Late at night, when the house is quiet and the cat is curled up next to me, I like to watch old western movies.
I don’t know why, but I like them. I can usually tell which ones were done in the 50s because they’re in hyper color. The costumes are fabulous. And the cowboys wear silk kerchiefs.
One of the things I like to do best is look at the cast and crew list.
Who were they? But, most importantly, when and where were they born?
I don’t know why I like to look up that information. I just do.
That being said, I really love the oldest westerns for that information. The movies are super corny, but the cast is amazing.
So far the furthest back birth year has been 1863. I found two people for that year. One was born in Germany and the other in Philadelphia.
1863.
What did they experience?
Then I realize that those people in the movies made in the 30s, made to take place in the 1880s, probably remember certain aspects of that time. Because they lived through it.
They were adults by 1900. My grandmother was born in 1900 and I thought she was old.
Did these people ever think that somebody in 2021 would see their movie? They’d be 158 years old this year.
What would they think of the world today?
It’s crap like this that keeps me up at night.
Ps. Shane
