Well, dear readers, how can it be Friday already? This week has flown by, like a gazelle in search of six characters. How Pirandellian of me. I feel that today’s notes will definitely have a touch of Pirandello. Of course, I’ve only seen one Pirandello play, his classic, and I have no memory of it whatsoever so it will be difficult for me to have these notes be Pirandellian but I shall try, oh, yes, I shall try. If I fail, then these here notes can be in the style of Damon Runyon. That would be close to Pirandello, certainly. Yes, Runyonesque notes. We can be guys and dolls and sing a fugue for tinhorns. Or maybe today’s notes should be in the style of Arthur Kopit – you know, oh, notes, poor notes, BK’s hung you in the closet and I’m feeling my oats. Or maybe they should be in the style of Harold Pinter – you know, filled with endless, long, meaningful pauses. Or perhaps I should just write the damn notes and be done with it.
I got way too little sleep yesterday. I didn’t get to sleep until one and then I was up at six to announce our new title, then tried to go back to bed but had to deal with a little Kritzerland ordering problem and by the time that was done the workers were here. I did get back into bed and stayed there until ten, but I don’t think I actually slept. Then I got up and printed out orders, and then I went to Jerry’s Deli and had poached eggs, white toast, and a bit of white rice. I was still feeling a bit queasy and didn’t want to chance anything else. Of course, I didn’t jog.
Then I did some banking, then went and picked up one little package, after which I came home. I didn’t send anyone their music and I must rectify that today, oh, yes, I must rectify that today. I did an edit road map for an upcoming project, but I’m rethinking some of it. I had several long telephonic conversations, too. Then I got the news that our Unseemly Interviews are finally back with us – so definitely check them out – lots of fun folk, like Kerry Butler, Stephanie Block, our very own Pogue and elmore, and lots more. We’ll have our very first brand spanking new interview in over six years come next week. Then it was finally time to sit on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Earthquake in Sensurround. I’d left off the night before right after the big one. But there’s another hour of movie after that and one can only say it’s a severe anti-climax. It’s hard to believe that novelist Mario Puzo was responsible for co-writing what is surely one of the worst scripts ever written. How the actors even spoke their lines is baffling. I kind of chuckled sporadically when a clunker would come, but then came perhaps the worst line in movie history – spoken by Mr. Lorne Greene: “Barbara, take off your pantyhose!” He says this line more than once. He says it stuck high in an earthquake-shattered office building while some people are falling to their deaths. “Barbara, take off your pantyhose!” I think that will become an official haineshisway.com line from now on, right up there with CRANBERRIES and UNDERPANTS. The film has one of those casts with every working character actor in town, especially ones who worked regularly for Universal – Barry Sullivan, George Kennedy, George Murdock, Donald Moffat, John Randolph – one after another, plus a lot of young contract players just before Universal would stop having contract players. It’s all lit very harshly as most Universal films of that era were. And Victoria Principal probably has the worst wig in film history – a kind of Afro thing that has to be seen to be believed. And, as I said in yesterday’s notes, Marjoe Gortner gives a performance for the ages – perhaps the worst ever. The transfer is fine – lots of opticals and effects shots long before digital. The score by John Williams sounds great and is the best thing about the movie, after the line, “Barbara, take off your pantyhose!”
After that, I cleansed myself by watching the truly amusing and charming Father Goose – I watched the first hour whilst eating some more white rice. Though I owned it on DVD I never actually watched it, so this is really the first time I’ve seen it since I saw it when it was originally released. Back then, it was a huge hit with audiences and I remember there were huge gut-busting laughs throughout, with the audience roaring. It’s still very funny and there is no actor on earth more charming or funnier than Cary Grant in this kind of film. Leslie Caron is terrific, too, as is Trevor Howard. I’d completely forgotten there was a gaggle of kids in the film. I’ll finish it tonight, but of course I’ll be humming Pass Me By, the film’s theme song, all day today.
Well, I’m sure we’ve all had our fill of Brain songs in French, but I may as well post the finale, as it has nice vocal harmonies.
Today, I shall, of course, be up at eight again, and then if I’m feeling up to it I will definitely jog. I will also try to eat some actual food of substance. Mostly I have to choose the selections I’ll be reading at the book signing tomorrow. And I’ll send singers their music.
Tomorrow is the book signing at Mystery and Imagination Books – hoping for a nice turnout, but one never knows. I’m sure we’ll have at least ten people, but I’m really hoping for more like twenty or twenty-five. After the signing some of us will go to a nearby restaurant for some foodstuffs. Sunday is our Annual Tony Awards Bash and you will not want to miss one minute of the merriment and mirth and laughter and legs.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, hopefully be up to a jog, hopefully be up to eating something other than poached eggs, hopefully pick up some packages, send singers their music and choose selections to read for the book signing. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player, and your DVD/Blu and Ray player? I’ll start – CD, many Kritzerland projects. Blu and Ray, Father Goose, then The Odd Couple. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall wake up and say, “Barbara, take off your pantyhose!”