Sweet 15 (1990): A Mexican American Focused Episode of WonderWorks

From the late Eighties into the Nineties, there was a cycle in movies centred on Chicanos that included such films as La Bamba (1987), Stand and Deliver (1988), and Mi Vida Loca (1993). Despite this, there was still very little in the way of Chicano content on American television during the same period. A notable exception aired on PBS in early 1990. Although most often described as a TV movie, Sweet 15 (1990) may be better described as a two-part episode of the TV series WonderWorks. For those either too young to remember or who were never aware of it, WonderWorks was an American children's anthology series that aired on PBS from 1984 to 1993. Sweet 15 (1990) aired in two parts on WonderWorks on January 13 1990 and January 20 1990. It was the first episode of the sixth season of WonderWorks. For myself, Sweet 15 (1990) is also notable because it features my dearest Vanessa Marquez in a small role.

Sweet 15 (1990) starred Karla Montana, best known as Claudia in Stand and Deliver (1988), as Marta Delacruz, a fourteen year old Mexican American girl looking forward to her quinceañera, the celebration held when a girl turns 15.. Marta's chances of having the quinceañera of her dreams are complicated when she discovers that her father migrated to the United States illegally years before. It is set in the final days of the amnesty for illegal aliens that had come about due to the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Sweet 15 (1990), featured some well-known names in its cast, including Tony Plana as Marta's father Samuel, Jerry Stiller as his boss Mr. Waterman, Liz Torres as Gloria Diaz, and Jan Merlin as one of Samuel's old employers. 

The teleplay for Sweet 15 (1990) was written by Sharon Weil, who also served as a co-producer. She later wrote the novel Donny and Ursula Save the World, as well as several non-fiction books. It was directed by Victoria Hochberg. She had earlier directed music videos for The Eagles, an ABC Afternoon Special, and the TV movie Jacob Have I Loved. She would go on to direct episodes of such shows as Touched by an Angel; Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman; and Melrose Place. Its casting director was Toni Livingston, who had earlier cast Stand and Deliver (1990). This perhaps explains the presence of Karla Montana and Vanessa Marquez in the film. Its cinematographer Hal Trussell had worked on the feature film Bachelor Party (1984)  and episodes of the show Downtown. Afterwards, he would direct episodes of CBS Schoolbreak Special and the TV movie Family Business.

Upon its debut on PBS, Sweet 15 (1990) received largely positive reviews. John Voorhes in The Seattle Times wrote, "Sweet 15 is a charming, funny, intelligent drama about a Latino family living in contemporary Los Angeles." He described Karla Montana as "...a delight as Marta." Lynne Heffley in The Los Angeles Times gave a more restrained,  but still positive review of Sweet 15. She described it as "...a predictable but well-acted drama about a Mexican American girl's coming of age." She noted that "The telling could be shorter" but "...a smooth ensemble makes it all worth while." John J. O'Connor in The New York Times also gave Sweet 15 (1990) a good, if somewhat restrained review, noting, " plot logistics are patly contrived, but Sweet 15 provides unusual glimpses into ordinary Hispanic-American lives."

Sweet 15 would also win some awards. Even though it aired in primetime, Sweet 15's director Victoria Hochberg won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Directing - Special Class. As writer and co-producer, Sharon Weil won the Women in Film Lillian Gish Award for Best Children's Film. 

Oddly enough for a WonderWorks episode that received positive reviews and awards upon its debut, Sweet 15 (1990) had received overly negative reviews from viewers on various websites. At IMDB it is rated a pathetic 4.1 out of 10. On Rotten Tomatoes, it does even worse, with a 28% on the Popcornmeter out of 500 ratings. Much more realistic is its rating at Letterboxd, where it receives a respectable rating of 2.7 out of 5. I think I have an explanation for why Sweet 15 (1990) has received such negative reviews on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes. Just as Stand and Deliver (1988) has often been shown in mathematics classes, Sweet 15 (1990) was apparently shown in Spanish classes. Unfortunately, while many math students recognised the greatness of Stand and Deliver (1990), Spanish students simply resented having to watch Sweet 15 (1990).

Vanessa Marquez

Indeed, while I would not say that Sweet 15 (1990) is a classic waiting to be discovered, it is not a bad movie either. As critics pointed out when it was first released, it does benefit from a good cast. Karla Montana does a very good job of playing Marta. Tony Plana also does a good job of playing her father, Samuel. Both Jerry Stiller and Liz Torres deliver the quality performances one would expect of them. Most of the rest of the cast also does well. As to my dearest Vanessa Marquez, she played a small, but somewhat significant part as Marta's friend Lupe. Lupe is similar to Vanessa's other early juvenile roles, a sweet girl who at times takes up for Marta and can be determined when doing so. Sweet 15 (1990) also has good direction, and looks more like an independent movie with a good budget than an episode of a television series.

Of course, I do think Sweet 15 (1990) has some flaws. The one thing I do have to agree with its critics on IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes is that I think Panchito Gómez was miscast as Marta's romantic interest  Ramón. According to IMDB, Panchito Gómez was born in 1963, which would have made him 26 years old in 1989. While I suspect his character is supposed to be much younger (I am guessing anywhere from 16 to 18), Panchito Gómez looks his age. It is at times hard to suspend disbelief, so that instead of viewing Ramón as a teenager wooing a fellow teenager, the viewer might well view him as an adult grooming a teenager. Of course, here I must point out that Karla Montana and, for that matter, Vanessa were several years past 14 when they appeared in Sweet 15 (Vanessa would have been 21 and I believe Karla Montana was born before Vanessa was). The difference is that both Karla Montana and Vanessa Marquez could realistically pass for 14 or 15.

Another legitimate criticism of Sweet 15 (1990) is one that was expressed in The Los Angeles Times review from 1990. Quite simply, Sweet 15 (1990) could have been shorter. At nearly two hours in length, it is simply too long. Of course, here I must point out that it was made to fit the time slot occupied by WonderWorks, which was one hour. I have to think that Sweet 15 (1990) might have worked better in a more flexible format than an episode of a TV show, such as a feature film.

Regardless of any flaws that Sweet 15 (1990) might have, it broke new ground on American television. In 1990, it was rare to see Mexican Americans on television, and rarer still for viewers to be exposed to their culture. For many viewers, Sweet 15 (1990) may have been the first time they had ever hard of quinceañeras. I also have to think that in 1990 it was rare that one saw sympathetic portrayals of undocumented immigrants and also rare that one heard immigration law discussed in a TV show episode to any extent. Although it might not be particularly famous now, Sweet 15 (1990) was in many ways a pioneering work, exposing television viewers to a Mexican American family years before American Family or George Lopez. 

The Centenary of Honor Blackman's Birth

It was 100 years ago on this date that Honor Blackman was born in Canning Town, Essex. At least in the United States, I am guessing that she is probably best known as Pussy Galore in the James Bond movie Goldfinger. As for myself (not to mention the United Kingdom), she may be best remembered as John Steed's partner in fighting crime, Mrs. Cathy Gale, on the classic TV show The Avengers. Of course, long-time readers of this blog know that The Avengers is my favourite TV show of all time. While I would not see Honor Blackman in The Avengers until I was an adult (series three and four of The Avengers weren't available in the US until the Nineties, it is primarily because of that role that she numbers among my favourite actresses.

As to the first place I probably ever saw Honor Blackman, it was also the first movie I can remember watching all the way through, Jason and the Argonauts (1963). In the movie, Honor Blackman played the goddess Hera, who plays a game of wits against her husband Zeus (Peter Ustinov) with regard to the hero Jason (Todd Armstrong, dubbed by Tim Turner). Honor Blackman impressed me as a four-year-old in the role and she impresses me still. While others have played the role of Hera, when I picture her in my head it is still Honor Blackman I see.

While I have fond memories of Jason and the Argonauts (1963) from my childhood, I also have fond memories of Goldfinger (1964). Even as a kid I was a big fan of spy dramas, having watched shows like The Avengers and The Man From U.N.C.L.E., so I was naturally drawn to the James Bond movies. As a kid, my favourite was Goldfinger, in part because of Honor Blackman. It was Honor Blackman's talent that made Pussy Galore one of the coolest women in a Bond movie ever. She was smart. She could fight. She could fly a plane. Although I didn't realise it at the time, in many respects Pussy Galore was Cathy Gale transplanted from The Avengers to a James Bond movie.

As a kid, I also remember Honor Blackman in the Columbo episode "Dagger of the Mind." In the episode, she plays Lillian Stanhope, one half of a Shakespearean acting duo with Nicholas Frame (Richard Basehart). 'Dagger of the Mind" is one of the weakest Columbo episodes and has more than its share of flaws, but I do enjoy Honor Blackman and Richard Basehart as Lillian Stanhope and Nicholas Frame. I will admit that they were over the top, but it seems fitting given they are actors who are apparently always acting and are both off their trolleys. 

I wouldn't see A Night to Remember (1958) until I was a teen or a young adult, but I was impressed with Honor Blackman as Mrs. Liz Lucas in the film. It is not a big part, but Honor Blackman does well with it, playing a passenger on the Titanic who does not want to leave her husband when the ship is sinking. Honor Blackman plays the part well, and grants Liz Lucas the sort of dignity one might expect of an upper-crust British woman of the time.

I would be an adult when I first saw the second and third series of The Avengers, and while Mrs. Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) remains my favourite of John Steed's partners, I have adored Mrs. Cathy Gale ever since I first saw her. Indeed, there would not be an Emma Peel without Cathy Gale. There also wouldn't have been a Honey West of the TV show of the same name. While Honey West was based on the novels by Gloria and Forest Fickling, the television version of Honey was inspired by Cathy Gale on The Avengers. Quite simply, Cathy Gale was the first female action hero in the history of either British or American television. She held a doctorate in archaeology, was an expert photographer, and was skilled in both the use of firearms and the martial art of judo. Cathy Gale would prove enormously popular with audiences, and it would be her partnership with John Steed that would make The Avengers a success.

I have no doubt that this was because of Honor Blackman's enormous talent. She was entirely convincing in the role. She endowed Cathy with intelligence, class, and charm. She made it fully believable for Cathy Gale to be at home serving tea or fencing. When Honor Blackman died five years ago, in the United Kingdom it was always the role of Cathy Gale that was cited in the headlines and ledes of new stories, and it was with good reason. She was remarkable in the role.

Of course, Honor Blackman played many more roles throughout her career. She appeared in movies from The Secret of My Success (1965) to To the Devil a Daughter (1976) to Bridget Jones's Diary (2001) and TV shows from Danger Man to The Saint to Midsomer Murders. Honor Blackman had an enormous talent and could play a wide array of roles. She was Cathy Gales, Pussy Galore, and Hera, but she was also so much more. 

Vintage Fall Television Promos

I watch so little broadcast network television any more that I don't know if promos for television shows debuting on the fall are as big as they once were, but when I was growing up and well into my adult they would be ubiquitous from about late July to the start of the fall television season in September. And, of course, in addition to these individual commercials for new shows debuting in the fall, in the Sixties, Seventies, and Eighties each network would often have their own fall preview special in early September that would give viewers a look ahead at the new television shows. Here are a few television promos from the late Twentieth and early Twenty First Centuries.

Star Trek

From this promo for Star Trek. it seems fairly clear that NBC's promotional department did not quite know what to make of the show. The advertisement makes Star Trek sound less like an optimistic look at the future than a horror show The announcer on this promo sounds familiar to me, but I cannot place who it is. I seem to recall the voice from movie trailers from the era.

M*A*S*H

In contrast to the promo for Star Trek six years earlier, this promo for M*A*S*H is very upbeat. Of course, at the time no one, not even the producers, may have realised that M*A*S*H would become a somewhat more serious comedy drama examining war and the human condition, but one of the greatest shows of all time, hence the emphasis on laughs. 

Cheers

Given how brief this promo is and how it tells nothing about the show, I have to think this, the first promo ever for Cheers, was teaser more than anything else. One would think they would have used one of the cast from the show, like Ted Danson or Shelley Long, but not only was this woman not part of the Cheers cast, but I have no idea who she is.

Eerie Indiana

I don't think this was actually a fall promo for Eerie Indiana, but more a coming up next on NBC promo. Still, it captures the show pretty well and I seem to remember the actual fall promos being pretty similar. 

Firefly


Many fans of Firefly probably remember the notorious "Walking in the Sun" fall promo that described Mal Reynolds (Nate Fillion) as a "whacked out space cowboy," Wash (Alan Tudyk), the pilot of the ship Serenity on the show, as a "flighty pilot," and so on. I have to think it was the absolute worst fall promo for any TV show ever. Unfortunately, I can't post it for you, as it appears to have been wiped from the Web. Here then is a somewhat more serious promo more fitting the show.

Vintage Back to School Ads

This week the kids in my county are going back to school. This boggles my mind as I can remember when I attended school, we did not go back to school until the Wednesday before Labour Day. Even then, that first Wednesday back was only half a day. I never particularly liked school, so memories of going back to school do not invoke a good deal of nostalgia in me. While I am not nostalgic about the yearly return to school as a kid, I do have some nostalgia for the back-to-school ads that would start coming out in July and August. By today's standards, some of them would be rather bizarre. Here then are some vintage ads (most of which are from well before I started attending school).

Today smoking is considered objectionable even for adults, let alone college students. This was not the case in 1941, when Old Gold could target college students in their ads and no one would even bat an eye.

I grew up on a farm, so I never rode my bike to school, although a lot of my friends who lived in town did. This AMF Roadmaster ad from 1953 then makes a lot of sense.

An ad from First National Bank in 1969, encouraging parents to pay for their kids' school supplies using MasterCharge. MasterCharge would change its name to MasterCard ten years later, in 1979.

From 1970, an ad for the Jeep Wagoneer. While SUVs seem to be the family vehicle of choice now, in 1970 most people would prefer a sedan or station wagon. This Jeep ad obviously sought to change that.

An ad from 1986, for Dayton Hudson and the May Company. Both companies owned department stores, which were dying out in the Eighties but were once commonly found in the United States. Anyway, to me this ad definitely screams, "Eighties."

The Late Great Terence Stamp

Terence Stamp, famed for his roles in such movies as Billy Budd (1962), Superman II (1980), and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), died yesterday, August 17 2025, at the age of 87.

Terence Henry Stamp was born on July 22 1938 in Stepney, London. His father was often away from home for long stretches of time as part of the Merchant Navy, so that he was mostly raised by his mother, grandmother, and aunts. His desire to become an actor began when he was three years old and his mother took him to see Beau Geste (1939). Because of that film, he became a fan of both Gary Cooper and movies in general. When he was older he became a fan of James Dean.

After he left school, Terence Stamp worked at various advertising agencies in London. He won a scholarship to Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art, and he began performing at various repertory theatres. At the time his roommate was fellow actor Michael Caine. It was also at this time that he became friends with Peter O'Toole. Terence Stamp toured the United Kingdom in The Long and the Short and the Tall in 1959 and then in 1960 appeared in This Year, Next Year at the Vaudeville Theatre on the West End. He made his television debut in an episode of Spy-Catcher in 1960.

Terence Stamp made his movie debut in Billy Budd (1962), for which he was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor and the BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles. At the Cannes Film Festival, he won the award for Best Actor in The Collector (1965). In the Sixties, Terence Stamp also appeared in the movies Term of Trial (1962), Modesty Blaise (1966), Far from the Madding Crowd (1967), Poor Cow (1967), Blue (1968), the "Toby Dammit" segment of Histoires extraordinaires (1968), Teorema (1968), and The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970). He appeared on Broadway in Alfie, and turned down the role for the movie version (which his former roommate Michael Caine ultimately played).

In the Seventies, Terence Stamp appeared in the films Una stagione all'inferno (1971), Hu-Man (1975), Divina Creatura (1975), Striptease (1977),. Black-Out (1977), Superman (1978), Meetings with Remarkable Man (1979), Amo non amo (1979), and Superman II (1980). He appeared on television in the TV movie The Thief of Baghdad. He appeared on stage in Dracula at the Shaftesbury Theatre on the West End and The Lady from the Sea at the Roundhouse on the West End.

In the Eighties, Terence Stamp appeared in the movies Misterio en isla de los monstruos (1981), Morte in Vaticano (1982), The Hit (1984), The Company of Wolves (1984), Link (1986), Legal Eagles (1986), Hud (1986), The Sicilian (1987), Wall Street (1987), Young Guns (1988), Alien Nation (1988), Genuine Risk (1990), and Stranger in the House (1990). He starred on the TV series Chessgame. He appeared in the mini-series All the World's a Stage.

In the Nineties, he appeared in the movies Beltenbros (1991), The Real McCoy (1993), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994), Tiré à Part (1996), Love Walked In (1997), Bliss (1997), Kiss the Sky (1998), The Limey (1999), Star Wears Episode One -- The Phantom Menace (1999),. Bowfinger (1999), and Red Planet (2000). He was a regular on the TV series The Hunger.

In the Naughts, Terence Stamp was the voice of Jor-El on the TV show Smallville. He appeared in three episodes of His Dark Materials and was a guest voice on Static Shock. He appeared in the films Ma feeme est une actrice (2001), Revelation (2001), Full Frontal (2002), My Boss's Daughter (2003), The Haunted Mansion (2003), Elektra (2005), Separate Lies (2005), Dead Fish (2005), These Foolish Things (2006), September Dawn (2007), Wanted (2008),. Get Smart (2008). Yes Man (2008), and Valkyrie (2008).

In the Teens, Terence Stamp appeared in the movies The Adjustment Bureau (2011), Song for Marion (2012), The Art of the Steal (2013), Big Eyes (2014),. Crow (2016), Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (2016), Bitter Harvest (2017),. Crooked House (2017),. Viking Destiny (2018), and Murder Mystery (2019).  He appeared on television in the TV series His Dark Materials. His last appearance was in the movie Last Night in Soho (2021).

Terence Stamp was an actor of such great talent that to list all of his remarkable performances could easily take a booklet. Over the years, he gave many impressive performances, well beyond those for which he is best known. I have to think Terence Stamp will always be best remembered as General Zod in Superman II by many, and there can be no doubt that it was an incredible performance. Indeed, apart from Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight, I think Terence Stamp's General Zod may well be the greatest comic book supervillain on film of all time. He was impressive even in his film debut, as the title character in Billy Budd. Billy is innocent and naive to the point that he has difficulties dealing with evil.

Over the years, Terence Stamp would play many other impressive roles. In The Collector he played awkward, lonely butterfly collector  Freddie Clegg who abducts art student Miranda Grey (Samantha Eggar). He was the debauched Shakespearean actor of the title in "Toby Dammit."  In Young Guns he played John Tunstall, the English-born rancher who employed William Bonney AKA Billy the Kid). In The Hit, he played London gangster Willie Parker who betrayed his fellow gangsters in exchange for immunity. He also played a criminal, albeit a much more serious, much grittier one, in The Limey. In The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert he played witty, strong-willed trans woman Bernadette. Terence Stamp could play a wide array of roles, from an innocent like Billy Budd to the worldly but noble John Tunstall to archvillain General Zod. He was quite simply one of the most talented actors of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries. 

Sunset Boulevard (1950) Turns 75

In 1950 Hollywood took a long, hard look at itself. In a Lonely Place (1950), directed by Nicholas Ray, premiered on May 17 in New York City and starred Humphrey Bogart as dysfunctional, down-on-his-luck screenwriter Dixon Hill. It was on August 10 1950 that an even darker look at Hollywood premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Sunset Boulevard was directed by Billy Wilder and starred silent film star Gloria Swanson as washed-up silent star Norma Desmond. While some within the industry took offence at the film upon its release (the most famous example being Louis B. Mayer), Sunset Boulevard (1950) received widespread critical acclaim. Sunset Boulevard also proved to be a hit at the box office.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) starred William Holden as washed-up screenwriter Joe Gillis, who finds himself wrapped up in the life of former silent movie star Norma Desmond. Norma, who was at one time a major star, spends her days within her mansion in a fantasy world in which she is still wildly popular. Like many silent movie stars, her mansion is on Sunset Boulevard, hence the name of the film.

As might be expected, the origins of Sunset Boulevard (1950) go back to the history of Sunset Boulevard itself. The history of Sunset Boulevard goes back to the history of Los Angeles itself. It originated in the 1780s as a cattle trail that extended out from the Pueblo de Los Ángeles. Its name, "Sunset Boulevard," first appeared in city street department documents in 1888. One can only assume that it received its name because it heads west, right into the setting sun. Its association with the film industry goes back to 1911, when Nestor Film Company opened its studio on the boulevard. The film industry brought with it money, so that by the 1920s many luxurious houses were built along Sunset Boulevard and around it. The Silent Era during which many luxurious houses were built along Sunset Boulevard would give way to the era of sound film. By the late Forties, some of the most popular silent movie stars were no longer stars, and some of them even lived the lives of recluses. Some, such as Mary Pickford and Pola Negri, lived as recluses. A few, such as Clara Bow and Mae Murray, even suffered from mental disorders.

It was for several years that writer/director Billy Wilder and his writing partner Charles Brackett had been playing with the idea for a movie about a fading silent film star. Originally it was conceived as a light-hearted comedy, but it eventually took a darker direction. Given that the topic of the movie was the film industry itself, the original script was called A Can of Beans to fend off any interference from their studio, Paramount. For basically the same reason they submitted only a few pages of the script to Paramount at a time.

Eventually, Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett ran into problems developing the plot, so they turned to reporter D. M. Marshman, Jr., with whom they played bridge. The writing on Sunset Boulevard was truly collaborative, so it was often hard to determine which writer came up with what. Reportedly, it was D. M. Marshman, Jr. who came up with the idea of the fading silent movie star becoming involved with a younger man. It was also reportedly D. M. Marshman, Jr. who came up with the idea of Joe Gillis being a screenwriter.

As mentioned above, by the late Forties such former silent movie stars as Mary Pickford and Pola Negri had become recluses. Others, such as Clara Bow and Mae Murray, suffered from psychiatric illnesses. There can be no doubt that such legends provided inspiration for Norma Desmond, the former silent star who lives in a fantasy world, convinced that she will soon make her comeback. As to Norma Desmond's name, in Close-up on Sunset Boulevard: Billy Wilder, Norma Desmond, and the Dark Hollywood Dream, author Sam Staggs puts forth the theory that Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett may have been thinking of such "...drug addicted, scandal plagued silent stars Norma Talmadge and Mabel Normand, along with murdered silent film director William Desmond Taylor." In an interview with Anthony Slide on Leonard Maltin's website, D.M. Marshman, Jr. claimed that instead the name was taken from Norma Talmadge and Florence Desmond. Antony Slide pointed out that Florence Desmond had not appeared in silent films, Mr. Marshman said that they thought she had.

Of course, casting would be central to the success of Sunset Boulevard. The book On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder by Ed Sikov goes into some detail on the casting. Charles Brackett claimed that he and Billy Wilder never considered anyone but Gloria Swanson for the role of Norma Desmond. Billy Wilder remembered that they did consider other actors. When the movie was still conceived as s comedy, Billy Wilder wanted Mae West and Marlon Brando. They also considered Pola Negri, but her Polish accent was much too thick. They visited Mary Pickford, but realised before they even explained the movie to her that she would find the idea of being involved with a younger man insulting. It was friend and fellow director George Cukor who suggested Gloria Swanson.

For the role of Norma Desmond's faithful servant Max, Billy Wilder turned to another fellow director, Erich von Stroheim. In fact, the role was specifically written for him. Gloria Swanson and Erich von Stroheim had worked together before, on the film Queen Kelly. Mr. von Stroheim had been fired from the film due to costs, production delays, and creative differences with star and producer Gloria Swanson. The film was never completed. When a clip from Queen Kelly was shown in Sunset Boulevard as one of Norma Desmond's films, it was the first time any footage of the movie was seen in American movie theatres.

The role of screenwriter Joe Gillis originally went to young actor Montgomery Clift. At that point in his career, he had only appeared in The Search (1948) and Red River (1948). At that point, his third film, The Heiress (1949), was not yet complete. When Billy Wilder offered the role of Gillis to Montgomery Clift, he seemed to be excited about the film. Aside from being an up-and-coming star around whom there was a good deal of excitement, Montgomery Clift certainly had advantages over other actors. He already had a contract with Paramount.. If all had gone according to plan, Mr. Clift would have been paid $5000 a week for twelve weeks.

As it turned out, Montgomery Clift ultimately decided he did not want to do Sunset Boulevard (1950). His excuse was that he had already played a younger man involved with an older woman in The Heiress (1949), and did not want to do it again in Sunset Boulevard (1950). Reportedly, he quit the film only two weeks before shooting was about to start. This brief amount of time forced Billy Wilder to consider other actors already signed to Paramount. Ultimately, the role of Joe Gillis went to William Holden. William Holden had seen success prior to World War II with Golden Boy (1939) and Our Town (1940), but he had only seen a moderate amount of success after the war. William Holden proved to be enthusiastic about the script for Sunset Boulevard and eagerly accepted the role of Joe Gillis.

For the role of production assistant and aspiring screenwriter Betty Schaefer who finds herself entangled with Joe Gillis, Billy Wilder wanted a fresh-faced newcomer for the role He picked Paramount contract player Nancy Olson. At the time she was cast as Betty in Sunset Boulevard, she had only made one film--Canadian Pacific (1949). According to Betty Olson in a recent interview with People, "I remember being very impressed that Billy chose me to play Betty Schaefer, and after a certain point, I realised that he wanted me not to be a character; he wanted me to be myself." Billy Wilder not only wanted Nancy Olson to be herself as Betty, but he even wanted her to wear her own clothes.

Other well-known actors filled the smaller roles in Sunset Boulevard (1950). Character actor Fred Clark played the film producer Shedrake (a name Billy Wilder would use again in The Apartment in 1960 and Kiss Me Stupid in 1964). Character actor Lloyd Gough, who later played Mike Axford on the TV series The Green Hornet, played Joe Gillis's agent Morino. Jack Webb, best known as Sgt. Joe Friday on the radio show and TV show Dragnet, played Joe's friend Artie Green.

Given that Sunset Boulevard (1950) is set in Hollywood and is centred on a fading silent movie star, it should come as no surprise that a who's who of Hollywood notables appear in the film. This is particularly true of the famous scene in which Norma plays bridge with friends. While Norma's friends in the scene have traditionally been termed "waxworks," their careers were actually healthier than Norma's career at the time, even if they were no longer the huge stars they once were. Buster Keaton's career was undergoing a revival even as Sunset Boulevard (1950) was released. In 1949 James Agee had written an article on silent comedians for Life magazine. The article revived interest in Buster Keaton and other silent comedians, so that his films were being screened again and Mr. Keaton began appearing on television and in movies. H. B. Warner had played Jesus Christ in the 1927 version of The King of Kings. Although a character actor rather than a star, his career was still strong in the Forties, appearing in the movies Topper Returns (1941), High Wall (1947), and, most notably It's a Wonderful Life (1946). Like H. B. Warner, Anna Q. Nilsson was no longer a big name, but still had a successful career. In the Forties alone she appeared in such films as The Farmer's Daughter (1947) and Adam's Rib (1949). Other famous names appearing in the movie were gossip columnist Hedda Hopper as herself, composer Jay Livingston as a pianist at a party, and, perhaps most famous of them all, director Cecil B. DeMille as himself.

The cinematographer on Sunset Boulevard (1950) was John F. Seitz, with whom Billy Wilder had worked before. John F. Seitz had shot Five Graves to Cairo (1943), Double Indemnity (1944), and The Lost Weekend (1945). The costume designer on Sunset Boulevard (1950) was none other than the legendary Edith Head, who had worked with Billy Wilder multiple times and would work with him again multiple times.

In the movie, Norma Desmond lives at 10086 Sunset Boulevard. In actuality, the house that serves as the exterior of Norma's home in Sunset Boulevard (1950) was at 641 S. Irving Boulevard and stood at the corner of Irving and Wilshire Boulevard. It had been built between 1922 and 1923 for businessman William O. Jenkins. In 1936 it was sold to oil magnate J. Paul Getty. One of Mr. Gerry's former wives was still living in the mansion at the time that Sunset Boulevard was filmed. Before she would let Paramount rent the property, they had to agree to build her a new swimming pool. The mansion would later appear in the Warner Bros. movie Rebel Without a Cause. Unfortunately, the property would be sold in 1957 and it would be torn down to make way for the office building known as the Tidewater Oil Building. It was art director Hans Dreier who was responsible for the over-the-top opulence of Norma Desmond's mansion. His career went back to the Silent Era in Germany, and he had worked on such films as A Farewell to Arms (1932), The Lady Eve (1941), and Holiday Inn (1942). He had worked with Billy Wilder before, on the films Five Graves to Cairo (1943), Double Indemnity (1944), The Lost Weekend (1945), The Emperor Waltz (1948), and A Foreign Affair (1948).

The William O. Jenkins house wasn't the only famous Los Angeles landmark to appear in Sunset Boulevard (1950). Sadly, some of the other landmarks, like the William O. Jenkins house, no longer exist. The legendary Schwab's Pharmacy, which was at 8024 Sunset Boulevard, appears in the film. It closed in 1983 and was demolished in 1988 to make way for a shopping centre. Bullocks Wilshire also appears in the shopping sequence. It was a men's clothing store that was open for more than sixty years. The building still stands and is being used by the Southwestern Law School. Across the street in the shopping scene can be seen Perino's Restaurant, which was at 3927 Wiltshire. It closed in 1986 and was demolished in 2005. Other famous locations appearing in Sunset Boulevard (1950) were the Bel-Air Country Club, Griffith Park, and the corner of Hollywood & Vine. The Alto Nito Apartments where Joe Gillis lived still stand and one can still rent an apartment there.

Of course, since the film industry was at the heart of Sunset Boulevard (1950), the Paramount lot played a big role in the film. Indeed, the scenes of Joe Gillis and Betty Shaefer on the studio backlot actually were filmed on the Paramount backlot. The writer's offices in the movie were the Dreier Building on the Paramount lot, which had been both designed and named for art director Hans Dreier years before the movie was made. As might be expected, Paramount's famed Bronson Gate, the main entrance to the studio for years, also appears in the film.

Principal filming on Sunset Boulevard (1950) took place from April 11 to June 18 1949. While the beginning of Sunset Boulevard (1950) is one of the most famous beginnings of a movie of all time, originally it had a completely different beginning. Originally Sunset Boulevard (1950) began with Joe Gillis's corpse being taken to the morgue, where it speaks to other corpses. Charles Brackett hated the original opening, and thought of it as "morbid and disgusting." As it turned out, audiences did not care for the original opening of Sunset Boulevard (1950) either. The first preview screening of Sunset Boulevard (1950) was held in Evanston, Illinois, where the audience reacted to the film's opening sequence with laughter. A second preview screening in Poughkeepsie, New York had the same result. A third preview screening in Great Neck, Long Island also went poorly.

With three preview screenings having gone badly, Paramount postponed the release of Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Billy Wilder jettisoned the original opening of the film for the one for which it would become famous. More preview screenings of the film would then be held, this time in the Los Angeles area. Unlike the initial previews, these screenings received overall positive reactions. When another screening was held in the Midwest, this time in Detroit, the audience's reactions were more favourable.

It was on August 10 1950 that Sunset Boulevard (1950) premiered at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It received an overly positive notice from New York Times critic Thomas M. Pryor, who ended his review with, "Make no mistake about it. Sunset Boulevard is a motion picture classic." Later, on August 27 1950, Bosley Crowther, the New York Times' chief critic who could at times be hard to please, also gave Sunset Boulevard (1950) appears to have liked Sunset Boulevard, ending his review with, "As a study of greed and frustration, of change and decay, this film is tops." The critics at The New York Times weren't alone in their praise for the film. The film also received positive reviews from The New York Herald-Tribune and The New York Journal-American. Sunset Boulevard (1950) proved to be a hit with audiences at Radio City Music Hall. Bosley Crowther in his review noted "...the swarms of eager patrons which it is now drawing to the Music Hall."

Sunset Boulevard (1950) opened elsewhere in the United States later that month. In Los Angeles, it opened at the Paramount's downtown and Hollywood theatres on August 24 1950. While this was not the case with either Paramount or RKO theatres, some theatres elected to show Sunset Boulevard (1950) together with another movie critical of Hollywood, In a Lonely Place (1950), as a double feature. An example of this was the Lux Theatre in Oakland, California.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) received largely positive reviews beyond New York City. In the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Herbert L Monk wrote of the film, "Bizarre is the word for much of what goes on in Sunset Boulevard. But it's all quite fascinating." The Hollywood Reporter praised the film, noting, "All their previous and distinguished work seems now to be but dress rehearsals for this triumph of motion picture craftsmanship." Both Good Housekeeping and Look praised Gloria Swanson's performance. There were a few detractors. The New Yorker gave the film a bad review, referring to it as "pretentious." One person who detested the film was MGM head Louis B. Mayer, who told Billy Wilder, "You have disgraced the industry that made and fed you! You should be tarred and feathered and run out of Hollywood!"According to Nancy Olson, Billy Wilder's response to Mr. Mayer was simply, "Go f*** yourself." Darryl Zanuck of 20th Century Fox apparently did not think highly of Sunset Boulevard (1950) either. He claimed, "Sunset Boulevard was a masterpiece until it was released throughout the country and failed to do business. It's not so big a masterpiece today."

As it turns out, Darryl Zanuck was wrong on more than one count. The budget for Sunset Boulevard (1950) came out to $1,572,000. It made $2,350,000 in the United States alone. It was then not only a hit with critics, but a hit with audiences as well. Arguably, Sunset Boulevard (1950) was indeed a masterpiece that did well across the country. Not only was Sunset Boulevard (1950) a hit with critics and audiences, but it turned out that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences loved the film as well. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and was the only the fifth movie to receive nominations in every single acting category. Unfortunately, it would also be the second film to be nominated in every single acting category not to win any of them (My Man Godfrey was the first). Ultimately, Sunset Boulevard (1950) only won two Oscars out of its eleven nominations: Best Story and Screenplay and Best Art Direction – Black-and-White. As much of a classic as Sunset Boulevard (1950) has come to be regarded, it was released in a year full of classics, including All About Eve (1950), Born Yesterday (1950), Cyrano de Bergerac (1950), Harvey (1950), and The Third Man (1950), among others.

After having worked together on thirteen films, Sunset Boulevard (1950) would be the last movie on which Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett collaborated. While they no longer worked together they would remain friends. Neither Billy Wilder nor Charles Brackett's careers suffered from the split. Billy Wilder would go on to make such classics as Sabrina (1954), Some Like It Hot (1959), The Apartment (1960), and yet others. Charles Brackett wrote the screenplays for such films as Niagara (1953), Titanic (1953), and The Girl in the Red Velvet Swing (1955).

Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett would face accusations that they had plagiarised the script for Sunset Boulevard (1950). A former accountant for Paramount, Stephanie Joan Carlson, claimed that between 1943 and 1947 she had written a series of stories, some fictional and some based on fact, about life at the studio. She further claimed that she had submitted these stories to Billy Wilder and Charles Brackett and that Sunset Boulevard (1950) resembled a story called "Past Performance" in particular. She sued Messrs. Wilder and Brackett as well as Paramount for $100,000 in general damages, $250,000 in exemplary damages, and $750,000 based on the movie's box office profits. On top of all this was thrown in an extra $350,000. After two and a half years, Stephanie Joan Carlson's lawsuit was dismissed. Another plagiarism lawsuit was filed by playwright Edna Buckler against Paramount Pictures in 1954. It was thrown out the following year.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) would have such a lasting impact that it has been referenced and parodied in movies and television shows ever since its release. Perhaps the most famous parody of all time was a sketch on the 14th episode of the fifth season of The Carol Burnett Show titled "Sunnyset Boulevard." Carol Burnett played an even more demented Nora Desmond, while Harvey Korman played her butler Max. It proved so popular that it led to a series of recurring sketches on the show. Sunset Boulevard (1950) has also been spoofed on such shows as 3rd Rock from the Sun, Tiny Toon Adventures, Archer, and others. Sunset Boulevard (1950) has served as a source of inspiration for yet other films and TV shows, including Sweet Bird of Youth (1962), The Oscar (1966), Valley of the Dolls (1957), The Legend of Lylah Clare (1968), Soapdish (1991), Gods and Monsters (1998), Mulholland Drive (2001), and yet others. The classic episode of The Twilight Zone "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine" owes a good deal to Sunset Boulevard (1950). In the episode, Ida Lupino played fading movie star Barbara Jean Trenton, who like Norma Desmond lives in the past. Both the television shows Twin Peaks and Desperate Housewives referenced Sunset Boulevard (1950) on a regular basis.

Of course, as strange as it may seem, there is also a stage musical based on the film. Attempts to adapt Sunset Boulevard (1950) as a musical actually began when the film was only a few years old. Cabaret singer and pianist Dickson Hughes and actor Richard Wyler approached Gloria Swanson about appearing in a musical revue they had written, About Time. This led to the three of them working on an adaptation of Sunset Boulevard (1950) initially titled Starring Norma Desmond and then The Boulevard! from 1952 to 1956. Any hopes for the musical were dashed when Paramount withdrew their permission in the late Fifties. Material from the musical would later be used in 1994 by Dickson Hughes in his musical Swanson on Sunset, which was based on his experience working with the star.

It was also in the early 1950s that Stephen Sondheim considered a musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard (1950), even writing the first scene with librettist Burt Shevelove. He aborted his plans after running into Billy Wilder at a party, who told him it would work much better as an opera. Hal Prince would later approach Stephen Sondheim about a musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard. He declined Hal Prince's proposal, giving this earlier conversation with Billy Wilder as the reason. Later Hal Prince approached John Kander and Fred Ebb. Discussions with Hal Prince fell apart.

It would be Andrew Lloyd Weber who would finally mount a successful musical adaptation of Sunset Boulevard (1950). It had book and lyrics by Don Black and Christopher Hampton, and music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. It opened on July 12 1993 on the West End of London, with Patti LuPone as Norma Desmond. It has since been produced in Los Angeles, on Broadway, and in various touring productions. It has also seen revivals on the West End and Broadway since then.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) revitalised William Holden's career as he began getting better parts. He would go on to appear in such films as Executive Suite (1955), The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), The Wild Bunch (1969), and Network (1976). Among his successes were further collaborations with Billy Wilder: Stalag 17 (1953), for which he won the Oscar for Best Actor; Sabrina (1954), and Fedora (1978). Sunset Boulevard (1950) would not revive Gloria Swanson's film career, it would guarantee her lasting fame. While she made only three movies after Sunset Boulevard (1950), she made several guest appearances on television shows, including Dr. Kildare, Burke's Law, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, and The Beverly Hillbilies, among other. From 1954 to 1955 she hosted Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson. She guest starred on The Carol Burnett Show in its seventh season, where she got to play Charlie Chaplin in a sketch. Nancy Olson would not become a movie star due to Sunset Boulevard (1950), but she would have a good career, appearing in such films as Pollyanna (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), and Airport 1975 (1974). She was a regular on the shows Kingston Confidential and Paper Dolls.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) was one of the last films to be shot on cellulose nitrate. While cellulose nitrate produced vivid black-and-white images, it was also very flammable and so it was abandoned and replaced by cellulose acetate, Unfortunately, cellulose nitrate also tends to decompose. For this reason most of the prints of Sunset Boulevard (1950) were in very poor condition. It was then that Paramount launched an effort to restore the film digitally. Prior to the restoration, it had been released on Betamax, Laserdisc in 1984, and VHS in 1984. The newly restored version would be released on DVD in 2002. It would be restored digitally again in 2012 for its release on Blu-Ray.

Such is the stature of Sunset Boulevard (1950) that it was among the first movies included in the National Film Registry in 1989, which includes films deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" by the United States. Library of Congress. In 1998, it was ranked no. 12 by the American Film Institute in their list AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies, which included the greatest American films of all time. In Sight and Sound's 2022 list of the Greatest Films of All Time it was ranked at no. 78. Sunset Boulevard (1950) regularly ranks on lists of the greatest movies of all time, and it remains one of the most quoted movies of all time as well (particularly Norma's line, "All right, Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up"). Sunset Boulevard (1950) remains one of the best loved films of all time and is still regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time. Chances are good that even the average person will know the film 75 years from now.

"Angel Baby" by Rosie and The Originals

Yesterday I wrote about Rosie Hamlin. Here is the song for which she is best known, "Angel Baby" by Rosie & The Originals. It is regarded as a classic to this day.

Rosie Hamlin: Chicana Rock 'n' Roll Pioneer

When people think of Chicano pioneers in rock 'n' roll, Ritchie Valens is probably the first to come to mind. Not as well known is a Chicana who wrote and performed one of the most successful singles of the early rock 'n' roll era. "Angel Baby" peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 and spent 13 weeks on the chart. It also peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard R&B chart and spent eight weeks there. "Angel Baby" was written by Rosie Hamlin and she performed the song with her group Rosie and The Originals. 

Rosie Hamlin was born on July 21 1945 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. Her mother was Mexican while her father was an American of English descent. She spent much of her childhood in Alaska before her family moved to California. She came from a musical family. Her father played guitar. Her grandfather played banjo and harmonica. She began her music career when she was very young. She was only 13 when she started singing with a Country & Western band. It was in 1960 that her mother bought her a piano and her aunt began teaching her to play it.

Rosie Hamlin was only 14 years old when she wrote "Angel Baby" as a poem for her very first boyfriend. It was when she was 15 years old that she and some friends rented the only recording studio near San Diego, California where they lived, a studio in San Marcos, California. It was owned by an airplane mechanic who had converted part of his hangar into a recording studio. "Angel Baby" was originally recorded on a two-track machine. Because of this any time someone made a mistake, they had to start all over from the beginning. It took thirty times or more for them to get "Angel Baby" done the way they wanted it. 

Rosie and The Originals could not interest a record label in "Angel Baby." She finally took one of their 45s to Kresge's Department Store in San Diego and asked the manager if he could include the song in the listening booths in the store. The song turned out to be so popular with teenagers at Kresge's that it eventually attracted the attention of a scout from Highland Records, who offered Rosie and The Originals a recording contract.

Rosie and The Originals would follow "Angel Baby" up with two more singles, "Lonely Blue Nights" and "Why Did You Leave Me," neither of which met with success. The group disbanded, and Rosie Hamlin recorded an album with guitarist Noah Tafolla for Brunswick Records. Rosie Hamlin and Noah Tafolla eventually married and had two children. She retired from singing in 1963 to raise her family.

Rosie Hamlin would eventually return to performing. She recorded singles in 1969 and 1973. Rosie & The Originals would also release the album Steppin' Out in Style in 2000. In 2002 Rosie Hamlin released the album Angel Baby Revisited, which included a Spanglish version of "Angel Baby."

While Rosie Hamlin's recording career did not last long, she would have a lasting impact. She was the first Chicana and hence the first Latina to ever appear on American Bandstand. She was also the first Chicana and hence the first Latina to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Her song "Angel Baby" has become a classic and has been recorded by such artists as John Lennon (who counted Rosie Hamlin among his favourite artists), Kathy Young, Linda Ronstadt, Jenni Rivera, and others. Rosie Hamlin was a true pioneer, the very first Chicana to have a hit record, who paved the way for all Chicano artists ever since. 

Dr. Danielle Spencer R.I.P.

Dr. Danielle Spencer, who played little sister Dee Thomas on the classic sticom What's Happening!!, died today, August 11 2025, at the age of 60. The cause was cancer.

Danielle Spencer was born on June 24 1965 in Trenton, New Jersey. Her parents divorced when she was very young, and her mother married Tim Pelt, who she counted as her father. She began acting when she was only seven years old. It was in 1976 that she was cast as Dee Thomas, the younger sister of lead character Roger "Raj" Thomas (Ernest Thomas), on the sitcom What's Happening!!. The show ran for only three seasons, but proved very popular in syndication.

Danielle Spencer also guest starred on The Brady Bunch Variety Hour and NBC Special Treat. She would later reprise her role as an older Dee Thomas on the syndicated sequel series What's Happening Now!!. She has a cameo as a veterinarian in the movie As Good as It Gets (1997). She also had a cameo in an episode of Days of Our Lives in 2001.She also appeared as a veterinarian in the short "Peter Rabbit and the Crucifix" (2001). 

Danielle Spencer attended the University of California-Davis and later UCLA. She earned a degree in veterinary medicine at Tuskegee University in 1993. She set up practice in  Santa Clarita, California, then moved to Richmond, Virginia where she set up a practice. In her capacity as a veterinarian she appeared on local CBS affiliate WTVR-TV where she hosted segments on health care. 

In 2014 Danielle Spencer became the first and only child star inducted into the National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Danielle Spencer's acting career was brief, but a Dee Thomas on What's Happening!! she had an enormous impact. Dee was smart and funny, and always spoke her mind. She often delivered her lines deadpan and tended to be down-to-earth when it came to family life. Her catchphrase, "Ooh, I'm gong to tell Mama," became popular in the late Seventies. Dee became very popular with teenage girls. Of course, Dr. Spencer was also well-respected as a veterinarian and known for her compassion for both animals and humans. She will be long remembered. 

Godspeed Tom Lehrer

Tom Lehrer, the mathematician who saw lasting success as a musical satirist, died on July 26 2025 at the age of 97.

He was born on April 9 1928 in New York City. He grew up in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He was only seven years old when he began taking piano lessons. Not only did he prove to be adept at music from an early age, but mathematics as well. He studied mathematics at Harvard when he was only 15 and graduated with a bachelor's degree in 1946. He earned a master's degree in 1947. He began work on earning a doctorate, but he never did. Even while he was in school he was writing songs. /His song "Fight Fiercely, Harvard" was written even as he was attending the university.

Tom Lehrer began performing his songs at nightclubs. In his book In Joy Still Felt, Issac Asimov described a Tom Lehrer performance in a Boston nightclub on October 9 1954. Mr. Asimov described a song performed by Tom Lehrer about venereal disease that is obviously "I Got It from Agnes." Given its subject matter, it would not be released for years. 

Tom Lehrer paid $15 to record his first album, Songs by Tom Lehrer, at the TransRadio studio on Boylston Street in Boston on January 22 1953. Initially, only 400 copies were pressed. The controversial nature of some of the songs, such as  "I Hold Your Hand in Mine" and 'The Old Dope Peddler," kept Tom Lehrer off the radio, but it proved to be a hit on the Harvard campus. Through word of mouth, interest in the album began to spread to the rest of the country.  Mad magazine printed two of Tom Lehrer's songs in 1957, "The Wild West Is Where I Want to Be" in Mad no. 32 (April 1957) and "The Hunting Song'" in Mad no. 35 (October 1957). 

In 1959 he released his second studio album, More of Tom Lehrer, and his first live album, An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer. They would be followed in 1960 by a second live album, Revisited. In the Sixties Tom Lehrer composed songs for the American version of That Was the Week That Was. Mr. Lehrer did not appear on the show itself, its vocalist Nancy Ames instead performed the songs. Tom Lehrer would later perform songs from That Was the Week That Was at the hungry i nightclub in San Francisco. The performance was recorded and released as the 1965 album That Was the Week That Was. In 1966 Tom Lehrer composed musical satire for The Frost Report in the UK. Tom Lehrer also composed songs for a Dodge industrial film that was shown to dealers in early 1967. 

In the early Seventies, Tom Lehrer composed songs for the educational children's show The Electric Company. During most of the Seventies, Tom Lehrer did not perform live or record new music and continued his career teaching mathematics. His song would often be played on deejay Doctor Demento's show, which started in 1977. It was in 1980 that theatrical producer Cameron Mackintosh produced Tomfoolery, a music revue using the songs of Tom Lehrer. Mr. Lehrer served as a consultant on the revue. It was because of Tomfoolery that Tom Lehrer appeared on the British show Parkinson in 1980.

In 1993 he wrote the song "That's Mathematics" for a video of the Mathematical Sciences Research Institute. On June 7 and 8 1998, he performed as part of Hey, Mr. Producer, a tribute to producer Cameron Mackintosh, at the Lyceum Theatre in London. In 2000 Rhino Entertainment released the box set The Remains of Tom Lehrer, which included his previous albums as well as unreleased material. 

It was in 2020 that Tom Lehrer placed every song he had written in the public remain. He made this official in November 2022. 

Tom Lehrer was a genius. He wrote songs that were witty, at times darkly satirical, and always hilarious. And while he is always described as a musical satirist, he covered a wide number of subjects in his songs. Many of his songs were parodies of established musical genres, such as "Fight Fiercely Harvard," which sent up college fight songs. Some were educational, such as 'The Elements (a list of the elements set to Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General's Song").  Many of his songs were very darkly humorous, including the aforementioned "I Got It From Agnes" and "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park (inspired by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service's use of strychnine to kill pigeons in Boston public areas in the 1950s). Many also commented on society and politics. "The Vatican Rag" dealt with the Second Vatican Council. "Who's Next?" dealt with the escalation of nuclear weapons. Tom Lehrer  Not only were Tom Lehrer's songs witty and savage as far as satire goes, but they were also catchy and very listenable. What is more, Tom Lehrer took a darker, very nonconformist view of society at a time, the Fifties, when conformity was counted as a virtue. He would have a lasting influence not only on musicians and satirists, but everyone from comedians to filmmakers.  

"Xanadu" by Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra

It was 45 years ago today that the movie Xanadu (1980) was released in the United States. By sad coincidence, it was three years ago that Olivia Newton-John died from cancer. As a lad I had a huge crush on Olivia Newton-John. I was also a big fan of the Electric Light Orchestra and Gene Kelly (I still am). Quite naturally, I then went to see Xanadu (1980) at the Saturday matinee following its release, which would make tomorrow (August 9 2025) the 45th anniversary of the first time I ever saw Xanadu (1980).

Xanadu (1980) would be a big of disappointment. It received poor reviews at the time and I was inclined to agree with the critics. Regardless, then as now I loved Olivia Newton-John, I loved ELO, and I loved Gene Kelly. It had a fantastic soundtrack that proved to be a hit on the album charts even as the movie bombed at the box office. To this day Xanadu (1980) remains my strongest memory of Olivia Newton-John from when I was a kid. She was a muse in the movie and she remains a muse to this day. In tribute to Miss Newton-John, Gene Kelly, and ELO, here is "Xanadu" from the movie of the same name.

Mi Vida Loca (1993)

From the late Eighties into the late Nineties, there was an increase in films centred on Chicanos and Chicano culture. The period saw the release of such films as La Bamba (1987), Stand and Deliver (1988), American Me (1992), and Blood In Blood Out (1993). For the most part, these movies were dominated by male characters. A notable exception was Mi Vida Loca (1993), which may quite possibly be the first movie to ever centre on cholas (young women associated with Mexican American street gang culture).

Not only is Mi Vida Loca (1993) unusual in focusing on young Chicanas, but in that it also has an episodic structure with multiple narrators. Indeed, it is divided into three chapters: "Sad Girls Y-Que,' "Don't Let No One Get You Down," and "Sauvecito." The movie follows a group of Cholas, their families, and friends in Echo Park in Los Angeles. The Cholas refer to themselves and each other almost exclusively by their gang names. Among the central characters in Mi Vida Loca (1993) are Sad Girl (Angel Aviles) and Mousie (Seidy López). They were best friends since childhood, but find themselves in conflict after each has a child by the same person (Ernesto, played by Jacob Vargas). Another plot line involves Ernesto's highly customised truck, Sauvecito, which older cholo El Duran (Jesse Borrego) claims he was promised. A third plot line involves Sad Girl's sister, Alicia (nicknamed "La Blue Eyes," played by Magali Alvarado), who is not a chola, but a college girl. She begins a correspondence with a prison inmate after reading one of his poems in Teen Angels magazine. Here I have to point out that there are other plots as well in the film. In his review upon the release of the film, Roger Ebert described the storytelling as "anecdotal," and it is a very accurate description.

Mi Vida Loca (1993) was written and directed by Allison Anders, who had earlier written the film Gas Food Lodging (1992). Her inspiration for Mi Vida Loca (1993) emerged after she moved to Echo Park in Los Angeles in 1986. There she became acquainted with members of the Chola gang the Echo Park Locas. In an interview with Bomb magazine, Ms. Anders said, " I set out to humanise, not colonise a subculture of working-class people, and the voice-over became my tool for imagining the inner life of these feared and stigmatised kids." To ensure the film's authenticity, Allison Anders consulted with actual gang members. In an interview with Screen Slate, she said that they "... read and approved every single draft of the script." She further said, "They were involved and paid and credited in every single department in post and production."It was at the 1992 Sundance Institute's Screenwriters Lab that Allison Anders developed the screenplay for Mi Vida Loca.

Further adding to the authenticity of Mi Vida Loca is the fact that actual gang members were included in the cast of the film. For the most part, they were cast in minor roles, although an exception was Nélida López. Nélida López more or less played herself in the film, using her actual gang name, "Whisper (which she was given because of her soft voice)." She even provided her own costume and styled her own hair, although she did dye it blonde for the film. One of the gang members who took part in making the film, Nica Rogers, died of a drug overdose a few months after the film finished shooting. She left behind a son, whom Alison Anderson eventually adopted. The film was dedicated to Nica Rogers's memory. 

Beyond actual gang members, the cast of Mi Vida Loca (1993) was largely made up of unknown actors who were just starting out. Some of them would go on to even greater fame. It was also in 1993 that Jesse Borrego, who played El Duran, starred in Blood In Blood Out. Danny Trejo, who was also in Blood In Blood Out, appeared in a small role in Mi Vida Loca (1993). Jason Lee made a brief appearance in the film as a white, teenage drug customer. Mi Vida Loca marked the film debut of Salma Hayek, who appears briefly as one of El Duran's girlfriends. As for star Seidy López, she went on to appear in Mi Familia (1995), Selena (1997), the TV series American Family, and the TV series Selena: The Series. Bertila Damas, who played Giggles's (Marlo Marron) friend Rachel, was already well established in her career. She had played the villainous Marta in the telenovela Angélica, Mi Vida and appeared in the TV series The Golden Palace. She has since appeared in everything from two Star Trek series to Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Shooting on Mi Vida Loca (1993) began in late May 1992. It was completed in early July 1992. It was shot on location in Echo Park, and the film serves as a document of the neighbourhood as it was in 1992.  According to Allison Anders in the aforementioned interview with Screen Slate, the art department rented set dressing from people in the neighbourhood and even rented homes from people in Echo Park. The wardrobe for the women in the film came from the Woolworth's on Sunset Boulevard that the real-life cholas in Echo Park actually shopped.

Mi Vida Loca (1993) premiered at the Directors Fortnight of the Cannes Film Festival on May 21 1993. It would be recut a good deal after being screened at Cannes. It would later be screened at Mercato Internazionale Del Film e del Documentario in October 1993 the Stockholm International Film Festival in November 1993, the Sundance Film Festival in January 1994, and the San Francisco International Film Festival in April. It was released in the United States on July 15 1994.

For the most part, Mi Vida Loca (1993) received positive reviews from critics, even if they were not necessarily overly glowing. Emmanuel Levy gave the movie a good review, although he thought it lacked "... a discernible point of view." Roger Ebert gave Mi Vida Loca  (1993) three out of four stars, but wrote of the movie, "The storytelling is not very well organised; the movie is more anecdotal than involving." Owen McNally in The Hartford Courant enjoyed the film, beginning his review with "Three cheers for writer-director Allison Anders for her portrait of young Latino women, struggling to carve out lives and identities all their own in the tough, colourful Los Angeles neighbourhood of Echo Park in Mi Vida Loca (My Crazy Life). In sharp contrast was Todd McCarthy's overly negative review in Variety, in which he complained of the movie, "Unfortunately, the little vignettes Anders has developed of life in Echo Park never coalesce into a proper structure or even a vivid fresco of a community."

Mi Vida Loca (1993) made $3,267,313 worldwide. While that might not sound like much, it was a good amount given the film was made on a shoestring budget. Mi Vida Loca (1993) aired on HBO and Cinemax following its theatrical run. It was released on home video on February 21 1995. It was released on DVD on September 6 2005. Strangely enough, Mi Vida Loca (1993) is not available on streaming beyond copies that have been uploaded to YouTube. In some respects this is not unusual given that Blood In Blood Out (1993) did not become available on streaming until last year. In other respects, it is unusual given Stand and Deliver (1988), American Me (1992), Mi Familia (1995), and other classic Chicano movies are available on streaming. Regina Luz Jordan, founder of Hollhywoodland News, has begun a campaign to return Mi Vida Loca (1993) to streaming services. She notes in her post on Hollywood News about the campaign, "It was one of the first films to centre the stories of young Latina women in Los Angeles, portraying their struggles and triumphs in a way that was authentic and unapologetic."

Mi Vida Loca (1993) was certainly a historic and groundbreaking film. It was one of the first movies to focus on Cholas. Prior movies dealing with Chicano gang culture, such as American Me (1992) and Blood In Blood Out (1993), had centred exclusively on males. And while earlier movies focused primarily on gang activity, Mi Vida Loca deals primarily with the everyday lives of its characters. And for the most part, it avoided common Chicano stereotypes. The film ultimately resonated with many young women growing up in neighbourhoods like Echo Park in the 1990s. The cultural impact of Mi Vida Loca (1993) is still being felt over thirty years after its release. 

Godspeed Loni Anderson

Loni Anderson, best known for playing receptionist Jennifer Marlowe on the classic sitcom WKRP in Cincinnati, died yesterday, August 3 2025, at the age of 79 following a prolonged illness.

Loni Anderson was born on August 5 1945 in St. Paul, Minnesota. She grew up in Roseville Minnesota. She graduated from Alexander Ramsey Senior High School there in 1963. She was studying art at the University of Minnesota when she was a runner-up in the Miss Minnesota pageant. 

In Minneapolis she appeared on stage as Billie in Born Yesterday, wearing a blonde wig to do so (Miss Anderson was naturally dark haired). It was the legendary Pat O'Brien, who appeared with her ain another play, who told her she should go to Hollywood. It was then in 1975 that she moved to Hollywood. She also dyed her hair platinum blonde. 

Loni Anderson made her television debut in an episode of S.W.A.T. in 1975. In 1975 she made her movie debut in Vigilante Force. It was in 1978 that she was cast as Jennifer Marlowe, the receptionist of the title radio station on WKRP in Cincinnati. Jennifer was a sharp contrast to most blondes on television at the time. She was easily the smartest person at the station and it could not possibly be run without her. In the Seventies, Loni Anderson also guest starred on the shows The Invisible Man, Harry O, Phyllis, Police Woman, Barnaby Jones, The McLean Stevenson Show, The Bob Newhart Show, The Love Boat, The Incredible Hulk, Three's Company, and Fantasy Island. She starred on Jayne Mansfield in the TV movie The Jayne Mansfield Story.

In the Eighties, she continued to appear on WKRP in Cincinnati. She starred on the shows Partners in Crime (with Lynda Carter) and Easy Street. She guest starred on Amazing Stories and B.L. Stryker. She appeared in several TV movies, including remakes of A Letter to Three Wives; Sorry, Wrong Number; and Three Coins in a Fountain (as Coins in a Fountain). She was the voice of Blondie Bumstead in two TV specials based on the comic strip, Blondie & Dagwood and Blondie & Dagwood: Second Wedding Workout. She appeared in the movies Stroker Ace (1983) and The Lonely Guy (1984), She was the voice of Flo in the animated movie All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989).

In the Nineties, Loni Anderson starred on the final season of the sitcom Nurses. She reprised her role as Jennifer Marlowe on two episodes of The New WKRP in Cincinnati. She guest starred o the sitcoms Empty Nest, Burke's Law, Women of the House, Melrose Place, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Clueless, Movie Stars, and V.I.P. She starred in a few TV movies, including White Hot: The Mysterious Murder of Thelma Todd. She appeared in the movies Munchie (1992), 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain (1998), and A Night at the Roxbury (1998). 

In the Naughts, she starred on the short-lived sitcoms The Mullets and So Notorious. She guest starred on the show Three Sisters. In the Teens, she was a regular on the sitcom My Sister is So Gay. She guest starred on the show Baby Daddy. In 2023 she made her last appearance on screen in the TV movie Ladies of the '80s: A Divas Christmas. 

Loni Anderson was an enormous talent. There can be no doubt that they she will always be best remembered as Jennifer on WKRP in Cincinnati. She was so good in the role and there can be no doubt that she, along with much of the rest of the cast, was responsible for much of its success. Of course, she also played other roles. Given her looks, it was perhaps no surprise she would be cast as blonde bombshells Jayne Mansfield and Thelma Todd, but she was also very convincing in the roles. She was also great as self-absorbed hospital administrator Casey McAfee. Loni Anderson's talent was obvious even early in her career, as shown in the Incredible Hulk episode "Of Guilt, Models and Murder." In addition to being a talented actress, Loni Anderson was also a kind, gracious woman. My dearest Vanessa Marquez got to work with her on the Nurses episode "The One After the Earthquake" and had fond memories of the experience. Loni Anderson was a remarkable woman who will always be remembered.

Chicano Heritage Month

It was in 2021 that Santa Ana, California became the first major city to observe August as Chicano Heritage Month. In 2022  Representative Lou Correa of California introduced a resolution to recognize August as Chicano Heritage Month and he reintroduced it again in August 2023. While it has yet to be nationally recognized, Chicano Heritage Month has been adopted by various other cities and counties around the nation. As to why August was chosen for Chicano Heritage Month, it was on August 29 1970 that the National Chicano Moratorium Committee Against The Vietnam War held their largest march in Los Angeles. It was while he was covering this march that award-winning and pioneering journalist Ruben Salazar was killed by a tear gas round that struck him in the head. 

While there is already Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, there is still a need for Chicano Heritage Month. It recognizes the unique experience of Mexican Americans in the United States, from the fight against segregation to the farm worker movement to the Chicano rights movement. While there are certainly similarities between the various Latino ethnicities, there are also significant differences. The Cuban experience is different from the Puerto Rican experience which is different from the Mexican American experience. 

Although I have never been particularly vocal about it, I have observed various commemorative months here at A Shroud of Thoughts for years, from Black History Month to Native American Heritage Month. I have observed Chicano Heritage Month since 2023 and will do so again this year with post related to Chicano popular culture. While I am not Chicano myself, Chicano Heritage Month is particularly important to me as the dearest person in my life, Vanessa Marquez, was a Chicana. Regardless of what others might think, it is important to me that the contributions of multiple ethnicities to American history be acknowledged, particularly given I am part Native myself.

The Late Great George Kooymans

George Kooymans, co-founder of the Dutch rock band Golden Earring as well as its guitarist and one of its songwriters, died on July 22 at the age of 77. He had been diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, in 2021. 

George Kooymans was born on March 11 1948 in The Hague, Netherlands. He was only 13 years old when he and his neighbour 15-year-old neighbor, Rinus Gerritsen formed a band called "The Tornados" in 1961. They changed their name to The Golden Earrings when they learned of the English instrumental group also called The Tornados. Their first single, "Please Go," was recorded at Pye Studios in the United Kingdom because their manager at the time did not find Dutch studios satisfactory. "Please Go" proved to be a hit in the Netherlands, going to no. 8 on the Dutch singles chart.

The band's original lead vocalist, Frans Krassenburg, was replaced by Barry Hay in 1968. It was in 1970 that Cesar Zuiderwijk became the band's drummer. The classic line-up of George Kooymans, Rinus Gerritsen. Barry Hayk, and Cesar Zuiderwijk would remain in place until George Kooymans retired due to his illness in 2021. The classic lineup of Golden Earring is then the longest running lineup of any band in rock history. It was in 1969 that The Golden Earrings became simply The Golden Earring. In 1970 it would be shortened to simply "Golden Earring."

It was in 1973 that Golden Earring finally broke though the English speaking market, with their song "Radar Love" peaking at no. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 7 on the UK singles chart. The song was written by George Kooymans and Barry Hay. Golden Earring would have further hits in the English language market with "The Twilight Zone" (no. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 13 on Canada Top Singles) and "When the Lady Smiles" (no. 76 on the Billboard Hot 100). The former was written by George Kooymans and the latter by George Kooymans and Barry Hays.

While Golden Earring would have no further major hits int the US or UK, they continued to do well on the charts in the Netherlands well into the Naughts. In the United States they maintained a cult following, and "Radar Love" remained popular on FM radio. 

In addition to writing or co-writing songs for Golden Earring, George Kooymans also produced other artists, including Ernie Van, New Adventures, Herman Brood and His Wild Romance, Nancy Boyd, and Anouk, among others. He was a member and co-founder the Dutch supergroup Vreemde Kostgangers. 

There can be no doubt that George Kooymans was responsible for much of the success of Golden Earring. He was a talented guitarist, His guitar work was both powerful and insistent, and his riffs often permeated with the blues. He was also an excellent songwriter, writing or co-writing such songs as "That Day," "Sounds of the Screaming Day," "Radar Love," "Weekend Love," "Candy's Going Bad," "The Twilight Zone," "When the Lady Smiles," and others. Geroge Kooymans was simply a remarkable musician and songwriter who left behind a great legacy of music.