Happy Birthday, Buck Owens!

I came late to the Buck Owens fan club. I only knew him as one-half of the Hee Haw hosting team with Roy Clark. And I saw Roy Clark on all sorts of other TV shows as a guest-star, so I figured he was the bigger star. Well, of course, in the Country & Western world Buck was huge. I had no idea. I didn't know until recently that he had written "It's Crying Time Again," which was a huge hit for him on the C&W charts before it was a huge hit for Ray Charles on the Pop charts. I only knew he had written a song for the The Beatles that I liked...."Act Naturally." Of course, it was a huge hit for himself a few years before my time.

So like I said, I didn't really appreciate Buck Owens until after he had passed. I now have quite a few of his songs on my ipod, including this great harmony with Don Rich, "Together Again. "

August 12 would have been Buck's 84th birthday. He passed away in 2006. 

Happy Birthday, Buck Owens!

Mutiny On The Bounty (Best Picture 1935)

I must have seen this movie before, or it must have been parodied or somehow part of popular culture because as soon as I heard Charles Laughton yelling, "Mis-tuh Christian!" I had an immediate sense of having heard it before.

I can imagine MGM executives casting this film: Clark Gable had just won Best Actor last year, and Charles Laughton had won in 1932. "Let's put them together against each other and watch the sparks fly!" Whoever that casting director was, he was right. These two actors are by far the best part of this film. The third so-called lead in the film is an actor I have never heard of, Franchot Turot as Ensign Byam. After watching the movie I was not surprised that I didn't know him! In a role that should have been the lynchpin between the two, Turot has little real acting (or re-acting) to do here; he has one scene at his court-martial where he emotes but other than that his job is to be a victim of circumstance. He's more of a cypher than a lynchpin, and the script is the worst for this. By the way, I recently read a biography of Cary Grant that said he was in consideration to get this part. I would have liked to have seen that!

If you have never seen this film then I recommend it for the beautiful scenery and the dramatic tension between Laughton and Gable. The mutiny does not occur until ninety minutes into the film, so by that time the emotions and tension have been ratcheted up so high that I was on pins and needles. "Is *this* going to set it off? Is *that*?" Therefore, when the mutiny actually does come it is almost anti-climactic. The eventual reason for the mutiny is, I guess, just the straw that breaks the camel's back, but I really did expect some grand gesture of antagonism or malice to light the embers. Because the actual cause is just one more order of Captain Bligh's, the mutineers do come off somewhat as whiny malcontents; the line between Bligh and the mutineers is not black-and-white, and the moral high-ground that Mr. Christian was hoping to maintain is lost as well. Perhaps that was the whole point, but if so the incidents were not staged to make the audience fully understand that intent. As it is presented just seemed clumsily done.

However, the film works as well as it does because of its story, and not in the specific details. For example, we never see what eventually happens to Captain Bligh. He makes it back to civilization, but then disappears from the story. His character appears to remain unchanged by his experiences, although the strong impression is that the Royal Navy does not approve of him. Mr. Christian stays in Tahiti, apparently a prisoner in paradise, although in real-life the crew kidnapped Tahitian women and enslaved Tahitian men, some of whom later murder Christian. And Byam returns to duty in His Majesty's Navy, somehow fully vindicated or pardoned by His Majesty. I think this is the only time that a film had all of its leads nominated for Lead Actor only to have none of them win (Victor McLaglen won for The Informer). This is definitely another Best Picture that seems to have received the award for the sum of its whole and not for its individual parts. 

Another point in its favor was its photography. Only twice in the whole film did I notice scenes that were obviously not filmed at sea. The vast majority of the motion picture appeared to have been filmed on a body of water on a ship made up to be The Bounty. Whether this was actually filmed off the coast of Los Angeles, Hawaii, or Tahiti doesn't really matter: it was filmed on a ship on a body of water. In fact, a few times I well imagined the feeling of claustrophobia and sea-sickness that must have plagued the actual crew. I don't know if the movie crew actually went to Tahiti, but there are scenes filmed on or around a coast somewhere; I surmise Hawaii was asked to play the part. Either way, although some scenes set in huts or in the jungle are obviously on Hollywood sound-stages, some of the scenes definitely were filmed at some outside location that was *not* Los Angeles. That adds to the feeling of "wonder" of the film and perhaps had something to do with it winning.

 

The "set" of The Bounty was awesome

Mutiny On The Bounty (1935)

*Academy Award Best Picture 1935*

Produced by Irving Thalberg
Directed by Frank Lloyd

Screenplay by Jules Furthman, Talbot Jennings, & Carey Wilson 

 

This Trailer actually shows a lot of what I was talking about....
the wonderful set, the exotic locations, the great acting....

Also Nominated:

(in alphabetical order)

Alice Adams
Broadway Melody 1936
Captain Blood
David Copperfield
The Informer
Lives Of A Bengal Lancer
Midsummer Night's Dream
Les Miserables
Naughty Marietta
Ruggles of Red Gap
Top Hat

I'm not sure why, but this year *again* there were twelve films nominated. This is the all-time record, shared by 1934. After this year and for ten years thereafter ten films is the standard number of nominees. It is not until 1944 that the field is whittled down to five, which is the number I always assumed it had been set at. Still, I only recognize a few of these...Captain Blood features Errol Flynn, but I've never seen it. Midsummer Night's Dream features a young Mickey Rooney as Pip, but I don't think I've seen all of that the whole way through, either. Top Hat is another Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers movie. The Informer I know by name because its lead, Victor McLaglen, and its director, John Ford, both won Academy Awards. The others I don't know at all.

Magnificent Seven: Legion of Super-Heroes

Today August 7th falls on Wednesday Comics here at Friends of Justice so that means it's time for another Magnificent Seven list about comics. I've already done The Avengers and The Justice League, so now I want to write about my third favorite comic team, the Legion of Super-Heroes.

It goes without saying that if you don't know the Legion of Super-Heroes, you probably shouldn't read this article. It will only make your head hurt. Or skip my build-up slash explanation and go directly to the list and see if you recognize these characters and if you agree with my choices.

Because, you see, the Legion isn't just a name. It's a LEGION of Super-Heroes. See that picture above, by Greg LaRoque and Larry Mahlstedt? All of those heads were members of the Legion at one time, and most of them at the *same* time. So I say again, if you're not at least a little bit familiar with the Legion, this article may confuse you. 

The idea behind The Magnificent Seven is that if an editorial edict came down mandating that only seven members could remain in the Legion of Super-Heroes, who would your choices be?

Of course, it's almost impossible to reduce the roster of the Legion of Super-Heroes to The Magnificent Seven level. And I am only taking in consideration the so-called "Original Team" that existed in continuity from 1958-1989, then again from 2007-2013. If you consider the Re-booted Team and the Three-Boot, there are literally hundreds of characters to choose from!

And I don't want to turn this into a "My Seven Favorite Legionnaires" article, either. I really want to think about which characters, put together as a team, would be the overall BEST Legion Away Team. So I decided to try to be more logical in my considerations. (Turns out that there's a little bit of Brainiac Five in me after all.)

Here's what I came up with.

The Legion is an institution: a club of super-heroes where to gain admittance you must show aptitude at one unique super-power. (This rule was waived for Superboy, Supergirl, Mon-El, and kind of for Ultra Boy.) Within the confines of this rule there are what I think are three types of characters: Power Houses, First Assault, and Supporters.

Power Houses: these are the characters mentioned above (Superboy, Mon-El, Ultra Boy, Supergirl) as well as Element Lad and Chameleon Boy. You have got to have a pretty high power-level to get through any of these individual heroes, let alone any pairing or group of them.

First Assault: These are the members with the most physical powers; those characters who shoot fire or ice such as Sun Boy or Polar Boy or who are more "in the trenches" types like Timber Wolf or Karate Kid. Most of the members fall into this category.

Supporters: These are the strategists or those members whose powers are not overtly physical. Dream Girl and Brainiac Five are the best examples of these characters, as they both appear "static" even when they are actually demonstrating their abilities.

Of course, some characters defy clear descriptions. For example, Blok is a living battering ram and shield, so is often physically in First Assault. However, he doesn't actually DO anything except stand there. His personality is not dynamic; definitely not one of a traditional leader. Likewise, members such as Bouncing Boy, Duo Damsel, and Matter-Eater Lad possess physical powers, but they are not always shown to be dynamic or out-going, depending on who is writing them. In my mind, they can fit well in either First Assault or Supporters. 

So with these divisions or definitions, I'm ready to explain who my core Legion team would include. In the order in which they joined the team, I would pick the following as The Magnificent Seven of the Legion of Super-Heroes: 

1. COSMIC BOY 
There's a reason his given name is "Rokk." More so than either of the other two founders, in my mind Cosmic Boy is the lynchpin or axis on which the whole Legion exists. He left his home planet in order to make money to support his family, and in doing so gained an even bigger one. He was the Legion's "Big Brother" (in a good way!) for years. This made it even more painful when his actual younger brother was killed in action. Besides his solid characterization, he has magnetic powers, and everybody knows how cool Magneto is. 
Highlights of his career: 
S/LSH  212, when he decides he loves "his girl" Night Girl, even though she isn't a Legionnaire;  LSH 297, where he nearly kills the terrorists who killed his mother

  

 2. LIGHTNING LAD
Almost from the beginning Garth Ranzz has been the emotional core of the Legion. He was the first member to die, sacrificing his life for the woman he loved. He was the first to come back, although he was gone for nearly ten issues, which in comics time is an eternity. I often wonder if the writers and editors were arguing over keeping him dead or bringing him back until they decided to bring him back. He finally returned in a story with another classic sacrifice. Then he was the first Legionnaire to be severely wounded, losing an arm in battle against The Moby Dick of Space. His arm was eventually regrown, but his nick-name as "the unluckiest Legionnaire" stuck. He was always the "emotional" one vis-a-vis his girl friend's calm demeanor and his best friend's level headedness. In LEGIONNAIRES THREE the Time Trapper believes that Lightning Lad is the "core" of the Legion. I'm not sure I agree with that, but in a very real sense he is the connection between the three founders, and the Legion could not have existed without them.
Speaking of Saturn Girl, I love her, BUT....I don't think she is as important to the Legion as her two co-founders are. We'll talk more about her at the end, I promise. 
Highlights of his career: 
ADVENTURE 304, where he sacrifices himself to save Saturn Girl; S/LSH 236 , where he and Imra vow their love for each other; LEGIONNAIRES THREE 1-4 where he is shown to be the "rock" that both Rokk and Imra lean on.

3. PHANTOM GIRL
Tinya Wazzo (great name!) was one of the first Support Legionnaires, and she is one of the best. Her ability to "phase" through objects, solidifying her fist in order to attack, is a great one. Like a real-life ghost, she can go almost anywhere and do almost anything. With her experience as a Senior Member (she is member #5) she has the tactical and leadership abilities many other members lack. She is also an important member of the Legion Espionage Squad, second only to Chameleon Boy in rank. Although she is most often portrayed as the "yin" to Ultra Boy's "yang," she is an experienced heroine who was most recently voted Leader of the Legion. And according to some, she is the over-all "hottest" Legionnaire.
Highlights of her career: 
S/LSH 220, where she over-rules the other (male) members and refuses to be black-mailed by slave traders; LSH 47, where she pulls rank on Dawnstar regarding mission protocol.

4. CHAMELEON BOY
Speaking of Cham, Reep Daggle is next on my list. I am not a huge fan of the Power House characters, which is why Superboy and Supergirl et al didn't make this list. And the Durlans are possibly the strongest alien race in the entire DCU (or just behind the Daxams, anyway). Think about how strong Marvel's Super-Skrull or DC's Amazo are, and how they are usually portrayed: they are bad-asses. Now take that same type of ability and give it to a cute orange-skinned alien, and you definitely have a power-house! However, he still has to breathe, and he can only change into one thing at a time. So I think he isn't TOO powerful. Chameleon Boy can become anything, from an Earthquake Beast to a Vornian Mole, and that is an ability you definitely want on your side. Plus, except for the time when he was the victim of an editor's unexpected plot device, he has always been portrayed as cool and level-headed. Amongst a team of leaders, he is the ultimate tactician.
Highlights of his career: 
ADVENTURE 376, where he meets and falls in love with a princess in another dimension; S/LSH 239, where his analytical mind solves the murder that had been blamed on Ultra Boy; The Universo Project (LSH 32-35), where he is shown to be one of the smartest Legionnaires.

5. ELEMENT LAD
The second Power House member I have chosen is Jan Arrah, the last of a race of alchemists. Element Lad can literally change lead into gold. Or into hydrogen. Or into Kryptonite. He can increase or decrease or otherwise move around the number and locations of neutrons, protons, and electrons of all matter instantly. So he changes the sides of an invader's space ship into oxygen, or he transmutes the invader's weapon into hydrogen. The best thing about Element Lad, however, is that because his entire race was exterminated by Space Pirates, he is a pacifist. He wants to stop violent aggressors, but he doesn't want to harm them. So in modern DCU lingo he is a mash-up of Batman (wounded child) and Firestorm (master of all elements). That's a pretty cool combination! Also, in many of his characterizations there is a slight under-current of homosexuality, which would be another "inclusive" item. During Paul Levitz' run he was shown with his girl friend basically said that he loved whomever he loved, and did not believe in marriage. That's a pretty interesting character to have around.
Highlights of his career: 
ADVENTURE 307, his debut and where we first learn his origin and motivations; S/LSH 211, where he confronts the murderer of his people; LSH 19, where he refuses to kill, preferring to die than murder a Sun-Eater creating warrior race.

6. SENSOR GIRL
Princess Projectra joined the Legion at the same time as Ferro Lad, Karate Kid, and Nemesis Kid. For years after this, she was the dullest and least developed of these four. However, once she finally became Queen Projectra she started coming into her own as a real super-heroine. Her illusions seemed stronger, as was her personality. Then came the attack of the Legion of Super-Villains on her home world; she became a widow and an executioner. When we saw her next she had increased abilities, but really she was just a pumped up version of her old self. She can manipulate others' senses, making them see, hear, and even feel things differently from what is real. She is almost like the ultimate Jedi Knight: "These are not the Science Police officers you are looking for." As a Legionnaire she is loaded with potential, not only for her powers but for her characterization, which is very much "the tragic responsibility of nobility." This isn't your average Legionnaire!
Highlights of her career:  
ADVENTURE 346, her debut and where she proves her worth as a Legionnaire; LSH 1-5, where she and her husband nearly single-handedly repel and invasion of their world; LSH 26, where we learn her new powers and motivations; LSH 31, where we get another glimpse of the very powerful "young Jeckie."

7. TELLUS
It took years for the Legion to add a non-humanoid member. There are hundreds of planets and races in the United Planets, and yet from 1958 until 1986 there were no "alien" super-heroes. The only members who even look like aliens are Chameleon Boy and Blok (although Shadow Lass is blue, and Brainiac Five is green). According to an interview with LSH writer Jim Shooter, he originally intended for Ferro Lad to be African-American; however, the editor didn't allow it, and the future had to wait ten more years before it was integrated. Worst yet, the Legion of this era never had more than one Black man as a member at a time! This doesn't sound like unity and international brotherhood to me. So after Tellus finally appeared he instantly became one of the visually appealing members; when Paul Levitz played up his naivete and "fish out of water" characterization I was hooked. Tellus has telekinetic abilities as well as telepathy, which means he is a very ugly version of Marvel's Marvel Girl! There are still plenty of stories to tell about how he has to get used to a bi-pod carbon-based lifeform world. Although none of my choices here are actually from Earth (Cosmic Boy was born on Earth, but he considers himself Braalian), I don't think the "immigrant" or "handicapped" (in the sense that society is not set up for him) storyline would work nearly as well with, say, Phantom Girl,  as it would with Tellus.
Highlights of his career:
LSH 14, his debut as a Legionnaire, where he shows off his innocence and his exuberance; LSH 23, where he helps rescue Mon-El from the Phantom Zone; LSH 25-26, where he is one of the members who must face down The New Fatal Five; LSH 46-49, where he is the first member to become suspicious of The Conspiracy.

So let's get back to where we started, namely with Saturn Girl. One of the reasons I did not pick Imra Ardeen is because her powers are so passive. I don't mean she's a light-weight; far from it! I just mean that she very much falls into that "background figure" type, overshadowed (literally) by Cosmic Boy and Lightning Lad. She was initially portrayed as an "ice maiden" who had to hide her feelings from the others because she actually cared too much, but this wasn't a very dynamic personality. Under Paul Levitz's tenure she did become a better, well-rounded character, but she just didn't make the cut.

Which leads me to my closing statement. Somehow I did manage to whittle hundreds of characters down to seven. Again, these are not necessarily my favorites, although I do admit that I always enjoy any story with any of these characters in it. However, it did kill me to cut out Shadow Lass and Saturn Girl, two I tried hard to keep in, and some of my other favorites that I just had to cut: Mon-El, Polar Boy, Sun Boy, Chemical King, and Wildfire.


If you are a fan of the Legion, I would love to hear what you think of my list. And if you are willing, let me know which seven would make YOUR Magnificent Seven.

LONG LIVE THE LEGION! 

Hiroshima Day of Peace 2013

Sixty-eight years ago today the world's first nuclear weapon, the atomic bomb nick-named "Big Boy," was dropped over the city of Hiroshima. 

The red ball shown in this photo represents where the bomb actually detonated.

Directly under the red ball is the building now known as The Atomic Dome. 

It was a musical hall built of concrete and steel. 

How it appears today is shown below. 

It has never been renovated, although some supporting rods have been 

added in order to keep it from collapsing. 

 

The mark on the left says it is where the Historical Center is, 

which is where this diorama is located.

The photo of the Atomic Dome was taken from 

close to the entrance to that Center. 

No More Hiroshimas

Hiroshima 1983 "It's Raining Men"

Thirty years ago I went to Japan for the first time. I won a full-paid corporate scholarship from Youth For Understanding and my father's then-company, Honeywell. I was assigned the Mikami Family in Hiroshima.

Before I went I was concerned that they (and others there) would hate me. After all, we had bombed them. To utter devastation. How could they not hate us?

The first step of my adventure was flying from St. Louis to Los Angeles. I went to Stanford University for comprehensive orientation training with a large group of other young people. We were there for about three days, I think. Then we all flew from LA to Tokyo. Those of us assigned to families close to Tokyo left us at Narita Airport. Those of us going farther were split into smaller groups. I was in a group of maybe five other high school kids, boys and girls, going to Hiroshima. We had a quick pow-wow and realized that all of us were a *bit* anxious. I want to say we stayed over-night in Tokyo, going from Narita to Haneda, because that was when we all got together and realized we were in the same situation.

As soon as we arrived at Hiroshima Airport and met our host families, I knew we'd be okay. They were obviously kind and loving and wanted us there. My family, the Mikamis, had a son named Kazuyuki who was assigned to a Florida exchange in September. As part of his placement contract his family *had* to host a guest, so they got me.

I didn't speak a word of Japanese when I first arrived. I think I knew "domo arigato Mr. Roboto" but that's about it. So my host brother, who was desperate to improve his English, was my constant companion for that first month or so because I was desperate to improve my Japanese. Somehow we made it through to his departure date (which was before mine). He was worried about me when he left, partly because he doubted my actual ability and partly, I think, because he doubted *his* ability for his upcoming adventure and wanted assurance that I (and therefore he) would be okay.  We both were. He came back, graduated from a university, and has been working for an international company ever since. Currently, I believe he is stationed in Taiwan.

That summer while we were sharing a room in his parents' home (his brother had moved into the city) he showed me one of his new records. It was "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. Not really my type of music, but one of the few American songs he owned. One day when he wasn't around and I was especially desperate for something in English, I played it. I must have done something wrong, because later he came up to me and told me that he knew that I had played it because I had scratched it! Highly doubtful of this claim, I demanded proof. He showed me the LP and there was a miniscule scratch on it where I guess the auto-needled lifted itself off. When I asked him if it changed the sound of the record, he admitted that it did not. However, he was pissed that I had played it and that I had scratched it. So I told him that I was sorry, it would never happen again, and that I would buy him a new one. He was happy but a bit incredulous at that. The very next weekend when we went into the city to shop, though, I bought him a new dance mix version of "It's Raining Men" by The Weather Girls. I then took possession of the "ruined" one.

And that is how I happened to own a Japanese LP of that song.

I have no idea whatever happened to it. I guess I must have sold it along with all my other albums. Or it could be in a box somewhere in my parents' house.

Now, whenever I hear that song I don't hear some gay anthem; instead, I think of my great time in Hiroshima. Although, come to think of it, my host brother was probably gay. :-) I know he has never gotten married, because my host parents and I still send letters back and forth to each other and they told me. 

As we head into the 68th anniversary of the end of World War II I really wanted to write about the first Japanese song I ever learned the words to and could sing along with. However, I could not find it on youtube. It's called "Boku Waratchaimasu" by Shingo Kazami. Loosely translated it means, "I smile." It's about a boy who is in love with a girl but either doesn't tell her how he feels or does but she doesn't love him back. (Japanese is difficult to understand that way).  Some of the lyrics of the song are "I wanted to spend the summer with you, I wanted to spend my whole life with you...." I saw this young man perform on some Japanese variety show and then found out that he was actually from Hiroshima, so I took a shine to this song. Someday if I can find a copy of it I'll post more about it. In the meantime, this is the 45 "single" jacket that I bought while I was there.

I don't think I have ever seen this video before, haha!

It Happened One Night (Best Picture 1934)

It Happened One Night is one of the greatest motion pictures of all time.

Now, I know this is high praise for a so-called screwball comedy from 1933, but if you have seen it you know what I am talking about, and if you have not seen it you have no idea what you have been missing. I don't think I am over-selling ti to say that IHON is the grand-daddy of romantic comedies as we know them today.  

Gable and Colbert in a PR shot with Roscoe Karns,
who plays a comedic role on their second bus

In a nutshell the story concerns spoiled heiress Ellen Andrews (Colleen Colbert) running away from her father to marry the man her father disapproves of. Along the way she meets up with down-on-his luck newspaperman Peter Warne (Clark Gable); they both take an instant dislike to the other. He realizes who she is, however, then agrees to help her elude her father so that he can have the "exclusive story." Because this is a comedy things don't go very smoothly for them. And because it's a romance, they end up falling in love.

The film is a parade of travel "bits" as we follow them from Miami to New York. Each scene has an underlying emotional core, besides being either charming, funny, or touching. For example, their route is washed out by rain so they must stay in an early motel. They register as man-and-wife to save money (both are low on funds and she refuses to wire her father for more). Gable puts up a rope and a blanket, dubs it "the wall of Jericho," and sends her to the other side. In the era of chivalry where even a hint of scandal could ruin someone's reputation, this is incredibly risqué. Then, when Colbert balks at staying but doesn't want to go out in the downpour either, Gable starts to undress. However, he does it with real class, explaining HOW he is going to undress. There's the underlying hint of scandal, the teasing of her (and her thinking he may be wanting to take advantage of her), and the sheer comedy of his lines. Urban legend says that when Gable took his shirt off and was shown without an undershirt, actual undershirt sales plummeted!

The "wall of Jericho" comes to symbolize the walls between them: class, gender, power, knowledge, experience, etc. Gradually we see this wall weakening, until it comes down, both literally and figuratively, in the final scene.

The next morning is a key scene. Colbert wakes up, realizes that not only has Gable not raped her, he has pressed her dress and made her breakfast. It begins to become a partnership. Their playful banter about how you're supposed to dunk a donut in coffee seems true-to-life. When private detectives hired by Ellen's father show up wanting to look at her, they fall into a play-act that feels absolutely genuine. Don't miss the motel manager's throw-away line at the end, "They're a perfectly nice married couple."

As the two get closer to their goal of New York City and we get more and more of these scenes, we know they are going to fall in love before they do. One of the best things about this film is the ability to watch it over and over again and try to see where each begins to fall in love with the other. Their initial mis-trust gives way to cooperation on a mutual goal, which leads to a co-dependence and then to love. Gable and Colbert are both absolutely perfect in their roles; you like and dislike both of them

equally! Tellingly, there is no sweet "I love you!" finale; we are told that they are married and then are shown that the "wall of Jericho" is falling. The rest is left to our imaginations.

Urban Legend says that this film played a huge part in the development of Bugs Bunny. Clark Gable is shown crunching on carrots while he tries to hustle a ride in the famous hitch-hiking scene. Roscoe Karns as an annoying fellow customer calls him "Doc" several times. In their final scene together Gable and Karns talk about somebody else named "Bugs." All circumstantial evidence, I know, but it's fun to watch this movie and think that the animators at Warner Bros thought, "Let's make a Clark Gable-type cartoon character!" Bugs Bunny made his debut in 1938.

Another reason that this is a great film (how many reasons do you need?) is the wonderful work by the supporting players. Walter Connolly as Ellen's father is exasperated by her stupidity, then frantic in his concern for her safety, and then quietly resigned to her choice in husband. It's a very quiet performance but as the core of the story he pulls off his scenes beautifully.

Walter Connolly as Andrews, Ellen's father

Likewise, Charles C. Wilson as Warne's editor starts out exasperated by Gable's drunken stupidity, then switches to anger at being taken advantage of, then switches back to respect for Gable's true talent. Then when destiny switches on them again, the quiet scene between them when Gable comes in to apologize really shows what masculine friendship meant in the 30s. "You think you have a great yarn, and then something comes along and messes up the finish," he says, quietly putting a few bucks in Gable's pocket because he knows that Gable loved Colbert after all.  

Charles C. Wilson as The Editor

At the Academy Awards presentations this film became the first film to win "the big five": Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay. That feat was not repeated until 1975, by One Flew Over the Cuckoo Nest. It happened again in 1991 with The Silence of the Lambs.

It Happened One Night

*Academy Award Best Picture 1934*

Produced by Harry Cohn
Directed by Frank Capra

Screenplay by Robert Riskin
based on a short-story by Samuel Hopkins Adams  

For some reason there are a huge number of youtube videos calling themselves "trailers" but are obviously home-made. I'm fine with people making them, but don't call them "Official Trailers!" This one looks semi-official, anyway...

Also Nominated:

(in alphabetical order)

The Barretts of Wimpole Street
Cleopatra
Flirtation Walk
The Gay Divorcee
Here Comes The Navy
House of Rothschild
Imitation of Life
One Night of Love
The Thin Man
Viva Villa!
The White Parade

Here's another year of many, many nominees. For 1934 and 1935 there were twelve nominees for Best Picture; after 1936 they cut back to ten nominees. It wasn't until 1944 that the Academy settled on five nominees, which was the standard until very recently.

In doing research on Claudette Colbert I realized that she was in at least two of the other nominees, both of which are now better known via their remakes decades later: she portrayed the lead in Cleopatra, and she was one of the mothers in Imitation of Life.  The Gay Divorcee is a Ginger Rogers-Fred Astaire movie, but I've never seen any of their films. The only movie that I have seen here is The Thin Man, starring William Powell and Myrna Loy. It's an absolute classic and another of my all-time favorite films. I wrote a review of it last week you can read here if you missed it. It's a shame it lost out to IHON, but I guess IHON is the better over-all film.  

Happy Birthday, Jaime Pressly!

 

Today is actress Jaime Pressly's 36th birthday. 

I was not familiar with her at all until I was captivated by her on My Name Is Earl. She was wonderful as Earl's ex-wife, Joy Turner and won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress for her role. The show aired from 2005-2009 until it was abruptly cancelled by NBC. Many characters and character actors from Earl have since appeared on creator Greg Garcia's current TV hit, Raising Hope.

Since then I have come across her in such movies as "Joe Dirt", "Not Another Teen Movie", and "I Love You, Man."

Happy Birthday, Jaime Pressly! 

 

The cast of MY NAME IS EARL