Well, dear readers, we had a fun Facebook and YouTube Live test last night. I told stories galore, I answered questions galore, we had more people than we’ve ever had for a test, and it was fun. Not many from around these here parts, I must say, but ChasSmith was there, representing everyone. Then again, others may have been there but not posting, in which case I’d have no way of knowing. And Druxy was with us on YouTube as was the Darling Daughter. Technical aspects all worked fine, so we are, in fact, ready for Sunday’s show. We’re hoping it’s going to be a good one. And now I am sitting here like so much fish, having throat clearing issues once again (tiresome in the extreme and extremely tiresome), listening to music – the symphonies of Eduard Tubin (very good), and relaxing in my fashion (beige pants, black t-shirt, beige socks, beige face). Oh, and I had some melon squares for my snack – honeydew and cantaloupe. And some muenster cheese slices just for fun.
Yesterday was weirdly weird. I didn’t fall asleep until four-thirty, woke up at seven-thirty, did stuff for an hour, went back to bed and finally fell asleep around nine-thirty and slept until eleven-thirty. I could have slept longer, but the idiots next door were having a yelling contest that they probably could have heard three blocks away. So, up I got with barely five hours of sleep. Once up, I did things that needed doing, answered e-mails, chose some songs, had a little unnecessary drama, worked that out, then food arrived.
I’d heard so much about this burger jernt called Five Guys that I decided to try it. I just wasn’t feeling more sautéed chicken. So, I ordered a cheeseburger, a hot dog, and fries. It arrived about forty minutes later. The Five Guys is in Studio City, literally one mile from here or five minutes. But the food was unfortunately tepid (not cold) and the fries were a soggy mess, which I hate. They’d also all fallen out of the stupid little cup they put them in. I went right to the cheeseburger and it was okay – nothing great, certainly nothing special, the meat seemed fresh, certainly, but it was a time passer at best. Then I had the hot dog – it was okay too, although it could have used a little more time on the grill – I had that with mustard and onions. The fries were, as noted, but I ate some just because they were there. I don’t need to have the Five Guys experience again, especially as it doesn’t travel even a mile without losing most of its heat.
After that, I did some more stuff on the computer, had a telephonic conversation, and then it was time to do our test. If you missed it, you know how to find it, should you want to watch it. After that, I finally sat on my couch like so much fish.
Last night, I watched a motion picture on Blu and Ray entitled Blue Denim in black-and-white scope. It starred Brandon de Wilde, Warren Berlinger, and Carol Lynley. The latter two were repeating the roles they’d played on Broadway the year before. The play is still pretty hard-hitting and frank and, more importantly, laced with a good deal of humor – it was directed by Joshua Logan. The movie still has at its core the for its time very controversial subject matter (teen sex and abortion), but while the abortion is carried out in the play, in the film the girl is saved in the nick of time. It of course changes everything and renders the film rather silly, given that the girl and boy are going to now have to get married and have a kid at sixteen. And most of the play’s humor is completely gone. The parents are not cast well, and that’s also part of the film’s problem, plus the character of the mother and father have been changed quite a bit and not for the better. Macdonald Carey is not so hot and Marsha Hunt, who I adore as a human being, gives one of the most annoying performances ever – not her fault, but the fault of the much-changed character she’s forced to play. Phillip Dunne strikes again, plus his direction, as always, is turgid. But de Wilde is good, Berlinger is great, and Carol Lynley is just wonderful. The score by Bernard Herrmann is a little heavy for the film but it works well enough. The transfer on the Twilight Time Blu-ray is exemplary.
After that, I watched another Twilight Time Blu-ray that I’d never gotten around to, To Sir, With Love. The movie was a big hit when it came out and I saw it two or three times back then. While it’s very much of its period, it’s still a wonderful movie – funny, tough, touching – with excellent performances by Sidney Poitier and the large cast of young folks, especially Judy Geeson. Transfer is just about perfect. And one really cannot get that earworm of a song out of one’s head.
Then I did a quick Gelson’s run for the melon squared, came right home, ate the melon and the muenster cheese, and then listened to music.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages (I know one arrived yesterday), and then friend Marshall Harvey is coming by with some sort of Eyetalian sandwich, which he discovered and loved and thought I should try. That is very sweet of him and I’m looking forward to it. Then I’ll try to choose more songs, and then I have to watch, listen, and mostly relax.
Tomorrow, I’ll be up by noon at the latest, then I’ll relax until it’s show time at 5:00 PDT and 8:00 EDT. I’ll eat something fun after the show. We’re hoping you’ll all at least show up for the show – it’s so much fun when you’re watching live and commenting, so do try and be there. I’ll have the complete links again in tomorrow’s notes. Then next week we jump right into the anniversary show. I still haven’t decided whether it will be the first or second Sunday – I’m leaning towards the first but that’s also Labor Day Weekend, although I don’t think many in our crowd will be going anywhere. But we’ll have to see. I have to finish choosing songs for the core cast and I also have to finish setting the guests – we have two great ones so far, and I’m hoping for two more.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, hopefully pick up some packages, eat an Eyetalian sandwich of some sort, choose songs, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite films of Mr. Sidney Poitier and Miss Carol Lynley? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, happy to have eaten some very good melon squares. Maybe that could be a new game show – Melon Squares, with Paul Lynde in the middle melon square.