Well, dear readers, I have some rather surprising news. Yes, Virginia, I, BK, have some rather surprising news. And what is this surprising news that I, BK, have? Well, I’ll tell you what is this surprising news that I, BK, have, because why should I withhold such things from dear readers such as yourselves. This rather surprising news is that today is Thanksgiving. I ask you, where else on all the Internet can you find such news? Nowhere, that’s where. Yes, today is the day we say thanks for giving. Is that right? That sounds odd. Perhaps today is the day for giving thanks. But thanks for what? Well, isn’t Thanksgiving the day something happened on Plymouth Rock or in a Plymouth automobile? I believe it was back in 1621 that some Pilgrims and some Indians got together and had some food. However, it didn’t really catch on until President Lincoln (who, had he lived, would have driven a Plymouth) proclaimed a Thanksgiving holiday in 1863. Thanksgiving is a festively festive holiday in which we kill turkeys and eat them with unbridled glee. But, what if the tables turned? What if we woke up one fine day and found that the turkeys were killing us and eating us with unbridled glee? That would be a fine kettle of humans, wouldn’t it? Thankfully, such a think could only happen in a Bert I. Gordon film. In any case, it is Thanksgiving, a day in which we eat turkey and stuff ourselves with stuffing and candied yams and mashed potatoes and gravy and even, occasionally, corn. It is a holiday in which, after the feast, we plotz. Speaking of plotz, yesterday was a day in which little happened, and yet the day zoomed by like a gazelle doing a wheelie. I got up, did errands, did a little work at the computer, did more errands and that was about it. It was, in fact, an enjoyable sort of day, with no annoyances save for one small NYMF annoyance, which will be dealt with strongly come Monday, and not by me. The other event that happened yesterday was I made the decision to direct the Chance Theater/LA Festival of New Musicals production of The Brain From Planet X. It took me three weeks of thinking about it, but in the end I couldn’t really see any downsides, safe for the shlep out to Anaheim Hills. The show opens on May 5th, and runs for seven weeks. And the best things is, I don’t have to do anything but direct. I don’t have to raise money, I don’t have to worry if tickets are selling, I just get to do the show, and that was the great convincer. It is unknown at this time whether anyone from the previous productions will be in it – there are some logistics to work out on that score. I will ask our New York choreographer to come out and do it, but he’ll have to make that decision. If he can’t, I’ll probably revert to the staging of the LACC production, musical number-wise. I’ve also had a query from a theater group in Australia, so we’ll see where that leads. I’m told that the production at Brunel University outside of London is going very well – they open in a week and a half, I think. After all that, I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I managed to watch three count them three motion pictures on DVD. The first motion picture on DVD was entitled With A Song In My Heart, starring Miss Susan Hayward. It’s a lovely film, with a wonderful performance from Miss Hayward, who mimes splendidly to Miss Jane Froman’s vocals. It doesn’t overstay it’s welcome, doesn’t get too maudlin, and is ultimately very touching. The transfer is frustrating – it veers wildly from excellent to brown and back again. There really is no excuse for it, and someone needs to bitch-slap the telecine operator and/or colorist who, with a few knobs, can get the bad color to match the good color. I know – I’ve been in the room and watched it happen. I then watched the second motion picture on DVD, which was entitled The Killing Kind. I hadn’t seen The Killing Kind since its opening day at the Canon Theater in Beverly Hills, California, USA. I don’t even think it played a week there, and then the film disappeared, and then found a life on video. It’s a curious film, directed by the late Curtis Harrington (whose last theater-going experience was seeing The Brain From Planet X opening night a year ago), and starring Miss Ann Sothern, Mr. John Savage, Miss Ruth Roman, and Miss Cindy Williams. It was because of the latter that I went to the film on its opening day, as we were very close back then. Some on the imdb claim the film a masterpiece – these people really read too much Andrew Sarris. It’s an extremely low budget film and it’s certainly competently done, but the script is no more than average and it doesn’t really add up to much, so, no, I’m afraid it’s no masterpiece. Mr. Harrington has made better films. However, it’s worth a look-see for the performance of Miss Sothern, who is a treasure. Even though at this point in her career she was very heavy, she still is luminous and beautiful (I’d seen her onstage just three years prior, in a production of The Glass Menagerie, in which she was brilliant). And Cindy is so sweet and charming and pretty, and it’s the only time you’ll get to see her in her underpants. Ruth Roman’s scene is very ugly and unpleasant. Mr. Savage has never been a favorite of mine, so that’s a big problem here as he’s the lead of the film. The transfer is what it is – the film’s low budget is all over the screen, from the super grainy film stock, to that early 70s “style” of heavy diffusion, with blown out whites and a fairly soft image. It looks about the way it looked back in 1973 at the Canon.
I then watched the third motion picture on DVD, which was entitled The Girl Next Door, starring little Miss June Haver and Mr. Dan Dailey. I’d never heard of nor seen the film and I found it quite delightful, actually. It has a fun spirit and a naturalness that is very appealing, several catchy songs by Josef Myrow and Mack David, and winning performances from Miss Haver, Mr. Dailey, and Billy Gray. In fact, I rather got smitten with Miss Haver, whose last film this was. After making The Girl Next Door, in her mid-20s she gave up films and went into a convent as a nun in training. That didn’t work out for her, and when she came out of the convent she met Mr. Fred MacMurray, they wed, and were happily married until Mr. MacMurray’s death in 1991. Her only other appearance in all those years was on a Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour, as herself. She lived to a ripe old age and passed away in 2005. But what a cutie – and a terrific singing voice and excellent dancer to boot. I was interested to watch the featurette on the film, but within one minute the dreaded Dr. Drew Casper showed up and I screamed at the TV and shut the thing off. I simply will not watch anything in which he appears – he makes my skin crawl, and he always spouts the most superficial information as if it were earth-shattering and never before stated. I gotta tell you.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? What is this section, War and Peace all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below, whilst I begin writing the new Bert I. Gordon film, The Day The Turkeys Ate Us.
Since today is Thanksgiving, I have no plans to do anything but give thanks. I’m actually not certain about what I’m doing for dinner, as the big Thanksgiving feast is tomorrow at the Wechter home environment. I’m sure I’ll watch several DVDs and perhaps some Twilight Zone episodes.
Tomorrow is the feast, and not much else. The weekend is pretty open, too, although I may try to see a movie or two, now that they’re letting DGA members into movie theaters for free.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, sleep in, putter around the house, take a walk, take a drive, eat some turkey, and watch some DVDs. Today’s topic of discussion: What is your favorite Thanksgiving memory – the most memorable Thanksgiving you ever had. And what was the best and most memorable Thanksgiving meal you ever had? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, and let’s hear all about your Thanksgiving Day doings.