haines his way

06/29/2003:
"RUBBING ELBOWS"

Well, dear readers, we had a lively and sparkling time at the Hollywood Collector’s Showcase yesterday. We all felt that the attendance was down – there were times when it was very crowded, but there were also times when it was very easy to get to any of the major celebrities, which hasn’t always been the case. Still and all and also all and still, we had a great time, sold some photos, sold some books and sold some DVDs, and rubbed elbows with many nice celebs and fans. The most popular people there were clearly Mrs. Partridge and Miss Paroo herself, Miss Shirley Jones, and Mr. Mini-Me himself, Vern Troyer. We were on the middle aisle again as we were last year, and I was seated next to a 1996 Playmate whose name, I’m afraid, I can’t remember – I think it was Sandy something, but I’ll get it today so you can know tomorrow (or tonight, at chat). She had an interesting array of photos and many drooling boys of all ages came over to her and bought her items and then had photos taken with her. On the other side of us was the very funny Fred Travalina. Directly behind us was the very surly Michael Madsen and behind us and to the left was the marvelous director, Ronald Neame, and his Poseidon stars, Miss Stella Stevens and Miss Carol Lynley. I gave Miss Stella Stevens a copy of Kritzerland so she could read about herself. Our pal Miss Joanie Sommers was there, too, and it was wonderful to see her. Our very own Nick Redman and his very own beautiful daughter Rebecca were with us all day. Screenwriter Charles Pogue (who will be the subject of an upcoming Unseemly Interview) introduced me to the still beautiful and still buxom Miss June Wilkinson – I took several photos which I promise will be up on this here site this week (along with the session photos). Directly across from us was director Vincent Sherman and next to him was Mr. Fly himself, David Hedison. Also in attendance was our friend Scott Schwartz (the actor not the director), the amazing Tura Satana (of Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill), our pal Johnny Crawford, and many others. I had a lovely little chat with Shirley Jones, and I also said hey to the now grown Brian and Suzanne, who played the youngest Partridges. And now I must hurry along and get ready to go back, and if you’re in Los Angeles, California, we hope you’ll drop by.
Well, why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below so we can rub elbows with the next section.
I do believe the newest entry in Juliana’s Journal will be up today so check it out (there will probably be a knew entry every other day) and check out Donald’s new radio show, the most popular radio show on all the Internet.
Tonight is our Unseemly Live Chat, so come and rub elbows at six o’clock Pacific Mean Daylight Savings Time. Be there or be round.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must rub elbows and hobnob, not necessarily in that order, I must partake of Diet Coke and then I must get myself over to the show. I’ll have a full report about today’s goings on in tomorrow’s notes. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you get to discuss any old thing you care to, so let’s have some lively and sparkling dear reader topics and lets post until the cows come home so I have lots to read upon my return. Post away, my pretties, and I’ll see you at chat.

Replies: 48 Unseemly Comments

Okay, it looks like we're back now. Hijinks Design had a problem in the middle of the night that caused the technical workings of Haines His Way to need some fixing this morning/afternoon. We seem to be back up and running, though, with very little if anything lost.
That said, if you see a problem or what could possibly be a problem, please don't continue to post about it on and on here on the page. Please email, IM, call, etc. me and let me know. Every time a post was made wondering what the problem could be it simply made the problem worse, believe it or not.
Mr. Mark Bakalor
Posted by Mr. Mark Bakalor @ 06/29/2003 02:13 PM PST

I have never been the first post on this site until now. Unfortunately it is due to mechanical difficulties, but I'm here. Alright, Mark is the first post but I won't count his:-)
I'm off to see "Lost in La Mancha". I hope everyone had a good weekend and have a good week.
Posted by Dennis Clancy @ 06/29/2003 02:34 PM PST

Thanks for the explanation, Mark. Sorry this had to be your birthday present, though.
A bit of fun has been had over at Sondheim.com, regarding an editorial from the Independent, a British newspaper. A fellow by the name of Johann Hari is trying to shoehorn Mr. Sondheim's work into Mr. Hari's own political views. The fun is in finding all the factual errors Mr. Hari makes regarding the works of Mr. Sondheim. I'm including the link via my name; how many errors can YOU find?
Posted by S. Woody White @ 06/29/2003 02:39 PM PST

My arm (day) is complete. I need my pre-breakfast fix of HHW.
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 06/29/2003 02:49 PM PST

What a great lot of celebrities...Miss Joanie Sommers (whose CD's I just received) AND Miss June (You Too Can Have a Lovely Bust) Wilkinson. WOWOWOW...plus MR BK and Susan Gordon. What more could anyone ask for?
When something is amiss with a site, I usually figure it is the server or host, and just give it some time. 8-)
Hopefully, I will be at the chat this evening.
DR Kurt saw BOUNCE in Chicago on Friday evening and we had a long talk about it yesterday when I was in the Windy City....hopefully he will post his insights tomorrow when he returns.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/29/2003 02:58 PM PST

People have such huge lists here!
When I was a child, there were two musicals with Julie Andrews, and I guess they count as my favorite original and adapted tuners: Mary Poppins and The Sound of Music. I saw them many times, in the theatre, and I can't think of any other films I've seen _many_ times, either in the cinema or on the box.
The truth is that I generally love all musical movies: the much-derided Leslie Bricusse films, anything with Astaire, the adaptations from Broadway that retain most of the score.
In picking the worst, I should point out that friends convinced me to stay away from A Chorus Line and Mame, so I've never seen those.
For some strange reason, the film of Top Banana I viewed had almost every song cut out of it. Sometimes, the song cues were included and there'd be an abrupt cut. What's up with that? Very frustrating adaptation. But I enjoyed some of the Phil Silvers "book" comedy, so that's not a total loss.
No, the one musical in which I was repulsed by each and every frame was Moulin Rouge. And it's not the editing that bothered me. It's the absence of feeling. Baz signals, early on, that we're not supposed to take the characters' emotions seriously (that goofy recitation of Your Song) and, from then on, the familiar plot elements wend on, mirthlessly and unaffectingly: It's all so boring, ugly and vile. I've tried to give it a second chance on DVD, but usually give up within ten minutes.
Posted by Noel @ 06/29/2003 03:01 PM PST

The next entry in Juliana's Journal is indeed up :)
Posted by Craig @ 06/29/2003 03:03 PM PST

Very sad to read that the great Katherine Hepburn has passed away..
click on my name for the news story..
Posted by Craig @ 06/29/2003 03:30 PM PST

I am devasted by the loss of Kate.
Posted by td @ 06/29/2003 04:26 PM PST

Sad to read about Kate. It almost makes me want to play the COCO CD, but Id rather remember her for better things. Glad the site is working although I don't know what posts about it not working Mark was talking about. I have not seen any posts regarding the site not working with Friday, Saturday or Sunday notes. I did get e-mails from a couple DRs in other countries asking if I knew what was happening.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 06/29/2003 04:27 PM PST

You don't see the posts because they were made between the time that the site broke down and when I got it up. Very few posts, a majority discussing the site being down, gummed things up and had to be removed before things could be back up.
Posted by Mr. Mark Bakalor @ 06/29/2003 04:35 PM PST

Uh - oh ... I did try to post this morning and when it didn't work, I thought I was my system...so I may have been one of culprits.
Mea Culpa.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/29/2003 04:46 PM PST

What a nightmare! Late notes, lost posts, but thank goodness that the site that will soon be the most popular on all the Internet is back up and running. Hopefully in future we will be able to preclude this from happening ever again. Thank you all for your patience. We will have our chat in a little over an hour so be there or be round. And please, let's have a plethora of posts because what happened today will wreak havoc with our stats.
Posted by bk @ 06/29/2003 04:47 PM PST

Kate the Great; 96.... that's
some life!
Christopher Reeve only has
good things to say about her...
and so have we!
Posted by François @ 06/29/2003 05:00 PM PST

I too will avoid "Coco" for a few days. Maybe I'll play "A Horse Named Margaret" and "I Hate Spring".
The recording of "Coco" did not ever sound good - was the CD any better?
Thanks Kate for all those wonderful movie performances and for the dignity shown to and for her public.
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 06/29/2003 05:05 PM PST

Yes, that Independent piece is *quite* entertaining. Let's take these one by one:
1. "Assassins" did not play on Broadway in its initial production.
2. Lee Harvey Oswald is not plotting the assassination of JFK at the start of the play.
3. "In the USA/You can work your way/To the head of the line" is sung by the Balladeer, not Czolgosz.
4. "Another National Anthem" is not the final song in the show.
5. "Assassins" did not close early - it played its scheduled run at Playwrights Horizons, but then did not transfer to a commercial venue. Not the same thing at all.
6. At the end of "Merrily We Roll Along", in "our Time", they're watching Sputnik, not the moon landing.
And at that point I gave up on the piece. Oy. It's not as if any of these are difficult points to research.
Posted by Stephen Farrow @ 06/29/2003 05:08 PM PST

With that many obvious errors I won't even bother with the article.
Were KH and SS still neighbours?
Posted by Tom from Oz @ 06/29/2003 05:14 PM PST

Oops... I tried posting this afternoon.
Sorry Mark for any problems that caused you. :)
Posted by A Sheepish Emily @ 06/29/2003 05:30 PM PST

Baaaaa!
Posted by Molly Mouton @ 06/29/2003 05:30 PM PST

I also tried posting early this morning in regards to the musical lists. Here is what I tried to post:
Wow, Ron! Love your commenatary for your choices, had I but world enough and time. . . .several of the titles mentioned, including THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL, have been reveiwed by me over at www.dvdlaunch.com - and many others, I have written about (including THE FIRST NUDIE MUSICAL) in the pages of Scarlet Street magazine . . .so, let's see if this early morning poster can put up a few links within the post: (sorry if this takes things to CinemaScope)
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/42ndstreet.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/carmenjones.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/doctordolittle1967.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/fantasticks.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/firstnudiemusicalse.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/funnygirl.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/funnylady.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/greasews.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/lastwaltzse.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/paintyourwagon.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/rockyhorror.html
http://www.dvdlaunch.com/soundofmusic.html
Hope I didn't take up too much time. . .and space. . .
I hope that my 8:45am (EST) wasn't what gummed up the works. . .
Well, I will be at chat with bells on, and BRINGING UP BABY on the television screen.
Since it is free-for-all day, shall we list out favorite Kate movies?
1. BRINGING UP BABY
2. SYLVIA SCARLET
3. ADAM'S RIB
4. THE AFRICAN QUEEN
5. THE LION IN WINTER
6. SUMMERTIME
7. SUDDENLY LAST SUMMER
8. STAGE DOOR
9. WOMAN OF THE YEAR
10. THE PHILADELPHIA STORY
11. STATE OF THE UNION
Posted by td @ 06/29/2003 05:31 PM PST

No one needs to apologize for posting - you had no way of knowing there was a problem. The fact is, I tried to post about the problem this morning but I, like you, couldn't.
Posted by bk @ 06/29/2003 05:46 PM PST

Great installment of Juliana's journal!
Almost time for chat!
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/29/2003 05:52 PM PST

Chat in three count them three minutes - be there or BE ROUND.
Posted by bk @ 06/29/2003 05:58 PM PST

Chat is open - someone come in so we can see if it's working or not - if you can't get in please post immediately.
Posted by bk @ 06/29/2003 06:01 PM PST

Live chat is on and we have scads of people. Come join us
Posted by MDS @ 06/29/2003 06:05 PM PST

Just left a charming and lively chat. If you see this at 9:43 eastern standard time, there is still time. Rush into the room.
See you on board tomorrow.
Posted by Ben @ 06/29/2003 06:43 PM PST

Chat is going well, but since some of us have to leave others should join in now!
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 06/29/2003 06:46 PM PST

Just left a truly wondrous chat! I'll stop by later and see all the new posts!
Posted by td @ 06/29/2003 07:28 PM PST

What a nice chat....hearing about June Wilkinson and Shirley Jones and Stella Stevens.
And what was DR Susan doing while we chatted? Modestly forbids me posting.
We had an interloper after Bk left....Mr E came and went very quickly....we dropped a house on him.
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/29/2003 07:29 PM PST

It's me! I'm back!
I ventured into The City this afternoon to catch the next to last performance of the phenomenal musical play "Wicked."
And my seat was in the mezzanine this time -- a full CinemaScope view, as it were -- and so much to take in.
The First Act is 10 minutes tighter and flows beautifully. Kristin is wearing a neck brace again -- an ongoing problem that started several weeks ago. Director Joe Mantello made the announcement (scared me at first. I was afraid he would tell us one of the leads couldn't go on). They've even worked it into the book(probably as an ad lib, as appropriate)...in the "Popular" scene, Galinda teaches Elphaba how to lean back and flip her hair, but admonishes her to do it carefully or "you can hurt your neck" as she points toward her neck brace. "Defying Gravity" remains a riveting, dynamo as the Act I closer. There was more time for applause -- numbers didn't run into each other as some of them did when I saw it first.
Word-of-mouth has been superb for this show and the audience anticipates much that happens. When Glinda arrives, the audience roars, and when Elphaba rushes onstage in her first appearance the audience burst into applause.
Bruce, I don't think I answered one of your questions correctly last week. As the curtain goes up, there is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s witches hat onstage and it slowly disappears as something sucks it down into the stage.
Glinda's exchange in the opening scenes has been tightened and we get into the back story more quickly. I "think" some of the choreography has been modified for Fiyero, but I have no way of knowing for sure. Everything looks different on the second row, left Orchestra than it does from Row G in the Mezzanine.
I enjoyed it even more this time. I could understand more of the lyrics this time, although some of Elphaba's numbers could use some vocal work either by slowing down or enunciating more carefully. And now it's off to the Big Apple where others must take up the mantra and yeasay or naysay, as they see fit.
Many of the songs remain with me this time...running through my head. I paid much closer attention to "The Wizard and I" -- the song in which Elphaba opens up to the audience about her hopes and dreams. It's a full-barreled, often strident, number that could use a nice slow, melodic secondary tune -- something that goes even deeper into her psyche. The song deals with her excitement at being picked to train in sorecery, at the possibility that she might one day meet the Wizard and her fantasy that she and the Wizard will bond and that he might offer her normal skin coloring. I rather fantasized a secondary motif for this number in which she sings more soulfully of being Princess of Emerald City (or, the Emerald Princess), then finishing out in her hopes for "The Wizard and I."
In "Wonderful," I want Elphaba to get "more" into the Wizard's schtick and dance with him a bit more before she strikes the deal that she soon regrets.
The love ballad in the forest was just fine by me. The first time I saw it, I thought it ought to go. Today, it sounded just beautiful.
I cannot WAIT for the OBC album!
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/29/2003 07:41 PM PST

Oh, yeah! Kristin Chenoweth r-o-c-k-s! She is in SUCH command of Glinda that no one is likely to be adequate in the part.
She was in particularly brilliant voice for today's matinee.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/29/2003 07:42 PM PST

Oy! I ventured into the chat room in hopes that maybe someone would still be chatting, but no.
Deadsville. Just like the lull the list is in right now.
Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/29/2003 07:54 PM PST

Sorry I missed the chat, and I'm glad the site is back on-line. After trying and failing to post several times this morning, I was beginning to lose hope.
No, I don't think Katharine Hepburn still lived in Manhattan. I think when her health started to fail several years ago, she gave up her townhouse and moved into her family's home in (Where? Connecticut? Massachusetts? I'd have to re-read ME or watch her video autobiography ALL ABOUT ME to see.)
My favorite films of Katharine's:
ADAM'S RIB
THE LION IN WINTER
DESK SET
ALICE ADAMS
BRINGING UP BABY
HOLIDAY
SUMMERTIME
LOVE AMONG THE RUINS
I'd like to see LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT again. I think she's wonderful, but I remember being less than bowled over by Ralph Richardson.
Posted by Matt H. @ 06/29/2003 08:29 PM PST

Argh! I knew I'd leave one out:
PAT AND MIKE
Posted by Matt H. @ 06/29/2003 08:30 PM PST

Something special to
remember Rosemary Clooney
who passed away last year on
this very same date!
Please, click on my name!
Posted by François @ 06/29/2003 08:41 PM PST

I missed the chat and have been most errant and truant. I had dinner at my parents' house tonight (some kind of Asian spiced chicken with rice and stir fry veggies) and when I was finally able to turn on my computer and log in, the chat room was empty. Not closed, just empty. Well, there's always next time.
I always thought that if anyone would make it to 100, it would be Katharine Hepburn. :-( Some of my favorite KH movies:
Adam's Rib
The African Queen
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Holiday (I saw a revival production on Broadway at Circle in the Square with Laura Linney and Tony Goldwyn)
On Golden Pond
The Rainmaker
Stage Door
Summertime
Woman of the Year
Posted by George @ 06/29/2003 09:02 PM PST

Good evening.
Sorry to have been errant and truant today and from tonight's chat, but rehearsal calls and called. We open a week from tonight, and we should be in very good shape. We move into the theatre on Tuesday, so we'll see how much adjusting we'll have to make from the rehearsal room. The only glitch I know we have to work through is getting the violinist used to playing with an electronic piano. We have a pretty good, and it's a good sample, but with all electronic instruments, the overtones don't ring true, so, the violinist has to think she's playing "flat" in order to be in tune. It's literally a fine tuning issue, but it will take some time getting used to it. Thankfully, we have the time.
Otherwise, a pretty good weekend. The peanut butter cookies I made yesterday were a hit all around, and I'll probably make a double batch next week once I'm back home in Richmond for a few days after opening. -Or I just may freeze some of the raw dough balls for baking later!
Well... I think that's it for me... I just remembered where I stored my original birth certificate... And, of course, it's not here... So.. Hmmm... -What's two more hours in the car... Ah, well... But I'm going to Australia! ;-)
Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 06/29/2003 09:10 PM PST

Oh, I missed the chat. I don't think I even realized there was going to be one tonight! I wanted to hear all about the Ray Court's Show!!! Well hopefully BK will post of the many happenings tomorrow....Was Virginia (Alice in Wonderland) Davis there!!!
Did you know that when you stay at the Beverly Garland Hotel and if you turn on the TV there is a message played on one of the channels that is Beverly Garland welcoming you....24 hours a day!
Posted by MBarnum @ 06/29/2003 09:27 PM PST

Beverly Garland lives in Las Vegas...as I recall, so she stated last year in an interview with the local paper.
Posted by KT @ 06/29/2003 11:19 PM PST

FAVORITE KATHERINE HEPBURN FILMS...
WITH CARY GRANT (her perfect screen partner IMO):
Holiday (my favorite of the favorites)
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadelphia Story
WITH SPENCER TRACY:
Pat & Mike
Adams Rib
Desk Set
OTHER:
Stage Door
The African Queen
The Rainmaker
Summertime
Love Among the Ruins
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/30/2003 03:36 AM PST

I enjoy all the usual KH films - but my favorites are DESK SET, THE RAINMAKER, and LION IN WINTER.
STAGE DOOR is a lot of fun - but it's strange to see...and I always remember the last scene when Lucille Ball and a friend go out with a couple of lumberjacks and Katharine and Ginger Rogers have a conversation something like:
Well she will end up with a husband and a couple of kids and we will end up in an old folks home with nothing but our scrapbooks....
RIP Tracy Lords & Bunny Watson & Lizzie
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/30/2003 06:04 AM PST

Ron---
In all I've read about WICKED I have heard nothing about Bobby Morse as the Wizard. How was he? I know when he did Cap'n Andy in the pre-Broadway SHOW BOAT revisal they made him stay in Toronto when the rest of the cast came to New York. How is he in WICKED?
And to answer someone's comment, Ms. Hepburn still owned her NYC residence (in the Turtle Hill section next door to Sondheim) but had not lived there for a while. I don't know if it is empty or if she was leasing it out to someone.
Posted by William E. Lurie @ 06/30/2003 06:07 AM PST

Many years ago - while on one of those bus tours of NYC sites, KH's apartment was pointed out to us...nice curtains and flower pots on the window sills.
I think it was the bus driver who said she sometimes banged on Sondheim's window with a broom when he played the piano too loudly or too late at night...
Posted by Jrand52 @ 06/30/2003 06:31 AM PST

Broadway.com reports that Kerry Butler will be playing Audrey in the LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS revival. Click my name for the story.
Posted by Dave @ 06/30/2003 07:19 AM PST

JR: The off-Broadway show Tea at Five (the show about Kate Hepburn starring Kate Mulgrew) tells that very story about KH and SS.
Posted by Ben @ 06/30/2003 07:25 AM PST

KATHERINE HEPBURN FAVS...
WITH CARY GRANT (her perfect screen partner IMO):
Holiday (my favorite of the favorites)
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadelphia Story
WITH SPENCER TRACY:
Pat & Mike
Adams Rib
Desk Set
OTHERS:
Stage Door
The African Queen
The Rainmaker
Summertime
Long Day's Journey Into Night (Kate's portrayal is transcendent)
Love Among the Ruins (witty script)
P.S. Hmm...In researching her films, I realized there are several early ones I haven't seen: A Bill of Divorcement, Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Break of Hearts, Spitfire, The Little Minister, Sylvia Scarlet, Quality Street, and A Woman Rebels.
P.P.S. Just saw an interview with her on TV where she said she wrote the "you're my knight in shining armor" speech from On Golden Pond.
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/30/2003 10:08 AM PST

KATHERINE HEPBURN FAVS...
WITH CARY GRANT (her perfect screen partner IMO):
Holiday (my favorite of the favorites)
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadelphia Story
WITH SPENCER TRACY:
Pat & Mike
Adams Rib
Desk Set
OTHERS:
Stage Door
The African Queen
The Rainmaker
Summertime
Long Day's Journey Into Night (Kate's portrayal is transcendent)
Love Among the Ruins (witty script)
P.S. Hmm...In researching her films, I realized there are several early ones I haven't seen: A Bill of Divorcement, Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Break of Hearts, Spitfire, The Little Minister, Sylvia Scarlet, Quality Street, and A Woman Rebels.
P.P.S. Just saw an interview with her on TV where she said she wrote the "you're my knight in shining armor" speech from On Golden Pond.
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/30/2003 10:12 AM PST

KATHERINE HEPBURN FAVS...
WITH CARY GRANT (her perfect screen partner IMO):
Holiday (my favorite of the favorites)
Bringing Up Baby
The Philadelphia Story
WITH SPENCER TRACY:
Pat & Mike
Adams Rib
Desk Set
OTHERS:
Stage Door
The African Queen
The Rainmaker
Summertime
Long Day's Journey Into Night (Kate's portrayal is transcendent)
Love Among the Ruins (witty script)
P.S. Hmm...In researching her films, I realized there are several early ones I haven't seen: A Bill of Divorcement, Morning Glory, Christopher Strong, Break of Hearts, Spitfire, The Little Minister, Sylvia Scarlet, Quality Street, and A Woman Rebels.
P.P.S. Just saw an interview with her on TV where she said she wrote the "you're my knight in shining armor" speech from On Golden Pond.
Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/30/2003 10:13 AM PST

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