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November 29, 2012:

FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT AND THE GYPSY IN MY SOUL

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am mightily tired of fighting this thing that I am fighting. One minute it feels like it’s better, the next it feels like it’s worse – I keep popping Coldeez and Airborne – I haven’t gotten anything yet and I really need it to stay that way. I have no time to get sick and I’m sick of feeling like it’s hovering so to the hovering whatever I say BE GONE and BE GONE NOW. Please send excellent vibes and xylophones for this hovering thing to be gone and be gone NOW. Then we can let be gones be be gones. We don’t allow groaning here at haineshisway.com.

What a strange little day was yesterday. The first strangeness was the telephonic call that awakened me at 11:50. Yes, you heard that right – I awakened at 11:50. I couldn’t believe it, but then again I hadn’t fallen asleep till after three. The problem with arising at 11:50 arises when you have a 12:30 lunch date clear on the other side of town. Well, I was out the door in eight minutes flat. But then I had to fill the motor car up with gas and that took another eight minutes. Then I zoomed over to Beverly Glen and even though I was behind a slow driver, the lane splits into two halfway up the hill and I passed everyone and got over Mulholland pretty quickly and was zooming along until an Acura somehow got in front of me – they’re always in a hurry to get in front of you, at which point they slow to a crawl. So, I was stuck behind this Acura ASS the entire way down to Sunset and then almost to Wilshire, when I finally was able to pass him and everyone else. From there I zoomed down to Olympic, turned right, turned left three streets later and zoomed down to Pico and then the three blocks to Louise’s. Naturally there was no street parking on that block – all taken – so I had to park a block away, then I jogged back to the restaurant. And you know what – after all that, I was only five minutes late, which I think is pretty damn amazing.

Then I had a lovelier than lovely lunch with dear reader Jeanne and the conversation was fun and interesting, and the food was yummilicious. After that, I headed back to the San Fernando Valley. At that point we had a real LA rain – about twelve drops on my windshield. I went to the mail place and picked up one package, which contained the new Warner Archive Blu and Rays of Gypsy and Deathtrap. I came home, answered a whole plethora of e-mails, did some work on the computer, took more Coldeez and Airbornes, had a nice visit with cousin Dee Dee, and then finally sat on my couch like so much fish.

Last night I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Gypsy. I know it’s fashionable to hate the film version of Gypsy, but I have to say that I loved it when I first saw it back in the day (about eight times), and I’ve loved it ever since. No, it’s not a carbon copy of the Broadway version – Leonard Spiegelglass has added a few of his own touches, but I don’t mind them. Happily, the original Jerome Robbins choreography is recreated by Robert Tucker. Most of the hate for the film centers on Rosalind Russell as Rose. Well, I think she gives a terrific performance and the only problem is, of course, the lowering of the keys, which kind of sucks the life out of the songs. But dubber Lisa Kirk is a good match and does a good job. But in the acting department, sorry, I don’t think there are a lot of actresses who can touch what Russell brings to the role emotionally and dramatically. Natalie Wood is perfect as Louise, and Karl Malden is a good Herbie. The rest of the cast is tops, especially Paul Wallace who recreates his stage role of Tulsa. I’ve seen about thirty Tulsas in my time and not a one of them has come anywhere near Mr. Wallace – his dancing is superb and he has a winning presence. The choreography fits him like a glove and his number is one of the highlights of the film. And then there’s Mazeppa, Tessie Tura, and Elektra – I believe both Mazeppa and Elektra were the original Broadway gals, and Betty Bruce, who is beyond brilliant as Tessie Tura replaced Maria Karnilova on Broadway. Both she and Faith Dane have some of the funniest line readings ever put on the screen, and I scream with laughter no matter how many times I hear them. There has never been a Mazeppa the equal of Miss Dane. That voice braying, “Miss Tura, I’ll thank you not to give the management any notions that I would ever play scenes” is just fall out of your chair hilarious, as is “You got somethin’ against stripping?” And their number, You Gotta Have a Gimmick is just incredible. Mervyn LeRoy lets the material do its job and keeps the direction simple as pie, but always right. And I do love the Warner Bros. sound, and Gypsy sounds great on this Blu and Ray – it says 2.0 but I definitely heard stuff going on in the surrounds, unless my receiver is doing something weird. As to the transfer, it’s quite lovely – sharp, almost perfect color (a few scenes lean just a bit too much to orange, but it’s very minor), and I cannot imagine anyone being unhappy with this Blu and Ray. I know Mr. Sondheim and Mr. Laurents are on record as not liking the film, and I frankly don’t care, because I think it’s terrific and its two hours and twenty minutes flew by. The cut half of You’ll Never Get Away From Me is included as a bonus, as is Together Wherever We Go.

I then watched Deathtrap on Blu and Ray. I saw it the week it opened and I have to say that unlike Gypsy I find Deathtrap to be an almost total botch as a film. I don’t know what any of these people thought they were doing, but I saw Mr. Levin’s play and it was brilliant in its dialogue and construction. They do go on and on about plays that are thrillers, five characters, one set – so why Mr. Lumet and the screenwriter, Jay Presson Allen, keep “opening up” the play is anyone’s guess. The first ten minutes of the film are excruciating and have nothing to do with Mr. Levin. Once they finally get down to the play, then we get the second main problem why the film can never work – and that is Dyan Cannon. I normally like Miss Cannon, but here she is allowed to be so over the top and batty and a caricature of a human that the film cannot recover from it because you never take her real dilemma (heart problems) seriously. Mr. Lumet has either encouraged this or directed her to play it that way, but it’s a disaster. Mr. Caine is okay, but it’s not his finest hour. I saw Mr. Brian Bedford in the play and he was fantastic. Christopher Reeve is okay, but everyone is just trying to hard and Jay Presson Allen’s “improvements” to Mr. Levin are never improvements because Mr. Levin doesn’t need improving. Even Johnny Mandel, a composer I dearly love, has, for me, come up with a score I completely don’t like. The transfer is handsome so if you do like the film you’ll be happy with this Blu and Ray.

After that, more Coldeez (I’m really only doing about four a day, plus one dose of Airborne, although I may take a second dose before bed), and doing some stuff on the computer. I’m told reservations for our Kritzerland show are doing fine so far. Another thirty and we’ll be sold out again and I’m hoping we are. Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must get a good night’s beauty sleep and arise at a reasonable hour.

Today, I shall continue to fight the good fight and to feel completely better. I have writing to do in the morning, then I’ll probably mosey on up to wherever the HELL I’m going for the redone vision test for the DMV. I will call their number this morning because last time I had a paper saying when my appointment was because I booked it online – but I don’t have such a paper having booked it on the phone so I want to make sure I wasn’t supposed to get something via e-mail. Hopefully the vision test will be quick and hopefully they’ll give me some proof that it went in the computer okay, so I can call and make sure the license will be on its way at once. Once I’m done with that, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and then it’s rehearsal. I was going to go to the editing room, but the editor is still working on the third of the musical numbers. If he wants me to come see the set-up scene and the other two, I will, but I think we’ll probably just try to do everything we need to after my Friday noon rehearsal. I have no other plans so we can probably stay until we’re finished finessing, should any finessing be needed. We have to burn a DVD in case I want to show it at our Kritzerland show on Sunday.

Tomorrow will be rehearsal at noon, then the editing room for the rest of the day, and then a nice but light dinner somewhere. Saturday is our stumble-through and it’s an early one so I’ll probably go out after for a mid-afternoon meal. Sunday is sound check and show.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, fight the good fight, write, take the vision test, hopefully pick up some packages, maybe visit the editing room, and rehearse. Today’s topic of discussion: How many productions have you seen of Gypsy, who were your favorite Roses, what do you think of the film version, the Bette Midler TV version – in other words, all things Gypsy. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall fight the good fight and if you send your strongest most excellent vibes and xylophones, maybe I’ll just win the fight.

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