Of course everyone loved Lucy, and apparently everyone trusted her as well. The Queen of television could be found hawking nearly everything back in the 40's, 50's, and 60's, from cigarettes to makeup to paint to boardgames. And some of these slogans are absolutely priceless.
Alfred Hitchcock had wanted to remake his 30's thriller "The Man Who Knew Too Much" since around 1940. And thankfully, he did remake it. The result is the very underrated 1956 mystery that is slowly emerging as a lost Hitchcock classic. It deserves it.
Ben and Jo McKenna (James Stewart and Doris Day), an American couple vacationing family in Morocco, accidentally and unwittingly become part of an assassination plot. Before they know it, their son is kidnapped, and the two are knee deep in a web of murder, intrigue, and suspense. This is classic Hitchcock here, kids. For many reasons. First off, it's got James Stewart in it, and we know how all the other Hitchcock/Stewart collaborations ended up. I'm not a fan of James Stewart, but I love his Hitchcock films. What does that say?
Doris Day holds her own here, and delivers an often overlooked but superb performance. The film offers some gorgeous photography, and we're even treated to Doris delivering one of her signature tunes, "Que Sera, Sera". The film builds to a stunning climax chock full of suspense, and the usual Hitchcock humor shines throughout. It's all around enjoyable on all levels.
I grew up watching this on the Late Show, and I love it just as much as "Rear Window", "Vertigo", or "North By Northwest". Hitchcock was in his prime throughout the 1950's, belting out one classic film after another. "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is one of those films. Virtually ignored for many years, it's now slowly but surely finding an audience. It's a great rainy day flick, or part of a Hitchcock marathon. Thumbs up. Way up.
From the opening of Nelson Riddle's "Theme From Route 66", you're instantly transported back to a time of private eyes, smoky strip bars, secret agents, and dark alleys. This is the ultimate tribute to the bachelor pad of the mid 50's to the mid 60's. American men in this time period wanted to be Mike Hammer or James Bond, and this music perfectly captures the feeling and mindset of that era.
"Bachelor Pad Royale" is swingin', it's swanky, it's almost too cool. And sexy. This album oozes sex, which is strange, considering how conservative the 50's and early 60's were. From the appropriately named "Sexe" to the stripper anthem "Harlem Nocturne"- it's smolders with unbridled erotic energy. This is classic space age bachelor pop. You almost expect the Rat Pack to walk in the door any minute. "Bachelor Pad Royale" is one of the strongest entries in the Ultra-Lounge series, not that any of them are weak by any means. They're all fantastic. But this one really left an impression on me. It's the perfect musical nightcap!
Well kiddos, it's the week of Halloween. And I'm counting down each second! My favorite time of the year! Halloween leads to Thanksgiving which leads to Christmas and New Year's and well, you know what all that means, right? Parties! Cocktails! Madness! Oh yes. Halloween starts the holidays, and it's the best time of the year. Trick or treat!
Something about this time of year always gets me in the mood for La Streisand. And this is one of my favorite versions of "The Shadow Of Your Smile". Babs owns the song here, and it's got a wonderfully lush and dreamy vibe going on with it. This is classic Streisand. Enjoy!
Movies, much like music at the time, was in a strange place in the 1950s. Lucy was pregnant on tv, but couldn't say the word or how she got that way. The Hollywood studio system had changed- most of the great stars of the 30s and 40s had been let go, and a barrage of cream cheese stars had replaced the legends. Sex became very much repressed in this decade, and Debbie Reynolds, Sandra Dee, Troy Donahue, and many other innocent and wholesome faces saturated theaters. Even the divine Doris Day was virginal and honorable. Now sex was certainly very much alive in the 50s, and was most definitely expressed during this strange but fascinating decade. You cannot listen to "Harlem Nocturne" and not think of sex. And thank God for directors such as Alfred Hitchcock and Billy Wilder- directors who weren't afraid to push boundaries and test the strict moral code of the time. It's no wonder Marilyn Monroe exploded in the mid 50s. Which brings us to the movie.
Here's the plot. Two Chicago musicians, Joe and Jerry (Curtis and Lemmon), accidently witness the St. Valentine's Day Massacre. They flee for their lives, in hot pursuit by the mob. Desperate, the two men disguise themselves in female drag, rename themselves Josephine and Daphne, and join an all-girl traveling band on a train to sunny Florida. Which in turns only starts more complications as the two men, who are heterosexual, find themselves surrounded by beautiful women. One of whom is sensuous Sugar Kane, played to delicious and luminous perfection by the incomparable Marilyn Monroe. The men enjoy being around the girls, but get frustrated quickly. Joe ends up falling for Sugar, and goes out of drag to pretend he's a mysterious millionaire in order to woo her. Meanwhile, Daphne finds herself seduced by aging millionaire Osgood Fielding III, played by the amazing Joe E. Brown.
The acting is truly superb. Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe and top notch here, and lead a smashing cast. Brilliantly directed by Billy Wilder, "Some Like It Hot" is exactly how a comedy should be done. This is possibly Jack Lemmon's most hilarious performance- he is truly spectacular here. He's responsible for some of the films funniest moments. Tony Curtis almost outdoes Lemmon here with his infamous Cary Grant impersonation, it's just that fantastic. And of course Joe E. Brown manages to not only give a wonderfully funny performance, but manages to steal the show in the process. His immortal closing line of the film is the stuff of legend- this is exactly why I love the movies.
"Some Like It Hot" is the best comedy of all time. No doubt about it. And The American Film Institute agrees as they named "Some Like It Hot" the #1 comedy of all time. It's staggering to think how this movie got past the censors. Mind-blowing, actually. Quite risque for its time, it's chock full of surprisingly suggestive content and smart double-entrendres. It simply needs to be seen. No synopsis of this classic comedy would do it any justice whatsoever. This is a timeless comedy. It's not dated one bit, really. I honestly believe anybody today could see the hilarity of "Some Like It Hot" and respond to it. It's a madcap and uproarious farce that never fails to amaze. Everything was just done so right here.
This is one of the greatest achievements ever put on film- I have yet to see one smart comedy anywhere near the level of intelligence and wit that "Some Like It Hot" has in spades. It's absolutely true- they don't make movies like this anymore. Anybody could have done the hair gel scene with Cameron Diaz. Yet I can't imagine anybody else bringing these wonderful characters to life. You have the one and only Marilyn, singing "I Wanna Be Loved By You" and the mind-bending, gender-busting performances of Curtis and Lemmon- what more could you ask for in a movie? It's legendary in every aspect, and worthy of so much more admiration and respect. If you haven't seen this movie, rush out now and rent it, buy it, whatever. This is the funniest movie of all time. It doesn't get any better than this. Yes.
Around 1954, Hi-Fi was invented. And with that came a musical genre just as weird and mysterious as Exotica...Space-Age Pop. The Atomic Age was underway. Suddenly outer space was the ultimate in the exotic-talk about far away lands! Of course, we needed the perfect soundtrack for this new, sophisticated lifestyle.
Music was instantly recorded to convey our fascination with outer space. With the Hi-Fi LP now a staple, the first true concept albums were recorded. We are in the dawn of new technologies here- think "The Jetsons", think NASA. Throw in Jerry Lewis from "The Nutty Professor"and you get the picture. It's music that was cold, moody, and usually employing the theremin,which gave the music a slightly queasy sci/fi-horror feel to it.
Now the term Space-Age Pop didn't actually exist back in the 50's and 60's, but it's a great description of what this music is. Les Baxter and Billy May of course appear on "Space Capades", but the album offers up many hidden gems. It's one of the campiest of all the Ultra-Lounge albums, and there's not a damn thing wrong with that. So suit up- we're preparing for blast off! Dim the lights and take a swig of your Tom Collins. We're boldly going into the future... and beyond.
