Raymond Chow, the founder of Golden Harvest who was pivotal in the careers of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, died on November 2 2018 at the age of 92.
Raymond Chow was born on October 8 1927 in British Hong Kong. He attended Saint John's University in Shanghai and graduated with a degree in journalism. In 1951 he went to work for the Voice of America's office in Hong Kong. He also worked for The Hong Kong Standard. In 1958 he went to work as a publicist for the Shaw Brothers Studio. It was after he complained about the quality of the Shaw Brothers' movies that studio chief Run Run Shaw invited him to contribute his own ideas on scripts. Eventually Mr. Chow would become the production chief of the Shaw Brothers Studio. It was in 1970 that he left the studio along with fellow Shaw Brothers executive Leonard Ho to found their own studio, Golden Harvest.
In the beginning Golden Harvest had problems competing with the Shaw Brothers. All of this changed after Mr. Chow saw Bruce Lee giving a martial arts demonstration on Hong Kong television. Bruce Lee was known for having played Kato on the American TV series The Green Hornet and having made several guest appearances on American television, as well as appearing in the Hollywood film Marlowe (1969). The Shaw Brothers had offered Bruce Lee a contract, but he would sign a two film deal with Golden Harvest after the studio offered him $15,000 per film, a share in the profits, and a say in the production of the films. Bruce Lee's first film for Golden Harvest, The Big Boss (1971), proved to be an enormous success. Golden Harvest would later make history by co-producing Bruce Lee's film Enter the Dragon (1973) with Hollywood studio Warner Bros., as well as Bruce Lee's own Concord Productions.
Even after Bruce Lee's death, Golden Harvest would continue to be a success with the Hui Brothers' comedies and the films of Jackie Chan. Golden Harvest would also produce the movies The Cannonball Run (1981) and Cannonball Run II (1984), as well as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies of the Nineties. It was in 1997 during a financial crisis in Asia that Golden Harvest started to fail. Raymond Chow retired in 2007 Wu Kebo, who owns the Orange Sky Entertainment Group. Orange Sky and Golden Harvest would be merged in 2009.
Saturday, November 10, 2018
Thursday, November 8, 2018
Mourning Vanessa Marquez
"Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
(Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet)
It has been ten weeks since the worst day of my life. It was on that day that my beloved Vanessa Marquez was killed. My parents had me when they were older, so that while I am only 55 I have already experienced the deaths of many loved ones in my life. My parents, all of my aunts and uncles, many of my cousins, and even one of my best friends has died. None of those deaths caused the amount of grief I have felt in the wake of Vanessa's death. I can speak in cliches about how I felt about Vanessa. I can say that I love her more than anyone else in my life. I can say that she was my best friend, my soulmate, the girl of my dreams, and the love of my life. In the end, however, words are inadequate to describe how I feel about Vanessa. When she died it felt as if part of my soul was torn away, and it still feels as if a part of me is missing.
The night before she died, I had made a post to Instagram stating that as Stand and Deliver (1988) was 30 years old, it was now a classic movie. This naturally meant that Vanessa Marquez was then a classic movie actress. What is more, I named her as my favourite classic movie actress. When I told Vanessa that I had posted my favourite classic movie actress, she guessed it was Ann Blyth. I told her it was another actress who was pretty and petite. She was very happy to learn it was her. She was also surprised, although there was no reason she should have been. It had long been obvious how I felt about her. There was nothing that night to indicate what would follow that next day.
That next day Vanessa was having very bad seizures. She had me contact the paramedics. Someone else, apparently her landlord (about whom the less is said, the better), had called the police. I had to go to our local historical society's museum to work that afternoon. I texted her when I got back. After waiting for a reply I ran a search on the internet. It was about 8:00 PM Central Time that I learned that there had been an incident involving an unnamed 49 year old woman at the address of Vanessa's apartment. My worry gave way to panic. It was a little before 11:00 PM Central Time that I learned from The South Pasadenan that the woman was my Vanessa. I notified some of our mutual friends with the sad news and then posted the news of her death to both Facebook and Twitter. Not only was I in shock, but I was in more emotional pain than I have ever experienced in my life.
I also broke down crying immediately and, although I went to bed, I did not sleep at all that night. I continued crying throughout the night. It was in the early morning that the thought occurred to me that it would simply take an overdose of my blood pressure medication to put an end to my suffering. I dismissed the thought because a) I did not want my friends and family to go through the sort of grief I was experiencing; b.) it occurred to me that I had to remain alive to see that Vanessa received justice and to protect her reputation; and c.) I knew Vanessa would be very angry with me if I took my own life. Please do not worry about me. I never had suicidal thoughts before, I have not had any suicidal thoughts since, and I know I won't ever again, but the fact that I had those thoughts at all is a mark of just how much I was hurting.
I continued crying well into August 31 and would not stop until around 1:00 PM Central Time. In the meantime my Twitter feed had blown up with condolences from many. There were also requests from reporters for interviews and a few loathsome tweets from trolls (all of whom I reported and blocked--apparently one of my tweets made the news sources). I did not respond to the reporters, as in the early morning of August 31 I was still crying so hard that I probably would have been incomprehensible, not to mention I worried that they might figure out the true nature of my relationship with Vanessa. I have always been very jealous of my privacy and I was not yet ready to become known as "the boy who loves Vanessa Marquez" (which I think will be my epithet now and it doesn't bother me at all). It was later in the day that I consented to talk to Amanda Lee Myers of Associated Press as I am familiar with her work and I knew she would be sympathetic. Even then, it was difficult making it through the interview. Several days later I would talk to Daniel Vazquez of The South Pasadenan, who was also very sympathetic.
I didn't eat anything on August 31 and I continued to eat nothing on September 1. I simply had no appetite at all. In fact, I wouldn't eat anything until the evening of September 2. I did get some sleep, but not much. I awakened on both September 1 and September 2 crying. While I would resume eating, I did not sleep well for much of the month of September and it was not unusual for me to have nightmares when I did sleep. I cried every single day, usually multiple times. I don't know how many times I listened to "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones, "Gone Away" by The Offspring, "Don't Go" by Matthew Sweet, and "I Don't Believe in Love" by Queensryche. I talked with our mutual friends. It felt good to talk to people who loved Vanessa and who loved me, and who were the only ones who realised just how important Vanessa was to me.
Another thing that comforted me though the month was that I was able to take part in the memorial for Vanessa held in South Pasadena after a fashion, even though I could not attend. I wrote a short piece about Vanessa for the memorial. I also chose two of the songs performed there: "Over the Rainbow" (it was The Wizard of Oz that made Vanessa decide she wanted to be an actress) and The Beatles' "In My Life" (Vanessa was a Beatles fan and she loved the song--I always identified it with her as well). The cast and crew of Stand and Deliver held a memorial for Vanessa in October at the Los Angeles Theatre Centre, and they requested that the piece I had written for Vanessa be read there too.
Of course, given how Vanessa died I was and still am very angry. I feel as if the woman I love was taken from me due to gross incompetence, criminal irresponsibility, and possibly even malice. I am not alone in believing that what happened to Vanessa was wrong, and there are those of us who are still seeking to get her justice. Until such time as the parties responsible for her death are brought to justice, I will harbour a good deal of anger towards them.
Regardless, I am much better than I was in September. As September became October I stopped crying every single day, although I do still cry on a somewhat regular basis. There are still certain songs to which I cannot listen without breaking down crying, and I know there are certain movies that I probably can't watch without doing so (The Apartment is my second favourite movie of all time, but given I always thought of Vanessa as my Miss Kubelik, I don't know if I am quite ready for it...). Every day I watch Vanessa's videos just to hear her voice, and I talk to her every night before I go to bed, whether she can hear me or not. While I am making it out of my grief and I know that there is one day I will be free of it, I also know that until the day I die I will always miss Vanessa.
I also know that there will never be another woman in my life. I know many will want to tell me that I will find someone else one day, but I know for a fact that this is not true. Vanessa was a singular woman. She was beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, generous, and warm hearted. We had a good deal in common and got along perfectly together. We both knew secrets about each other that no one else knew. She would have been special even if she had never been a star of movies, television, and the stage. I always wanted to move to California to be with her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to marry her. I have had girlfriends in the past, but I can honestly say that Vanessa was the only woman I ever truly loved. There really isn't any woman who could ever compete with her and it would be unfair of me to ask any woman to compete with a ghost. And, to be honest, I am perfectly fine with spending the rest of my life alone. After all, it is not every Missouri farm boy who can say that he fell in love with a beautiful Hollywood actress and had that love returned. Vanessa Rosalia Marquez was and will always be the only girl for me.
I know the coming months won't be easy. Vanessa would have turned 50 next month and I know her birthday will be difficult for me to get through. My birthday this coming March will be difficult to get through as well. In the end, however, while I wish Vanessa had not died, especially not the way she did, and I will always miss her, I am thankful to have had such a special relationship with her. I was closer to Vanessa than I ever had been to anyone in my life, and I will always cherish our time together. And I know that when I die, I will have someone very special waiting for me in the afterlife. While in the end I wish things had gone differently, I think with Vanessa I had an experience that only a very people ever have in life.
(Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet)
It has been ten weeks since the worst day of my life. It was on that day that my beloved Vanessa Marquez was killed. My parents had me when they were older, so that while I am only 55 I have already experienced the deaths of many loved ones in my life. My parents, all of my aunts and uncles, many of my cousins, and even one of my best friends has died. None of those deaths caused the amount of grief I have felt in the wake of Vanessa's death. I can speak in cliches about how I felt about Vanessa. I can say that I love her more than anyone else in my life. I can say that she was my best friend, my soulmate, the girl of my dreams, and the love of my life. In the end, however, words are inadequate to describe how I feel about Vanessa. When she died it felt as if part of my soul was torn away, and it still feels as if a part of me is missing.
The night before she died, I had made a post to Instagram stating that as Stand and Deliver (1988) was 30 years old, it was now a classic movie. This naturally meant that Vanessa Marquez was then a classic movie actress. What is more, I named her as my favourite classic movie actress. When I told Vanessa that I had posted my favourite classic movie actress, she guessed it was Ann Blyth. I told her it was another actress who was pretty and petite. She was very happy to learn it was her. She was also surprised, although there was no reason she should have been. It had long been obvious how I felt about her. There was nothing that night to indicate what would follow that next day.
That next day Vanessa was having very bad seizures. She had me contact the paramedics. Someone else, apparently her landlord (about whom the less is said, the better), had called the police. I had to go to our local historical society's museum to work that afternoon. I texted her when I got back. After waiting for a reply I ran a search on the internet. It was about 8:00 PM Central Time that I learned that there had been an incident involving an unnamed 49 year old woman at the address of Vanessa's apartment. My worry gave way to panic. It was a little before 11:00 PM Central Time that I learned from The South Pasadenan that the woman was my Vanessa. I notified some of our mutual friends with the sad news and then posted the news of her death to both Facebook and Twitter. Not only was I in shock, but I was in more emotional pain than I have ever experienced in my life.
I also broke down crying immediately and, although I went to bed, I did not sleep at all that night. I continued crying throughout the night. It was in the early morning that the thought occurred to me that it would simply take an overdose of my blood pressure medication to put an end to my suffering. I dismissed the thought because a) I did not want my friends and family to go through the sort of grief I was experiencing; b.) it occurred to me that I had to remain alive to see that Vanessa received justice and to protect her reputation; and c.) I knew Vanessa would be very angry with me if I took my own life. Please do not worry about me. I never had suicidal thoughts before, I have not had any suicidal thoughts since, and I know I won't ever again, but the fact that I had those thoughts at all is a mark of just how much I was hurting.
I continued crying well into August 31 and would not stop until around 1:00 PM Central Time. In the meantime my Twitter feed had blown up with condolences from many. There were also requests from reporters for interviews and a few loathsome tweets from trolls (all of whom I reported and blocked--apparently one of my tweets made the news sources). I did not respond to the reporters, as in the early morning of August 31 I was still crying so hard that I probably would have been incomprehensible, not to mention I worried that they might figure out the true nature of my relationship with Vanessa. I have always been very jealous of my privacy and I was not yet ready to become known as "the boy who loves Vanessa Marquez" (which I think will be my epithet now and it doesn't bother me at all). It was later in the day that I consented to talk to Amanda Lee Myers of Associated Press as I am familiar with her work and I knew she would be sympathetic. Even then, it was difficult making it through the interview. Several days later I would talk to Daniel Vazquez of The South Pasadenan, who was also very sympathetic.
I didn't eat anything on August 31 and I continued to eat nothing on September 1. I simply had no appetite at all. In fact, I wouldn't eat anything until the evening of September 2. I did get some sleep, but not much. I awakened on both September 1 and September 2 crying. While I would resume eating, I did not sleep well for much of the month of September and it was not unusual for me to have nightmares when I did sleep. I cried every single day, usually multiple times. I don't know how many times I listened to "Paint It, Black" by The Rolling Stones, "Gone Away" by The Offspring, "Don't Go" by Matthew Sweet, and "I Don't Believe in Love" by Queensryche. I talked with our mutual friends. It felt good to talk to people who loved Vanessa and who loved me, and who were the only ones who realised just how important Vanessa was to me.
Another thing that comforted me though the month was that I was able to take part in the memorial for Vanessa held in South Pasadena after a fashion, even though I could not attend. I wrote a short piece about Vanessa for the memorial. I also chose two of the songs performed there: "Over the Rainbow" (it was The Wizard of Oz that made Vanessa decide she wanted to be an actress) and The Beatles' "In My Life" (Vanessa was a Beatles fan and she loved the song--I always identified it with her as well). The cast and crew of Stand and Deliver held a memorial for Vanessa in October at the Los Angeles Theatre Centre, and they requested that the piece I had written for Vanessa be read there too.
Of course, given how Vanessa died I was and still am very angry. I feel as if the woman I love was taken from me due to gross incompetence, criminal irresponsibility, and possibly even malice. I am not alone in believing that what happened to Vanessa was wrong, and there are those of us who are still seeking to get her justice. Until such time as the parties responsible for her death are brought to justice, I will harbour a good deal of anger towards them.
Regardless, I am much better than I was in September. As September became October I stopped crying every single day, although I do still cry on a somewhat regular basis. There are still certain songs to which I cannot listen without breaking down crying, and I know there are certain movies that I probably can't watch without doing so (The Apartment is my second favourite movie of all time, but given I always thought of Vanessa as my Miss Kubelik, I don't know if I am quite ready for it...). Every day I watch Vanessa's videos just to hear her voice, and I talk to her every night before I go to bed, whether she can hear me or not. While I am making it out of my grief and I know that there is one day I will be free of it, I also know that until the day I die I will always miss Vanessa.
I also know that there will never be another woman in my life. I know many will want to tell me that I will find someone else one day, but I know for a fact that this is not true. Vanessa was a singular woman. She was beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, generous, and warm hearted. We had a good deal in common and got along perfectly together. We both knew secrets about each other that no one else knew. She would have been special even if she had never been a star of movies, television, and the stage. I always wanted to move to California to be with her. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. I wanted to marry her. I have had girlfriends in the past, but I can honestly say that Vanessa was the only woman I ever truly loved. There really isn't any woman who could ever compete with her and it would be unfair of me to ask any woman to compete with a ghost. And, to be honest, I am perfectly fine with spending the rest of my life alone. After all, it is not every Missouri farm boy who can say that he fell in love with a beautiful Hollywood actress and had that love returned. Vanessa Rosalia Marquez was and will always be the only girl for me.
I know the coming months won't be easy. Vanessa would have turned 50 next month and I know her birthday will be difficult for me to get through. My birthday this coming March will be difficult to get through as well. In the end, however, while I wish Vanessa had not died, especially not the way she did, and I will always miss her, I am thankful to have had such a special relationship with her. I was closer to Vanessa than I ever had been to anyone in my life, and I will always cherish our time together. And I know that when I die, I will have someone very special waiting for me in the afterlife. While in the end I wish things had gone differently, I think with Vanessa I had an experience that only a very people ever have in life.
Tuesday, November 6, 2018
The 50th Anniversary of The Monkees' Movie Head
It was 50 years ago that Head (1968), best known as the only feature film to star The Monkees, premiered in New York City. Its premiere was only around two months after the last episode of the TV shows The Monkees had aired on NBC. While the show had only been a moderate success in the Nielsen ratings, the band created for that show, also called The Monkees, had proven to be an enormous success on the record charts, with four number one albums and three number one singles to their credit. Unfortunately, Head would see the beginning of a slow decline for the band. The film would bomb at the box office, while the soundtrack album would peak at only no. 45 on the Billboard albums chart. Despite its lack of initial success, Head has since become a cult film and is highly regarded even by those Monkees fans who might not have understood it upon first seeing it.
Like the TV show The Monkees itself, Head originated with director and producer Bob Rafelson. According to Mr. Rafelson's daughter Gabrielle in an article in The Guardian published in 2011, with the film he wanted to tell about The Monkees' "...manipulation, protest and substantial talents. He felt the true story, in abstract [form], would be more than worth the telling." Bob Rafelson introduced The Monkees to one of his friends, actor and screenwriter Jack Nicholson. It was in late 1967 that Bob Rafelson, Jack Nicholson, and The Monkees met at a hotel in Ojai Valley, California to brainstorm the movie, reportedly with assistance from a good deal of marijuana. A tape recorder was kept running the whole time and Jack Nicholson used the resultant tapes to write the screenplay. Bob Rafelson later claimed he developed the film's structure while on LSD.
Given the fact that they had taken part in the brainstorming session for the movie that would come to be called Head, The Monkees were none too happy when they learned they would not be given screenwriting credit. Led by Michael Nesmith, The Monkees except for Peter Tork, staged a walk-out on the first day of shooting. Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, and Davy Jones returned only after an agreement was struck to pay The Monkees more money. Unfortunately, the damage was already done to the relationship between The Monkees and Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. After Head, The Monkees would never work with the man who created the show on which they had starred again.
Head would go through various titles before its premiere on November 6 1968. One of its working titles during production was Changes. For a preview screening in Los Angeles in August, it was simply called Movee Untitled. It was ultimately titled Head partially as a drug reference and partially so Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider's next production could be advertised as coming "..from the guys who gave you Head."Of course, their next production would be Easy Rider (1969).
Unfortunately there would be signs that Head would not go over well even before its premiere. The aforementioned preview in Los Angeles in August 1968 proved to be disastrous. After the preview screening the film was edited down from its original 118 minutes to 86 minutes. The film's initial promotional campaign probably did not help matters. Posters simply featured a head shot of then multimedia artist John Brockman (later a literary agent) with the title of the film. After Head moved from limited release in New York City to wide release across the nation, Columbia Pictures would retain the "John Brockman" campaign while launching a more traditional campaign that sought to capitalise on The Monkees as the stars of the movie.
Upon its initial release Head received definitely mixed reviews. Renta Adler of The New York Times gave the film a somewhat negative review, writing that it "..might be a film to see if you have been smoking grass or if you like to scream at The Monkees, or if you are interested in what interests drifting heads and hysteric high school girls." The Motion Picture Herald gave the film a much more positive review, stating, "The humour, format and comment of Head make it attractive, entertaining and welcome." The review in Daily Variety fell somewhat between these two extremes. In the end, critics came to no real consensus with regards to Head, with some liking the film, some disliking the film, and some simply indifferent towards it.
While critics gave the film mixed reviews, audiences simply avoided Head. Ultimately it only made about $16,000 at the box office, far short of its admittedly meagre $790,000 budget. Much of the problem with Head might have been the fact that the movie was made to appeal to the counterculture, who largely considered The Monkees personae non gratae. At a screening in Greenwich Village, many in the audience walked out of the film the moment The Monkees appeared on screen. At the same time Head probably did not appeal to The Monkees' core audience, who at that time consisted primarily of teenagers and children.
Indeed, in some respects Head was a far cry from the TV show The Monkees. The film touched upon much darker material than the sitcom ever had, including war and the downsides of celebrity. To a large degree Head even deconstructed The Monkees themselves. At the same time, however, Head is not as far removed from the TV show The Monkees as some people have claimed over the years. It shared with the series the same freewheeling, often surreal humour and parodies of such established genres as war movies and Westerns. In between various sequences would be what could only be described as Monkees romps (such as "Can You Dig It" performed in a harem).
Indeed, music is as important a part of Head as it was the TV series. The film featured songs by The Monkees themselves ("Circle Sky" by Michael Nesmith and "Can You Dig It?" and "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?" by Peter Tork), Carole King (who co-wrote "Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)" with Gerry Goffin and "As We Go Along" with Toni Stein), and Harry Nilsson ("Daddy's Song"). Interestingly enough, the Head soundtrack would be the only album to feature no songs by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote the bulk of The Monkees' hits.
Despite the failure of Head at the box office and its mixed reception from critics in 1968, the film has since developed a cult following. It made its television debut on The CBS Late Movie on December 30 1974 and has since been shown on many other television outlets, including Turner Classic Movies. Among the many fans of Head are directors Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino. And while many Monkees fans in 1968 may have been puzzled by Head, today it is loved by many Monkees fans. Head may have flopped in 1968, but it has since become a success.
Like the TV show The Monkees itself, Head originated with director and producer Bob Rafelson. According to Mr. Rafelson's daughter Gabrielle in an article in The Guardian published in 2011, with the film he wanted to tell about The Monkees' "...manipulation, protest and substantial talents. He felt the true story, in abstract [form], would be more than worth the telling." Bob Rafelson introduced The Monkees to one of his friends, actor and screenwriter Jack Nicholson. It was in late 1967 that Bob Rafelson, Jack Nicholson, and The Monkees met at a hotel in Ojai Valley, California to brainstorm the movie, reportedly with assistance from a good deal of marijuana. A tape recorder was kept running the whole time and Jack Nicholson used the resultant tapes to write the screenplay. Bob Rafelson later claimed he developed the film's structure while on LSD.
Given the fact that they had taken part in the brainstorming session for the movie that would come to be called Head, The Monkees were none too happy when they learned they would not be given screenwriting credit. Led by Michael Nesmith, The Monkees except for Peter Tork, staged a walk-out on the first day of shooting. Michael Nesmith, Mickey Dolenz, and Davy Jones returned only after an agreement was struck to pay The Monkees more money. Unfortunately, the damage was already done to the relationship between The Monkees and Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider. After Head, The Monkees would never work with the man who created the show on which they had starred again.
Head would go through various titles before its premiere on November 6 1968. One of its working titles during production was Changes. For a preview screening in Los Angeles in August, it was simply called Movee Untitled. It was ultimately titled Head partially as a drug reference and partially so Bob Rafelson and Bert Schneider's next production could be advertised as coming "..from the guys who gave you Head."Of course, their next production would be Easy Rider (1969).
Unfortunately there would be signs that Head would not go over well even before its premiere. The aforementioned preview in Los Angeles in August 1968 proved to be disastrous. After the preview screening the film was edited down from its original 118 minutes to 86 minutes. The film's initial promotional campaign probably did not help matters. Posters simply featured a head shot of then multimedia artist John Brockman (later a literary agent) with the title of the film. After Head moved from limited release in New York City to wide release across the nation, Columbia Pictures would retain the "John Brockman" campaign while launching a more traditional campaign that sought to capitalise on The Monkees as the stars of the movie.
Upon its initial release Head received definitely mixed reviews. Renta Adler of The New York Times gave the film a somewhat negative review, writing that it "..might be a film to see if you have been smoking grass or if you like to scream at The Monkees, or if you are interested in what interests drifting heads and hysteric high school girls." The Motion Picture Herald gave the film a much more positive review, stating, "The humour, format and comment of Head make it attractive, entertaining and welcome." The review in Daily Variety fell somewhat between these two extremes. In the end, critics came to no real consensus with regards to Head, with some liking the film, some disliking the film, and some simply indifferent towards it.
While critics gave the film mixed reviews, audiences simply avoided Head. Ultimately it only made about $16,000 at the box office, far short of its admittedly meagre $790,000 budget. Much of the problem with Head might have been the fact that the movie was made to appeal to the counterculture, who largely considered The Monkees personae non gratae. At a screening in Greenwich Village, many in the audience walked out of the film the moment The Monkees appeared on screen. At the same time Head probably did not appeal to The Monkees' core audience, who at that time consisted primarily of teenagers and children.
Indeed, in some respects Head was a far cry from the TV show The Monkees. The film touched upon much darker material than the sitcom ever had, including war and the downsides of celebrity. To a large degree Head even deconstructed The Monkees themselves. At the same time, however, Head is not as far removed from the TV show The Monkees as some people have claimed over the years. It shared with the series the same freewheeling, often surreal humour and parodies of such established genres as war movies and Westerns. In between various sequences would be what could only be described as Monkees romps (such as "Can You Dig It" performed in a harem).
Indeed, music is as important a part of Head as it was the TV series. The film featured songs by The Monkees themselves ("Circle Sky" by Michael Nesmith and "Can You Dig It?" and "Long Title: Do I Have to Do This All Over Again?" by Peter Tork), Carole King (who co-wrote "Porpoise Song (Theme from Head)" with Gerry Goffin and "As We Go Along" with Toni Stein), and Harry Nilsson ("Daddy's Song"). Interestingly enough, the Head soundtrack would be the only album to feature no songs by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, who wrote the bulk of The Monkees' hits.
Despite the failure of Head at the box office and its mixed reception from critics in 1968, the film has since developed a cult following. It made its television debut on The CBS Late Movie on December 30 1974 and has since been shown on many other television outlets, including Turner Classic Movies. Among the many fans of Head are directors Edgar Wright and Quentin Tarantino. And while many Monkees fans in 1968 may have been puzzled by Head, today it is loved by many Monkees fans. Head may have flopped in 1968, but it has since become a success.
Saturday, November 3, 2018
The Late Great James Karen
Character actor James Karen was not exactly a household name, but anyone who had ever watched a few American TV shows or movies would immediately recognise his face. He was one of the most prolific and talented character actors of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, with a career that spanned seventy years and included stints in film, television, and on Broadway. For the classic film community he was something even more than a great character actor. Mr. Karen had been a close personal friend of the great Buster Keaton and had a wealth of memories about the legendary actor and director. Despite his talent, his many credits, and his friendship with Mr. Keaton, James Karen was wholly unassuming. If one did not already know it, he or she might not realise that James Karen was a famous character actor. He was a kind and generous man who called many in the classic film community friends. For his thoughtfulness and his kindness he was among most the most beloved figures in the classic film community. Sadly, James Karen died on October 23 at the age of 94.
James Karen was born Jacob Karnofsky on November 28 1923 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Russian born Jewish immigrants. His father never learned to read, so the elder Mr. Karnofsky took young Jacob to silent movies to read the titles for him. As a youth, he was walking home from Union Street School, past the Little Theatre, when he was stopped by Congressman Daniel J. Flood, who was an amateur actor, who asked if he was a Boy Scout. Young Jacob said that he was and Congressman Flood gave him a part in a comedy playing at the theatre. He enjoyed the experience so much that he stayed with the theatre for quite some time and decided to pursue acting as a career.
In 1940 he left home for New York City to pursue a career in acting. It was at that point that he adopted the stage name "James Karen". He studied under acting teacher Sanford Meisner and appeared at the Neighbourhood Theatre there. Upon the United States' entry into World War II in 1941 he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. For part of the war he served as a cryptographer in Alaska. Following the war he returned to New York to return to acting. He was at the Actors Studio for a time and was Karl Malden's understudy in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He made his debut on the Broadway stage in 1948 in Six O'Clock Theatre. From 1950 to 1951 he appeared on Broadway in An Enemy of the People. He made his television debut in an episode of The Philco Television Playhouse.
In the Fifties James Karen appeared on Broadway in An Enemy of the People and Third Best Sport. He guest starred on Lux Video Theatre. It was in 1956 that James Karen met Buster Keaton. He worked with Mr. Keaton in touring productions of the comedy Merton of the Movies.
In the Sixties he made his film debut in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965). He appeared in the films Hercules in New York (1970) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970). He guest starred on the shows Car 54, Where Are You?; The Defenders; and Directions. He had stints on the soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children. He appeared on Broadway in A Cook for Mr. General, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Tiny Alice, Cactus Flower, The Birthday Party, The Only Game in Town, and The Engagement Baby. In 1965 he appeared alongside his friend Buster Keaton in the short simply titled "Film".
In the Seventies he appeared in the TV mini-series Blind Ambition. He had a recurring role on the show Eight is Enough. He guest starred on the shows The Invisible Man, Starsky and Hutch, The Waltons, The Streets of San Francisco, The Bionic Woman, Hawaii Five-O, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, Executive Suite, Serpico, Delvecchio, The Blue Knight, The Kallikaks, Rafferty, Family, Lucan, Lou Grant, One Day at a Time, and The Rockford Files. He appeared in the movies Rivals (1972), Amazing Grace (1974), All the President's Men (1976), Capricorn One (1977), Opening Night (1977), F.I.S.T. (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), and The Jazz Singer (1990). On Broadway he appeared in The Country Girl and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He was a standby for the role of George in a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
In the Eighties Mr. Karen had a regular role on the TV show The Powers of Matthew Star. He guest starred on such shows as The Jeffersons, Knots Landing, Dallas, M*A*S*H, Quincy M.E., Simon & Simon, Trapper John M.D., Hardcastle and McCormick, Family Ties, The Paper Chase, Dynasty, Cheers, Moonlighting, 227, Melba, Amazing Stories, Magnum P.I., Sledge Hammer!, The Golden Girls, MacGyver, Murphy Brown, Highway to Heaven, and Charles in Charge. He appeared in such films as Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Poltergeist (1982), Time Walker (1982), Frances (1982), Sam's Son (1984), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Jagged Edge (1985), Invaders from Mars (1986), Wall Street (1987), Return of the Living Dead: Part II (1988), and The Closer (1990). He appeared in the short "The Roommate".
In the Nineties James Karen had a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show and a regular role on Ned and Stacey. He guest starred on such TV shows as Matlock, L. A. Law, Designing Women, Coach, Melrose Place, Hearts Afire, The Commish, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Seinfeld, and The Practice. He appeared in such films as The Unborn (1991), Stone Soup (1993), Congo (1995), Piranha (1995), Nixon (1995), Behind Enemy Lines (1997), Joyride (1997), Girl (1998), Fly Boy (1999), and Thirteen Days (2000). He appeared in the short Tick, Tick, Tick (2000).
In the Naughts Mr. Karen had a regular role on the TV show First Monday. He guest starred on the shows The Nightmare Room, JAG, Judging Amy, Unscripted, and Cold Case. He appeared in such films as Mulholland Dr. (2001), Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy (2006), The Pursuit of Happyness (2007), Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007), Dark and Stormy Night (2009), Jack and the Beanstalk (2009), and Sympathy for Delicious (2010). He appeared in the shorts "Jane Bond", "Flickering Blue", "Office Court", and "Heart Medicine".
In the Teens James Karen appeared in the films The Butterfly Room (2012), Dark Canyon (2012), America's Most Haunted (2013), Rain from Stars (2013), Bender (2016), Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk (2017), and Cynthia (2018). He appeared in the shorts "Pride" (2011) and "Humanity" (2016). He was a guest voice on the animated TV series The Cleveland Show and American Dad!.
In the Northereastern United States, Mr. Karen appeared in commercials for Pathmark supermarkets for nearly three decades. He was known by many in New England as "the Pathmark Man” or “Mr. Pathmark".
James Karen was certainly a prolific actor. He appeared in a large number of TV shows and movies over the years, as well as making several appearances on Broadway. He was also certainly versatile. He was best known for playing authority figures, both good and evil, but he could play other roles as well. Indeed, among his best known movie roles was that of smarmy real estate agent Mr. Teague in Poltergeist and doomed medical warehouse manager Frank in Return of the Living Dead. Over the years he played doctors on shows ranging from Family to Quincy M.E. His roles over the years ranged from judges to lawyers to politicians to clergy. Quite simply, James Karen could play anything.
I never had the honour of meeting James Karen, but for me he was most definitely a friend of friends. He regularly attended both the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and the Buster Keaton Celebration in Iola, Kansas. Many of my fellow film buffs knew him and counted him as a dear friend. In many ways, James Karen seemed less to me like a famous character actor than a beloved uncle of many of my friends whom I had never met. He was friendly, cheerful, warm-hearted, and kind. He had a great sense of humour and was always eager to share his memories of the great Buster Keaton. If James Karen ever met a fellow classic film fan he didn't like, I never heard of it. James Karen was more than a great character actor to members of the classic film community. He was a beloved friend, a wealth of memories, and a true gentleman.
James Karen was born Jacob Karnofsky on November 28 1923 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Russian born Jewish immigrants. His father never learned to read, so the elder Mr. Karnofsky took young Jacob to silent movies to read the titles for him. As a youth, he was walking home from Union Street School, past the Little Theatre, when he was stopped by Congressman Daniel J. Flood, who was an amateur actor, who asked if he was a Boy Scout. Young Jacob said that he was and Congressman Flood gave him a part in a comedy playing at the theatre. He enjoyed the experience so much that he stayed with the theatre for quite some time and decided to pursue acting as a career.
In 1940 he left home for New York City to pursue a career in acting. It was at that point that he adopted the stage name "James Karen". He studied under acting teacher Sanford Meisner and appeared at the Neighbourhood Theatre there. Upon the United States' entry into World War II in 1941 he enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces. For part of the war he served as a cryptographer in Alaska. Following the war he returned to New York to return to acting. He was at the Actors Studio for a time and was Karl Malden's understudy in the original Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. He made his debut on the Broadway stage in 1948 in Six O'Clock Theatre. From 1950 to 1951 he appeared on Broadway in An Enemy of the People. He made his television debut in an episode of The Philco Television Playhouse.
In the Fifties James Karen appeared on Broadway in An Enemy of the People and Third Best Sport. He guest starred on Lux Video Theatre. It was in 1956 that James Karen met Buster Keaton. He worked with Mr. Keaton in touring productions of the comedy Merton of the Movies.
In the Sixties he made his film debut in Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965). He appeared in the films Hercules in New York (1970) and I Never Sang for My Father (1970). He guest starred on the shows Car 54, Where Are You?; The Defenders; and Directions. He had stints on the soap operas As the World Turns and All My Children. He appeared on Broadway in A Cook for Mr. General, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Tiny Alice, Cactus Flower, The Birthday Party, The Only Game in Town, and The Engagement Baby. In 1965 he appeared alongside his friend Buster Keaton in the short simply titled "Film".
In the Seventies he appeared in the TV mini-series Blind Ambition. He had a recurring role on the show Eight is Enough. He guest starred on the shows The Invisible Man, Starsky and Hutch, The Waltons, The Streets of San Francisco, The Bionic Woman, Hawaii Five-O, McMillan & Wife, Police Woman, Executive Suite, Serpico, Delvecchio, The Blue Knight, The Kallikaks, Rafferty, Family, Lucan, Lou Grant, One Day at a Time, and The Rockford Files. He appeared in the movies Rivals (1972), Amazing Grace (1974), All the President's Men (1976), Capricorn One (1977), Opening Night (1977), F.I.S.T. (1978), The China Syndrome (1979), and The Jazz Singer (1990). On Broadway he appeared in The Country Girl and A Moon for the Misbegotten. He was a standby for the role of George in a revival of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?.
In the Eighties Mr. Karen had a regular role on the TV show The Powers of Matthew Star. He guest starred on such shows as The Jeffersons, Knots Landing, Dallas, M*A*S*H, Quincy M.E., Simon & Simon, Trapper John M.D., Hardcastle and McCormick, Family Ties, The Paper Chase, Dynasty, Cheers, Moonlighting, 227, Melba, Amazing Stories, Magnum P.I., Sledge Hammer!, The Golden Girls, MacGyver, Murphy Brown, Highway to Heaven, and Charles in Charge. He appeared in such films as Take This Job and Shove It (1981), Poltergeist (1982), Time Walker (1982), Frances (1982), Sam's Son (1984), The Return of the Living Dead (1985), Jagged Edge (1985), Invaders from Mars (1986), Wall Street (1987), Return of the Living Dead: Part II (1988), and The Closer (1990). He appeared in the short "The Roommate".
In the Nineties James Karen had a recurring role on The Larry Sanders Show and a regular role on Ned and Stacey. He guest starred on such TV shows as Matlock, L. A. Law, Designing Women, Coach, Melrose Place, Hearts Afire, The Commish, Touched by an Angel, Dark Skies, Seinfeld, and The Practice. He appeared in such films as The Unborn (1991), Stone Soup (1993), Congo (1995), Piranha (1995), Nixon (1995), Behind Enemy Lines (1997), Joyride (1997), Girl (1998), Fly Boy (1999), and Thirteen Days (2000). He appeared in the short Tick, Tick, Tick (2000).
In the Naughts Mr. Karen had a regular role on the TV show First Monday. He guest starred on the shows The Nightmare Room, JAG, Judging Amy, Unscripted, and Cold Case. He appeared in such films as Mulholland Dr. (2001), Outlaw Trail: The Treasure of Butch Cassidy (2006), The Pursuit of Happyness (2007), Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007), Dark and Stormy Night (2009), Jack and the Beanstalk (2009), and Sympathy for Delicious (2010). He appeared in the shorts "Jane Bond", "Flickering Blue", "Office Court", and "Heart Medicine".
In the Teens James Karen appeared in the films The Butterfly Room (2012), Dark Canyon (2012), America's Most Haunted (2013), Rain from Stars (2013), Bender (2016), Confessions of a Teenage Jesus Jerk (2017), and Cynthia (2018). He appeared in the shorts "Pride" (2011) and "Humanity" (2016). He was a guest voice on the animated TV series The Cleveland Show and American Dad!.
In the Northereastern United States, Mr. Karen appeared in commercials for Pathmark supermarkets for nearly three decades. He was known by many in New England as "the Pathmark Man” or “Mr. Pathmark".
James Karen was certainly a prolific actor. He appeared in a large number of TV shows and movies over the years, as well as making several appearances on Broadway. He was also certainly versatile. He was best known for playing authority figures, both good and evil, but he could play other roles as well. Indeed, among his best known movie roles was that of smarmy real estate agent Mr. Teague in Poltergeist and doomed medical warehouse manager Frank in Return of the Living Dead. Over the years he played doctors on shows ranging from Family to Quincy M.E. His roles over the years ranged from judges to lawyers to politicians to clergy. Quite simply, James Karen could play anything.
I never had the honour of meeting James Karen, but for me he was most definitely a friend of friends. He regularly attended both the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival in Hollywood and the Buster Keaton Celebration in Iola, Kansas. Many of my fellow film buffs knew him and counted him as a dear friend. In many ways, James Karen seemed less to me like a famous character actor than a beloved uncle of many of my friends whom I had never met. He was friendly, cheerful, warm-hearted, and kind. He had a great sense of humour and was always eager to share his memories of the great Buster Keaton. If James Karen ever met a fellow classic film fan he didn't like, I never heard of it. James Karen was more than a great character actor to members of the classic film community. He was a beloved friend, a wealth of memories, and a true gentleman.
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Happy Halloween 2018
When people think of Halloween, they naturally think of trick or treating and the candy that comes with that activity. Here at A Shroud of Thoughts the chosen treat is a bit of cheesecake. Here, then, is this year's batch of classic Halloween pinups.
Next up is Lillian Wells, who is relaxing a bale of hay!
Here is Nan Grey relaxing beside a jack o' lantern!
And it wouldn't be Halloween without Ann Miller!
First up is model WWI era model Dusty Anderson, who is the cat's meow!
Next up is Lillian Wells, who is relaxing a bale of hay!
Here is Nan Grey relaxing beside a jack o' lantern!
Eleanor Todd has her broom ready!
Clara Bow and a giant jack o' lantern!
Happy Halloween!
Tuesday, October 30, 2018
The 80th Anniversary of The Mercury Theatre on Air's War of the Worlds Broadcast
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The Daily News, one of the news outlets that exaggerated the panic. |
Ten years ago I wrote a blog post on the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of "The War of the Worlds". Rather than revisit something I have already written about, I will then direct you to my post from 2008. You can read it here.
Monday, October 29, 2018
A Few Vintage Halloween Candy Ads
Halloween was brought to the United States by Scottish immigrants in the 19th Century. By the 1880s and 1890s the holiday had begun to go mainstream, with Halloween parties held across the country. Even in the early days sweets were a part of the celebration, although they were home-made rather than candy manufactured en masse. Trick or treating originated in Canada in the 1920s and would gradually spread throughout the United States during the 1930s. It would not take long before candy manufacturers started taking advantage of Halloween in general and the new custom of trick or treating in specific. Here are a few vintage candy ads that capitalised on the American celebration of Halloween.
A Baby Ruth trade ad from 1947 portraying a Halloween party.
A Milky Way ad from 1954, complete with a trick or treat bag.
A Curtiss ad from 1962.
A Ludens trade ad from 1970.
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