The Late Great Chadwick Boseman

Chadwick Boseman, who played Jackie Robinson in 42 (2013), James Brown in Get On Up (2014), Thurgood Marshall in Marshall (2017), and T'Challa/The Black Panther in Black Panther (2018) and related Marvel Cinematic Universe films, died on August 28 2020 at the age of 43. The cause was stage IV colon cancer.

Chadwick Boseman was born on November 29 1976 in Anderson, South Carolina. It was during his junior year at T. L. Hanna High School that he wrote and staged his first play, Crossroads. He attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and graduated in 2000 with Bachelor of Fine Arts. Among his teachers was Phylicia Rashad, who also served as his mentor. Chadwick Boseman was among the students who had been accepted into the British American Drama Academy's Midsummer program, but could not attend because they couldn't afford it. Phylicia Rashad contacted her friend Denzel Washington, who paid money so that Mr. Boseman and other students could attend the program.

Chadwick Boseman made his television debut in an episode of Third Watch in 2003. In the Naughts he was a regular on the TV shows Lincoln Heights and Persons Unknown. He guest starred on Law & Order, CSI: NY, ER, Cold Case, Lie to Me, and The Glades. He made his film debut in The Express in 2008. He continued work as a playwright. His Deep Azure was performed at the Congo Square Theatre Company in Chicago. He also wrote the plays Rhyme Deferred and Hieroglyphic Graffiti.

In the Teens, Chadwick Boseman guest starred on the TV shows Castle, Detroit 1-8-7, Justified, and Fringe. It was in 2013 that he appeared in his first lead role, playing baseball legend Jackie Robinson in 42. The following year he starred as music legend James Brown in Get On Up (2014). He first appeared as T'Challa in the movie Captain America: Civil War (2016). He reprised the role in Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), and Avengers: Endgame (2019). In 2017 he appeared as Thurgood Marshall in Marshall, which centred around an early case from Thurgood Marshall's career, State of Connecticut v. Joseph Spell. He also appeared in the movies The Kill Hole (2012), Draft Day (2014), Gods of Egypt (2016), Message from the King (2016), 21 Bridges (2019), and Da 5 Bloods (2020). He is set to appear in Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, which will premiere on Netflix.

That Chadwick Boseman was an incredible actor can be seen by his performances in a variety of roles. He was totally convincing as baseball player Jackie Robinson. As soul music legend James Brown his dance moves were virtually the same as the genuine article. He was impressive as lawyer Thurgood Marshall. As to his best known role, T'Challa, King of Wakanda and the superhero known as The Black Panther, it is hard to see anyone else in the role. Chadwick Boseman was also incredibly devoted to his craft. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. In the intervening years he made nine movies. There can be no doubt that many times he was in pain and suffering from chemotherapy.

Chadwick Boseman was not simply an incredible actor, but he was also an incredible human being. He was known for raising awareness and money for children's charities. In 2018 he bought hundreds of movie tickets for underprivileged children in his hometown of Anderson. He continued to visit children in hospitals even as he was dying from a terminal illness. Chadwick Boseman not only played a superhero on screen. He was a superhero in real life too.

A Letter to Vanessa Marquez

It was two years ago today that officers from the South Pasadena Police Department shot my dearest Vanessa Marquez in the back and killed her. For obvious reasons this is an anniversary that is very difficult for me. Vanessa and I were never in a relationship, but we were very, very close friends. She once told me that I was her favourite friend and I considered her my best friend. We were in touch on nearly a daily basis for literally years. For my part, I was and still am in love with her.

Regardless, my feelings for Vanessa make writing a blog post on the anniversary of her death very difficult. I could have foregone writing a blog post on the anniversary of her death entirely, but that simply did not seem right to me. I certainly don't want to address her death as I have done that often on this blog. I have also addressed both Vanessa's career and our friendship at length on this blog before. Given there were things left unsaid between us when she died, it then occurred to me that I could write a letter to Vanessa, even though she might not be able to read it (I have no idea what they have access to in the afterlife). I have to admit that I was hesitant to write such a letter and post it to my blog. Some might think it a bit self-serving. After all, a letter from me to Vanessa would be as much about me as it would Vanessa. I also have to admit that I am a bit uncomfortable addressing my feelings in a public forum. For most of my life I have been a very private person. That having been said, after two years I am still working through my grief over Vanessa's death. A part of grief is regret over things left unsaid, and there was so much more I wanted to tell Vanessa. The second anniversary of her death then seems as good a time as any to write a letter to my beloved Vanessa Marquez.

Dearest Vanessa,

It has been two years since you've died and I wanted to let you know that I am doing fine. I can now make it through most days without breaking down crying and I have learned to enjoy myself again. I am doing much better than I was a year ago and much, much better than I was in the days following your death. That having been said, I still miss you very much. There is a hole in my life where you belong and that hole will never be filled. And there are so many things left that I wanted to tell you.

Indeed, perhaps the greatest regret of my life is that I never told you, "I love you."  I am fairly certain that you knew anyway. Looking back, it was fairly obvious. Let's face it, I doted upon you. I always worried about you when you were sick, to the point that I sometimes went into a blind panic. When someone attacked you, I always defended you. I remember when Twitter suspended your first account, I not only tweeted at Twitter Support, but I filled out a support ticket and eventually I even wrote Jack Dorsey himself. I always told you that you were beautiful, even when you didn't think so yourself. On more than one occasion I told you that you were the most wonderful woman in the world. It really would not surprise me if you knew I was in love with you before I did. The simple fact is that I loved you more than anyone else I have ever known. Still, I should have told you so.
 
Regardless, I told our friend Paula after your death that you were very easy to love. And you certainly were. The only downside to our friendship was the distance between us. I live in Missouri and you lived in Los Angeles County. I'm sure you remember  how often we wound up talking about Los Angeles, both of us being history buffs and classic movie buffs. I'm sure you also remember that as fascinated as I am by the history of Los Angeles, I was a bit intimidated by its sheer size. How could I ever get around if I visited there?  I remember how when you would ease my mind about how big Los Angeles was, you would say, "If you ever move here..."  Once you even said, "When you move here...." Vanessa, I wanted to move there more than anything, just to be near you. I'm sure you remember that we talked a lot about the day I could visit and I would tease you that if I ever got to go to the TCM Classic Film Festival I would drag you along, even if I had to carry you. Since your death I have been to Hollywood and I loved it. I can see why you never wanted to move from Los Angeles County.

Of course, there should be little wonder that I loved you. I know some people might think it was because you were drop dead gorgeous or because you were a famous actress, but it wasn't that at all. It wasn't even because we had so much in common, everything from a love of science fiction to a love of classic movies. It was because you were one of the warmest, sweetest, and gentlest people I have ever known, if not the absolutely warmest, sweetest, and gentlest. One of the first things I learned about you is that when Jaime Escalante had cancer you were relentless in raising money for his medical bills. I remember you volunteered at one of the Pasadena animal shelters. You were always there for your friends, expressing sympathy when something sad happened to them or joy when something happy happened to them.

I know you were always there for me, and I regret that I never thanked you enough for that. I think sometimes you worried over me when I was sick more than my own family.  You were always happy when I had something momentous happen. You watched me when I introduced A Hard Day's Night (1964) with Ben Mankiewicz on TCM as part of their Fan Favourites series, and you made sure to tell me how good I was. When I won the 50 States in 50 Movies contest on TCM Backlot for Missouri you kept asking me what I had won. Sadly, my prize arrived the day you died. It was the TCM Classic Quotes coffee mug for 42nd Street (1933). It is still in the box on a shelf simply because I can't bear to open it. I remember that you called me "cute" and even said that I was "handsome" once. I can't tell you what a beautiful, Hollywood actress telling a fellow that he is "cute" or "handsome" does for his ego, but I appreciated it very much.  You were always very defensive of me. If anyone crossed me, you were always swift to take up for me. I have to thank you for always supporting me.

A lot has happened since you died. I have to think you know that Turner Classic Movies included you in the TCM Remembers for 2018. What is more, they gave you something of a place of honour. It is the most I have ever cried during a TCM Remembers segment. I also have to think you know that there was a campaign to include you in the on-air In Memoriam segment of the Academy Awards ceremony. Ultimately, they didn't, but it showed just how much people love you. The petition for you to be included in the televised In Memoriam segment on the Oscars reached around 9000 signatures.

Since your death you probably realize that the most important event in which I took part was scattering your ashes  at the Hollywood Sign on Mount Lee. I even got up early to do so. It was an incredible honour to be able to take part, and it was in some ways overwhelmingly emotional for me. For the first time in my life I broke down crying in front of people who were not my immediate family.  I am sure you know I am now friends with some of your co-stars from Stand and Deliver (1988). You probably also know that your mother and I have become very close.

I think you also know that last September I went to St. Louis for TCM Backlot's "TCM in Your Hometown" event. They showed Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) at the Tivoli in University City. Before the movie they had a VIP Meet and Greet at the Moonrise Hotel that I attended. You would love the Moonrise Hotel. It is filled with all kinds of sci-fi memorabilia, including items from Star Wars and Space 1999. Anyway, the VIP Meet and Greet was a lot of fun. I got to meet Yacov Freedman of TCM Backlot and we talked for a while. He agrees with me--one can never have enough pinback buttons! After having talked to him on video chat for the Fan Favourites series, I got to meet Ben Mankiewicz in person. Ben is so very nice. He remembered you and he remembered that you and I were close friends. Of course, I also got to meet Margaret O'Brien, who is, along with June Lockhart, the last surviving member of the cast of Meet Me in St. Louis. She is so sweet, very funny, and totally cool. She was delighted when I brought up her guest appearance on Perry Mason. As to Meet Me in St. Louis, you know I have always loved that film and it was incredible on the big screen. Of course, I cried a little given I can't see Judy Garland without thinking of you. Anyway, I am sure you also know that I set up an ofrenda for you on Dia de Muertos last year. I do hope you appreciated it. I plan to set up another one this year.

Since your death I have sometimes heard from your many fans. I sometimes got the impression from you that you thought you would only be remembered for Stand and Deliver, but that certainly isn't the case. The fans who reach out to me want to let me know how sad they are that you're gone and how much they appreciated and admired you. They have cited everything from Stand and Deliver to ER to Twenty Bucks (1993) to Blood In Blood Out (1993). Vanessa, you have fans from all over the world. I heard from one young man in Italy. I was particularly touched by a young lady from Mexico who found out you died through my social media and was very upset by it. She loved the movie Blood In Blood Out.  Dearest one, I always told you that people loved you and you have legions of fans. I learned that to be true ever since you died.

I am sure you are aware that I am still very angry at the way you died and that to this day I cry over you regularly. Despite the grief I have experienced since your death, I have to tell you that I feel lucky to have even known you, let alone to have been as close to you as I was. You were an altogether remarkable woman. It wasn't simply because you were an extremely talented and well known actress. It wasn't even because you were an incredibly beautiful woman blessed with a mellifluous voice. It was because you were blessed with a keen wit, a great sense of humour, and, most of all, a warm and loving heart. I have never known anyone who cared as much for her friends as you did. I have never known anyone who cared as much for me as you did. Despite the vagaries of your life, you were never bitter, and it showed in how you treated other people. You were always sweet, gentle, warm-hearted, and loving. That is the reason I love you and it is the reason I miss you so much. Vanessa, I will never forget you and I will miss you until the day I die.

Yours Always,
Terry

Noir Alley Returns to TCM in September

Like most Turner Classic Movies fans, I love Summer Under the Stars, the month-long block during which each day is devoted to a single star. If I am honest, however, I have to admit that there is one thing I don't like about Summer Under the Stars. For the entire month of August Noir Alley does not air. Of all the programming on TCM, Noir Alley is my favourite.

It is for that reason that I always look forward to the first weekend of September, when Noir Alley returns. What is more, this September looks to be a good one for Noir Alley. That having been said, I do have one caveat. On September 5 2020 the 12:00 AM Eastern/11:00 PM Central airing of Noir Alley is being pre-empted by the TCM End of Summer of Tour. As much as I love The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), I would rather see a film noir in that time slot! I suppose I will have to drag myself out of bed Sunday morning and undergo heavy caffeination or set the DVR.

Regardless, Noir Alley returns on September 6 2020 at the early hour of 9:00 AM Central with Night Editor (1946). I have never seen it, but it is based on an episode ("Inside Story") of the radio show of the same name that ran from 1934 to 1948. Noir Alley is back at 12:00 AM Eastern/11:00 Central on September 12 for Danger Signal (1945), which features Faye Emerson and Zachary Scott. September 19 Noir Alley is airing one of the most famous noirs of all time, Gilda (1946), with Rita Hayworth in her signature role. Finally, on September 26 2020 there's They Won't Believe Me with Robert Young and Susan Hayward.

Like other noiristas I am eager for the return of Noir Alley. In the meantime I will continue watching film noirs on my DVR, on On Demand, and on DVD every Saturday night until it comes back!

The TCM End of Summer Tour

From Friday, September 4 2020 through Sunday, September 6 2020, Turner Classic Movies is airing the TCM End of Summer Tour, a collection of music oriented movies. They are featuring several classic rock documentaries and concert films that I dearly love. The only downside is that Saturday night the TCM End of Summer Tour is pre-empting Noir Alley (fortunately, it will air on Sunday morning--I guess we night owls will have to DVR it).

As I mentioned above, Turner Classic Movies is airing several rock documentaries and concert films that I love. Below are my picks for the TCM End of Summer Tour. All times are Central.

Friday, September 4 2020
11:00 Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970)

Saturday, September 5 2020
7:00 PM The Kids Are Alright (1979)
11:15 PM The Decline of Western Civilization (1981)
1:15 AM The Decline of Western Civilization Part Two: The Metal Years (1988)

Sunday, September 6 2020
7:00 PM The Song Remains the Same (1976)
9:30 PM Jimi Hendrix (1973)

TCM Presents Women Make Film

From September 1 to December 1 2020, every Tuesday Turner Classic Movies is airing the special "Women Make Film." "Women Make Film" centres on female directors and features 100 films made by 100 female filmmakers from 44 different countries and covering 12 decades.

Each night of "Women Make Film" will feature an episode of the documentary Women Make Film directed by Mark Cousins. Women Make Film covers the history of female directors, including Dorothy Arzner, Ida Lupino, Elaine May, Agnès Varda, Kathryn Bigelow, Penelope Spheeris, and yet others.

I would recommend viewers watch as much of "Women in Film" as they can. That having been said, I know that people's time and DVR can be limited, so here are my recommendations for the special. All times are Eastern.

Tuesday, September 1
9:15 PM Merrily We Go to Hell (1932) by Dorothy Arzner
7:15 AM Mädchen in Uniform (1931) by Leontine Sagan

Tuesday, September 8
9:15 PM El Camino (1963) by Ana Mariscal

Tuesday, September 15
9:15 PM Harlan County U.S.A. (1973) by Barbara Kopple
12:00 AM The Virgin Suicides (1999) by Sofia Coppola 

Tuesday, September 22
2:30 AM Daughters of the Dust (1991) by Julie Dash
6:30 AM Mikey and Nicky (1976) by Elaine May

Tuesday, September 29
9:15 AM Middle of Nowhere (2012) by Ava Duvernay

Tuesday, October 6
9:15 PM The Ascent (1977) by Larisa Shepitko

Tuesday, October 13
4:15 AM The Night Porter (1974) by Liliana Cavani
6:30 AM Le Bonheur (1965) by Agnès Varda 

Tuesday, October 20
8:15 AM Children of a Lesser God (1986) by Randa Haines 

Tuesday, October 27
12:15 AM Girlfriends (1978) by Claudia Weill

Tuesday, November 3
9:15 PM Outrage by Ida Lupino

Tuesday, November 10
12:30 AM The Hurt Locker (2008) by Kathryn Bigelow

Tuesday, November 17
9:15 AM Yentl (1983) by Barbara Streisand

Tuesday, November 24 
An Angel at My Table (1990) by Jane Campion

Lori Nelson Passes On

Lori Nelson, who played Rosie Kettle in the "Ma and Pa Kettle" movies, starred in the TV series How to Marry a Millionaire, and starred in Revenge of the Creature (1955), died yesterday, August 23 2020, at the age of 87. She had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the past several years.

Lori Nelson was born Dixie Kay Nelson in Santa Fe, New Mexico on August 15 1933. She made her debut on stage when she was only two years old. She was four years old when her family moved to Encino, California. She was five years old when she was named "Little Miss America." As a teenager she participated in beauty pageants. She won the title of "Miss Encino" when she was 17. After graduating high school, she started a modelling career.

In 1950 she signed a seven year contract with Universal-International. She made her film debut in Bend of the River (1952). Lori Nelson appeared as Rosie Kettle in Ma and Pa Kettle at the Fair (1952) and then Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki (1953). In the Fifties she appeared in the movies Francis Goes to West Point (1952), All I Desire (1953), Walking My Baby Back Home (1953), Tumbleweed (1953), Destry (1954), Underwater! (1955), Revenge of the Creature (1955), Sincerely Yours (1955), I Died a Thousand Times (1955), Day the World Ended (1955), Mohawk (1956), Pardners (1956), Hot Rod Girl (1956), Untamed Youth (1957), and Outlaw's Son (1957). She made her television debut in 1955 in an episode of It's a Great Life. She starred as Greta Hanson in the syndicated sitcom How to Marry a Millionaire. She guest starred on Climax!, The 20th Century Fox Hour, Wanted: Dead or Alive, The Texan, The Millionaire, General Electric Theatre, Sugarfoot, Tales of Wells Fargo, and Lock Up.

In the Sixties Lori Nelson guest starred on Dante, The Tab Hunter Show, Laramie, Bachelor Father, Whispering Smith, and Armstrong Circle Theatre. In 1961 she retired from acting, not long after marrying composer Johnny Mann. Afterwards she acted only sporadically. She guest starred on the TV show Family Affair in 1971 and in the TV movie Secret Sins of the Father in 1994. She reprised her role of Helen Dobson in Revenge of the Creature in the 2005 movie The Naked Monster.

For the most part Lori Nelson played the love interest in various television shows and movies, roles for which she was ideally suited. That having been said, she was capable of other roles. She played a club-footed farmer's daughter in I Died a Thousand Times. In Untamed Youth she played a juvenile delinquent alongside Mamie Van Doren. On the TV series How to Marry a Millionaire, she was the brainy psychology student Greta Hanson. Lori Nelson was always a pleasure to see anytime she appeared in a movie or on a TV show.

Ray Bradbury's 100th Birthday

It was 100 years ago that Ray Bradbury was born in Waukegan, Illinois. This is significant for me as Mr. Bradbury may well be my favourite author of all time. He certainly wrote my favourite novel of all time, Something Wicked This Way Comes. By no means am I alone in my admiration for Ray Bradbury. He would have a lasting influence on fiction and even film and television. He influenced writers from Stephen King to Neil Gaiman.  So great has Ray Bradbury's impact on modern day popular culture been that it would seem immeasurable.

Given Ray Bradbury wrote teleplays as well as short stories and novels, I can't say with any degree of accuracy when I was first exposed to his work. I can say that the first book by Ray Bradbury that I read was The Martian Chronicles. I read it in grade school and I remember that I thoroughly enjoyed it. The next book by Ray Bradbury that I read was Fahrenheit 451. While I had enjoyed The Martian Chronicles, Fahrenheit 451 really impressed me. This was something different from much of the classic science fiction I had read. It was a work of depth, a criticism of the destruction of literature and the undue influence can have on the individual.

As impressed as I was by Fahrenheit 451, I was even more impressed by Something Wicked This Way Comes. It was not simply that the book spoke to me on a personal level, although it certainly did. I grew up on a farm outside a small town, so I could easily identify with the lives of Will Holloway and Jim Nightshade. Indeed, like Will, my father was older when I was born, although I was closer to my father than Will initially was to Charles. Beyond the fact that I could identify with the characters and settings of Something Wicked This Way Comes, there was also my realization that that it was a work of some depth. Certainly at its most basic Something Wicked This Way Comes is a story of the battle between good and evil. At the same time, however, Something Wicked This Way Comes is very much a coming of age story. Will and Jim are about to turn fourteen, and Jim is anxious to become an adult. Something Wicked This Way Comes also touches heavily upon the power of belief, conveying the idea that the power of a person, idea, or thing has over one depends largely on the power you give them. There is so much more to Something Wicked This Way Comes. While it is a short novel, it is also a very sophisticated one, so much so that one can come away with something new every time they read it.

Of course, Ray Bradbury was more of a short story writer than a novelist, and over the years I read many anthologies of his work. Mr. Bradbury's short stories were every bit as great as his novels, and equally as sophisticated. It should also come as no surprise that many of Ray Bradbury's short stories would be influential. His short story "A Sound of Thunder" is largely responsible for the popularization of "the butterfly effect." The story centres on a group of time travellers to the Late Cretaceous period who return to the present only to find it has changed dramatically, all due to one of them unknowingly killing a butterfly. Ray Bradbury's short stories often seem prescient. An example of this is "The Veldt," which deals in part with a virtual reality nursery that can produce any setting a child can think of. "The Burning Man" touches once more upon the struggle between good and evil.

If Ray Bradbury is loved among fans of speculative fiction, it is not simply because he was one of the greatest writers of fantasy, horror, and science fiction to ever live, if not the greatest. Ray Bradbury was also known for his great kindness. While I never met him, I know people who have, and every single one of them speak highly of Mr. Bradbury. He always had time for his fans and he always greeted them as friends.  Ray Bradbury was known to encourage young writers. Comic book writer and author Martin Powell, who was friends with Mr. Bradbury, attributes his career to him. I think I can speak for many fans when I say that Ray Bradbury felt like a beloved uncle, the one who always told you that you were worthy and that you can do anything you set your mind to.

Indeed, above all else Ray Bradbury was a voice for hope. Hope can be seen even in Mr. Bradbury's darkest works, including Fahrenheit 451 and Something This Way Comes. While Mr. Bradbury could portray the darker aspects of human nature, he remained an optimist. Indeed, one of the things that separates Fahrenheit 451 from other works of dystopic fiction is the hope that pervades the novel, even when things seem darkest. While Ray Bradbury knew all too well the darkness that can reside in the human heart, he also remained enthusiastic about life and even humanity. Ray Bradbury never characterized himself as an optimist, but in his work there seems to be the persistent theme that good will defeat evil if only we recognize the good within ourselves.

Ray Bradbury has had an enormous impact on me well beyond the fact that he is my favourite author. I honestly believe that Mr. Bradbury made me a better person. He taught me that it is always better to look to the good in oneself than to give into one's baser instincts. He taught me that even in the darkest of situation there is hope. I think it is very possible that if it were not for the lessons I learned from Ray Bradbury, that I might have given up long ago. I think that might be the most significant thing about Ray Bradbury, that he could save the lives of people that never even met him.