Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to a sweet suite by the marvelous English composer Richard Addinsell, from the motion picture The Passionate Friends, directed by David Lean, and starring Ann Todd, Trevor Howard, and Claude Rains. I’ve always loved the main theme from the film. It appeared on a very rare movie theme album on Columbia Records, themes from Brit films. It took me years to find a fine copy, but I did, and it was one of my favorite LPs – called Music from the Movies or something like that – I still have it, but in storage. I can’t find any listing for it anywhere. The suite I’m listening to is on a Richard Addinsell film music album, but I prefer the old mono one I had. Happily, I was able to include it in our two-CD set, The Red Shoes. He wrote many great scores – among my favorites are Loss of Innocence, Gaslight, Blithe Spirit, and of course, the piece that immortalized him in the pantheon of greats, Warsaw Concerto. Now listening to a lovely suite from Loss of Innocence, based on the Rumer Godden novel, The Greengage Summer. Now, I’d never actually seen The Passionate Friends, even though it’s on Blu and Ray and I own it, as part of a David Lean set. It popped up in Prime tonight, so I watched it for the first time. It’s a strange kind of movie in that it doesn’t go the way everyone wishes it would go. Based on a novel by H.G. Wells, it was made into a silent film and then came this version. Apparently, the film was plagued with drama from the start – originally to be directed by Ronald Neame from a screenplay by Eric Ambler, the company David Lean owned that was producing it, stopped the show before it began, not being happy with the script. He supervised a rewrite, and then Neame began directing with only half a script completed. It didn’t go well, and once again, Lean pulled the plug, completed the script, and took over the film’s direction. It’s wonderfully directed, Trevor Howard and Ann Todd are fine, and Claude Rains is fantastic, as he always was. It’s gorgeously photographed on location by Guy Green, and you just keep hoping it will turn out in a different way, but it doesn’t. But I really enjoyed it a lot and it runs a crisp ninety minutes. There are a couple of other Lean films from that era I’ve never seen, so I’ll go bring the Blu-ray set in and watch.
Yesterday was a bland burger of a day. I did get ten and a half hours of sleep, so that was very good. I had Don Cuco for food – two beef tacos, rice and beans – very good. I never left the house, just relaxed, watched some irritating videos on YouTube, and really, that was about it.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll go to the mail place, then I’ll see Doug in his play and we’ll sup afterwards, and then I’ll come home and watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a ME day. I’m going to go try and do some organizing in the garage, but mostly I’ll just be a lazy lout all day and evening. Monday, I get serious about finding four or five more young people for the August show and I’ll start figuring out the songs, I have some meetings and meals, and I’ll do whatever else needs doing.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, do whatever needs doing, go to the mail place, see a play, sup, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films directed by David Lean? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, not minding the bland burger of the day we like to call yesterday.