Girls, "Svengoolie" Is Showing 1971's "Duel" Tonight At 8PM! First Timers Should Tune In, Those Having Seen It Don't Need A Second Viewing!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             To think Steven Spielberg filmed this made-for-TV film in 1971, the start of my junior year of high school.  Fortunately, he shot it while Dennis Weaver was still hot, and in the same year Weaver did "What's The Matter With Helen?"

                            "Duel" is based on a Richard Matheson short story about a trucker, who, for no apparent reason, is harassed by what I always thought of as a "ghost truck," or "ghost driver" plowing down on him throughout the film.  There is plenty of tension and suspense for first timers, whom I urge to watch.  Those having seen it had best tune to something else.  I would love to see "Trilogy Of Terror" once more.  Especially Karen Black as "Julie."  And everyone loves her in "Amelia," the voodoo doll story!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Alas, this is not a great month for "Svengoolie," girls!  Though next week is promising, but I won't reveal that until next Saturday.

                                The film is good of its kind, and interesting in the Spielberg chronology.

                               Personally, I would rather again watch 1946's "Duel In The Sun," with Jennifer Jones as Pearl Chavez, "The half-breed Indian girl, built by the devil to drive men crazy!"

                                To think that used to be said about me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dick Van Dyke Reaches 100 Today! Happy Birthday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           Whenever I hear someone is nearing age 100, I get a little nervous.  I recall when my father was on that threshold.  Will he make it, or will he die days before?  It happens sometimes.

                              So, I am delighted to say Dick Van Dyke has made it.  For my generation, he has been many things to us--Rob Petrie, Bert in "Mary Poppins," and Caractacus Potts in "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."  With Sally Ann Howes as Truly Scrumptious.

                                And don't forget the role that started it all--Albert Peterson, in "Bye Bye, Birdie," a role he also did on stage.

                                 These filmed legacies will live on long after Van Dyke passes. But today I wish him many happy returns---and I do mean MANY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Living till 100 is a privilege for a chosen few.  I am happy Dick Van Dyke is among the chosen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Happy 100th birthday, Dick Van Dyke!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Merrily We Roll Along" As Best Picture Of The Year???????????? It Is In My Book, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            I have recounted on here before my personal relationship with 'Merrily,' going back to the 1981 Original Broadway Production, which I saw twice; I was so enamored of it.  I will gladly repeat it if needed.  Just say so in the comments, and I will do another post on it.

                             But right now, I am urging everyone to see this film version of the Sondheim musical.  It is more than a filmed stage play; it is a work of cinematic art as I will demonstrate.  The entire score has been retained, and is just as beautiful as ever, and it really is a cinematic achievement.  The last time I went crazy over a film version of a stage musical was when MERYL did "Mama Mia," back in 2008. Though its score cannot equal this one, which is why I think, over time, 'Merrily' will become a classic in the pantheon of well-done filmed musicals like "My Fair Lady," "The Sound Of Music," "Funny Girl," "Oliver!" and "Cabaret."

                              So well has Maria Friedman directed this film I would not mind her taking a crack at "FOLLIES."  Now that is something worth waiting for.

                                How did Maria do it?  Let's start with an extraordinary cast.

                             Jonathan Groff--OK, girls, pick yourselves up off the floor, we know he is incredibly good looking.  Though the story remains the same, Groff's performance is different from any Franklin Shepard I have seen, because he remarkably manages to humanize a pretty despicable character.  Viewers seeing this will not forget Frank's negatives, but when the film closes on this shot of a yearning, youthful Frank, he becomes as human as we have seen and reminds us of all of when we were young and starting out.  How do we feel about the way we turned out?  Hmm, girls?  The film forces us to ask these questions of ourselves, and they may be hard to answer.  But Groff's acting and singing are remarkable--screw "La La Land--and his is an Oscar caliber performance

                           Lindsay Mendez--Just look at this face, and you can see the pain in Mary Flynn.  Mendez makes the viewer feel it throughout, and her voice is glorious.  In some ways she is the most impacted of the three friends' breaking up, but I always wondered--in the opening scene, when Mary leaves the party, finished with Frank, I know she is going back to New York, but are she and Charley Kringas still friends?  I have always wondered.  Vocally, Lindsay knocks every one of the songs she is assigned out of the proverbial ballpark.  She was robbed of a TONY Award, so where is that Best Supporting Actress Oscar?????????????????
.

                                     Daniel Radcliffe--How fitting the film's most recognizable cast member is also the biggest surprise!  His, for me, was the most heartbreaking of all the performances.  His pain when signing "Franklin Shepard, Inc.," which he nails with razor sharp precision, is so palpable, and his is the most moving rendition of "Good Thing Going" I have ever heard.  He is a revelation, darlings, and like his co-stars, deserves an Oscar for his especially gripping performance.

                                     Noticeably, Katie Rose Clarke as Beth sings the hell out of "Not A Day Goes By," and Mary's internal response at the wedding is just devastating.  Lindsay scores again.  Clarke is also great in the "Bobby, Jackie, And Jack" number.  I was sorry when she had to disappear from the story.

                                          God bless Maria Friedman; it took her and 42 years to get this show right.  What she has most noticeably done is really pared down the story to being really about Frank and Charley, and the actors play them almost as a team, with Mary looking on in support.  This was especially true during the heartbreaking final number, "Our Time," where one is forced to first question one's decisions. In the Original Broadway Production, the trio were backed up by a youthful ensemble, and while they sounded gorgeous, it took away from the intimacy of the lead trio. Friedman makes the number more about Charley and Frank, though Lindsay's Mary joins in, with her captivating voice.  As my David says, it is all their time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Kudos to Krystal Joy Brown for making Gussie Carnegie stand out more than she has in other productions.  Her despicability level, I think, exceeds even Frank. And Reg Rogers' performance as her cast aside husband Joe is both theatrical and sadly touching.  This is the first time I have really noticed Joe as a character.  Rogers is good; forget Nathan Lane, he is the one who should be doing Willy Loman this Spring.

                                               I want all my readers to get out and see this emotionally gripping musical. I am so glad I lived long enough to have seen it made right.

                                                 If only Sondheim and Hal Prince had lived to see it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Go And Stuff A Chicken!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                No, darlings, I am not trying to insult everyone, but I just love the way "The Golden Girls" stuff their chickens.  At 71 now, I feel like I am a "Golden Girl."  And no, I have never stuffed a chicken.

                                Actually, I think what the ladies are stuffing are Rock Cornish Game Hens, which look very elegant and festive, when served on a dinner plate with other garnishes.  They are edible, but can be a bit dry, and not as much meat on them as chicken.  That is my memory of eating one.

                                 But that lyric about Mississippi bothers me.  They are in Florida.  Is Mississippi south of there?  I am not sure!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Stuffing a chicken may bring elegance to your table.

                                   But Happy Holidays, girls! Stuff whatever you want!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seventy-One Years Ago Tonight, This Opened On Broadway!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Yes, girls, it is "The Bad Seed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                              I told you there is always a reason for writing about it, and here it is.

                             Today marks twenty days after my birthday.  On that day in 1954, which also happens to be the Feast Of The Immaculate Conception, this play opened on Broadway?  Did Nancy Kelly drop the glass on stage?  That had to have been a lot of glass ware during the run.    And just think, two shows a day on Wednesday and Saturday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                What a treat it must have been to witness this on stage.  Anyone out there who has and remembers, comment here and answer about Nancy Kelly and the glass.  Because that is really when the scale of hysteria is notched up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Mervyn LeRoy's 1956 film almost preserves the play in a way foreshadowing Maria Friedman's current and brilliant film adaptation of Sondheim's "Merrily We Roll Along."  More on that, in another post, dolls!

                                   I am sure it was planned to open this on the Feast Of The Immaculate Conception.

                                   I wonder what Mary thinks of it all?????????????????????

Congratulations, Girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Today It Is Mary's Big Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           It really is darlings.  The Assumption, on August 15, is about Mary's soul automatically going to Heaven.  Christmas, which is fast approaching, is all about the birth of Jesus, but it could not have been accomplished without Mary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             But the Feast Of The Immaculate Conception is a celebration of Mary's actual being.  She was conceived and born into this world, free of Original Sin, the purest of the pure.

                               Hey, if some of you want to watch "The Song Of Bernadette," that would not be a bad idea.  I claim it as my personal Easter film, but this could easily be watched on this day, or the Assumption, since both deal with Mary, and the movie deals with Mary appearing to Bernadette at Lourdes.

                                 So, my dears, a big hoorah to Mary on her special day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                Even Paul McCartney honored her in "Let It Be!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                 Here's to Mary!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

A Question Especially For Baby Boomers--Were The Annual Christmas Specials Of Our Childhood Meant To Enlighten Or Traumatize Us, Darlings??????????????????????????

                                 Baby boomers like myself, growing up in the 1960's always looked forward to certain annual Christmas TV specials, when growing up.  But, as I aged, I had to, and do, ask myself, were these specials to enlighten us, or to traumatize us???????????

                                 I would go with the latter, as this list of the more popular specials aired in that era will demonstrate.  With the exception of one personal one, these are specials I will never look at today.

                                Consider--

                        "Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer--" First broadcast in 1964, things end wonderfully here but not before Rudolph is bullied by his playmates and own father.  It takes Clarice, the lead female deer to sing the haunting "There's Always Tomorrow" to comfort not only Rudolph but also those feeling bullied in home audiences.  Add to that Rudolph runs away from home, after being bullied by his own father.  Meanwhile, Herbie, the elf, is bullied by his colleagues for wanting to be a dentist, while they work away like overworked unionizers doing "Racing With The Clock" from "The Pajama Game," and then there is the Island of Misfit Toys," who are unwanted by all the children in the world. I mean, is this a downer, or what?  I don't care how much happiness one gets at the end, to be subjected to this much trauma beforehand?  This is what stays with one, not the happy ending!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           "A Charlie Brown Christmas--" This 1965 cartoon set the gold standard for all future "Peanuts" specials.  Its rollicking piano solo by Snoopy is a welcome relief from the trauma which included Lucy Van Pelt's (the gold standard for all future mean girls) relationship with Charlie Brown, to the plaintive moment when the Christmas tree falls, and Charlie Brown blames himself, as the bullied will do, when he says, "I've killed it.  Oh, everything I touch gets ruined."  This I can relate to, and despite the touching rendition of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," I can never quite watch this again.

                           "Mister Magoo's Christmas Carol--" I had just turned eight, in 1962, when this was first broadcast.  By the way, for Theater Queens, this was the first score Jule Styne and Bob Merrill wrote immediately after "Funny Girl," and it is every bit up to that effort.  Now, most boomers remember the thieves'' song "We're Despicable," because of the melody, lyrics and how it is staged.  And most are frightened by the Ghost Of Christmas Yet To Come.  But what gets to me the most is the abandoned child Ebenezer singing "I'm All Alone In The World," reprised by the adult Magoo at the end of Act Two.  And then, most of all, Belle's breakup song "Winter Was Warm," which captivated me as a child, and which I still sing today.   By the way, this was hauntingly sung by Jane Kean, who went on to play Trixie in the Jackie Gleason technicolor version of "The Honeymooners" in the Sixties. Just writing about this gives me melancholy thoughts.

                             "The Little Drummer Boy--" Oh, my God, don't get me started with this one!  The song is lovely, but the Christmas dramatization of it was extremely traumatizing for me, even when broadcast first, back in 1968, when I had just turned 14.  By the way, I saw Disney's 1942 "Bambi" as an adult and have never gotten over it.  And don't get me started on "Dumbo!"  Greer Garson narrates the story, which follows the song, save one aspect.  The boy, like me, is a friend to all animals, and his special and only companion, is a little lamb.  Well, in a shocking act of dramatization, this innocent creature is shown being cruelly run over by a wagon, and the lamb is dead.  Nice, huh?  Now, this kid is alone!  And we are made to feel that.  The moving culmination, where he delivers the lamb to the manger of the infant Jesus, and, as a gift, plays his drum, restoring the lamb to life is beautifully rendered and moving, but can never erase the trauma of the aforementioned accident.  After the first broadcast, I have never watched this one again.  And I never will.

                         The Christmas Scene In 1944's "Meet Me In St. Louis--" This is very personal for me. Start with the most plaintive Christmas song ever written, "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, sung by the one who could do it best, Judy Garland.  Following this, Tootie, played by Margaret O'Brien has a childhood nervous breakdown in a scene that was one of several earning her that year a special Juvenile Academy Award.  The film is staged seasonally, so this does not come till near the end, so up to that the film is palatable.  But when the Christmas dance comes, watch out.  Still, this is one of the most perfectly made films ever, so the heartbreak of Judy and Margaret is beautiful to endure, though it can be a bit hard on younger viewers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

'                         "It's A Wonderful Life--"   Is it?  After seeing this 1946 film, I wondered. Name me a film that combines child abuse by a pharmacist, and father toward his wife and children, a special needs family member who is not especially treated well, denigrations of both spinsterhood and prostitution in the film's lead female characters, and lack of comeuppance for the culprit and you have Frank Capra's iconic Christmas classic.  I don't deny its labeling or stature, or the quality of filmmaking at hand, but over the years, the aforementioned has come to bother me so much I do not think I can view this film ever again.

                              Well, dears, those are my observations.  Let me know what you think.

                              And may the rest of this year be less traumatic than that depicted here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Liberation" Was Not Liberating!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        I don't wish to violate the anonymity of anyone, let alone myself, but "Liberation," by Bess Wohl is less a play than attending a twelve- step meeting.

                                        Oh, the dialogue and staging are carefully scripted.  But they go nowhere.  

                                          For baby boomers, remember a phrase we never hear anymore called "Consciousness Raising?"  That is the play's construct.  Act One is a woman of 1970 as she starts an activist group in a gym in a school basement.  The second act has her daughter taking over, questioning the choices her mother made.  It is ponderous, non-groundbreaking, and haven't we all heard this before?

                                                It even makes reference to Betty Friedan.  As I heard this, I looked about me, wondering how many post-Boomer women even knew who Betty Friedan was?????????

                                                 Lizzie, the lead, is played a bit too stridently by Susannah Flood, and she is backed by a company that is able, but because of the flatness of the writing, does not lift the play to any heights.  I thought at one point that, had it been cast with the likes of Lily Rabe, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Cynthia Nixon and others it might have given the work a boost. But the writing by Bess Wohl is less a play, and, like I said before, a recording of a twelve-step meeting.

                                                   Can I blame the director, Whitney White?  Darlings, even if this play had been directed by Whitney Cummings, it would have not worked because there is nothing for the director to direct or the actors to play against.

                                                      The set and costume designs are so pedestrian, I hate to embarass David Zwenn and Qween Jean.  Think back to the original 1981 production of "Merrily We Roll Aong," especially now that the success of that musical is in the public eye.  That setting got more criticism than this one, and for one reason only.  The material was noticeably better and people had expectations.  Girls, for this one, leave your expectations at the door.  This play wants to say something, but succeeds in saying nothing.

                                                        However, there are two moments, one planned, one not that gave the performance a glimmer of interest.

                                                         At the top of Act Two, the performers come on, with the lights dimmed low, and are seen doing something.  When the lights come up, and the actresses are seated in their places, they are completely nude.  Well, darlings, I almost fainted!!!!!!!!!!!!  Not a peep from the audience, though, but, as David said, it was a "New York audience."  They go on to play an extended scene, unsheathed, and I could not understand what the point was.  And, lest some think I am being sexist here, I felt exactly the same way about the nude scene in "Take Me Out," back in 2003.

                                                          Because of the above, something new was implemented for patrons.  We were required to take these locked pocketbooks and put our cell phones into them.  The staff would lock the small cases until the performance was over, when they would be unlocked for us.  This was to prevent anyone from taking a photo of the nude women on stage.  Hey, would they have done the same thing today, with men?  I mean, I could care less.  And I hear they are doing the same thing, over at "CHESS."  Now, I am really scared!  I do not want to see that grotesque creature named Lea Michele in the nude!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               The real, almost tragic event, came fifteen minutes into the show.  As Susannah Flood was delivering one of her rambling monologues, someone in the orchestra (we were seated in the mezzanine) called out "Medical emergency!"  Several people in the front rows began to move about, and I could see a man with a stethoscope, listening to the chest of an elderly male audience member.  Someone called 911, and I imagine an ambulance was summoned, but, remarkably, the man was escorted out of the theater on foot.  After a bit of time to settle down, the performance resumed from where it had left off.

                                                               My heart goes out to that man and his family.  I hope all is OK.  Never, in my 50 plus years of theatergoing has this ever happened to me.  I hope never again.

                                                              And I bet Frank DiLella (really Delilah!) wouldn't know what to do.  Can't wait to see him shill this crap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       

                                                

Did Flaco's Spirit Really Come To Visit Us Yesterday?????????????????????

                      It was a routine Friday morning, and we were getting ready to eat breakfast, when David looks out the window, and says, incredulously, "There is an owl!  In a tree branch aligned with our apartment."  I could not believe it!  What would an owl be doing in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn??????????

                        Until I thought of Flaco.  The creature sat on its perch for several minutes, staring at us.  David went and got a set of binoculars, so I could see the owl for myself.  Sure enough, it was there.  Shortly after I had my look, it flew away, to who knows where??????????

                          Girls I am convinced the spirit of Flaco paid us a visit.  Maybe to thank me for all the kind words I have written about him over time, maybe to wish us a Happy Holiday, or maybe because this is the Season Of Belief.  Whatever, I feel honored to have been visited by Flaco.  I loved him so and still miss him dearly.  And he knew it and came to comfort me.

                             You can think what you want, darlings, but remember what it says at the opening of "The Song Of Bernadette"--For those who believe in God, no explanation is necessary.  For those who do not believe in God, no explanation is possible."

                                  I am telling you, that was Flaco!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Join Us At 8PM Tonight, As "Svengoolie" Kicks Off December With "The Mummy's Tomb!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                I have to confess, darlings, December is not a promising month as "Svengoolie" ends his year.  Frankly, this is the best of the lot.

                                Universal made a lot of 'Mummy' movies.  There was the Karloff classic original in 1932, still the gold standard of them all.  Then there was "The Mummy's Hand," in 1940, this one in 1942 "The Mummy's Ghost," in 1944, and then "The Mummy's Curse" in 1945, the final one in the series What a shame Universal never made a movie out of "The Mummy Finds Poppy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!".

                                   Lon Chaney, Jr. famous for "The Wolf Man," but having the distinction of playing all the Universal monsters over time plays Kharis tonight.  The beauty he pursues is played by Elyse Knox, who never went anywhere.  Where was Evelyn Ankers, when she was needed?????????????

                                    Still, I am looking forward to an evening of entertaining, campy fun.  My only complaint is to the Sven Squad--You are entertaining of a kind, but can't you all take it down a notch??????????

                                       Let's hope "Svengoolie" offers a better batch next year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, I Just LOVE My 2025 Advent Book Lovers Calendar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

                              From having been a small child, I have always loved Advent calendars.  They were so pretty, sometimes sparkly, and it gave me something to look forward to in the days leading up to Christmas.  There would be a door for each day, behind which were a picture or some words.  Of course, the 24th was always a double door, as that was a picture of what Christmas is really all about--the Nativity!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 Now, the Book Lovers calendar works the same way, except behind the doors are trivia questions related to books, book references, recommendations on what to read--anything involving books and the reading thereof.

                                    There is even a calendar book in which to record the books read during the forthcoming year.  Having recorded my reading since 1968, I will make sure to use this in 2026.

                                     Advent calendars are the best, so find the one fitting you most.

                                    Maybe one with fashion designers, girls!  I would not be a bit surprised!!!!!!!!!!!

Now, Here Is MY List For 2025!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! "The New York Times" Is No Longer So High And MIghty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Never mind the books depicted here, darlings; this sign was perfect, as it centers on the area I am interested in--Fiction.  "The New York Times" has had their say, now I will have mine.

                               Here is my (The Raving Queen) list of "The Five Best Works Of Fiction Of 2025!"

                                                                                   

                                              "Culpability," by Bruce Holsinger--Not just on my list, but my choice as The Book Of The Year!   This fascinating, intellectually stimulating novel involves who or what is or is not responsible for a family car accident, combined with algorithm concepts as well as AI.  Vastly absorbing, but anyone who fully grasps the last two concepts please explain them to me.  But it does not take away from the joy of reading this novel.

                                                                         

                                        "Bear," by Julia Phillips--I loved her previous novel, "Disappearing Earth," and I loved "Bear" just as much.  Touching and heartbreaking as it was, I could almost empathize with the gruesome climax, especially when it is an act of love.  Now, there is a big exception here.  I read this in early 2025 but had no idea till just now it came out in 2024.  How did I miss it then?  I really read it under the presumption was a 2025 book.  Still, it was so good at the time I knew, early on, it would be a selection.  So, I am sticking by my standards and including it.

                                                                           

                                       "Buckeye," by Patrick Ryan--As much about Ohio the state, as the families who people this book, this almost Michneseque novel is the king of big family saga reads I like.  Moving through time and history in surprising and fluid ways, this is a must for books of this type, of which too few are being published these days.  Thank you, Patrick Ryan, and I look forward to more from you.

                                                                             

                                             "Fox," by Joyce Carol Oates--Never, in all my years of writing, girls, did I ever think a Joyce Carol Oates novel would appear on my list.  Maybe "We Were The Mulvaneys," but I was not writing, then.  When I finished this book, something clicked in my head, the sign which tells me this book is eligible for my list.  An absorbing psychological thriller, it offers mystery, murder, and insight into the rationale or irrational of a pedophile.  Gripping and disturbing, yet thought provoking, it broke the "Joyce Spell" for me and made it to this list.

                                                                                

                                        "The Sisters," by Jonas Hassen Khemiri--Much has already been said on this blog, and enough cannot be said.  The only book The Times and I agree on, this is another family saga; perhaps it marks a return of sorts for the genre.  I hope.  Fascinating, exploring the lives of the Mikola siblings, and their author stand-in, Jonas, as he observes them from afar, this is both a family saga and a romance novel.   The kind thinking readers love.  Girls, you have not read anything yet, till you have read "The Sisters."

                                            So, these are my opinions, and I stand by them.  Interesting that "The Sisters" was the only book The Times and I agreed on, and as stated, I never expected a Joyce Carol Oates book to make my list.

                                               Meanwhile, I have to return to a ton of reading I must get out of the way, before beginning my 2026 Mammoth Project.  Will I make 100 books in 2025? Probably not, but I will try!

                                                  Happy Reading, everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                         

                                                                          

                                                                           

                                                                          

Oh, My God, Girls, It's Here! "The New York Times Ten Best List Of Books For 2025!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And Wait Till You Hear The Fiction Selection!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                         I will start by saying two things about the Fiction section.  The first is, I have read two of the selections--but I will not yet tell you which ones.  The second has one I was not able to get through, so I may wait till the paperback edition comes out.  But my instincts are generally right.

                                         OK?  Let's go--

                                        "Angel Down," by Daniel Kraus--Huh?  What?  Never heard of it.  Nor have I read Kraus' previous novel, "Whalefall." And I am not sure I will.  As for this book, another one-sentencer but only 285 pages.  Quit with the Joycean, people!  And a World War I draft dodger, encountering an angel?  Are you kidding me?  Oh, well, I will have to read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                           

                                       "The Director," by Daniel Kehlmann-- Never heard of this one, either, darlings; what bin was this pulled from?  However, I, and other cinema mavens, have heard of filmmaker G. W. Pabst, who is at the center of this novel.  As a true film maven, I just may have to read this one.  It could turn out to be a pleasant surprise.

                                                                             

                                       "The Loneliness Of Sonia And Sunny," by Kiran Desai--Oh, my God, why did this have to make the list?  I could only get through page 260 of this 700 plus page novel.  The sad thing is that with its 19th Century style, and family saga narration, I should have been hooked.  But Desai's writing did not do it for me.   I know others have loved this novel, so is there something wrong with me?  I may give it a second try with the paperback edition.

                                          "The Sisters," by Jonas Hassen Khemiri--How ironic this is placed right after 'Sonia and Sunny.'  "The Sisters" was the gigantic family saga novel that did it for me.  As I have said elsewhere, the Mikola sisters are the most fascinating female siblings since the Bennets, and the observations of their lives by Jonas in the novel may echo that of the author.  Perhaps he modeled this after some early crushes he had.  Whether that is right or not, this is the most readable gigantic book of the year!

                                                                              

                                        "Stone Yard Devotional," by Charlotte Wood--Like "The Sisters," I have read this one.  It is great for Catholics of all types, and those who want Catholicism 101, without the theatricality.  A woman in Sydney, Australia, gives up her career to transition to convent life in New South Wales.  Moving and spiritual, this is an enriching reading experience.

                                           There, darlings, you have "The New York Times" choices.  I only agree with two of them, which says something about age and my changing regard for The Times.  I always held the paper in the highest regard, and anything they put on the list I would read.  I have wanted to write for them ever since April 23, 1972, when Joyce Maynard wrote her signature piece "An Eighteen-Year-Old Looks Back On Life."  Today, I am maybe somewhat jaded, but at least more questioning than I was when younger.  I no longer agree with everything The Times says; more importantly, nor do I feel I have to.

                                                So, peruse this list at hand, and think for yourselves, darings.

                                                Meanwhile, here I come with my list!

                                                 Which I am certain is better!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                                                     

                                                                        

 

                                                                              
                                                

                                                                                 

                                                                     

"God Bless Mother Nature, She's A Single Woman, Too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                            For all my girls and boys out there who are single, take courage.  Christmas is one of the most romantic times of the year, which can be depressing for many out there.  I know I have experienced such during my years of spinsterhood.

                             But to these girls and guys, I say do not let it stop you.  Use that mistletoe to kiss anyone you want.  Bake a fruitcake or better for friends to feel some seasonal joy.   Read a book you have been meaning to all year.  Go to the movies, the theater, opera, a concert.  If you cannot afford to do so, then do something for someone you know or don't who may not be able to afford less.  And check for free events; there are many in this city this time of year.

                              The point is to get out and celebrate your singularity, whatever your marital status is.  Hons, I waited 55 years, and never expected the miracle I was granted, so it CAN happen, dears.

                                  Meanwhile, listen to The Weather Girls' video, and yearn for that gigantic heart shaped Valentine's bed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  Halleluiah, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           

"I Should Know The Score By Now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                         As I am sure many of you know, darlings, this is The Metropolitan Museum Of Art Christmas Tree.  It is my favorite tree in New York, and I am looking forward to seeing it on Friday, when we meet David's cousin there.

                                         I also forgot to mention yesterday that it marked my day as having been a New Yorker for 42 years.  I was a tender 29 when I first moved here.  You better believe I know the score by now.

                                             And yes, girls, I have been dropped off at East 83rd!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            This is my favorite sign of Christmas, and the place where I feel the most spiritual.  Almost as if I were Bernadette.  Or at least Jennifer Jones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               The Holiday Season has arrived, and so has some other things, if you stay tuned.

And So We Come To The End!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But What Excitement, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  This was the secular Christmas book of my childhood, and its images shall always remain with me of what Christmas, the secular part, is.

                                   Today is December 1, girls, so welcome!  This will be such an exciting month, with parties and socials, and culminating in the birth of the Baby Jesus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    Oh, hons, the Nativity is the real meaning of Christmas.  I am talking about the real thing, not Radio City, though that is impressive.

                                       And yearly wrap ups will be coming soon!  What shall I say?????????????

                                      First, I say season's greetings and best wishes for a Happy Holiday and New Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, Dears, We Have Reached That Point!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        I thought this would be an interesting and more different way of saying farewell to November, because it really is 25 days till Christmas.

                           November was quite a month.  More books read this month, now that the lists are coming in.  Two shows on Broadway seen--"Buena Vista Social Club" for my birthday, and "The Queen Of Versailles" for David.  For us both, there was "Blue Moon," the sad yet well-made hypothetical biopic of Lorenz Hart.  Ethan Slater did an Oscar caliber job in the role.

                             We got through the Thanksgiving season with an annual visit to Chadwick's.  We went to The Mark Hotel, Jean St. Georges, for my birthday, but felt we both caught colds from there, which we are shaking off.  David is also struggling with a pinched nerve, so if anyone out there can help, please do.

                                   Oh, and my friend, Hamlet, retired from The Algonquin Hotel.  Best wishes for his happiness and lots of love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 It seems I wrote more posts in November than any other month, and yet I was so busy.  I guess I am just a trouper to the end.

                                  Yet, November was a very exciting super-charged month, hard to say farewell to. but now comes the onslaught.

                                  How shall the year end?????????????  Only time will tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Only "Svengoolie" Would Show The 1936Version!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       Ah, the old one about the dummy controlling the ventriloquist.  Ever since Michael Redgrave defined it in the 1946 British anthology film, "Dead Of Night," this trope has been tried again and again; recently made memorable in 1978's "Magic," with Anthony Hopkins!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       So, girls, please forgive me if I cannot muster up any enthusiasm for tonight's film.  Lacking the likes of Maureen O' Sullivan, Frank Lawton, Lionel Barrymore--all from MGM's 1935 "David Copperfield--" not to mention the great Rafaela Ottiano--this 1964 cheesy Brit thriller has only William Sylvester, famous for one of the captors in 1961's "Gorgo," a role that took him nowhere.  Like the cast in this 1964 film went nowhere.  I am telling you, darlings, the dummy in this film outacts the human actors.

                                       All of us here have seen this before, and Baby Gojira remembers it as having lots of bosoms. So, if that is your preference, tune in, by all means.  If not, I am not so sure this film is worth seeing again.  "Svengoolie" could have picked a better film with which to end November.

                                         His December choices will round out the year.  Let's hope he does better, next month!  His last chance for 2025!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, Darlings, It Is The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                That is right, girls, the Holiday Season is underway, initiated by America's study in greed, known as Black Friday.  This picture says it all--the fat, the ugly, the trashy, the greedy, pushing and shoving their way--sometimes trampling others--into stores.  And for what?  After it is over, is it all worth it?  I don't think so.

                                  What must our European contemporaries think of this behavior?  Yet, this says it all about America.  The "Get outta my way!" mentality flourishes most on this day.

                                    Can you imagine waiting in the cold late-night for some second-rate store chain to open?  You wouldn't catch me within five feet of this, darlings.

                                       Nothing says White Trash better than Black Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        Except maybe serving turkey pot pies on Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, This SHOULD Have Been The Gayest Show In Town!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But It Is So NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          I have to feel sorry for the St. James Theatre, darlings!  First, they are booked with that desecrator of a show, "Sunset Boulevard," and now "The Queen Of Versailles," which has already announced a January 4 closing date.  So, if you want to see this, girls, rush to it!  But don't worry; tickets are easy to come by!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            I also have to feel sorry for Kristin Chenoweth.  The woman is loaded with talent, can hit high notes I have not heard since the late Barbara Cook, and like Jonathan Groff in "Just In Time," gives this show her all.  I would say she and Jonathan are the hardest working performers on Broadway right now.  But Groff has the better material.

                                               Which is the major problem with this show.  Stephen Schwartz, high on his "Wicked" successes, and enjoying something of a renaissance with "The Baker's Wife," gives Kristin nothing to work with. The songs are repetitive, monotonous, and not even one stands out.  He tries for one with "Caviar Dreams," but it just misses the mark.

                                                 So, Kristin has nothing to do but sing boring songs, while looking stunning in a series of costumes by Christian Cowan, while striking poses on dazzling sets by Peter Hylesnski, which are lit by Natasha Katz.  The show has plenty of razzle dazzle, but no heart.  It does not even rise to the level of camp, like "Tammy Faye."  

                                                      The show is literally all Kristin.  Poor F. Murray Abraham has nothing to do in this show but pick up his weekly paycheck.  And the chorus members dance around in rather bad choreography by Lauren Yalango-Grant and Christopher Cree Grant.  They are not even Marge and Gower Champion, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Nowhere near!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                           Michael Arden had better find himself a hit show fast, or he will end up on the Island Of Lost Directors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                               Despite all that it musters, the show ultimately fails.

                                                               This "Queen" needs to have her crown removed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             Instead of a picture of a turkey, I decided to lead with this shot from 1968's musical, "Promises, Promises," and starring, center, Donna McKechnie, and to her left, Baayork Lee, and her right, Margo Sappington.  Margo went on to choreograph the international stage success "Oh! Calcutta."  Does anyone remember that show anymore?  Is it ever revived???????????

                               This was Donna's breakout show; her first showstopper.  And just look at that leap on Baayork!!!!!!!!!!  I could not even do that when I was her age.  Hell, in 1968, I was 13, and I still could not do that!

                                And the show played at the Shubert Theatre, where both Donna and Baayork returned to in 1975 in Michael Bennett's masterpiece, "A Chorus Line."  Donna certified herself as "The Greatest Show Stopper In Broadway History," when she originated the role of Cassie, while Baayork became the show's ambassador; no production of it gets by today without her approval.

                                 What a joyous way to celebrate Thanksgiving.  Better than a picture of a cooked dead turkey!

                                 But it is a time of remembrance, of gratitude.  Remembering the disenfranchised, and those in need.  The ones "Sittin' here eating their hearts out baby/Waiting for some lover to call. Dialed about a thousand numbers lately/Almost rang the phone off the wall."

                                 I am sure Sister Camille, Gojira, Baby Gojira and I wish these unfortunates the best Thanksgiving they can possibly have.  At least a nourishing hot meal at the soup kitchen.  They are deserving of at least that.

                                 As for me, girls, I am thankful for the aforementioned, but most of all my beloved David.  May our colds clear up, so we can enjoy the holiday season.  We have a roof over our heads, things to eat, and books, plus each other.  What more could be wanted????????????

                                   Maybe an emerald garnet from Van Cleef And Arpels??????????????????

                                  Here are Donna And Company doing "Turkey Lurkey Time."  Enjoy!!!!!!!!!!