Girls, Are Any Of Them Still Alive???????????????

Just who are these people, darlings???????? When it comes to "The Sound Of Music," they are the Forgotten Ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who are they? From left to right, in order of their ages, they are--

Lauri Peters (Liesl)
William Snowden (Friedrich)
Kathy Dunn (Louisa)
Joseph Stewart (Kurt)
Marilyn Rogers (Brigitta)
Mary Susan Locke (Marta)
Evanna Lien (Gretel)

If the actors' names aren't familiar, their stage names certainly are--those are the Von Trapp Children in "The Sound Of Music." And the actors listed here are the ones who originated those roles when the show first opened on Broadway at the Lunt Fontanne Theatre the night of November 16, 1959!!!! (Just two days till my fifth birthday, darlings!!!!!!!!! I know I should have been in it, but even then I was too young!!!!!!!!!)

Why should this come to mind? It seems I did something of a post on them awhile back. But I recently recalled a 45rpm I had as a child, which was the song "Do Re Mi" sung by Mitch Miller (whose variety show, "Sing Along With Mitch" was very popular at the time), and, once I could read, underneath, the words "and the Children from "The Sound Of Music." Since this preceded the film, it was the Children from Broadway.

Now, as my girls know, once the film came out, those children eclipsed these!
After all, Angela Cartwright was well known prior, thanks to "Make Room For Daddy," and, as the film became a blockbuster and then a Classic, the screen children, who became a tightly knit, sibling-like group themselves, became almost promoters of the film, which they still do. Eldest daughter Charmian Carr even penned her memoir of the experience, entitled "Forever Liesl."

So, in the shuffle, the Broadway Children became kind of forgotten, which always made me wonder how they felt about all that. After all, they were the first, and there they are on the Original Cast album; in many ways singing better than their screen counterparts, because they all COULD sing, whereas most of the film Children were dubbed or accentuated.

You can see the Broadway Children on a YouTube excerpt from "What's My Line?" when they were the Mystery Guest. At the time, their ages ranged from 17 to 9. When I did the math, that comes out today to between 61 and 69.

Lauri Peters is still alive; may in fact still be in town. She has been known for teaching the Meisner technique at NYU. Hey, Lauri, if you get wind of this, comment on here, and let my girls and I know what is up, what happened to the others, do you all keep in touch, etc.

Unfortunately, my search led to the discovery that one of the group, Marilyn Rogers, passed on last year, in Miami Florida, at the age of 63. She was the original Brigitta. And like the film Brigitta, Angela Cartwright, I think she may have had some credits prior to, as she is billed on the cover of the cast album.

I would love to know about the boys in particular, William Snowden, and Joseph Stewart. What we all want to know is--Darlings, how did it feel being boys, and nominated for a Broadway TONY in the category of Best Supporting ACTRESS In A Musical???? Does that haunt you to this day??????????

So, kids, if you are out there, let me know on here. Or if you know one, or know someone who does, feel free to comment on here!!!!!!! Look at the photo, depicting how the departure from Austria was achieved onstage. How theatrical!!!!!! Quite a contrast to that spacious end shot in the film!!!!!!!! I understand onstage there were wet eyes every night, and when Act One ended, with Patricia Neway as Mother Abbess hitting the final note of "Climb Ev'ry Mountain," the rafters and chandeliers shook nightly!!!!!!!!!

A toast to the Broadway Children of "The Sound Of Music"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is about time you got the credit you deserve!!!!!!!

Auf Wiedersehen , adieu, darlilngs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, This Was My First Childhood Bitch!!!!!!!!!

Just look at this photo, girls!!!!!!!!! You can certainly tell I am not talking about my kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Compton!!!!! I think I have mentioned her on here at points, and, believe me, she was a piece of work! Not to mention she is alive out in California someplace! I thought she was old when I had her over fifty years ago! She must be 150 by now!

But back to the photo. As you can see, the child being menaced in this pic is Shirley Temple. Now, lambs, I am sorry, NO ONE menaced Shirley Temple, and those who did automatically were elevated to Grade A Bitch. Even Jane Withers, as a child, as witness her performance opposite Shirley in 1934's "Bright Eyes."

The actress seen here with Shirley is Mary Nash, and the character she is playing herein is this week's Bitch Of The Week!!!!!!!

The winner of this week's Raving Queen Bitch Of The Week Award is Fraulein Rottenmeier in "Heidi."

How much more appropriate a name for a bitch can that be???????????

For those who may not remember, or have never read the Johanna Spyri children's classic on which it is based, Farulein Rottenmeier is the villain of "Heidi." She is Herr Sesemann's housekeeper. Sesemann is the father of the crippled girl, Klara (played in the film by Marcia Mae Jones) whom Heidi becomes a companion to. Rottenmeier wants to keep her job forever, so that means Klara must stay dependent. But when Shirley/Heidi comes along, and talks of Independence, and actually works with and succeeds in getting Klara back on her feet, the Bitch Fraulein feels pretty threatened.

And, of course, in the context of Hollywood movie, morality, she is an ugly, embittered, repressed spinster!!!!!!!! But a lesbian???????? In a Shirley Temple movie??????? NEVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Why was she my first childhood bitch???? Even in the book, a picture version of which I first had, I hated her. And in the Temple film, this character, played by veteran Mary Nash, is truly hateful. (It is interesting how memories morph; I had thought this role had been played by Gale Sondergaard, looking a bit like Judith Anderson as Mrs. Danvers in "Rebecca." Nash never gets that distinctive enough look, but her meanness is right on target!!!)

I remember one afternoon we were visiting my aunt Martha and uncle Jack in Cedar Grove. Darlings, you would just LOVE Cedar Grove! I mean, the Friar Tuck Inn, and everything!!!!!!!! Honey, I am sure if that is still there it beats out Graydon Carter's clip joints by leaps and bounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, this particular afternoon, I was watching TV and "Heidi" came on. Of course, I watched everything with Shirley Temple. What I recall most vividly is in the film, at least, Heidi had this glass snow globe that I think her grandfather gave to her. One day she and Fraulein Rottenmeier get into it, and the bitch takes the globe from Heidi, smashing it to the ground in front of her!!!!!!!! This was the first time I experienced such hate for a character!!!!!!!!!! Not even the Witch "The Wizard Of Oz;" in fact, before I got the whole MGM/Garland thing that all us queens get, I LOVED the Witch!!!!!! Well, maybe not love, but she DID have what I thought at the time was a fabulous castle, she had the Winged Monkeys to do her bidding, not to mention the Winkies; she had that flowing long dress, hat and broom, with a tinted green face, and she flew through the air!!!!!!!!! What more could I want??????? I still recall how, the morning after my first 'Oz' viewing, I drove my mother crazy by repeatedly, with toy broom in hand, leaping off the rim of the living room love seat, trying to propel myself into air, shouting, "To the Emerald City, as fast as lightning!"

But Frauliein Rottenmeier, as befits her name, was rotten to the core!!!!!! When she smashed that snow globe, and sneered viciously, for the first time I experienced such revulsion I wanted to put my fist right through the set, and belt her in the mouth!!!!!!! Which, of course, I did not, because I couldn't!!!!!! But I am telling you, if anyone had done that to ME, in real life, it would have been an altogether different story; I would have kicked that bitch in the shins until she bled!!!!!!!! Just ask Katina Mataras!!!!!!!! But, then, I was always more Jane Withers than Shirley Temple!!!!!!!

In the movie, things go from bad to worse. In a considerable plot departure from the book, the writers come up with Fraulein absconding with Heidi, attempting to sell her to the gypsies. Her grandfather finds them, and pushes the old hag into the snow so hard I thought he did her in!!!!!!!! Good for him!!!!!!! And the film should have ended with THAT being her comeuppance. But the whole thing comes to a head, with Shirley and Gramps in the police station, headed by Sig Ruman (six years before portraying Louis Bouriette in "The Song Of Bernadette"), and Fraulein increasingly distressed by the arrival of Herr Sesemann, because she knows the jig is up, and she will be out of a job!!!!!! Which is how the film leaves her--kind of hanging!!!!!!!!!! Better left to let her freeze in the snow!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, even as a child, I knew a bitch when I saw one!!!!!!!! So, though fictitious, Fraulein Rottenmeier is Every Child's Nightmare. At end of the film version of "Rebecca". Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson) burns in Manderly's flames!!!!!! Too bad Rottenmeier could not have been thrown in with her!!!!!!!!!!! And if this character had REALLY been around in 1937, when the film was made, there is no doubt she would have been working for the SS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What is it with uppity housekeepers???????? It's all part of the Servant Problem, I guess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fire this Fraulein on the spot...........and then grill her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, This Is The Most Important VOGUE This Year, Next To The September Issue!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, I was just informed this very morning, and am letting you know, and see for yourselves, ASAP, that Meryl Streep is on the cover of this month's VOGUE, and doesn't she look FABULOUS, girls??????????? And being photographed by Annie Liebowitz in that seaside setting captures and pays homage to Meryl standing by the water at the start of one of her greatest dramatic successes, "The French Lieutenant's Woman," which made me swoon thirty years ago, as this cover now does today!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe this is Miss Streep's first appearance on the mag's cover. The only thing I have to say to Anna is--it's about time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You had better believe Anna was on hand to oversee that THIS cover came off as well as it did!!!!!!!!! Wonder if Meryl and Anna had time for a little chit chat??????
You know, I would have just LOVED to have been a fly on THAT wall!!!!!!!!!

All this on the tail end of my groundbreaking proposal for Meryl taking on the role of Willy Loman!!!!!!!!! Do I have timing, or what, darlings?????????? Does this mean Meryl may be mulling this idea over???????? She may, though, with her renowned graciousness, I am sure she does not want to take the role away from Philip Seymour Hoffman. Let Meryl do Willy in another production, which you know I will be sure NOT to miss!!!!!!!!

But this VOGUE cover is classic, girls, and it demands to be owned and them framed on your wall!!!!!!!!! With the Eyes Of Meryl upon you, you will all be obligated to look your best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As I know you do, anyway, darlings!!!!!!!!!!

You better believe I do!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh, My Dears, That Graydon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, of course I am talking about Graydon Carter, the Editor-In-Chief of Vanity Fair Magazine, the owner of the Waverly Inn in the West Village on Bank Street, and the Monkey Bar on East 54th Street!!!!!!!! Spank that monkey, Graydon!!!!!!!!!!

What I want to know is, who does Graydon Carter think he is?????? Some male knockoff of Anna??????? Honey, with that awful looking hair style, he can hardly hold a candle to Anna. And have you seen the floridness of his skin, and those puffy cheeks???? Grady likes to imbibe, girls, and from what I can tell, he likes to do it A LOT.

As for his wife, Anna Scott, she looks like she is someone in her forties still trying to be Hayley Mills in her teens!!!!!!! You can bet she is Graydon's beard....because....come on, now!!!!!!!!!! Vanity Fair????????? The Waverly Inn?????
The Monkey Bar??????? Let's just say they do not go with the Super Bowl, loves, and leave it at that!!!!!!!!!!

It is no wonder Graydon has been avoiding me. After all the time of late I spend in his nabe, and still not an invite to the Waverly Inn!!!!!! Listen, Grady, baby, I remember when the restaurant was a pleasant repast out of E.M. Forester, not some high end faux place where a table is erected to Fran Lebowitz!!!!!!!!!!! I am telling you here and now, you better watch out, Grady, dear, if the Raving Queen comes by; just ask the people at the now defunct Paris Commune, and those still over at the Strand bookstore!!!!!!! If I come there, and the service and cuisine are anything LESS than sterling, you know it will be recorded on here!!!!!!! And if you are so fortunate to be granted favored remarks from moi, then you had better have a table of my own placed right across from Fran Lebowitz (with a mural of me to match hers!!!!!) so that both of us can hold court; that way all of New York's most important, hangers-on, and wannabes can simply drift back and forth from her table to mine, to get the rush of prestige association, let alone mention on this blog, they all avidly crave!!!!!!!!!!

Graydon, honey, get with the program!!!!!!!! Go to Bergdorf's, and for God's sake let Arriette do something with your hair. Get me into the Waverly Inn during this holiday season. Don't worry about the Monkey Bar, darling; I can infiltrate that place myself!!!!!!!!!!!!

You can only hide for so long, Graydon!!!!!!! But you cannot hide from the Raving Queen, and all MY girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Season's Greetings, Doll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, What Fun, "Murder At The High School Reunion!"!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Having heard about some of my issues during this time, on here, it IS amazing that nothing untoward happened at any of my own reunions I DID attend. But it was fun to see "Rizzoli and Isles" grapple with issues at Jane's. Maura looked fabulous in her dress, and we certainly related to the dread of seeing certain girls from the past who made one miserable. If only we had the strength and fortitude we did then. Which is why high school is such a painful and vulnerable time--we don't.

As for the ones who "had it," it was plain from what we saw that "had" was the operative word; all the girls, while looking OK, certainly did not have the luster they must have had. While Angie Harmon, playing Jane Rizzoli, outclassed them all in the looks department, especially with that hair, even though, as she said she was "average, unmarried, and a detective." Honey, when you look like Angie Harmon, there is NO such thing as average.

The name of this episode, was "Seventeen Ain't So Sweet," and, honey,they got that right!!!!!!!!!!

The minute that sleazebag Rory Graham came onto the scene, I knew it was him. Well, in tandem with his wife, Kate, the meanest of the Mean Girls. Some people change, some don't, and some get worse. But, at least, as this show proved, the latter do get their comeuppance!!!!!!!!!!

And Lorraine Bracco was on hand as Angela to dispense coffee, and maternal advice. With the Holidays rapidly approaching, it is time to get Angela into her own kitchen, so she can be seen whipping up some Italian specialities. From the way it looks as though Lorraine were packing on the pounds, I am sure she knows about such Neapolitan delicacies.

This episode should be seen by anyone who has ever gone to one of their high school reunions, or has feared going to one. Compared to what goes on at this one, you have nothing to fear!!!!!!!!!!!

Except poor make-up application!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Hppefully Dahrun Is Cooking His Own Goose!!!!!!!

First, girls, weeks go by without a mention of Tyler Clementi, and now here we are again. The latest is that Mr.-I-Am-So-Innocent, Dahrun Ravi is so convinced he is innocent, he rejected recently a pleas deal, that, among other things would derail deportation back to India!!!!!!!! So, he is going to go through with the trial (at the expense of the taxpayers and the judicial system) and, if found guilty, could be sent back to the Land of Curry in a hurry!!!!!!!!!!!!

Which would not bother me any, darlings!!!!!!!!! Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say!!!!!!!! But keeping in mind the Clementis' wishes, I have to say that as long as he is held accountable in some way, justice will be served, and perhaps Tyler and his family can finally rest in peace.

Much is made of Ravi not causing Tyler's suicide, and you know, technically, that is right. But that does not mean he did not set it in motion with the chain of circumstances he created with his privacy violations. As I said elsewhere, from Day One, Ravi found it difficult to even look at or acknowledge Tyler. Clearly he wanted to "get rid" of him, though I am sure not in this irrevocable way. In which case--why didn't Dahrun take some actions for himself--get another room, live with friends--if he found the situation intolerable. Instead, he tries to drive Tyler out via intimidation and humiliation. Yeah, it drove Tyler out, all right........straight off that bridge!!!!!!!!!!

Which neither Ravi or Wei tossed him off of. Yet the argument cannot be escaped that, had Dahran taken some more constructive actions on his own behalf, we would not be discussing Tyler Clementi right now.

New Brunswick had better get ready for a media feeding frenzy!!!!!!!!! And, whatever the results, you know the reaction will be explosive!!!!!!!!!!!!

Justice For Tyler, darlings!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, We Just LOVE Marlo Thomas As Judge Mary Conway Clark!!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, I am telling you, after all the running around that was done on Saturday, the Sunday "'SVU' Ladykillers Marathon" was so much fun. I did not tune in early enough, so I don't know if "Mean" was broadcast, but they did run "Bound"--one of my faves, where Jane Krakowski plays serial killer Emma Spevack, who is offing elderly women as a way of getting back at Mama, who paid more attention to her twin brother, Matt, and not she!!!!!!!! That Emma is something!!!!!!

But 2004 was the year Marlo Thomas appeared in four episodes as Judge Mary Conway Clark. The mystery is why she did not appear in any more. Wish she was back this year, on 'SVU'!!!!!! Mary, who mentored Casey Novak (played by Diane Neal) is tough as nails, honey, but she knows how to turn herself out, for court or dining. Casey, on the other hand, needs some mentoring still from Mary in the fashion department, because, as attractive as Diane Neal is, Casey cuts a close second to Alex Cabot, portrayed by Stephanie March, whose flowing blonde hair, cool voice, regal posture and those authoritarian glasses tells every courtroom she means business. You know I try to look my best as Alex/Stephanie every day.

But getting back to Mary. One of my favorite episodes, which I have on DVD, is "Lowdown." This involves a young ADA, whom Olivia once dated, and whose murder looked like he was killed in his car while carrying on with a hooker. Happens all the time in this town, girls!!!!!!!!!! Except it turns out this guy was gay, was in love with one of his colleagues, a Black attorney, Andy Abbott (played by Michael Beach), which has an enormous effect on his wife, played brilliantly by Bethany Butler. This is the episode where HIV comes into play; the murder victim had it, so Olivia, who dated him briefly, has to get tested. She is OK. But the wife, played by Bethany, is not, because it turns out that while Andy rejected the victim, who was romantically interested in him, because he was "a married man," it turns out he was on the "down low"; he would get together at an associate's house, for what he told his wife were poker games, but were actually sex parties, with the guys getting it on with each other, but...oh, yeah, it does not mean that they are gay!!!!!!! Right!!!!!!!!!

Andy's wife, played by Bethany, gets the virus, unlike her sleaze hubby. And you have to see the final scene, where Bethany does this speech about planting a tree!!!!!!!! Brilliant writing and acting here; some of the best!!!!!!

There is a point where Casey urges Mary Ellen (the wife Bethany plays) to get tested. She is not supposed to say that. At one point she consults her mentor, Marlo as Mary, who still dresses better than Casey and needs to teach her something here. But this is the episode where Diane says, "Well, I'm screwed." To which Mary answers, cooly, "You bet your sweet ass you are!!!!" I just LOVE Mary, darlings!!!!!!!

Well, yesterday, they showed two of the Mary episodes--"Home," which I have never seen, and the often shown "Poison" with Tom Skerritt giving a brilliant performance as contemptible Judge Oliver Taft. This episode is classic in several ways. Skerrit's performance is dead-on, a morally righteous authoritarian who feels he can do no wrong. Get this guy off the bench, I say, which is exactly what Casey Novak wants to do. And I love the impassioned way Crusading Casey goes after him. With cautious advice from Mary about not doing anything until she can fully prove something.

All of this centers around the case of Karen Campbell (played by Cynthia Gibb) a mother of four who is SO overwhelmed she neglects her adopted daughter Alexis, then resorts to abusing her with harsh physical punishment, and poisoning her with cleaning fluid. Chop her up into bits, I say!!!!!!!!!!! Her hubby is played by sleazy franchise vet Sean Cullen, and while he projects the usual sleaziness, he does not come off so badly in this one. At first, Judge Taft clears Karen Campbell, but later, when Alexis dies, it comes out that Taft, talking to her in the elevator, which he should not have done, remarks to Karen that Alexis might be better dead. Which is all Karen needs to hear to commit murder.

This is also the classic episode featuring that classic scene where Casey has to go to Philip Bosco as Judge Terhune, interrupting his poker game with ALL the Judges, including everyone's favorite, Judge Lena Petrovsky, played by Joanna Merlin. I love when Casey, who is there to get a motion signed, says, "I've had this nightmare before, only I was naked." To which Petorvksky mutters, wryly, "Charming!" LOVE that Joanna Merlin, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!

And all Mary Clark needs to call Taft "That son of a bitch!" and confront him right in court!!!!!! Go, Mary!!!!!!!!! It seems Taft has a history of class bias; if the Mom is a June Cleaver type, she gets off; if she falls beneath the Upper Middle Class radar, she gets convicted. Things eventually catch up to Taft, Karen finally gets convicted, and Taft walks out, being hounded by reporters. He is still on the bench, but, as can be seen, for how long now is questionable, thanks to Mary and Casey.

Then there was "Home", which I had never seen, and oh My GOD!!!!!!!!!!
Diane Venora, in a brilliant performance, plays Control Queen From Hell Marilyn Nesbit. It seems ever since her hubby was killed in a holdup, Marilyn has been paranoid about her boys, keeping them off the streets, home schooling them, regulating their diet so much that the younger son, Jacob, is found eating food out of trash cans. When Jacob turns up murdered, the SVU team comes into play. Marilyn is real good at playing the victimized mother, but it is evident she is clearly delusional and paranoid (kind of like a female John List!!!!!). With Casey getting help from Mary, it turns out Marilyn and family, till her husband died, lived in Jersey, where she was called into question for beating her eldest son, Daniel. Daniel was in the Navy, is an adult, and talks Adam into testifying against his mentally disturbed mother,(it turns out she ordered Adam to shoot his own brother, which Adam, subject to his mother's paranoia, did, BUT Marilyn is rightfully charged) who, at the end, is hauled off screaming. Throw the key away on this one, too, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mary is on hand in this one, too, to give Casey some tough, ready advice, which she does manage to heed, though she still needs to learn some of Mary's fashion sense. But Casey is young, she has time to learn, and heck, she just isn't as tall or poised as Stephanie March, and she does not have that, gorgeous, flowing hair!!!!! What is a girl to do????????

I know what I am going to do right now, darlings!!!!!!! I am heading to the mirror, checking on the consistency and texture of my own hair!!!!!!!!!!!
And maybe a cream rinse tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!