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kramerafii
Reviews
The Good Life (1975)
Them what was grand, stayed grand!
It is marvelous to see Audrey fforbes-Hamilton and Minister-Prime Minister in earlier guises. You can see their future in noting the moues on their faces when observing a truly green garden and green household. It is a shame that not all the actors can join us still, but it is grand to see Felicity Kendall as Rosemary. There is hope. So would you please ask Brabinger to pull the car around?
Holy good gosh almighty! I think that we have become too absorbed by spell-check. Originally,I tried to enter the name of Audrey "fforbes-Hamilton", the widow and the harridan on "To The Manor Born", but was spell-checked out! I sent a Class Letter to my colleagues at Holy Cross a few years back and included a few acronyms. I cleverly noted that I was acronymble. New word! Never existed! Spell-check reduced me to "arconimble!" Word don't exist. Now tell spell-check to add Welsh to the common parlance when checking names! Audrey would approve. AFKII
Frasier: The Perfect Guy (1998)
Frasier seems to be out shone by the new guy. Not out sung!
Well, I thought that this show was a throw-back to the silly shows of the early 60's. The invitee or inductee was so far and away better than his betters that it was embarrassing for them to be in the same place (at Frasier's Apt.) And the same place happened to be their turf! Literally and figuratively! And the greater than most, who had ever been born, opened up his mouth to sing in gratitude. "Isn't it Romantic?" has never sounded so bad! I did not see where Eddy had hidden for the denouement. I guess that if Eddy had known there would be a denouement, he really would have hidden. But the cool guy was left hurting our ears as the episode ended. The perfect ending. This was a silly-ass show and much better than the shows of my ...(younger days?) youth!
Fire Over England (1937)
Elizabeth I "Gloriana" before the Spanish Armada
I remembered the title so well. To me, it was a Flora Robson movie with Olivier and Vivien Leigh in supporting roles. And it had Vincent Massey's voice from behind whiskers. Well Flora Robson was great. Her next signature, for me, would be "55 Days at Peking". The same role but with different sumptuous gowns. And the same voice. As for the Armada, it was a subtext. I like black-and-white films. Was everything done in Elizbethan times at night? It was talky and difficult to fathom, at times. I couldn't tell which was the love interest. Was it the Spaniard or was it Vivien Leigh? And I do not believe that Elizabeth I would have been the brilliant strategist to recommend that fire ships be sent against the Armada. Apparently it worked for the Empire, but not for the script. This might have been more accurate, historically, but Bette Davis had more engaging scripts. And I missed daylight!
Show Boat (1936)
Irene Dunne and Helen Morgan? Wow ! Two of the greatest stage presences of the 1930's
OK, it is a period piece! But there are reasons that period pieces have lasted. It is a pleasure to hear Helen Morgan, so soon before her unfortunate death. We all know her "My Bill", and appreciate it. Where else can we see a cross-racial dilemma fostered by a cross-lady. It is more than just a hoot but a revelation to see and hear Miss Irene Dunne, the lady of the American Stage, breaking loose. Yes, we all saw "Roberta", but she was born to sail the levees on the Mississippi. I'm sorry but that Cake Walk was never taught at any finishing school that I have known. And the people on the River Queen really did seem to work together. Gaylord lucked out in meeting such a Miss Julie. It is fiction; it romanticizes; it overlooks; it is not politically correct; but I don't care. I know that there was a remake in the early 50's and I will leave it at that. Why try to improve upon a glorious musical? Captain Andy should be proud about his crew and his Julie. And I'll just stay with Ole Man Ribber! And be satisfied.