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I have a brand new way to start the day.
Turn off "The Today Show."
Turn on the old movies.
As I run through the paces of turning from drowsy to dressed y, I keep an eye on the TV and on whatever 1940s movie may be airing. On the days I go to the gym to have my friend Debbie put me through my paces, she flips the channel to AMC so I can do my warm-up to a backdrop of Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire. It makes it considerably less painful.
I love, love, love old movies.
But as time has gone on, my focus has turned less to the stars and more to the sets. I've gone loopy over the interiors. Look at the one above from Laura. Sure Dana Andrews looks dashing and Clifton Webb is as natty as ever. But check out that mantel, the portrait of (the then missing) Laura. (She soon reappears.) The swag of the draperies, the sconces, the coffee table. The setting of her New York apartment is perfect; the fact that both men left their hats on? Not so much.
While William Powell, Myrna Loy and Asta are a delight to behold in each and every Thin Man escapade, the interior and fashion design are equally wonderful. Love, love, love Ms. Loy's fur and his slippers but check out that herringbone couch. And that wonderful desk in the corner, the seltzer bottle on the octagonal table. The fringe on that armchair? Now there's a trend that has yet to run its course.
And I could definitely see myself getting ready for the day at this dressing table, as seen in Bringing Up Baby. Of course, I think the leopard cuddling up would be ample cause for pause but the room is fabulous. It's so bright and light.
I could of course go on forever. But sometimes, the more mundane the setting, the better I like it. Like the kitchen where Joan Crawford, a.k.a. Mildred Pierce, is making her fortune cooking up pies. Catch those tables. The linens. But best yet? Look at the expression on Ms. Crawford's face.
I suspect of all the rooms in the house, the one with the sink and the stove was not her favorite.
