“MOVIE MUSICALS” (Missing) – By Des Kelly

Whatever happened to them ?, the epitome of “Movie-entertainment”, if I could call it that, is sadly missing from our television screens today, replaced by Violence, Horror, & Fantasy rubbish, to the extreme, Murders, even se sadly occurring in the past in Sri Lanka, given publicity they certainly do not deserve, have now taken the place of the “Movie-Magic” I remember, from the late 40’s & 1950’s.

Enough is enough. Television has taken over from the Movies and gives us viewers all the “Carnage” that is going on around the World, at the touch of a remote control button. There are “Stage-Musicals”aplenty around, of course, but, to get a “decent” ticket, costs an indecent amount of money, and, strangely, these costly stage-plays are mostly “copied” from the Movies I am talking about. So, what I paid 50 cents for a “gallery-seat” at the Savoy Theatre for, my children, in Australia are paying a couple of hundred dollars to see a revamped version of “Singing in the Rain”, or “The sound of Music”, to name just two.

Who can forget Movies like Rock Around The Clock, with Bill Haley & the Comets ? Crowds of young folk dancing in the Cinema Theatres and even outside. Happy, couples of boys & girls learning the rather difficult “art” of Rock n Roll dancing. Simple, beautiful, movies like “Little Women”, the 1949 version, and the best, in my opinion, introducing us boys to ” Beautiful Little Women” like Eliizabeth Taylor, June Allyson, Margaret O’Brien & Janet Leigh. This movie, even right now, in 2019, makes the viewer feel happy with life, even though things might be so different just outside their front door, (unless they are homeless, of course).

Then came “The Sound of Music”, a rather lengthy, still unforgettable Movie, so popular, it is still being shown to all and sundry, practically every year since it came out.

Because of all the rubbish on television nowadays, I think I have watched ” The Sound” at least three times. It’s a great film, now, also a Stage-Play. I loved the movie, not so much, the price-tag of a ticket to see The Sound of Music on-stage.

All this, to bring me to the real reason for this article.

She was born Doris Mary Ann Kappelhoff on the 3rd of April 1922, once again, in my opinion, the cutest, blonde bombshell of them all. Musician, Recording “Star”, Big-Band Vocalist, Actress Extraordinaire, you name it, Doris Day has done it. She started her Showbiz Career in 1939, her first recording “hit” in 1945 was “Sentimental Journey”, strangely, a journey through life, still ahead of her, filled with “struggle & strife”(like every one of us, unless we brag & lie about it), BUT, with Doris Day, Music was the “saving-grace” & to me, Doris Day “IS MUSIC”!!. There is a huge “Story” behind her, and easily available to all our on-line readers and our You-Tube viewers. Her songs are sill readily available, her movies in which she “starred” with the ‘best of them”, still bringing joy to people around the Globe, this article is dedicated to Doris Day, who will be 97 years old on the 3rd of April, 2019. Happy birthday, Doris, in anticipation, and I love you even more for the “Animal-Activist” that you now are, in addition to everything else that you’ve gifted to us.

Three Doris Day Music Clips, via You-Tube & eLanka are included. As I am in a privileged position to do so, my own “favourite” song by this Legend will be included. eLanka members & everyone, I give you Doris Day & “It’s Magic”.