How NBC Ruined the 2012 London Olympics Opening Ceremony for Americans

I will admit it. I am not a big fan of the Summer Olympics. There are very few sports that take place at the Summer Olympics that interest me. The few sports that do interest me in the Summer Olympics (football/soccer, archery, fencing) are either broadcast at odd hours of the day or on channels I almost never watch. That having been said, I generally do watch the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games. I have always been drawn to spectacle and I enjoy seeing the different ceremonies countries have to offer. Unfortunately, this year NBC decided to spoil the one Summer Olympics opening ceremony to which I had been most looking forward: the opening ceremony of the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games.

The first mistake NBC made was that it did not air the London 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony live, nor did it offer a choice for live, online streaming. I rather suspect that NBC offered a tape delayed broadcast of the opening ceremony so that they could air it during primetime, that period from 7:00 PM Central to 10:00 PM Central when American television ratings would be their highest. That having been said, I don't see that streaming the event live online would have had an appreciable impact on NBC's primetime ratings. Many, perhaps most people, would elect to watch the tape delayed broadcast on NBC, so that the network would still receive appreciable ratings.

As to NBC's reason for not offering an option of live streaming for the London 2012 Summer Olympics, in an email NBC claimed that Olympics Opening Ceremonies "...are complex entertainment spectacles that do not translate well online because they require context, which our award-winning production team will provide for the large prime-time audiences that gather together to watch them." I must most strenuously disagree with this. I think the average person could grasp most of last night's ceremony without NBC's production team putting it in context for them. Contrary to what NBC apparently believes, viewers are not stupid.

Indeed, it seems to me that many in the audience who tuned into watch the opening ceremonies of the London 2012 Summer Olympics would have been more than happy had NBC's "award winning production team" not been on hand to provide "context." Early in the ceremony Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira kept their commentary to a minimum. They simply explained what Beefeaters were and what the National Health Service was and so on. As the night went on, however, they began to talk more and more.  They started stating the obvious again and again, and even talked over songs. A low point came during a tribute to Sir Timothy Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web. As Sir Timothy was on the stage, Meredith Vieira commented, "If you haven't heard of him, we haven't either." Matt Lauer, apparently equally oblivious to Sir Timothy's importance, not simply to Great Britain, but the world, joked, "Google him." Now I realise not everyone probably knows who Sir Timothy Berners-Lee is, but to me for a newscaster not to know who Sir Timothy is would be tantamount to not knowing who William S. Paley or Samuel Morse is. When you are in the communications business, you should know who the innovators in communications history are! While I suppose some might forgive Mr. Lauer and Miss Vieira for not knowing who Sir Timothy was, not many seemed to forgive their banal banter. If you were on Twitter last night you could not escape the tweets last night asking them to be quiet.

Meredith Vieira disappeared in time for the Parade of Nations, at which point Bob Costas took over. Sadly, Matt Lauer would still be present. While Bob Costas offered interesting bits of Olympics trivia and bits of trivia for each country, Matt Lauer continued to utter the most asinine things. Perhaps the worst example was when Matt Lauer mentioned that Madagascar was associated with a well known animated movie. Both Bob Costas and Matt Lauer committed what in my opinion is a nearly unforgivable sin in broadcasting events such as this. They talked over a musical performance. Following the lighting of the flame, The Arctic Monkeys performed The Beatles' "Come Together."  Those of us who had been looking forward to The Arctic Monkeys were to be sorely disappointed. Messrs. Costas and Lauer talked through much of it! Fortunately, they were quiet when Sir Paul McCartney took the stage.

While, at least as far as Twitter was concerned, viewers were obviously unhappy with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira's running commentary, it was not the worst mistake that NBC made in its broadcast of the London 2012 Summer Olympics ceremony. They cut out a performance of "Abide with Me" by Scottish singer Emeli Sandé that has been interpreted as either a tribute to the victims of the 7/7/2005 terrorist attacks on London or to those who have died in war. While the International Olympic Committee's media guide makes no reference to either the victims of the 7/7 attacks or the war dead, it seems to me that it was a big mistake on the part of NBC to omit the performance regardless. I rather suspect most viewers would have enjoyed the performance ("Abide with Me" is a lovely song and Emeli Sandé has a beautiful voice) and would have much preferred to see it rather than the interview Ryan Seacrest (who last time I checked is not a sportscaster) with Michael Phelps. The possibility that it was indeed a tribute to the victims of the 7/7 attacks (as it was so interpreted by the BBC) should have told NBC that it was not a good idea to cut it!

Now I realise that I sound a bit angry in this post, but then this is one of the Summer Olympics Games opening ceremonies to which I have been looking forward the most. I have been an Anglophile all of my life. What is more, England is the homeland of the majority of my ancestors. Naturally, then, I was looking forward to this year's opening ceremony more than I had been the 2008 Beijing Summer Gamers or the 2004 Athens Summer Games. What is more, this year's opening ceremony was being directed by film director Danny Boyle. Having directed some of my favourite movies (Trainspotting, Sunshine), I was intrigued by what he would bring to the opening ceremony. And I must say Mr. Boyle did an incredible job in directing the London 2012 Summer Olympics ceremony. I swear he incorporated every bit of British pop culture he possibly could (although he seems to have missed Doctor Who, The Avengers, and Fry & Laurie) in a ceremony that was very entertaining. I loved the film of James Bond escorting Her Royal Majesty the Queen and Mr. Bean (Rowan Atkinson) performing with the London Symphony. Okay, I was bored a bit with the Parade of Nations, but then I have yet to see a Parade of Nations at an Olympics opening ceremony that was not a little dull.

In fact, it is because Danny Boyle did such a fantastic job in directing the Summer 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony that I was so disappointed in NBC's coverage of the event. I do not think NBC could have done a worse job if they had set out to play spoilsport with the opening ceremony. They aired the event on a tape delay so we could not see it as it was happening. Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira talked through much of it. Matt Lauer and Bob Costas talked as The Arctic Monkeys performed. They left out Emeli Sandé's performance.  I honestly hope that there is some means that Americans can watch the opening ceremony without Matt Lauer and Meredith Veiria's running commentary. And if there is not, then I really think it would behoove NBC to make one available. After all, in covering this year's Summer Olympics Ceremony, they let every American who watched it down.

Chad Everett R.I.P.

Chad Everett, perhaps best known as Dr. Joe Gannon on the television series Medical Centre, died on 24 July 2012 at the age of 75. The cause was lung cancer.

Chad Everett was Raymond Lee Cramton born on 11 June 1936 in South Bend, Indiana. He grew up in Dearborn, Michigan. It was there while in high school that he became interested in the theatre. He attended Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating from college, he went to Hollywood to pursue a career in acting. It was legendary agent Henry Wilson (whose clients included such notable personalities as Rock Hudson, Robert Wagner, Guy Madison, and others) who gave him the stage name, "Chad Everett." Mr. Everett signed a contract with Warner Brothers. 

Mr. Everett made his television debut on an episode of Maverick in 1961. He went onto guest star on several other television series produced by Warner Brothers, including Lawman, 77 Sunset Strip, Cheyenne, Bronco, Surfside 6, and Hawaiian Eye. It was in 1963 that he played one of the lead characters, Deputy Del Stark, on the short lived series The Dakotas. In the Sixties he went on to guest star on such shows as Route 66, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., Branded, Combat, The Lieutenant, and The F.B.I. It was in 1969 that Medical Centre debuted, featuring Chad Everett as Dr. Joe Gannon. The show proved to be a hit and ran seven years. For a time it was the longest running medical drama on television. He also appeared in movies in the Sixties. He made his film debut in Claudette Inglish in 1961. He went onto appear in such films as Red Nightmare (1962), Rome Adventure (1962), The Chapman Report (1962), Get Yourself a College Girl (1964), The Singing Nun (1966), Journey to Midnight  (1968), and The Impossible Years (1968),

In the Seventies, in addition to continuing on Medical Centre, Chad Everett appeared on such shows as The Red Skelton Hour and Police Story. He appeared in the mini-series Centennial and played the lead role in the short lived series Hagen. He also appeared in the films The Firechasers (1971) and Give Me My Money (1977). In the Eighties Mr. Everett played the lead on the short lived series The Rousters. He guest starred on such shows as Hotel, The Highwayman, and Murder She Wrote. He appeared in the films Airplane II: The Sequel (1982),  Fever Pitch (1985), Heroes Stand Alone (1989), and The Jigsaw Murders (1989).

In the Nineties Mr. Everett played lead roles in the short lived series McKenna and Manhattan A-Z. He appeared on such shows as Cyblll, Touched by an Angel, Diagnosis Murder, Melrose Place, and The Nanny. He appeared in such films as Psycho (1998) and Free Fall (1999). In the Naughts Chad Everett appeared in such films as Mulholland Dr. (2001), View from the Top (2003) and Tiptoes (2003). He appeared on such shows as Without a Trace, Cold Case, Supernatural, and Castle. He was a regular on the series Chemistry.

Chad Everett was one of a number of handsome, generally dark haired, leading man types to emerge in the late Fifties and early Sixties (Robert Conrad and William Shatner were other examples). He would play many roles besides the action TV series in which such types were generally cast. Indeed, he played the villain in Airplane II: The Sequel and would later play a closeted gay police officer on Cold Case. Although best known as Dr. Joe Gannon, Mr. Everett was versatile enough to play many other sorts of roles.

Mary Tamm Passes On

Mary Tamm, perhaps best known for playing the first incarnation of the Time Lady Romana on Doctor Who, died today at the age of 62. The cause was cancer.

Mary Tamm was born in Bradford, West Yorkshire on 22 March 1950. She attended Bradford Girls Grammar School and later studied at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. It was in 1971 that she joined the Birmingham Repertory Company. While with the Birmingham Repertory Company Miss Tamm appeared in Good Time Johnny and in Harold Pinter's The Lover. She would appear the following year in the rock musical Mother Earth in London.

It was in 1973 that Mary Tamm made her television debut in an episode of the TV show Hunter's Walk. That same year she appeared in the mini-series The Donati Conspiracy. Over the next few years she appeared on such television programmes as Coronation Street, A Raging Calm, The Inheritors, Warship, Public Eye, and Return of The Saint. She made her film debut in Tales That Witness Madness (1973), and went onto appear in the films The Odessa File (1974), The Likely Lads (1976), and Rampage (1978).

It was in 1978 that Mary Tamm was cast in what may be her best known role, Romanadvoratrelundar ("Romana," for short), in Doctor Who. At first Miss Tamm was hesitant to accept the role, with concern that she would simply being playing a damsel in distress in what was then widely regarded as a children's show. Romana would be very different from most of The Doctor's previous companions. Like Sarah Jane Smith (played by Elisabeth Sladen), Romana would be independent, intelligent, and resourceful. Unlike Sarah Jane or any other companion before or since, Romana was explicitly said to be a member of The Doctor's own race, a Time Lord (or in her instance, a Time Lady). Mary Tamm remained with Doctor Who for one series, after which the part of Romana was taken over by Lalla Ward (like The Doctor, Romana regenerated into a new form).

Following Doctor Who Mary Tamm appeared in several series and mini-series. In 1980 she appeared in The Assassination Run. In the Eighties she appeared in The Treachery Game, Only When I Laugh, Jane Eyre, Bergerac, The Hello Goodbye Man, Worlds Beyond, Agatha Christie's Poirot, and Casualty. She appeared in the film Three Kinds of Heat (1987). In the Nineties she was a regular on the series Brookside and Headless. She appeared on such shows as Perfect Scoundrels, The New Adventures of Robin Hood, Crime Traveller, Heartbeat, Loved by You, and CI5: The New Professionals. She appeared in the films Pressing Engagement (1992), Melody's Her 2nd Name (2000), and Sorted (2000).

In the Naughts Mary Tamm was a regular on Paradise Heights. She appeared on such shows as The Bill, Jonathan Creek, Rose and Maloney, Holby City, Diamond Geezer, Doctors, and EastEnders.

Mary Tamm was a very talented actress capable of a number of roles. Her incarnation of Romana on Doctor Who was aristocratic and arrogant, initially looking down on The Doctor. More recently on EastEnders she played Orlenda, a Russian con artist about as far as Romana as one could get. She also played Blanche Ingram, the beautiful, but hard hearted and greedy socialite courted for a time by Mr. Rochester. Miss Tamm was capable of playing nearly any role to which she set her mind and play it well.

Mary Tamm's Romana was among the first of The Doctor's companions I encountered when I began watching Doctor Who and she remains my favourite. The first incarnation of Romana was different from nearly every other companion in that her distinct awareness of her aristocratic heritage and as a result she tended to be a bit haughty as well. As a Time Lady she was certainly different from the various humans with whom The Doctor has travelled. While I felt Lalla Ward did quite well as the second incarnation of Romana, her character never quite appealed to me as much as Mary Tamm's Romana. Regardless, I must say that I am saddened by the passing of Mary Tamm, a great actress who played one of my favourite of The Doctor's various companions.

Sherman Hemsley Moves On Up

Sherman Hemsley, best known as George Jefferson on The Jeffersons, died today at the age of 74.

Sherman Hemsley was born on 1 February 1938 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He dropped out of school to enlist in the United States Air Force. After four years of service, he returned to Philadelphia where he worked for the United States Postal Service for eight years. While working at the post office he studied acting. He trained at the Philadelphia Academy of Dramatic Arts.

Sherman Hemsley appeared in various productions in Philadelphia, then moved to New York City to pursue acting there. He studied with Lloyd Richards at the Negro Ensemble Company. Afterwards he joined Vinnette Carroll's Urban Arts Company. There he appeared in such plays as But Never Jam Today, Croesus, The Lottery, and Old Judge Mose is Dead. Mr.Hemsley made his debut on Broadway in the role of Gitlow in Purlie in 1970. He played the same role in a revival on Broadway in 1973.

It was in 1971, while Sherman Hemsley was still appearing in Purlie, Norman Lear contacted him about playing George Jefferson in All in the Family. At the time Mr. Hemsley did not want to leave Purlie, but Norman Lear told him he would hold the role open for him. It was then in 1973 that Sherman Hemsley made his first appearance on All in the Family as George Jefferson. George and his wife Louise were next door neighbours to main characters Archie and Edith Bunker on All in the Family. George and Louise proved so popular that they were spun off into their own series, The Jeffersons.

The Jeffersons would prove to be a hit series, running for eleven years. In fact, the show was so beloved that CBS found itself in the midst of a controversy when it cancelled the show in 1985 without allowing them to make a proper series finale episode. Regardless, it went onto a highly successful run in syndication. The Jeffersons was not just popular, it was also ground breaking. It was the first show to centre on an upscale, African American family, as well as the first to feature an interracial married couple.

While The Jeffersons was on, Mr. Hemsley appeared elsewhere on television and on the big screen as well. He guest starred on The Incredible Hulk, Fantasy Island, and The Twilight Zone, and appeared in TV productions of Purlie and Alice in Wonderland. He also appeared in the film Love at First Bite (1979).  Following The Jeffersons Sherman Hemsley appeared in the films Stewardess School (1985), Ghost Fever (1987), and Club Fed (1990). In 1986 Mr. Hemsley played the lead character, Deacon Ernest Frye, on the series Amen. Deacon Frye was a similar character to George Jefferson, except not quite as loud and a bit more unscrupulous. The show proved to be a hit and ran for five years.

In the Nineties Mr. Hemsley would be part of another popular sitcom. He provided the voice of J. P. Richfield, the overbearing boss of main character Earl Sinclair on Dinosaurs. The series ran for three years. He also played the main character, Willie Goode, on the short lived Goode Behaviour. He guest starred on such shows as Designing Women, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Burke's Law, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman (as Toyman), Martin, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air (twice reprising his role as George Jefferson on the role). Clueless, and The Hughleys. He appeared in the films Mr. Nanny (1993), Home of Angels (1994), The Misery Brothers (1995), Sprung (1997), Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998--once more as George Jefferson), and Screwed (2000).

In the Naughts Mr. Hemsley appeared in the films For the Love of a Dog (2008) and Hanging in Hedo (2008). He guest starred on The Family Guy and The House of Payne (as George Jefferson). He was a regular on the short lived series Clunkers.

The Jeffersons formed a large part of my childhood and it was one of those shows I watched regularly. I rather expect the reason many people liked the show as the same reason I did:  the chemistry between stars Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley as Louise and George Jefferson. The two complimented each other perfectly. It is understandable why Norman Lear held the role of George Jefferson for Sherman Hemsley, as it is hard seeing anyone else in the role. Sherman Hemsley played George perfectly. George was loud, opinionated, stubborn, and at times unscrupulous. Isabel Sanford's Louise, who was patient, understanding, and stubborn in her own way (she really had to be to be married to George), was a perfect match for him. Along with a great supporting cast, Isabel Sanford and Sherman Hemsley was much of the reason The Jeffersons was a hit.

Indeed, Sherman Hemsley was a uniquely gifted actor when it came to comedy. He had perfect timing and could generate laughs with just a look. While best known for George Jefferson, Mr. Hemsley could take any character and make him funny. The character of J. P. Richfield on Dinosaurs was in many ways very different from George, yet through his voice Mr. Hemsley was able to endow him with a personality all his own. He truly was a great comic actor.

The Aurora, Colorado Century 16 Movie Theatre Massacre

Last night at about 12:30 AM a heavily armed man (I refuse to have his name in my blog) entered the Century 16 Theatre in Aurora, Colorado, tossed smoke grenades into the thetare, and then opened fire. The cinema was showing the latest Batman film, The Dark Knight Rises. In the end 12 people were dead and another 60 were injured.

I do not think anyone could not hear or read of this event and not be horrified. While I have never lost anyone to murder and I cannot claim to know what the families of those who died are going through, my heart goes out to them. I cannot help but feel an express sorrow at such senseless and needless loss of life. While I took a total of twenty hours worth of psychology classes at university, I still cannot comprehend what kind of monster would walk into a theatre and commit wanton murder. What happened last night makes no sense at all to me.

Sadly, mass shootings are hardly unknown. I think everyone remembers the massacre at Columbine High School in Columbine, Colorado. More recently, there was a mass shooting at Eaton Centre in Toronto, Ontario last month. And certainly I don't think anyone can say the Aurora, Colorado Century 16 Movie Theatre massacre is any more or less horrific than any other mass shooting. Still, it does feel much more personal to me. While I did not know any of the victims nor their families nor anyone in the theatre, this particular mass shooting has struck a much deeper chord with me for two basic reasons.

The first is that, as many of you know, I love the cinema. Some of the happiest moments of my life have been spent in a darkened theatre watching the flickering images of a movie I love on the screen. For me, as with many people, the cinema is a place where one can escape to another world, where one can leave his or her problems behind. What is more, it is one of the few shared experiences between strangers left today. You might not know the people sitting in the other rows or even beside you, but for those few hours you are part of a community that is experiencing the same thing. I realise I am probably saying this with a bit of exaggeration, but to me the cinema is sacred. For me the thought of someone walking into a cinema and disrupting it with bloodshed is horror beyond belief. For me the culprit launched an attack on a place that is only equalled by libraries in their importance in my life.

The second reason the Aurora, Colorado Century 16 Movie Theatre massacre has touched me so is the importance of Batman in my life. Batman has been a part of my life for so long that I cannot even remember when I first heard of the character. I suspect I was barely out of diapers when I first saw the 1966-1968 Batman TV series. The Sixties Batman TV show was played for comedy, but it led me to the "Batman" comic books of the time, where Batman was a much more serious character--the Dark Knight that had originally first appeared in 1939. Reading "Batman" comic books made me want to write comic books. Eventually the thought of writing comic books would give way to simply writing. In a sense, then, I owe the fact that I am a writer to Batman. In a way, then, it feels has if the culprit behind the mass shooting at the Century 16 cinema in Aurora, Colorado has tarnished part of my childhood.

Currently, there is some question as to how the massacre will impact the box office of The Dark Knight Rises. I have heard from some people that they will not be going to see it now. I don't know how common this attitude is or if the individuals who do not plan to see the film won't change their mind in a few weeks. That having been said, I plan to see The Dark Knight Rises, as I have planned for the past few years. My thought is that if I change what I would usually do because of this tragedy, then evil has won.

Of course, regardless of how the Century 16 Theatre massacre has impacted me, I realise that it is nothing compared to what the family of the victims are going through right now. Words are not adequate for what happened last night. It was a horrific tragedy that should have never happened. My heart goes out to the victims and their families.

The Artist (2011)

It is rare that classic film buffs talk very much about recent films. When we do, they are usually movies that try to portray individuals and situations from film history (My Week with Marilyn) or remakes of classic films (True Grit). And more often than not, we classic film buffs have very little good to say about such films (the Coen Brothers' remake of True Grit) seems to be an exception. That having been said, last year there was a film that had classic film buffs talking that neither sought to portray actual events from film history nor revisit a classic film. That movie was The Artist (2011). What had classic films buffs talking about the film is the fact that it was made as if it was a silent film made during the transition to sound (roughly from 1927 to 1929). What is more remarkable, is that The Artist received largely positive buzz from classic film buffs and even won the Academy Award for Best Picture. This past Sunday I finally had the opportunity to see what everyone had been talking about (sadly, when it was in theatres the nearest one showing it was 30 miles away).

The Artist  was largely the creation of writer and director Michel Hazanavicius, who had already delved into film history with his previous two films. OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies and OSS 117: Lost in Rio were parodies of the Sixties spy films in general and the popular "OSS 117" movies of the Fifties and Sixties in specific. It should then not have been a surprise that for his next film Mr. Hazanavicius wanted to make a silent film that would tribute to Hollywood as it was in the late Twenties and Thirties.


The Artist does indeed pay tribute to the Hollywood of old, not just the Hollywood of the Silent Era, but Hollywood during its Golden Age well. The film is set in the years from 1927 to 1931, the same era as Singin' in the Rain, and like Singin' in the Rain the transition to sound is fundamental to its plot. At the same time the plot of The Artist resembles the various versions of A Star is Born, centring on the relationship between an older star of Silent films (George Valentin, played by Jean Dujardin) and a younger star of the new Talkies (Peppy Miller, played by Bérénice Bejo). The Artist evokes other classic films as well. A scene from one of George Valentin's films not only evokes Metropolis (1927), but the serials of the Thirties and Forties as well. A clip from Douglas Fairbanks' classic The Mark of Zorro (1920) appears in the film. And, of course, there is the notorious use of a portion of the Vertigo soundtrack (more on that later). Even star Jean Dujardin evokes Hollywood's past, as he looks like a dead ringer for Douglas Fairbanks in his prime.

Of course, it is one thing to play homage to films of the past, it is quite another as to whether The Artist could capture their spirit. In my humble opinion, The Artist succeeds admirably. Indeed, Michel Hazanavicius considered details that many directors may well have overlooked. The film was shot in 1.33:1 screen ratio that was in common use during the Silent Era. While The Artist was shot in colour, it was converted into black and white. Despite this fact, Guillaume Schiffman's cinematography captures the look of the old Silents quite well. The film was even shot at 22 frames per second rather than today's standard 24 frames per second to duplicate the look of a silent movie. Even Ludovic Bource's score sounds like something that could have been written for a silent film.

Here I must point out that The Artist does not simply replicate silent films in general, but it replicates a specific era of silent film: the Silents of the late Twenties before the advent of sound. Michel Hazanavicius did an admirable job of capturing the look and feel of a late Silent. Not only do the title cards look like those of a silent movie from the late Twenties, but they are also somewhat infrequent (by that point in film history directors had come to rely less on title cards to get their point across). The acting style of the performers is more naturalistic, much like those of the late Silent stars, with none of the exaggerated expressions and gestures of earlier Silent films. Even the plot resembles the Silents of old. It is a melodrama with many touches of comedy, not only allowing it to feel like a silent film, but making it likely that modern audiences would enjoy it as well.

While over all The Artist does do a good job of capturing the feel of a silent film, I must admit that in my humble opinion it could have done a little bit better. Some of the dialogue seemed a bit too modern to my ears. As an example, while the word "loser" has existed in the English language for centuries, I am not sure that the phrase "You loser!" would become common until the Sixties or Seventies. I also thought that the presence of Rose Murphy's version of "Pennies from Heaven" was slightly out of place in the film. In the days of silent movies I do not believe most theatres would have had a vocalist on hand to sing a song during the movie! I must also say that I thought that Bérénice Bejo looked a bit too modern to be a movie star in the era of the early Talkies. While I thought Miss Bejo did a good job as Peppy Miller, I thought The Artist could have been even more convincing as a silent film with an actress who looked more like she belonged to the era. While there were exceptions (Joan Crawford, for one), it seems to me that many of the most popular actresses of the era (Clara Bow, Louise Brooks, Colleen Moore, and so on) had a similar look. They all had heart shaped faces with cupid bow lips. It was a look that remained fashionable into the early Thirties and the early Talkies--indeed, it is the look of animated star Betty Boop (whose appearance was based on singer and actress Helen Kane). While Miss Bejo did do a good job as Peppy Miller, then, I think The Artist may have felt even more like a late, silent film with an actress with a Clara Bow/Helen Kane look in the role.

There is one thing I thought would detract from the film that did not, the controversial use of a portion of the Vertigo score (specifically "Love Scene (Scène d'amour)") in the soundtrack. I must say that I disagreed with Kim Novak that it was wrong for  "Love Scene (Scène d'amour)" from Vertigo to have been used in The Artist. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, the studios regularly reused music (just how many times were portions of Max Steiner's King Kong score reused?), so that it did not bother me that Michel Hazanavicius reused part of another film score. What bothered me before seeing The Artist was whether Bernard Hermann's classic work would not be too modern for The Artist, that it would not spoil the illusion that I was watching a film from the late Twenties. Fortunately, it turned out that it was "Love Scene (Scène d'amour)" that was used and not another part of the Vertigo score. "Love Scene (Scène d'amour)" blends in so well with the rest of The Artist soundtrack that while you might consciously recognise it, you won't be thinking, "This would never be used in part of the score for a silent movie).

By now I imagine many of you might be asking, "Well, you think The Artist does a good job of capturing the feel of silent films, but is it any good?" To that I must answer that it is a very enjoyable film. Never mind that it does a great job of capturing the look and feel of silent films, The Artist is a well written film that is very entertaining and quite enjoyable. Mr. Hazanavicius' script goes beyond merely capturing the feel of silent films, but tells a story that will keep one riveted to the screen until the very end. He has created a believable plot with believable characters with a good deal happening to maintain one's interest. For film buff the script also contains a number of film references in addition to those previously mentioned.

The Artist also benefits from a great cast. Not only does Jean Dujardin look like Douglas Fairbanks, but he is very convincing as silent film star George Valentin. Mr. Dujardin's Valentin is simultaneously a carefree actor with a bit of an ego who at the same time has certain principles. Jean Dujardin is so convincing as George Valentin that one could almost believe Valentin actually existed. James Cromwell gives a very touching performance as Valentin's loyal valet, Clifton, who stands by Valentin through thick and thin. John Goodman does a great turn as the boisterous head of Kinograph Studios, Al Zimmer. While I do think the role of Peppy Miler could have been better cast, Bérénice Bejo does well in the part. Miss Bejo endows Miss Miler with a charm and grace that one could almost believe she was a silent star. Of course, here I must mention my favourite performer in the film, Uggie as The Dog. Uggie is quite impressive. He is not merely a dog who can do tricks, but one who can really act. Uggie is every bit as expressive and emotive as the human actors.

The Artist is not a perfect recreation of silent films. There are some anachronisms in language and other areas.   That having been said, it captures the feel of the Silents so well that only the pickiest of silent film connoisseurs would not be able to overlook these anachronisms. Even then, I suspect even the pickiest of silent film connoisseurs would be too caught up in the plot, the performances, and the sheer effervescence of The Artist. It is so entertaining and enjoyable that even the average modern film goer, accustomed to colour photography and sound, will find himself or herself taking delight in the film. Over all The Artist is an entertaining and enjoyable movie that captures the spirit of the Silents quite well.

Here I must say that if one enjoyed The Artist and particularly if he or she also loves the original silent films, he or she might wish to watch Mel Brooks' classic parody of the form Silent Movie (1976) and the more recent The Call of Cthulhu (2005),  a film produced as if Lovecraft's classic short story had been adapted to film in the Twenties!

Bewitched Producer William Asher R.I.P.

William Asher, who produced Bewitched, directed I Love Lucy, and created The Patty Duke Show with Sidney Sheldon, died Tuesday, 18 July 2012, at the age of 90. The cause was complications from Alzheimer's disease.

William Asher was born 8 August 1921 in New York City. His father E. M. Asher would be an associate producer on several films, including such classics as Frankenstein (1931), The Old Dark House (1932), The Black Cat (1934), and Dracula's Daughter (1936). The family moved to Los Angeles when William Asher was 10 so that his father could work in the movie industry. His parents divorced when he was eleven and young Mr. Asher returned to New York City with his mother. He would return to Los Angeles, where he got a job in the mail room at Universal Studios. During World War II he served in the Signal Corps of the U. S. Army. It was at that time he began selling short stories to magazines.

It was following the war, in 1948, that he began his career in Hollywood by producing the low budget boxing film Leather Gloves with Richard Quine for Columbia Pictures. The film also marked his directorial debut. It was in 1951 that he moved into television, directing an episode of Racket Squad. Over the next few years he would direct episodes of such shows as Big Town, Where's Raymond?, Make Room for Daddy, The Lineup, General Electric Theatre, and December Bride. It would be in 1952 that he would begin directing the show for which he is best known besides Bewitched: I Love Lucy.  It was Desi Arnaz who initially asked Mr. Asher to direct an episode of the show. In the end, Mr. Asher directed 100 episodes of I Love Lucy, remaining with the show until its end. Following I Love Lucy he directed episodes of The Thin Man, Fibber McGee & Molly, and  The Twilight Zone. The short lived adaptation of Fibber McGee & Molly would also be the first series that he regularly produced. It was in the Fifties that William Asher also broke into writing for television, writing episodes of The Big Town and Sally. In the Fifties he would also direct three feature films: Mobs Inc. (1956), The Shadow in the Window (1957), and The 27th Day (1957).

The Sixties would prove to be a golden era for William Asher, a period during which he directed, produced, or wrote some of his most famous works. It was in 1963 that Mr. Asher directed Beach Party, the first of American-International's "Beach Party" movies. During the Sixties he would also direct the films Johnny Cool (1963)  and Fireball 500 (1966). While the "Beach Party" movies were highly successful, arguably his biggest achievements would be in television. He co-created The Patty Duke Show with Sidney Sheldon. He also directed and produced episodes of the series. What may be his best claim to fame may be as producer of Bewitched. He remained the show's producer for the entirety of its eight year run and directed a lion's share of its episodes. While Sol Saks is often credited as the creator of Bewitched, there can be no doubt that William Asher (who was also married to star Elizabeth Montgomery) shaped the show into what we know today. He also directed episodes of the short lived series Gidget.

In the Seventies William Asher produced The Paul Lynde Show and Temperatures Rising. He directed episodes of The Paul Lynde Show, The New Temperatures Rising, Lucas Tanner, Marcus Welby M.D., Operation: Petticoat, Tabitha (a spin off from Bewitched), Alice, and The Bad News Bears. He developed the series The New Temperatures Rising. In the Eighties he directed episodes of Private Benjamin, Harper Valley P.T.A., and Crazy Like a Fox. He directed the films Night Warning (1982) and Movers & Shakers (1985). Mr. Asher's last work was directing the television reunion movies I Dream of Jeannie... Fifteen Years Later (1985) and Return to Green Acres (1990).

One does not often hear the word auteur with regards to those who work in television, but it could easily be applied to William Asher. While he only wrote one episode of Bewitched, he produced the entire run of the series and directed a lion's share of its episodes. There can be no doubt he had a large role in shaping the show. It is not enough to say that Bewitched could have been a very different show without William Asher, it seems possible that it might never have come to exist.

Of course, William Asher's career went well beyond Bewitched. In fact, he had a far larger impact on American pop culture than many television directors and producers probably do. He directed around 100 I Love Lucy episodes--his very first was the classic "Job Switching," in which Lucy and Ethel go to work in a chocolate factory. With Sidney Sheldon he was co-creator of The Patty Duke Show and directed some of that show's episodes. Beyond television, he was largely responsible for American International Pictures' "Beach Party" movies. He directed the first film, while he directed and wrote stories for the rest. Mr. Asher also directed a wide array of television shows, from The Twilight Zone to Gidget. While many television producers have had an impact on pop culture, few have had the impact that William Asher did.