A pretty woman
Frequently, I enjoy watching old movies that I enjoyed in the past. One film was a romantic comedy, Pretty Woman (1990). That one grossed $494 million dollars world-wide. The star’s fee was $300,000 in 2003. I wonder if you can guess what gorgeous actress I’m referring to. One other hint: her parents, one-time actors and playwrights, ran a
children’s acting school in Decatur, Georgia while they were expecting Julia. Her parents married in 1955 and divorced in 1991. If I tell you that she’s gorgeous, you might guess that I’m referring to Julia Fiona Roberts. Who would have guessed that she wanted to be a veterinarian. However, aside from acting, she also was musical. That started when she got her hands on a clarinet in her high school band. In 1988 (wow – long ago). I enjoyed her performance in Mystic Pizza and just one year later in Steel Magnolias. That one resulted in her winning her first Academy award and her first Golden Globe award. But you can easily guess in the Cinderella-Pygmalion story Pretty Woman, playing an
assertive hooker with a heart of gold, that film saw the highest number of ticket sales in the United States for a romantic comedy. More films followed and many included major successes at the box office. Julia Roberts continued to earn awards. As for her private life (not very private), and after several romances and marriages and divorces, she married cameraman Daniel Moder. Together, they have three children. Julia Roberts continues to give her time and resources to UNICEF, as well as other charitable organizations. She is one busy and productive gal. As for me, I plan to watch one more time, many of her films.
children’s acting school in Decatur, Georgia while they were expecting Julia. Her parents married in 1955 and divorced in 1991. If I tell you that she’s gorgeous, you might guess that I’m referring to Julia Fiona Roberts. Who would have guessed that she wanted to be a veterinarian. However, aside from acting, she also was musical. That started when she got her hands on a clarinet in her high school band. In 1988 (wow – long ago). I enjoyed her performance in Mystic Pizza and just one year later in Steel Magnolias. That one resulted in her winning her first Academy award and her first Golden Globe award. But you can easily guess in the Cinderella-Pygmalion story Pretty Woman, playing an
assertive hooker with a heart of gold, that film saw the highest number of ticket sales in the United States for a romantic comedy. More films followed and many included major successes at the box office. Julia Roberts continued to earn awards. As for her private life (not very private), and after several romances and marriages and divorces, she married cameraman Daniel Moder. Together, they have three children. Julia Roberts continues to give her time and resources to UNICEF, as well as other charitable organizations. She is one busy and productive gal. As for me, I plan to watch one more time, many of her films.
How delightful
He’s a music legend! He’s often known as Q. Born in 1933, he’s a record producer, musician, composer, and film mogul. Enough! And there’s only one to match Quincy Jones with his wonderful middle name – Delight! Quincy (love that first name, too) is widely known as a composer and record producer for legendary musicians. His lists include Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion and Aretha Franklin. It was interesting that Q (pardon the familiarity) had talent at an early age to explore music by his teenage friend, Ray Charles. Many consider Quincy one of the greatest minds in music and television history. In spite of that, his childhood was not an easy one. He was born in Chicago’s south side. Quincy Jones has done it all. From a jazz man to a bandleader, to a Civil Rights soldier, to a producer of pop’s greatest triumphs. Recently, he conducted three Michael Jackson albums live in London. The music legend’s career spans six decades in the entertainment industry, and a record eighty Grammy award nominations. He received a fine education at the Berkley College of Music. Quincy’s instruments include trumpet, French horn, drums and vocals, too. His genres are rhythm and blues, funk, soul, and big bands. Quincy Jones lived up to his delightful middle name.
From small beginnings
Did you watch television’s The Sopranos? There were thirty episodes and I caught them all. I found myself wondering who was the brilliant mind that was able to draw on his own life. Recently, I learned that it was David Chase. Chase started in Hollywood as a story editor. He worked in relative anonymity before The Sopranos debuted. It came as no surprise to me that David Chase was inspired as a youth by the film Public Enemy. Chase explains to those interested that he drew heavily on his own personal life. He was born in to a working class Italian-American family in Mt. Vernon, NY. His father, Henry Chase, was a hardware store owner. He had changed his surname from DeCesare to Chase well before his son was born. David Chase was an only child and grew up in a small apartment in Clifton, NJ and in North Caldwell, NJ. It was not surprising to learn that he had many problems with overbearing parents when he was a child. He grew up watching crime films and eventually became known as a creative storyteller. Chase freely explains that his father was an angry man who belittled him constantly, and his mother was a passive-aggressive nervous woman who was always on the verge of hysteria. If you ever watched The Sopranos, one of his characters, Livia Soprano, was based on his mother, Norma Chase. With that background, it’s no surprise to learn that Chase struggled with panic attacks and clinical depression as a teenager. He freely admits that he has those problems, too. So how did he get to a career in films? He might have made that decision because his parents were not pleased with it. Undaunted, he went on to attend Stamford University’s School of Film. However, David Chase, when asked about The Sopranos, replied, “I have no interest in explaining, defending, reinterpreting or adding what is there.” He is currently working on a mini-series for HBO. It surprised me when I learned that David Chase
has stated that he “loathes and despises television shows.” When asked what he watches, his answer was terse and succinct – only The Sopranos and movies.
has stated that he “loathes and despises television shows.” When asked what he watches, his answer was terse and succinct – only The Sopranos and movies.
