I Remember It Well

Last weekend, Elsa and I got to attend a special screening at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. It was a tribute to the Parisian star of "An American in Paris", Leslie Caron, who flew in from France for the occasion. Besides some films clips and an interview, the centerpiece of the evening was a showing of a new, digitally restored print of Vincent Minnelli's "Gigi" which starred Caron and Maurice Chevalier. A huge hit in its day, it was nominated for 9 Oscars, and won every single one including Best Picture. That was in 1958, and this was a 50th anniversary salute.

So I have to confess that, although I am a huge Minnelli fan (of course, he was born in Chicago!!), "Gigi" is not among my favorites of his films. Of his musicals, I prefer "Yolanda and the Thief, "The Pirate", "An American in Paris", "Brigadoon", and even the lesser "Bells Are Ringing" just because of my love for its comic star Judy Holiday. But for me, the real guilty pleasure of Vincent Minelli was his flair for melodrama in over-heated CinemaScope classics like "Some Came Running", "Home from the Hill" and "Two Weeks in Another Town", or a black and white potboiler like the Hollywood roman a clef "The Bad and the Beautiful".

But I must admit, sitting amongst over 1,000 rabid fans, and seeing "Gigi" projected on the huge screen at the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn theatre, with the rich vibrant color and sound giving full body to the insanely over-the-top vision of Cecil Beaton, who not only designed the costumes for the movie but did the production design as well, and, according to Caron, personally supervised what looked like a million dollar budget for Flowers!, it won me over, at least for this one night.

But more than Caron and her odd courtship with the petulant Louis Jordan, the scene that I found most touching was that quiet duet between two old geezers, Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold, when they sing Alan Jay Lerner's "I Remember it Well".

He: We met at nine.
She: We met at eight.
He: I was on time.
She: No, you were late.
Ah yes! I remember it well.

He: We dined with friends.
She: We dined alone.
He: A tenor sang.
She: A baritone.
Ah yes! I remember it well.

He: That dazzling April moon!
She: There was none that night,
And the month was June.
He: That's right! That's right!
She: It warms my heart to know that
you remember still the way you do.
Ah yes! I remember it well.

He: How often I've thought of that Friday,
She: Monday
He: night,
when we had our last rendez-vous.
And somehow I've foolishly wondered
if you might by some chance be
thinking of it too?

He: That carriage ride.
She: You walked me home.
He: You lost a glove.
She: I lost a comb.
Ah yes! I remember it well.

He: That brilliant sky.
She: We had some rain.
He: Those Russian songs.
She: From sunny Spain.
Ah yes! I remember it well.

He: You wore a gown of gold.
She: I was all in blue.
He: Am I getting old?
She: Oh no! Not you!
How strong you were,
how young and gay;
A prince of love in every way.
(Chevalier's final ironic look of flattered contentment here is priceless)
Ah yes! I remember it well.

However, given my interest in all things cartoon and illustration, the part of the film that most piqued my interest was the glorious title sequence, a series of beautiful illustrated drawings of the French demi-monde at the turn of the century, with the cryptic credit: Main TItle Illustrations by SEM.

SEM?!?

Who the hell was SEM?!?

The answer: TOMORROW!

william

Comments

[Margaret Oomen]

Elsita shared this evening of your's with me already . I loved Gigi and the voice of Maurice Chevalier is one I will never forget. I used to dream of having a grandfather ( I never met any of mine) that looked and sounded like him and who would sing songs to me to help me fall asleep when I was a child. I think I might try to visit Leslie's small hotel about 1 hour outside of Paris when I am in France later this year.

[estelluxx]

I have seen this movie! I remember those great drawings

[Joey]

o.k. o.k. already .... with this post (I Remember it Well scene is my favorite from Gigi!), I've decided to subscribe to your blog - my source for the inside Hollywood scoop (at least the part that I care about). And that your the spouse of Elsa Mora makes it all the more interesting! Thanks for sharing.

[Joey]

ooops ... second "your" should be "you're"

[Danny]

I am so jealous. As a fellow Chicagoan who also now lives in L.A., I would've been at that screening in a heartbeat but was visiting the east coast last weekend. I would've loved to have seen Leslie Caron (how did she look?) and hear her stories about her career. I agree with you about "Gigi" and Vincente Minnelli but was surprised to see "Yolanda and the Thief" make your list of top films, God love you! I take a little issue with categorizing "Bells Are Ringing" as a "lesser" film but I'm glad you singled out Judy Holliday. One big omission on your list of Minnelli's musicals, in my opinion, is "The Band Wagon" which I think is a much better film than "Brigadoon" and "Yolanda." And what about "Meet Me in St. Louis?" That has to be one of the most beautifully composed musicals ever made. I also love his later musical, "On a Clear Day You Can See Forever" with Barbra Streisand but not so much that last film he made with Ingrid Bergman and Liza.

[amy Sullivan]

Oh~ how I have loved all these movies.
I have watched them all over & over~

For me they bring to mind~ Sundays snuggled on the couch~a much younger me~
But~ with DVD's~ the 48 year old me, can snuggle down & watch these timeless movies when ever I like~
~Amy~

[William Horberg]

Danny

Thanks for your comment. Okay, I have to confess, for all my pontificating on Minnelli, I have never actually seen The Band Wagon!! One of those well known titles that somehow slipped by me. And I used to run a revival movie theatre! But, as with all such things, I'm kind of grateful as I feel this just gives must something great to look forward to, knowing there is a classic out there that I can discover for the first time. And my comment on Bells Are Ringing did not reflect my own esteem for the movie, which is HIGH, but the critical consensus which does not put it in the top rank. I will however take issue with Meet Me In St. Louis, which for me is a total snooze.

[Danny]

"Meet Me in St. Louis" a total snooze? I will suppress the urge to organize a vigilante squad to picket your home if you will concede that the film has some of the best cinematography and set design of the 1940s. Okay, you don't have to concede that if you don't want to, I'm just grateful to be "arguing" about something other than politics. Was your revival movie theatre in Chicago? Was it the Parkway or the Music Box? Loved those. Do check out "The Band Wagon" when you have the chance, it's a winner.

[William Horberg]

I loved the Parkway Theatre. Talk about a GrindHouse. I remember seeing an insane horror film called "The Hour of the Wolf" there one night. The wind chill was 80 below zero and a few friends and I trudged down Broadway through the night to huddle inside with a few other die hards. The Music Box was reopened a few months after our theatre and became one of our main competitors for a while, but they outlasted us. I was operating The Sandburg Theatre at Dearborn and Division Street, formerly the Playboy Theatre in the 1970's. I will write a post about it sometime. Or several. Lots of stories. Now, let me put Meet Me In St. Louis back on. Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[Danny]

Oh, the Sandburg was GREAT! Didn't they pioneer the midnight screening? And I remember well when it was the Playboy. I saw a lot of French movies there along with "Murder on the Orient Express," "Day of the Locust," etc. It was such a big deal to go there and I loved those reclining seats. For some reason I can remember how the popcorn tasted!

The Parkway was really amazing with (at least at the beginning) a different double feature EVERY NIGHT. That was a true movie lover's paradise even though the theatre itself was a bit of a pit. We'd always stop for hot dogs at the Wiener Circle afterwards (mmmmm) and I remember it was also next to the very first video store in Chicago (Beta of course) which we thought was the most amazing thing ever. To be able to watch a movie in your house whenever you wanted to. To buy a video cost about 75 bucks or more back then. God, I'm old.

I'll be looking for your posts about the Sandburg. I'm almost afraid to ask--but I assume the building was demolished long ago? Chicago has a sad history of destroying its best movie theatres. Don't even get me started on the magnificent Granada. At least they've saved the Uptown and Riviera (I think).

If only the Sandburg had shown the best film made by this actress it might still be standing today:

http://dannymiller.typepad.com/blog/2005/03/your_dog_is_dea.html