Old and New

This is one of the 9 cats at the house here. I call this my BooBoo Kitty Snow-globe.







Ok.. so.. last night I once again went to see my brother where he is getting physical therapy. By the time David and I get there he has already eaten dinner and resting in the bed. The t.v. is always on for company. One thing I do like that my brother likes is "old movies".. I mean OOOOLD movies! So we both watch TMC channel a lot.

When we got there last night he was watching the TMC station. An old black and white movie (musical) called Gold Diggers (1933) was on. What I enjoy most watching old movies is of course the stars. Back then they were all under "contract" and made a lot of movies they wouldn't necessarily have made otherwise. I also like to see "youngsters" in those movies and know "who they became later".

For instance in this movie besides the major stars like Dick Powell, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler and Ginger Rogers were two "minor" actors. One is someone I always loved named Sterling Holloway. Who's he you wonder?

Sterling was mostly what you call a Character Actor. But along the way he became very famous for being the voice of Winnie the Pooh... remember Pooh's famous words.. "oh bother.".. if you hear it in your head you are hearing Sterling Holloway. He did the voice in the movies during the years 1977, 1974, 1968, 1966. Though many don't know about him Sterling was in 141 movies in his career! None of the very overpaid actors of today can say that! If you want to know more about Sterling here is his IMDB address: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0001359/
Another person who barely gets a mention because he is a child of just a few years and a small part turned out to be a very very young Billy Barty.


One part Billy played that I enjoyed was of the High Aldwin in the movie Willow in 1988. I am glad I had the chance to meet Billy while working an autograph show in California when i lived there. To learn more about Billy: http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0000863/ Billy was also in the Contract Days of Hollywood and made 98 movies. The amount of work these actors did back then is outstanding.. they had the chance to really become expert actors and actresses.

If you wonder if I think the actors of today are as good as the "old timers"? The answer is no (with the exception of a small handful of actors). The old actors had a lot more experience, not just at playing one specific type of movie, but at all of them.

I am too old for a paper route, too young for Social Security and too tired for an affair.