haines his way

06/07/2002:
"THE THEME OF TODAY'S NOTES"

Well, dear readers, it is already Friday. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, it is already Friday and I simply don’t understand it. These weeks are whizzing by. First thing I know it’s Monday, next thing I know it’s Friday. The other days are a blur. Oh, I know they happened, I know I did the things I do, I know I spoke on the phone, I know I continued my efforts to be buff and toned with abs and buns of steel. I know my hair has even more blonde bits in it than ever, and yet the days are a blur and it is already Friday when it seems like just yesterday it was Monday. I feel the reason for that is because these weeks are whizzing by. Oh, well, what’s the use of wonderin’, these are whizzing weeks and that’s all there is to that.
Being Friday, we will be having our usual side of notes, our usual soupcon of notes, because of the largeness of Thursday’s notes. Not only were Thursday’s notes extremely large, we also had a record number of posts (at least I think it was a record number of posts). Yesterday’s topic of discussion was a really popular one, and even though there were detours along the way, the detours were about cake so they were fine and dandy and also dandy and fine. Dandy and Fine were also a vaudeville team. Their act was apparently hilarious and from what I’ve read, involved a drainpipe, a tuba, and a ladle. "Ladle". That's a Jerry Lewis word, isn't it? Let's all put on our very best Jerry Lewis voice and say the word "ladle" on the count of three: One, two, three - "ladle". Excellent. What the hell am I talking about?
I don’t know why, but I haven’t shaved since Monday. I felt you should know this, dear readers. Did you know that if I were to grow a beard it would have lots of gray in it? Yes, Virginia, my beard would have lots of gray in it and I would look distinguished and intellectual, except for all the blonde in my hair – so, perhaps I’d look like a distinguished and intellectual surfer dude. In any case, I’m sure that I will shave today and this entire paragraph will become moot. Moot. Moot. No, no matter how many times you type the word “moot” it still looks stupid. In fact, I feel we should give the word “moot” the boot, don’t you? In fact, I feel we should give this entire paragraph the boot, don’t you?
I have not yet discovered the theme of today’s notes. Perhaps the theme of today’s notes should be A Summer Place. I like that theme very much, especially the Percy Faith version. Or, perhaps the theme of today’s notes should be Friendly Persuasion (Thee I Love) – I like that theme very much, too, especially as interpreted by Mr. Pat Boone. Maybe we could have some Friendly Persuasion in A Summer Place. Maybe we could have Friendly Persuasion in the Valley of the Dolls or, at the very least, in the Valley of the Gwangi. I just want some Friendly Persuasion because that is the theme of today’s notes. Unless the theme of today’s notes is Tara’s Theme, but if Tara’s Theme is the theme of today’s notes does that mean that Lara will get jealous if Lara’s Theme (Somewhere, My Love) isn’t the theme of tomorrow’s notes. Maybe Tara and Lara’s Themes could both be the theme of today’s notes, that way we would avoid any petty jealousy. Or, perhaps the theme of today’s notes should be the theme from The Conversation. Or, if we don’t want The Conversation then we could have the theme from The Silence. One way or another, today’s notes must have a theme and I shall ponder this whilst clicking on the Unseemly Button below which, by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo) also needs a theme.

Have we found a theme we like yet? The Love Theme from Ben-Hur is nice. Perhaps that will be our theme. Or is it too Roman? Perhaps we should take a holiday from themes Roman, although then we can’t have the theme from Roman Holiday, can we? Won’t somebody stop me, please?
Image Entertainment has told me that preorders for Nudie Musical are doing very well indeed, and that it is shipping over 5,000 units. That might seem like small potatoes to some, but to me it seems like big potatoes. I am very pleased with that number. Amazon.com alone is bringing in 400 pieces, and let me tell you they don’t bring in 400 pieces unless they have sold 400 pieces. Isn’t that exciting? Isn’t that just too too?
Don’t forget, tomorrow is our handy-dandy Unseemly Trivia Contest, and don’t forget that Donald will have a brand spanking new radio show for your listening pleasure, which will go up sometime on Sunday. I don’t know what the theme of this week’s show is, but perhaps it’s the theme from The Apartment, or better yet, the theme from House, or even House II. Why should we have the theme from The Apartment when for the same price we could have the theme from a House? Of course, A House is Not a Home, and so maybe we should have that theme.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do because these weeks are whizzing by and if I don’t take the day and do the things I do the day will whiz right past me, too, and that would be heinous (heinous, do you hear me?). Today’s topic of discussion: Yesterday we talked about logos for musicals – for today, what are your favorite movie logos? Movie logos, these days, seem to be a lost art, but perhaps Hollywood, as is its wont, will rediscover great movie art again. I’ll start: You can’t talk about film logos without first and foremost mentioning Saul Bass and his brilliant logos for Carmen Jones, Exodus, West Side Story and Bonjour Tristesse, among others. I love Jimmy Pearsall’s art for Chinatown. I love John Alvin’s art for Blazing Saddles and Phantom of the Paradise, and the original poster for E.T. I adore the art for What’s New, Pussycat? and the Jack Davis art for The Bad News Bears. Your turn.

Replies: 28 Unseemly Comments

Yesterday's theme was fun.
Today's theme....well....I find that British poster art for films is often much more appealing that its US counterparts.
I've been excessively fond of the poster art for Franco Zeffirelli's "Brother Sun, Sister Moon" for many years.
There has been spectacular poster art, to be sure, but among my favorites are the subdued, but oddly touching "Bunny Lake is Missing" -- and probably not so much for the excellent Bass poster as the superb music score supplied by Paul Glass -- the only score by him ever recorded on LP.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 10:08 AM PST

Hmmm...what did I mean by that "not so much for the Bass"??? Actually, it's the Bass image that forms in my mind when I hear the music...so they are really interlinked.
I love "Friendly Persuasion" and the song by Dimitri Tiomkin and Paul Francis Webster. Pat Boone did a whale of a job singing that song, too, but my favorite rendition is at the end, as Pat sings "Thee is mine..." and and the choir joins in and you get one of those exceedingly grandiose and unforgettable Tiomkin symphonic closing statements as the chorus concludes on "For Thee I Love"!!!!!!!!
And you know who's a riot in that film...just like she's a riot in every film she made, including "The Women" (talking about those great big red-headed men), was Marjorie Main, better known to most people as "Ma Kettle", but much earthier in other films than those Ma and Pa Kettle hoots.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 10:55 AM PST

I've gotten a slew (yes, a whole slew) of widescreen titles on VHS and LD lately. The VHS include "Alexander the Great" and "The Devils" -- films I've never seen before. On LD, "The Court Jester" sits patiently awaiting my persual, along with so many others, including "Ryan's Daughter," "Goodbye, Mr. Chips," "River of No Return," "Three Coins in the Fountain," "MacBeth", "Far From the Madding Crowd," "Nicholas and Alexandra" and "Platoon" -- all in special widescreen presentations.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 11:00 AM PST

I was perusing the sales section of the Footlight Records website yesterday afternoon (www.footlight.com) and discovered a slew (I love the word "slew" in terms of "heaps and piles" rather than in terms of "slaying") (it also could be used in place of a "mess" -- as in a "I'll cook us up a mess of somethin'") of Broadway scores and related titles "on sale" including some Kimmel-produced items from Varese Sarabande.
Surprise! Surprise! What I didn't know I'd find was "Bells Are Ringing" -- THE FILM SOUNDTRACK! YES! This wonderful, Andre Previn-conducted score (MGM Studio Orchestra and chorus) is on CD. I cannot wait to get my copy (I ordered it, the Percy Faith-conducted score to "Love Me or Leave Me" and lots of Broadway scores and related stuff). I love this film musical score more than just about any -- it sparkles and shimmers and sasses its way around my turntable and now it will hopefully do the same in my carousel CD player!
It was on sale, too (the "Love Me or Leave Me" wasn't).
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 11:12 AM PST

Okay.
I'm done.
Anyone else?
Anybody?
Hell-O?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 11:13 AM PST

Ron, how coincidental! I was in the brick and mortar store at Footlight yesterday and saw the very CD of which you speak. I picked it up along with Mr. BK's CD done with Randy Graff (Doing Something Right-Randy Graff Sings Cy Coleman). It was nice to get BAR on sale. Although I love Footlight, sometimes I find the prices a bit steep, though nothing like Colony in midtown Manhattan. BTW, Mr. Kimmel, love the Randy Graff CD. She was SO good in City of Angels!
Posted by Ben @ 06/07/2002 12:11 PM PST

I, too, love the Bunny Lake is Missing art. And the Paul Glass score, which is wonderful and which needs to come out on one of those RCA Spain reissues (they've done most of the soundtrack catalogue already, so they need to do the rest).
Now, I have to go out for a bit, and I'd like to see some posts when I get back, you errant and truant Hainsies/Kimlets. We simply can't go from 58 or whatever posts to 6 posts. Whereas we can go from 6 posts to 58 posts. And we must. We must because we must be the most popular site on all the internet, and be the envy of one and all and also all and one.
Posted by bk @ 06/07/2002 12:15 PM PST

Rats, I say! Rats again! I already snuck my favorite movie logo into my play logo posts.
In the hopes of not being too repetitive, and in the hopes of not being too repetitive, I must say that my favorite movie logo is the original RollerBall. What a great font. It does not lose its charm even though it is the only font in the entire movie.
Posted by Mattso @ 06/07/2002 12:21 PM PST

Main Titles: The guy who did practically of the James Bond, if not all of them before he died. I think his name is Maurice Binder.Don't havbe time to verify.
Posted by Michael Shayne (In Montreal but on his way to a suburb that has a French name) @ 06/07/2002 12:23 PM PST

As opposed to "Montreal" which is...what...Yiddish?
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 12:57 PM PST

; )
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 12:58 PM PST

Movie logos (poster design, record cover) I liked at the time they came out (and still like them):
Richard Amsel's work for "Hello Dolly"
"Thoroughly Modern Millie"
Richard Amsel's work for "Murder on the Orient Express" and "Death on the Nile"
I also like "The Bandwagon"
With the pose of Fred Astaire and Cyd Charisse from "The Girl Hunt Ballet"
"Gilda"
In honor of our very own, I always loved the poster for "Lolita"
I always thought whoever did the stuff for Otto Preminger's films ("Anatomy of a Murder," "Man with the Golden Arm," etc.) did really great graphics that make an arresting poster. But I like the other stuff I listed better.
I think favorite film credits should be another day's topic altogether.
I too love the theme from "Friendly Persuasion." Pat Boone did a great job. Cleo Laine had a lovely version too.
Posted by Kerry @ 06/07/2002 01:38 PM PST

The Anatomy and Golden Arm posters are also the work of the great Saul Bass. I totally agree with the Lolita poster - one of the all-time greats, with one of the all-time great ad-lines "How did they ever make a movie of Lolita?"
Posted by bk @ 06/07/2002 02:04 PM PST

Does this mean we can't talk about cake anymore? Were there any great movie logos featuring cake?
Posted by Kerry @ 06/07/2002 02:51 PM PST

Yes, actually, an entire publicity campaign for the move "The Happy Ending" (1969)starring Jean Simmons featured cake obviously decorated for a festive occasion totally wrecked by something...possibly partially eaten. It's on the OST LP album cover, but that's in storage (alas) with all my other Legrand LPs.
Was there cake featured in "Chocolat"?
Everything in "Willie Wonka..." seems to have been candy....
Anyone who has seen "Meet Me in St. Louis" knows that the cook, Katie (another Marjorie Main jewel) makes a HUGE burnt sugar cake...and slices off humongous slabs everytime she serves up a piece.
My mouth waters every time I watch the film!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/07/2002 03:20 PM PST

Speaking of cake…
Do I recall correctly that the one-sheet of Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? exhibit a bombe? I love the concept of the bombe. I made one for my chocoholic aunt’s fiftieth birthday and she said it was good that she did not want to share it with the other guests—and she almost did just that! It was a bombe with four distinct layers of chocolate. Yum. Just writing about it makes me want some. Oh, by the way (BTW), I saw Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe? only once and I know it is not a great movie, but certainly it is a guilty pleasure. I should rent it…
Speaking of cake…
I wish I had seen Elaine Stritch in Cakewalk, wherever she played Lillian Hellman, but instead I saw Linda Lavin opposite Michael E. Knight in New York.
Speaking of movies…
I guess I liked the original dark-night road image of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. I also like the Geiger-influenced Alien poster. “In space no one can hear you scream” is one of the all-time great taglines. Certainly the one-sheet for Jaws was iconographic and memorably to the point. It sure made me want to forever avoid the ocean. One of my absolute all-time favorite movie logos is the one for Disney’s 1961 animated motion picture One Hundred and One Dalmatians. I even loved the logo for the 1991 reissue. Luv Cruella de Vil, even though I am an ardent puppy-lover and a card-carrying member of P.E.T.A. Hated the 1996 live-action remake, which was unnecessary, terribly realized and thoughtless.
Speaking of unnecessary…
I attended the Richard Rodgers centenary concert of Carousel at Carnegie Hall last night. I love Carousel and for that reason wish I had not gone. Last night’s concert ripped the heart out of the performance, and Hugh Jackman does not possess the voice required for Billy Bigelow. I was surprised at just how unpleasant and nasal Jackman’s voice was at times. Additionally, his affect was odd; he never seemed present or interested in the proceedings. I do like Audra McDonald, but her Julie alone was not worth the trip. However, Lauren Ward, Jason Danieley, and Norbert Leo Butz all sang well and were excellent in their roles, as was Philip Bosco as the Starkeeper. It was great to see John Raitt in his brief introductory appearance, but I cringed when he embraced Jackman at the call—the curtain-less curtain call—because Jackman failed to do even a semblance of justice to the part Raitt created. Butz would have made a much better Bigelow. Now I am glad that Patrick Wilson is playing Curly on Broadway, and no longer do I feel compelled to see The Boy From Oz, which never piqued my interest anyway.
Speaking of cake…
Instead I look forward to Hairspray. I think the perfect collaborators have been brought together to adapt the film to stage and the sampler CD is cause for optimism.
Posted by freedunit @ 06/07/2002 03:44 PM PST

Chocolat was charming and featured delicious-looking chocolate, much of which was actually ceramic, I read, but no cake. It was about a confectioner, not baker. Perhaps there will be a sequel or a companion piece about a baker—or his wife… I loved hearing Juliette Binoche’s promotional-tour story of replacing some of the low-grade prop chocolates with high-quality chocolate she brought to the set. Not all chocolate is created equal, nor all self-proclaimed chocolatiers. I otherwise never it in a cinema or theatre, but I am so glad that I had the foresight to bring chocolate with us to Chocolat. It enabled us to enjoy the showing in Indulgivision. Yum.
Posted by freedunit @ 06/07/2002 03:50 PM PST

"JAWS" was an effective logo, too.
Indulgivision. I like that.
Posted by Kerry @ 06/07/2002 04:09 PM PST

Actually, I lOVE "Who's Killing the Great Chefs." It's totally different from the book, but good. Robert Morley is grand; the scenery is terrific, Henry Mancini's score is stupendous.
Posted by Kerry @ 06/07/2002 05:24 PM PST

To Ron.
Actually Montreal (spelled this way) isw a bastardize English spelling of Mont Royal. I went to Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
I misunderstood today's topic. I always thought that the European posters of American movies were far more interesting and imaginative than there American conterparts.
The posters are also always bigger than the sheets you usually see in front of the movie theaters in North Americaq.
Posted by Michael Shayne @ 06/07/2002 06:06 PM PST

Kerry, is the novel good? What pastry goes well with it? Do you not just love a Jacqueline Bisset comedy?
Posted by freedunit @ 06/07/2002 06:28 PM PST

End of an Era—Sad News:
Earlier today I read that Playbill Incorporated has acquired the publishing rights of Stagebill and Performing Arts. A Chicago boy, I grew up with a fondness and loyalty to Stagebill. However, I always preferred Playbill for presentation and content—especially the thick nineteen seventies and eighties Playbills that contained better features and a well-written, but now defunct, “Ask Playbill” column. It seems there will be just the single monopoly in the field. :-(
Posted by freedunit @ 06/07/2002 06:35 PM PST

Michael Shayne: C'est Montréal, avec e aigu, n'est pas?
Ah, but movie posters. Not to curry favor--I curry lamb occasionally, but I prefer to garlic favor (for any other seasonings, see my novel Any Other Season, Chapter 13 "Rhyming Orange". I won't mention it again. Much.)--not to curry favor, but I really like the art for The First Nudie Musical, and I mean that most sincerely. Never having seen the movie yet, it beckons me to the goodies within.
I've always loved the classic poster to Gone with the Wind and have a post-card of the French version, which is Autant en emporte le Vent, "So much the wind carries away."
"Gone with the wind" is a quote from from a poem called "Cynara" by Ernest Dowson. "Autant en emporte ly vens" is the refrain from a ballade by François Villon. For more on the ballades of Villon, including a rather clever parody in both French and English, see my novel Any Other Season, passim. Oops.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/07/2002 08:53 PM PST

And why did the bottom of my p in passim get cut off by Greymatter?
Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/07/2002 08:54 PM PST

Hello All and also One.
Of course I love my very own cover art from my very own movie which was made before my very own self was made.
I also love ET, Silence of the Lambs, and Breakfast at Tiffany's.
You know what I don't love? The Victor/Victoria cover. Blah. I always loved the shot of Victoria's and Toddy's feet and thought that that shot should be the cover. The whole movie is in that shot of their feet. Anyway. I had to get that off of my chest. Let me tell you, having feet on your chest is no parade. Anyway.
;)
Posted by Lolita @ 06/07/2002 09:09 PM PST

Very late posting this. I spent much of the day burying a cat. Not mine. But with the owner's permission. It was, after all, a dead cat.
Too much detail. Logos, logos...
"Cabaret", with Liza flinging her legs almost akimbo atop the title, stands out. "Waiting for Guffman", not so much for the font for the title as the picture of Christopher Guest. That shirt! That vest! Those jeans! That (ulp) hair! I just wish I didn't relate to the tagline so well.
I must complain about the "Harry Potter" stuff that we've seen so far. The major art for the first film, "and the Sorcerer's Stone", is great if anyone already knows what they're looking at, who all the major characters are, and why the leading lad looks so much like that lady from "Weakest Link." But to anyone who isn't all that familiar with the original book, it must all be as puzzling as an unfinished sentence. The first poster out for "and the Chamber of Secrets" isn't much better, if you don't have a clue as to who, or what, Dobby is, or isn't.
Good stuff, again: the pictures of Olivier and Caine, eyes magnified, for "Sleuth," comic and creepy at the same time, said a lot without saying everything.
Posted by S. Woody White @ 06/08/2002 01:44 AM PST

To William F Orr:
Went to Amazon.com to see more about Any Other Season, but could not find it listed.
Posted by A. Vid Reedher @ 06/08/2002 05:44 AM PST

A. Vid Reedher:
Because it hasn't been published. You probably missed my previous post. My novel has been on the Internet for several years, but right now I don't have a homepage. Am presently doing a few revisions and will have it up soon, including a preface all about its Unpublished History.
A google search on the title will reveal all sorts of out-of-date references.
Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/08/2002 07:39 AM PST

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