Darlings, This Woman Was Never At A Loss For Words!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                The woman in question being Judith Crist, who passed away yesterday, at the age of 90!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Back when I was just a young thing, loves, Wednesday was the most important day of the week!  That was the day the current issue of TV Guide--certainly the most important journal to my life, then!!!!!!--would hit the supermarket stands.  Though sometimes, I would have to wait till Friday, when my mother would do the food shopping after school, before she would return home, and I could practically rip it out of her hands!!!!!!!!!!

                                      TV Guide was essential to life, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!  I could plan my show and movie schedule, and if something special, like "She Demons," or "The Wizard Of Oz" was to be on, phone lines were set ablaze as calls were made back and forth to my house and those of my friends, conveying this all important information.

                                         During this period of time, the networks were in the habit of broadcasting recent Hollywood movies in prime time--usually 9 to 11!  NBC's "Saturday Night At The Movies" was the beginning--back in 1961, with "How To Marry A Millionaire"--till eventually all the networks followed suit, so that there would be a prime time film every week night.

                                             Which created the need for the column "This Week's Movies," which appeared in TV Guide, and was written by Judith Crist.  The films and their channels were listed in daily order--from Saturday till Friday--then Crist's column would comment on the merits, or not, of what was being shown.

                                                  It introduced me to her cynical, witty style, which I never wanted to copy, but I loved reading. She was funny and entertaining, and along the way I  learned things. Like another female critic of the time whom I was more influenced by--Pauline Kael--I sometimes disagreed with the opinions being stated, but  did not allow that to stop me from viewing the film, if I wanted. But if Crist or Kael waxed rhapsodic, I took note; even if I did not always agree then--as, most noticeably, in the case of "Bonnie And Clyde."

                                                     I poured over her book, "The Private Eye, The Cowboy, And The Very Naked Girl--Movies From Cleo To Clyde" as if it were a textbook for Advanced Placement Biology. Which, for me, it was, because it was Advanced Placement Film Criticism, and fueled in me the same ambition.  I may not be on the staff of the Times, darlings, but I have gotten THIS far, via this blog, haven't I, girls?????????????

                                                     So, I feel I owe a debt of gratitude to Judith Crist, whom I also used to get up early to watch on Friday mornings, when she would appear on the "Today" show. Better than that charlatan, Gene Shalit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                      To think she became the first woman to become a head film critic for a major newspaper! 

                                                         And what were some of my favorite Crist memories?

                                                         She called Otto Preminger's 1967 film, "Hurry Sundown," that year's worst film. Her review, written in Southern dialect (which I am not sure she would get away with today, dolls!!!!!!!) won her a journalism prize.  The night she was awarded it, she received a telegram from Preminger himself, saying, "Congratulations on your night of triumph, from the man without whom all this would not have been possible."  As she said, "The last word, as always, was his."

                                                            Much as I love "The Sound Of Music," I loved her final assessment of the film--"The movie is for the 5 to 7 set, and their mommies, who think their children are not up to the stinging wit and biting sophistication of 'Mary Poppins'--and who can sit still for hours on end."

                                                               And there was her ability to see through the phoniness of Herman Raucher's "Summer Of '42," which, if you have read elsewhere on here, lambs, you know I agree with!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                   With Judith gone, it looks like the last of the great film critics have gone. And please do not tell me David Denby, for all he was a Paulette!!!!!!!!!  Oh, I know there is ME, darlings, but I have not gone Mass Media yet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                     But, if there are any takers, you can bet I will!!!!!!!!!!!!