Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much listening, fish – wait, that isn’t right, that is so not right, that is wrong, that is so wrong – this is what happens when you’re listening to moody chamber music by Bernard Herrmann, namely Echoes for string quartet. What I meant to write was I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to chamber music by Bernard Herrmann. On the other hand, what an auspicious beginning to these here notes on Good Saturday, the sequel to Good Friday. I will have to write these here notes in a hurry, for she of the Evil Eye will be here all too soon and I must get to bed at a reasonable hour. I did finish watching Garbo Talks – finally finished it after many attempts. I sure means well and it sure wears it’s heart no its sleeve but the writing is just too fragmented. I thought perhaps there was a lot of cutting scenes short, and maybe that’s what happened – the movie runs 103 minutes. There are a ton of scenes that are literally one to three lines long and fade out or cut to next scene. That’s just weird. The director is Sidney Lumet and he does a fine job, but you can’t ever get invested when the scenes last fifteen seconds. Anne Bancroft is wonderful as the mom who is dying and whose one wish is to meet Garbo, whom she loves. Her loving son actually makes that happen and Bancroft’s long monologue to Garbo is very affecting. The cast is all fine – Carrie Fisher, Ron Silver, and lots of cameos – Adolph Green, Howard Da Silva, Hermione Gingold, Catherine Hicks, Steven Hill (in a wonderful performance), Dorothy Loudon, Harvey Fierstein, Richard B. Shull, Arlene Francis, Cy Coleman, Liz Smith, George Plimpton, Michael Musto, and Betty Comden plays Garbo (you never see anything but the back of her). Cy Coleman’s score is a big plus and the film is beautifully photographed. It’s the writer’s only film – his other credits are all TV movies. I also watched the first half of Chaplin with Robert Downey. I’ve only seen it once before in its entirety. It’s enjoyable, but I find Richard Attenborough to be a snooze as a director. I’ll finish it up today or tonight.
Yesterday was Good Friday, which is better than Bad Friday – it started off weirdly but ultimately was fine. I only go six hours of sleep, was up at ten-thirty, answered e-mails, then got ready for the work session. That went very quickly and I liked the pianist very much. Once that was done, I paid a visit to Gelson’s and got some roast beef for sandwiches, some lettuce, and a couple of other items. Then I made a stop at the ATM to deposit a small check, came home, made one sandwich along with one latke and ate them. Then I made a show order, wrote liner notes, and I’ll start and hopefully finish the commentary today. Then I got the Sami trailer with the new text at the end – the premiere date and Prime Video thing.
Then I had a long telephonic conversation to begin getting everyone on the same page so we’re all coordinated in how we’re going to publicizing the show. Those conversations will happen this weekend, but we’ve got it all laid out. After that, I tried to watch Queen Christina with Garbo but after ten minutes I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until it was over. I’ve only seen one Garbo film – Ninotchka.
Today, I’ll be up by eight-thirty and out the door by nine. I’ll have a light breakfast somewhere, then I’ll go to the mail place and gather up whatever’s there, then do some errands and whatnot, come back home, write commentary, and then I can watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow can be a ME day, Monday is our first Kritzerland rehearsal, which I’m looking forward to, then we need one more major miracle or there will be hell toupee, then I have meetings and meals, then we have our second rehearsal on Thursday, stumble-through on Saturday, and then it’s sound check and show on Sunday. I think ticket sales are moving right along.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up by eight-thirty and out the door by nine, have a light breakfast, gather up stuff at the mail place, do errands and whatnot, write commentary, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite motion pictures featuring the amazing Miss Anne Bancroft? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping we have a Good Saturday, the sequel to Good Friday.