These are all from the same page in the L.A. Times. This one is about Ed Rosenthal, a man who was convicted of trafficking in marijuana — this, despite the fact that he was asked by state government to supply said marijuana for therapeutic use. Federal officials (i.e., John Ashcroft) have taken the position that Federal law trumps State law and that what Rosenthal did was illegal. This is not how the legal system is supposed to work.
Recommended Reading
Larry Gelbart is a fine screenwriter, as well. Here, from the same newspaper, is a piece he wrote about his former employer, Robert Hope.
Recommended Reading
Frank Pierson is a fine screenwriter. Here's a piece about what he thinks is wrong with Hollywood. He's right.
Lies and More Lies
Here's a link to an article that interested me. Short summary: Polygraphs are not only worthless but they cause innocent people to be branded as liars.
"Why I'm Not a Patriot"
Interesting article by David D. Perlmutter. The quick summary of it is that we have trivialized words like "hero" and "patriot" by using them to refer to a lot of folks who have sacrificed nothing and risked nothing.
Yojimbo Victorious!
Our pal Stan Sakai took home the National Cartoonists Society award last night in the Comic Book Division. The group's 57th annual award ceremony was held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, and Stan's wonderful Usagi Yojimbo feature was honored, along with work by other top cartoonist-type people. The top trophy — the Reuben for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year — went to Matt (Simpsons) Groening, but we're more excited about Stan's win. Usagi Yojimbo is that rarity in the world of comics: A book conceived, written, lettered and wholly illustrated by one person — and produced not for just a few stories but over an extended period. Tom Luth provides cover coloring but otherwise, it's all Stan, as it has been for around 20 years, ever since the notion of the Samurai Rabbit occurred to him. The character first appeared in the second issue of a limited-run comic called Albedo, which is now very valuable. (As I write this, a copy is being auctioned off on eBay. Bidding is up to $255 and it still has more than three days to run.) Anyway, we couldn't be happier to see Stan's talents and commitment be recognized this way. You can read more about Stan and his bunny at his website.
About 1776
I hereby resolve to try and see more of my favorite movies in actual theaters, projected up onto big screens with others around to laugh and applaud. Between the VHS, Laserdisc and DVD versions — all of which I own — I know 1776 backwards and forwards. But I'd never before seen it like I saw it last night at the Egyptian Theater up in Hollywood…on a for-real movie screen with an appreciative audience. At home, you can pause a film and go to the toilet, and you don't have to pay eight bucks for parking…but those are about the only advantages that come to mind at the moment. The trade-off is that you miss the joy of laughing and applauding with others, and of seeing little details. Having never before viewed the film on a real screen, I'd never seen all the subtle reactions and little facial tics via which William Daniels fleshed out his starring role as John Adams. And even watching the Letterbox version at home on a large-screen TV, I hadn't noticed all the little bits of business and character support contributed by everyone in the corners of the frame. It really was a different, even more wonderful movie last night.
The print we saw was the new, restored "director's cut" approved by director Peter Hunt — who with choreographer Onna White, answered questions after. As you may know, this film has undergone some savagery over the years. Upon its original release in 1972, producer Jack L. Warner took it upon himself to cut the most political number, "Cool Conservative Men." This was done — and I once found it hard to believe but it seems to be true — at the behest of then-president Richard M. Nixon. Nixon had seen the stage version of 1776 when it was performed live at the White House — the first musical ever done in full there, by the way. He hated that number (and also, to a lesser extent, an anti-war song called "Mama Look Sharp"). A few years later when the film was made, producer Jack L. Warner screened it for Nixon who prevailed upon him to excise "Cool Conservative Men" — a song that made the right-wing faction of the Continental Congress out to be shallow and selfish. Without consulting anyone else, Warner cut the number and announced that, to prevent anyone from second-guessing and arguing the point, he'd had the negative of that scene destroyed. We'll never know if that cut contributed to the film's unimpressive box office but it probably didn't help.
As Peter Hunt explained in the post-screening discussion last evening, this movie was produced by Warner after he was no longer producing for Warner Brothers. Had it still been his studio, the negative presumably would have been destroyed as he'd ordered. But this movie was done for Columbia and apparently someone there felt Warner's word was not that of God, so they squirreled away the negative. For years, it was thought lost. When Pioneer was looking to release the film on Laserdisc a few years back, they did some searching and came across a mediocre but watchable print of that number and some other excised footage. To the cheers of film buffs everywhere, they released a "restored" version and we suddenly had a much better 1776 to watch.
This incarnation was not perfect, however, and it displeased Peter Hunt. In restoring that number and some other footage Warner had trimmed, they also put back some footage that he [Hunt] had cut, such as the last part of the "Piddle, Twiddle and Resolve" song. A few years later, someone at Sony (successors-in-interest to Columbia) found the original negative, and Hunt was invited to supervise a definitive cut. That's the version that's out on DVD — click here to order a copy if you don't have one. And that's the version we saw tonight. He said it's basically what he originally intended to have released to theaters in'72.
It's a stunning film, really it is. Some of the lyrics are awkward and clumsily rhymed…and for a musical, it sometimes goes surprisingly long without anyone bursting into song. But the latter is not necessarily bad and the former is easily forgiven — both, because the story is so compelling and well-told. It is, of course, the story of the writing, voting-on and adoption of the Declaration of Independence.About halfway-through, you actually forget the real history and sit there thinking, "Boy, they're never going to get that thing signed." The audience loved it. They cheered every name in the opening credits except Jack L. Warner's, and laughed a lot. There was even meaningful applause when Ben Franklin said the line…
Those who give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
The stage and screen versions of 1776 were done during the Vietnam War. How amazing — and in some ways, sad — that it's all still so relevant today.
Comic Artist Website of the Day
Trina Robbins is — in no particular order — a wonderful illustrator with a clean, expressive style…a superb historian who (sadly) is about the only one ferreting out the history of female cartoonists…and a charming, funny lady. We hereby recommend a visit to her website.
Name That Film!
Here's another one of these. Rick Phillips is trying to identify the following movie…
Sometime ago, in the 80's I believe, I saw a movie that took place in World War I. Two young men were arrested and told they had a choice of going into the army or to jail. They chose the army. During a battle in Germany they got scared and decided they would rather face a court-martial then fight so the tried to desert. However, they ran into the enemy and found the Germans' secret weapon. A giant zeppelin. Since no one else knew about it they hid on board it and destroyed it. Instead of being kicked out as cowards they were hailed as heroes. I have no idea what the name of the movie was and neither do my friends who saw it with me. There were no big name stars in the movie when it was released. The movie was only at the theater for 2 weeks so I know it didn't make any money but I enjoyed it would like to see it again. Please let me know if you or anyone knows the name of the film and where I may get it on video or DVD.
I can't help him. But I'll bet someone reading this can.
Where Walt Wandered
Did Walt Disney ever live in Asheville, North Carolina? His official biographers say absolutely not. But some folks down in Asheville — especially the ones selling a drawing table they claim was once his — insist he did. Here's a news story from that town that claims "the question remains unanswered," though the evidence for Walt in Asheville seems pretty much non-existent.
Question Answered!
Bryan Dawkins writes with what seems to be the solution to the query that Steve Thompson had earlier. It's Breakfast With Les and Bess, a 1985 TV-Movie starring Dick Van Dyke and Cloris Leachman. Mystery solved!
Comic Artist Website of the Day
Once upon a time — back when new artists rarely turned up in the pages of Marvel Comics — a kid named "Barry Smith" abruptly drew an issue of X-Men. And not too well, I might add — though in hindsight, it looks a lot better today than it did then. He was a Kirby imitator at first. Then as Marvel gave him other gigs, he began branching out from Kirby, attempting designs and fascinating perspectives and styles of storytelling. In record time, he seems to have found an individual artistic identity and developed a style so original and fully-formed that others would soon be imitating him. This occurred not long after he'd gone from being Barry Smith to being Barry Windsor-Smith, and you can see some of his recent and splendid work at his website. Do this now.
Attention, Mike Peters!
Clear your damned voice mail so I can leave you a message!
That's Rich
Frank Rich explains why the fervor over things like The Matrix is distracting us from important matters.
Comic Artist Website of the Day
Occasionally in comic-type magazines but also in publications and advertising of all sorts, Mitch O'Connell has distinguished himself. He has a fresh-yet-retro, clean-but-complicated style. Matter of fact, he has many styles. You can see some of them over at his website. Enjoy the purty pictures.