Well, dear readers, the clock is about to strike midnight, although what midnight ever did to the clock to deserve being struck is anyone’s guess. The point is, the clock is about to do violence to midnight and yet I am just starting these here notes. I had every intention of starting them a half-hour ago, but I got waylaid by trying to remember who I had to call tomorrow. Of course, I should have written down who I had to call tomorrow ages ago when I was actually thinking about it, but noooo, that would have been too easy, and so I wasted a half-hour trying to remember who I needed to call. I did finally remember, though, so I can now call all who need calls. But now the hands of the clock are moving inexorably toward midnight and I am only in the first paragraph and now I am feeling pressured to write these here notes quickly, but that would result in shoddily-written notes and we can’t have that, now can we? No, we cannot. Therefore I shall take my sweet time and write at my own pace. Speaking of my own pace, yesterday was a day I barely remember. I barely remember getting up, and I barely remember that it took me forever to work up the energy to do the long jog, which I barely remember doing. After the long jog (which I barely remember), I went to Gelson’s to get something to eat. I had a little craving for three chicken tenders, but when I got there there were fourteen people ahead of me in the deli section. As I stood there, two rich Studio City mothers (and I mean mothers) bought all the chicken tenders (about twenty-three by my count) – yes, bought ALL the chicken tenders, because heaven forbid these spoiled little mothers should actually cook a Sunday dinner for their families. No, just shove some chicken tenders down their hungry maws. I was disgusted and I should have just left, but instead I got some Jambalaya from the hot foods section, some cucumber roll, and a little seafood salad from the salad bar, none of which I was especially interested in eating. I should have just gone to the Subway and gotten a foot-long Turkey sandwich. I came home and ate the three items, which were all merely okay. What a waste of a meal and calories and all thanks to those sickening Studio City mothers/gluttons who just HAD to take ALL the chicken tenders. I then did some writing and ended up doing a little over five pages – I’m now in the middle of chapter two and I also have the third chapter sketched out. I then did a little errand and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I managed to watch three count them three motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled Me And The Colonel, from the play Jacobowsky And The Colonel. It was one of the few Danny Kaye movies I never saw – I always confused this with The Inspector General, which I did see, so I never bothered to watch this. Well, it’s quite a delightful film, filled with some wonderfully funny and human moments. Danny Kaye is very subdued and turns in a terrific performance, and Curt (Curd) Jurgens is gruff as the colonel. Peter Glenville directed the film with little visual flair, but the simplicity sort of works. And a big plus is the score by George Duning. The transfer on this region 2 disc is fine. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled The Geisha Boy, starring Mr. Jerry Lewis, and directed by the great Frank Tashlin. I hadn’t seen this film since it came out in 1958, and the only thing I remembered from seeing it back then was a wonderful visual gag that had to do with the Paramount Pictures mountain logo. And I’m happy to say that my memory, as always, was perfect – the gag plays exactly as I remembered. I found the film really entertaining, and Jerry has some really funny moments in it, and doesn’t overdo it too much (well, he does about three times, but it’s less than normal for him), and Tashlin’s direction is great. He began his career as a director of cartoons, and the best moments in all his films have the visual anarchy of his cartoons. There is a great performance in The Geisha Boy, given by a rabbit, and all those gags are brilliant. It’s fun to see Sessue Hayakawa making fun of his Bridge On The River Kwai role. And Suzanne Pleshette was introduced in this film. It’s interesting that a DVD from Germany of a Paramount VistaVision and Technicolor film can have absolutely perfect color, while the “special edition” of Paramount’s classic Breakfast At Tiffany’s is brown and ugly – sharper, yes, but who cares when the color is all screwed up. The Geisha Boy has all its blues intact and while it may not be the sharpest transfer on the block, the color is great.
I then watched the third motion picture on DVD, which was entitled A Nous Deux, another terrific French film from France from French film director Claude Lelouch. I think what I love about his films is that they start out being one thing – you think you’ve pegged the genre – but end up being something completely different. This wonderful little film is about two people running from the law, one of them played by the beautiful Catherine Deneuve. They meet, come together, and as they narrowly keep escaping the law, they keep promising that they’re going to go straight if they can just stay out of harm’s way. That description, of course, does the film no justice at all, but it’s typical Lelouch, where he plays with time and he takes his sweet time about letting you know what’s really going on.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I am REALLY taking my sweet time writing these here notes.
Today, I shall do the long jog (maybe), I shall make all these telephonic calls I have to make, I shall write a few pages (my goal being to finish chapter two and start chapter three), enter Nudie Musical changes, and finish reading the script I’m reading. I’ve already set one meeting for Tuesday, and there will be more to come.
I’ll also find something amusing to eat, and I may go out at some point and try to see a motion picture. If not, I’ll stay home and watch more DVDs. I’m finally starting to make some headway through the large pile on my coffee table.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog (maybe), make a plethora of telephonic calls, write, enter Nudie changes, finish reading a script, and eat something amusing. Today’s topic of discussion: Since we were speaking of two clown prince’s of American cinema, who are your favorite comic actors, say through 1975. And what are your favorite films starring them? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and don’t take your sweet time about making them.