NaNoWriMo Take 3: The Path Not Chosen

Those of you who read this blog regularly know that I am participating in the event known as National Novel Writing Month or, more simply, NaNoWriMo, in which one attempts to write a 50,000 word novel in the 30 days of November. I must say that it has been a challenge for me. For much of the month I have been behind on my word count. For a time, early this week, I was actually ahead on my word count. Now I am behind again! Fortunately, I am now at a bit over 30,000 words. With the Thanksgiving holiday coming up, I know I can complete my novel in time.

At any rate, National Novel Writing Month has gotten me to thinking about the writing process. Those who have never written anything other than a letter or a grocery list may not realise this, but not all writers go about writing in the same way. The writing process varies for each of us. And in some cases it may vary according to what they are writing. My process for writing nonfiction is different from my process for writing fiction (more on that later).

As to writing fiction, I have always preferred to start with at least a rough outline of my plot. I am not alone in this, as such authors as Philip K. Dick and Russell Banks worked from outlines. Of course, even writers who work from outlines might not approach writing in quite the same way. Some might write their novel in chronological order. This is the way I approached my first novel and the short stories I have written. Others might write their novels out of chronological order. I may be mistaken (and she can feel free to correct me), but I believe this is how A Cat of Impossible Colour (who is a published novel writer, unlike myself) approaches her writing. Yet others actually write the ending first and then work backwards. Even when working from an outline, there are no hard and fast rules in writing a novel.

Of course, with my NaNoWriMo novel, I have had to take a different approach. I did not even come up with an idea for my novel until nearly Halloween. This gave me no time to create even a rough plot outline. As a result I am more or less making things up as I go along. This might sound like a rather haphazard approach, but some fairly successful authors do simply start writing and continue until their story ends where it ends. Indeed, this was the process James Clavell used and Stephen King still uses. And I have to admit I have found this approach exciting. After all, I am discovering new characters and new plot twists as I write, almost as if I was reading a book. That having been said, this process has been a bit nerve racking. I have never been quite satisfied with the McGuffin of my novel and this week thought of a better one. Typically, I would simply go back and revise what I have written to incorporate the new McGuffin. With the deadline of November 30 looming over my head, however, I really cannot afford to do this. Any rewriting will have to wait, so that for now incorporating the new McGuffin will remain a path not chosen. Of course, if I had developed a plot outline beforehand, I would have come up with a better McGuffin before the writing even began....

Ironically, one would think I would be accustomed to working without an outline, as this is precisely the way I approach my non-fiction. Even in longer works, I have never used an outline in writing non-fiction--despite whatever I was taught in Composition class. I do not wholly understand why I am this way, unless it is that I find miscellaneous facts and theories easier to keep track of than characters and plot points! If I ever meet Stephen King I'll have to ask him if he approaches writing non-fiction differently from fiction, if he actually uses an outline in his non-fiction! I think it would be funny if he did.

Regardless of how I am writing my NaNoWriMo novel, I must say I have mixed feelings about its current state. As I said before, I am not happy with the plot's McGuffin. And I do worry about some of the plot holes and the rough state of the dialogue. But then, I have to confess, there are things I like a lot about it. Although my  NaNoWriMo novel is ostensibly a horror/fantasy novel set in a historical period (Cromwellian England), I realised its plot is that of an archetypal Western (think cattlemen trying to drive farmers off their land, but replace "cattlemen" with "witches' coven..."). I also like the fact that I have created some fairly cool sequences in the novel, involving such things as flying demons and a succubus (no, this is not a "bodice ripper"--it's 17th Century England, so things don't get that steamy). And it does have the sort of swashbuckling I always loved in those old Errol Flynn and Tyrone Power movies!

 Anyhow, I don't know if this novel will ever be published, and I suppose it does not matter. To simply be able to state I wrote a whole novel in one month, even a bad novel, is quite an accomplishment. I mean, exactly how many people can say that they have done that?

Actor Dennis Cole R.I.P.

Actor Dennis Cole, an actor who was a regular on the Sixties series Felony Squad and the Seventies series Bearcats, passed on November 15, 2009 at the age of 69.

Dennis Cole was born on July 19, 1940 in Detroit, Michigan. He learned to sing and act while he was still a child. After moving to Hollywood, Cole found work as a model for men's physique magazines and as a stunt man in both TV shows and movies. His first role was an uncredited one in the John Wayne movie The Comancheros . His big break came in 1965 when he was cast as a regular on the soap opera Paradise Bay. In 1966 he was cast as Detective Jim Briggs on Felony Squad. He was with the show for the entirety of its run. In 1969 he was a regular on the drama Bracken's World, which ran only one season. He was also one of the leads on the short lived 1971 show Bearcats. Afterwards Cole appeared frequently as a guest star on such television shows as The Streets of San Francisco, Barbary Coast, Medical Center, Police Story, Charlie's Angels, Three's Company, Mike Hammer, The A-Team, and Murder She Wrote. In 1972 he appeared on Broadway in the play All the Girls Came Out to Play. He had also performed his own musical revue in both Hollywood and Las Vegas and went on the national tour with the play Victor/Victoria.

The Late, Great Edward Woodward

English actor Edward Woodward passed yesterday at the age of 79. The cause was pneumonia. Woodward  starred in the British spy series Callan in the late Sixties and the American action series The Equalizer in the Eighties. He also starred in the movie The Wicker Man opposite Christopher Lee and in the Australian film Breaker Morant. As a stage actor he appeared both on London's West End and New York's Broadway. As a singer he released twelve albums.

Edward Woodward was born in Croydon, Surrey, England on June 1, 1930. He was only 16 years old when he won a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, becoming one of the youngest students ever accepted into the academy. Despite this, he very nearly became a footballer rather than an acto. He actually appeared the books of both Brentford FC and Leyton Orient before a knee injury sidetracked his career.

Having made his stage debut when he in 1946 when he was 16, Woodward made his debut on London's West End in 1954, in R.F. Delderfield's comedy Where There's a Will. This would lead to Woodward's motion picture debut, when he repeated his role for the 1955 adaptation of the play. In 1955 he appeared on the West End in the play A Girl Named Jo. Woodward acted with the Royal Shakespeare Company and, in 1962, appeared in one of his most successful roles on the West End, as a meek football fan in Rattle of a Simple Man. A hit in London, the play fared less well when it debuted on Broadway in 1963. While the play was not a hit, Woodward received good notices in the part. Woodward returned to Broadway in High Spirits in 1965 and in The Best Laid Plans in 1966. In 1970 he appeared as Sidney Carton on the West End in Two Cities, a musical based on A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.

Edward Woodward made his television debut in a guest appearance on the show Inside Story in 1960. That same year he appeared in the film Inn for Trouble. The next several years Woodward guest starred on such shows as Adventure Story, Sir Francis Drake, ITV Play of the Week, The Defenders, The Saint, Armchair Theatre, The Baron,Sword of Honour, and Sherlock Holmes. It was an appearance on an episode of Armchair Theatre in 1967 that cast Woodward in the role that would bring him fame. In the teleplay "A Magnum for Schneider," Woodward played David Callan, a retired assassin with a conscience for a secret British government agency. This episode of Armchair Theatre proved successful enough to give birth to the TV show Callan, which ran from 1967 to 1972 for a total of 43 episodes. So successful was the series that its cancellation brought howls of protests from outraged viewers.

The Seventies saw Woodward appear in such films as Sitting Target, Young Winston, Three for All, and Stand Up Virgin Soldiers. He reprised his role as David Callan in the feature film adaptation of "A Magnum for Schneider," entitled Callan, in 1974. He also appeared as the lead in the sci-fi drama series 1990, which ran for 16 episodes from 1977 to 1978. It would be in 1973 that he would star in what may be his best known role, as Sergeant Howie in The Wicker Man. Sergeant Howie was a very different character from Callan. He was a Calvinist police officer whose investigation of the disappearance of a young girl leads him to a modern day revival of paganism. While the film would initially only meet with moderate success in the United Kingdom, it would eventually become of the most popular cult films of all time and one of the most popular horror movies of the Seventies.

It was in 1980 that Edward Woodward played what be his best known movie role besides Sgt. Howie in The Wicker Man. He appeared in Breaker Morant as the character of the same name, the historical Australian drover, poet, and soldier who was court martialled for the murder of Boer prisoners. The same year he played the lead in the TV series Nice Work. In the Eighties Woodward appeared in such films as The Appointment, Who Dares Wins, Champions, and King David. He reprised the role of David Callan in the telefilm Wet Job.  It was in 1985 that Woodward was cast as former secret agent turned vigilante Robert McCall in The Equalizer.Robert McCall could have almost have been Callan in his retirement. He was a former spy who tried to atone for his past sins by offering his services free of charge as a detective and troubleshooter to the downtrodden.

In the Nineties Edward Woodward appeared as the lead in the TV series Over My Dead Body, which ran for 11 episodes from 1990 to 1991. He was one of the cast in the dramedy Common as Musk, which ran from 1994 to 1997. He was a regular on the British spy series CI5: The New Professionals, which ran for thirteen episodes in 1998. He also appeared in the telefilm Gulliver's Travels and the films Mister Johnson, Deadly Advice, The House of Angelo, and Marcie's Dowry. The Naughts saw Woodward appear in guest appearances on La Femme Nikita, Dark Realm, and The Bill. He appeared in the films The Abduction Club and Hot Fuzz. His last work was in the movie A Congregation of Ghosts, now in post-production.

In addition to albums from the musicals in which he appeared, Edward Woodward also released twelve solo albums. In 1971 in the United Kingdom he charted with the single "The Way You Look Tonight." His albums The Man Alone (1970) and The Edward Woodward Album (1972) also charted.

Edward Woodward is one of my favourite actors of all time. It is not simply that he starred in some of my favourites TV shows and movies, but that he was an actor of no little talent. It is true that in his best known roles he played strong men of great conviction--David Callan, Sgt. Howie in The Wicker Man, Breaker Morant in the movie of the same name, Breaker Morant in the movie of the same name, and Robert McCall--but he was capable of playing other sorts of roles. He played the deeply flawed King Saul in the film King David, and the milquetoast protagonist of the play Rattle of a Simple Man. Over the years he played characters ranging from Sherlock Holmes to the Ghost of Christmas Present in a television adaptation of A Christmas Carol to Simon Legree. What is more, Woodward was convincing in every role he played. He was an actor of no small talent.

Television Writer David Lloyd and Comic-Con Founder Shel Dorf Pass On

David Lloyd

 David Lloyd, who wrote episodes for many classic sitcoms, passed on November 10 at the age of 75. The cause was prostate cancer. Among the many episodes he wrote was the classic "Chuckles Bites the Dust" episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, in which WJM-TV's children host Chuckles the Clown dies under somewhat humorous circumstances.

David Lloyd was born on July 7, 1934 in Bronxville, New York. His father was H. Wilson Lloyd, who worked in advertising but also dabbled in song writing and humour. Lloyd graduated from Yale and afterwards served in the United States Navy. He taught school for a time before breaking into television, writing monologues for Johnny Carson on The Tonight Show. In 1967 he was one of the writers on a television adaptation of  A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to the Forum. In 1970 he joined the writing staff of The Dick Cavett Show. It was in 1973 that he began writing for sitcoms, writing episodes for Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. In 1974 he served as executive story editor on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, for which he wrote thirty one episodes.

David Lloyd would go onto write for some of the best sitcoms of the next few decades, including The Bob Newhart Show, Taxi, Cheers, Amen, and Frasier. He served as a producer on the shows Best of the West, At Your Service, Amen, and Frasier. He was a creative consultant or script consultant on Taxi, Cheers, Dear John, and Frasier. He was the creator of the sitcom Brothers, which aired on the pay cable channel Showtime in the Eighties.

It is a testament to the talent of David Lloyd that he not only won an Emmy award for "Chuckles Bites the Dust," but it was named by TV Guide as the third best episode of any show in the history of television. While I am not sure I would rank "Chuckles Bites the Dust" that high, it was certainly a great episode of many written by David Lloyd. He had a gift for the sitcom format that only a few other writers possessed.

Shel Dorf

Shel Dorf, a well known comic book collector who became the founder of Comic-Con, passed on November 3 at the age of 76. The cause was complications related to diabetes.

Shel Dorf was born Sheldon Dorf in Detroit, Michigan on July 5, 1933. As a child he was a huge fan of both comic strips and comic books. He even made friends with cartoonists by sending them Christmas Cards. In 1949 when his family made a trip to Illinois, Dorf made a surprise visit to Dick Tracy creator Chester Gould. He was surprised when the famous cartoonist recognised his name. Dorf studied at the Art Institute in Chicago, then served as a staff artist on The Detroit Free Press. It was in 1965 that Shel Dorf and the legendary Jerry Bails took over the organising of a Detroit comic book convention from Robert Brusch (who had organised it in 1964) and renamed it Detroit Fan Fair.  It was when he drove his parents to San Diego, California where they wished to retire that he decided to move there himself. It was that same year he organised his first convention, a small one day affair at which Forrest J. Ackerman was the guest of honour.

It was later in 1970 that he organised his first three day convention in San Diego, the Golden State Comic-Con, held from August 1 to August 3. Attended by 300 people that year, the annual convention would evolve into the San Diego Comic-Con International, more simply known as Comic-Con. It has since become the biggest comic book convention in the world. Over 125,000 people attended this year's convention. Dorf helped organise the convention for its first fifteen years of existence.

Shel Dorf also served as a letter on the comic strip Steve Canyon beginning in the Seventies, for the last fourteen years of its existence. He served as a consultant on Warren Beatty's 1990 adaptation of Dick Tracy. He also published interviews with both Milton Caniff and Mort Waker, as well as publishing collections of the Dick Tracy comic strips in comic book form.

Sheld Dorf was a dedicated comic book fan who dedicated much of his life to the promotion of comic strips and comic books. He truly loved the form and wanted its creators to get the recognition they deserved. Indeed, when he left Comic-Con it was because he felt that it had been taken over by Hollywood--too much emphasis was being placed on film and video games and not enough on comic books and comic strips. He was definitely devoted to the medium of comic strips and comic books, and one of its most loyal fans.

Nanowrimo Take 2: Lester Dent’s Master Plot Formula

For those of you who missed it, last week I wrote a post about National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo, an annual event in which I am currently participating. NaNoWriMo is essentially a month long, writing project in which participants try to write a 50,000 word novel in only thirty day. Here I must point out that while it is still called "National Novel Writing Month," it has been international in scope for years now.

Whether one has written before or whether they have never written in his or her life, I think we can all agree that writing a 50,000 word novel in thirty days is a challenge. And it is particularly challenging if one began NaNoWriMo with only the concept of a novel, but only a few ideas on the plot, as I have. With no plot outline to go by, I have found the plot of my novel growing organically as I write. Surprisingly, what I have written so far appears somewhat cogent and I have not found any plot holes. Of course, over the course of the next two weeks, I cannot guarantee it will stay that way!

Of course, if I had thought of it before November 1, I simply would have looked to my idol Lester Dent (creator of pulp magazine hero Doc Savage) for advice. During his many years of writing, Mr. Dent developed and wrote down a master plot formula for any 6000 word pulp story. Given that most of the Doc Savage novels also follow this master plot formula, I would say it would work for short novels as well! Anyhow, Lester Dent's Master Plot Formula is as follows:
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This is a formula, a master plot, for any 6000 word pulp story. It has worked on adventure, detective, western and war-air. It tells exactly where to put everything. It shows definitely just what must happen in each successive thousand words.

No yarn of mine written to the formula has yet failed to sell.

The business of building stories seems not much different from the business of building anything else.

Here's how it starts:

1. A DIFFERENT MURDER METHOD FOR VILLAIN TO USE
2. A DIFFERENT THING FOR VILLAIN TO BE SEEKING
3. A DIFFERENT LOCALE
4. A MENACE WHICH IS TO HANG LIKE A CLOUD OVER HERO

One of these DIFFERENT things would be nice, two better, three swell. It may help if they are fully in mind before tackling the rest.

A different murder method could be--different. Thinking of shooting, knifing, hydrocyanic, garroting, poison needles, scorpions, a few others, and writing them on paper gets them where they may suggest something. Scorpions and their poison bite? Maybe mosquitos or flies treated with deadly germs?

If the victims are killed by ordinary methods, but found under strange and identical circumstances each time, it might serve, the reader of course not knowing until the end, that the method of murder is ordinary. Scribes who have their villain's victims found with butterflies, spiders or bats stamped on them could conceivably be flirting with this gag.

Probably it won't do a lot of good to be too odd, fanciful or grotesque with murder methods.

The different thing for the villain to be after might be something other than jewels, the stolen bank loot, the pearls, or some other old ones.

Here, again one might get too bizarre.

Unique locale? Easy. Selecting one that fits in with the murder method and the treasure--thing that villain wants--makes it simpler, and it's also nice to use a familiar one, a place where you've lived or worked. So many pulpateers don't. It sometimes saves embarrassment to know nearly as much about the locale as the editor, or enough to fool him.

Here's a nifty much used in faking local color. For a story laid in Egypt, say, author finds a book titled "Conversational Egyptian Easily Learned," or something like that. He wants a character to ask in Egyptian, "What's the matter?" He looks in the book and finds, "El khabar, eyh?" To keep the reader from getting dizzy, it's perhaps wise to make it clear in some fashion, just what that means. Occasionally the text will tell this, or someone can repeat it in English. But it's a doubtful move to stop and tell the reader in so many words the English translation.

The writer learns they have palm trees in Egypt. He looks in the book, finds the Egyptian for palm trees, and uses that. This kids editors and readers into thinking he knows something about Egypt.

Here's the second installment of the master plot.

Divide the 6000 word yarn into four 1500 word parts. In each 1500 word part, put the following:

FIRST 1500 WORDS

1. First line, or as near thereto as possible, introduce the hero and swat him with a fistful of trouble. Hint at a mystery, a menace or a problem to be solved--something the hero has to cope with.
2. The hero pitches in to cope with his fistful of trouble. (He tries to fathom the mystery, defeat the menace, or solve the problem.)
3. Introduce ALL the other characters as soon as possible. Bring them on in action.
4. Hero's endevours land him in an actual physical conflict near the end of the first 1500 words.
5. Near the end of first 1500 words, there is a complete surprise twist in the plot development.

SO FAR: Does it have SUSPENSE? Is there a MENACE to the hero? Does everything happen logically?

At this point, it might help to recall that action should do something besides advance the hero over the scenery. Suppose the hero has learned the dastards of villains have seized somebody named Eloise, who can explain the secret of what is behind all these sinister events. The hero corners villains, they fight, and villains get away. Not so hot.

Hero should accomplish something with his tearing around, if only to rescue Eloise, and surprise! Eloise is a ring-tailed monkey. The hero counts the rings on Eloise's tail, if nothing better comes to mind. They're not real. The rings are painted there. Why?

SECOND 1500 WORDS

1. Shovel more grief onto the hero.
2. Hero, being heroic, struggles, and his struggles lead up to:
3. Another physical conflict.
4. A surprising plot twist to end the 1500 words.

NOW: Does second part have SUSPENSE? Does the MENACE grow like a black cloud? Is the hero getting it in the neck? Is the second part logical?

DON'T TELL ABOUT IT! Show how the thing looked. This is one of the secrets of writing; never tell the reader--show him. (He trembles, roving eyes, slackened jaw, and such.) MAKE THE READER SEE HIM.

When writing, it helps to get at least one minor surprise to the printed page. It is reasonable to to expect these minor surprises to sort of inveigle the reader into keeping on. They need not be such profound efforts. One method of accomplishing one now and then is to be gently misleading. Hero is examining the murder room. The door behind him begins slowly to open. He does not see it. He conducts his examination blissfully. Door eases open, wider and wider, until--surprise! The glass pane falls out of the big window across the room. It must have fallen slowly, and air blowing into the room caused the door to open. Then what the heck made the pane fall so slowly? More mystery.

Characterizing a story actor consists of giving him some things which make him stick in the reader's mind. TAG HIM.

BUILD YOUR PLOTS SO THAT ACTION CAN BE CONTINUOUS.


THIRD 1500 WORDS

1. Shovel the grief onto the hero.
2. Hero makes some headway, and corners the villain or somebody in:
3. A physical conflict.
4. A surprising plot twist, in which the hero preferably gets it in the neck bad, to end the 1500 words.

DOES: It still have SUSPENSE? The MENACE getting blacker? The hero finds himself in a hell of a fix? It all happen logically?

These outlines or master formulas are only something to make you certain of inserting some physical conflict, and some genuine plot twists, with a little suspense and menace thrown in. Without them, there is no pulp story.

These physical conflicts in each part might be DIFFERENT, too. If one fight is with fists, that can take care of the pugilism until next the next yarn. Same for poison gas and swords. There may, naturally, be exceptions. A hero with a peculiar punch, or a quick draw, might use it more than once.

The idea is to avoid monotony.

ACTION: Vivid, swift, no words wasted. Create suspense, make the reader see and feel the action.

ATMOSPHERE: Hear, smell, see, feel and taste.

DESCRIPTION: Trees, wind, scenery and water.

THE SECRET OF ALL WRITING IS TO MAKE EVERY WORD COUNT.
FOURTH 1500 WORDS

1. Shovel the difficulties more thickly upon the hero.
2. Get the hero almost buried in his troubles. (Figuratively, the villain has him prisoner and has him framed for a murder rap; the girl is presumably dead, everything is lost, and the DIFFERENT murder method is about to dispose of the suffering protagonist.)
3. The hero extricates himself using HIS OWN SKILL, training or brawn.
4. The mysteries remaining--one big one held over to this point will help grip interest--are cleared up in course of final conflict as hero takes the situation in hand.
5. Final twist, a big surprise, (This can be the villain turning out to be the unexpected person, having the "Treasure" be a dud, etc.)
6. The snapper, the punch line to end it.

HAS: The SUSPENSE held out to the last line? The MENACE held out to the last? Everything been explained? It all happen logically? Is the Punch Line enough to leave the reader with that WARM FEELING? Did God kill the villain? Or the hero?
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For those who are interested, several copies of his master plot formula can be found at the Lester B. Dent Collection, part of the Western Historical Manuscript Collection--Columbia, at the University of Missouri. The collection was donated to the University by Norma Dent on February 8 and 18, 1985. An addition to the collection was made by W. Ryerson Johnson (American pulp writer who also wrote on Doc Savage) on January 23, 1991.

Grace Kelly 's Eightieth Birthday

It was on this day in 1929 that Her Serene Highness, the Princess of Monaco, Grace Kelly was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Had Grace Kelly was still alive today, she would be 80 years old. Regardless of her age were she alive, for many of her fans and admirers (myself included), Grace Kelly remains one of the most beautiful women to ever live. It might seem surprising, given her fame and her many fans, that Grace Kelly's career was relatively brief. On Broadway she only appeared in two plays. Beyond appearances on talk shows, news programmes, and variety shows, Grace only made appearances in around forty episodes of television shows. And while it would be film that would bring her fame, Grace only appeared in eleven movies. She began her acting career in 1948 and it ended in 1956 with her marriage to Ranier III, Prince of Monaco.

That Grace Kelly became one of the most famous stars of all time might seem remarkable, even given her incredible beauty, except when one considers that talent ran in her family. Two of her uncles, brothers to ther father, would both achieve fame before Grace was even born. Her uncle, Walter C. Kelly, was a very well known vaudeville comedian who toured for years as "the Virginia Judge (even if his roots were planted firmly above the Mason-Dixon Line). Not only did he appear frequently on Broadway, but he was on the silver screen before his niece Grace was even born. He made his last film appearance in 1936 in the film The Tugboat Princess. Sadly, he would die in 1939 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident, not unlike his most famous niece. Her uncle George had also worked in vaudeville as an actor and a writer of sketches, before going on to fame as a playwright on Broadway. George even won the Pulitzer Prize for his play Craig's Wife in 1925. Many of his plays would be adapted as motion pictures and teleplays. Grace's father, John B. Kelly, was an accomplished oarsmen who had went to the Olympics in both 1920 and 1924.

Grace Kelly started acting while very young. She appeared in productions at both the prestigious convent school Ravenhill Academy and the private Stevens School. She also performed with the the Old Academy Players in East Falls in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, appearing as in the lead in a play called Don't Feed the Animals when she was twelve. After graduating from high school, Grace attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her acting career began in 1948 with roles on the stage. By 1949 Grace had made her debut on Broadway, appearing in August Strindberg's The Father. She would make only make one other appearance on Broadway, in the play To Be Continued in 1952.

Grace Kelly made her debut on television in 1948 in an episode of the series Actor's Studio. She would go onto appear in around forty more episodic television series, including Big Town, The Clock, Hallmark Hall of Fame, Lights Out, Robert Montgomery Presents, Suspense, and Studio One. She made her film debut in a small role in the film Fourteen Hours in 1951. Although brief, Grace would go onto a film career that even other big name stars might envy. Her second film would be the classic High Noon, in which she played the Quaker wife of Marshall Will Kane, played by screen legend Gary Cooper. In 1954 Grace would appear as the lead in her first film with Alfred Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder. She would collaborate with the Master of Suspense in two more classic films (Rear Window and To Catch a Thief), arguably the most famous of the director's cool blondes in the process. Grace also appeared in other classics, including The Bridges at Toko-Ri, The Country Girl, and High Society. Grace Kelly won the Oscar for Best Actress in a Leading Role for The Country Girl, as well as other awards.

In 1955 when Grace was part of the United States' delegation to the Cannes Film Festival. While there she was invited to take part in a photo shoot at the Palace of Monaco with Prince Rainier III. It would be the beginning of the end of her film career. When Prince Rainier toured of the United States later that year, he proposed marriage to Grace. The two were married in April 1956. As it would not be considered fitting for a Princess of Monaco to act in movies, Grace never acted in films again. Hitchcock offered the lead role of Marnie to her, and Grace was eager to work with her old friend again, but public outcry from the people of Monaco put a stop to any such plans. In 1966 she narrated the ABC television movie Poppies Are Also Flowers. Herbert Ross tried to lure her out of retirement for his 1977 movie The Turning Point, to no avail. That same year Grace performed a series of poetry readings and  provided narration for both the documentary The Children of Theatre Street and ABC's television movie Poppies Are Also Flowers.

It was on September 13, 1982, that Grace Kelly suffered a stroke while driving.with her daughter Stephanie back from the family's vacation home Roc Agel to Monaco. As a result her car went down the embankment of a mountain and crashed into a tree at the bottom, before landing on a pile of rocks. Grace was unconscious, but still alive when she was taken from the wreckage. Sadly, she would die the following day from the injuries she sustained in the crash. Her daughter Stephanie was also severely injured, to the point that she was still in hospital the day her mother's funeral was held.

It has been twenty seven years since Grace Kelly died. It has been fifty three years since she last starred in a motion picture (High Society in 1952), and yet Grace still holds the imagination of millions people around the world. In 1993 she became the first American actress to ever appear on a United States postage stamp. In 1995 Grace ranked #5 on Empire magazine's list of 100 Sexiest Stars in film history. She was also named 12th Greatest Movie Star of all time by Premiere magazine and was #13 in the American Film Institute's list of 50 Greatest Screen Legends. According to Turner Classic Movies (TCM), she was "the most glamourous woman of the 20th Century." In honour of her 80th birthday, TCM had dedicated the month of November to her.

In many respects it is difficult to gauge the appeal of Grace Kelly. There can be no doubt that she was beautiful. Possessed of blonde tresses and bright blue eyes, she had a face that could have sculpted with utmost precision. And although Grace Kelly is not often mentioned in the same class as such bombshells as Jean Harlow and Marilyn Monroe, she had an excellent figure--her measurements were 34-24-35. While Grace was undoubtedly beautiful, it would seem that her appeal goes far beyond her beauty. After all there have been numerous actresses of nearly equal beauty and many of them with more extensive careers than Grace had, yet none of them are nearly as popular or as beloved as she is. I rather suspect Grace's enduring popularity is not due to the fact that she was incredibly beautiful, but rather that she was so much more than a pretty face. Grace Kelly was incredibly talented. In her films she played a variety of roles, from washed up, alcoholic actor Frank Elgin distinctly un-glamourous wife  in The Country Girl to the ultra-glamourous (and very cunning) Francine in To Catch a Thief. It must also be pointed out that Grace generally played women who were strong and self confidant, yet to some degree vulnerable. In The Country Girl Georgie Elgin is nearly the only thing that holds has-been actor Frank together. In High Noon, as Amy, Grace Kelly evinces a quiet strength, even as her husband, Marshall Will Kane, must take part in the violence which she adamantly opposes.

While it is difficult to put the appeal of Grace Kelly into words, I must say that I have loved her since the first time I ever saw her in a movie. Even as a young child, Grace Kelly numbered among my favourite movie stars of all time. I have no doubt that in the beginning much of it was because she was incredibly beautiful. Indeed, while I know there are those who would argue for Marilyn Monroe, for me it has always been Grace Kelly is the epitome of blondeness. As I grew older I would realise that Grace was much more than a beautiful, cool blonde, and that only made me love her more. The characters she played were not simply beautiful women. It was a rare thing for Grace Kelly to appear in a film only as window dressing. Many, perhaps most, of the characters Grace played were intelligent and often more than a match for any man. In Rear Window Lisa Fremont was not simply a socialite who was Jeff's girlfriend. She is also his fellow amateur detective in finding out what happened in one of the apartments across from him. Not only is Lisa as bright as Jeff, she is also brave, even putting her life at risk to solve the mystery. In To Catch a Thief it would appear that Francine was more intelligent than jewel thief John Robie. The combination of blonde beauty and natural intelligence that many of Grace's characters possessed made her much more appealing than many other actresses would be for me.

To this day, decades after I first saw Grace Kelly in a movie, I must confess that I still love her. I do not think I am alone in this. As evinced by the many tributes to her all across the internet, Grace Kelly still has a large and very fervent following. And I think this is due to much more than her unbelievable beauty and her fashion sense. Grace Kelly possessed intelligence, charm, and wit to spare and played characters who had such as well. It is for that reason that, despite her short career, she has remained in people's hearts while others have been forgotten.

Sesame Street Turns 40

It was on this date in 1969 that the longest running children's show in American history debuted. Sesame Street wasn't the first educational children's show, but it was revolutionary. Unlike previous children's shows, Sesame Street relied on twelve to twenty second spots in a fast moving, distinct visual style to educate children. It was also revolutionary in that each episode had its own structure, dedicated to a particular letter and a number of the day. In many ways it was different from anything that had come before.

The beginnings of Sesame Street go back to 1966, at a dinner party given by television producer Joan Ganz Cooney, then working at WDNT (an educational television station in New Jersey), with Lloyd Morrisett of the Carnegie Institute in attendance. The Carnegie Institute having donated millions of dollars in grants to organisations dedicated to children's education, discussion soon turned to the use of television as an educational tool for children. It was then a few days later that Cooney, her boss at WDNT Lewis Freedman, and Morrisett met at his office to discuss the use of television to educate children. Ultimately, the Carnegie Institute financed a study conducted by Joan Ganz Cooney that was entitled "Television for Preschool Education." The study outlined how television could be used as a tool for educating inner city preschool children. The focus was made upon inner city children from low income families as it had been learned that they are generally prepared for school. Cooney thought that public television could fill the gap in getting such children prepared for school. She also thought that through high production values and the latest in television production, they could reach the widest audience possible. Part and parcel of her concept was the idea of a show that could be appreciated by parents as well as their children. She suggested the use of some humour to appeal to adults and the appearance of celebrities to accomplish this end.

Because of Cooney's study, the Carnegie Institute awarded her an $8 million grant with which she founded the Children's Television Workshop in 1968 with the goal of creating a new children's show. Lloyd Morriesett and Joan Ganz Cooney were also able to procure more funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Ford Foundation, and the federal government. A production team was formed, headed by David Connell (a veteran of Captain Kangaroo) and including Jon Stone (another veteran of Captain Kangaroo), and Samuel Gibbon (another veteran of Captain Kangaroo). In preparation for the show, seminars were held, involving professionals in education and child development, to determine which educational content should be emphasised on the show. It would by way of these seminars that Jim Henson and his Muppets would become involved with Sesame Street. Stone, who had previously worked with Henson, thought that if the show was to have puppets, it would have to be using Henson's talents.

Ultimately, the show would centre on an inner city street, in keeping with the producers' goals of educating inner city children. Several titles were considered, and in the end the production team settled on the one they disliked the least--Sesame Street. Even then there was concern that it would be too difficult for children to pronounce.

The producers created five test episodes, not intended for broadcast, to gauge if the show could be easily understood by children. These episodes were shown to children in 60 households throughout Philadelphia in July 1969. It was largely through the results of these test episodes, in which it was learned the children paid more attention to the Muppets than the scenes on the street itself, that characters who would interact with the human on the street were created, such as Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch.

Sesame Street would simply not be unique among children's shows in 1969 in its urban setting or the fast paced means with which it presented educational concepts, but also in that it may have been the first public show promoted by a commercial network. On November 8, 1969, two days before its debut, a special financed by Xerox promoting the series aired on NBC. Entitled The Way to Sesame Street, the thirty minute preview was taped only a day before it aired. On Nobemeber 10, 1969 Sesame Street debuted with exceedingly high ratings for a public show. It earned a 3.3 Nielsen rating. It also received some sterling reviews. This is not to say the show did not have its detractors. At the time there were those who were critical of the show's rapid fire pace. The show was also criticised in some quarters for its integrated cast and featuring strong, single women as characters.

Sesame Street has changed over the years, particularly with regards to its cast. While Jim Henson created Muppet characters specifically for the show (Grover, Bert and Ernie, Cookie Monster, Oscar Grouch), early in the show established Muppets such as Kermit the Frog, Rowf, and a few others appeared. They were gradually phased out. Over the years other Muppet characters have come and gone from Sesame Street. It must be stressed that contrary to popular belief, one of these is not Grover. He never "died" nor did he ever leave the show. One of the most popular, and perhaps controversial Muppet characters on the show is Elmo. Elmo was not one of the original characters on the show, but he is not exactly as recent a creation as many believe. The characters dates back to around 1972, appearing as "Baby Monster." Essentially an extra Muppet, nothing special emerged from the character until 1985 when puppeteer Kevin Clash turned Baby Monster into Elmo. The character has since become one of the most popular characters with the younger set. As to adults, while many of them worry that Grover is dead, they sometimes wish Elmo was dead.

Over the years many puppeteers have worked on Sesame Street. Indeed, it might come as a surprise to some that the chief architects behind The Muppets, Jim Henson and Frank Oz, actually worked on the show for literally years. That having been said,  the puppeteer most closely associated with the show is probably Carol Spinney, who has played Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, and Bruno nearly since the show's beginning (indeed, he is still working on the show).

As might be expected, the human cast of Sesame Street has changed over the years, although there has been a good deal of consistently as well. Mr. Hooper (played by Will Lee) ran Hooper's Store, the candy store on the street. He was with the show from the beginning until his death in 1982. It was because of his death that Sesame Street aired a landmark episode which dealt with the passing of Mr. Hooper as a means of educating children about death and dying. Music teacher Bob Johnson (played by Bob McGrath) has been with the show from its inception and has remained with the show ever since. Susan Robinson (played by Loretta Long) has also remained with the show from the beginning, although she has appeared less frequently since the Nineties. Other human characters have included the librarian Linda (played by Linda Bove from 1972 to 2003), teenager and later partner in The Fix-It Shop Maria (played by Sonia Manzano from 1972 to the present), and Mr. Hooper's successor David (played by Northern Calloway from 1972 to 1989).

Sesame Street has changed over the years. One change has been the amount of merchandising for the show. In its earliest years there was virtually no merchandising. This changed primarily due to a need to finance the series. Dependent on the Federal government for much of its money, in 1978 CTW found itself in the uncomfortable situation of having to wait on a cheque from the Department of Education until the last day CTW's fiscal year. As mentioned above, there have been changes in its cast and Muppets have come and gone. Spanish words and phrases were occasionally used on the show as early as the Seventies. By 1991 a new segment was introduced called "the Spanish Word of the Day." With the introduction of Linda (who was deaf) sign language started to be included on the show as well. It was very early in its history that Sesame Street went international, with co-productions now existing in 140 countries. Nineteen eighty saw the debut of Sesame Street Live, a touring, live, stage production of the show.

Sesame Street would have a huge impact on pop culture over the years, even in its early years. Big Bird appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1969, on The Flip Wilson Show in 1970, and in movies ranging from The Muppet Movie to his own movie (Sesame Street Presents Follow That Bird from 1985). Oscar the Grouch has appeared on shows from The Simpsons to Scrubs. The show has actually produced hit songs. Ernie's song "Rubber Duckie" actually reached the top 40 for many weeks in 1971. "Bein' Green," sang by Kermit the Frog on the show, has been recorded many times by many artists, including Van Morrison and Ray Charles. The key phrase from the song, "it's not easy being green," has entered the pop culture vocabulary. Sesame Street has been parodied numerous times, in everything from The Simpsons to the supernatural horror series Angel (in the episode "Smile Time").

Such was the popularity of Sesame Street in its early years that, at a time when PBS stations were a rarity, commercial stations would actually air the show without commercial interruption. This was the case with KRCG in Jefferson City, who aired it for many years following Captain Kangaroo. This is how I first watched Sesame Street. Airing at 9:00 AM, I could not watch it when school was in session, but I watched it loyally in the summer. Like most kids I had my favourite characters: Grover, Ernie, and Bert (here I must stress I don't count Kermit and Rowlf as Sesame Street characters).  I can't say that I learned a great deal from the show, but I have seen its impact on generations following my own. My nephews,  my nieces, all learned their ABC's and 123's from the show. My best friend's daughter has even learned a few words of Spanish from it!

Sesame Street is currently the longest running children's show in American television history, a record that will probably never be broken. Its debut forty years ago marked a pivotal point in American broadcast television. Prior to Sesame Street educational shows (such as Captain Kangaroo,  a bit of a forerunner to the show) were few and far between. The success of Sesame Street insured that there would be more educational shows not only on public television, but on commercial television. Even shows from other nations, ranging from the UK's Rainbow to Australia's Bananas in Pyjamas largely owe their existence to Sesame Street. In its forty years of existence, Sesame Street has changed television forever.