VLVL2 (9.5): "Father Flanagan"

[Tim Strzechowski]

Curiously, I haven't seen too many (if any) allusions to *classic* cinema in
VL up to this point (unless I missed some).  Any films mentioned in this
novel seem more along the lines of mainstream popularity from 60s onward
(Gidget, Return of the Jedi, etc.).

I'd sorta expect a reference to classic cinema (like this) in GR . . .

Does this allusion seem out-of-place, given the film context Pynchon has
established in VL thus far?


>
> Actor Spencer Tracy won an Academy Award for his
> portrayal of Father Flanagan in "Boys Town," a film
> that has become an American classic.
>
> http://www.girlsandboystown.org/aboutus/history/index.asp#Academy%20Award
>
> http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0029942/
>