Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, listening to a movie theme album whose final two tracks are actually TV themes, and isn’t it ironic that not only are they two of the best themes ever written, they were both written for doctor shows by major film composers. By now, you’ve probably figured it out – Ben Casey by David Raksin and Jerry Goldsmith’s immortal them for Dr. Kildare. Dr. Kimmel says if you’ve never heard these themes, hie yourself to the Tube of You, where there are many versions of both. Today’s TV themes usually consist of about ten notes, last about ten seconds and, well, we miss the days of great TV themes, we just do, and I don’t care who knows it. Speaking of Dr. Kimmel, I watched a motion picture last night, a French film from France entitled Les Meurtrier (literally, The Killer, but for its US release, Enough Rope), starring Maurice Ronet, Robert Hossein, Marina Vlady, and Yvonne Furneaux, adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s thriller (following Strangers on a Train), The Blunderer. First off, the movie. It’s apparently a pretty faithful adaptation of the book. It’s an interesting plot and premise, but in the end, once a police detective becomes involved it just doesn’t work – everyone yells and screams at each other, the detective is clearly out of his mind and does things that no detective would get away with, and then, in the end, no one is left happy. With the exception of Marina Vlady, none of the characters are likeable. But I’m a sucker for black and white scope movies, and it well directed by Claude Autant-Lara. Best of all, it has a really good score by Rene Cloerec, who wrote a lot of great scores, actually. But let’s get to the true irony department and you, dear readers, tell me the odds of THIS: In Strangers on a Train, Miss Highsmith created a character and called him Guy Haines. Check. Most of you know that I have worked with a singer named Guy Haines for too many years to count and that we are as close as two peas in a pod. Some might even suggest that we complete each other’s sentences, that is how close we are. Check. In her novel The Blunderer, there is a prominent character in both book and film (played by Gert Frobe in the film, pre Goldfinger). And would you like to know the last name of this character? Kimmel. Melchior Kimmel. What are the odds that in two books, Miss Highsmith would use both my last name and the name of my close personal friend, Guy Haines? I’d say about a zillion to one, wouldn’t you? Anyway, I enjoyed the movie for what it was – it’s just not very good but there are things to enjoy, especially the beautiful Miss Vlady and the so over the top performance of Mr. Frobe as Mr. Kimmel. That Kimmel is a character. By the way, the film was remade here in the US in 2016 as A Kind of Murder, starring Patrick Wilson and Jessica Biel with Eddie Marsan as Kimmel. I may seek it out, even though it’s supposed to be terrible.
Otherwise, yesterday was fairly short, as I slept for ten hours and didn’t get up until two. Once up, I had a ton of e-mails to answer. After that, I made faux chicken stroganoff over rice and that was very good. I will admit to having a slice of cherry pie for a sweet, but I will also admit it wasn’t as good as it’s been. I had two telephonic conversations with potential set designers for Drat! The Cat! so that ball is rolling, so to speak. I sent both of them the album and script and we’ll talk later in the week. I’ll be talking to two other people this week, too, and we’re also waiting on some suggestions from our wonderful costume designer, who’s worked with a lot of set designers. I’d like to make a decision by mid-month. That was pretty much the day, I didn’t do any writing, but I don’t really want to do much more than a page to finish the little section I’m in, and then I watched the movie, and here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll do whatever needs doing, I’ll check with the mail place and see what’s up, I’ll stay far away from the news until later in the evening but will hope that there will be cause for celebration, I’ll finish up my bit of writing, work on the show order, and then watch, listen, and relax.
The rest of the week is more of the same, with some meetings and meals, some going and doing and doing and going, and doing whatever else needs doing.
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, check with the mail place, hope there will be cause for celebration, finish up the bit of writing, work on the show order, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: No topic, just post your excellent vibes and xylophones that things turn out the way they should. Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, mind-bogged that Kimmel and Haines could be together in two books by the same author. Ponder THAT why don’t you?