High Society

One of the perks of getting old (no - I don't have my bus pass yet!) is getting into things free! I thought it might rain yesterday, so popped into the Duke of York's cinema for a free-to-oldies showing of High High, High Sauce Eye, High Soss Eye Ah Tea, part of the Celebrating Age festival. What a toe-tappingly spendid film, and Grace Kelly has to be the most gorgeous actress who ever lived. She was sensational. Well, Did You Evah? And that's jazz! We were also treated to a 1950s travelogue on Brighton which caused much mirth by the contemporary usage of the word 'gay', eg 'The Palace Pier has to be the gayest pier in Britain' etc, and much overt sexism in the commentary. Plus there was a Pathe news item on The Promettes, trainee models dressed as air hostesses working out of a caravan and giving helpful advice to tourists (but not single men!). We got a scratchy animation from the National Film Board of Canada called Blinkity Blank (1955). And in the intermission three ice-cream girls, dressed in period costume, appeared - but unfortunately they didn't venture up to the balcony where I was sitting with my wobbly glass of Budvar so I couldn't tell if choc-ices were on offer. Come to think of it, they didn't have bars in cinemas back then, so I got the best of both worlds! No 'Buttons' to throw out unruly customers. No B-film, but I'm not greedy! Many thanks to the DoY for that lovely gift, and I'll be along to see Cars, presently.