Thanks for giving me a lot of new ideas for my Netflix que! While I was adding "The Long, Long Trailer" I saw two other comedies that I forgot to mention: "Harvey" which is like a Depression era time capsule but still an unforgettable performance by Jimmy Stewart. I saw it as a stage play, it is such fun. Also the "Father of the Bride" series of movies, which I think the remakes of are also good. Those would be a fun set of "then and now" movies to compare. The plot description of "The Long, Long Trailer" reminded me of another one of my favorite movies, although it is an 80's film so technically doesn't count as an old enough "oldie" but it is still a fun film if you have a sarcastic sense of humor--"Lost In America." I like a lot of the films Albert Brooks is in, he has good taste picking roles and has actually written some good films, but I digress, he's still living and not that much of an "oldie." Speaking of Ida Lupino and Bogie, one of my all time favorite movies for Bogie is "High Sierra" featuring a kick butt performance by Ms. Lupino! I saw a TV documentary years ago on Bogie and Ida Lupino was still alive and they interviewed her about working with Bogie and she gave the most complimentary description of working with him, how he helped her in scenes, particularly that last one which is a doozy. He said something like "You've got to cry, and you've got to make it believable or else I'll steal that scene" and then he gave her some ideas on what to do, etc. and it must of worked because she rocks. Anyway, ya gotta love a movie where one of the characters is a gal with a club foot named Velma. Speaking of Velmas, a sort of fun movie is "Mildred Pierce" with bratty daughter Veda or something like that. I think it is a horribly sexist film, with strong entrepreneur Mildred Pierce getting her comeuppance, but it's still fun just for the camp value. I guess "Whatever Happened to Baby Jane" is in a similar vein, but not being a fan of either Crawford or Davis I've never seen it.

Reminds me of the old joke. I worked at corporate and part of what we did every year was spend a week working with Habitat for Humanity which was an experience ... probably the most expensive building projects ever done considering you'd have things like a doctor and a lawyer hammering nails...and given how bad and how slow they were at it.... Anyway, here's the joke. Walking through the building at habitat, and picking paint colors...the home owner says, "I'd like a pretty yellow in the kitchen." The supervisor says, "OK, yellow in the kitchen." He leans out the window and hollers "Green side up!" They go into the dining room and the home owner says, "I'd like the dining room to be beige." The supervisor says, "OK beige in the dining room." He then leans out the window and hollers, "Green side up boys!" They go into the living room and the home owner says, "I think the living room should be a pretty soft blue." The supervisor says, "OK, blue in the living room." He leans out the window and says, "Green side up!" The home owner starts getting nervous and says, "I told you yellow, beige and blue, and yet you keep saying green side up!" The supervisor says, "Oh don't worry about that...I've got some guys from corporate outside laying sod."

It really is an entertaining movie! Having just bought an old house and feeling overwhelmed, I needed a good laugh. Myrna Loy is particularly wonderful in the role--she was gorgeous, wasn't she?--and I love that 40s era with the formal clothing. On the other hand, it is always bemusing to see that even small families in cramped NY apartments had a servant in the kitchen. And of course that servant saves the day with the ad jingle and gets only a measly raise. . .

Sorry to be so off topic here, but I read that she moved away from the house after her mother died. Does anyone know how she supported herself? She seemed like a little girl in an adult body and hadn't worked in years. Don't answer this if the move will answer it for me, but I couldn't help but wonder where the sons were during this time and why they didn't help out more. Drew does look really pretty in that picture. Laurie