Today I was asked an out-of-nowhere question by my eldest sister. “Do you remember meeting Michelle Wu?” Boston mayor Michelle Wu? Uh, no.
At my nephew’s wedding in 2006, Wu was his wife’s maid of honor, and when I was told that, I remembered her at the ceremony and reception. In a toast to the happy couple, Wu gave a moving speech that had some people in tears, wait staff as well as invited guests.
In 1951, Jeanne Crain and Jean Peters appeared together in the fluffy film Take Care of My Little Girl. When I see Jeanne I think she was more beautiful than Jean, and when I see Jean I think she was more beautiful than Jeanne. When they’re together I can’t make up my mind.
Jeanne and Jean became close friends. They looked as though they could have been sisters, and in a bit of casting that was equally obvious and inspired, they played sisters in Vicki, from 1953.
As a murder mystery Vicki isn’t a great movie, but it’s fast-paced and entertaining. Along for the ride with Jeanne and Jean there is Richard Boone before Have Gun Will Travel, Carl Betz before The Donna Reed Show, and Aaron Spelling before he became a TV producer.
I’ve been going through old recordings on my FiOS TV DVR. How old? Last night I watched an episode of Louie that was recorded on August 2, 2012. “Whoever dies first,” says Robin Williams. Almost exactly two years later, he committed suicide.
Williams had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. An autopsy revealed Lewy Body Dementia. Then Louie C.K. pulled a “metoo” and committed career suicide, but it was temporary and he’s been back on stage for a while.
Patrick O’Neal, whose brother Michael was one of the finest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting, stars in Assignment to Kill, from 1968. The pitch for the movie seems to have been along the line of, “James Bond, insurance agent.” An overlooked 60’s gem? I’ll know after watching it.
Tom Hanks’ commencement speech at Harvard last Thursday. Hey, he makes a reference to The Adventures of Superman, and goes on from there to list more comic book characters!
Hanks didn’t advise the grads to “follow your passion.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/22/opinion/stem-women-gender-disparity.html
A nice commentary on Hanks’ comments from the Washington Post.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/31/tom-hanks-commencement-harvard/
George Maharis has died at the very advanced age of 94. From the NYTimes, where that publicity photo came from, I learned that Maharis was gay. (Bring back white sidewall tires!)
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/28/arts/television/george-maharis-dead.html
Curiously, there’s no direct mention of his orientation in the Hollywood Reporter obituary, despite it having been relevant to his leaving the series.
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/george-maharis-dead-route-66-star-1235502542/
Maharis’ character was obviously based upon Jack Kerouac, with co-star Martin Milner looking like Brian Wilson’s older brother who wasn’t in the Beach Boys. The pilot episode of Route 66 is excellent, with strong adult content. The memorable theme was by Nelson Riddle, who wrote the equally memorable theme to the Batman TV series.
CORRECTION: A certain gentleman going by the name of “Denro” says, “Riddle me this, Nelson. The Batman theme was written by Neal Hefti!” Here are some Batunes that Riddle did compose, borrowing liberally from Hefti’s ditty:
