Well, dear readers, there is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man and other than the singing group. It is an area we call The Twilight Zone. One sometimes enters The Twilight Zone at the least likely times. I had two Twilight Zone moments last night and, for me, amazing ones at that. The first occurred as I was watching a motion picture on DVD entitled Two For The Seesaw. As some of you know, Kritzerland will be issuing the soundtrack on CD in a few weeks and those who know my fondness for Andre Previn and this score know how excited I am by this. So, there I am, watching Two For The Seesaw and in the first scene in Shirley MacLaine’s apartment there is a record rack on her kitchen table. My eyes wander over to it. And there, clearly visible to my eyes is the corner of the album cover to Rashomon, music from the play, by Laurence Rosenthal. Say what? First of all, that LP was rare even back then. Second of all, what are the odds that the prop people would place that album in Shirley’s record rack. And third of all, what are the odds that that album, which was recently released on Kritzerland would be a prop in a film that is about to have its soundtrack released on Kritzerland? Cue Twilight Zone theme. That was one big coincidence, if you ask me. And then, I go to my computer and I have a Facebook friend request. You all remember when I wrote the very long notes about my musical Start At The Top, the one that started at LACC and then had a backer’s audition on the Merv Griffin Show, and then had two subsequent productions. Over the years, I’ve thought about the girl who played the lead in the LACC production and have tried to get in contact with her every now and then, to no avail. Well, guess who the friend request was from? Cue Twilight Zone music. Yes, Peggy Rinard, the girl who played the lead in the LACC production of Start At The Top. Not just out of the blue or red or green but out of the blue after I’d just talked about the show (and no, she hadn’t read the notes here). We’ve had a nice Facebook volley – she lives in Michigan with her husband and children, looks pretty much the same, and what fun to finally catch up with her. I asked her if she remembered any of the songs and she said that she remembers Superman Is Dead very well indeed. Coincidence is sometimes the oddest thing, isn’t it? Cue Twilight Zone music.
In 1975, right after shooting Nudie Musical, CBS was doing a summer replacement show for Carol Burnett that would air in her timeslot of Saturday night at ten. The show was called Dinah and Her New Best Friends. I knew about it because Diana Canova had been cast and she’d just been in Nudie Musical. I don’t remember the timeline or really how it happened, but at some point very close to the first show being taped they realized they had no men who could sing or really do sketch comedy – they had gals who could (including Leland Palmer) but the guys were all stand-up comedians and weren’t really versatile actors. Diana must have recommended me or they heard about me from somewhere, and I remember my manager, the late great Pat McQueeney, calling me to tell me to get down there to meet with the producer, Carolyn Raskin (she’d produced Laugh-In). I went down to CBS on Fairfax and was ushered in to a rehearsal room. All I remember is Carolyn walking around me looking at me, asking me a few questions, and telling me I was hired and we’d start the next day. Say what? But it was true – they called my agent, made the deal, and I started the next day. They were really up against the wall for the first show, and I just dove in and did whatever they needed me to. I could, of course, play all the sketches and any kind of character, plus I could sing and move okay, so they began creating stuff for me to do. It was a really hectic week and then suddenly we were taping the show in front of an audience. The first time we met Dinah was on that day, and I really took a shine to her and she seemed to really like me. There was a lot of tension – the show wasn’t very good, and the writers were changing left and right. I remember Leland putting her head on my shoulder and crying because it was such a great opportunity and the show was so not good. But we mushed on and the day after taping we began rehearsing show two out of the eight we were doing. Over the course of the next few weeks we went through something like three sets of writers and a few directors. They would just throw us out there and have us do ANYTHING. I remember someone saying Diana did a good Cher and suddenly we were out there doing Sonny and Cher – why is anyone’s guess. Right away I told them that I wrote songs and that I’d love to sing a couple of them. They thought that was a great idea, but instead of letting me sing one of MY songs they had me sing I Write The Songs. Say what? I said, “But I DO write the songs.” This made no impression on them. Hugh Lambert was the choreographer and he aged considerably trying to get some of these stand-up comics to even walk let alone move in rhythm. About the third week, they took a suggestion from me and had Cindy Williams guest star. That was the only episode where things clicked because they let me write a sketch for her and I to do and it was really funny (the crew was amazed that we actually learned our lines and didn’t use cue cards). There was a lot of physical comedy in the sketch – water in the face, cake in the face, just one bit after another. What a joy. You must understand that for me this show should have been a dream come true – there I was at CBS, where I’d gone to see tapings since I was ten. Being a regular on a variety show, which was unfortunately turning out to be one of the worst variety shows in the history of television. Cindy, Diana, and I did Tap Your Troubles Away – there was no point to it until Hugh Lambert saw how inept we were at tapping – then they decided that the number was taking place at some kids’ dance recital so that it made sense that we were inept. And on it went – we had the Doobie Brothers, and Lola Falana did a couple of episodes and they brought on a new gal, Dee Dee Rescher for the final two episodes – it was chaos and madness. Dee Dee and I bonded and I’ve spoken to her over the years and obviously I’ve remained friends with Diana. I’ve not seen Leland Palmer since, but I have run into a couple of the stand-up comics since.
But my favorite memory, other than actually being one of the regulars in a CBS variety show (no matter how bad) was the comic Muledeer. We just got on famously and I was totally taken with his girlfriend. She was an actress who’d just had a really serious accident or some sort of health crisis. I think I remember that at one time they didn’t know if she’d walk again (I hope I’m remembering this correctly) – but she was strong and she’d come back and was in good shape and getting better every day. The three of us would hang out in my dressing room and we’d go see bad movies at the World movie theater on Hollywood Blvd. One such movie was by my friend Bert I. Gordon, called Food Of The Gods. Well, we were just howling all during the film and it was the best time. I remember our final day at the studio – Muledeer was off somewhere, and the gal and I just had one of those wonderful spontaneous moments out of nowhere, where we shared a very sweet, very romantic kiss. Nothing more than that and just unexpected, a one-off, and we all went our merry ways. I never saw her again. Her name was Debra Winger.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because who knows what other coincidences await – perhaps I’ll get a friend request from Leland Palmer or – Debra Winger. Cue Twilight Zone music.
We entered lots of new e-mail addresses into the Kritzerland Constant Contact address book and we have more to enter today. Other than that, I did the long jog, ate a light late breakfast at the Studio Café, and did some errands and whatnot. And, of course, I watched Two For The Seesaw. It’s not my favorite movie and I imagine the play, a two-hander, worked much better. The attempts to “open up” the film are not that great, and the other characters are lame and not well written (by screenwriter Isobel Lennart – adapting William Gibson’s play, which starred Henry Fonda and Anne Bancroft). Shirley MacLaine is fine as Gittel Mosca, but Robert Mitchum is not well cast as Jerry Ryan, although he does a professional job. The movie boasts fine direction by Robert Wise, art direction by his regular Boris Leven, and gorgeous scope black-and-white photography by Ted McCord. But the thing that is pure genius about the film is Andre Previn’s score – what a marvel and what a wonder. I’ve loved this score since the day I bought the stereo LP back when it was originally released. I played it to death. I had every version of the song, Second Chance. That melody is one of Previn’s greatest – bluesy and haunting and just breathtakingly beautiful. And the scoring of the scenes is fantastic – needless to say I’m thrilled to finally be bringing it to CD and I promise those who buy it an addictive and wonderful listening experience.
Today, I have to do the long jog fairly early, then an errand or two, then I’m having lunch at Langer’s, then picking up tapes to return to the MGM vaults, then our helper will arrive to help input the rest of the e-mail addresses, after which I shall relax and watch a motion picture or two on DVD.
Tomorrow I have a work session with the composer and lyricist of the long musical. And Sunday, I’m doing a book signing at the annual Paperback Book Show, which I’m really looking forward to.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do the long jog, do errands, eat pastrami and latkes, and do other things, and hopefully pick up some GOOD mail and packages. Today’s topic of discussion: Two character plays (and films) are the hardest to do – what are your favorite two character plays (and films – if you can think of any – and musicals)? Which was the first two character play you ever saw? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst we wait for the next coincidence. Cue Twilight Zone music.