Saturday 9: Over There

Saturday 9: Over There (1942)
... because it's 4th of July 

Unfamiliar with this rendition? Hear it here.

1) George M. Cohan wrote this song in 1917, inspired by our country's entry into WWI. It was not only popular with the young men who enlisted, it was reassuring to their families. Tell us about a time when music was a comfort to you.  No specific time comes to mind, but I find comfort and encouragement in hymns and other Christian songs all the time. They remind me I do not have to make my way through this crazy world alone.

2) "Over There" was revived at the start of WWII, and President Franklin Roosevelt cited this song specifically when he awarded Cohan with the Congressional Gold Medal. What's your favorite patriotic song?  God Bless the USA followed closely by Toby Keith's American Soldier.

3) This rendition of the song is from the 1942 film, Yankee Doodle Dandy. James Cagney won an Oscar for his performance as George M. Cohan. Also nominated that year was Gary Cooper, who portrayed a different Yankee, Lou Gehrig, in Pride of the Yankees. Tell us about a movie biography you have enjoyed.  Yikes, so many of the biographies I've seen have been intense and unsettling to watch...Schindler's List, Goodfellas, The Irishman, and American Sniper for example. I really had to think to come up with any I could say I honestly enjoyed and all I've come up with this morning is The Blind Side and Hidden Figures. Both are wonderfully inspirational and with Hidden Figures I was totally amazed that those women never got the credit they were due before that. They were pretty much the reason the space program succeeded. 

4) Cagney had a rebellious streak. His boss, studio head Jack Warner, nicknamed Cagney, "The Professional Againster." Cagney joked that he was proud of the title. How about you? Are you rebellious?  It depends on the situation. I'm not a "professional againster" but I do struggle a bit when someone in authority tells me to do something stupid.

5) In the clip linked above, a woman sings with Cagney. Her name was Frances Langford, nicknamed the "GI Nightingale" because during WWII she performed for the troops at bases throughout Europe, North Africa and the South Pacific. Do you have any nicknames?  Tim calls me "Ace" sometimes, but no other names have really stuck over the years.

6) In 1942, when audiences were enjoying this performance of "Over There" in movie theaters, the fashion trend was for mothers and their young daughters to wear identical dresses. Moms would buy lots of fabric and patterns for the same casual day dress in both their own sizes and their little girls'. Can you sew?  No, but my mom can and she used to dress us in matching dresses for Easter when I was little.

7) The Fourth of July means we're in the middle of summer. Are you careful about applying sunscreen?  Absolutely. This meme sums up my summer sun experience.

8) Mosquito bites can be a major summer annoyance. Are you scratching any itches right now?  No bites or rashes so far.

9) Celebrity chef Rachael Ray says she considers mini-hamburgers, or "sliders," the All-American food. What will you be eating this 4th of July?   I don't know. Probably nothing special as I don't think we are picnicking with the family. Our son-in-law wants to have his parents over for a cookout and they are a little strange. If they know anyone else will be there, they won't come...or they'll only come for a very short time and they won't eat. They do it every year on the kids' birthdays. Anyway, we'll probably just throw something on the grill and not make a big deal out of it.