Patricia Nolan-Hall (aka Paddy Lee, aka Caftan Woman) welcomed me when I joined the Classic Movie Blog Association (CMBA) several years ago. I was thrilled to join an online community of people who shared my interest in classic film, and after her welcome, she graciously continued her support via her insightful comments throughout the years.
Paddy Lee’s articles often inspired me to see a film or revisit one. One article still resonates with me because it was an inspiration to see a film that I had forgotten about: Union Station (1950), starring William Holden and Nancy Olson. I haven’t yet written about Union Station. I would like to, but I keep getting sidetracked by other films and novels, and maybe (if I’m honest) it’s because I don’t want to compete with a pro like Paddy Lee.
So the best way for me to honor her is to let Paddy Lee’s article about Union Station speak for itself. You can find it by clicking here. To pique your interest, here is the opening paragraph:
Cities within cities fascinate creators and audiences. Consider the nightclub in Piccadilly, 1929, the business complex in Skyscraper Souls, 1932, and the transportation hub in The Terminal, 2004. The transportation mecca for our feature's setting is the Chicago Union Station, with the conveniently located Los Angeles Union Station playing the part.
I love her wonderful observation about Union Station being an example of “cities within cities.” She included a movie poster from another country and crisp screenshots from the film itself. And don’t overlook the comments: Several people, including me, commented on her article, and Paddy Lee answered every one.
She was knowledgeable about a broad range of classic film; film noir was just one example. She had a sense of humor, too, as the subtitle to her blog (“Faster than a speeding scooter. . .”) shows.
And—by the way—Paddy Lee and her father are right about Union Station: It’s a dandy!
My article about Patricia Nolan-Hall and Union Station is my entry for The Caftan Woman Blogathon – Honoring Patricia Nolan-Hall, which is hosted by Jacqueline at Another Old Move Blog and Lady Eve at Lady Eve’s Reel Life. To see all the blog articles celebrating Patricia Nolan-Hall, click here and here.
