Inexhaustible Moments of 1955, Part 1

1955 blogging, part 1 of 5

Love/Hate in 1955

In these long breaks between the signature 21 Essays series, I thought I might try a new feature focused on possibilities for future series.  I’ll spin the roulette wheel to pick a year (or set of years) and then brainstorm on some potential essay topics.

So... first up on the random year generator:  1955.  And here’s my first 1955 series possibility:  21 essays on The Night of the Hunter.

This single two-minute scene alone could fuel at least 21 essays.  Robert Mitchum in the dark, singing “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.”  Lillian Gish cradling a shotgun, offering counterpoint on the choruses.  Meanwhile, the children are snuggled in their expressionist beds.  Oh, yeah.  I could definitely do 21 essays on this.

Over the next four days, I’ll be proposing some more 1955 ideas (with no promises that I’ll necessarily be getting to any of them…).  But I’m wide open to other suggestions.  Any ideas for 1955 movies, books, short stories, poems, songs, or other cultural artifacts that might inspire a good 21 Essays series?

Next blog series:  6 essays on Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (1929)
as part of the  “For the Love of Film”
Film Preservation Blogathon
May 13-18, 2012

© 2012 Lee Price