My first crush in literature was the vet Siegfried Farnon, the rather strict older brother of Tristan and boss of James Herriot. To me he wasn’t the bad tempered, somewhat old character played by Robert Hardy in the tv series but a late thirtyish batchelor with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
Even then I had an empathy for him.
In the recent tv series , Siegfried is played quite wonderfully by Samuel West and boy have I been transported back to my teenage crush years , I can just see Samuel with a hole in his jumper.
A young dog went missing for a week and her distraught owners finally located her with a collection of wonderful strangers who sent drones up to find the frightened animal.
The reunion is wonderfully uplifting
As a 63 year old, who was overstimulated by a child by the LP continually played by sister Ann, I had an open mind , but I really loved it .
Julie Andrews was a revelation, she really dominated every scene she was in and only once was she out shadowed and that was when Mother Superior Peggy Wood belted out Climb Every Mountain from the shadows of her office.
The children were delightful, Eleanor Parker proved to be a suitable sort of baddie, and the nuns knowing smiles made the movie for me .
It was gayer than any gay I have ever known
Wonderful
And lastly my other hero Patricia Routledge has died in her 90s . I first loved her as Victoria Wood’s Kitty in the 1980s but she has always been a firm favourite with middle England for her real life portrayal of a British spinster. Her performance of a sad, inconsequential character in Alan Bennett’s A Woman Of No Importance , broke your heart in its pathos and proved that the old gal was not only a talented comedian but an actress of worth
I watched an old Parkinson interview with Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards, her husband, on BBC4 last night. She spoke about some of the film and scenes, it was interesting.
ReplyDeleteMy much loved gran took me to see The Sound of Music at The Dominion in Tottenham Court Road, I was 11, I loved the film and felt so grown up going up to the West EndEnd.Carole R.
I have been putting on her Hetty Wainthropp series while I clean, do dishes, etc. I had watched an interview w/her a few months ago; she talked about trying new things, etc., no matter your age. She really was lovely.
ReplyDeleteConfession time - I have never watched the Sound of Music. My husband saw it numerous times as a child, as it was his aunt's favourite film and she used to take him several times a week. I think we have the DVD so I must give it a go. I have the feeling it will make a nice Sunday afternoon film!
ReplyDeletePatricia Routledge was a fine actor. Comedy, drama, pathos, she could do it all. xx
The Sound of Music is my mother's favourite and I usually avoid it, too many times seeing it as a child. It even gave my my name.
ReplyDeleteStorm Amy was squeaky bum time as I drove home from the west coast of Wales home through it.