There is a delightful blog called Hooked on Houses where there are a good many posts about houses on the market – the good, the bad, and the ugly – and a really fun feature the writer, Julia, does about houses used and seen in movies and on television. When you have an hour or two with nothing to do, or if you have more self-control and can pace yourself, go to hookedonhouses.net , then click on the link to the tv and movie houses, pop some popcorn, and enjoy.
Here’s the thing. I love to peruse the houses in movies. When we saw Must Love Dogs, I became fascinated with the several houses and fixated on the little nook with a couch at the top of the stairs. Did you see it? Am I the only one?
Here’s the other thing. Just as I was discovering the Gladys Taber books of yesterday’s blog, I discovered Hooked on Houses. I was, well, hooked, and not being selfish and wanting to spread the fun, I sent the site to many of my friends who didn’t talk to me for about a week. I don’t know if it was because they, too, were hooked, or they were mad at me for encouraging them to spend their time looking into the windows and through the doors of the big and little screened houses of fame.
But, wait, here’s the REAL thing. Christmas in Connecticut is one of my all-time favorite Christmas movies. I love the bantering and the silliness and I especially love the house where most of the action takes place in Connecticut. Just after I started reading Taber’s book, I read Julia’s piece on the movie Christmas in Connecticut, and there, at the very end of this fun post, was a line that stated that the movie was based on the columnist, Gladys Taber and her house in Connecticut. Now, Taber was not like the Barbara Stanwyck character in the movie, the house I am sure was not hers, and she was an accomplished writer, a good cook, a breeder of dogs – but there was her name and it was such fun to discover at the same time I was reading Stillmeadow.
I keep telling you about those circles in life and how they keep going around and around. Wait. Come back. Read my blog. You can look at those houses later.
“Christmas in Connecticut” released in 1945 is also one of my favorite Christmas movies! Actually, the character of Elizabeth Lane is not based on Gladys Taber, and this is sort of a fun rumor which spread on the internet. Apparently this came about many years ago when the IMDb.com website began annotating movies for readers. There were paid-by-the-hour workers who had to come up with newsy notes about the movies. One of them cooked up the line: “…Gladys Taber, whose column ‘Butternut Wisdom’ ran in Family Circle Magazine from before World War II until the 1970’s…” Fans of Gladys know that the Butternut Wisdom column didn’t start until 1959, 14 years after the movie. From late 1937 to the end of 1957, Gladys had a column entitled “Diary of Domesticity” that ran in Ladies Home Journal. BTW, Gladys always said that the title of that column was forced on her and “it was a bad title but a pretty good column.” The family says they are sure the character of Elizabeth Lane was not based on Gladys, but the rumor has gone viral on the internet. I do feel that it doesn’t hurt getting her name out to more people: our goal is to get more people reading her books.
Gladys Taber was a very prolific writer. Not only did she write 50 books, she also wrote hundreds of short stories and other articles which were published in all the major magazines of the day, e.g. Saturday Evening Post, The American, Colliers, Good Housekeeping, Nation’s Business, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, etc. For over 5 decades, virtually every American home had something in it which was written by Gladys, either a book or a magazine, yet her name never was widely “known.” She had legions of fans, though, and many wrote to her, some letters addressed only to “Gladys Taber, Stillmeadow, CT”. They all reached her and she averaged over 1000 letters each year. Every single one was answered by Gladys, herself. The post office in her town of Southbury, CT reports that she received more mail than any other person or business in town.
Gladys Taber is really a national treasure, as her writing is timeless and sounds as though it was written yesterday. She lived through 2 World Wars, the Great Depression, the Korean police action, the Viet Nam war, etc. Her writing often sounds as though she was addressing 21st century terrorism, the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war, the severe economic downturn of today, etc. We hope more people will find her books and take heart.
Susan
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Susan, I can’t thank you enough for all the information about Gladys Taber you have extended to me, and to my readers, on these last two posts. I paused before posting this morning and wondered where the words would lead. Where they lead is to a whole new appreciation of a writer I just came to know this winter – and the promise of more to come.
Gladys Taber’s writing struck me just as timeless as you say.
I’m sure there were columns of her in the magazines in my childhood home, and even as I set up my own, that I saw or even read. It has been fun to discover them now, however, and to appreciate their simple beauty and relevance today.
What an interesting turn of events on “Christmas in Connecticut”! I appreciate being enlightened on the source of the rumor. Thank you, again, and please let me know when the website of your organization makes its debut. I know there are readers of this blog that would be interested in viewing it.
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Thanks for the shout-out! So glad you enjoy my movie posts. I had never heard of Gladys Taber when I wrote about “Christmas in Connecticut.” (Very interesting info. that Susan shared above–I’ll have to add that to the post!)
After I mentioned her, a reader sent me a big box full of Taber’s books. His mother had died and he didn’t want to just toss them because he knew how much they had meant to her. Now I’m a fan of hers, too. It’s been so much fun going through the books!
Thanks again. 🙂
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I love your posts, Julia, so it is was a pleasure to share with others.
Aren’t her books wonderful? What a wonderful thing to have a box of her books came your way. She has the writing style and subject matter that enabled one to pick up her books at any time and find the pages relevant.
Susan had some additional information on Gladys Taber that she commented on in yesterday’s post that you might find interesting as well.
Thank you for commenting here.
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[…] UPDATE: Susan Turnley says that Taber was not really the inspiration for the […]
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Serendipity Penny! By the way – I’m going to think long and hard before I check out that link, it seems like just the sort of site that could suck me in and keep me way too long!
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Be careful . . . be very careful.
Then, do it!
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I did go to hooked on houses, spent over an hour. I know that I will spend more time there. Thanks for the tip.
I will also have to look for Gladys Taber books. That is … after I retire.
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Did you see the house from the chipmunk movie or the one from Stuart Little? I love You’ve Got Mail – and love the apartment.
Retirement will bring you all sorts of new adventures and more time to spend doing the things you want to do and spending time with grandchildren.
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I wish I could find that movie on now. 🙂
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Me too! It might play on some channel in the next few days as we inch closer to Christmas, Deborah. Turner Classic often plays it. It is one of my absolute favorite holiday movies.
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I found it on the internet through Amazon!! I watched it for free. 🙂
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Here’s the girl a few years late in the conversation…. the movie is being shown now on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel. I’ve found this post in a roundabout way… like you said “the circle”. I also enjoy the houses in movies (and peeking in windows) but even more I follow the cocktails! I love to try the old fashioned drinks (and foods) when I can. So I googled “Martini Oscar” and didn’t end up with much of anything, but somehow a link to you. Here’s the thing: I have a major Gladys Taber crush. I’ve been collecting her books for several years and am even a member of the fan club (yes, the fan club!) Thanks for the fun, and you’ve got a new follower here in Wisconsin!
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It is never late to joint in the conversation here, Erika. I appreciate you taking the time to stop by and comment. I love it when kindred spirits stop by – and I keep meaning to joint the Gladys Taber newsletter. Yes. those circles of life keep coming round and round. I just drove through your beautiful state yesterday, coming down from the Twin Cities, where our daughter and her family live. See? Circles. 🙂
I hope to catch Christmas in Connecticut this season – more than once would be best.
Stop by and say hi again. Penny
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