Radio Days

[Daisy Buchanan]

I just watched the movie "Radio Days". Not the best movie I've ever seen, what makes it are the clothes. They nicely portray what life was like in the "golden era" of New York City. Oh, and did I mention the clothes.... and I'm not very good with identifying hats, but the ones in this movie sure were nice. I think, from a costume and set point of view, this movie was beautiful And of course, lots of good music.
Anyone ever seen it? I had seen it years ago, but of course have a better appreciation for it now that I'm into vintage.
Not a bad movie to watch..... good source for outfit ideas, from day dresses to evening wear.

 

[Cousin Hepcat]

I just watched the movie "Radio Days". Not the best movie I've ever seen, what makes it are the clothes. They nicely portray what life was like in the "golden era" of New York City. Oh, and did I mention the clothes.... and I'm not very good with identifying hats, but the ones in this movie sure were nice. I think, from a costume and set point of view, this movie was beautiful And of course, lots of good music.
Anyone ever seen it? I had seen it years ago, but of course have a better appreciation for it now that I'm into vintage.
Not a bad movie to watch..... good source for outfit ideas, from day dresses to evening wear.

Thanks Daisy for the reccomendation / reminder. Found the "Soundtrack LP" by the Ralph Burns Big Band back in the record hunting days, loved it, and thought the still photos on the cover were Too Cool, but couldn't find the movie in Blockbuster at the time.... totally forgot about it, but now with NetFlix etc, will definitely check it out!

Swing High,
- C H

 

[RetroMom]

I've seen it several times. It is a very sweet and sentimental movie .

A couple more good Golden Era ones are "Lost in Yonkers" and my very favorite "Avalon".

 

[LizzieMaine]

I saw it when it first came out -- and thought it was a really sweet little love letter to radio and what it mean to the generation that grew up with it. And yes, it looked and sounded great. Say what one will about Woody Allen, he does have a real affinity for the Era.

 

[fortworthgal]

I've seen this movie probably a dozen times. It is very enjoyable, and yes, lots of nice clothing and music.

 

[Doctor Strange]

I've seen this film many times since its original release, and it has the distinction of being the only Woody Allen movie I have on tape - even though I love most of his films (including some of the odder ones). As others have said, there's a wonderful *sweetness* to it, and a palpable affection for his family and childhood that is very pleasant - and quite unusual for Woody's typically angst-ridden and depressed-beneath-the-laughs work. (Of course, as in all of Woody's period films, the music, sets, costumes, etc., are accurate and lovely.)

And Retromom, "Avalon" is by far my favorite Barry Levinson film, a beautiful movie that very accurately depicts the immigrant experience and the changes in the succeeding generations. Gorgeous to look at (that shot of the fireworks "on the day I came to America"!), nicely played all around, and very well observed. I don't know why it's so underrated.

"You cut the turkey?!? You don't cut the turkey!"

(Oh, and I don't much care for "Lost In Yonkers" - which is odd, 'cause it's my hometown!)

 

[CharlieH.]

I too have that movie on tape and I must say that it is, by far, one of the most beautiful movies I've seen in my life.
I don't know how he and his crew do it- everything in the movie is perfect, most notably the locations which seem to have been frozen in time. Then there's the music... *sigh*

Is it any surprise that Woody's finest films are period movies? Just take a look at The Purple Rose Of Cairo or Zelig and you get the idea.... Hehe, Vatican incident...

 

[herringbonekid]

i agree Daisy,
while being a perfectly sweet nostalgic film i really bought Radio Days on DVD for the clothes and period feel. i love the scene where the kids (dressed very well) see the woman undressing in a window, then the young Woody sees, or thinks he sees, an enemy submarine not far off the beach.

'Purple Rose of Cairo' is a good 30s companion piece.

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

I've seen it several times. It is a very sweet and sentimental movie .

A couple more good Golden Era ones are "Lost in Yonkers" and my very favorite "Avalon".

Funny, I watched "Lost in Yonkers" right after "Radio Day's".

I have noticed, in late, that there have been a lot of "period pieces" on the movie channels...Besides the ones states, "The Notebook" "Head in The Clouds" "De-Lovely", one of my favorite movies "The Aviator" what yummy clothes, all great films from a clothing point of view. It's nice to see these types of films getting so much air time. Who knows, maybe if they keep playing them, the great style from them will catch on.

I'm glad that you all saw the same thing I did in this movie.
I too am a fan of "Purple Rose of Cairo" and "Avalon"

Thanks for all of your nice comments....

 

[Atomic Glee]

The title reminds me of the old BBC song "Radio Times."

"In winter time or summer time,
for leisure time or pleasure time,
the daily times that Big Ben chimes are radio times.
For Christmas time or party time,
for dinner time and dancing time,
the daily times that Big Ben chimes are radio times.
Olden days had different ways, the pleasures then were fewer.
Modern days will get my praise, our wireless ways are newer.
For Sterling time or whirling time,
for record time or Father Time,
the daily times that Big Ben chimes are radio times."

 

[DanielJones]

Recently watched this one on TCM. I rather enjoyed it, and yes the costuming was great. And Seth Green was so little.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093818/



Cheers!

Dan

 

[Fletch]

All Woody's period pieces have their moments. But as someone who is not all that hot on his oeuvre – I find it self-centered and obsessive – I was always left with the impression that he wanted to claim the era, to have us identify it with him and his kind of stories.

I could imagine him feeling a great inward pleasure if some filmmaker put '30s or '40s touches into a movie and some critic said it was "Allenesque."

Still – Radio Days in particular had a sweet elegiac sentiment that transcended a little 9yo motormouth Brooklyn kid, his cartoonish relatives and the creaky, pompous people behind the mics.

 

[A.R. McVintage]

All Woody's period pieces have their moments. But as someone who is not all that hot on his oeuvre – I find it self-centered and obsessive – I was always left with the impression that he wanted to claim the era, to have us identify it with him and his kind of stories.

Anymore than the Coens?

 

[Fletch]

Good point.

David Gelernter, the computer scientist who was attacked by the Unibomber and then began a new career as an author, did a book a decade or so ago called 1939, about the World's Fair of that year as seen by a young New York couple, and the general tenor of those times as seen by a culturally conservative social critic (Gelernter himself).

Anyway, Gelernter, an observant Jew, made an argument that if the 20th century was the "American century," the 1930s were a particularly "Jewish decade." I guess if you consider pop culture and progressive politics to be the lasting legacies of the 30s, then yes, it was something of a showcase for an ethnic group (and their new capital, New York) who were so influential in those eras, long before they were fully accepted by mainstream society.

As culturally aware Jews, Allen and the Coens are particularly sensitive to that, and as someone of part-Italian heritage (another group that still had some rising to do), I feel close to it, too, even if I don't necessarily agree with Gelernter (and I don't, about a lot of things - but 1939 is a magical and thought provoking piece of work).

 

[Widebrim]

1930s

Good point.

David Gelernter, the computer scientist who was attacked by the Unibomber and then began a new career as an author, did a book a decade or so ago called 1939, about the World's Fair of that year as seen by a young New York couple, and the general tenor of those times as seen by a culturally conservative social critic (Gelernter himself).

Anyway, Gelernter, an observant Jew, made an argument that if the 20th century was the "American century," the 1930s were a particularly "Jewish decade." I guess if you consider pop culture and progressive politics to be the lasting legacies of the 30s, then yes, it was something of a showcase for an ethnic group (and their new capital, New York) who were so influential in those eras, long before they were fully accepted by mainstream society.

As culturally aware Jews, Allen and the Coens are particularly sensitive to that, and as someone of part-Italian heritage (another group that still had some rising to do), I feel close to it, too, even if I don't necessarily agree with Gelernter (and I don't, about a lot of things - but 1939 is a magical and thought provoking piece of work).

Good observations, Fletch (and Gelernter). The 1930s was a decade particularly influenced by Jewish Americans, particularly those of NYC and its environs. And while one could call New York "their new capital," other ethnicities could claim that as well (including our Italian forebears). In many ways, New York City was America's capital (replacing Chicago), the way Los Angeles become our new focal point in the 1950s (or at least I would like to think so ). I will try to find Gerlernter's book to get a better perspective on his thesis.

Widebrim

 

[Fletch]

I think you'll find the book well worth it. It goes back and forth between Dr. G's latter day encounters with Hattie (I forget whether she's real or fictionalized); his musings on late 30s culture (mostly New York) and the World's Fair (strictly New York—that do in San Francisco is totally beside the point); and snatches from Hattie's diary as a young woman, revolving around her romance with a young architect on Robert Moses' staff.

Just as fascinating to me as the colorful "word snapshots" from that time is Dr. G's take on the culture. He sees it as both particular (of a place and a people) and all-inclusive (of a nation).

Mostly, tho, the theme is elegiac. The promise of 1939 was not kept and couldn't have been. We had a war to fight, and it changed who we were and what we wanted. We picked up a ways from where we left off, and we were mostly glad to do so. Dr. G feels something was lost.