Movies

Search for Beauty (1934) Robert Armstrong, James Gleason and Gertrude Michael are two bit hustlers trying to make it big in the Health Racket; Buster Crabbe and Ida Lupino are the Olympic athletes they hire as a front, who queer the pitch by forcing them to play it straight. Lupino is here a bleached blonde with pencilled eyebrows and a bit of a British accent and it took me half an hour to figure out which one was her. Strangely, the movie does the same thing the hustlers want to do - sell cheesecake and beefcake under the guise of health and exercise. Lots of healthy young people in bathing suits leaping and stretching. I've never seen anything quite like it. Odd but not great. 5/10

Xica da Silva (1976) Brazilian costume fantasy very loosely inspired by the true story of the title character's rise from slavery to the pinnacle of wealth and power in colonial Brazil, as mistress of the controller of the nation's diamond mines. An extremely colorful story in every way, with fascinating costume, architecture, landscape and characters. Xica is vibrantly portrayed by the charismatic Zeze' Motta, who seems to have had an extensive career in Brazilian film and television. Maybe not strictly educational, as it varies widely from historic fact, but quite entertaining. 8/10

Zeze' Motta as slave...

...and as queen.