I must admit to a complete lack of interest in the annoyingly retro-cool game of Poker. For me Poker belongs to the same crowd that reads Cigar Aficionado, professes to like small-batch Bourbon and Scotch and makes a big deal about betting on the Kentucky Derby. Having gotten that off
Continuing our Friday Ernie Kovacs posts, here’s Kovacs most famous routine–The Nairobi Trio performing ‘Solfeggio’. Even if you’ve seen this before–and chances are that you have–it remains weirdly delightful and beyond definition. As always with Kovacs, the ‘meta’ of it all is also fascinating–how did he describe this routine to
Here’s the rather original first trailer of ‘The Thin Man’ (1934) starring…well, if you read this blog I’m pretty sure you know who played Nick and Nora Charles. It uses a rather striking ‘book-end’ gimmick–William Powell doubles himself and Nick Charles in a split screen in which Nick stands within
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwk0kwETsYIhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlMxXrRCMAI Above are two clips depicting Hollywood premieres of the late 1920s. The first is the ‘real thing’–some marvelous, restored black&white newsreel footage of two different premieres, ‘Broadway Melody’ and ‘The Divine Lady’ (both 1929). The second clip is the opening sequence of ‘Singin’ In The Rain’ (1952), which is
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5SbtV6zGpI Apropos of last week’s post about the legendary Hollywood hotel/lodge/bungalow village ‘The Garden Of Allah’, here’s a look at the beautiful model of the place that resided in the Lytton Savings Bank on the site where the GOA stood before being demolished in 1959. I remember seeing this model
‘Uncivil Warbirds’ (1946) is the 90th short comedy made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures. It was photographed from Friday, August 24th through Tuesday, August 28th, 1945 and was released on Friday, March 29, 1946 (the 88th day of the Gregorian Calendar). This is ‘late’ Curly–after his first stroke
Last Friday I decided that we would end every work week from now on (and forever and I mean it) with a little Ernie Kovacs material from his various 1950s and 60s TV specials. (See also last Monday and Wednesday as well for a little Kovacs catch-up). This is a
‘Idle Roomers’ (1944) is the 80th comedy short-subject made by The Three Stooges for Columbia Pictures. It was photographed from Wednesday, November 17th to Saturday, November 20th, 1943 and was released on Saturday, July 15th, 1944 (the 197th day of the Gregorian calendar). It’s a good solid early-later era Curly
I get that Ernie Kovacs isn’t for everyone–he was often referred to as ‘The Olive’, code for ‘acquired taste’. Actually I have a friend whose taste I usually am in agreement with who once said that Kovacs comedy was for him ‘like being told oatmeal is dessert’. Nonetheless I love
On Monday I posted a clip of comedian Ernie Kovacs doing his ‘Percy Dovetonsils, Poet Laureate’ shtick. There are many more Kovacs TV moments that I considered posting but I ran across this very funny and rather atypical Kovacs moment which happened when he was a guest on ‘What’s My