Favorite Movies

FAVORITE MOVIES
As a Kid

Philadelphia, PA

Summers, 1960's

During the summers, my parents loaded all of us up and took us to the movies on a regular basis.  It must have been a family night discount.  Often, my grandparents joined us.  We saw the movie and then heading over to Baskin & Robbins for an ice cream cone.  I always got mint chocolate chip. They were great nights. In hindsight, the movies shaped so much of my thinking:

7 Brides for 7 Brothers:  I wanted my sisters and me to marry brothers.

Around the World in 80 Days: I wanted to try that challenge.

Cat Baloo: Lee Marvin scared me.

Endless Summer: this movie filled me with wanderlust.

How The West Was Won: Their hardships overwhelmed me.

Mary Poppins: Feed the Birds was the saddest song I ever heard.

Music Man: I wanted to play an instrument and live in a happy-go-lucky little town.

My Fair Lady:  I didn’t like how Professor Higgins treated her. He was just using her.

Oliver:  Why couldn’t they just give him a little bit more food?

One Hundred and One Dalmatians: I wanted a puppy as we all did after that movie but my mother would not even entertain the idea for a second. “We have enough damn kids,” she said, “we don’t need a dog too.”

Parent Trap: this movie was just filled with crazy, fun, madcap pranks that made me envious of Haley Mills.

Peter Pan: I would love to fly and live in a place with no rules.

The Great Escape: Steve McQueen was my new hero.

The Russians are Coming, The Russians Are Coming: My dad liked the little kid the best because he was the only character who spoke despairingly to the Russians. “The only good American”, my dad thought.

The Sound of Music: I wanted to run through hills and valleys and sing my little heart out.

The Trouble With Angels: II couldn’t decide if I wanted to the bad girl or the principal. I remember wanting to be a cool, nun principal when I grew up.

Unsinkable Molly Brown: This woman was courageous. I wanted to be like her.  I wanted to save people.

Yours, Mine, And Ours: I wanted my parents to adopt a few more kids so we could have that fun chaos in our house.

The Lillies of the Fields: I thought Sidney Poitier has so damn handsome.