tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72106022024-03-18T18:43:05.938-05:00A Shroud of ThoughtsDedicated to Pop Culture in all its formsTerence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.comBlogger4677125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-46052677211460079492024-03-18T18:42:00.001-05:002024-03-18T18:42:12.452-05:00Google Search Results Have Gotten Worse<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0w6vUncAN2QJz3smVzwid8-BMYWpWgSa-kGznyYGZ0KON9UYEBAqePq1VlvTJIqMdVJ4eYlGs_kT1cnGgE19cDUFbw-fLOam80SO_D7Qs6vJoAsFXGRZs-DKBdvCugB50ZHc2L-2qBXce0kl5Wp0JWLpA0aEFvVJS4qMLDsTBFWWVrWkXgZz/s386/Google%20logo.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="130" data-original-width="386" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA0w6vUncAN2QJz3smVzwid8-BMYWpWgSa-kGznyYGZ0KON9UYEBAqePq1VlvTJIqMdVJ4eYlGs_kT1cnGgE19cDUFbw-fLOam80SO_D7Qs6vJoAsFXGRZs-DKBdvCugB50ZHc2L-2qBXce0kl5Wp0JWLpA0aEFvVJS4qMLDsTBFWWVrWkXgZz/s320/Google%20logo.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />People have been complaining about Google search results for years. Some would even say that the search results delivered by Google have steadily declined from what they were years ago. Whether the quality of Google search results have truly declined over the years is a matter for debate, but from where I stand it seems that they have dramatically gotten worse in the past week.<br /><br />Last week I did a Google search on singer Steve Lawrence as part of my research for the tribute I was writing about him. Since Mr. Lawrence had recently died, I fully expected obituaries from major news outlets to dominate the search results. That having been said, I did not expect those obituaries to rank above the official website of Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé. Worse yet, Steve Lawrence's IMDB page was nowhere to be seen. A search I performed on French actor Alain Delon was even worse. The first two results were Wikipedia and IMDB, which I fully expected, but the other results were nothing but news stories with only a little information on his career. Out of curiosity, I did a search on my beloved Vanessa Marquez. Like Alain Delon, IMDB and Wikipedia topped the results for the search for her, followed by several news stories (most of them rather old). I then performed a search for myself. Now I am not famous, so there really aren't any news stories about me out there. Even so, the search results were a surprise, The top result in the search for "Terence Towles Canote" is my LinkedIn profile, which I have pretty much abandoned and have not updated in some time. It ranked above My Amazon author profile, my GoodReads author profile, and even the "About Me" page on this blog (which, given it was written by me, should top the results). <br /><br />Now I don't know if Google realizes it or not, but when I perform a search on an actor, singer, author, or other artist, I want pages that contain substantial information on them, not news articles on only one part of their life. I would rather see an in-depth article on Alain Delon's career by a fan on a blog than a news story on how police discovered a lot of guns at Alain Delon's house. When I do a search for actress Vanessa Marquez, I want to see sites with substantial information on her career, not news articles on the settlement her mother made with the the City That Shall Not Be Named, much less her death. When I search for Steve Lawrence, his IMDB profile should be towards the top of the search results and his official web site should be up there as well.<br /><br />As to what caused search results on Google to go south over the past week, I have read that Google did a core update this month that was meant to address spam and low-quality content. While I will give Google the benefit of the doubt and assume that the update was successful in dealing with spam, I think it utterly failed with regards to delivering quality results. According to Google Search's blog, <i><a href="https://blog.google/products/search/google-search-update-march-2024/">The Keyword</a></i>, the update was meant to "...ensure we surface the most helpful information on the web and reduce unoriginal content in search results." In my searches for Steve Lawrence, Alain Delon, my dearest Vanessa Marquez, and even myself, instead Google surfaced what I considered the most <u>unhelpful</u> information on the web, much of it unoriginal. After all, those news stories often regurgitate the same information over and over again. Quite simply to me a well-written blog post by a fan with substantial information on an artist is not only of higher quality and more original than a news story reported by dozens of sources, but it is also much less spammy as well.<br /><br />My suggestion to Google is that they go back to the way the algorithm was a couple of years go, when it was still delivering quality results. Oh, they should try to take care of spam and content written by AI, but they should be delivering quality content on the subject for which any individual is searching. Quite frankly, news stories are not quality content. When searching for an actor, I do not want to see news stories from NBC News, <i>Deadline</i>, <i>People</i>, or the <i>Picayune Post</i>. I want to see results from IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, The Movie Database, and blogs with in-depth articles on that actor. Google really needs to re-think what they consider quality content so it is more in line with what users think of as quality content. As it is, they are failing miserably. Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-77987767958233203262024-03-16T16:27:00.003-05:002024-03-16T16:27:36.494-05:00Godspeed Steve Lawrence<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAv8MfbnS0X-ZC7VF1LFr-fghEbzFeQei0M0RtkH2ViXCYFh7ZQDaCa34A3RcZJJyUD_azCdp7c8-NaFeuoTw6jWqGX27N7dDgTasztpT4C8GZRcMPB_Vs5ax4SLPBkYG62-95HkJNCilri179wa47h9oCOCU8Q0e0ThywIh_Y9rHYwcPruS/s3000/Steve%20Lawrence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2400" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AAv8MfbnS0X-ZC7VF1LFr-fghEbzFeQei0M0RtkH2ViXCYFh7ZQDaCa34A3RcZJJyUD_azCdp7c8-NaFeuoTw6jWqGX27N7dDgTasztpT4C8GZRcMPB_Vs5ax4SLPBkYG62-95HkJNCilri179wa47h9oCOCU8Q0e0ThywIh_Y9rHYwcPruS/w160-h200/Steve%20Lawrence.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Steve Lawrence, the popular crooner, actor, and comedian who was one half of the duo Steve and Eydie with his wife Eydie Gormé, died on March 7 at the age of 88 from Alzheimer’s disease.<br /><br />Steve Lawrence was born Sidney Liebowitz on July 8 1935 in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a cantor and Steve Lawrence singing in choirs in synagogues. It was when he heard his first Frank Sinatra record as a young teenager that he decided upon music as a career. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School, but would often skip school to go to the Brill Building in Manhattan where he would make extra money singing on demos. It was at the Brill Building that he first met Eydie Gormé.<br /><br />It was in the early Fifties that he adopted the stage name "Steve Lawrence," taking name from the first names of two of his nephews. He competed on the radio version of <i>Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts</i>, and won the show's first price. He was then signed to King Records. He was only 16 years old. His first single, "Poinciana," was released in 1952 and went to no. 21 on the <i>Billboard</i> singles chart. His self-titled debut album was released in 1953.<br /><br />Steve Lawrence was only 18 when he was hired by Steve Allen as one of the singers on his talk television show, <i>The Steve Allen Show presented by Knickerbocker Beer</i>, on WNBC. When the late night show <i>Tonight!</i> (now known as <i>The Tonight Show</i>) debuted on WNBC in 1953, Steve Lawrence made the transition with Steve Allen. It was on <i>Tonight!</i> that he once again met Eydie Gormé. The two would begin singing duets two years later. Steve Lawrence was a regular on <i>Tonight!</i> until 1957 when Steve Allen left the show. He was also a regular on Steve Allen's primetime show, <i>The Steve Allen Show</i>. In the Fifties Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gormé had their own show, <i>The Steve Lawrence-Eydie Gormé Show</i>, that ran in 1958. He appeared on such variety and talk shows as <i>Your Cheverolet Showroom</i>, <i>The Denny Vaughan Show</i>, <i>The Russ Morgan Show</i>, <i>The Jonathan Winters Show</i>, <i>The Julius LaRosa Show</i>, <i>The Patrice Munsel Show</i>, <i>The Bob Crosby Show</i>, <i>Person to Person</i>, <i>The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show</i>, <i>The Dinah Shore Chevy Show</i>, <i>The Chevy Showroom Starring Andy Williams</i>, <i>The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom</i>, <i>The Ed Sullivan Show</i>, and <i>The Perry Como Show</i>.<br /><br />In the Sixties Steve Lawrence made his acting television debut in an episode of <i>Saints and Sinners</i>. He appeared as the Ghost of Christmas Past in the TV movie <i> Carol for Another Christmas</i>. He was a guest on such variety shows, game shows, and talk shows as <i>Here's Hollywood</i>, <i>The Ed Sullivan Show</i>, <i>The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar</i>, <i>The Judy Garland Show</i>, <i>The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson</i>, <i>The Bell Telephone Hour</i>, <i>The Garry Moore Show</i>, <i>On Parade</i>, <i>I've Got a Secret</i>, <i>The Jack Paar Program</i>, <i>Password</i>, <i>Hullabaloo</i>, <i>The Hollywood Palace</i>, <i>The Merv Griffin Show</i>, <i>The Mike Douglas Show</i>, <i>The John Bartholomew Tucker Show</i>, <i>Gypsy</i>, <i>What's My Line</i>?, <i>The Andy Williams Show</i>, <i>The Joan Rivers Show</i>, <i>Personality</i>, <i>The Steve Allen Show</i>, <i>The Bob Hope Show</i>, <i>The Kraft Music Hall</i>, <i>The Carol Burnett Show</i>, <i>This is Tom Jones</i>, and <i>The Tim Conway Show</i>. In 1965 he had his own show, <i>The Steve Lawrence Show</i>.<br /><br />In the Seventies Steve Lawrence guest starred on the shows <i>Medical Center</i>, <i>The New Dick Van Dyke Show</i>, <i>Night Gallery</i>, <i>Laugh-In</i>, <i>Here's Lucy</i>, <i>Sanford and Son</i>, and <i>Police Story</i>. He appeared on such variety shows, talk shows, and game shows as <i>The Kraft Music Hall</i>, <i>The Carol Burnett Show</i>, <i>The Flip Wilson Show</i>, <i>The ABC Comedy Hour</i>, <i>The Julie Andrews Hour</i>, <i>NBC Follies</i>, <i>The Dean Martin Show</i>, <i>Dinah!</i>, <i>Tony Orlando and Dawn</i>, <i>The Sonny and Cher Show</i>, and <i>Sammy and Company</i>.<br /><br />In the Eighties he guest starred on the shows <i>Hardcastle and McCormick</i> and <i>Murder, She Wrote</i>. He appeared in the mini-series <i>Alice in Wonderland</i>. He appeared on such variety, game shows, and talk shows as <i>The Joe Franklin Show</i> and <i>Tattletales</i>. In the Nineties he guest starred on the shows <i>Bob</i>, <i>Empty Nest</i>, <i>Burke's Law</i>, <i>Frasier</i>, <i>The Nanny</i>, and <i>Diagnosis Murder</i>. In the Naughts he appeared on the shows <i>CSI: Crime Scene Investigation</i> and <i>The Cleaner</i>. In the Teens he appeared on the shows <i>Hot in Cleveland</i>, <i>Awake, </i>and <i>Two and a Half Men</i>.<br /><br />Steve Lawrence made his feature film debut in <i>Stand Up and Be Counted</i> in 1972. He appeared in the movies <i>The Blues Brothers</i> (1980), <i>The Lonely Guy</i> (1984), <i>Blues Brothers </i>(1999), <i>The Contract</i> (1999), <i>The Yards</i> (2000), and <i>Phillips</i> (2009). <br /><br />In addition to film and television, Steve Lawrence also appeared on Broadway. In the Sixties he appeared in the productions <i>What Makes Sammy Run?</i> and <i>Golden Rainbow</i>. <br /><br />Of course, Steve Lawrence was best known as a singer, and he had a successful recording career. As mentioned above, his first single, "Poinciana" went to no. 21 on the <i>Billboard </i>singles chart. The following year, 1953, his single ""How Many Stars to Shine," peaked at no. 26. The year 1957 saw two of his biggest hits. His cover of "The Banana Boat Song" went to no. 18, while his cover of "Party Doll" went to no. 5, on the <i>Billboard </i>singles chart. In 1959 his single "Pretty Blue Eyes" went to no. 9 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 and in 1960 "Footsteps" went to no. 7. His biggest hit would be "Go Away Little Girl" which went all the way to no. 1 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 in 1963. It would also be his last major hit. Like many crooners, his success on the record charts was impacted by the British Invasion and the rise of rock music. <br /><br />He released several albums throughout the years, his first being the aforementioned <i>Steve Lawrence</i> in 1953. Of course, he also released albums with his wife and singing partner Eydie Gormé, the first of which was <i>We Got Us with Eydie Gormé </i>in 1960. In all he released over sixty albums, the last being <i>When You Come Back to Me</i> in 2014. Fittingly, it was dedicated to Eydie Gormé, who died in 2013.<br /><br />Steve Lawrence was among the best of the latter day crooners. He had a velvety voice that spanned two octaves, and he maintained that voice for the entirety of his performing career. He could deliver songs from the Great American Songbook in a way that few others could. <br /><br />In addition to being a great singer, he was also simply a great, all-around performer. He had a particular gift for comedy, and even his performances as a singer would see him cracking jokes funnier than most stand-up comics. His gift for comedy came to good use in his 39 guest appearances on <i>The Carol Burnett Show</i>, where he was more often than not as funny as that show's regular's in sketches. He was memorable as the Blues Brothers' agent Maury Sline in both <i>The Blues Brothers </i>and <i>The Blues Brothers 2000</i>. He also delivered a fine performance in the comedy <i>Stand Up and Be Counted</i>. Steve Lawrence could play more than comedy. In the <i>Murder, She Wrote </i>episode "No Laughing Matter" he played Mack Howard, one half of a former comedy duo who is now a popular late-night talk show host, while his former partner (Murray Gruen, played by Buddy Hackett) has fallen on hard times. Steve Lawrence was a major talent, both an incredible singer and a great actor with a gift for comedy. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-1143285441595424892024-03-15T16:47:00.003-05:002024-03-16T12:47:03.451-05:00The 35th Anniversary of the TV Debut of Stand and Deliver (1988)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUZHPkvWM0yUUJVF_z0-I5Oy_9behdEmGCw0z5pmf7TScnPeMc7m3FxrasuzIAq2xak9da0WGuTV9ud33M2vCqyljy6EUUFJWkfVkwSS53cOodqRjsamIiCnzlFf1EDB-rJX3oe4LOBZWcK_iHZx0DBULUlm4evq9AV3BYiCO3THp9rZCxuM7/s1969/Staned%20and%20Deliver%201988%20promo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1601" data-original-width="1969" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUZHPkvWM0yUUJVF_z0-I5Oy_9behdEmGCw0z5pmf7TScnPeMc7m3FxrasuzIAq2xak9da0WGuTV9ud33M2vCqyljy6EUUFJWkfVkwSS53cOodqRjsamIiCnzlFf1EDB-rJX3oe4LOBZWcK_iHZx0DBULUlm4evq9AV3BYiCO3THp9rZCxuM7/s320/Staned%20and%20Deliver%201988%20promo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />It was 35 years ago today that <i>Stand and Deliver</i> (1988) made its television debut on <i>American Playhouse</i> on PBS. At the time it may have seemed strange that a feature film that had only been released to theatres a little over a year earlier would be shown on PBS. What some at the time may not have known is that <i>Stand and Deliver</i> (1988) was produced in part by <i>American Playhouse </i>and it was originally meant to only air on television.<br /><br /><i>Stand and Deliver</i> was based on the true story of math teacher Jaime Escalante, who successfully taught calculus to his students at Garfield High School in East Los Angeles. Lou Diamond Phillips played Angel Guzman, a cholo who proved to have a talent for math. Other cast members included Vanessa Marquez, who played the brilliant but shy and soft spoken Ana Delgado; Will Gotay, who played Pancho, a talented mechanic who struggles with calculus; Ingrid Oliu who played Lupe Escocbar, a self-assured and ambitious student; Karla Montana as Claudia Camejo, the fashionable girl with plenty of boyfriends; Mark Elliot as Tito, the rock musician of the class; Patrick Baca as Javier Perales, a brilliant student who is a whiz at math; and Lydia Nicole as Rafaela Fuentes, an immigrant who tends to be quiet.<br /><br />As to <i>American Playhouse</i>, it was a television anthology series that aired feature length works on PBS from 1982 to 1996. In many ways it was PBS's equivalent of the commercial broadcast networks' many movie anthology series that were so prevalent at the time, such as <i>NBC Monday Night at the Movies</i>. <i>Stand and Deliver</i> was not the first theatrical release to air on <i>American Playhouse</i> by any stretch of the imagination, nor was it the first feature film produced by <i>American Playhouse</i>. Years earlier, <i>American Playhouse</i> had produced <i>Northern Lights</i> (1978), which actually won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1979. As to theatrical releases that aired on <i>American Playhouse</i>, these included <i>Heartland</i> (1979), <i>City News</i> (1983), <i>Testament</i> (1983), and <i>My American Cousin</i> (1985), which aired two weeks before <i>Stand and Deliver</i> made its television debut. Of course, here I must point out that not every feature film aired on <i>American Playhouse</i> was produced by <i>American Playhouse</i>, and it showed quite a few that weren't.<br /><br />The origins of <i>Stand and Deliver</i> go back to 1984 when recent UCLA film school graduate Ramón Menéndez read an article about Garfield High School teacher Jaime Escalante in a newspaper. It occurred to him that Mr. Escalante would make a good subject for a film, and so he turned to his friend Tom Musca to co-write the movie and produce it. It took six months before the two of them could persuade Jaime Escalante to sell them the film rights to a movie based on him. Several production companies turned Messrs. Menéndez and Musca down, as they thought a film about Jaime Escalante would not be commercial enough. At last they received a $12,0000 grant from PBS's anthology series <i>American Playhouse</i>. <br /><br />Once they completed the script they were able to interest Edward James Olmos, then on the hit series <i>Miami Vice</i>, in playing Jaime Escalante in the movie. His production company, Olmos Productions, would produce <i>Stand and Deliver</i> alongside <i>American Playhouse</i>. Additional financing for <i>Stand and Deliver </i>would come from a variety of sources, including the National Science Foundation and the Atlantic-Richfield Corporation.<br /><br /><i>Stand and Deliver</i> premiered at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 10 1987 under the title <i>Walking On Water</i>. Warner Bros. bought the distribution rights for the film, so that what was originally meant to be a television movie to be aired on PBS was now a feature film to be released to theatres. In the process the film received a new name. Titled <i>Walking on Water</i>, Warner Bros. renamed it <i>Stand and Deliver</i>. It was released to theatres on March 11 1988. It not only received positive reviews from critics and various awards, but it also did fairly well at the box office. It would be a little over a year later, on March 15 1989, that <i>Stand and Deliver</i> made its television debut on <i>American Playhouse</i>. <br /><br />While I know that I saw <i>Stand and Deliver</i> on <i>American Playhouse</i> in 1989, I cannot remember if it was on the night of March 15 of that year. It might well have been. I do remember that our local PBS station repeated it on the afternoon of Thanksgiving in 1989 and I know I watched it then. Either way, <i>Stand and Deliver</i> became one of my favourite movies of all time, this coming from someone who has no real fondness for mathematics, let alone calculus. Of course, now watching <i>Stand and Deliver</i> on <i>American Playhouse </i>in 1989 is even more significant for me than it was at the time. It marked this first time that I saw actress Vanessa Marquez anywhere. Vanessa Marquez would later become one of the original members of the TCMParty crowd on Twitter and she live-tweeted <i>Mad Men</i> and <i>Downton Abbey</i> as well. It was that way that we got to know each other and that we became close friends. For many years we were in contact every day, either through social media, phone calls, or text messages. Once one of my favourite movies, <i>Stand and Deliver</i> then became a movie starring one of my dearest friends.<br /><br />Of course, I am not the only person for whom <i>Stand and Deliver</i> would be a significant movie. There are many people who went into mathematics, teaching, and the sciences because of the film. Over the years <i>Stand and Deliver</i> has proven to be an inspiration for many, particularly Mexican Americans who had rarely seen members of their ethnicity in anything but stereotypical roles prior to the movie. Now considered a classic, there can be no doubt that many first saw <i>Stand and Deliver</i> for the first time on <i>American Playhouse</i>.Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-21576910460153756692024-03-12T17:02:00.002-05:002024-03-12T17:02:34.925-05:00Godspeed Eric Carmen<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngU1J_AFwMoVkZWdsSuiSIQ-RPW9lO4ZRMtVmXbp8ZB3ChyphenhyphennyObcf8axwZr3cE5sfo-NG15lmMqo2dZqjOcb_psi935XNJiTQxicKOyaEmndGRkrrl1pe3ybD2NXFr-FZEHma6-a9zpj47sts3ThI69h4zc3z0oy5OQ42EL7BdEj_clQB4UDR/s760/Eric%20Carmen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="760" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgngU1J_AFwMoVkZWdsSuiSIQ-RPW9lO4ZRMtVmXbp8ZB3ChyphenhyphennyObcf8axwZr3cE5sfo-NG15lmMqo2dZqjOcb_psi935XNJiTQxicKOyaEmndGRkrrl1pe3ybD2NXFr-FZEHma6-a9zpj47sts3ThI69h4zc3z0oy5OQ42EL7BdEj_clQB4UDR/w200-h133/Eric%20Carmen.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />Eric Carmen, lead vocalist of The Raspberries and a successful solo artist as well, died yesterday, March 11 2024, at the age of 74.<br /><br />Eric Carmen was born on August 11 1949 in Cleveland, Ohio. He grew up in Lyndhurst, Ohio. He took to music from an early age. He was only three years old when he was enrolled in the Dalcroze Eurhythmics program at the Cleveland Institute of Music. When he was six years old, his aunt, Muriel Carmen, who was a concert violinist with the Cleveland Orchestra, taught him to play violin. By the time he was 11 years old, he already knew how to play piano and was writing his own songs. In his early teens he was heavily influenced by such British Invasion bands as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. When he was in high school he played with various local bands, such as The Fugitives, The Harlequins, and The Sounds of Silence. He was 15 when he taught himself to play guitar.<br /><br />It was while he was attending John Carroll University in University Heights, Ohio that he joined the band Cyrus Erie. Cyrus Erie released the unsuccessful single "Sparrow" through Epic Records in 1968. In 1969, under the name The Quick, they released another unsuccessful single, "Ain't Nothin' Gonna Stop Me." It was after Cyrus Erie disbanded in the late Sixties that Eric Carmen, former Cyrus Erie guitarist Walter Bryson, drummer Jim Bonfanti (formerly of The Choir), and bassist Dave Smalley (also formerly of The Choir) formed The Raspberries.<br /><br />The Raspberries were signed to Capitol Records. Their first single, "Don't Want to Say Goodbye," only went to no. 86 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. Their second single, "Go All the Way," proved to be a hit, peaking at no. 5 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. Their debut album, <i>Raspberries</i>, peaked at no. 51 on the <i>Billboard</i> album chart. The Raspberries would have two other major hits, "I Wanna Be with You," which went to no. 15 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 and "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)", which went to no. 18. Other singles ("Let's Pretend," "Tonight," and "I'm a Rocket") reached the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 as well. Their second album, <i>Fresh</i>, reached no. 36 on the <i>Billboard</i> album chart. Sadly, their last two albums, <i>Side 3</i> and <i>Starting Over</i>, peaked at 128 and 143 on the chart respectively. Eric Carmen wrote or co-wrote the majority of the band's songs, and also sang, played rhythm guitar, and piano.<br /><br />The Raspberries broke up in April 1975, after which Eric Carmen began a successful solo career. His debut single as a solo artist, "All By Myself," went to no. 2 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. It was followed by the hit "Never Gonna Fall in Love Again," which peaked at no. 11. His self-titled, debut album went to no. 21 on the <i>Billboard</i> album chart. The first single from <i>Boats Against the Current</i> (his second solo album), "She Did It," went to no. 23 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. Another hit emerged from his third solo album (<i>Change of Heart</i>). "Change of Heart" went to no. 19 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100. <br /><br />Unfortunately, Eric Carmen's career stalled following <i>Change of Heart</i>,. and he would not have another hit until "I Wanna Hear It from Your Lips" went to no. 35 on the <i>Billboard</i> Hot 100 in 1985. In 1987 his single "Hungry Eyes" went to no. 4 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. In 1988 his single "Make Me Lose Control" went to no. 3 on the chart. Following <i>Eric Carmen</i> (his second self-titled album) in 1984, Mr. Carmen would not release another album until <i>I Was Born to Love You</i> in 2000. His last new track, d "Brand New Year," was released on December 24 2014.<br /><br />In 2004 Eric Carmen reunited with the other original members of The Raspberries for a successful tour of the United States. A alive album, <i>Live on Sunset Strip</i>, was released in 2007. A recording of their show in Cleveland during the 2004 reunion tour would be released as a live album, <i>Pop Art Live</i>, in 2017. <br /><br />While Eric Carmen's success on the record charts was intermittent, he would have a lasting influence both as one of The Raspberries and as a solo artist. Along with Badfinger, The Raspberries would be pivotal in the development of power pop in those years between the originators of the genre in the Sixties and the such power pop artists of the late Seventies as Cheap Trick, Dave Edmunds, and The Knack. They would have an influence on artists ranging from The Cars to The Bangles to Matthew Sweet to Teenage Fan Club. As a solo artist, Eric Carmen wrote and performed "All by Myself," which has since become a standard, as well as a number for other memorable songs. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-81009856470489410682024-03-11T16:38:00.001-05:002024-03-11T16:38:25.771-05:00The 2024 Oscars In Memoriam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa9cGnBq5iWDGJaiQHnVXHHfOGssKX-otxPBScsf8o3j1mH_CGLSoCIp9DT3a4GmHetaa1dOv70U-1yxt9g7-d5AzwHWtoalbYQu1ZsHNj56tb48pD1pkIdFXYyZP8i7xlVQW-lYwRl2XMJORv7s-t5rP_aNmVFMzcjQIZsOoBPzQBjHCFGCJ/s681/Oscars%202024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPa9cGnBq5iWDGJaiQHnVXHHfOGssKX-otxPBScsf8o3j1mH_CGLSoCIp9DT3a4GmHetaa1dOv70U-1yxt9g7-d5AzwHWtoalbYQu1ZsHNj56tb48pD1pkIdFXYyZP8i7xlVQW-lYwRl2XMJORv7s-t5rP_aNmVFMzcjQIZsOoBPzQBjHCFGCJ/s320/Oscars%202024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Yesterday was my birthday, so I did not watch the Academy Awards. Instead, I watched <i>Stand and Deliver</i> (1988) and <i>Twenty Bucks</i> (1993), as it is the only way I can spend my birthday with my dearest Vanessa now. I did watch this year's on-air In Memoriam online today, and I can see why people are not happy with it.<br /><br />As many of you may recall, I have long had problems with the Academy Awards' on-air In Memoriam, at least since 2013 when they omitted Andy Griffith and others. I am still sore about the 2019 on-air In Memoriam, when the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences omitted my dearest Vanessa Marquez, despite a campaign to include her, but saw fit to include publicists and agents that no one had ever heard of. Now last night's In Memoriam only included such creatives as actors, directors, cinematographers, and so on, with nary an agent and publicist in sight, but it was still very poorly done.<br /><br />For those who have not seen last night's In Memoriam from the 96th Academy Awards, it consisted of images and names of some who have died the past year on a screen while father and son tenors Andrea Boccelli and Matteo Boccelli sang "Time to Say Goodbye" and dancers performed an interpretative dance. Now I have no problem with a song being performed during the In Memoriam. After all, the far superior, annual TCM Remembers always has a song. The problem is that, as usual, last night's on-air Oscars In Memoriam seemed rushed. The images and names of the those who have died were on for only a few mere seconds. Making matters worse, sometimes they would have multiple names and images on the screen at once. This was complicated further by camera shots from awkward angles of the screen, not to mention that the dancers sometimes obscured the screens. Quite simply, it was often difficult to read the names of those who have died since last year's Oscars ceremony.<br /><br />To make matters even worse, several individuals were relegated to small print at the end of the In Memoriam, including such stalwarts as Terence Davies, Norman Lear, Lance Reddick,Treat Williams, and others. The In Memoriam went by so fast that I am not sure of any outright omissions (as in the case of Andy Griffith in 2013 and my beloved Vanessa in 2019), but I am sure there were. It seems as if the Academy always leaves out some well-known movie stars each year.<br /><br />Regardless, it seems to me that , as usual, not a lot of thought went into this year's Oscars In Memoriam. First, the Academy Awards In Memoriam is no place for an interpretative dance. After all, I am assuming the eyes of both those in the theatre and those at home will be on the screen. Second, the names and images of those who have died should be on the screen for more than a few mere seconds. I am not sure how long each person is on screen in TCM Remembers, but it seems considerably longer. It is certainly long enough that one can read their names. Last night's Oscars In Memoriam gave viewers little time to read the names at all. Third, the screen on which the images and names of those who have died should fill the whole screen for those viewing at home. I don't care who is singing during the In Memoriam. I don't care about an interpretative dance being performed during the In Memoriam. I want to see the images and names of those who have died. Fourth, the Academy should insure that far more actors, writers, directors, cinematographers, and other creatives are included in the In Memoriam. In many times, there are no excuses for omissions. There was no reason for them to have excluded Vanessa in 2019, particularly given she was a groundbreaking Latina actress who had starred in a classic film (<i>Stand and Deliver</i>). There was no reason for them to exclude the great Paul Sorvino last year, who starred in everything from <i>Goodfellas</i> (1990) to <i>The Rocketeer</i> (1991). <br /><br />I have to suspect that the Academy of Motion Arts and Sciences perhaps feel pressure to keep the In Memoriam to a certain length and to make it entertaining. I also suspect that this pressure comes from ABC, who have in the past few years tried to get the Academy to make the ceremony shorter. The problem is that each and every year, the on-air In Memoriam is the one thing that outrages viewers the most. We are angered by the fact that we sometimes can't see the screen due to awkward camera angles. We are angered by the fact that the names and images of beloved actors, writers, directors, and others are on for only a few seconds. And, most of all, we are angered by the exclusion of beloved actors, directors, writers, and other creatives. There is no reason the In Memoriam cannot be longer and done better. TCM Remembers generally runs around four and a half to five minutes and includes almost everyone. The images and names are on for longer than a few seconds. What is more, TCM Remembers is always enjoyable, if always very sad, to watch. There is no reason that the Academy can't do the same thing. As to the American Broadcasting Company, they need to stop worrying about what they want and start worrying about what viewers want went it comes to the Academy Awards ceremony.<br /><br />Anyway, I didn't see that many movies released last year, so I don't have to much to say about the awards themselves. As a long time Godzilla fan, I am glad <i>Godzilla Minus One</i> (2023) won Best Visual Effects. I am a bit puzzled as to how <i>Barbie</i> (2023) lost Best Production Design and Best Costume Design (2023). I am sure <i>Poor Things</i> (2023) has great production design and costumes (I'll know for sure when I watch it later this week), but it's hard for me to see either being better than that of <i>Barbie</i>, which had some of the best production design and costumes I have seen in years. Finally, I would have given Best Song to "I'm Just Ken" from <i>Barbie</i> instead of "What Was I Made For?" from the same movie. I've loved "I'm Just Ken" ever since I first watched <i>Barbie</i>. I don't dislike "What Was I Made For?," but it doesn't particularly impress me either. By the way, I pulled up Ryan Gosling's performance of "I'm Just Ken" from last night's ceremony on YouTube, and it was great. I love the shout outs to musicals of old in the whole sequence.<br /><br />Anyway, I think last night's Academy Awards ceremony proves once more that the Academy has a long way to go in doing a proper In Memoriam. Every year viewers complain about the In Memoriam, and yet it seems as if nothing every changes. They keep getting it wrong each year. I honestly think the Academy should just stop trying to do their own on air In Memoriam and just show TCM Remembers instead. <br />Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-61886778361159462392024-03-08T16:45:00.000-06:002024-03-08T16:45:21.618-06:00Noir Alley Returns to TCM on March 16 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpw8s_6reEVXCkHNFsxZAt0BNA0XT7UXABGXZ8RwTbfUNW_2I7v47zvRhnmjoAHwBl5A-4gooMsViOVlYymcaZiSv8JHg8WManpkRjABr4yl7NGaGXYqRsPIZVmMzwW64YH2K-dU8kaBZqtiFJ1R39Q7kvPJkQgpVm6td25gm74TwKqhckkXY/s512/Noir%20Alley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVpw8s_6reEVXCkHNFsxZAt0BNA0XT7UXABGXZ8RwTbfUNW_2I7v47zvRhnmjoAHwBl5A-4gooMsViOVlYymcaZiSv8JHg8WManpkRjABr4yl7NGaGXYqRsPIZVmMzwW64YH2K-dU8kaBZqtiFJ1R39Q7kvPJkQgpVm6td25gm74TwKqhckkXY/w200-h200/Noir%20Alley.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />One of the things I dislike about Turner Classic Movies' 31 Days of Oscar is that it means going without <i>Noir Alley</i> for a whole month. Fortunately, it is returning on Saturday, March 16 2024 with the classic French neo-noir <i>Le Samouri</i> (1967). On March 23 <i>Where Danger Lives </i>(1950), starring Robert Mitchum, airs on Noir Alley. On March 30 they are showing <i>Pushover </i>(1954) again. After 4 weeks without <i>Noir Alley</i>, I am sure many fans are ready for its return.Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-63346363637731431332024-03-07T16:30:00.001-06:002024-03-07T16:30:26.043-06:00TCM Spotlight: Women at Work March 2024<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50lipwhByiVwt7fY8vEaWjj1_CxmtESvLrClZKZtLnOpj-t8eMfnHL_N5b0ldVXJ9ovTpS9XoLV-kf2p594xarHcLEA4XV3bzXX2vcRfJ9VuHe0De-AKxkpeezR7awQ99_vET-jhznjgcWO273KjSVRXhOHm13B-q4Ebvuev4_dQ_v79r-SSw/s720/Network%20Faye.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="479" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh50lipwhByiVwt7fY8vEaWjj1_CxmtESvLrClZKZtLnOpj-t8eMfnHL_N5b0ldVXJ9ovTpS9XoLV-kf2p594xarHcLEA4XV3bzXX2vcRfJ9VuHe0De-AKxkpeezR7awQ99_vET-jhznjgcWO273KjSVRXhOHm13B-q4Ebvuev4_dQ_v79r-SSw/w213-h320/Network%20Faye.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faye Dunaway in <i>Network</i><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>From Monday, March 11 2024 though Friday, March 15 2024, TCM Spotlight is focused on Women at Work. For five nights, Turner Classic Movies will showing movies centred around women in the work place. They are showing a wide array of films, from the Pre-Code drama <i>Baby Face</i> (1933) to the comedy <i>Nine to Five</i> (1980). Over the five nights they will be showing such classics as <i>Mildred Pierce</i> (1945), <i>Desk Set</i> (1957), and <i>Love Come Back</i> (1961). TCM Spotlight: Women at Work is hosted by Turner Classic Movies hosts Alicia Malone and Professor Jacqueline Stewart.<br /><br />Below is the schedule for TCM Spotlight: Women at Work. All times are Central.<br /><br /><b>Monday, March 11: </b><br /><i></i>7:00 PM <i>Baby Face</i> (1933)<br />8:30 PM <i>Bachelor Mother</i> (1939)<br />10:00 PM <i>Imitation of Life</i> (1934)<br /><br /><b>Tuesday, March 12:<br /></b>12:00 AM <i>Man Wanted</i> (1932)<br />1:15 AM <i>Female</i> (1933)<br />2:30 AM <i>Big Business Girl</i> (1931)<br />3:45 AM <i>Employee's Entrance</i> (1933)<br />7:00 PM <i>His Girl Friday</i> (1940)<br />9:00 PM <i>Mildred Pierce</i> (1945)<br />11:00 PM <i>Adam's Rib</i> (1949)<br /><br /><b>Wednesday, March 13:<br /></b>1:00 AM <i>Woman of the Year</i> (1942)<br />2:30 AM <i>Millions Like Us</i> (1943)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Best of Everything</i> (1959)<br />9:15 PM <i>Desk Set</i> (1957)<br /><br /><b>Thursday, March 14:<br /></b>1:15 AM <i>The Fuller Brush Girl</i> (1950)<br />3:00 AM <i>Bright Road</i> (1953)<br />7:00 PM <i>Love Come Back</i> (1961)<br />9:00 PM <i>The Wheeler Dealers</i> (1963)<br />11:00 PM <i>Come Fly with Me</i> (1962)<br /><br /><b>Friday, March 15:<br /></b>1:00 AM <i>Sex and the Single Girl</i> (1964)<br />3:00 AM <i>Kisses for My President</i> (1964)<br />7:00 PM <i>Nine to Five</i> (1980)<br />9:00 PM <i>Baby Boom</i> (1987)<br />11:00 PM <i>The China Syndrome</i> (1979)<br /><br /><b>Saturday, March 16:<br /></b>1:15 AM <i>Network</i> (1976)<br />3:30 AM <i>Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore</i> (1974)<br />Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-29969546325632481442024-03-06T16:52:00.000-06:002024-03-06T16:52:17.105-06:00Godspeed Richard Lewis<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj310EfIQCvyko3LCmjZGn6Y3O4VGbGTkDRI_WKC-68u6arBA51b2AOTwsDvY1Y7NmJwsWMzLqmCqDRnAXBxw9NX3YUnoZd7qp4BX0wWo4GS9VUrOi9foVLwf-_PXiC4NwJiA97oGG3Sq0pQNuIvwjFGkOQcjeOfq9CAEyxsSB7CigFJNgBt8fx/s1000/Richard%20Lewis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="1000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj310EfIQCvyko3LCmjZGn6Y3O4VGbGTkDRI_WKC-68u6arBA51b2AOTwsDvY1Y7NmJwsWMzLqmCqDRnAXBxw9NX3YUnoZd7qp4BX0wWo4GS9VUrOi9foVLwf-_PXiC4NwJiA97oGG3Sq0pQNuIvwjFGkOQcjeOfq9CAEyxsSB7CigFJNgBt8fx/s320/Richard%20Lewis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Comedian Richard Lewis died on February 27 2024 at the age of 76. The cause was a heart attack. <br /><br />Richard Lewis was born on June 29 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up in Englewood, New Jersey. He graduated from Dwight Morrow High School in Englewood in 1965, and received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ohio State University. After graduating from college, Richard Lewis wrote ad copy for an advertising agency in Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey. At night he would write jokes. He sold those jokes to Monty Gunty and other comedians. His success writing jokes led to his decision to develop his own act. <br /><br />Eventually Richard Lewis was playing such New York clubs as The Impov and Pips Comedy Club. It was in 1974 that he made his first of many appearances on <i>The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson</i>. He made his acting debut in 1979 in the television movie <i>Diary of a Young Comic</i> on NBC. He played a fictionalized version of himself in the film. In the late Seventies he also appeared in the TV movie <i>The 416th</i> and guest starred on the sitcom <i>House Calls</i>. <br /><br />In the Eighties he appeared on both <i>The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson</i> and <i>Late Night with David Letterman</i>. He guest starred on the TV shows <i>Riptide</i> and <i>Tattingers</i>. He had a regular role on the short-lived sitcom <i>Harry</i> and starred on the sitcom <i>Anything But Love</i>. He made his film debut in <i>The Wrong Guys</i> in 1988. He also appeared in the film <i>That's Adequate</i> (1989). <br /><br />In the Nineties Richard Lewis continued to appear in the TV series <i>Anything But Love</i>. He starred on the short-lived sitcoms <i>Daddy Dearest</i> and <i>Hiller and Diller</i>. He had a recurring role on the sitcom <i>Rude Awakening</i> in its first season. He guest starred on the shows <i>Tribeca</i>, <i>The Larry Sanders Show</i>, <i>Tales from the Crypt</i>, <i>A.J.'s Time Travelers</i>, and <i>V.I.P..</i> He was a guest voice on the animated shows <i>Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist</i>; <i>Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child</i>; and <i>Hercules</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>Once Upon a Crime...</i> (1992), <i>Robin Hood: Men in Tights</i> (1993), <i>Wagons East!</i>, <i>Drunks</i> (1995), <i>Leaving Las Vegas</i> (1995), <i>The Elevator</i> (1996), <i>The Maze</i> (1997), <i>Hugo Pool</i> (1997), and <i>Game Day</i> (1999). He also appeared in the TV movie <i>Larry David: Curb Your Enthusiasm</i> in 1999.<br /><br />In the Naughts Richard Lewis began his 24 year run as a regular on the TV show <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>. He had a recurring role on the family drama <i>7th Heaven</i>. He guest starred on the shows <i>Presidio Med</i>, <i>Alias</i>, <i>Two and a Half Men</i>, <i>The Dead Zone</i>,<i> Las Vegas</i>, <i>George Lopez</i>, <i>Everybody Hates Chris</i>, <i>The Cleaner</i>, and <i>' Til Death</i>. He was a guest voice on <i>The Simpsons</i>. He appeared in the movie <i>Sledge: The Untold Story</i> (2005).<br /><br />In the Teens he continued to appear on <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>. He had a recurring role on the sitcom <i>Blunt Talk</i>. He guest starred on the show <i>Code Black</i> and was a guest voice on the animated series <i>BoJack Horseman</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>Vamps</i> (2012), <i>She's Funny That Way</i> (2012), <i>Bucky and the Squirrels</i> (2015), and <i>Sandy Wexler</i>. In the 2020s he continued to appear on <i>Curb Your Enthusiasm</i>. The show is in its last season, and its final episode airs on April 7 2024.<br /><br />Richard Lewis was an extremely funny man who could always take a neurosis and turn it into a comedy routine. During his act he was fidgety and would pace the floor, only adding to the humour he found in anxiety. His comedy was always self-deprecating. He was able to parlay his success as a comic into a successful acting career. He was the neurotic Prince John in <i>Robin Hood: Men in Tights</i> and Peter, the agent for screenwriter Ben Sanderson (Nicholas Page) who tried helping Ben despite having his own issues to deal with. On the sitcom <i>Anything but Love</i> he played neurotic magazine columnist Marty Gold who finds himself attracted to co-worker Hannah Miller (Jamie Lee Curtis). Whether doing stand-up or acting, Richard Lewis could be very funny, but capable of playing more serious acting roles as well. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-24463367153934640652024-03-04T17:15:00.002-06:002024-03-04T17:15:10.015-06:00The Late Great Ramona Fradon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpHpzSuqfVvtOQyS-FB8x7iewVAyDbKuuqSaSnvEO16uZ8vbzl5S6QB_S7ShgHTxBqECvB4qQ_gbS9lbgHv3hMcfGP2Q_LtK4QZLd7LMod42DadHrMwbjOAyjLnL6H8-NybAeklyoAdOB2pj8UR4TVGvAGn_M1NYaWM1VIp4TRkV9ODGV7E6o/s2081/Ramona%20Fradon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2081" data-original-width="1518" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirpHpzSuqfVvtOQyS-FB8x7iewVAyDbKuuqSaSnvEO16uZ8vbzl5S6QB_S7ShgHTxBqECvB4qQ_gbS9lbgHv3hMcfGP2Q_LtK4QZLd7LMod42DadHrMwbjOAyjLnL6H8-NybAeklyoAdOB2pj8UR4TVGvAGn_M1NYaWM1VIp4TRkV9ODGV7E6o/w146-h200/Ramona%20Fradon.png" width="146" /></a></div>Ramona Fradon, co-creator of the superhero Metamorpho with writer Bob Haney and a comics artist known for her work on <i>Aquaman</i> and <i>Brenda Starr</i>, died on February 24 2024 at age 97.<br /><br />Ramona Fradon was born Ramona Dom on October 2 1926 in Chicago. Her father was Peter Dom, a commercial artist who created the Dom Casual font and created logos for Camel, Elizabeth Arden, and Lord & Taylor. While she did not read comic books when she was growing up, she developed a love for newspaper comic strips as a child. Her father took notice of her talent when she was still young, and encouraged her to go to art school. She graduated from the Parsons School of Design. It was after graduating that she married <i> New Yorker</i> cartoonist Dana Fradon. He encouraged her to become a cartoonist.<br /><br />Ramona Fradon's earliest work for DC Comics was on the comic book adaptation of <i>Gang Busters</i> in 1949. It was in 1951 that she began working frequently for DC, providing art for the Shining Knight feature in <i>Adventure Comics</i>, the Roy Raymond feature in <i>Detective Comics</i>, the comic book adaptation of the radio show <i>Mr. District Attorney</i>, and <i>Western Comics</i>. She went onto become the regular artist on the Aquaman feature in <i>Adventure Comics </i>and later <i>World's Finest Comics</i>. In 1961 she was the artist on <i>Showcase</i> no. 30 (February 1961), which more or less rebooted the character of Aquaman. In the Fifties she also provided art for <i>House of Mystery</i> and <i>Star-Spangled War Stories</i>. <br /><br />In the Sixties Mrs. Fradon provided art for <i>The Brave and the Bold</i> no. 55 (September 1964), which featured a team up between the Metal Men and The Atom. Metamorpho was introduced in <i>The Brave and the Bold</i> no. 47 (January 1965) and appeared in the following issue, both with art by Ramona Fradon. She would go onto provide the art for the first four issues of Metamorpho's regular title. She provided the art for <i>The Brave and the Bold</i> no. 59 (April–May 1965), which featured a team-up between Batman and Green Lantern. In 1965 Ramona Fradon left the comic book industry to raise her daughter.<br /><br />In 1972 Ramona Fradon returned to DC Comics. She once more drew Metamorpho for <i>1st Issue Special</i> no. 3 (June 1975). During the decade she also did art for <i>Freedom Fighters</i>, <i>House of Mystery</i>, <i>House of Secrets</i>, <i>Plastic Man</i>, <i>Plop!</i>, <i>Secrets of Haunted House</i>, <i>Secrets of Sinister House</i>, <i>Star Spangled War Stories</i>, and <i>Super Friends</i>. She also did some work for Marvel Comics, providing art for <i>Fantastic Four </i>and <i>Crazy Magazine</i>. In 1980, after Don Messick retired, Ramona Fradon became the new artist on the newspaper comic strip <i>Brenda Starr</i>. She worked on <i>Brenda Starr</i> until 1995. <br /><br />Ramona Fradon's later work on comic books included <i>Just Imagine... Stan Lee With Scott McDaniel Creating Aquaman</i> and <i>Silver Age Secret Files</i> no. 1 (July 2000) for DC, <i>Simpsons Super Spectacular </i>no. 5 (2007), <i>Sonic the Hedgehog</i> no. 68 (March 1999)<i> </i>Archie Comics, <i>SpongeBob Comics</i> no. 3 (June 2011), and <i>SpongeBob Comics </i>no. 1 (2013) for Bongo Comics, <i>Girl Comics</i> no. 2 (July 2010) for Marvel Comics, and <i>Sea Ghost</i> no. 1 (March 2011) for Nemo Publishing. For most of her later career she primarily took orders for commissions, preferring that to regular work on comic books. Ramona Fradon retired in January of this year.<br /><br />Rarmona Fradon was not only one of the best comic book artists of the Silver and Bronze Ages, The lines of her artwork were always crisp and clean. She had a real gift when it came to the expressions of the characters she drew. What is more, she was excellent when it came to the composition of her artwork. Every single panel she drew could very nearly be a still photograph or a frame from a motion picture. It was that talent that made Ramona Fradon one of the best artists, if not the best, to ever draw Aquaman and the quintessential artist for Metamorpho. She was also nothing if not versatile. While best known for her work on superhero comic books, Ramona Fradon also drew adventure, crime, horror, and war comic books. Her artwork for <i>Brenda Starr</i> still continues to stand out. Few comic book artists ever had the talent that Rebecca Fradon had. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-62920897935359895412024-03-02T16:48:00.002-06:002024-03-02T16:48:35.524-06:00"You Just May Be the One" by The MonkeesAs my regular readers know, I have been a Monkees fan ever since CBS reran the show on Saturday mornings in the Seventies. Among my favourite Monkees songs is "You Just May Be the One," written by Michael Nesmith.. The original version of "You Just May Be the One" was recorded on July 18 1966. This version would be used on the TV show during its first season. A new version was recorded on March 16 1967 for their album <i>Headquarters</i>, the first album on which The Monkees played their own instruments. For that reason, while the original version of "You Just May Be the One" was recorded using session musicians, the new version was recorded with Mike Nesmith on lead vocals and 12-string guitar, Peter Tork on bass, Micky Dolenz on drums and providing backing vocals, and Davy Jones on tambourine. <br /><br /><center><iframe width="510" height="265" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nvdP8xFO0eE?si=v1sc1bSp5KZv41wm" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe></center>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-66233702629563615802024-03-01T17:19:00.001-06:002024-03-01T17:19:57.049-06:00Anne Whitfield Passes On<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOltGZtP9JiPqZzFi7tSGq1INXR5Ot2v7OE2TkVG1VoM0KTX1eUX0AqqneutNAd7MLgXJULKlvwXXJxt1VUQg8NUzQk607rHM-PJvVmIRuzDj7vkKtywCYMMJ1H0NQ0iQw0OrkoAKdHpZ2Xj6z4UFW_Bf5kp-EvbeRQLkKwGAHvm7z0bxG2_z/s681/Anne%20Whitfield.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOltGZtP9JiPqZzFi7tSGq1INXR5Ot2v7OE2TkVG1VoM0KTX1eUX0AqqneutNAd7MLgXJULKlvwXXJxt1VUQg8NUzQk607rHM-PJvVmIRuzDj7vkKtywCYMMJ1H0NQ0iQw0OrkoAKdHpZ2Xj6z4UFW_Bf5kp-EvbeRQLkKwGAHvm7z0bxG2_z/s320/Anne%20Whitfield.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Anne Whitefield, perhaps best known for playing Major General John Waverly's (Dean Jagger) daughter Susan in <i>White Christmas</i> (1954), died on February 15 2024 at the age of 85. <br /><br />Anne Whitfield was born on August 27 1938 in Oxford, Mississippi. Her father, Richard N. Whitfield, was the Orchestra and Marching Band Director at University of Mississippi. Her mother, Frances Turner Whitfield, was a professor of Speech and Drama. When Anne Whitfield was four year old, while her father was serving in U.S. Army as a band director during World War II, she and her mother moved to Los Angeles. She attended Rosewood Avenue Public School in Los Angeles. <br /><br />By the time she was seven years old, Anne Whitfield was already acting on radio. She was a regular on <i>The Baby Snooks Show</i>, <i>Dr. Paul</i>, <i>Mr. and Mrs. Blandings</i>, <i>One Man's Family</i>, <i>Our Miss Brooks</i>, and <i>The Phil Harris Alice Faye Show</i>. She also appeared on a wide array of other radio shows, including <i>Lux Radio Theatre</i>, <i>The Screen Guild Theatre</i>, <i>Family Theatre</i>, <i>Cavalcade of America</i>, <i>The Cisco Kid</i>, <i>The Harold Peary Show</i>, and yet others. <br /><br />Anne Whitfield made her film debut in an uncredited role in <i>The Gunfighter</i> in 1950. She made her television debut in an episode of <i>The Bigelow Theatre </i>in 1951. In the Fifties she appeared in the movies <i>The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima</i> (1952), <i>White Christmas</i> (1954), <i>Juvenile Jungle</i> (1958), and <i>Senior Prom</i> (1958). She provided voices for the animated shorts "Real Gone Woody" (1954) and "Baby Boogie," as well as the animated feature <i>Peter Pan</i> (1953). She guest starred on the TV shows <i>Racket Squad</i>, <i>Hollywood Opening Night</i>, <i>I Married Joan</i>, <i>Cavalcade of America</i>, <i>One Man's Family</i>, <i>Front Row Center</i>, <i>The Johnny Carson Show</i>, <i>The O. Henry Playhouse</i>, <i>Father Knows Best</i>, <i>The Thin Man</i>, <i>The Donna Reed Show</i>, <i>Men of Annapolis</i>, <i>Bonanza</i>, <i>Dobie Gillis</i>, <i>Tate</i>, <i>One Step Beyond</i>, and <i>Manhunt</i>.<br /><br />In the Sixties Miss Whitfield guest starred on the TV shows <i>Tales of Wells Fargo</i>, <i>Peter Gunn</i>, <i>General Electric Theatre</i>, <i>Rawhide, Cheyenne</i>, <i>Ben Casey</i>, <i>87th Precinct</i>, <i>The Untouchables</i>, <i>Hawaiian Eye</i>, <i>Larami</i>e<i>, 77 Sunset Strip</i>, <i>The Dakotas</i>, <i>The New Phil Silvers Show</i>, <i>Wendy and Me</i>, <i>12 O' Clock High</i>, <i>That Girl</i>, <i>Days of Our Lives</i>, <i>Perry Mason</i>, <i>Gunsmoke</i>, <i>The Outsider</i>, <i>Dragnet 1968</i>, <i>Ironside</i>, <i>Adam-12</i>, <i>The Fisher Family</i>, <i>The Wonderful World of Disney</i>, and <i>The Bold Ones: The New Doctors</i>. She appeared in the movies <i>The New Interns</i> (1964) and <i>...tick...tick...tick</i> (1970).<br /><br />In the Seventies Anne Whitfield guest starred on the television shows <i>The D.A.</i>,<i> Ironside</i>, <i>Adam-12</i>, <i>Kolchak: The Night Stalker</i>, and <i>Emergency!</i>. Anne Whitfield retired from acting in the Seventies, but she made appearances in the movie <i>The Prodigal</i> (1983) and <i>Cookie's Fortune</i> (1999). <br /><br />Following her acting career, Anne Whitfield moved to Olympia, Washington and received a Bachelors in Communications degree at Evergreen State College. She became a steward for Clean Water at the State of Washington's Department of Ecology. She continued to be an activist for various issues up until she died.<br /><br />Anne Whitfield was a very talented actress. She was memorable as the General's daughter in <i>White Christmas</i>. She also gave many great performances in her guest appearances. In the <i>Perry Mason </i>episode "The Case of the Ugly Duckling," she played Alice Trilling, a young woman who can only inherit her late father's toy company if she marries with a year's time. In the <i>One Step Beyond</i> episode "If You See Sally," she played a farmers daughter (the "Sally" of the title) who is killed during storm. In the <i>Gunsmoke </i>episode "Don Matteo" she played a role generally different from others she'd played, a saloon girl named Trudy. Anne Whitfield was quite versatile, and could play a wide variety of roles. Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-53920626568145262522024-02-28T17:20:00.003-06:002024-02-28T17:20:41.506-06:00Good Times: A Historic Television Series<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMj40AOjpcVQOJKnYNYPDzQrzpSn99t0rkmG1pKL8p_cfvJNxViFPvuM5P-UuHUm5iewuMxz6eBxAqfCgXCPEPnfZnMUuZ1ujyKjIcULxaBWO2ERBkTNhvXLIIBlJAHH9ReAQHFlHu35LceyWd-Ry_xjDj1nGD7RFUL6Ri3uH1ENqAEZmuCVf/s500/Good%20Times.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIMj40AOjpcVQOJKnYNYPDzQrzpSn99t0rkmG1pKL8p_cfvJNxViFPvuM5P-UuHUm5iewuMxz6eBxAqfCgXCPEPnfZnMUuZ1ujyKjIcULxaBWO2ERBkTNhvXLIIBlJAHH9ReAQHFlHu35LceyWd-Ry_xjDj1nGD7RFUL6Ri3uH1ENqAEZmuCVf/w200-h200/Good%20Times.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>Over fifty years after its debut on February 8 1974 on CBS, <i>Good Times </i>remains popular. It was also a historic show. <i>Good Times </i>was the first television show centred on a Black nuclear family, with a father, mother, and children. Previously <i>Julia</i> had focused on a widow with a young son. <i>Sanford and Son</i> centred on an elderly, widowed father and his grown son. In many respects, then, <i>Good Times</i> was breaking new ground.<br /><br /><i>Good Times </i>starred Esther Rolle as Florida Evans and John Amos as James Evans. They lived in an unnamed public housing project in Chicago, inspired by the actual Cabrini–Green Homes in the city. Their children were J.J. (Jimmie Walker), an aspiring artist and illustrator, Thelma (Bern Nadette Stanis), an intelligent young woman who sees being educated as a way to improve both her own and her family's situation, and Michael (Ralph Carter), who even at his young age is something of an activist. One of their neighbours and Florida's best friend was Willona Woods (Ja'Net DuBois), a recently divorced woman who works at a boutique.<br /><br />The creation of <i>Good Times </i>was somewhat complicated. Eric Monte and Michael Evans developed a concept for a show based around a family living in a housing project in Chicago. The show was largely inspired by Eric Monte's childhood spent in Cabrini-Green Homes. Eric Monte had earlier created the characters of Louise and George Jefferson on <i>All in the Family</i>. He later wrote the movie <i>Cooley High</i> (1975) and created the TV series <i>What's Happening!!</i>. Mike Evans played the role of Lionel Jefferson on <i>All in the Family</i> and later <i>The Jeffersons</i>. <br /><br />At the same time, the producers of <i>Maude</i> wanted a spin-off from that series featuring Maude's maid Florida (Esther Rolle). On <i>Maude</i>, John Amos played Florida's husband Henry, a firefighter. They then took the show that Eric Monte and Michael Evans had in development, and changed Florida's backstory to fit in with Mr. Monte and Michael Evans's concept. As a result, <i>Good Times</i> was at the same time a spin-off of <i>Maude</i> and yet not a spin-off of <i>Maude</i>. Florida and her family now lived in Chicago and had apparently never lived in New York. Florida's husband was now named James and he did not work as a firefighter, but instead he worked a variety of blue collar jobs. While reference was made to Florida having worked as a maid, it was apparently years before the events of the show. Furthermore Florida had worked for a Chicago couple, and no mention was ever made of Maude. <br /><br />The theme song to <i>Good Times</i> was composed by Dave Grusin (who had composed the scores for <i>Divorce American Style</i>, <i>The Graduate</i>, and other movies) with lyrics written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman (who had earlier written the lyrics for "In the Heat of the Night," composed by Quincy Jones). It was sung by session musician and singer Jim Gilstrap and R&B artist Blinky Williams. The sixteenth line of the <i>Good Times</i> has always been a mystery for many fans of the show. It has been interpreted as both "Hangin' in and jivin'" and "Haingin' in a chow line." Alan and Marilyn Bergman would later clarify that the line is "Hangin' in and jivin'."<br /><br />As originally conceived, <i>Good Times</i> dealt with life in public housing, as well as the family trying to make it out of poverty. Like other sitcoms produced by Norman Lear at the time, it dealt with several social issues, including racism, sexuality, health, sexism, gang violence, and so on. It was fairly early in the run of <i>Good Times</i> that the character of J.J. became the show's breakout character. Jimmie Walker gave credit for the creation of J.J.'s catchphrase, "Dyn-o-mite!," to producer and director John Rich. Mr. Rich insisted that J.J. say the phrase in every single episode, despite doubts from both Jimmie Walker and producer Norman Lear. As it turned out, the catchphrase caught on with viewers.<br /><br />The popularity of J.J. resulted in more and more episodes centred around the character. This did not sit well with either Esther Rolle or John Amos, who were unhappy with J.J.'s increasingly buffoonish and even stereotypical behaviour. Esther Rolle was particularly critical of the character, saying in a 1975 interview with <i>Ebony</i>, "He's 18 and he doesn't work. He can't read or write. He doesn't think. The show didn't start out to be that...Little by little—with the help of the artist, I suppose, because they couldn't do that to me—they have made J.J. more stupid and enlarged the role. Negative images have been slipped in on us through the character of the oldest child." <br /><br />John Amos was so unhappy about the direction of <i>Good Times</i> that he eventually had confrontations with executive producer Norman Lear. He was then fired after season three. While the reason for John Amos's departure was given as the actor wanting to purse a film career, in truth his contract had simply not been renewed. James Evans was then written out of the show as having died. Esther Rolle remained with <i>Good Times</i> until the end of the fourth season, when she left the show because she was unhappy with its direction. It was late in the fourth season that the character of Carl Dixon (Moses Gunn) was introduced on the show. Carl Dixon was the owner of a haberdashery for whom Michael had worked for a time. As the season wore on Florida and Carl began dating. It was in the two-part, fourth season finale that Florida and Carl became engaged, even though he had been diagnosed with lung cancer. In the first episode of the fifth season, it was explained that Florida and Carl had gotten married and moved to Arizona. <br /><br />With Esther Rolle no longer on the show, the fifth season would see major changes to <i>Good Times</i>. Willona's role became more important, as she checked on the younger members of the Evans family frequently. Nathan Bookman, the building superintendent, went from being a recurring character to a regular, playing a bigger role in plots. Janet Jackson joined the cast as Penny, a girl abandoned by her mother who was eventually adopted by Willona. <br /><br />Beyond the major cast, <i>Good Times </i>also featured several recurring characters throughout the show's run. Ned the Wino (Raymond Allen) was the local drunk who lived in the same neighbourhood as the Evans family. "Sweet Daddy" Williams (Theodore Wilson) was the neighbourhood pimp and numbers runner, whose given name was Marion. For the most part he was threatening, but he could occasionally be soft-hearted. Alderman Fred C. Davis (Albert Reed Jr.) was a somewhat dodgy politician that the Evans family generally disliked and Willona outright hated. Wanda Williams was a resident of the Evans family's building, who often attended funerals, even of people she doesn't know. Lenny (Dap "Sugar" Willie), also known as "Looting Lenny," was a peddler whose items were often suspected to have been stolen. He kept his wares attached to the inside of his coat. Throughout the show's run there were several other recurring characters on the show.<br /><br />The sixth and final season of <i>Good Times</i> would see Esther Rolle return to the show in a recurring role. Without Esther Rolle, ratings for <i>Good Times</i> had plummeted, going from no. 24 for the year in its fourth season to no. 55 for the year in its fifth season. The producers then approached Esther Rolle about coming back to the show. Miss Rolle had several conditions before she would agree to return to <i>Good Times</i>. It should come as no surprise that among her demands was that J.J. would be made a more responsible character. After all, the reason she had left was that she felt J.J. was a poor role model for Black teenagers and something of a stereotype. She also wanted the character of Carl Dixon to be written out of the show. Esther Rolle had not been happy about the subplot in which Florida had begun dating and then married Carl. First, she felt that it was much soon following James's death for Florida to date anyone else, let alone marry anyone else. Second, she felt that as a religious woman, Florida would not consider dating, let alone marrying an atheist like Carl. It was then in the first episode of the sixth season that Florida returned to Chicago without Carl. Carl was briefly mentioned in the episode and then mentioned only one more time during the season. Florida even used the name "Florida Evans" instead of "Florida Dixon." It was as if he had never existed. The first episode of the sixth season would also see the introduction of Keith Anderson (Ben Powers), a professional football player to whom Thelma became engaged and would marry during the season. <br /><br />Unfortunately the return of Esther Rolle to <i>Good Times</i> would not save the show. CBS moved <i>Good Times</i> from Monday night to Saturday night for the first several episodes of the season. The series was then returned to Wednesday night. It seems likely that the changes in the show's time slot further hurt <i>Good Times</i> in the Nielsens, this after ratings had been declining for some time. For its final season, <i>Good Times</i> only came in at no. 91 for the year. The show was then cancelled.<br /><br />The cancellation did come in time for <i>Good Times</i> to have a proper season finale. In the final episode, Michael goes to college. Thelma and Keith announce that they are expecting. They are also moving into a luxury apartment, and they ask Florida to move in with them so she can watch the baby. Willona is promoted to the head buyer at the boutique she works at, and as a result gets an apartment in the same building as Thelma and Keith. J.J. finally gets a big break, becoming a professional comic book artist. His character is a superhero named DynoWoman, based on his sister Thelma. <br /><br />Following its network run, <i>Good Times</i> would have success as a syndicated rerun. It ran for some time on TV Land. It can currently be seen on TV One, Get TV, and Catchy Comedy. The entire run of the show has also been released on DVD. It is also available on such streaming channels as Freevee, Peacock, and Philo.<br /><br /><i>Good Times</i> was among the shows to have an episode recreated for the 2019 series of specials aired on ABC titled <i>Live in Front of a Studio Audience</i>. The specials were broadcast live and recreated episodes of various sitcoms, among them <i>All in the Family</i> and <i>The Jeffersons</i>. In the case of <i>Good Times</i>, it was "The Politicians," in which Alderman Fred Davis was running for re-election, that was recreated for the special. In the special, Viola Davis played Florida, Andre Braugher played James, Jay Pharoah played J.J., Corinne Foxx played Thelma, and Asante Blackk played Michael. The role of Fred Davis was played by none other than John Amos, the original James on <i>Good Times. <br /><br /></i>While <i>Good Times</i> declined in quality during its run and the character of J.J. would be the source of some controversy, it was very much a groundbreaking sitcom. Never before had a Black family with a father, a mother, and children been portrayed in a regularly scheduled show on American television. Early in its run it often tackled issues of concern to African Americans and issues of concern to those living in poverty of any ethnicity. Indeed, early in its run it was nominated for two Humanitas awards. If <i>Good Times</i> remains popular to this day, it is perhaps because it was a revolutionary show for its time that addressed issues that are still pertinent even now. I have no doubt people will still be watching the show fifty years from now. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-76260141204935957932024-02-25T17:01:00.000-06:002024-02-25T17:01:43.032-06:00Bright Road (1953)<i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykluGgpgD4KENIThVuzC80Wb0BpMFzmETOD_a3Ln7JKGtNx8BLMwQ1zC3t6FNqKqOA5BcYXUo-jQlFotaXokZX-yreNE2FMn6fWYRhhxrhFiM7qMUObK0uQPxwdXVpsQwTdXpMBH-TTweJrKKSNvmXL3RZDlha7hQIDzwoW8pEnZYHNe3SVfE/s1280/Bright%20Road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1280" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhykluGgpgD4KENIThVuzC80Wb0BpMFzmETOD_a3Ln7JKGtNx8BLMwQ1zC3t6FNqKqOA5BcYXUo-jQlFotaXokZX-yreNE2FMn6fWYRhhxrhFiM7qMUObK0uQPxwdXVpsQwTdXpMBH-TTweJrKKSNvmXL3RZDlha7hQIDzwoW8pEnZYHNe3SVfE/s320/Bright%20Road.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />Bright Road</i> (1953) is historic for giving Dorothy Dandridge her first lead role in a feature film. It is also historic as the film debut of Harry Belafonte. A little over a year later Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte would be reunited in <i>Carmen Jones</i> (1954), the film with which both would achieve stardom. At the same time <i>Bright Road</i> (1953) was a rarity for its time. In 1953 any time a film featured Black characters, it was more often than not a message film dealing with social issues. In contrast, <i>Bright Road</i> was a look at rural, African American life in which a young teacher attempts to get through to one of her students.<br /><br /><i>Bright Road</i> centred on Jane Richards (Dorothy Dandridge), a teacher at the start of her career working at a Black rural grade school in Alabama. Among her students is C.T Young (Philip Hepburn), a student who is disinterested in school and has spent two years in every grade. The school's principal, Mr. Williams (Harry Belafonte), has little hope for Miss Richards's efforts. <br /><br /><i>Bright Road</i> was based on the short story "See How They Run" by Mary Elizabeth Vroman, which was published in 1941 in <i>Ladies Home Journal</i> and re-published in <i>Ebony</i> in 1952. MGM bought the rights to the story, and hired Mary Elizabeth Vroman to help Emmet Lavery to write the screenplay. As a result, she became the first Black woman to become a member of the Screen Writers Guild. The movie's working title was <i>See How They Run</i>, after the short story upon which it was based, but it was changed to avoid conflict with a stage play of the same name. <i>Bright Road</i> was produced on a budget of only $377,000. MGM also gave the movie a brief 19-day shooting schedule. <br /><br />While <i>Bright Road</i> was made quickly and on little money, the movie had quite a bit of talent working on it. Its cinematographer was none other than Alfred Gilks, who had shot such films as <i>Ruggles of Red Gap</i> (1935) and <i>An American in Paris</i> (1951). It was edited by Joseph Dervin, who was later nominated for several Emmys for his work on such shows <i>The Man From U.N.C.L.E.</i> and <i>Kung Fu</i>, and won an Emmy for <i>The Eleventh Hour</i>. The composer for <i>Bright Road</i> was David Rose, who later served as the composer on the films <i>Operation Petticoat </i>(1959) and <i>Please Don't Eat the Daisies</i> (1960), as well as the TV series <i>Bonanza</i>. He also composed the instrumental "The Stripper," which went to no. 1 on the <i>Billboard </i>Hot 100. The director for <i>Bright Road</i> was Gerald Mayer, who found himself directing B-movies such as <i>Dial 1119</i> (1950) and <i>The Sellout</i> (1952) despite, or perhaps because, he was the nephew of MGM Louis B. Mayer. He later did a good deal of work in television, on shows from <i>Perry Mason</i> to <i>Lou Grant</i>. <br /><br />Of course, <i>Bright Road</i> would give Dorothy Dandridge her first starring role. She had been working in feature films since 1940 when she appeared in the race film <i>Four Shall Die</i> (1940). Throughout the Forties she generally appeared in bit parts in films, but by the Fifties her career had begun to improve. In 1951 she appeared as Melmendi, Queen of the Ashuba in <i>Tarzan's Peril</i> and a major role in <i>The Harlem Globetrotters</i>. While the role of teacher Jane Richards was less glamorous than many she would play, Dorothy Dandridge was very happy to appear in <i>Bright Road</i>. In the book E<i>verything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy</i> by Dorothy Dandridge and Earl Conrad, she expressed her pleasure about a movie with "...a theme which showed that beneath any colour skin, people were simply people. I had a feeling that themes like this might do more real good than the more hard-hitting protest pictures. I wanted any black girl in the audience to look at me performing in this film and be able to say to herself, 'Why, this schoolteacher could be me.'" <br /><br />Both Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte were known as singers, and both were given the opportunity to sing in <i>Bright Road</i>. It is early in the film that Mr. Belafonte sings "Suzanne (Every Night When the Sun Goes Down)." Later in the film Miss Dandridge sings the words to the Alfred, Lord Tennyson poem "The Princess: Sweet and Low." Curiously, this marks one of the few times movies audiences got to hear Dorothy Dandridge's actual singing voice. Although she was known for her nightclub act, in many of her later films (including <i>Carmen Jones</i>) her voice was dubbed.<br /><br /><i>Bright Road</i> received general positive, if not particularly remarkable, reviews upon its release. The movie won an Urban League award for "contribution towards interracial cooperation," as well as a George Washington Institute Merit Plaque. Unfortunately, while <i>Bright Road</i> was unlike any other movie out at the time and had received good notices, it did not do well at the box office. In the United States and Canada, it only earned $179,000 at the box office. This meant it lost $263,000. Fortunately, interest in the film picked up after Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte had achieved stardom.<br /><br />Today <i>Bright Road</i> might seem like a simple story of a teacher's attempt to reach a student, but at the time it was revolutionary for that very fact. Most movies featuring Black characters at the time were centred around racial conflict. As a story centred around a rural African American life was unique for the era, much as it is even now. While it is a much quieter film, in many ways <i>Bright Road </i>is as groundbreaking as such movies as <i>No Way Out</i> (1950) and <i>Shadows</i> (1959). <br />Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-48588646317255640032024-02-24T16:30:00.003-06:002024-02-24T16:30:37.045-06:00Godspeed Lanny Flaherty<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WyKw0qlBf72HFOxz17vxaFwRXS3QhOH-Ysbj07IWZsMSdDuNG-tgk5GpyTY-CJEgmNKRigmqmgYn4l6pFZWnut5F53KCQlj4ma7ryyMKgn9v8JDyIABQPP4hZY7_znyiEGQAEL2igMjpcBx6ZeFLjwFNHjOOVLZp2eEcq42piJvPJKLL1l5M/s500/Lanny%20Flaherty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="426" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WyKw0qlBf72HFOxz17vxaFwRXS3QhOH-Ysbj07IWZsMSdDuNG-tgk5GpyTY-CJEgmNKRigmqmgYn4l6pFZWnut5F53KCQlj4ma7ryyMKgn9v8JDyIABQPP4hZY7_znyiEGQAEL2igMjpcBx6ZeFLjwFNHjOOVLZp2eEcq42piJvPJKLL1l5M/w171-h200/Lanny%20Flaherty.jpg" width="171" /></a></div>Lanny Flaherty, best known for playing Big Al in the cult classic <i>Blood In Blood Out</i> (1993), died on February 18 2024 at the age of 81. <br /><br />Lanny Flaherty was born on July 27 1942 in Potomoc, Mississippi. In the Sixties he served in the United States Army as a Military Policeman in Germany. He attended Mississippi State University and then Southern Methodist University. It was in the mid-Seventies that he moved to New York City. He was an understudy for the play <i>Of Mice and Men</i> on Broadway. He appeared on Broadway in the play <i>Sweet Bird of Youth</i>. <br /><br />He made his television debut in 1984 in an episode of the daytime serial <i>The Edge of Night</i>. In the Eighties he guest starred on the televisions shows <i>The Equalizer</i>, <i>The Dirty Dozen</i>, <i>The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd</i>, and <i>The Cosby Show</i>. He played the role of Soupy Jones in the mini-series <i>Lonesome Dove</i>. He made his film debut in 1989 in <i>Winter People</i>. He appeared in the classic <i>Miller's Crossing</i> (1990). On Broadway he was an understudy for the play <i>Requiem for a Heavyweight</i> and he was a standby for the play <i>Joe Turner's Come and Gone</i>.<br /><br />In the Nineties Lanny Flaherty appeared in the movies <i>The Ballad of the Sad Cafe</i> (1991), <i>Sommersby</i> (1993), <i>Blood In Blood Out</i> (1993), <i>Natural Born Killers</i> (1994), <i>Someone Else's America</i> (1995), <i>Waterworld</i> (1995), <i>Tom and Huck</i> (1995), <i>A Simple Wish</i> (1997), <i>Home Fries</i> (1998), <i>Double Parked</i> (2000), <i>Maze</i> (2000), and <i>Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2</i> (2000). He guest starred on the TV shows <i>Mathnet</i>, <i>New York News</i>, and <i>Third Watch</i>.<br /><br />In the Naughts he guest starred on the TV shows <i>The Education of Max Bickford</i> and <i>White Collar</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>Signs</i> (2002), <i>Forged</i> (2010), and <i>All Good Things</i> (2010). He appeared on Broadway in <i>Inherit the Wind</i>. In the Teens he appeared in the movies <i>Men in Black 3</i> (2012) and <i>Cold in July</i> (2014). He guest starred on the show <i>Alpha House</i> and <i>Little America</i>.<br /><br />Mr.Flaherty also appeared in productions at the Actors Theatre of Louisville. He appeared in a production of <i>Playboy of the Western World</i> at the Steppenwolf Theatre. He also wrote several plays. His play <i>Showdown at the Adobe Motel</i> was produced at the Hartford Stage in Connecticut and starred Henry Fonda.<br /><br />Chances are very good that Larry Flaherty will always be best remembered as Big Al in <i>Blood In Blood Out</i>. He was impressive in the role, making Big Al one of the best villains in a movie filled with villains. Many will also remember him as Obadiah Price, the creator of the illegal time-jump technology in <i>Men in Black 3</i>. He will also be remembered as Soupy on <i>Lonesome Dove</i>. While it was not a large part, he did well with it, making the character memorable. Many of the roles Larry Flaherty played throughout his career were small, but he always made an impression.Whether as the ill-fated Earl in <i>Natural Born Killers</i> or Terry in <i>Miller's Crossing</i>, one can not forget Lanny Flaherty. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-54677957902143126512024-02-23T17:11:00.001-06:002024-02-24T12:42:35.950-06:00"Whistle Up a Party": The Historic Jax Beer CommercialThe Jax Brewing Company was a regional brewing company based in Jacksonville, Florida. It was historic as the very last brewery to open before Prohibition. They are also believed to be the first brewery to sell beer in six packs around 1945 or 1946. This would not be the last time the Jax Brewing Company would make history. It was in 1948 that the company produced the television commercial "Whistle Up a Party," one of the first, if not the first, television commercial to feature African Americans in non-stereotypical roles. <br /><br />What might surprise many is that "Whistle Up a Party" aired fairly early in the history of American broadcast television. It first aired in 1948. The commercial itself is fairly simple, with a group of African Americans gathered around a piano and singing a song about Jax Beer. Regardless, it was a rarity for the time, when Black people did not appear in television commercials and, when they did, were portrayed as stereotypes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1kEszl5bUxbRPgbXGxIuOKl2LxJQJTY4_bwUpo4UHuEQBCNKZIICbvKErkKTAG2f5isNY03sIDbCgtwqfYiM7JWGGUscqrdkYmA4cO7KV5BtNpkNL3erI7VNeKm7SLGxccS6StdouLkq_aq_vhxzdaPlKKktEKiM_HMFiOI_8Lwo438F7Au6/s267/Dorothy%20Dandridge%20Jax%20Beer.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="189" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1kEszl5bUxbRPgbXGxIuOKl2LxJQJTY4_bwUpo4UHuEQBCNKZIICbvKErkKTAG2f5isNY03sIDbCgtwqfYiM7JWGGUscqrdkYmA4cO7KV5BtNpkNL3erI7VNeKm7SLGxccS6StdouLkq_aq_vhxzdaPlKKktEKiM_HMFiOI_8Lwo438F7Au6/s1600/Dorothy%20Dandridge%20Jax%20Beer.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>This would not be the only time the Jax Brewing Company tried to appeal to African Americans. In the Fifties they employed movie star Dorothy Dandridge in print ads and on signs. Like "Whistle Up a Party," these ads for Jax Beer also broke with stereotypes. Dorothy Dandridge is as glamorous as ever, dressed in an evening gown and posing with a radio microphone.<br /><br />While Jax Brewing Company was revolutionary, it ultimately would not save the company. The 1950s saw the larger brewing companies move to aluminium cans, and the cost of modernizing their equipment simply proved too expensive for Jax Brewing Company. In 1956 Jax Brewing Company sold out to the Jackson Brewing Company of New Orleans. The Jackson Brewing Company would continue to make Jax Beer until 1974. Since that time it has largely been forgotten, but in its time Jax Brewing Company made history.<br /><br />Below is the historic Jax Beer commercial, "Whistle Up a Party."<br /><br /><center><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="265" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tngNbodIq_M?si=1VNui9CUItRLZYcO" title="YouTube video player" width="510"></iframe></center>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-17429174272372676692024-02-22T18:16:00.001-06:002024-02-22T18:17:54.307-06:00The 90th Anniversary of It Happened One Night (1934)><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CDwp8Ri1iBC0JcLrCMjY3s1B3AyUz6yT0AzLLKNYbnkJetEVH0kiQG3WRPTemjB6Nn-F6KPWNrZQkr67yNh73x5WsWA5fK26hmKHbJ7iFwIDb4jUljw-mLFxLcp4bDPtcliQux49rhsxEqcaKdVviA25LWkLcEKropTZYrCQ5gwySZhk1lGi/s279/It%20Happened%20One%20Night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CDwp8Ri1iBC0JcLrCMjY3s1B3AyUz6yT0AzLLKNYbnkJetEVH0kiQG3WRPTemjB6Nn-F6KPWNrZQkr67yNh73x5WsWA5fK26hmKHbJ7iFwIDb4jUljw-mLFxLcp4bDPtcliQux49rhsxEqcaKdVviA25LWkLcEKropTZYrCQ5gwySZhk1lGi/w129-h200/It%20Happened%20One%20Night.jpg" width="129" /></a></i></div><i>It Happened One Night</i> (1934) remains one of the most famous screwball comedies of all time. It could well be the most famous Pre-Code screwball comedy. It has been referenced in numerous movies and even television shows ever since. It was ninety years ago today, on February 22 1934, that <i>It Happened One Night</i> was released.<br /><br /><i>It Happened One Night</i> (1934) centred on a spoiled heiress, Ellen "Ellie" Andrews (Claudette Colbert), who runs away from the father (Walter Connolly) after eloping with pilot King Westley (Jameson Thomas). While on the run, she encounters recently fired newspaper reporter Peter Wayne (Clark Gable), who tells her that he will return her to her beloved Westley if she gives him an exclusive on her story. If she doesn't agree to this, then he will alert her father as to her whereabouts. The two then make a cross-country trip to get Ellie back to Westley. Of course, as might be expected, everything doesn't go according to plan.<br /><br />The path of <i>It Happened One Night</i> began in the page of a 1933 issue of <i>Cosmopolitan</i> with the short story "Night Bus" by Samuel Hopkins Adams. Both screenwriter Robert Riskin and director Frank Capra, who had already made several movies together, read "Night Bus" and decided that it would make for a good motion picture. Despite this, Robert Riskin would make several changes in both characters and even plot that would ultimately make <i>It Happened One Night</i> very different from the short story upon which it was based.<br /><br />Although today it is difficult to see anyone else in the roles of Ellie and Peter, Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable were not the first actors considered for the roles. The initial choice for the role of Peter Wayne was Robert Montgomery, whom Columbia Pictures would have had to borrow from MGM. As it turned out, Robert Montgomery committed to another movie featuring a bus at MGM, <i>Fugitive Lovers</i> (1934). The role of Peter then went to Clark Gable, on loan from MGM. According to legend, Louis B. Mayer made the loan has punishment for being uncooperative and even demanding a raise. According to more recent sources, this might not have been the case. At the time Clark Gable was cast in <i>It Happened One Night</i>, MGM had no projects for him and was still having to pay him the $2000 a week his contract required. Columbia paid MGM $2500 a week to borrow Clark Gable. As a result, MGM then made a profit of $500 a week. Regardless, Clark Gable did not appreciate being loaned to a lesser studio (Columbia was borderline Poverty Row at the time).<br /><br />The casting of Ellie would prove even more difficult. Myrna Loy was the first choice for the role, but she turned it down because she did not like the script. She would later say that the script she saw when she was offered the part was very different from the finished product. Miriam Hopkins also turned down the role of Ellie, and she even told Robert Riskin at the time that <i>It Happened One Night</i> "was just a silly comedy." Margaret Sullavan and Constance Bennett also turned the role down. Ultimately, it was Harry Cohn who suggested the casting of Claudette Colbert. Director Frank Capra and Claudette Colbert had previously worked together on <i>For the Love of Mike</i> (1927), which was not a particularly pleasant experience for either of them. Miss Colbert agreed to take the role primarily for the money. The $50,000 she would make for the four weeks she would make while working on <i>It Happened One Night</i> was more than the $25,000 per movie she was being paid at Paramount. <br /><br /> While Claudette Colbert agreed to make the film, at times Frank Capra still did not find her particularly easy to work with. According to Mr. Capra, Miss Colbert "..had many little tantrums, motivated by her antipathy toward me." It is well-known that Claudette Colbert initially refused to hike up her skirt and show her legs in the famous hitch-hiking scene. Frank Capra then hired a showgirl whose legs would double for those of Miss Colbert in the scene. This only angered Claudette Colbert, who told Frank Capra, "Get her out of here. I'll do it. That's not my leg!" While Claudette Colbert could be a handful for the director (at least according to Mr. Capra), he admitted that "..she was wonderful in the part."<br /><br /><i>It Happened One Night</i> premiered in Miami, Florida on February 18 1934 before being released on February 22 1934. For the most part, <i>It Happened One Night</i> received positive reviews. Initially <i>It Happened One Night</i> only did modestly well at the box office, but began doing extraordinarily well several weeks into its release. It ultimately became the third highest grossing film of 1934. It also did well at the Academy Awards. <i>It Happened One Night </i>was nominated for all five major awards (Outstanding Production, Best Director for Frank Capra, Best Actor for Clark Gable, Best Actress for Claudette Colbert, and Best Adaptation for Robert Riskin). It became the first ever motion picture to win all five of the major Oscars. Only <i>One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest</i> and <i>Silence of the Lambs</i> would repeat this feat. <br /><br /><i>It Happened One Night</i> would be adapted for radio. On March 30 1939, <i>Lux Radio Theatre</i>
aired an adaptation in which Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert reprised
their roles in the film. It was on January 28 1940 that <i>Campbell Playhouse </i>did an adaptation of <i>It Happened One Night</i><u> </u>starring William Powell as Peter Wayne and Miriam Hopkins as Ellie Andrews. <i>It Happened One Night</i> would be remade as the musical <i>Eve Knew Her Apples</i> (1945) and the musical comedy <i>You Can't Run Away from It</i> (1956). <br /><br /><i>It Happened One Night</i> is significant as one of the earliest screwball comedies, as well as one of the most successful. It was also one of the last comedies to be released in the Pre-Code era. It was released only about four and a half months before the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America began more strictly enforcing the Production Code in July 1934. <i>It Happened One Night</i> would certainly have a lasting impact on popular culture. There can be no doubt that its success led to further screwball comedies. The famous hitch-hiking scene from <i>It Happened One Night </i>would be parodied in the Laurel & Hardy movie <i>Way Out West</i> (1937). The hitch-hiking scene would also be referenced in <i>Tucker: The Man and His Dream</i> (1988), <i>A Fistful of Fingers</i> (1997), and other movies and TV shows. The wedding in <i>It Happened One Night</i> would be parodied in Mel Brooks's sci-fi comedy <i>Spaceballs</i> (1987). <br /><br />It would also have an impact on American animation. According to legendary animator Friz Freleng, the character Bugs Bunny drew heavily upon <i>It Happened One Night</i> for inspiration. The character Oscar Shapeley (Roscoe Karns) repeatedly uses "Doc" as a nickname for Peter Wayne. When Peter pretends to be a gangster in order to threaten Shapeley, he makes reference to a fictional gangster named "Bugs Dooley." A scene in which Clark Gable chomps on carrots would also have an impact on Bugs Bunny, who often talks while eating a carrot. <br /><br /><i>It Happened One Night</i> still regularly ranks in lists of the greatest films ever made. What is more, it remains popular ninety years after its release. Its influence is certainly still being felt to this day. <br /></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-61738995759556326822024-02-21T16:17:00.002-06:002024-03-03T12:49:01.559-06:00Google Search Has the Wrong Photo of Vanessa Marquez in the Cast Section of Her Movies(<b>Update: Google got the photo corrected. In fact, they used the same photo I used for this post, which is one of the promotional photos of Vanessa for the first season of <i>ER.</i></b>)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NHWi34CkF-ilP7cwWOZJXCj9I2QIrlVLIduc-rF-zLxSgHu5VTqysc2q6D28AUSpVQ6xaiXHPXrlIbvGFi8-faLb6OrgVjB6RCw-GFZyNsmRrjtQAl1qv5Zw0Aq7p1t1U9znC-RGMHQi-L0YDHQBN98x4QgrfvaUv5HEbAivxbdL-ycKAd-I/s612/5d90c9fe90baed431237f12803c09a29.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="This IS Vanessa Marquez" border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="406" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6NHWi34CkF-ilP7cwWOZJXCj9I2QIrlVLIduc-rF-zLxSgHu5VTqysc2q6D28AUSpVQ6xaiXHPXrlIbvGFi8-faLb6OrgVjB6RCw-GFZyNsmRrjtQAl1qv5Zw0Aq7p1t1U9znC-RGMHQi-L0YDHQBN98x4QgrfvaUv5HEbAivxbdL-ycKAd-I/w133-h200/5d90c9fe90baed431237f12803c09a29.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>Today I learned that a new 4K Blu-ray of <i>Stand and Deliver</i> (1988) is being released on March 26 2024. Quite naturally, I did a search on Google to find more information. It was during this search that I clicked on the cast section of <i>Stand and Deliver</i> (1988) on Google Search. It was there that I noticed that the photo they have for Vanessa Marquez is not my Vanessa--it is not the actress Vanessa Rosalia Marquez who played Ana Delgado in the movie. I then did a search on some of her other movies and TV movies (<i>Twenty Bucks</i>, <i>Locked Up: A Mother's Rage</i>, and so on). In each case, they had the same wrong photo. <br /><br />After some research I learned that the photo is of a pop singer named Vanessa Marquez, who apparently had some hits in the Naughts. Beyond the fact that they share the same name, I have no idea how Google confused the actress Vanessa Marquez with the pop singer Vanessa Marquez, as they look completely different. Anyway, I sent feedback to Google alerting them of the error. I am hoping that they will get it corrected, although I am not holding my breath where that is concerned. <br /><br />Anyway, I think having the incorrect photo for the actress Vanessa Marquez is a disservice to both the actress and the singer. Everyone deserves to be correctly identified. I also have to point out that this is not an isolated incident. I have seen other cases of other celebrities who have photos incorrectly identified as them on Google Search. At any rate, if you run into this error as well, please let Google know. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-86933248105379464192024-02-20T17:00:00.003-06:002024-02-20T17:00:58.338-06:00Right Now I Feel Like C.C. Baxter<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXhkno1PI1Hg-IEdo1iXhFciTAJ3TpkkPfCymK2aYRItud9hH0_UWFxdJDllQRpR8xB9XbXbPnGGOcazbVrc5syI06Sty0FAZXqG9t989TNfFbpcalNXylVF-prStX-7dMWS0q4jVaPGAxIc-myEuAcG9tk32-aS5fAm_Pw8A69pWlglvyXb/s350/CC%20Baxter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="280" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXhkno1PI1Hg-IEdo1iXhFciTAJ3TpkkPfCymK2aYRItud9hH0_UWFxdJDllQRpR8xB9XbXbPnGGOcazbVrc5syI06Sty0FAZXqG9t989TNfFbpcalNXylVF-prStX-7dMWS0q4jVaPGAxIc-myEuAcG9tk32-aS5fAm_Pw8A69pWlglvyXb/w160-h200/CC%20Baxter.jpg" width="160" /></a></div>Right now I feel like C.C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) in <i>The Apartment</i> (1960). No, I am not having to lend my house out to executives from an insurance company for their trysts. And, no, I am not in love with an elevator operator. I have had a head cold since last week and right now I feel pretty much the way that Baxter did in the movie when he had a cold. It's particularly bad for me because, like Miss Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine) in the movie, I rarely get colds. Anyway, it goes without saying that I also feel like John L. Sullivan in <i>Sullivan's Travels</i> (1941), Zuzu in <i>It's a Wonderful Life</i> (1946), and Paul Bratter in <i>Barefoot in the Park</i> (1967). Characters don't seem to catch colds very often in movies, but when they do, they are doozies.<br /><br />Anyway, I hope to be feeling better soon and to get back to posting regularly. In the mean time, I do hope all of you are well and stay that way!<br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-9785465787275899352024-02-16T18:44:00.004-06:002024-02-16T18:44:49.129-06:00No Way Out (1950)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q6pw62j90ZPM9t-1dkL-G6Xv1DqCGzukKy3LTEcir8WwA-xh1hcfHu5_3jIApLSZtHUi8s87PtRb59VQIO-u7U_Vyuf7ZH2anTNpn_xN7dvvS_3AMwnRgMLorLII89DQUiIVUYECW-xrkk2uBHqlE_9eWbuZZPgDWddQ6ZZQt8Exw3kbnWve/s640/No%20Way%20Out%20Poster.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="443" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7q6pw62j90ZPM9t-1dkL-G6Xv1DqCGzukKy3LTEcir8WwA-xh1hcfHu5_3jIApLSZtHUi8s87PtRb59VQIO-u7U_Vyuf7ZH2anTNpn_xN7dvvS_3AMwnRgMLorLII89DQUiIVUYECW-xrkk2uBHqlE_9eWbuZZPgDWddQ6ZZQt8Exw3kbnWve/w139-h200/No%20Way%20Out%20Poster.jpeg" width="139" /></a></div>Upon its release, <i>No Way Out</i> (1950) was a revolutionary film in many ways. It starred a Black actor, Sidney Poitier, as a medical doctor, this at a time when Black professionals were rarely seen in American movies. It featured an unrelenting portrayal of racism in the form of the character Ray Biddle (played by Richard Widmark). It was also a forerunner of the wave of progressive films of the Fifties, such as <i>The Ring</i> (1952), <i>Salt of the Earth</i> (1954), and <i>The Defiant Ones</i> (1958). Indeed, <i>No Way Out</i> (1950) would even prove controversial upon its initial release.<br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> centred on Dr. Luther Brooks (Sidney Poitier), the first African American doctor at a big city hospital. Dr. Brooks's job becomes all the more difficult when two brothers, Ray and Johnny Biddle (Richard Widmark and Dick Paxton) are brought to the hospital for gunshot wounds following an attempted robbery. When Johnny dies, Ray blames Dr. Brooks for his brother's death. To make matters worse, Ray is virulently racist.<br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> originated with an original story by screenwriter Lesser Samuels. According to a July 30 1950 <i>New York Times</i> article, Mr. Samuels had wanted to address the "cancerous results of hatred." He had not originally planned to write about a Black doctor until he learned about the struggles faced by African American physicians from colleagues of his daughter's fiancé, who was a doctor himself. Lesser Samuels's original story would attract the interest of 20th Century Fox, although the studio's public relations counsel Jason Joy expressed concern over "the violence which this story contains and the fear that might be raised in some quarters that it might touch off violence in their sections of the country." Despite Jason Joy's concerns, 20th Century Fox bought Lesser Samuels's story in January 1949. <br /><br />After being purchased by 20th Century Fox, screenwriter Philip Yordan made various recommendations, many of which would make their way into the completed movie. Among these was taking the audience into the home of Dr. Luther Brooks (Sidney Poitier), stating in a memo, "We will see real Negroes and how they live, as human beings. He will have a real brother, a real sister, a real father and mother--all human beings." The script of <i>No Way Out</i> as of February 1949 would have had Luther being killed. While Darryl F. Zanuck originally liked this ending, by April 1949 he had changed his mind, saying in a memo that the ending as it was left him with a "...feeling of utter futility. Luther, a wonderful character, is hideously slaughtered. If his death resulted in something, if something were accomplished either characterwise or otherwise, it would be different and I would accept it." <br /><br />Darryl F. Zanuck assigned the now legendary director and screenwriter Joseph L. Mankiewicz, fresh from an Oscar win for Best Adapted Screenplay for <i>A Letter to Three Wives</i> (1949), to direct <i>No Way Out</i>. Mr. Mankiewicz would reshape the script and by June 1949 he had a preliminary script that Darryl F. Zanuck approved in August 1949. <br /><br />For the all-important role of Luther Brooks, casting director William Gordon auditioned over one hundred actors from Hollywood, Chicago, Cleveland, San Francisco, and New York City. Sidney Poitier learned of the screen tests for Dr. Brooks from fellow actor, Thompson Brown. Mr. Poitier was already committed to a lead role in the Broadway production <i>Lost in the Stars</i> (which was a musical adaptation of <i>Cry the Beloved Country</i>), but he did a screen test for <i>No Way Out</i> anyway, reasoning that he would be establishing contacts. Only 22 years old at the time, Sidney Poitier lied about his age as a 22 year-old would be too young to play a doctor. <br /><br />As it turned out, Joseph L. Mankiewicz narrowed the field down to six actors, Sidney Poitier among them. It was not just Joseph L. Mankiewicz who had been impressed by Sidney Poitier's screen test, but Darryl F. Zanuck as well. He had to return to 20th Century Fox to shoot a longer screen test, and he was also interviewed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Ultimately, Mr. Mankiewicz offered Sidney Poitier the role of Luther Books, which the actor promptly turned down as he was already committed to <i>Lost in the Stars</i>. <br /><br />Joseph L. Mankiewicz was determined that Sidney Poitier would play Luther, and as a result he offered Sidney Poitier ten times the pay that he would receive on Broadway in <i>Lost in the Stars</i>. Ultimately, Sidney Poitier's agent and Joseph L. Mankiewicz were able to get Mr. Poitier out of <i>Lost in the Stars</i>. Cast opposite Sidney Poitier was Richard Widmark as racist Ray Biddle. Mr. Widmark was well-known for his villainous roles in such films as <i>Kiss of Death</i> (1947), <i>The Street with No Name</i> (1948), and <i>Road House</i> (1948). As it turned out, Richard Widmark was as far removed from the villainous characters he played as could be. Sidney Poitier and Richard Widmark soon became friends, and Mr. Poitier later wrote in his autobiography, <i>This Life</i>, "The reality of Widmark was a thousand miles from the characters he played. That shy, gentle, very private person helped me learn the ropes of filmmaking and was among the first in Hollywood, along with his lovely wife Jean, to open his home to me socially." Richard Widmark had so much respect for Sidney Poitier that after every scene in which Ray Biddle abused Dr. Luther Brooks, he apologized to Mr. Poitier. <br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> not only provided Sidney Poitier with his first major role, but it also marked the film debut of Ossie Davis, who played the uncredited role of John Brooks. It would also mark the first time that Ossie Davis appeared on screen alongside his wife, Ruby Dee, who played the uncredited role of Connie Brooks. Ruby Dee had already appeared in prominent roles in such films as <i>The Fight Never Ends</i> (1948) and <i>The Jackie Robinson Story</i> (1950). The film also featured Linda Darnell as Edie, Johnny Biddle's widow, and Stephen McNally as the chief resident and Dr. Brooks's mentor Dr. Dan Wharton. <br /><br />As mentioned earlier, <i>No Way Out</i> proved controversial upon its initial release. The National Legion of Decency gave <i>No Way Out</i> a "C" rating, indicating they thought the film was morally objectionable. Captain Harry Fullmer of the Chicago Police Department held up a permit for exhibiting the movie and even recommended to Police Commissioner John Prendegast that <i>No Way Out</i> be banned. As a result, Walter White, Executive Secretary of the NAACP, sent a telegram to then Chicago Mayor Martin D. Kennelly, objecting to <i>No Way Out</i> possibly being banned in Chicago. Despite this, Commissioner Prendegast went ahead with the ban. Mayor Kennelly lifted the ban after the film was screened by a special committee of the Cook County Crime Prevention Bureau, who suggested to the mayor that the band be lifted. Mayor Kennelly lifted the ban on <i>No Way Out</i> after three to four minutes of the film were cut.<br /><br />Chicago would not be the only place that would prove troublesome for <i>No Way Out</i>. The movie would be only shown with cuts in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In Massachusetts there was a ban on <i>No Way Out</i> being exhibited on Sunday. As to the South, 20th Century Fox did not even bother to release <i>No Way Out</i> in much of the region. The censorship of <i>No Way Out</i> did not go unanswered, as the NAACP protested the various cuts to the film and outright bans.<br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> would receive mixed reviews upon its release. It received a positive review in the <i>Motion Picture Herald</i>, in which it was noted, "The screen has tackled the problem of race prejudice in various ways ever since Hollywood acquired a social conscience, but rarely has it come to grips with the whole tragic question quite so dramatically and forcefully as in this picture." Thomas M. Pryor of <i>The New York Times</i> wrote<i> </i>in his review, "Although its aim is not always as good as its intentions, <i>No Way Out </i>is a harsh, outspoken picture with implications that will keep you thinking about it long after leaving the theatre. That makes <i>No Way Out</i> an important picture." The review in <i>Daily Variety</i> was largely negative, referring to it as "tedious with words." <i>Fortnight</i> claimed in their review that <i>No Way Out</i> had a "...lack of genuine feeling and insight into the motives of the very people it pretends to champion."<br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> is not a perfect film. To a large degree Dr. Luther Brooks is an early example of the stereotype known as the "ebony saint," a dignified, but non-threatening and non-sexual Black man. In his book <i>Toms, Coons, Mulattos, Mammies, and Bucks: An Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films</i>, film historian Donald Bogle described Dr. Luther Brooks as "the perfect dream for white liberals to have [over] for lunch or dinner." Dr. Wharton's maid Gladys (played by Amanda Randolph) seems a bit reminiscent of the Mammy stereotype, even expressing the thought that she enjoys caring for Dr.. Wharton. As Donald Bogle notes in <i>Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers</i>, "As the faithful servant to a liberal white doctor, Amanda Randolph was comforting and motherly, ever ready with a smile and nurturing warm advice for the white characters around her."<br /><br />That having been said, in other ways <i>No Way Out</i> was very progressive for its time. Indeed, the very fact that it features a Black doctor in a major role made it revolutionary. In his book <i>Hollywood Black: The Stars, the Films, the Filmmakers</i> by Donald Bogle, Mr. Bogle wrote, "Poitier's character, Luther, represents the voice of reason. For later generations, Poitier's character in <i>No Way Out</i> (and other films) might appear too noble and idealized. But for moviegoers at the time he appeared to be the model actor just as the civil rights movement was about to take off.". <i>No Way Out</i> was also innovative in its portrayal of racial violence. If not the first movies to portray racial unrest, it was certainly one of the earliest. Indeed, it was because of the race riot in the film that <i>No Way Out</i> proved controversial in much of the country.<br /><br /><i>No Way Out</i> may not be a perfect film, but it is certainly a groundbreaking one. And it is certainly a powerful film as well. It is a movie that was unapologetic in its portrayal of the difficulties faced by Black doctors, and in its portrayal of race relations in the United States in the late Forties and early Fifties. <br />Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-75753959465083093062024-02-14T09:00:00.002-06:002024-02-19T16:18:04.679-06:00Happy Valentine's Day 2024Here at <i>A Shroud of Thoughts</i> we realize many prefer cheesecake to chocolates and flowers, so, without further ado, here are this year's vintage pinups.<br /><br /><center><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtM9nWXx_CACPDwJEITbX0SFQQrlb7ogzOA9FQ7yy5LzVmrqlkdA-BWynVGpfpa5TJCPvu-UgrfWYls74H6XQudLWH-5QmltGsYOXnqd9IZW5kg_3dLstaxOjZjzpKtvUFV3qDYHxNnPOTmYqpDpuygjfOupsKxMmeCfkPGE_CRi7iqcMuX2w/s551/Valentine's%20Day%20Leslie%20Caron.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="410" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLtM9nWXx_CACPDwJEITbX0SFQQrlb7ogzOA9FQ7yy5LzVmrqlkdA-BWynVGpfpa5TJCPvu-UgrfWYls74H6XQudLWH-5QmltGsYOXnqd9IZW5kg_3dLstaxOjZjzpKtvUFV3qDYHxNnPOTmYqpDpuygjfOupsKxMmeCfkPGE_CRi7iqcMuX2w/w298-h400/Valentine's%20Day%20Leslie%20Caron.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>First up is Leslie Caron, who wants to be your Valentine.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBj9u9knkekxpr1ZDcRqtiaBLvnFNHhAodvZ61tgQZO-adFR_pPdseAShNzvcGJ7QrQ8TQpeY9L5LTAPFCT4hLgv2sXJ_mV0WrKlqcbG8V0CIUkWpbzKyVzvFC4y4nAyR9O14AGOr7bqo0cMYskZD4xcVORuM-i-OZe7uOOMsEs1fssmv4AET/s622/Valentine's%20Day%20Cyd%20Charisse2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBj9u9knkekxpr1ZDcRqtiaBLvnFNHhAodvZ61tgQZO-adFR_pPdseAShNzvcGJ7QrQ8TQpeY9L5LTAPFCT4hLgv2sXJ_mV0WrKlqcbG8V0CIUkWpbzKyVzvFC4y4nAyR9O14AGOr7bqo0cMYskZD4xcVORuM-i-OZe7uOOMsEs1fssmv4AET/w321-h400/Valentine's%20Day%20Cyd%20Charisse2.jpg" width="321" /></a></div>I think many would prefer a box with Cyd Charisse to a box of chocolates...<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAFPqsgQSKFYa8IQ_ka6eOy2uYFKVnC3qQ2IeAsCkCYYip5XA6qNPrhTB0bmTpAdvTHC_GAovlBcPd5xuD_IjXcU4nP4cO8FdFtzX4F0J3H5K8kr1oV0S8ms2iuCweW5BJQnLLGqkR-c16m3cOUQQ4xsQNy3et5DIg5A3zwr6JKm78jHCTIVm/s480/Valentine's%20Day%20Barbara%20Bates2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="380" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAFPqsgQSKFYa8IQ_ka6eOy2uYFKVnC3qQ2IeAsCkCYYip5XA6qNPrhTB0bmTpAdvTHC_GAovlBcPd5xuD_IjXcU4nP4cO8FdFtzX4F0J3H5K8kr1oV0S8ms2iuCweW5BJQnLLGqkR-c16m3cOUQQ4xsQNy3et5DIg5A3zwr6JKm78jHCTIVm/w316-h400/Valentine's%20Day%20Barbara%20Bates2.jpg" width="316" /></a></div>Barbara Bates is enjoying her swing on Valentine's Day.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0iEpAJF0zw62cFDelxSmwshzKks4vXwfUmeLfSMyv8XXAYYW05nkYmvPZYv-MXTJERuSy1uapM0i-f5OQ2hwW9o_JfZYIcwrIh9dIhEckeSumqqskIKCPdKWSgGNMx3utN5XK713I6zovFp6r7aE_IHDfhxMwkyd_tmg4INF7POk6lMdG-Hl/s650/Valentine's%20Day%20Marie%20McDonald.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="518" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0iEpAJF0zw62cFDelxSmwshzKks4vXwfUmeLfSMyv8XXAYYW05nkYmvPZYv-MXTJERuSy1uapM0i-f5OQ2hwW9o_JfZYIcwrIh9dIhEckeSumqqskIKCPdKWSgGNMx3utN5XK713I6zovFp6r7aE_IHDfhxMwkyd_tmg4INF7POk6lMdG-Hl/w319-h400/Valentine's%20Day%20Marie%20McDonald.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>Marie McDonald wants you to be her Valentine...and to buy War Bonds.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgvwKzgTib879E-o0G7jqwvsy1bJALFAL80kwRrJ16tJFgCTpAqTXJSti8Z-G0wnTTYL7muUuBtdyWYDBED1ujUDoDKO6bf3e2IzjQuw1MHfiQ27wp2uK2JPhYfkDbdL1_IePOjbcJcTLIwpARFNp7YczAALprLaUw89_FB3R26QQmuQqZWjH/s600/Valentine's%20Day%20Rita%20Hayworth2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="470" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfgvwKzgTib879E-o0G7jqwvsy1bJALFAL80kwRrJ16tJFgCTpAqTXJSti8Z-G0wnTTYL7muUuBtdyWYDBED1ujUDoDKO6bf3e2IzjQuw1MHfiQ27wp2uK2JPhYfkDbdL1_IePOjbcJcTLIwpARFNp7YczAALprLaUw89_FB3R26QQmuQqZWjH/w314-h400/Valentine's%20Day%20Rita%20Hayworth2.jpg" width="314" /></a></div>And here's Rita Hayworth with a big box of chocolates.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFUwhNp3w6Tj-MUrIzsfjwD1eya0rvwzdEW2ec0lIHxFWw1SJ4_GyUBg6otPwxWBVM-HHleydNDXukmr5uxlNkURL7i-6N0VyEYiG2B3DYfITrVWN3IYyr41UG8fTGUw_4ZZe4_Alii2cCA8DNxPrTGsE319N6ya1exSN7HKS0IbuFErNZLAU/s550/Valentine%20Ann%20Miller.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="413" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTFUwhNp3w6Tj-MUrIzsfjwD1eya0rvwzdEW2ec0lIHxFWw1SJ4_GyUBg6otPwxWBVM-HHleydNDXukmr5uxlNkURL7i-6N0VyEYiG2B3DYfITrVWN3IYyr41UG8fTGUw_4ZZe4_Alii2cCA8DNxPrTGsE319N6ya1exSN7HKS0IbuFErNZLAU/w300-h400/Valentine%20Ann%20Miller.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>And it wouldn't be Valentine's Day without Ann Miller<br /><h1><span style="color: red;">Happy Valentine's Day!</span></h1></center>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-10240091252070830572024-02-12T17:12:00.003-06:002024-02-19T15:36:04.335-06:00The 30th Anniversary of State of Emergency (1994)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUQ63PqBWu3DxFx0p1UZFcMfRPsQvM1InjQFkaezgR8Dk5-IrX6pPYY2ok-PIbuMC_-f0syNK8RZ9Im0ejGkIQIrE1O6fM4-IHknOn4-tpXJBRzTqEi5gbD5h0q79cvDGMnYJjYbcmA32MEsT9QPNOHuA2eVdlzCifZP16aRWwgUCLWWLTO_l/s275/State%20of%20Emergency.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPUQ63PqBWu3DxFx0p1UZFcMfRPsQvM1InjQFkaezgR8Dk5-IrX6pPYY2ok-PIbuMC_-f0syNK8RZ9Im0ejGkIQIrE1O6fM4-IHknOn4-tpXJBRzTqEi5gbD5h0q79cvDGMnYJjYbcmA32MEsT9QPNOHuA2eVdlzCifZP16aRWwgUCLWWLTO_l/w133-h200/State%20of%20Emergency.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>It was thirty years ago today that the television movie <i>State of Emergency</i> (1994) debuted on HBO. <i>State of Emergency</i> was one of a number of remarkable tele-films put out by HBO in the Nineties that also included <i>Citizen Cohn</i> (1992), <i>The Tuskegee Airman</i> (1995), and <i>Truman</i> (1995). While <i>State of Emergency </i>may not be as well remembered as some of these other films, there is every reason it should be. For myself, it is significant as the last television movie my dearest Vanessa Marquez made before beginning her stint as Nurse Wendy Goldman on <i>ER</i>.<br /><br /><i>State of Emergency</i> (1994) is set in the emergency room of an inner city hospital that is both under-staffed and under-funded. Indeed, among other things, their CAT scan is not functioning. After a victim of an auto accident is brought to the hospital, Dr. John Novelli (Joe Mantegna) finds himself in a difficult situation that could affect both his career and the hospital. In addition to Joe Mantegna and Vanessa Marquez, the cast included Lynn Whitfield (known for <i>The Josephine Baker Story</i>), Melinda Dillon (Ralphie's mom in <i>A Christmas Story</i>) and Richard Beymer (known for <i>West Side Story</i> and <i>Twin Peaks</i>). <br /><br /><i>State of Emergency</i> (1994) was written by Dr. Lance Gentile and Susan Black. Susan Black had written an episode of <i>A Year in the Life</i>. She served as an associate producer on <i>State of Emergency</i>. Dr. Gentile would later serve as a medical consultant on <i>ER</i> and a consulting producer on both <i>Providence</i> and <i>Third Watch</i>. Lance Gentile also served as an associate producer on <i>State of Emergency</i>. <br /><br />Dr. Gentile was an 18 year emergency room veteran and he drew upon some of his own experiences in co-writing the teleplay. In an newspaper article published on February 8 1994 in <i>The Indiana Gazette</i>, Dr. Gentile said he wanted to dramatize the health care crisis. He also wanted to demonstrate the effect the health care system has on health care workers. In the article he said, "There is a high emotional toll because the nature of your business is people suffering and dying. It's unrelenting. If you let it touch you, it eats away at you." HBO was responsible for making the television movie darker than it might otherwise have been. They suggested to Lance Gentile and Susan Black that they cut a romance in the film that softened the film. <br /><br /><i>State of Emergency</i> was directed by Lesli Linka Glatter. She had already directed episodes of <i>Amazing Stories</i> and<i> Twin Peaks</i>, among several other shows. She would go onto direct episodes of <i>The West Wing</i> and <i>Mad Men</i> (for which she was nominated for an Emmy for the episode "Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency"). <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoTOrL4A2BmWKtOSDbfM24rFYESPdel4Yy_8lkiT4SYxp0rnVmIH7AL_fWiQ5ERs7iByuzktHhCt5p3gb3LClxVHCmMRIBMQyonL8801DeIPkkVr6pY8TYCMC-VBx28MffCMB9r6ua14g6z522Aynud-v4oO-GF1XEQSm3ZttmS_Nbn7ebJCt/s852/State%20of%20Emergency%20Vanessa4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Vanessa Marquez as Violetta in State of Emergency (1994)" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="852" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZoTOrL4A2BmWKtOSDbfM24rFYESPdel4Yy_8lkiT4SYxp0rnVmIH7AL_fWiQ5ERs7iByuzktHhCt5p3gb3LClxVHCmMRIBMQyonL8801DeIPkkVr6pY8TYCMC-VBx28MffCMB9r6ua14g6z522Aynud-v4oO-GF1XEQSm3ZttmS_Nbn7ebJCt/w320-h180/State%20of%20Emergency%20Vanessa4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vanessa Marquez as Violetta <br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Vanessa Marquez played the emergency room's radiologist, Violetta, in the movie. It was a significant role for her, as up to that point she had primarily played juvenile roles, even as she approached her mid-twenties. <i>State of Emergency</i> gave Vanessa a chance not only to play an adult for a change, but an intelligent young woman who was in a position of responsibility as well. Vanessa enjoyed her time on the set of <i>State of Emergency</i>, as her fellow cast-mates were all very nice. Vanessa was a huge fan of <i>West Side Story </i>(1961), so she was initially intimidated at playing alongside Tony himself, Richard Beymer. Richard Beymer sensed this and soon put her at ease, and even helped her with her acting. He was one of her most fondly remembered cast mates in any movie or TV show.<br /><br /><i>State of Emergency</i> received largely positive reviews. Drew Voros in <i>Variety</i> wrote of the film, "Based on the experiences of an emergency room doctor, 'State of Emergency' dips into fiction for the needed dramatic elements, but the producers, writers and director Lesli Linka Glatter have assembled a no-holds-barred medical drama that smacks of real life." <i>State of Emergency</i> would also be recognized by various awards. It received several nominations at the CableACE awards, including the awards for Make-Up, Movie or Mini-Series, and Supporting Actress for Melinda Dillon. It was also nominated for the Humanitas Award and its teleplay won the PEN Center USA West Literary award.<br /><br /><i>State of Emergency</i> benefits from a tight script that shows no mercy in its portrayal of the shortcomings of the American healthcare system in the Nineties. There is nothing that is superfluous in the film, so that every scene counts. It also benefits from some fine performances, including Joe Mantenga as Dr. Novelli, Lynn Whitfield as his loyal assistant Dehlia, Richard Beymer as the sardonic Dr. Frames, and Deborah Kara Unger as stressed out nurse Sue Payton. <br /><br />Currently <i>State of Emergency</i> is unavailable on streaming, although it is available on DVD. <br /><br />Ultimately, <i>State of Emergency</i> is a grim drama that can be unrelenting. It is certainly not a film to watch if one wants to escape the worries of their day, but it is a movie to watch if one want something thought-provoking. Indeed, while <i>State of Emergency</i> was made thirty years ago, it still seems as timely and relevant today.Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-81341190612872663542024-02-08T18:22:00.003-06:002024-02-22T22:41:55.066-06:00The 110th Birthday of Batman Co-Creator Bill Finger<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURduGHA_8LI40Wm_PrXkwJa_GhcLVvEIz12FYjt02wO2E2Xa90ndkbbzGS0yv8Og1lyCuIxIGnZ9aD2k7tfIazEA2BskykfwQHMnYo3lTNS2rBW4mq3F4apwN4auvLUOMMU4_V0nDyAwjwlq2iy-B7zqKKB907FcZi9S3qjPfv4TbUbSwIeeC/s559/Bill%20Finger.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="367" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURduGHA_8LI40Wm_PrXkwJa_GhcLVvEIz12FYjt02wO2E2Xa90ndkbbzGS0yv8Og1lyCuIxIGnZ9aD2k7tfIazEA2BskykfwQHMnYo3lTNS2rBW4mq3F4apwN4auvLUOMMU4_V0nDyAwjwlq2iy-B7zqKKB907FcZi9S3qjPfv4TbUbSwIeeC/w131-h200/Bill%20Finger.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>Chances are good that unless you are a comic book fan, you have never heard of Bill Finger. Despite this, it seems very likely that you have heard of his most famous creation, Batman. While for much of his life artist Bob Kane took sole credit for the creation of Batman and his mythos, in truth it was Bill Finger who did most of the work in the creation of the Dark Knight. Indeed, Bill Finger even came up with what is now Batman's most famous nickname, "the Dark Knight."<br /><br />Milton "Bill" Finger was born on February 8 1914 in Denver, Colorado. His family moved to The Bronx, New York City. Bill Finger attended DeWitt Clinton High School in The Bronx and graduated from there in 1933. Following his graduation. he worked as a part-time shoe salesman and aspired to be a writer. He met artist Bob Kane at a party in 1938 and Kane offered him a job ghost writing the comic book features <i>Rusty and His Pals</i> and <i>Clip Carson</i>.<br /><br />Following the huge success that National Comics experienced with Superman, the company wanted similar characters. Bob Kane then came up with the idea for a character called "The Bat-Man." Bob Kane then had Bill Finger meet him at his apartment where he showed Mr. Finger a drawing of a character in reddish tights, boots, and a small domino mask. The character wore no gloves. Affixed to the character's back were two stiff, bat wings. Beneath the drawing in large letters was "Batman." Bill Finger made several suggestions to Bob Kane, including a cowl with pointed bat ears, a scalloped cape, and gloves, as well as a darker colour scheme for the costume. Bill Finger's contributions to the character of Batman would not end there. It was Bill Finger who developed the secret identity of Batman, that of playboy Bruce Wayne. He took the first name from Robert the Bruce, King of the Scots from 1306 to 1329, and the last name from Revolutionary War hero and Founding Father Mad Anthony Wayne. <br /><br />Despite the considerable contributions Bill Finger made to the creation of Batman, when Bob Kane took The Bat-Man to editor Vin Sullivan, he made no mention of Bill Finger or the part he played the character's creation. Bob Kane's contract with Detective Comics Inc. gave Kane sole credit for the creation of Batman, and his signature would appear on every Batman story even when he did not do the art (and, more often than not, the art would be done by such ghost artists as Jerry Robinson, Dick Sprang, and Shelly Moldoff). When Bob Kane renegotiated his contract in 1946, he did not bother to mention Bill Finger either. What is more, Kane's second contract was even more lucrative than his first. It returned partial ownership of Batman to Bob Kane and included rights of reversion and the ability to veto the sale of Batman to any other company. The contract also guaranteed him a specific number of pages per month at what was then an incredible page rate, as well as a percentage of subsidiary rights. As to Bill Finger who had done the heavy lifting in creating Batman, all he ever received was his usual page rate.<br /><br />The fact is that while Bob Kane received the credit and the money for creating Batman, it was Bill Finger who shaped the character as we know him. It seems likely it was Bill Finger who came up with Batman's origin, in which Bruce Wayne's parents are murdered. He created the character of Commissioner Gordon, who appeared in the very first panel of the very first Batman story. He gave Gotham City its name. He created or co-created the characters of Robin, The Joker, Catwoman, The Riddler, and many of Batman's other villains. It was Bill Finger who gave Gotham City its name.<br /><br />While Bill Finger co-created Batman and created much of the character's mythos, he also created other comic book characters. He scripted the early stories of the Golden Age Green Lantern, Alan Scott, and is sometimes credited as co-creator with Martin Nodell. He created the character of Wildcat, with the character's costume designed by artist Irwin Hasen. With artist John Sikela he created Lana Lang, the love interest of Superboy. All three of these characters would have a lasting impact and still appear in the pages of DC Comics titles.<br /><br />It would take years for Bill Finger to receive recognition as the co-creator of Batman, and Bob Kane continued to insist that he was the sole creator the character even after considerable evidence had emerged about Bill Finger's contributions. It was in 1965 comic book fan and scholar Jerry Bails wrote an article, published in <i>CAPA-Alpha</i> no. 12 (September 1965), that recognized Bill Finger as the co-creator of Batman. As might be expected, Bob Kane strenuously denied the facts in the article. In the following years Bill Finger was increasingly recognized as the co-creator of Batman in comic book fandom. Late in his life even Bob Kane would acknowledge the considerable contributions that Bill Finger made to the Caped Crusader. In his biography <i>Batman and Me</i>, Bob Kane wrote, "Now that my long-time friend and collaborator is gone, I must admit that Bill never received the fame and recognition he deserved. He was an unsung hero ... I often tell my wife, if I could go back fifteen years, before he died, I would like to say. 'I'll put your name on it now. You deserve it.'"<br /><br />Even after it was generally accepted that Bill Finger co-created Batman, it would be years before he would be credited as such by DC Comics. It was in 2006 that author Marc Tyler Nobleman began researching Bill Finger's role in the creation of Batman for a non-fiction picture book. Marc Tyler Nobleman uncovered the fact that Bill Finger's son Fred had a daughter, Athena Finger. He contacted Athena Finger and encouraged her to get in touch with DC Comics in order to get credit for Bill Finger as Batman's co-creator. His biography of Bill Finger, <i>Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman</i> was published in 2012. It was in 2017, following negotiations with Bill Finger's granddaughter Athena Finger, that DC Entertainment began crediting Bill Finger. In movies Bill Finger was first credited as the co-creator of Batman in the movie <i>Batman v. Superman: The Dawn of Justice</i> (2016). In television he was first credited as the co-creator of Batman on the second season of <i>Gotham</i>. In 2017 a documentary about Marc Tyler Nobleman's research and his efforts to get recognition for Bill Finger, <i>Batman & Bill</i>, premiered on Hulu. <br /><br />Sadly, Bill Finger died on January 18 1974 when he was only 59, so he never lived to see the recognition he would receive as the co-creator of Batman. Many might find it odd that Bill Finger never tried to receive recognition as Batman's co-creator, let alone any sort of monetary compensation. In Marc Tyler Nobleman's blog, <a href="https://www.noblemania.com/2010/11/bill-finger-as-told-by-those-who-knew.html"><i>Nobelmania</i></a>, Jerry Robinson described Bill Finger as, "Very soft. Naive, as most of us were." In the book <i>The Creators of Batman: Bob, Bill & The Dark Knight</i> by Rik Worth, Bill Finger was described as "Easy-going to the point of retiring. He was just grateful to be in the room." In the book <i>The Many Lives of Catwoman: The Felonious History of a Feline Fatale</i>, author Tim Hanley writes, "The most common term Finger's associates used to describe him was 'agreeable,' though his son put it far more bluntly when he said, 'My father had a very weak spine.' It seems possible that while Bill Finger was immensely talented and had a right to be credited as the co-creator of Batman, he simply was not capable of standing up to Bob Kane.<br /><br />It seems likely that had it not been for Bill Finger, Batman may have simply been another obscure comic book character, like The Crimson Avenger or Air Wave, published during the Golden Age of Comic Books. It was Bill Finger who provided Batman with most of the things that come to mind when we think of Batman. everything from his secret identity to Gotham City. And it seems likely that without the supporting characters and mythos that Bill Finger provided Batman, the character might never have taken off. While it is good that Bill Finger is finally being recognized as the co-creator of Batman, he really should have long ago.Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-8405263923190780922024-02-06T17:04:00.002-06:002024-02-06T17:04:30.385-06:00TCM 31 Days of Oscar 2024<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHsbWjIGyIOehh6Sp4xqg3Fpi8sdixaNB7tpVZjhyes8GqOMq4ihr6vbno-KjcHo5cxjR1dKRcd-ybDLpbjojisPuThIXBuXLNcPhti7KlOBtsBaHwyZv5vVzIX7HgDdgEb5FYl1HlCFShGFVKC1VtWw9TRNiBn5_E2bKeogD3TG3qbRga_bh/s598/31DaysOfOscar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="598" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpHsbWjIGyIOehh6Sp4xqg3Fpi8sdixaNB7tpVZjhyes8GqOMq4ihr6vbno-KjcHo5cxjR1dKRcd-ybDLpbjojisPuThIXBuXLNcPhti7KlOBtsBaHwyZv5vVzIX7HgDdgEb5FYl1HlCFShGFVKC1VtWw9TRNiBn5_E2bKeogD3TG3qbRga_bh/s320/31DaysOfOscar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />As my regular readers know, I have always had mixed feelings about Turner Classic Movie's 31 Days of Oscar, the month-long programming block during which TCM shows movies that were either nominated for an Academy Award or won an Academy Award. On the one hand, throughout the month Turner Classic Movies shows a lot of great movies. On the other hand, TCM's usual programming is pre-empted for the whole month (in other words, no <i>Noir Alley</i>). And while TCM shows a lot of great movies, it is often the case that my favourites are scheduled at awkward times. For example, this year <i>Network</i> (1976) doesn't air until 1:00 in the morning. <i>The Naked City </i>(1948) doesn't air until 1:45 AM. <i>The Best Years of Our Lives</i> (1946), which one would think TCM would want to air in prime time, doesn't air until 11:00 PM. Sadly, I watch Turner Classic Movies less during 31 Days of Oscar than any other time of year, although I do use the Watch TCM app more than I usually do. <br /><br />Regardless, this year 31 Days of Oscar runs from Friday, February 9 through the early morning of Monday, March 11. Here are my picks as to what to watch this year. All times are Central. <br /><br />Friday, February 9<br />5:00 AM<i> The Adventures of Don Juan</i> (1948)<br />10:15 AM <i>The Band Wagon</i> (1954)<br />12:15 PM<i> Flower Drum Song</i> (1961)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Sting</i> (1976)<br />9:15 PM<i> Roman Holiday</i> (1953)<br />11:30 PM <i>All That Jazz </i>(1979)<br /><br />Saturday, February 10<br />7:00 AM <i>Caged </i>(1950)<br />11:00 PM <i>Rebel Without a Cause</i> (1955)<br />1:00 PM <i>Singin' in the Rain</i> (1952)<br />3:00 PM <i>Harvey </i>(1950)<br />9:00 PM <i>The Miracle Worker</i> (1962)<br /><br />Sunday, February 11<br />8:30 AM <i>The Magnificent Ambersons </i>(1942)<br />12:00 PM <i>My Man Godfrey</i> (1936)<br />2:00 PM <i>Pillow Talk</i> (1959)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Razor's Edge</i> (1946)<br /><br />Monday, February 12<br />11:00 AM <i>Pride and Prejudice </i>(1940)<br />1:00 PM <i>Brigadoon </i>(1954)<br />3:00 PM <i>The Prisoner of Zenda</i> (1937)<br />7:00 PM<i> The Adventures of Robin Hood</i> (1938)<br />11:30 PM <i>Black Narcissus (1947)<br /></i><br />Tuesday February 13<br />4:30 AM <i>The Thief of Bagdad</i> (1940)<br />6:30 AM <i>La Strada</i> (1954)<br />10:15 AM <i>Woman of the Year </i>(1942)<br />12:15 PM<i> It's Always Fair Weather</i> (1955)<br />2:15 PM <i>North by Northwest</i> (1959)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Great McGinty </i>(1940)<br /><br />Wednesday, February 14<br />1:00 AM <i>Network </i>(1976)<br />2:45 PM <i>Rebecca </i>(1940)<br />5:00 PM<i> Wuthering Heights (</i>1939)<br />7:00 PM<i> The Philadelphia Story</i> (1940)<br /><br />Thursday February 15<br />5:00 AM <i>The Public Enemy</i> (1931)<br />11:30 AM <i>The Strange Love of Matha Ivers</i> (1946)<br />5:15 PM<i> Here Comes Mr. Jordan </i>(1941)<br /><br />Friday, February 16<br />7:00 PM <i>Bullitt </i>(1948)<br />9:15 PM <i>The Pride of the Yankees </i>(1942)<br /><br />Saturday, February 17<br />1:45 AM<i> The Naked City</i> (1948)<br />10:00 AM <i>Crossfire </i>(1947)<br />11:30 AM <i>The Asphalt Jungle </i>(1950)<br />11:14 AM <i>The Fortune Cookie </i>(1966)<br /><br />Sunday, February 18<br />2:00 PM <i>Cool Hand Luke</i> (1967)<br />4::15 <i>The Dirty Dozen </i>(1967)<br />7:00 PM <i>Topkapi </i>(1964)<br />11:30 PM <i>Cabaret </i>(1972)<br /><br />Monday, February 19<br />7:15 AM <i>Meet Me in St. Louis </i>(1944)<br />8:15 AM <i>The Umbrellas of Cherbourg</i> (1964)<br />3:00 PM <i>Calamity Jane</i> (1953)<br />9:15 PM <i>The Thomas Crown Affair</i> (1968)<br /><br />Tuesday, February 20<br />12:00 PM<i> Of Mice and Men</i> (1939)<br />3:30 PM <i>The Harvey Girls</i> (1946)<br />5:15 PM <i>On the Town</i> (1949)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Red Shoes</i> (1948)<br />9:30 PM <i>Spellbound </i>(1945)<br />11:30 PM <i>Now Voyager</i> (1942)<br /><br />Wednesday, February 21<br />8:45 PM <i>Harlan County USA</i> (1976)<br /><br />Thursday, February 22<br />1:00 AM <i>Woodstock </i>(1970)<br />7:00 AM <i>Waterloo Bridge</i> (1940)<br />9:00 AM <i>The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex</i> (1939)<br />12:45 PM <i>National Velvet </i>(1944)<br />9:00 PM <i>The Black Swan</i> (1942)<br />11:00 PM <i>The Phantom of the Opera</i> (1943)<br /><br />Friday, February 23<br />1:00 AM <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i> (1945)<br />3:00 PM<i> The Blackboard Jungle </i>(1955)<br />5:00 PM<i> Strangers on a Train</i> (1951)<br />7:00 PM <i>Laura </i>(1944)<br />8:45 PM <i>The Defiant Ones</i> (1958)<br /><br />Saturday, February 24<br />10:45 AM <i>Suspicion </i>(1941)<br />12:30 PM <i>Wait Until Dark</i> (1967)<br />2:30 PM <i>Born Yesterday </i>(1950)<br />4:30 PM<i> Auntie Mame (</i>1958)<br />11:45 PM <i>Mildred Pierce</i> (1945)<br /><br />Sunday, February 25<br />9:30 AM <i>Baby Doll </i>(1956)<br />7:00 PM<i> A Streetcar Named Desire</i> (1951)<br />9:15 PM <i>Moonstruck </i>(1987)<br /><br />Monday, February 26<br />1:45 PM <i>Forbbiden Planet </i>(1956)<br />3:30 PM <i>Topper Returns</i> (1941)<br />5:15 PM <i>Them!</i> (1954)<br />7:00 PM <i>Fantastic Voyage</i> (1966)<br />9:00 PM <i>Blithe Spirit </i>(1945)<br /><br />Tuesday, February 27<br />1:30 AM <i>Destination Moon </i>(1950)<br />11:00 AM<i> The Virgin Spring </i>(1960)<br />7:00 PM <i>8 1/2 (</i>1963)<br />9:30 PM <i>Babbette's Feast </i>(1987)<br /><br />Wednesday, February 28<br />11:00 AM <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame (</i>1939)<br />4:00 PM<i> It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World </i>(1963)<br /><br />Thursday, February 29<br />9:30 AM <i>Bad Day at Black Rock</i> (1955)<br />11:00 AM <i>The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (</i>1948)<br />7:00 PM <i>The Quiet Man </i>(1952)<br />9:30 PM Giant<br /><br />Friday, March 1<br />1:00 AM <i>All Quiet on the Western Front </i>(1930)<br />7:00 AM<i> The Crowd</i> (1928)<br />8:45 AM <i>Great Expectations</i> (1946)<br />3:15 PM<i> 12 Angry Men </i>(1957)<br />7:00 PM <i>Mr. Deeds Goes to Town</i> (1936)<br />9:15 PM<i> A Letter to Three Wives</i> (1949)<br />11:15 AM <i>Marty </i>(1955)<br /><br />Saturday, March 2<br />1:00 AM <i>The Awful Truth</i> (1937)<br />3:00 AM <i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (1932)<br />5:00 AM <i>The Great Dictator</i> (1940)<br />11:00 PM <i>Anatomy of a Murder</i> (1959)<br />2:00 PM <i>Elmer Gantry</i> (1960)<br />4:45 PM <i>East of Eden</i> (1955)<br />9:45 PM<i> A Man for All Seasons</i> (1966)<br /><br />Sunday, March 3<br />12:00 AM <i>Sergeant York </i>(1941)<br />2:30 AM <i>Yankee Doodle Dandy</i> (1942)<br />5:00 AM <i>The Front Page </i>(1931)<br />11:00 PM <i>Sounder </i>(1972)<br />1:00 PM <i>Cat Ballou</i> (1965)<br />3:00 PM <i>The Lost Weekend</i> (1940)<br />5:00 PM The Goodbye Girl (1977)<br />9:00 PM <i>To Kill a Mockingbird </i>(1962)<br /><br />Monday, March 4<br />11:00 AM <i>Stagecoach </i>(1939)<br />12:45 PM<i> The Caine Mutiny (</i>1954)<br />3:00 PM <i>Picnic </i>(1955)<br />5:00 PM <i>Seven Brides for Seven Brothers </i>(1954)<br />7:00 PM <i>An American In Paris </i>(1952)<br />9:00 PM<i> It Happened One Night </i>(1934)<br />11:00 PM <i>Mrs. Miniver</i> (1942)<br /><br />Tuesday, March 5<br />3:30 AM<i> Grand Hotel</i> (1932)<br />7:00 AM<i> A Tale of Two Cities</i> (1935)<br />12:00 PM<i> Anchors Aweigh</i> (1945)<br />4:45 PM <i>Citizen Kane </i>(1941)<br />7:00 PM<i> In the Heat of the Night</i> (1967)<br />9:00 PM <i>Platoon </i>(1988)<br />11:15 PM <i>No Country For Old Men </i>(2007)<br /><br />Wednesday, March 6<br />3:30 AM <i>All the King's Men</i> (1949)<br />8:45 AM <i>Captain Blood</i> (1935)<br />11:00 PM <i>Ivanhoe </i>(1952)<br />1:00 PM <i>The Alamo </i>(1960)<br />7:00 PM <i>All About Eve </i>(1950)<br />11:45 PM <i>Going My Wa</i>y (1944)<br /><br />Thursday, March 7<br />9:00 AM<i> 42nd Street</i> (1933)<br />10:45 AM<i> Foreign Correspondent</i> (1940)<br />1:00 PM <i>The Letter </i>(1940)<br />3:00 PM<i> Libeled Lady </i>(1936)<br />5:00 PM <i>Ninotchka </i>(1939)<br />7:00 PM <i>Casablanca </i>(1942)<br /><br />Friday, March 8<br />12:00 AM<i> My Fair Lady</i> (1964)<br />10:00 AM <i>The Yearling</i> (1946)<br />12:15 PM<i> Father of the Bride </i>(1950)<br />2:00 PM <i>The Music Man</i> (1962)<br />4:45 PM <i>Mister Roberts</i> (1955)<br />9:30 PM <i>Annie Hall </i>(1977)<br />11:15 PM <i>The Apartment</i> (1960)<br /><br />Saturday, March 9<br />3:30 AM <i>The Great Ziegfeld</i> (1936)<br />8:00 AM<i> Top Hat</i> (1935)<br />10:00 AM <i>The Maltese Falcon </i>(1941)<br />12:00 PM<i> The Last Emperor (</i>1987)<br />3:00 PM<i> Lawrence of Arabia</i> (1962)<br />11:00 PM <i>The Best Years of Our Lives </i>(1946)<br /><br />Sunday, March 10 (my birthday)<br />1:00 PM <i>Bonnie and Clyde</i> (1967)<br />3:00 PM <i>Gone with the Wind (</i>1939)<br />10:15 PM Wings (1927)<br /><br />Monday, March 11<br />12:45 AM <i>You Can't Take It with You</i> (1938)<br />Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-22689287472299767782024-02-05T17:21:00.002-06:002024-02-05T17:21:45.412-06:00Godspeed Don Murray<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdiCUZ0Mvg7mlF_vmRXjw5_10X-BUNWM_bfPuItkKVM8lqoW0dGY4dMVWomFd6VvvfvZhW4TZwx58LyQ8HmF1vKkaGNeK7cSdw8kIvaIQEGdxfSXTgYM8raBSYEdUy2fZvZY7pjNVHIWQl1Xt2hr9DTrssz67LbtYhuSNVmINpmNuH9A7EO2b/s1185/Don%20Murray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1185" data-original-width="1052" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdiCUZ0Mvg7mlF_vmRXjw5_10X-BUNWM_bfPuItkKVM8lqoW0dGY4dMVWomFd6VvvfvZhW4TZwx58LyQ8HmF1vKkaGNeK7cSdw8kIvaIQEGdxfSXTgYM8raBSYEdUy2fZvZY7pjNVHIWQl1Xt2hr9DTrssz67LbtYhuSNVmINpmNuH9A7EO2b/w178-h200/Don%20Murray.jpg" width="178" /></a></div>Don Murray, who was nominated for the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his role in <i>Bus Stop</i> (1956) and played Sid Fairgate on <i>Knots Landing</i>, died on February 2 2024 at the age of 94. <br /><br />Don Murray was born on July 31 1929 in Hollywood. He grew up in East Rockaway, New York and attended East Rockaway High School. When he was 19 he attended the American Academy of the Dramatic Arts while working as an usher at CBS for $17 a week. During the Korean War he was a conscientious objector due to his religious beliefs and he spent three years working in German and Italian refugee camps as part of the Brethren Volunteer Service. <br /><br />Don Murray made his television debut in 1950 in an episode of <i>Studio One</i>. The same year he made his film debut in the short subject "Preface to a Life." In the Fifties he appeared in the television shows <i>Robert Montgomery Presents</i>,<i> Lux Video Theatre</i>, <i>Danger</i>, <i>Kraft Television Theatre</i>, <i>Producers' Showcase</i>, <i>The Philco Television Playhouse</i>, <i>Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre</i>, <i>Justice</i>, <i>Appointment with Danger</i>, <i>The United States Steel Hour</i>, <i>The DuPont Show of the Month</i>, and <i>Playhouse 90</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>Bus Stop</i> (1956), <i>The Bachelor Party</i> (1957), <i>A Hatful of Rain</i> (1957), <i>From Hell to Texas</i> (1958), <i>These Thousand Hills</i> (1959), <i>Shake Hands with the Devil</i> (1959), and <i>One Foot in Hell</i>. He appeared on Broadway in <i>The Rose Tattoo</i>, <i>The Skin of Our Teeth</i>, and <i>The Hot Corner</i>.<br /><br />In the Sixties Don Murray was one of the leads on the short-lived Western television series <i>The Outcasts</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>The Hoodlum Priest</i> (1961), <i>Advise & Consent</i> (1962), <i>One Man's Way</i> (1964), <i>Baby the Rain Must Fall</i> (1965), <i>Kid Rodelo</i> (1966), <i>The Plainsman</i> (1966), <i>Sweet Love, Bitter</i> (1967), <i>The Viking Queen</i> (1967), and <i>Childish Things</i> (1969). <br /><br />In the Seventies Mr. Murray appeared in the movies <i>Happy Birthday, Wanda June</i> (1971), <i>Conquest of the Planet of the Apes</i> (1972), <i>Call Me By My Rightful Name</i> (1972), <i>Cotter</i> (1973), and <i>Deadly Hero</i> (1975). He appeared on the TV shows <i>The Wonderful World of Disney</i>, <i>Love Story</i>, <i>Amy Prentiss</i>, <i>Police Story</i>, and <i>How the West Was Won</i>. Starting in 1979 he played the regular role of Sid Fairgate on the nighttime soap opera <i>Knots Landing</i>. He appeared on Broadway in <i>Smith</i>; <i>Same Time, Next Year</i>; <i>The Norman Conquests: Table Manners</i>; <i>The Norman Conquests: Round and Round the Garden</i>; and <i>The Norman Conquests: Living Together</i>.<br /><br />In the early Eighties Don Murray continued to appear as Sid Fairgate on <i>Knots Landing</i>. He starred on the short-lived television show <i>Brand New Life</i>. He guest starred on the shows <i>T. J. Hooker</i>, <i>Hotel</i>, and <i>Matlock</i>. He appeared in the movies in <i>Endless Love</i> (1981), <i>I Am the Cheese</i> (1983), <i>Radioactive Dreams</i> (1984), <i>Peggy Sue Got Married</i> (1986), <i>Scorpion</i> (1986), <i>Made in Heaven</i> (1987), and <i>Ghosts Can't Do It</i> (1989).<br /><br />In the Nineties he starred on the short-lived series <i>Sons and Daughters</i>. He guest starred on the shows <i>Murder, She Wrote</i>; <i>ABC Afternoon Specials</i>; <i>Wings</i>; <i>The Single Guy</i>; <i>The Wonderful World of Disney</i>; and <i>Soldier of Fortune, Inc. </i>He appeared in the movie <i>Internet Love</i> (1998). In the Naughts he appeared in the movies <i>Island Prey</i> (2001) and <i>Elvis is Alive</i> (2001). In the Teens he was a regular on the TV series <i>Twin Peaks: The Return</i>. In the 2020s he appeared in the movie <i>Promise</i> (2021).<br /><br />Don Murray also directed the movies <i>The Cross and the Switchblade</i> (1970), <i>Damien's Island</i> (1976), <i>Elvis is Alive</i> (2001), and <i>Breathe!</i> (2008). He wrote the story for the <i>Playhouse 90</i> episode "For I Have Loved Strangers and the two-part <i>Knots Landing </i>episode "Hitchhike." He wrote the feature films <i>The Hoodlum Priest</i> (1961), <i>Childish Things</i> (1969), <i>The Cross and the Switchblade</i> (1970), and <i>Call Me By My Rightful Name</i> (1972).<br /><br />Don Murray was an extremely talented actor. He was impressive as the loud-mouthed, awkward cowboy Beauregard Decker in <i>Bus Stop</i>, and his nomination for an Academy Award was well-deserved. He gave another impressive performance as Brigham Anderson in <i>Advise and Consent</i>, the United States Senator who admits to a homosexual affair. In <i>A Hatful of Rain</i>, he played Johnny Pope, a Korean War veteran addicted to morphine. His performances on television were no less impressive. On <i>Knots Landing</i> he played Sid Fairgate, who was honest and hard-working, but also afflicted with the worst possible luck<i>. </i>In the <i>Wonderful World of Disney </i>episode "Justin Morgan Had a Horse," he played historical figure Justin Morgan, the horse breeder who developed the Morgan horse breed. He also did a good job as horse owner Wally Hampton in the <i>Murder, She Wrote</i> episode "Bloodlines." Don Murray was very versatile, and throughout his career he played everything from upstanding citizens to ne'er-do-wells. He very good at playing complicated characters. Few actors could boast of the talent that Don Murray had.<br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7210602.post-21825641999103868952024-02-04T16:48:00.001-06:002024-02-04T16:48:31.366-06:00The Late Great Carl Weathers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHela0oPMVtvxLubmldV5zGFuZpnrj1urPbtQxvUlzSdWQFrBcO7tNZDmmH2T9FW3ZIW1w0nSrR8uzJBKoajmUJR01wEcKmEUWdynBAfIg35dG9NsStVoieruNIF9YSpdGqqXmr6RLglZEUg5AJYCnGb33IIn_ryGOidxXOg43GNzyVpZ-xXbs/s299/Carl%20Weathers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="299" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHela0oPMVtvxLubmldV5zGFuZpnrj1urPbtQxvUlzSdWQFrBcO7tNZDmmH2T9FW3ZIW1w0nSrR8uzJBKoajmUJR01wEcKmEUWdynBAfIg35dG9NsStVoieruNIF9YSpdGqqXmr6RLglZEUg5AJYCnGb33IIn_ryGOidxXOg43GNzyVpZ-xXbs/s1600/Carl%20Weathers.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />Carl Weathers, who appeared in the <i>Rocky </i>films, <i>Predator</i> (1987), and the TV series <i>The Mandalorian</i>, died on February 1 2024 at the age of 76.<br /><br />Carl Weathers was born on January 14 1948 in New Orleans. He took to acting while young, acting in plays as far back as elementary school. He was also a star athlete. He earned an athletic scholarship to St. Augustine in New Orleans. He later attended Long Beach Poly High School in California. He played football at Long Beach City College and then San Diego State University. He played for the Oakland Raiders in the NFL and the B.C. Lions in the Canadian Football League. During the off-season he attended San Francisco State University, where he earned his bachelors degree. He would later earn a masters degree in theatre arts. <br /><br />Carl Weathers made his film debut in 1973 in <i>Magnum Force</i>, playing a demonstrator. He made his television debut in 1975 in an episode of <i>Good Times</i>. It was in 1976 that he first played Apollo Creed in <i>Rocky</i>. He would reprise the role in <i>Rocky II</i> (1979), <i>Rocky III</i> (1982), and <i>Rocky IV</i> (1985). In the Seventies he also appeared in the movies <i>Bucktown</i> (1975), <i>The Four Deuces</i> (1975), <i>Friday Foster</i> (1975), <i>Close Encounters of the Third Kind</i> (1977), <i>Semi-Tough</i> (1977), and <i>Force 10 from Navarone</i> (1978). He guest starred on the television shows <i>Kung Fu</i>, <i>S.W.A.T.</i>, <i>The Six Million Dollar Man</i>, <i>Cannon</i>, <i>Switch</i>, <i>Bronk</i>, <i>McCloud</i>, <i>Most Wanted</i>, <i>Starsky and Hutch</i>, <i>Barnaby Jones</i>, <i>Serpico</i>, <i>Delvecchio</i>, <i>The Streets of San Francisco</i>, and <i>Tales of the Unexpected</i>.<br /><br />In the Eighties he was a regular in the television shows <i>Fortune Dane</i> and <i>Tour of Duty</i>. He appeared in the TV movies <i>Braker</i>, <i>The Defiant Ones</i>, and <i>Dangerous Passion</i>. He appeared in the films <i>Death Hunt</i> (1981), <i>Predator</i> (1987), and <i>Action Jackson</i> (1988). In the Nineties he starred in the television show <i>Street Justice</i> and the final season of the show <i>In the Heat of the Night</i>. He appeared in the mini-series <i>Op Center</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>Hurricane Smith</i> (1992), <i>Happy Gilmore</i> (1996), and <i>Little Nicky</i> (2000). He also began directing episodes of television shows, including episodes of <i>Renegade</i>, <i>Silk Stalkings</i>, <i>Pensacola: Wings of Gold</i>, and <i>Eighteen Wheels of Justice</i>.<br /><br />In the Naughts Carl Weathers guest starred on the TV shows <i>The Shield</i>, <i>ER</i>, and <i>Psych</i>. He was a regular on the TV show <i>Brothers</i> and narrator on the show <i>Chadam</i>. He appeared in the movies <i>The Sasquatch Gang</i> (2006), and <i>The Comebacks</i> (2007). He directed episodes of the TV shows <i>Strong Medcine</i>, <i>Sheena</i>, and <i>For the People</i>. <br /><br />In the Teens Carl Weathers had recurring roles on the shows <i>Arrested Development</i> (playing a fictionalized version of himself), <i>Colony</i>, <i>Chicago Fire</i>, <i>Chicago P.D.</i>, <i>Chicago Justice</i>, and <i>The Mandalorian</i>. He was a voice on the animated series <i>Star Vs. The Forces of Evil</i>. He was guest voice on the animated show <i>Explosion Jones</i>. He guest starred on <i>Magnum P.I.</i> and <i>Law & Order: Special Victims Unit</i>. He was the voice of Combat Carl in <i>Toy Story 4</i> (2019). He appeared in the movies <i>Sheriff Tom vs. the Zombies</i> (2013) and <i>Think Like a Man Too</i> (2014). He directed an episode of <i>Hawaii Five-0</i>. In the 2020s he continued to appear on <i>The Mandalorian</i>. He directed episodes of <i>The Last O.G.</i>, <i>Law & Order</i>, <i>FBI</i>, <i>Chicago Med</i>, and <i>The Mandalorian</i>.<br /><br />I think it is safe to say that many will remember Carl Weathers best as Apollo Creed, although many will also remember him as Greef Karga in <i>The Mandalorian</i>. That having been said, he played many other roles throughout this career. He was excellent as Chief Hampton Forbes on <i>In the Heat of the Night</i>. He also gave a good performance as Dillon in <i>Predator</i>. Among his best performances were the episodes of <i>Tour of Duty</i> in which he played Colonel Brewster, an officer devoted to doing what is right. Although best known for his work in action movies, Carl Weathers was also capable of playing in comedies. In <i>Happy Gilmore</i> he played Chubbs, the one-handed former pro golfer who becomes Happy's coach. Carl Weathers was a talented actor and certainly a versatile one. <br /><p></p>Terence Towles Canotehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18397088843628331615noreply@blogger.com0