[This was sent to me by a very good musician friend of mine in the SW who is on the mend and I thought you might have a laugh over it. ]
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Fine: This is the word women use to end an argument when they are right and you need to shut up.
Five Minutes: If she is getting dressed, this is half an hour. Five minutes is only five minutes if you have just been given 5 more minutes to watch the game before helping around the house.
Nothing: This is the calm before the storm. This means "something" and you should be on your toes. Arguments that begin with "nothing" usually end in "fine".
Go Ahead: This is a dare, not permission, DON'T DO IT!
Loud Sigh: Although not actually a word, the loud sigh is often misunderstood by men. A "Loud Sigh" means she thinks you are an idiot and wonders why she is wasting her time standing here and arguing with you over "Nothing".
That's Okay: This is one of the most dangerous statements that woman can make to a man. "That's Okay" means that she wants to think long and hard before deciding how and when you will pay for your mistake.
Thanks: This is the least used of all words in the female vocabulary. If a woman is thanking you. Do not question it, just say you're welcome and back out of the room slowly.
[ This message was intended for we men who are clueless and women who love humor.]
Those of you who have followed this BLOG over last summer recall that my heartstrings were grabbed from merely picking up the morning paper over a cup of coffee and seeing the young lady pictured above, Jenna McVey, 16 of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. My thanks to The Cincinnati Enquirer's Michael E. Keating for capturing this image; I'm sorry I couldn't make it clearer, but had my friend Tricia (who was introduced to me by Denny Shane) not stepped in to help me with my lack of software to convert this picture, many of you would not understand what I was talking about last September 26, 2005.
This High School Junior has more heart and more Courage than most Adults I've come across in my short life. A beautiful Belgium draft horse with a strawberry reddish brown coat and blonde locks stood absolutely alone in a stall, after an infection turned her beautiful round Blue Eyes to a milky white and left her permanently blind due to a virulent infection. Her name is "Nelly"; many call her "Blind Beauty". This horse isn't even supposed to be alive! But for the Grace of Jenna. "She never got out (of her stall) so I felt sorry for her. I just saw her and fell in love with her", Jenna said. Okay, so what happened?
Well, as friendships---even special Love develops over time, Jenna started visiting the lonely horse more often. After school, she brought her school books and read her assignments or her favorite childhood tales aloud to "Nelly". Blind for 2 years, the horse was scheduled to be sent to a processing plant to be killed--a Legislation post I recently shared on January 21st and encouraged all of you to sign off on to prevent this cruelty. AND THIS IS WHY! LOOK AT THE PHOTO ABOVE!! It speaks volumes.
Today, thanks to Jenna's parents, they purchased the beautiful horse and gave her Life. She even responds to he shortened name, "Beauty". Jenna and the horse bonded in Love and in Trust. They protect one another. "Nelly is my favorite thing", Jenna says. "I'd rather come out here and sit with her in a stall than have a million dollars".
Here is a sweet young girl who has her priorities in order. My only regret is that I couldn't bring you photo of this story above all the hundreds of others I've told here sooner. But my own personal philosophy is this. God definitely had a hand in my finding this story and my being able through Tricia and Denny to bring it to you in a way that sheds light in a world that seems to grow darker with so much negativity in the Media. It doesn't have to be this way!
Jenna made a difference. Her parents should be very proud of her and I hope one day to be able to meet all of them and share a NEW picture of Yours Truly with my young Hero! Miracles can and do happen if we have the Will to see them through.
I'm leaving this BLOG up for Monday because it's the best way to begin any week!
Yesterday's BLOG presented me with quite a challenge. Apart from the fact that Blogger went down so long for what was intended to be a two-hour maintenance, I posted what would have probably won a BOB Award for merely being the longest BLOG in history. Of course, I was attempting something constructive that I've never done before (and probably will never do again). I transcribed a very edited version of personal recollections recorded in 2005 from English Director Peter Yates about the movie you see advertised above. This movie won the Oscar (c) in 1968 for Best Film Editing. You'll find the story line hard to follow. But in this rare instance, according to Director Lawrence Kasdan, there isn't a young film actor alive who hasn't studied the McQueen Character and every aspect of physicality in this movie over and over again. Also, the famed "Car Chase" in this film has never been equaled in 38 years. And frankly, I doubt that it ever will. I have a unique identification with "Bullitt" that brings a smile to my face.
In 2003, I created and produced a small budget independent film called "Turning Back Time" and it involved weeks of scouting locations, drawing story boards and ultimately shooting in 34 degree weather and replicating (with my own restored Mustang GT I owned at the time) the scene where McQueen misses a turn while chasing two killers (a mistake that he intentionally left in the film) and does a "reverse burn out" to pursue the criminals. We spent hours setting up the scene and after a 1/4 speed rehearsal run through and a change of lenses on the tripod camera, we managed to pull it off in one take. The difference was, I blew through a "controlled" intersection and speed shifted up a hill from 0-90 that later cost me a transmission (but it looked good on film). My Indie film was intended for private viewing only by the top brass at Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan who considered showing it via their internal video feed, but I disagreed and they respected my judgment. The head of FCM later retired and I incurred a costly but positive learning experience and later moved on to producing and promoting a cable TV project. So, this movie has inspired many car fans like me. Attesting to the cult following it has, the car chase itself has spawned two or three very good websites.
In closing, please allow me to share a a funny story with you. Actor Robert Vaughan received the script to play the crooked politician "Chalmers". He sent it back to Steve and said "This story structure makes no sense, and since you're company is producing it, why are you doing this?" So, Alan Trustman and Harry Kleiner reworked the screenplay (based on the book Mute Witness by Robert L. Pike) with McQueen and Director Yates. Vaughn said that as his salary went higher with the revisions, "Strangely enough the story suddenly became clearer to me"!
This is Week #3 of our 5 week "Virtual Film Festival" honoring the life and the art of one of the greatest actors who ever lived: STEVEMcQUEEN. The date is October 17, 1968 at TheRadio City Music Hall in New York City. The place is "SOLD OUT" for a screening of the Solar Productions/Warner Brothers thriller "BULLITT". For this particular film Steve chose British Director Peter Yates after viewing his film "Robbery", that included a car chase. Interesting Note: The future Mrs. Steve McQueen, Ali McGraw (who would achieve enormous success two years later with "Love Story") was also in the audience. The all star cast included: Steve McQueen, Robert Vaughn, Jacqueline Bisset, Don Gordon, Robert Duvall along with some fine supporting cast members who have sadly passed on: Simon Oakland, Norman Fell, and Stunt Driver of the menacing Black Dodge Charger Bill Hickman. This is a complicated story that the audience never understood completely because the history-making car chase that won the Academy Award (c) in 1968 for BEST EDITING has never been duplicated since. McQueen plays Lieutenant Frank Bullitt, an all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection. He played a cop at a time when police officers in the United States were not at all popular. I'm going to turn over my BLOG to the following comments from Director Peter Yates reflecting on the film that became so closely associated with Steve's stardom.
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"My name is Peter Yates. And I had the pleasure of directing this film "Bullitt" that you're about to see. It was the first film that I made out of England, the first film in America and it was entirely due to Steve McQueen who had invited me over because he had seen a film of mine called "Robbery". I really considered myself very lucky and I had a wonderful time shooting it. The opening sequences were originally going to be shot in Chicago, but what in fact happened in the end was the long shots, the exteriors are all Chicago but the interiors were shot in San Francisco because the whole film was shot on location. This is something I had asked for because I felt that I knew more about location shooting having done almost nothing but location shooting with films like "A Taste of Honey", which was directed by Tony Richardson. And he had brought me up really learning to shoot on location. And William Fraker (Director of Photography) who had, in fact, lit "Bullitt" was also somebody who had used a lot of locations and had in fact shot commercials and this allowed us to use all sorts of lenses and effects most feature people didn't understand at that time. This whole opener is really part of the grabber. It is really part of the number one story and the whole point really of this film is that it's main story is really the minor story. And the minor story becomes the main story. It's about the character that Steve McQueen plays. I gather it's sort of set now to Film Scriptwriting Classes: the main story becomes the secondary story. We chose to film in San Francisco because I thought it would give me more freedom. Originally the script had been written in Los Angeles. The feeling was that if we were away from Los Angeles then we would have fewer people 'looking over our shoulders'. And while there are some good shooting locations in Los Angeles, we felt they had all been used by television police stories. My film "Robbery" had a car chase in it and Steve McQueen--as I think is fairly well known is mad about cars. But again, "Robbery" was all shot on location and he liked the style of the picture a lot. He was very keen on getting people to start shooting in San Francisco, because this was before Coppola or anybody had started shooting there. We really wanted to make a film that was a modern Western. The Western, after all is something which is part of Hollywood's background and also funnily enough with Westerns, they were shot on location. Whereas films like "Bullitt" which had major actors in it were never shot on location--they were too much away from the pool. Steve is a marvelous actor. He always felt that he was a 'reactor and not an actor' . He said to me on one or two occasions, 'I'm a reactor. Don't give me too much dialogue'. And of course he dealt very well with dialogue. His reactions, his eye movements it's just extraordinary. But you just watch his eyes. The (car) chase came about because Phil D'Antoni who was producing the film had seen "Robbery" and knew of McQueen's love of fast driving. But I was a bit concerned. We were given two weeks at the end of the schedule to complete the chase. It wasn't very fast shooting. All of these streets had to be cleared with the police, who as long as you told them what you were going to do and they knew what to close off, they were extraordinarily helpful. It was exactly a gunfighter's strapping on his belt outright. There's always been this question about the VW Bug appearing here twice. And the answer is I was only allowed to shoot this (chase) one time on a morning. And what we did was we shot it with two camera's and it was just so popular after we put it together that instead of running it once we ran it twice. We had a great problem with the English language because I said 'Well, you'll go past the lorry and then you'll go on the other side of the drophead and come round the other side of the caravan' (to stunt driver Bill Hickman). But we managed to sort that out. We have the music at the start of the chase but once you get into it, the engine sounds are so loud and the tire scenes are so loud that your music would not come through. The word "bullshit" really summed up how the McQueen character felt about the (Robert) Vaughn character and during The Radio City Music Hall Showing they had "Bullshit" taken out. But then I was sitting in a screening studio in San Francisco at the time and the head of Warner's--Len Ford tapped me on the shoulder and said 'Put it back'. I have always liked 'less is more', but I don't think this story would have the tension or the reality if there was more descriptive dialogue or descriptive music wich would just be really telling you, warning you how something was going to go. The story about the "Bullitt" character in the end doesn't finish there. Because again, he has to go back home and get himself into a reality and into an existence. I wanted very much to show, especially at that time, police were thought to be using their guns too much. He (McQueen) puts his gun away and uses water (in the bathroom scene), as water is so often used in films to show innocence. To show a 'washing off orf a responsibility' . That's really what the look in his eyes again --the eyes of somebody who has just experienced something and though they didn't enjoy it, it was a job that was well done, and was indeed just a job. My name is Peter Yates. I hope you enjoy running the DVD".
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It is now 1972, and Sam Peckinpah, a director so closely associated with movies containing violence directs this film with Steve McQueen as JUNIOR BONNER a one-time Rodeo champion who hits his 40's and pitted against the violence of the sport, is his unwillingness to let go of a lifestyle that is obviously coming to an end. Ace Bonner (Robert Preston) returns to his family in Prescott, Arizona for a Fouth of July celebration after a several year absence and we are privy to the West along with horse trailers, McQueen's parents are separating forever, and his home town has become a place filled with strangers. "Junior" is aging as an athlete, and his best days are behind him. Interestingly, even his weathered Cadillac depicts the down side of a once successful career. This movie is about the triumph of a man who stays true to his own values, regardless of how irrelevant others may begin to perceive him. This, I must say was a box office disappointment, but strangely enough received a 5-Star review. It was Sam Peckinpah's favorite film and Steve McQueen was terribly disappointed that the studios never promoted it better. As you may have grasped by now into our third of five weeks with the "Virtual Film Festival", Steve uses many major actors repeatedly in Don Gordon, Robert Duvall, Simon Oakland, Charles Bronson Joe Don Baker and others.
The cast here is extraordinary as well featuring: Robert Preston as Ace Bonner, Ida Lupino as Elvira Bonner, Ben Johnson as Buck Roan, Joe Don Baker as Curly Bonner, Barbara Leigh as Charmagne, Mary Murphy as Ruth Bonner. Time is changing fast and the Bonner family explodes with internal tensions created by Junior's dubious real estate broker brother, his father Ace's cockeyed dream of finding Gold in Australia and the McQueen character coming to terms with his own mortality. It is in fact a "character study" of a man so determined to live life on his own terms that it's impossible to see anyone other than McQueen play it. Again, I must say that as an understated actor, McQueen commands one hell of a screen presence. When he says, `Rodeo time, I gotta get it on down the road,' it is his way of saying, `Life's destiny awaits me.' It touches something in each of us about our dreams. And it's quite a shocker from the director who brought us "The Wild Bunch","Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia", and "Straw Dogs".
My choice of JUNIOR BONNER in Week #3 is for it's quality and it's contrast. It is a salient point that will not fully hit you until weeks 4 and 5 are complete. Thank you for reading this long BLOG. Now go enjoy the show!
Week Number 3 of our 5 Week "Virtual Film Festival" Honoring "The King of Cool" get's kicked up a notch. As usual, we'll have two films. The first one is intense. The second is Director Sam Peckinpah's favorite. Both are pure McQueen. This has been a labor of love for Yours Truly!
The BLOG for this Thursday is finished after I transcribed some audio and researched our next two films for Week #3 of a total 5 for the "Virtual Film Festival". From here on, the action will get kicked up several notches to HIGH during 5 of the remaining 6 movie selections. This has been a labor of love for me. I may not do it again, but I certainly am proud and grateful that my personal circumstances have allowed me to give it the time it required.
Otherwise, I worked on getting my Poetry book manuscript ready for a second run this year at the publishers. This version contains new material that was added late during last summer.
My short stories are being collated and the manuscript has not reached the editing stage yet. This project is completely new and replaces last years effort, which was abandoned. "Come Hell or high water" these books deserve a home and they will see the light of day. I look forward to promoting them vigorously and then redirecting my energies to other projects we have on the drawing board that are far too early to announce. I received several e-mails about Keri-Lynn Wilson's program with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. So, here it is.
The Guest Artist is Barry Douglas, piano and the program will feature: MICHAEL HERSCH: Ashes of Memory II BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 1 in C Major MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 5 in D Major, Reformation
She's in town February 4th and 5th. I just checked my schedule and it's open! What a coincidence!! Hopefully she isn't dating a Pro Hockey Player. If she is and I wind up coming back to my laptop in a body cast, not to worry. The Thursday BLOG will go up if I have to beg my neighbor to stop over and post it.
Hard to believe it has been 20 years since we lost Sharon Christa McAuliffe, the first teacher to fly in space. Selected from among more than 11,000 applicants from the education profession for entrance into the astronaut ranks, McAuliffe was very excited about the opportunity to participate in the space program. "I watched the Space Age being born and I would like to participate", she said after being chosen. Besides McAuliffe, the Challenger crew consisted of mission commander Francis R. Scobee; pilot Michael J. Smith; mission specialists Ronald E. McNair, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Judith A. Resnik; and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis. Christa was also listed as a payload specialist. God Bless Them All!
What are your thoughts about continuing using the Space Shuttle for three more years before they are phased-out?
"When I believe in something, I fight like hell for it".
"I live for myself and I answer to nobody".
"I don't know why it (stardom) happened--but it's kinda nice. Maybe it's because I'm someone off the streets. Maybe people relate to me".
"I worked hard, and if you work hard you get the goodies".
"If I hadn't made it as an actor, I might have wound up a hood".
"I don't believe in that phony hero stuff".
"I'm out of the Midwest. It was a good place to come from. It gives you a sense of right or wrong and fairness, which is lacking in our society".
"Acting's a good racket. And lets face it, you can't beat it for the bread".
"I'd rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on Earth".
"I'll be walking down the street and some guy spots me and flips out. You can see it happen. He goes temporarily crazy just from looking at me. I know what's going through his head: He's got to make his move. He's got to do it because there's a movie star right in front of him and it may be the only chance in his whole life. After a while, they all turn out to be the same person: some guy flipping out, trying to get to you, trying to eat you, man, because he just can't let you get away!"
Late last year, I came across a story that makes me happy I'm alive. I shared with you guys the local story of a 16 year-old girl whose love and compassion helped save a blind horse that was scheduled to be sent to a slaughter house. Last September 18th, she won the Cincinnati Dressage Event without telling the judges or the crowd her horse was sightless (due to an infection that turned the horses large blue eyes a puffy white color). Once on the course, Jenna McVey, 16, guided the horse she calls "Nelly" using pressure with her legs to urge the horse to steer itself right or left. Mary Dobrin, a Judge at the event said, "We didn't know it was a blind horse until it was already on the course. This horse did everything this little girl wanted. I stood there with three volunteers and we cried". As I took my daily "power-walk" I wondered what I would BLOG about. I still have the newspaper clipping scotch-taped to my office wall until I get the software I need to load photos like most of you are able to do. As some of you know, one of my BLOGS in 2005 was a tribute to my Cousin who was born with a God-given gift as a tiny girl to love all animals. She spent her life rescuing and nursing dogs, cats and birds back to health and boarded two horses. When I was a kid, she'd drive me in her red sports car--a Triumph-- to the stables and teach me some basics. My Cousin died of Cancer in 2001. Like many of you who love animals, this ASPCA Letter made me respond and I embellished it a bit. It isn't long. But I felt like sharing it with you. We have enough insanity in this world without slaughtering horses. If you agree, respond with your thoughts. Better yet, scroll down the right margin of this BLOG site and click on the ASPCA Logo for more information. If not, thanks for taking the time to read a different point of view. Have a GREAT weekend, wherever you are!
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Jan 19, 2006
Secretary Michael Johanns
Office of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
1400 Independence Avenue SW
Washington, DC 20250
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Dear Secretary Johanns:
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As a concerned citizen, I am writing to urge you to reject any plan on the part of USDA to allow for horse slaughter in fiscal year 2006. It has come to my attention that the USDA is giving serious consideration to a petition submitted by the three foreign-owned horse slaughter houses in the United States to allow for the continuation of the slaughter of American horses for the foreign horse meat market. I am surprised that your agency would seriously consider such a request, as it flies directly in the face of Congressional action on this issue. Last year, after a tremendous public outcry, Congress overwhelmingly passed an appropriations bill that effectively stopped horse slaughter for fiscal year 2006 by cutting funding for USDA inspections of slaughter plants that slaughter horses. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives overwhelming passed this measure, after hundreds of thousands of citizens contacted Congress --generating more phone calls and letters than both Supreme Court nominees and the Iraq war -- because they want to see an end to horse slaughter in the United States. Congress listened to the American people. As is mandated in the agriculture appropriations bill, the horse slaughter ban is set to take effect on March 10, 2006.
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I am deeply concerned that the USDA would consider a petition that so flagrantly ignores Congress's intent to stop horse slaughter. My late Cousin taught me as a young child the love of animals generally, and horses more specifically. Last year, the American people voted with their feet in denouncing Foreign Interests imposing their will to slaughter horses in our country. Please, I urge you to look to your heart and the nation's with compassion on the subject of the humane treatment and care of this beautiful God-given animal that has historically contributed so much to the develelopment of our nation's industry and continues in many more roles helping to inspire young people with the gift of compassion and the spark of life.
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I strongly urge you to ensure that USDA rejects the petition submitted by the Foreign-Owned slaughter plants and that your agency implements a complete cessation of any inspections of horses for slaughter no later than March 10, 2006, as is mandated by Congress.
Week #2 of the 5-Week "Virtual Film Festival" on "Friday Movie Suggestion Night" is my tribute to Steve McQueen (1930-1980). What is so personally rewarding about this for me, is the amount of time and thought I've put into this "Virtual Film Festival"---even if just 4 people in the entire world follow it; that doesn't matter. It's a wonderful project and we are moving chronologically over a 20-year span I've carved out with just 5 of a total 30 films that showcase the soul of this fine actor. Let's move ahead:
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It's 1965 and Steve's next project as a driven actor who is only 36 months away from becoming the reputed "best known actor in the world" is a 5-card stud Poker game period piece called "THE CINCINNATI KID". Steve is among another First-Rate group of stars. Edward G. Robinson (in one of his final movies) plays ruthless gambler Lancey Howard, nicknamed "The Man". Not ready to retire, he's the old pro who has wiped out the best in Miami, Chicago and New York. McQueen is up and coming stud poker player Eric Stoner "The Kid" who is clever, but can't resist a "winner take all" game in New Orleans at the Hotel LaFayette arranged by Karl Malden, with his sexy wife played by Ann Margret. Ann Margret is delicious eye candy who cheats at everything and is desperate not to waste her years with Malden. "The Kid's" girlfriend played by the lovely Tuesday Weld, is a country girl looking for love. The card trick sequence when Steve is taken to Weld's parents home for their approval is not to be missed! Joan Blondell (the National Board of Review's Best Supporting Actress) is "Lady Fingers", a dealer whose only ambition left is to see "The Man" taken down and Cab Calloway lends authenticity to the movie's dimly lit back room staging for a very tense film. During the filming, Robinson did not like the way McQueen looked at the floor then looked back up at him while delivering his lines. Here you have this great actor in his twilight years who knew four languages pitted against McQueen, armed with street smarts and life's hard knocks who plays his role from within. As Halliwell's Film and Video Guide" says: "This is to poker what The Hustler was to pool, a fascinating study of experts at work". Norman Jewison directs. The Theme song is sung by Ray Charles. This one is intense. So have a towel ready to mop sweat from your foreheads!
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Our next film for the weekend duo is "THE SAND PEBBLES" from 1966, nominated for 8 Academy Awards (c) and the winner of 9 Golden Globes (c). Sadly, Steve McQueen got his only Academy Award (Best Actor) for this film. Director Robert Wise was working simultaneously on "The Sound of Music" with Julie Andrews at the time. Wise's first choice for the role of "Jake Holman" was Paul Newman. Co-stars include Richard Crenna, Lord Richard Attenborough, a 19-year old Candice Bergen (who had not yet decided if she wanted to become an actress or a photographer) with music by Jerry Goldsmith. Writer Robert Anderson became so fed up with McQueen that he quit the project. Director Wise was so proud of this film, that for years after it was made he held annual parties with surviving cast members to celebrate it. Note: This was the first film that Twentieth Century-Fox shot using Panavision amamorphic lenses (which replaced Cinemascope). There is so much in this film that you never see anymore. Each character is introduced on film in a unique way. McQueen carries his Navy bunk bag over his shoulder, hesitates atop a dock as he surveys the U.S. Navy gunboat San Pablo (an embarrassing left over relic of the Spanish American War), pauses and makes his way down the gang-plank--pure McQueen. Richard Crenna is the boat's Commanding Officer Lieutenant Collins. The scene is China in the 1920's. Not to be missed: Where maverick loner McQueen, whose only love is engines, climbs down into the Engine Room and in a touching scene introduces himself aloud to the idle engine. As part of America's foreign policy, the boat patrols the Yangtze River, "showing the flag" to protect American missionaries and businessmen from bandits and warlords. There is an "Intermission" (a practice Hollywood did away with by the late 1960's in America). Along comes The Chinese Revolution and each individual on the boat is faced with baring naked--revelations about themselves and the agonizing decisions that follow. Few people knew that the book that author Richard McKenna wrote in 1962 spent 28 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List and was serialized in the Saturday Evening Post. McKenna began writing in his 40's in Mountain Home, Idaho after many years in the Navy; he died of a heart attack in 1964. He was only 51 years old. I hope each of you who watch these epics will end up saying, "Now THAT is acting!"
AS PROMISED, I AM WORKING MY WAY DOWN THE LIST OF EVERY SPECIAL BLOG BUDDY WHO HAS CARED AND SHARED WITH ME THIS PAST YEAR. AND I'VE DISCOVERED JUST HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE SUFFERED DOWNED SERVERS AND CRASHED DISCS AS I HAVE! GOOD GOD!! YESTERDAY IN MID-AFTERNOON, BLOGGER WENT DOWN ON THIS SITE, SO FORGIVE ME FOR LEAVING IT UP AGAIN FOR TODAY--I AM SURE MANY MISSED IT. THERE'S "HALOSCAN HELL" (HELLSCAN) AND NOW I SUPPOSE "BLOGGER HELL". IT SURE IS INCONVENIENT FOR ALL OF US. WHAT WOULD WE DO WITHOUT BLOGS? WE'D HAVE TO WRITE LETTERS, I GUESS, AND THAT WOULD TAKE FOREVER--AND NOW AT 39 CENTS PER STAMP (USA) NO LESS. lol! HAVE A NICE WEEKEND ALL! AND A SPECIAL HELLO TO PAUL AND THE GANG AT THE PUB FOR READING THIS AND BEING SO THOUGHTFUL AND KIND WITH THE COMPLIMENTS!
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After more than 20 man hours and 25 consultants from The Laptop Hospital to MSN I regret not having any time Wednesday to begin my visits to all of you. But I give you my word, I'll be by every single site (as long as they are accessible) this weekend! I DID take a breather and accept an invitation by Kathryn Magendie to participate in her "Writer's Challenge" at: www.kathrynmagendie.com/howl. I did so because it is NOT a contest. Rather, Kat has posted a handful of photographs. You pick out the one that inspires you to respond to in any idiom and post it. I dusted off an old piece called "The Spring's Sunlight" for the occasion. Stop by and say hello to Kat! Okay...as Roy Scheider says each morning to himself in the mirror in Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz": "It's showtime!!"
During my two road trips to the Carolinas last month--memorable because I was able to meet fellow BLOG BUDDY Kathryn Magendie and her husband Roger--I came upon the notion of a "Virtual Film Festival". Now, I know that sounds nuts. But since it's my BLOG, I figured "What the hell?" Plain and simple. So, for the next five Thursdays, I'll announce two films honoring my favorite Actor: Steve McQueen.
We begin with the film that was McQueen's first major hit that also dared to define the anti-hero in THE MAGNIFICENTSEVEN (1960) directed by John Sturges. When I first saw this movie, a friend called me and asked: "Are you at the scene yet where they are putting the group together?" This film is that fun! Believe it or not, Yul Brenner was the only established star of the "Seven". The story is based on Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". Amazingly, no one knew McQueen outside his television series "Wanted Dead or Alive", or his last minute replacement for Sammy Davis, Jr. in the war epic "Ever So Few" after Davis had a spat with lead star Frank Sinatra. That's right! No one knew Robert Vaughn, Charles Bronson, James Coburn or Eli Wallach!! The premise: A poor farming community is being terrorized by punks and the seven men sign on for $20 a piece to defend the town (something Cincinnati could use badly). Larger than life heros with human flaws and inner darkness. As an aside, I have to share this. Brenner and McQueen had a highly publicized dislike of each other on this film. Watch McQueen sitting atop the stagecoach with a rifle next to Brenner. While not in the script, Steve takes a handful of bullets from his pocket and rattles them like dice and smiles sarcastically at Brenner. Looking at the film in 2005, co-star Suzanne Pleshette said, "It's a wonder Yul didn't knock him off that damned stagecoach!" HA!
Next comes McQueen's most popular film: 1963's THE GREAT ESCAPE (which also starred Bronson and Coburn, as well as James Garner). Quentin Tarantino calls this film "The shortest three hour movie I've ever seen". This is what happens when you combine an all star cast of McQueen with Sir Richard Attenborough, Donald Pleasance, James Garner, Charles Bronson, James Coburn and David McCallum with an exciting screenplay, a wonderful soundtrack--and a true story written by ex World War II POW Paul Brickhill. I make no apologies for the length of this film because we are shown the true life story of the largest allied prison breakout of World War II. Gotta love "The Cooler King" with his baseball and glove! Sweet defiance! The Nazi's designed a camp that was reputedly inescapable and assembled the best escape artists of the war in one place--not too brilliant. Watch McQueen's face after the famous motorcycle jump. It speaks volumes of the will to live and persevere!
Basically, I'm a Public Relations Consultant with a background in Broadcast News. I've worked as a Reporter and Anchor with PBS, ABC, CBS & NBC affiliates and in Cable Television. I'm active in Radio & Television Commercials, Guest Speaking engagements and I enjoy writing, music and sports.
