Well, dear readers, the night is no longer young, nor am I. I used to be young, and so did the night. But unlike the night, I’m still young at heart – the night has no heart. The night is heartless and cold and dark, while I am young at heart and warm and only occasionally dark. Just a few short hours ago the night WAS young but I wasn’t. How can that be? That is the conundrum of the night vs. me. These are metaphysical things I speak of, for I am feeling metaphysical. Wasn’t that a song that people did aerobics to? Metaphysical, sung by Olivia Newton John? Remember aerobics? Remember Jane Fonda? Remember how she found a whole new life with her aerobics tapes? Certainly I remember the day Jane Fonda came to Tanya Everett’s dance class, which was basically what came to be known as aerobics. Miss Everett was one of the pioneers. Miss Fonda audited the class. I know – I was there, taking the class, which I did twice a week while Miss Everett was choreographing my musical Stages. Miss Fonda took notes. Miss Fonda took the class. And Miss Fonda borrowed almost everything from Miss Everett when she came out with her Jane Fonda’s Workout tapes. The rest is history. Miss Everett received no credit, no thanks, and that’s the way it goes in Hollywood, California, USA and the world of show business. How did I go off on THAT tangent? Oh, yes, aerobics to Metaphysical by Olivia Newton John. I really have no clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about. And now not only is the night no longer young, it’s quite old and is getting older by the minute, just like yours truly. Speaking of yours truly, yesterday was a day in which I did various and sundried things. I got up early, did some work on the computer, and then did a two-mile jog, after which I made some short story notes. I then delivered some materials to my CD booklet designer for our upcoming limited edition soundtrack CD, which I hope to announce in a couple of weeks. We’re going to have a lot of fun with the booklet, and it will probably run to twelve pages – I’m doing the notes, and there’ll be lots of photos and fun things included. After that, I did a couple of errands, then came home and recorded three or four more songs for The Hostage – I’m almost through now. Then I had a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich for my meal o’ the day, and a low-fat, no sugar ice cream sandwich – they’re quite good, with only a couple of fat grams and 140 calories. After that, I did some research for the CD release, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night I wasn’t in the mood to watch a motion picture on DVD, so instead I watched one of those hour-long Alfred Hitchcock Shows, this one about an outbreak of Anthrax in Los Angeles that a health official is trying to stop. At the beginning of the show there’s a wonderful location shot on the 134 freeway by the Cahuenga off ramp – there’s literally nothing there but the freeway. Now it’s all buildings and stuff. This particular show was directed by the young Sidney Pollack, and starred Michael Parks as the health official, Charles McGraw as his boss, and several other good actors. It wasn’t a very good show and, in fact, it almost seemed like a pilot for a TV show about a health official. After that, I started to watch a motion picture on TCM entitled A Majority Of One – I hadn’t seen a frame of the film since I saw it the week it opened at the Village Theater in Westwood. I didn’t much care for it back then, which was unusual. After watching the first thirty minutes I remembered why. I’ll suspend belief and buy Rosalind Russell as a Jewish widow (played by Gertrude Berg on stage), because she’s such a good actress. But I cannot abide the performance of Alec Guiness as a Japanese man – his accent borders on the offensive and it’s so unbelievable you just sit there and scratch your head. I did enjoy Mr. Ray Danton and Miss Madelyn Rhue, and it’s always fun to see Mae Questel – she opens the film, walking up some stairs singing loudly, sounding just like Betty Boop, whose voice she created. Perhaps I’ll watch the rest at some point. In his introduction, Mr. Robert Osborne tells us that Miss Russell was approached for the part because Gertrude Berg had done a film for Paramount that hadn’t performed well at the box-office. The only problem with that statement is that Miss Berg made no feature films in her career, let alone one for Paramount. Is Mr. Osborne just making these things up or is someone just writing his copy and filling it with fantasy and Mr. Osborne just reads it from his teleprompter. There’s really no excuse for it, not when someone is purporting to be a film historian, and it happens all the time in his intros – they’re riddled with misinformation – some of the mistakes are true howlers.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because the night is no longer young and frankly the night wants to get its beauty sleep, as do I.
Today I must get up early and get my jogging done, then shave and shower, then I have a little meeting with Merissa Haddad – she wants me to help her with her audition songs and I said I’d be happy to offer suggestions. Other than that, I have a few errands to do and a few telephonic calls to make and some casting to wrap up. I’m also waiting for confirmation that I have a place to stay for my three days in New York next week. I’m hoping we can find time for a little hainsies/kimlets get-together, but it’s going to be tough, I think. As soon as I know the exact schedule I’ll let all you East Coasters know.
I was hoping that preorders for the new book could begin yesterday, but my web designer is out of town and traveling so it won’t be ready for another week or two. As I’ve said, the first thirty preorders will be getting a very nice gift bonus with the book, so for those who’d like to get a jump on the website listing, check today’s posts for details.
Tomorrow I have one last work session with Mr. Grant Geissman, mixing the final two songs for the singer we recorded, and then I’m hopeful that my afternoon meeting that was supposed to occur on Tuesday, will really happen, because I’m very excited about it.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, jog, have a meeting, do a little more recording, do some errands and whatnot and then eat something reasonable and perhaps amusing. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, for the night is no longer young and we really must get these here notes posted posthaste.