Anatomy Of A Classic

Classic Film in the “Fi-yah”

Go ahead and sing the title of this post out loud, a la Dwight Shrute.  But Ryan didn’t start this fire, Billy Joel did.  Joel’s 1989 hit includes a whole lotta classic film references and we’re going through them one by one for those Gen Y’ers who know the song but wonder where the River Kwai is (in Thailand).

Doris Day – Wholesome singer and actress Doris Day starred in films such as Pillow Talk, That Touch of Mink, and Love Me or Leave Me.  In Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), she performs the song “Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)”.

South Pacific – Rodgers & Hammerstein musical adapted to film in 1958.  Neither of us have seen the musical or movie, so we’ll recommend Oklahoma! instead.  Yeow!

Marilyn Monroe – I’m pretty sure we all know who MM is. She’s best known for her comedies, but also made a couple dramatic films including The Misfits (1961) which I highly recommend.

Brando – Marlon Brando is one of the most influential actors of all time.  Famous classic films include A Streetcar Named Desire (“Stelllllla!!!”), On The Waterfront (“I coulda been a contender…”), and The Wild One (“What’re you rebelling against? / “Whaddya got?”).  Famous modern films include The Godfather (“I”m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse”) and Apocalypse Now (“The horror”).  This EW article talks about how fascinating Brando is, on and off screen.

The King And I – Another Rodgers & Hammerstein musical-turned-film about a British schoolteacher who travels to Siam to tutor the royal family.  Deborah Kerr (love her! even though it’s not her singing in this one) and Yul Brynner star.

James Dean – I’m sure we’re all familiar with Mr. Dean as well.  In only 3 films (and one tragic accident), Dean became the quintessential rebel.

Princess Grace – Or, as she was pre-April ’56, Grace Kelly.  Yes, as in the one Mika sang about.  My favorite actress and an American style icon, you can read more about her in our birthday tribute.

Peyton Place – A 1957 film about the scandalous lives of small town inhabitants.  Basically “One Tree Hill” in the 50′s.

Bridge On The River Kwai – Alix set me straight on this one.  David Lean’s (read: lonnng) 1957 film was the top moneymaking film that year right ahead of Peyton Place. One of the greatest war films of all time, Bridge won the Academy Award for Best Picture that year.

Ben-Hur – A 1959 Biblical-times epic starring Charlton Heston.  If you’re around our age, you probably know him as the guy who was president of the NRA during our youth.  If you like chariot races, check this one out.

Psycho – Hitchcock’s most famous film boasts a handful of iconic elements: the shower scene, the Bates Motel, “mother”, screeching violins.  The string cue is arguably the most replicated music cue ever, appearing in everything from “The Simpsons” to Finding Nemo.

Lawrence of Arabia – Peter O’Toole (remember that old guy with the super blue eyes who was nominated for Best Actor along side Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Gosling in 2006? Him.) stars in this based on a true story epic about T.E. Lawrence and the Middle Eastern theatre during WWI. One of mine and Steven Spielberg’s favorites.

Reagan – Ronald Reagan was a movie actor before he became the 40th President of the United States.  While not a major star, he did appear in well-known films like Dark Victory, King’s Row, and Knute Rockne, All American.