"Let No Man Write My Epitaph" with Shelley Winters, Burl Ives and Ella Fitzgerald (1960)

In this searing sequel to “Knock on Any Door” the residents of a Chicago slum building band together in an effort to keep musician Nick Romano from becoming just like his father, who has been sentenced to death in the electric chair.

Superb acting by both Burl Ives, as Judge Sullivan, and Shelley Winters as  Nellie Romano; Nick’s mother; make this movie sizzle. The subject matter was pretty raw for the time. Sex, drugs and murder align in harmony to give the viewer a look at life on the lower levels of society, along with a rough idea of just how hard it can be to break the cycle of poverty and ignorance. Like I said; pretty raw material for its time.

Nick Romano, played by James Darren, is utterly convincing in his role as the son at risk. Willard Motley's novel shines in a cast which includes both Ricardo Montalban and the legendary Jean Seberg.

The acting may seem restrained on the surface, but isn’t that what we all do with our emotions in real life? Restrain them? The cinema photography of the urban neighborhood presents a close up view of the people who inhabit the gritty world of poverty. This lends credence to Mr. Darren’s performance as the struggling youth, looking to break free from the cycle into which he was born. The shadow of his father’s fate looms over him like a weight.

Ironically, while trying to protect her son from the ravages of ruin, it is Ms. Winter’s character who finds herself enslaved to heroin and the dealer who provides the drug. Her son is caught between breaking free and extracting justice from the dealer, played by Ricardo Montablan. Who will save him from the same fate as his father? Will he survive to live his dreams of playing the piano and marrying his girlfriend, Barbara Holloway, played by Jean Seberg?

The most astounding performances in this film are by Shelley Winters and a young Mr. Darren as her son, especially in the scene concerning her drug use. This scene is still played out in hundreds of lives daily, making the movie even more timeless. Throw in Ella Fitzgerald for some dramatic flair and this movie is one you will remember forever. I first saw it on; you guessed it; WOR-TV in New York City as a kid. You can watch it here; just hit the link below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Po9vMncBBoQ

"I'm Just a Jitterbug" - Oswald Rabbit (1939)

I love this cartoon for its musical ensemble; composed of various critters; most notably the frogs, and their wonderful harmonies; as well as the humans, in this Cab Calloway inspired performance. It’s reminiscent of Cab’s swinging, storytelling style of delivering his particular brand of music, which by the time this cartoon was released, had overrun America and even Europe. It was the era of the big band and the sound of swing, be-bop, and jazz; all of which would coalesce into rock and roll in about 15 years after this cartoon was first seen.

Also of note is that this is a Walter Lantz cartoon, which is evident the moment you see his hand drawing the opening of the feature, which is kind of a trademark of his work. Later on, after the advent of Woody Woodpecker, this is the same hand which occasionally would stuff Woody back in the ink bottle when he got too wild to control. I always loved that mixture of reality and the cartoon. The Oswald Rabbit series was a definite attempt to compete with Warner’s new cartoon characters, which included a fellow named Bugs Bunny. Bugs won, but Oswald lives on, with a good many fans of his own.

I know this cartoon has a politically incorrect ending for these times, perhaps anytime for that matter, but it is only a cartoon and not in any way a suggestion on how to solve your differences. It seems sad that I must point this out.

Check out all of the crazy characters and their swinging dance moves. The turtle is very good as he slides his partner beneath his shell; only to have her fly from her own shell; as the dogs dance, and the octopi become entangled in their own arms. Only the cuckoo in the clock has enough sense to finally call an end to the evening’s festivities when the clock strikes twelve.

The cartoon was a combination of winning ideas from an in-house contest Walter Lantz ran in his studio with the rest of his crew to furnish gags for the production. The prizes ranged from $2 to $10, which was pretty good for 1939! Actually, the cartoon was begun in September of 1938 and released in January of 1939, just a little less than 4 months’ time. Try that with today’s animation! You might get the credits done.

The “Cartune” series predates the “Swing Symphonies” series which came out in the early 1940’s. The music in this cartoon was inspired by the Ella Fitzgerald smash hit of 1938- “I’m Just a Jitterbug.” You can listen to it here;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yksQDQB3QE