Topic: A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE (Read 22968 times)

Panni · « **Reply #60 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:20:30 AM »

I've now become obsessed with finding LOOK BACK IN ANGER on my shelves, so that I can quote one of John Osborne's wonderful rants on the word "pusillanimous." (See earlier post.) I've found all sorts of other Osborne plays - INADMISSIBLE EVIDENCE, THE ENTERTAINER, TIME PRESENT, THE HOTEL IN AMSTERDAM - but no LOOK BACK. Now I'm starting to gaslight myself and am thinking perhaps I never owned a copy... Aaaargh.

Charles Pogue - great rant. But do you actually believe the people to whom you addressed it could understand it? They probably sent it out for coverage.

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #61 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:25:18 AM »

Matt H., hie yourself hence to England, sooner rather than later...London is the greatest city in the world, oozing with history in every step you take and it simply has the best and most varied theatre anywhere.

Yes, the stinker was KULL. It started out as Lord of the Rings by way of I, Claudius and ended up as Red Sonja. One of these days I may get my wish to get an adult swashbuckler made.

Panni · « **Reply #62 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:27:35 AM »

Another thought brought on by my earlier post (and the search of my shelves)... Interesting to note how many writers in the English language came to it as a second language. I start, naturally, with me. Then a few lesser beings like Joseph Conrad, Issac Bashevis Singer (although he was often translated from Yiddish) and, of course, Tom Stoppard. I would think most other languages are not as accessible. I mean how many Russian writers were born in Brooklyn or Madrid?

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #63 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:37:54 AM »

Panni, the entire rant was some fifteen pages long, going through a very specific breakdown of what was wrong with the entire movie. I'm sort of famous for my memoes. There's one I sent Jeff Katzenberg that a fellow scribe touts as putting "The Esterhaus/Ovitz memo to shame".

Re: This particular memo on Kull, Marc Platt, who was head of the studio at the time, commented to my agent, it was unlike anything he had ever read before and that it "was accurate in everything it said all down the line."

Still, being right doesn't necessarily make you loved in this town and occasionally it makes you resented.

But my attitude is: Oh, you can screw me over, but don't think I'm going to pretend to like it and don't think you're actually getting away with anything. Let's call a screwing-over a screwing-over.

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #64 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:40:51 AM »

Panni, I don't know about Singer, but what is interesting about Conrad and Stoppard...not only did they come to English as a second language...they are two of the most meticulous masters of it. Stoppard is one of my gods.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #65 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:43:03 AM »

You are so right DRPanni - about English being a good second language for writers. And now that you mention it, I DON'T know of any English-speaking writers who gained fame in another language...but I don't get out much.

Of course we mustn't forget Alice Rosenbaum - the Russian immigrant girl who came to America and wrote THE FOUNTAINHEAD and ATLAS SHRUGGED - among other literature.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #66 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:43:35 AM »

Tom Stoppard - The Real Thing....

William F. Orr · « **Reply #67 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:51:18 AM »

Well, Beckett is Irish and achieved fame writing in French.

And while it is often said that Nabokov's first language was Russian, he insisted that he learned English from his governess before he learned to speak Russian.

Panni · « **Reply #68 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:52:55 AM »

Charles Pogue - I think I'll get your screwing over philosopy embroidered on a cushion! Wonderful. And absolutely right.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #69 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:57:27 AM »

Gee DRPANNI - that's not a cushion, that's a whole sofa!

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Panni · « **Reply #70 on:** December 16, 2003, 11:58:03 AM »

And yes, Stoppard isn't just one of your gods. He IS a god. I once spent an entire WGA Awards Ceremony sitting right behind him and didn't realize it. (I was nominated and was so nervous, Jesus could've been at my table changing our water to wine and I wouldn't have noticed.) Anyway, that's the one time I regret not speaking to someone well-known.

Panni · « **Reply #71 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:00:42 PM »

Jrand53 - The whole thing would be not only a sofa, but also a hide-a-bed and a love seat. I meant the last part: "Oh, you can screw me over, but don't think I'm going to pretend to like it and don't think you're actually getting away with anything. Let's call a screwing-over a screwing-over."

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #72 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:07:04 PM »

I was privileged to see the original London production of The Real Thing the first week it opened in 1982 with Roger Rees and the wonderful Felicity Kendall. Wow! Arcadia is also brilliant, as is anything he writes. I'm a huge fan of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead. Is it Ben who's going to London this week? He really should make a point to see the National revival of JUMPERS which just transferred to the West End. It's gotten terrific reviews and Simon Russell Beale is playing the lead. He may be the best actor working on the London stage these days.

One of my favourite Stoppard lines from The Real Inspector Hound..."So you're the crippled half-brother of Lord Muldoon who turned up out of the blue from Canada just the other day, are you? It's taken you a long time to get here. What did you do- walk? oh, I say, I'm most frightfully sorry!"

Jrand73 · « **Reply #73 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:08:36 PM »

Yea, I wish I had had that in my resignation letter to the theatre group.

And isn't it funny that usually (though I guess not in DR CHARLES POGUE'S case....that the people receiving such a letter say: "I wonder what he is mad about?"

And Mr Harlan Ellison is also a master of the language - some of his rants are poetry.

Panni · « **Reply #74 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:13:31 PM »

This has been a scintillating discussion, all, but I must leave the comfort of my Powerbook and go out into the world. One final, interesting note on language. For what it's worth, I think in English, dream in English. Hungarian only comes first on the rare occasion that I'm very sick and have a fever - I'll sometimes wake up babbling in Hungarian AND when I'm adding up simple figures. That's almost always in Hungarian.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #75 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:15:01 PM »

Calling Dr Freud, calling Dr Freud.

Joy · « **Reply #76 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:29:54 PM »

Quote from: Noel on December 16, 2003, 05:14:02 AM

Maybe DW Joy can post J.B.Biggley's curse.

Damn damn coal-burning dithering ding ding ding.

Or, if you're doing the show in a community theatre run by Moonies:
Darn darn coal-burning dithering ding ding ding.

bk · « **Reply #77 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:33:40 PM »

Dr. Freud here - what is it?

I've written a few missives in my time, and I've done some verbal assaults that are well-remembered by those said assaults were directed at. It' take a lot to get me riled but once riled I am unstoppable.

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #78 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:41:49 PM »

DR JRand53, For a brilliant Harlan Ellison rant, may I suggest his essay TERRORISTS in the compliation book, SEPTEMBER 11: West Coast Writers Approaching Ground Zero edited by Jeff Meyers.

A sampling: "Why can't I get that portion of the human race to which I have access to uunderstand that it has been systemically gulled, hoodwinked if you will, had enough smoke blown up its kilt to refloat the Luistania by disingenuous egalitarian bunkum, into believing "Everyone is Entitled to His or Her Opinion" when, in truth everyone is only entitled to his or her INFORMED opinion; and all the witless upchuck devoid of fact or common ratiocination is merely the chittering of intellectually-arid humanoids swathed in Old Navy schmatahs."

It proceeds to take on and decimate those other religious terrorists Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, and their ilk and those two cretins' opinion that 9/11 was the fault of liberals, homosexuals, abortion clinics, and every other thing they're against that doesn't move in lock-step with their narrow, rigid, peas-eye view of the world. Great stuff and, as always, with Harlan, hysterically, laugh-out-loud funny and right on the money.

Maya · « **Reply #79 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:44:32 PM »

LOL, Joy, you crack me up!

Quote from: George on December 16, 2003, 11:04:20 AM

However, my most favorite new word is Dear Reader Maya's term, "Idiocracy"

Wow, I didnt' realize I had become a lexicographer (another cool word)...thank you, George, haha!

Charles Pogue and Panni--I just read that Stoppard is set to do the screenplay for the movie adoption of the "His Dark Materials" books. Which I want to read.

Subtopic: What is everyone reading right now? I'm reading The Volcano Lover by Susan Sontag (a romanticization of the story of Lady Emma Hamilton and Horatio Nelson), and a comic fantasy novel called Sir Apropos of Nothing.

Another cool non-English word...apropos.

William F. Orr · « **Reply #80 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:49:22 PM »

I've been listening to all this about the upcoming Trial of Sadam--with or without Johnny Cockran for the defense--and the media tedium it will inevitably turn into, and I was wondering...

Shouldn't they try to get him on "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy" in give him a complete make-over?

bk · « **Reply #81 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:53:12 PM »

I have just made an incredible discovery - the USB Memory Stick. Have you seen this contraption? One of my editors just showed it to me. It's the size of a lipstick and contains more memory than a zip disc. You can put mp3s on it, you can put stuff from your computer on it and plug it into another computer and transfer stuff, and vice versa. I'm getting one this very evening, since I have a gift coupon at Staples.

bk · « **Reply #82 on:** December 16, 2003, 12:54:06 PM »

They bought everyone on the show lunch today and they're showing my episode to everyone. Isn't that exciting? Isn't that just too too?

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #83 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:03:18 PM »

DR Maya, I am currently reading...as my seasonal choice for the year...Hogfather by Terry Pratchett. It is one of his loopy, hilarious Discworld, which are some of the funniest satire around. I am also reading a history about 1066.

Matt H. · « **Reply #84 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:08:42 PM »

Actually watching those videos was a good test. I had a date with a fellow I met on-line some months ago, and during dinner I made some reference to a television character. After noting his blank stare, I explained what I was talking about, and he informed me that he didn't watch television OR movies other than an occasional foreign film or documentary. I knew we'd run of of things pretty quickly that we'd want to do together. He was also a vegetarian. I thought, "Strike three, fella. Out o' here!" Nice evening but not to be repeated.

Matt H. · « **Reply #85 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:17:06 PM »

I think I mentioned it the other day, but I'm reading Patricia Cornwell's BLACK NOTICE right now. But I have a high stack of books to go to when I finish it.

Ron Pulliam · « **Reply #86 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:44:53 PM »

I have so many stacks of books to read I can't even begin to start naming them.

I'm a ba-a-a-a-a-a-ad boy!

Jrand73 · « **Reply #87 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:51:06 PM »

LOL - thanks DR Joy for the Biggley Rant!

MR BK can you get that lipstick memory in Fire 'n Ice?

OMG - thank you DRCHARLESPOGUE for the recommendation.....Mr Ellison has lost none of his fire and the world is a better place for it - I can hardly wait to read the rest. Does he talk the way he writes? I have only seen ONE television interview he has done and that was WAY WAY WAY back many years ago....in fact another lifetime, but he had on some groovy striped pants!

Jrand73 · « **Reply #88 on:** December 16, 2003, 01:51:51 PM »

Maya my Lexicographer Papaya....kind of has a ring to it.

Matt H. · « **Reply #89 on:** December 16, 2003, 02:07:11 PM »

DR Ron, love the bitch-slappin' logo. Gave me a good laugh for today.

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Author Topic: A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE (Read 22968 times)

Ron Pulliam