Started a sunny, windy morning with more Bowery Boys. Sach and Slip are in High Society when Sach is stated to be the heir to the Terwilliger Jones estate, one of the richest tycoons in the country. Jones' scheming relatives really just want to get young Terwilliger Jones III out of the picture so they can have his part of the fortune for themselves. When Slip and Sach realize Sach isn't the real heir, they do everything they can to make sure the kid gets the money that's rightfully his.
I spent most of the late morning and early afternoon changing my sheets and putting my comforter on my bed, then putting up my general fall decorations. Fall is my favorite time of year, so I do have a lot to do. I accidentally broke my leaf garland when I was untying the rope around it. No matter. One half went on top of the baker's rack. The other half went on the narrow shelf that holds comic books and young adult paperbacks in my bedroom. The two wire garlands with the wooden leaves an pumpkins hanging off of them that Mom gave me last year went on the windows overlooking the park and the path to my apartment. One mini-scarecrow went on my dining area table. The other went on the table in the music area next to the big red vase.
Ran The Sea Chase while putting everything where it belonged. John Wayne is Karl, the German captain of a dilapidated freighter in Australia who does love Germany...but not Hitler or the people who rule Germany during the early 40s. When war breaks out, they flee Australia with a British ship in hot pursuit and not enough fuel to get to the next port. Also on the boat is Elsa (Lana Turner), a German spy who needs to get out of the country fast, and Kirchner (Lyle Bettner), a former murderer who has taken a job as Karl's chief officer. The tension continues to mount, even after they stop at a tropical island to pick up fuel, ending up in a literally explosive conclusion during a storm at sea.
This surprisingly thoughtful survival tale is at the very least an improvement over the somewhat similar Blood Alley. While no one is believable as a German (or even makes a rough attempt at an accent), hot-blooded Lana Turner is clearly having a lot more fun than the frosty Lauren Bacall with her role as the lone woman on a ship full of tough men. Like Mister Roberts and Operation: Petticoat, it's not a typical war film - you'll find no major battles until the end, and even then it's one-sided. Interesting sea tale for fans of John Wayne or unusual war films or survival tales.
I called Mom after the movie was over. She had just finished working in the yard and was on her way into the shower. Not much seems to have changed in her neck of the woods. She's still tired from lots of work at the Ferry. I told her about my week, the arrival of the AG dolls' clothing, the start of football season, and my decision to stay in this area for my vacation.
I just made it in time to work. As it turned out, I could have been indefinitely late. We were steady for most of the day, and never more than mildly busy during rush hour. It died around 7:30 and never picked up again. I was able to shut down at 9 with no relief and no need for one.
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