Well, dear readers, it is late and I’m tired so I shall write these here notes in a hurry so that I don’t fall asleep whilst typing. I hate when that happens, don’t you? Well, what can I tell you that you don’t already know? I can tell you that I had a perfectly pleasant Friday. Did you know that? I did. It was perfectly pleasant right until the end of the evening, when I had an unpleasant telephonic call, but one I was happy to have because it means I won’t have anymore. Other than that, it was a fun little day.
I got up earlier than I’d wanted to, at which point I had a little volley of e-mails with the fellow who’s preparing the new book for printing. We’d forgotten one thing they needed, so I got it to them pronto and they began work. I should see a galley and the cover proofs by next week. After that, I headed over to the Wood of West and had an early lunch with the very nice chap who books the Nuart Theatre. We discussed the Nudie screening and how it would work, I gave him a 35mm trailer, which they’ll start running, I gave him a Blu and Ray so they can decide if they’ll show that or a print, and we discussed various and sundried fun things we might do. And since this fellow was an LA boy we had fun reminiscing about all the wonderful movie theaters of yore. For food, we shared some kiska, and I had three little scoops of stuff – two chicken salad and one egg salad – very light. Then I headed back to the San Fernando Valley, where I picked up a few packages and an important envelope. I then did some banking after which I came home. I read through the contextual commentary, made a few little changes and that’s all good now. Then I had a few telephonic conversations and made some plans for next week – several meetings and meals to do. After all that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Where Love Has Gone, a potboiler with a capital “P” and the boil on high. It’s based on a steamy Harold Robbins novel, a thinly veiled fiction of the Lana Turner/Johnny Stompanato affair. This was made the year after The Carpetbaggers, by the same team – director Edward Dmytryk and writer John Michael Hayes. That film was a boatload of fun, but the magic doesn’t strike twice with Where Love Has Gone, which stars the queen of the potboilers, Susan Hayward, along with Bette Davis and leading man Mike “Touch” Connors. The film is sort of fun in a turgid way, with some truly campy lines and scenes and an incredibly annoying performance by the incredibly pouty Joey Heatherton. Miss Hayward and Miss Davis have at each other every few minutes and since they did not get along those scenes are amusing to watch. Mr. Connors would, a few years later, come into his own on television, in Mannix. A movie star he wasn’t. The art direction and Miss Edith Head’s costumes are quite over-the-top and very HOLLYWOOD. The transfer is okay only. It’s sharp but flat-looking and the color and contrast are not as vivid as they should be. Still and all, if you like trashy, soapy, Hollywood films, this might be the ticket.
I then watched the first half of Bernardo Bertolucci’s film, The Conformist, on a region B Blu and Ray import from the UK. The film is really outré, but I like it for its style. The transfer has been getting knocked by a lot of people who haven’t seen it – the usual things, looking at screen shots. They have cried DNR where there is no DNR at all. I have no idea if a better transfer may come along, but this one more than reasonably represents a 1970 low-budget film shot with some heavy diffusion, various filters, and diffuse lighting. I think it looks quite nice and I’ll have more to say about it when I finish it.
After that, I made a little spaghetti, then played on the computer, then had the annoying little telephonic call. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must really get a good night’s beauty sleep.
Today, I shall definitely jog, then do some errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up packages, and then we have our stumble-through, after which I’m dining out. Don’t know if that will lead to some entertainment for the evening, but I suppose we will find out.
Tomorrow is sound check and show for our 19th Kritzerland show. The good news is, we’ve already cast Kritzerland 20 and I’m just settling on the musical director and then I have to choose and assign the material, which I’ll try to do before going to New York. Next week is jam-packed with stuff and then I shall be on my way to New York for a three-day visit.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a jog, do errands and whatnot, hopefully pick up packages, and then have our stumble-through, after which I shall dine out and maybe do something else. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite big-budget Hollywood sudsers, and your favorite films of Susan Hayward? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping for more perfectly pleasant days and even more.