Saturday 9- I've Written a Letter to Daddy

 

                                        

I've Written a Letter to Daddy

Saturday 9: I've Written a Letter to Daddy (1962)

Unfamiliar with this week's featured song? Hear it here.

 

1) This song is from Whatever Happened to Baby Jane, which was released on Halloween Day, 1962. Do you like scary movies?  If they aren't TOO scary.  I used to love them, but these days they give me nightmares.

 

2) The "Baby Jane" of the title is Baby Jane Hudson. Jane was a child star, singing and dancing in vaudeville. She was so popular that Baby Jane dolls sold well at her shows. Tell us about one of your favorite childhood toys.  Hands down it was Barbie and my Papa made me a Barbie doll house and made the furniture.  My Granie made the pillows and cushions, quilts, etc for the furniture out of material we had in our house and their house.  The carpet in the rooms was from our house.  My Granie also crocheted my Barbie some beautiful clothes.

 

3) Baby Jane's career hit the skids when she hit her teens and audiences no longer found her cute. Adolescence can be a tough time for many of us. Did you ever go through an awkward phase?  I am still awkward.

 

4) Meanwhile, Jane's older sister Blanche blossomed into a beauty and became a major movie actress. Her career was cut short when, at the height of her popularity, her back is broken in a car accident involving a drunken Jane. Most of the movie takes place in the mansion Blanche bought back when she was a star. Blanche is confined to a wheelchair and completely dependent on Jane, who is bitter, jealous, and well, bonkers. Very bad things happen. Can you think of another movie where scary things happen in a big old house?  I tried to watch The Haunting of Hill House, but it scared me to death.  How about Rebecca?  I love that movie.

5) As a (crazy) older woman, Jane convinces herself she can relaunch her career and recapture the love of the public. She dresses like she did as a little girl and makes up her face to look like those Baby Jane dolls that were sold long ago at her childhood performances. Then she rehearses this week's song. The result is so memorable that now, more than 60 years later, you can still find "Baby Jane" Halloween costumes online. Tell us about a Halloween costume you really enjoyed wearing.  My mom made me a clown costume one year and I enjoyed wearing that with all of the makeup.

 

6) Which kind of spooky movie villain do you find scarier: supernatural monsters (Dracula, Wolfman, ghosts, etc.) or human monsters (Baby Jane, Michael Meyers from the Halloween franchise, etc.)?  Supernatural like in Haunting of Hill House.

Questions inspired by Halloween ....

7) Orange and black are the traditional Halloween colors, with orange representing the autumn harvest and black symbolizing all things scary and mysterious. Are you wearing either color as you answer these questions?  I have on black yoga pants.

8) Jack-o-lanterns originated in Ireland, though instead of pumpkins, they carved gourds. When Irish immigrants arrived in the US, they used pumpkins because they were more readily available. Did you decorate your home with a jack-o-lantern, or anything else, for Halloween?  no, I used to decorate for Halloween, but I do mostly fall now that Josh is older.

9) Think back to your trick-or-treating days. Which candy were you happiest to find your bag?  Anything chocolate, but I remember going through the candy and having a few pieces and I do not remember having anymore.  Maybe I did, but I wonder if my parents either hid it or ate it themselves and left a little for me.  I had a ton of candy.  Candy is horrible for kids.  I wouldn't blame them for not letting me have it.  I didn't miss it.

We had our Fall Harvest Costume party today at school.  Here is a picture of the team I work with.  This is Pre-K.  I am third from the left in the pink shirt and brown hair.