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Lydia Hamessley

@lydiahamessley.bsky.social

420 followers 260 following 820 posts

Musicologist. Author — Unlikely Angel: The Songs of Dolly Parton (U of Ill Press) and Dolly Parton’s Jolene (Oxford Univ. Press). Professor of Music, Hamilton College. Cyclist, banjo player, old movies, antique quilts. 🪕🐈🎶🚵🏼‍♀️🚴🏼 #TCMParty

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 2h

Featuring Veronica Cartwright in another “crying her eyes out” role. I always found her crying annoying, but very realistic, unlike Margaret O’Brien, who usually cried a little too sweetly, though she was amazing in being able to cry like that. #TheBirds #TheChildren’sHour #TCMParty

A picture of Veronica Cartwright and a Peter Pan collared dress at about the age of 10 or 11. She’s crying.

Reposted by Lydia Hamessley

Chris Sturhann @chrissturhann.bsky.social · 3h

The love birds leaning with the turns is my favorite thing about #TheBirds #TCMParty

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 3h

No one mentioned this?! #Vertigo #HighAnxiety #TCMParty #brilliantspoof

youtu.be/rHrQC67aPBU?...

HIGH ANXIETY (1977) "MEL BROOKS"

YouTube video by MADWORLD1427

youtu.be

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 3h

I always assumed it was the very same night.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 3h

It’s the height of hypocrisy that he throws shade on Elster for trying to transform her into his wife in order to do the scam. That’s exactly what Johnny did. She was “a very apt pupil” for both of them. #Vertigo #TCMParty

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 3h

And her line when he says he can’t get the necklace fastened: “can’t you see?” Then he looks in the mirror & sees. Like the end of Charlie Chaplin’s City Lights. He asks the formerly blind gal if she can see now, & she says “yes, I can see now” as she realizes who he is. #TCMParty. #Vertigo.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

She’s very good. When she opens the door and sees him, she doesn’t show any bit of surprise. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Yes!!! Those online classes were great! I did the Hitchcock one as well as the film noir one. I wish they do more of them! #TCMParty

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Midge in #Vertigo.
Rob in #TheBestYearsOfOurLives.
As Kenan Thompson says on SNL, what’s up with that?

Keenan Thompson, in a pink suit singing what’s up with that.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Same setup? 3 window panels with the same kind of shades.
#Vertigo #RearWindow #TCMParty

Looking out of midge’s apartment. There are three windows with bamboo type shades.

Looking out of Jeff’s apartment. They’re also three windows with the same type of shade.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Here comes the most cringe scene in #Vertigo, perhaps in almost any movie. #TCMParty.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Carlotta’s theme is a Habanera. She was Mexican/Spanish, not Cuban. But Hollywood just musically conflates all of those identities. #Vertigo #TCMParty

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

I agree with you. I guess I think of her as poor Midge because Hitch just uses her as a foil & disappears her later. She’s the smartest one in the film: Mozart isn’t going to help. And it’s clear that she was the one that broke off their engagement: she knew he wasn’t into it. #Vertigo #TCMParty

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Reposted by Lydia Hamessley

Jon Cooper @joncooper-us.bsky.social · 11h

Yes indeed!

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

Poor Midge. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 4h

She’s exiting that bedroom with the same kind of movements as when she later exits the bathroom when she’s finally re-transformed into Madeleine. Here she wears red, not green like later. The music is the same but without the big climactic finish that we get in the later scene. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

This musical cue when he’s rescuing, her from the bay is very reminiscent of Herrmann’s theme from #NorthByNorthwest. #TCMParty. #Vertigo.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

I really like #ShadowOfDoubt. You can’t go wrong with Teresa Wright! 😍 #TCMParty

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

I believe Herrmann died just a few hours after he finished the score for #TaxiDriver. #TCMParty.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

Madeleine‘s ruse is so convincing, that even after my students have seen the film and know the whole set up, they still wanna know how Madeleine disappeared at this hotel. I have to remind them that this is all part of the set up. #Vertigo. #TCMParty. #GrandmaWalton.

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

Yup. It’s all about the constant ostinato(s). A perfect musical representation of obsession. My students love studying this film score. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

Me too!! I saw #RearWindow and I was blown away. I had seen it a long time prior to that when I was a kid. But seeing it on the big screen in my 20s was amazing. I kept thinking, Grace Kelly, where have you been all my life? #Vertigo #TCMParty

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Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

Bernard Herrmann sure did like the bass clarinet. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

When he opens the door into the flower shop, it goes from what is essentially monochromatic to ravishing color. Just like in #TheWizardOfOz. #Vertigo. #TCMParty.

Lydia Hamessley @lydiahamessley.bsky.social · 5h

Check out the mirror that gives us two Madeleine’s as they exit the restaurant. Maybe Chekhov’s mirror. Remember the mirror/necklace scene late in the film? IYKYK. #VERTIGO #TCMParty

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