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darksidechick823 · 4 years ago

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Snow Games

“Sometimes two people have to fall apart to realize how much they need to fall back together.” --Colleen Hoover

Part One Here Part Two Here

This is an alternate post-sequel AU that blends film canon with concept ideas from some of the deleted scenes. Plus, my own “how-it-could-have-happened”. It is the third in a multi-part mini fic that will cover several different prompts of 2020’s @hansannafortheholidays

Day 6: Winter Wonderland/Outdoor Activities

Summary: Queen Charlotte finally gets to spend some quality time with Anna, and they have a heartfelt chat on lost love. And, in an attempt to help cheer Anna up, she forces rallies the Westergaard men into participating in some harmless outdoor fun, but not everything goes according to plan.

“Did you know that I woke up to flowers at my bedside table this morning?” Anna asked. “They were gorgeous! It was such a lovely surprise. You wouldn’t happen to know where they came from… would you?”

Queen Charlotte shook her head, but there was the briefest glimpse of a knowing smile on her face just before she answered. “Can’t say I do.”

Anna raised her brow. “Why don’t I believe you?”

Charlotte laughed, “Because deep down, you know who it was from.” She tugged the blanket tighter over her lap. “And I was sworn to secrecy, so you won’t get any real answers out of me, anyway.”

The two queens were lounging on large outdoor chairs outside the castle’s south entrance. Servants cleaned off the furniture from the recent heavy snowfall and cleared away the stone deck overlooking the yard just beyond the steps. It was cold outside, but the women were kept warm wrapped in their cloaks, gloves, bonnets, and all snuggled under warm blankets. Agatha, Queen Charlotte’s lady’s maid and all-around right hand, had even brought out warm mugs of cider for them to drink. This was the first real chance since Anna arrived to spend some decent time with Charlotte. Though why the queen chose such a strange setting was beyond her. They could have easily found a quiet part of the castle to chat instead of the cold. But the sun was shining, and the breeze was light. In all, it was a lovely day, and Anna did enjoy the fresh air. Better than constantly being cooped up in the castle.

“So… what’s going on?” Anna asked as Agatha refilled her mug. “I know you’re up to something.”

Charlotte laughed, and before she was given much chance to respond, there was the sound of the castle doors bursting open and several footsteps approaching. The Westergaard princes had all filed out and moved to stand against the short stone wall overlooking the grounds. As Anna glanced at the men’s faces, she could see that a good half of them did not seem pleased about being outside.

Are they all in on it too? She wondered.

“Oh wonderful! You’re all here.” Charlotte briefly handed her mug to Agatha and unbundled herself from her cozy seat. “Shall we get started?”

“Not all of us are present.” Tomas sighed. “Astor won’t be coming.”

“What? Why not?” Charlotte asked, clearly disappointed.

“Freddie needed him, last I heard.” Alexei said. “Something about matters of state.”

“Everything is a matter of state with that man.” Charlotte sighed. “Oh, very well. We’ll just have to make do without him.”

“Well, if Astor could get out, then I want to go back inside.” Lars complained as he shoved on his gloves. “It’s freezing out here!”

“Maybe if you had some meat on your bones you wouldn’t freeze to death.” Derrick grumbled.

“Oh gentlemen, don’t start whining.” Charlotte said sternly with her hands on her hips. “No one is going back inside. It’s a beautiful day, and we’re all going to have some harmless fun.” She turned to Anna with a smile on her face. “In honor of our lovely holiday guest, we’re going to have a snowman-building-contest!”

Anna’s eyes immediately went wide as excitement started to grow within. “Wait, what? Really??”

“…Really.” Dirk deadpanned.

“To encourage cooperation and teamwork.” Charlotte explained with emphasis. “Now go on down there and split off into teams. I think pairs would work best. The more creations to judge, the better!”

Dirk groaned loudly. “What’s in it for us?”

“Yeah!” Tomas chimed in. “What does the winner get?”

“It’ll be a surprise given out by Frederick.”

Anna’s eyed widened as she leaned over to tug on Charlotte’s arm. “Really?”

Charlotte sat back down and whispered as quietly as she could. “No. I completely made that up. But don’t tell them. It was hard enough just to get them all out here.”

Anna tried to stiffen her giggles and straightened back up in her seat. The princes hadn’t really moved or bothered to join pairs—well, the older twins, Viktor and Georg now stood a bit closer together, but they seemed like the only ones.

“There’s an odd number.” Anna frowned as she silently counted Westergaard heads.

“What? That can’t be!” Charlotte eyed all the brothers in attendance. “I planned this perfectly—”

“Astor.” Alexei reminded her and glanced to his brothers. “It’s alright, Charlotte. I don’t mind joining into a trio.”

Anna’s fingers tapped against her mug. Astor couldn’t come play, but he wasn’t the only Westergaard absent. “What about Hans?”

Charlotte turned to her with a mixed expression on her face. “I proposed the idea yesterday. He politely declined.”

Because of his brothers…. Anna thought. He’s avoiding them like the plague. She recalled the last several days and how she spent a good deal of time up in the west wing, enjoying his company. They talked, joked around, he even showed her one of his latest paintings that he was working on. He was completely at ease with her, and it made her wonder if he would reconsider coming down. Perhaps he didn’t know she was out here, too. “What if I asked him?” she suggested. “I could run upstairs—”

“—Oh no. You stay here.” Charlotte said and turned to her maid, “Agatha, if you wouldn’t mind making the journey to the west wing? Please inform Prince Hans that the Queen of Arendelle insists on his presence outside.” Agatha nodded and hurried back inside. Once she was gone, Charlotte bundled herself back up under her blanket. “And now we wait.”

Anna took a long sip of her cider and smiled as she felt the warmth slide down her insides. “So… what brought all this on, anyway?”

Charlotte shot her a sympathetic smile, “I remember the fun we used to get up to during your visits to Vallacia. You held such a carefree, fun aura… quite different to every other visiting royal to grace our kingdom. I suppose I miss that side of you. I miss your smile.” She said softly, “This is a difficult time, of course, and I just thought this might cheer you up some and get your mind off your troubles. At least, for a short while.”

Anna reached over to place her hand over Charlotte’s. “That’s really sweet of you. And I love the idea!” Her smile waned a bit as she thought of Elsa. “I always loved snowmen. Elsa and I would build them as kids all the time. We had a special one, Olaf, that she brought to life. He was probably the closest friend I’ve ever had.” She took a deep breath, “he’s gone, too… the whole magic thing—” Anna took a moment to compose herself. “Anyway, I bet this should be entertaining to say the least. I didn’t peg this to be something that Westergaard men do.”

Charlotte laughed, “it really isn’t. But I suppose this is my way of getting back at them for giving me a hard time.”

“How’d you manage to get them out here? Especially the younger ones?” She was referring to Tomas, Lars, Dirk and Derrick. “They’re never eager to do much of anything.”

Charlotte snickered, “Are you familiar with the family concept that there’s one parent that’s fun and easy-going, and the other essentially puts the fear of God into their children?”

Anna thought back to her own parents. Both her mother and father hard their strict moments, as well as their times of spoiling her and Elsa—at least before the isolation. “I’m not sure if my parents fit that mold, but I can imagine such a thing.”

“Well, think of me as the nice one. The fun one.” Charlotte said. “Frederick is the terrifying one.”

“But they’re just your---well, his brothers.”

“As King and Queen, we’re the head of the family. It’s close enough. He more or less coerced them to—”

The castle doors suddenly swung open as someone else joined the masses on the deck. It didn’t take long to figure out who it was. Several of the princes suddenly seemed far more put out than they were before.”

“As If this ridiculous activity couldn’t get any worse.” Derrick grumbled. “What’s he doing here?”

“That’s it. I’m out.” Lars declared, but only made it two steps back to the castle before Viktor grabbed onto the back collar of his coat to keep him in place.

Anna was on the verge of shooting the complainers dirty looks but then Hans came into her view. All bundled up in his warm chocolate brown greatcoat and black gloves, he stopped at Charlotte’s chair first to greet her with a simple nod-bow and kiss on the cheek. When he moved to stand before her, his display of deference was much more involved. He bowed deep at the neck and then knelt briefly before her to kiss her hand. Anna was thankful that her cheeks were already pinkened from the cold air. It made for a good cover to hide her blushes working their way out.

And besides, she didn’t want to catch herself all flustered in front of his brothers. Ugh.

“Your Majesty,” Hans said softly as he released her hand and straightened back up to his full height. “You summoned me?”

“Yes, Hans!” Charlotte said with a kind smile, “We were hoping you would even out the numbers for our game.”

Hans didn’t even bother trying to hide the disappointed look in his eyes as he sighed and glanced to the congregation of brothers. “I’d rather not, if it’s all the same to you.”

“But Alexei needs a partner.”

“I’m sorr—”

“--Please, Hans.” Anna pleaded, and she could feel her heart skip a beat when he looked back at her. Oh, how she wished his mere gaze would stop getting such a reaction out of her. “Would you do it for me? Please.”

He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. “You wound me, My Lady. and here I thought we were friends.”

Anna tried to reassure him with a warm smile. “We are. That hasn’t changed. But I know how artistic and creative you are. I’m merely hoping you’ll accept the challenge of a new medium.” It felt weird to speak to him in such a formal fashion. During all the private times they spent sharing each other’s company, he was simply Hans and she merely Anna. No titles. No deference. Out here among the family, she didn’t want to get him in trouble for them being too lax. Her eyes locked on his, and immediately she felt a tad guilty. She knew he didn’t want to be here at all, but this entire activity was designed for her own pleasure. Just once, she wanted something to go her way. And her way wanted Hans to play, too.

“Well,” his shoulders slumped a bit as he bowed his head in defeat, “If that is the Queen of Arendelle’s wish, I suppose I have no right to refuse.” He dragged himself down the stairs to join up with Alexei—a brother who at least looked both interested in the game and delighted to have Hans as his partner.

Charlotte announced the formal rules of the contest, and then the princes all split off around the open yard so that each pair had their own space to work. Viktor and Georg paired together, then there was Alexei and Hans, Tomas and Lars, and finally Dirk and Derrick made the last team.

It took several minutes after the contest formally began for any of the men to even start digging their gloved hands into the snow. To Anna’s amusement, the field was generally split down the middle; two teams participating, two dragging their feet.

“How do you think these will turn out?” Anna asked her companion.

Charlotte shrugged slightly, “to be honest, I anticipate Viktor and Georg to have the best one. When I told them all about this, they seemed the most excited. I mean, they’re all grown men, and those two especially are the oldest ones out here, but they’re also the most childish at heart.” She smiled. “Dirk and Derrick, Tomas and Lars… I’ll honestly be surprised if they come up with anything resembling a snowman.” She eyed Anna carefully. The younger queen’s soft gaze was on the men in the snow. She tried to trace exactly where Anna was looking and couldn’t help but smile fondly. “I don’t suppose I need to guess the team that’s caught your eye.”

It took a lot for Anna to pry her eyes away to look at Charlotte, and when she saw the knowing look the woman was giving her, she blushed. Again. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Anna, darling, you know that you can talk to me. You have my confidence.”

Anna took a deep breath and glanced down to her hands as they stroked the edge of the blanket. “I know he wasn’t supposed to see me… but I’ve been spending a lot of time with Hans.”

“Yes, I know.”

Her eyes widened as she looked back to her friend. “…how??” Her heart started thumping in her chest. She was so sure that she was being discreet—not as if anything truly terrible happened. Nothing illicit ever occurred between her and Hans. The only forbidden aspect to their company was the company itself.

Charlotte smiled to her, “This is my castle. I know everything that goes on. That and the kitchen maids found it odd that Prince Hans was suddenly consuming twice as much cocoa every time he came down to ask for it. It didn’t take long to put two and two together.”

“Oh.” Anna bit her lip, “Frederick must be livid.”

“He doesn’t know. He doesn’t need to know.” Charlotte replied, “And should my husband find out, it won’t make any difference. Hans was warned to stay away because we believed there to be bad blood between you two. You’re grieving, and the last thing we wanted was for Hans to be unkind and upset you further. Since that’s clearly not the case, then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Anna let out a sigh of relief, “Thank goodness. I promise though, nothing has ever happened between us. Mostly we just talk. Sometimes we play chess. I’m terrible at it and usually lose, but it passes the time and gets my mind off things.” Her gaze shifted back to the yard. Hans was standing off to the side of his and Alexei’s creation, trying to clump a bit of snow in his hands. She had a good view of his profile and let herself admire his handsome features. The corners of her mouth turned upwards. From what she could tell, he didn’t seem terribly upset about being outside anymore. She wondered what he was thinking, and what part of the creation he was working on. “I got to see some of his paintings, too.” She added after a long pause, “he has such a marvelous talent. Does he have pieces hanging all over the castle?”

“Oh no. Just in his rooms and the adjoining corridor. That’s his space.”

“But why not?” Anna asked. “I’m surprised he doesn’t want to display them. They’re marvelous!”

“I’m surprised he hasn’t told you, considering the hours spent in your company.” Charlotte sighed and glanced to the yard for a moment. “It’s—”

“—let me guess.” Anna interrupted. “Something to do with his brothers?”

“Unfortunately, most things wrong with Hans have everything to do with them—mostly his immediate older ones”

Anna’s brow furrowed. “Are they the reason he’s also living in a private suite on the opposite end of the castle?”

“They tried to kill him.”

Anna could have sworn her heart skipped a beat. Her eyes could only widen with horror as she stared hard at her friend. “Wait, what?I Why?? When??”

“Upon his return from Arendelle.” Charlotte said solemnly. “I can’t tell you everything. Most of the abuse he’s endured at their hands occurred before I married Frederick. But I remember just over a year ago, Frederick and I were taking a stroll through the grounds when we caught sight of Dirk and Derrick attacking him with swords.” She paused at Anna’s horrified gasp. “Hans held his own for quite a while, but Frederick ultimately stepped in once Dirk got Hans in the shoulder and it didn’t appear either of them were going to stand down.”

“They’re brothers!” Anna whispered. Her hand moved to cover her mouth as she eyed Dirk and Derrick. They were not putting much effort into their project. Instead, they were rolling snow and staring off in Hans and Alexei’s direction.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now, there’s not many members of this family that are genuinely kind.”

“…I have.” Anna shook her head. It was no wonder Hans behaved as he did now. If members of his own family were willing to end him for what he did in Arendelle, why should he bother forgiving himself. Her own heart suddenly broke for Hans. She had no idea this had transpired. Not even Elsa desired the man dead, and he tried to kill her. What was it like for him, to have to share a roof with such terrible people? It explained why he avoided his family… why he essentially lived alone. Who would want to have to look over their shoulder at every turn to be sure someone wasn’t after him with a weapon? The mere thought made her shudder.

“You’ll keep that to yourself, of course.” Charlotte said, “I doubt Hans would want you to know the truth.”

Anna nodded. “I can see why he spends his days painting, and now I’m glad to have visited him in his solitude so much. He’s been so hard on himself over what’s happened between us. I wish…” she sighed, “I wish he could find a way to heal. He’s helped me immensely. On my worst days, I’ve gone up to see him and even just sitting next to him had taken some of my pain away. It’s strange. He’s the last person I would have thought to desire for company. I just… I feel a warmth that I haven’t felt in a long time.”

Charlotte reached over to gently take Anna’s hand. “I’m glad you found solace. I know what’s it’s like to lose a sibling. My oldest brother died years ago. We were awfully close, and his death hit me just as hard as Elsa’s did for you. It took a long time to move past it. The support in someone really does make a difference. I had hoped that we would have more of a chance to connect since I had concerns that the princes and their… less than stellar behavior might make things worse. But you seem to have found your support. If Hans is helping, then I couldn’t be happier.”

Anna smiled briefly before returning her gaze to her prince. “He reminds me of happier times when there were no cares. No troubles. Just a pair of childish adults having the time of our lives.” She squeezed Charlotte’s hand. “I miss that between me and Hans. I… I loved him then. I really did. And being here, reunited with him… it’s nice, but it’s hard too. I desperately wish he could be the man I fell in love with. Things are different now. I understand that.” Anna frowned, “We have our issues. It’s like… we broke each other, and neither of us know how to fix us.”

“Perhaps you just have to give it time. You’re dealing with a great deal of stress right now. Take one challenge at a time, and maybe then everything will fall into place.”

Anna nodded slowly, “Do you think Hans and I would ever have a real chance?”

“I think that all depends on you two, dear. If you want something strong enough, you’ll do whatever it takes to make it happen.”

Yeah… but that’s what got him in trouble in the first place.

“I will say though,” Charlotte added, “he’d wait for you. For as long as it takes.”

This certainly gave Anna a lot to think about. She and Hans certainly had their share of problems, both as a pair and on their own. If there was any chance or desire to share something with him that went beyond friendship, she would have to find a way past her broken heart, her grief, and her anxiety of suddenly becoming queen. And he… he would have to finally forgive himself for his past.

But she also had to ask herself if this would be what she really wanted. Three years ago, she rushed into an arrangement with Hans because he seemed to be the immediate solution to all of her problems. In a way, Elsa had been right—it was rather foolish to accept a marriage proposal from a man she barely knew. The last thing she wanted to do now was make the same mistake. She was the queen, now. There would be no room for rash decisions without considering consequences. She didn’t need to give her courtiers yet another reason to think she incapable of properly ruling.

“Ten more minutes!” Charlotte’s voice called out to the princes below and pulled Anna out of her thoughts. “It looks like some of you could use a bit more motivation!”

Anna fluttered her eyes to refocus and surveyed each of the works in progress. Viktor and Georg’s looked to be about finished. Georg was attempting to mold a fashionable hat out of snow while Viktor used his fingers to draw a face. Hans and Alexei’s appeared in a similar state of completion. Alexei found some twigs and stones from the nearby landscaping and created arms and buttons for theirs. Tomas and Lars’ at least had the height of a snowman. That was about all she could give them credit for. Dirk and Derrick’s….

What is that??

“Agatha!” Charlotte called to her maid loud enough so the princes could hear. “Could you go inside and fetch the King? I’m sure he would love to become a third judge and marvel at everyone’s hard work?”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

Before Agatha could turn back to the castle, Charlotte reached out to gently grasp the woman’s arm. “If you could really just bring us another round of that delicious cider, I would appreciate it.” Charlotte said with a wink, her voice much softer this time.

It didn’t escape Anna’s notice how as soon as Charlotte made that announcement, the two pairs bringing up the rear suddenly got to work improving, or in Dirk and Derrick’s case, building their snowman.

“He’s not really coming, is he?” When Charlotte shook her head, Anna couldn’t resist snickering. “That was sly!”

Charlotte burst into giggles. “Wasn’t it? I wish I thought of it ten minutes ago! It’s amazing how far a threat of the king’s presence goes.”

“But… this was supposed to be a fun activity.”

“It is, darling. For us!” Charlotte grinned. “Those men have been getting on my nerves lately. It’s long overdue that I really get to push my authority around.”

Anna smiled. “Some of them are rather rude.”

“Yes, unfortunately the good ones had to be lumped in with the bad, today. But at least they’re the ones enjoying themselves out there.”

“What the hell was that for?!”

Hans’ angry voice broke the otherwise silence from the yard. Charlotte and Anna exchanged puzzled looks before unburying themselves from their blankets and heading to the short wall to take a better look.

Anna’s heart immediately sank. Alexei and Hans’ hard work was completely destroyed. The base of their snowman was still standing, but the center body and above were knocked away by a huge snowball with a concealed rock inside. Alexei was busy trying to reconstruct their project by himself at the last minute while Hans glared venomously at Dirk and Derrick.

Oh no… Anna sighed. Theirs was naturally her favorite.

“Really guys? Can’t you play fair for once in your lives?” Georg groaned. “That was completely uncalled for!”

“No. This is.” Dirk smirked as he produced another rock-infused snowball and launched it right at the twins’ project. It collided with the head and knocked the entire mass askew. Everyone watched as it slow motioned slid down the curve of the body before splatting on the ground.

“Wow.” Lars uttered.

Viktor and Georg exchanged glances that quickly morphed into mischievous grins of their own.

“Well… if that’s how you want to play,” Viktor said as he bent down to quickly scoop a mound of snow into a decent ball, “…take this!!!!” He launched it at Dirk as hard as he could, but the younger brother grabbed Lars’ arm and dragged him into the line of fire. The snowball hit the lankiest Westergaard square in the chest and knocked him down to the ground.

“Oops…”

“SNOWBALL FIGHT!!!”

Anna wasn’t sure exactly who yelled that, but within seconds, snow was flying everywhere. All of the princes began scattering, slipping, sliding, and flailing into the snow as they made mad attempts to take each other out. No one was left unscathed. Even the remains of everyone’s snowmen were ripped apart for ammo.

The two queens exchanged both shocked and amused glances. This certainly wasn’t how either of them anticipated the afternoon to play out.

When Anna looked back to the yard, she found herself only counting seven princes. Wait, where did Hans go? Her eyes searched wildly for her prince only to eventually catch sight of someone practically crawling on their stomachs behind the shrubbery. In-between plants, she caught a flash of auburn hair. It was Hans, and she kept her eyes on him as he maneuvered a safe path to the back stairwell of the deck. He hugged the wall of the castle as he climbed up the steps. His once crisp and clean brown coat were now completely covered in the front with clumps of snow. The powder was even in his hair. After a quick stomping of his boots, he approached Anna with an annoyed frown on his face.

“I’ll get back at you for this, Your Majesty.”

Anna winced. “I’m sorry!” She whispered quickly to him and would have tried to help brush some of the snow out of his hair, but he latched onto her hand instead. His eyes never left hers as his head lowered to place a kiss against the back of her hand. She could feel her cheeks reddening, and her eyes widened when he appeared to wink at her. It all happened so fast. She was released, and Hans immediately retreated back inside before any of his brothers could spot him.

Perhaps he’s not so angry after all. I’ll go visit him later… and accept whatever he’s going to do to me. Probably hit me with a snowball he’s got hidden in his pocket. Or he’ll have Sitron run me over at the soonest opportunity….

“Get Derrick!!!”

Anna’s gaze quickly went back to see everyone trying to take shots at the youngest Westergaard left. He was making a run for some of the trees. He barely managed to touch the nearest tree trunk when his back got pelted all at once.

“…Do you think we should stop them?” Anna asked, then couldn’t help but chuckle at Charlotte’s amused smile.

“Oh no. Granted, this is not how I envisioned the afternoon to go, but it’s certainly better than I expected!”

The castle doors opened once more, and Agatha returned with fresh cider. “My heavens!!” She exclaimed. “What happened to the snowmen?”

“The contest was abandoned for a more preferable activity.” Charlotte said, “This works quite well. Let them tire themselves out and now we’ll all be rewarded with a calm dinner tonight. Oh, won’t Frederick be upset to have missed this.”

“Shall I fetch him, Milady?”

Charlotte thought it over. “Please do! And Astor as well. I’m sure they could use a good laugh.”

The queens moved their chairs closer for a better view, then resettled with their blankets and cider. “Cheers!” They giggled and tapped their mugs together.

Anna clutched the mug to her chest as she let the cider delight her senses. Charlotte certainly had the right idea.

A fun afternoon indeed.

to be continued....

#hansanna #hansannaholidays2020 #hansannafortheholidays2020 #writing prompts #prince hans #princess anna #queen anna #hans' brothers #day 6 winter activities #post sequel au #grief #hurt comfort #fluff #mayhem #The Most Difficult Time of Year

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bastillemxfans · 5 years ago

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Bastille at the Astor Film Lounge HafenCity before their concert 🍿

📸nordisch_by_musik

#bastille #bastille band #channel aid #dan smith #kyle simmons #will farquarson #woody wood #hamburg

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iwouldvebeendrake01 · 5 years ago

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Cara Delevingne & Orlando Bloom during the Berlin special screening of Carnival Row at Astor Film Lounge (2019)

#cara delevingne #cdelevingneedit #orlando bloom #obloomedit #actoredit #my edits #mine

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sistercelluloid · 5 years ago

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A while back, my grandfather was taking my mother on a cruise, and trying to persuade me to come along. “You just sit back and rock, as the boat goes back and forth and back and forth,” he said, swaying and nodding his head from side to side. “It sounds great, Pop,” I blurted unconvincingly, “but please, you have to stop now!” I was getting seasick just watching him. I got queasy again at the Bon Voyage party.

Then there was the Jetfoil my husband Tim and I took from Bar Harbor to Nova Scotia. I was fine… until I wasn’t. At one point during a festive screening of The Little Mermaid on the upper deck, I suddenly felt… unwell. I barreled across the boat in frantic search of a bathroom, making it just in time. After watching in horror as everything I’d eaten since the fifth grade made a glorious comeback, I pulled myself together and swanned back to the land of the living, trying to seem calm and collected—maybe even elegant if I could pull it off! (Think Miss Davis in Now Voyager or Miss Dunne in Love Affair.) But as I settled into a lounge chair, channeling Mary Astor in Dodsworth, a deckhand leaned over and gently patted my hand. “We’re almost there,” he whispered reassuringly. Mortified, I asked if he’d seen me flying across the deck. “No,” he said, “but I see you now. And you’re green.”

When I got home, I told my doctor, who had armed me with industrial-strength drugs and dermal patches. “Those things work for guys in the Navy going across the North Sea!” she said, shocked at their spectacular failure. “There’s only one other thing I can prescribe: Stay off boats.” Which I did. For years.

Then came the TCM Classic Cruise. And I even stayed off that for years. But this time, I gave it a whirl. Along with the drugs and patches, I added ginger drops to my bag, a Seaband on one wrist, and an electronic thing on the other that’s supposed to interrupt the nausea signal to your brain by zapping the median nerve with a little Z-Z-Z every few seconds. I put it on the second-highest setting; any more voltage and I was pretty sure I’d electrocute myself.

Now it was time to settle in for five days of movies.

The schedule aboard the Disney Magic was slightly less hectic than the one you’ll find at the TCM Classic Film Festival, though there were still plenty of choices to make among 14 special presentations and 64 films, ranging from Eddie Muller-hosted noirs like The Asphalt Jungle, The Hitch-Hiker and Rififi, to screwballs such as The Lady Eve and It Happened One Night, to musicals like On the Town and Shall We Dance, to standards including Laura and Dodsworth. And like the Festival, there were no bad options.

Most of the documentaries and special events were found in the lounge; my favorite was “The First 25 Years of the Academy Awards,” complete with backstage tales and fabulous film clips, hosted by Randy Habercamp, managing director of Preservation and Foundation Programs at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Why doesn’t every classroom have cozy tables and a bar off to the side?

The rest of the films, including those with special guests Cicely Tyson, Mitzi Gaynor and Diane Ladd, aired in one of two cavernous but comfy theatres, or on the upper deck, poolside. Where I spent much of the week.

With, among others, Fred and Ginger…

…and my movie husband Rod Taylor. (This is the scene in Sunday in New York where, imagining that the pillow was me, I got shushed for sighing at the TCM Film Festival by a woman who clearly had no pulse. Hey, laydee, I was the one who pestered them into putting it on the program in the first place!)

The atmosphere on the ship was more casual than at a regular film festival, with a lot more freedom to duck into or out of theatres mid-film. (Which is great if you’re the one doing the ducking but not so much if you’re the one being climbed over.) And up at poolside, all bets were pretty much off in terms of talking; during Topper, I had to move from a prime viewing spot when a Martha Raye sound-alike and her bevy of boisterous buddies tucked into the table directly behind me.

And once, things got a bit too casual: a woman in the deckchair next to mine whipped out a can of highly stinky aerosol spritzer and proceeded to spray her entire torso, underarms and all. When I looked up from my book, startled and half-gagging, she snapped, “It’s deodorant! Don’t you wear deodorant?” I said, um, yeah, but I don’t put it on in public. “We’re not in public!” she informed me. “We’re on a boat!”

And then there was… the food. Oh my God the food. Everywhere, all the time. Buffets round the clock. Dessert stations. A pizza, burger and hot dog stand. Unlimited popcorn at screenings. And a soft-serve machine with old-fashioned cones. You know you’re on a cruise when your roommate jumps up in the middle of breakfast and says, “You want some ice cream? Cause I’m gonna go get some!”

Oh and the four-course dinners every night, with the same fabulous staff taking care of us. Our headwaiter Walter took his duties so seriously that one day when I was poolside—nowhere near dinnertime—I turned to find him behind me with a Coke. And then a little while later appearing at my table, seemingly out of nowhere, with another one. I was almost relieved when the movie ended and I was heading downstairs, as 12 years of Catholic school would have made me feel too guilty to be served another soda.

I had no problem eating, well, everything, since after a shaky first night, I did okay with the whole boat thing. But a touch of claustrophobia kicked in after a couple of days.

Me, calling Tim: “I’m having a great time, there’s just one thing though. Sometimes I have kind of a closed-in feeling. I can’t explain it… it’s like I’m trapped on a boat.” Tim: “Yeah, ummm…”

Luckily we were just about pulling into Bermuda by then. I felt a twinge of guilt about swilling a mango daiquiri beachside on a random Thursday, when everyone back home was working. It lasted about as long as it took me to bite the maraschino cherry off the stem.

��Some people just stay on the boat the whole time and keep watching movies,” a veteran cruise-goer told me. Which seemed silly. Until the second day we were dockside, when I did the same thing for a day of Halloween films. Val Lewton (Cat People), Buster Keaton (The Haunted House), Boris Karloff (The Mummy) and Lon Chaney (House of Frankenstein) were whispering my name.

As if on cue, day turned to dark and stormy night during The Haunted House, but nothing could budge me from my Buster.

And just in time for sweet dreams, House of Frankenstein—also featuring Dracula and the Wolfman—wrapped at around midnight, when we all unbundled from our deck blankets and trundled off to bed. (Or the bar on Deck 3.)

In fact all the late-night poolside showings were a bit nippy, which deterred… no one. Not with fleece and cocktails and hot chocolate handy. Though on the final night, when they showed Sullivan’s Travels, I had swathed myself in blankets so thoroughly I didn’t even budge for a drink…

…warming up only when Joel pours his heart out to Jimmy Conlin. Oh and whips his shirt off.

Cold as it was that night, I was reluctant to shed my blankets and head down to my warm stateroom, knowing this was the last film of the trip.

Before dawn the next morning, as we pulled into port, I strolled around the still-damp upper deck, where so many movies had gone by so quickly in the days before. Strains of Gershwin wafted through the air as I gazed out on the city I love—a little disappointed, though, to be back so soon. Almost a week had flown by in under a minute.

I popped into the coffee shop where Colin had made my coconut lattes all week. Where were they off to next, I asked? The Caribbean. And here I was heading into drizzly Manhattan. He skipped the usual Disney characters that had topped the foam in my drinks all week—which I always felt guilty about smooshing into oblivion on the first sip—and gave me a little going-away present.

Thank you Colin, thank you Walter and the crew, and thank you TCM, for this Sullivan girl’s lovely travels.

The TCM Classic Cruise: All Aboard to the Fabulous Movie Past A while back, my grandfather was taking my mother on a cruise, and trying to persuade me to come along.

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nivearga · 6 years ago

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This Is A New York Story

11/12/2018

I’m sitting in a Delta Sky Lounge, sipping on the fourth complimentary whiskey and coke. You ruin whiskey with that shit, you told me once at Tangier airport. We got drunk as soon as they told us our flights were cancelled. We kept drinking until the morning after, when the concierge called us to wake us up, our bus to the airport waiting for us. You didn’t wake up, I left. I cried my eyes out for the entire flight back. I came back from that trip completely broke, sleepless, without any documents left but my passport, and hopelessly infatuated with you.

Three years are passed and I’m again at an airport trying to get drunk. This time because there’s no way I can accept flying back home knowing that we didn’t meet. I managed to hide my sadness quite brilliantly but it comes to no surprise as the only art I can say to have mastered in my life is the one of deceiving feelings. There was just a moment that hit me pretty badly. One night at a restaurant where I was eating asparagus while everyone else around me ate lobster, the voice of Frank Sinatra started singing New York, New York in the background. I immediately knew it couldn’t end well. It was two years ago, we were in Rome and already quite wasted we stopped in a really small karaoke bar. You insisted to sing that song, everybody around was charmed by your voice. Some months later you told me, I didn’t sing Frank Sinatra to you for no reason, my darling. Unexpectedly, you love Sinatra. I still remember your profile in the darkness humming Fly me to the moon while I was still half asleep. I always thought Strangers in the night was the perfect depiction of our first meeting. Back to that Manhattan restaurant, I tried so hard not to think about all of those memories when Sinatra finally sang My way. My way is outside your life, apparently. It’s always been.

09/12/2018

At some point, in my erratic discovery of the streets of New York City, I found myself wandering around the aisles of Crate and Barrel. Sometimes, probably more often that I’d like to admit, I like to immerse myself into an environment that doesn’t belong to me in any possible way. Preppy homeware department store Crate and Barrel is one of them. I have no kitchen, nor house, that I would like to decorate and I have no particular interest or adequate money to invest in a $250 waffle maker, but I like how my mind starts to behave in such places. That particular time, I started thinking about her, for real, for the first time. I imagined her as a kind of person that actually enjoys spending her time at a shop like Crate and Barrel. You told me she was freaking out at the idea of you meeting me. About me. Did she know who I am? Who is she? Did she look up for me? Did she find me? Is my Facebook profile picture target of hideous comments in some all-female instant messaging group? I hope not. Or maybe, not so subtly, I do hope so. I don’t mind being the reason why someone would freak out. Not long before bailing on me, you told me you didn’t have your ass eaten in too long. So that’s the only thing I know for sure about her. That and the fact that freaked out at only the idea of us meeting. Sure you don’t want your girl to be one of those who eat ass and don’t freak out when you sleep with someone else. Those are the kind of girls you call my whore, the kind of girls sending you videos of them masturbating, those who let you sleep with other because they don’t consider you their possession. They are the kind of girl I am.

17/12/2018

Back to the streets of London. I feel I don’t belong here but at the same time I feel at home in the particular state of loneliness I feel in this city. I walk down roads I walk down everyday and still I feel a newcomer, an outcast. The Southern train towards Croydon has become my new home. A week has passed and I don’t feeling anything. I’m numb. I dragged myself to work every single day since I’m back and completely alienate myself from hours. I repeated mechanically the same sentences to customers over and over again. Sometimes the echo of my voice wakes me up from the numbness and an utter sense of despair and acrimony towards people completely overcome me.

07/12/2018

You: Thank you for being understanding.

25/12/2018

You: I feel terrible we didn’t hang out.

03/01/2019

There are moments that are absolutely cathartic in life and you immediately realise it while you’re living them. It was Friday 7th December, I was standing in the middle of Astor Place, crying, trying to roll a cigarette while the wind and the cold worked against me. I’m not ashamed of crying in public. I’ve cried so many times in front of strangers, especially on public transports, that I’m now comfortable with it. I’ve always lived in careless metropolis, where people don’t give a fuck about you. Nobody ever offered me a tissue paper, a word of comfort, on the contrary I always made them uncomfortable. In that square I don’t even think somebody saw me, I was invisible in a city I didn’t belong to, that rejected me cold heartedly. And for that specific reason, I felt at home for a very brief moment. My tears were supported by the voice of Billy Corgan, my favourite soundtrack for these moments. The killer in me is the killer in with you. I cried because you rejected me, I literally flew to other side of the planet to see you and you didn’t want to. You preferred being a good partner. Even if until a few days before you couldn’t wait to fuck me in the ass. Your words. But I’m repeating myself. I particularly hated you in that moment because you just ruined one of those moments.

18/01/2019

I was sitting in the dark, alone, watching a film by Cosey Fanni Tutti performing a castration. You could hear people retching, someone almost passed out and had to leave the room. I stared at this penis getting mutilated and all I could think was that you’d never been the person coming to me to hear Cosey Fanni Tutti talk and watch her films. You don’t have any idea of who she or Throbbing Gristle or Genesis P-Orridge are. You don’t have idea of who many artists I consider seminal for my development as a person are. I don’t want to spend my words and thoughts and feelings and time for someone I cannot share my interests with. Dam always says he doesn’t think one should share the same passions as the person they love. I strongly disagree. I’ve spent my entire life experiencing art and music and film and literature by myself only, I think I finally deserve someone that cold understand me. I just want someone to go to watch Cosey Fanni Tutti films together. And that person is certainly not you. And after all, I can go to the cinema by myself. I already do.

The second film of the night was a collection of photographs from Cosey’s life morphing into each other, faces merging into buildings merging into guitars. For a brief moment, when Cosey arrived in the room, she looked in my direction. I think we stared at each other for a second that seemed never-ending.

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nat-2 · 3 years ago

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🫠 The @greenproductaward 2022 was presented yesterday during @munich_creative_business_week at @astorfilmloungeimarri Film Lounge @arri ! Make sure to also visit the fanastic accompaning exhibition container at Munich’s Viktualienmarkt 🚀 THX Green Product Award x Nils Bader x Munich Creative Business Week for having me as a speaker yesterday awarding great projects such as @recoverfiber , @wildernessjewellery , @root.full by Zena Holloway , Flower Matter by @irenepurasachit x @babykao x @aaltouniversity and many more… Congratulations to all winners! You are the future. Big thanks also to my GPA colleges Katja Reich , Andrea Herold , Petra Schmatz , Karsten Bleymehl , Katja Keienburg , Julius Wiedemann , Robert Pludra! Thank you Mimi Sewalski for being a great jury counterpart, high five to Leonne Cuppen , Ludovico Durante , Raz Godelnik , Johanna Neves Pimenta , Tina Kammer , Kiersten Muenchinger , Xin Liu, Katja Lucas , Melodie Abdollahi , Martin Charter FRSA , Katrin de Louw , Susanne Ewert , Claus-Christian Eckhardt , Hon.Prof. Meike Weber , Anna Theil , Bert Odenthal , Tim Oelker 🤗 … and special thx to Nadine Vicentini of bayern design GmbH and IKEA Foundation , Nikolett Madai for all the support! www.gp-award.com #mcbw #greenproductaward #gpa #award (hier: Astor Filmlounge Kino) https://www.instagram.com/p/CdvB-IIsPZ-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#mcbw #greenproductaward #gpa #award

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papermoonloveslucy · 6 years ago

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HOLLYWOOD WITHOUT MAKE-UP

1963

Produced by Ken Murray

Music by George Stoll

Written by Royal Foster

Ken Murray (Himself, Host) is billed as “the man who makes movies of the people who make movies.” He was born Kenneth Abner Doncourt in 1903 to vaudevillian parents. Murray got his start in show business on the stage in 1920s as a stand-up comedian. He performed his comedy act on the vaudeville circuit. He found success as a stage performer after appearing in Earl Carroll's Vanities on Broadway in 1935. In the 1940s, Murray became famous for his Blackouts, a racy, stage variety show at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. The Blackouts played to standing-room-only audiences for 3,844 performances, ending in 1949. Later that year, the show moved to Broadway and closed after six weeks. He made his film debut in the 1929 romantic drama Half Marriage, followed by a role in Leathernecking in 1930. He was also the host of “The Ken Murray Show,” a weekly music and comedy show on CBS Television that ran from 1950 to 1953. The show was the first to win a Freedom Foundation Award. Over the course of his career, Murray filmed Hollywood celebrities using his 16mm home movie camera. He began filming the footage to send back home to his grandparents in lieu of writing letters. His grandmother saved the footage, which Murray later used in compilation films like Hollywood Without Make-Up. He died in 1988 at age 85.

Features footage of: Eddie Albert, June Allyson, George K. Arthur, Mary Astor, Lew Ayres, Max Baer, Lucille Ball, Richard Barthelmess, Rex Bell, Edgar Bergen, Sally Blane, Humphrey Bogart, John Boles, Pat Boone, Eddie Borden, Hobart Bosworth, Clara Bow, William Boyd, Fanny Brice, Paul Brooks, Joe E. Brown, Johnny Mack Brown, Virginia Bruce, Polly Burson, Rory Calhoun, Leo Carrillo, Charles Chaplin, Lew Cody, William Collier Jr., Russ Columbo, Gary Cooper, Jackie Cooper, Jeanne Crain, Robert Cummings, Linda Darnell, Marion Davies, Joan Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Dolores del Rio, Cecil B. DeMille, Jack Dempsey, Walt Disney, Kirk Douglas, Marie Dressler, Irene Dunne, Josephine Dunn, Stuart Erwin, Ruth Etting, Douglas Fairbanks, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Charles Farrell, Todd Fisher, Errol Flynn, Joan Fontaine, Glenn Ford, Clark Gable, Greta Garbo, Reginald Gardiner, Cary Grant, Alan Hale, Oliver Hardy, William Randolph Hearst, Jean Hersholt, William Holden, Bob Hope, Hedda Hopper, Walter Huston, Sam Jaffe, Van Johnson, Buck Jones, Hope Lange, Charles Laughton, Stan Laurel, Gertrude Lawrence, Mervyn LeRoy, Charles Lindbergh, Carole Lombard, William Lundigan, Fred MacMurray, Jayne Mansfield, George Marshall, Herbert Marshall, Chico Marx, Groucho Marx, Harpo Marx, Joel McCrea, Victor McLaglen, Adolphe Menjou, Mayo Methot, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Morgan, Wayne Morris, Jean Parker, Louella Parsons, Mary Pickford, Dick Powell, Tyrone Power, George Raft, Gregory Ratoff, Donna Reed, Debbie Reynolds, Buddy Rogers, Charles Ruggles, Albert Schweitzer, George Seaton, Norma Shearer, George Stevens, Lewis Stone, Margaret Sullavan, Robert Taylor, William T. Tilden, George Tobias, Spencer Tracy, Lupe Velez, Jimmy Walker, John Wayne, Johnny Weissmuller, Mae West, Claire Windsor, Robert Woolsey, Jane Wyman, and others.

The show is also available on DVD from Sprocket Flicks It has been aired on TV on Turner Classic Movies.

In 1963, when this documentary was released, Lucille Ball was starting her second season of “The Lucy Show” on CBS TV.

In June 1950, one year before “I Love Lucy” premiered, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were guests on “The Ken Murray Show” on CBS TV. Tap dancer Bunny Briggs and 'Little Rascal' Darla Hood were also guests.

In 1966, Lucy and Murray were both guests on “Bob Hope's Leading Ladies.” Murray played a television executive named Harvey Sarnoff. Lucy played herself. Sort of.

Lucy returned to Sun Valley to film an episode of “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour,” using the same locations scene in this documentary.

Twenty minutes into the documentary, the location turns to Sun Valley, Idaho, where Hollywood stars went for winter sports. June Allyson, Errol Flynn, Martha O'Driscoll, Johnny Weissmuller, Wayne Morris, and Reggie Gardiner have a snowball fight while making a snowman.

Lounging at the Lodge are Rory Calhoun (center) and Lucille Ball. Sun Valley was one of the Arnaz's favorite vacation spots, accessible by train from Hollywood. Desilu would film “Lucy Goes To Sun Valley” (1958) there. Lucy's good friend Ann Sothern also loved Sun Valley, and is buried nearby.

Murray says that this is not the only home movies of Lucille Ball that he has. First is a quick clip of Lucy at Chatsworth Ranch with one of her cherished dogs. Lucy and Desi had three dogs at the time.

This leads to footage of Lucille Ball filming Fancy Pants in 1950 with director George Marshall and co-star Bob Hope. Murray also mentions that Lucy has done quite a few pictures with Hope, including Critic's Choice, which was released in 1963, the same year as this documentary. In 1969, when Lucy wanted to film episodes of “Here's Lucy” on location, including on the Colorado River, she hired Marshall, remembering his expertise with location filming in rough terrain.

Ball also poses with Marshall and her Fancy Pants stunt double, Polly Burson, although Murray does not specifically mention her name.

Ball is shown doing a stunt where she falls onto a break-away table, not once...

not twice...

but three times!

Murray: “Someone once said that Lucille Ball stands alone as the greatest comedienne of our time. That goes for sitting down, too!”

Lucy Without Make-Up: Literally!

A movie star, Lucille Ball was rarely scene without full make-up, but when a scene demanded she take a blast of water to the face, she removed her false eyelashes, as she did here in “Never Do Business With Friends” (ILL S2;E31) in 1953.

#Hollywood Without Make-Up #Ken Murray #Lucille Ball #George Marshall #Bob Hope #Fancy Pants #Rory Calhoun #Polly Burson #I Love Lucy #The Lucy Show #George Stoll #Royal Foster #1963 #Sun Valley #Sprocket Films #DVD #TCM #documentary #The Ken Murray Show

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