Topic: WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME GOES? (Read 23291 times)

bk · « **on:** January 28, 2004, 12:01:48 AM »

Well, you've read the notes, the notes have, in turn, read you, we're all in synch, and so let's have loads of lovely posts, shall we?

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #1 on:** January 28, 2004, 12:13:29 AM »

I love the Formosa. It was long my favourite watering hole in Hollywood, if I ever had a watering hole. I don't go very often, although my pal Larry Drake is a veritable habitue of the place...so it still must be open, BK. It was more fun when it was a little bit seeder. It's become very trendy with a younger crowd haunting its dark, red-booth, star photo-studded walls.

I actually hang more at the Cat and the Fiddle on Sunset on those rare occasions when I feel the need to absorb the ambience of the "lush" life. I can also get a good Scotch egg there....the only place I know in LA where I can get one.

Charles Pogue · « **Reply #2 on:** January 28, 2004, 12:14:58 AM »

Gee, I've had a veritable posting frenzy this last 24 hours. At this rate, I'll be ascending to godliness very soon.

Tomovoz · « **Reply #3 on:** January 28, 2004, 01:18:19 AM »

BK question: Do you have any plans for the production of a CD for Scarlett Street or your own label or whatever in the near future. I would love to hear another "Lost In Boston" type compilation . Would you need to call it something like "Mislaid in Yonkers" or would you still be free to use your old titles (on the assumption of course that you wished to produce such a CD)?

Ben · « **Reply #4 on:** January 28, 2004, 05:08:24 AM »

I seem to be here alone on a very snowy New York morning. We had lots of snow but the office is still open (I didn't expect it to be closed). If I have a question I will return later to post it. But for now I will post one of the last pictures.

Ant and I are both big Judy Garland fans (Ant so much so that he arranged to be born on her birthday, June 10th, so he says he has an irrevocable gay card) so we decided to go and look at the flat where she stayed in London. Sadly, it was her last residence. She died there in 1969. The flat is in Chelsea at Four Cadogan Lane (a quaint little mews off a busy street). It's no longer an apartment but an adult education office and there is no ceramic blue plaque noting that JG lived here for the last 6 months of her life but we were glad to finally see it. We were at the Palladium to see Chitty, where Judy had huge success as a concert performer and then the day before we left London we saw Cadogan Lane. A nice coda to a marvelous trip. I'll post one or two more pictures to wind up our trip. Hope you all have enjoyed our trip to London as much as we did.

P.S. I also mean no offense and don't mean to inextricably link JG and gay men. It's just part of Ant and me. Linking to the very civilized discussion last night about film, there are all flavors of gay men and many of us love Judy. There are also thousands who could care less and prefer everything from Cindy Lauper to Smashing Pumpkins. So, to anyone put off by talk of "gay cards" and Judy and gay men, I offer no defense. It's just us. We are not "all gay men" We are Ben and Ant(hony). A very happy couple who had a wonderful time doing something special to us.

Enjoy!

Jennifer · « **Reply #5 on:** January 28, 2004, 05:53:58 AM »

Good morning all. Last night DR MattH wrote:

Quote

For those who watched the next episode of AMERICAN IDOL auditions, I felt really bad for the cute guy who sang well enough but gave Simon a bogus, beauty queen answer to what he'd do with the million dollars should he win it. His voice was good enough to move on. Sorry Paula wasn't there to potentially rescue him from their wrath.

Last night was my favorite of the audition shows because we got to see more good people. The bad ones, were shown less, and we got to see some decent people who weren't given passes to Hollywood.

I actually liked the guy who you mentioned above. I was also annoyed that Simon dismissed him based on his answer (which may or may not have been true). But I don't think he should have been let go based on that.

I actually don't get why they wouldn't give anyone with a good voice a chance to move forward. Especially since they were clearly having problems finding anyone that could sing.

I also enjoyed that girl who had cut her hair and who had auditioned before (the one with the wacky "coach" - I believe security escorted them out when she wanted to audition again).

She could sing. That should be all that mattered. Would any of the judges have thought that Clay Aiken would be the American Idol last year? To me these people should at least be given a chance. It's not like sending them to Hollywood means they are by any means guaranteed anything.

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #6 on:** January 28, 2004, 06:31:37 AM »

From yesterday:

Jose: I just don't want to get to a point and time where the number one consideration for an aspiring playwright, screenwriter, author, composer, director, etc., has to be the projected running time, number of pages or opportunity for "potty breaks".

And now today BK wonders "Where Time Goes".

To both of these I answer: after 90 minutes Times' bladder is speaking up, oftimes loudly! Try telling women in their third trimester, 7 year old boys, or 60 year old man to "just hold it in for a while".

It would be nice if we could all plan our lives so we could spend the 4 hours before the theatre training our micturation system in preparation for Act I of Les Miz; however, it often happens that we have dinner and the Theatre in pretty close order. (I prefer Theatre then Dinner, but other than NYC, most cities offer little in the way of grand dining after 11 PM.)

To confound the problem, we often get little advance notice of how long a stretch we will have prior to the intermission (if any). I knew LOTR:ROTK was going to be an exercise in bladder control so I was very careful in my intake, was successful in convincing Mr. Bladder to cooperate right before show time, and picked an aisle seat just in case. These preparations were rewarded with an uninterrupted journey to MT Doom.

To Jose I say: we all don't drink an extra glass of wine at dinner just to have an excuse to get up and annoy other theatre-goers at the 90 minute point, but "pee happens"! If the creative team has a tale to tell, and wants the audience's undivided attention, they must be aware of competition. I, for one, would have no problem with 2 intermissions if that helped break the show into manageable parts. (Remember when movie theatre owners’ pockets were more richly rewarded with concession sales than second showings? Most big film outings had an Intermission.)

der Brucer (and after 2 cups of morning tea, Time goes - it's time to go!)

Kerry · « **Reply #7 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:00:39 AM »

BK Question of the day: Would you take my place at work today?

Ben and Ant--- despite what some say, we should be proud of our Judy heritage. I'll tell you a story later when I have more time. If Bruce goes to work for me, then I could tell you now!

William E. Lurie · « **Reply #8 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:02:39 AM »

The snow has arrived and it is not nearly as bad as was predicted but they closed the schools last night before they realized it wouldn't be so bad. Everyone made it to work on time except the woman who is always late and she wasn't any later than normal.

We finally saw the revival of GYPSY last night. The material is so great, it's hard to ruin and the production (despite many faults) did justice to the material. To begin with, there was Bernadette who was neither as bad as I expected nor as good as I hoped. Her biggest problem was her "star mike" which kept her voice so much louder than anyone else in the cast that it was almost distorted. Everyone else's voice sounded natural and as if it were actually coming from the stage instead of speakers, but Bernadette's voice boomed out (in both speaking and singing) of speakers throughout the theatre. Also, she was staged poorly and did much of her singing straight to the audience. The vamp at the end of "Some People" was not used correctly to allow Rose time to take her father's gold plaque but was used as scene change music so the lights could come up and have Bernadette finish the song straight to the audience. And this was the first Rose I've seen whose acting was better than her singing. Still it was a valid interpretation of the role. Much more mixed was Tammy Blanchard as Louise. In Act One she was very mediocre (a very poor "Little Lamb") but she improved in Act Two and was wonderful in the strip. However she followed this with the final dressing room scene that featured jer doing so much scenery chewing it was embarrassing. John Docett was the best Herbie I have ever seen, Kate Reinders was a wonderful Dainty June, the strippers were perfect, and the rest of the supporting cast was great. Technical and design were weak, with ugly costumes and sets and so many light changes that it tended to distract. The orchestra was good (Mouseketer Cubby on drums), although I really felt that they should not have started the Overture with the house lights at half and people still being seated or talking. And don't people update their Playbill® bios? Several had future projects listed that are already open or done with. So all in all, while it was not the GYPSY of one's dreams, it was a good production for both the novice and the GYPSY fan alike. As I said to Ray, it's not as good as the Angela or Ethel productions, but it's a hell of a lot better than productions I saw at Astoria High School (in the Ethel Merman auditorium!) or the Jewish Center of Buffalo.

Alert for fans of MGMusicals: Rhino Handmade has just released 2 more soundtracks: THREE LITTLE WORDS (Astaire, Skelton, Dahl, DeHaven) and DuBARRY WAS A LADY (someone dubbing Lucy, Kelly, Skelton and Zero Mostel). They are available only on the internet at www.Rhino.Com.

Jay · « **Reply #9 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:10:41 AM »

My question for Ask BK Day (prompted by a comment in DR WEL's review of Gypsy):

What are your thoughts on the decorum of audiences at live theatrical and/or musical events these days?

Jrand73 · « **Reply #10 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:15:39 AM »

Thanks for the GYPSY review DR WEL.

Nice discussion yesterday....nice points of view from everyone!

My question for ASKBK day? Are there any sports or sporting events that you enjoy watching on television or attending in person? Are there any sports you play?

Jay · « **Reply #11 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:15:50 AM »

And thank you, Dear Reader William E. Lurie, for that thoughful review!

MBarnum · « **Reply #12 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:18:54 AM »

BK, that wonderful pooch in EYES IN THE NIGHT was played by Ace the Wonder Dog. Ace had quite a career in B pictures for a few years in the late 30s-early 40s..and what a beautiful dog. If you ever have the change to see the 1939 film ROOKIE COP, in which Ace plays a police dog, do so.

TCM had an Ace, the Wonder Dog festival about a year ago and that ROOKIE COP movie (starring Tim Holt, Janet Shaw, and Virginia Weidler) turned into one of my favorite films! There was also a sequel (or prequel) to EYES IN THE NIGHT.

Matt H. · « **Reply #13 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:20:29 AM »

Martha Mears dubbed Lucy in DUBARRY WAS A LADY. Usually Roger Edens was very astute in getting voice doubles that actually sounded like the actors involved, but Miss Mears makes a poor vocal double for Lucy. (She sings beautifully; it's just obvious it's not Lucy.)

For Ask BK Day: You mentioned Jerry Lewis in today's notes. Have you ever been a fan of his work either with Dean Martin or afterward? How do you feel about him as a director as well as a comic actor?

Matt H. · « **Reply #14 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:23:45 AM »

Yes, WEL, enjoyed the reasonable and rational critique of GYPSY. Almost every other review I've read has been hysterical in either praise or condemnation.

Matt H. · « **Reply #15 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:29:38 AM »

DRs Ben and Ant, I join you in your celebration of the talents of Judy Garland. I find her career a fascinating one on so many levels, and at her best, well, she was mesmerizing. She came through Charlotte twice, one to great acclaim and later (sadly, the one I saw) in quite a hoarse condition. This was after the disappointment of her TV series, and I think her drive and ambition were at that point exceedingly low. She was touring for money and money alone, and the night she was here, she just had nothing to give. The show only lasted an hour at most and was a great disappointment to all concerned.

I know lots of gay men who don't hate her so much as are just indifferent to her. I find her electrifying when she's "on." One of the happiest surprises of myn life is to have the complete set of her television series which I never dreamed I'd see again, much less own. These startling shows, with some of the finest singing that has ever graced the television screen, look grand and are every bit as entertaining now (to me, at least) as they were when I saw some of them as a kid. (My father didn't like Judy, and we had to watch BONANZA if he wasn't ready for bed on Sunday nights at 9. Of course, there were compensations to be enjoyed in BONANZA, too - Pernell Roberts, for one.)

Panni · « **Reply #16 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:44:25 AM »

Good morning. Lovely discussion yesterday. Must take a look at the blind detective movie. I once did a pilot for a mystery wheel in which a blind detective was featured. Had great fun figuring out what unusual strengths he would have to compensate for the blindness. Of course, he had a faboo dog. And he ran a bookstore. The pilot was not picked up, unfortunately. They did something about a deaf female FBI agent instead. Go figure.

Matt H. · « **Reply #17 on:** January 28, 2004, 07:57:48 AM »

Van Johnson played a blind detective in 23 PACES FROM BAKER STREET.

Big DVD news for next week: Great MGM classics being released by Warners!

GRAND HOTEL
GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS (sorry, just the 1939 version)
GASLIGHT (both 1940 and 1944 versions in same package like the JECKYL AND HYDE release a few weeks ago)
MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935 version only)

)MRS. MINIVER
)THE GREAT ZIEGFELD - neither of which does much for me

And the two disc special edition of MY FAIR LADY

Plus, the completely fun sci-fi movie X-15 which we talked about last week (Mary Tyler Moore in a supporting role in this film)

My poor bank account!!!

Jrand73 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:16:41 AM »

Thanks DRs Ben and Ant for the photo of 4 Codogan Lane. Here is a photo of Judy and Mickey Deans in the same doorway that was published in Anne Edwards' biography of Judy.

Matt H. · « **Reply #19 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:24:13 AM »

Speaking of AMERICAN IDOL, how about that husky football player? Nice voice and glad he got through, but when he came out, he started singing opera while hugging his brother and showed he has a HUGE voice. I suspect he's going to be this year's Joshua Gracin.

Jennifer · « **Reply #20 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:30:11 AM »

I really enjoy sporting event live. Football, baseball, hockey. But one I totally love is Tennis. I try to go every year to the tournament played here in August (right before the US Open).

Jrand73 · « **Reply #21 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:34:00 AM »

It is 12 degrees here!

Ben · « **Reply #22 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:34:43 AM »

JRand I see what you've named the photo of Judy and Mr. Deans in the doorway. It puts a whole new spin on the Judy Mickey era :-)

Ben · « **Reply #23 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:36:06 AM »

It's in the 20s here with slushy snow all over the streets. Snowfall in New York is nice when it's happening or in the evening before it becomes the gray, unrecognizable stuff that stains your shoes (unless, like me, you wear your boots) and makes you slip and slide all over the sidewalk and streetcorner.

Jennifer · « **Reply #24 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:38:55 AM »

Quote from: Matt H. on January 28, 2004, 08:24:13 AM

Speaking of AMERICAN IDOL, how about that husky football player? Nice voice and glad he got through, but when he came out, he started singing opera while hugging his brother and showed he has a HUGE voice. I suspect he's going to be this year's Joshua Gracin.

The football player was okay. But I NEVER liked Josh at all. Didn't see his appeal.

There was one "bad" performer who I fell in love with. The little Chinese guy near the end. Now, normally these terrible performers aggravate me to no end. But this guy singing "she-bang, she bang" (I think those are the words he used, it was hard to understand) was so funny. He cracked me up. So sweet.

Jrand73 · « **Reply #25 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:46:07 AM »

LOL Ben - yes, I see what you mean. I tried to use a file name I hadn't used before!

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #26 on:** January 28, 2004, 08:50:46 AM »

Quote from: JRand53 on January 28, 2004, 08:34:00 AM

It is 12 degrees here!

Does that mean you meet Kevin Bacon twice?

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #27 on:** January 28, 2004, 09:03:34 AM »

Shouldn't NASA be consulting with DR Pogue about correct naming of Martian landmarks?

DERBRUCER · « **Reply #28 on:** January 28, 2004, 09:18:53 AM »

Question: are these Fantasy or Horror?

der Brucer (who may switch to Coke!)

Matt H. · « **Reply #29 on:** January 28, 2004, 09:33:44 AM »

Joshua Gracin just signed with a lrecord label in Nashville to sing country music, exactly what he should have done. He had OK ability as a country singer but was woefully out of place when trying to sing styles of music that weren't country. He stayed as long as he did strictly on the basis of (I'm guessing) his sex appeal. Nope, didn't appeal to me, and for a Marine, he could not take criticism well nor was he staying in shape during the rigorous weeks of competition. Still, reading about his signing that contract was no surprise.

News:

Author Topic: WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME GOES? (Read 23291 times)

Ben

MBarnum

Ben

Ben