She looked so beautiful. Her perfect curls secured in place, her long eyelashes, and her sleeveless gown that revealed her elegant, slender arms. The handsome man in the perfectly tailored suit took her by the hand and they seemed to float away. Gracefully they swayed across the floor; the only evidence of their feet touching the ground was the occasional tapping sound in time with the music; her long flowing dress as fluid and light as their bodies.
“I wish I had a dress like that” thought the little girl. She was mesmerised as she sat right in front of the TV staring at the screen. The rest of the family were doing their own thing; this wasn’t to their taste at all. The end of the film was always a bitter sweet moment; she hated the fairy tale moments to end, but she couldn’t wait to run upstairs and create her own fantasies behind the closed door of her bedroom.
Drawing by Chuck Rose
In her room she could forget the madness of being part of a one parent family with 3 older siblings and 3 younger. Although she shared her room with her two younger sisters, they were too young to want to play in their own room. She had arranged the furniture herself so that there was a space in the centre of the room. Imagining those beautiful melodies in her mind she would drift away, skipping and twirling in her imaginary ball gown. There was even a patch of bare floorboards, right by the door, where the carpet hadn’t quite reached to the edge of the room, and there she would make up her tap dancing steps.
She loved all kinds of dancing and music and singing. Even now, 25 years later, that little girl still loves to sit and watch old musicals. They’re just so happy and gay and they take her away to a much simpler place in time – a time before she was even born. A magical time. A time that probably doesn’t even exist except on the silver screen and in every little girls imagination.
Just lately I’ve been watching musicals every night - hence the lack of posts. I go through these phases sometimes; it’s just something I need to do. I swear I was born 50 years too late.
5 comments:
All I can say to that post is "wow". I took myself back to the times of watching "old" films and wishing I was there. The oldies are still the best.
*hugs* Hope you are ok.. call me!!!!! =P
Thanks Aiders. Yes, definitely, the oldies are still the best. I treated myself to a few more the other day - I have nearly 40 musicals now, but I have other old films as well. I need loads of money so that I can buy them all!
Isn't that picture just so beautiful?
Ooh yes, I definitely need to call you! I have some gossip for you!
That's a good idea TP, but I know I'll lose all self control and bid on too many films! The other problem is that I'm not the only one who loves these films - they can end up being quite expensive with lots of people bidding on them.
I usually manage to pick up an old musical for less than a fiver in the supermarket, but there is one in particular that I haven't seen for sale - "Rose Marie" - and also the "Fred and Ginger" films are very popular and usually sold as boxed sets and are very expensive. I'd love to buy all 10 of their films and just spend a whole weekend watching them! Heaven!
You could always buy them for me? :D *flutters her eyelashes*
You're just jealous because you're not going to get to hear the gossip yourself! :P
*sneaks off in the direction of ebay*
I succumbed. The temptation was just too great. I bought a boxed set of Fred and Ginger from ebay. It’s all your fault TP! I don’t know whether to tell you off or thank you!
The price was pretty good actually – just under twenty quid including P&P, but there are only 8 of their films in the set. I’m missing two! What’s so special about America anyway? Why do they get a boxed set of all 10 and we only get 8?
That’s the 3rd boxed set I’ve bought this week! I had to restrain myself and not buy or bid on the other things I wanted from ebay. I’m not really a shopaholic but I have a weakness for musicals and mugs. At least it’s not something really expensive like shoes!
I love the movies form that era too, preferably with great hordes of dancers on the stage all tapping away together.
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