Well, dear readers, beware the Ides of August. I’ll bet you didn’t know there were Ides in August, did you? I’ll bet you thought Ides only made an appearance in March. Well, as I was out jogging yesterday, I was hornswoggled to see a few Ides just sitting there like so much fish. I thought to myself, myself isn’t it odd that I see Ides in August? So, because I felt it was important for you dear readers to be cognizant of such a factoid so that you could beware the Ides of August – in other words, have one up on the Ides of August. You know, I simply have no clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about, other than it has something to do with Ides (like I even know what an Ide is). Yesterday, after noticing the Ides, I managed to do a bunch of annoying stuff that needed doing, and I managed to write a few pages of the new play, and I managed to do a little brainstorming with Mr. Kevin Spirtas on an idea he has. I managed to return several telephonic calls and I managed to eat a little too much food, although not enough to make me gain, I hope (what with a nice, brisk jog and all). I did get a nice package today, which contained a first edition of Indian Country by Dorothy M. Johnson, won on eBay last week. I must say, I was delighted to get another copy of it, as I’d sold my former copy (for really good money – couldn’t refuse the offer). This copy, save for a little chip on the top of the dust jacket near the spine, is a great copy – no fading to the spine and the rest of the jacket in primo condition – price-clipped, but otherwise a near fine jacket. The best online copy for sale at this time, which doesn’t seem quite as nice as this copy, is listed for $485.00. So, given that the copy I just got is signed by Miss Dorothy M. Johnson, and given the fact that I have never seen a signed copy of this book for sale, I’d say that my copy could probably go for six or seven hundred dollars. Considering I got it for less than 10 percent of that, I’m a happy camper. The book is a book of western-themed short stories, two of which became hit movies – The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and A Man Called Horse. Finally, it was time to call it a day, so I summoned it and called it a day – it was a little confused by being called a day, but that’s it’s problem, not mine.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Twenty Four Eyes, a film from Japan. As I mentioned yesterday, I found the first hour very slow going. In the booklet that accompanies the DVD, the writer goes on at length about the fact that the film is not overly sentimental, but I found that to be quite an odd thing to say, since it is, in fact, very sentimental – not only that, it basks in its sentimentality. There is more crying in this movie than three Joan Crawford weepies. Some of it is certainly affecting, and the acting is excellent. Part of the problem for me is a problem I have with certain John Ford films (some of this films imagery is very Fordian) – the use of tunes like “There’s No Place Like Home” and “Auld Lang Syne” and others. It just emphasizes the treacle factor and I find it annoying. The photography is very nice, and the direction is simple, but at 156 minutes, it just plods along from episode to episode with endless shots of kids singing, of bicycle riding, of walking in the rain, of boats passing each other, etc. The film is much beloved in Japan, and some prestigious award went to it instead of the same year’s Seven Samurai. The director is considered one of the greats, but he never had the kind of exposure here that Kurosawa did, or Kobayashi or Ozu or Mizoguchi. Source material isn’t the greatest, but it’s more than acceptable for this region 2 DVD.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below whilst we beware the Ides of August – who knows, there may be an Ide waiting in the next section.
Thank goodness, not an Ide in sight or, in this particular case, not an Ide in site. Do you know what I call a John Ford film that isn’t quite up to his standards? A Fordian slip.
We didn’t have many guesses in our Unseemly Trivia Contest – only three, but they were all correct. Last week, we had many more players, and I really encourage everyone to at least give it Ye Olde College Try or it’s not worth my time trying to come up with these stumpers. The question was:
This play was a big ol’ flop, lasting less than twenty performances. The author was better known as a screenwriter of some major classic films. Its director was not only a stage director but a film director as well – in fact, he directed a film that the author had done the screenplay for. The star of the play was a newcomer who would go on to become a major motion picture star and an Academy Award-winner. Another of the play’s stars would go on to star in a series of beloved films, as well as a classic musical. Another cast member would go on to star in a classic and iconic motion picture directed by a famous director. Another cast member would become, for a brief time, a sexy motion picture actress. So:
Name the play and its author.
Name the director of the play and name the film said director made from a screenplay by the author.
Name the newcomer who starred in the play and would go on to become a major motion picture star and Academy Award-winner – and name the film or films for which said person would win.
Name the play’s other star who would go on to star in a beloved film, as well as a classic musical.
Name the cast member who would go on to star in a classic and iconic motion picture directed by a famous director, and name the film.
Finally, name the actress who would have a brief but wild career as a sexy motion picture actress.
And the answers are:
There Was A Little Girl/Daniel Taradash
Joshua Logan/Picnic
Jane Fonda/Klute and Coming Home
Dean Jones/The Love Bug/Company
Gary Lockwood/2001
Joey Heatherton
Our winners were FJL, Steve Gurey, and JMK. And our electronic hat has randomly selected our High Winner: FJL. Congratulations to one and all and also all and one, and if FJL will send his handy-dandy address we will send him a sparkling prize.
Today, I must have lunch with new dear reader Jeanne (she’s leaving town shortly and this will be the last time to see her) – hopefully, she can come up my way, as I have lots to do. Then I must write and do other things before I toddle off to the 50th birthday do for Mr. David Wechter.
Now wait just a darned minute. Let’s put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the Turkey Trot, because today is the birthday of Der Brucer. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to Der Brucer. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO DER BRUCER!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, beware the Ides of August, I must jog, I must lunch, I must write, and I must attend a birthday do. Today’s topic of discussion: We haven’t done Desert Island movies in many years – so, if you could only have ten motion pictures to watch on a desert island for the rest of eternity, what would they be? I’ll start with a couple of mine – The Best Years Of Our Lives and The Court Jester and Chinatown. I’ll have my other choices but for now it’s your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and do beware the fershluganah Ides of August. Do not be caught unawares, Ides-wise.