The Best Posts of June 2023-June 2024

Tomorrow is the 20th anniversary of A Shroud of Thoughts. Now on anniversaries I usually post the best posts from the past year, but since the 20th is a special anniversary, I thought that tomorrow I would post the best posts of the past 20 years. I will then post the best posts from this past year on today. Without further ado, then, here are the best posts from June 4 2023 to June 3 2024.

"The 80th Anniversary of the Zoot Suit Riots", June 8 2023

"The 90th Anniversary of Popeye Cartoons" July 14 2023

"The 30th Anniversary of the TV Show Culture Clash" July 31 2023

"The 30th Anniversary of Father Hood (1993)" August 27 2023

"The 5th Anniversary of the Death of Vanessa Marquez", August 30 2023

"The 50th Anniversary of Star Trek: The Animated Series", September 8 2023

"Local Hero (1983)" September 23 2024

"The 60th Anniversary of My Favorite Martian" September 29 2023

"The 60th Anniversary of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World (1963)" November 7 2023

"The Devil Rides Out (1968)" December 1 2023

"The 40th Anniversary of A Christmas Story (1983)" December 17 2023

"The 55th Birthday of My Dearest Vanessa Marquez" December 21 2023

"The 65th Anniversary of Rawhide" January 9 2024

"The 50th Anniversary of Happy Days" January 15 2024

"The 30th Anniversary of State of Emergency (1993)" February 12 2024

"Nurses, 'The One After the Earthquake'" March 21 2024

"The Golden Spiders: A Nero Wolfe Mystery" March 28 2024

"The 100th Anniversary of Sherlock Jr." April 24 2024

Turner Classic Movies Observes the 80th Anniversary of D-Day

The Longest Day

On June 6 2024 Turner Classic Movies will observe the 80th anniversary of D-Day with twelve movies related to the day. It was on June 6 1944 that Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France as part of a coordinated attack against Nazi Germany. What was the largest invasion by sea of all time would ultimately result in the defeat of Nazi Germany on May 8 1945 (known as Victory in Europe or VE Day).

The movies TCM is showing for the 80th anniversary of D-Day range from the documentaries George Stevens: A Filmmaker’s Journey (1984) and George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin (1994) to the epic The Longest Day (1962). There are fairly straight-forward war movies, such as Saving Private Ryan (1998), the dark comedy The Americanization of Emily (1964) and thrillers such as I See a Dark Stranger (1946). Over the years movies related to D-Day have been made in several different genres.

Below is the schedule of the movies TCM is showing for the 80th anniversary of D-Day. All times are Central.

Thursday, June 6 2024:

5:15 AM Code Name: Emerrald (1985)
7:00 AM The Americanization of Emily (1964)
9:00 AM George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)
11:00 AM 36 Hours (1964)
1:00 PM Red Ball Express (1952)
2:30 PM D-Day the Sixth of June (1956)
4:30 PM George Stevens: D-Day to Berlin (1994)
5:30 PM Overlord (1975)
7:00 PM Saving Private Ryan (1998)
10:00 PM The Longest Day (1962)

Friday, June 7 2024:

1:15 AM Eye of the Needle (1981)
3:15 AM I See a Dark Stranger (1946)

Why Streaming Services Should Group Movies By Decades

Nearly every streaming service groups TV shows and movies by genre. Paramount+ even has what they call Collections, which group movies and TV shows belonging to a specific franchise (for example, Star Trek) or which share a common theme (for example, "Leading Ladies"). Unfortunately, I can't think of a single streaming service that sorts TV shows and moves by decades, not even the Watch TCM app. Nearly all of them have "Classics" among their genres, but "Classics" often include everything from silent movies from the Twenties to comedies from the Naughts. At any rate, I think streaming services should sort TV shows and movies by decade.

The reason this is important to me is that there are times when I don't know what I want to watch outside of that I want to watch something from a particularly decade. Indeed, it is no secret that I love comedies from the Sixties and more often than not I will look for them on streaming services. The problem is that they are sometimes hard to find. A perfect example of this is Tubi. I have watched a ton of Sixties comedies on Tubi, and yet Sixties comedies are almost never recommended to me. I often find myself having to trudge through "Comedies" or "Classics" to find them. If Tubi sorted TV shows or movies by decade, it would make things much easier. I could simply click on "1960s" and I would be ready to go.

I have to think that I am not the only person who would like to be able to browse TV shows and movies on streaming services by decade. I know my classic movie friends would certainly like to. There are those who prefer Pre-Code movies. There are those who prefer movies made in the Forties. It would be easier for them if they could simply view movies from these decades all together. I doubt any streaming services will implement anything like this soon, but it would make me very happy if they did.

Elizabeth MacRae Passes On

Elizabeth MacRae, perhaps best known for playing Gomer Pyle's girlfriend Lou-Ann Povie on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., died on May 27 2024 at the age of 88. She also made frequent guest appearances on television in the Sixties and Seventies.

Elizabeth MacRae was born on February 22 1936 in Columbia, South Carolina. She grew up in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Growing up she was fascinated by movies and movie stars such as Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor. She attended the college-prep school Holton-Arms in Washington, DC. After graduating from the school, she went to Atlanta, Georgia to audition for the title role in Saint Joan (1957). She did not get the part, but she received encouragement from director Otto Preminger. Miss MacRae then moved to New York City where she studied under  Uta Hagen at the Herbert Berghof Studio. During this time she appeared in off-Broadway and summer stock productions. She also studied drawing and painting at the Art Students League in Manhattan.

Elizabeth MacRae made her television debut in an episode of TV show The Verdict is Yours.In the late Fifties she guest starred on the shows Rendezvous and Naked City. In 1961 ahe made her film debut in Love in a Goldfish Bowl. During the Sixties she appeared in the films Everything's Ducky (1961), The Wild Westerners (1961), Wild is My Love (1963), and For Love or Money (1963). She was the voice of Ladyfish in the movie The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1963). On television she appeared in four episodes of Gunsmoke as April Clomley, the girlfriend of Deputy Festus Hagen. Later in the Sixties she had the recurring role of Gomer's girlfriend Lou-Ann on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Still later she appeared in the role of Meg Bentley on the soap opera General Hospital. She guest starred on the shows Harrigan and Son, Maverick, The Asphalt Jungle, Surfside 6, 77 Sunset Strip, Dr. Kildare, Hawaiian Eye, The Untouchables, Sam Benedict, Stoney Burke, Death Valley Days, Burke's Law, Route 66, Rawhide, The Fugitive, The Virginian, I Dream of Jeannie, The Andy Griffith Show, Bonanza, and Judd for the Defense.

In the Seventies Miss MacRae appeared as Phyllis Anderson on the day time soap opera Days of Our Lives and as Gertrude Beaudine on the daytime soap opera Another World. She guest starred on the shows Mannix, Petrocelli, Kojak, Barnaby Jones, and Rhoda. She appeared in the movies The Conversation (1974) and The House of the Dead (1978). In the Eighties she had recurring roles on the soap operas The Guiding Light, Search for Tomorrow, and Another World. She made her last on-screen appearance in the movie Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1989).

Following her acting career, Elizabeth MacRae was a  a drug and alcohol counsellor with the Freedom Institute in New York. She later returned to North Carolina.

Chances are good that Elizabeth MacRae will always be best remembered as Lou-Ann  on Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. and, to a lesser degree, April on Gunsmoke. While Elizabeth MacRae excelled at playing sweet, but somewhat naive girls, she could play many more roles. Indeed, in The Conversation she played a role about as far from Lou-Ann or April as one can get. Meredith was a somewhat duplicitous seductress In the Fugitive episode "Dark Corner" she played Clara Braydon, whose blind sister Mattie (Tuesday Weld) is somewhat mentally disturbed (to put it mildly). In the Kojak episode "Secret Snow, Deadly Poison," she played Robin, a woman who has cheated on her husband and due to plastic surgery looks much younger than she really is. Elizabeth MacRae was great at playing sweet, good-natured women, but as an actor she had such depth that she could play some very complicated, sometimes none too nice characters. Quite simply, she was a great talent.

The Late Great Richard M. Sherman

Robert & Richard M. Sherman

Richard M. Sherman, who with his older brother Robert Sherman, wrote songs for movies ranging from Mary Poppins (1964) to The Tigger Movie (2000), died on May 25 2024 at the age of 95. The Sherman Brothers wrote more songs for musicals than any other composers in history.

Richard M. Sherman was born on June 12 1928 in New York City. His brother Robert Sherman was 30 months older. His father was songwriter Al Sherman. His mother was Rosa Dancis, who appeared in silent films.  It was while the Sherman Brothers were very young that the family moved to Southern California. He attended Beverly Hills High School and then Bard College with his brother Robert in New York, where he majored in music. After graduating from college, Robert and Richard Sherman shared an apartment in Los Angeles. The two took up songwriting after their father bet them that they could not team up and write a song that a kid would buy. The two brothers then teamed up to write a song. That song, "Gold Can Buy Anything (but Love)" was recorded by Gene Autry in 1951.

It was in 1953 that Richard M. Sherman was drafted in the United States Army. During his service he was assigned to the United States Army Band. He was honourably discharged in 1955. In 1958 the Sherman Brothers had their first real hit, "Tall Paul" by Annette Funicello, which reached no. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. This brought them to the attention of Walt Disney, who then began giving the brothers various assignments. They wrote additional music for the Disney TV series Zorro. They wrote "Anniversary Song" for the Texas John Slaughter mini-series aired on Walt Disney Presents.

In the Sixties they wrote songs for musicals and non-musicals alike, including the movies The Parent Trap (1961), Big Red (1962), In Search of the Castaways (1962), Mooncussers (1962), Summer Magic (1963), The Sword in the Stone (1963), The Misadventures of Merlin Jones (1964), Marry Poppins (1964), The Monkey's Uncle (1965), "Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree" (1966), Follow Me Boys! (1966), Monkeys, Go Home! (1967), The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (1967), The Jungle Book (1967), The Happiest Millionaire (1967), The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day" (1968), and The AristoCats (1970), The Sherman Brothers wrote the theme to Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour. They also wrote songs for various episodes of Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour and the animated TV special Goldilocks. In the Sixties they also wrote the song "It's a Small World" for the "it's a small world"  Old Mill boat ride at Disneyworld and still later other Disney theme parks.

In the Seventies the Sherman Brothers composed songs for the movies Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Snoopy, Come Home (1972), Charlotte's Web (1973), Tom Sawyer (1973), Huckleberry Finn (1974), "Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too" (1974),  The Slipper and the Rose (1976), The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), and The Magic of Lassie (1978). They also composed for the stage, including the productions Victory Canteen and Over Here!.

The Sherman Brothers later composed songs for the TV shows The Timberland Tales, as well as such movies as Little Nemo (1989), The Mighty Kong (1998), and The Tigger Movie (2000). They also wrote songs for the stage musicals Dawgs and Busker Alley. Much of the music provided for the Disney theme parks was written by the Sherman Brothers.

The Sherman Brothers also wrote the treatment for Mary Poppins, as well as the screenplays for A Symposium of Popular Songs (1962), Tom Sawyer (1973), Huckleberry Finn (1974), The Slipper and the Rose (1976), and The Magic of Lassie (1978).

Richard Sherman wrote the song "Make Way for Tomorrow Today" for the fictional Stark Expo in the movie Iron Man 2 (2010). He wrote three new songs for the movie Christopher Robin (2018). He acted as a musical consultant for the movie Mary Poppins (2018). He later  wrote a song with composer Fabrizio Mancinelli for Andreas Deja’s 2023 animated short, "Mushka."

Beyond "Tall Paul," the Sherman Brothers also wrote other pop songs. Among these were "You're Sixteen," which was a hit for Johnny Burnette in 1960, peaking at  no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Alongside his brother Robert, Richard M. Sherman had a talent for creating songs that would remain stuck in people's heads long after hearing them. There is a reason that such songs as "Let's Get Together," "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," "The Bare Necessities," and yet others have remained popular for literally decades. I have to think the majority of individual born in North America or Europe born in the mid to late 20th Century  has not heard at least one Sherman Brothers song, probably many more. Other composers, such as Rogers and Hammerstein, may be better known, but I have to think the Sherman Brothers composed more famous songs for movies and even stage musicals than any other.

Godspeed Darryl Hickman

Darryl Hickman, who appeared in such movies as The Grapes of Wrath (1940), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), and The Tingler (1959), and later did a good deal of voice work on television cartoons, died on May 24 2024 at the age of 92.

Darryl Hickman was born  on July 28 1931 in Hollywood, California. His father was an insurance salesman. His younger brother was Dwayne Hickman, who would later become famous as the title character on the classic sitcom Dobie Gillis. Darryl Hickman would appear on three episodes of the show in its first season as Dobie's older brother Davey.

He was discovered by one of his father's clients, a former Ziegfeld Girl named Ethel Meglin who had a troupe of child performers known as Meglin Kiddies. It was a year after becoming one of Meglin Kiddies that Darryl Hickman signed with Paramount. He made his film debut in Three Cheers for Love (1936). He had an uncredited role in the classic The Prisoner of Zenda (1937). In the late Thirties he appeared in the movies If I Were King (1938), The Star Maker (1938), Emergency Squad (1938), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Farmer's Daughter (1940), Untamed (1940), The Way of All Flesh (1940), Prairie Law (1940), and Mystery Sea Raider (1940).

In the Forties he appeared in the movies Sign of the Wolf (1941), Men of Boys Town (1941), Coffins on Wheels (1941), Mob Town (1941), Glamour Boy (1941), Young America (1942), Joe Smith, American (1942), Jackass Mail (1942), Northwest Rangers (1942), Keeper of the Flame (1942), The Human Comedy (1943), Assignment in Brittany (1943), Henry Aldrich, Boy Scout (1944), Song of Russia (1944), Meet Me in St. Louis (1944), And Now Tomorrow (1944), Salty O'Rourke (1945), Captain Eddie (1945), Kiss and Tell (1945), Leave Her to Heaven (1945), Two Years Before the Mast (1946), The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946), Boys' Ranch (1946), The Devil on Wheels (1947), Black Gold (1947), Dangerous Years (1947), The Sainted Sisters (1948), Fighting Father Dunne (1948), Big Town Scandal (1948), Alias Nick Beal (1949), The Set-Up (1949), Any Number Can Play (1949), A Kiss for Corliss (1949), and The Happy Years (1950). He made his television debut in 1950 in an episode of Pulitzer Prize Playhouse (1950).

In the Fifties Darryl Hickman increasingly appeared on television. As mentioned above, he appeared in three episodes of Dobie Gillis as Dobie's older brother Davey Gillis, who was away at college. He also guest starred on the shows Sky King; Mark Saber; The Ford Television Theatre; The Ranger Rider; Biff Baker, U.S.A.; Footlights Theatre; The Lone Ranger; Waterfront; Annie Oakley; Public Defender; Schlitz Playhouse of Stars; Sneak Preview; The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp; The Sheriff of Cochise; Panic!; Perry Mason; Climax!; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; Playhouse 90; Men of Annapolis; General Electric Theatre; Studio One; Matinee Theatre; Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse; Pursuit; Wanted: Dead or Alive; Tales of Wells Fargo; Whirlybirds; Walt Disney Presents; Gunsmoke; The Millionaire; The DuPont Show with June Allyson; The Man and the Challenge; and The Detectives. He appeared in the movies Lightning Strikes Twice (1951), Criminal Lawyer (1951), Submarine Command (1951),  Destination Gobi (1953), Island in the Sky (1953), Sea of Lost Ships (1953), Southwest Passage (1954), Prisoner of War (1954), Ricochet Ronance (1954), Many Rivers to Cross (1955), Tea and Sympathy (1956), The Iron Sheriff (1957), The Persuader (1957), and The Tingler (1957).

In the Sixties he starred on the Civil War drama television series The Americans. He guest starred on The Loretta Young Show, Westinghouse Preview Theatre, The United States Steel Hour, 87th Precinct, Insight; Rawhide; The Untouchables; Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour; Dr. Kildare; Vacation Playhouse; New York Television Theatre, and Love, American Style.

From 1975 to 1977 Darryl Hickman served as an executive producer on the daytime soap opera Love of Life. He also served as a producer on the short-lived sitcom A Year at the Top. He was later put in charge of CBS's daytime programming and spent five years in the position. During the Seventies he guest starred on the TV shows Maude and All in the Family. He provided additional voices for the Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo. In the movie Network (1976) he played an executive from UBS's West Coast Special Programs Department.

In the Eighties he appeared in the movies Looker (1981) and Sharky's Machine (1981). He was regular voice actor on several Saturday morning cartoons and other television cartons, including Space Stars, Pac-Man, The Biskitts, Challenge of the GoBots, Pole Position, Super Friends, The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible; Wildfire, Johnny Quest, Sky Commanders, and A Pup Named Scooby-Doo. He guest starred on the shows Whiz Kids and Beauty and the Beast.

In the Nineties Darryl Hickman guest starred on Baywatch and The Nanny. He continued to provide voices for The Greatest Adventure: Stories from the Bible. In 2006 he and several other former child actors appeared on Turner Classic Movies, where they were interviewed by Robert Osborne. Darryl Hickman also appeared at the TCM Classic Film Festival multiple times.

Darryl Hickman also wrote several episodes of The Loretta Young Show and one episode of Hawaiian Eye. In 2007 he published a book on acting, The Unconscious Actor: Out of Control, In Full Command.

Darryl Hickman was a remarkable actor who had great range. He played Danny Harland, the younger brother of Richard Harlan (Cornel Wilde), left disabled by polio, in Leave Her to Heaven. He played a delinquent in Men of Boys Town. In The Human Comedy he played Lionel, an intellectually disabled, but sensitive and at times insightful boy.  In Tea and Sympathy, he played Al, the sympathetic roommate of Tom Robinson Lee (John Kerr). He gave some great performances on television as well, In the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece," he played Steve Harris, a somewhat duplicitous, poor young man engaged to the wealthy Edna Hammar (Nancy Hadley).  In the Gunsmoke episode, "The Choice" he played Andy Hill, a young gunslinger who appears to want to give up using his guns. He also did a good job playing Dobie Gillis's  older, but somewhat wiser brother Davey on the classic sitcom Dobie Gillis. Darryl Hickman gave many great performances throughout his career and played a wide variety of roles.

Nobu McCarthy: Iconic Japanese American Actress

Nobu McCarthy is not exactly a household name, but chances are good that most people have seen her in a movie or an episode of a television show. Today she may be best known as Yukie, the romantic interest of Mr. Miyagi in The Karate Kid Part II (1986), but throughout her career she appeared in several movies and in several television show episodes.

Nobu McCarthy was born Nobu Atsumi on November 13 1934 in Ottawa, Ontario. At the time her father, Masaji Atsumi, was a private secretary to the Japanese ambassador to Canada. She was brought to Japan while still an infant. She later trained in ballet and sang with various groups, both live and on radio. She won the title of Miss Tokyo, a beauty pageant leading up to the Miss Japan competition.

Nobu McCarthy made her film debut under her given name, Nobu Atsumi, in the Japanese film, Wrestling Champion: Nihon no tora in 1954. It was in 1955 that she married Sgt. David McCarthy of the United States Army. It was in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles that talent agent Fred Ishimoto discovered her. She was sent to an audition at Paramount, and landed a part in the Jerry Lewis movie The Geisha Boy (1958). That same year she made her television debut in a bit part in an episode of the TV series Meet McGraw.

In the late Fifties and early Sixties, Nobu McCarthy would become very much in demand. Following her part in The Geisha Boy, she appeared in such films as Wake Me When It's Over (1960) and Love with the Proper Stanger (1963). She was a frequent guest star on television, appearing on such shows as The Red Skelton Show, Sea Hunt, Laramie, Wagon Train, Perry Mason, Mister Ed, The Wild Wild West, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Batman.

Nobu McCarthy's acting career slowed in the late Sixties, but following her divorce in 1970 she joined the East West Players, the first Asian American theatre company in 1971. She played a number of roles on stage with the company. It was in 1989 that she replaced the East West Players' founder Mako, and she served as the company's artistic director until 1993.

Nobu McCarthy continued to appear in movies on television throughout the Seventies. She guest starred on such shows as Anna and the King, Kung Fu, The Magician, Barney Miller, Hawaii Five-O, and Quincy, ME.. In the Happy Days episode "Arnold's Wedding," she played the bride of Arnold (Pat Morita), the owner of Arnold's Drive-In. She continued to appear on the RV shows in the Eighties, including such shows as The Love Boat; Magnum, P.I.; and China Beach. She appeared in the movie The Karate Kid Part II. She won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead for the movie The Wash (1988).

Following the Eighties, Nobu McCarthy's career slowed. She appeared in the movies The Painted Desert (1993) and Last Chance (1999), and the TV series Any Day Now. In the Nineties she taught theatre at the California State University, Los Angeles and UCLA.  She was working on the movie Gaiijin--Ama-me Como Sou (2005) when she fell ill on the set. She died from an aortic aneurysm at the age of 67.

Nobu McCarthy certainly broke new ground for Japanese American actors. As the Artistic Director of the East West Players she was instrumental in saving the company, which was reportedly near collapse at the time. George Takei, forever known as Sulu on Star Trek, said of Nobu McCartny, "She brought a calming influence to the group, broadened the outreach, and brought a sense of balance and stability." |

Sadly, Nobu McCarthy often found herself playing in movies that trafficked in stereotypes, including The Geisha Boy and even The Karate Kid Part II. Many of her early roles conformed to the "Lotus Blossom" stereotype. Even as she found herself often playing such roles, Nobu McCarthy worked to move Hollywood beyond East Asian stereotypes. In the television documentary Slaying the Dragon (1988), which dealt with the history of East Asian American actresses in Hollywood, she said that she once turned down an audition because the directors told her they were looking for a "Dragon Lady" type. In Five Gates to Hell, a movie featuring more than its fair share of East Asian stereotypes, Nobu McCarthy played a Japanese nurse. She appeared in both the play The Wash and the movie based upon it, she played a wife who files for divorce from her husband and then sought a new romance.  In Painted Desert she played a Japanese American running an old Southwest cafe who must deal with mobsters.

As an actress Nobu McCarthy had considerable talent, and she gave many remarkable performances beyond The Wash. In the Barney Miller episode "Christmas Story," she played Dorothy Murakami, a victim of a purse snatching to whom Yemana (Jack Soo) is attracted, not realizing she is a prostitute. In 1976 she played the lead role of Jeanne Wakatsuki in the groundbreaking 1976 television movie Farewell to Manzanar, which centred on the internment of Japanese Americans in prison camps during World War II. Her performances in the aforementioned Painted Desert was remarkable.

Nobu McCarthy may not be a household name, but she broke new ground for East Asian American actors. She paved the way for many Japanese American actors today.