What books or movies did you see as a Youngster that influenced your life?

Question

Like books written by Jack London, Mark Twain, Louis L'Amour, or John D. [always include the "D"] McDonald with his Travis McGee.?
Of course I fell in love with Sandra Dee in her only good movie @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVToA3fN7YU&feature=related ; ...
... I liked the non-p.c. violence in the P.I. Shell Scott series. [the poor man's Mike Hammer]. He epitomized the male gender by doing stuff like nailing a suspect's hand to the floor with a 5" nail. Lost his handcuffs, ya'know.
And the Matt Helm American-ized version of J.Bond.
I doubt if any of them, while 'chick magnets', are of any interest to any females reader.
They're more into "Love Story" @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V7676EC06oc&feature=related ; ...
... which is the female version of "Brian's Song".
Anybody ever heard of "In the Spring the War Ended"? It's a touching [from a male perspetive] story of the most wanted soldier/deserter in the European Theater of Operations in 1945.

Answer 1

You're really a well read man, just like another mountain man on Y/A.



No wonder you were enamored with Sandra Dee, she looked like an angel....gosh, that seems like 45 years ago!



The "Sound Of Music" taught me to be whimsical and light hearted. "Quess Who's Coming To Dinner" helped me identify bigotry. and "Physco" taught me to keep my doors locked"

I'll never forget "The Spring The War Ended".

Love ya, Juju

Answer 2

My little rural home town did not have a theater for very long and going to the movies was not something that I did as a child. I saw the first King Kong and Mighty Joe Young on the TV. They influenced me. I was and am an animal lover. It broke my heart to see these sweet giants exploited. I even loved the new King Kong better. I also loved Elephant Walk.

In my teens I loved anything with John Wayne in it. He taught us a lot of what was right and what was not.

In my 20's and up I read every book written by Louis L'Amour. He could describe a cowboy out in the rain and make you shiver with cold or a desert scene and make you thirsty for water. He had many adventures and experiences and I like that he included these in the characters of his books.

Do they still have touching movies these days? Yes.

Second Hand Lions

Hildalgo

Contact

Nell

The Notebook

Schindler's List

Dances With Wolves

Elizabeth Town

Patch Adams

A Beautiful Mind

The Pianist

The Aviator

Saving Private Ryan

Sicko

An Inconvenient Truth

Many more that I am not thinking of at this time.

Answer 3

Everything by Mark Twain, including later, Letters from the Earth. Also from high school, The Illiad and the Odyssey, some of Shakespeare, and in late high school, the movie The Days of Wine and Roses and a little later, the movie from Carson McCullers's book The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, where Alan Arkin was stupendous.

Answer 4

The books that seemed to have the most influence on me

were books that revolved around the 1800's, much as they

do today. I am terrible about names, to mention authors, but

"How Green Was My Valley", "The Red Badge of Courage",

which was required reading in school. "Little Women", by

Louisa M. Alcott. "Little House on the Prairie", series. And so

many more I've forgotten. But basically books of the pioneer and the Civil War period. Certainly "Gone With the

Wind" was instrumental in visual stimulation with the costumes of that period, as well as the scenery depicting the

plantation lifestyle. And there have been countless movies

depicting the western movement of the wagon trains of the

1850's. I have read countless diaries of individual pion-

eers and their experiences trekking across along the Oregon

Trail.

But the very first movie that had an impact, was Bambi. For

through that, I learned about the sadness of death, and how

I didn't want my dad to be a hunter, killing deer or any other

wild life. I shortly after attended my first funeral and learned

the sorrow of death personally, through the loss of a great

grandmother. The experience didn't affect me personally, but

to the older members of my family, who I observed through

my small eyes. To know how adults show their sorrow with the

loss of someone they care for, made me realize so many

things I probably was too young to witness that day. But it was

a growing experience, I still remember today.

Answer 5

This is a great question and has brought back so many memories. I hardly know where to begin. My mom used to read us stories like Treasure Island and Heidi and the Arabian Knights. I remember the Movie Elephant Walk, wow that takes me back. I also read Stranger in a Strange land. Fahrenheit 451 ( or what ever the number was) . I have always been more interested in adventure shows rather than romance shows. I loved westerns. But my favorite actress was Hailey Mills and Pollyanna was one of my favorite shows.

Answer 6

I wouldn't consider John McDonald much of an influence on my life, but I started reading his books in the 70's out of desperation. The library had shut down for two weeks and I found myself book-rupt. My husband handed me two McDonald paperbacks and suggested I quit whining so he could read in peace. I was hooked.



I read Robert Heinlein's Stranger In a Strange land in my late twenties and for the first time ever, I understood what humor is all about. It's not a funny book, but has a wonderful scene that describes what humor is.



I read Truman Capote's book, In Cold Blood when I was a teenager. As a young girl, I held the naive opinion that anyone who would take someone's life had to be mentally ill. I learned that there really were mean, evil people in this world who would kill or mame another human being at the drop of a hat or for entertainment. It left me shaken.



I also love Ann Tyler. I have most of her novels. I guess you could say she writes about how people manage to push each other's buttons without realizing it. My favorite is "Saint Maybe." She's made me think about the importance of not taking those we care about for granted...and I think we all do this sometimes whether we mean to or not.



Toni Morrison's Beloved is one of my favorite novels. I've read it several times. I never have nor will I ever see the movie. I don't think I could sit through it. The pictures in my head are vivid enough.



Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig is a novel I've read several times. There's so much to think about in that book I wouldn't know where to start. Dh and I have spent a lot of time over the years talking about this one.

Answer 7

The Bible, Pearl Buck's- The Good Earth, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Toms Cabin. ark Twain Tom Sawyer---South Pacific's, Singing in the Rain, High Noon. Casablanca, Giant and last but not least, Jimmy Stewart It's A Wonderful Life

Answer 8

My favorite book when very young was "Little Women". The movie "Gaslight" made a big impression on me. I was able at 10 years of age to appreciate excellent acting. Other movies I enjoyed were "The Human Comedy", "The Best Years of Our Lives" and "Since You Went Away". When James Thurber's story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" came alive on the screen, it was for me a lifelong love of Danny Kaye and every movie he ever made. My mother instilled a love of reading in my sisters and myself.

Answer 9

Don't take this the wrong way ..but "Arsenic and Old Lace" w/ Cary Grant . It inspired me to watch it many times over the years . It was one of the first comedies that cracked me up repeatedly . Those wacky Brewster sisters and their rooms to rent ; and "Teddy Roosevelt" charging down to cellar . Priceless .

As for books my first favorite author was Lois Lenski . I read every book she ever wrote ..which gave me a love for books to this day . I used to beg to be allowed to go to the library .

Answer 10

Back in the sixties I like to read books by Edgar Rice Buroughs, especially Moon Maid, this was my first science fiction novel I read.



Still have the book, think I have read it about 30 times, I keep going back, and funny enough, relates to many things going on in the just now.

Answer 11

Heidi, The Ten Commandments

Answer 12

When I was in Junior High our English teacher played an old black and white movie " To kill a mockingbird" starring Gregory Peck... I guess I lived a pretty sheltered life out in the suburbs, this was my first exposure to racism and inequality. The movie had a profound effect on my life and inadvertently led me to my life of servitude.

Answer 13

. Excellent reminder about J.Wayne. He and Gene Pitney make a good combo here @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9_XtqHgf0g&feature=related ; ....

And it is hard to beat S.Dee AND the music in this movie @

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqKdTDUjQjw&feature=related ; ...

Answer 14

I read the "Hardy Boys" series as a boy, and while I didn't become a detective, I credit those books with instilling in me a curiosity to solve problems.

Answer 15

books on the injustices which were given to the Native Americans which reinforced the teachings of " the Ancient Ways " given by my Dad.



Always liked books which reinforced living and survival tactics.

Answer 16

- Scent of a Woman (1992 with Al Pacino)