Halloween: Come to Me My Moonbeam!

(Picture from BYU library)

When we were just barely starting to consider dating, Aaron came to a Halloween party I threw in college. He ended up staying after and we watched the silent film Trapped by the Mormons (1922).

It is a truly terrible movie, sooo bad that it's hilarious. In it Mormon missionary Isolde Keene who seems to be part vampire, part hypnotist and a devoted jazz fan attempts to seduce Nora Prescott, a beautiful young English woman. Thankfully her crotchety father and controlling sailor ex-boyfriend save her by wiping the whole town into a frenzy of violence and leading the blood thirsty mob to attack Isolde. Nothing makes a better happily ever after than mob rule. Hurray!

There's so many amazing scenes but one of the best shows Isolde Keene, using his evil powers, summoning a hypnotized Nora from her bed and into his presence. He does this by waving his arms and according to the silent film card saying "Come to me My Moonbeam!" Aaron and I thought this was hilarious and it became a running joke.

A year or two later we were hanging out with Aaron's brother and I casually called Aaron Moonbeam. Dan in a mix of disgust and curiosity exclaimed "Ick. Why does she call you that?" I was close enough to overhear and I expected Aaron would tell Dan about the movie, Isolde, the great Halloween party, etc. etc. But instead Aaron replied "I don't know. She just likes to call me that." Thanks Aaron.

Another of my all time favorite movies which I watch every halloween time is "The Invisible Man (1933). The special effects are amazing.