Happy All Souls Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                        Some call this the Day Of The Dead.  Which makes me think of the woman in 'Streetcar,' going about the street saying "Flores por les mortes."

                          All Souls Day, which I prefer, is when we remember loved ones, friends and family, who have gone before us.  I think of my parents, grandparents, and friends who have gone before me, most recently my friend Steve, who passed April 3, and had he lived would be celebrating his 70th birthday on our natal day.  I will be thinking of him, then.

                             Make sure to say some prayers today for those remembered and deeply missed.

                              The saints get November 1, the souls November 2.

                               That covers all, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Belated Greetings, From Frankenstein And The Dwarf!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                           That is Colin Clive, as Henry Frankenstein, and the great Dwight Frye, as his hunchbacked assistant, Fritz.  I have to laugh at the opening of 1935's "The Bride Of Frankenstein," where the actor playing Lord Byron refers to Fritz as a "dwarf."  How could Universal allow such inaccuracy???????

                           Well, "Plant now, dig later," as the saying goes.  Today is All Souls Day, and these two wanted to be on hand to wish all a happy Halloween, All Saints Day, and All Souls Day!  Wasn't that generous of them?????????????

                            This shot is from the 1931 original "Frankenstein."  What artistry and camerawork; just look at that shot.  No wonder I could not resist putting it in a post!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            So, greetings to all, dears, and have a marvelous weekend!!!!!!!!!!!

Girls, Join Us Tonight At 8PM, As "Svengoolie" Presents 1932's "The Mummy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

                                          Darlings, this is the one and only of all Mummy movies.  It has that artistry common to early Universal horror films, and a sterling cast; besides Karloff, there is Zita Johnan, Edward Van Sloan, and the good-looking David Manners.  What a lineup!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            This is the one where Karloff plays Im-Ho-Tep, who unfortunately yearns for Princess Anck-Su-Namon, played by the great Zita Johann.  He is found out, and, in a frightening sequence is captured and tortured alive, having his tongue cut out, and being mummified and placed in an Egyptian tomb, while still alive!  This disturbed me as a child, and it still does.  So, sensitive souls, be careful here.

                                             What follows is the usual Universal formula.  Karloff's mummy is resurrected, and he searches for his princess.  He finds her in a latter-day Zita Johann.  Will true love run its course? That is what you will have to find out, girls, because I do not remember.  And I would never reveal a spoiler.

                                                 "The Mummy" was directed by Karl Freund, which gives it some artistic panache.  David Manners can barely read a line, but he sure is good to look at.

                                                     This is one of two gems being shown this month--the following three are lousy--so make the most of this special evening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                                       See you, tonight at 8PM, girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy All Saints Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            Today, darlings, is the Feast Of All Saints, and I went to 9AM mass this morning.  My you know what is dragging now, so I don't know how this post will go.

                              This day is to honor those who did things for us selflessly.  Not only those saints we may be named after, but our favorites--like mine, which are Bernadette, St. Jude, and The Fatima Children--Lucia dos Santos, Francisco Martos, and the holiest of them all, Jacinta Martos!  What that child suffered for us, darlings, I am telling you!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                 And not to forget the living saints who walk among us unrecognized, except by those who know.  Like my David, and, of course, Sister Camille D'Arienzo.

                                    How about those who have gone, like my parents, grandparents, and friends?

                                  Did you feel the presence of the saints at your service, like above?  I sure did, darlings, though I was not quite awake.

                                    What a divine way to kick off November, loves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Darlings, Can You Believe It????????? We Are In The 11th Month!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            And almost the eleventh hour of the year, as the clock ticks relentlessly.

                           This month is filled with events galore, not to mention my birthday, which is a milestone one, which I will not share until said day.

                             Sunday, which is Anna Wintour's birthday--ANNA!!!!!!!!!!--we are headed to an Italian restaurant in Orange, NJ to celebrate the birthday--which is actually next day, the fourth--of my friend, Tom.  It will be nice to see all the members of what I call the Bloomfield group!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                               Then, on the 5th, there is. Election Day.  Enough said.  Pray, people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                From the thirteenth to the eighteenth, which is my before, we have Musical Theater Week, honoring a galaxy of my favorite Legends Of The Musical Stage!  Just when do I get to be one of them?????????????????

                                 "Svengoolie" is showing two gems this month--the Boris Karloff 1932 classic, "The Mummy," to kick off the month, and the 1958 film, "The Crawling Eye,' which, girls, is a hoot, and deserves a second viewing.  It ends the month.  In between--not so great! And if you have never seen it--oh, my God!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                   Of course, today we kick off with All Saints Day--more on that later--and the final Thursday this month is Thanksgiving.  And the 26th would have been my parents 77th Wedding Anniversary.  Alas, they had only 32 years.  But what years!  And rounded out by me, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                     So, November is an exciting month at these quarters.  May it bring the best, and then before you know it, time for "The 100 Most Notable Books Of 'The New York Times'," and "The Ten Best Books Of 2024," from "The New York Times."  Not to mention my Top Five In Fiction this year.

                                        All should be a hoot, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wasn't It A Fast October, Girls????????????????

                         Well, here we are, dears, Halloween, and the end of October.  Can you believe we are five-sixths through the entire year?  How is it possible?

                           It was a slow show month for us, with "Yellow Face" being the only thing we saw on stage.  David continues to do very well, thank God.

                           But it was a very social month.  Our friend from Pittsburgh, Judy, came to town on the 10th, and we had a lovely visit with her.  Unfortunately, for me, some sort of intestinal virus kicked in, lasting about 36 hours, so I have to wonder, is Judy some sort of Typhoid Mary?  Because the last time she came to town, two years ago, David got Covid.  Oh, well!  For sure, next time, we will not go to Joya in Brooklyn but try something else!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                            On the 18th--exactly one month before my birthday!!!!!!!!--our friend Chris came over, and we watched the prequel to "Rosemary's Baby," "Apartment 7A."  We will be watching the Roman Polanski classic tonight, so I will be posting, sometime in November, what it is like to rewatch "Rosemary's Bay," and my thoughts on the prequel.  Something to look forward to, dears!!!!!!!!!!!!

                              Then, last Saturday, we had dinner at Gino's on 5th Avenue, here in Bay Ridge, with our friends Ellen and Vic, which is when we made the nighttime visit to Roy Jensen's Halloween House in Bay Ridge!  Girls, I am telling you, it has to be seen!

                                         See what I mean?  It is simply fabulous, and at night it is even better.

                                         So, while fast, October was an exciting month.  And don't forget the anniversaries of "Henry, Sweet Henry," and "A Chorus Line."  Both Michael Bennett shows, by the way!

                                            See you in November, with much to look forward to--Thanksgiving, my birthday, Musical Theater Week, and more!  Kicking off, of course, with All Saints Day!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                               Until next month, darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Halloween, Darlings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                       That is me, this past Sunday, posing in front of a section of Roy Jensen's Halloween House in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.  The address is on 79th Street, between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, but closer to Seventh.

                                        Actually, this was our second visit to the place.  The night before, after dinner with friends, we drove by at night, and, girls, I am telling you, it was so sensational!  Things that walked, moved, and talked!  It was like a carnival!  I am telling you; Bay Ridge is getting to be for Halloween what Dyker Heights has become for Christmas.  And the former certainly will, as the years move on!

                                        So, a Happy Halloween to all!  Tonight, will be a quiet one, with David and I watching the classic "Rosemary's Baby."  I mean, with Mia in town, and Ruth Gordon and Patsy Kelly, it is just perfect!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Spending Halloween with the Castevets will be so much fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                            Thank you so much, Roy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                          Hope you get more tricks than treats, darlings!

                                          And please be careful, if you go out at night!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!