Well, dear readers, what a lovely way to start off a month called August. For example, I had an extremely pleasurable day, doing this and that and also that and this. I got a good night’s sleep, then got up and began organizing things, and also caught up on the shipping of Kritzerland CDs. I then picked up the first pass of the mastered Stages CD. Most of it sounds swellegant, but there are still certain things I’m not satisfied with, so on Wednesday we’ll spend an hour nitpicking those tracks. I also talked to the pressing plant and we’re good to go with a 79 minute CD – they’ve done several 80 minute CDs without any problems, although they don’t guarantee anything over the length of 74 minutes. So, we’ll take the chance and go for it. I then did some other errands, whilst driving about in my motor car. I finished doing things around four-thirty, and decided that was it for the day, since I’d worked on Sunday. And the cherry on the sundae was that we had such a marvelously marvelous day of excellent postings. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Last night I watched two count them two motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled The Noose Hangs High. No, it isn’t an unknown film noir, it’s an Abbott and Costello picture and, according to the back of the box, one of their best. It’s not. It has its moments, and it’s mercifully short, but it’s a very peculiar film for the boys. First of all, Costello has two “classic” Abbott and Costello routines, neither of which are with Abbott. Isn’t that peculiar? And that’s the problem with the film – it’s not like they’re a team in it. The transfer is decent. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled Follow the Fleet. I’d never seen the whole film before, and I must say that, it too, is a strange film for Astaire and Rogers. It does have a few great, great sequences (I love the song Let Yourself Go), and one transcendental one (Let’s Face The Music and Dance – one of the greatest of all film musical numbers), but Astaire and Rogers just don’t have enough screen time together and the more important female character is played by Harriet Hilliard. For me, Miss Harriet Hilliard was the film’s revelation. Miss Hilliard was, in short, wonderful – and I found her performance extremely touching. For those who may not know, Miss Hilliard got married to a bandleader, and become Mrs. Ozzie Nelson. If you’ve never seen her in her youth, you are in for a big surprise. The DVD is worth it for her alone. I’ve never cared for Randolph Scott in his early pictures – but I grew to be a huge fan of his 50s westerns and, of course, he’s quite brilliant in his swan song, Ride the High Country. So, we’re left with a middling film that has a few great numbers, the charm of Astaire and Rogers, and the very affecting Harriet Hilliard. The transfer is spotty – sometimes very good-looking, sometimes a bit ragged. Of course, it’s Warner Bros., so all the usual dweebs on those DVD websites will go out of their way to praise it and forgive Warners saying it’s not their film. Of course, if Universal had put it out, there would be major criticism of it, as there was with the Universal Marx Brothers set (those films aren’t Universal either, they belonged to Paramount). But, the rules are simple – if it’s Warners, they forgive. If it’s any other studio, they damn and bitch, not necessarily in that order.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I have places to go, people to see, things to do, not necessarily in that order. Plus, I must try to keep cool, like a gazelle in a thong bikini.
I have been out of checks for a week. I ordered them, but they haven’t arrived yet, and it is beginning to be most inconvenient. I am also out of Czechs and also Rumanians, but that’s another story. Hopefully, said checks will arrive today, as they are supposed to be here within five working days and it has been five working days.
We had several winners of our Unseemly Trivia Contest – I thought this one would really stump people, but I was wrong. The question was:
This Broadway season was not the most memorable, although it did produce a few hits. One particular play was not really a hit (running a little over three months), however, it was turned into a film, but not until over ten years later. The play’s star was making their Broadway debut. The play’s star would go on to become a beloved star of both stage and screen, who would be both a Tony-winner and an Academy Award winner. One of the supporting cast would, two years later, go on to create an unforgettable character in a film, a film that would make the actor a film star for many years. Another member of the supporting cast would go on to co-star in a beloved television comedy program, and would co-star in one of the best adaptations of a musical-to-film ever made. And, another supporting cast member would go on to be a well-liked television and film director. Because this is a difficult question, I will include the following two items, which might help folks at least get on track. Also that season a well-known and loved film star was appearing in a play that they’d written. Also that season, a new playwright made their Broadway debut – their play ran two nights. However, in just two short years, they would become very very famous.
Name the play that was not really a hit, which was turned into a film over ten years later (the film wasn’t much of a hit either, but it did have a big star).
Name the play’s star, and name the play’s star’s Tony-winning and Academy Award-winning performances.
Name the supporting cast member who would, two years later, create an unforgettable character in their first film, and who would go on to be a film star for many years.
Name the supporting actor who would co-star in a beloved comedy program, name the program, and name the role played in the musical-to-film adaptation (a role they did not play in the original production of the musical).
Name the supporting cast member who would become a well-liked television and film director.
Name the well-known and loved film star who appeared in a play they’d written that same season.
Name the playwright who whose debut play was a flop, but who would become very very famous just a short time later. And name the debut flop play.
And the answers are:
Kiss Them For Me.
Judy Holliday – Bells Are Ringing, Born Yesterday.
Richard Widmark (Tommy Udo in Kiss of Death).
Paul Ford – The Phil Silvers Show aka Sgt. Bilko aka You’ll Never Get Rich. Mayor Shinn in The Music Man.
Daniel Petrie.
Mae West – Catherine Was Great.
Arthur Miller – The Man Who Had All The Luck.
And there you have it. Congratulations to all our winners, who include Robert Armin, Macchus999, Michael Shayne, and FJL. I hope I didn’t miss anyone. All our winners’ names were put into our handy-dandy Electronic Hat, which randomly selected FJL as our High Winner. So, if FJL will send his address he will get a sparkling prize. I was surprised that more of our quiz regulars didn’t take a stab at the question.
Have I mentioned that I am out of checks and also Czechs? Wouldn’t it be funny if the Czechs arrived before the checks?
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must flit about like a gazelle in a thong bikini, I must write, I must attend a meeting at the Hudson Theater, and I must sup with our very own Mr. Grant Geissman at a restaurant to be determined. Today’s topic of discussion: What movie have you seen the most times, and why was it that film that got all the viewings? And be specific – for example, what film did you see the most times at a movie theater. And then, what films have you seen the most on video? What plays and musicals have you seen the most times? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I await the checks and the Czechs, not necessarily in that order.