I’ve never had a post rejected by Facebook until this week. It was my latest Vote Against The Crook post, which makes it even more mysterious as it’s the twentieth of the series. Was it the tagline: Heckuva job, Trumpy? Beats the hell outta me. Only Meta knows for sure.
I had my final iron infusion treatment last Thursday. At least I hope it’s the final one. The proof will be in my next blood test. I’m still feeling sub-normal, but I see the light at the end of this very long tunnel. I hope it’s not the Lincoln Tunnel because that means I’m in New Jersey.
This week’s theme song was written by Colin Hay for Men At Work’s debut album, Business As Usual. It was an even bigger hit in the US than Down Under. It reached number 8 in Australia and number one in America.
We have two versions of Who Can It Be Now? for your listening pleasure: the Men At Work original and a solo version by Colin Hay.
Before moving on to our second act, another song with a question mark in the title:
I hope no one strokes out over that questionable song selection. Here’s another one:
We begin our second act with a review of an American Masters documentary.
Blake Edwards: A Love Story In 24 Frames: The writer-director Blake Edwards died in 2010. He made some of the funniest films ever. I nearly wet myself just thinking about The Pink Panther films with Peter Sellers as the daft French detective Inspector Clouseau. Clouseau had his own language. So did Blake Edwards.
The documentary has the co-operation of the Edwards family. Mrs. Edwards is a legend in her own right: Julie Andrews. There’s a wonderful moment when Jennifer Edwards describes meeting her future stepmother. She was 8 years old and quite naturally wondered why her dad was so chummy with Mary Poppins.
Edwards helped Andrews break the mold of the two characters who made her a star, Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp. Their first film together Darling Lilli was a flop, but they made some great movies including SOB, 10, and Victor/Victoria.
In addition to being a great comedy director, Blake Edwards created and produced the fine TV shamus series, Peter Gunn. I had fond memories of it from watching reruns in my wayward youth. It’s streaming on Amazon Plus and I was delighted to discover that it’s as good as I remembered. Edwards wrote 40+ episodes and directed another dozen.
Despite the family involvement, it’s a warts and all portrait of the filmmaker. Blake Edwards emerges as a likable but flawed man. Anyone who has seen his movies already knew that: Edwards put his neuroses onscreen for the world to see. The Dudley Moore character in 10 was based on Blake. That guy made some dubious choices: who dumps Julie Andrews? Mary Poppins might just hit you in the head with her umbrella in retaliation.
Here’s the trailer:
Grading Time: I give Blake Edwards: A Love Story In 24 Frames 3 1/2 stars and an Adrastos Grade of B+ It’s a fine way to spend 83 minutes of your life.
The last word of our second act goes to Henry Mancini with the theme song of Peter Gunn:
Holy TV Noir, Batman.
We begin our third act with our favorite stolen feature.
Separated At Birth Casting Edition: I still have Peter Sellers on my mind. Geoffrey Rush played the troubled comic genius in the 2004 HBO movie The Life and Death Of Peter Sellers.
Here’s more Mancini before we move on:
How could I write about Peter Sellers and Blake Edwards without posting the Pink Panther theme?
Your Weekly Oscar: Mancini mania continues with OP’s version of the theme song for Blake Edwards’ most serious film.
Have I told you lately how much I love Oscar Peterson?
The Best Of Cavett: It’s a longer than average chat show clip featuring Julie Andrews and her husband.
Saturday GIF Horse: Expecting Inspector Clouseau rassling with Kato? I’m going to disappoint you because I’ve had Dr. Strangelove on my mind since writing my How I Learned To Stop Worrying & Hate The Polls post.
Such a great joke. Such a great movie.
Tweet Of The Week: Two legendary athletes died this week. Dikembe Matumbo was a good and decent man whereas Pete Rose was an unrepentant jerk. I don’t believe in heaven or hell, but this made me laugh.
Pete Rose gonna go to heaven tonight and Dikembe gonna be sitting at the pearly gates like pic.twitter.com/ibdxCYKvoh
— Jeff (@FejSkaz_) September 30, 2024
Let’s close down this virtual honky tonk with some more music.
Saturday Closer: We feature another fine Australian band but not the obvious Beds Are Burning clip. This is perhaps my favorite Oils tune. It makes me wanna shine Peter Garrett’s head.
That’s all for this week. The last word goes to James Garner and Julie Andrews in Blake Edwards’ Victor/Victoria.
