h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi.

Sorry I missed your post for this long.

How are you?

Sincerely depressed. My holiday depression period is almost at an end. It began with Thanksgiving in November and ends with my birthday at the end of this month. Then I can settle into a regular year.

It is almost freezing here. Riding a bike in the wind to go pay rent yesterday was entertaining and a little invigorating.

Just bought a copy of some silent Douglas Fairbanks movies on DVD and a used copy of a Wallace and Gromit film. Maybe those will cheer me up.

I guess I'm lucky in so far as my birthday falls in the 'festive' period. Plus I 'escaped' any possible stress here at home by taking my sons and going to visit my parents over Christmas, and the my sister over new year. It's the first time for ages that I manage to get through the dreaded time fairly well. Still, I'm looking forward to spring.

Seems the frosty period is over here, we're into plus during the days now.

Help me, I have Douglas Fairbanks' face before me, but can't remember any film title.

Hope the films will have the wished-for effect.

"Help me, I have Douglas Fairbanks' face before me, but can't remember any film title."

Tanned smiling face, bandito mustache, short, with muscular physique. Married Mary Pickford and formed United Artists with Mary and Charley Chaplin.

The movies I just acquired are:

The Three Musketeers, 1921

The Iron Mask, 1929

Robin Hood, 1922

Thief of Baghdad, 1924

Those are the Douglas Fairbanks films.

Also:

Son of Monte Cristo, 1941, with Louis Hayward and George Sanders.
Not silent.

The Beloved Rogue, 1927, John Barrymore

East of Borneo, 1931, Rose Hobart and Charles Bickford, not silent.

and

Adventures of the Scarlet Pimpernel, 1955, Marius Goring, not silent


Douglases son, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., became an actor also, spending most of his career wearing a cravat and holding a martini while speaking in a cultivated Britich accent.

The sword fighting in "The Princess Bride" is a tribute, in part, to the physical prowess of Douglas Fairbanks in several of his epic silent films of the twenties.

And Disney's "Alladin" owes a lot to "Thief of Baghdad".

I'm sure I've seen some of those films when I was a child.
I love these 'olle Kamellen' (translates to something like: old chestnuts) as we'd say here. I hope you'll enjoy them.

Hi, hope you are well.

Your feature got the FP link, and several people left comments.

Oh, about the cartooning?
Really?
Thanks.

You're welcome.

"I'm sure I've seen some of those films when I was a child. "

You must be older than I thought you was.

My father was driving a bright red 1962 VW Beetle when I was five years old... in 1967. His previous was a 1960, the poopy green colour.

I used to drive a gold 1976 Beetle. Hated it. Got a 1968 Type 2 instead, with a 1973 Karmann Ghia engine in it that was modified to 1600cc and had a custom exhaust on it.

Oh, looking at the dates when the films were produced, I'll have seen repeats on TV. And don't forget that many films used to reach German TV much later than they were broadcast in the USA.
I was five in 1967, which makes me about as old as you, if not older (I was born in December).

Hmm. January, 1962. Fetus.

Addendum: I can't count and a 1962 auto would have been sold beginning in 1961. Yeah, I know VW supposedly didn't have year/model changes. That's horsepucky. They were always bitting an piecing.

Lets see:

1962 + 5= hmm. 7

Now why did I think I'd gotten it wrong.
Need more coffee.
Back in a half hour. I pick my own beans.

okay, now where was I?
I forgot.
Oh, making coffee. Back in a bit.

I beat you by a month and two days.

Oh, and coffee is always a good idea.

Month and two days.

Wow.

How does it feel to be ancient?
When I cerebrated my birthday recently people called me a liar.
They have always assumed I am younger... because I have always looked more immature than my legal age. Which I guess is okay because I only have two mental ages: 7 and 17...

Coffee... knew i forgot something.
I ended up in the bedroom with a guitar in my hand.

>>Coffee... knew i forgot something.
I ended up in the bedroom with a guitar in my hand. <<


Who's ancient then, eh?

The guitar is my "anti-drug". You'd be amazed how much exercise you can get.

There may come the day when I'll try that.

beats crossword puzzles for mental exercise, and beats weight-lifting for the wrists and fingers.

I'm sure you know what you're talking about, so I'll take your word for it.