A Window on the Past

This is Steven Petrick posting:

I am sitting here once more stumped about what to write.

I have been, with some interest, catching up on a lot of old movies through the wonders of Tivo and Turner Classic Movies. It is interesting sometimes to see how much a plot idea changes. I was unaware that there was an earlier version of "Brewster's Millions", having only previously seen the more recent version. The major differences were the addition of a plot of evil lawyers trying to steal Brewster's windfall (oh, and of course the amount of money has increased . . . back in 1946 Brewster only had to spend one million to earn seven million). Beyond that, most of the plot points remained intact. Except that Brewster's last minute windfall was the result of his friends trying to help him, not an evil lawyer accounting trick.

I have also, as a result, become interested in tracking some actors. Not something I ever did before. And not big name actors, but ones that show up in movie after movie. Like Jenkins and Barton. These two were paired on and off. Barton played the police detective love interest in the "Torchy Blaine" series, and near the end of the series, Jenkins took over the role (the actress playing Blaine changed once or twice also, and Blaine of course had a major "sex change" in that in the book series it was based on Blaine was a guy with no love interest in the police detective).

I have watched several series of films now (the Blaine series, Doctor Kildare, others), more or less simply because I could.

Perhaps the biggest thing I get out of these old films, besides watching the differences in technology, and how Hollywood viewed the world and America in those days (Dr. Kildare was involved in solving several "crimes", but his loyal henchman would have been jailed for the methods he used to "extract" information . . . i.e., pummeling the crooks with a wrench). And of course the difference in what a dollar could buy.

I have also found in my "dotage" that a lot of acts that were funny, simply are not. It is too easy for me to put myself in the shoes of the comedian's "victim". Particularly the comedians, such a Charlie Chapman, who make their living by in essence stealing, conning, or otherwise taking from other people without recompense.

In a lot of ways, these old films are a "window on the past", when even 0.75 of a dollar could be seen as real money for going on a date. When the entire floor of swank first class New York City hotel could be had for $2,000 a month, and a steak dinner (the whole dinner, not just the steak) cost 93 cents.

Of course, back in those days there were a lot fewer amenities than we have today. Problems we solve with cell phones (change the meeting place . . . how do we tell our friends when they are not at a phone booth?) for example. And how many of us are willing to give up air conditioning?