As a child, my parents took me to see the new movie hit, South Pacific. My father had returned to us and although a casualty of the War in the Pacific himself, he was in good spirits at that time and wanted to see the film.
Shown on a wide screen in colour with the glorious music of Rogers and Hammerstein, it was inspiring and I fell in love for the first time.
I was too young to really understand the arguments of the day regarding politics, the War itself and the attraction between the grown ups – aka the sailors and the nurses. I was however desolate that the young Joe Cable didn’t get to go back to his girlfriend and it put paid to the rest of the film for me. How could the others be happy?
Living unknowingly in the midst of the perpetuating horror of the Stolen Generations of my time, I was discretely informed while my tears were gently brushed away, that this ‘friendship’ was somehow not allowed and that’s probably why it wasn’t continued with, in the film. It was my introduction to racism and like Joe Cable had so eloquently sung with the help of Bill Lee, ‘You’ve Got to be Carefully Taught.’
I saw the film, now a Classic Movie, again for the first time just last week and have re-run it several times, enchanted with the story by James A Michener, the scenery, the dancing and singing and the acting. It’s ‘fifties’ but I think it has aged well when compared to other musicals of the era which seem stilted and highly vaudevillian, imho.
Many at the time criticized the use of filters which flood the screen with red or deep purple hues when intriguing, mysterious scenes are about to happen. Similarly golden yellow hues overlay the happy moments. I thought in a way it worked well as it gave the theatrical singing scenes, a comfortable place to be until we returned to the main storyline. However the critics’ POV was detrimental to the very popular film and did affect the actors’ futures.
Getting back to the Hero. For me it was and still is, without doubt, Joe Cable played by the actor John Kerr.
I realized this week I have often thought of him, John and ‘Joe,’ over the years and wondered ‘whatever became of…’ as one does. So he, his acting, his character’s role in the story, the screen play and how it was played out on the screen had a huge effect on my childhood view of the world. He seemed such a good young man and I related well to his gentle portrayal of his brave young character at the time.
Having decided to follow up on the ‘whatever…’ and now as a woman of an age who definitely should not be ogling such a gorgeous young man in his prime, I was impressed with the results of my research. And John Kerr, I say with a smile, is older than me in real life so I don’t feel so badly about it, really.
He was a contemporary of James Dean and in fact both were in line for roles in the many films they both made. But he took a different route in his life, relaxed his focus on Hollywood, enrolled in University and became a Lawyer.
He received bonus points from me for remaining a lifelong friend of France Nuyen his ‘girlfriend’ in South Pacific and indeed assisted her in a matter of Law later on in life. She too went back to University and became a successful professional woman. Well done both of you; if I may.
So, a truly happy ending for my first Hero who caught my attention as a child for many reasons and is also seen appraisingly from this stage of my life.
It’s highly likely that he, John or Joe, may resurface as a thoughtful, good looking, romantic Hero in one of my next books.
I hope he doesn’t mind.
whiteyokay said:
Funny y’know, WendySue … many years ago, too many to remember, I had a similar infatuation with Judy Geeson following her role in To Sir with Love.
Much later … 70s/80s … she resurfaced as the female lead (and inevitably the love interest) in that wonderful television series Danger UXB – a show built around the activities of a way too young British Army Officer during the Blitz. I watched her entry scene with wide eyes – not because it was unforgettably dramatic or even an especially talented performance, but because, for the first time, I realised how much she reminded me of someone I had known many years earlier and foolishly treated very badly.
Moments like that sneak up on you. You think you’ve erased things from your memory and finally grown up – and then out of the blue, it comes tumbling back and nags you like a melody that has lodged in your brain and is difficult to shake. JG doesn’t appear on our screens much these days and, well for me anyway, that’s a blessing in many ways.
Here’s a profound thought. Physical attributes aside, boys turn into men much later than the fairer sex and at an frustratingly uneven rate. Some boys achieve manhood very early in life and others take forever to grow up. I know I fell into the latter category and I still cringe about many aspects of the slow progression that characterised me. Half a century later and it’s too late to cry over spilt milk ….. but every now and then Judy Geeson pops up again somewhere and it all trickles back.
Dumb huh?
Whitey
wendyleslie said:
Not at all. Thanks, Whitey for your thoughtful comment.
Now that we finally have the time, do we have have too much time – to reminisce and pose largely unsolvable questions?
On a timeline, I think I’ve enjoyed recent times far more than the early years in many respects. I too was a late bloomer but I’m hoping that keeps me young in spirit a little longer. 🙂
Cheers.
whitey said:
Aaaah WendySue, with a smile like that I suspect you’ll always be young in spirit.
But on the subject of time, I have always liked Steve Jobs’ words on time …
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of other’s opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”
Unfortunately, for most of us it’s all too easy for our best intentions to be side tracked by “the secondary”, isn’t it?
Keep smiling.
Whitey
wendyleslie said:
It’s not so much the numerical parameters that define one’s life time. It’s what you do with your ‘dash’…
whitey said:
Hmmmmm ….. would that be an en dash or an em dash?