Tonight, Darlings, Is The 102nd Anniversary Of The Hall-Mills Murder!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             This was the central mystery of my childhood.  The road you see is DeRuse's Lane back in 1922, when the murder took place.  It is now Franklin Blvd. and borders both Middlesex and Somerset counties in New Jersey.

                              Off to the side was a famous crabapple tree.  It is said the Rev. Hall and Mrs. Mills, a choir singer he was having a liaison with, were found next to one another, their throats cut, and a penis stuffed in Mrs. Mills mouth.

                                 It was the scandal of this small-town area, and still is.  Mrs. Hall was a member of the family owning Johnson and Johnson, which still controls New Brunswick.  It was just too sexual for people to take, especially with the people involved.  In William Kunstler's book, "The Minister And The Choir Singer," he mentions on an early page, that as word of the murder spread, a little girl, living in inner New Brunswick, raced to spread the word to her mother and neighbors.  That little girl was my Aunt Mary, my father's oldest sister, and the eldest of the Hearn children.  Six degrees, darlings.

                                  And then there was the Pig Woman, who lived on a farm with pigs, thought she saw or heard something, and was ill by the time of trial, so she had to be brought in on a gurney!

                                  It remains unsolved.  Kunstler claimed it was the KKK.

                                  My paternal grandmother, who would talk to me about the murder, said she always believed Willie Stevens, Mrs. Halls' special needs brother, was responsible and I agree.  They probably confronted the couple in their tryst on this night in '22, things got out of hand, or maybe Mrs. Hall ordered Willie to do the dastardly deed.

                                    However, I always will believe it was Willie.  

                                   But each night, on this date, it is said you can hear the voices of the adulterous lovers, crying out for justice!

                                    Happy Anniversary, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If We Watch The FIlm Only On Audio This Time, We Will Know That The Film Is Cursed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    The last time "Svengoolie" showed 1957's "The Incredible Shrinking Man," something was wrong with the channel, and we had to watch the picture soundless, like a silent movie.

                                      If we get sound, and no picture, we will know that the film is cursed.

                                     This is not one of my favorite films, but the sequence with the spider, who looks pretty artificial here, is a highlight, and will be fun to see and hear.  Believe me, on film it looks more realistic.

                                       Grant Williams has the title role, and William Schallert, forever known as Patty Duke's father, plays one of his character roles.  There is really not much to expect; ironically, it is "The Amazing Colossal Man" in reverse.  The studios really wanted to torture humans, back in 1957. when both films were released.

                                         So, join us at 8PM, to see if this repeat succeeds.

                                         If it does not, dears, simply watch something else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     

"Kill Her, Mommy!!!!!!!!!!!! Kill Her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        Yes, girls, it is that time again.  Friday The 13th when we acknowledge it with Betsy Palmer in her signature performance as Pamela Voorhees, which we will watch tonight.  Baby Gojira and Little Pippin are so excited.

                           And we cannot wait to see Jeannine Taylor (now a top NYC real estate agent) in her dramatic turn as Marcie Cunningham.  The scene where she imitates Katherine Hepburn in the mirror is priceless.  Admit it; we've all done it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Everyone has their own way of celebrating--or ignoring--this day, so do as you please.  But think of us at 8PM, and, if so inclined, turn on your DVD and join us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Now, she couldn't let them open this place again, could she?

                                 Here is some footage of Betsy transitioning.  What an excellent job she does!

                                 And what good dental coverage she must have had during this shoot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

       

...."On September Twelfth, Right Here In Front Of The Waverly!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                   It is here again, darlings!  Today is Frank Mill Day.  I plan to march into the city, and sing the song--where else--in front of the Waverly.

                                    Would that I was as young as Shelley Plimpton, above.  But even Shelley--hard to believe--is 77 and looks great for that age.  Today is as much Shelley's day, as "Frank Mills."

                                      So, a happy Frank Mills Day to one and all.

                                      You know what song to listen to today, dolls!

                                                    Enjoy!

This Day Will Never Be Forgotten!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              I knew where I was that day.  And so, I bet, do most of you readers.  And wasn't this the day that G.W. Bush uttered that famous line, "Is our children learning?"

                                Too many, because of what happened that day, failed to live long enough to see if those children did learn, or maybe to have any children at all..  The 9/11 attack was the second benchmark in the lives of the much-maligned Baby Boomer Generation--mine.  The first one was 11/22/63, the assassination of JFK, and March 13, 2020--what for us was the start of the Covid pandemic.

                                  How much more do we have to suffer?  And how many times is my peer group going to be blamed for the ills of this society?  While it may be natural to blame the previous generation for ills, let us not do it minus clarity, which is the case here.

                                      As you can see, this day makes me both sad and angry.  Of course, I will watch and mourn on the news tonight.

                                        But I wish I could get over the fear that something else is waiting for us in the wings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What Was Needed Last Night Was A Good Dose Of Jennifer Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             Really, darlings, I am not kidding.  A dose of Jennifer Jones, or even Gladys Cooper, was desperately needed last night at the return of the Saturday 5PM mass at St. Andrew The Apostle.

                              You see, girls, this church is on summer hiatus, from post Memorial Day to post Labor Day.  Last night was the first mass of the Fall season, and it should have been a warm and welcoming reunion.

                                  Instead, it was like actors in a long running show walking through the performance.  There was no jubilation, no enthusiastic welcoming of the congregation--just perfunctory greetings.  Worst of all, there was no singing or no music, not even a cappella. 

                                  Under the direction of former music director Anthony Aiella , I have sung in several programs, usually around Christmas or Easter.  As long as my voice holds out, which is pretty much a given, I could sing some hymns a cappella, as long as I know the selections.  I know it may be difficult to find a musical director, but come on, folks, you had the whole summer to prepare for what should have been a momentous event, and I came out of church not feeling uplifted.

                                     Get your act together, St. Andrew!  I would do the direction, but I can't read music that well or hit a keyboard.  I can sing, and if that is needed, I would be glad to offer my services.

                                       But to serve congregants a cold, unyielding service does them a disservice.

                                        I chose to do to this church because I thought it was more forward thinking.

                                        Maybe some fresh ideas are needed.

                                 

"Bop! Bop! Bop The Beetle! Hit! Hit! Hit It Right!"

                               .... Because, darlings, "When you feed the frog/Its mouth shuts tight!"

                               I never owned this Ideal game from 1962, but it was advertised enough that I can still remember its jingle.  My goodness, the tendency to interaction in children's games--this was a foreshadowing of Ideal's wildly successful "Mouse Trap," and Matel's equally popular "Bats In The Belfry."  The latter two I owned, and with plastic sticks and claws there was so much potential for players to go outside the boundaries of the game, and resort to violence, which they did.  Which I can attest to. Milton Bradley did the same thing with "BASH!"

                              Today's games, which I have no use for, are more interactive, and technologically challenging.  The violence is inflicted on the screen, not at each other, but I have to wonder--is this any better?  My peer group might have fooled around with game equipment, but it did not lead us into becoming mass school shooters, like the kids today.  The constant emphasis on violence thanks to video games, I am telling you, has something to do with the youthful upsurge of violence in our nation.

                                  Are there any peaceful video games out there?  Those in the know, feel free to tell me.

                                As for me, I will stick to games of yore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Girls, It Is Time To Think About Fall Fashions! How Abot A Gibson Girl Hair Style???????????????

                                              Girls, I have always wanted to be a Gibson girl, and this Fall, if I can grow my hair out, I am thinking of it.  With the perfect gown, wouldn't this look just fabulous?

                                               I lean toward the lower two, from left to right.  They seem so stylish and organized, compared to the abundance of froth in the others.  I have to look my most elegant, darlings!

                                                  Fall will be here before we know it.  Now is not too early to plan your seasonal fashion look.

                                                    Baby Gojjra says, "Get to it!"

 

Yes. Girls The Cult Classic "Killer Klowns From Outer Space" Is Back On "Svengoolie" Tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Anyone who has never seen this gem, by the Chiodo brothers is in for a treat.  Don't let the poster scare you off, darlings; this film has the most imaginative use of color costume design, and art direction I have seen in many a long time.  It is almost on a par with "The Wizard Of Oz," though, believe me, for artistry, the film is hardly on a par with that.  But the visuals are dazzling.

                                            Those having seen it know what I mean.  Those who have not need to, in order to appreciate what all the fuss is about.

                                             Little Pippin cannot wait to see it, and I don't blame him.  So, join us at 8PM tonight for this camp lark.

                                              First timers will never view the circus the same way again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did Vivien Leigh's Scarlett Green Curtain Dress Inspire Julie Andrews/Maria Curtained Children's Clothes????????????????????

                                                                                 

                           Or to be more specific, darlings, did screenwriter Ernest Lehman borrow this idea from "Gone With The Wind," into the movie version of "The Sound Of Music?"   Lehman did write the script for the 1965 film--would you believe his next project was "Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf ?" Imagine going from one to the other!--but he did add the curtain component for 'Music', which was not in the original stage production.  Thinking about GWTW recently, I could not help recalling Julie and the curtains, and wondering if the biggest box-office winner of its day borrowed from the biggest box-office winner of an earlier day?

                            Could it be coincidence?  Somehow, I don't think so.  If coincidence is questioned, then it is not.

                              Plagiarism?  No.      Artistic license?  Yes.       

                               And what a wonderful idea.   I still want to be Heather Menzies and Angela Cartwright!                           

May Hold The Attention, But A Classic It Isn't!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         Last week, girls, through connections, we got cheap tickets to see the musical "Hell's Kitchen," and I was curious about this musical which was the foregone conclusive nominee to win the TONY Award.  Yet it did not.  With gasps through the audience, the winner was announced as......"The Outsiders."  Through my TV I could hear gasps in the audience.  So, I was curious to see "Hell's Kitchen."  Now, I confess, I am curious to see "The Outsiders."  But, really, can they be so dissimilar????????

                                         When I think of the great youth musicals centered around NYC I think of "West Side Story," "HAIR," and Elizabeth Swados' masterpiece, "Runaways."  These shows not only had grit, but cohesive scores holding the books together, and the music was so compelling it could be listened to again and again.  And still is.

                                           Now, far be it from me to question Alicia Keyes' talent.  I love when she covers her own songs.  But shoehorning them into the fabric of the book is not how to write a book musical.  Sure, I loved the finale, which, of course, was "Empire State Of Mind."  But what has that to do with all having gone before?

                                            One thing more I have to say before launching into the performers.  What is all this about Manhattan Plaza being some kind of slum?  I knew about it as soon as my little feet hit the pavement of this city for the first time as a resident.  In fact, back in 1993, I was in the apartment of composer Al Carmines, while I was rehearsing his oratorio "Christmas Rappings," which I performed in 1993.  Let me assure you these apartments are not slums, and I would still kill to get into one of them.  But face it, even if I had placed myself on the waiting list in 1993, I would still be waiting.

                                               Who is this book writer Krisoffer Diaz?  He has written a too ordinary story of teenage angst, especially when one has an artistic child.  I should know.  I too was an artistic child, and while I put my parents through a lot, it was nothing compared to what Maleah Joi Moon as Allie puts her mother, Jersey, played by Shoshana Bean, through. The saying goes that the worse thing than being a kid going through puberty is being the parent of a kid going through puberty.  I can attest only to the first, but the story concocted here is as old as Sophocles, and with a lackluster score, who cares?

                                                 The role of Allie is the kind of role that, in better musical hands would have made Maleah Joi Moon a Broadway star, just like when Melba Moore sang "I Got Love," in "Purlie," back in 1970.  But no song in "Hell's Kitchen" matches that.  Shoshan Bean has a great voice as does the rest of the company, but it is all for naught.

                                                   The staging is ablaze with light that I feared would trigger my seizure disorder, while the dancing is repetitive, and Camille A. Brown's choreography is just too frenetic, lacking the poetry of her dance influencers, Jerome Robbins and Michael Bennett, whose influences can be seen throughout the musical.  But they worked with good composers who gave them scores they could work with.  And Michael Greif directed this, still living off his post quarter of a century glory of "Rent."  Give it up, Michael.

                                                    If it were still running, I would tell you readers if you wanted to see a musical that is edgy yet groundbreaking, run to "Illinoise," by the great Justin Peck.  Alas, "Hell's Kitchen" is still running, while "Illinoise" closed, and that is a sad commentary on today's culture.

                                                   And loud????????????  I had a headache coming out of the theater.  The last time that happened with me was in 1993, with "The Who's Tommy."  But that was a worthwhile evening as the music was better.

                                                    Honestly, girls, musical theater is at the point where it needs to find a new direction if it is going to draw audiences of all generations.  Reconstitution is not the answer; innovation has always been.

                                                        I wanted to inform you, girls. But, really, my review of "Hell's Kitchen" could be summed up in two words.

                                                         Skip it, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Incongruity Of Labor Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             To me, this will always be the unofficial end of Summer.  And every year it comes all too quickly.  That it is a holiday having the word "labor" has always struck me as contradictory.  Labor is work, so why celebrate that?

                                                Well, darlings, because it is work, no matter how small, like this blog, that moves the engine of society forward.  Now, don't get me wrong, dears, I am not a venture capitalist. Far from it; hell, it was established, as soon as I was out of college that I was not the corporate type, and in the cruelest of ways.

                                                  There are in some jobs that are more strenuous than others--construction workers, home care aides, and those who work in care facilities. If any group deserves a holiday, it is these people; in fact, they deserve more than a day.  And not just them, but all of us who have labored through their lives, including students of all levels.

                                                      Yes, Labor Day is saying goodbye to Summer.  It is the last cookout, the last outdoor get together, a time for bottling up memories to relive of the Summer of 2024.  

                                                          But never lose sight, darlings, that it means so much more.

                                                          Think about it.

May You September Be As Pink And Colorful As This, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                       Can you believe, girls, that we are in the "ber" months?  That is right, the last third of the year, when things begin winding down.  I have a feeling that since we had a relatively mild August that September will be a sizzler.

                          And I am making a promise, and will do my best to keep it, that this year, on September 12, I will stand in front of the Waverly, and sing "Frank Mills."

                              Of course, the day before that is a day of mourning for America, when the World Trade Center twin towers were destroyed.  As well as a city's confidence.  Who could have foreseen this?  Or Covid?

                            I hope September means better health for all out there, but for some of us here.  I hope it allows for lots of reading time, so I can reach my 100-book goal.  We return to St. Andrew on Saturday, and I hope things are fine there.  And that I can work with the musical director.

                            September means more than the schoolhouse.  So, whatever it means for you, darlings, I wish you the best.

                               And it is only 30 days!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!