"large puffs of smoke" - ? ?

 

Besides the Cab Calloway display, my memories of Mugar Library at Boston University are mostly going there to read, and study, and write a paper (before typing it out, later).

It was quiet, and nobody bothered you.  You could work.  And get done.

        There was one time when there was an event, in my freshman or sophomore year, for students to attend and be social.  I went to it, and it was - OK, but then there were these Middle Eastern guys around, and - if someone wants to talk to me, I will probably talk to them, but if they are too pushy and overbearing, then - no. ...

This one guy was sort of - leaning in, talking - at me, rather than to me, and - not listening, just talking, not waiting for an answer. ... and then - not asking for, but rather, demanding my phone number.

        I kind of resisted giving him my phone number.  And then he became more adamant, and demanding.  I thought fast, and said to myself, 'I can say No again and listen to him continue to argue, or I can give him a wrong phone number...'

I gave him the phone number of Mugar Library (I don't know why I knew that number from memory, but I did...).

-30-

"the roughest, toughest frail"

 

Cab Calloway performing in The Blues Brothers  1980 film

        The song "Minnie The Moocher" used to be sung by an entertainer named Cab Calloway.  He lived from 1907 to 1994.

At Boston University, in Mugar Library, there was a glass case with photographs of Cab Calloway, and a history of his career and accomplishments that you could read, through the glass.

        Mr. Calloway must have left his papers to B.U.

        That was the first I had ever learned of Cab Calloway, although I had heard the song "Minnie..." on That Girl reruns I watched in summers, in fifth and 6th grade.

Mr. Calloway performed "Minnie The Moocher" in the 1980 film, The Blues Brothers.  That movie came out while I was in Boston going to school:  I still have not seen it.  Some time, I will.

        In the 1980s when I was working in country music radio, one of our part-timers told me, "Oh, you have to see that movie!

       On You Tube, there's a video showing Cab Calloway's Blues Brothers performance.  In the Comments under it, one person wrote, "He's an old man, but he got swag."

Another one said, "Man I just love how this music makes you think of big city, small alleys, large puffs of smoke and shared drinks."

(?)

-30-

saving the moment

 

In the last post here, I put in the famous poem "Casey At The Bat" - I was reminded of it by a "That Girl" episode where Ann gets sort of drafted to be the director of the country club variety show in her hometown of Brewster, New York.

The one guy recites the "Casey" poem in the show every year;  Ann's father, Lew Marie (portrayed by actor Lew Parker), sings "Minnie The Moocher" - ...she was a low-down hoochie coocher - she was the roughest, toughest frail - but Minnie had a heart as big as a whale - hodey, hodey how, bah-dee-dah de-dah...

        At Ann's suggestion, they do an intense drama instead of the variety show -  afterwards she tells her father she is proud of him for "the creative genius you showed in that final scene, when everything was at its highest emotional pitch."

Lew:  You liked that, huh?

Ann:  Are you kidding?  Not even Alfred Lunt or the great John Barrymore would have handled that situation the way you did.

Lew:  Well, when Bob forgot his lines right in the most important part of the show, I thought it was all over!  

Ann:  So did I.  Only my father, Lew Marie, would think fast enough to have a dead man jump up off the floor and sing two full choruses of "Minnie The Moocher" - ! ...

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no joy in Mudville

 The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day;

the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.

And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,

a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair.  The rest

clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;

They thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that -

they'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,

and the former was a lulu and the latter was a cake,

So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,

for there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,

and Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;

And when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,

there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;

it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;

It knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,

for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;

there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.

And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,

no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;

five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.

Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,

defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,

and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.

Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped -

"That ain't my style," said Casey.  "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,

like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.

"Kill him!  Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;

and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;

he stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;

He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;

but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said:  "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and Echo answered "fraud!";

but one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.

They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,

and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;

he pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.

And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,

and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;

the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,

And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;

but there is no joy in Mudville - mighty Casey has struck out.

--------------------------------------------------------------

"Casey at the Bat"

by Ernest Thayer

1888

-30-

groovy fashions and dreamy Donald Hollinger

 

I was reading an article about the current polarization in American politics.

After a while I stopped, and went to Amazon Prime Video and started binge-watching episodes of That Girl.

        It seemed to make more sense.

-30-

shadow of a doubt

 
Joseph Cotten in Shadow Of A Doubt    1943

Recently I have been re-watching Shadow Of A Doubt, an Alfred Hitchcock-directed film.  It was the third movie he made after moving to America from England, with his wife Alma and tiny daughter Patricia.

They moved to America because Hollywood was the location of the most comprehensive movie business.

At first Hitchcock worked with David O. Selznick (producer of Gone With The Wind) but they couldn't really stand working together.

        Shadow Of A Doubt is a movie with quirks and unexpected hints and clues.  And moments that might seem a little like clues, but they might just be quirks.

It's mysterious.

        I go back and watch again, and also listen to some videos and podcasts on You Tube where people talk about the movie.

It was filmed in Santa Rosa, California - which was a small town back then.

Santa Rosa

'The Artist on the Road'

-30-

Mick Jagger is "in the house" - !

 Speaking of Mick Jagger, some years ago there was a kid (a young man) working where I work, who looked like Mick Jagger.  

        It was kind of surprising.  

        The manager of his department came in my office one day and asked if the kid was in yet, I looked it up in the computer, and no, he was not in yet.  Then I added, "You know what?  That kid kind of looks like Mick Jagger."

        The manager was not expecting that.  (Well, neither was I.)  He looked at me for a second, thought about it, and then shook his head, and kind of laughed.

A short bit later, the kid arrived at work - I saw him - and I called his boss on the two-way radio:  "Rick Schulz, you got a copy on me? - 'Mick Jagger's' here. ..."

One day I mentioned to the kid, when he stopped in, that he looked like Mick Jagger.  He hadn't been told that, before.  He was kind of like - 'o-kay'... He was more interested in my sunglasses that I had at the time.

        He asked me if he could try them on.  He said, "I just want to see if they look as badass on me, as they do on you."

This unexpected outburst of hep-cat lingo was startling to me, in a not unpleasant way....

"Badass."

...  badass...?!?

-30-