Wednesday, June 24, 2009

The Great Gatsby

I went to see The Great Gatsby in 1974 when it came out. I loved the film adapted from the great novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Loved the settings, the costumes, the actors - in fact, that movie began my obsessive decades-long crush on Sam Waterston! (Yes, I do watch every episode of Law and Order.) Years later, of course I had to buy the VHS version of the movie:

When I was still in high school, I was buying The Saturday Evening Post magazine because of my fascination with Norman Rockwell. Many of the issues at the time still featured his cover artwork and stories inside about him. This happened to be one of those I acquired back then, with a photograph of Mia Farrow as Daisy on the cover:
I bought the paperback version of the novel in 1974, as well:
I don't believe I ever purchased the soundtrack album - although I would love to have it! For now, I'll have to settle for these two pieces of sheet music from my collection - these two songs were included in the film:
But the song that I most associate with my memories of seeing this film for the first time back then is "What'll I Do?" by the fabulous Irving Berlin.
I love period films, and I'm glad I have this one. I think I need to watch it again.
"What'll I do when you are far away, and I am blue, what'll I do? What'll I do when I am wondering who is kissing you, what'll I do?
What'll I do with just a photograph to tell my troubles to?
When I'm alone with only dreams of you that won't come true, what'll I do?"

9 comments:

  1. i am sure you have seen the coke commercial with judy garland singing that song. i love it soooo much. my parents subscribed to saturday evening post and there were lots of them in the cottage after my mom passed and my brother threw them all away! boo hoo......i saw that movie in the theatre as well - it was before i moved to calif and it was at the michigan theatre that was soooo ornate - simply beautiful theatre that no longer exists today - another boo hoo. what'll i do..........again heidi thanks for the memories!

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  2. I was only 4-years-old when this movie was first released! But, years later, I watched it in my high school English class and enjoyed it quite a bit.

    From what I could tell, it captured the era perfectly. It evoked such a leisurely romantic mood, from the excellent wardrobe to beautiful sets and cinematography. I have a few of its awesome visuals permanently etched into my mind. For example, there was a scene or two that featured huge open windows by the pool with long white curtains billowing in the breeze... Just gorgeous!

    I haven't seen it in ages, but now I'm wanting to watch it again! In fact, I will probably just buy it. Certainly worth owning!

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  3. well anthony i was more than 4 - but the scene you describe is one of the scenes i recall as well.

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  4. Heidi - I was buying the Saturday Evening Post at the same time for the same reason ("Rockwell fandom") although I wasn't quite in high school yet! :). They had just reintroduced the magazine as a monthly after it had been off sale for a few years. I remember buying that very issue from the 7-Eleven!

    And surprisingly, I've never seen "Gatsby"!

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  5. for all you norman rockwell fans - my dad was huge one and i became one too - for christmas one year i bought him the big thick book of rockwells work and after he passed he still had it lovingly in the box it came in with the card that i put with it. love norman rockwell.

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  6. I love the movie too, and wish I could dress like that and look that good in those kind of dresses!

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  7. The first issue of PEOPLE magazine also had Farrow as Daisy on the cover.

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  8. it certainly was a great movie.

    I came across this post hoping someone had posted the soundtrack!

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