My favorite Doris Day comedy. Of course we loved Rock Hudson too. He was such a gorgeous hunk o man. This formulaic Day film was such fun to watch silly as it's plot was.
Doris Day plays an interior decorator who finds she's sharing a telephone party line with a womanising songwriter (Hudson) - she finds him unbearable at the end of the phone, but there are definite sparks for the better when they meet for real. He goes about romancing her in the guise of a nice Southern boy and almost succeeds ...
In support are the funny Thelma Ritter and Tony Randall, perfect foils for the glamorous leads. The film zips along with a large amount of charm, certainly helped by the colour and the snappy title song. There are numerous classic scenes to add to the fun but I won't spoil yours until you've seen it. If you've never seen this, lucky you, you've got a treat to look forward to.
Diana Rigg was a big hero in my childhood. She and of course Honey West were our very first women action figures! The carried gun and beat up the bad guys! Especially Emma Peel OMG she was a toughie that girl. She often defended John Steed from bad guy assaults. Emma was my first image of being an independent while still being beautiful. The boys at school loved her but so did the girls! We had a character we could portray.
Diana Rigg was a troublesome girl, born in England but raised in India, where her father worked as a railroad executive. At the age of eight, she was sent back to England for a more proper upbringing, but classes, she has said, were boring, and she was often caught daydreaming. One particularly bright teacher suggested that Rigg channel her daydreams onto the stage, and performing in a school production of Goldilocks, she knew she wanted to be an actor.
Rigg has made a career out of playing troublesome characters. She went straight from high school to the prestigious Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, where she made her professional debut at the age of 19. The pay, however, was meager, and she supplemented her income with work as a shopclerk, a switchboard operator, and a fashion model. At 21, she signed a five-year contract with the Royal Shakespeare Company, and when that deal expired she auditioned to spy with Patrick Mac Nee in The Avengers.
She stayed with the series for only two years, but her second season was aired in America as well as Britain, making Rigg a worldwide star. And she was simply smashing as the smart, sexy, widowed Mrs. Emma Peel, an expert in kung-fu, tai-chi, and other forms of hand-to-hand combat.
In one understandably beloved episode, "A Touch of Brimstone", Rigg was disguised as "The Queen of Sin", to infiltrate the Hellfire Club, a clandestine group determined to topple governments through practical jokes.
She wore an extremely tight Edwardian-style corset, high heeled leather boots, and a three-inch spiked collar. According to legend, that memorable outfit was not provided by the program's wardrobe department, but instead came from Ms Rigg's own closet.
Kimmer was named after Kim Novak that fantastic actress of the late 50's and 60's. She is best known for her association with Alfred Hitchcock and my favorite of her films is VERTIGO. She was so hauntingly beautiful in that film with Jimmy Stewart. It was so real when Jimmy's character became entranced with Kim's. Everyone in the audience did as well.
My second favorite of Kim's films was BELL BOOK AND CANDLE because it features witchcraft and Gillian's (Novak) pet Siamese cat Pyewacket. Here is a little about the film:
The play was adapted successfully into a beautiful color film starring Kim Novak, James Stewart, Jack Lemmon, Elsa Lanchester, Hermoine Gingold, Ernie Kovacs, and Janice Rule. It's light entertainment, about a normal-appearing family of witches (Novak, Lemmon, and Lanchester) and the publisher (Stewart) who lives in their building. The most expert of them is the sultry, soft-voiced Gillian, who would love to be normal. One night, with Stewart in her apartment, she puts a spell on him using her Siamese cat, Pyewacket, and he falls in love with her.
"Bell Book and Candle" was filmed on a charming set that replicates New York. The movie is loads of fun. Jack Lemmon is very funny in a supporting role as Gillian's brother, a musician in the witch and warlock-laden Zodiac Club. He uses his powers to turn streetlights on and off and to turn on the occasional woman. Janice Rule is perfect as the snobby ex-college rival of Gillian, now dating Stewart, and Ernie Kovacs has a great turn as an eccentric who is writing the definitive book on witches. Lanchester and Gingold, of course, are always wonderful, Lanchester Gillian's daft aunt and Gingold as a sort of queen of witchcraft.
Kim Novak was born Marilyn Pauline Novak in Chicago, Illinois of Czech extraction. Her father was a railroad clerk and former teacher; her mother also was a former teacher, and Novak has a sister. While attending Farragut High Academy, she won a scholarship to the Art Institute of Chicago. After leaving school, she began a career modeling teen fashions for a local department store. She later received a scholarship at a modeling academy and continued to model part-time. She worked as an elevator operator, a sales clerk and a dental assistant. After a job touring the country as a spokesman for a refrigerator manufacturer, "Miss Deepfreeze," Novak moved to Los Angeles, where she continued to find work as a model.
Exciting fan moment coming this month for Kimmer at the Ann Arbor Rock n Roll Revival show. I finally get to meet Nikki Corvette! We love her and she reminds us of our favorite girl singers of the 1960's and all that is retro fabulous.
Two decades before the Donnas were doing their best to be the "chick Ramones," we had Nikki and the Corvettes. Bomp has reissued on CD the band's sole album -- think of a sexed-up punked-up Shangri-Las, fueled by Chuck Berry guitar riffs -- along with their two singles. You get 16 foot-tappin', head-boppin' songs about boys, "Backsteat Love," and dancing that I think would require a supreme effort to NOT enjoy. Bubblegum punk that tastes as good as it looks.
Tonight I was discussing my favorite decade and the ultra cool fashion models of the time with my pal Rock Photographer Heather Harris. I mentioned how Twiggy invented the waifish short hair and painted on lower lashes look. No no pointed out Ms Harris you must see Julie Driscoll!
Have to admit I had never been exposed to Ms. Driscoll before that I was aware of. Turns out she did sing back up with Rod Stewart with Long John Baldry so I had seen (heard) her at least once. She is fantastic and here is more on the lovely Ms Driscoll nee Tippetts.
Julie Driscoll is an English singer and actress, known for her 1960s versions of Bob Dylan's "This Wheel's on Fire", and Donovan's "Season of the Witch", both with Brian Auger & The Trinity. She and Auger had previously worked in Steampacket, with Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart.
"This Wheel's on Fire" reached number five in the United Kingdom. With distortion, the imagery of the title and the group's dress and performance, this version came to represent the psychedelic era in British music. Driscoll recorded the song again in the early 90s with Adrian Edmondson as the theme to the BBC comedy series Absolutely Fabulous, whose main characters are throwbacks to that era.
Since the 1970s Driscoll has concentrated on experimental vocal music, married jazz musician Keith Tippett and collaborated with him. Her name is now 'Julie Tippetts', thus using the original spelling of her husband's surname. She participated in Keith Tippett's big band Centipede and, in 1974, took part in Robert Wyatt's Theatre Royal Drury Lane concert; released a solo album, Sunset Glow; and was lead vocalist on Carla Bley's album Tropic Appetites.
Later in the 1970s she toured with her own band, and recorded and performed as one of the vocal quartet 'Voice', with Maggie Nichols, Phil Minton and Brian Eley.
"Itchycoo Park" was released by mod band The Small Faces in August, 1967. Together with "Lazy Sunday", "Tin Soldier" and "All or Nothing", the song is one of the band's biggest hits and has become a classic of its time.
The song reached number 16 in the American Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968.
Long running British music magazine NME cites readers poll voting "Itchycoo Park" number 62 out of top 100 singles of all time.
"Itchycoo Park" climbed to the top of the charts again when it was re-released on 13 December 1975. The song was first thought of by Ronnie Lane, who had been reading a leaflet on the virtues of Oxford which mentioned its dreaming spires.
A number of sources claim the song's name is derived from the nickname of Little Ilford Park, on Church Road in the London suburb of Manor Park, where Small Faces' singer and song-writer Steve Marriott grew up. The "itchycoo" nickname is, in turn, attributed to the stinging nettles which grew there. Other sources cite nearby Wanstead Flats (Manor Park end) as the inspiration for the song.
Marriott and Small Faces manager Tony Calder came up with the well-known story when Marriott was told the BBC had banned the song for its overt drug references, Calder confirms:
"We scammed the story together, we told the BBC that Itchycoo Park was a piece of waste ground in the East End that the band had played on as kids - we put the story out at ten and by lunchtime we were told the ban was off." - Tony Calder
Ronnie Lane on the true location of Itchycoo Park:
"It's a place we used to go to in Ilford years ago. Some bloke we know suggested it to us because it's full of nettles and you keep scratching". - Ronnie Lane
Another local park, in the nearby town of Ilford, called Valentines Park, was also often referred to as Itchycoo Park. Itchy Park is located in the East End of London and dates back to the Victorian era.
The small chameleon-like animals known as Naugas™ have long been known as the source of beautiful and durable fabrics that look like fine, soft leather. And since Naugas shed their hydes without harm to themselves, the fabrics they help make came to be known as Naugahyde®, The Cruelty Free Fabric™.
Despite the popularity of these little animals and their hydes, little is known of their origins and how they first came to America.
Some researchers say Naugas™ are native to the island of Sumatra. Ancient Nauga artifacts recently found near the Coliseum in Rome have, however, cast doubt on this theory.
One prominent historian believes the first Naugas arrived in America in 1778 when they delivered designer clothes from France to George Washington's Continental Army. Others suggest they arrived far earlier, pointing out an abandoned tenth century Viking settlement that was recently unearthed in Newfoundland. Among the tantalizing evidence is the discovery of two Nauga names, Olaf the Red and Erik the Navy Blue, on a fragment of stone tablet at the site.
But like most immigrants many Naugas simply arrived with little more than their hydes on their backs and a willingness to work hard for a better future.
Before long Naugas™ were succeeding in many industries and professions.
Thomas Maroon built a nationwide chain of dry-cleaning shops.
Catherine Orange completed the first solo transatlantic flight by a Nauga in 1932.
The park was located on Bois Blanc Island, which is part of the Province of Ontario, Canada. It lies just above the mouth of the Detroit River. The people of Detroit characterized it as that city's Coney Island.
The Nightmare, Falling Star, Wild Mouse, Sky Streak, Screamer, ferris wheel, zoo, and the carousel were the signature attractions. To move visitors around the island the park constructed a mini railroad. The rides were sold off in 1994. Henry Ford also had a dance hall designed and built by Albert Kahn. It was second largest in the country, holding 5,000 dancers at full capacity.
The island is a five minute ferry ride from Amherstburg, Ontario, and 18 miles from Detroit, Michigan. For more than 85 years, the park was serviced by the SS Ste. Clair and the SS Columbia ferry boats. The Boblo Island Amusement Park was famous for those two steamers, which went between Detroit and the island. They could hold over 2,500 passengers each. The ferry boats were sold off in January 1996.
Theatrical trailer for the swinging sixties mod film The Touchables. Directed by Robert Freeman, written by Donald Cammell and Ian La Frenais. Theatrical trailer for the swinging sixties mod film The Touchables. Directed by Robert Freeman, written by Donald Cammell and Ian La Frenais.
The Touchables (1968)
Mark Ellis
I acquired the soundtrack LP to The Touchables in the late 80s, hooked initially and unsurprisingly by the groovy girls on the cover and the inclusion of my fave Hammond organ demon, Wynder K Frog, on the track list.
I read somewhere, the synopsis for this long lost artefact of swinging London excess and marvelled at the plot concerning an arrogant pop star kidnapped by four pulchritudinous dollybirds and kept as a sexual plaything in a see through pleasure bubble in the English countryside. Blimey! That’s all I could find out at the time…oh yes and its lack of availability….darn! Nothing on the LP either to convey fevered kinky couplings, except a bit of greasy Hammond courtesy of Mr Frog….the sometimes patchy soundtrack also featured a bit of white soul from Ferris Wheel, flowerpop from Roy Redman and cult psych band, Nirvana. It also turns out to have been directed by Beatles photographer, Robert Freeman and written by the masterful Ian La Frenais and the late great genius, Donald Cammell….I still haven’t seen it!
Anyhow, the wonderous Youtube has come up trumps with some footage from this scarce movie..enjoy….
Scott began writing poetry at the age of seven and songs at age eight. He taught himself drums, guitar, sax, piano, and recording production while in his teens. Scott has received 21 ASCAP songwriting awards and has been played on radio worldwide. He also has acted in several motion pictures including "Mirror Mirror", "Hoffa", and the earliest American karaoke videos. He has designed his own line of guitars and amplifiers found at CampbellGuitars.com. Scott also invented the "CAMPBELL FLOATING NECK" string bending system (patent pending).
Hey all you South Eastern Michigan and surrounding area Detroit Rock fans! Come on out for the up coming once in a lifetime line up of Scott Morgan (The Rationals) and Deniz Tek (Radio Birdman) Hiawatha Bailey and Gorevette!!
They will be playing together once more at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. Tickets will be available online at 10 am tomorrow morning! Get your tickets HERE this show will sell out quickly!
Come on out and hear your favorite tunes from these fantastic founders of Rock and Roll.
Supporting the legendary trio with be Gorevette, Mazinga and the Irrationals!
Frank Abagnale Jr, 16 years old, lives happily in 1964 New Rochelle, New York with his father Frank Abagnale Sr and French mother Paula. When a loan for Frank Sr. is denied at Chase Manhattan Bank, due to a series of IRS tax frauds by Frank Sr, the family is forced to move from their grand home to a small apartment.
Paula carries on an affair with Jack, a friend of her husband. In the meantime, Frank poses as a substitute teacher in his French class. Shortly, Frank's parents file for divorce, and Frank, scared, runs away. When he runs out of money, he begins to use confidence scams. Frank's cons grow ever bolder and he even impersonates an airline pilot. He forges Lufthansa & Pan Am payroll checks and succeeds in stealing more than $2.8 million.
Meanwhile Carl Hanratty, an FBI bank fraud agent, begins to track down Frank with little help from his superiors. Carl and Frank meet in a hotel, where Frank convinces Carl his name is Barry Allen of the Secret Service. Frank leaves, with Carl angrily fooled. Later, at Christmas, Carl is still working when Frank calls him, attempting to apologize for duping Carl.
Carl rejects his apology and tells him that he will soon be caught, but laughs when he realizes that Frank actually called him because he has no one else to talk to. Frank hangs up, and Carl continues to investigate. At a restaurant, a waiter points out to Carl that Frank's false name, "Barry Allen," is from The Flash comic books. Carl then realizes that Frank is probably a teenager.
Frank, meanwhile, has not only switched to becoming a doctor and a Louisiana lawyer, but has also fallen in love with a girl named Brenda. Carl tracks him to his engagement party where Frank admits the truth about himself to Brenda and asks her to run away with him. As he escapes, he asks Brenda to meet him in two days so they can elope.
At the Miami International Airport, Frank sees her waiting as agreed, but he spots FBI agents everywhere and realizes that he has been set up (with Brenda as the bait) and posing as a representative for Pan-Am, goes to a nearby girl's college to "recruit" girls to be "stewardesses-in-training," and returns to the airport the next day, using the girls that he recruits as a distraction to the FBI agents, making his escape to Europe.
Seven months later, Carl shows his boss that Frank has been forging checks all over the world and that he is out of control. He wants permission to fly to Europe to look for him. When his boss denies him the permission, Carl takes Frank’s checks to professional printers who deem that they were printed in France. Remembering that Frank’s mother, Paula, was born in Montrichard, France, Carl goes there where he finds Frank.
He tells him the French police will kill him if he does not go with Carl quietly. Frank assumes he is joking, but Carl assures Frank he would never lie to him, and Carl takes him outside, where the French police escort him to prison. Carl promises to have him extradited to the U.S.
The scene then flashes forward to a plane returning Frank to the U.S. from France. Carl informs him that his father has died. Consumed with grief, Frank escapes through the bathroom plumbing and out the landing gear when the plane lands in New York. He goes back to his old house, where he sees his mother and Jack Barnes, as well as a little girl that Frank realizes is his half-sister. Frank gives up and is sentenced to prison, getting occasional visits from Carl.
When Frank easily points out how one of the checks Carl is carrying as evidence is fake, Carl gets an idea and calls for an interview with the FBI. At the interview, the FBI informs Frank that he can serve out the remainder of his sentence working in the FBI's bank fraud department, under Carl’s custody, to which Frank accepts. Though somewhat content,
Frank still misses the thrill of the chase and attempts to be a pilot again. Carl catches him, but lets him fly anyway, remarking "sometimes it's easier living the lie," and says he knows Frank will be back, as no-one is chasing him.
On Monday, though delayed, Frank does return, and finally reveals to Carl that not all of his careers were cons—Frank passed the Louisiana Bar exam by studying for it for two weeks.
The epilogue shows that Frank is happily married with three sons, lives in the Midwest, and is still good friends with Carl. Frank has helped catch some of the world's most elusive money forgers and earns millions creating unforgeable checks. Frank give lecturers for the FBI and large corporations in check fraud and security.
Despite the various changes from real-life events, Abagnale believed Spielberg was the only filmmaker who "could do this film justice."However, Abagnale had little involvement with the film. In November 2001, he had "never met nor spoken to Steven Spielberg and I have not read the script. I prefer not to.
I understand that they now portray my father in a better light, as he really was. Steven Spielberg has told the screenplay writer (Jeff Nathanson) that he wants complete accuracy in the relationships and actual scams that I perpetrated," Abagnale reported. "I hope in the end the movie will be entertaining, exciting, funny and bring home an important message about family, childhood and divorce."
Abagnale never saw his father after he ran away from home. Spielberg "wanted to continue to have that connection where Frank kept trying to please his father; by making him proud of him; by seeing him in the uniform, the Pan-American uniform." However, Abagnale praised the idea. "Even though I didn't see my dad again, every night after living a brilliant day and meeting many women, and making much money, I'd come back alone to a hotel room and I would just think of my mom and dad and fantasize about getting them back together again, and cry. It's the justification of a fantasy."
Abagnale was depicted as an only child in the film. In fact he was one of 4 children. Abagnale's mother never remarried nor did she have any more children after her divorce.
In one scene Frank, Jr. is interviewing college girls to be his stewardesses-in-training, one girl sings John Denver's "Leaving On A Jet Plane" as a part of her interview. This is anachronistic, because when Frank does this, it's 1966, but the song wasn't released until the next year.
Carl Hanratty (portrayed by Tom Hanks) is based on FBI agent Joe Shaye. In the shooting script the character was referred to as Joe Shaye, but was changed to Carl Hanratty for unknown reasons. Abagnale simply escaped from the back of a Boeing 737, not through a toilet. Spielberg "added that for laughs."
The real FBI agent who first caught Abagnale was Joe Shea (Shaye). Without identifying him, Abagnale tells a Blackstone Audio interviewer (near the end of the link):
In my book I called him Agent O'Riley, but that's not his real name. He is in his 80s and has been retired from the FBI for many years. We have a wonderful relationship and I correspond and speak with him often.
Shea (then the FBI's lead agent in Marietta, Georgia), caught Abagnale at a motel in Smyrna, Georgia, a suburb of Atlanta. Although he spent very little time in the now-expanded Cobb County jail, Abagnale escaped during a work detail.
Eighty-three years old at the time of the movie's release, Shea told the Marietta Daily Journal:
He was not a violent type of criminal - no guns, no knives, never hurt anybody. That wasn't his style. He used his brains and his bravado to pass himself off as what he was impersonating.
Although Frank slipped through the FBI's control in Georgia, he was less fortunate with the French authorities. It was there - where prisons are more like 17th century nightmares than 20th century rehabilitation houses - that Abagnale began his course correction.
