Well, dear readers, I am having a ball. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, I, BK, am having a ball. There are so many things happening so quickly and I’m just loving it all. Oh, sure, there are the little annoyances that pop up, but overall I am having a ball. Now, the question becomes why is the expression “having a ball?” Who made that up? George Ball? If one’s foot is having a ball is it football? If one’s hand is having a ball is it handball? If one’s basket is having a ball is it basketball? And yet, here I am having a ball and yet there is no ball in sight. But if I’m having a ball shouldn’t it be Bruceball? What the HELL am I talking about? Oh, yes, I’m having a ball. I finally got a good night’s sleep, which I desperately needed, and tonight I’ll also be going to bed early to try and have another. I got up, printed out yet more orders (we’re with about 150 copies of selling out the new release), had a couple of telephonic conversations, and then headed out to my noon lunch at the House of Pies, where I had an excellent meeting with the head of the LACC Theater Academy – much was discussed and I’m hoping it’s going to lead to some interesting things next year. Also, we set the dates for this semester’s four LACCTAA events, so I can start planning those now. After that, I came back to the San Fernando Valley and picked up a lot of boxes containing a lot of boxes – 700 of them, in fact. I also received a small original painting I got on eBay for thirty bucks. It’s not that special or anything, but the painter seems to be Dorothy M. Johnson, the author who wrote the stories from which several films were made, including The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Hanging Tree, and A Man Called Horse. It was her I was searching on eBay to see if there were any interesting books available. That’s when I came upon a painting by “Dorothy Johnson.” As I looked at the signature I could see a faint “M” between Dorothy and Johnson. My copy of her book of stories is signed so I compared the signature and they’re close enough that I’m pretty certain the painter is the author and the author is the painter. So, that was cool. Not cool was the still errant and truant envelope that’s now over a week late. I then came home and that’s when I really started to have a ball. The discussions continued about the possibility of creating a celebrity signing show for next year, and it’s getting really interesting and exciting. I then got the e-mail I was hoping to get – two approvals for two new Kritzerland projects, both incredible soundtracks, one of which is really going to blow people away. I then spent the rest of the afternoon putting in motion those two releases – the transfers will happen early next week and then I’ll overnight them to the mastering guy. The first title will then be announced the following Monday, with the second title coming two weeks later. Also, concurrent with the first title or a week later will come a show release – not one I think will fly off the shelves but one that’s very personal to me. Sometimes a man’s got to do what a man’s got to do.
I also had a long and wonderful and very overdue conversation with one of my favorite people ever, Mr. Harvey Schmidt. He’s doing well – he turned eighty last year. He sounds great, and this year he is celebrating The Fantasticks’ 50th anniversary. I’m sending him a big box o’ stuff today. I then went and had some chicken tenders for dinner. I’ve never had chicken tenders as a meal, but they were really quite tasty and hit the spot and then the spot hit them, which is only fair, hitting the spot-wise. Then I came home, did a quick mile and a half jog, talked to the Kritzerland designer so that he could go to work on our two new projects, and that was that. I’m telling you, I had a ball, starring Karen Morrow. I then sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched the first half of a film noir entitled Dark City. I’ve always wanted to see this film starring Mr. Charlton Heston (his movie debut) and Miss Lizabeth Scott, along with Jack Webb, Harry Morgan, and Ed Begley. The opening thirty or so minutes were really boring, but then things picked up a bit. There were way too many songs sung by a dubbed Miss Scott – no reason for that many and if you cut all of them down to a few seconds you’d take eight minutes off the ninety-eight minute running time and that probably would really help. I’ll finish it this evening.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get these here notes posted early and then hie myself to the bedroom environment so I can get a good night’s sleep and continue having a ball this very day.
Today, I have to do some writing in the morning hours, then I tape a radio interview via the telephonic device, then a fellow comes over – he’ll be helping me assemble a future Kritzerland project – this one comes with much baggage and I just don’t want to do it myself. He’ll figure it all out, do all the paperwork, and then we’ll get it to the mastering guy to put together. That will really make my life easier. Then I’m picking up another of my favorite people, Mr. Billy Barnes, and we’ll be going to lunch somewhere in the San Fernando Valley. After that, I’ll hopefully get the envelope which is incredibly errant and truant, after which I shall then relax.
Tomorrow, we’ll be shipping out Romantic Comedy and beginning the arduous task of addressing about six hundred boxes. I’m actually going to recommend that the helper take three hundred home and do them at her leisure. We should have the London Promises by next Wednesday or Thursday, or so I’m told.
Saturday, I have a work session with Miss Alet Taylor, then we’re supping. Sunday I have some housewarming thing to go to. I’ll make an appearance and then come home.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, do a radio interview, hand off the editing road map and paperwork for a project, and have lunch with Mr. Billy Barnes. Today’s topic of discussion: Having just finished writing liner notes for another label’s release of the score to a Billy Wilder film, I think we’ll make this Wilder day – we’ve done it before, but this man has made so many great movies with so much classic dialogue – so, what are your all-time favorite Wilder movies, and feel free to quote your favorite Wilder lines. I’ll quote my favorite, from Ace in the Hole: “I don’t pray – kneeling bags my nylons.” Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I continue having a ball.