"The Proof of Worth" by Edward Albert Guest

 The Proof of Worth

by Edgar Albert Guest  (1881-1959)

Born in Birmingham, England and emigrated to Detroit as a child. I cannot find the year this poem was published, but it was probably between the two World Wars. His style is somewhat like Rudyard Kipling and reads easily, while still managing to say much. This is one of my favorite poems of his, though it is often overlooked. 

Though victory's proof of the skill you possess,

Defeat is the proof of your grit;

A weakling can smile in his days of success,

But at trouble's first sign he will quit.

So the test of the heart and the test of your pluck

Isn't skies that are sunny and fair,

But how do you stand to the blow that is struck

And how do you battle despair?

A fool can seem wise when the pathway is clear

And it's easy to see the way out,

But the test of man's judgment is something to fear,

And what does he do when in doubt?

And the proof of his faith is the courage he shows

When sorrows lie deep in his breast;

It's the way that he suffers the griefs that he knows

That brings out his worst or his best.

The test of a man is how much he will bear

For a cause which he knows to be right,

How long will he stand in the depths of despair,

How much will he suffer and fight?

There are many to serve when the victory's near

And few are the hurts to be borne,

But it calls for a leader of courage to cheer

The men in a battle forlorn.

It's the way you hold out against odds that are great

That proves what your courage is worth,

It's the way that you stand to the bruises of fate

That shows up your stature and girth.

And victory's nothing but proof of your skill,

Veneered with a glory that's thin,

Unless it is proof of unfaltering will,

And unless you have suffered to win.

"Christmas Eve" with Joan Blondell and George Raft (1947)

This is one of the all-time greatest of Christmas movies, and also one of the most overlooked. It involves a wealthy widow who lives in Manhattan during the late 1940's, which is when the film was made. Aunt Matilda Reid's nephew is seeking to have her judged incompetent in order to become the sole trustee of her wealth. 

Her three wayward adopted sons have been gone for years, with not a word from any of them. One is a bankrupt playboy (George Brent), the other a rodeo rider (Randolph Scott), and the third son (George Raft), is a very mysterious man involved with hunting Nazi war criminals in South America.

Aunt Matilda has drawn just one concession from the lawyers and judge who are administering her case; if her sons show up before midnight on Christmas Eve, she wins. If not, she becomes the ward of her greedy nephew.

The film received tepid reviews in 1947 when it was released in late October. It was eventually re-released as "Sinner's Holiday", in an effort to attract a wider audience. I first ran across this gem in 1961, or so, while watching WOR-TV, Channel 9, in New York City. All the good old movies were on that channel.

As a matter of fact, "It's A Wonderful Life", with Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed, got its second life from that station. That film was originally released in 1942, at a time when we were not winning the war. The film flopped. And then, around 1960, WOR-TV was looking for something to throw on the air Christmas Eve that wouldn't cost them anything. 

So they turned to "It's A Wonderful Life", a film whose copyright had just run out, enabling them to air the film for nothing. The switchboards lit up and another classic Christmas film was "discovered."

"Seal Skinners" - Captain and the Kids Cartoon (1939)

In 1938 MGM launched a series of cartoons based on the characters featured in the comic strip “The Captain and the Kids” which was originated by Rudolph Dirk. The strip was actually just another version of his highly popular classic “The Katzenjammer Kids.” Dirks was that strip’s original creator and Harold H. Knerr did the drawings. “The Captain and the Kids” cartoons would number 15 in all; released during the years 1938 and 1939.

For some reason the series didn't catch on with the public and was relegated to the back shelves until the advent of television. As more and more households purchased TV sets there was a serious lack of new shows to fill the time. As the 1950’s rolled around the television became the first thing many children saw in the mornings; even before their parents woke up. I remember waking up many a day and seeing the test pattern still on the tube, waiting for start of the broadcast day with the Star Spangled Banner and sometimes even a morning editorial. Then came the cartoons.

This series is interesting because it was produced by William Hanna; later of Hanna-Barbera fame; and the voice over genius of Mel Blanc. If Lon Chaney was the Man of a Thousand Faces, then surely Mel Blanc was the Man of a Thousand Voices. He would go on to become the voice of every character heard in a thousand Looney Toon cartoons. In this cartoon he is the voice of John Silver. The Captain was done by Billy Bletcher.

The plot for this cartoon is relatively simple; a seal has escaped from the circus; Jingling Brothers; and a reward of $100,000 is offered for his return. Bad guys John Silver and the Captain both show up as cabdrivers, offering to take him home. Of course their motives are less than honorable, and soon the seal finds himself in a battle of wits with the two witless ones.

But, fear not; as in most cartoons good triumphs over evil; the beauty is in the way that it gets accomplished. I had forgotten all about these cartoons and was pleasantly surprised to find them while scrolling around on You Tube. You can expect that I will be running the remaining 14 in the weeks to come.

"Romeo and Juliet" - Andy Griffith Style (1962)

The Andy Griffith Show was always one of my favorites. The mixture of comedy with some basic lessons in life was the hallmark of the show, and it wasn't lost on me. I actually "got" it. When Opie killed a bird I knew it was wrong; just as I knew that his father's solution to have Opie care for that bird's hatch-ling was right.

In this classic episode Sheriff Taylor has been a bit humiliated. The night before this scene takes place he was confronted at home by 2 young people wanting to get "hitched" by that Justice of the Peace. Although both were of legal age the sheriff was unable to complete the ceremony when the fathers of the bride and groom showed up with shotguns. It seems that the two families were "a fueding";  in the parlance of the time and place.

Andy needs to recover his "lost face" and begins by explaining his actions; or non-actions; of the night before by making an appropriate comparison between the situation at hand and Romeo and Juliet. This is what made Andy Griffith so famous to begin with. He told stories. His legendary "What It Was Was Football" is the vehicle which took him from the Ed Sullivan Show to headlining on Broadway in "No Time for Sergeants."

From there he hit the screen with an Oscar worthy performance as Lonesome Rhodes in the 1958 film “A Face in the Crowd” which co-starred Patricia Neal. In that film Andy Griffith gives one of the best performances of his career as a drunken guitar playing bum who finds himself catapulted to fame. 

It’s not a pretty picture to watch as he becomes a controlling and nasty individual, pushing away all those who love him. It’s a far cry from the roles he became known for as Sheriff Taylor on TV’s “The Andy Griffith Show” and later as the homey attorney “Matlock.” If you have never seen the film before, you should.

Meantime, enjoy the clip above and hit you tube for a peek at Andy Griffith playing Lonesome Rhodes in “A Face in the Crowd.” You will be astonished. Here’s a clip; make sure you catch the performance at about 3 minutes into the clip. 

Arthur Smith - RIP

Legendary guitarist, banjo player, fiddler, songwriter, TV host, radio personality Arthur Smith passed away on Thursday. He was 93 years old. His death marked the end of a long and stellar career making music in Charlotte, N.C. Although he was born in South Carolina Mr. Smith made Charlotte his home in the early 1940’s and never looked back.

His radio and TV shows were regional in their makeup, but had a worldwide effect on music. His iconic “Fuedin’ Banjo’s” would go on to be heard in films like “Deliverance”, for which he was given no credit whatsoever and had to bring suit in order to obtain any money for the use of his song. When Mitsubishi used the song again in the 1990’s he made some more money by taking them to court. But that is just a small part of who Mr. Smith was.

All over the country there were regional variety shows along the lines of the Ed Sullivan Show in New York. These regional shows highlighted the music and happenings in the local area in which they aired. I have often been envious of the people who got to watch these shows when I was a kid. Sure, I had Sullivan, but so did the people in the small cities. They just had something extra.

Guests such as Johnny Cash; who used to stay at Mr. Smith’s home in Charlotte when he came for a visit; Billy Graham and his wife Ruth, Andy Griffith, and a host of young guitar pickers from Nashville; including a very young Vince Gill; all made appearances on Mr. Smith’s show. Paul McCartney played 2 songs in 1958 which got him in the Quarrymen with John Lennon. One was Eddie Cochrane’s “Twenty Flight Rock”; the other was Arthur Smith’s “Guitar Boogie.”

Regional shows like Mr. Smith’s have gone by the wayside in the wake of the expanding global economy, but they will always be remembered for the joyful noise they made. The world was much less complex in those days when television was live and the performers even livelier. RIP Arthur Smith.

For more about Mr. Smith use the following link;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZ7IYL0qzrM 

"The Christmas Song" - Mel Torme and Judy Garland (1963)

No Christmas can be complete without this classic, which was written by Mr. Torme when he was just 19 years old. This version is taken from the 1963 Judy Garland Christmas Special. A portion of the following is reposted from last year. The rest I just thunk up…

Everyone knows the version of “The Christmas Song” by Nat King Cole. You might have to jog people’s memories with the first line, “Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…..” but for the most part, everybody knows the rest of the song. That’s why I chose this version to post. It’s from a 1963 television special, but it is performed by its composer, the marvelous Mel Torme. And, as if that weren’t enough of an attraction, he is joined by the legendary Judy Garland in delivering one of the most beautiful versions of this iconic song.

This is the time of year to kind of relax and reflect back on where you’ve been and what you’ve done; not to mention where you’ll be next year at this time. One thing’s for sure, you won’t get through the holidays without hearing this song. Some things never change.

Mel Torme was only 19 years old when he wrote this song; others would follow; but had he never written another, it’s almost enough to say that that song alone would have fulfilled his destiny. Enjoy this by the fireside if you can…

________________________________________________

The "New" USS Milwaukee LCS-5

The "new" USS Milwaukee, LCS-5, was launched in Marinette, Wisconsin the other day. This is the 5th vessel to bear the name Milwaukee, beginning with the first Milwaukee in the Civil War. I served as a Quartermaster aboard the 4th USS Milwaukee, AOR-2, a fleet replenishment "oiler" in the 1970's. 

The new ship didn't seem to want to cooperate, taking 10 blows from the champagne bottle swung by Mrs. Leon Panetta, wife of the former Defense Secretary, before sliding down the ways for her first taste of the sea.

For a better video, with some more background about the ship, go to this link, which is a broadcast from Milwaukee about the ship's launch. For some reason it would not load here correctly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vAcUevLzhU

Fair winds and following seas to all who will be sailing her!

"The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show" - (2001)

Sit back and get ready to enjoy the shortest hour ever in front of your television. Dean Martin was a very unusual guy, with very unusual demands to be met if he were to even do the show that the network pitched at him. He was not expected to rehearse, could choose his guests, and not even sing if he felt so inclined. You would've expected the network to turn him down, and you would have been wrong.

This was 1965, the year after Dino had boasted to his son that “I’m gonna knock the Beatles off the charts” in the summer of 1964, as the country; indeed the world; was in the throes of Beatlemania. And guess what? Not only did he make good on that promise; with the smash recording “Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime”; but The Dean Martin Show was still on the air 5 years after the Beatles had released their last album in 1970.

In this fast paced collection of some of the finest moments from the show Dean performs with old pal Frank Sinatra, Ann Margaret, Jack Benny and more. But the best bit on here is the lesson provided by Victor Borge on how to sing musical notations, using sounds for commas, colons, and quotation marks to name a few. Now, this was Mr. Borge's  original skit, and it's really fantastic how quickly Dino adapts to the routine, even adding a few “notations” of his own in the bargain.

If you are a Dean Martin fan; or even if you have never seen him perform before; this will be one of the fastest hours you have ever spent in front of your television. And, whether you are young or old, this will have you longing for the return of the old variety shows which used to dominate TV land.

"Starportrait" - Acker Bilk (1959)

An offhand comment from another episode of Inspector Lewis brought me to You Tube to find out what Acker Bilk was all about. In the episode I was watching from the Third Season, Inspector Lewis makes a comment concerning him to his younger partner, who always knows everything. But this time, Lewis had him stumped; answering only that it was something from the “old days”.

Of course, that sent me to the computer to find out. Some might describe Acker Bilk as being Britain’s version of Artie Shaw. Mr. Bilk is a well accomplished clarinet player, and holds a place in the hearts of many in Britain for his fluid renditions, or “covers”, of other artist’s hits as well as his own compositions. So, I would imagine that Mr. Bilk’s recordings have been played at English weddings for decades now, becoming a staple.

This number, “Starportrait”, the title of which immediately made me think of “Stardust” by Hoagy Carmichael, was written and released in 1959 by Bill Acker and His Paramount Jazz Band. He would later go on to record “Stranger on the Shore” which he also wrote, and that is the hit for which he is most remembered. Among those backing Mr. Acker on his clarinet are Dave Collett on piano, Ernie Price on bass, Ron Mackay on drums. Mr. Acker is a new artist for me and a reflection of Britain’s Post World War Two and Pre- Beatles era. It’s amazing what you can pick up on while watching TV.

And here's Mr. Acker with his orchestra in the 1970's doing "The Twelve of Never." Real ragtime New Orleans style jazz.

"The Land of Lost Content" by A.E. Housman

You can never tell where your next long forgotten memory may crop up. In this case it was while watching an episode of “Inspector Lewis” that I heard the familiar words of A.E. Housman, reminding me that in losing track of him as a poet I had created my own “Land of Lost Content.” This poem was always one of my favorites, and to see it on a television show lends hope to the medium.

The poem speaks to the places and people we all leave behind as we create our own lives.  It’s only in the looking back that one realizes the friendships, and passions, that were for some reason set aside, only to be missed later. This is a very personal poem to me and I was pleasantly surprised to have it appear so unexpectedly on the television. Life is a set of mysteries…

“The Land of Lost Content”

Into my heart an air that kills

From yon far country blows:

What are those blue remembered hills?

What spires, what farms are those?

That is the land of lost content,

I see it shining plain,

The happy highways where I went

And cannot come again.

A. E. Housman

Salvador Dali on "What's My Line" - 1957

No one would ever associate Salvador Dali with television, but between the late 1950's and the mid 1960's he was a frequent, and amusing, guest on several of the leading shows of the time. Above is his appearance on the show "What's My Line" from 1957. He had also recently done "What's My Line." It is amazing how comfortable he appears in front of the camera, as opposed to a small gallery showing.

The interview on the Merv Griffin Show, below, was done on December 30, 1965. Merv is actually the one who seems out of place, appearing not to know what to ask of the great artist. But Dali's wit and humor combine to save the day.  Sharp eyes will notice that Andy Warhol is also on the show, sitting on the couch next to Arthur Treacher. You have to wonder what they could possibly have spoken about during the commercials!

You Tube is a veritable playground for me. Through it I have been able to garner the sights and sounds of all the shows and performers I enjoyed as a kid. I must confess to having missed both of these broadcasts, but the mere fact that Salvador Dali was ever on television to begin with has been a real revelation to me. I don't know why; after all, this is the man who gave us a new and interesting way of looking at art. It's not too much of a leap to suppose that he thought of television as another form of expressing his art; and of course, plugging his book. 

"Hysterical High Spots in American History" from Walter Lantz (1941)

Walter Lantz is most noted for his Woody Woodpecker cartoons, but he had a life in animation before the advent of the noisy little bird we all came to love. This Technicolor cartoon from 1941 should give you a good idea of what Mr. Lantz was doing prior to the birth of Woody.

Beginning with Columbus’ voyage to the New World, Mr. Lantz takes the viewer on a tour de force through America’s most colorful moments. From Columbus and all the way through the American Revolution; which began today at Lexington-Concord in Massachusetts; on through the stock market crash of the late 1920’s and the Great Depression, this cartoon leaves nothing out.

The First Thanksgiving is covered in a humorous fashion, with everyone shaking hands and saying “Thank you” to one another. The Minutemen are here, as is Lincoln at Gettysburg. The Gold Rush in California, the New Deal, and even the rumblings of the Second World War, along with the first peacetime conscription of  the Armed Forces, are all covered as well.  

Today is the anniversary of the events that brought us freedom, and in spite of the events in Boston; the “Cradle of Liberty”; this past week, Americans will persevere and move on with their lives, always remembering the fallen that did not make it. And, along with that, we will keep our senses; all of them; even our sense of humor. And that, in itself, is a victory.

"Andy Discovers America" - The Andy Griffith Show (1963)

I am an unabashed fan of the Andy Griffith Show. The earlier shows, from the first 3 seasons, contain all that you need to know about living in harmony with your fellow man. Although not overtly religious, these shows are like sermons, espousing a hard work ethic along with self-reliance and responsibility. Andy Taylor, the Sheriff of Mayberry, does all he can to instill these values into his son, Opie, who grew up to be the great film director Ron Howard. But sometimes even Andy speaks out of turn, and without thinking, winds up with his foot in his mouth, just like a politician.

In this episode from the 3^rd season, Opie is having a problem with his new teacher, Ms. Crump, and her lessons in history. When Sheriff Taylor agrees with him that history is unimportant, he unknowingly sets off a rebellion in Ms. Crump’s classroom, as the boys refuse to do their history homework. When Ms. Crump confronts Sheriff Taylor, he is at once speechless, and slightly smitten with her. Now, all he has to do is undo the damage he has done, while still saving face with his son and the other boys. And let’s not forget his need to repair his reputation with Opie’s teacher, Ms. Crump.

"Escape Clause" - Twilight Zone (1959)

We all have our favorite episodes of the “Twilight Zone.” Mine is the one named “One for the Angels” with Ed Wynn, which aired on October 9^th, 1959. I was 5 years old and have never forgotten it. Ed Wynn plays an elderly tie salesman, who must cheat death in order to save his own life, which has come to an end. When he refuses to go quietly, Death threatens to take the life of a young girl instead. To prove he is serious, Death has her struck by a car and dying. Unless Ed goes, the young girl will take his place.
 
So, Ed strikes a deal with Death; he has never made the “perfect pitch”; and if he can, and Death will spare the little girl; he will go to his destiny without remorse. When the appointed hour arrives, he has indeed made the ultimate pitch; so strong in fact, that Death has forgotten the little girl, who now gets to live. Angrily, he takes Ed Wynn instead; as previously planned; while Mr. Wynn goes to his fate smiling, knowing that he has indeed made the ultimate pitch. That’s the one I wanted to show, but it’s not available on You Tube, so I chose this one instead.

All of the “Twilight Zone” episodes are prime examples of what great writing and direction can accomplish in less than 30 minutes. And these episodes were made during a time when technology didn’t have all the “bells and whistle” available to the directors of today. But the writing, and acting, were both superb. This episode is no exception.

“Escape Clause”, shown here, is from the first season of “Twilight Zone” and deals with a hypochondriac who is willing to trade his soul for immortality, along with indestructibility. Of course, as in many of the “Twilight Zone” episodes, he gets just what he wants; but is what he wants really what he thinks he is going to get? The lessons in irony; and the tragedy of winning what you think you want; are always evident in these shows.

The format for these shows was very simple; Rod Serling would introduce you; the viewer; to another dimension, one where up could be down, and nothing was ever what it appeared to be; kind of like life.

The full episode ran 26 minutes and aired on November 6, 1959. It was episode 6 of the first season on CBS. They just don’t make them like this anymore.

The Andy Griffith Show - Opie's Hobo Friend (1962)

When a hobo named David Browne comes to Mayberry he meets Andy and Opie fishing. They strike up a conversation with Mr. Browne, who is played by Buddy Ebsen, known universally as the Tin Man in “The Wizard of Oz”. Andy and Opie both take an instant liking to this affable man, but Barney is instantly suspicious of Mr. Browne, and brings him in on a vagrancy charge.

But Andy sees something more in this drifter, and even offers him a place to stay and some odd jobs in order to earn some cash. But there’s trouble in Mayberry as Mr. Browne regales Opie with stories of magic and shows him how to take the short cuts in life. His favorite word in the English language is tomorrow. There is nothing, in his estimation, that can’t be put off until then.  When Opie begins to cut school and slack in his chores, Sheriff Taylor is forced to confront Mr. Browne, who is clearly becoming a bad influence on Opie.

But just as you think you know this drifting man, he does something very noble. Knowing that being forced to leave town will only cause a rift between the Sheriff and Opie, Mr. Browne engineers his own expulsion from town by giving Barney just the excuse he needs to run him off. And though it breaks Opie’s heart to lose his new found friend, he is cognizant of the right and wrong involved.

These old Andy Griffith shows are like Sunday sermons. They each convey a message of tolerance, while at the same time delineating the fine line between right and wrong. Buddy Ebsen, of course,  would go on to portray Uncle Jed in “The Beverly Hillbillies” later that same year, a role he would play for the next 8 seasons.   

Ernest Borgnie - "Ernie"

When I began this blog, back in 2009, I was in the habit of sending copies of my posts to the subjects by e-mail. With Ernest Borgnine I was unable to do that. He had no e-mail! It wasn’t a generational thing; he was just light years ahead of me, and only really communicated by twitter. I have always held that I am incapable of any type of communication; verbal, or written; which restricts me to a finite number of characters, or words. So, I just Googled his real estate holdings in Los Angeles and mailed it to the first address that came up. After that, I completely forgot about it.

Two years later; well maybe only 18 months; an envelope arrived in the mail; yes, the U.S. Mail; and in it was the signed copy of the review of his autobiography which I had sent, minus the cover letter. To say that I was thrilled is an understatement.  It hangs, framed, on my wall.

Long before “McHale’s Navy”, Ernest Borgnine was serious actor, even winning the Academy Award for Best Actor in the film “Marty”. In that film he plays a lonely butcher who lives at home with his mother and spends his evenings with his other unwed friends; drinking, going to dance clubs; always looking to “score”. It’s an empty life, and Marty longs for more, even as he thinks himself too ugly to find true love.

But, even before that came his portrayal of “Fatso”, the sadistic Sargent in charge of the brig in Pearl Harbor, just on the brink of World War Two. The irony of that role is that in real life Mr. Borgnine had just returned from duty at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked. He spent the rest of the war patrolling the rivers of New York City on a yacht. It was there that he absorbed the ability to play the two greatest roles of his long career. The city gave him a chance to really observe people, and record all that he was seeing. He would use those observations in the years after the war to great advantage as an actor.

He was brilliant alongside Bette Davis and Debbie Reynolds in “The Catered Affair”, in which Mr. Borgnine plays a cab driver saving to buy his own cab; and just as he arrives at his goal, his daughter is planning a “catered” wedding; which will, of course, keep him from realizing his goal.

In “Bad Day at Black Rock” he plays a sadistic killer who works for William Holden, a rancher who has killed an innocent Japanese farmer for his land; even as the dead man’s son was fighting for America in the Pacific. His intensity in that role, alongside Spencer Tracy and Lee Marvin is palpable.

I watched all of those movies on TV as a kid, always mesmerized by the strength of his performance. I didn’t even have to like the movie – just watching him act was enough for me. Later he was re-created as the seemingly errant Lt. McHale in “McHale’s Navy”, opposite the bumbling character of Captain Bighamton, played by Joe Flynn.

In his later years, he did voice overs for both “The Simpsons”, as well as “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Talk about versatility! His ability to adapt kept him vital for over 60 years in show business, weathering each technological change with the tenacity of the sailor he was so long ago. “Fair winds and following seas” to you “Ernie.” Through the medium of film, you will always be with us.

To read a review of his truly entertaining autobiography, go here;

http://robertwilliamsofbrooklyn.blogspot.com/2010/04/ernie-autobiography-by-ernest-borgnine.html