Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Movie Clip Wednesday "First Date Movie"



Hello and welcome back another sterling edition of Movie Clip Wednesday. Started by  The Glorious Boxer  a while back, I've been the caretaker of this gig for a week or three now. Most of you know how it works but if you're new here (for which I greatly thank you) here's how it works. A theme is picked each week. You choose a movie to fit the theme and find a clip, preferably three minutes or less, and post it on your blog. Announce in the comment section of this post that you are up and we'll come and pay you a visit. It's simple really. If you are looking for the theme it's usually posted under the MCW banner on the right side of my drivel by Thursday

This week's theme was your first date with someone. You're supposed to pick a movie you went to see on a first date with someone, whether it's your soulmate or someone you knew from high school or college.  Looking for some good stories here dear followers of the drivel.  I know I won't be disappointed.
It was a long time ago. We still lived in the big white house on 4th Street. I was probably too young to be going on a date.  As a matter of fact my mom and my prospective date's mom would not have allowed it if they had known but I was determined to go anyway. 

She was a good Catholic girl.  Is there another kind? (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) Anyway, the problem in making this happen was that you couldn't pick up the phone and just call over to her house.  If she didn't answer you'd have to hang up right away and try again. Boys didn't call girls (at this age back then anyway) and she had way too many siblings running around the house to take a chance like that.  No, if this was going to happen, I was going to need some help.  I needed a girl I could trust to A) go along with my plan, and B) not tell Mom.  The girl I had in mind could usually be trusted.  She was cunning herself. She knew how to stay just one step ahead of the nuns, trouble and Mom.  We had pooled our efforts before to stay out of trouble and I knew I could count on her.

This was a lot bigger than breaking the TV and blaming it on my brother Bill.  Or playing volleyball in the house and breaking an artsy crafty thing that my sister Mary had made for Mom, moving a coat rack in front of where this picture hung and then pretending not to notice when the artsy thing wasn't there. "What thing are you talking about?  I thought you hung that in the dining room.  You sure Mom?"  Still, I knew my sister Leslie could be trusted.  She was always in on a good plan and, like the great partner in crime I just described.  She would come through for me.  No doubt about it.

Once I told her the plan, she was very excited.  This is how it would work, she'd call Marlene's house and ask for her, once Marlene was on the phone, I'd take over and proceed with operation "we'll meet at the movie and sit together once the house lights are down and no one can see us together".  If Marlene wasn't there, we'd call back later until we could get her on the phone.

After a few attempts, it worked.  I think it took almost as much courage to ask her to meet me at the movies as it did when I proposed to Sybil my ex-wife. Anyway, we met at the movie, split some popcorn and a coke and after it was all over, I gave her a polished rock from my rock collection. Surpisingly enough, this display of affection did not win me any favor with Marlene. Our engagement was short-lived but the memory of sitting alone with a girl at the movies for the first time was not. At least she spurned me before I spent any real money on her. In retrospect if more women had done that, I'd drive a nicer truck and live in a bigger house.

(Sidebar:  The Villa Theater has lots of great memories.  The doors opened 15 minutes before showtime.  You knew the doors were open when the marches of John Phillips Sousa started playing on the loud speakers.  We only lived three blocks from the Villa. When the music started, my brother and I would hop on our bikes and pedal our little legs off.  He was usually far behing me.  His Duster was no match for the speed of the Coast King Saturn, but that's a story for another day. Anyway, we would just dump our bikes outside, go buy a ticket, popcorn and a "suicide" and wait for these great old movies to start.)

Oh, yeah the movie.  The movie we went to see was The World's Greates Athlete starring Jan Michael-Vincent as a Tarzan like prodigy discovered in the wilds of Africa by John Amos as the head coach of Merrivale College.  He brings "Nanu" to the U.S. and trains him in track and field where hilarity ensues.  Tim Conway gives a strong performance (almost Oscar worthy) as assistant coach Milo Jackson. 

In this epic scene, Nanu's witch doctor uncle is making sure that Nanu fails at every event thus making him want to return home.  Conway makes his own voodoo doll and takes Uncle whatshisbucket out of the game and Nanu starts kicking some ass.  Although this clip is set to Alvin and the Chipmunks singing the 50's classic "Witch Doctor" it's still pretty good.  Watch how Amos is just one step ahead of Vincent getting him from one event to the next.  Good times. Enjoy and thanks for playing.


14 comments:

Tanaya said...

1217story
The Mister and I went on our first date to see "My Life" with Michael Keaton and Nicole Kidman at the Rialto...aka "The Rathole". Not only was it a horribly depressing movie, we were the first people in the theatre for about 15 minutes which cranked up the awkward factor a bit. Fortunately, things were smooth sailing from there and we have been together for over 16 years.

Princess said...

Great Clip Madman.
What a shame it cost you a polished rock from your collection.
But the planning and execution of the scheme was brilliant...
I'm up at ther Palais with a little self indulgence
Happy MCW...
Did i tell you that you are a great host?...

Milk River Madman said...

Tanaya, be careful. You've been a bit of a follower but now you are becoming a "regular". Happy for that. 16 years later and still together. Great deal.

Princess, your wonderful compliment is not lost on me. I had HUGE shoes to fill and am just doing my best. The bar was set so high that just to have followers and participants is great. Happy MCW.

Jenny said...

oh helloooo remember me?

:-)

I'm up with

Saturday Night Fever.

Great theme this week.

Joanna Cake said...

I always had a soft spot for Jan Michael Vincent :)

I too am Up...

Anonymous said...

Wholesome funny story. Yes, rejection BEFORE money is spent is better.

I'm up!

moi said...

Gotta watch those good Catholic Girls. Don't worry, though, we eventually grow up to form an appreciation for polished rocks.

Thanks once again for hosting and bringing back memories of this movie and Jan Michael Vincent, who I remember as being kind of a '70's Brad Pitt.

Oh, and I'm UP.

Karl said...

Good morning MRM,

What a great story. How old were you?

Jan Michael-Vincent is kind of a sad story he was such a good actor, the traffic accidents seemed to taken a toll on him. Tim Conway is always fun to watch.

I'm up with a dance.

Milk River Madman said...

Boxer, how could I (or anyone) ever forget you?

JC, JMV was one of Les's favorites as well. Funny as I didn't know he had fallen on such hard times with drugs and alcohol until I was looking for a clip.

Troll, it is a good story. I might have to forward it to Marlene on FB. At our 20 year reunion she introduced to her 18 year old daughter as "the Chip mom always talks about from her school days."

Moi, Catholic girls are waaaaaaay high on my list.


Karl, I want to say I was 12 but the movie was released in 1973 which makes me younger than that. I'm thinking it was probably making it's second run through Malta when this happened.

Buzz Kill said...

Giving a girl s polished rock on a first date isn't quite as bad as a venus flytrap, which is what I gave the Mrs on our first date. The Mrs' room mate told her to run but she never listens to anybody.

I never saw this movie but I remember JMV from the old Danger Island series on the Banana Splits. Does that mean anything to anyone?

I'm up at the Buzzkill with my own horror story.

Happy MCW!

Milk River Madman said...

Buzz, I remember the Banana Splits!! Sweet sassy monassy that's going back a ways. Didn't know JMV was on it.

Pam said...

Great story, and I remember those days too -- getting a friend to ask if a particular boy liked you and his friend would come set up a get-together. Fun stuff. But Jan Michael Vincent? Sigh Sigh Sigh.

fishy said...

Great story.
I did a post about my childhood sweetheart maybe a year ago but I do not think it included
our first movie date. Well, not really a date. Every teen in town went to the movies on Saturday afternoon and I passed his house on my way downtown. He was going the same place, at the same time, on the same sidewalk so we were next to one another in line, next to each other at the concessions counter and next to each other in the dark. I don't really remember the movie cause I was focused the whole time on hoping he would oh so casually drape an arm across my shoulders.
Your a fine host Madman, look at all the secrets revealed!!!! I was recently at a gathering where someone asked, "Do you remember the first movie that made you cry?"

Anonymous said...

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