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March 14, 2008:

THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I’m writing these here notes early for I have to go to bed as early as possible because I have an early call to do a little TV shoot. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, have to do a little TV shoot. Has anyone noticed that I used the word early three times in once sentence? What is the expression – early to bed, early to rise keeps the… Wait, what IS the expression? Early to bed, early to rise helps the size of your thighs? No, that can’t be right. Well, whatever it is, we all know the early bird catches the worm, although that isn’t so good for the worm, is it? In any case, I’m writing these here notes early and hope to be in bed by eleven or eleven-thirty at the latest. Speaking of the latest, yesterday was another holding pattern day, but, as we all know, no news is good news and we’re still hoping for good news, oh, yes, we’re still hoping for good news. Actually, yesterday was the first full day off I’ve had in weeks, although I did have to do a little work here and there. Mostly, though, I just relaxed. I did a few easy errands, ate a great Philly cheesesteak sandwich, and looked over my material for today’s shoot (I don’t really have to learn anything, as I’ll have a clipboard with all my stuff on it). I stayed away from the piano, sent quite a few e-mails, listened to about five CDs, saw my pal Mr. Nick Redman briefly, and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night, I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd entitled The Rat Race, starring Miss Debbie Reynolds, Mr. Tony Curtis, Mr. Jack Oakie, Miss Kay Medford, and both the city of New York and the Paramount backlot. The film was adapted from a flop Garson Kanin play from ten years prior. It was produced by Perlberg-Seaton and yet George Seaton did not direct. Mr. Kanin wrote the screenplay, and the director was Robert Mulligan, who did this film and The Great Imposter before directing his masterpiece, To Kill A Mockingbird. It’s actually an entertaining little film. I did see it when it came out but had almost no memory of it, other than having the album by Sam Butera and The Witnesses. Mr. Curtis is at his most likable, and Miss Reynolds does a good job as the hardened dance hall girl. Mr. Oakie is wonderful, as is Miss Medford, and Don Rickles is a nasty dance hall owner. The contrivances of the story are very annoying, but it moves along at a steady clip and the score by Elmer Bernstein is terrific. The print used on TCM was appalling – about seventy percent of its color gone, open matte, and just dreary. This film was printed in Technicolor and it should look gorgeous instead of like fifty years of yellow dust. The other big plus are the location shots. Even though all the interiors and the exterior of the main street were done at Paramount, there’s lots of terrific views of 1960 New York, the way we like to remember the city. I also gave Ye Olde College Try to watching another Tony Curtis film, Boeing Boeing, also starring Jerry Lewis, but it’s even worse than I remember it being. Jerry is not so good, Tony is smarmy in the worst way, and the three fiancĂ©es are merely annoying. It’s based on a play, which did a pretty quick foldo on Broadway, but, somehow, is coming back this season after a smash hit run in London. The play must be very different than the film. Of course, the film is saddled with a terrible director, TV’s John Rich. I lasted about forty minutes and then I could last no more.

Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because the early bird catches the worm and therefore I think I’ll catch me a worm.

Early to bed, early to rise, keeps the doctor away? No. Early to bed, early to rise, keeps the guck out of your eyes? No. Early to bed, early to rise, keeps you out of the fat in the frying pan? No. I have no clew. Maybe one of you dear readers can figure it out and illuminate me.

Today, I will be shooting from nine until about four or five. Hopefully, it will be fun. Last time we did this it was fun, if tiring, and I suspect today will be the same. After the shoot, I shall have something fun to eat, then it will be home, James, maybe a motion picture, and then early to bed again, because of our early morning Brain rehearsal.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, get up early, catch the worm, and then shave and shower and be on my way to do a TV shoot. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/video player? I’ll start: CD, several marvelous Harry Nilsson CDs, all Japanese mini LP-style CDs with unbelievably great sound. DVD, next up, maybe Logan’s Run. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, as the early bird catches the worm and does heaven knows what with it.

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