settima

comedy

Françoise Durocher, Waitress (André Brassard, 1972)

Feb

9

freebie: Customer Service Day

Françoise Durocher, Waitress (1972)

A few of the 24 performers portraying waitress Françoise Durocher. DP: Thomas Vámos.

23 actresses and one person in drag play the part of Québécois waitress Françoise Durocher in seven monologues.

“One grilled cheese, two slices of toast, two coffees. One pepper steak no chili and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Two glasses of milk. One plate of spare ribs. A chicken in a basket with three cups of honey. One lean smoked meat sandwich with pickles and mustard. One two-cream coffee and two club sandwiches. Two clubs.”

– Françoise Durocher

Watch the short on the NFB website.

Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège [Zero for Conduct] (Jean Vigo, 1933)

Jan

24

International Day Of Eduction

Zéro de conduite: Jeunes diables au collège (1933)

The students on a rooftop, saluting as if part of an army. DP: Boris Kaufman.

“War is declared! Down with monitors and punishment! Long live rebellion! Liberty or death! Hoist our flag on the school roof! Stand firm with us tomorrow! We'll bombard them with rotten old books, dirty tin cans, smelly boots and all the ammo piled up in the attic! We'll fight those old goats on commemoration day! Onward!”

– Tabard, one of the students

Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie [The Saragossa Manuscript] (Wojciech Jerzy Has, 1965)

Jan

22

Dzień Dziadka

Rekopis znaleziony w Saragossie (1965)

Alfonse Van Worden (Zbigniew Cybulski) on set with the clapper loader next to him. DP: Mieczysław Jahoda.

“That very night I found myself in totally different circumstances.”

– Don Roque Busqueros

Alice's Restaurant (Arthur Penn, 1969)

Jan

13

Stephen Foster Memorial Day

Alice's Restaurant (1969)

Arlo (Arlo Guthrie, son of legendary folk musician Woody) jams with his film-dad Pete Seeger. DP: Michael Nebbia.

A songwriter as the lead.

“This song is called 'Alice's Restaurant', and it's about Alice. And the restaurant. But Alice's Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant, that's just the name of the song. And that's why I called the song 'Alice's Restaurant'.

– Arlo Guthrie, intro to “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (1967)

The Anniversary (Roy Ward Baker + Alvin Rakoff, 1968)

Jan

10

National Houseplant Appreciation Day

The Anniversary (1968)

Dear Mrs. Taggart (Bette Davis) takes a moment during the anniversary to water her many many houseplants in her winter garden. DP: Harry Waxman.

Someone is watering houseplants for National Houseplant Appreciation Day (USA)

“Shirley my dear, would you mind sitting somewhere else? Body odor offends me.”

– Mrs. Taggart

Le Pétomane du Moulin Rouge [The Fart Maniac] (1900)

Jan

7

National Pass Gas Day

Le Pétomane du Moulin Rouge (1900)

Flatulist Joseph Pujol blowing out a candle with his derrière.

Witness the world famous pétomane shot on location at the Moulin Rouge (and amazingly not at Edison's Black Maria), as saved for prosperity by Edison Studios. The large trumpet-like contraption that can be seen on the left, the Edison Kinetophone, also present in The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (William Dickson, 1894/95), recorded the sound on a cylinder, that then could be played back in synch with the picture.

 

The original audio recording that accompanied this film is lost; do check your attic.

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939)

Jan

6

National Smith Day

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Mr. Jefferson Smith (a squeaky young Jimmy Stewart) holds up a travel-guide of Washington, D.C. to Saunders (Jean Arthur). DP: Joseph Walker.

“The Chair recognizes… Senator Smith!”

– President of Senate

The Spider (Kenneth MacKenna + William Cameron Menzies, 1931)

Jan

4

World Hypnotism Day

The Spider (1931)

A masked Alexander (Howard Phillips) seated on a curule on stage. DP: James Wong Howe.