Well, dear readers, today is a little day we like to call July 4th, or, as some wag put it, Independence Day. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is July 4th, a day of fireworks and roasting wieners and parties. It all started back in 1776, a musical. After piddling, twiddling, and resolving, some people signed a little document we like to call the Declaration of Independence. At the signing were William Daniels, Ken Howard, and many others. I first saw 1776 in 1969. Or did I first see 1969 in 1776? After seeing the show, I felt that I knew all about the Declaration of Independence and salt peter, not necessarily in that order. In any case, today is the 4th of July and I, for one, will be celebrating by sitting on my couch like so much fish and then by attending an actual 4th of July partay at neighbors Tony Slide and Bob Gitt’s home environment. Yesterday, the 3rd of July, was another odd day and might I just say I am getting a little bored of odd days? I had a completely annoying dream just before arising. I then got up, and Mr. Computer Man brought over a loaner computer and we booted up from my external hard drive. So, it’s almost like having my own computer and it will suffice for the next week or so until I get my own computer back. After that, I caught up on all my e-mails, and also made some telephonic calls. By that time, it was already after noon, so I picked up a package and shipped a package, which was tit for tat, package-wise. Or was it tat for tit, package-wise? Then Mr. Music Person came over and we spent a grueling three hours going over each and every note of music for the new musical. He had much of it correct, but we did have to fix some notes and some rhythms and some mistaken lyrics. He still has to do three reprises and the finale, and then we’ll be able to ship it to dear reader elmore, so that he can orchestrate it in his usual excellent way. I also saw and approved what will at the least be our temporary art and title treatment for the show. Then I went to supper with our very own Miss Barbara Deutsch and we had excellent food and excellent conversation. I then came home, where I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Madigan, directed by Mr. Don Siegel, and starring Mr. Richard Widmark, Mr. Henry Fonda, Mr. Harry Guardino, Miss Inger Stevens, and many others. It’s a strange and episodic film from Universal Studios, but I have a very soft spot in my heart for it. It’s one of those amusing Universal films where they’ll be driving down a street in New York, they’ll turn a corner, and in the next shot they’ll pull into a street on the back lot. The acting is excellent, as is the photography of Russell Metty. And I must say I’m really fond of the score by Don Costa. Is it his only score? If so, he should have done more because his score for Madigan is tuneful and exciting. There is a non-anamorphic region one DVD, but I watched the region 2 DVD, which is anamorphic and pretty decent-looking.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because, after all, it’s the 4th of July and clicking on the Unseemly Button is a real declaration of independence.
I’ve also been watching the Perry Mason first season – I’ve now gone through twelve shows. In an amusing bit of something-or-other, in one episode one of the cast members was Robert Ellenstein. Then, in the following episode, one of the cast members was Adam Williams. One year later, the two of them would be before the cameras playing James Mason’s henchmen in North by Northwest. I’m anxious to get subsequent seasons, because the show got better as it went along. In these early episodes, Perry Mason does things that would get him thrown in jail or disbarred.
Today, I shall be declaring my independence. Today I shall say, “Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?” Today I shall piddle, twiddle, and resolve to play the violin. Today I shall have molasses to rum. What am I, Sherman Edwards all of a sudden? Long before 1776, Sherman Edwards wrote a song I absolutely loved sung by a singer I absolutely loved. Who was the singer and what was the song?
We had two count them two winners in our Unseemly Trivia Contest. The question was:
This play had a healthy if not spectacular run of over 200 performances. The play was written by a well-known playwright who’d had several hits prior to this play. The play was directed by someone who’d directed the author’s several hits prior to this play. This director also directed the film versions of the author’s hits. The author also wrote the film director’s most famous film. The play starred an up-and-coming actor who’d starred in the director’s most famous film. Featured in the large cast was a person who would go on to write a musical that would become one of the most frequently produced musicals of its era.
Name the play and its author.
Name the play’s director.
Name the director’s most famous film.
Name the leading actor who’d also starred in the director’s most famous film.
Name the person in the cast who would go on to write a frequently produced musical and name the musical.
And the answers are:
Luther/John Osborne
Tony Richardson
Tom Jones
Albert Finney
Dan Goggin/Nunsense
I’m shocked that not more than two people bothered to offer guesses to this relatively simple quiz. In any case, our winners were FJL and JMK. We put their names in our patented Electronic Hat and said hat randomly chose our High Winner – JMK. Congratulations to both. If JMK will send his handy-dandy address, we will send him a sparkling prize.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, jog, watch a DVD or three, attend a partay, and perhaps even watch some fireworks. Today’s topic of discussion: What was the best 4th of July you ever had? The best fireworks? The best party or meal? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as we all sing The Lees of Virginia.