Well, dear readers, I have always enjoyed the films of Frank Tashlin. No, they’re not all great, they’re not all masterpieces, but there is something subversive in all his films and that makes even the worst of them somehow enjoyable. His style is definitely derived from his days of directing cartoons for various studios. His cartoons, like those of Tex Avery, were always wild and wacky. His nickname was Tish Tash, which he used to sign his comic strip before getting into the movies. He graduated from cartoons into gag writing for the movies for folks like the Marx Brothers and Red Skelton, then he finally became a film director when he took over the direction of the Bob Hope comedy, The Lemon Drop Kid. He made two films with Martin and Lewis, Artists and Models and Hollywood or Bust, both of which I’m very fond of and both of which are loaded with visual gags that are great. The first time I really took note of his name was when I saw The Girl Can’t Help It in 1956 at the Stadium Theater in glorious Cinemascope. I laughed myself silly at that movie – the visual gags were really outrageous, plus we got some great early rock-and-roll.
A year later, I was back at the Stadium for another Tish Tash film, Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter. I loved that even more than The Girl Can’t Help It. He had a lot of topical gags that just sent me into paroxysms of laughter. And Jayne Mansfield was a wonderful comedienne. Then he began a series of solo Jerry Lewis films and I liked almost all of them (well, not Cinderfella). In 1962 I saw a sneak preview at the Lido Theater of Bachelor Flat, and I absolutely loved it. It doesn’t hold up too well, but back then I thought it was a riot, and I was totally smitten with Tuesday Weld. After that, he had a weird career – more Jerry Lewis, a Hercule Poirot film, two Doris Day films, a Danny Kaye film, and his career ended right back where it began, movie-wise, with a Bob Hope film. But I’d already seen a Tashlin movie before The Girl Can’t Help It and I didn’t even know it. That movie was Susan Slept Here and this was a very long preamble to get to that film. I saw it back in 1954 (pretty sure at the Village, but can’t swear to it) and I remember liking it and laughing. I haven’t seen it since, but I watched it last night on a new Warner Archive Blu and Ray.
It stars Dick Powell and Debbie Reynolds. She’s a seventeen-year-old delinquent who’s hit a shore patrol person over the head with a beer bottle. Instead of throwing her in jail they bring her to Dick Powell’s apartment. He plays a screenwriter who’s been thinking about doing a script about juvenile delinquency. Complications ensue, many of them very amusing. And there are some fun visual gags along the way. And the film is narrated by an Oscar statuette. Of course the subject of the film, even back then, was subversive – thirty-five year-old man takes in seventeen-year-old girl, then marries her to keep her out of jail, no consummation, but she wants one and eventually they realize they’re in love with each other. Crazy stuff for 1954. The supporting cast is fun, save for Alvy Moore, an actor I have never found either appealing or amusing, although he had a really nice career. The transfer looks pretty great, too. If you’ve never seen a Tashlin film, it’s worth seeking out one of his classics.
Prior to Tish Tash, I’d gotten about seven hours of sleep (maybe), and began the day with a telephonic conversation with the choreographer of the ALS show. It was, in fact, an all ALS day, the first really productive day we’ve had, so that was a good thing. At one I had a conference call with the ALS folks about their twenty-minute portion of the show, and we worked out all those details. After that, I went and had a chopped salad with a little ham and avocado at Jerry’s, dressed with only red wine vinegar and I had a bagel, too. So, between, seven hundred and eight hundred calories, but probably much closer to seven hundred. I then picked up some packages, then came home. I did a jog, did work on the computer, had more telephonic conversations and then I finally sat on my couch like so much fish and watched Susan Slept Here.
After that, I listened to music and relaxed.
Today, it will be more of the same, and I’ll definitely try to do the show order and start writing the commentary, I’ll eat something light but fun, I’ll jog, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages, and I’ll relax.
Tomorrow I have a few things that need doing, and then I have a dinner thing I must attend. Sunday I’ll write commentary. Next week is lots o’ stuff for the ALS show, including some work sessions, some meetings and meals, and also starting to plan the Kritzerland sixth anniversary show for September. For once, both males are already cast.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, do a show order, begin writing commentary, eat, jog, hopefully pick up packages, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s Friday – what is currently in your CD player and your DVD/Blu-ray player? I’ll start – CD, some music by Arthur Bliss, an interesting British composer of classical music, ballet, and film (he wrote the great score to Things to Come). Blu and Ray – a huge stack – I’ll probably watch another Warner Archive Blu-ray, perhaps Murder, My Sweet. Your turn. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, but not before I go look at my original Tish Tash large cartoon drawing, a Christmas thing he did for some advertising product, I think. I got it really cheap on eBay because they had no clew who’d done it.