Comments on: Welcome, friend

By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:44:04 +0000

This wonderful scene in Howard Hawks’s great film, the screen adaption of Ernest Hemingway’s lousy novel, To Have and Have Not, was scripted by William Faulkner. A series of scenes have Bogey and Becall, who was only 18 or 19 at the time (unbelievable, isn’t it?), dancing round each other. I can’t remember, though, how the bottle of wine story begins. I think “Steve” brings “Slim” the bottle, and leaves it, and then she swings by his room to return it. It’s hers to give, and so are her lips.
Bogart fell in love with her for life during the filming of this. The attraction jumps off the screen at you, doesn’t it?

Transcript:
“It’s even better when you help. Sure you won’t change your mind about this?”
“Uh, huh.”
“This belongs to me, and so do my lips. I don’t see any difference.”
“Well, I do.”
“OK. You know, you don’t have to act with me, Steve. You don’t have to say anything and you don’t have to do anything. Not a thing. Oh maybe just whistle. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.”

By: ALiCe__M

ALiCe__M — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 09:50:12 +0000

Eh eh…the whistle scene… don’t get what Bacall says just before “my lips” : this belongs to… ?I don’t see any difference.” and also what she says after “you don’t have to… do you?”
I find that, sometimes, when I don’t understand some chunks, it makes the movie all the more mysterious and seductive (but can you enlight me quand même please).

By: Anne

Anne — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 09:06:39 +0000

Ah, yes, the pronunciation! My favorite Hollywood scene of all times tells you how:

By: ALiCe__M

ALiCe__M — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 20:19:21 +0000

This is the most beautiful blogpost I’ve ever heard. I must start learning Bird, such a great language. The grammar is so clear, the intonation so lovely(tricky pronunciation though).

By: chris

chris — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 09:24:23 +0000

It’s a mystery.
Picture clues coming up.

By: Anne

Anne — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:51:49 +0000

Yes. No big deal, my Macbook does everything for me. I love the variations in birdsong. I played this recording back and listened for repetition as the blackbird sang outside, and sure enough, this guy has his own melody, with very slight variations. We usually have a pair of them out back, but last year the male was, shall we say, slightly tone-deaf.

Where were you flying to?

By: chris

chris — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 22:19:57 +0000

It’s a beautiful recording Anne – did you make it yourself?
I was a little too high for blackbirds when i wrote the poem (see image that accompanied the post)