Movie Review - VeggieTales - It's a Meaningful Life

Leave it to VeggieTales to take a classic movie and put a home-grown, natural spin to it.

In VeggieTales: It's a Meaningful Life, Bob and Larry plow into some difficult material in an attempt to bring It's a Wonderful Life down to a level kids can appreciate. And at the end of the day, that is the message of the 50-minute movie: Appreciation. Or to put a finer point on it, contentment.

Source: http://bit.ly/1Dulb38

Stewart (playing off of Jimmy Stewart's role in It's a Wonderful Life, misses a catch during his last football game in high school. This, in itself, is a reference to the scene when George and Mary throw rocks at the Granville House. In that scene, George is wearing a football jersey.

Instead, Stewart's friend Mortie (a combination of Marty Hatch, Harry Bailey and Sam Wainwright) catches the football, becomes famous and leaves town.

Jealousy sets in for Stewart, and he obsesses over that missed catch for the rest of his life. Every time something doesn't go quite right, he complains, "if only I had caught that football...."

During one of these sessions in self-loathing while out on the football field, Stewart finds a ticket for The What-If Express. A train then mysteriously appears on the football field. It is a bit of surrealism on par with The Polar Express and Amazing Stories episode titled "Ghost Train."

Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Stewart is escorted on three stops to see what would have happened if he really had caught the football. He is shown:

1. Where he would be and what he would be doing
2. Where the rest of his family and friends would be
3. A choice to make: to stay in the World of What If or return to Rockwell and trust God's plan for him.

We all know what Stewart chooses.

The moral of the story for children is to be content with where you are, not where you wish you were. The moral for adults is, don't beat yourself up over past mistakes. Life is as good as you make it today. 

Sometimes, that lesson is easier to say than to do.

Even Zuzu's famous line, "every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings" gets a corny VeggieTales pun.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.

VeggieTales: It's a Meaningful Life is available to watch right now (March, 2015) on Netflix and Amazon Prime. 

Tribute to Frank Capra

Source: http://goo.gl/0FAH18

The following is an excerpt from my book about It's a Wonderful Life, which is currently looking for a home with a publisher:

An Italian immigrant, Frank Capra discovered at a young age “what would later become one of the most important themes of his movies: ‘One nation. . .with liberty and justice for all’” (Stewart 82). Capra often made movies about the little man doing great things, representing ideals and qualities that made the little man great. Those qualities included, common sense, family values, a religious (though not overt) dedication, fidelity, family values, and Americanism.

Capra’s films have been referred to as “Capracorn” because of their perceived “corny,” unbelievable, or over-the top endings. The crowning example of this is the closing scene of It’s a Wonderful Life, because it can be misconstrued as being sappy and too-happy of an ending for such a dark film.

Initially, this characterization hurt Capra’s feelings because he felt strongly about his films and the messages they carried. However, he later took this critical jab and turned it into a positive by calling most of his films “Capracorn” himself. To him, Capracorn came to mean

… a brew of the comic, the sentimental, the rhetorical, the 

idealistic, and the melodramatic in which the values of the 

man on the street were raised above those of official authority 

in which, even at the cost of gliding over specific plot points, 

there was inevitably a happy ending. (Dewey 268).

Capra has 58 film directing credits to his name, which reads like an American Film Institute Top 100 list.

Capra was born May 18, 1897 in Italy. He died Sept. 3, 1991, at age 94, but not before the Mayor of Los Angeles and the city council declared May 12, 1962 to be Frank Capra Day (Capra 488).

He is buried in Coachella Valley Public Cemetery, Riverside County, CA. If he was still alive, he would be 118 years old.

Source: Find A Grave

-----

Sources:

Capra, Frank. Frank Capra: the Name Above the Title, an Autobiography. New York: DaCapo Press, 1997.

Dewey, Donald. James Stewart: A Biography. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc., 1996.

Stewart, Jimmy. “Frank Capra’s Merry Christmas to All.” Reader’s Digest Dec. 1991: 81-85.

   

Tribute to Argentina Brunetti

Frank Capra loved to name his film's characters Marie, Maria and Mary. That's an entirely separate blog entry that I need to remember to do one of these days.

Argentina Brunetti
Source: http://www.findagrave.com/

It's a Wonderful Life contains both a Mary and a Marie. There is Mary Bailey, of course. There is also Marie Martini, Mr. Martini's wife. She is the one who takes the bread and salt from Mary during the Martini home dedication.

Marie was portrayed by Argentina Brunetti, who has 165 acting credits to her name. She was also known for her roles as Filomena Soltini on the television series General Hospital in the 1960s; and Sarah Benedict in 7 Faces of Doctor Lao in 1964. She was also in an episode of The Lone Ranger in 1955.

Brunetti's first acting job was an uncredited role in the film Gilda, in 1946. Her final role was as Neighbor Woman in the film The 4th Nenor in 2002, just three years prior to her death. She was also in The Man From U.N.C.L.E., a television series that was turned into a movie and is in theaters now.

It's a Wonderful Life was only her third acting role, completed at the age of 38.

Today, we celebrate Brunetti's birthday. She was born Aug. 31, 1907, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She traveled America with the Bailey children to celebrate the 50th anniversary of It's a Wonderful Life.

She died Dec. 20, 2005, in Rome, Italy, at age 98. She was the last living adult actress from It's a Wonderful Life. If she were alive today, she would be 108. She was laid to rest in a mausoleum at Holy Cross Cemetery and Mausoleum in Culver City, CA.

Argentina Brunetti's mausoleum stone
Source: http://www.findagrave.com/

Tribute to Frank Faylen

Source: http://goo.gl/nOOs9j

Frank Faylen says and does some of the more entertaining things in It's a Wonderful Life. It is he who has the wonderful line, "how would you like to...." which gets cut off and allows our imaginations to run wild. He also gives Bert the Cop a kiss at the honeymoon, which earns him a little chastisement.

He was born Dec. 8, 1905, in St. Louis, MO as Francis Charles Ruf.

Through the years, Faylen racked up 219 acting credits, beginning in 1935 in a short titled Double Exposure. His final performance was on an episode of the TV series Quincy M.E.

His credits include such classics as:

• The Many Lives of Dobie Gillis (1959), as Dobie's father, Herbert
• Gone With the Wind (1939)
• The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
• The Lost Weekend (1945)
• Road to Rio (1947)
• Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)

He also appeared in many military/war films, but he may be best known as a taxi driver. A quick survey of Internet Movie Database credits Faylen with portraying "Taxi Driver" in the following films:

• Four's a Crowd (1938)
• Saturday's Children (1940)
• No Time for Comedy (1940)
• Footsteps in the Dark (1941)
• The Palm Beach Story (1942)
• Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble (1944)
• The Well-Groomed Bride (1946)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

He is credited as "Driver in Cafe" in They Drive By Night (1940), and even appeared in an unknown role (unknown to me, that is) in a film titled Taxi, Mister (1943).

I'm sure there are more instances in which he portrayed a taxi driver, but they are listed as named characters, not as "taxi driver" on Internet Movie Database.

I almost listed another film in which he played an ambulance driver. It's practically the same thing as a taxi driver. But I decided against it.

Faylen died 30 years ago today, Aug. 2, 1985, in Burbank, CA. He is buried in an unmarked grave at San Fernando Mission Cemetery in Mission Hill, CA.

Frank Faylen's star on the Walk of Fame, 

on the North side of the 6200 block 

of Hollywood Boulevard.

Source: http://goo.gl/nOOs9j

He would be 109 if he was alive today.

Sources:

Internet Movie Database

Find a Grave

Tribute to Joseph Walker

Source: https://goo.gl/AxKuxJ

Quite possibly one of Frank Capra's favorite cinematographers, Joseph Walker has 145 film credits to his name.

His first film was Back to God's Country, in 1919.

Among Capra films Walker captured are:

• Ladies of Leisure (1930)
• Dirigible (1931)
• The Miracle Woman (1931)
• Platinum Blonde (1931)
• American Madness (1932)
• The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
• Lady for a Day (1933)
• It Happened One Night (1934)

And way too many more to count, including, of course, It's a Wonderful Life.

Walker was nominated for four Oscars, but didn't win any.

He invented the zoom lens, and also helped develop the wireless transmitter.

Here is a bit of interesting trivia for you: Joseph Walker's middle name is Bailey.

His last film was Affair in Trinidad in 1952.

He was born Aug. 22, 1892 in Denver, CO. He died Aug. 1, 1985 in Las Vegas, NV. If he were alive today, he would be 122 years old.

Source:

Internet Movie Database

Tribute to Philip Van Doren Stern

It's a Wonderful Life wouldn't be a film without Philip Van Doren Stern. 

Source: http://goo.gl/zRaxHg

It was he who wrote the short story "The Greatest Gift" that inspired the film. "The Greatest Gift" takes elements of "The Gift of the Magi," Tom Sawyer, and A Christmas Carol and wraps them all together.

Stern was best known as a historian, who wrote biographies about Edgar Allen Poe and Robert E. Lee. He also wrote history books about the Model T Ford, a book called The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln, as well as another book titled The Man Who Killed Lincoln.

I have an interesting story about The Man Who Killed Lincoln. It was published in 1939. As a former Civil War reenactor, a Civil War enthusiast, and someone who is enamored with Lincoln, I was excited to find a beat up used book called The Man Who Killed Lincoln at my favorite coffee shop/used book store in the town where I grew up and currently live.

I never paid attention to who wrote it. I got it, put it on my shelf, and proceeded to ignore it for many years. One day when I was going through my books, weeding out the stuff I have read or wasn't interested in reading, I grabbed that book and almost threw it on the "toss it out" pile. As I was tossing it, I caught the words "Van Doren" on the spine.

Source: Personal Collection

As a BIGGER enthusiast of IAWL than I was of the Civil War, I snatched the book back up, knowing that "Van Doren" was not very common. I was surprised to find out that not only it was the same name, but I had been oblivious of its existence in my collection for many years. A quick search on the internet confirmed that it was indeed the same author. The book quickly made its way to my permanent IAWL collection, where it remains.

I write of Stern today because it was on this day in 1984 that he died in Sarasota, Fla. The location of his burial is unknown.

He was born Sept. 10, 1900 in Wyalusing, PA. If he were alive today, he would be 114 years old.

Sources:

http://goo.gl/e2evhw

Find a Grave

Photo Friday - Grandpa Van Vorhis

Late Wednesday/early Thursday, I posted about the death of my grandfather.

Photo Fridays usually consist of photos of bells. I have more than a year's worth of bells. But instead of bells, I thought I would post some photos of my grandfather that I found during the visitation. It was very cool to see family resemblances between my great-grandfather, Grandpa, my dad, and my two sons. I even found a photo of me and my barn, which I mentioned in my last blog entry.

So check these out, and hopefully I will return to bells next Friday.

A crooked hat. I wear my hat this way, as well.
So does my father and my oldest son. 

Another crooked hat.

My grandfather holding my dad. Check out the close-up below.

Check out the family resemblance. This is my dad as a toddler. Below is my
oldest son, at age 9 months or so. They look very much alike.

Me and my barn. I still have it.

Me wearing one of Grandpa's hats.

My cousins and Grandpa, holding my crying brother,
who doesn't want his picture taken.

Here is a close-up of me, which my wife points out is the
same stance and attitudinal face that my youngest son has.

Tribute to Mary Treen

Source: http://goo.gl/IbcEzS

I can't think of Mary Treen without hearing her holler through cupped hands "Here they come! Here they come!" during the wedding scene in It's a Wonderful Life.

With 213 acting credits to her name, Mary Treen was an accomplished character actress, known best among Lifers (fans of It's a Wonderful Life) as Cousin Tilly. Just like her brother Eustace, and Ma and Pa Bailey's maid Annie, Tilly's job was to bring levity to the film during the heavy scenes, and to show exactly how dire the situations were simply by the expressions on her face.

Treen's first acting job was a short film called Surprise in 1930. Her last acting job was a TV movie called Wait Till Your Mother Gets Home in 1985. In between, she appeared in the films Kitty Foyle (1940) and Room for One More (1952). I can honestly say I have not seen any of these movies...for better or for worse.

She also spent a great deal of time acting for the small screen, making appearances on The Love Boat, Happy Days, Laverne and Shirley, The Brady Bunch, and if you can find it anymore, The Dukes of Hazzard, as Aunt Clara Coltrain. 

Treen was born March 27, 1907. She died July 20, 1989, in Newport Beach, CA. She was cremated and her ashes scattered.

Sources: IMDB, Find a Grave

A Tribute to Thomas Mitchell

Source: http://goo.gl/C15Ruh

What can you say about Thomas Mitchell that hasn't been said already? There isn't much. He has appeared in numerous well-known and award-winning films.

In fact, he is only one of 9 people ever to win the "Triple Crown of Acting" - an Oscar, Emmy and Tony.

According to Wikipedia, "He won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for 1939's Stagecoach. In 1952, he won the Best Actor Emmy (Comedy Actor category), and the following year a Tony Award for best performance by an actor, for the musical Hazel Flagg (based on the Carole Lombard film Nothing Sacred). He has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, one for his work in motion pictures at 1651 Vine Street and one for his work in television at 6100 Hollywood Boulevard."

He was born on this day, July 11, 1892. He has 106 acting credits to his name, including the Capra films:

• Lost Horizon (1937)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

The same year he appeared in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, (1939), he also appeared in another blockbuster film, Gone With the Wind, in which he played the memorable role of Gerald O'Hara.

It turns out that 1939 was a REALLY big year in his career. According to Internet Movie Database, in addition to appearing in three movies nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, (Gone With the Wind, Stagecoach and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington), he appeared in two other films that received nominations in other categories: The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Only Angels Have Wings.

He won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in Stagecoach, as well.

Mitchell's last film appearance was in Capra's A Pocketful of Miracles in 1961, as Judge Henry G. Blake. Mitchell died Dec. 17, 1962. If he were alive today, he would be 123.

----

Sources: IMDB and Wikipedia.

In Memory of Charles Lane

Source: http://goo.gl/UlUvtR

This fine young man is Charles Lane. In It's a Wonderful Life, He played Reineman, Potter's rent collector who threatened to go work for George Bailey. You know....squirrels, buttercups, daisies.

Lane spent 64 years as an actor, giving his last performance at the age of 90 in a TV movie called The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. However, Internet Movie Database now shows that Lane will act as the narrator in a version of The Night Before Christmas. This will be a bit of an interesting, if not unsettling feat, considering Lane died 8 years ago today (July 9, 2007).

Lane was born Jan. 26, 1905, in San Francisco, CA. His first role was an uncredited one, playing the hotel desk clerk in a movie called Smart Money. IMDB lists him with 363 acting credits. Among those are 10 films directed by Frank Capra, including:

• Broadway Bill (1934) (as Morgan's henchman)
• Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
• You Can't Take it With You (1938)
• Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
• Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
• It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
• State of the Union (1948)
• Riding High (1950) (a remake of Broadway Bill, this time portraying Erickson)
• Here Comes the Groom (1951)

I'm missing one. Hmmm......

Source: http://goo.gl/4LISFr

In a letter to Lane, Capra wrote, "Well, Charlie, you've been my No. 1 crutch."

I have a newspaper clipping from around the time Charles Lane died. One of these days I will post it. But not today.

Today, instead, we salute Mr. Lane, the employee who was brave enough to tell his hard-hearted employer off in It's a Wonderful Life.

He died July 9, 2007 at age 102 in Santa Monica, CA. He is buried at Home of Peace Cemetery in Los Angeles, CA. If he were alive today, he would be 110.

---

Source: Wikipedia, IMDB, and Find a Grave

Happy Birthday Karolyn Grimes!!!

My favorite photo of Karolyn.
Source: http://goo.gl/0cEIPO

Today I pay tribute to Karolyn "Zuzu" Grimes.

Typically, I include how old people would be. If Karolyn would like to divulge that, it's her business, not mine.

I have gone on and on and on about how wonderful Karolyn is, both on film and in person. See my blog entries for the April A-Z blogging challenge about both Karolyn and Zuzu for proof.

Karoly is outgoing, friendly, approachable, cordial, and amazingly patient with her fans. You can friend her on Facebook by searching for Karolyn "Zuzu" Grimes.

It is fitting that this great woman, who I admire so much, shares a birthday with this great country. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KAROLYN! I will enjoy some fireworks tonight in your honor.

Here is a great interview with Karolyn, including a bunch of pictures of her at home during the summer of 2014.

Here is another interview with Karolyn:

In Memory of Jimmy Stewart

Source: http://goo.gl/6Cjcoh

Stewart in his later years.
Source: https://goo.gl/00uxH7

James Maitland "Jimmy" Stewart, died on this day (July 2), in 1997.

He was born May 20, 1908 in Indiana, PA.

Jimmy (not James....Jimmy) almost didn't have to act. He lived an upright, honest life and was as trustworthy as George Bailey himself.

Stewart is often described as “Everyman” in his roles. Although it was a role he reprised several times, never was it more obvious than in the films he made under the direction of Frank Capra, including It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

“The part of Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington constitutes the quintessential Stewart: the upstanding, all-American, small-town boy, loyal to his family, his country, his church and his ideals; the personification of ‘rock-ribbed honesty,’” said biographer Jonathan Coe (43).

This persona was not a new role for Stewart. It was a role he lived off of the screen, as well as on. Stewart grew up with strong family and religious ties in his home town of Indiana, Pa. Later in his life, this small town dedicated the Jimmy Stewart Museum as part of the Indiana, Pa. Library.[i] In 1985, a statue of Stewart was erected in front of the museum. It faces the lot where the J.M. Stewart and Co. Hardware store stood before it was razed in 1969.

Stewart biographer Jonathan Coe calls Stewart an “incorruptible American patriot” (9). Stewart was able to further solidify this image when he enlisted in March, 1941, and became an officer in the Army Air Corps and a bombardier pilot during World War II.

Coe has drawn parallels between Stewart’s real life and the life of George Bailey. Stewart signed on to It’s a Wonderful Life on Nov. 5, 1945 (Coe 78). In addition to coming from a background similar to George’s, Coe says Stewart was drawn to the part for another reason:

“There were reasons, in fact, why a story about a hero who feels ‘despondent’ might have exerted a strong personal appeal to him (Stewart) at this time, since he was profoundly shaken by his wartime experiences, which caused him to doubt both his faith and the fundamental worth of his career” (Coe 79).

Coe’s statement does two things. First, it suggests that Stewart’s despondency reflects the country’s feelings immediately following World War II. It could have been the same despondency that prevented It’s a Wonderful Life from being a box office success. Secondly, Stewart’s life at that time reflected It’s a Wonderful Life, with Stewart doubting his own faith and career, as George Bailey does in the film. George always talks about and dreams of being an engineer or an architect, but never about being an executive of a lending company. George constantly doubts his job and its value.

My note from Karoly in which she gave me
Stewart's address. (Source: Blogger's private collection)

Through my friendship with Karoly Grimes, who played George and Mary's youngest daughter, Zuzu Bailey, I was able to get Stewart's address. I came right out and asked her for it, and I expected it to be denied. I told her that I only wanted to send him a copy of my college research paper about the film. To my surprise, she gave me his address. I filed the letter away, graduated, was hired a job at at my hometown newspaper just two days after graduation, and moved into my first apartment. 

I soon learned a hard lesson about not putting off until tomorrow what I can do today. On July 1, 1997, I was sitting on my porch when I realized that I hadn’t yet written to Jimmy, even though I had his address for nearly two months. It was late, so I decided to write to him the next day. As you may recall, he died July 2, the day I was going to write to him. That was a rough day for me.

This post is a tribute to Everyman....Jimmy Stewart. If he were alive, he would be 108 years old.

Here is a great interview with Stewart from 1989:

-------
[i] The Jimmy Stewart Museum is located at 845 Philadelphia St., Indiana, PA, 15701. To contact the museum, call (724) 349-6112 or toll-free at 1-800-83-JIMMY, or e-mail curator@jimmy.org. Visit online at www.jimmy.org.

Source:
Coe, Jonathan. Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1994.

Virginia Patton Birthday June 25, 1926

So I just learned something really cool: I live less than an hour and a half away from Virginia Patton.

Source: http://goo.gl/9urqsM

Patton, who lives in Ann Arbor, MI, portrayed Ruth ("Ruth Dakin-Bailey, if you don't mind"), George Bailey's sister-in-law.

Some people (including me when I'm feeling salty, I must admit), unfairly blame Ruth for Harry leaving his brother to run the Bailey Brothers Building and Loan. They/we insist that Harry should have picked up the reigns and flew the ship while George went to college instead of taking a job with Ruth's father.

But now I'm just mixing my metaphors.

Virginia Patton was born June 25, 1926, in Portland, OR, which is less than three hours away from where Karolyn "Zuzu" Grimes currently lives.

Patton appeared in 15 films, including It's a Wonderful Life. I am embarrassed to say that I haven't seen any of the other 14 films. I will have to fix that.

Today, she turns 89. Instead of talking about her any more, I will let her speak for herself. Happy birthday, Ms. Patton!

Jimmy Stewart Birthday May 20, 1908

Source: http://goo.gl/9GqmTs

James Maitland Stewart often is described as “Everyman.” Although it was a role he reprised several times, never was it more obvious than in the films he made under the direction of Frank Capra, including It’s a Wonderful Life and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington:

“The part of Jefferson Smith in Mr. Smith Goes to Washington constitutes the quintessential Stewart: the upstanding, all-American, small-town boy, loyal to his family, his country, his church and his ideals; the personification of ‘rock-ribbed honesty’” (Coe 43).

This persona was not a new role for Stewart. It was a role he lived off of the screen, as well as on. Stewart grew up with strong family and religious ties in his home town of Indiana, Pa. Later in his life, this small town dedicated the Jimmy Stewart Museum as part of the Indiana, Pa. Library.[i] 

In 1985, a statue of Stewart was erected in front of the museum. It faces the lot where the J.M. Stewart and Co. Hardware store stood before it was razed in 1969.

Stewart biographer Jonathan Coe calls Stewart an “incorruptible American patriot” (9). Stewart was able to further solidify this image when he enlisted in March, 1941, and became an officer in the Army Air Corps and a bombardier pilot during World War II.

Coe has drawn parallels between Stewart’s real life and the life of George Bailey. Stewart signed on to It’s a Wonderful Life on Nov. 5, 1945 (Coe 78). In addition to coming from a background similar to George’s, Coe says Stewart was drawn to the part for another reason:

“There were reasons, in fact, why a story about a hero who feels ‘despondent’ might have exerted a strong personal appeal to him (Stewart) at this time, since he was profoundly shaken by his wartime experiences, which caused him to doubt both his faith and the fundamental worth of his career” (Coe 79).

Coe’s statement does two things. First, it suggests that Stewart’s despondency reflects the country’s feelings immediately following World War II. It could have been the same despondency that prevented It’s a Wonderful Life from being a box office success. Secondly, Stewart’s life at that time reflected It’s a Wonderful Life, with Stewart doubting his own faith and career, as George Bailey does in the film. George always talks about and dreams of being an engineer or an architect, but never about being an executive of a lending company. George constantly doubts his job and its value.

Stewart married Gloria Hatrick McLean. He adopted her two sons, Ronald and Michael Stewart. Together Stewart and Gloria had twin daughters, Kelly Stewart-Harcourt and Judy Stewart-Merrill.

James Stewart died July 2, 1997 at age 89. If he were still alive, he would be 107.

---

[i] The Jimmy Stewart Museum is located at 845 Philadelphia St., Indiana, PA, 15701. To contact the museum, call (724) 349-6112 or toll-free at 1-800-83-JIMMY, or e-mail curator@jimmy.org. Visit online at www.jimmy.org. 

Sources:

Coe, Jonathan. Jimmy Stewart: A Wonderful Life. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1994.

Frank Capra's Birthday - May 18, 1897

Source: http://goo.gl/rV7bX

An Italian immigrant, Frank Capra discovered at a young age “what would later become one of the most important themes of his movies: ‘One nation. . .with liberty and justice for all’” (Stewart 82). Capra often made movies about the little man doing great things, representing ideals and qualities that made the little man great. Those qualities included, common sense, family values, a religious (though not overt) dedication, fidelity, family values, and Americanism.

Capra’s films have been referred to as “Capracorn” because of their perceived “corny,” unbelievable, or over-the top endings. The crowning example of this is the closing scene of It’s a Wonderful Life, because it can be misconstrued as being sappy and too-happy of an ending for such a dark film.

Initially, this hurt Capra’s feelings because he felt strongly about his films and the messages they carried. However, he later took this critical jab and turned it into a positive by calling most of his films “Capracorn” himself. To him, Capracorn came to mean "a brew of the comic, the sentimental, the rhetorical, the idealistic, and the melodramatic in which the values of the man on the street were raised above those of official authority in which, even at the cost of gliding over specific plot points, there was inevitably a happy ending. (Dewey 268).

Capra died Sept. 9, 1991, but not before the Mayor of Los Angeles and the city council declared May 12, 1962 to be Frank Capra Day (Capra 488).

If Capra were alive today, he would be 118 years old

Sources:

Dewey, Donald. James Stewart: A Biography. Atlanta: Turner Publishing, Inc., 1996.

Capra, Frank. Frank Capra: the Name Above the Title, an Autobiography.

            New York: DaCapo Press, 1997.

     

May 10, 1894 - Dimitri Tiomkin's birthday

Source: http://goo.gl/Frfa9W

May 10, 1894 marks the birthday of Dimitri Tiomkin, the man who composed the music for the film It's a Wonderful Life. There is a lot more to that story, so I'll give you the quick and dirty description of him from Wikipedia and then tell you the rest of it.

Official Description:

Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin was a Ukrainian-born Hollywood film score composer and conductor. Musically trained in Russia, he is best known for his western scores, including Duel in the Sun, High Noon, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and The Alamo. (Wikipedia)

Born: May 10, 1894, Kremenchuk, Ukraine
Died: November 11, 1979, London, United Kingdom
Film music credits: High Noon, The Alamo, Rio Bravo (Also Wikipedia)

Tiomkin was nominated for and won several Oscars. See the list here.

Director Frank Capra hired Tiomkin to write the scores for Lost Horizon (1937) You Can't Take It With You (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Meet John Doe (1941), and It's a Wonderful Life (1946). During World War II, he continued his close collaboration with Capra by composing scores for his Why We Fight series. (Wikipedia)

Not everything was roses between Capra and Tiomkin. It came to a head over It's a Wonderful Life. As Roger L. Hall wrote for the Web site Film Music Review:

"In his honestly written autobiography, Please Don't Hate Me (1959), Dimitri Tiomkin wrote about this film:

"The picture was in the best Capra style. Frank thinks it the finest he ever made. I never saw it after it was completed. After the music was on the sound track, Frank cut it, switched sections around, and patched it up, an all-around scissors job. After that I didn't want to hear it.

"Yet much of Tiomkin's music remains in the film and it's a terrific score. Stephen Cox in his fine book, It's a Wonderful Life: A Memory Book, wrote that:

"The film that eventually became one of Tiomkin's most famous works actually became a disappointment for the composer, both personally and professionally, when Capra replaced much of his original orchestration with existing music from other sources."

Source: http://goo.gl/mVFpWD

If he were alive, Tiomkin would celebrate his 121st birthday today. Learn more about him at www.dimitritiomkin.com or www.findagrave.com

Check out what is supposedly the original theme for It's a Wonderful Life, that was cut from the film and replaced with "Buffalo Gals".

You can listen to more of Tiomkin's work on Spotify or Google Play.

  

Beulah Bondi .... Mrs. Bailey Born May 3, 1889

Source: http://goo.gl/2m5ooh

On May 3, 1889, Beulah Bondi, a.k.a. Ma Bailey, was born in Chicago, IL.

During her career, Bondi Portrayed James Stewart's mother in four films: It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Of Human Hearts (1938) and Vivacious Lady (1938), as well as on an episode of his television series, The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971).

Although she often played loving mothers and wives, she never married nor had children.

Bondi and Ellen Corby both appeared in It's a Wonderful Life, and in the television show, "The Waltons." In "The Waltons,' Ellen Corby portrayed Grandma and Bondi portrayed Martha Corrinne.

In 1977, Bondi won an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress for a Single Appearance in a Drama or Comedy Series for her 1977 appearance in an episode of "The Waltons" titled "The Pony Cart."

Corby won a Golden Glove for Best Supporting Actress - Television, for her role in "The Waltons." That role also earned her three other nominations for the same award in 1973, 1975 and 1977.

Bondi also was nominated twice for Oscars for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her parts in The Gorgeous Hussey (1937 nomination), and in Of Human Hearts (1939 nomination). She never won.

"What distinguishes the real actor from the pseudo is the passionate desire to know what is going on in the hearts and minds of people," said Bondi.

Watch this wonderful tribune from TCM:

Bondi died Jan. 11, 1981 at age 91, in Woodland Hills, CA. She was cremated and her ashes spread in the Pacific Ocean. If she was alive today, she would be 126 years old.

Learn more about her life and career on IMDB, Wikipedia, and Turner Classic Movies.

Two artists, two lives, two tragic ends

Amy Winehouse died July 23, 2011, age 27

Jani Lane, lead singer of Warrant, died Aug. 11, 2011, age 47

Winehouse didn't surprise me...it was just a matter of time. That is not a judgment on HOW she died. I defer to the official autopsy report and the still-pending toxicology report. I am simply saying I'm not surprised.

Jani, a guy I started listening to when he was the lead singer of Warrant (and as I pointed out many times before, my first concert...not to mention my first live national act performance ever, as Warrant was the opening band) surprises me.

I am bummed by both.

Winehouse had this sassy screw-the-world attitude in her songs that had these jazzy-soulful undertones that I have never heard before. She had so much potential and I am disappointed that the world will not get to know more of her music. I am hoping for some unreleased tracks to be released, similar to Jim Croce.

Lane had had a huge impact on my life. I remember blaring the completely inappropriate teen anthem Cherry Pie (see video below) while on deliveries with my dad.

As crazy as this sounds, my "Birds and the Bees" talk went like this:

Dad (knocking on door and walking into my room): "Your mom wants me to talk to you about the sex thing. Any questions?"

Me: "Nope."

Dad (walking out and closing the door behind him): "Let me know if you do."

That's the last discussion we had about that exact topic.

Songs like Cherry Pie and bands like Warrant taught me - for better or for worse - about sex. And for this I thank Jani and Company very very much.

The only thought more frightening or depressing is that these things always come in threes. I'm not looking forward to seeing who is next.

You can tell a lot about a man by his music

(I'm warning you right now: I use some "bad words" in this blog. Most of them are part of the titles of albums and songs, but not all of them).

I recently started thinking about musical tastes: What I listened to, what I publicly admit that I listen to (up until now, that is), what I listen to when the kids aren't in the car, and what I listen to when the wife isn't in the car.

In those answers I found a wide range of musical styles. But what does that say about a person?

Music is my life. It moves me, inspires me, drives me, and at times, calms me. It can serve to both focus me and completely distract me, depending on the task, the day, and  the song. I listen to it when I drive, when I work, and when I mow the lawn. I sing it at the top of my lungs (as long as nobody else is home) in the shower, and in the car (even with the kids in the car). I love to listen to The White Stripes, Guns N Roses "Appetite for Destruction" and "Use Your Illusion II" at top volume, and habitually lose my voice trying to sing like Tom Keiffer from Cinderella. Just today, I played the original version of "Cover of Rolling Stone" by Dr. Hook, and the cover version of it that Poison did for my oldest son. I do that a lot.

I act like a fool when I play Guitar Hero. Just ask Jenn about my butt-shaking performance of "We Got the Beat" by the Go-Gos.

I have song selections for my different moods, including songs to bring me down, when I am really, really mad. I currently use my phone to listen to music in my car, but I also own a Microsoft Zune and an iPod Mini (thanks to my wife Jenn, who found that sucker just recently at a garage sale. I use it for my audiobooks, and it interfaces with my car. Cool stuff.).

Someone I follow on Twitter just asked how long iTunes would play before repeating a song. His was 11 days. Mine is 76.4 days, covering 20,173 tracks.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a HUGE fan of '80s hair metal/arena rock. The crunchier the guitar and the raunchier the lyrics, the happier I am. You can leave your ballad crap and acoustic guitars at home…unless you run your acoustic through a distortion pedal. Then it's a whole different story, and it's all good.

Poison is my Achilles' heel. I catch shit for it all the time, but I just don't care. I became a fan in 1988 on their "Open Up and Say…Ahh."  album. I was in 7th grade, and this album opened so many doors for me. The song "Nothin' But a Good Time" was the hot Cassingle at the time, and i that was soon followed by "Fallen Angel," "Every Rose," and "Your Mama Don't Dance," but maybe not exactly in that order. I invested in an early bootleg copy of their album "Crack a Smile" before Capitol Records realized how great it was, got smart and released it for real.

I also have bootleg copies of live shows on May 30, 1999, in Pine Knob, Mich., and Bret Michaels live at The Bijou in Toledo, OH on Oct. 12, 2003, and at the Downtown Hoedown in Detroit, Mich., on May 16, 2005. I attended every one of those shows, so it was nice to find copies of those shows available online.

The PMRC led me to purchase SO MANY albums featuring
the "Parental Advisory" sticker. Thank you Tipper Gore for
increasing album sales. And thank you to Warrant for
teaching me the "Ode to Tipper Gore."

My first concert was Poison during the "Road Dogs From Hell" tour in support for their album "Flesh and Blood." Warrant opened for them in support of their album "Cherry Pie." Ironically, later this month, I will be attending a Poison/Warrant show at the Toledo Zoo. I can't wait to relive my High School days with Jenn.

My first live performance on tambourine with my cousin, Cathy (Firsdon) Iott in Weston, OH. I later spent a lot of time sitting at the desk on the left learning the lyrics to Bon Jovi's "Slippery When Wet" and the Beastie Boys "Licence to Ill" albums....and reading the Chronicles of Narnia for the first time....and some aweful short story in fourth grade called "Argyle Socks," which I couldn't for the life of me understand what argyle socks were, despite how much time my dad spent explaining it to me. But I digress.

My second concert performance with my cousin Lisa (both on harmonica) also in Weston, Ohio.

The Bee Gees rocked. Period. Or not.

My earliest musical memory (besides singing "Little Red Caboose" into my Bee Gees portable sing-along radio microphone, or my wireless microphone) involves me riding in my dad's Chevy Blazer in the early 1980s. We were listening to the radio, and I asked him "Can I say a curse word if it's part of a song?" Dad asked me what song (and what word) I meant specifically. I said "Take this Job and Shove It," which I didn't know at the time, was performed by Johnny Paycheck. Dad got a good laugh and almost wrecked the truck in front of Wood County Hospital in Bowling Green, Ohio when I said that. He told me it was alright as long as he never heard me say it outside of a song. It was only a few years later that I found out the punishment for saying such a word when he back-handed me for saying a B-word that almost rhymes with "mustard," and not many years after that when I started dropping the F-bomb in front of him with impunity.

My infatuation with rock and roll started when I was in elementary school and my neighbor let me listen to Motley Crue's "Shout at the Devil" album, some ZZ Top album, Kiss's album "Animalize," and Quiet Riot. The first two albums I ever bought (or that were bought for me) were Crue's "Theatre of Pain," and Quiet Riot's "Condition Critical." The Quiet Riot cassette was a birthday present. I remember because I wanted their album "Metal Health." Mom and dad told me they got me "Condition Critical" because one of the songs on "Metal Health" had a bad word on it. She was referring to the song "Love's a Bitch," a song I knew well, heard many times, and sang often. Up until that moment, I didn't know "bitch" was a bad word. I learned that from mom.

In sixth grade, they bought me the Beastie Boys "License to Ill" album. I remember following mom through Hearts (or was it Rinks at the time???) on North Main Street in Bowling Green, just pestering her to let me get the album. She let me. Knowing what I know now, there is no way in Hell I would have bought my kid that album at any age. He can buy it for himself and hide it from me. That's some raunchy, disrespectful music. I have it on my phone and on my streaming music through Google Music now. I listen to it often, without Jenn in the car.

Mom and Dad also bought me rap albums by Run DMC (somehow the album title "Raising Hell" was okay with them in that instance), and by The Fat Boys (with glorious song titles such as "Respect Yourself (My Nuts)," which was not a double entendre or oblique reference to anything. It was flat-out blatant and vulgar. I loved it, and I still listen to it occasionally.

Once I started listening to Poison, the entire world of music changed for me. I pushed my old music collection, consisting of the Muppet Movie Soundtrack, and albums from Alabama, Oak Ridge Boys, Statler Brothers, and Kenny Rogers off to the side, and let my world be transformed by electric guitars, long poofy hair, Aqua Net, general debauchery, and songs about sex without consequence.

The Sik Puppyz hand-made poster
(made in the cut-and-paste days of DOS
with no graphics software available) that was
created to advertise a New Year's Evebasement
concert (show info since removed for some
unknown reason). The weather allowed us to
enjoy our first concert record-breaking crowd
attendance of one. And I "performed" with a
horrendous infection from a wisdom tooth
extraction, for which I went in special to my
dentist the next day, which was New Year's
Day. This show earned me the nickname
"Chubby Cheekers."

The Silent Echo logo, designed by
my friend John

For many years, all I listened to was Poison, Def Leppard (specifically the "Hysteria" album), and Bon Jovi (the "New Jersey" album). It eventually led to learning how to play the guitar. I pretty much suck, but I would be a good rhythm guitarist for a garage (and only the garage) band that plays for fun, not for fame.

I was in two bands....Sik Puppyz (back in 1991, before the currently popular and signed version of the band existed, as far as I know), and Silent Echo, a five-piece with my brother, and lots of similar names. In fact, our first names were Andy, Andy, Greg, Greg and Lance.We headlined the High School talent show my junior year. I have the video around somewhere of us performing Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me."

Silent Echo featuring from L to R: Me (Greg), Greg, Andy, Andy, and Lance, at the Bobcat Review, at the end of the junior year for me and the two Andy's. The other Greg and Lance joined us in High School the following September. We rocked the joint with a two-song set of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Poison's "Talk Dirty to Me."

We played a couple of outdoor parties, including one that got the attention of the police department. No arrests, no citations. Awesome.

I don't remember why Sik Puppyz broke up. Silent Echo broke up because of in-fighting, creative differences, and the fact that 3 of us were, at the time, high school seniors focused on getting the hell out of high school and moving on with our lives in college...I'm sorry...College, with a Capital C (Do the Bluto).

Some of my favorite songs to play on guitar are the two I mentioned above, as well as "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Osbourne, "Thunderstruck" by AC/DC (the first song I learned on the guitar), "Rock and Roll" by Led Zeppelin, and a rare song by the White Stripes called "Black Jack Davey," which actually is a cover version of a song by Bob Dylan.

I was just getting into the whole rock and roll scene and beginning to understand what it was about when Motley Crue released what I still feel was their best album ever, past or present. "Dr. Feelgood" was a monster force from beginning to end, from guitar work to effects to themes, to lyrics, to artwork. It was a work of genius, only recently approached in brilliance by their album "Saints of Los Angeles," which also is an epic album.

Through the years, I have seen the following bands in concert:

Me and Bret Michaels on the steps
of his tour bus in 2006.

• Poison (to be 14 or 15 times later this month)
• Bret Michaels (3 or 4 times. Personally chatted with him and got autographs 3 times between Poison and solo concerts)
• C.C. DeVille (twice, including going up on stage with him once and getting autographs both times)
• Warrant (to be 4 times later this month. I'm hoping to meet Joey Allen. I have never seen such melodic, harmonic guitar duo as Joey Allen and Eric Turner. It's amazing to watch.)
• Lynch Mob

• Tora Tora
• Faster Pussycat (in the last 10 years, looking like Nazis. I prefer the "Wake Me When it's Over" days, thank you very much)
• Cinderella (3 times. They blow Poison out of the water live, by the way)
• Winger
• Enuff Z'Nuff
• Slaughter



Me, my brother Lance, and C.C. DeVille onstage in 2007 at
Alrosa Villa in Columbus, OH. (Yes, the same place Dimebag Darrelll
and others were killed in Dec., 2004).

• Dokken

Peter Wolf live at Rally By The River in Toledo, OH. May 27, 2004 on the tour
for his "Long Line" CD. Guitarist Johnny A (right) is amazing.

• Aerosmith
• Peter Wolf (twice)
• J. Geils Band
• BulletBoys
• Buckcherry (I think they opened for Aerosmith on the Get a Grip tour)
• Tim McGraw
• And others I can't remember.

My CDs signed by various members of Poison. Power to the People (the green one) was ordered special that way. The other 3 were signed in person at various concerts. I can't find my t-shirt (seen in the photo of me, Lance and C.C.) at the current moment. JENN!!!!! Have you seen my shirt?????? I know where it WAS. I don't know where it IS.

(The above two videos were filmed by me in 2009 at sequential evening appearances in Toledo, Ohio)

Jim Croce

A deeply influential musician in my life has been Jim Croce. He died in September, 1973. I was born 11 months later. I LOVE his music. He is a great musician and storyteller, whose life was taken way too soon. I still can't believe that in terms of age, I have outlived him. He is everything I have wanted to be...English major, musician, snarky, and with a very unique world view. I can still visualize my parents' copy of his record "Life and Times," with newspaper articles about his death taped inside the gatefold cover. That had a profound effect on my respect for, interest in, and love for Jim Croce. Check out his albums, "50th Anniversary Collection," "Live: The Final Tour," "Facets," and "Home Recordings," and his DVD "Have You Heard Jim Croce Live,"

I still bathe in the 80s, refusing to grow up. But musically, I have greatly expanded my interests. My current favorites are Aerosmith's albums "Honkin' on Bobo" and Pump (a favorite from beginning to end since it came out), and anything by the White Stripes. If you plan on checking any of these bands out, also be sure to check out the song called "Carolina Drama" by a band called The Raconteurs, featuring White Stripes guitarist/vocalist Jack White. Creepy song. So amazing.

Interesting story about the White Stripes: My first encounter with them was the video you see below. I watched this live on TV. When they first came onstage, I thought to myself "Humpf. A two-piece band. This will be a joke." By the time this performance was over, I was a White Stripes fan for life. I was blown away by what I call my own personal "Jimmy Hendrix moment." I didn't know you could do that with a guitar. It still blows my mind. I just literally got chills thinking about it. Their album "Get Behind Me Satan") got me through my divorce.

In addition to ALL of the bands listed above, here is a sampling of what is in my cloud/on my phone/on my hard drive/in my head.

AC/DC

Amy Winehouse

Anthrax

Avenged Sevenfold

The B-52s

The Bangles

Bellamy Brothers

Big & Rich

Blink 182

Blue Man Group

Bob Seger

Brian Setzer Orchestra

Bruce Springsteen

Bulletboys

C&C Music Factory

Cheap Trick

Chuck Berry

Clarence Carter

The Dead Weather

DiVinyls

Doctor Hook

Drivin' N' Cryin'

The Eagles

Eddie Rabbit

Eminem

Europe

Evanescence

Every Mother's Nightmare

Extreme

Faith No More

Fatboy Slim

Firehouse

Five Finger Death Punch

Georgia Satellites

Gorky Park

Great White

Green Day

Guns N Roses

Hot Chocolate

Huey Lewis and the News

Imelda May

INXS

Iron Maiden

J. Geils Band

James Bunt

Jane's Addiction

Janis Joplin

Jim Croce

Joan Jett

John Mellencamp

Johnny Cash

Judas Priest

Junkyard

Justin Timberlake

Kid Rock

Korn

L.A. Guns

Lil' Jon

Limp Bizkit

Lita Ford

Little Richard

Living Colour

LL Cool J

Loggins/Messina

Marilyn Manson

Megadeth

Metallica

MercyMe

Muse

Nazareth

Neil Diamond

Neil Young

Nelson

Nickelback

Nine Inch Nails

Nirvana

No Doubt

Ozzy Osbourne

Pantera

Pearl Jam

Peter Wolf (Whose album "Long Line" got me through a confusing and difficult time in college)

Pink

The Proclaimers

Queen

The Raconteurs

Rage Against the Machine

Red Hot Chilli Peppers

Rednex

Rolling Stones

Ronnie Millsap

Roy Clark

Sacred Harp Singers

Sam Kinnison

Seether

The Smithereens

Soulja Boy Tell'em

Spin Doctors
Sponge

Squirrel Nut Zippers

Starship

Steelheart

Steve Vai

Stevie Nicks

Stryper

Sum 41

Sweet
Ted Nugent

Tennessee Ernie Ford

Tesla

Theory of a Dead Man

Thin Lizzy

Tom Petty

Tone Loc

The Tractors

Ugly Kid Joe

Van Halen

The White Stripes

White Lion

Whitesnake

The Who

Yngwie Malmsteen

Bob...What about him?

That list doesn't include all of the bands. Nor does it include soundtracks, or Veggie Tales albums or Disney compilation discs that are mine, not my kids (though I DO let them listen to those).

I find that list to be as eclectic as your weird uncle Bob, and I'm okay with that. I feel it says I am well-versed, open-minded, and "well-rounded."

But based on what you see here, what bands would you recommend I check out next?