Blame it on Charles Laughton

Last night I was sitting and writing in my old, inspiring Morris chair. Ernie was scrunched in behind me: yes, behind my back. Graciously he now leaves me a few inches at the edge of the seat cushion to rest my bum and reach the laptop’s keyboard.

This close proximity started a couple months ago after we had that confrontation over the rabbit he flushed out from a thicket and immediately dispatched. Maybe it is his version of an apology for the serious snarl he gave me.

Anyway, the paucity of elbow room puts me in closer touch with the gargoyles sculpted into the end of the arm rests of my favorite chair.

[Here it is again:]

I have a great affection for gargoyles but I had to think, where did that came from? It had to have been the classic Charles Laughton version of the movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame. There were prominent close-ups of gargoyles. Not that I was around when it was made in 1939.

Growing up a few decades later I surely saw it on TV. Seared into my memory is “sanctuary sanctuary” that his character Quasimodo gleefully repeated from the historic cathedral’s bell tower to the seething mob below.

I think his performance also planted the seed for my respect for good acting and movies where you can quickly be drawn in and suspend disbelief.

Last evening this recounting of events connected with a few dormant, dusty brain cells and zapped a reminder to me to buy that film on DVD so I ordered it online.

The popcorn and oil are ready and waiting, anxiously as am I: it was so long ago I don’t recall how it ended.