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October 21, 2021:

JB MEETS JB

Bruce Kimmel Photograph bk's notes

Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to our latest two masters, which I’ll approve as soon as I’m done so they can go to the pressing plant. Otherwise, the mystery that was solved has a new wrinkle: I spoke to the fellow who did the data recovery and computer redo and asked him how he got the saved data from the back-up drive to the computer – and his response was via the USB port. So, not quite understanding how that could be and how it’s not allowing us to hook up anything other than to power stuff. I suppose some mysteries simply won’t get solved. He was as baffled as we were and had me try one thing that didn’t work. He said I could bring it in and he could look at it, but I think I might try this Thunderbolt adaptor thing first – but that will have to wait until some damn orders come in – we haven’t had a single order since Monday other than Amazon stuff, which takes a week to get to us. Before listening to the new masters, which I must say sound really great, I watched two motion pictures on Blu and Ray, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger. As I mentioned, I didn’t see Dr. No in theaters till much later in a reissue, although I’d heard of it and the character of James Bond. So, From Russia With Love was my first Bond and I absolutely loved it back then and saw it a bunch of times. It holds up wonderfully and it’s a big step forward from Dr. No in terms of production and script and performances. Not only is Sean Connery more assured in this one, but you’ve also got Robert Shaw and Lotte Lenya. Both are really great in it, especially Lenya. And the big fight scene between Connery and Shaw remains an incredibly visceral sequence. Lenya was totally inspired casting. And Daniella Bianchi is a real beauty and charming, even though her entire performance is dubbed. You can see the creators still finding their way in terms of balance, but it all works very well, with only a few moments that seem awkward. And then came Goldfinger. As I also mentioned yesterday, I saw it prior to its opening at the Chinese Theater, at a sneak preview at the Village Theater in Westwood. I was trying to find it but that would require looking through every day’s movie listings for over a month. The reaction to the film was astounding, with huge laughs, cheers, applause for several of the now-classic sequences – everything worked and everyone at that preview knew they’d just seen a classic and knew it was going to be a huge hit, which it was. It was maybe the most exciting sneak preview I’d ever seen and probably remains so – it was, in its way, like early audiences seeing Star Wars. And the producers and studio obviously knew it, too, because unlike the first two films, which both had wide releases without much fanfare, Goldfinger was the first Bond film to open in an exclusive engagement at a major theater. Watching it again, every second of it is still wildly entertaining, the laughs are still there, the characters are wonderful, the performances are all perfect, especially Connery, who really solidified his Bond in this film, but also Gert Frobe’s brilliant performance as Goldfinger – he, too, was completely dubbed by another actor, although I think you can hear his real voice in the film’s trailer. Also, Honor Blackman is great as Pussy Galore (what a laugh that got in the credits), and in her brief appearance, Shirley Eaton as the golden girl.

Goldfinger had a budget the size of the first two films combined, a new director in Guy Hamilton, whose work is exemplary, and it has a unique pre-credits sequence, and it’s a great one, that got huge applause at the preview – it also has nothing to do with the rest of the film, which was pretty unheard of back then. The first pre-credits sequence was in From Russia, but that was a happy accident when, in the editing, it was decided to move that sequence, which came later, to the beginning. Both films don’t have main titles by the usual Maurice Binder – they’re by Robert Brownjohn and they’re great. But the biggest and most important change for both films was another JB – John Barry. For Dr. No, all he did was orchestrate and arrange Monty Norman’s Bond theme – it’s Barry’s arrangement that makes it. Barry was the composer for From Russia and what a difference his music made – the title song was by Lionel Bart and sung over the end credits, but Barry’s work was propulsive and a game changer, really. And his score for Goldfinger just upped his game by 100% and for the first time we had a John Barry-composed title song (with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley). And for the first time a Bond song was sung over the main titles, sung by the amazing Shirley Bassey. It really set the tone for all the Bond songs that followed.

Yesterday was okay, I suppose. I got seven hours of sleep, and was awakened by a telephonic call from Kerry O’Malley, who told me The Federal cancelled the duo show she was doing next Monday – they took a corporate event instead. That was a big problem at that club and one of the reasons I left (not the only reason – that guy who runs the jernt was a real pain in the ass and a real “tough” guy in the worst way). I think they cancelled about six of our shows that then had to be re-booked on an off night. Infuriating. Kerry and the other gal spent hundreds of dollars preparing this thing and The Federal doesn’t care. She’ll never set foot in that place again, and I think that’s the way many of us feel. I’ll eat there occasionally (not often) to have their mac-and-cheese, but not the club.

I answered e-mails, had the chat with the guy who fixed the computer, then did a quick Gelson’s run and got an onion, some parmesan cheese, and some sweet Eyetalian sausage, came home, and made some penne with red sauce, sausage, and onions. It was really good. And filling. Really filling. It filled me. I was filled. I still have four links of the sausage, too, so I’ll figure out what to do with those. Then I did a few things on the computer, didn’t pick up packages, since I know that free back-up drive is arriving today, and then I sat on my couch like so much fish and watched the two Bond movies and watched a few of the extras for both, and then it was time to listen to the two masters and write these here notes.

Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll hopefully pick up some packages and mail, I’ll hopefully get some damn orders, and then we have a rehearsal, after which I’ll eat. I might try and make a couple of Eyetalian sausage and onion sandwiches – I’ve never done such a thing, but it might be fun to try. We shall see what we shall see. Then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.

Tomorrow, we finally have our pianist and we’ll run the show and if I feel we need to, we’ll run it again. If I think it went well, then we’ll just run trouble spots, whatever they may be, but I have to get the singer and the pianist in sync so it’s all effortless. Saturday, we do a dress rehearsal with about ten or twelve people attending, just to have the singer hear some reaction. I’ve done that for all the acts I’ve directed and it’s really helpful. Then on Sunday, we do the show.

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, do whatever needs doing, hopefully pick up packages, hopefully get some orders, have a rehearsal, give notes, eat, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite James Bond film, your favorite Bond, and your favorite Bond songs? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, having especially enjoyed Mr. Bond meeting Mr. Barry – or JB meets JB.

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