Knights and Ladies and Pagentry, Oh, My!

When I was a wee one, I had the movie recording of Camelot, with Richard Harris as King Arthur, Vanessa Redgrave as Queen Guinevere and Franco Nero as Sir Lancelot. I loved that record, listening for hours to the songs until I could sing them by memory.

Was there a more congenial spot to spend than with knights of the Round Table and their ladies? Not in my opinion and I could hardly wait to introduce this wonderful musical to my children.

The girls enjoyed the songs and beautiful costumes, although at six and nearly 8, most of the storyline was not apparent to their young minds. But the songs, and the horses and jousting, wove their magic around them.

While dated in some respects, it's easy to forget that this movie won three Oscars for Best Art Direction, Best Music-Scoring and Best Costumes in 1967.

As an aside, I found it highly entertaining to find that Nero and Redgrave were paired again as lovers torn apart as young people and reunited in older age in the recent Letters to Juliet. I wondered how many of the young women in the audience with me saw the irony of these two great actors together again on screen.

Camelot fires our imagination with its songs, beauty and, of course, tragic love triangle. It's a movie that will bear repeat viewings well for both young and old, as we slip into through the mists of time to Camelot.

Next up: Anne of Green Gables

Horse Crazy With National Velvet

What girl doesn’t love a good old-fashion love story involving a girl and her horse? National Velvet is must-see viewing for young and old girls alike. The delightful debut of Elizabeth Taylor, Mickey Rooney in a serious role and, of course, the beautiful Pie makes this movie go down easy among the younger set.

The story of Velvet, a young, horse-crazy English girl, captured the imagination of my two girls. They thrilled to watch Velvet win the Pie in a lottery contest and then secretly train him to race in the National steeplechase.

This is a timeless story for any boy or girl who loves horses. I found the mother particularly moving and well-fleshed out, a sensible woman who loves her family and who gently guides them through their growing-up years. The kind of mother I aim to be as well.

While some of the story might be missed by the younger set, this will be a film seen again and again, if only for the spectacular steeplechase seen at the end.

Next up: Camelot