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Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Great Depression. Show all posts

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Continued Sneak Preview


Two years later, Mutt, who's now remarried and has another child, goes to the Nolans' with his younger daughter (who is Maggie) to find Eileen to apologize to her and bring her back home. At the Nolans' home, Mutt finds that his oldest daughter, who is now ten, is part of a girls' singing group—as is Kimmy, whom Eileen seems to have forgiven—which is owned by the Nolans. When Eileen spots her father after a singing rehearsal, she turns away in a huff. Mutt approaches her and says, "Now, Eileen, I've come to take you home!" Eileen snaps, "I'm not going home with you! I've had a great life here! The Nolans treat me well! They even built me a refuge building where I can take care of injured animals till they get well enough to be released back into the wild!" Mutt says, "I've changed my ways, honey, but I'll get to that later. First, I wanna introduce you to your half-sister, Sheila. She's already a year and a half old." Eileen asks, "What do you mean, 'half-sister?' Don't you mean 'sister' since you got her from the orphanage? How dare you replace me? Take her back!" Mutt says, "No, she really is your half-sister! I got married again after you left." Eileen asks, "So you replaced Mom as well as me? You know I still miss her after she died three years ago. And who is this new woman anyway? Is she some whore that you picked up at the bar while drunk?" Mutt says, "No, I met her at a nightclub and we quickly fell in love. I gave up the alcohol after you ran away because I knew it was the cause of all of our troubles. I still have my friends but I only see them at work. I don't know why I didn't wanna be on your team at that party two years ago. I was such a jerk. And you didn't notice it, but I had brought my flask along in a paper bag and I always drank out of it. (Eileen groans) Now please come home so you can meet your stepmother. We've got a new house as a matter of fact!" Eileen asks, "So you finally sold that shack you called our house." Mutt says, "Yes. I'm sorry I didn't pay attention to you earlier. And don't forget that even though I didn't pay much attention to you, I still loved you. Although there are two more women in my life right now and you're growing up, you'll always be my little girl." Eileen smiles and hugs her father tightly. She holds her father's hand as she walks out the door with him and her half-sister. Yet, on her way out the door, Eileen says to her former caretakers, "Mr. and Mrs. Nolan, thanks for taking care of me but I think I'm gonna go home now. My father may not be perfect but damn it, he's the best father there is, and I love him." Mrs. Nolan says, "Well, it was nice having you living with us. Your father is very lucky to have a child like you." Mr. Nolan says, "It's very sad to see you go, Eileen. Take care now." After some time, Mutt brings his daughter to the new house, which is quite a charming little building. In the house, Eileen sees her stepmother (who is Ann Sheridan, one of James Cagney's many leading lady co-stars [she was in Angels with Dirty Faces, Torrid Zone, and City for Conquest]) and asks, "My stepmother! I hope you're not mean! What's your name?" Her stepmother says, "I'm not mean but I'm pretty tough. My name is Arlene and I will be your stepmother." Eileen says, "My life is getting better already!" So, right then and there, the O'Hara family lived happily ever after.

(A little note: Mutt O'Hara's deceased wife is Colleen O'Hara [who is Joan Blondell]. She died of a deadly poisonous rattlesnake bite.)
James Cagney, Hollywood Nocturne

Sneak Preview of Future Part of my Imagination Story which Includes Cagney

Foreword: Please do not take this little story seriously or get a bad impression of James Cagney since the Cagney character gives one the impression of that he does not care about his child. Sure, we all expect the pugnacity from James Cagney but I think I embellished it a little bit too much. This story came to me in a dream and I felt like I had to write it down. Also, the main characters' last name is the same last name of one of James Cagney's characters from one of his movies. Try to guess which one! So, anyway, here's the story which is a future addition to my imagination story which includes Cagney:
One night, Lisa has a weird dream about James Cagney; she dreams that she is a kindhearted, free-spirited eight-year-old girl named Eileen O'Hara who lives with her father Mutt (who is James Cagney) in a small town in New Mexico (let's say, about an hour north of Albuquerque). Mutt O'Hara is a hard-drinking, pugnacious widower, womanizer, and trucker who does his trucking business with his friends (who are James Cagney's real-life friends Pat O'Brien, Frank McHugh, etc) and spends much more time with them than he does with his daughter. One day after school, Eileen decides to visit her father at work and brings along an injured animal (as you can tell, Eileen has a big heart for injured animals). Mutt spots his daughter and asks her, "Eileen, why aren't you at home?" Eileen says, "I'm tired of being cooped up in that shack! And besides, I wanna visit you, Dad, 'cause I don't get to see you that often! (Shows her father the porcupine) I found an injured porcupine. Can I take it home so I can nurse it back to phone and then release back into the wild?" Mutt says, "Fine! Just don't come crying to me when it spikes ya!" He and his friends laugh while a frowning Eileen sits in the back of the truck and tends to the injured porcupine. Just then, the Nolans (who are Homer and Marge [Simpson]), one of the O'Haras' close friends, walk by and smile when they see Eileen taking care of the poor, injured porcupine. Mr. Nolan shouts to Mutt, "You're a lucky guy, Mr. O'Hara! Your daughter Eileen is quite a sweetheart!" Mutt says, "Thanks, Mr. Nolan, but she's my child and she's not for sale." Eileen says, "You say that, Dad, but then you never show me any affection." Mutt says, "Don't you dare give me any of that sass, missy!" Mrs. Nolan says, "We don't wanna buy her, Mr. O'Hara. We were just saying what a lucky guy you are for having a child like this." The next day, the O'Haras go to a party being held by Eileen's schoolfriend Kimmy Riordan (who is Shirley Temple), whose family isn't exactly rich but has more money than the O'Haras. During the party, Mutt seems to be doting on his daughter since he is always on her team in every game they play (including the game that seems to teach physics). However, when it comes to the softball game, Eileen and Kimmy are made captains of the two teams. Eileen asks her father, "Dad, would you like to be on my team?" Mutt says, "I'm sorry, Eileen, but I'd rather be on Kimmy's team." Eileen gasps and shouts at Kimmy, "You stole my father's affections! I'm never talking to you again! (To her father) And you, Dad, you're a good-for-nothing drunkard who sleeps with women and then kicks 'em outta the house the next morning 'cause you were too drunk to remember meeting them the night before! (Starts crying) Plus I don't like it when your friends come over and you guys play poker while smoking heavy cigars! And then you guys leave the house and go out on the town where you guys drink hard liquor at nightclubs and pubs but then get kicked out when you start a fight! But that doesn't matter anymore 'cause I'm running away!" Mutt asks, "Running away? (Scoffs) Where are you gonna go? I'm the only one you got!" Eileen shouts, "With the Nolans 'cause they love me!" She then runs away in a fit of tears. Kimmy says to Mutt, "I don't know what she was talking about, Mr. O'Hara. I wasn't trying to steal your affections. I don't know why you would wanna be on my team anyway. I hope Eileen isn't really mad at me! Anyway, we need a new team captain! (To her other guests) Who wants to be the captain of the other team?!" Randy McDowell (who is Bart), who is a bully at Eileen's school, shouts, "I wanna be a captain! (To Mutt) You're gonna be on my team, Mr. O'Hara!"

(To be continued. Please comment on this blog & tell me what u think of this story.)

My Imagination Story which includes Cagney Part 2

Marge says, “Millions of people will be rushing to the bank before they shut down to rescue their savings.” Homer says, “And if they don’t get their money, that’s their loss! They’ll suffer in the Depression.” Grampa says, “The Great Depression didn’t just affect the US; it affected the whole world, especially Germany.” Raphael says, “That’s right, Abe; and that gives Hitler an advantage.” Lisa says, “I expect that you remember something from the Great Depression, Grampa.” Grampa says, “Well, I did grift a lot.” Bart says, “Yeah, I heard a lot of people did that back then.” Marge says, “You didn’t grift during the Depression, Grampa. You were probably a young boy during that time. Maybe you remember being evicted from your home or not having enough money to buy new clothes.” Homer says, “Maybe you remember the milkman or FDR’s speeches or five-and-ten stores.” Grampa says, “Maybe I do and maybe I don’t…I do.” The Simpsons gather around to listen to Grampa’s personal anecdotes of the Great Depression. Two months later (December), during Hitler’s Christmas party at the Hofbrauhaus, Bart, drunk from the many eggnogs he drank, wanders the streets of Munich while looking for James Cagney (he won’t have any success finding Cagney since the actor is in New York or someplace else in the US). Lisa goes out looking for her brother and finds him throwing up in the Mariensplatz. She approaches him and says, “Oh, Bart. Let’s get you back to Hitler at the Hofbrauhaus.” Seven days later, the year 1930 is born. Bart says to Maggie, “Happy New Year, Maggie! But it ain’t gonna be a Happy New Year for some people. Suckers!” Subsequently, the Simpson children go outside and play in the snow (they are at Haus Wachenfeld). Lisa shouts, “Snowball fight!” She picks up a handful of snow and balls it into a snowball. She then throws the snowball at an unaware Bart and it hits him in the face. Lisa laughs, “Ha-ha, Bart! I got you good!” Bart says, “You are so gonna get it, Lise!” He collects a huge handful of snow and balls it into a great, big snowball. He then throws the snowball at Lisa, but unfortunately for him, Lisa ducks as the snowball flies towards her. The snowball flies over Lisa’s head and hits Homer, who is pulling Maggie around on a sled, in the butt instead. Homer shrieks in surprise while Bart and Lisa laugh in amusement (the typical Simpson image). Lisa says, “Way to go, Bart! Although you missed me, it was still a pretty nice shot!” Homer shouts wrathfully, “Bart threw that snowball!? (To Bart) Why you little…!” Bart says to his sister angrily, “Lisa, you blew my cover! Now Homer’s gonna get me!” Next, Homer chases Bart in a rage, aiming to strangle for his misdemeanor (as Homer always does); the father and son literally circumvent the grounds around Haus Wachenfeld during their chase. Lisa and Maggie sit on the steps of the villa and watch their angry father—or mad dad—chase their brother repeatedly in a circle (Raphael is sick with the flu and is therefore inside in bed). A week later, Grampa stops hanging out with two of his grandchildren and the Nazis; in fact, he is replaced with Homer. Bart says to his friends, “Guys, my grandfather ain’t gonna hang out with us anymore. Instead, my father Homer is gonna hang out with us from now on.” Hitler and the Nazis murmur to each other with agreement. Homer says to his son, “Listen, boy, ‘cause I’m now with you and the Nazis, you’re mine to strangle and push around!” Bart says, “Do your worse! Hitler’s got my back! (To Hitler) Ain’t that true, Adolf? Don’t you have my back?” Unsure of what Bart’s slang means, Hitler asks, “What?” Bart asks, “Oh, I’m sorry. Perhaps you ain’t familiar with my street slang? Or maybe you ain’t seen a gangster film? I mean, do you support me?” Hitler says, “Yes, of course I do. But may I ask what I’m supporting you in or on? I’m a little confused about this.” Bart says, “I’m sorry; I said the wrong thing. I meant are you gonna protect me when my father tries to strangle me?” Hitler says, “Yes, of course I will. My men will compress him if he ever tries to touch you in such a way.” Bart smirks at Homer and sticks his tongue out at him. Homer angrily gets ready to strangle his son and says, “Why you little…!” However, two Storm Troopers hold him back by the arms. Bart says to himself, “I have gotta stop thinking about James Cagney whenever Homer does that.” Surprisingly, Homer hears him and asks in fury, “What didja say about me?” Bart growls and shouts in frustration, “I wasn’t talking ‘bout you! I was talking ‘bout James Cagney!” Homer asks, “Oh, James Cagney, eh? You probably admire James Cagney more than you admire me, do ya? (Bart crosses his arms, rolls his eyes and doesn’t answer him) Well, do ya?” Bart says pensively, “Hmm…’Bout the same. I admire lotsa people, Dad: Adolf Hitler, Itchy & Scratchy, Krusty the Clown, Harpo Marx, James Cagney, and you. Even though James Cagney does cool things like shoot people, he doesn’t get away with things like you and Harpo do. You’ve seen his movies where he goes to prison.” Homer says, “Uh, Bart, the crimes James Cagney does in his movies are more serious than the crimes Harpo and I do. Besides, he doesn’t go to prison in all of his movies…” Hitler says, “We’re going to leave you two alone now. (To the Storm Troopers holding Homer) Men, let go of Herr Simpson.” The Storm Troopers obey their Führer and release Homer from their clutches. As soon as Hitler and the Nazis leave, Homer continues to his son, “Anyway, as I was saying, James Cagney doesn’t go to prison in all of his movies. Like in Footlight Parade, he didn’t even play a criminal; in fact, he played a producer of musicals.” Bart says, “I remember ‘em being prologues of some sort. I oughta check with Raphael on that.” Homer says, “It doesn’t matter. Anyway, you wanna hear a story about James Cagney? (Bart nods his head eagerly)…” Homer continues, “…Well, you know how Lisa and I traveled to the US in March 1935 to go to Salt Lake City, UT, to see the Marx Brothers test A Night at the Opera on the road? Anyhoo, after meeting the Marx Brothers while seeing their many shows in that city for half a week, we took a train to Los Angeles since we we weren’t gonna go there with you in 1936 or 1937. In LA, we went to the Pico Drive-in Theater to see a James Cagney movie ‘cause we felt like it (it was so nice to be in that warm California weather after being in that freezing Utah weather). Luckily, they gave us a double-feature, which was two Cagney pictures from 1934, I think—Jimmy the Gent and Here Comes the Navy-.” Bart interrupts him, “Wait a minute! You went to a James Cagney movie without me? Oh my God, Dad! Where didja and Lisa sit at the drive-in if you didn’t have a car?” Homer says, “Easy! We sat on the rooftop of someone’s car through the entire two movies while eating snacks from the concession stands. Once the movies were both over, we immediately left the drive-in. Since you can only drive in LA, we decided to hitchhike along the streets heading into Culver City. Unfortunately, our hitchhiking idea failed. (I even told Lisa to imitate Claudette Colbert in the famous hitchhiking scene from It Happened One Night to attract the drivers. But she protested, saying that adult male drivers would not be attracted by a child’s legs.) At that moment, we saw a car park in front of a store near us. And can you guess who got outta that car: Who else but the great James Cagney!?” Bart stares at him in disbelief and asks, “You saw James Cagney in person!? (Stomps his feet indignantly) Dammit! I’m so jealous!” Homer says, “And ‘course, Bart, your very thoughtful sister Lisa ran up to Cagney to get his autograph for you but he went into the store before she could catch him. So we hid in the backseat of James Cagney’s car and waited for him to come out. When Jimmy Cagney did come outside to his car, he didn’t really see us as he got into the driver’s seat…” Homer continues, “…He then started his car and started driving somewhere. But we didn’t know where he was driving to ‘cause we were practically under the seat and couldn’t look out the window. In a short time, we stopped somewhere. We waited till Cagney was outta the car to see where we were. Once Cagney got outta the car, we discovered we were at the Warner Brothers Studios in Burbank so we decided to follow Cagney to whatever soundstage his movie was being filmed on. We followed him very secretly to the soundstage where we discovered they were filming G-Men-.” Bart interrupts him impatiently, “Get to the part where Lisa finally gets James Cagney’s autograph for God’s sake!” Homer says, “Hold your horses! I’m getting to that part! Anyhoo, we stood by James Cagney’s trailer and waited for him. He was surprised to see us when he came out. We introduced ourselves and explained to him how we got here by stowing away in his car. He was pretty nice about it ‘stead of getting mad about the way he usually does in his films. Lisa then asked him for his autographs. He gave her two autographs: One for her and one for you.” Bart says, “And that autograph holds a special place in my scrapbook: Right on the same page as the Marx Brothers’ autographs.” He opens his scrapbook and turns to the page containing James Cagney’s and the Marx Brothers’ autographs. Homer says, “Anyway, James Cagney invited us to stay and watch the filming of G-Men. It was a fun experience.” Bart says, “In September 1936, when Grampa, Raphael, and I went to Los Angeles to see the filming of the Marx Brothers movie A Day at the Races, Harpo took us to the Pico Drive-In Theater in Los Angeles to see two James Cagney movies from 1934, I think—The St. Louis Kid and He Was Her Man. It was after Irving Thalberg died, and filming of A Day at the Races halted.” Homer says, “Did Harpo like the movies?” Bart says, “He thought The St. Louis Kid was pretty funny. But he wasn’t very fond of He Was Her Man. Anyhoo, when I came back to Los Angeles—this time, with Mom and Maggie—in January 1937 to watch the rest of the filming of A Day at the Races, Harpo Marx took us back to the Pico Drive-In Theater in Los Angeles…” Bart continues, “…One day after filming in early February to see a James Cagney movie from 1933, I think, and another one from 1932, I think—Lady Killer and The Crowd Roars. I ‘member then that we ain’t seen Lady Killer afore in the theaters ‘cause I ain’t seen it afore then. And I ain’t seen The Crowd Roars afore then either.” Homer says, “Really? I thought we saw all of the 1933 James Cagney movies.” Bart says, “That’s what I thought too but I guess not. Anyhoo, when you told me that you and Lisa went to a drive-in theater in Los Angeles to see those two James Cagney movies from 1934…” Bart continues, “…I shoulda known that you guys sat on the rooftop of a car ‘cause that’s what you and I did at the Valley Stream Drive-In Theater on Long Island, NY…” Bart continues, “…When we saw a sweet James Cagney movie from 1938, I think—Angels with Dirty Faces…” Bart continues, “…Raphael and Lisa were sitting on another car rooftop and they kept covering Maggie’s eyes during the shooting scenes.” Homer asks, “Wasn’t that after we had seen At the Circus and The Wizard of Oz at an MGM moviehouse in New York City?” Bart says, “Yes, Dad. It was back in October 1939. And don’t forget that we saw The Roaring Twenties and Each Dawn I Die at the Warner Brothers moviehouse in New York City too. We went to the one on Delancey Street.” Homer says, “That’s right! You wanted to see The Oklahoma Kid but we ended up seeing The Roaring Twenties ‘cause Raphael said James Cagney wouldn’t look good in a Western.” Bart says, “Yes but still, fuck what Raphael said! Even if it did suck, it woulda been cool to see James Cagney as a bandit cowboy.” Just then, Lisa approaches her father and brother and says to the latter, “Remember, Bart, you owe me big ‘cause of that autograph from James Cagney.” Bart asks her, “Really? What do I owe you?” Lisa says, “Oh, you don’t know, do you? You owe me a trip around Hollywood and Beverly Hills to see all the movie stars the next time we go to Los Angeles! Lesser-known stars don’t count!” Bart asks, “Can you tell Raphael that he still owes me a trip to the movies to see The Oklahoma Kid?” Lisa says, “That movie hasn’t been made yet, Bart. It won’t be made till 1939.” At that moment, Raphael comes in and says, “It’s hard to believe that we’re now in the ‘30s after being stuck in the ‘20s all this time. (To Bart) Bart, I’ll take you to see The Oklahoma Kid and Torrid Zone in the next TTA.” Bart asks, “Huh? Oh right! You know everything we talk about.” Lisa says to Homer, “Dad, it’s gonna be weird without you being with us. (To herself) Wait a minute! That doesn’t seem like correct grammar.” Homer says to her, “Don’t worry, sweetie; just be good to your mother and everything will seem normal.”


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