IT’S CRUMMY TRIVIA TIME…with ROD STEIGER!
By Steve Crum
Make-up! We all know, don’t we, that Boris Karloff had to sit still for four hours every production day as he was made up as Frankenstein’s creation in Frankenstein [1932]? And that Lon Chaney’s grotesque make-up in 1923’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame took 4-1/2 hours a day to apply? The suffering artiste, indeed.
ROD STEIGER [1925-2002], however, is the all-time, marathon, make-up champ. Steiger withstood 10 hours of torso tattooing [actually painting to resemble tattooing] for his 1969 starring role in The Illustrated Man. It took a separate full day to finish his hands, legs, and lower body. Warner Brothers make-up guru Gordon Bau and eight assistants were responsible.
At least that is the skinny.
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Things are fine in Mt. Idy [she goes on]
By Steve Crum
Although organ grinders are a long lost part of Americana, they used to set up their temporary street sites in large cities. As a child, I recall seeing one entertaining on a sidewalk during the 1950s at the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City. It consisted of a man, stereotypically an Italian, cranking a stand-up organ while his monkey would entertain passersby with somersaults and makeshift dancing. The music he played was always one tune, perhaps Pop Goes the Weasel, which would sound repeatedly.
A crowd would gather, the monkey [a small, capuchin type] would take his cute little hat off, tip it, and then pick up a tin cup and hold it out to the watcher(s) for donations. This meant a sparse living for the grinder. No doubt PETA, the ASPCA, and other animal rights groups had much to do with the end of the organ grinder and his monkey as an occupation. All this I say for those under 50 who probably never personally experienced an organ grinder, except maybe in vintage cartoons and movies. [A clip of a more recent organ grinder with monkey: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57fhOePVRFE ] That said…
Segue to CLIFF ARQUETTE [1905-74], a funny guy whose act consisted of dressing in slovenly, old man clothing, including crushed hat, and talking about growing up in [fictional] Mt. Idy. [He is the grandfather of Arquettes Patricia, Rosanne, Alexis, Richard and David–all actors.] Assuming the comedy persona CHARLEY WEAVER, his appearances on The Jack Paar Show, The Steve Allen Show, and The Hollywood Squares kept him a leading comic for 20 years. He made record albums, starred in a couple of TV shows, guested on dozens more, and wrote several best selling books. Two of the books were compilations of his Letters from Mama routines, in which he would pull a folded letter from his back pocket, climb up, say, on Paar’s desk, and proceed to read his latest “letter” from his mother. Full of corn and surrealism, the letters told of eccentric Mt. Idy denizens Elsie Krack, Leonard Box, Grandpa Ogg, and other odd folk. A favorite Letter from Mama includes this wild tale regarding an organ grinder [hence the previous explanation and build-up]. It is, in monkey speak, bananas:“Will you ever forget the time Ludlow Bean fell into the hay bailer, and from then on had to have all of his clothes made square? We’re all proud of Ludlow. When he first came to Mt. Idy, he started out in a small way. He started as an organ grinder, with one small monkey. He worked hard and saved. Two years later he expanded–now he has a pipe organ and a gorilla. He doesn’t have any trouble with people putting money in the cup now.”
Loved that Mama; loved that Charley.
Saying the secret word, or not, with Groucho
By Steve Crum
Groucho Marx met Fr. John Bremner during the 1958 season of You Bet Your Life, Groucho’s popular TV comedy-quiz show. The show began on NBC radio in 1947, and transferred to television for a successful run from 1950-61. Groucho, accompanied by his announcer George Fenneman, would chat and joke with guests. Most guests were non-celebrities. After five minutes of cajoling, it was time for the quiz. Prize money was not that much, compared to big time quiz shows of the mid-1950s like The $64,000 Challenge. A winning couple on You Bet Your Life usually cashed in for several hundred bucks. But they could take home $10,000. A gimmick was to reward contestants with $100 if the “secret word” were spoken. As Groucho would say each time a couple would enter the stage, “Say the secret word, and divide an extra $100 between you.” If either contestant would say the unknown word in regular conversation, like “soap,” a gangly looking, toy duck [with a Groucho mustache and cigar] would drop by wire from above. Two $50 bills were attached.
Enter John Bremner. In 1958, Bremner was a Roman Catholic priest, and had finished a stint as political columnist for The Tidings, a Los Angeles Catholic newspaper. He would spend 25 years as a priest before devoting his career to teaching the importance of words. From 1969-85, Bremner served as professor of journalism at The University of Kansas. He was Dr. Bremner then, and one of the most respected names in journalism not only on campus but throughout the United States. His two books, Words on Words and HTK are still required reading in journalism schools and by newspaper and magazine writers and editors. When he died from cancer in 1987, students and colleagues were stunned. I was among them.
During my 21 years of teaching journalism at J. C. Harmon High School in Kansas City, Kansas, my students and I were fortunate to sit in on lectures and seminars at KU featuring Dr. Bremner. Many of my students later had him as an instructor at KU. He was an imposing figure at 6’ 5” with white hair. He intimidated students with theatrics and purpose. He cared about the use of words, and he wanted others to care. His students and colleagues knew that, and respected him for it. He certainly changed my writing for the better.
That Bremner agreed to appear as a contestant with host Groucho Marx is somewhat apt. Groucho also loved words. Marx’s quips and puns were central to his lightning wit. Remember these were the pre-journalism professor days of Bremner. He was appearing on the show with the hope of raising money for his church. Groucho knew him only as a priest, and Bremner was dressed as such. You Bet Your Life has not been rerun for at least 15 years, and that is a shame. But when I chatted with Bremner while he was preparing to lecture my students in 1978, the show, called The Best of Groucho in reruns, had for years been regularly broadcast at various times nationwide. He seemed to know I was going to ask him about his appearance on the show that had just aired locally. For the umpteenth time over the last 20 years it had aired.
“I get calls from friends, relatives and former students all over the world every time that show airs,” Bremner said with forced smile. “Sometimes they call me in the middle of the night while I am asleep. I always tell them, ‘Yes, it was really me,’ and, ‘Yes, I was a priest then’.”
The shocker that sticks with me regarding our conversation is neither that Groucho was both funny and a nice guy nor that the several hundred dollars Bremner made was given to the Catholic Church. The scoop is that Bremner was tempted to cheat. He and his partner had already won the initial cash, and were waiting backstage to reenter later in the show to answer questions for the big bucks. A producer told him he was so popular with the studio audience that they would like him to win the jackpot. “Since a charity would get my winnings,” Bremner said, “I was told it would work out well for everyone. All I had to do was read the questions, supplied with correct answers, before going back on stage.” He refused to cheat. As it turned out, Bremner and his partner lost during the final round, but left with decent winnings nonetheless.
A question begs: Was this the only time a contestant on You Bet Your Life was offered the answers? The quiz show scandals of 1958 involved widespread cheating on such programs, yet Groucho’s show kept running to 1961. By then, virtually all other quiz shows were absent from TV, and remained so for years. Had Bremner gone to authorities and told them of what the Marx show had offered him, maybe Groucho’s reputation and career would have suffered. However, You Bet Your Life remains a legendary quiz show that stayed on the proverbial up and up, without scandal.
“To love words, you must first know what they are,” Bremner later wrote. No doubt he would have a field day editing this piece.
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Unfortunately, the Bremner/Groucho show is not available, but here is a clip from another You Bet Your Life episode from Dec. 5, 1957…featuring opera singer John Charles Thomas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=askyshysvbw
John Bremner tributes: a wonderful piece, The Legend of John Bremner, hosted by Edwin Newman, that includes rare footage of Bremner lecturing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Wgi1rJK5gU
IT’S CRUMMY TRIVIA TIME…with JOHN BARRYMORE!
By Steve Crum
JOHN BARRYMORE [1882-1942], the renowned silent and sound screen star and grandfather of Drew Barrymore, has a distinction other than his publicized alcoholism. No, it’s not that he was one of the three Royal Family Barrymores of theater and film, Lionel and Ethel being the others. Yes, he was one of W. C. Fields’ drinking buddies, but that is generally known too. Barrymore, whose Hollywood publicity promoted him as The Great Profile–based on his sculpted facial features, holds a movie star record yet to be broken.
Kissing.
In Don Juan (Warner Brothers, 1926), the first American feature film with sound, Barrymore lip locked a combined 127 times with co-stars Mary Astor and Estelle Taylor. However, you cannot hear either the love smacks or any dialogue since only music and more spectacular sound effects like sword fighting are included on the soundtrack.A swig of Listerine, please.
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For a lip smacking taste of a dozen or so Barrymore kisses, go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwwuy2rsgFc
Emmy, meeny, miny, and even more
By Steve Crum
I’ve said it before: 10 percent of TV’s best programming is higher caliber quality than 90 percent of motion picture (big screen) product. I am talking any comparable, given year for each medium.
Of course, that means there is also 90 percent of television programming–mainly non-drama–that is below par, either leaning toward mediocre or bottoming out. For a positive example, nearly any episode of CSI is better produced, acted, written, and directed than most dramas opening at movie houses. I say most. Now and then, Hollywood movie studios do get it right.
This year’s Emmy nominations focus on the elite top tenth of TV broadcasting. Dramas, comedies, and mini-series are comfortable fits here. That the reality show phenomenon must be represented is regrettable, but not to the millions who thrive on peeking at real competitive humans displaying extreme stress, anger, and joy. Sometimes it is akin to stopping to leer at a car wreck. In high school, where I taught over three decades, it is comparable to the enthusiastic crowd that formed every time a fight broke out in the hall. Exclude me from this mass entertainment. Their wild popularity is reflected by 22 *gasp* reality shows receiving 63 nominations. Ratings dictate. That is truly reality.
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There are some surprises this year, led by Tina Fey and her 30 Rock ensemble garnering 22 nominations. That is the highest number for any comedy series in Emmy history. Remember too that in the days of I Love Lucy and The Andy Griffith Show, there were fewer categories. Still, it is a great achievement. Fey is the Elaine May of our time, a powerhouse comedienne, actress, writer and producer.——————–
With 16 nominations, Mad Men continues to baffle the masses. The fact is few have ever seen the series, which kicks off its third season on AMC next month. From the beginning it received critical raves. Its comparably small audience, I among, are loyal fans. Its production values, including acting, set design, directing and even quirky theme music, are top flight.
Mad Men is all about the lives of advertising guys and gals set in an ad agency during the late 1950s through the ‘60s. Great writing too. If you have never seen it, catch it from the beginning since it is episodic. Then, as they used to say in New York’s Madison Avenue parlance, “Run it up a flag pole, and see if you salute.” By the way, the “Mad” in the title refers to Madison Avenue. John Hamm, incidentally, is again nominated for Best Actor. Hamm is also nominated for playing Tina Fey’s flaky boyfriend in several 30 Rock episodes.
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When I first saw Kansas City’s own Edward Asner in a CSI: NY episode, playing a former Nazi, with chilling believability, it was obvious: He would be Emmy nominated as Best Guest Actor in a Drama Series. This has been a good year for Asner. He should also be nominated for an Oscar for his voice work in Up. And he should win for both.——————–
Rarely are there ties for Emmys. However, both Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange, playing daughter and mother respectively, deserve like wins for their challenging work in the mini-series, Grey Gardens. Absolutely unforgettable performances.
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Finally, a few words about two superb, Best Lead Actor, Miniseries or Movie, nominees: Brendan Gleeson and Kiefer Sutherland. This year, Sutherland missed the Best Actor in a Drama Series for his relentless Jack Bauer portrayal in 24, but he is nominated for his Bauer role in the mini-series that preceded this year’s 24 season, called 24: Redemption. However, Gleeson will win the Emmy due to his awesome acting as Winston Churchill in the mini-series Into the Storm.Isn’t speculation fun? Just get your own blog and have at it.
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Emmy winners will be announced Sept. 20 on CBS.