EddieDeezen.com

QUESTION OF THE DAY

 
MARILYN MONROE'S SIGNATURE SEXY WALK IS ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS WALKS IN THE HISTORY OF THE MOVIES.

HOW DID MARILYN PERFECT HER WORLD-FAMOUS WALK?

Pamplemousse!!

HERE IS AN ODD LITTLE VIDEO.

IT IS MY OLD FILM 1941, BUT IT HAS ME AND MY PAL, MURRAY HAMILTON, DUBBED-IN IN FRENCH.

I USUALLY DON'T POST A LOT OF YOUTUBE STUFF, BUT THIS IS JUST TOO WEIRD AND SILLY.

THE VERY FIRST "COUNTDOWN"

WE'VE ALL SEEN THE CLASSIC "COUNTDOWN", IN EVERY FILM ABOUT ASTRONAUTS, EVERY TV DOCUMENTARY ABOUT ASTRONAUTS, EVERY CARTOON ABOUT ASTRONAUTS OR EVEN ON
I DREAM OF JEANNIE.

10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1-BLAST OFF!

WELL, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, THE CREATOR OF THE CLASSIC COUNTDOWN DIDN'T WORK AT NASA OR CAPE CANAVERAL. THE CREATOR OF THE COUNTDOWN WAS ACTUALLY A MOTION PICTURE DIRECTOR.

HIS NAME WAS FRITZ LANG. HIS CHIEF CLAIM TO FAME IS THE SILENT FILM M (1931) STARRING PETER LORRE. HE ALSO DIRECTED ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN SILENT CALLED METROPOLIS (1927) BOTH FILMS ARE NOW UNIVERSALLY CONSIDERED CLASSICS BY FILM SCHOLARS AND MOVIE FANS THE WORLD OVER.

IN THE LATE 1920'S, LANG DIRECTED ONE OF THE VERY FIRST SCIENCE FICTION FILMS. IT WAS CALLED THE WOMAN IN THE MOON (1929).

A HIGHLIGHT OF THE FILM WAS THE LAUNCH OF A MAMMOTH ROCKET WHICH LOOKED UNCANNILY LIKE THE ONES WE LATER LAUNCHED FROM CAPE CANAVERAL. IT OCCURED TO LANG THAT CREATING SUSPENSE COULD BE OBTAINED BY SWITCHING FROM THE CONVENTIONAL, SO INSTEAD OF THE EXPECTED "ONE-TWO-THREE" COUNT PRECEEDING THE MOVIE ROCKET LAUNCH, LANG USED EXACTLY THE REVERSE.

THUS, THE FIRST COUNTDOWN OCCURED 80 YEARS AGO - IN A SCI-FI MOVIE!! SOON SCIENCE IMITATED ART AND THE COUNTDOWN AS WE KNOW IT BECAME STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ON ALL ROCKET LAUNCHES.

AS A SAD SIDEBAR, WHEN ADOLF HITLER CAME TO POWER IN GERMANY, THEY ALSO USED SOME OF LANG'S OTHER MOVIE "ROCKET LAUNCH" PROPS IN THEIR EXPERIMENTS - IRONICALLY, THIS OCCURED AFTER LANG HIMSELF HAD BEEN FORCED TO FLEE NAZI GERMANY FOR HIS LIFE.

THE GENERALLY ACCEPTED (BUT UNCONFIRMED) STORY IS THAT LANG WAS SUMMONED TO THE OFFICE OF HITLER'S PRPAGANDA MINISTER, JOSEF GOEBBELS, IN 1934. GOEBBELS HAD TWO MESSAGES TO GIVE LANG.

THE FIRST WAS THAT HIS FILM THE TESTAMENT OF DR. MABUSE (1933) WAS BEING BANNED IN NAZI GERMANY BECAUSE OF "INCITEMENT TO PUBLIC DISORDER". THE SECOND MESSAGE WAS THAT GOEBBELS WAS SO IMPRESSED BY LANG'S FILMS, HE WANTED TO MAKE HIM THE HEAD OF A GERMAN FILM STUDIO.

LANG, WHOSE MOTHER WAS JEWISH, MUST HAVE BEEN SCARED OUT OF HIS WITS DURING THE MEETING! HE HAD ACTUALLY ALREADY PLANNED TO LEAVE NAZI GERMANY, BUT HE REALIZED NOW HE HAD TO GET OUT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. SINCE THE MEETING WITH GOEBBELS RAN LATE, THE BANKS IN GERMANY WERE ALL CLOSED BY THE TIME IT ENDED. SO HAVING NO CHOICE AND FEARING A DISCOVERY OF HIS JEWISH BLOOD, LANG FLED THAT VERY NIGHT - WITH NO MONEY.

LANG'S WIFE, ACTRESS AND AUTHOR THEA VON HARBOU, HAD SYMPATHIZED WITH HITLER'S CAUSE AND JOINED THE NAZI PARTY IN 1932.

THE TWO DIVORCED IN 1933.

EDDIE DEEZEN & ROBIN WILLIAMS TOGETHER - SORT OF

WELL, THIS WEEK I GOT TO BE IN
SPONGEBOB'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
AT NICKELODEON.

MY OLD PAL, TOM KENNY, WAS THE STAR, OF COURSE, HE IS SPONGEBOB. I LOVE TOM, A WONDERFUL GUY, ALWAYS FUN TO TALK TO - HE KNOWS ALL THE OLD MOVIES, ALL THE COMEDY HEROES, ALL KINDS OF GREAT TRIVIA. HE IS ALWAYS FUN TO WORK WITH.

WELL, I HAD EXACTLY ONE LINE AND I WAS PAID SCALE! BUT I DID IT BECAUSE OF TOM AND BECAUSE I LOVE TO WORK. I JUST DO ONE QUICK BIT OF SHTICK. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? I HAD SUCH A FUN TIME. EVERYONE WAS SO NICE, FRIENDLY- I HAD A FUN TIME DOING MY BRIEF LITTLE BIT.

ROBIN WILLIAMS WILL BE IN IT, PLUS TINA FEY, AND A GREAT BASKETBALL HERO OF MINE, LeBRON JAMES. NO, I DIDN'T ACTUALLY GET TO MEET ANY OF THESE TALENTED PEOPLE, I WAS ONLY THERE FOR A FEW HOURS. BUT TECHNICALLY, I AM IN A SHOW WITH ROBIN WILLIAMS - AND THE OTHERS. I REGRET NOT GETTING TO MEET THEM, BUT LIKE I SAY, IT WAS FUN.

ANYWAY, SPONGEBOB'S TENTH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL WILL AIR IN NOVEMBER, I THINK THEY SAID. THESE PEOPLE WERE SO NICE THEY EVEN OFFERED TO GIVE ME A CUE CARD FOR MY ONE LINE. THEY KNEW I LIKE TO ACT USING CUE CARDS.

I SAID: EVEN I CAN REMEMBER ONE LINE.

I HOPE THEY KEEP IN MY BRIEF SHTICK. THE SMALLER THE ROLE YOU HAVE IN ANY PROJECT, THE EASIER IT IS TO CUT YOU OUT - YOU ARE MORE DISPENSABLE.

ONE OTHER BIT OF TRIVIA: THIS IS THE ONLY TIME I HAVE EVER BEEN ON CAMERA WITHOUT WEARING MAKE-UP. IT WAS SO QUICK, I WAS CHATTING WITH THE MAKE-UP GIRLS, BUT FOR SOME REASON, I NEVER GOT MADE-UP AND NO ONE CARED

TONIGHT'S OSCARS & JERRY LEWIS

THIS IS NOT GENERALLY A BLOG, MORE JUST SOME FUN TIDBITS I POST FOR MY FRIENDS AND FANS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS (AND SHARE MY OPINIONS ABOUT) TONIGHT'S ACADEMY AWARDS.

FIRST OFF, I HAVE A FRIEND, JIM MESKIMEN, WHO HAS A ROLE IN AN OSCAR-NOMINATED FILM FROST NIXON, WHICH I STILL HAVE TO SEE.

ANOTHER FRIEND, TOM KANE, WAS A MAJOR ANNOUNCER AT LAST YEAR'S OSCARS, I DON'T KNOW IF HE WILL BE ANNOUNCING AGAIN TONIGHT, BUT I HOPE HE IS - HE WAS GREAT LAST YEAR.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MY PAL, DANNY MANN WILL BE DUBBING A LINE IN A MONTAGE TONIGHT (AS FRANK SINATRA, NO LESS) - THAT'LL BE DANNY SAYING:

THE WINNER IS EVA MARIE SAINT IN
ON THE WATERFRONT.

WHEN WE FILMED 1941 BACK IN 1979, THERE WAS ALWAYS A SORT OF ANNOYING, SMART ALECK-TYPE GUY HANGING AROUND, WHO REALLY WASN'T SUCH A BAD GUY WHEN YOU GOT TO KNOW HIM. HE WAS BARELY MORE THAN AN EXTRA IN THAT FILM, BUT I REMEMBER HIM IN THE CAST - IN FACT, THAT MAY HAVE BEEN HIS VERY FIRST FILM.

HIS NAME WAS MICKEY ROURKE. I WILL BE ROOTING FOR MICKEY TO WIN BEST ACTOR TONIGHT. I KNOW MICKEY HAS BEEN THROUGH A LOT IN HIS OWN LIFE AND I HOPE HE WINS - IT'LL BE A GREAT STORY OF HUMAN REDEMPTION.

HEATH LEDGER IS THE SUREST BET OF THE NIGHT TO WIN AS BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR FOR HIS INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE AS THE JOKER. HEATH'S FAMILY WILL ACCEPT FOR HIM, BUT I HAVE NO DOUBTS AT ALL THAT HEATH WILL BE UP THERE WATCHING THE AWARDS AND SEEING THIS ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

BUT MY MAIN REASON FOR WATCHING WILL BE THE AWARD GIVEN TO A SUPREME HERO OF MINE, JERRY LEWIS. INCREDIBLY, IT IS A HUMANITARIAN AWARD AND NOT FOR JERRY'S GREAT FILMS. THIS IS A GREAT INJUSTICE, I FEEL, BUT AT LEAST THIS BRILLIANT GENIUS IS GETTING AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.

I WILL NEVER FORGET A SPECIAL MOMENT DURING THE FILMING OF THE POLAR EXPRESS. AS I WAS SITTING AROUND ON THE STAGE ONE DAY, TOM HANKS CAME GALLOPING OVER TO ME.

EDDIE! GUESS WHO I TALKED TO LAST NIGHT? HE SAID, IN THAT GREAT CHILD-LIKE ENTHUSIASM HE HAS.

WHO?, I ASKED.

JERRY LEWIS!!

HE TOLD ME HE HAD MET JERRY BEFORE, BUT HE WAS JUST TELLING ME, AS A FELLOW FROM MY SAME GENERATION, ABOUT MEETING THIS MOVIE LEGEND. WE PROCEEDED TO TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH JERRY MEANT TO OUR CHILDHOOD YEARS, HOW HUGE HE WAS. JUST THE FACT THAT A STAR LIKE TOM WAS SLIGHTLY IN AWE OF THE MAN IS VERY TELLING.

JERRY BELONGS ON THE LIST OF THE GREATEST FILM COMEDIANS OF ALL-TIME, ALONG WITH CHARLIE CHAPLIN AND BUSTER KEATON AND THE MARX BROTHERS AND THE THREE STOOGES. THESE GUYS ALL HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON ME AS A KID - IT IS A MAJOR UNDERSTATEMENT TO SAY THEY CHANGED MY LIFE. IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF JERRY'S EARLY WORK, MAN, THE GUY IS BEYOND PRAISE. WHAT AN AMAZING TALENT, WHAT A GIANT OF A COMEDIAN.

I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SEE JERRY IN LAS VEGAS IN 1982 AND I LATER SAW HIM IN THE PLAY DAMN YANKEES IN 1996. I JUST COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW TALENTED THIS MAN WAS!! I WAS JUST MESMERIZED.

I AM GLAD JERRY WILL FINALLY GET AN OSCAR TONIGHT. YES, MAYBE IT IS FOR HIS WORK AS A "HUMANITARIAN", BUT THEY DON'T EVEN SEE THE CLASSIC IRONY. THE GREAT COMEDIANS LIKE JERRY LEWIS - WHO HAVE BROUGHT SO MUCH LAUGHTER AND JOY INTO THIS SUFFERING, SAD WORLD - ARE HUMANITARIANS, AND FEW HAVE DONE MORE TO BRING HAPPINESS INTO THE WORLD THAN JERRY.

I WILL BE GLAD TO SEE JERRY HAVE "HIS MOMENT" TONIGHT, BUT HE WILL NEVER KNOW JUST HOW MUCH HE MEANT TO A SKINNY, GEEKY, TEENAGE MISFIT WITH GLASSES, WHO SAT WATCHING HIS FILMS, ALMOST TRANSFIXED IN AWE AND ADMIRATION.

I WOULD WATCH AND THINK TO MYSELF, THERE IS ACTUALLY ANOTHER PERSON ON THIS PLANET WHO IS LIKE ME!!! SOMETIMES IN LIFE WE HAVE "FRIENDS" WHO AREN'T EVEN AWARE WE ARE ALIVE. THANKS, JERRY

MORE BAD "FAMILY FEUD" ANSWERS

HERE ARE TEN MORE BAD FAMILY FEUD:

NAME A BODY PART BEGINNING WITH THE LETTER "N"?
NAME.

NAME A FAMOUS BRIDGE?
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATERS.

NAME A DOMESTICATED ANIMAL?
LEOPARD.

NAME SOMETHING YOU HIT WHEN IT'S NOT WORKING?
YOUR SPOUSE.

NAME A REASON FOR KNEELING?
TO BE BEHEADED.

NAME SOMETHING THAT COMES IN SEVENS?
FINGERS.

NAME A CITY NAMED AFTER A PRESIDENT?
CARSON CITY.

NAME SOMETHING SLIPPERY?
A CONMAN.

NAME SOMETHING ORANGE?
A BANANA.

NAME SOMETHING AN INDIAN CHIEF MIGHT USE?
SQUAW.

WORST "FAMILY FEUD" ANSWERS

IT'S EASY TO LAUGH AT BAD FAMILY FEUD ANSWERS, BUT REMEMBER, THESE POOR PEOPLE ARE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE TO "THINK FAST". NONETHELESS, HERE ARE TEN OF THE "WORST EVER" CONTESTANT RESPONSES:

NAME SOMETHING YOU'D DO TONIGHT IF THE WORLD WAS COMING TO AN END TOMORROW?
GET THE KIDS AND PACK.

NAME THE TOUGHEST MONTH OF A PREGNANCY?
SEPTEMBER.

NAME A FAMOUS BROTHER AND SISTER?
BONNIE AND CLYDE.

NAME A FAMOUS OR FICTIONAL WILLY?
WILLY THE POOH.

NAME SOMETHING YOU OPEN OTHER THAN A DOOR?
BOWELS.

NAME SOMETHING YOU SQUEEZE?
PEANUT BUTTER.

NAME A FAMOUS DICK?
CARROT.

NAME A BOY MENTIONED IN NURSERY RHYMES?
LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD.

NAME A FAST ANIMAL?
HIPPO.

NAME SOMETHING ASSOCIATED WITH LIVERPOOL?
THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD.

THE COCOANUTS

THE MARX BROTHERS FIRST FILM.

IN 1929, THE LEGENDARY FOUR MARX BROTHERS (GROUCHO, CHICO, HARPO AND ZEPPO) MADE THEIR MOVIE DEBUT IN A FILMING OF THEIR BROADWAY SHOW THE COCOANUTS.

THE COCOANUTS WAS A SMASH HIT BROADWAY SHOW, PLAYING 377 PERFORMANCES TO PACKED HOUSES.

INTERESTINGLY, THE BOYS FILMED THE COCOANUTS DURING THE DAY AND AT NIGHT THE PLAYED IN THEIR NEW BROADWAY HIT SHOW ANIMAL CRACKERS.

IT WAS THE EARLY DAYS OF SOUND MOVIES, AND THE STAGES WEREN'T YET SOUNDPROOFED.

THIS NECESSITATED THE FILMING TO BE DONE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING, TO AVOID THE SOUND OF NEARBY TRAFFIC.

ALSO, THE SOUND WAS SO DELICATE, ALL PAPER USED IN THE FILM HAD TO BE SOAKED AND MADE WET, TO AVOID THE "LOUD" SOUND OF PAPER CRINKLING.

CHICO AND HARPO ARE ACTUALLY BILLED IN THE CREDITS AS "CHICO" AND "HARPO" RESPECTIVELY.

IN THE BROADWAY SHOW, CHICO WAS BILLED AS "WILLIE THE WOP", BUT THIS WAS DEEMED TOO OFFENSIVE FOR THE MOVIE.

HARPO IS BILLED AS "HARPO" BUT IS REFERRED TO AS "SILENT SAM" IN THE FILM, HIS BROADWAY CAST NAME.

THIS IS THE ONLY MARX BROTHERS FILM WHERE HARPO WEARS A RED WIG, WHICH LOOKS BLACK ON FILM.

FOREVER AFTER, HARPO WOULD ACT IN HIS FAMOUS BLOND WIG.

THIS FILM IS ALSO HISTORIC IN HOLLYWOOD HISTORY.

ALTHOUGH ALMOST EVERYONE CREDITS THE GREAT BUSBY BERKELEY FOR "INVENTING" THE FAMOUS "OVERHEAD SHOT" OF CHORUS GIRLS DANCING, IT IS ACTUALLY THE COCOANUTS WHICH SET THE PRECEDENT.

THE VERY FIRST USE OF THE "OVERHEAD SHOT" OF CHORUS GIRLS DANCING IS CLEARLY SEEN HERE, A FEW YEARS BEFORE SAMUEL GOLDWYN BROUGHT BUSBY BERKELEY TO HOLLYWOOD TO WORK IN HIS FILMS.

THE COCOANUTS ALSO HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE ONLY SHOW IRVING BERLIN WROTE WHICH YIELDED NO HIT SONGS.

THE SHOOTING WAS FAR FROM SMOOTH.

IT WAS THE ONLY MARX BROTHERS FILM WITH TWO DIRECTORS (ROBERT FLOREY AND JOSEPH SANTLEY).

GROUCHO WAS TO LATER COMPLAIN ABOUT THE DIRECTORS: ONE OF THEM DIDN'T UNDERSTAND ENGLISH AND THE OTHER DIDN'T UNDERSTAND COMEDY.

THE REQUISITE BOY-GIRL COUPLE WAS PLAYED BY OSCAR SHAW AND MARY EATON.

AND OF COURSE, LEGENDARY STRAIGHT WOMAN, MARGARET DUMONT, IS AROUND TO GET INSULTED BY GROUCHO.

IT WAS ALL BUT IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE TWO FRUSTRATED DIRECTORS TO GET ALL FOUR MARX BROTHERS ON STAGE TOGETHER AT ONE TIME.

CHICO WAS THE WORST, ALWAYS PLAYING CARDS OR IN A CRAP GAME OR JUST AS LIKELY, IN ONE OF THE CHORUS GIRL'S DRESSING ROOMS.

HARPO MIGHT WANDER OFF TO A CORNER TO TAKE A NAP OR PRACTICE ON HIS BELOVED HARP OR HAVE ONE OF THE GIRL EXTRAS MASSAGE HIS SORE ARMS OR HIS ITCHY SCALP (SORE FROM STRUMMING THE HARP AND WEARING HIS ITCHY WIG, RESPECTIVELY).

GROUCHO MIGHT WANDER IN, SEE HIS BROTHERS GONE, AND LEAVE THE SET HIMSELF.

ZEPPO MAY NOT HAVE APPEARED, BUT WHO CARED?

THE DIRECTORS HAD AN INTERESTING SOLUTION TO KEEP THE WANDERING BROTHERS COLLECTED.

THEY ACTUALLY HAD FOUR FULL-SIZED CAGES BROUGHT ONTO THE STAGE.

AND IN TRUE MARX BROTHERS SURREALISM, THE MARX BROTHERS WOULD SHOOT THE SCENE, THE DIRECTOR WOULD YELL "CUT" AND THE FOUR BROTHERS WOULD WALK OFF AND GO INSIDE THEIR RESPECTIVE CAGES.

THE CAGES WERE CLEARLY LABELLED "GROUCHO", "CHICO", "HARPO" AND "ZEPPO".

INSIDE CHICO'S CAGE, THERE WAS A TELEPHONE, SO CHICO COULD AT LEAST CALL HIS BOOKIE.

THE ENDING OF THE FILM IS ALSO UNIQUE (AND INANE) FOR A MARX BROTHERS FILM.

IT SHOWS THE FOUR BROTHERS SMILING, MUGGING, AND SILENTLY WAVING TO THE CAMERA, LIKE FOUR IDIOTS- AS THE FILM'S SOUNDTRACK PLAYS IN THE BACKGROUND.

(GROUCHO IS SO BRILLIANT AS A COMEDIAN, HE EVEN MAKES THIS INANE SHOT FUNNY!)

THE COCOANUTS HAD ITS PREMIERE ON AUGUST 3, 1929, AND WAS A SMASH HIT.

BUT THE FOUR BROTHERS NEVER REALLY LIKED THE COCOANUTS.

THEY WERE REPORTEDLY SO APPALLED BY THE FILM, THEY OFFERED TO BUY THE NEGATIVE FROM PARAMOUNT STUDIOS SO THEY COULD BURN IT.

RIDDLE ME THIS

HERE'S YOUR MOVIE REVIEW OF THE DAY:

 A YOUNG GIRL FINDS HERSELF IN A BIZARRE LANDSCAPE. SHE KILLS THE FIRST WOMAN SHE ENCOUNTERS. THEN SHE TEAMS UP WITH THREE COMPLETE STRANGERS TO KILL AGAIN. SHE SOON HAS HER FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH DRUGS.

DID YOU EVER SEE THIS MOVIE?

TRIVIA - BOND TRIVIA

FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE BECAME THE SECOND JAMES BOND NOVEL TO BE MADE INTO A MOVIE, AFTER PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY LISTED IT AS ONE OF HIS FAVORITES. SADLY, THE MOVIE VERSION WAS THE LAST FILM J.F.K. EVER SAW. IT WAS SCREENED AT THE WHITE HOUSE ON NOVEMBER 20, 1963, TWO DAYS BEFORE HIS ASSASSINATION. ITS COMMERCIAL RELEASE IN AMERICA WAS DELAYED FIVE MONTHS IN THE WAKE OF THE ASSASSINATION (IT DIDN'T HIT THE THEATERS UNTIL APRIL 1964).

AT 5' 11" DANIEL CRAIG IS THE SHORTEST-EVER OO7.

A SCAN OF BOND'S WALLET IN THE MOVIE DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER REVEALS HE IS A CARD-CARRYING MEMBER OF THE PLAYBOY CLUB.

IN THE NOVELS, BOND SLEEPS WITH AN ESTIMATED 13 WOMEN - IN THE MOVIES, HE SLEEPS WITH 64.

SEAN CONNERY'S CONTRACT CALLED FOR HIM TO BE ALLOWED TO KEEP MUCH OF THE WARDROBE HE WORE IN THE BOND FILMS. HE ENDED UP WITH 147 SUITS, 23 TUXEDOS, 17 TRENCH COATS, 11 OTHER JACKETS, 41 HATS AND 68 PAIRS OF SHOES HE WORE AS BOND.

TONYA WAS WATCHING

WHEN OLYMPIANS HOST SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

(OLYMPIC HOST AND THE NUMBER OF VIEWERS WHO TUNED IN TO SEE THEM)

NANCY KERRIGAN - 16,971,000 (1994)

MICHAEL JORDAN - 12,707,000 (1991)

MICHAEL PHELPS - 10,151,000 (2008)

JONNY MOSELEY - 8,989,000 (2002)

CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S TRAMP COSTUME

THE MOST FAMOUS COSTUME IN MOVIE HISTORY WAS PROBABLY THE "LITTLE TRAMP" OUTFIT WORN BY CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

ALTHOUGH ALL MOVIE FANS KNOW CHARLIE CHAPLIN FROM THIS COSTUME, IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IN HIS VERY FIRST FILM MAKING A LIVING (1914), CHAPLIN ACTUALLY WORE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SUIT.

IN THIS FILM, CHAPLIN IS DRESSED AS AN AFFLUENT DANDY, COMPLETE WITH A SUIT COAT, A TOP HAT AND EVEN A MONOCLE.

ALSO AS A POINT OF INTEREST, CHAPLIN'S MOUSTACHE IN HIS DEBUT FILM IS MUCH LARGER THAN HIS LATER WORLD-FAMOUS "TOOTHBRUSH-TYPE" MOUSTACHE.

CHAPLIN NEVER LIKED MAKING A LIVING AND WAS UNCOMFORTABLE ABOUT IT.

LITTLE DID CHAPLIN OR ANYONE ELSE KNOW THAT SHORTLY, HE WOULD BECOME THE BIGGEST MOVIE STAR IN THE WORLD
 
THE "TRAMP" COSTUME WAS ACTUALLY DEVISED ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT.

CHAPLIN'S FIRST FILM WAS DONE AND IN THE CAN AND CHAPLIN WAS JUST WAITING AROUND THE SET ONE DAY.

HIS BOSS, PRODUCER MACK SENNETT, TOLD HIM TO:

GET INTO A COMEDY MAKE-UP. ANYTHING WILL DO.

CHAPLIN WAS YOUNG, VERY CREATIVE AND VERY ANXIOUS TO PLEASE. HE SCURRIED OFF TO THE NEARBY DRESSING ROOM. INSIDE, "FATTY" ARBUCKLE AND COMEDIAN CHESTER CONKLIN WERE PLAYING PINOCHLE.

CHAPLIN WAS INSPIRED TO CREATE A COSTUME OF "CONTRASTS".

THE MOUSTACHE WAS A SCRAP OF CREPE HAIR BORROWED FROM COMEDIAN MACK SWAIN (SWAIN WORE A MUCH LARGER WALRUS-TYPE MOUSTACHE IN HIS FILMS).

THE TROUSERS WERE ARBUCKLE'S, (EXTRA-LARGE) HENCE THE HUGE BAGGINESS.

THE LITTLE DERBY HAT CAME FROM "FATTY'S" FATHER-IN-LAW, IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE LYING AROUND.

THE VERY SMALL CUT-AWAY COAT BELONGED TO CONKLIN.

AS THE FINISHING TOUCH, CHAPLIN TOOK A GIANT PAIR OF SIZE 14 SHOES FROM A COMEDIAN NAMED FORD STERLING (ONE OF THE KEYSTONE COPS).

THE SHOES WERE SO BIG, CHAPLIN HAD TO WEAR THEM ON THE WRONG FEET TO KEEP THEM ON.

ONLY THE CHEAP RATTAN CANE WAS ACTUALLY OWNED BY CHAPLIN HIMSELF.

ON AN INTERESTING METAPHYSICAL NOTE, CHAPLIN ALWAYS SAID HE FELT AMAZINGLY "AT HOME" FROM THE FIRST INSTANT HE PUT ON THE TRAMP COSTUME.

HE SAID AS SOON AS HE PUT IT ON, COMEDY IDEAS STARTED FLOODING INTO HIS HEAD.

HE CAME ON THE SET IN TRAMP COSTUME AND STARTED FOOLING AROUND, SWINGING HIS CANE, SHUFFLING AND AD-LIBBING GAGS.

THE NEW CHAPLIN FILMS FEATURING HIM AS "THE LITTLE TRAMP" WERE HUGE SUCCESSES, ALL OVER THE WORLD.

"CHARLIE CHAPLIN LOOK-A-LIKE" CONTESTS WERE HELD ALL OVER AMERICA.

CHAPLIN "TRAMP COSTUMES" WERE HUGE SELLERS ON THE MARKET.

CHAPLIN WAS ACTUALLY THE VERY FIRST EXAMPLE OF CELEBRITY MASS-MARKETING.

IMAGES OF CHAPLIN'S "LITTLE TRAMP" CAME OUT ON NOTEBOOKS, ADS, MAGAZINES, NEWSPAPERS, WATCHES, CIGARETTES, CLOTHING, COMIC STRIPS, SONGSHEETS, ETC.

EVEN THE LEGENDARY BEAUTIFUL GIRLS OF THE FOLIES BERGERE IN PARIS DRESSED UP AS THE TRAMP AND WADDLED AROUND LIKE CHARLIE CHAPLIN.

CHAPLIN WAS TO USE THIS ORIGINAL GENESIS AS HIS TRADEMARK OUTFIT FOR THE NEXT 25 YEARS.

HE WORE THE TRAMP OUTFIT FOR THE FINAL TIME IN HIS 1940 FILM THE GREAT DICTATOR.

CHAPLIN GAVE THE ORIGINAL TRAMP COSTUME TO HIS ASSISTANT, HARRY CROCKER, IN 1928, AS A CENTRAL EXHIBIT IN THE NEWLY OPENED THE CROCKER MUSEUM OF PROPS AND COSTUMES ON SUNSET BOULEVARD.

NEARLY 60 YEARS LATER, IN 1987, CHAPLIN'S BOWLER AND CANE CAME UP FOR SALE AT CHRISTIE'S IN LONDON, WHERE THEY WERE BOUGHT BY DANISH SHOPPING ENTREPENEUR JORGEN STRECKER FOR $150,000.00.

ONE LAST NOTE: IT IS REPUTED (AND SOMETIMES DENIED) IN ALMOST EVERY BIOGRAPHY OF ADOLF HITLER, THAT THE IDEA FOR THE FAMOUS, OMINOUS "HITLER MOUSTACHE" WAS TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM CHARLIE CHAPLIN'S.

MONDO DIABLO!

HI EVERYBODY,

I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THE FUN TIME I HAD ON SUNDAY NIGHT.

DIABLO CODY HAD A FILM FESTIVAL AT THE NEW BEVERLY CINEMA OF HER ALL-TIME FAVORITE FILMS. THEY CALLED THE FILM FEST MONDO DIABLO.

DIABLO CODY, IF YOU DON'T KNOW, WON THE OSCAR FOR WRITING THE SCREENPLAY OF JUNO EARLIER THIS YEAR. SHE IS SUCH AN AMAZINGLY NICE LADY! (VERY PRETTY TOO!) I INSTANTLY FELL IN LOVE WITH HER!!!!

ANYWAY, SHE HAD AN OLD FILM I WAS IN, MIDNIGHT MADNESS, SCREENED (IT RUNS THROUGH TONIGHT) AND SHE INTRODUCED THE FILM HERSELF. I HADN'T SEEN "MM" IN ALMOST 30 YEARS, WE FILMED IT IN 1979!!! IT WAS A REAL TRIP SEEING IT AGAIN.

I LOOK LIKE A CRAZED DRUG FREAK! I SWEAR, I LOOK LIKE A BAD ACID TRIP IN THOSE DAYS. MAN, I WAS REALLY OFF-KILTER - AND MAN, WAS I EVER SKINNY - I MUST HAVE WEIGHED 120 LBS!

I SAW HOW MUCH I HAVE CHANGED (AT LEAST I HOPE SO!) THE CROWD WENT CRAZY WHEN MICHAEL J. FOX CAME ON SCREEN, THEN "PEE WEE" HERMAN GOT A BIG REACTION ("M.M." WAS THE FIRST FILM FOR EACH OF THEM).

THERE WERE SOME GENUINE GOOD LAUGHS, IT IS A VERY CAMPY, HOKEY FILM. BUT BETTER THAN SOME COMEDIES YOU SEE ON CABLE!

AFTER THE MOVIE, DIABLO CONDUCTED AN AUDIENCE Q & A SESSION, WHICH WAS REALLY FUN. IT WAS ME AND THE FILM'S DIRECTOR, DAVID WECHTER, AND MY OLD PAL, ALAN SOLOMON, WHO WAS IN THE FILM TOO (HE PLAYED LEON). DAVID, ALAN AND I WERE REALLY EXCITED TO MEET DIABLO.

I SAW SEVERAL OTHER OLD PALS THERE TOO. THE PEOPLE I MET COULDN'T HAVE BEEN NICER. I'D SAY, HONESTLY, THE THEATER WAS 80-90% FULL, NOT A FULL HOUSE. BUT IT WAS A LIVELY "CULT FILM" TYPE CROWD.

WTF?

# OF "F" WORDS IN THE FOLLOWING MOVIES:

PULP FICTION - 269
GOOD FELLAS - 265
SOUTH PARK: BIGGER, LONGER, UNCUT - 140
THE BREAKFAST CLUB - 16
JERRY MAGUIRE - 10
MIDNIGHT MADNESS - 0

LOVE HAPPY

THE GREAT MOVIE COMEDIANS HAVE GIVEN US ALL SO MUCH JOY AND SO MANY LAUGHS.

FORTUNATELY TOO, AS THE GREAT WRITERS OF THE AGES HAVE HAD THEIR EPIC WORKS PUBLISHED AS BOOKS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS, THANKS TO THE MAGIC OF FILM - AND OF COURSE LATER - VIDEOS AND DVD'S, WE CAN ALL ENJOY THESE GREAT WORKS OF ART.

THE LEGACY THEY LEAVE US IS ALL FOR THE GOOD, BUT ONE SLIGHTLY SAD SIDE IS STILL THERE. IT IS THE ALL-TOO-TRUE FACT THAT ALL OF US DO, INDEED, GROW OLDER, AND THAT EVEN THE INCREDIBLE MAGIC OF THE MOVIES AND CELLULOID CANNOT CHANGE THIS.

THE MARX BROTHERS ARE NO EXCEPTION.

IN AUGUST OF 1948, FILMING BEGAN ON THE FINAL OFFICIAL MARX BROTHERS MOVIE: LOVE HAPPY. THE TITLE HAD VARIOUSLY BEEN CHANGED FROM "DIAMONDS IN THE BASEMENT", "DIAMONDS AND RUBIES", "BLONDE HEAVEN", "BLONDES UP", "KLEPTOMANIACS", UNTIL FINALLY, "LOVE HAPPY" WAS AGREED UPON.

THE BOYS WERE NO SPRING CHICKENS AT THIS TIME. CHICO, THE OLDEST BROTHER WAS 62, HARPO WAS 61, AND KID BROTHER, GROUCHO WAS 59. CHICO AND HARPO DO LOOK A BIT LONG-IN-THE-TOOTH IN THE FILM, BUT, ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE ONLY MARX BROTHERS FILM WHERE GROUCHO DOES NOT WEAR HIS USUAL "GREASEPAINT" MUSTACHE AND EYEBROWS, (HE ACTUALLY SPORTS HIS OWN MUSTACHE AND BROWS), HE LOOKS VERY GOOD. (GROUCHO'S CHARACTER ALWAYS SEEMED "OLDER" ANYWAY, IN FACT MANY PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF HIS APPEARANCE AND DEMEANOR, LOGICALLY ASSUMED GROUCHO TO BE THE "OLDEST" OF THE MARX BROTHERS)

THE IDEA FOR LOVE HAPPY HAD COME FROM AN ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY WRITTEN BY HARPO, WHO WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SOLO STAR OF THE FILM. BUT, AS USUAL, BROTHER CHICO HAD SPENT ALL HIS MONEY ON GAMBLING AND WOMEN (NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER), AND HE CAME ON AS HARPO'S CO-STAR. GROUCHO, IN AN UNCHARACTERISTICALLY SMALLER ROLE, SIGNED ON AS THE FILM'S NARRATOR AND HE PLAYED THE ROLE OF DETECTIVE SAM GRUNION.

ALTHOUGH FILMING BEGAN IN AUGUST OF 1948, THE FILM DID NOT COME OUT UNTIL MARCH OF 1950. WHY? AS USUAL WITH SO MANY FILMS, THEY SIMPLY RAN OUT OF MONEY. SO, TO GET THE MUCH-NEEDED LOOT TO CONTINUE FILMING, LOVE HAPPY CAME UP WITH ONE OF SHOW BUSINESS' GREAT AND STILL-USED TRADITIONS: "PRODUCT PLACEMENT".

AS A WAY OF FINANCING THE UNFINISHED FILM, THE LAST BIG CLIMAX SCENE IN THE MOVIE, WAS TO BE A "CHASE SCENE" - THE STAPLE OF SO MANY COMEDY FILMS. IN THE SCENE, HARPO IS BEING CHASED BY THE VILLAINS. DURING THE CHASES, HE RUNS AROUND THE ROOFS OF VARIOUS BUILDINGS CONTAINING HUGE BILLBOARDS ADVERTISING VARIOUS PRODUCTS. THIS SCENE IS ONE OF THE MOST SURREAL SCENES IN MOTION PICTURE HISTORY. WE WATCH AS HARPO RUNS BY A HUGE "G.E. LAMPS" BILLBOARD AND A "WHEATIES" CEREAL SIGN. THEN, HARPO CLIMBS ON THE "BULOVA WATCH" SIGN AND RIDES THE HUGE WATCH PENDULUM BACK AND FORTH LIKE A GIANT SWING. WE SEE HARPO RIDE THE "MOBIL GAS" HORSE SIGN UP AND DOWN. AND FINALLY, HARPO GOES INSIDE A "KOOL CIGARETTES" SIGN, WHERE HE SWALLOWS ALOT OF SMOKE AND EMERGES BLOWING HUGE GUSTS OF SMOKE OUT OF HIS MOUTH AND EARS, INTO THE PURSUING VILLAIN'S FACES.

LOVE HAPPY IS GENERALLY CONSIDERED TO BE THE MARX BROTHERS WORST FILM, ALTHOUGH MANY HARPO FANS DO ENJOY THIS RARE STARRING ROLE. YOU CAN ALSO SEE A VERY YOUNG RAYMOND BURR IN THE FILM, PLAYING ONE OF THE BAD GUYS - WITH A VERY STRAIGHT FACE. THE CONTEMPORARY REVIEWS OF THE FILM ACTUALLY WERE, SURPRISINGLY, FAIRLY GOOD, ALTHOUGH MIXED. THE MARX BROTHERS THEMSELVES TENDED TO LOOK DOWN ON THE FILM, INDEED, NEITHER GROUCHO OR HARPO EVEN MENTIONED THE FILM IN THEIR RESPECTIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.

LOVE HAPPY DOES HAVE ONE OTHER HISTORIC FILM SIGNIFICANCE INVOLVED WITH IT. EARLY ON IN THE FILM'S PRODUCTION, GROUCHO WAS AUDITIONING YOUNG ACTRESSES TO PLAY A SEXY WALK-ON ROLE IN THE MOVIE, IN A SCENE WITH HIM. THREE YOUNG ACTRESSES WERE AT THE AUDITION, THE FINAL THREE TO CHOOSE FROM. ALL THREE GIRLS WERE INSTRUCTED TO "WALK ACROSS THE ROOM".

THE FIRST TWO GIRLS DID THEIR SEXIEST WALKS, AND THEN THE THIRD GIRL DID HER WALK.

THE EFFECT WAS ELECTRIC!!!

WHEN ASKED WHICH OF THE THREE GIRLS HE PREFERRED, GROUCHO SAID ARE YOU KIDDING??? IT'S THE THIRD GIRL!!! SHE'S A COMBINATION OF MAE WEST, THEDA BARA AND LITTLE BO PEEP!

THE YOUNG ACTRESS WAS MARILYN MONROE.

ACCORDING TO MARILYN, HARPO WAS AT THE AUDITIONS TOO, HONKING HIS HORN WILDLY AS HE WATCHED HER WALK. EVEN AT THIS EARLY STAGE IN HER CAREER, SHE COULD PROJECT THAT SOON-TO-BE WORLD FAMOUS SEXY PERSONA.

WATCHING "LOVE HAPPY" JUST TO GET OF GLIMPSE OF THE YOUNG MONROE IS WELL WORTH IT. SHE IS ONLY IN THE ONE SCENE WITH GROUCHO, BUT IT IS A HILARIOUS SCENE AND SHE IS MESMERIZINGLY BEAUTIFUL. MONROE WAS TO SOON REACH WORLD STARDOM AND IRONICALLY, WHEN LOVE HAPPY WAS RE-RELEASED, IT WAS BILLED AS THE FILM THAT DISCOVERD MARILYN MONROE AND STARRING MARILYN MONROE.

MANY OF THE MOVIES POSTERS FEATURED A BIG CENTRAL SHOT OF GROUCHO AND MARILYN, VIRTUALLY IGNORING HARPO AND CHICO, WHO HAD MUCH BIGGER ROLES. HER SMALL APEARANCE CAUSED A STIR, MUCH LIKE THE LATTER-DAY ROLE OF A YOUNG SUZANNE SOMERS IN AMERICAN GRAFITTI, WHERE SHE PLAYED THE BLONDE IN THE T-BIRD, THE GIRL WHO RICHARD DREYFUSS HAS A CRUSH ON FROM AFAR.

MONROE ACTUALLY DID GO ON THE PROMOTIONAL TOUR FOR LOVE HAPPY. ALTHOUGH SOME SOURCES LISTED LOVE HAPPY AS MARILYN'S FIRST FILM, THIS IS UNTRUE. BEFORE LOVE HAPPY, SHE HAD ALREADY APPEARED AS AN EXTRA IN A MEDIOCRE FILM CALLED SCUDDA HOO! SCUDDA HAY!, AND SHE HAD ACTUALLY HAD THE LEAD ROLE IN A B-MOVIE CALLED LADIES OF THE CHORUS. BOTH FILMS WENT NOWHERE.

NOT MUCH ELSE IS KNOWN OF YOUNG MARILYN'S TIME DURING THE FILMING OF LOVE HAPPY. GROUCHO DOES MENTION THE FILM IN ONE OF HIS LATER BOOKS. ACCORDING TO GROUCHO, MARILYN LOVED ITALIAN FOOD, AND THERE WAS AN ITALIAN RESTAURANT NEAR WHERE THEY FILMED AND SOME PRODUCER USED TO TAKE HER OUT THERE TO EAT ALL THE TIME.

GROUCHO ALSO SAYS HE'S NOT SURE, BUT HE THINKS BROTHER CHICO PUT THE MOVES ON YOUNG MARILYN.

THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD BET!

DEPARTMENT OF BAD IDEAS

MY ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIE IS THE BEATLES' FIRST FILM A HARD DAY'S NIGHT. THE BEATLES WERE AT THE PEAK OF THEIR EARLY POPULARITY WHEN THEY MADE THE FILM IN 1964. BUT WHEN THE PRODUCERS AT UNITED ARTISTS SCREENED THE FILM BEFORE IT'S RELEASE, THEY HAD A HARD TIME WITH THE FAB FOUR'S BROAD LIVERPOOL ACCENTS. THERE WAS ACTUALLY TALK OF GETTING FOUR AMERICAN ACTORS TO DUB IN THE BEATLES' VOICES. (THANK GOD THIS RIDICULOUS IDEA WAS NEVER PUT TO USE!!!)

HASTA LA VISTA, BIXBY

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER WAS (OF COURSE!) ORIGINALLY CONSIDERED FOR THE ROLE OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK ON TV. BUT LOU FERRIGNO EVENTUALLY GOT THE ROLE INSTEAD. WHY? TOO SHORT. ARNOLD WAS 6'2", AND WAS CONSIDERD TOO SHORT FOR THE ROLE, WHILE LOU WAS A MORE APPROPRIATE 6'5".

SURF II

IN 1984, I DID A B-MOVIE CALLED SURF II. THIS CLIP ON YOUTUBE IS THE VERY LAST SCENE IN THE MOVIE.

I LOVED FILMING SURF II, BECAUSE I LOVED THE CAST SO MUCH MOSTLY.

YOU WILL SEE ERIC STOLTZ, WHO WAS GREAT - HE WAS TO GIVE SUCH INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCES IN MASK AND PULP FICTION. I USED TO PLAY POKER ALL THE TIME WITH ERIC.

THE BLONDE BOMBSHELL IS CAROL WAYNE. SADLY, CAROL WAS TO DIE EARLY THE NEXT YEAR, IN A MYSTERIOUS DROWNING. SHE WAS A VERY NICE LADY.

THERE WAS NO "SURF I", JUST "SURF II". (THAT WAS THE JOKE!). AS MANY CRITICS POINTED OUT - AFTER SEEING "SURF II", THERE WILL DEFINITELY NOT BE A "SURF III".

CLEAVON LITTLE, WHO WAS SO GOOD IN BLAZING SADDLES, WAS IN IT TOO. LOTS OF GREAT OLD FRIENDS AND FUN MEMORIES. IT FUN FILMING AT THE BEACH- LOTS OF GIRLS IN BIKINIS!!! SURF II IS ONE OF THE FEW FILMS WHERE I PLAYED A BAD GUY. I PLAYED MENLO SCHWARTEZER, A MAD SCIENTIST WHO IS TRYING TO TAKE OVER THE WORLD BY GETTING THEM TO DRINK A HYPNOTIC DRINK I INVENTED CALLED "BUZZ COLA".

SURF II IS NOT OUT ON DVD, BUT YOU STILL GET IT ON VHS (CLICK THE LINK IN THE RIGHT COLUMN), AND WHILE I HAVE A FEELING YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO MAKE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH, THERE ARE A FEW GOOD LAUGHS.

COOKING WITH(OUT) OSCAR

STRANGEST GONE WITH THE WIND AUDITION? POSSIBLY WHEN ELIZABETH MENPRIE SCREEN TESTED FOR THE ROLE OF SCARLETT'S MAID MAMMY. NO, ELIZABETH DIDN'T GET THE ROLE, HATTIE MCDANIEL DID. HATTIE WON AN OSCAR TOO (SHE WAS THE FIRST EVER AFRICAN-AMERICAN TO WIN AN ACADEMY AWARD). SO ELIZABETH HAD TO GO BACK TO HER "DAY JOB" - BEING A COOK FOR PRESIDENT FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT AT THE WHITE HOUSE.

HIT THE ROAD

WHEN YOU THINK OF CLASSIC MOVIE COMEDY, THE "ROAD" PICTURES WITH BOB HOPE AND BING CROSBY COME TO MIND. HOPE AND CROSBY BECAME AN IMMORTAL MOVIE COMEDY PAIR IN THESE DELIGHTFUL PICTURES. BUT THE FIRST "ROAD" MOVIE - ROAD TO SINGAPORE WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN FOR GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN. THEY COULDN'T DO IT. THE NEXT CHOICE TO STAR WAS ACTUALLY FRED MACMURRAY AND JACK OAKIE. NO GO. BOB AND BING WERE THE THIRD CHOICE TO TEAM UP.

FILMING WARGAMES

I WAS SURPRISED WHEN AMC, A FEW DAYS AGO, AMC AIRED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOVIE WARGAMES.

I GUESS MY TIME SENSE IS A BIT OFF, IT SURE SEEMS LIKE YESTERDAY. BUT THEN, SO DO A LOT OF THINGS.............

IN 1982 0R 1983, I WAS CALLED IN TO MEET WITH THE DIRECTOR, MARTY BREST. IT WAS NOT AN ACTUAL AUDITION, I REMEMBER MARTY AND I JUST SITTING OVER A DESK AND CHATTING.

HE TOLD ME SOMEONE HAD RECOMMENDED ME.

(AS A SIDEBAR, I GOT A DEFINITE MAJORITY OF MY EARLY ON-CAMERA ROLES OVER THE YEARS BY "RECOMMENDATIONS" OR "KNOWING SOMEBODY". BY ACTUAL AUDITIONS, I GOT LESS THAN 50% OF MY ROLES).

I WAS HIRED TO PLAY THE ROLE OF "MALVIN", A COMEDY PARTNER OF MAURY CHAYKIN, A YOUNG CHARACTER ACTOR. I ONLY WORKED A DAY OR TWO - I WAS ONLY IN ONE SCENE.

MAURY CALLED ME UP THE NIGHT BEFORE SHOOTING. HE WANTED TO REHEARSE OUR SCENE BEFORE WE SHOT. BEING LAZY, I SAID, IT'S NO BIG DEAL. LET'S JUST DO IT ON THE SET". WELL, IT'S A BIG DEAL TO ME!, MAURY SAID, CORRECTLY. MY OWN ARROGANCE WAS ASTOUNDING, MAURY BROUGHT ME BACK DOWN TO EARTH. I HAD JUST FAKED MY WAY THROUGH SO MANY B-MOVIES, I WAS NOT ACTING LIKE A PROFESSIONAL. I HONESTLY THOUGHT "WARGAMES" WAS JUST ANOTHER B-MOVIE. AS WE REHEARSED IN OUR DRESSING ROOM, MAURY TOLD ME I'M GOING TO CALL YOU "MISTER POTATO HEAD" IN THE SCENE. I LOVED HIS IDEA, I KNEW IT WOULD WORK IN THE SCENE AND IT DID. TO THIS DAY, I GET CALLED "MISTER POTATO HEAD" BY STRANGERS SOMETIMES!

I WAS DRIVEN TO THE SET WITH MATTHEW BRODERICK, A YOUNG ACTOR - IT WAS MATTHEW'S FIRST FILM. HE WAS A WONDERFUL GUY, I REMEMBER THAT FIRST DRIVE TO THE SET.

MATTHEW AND I TALKED A LOT IN THE CAR. MATTHEW'S FATHER (ACTOR JAMES BRODERICK) HAD RECENTLY DIED, AND MATTHEW REMINISCED ABOUT HIM.

I SWEAR, I CAN STILL SEE THE TEARY LOOK IN MATTHEW'S EYES AS HE TOLD ME, AND OUR DRIVER ABOUT HIS FATHER. HE REALLY LOVED HIS DAD, IT WAS OBVIOUS TO SEE.

MY ONE SCENE HAD ME, MATTHEW AND MAURY IN IT, (PLUS ALLY SHEEDY, THE LEAD ACTRESS) STANDING AROUND A COMPUTER. WELL, I FLUBBED MY LINES OVER AND OVER, MANY, MANY TIMES. ONE LINE KEPT SCREWING ME UP, IT HAD THE WORDS "DATA ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM" IN IT. WHILE I KEPT SCREWING UP TAKE AFTER TAKE, I WATCHED AS MARTY, THE DIRECTOR, DID A SILENT, SLOW BURN.

EDDIE, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU, HE CALLED ME OVER. LET'S TAKE A WALK, HE INTONED.

AS WE STROLLED AROUND OUTSIDE, MARTY PUT A FATHERLY ARM OVER MY SHOULDER AND SPOKE:

YOU'RE COSTING THE STUDIO A LOT OF MONEY. NOW, WE ARE GOING TO PRINT YOUR LINES UP ON WHAT WE CALL "IDIOT CARDS", SO YOU CAN JUST READ THEM OFF.

I WAS VERY SURPRISED, BUT IT SOUNDED OKAY TO ME. (MAYBE I'M WRONG, BUT HE SEEMED TO PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON THE WORD "IDIOT").

OF COURSE, ALMOST ANY DIALOGUE PEOPLE REMEMBER FROM THE PAST WILL USUALLY BE NOT 100% VERBATIM, BUT THE LINE I REMEMBER, CLEAR AS A BELL: YOU'RE COSTING THE STUDIO A LOT OF MONEY - THAT LINE REALLY STRUCK ME! MARTY MIGHT HAVE SAID IT WAS "THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS" OR SOME SUCH VAGUE AMOUNT, BUT I AM NOT SURE.

MY LINES WERE WRITTEN ON BIG PIECES OF CARDBOARD AND I EASILY READ THEM AND WE FINISHED THE SCENE - IT WAS A PIECE OF CAKE. MAYBE IT SPOILED ME THOUGH. I USED THE CUE CARDS IN MOST EVERY FILM I DID AFTER WARGAMES. I READ MY ENTIRE ROLE IN POLAR EXPRESS OFF CUE CARDS - BOB ZEMECKIS WAS THAT NICE OF A DIRECTOR! NOT BEING ABLE TO MEMORIZE LINES HURT MY ON-CAMERA CAREER A LOT, AND IS THE MAIN REASON I SWITCHED OVER TO VOICE-OVERS, WHERE THE ACTORS JUST READ THEIR LINES OFF A SCRIPT.

I MET ALLY SHEEDY, WHO BECAME A FRIEND, ON WARGAMES. ALLY WAS ACTUALLY IN OUR SCENE TOO, BUT SHE HAD NO LINES. ALLY WOULD SOON BECOME FAMOUS AS ONE OF THE 80'S "BRAT PACK". ALLY WAS GOING OUT WITH ERIC STOLTZ AT THE TIME AND I USED TO PLAY A LOT OF POKER WITH ERIC AND WE DID A B-MOVIE TOGETHER CALLED SURF II.

ERIC WAS TO SOON STAR IN THE INCREDIBLE FILM MASK AND A FEW YEARS LATER, HE WAS IN PULP FICTION. ERIC WAS A GREAT GUY, VERY FUNNY.

INTERESTINGLY, MY DIRECTOR, MARTY BREST, WAS FIRED FROM WARGAMES BECAUSE THE STUDIO DID NOT LIKE HIS RUSHES (THE FILM HE HAD SHOT ALREADY).

HE WAS ONLY ON THE FILM FOR 12 DAYS BEFORE HE WAS FIRED AND REPLACED BY JOHN BADHAM. I THOUGHT FOR SURE THE STUDIO WOULD CUT OUT MY ONE SCENE, BUT LUCKILY FOR ME, THEY DID LEAVE MY SCENE IN, INTACT.

ONE OTHER ODD FACT ABOUT WARGAMES THAT IS HARDLY EVER SPOKEN OF. IN WARGAMES, I ACTUALLY PLAYED THE MOVIE'S FIRST "COMPUTER NERD". PAULINE KAEL, THE FILM CRITIC, POINTED IT OUT IN HER REVIEW. MOVIE "COMPUTER NERDS" WERE TO COME OUT IN DROVES AFTER WARGAMES, BUT I AM PRETTY SURE I WAS THE FIRST ONE.

WARGAMES TURNED OUT TO BE A WONDERFUL MOVIE, I THINK IT WAS THE 4TH HIGHEST GROSSING FILM OF THAT YEAR. MARTY WENT ON TO DIRECT BEVERLY HILLS COP WITH EDDIE MURPHY.

I WAS HAPPY FOR MARTY'S SUCCESS I WROTE HIM A THANK YOU NOTE AND HE SENT ME A VERY KIND REPLY NOTE.

IRONIC, ISN'T IT?

THESE WERE THE DAYS BEFORE COMPUTERS WERE MAINSTREAM ITEMS AND PEOPLE STILL WROTE NOTES TO EACH OTHER BY HAND.

THEIR FAVORITE MOVIES

EVERYBODY HAS ONE.

A FAVORITE FILM, I MEAN.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE ALL-TIME FAVORITE MOVIES OF A SAMPLING OF WELL-KNOWN PEOPLE............

JUDY COLLINS.........................DR. ZHIVAGO
JACK NICHOLSON...........ON THE WATERFRONT
LINDA BLAIR............JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR
MICHELLE PFEIFFER...........THE WIZARD OF OZ
SID CAESAR...................GODFATHER I AND II
CHRISTOPHER LEE....... NIGHT OF THE HUNTER
MONTY HALL.......HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY
SALLY FIELD............SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
JANE RUSSELL.............WUTHERING HEIGHTS
MARIEL HEMINGWAY..............REAR WINDOW
JERRY LEE LEWIS.................TOBACCO ROAD
WALTER MATTHAU................THE INFORMER
HULK HOGAN..............................ROCKY III
XAVIERA HOLLANDER...WHEN HARRY MET SALLY
MARTIN LANDAU....CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS
EUGENE MCCARTHY...............WAR AND PEACE

THE THANK GOD IT NEVER GOT MADE AWARD

GOES TO..............

IN 1935, THE GREAT GEORGE GERSHWIN COMPOSED THE CLASSIC MUSICAL PORGY AND BESS, A LANDMARK SHOW FOR NOT ONLY AFRICAN-AMERICANS, BUT FOR AMERICAN THEATER AS A WHOLE.

IN 1959, PORGY AND BESS WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE WITH A STELLAR CAST OF SIDNEY POITIER AND DOROTHY DANDRIDGE IN THE TITLE ROLES, AND SAMMY DAVIS, JR. CO-STARRING IN THE ROLE OF SPORTIN' LIFE.

BEFORE THIS, OVER THE YEARS, NEARLY 90 FILM PRODUCERS HAD SHOWN INTEREST IN FILMING PORGY AND BESS.

BUT THE TOPPER (WHICH - THANK GOD - NEVER GOT MADE!) WAS THE BRAINCHILD OF HARRY COHN, THE HEAD OF COLUMBIA STUDIOS. COHN WANTED TO DO THE MOVIE VERSION OF PORGY AND BESS STARRING AL JOLSON AS PORGY, RITA HAYWORTH AS BESS AND FRED ASTAIRE IN THE SUPPORTING ROLE OF SPORTIN' LIFE - ALL IN BLACKFACE (!!!!!)

ONE SHUDDERS TO THINK OF IT!!!!

ALMOST CAST

BRUCE WILLIS GAVE AN INCEDIBLE PERFORMANCE IN DIE HARD AS MAVERICK COP JOHN McCLANE. BUT THE ROLE WAS FIRST OFFERED TO BOTH CLINT EASTWOOD AND RICHARD GERE. BOTH TURNED THE ROLE DOWN, AS DID SEVERAL OTHER ACTORS, BRUCE GOT THE PART AND BECAME A LEADING MOVIE STAR.

SOME LIKE IT HOT WAS VOTED THE BEST COMEDY IN MOVIE HISTORY BY AFI. MARILYN MONROE'S QUINTESSENTIAL ROLE AS SUGAR KANE IS LEGENDARY. BUT DIRECTOR BILLY WILDER ORIGINALLY WANTED MITZI GAYNOR FOR THE ROLE.

OH YES, ONE MORE EARLY SOME LIKE IT HOT CHOICE. INSTEAD OF JACK LEMMON PLAYING THE CROSS-DRESSING DAPHNE, WILDER WANTED FRANK SINATRA. FRANK DECLINED, AND LEMMON GAVE ONE OF THE GREAT COMIC PERFORMANCES IN MOVIE HISTORY.

CHRIS FARLEY AS SHREK???? YES, THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PLAN. BUT CHRIS' TRAGIC EARLY DEATH PUT AN END TO IT. MIKE MYERS TOOK OVER, WAS BRILLIANT, AND STARTED A HUGE MOVIE FRANCHISE.

HUMPHREY BOGART WAS QUITE POSSIBLY THE GREATEST ACTOR IN MOVIE HISTORY (AT LEAST IN MY OPINION). BOGIE WON HIS ONLY ACADEMY AWARD FOR THE AFRICAN QUEEN. HIS LEADING LADY WAS KATHARINE HEPBURN. BUT IN 1938, BETTE DAVIS WAS OFFERED THE ORIGINAL ROLE IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT TO FILM "QUEEN". HER CO-STAR WOULD HAVE BEEN DAVID NIVEN. BUT BETTE SAID "NO". BETTE WAS AGAIN OFFERED THE ROLE IN 1947, BUT SHE WAS PREGNANT. IN 1949, SHE TRIED AGAIN, BUT NO, BY THIS TIME THE ROLE WAS HEPBURN'S.

PRODUCER SHERWOOD SCHWARTZ INTERVIEWED 464 BOYS AND GIRLS FOR THE ROLES OF THE BRADY KIDS IN THE BRADY BUNCH.

THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW WAS A LANDMARK SHOW IN TV HISTORY, SHOWING TV'S FIRST REALLY INDEPENDENT LEADING WOMEN CHARACTER. MARY'S BOSS MR. GRANT WAS PLAYED BY THE EMMY-WINNING ACTOR, ED ASNER. BUT GAVIN MACLEOD, WHO WAS TO PLAY MARY'S FRIEND MURRAY IN THE SHOW, ORIGINALLY AUDITIONED FOR THE ROLE.

ONE OF THE GREATEST FILMS OF ALL-TIME IS IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE WITH JIMMY STEWART AND DONNA REED. BUT REED WAS NOT THE ORIGINAL CHOICE TO PLAY STEWART'S WIFE MARY. DIRECTOR FRANK CAPRA ORIGINALLY WANTED JEAN ARTHUR FOR THE ROLE.

REMEMBER THE APARTMENT WITH JACK LEMMON AND SHIRLEY MACLAINE? ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FILMS EVER MADE. REMEMBER THE SCENE WHERE SHIRLEY ATTEMPTS SUICIDE BY OVERDOSING ON PILLS? THEN, THE DOCTOR COMES IN AND RESCUES HER. WELL, THE STUDIO WANTED GROUCHO MARX (!!!!) TO PLAY THE DOCTOR ROLE, BUT DIRECTOR BILLY WILDER THOUGHT A MORE SERIOUS CHOICE WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE.

THE PATRICK SWAYZE LEAD ROLE IN DIRTY DANCING WAS FIRST OFFERED TO VAL KILMER. HE REFUSED. THEN BILLY ZANE WAS CONSIDERED, BUT HIS DANCING DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO GET EVERYONE TO AGREE OR DISAGREE ABOUT ANY ONE MOVIE, BUT YOU CAN'T GET MUCH CLOSER THAN THE IMMORTAL HOLIDAY FILM IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE.

SURE, OPINIONS DIFFER, ESPECIALLY IN TASTES IN MOVIES, BUT SOMEHOW, THIS FILM SEEMS TO TRANSCEND. IT WAS PRODUCED FOR A RELATIVELY SMALL BUDGET OF $3 MILLION.

BUT DID YOU KNOW THE FILM WAS A HUGE BOMB WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT IN 1946? THE FILM WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED FOR A RELEASE IN EARLY 1947. BUT THE STUDIO, RKO, WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE FILM, AND DECIDED TO RELEASE IT IN THE LAST PART OF 1946, SO AS TO QUALIFY IT FOR THE ACADEMY AWARDS IN 1947. (ONE WONDERS WHY SUCH A CHRISTMASSY FILM WOULD NOT BE RELEASED IN DECEMBER ANYWAY???)

YES, THIS MAGICAL FILM TANKED WHEN ORIGINALLY RELEASED. THIS IS UNBELEIVABLE ENOUGH, AS IT WAS SUCH A MARVELOUS FILM, PLUS THE OPTIMISM OF THESE EARLY POST-WORLD WAR TWO DAYS SEEMED PERFECT TIMING. BUT TO TOP IT OFF, RKO MADE DONNA REED THE SCAPEGOAT(!!!!!!!)

SORRY...

MOVIES WITH MOST ACADEMY AWARD NOMINATIONS WITH NO WINS

TURNING POINT - 1977 (11)
THE COLOR PURPLE - 1985 (11)
GANGS OF NEW YORK - 2002 (10)
THE LITTLE FOXES - 1941 (9)
PEYTON PLACE - 1957 (9)
QUO VIDAS - 1951 (8)
THE NUN'S STORY - 1959 (8)
THE SAND PEBBLES - 1966 (8)
ELEPHANT MAN - 1980 (8)
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY - 1993 (8)
RAGTIME - 1981 (8)

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE

HOSTED SNL THE MOST TIMES......................

STEVE MARTIN- 14
ALEC BALDWIN- 13
JOHN GOODMAN- 12
BUCK HENRY- 10
CHEVY CHASE- 9
TOM HANKS- 8
DANNY DEVITO- 7
ELLIOTT GOULD- 6
CHRISTOPHER WALKEN- 6

ACTORS AND CUE CARDS

MOST PEOPLE WATCHING ACTORS PERFORM IN MOVIES OR TV SHOWS NATURALLY ASSUME THE ACTORS ARE RECITING LINES THEY HAVE MEMORIZED.

AND, OF COURSE- YES, THIS IS USUALLY THE CASE.

BUT MORE OFTEN THAN IS WELL-KNOWN, THE PERFORMERS ON SCREEN OR TV ARE ACTUALLY READING THEIR LINES FROM "CUE CARDS".

THE FIRST TELEVISION PERFORMER TO USE CUE CARDS?

CLOSE CASTING CALLS

TOM CRUISE GAVE HIS FINEST SCREEN PERFORMANCE (AT LEAST, IN MY OPINION) IN "RAIN MAN", AND HIS CO-STAR, DUSTIN HOFFMAN, EARNED AN OSCAR FOR HIS EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE. BUT "RAIN MAN" WAS ORIGINALLY WRITTEN AS A VEHICLE FOR THE BRIDGES BROTHERS, JEFF AND BEAU.

"FRAZIER" WON A RECORD 5 EMMYS IN A ROW AS "BEST COMEDY SERIES". ON THE SHOW, KELSEY

GUYS CAN CRY TOO, YOU KNOW

ALMOST EVERY ACTRESS WORTH HER SALT IN MOVIE HISTORY HAS CRIED IN A FILM.

THINK BETTE DAVIS, JOAN CRAWFORD, MERYL STREEP, ET AL.  BUT GUY ACTORS ARE DIFFERENT...