Tonight I am writing from home. I am off for about 36 hours, until Sunday morning. Today was busy, as it always is on a transition day, when I am getting ready to hand off Pearl's care to her daughter for a day or two. Lots of shopping, cleaning, making sure things are ship-shape. Therefore, no hikes were had this afternoon, and not even any reading. But tonight I am chillin', and tomorrow too, for I will be back on the job before you can say "Jack Robinson".
Where does that saying come from anyway? I mean - who the heck says "Jack Robinson" these days? (aww, shut up Ad).
Okay. I will.
Now where were we? I am not sure. After the SB (much like the Voodoo Chile) made a Slight Return yesterday, I was hoping she might post once again today, but it was not to be. Not as far as I can determine anyway. I will keep looking, however. And as always Elizabeth, I trust all is well and that you are feeling at home in your new city. :)
Well, did I ever see a great movie tonight. Wow and Double Wow. It was called "A Man Called Peter" (1955). I had never heard of it before, but I discovered it in a search of the Library database for Henry Koster, a director of another film I had recently seen that I can't recall at the moment because I am tired and my brain is filled with too many doggone details. But that's how I discovered this film, and because it had a fairly high IMDB rating, I decided to give it a try.
The movie stars Irish actor Richard Todd as a real-life Presbyterian Minister named Dr. Peter Marshall, whom I had also never heard of before tonight. The film is basically a bio-pic of his life, his calling from God to become a minister and his move to America from his native Scotland in pursuit of this objective. In short order he has landed a position at a small church in Georgia, where he meets his future wife, the gorgeous Jean Peters. Soon he is advancing by leaps and bounds, first to a larger church in Atlanta, and then finally to Washington D.C, where the bulk of the film takes place. His rapid advancement is due in no small part to his truly incredible sermons, about which I shall only suggest that you watch the movie to hear them for yourself - if I tried to describe them I would, at best, only water down their immense power. Actor Richard Todd (according to my post-film research) listened to hours of Dr. Marshall's sermons to get the passion of his words across onscreen, and boy did he ever achieve that goal. He should have been nominated for an Oscar for his performance.
"A Man Called Peter" is based on a book by his wife, and all I can say is that, if anybody ever wondered what Christianity is really all about - really and truly all about - I would heartily recommend they see this movie. You see, if Christianity was not really and truly about boundless Love and Faith, and Hope, and about the Magic and Wonder of life, as taught through the life and works and words of Jesus Christ, then I myself would not be a Christian. And as it is, I consider myself first and foremost a follower of Jesus more than a standard "Christian" because that word has become so bastardised. The so-called philosophy behind much of "popular Christianity" has been used to convey Fear, and Divisiveness, and Dread, and even Hatred. It has been used to convey a sense of Superiority, and so many other sinful and negative feelings.
Dr. Peter Marshall, who ministered in the 1940s, and who wound up ministering to the United States Senate, blew all of this false Christianity - this Fear Based, Divisive, Anti-Truth-Of-Jesus version of the religion out of the water, and he did so with his incredibly impassioned and perfectly worded sermons, using deeply philosophical but easy to understand analogies that would fire anyone's soul.
Soon he was drawing in lines of young people, who would pack his church on Sunday mornings.
Trust me - even if you have never heard a Sermon in your life, and are certain you would never want to, this man's words would blow you off the map, in any respect of life (or even death) you might consider. He often spoke extemporaneously, as if God was speaking through him, and the words are simply wonderful to hear. Thank You To The Filmmakers, and to the actor Richard Todd, for actively portraying True Christianity. A Huge Thank You Indeed.
The movie is equally a love story, a romance, and if you are like me this aspect of the story will give you a very good feeling. Jean Peters - who gets to give an Incredible Speech of her own - plays the type of woman every good man dreams of. Once again, to describe the romantic theme of the film would be to lessen it.
Every romance should be like this one, and every marriage. Beautiful is the only word.
The movie also works well as Pure Story, it never lags, and it is also shot in glorious CinemaScope. It has the colorful pastel look of the great Douglas Sirk films and was nominated for an Academy Award for cinematography.
I simply cannot recommend "A Man Called Peter" highly enough. It is a must see for anyone, Christian or not, simply because of Dr. Peter Marshall himself, whose words are what I have been trying to say for much of my adult life. Boy was he ever Tuned In.
I give it Five Gigantic Stars, and posthumous Oscars to both Richard Todd and Jean Peters. Come back, Dr. Marshall - we need you in Washington today. ////
In "Book News", I have begun reading the Noel Monk/Van Halen book, which I am way too tired to get up from the computer and look for the title of, but which I finally got from The Libe today, after a couple of months on the hold list. Monk was VH's tour manager, then their full on manager, until 1985 when David Lee Roth quit. I am fifty pages in, and there are a lot of details about the signing of the band, and what it is like to be on your first big rock tour, but so far I don't think it measures up to the Van Halen book I read a year ago, called "Van Halen Rising", which is encyclopedic in it's scope. That's the book that covers the full on early history of the band. But Monk's book looks to be a good read as well, and it even has a few pictures of that big ol' VH security guy Eddie Anderson, who was supposed to give us backstage passes after the Las Vegas show in 1981. I remembered him when I saw his photo in the book. But I don't recall if we ever got the passes or not.
Well anyhow, the Rock Keeps On Rollin', as it were.
Man you've gotta see this movie (and read both Van Halen books).
That's all for tonight.
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