Haines His Way

MGM's DVD full frame transfer of THE BAREFOOT CONTESSA was very frustrating. Some scenes were gorgeous to look at, very sharp with excellent color (photographed by Jack Cardiff). Other scenes seemed grainier than they needed to be. And much of it was only average in sharpness.

I hadn't seen the film in quite a few years, and I had forgotten how similar in construction to ALL ABOUT EVE it is (scripted and directed by the same man naturally). But the central story isn't as fascinating as ALL ABOUT EVE, and the movie is good without being great. Ava's Spanish accent comes and goes. I can see why Edmond O'Brian won the Oscar. His is the most memorable character in the film other than the title character.

DR George, I meant to mention that the package arrived yesterday but due to my having a houseguest, I didn't get to open it. I will see it tonight before regular network TV begins and give thoughts on it later tonight.

You did NOT have to send it Priority! That was above and beyond the call of duty but much appreciated!

You're more than welcome!  And Priority wasn't much more than First Class...not much more, at all.

I don't have much more time...I just wanted to pop in and say CONGRATULATIONS ON 150,000 POSTS!!  I finally caught up with reading it all...well, since I posted yesterday.

The play that I ushered for last night "The Woman in Black" was quite good!  It's just two guys telling and acting the story of the experiences that one had when he was much younger.  Very spooky and quite humorous at times.

Today, I must shower and wrap a wedding gift (salad plates...they were registered at Target) and be on my way.  Afterwards, I'm going to my parents' house, then more house-sitting.  

No question my worst subjects were math and shop. The last math class I took was 10th grade algebra. I loathe despise and abominat math classes, although shop was the real downfall. The only class I ever failed was drafting and I still hold a grudge against the b***hole teacher who said you would not fail if you did your best. LIAR LIAR PANTS ON FIRE. I never grasped the concept and even with help could not understand it. I failed miserably and I hope there is a special place in Hell for the gym teacher (former Marine b***hole) and the drafting teacher in my high school who were hateful, macho toads. Rant over.

I took a BFA degree at University so I had very little outside the theatre department. I had to take a science so I took Geology. I did not do well and did not like the class.

My favorite classes were English, Speech and Drama in High School and most of my theatre classes in college. I didn't enjoy the tech classes (I am not remotely artistic in that sense). I didn't want to, nor could I, design costumes, sets or lights even remotely well. I was an actor. I wanted to act. I loved the tech people. I made friends with them and got along with them wonderfully. I didn't want to be them, nor they me. I also did not like directing class. I think I'm in a very small minorty of actors who never wanted to direct anything. Again, I was an actor. I wanted to work on my part. That's it. That's what made me happy.

Yesterday, Michael Shayne wrote this:

Here is a link to The First Nudie Musical Tribute site in Romanian!!!!!

http://www.cult-cinema.ru/reviews/f/first_nudie_musical/

(I fixed the link so that it goes directly to the site)

And then BK wrote this:

Can't anyone translate that Roumanian? Remember how amusing it was when we translated the Russian tribute?

Well, AltaVista's Babel Fish Translation page doesn't have Romanian as a language option, but the letters looked Russian...and they are!  They translated easily...if not accurately. I don't remember what the Russian site was about, but here are the translations:  

In the beginning of the seventieth is annual the twentieth century "political climate" in America it were weakened so, that in the large cities (such as New York or Los Angeles, for example) slowly began to appear and even to give printed advertisement the first porno- cinemas. At first there showed films with a large quantity of exposed "actresses" and the simulation of sexual reports sufficiently inoffensive on the present measures, but nearer to the eightieth people was already "radiated" so, that into the rental went valuable hardcore-porno. Softcore'nye the films of the beginning of the seventieth were often characterized by the madly wild names (type "I it ended to the bus") and by the cheapness of the production, when as the commonplace it was considered not to stop the working camera, even if "actor" turns himself to the director for the council - dispatch all these moments without any installation into the finished film, since retake or serious assembly period cost money, but why to expend the money, when people then brings down to look to naked telesa of starletok (but "subject" and the quality of "game" this public clearly they do not interest). After being seen enough similar "masterpieces", young and talented akter/kompozitor/stsenarist Bruce kimmel it planned to make a parody to this cinema, after removing "porno- musical". It described about this idea to some its friends, who immediately arrived into the ecstasy and they began together with it to work at the realization of project. In the course of preparatory period, however, the concept of film gradually evolved, and instead of the real "softporno- musical" the authors decided to make "film about the film", "obstebav" not only genre porno, but also low-budgetary cinema together with the pathos-arousing brodveyskimi musicals:)

Paragraph Three:

It is necessary to give credit to the talent of Bruce kimmel - in fact, it only extended on itself entire picture, and it boldly it is possible to compare with another young gift of that time - By melom by Brooks, in seven years thus far placed immense comedy on the similar theme by the name "producers" (The Producers (1968)). Bruce, as Brooks, not only wrote outstanding scenario and he became the to- director of picture, but also magnificently played the role "of director -devstvennika" John smiti (surname Smithee it must much say to amateurs and experts of cinematography...), and it also wrote entire music and songs to the picture (here already truly - man of many-sided talents),! Because of the efforts Of kimmela, the film came out very ridiculous, extraordinarily entertaining and it excellently parodied many "behind the scene" moments of the entertainment industries, inaccessible to the view of usual spectator. Especially strongly it was reached, certainly, to the process of the production of low-budgetary pictures, about which by hearsay he did not know Kimmel, since itself removed the low-budgetary picture (producer it initially allocated only of 125 thousand dollars) "as to become director?" - it is necessary altogether to only be nephew or son of one of the producers. "where to find artists?" - give declaration into the newspapers, and at the doors of studio will very soon stand the different coat crowd, in which it is possible to meet and beginning pornozvezd, and modest shy girls from the province with the large dream "to subjugate Hollywood". "where to find composer?" - it is necessary simply to ring its old friend and to ask him to write music for the film, that it will make directly on surveying area in the interruptions between the doubles. "as to calm the raged on area" star "? - nothing complex, it is simple to otvet' by reciprocity to its solicitations:) "what to make, if" director "- dvadtsatitrekhletniy of devstvennik, which nothing knows about the cinematography generally and the process of the production of films in particular?" - to try so that it would conduct as less than the time on area, as possible more frequently send it into the store after the dumplings, and when dumplings will covered entire studio - show out it to the "copying of scenario" into the public house... "I finally, that to make, when in the hearts you discharged capricious" star "in the last day of surveys, and it is necessary to remove still several important scenes" - this simplest, leave because of the camera and make entire itself, indeed you already in this business very long ago and know the routine...

Paragraph Five:

In spite of its obvious creative success, the rolling fate of picture was added sufficiently complex. Even during the production of film was signed agreement with studio Paramount to wide reliz of tape in the states. During the production and the installation the studio was very contented by result, but... here burst out thunder among the clear sky - one of the basic stars of picture, Sindi Williams, it began to be removed in the popular "family" television series Paramount Networks "Laverne & Shirley", and studio solved, that its participation in "The First Nudie Musical" negative will affect the ratings of series and on the image of paramount itself. Trying as peace history, in reality, but it does not cease to astonish. However, simply so "to get rid" of the picture studio not could - since it had to fulfill contractual obligations on the rental and distributions of film. As a result - Paramount went "to the craftiness" - without any press- demonstrations (so that not there would be reviews in the press, it understands) and the advertisements film they released on the screens of the provincial small towns of America, without having released picture into the large cities and the large populated areas. However, even during this "distribution" film they noted, and tape began to bring to the rollers of money. But here was agitated Bruce kimel, who appeared in the press with the open turning to management Paramount and required normal rotation with his creation, especially as public was clearly in the enthusiasm from the picture. Ended this all by the fact that Paramount sold rights to the film conversely to the authors, thus after getting rid of the "undesirable" picture in its catalog and after making possible To kimelu to make with the tape everything that it will wish. But it wished to find another distrib'yutora, which soon and organized the worthy advertising and rolling company of film in the states. And this, it goes without saying, it gave its fruits, since picture not only in the course of THREE MONTHS successfully went in the cinemas of New York, but also several weeks entered into national charty of boxing- office on the fifth position (!), after proving to be in the company of such mastodons of rental as "Star Wars" and "The Spy Who Loved Me".

To answer you, and TCB from yesterday:

WSS has come under considerable criticism - more political than artistic.

It has reviled for glamorizing gangs been boycotted as "racist", and there was quite a stink when a school on Amherst MA cancelled a production because its depiction of Puerto Ricans was "offensive". Criticism has also been about its lack of authentic Latino casting. One article notes:der Brucer

All of the above is, of course, complete and utter horse pucky.  West Side Story is a piece of musical theater, not a work of non-fiction.  And, depending on one's definition of leading players, I believe Jose de Vega (movie Chino and a significant role) would be Latino, as would Sharks Jaime Rogers and Rudy del Campo.

The stage version also had Latinos other than Chita Rivera, including Erne Castaldo, Carmen Gutierrez, and Jaime Sanchez.

And the author: Sergey merenkov

That sound similar but different to the translation of the other Russian site, doesn't it?  I remember there were more amusing translation things from the other site, though.

If anyone has XM radio, Rupert is going to be on with Bob Edwards for a full hour this Thursday at 8:00AM Eastern time. I think it's channel 133 - or whatever XM Public Radio is. If you don't have XM you can get it from Audible.com. It's $2.95 or there may be a way to get it free as a promotion if you don't already have an Audible.com account.

What kind of celebration is THIS?  We're supposed to be celebrating aound these here parts, comprende?

I was too lazzzzy to go out and see the screening of The History of Violence.  We'll see how I feel around six, when I could conceivably go see a screening of Flightplan.

Other Caemo/Parkway releases are by:
Bobby Rydell
Chubby Checker
Dee Dee Sharp
? & the Mysterians
The Tymes
The Orlons

It has been a long wait for these treasures from the sixties.

Greetings, All!  I have returned home after my glorious time in New York with the HHW gathering and my fruitful conference in Atlanta at the Foundation Center.  Thanks to Danise for posting the other day that I'd called her.  I had no internet access while in Atlanta - the only thing I did not like about my hotel (Residence Inn Downtown).

Having read quickly through the many posts that accumulated while I was away, here are some responses:

Belated Happy Birthday to DR JMK!

Welcome back to DR PennyO - I've missed you and was glad to see that you've been posting.

Congratulations on milestones achieved.

Thank you for all the photos of both the NYC and the West Coast HHW gatherings.  I'll contribute some later.

Special thanks to DR Jose for the wonderful tour on Wednesday and to DRs Ben and FJL for opening their home environments to us on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

Now I have to unpack and get ready for a killer work week