I just Love Mrs. Miniver (where's my hankie...)

 It was only recently that I discovered Walter Pidgeon started his career in musicals in the theater.  I still find it humorous when I see him playing Franz von Renner in Viennese Nights (1930).  It is not that I think he wasn't an excellent singer, but I have difficulty imagining him as anyone other than the Walter of the 1940s to 1970s that I had seen so often.  Yes, tall, dark-haired and handsome with a shake of stuffiness, that's my Walter Pidgeon. 

 Walter made seven movies as the husband of Greer Garson.  When MGM stumbled across a successful pairing, you were together for life, or perhaps it just seemed that long.  Bill and Myrna, Jeanette and Nelson, Greer and Walter ... just think of all the money they made for MGM. 

Walter enjoyed being an actor, worked until he was 80 when poor health caused him to retire.  He was born September 23rd in 1897 in New Brunswick, Canada.  Died September 25th, 1984, in Santa Monica, CA at the age of 87.  It was quite a distance to travel, but he had plenty of time to make and enjoy his successful journey. 

 
 

Happy July 22nd! (As in, Why Not?!)

I lucked upon this photo a while back, my scan does not do it justice. (Love double-weight photos!) Initially I thought I would use it for Walter's birthday.  But, hey, that isn't until September, so I decided to look for some other tie in for using the photo now.  Checked Greer's birthday, but it's not until September as well.  Thankfully, I ran across this exciting fact not long into my search:  Mrs. Miniver was released in Los Angeles on July 22nd, 1942! 

                            Walter Pidgeon and Greer Garson in Mrs. Miniver (1942)

Great movie ... as many times as I have seen it, I can't help but get teary-eyed at least once.  The picture and Greer got best Oscars, Walter lost out to James Cagney in Yankee Doodle Dandy.  Wow, Mrs. Miniver and Yankee Doodle Dandy in the same year ... tough choices for sure.