Wideo Wednesday: The Amazing Mr. Blunden

 

Today’s Wideo is not going to be the series of nostalgic short subjects that I usually link to, but a single full movie that might very well fit in among my old memories without any fuss, so redolent is it of a certain era and genre. As it is, I only watched it yesterday evening on a whim.

It is The Amazing Mr. Blunden (1972), directed by Lionel Jeffries, an actor most familiar to me as Cavor from The First Men in the Moon and the eccentric Grandpa Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Indeed, the eponymous character Mr. Blunden (Laurence Naismith) might well have been played by him, with his balding head and extravagant moustache.

The time is 1918 and the end of the First World War. The mysterious Mr. Blunden engages the widowed Mrs. Allen, along with her three children, to be caretakers of an abandoned (supposedly haunted) mansion in the country while a firm of lawyers try to find the legal heirs. While there, the two elder children, Lucie and Jamie, become engaged in a story of time travel and redemption and a desperate attempt to set right the wrongs of the past.

I’ve known this film existed for years; I’ve run across rather enigmatic references to it in such books as The 100 Fantasy Movies or Fantasy of the Twentieth Century, where they could not go into much detail lest they spoil the mystery. Indeed, I feel it would have been better titled The Mysterious Mr. Blunden rather than The Amazing Mr. Blunden; with a title like that you expect someone rather like Mary Poppins of Willy Wonka to show up. And perhaps it was not best served by its “groovy” poster.

As it is, it fits in rather well with other 1972 fantasy memories, like Alice in Wonderland or Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as well as more modern fantasy film offerings like The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe or From Time to Time or Tom’s Midnight Garden. I find it was remade in 2021 as a TV movie with Simon Callow in the title role, no doubt to cash in on a certain Harry Potterish vibe, and (shudder) updated for modern audiences. But, in fact, the 1972 film fits in with that holiday fantasy British family film tradition I was talking about, which may be why I’ve suddenly found it so congenial. Tain’t the season, but almost ‘tis!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNI9i_jTBHY

 

"The Ironing ... Is Delicious"

By far the oldest and dullest relic from Loop Drive is this old iron. It dates from time immemorial to the day we had to empty the house to sell it. It will probably mean nothing except to my siblings. There are two possible 'origin stories': one is that it's something from Pop's life before he married Mom (I seem to remember it being wrapped in red rags to keep it from scorching the ironing), the other is that Pop rescued it from one of the scrap heaps at the steel mill. What I do know is that it was always used as a door-stopper for the Guest Room (or Toy Room, or Susan's Room; it had a lot of names over the years). I was doing some dusting today and decided on a whim to record it here.

 

2019 Diary: Feast and Film

11/16/2019: Woke up about 5:30 AM. Slowly got dressed, then prayers, catechism, Bible (Luke 1 today), and rosary. Now almost 7 AM. Legs continue to get number, with occasional hot vein throbs and pains on the left side of my chest. Cold weather responses, or something worse? Well, what can I do?

Bleh. Saturdays are the worst days. So boring. So little to do. So little to eat. Everyone is off doing things. And of course, never thinking of me, but then why should they [pitiful, just pitiful]? Got some written.  Cold. Leg hurts. To at least give myself the illusion of progress I cleaned up the top shelf in the closet and watched BEN AND ME to distract my mind. Everywhere there seem to be mouth-watering ads, especially about turkey. A depressing memory floated through my mind, of Pop giving away the old beer sign/clock (from his time as a bar-owner, and which had hung in the garage forever) to our neighbor. Just another old childhood memory pissed away by Pop. Well, how was he to know? We never really showed any interest in it; just an unspoken life-long affection and family totem.

 

11/17/2019: Got up about 5 AM, prayers, catechism, Bible, and got ready. Decided to wear the orange long sleeve shirt for the first time [orange, while being my flavor, is really not my color]. Left for church a little early and got there ahead of the little old lady who's been getting ahead of me walking on the road; yes, I'm so petty that it bothers me, though more in a compulsive way rather than an emotional way [turns out she is an usher]. Had a good mass with Fr. Dennis. Walked home and settled in to wait to go to John's. About 10 AM I heard Andy grassing the dogs, so I poked out my head and told him I was going to John's.  John called at 11 AM and said he was running late. I went out at 12 to wait on the porch and he came about 12:30 PM. He had already bought the spaghetti, so we decided to go to Walmart for the rest, not only got stuff for the feast (including wine) but also cane-tips, and John said he was buying the stuff and also giving me the money from the book (it turned out to be $40 instead of $33.05; he gave me a bonus) so that was good of him. We got to the house, and he started cooking and we had a good visit with the whole family. He showed me a few amazing features of his TV and we looked at the first episode of Over the Garden Wall. We went out to sit on the porch and visited more; a deluge of cute cats and snuffling wild pigs out in the brush enlivened things. All through the visit the crack was good, as the Irish say, and it was the visiting that was the great point of the whole endeavor. Morgandy rode back with us. Got back a little before 7 PM, and S&A rolled up almost immediately behind us with groceries. Susan counseled with me about Thanksgiving dinner; we agreed a minor feast was in order, as it was just to be us at the house this year. I'm to make up a list. Came in and watched the animations, waited a bit, then watched Rick and Morty, including the new episode. Had bread pudding [I love bread pudding, but it’s hard to find, even when it’s in season].

 

11/18/2019: Up at 5:30 AM, dressed, devotions, caught up diary. Now almost 7 AM. Started wash at 9 AM (two loads today, as I didn't wash towels last week). Brought my writing of Chapter 2 Script up to 10 pages over the day. Swept. Watched GGACP and DW today. Changed loads at 10:30 AM. Realized we forgot to have John buzz my hair. Finished wash about 1 PM. Made broccoli salad; but chopped the broccoli in the guest house, so I could listen to Ben and have a place to sit. Let the Chis [chihuahuas] out after, as they were whining so much, about 2:30 PM, and Cricket threw up. About 4 PM I fed the animals and let the Chis out of their pen and started supper. Looked and saw a scoop out of the ice cream and was perplexed, as I didn't think anyone had any at John's house and didn't think S&A would eat any w/o asking. After a little investigation (I wanted to be sure, because of the Bluebell tampering lately) Amy messaged me that Morgandy had had some. A sigh of relief, then I had a bowl as a reward for my writing efforts. Worked with Susan on the Thanksgiving list. Washed up at 8 PM and made Kam supper, rosary at 9 PM, then bed at 10 PM.

 

11/19/2019: Up, dressed, prayers, catechism and Bible, then went to catch bus at 7 AM. Very foggy morning. Went to HEB, got a bunch of stuff and a lottery ticket, and home a little after 9 AM. Made some Delimex flour tortilla beef and cheese taquitos, eaten with chili con carne dip. Got Kam off to school at 10:30 AM. Kind of drifted out on the couch after I ate a can of Vienna sausages. Woke up about 2 PM, finished off the dip with some Itza crackers and drank eggnog. The day was pretty clear and warm by then. At 4 PM I started supper (sausage, taters and cabbage), let the Chis out and noticed a big lump on Cricket's neck. Kam got home very upset about leaving his phone on the bus; we called the bus center and Miss Pat brought it back in no time, which was a big relief for him. When Susan got home, I went in to tell her about Cricket, but she had already seen it. My right leg feeling rather fiery all day; could be the walking, the rich food, and/or the fact that I didn't wrap it this trip. Right now, it's 6:30 PM. Made Kam supper at 9 PM, and then to bed.

 

11/20/2019: Pop's 91st birthday, though I didn't realize it till rather late. Got up about 6 AM. Prayers, catechism, Bible. At 9 AM made Kam eggs and bacon like he requested yesterday, but then he changed his mind and wanted apples. Came in, wrote some BB2CH2 [Bob’s Book 2 Chapter 2] and was distracted till about 10:15 AM when Kam called me. His pants didn't fit, and he needed a new pair of jeans. We hustled and got him out of the door a little late, but even so we waited for the bus a while.

Wrote on and off all day and got about 4 pages done, up until the Stove Test part. At lunch I had French onion dip and crackers and a sausage from yesterday. Susan home about 3:30 PM to meet with the vet about Cricket. Left about 4:10 PM and I started supper: pork chops, brussels sprouts, and quinoa. Rosary. Made Kam supper about 8:45 PM. Bed about 10 PPM. All day was a blowy, clouds come-and-going, tree-roaring, mild, non-humid day; perfectly fall, with a bustling kind of feel.

 

11/21/2019: Woke up a little before 6 AM and found The Thief of Bagdad was on AMC. Prayed, showered, and caught up my diary. At 9 AM went in and made Frito Pie with HEB BBQ corn chips, Wolf brand chili, and a grated cheddar. Delicious, but I think I may be past my Frito Pie days [but I never do learn]. Got Kam off to school. Weather humid and a little damp and cloudy. Did some writing. Napped till 1:30 PM. A little more writing; stopped at lighting the stove part of the story. Moving very slowly and reluctantly; once I get set to do something, I find it hard to change to something else. At 4 PM let dogs out, but penned Cricket because she was all bloody; maybe her bump is draining. Cooked corn on cob, chili, and rotini; also used potatoes and mushrooms from Tuesday to make mashed potatoes (skin in) which I ate with chili. Caught a snip of Cocteau's Beauty & the Beast. Rosary. Went in at 8 PM to clean up and finished chili with bread. Caught some of Liberty Valance. Decided there was always a part of my soul caught in the past dancing back and forth with the vacuum cleaner in the back room of the old Gatti's, so often that it recurs in memory and dreams.

Notes

Lots of food indulgence, which, because of the cold and minor influx of funds, is understandable, if no less deplorable. Also, feasting is seasonal. For some reason, so are fantastic films. Perhaps it has some connection to the British Christmas pantomime tradition.

 

Out to Lunch

 

This Saturday my sister Susan was prepping her house for the coming Thanksgiving, which this year includes a curious and grabby toddler. Since the house is rather like a museum, this demands a bit of finessing. Among other simplifications she gave me a 1969 milk glass Avon shampoo bottle in the shape of Snoopy. This goes well with my plastic Charlie Brown Avon shampoo bottle; it makes a nice ‘echo’ on my shelf of the Complete Peanuts. This started a train of thought, or chain of memories, that led me to the subject of our early lunch boxes. This is kind of how the train moved out of the station.

The bottle reminded me of this old Snoopy lunch box, which we never had in the early years or carried to school, but which we bought later, probably at a garage sale.

There was a Peanuts lunch box that someone (I forget who) had in McQueeney, which of course I envied. I was always trying to read or identify the ‘strips’ that decorated the sides.

Of course, the lunch box I remember best is my own, the fabled Disney Bus. After its rusty remains were thrown away, I spent years looking for a replacement. I remember one glued down as a decoration at a localish restaurant where I spent an entire meal plotting to see if I could find a way to carry it home.  Susan finally found and bought me one at Eckman’s.

There was also what might be called a companion piece to the Bus, the Disney Fire Truck. We never had it and I never saw it in real life, but it’s always intrigued me as a sort of alternate universe variant.

What Mike’s lunch box was I have no clear memory. I thought it might be Peter Pan, and when I looked it up, I did feel a definite ‘vibe’. It seemed familiar to John as well. As Mike had no sentimental attachment to it, it did not particularly live in memory or reminiscences. Its sides were decorated with square pirate ship ‘portholes’ with portraits of Peter Pan characters.

Now John had a box that we all remembered, from Walt Disney’s Pinocchio. A feature of these metal boxes was that they had raised or bas-relief pictures, so they could almost be read and fingered like braille. The idea that we had Peter Pan and Pinocchio lunch boxes kind of echoes the two Golden Star Library books we had.

The year John was in 3^rd Grade he and Kenny got new lunch boxes. John (the monster kid) got one for the animated Addams Family and Kenny (the slightly junior monster kid) got Scooby Doo. After John mentioned the Addams Family one, I did remember it, but I have no memory of the Scooby Doo. I’m assuming that since it came out the same year that this is it.

When Susan entered elementary school she got a couple of her own lunchboxes (still metal at the time, but soon to switch over to vinyl) with two of her favorites, Holly Hobby and Strawberry Shortcake. Since I have no clear memory of these (I was in college by then) I assume they were like these, if not exactly. When I get a chance, I will have to confer with Susan about them.

 

“I May Be Rushing Things”

 

I’ve always been a big talker about holding out on Christmas stuff until after Thanksgiving, but I must confess that I have felt it creeping up on me. At least I resisted it until November was halfway over. But on Friday last it finally got cold, and seeing Christmas lights shining out in the darkness on the way home from movie night tickled my fancy.

It's still way too early for Christmas specials though, too early (for me personally) to put up decorations, and certainly too early (if there ever is a time) for Christmas music channels with their mixtures of modern ‘ribald’ songs with the religious and childlike melodies. But I am using a white pine and juniper berry room spray, and yesterday I did put on my personal Christmas playlist to go to sleep to. And I have both eggnog and fruitcake on my shopping list. That’s more than enough for now. The food and smells are seasonal and not holiday-specific, and the music is always comforting, no matter what time I play it.

December 1^st is the first day of Advent, “a season observed in most Christian denominations as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for both the celebration of the Nativity of Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ at the Second Coming. Advent is the beginning of the liturgical year in Western Christianity. The name was adopted from Latin adventus ('coming; arrival').” – Wikipedia. That is the real time of Christmas preparation, getting decorations and presents ready, and getting ready to celebrate Jesus’ arrival into history, and into our hearts.

It comes without ribbons. It comes without tags. It comes without packages, boxes or bags. You need not prep months for Christmas to come, though it might be pleasant to do so. It will come; somehow or other, it always comes just the same.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ni190d3xleg

The Puppet or the Saint?

 

From the Toy Hoard: Marx Disney

 

After mentioning the Marx Disney figures yesterday, I figured while they were close at hand I might as well take pictures of them and post them. We got seven of them, originally, out of a big cardboard bin where they were mixed, indiscriminately. How we dug around! This was at a toy store in San Antonio, early '70's, I would say. We got Orange Mickey, Green Donald, Pink Goofy, Dopey, Peter Pan, Tinkerbell, and Pink Jiminy Cricket. That Pink Jiminy was already missing a foot, but as he was the only one there we had to have it, despite any reservations Mom might have had. His appeal, of course, was that he was more or less in real-life scale. So was Tinkerbell. I'm not sure where our Tinkerbell is, whether if she is somewhere else in the Hoard, or if Susan (or maybe her girls) have her now. We got the others (including duplicates) from various places over the years, so that finally we had the entire set, including a complete Jiminy. I didn't realize until much later that they were the same sculpt as the Marx Disneykins, scaled up (or more likely the Disneykins were scaled down from them). 

(Hubba-Hubba!)