Music Love: "Kathy's Song" by Simon & Garfunkel

Recently, a friend adopted a new dog & was soliciting name recommendations, because she didn't like the name the dog came with (the name is associated with an annoying ear worm). Did we have any suggestions, she asked, perhaps based on a song? That got me thinking about my favorite songs that feature a woman's name, which thus reminded me of my love for Simon & Garfunkel.

Nowadays, I wouldn't say they get a lot of rotation on my playlist. I still listen to them; there's just so much new stuff to discover, I don't listen to older stuff as much. Back when I was in college, however, a roommate and I used to listen to them all the time. We even had a nickname for them: Petey & Arty. It took us YEARS after college to realize we referred to Paul Simon as "Petey." I don't know why we did; it was a simple brain fart.

Anyway, while there are many songs of theirs I love, "Kathy's Song" was always a favorite. I love Paul Simon's voice here. He's an amazingly talented songwriter; with simple language, he sets the scene of this song in such a way that you can picture it perfectly. His love and admiration for Kathy* shine through: "The only truth I know is you"; "There before the grace of you go I." It speaks to such a wistful, romantic, all-encompassing view of love.

However, I think Kathy is a terrible name for a dog.


*Unfortunately, in reading up about this song, I discovered that Kathy was 16 to Paul's 22 when they met. I know those were different times, but ick. Sometimes I think it's better to enjoy things without researching them, haha.

Top 50 Actors, #41 - Gene Kelly: "On the Town" (1949)

Movie Stats:
Released 1949 (USA)
American, in English
Directors - Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly
Stars - Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Jules Munshin, Vera-Ellen, Betty Garrett, Ann Miller

Plot Summary:
In the 1940s, three sailors on 24-hour leave in NYC - Gabe (Kelly), Chip (Sinatra), and Ozzie (Munshin) - meet and fall for three women, respectively - Ivy (Vera-Ellen), Hildy (Garrett), and Claire (Miller).

Warnings:
None.

Bad Stuff:
There’s one song/dance routine that I found to be pretty racist (“Prehistoric Man”) & a couple of other, milder, racist bits.

I didn’t care for the dinosaur bones plot line. It felt superfluous.

Hildy comes off really quite rape-y in the beginning. Like, no means no, lady.

Good Stuff:
With an exception or two (including the one mentioned above), all of the song/dance routines are amazing & so much fun.

I love, love, loved the women’s costuming.

I liked how it played with tropes, making Hildy & Claire much more “manly” in that they were both forward, forceful, and savvy in a way that none of the men were.

About the Performance:
I feel the same way about Gene Kelly as I do other performers of his ilk/genre, such as Fred Astaire or Bing Crosby. I enjoy him immensely, I think he was very talented, and I completely understand his importance within the history of film. However, I would never add him to my own personal list of “great actors” because what he does doesn’t fall within the range of what’s important to me for great acting. I’ve never seen him play any character that was truly different from the rest. That said, I loved him in this.

Other performances of Kelly’s I’ve reviewed: Xanadu; What a Way to Go!; Singin’ in the Rain; An American in Paris.

The Verdict:
It’s certainly a movie of its time, so one has to overlook a bit of racism, misogyny, and antiquated ideals of romance to enjoy it. However, I was able to do so. It’s fun and breezy. From the opening number (“New York, New York”), I thought to myself, “Oh, this is going to be a blast!” I thought it was very clever to open with that; I could easily see how it hyped the audience up for the rest of the show because that’s how it made me feel. This isn’t the kind of film that’s going to make you think. My husband, who watched most of it with me, thought it was cheesy, but I didn’t mind that. Sometimes you just need to have a good time. A film like this can help you in that endeavor.

I give it 4 stars.

Up with U.S. Geography: Minnesota

Minnesota is the fifth of the eight states I've lived in to make the list! I lived there for one year, fresh out of college, while I was working an AmeriCorps program.

State Name:
Minnesota

Capital:
Saint Paul

Date of Entry:
May 11, 1858

Maps:

Map of USA. Minnesota outlined in dark ink.

A close-up of Minnesota & its neighbors.

Neighbors:
Canada, Wisconsin, Iowa, South Dakota, North Dakota

Water Borders:
Lake of the Woods, Rainy River, Rainy Lake, Lake Superior, St. Croix River, Mississippi River, Red River

Total Area:
86,936 square miles

Five Largest Cities:
Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Rochester, Duluth, Bloomington

Famous Geographical Point:
Mille Lacs Lake

State Nickname:
The North Star State. It’s derived from Minnesota’s state motto which, from the French, translates to “the star of the north.” I was honestly surprised to learn that “the land of 10,000 lakes” isn’t the official motto; I’ve never heard it called “the north star state.”

Famous Person:
Prince, singer, songwriter, and actor

True story. Shortly after I moved to Minnesota, while visiting Minneapolis with a friend who was traveling through (I lived outside the Twin Cities in a rural area), my car broke down. Through a series of random circumstances, we were rescued by a woman who drove us the 60 miles back to my place. She was basically a Deadhead for Prince, which until that moment I never knew existed. It was a weird night.

Book Set In/About:
Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

The first book of the beloved childhood series about two little girls, Betsy and Tacy, who become lifelong best friends. I chose this book in honor of my friend P, who loves the series.

Movie Set In/About:
“Fargo” (1996), directed by Joel & Ethan Coen

A man’s crime goes horribly awry, aided by his own ineptitude & the tenaciousness of a small-town police chief. This movie was a million times funnier to me after I lived in Minnesota.

Headline of the Day:
“Minnesota Families in Need Celebrate Long-awaited Boost in State Aid” in Minnesota Public Radio News.

Top 50 Actors, #42 - Fred Astaire: "Top Hat" (1935)

Movie Stats:
Released 1935 (USA)
American, in English (minor, non-translated Latin & Italian)
Director - Mark Sandrich
Stars - Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Edward Everett Horton

Plot Summary:
When dance star Jerry Travers (Astaire) goes to work for producer Horace Hardwick (Horton), he meets and falls in love with the beautiful Dale Tremont (Rogers) without ever telling her his name. Unfortunately, she comes to believe he’s Horace, who’s married to her friend Madge (Helen Broderick). Hijinks ensue.

Warnings:
Very minor violence.

Bad Stuff:
I think the worst part of old romance movies is how bad the romances are. Like, I don’t consider kidnapping someone to be a romantic gesture. Also, domestic violence isn’t funny.

I don’t care for stories that rely on miscommunication as a central means to create drama/comedy/interest. It’s so frustrating. I spend the whole time thinking, “Just talk to each other, Jesus!”

I know this is a lighthearted comedy, so I really shouldn’t expect much in the way of character development, but I felt like people’s reactions in this made no sense. [SPOILER-y] For example, when Horace, Madge, and Beddini (Erik Rhodes) are adrift at sea, and Jerry & Dale — who presumably care about them — are like, “Lol, let’s go to a party!” Instead of, you know, sending them help before they’re lost forever. [SPOILER]

Good Stuff:
Of course, the song & dance routines are awesome. If you can believe it, I’d actually never seen Astaire in one of his singing/dancing roles before.

I loved the costuming & set design. The feather dress Rogers wore in her big dance routine was absolutely stunning.

Something about manservant Bates (Eric Blore) was so intensely entertaining. I enjoyed every scene that he was in.

About the Performance:
Astaire is quite likable in this. If I ignore the whole kidnapping thing (which is frankly light-hearted), Jerry is a sweet, innocent, kind-hearted guy who falls in love and puts his all into it. He’s cute. He’s got a great singing voice. His dancing is sublime. Would I watch this movie and think, “That’s a man with immense acting talent”? Probably not, but I’ve seen Astaire in some more serious films where I thought he was fantastic, so I understand why he earned himself a place on this list.

Other performances of Astaire’s I’ve reviewed: On the Beach.

The Verdict:
I feel kind of neutral about it. As comedies go, I didn’t find it particularly funny. At the same time, I didn’t hate it either. I enjoyed the spectacle of it. All of the actors were entertaining. I guess I just wasn’t particularly big on the story. I definitely would’ve liked to see a better script, I think that would’ve made me enjoy it a great deal more.

I give it 3.25 stars.