Wednesday, August 31, 2016

CMBA Blog Profile: A Trip Down Memory Lane



The CMBA profiles two classic movie blogs per month, on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Today we're featuring David from A Trip Down Memory Lane.

David’s experience with blogging likely sounds familiar to a lot of people. You might start a blog with a specific goal, only to have it morph into something else.

“I started my blog in March of 2010,” says David. “I started it so I could put all the information and tidbits of classic Hollywood in one place, but then it evolved into a blog showcasing memories of great entertainment and stars that I enjoyed. My blog was originally called The Great Entertainers Archive, but a year later I changed it to A Trip Down Memory Lane.”

A Trip Down Memory Lane is a valuable resource for those looking for information on celebrities of classic Hollywood. David chronicles lesser-known personalities, too, such as Nedra Sanders Broccoli.

“She was the widow of singer Buddy Clark as well as the wife of James Bond producer Albert Broccoli,” explains David. “Nedra had a lifetime of heartache and disaster. There were no other stories on her anywhere, so I researched what I could find on her for months. I was proud of the reaction I got, and it was used on other websites and publications. I also got emails from her two children who were toddlers when she died thanking me for writing the article on her. Even though her story was a sad one, I felt happy that I had the opportunity to tell it.”

You can read David’s post on Nedra HERE.



CMBA: What sparked your interest in classic film?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Growing up I was very close to my Grandfather, and he instilled in me a love of old music and movies. He has been gone for 13 years now, but the memories of my Grandfather and I crying as we watched the drama Penny Serenade (1940), or singing along to the musical Good News (1947), remains with me to this day as I raise my young children.

CMBA: What makes a film a "classic" in your opinion?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: I used to say that a classic film was one that was made before I was born (pre-1974). However, to me a classic film is a film that generations can enjoy and a film that is timeless.


CMBA: What classic film(s) do you recommend to people who say they hate old movies?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: It has taken me 11 years of marriage to convince my wife that not all old movies are truly “old”. I started off by showing my wife movies that did not really age such as Arsenic and Old Lace (1944) and White Heat (1949). Then I moved on to more obscure movies like The Face Behind The Mask (1941). I have watched every genre of movies with her now – except for silent movies. I need a few more years of marriage for that!


CMBA: Why should people care about classic film?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: I think people should care about classic films, because each film – whether a good movie or a bad movie – tell a person of what life was like in that time. Each film is a time capsule to a bygone era.

CMBA: What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: The most rewarding aspect about blogging is sharing a love of classic movies and entertainment with like-minded individuals. It is great to meet people who think Gigot (1962) is a great movie or who always wondered what happened to singer Dick Todd.


CMBA: What challenges do you face with your blog, and how do you overcome them?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: It gets discouraging sometimes when you put your whole heart into writing an article and no one comments or you have only a few views. To overcome it, I remind myself that I am writing this blog because I love talking about old movies, and I also remind myself that sometimes I can publish a story on my blog years ago and it just gets discovered. Whatever you publish on the internet never is truly forgotten or lost!

CMBA: What advice would you give to a new blogger?
A Trip Down Memory Lane: What advice I would have for a new blogger is to not get discouraged. Publish a blog for the right reasons, and also be patient. It takes awhile for your blog to be discovered and to build up a fan base.


Thank you for joining us, David! You can visit his blog by clicking HERE.

2 comments:

  1. This is a blog I always look forward to. Important history is being preserved by a loving hand.

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  2. Great spotlight and interview. I enjoyed the honesty of David's answers and can relate to some of what he discusses. This series is enlightening and - I think - goes far to bringing this group together.

    As always, great job, Ruth.

    Aurora
    Once Upon a Screen

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