Oh, My God!!!!!!!!!!! "Night Of The Lepus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                     Last night, I was sitting in my reading chair, absorbed in Hilary Mantel's conclusion to her trilogy, "The Mirror And The Light," when David shouted from the bedroom, "Hey, you know what is on?  'Night Of The Lepus' !!!!!!!!!!!"

                                      This was the 1972 trash classic, with a cast including Stuart Whitman, Rory Calhoun, DeForest Kelley, Paul Fix, and, in her final film appearance, Janet Leigh!  To think, she was Oscar nominated for "Psycho," just twelve years before, and now this!

                                       I have only seen this film, pardon the pun, in bits and pieces.  The scene where the rabbit paw breaks through a wall to menace someone is so fake, you can see it is a hand on a human!  The exterior shots of the giant rabbits are simply trained ones photographed against micro slides and miniatures.  The plot is actually "THEM!," minus the tension, terrifyingly realistic giant ants, and the brilliant acting performance given by little Sandy Dresher.  No one in this entire film approaches the brilliance of her 30 second performance.

                                      Now, I only saw the ending.  Watching these cute little bunny rabbits being killed was offensive to my love of animals.  The last shot is of two people running through a crop of greens, where a rabbit lies in hiding.  Will it be another Lepus?  Heh!  Heh! Heh!  This moment should have been more detailed--like the camera zooming in on the bunny, who bears its sharp, blood spattered teeth, or another scene altogether, where a little girl receives a pretty Easter basket with a rabbit inside, who gnashes its monstrous teeth at her.

                                         Nor is it explained, at least from what I could see, how the rabbits mutated to their giant size.  In "THEM" it was atomic testing in the dessert, but, in this film, shot in Arizona, it is anyone's guess; giant rabbits just turn up!  Another good reason NOT to visit Arizona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Someday, I hope to see this entire trash classic.  But the poor little bunnies are so cute, it is a shame when they are killed.

                                            And, couldn't they have worked in Grace Slick's signature song, "White Rabbit" into this?

                                           Forget about getting the rights.  Doing so would have required too much wit and imagination!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       

                                             "Hopping down the bunny trail," darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Sad Farewell To Dame Diana Rigg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  When "Bye, Bye, Birdie" hit the screen in 1963, with Ann-Margret seeming to come right at the audience, there was no better hip twitcher, at the time, then she.  But when "The Avengers" made its American television debut, with Diana Rigg as Emma Peel, all that changed.  Ann went on to a glorious career, but Diana was the one we all stood in front of the television with, and twitched our hips.  I know I did, and I wanted to look like Diana Rigg, then; I mean, who didn't?  And that was back in 1965!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                    So, I was sad to learn of her passing on September 10th, after a bout with cancer.  Diana--who was eventually Dame-ed-- was quite an actress herself.  Though remembered for Emma Peel, my favorite performance of hers was as Edwina, daughter of Vincent Price in "Theater Of Blood."  Remember her as "Butch, The Hairdresser's Assistant???????????"  Priceless!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      She graced the stage so many times I was not sure if I had ever had the pleasure of seeing her on stage.  Then I remembered the 2018 revival of "My Fair Lady" David and I saw at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont!  Rigg played Mrs. Higgins not as patrician as Gladys Cooper, but in her more down to earth, yet classy, way.  If only the ending had not been changed and that Lauren Amborse thing had not been cast.  Both Rigg and Harry Haddon-Paton, not to mention Norbert Leo Butz walked off with the show.  So did everyone, except Ambrose.

                                       It is no wonder Rigg left the show before the run ended.  She was too knowing, to put up with Bartlett Sher's tinkering with the piece, not to mention Ambrose's unprofessional antics.  I am sure Rigg could see, from day one, what was clear to me from the start--Ambrose was not suited for the part.  Had I known Laura Benanti would eventually go into it, I would have waited for her.

                                      Still, it is sad to witness the passing of Rigg at 82.  Her class, her humor, and the flair she brought to her acting will be missed.  And can never be replaced.

                      

                                       Here is Diana Rigg, in "Theatre Of Blood."  As I said, priceless!

Girls, Please Say A Special Prayer For Our Dear Friend, Chloe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Yesterday, while David and I walked up 76th Street, I, as usual called out to Chloe, who looks exactly like this, and got  her usual, robust bark of a greeting in return.  Chloe was in her back yard, and did not come out front to see us, as she often does.  Instead, her owner, Liz, appeared, and, to our great upset, tearfully told us that Chloe had almost died this week.  Which is scary, not only because we love her so much, but because, the last few times we have seen her, David kept remarking on how thin Chloe looked.  She was always a girl who kept her figure, and besides she had a lot of fur.

                                            Apparently, she had been in pain for some time, and, when taken to the vet, discovered she had inflammation of the bowel.  Some corrective surgery was done, although  she is still having some bouts of diarrhea.  So, I want everyone out there to send their best wishes to our beloved Chloe, who is very much a great lady, and loving to us all.  She is one of the many animals in the neighborhood I visit, who are able to cheer me up!

                                              We love you, Chloe!  And I know you are a fighter!

                                                Send those prayers, girls!  And, hopefully Sister Camille, too!!!!!!!!!!

"What Are You Looking At, You Stupid Ass Nurse?????????????????????"

                                                Could this actually have been me during my TEE Cardioversion procedure, this past Thursday?  It might have been, because, prior to actually going through it, this is how I was feeling inside--all churned up and nervous.

                                                  The team that handled me were anything but stupid assed.  My two nurses, Samantha and Denise, at NYU, were lovely, and sensitive to my fears, which they helped to alleviate.  In fact, I was not aware of coming to--suddenly I was there, then not, then back again.  Like Glinda in "The Wizard Of Oz."

                                                      My voice was a little ragged, after having a camera shoved down my throat, which, thankfully I have no memory of; otherwise, the photo above would have been real.

                                                       Now, I wear a heart monitor and await the next step.  Perhaps I should be singing "At The Crossroads," which Samantha Eggar did in the 1967 film "Dr. Dolittle," which I still have not seen, and was actually nominated for Best Picture that year.

                                                        Hmmmm......maybe that will be my next post!

                                                        Nevertheless, loads of thanks to my superb team at NYU!

Guess What Today Is????????????????????????

                                                             "I met a boy called Frank Mills,

                                                                    On September 12th, right here

                                                               In front of the Waverly."

                                                              --Shelley Plimpton, as Crissy, in

                                                                 "HAIR," Broadway 1968 

                                                       Of course, darlings, we can never forget what yesterday was.  I even remember where I was that day, and the horror at seeing the second tower fall.  I thought I was in the middle of an apocalypse.  Well,  maybe I was.

                                                         Because of 9/11/2001, today can get lost in the shuffle.  But theater aficionados know today is "Frank Mills" Day."  From 1978 until 2000 (because 2001 stopped it!) I would annually stand in front of the Waverly Theater (now the IFC) on Sixth Avenue, near West 4th Street, in the West Village, and sing this song.  I sing it regularly, for a vocal exercise I do each morning; if I can handle "Frank Mills" I am ready for anything.  It is a special gift I have that I can convey the vulnerability and innocence required to perform it.  Since Shelley Plimpton, only Allison Case, in the 2009 revival has matched her for perfection.  That is a time span of over forty years.  Because casting directors, in casting "HAIR" generally are not as detailed about casting Crissy as they need to be.

                                                            Shelley still owns the song, though, and you can hear her in the preceding post.

                                                              Even after coming through a heart procedure on Thursday, I still feel up to singing "Frank Mills," though I don't know if I will go in to Manhattan and do it.

                                                               So, a Happy "Frank Mills" Day To everyone on here, Shelley especially, and, of course to Allison.

                                                                Oh, and "Angela and I {still} don't want the two dollars back.  Just him."
                                                            

                                                           

 

                                                             

                                                             

                                                              

Hair - Frank Mills

No, Not THAT Elizabeth Taylor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        This remarkable authoress, whom I believe was referenced in Lara Prescott's "The Secrets We Kept," is indeed that.  Her 1957 novel, "Angel," has the tone and feel of a Victorian novel.  It might have well been entitled, "Portrait Of The Authoress As A Narcissistic Bitch," because that is what the title character is--a latter day Veda Pierce, who treats her mother and aunt abominably, goes about her own business, but, unlike Veda, does not turn predatory and land a prison sentence.  Only a decaying "Grey Gardens" type estate--or, for that matter, since this is England, a Satis House, a la Miss Havisham.  And, like that latter character, "Angel" ends her days in embittered loneliness.  The difference is, she doesn't care at all about it.

                                          And yet, for awhile, she is quite the sensation of the day with her cheap attempts at literature, which she extols, and the critics diminish.  I wonder if Taylor here is criticizing such novelists of the day, like Taylor Caldwell, or Frances Parkinson Keyes, both of whom I would gobble up in a second; they are such, romantic fun.  But don't ever mistake them for "Middlemarch."

                                           "Angel" falls somewhere between the two, leaning more toward Eliot.  And what a refresher after attempting Richard Powes' overblown "The Overstory."

                                             Talk this up at your next meeting, girls, with plenty of tea, with cakes and dainties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!