Well, dear readers, have you ever just been sitting there like so much fish, when suddenly, out of the blue, or out of the green, or out of the yellow, the word platypus comes into your head? That is what just happened to me. I was sitting here like so much fish, when suddenly, out of the blue, green, and yellow the word platypus just came into my head, like a gazelle with a bunion. Not only platypus but duck-billed platypus. What a silly-looking word is platypus. I like it better spelled backwards, don’t you? Supytalp. Supytalp, baby, supytalp. You know, I seem to be having an acid flashback, even though I have never taken acid. I seem to have gone off the deep end, and all because the word platypus just came into my head. Speaking of a duck-billed platypus, I had a nice day yesterday. I don’t really remember much of it, other than the telephone never stopped ringing. I spent most of the day getting organized for Ye Olde Trip. We’re still working out a few details for the recording, but I think the major hurdles have been hurdled. I mostly hung around the home environment, but did have to do a variety and also a Hollywood reporter of errands and whatnot. Sometimes it does feel that I am living more than one life, what with all that is going on. Sometimes I feel like I am living two or even three lives. Sometimes I feel like I am Herbert A. Philbrick. How many of you are now googling to see who Herbert A. Philbrick is? Well, Mr. Philbrick wrote a little book entitled I Led Three Lives, that became a little 50s TV series entitled I Led Three Lives, starring Mr. Richard Carlson as Herbert A. Philbrick. I loved that show. Why am I suddenly going on about Herbert A. Philbrook? Oh, yes, because sometimes it feels like I Led Three Lives. Sometimes I feel like a motherless child. Where was I? Oh, yes, my yesterday and what I did. Well, after I did what I did, I sat on my couch like so much fish, eating silly food from Gelson’s because my meal partner neglected to tell me we weren’t having a meal.
Last night, I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Heart Of The Matter, from a novel by Mr. Graham Greene. The film is pretty by the numbers and is competent and nothing more, save for the performances, which are very nice, Trevor Howard especially. It takes a long time for the film to get going, and the accents are occasionally very hard to understand, but by mid-point I was enjoying it. The film doesn’t have a musical score, and it sorely needs one. Peter Finch has a small role, and the female lead is Maria Schell. Not a great movie, but the actors make it worthwhile. This is part of the region 2 Graham Greene box set (also includes Brighton Rock, The Third Man, and Fallen Idol) – this transfer is not quite up to the high quality of the others but it’s decent enough. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Monster On the Campus, a surprisingly lifeless and dull Universal horror film. I do like Arthur Franz, however, and he’s his usual professional self, and, as always, there’s Whit Bissell playing a doctor. But even at seventy-six minutes it seems endless. Troy Donahue has a medium-sized role. Transfer is open matte and looks ridiculous – way too much head room and useless information at the bottom of the frame. The film was, of course, released to be projected at 1:85 and all Universal had to do was flip a switch, but alas, they did not.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must attend to a lot of things that need attending to, like my beauty sleep.
I am still thinking of platypus – it is just sticking to the windmills of my mind.
Have I mentioned that I Led Three Lives? My show business life, my literary life, and The Gay Life. The latter, of course, is a Broadway musical and so am I. Right about now, I’m thinking that someone put some acid in my tapioca pudding.
Today, I must arrange for my Newark to New York transportation, as well as my New York to Newark transportation. I must continue with the details of the recording. I must perhaps have a meal with the one who stood me up, and I must meet with our publicist.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, make telephonic calls, answer e-mails, prepare for my trip, sup, and lead three lives as well as contemplate the duck-billed platypus. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite wacky words? You know, those words that just tickle your fancy every time you hear them. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let me offer the word “phlegm.”