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February 20, 2014:

THE OKAY DAY

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, just so you rest easy, I did receive an apology for the head-scratching behavior, so that was good, and I think there won’t be any further head-scratching behavior from these particular folks.  Speaking of head-scratching, can someone please explain to me how February is almost over?  This year is going faster than last year and last year was really fast.  I gotta tell you.

Yesterday was a perfectly okay day.  I was up by nine and asked to do an early lunch by Juliana Hansen at noon.  So, I answered e-mails, wrote e-mails, had a telephonic conversation, and then moseyed on over to join Juliana for our early lunch.  I had a cup of chicken corn chowder and a ham and Swiss on rye and she had a Cobb salad.  She had some news to tell me, said news being no surprise to me, and we had a fun lunch and conversation.  After that, I picked up a couple of packages, then came home.  I spent the next couple of hours finishing the commentary for the Kritzerland show, so that’s out of the way, save for whatever finessing I do.  I had some more work to do on the computer, then I finally sat down on my couch like so much fish.

Yesterday, I finished watching The Eddy Duchin Story – it’s really a bit bathetic for me, but it’s got very enjoyable music and performances, and I love the photography and direction, too.  The transfer looks very good, I thought and the sound is terrific.  I then watched another motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Foreign Correspondent, starring Joel McCrea, Herbert Marshall, Laraine Day, George Sanders, Robert Benchley and the wonderful Albert Basserman.  This film is generally considered second-tier Hitchcock and I’ve never understood why.  I find it wildly entertaining and filled with wonderful scenes.  The writing is excellent, and, of course, Joel McCrea is one of my favorite screen actors of all time.  Miss Day is charming, Mr. Marshall is always great to watch, Sanders is fun, and everyone else is terrific.  This transfer was, according to Criterion, made off the film’s camera negative, and it’s quite nice in terms of contrast.  There are quite a few opticals in the film.  Where this really excels is in the mono audio – this film has always sounded awful, from my 16mm print or DVD or whatever – that’s all fixed here.  If I were forced into a corner, I will say that there’s something about the transfer that, for me, keeps it from getting the rave I so was hoping to give it.  I can’t put my finger on it, and it’s not a big deal if you love the film, so I do recommend this highly.

After that, I went to Gelson’s and got some of those small vegetable egg roll things and some melon balls for my evening snack.  Then I just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

Today, I shall do some banking, hopefully pick up some packages, do errands and whatnot, and then I will spend a few hours with someone going over the Li’l Abner script, figuring out a lot of stuff.  I’m looking forward to that very much, and we’ll be doing that work over a meal in the afternoon.  After that, I’ll come home, write more liner notes, and relax.

Tomorrow, I’ll finish the liner notes, then I’ll be at LACC at three to do some auditions and meet the people I haven’t met yet, student-wise.  I’m sure I’ll stay on that side of the hill and eat, rather than brave the Friday traffic, which can be nutty going back to the Valley.  Saturday, I have things to do, places to go, people to see, then I’m seeing our show – Barry Pearl and his ever-lovin’ Cindy will join me and then we’ll all go out to Ruth’s Chris afterward.  Sunday I have work to do at home and I’m also hoping to meet with Grant at some point on Saturday or Sunday so we can get the book designed and ready for my last proofing of his galley.  Next week, we have our two Kritzerland rehearsals, and I have a lot of meetings and meals, then we have our stumble-through on Sunday and our show on Monday.  Also, our revue closes that weekend.

Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, bank, hopefully pick up packages, eat, and work on the Li’l Abner script for a few hours.  Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite Hitchcock films?  What was the very first Hitchcock film you ever saw?  And if you had to have only one Hitchcock film on a desert island, what would it be and why?  Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, after which I shall hopefully have an even better than okay day.

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