Well, dear readers, today I shall walk on the wild side. I think we all need to walk on the wild side every now and then and since I’ve just been listening to Elmer Bernstein’s marvelously marvelous soundtrack to Walk On The Wild Side, it seemed like today would be a good day to walk on the wild side, since I’ve only been walking on the tame side for the last few days. Today I shall be wild and wooly and also wooly and wild. I shall do unexpected things like wearing socks on my hands. That will confound everyone including my feet. I shall be unfettered and crazy and I shall romp about with gay abandon. I shall stop passersby in the street and tell them the story of The Randy Vicar and the Polish Sausage. On my long jog, I shall both jog and do the entire Music and the Mirror dance. Yes, today I shall walk on the wild side and those who cannot deal with it can go eat the head of a chicken. You know, if anyone has a clew as to what the HELL I’m going on about do let me know. In any case, perhaps I’ll write some notes now. Speaking of notes, yesterday was not so bad at all. I got up early, had a long but good telephonic conversation, did the long jog, during which I came up with the lyric for the bridge of the number I’m working, and as soon as I got home I wrote it down, then wrote the music for it. After that, I finished the liner notes for the new CD and got our CD designer that and everything else he needs to complete the CD package. I also sent all the stuff our web gal needs to announce the release on the Kritzerland site, which I’m hoping will happen on Friday or Saturday. That all took quite some time, then I got some food for lunch and ate it all up. I then did some errands and whatnot. I then did some work on the Bacharach benefit, and by the time I finished the day was over. I also had to deal with one of our panelists for Saturday’s LACCTAA event dropping out – I’ve replaced her with another interesting panelist. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd and a motion picture on DVD. The motion picture I’d TIVOd was entitled Cash McCall, starring Mr. James Garner, Miss Natalie Wood, Mr. Henry Jones, Mr. Otto Kruger, Mr. Edward Platt, Mr. E.G. Marshall and a whole slew of other terrific actors. I’d seen it when it was originally released but remembered nothing about it, which means I probably didn’t care for it. It’s a decent film with excellent performances and a somewhat irritating score by Max Steiner. It was a pleasant time-passer and nothing more – of course, it would help if the transfer shown on TCM wasn’t totally devoid of color. It’s a Warner Bros. picture, naturally. I then watched the motion picture on DVD, which was entitled The Railway Children. I somehow missed this film when it was released back in 1971, even though it would have been right up my alley. I bought the DVD when it came out, which was several years ago, and I’ve taken it out about five times but never actually watched it until last evening. Well, what a treat. What a wonderful surprise this film was – so filled with heart and warmth and magic. The film was written (adapted from the novel by E. Nesbit) and directed by actor Lionel Jeffries. He does a really fine job, only occasionally letting the tone of the film get out of his grasp a couple of times. The performances from the entire company of players are all terrific, but it’s the young Jenny Agutter who is the heart and soul of the film – what a lovely actress she is. Interestingly, when the film was remade by the BBC in 2000, Miss Agutter was in it, playing the role of the mother. The score by Johnny Douglas is a major asset, with a beautiful main theme. The transfer from Anchor Bay could be sharper, but how wonderful to see a transfer with proper color. If you’ve never seen this film, I can now give it my highest recommendation, and you know that’s saying something.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get my beauty sleep so I can arise early and walk on the wild side.
Today, I must not only walk on the wild side, I must jog on the wild side, I must attend to some important business and send out a couple of important envelopes via the United States Postal Service. I’m going to try to begin interpolating the new Nudie Musical number into the script – it weaves in and out of about five short little rehearsal moments (all from the film) and I’m sure it will take some time to figure it all out. Other than that, I shall, of course, walk on the wild side. I wonder if Oscar walked on the Wilde side? Just asking.
Tomorrow, I have a work session, and then on Friday I’m hoping I can record the Nudie Musical demo at Mr. Grant Geissman’s home environment.
Saturday we have our LACCTAA event, and once again I encourage any of our West Coast dear readers and lurkers to attend. Just drop me an e-mail if you can and we’ll put you on the list. This event is an Entertainment Industry Panel Discussion With A Twist – the twist being that the panel is made up of LACC Theater Academy graduates who have somehow managed to eke out a career in the show business since leaving the school. We’ll hear the how, we’ll hear about the ups and downs, how they’ve survived all these years without ever having to leave the business, and all that sort of thing. The panel consists of Bill Ewing (former executive at Columbia Pictures, and now an independent writer/producer), Phil Kellard (TV writer/producer), Clent Bowers (Broadway musical theater performer), Gary Stockdale (Emmy-nominated composer for film and TV), Annette Cardona (Cha Cha in the film of Grease), Harrison Page (TV and film actor), and Marc Wanamaker (president of the Hollywood Heritage Society, and film and LA historian). I’ll be moderating.
Can you believe it’s already been a week since we had the whole discussion board brouhaha? Yes, last Wednesday I was sitting here losing my mind – oh, a Sondheim reference. But we weathered the storm and we are here to tell the tale.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, attend to important matters, send out important envelopes, work on the Nudie Musical number, and find something amusing but diet-friendly to eat. 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, whilst I get ready to walk on the wild side. All I can say is, watch out.