During the same era, another type of private eye emerged on the TV scene. That was the more analytical and thoughtful type of sleuth. Two examples are "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" which ran as a syndicated series in 1954 and "The Adventures of Ellery Queen" which was first on from 1950-1952. These programs put the emphasis on the more cerebral aspects of the cases and eliminated much of the violence of some of their contemporaries. Ellery Queen challenged the viewer to put the pieces of the crime together and arrive at a solution. At the end of the program was usually a denoument to explain to the audience how Ellery figured out the case.
Another early style of detective show was the serio-comic approach which usually involved the comic interaction of a husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend as they went about the solving of a case. Examples of this style were shows like "Mr. And Mrs. North" (1952-1954), "Boston Blackie" (1951-1953), and "The Thin Man" (1957-1959).
Monday, April 17, 2006
Most of these early entries were produced in New York and either done live, on kinescope, or filmed and, in most cases, were thirty minutes in length. By the late 1950's and into the 1960's, production values were increasing and the newer shows were becoming sixty minutes in length. These shows were mostly being filmed on the West Coast and many exhibited the image of "gloss and glamour" with beautiful girls and handsome guys in attractive settings. Examples of these shows are "77 Sunset Strip" (1958-1964) and "Hawaiian Eye" (1959-1963). These two were basically interchangeable as they had similar plots and stars and both came from Warner Brothers. One of the only differences was the settings: one in L. A. and one in Hawaii. Other notable detective shows from the 1960's include "Mannix" (1967-1975) with Mike Connors handling cases in a rough and tumble manner and "I Spy" (1966-1969) which was a lighthearted entry most notable for the success of Bill Cosby as the first black performer to star in a TV dramatic series.
The 1970's brought about more change in these programs. In the past the plots were completed in each week’s show with the following week producing completely different stories and guest casts. Now the story lines began involving repeat characters either from previous shows within the season or from past seasons. The emphasis was on people and situations more than violence and reality became a bigger factor. Some good examples of this programing are "The Rockford Files" (1974-1980), "Hill Street Blues" (1981-1987), and "Police Story" (1973-1977).
The 1970's would not be complete with out a mention of "Columbo" (1971-1977) starring Peter Falk in one of the wittiest and best acted detective shows. In the 1980's some more lightheartedness crept in with Tom Selleck as "Magnum P. I." (1980-1988) and the off beat "Moonlighting" (1985-1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis.
The 1970's would not be complete with out a mention of "Columbo" (1971-1977) starring Peter Falk in one of the wittiest and best acted detective shows. In the 1980's some more lightheartedness crept in with Tom Selleck as "Magnum P. I." (1980-1988) and the off beat "Moonlighting" (1985-1989) with Cybill Shepherd and Bruce Willis.
Later shows like Homicide" (1993-1999), NYPD Blue (1993-2005), and Law and Order (1990- ) are still maintaining popularity through the same basic premise as shows of the 1970's: dealing with relationships with returning characters.
There are many more detective shows (No, I haven’t forgotten "Murder, She Wrote"!) but the ones mentioned give you a good idea of how the genre has changed through the years. My favorite? That’s easy, James Garner in "The Rockford Files". Other than the terrible clothes styles and cars of the 1970's, that show still holds up as strong as ever today. (Comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net
There are many more detective shows (No, I haven’t forgotten "Murder, She Wrote"!) but the ones mentioned give you a good idea of how the genre has changed through the years. My favorite? That’s easy, James Garner in "The Rockford Files". Other than the terrible clothes styles and cars of the 1970's, that show still holds up as strong as ever today. (Comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net
Monday, April 10, 2006
THE DAYS OF PARANOIA: THE HUAC AND THE "HOLLYWOOD TEN"
By Jim McAllister
The 1930's was a time of paranoia in the United States of America. With the advent of Adolf Hitler’s power in Germany combined with the rise in the popularity of Communism in the U. S. during the Depression, the Federal Government felt that necessary safeguards were in order to thwart these possible threats.
The Dies Committee was formed in 1938 as a precursor to the House Un-American Activities Committee with the sole purpose of investigating German American involvement with the Nazis and the involvement of Communists in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Federal Theater Project.
By 1946 the Dies Committee had become a permanent nine member group officially called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Their purpose was to investigate any possible threats to the policies of the government of the United States.
In 1947 the HUAC acted upon the Hollywood establishment after rumors persisted about Communist infiltration into the motion picture industry. Several members of the Hollywood community were questioned about supposed Communist activity and when they refused to answer the Committee’s questions based on their First Amendment rights, they became known as the blacklisted "Hollywood Ten". This group consisted mostly of writers and directors, some who were quite well know like Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr., and Dalton Trumbo. Eventually over 300 people were blacklisted including many well know actors of the time like Barbara Bel Geddes, Harry Belafonte, and Zero Mostel. One actor, Philip Loeb who starred in radio’s "The Goldbergs", actually committed suicide over his depression from being no longer able to find work in the entertainment industry. Some members of the "Hollywood Ten" were sentenced to prison terms of six months to one year in 1950 despite the fact that being a Communist was not actually against the law, it was simply not a popular organization to be a part of. In 1947, during the brouhaha of the "Ten", the Screen Actors Guild required its members to take a non-Communist pledge to satisfy the demands of the HUAC. The original "Hollywood Ten" were fired by the studios and all credits they had achieved were omitted or removed from Hollywood productions where they had been affiliated.
Many of the blacklisted writers found a detour around their ban from the industry by writing under pseudonyms or having friends pose as writers and submit scripts under their names. This policy was known as "fronting" and was detailed expertly in the 1976 Woody Allen production, "The Front". Allen’s production not only gave a vivid description of the era involved but starred many blacklisted actors like Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough.
The 1930's was a time of paranoia in the United States of America. With the advent of Adolf Hitler’s power in Germany combined with the rise in the popularity of Communism in the U. S. during the Depression, the Federal Government felt that necessary safeguards were in order to thwart these possible threats.
The Dies Committee was formed in 1938 as a precursor to the House Un-American Activities Committee with the sole purpose of investigating German American involvement with the Nazis and the involvement of Communists in the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and the Federal Theater Project.
By 1946 the Dies Committee had become a permanent nine member group officially called the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). Their purpose was to investigate any possible threats to the policies of the government of the United States.
In 1947 the HUAC acted upon the Hollywood establishment after rumors persisted about Communist infiltration into the motion picture industry. Several members of the Hollywood community were questioned about supposed Communist activity and when they refused to answer the Committee’s questions based on their First Amendment rights, they became known as the blacklisted "Hollywood Ten". This group consisted mostly of writers and directors, some who were quite well know like Edward Dmytryk, Ring Lardner, Jr., and Dalton Trumbo. Eventually over 300 people were blacklisted including many well know actors of the time like Barbara Bel Geddes, Harry Belafonte, and Zero Mostel. One actor, Philip Loeb who starred in radio’s "The Goldbergs", actually committed suicide over his depression from being no longer able to find work in the entertainment industry. Some members of the "Hollywood Ten" were sentenced to prison terms of six months to one year in 1950 despite the fact that being a Communist was not actually against the law, it was simply not a popular organization to be a part of. In 1947, during the brouhaha of the "Ten", the Screen Actors Guild required its members to take a non-Communist pledge to satisfy the demands of the HUAC. The original "Hollywood Ten" were fired by the studios and all credits they had achieved were omitted or removed from Hollywood productions where they had been affiliated.
Many of the blacklisted writers found a detour around their ban from the industry by writing under pseudonyms or having friends pose as writers and submit scripts under their names. This policy was known as "fronting" and was detailed expertly in the 1976 Woody Allen production, "The Front". Allen’s production not only gave a vivid description of the era involved but starred many blacklisted actors like Mostel, Herschel Bernardi, and Lloyd Gough.
Although the use of pseudonyms and fronting was popular, many of these individuals simply left the country to continue their careers. Some flourished in the United Kingdom where television and film work was plentiful. Others reverted to doing stage work in places like New York where theater owners were indifferent to the Hollywood attitudes.
By 1960, the inevitable passage of time and the seriousness of the "Red Scare" was weakening and when Otto Preminger hired Dalton Trumbo to write the script for "Exodus", the effect of the blacklist weakened. Kirk Douglas followed close behind by giving full writing credit also to Trumbo for "Spartacus". At the same time President elect Kennedy crossed American Legion picket lines to see the Douglas movie and by 1965 Ring Lardner, Jr. was given credit for writing "The Cincinnati Kid". In 1997 the writer’s guild agreed to change the credits of twenty-three movies made during the blacklist years to reflect the actual screenwriter’s names.
By 1960, the inevitable passage of time and the seriousness of the "Red Scare" was weakening and when Otto Preminger hired Dalton Trumbo to write the script for "Exodus", the effect of the blacklist weakened. Kirk Douglas followed close behind by giving full writing credit also to Trumbo for "Spartacus". At the same time President elect Kennedy crossed American Legion picket lines to see the Douglas movie and by 1965 Ring Lardner, Jr. was given credit for writing "The Cincinnati Kid". In 1997 the writer’s guild agreed to change the credits of twenty-three movies made during the blacklist years to reflect the actual screenwriter’s names.
In spite of the various methods used by blacklisted personnel from Hollywood, many had their careers ruined by the link to Communist activities. Where writers could used false names and fronts, actors couldn’t hide because of their obvious visibility. Larry Parks, Karen Morley, Sam Jaffe and many other fine actors lost parts because of HUAC activity against them.
Eventually, because of changes in attitude and politics, the barriers were dropped along with the HUAC which was abolished in 1975 when its duties were taken over by the House Judiciary Committee. Like the fear of movie censorship in the early 1930's which brought about the Breen Production Code Administration (Hays Code) and the powerful Catholic Legion of Decency, the power of the HUAC had run its course and became just another interesting part of American history. (Comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net
Eventually, because of changes in attitude and politics, the barriers were dropped along with the HUAC which was abolished in 1975 when its duties were taken over by the House Judiciary Committee. Like the fear of movie censorship in the early 1930's which brought about the Breen Production Code Administration (Hays Code) and the powerful Catholic Legion of Decency, the power of the HUAC had run its course and became just another interesting part of American history. (Comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net
Friday, April 07, 2006
We all love Robin Williams for his offbeat sense of humor but the following is a piece from my buddy Allen in New Hampshire showing that Robin can be very logical at times. Wouldn't it be great if someone in power would pay attention? Thanks for the forward, Allen.
You gotta love Robin Williams......
Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin
Williams to come up with the perfect
plan. What we need now is for our
UN Ambassador to stand up and
repeat this message.
Robin Williams's plan...(Hard to
argue with this logic!)
"I see a lot of people yelling for peace,
but I have not heard of a plan for
peace. So, here's one plan.
1) "The US will apologize to the world for our 'interference' in their affairs, past & present. You know: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good ole boys;' we will never 'interfere' again.
2) "We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea, the Middle East, and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.
3) "All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days, the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.
4) "All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.
5) "No foreign 'students' over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a D, and it's back home, baby.
6) "The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy-wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy, but will require temporary drilling for oil in the Alaska wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.
7) "Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)
8) "If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not 'interfere.' They can pray to Allah, or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement, or whatever they need. Besides, most of what we give them is stolen or given
to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.
9) "Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair-weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.
10) "All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us 'Ugly Americans' any longer. The language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it...or LEAVE."
"Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?"
"The Statue of Liberty is no longer
saying, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat, and she's yelling, 'You want a piece of me?' "
You gotta love Robin Williams......
Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin
Williams to come up with the perfect
plan. What we need now is for our
UN Ambassador to stand up and
repeat this message.
Robin Williams's plan...(Hard to
argue with this logic!)
"I see a lot of people yelling for peace,
but I have not heard of a plan for
peace. So, here's one plan.
1) "The US will apologize to the world for our 'interference' in their affairs, past & present. You know: Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good ole boys;' we will never 'interfere' again.
2) "We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea, the Middle East, and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.
3) "All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days, the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.
4) "All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.
5) "No foreign 'students' over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a D, and it's back home, baby.
6) "The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy-wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy, but will require temporary drilling for oil in the Alaska wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.
7) "Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil-producing countries $10 a barrel for their oil. If they don't like it, we go someplace else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)
8) "If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not 'interfere.' They can pray to Allah, or whomever, for seeds, rain, cement, or whatever they need. Besides, most of what we give them is stolen or given
to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.
9) "Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island someplace. We don't need the spies and fair-weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.
10) "All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us 'Ugly Americans' any longer. The language we speak is ENGLISH...learn it...or LEAVE."
"Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?"
"The Statue of Liberty is no longer
saying, 'Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses.' She's got a baseball bat, and she's yelling, 'You want a piece of me?' "
Monday, April 03, 2006
FOR NEIL YOUNG FANS, "HEART OF GOLD" IS A POT OF GOLD
by Jim McAllister
NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD ("Prairie Wind"), Starring Neil Young, Directed by Jonathan Demme, 103 minutes, rated PG for some drug related lyrics....I have listened to Neil Young’s music for most of my adult life and he doesn’t seem to have lost a step. My first remembrance of him is from his days with Buffalo Springfield where he worked with Stephen Stills to produce a couple of mid 1960's hits. Later he teamed with Stills plus David Crosby and Graham Nash for a couple of years in the early 1970's (remember CSNY?). After that he was pretty much a solo act but he usually stayed true to his country and rock roots. He has always been a welcome sight when he took the stage with his guitar and harmonica and cut loose in his cracking tenor voice.
NEIL YOUNG: HEART OF GOLD ("Prairie Wind"), Starring Neil Young, Directed by Jonathan Demme, 103 minutes, rated PG for some drug related lyrics....I have listened to Neil Young’s music for most of my adult life and he doesn’t seem to have lost a step. My first remembrance of him is from his days with Buffalo Springfield where he worked with Stephen Stills to produce a couple of mid 1960's hits. Later he teamed with Stills plus David Crosby and Graham Nash for a couple of years in the early 1970's (remember CSNY?). After that he was pretty much a solo act but he usually stayed true to his country and rock roots. He has always been a welcome sight when he took the stage with his guitar and harmonica and cut loose in his cracking tenor voice.
In the spring of 2005, at age 59, Neil Young underwent a non invasive procedure to repair a brain aneurysm. By August he was back to work and prepared to star in "Neil Young: Heart of Gold", which was filmed over two nights at the former home of the Grand Ole Opry, the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee.
This film is a combination of music from Young’s autumn 2005 release of his album "Prairie Wind" combined with some older Young favorites. It opens as the musicians are arriving at the Ryman in their cars. Comments from long time Young back up musicians like Chad Cromwell, Ben Keith, and Grant Boatwright are interesting and the use of some hand held cameras on them gives a nice effect. A few scenes of Nashville add to the interest especially the shots of Tootsies, a popular night spot and favorite water hole of Grand Ole Opry legend Hank Williams.
This film is a combination of music from Young’s autumn 2005 release of his album "Prairie Wind" combined with some older Young favorites. It opens as the musicians are arriving at the Ryman in their cars. Comments from long time Young back up musicians like Chad Cromwell, Ben Keith, and Grant Boatwright are interesting and the use of some hand held cameras on them gives a nice effect. A few scenes of Nashville add to the interest especially the shots of Tootsies, a popular night spot and favorite water hole of Grand Ole Opry legend Hank Williams.
Nighttime arrives and the camera zooms in on the well worn stage of the Ryman. Demme believes in close-ups and doesn’t spare them as he closes in for plenty of shots of a weather worn looking Young and his back up artists. Notable as a back up singer is Emmylou Harris, who is stunningly beautiful at 59, and we are fortunate to have Young and her do a duet. Young is in top form with his new stuff which includes a song dedicated to his college age daughter. He also exhibits a sense of humor talking about some of his days of growing up in Canada. He explains the sources of some of his older music like "Old Man" which he wrote after being asked by the caretaker of his ranch (an older man, Luis Avila) how he made enough money at his age (24 at the time) to afford such a spread. The caretaker had no idea that Young was a superstar or as Neil says, "a rich hippie". Of the newer tunes I especially liked "This Old Guitar", which Young played on Hank Williams’own guitar, and the title song "Prairie Wind". Among the oldies was the expected "Heart of Gold", now thirty-four years old and from his 1972 album "Harvest". It isYoung’s only song to make it to number one on the charts.
At 103 minutes, the length of the film feels just right and has a fitting ending with Young singing solo with guitar over the closing credits. I have seen a lot of good concert films and "Neil Young: Heart of Gold" is one of the best. I would rank it in the same league as Martin Scorsese’s "The Last Waltz" (1978) as he chronicled the last appearance of The Band on Thanksgiving Day of 1976. Coincidently, Neil Young also appeared in that film.
I advise all Neil Young fans to catch this one and take some friends who aren’t familiar with the man from the plains of Canada. I guarantee you will bring about some converts.
MUSICAL MILEPOSTS: David Gilmour of Pink Floyd has a new album, "On an Island". The word is that it is selling well having gone gold in several countries already. Known for his guitar work, Gilmour plays some saxophone on this new CD. He also celebrated birthday number 60 on March 6.....
I advise all Neil Young fans to catch this one and take some friends who aren’t familiar with the man from the plains of Canada. I guarantee you will bring about some converts.
MUSICAL MILEPOSTS: David Gilmour of Pink Floyd has a new album, "On an Island". The word is that it is selling well having gone gold in several countries already. Known for his guitar work, Gilmour plays some saxophone on this new CD. He also celebrated birthday number 60 on March 6.....
Steven Tyler, lead singer for Aerosmith, has undergone recent surgery for an undisclosed illness. Because of this the band has been forced to cancel its North American tour. Tyler is 58.....The Indian Casinos have given new life to some performers who may have had trouble booking dates to perform. Among those who are taking advantage of the new forums are Connie Francis, Mary Wilson (of Supremes fame), David Cassidy, and Patti Page.....Queen is also touring and playing in large venues. It is their first tour since 1991 when lead singer Freddie Mercury died. Paul Rodgers, formerly of Free and Bad Company, has taken over the vocal duties. (Comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net.)
Monday, March 27, 2006
SOME CURRENT FILMS AND A LOOK AT A FILM NOIR FAVORITE
By Jim McAllister
There are a lot of good movies out at the present time, three of which I reviewed last week in this space ("Match Point", "The World’s Fastest Indian", and "Mrs. Henderson Presents"). I recently saw "Transamerica" starring Felicity Huffman of "Desperate Housewives" fame. She is great in this one and should have received more support for Best Actress at the Oscars but that is the plight one faces when they star in a small but expertly made production. Next on my list is "Heart of Gold", a Neil Young concert film made at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, former home to the Grand Ole Opry. Early reports say that it is excellent and a must for Young fans; I’ll see about that and let you know.
All of this is encouraging as there has been a bit of a dry spell for good quality small production movies lately. If it is not showing at an art house, I usually will not be showing up with my $6.00. So, thank you "Good Night and Good Luck", The Squid and the Whale", "Capote", and those listed above for getting me back to the show.
Please do not misunderstand. I love these new movies but I still think that the golden age of Hollywood exists between 1930 and 1950. Maybe in another fifty years or so we can look back and evaluate whether the newer films have withstood the all important test of time. Perhaps someday we will remember the fine dialogue of David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow as we remember the moving final words from Jane Darwell as Ma Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940). Only time will tell.
There are a lot of good movies out at the present time, three of which I reviewed last week in this space ("Match Point", "The World’s Fastest Indian", and "Mrs. Henderson Presents"). I recently saw "Transamerica" starring Felicity Huffman of "Desperate Housewives" fame. She is great in this one and should have received more support for Best Actress at the Oscars but that is the plight one faces when they star in a small but expertly made production. Next on my list is "Heart of Gold", a Neil Young concert film made at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, former home to the Grand Ole Opry. Early reports say that it is excellent and a must for Young fans; I’ll see about that and let you know.
All of this is encouraging as there has been a bit of a dry spell for good quality small production movies lately. If it is not showing at an art house, I usually will not be showing up with my $6.00. So, thank you "Good Night and Good Luck", The Squid and the Whale", "Capote", and those listed above for getting me back to the show.
Please do not misunderstand. I love these new movies but I still think that the golden age of Hollywood exists between 1930 and 1950. Maybe in another fifty years or so we can look back and evaluate whether the newer films have withstood the all important test of time. Perhaps someday we will remember the fine dialogue of David Strathairn as Edward R. Murrow as we remember the moving final words from Jane Darwell as Ma Joad in "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940). Only time will tell.
Probably one of the best film noir movies from the 1940's is "Murder, My Sweet" from 1944. Film noir in the United States was still in its infancy at this time with "The Maltese Falcon" (1941) and "Double Indemnity" (1944) popular early entries representing the form. One of the unique things about "Murder, My Sweet" was the ability of Dick Powell to emerge from singing juvenile parts in the Busby Berkeley musicals of the 1930's and transforming into Raymond Chandler’s hard boiled private eye Philip Marlowe. After the popularity of musicals wore off in the late 1930's, Powell, who was now in his mid-30's, was looking for more varied roles. RKO Studios head Charles Koerner decided to go with Powell in "Murder, My Sweet" after seeing the success of lightweight actor Fred MacMurray in an unaccustomed tough guy role in "Double Indemnity".
"Murder, My Sweet" was the second Philip Marlowe mystery from Raymond Chandler and had been bought by RKO for the bargain price of $2,000 in 1941. Originally titled "Farewell, My Lovely", the story had already been used for one of the low budget "Falcon" films with George Sanders. As World War II progressed, Chandler’s stories became more popular coinciding with Hollywood’s darker look at life through the film noir form. If Powell could duplicate MacMurray’s success, the film had a good chance to be a hit.
"Murder, My Sweet" was the second Philip Marlowe mystery from Raymond Chandler and had been bought by RKO for the bargain price of $2,000 in 1941. Originally titled "Farewell, My Lovely", the story had already been used for one of the low budget "Falcon" films with George Sanders. As World War II progressed, Chandler’s stories became more popular coinciding with Hollywood’s darker look at life through the film noir form. If Powell could duplicate MacMurray’s success, the film had a good chance to be a hit.
The film was easily shot by former "B" film director Edward Dmytryk and was considered a sure winner when released as "Farewell, My Lovely". When initial openings in New England and Minnesota played to basically empty houses, it was decided to change the title to "Murder, My Sweet" as test audiences figured that the original title meant that it was just another Dick Powell musical. The change in title worked and theaters became packed ending all speculation that Dick Powell would ever be in another musical. He was the new screen tough guy!
"Murder, My Sweet" was important in establishing the film noir style. Although "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity" went a long way in establishing the style with its dark tones, shady characters, and a violent world, "Murder, My Sweet" was essentially the first film to tie these elements together.
"Farewell, My Lovely" was successfully re-made in 1975 under its original name with Robert Mitchum playing Philip Marlowe. As for Dick Powell, he went on to success in various roles in the movies and on television. Later he was successful in the production end of the business and produced "The Dick Powell Theater" for television from 1959-1961. Powell was married for many years to actress June Allyson when he died in 1963 at the age of 59. Comments?: azjimcallister@cox.net)
"Murder, My Sweet" was important in establishing the film noir style. Although "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity" went a long way in establishing the style with its dark tones, shady characters, and a violent world, "Murder, My Sweet" was essentially the first film to tie these elements together.
"Farewell, My Lovely" was successfully re-made in 1975 under its original name with Robert Mitchum playing Philip Marlowe. As for Dick Powell, he went on to success in various roles in the movies and on television. Later he was successful in the production end of the business and produced "The Dick Powell Theater" for television from 1959-1961. Powell was married for many years to actress June Allyson when he died in 1963 at the age of 59. Comments?: azjimcallister@cox.net)
Monday, March 20, 2006
WANT TO SEE THREE GOOD MOVIES? WELL, HERE THEY ARE
By Jim McAllister
If you read my stuff with any regularity, and I hope you do, you know that when it comes to movies I think vintage and art house films tower above the pablum of the super special effects junk that we see trying (and usually) failing to draw the public. It was pleasant to see a small film like "Crash", which was released early during 2005 and only did $53 million at the box office, keep its legs and win the Best Picture Oscar. Add to that the kudos for "Capote" and "The Constant Gardener" and my faith in the Academy is slowly being restored.
If you read my stuff with any regularity, and I hope you do, you know that when it comes to movies I think vintage and art house films tower above the pablum of the super special effects junk that we see trying (and usually) failing to draw the public. It was pleasant to see a small film like "Crash", which was released early during 2005 and only did $53 million at the box office, keep its legs and win the Best Picture Oscar. Add to that the kudos for "Capote" and "The Constant Gardener" and my faith in the Academy is slowly being restored.
Among the little gems that have made it to the screen recently are three favorites of mine that I think you will also enjoy in case you haven’t seen them already. If you are a special effects freak, you can stop reading now. The movies I enjoy have a story, good acting, and lack the use of computer generated special effects. I am also a sucker for films from the UK and think that the actors from that area are the best around. Here are three reasons why: MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS, Run time: 103 minutes, Rated "R" (some nudity, language), Miramax Films.....The year is 1937 and Mrs. Laura Henderson (Dame Judi Dench) has just become a 69 year old widow with a lot of money. She is already bored with widowhood and her attempts at philanthropy ("I’m hoping to build a home for future bastards."). One day she accidently stumbles into an old closed theater in London’s West End and decides she would like to be in the entertainment business. She meets Mr. Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), an outgoing expert in the theater business, and an unlikely duo is formed. The theater becomes the Windmill and through Van Damm’s expertise, begins an around the clock entertainment cycle that is very successful until competitors copy the format. To counteract that problem, Mrs. Henderson suggests using female nudity as an attraction but can only do this, according to the Lord Chamberlain (Christopher Guest) if the girls remain stationary as in the case of artistic nudity. The plan works and the Windmill once again is a huge success. This story is actually based on true events and Dame Judi and Hoskins make an interesting couple as they have an underlying mutual admiration despite some overt jealousies and disagreements. I especially enjoyed the musical numbers and dancing in a Busby Berkeley style. This is a good one that should not be missed.
MATCH POINT, Run time: 124 minutes, Rated "R",( sexuality), Dreamworks Distribution.....This is Woody Allen’s latest effort (as director) and is his first film done in the UK. In this one Jonathan Rhys Meyers plays Chris Wilton, a professional tennis player not quite good enough for the big time. He has taken a job as an instructor at an exclusive London tennis club where he meets rich playboy Tom Hewett (Matthew Goode) and his sister Chloe (Emily Mortimer). Chris and Chloe hit it off and get married while Tom has a gorgeous girlfriend in Nola Rice (Scarlett Johansson). Tom and Nola eventually break up and although Chris is married to Chloe, he starts an amorous relationship with Nola which leads to her getting pregnant. Nola becomes demanding of Chris’s attention via various threats that would jeopardize his marriage and cushy financial situation through Chloe’s wealthy family. This situation leaves him in a quandary as to what to do. To find out what that is you will have to see the movie. I am a Woody Allen fan, I enjoy his sense of humor and his look at people and life’s daily problems. "Match Point" is excellent but a little long at 124 minutes. It reminds me a bit of one of Woody’s best, "Crimes and Misdemeanors" (1989) and is well worth seeing.
THE WORLD’S FASTEST INDIAN, Run time: 127 minutes, Rated "PG13", Magnolia Pictures (New Zealand and USA).....Burt Munro (Anthony Hopkins) is a bit of a recluse living in the New Zealand town of Invercargill. Burt is an old codger from the early 1960's and dreaming of setting the world motorcycle land speed record at the Bonneville, Utah salt flats. There are only a couple of problems complicating his dream: His bike is a 1920's era modified Indian Scout and how is he going to get to Bonneville? Remember, this is the movies so the townspeople do a benefit for Burt and he sets off on his odyssey to Utah and the obligatory meeting of certain characters along the way that he befriends and offers sage advice. He finally makes it to the flats but will his life long dream be accomplished? This movie is actually based on the exploits of a real Burt Munro (1899-1977) and, despite its movieland treatment by director Roger Donaldson, is quite good. Hopkins is outstanding as always and although the story is pretty corny, it is heartwarming and will possibly make your eyes well up a bit.
I am interested in your opinion of these films. You can contact me at azjimmcallister@cox.net
I am interested in your opinion of these films. You can contact me at azjimmcallister@cox.net
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
THREE FANTASY JOBS I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE
By Jim McAllister
It doesn’t matter what we have or what we do, I believe we all have in the back of our minds some sort of fantasy job that we would love to have. Whether it is an athletic achievement or writing a great book or whatever, the desire is usually within most of us to do something more noteworthy than the status quo.
In my case I have three choices of fantasy jobs that I think would be fun to take a shot at: Hosting the syndicated game show JEOPARDY!; hosting, introducing movies, and conducting interviews on Turner Classic Movies; and being a member of the investigative team on PBS’s "History Detectives".
In the case of JEOPARDY!, Alex Trebek has been the host for over twenty years while the show has been in syndication, and before him it was Art Fleming doing the honors when it was televised on NBC. Both guys are and were great hosts of this intelligent and interesting show that I still watch daily. As a lover of trivia, I think it would be fun to run through all the fast paced questions and categories with the smart contestants on the show. I have had some experience with television and radio hosting and am a ham anyway, so why couldn’t I do the Alex Trebek role? Did I mention the big bucks that I am sure Alex pulls in for his work? Yeah, that would be nice too! So, Merv and Sony, if Alex decides to hang up his Guccis, you know how to reach me!
It doesn’t matter what we have or what we do, I believe we all have in the back of our minds some sort of fantasy job that we would love to have. Whether it is an athletic achievement or writing a great book or whatever, the desire is usually within most of us to do something more noteworthy than the status quo.
In my case I have three choices of fantasy jobs that I think would be fun to take a shot at: Hosting the syndicated game show JEOPARDY!; hosting, introducing movies, and conducting interviews on Turner Classic Movies; and being a member of the investigative team on PBS’s "History Detectives".
In the case of JEOPARDY!, Alex Trebek has been the host for over twenty years while the show has been in syndication, and before him it was Art Fleming doing the honors when it was televised on NBC. Both guys are and were great hosts of this intelligent and interesting show that I still watch daily. As a lover of trivia, I think it would be fun to run through all the fast paced questions and categories with the smart contestants on the show. I have had some experience with television and radio hosting and am a ham anyway, so why couldn’t I do the Alex Trebek role? Did I mention the big bucks that I am sure Alex pulls in for his work? Yeah, that would be nice too! So, Merv and Sony, if Alex decides to hang up his Guccis, you know how to reach me!
To anyone who reads this space with regularity, you know that I love old movies which means that I am a big fan of Turner Classic Movies and host Robert Osborne. Osborne has been the host at TCM since the channel’s inception in 1994 but has been involved with the entertainment business much longer than that. He actually got his start as an actor working for Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz in the 1950's and 1960's. Lucy thought that he would be a better writer than actor and he took her advice by writing the "Academy Awards Illustrated". This eventually led him to "The Hollywood Reporter" where he has been writing a column since 1982 covering just about everything in Hollywood and on Broadway. His work as host on TCM is outstanding as there is probably nobody who knows more about classic movies than Robert Osborne.
I also love the classics and think it would be fun to host the movies and do interviews with those involved at TCM. It’s just one more job that I would like to try.
I also love the classics and think it would be fun to host the movies and do interviews with those involved at TCM. It’s just one more job that I would like to try.
As my third fantasy job I would like to be one of the investigators on PBS’s "History Detectives". As a history major and writer, I am into research and investigation. Some may think that I am just nosy, but isn’t that what research is all about?
To those not familiar with the show, "History Detectives" looks into historical mysteries and myths connected with various bits of folklore or the investigation of various objects or legends to establish some sort of authenticity. Various types of technology are used to track down information and clues but it is mostly a case of a lot of legwork by the investigators who routinely crisscross the country in their searches. How cool is that?
To those not familiar with the show, "History Detectives" looks into historical mysteries and myths connected with various bits of folklore or the investigation of various objects or legends to establish some sort of authenticity. Various types of technology are used to track down information and clues but it is mostly a case of a lot of legwork by the investigators who routinely crisscross the country in their searches. How cool is that?
The current team of History Detectives consists of Wes Cowan (Auctioneer and Appraiser), Elyse Luray (Appraiser and Art Historian), Gwen Wright (Professor of Architecture, Author, and Architectural Advisor) and Tukufu Zerberi (Professor of Sociology, Author). In their never ending pursuit of historical truth, these four experts have traveled to every nook and cranny of the United States.
This sounds like something right down my alley. I used to enjoy going to the library in college to dig up information for various papers and now with the availability of the internet, information is even easier and faster to obtain. Some of the subjects investigated on the show include the authenticity of the builder of the engine used in Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis plane, Chief Red Cloud’s Peace Pipe, Jean LaFitte’s spyglass, a Revolutionary War prison letter, Lewis and Clark’s cane, and the mystery of Sheridan’s house.
We all have our fantasy aspirations and mine are listed above. How about you? What would you REALLY like to be doing? Let me know at azjimmcallister@cox.net or http://jmcallister.blogspot.com. Keep that dream alive!
This sounds like something right down my alley. I used to enjoy going to the library in college to dig up information for various papers and now with the availability of the internet, information is even easier and faster to obtain. Some of the subjects investigated on the show include the authenticity of the builder of the engine used in Lindbergh’s Spirit of St. Louis plane, Chief Red Cloud’s Peace Pipe, Jean LaFitte’s spyglass, a Revolutionary War prison letter, Lewis and Clark’s cane, and the mystery of Sheridan’s house.
We all have our fantasy aspirations and mine are listed above. How about you? What would you REALLY like to be doing? Let me know at azjimmcallister@cox.net or http://jmcallister.blogspot.com. Keep that dream alive!
A SNOW STORM HITS SCOTTSDALE AREA!
A lonely horse stands in his corral in Cave Creek
AZ unaware of the oncoming snow storm in the
background. The moisture helped the area but
a severe drought still exists. (photo: AZ Central)
AZ unaware of the oncoming snow storm in the
background. The moisture helped the area but
a severe drought still exists. (photo: AZ Central)
North Scottsdale, AZ on March 10, 2006. After
143 days of no moisture we received an unusual
snowstorm as depicted below. This is very unusual
for the Scottsdale area but was welcomed as it
put a small dent in the drought. Heavy snow fell
in the mountains for the first time this winter.
(photo: courtesy Robert Gallegos)
143 days of no moisture we received an unusual
snowstorm as depicted below. This is very unusual
for the Scottsdale area but was welcomed as it
put a small dent in the drought. Heavy snow fell
in the mountains for the first time this winter.
(photo: courtesy Robert Gallegos)
Tuesday, March 07, 2006
BEST ALBUM EVER? PINK FLOYD'S "DARK SIDE OF THE MOON"
By Jim McAllister
Maybe it is because Pink Floyd reminds me of my favorite group, The Electric Light Orchestra, with their blend of soft and hard stuff, that I feel that DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is the best album to come down the pike. Pink Floyd simply put all the correct pieces together with this album and like ELO with EL DORADO, The Beatles with SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEART’S CLUB BAND and The Who’s TOMMY, they pulled out all the stops in concept album production with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (1973) followed later by THE WALL (1979). Pink Floyd had been around for eight years when DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was released on March 24, 1973. At that time there was considerable disillusionment in the world with the frailty of life being exposed through the King and Kennedy killings of 1968 and the casualties of Vietnam. The conceptuality of the album was a look at life and death and the faults of humanity in between. When you listen you will feel that you are listening to one solid block of music but it is actually 9 different tracks brought together with almost unrecognizable bridges. Leading off is "Speak to Me/Breathe" representing the start of life, gradual insanity with "Brain Damage" and finally death with "Eclipse". In between is "Time", discussing how fast life goes, "On the Run" represents escape, "The Great Gig in the Sky" carries religious overtones, "Money" represents greed, "Us and Them" is about war, and "Any Colour You Like" is basically an instrumental bridge between "Us and Them" and "Brain Damage". Running time for the whole album is 42:57. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON incorporates the use of the then new concept of electronic music combined with classic blues/rock. It also used the combination of natural and industrial sounds (concrete) for extra enhancement of some of the cuts. "Time", Money", and "Us and Them" hit the pop charts with "Money" becoming a best seller at number 13. Although all three went well over the established 3 minute length for pop songs, they received plenty of play on FM radio with edited versions used on some stations. Thanks to The Beatles’ "Hey Jude" in the 1960's, the three minute barrier was pretty much gone by 1973. The thing I remember the most about "Time" was the opening montage of several alarm clocks ticking and ringing. A disc jockey in Kansas City (Ron Brothers of KUDL-FM) used that beginning on his morning drive show to wake me many times!
Maybe it is because Pink Floyd reminds me of my favorite group, The Electric Light Orchestra, with their blend of soft and hard stuff, that I feel that DARK SIDE OF THE MOON is the best album to come down the pike. Pink Floyd simply put all the correct pieces together with this album and like ELO with EL DORADO, The Beatles with SGT. PEPPER’S LONELY HEART’S CLUB BAND and The Who’s TOMMY, they pulled out all the stops in concept album production with DARK SIDE OF THE MOON (1973) followed later by THE WALL (1979). Pink Floyd had been around for eight years when DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was released on March 24, 1973. At that time there was considerable disillusionment in the world with the frailty of life being exposed through the King and Kennedy killings of 1968 and the casualties of Vietnam. The conceptuality of the album was a look at life and death and the faults of humanity in between. When you listen you will feel that you are listening to one solid block of music but it is actually 9 different tracks brought together with almost unrecognizable bridges. Leading off is "Speak to Me/Breathe" representing the start of life, gradual insanity with "Brain Damage" and finally death with "Eclipse". In between is "Time", discussing how fast life goes, "On the Run" represents escape, "The Great Gig in the Sky" carries religious overtones, "Money" represents greed, "Us and Them" is about war, and "Any Colour You Like" is basically an instrumental bridge between "Us and Them" and "Brain Damage". Running time for the whole album is 42:57. DARK SIDE OF THE MOON incorporates the use of the then new concept of electronic music combined with classic blues/rock. It also used the combination of natural and industrial sounds (concrete) for extra enhancement of some of the cuts. "Time", Money", and "Us and Them" hit the pop charts with "Money" becoming a best seller at number 13. Although all three went well over the established 3 minute length for pop songs, they received plenty of play on FM radio with edited versions used on some stations. Thanks to The Beatles’ "Hey Jude" in the 1960's, the three minute barrier was pretty much gone by 1973. The thing I remember the most about "Time" was the opening montage of several alarm clocks ticking and ringing. A disc jockey in Kansas City (Ron Brothers of KUDL-FM) used that beginning on his morning drive show to wake me many times!
DARK SIDE OF THE MOON was recorded in London at Abbey Road Studios between June of 1972 and January of 1973. Originally Pink Floyd had done the entire piece live in concert several times before the album was released. Band members included David Gilmour (guitar, vocals, keyboards), Roger Waters (bass guitar, vocals), Richard Wright (keyboards vocals) and Nick Mason (percussion, drums). Roger Waters wrote all the lyrics which was a first for Pink Floyd. After release the album became a tremendous success. The Guinness Book of Records lists it as being on the best selling charts longer than any album in history. It has sold well over 40 million copies to date. In 2003, 250,000 copies were sold, thirty years after release. In 2004, it was selling over 8,000 copies per week and it is estimated that one in every 14 people in the United States under the age of 50 owns the album. It has spent over 740 weeks on the Billboard top 200 list and had a consecutive weeks streak of 591 at one time. For many years the theory was that one of the reasons for the high sales was that Pink Floyd fans would wear out the old 33 1/3 recordings from the continuous play and would have to replace them with another sale. Well, that may be true but the CD has done pretty well also.
So, why all the fuss over an album from a group that had minimal success before 1973? I guess the answer could be that it reflected well the times of the early 70's and expressed them in a manner attractive to Pink Floyd fans through the use of new musical techniques like electronics and concrete plus a mixture of voice, horns, and guitar. Perhaps some of the success may be because it was a concept album, an idea that had gone over well a few years earlier with The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. Maybe it was the imposing lyrics of Roger Waters. Maybe it was because the members of Pink Floyd were, plain and simply, great and dedicated musicians who were part of the London sound of the late 1960's. Nobody can say for sure but most agree that it is a great album. I love DARK SIDE OF THE MOON for its mixture of easy going and hard sounds and for the way it represents its time in history. I also enjoy it for its memories of a great time in my life; a time that can be brought back somewhat through listening to this wonderful album. (Comments, questions? http://jmcallister.blogspot.com or azjimmcallister@cox.net)
A QUICK LOOK AT THE OSCARS....REAL QUICK!
It’s nice to see the smaller movies get some recognition at the Academy Awards this year. If you are a regular reader of my columns you know that I don’t think too much of the AA’s. They are usually a popularity contest and too many times deserving movies or actors are left out because of their anonymity. This is not the case this year as "Crash" (box office, $53 million) won Best Picture, the wonderful Philip Seymour Hoffman won Best Actor for totally nailing the part of Truman Capote in "Capote" ($22 million), Rachel Weisz won Best Supporting Actress in the mostly ignored "The Constant Gardener" (Her part was actually deserving of Best Actress). Ang Lee took Best Director with "Brokeback Mountain", a highly discussed film that actually only did $72 million at the box office. Add to that the nomination of Amy Adams for Best Supporting Actress in "Junebug" ($3 million) and Felicity Huffman for Best Actress in "Transamerica" ($4 million) and we see the Academy as looking more to quality than quantity for a change.
It’s also nice to see Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes pick up their well earned "Razzie" award as the most annoying couple. What happened to Cruise? He was so good and controlled in his early "Risky Business" (1983) and then he becomes a 5' 6" bundle of craziness. Nicole Kidman said it all after her divorce from Cruise when asked how her life had changed: "Well, I can wear heels again."
Wednesday, March 01, 2006
IS IT TRUE OR NOT?
The following piece (following the Robert B. Parker column) about Lee Marvin, Bob Keeshan, and Mr. Rogers has been disputed by some. Please go to http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl-marvin-keeshan.htm for a different point of view and decide for yourself what you want to believe. JM
AN ENCORE WITH AUTHOR ROBERT B. PARKER AT THE "PEN"
By Jim McAllister
For those of you who enjoy reading books of the mystery genre and are fortunate enough to live in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, you should be aware of the two gems available to you in the form of the Poisoned Pen bookstores. Owner Barb Peters carries not only the best in mystery reading but has a continuous schedule of author appearances and book signings to add to the enjoyment of her customers.
Last March I stopped by for a book signing session and discussion with author Robert B. Parker as he was in town to discuss his latest Spenser For Hire entry, "Cold Service". Mr. Parker was back in town on February 7 to promote his latest in the Jesse Stone series, "Sea Change".
Parker is a fascinating guy. At 73 he is still writing three books per year and is now caught up through 2007. His main character through almost 60 books has been Boston private eye Spenser but a few years ago he added lady detective Sunny Randall, also a Boston P. I., into the mix along with Paradise, Massachusetts police chief, Jesse Stone. He has done several books on other subjects such as Wyatt Earp and Jackie Robinson. One of his personal favorites was "All My Yesterdays" written in 1994. It is a chronicle of an Irish family over a time span in the 20th century which I thoroughly enjoyed but unfortunately was not a success.
Parker was asked how he comes up with his various characters. His reply was that he just uses his "plain old imagination". He also doesn’t read reviews of his works and admits that Jesse Stone is a "work in progress". He writes in simple declarative sentences and the moral of his books is to live life on our own terms and enjoy it.
By the age of 30 Robert B. Parker had done about all he wanted to do. He refers to everything after that as "frosting on the cake". As far as the recent controversy over the James Frey book and whether it was fiction or non-fiction, he says simply that one should tell the truth if they are doing an autobiography.
For those of you who enjoy reading books of the mystery genre and are fortunate enough to live in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area, you should be aware of the two gems available to you in the form of the Poisoned Pen bookstores. Owner Barb Peters carries not only the best in mystery reading but has a continuous schedule of author appearances and book signings to add to the enjoyment of her customers.
Last March I stopped by for a book signing session and discussion with author Robert B. Parker as he was in town to discuss his latest Spenser For Hire entry, "Cold Service". Mr. Parker was back in town on February 7 to promote his latest in the Jesse Stone series, "Sea Change".
Parker is a fascinating guy. At 73 he is still writing three books per year and is now caught up through 2007. His main character through almost 60 books has been Boston private eye Spenser but a few years ago he added lady detective Sunny Randall, also a Boston P. I., into the mix along with Paradise, Massachusetts police chief, Jesse Stone. He has done several books on other subjects such as Wyatt Earp and Jackie Robinson. One of his personal favorites was "All My Yesterdays" written in 1994. It is a chronicle of an Irish family over a time span in the 20th century which I thoroughly enjoyed but unfortunately was not a success.
Parker was asked how he comes up with his various characters. His reply was that he just uses his "plain old imagination". He also doesn’t read reviews of his works and admits that Jesse Stone is a "work in progress". He writes in simple declarative sentences and the moral of his books is to live life on our own terms and enjoy it.
By the age of 30 Robert B. Parker had done about all he wanted to do. He refers to everything after that as "frosting on the cake". As far as the recent controversy over the James Frey book and whether it was fiction or non-fiction, he says simply that one should tell the truth if they are doing an autobiography.
There have been two Jesse Stone novels translated into made for TV movies and shown on CBS. A third movie is now in post production and will be shown this spring. Tom Selleck stars as Jesse and that is fine with Parker as he feels Selleck is good in the role even if he is about twice the age as Jesse. Parker has no pretensions about his books being made into movies or television shows. He was listed as a consultant for the television show "Spenser For Hire", based on his stories, during its 1985-1988 run on ABC. He realized that the TV show didn’t have much similarity to what he had written in his novels, but he knew that comparing the two was pointless. His feeling is that "the business of television is to put on good television, not to replicate my books. A thing is, after all, what it is, and not something else." Hence, when he sees one of his works being highly edited by a screenwriter, he understands where it is coming from.
Sometimes it is difficult to translate a popular novel into an interesting screenplay. Many good novels have long scenes of dialogue which, if transferred to the movie screen in their entirety, would seem boring and impossible to assimilate by the attention span of the average movie customer. Therefore, it is the job of the screenwriter to adapt a different format to alleviate this problem. That is why one can read a novel and then see the movie and point out many discrepancies and it is also why in the movie credits the words "based on" will accompany the title of the original printed work.
Sometimes it is difficult to translate a popular novel into an interesting screenplay. Many good novels have long scenes of dialogue which, if transferred to the movie screen in their entirety, would seem boring and impossible to assimilate by the attention span of the average movie customer. Therefore, it is the job of the screenwriter to adapt a different format to alleviate this problem. That is why one can read a novel and then see the movie and point out many discrepancies and it is also why in the movie credits the words "based on" will accompany the title of the original printed work.
There have been some great novelists, such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, who attempted screenwriting and failed because they didn’t understand the necessity of extensive changes. In today’s world, a popular novel written by someone like Michael Connelly or Robert B. Parker, is considered a success if it sells in the range of 300,000 hardback copies and about 1,000,000 paperbacks. That sounds like a lot of books but when one considers that the United States has 240,000,000 people, it doesn’t seem that gigantic. So, for one of these novels to be translated to the silver screen, it has to be made to appeal to a lot more than the readers of the works to be a successful movie, hence, the intervention of the screenwriter.
Robert B. Parker is not interested in screenwriting although he has dabbled in it. He likes the philosophy of Raymond Chandler: "When you do a screenplay, it belongs to them (the studio), when you write a novel, it’s yours."
For more information of book signings and author appearances go to poisonedpen.com. (Questions? comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net and jmcallister.blogspot.com)
Robert B. Parker is not interested in screenwriting although he has dabbled in it. He likes the philosophy of Raymond Chandler: "When you do a screenplay, it belongs to them (the studio), when you write a novel, it’s yours."
For more information of book signings and author appearances go to poisonedpen.com. (Questions? comments? azjimmcallister@cox.net and jmcallister.blogspot.com)
LEE MARVIN, BOB KEESHAN, MR. ROGERS....YOU MAY BE SURPRISED
Here is an interesting piece from friend Rhonda Mata that may surprise some of you. We usually think of Hollywood types trying to take the easy way out of trouble but this information about Lee Marvin, Bob Keeshan (Captain Kangaroo), and Mr. Rogers may surprise you even more.
In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima . There is only one higher Naval award... the Medal Of Honor.
In a time when many Hollywood stars served their country in the armed forces often in rear echelon posts where they were carefully protected, only to be trotted out to perform for the cameras in war bond promotions, Lee Marvin was a genuine hero. He won the Navy Cross at Iwo Jima . There is only one higher Naval award... the Medal Of Honor.
If that is a surprising comment on the true character of the man, he credits his sergeant with an even greater show of bravery. Dialog from "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson": His guest was Lee Marvin. Johnny said, "Lee, I'll bet a lot of people are unaware that you were a Marine in the initial landing at Iwo Jima .and that during the course of that action you earned the Navy Cross and were severely wounded."
"Yeah, yeah... I got shot square in the bottom and they gave me the Cross for securing a hot spot about halfway up Suribachi. Bad thing about getting shot up on a mountain is guys getting' shot hauling you down. But, Johnny, at Iwo I served under the bravest man I ever knew... We both got the cross the same day, but what he did for his Cross made mine look cheap in comparison. That dumb guy actually stood up on Red beach and directed his troops to move forward and get the hell off the beach. Bullets flying by, with mortar rounds landing everywhere and he stood there as the main target of gunfire so that he could get his men to safety. He did this on more than one occasion because his men's safety was more important than his own life. That Sergeant and I have been lifelong friends. When they brought me off Suribachi we passed the Sergeant and he lit a smoke and passed it to me, lying on my belly on the litter and said, where'd they get you Lee?' Well Bob... if you make it home be fore me, tell Mom to sell the outhouse!" Johnny, I'm not lying, Sergeant Keeshan was the bravest man I ever knew. The Sergeant's name is Bob Keeshan. You and the world know him as Captain Kangaroo."
On another note, there was this wimpy little man on PBS, gentle and quiet. Mr. Rogers is another of those you would least suspect of being anything but what he now portrays to our youth. But Mr. Rogers was a U.S. Navy Seal, combat-proven in Vietnam with over twenty-five confirmed kills to his name. He wore a long-sleeved sweater on TV, to cover the many tattoos on his forearm and biceps. He was a master in small arms and hand-to-hand combat, able to disarm or kill in a heartbeat
After the war Mr. Rogers became an ordained Presbyterian minister and therefore a pacifist. Vowing to never harm another human and also dedicating the rest of his life to trying to help lead children on the right path in life. He hid away the tattoos and his past life and won our hearts with his quiet wit and charm. America's real heroes don't flaunt what they did; they quietly go about their day-to-day lives, doing what they do best. They earned our respect and the freedoms that we all enjoy. Look around and see if you can find one of those heroes in your midst. Often, they are the ones you'd least suspect, but would most like to have on your side if anything ever happened. Take the time to thank anyone that has fought for our freedom. With encouragement they could be the next Captain Kangaroo or Mr.Rogers
Tuesday, February 21, 2006
A QUICK LOOK THROUGH MY WINDOW ON MAIN STREET.....
By Jim McAllister
There is hope for the over sixty crowd regardless of what the younger folks think. According to AARP only 5% of those over 60 believe that sex should be left to the young. About 85% of this group has some sort of intimate experience once a week including kissing and intercourse!.....In other news (ahem), what is the deal with Dick Cheney? He obviously took some lessons from the esteemed senator from Massachusetts, Mr. K. Cheney makes Dan Quayle look like a genius. As Jay Leno says, "What if it turns out that Bush is the smart one!".....Ah, Scottsdale politics. It’s the only town in the area with a population of over 200,000 and a city council that has no clue. Next month is election time and already there is a scandal over three incumbents conspiring to keep another candidate off the ballot. Immediately there are 7 write in candidates trying to take advantage and wiggle their way on to the council. Stay tuned!.....
There is hope for the over sixty crowd regardless of what the younger folks think. According to AARP only 5% of those over 60 believe that sex should be left to the young. About 85% of this group has some sort of intimate experience once a week including kissing and intercourse!.....In other news (ahem), what is the deal with Dick Cheney? He obviously took some lessons from the esteemed senator from Massachusetts, Mr. K. Cheney makes Dan Quayle look like a genius. As Jay Leno says, "What if it turns out that Bush is the smart one!".....Ah, Scottsdale politics. It’s the only town in the area with a population of over 200,000 and a city council that has no clue. Next month is election time and already there is a scandal over three incumbents conspiring to keep another candidate off the ballot. Immediately there are 7 write in candidates trying to take advantage and wiggle their way on to the council. Stay tuned!.....
Recent deaths.....Noted sportscaster Curt Gowdy has died at 86. I remember Curt very well for his good calls in many major sporting events and his folksy way in the booth. He is probably the last guy to do all major events like the Super Bowl (he did the first one in 1967), the World Series, the Olympics, and NCAA Basketball. I especially remember his commentary on the famous "Heidi" game between Oakland and the New York Jets in 1968. NBC cut away from the game late in the 4th quarter to show the movie "Heidi". At the time new York led 32-29 but Oakland scored twice to win in the last minute 43-32. That is why all games are shown in their entirety these days!.....Other notable recent deaths: Writer Peter Benchley, author of "Jaws", "The Deep", and others is dead at 65.....Freddie Laker, pioneer of the low cost air fares at 83.....Al "Grandpa" Lewis, He made a career out of being a member of the TV cast of "The Munsters" in the 1960's. He also was an expert on scouting basketball players. He was 92.....Moira Shearer, the pretty red headed ballerina in Michael Powell’s classic 1948 movie, "The Red Shoes". She was 80.....Have you been watching the Olympics?
What in the world was snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis thinking pulling that hot dog move with a 100 meter lead on the second place opponent? I hope she didn’t have her endorsement money spent yet as she threw it away with that bonehead move and cost her and her country a gold medal. The rest of the Olympics is OK but I wouldn’t want it to be on any more than every four years. Bob Costas is doing his usual great job of hosting the affair. Costas is always good regardless of what he does and it is nice to see him between the multitude of commercials.....Do you like to read good mysteries? If you read this space with any regularity you know that I love a mystery particularly by John Dunning, Robert B. Parker, and Michael Connelly. I want to add Harlan Coben to that list. I just finished his "Just One Look" and am half way through "The Innocent". Coben is definitely "A" list with his work as he brings new meaning to "page turner" and "I can’t put this book down".....Do ten year old kids riding skateboards really need to be talking on cell phones? I was just wondering.....It has been 125 days since it rained in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. The previous record was 101 days. Attention firemen: get ready to be busy this spring.....
Water is a constant problem in an arid area like Arizona. Since it has not rained this winter the problem will become more acute this year. The building boom continues in the Phoenix area but at least builders have to show a 100 year water availability study. In the rural areas of the state, proof of 100 year water availability is not necessary to build homes. So, we now have plans in Mohave County in the Kingman area to build 160,000 homes with no proof of water availability! Currently that area averages 14 people per square mile and they are having trouble finding enough water to live on as wells continually dry up and water has to be hauled in. Of course, the developers don’t care, they just want to build and get the hell out. These homes are being built primarily as a bedroom community for Las Vegas as casino personnel are unable to afford housing in expensive Vegas and shouldn’t mind the one hour commute when the new road is built around Hoover Dam. Let’s see, 160,000 homes and no water certainty....Hmmmmmm.....once again, stay tuned.....Johnny Mathis, Connie Francis, and Patti Page have recently been or are scheduled to be performing in town. When looking at their pictures in the newspaper it reminded me of some of the photos of famous people my buddy Allen sends to me under the heading of "The importance of make-up." I’m glad to see that these people are still able to make the rounds. See you next week! (Comments? Questions? Leave them in space provided or azjimmcallister@cox.net)
Tuesday, February 14, 2006
MOVIE REMAKES: AN IMPROVEMENT OR SHAMELESS RIP-OFF?
By Jim McAllister
I am going to be up front with my feelings about movie re-makes. In most cases I think they are a rip-off trying to cash in on a story that somebody else took a career and financial risk on in the past and had it pay off. Usually the re-makes are miscast with the current "flavor of the month" star banking on a proven story line to make a buck. Please notice that I said this happens "in most cases" but not always; some re-makes are actually pretty good. Many think that re-makes are a current phenomenon since Hollywood movie attendance is slipping every year and they are trying to get something into the theaters that works and the easiest way is to copy a winner. This is not so as re-makes have been around since sound movies were introduced in 1927. It is simply a case of the same philosophy being used over and over again. After all, isn’t the object to turn a profit? Let’s make THE MALTESE FALCON three times (1931, 1936, 1941) since Dashiell Hammett is hot and see what happens! (The third version was by far the best, a very successful re-make)
I am going to be up front with my feelings about movie re-makes. In most cases I think they are a rip-off trying to cash in on a story that somebody else took a career and financial risk on in the past and had it pay off. Usually the re-makes are miscast with the current "flavor of the month" star banking on a proven story line to make a buck. Please notice that I said this happens "in most cases" but not always; some re-makes are actually pretty good. Many think that re-makes are a current phenomenon since Hollywood movie attendance is slipping every year and they are trying to get something into the theaters that works and the easiest way is to copy a winner. This is not so as re-makes have been around since sound movies were introduced in 1927. It is simply a case of the same philosophy being used over and over again. After all, isn’t the object to turn a profit? Let’s make THE MALTESE FALCON three times (1931, 1936, 1941) since Dashiell Hammett is hot and see what happens! (The third version was by far the best, a very successful re-make)
Another example of a good early re-make is THE FRONT PAGE. Originally made in 1931 with Adolf Menjou and Mary Brian, this one has been re-made three times and each version has been excellent. My favorite is HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940) with Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. 1974's THE FRONT PAGE and 1988's SWITCHING CHANNELS were good also.
I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955) and COLORADO TERRITORY (1949) were re-makes of the Humphrey Bogart hit HIGH SIERRA (1941). Although the 1955 version is usually panned, I like Jack Palance in the Roy "Mad Dog" Earle part and the 1949 version is good with Joel McCrea. Other decent remakes are PYGMALION (1937) into MY FAIR LADY (1964), and CAPE FEAR (1962, 1991).
I DIED A THOUSAND TIMES (1955) and COLORADO TERRITORY (1949) were re-makes of the Humphrey Bogart hit HIGH SIERRA (1941). Although the 1955 version is usually panned, I like Jack Palance in the Roy "Mad Dog" Earle part and the 1949 version is good with Joel McCrea. Other decent remakes are PYGMALION (1937) into MY FAIR LADY (1964), and CAPE FEAR (1962, 1991).
And then we have the stinkers: DOCTOR DOOLITTLE (1967, 1998)...In this case, I wonder why anyone would want to make a second version. The original had the star power of Rex Harrison and still couldn’t pull it off. At 144 minutes it was a sure snoozer with the only bright spot being the award winning song "Talk to the Animals". Number two was a bit better with Eddie Murphy providing some comic relief but still pretty much a dud. ROLLERBALL (1975, 2002)...The 1975 film was just OK and didn’t really deserve to be made again. It at least had some talent with James Caan and John Houseman existing in a society where violence is outlawed. The second coming of this film is just plain silly as stars Chris Klein and L. L. Cool J go to Europe to play rollerball, a circus event more than a sport. STAGECOACH (1939, 1966)...It isn’t so much that the second making of this classic is bad; it is simply a case where the original was so good that it was impossible to improve the product. The 1939 original is a great film, not just a great western. It was one of the early "adult" westerns which featured the interaction among a disparate cast traveling on a stagecoach through Indian territory. It also features some of the best action sequences recorded on film thanks to the artistry of Yakima Canutt. This movie made John Wayne a star and Thomas Mitchell’s role as the drunken doctor earned him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. The 1966 production of STAGECOACH gave it a whirl but the shoes were too big to fill. There is nothing wrong with the cast consisting of Ann-Margret, Bing Crosby, Bob Cummings, and Slim Pickens but it is too long at 155 minutes and sorely lacking in action.
Then there is PSYCHO (1960, 1998). This one is similar to STAGECOACH as it is a classic that virtually can’t be duplicated. However, director Gus Van Sant tried to do exactly that by copying the original scene for scene in the shameless 1998 re-make. The biggest problem is with the stars plus the fact that it is hard to duplicate perfection. The role of Norman Bates is synonymous with Anthony Perkins, Vince Vaughn had no chance. The same goes for Ann Heche playing Marion Crane. Forget it Ann, you are not Janet Leigh. More bad re-makes: YOURS, MINE, AND OURS (1968, 2005), THE GETAWAY (1972, 1994).
One of the problems with some re-makes is the over use of special effects. I believe that is one of the problems with the 2005 copy of KING KONG. This movie has not lived up to expectations at the box office as it has barely made it’s cost of $207 million. They took all the charm out of the original and made it too long.
As I have mentioned before, one of the fun things about being a critic is you can never be right or wrong. All you are doing is giving your opinion which may or may not differ from that of your readers. However, with the track record of re-makes, if you see a re-make of one of your favorites ready for a debut, you may be better off staying home and reading the book.
One of the problems with some re-makes is the over use of special effects. I believe that is one of the problems with the 2005 copy of KING KONG. This movie has not lived up to expectations at the box office as it has barely made it’s cost of $207 million. They took all the charm out of the original and made it too long.
As I have mentioned before, one of the fun things about being a critic is you can never be right or wrong. All you are doing is giving your opinion which may or may not differ from that of your readers. However, with the track record of re-makes, if you see a re-make of one of your favorites ready for a debut, you may be better off staying home and reading the book.
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
FROM THE CARIOCA TO HIP-HOP, JUST DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!
by Jim McAllister
A few months ago in this space, I talked about the benefits of running and how it helped me toward fitness starting in the mid 1970's. It worked for me but I realized then and I realize now that running is not for everyone. Some people consider it boring to go out and take in a run, some feel that it is bad for the joints, and others think that exercise is just plain silly regardless of what you do. As for me, nothing matched the exhilaration of the "runner’s high." One thing for certain; being overweight is a terrible drain on your health and running will alleviate that problem. For those who hate the idea of running there is another way to achieve fitness that may be more attractive to you: dancing.
Since the beginning of time, dancing and moving to some type of sound or music has been a natural activity for human beings. Physical activity is important to mental and physical health and dancing can provide that activity.
The latest studies recommend that a person should do some type of exercise for thirty minutes at a time about five times a week. This can include walking, running, riding a stationary bike, or some type of dancing. Even slow dancing provides about the same amount of exercise as walking. This type of exercise gets your heart pumping faster and warms you up reducing the risk of heart disease and helping lower blood pressure and the risk of diabetes.
A few months ago in this space, I talked about the benefits of running and how it helped me toward fitness starting in the mid 1970's. It worked for me but I realized then and I realize now that running is not for everyone. Some people consider it boring to go out and take in a run, some feel that it is bad for the joints, and others think that exercise is just plain silly regardless of what you do. As for me, nothing matched the exhilaration of the "runner’s high." One thing for certain; being overweight is a terrible drain on your health and running will alleviate that problem. For those who hate the idea of running there is another way to achieve fitness that may be more attractive to you: dancing.
Since the beginning of time, dancing and moving to some type of sound or music has been a natural activity for human beings. Physical activity is important to mental and physical health and dancing can provide that activity.
The latest studies recommend that a person should do some type of exercise for thirty minutes at a time about five times a week. This can include walking, running, riding a stationary bike, or some type of dancing. Even slow dancing provides about the same amount of exercise as walking. This type of exercise gets your heart pumping faster and warms you up reducing the risk of heart disease and helping lower blood pressure and the risk of diabetes.
Burning calories is a constant concern for most of us as that is necessary to maintain or lose weight. Depending on the type of dancing you enjoy, the average weight person can usually burn about 100 calories in a half hour dance session depending on the type of dance. Dancing is also good for the joints and muscles. The strain on the bones increases density thus decreasing brittleness from osteoporosis and the working of the muscles helps against osteoarthritis. Dancing also helps with balance and the reduction of the chances of injury from falling; a typical problem for senior citizens.
Seniors are constantly being reminded of the importance of staying active, both mentally and physically. They are encouraged to take classes, learn computers, try writing with the opposite hand, and do other items that keep the brain active and stall Alzheimer’s. Exercise, such as dancing, is also important in its ability to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
One of the most important benefits of exercise of any kind is the improvement of a person’s general mood. I remember when I was running a lot of miles how there were some days when I didn’t feel like lacing up the Nikes and going for my run. Maybe it was cold and raining or I felt sluggish or that cold Budweiser looked more inviting that day. But, usually I would force myself out the door and when I returned I had an entirely different outlook on my day as now the juices were flowing, the heart was pumping, and I felt like I had earned that beer. It was a wonderful feeling and you can feel the same without running if you want: just dance.
Seniors are constantly being reminded of the importance of staying active, both mentally and physically. They are encouraged to take classes, learn computers, try writing with the opposite hand, and do other items that keep the brain active and stall Alzheimer’s. Exercise, such as dancing, is also important in its ability to increase blood flow and oxygen to the brain.
One of the most important benefits of exercise of any kind is the improvement of a person’s general mood. I remember when I was running a lot of miles how there were some days when I didn’t feel like lacing up the Nikes and going for my run. Maybe it was cold and raining or I felt sluggish or that cold Budweiser looked more inviting that day. But, usually I would force myself out the door and when I returned I had an entirely different outlook on my day as now the juices were flowing, the heart was pumping, and I felt like I had earned that beer. It was a wonderful feeling and you can feel the same without running if you want: just dance.
Have you ever seen a fat dancer? It is highly unlikely as dancers are fit, in shape people from their rigorous exercise. Here are some examples of those who benefitted from dancing: FRED ASTAIRE (1899-1987): Fred lived to be 88 and was slim and trim his whole life. He did specials on television in the 1950's exhibiting his dancing prowess and as late as 1968 at age 69 he danced in the movie "Finian’s Rainbow". JAMES CAGNEY (1899-1986): Jimmy Cagney was a song and dance man in vaudeville before he entered the movies. He never did much dancing in films except for "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (1942) where he played showman George M. Cohan and his reprisal of the Cohan role in 1955 for "The Seven Little Foys" at age 56. He did, however, do a lot of dancing in his later years to keep fit. GEORGE MURPHY (1902-1992). Murphy hoofed his way through many films with the best of them, became a U. S. Senator, and lived to be 90. FAYARD NICHOLAS (1914-2006): Recently died at 91, was half of The Nicholas Brothers dance act, the most acrobatic I have ever seen. GENE KELLY (1912-1996): Kelly was one of the best, could do any dance, lived to 84. Want more proof about the benefits of dancing? How about those two great dance teachers, ARTHUR MURRAY (1895-1991) and his wife KATHRYN MURRAY (1906-1999). I think these are some good examples of how dancing may increase one’s life span.
Whether it’s the Carioca, the fox trot or a polka, just dance, dance, dance! (Comments, Questions? Go to jmcallister.blogspot.com or azjimmcallister@cox.net)
Whether it’s the Carioca, the fox trot or a polka, just dance, dance, dance! (Comments, Questions? Go to jmcallister.blogspot.com or azjimmcallister@cox.net)
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
THREE MOVIE TREASURES: McDANIEL, BEAVERS, AND HORNE
by Jim McAllister
McDaniel, Beavers, and Horne; it sounds like a law firm but nothing could be further from the reality of those three names. They are Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers, and Lena Horne; three fine actresses whose careers were held back simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. These ladies were black and during their prime years of the 1930's and 1940's it didn’t matter how much ability a black entertainer had in Hollywood, they were usually going to be subjected to minor or subservient parts, sometimes called the "Stepin Fetchit syndrome" named after the black actor of that era.
McDaniel, Beavers, and Horne; it sounds like a law firm but nothing could be further from the reality of those three names. They are Hattie McDaniel, Louise Beavers, and Lena Horne; three fine actresses whose careers were held back simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. These ladies were black and during their prime years of the 1930's and 1940's it didn’t matter how much ability a black entertainer had in Hollywood, they were usually going to be subjected to minor or subservient parts, sometimes called the "Stepin Fetchit syndrome" named after the black actor of that era.
Today we have Halle Berry earning a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in 2001's "Monster’s Ball". It make one wonder what kind of career the talented and beautiful Lena Horne (b. 1917) might have had under today’s standards versus the era of her youth. She was an immense talent both as a singer and an actress. She got her start at age 14 as a dancer in Harlem’s famous Cotton Club, a place where black entertainers were mostly enjoyed by a white audience. By 16 she was packing them in as a singer and later moved on to some parts in Broadway productions. At 21 she was ready for Hollywood but was it ready for her? She had small roles in "The Duke is Tops" (1938) and "Panama Hattie" (1942) but they were singing "inserts" and not really acting parts. In 1943 she appeared in the all black production of "Stormy Weather" and the title song became her signature. Perhaps her best role as an actress was in "Cabin in the Sky", also an all black production from 1943.
By the late 1940's she was still doing inserts for major movies like "Words and Music" (1948) and "Duchess of Idaho" (1950). Although these inserts were nice productions, they rarely had anything to do with the plot. They were simply "fluff" that could be removed from the film when it was sent into the south, an area where no black person was to receive any type of favorable recognition even though the Civil War had been over for almost 100 years.
Lena has referred to her early career as being "a sepia Hedy Lamarr", a reference to the beautiful Austrian actress of that time. Fortunately, she had a nice career despite the prejudices of the times but one wonders what might have been.
By the late 1940's she was still doing inserts for major movies like "Words and Music" (1948) and "Duchess of Idaho" (1950). Although these inserts were nice productions, they rarely had anything to do with the plot. They were simply "fluff" that could be removed from the film when it was sent into the south, an area where no black person was to receive any type of favorable recognition even though the Civil War had been over for almost 100 years.
Lena has referred to her early career as being "a sepia Hedy Lamarr", a reference to the beautiful Austrian actress of that time. Fortunately, she had a nice career despite the prejudices of the times but one wonders what might have been.
Hattie McDaniel (1895-1952) will be known forever for her role as "Mammy" in "Gone With the Wind" (1939). She received the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for that role but not much else as far as recognition or respect. When the film premiered in Atlanta in December of 1939, neither Hattie or her black co-stars were invited since Atlanta was still segregated. A commemorative program that was printed to honor the event had to be destroyed and re-printed because of the complaints of southerners over the use of Hattie’s picture on the back page. Even at the Academy Awards presentation in 1940, where she received her Best Supporting Actress award, she and her husband were not seated with the GWTW party, but were placed in the far away reaches of the room. It was a long walk to the stage when her name was called.
Hattie went on to play basically domestic help in a few more movies and the television show, "Beulah" before she died in 1952. Once again, like Lena Horne, one wonders what Hattie McDaniel might have accomplished in another era.
Hattie went on to play basically domestic help in a few more movies and the television show, "Beulah" before she died in 1952. Once again, like Lena Horne, one wonders what Hattie McDaniel might have accomplished in another era.
Sweet Louise Beavers (1902-1962); what a neat lady she was. She was almost universally cast as a domestic but made the most of it in such films as "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House" (1947) where her part had a big influence on the work of advertising man Cary Grant. However, in most cases her talents were wasted because of stereotyping and most of the roles she had in 130 film appearances were small and typical. Her one big opportunity for a breakthrough occurred in 1934 when she was cast as Claudette Colbert’s maid "Delilah" in "Imitation of Life". It was a large and important part and if the Academy was handing out supporting Oscars at that time she would have had an excellent chance to get one. However, they weren’t and it was left to Hattie McDaniel to earn the first African-American Oscar in 1939.
In spite of Louise’s fine performance in "Imitation of Life", she still only received fifth billing and after that film it was back into the domestic roles. She worked in movies and television throughout the 1950's and died at age 60 in 1962, another fine actress who missed opportunities because of the times.
Hattie McDaniel, Lena Horne, and Louise Beavers: Three great ladies of film when the word "diversity" was unknown. I’m sure that Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, and others know these ladies and appreciate their groundbreaking work.
In spite of Louise’s fine performance in "Imitation of Life", she still only received fifth billing and after that film it was back into the domestic roles. She worked in movies and television throughout the 1950's and died at age 60 in 1962, another fine actress who missed opportunities because of the times.
Hattie McDaniel, Lena Horne, and Louise Beavers: Three great ladies of film when the word "diversity" was unknown. I’m sure that Halle Berry, Queen Latifah, and others know these ladies and appreciate their groundbreaking work.
SO YOU WANT TO BE A TEACHER? READ THIS FIRST!
NO PARENT LEFT BEHIND, I PROMISE YOU CANNOT READ THESE AND NOT LAUGH OUT LOUD! THESE ARE REAL NOTES WRITTEN BY PARENTS IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT. (SPELLINGS HAVE BEEN LEFT INTACT.)
*MY SON IS UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE AND SHOULD NOT TAKE PE TODAY. PLEASE EXECUTE HIM.
*PLEASE EXKUCE LISA FOR BEING ABSENT SHE WAS SICK AND I HAD HER SHOT.
*DEAR SCHOOL: PLEASE EXCUSE JOHN BEING ABSENT ON JAN. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 AND ALSO 33.
*PLEASE EXCUSE GLORIA FROM JIM TODAY. SHE IS ADMINISTRATING.
*PLEASE EXCUSE ROLAND FROM P.E. FOR A FEW DAYS. YESTERDAY HE FELL OUT OF A TREE AND MISPLACED HIS HIP.
*JOHN HAS BEEN ABSENT BECAUSE HE HAD TWO TEETH TAKEN OUT OF HIS FACE.
*CARLOS WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL. HE WAS HURT IN THE GROWING PART.
*MEGAN COULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN BOTHERED BYVERY CLOSE VEINS
*CHRIS WILL NOT BE IN SCHOOL CUS HE HAS AN ACRE IN HIS SIDE.
*PLEASE EXCUSE RAY FRIDAY FROM SCHOOL. HE HAS VERY LOOSE VOWELS.
*PLEASE EXCUSE PEDRO FROM BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD (DIAHRE, DYREA,DIREATHE), THE SHITS. [WORDS IN ( )'s WERE CROSSED OUT].
*PLEASE EXCUSE TOMMY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD DIARRHEA, AND HIS BOOTS LEAK.
*IRVING WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS BUST.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JIMMY FOR BEING. IT WAS HIS FATHER'S FAULT.
*KEPT BILLIE HOME BECAUSE SHE HAD TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE SHE WEAR.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JENNIFER FOR MISSING SCHOOL YESTERDAY. WE FORGOT TO GET THE SUNDAY PAPER OFF THE PORCH, AND WHEN WE FOUND IT MONDAY. WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUNDAY.
*SALLY WON'T BE IN SCHOOL A WEEK FROM FRIDAY. WE HAVE TO ATTEND HER FUNERAL.
*MY DAUGHTER WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE WAS TIRED. SHE SPENT A WEEKEND WITH THE MARINES.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JASON FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD A COLD AND COULD NOT BREED WELL.
*PLEASE EXCUSE MARY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. SHE WAS IN BED WITH GRAMPS.
*GLORIA WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY AS SHE WAS HAVING A GANGOVER.
*PLEASE EXCUSE BRENDA. SHE HAS BEEN SICK AND UNDER THE DOCTOR.
*MARYANN WAS ABSENT DECEMBER 11-16, BECAUSE SHE HAD A FEVER, SORE THROAT, HEADACHE AND UPSET STOMACH. HER SISTER WAS ALSO SICK, FEVER AND SORE THROAT; HER BROTHER HAD A LOW GRADE FEVER AND ACHED ALL OVER. I WASN'T THE BEST EITHER, SORE THROAT AND FEVER. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING GOING AROUND, HER FATHER EVEN GOT HOT LAST NIGHT.
NOW WE KNOW WHY PARENTS ARE SCREAMING FOR BETTER EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS!
God Bless our Teachers; they're trying!!!!!!!
*MY SON IS UNDER A DOCTOR'S CARE AND SHOULD NOT TAKE PE TODAY. PLEASE EXECUTE HIM.
*PLEASE EXKUCE LISA FOR BEING ABSENT SHE WAS SICK AND I HAD HER SHOT.
*DEAR SCHOOL: PLEASE EXCUSE JOHN BEING ABSENT ON JAN. 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 AND ALSO 33.
*PLEASE EXCUSE GLORIA FROM JIM TODAY. SHE IS ADMINISTRATING.
*PLEASE EXCUSE ROLAND FROM P.E. FOR A FEW DAYS. YESTERDAY HE FELL OUT OF A TREE AND MISPLACED HIS HIP.
*JOHN HAS BEEN ABSENT BECAUSE HE HAD TWO TEETH TAKEN OUT OF HIS FACE.
*CARLOS WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE WAS PLAYING FOOTBALL. HE WAS HURT IN THE GROWING PART.
*MEGAN COULD NOT COME TO SCHOOL TODAY BECAUSE SHE HAS BEEN BOTHERED BYVERY CLOSE VEINS
*CHRIS WILL NOT BE IN SCHOOL CUS HE HAS AN ACRE IN HIS SIDE.
*PLEASE EXCUSE RAY FRIDAY FROM SCHOOL. HE HAS VERY LOOSE VOWELS.
*PLEASE EXCUSE PEDRO FROM BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD (DIAHRE, DYREA,DIREATHE), THE SHITS. [WORDS IN ( )'s WERE CROSSED OUT].
*PLEASE EXCUSE TOMMY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD DIARRHEA, AND HIS BOOTS LEAK.
*IRVING WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE HE MISSED HIS BUST.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JIMMY FOR BEING. IT WAS HIS FATHER'S FAULT.
*KEPT BILLIE HOME BECAUSE SHE HAD TO GO CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT SIZE SHE WEAR.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JENNIFER FOR MISSING SCHOOL YESTERDAY. WE FORGOT TO GET THE SUNDAY PAPER OFF THE PORCH, AND WHEN WE FOUND IT MONDAY. WE THOUGHT IT WAS SUNDAY.
*SALLY WON'T BE IN SCHOOL A WEEK FROM FRIDAY. WE HAVE TO ATTEND HER FUNERAL.
*MY DAUGHTER WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY BECAUSE SHE WAS TIRED. SHE SPENT A WEEKEND WITH THE MARINES.
*PLEASE EXCUSE JASON FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. HE HAD A COLD AND COULD NOT BREED WELL.
*PLEASE EXCUSE MARY FOR BEING ABSENT YESTERDAY. SHE WAS IN BED WITH GRAMPS.
*GLORIA WAS ABSENT YESTERDAY AS SHE WAS HAVING A GANGOVER.
*PLEASE EXCUSE BRENDA. SHE HAS BEEN SICK AND UNDER THE DOCTOR.
*MARYANN WAS ABSENT DECEMBER 11-16, BECAUSE SHE HAD A FEVER, SORE THROAT, HEADACHE AND UPSET STOMACH. HER SISTER WAS ALSO SICK, FEVER AND SORE THROAT; HER BROTHER HAD A LOW GRADE FEVER AND ACHED ALL OVER. I WASN'T THE BEST EITHER, SORE THROAT AND FEVER. THERE MUST BE SOMETHING GOING AROUND, HER FATHER EVEN GOT HOT LAST NIGHT.
NOW WE KNOW WHY PARENTS ARE SCREAMING FOR BETTER EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS!
God Bless our Teachers; they're trying!!!!!!!
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