Well, dear readers, there are times, I’m afraid, when the writing is on the wall. Yes, you heard it here, dear readers, there are times when the writing is on the wall. Now, the thing of it is, why is there writing on the wall. Who is doing this writing, sneaking in at any and all hours and writing on the damn wall. That’s what I’d like to know and yet – NO ONE IS TALKING. No, no one is talking because they’re too busy writing on the damn wall. So, what is this writing on the wall that is causing this paragraph. I’m afraid it’s regarding what has always been my favorite American/Chinese go-to place for the past thirty-five years – one Genghis Cohen. It opened thirty-eight years ago, and I found it soon thereafter. There wasn’t a single dish that wasn’t great. When I really became a regular was in the early 2000s, when I would go at the drop of a proverbial hat. We had so many gatherings there for so many shows I was involved in. I had my sixtieth birthday celebration there. I took the casts of every show I directed at LACC there. When we were doing What If, we all went there often. I introduced it to so many people, who themselves became regulars, and that included Richard M. Sherman, who really loved the food there. Also, Bert I. Gordon aka Mr. BIG and daughter Susan – we at there so many times. I had meetings there often. The restaurant was sold in 2015, but the quality remained stellar and much of the staff was still people who knew me well, including my favorite gal there, who always lit up when I entered. THE best orange chicken (always extra crispy) anywhere. Amazing Schezuan string beans, Crackerjack Shrimp, garlic chicken, Kung Pao chicken, mu shu pork, steamed sole in ginger – nothing left on the table. But after the pandemic, something changed. I went there four or five times and for the first time things felt off, food-wise. The first few times were during the day, so I figured maybe it was the day chef. But then it happened in the evening, too. For me, it was especially evident in the orange chicken, almost like the entire recipe had changed and certainly not for the better. All the staff I knew, especially my favorite gal were gone. Earlier this year, they had to leave their long-time home – the usual reasons – greedy landlord. They have promised they’d be back in a new location – that promise has yet to happen in terms of being an actual restaurant. They did relocate down the street, near Canter’s delicatessen, but only for takeout and delivery. Yesterday, I tried delivery – orange chicken (no way to tell them extra crispy), and the string beans, and some white rice. It all arrived, still nice and hot. The orange chicken was completely different, not even resembling the taste treat it had always been. And the string beans were just weird – spicy in a way they’ve never been. And this is what I meant by the writing is on the wall.
I think whatever has gone on post-pandemic has ended its greatness. That is, for me, very sad. The quality was so consistent there and now it’s just – different. I don’t know about the other dishes I love and frankly I’m too afraid to try them. So, for now, I don’t know anywhere that has good orange chicken the way I like it. Panda Express is okay for fast food, but it’s not like Genghis Cohen was. I’ve tried the orange chicken recently at about six different jernts – all bad. I’ll hold it a modicum of hope that IF they reopen as a restaurant, they’ll get it together again. For now, though, I’m done with it.
I did manage to finish watching Donovan’s Reef yesterday. It’s a very slight movie but fun, with a wonderful cast and absolutely gorgeous photography by William Clothier. The transfer is breathtaking. Then I watched a motion picture entitled The Daydreamer, a live-action and stop-motion animated feature from 1966. The transfer is certainly decent in terms of clarity and color, but it’s anything but decent in terms of being in the completely wrong aspect ratio – the standard Academy ratio. While it was shot full aperture, it was composed for 1.85, like all non-anamorphic films of that era. They did it full aperture so it could be shown on TV that way, but it was NEVER EVER projected that way in theaters. And yet, these online experts tell you that it was mean to be seen full frame, which is solely because that’s the way they saw it on TV. It’s laughable. And a simple look at this Blu-ray tells you how laughable in every shot – way too much headroom and useless space at the bottom of the frame, and every shot would frame perfectly at 1.85. Releasing it full frame is a travesty and shame on them for doing so. If they wanted to include it that way for nostalgia purposes for the TV people, fine, but to not include it in 1.85 just shows how ignorant some of these companies are. There is a very nice fellow who is the expert on these Rankin/Bass features and he’s unfortunately not been clear enough about the aspect ratios. In fact, I had a conversation with him during which he admitted that he didn’t know anything about aspect ratios and that he’d never seen the film outside of its TV showings and the VHS/DVD/Blu-ray releases. I gave him lots of information and he was grateful.
I saw the film on its opening day, July 29, 1966, at the Warner Hollywood Theater. I was, at the time, ushering at the Pantages down the street. My shift was usually late afternoon until closing, so I’d get to Hollywood early and always see a movie before going to work. I was excited about The Daydreamer because I’d heard some of its songs that were being played prior to the opening, especially the beautiful title song sung by Robert Goulet. And the cast – Jack Gilford (a favorite of mine, just before he did Cabaret), and the voice talents of Hayley Mills, Patty Duke, Tallulah Bankhead, Boris Karloff, Ed Wynn, Burl Ives, Sessue Hayakawa, Cyril Ritchard, Terry-Thomas, Victor Borge – I mean, come on, who wouldn’t go see it? Unfortunately, other than the songs, it was pretty much a bust – nice performances but a horrible script and a good fifteen minutes too long. In fact, I bolted after an hour or so, something I rarely did. Watching it last night, I at least made it to the end, and I did love watching Jack Gilford, but it’s just not very good, I’m afraid, and having it in its wrong aspect ratio didn’t help. Here’s the opening day advert.
Prior to all that, I got nine hours of sleep, got up, answered e-mails, did some proofing but not nearly enough, ate food, did more proofing, but not nearly enough, and then had a second helping of the food for pill two, took the first of the prednisone pills, watched the movie, had some crackers for a snack and took pill three. And here we are.
Today, I’ll be up when I’m up, I’ll have me a semi-ME day, food is already ordered from a really well reviewed sub shop (not a chain), but mostly I really want to make a lot of proofing progress. Of course, I’ll also watch, listen, and relax.
Tomorrow is more of the same, and then this week I have some telephonic meetings, perhaps a couple of meetings and meals, wrapping up the proofing, doing more arrangements for the show I’ll be directing, and just trying to stay on top of things.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, be up when I’m up, have a semi-ME day, eat, make some good proofing progress, and watch, listen, and relax. Today’s topic of discussion: It’s free-for-all day, the day in which you dear readers get to make with the topics and we all get to post about them. So, let’s have loads of lovely topics and loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, hoping we’ve had the last of the writing is on the wall.