seperately! I've been listening
to this old worn out tape for about 6 years now so there's no rush, believe me!
Sandy
>San we have home movies of Diane's graduation and the summer at Wells Beach,
>ME.
>Remember when the whole mess of us rented a cottage together? My father
>brought the camera and we have movies of your dad showing my dad how to fish
>off the pier.( and other stuff too!) When I figured out what year it was I
>realized my father was only 47! Didn't they all seem so old
> When we do get
>the movies put on video ( bug Ed about that ) we will make sure you get
>copies. :)
That would be a treasure to have Nancy!
Of course I remember that summer! I remember you singing the "wooooooooo" part
of the song Shambala out on top of your lungs LOL!! I love that song and it
still reminds me of you :)
My brother and sister have a few movies, but my parents never owned a movie
camera so I don't have all the "old movie" memories like you guys do :( My
sister and brother got theirs about 1973 or so, so all I have is the goofy
teenage movies of me.
Sandy
2-60
Class of 78
Nanc
out then and Donna was laughing at Betty and I because we knew all the words
and even did the instrumental parts of the song!!!!