Our video funfest today brings us a commercial for Chocks, a vitamin for kids that was introduced into the market in 1960. Insofar as I can tell, these are no longer made. Vitamins shaped like Flintstones (introduced in '68) and other recognizable characters took away enough of the market share to bring an end to Chocks. All we have left are ads like this one.
The voice of the cuckoo bird sounds like Dick Beals, who we've discussed here many times before. The panda's voice was supplied by the world's greatest ventriloquist, Dr. Paul Winchell. The rocking horse is...well, I'm not sure. It sounds like Tom D'Andrea, a character actor best remembered from The Life of Riley. Then again, it might be someone doing a real good Tom D'Andrea impression. And I have no idea who the woman is who's doing the singing. Okay, let's roll it...
Another good article on my current favorite comedian/commentator, Lewis Black. Thanks to Lee Wochner for letting me know about it so I could let you know about it...and also read it myself.
Lots of e-mails asking me to write something about the upcoming Path to 9/11 "docu-drama" on ABC which will portray a version of history that, many are arguing, is a right-wing fantasy, intended to minimize the shortcomings of the Bush administration and to affix blame to the Clinton team.
As I've said before here — like when CBS had that TV-Movie, The Reagans — I'm not a fan of works that purport to dramatize history but reserve the right to fictionalize whenever it pleases them. It's one thing if you write or produce something and are willing to say, "I believe this is a reasonably accurate depiction of what happened." Then there can be a clear debate on the truth, or lack thereof in the work. It's quite different when you claim the right to fictionalize and say, in effect, "I'm just making stuff up here because it's more fun this way." Then everyone knows that it's bull. The docu-drama form, to me, is an attempt to have it both ways; to present something that many will take as history but to give its presenter an alibi for inaccuracies and even a free pass for intentional distortions. I don't like Oliver Stone movies for the same reason.
I haven't seen the upcoming semi-fictionalization of what led up to 9/11 but the advance hubbub does not sound encouraging as to the project's integrity. Left-wing websites have identified what they say are numerous wrenchings of the truth, often citing folks who were there at the time and/or on the 9/11 commission, on whose report the TV-Movie supposedly relied heavily for research. The people who made the new TV-Movie seem to be balking from claiming it's what actually happened, instead employing statements like "...for dramatic and narrative purposes, the movie contains fictionalized scenes, composite and representative characters and dialogue, and time compression." Every dramatization does that to some extent. I'd be more impressed if they offered specific defenses or sources for some of the alleged fibs.
They have also heavily embraced the right-wing blogosphere, freely distributing advance screeners to the Limbaugh crowd while denying them to any party (including those depicted in the film) who might find advance fault with their accuracy. At the same time, an ABC press statement said, "No one has seen the final version of the film, because the editing process is not yet complete, so criticisms of film specifics are premature and irresponsible." But of course, they have already distributed a version of it to folks they knew would embrace its every anti-Clinton moment and scream over any excisions that were later made. That's called Stacking the Deck.
I see utterly no reason to view this one any different from The Reagans, except that this one is about a more serious subject and has more relevance to an upcoming election. Blogger Glenn Greenwald has resurrected a lot of quotes from prominent right-wingers about how unfair it was to semi-fictionalize the lives of Ron and Nancy. I think they all apply to this one, too...though I would stop short of arguing that the work should not be broadcast at all.
If some network wants to yank a show or film because they decide it's seriously flawed, that's their right...but it shouldn't be done just because they were pressured into doing so. Pressure, as it's applied in these cases, is a capricious thing that often has more to do with who's efficient at rallying the troops — and getting to key affiliates or advertisers — than with any fair assessment of the offense or public outrage. I do think it's fair game to criticize the work in advance to perhaps make ABC (in this case) reconsider if they want to put their corporate integrity, such as it is, behind the project. If they do, fine. If I were the guy in charge at the network, or had I had that post at CBS when The Reagans was igniting controversy, I'm not sure what I would have done...other than to question the responsibility of green-lighting such factually-arguable "docu-dramas" in the first place.
The Reprise! Theatrical Company stages musicals up at the Freud Playhouse at U.C.L.A. with minimal sets and costuming but maximum talents. In the past, my reviews of their offerings came too late to do much good for Los Angeles theatergoers: Their shows only run for sixteen performances apiece and my season tickets were for the next-to-the-next-to-the-last performance. Ergo, by the time I could post my rave recommendation here, it was too late for most of you to scurry out and by tickets.
Not so, this time. Last evening, I attended opening night of the Reprise! presentation of My One and Only, which is sub-titled "The Gershwin Musical." Actually, it's a Gershwin musical but let's not quibble. If you live in L.A., you have to scurry out (or over to this website) and purchase tickets.
Some history. In 1927, George and Ira Gershwin did the score for Funny Face, a musical with a book by Fred Thompson and Paul Gerard Smith. Several of its tunes, including "'S Wonderful," "He Loves and She Loves" and the title tune were quite popular and the show itself ran 244 performances, which was a respectable number back when theaters weren't air conditioned and shows often closed for the summer because of it. (Funny Face opened November 22, 1927 and closed June 23, 1928.)
In the late seventies and early eighties, a number of shows that made it to Broadway were highly-revised revivals of old musicals with familiar tunes. Usually, someone would come in to revamp and modernize the book, and they'd interpolate a few hit songs from other shows by the same composer(s). When Ira Gershwin — he was still alive at the time — gave the okay to bring back Funny Face, that was the idea: Update its rather silly story and toss in some other great Gershwin tunes. By the time it made Broadway in May of 1983, My One and Only (the new title) had changed more than its makers had expected. Tommy Tune starred with Twiggy, Roscoe Lee Browne, Charles "Honi" Coles, Denny Dillon and a whole bunch of great hoofers. Mr. Tune also co-directed and co-choreographed with Thommie Walsh...and the show must have delighted audiences because it ran 767 performances and has had a healthy life since.
Peter Stone and Timothy S. Mayer supplied the new book and I don't know why but I'm going to try to summarize the plot. It's the story of Captain Billy Buck Chandler and famous swimmer Edith Herbert. He's a somewhat-unkempt hick (no one is ever too unkempt in a Gershwin musical) who wants to be the first man to ever fly a plane non-stop from New York to Paris. This is before Lindbergh, obviously. He is distracted from this goal momentarily when he falls in love with Edith, who has recently made headlines by swimming the English Channel. She is the third woman to do this but, as her scummy manager boasts, "...the first attractive one." The manager is a slimy Russian who is keeping her under his thumb because he has her passport...and also some naughty photos she posed for when she was younger. She needs Chandler's help to escape this horrible relationship...and that's pretty much what it's about.
No...come to think of it, that's not what it's about. It's about performing Gershwin tunes. What's in the previous paragraph is just the excuse to sing "Strike Up the Band" and "How Long Has This Been Going On?" and "I Can't Be Bothered Now" (several times) and other glorious tunes. Since the company does a splendid job of this, a good time is had by all.
Michael Gruber plays Cap'n Chandler. He's terrific, striking the right notes of hayseed and suave sophistication at the right moments. Rachel York plays Edith. Rachel York has been wonderful in everything she's ever done and the streak continues, unabated. Vicki Lewis, who was so good in the last Reprise! show I saw (City of Angels, though I neglected to mention her at the time) just about steals the whole show. The only thing that stops her is that Betty Garrett is also in the cast and you can't steal what someone else has already stolen.
Yes, it's Betty Garrett...Betty Garrett from Words and Music and On the Town and My Sister Eileen and talk about your Living Legends. Someone — maybe director-choreographer Dan Mojica — had the genius idea to cast her in the role played on Broadway by Charles "Honi" Coles. Well, why not? Ms. Garrett's late husband Larry Parks did okay working in blackface, playing Al Jolson. Why shouldn't his widow play a part written for a short, older black man? (I got to speak with her after the show and she joked she was worried about being "typecast" in that kind of role.)
The whole cast is excellent...and I'd like to single out Richard Israel, who played the Russian. As you may know, these "concert-style" shows are done with very little rehearsal and Richard had less than anyone. Another actor was to have played the part until he suddenly got cast in a new TV series. Mr. Israel was called in and began rehearsals last Saturday and there was a preview performance on Tuesday night. Most human beings could not even learn half the dialogue in that time, let alone all the staging and blocking and dancing that goes with it. If he'd screwed up a bit, you could forgive the guy but that wasn't necessary. It was a thoroughly polished, flawless performance.
I had a rollickin' good time at My One and Only and as far as I could tell, so did everyone else who was smart enough to get tickets. It's almost a no-brainer: You can't beat The Best of Gershwin and note for note, tap for tap, this cast more than does justice to the legacy of George and Ira.
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September 8, 2006
