It Would Not Be Christmas, Without Judy And Margaret!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              And Margaret is still with us, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           "Meet Me In St. Louis" is an absolutely perfect movie--MGM at its best, back in 1944--but this scene is extraordinary.   Garland comforts O'Brien by singing "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," as only she can.  Then comes a tear-filled extraordinary performance by a child ever witnessed on the screen.  Girls, if you have never seen it, this movie is worth watching for this scene alone, though all others are equally perfect, not to mention the memorable "Trolley Song."

                            No wonder Margaret O'Brien won a Special Juvenile Oscar for this performance.

                            If not the film, I watch this scene every year around this time, and, like Margaret, tears pour down my face.  It is like I almost "become" Tootie, her character during this sequence.

                           But then, don't we all, darlings????????????

                          Merry Christmas, darlings!

                                    Here it that moment, dears.  Watch the extraordinary at work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Girls, It Wouldn't Be Christmas Without Shockheaded Peter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                             Shockheaded Peter is an Eastern European anti-Christmas tradition.  Like Krampus, he is a figure who keeps his eyes out on those behaving badly and then terrifies them.  His book, which David's mother bought for him as a child, is full of tales of the consequences of misbehavior.

                                  Really, Krampus and Shockheaded Peter are needed to remind us of what Christmas is about, by demonstrating what must be avoided.  They are as important symbols of Christmas, in their own way, as Santa and Rudolph!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       So, welcome Shockheaded Peter, darlings, but be wary of him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       You don't want to be carried away on Christmas morning!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                  

As Far As I Am Concerned, THIS Was The Shortest Day Of The Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     This is how I was taught, darlings.  So, then when is/was the longest night?  Last night?  Tonight?

                                      The best part of all this is now the days will start getting longer.  Soon, it will not get dark at 4:30 PM anymore, which I have always hated.  The more sun the more hope, I always say.

                                       So, make the most of this day, girls!!!!!!!!!!!  Relax and enjoy some well-earned rest.  Season's Greetings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We Won't Be Home Tonight, Girls, So Don't Let That Stop You From Watching 1943's "The Phantom Of The Opera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                     Though not nearly as good as Lon Chaney's, it is worth a look.  It is a tale of vengeance and loyalty.  Erique is an aspiring composer who has a manuscript stolen from him by an unscrupulous publisher.  When he confronts the publisher, his secretary tosses a bottle of acid in Erique's face, hence the disfigurement.  Susanna Foster, with a promising voice, was the Lucille Bremer of Universal.  You see, Lucille scored big in MGM's classic, 1944's "Meet Me In St. Louis."  But how does one top that?  One can't, and so they could not find anything for Lucille to do until 1945's "Yolanda And The Thief," which did nothing for her, and that was that.

                                    Same with Susanna Foster. She plays the Christine Daae figure, but I am not sure if she is called Christine, but I do believe that in this version she is his daughter!  Go figure!

                                      Still, it is better than the last two weeks of crap "Svengoolie" was showing.  And this was shot in Technicolor, so it should have an interesting visual landscape.  Worth watching if you are at home.

                                         But wait till next week, darlings!!!!!!!!!  I cannot reveal secrets right now, but I promise you "Svengoolie" will end the year with a BANG!!!!!!!

                                           Have fun tonight, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The fun starts, of course, at 8PM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas, Darlings, From Our House To Yours!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                      That is our annual Christmas table in our living room, with my mother's Christmas tree, homemade, and almost 60 years old.  To the left is Krampus, who comes visiting at Holiday time, and on the right is Baby Gojira in his Christmas outfit.  He and Little Pippin send love to all, and so, too does Krampus.

                                         What would the Holidays be without tradition?  While our living room is all set for Christmas, we have got to get the kitchen ready for Chanukah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                             Imagine, both on the same day!   It will be a full, eventful day, darlings!

                                              So, whatever you celebrate, Happy Holidays, dolls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Today, We Welcome Winter! But Is This The Longest Day, The Shortest Night, Or What?????????????????

                                             I was taught that the shortest day of the year, which we have building up to since June 22, is December 22.  So, when is the shortest night?

                                              I have never been able to figure this out, but I do know that December 21st is the first day of Winter, and boy, do we have snow to show for it.  Winter arrived swiftly, like that Bugs Bunny cartoon, which makes me wonder what we are in for.

                                                 Goodbye to Autumn, and hello, Winter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                 Looking forward to some cozy long reads come January!!!!!!!!!!!!

Audra And "Gypsy" Have Arrived!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But How Long Will They Stay?????????????????

                              Though I was only four years old when Ethel Merman opened "Gypsy" on Broadway, I was old enough to have seen her.  I did not, but I have seen every "Gypsy" since.  For me, Patti LuPone is the Rose of our generation.  That production was perfect.

                                 As a "Gypsy" purist, I am leery of this production.  Danny Burstein will be a perfect Herbie, but what about Audra?  For starters, look at the picture.  Doesn't it look non-organic and overly staged?  I mean, come on.  And if this is "Everything's Coming Up Roses," she looks optimistic, not embittered, as she should.  Audra, Audra, what are you doing?

                                    Yes, she goes back and forth with the head and chest voices.  That cannot be good for her vocally.  She may act up a storm, but what about her singing?  It is interesting to me that every review I have read, even Jesse Green in "The New York Times," tip toes around that issue.  They try to praise Audra without addressing the most important component needed to play Rose.  There is definitely an elephant in this living room!!!!!!!!!!!

                                        There is no excuse for an insufficient Rose.  Without that, there is no "Gypsy."  Now, I am not seeing the show until January 26, so there is room for improvement.  Audra, you better be up there, because I know how Rose should be played, and if it is not right, I will send you notes like Trish Hawkins did to Sara Paulson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            "With what I have inside of me, I could have been better than any of you!!!!!!!!!!!!