Around Christmas, writers and other creators try to recall or create good feelings about Christmas. With cold and difficulties, we can appreciate good humor, good gratitude and happy endings. Last night, it seemed a little wrong to watch a show about a shooting. I asked Lynn if she wanted to watch a Chrstmas movie. She said she would love to watch "The Bishop's Wife", a movie from 1948, starring Loretta Young, David Niven and Cary Grant. We found it on Prime Video and watched it.
We had both seen it several times before but it was long enough since the last viewing that it was certainly not hard. It didn't feel like the same old thing. We have found that with enough time, re-watching is fun and entertaining.
I certainly knew the name and face of Cary Grant and Young and Niven. Loretta Young reminds me of my long-term girlfriend from 8th grade to 12th grade. I think of David Niven as debonair and an important character in one or more early Inspector Clouseau movies. I remembered that Cary Grant had a different name from birth until it was changed in Hollywood. I just looked the man up and read
Once told by an interviewer, "Everybody would like to be Cary Grant", Grant is said to have replied, "So would I."
Cary Grant was born Archibald Alexander Leach
The "so would I " comment makes me think of Cindy Crawford. She was quoted somewhere saying a similar comment. She said she wished that she looked like Cindy Crawford, the person who appeared in photo shoots and tv, the person who got expert make-up and costuming and lighting.
The older I get, the more respect I have for ideas, legends and images. I do realize that humans carry in their heads and in their art, drawings, photographs and descriptions using words all sorts of things that differ from the physical, material world. I do realize that I need kale and carrots, water and calories but I am confident that insubstantial ideas and goals and inspirations move us, too.
