Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 06:52 AM (lZvxr)

The choom king could be replaced with a roomba. It would be an improvement, and it sucks.

Morning, ‘rons and ‘ronettes.  As I was driving in, I caught the tail end of an entertainment obituary on the radio for a “Black.”  Naturally, I thought of Shirley Temple Black, but sheÂ’s still alive.  It was, in fact, Karen Black, Jack NicholsonÂ’s co-star in the 1970 film Five Easy Pieces.  I donÂ’t have a story about her, but I do have one about the movie:

In one scene, Nicholson, Sally Struthers and two other people are sitting around in their underwear, drinking, smoking and talking.  Just before the take, Nicholson decided to do the scene in the nude, wearing only cowboy boots.  But before stripping off, he insisted the crew get naked, too – “If actors have to work nude and theyÂ’re embarrassed about it, then it should be union rules that the crew be nude, too, and then nobody will be staring at anybody.”

The crew adored Nicholson, and began ripping off their clothes when director Bob Rafaelson suddenly yelled, “Wait a minute!  We canÂ’t do this here!”  And in the end, there was no nude scene after all.

I know a lot of my stories reflect venality and nastiness, which is a showbiz constant.  But even in the shark-filled waters of Hollywood, there are still ladies and gentlemen.  For example, look what happened to the director Ronald Neame, whose best-known movie was The Poseidon Adventure.

Neame was a British cameraman who desperately wanted to make it as a Hollywood director, and jumped at the chance to direct 1957s The Seventh Sin, even though the script wasnÂ’t all that great.  After serious rewrites, expensive Hong Kong location shooting and more rewrites, cast and crew ended up back home at MGM.  There had been complaints during the shoot that Neame wasnÂ’t the right director for Sin, and he knew that Metro executives didnÂ’t like him.  Things went from bad to worse until, six weeks in, his agent called.  “Look, Ronnie,” he told Neame, “we think you should resign from the picture.  We think itÂ’s too much of a strain for you and itÂ’s not worth it.”  Neame realized they were trying to spare him the indignity of being fired, so he resigned.

At home that night, Neame was convinced his career was finished.  As he sat down to dinner, the telephone rang.  His wife answered and told him, “ThereÂ’s a Mr. George Cukor on the line.”  Neame had never met Cukor, but knew he was currently working at MGM.

“Is that Ronald Neame?” Cukor asked when the director picked up the telephone.

“Yes, it is.  How are you, Mr. Cukor?”

“Well, I’m fine, but I suppose you’re feeling pretty miserable this evening.”

Neame agreed.  “Well, thatÂ’s why IÂ’m phoning,” Cukor went on.  “IÂ’m calling to tell you not to worry.  ItÂ’s not going to make the slightest difference to your career.  And I should know, because I was the man that was taken off Gone With the Wind .”

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at August 09, 2013 07:07 AM (+98Gb)

Well JJ we have covered it here a couple of times, including today.

Sam Elliott (long live beef)

One of the best things in Gettysburg (start at 3.30):

http://tinyurl.com/6q8nll3

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at August 09, 2013 07:12 AM (+98Gb)

Al Ruddy?  The man behind Hogan's Heroes and the Cannonball Run movies?  Nice.

Posted by: Captain Hate at August 09, 2013 07:14 AM (a0deB)

I am still waiting to see what they do with the primaries.  If they don't change that shit system I'm joining Ace on the side.

And Obamacare sucks, say several Democrats running in vulnerable elections next year.

NSS.  That's why you ambulatory shitstains got the dog-eating cokehead to give you waivers.  But we still have to knuckle under, don't we?

People ought to start showing up at these 'town halls' with pitchforks, rails, tar and feathers.  It's long past time these DC pigs started pissing their pants in fear, and not just because they missed prime reservation space at the toniest new steakhouse in town.

Tell us what we already don't know eh. WaEx quoting a Gallop poll says Hispanics tilt Democrat by a wide margin regardless of where they are born. So you stupid shit Republicans quit listening to those damn consultants.

Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 06:55 AM (lZvxr)

But, but, but we can still buy them if we swear off any pretense of conservatism.  Fuck it; we're closer to the Rats than to you anyway.

Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 07:15 AM (lZvxr)

----------------------------

(Insert obligatory joke about Vic still using the old version, where the fox is actually still on fire)

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 09, 2013 07:26 AM (zF6Iw)

Like I said yesterday, good luck replicating the Occupiers' and La Raza's successes.  Unlike them, we have neither local nor federal law-"enforcement" cover.

Posted by: J.J. Sefton at August 09, 2013 07:21 AM (+98Gb)

That's nice to hear, J.J.  Did you ever read the interview in Cigar Aficionado with Coppola where he talks about all his problems getting Godfather made?  I'll see if I can find a link.

And as far as getting things to sell - here, I'll give you my idea for a remake, since that's all Hollywood's doing these days:  a happy version of Pennies From Heaven.  That is, a Doris Day-Rock Hudson movie, but where all the characters lip synch to classic music:  the happy couple on a dinner date warble the Brook Benton-Diana Washington song  (Baby) You've Got What It Takes, the lovesick fellow longing for the unapproachable girl sings Jack Jones' You're Sensational and so on.

It's an idea I've had for the longest time that would never sell because it doesn't have an ounce of cynicism in it.  I'd write it myself, but I can't even finish my own goddamn book.

Just what we need, more "refugees" from the ME. Of course Kerry and Company will completely "vette" them. This after admitting several months ago that they could not vette these people.

Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 06:53 AM (lZvxr)

They'll also give them Vettes so they can transport their IEDs that much faster.

Oh, where are my manners?

Coffee and pastries for everybody!

**stirs sugar into tea**

Thank you, Anna. 

Steveegg, nah. The Syrians would make a perfect sink for all those exploding Volts.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at August 09, 2013 07:33 AM (gPyYF)

The problem is the Volt suffers from Premature Explodation.

Posted by: BurtTC at August 09, 2013 07:28 AM (BeSEI)

I am using v. 22

Oh, where are my manners?

Posted by: Mary Poppins' Practically Perfect Piercing at August 09, 2013 07:34 AM (zF6Iw)

Mmmmmm, pastries.

Posted by: Joethefatman� (@joethefatman1) at August 09, 2013 07:33 AM (MnSla)

If you are talking about birthday, no it was Sam Elliot who is her hunk.  I am just a sorry thing.

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at August 09, 2013 07:28 AM (gPyYF)

------------

Engleesh? We don't need to speak no steenkin' Engleesh!

Forbes has a list out of the top paid tv/radio personalities. 

Is it political or ignorance that they get Limbaugh's income so wrong?

Posted by: SAT Rose at August 09, 2013 07:39 AM (Ah5uQ)

Now I've got that song stuck in my head.

Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 07:38 AM (lZvxr)

Timing - I no haz it.

Posted by: SAT Rose at August 09, 2013 07:39 AM (Ah5uQ)

This is the coolest Summer I can remember in my 30+ years of living here.

King Putts-

thinks there are 57 states

does not know where the Gulf of Mexico is

thinks global warming is real

Instead of waving and shouting Mr. President! when he's out in public, is it ok now to wave and shout Hey, Stupid!

Posted by: Anna Puma (+SmuD) at August 09, 2013 07:41 AM (gPyYF)

Only if the proper controls are in place.  I hear NBC has a history of blowing up Chevys.

Posted by: Captain Hate at August 09, 2013 07:46 AM (a0deB)

Love you, Cap, but we don't need a minute-by-minute update on your activities.

Too late- we're on a roll.

Posted by: Nighthawk at August 09, 2013 07:43 AM (tYNyR)

Poppy seed please.

"From another perspective, my old boss, Al Ruddy often times lamented about clusterfuck productions this way:

"Who do I have to sleep with to get OFF this picture?!"

I guess that saying is not as unusual as one might have thought.  I saw a documentary some years about the '60s classic camp series "Lost In Space".  They were interviewing Marta Kristin, who played Judy, the Robinsons' eldest daughter.  She was talking about the filming of the pilot episode, which was directed by Irwin Allen, who was also producer of this, along with several other science fiction TV shows made back then.

In one scene the castaways are crossing a body of water in their ground vehicle and get caught in a storm.  Irwin Allen loved making things as realistic as possible, so while filming this the cast is being doused with huge quantities of water and their ride is being pitched and rolled wildly, throwing the cast around violently inside.

Finally in exasperation after picking up several bumps and bruises as well as a good soaking, June Lockhart, who played Maureen, the family's mom in the series, yells "Jesus!  Who do I have to (bleep) to get off this show?!?"

Posted by: Miss Marple at August 09, 2013 07:50 AM (GoIUi)

Those inscrutable Orientals.

Speaking of which, because of her exotic looks, Myrna Loy was often cast as an Oriental in her early career.  Like this:

http://tinyurl.com/mkrgoed

Posted by: In Exile at August 09, 2013 07:59 AM (AwxCS)

Sam Elliot who was in Gran's list of birthdays.

With all this talk about Reince Priebus doing something lovely by agitating over the debate formats, I'm wondering...where was he for the 2012 debates?  Wasn't he the chair then?  Didn't he presumably sign off on them?

I'm perhaps being overly cynical, but in the wake of reading Daniel Greenfield's "Schizophrenic Elephant" piece, it's hard for me to really believe Reince Priebus wants to push the primary debates rightward.  More likely he's offering up a little conservative lip service on something he knows isn't going to happen anyway.

>>>>good luck with getting Rience Preibus to do one fucking thing to improve the primaries. The guy has been a bigger cluster tuck than Steele when it comes to election results.

Which tells me it isn't the Chair thats doing it. No matter who gets in that position, the position itself is too compromised.

MP4, regarding your idea of the bubbly musical: one of the biggest movie disasters I can recall was At Long Last Love

That's right; I hadn't thought of that when I posted.  Another one of Peter Bogdanovich's flops.  Not only couldn't anybody except Kahn sing, there wasn't really any choreography either, so the whole thing just looked sloppy.  It was like a half-remembered Princess Theatre musical combined with a lame attempt at screwball comedy.  I should do a post on it.

Here's a production still - from left to right, Eileen Brennan, Cybill Shepherd and Madeline Kahn:

http://tinyurl.com/m6xxt87

Ahhhh. I was thinking that 68 seemed awfully sprightly to be you

Yeah, it seems like only yesterday he kicked John L. Sullivan's ass.

Monty up

Posted by: Vic at August 09, 2013 08:20 AM (lZvxr)

And headed to an extended stay on Motel Couch.

>>>NSA to stop leaks by replacing people with machines. I guess that includes the choom king then?

Autopen.