Well, dear readers, it’s cleaning lady day and short notes day, so I must keep things moving right along with no stops or detours along the way. I must keep forward momentum going at all costs (these days, forward momentum is very pricey – $17.98 last I looked – but cost is no issue, forward momentum-wise), not when the cleaning lady is ready, willing and able to give you the evil eye.
Yesterday I picked up a whole batch of new DVDs (to be released on Tuesday) but since these are short notes, I’ll only mention a few of the choice titles: Ossessione, Top Secret (the Zucker and Abrahams boys 2nd film – totally weird and oddly likable), Amelie (looking forward to that one), Red Beard from Mr. Kurosawa, and a few others, including one of my favorite guilty pleasures, which has never been available commercially on video before – Mr. Joseph Losey’s Modesty Blaise, starring Monica Vitti, Dirk Bogarde, Clive Revill and Terence Stamp. You will never see a stranger movie.
My goodness, aren’t I being brief and succinct. This is sort of like the Jack Webb/Dragnet version of these here notes. Just the facts, ma’am, nothing but the facts. There is a certain terseness, but a certain terseness is not always such a bad thing, is it? In any case, we must keep the forward momentum going, so I’ve taken enough time with this meaningless paragraph.
In fact, I do have some useful information to impart, including our Unseemly Trivia Contest question – so, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below. Just the button, ma’am, nothing but the button.
Has anyone noticed how today’s notes have a certain terseness? They’re kind of like the Jack Webb/Dragnet version of these here notes. Didn’t I say that already? So much for forward momentum.
I posted this within our plethora of posts yesterday, so for those who may have missed it, I shall post it again, posthaste. Check out td’s review of The First Nudie Musical DVD over at www.dvdlaunch.com, as well as the handy-dandy interview he did with my very own self. I invoke these here notes and all our dear readers, so check it out.
Don’t forget Donald has a brand spanking new radio show going up tomorrow. Even though he posted here twice yesterday, he has still not mentioned what said radio show will be, so perhaps today he will.
Now it is time for our Unseemly Trivia Contest question. I haven’t had time to get a really difficult one for you this week – so everyone has a chance. There will be a question and a bonus question, totally unrelated. Well, their cousins, identical cousins, but we won’t say anything. Only kidding – these are not related questions in any way, shape or form.
As far as I know (which apparently isn’t far – since you dear readers are always coming up with alternate answers I had no idea could be right) between the years 1950 and 1980 there was only one instance of a well-known play becoming a well-known musical. Ha, you say and ha I say right back because I am not finished with the question. The point is this: in hopefully only this one instance has the original play and its musical version been directed by the same person. In other words, the director of the play was also the director of the musical. To make it clear, the person who directed the play was later hired to perform that same duty on the musical.
Name the play. Name the musical. Name the director.
Bonus question:
New York City Center would sometimes do short revivals of musicals, sometimes just a couple of years after their initial runs. Strange, but true. Hence, in the 1958-59 season there was a sixteen performance revival of Frank Loesser’s The Most Happy Fella. It included some of the original cast, such as Lee Cass and Art Lund. It also included, in a tiny role, a child who would grow up to be a major theater star. Name the child.
Remember, DO NOT POST YOUR ANSWERS TO THE SITE – send them to me at bruce@haineshisway.com or by simply using the unseemly Ask BK button. Good luck to one and all and also all and one. You have until midnight on Monday, and the High Winners will be announced on Tuesday morning.
Well, the cleaning lady has arrived and is already giving me the evil eye. Well, I do hope these here notes haven’t been too too terse, that they haven’t been too too Jack Webb/Dragnet-like. As for me, I must take the day, do the things I do and I hope you will do the same (of course, why would you do the things I do – you must do your own things, unless you want to do the things I do, in which case you may). Today’s topic of discussion: Yesterday, we had quite a spirited discussion, which brought out everyone’s passion. Today we’ll take a break from such passionate ramblings and have some fun. What is your favorite type of donut or danish? My current favorite donut is Etennman’s (or however the hell you spell it) chocolate donut. I also enjoy Winchell’s apple fritter and cinnamon rolls on occasion. Now, all you donut lovers come out of the woodwork and do some good work – your turn.