sleep well

Together again with Rock Hudson

Together again with David Niven

Together again with Jack Lemmon

Together again with James Garner 

 

Together again with Cary Grant

Together again with Debbie Reynolds

Together Again with Jack Carson

Together again with Jerry Lewis

Together again with Frank Sinatra and Lauren Bacall

Together again with Richard Widmark

Together again with Judy Garland

Together again with Rod Taylor

Together again with Gig Young and Clark Gable

Together again with Gene Nelson and director David Butler

Together again with Brian Keith

Together again with Gordon MacRae

Together again with John Raitt

Together again with Terry Melcher

And together again with all the precious animals who were lucky to share her life

Doris Day 1922/2019

Notes in Passing: A note from Michael Schlesinger. "If I may be permitted, given the passing of Miss Day, I hope you'll allow me to post this link to an observation of when (her path) crossed most agreeably with director Frank Tashlin on ”The Glass Bottom Boat.”

Given that I employed photographs, rather than words, to honor Doris Day, I thought that I'd offer some insight into the countless appreciations that have been written since Day has passed. They've run the gamut, from applause-worthy to jaw-droppingly bad.

The worst – and one to be avoided – was co-written by Duane Byrge and Mike Barnes for The Hollywood Reporter, no less. The first three words in their piece refer to Day as “the virginal actress.” Huh? That doesn’t even make any sense. I’ve no idea of Mike Barnes’ credentials but Duane Byrge has been around forever and should know better. The Hollywood Reporter piece also claims that Michael Gordon directed both of the films that Day made in 1963 with James Garner - "The Thrill of It All" and "Movie, Over Darling." that would surprise Norman Jewison.

Almost as bad and worth avoiding is Adam Bernstein’s clueless piece for The Washington Post.

The polar opposite of these “appreciations” is the magnificent one penned by Carrie Rickey for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Absolutely a must-read. No surprise, given that it was written by Rickey, who also provides (at least in the print edition of the Inky) a complete list of all of Day's films, replete with her leading me. (BTW, although he not officially considered one of her leading men, Gig Young made the most films with her - four: "Young at Heart" "Teacher's Pet," "Tunnel of Love" and "That Touch of Mink.")

Closely following Carrie's essay is Mick LaSalle’s typically astute observations for The San Francisco Chronicle.

Carrie and Mick say all there is on Doris Day, a subject that left me wordless. Her work - in this case her work in film - speaks for itself. Hence, all those pix.

The New York Times has weighed in with two articles on Day – one by the always reliable Aljean Harmetz and another by one of the paper’s chief movie critics, A.O. Scott.

Among the others that I’ve perused are those by Carmel Dagan for Variety, Tim Teeman for The Daily Beast and Nardine Saad for The Los Angeles Times, all worth reading.

Finally, another reader, Walt, reminded me of the recent Doris Day Film Festival currently screening at the legendary Stanford Theater in Palo Alto, Here's the program:

  Click on image to enlarge

Regarding Comments: All comments are enthusiastically appreciated but are moderated before publication. Replies signed "unknown" or "anonymous" are not encouraged. Please sign any response with a name (real or fabricated) or initials.  Be advised that a "name" will be assigned to any accepted post signed "unknown" or "anonymous." Thank you. -J

mika at the movies

"Will you stop being so negative!"

That was the usually affable Joe Scarborough commenting - finally and rather atypically - to Mika Brzezinski, his partner both on-screen and off, during a segment on yesterday's episode of his eponymous MSNBC show, "Morning Joe."  Joe Scarborough repeated, almost verbatim, what I often find myself shouting at my TV screen every time Mika makes one of her predictably snide comments as Joe brings up the subject of movies.

MSNBC, of course, is the liberal answer to the GOP-fixated Fox network. For any progressive (count me in), it's the only game in town although, frankly, I've become very selective about those MSNBC hosts with whom I chose to spend time. Life's way too short. But more about that later.

My wife and I start the day with Mika and Joe - a pairing that Nora Ephron once aptly compared to Hepburn and Tracy. Before I go any further, full disclosure: I think Mika Brzezinski is terrific - aside, of course, from this strange routine she's adopted every time Joe dares to bring up a movie.

She's been a champ for nudging women to honor their potential.

That said, anyone familiar with the show knows that Joe is a popular-culture enthusiast, particularly in terms of music and film. And I appreciate his adventurous, open-minded taste in films. Harold Ramis' "Caddyshack" (1980) and Mike Judge's "Office Space" (1999), for example, are two of Joe's favorites, classic comedies that are so much more than the "guy flicks" label attached to them.

But Mika disapproves. Always.

She'll roll her eyes and shake her head whenever Joe brings up a film title, taking on the persona of a judgmental scold. This was amusing the first few times Mika did it - it was actually disarming - but it has worn terribly thin and become wildly unattractive. I mean, why would any modern woman want to voluntarily play the stereotype of a 1950s nag?

Joe's mind may be opened but Mika's is closed. "I would never go see that!," she'll invariably say, with an air of clueless superiority.

On this occasion, Joe was singing the praises of "Avengers: Endgame," the current recording-breaking movie hit. Mika couldn't restrain herself, making snarky comments, until Joe - again, finally and rather atypically - asked her to cut the negativity. Great. But Joe didn't go far enough, seemingly missing exactly what's so offensive about Mika's routine.

"I would never go see that!" And that's Mika's problem - she judges and criticizes movies that she ... has ... never ... seen. Or plans to see.

She is not alone in this annoying tendency. During my 35 years as a working movie critic, I've found myself trapped into conversations with people exactly like Mika - people who comment freely on movies that they have yet to see. Some of them have even spoken rather authoritatively, making facile judgments on a film based on the material in question or because of who directed it, who stars in it or what the trailer reveals.

Here's the deal: If you haven't seen a movie, then your opinion of it is utterly ... worthless.

Note in Passing: Now about the line-up on MSNBC, ever the contrarian, I find myself doing anything to avoid the network's so-called "stars," most prominently - dare I confess it? -   Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes.

Blasphemy, I know.

Maddow's shrill voice and naked self-satisfaction would be unpalatable even if I were a diehard fan. The Grande Dame of MSNBC, she seems to symbolically hug herself whenever she makes a clever point. As for Hayes, he reminds me too much of the smartest kid in school who instinctively raised his hand first to answer (correctly) any question posed by the teacher. This kid was always nice enough but made everyone else look like a slacker/loser - the kid for whom "brown-noser" was invented.

Then there's Chris Matthews who seemingly makes no effort to pronounce the names of his guests correctly and can't seem to control his saliva, often spraying the camera, when he's pontificating. Still, it's difficult to dislike Chris Matthews. And I enjoy his gaffes, some head-scratchers.

For example, a few months ago, in response to a guest's comment, Chris bellowed, "Great! Tim Conway terriitory!  'The Prince of Tides'!"

Er, that would be Pat Conroy, Chris.

Frankly, I've winnowed down my daily viewing habit to only two MSNBC shows - as already mentioned, "Morning Joe," and "Deadline: Washington," with the fabulous Nicolle Wallace.

It's odd, I suppose, that I've gravitated towards two shows hosted not by liberals but by former Republicans. Joe and Mika (who actually has always been a Dem) bring some much-needed and -appreciated joy and passion to the inevitable bad news that they report, and Nicolle is, hands-down, the network's best interviewer and also, arguably, its most informed host.

Sorry, Rachel.

Regarding Comments: All comments are enthusiastically appreciated but are moderated before publication. Replies signed "unknown" or "anonymous" are not encouraged. Please sign any response with a name (real or fabricated) or initials.  Be advised that a "name" will be assigned to any accepted post signed "unknown" or "anonymous." Thank you. -J 

~Images

(from top) 

~Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, the hosts of "Morning Joe"
~photography: MSNBC 2018©

~Even Mika Brzezinski would love the little gopher in "Caddyshack"
~photography: Warner Bros. 1980©

~Nicolle Wallace, host of "Deadline: Washington"

~photography: MSNBC 2018©

together! at last!

Here's a new parlor game - a connect-the-movie-dots, along the lines of Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

My version deals with two actresses or actors who played the same role - one on stage, one in the film version - and who subsequently appeared opposite one another in another film. OK, admittedly it's the kind of useless information that lurks in the mind of someone who has spent way too much time in the dark watching way too many movies, but it's fun.

Here goes...

Kathy Bates caused something of a sensation when she starred on Broadway in Terrence McNally's "Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune." But when Garry Marshall adapted McNally's piece into a film, he shortened the title to "Frankie and Johnny" and passed on Bates. He hired Michele Pfieffer to play the role created so indelibly by Bates.

Flashforward 15 years and Stephen Frears' makes a film called "Chéri" starring ... Michele Pfeiffer and Kathy Bates. Hmmm. Makes one wonder how they got along on the set of "Chéri," what they talked about, right? Well, they apparently liked each other because Bates and Pfeiffer subsquently teamed on David Hollander's "Personal Effects."

And then there's...

Janis Paige starred in "The Pajama Game" on Broadway, Doris Day played in the movie version and they subsequently appeared together in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies." 

To complicate matters here, Day made her film debut in 1948 as the second female lead in Michael Curtiz's "Romance on the High Seas." The film's female lead was ... Janis Paige.

Janice Rule starred as Madge in "Picnic" on Broadway, Kim Novak played in the movie version and they subsequently appeared together on screen in "Bell, Book and Candle."

Pat Hingle played Rubin Flood in "Dark at the Top of the Stairs" on Broadway in 1957, a part played by Robert Preston in the 1960 film version. Both appeared in the 1963 fillm, "All the Way Home."

Anne Bancroft starred in "Two for the Seesaw" on Broadway, Shirley MacLaine played in the movie version and they subsequently appeared as rivals in "The Turning Point" on screen.

Lauren Bacall starred in "Cactus Flower" on Broadway, Ingrid Bergman played in the movie version and, together, they were in the film, "Murder on the Orient Express." 

Hal Holbrook created the role of Gene Garrison on stage in "I Never Sang for My Father" and Gene Hackman asssumed the role in the 1970 film version. Both were in "The Firm."

David Wayne, who created Ensign Pulver in "Mister Roberts" on stage, and Jack Lemmon, who won the Oscar for the film, teamed some 20 years later in the Billy Wilder remake of "The Front Page."

More on Lemmon... He played the role of Harry Berlin in the movie version of "Luv," a role created on stage by Alan Arkin. They subsequently got together in the film "Glengarry Glen Ross." And, in a twist, Jack took over Peter Falk's stage role in the screen adaptation of "The Prisoner of Second Avenue." They made no films together after that but, previously, the two were paired in "The Great Race" and "Luv."

OK, can you think of any others?

Regarding Comments: All comments are enthusiastically appreciated but are moderated before publication. Replies signed "unknown" or "anonymous" are not encouraged. Please sign any response with a name (real or fabricated) or initials.  Be advised that a "name" will be assigned to any accepted post signed "unknown" or "anonymous." Thank you. -J

~images~
(from top) 

~Janice Rule and Kim Novak (with Jimmy Stewart and Pyewacket) - Two "Picnic" leading ladies who later joined forces in "Bell, Book and Candle"
~photography: Columbia Pictures 1958© 

~Doris Day and Janis Paige together for the first time in "Romance on the High Seas"
~photography: Warner Bros. 1948©

~Lauren Bacall and Ingrid Bergman in "Murder on the Orient Express"
~photography: Paramount Pictures 1974©

~Jack Lemmon and David Wayne in "The Front Page"
~photography: Universal Pictures 1974©

tashlin + lewis ÷ murphy = "norbit"

Out of the blue recently, an email came in from my friend John.

"I was browsing online, Joe, and the Eddie Murphy movie, 'Norbit.' popped up. I remembered you surprising me with a glowing and very unexpected endorsement a few years back, saying that you even bought the DVD. I checked it out. Damn good movie. Murphy was great. Thanks belatedly, Joe, for the recommendation. Otherwise, I'd have skipped it altogether."

Hey, John, thanks. You've inspired me. Given that this site, as noted, is devoted largely to movies neglected and mostly misunderstood, now is the time to praise "Norbit." Back in 2007, I also came to the film belatedly. Can't remember why. I was probably put off by its dubious trailer.

And, frankly, the dismissive reviews didn't help either, even though it was clear to me at the time that "Norbit" was the kind of vulnerable movie for which reviewers routinely/traditionally save all their venom and bad jokes.

Nevertheless, a hint of the film's political incorrectness and sense of anarchy kept me vaguely interested, along with those curious pans which seemed just a tad too excessive and hysterical. So I gave in and went.

Nothing prepared me for the treat I encountered, and I suppose that a lot of my delight in the film is that it took me totally by surprise. Given all the buzz and hype that surround films these days, how often these days can one go into a film "innocent," untarnished by someone else's opinion?

Never.

For better or worse, "Norbit" is an authentic Jerry Lewis movie, an exhilarating throwback to the kind of movies that Lewis made, specifically the ones he made in tandem with director Frank Tashlin. It is genuinely, side-splittingly funny. While Murphy's timid "Nutty Professor" twins were ostensibly inspired by Lewis, "Norbit" is the real thing, unapologetically so.

Not only does it feature Murphy's best screen work to date - and in three fully-realized roles - but it is elevated by Rick Baker's impressive-as-usual make-up work. The real revelation here, however, is Brian Robbins' direction. Nothing in his filmography ("Varsity Blues," "The Perfect Score," "Good Burger") gives any indication that Robbins knew how to handle what I see as tricky material that is superficially offensive but innocent at heart.

Does it sound ridiculous to wax poetic about Brian Robbins' incredible mise en scène in "Norbit"?

Probably. But so what.

Regarding the critics, either they went in with preconceived notions about "Norbit" and saw the film they wanted to see, or their deadline pressures led to hasty reviews. I can't explain why the critics didn't "get" it, Mick LaSalle, the ever-astute film sage of The San Francisco Chronicle, being a rare exception. Nevertheless, "Norbit" was one of the few films at the time that I wanted to see again. Hence, the DVD in my collection.

What's especially baffling about the critical reaction to "Norbit" is that the very reviewers who panned it probably love Frank Tashlin's stuff.

Tashlin, who successfully transitioned from animation to live-action, always brought a trademark antic quality and a sense of the ridiculous to his features. Cartoons were in his blood. I've a hunch that, for these reasons, he would have appreciated "Norbit."

Notes in Passing: Speaking of Tashlin, too many of his breezy comedies from the the 1950s and early '60s have evaded home entertainment in any form. Sure, it's relatively easy to see his two Jayne Mansfield flicks, "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?" and "The Girl Can't Help It."

But what about the many others?

Off the top of my head, I'm thinking of - and would love to see - "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts" (1956), starring the wonderful Sheree North and Tom Ewell; "Say One for Me" (1959),  with Debbie Reynolds paired with Bing Crosby and Robert Wagner; "Bachelor Flat" (1962), with Tuesday Weld and Terry-Thomas, and especially "The Man from the Diner's Club" (1963) with Danny Kaye and Cara Williams. Release them, I say!

And if any of these titles are available, by all means, enlighten me. Share.

For added reading on Tashlin, I recommend two pieces from 2007 that may still be available on-line - "The Tashline Tradition." written for Premiere magazine by Glenn Kenny, and a terrific essay titled "The Nonsense We Call Civilization: The Cartoons and Comedies of Frank Tashlin,," written by Jim Healy when he was Assistant Curator of exhibitions/motion picture Department at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. Jim, who now oversees the UW Cinematheque in Madison, WI., wrote the piece in conjunction with a Tashlin rep program that he had put together at the time.

And by all means, check out "Norbit." Actually, be inventive and make it a double-bill, pairing it with one of the comedies Tashlin made with Jerry Lewis ("Rock-a-Bye Baby" or "The Geisha Boy") or an older one with Dean Martin and Lewis ("Artists and Models" or "Hollywood or Bust."

Note in Passing: A note from Michael Schlesinger (from comments below). "Speaking of Tashlin, if I may be permitted, given the passing of Miss Day, I hope you'll allow me to post this link to an observation of when their paths crossed most agreeably on ”The Glass Bottom Boat.”

Regarding Comments: All comments are enthusiastically appreciated but are moderated before publication. Replies signed "unknown" or "anonymous" are not encouraged. Please sign any response with a name (real or fabricated) or initials.  Be advised that a "name" will be assigned to any accepted post signed "unknown" or "anonymous." Thank you. -J 

~images~
(from top) 

~Poster art for "Norbit" 
~Dreamworks 2007©

~Poster art for "The Lieutenant Wore Skirts"
~20th Century-Fox 1956©

~Frank Tashlin at work
~photography: Warner Bros. 1944©