• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Bookshelf
    • Audio
    • Complete List of Chautona’s Books
    • The Rockland Chronicles
      • The Vintage Wren
      • The Aggie Series
      • The Hartfield Mysteries
      • Sight Unseen Series
        • Sight Unseen Series Archives
      • The Agency Files
      • Christmas Fiction
    • Legacy of the Vines
    • Meddlin’ Madeline
      • Madeline Blog Archive
    • Ballads from the Hearth
      • Ballads from the Hearth Blog Archive
    • Legends of the Vengeance
    • Journey of Dreams
    • Wynnewood
    • Webster’s Bakery
    • The Not-So-Fairy Tales
    • Heart of Warwickshire
  • Start HERE
    • If You Like…
    • Characters
    • Suggested Reading Order
    • Free Books
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Podcast
    • Podcast Guest Information
    • Podcast Interview FAQ
  • Merch Shop
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • Bonus
  • New & Coming
Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

5 Cool Life Secrets I Learned from Old Movies

by Chautona Havig · Leave a Comment

The blue screen flickers—turns black, white, and innocent shades of gray. Music swells. The production company’s logo fills the TV, and a smile forms.

The music always changes—sprightly for a romance or a comedy, tense and imposing for a drama. A combination for both. And then it begins…

I’ve watched a lot of old movies. Musicals, dramas, mysteries, patriotic, and almost everything in between. I love Jimmy Stewart, Deanna Durbin, Frank Sinatra, Gene Kelly, June Allyson, and Tom Drake. Oh, yeah. No one waltzes like Tom Drake. Between his “Yes ma’am” in Two Girls and a Sailor and his waltzing in Meet Me in St. Louis and I’ll Be Yours, it’s the closest thing I come to swooning after Gilbert Blythe’s words I talked about in THIS POST.

So in all these movies, I’ve learned a thing or two. They teach awesome life lessons, although I doubt they meant to. Don’t believe me?

5 Cool Life Secrets I Learned from Old Movies

Links in this post may be affiliate links which will provide me with a small commission at no extra expense for you.

Here are five cool life secrets I learned from old movies.

1. There’s a song for every occasion. Seriously.

It happened in BrooklynIs it raining? Sing!

Is it spring? Sing!

Are you afraid? Whistle (a happy tune)

Is it night time? Well, it’s a “Grand Night for Singing”, don’tcha know!

Really love your hometown landmarks? Sing about the Brooklyn Bridge.

Oh, but whatever you do, “It doesn’t matter if it’s classic or rock, just as long as it comes from the heart.” Jimmy Durante said so. He wouldn’t steer you wrong, and with his schnoz, he could steer a battleship. (No, that’s not one of his jokes, but I can hear him saying it, can’t you?)

See, Aggie had it right. If anything is right, wrong, or indifferent in the world, SING! (She recommends hymns). And as Judy Garland tells us in Summer Stock, “If you can’t sing good, sing soft.” (I think that’s the musical equivalent of “Make a joyful noise.” Let’s go with that one.

Oh, and if you think it’s not realistic for people to break out into song over any little thing, you don’t know the Havigs. A friend’s husband said that to me the first time I met him. After a few months of stopping by my house at lunch to see his family (they spent a lot of days at our house), he finally said, “Wow. You really do sing all the time.”

Yeah.

2. Embrace the ordinary.

It's a Wonderful LifeDon’t believe me? Ask George Bailey about it. He spends his entire life trying to escape the ordinary. All of it. And if you think about it, he also spends his entire life being anything but ordinary. He rescues his brother, he rescues the Savings & Loan, he rescues the town from the clutches of Mr. Potter. It takes something extraordinary—him choosing suicide as the solution to his problems—for him to appreciate the ordinary.

It just hit me that it’s rather like the good guy’s version of A Christmas Carol. Strange…

But that’s not the only one. What about Deanna Durbin’s Nice Girl?  Here you have Jane Dana—oldest of three daughters and destined to a life of relentless ordinary. She pictures her epitaph reading, “Here lies Jane Dana, scientist, and spinster. She died at the age of 82, a nice girl.”

Supposedly that’s bad. But when a little sophistication enters her life in the form of a wealthy man… yeah. She learns that the locals who annoyed her before are true friends—rooting for her, even. And maybe, just maybe, that boy next door isn’t as boring and ordinary as she thought. Or maybe it’s that she learned ordinary isn’t synonymous with plague-bait.

3. We’re braver than we think.

For Me and My GalThis one chokes me up. Look, I’m not an emotional gal, but if anything will make my throat ache and my eyes leak all over the place, it’s a good hero. My mind keeps going to war movies here—but I can’t help it. What about…?

For Me and My Gal— Selfish Harry Palmer just wanted to delay his entry into the army long enough to get married… just long enough. However, the way he went about it—so bad on so many levels. But man, when he steps up and saves the day despite a self-imposed handicap… Yep. Gets me every time.

Yeah, he was selfish. Sure, he was a coward. But the Lord made His creatures stronger than we give ourselves credit for.

Audie Murphy. Need we say anymore? The underdog of underdogs. The young man no one wanted. Time after time, he steps up to the plate, bags home run after home run, and wins the game. The most unassuming man of the bunch keeps them all together and in the end, saves them. This is probably the bravest kid in the history of kids joining the armed services way too young.

Captain's CourageousWhite Christmas— It’s a song, sure. But remember at the end, “We’ll follow the old man wherever he wants to go…” That’s my idea of a hero. You inspire that kind of loyalty—even after the war is over and everyone has settled into a new life—you’re a hero. And a military guy making a go at civilian life… I’m sorry, but from what I’ve seen in my own life? That’s brave, too.

Captain’s Courageous— When Spencer Tracy makes sure that Freddie Bartholomew doesn’t know just what has happened to him and tries to comfort the boy until he has to go under. That’s bravery on a whole new level.  “… yay ho little fish don’t cry don’t cry…”  *sniff*

4. Normal is relative.

Mr. DeedsArsenic and Old Lace— Those aunts are hysterical, aren’t they? Uncle Teddy is pretty adorable, too. It’s a horrible, hilarious movie that just goes to show that no matter how “normal” things may appear, we’re all a bit quirky in some way or another.

Mr. Deeds Goes to Town— After all, Mr. Deeds is “pixilated.” The sweet old gals from Mandrake Falls said so. And well, if anyone should know…

Ball of Fire— Look, if those guys in that old house aren’t a bit “unique,” I don’t know who is. No, they’re not “normal” by most peoples’ standards, but who cares? The sweet old guy married to “Genevieve” who spent the first week of his honeymoon bidding his wife goodnight by kissing her hand. Yeah. Totally not normal, but super cute in my not-so-humble opinion. And I’ve heard of cold showers, but cold water on the back of the neck? “You had to water your neck…” Mmmwaaahaha.

Still have doubts? Well, just watch anything Danny Kaye did. That’ll settle it right there. Well, except for The Five Pennies. I think he was startlingly normal in that. Then again, we’ve already established that normal is relative, so there you have it!

5. In the end, the “Good Guy” wins.

Mr. Smith Goes to WashingtonMr. Smith Goes to Washington— Uncorrupted politician against all of Washington. Uncorrupted politician wins.

African Queen— An unlikely duo in a small tramp steamer takes on a German battleship. Look, it wasn’t the Bismark, but they got that Luise!

12 Angry Men—oh, this one gets me every time. A boy is almost sentenced to death because of the laziness of a jury. The good guy, in this case, was actually two guys—the jury member who refused to be pressured and the kid who didn’t do what he’d been accused of.

Yep. The good guy wins. Of course, in real life, it’s Jesus.

That’s not all, you know. I’ve learned lessons in Solomon-like wisdom, showing kindness when you don’t feel it, how to turn puddles into dance numbers, and why you need some seriously great shampoo if you’re stationed in the South Pacific. They’ve got man-sized grit over there!

There you have it. Five cool life secrets I learned from old movies. I bet I could have come up with a dozen more, but you’d have more fun just watching one. I recommend For the Love of Mary with Deanna Durbin.  Just don’t call the president asking about fish!

See… you can learn a lot from old movies.  Which one should I watch next…?

Share150
Pin
Post
Email
152Shares
Share
Pin
Post
Email
152Shares

Filed Under: General Information, Personal

Previous Post: « Why Flawed and Pathetic Heroes Are the Best
Next Post: 3 Reasons to Love A Ruby Glows & Why You Might Not »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Or, you can subscribe without commenting.

Primary Sidebar

The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
byChautona Havig

 I fell in love with Nancy’s writing with The Shell Collector. Imagine my joy when I discovered she has a SEQUEL! Eeep! Listen in and discover which characters you’ll find in To Light the Way Forward and what’s coming next for one of America’s favorite authors!

note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

It’s been three years since Nancy and I had a chance to talk, and in that time, she’s been BUSY.  So in addition to falling in love with her character, Tug, and wanting to give him his own story, she’s written a small-town duet (and maybe we talked her into a third?) as well as a romcom duo!  Think we can talk her into a third of that series as well?  Because… SPOILER ALERT… we’re getting a third Shell Collector Series book, too! EEEP!

To Light the Way Forward by Nancy Naigle

A novel of overcoming deep loss, taking risks, and learning that life—and love—often surprises you when you least expect it, from the USA Today bestselling author of The Shell Collector. “Bringing to life characters you can’t help but fall in love with, Nancy Naigle goes straight to the heart with this story of tragedy turned to triumph. A poignant reminder to never give up hope.”—Sheila Roberts, author of The Best Life Book Club Feeling adrift after the loss of her husband, Rosemary sets out to visit an old friend on Whelk’s Island, undeterred by the threat of a hurricane. Before the storm hits, she finds herself at Tug’s Diner where she quickly connects with the owner, Tug. But the storm destroys the diner, compounding Tug’s grief from losing his love the previous year. The longer Rosemary stays, the more she sees Tug’s deep sadness and resolves to help him. Together with Tug and friends Amanda and Paul, they all pitch in to help the close-knit community recover and rebuild. As Amanda and Paul reconnect after losing touch during the storm, their plans to take things slow seem increasingly impractical. While Rosemary and Tug help the young couple navigate their relationship, they also find themselves building a friendship that begins to restore them both. But can that friendship convince them that love is possible for anyone who’s willing to take a risk—even those who never hoped they’d find it again?

Learn more about Nancy on her WEBSITEand follow her on GoodReads and BookBub.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

  • Apple
  • Castbox
  • Google Play
  • Libsyn
  • RSS
  • Spotify
  • Amazon
  • and more!
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
Episode 448: A Chat with Nancy Naigle
July 19, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 447: A Chat with Cate Touryan
July 14, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 446: A Chat with Rachel Chamberlayne
July 12, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 445: A Chat with Michelle Griep
July 7, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 444: A Chat with Rosey Lee
July 5, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 443: A Chat with Yvonne M. Morgan
June 30, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 442: A Chat with Liz Johnson
June 28, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 441: A Chat with Shannon Sue Dunlap
June 23, 2025
Chautona Havig
Episode 440: A Chat with Jordan Millsaps
June 21, 2025
Jordan Millsaps
Episode 439: A Chat with Laura Thomas
June 16, 2025
Chautona Havig
Search Results placeholder

Love Audio Books?

audio book ad

Featured Books

Be My Inspiration

Be My Inspiration

Pointed Suspicion

Pointed Suspicion

Courting Miss Darling

Courting Miss Darling

Upcoming Posts

Sorry - nothing planned yet!

Or just subscribe to the newsletter

Recent Blog Posts

  • So, There Was That Time I Forgot What I Knew…
  • “Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say” Ain’t No Lie
  • Why Romance Is a Hairy Proposition (or is that proposal?)

I buy my stickers here! (affiliate)

Custom Stickers, Die Cut Stickers, Bumper Stickers - Sticker Mule
Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo j Hiding from the gang that tried to kill him, Leo just wants to keep a low profile and start over. He didn't count on his first friend being someone like Allison.
The Kasimirs won't let him go unpunished.
Allison won't let him go unfriended.
What's a guy to do?
Listen FREE to a new chapter every day in November AND the complete book after the end of the month: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eLI5ZH6YUk&list=PLGJaJiSo6mQ2dDLCnbGRORVFd5Rg1y7rR&pp=iAQB
Also available on all major audiobook platforms AND on Kindle Unlimited.
Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo
#Audiobooks
#YouTube
#FreeAudiobooks
#KindleUnlimited
#ChristianRomanticSuspense
The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of The fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo has narrated many of my books, including TheNutcracker's Suite--a mystery set among the mob activity during the Prohibition era.
You can listen FREE on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@christadelsorbo/videos
Check out the other books she has on there... also free!

OR

You can also get The Nutcracker's Suite and several of my other titles on popular retailers like Audible, Spotify, Everand, and more!
#Audiobooks
#FreeAudiobooks
#ChristianMystery
#HistoricalMystery
#FairyTaleRetelling
3d
Whoa... just in case we didn't understand, this b Whoa... just in case we didn't understand,  this bin has a HUGE instruction envelope to remind us and help with the super complicated job of building a box.
Audiobooks FREE? Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Na Audiobooks FREE?  Yep! 100% free on YouTube and Narrated by the fabulous @ChristaDelSorbo.
Get a new chapter every day until it's all uploaded OR listen to the FULL audiobook in one video once all chapters have been released!
Scott Keil's mission work tends to overtake both his and his daughter's life.  So when his daughter ropes Natalie Dersham to help out, he's thrilled.  When she starts playing matchmaker... well... okay, he's kind of thrilled about that, too.  The age gap?  Probably prohibitive but if it wasn't...
Available in print, on Kindle, in Kindle Unlimited, and now coming to all major audiobook platforms (and free on YouTube right now!)
#UnderTheHibiscus
#FreeAudiobook
#ChristFic
#KindleUnlimited
https://youtu.be/rzD7cULBeV8
I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover! I am SOOOOOOOOO excited about Everard's new cover!  @PlethoraCreative did a fabulous job of redesigning the second book in the Not-So-Fairy Tales series (Book one updates coming soon!). Not only do we have Kindle and paperbacks, but hardbacks with DOUBLE-SIDED dust jackets are coming. Soon you can read with @notsquid's fabulous map open before you so you know exactly where Everard, Sevrin, and Sassy are headed next! EEEP
Available HERE: https://amzn.to/4eKL6sv  #AffiliateLink
#ChristFic
#ChristianMiddleGrade (older)
#ChristianFantasy
#ChristianFairyTale
#KindleUnlimited
#CoverRedesign
All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solit All she wanted was a festive-free Christmas. Solitude far away from the fa-la-las.  Instead, she got snowbound in Wrightwood with a woman (aptly named Joy) who makes Buddy from Elf look like a Grinch.
Escape to Greenaway is next up in the Christmas in July celebration and FREE on Friday, July 18, 2025: https://amzn.to/4kIK9lI #affiliatelink
#Christfic
#ChristianRomance
#ChristianChristmasRomance
#ChristianWomensFiction
#FreeKindle
#KindleUnlimited
For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "s For my 25th anniversary, I wrote a book about a "silver anniversary" that wasn't the joyful thing people expect--until it was.  Tarnished Silver is FREE on 7/16/25 for Christmas in July. https://amzn.to/3GQkVE3 #AffiliateLink
#Christfic
#ChristmasRomance
#SmallTownRomance
#ChristianRomanticFiction
#KindleFree
#KindleUnlimited
  • Home
  • Bookshelf
  • New & Coming
  • Blog
  • News!
  • Disclosure & Policies
  • Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · Chautona Havig · All Rights Reserved · Coding by Gretchen Louise

Don't go before you grab your FREE short story collection!