"In the Heat of the Night" - Season 1 (1988)

One of the gifts I got for Christmas was the First Season DVD collection from the TV series “In the Heat of the Night”, which was based on the 1967 film of the same name starring Rod Steiger as local sheriff in Bill Gillespie the town of Sparta, Mississippi. In that film a police detective by the name of Virgil Tibbs;by Sidney Poitier; is passing through Sparta on his way home to Philadelphia. While awaiting the 4:30 AM train he is picked up for the murder of the town’s biggest employer who is about to open a factory. The most often remembered line of the film occurs when Tibbs is called boy by the Sheriff and he replies with the stinging rebuke, “They call me Mr. Tibbs!”

The film was so iconic of the times that I never really paid much attention to the TV spinoff starring Carrol O’Connor; Archie Bunker from TV’s “All in the Family”; figuring that aside from the name of the series, there wasn’t much potential there. And, aside from that, what could ever top the scene where Tibbs; played by Sidney Poitier; smacks back the town’s oldest revered segregationist in his very own green house? Howard E. Rollins Jr. plays Virgil Tibbs in a very convincing manner, while never making you feel as if he is trying to emulate Poiter’s treatment of the role.

Well, last night (actually a few nights ago by the time you read this) I decided to check the series out, beginning with the 2 part Pilot episode, which sets up the whole series based upon the movie. I was pleasantly surprised. The hardest part of adapting any type of movie or show to another genre; particularly television; can be a road fraught with pitfalls.  It’s so easy to take something millions of people have come to love in its original form and screw it up.  However, I was pleasantly surprised at the way they adapted this story for the pilot. I still haven’t begun the rest of the series, but the pilot is really well done.

To begin with, picking Carroll O’Connor for the role of Gillespie was a great choice.  And the way they bring Tibbs back to Sparta for his mother’s funeral is fairly believable. The only real discrepancy is that in the film Tibbs was visiting his mother in a neighboring town, hence the need for the train connection. In the series she appears to have been a longtime resident of the town, which raises all kinds of questions about why he was portrayed as a stranger passing through in the film.

These differences aside the pilot is beautifully executed. They even have a scene where Tibbs gets to reiterate that they call him Mr. Tibbs after being called boy by Deputy Bubba Skinner; played by Alan Autry. This is good because it gets that whole image out of the way and allows the series to take on its own flavor. They must have done something right as the show ran from 1988 through 1995 drawing praise for the entire run. What can I say; sometimes it just takes me a while to catch on to something good.

"Runner, Runner" with Justin Timberlake and Ben Affleck (2013)

Justin Timberlake plays grad student Richie Furst in this film, which is based upon real life events. As a graduate student Richie has incurred a bit of financial debt, which he decides to pay off by playing high stakes Internet poker. Of course he loses his shirt, but when he runs the numbers and probabilities of how he lost he comes to realize that he was cheated. (I was a bit disappointed that as a grad student it took him so long to realize that he had been cheated, but what he does next is astonishing.)

The gambling industry is based in large part, out of smaller countries with lax tax laws; such as Costa Rica, which is where the meat of this story takes place. Ben Affleck plays gambling tycoon Ivan Block, who runs the web site where Richie lost his money. Richie figures that if he can just get to Costa Rica and meet Ivan and explain things to him, Ivan will refund his money. After all, this would be better than Richie going to the FBI and also telling his story in chat rooms worldwide.

After initially being rebuffed by Ivan he is invited back aboard the yacht which serves as Ivan’s office. He goes, knowing that he is gambling now with his life. But instead of being killed he is given a refund of his loses as well as a job opportunity working with Ivan in Costa Rica. Stunned at his luck Richie accepts both the money and the job. But soon it becomes all too clear that he has formed a Faustian pact with a man who is both ruthless and cunning.

Terse acting by both Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake; combined with some very tight direction; make this story spring to life. And the fact that it is based on actual events make it all the more better. I literally did not get up once during this film; which is a very unusual thing for me.

"Brian Jones" by Paul Trynka (2014)

Brian Jones is almost the “forgotten” Rolling Stone; and yet he was the founding member. A strong case can be made for Ian Stewart holding that position, but it was Brian Jones relationship with Alexis Corner which spawned the Rolling Stones. It was also Brian who named the band after the Muddy Waters hit of the same name.

A devoted champion of the blues way before Clapton or even John Mayall; an early explorer of the sitar at same time as George Harrison; and  even the open tunings which Keith Richards uses today and credits to Ry Cooder ; all came from Brian Jones. You can listen to the early albums and hear for yourself. And the African drums on Midnight Rambler; just a few months before his death; were his, in idea as well as execution.

He virtually wrote the final music for “Ruby Tuesday”, “Under My thumb” and “Paint It Black”; never receiving written credit or royalties for any one of those iconic recordings; which would both become smash hits and earn millions for Jagger-Richards. The early Nanker-Phlege musical collaboration; which was named by him and incorporated all of their musical efforts; was conveniently abandoned, further diminishing his perceived role in the group; and marginalizing him in his own eyes, as well as the public’s.

Slide guitar playing was the provence of African-American blues up until that time.  Championed by Jones long before anyone else was doing it in Europe, he influenced everyone around him and set the course for pop music’s entry into serious blues. He even introduced Howlin’ Wolf on American TV during prime time on “Shindig”.

Style wise, his clothes sparked the fashions of Oxford Street as he exchanged clothing with anyone; male or female; he met during the day. This resulted in an array of styles which became iconic of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, as well as the uni-sex fashions which emerged at the time. His “pageboy like” haircut was the basis for The Byrds hairstyle; not the Beatles. Even Ringo Starr copied that long pageboy look from Brian Jones for a short while in 1965. And let’s not forget to mention the granny glasses and vests predating Sonny Bono’s.

But in the bands history; chronicled for the 5oth Anniversary of its founding; his influence has been minimized, and in some cases erased altogether. Even in the book “Life” by Keith Richards; which is one of my favorite autobiographies; he is reduced to almost a side note; never receiving his just due.

The celebrated drug busts by Detective Sgt. Pilcher and the Flying Squads; who counted John Lennon and George Harrison among their other celebrity conquests; also hit the guitarist in a hard way. The harassment of Mr. Jones by Scotland Yard rivals any of the later problems faced by Keith Richards.

The controversy surrounding his death and the resulting conspiracy theories are explored and debunked. The deathbed confession of the man who claims to have drowned him in the swimming pool does seem to be as Mr. Richards describes it in “Life”; just something that can never be verified.

Jones had 4 children; all born out of wedlock.  Linda Lawrence; who was pregnant with Jones child when she married Donovan; provides some interesting insights into the way the guitarist dealt with relationships at the time. How he avoided paternity suits and legal actions concerning support for those children is a mystery to me. He even had one father coming to his house demanding money for support of one of his children. Surely, this is no flattering portrait of Mr. Jones, which makes the book all that more credible.

If you enjoyed Keith Richards “Life”, then you owe it to yourself to read this book. They belong side by side. It will not detract from the former; rather it will give you a clearer picture of what happened to one of the most talented of the original Rolling Stones; the one who actually put the ad in the paper which resulted in Ian Stewart meeting Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, and which gave birth to the band.

"The Boy at the Window" - Richard Wilbur (1952)

This is another of my favorite poems. The stark imagery of the outdoors; as endured by the Snowman; juxtaposed against the warmth and love which the boy experiences indoors; breaks my heart each time I read it. And the sympathy of the snowman as he melts is truly amazing. Being born to die he has no fears at all, while the boy remains trapped, fearing the loss of the things which he thinks possesses; but which in reality possess him.

"The Boy at the Window" - Richard Wilbur

Seeing the snowman standing all alone

In dusk and cold is more than he can bear.

The small boy weeps to hear the wind prepare

A night of gnashings and enormous moan.

His tearful sight can hardly reach to where

The pale faced figure with bitumen eyes

Returns him such a godforsaken stare

As outcast Adam gave to Paradise.

The man of snow is, nonetheless, content

Having no wish to go inside and die.

Still, he is moved to see the youngster cry.

Though water is his element,

He melts enough to drop from one soft eye

A trickle of the purest rain, a tear

For the child at the bright pane surrounded by

Such warmth, such light, such love, and so much fear.

"Jolson Sings Again" with Larry Parks and Barbara Hale (1946)

As a kid growing up in New York I used to watch a lot of the old movies on WOR-TC channel 9. They were what was referred to as an “independent” station and along with WNEW Channel 5 were the only alternatives to the “big three” networks. This arrangement was a sort of blessing in disquise for an inquisitive kid like me. I really enjoyed the older black and white movies these stations ran, rather than the newer ones on the networks. And occasionally they even outdid themselves; like the time one of them showed the first talkie “The Jazz Singer” withal Jolson.

My regard for Jolson came mostly from my Uncle Irving. He used to do the shimmy and a bit of the Charleston now and again when he heard me playing a record like “Winchester Cathedral” or “Hello, Hello” by the Sopwith Camels.  Even “Words of Love” by the Mamas and Papas could set him off. At these times he would regale me with stories of Al Jolson, “the greatest entertainer in the world!” So, when The Jazz Singer was scheduled to air, I was all set. I even had my little reel to reel battery operated tape recorder set up with the microphone up against the TV speaker to record the musical numbers.

This film brings to life the music and career of Al Jolson, beginning with his attempt at making a comeback in the years just before the outbreak of World War Two. So much had changed in the years since Jolson had been top of the heap. Bing Crosby had come along, changing the way people interpreted songs. The difference was in the phrasing. Crooning was out. This was the environment in which he was attempting to make his return to the stage and radio audiences he had left more than a decade earlier.

In the film previous to this one, “The Jolson Story”, Larry Parks portrays Al Jolson and chronicles his rise to fame and his decision to retire. In this follow up film he reprises his role as the greatest entertainer of all time, picking up the story in the late 1930’s. As Hitler is marching across Europe, Jolson is enjoying life as a former star, traveling all over and visiting all of the race tracks. He was living the life of a playboy. But, with a little push from history, his father, and his manager, that was all about to change.

As the war in Europe became a war against the Jews, Jolson’s father; a Cantor; was upset that his son didn’t seem to care about what was happening in the world around him. He was living a life of wine, women and song; fiddling like Nero while the world around him burned. The elder Jolson (Yoelson), along with his son’s manager Steve Martin; played by the irascible William Demarest; conspire to push him back towards doing something constructive with his life.

Jolson joins the efforts to entertain the troops at training camps across the country, where he is surprisingly well received. His travels abroad lead to his coming down with malaria; forcing him to go home after collapsing on stage. When he comes to and sees the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes upon, he begins to sing “Baby Face” to her before passing out again.

In real life he met Erle Galbraith; an X-ray technologist at a military hospital Hot Springs, Arkansas.  Though instantly smitten with her it takes him over a year to track her down again. When he does locate her he offers her a job and the two are later married, adopting two children before his death in 1950. He had one previous child by adoption with his third wife, Ruby Keeler in the 1930’s.

Even if you are not a fan of Al Jolson, or the music of the era, this film has a lot to offer. Larry Parks is excellent as Jolson, and Jolson does make a brief cameo in the film; just as he did in the first Larry Parks vehicle “The Jolson Story.”

Two things worth noting about Jolson are; the Elvis classic “Are You Lonesome Tonight” was recorded by many people. The song was written in 1926 and recorded the following year. Jolson picked it up in 1950, a decade before Elvis. And also, although Bing Crosby gets the credit most of the time for the change in phrasing vocals rather than crooning, it was really Jolson, with his minstrel style, who influenced Crosby.

As a matter of fact, as you watch this film and study Larry Parks’ movements, you will see a lot of Dean Martin in those performances. The singing is all done by Jolson; Larry Parks is just lip-synching, although his movements are exactly the same as Jolson’s. Watch him strut, leaning backwards and using his arms to animate each song.

The cast is composed of the following;

Larry Parks plays Al Jolson as well as himself. Barbara Hale plays the fictional Ellen Clark, who is really Erle Galbraith; and William Demarest plays manager Steve Martin; while Ludwig Donath   plays Jolson’s father, Cantor Yoelson with a gleam in his eye and love for his son in his heart.  

Here’s a clip of Jolson performing from the 1927 classic “The Jazz Singer”;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD_YRnuuKyY

Little Richard - Still Rock and Rolling.

It's a cold January morning with the entire year ahead of us. Yikes! That's a daunting thought. So, let's start the day with a bit of Little Richard! Between his vocal histrionics, and one of the best left hands in show business, he should be able to get your blood pumping.

In this video he is doing "Long Tall Sally" from the 1956 film "Don't Knock the Rock." This man has influenced so many performers that it would be hard to name them all. From Elvis to the Beatles and the Stones; and all the way up through U2; Richard Penniman has left his mark on the world of music for generations to come. Even my grandchildren know him from Sesame Street and the video "Rubber Ducky."

Here are some other links to help you rock and roll a bit as you go about your daily routine.

This first one is from a 1950's television show. The song "Lucille" would become a signature of Little Richard's and rock and roll in general. It has been covered by too many artists to mention.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3-OaNevkfg

This is a fun version of "Good Golly Miss Molly" with John Goodman in it;
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZ6h0kyqSRk

And finally, here's a short version of "Rubber Ducky" from Sesame Street.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWCEG6lV0ek&feature=related

Note: If Little Richard can't get your motor started then you are probably past saving.

"The Thin Man" with William Powell and Myrna Loy (1936)

Looking for a good New Year’s Day with a little bit of a twist? Look no further than this one. "The Thin Man" is the type of "whodunits" that seldom get made these days. William Powell; impeccably dressed, as always; plays Nick Charles, a former playboy-detective who marries Myrna Loy, who plays Nora Charles; his wife. He has retired from the "detecting" business in order to "keep an eye on my wife's money."

When Mr. and Mrs. Charles arrive in New York just in time for the holidays, the last thing on their minds is to become involved in solving the murder of an old friend, Professor Wynatt. But with the press hounding him, and a wife who wants to see her famous husband in action, there is not much hope in evading the inevitable, as Mr. Charles drinks his way to solving the crime.

Loaded with character actors, the faces of whom you will instantly recognize the film is fast paced and the dialogue witty. Nick and Nora are perfect as they romp their way through the holidays, culminating their investigation with an elegant dinner party, during which the killer is finally exposed. With the case wrapped up in time for New Year’s Eve, the couple happily boards the train for the return trip to San Francisco, and their next escapade.

Long the most admired of the many duos that have played the part of Nick and Nora, both in Hollywood and on TV, William Powell and Myrna Loy have that certain screen chemistry that will make you think they are really married. And with a script based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, what more could you ask for.