Well, dear readers, first things first. Why? Why not second things first or first things third? Who decreed that first things should always be first, that’s what I’d like to know. In any case, first things first, which, in this case is the new Kritzerland release – the new Sandy Bainum CD, Simply. It’s Sandy, great songs, a glorious 34-piece orchestra, great orchestrations by Lanny Meyers and produced by li’l ol’ me, plus I even wrote the album’s title song. I encourage everyone to check out the audio samples on the Kritzerland site. And if you missed Sandy’s Christmas CD last year, now’s your chance to get it for only ten bucks when it’s bought in conjunction with Simply. Here is the simply gorgeous cover.
And I can only tell you that the rest of the packaging is equally as beautiful. CDs are in and ready to ship and the CD will be up for ordering at the same time these here notes are posted.
Second things second, I’ve alluded to a phantom project that’s been looming for three weeks now, and I guess I’m comfortable enough to say just this: It looks like I’ll be directing a new musical revue at the Pacific Resident Theatre, a hugely well respected little LA theater located in Venice. It’s going to make the next month, which was already insane, even more insane, but I think it will be a good insane. The show is slated to begin performances on November 15. I’ve been working on song choices and structure for the past week and will have to have all that done by the end of next week, for we begin rehearsals a week from next Monday. So, that’s going to be taking up most of my evenings and weekends, along with filming the first two Outside the Box episodes the first week of November and then doing the Kritzerland show, getting Sandy’s Simply show on its feet for her November debut, and, of course, releasing new Kritzerland CDs. That’s all I’m comfortable saying at this time, but in a few days I hope to tell you what the show actually is and who our cast and musical director are.
Third things eighth – yesterday. Yesterday I actually managed to get my eight hours of sleep – not quite enough but better than I’ve been getting lately. Once up, I answered e-mails and then decided for no real reason to go to Fry’s to look at the new TVs. It’s hard to believe that my TV is now five years old. It was amazing to see the new sets, most of which do 3D as well as regular TV. Samsung now makes two 75-inch sets that are pretty spectacular. One is kind of an entry-level 75-inch, and one is their high-end model. Sharp, a brand I don’t know all that well other than I’ve never owned any of their products, makes an 80-inch TV and it looked pretty good, but not as good as the Samsung models. These new sets make my 55-inch look puny by comparison. When I left the store, it was raining, the first rain we’ve had in ages. Being LA, it lasted all of about thirty minutes. By that time, I was sitting in Jerry’s Deli having a cup of corn chowder and a quesadilla, both of which were excellent.
After that, I picked up one package, then came home. I got everything prepped for the midnight announcement of Sandy’s CD, had many telephonic conversations, most of which were about this upcoming production. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I finished watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Shack Out on 101. I discovered this extremely wacky film in the 1970s when I saw a 16mm print. I eventually owned my own 16mm print because it became a guilty pleasure of mine. The film veers between outré comedy and Commie intrigue and there’s never been anything quite like it. The cast is quite wonderful – Frank Lovejoy, an actor I’ve always liked, Keenan Wynn, Terry Moore, Whit Bissell, and Lee Marvin, who gives the film’s best performance – he’s absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, plus very dangerous when he needs to be. The film was directed competently by Edward Dein, who co-wrote it with wife Mildred. Dein only made less than a handful of feature films, and one of them is as deliriously weird as this one – The Leech Woman. He spent the rest of his career doing TV shows like The Roaring Twenties, Hawaiian Eye and the like. There are scenes in this film that are so outré they will have you sitting there scratching your head in wonderment. One such scene is Wynn and Marvin lifting weights. Another is where Wynn and Bissell are in full scuba gear in the restaurant, where they harpoon a stuffed fish on the wall. It’s a one-off movie and a must see if you like the weird and wonderful. The transfer is quite good, with only the usual white negative dirt appearing, but much less than usual for an Olive release. This one is highly recommended by the likes of me but only if you like low budget outré movies.
I then watched another motion picture on Blu and Ray, this one entitled I Married a Witch, a film by Rene Clair, starring Veronica Lake and Frederic March, along with Cecil Kellaway, a very young Susan Hayward, Robert Benchley and a host of great character actors. I will admit right now and right here and also right here and right now that I LOVE Veronica Lake. She is one of my all time favorite screen presences and there has never been anyone like her. That her later life was so tragic is tragic – she was a magical actress and I’ve never seen her in a film where I haven’t fallen in love all over again. She is at her best in I Married a Witch – beguiling, naughty, sexy, hilariously funny – it just doesn’t get any better. And Frederic March is a wonderful leading man. The film plays a brisk seventy-seven minutes and it’s just a hugely entertaining and frothy concoction, filled with big laughs and wonderful whimsy – the kind of whimsy that films used to know how to do. I have never seen a decent print of this film – I had one in 16mm that looked very dupey, and every video release has looked the same. I held no hope for this Criterion Blu-ray but I was hugely surprised by how great it looked. It has a couple of iffy sections, but the majority of it, say 90%, looks so good I couldn’t quite believe it. You can’t go wrong with this film – it’s just a total delight and you will love it.
After that, it was more telephonic conversations and e-mails, one of which was extremely heartening, and that was that.
Today, a local dealer is picking up some CDs, then I’m lunching with Terry Trotter. After that I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, hopefully print out some orders, figure out the show order, work on the upcoming show’s structure and song choices, and hopefully get meetings set up with set and lighting folks. Then later in the evening I have a meeting about the January benefit I’m directing.
Tomorrow, there’s some lunch thing happening but I have no idea what it might be. In the evening I’m seeing a Clifford Odets play. Saturday I’m lunching with the Staitman clan, then the rest of the weekend will be solid work, mostly regarding the upcoming production.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, lunch with Terry Trotter, hopefully pick up packages, hopefully print out orders, jog, and then have an evening meeting. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite works of whimsy and your favorite films of either Veronica Lake or Frederic March? I can tell you my all-time favorite Veronica Lake film is Sullivan’s Travels, and I’m hoping we get that on Blu-ray some day soon. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall arise and do first things first, second things tenth, and third things seventh.