Well, dear readers, how can we be over halfway through the month of September? I know that many of you are asking that very question. Of course, certain others are asking other questions, such as, “Why did that Frisbee hit me in the head?” and “Are my toenails too long?” Others are not asking any questions at all, and the more power to them. But, I’m asking how can we be over halfway through the month of September and there is simply no answer to that question. The month is speeding by like a gazelle at Le Mans. Why in one short week I shall be in the city and state known as New York, New York. Yes, Virginia, in one short week I shall be in the city and state known as New York, New York, so start spreadin’ the news. And when I return to the city and state known as Los Angeles, California, it won’t even be September anymore, it will be the first of October, and I think we know what that means. But in case we don’t know what that means, that means that just three short weeks from then and we begin rehearsals for The Brain From Planet X. Time does fly when you’re having fun and, conversely, fun does fly when you’re having time. Speaking of fun, I had a lovely day yesterday – a day in which I didn’t do much of anything but eat some silly foodstuffs and sit on my couch like so much fish. But, as the afternoon was waning I got Mr. David Wechter’s little dialogue polish for one character in The Brain, so I had to go through every page and make sure everything was correct, spacing-wise, because today copies will be made for everyone. That ended up taking quite a few hours because there were endless typos that I hadn’t caught before. I also had to proof and approve the new lead sheet for the new version of one of the songs, which I did. And that was the day, and that was the evening.
Yesterday, I only managed to watch one motion picture on DVD, although I watched the beginnings of two other motion pictures on DVD. However, I couldn’t get with either film – one was the original version of The Big Bounce, with Ryan O’Neal and Leigh Taylor Young, a quite awful film, so naturally today’s Hollywood thought it was crying out for a remake. The remake, from what I gather, was equally bad. I also couldn’t get with Flying Leathernecks, with Mr. John Wayne and Mr. Robert Ryan. I like both actors very much, but this film just plods along and I got irritated and shut it off. Not one of Mr. Nicholas Ray’s finest hours. I then decided to watch a motion picture on DVD that I knew I could count on – I bought the DVD when it came out, but had never viewed it. The film was entitled The Miracle Worker, and the film is truly a miracle in every way. It’s brilliantly written by William Gibson, brilliantly directed by Arthur Penn, brilliantly scored by Laurence Rosenthal, and, most importantly, brilliantly acted by Anne Bancroft and Patty Duke. It’s a film that moves me deeply from the first frame to the last and I will admit here and now and also now and here that by the film’s conclusion I have wept a bucket’s worth of tears. The DVD is sharp and all, but is non-anamorphically enhanced for DVDs – really stupid and really a shame. An exemplary example of stage-to-film adaptation (of course, The Miracle Worker started life on TV, pre-stage version).
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because if I procrastinate September will be over before I finish this page.
Today, I have to do many errands, all in the morning. At three, PennyO is arriving for one last work session before Wednesday’s reading. At five, Alet Taylor arrives to make sure the key to her big song is all right. And in between I hope to see and approve the dust jacket for the book, I hope to see and approve the new website for the book and start preorders, and a bunch of other stuff, including getting some writing time in.
Now wait just a darned minute. We’d all better put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, we’d all better break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, we’d all better dance the Hora or the Wah-Watusi, because today is the actual birthday of our very own actual Larry Moore. So, let’s all send a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own actual Larry Moore. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN ACTUAL LARRY MOORE!!!
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, write, do errands, meet, set keys, and also shake, rattle, and roll, not necessarily in that order. I feel we must all shake, rattle, and roll, don’t you? Perhaps some of us can shake, whilst others rattle and roll. That would be ever so much fun, wouldn’t it? Why am I still writing when these notes are finished for all intents and purposes and also all purposes and intents? Why am I going on about shaking and rattling and rolling? Today’s topic of discussion: What were the first 1950s rock-and-roll songs you ever heard, and what are your favorites of the early rock-and-roll era? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s shake, rattle, and roll whilst writing them.