Well, dear readers, I don’t know if you’ve noticed that it is March. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, February has gone the way of the dodo bird and March marched in like a lion and it is my fervent hope and prayer that March will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.
The final piece of the book puzzle is now done and everything goes in to the publisher today. The scan people redid the scan, because both the artist and I felt the color wasn’t quite accurate, and the new scan was perfect. That went to Grant and I left him alone all afternoon until he called me to come over and see it. Needless to say, I loved it. I also saw the back cover with the two blurbs, which we had to shorten a bit to fit, but that ended up working for us in terms of the flap copy, which was good. And here is Grant’s finished cover – art by James C. Mulligan. Be sure to click on it so you can see it bigger.
I just love this cover. I think Grant and I came up with a fun idea for people who purchase on the Kritzerland site – we’re not sure how it will work yet, but I think we’re going to do a special limited edition of fifty copies that will have a signature page tipped in – each of those copies will be numbered and signed by me, the artist, and Grant. Doesn’t that sound like fun? Those fifty copies may cost just a bit more than the regular copies – those, of course, I’ll still sign, but Grant has done this for his books and I thought it sounded like something we should do. So, we’ll see how that goes.
Prior to all that, we did get our storm. It rained through most of the night, and when I got up at nine it was really coming down hard. And that continued through the day and evening but in a very peculiar way, almost as if someone was turning a faucet on and off. It would be a torrential downpour one minute and then nothing a minute later. I just puttered around the house in the morning, answering e-mails and doing my morning ablutions. Once I’d ablutted, I went and had some chicken tenders for my meal o’ the day. Then I did some banking, then came home. I did some work on the computer, waited for the new scan to arrive, and decided I wasn’t going to drive to the theater in this rain. We lost our Daisy Mae so I began the process of finding someone else. We also kind of found an Abner we might like, but he’s not back in LA until May 1 and I’m not sure I can start anyone that late into the process, especially in that role, which is pretty much never off the stage. So the search continues. I did find someone good for Marryin’ Sam but I just want to think about it a bit more.
Then I went to Grant’s and we did our thing, after which I came back home and sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I continued watching a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled 55 Days at Peking. This is an import disc from France (it’s coming out in the UK as well), a brand new transfer off a large format negative – but from what I’m understanding, not the actual Technirama camera negative – Technirama being a process like VistaVision – but from a 70mm internegative. Whatever the source, the image looks pretty great, with lovely color and very robust stereo sound. It’s miles ahead of any of the DVD releases and it is, of course, in its proper screen ratio. I owned a 16mm IB Tech print and all I ever watched of it were the first ten minutes of the film, which I have to say I loved. Then I’ve owned many DVD versions and it’s the same story – never watched any of them past the ten-minute mark. I have no explanation as to why. But I’m now two hours in and it’s quite an enjoyable epic film – it looks amazing, the direction is great, and I like the cast, which included Charlton Heston, Flora Robson,Robert Helpmann, and Ava Gardner. There’s a young gal in the film who actually gives the most affecting performance of anyone – she’s just terrific. Some of the Tiomkin score works beautifully, while some is just clichéd and too bombastic. I’m looking forward to finally finishing it. I’m glad I waited, because this transfer is really the way to see it, barring a 70mm screening.
After that, I went to Gelson’s and got some chicken noodle soup, then came home and ate it all up. I heard the show was pretty good – not a full house (we have never had a full house since we moved to the larger space), but apparently they enjoyed it. Our very own Nick Redman and his ever-lovin’ Julie Kirgo were there and Nick wrote me a nice e-mail saying he’d enjoyed the show.
Today, I shall hopefully arise after a good night’s beauty sleep, which I really need. Then I have to write, hopefully pick up some packages, relax and then I’m seeing our show for the last time, since I can’t attend the actual closing performance.
Tomorrow is our stumble-through, and then it’s our Annual Oscar Bash, the best place to be for the Oscars, where the fun flies fast and loose and where we have nothing but merriment and mirth and laughter and legs – you won’t want to miss one second of our partay. Monday is sound check and show, Tuesday I’m meeting with Sandy and Lanny, Wednesday I have a lunch meeting and another meeting after, Thursday is Sandy and Lanny again, and then I should be having a meeting at LACC so we can finalize the cast in terms of the students. So, a busy week indeed.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, write, hopefully pick up some packages, eat, and see our show. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Charlton Heston? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, where I shall dream the first dream of March, which marched in like a lion – and once again, let me say that it is my fervent hope and prayer that March will be a month filled with health, wealth, happiness, creativity, and all things bright and beautiful.