Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Ode to 30's romance films: Don't Answer Me By Alan Parsons Project



I'm not much of a romantic, but I will admit when I see romance films, it's good to know that the two protagonists wind up together in the end. The best part of it is when the good guy rescues the damsel-in-distress from the ugly goon. A lot of this is best seen the films of the 30's and 40's where tough guys like Clark Gable, James Cagney and my favorite, Humphrey Bogart were the lead actors who would sweep their female leads off their feet with their rugged charm. I can say for a fact that today's actors can't hold a candle to these icons cause they really know how to get the girl. One song that reminds me of that concept is "Don't Answer Me" by The Alan Parsons Project.

The song as well as the video takes me back to that kind of genre. The song talks about wanting to express one feels for the other person but can't express it. When things get nasty, the hero steps up to the challenge to rescue his girl. He gets beat up and bruised by the villain but manages to knock him out in the end. When the dust clears he wins the girl and they go for a ride.

When comes to romance stories, this is a tried and test formula that never runs out of style. Even in contemporary films, there no happier ending that getting the girl. Still, I prefer the old films than the ones of today because back then, it was simpler and the protagonists weren't immature or awkward like the characters of today. Both male and female leads were full of virtue and weren't so foolish. Ah those were the days and sadly, we may never see their like again.

No comments: