Well, dear readers, there are times when one simply weeps for what the movies used to do so well and which happens so infrequently today and, in certain cases, never happens. I watched such a motion picture yesterday, one I hadn’t seen in a couple of decades, I think. It is from my favorite movie year of 1962 and it has a sliver of something in common from a film of 2014 – the word Birdman. This Birdman, however, is completely different to the 2014 Birdman – this Birdman is Birdman of Alcatraz, the story of Robert Stroud, who spent most of his adult life behind bars. His story, of how he became an expert in all things bird is so beautifully told in this film by screenwriter Guy Trosper, here adapting a book by Thomas Gaddis. This kind of film could not be made today, not in the way it was made back then. Today it would be something wholly other and of no interest. I gather that the film plays loose with some facts, but it’s a movie not a documentary. Burt Lancaster gives perhaps his finest performance in a career filled with them. He is not afraid to be completely unlikeable in the first half of the film, so that when he has personal growth you actually see the change. It’s a beautifully layered performance. And every other performance in the film is also wonderful. Again, I bemoan this a lot, but who today would be as good as Karl Malden or Telly Savalas or Edmond O’Brien or Whit Bissell or the film’s two women – Thelma Ritter and Betty Field. Miss Field is especially terrific – what an underrated actress she was. She’s great in everything I’ve ever seen her in. But the great supporting performance in the film, one that should have been nominated for an Oscar, belongs to Neville Brand – certainly the best thing that fine actor ever did. The film is very moving and the two hours and twenty five minutes pass by very quickly. Elmer Bernstein’s score is a perfect film and John Frankenheimer’s direction is also perfection. To think that Mr. Frankenheimer in the year 1962 had this film, All Fall Down AND The Manchurian Candidate is astonishing. The Blu-ray from Twilight Time, while not sporting a new transfer, is excellent and this gets my highest recommendation. Buy it, buy it now.
Yesterday, despite no predictions from our know-nothing weather experts, was a rainy day. It rained on and off all day and evening. Trying to not look as stupid as they usually do, they then all jumped on that bandwagon and predicted rain throughout the late evening hours until morning. Naturally the rain has stopped. I only got about six hours of sleep, did my morning ablutions, answered e-mails, had some telephonic calls, then I had my noon o’clock meeting at The Smoke House. I had exactly what I knew I was going to have – about three tiny pieces of the garlic cheese bread, a shrimp cocktail, a cup of clam chowder and an artichoke, all great. The result of the meeting is that we’ve hired our publicist for Inside Out – our very own Mr. Michael Sterling, who I have no doubt will do a bang-up job for us.
After that, I picked up two little packages, then dropped my first batch of Christmas cards in the mail. When I got home I had a message from Richard and Elizabeth Sherman telling me they’d be at our Christmas Eve Do, which will be the fourth year in a row for them – needless to say, that makes me very happy. I did a little work at both the computer and the piano and I believe our January Kritzerland show is now cast, save for our guest star. At some point I made a little tuna for my snack – no bread.
After the movie, I had more telephonic conversations, including a really fun one with the composer of our next soundtrack release.
Today, I believe is pretty much a ME day – I’ll eat, hopefully pick up packages, write my small portion of some liner notes, and begin getting our singers their music. We’re still without a musical director. I’m sure I’ll watch a motion picture or two, as well.
Tomorrow, I have stuff to do and then a dinner with someone I knew when I was a teen, Friday I’m seeing Barry Pearl’s show, Saturday I’m seeing Putting It Together, and Sunday I’m having dinner with a friend.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, eat, hopefully pick up packages, write, gather music and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Ask BK Day, the day in which you get to ask me or any dear reader any old question you like and we get to give any old answer we like. So, let’s have loads of lovely questions and loads of lovely answers and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have seen the right Birdman movie.