OVERLOOKED FILMS: MARDI GRAS!

Today is Fat Tuesday.  No, Miss Weld did not let herself gain weight.  It's Mardi Gras!

New Orleans has gone through some pretty tough times over the past few years, but it is a survivor.  I thought it would be interesting to look at some short films covering Mardi Gras in the Big Easy over the years.

The first is from home videos taken in 1941.  No sound on this one, but I love watching the faces in the crowd.  Toward the end, there are a lot of kids in fancy costumes and some of them look actually happy.  Huge crowds and absolutely safe for work.  By-gone times:

http://www.archive.org/details/Paradeof1941

Let's shift up to 1956:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n4TzJ69TBE

Even Katrina couldn't dispell the New Orleans spirit.  Here's 2006:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvT6jdfD2Hs

Of course, New Orleans isn't the only city to celebrate Mardi Gras.  It's evidently a big day in Galveston
also.  Look closely and you may see Bill Crider tossing beads and shouting, "Show us your paperbacks!"  Or not:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykVTFPBEzyI

I hope you have a fantastic Fat Tuesday (again, I refer to the day, not the actress).  Laissez les bon temps roulez!

**********

For more much more significant overlooked films, visit Todd Mason at his Sweet Freedom blog.

Oh, and just so you don't confuse them, here's Tuesday Weld;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRNporirt9s