Well, dear readers, I am sitting here like so much fish, having eaten a Trader Joe’s ice cream sandwich for my evening snack – very tasty it was, too (oot, spelled backwards). Currently, I am listening to the final movement of the Alexandre Tansman seventh symphony – two to go and then I’ll move on to something else. I never know what will catch my eye, listening-wise, which is the fun of having 15,000 tracks in Music. I did watch a motion picture last night – I was in the mood for a comedy and I chose the comedy that really makes me laugh pretty much throughout the film, Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three, starring James Cagney in of the great comedy performances and one with so much energy that you get worn out just watching him. The rest of the cast is splendid – Pamela Tiffin (Marvy), Horst Buchholz, Arlene Francis, Howard St. John, and especially Lilo Pulver as Fraulein Ingeborg and Hanns Lothar as Schlemmer, both hilarious, and Miss Pulver was a real beauty. I’m surprised she wasn’t snatched up by the American studios – gorgeous and impeccable comedy timing. She’d appeared in one American film prior to One, Two, Three – A Time to Love and a Time to Die, in which she played opposite John Gavin. I’ve never actually seen it and it is a Douglas Sirk film, so perhaps it’s time. She also appeared in A Global Affair with Bob Hope – haven’t seen that one either. And as always, I laughed and laughed and just when I thought I could laugh no more, I laughed again. My two lines, which I quote at regular intervals, include “like a dead herring in the moonlight” and “Put on your pants, Spartacus.” While it was a very topical film, the jokes still land, one after another. I saw it at my neighborhood theater, the Picfair, with a full house and the laughs were so loud and so long and so frequent that you missed a good deal of dialogue. It’s really a classic farce dressed up in topical garb. One of my favorite Billy Wilder movies. Otherwise, I got about seven and a half hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, then at eleven-thirty I drove to In ‘N’ Out – once again, a line of cars a block long for the drive up window – at eleven-thirty. I parked and went in and every table was taken, but thankfully there were only a couple of people in line. So, I ordered two cheeseburgers and animal fries, came home, and ate all that and it was all very good – hadn’t had In ‘N’ Out in many months – over six.
After that, it was back to the piano, where I finally roughed out the music for the final ten lines of the song. It needs some finessing, but it basically will work once I smooth it out. I record every iteration as I slog through, so I have it all recorded in pieces. Then I did a few things on the computer, had more frustration with United Health Care, but got it worked out, and then had an issue with my iPhone, that finally got resolved. Then I watched the movie, and here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll finesse the song and then work on the final song, which will thankfully be a thirty-two-bar song, basically. The Darling Daughter will arrive around four-thirty and we’ll go sup somewhere fun, then probably do our nostalgia driving around, which we always enjoy. After she leaves, then I’ll watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is a ME day and only a ME day, so I’ll be lazy and relaxed. Next week is very busy – hopefully the two important envelopes will be here Monday, if not before, Tuesday is a new month, so I’ll do the usual banking, but mostly the week is finishing up the short project I’m working on, finding a set designer for Drat! The Cat!, choose the songs for the Kritzerland holiday show, have meetings and meals, and hope for some modern major miracles.
Let’s all put on our pointy party hats and our colored tights and pantaloons, let’s break out the cheese slices and the ham chunks, let’s dance the Hora or the Square Dance, because today is the birthday of our very own dear reader JohnG. So, let’s give a big haineshisway.com birthday cheer to our very own dear reader JohnG. On the count of three: One, two, three – A BIG HAINESHISWAY.COM BIRTHDAY CHEER TO OUR VERY OWN DEAR READER JOHNG!!!
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, finesse a song, start on a new song, sup with the Darling Daughter, drive around, and then watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: What are your favorite movies starring James Cagney and your favorite Billy Wilder movies? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, always happy to laugh out loud at One, Two, Three.