Respectfulness.

When I was in Junior High School, I had an English Teacher named Mrs. Jackson.
Mrs. Jackson thought that she was precious and adorable.
Also in this class was her son, Tony.
Tony also thought his mother was precious and adorable.
Tony also thought that HE was precious and adorable.
Mrs. Jackson also thought that Tony was precious and adorable.
It was not at all a problem for Tony to be in his mothers English class.
I, of course, thought neither one of them was precious or adorable.
But I slogged through the class nevertheless.

One day, Mrs. Jackson announced a homework assignment:
"Go to your local library and check out a play to read. You're all going to see
what it's like to read a play."
Fair enough.
This did not seem to be any problem that I could foresee.
So I went to my local library, and asked the librarian where I could find plays.
She directed me to the 800 section.
Not having the slightest clue of what I should be looking for, because none was
provided, I extracted from the shelves a play entitled "The Respectful Prostitute"
by Jean-Paul Sartre.
I must have been about twelve.
I had no idea who Jean-Paul Sartre was.
I had no idea what a prostitute was.
I sort of had an idea of what "respectful" was.
So I bring "The Respectful Prostitute", by Jean-Paul Sartre, up to the check-out
desk, where they happily checked it out for me.
Mrs. Jackson had preciously and adorably asked us each to bring in the plays we had chosen to read.
I, quite innocently, handed her my copy of "The Respectful Prostitute" by Jean-Paul
Sartre.
She took one look at me, and said "Where the heck did you get your hands on Jean-Paul
Sartre?"
I explained "At the Glen Oaks Library."
Which summons up the question: "What kind of dumbbells do they have working at
libraries?"
Mrs. Jackson summarily dismissed me with "Go return it and bring back something else."
With no further explanation.
Now, she had not given us any guidelines as to what sort of play we should be looking for.
I'll give it to her that nobody else in the class had that problem.
But in retrospect, it would seem likely that the odds would dictate that SOMEBODY
would.
In this case, that somebody would be me.
Shouldn't she have given us a list of acceptable playwrights?
Such as Mary Chase? Or Kaufman and Hart? or Thorton Wilder?
I'm sure that Tennessee Williams would have been off limits too, unless someone had brought in "The Glass Menagerie"
But no. She didn't.
And she left me out there, twisting in the wind, to be thoroughly embarrassed in front of the class, who didn't even know why I was being embarrassed, nor did I.
So I didn't know who Sartre was, and I didn't know what a prostitute was.
But I knew what respect was, and I sure knew I wasn't getting any.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

The Top Five.

Here they are, and then we will be done with it.

In descending order, from number 5 to number 1, with 1 being my all-time favorite.

5- "Kings Row"

This score was composed by the great Erich Wolfgang Korngold, primarily know for his
scores for Errol Flynn swashbucklers, and for "The Adventures of Robin Hood", where Errol also swashed and buckled.
"Kings Row" didn't have Errol Flynn.
It starred Ronald Reagan.
Draw that one on a graph.
"Kings Row" was a 1940's precursor to "Peyton Place", a sudsy, soapy potboiler, not very good, notable for Reagan waking up, not knowing his legs had been amputated, and
crying out to Ann Sheridan "Randy! Where's the rest of me?!"
It wasn't there.
But that great Korngold score was there.
Far better than that picture deserved.
Far better than anything else he ever wrote.
Far better than almost anything.

4- "The Bad And The Beautiful"

Awesome score by David Raksin for a very good movie about Hollywood backstabbing,
made in the early 1950's.
The movie seems a little dated now, as Hollywood backstabbing has become a far more refined artform.
Almost downright respectable.
But the lush, bluesy score that Raksin turned out is memorable and timeless.

3- "Friendly Persuasion"

Dmitri Tiomkin's masterpiece.
Gary Cooper and Anthony Perkins in a drama about a family of Quakers getting caught
up in the Civil War.
Really good movie, totally enhanced by Tiomkin's score and title song, sung by Pat
Boone, at his golden-throated best.
Pat even got a hit record from the title song, "Thee I Love"

2- "The Big Country"

Picking between number 2 and number 1 was really tough.
It was practically "flip a coin"
I ended up choosing "The Big Country" as number two.
It is probably the most impressive, influential musical theme ever.
"The Magnificent Seven" and "Blazing Saddles" were direct descendants.
It was composed by Jerome Moross, who never really composed anything else for the
movies, and only a handful of TV westerns.
The theme for this very long western is huge, sprawling, and dramatic.
The movie is only huge, sprawling, and long.
Another case of the theme being far better than the movie.

1- "The Rainmaker"

From 1956, starring Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn.
I sat and listened back and forth between this score, by Alex North, and "The Big
Country" to determine 1 and 2.
I finally went with "The Rainmaker", because as good as "The Big Country" is musically, it doesn't move me.
"The Rainmaker" is a great movie.
It moves me.
And it's theme music moves me even more, and makes a great movie almost infinitely greater.

That's it.
Next time, I will actually write about something else.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Reaching The Promised Land.

Here we go with numbers 10 through 6 of my Top Ten Favorite Movie Themes.
As we descend down the page, the choices, to me, are more worthy.

10- "Street Scene"

It's originally from a movie made in 1931, composed by Alfred Newman (Randy's uncle).
It is the definitive "We are in New York City, looking at the Brooklyn Bridge spanning the East River from the Brooklyn side, so we can see Manhattan" movie theme.
It was also used as the theme of the film-noir "I Wake Up Screaming", and maybe others that I don't know about.
It was also used as a pure overture, in it's entirety, for the movie "How To Marry
A Millionaire"
It's there, as are all the others, on You Tube, if you are unfamiliar with it, and want to hear it.

9- "Johnny Belinda"

My first Max Steiner entry, which, if you are an aficianado, might think the other's gonna be "Gone With The Wind"
It ain't.
You don't need me to tell you that "Gone With The Wind" has a great musical theme.
The main point here is to enlighten.
"Johnny Belinda" is a very touching, very poignant film, with a musical theme to match.

8- "Now, Voyager"

This is the other Max Steiner entry.
It makes the movie.
No other piece of music could have justified Paul Henried lighting two cigarettes
in is mouth and giving one of them to Bette Davis to puff on, and doing it all with
a straight face.

7- "Shane"

The theme is by Victor Young, and without that ending music, as Alan Ladd is riding off on his horse, into the distance, and young Brandon DeWilde is crying out "Shane! Come back Shane! Shane! Come back!", I never would have been reduced to mush.

6- "Cat Ballou"

I've been trying to find a way to squeeze this one at least into the Top Five, but
I just couldn't find a way.
Nat King Cole and Stubby Kaye as two balladeers, setting up the entire movie in song.
It's a wonderful movie, and would be without their contribution.
But this was just wonderful icing on the cake.
The only sad part about it was that Nat King Cole had already died of cancer by the
time "Cat Ballou" was released.
But time has a way of making that less painful.

Next time, the Top Five.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Towards More Rarefied Air.

Here are the last five Honorables.
Any one of them could have easily made my Top Ten.
But I had to draw the line somewhere.

I'll list them in descending order numerically, from 5 to 1, from least well Honorable to Best well Honorable.

5- "The Catered Affair"

A terrific movie.
One of Bette Davis's best performances.
Accompanied by a musical theme that captures its atmosphere perfectly .
It sounds very Irish, as are the characters.
It stays with you.
At least it stayed with me.
The theme is by Andre Previn, but doesn't seem very Previn-like.

4- "The Court Jester"

ALL of the songs in this great Danny Kaye musical are wonderful.
But the opening song, which bookends the film, and thus is the theme, is my favorite.
It's called "Life Could Not Better Be", and has Kaye introducing the movie to the audience.
The songs are credited to Sylvia Fine and Sammy Cahn.
As Cahn is only a lyricist, I suspect that Fine did all the music.
As the lyrics are so good, I suspect that Fine is also the lyricist.
And that maybe Cahn had his hand in some of the ballads.

3- "East of Eden"

The 1955 version, starring James Dean,
With a very atmospheric theme.
Not dissimilar to the theme for "The Catered Affair"
It was written by a great composer, Leonard Rosenman, who also wrote the theme for
"Edge of the City"
Again, it's very Irish.

2- "Rebel Without A Cause"

It's the James Dean, Leonard Rosenman hour.
The "Rebel" theme is, in my humble opinion, way better than the "East of Eden" theme.
In his brief career, James Dean was very well served musically.

1- "Picnic"

What a lush score this is!
And the highlight of the film is the slow dance between William Holden and Kim Novak
to the theme music, used contrapuntally with the standard song "Moonglow"
It is an unforgettable scene, and an unforgettable use of music.


Next time, we start the Top Ten.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Yet Even Better Honorables.

I'll offer up four today, then next time, we'll have the last five Honorables,
then the actual Top Ten.

Continuing on:

"Calamity Jane"

One of the best movie musicals ever, certainly one of the most underrated.
Made during the glory days of the Freed Unit at MGM.
Only it wasn't made at MGM, or by Freed.
It was made at Warner Brothers.
The only superior movie musical made by Warners at that time.
It starred Doris Day, who was in lots o' musicals made there around that time.
Only they weren't any good.
And most of them co-starred Gordon MacRae.
But "Calamity Jane" was terrific.
And had Howard Keel, a veteran of MGM musicals, instead of Gordon MacRae.
It was a better fit.
The theme music was whistled by a chorus.
It was a version of the opening song, "Whip Crack Away".
This led us into Doris singing "Whip Crack Away", which was even better.

"The Misfits"

A great, haunting score by my favorite movie composer, Alex North.
Alex north also composed the score for "Spartacus", and my favorite TV theme,
"Playhouse 90"
"The Misfits" is the kind of movie that, the more often you see it, the more
affected you are by it.
The same can be said for the music.

"The Magnificent Seven"

Certainly a classic, and would have been even more prestigious if it hadn't been
appropriated by Marlboro cigarettes for their commercials all those years.
But in my mind, not even in the top three themes for Westerns.
Those will follow as we proceed on.

"The High And The Mighty"

Dmitri Tiomkin should be represented here, if only for how prolific he was.
The main appeal is the title song, which completely dominates a very entertaining
movie.
I believe there were even hit singles turned out of it during its time.

Okay,
That's it for now.
But we're pounding down the Honorables homestretch.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

More And Better Honorables.

Continuing on, in order of weakest to strongest:

"Blazing Saddles"

Having Frankie Laine sing what was essentially a cross between "Rawhide" and
"Do not forsake me" for a joke movie was inspired.
Even more so, because nobody told Frankie that it was a joke movie.
So he sang it straight.
He sang his straight little heart out.
And it was glorious.

"Requiem For A Heavyweight"

Not the TV play, but the movie, with Anthony Quinn, Jackie Gleason, and Mickey
Rooney.
Far superior to the TV play on all levels, notably the music, by Laurence Rosenthal.
It began without music, as we saw a fight from Anthony Quinn's eyes, as he is getting
beat up by a pre-Ali Cassius Clay.
The fight is stopped, and when Quinn gets back to his dressing room and stares at the
bloody mess he has become, the theme music starts, as do the opening credits.
The music is awesome, and the effect is as dramatic as anything.

"Spartacus"

Would actually rate higher if the Love theme was used as the main theme.
The main theme is good, but the Love theme blows it away.

"A Summer Place"

I never saw this movie.
I only know it from the hit single put out by Percy Faith, which is how I assume it was used in the movie.
It is quite appealing.

"The Sting"

A classic.
Not original.
It had been around since the early 1900s.
It's all in Marvin Hamlisch's great arrangement of it.
And it's great.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Posted

Back To The Movie Themes Honorables.

Plenty of Honorables left before we get to the Top Ten.

In descending order, from least honorable to most:

"Ruby Gentry"

David O. Selznick's sequel to "Duel In The Sun", at least in the sense that it gave him an
opportunity to once again star his wife, Jennifer Jones, in a western.
It had a haunting theme, that you'd probably recognize immediately.
Ray Charles made a great recording of it.

"Laura"

A classic. Composed by David Raksin, about whom not enough can be said.
And I will say more about him as we continue along.
Johnny Mercer wrote the lyric, which I believe was not used in the film, but came afterwards.

"High Noon"

Another classic.
Very sparse orchestration, if there was any at all.
A lot of people, myself included, thought the song, "Do not forsake me" was sung
by Frankie Laine.
Frankie subsequently had a hit record on it, but in the movie, it was sung by John
Ritter's father, Tex.

"High Society"

From the overture, with its Cole Porter score, through it's "High Society Calypso"
performed by Louis Armstrong and his musicians on the bus, through every other song
in the score, it just dazzles.
The music was the the only improvement on the source material, "The Philadelphia Story",
which otherwise leaves "High Society" in the dust.

"Edge Of The City"

Great theme for a David Susskind produced, socially conscious, racially tinged,
poor mans version of "On The Waterfront"
Actually, "On The Waterfront" was Mitt Romney's version of "Edge of the City"
"Edge of the City" reeks of importance.

More next time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Olé! Oy Vey!

We're not going to be about music today.
We're going to be about baseball.
As someone who has spent the better part of ten years in Detroit, watching the
Tigers and getting nauseous, allow me to indicate my perpetual disappointment in the
way their manager, Jim Leyland, handles his pitchers.
Particularly his relievers.
Particularly his closer, Jose (Papa Grande) Valverde.
Your closer is supposed to be your best one-inning pitcher.
A closer's battle ribbons are Saves.
Valverde has garnered a lot of Saves.
But every time Leyland brings him into a game in a Save situation, the 45,000 fans
in Comerica Park have their hearts in their mouths.
Because he almost invariably, immediately, gets himself into trouble.
But because Comerica, the Tigers home park, is so huge, he rarely gives up home runs,
and gets himself out of the trouble he created, just well enough to Save the day.
Just like Mighty Mouse.
But last night, at Yankee Stadium, a much easier park to hit Home Runs in, Valverde
gave up two two-run homers to allow the Yankees to tie up the game.
The thing is, in both instances, those Home Runs would have been easy outs in Comerica.
Just two nights earlier, Valverde did the same thing in Oakland, blowing the Save and the game.
Oakland isn't an easy park for Home Runs either, but far easier than Comerica.
The Yankees have always had a history of having their best pitchers be Lefthanders.
Whitey Ford, Ron Guidry, C.C. Sabathia....
This is no accident.
It's a lot harder to hit Home Runs off a Lefty in Yankee Stadium.
Both the old version and the new.
They've always tailored their park to Lefthanded pitching
There is far more distance to the left field power alleys than to right field.
Any righty is vulnerable there.
Valverde in Yankee Stadium becomes just any other righty.
Both of the Home Runs hit off him last night were easily catchable if they were hit
in Comerica.
They were hit to the shallow portions of right field.
So I don't really blame Valverde.
I blame Leyland.
He exposed Valverde to his most major weakness.
So what do you do about it?
Well, the Tigers came back and won last night's game, one which I'd already written
off, by bringing in one of their spot starters.
A guy named Smyly.
A lefty.
He just came in and got the win.
So what do you do for the rest of the series?
If you're Leyland, you sit down with Papa Grande, and you tell him "We're not taking
your job away from you. But we're only going to let you pitch at Comerica. No more
Yankee Stadium for you.
When we're here, Smyly will be the closer.
As a starter, he's capable of going two innings a game.
And if Valverde had any sense, he'd reply "Whatever you say, skipper."
The only question left is "Will Leyland have any sense?"
It's not rocket science.
It's baseball science.

More music on Tuesday.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Let's Go To The Movies.

I was pleased with most of what went on baseball and debate-wise, so I'm going right to the first several
Honorable Mentions for my favorite movie themes.

Remember, this is all subjective.
And open to debate.
I hope there will be some.
This is purely a list of my favorites.
Not necessarily the best.
That's why I'm offering up this much of a spoiler alert:
None of the choices will include anything by John Williams.
Yeah, most of them were great.
And impressive.
But none of them get to me emotionally.

As of now, I have a total of 29 entries.
I'll attempt to count them down, from leas honorable to most.

And so, we begin.

"The Man With The Golden Arm"

Great jazzy score that really enhanced the film. and put composer Elmer Bernstein on the map.

"Spellbound"

Bernard Herrmann's greatest haunting score for a Hitchcock film.
Much better than his work on "Citizen Kane, which required making up a musical style for a film that really didn't have one.

"Our Town"

From 1940. Aaron Copland's only real attempt at composing film scores, and his fingerprints are all over it.
It is highly dramatic, and gorgeous at the same time.

"On The Waterfront"

From 1954. Everything I said about about "Our Town" and Copland applies to
"On The Waterfront" and Leonard Bernstein as well.

"The Andy Hardy Series"

They used the same theme music for each of the movies.
And it was always like visiting an old friend.
One brief note about the Andy Hardy series.
Th New York Post used to provide mini-descriptions of the movies they were showing each night.
Never attempting to be funny about it.
On one particular night, they were showing "Andy Hardy Meets Debutante"
The description was "Short boy enters Society"

I leave you with that until next time.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Still Stoppin' The Music.

Too many ballgames to watch today.
Still too aggravated about the Tigers' loss to Oakland last night.
Too interested in seeing the debate tonight.
If I have nothin' any of the above, I'll start the "Favorite Movie Themes" tomorrow.
Sorry.
It's the best I can do.

Go Giants! Go Cardinals! Go Orioles! Go Biden! Go Tigers!


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Still Relevant?

As Jimmy Durante was wont to say, "Stop the Music! Stop the Music!"

I know I was going to start the series on my favorite movie themes, but something else came up that perhaps deserves your attention.

I have a reader who has purchased all of my e-books, and e-mails me regularly on her reactions to whatever articles she has just read.
She was reading the first "Show Runner", and was about to get to an article entitled "The Claude Rains Moment"
I warned her that it might seem a little dated, because it is political in nature.
It talks a lot about McCain and Palin.
She read it, and corrected me.
She said that it was overwhelmingly relevant.
She said it is probably more relevant now than ever.
Just substitute any Republican for McCain.
Or particularly any Republican named Mitt Romney.
As this article is no longer available on the blog, I'm going to reprint it in its
entirety and let you decide.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I'm sure you all remember Claude Rains.
One of our great movie actors.
Not really a movie star, although he did occasionally play leads.
He was usually remembered for his great supporting roles in movies that starred others.
Most notably, "Casablanca", as Louie, the corrupt Prefect of Police.
When he conducts a mock "raid" on Bogart's backroom casino at "Rick's", he says
"I'm shocked! Shocked, to discover that gambling has been going on in this establishment!"
At which point, the croupier approaches him and says "Your winnings, sir".
He hands him his winnings and Rains says "Thank you very much."

For a lot of people, that is their favorite Claude Rains moment.
For others, it is the very end of "Casablanca", when Rains and Bogart walk arm-in-arm away from the camera as Bogart says " Louie, I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship".

Most movie actors don't even have one memorable moment like those two.
This is the kind of thing that immortalizes you.

But neither one of these is my favorite Claude Rains moment.
Nor are they the ones that have consumed my thoughts lately.

My favorite Claude Rains moment is from the movie "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington".
In that movie, he plays Senator Joseph Paine, the well-meaning but ultimately corrupt Senator who is under the thumb of political boss Jim Taylor, played with utter oiliness by Edward Arnold.
Jimmy Stewart, who becomes the Junior senator from Paines' state, idolizes Paine.
Circumstances force Stewart to filibuster the Senate.
Probably the last good filibuster we've had, even though it was fictional.
Paine is forced to stand by as Taylor's political machine steamrollers over Stewart, trashing him in the press, nearly defeating him.
Until.
Until Paine abruptly rises from his seat in the Senate and says the equivalent of "I don't deserve to live! That boy is right! Everything he's saying is right!"
He storms out of the Senate and attempts to take his own life by shooting himself.
For whatever reason, he fails at this attempt.

With all that has gone on in the Healthcare and the Debt Ceiling debate with Republicans, the bystanding as the President is being called a Nazi or a Socialist or a foreigner every day, and all the baldface lying , such as not denying the concept of death panels, calling global warming a hoax, claiming that there were no terrorist attacks under Bush-Cheney, that the economy hasn't improved when it has, pouncing on everything constructive just for the sport of it, I keep waiting for some responsible Republican to have that Claude Rains moment.
To have that moment when they exhibit that moment of conscience that you know they have, but don't want to show because possibly saving their own political skin is more important.
To jump out of their seats and say "Yes! We're full of shit! Don't listen to us! We're just looking to line our own pockets!

I'm not talking about the Limbaughs or the Becks or the Palins or the Jim Bunnings, or the little FOXes. Those with absolutely no consciences.
I guess I'm thinking more about someone like Mitt Romney.
Someone who passed a Healthcare bill in his own state, and is now trying to disavow it.
But it's probably too much to expect there.
I mean, this is a man who might possibly actually have a chance to be elected President.

I guess who I'm really thinking about is John McCain.
His chance came and went, and he knows it.
He was, at one time, highly respected. Just like Joseph Paine.
But then, he was in the primary fight of his life to be elected Senator from Arizona for the umpteenth time.
For this goal, he was willing to sabotage anything that might get done in the Senate, deny his entire history as a "Maverick", piss on the country and the Constitution, just so he might hold on to his goddamn Senate seat.
This is the man who kept saying "Country First".
Maybe he'll even deny that he was a war hero if he thinks that would help him.
Maybe he needn't bother.
From what I hear, he was a rotten pilot, which is why he crashed and was captured.
And that his fellow prisoners weren't too keen on him either.
But giving him the benefit of the doubt that at least some time in his life he was brave,
how important can that fackockta Senate seat be to him at this point?
His wife is loaded.
He can retire handsomely.
And if he goes out with the Claude Rains moment, without the gunshots, he can retire with dignity.
And really be a hero.

******

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Still Got The Music In Me.

This is a prelude and introduction to the next series of posts relating to music.

Since I did the "Top Ten TV Themes" series, and got great response on it, I've decided to do the same thing with Movie Themes.
As I was compiling the great TV themes, I kept noticing how many great movie composers contributed to them.
And it got a little confusing.
Was that from a movie, or a TV show?

So, beginning next time, I will begin with honorable mentions, eventually leading
up to the top ten movie themes of all time, according to me.

The one thing I won't do is compile a list for the Top Ten Worst Movie Themes of All
Time. For one simple reason.
I can't think of any.
The bad ones on TV stick with you because they are oft repeated, ad nauseum.
If you happen to hear a really bad movie theme, it's probably from a bad movie, and
you'll probably never hear it again, so it won't be memorable.
So we're only going positive with this.
There will be plenty of great movie themes mentioned.
I hope that they will be evocative, and if you are not familiar with them, you will
seek them out.

See you next time, as we once again get musical.
And I'm counting on Mike from Chicago to keep me honest in the comment section.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

Such A Glorious Night......

The last night of the baseball season.
It was everything I hoped it would be.
By adding two extra Wild Card teams to the playoffs, Major League Baseball
virtually guaranteed a last night of the season to be as exciting as this one.
And it was.
It was glorious.
It began with Texas and Oakland, tied for first place in their division, playing
each other in the late afternoon, with the winner not having to face a one game
elimination in the Wild Card matchup.
Oakland was behind 4-1, and came back to win 12-5.
Those boys in the yellow shirts, in Oakland, before the home folks, went crazy.
Glorious.
St. Louis, ahead of the Dodgers by one, lost their game to Cincinnati.
This gave the Dodgers a chance to survive by beating the Giants at home.
They lost 4-3.
Glorious.
Any time the Dodgers lose like that, it's glorious.
The Yankees, who earned their division title, won it in grand fashion, needing only a win to avoid being the Wild Card.
If the Yankees had lost and Baltimore, who were luckier than you could possibly
imagine, had won, Baltimore would have tied the Yankees and forced a one-game
playoff. This would have been a travesty.
Plus, I won money on all of these games.
And my Detroit local boy, Miguel Cabrera, finished up the night winning the
Triple Crown. Something that hasn't happened in 45 years.
So, a glorious night.

Until that shitcrap debate happened.
What the hell went on there?
Only Romney showed up.
Jim Lehrer wasn't there.
He and Obama were somewhere where Lehrer and Obama were stepping on Obama's dick.
Lehrer only asked softball, boring questions, designed to let Romney the businessman
show off his business and lying skills.
Neither Lehrer or Obama called him on any of it.
Romney kept denying that he was asking for a 5 trillion dollar tax cut.
What he wanted was a 20% across-the-board tax cut.
Why didn't someone turn to Romney and ask "How much money did the IRS take
in last year, of course, not including uncollectable money from the Cayman Islands?"
Romney wouldn't have the answer.
Either Lehrer or Obama would, and tell him.
And say "You know what 20% of that total is? 5 trillion dollars!"
Why didn't Obama ask Romney if he would have voted the same way as the Republican congress, turning down the Jobs bill for Veterans?"
I guess that would have been too revealing.
And too interesting.
And someone arranged the cameras to make it appear that Romney was always facing
Obama and Obama always had his back to Romney, which was clearly not the case.
Hell, Romney was practically likeable.
Even to ME.
But then, I've always liked Professor Harold Hill.
Where was Bain Capital? The 47%? Romney's tax returns?
Hell, where was Bill Clinton when we needed him?

What's the opposite of glorious?


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******

The Most Idiotic Acting Note I Have Ever Given.

Do you remember a movie called "The Lady Eve"?

It was and is a great movie.
It was released in 1941.
Preston Sturges wrote and directed it.
It was when Sturges was THE best comedy director alive.
It starred Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck.
The were both brilliant.
The script, the pacing, and the direction were all brilliant.
William Demarest was also in it.
HE was brilliant.

So I'm watching this now 71 year old movie on Turner Classics recently.
And there is this scene between Fonda and Stanwyck.
Fonda plays a wealthy heir to a brewery, who is completely smitten by Stanwyck,
who is a con-woman.
Her nickname for him is "Hopsie"
They are on an ocean liner, where Stanwyck and her father, Charles Coburn, are successful cardsharps.
Fonda is picked up from a flatboat near the Amazon River, where, being a snake fancier,
he has been adding rare snakes to his collection.
The scene I referred to takes place as Stanwyck invites Fonda down to her cabin aboard
ship.
Fonda is gaga over her perfume.
As Fonda is mooning over her, Stanwyck turns to him and asks "What's the matter,
Hopsie? Don't you like my perfume?"
Fonda replies "Oh, it's not that. It's just, well, I've been up the Amazon the last two years, and they don't wear perfume."
He said this somewhat matter-of-factly, with no change of expression, and the line kind
of passes into the night.
Unfortunately, I can't watch anything without my Show Runner or Director's hat on.
So when I saw Fonda say that line, I actually yelled at the screen, "No, Hank, when
you say "I've been up the Amazon the last two years, you've got to pause and
reflect before you say ...and they don't wear perfume." This way we see that you have a vivid remembrance of just how
badly those natives smell. And it's much funnier."

I was giving an acting note to a dead actor for a movie made 71 years ago.
Where there were no chances for retakes.
How idiotic was that?
My only consolation is that I was right.
Sometimes it just does you a fat lot of good being right.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

My books ,"Show Runner" and it's sequel,"Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne & Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperback, "Mark Rothman's Essays" is still available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings remaining, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one, contact me at macchus999@aol.com.
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne & Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

******