Well, dear readers, I must write these here notes in a hurry because I must be up at six in the morning to announce our new Kritzerland CD release. It’s the first standalone release for the classic Bernard Herrmann score to White Witch Doctor. It was only available in a pricey Herrmann at Fox box, which sold out quickly. It’s a great score, one of my all-time favorite Herrmann scores and I suspect it will not be around very long because my online dealers tend to order heavy on our Herrmann titles, especially ones that haven’t really been around before. Here’s the cover.
Yesterday was a day of pleasantness, due to avoiding annoyances, so keep those excellent vibes and xylophones for no annoyances coming because we need no annoyances. I didn’t fall asleep until four-thirty in the morning so only got around six hours of sleep. Once up, I answered e-mails and then I went and had a cup of chili and a Cobb salad with mostly vinegar and about three drops of oil. Then I picked up no packages and then came home. Once home, I was happy to get the approval on our packaging, which is on its way to the printers. Then I prepped our eBlast and stuff, got all the singers their material (I’m still looking for one song to pair with a short Leonard Bernstein song), and then got our MD all of the music, too. That all took most of the day. Then I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched three episodes of The Honeymooners – the new Blu-ray of the classic 39 episodes. I’m sure I’ve seen all thirty-nine of these things, but have little memory of them. So, it’s like seeing them anew. Well, they are indeed classic. First of all, like I Love Lucy, they are just genuinely hilarious. That’s because the characters are wonderful and add to that the absolutely perfect cast with the perfect chemistry and you have comedy heaven. Anyone who wants to see what comic timing is all about, from three very distinctive comic personalities should start right here. Jackie Gleason’s takes and delivery are stunning, as are Art Carney’s. But, for me, the prize goes to Audrey Meadows, whose deadpan delivery and her stares at Gleason are the stuff of greatness. I laughed out loud consistently and am looking forward to the rest of the episodes.
After that, I went to Gelson’s and got a tiny thing of Chinese chicken salad for a little snack, then I did more work on the computer. I also did some Google searching – don’t know why, really, but I began searching my father to see what I could find – not much, but two incredible pdf legal documents from a court case in 1959 having to do with his bar in Van Nuys called The Club. I used to do runs out there with him – I believe the building is still there to this day. It turns out that an undercover cop had been in there for several weeks and observed what he believed was some off-track bookie stuff going on using the bar telephones. So, a man was arrested, but the case was dismissed. But at the time of the arrest, due to the bookmaking charge, the phone and pay phone were disconnected and, in fact, removed. My father petitioned to have them put back immediately due to the case being thrown out. The judge found for the phone company, stating they had probable cause to remove them, and that my father could ask for new phones after thirty days had gone by. So, he filed another complaint and got the new phones in immediately. It was fascinating reading. Then I found his death record, then found my mother’s, then started going back from there – I found my father’s father and his wife’s records, my mother’s mother and father’s records (in the Kritzer books that would be Grandma and Grandpa Gelfinbaum – in real life Dave and Gussie Gross. In finding my father’s father (my other grandpa, who I also talk about in the first Kritzer book – he was the one I liked – he died in the mid-1950s, I found that his wife was named Annie – I never knew her. I also found that my father was originally named Emanuel – I sort of knew that anyway – not sure when he changed it to Edwin. Also, according to the census, Samuel’s original last name was Remmel, not Kimmel. Very confusing, if correct. Then I found Dave and Gussie Gross’s census records and according to that my mother’s name was not originally Mitzi but Mennie. Don’t know how accurate any of that is. I started building a family tree on Ancestry.com.
Today, I shall be up at six to announce our new title, then I’ll probably go back to bed for a bit. The helper will be here at nine-fifteen, then I will hopefully print out a LOT of orders. I have a noon o’clock lunch in the Bank of Bur, after which I’ll hopefully pick up some packages. Then I’ll do some work on the computer, then maybe try for a show order, maybe start the commentary, and relax.
Tomorrow, I’m supping and then seeing a show by Doug Haverty and Adryan Russ, directed by my pal Kay Cole. Saturday is, of course, the book signing and I’m hoping for a nice turnout – one never knows until one knows. Not sure what’s happening on Sunday yet, but I have at least an idea of something that should happen for an hour.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce our new title, hopefully print out a LOT of orders, hopefully have no annoyances, have a lunch meeting, hopefully pick up some packages and then relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite episodes of The Honeymooners? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, exhausted from lack of sleep and climbing the family tree.