Well, dear readers, it’s time to talk of cabbages and kings. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it’s time to talk of cabbages and kings. Frankly, I don’t have all that much to say about kings, and what can you say about cabbages that hasn’t already been said? So, why in HELL should I talk of cabbages and kings when I have nothing whatsoever to say? Oh, I could say that I enjoy corned beef and cabbage or I could say that one should laugh at the kings or they’ll make you cry. There, I have now talked of cabbages and kings. I have done my duty, cabbages and kings-wise so if you’d like to talk of cabbages and kings some more, you’ll have to go elsewhere because I’m simply through with the fershluganah cabbages and kings. What the HELL am I talking about? Don’t I have notes to write? Well, today, in addition to talking of cabbages and kings I shall speak of many other things, including my new novel. I feel it’s time to let the cat out of the bag. The cat has been in the bag for six months and isn’t that just a little long to keep a cat in a bag? There are reasons for letting the cat out of the bag, which you’ll understand once I open the bag and let the cat out. Speaking of the cat, yesterday I had quite a nice Father’s Day. I got up, did some more transferring of cassettes and DATS, then went off to a Father’s Day lunch with Mr. Kevin Spirtas. We spoke of many things – in fact, we spoke about everything except cabbages and kings. After lunch, I powered up Ye Olde CD player, for I had a ton of unidentified CDs. Some were junk, some were blank, and some were major finds that I’d been looking for forever. The biggest find were the two CDs-worth of Goodbye, Mr. Chips demos (which I’d transferred long ago from a friend’s LP of same). It’s about 150 minutes of demo recordings from the various composer/lyricists who wrote songs for the musical film. I’ll be getting a track list, but I do know the writers include Andre Previn, Rod McKuen, Tony Hatch and, I think, a couple of others. Some of the tracks are just piano/vocal, but many of them have full orchestra. The songs are very interesting, in that none of them are as good as the Leslie Bricusse songs (and there are those who don’t think his songs are all that good), with the exception of Tony Hatch’s Goodbye, Mr. Chips title song, which is beautifully sung by Petula Clark. It’s a memorable tune and it’s quite lovely. After that, I had a little supper, received a very nice e-mail from my brother, whom I hadn’t heard from in a while, and then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on DVD entitled Peeping Tom. I’ve written about the film before, but this is a new region 2 DVD, a new transfer, and I do love the film. It’s directed by Michael Powell, the director of The Red Shoes, Black Narcissus, and other wonderful films. This film, made in 1960, received such scathing reviews from the UK, where it was made, that it effectively killed Mr. Powell’s career. The kinder reviews basically said the film should be flushed down the toilet. What’s fascinating is that in that year two other films that are just as sick and twisted came out – Psycho and Georges Franju’s Eyes Without A Face (not to mention Mario Bava’s Black Sunday). But instead of Psycho killing Mr. Hitchcock’s career, it made him more iconic than his already iconic self, and the film was a smash hit, whereas Peeping Tom took several years to sneak into the US. Watching it now, even trying to put it in context of the year it came out, it’s hard to understand the critics’ inane reaction. The film is a brilliant character study of a sick but oddly-likable young man, a young man who was filmed by his father his whole life because his father was interested in fear and subjected his poor child to all manner of not very nice things. It’s all about voyeurism and it is sleazy, but artfully so. It’s filled with unforgettable images, many of which have to do with cinema itself. The acting is first-rate from everyone, especially Carl Boehm as the tortured young man who films people as he kills them. Moira Shearer (she of The Red Shoes) makes a nice appearance, and it’s always nice to see Powell regular Esmond Knight. Anna Massey is sweet as can be as a young girl attracted to Mr. Boehm. The ending is tragic and, again, oddly moving. The music is unique, too – by the great Brian Easdale (it’s mostly a piano-only score) The new transfer is an improvement on the Criterion DVD, but not by that much. It’s certainly got nice color but one wishes it was still a little sharper than it is.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because not only is it time to talk of cabbages and kings, it’s time to let the cat out of the bag.
As most of you who are regular readers know, I settled on the idea of my new novel somewhere around last July, and I began writing it in September. I got off on the wrong foot, although it was clear that the leading character and the idea was really good. My muse Margaret suggested I stop, give my brain time to rest, and to begin it after the first of the year. So, I took the suggestion, and began writing it in January of this year, in fact on the first of January. I kept only a handful of things from that early go (I’d done about thirty-five pages), and twelve weeks later I was finished. I had the title very fast, and Margaret loved the book and I was very happy. Two other people read it at that time and also really enjoyed it. Well, timing is a funny thing sometimes, even though it doesn’t really seem funny when said timing is annoying. And what was annoying was a new movie called Nancy Drew. Now, I have no problem with a Nancy Drew movie, but these cretins made her younger, and, instead of having her in her hometown, moved her to Hollywood so they could take her down every movie-cliché road and have her attending Hollywood High. So, why was this annoying? You’ve probably surmised by now that my new novel’s protagonist is a fifteen-year-old girl. That’s annoying thing one. Annoying thing two – the title of my new book is – wait for it – Murder At Hollywood High: An Adriana Hofstetter Mystery (yes, I borrowed dear reader Adriana Patti’s first name, much as I borrowed actress Leslie Kritzer’s last name). Every time I write a mystery, people say that I should write one that has a character who can come back, so I can do a series. That was one of the most attractive things about doing the book. Now, my heroine is nothing like the new or old Nancy Drew (although these movie cretins do have her dress retro, which is something I also have my heroine do – but in a much more fun way), and from what I’ve read about the film, the mystery part is really lame (I’ve seen the trailer and it’s truly awful). Plus, the movie was strictly and solely designed to be marketed to this new be-all and end-all of audience demographic – the tweener. My book, while it might appeal to young people, I hope will appeal to adults as well. And I actually use the school a lot, whereas the film uses it only occasionally and for the usual trite and old jokes. So, what I thought was going to be something really unique has suddenly been made a little less so – I do know it’s a completely different thing, but still, I can see some fool saying I ripped the movie off, even though, from what I can tell, they’re about as far apart as can be. In any case, I’m very proud of the book and it will be out in late September or early October. And, if people like it, I think I’ve got another Adriana Hofstetter mystery in me – maybe a few.
Also, the new Kritzerland release is a new live recording of a cabaret artist named Milla Ilieva, who is a close personal friend of our very own FJL, who brought the project to me. The album is called Taking A Chance On Love and it’s quite delightful and has lots of lovely songs. I’m hoping we can get it up for preorder by the end of the week. Stay tuned.
Today, I must rehearse with Miss Joan Ryan for a few hours, and I’ve got a ton of errands to do. There will be at least two other rehearsals this week. I also have to try to book more people for our fundraiser in November and I now have a list. I must also hire a musical director this week and begin to compile the material.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, rehearse, do errands, and then relax and get some writing done, plus I must approve the final packaging on our new Kritzerland release. Today’s topic of discussion: We’ve done it before, but not for a long while – what are your all-time favorite film and theater dance numbers? You know, those numbers that you never tire of watching, or that you have indelible memories of – the numbers that made you cheer or left you completely exhilarated. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t be afraid to talk of cabbages and kings.