Emily Dean

I know I know...then I read further and guess what? George alert, he is Ivanhoe this afternoon. All this swashbuckeling is making me dizzy and oh so envious of the men's costumes...glorious and what is more glorious than Errrol Flynn in any costume that includes tights.

Well it was an obvious McGuffin however, as for most emigres at the time it was an overriding concern. So I think the fact that the letters took center stage is not too objectionable. I read this glorious book called "Strangers in Paradise" about all the people that came to the country in the mid to late thirties....and if they were lucky the early forties and many of the Hollywood moguls and others in Hollywood provided financial support and guarantees to family members and others to get out of Germany, Austria and then finally Europe and to either Britain or America. If you look closely at the supporting staff (named) and the extras appearing in Casablanca most of them were emigres and in the book "Round up the Usual Suspects" Aljean Harmetz devotes a whole chapter discussing their use in the picture. I highly encourage the book for both lovers and dis-respectors of "Casablanca" as it explores all the nuances of making the movie, including its surprising success to both Michael Curtiz, Hal Wallis, and Jack Warner. Interestingly enough it was Jack Warner's exhuberance at intercepting and grabbing the Academy Award for "Casablanca" that finally did in the Hal Wallis and Warner relationship. Hal Wallis went on to establish his own company. However Wallis won his second "Irving Thalberg" award.

" Surely you can't be serious. I am serious....and don't call me Shirley."

George Alert: Right Now, It Takes a Thief. Quick, quick for a glimpse of George in the times of Charles II...more later, too busy watching.

Well yes in regards to Lord Haw Haw, he was indeed imitating his perception of a British upperclass accent. Actually William Joyce was an American citizen when his parents returned to Ireland. He was a member of the IRA and the British fascist organization. As we all know the Irish were less than helpful to British cause during WWII....and there really was an effort by the Nazi's to penetrate Sourthern Ireland and convince them to fight the Orange Counties and use Ireland as a back door to Britain. Of course the Irish managed to share the foodstuffs and fuel brought over in the North Atlantic convoys without risking their own necks.

Really Dargo...are you trying to get my goat???? I will include you in my effort to "Round up the usual suspects"

I agree it is a commercial...they thought they were smart by tying it to other classic movies, but I am not stupid...its like porn, I know it when I see it.

Another piece of trivia related to Peter Lorre and Casablanca is he only spoke 400 words in the film but remains memorable and sets the plot of the whole movie.

Who cares wether the Letters of Transit were real or not in Casablanca..... No amount of arguing over the letters of transit, or wether Lazlo could survive a concentration camp and leave occupied or Vichy France......who cares? Not I. Casablanca is the one movie I never miss on TCM. For any lovers of Casablanca out there I highly recommend "Round Up the Usual Suspects" by Aljean Harmetz, a great book on how the fates came about to make "Casablanca". Enjoy and you will watch Casablanca with an increased amount of appreciation for how the fates worked in Hollywood to produce the great movie.

BBC/Received Pronunciation" began to be defined in the late 19th century and is derived from the accent most frequently heard in Southern England. Thus the pronunciation became associated with British public schools as most of them were located in Southern England. The BBC used recieved pronunciation because it was clear and easily understoon by all listeners. It is important to remember that the BBC broadcasted to the "Empire" and its many colonial outposts so the clearest pronounciation was an important part of its ability to communicate world wide. A "light" Yorkshire accent was used by the BBC during World War II broadcasts to distinguish it from German propaganda. If you have heard Lord Haw Haw you will determine why it was necessary to distinguish as he used a Received Pronunciation. You will also note that many English speakers from non-English speaking countries will also have a Received Pronunciation as this is the method for teaching non-English speakers in most countries, especially former colonial outposts as India. You will note as well that many public figures in Austrailia lack the heavy Austrailian accent which makes them easier to understand around the world. I watched a British Crime drama, "Dalziel and Pascoe" that was set in Yorkshire and the accents and speech tempo almost made me want to use my closed caption....it required so much focus on listening that I often lost my comprehension of the plot. It ran for 11 seasons on BBC. For edification the term POSH stands for "Port Side Out/Starboard Home"...used in relationship to those who on their way to India who could afford cabin on the left side out to take advantage of prevailing off shore winds and cabins on the right side home for the same reason as at the majority of the time many travelled to India there was no shipboard air conditioning.

According to his biography he had encounters with a variety of his co-stars including Delores Del Rio, Gene Tierney (which I previously mentioned), Hedy Lamarr and are you ready for this, Lucille Ball!!! That will definitely change my outlook and I watch "I Love Lucy" re-runs. I guess Desi Arnaz wasn't the only one in the union that strayed. Although I don't know if Lucille was married to Desi at the time of her fling with George. Somehow I cannot envision George and Lucy....!!!

This is the eulogy quoted from the biography " An Exhausted Life": " I shall always remember Tyrone Power as a bountiful man. A man who gave freely of himself. It mattered not to whom he gave. His concern was in the giving. I shall always remember his wonderful smile, a smile that would light up the darkest hour of the day like a sunburst. I shall always remember Tyrone Power as a man who gave more of himslef that it was wise for him to give. Until in the end he gave his life." George and Tyrone had finished a sword fight in "Soloman and Sheba". Tyrone did his own fencing but George was a poor fencer and used a double. This resulted in Tyrone having to perform fight scenes twice, once with George so the camera could show faces and then again with George's stand-in. This was grueling for Tyrone and when finished he complained of not feeling well. George visited him in his dressing room and recalled he looked bluish in the face but told George it would go away....George left and several minutes later Tyrone lapsed into unconciousness and was wisked to a hospital but died of massive corornary failure. They had to shoot the entire film over....with Yul Brynner. It was also during the filming of this movie that George connected with Ronald Coleman's widow and married her.

George Sanders alert!!!! "Moonfleet" is on tomorrow afternoon with George as a corrupt aristocrat (you should expect something else already?) with Joan Greenwood as his wife. This is a late Fritz Lang film with a measured sense of the dark and despair he liked to formulate, only this time in glorious MGM technicolour. Believe it or not it was filmed entirely on the back lot of MGM. It is also with Stewart Granger who was sidling in to Errol Flynn roles as Errol was in decline. I sometimes confuse Stewart Granger with Tyrone Power as they both frequently appeared as swashbucklers. Actually poor George was present at the death of Tyrone Power during the filming of a movie "Solomon and Sheba". George and Tyrone were friends and Power's death really affected George such that a portion of his eulogy to the movie cast in Spain was repeated again, by Cesar Romero at the Hollywood interment service. Anyway enjoy George.

Classic TV fans: Gunsmoke's first episode is scheduled for next Monday, October 26th, noon CST on ME-TV with Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds...so at sometime on ME-TV you are able to see Dennis Weaver in Gunsmoke and then on the late night mystery movie you can see him as a cowboy in New York City in "McCloud". So be on the alert! Yesterday I was watching the "LOVE Boat", my favorite method of watching aging movie stars and there was an episode in which practically every sitcom star appeared, even Leave it to Beaver with Mom, the Beaver and Wally on the cruise. I totally lost track of any plot and just watched sitcom stars from the seventies exit and enter. Amazing.

Just a George sighting reminder...the Ghost and Mrs. Muir is on tonight. How come we never have a tribute to George like those of Elizabeth Taylor and others we see over and over.....of course I have to admit I don't mind seeing the tribute to Claude Raines, but surely some notable has some good things to say about George with snapshots of his movie appearances.

George Sanders is coming on October 14 as part of the "scary chldren" Halloween presentation next Friday in "Village of the Dammed" filmed by a British production that was based on a short story "The Midwich Cukoos" and is a respectable performance with some touching scenes between himself and his co-star Barbar Shelley. If I remember correctly the character kills himself and the children when he learns the Russians are going to bomb the village....George is not his best here because he is the hero as opposed to being his best as either a cynic or louche, my preferred role.

Another of the 1950's theories on linking aliens and other items from outer space as standin's for the frightening apspect of Communism (when in reality Joseph McCarthy was more frightening than any creature from outer space)...it is "It Came from Outer Space" which is a screen story by Ray Bradbury. It is an attempt to refute the theory that Communists are bad (or evil as they were in my home) and portray them as any other group...just wanting to get along and in this case get home. To show their (the aliens) compassion they release the villagers they had been holding who were helping them repair their spaceship. Now that I am mature and look at these moves from my "learned" perspective it amazes me that the public were subjected to such an onslaught of propaganda to promote distrust within the American community. But, as a strong believer in the "those who don't learn from history are doomed to repeat it" my education reveals that indeed the Russians and their fellow travellers were a threat to the world, more so under the last years of Stalin's life. So in space stories their message in some cases was well placed. Enought pontification already and enjoy another "Svengoolie" if the Saturday line up doesn't appeal.

Trains all day today......get your ticket and enjoy.

OK George Sander's fans...heads up!!! "Ghost and Mrs. Muir" on October 14th following "Leave Her to Heaven" with our favourite, George in the role of a potential lover. It appears from his biograhpy that the lover role may have been more real than the role in the movie. This is one of three films he made with Gene Tierney including "Sundown" in 1941 and "Son of Fury" in 1942. He was also staying with Gene following his divorce from his wife Susan. So watch closely for eye contact, it may be more real than the role called for...hmmm.

Oh yes "vegging out" is retirement pleasure and I read and watch TV at the same time...sometimes I listen to the classical music station with mute on and then un-mute when something interesting is on...or a special section of the show comes on and I want to hear what they say or listen to the music. I am "media-dextrous".

Yes, especially on Saturday night when the third repeat of the Essenials appears. I migrate to Me-TV to watch Wonder Woman, the original Star Trek and Svengoolie. If the PM TCM doesn't appeal to me then I move to Family Net to watch Barney Miller which is still number one with me (every show takes place in the squad room and Barney handles a crisis or a minor issue with the aplomb of a diplomat; in this case he is defintely better than John Kerry). I know my IQ might be questioned but right now I am enjoying Hogan's Heros and love to watch Colonel Klink. You should know that Werner's family were German Jews who fled Germany in the mid-thirties. Otto Klemperer (his father) worked with Gustave Mahler and many other famous composers of the time. He was a conductor but had a terrible set of traumas both mental and physical which impacted his career. His fame increased somewhat in the 50's through an EMI contract. Werner agreed to play Klink on the proviso that Klink should always appear stupid and never have any success. In addition to Klink he was in Judgement at Nuremberg and some Alfred Hitchcock TV shows and played Klink in some Batman shows. Anyway I enjoy watching him knowing about his interesting history. Too much trivia...sorry.

I don't think he had a stroke because I cannot see any obvious residual effects. I believe he may suffer from some cardiac issue like chronic heart failure or congestive heart failure. It is difficult to tell because he wears make-up and there are not that many close ups. He hasn't appreciably changed his weight status in either direction, but there is just that hint of breathlessness that I discern. Now remember I am just a nurse (technically not allowed to diagnose) and making observations from my armchair.

Personally I liked the "old Ben" shaggy facial hair, jeans, jacket and boots. I also liked his snarky remarks and found them insightful and would have missed a perspective on a film if he hadn't commented. I really would like him to play up his family a bit more. The Fathers' Day" he spent with his Dad was really great and after reading a book on the life of Tom Mankeiwicz would like to know more...I mean after all...related to the co-writer of "Citizen Kane", the director of "Cleopatra" and the "All About Eve" film who wouldn't want more information. Tom played a major part in the James Bond films as a screen writer as well as the TV series "Hart to Hart". The family would make a fascinating retrospective in their entirety. As a nurse I watch Bob's breathing patterns when he talks and it may be since his last hospital episode he talks less as it may be more difficult. Just a thought.

TopBilled: I can hardly wait.

I wasn't a bad boy or bad girl when it came to movie re-enactments with the exception of descending airline steps which movie stars often exhibited in public with the press as well as in some movies. So...this was a much missed event once they invented those airways that shuttle out from the terminal. Until, that is, you go overseas and fly local in-country airlines and then I make my traveling companion go first down the stairs, I delay passengers behind me and the companion then takes my picture with me waving and mincing my stance ala'Marilyn Monroe while a snap is taken. Fortunately the photo will also show the beginnings of the airline's name. You are able to do this in interior Turkey, China and some South American airports.