Kitty

Nothing gives me more pleasure than "oldies," It does not matter what kind of "oldies" I am dealing with at any given moment. They make me feel good. They make things seem better.

My satellite television has many movie channels, and some others that show old television shows. Some times when I have searched the long list of shows that the new and modern movie channels offer, I get bored and look for something from the past.

The other night, I had wearied of finding anything to interest me. I turned to one of my old movie channels to see what was showing. I was not disappointed, for there at the height of her career and beauty, was the famous actress, Paulette Goddard.

There were many actresses more famous from the grand old days of Hollywood, but Paulette was and always has been one of my favorites.

Paulette was not one of the blond bombshells one expects to find in a movie star of the past. She did not have a "Marilyn Monroe" type figure either.

What Paulette had was pure talent. She began her career as a fashion model in her hometown of New York.

Later she honed her stage, dance, and comedic skills as a Ziegffeld Follies star.

I located an interesting Wikipedia note regarding her origins. Although she was from New York, and went on to become a famous actress in Hollywood, there is some indication that she had a Kansas City connection. U.S. Census records show her living there with her parents at the age of nine in 1920.

Two other mega stars who were contemporaries of Paulette's also were Kansas City residents. Joan Crawford and Jean Harlow were raised in our neighboring city to the north.

Paulette made more than 50 movies, and she also starred in later years on television. There is one movie that I always liked more than all the others. It was know by the simple title, "Kitty."

The "Pygmalion" plot of this tale is like "My Fair Lady," without the music, according to Neil Doyle a writer for USA Today. Paulette portrays a sharp-tongued guttersnipe from the worst part of London ( her accent was so good, that for a long time I thought she was really British).

I hope to find this movie online so I can watch it again. If you get the chance, it is worth the effort.

Paulette Goddard and her costar, Ray Milland are magnificent actors from the grand old days of movies.

I visited with Jack Rasnic while I wrote this article. I began to pick his brain about the movie business here in Nevada from days past.

Jack remembers that they had theaters that had higher and lower prices. He used to go to the Arbo Theater.

He could get in for the price of a nickel. The other theater, the "Star," which is located where the "Fox Theater" later resided, was the higher priced place.

They showed different quality movies, but Jack said he really did not care. Just getting to go to the movies was such a treat, that he appreciated the nickel movies just as much.

I think that's why I am so interested in the old movies. They represent a time when the magic of Hollywood was at its very best. A time when there was no television. A time when kids scraped together a little small change so they could go to the theater and be transformed.

Like Kitty, most people in America were once on the poor side of the economic spectrum of life. Unlike today when we have so much to enjoy and spend money for, the heyday of movies was back when times were tough.

In today's era mega stars make millions for each movie. Back when Paulette Goddard was a studio actress, they put her in several movies a year. She like many others from that time were paid a pittance by today's standards. Doesn't matter though. The talent and the quality are there to see if you take the time.

Yes I am a dyed-in-the-wool oldies fan. Whether it is movies, music, television, cars, or old ball games, I like the memories. I'm not saying that today's stars aren't good, but most of them have not paid nearly as many dues as actresses like Paulette.

Paulette had this devilish grin and marvelous eyes that sparkled with that grin. She could make you believe she was actually who the part wanted her to be. If you ever get the chance to see this movie or any of her others, don't miss it. I guarantee you that time has not faded one bit of her charm or elegance. Paulette or Kitty, they are both at the top of my list.