Letter From Home 3/24/11

I suspect many a home in America last night was the place where an Elizabeth Taylor film was once again enjoyed.  I think many felt that a real part of our larger collective life was removed Wednesday when it was announced Taylor had died.

Taylor was more than a movie star, she had been the personification of Hollywood itself.  Bold, daring, beautiful. 

There are many people who make movies today, but there are not many, if any, that can stand alongside The Queen.

Yes, I have a soft spot for Elizabeth Taylor.

After the late local news I mentioned to James that it would feel comforting to watch Elizabeth in one of her starring roles.  Within minutes James had returned to the living room with a movie from our collection.

Once again “The Last Time I Saw Paris”  renewed old memories, and made new ones.  While I had seen the film before many years ago, James was getting his first taste of this classic movie.  (Without me James would be stunted in so many ways.)

Earlier in the evening we had watched some television retrospective type programming of the legendary film star and Hollywood icon, but there was a yearning within me to see one of her shining moments from start to finish.

I am not shy about admitting to being a film snob.  While I love movies, I have no patience for what is passed off today as  “a sensational hit”.  I find the old movies, and the stars with gravitons the best reason to settle back and let a cinematic event pull me out of reality.

I was reminded again as Taylor, who played Helen in the film as a love interest for Charles (Van Johnson), that there is never a real goodbye to those who touch our heart in the movies.   More than recorded artists who leave audio memories, the smiles and warmth of movie stars like ‘Liz” will be making new fans for many decades to come.

Somewhere in America a baby is being born as I write this post who will be dazzled with Taylor’s movies.  That is the wonderful thing about film.

At one point during the movie I smiled to myself thinking about one of my long-time friends who also loves film.  He likes to speak of when his parent’s generation would have attended movies in a theatre.  They would dress up for the evening as it was a big affair.  After all money was harder to come by, and it was a big event to get a baby-sitter and go out for an evening.

His parents would have loved the idea of just making a suggestion of “it would be nice to see a Taylor” film, and then easily find one in another room ready to be viewed. 

It seemed more than bittersweet to watch “The Last Time I Saw Paris” given how the ending for  Helen (Taylor)  played out in a hospital, and then how life really ended in a hospital hours earlier for the film star.

It was the most appropriate film to have put into the DVD player.