Well, dear readers, these days are flying by like a gazelle in a pink taffeta sample size ten. I just don’t understand it frankly and I just don’t understand it gregoryly. I get up in the morning and the next thing I know it’s ten at night. It’s like an Agatha Christie mystery – The Mysterious Affair Of The Missing Day. I know I did many things and yet I cannot remember what they were – the only thing I know is that I didn’t do what I wanted to do, which was to write. Damn them, damn them all to hell. For example, I got up and before I could even jog, the telephonic device began to ring and I had to have several long conversations, including one with yet another singer who would like me to direct their act. So, I set up a meeting to see if it’s something I want or need to do. I think I’m about booked up, act-wise, what with Joan Ryan and Alet Taylor and this kids thing. None of them are pressing, thank goodness, and they’ll all go up early next year, but each one requires a different set of thoughts, so juggling is very interesting. I finally got to jog around eleven-thirty. I did many errands and had more telephonic conversations, one of which had to do with this pending potential recording project. I should know more about that today, actually. Suddenly, it was five and my book dealer friend arrived and we toddled over to Casa Vega where I stuffed myself with so much food (thankfully my only meal o’ the day) that I disgusted even myself. I know in the scheme of things that if you amortize the meal over three meals it’s not that bad, and I did run so hopefully it will not cause a weight gain. The rest of this week I am eating less, because I really want to lose the final ten pounds so I can be done with this here diet. By the time dinner was finished, and our visit was finished, it was almost nine. I finally sat on my couch like so much fish, and then the phone started ringing and I had several more telephonic calls. I didn’t get to watch a DVD, didn’t get to relax and smell the roses or the coffee or the cookie dough – no, I had to start writing these here notes. I think you can see that the day completely got away from me. Perhaps today the day shan’t go missing.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because Hercule Poirot must solve The Mysterious Affair Of The Missing Day.
I must say, last weekend’s trivia question stumped everyone but two people. I feel real good about that, because the week before was so easy for everyone. So, the question was:
It was a somewhat odd theatrical season that produced several hit plays, a couple of hit musicals and some flop plays and musicals, including one flop show that became a wildly popular film. One of the shows that season had a respectable run of just over 200 performances, despite it not getting great reviews and despite it being not very good. In fact, I don’t know that the show has been produced since. The show was directed by someone who was much better known in another facet of show business. It was written by a person who had had a huge hit on Broadway exactly ten years earlier. In the cast was an actress who would go on to co-star in a hit dramatic TV series. Also in the cast was an actress who would go on to co-star in a hit comedy TV series. Also in the cast was an actor who’d played a leading role in a classic film comedy. Finally, also in the cast was an actor who played a supporting role in a classic Academy Award-winning film in which he appeared with someone else involved in this production. So:
Name the play and its author.
Name the director of the play.
Name the actress who went on to co-star in a hit dramatic TV series.
Name the actress who went on to co-star in a hit comedy TV series.
Name the actor who’d played a leading role in a classic film comedy, and name the film comedy and the role he played.
Name the actor who played a supporting role in a classic Academy Award-winning film and name the person he appeared with who was involved in this production.
Bonus question: Name that season’s flop show (under fifty performances) that became a wildly successful film.
And the answers are (hold onto your hats):
All Over Town/Murray Schisgal who, ten years earlier had a huge hit in his play Luv.
Dustin Hoffman.
Jill Eikenberry/LA Law
Polly Holliday/Alice
Cleavon Little/Blazing Saddles/Black Bart
Barnard Hughes/Midnight Cowboy with Dustin Hoffman
Bonus answer: The Rocky Horror Show
Our two correct guessers were FJL and JMK. We put their names into our Electronic Hat and our High Winner was chosen completely at random: FJL. So, if FJL will send his handy-dandy address we’ll send him a sparkling prize.
Today I must write. There are no one or even two ways about it. Not only must I write, I must write several pages and I must try to come up with some titles for the new play. I must also go through The Brain and make sure I got all the corrections in – I’ll know in the morning whether David got around to his two scenes (only about three pages worth). If he did, I’ll insert them. If he didn’t, I’ll have to write them today. I can’t remember if I have a meeting or a lunch or dinner to attend, but I know that I always tell people they must call to remind me. I know I have meetings on Thursday, and maybe even tomorrow.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, write, write, eat reasonably (and I ain’t kidding), and perhaps write some more, and I’m hoping a package I’d really like to get will finally arrive. Today’s topic of discussion: Who are your favorite fictional sleuths? I’ll start – I’m very fond of Mr. Poirot and Miss Marple. I love Philip Marlowe and Lew Archer and Perry Mason and Charlie Chan. I know there are many others, but I don’t want to hog the action or even cow the action. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we finally reveal the shocking dénouement of The Mysterious Affair Of The Missing Day (spoiler alert – the butler didn’t do it).