Far away in the Australian sunshine: 517 for one. Five hundred and seventeen runs for the loss of one wicket. Extraordinary. I used to open the batting for my school team when I was very young, and know just a little of how that must feel. I won't be the only one today who finds himself thinking of John Wilson, and I send my love and warmest best wishes to any of you who are reading this. Cue up "When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease..."
Talking of long ago, when I padded up and carried my bat out to the crease, today is St.Andrew's Day, and I'm remembering how we used to be allowed to wear our Cubs and Brownie uniforms to school on the national saints' days. I don't know how widespread that was, or whether it was peculiar to our junior school. It seems as quaint now as playing the National Anthem at the end of a performance in the theatre or even, improbably, the cinema. I remember the rush to get out before the drum roll and those dreary chords struck up...
9 comments:
...or even smoking in cinemas. Remember that ?
I certainly do. Sometimes the smoke in the projector's beam was so dense it looked like you could walk down it.
Mike
I must admit, I'd forgotten about the National Anthem being played - I must remember to tell my Film Studies kids!
I watched a video of Morecombe & Wise last week - it seems smoking on stage - on tv! - was quite common. In an age when they have considered raising the certification of Bogart films to 18 because of his excessive smoking ("promoting it") this must seem practically Victorian!
@Dave-
Indeed, there was a lot of smokin' going on in Hollywood "back in the day." As well as drinkin'. Probably as much fornication as now, too, but that had to be cleverly hinted at. Hitchcock claimed - via Donald Spoto - that repression made great artists. Where's that leave us today?
Kent -
Well, I guess that leaves us with a lot of un-repressed artists lacking in greatness.
Talking of Hitchcock - that bit in "Vertigo" where Scottie must have undressed Madelaine is interesting - he knew every inch of her!
Dave,
Yeah, that scene is always a thrill, isn't it? No doubt the creators knew exactly what they were doing there, too. A classic example of the Hitchcockian "male gaze."
Kent,
Nothing to do with what we were talking about, but what's the Hitchcock film with the really long take where the camera follows through various rooms in the hotel and finally focuses in on the drummer (the murderer)?
Just wondered.
Sorry, Mike - didn't mean to hijack your blog for a film trivia series . . .
Dave,
I've found some references to Young and Innocent that sound like it might be what you've described. Never seen it, so I can't say for sure. Have to admit that I'm not very familiar w/ Hitch's British output, or pre Notorious Hollywood material.
Thanks for that, Kent - I have a feeling that it may be a pre-Hollywood film. However, I'll check it out.
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