Dolls Rock On

Began the morning with breakfast and Monchichhis. Melmot is a "Misfit Grumplin" who is too gentle and friendly to fit in with his fellow nasty Grumplins. He helps Thumkii escape from Grumplor, only for the other Grumpkins to follow him and in an attempt to invade Monchia and make it look like he did it. Thumkii knows better. Melmot finally reminds them that it doesn't matter what you look like if you're a good guy at heart.

Ran a few errands after the show ended. I was hoping to find more moisture eliminators at Dollar General. Nope, but I did pick up the smaller yellow bottle of Tide there. Wanted to see if they had my gum toothpaste at CVS, but they were too expensive. Stopped at Common Grounds Coffee House for a sweet chai latte instead. I just barely got there in time. I had no sooner sat down with my drink than hordes of college kids came in and the line was nearly out the door.

It was too hot and humid to linger outside for long. Besides, it kept saying it was supposed to rain. (It still hasn't at press time.) I headed home for lunch. Ate while watching Paw Patrol. "Pups Save an Elephant Family" when Marshall spies a lone baby elephant near their camp on a jungle safari, then it strands Cap'n Turnbot and Francois in their tree house. After they rescue them, they have to get the elephant back to its mother. "Pups and the Mischievous Kittens" introduces the Kitten Catastrophe Crew, Mayor Humdinger's spoiled kittens whom he's dressed like the Paw Patrol. They help him wreak havoc on Adventure Bay when Mayor Goodway is competing for a Cleanest Town award. Chase's allergies help him figure out what they're doing...and stop the naughty mayor and his kitty friends from causing more trouble.

Dressed the dolls for school and lessons next. Molly wears Kit's School Skirt Outfit, which is really too pink for Kit. She prefers her original blue School Outfit with the plaid jumper. Samantha is in her 2015 BeForever "meet" outfit, the pink Swiss-dotted dress with the wide lace collar and burgundy velvet sash. Felicity will take tea in her yellow Tea Lesson Gown with the embroidered roses. Jess is dressed for after Catholic school her original striped "meet" outfit shirt with jean capris and teal jelly strap shoes. Ariel is in the pale blue Swiss lace sundress with the crocheted vest I found her in. Josefina is ready for the end of summer in her orange and yellow striped Summer Dress. (Unfortunately, the boots that went with it fell apart last year.) Whitney looks chic and ready for class in her "Sweet Memories" purple checked poodle skirt and turquoise scarf. Barbara Jean's nubby pink and gold minidress came from eBay.

Listened to records while I worked. Bless Its Pointed Little Head was the first live album from Jefferson Airplane in 1969...and boy, did they get into this! They really push some of their best-known songs, especially "Plastic Fantastic Lover" and "Somebody to Love," to their absolute limits at the time, going nearly into hard rock. "Fat Angel" and "It's No Secret" also benefit from the harder approach. Apparently, this did well at the time despite critics not knowing what to make of it. Definitely worth looking for if you're into the band's early sound.

Eric Clapton did even better by Slowhand in 1977. The first three songs on this album are among his biggest hits, the hard driving "Cocaine," sweet "Wonderful Tonight," and rollicking "Lay Down Sally." "Next Time You See Her" is a darker bluesy number, while "May You Never" and "Peaches and Diesel" lighten things up a little on side B. One of Clapton's definitive albums is a must if you're a fan of his. 

Moved from Eric Clapton and the blues to the Commodores and R&B for their 1985 album Nightshift. This was their second album after original lead singer Lionel Richie went solo, and it featured what would be their biggest hit after he left. The driving title song was a tribute to Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, both of whom had died the year before. I remember it being on the radio a lot during the mid-80's, and it still turns up fairly frequently on oldies and 80's radio stations to this day. I vaguely remember "Janet" being fairly popular at the time as well. Most of the other songs aren't at their levels. This album is extremely of its time, with electronic dance riffs like "Animal Instinct" and "Play This Record Twice." You may be better off looking for "Nightshift" and "Janet" on 80's playlists unless you're a huge fan of the band.

Switched to Remember WENN while vacuuming and Swiftering the floors and dusting the rooms. "The Ghost of WENN" seems to be walking the halls of the station when Hilary hears a mysterious voice during a late-night horror broadcast. Betty joins her in trying to figure out what's going on, and why this ghost has a thing for cranberry jelly. Meanwhile, Mackie is more nervous about the broadcast and the old story that an actor died when reading his lines on page 13.

"Caller I.D" distills the magic of radio better than any other episode of the series. Mackie's running records for a late-night music show when a secretary named Jane Smith (voice of Alice Playten) calls in and says she's sitting on the edge of a building, ready to jump. Seems she's tired of her humdrum job and is convinced that if her life can't be like the glamorous radio shows she listens to, she doesn't want to live. The WENN staff throw together some of their most popular show to talk her down...then realize that they're now the "passionate listeners" who care as much about Jane as she does them.

The third season ends with the literal bang that is "Happy Homecomings." Betty worries about Victor's safety when she hears another voice performing Jonathan Arnold on the shortwave and spends the episode trying to open that strongbox. When she finally does, Victor's contact isn't who she expects...and Victor isn't what he seems to be, either. Meanwhile, Jeff comes home as well, but Hilary is still furious about the Pavla mess and refuses to work with him, and Scott has discovered that yes, there are still codes going out over the airwaves, but not in what they've been performing. He's about to tell Betty when he walks into the Green Room and ends up with a gun in his face...held by Victor Comstock...

Hoooo boy. This is the cliffhanger that left the entire WENN fandom, including me, screaming for six months straight. Longest six months of my life until the housing fracas in 2021-2022. All I wanted from December 1997 to June 1998 was to pass my college classes and find out the endings to those blasted cliffhangers! This is why the third season is far and away my favorite. On one hand, Jeff is missed, and this is a lot darker than the seasons that came before it or after it. That's why I like it. This is where the show dares to go places that sitcoms don't often explore even now, from betrayal to death to the importance of the imagination. "Who's Scott Sherwood," "Happy Homecoming," "Caller I.D," and "From the Pen of Gertrude Reece" are my favorite episodes here, though I also love "Mr. and Mrs. Singer," "In the WENN Small Hours," and "A Girl Like Maple." Those cliffhangers signal a lot of changes for the fourth season, not all of them welcome...

Moved to Match Game '76 after I took a shower. By the time I got to there and dinner, they were finishing out the Pat Moriata week. Robert Hedyges of Welcome Back Kotter made his only appearance on the show the next week, joined by Fannie Flagg and Broadway legend Ethel Merman. Richard was more interested in kissing and hugging the contestant, whether she won the Head-to-Head or not.

Finished the night with quiz shows for children, teens and college kids. Quiz shows for kids go back way further than you might imagine. One of the most popular game shows on radio in the 40's and 50's was Quiz Kids. A panel of five children answered questions sent to host jovial Joe Kelly by listeners. The kids were chosen for their high IQs, personalities, and poise in front of a mic, or later camera. It wound up being one of the most popular game shows on radio in the 1940's, endlessly parodied and praised. Though it was one of the earliest game shows moved to TV, it never did as well here. I have an episode here from 1949, one of the earliest surviving episodes of a TV game show. I can see why this was so beloved. The kids are genuinely funny and smart, and substitute host Fran Allison seems to genuinely enjoy listening to their answers.

GE College Bowl was almost as much of an institution in the 50's and 60's. This is about as simple of a quiz show as you can get. Teams from two colleges play answer tough questions in a heated battle of the minds. It's a battle to prove size doesn't matter in the colorized episode I have, as small private New York University squares off against big state college University of Oklahoma.

College Bowl became the standard against which every high school bowl game was set. Practically every local public broadcasting station in the 70's and 80's ran some variation on College Bowl with local high school teams pit against one another. Many of those shows proved to be so popular, they're still running to this day. The version I have here, High School Challenge, started in 1984 on the Flint, Michigan PBS station and has apparently been running there ever since. 

Producers Barry and Enright noticed how popular their kids' weeks were on their The Joker's Wild and created the kids's-only Joker! Joker! Joker! in 1979. Kids get to spin the famous wheel and answer questions from subjects like "Disney Characters" or "Superheroes" tailored to them. I really wish the current owners of the show would do something like this again. The kids are hilarious, and host Jack Barry really seems to enjoy guiding them and their parents through the show.

Jeopardy would do something similar for Game Show Network almost two decades later. Jep! from 1998 had kids tossing out the questions to the answer. However, two wrong answers, and they get something dropped on them, like colorful balls or socks. Three wrong answers, and they're pulled out of the game for a turn. This pretty much screams "late 90's." I will say that, while not great, it is better and a lot more fun than Merv Griffith's too-cheesy attempt to make a kid's Wheel of Fortune around the same time. 

Nickelodeon did better by Make the Grade in 1989 and 1990. Though there are stunts in the form of "Fire Drills" that allow them to switch seats and get more squares, most of the emphasis here is on what the kids know. Three kids answer questions from school related topics like math, science, English, phys ed (sports), and current events. There's also one random "elective" topic usually revolving around Pop culture (in the episode I have here, famous redheads). The kids have to answer one question from each topic and from grades (difficulty levels) 1 through 12 to win. This is one of my favorite game shows Nick did in the late 80's along with Double Dare. It's almost refreshing to see a show on Nick put emphasis on what the kids know, rather than how well they can throw a gunk-filled balloon. 

Teens had their own fun in syndication in 2000 with Pressure 1. An offshoot of an earlier syndicated show for teens Peer Pressure, this one emphasized questions rather than stunts. Four kids answer questions. Those who answer two right move on. The one who don't has to relate their most embarrassing moment. In the next round, the first winner gets to choose a subject with a punny title from which to answer questions. The winner gets to pick the next topic. Two move on to the final round, where they have to answer the most questions correctly in 60 minutes. Interesting idea, but a bit on the cheap side - you can tell this was intended for syndication. The kids do seem to get into it, though, especially in the lightning round. 

Go back to school with these hilarious quiz kids as they try to make the grade under pressure and show they have what it takes to really rule the airwaves!

Quiz Kids (1949)

GE College Bowl (Colorized) (1960)

Joker! Joker! Joker! (1979)

Make the Grade (1990)

High School Challenge (1996)

Jep! (1998)

Pressure 1 (2000)

Dolls On National Night Out

Began the morning with breakfast and Little Bear. "Auntie Hen" is preparing her home for lunch when Little Bear brings her chick nephews and nieces to visit. They wreck so much havoc inside, they end up eating at Hen's picnic table. Little Bear would love to "Play Ball," but he's angry that Emily took his ball without asking. Emily's angry at him for making fun of her baseball uniform. It takes the actual game to patch up their hurt feelings. "Lucy's Okay," even after Duck accidentally sits on her and they hold a mock funeral for the doll.

Had no trouble getting to the Acme on time this morning and on my bike. That's about the only thing that did go right at work. Work was a pain in the rear end from beginning to end. It's the beginning of the month and the day seniors get a discount. I had no help, either. The bagger who was supposed to help ended up in a register again. I kept getting behind on carts. I'd fill them, and they'd vanish again. I was very happy when I finally finished and got out of there.

At least the weather was pleasant. In fact, I think this is supposed to be the nicest weather we have this week. Sunny, breezy, hot, a little humid, but nothing like yesterday! For all the trouble, I did have a pleasant ride home, and it wasn't bad gathering carts when I could get out.

Returned to cartoons during lunch with Paw Patrol "Sea Patrol" episodes. "Pups Save a Water Walker" when Mayor Humdinger steals Francois Turn'bot's new water walking boots, intending to turn Turtle Island into part of Foggy Bottom. Not only did he completely ignore the fact that the island is a turtle habitat, but he can't control the boots. The pups have to go after him. "Pups Save a Windsurfer" when they save an older lady and her friend from an underwater and island volcano that are about to go off.

Switched to the 2002 Strawberry Shortcake as I finished eating. Peppermint Fizz is the only one who refuses to accept newcomer Rainbow Sherbet. She lives on a houseboat, and her life revolves around the water. She's too different for Peppermint. Strawberry holds "The Costume Party" to show why differences are nothing to be afraid of.

Dressed the dolls for August next. Kit, Samantha, and Molly wear their historically-accurate bathing suits I found on eBay. Jessa's purple tropical-print modern bathing suit also came from eBay. Ariel and Whitney's bathing suits were gifts from Lauren. Lauren also gave me the purple sundress with the lace jacket and hot-pink pineapple print. I can't find a historically-accurate bikini for Barbara Jean, so she gets to wear that for a summer date. 

Josefina and Felicity come from time periods where swimming and bathing weren't considered ladylike. Felicity wears her lavender striped Traveling Gown and second "meet" outfit. Josefina is in the pretty beige flowered dress and beige moccasins I found her in.

Listened to CDs while I worked, starting with finally getting all the way through American Musical Theater Vol II. The Cradle Will Rock, an opera about a steel worker who attempts to unionize against a miserly boss, was so politically charged the government tried to shut it down before it opened. Writer Marc Blitzstein ended up playing the piano for the cast while they sang their parts from the audience. Howard DaSylva gets dark title song. They weren't the only show to have trouble, either. Porgy and Bess wasn't a hit in its original 1935 run, though songs like "Bess, You Is My Woman Now" eventually put it over by 1940. Pins and Needles was a very similar revue from around the same time, though far more comic in nature. Ruth Rubenstein sings about being a "Chain Store Daisy" who has to sell to men instead of chase them. 

Two of the big names in this time period couldn't have been more different from another. Kurt Weill specialized in groundbreaking concepts and odd fantasies featuring brittle leading ladies like Gertrude Lawrence, who introduced "Jenny" in Lady In the Dark, and Mary Martin, who joined Kenny Baker to introduce "Speak Low" in One Touch of Venus. He also wrote the wistful "September Song," which was introduced by Walter Huston in Knickerbocker Holiday. "Tchaikovsky" had very little to do with Lady In the Dark, and everything to do with the performer who introduced the wild patter number about Russian composers - Danny Kaye. Cole Porter, on the other hand, went in for goofy shows with sassy belters like Ethel Merman. She introduced the title song of Anything Goes and "Friendship" with Bert Lahr in DuBarry Was a Lady. Mary Martin became a star singing Porter's sexy "My Heart Belongs to Daddy" in Leave It to Me. 

All of that changed when Oklahoma debuted. Rodgers and Hammerstein's romantic comedy-drama led a revolution where stories got meatier and songs and dances now had to have some relevance to the plot. The version of "Soliloquy" heard here is from the original cast album of Carousel and has a passage Hammerstein cut after opening that is heard nowhere else. For some reason, they use the 1966 revival of Annie Get Your Gun with Ethel Merman, Bruce Yarnell, and Jerry Orbach singing "There's No Business Like Show Business" instead of the original. Irving Berlin himself sings his own comic number from This Is the Army, "Oh How I Hate to Get Up In the Morning." St. Louis Woman wasn't a hit, but it did give us the gorgeous ballad "Come Rain or Come Shine."

Put on Diana Krall as I cleaned up the dolls' boxes and shoe hangers. Quiet Nights mean just that, soft ballad and bluesy numbers. There's standards here, too, "Where Or When," "Too Marvelous For Words," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out to Dry," and a really lovely version of "I've Grown Accustomed to His Face." Of the newer numbers, I liked the title song and "So Nice" the best.

Rested while watching the first three episodes of Remember WENN. Decided to rewatch my favorite TV show in honor of its 30th anniversary this year. "On the Air" introduces Betty Roberts (Amanda Naughton), who has just arrived at Pittsburgh radio station WENN in 1939. She won a writing contest, but erudite station manager Victor Comstock (John Bedford Lloyd) isn't impressed until her script saves a broadcast.

"Klondike 9366" brings in perky ingenue Ceila Mellon (Dina Spybey) and shows us more of husband-and-wife acting team Jeff Singer (Hugh O'Gorman) and Hilary Booth's (Melinda Mullins) contentious relationship. Celia is tossed into the fray when she and Jeff host Victor's latest radio creation, a late-night call-in talk show. It just ends up with crossed lines, until they help a little boy (Nick Holmes) keep a prowler at bay. 

Victor and Betty are caught between "A Rock and a Hard Place" when wealthy Mr. Action (Barton Heyman) wants to create a slam-bang action show. However, that would mean canceling Pittsburgh Public Library Theater and upsetting another influential sponsor, Mrs. Mellon (Irene Worth). While Victor tries to figure out how to appease both of them, Ceila tries desperately to avoid Mrs. Mellon...and Betty learns she wasn't entirely upfront about how close she was to the Mellon family. Good thing Betty can keep a secret (something she'll be doing a lot more of in the later seasons). 

Headed out after "Rock and a Soft Place" ended. I dropped off a book at the kiosk in front of what used to be the Oaklyn Library, then headed down to West Clinton. The Oaklyn Police Department held their National Night Out at the parking lot between the school and Tonewood Brewery. They were giving out free bags of popcorn, water ice, hot dogs, bottles of water, and very thin slices of pizza. I had two slices of pizza and one of everything else. Ate while watching older kids slide around and jump triumphantly out of a sports-themed bounce house. There was a Mickey Mouse-themed bounce house for the younger kids. 

I had just come back for cherry water ice when the police announced a pie-eating contest. Actually, it turned out to be more of a Reddi-Whip-in-the-pie-pan eating contest. Two cops competed against a line of kids. They were all utterly hilarious to watch, kids and cops alike! I think one of the older boys ended up winning. I finally went home as mothers wiped their children's whipped cream-covered faces and the cops grabbed lots of napkins.

Caught the last Match Game '76 episode of the night when I got in. Jimmie Walker spent a lot of the week enamored with a very pretty contestant who made her own clothes. Richard Dawson was happier to be between Elaine Joyce and Fannie Flagg (and their shapely figures).

Put on more WENN after Match Game ended. Movie and theater star Grace Cavendish (Patti LuPone, the first of three Broadway divas to appear on the show) makes a special appearance at the station in "There But for Grace." Hilary Booth is furious. She never forgave Grace for stealing her part in Razzle Dazzle. Grace is really there to see Victor, whom she once had a relationship with. Betty's not too happy either when she catches them renewing said relationship. Victor, however, is married to the station and the artistic freedom it brings. Meanwhile, Hilary is determined to get rid of this interloper, or at least give her the stomach ache of her life. (Look for LuPone's performance of the title song, the first of two times on the show you'll hear its lyrics.)

Finished the night at PBS Kids with Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Strawberry Shortcake and her friends aren't the only ones who learn that it's not so bad for our friends to have different interests. It's "Pizza Day at School." Dan wants to be "pizza buddies" with Prince Wednesday, but doesn't understand why he prefers broccoli over green peppers. Likewise, Miss Elainia tries to get Katarina to try finger painting, but she prefers painting with a brush. "Daniel and Jodi Like Different Things" when they play at the beach. Dan doesn't like to be squirted with a squeezy whale. Jodi's brother doesn't want his feet covered with sand, but he loves to help make sandcastles! 

Dolls On a Hot Summer Day

Began the morning with breakfast and He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. I grew up on the original version of this show, which was one of the hottest things going during my own pre-school years. In honor of the new movie in theaters, and since the entire series is now on Tubi, I thought I'd check it out starting with "Diamond Ray of Disappearance." Skeletor finds a diamond that can make anyone who looks at it vanish into another dimension. His goofy men lure Teela and her guards away from the castle so Skeletor can make the king, queen, Sorceress, and Teela's father Man-at-Arms vanish. Prince Adam, who turns into He-Man thanks to a powerful sword, goes to Castle Grayskull to figure out how to save them.

Headed out after the cartoon ended. I had errands to run, starting with dropping two books at the kiosk down the street. After that, I rode to the Collingswood PNC to get money. I was originally going to use the outside ATM, but a card pulled up. I ended up inside. 

Had brunch at a busy Sabrina's Cafe. Thought I'd try their 1776 Matcha Almond Pancake Stack. Turns out this was two enormous plate-sized pancakes smothered with matcha cream, white chocolate drizzle, whipped topping, almonds, blackberries, and strawberries. Tasty, and I ate most of it...but also way too much cream and drizzle. They always overdo the sauce on their specials. The hibiscus iced tea didn't taste like much besides sugar. 

Strolled down Haddon Avenue next. I was hoping Grooveground finally opened. It hasn't. It's been closed for remodeling since last spring. I did see the door at Collingswood Music open. I wasn't planning on visiting them next week when I'm on vacation. They don't sell CDs, only vinyl, and Lauren can't take records home in her luggage. For a spur-of-the-moment trip, I did really, really well. I dug five albums out of the 2 dollar bin and found a soundtrack and two kids' albums, one of them fairly unique.

Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Frensesi: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits

Songs from The Jungle Book and Other Jungle Favorites

The soundtrack from the 1988 Bette Midler melodrama Beaches

The Jack Sheldon Quintet - Hollywood Heroes

Radio Active, a K-Tel collection from 1982

Lena Horne - The Exciting Lena Horne

A Musical Soundtrack to America On Parade is by far my best find today. It's a gorgeous picture disc version with the music from "America On Parade," the Bicentennial parade for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I suspect this may only have been sold in the parks, and probably only in 1975-1976. Here's the link to a page from Yesterland that goes into further detail on "America On Parade" and the doll-like figures seen on the picture disc.

Yesterland: America On Parade

Incidentally, the weather wasn't bad today. It was hot, sunny, and windless, but not hot or as humid to the degree it's supposed to be starting tomorrow. Even so, I was still sweating bullets when I got home, to the point where I needed to towel myself off.

Dressed the dolls for July and Independence Day next. Samantha is in her Middy Dress, tam, and black and white boots. Josefina wears her Indigo Skirt and Camisa. Whitney is ready to dance in Oaklyn's 4th of July Parade in the white American Girl dance dress with the red and blue sequins and ruffled sleeves. She's borrowing Molly's tap shoes. The ones that came with the dress fell apart. Kit wears her original Reporter Dress with the red, blue, and yellow flowers and red shoes with the white stitching. 

Molly's ready for outdoor fun in her Camp Gowanigan uniform and saddle shoes. Ariel celebrates the Bicentennial in the patchwork red, white, and blue peasant blouse Lauren sent a while back and red satin shorts from Julie's original Roller Skating outfit. Felicity is airy and cool in her white Summer Gown with the wide blue and pink flowered sash. Jessa's red t-shirt, shortalls, and splotchy high top sneakers are a bit simpler. Barbara Jean is the only one old enough to pull off the pink, white, and blue terrycloth romper with the brief tube top. 

Listened to records while I worked. Jo Anne Castle and Her Ragtime Piano is actually a combination of two earlier Castle albums, Tiger Rag and Lawrence Welk's Ragtime Gal. Ironically, Tiger Rag has the actual ragtime, including the title song, "Dill Pickle Rag," and "I Want a Girl." Ragtime Gal features slightly newer numbers like "Goofus," "Canadian Sunset," and "Humoresque."

Raggedy Ann & Andy Birthday Party starts out a bit like the odd movie Raggedy Ann & Andy: A Musical Adventure. Ann, Andy, and the dolls in the playroom see Marcella having a birthday party in the garden. The Camel With the Wrinkled Knees doesn't know when his birthday is. As in the film, he wanders outside and dreams of his friends giving him a party. When Ann follows him and finds out, she encourages the others to give him the party he so badly desires. 

Despite the title and being put out by Disney itself, Songs from The Jungle Book is actually covers of songs from that film. The Beatles-esque "Bare Necessities" and goofy comic "I Want to Be Like You" aren't bad, but the real stand-outs are the lesser-known material. "That's What Friends are For," a number for a pack of Beatles-imitating vultures in the movie, becomes a charming and adorable Beach Party-esque chorus routine here. The brief "My Own Home" is slower and almost slinky, performed by a smoky-voiced lady who sounds a bit like Julie London. The "other jungle favorites" are a slightly re-written "Abba Dabba Honeymoon" and a really cute "Civilization," with a deep voices singing the "I don't want to leave the jungle"part who sounds a bit like Larry Hooper from Lawrence Welk.

Artie Shaw had his biggest hits in the late 30's and 40's, and that's reflected in Frensni: Artie Shaw's Greatest Hits. His biggest was the title song, but there were others that are still associated with him and his orchestra. He seemed to favor slower, more romantic or robust songs like "Indian Love Call," "Softly As In a Morning Sunrise," "Nightmare," and "Begin the Beguine."

Switched to The Time of Their Lives after I finished with the dolls and got everything put away. Poor tinker Horatio Primm (Lou Costello) wants to buy his sweetheart Nora (Ann Gillis) out of indentured servitude. He even has a letter from General Washington claiming he can get more work. Meanwhile, Tom Danbury (Jess Barker) is engaged to lovely Melody Allen (Marjorie Reynolds), but she overhears him plotting with Benedict Arnold against Washington. She and Horatio ride off to warn Washington, but the American soldiers turn up and, thinking they're the traitors, kill them, dump their bodies in a well, and curse them to never leave the house's grounds. 

Almost two centuries later, Melody and Horatio are still ghosts in the house when they realize how the place has changed. It's been rebuilt, with all the original furniture returned. The new owner is playwright Sheldon Gage (John Shelton), his fiancee June Prescott (Lynn Baggett) and her very sarcastic Aunt Millie (Binnie Barnes). They're eventually joined by Sheldon's therapist, Dr. Ralph Greenway (Bud Abbott)...who happens to be the ancestor of Cuthbert Greenway, the man who had been his rival for Nora. Melody and Horatio are more than happy to drive Greenway crazy, until Sheldon's housekeeper Emily (Gale Sondergaard) holds a seance, and they finally figure out a way to find the proof that they aren't traitors and get their unearthly rewards.

This was...surprisingly sweet, even touching in spots. On one hand, it's not your typical vehicle for these two. They do appear together a few times, but don't really do any routines. Apparently, they'd been having problems at this point. On the other hand, it may be not only their most unique vehicle, but one of the most unique classic comedies I've ever seen. Reynolds makes a spirited Melody, Barnes has more fun than she should as the sarcastic aunt, and the special effects are pretty decent even now. If you like Abbott and Costello and are willing to go down a different path with them, try this one on for size. 

Put on Match Game '75 after I had a quick and small dinner. They're now on the week with Bert Convy, Joyce Bulifant, and a pregnant - and rather testy - Jo Ann Pflug. The end of the week featured one of the most infamous Audience Match answers of the entire run. Richard Dawson, pressed to come up with something for "Trench __," blurted out "trench hand." He joked about getting "trench hand" for the rest of the episode, and there would be references to it again throughout the years. 

Finished the night after a shower with more of The Swamp Fox. "A Woman's Courage" switches the focus almost entirely to Francis Marion's sweetheart Mary Videux. She boards a prison ship filled with rebel prisoners coming from Charleston, including the captain who was captured there. She poses as the sister of four of them, then helps them all escape. Francis, who is considering turning in his commission if he can't get more men, is more than happy for the help. 

Night of the Springtime Dolls

Began the morning with breakfast and Shirt Tales. They help a "Hapless Hound" with a cold who can't smell find a new owner after he wanders into the park and Dinkel says he can't stay. Two jewel thieves trick Dinkel into thinking they're from a park magazine, when they're really looking for "The Very Buried Treasure." The Shirt Tales make sure the jewels fall into the right hands.

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon dressing the dolls. Samantha looks so grown-up in Rebecca's lovely white and pink Lace Dress. Molly's Birthday Pinafore with the rickrack trim is thin and more appropriate for summer than her birthday in April. Whitney is trying on a hand-made purple gingham dress with smocking and flowers on the blouse. Felicity wears a white gown with huge blue roses I bought from a doll clothes booth at the Deptford Mall more than 15 years ago. Jess is going to Girl Scouts in the original 90's Girl Scouts vest, shorts, and loafers. It's paired with a gray 90's American Girl t-shirt, since the shirt that goes with that outfit is a turtleneck.

Kit's ready to chase scoops around Cincinnati in her turquoise and pink flowered sundress from the "BeForever" revamp a decade ago. Josefina's in one of my favorites of her outfits, the lovely tan and burgundy Weaving Outfit with the lace-trimmed skirt. Ariel's dressed for Pride Month in Ivy's Rainbow Terrycloth Jumper and roller skates. Barbara Jean wears the purple Paisley mini-dress she came in, net stockings (the ones she came in are ripped beyond use), and her own white strap shoes. 

Listened to the last of the records I bought last week as I worked. Probably the best-known song from Major League is the cover of "Wild Thing" heard near the end when they defeat the Yankees. I actually bought this for the last song, the wistful, nostalgic ballad "Most of All You" by Bill Medley. Other good songs here include "Cryin' Shame" by Lyle Lovett, "How Can the Girl Refuse?" by Beckett, and "Burn On" by Randy Newman.

The House at Pooh Corner/Now We are Six are simple retellings of those two Winnie the Pooh stories. House is narrated by Ian Carmichael and Dick Bentley. Bentley alone does Now We are Six, which also includes a few charming songs taken directly from the source material.

Switched to The Wild Wild West while I put everything away and had a really quick lunch. It's "The Night of the Jack O'Diamonds" when Artemis and James attempt to deliver a beautiful horse to the president of Mexico, only to have it stolen by bandits. They attempt to join the bandits and get it back, but it's not going to be as easy as they think.

Rushed out the moment the show ended. I thought I had enough time to take the bike, but...not only did I leave late, but I ran over a bump crossing Collings Avenue and my basket flew off! I had to gather everything before the cars ran me over, which meant I was a few minutes late arriving at the Thomas Sharp School.

Not a good thing, since we were really busy today. Though we only had 21 kids, 8 at my table, they're all wound up from various end of the year events. None of them would sit down in the cafeteria, and they were even worse outside. They kept begging and begging to go on the swings, especially when their friends whose parents had arrived were allowed to go on. They did get into line once they were allowed to swing, but...I tried to get one girl off who had already been on so another girl who had to go home could get on. The girl would not get off, no matter how much everyone pointed out that there were only two swings, and she had to share. I had to drag her off, and she just sat in front of it while her friend tried to swing, which meant her friend hit her and made her more upset. I finally just told all of the kids to get off, and they weren't going to be allowed on for the remaining time we were outside. Fortunately, they were only outside for another 10 minutes anyway. I helped take the last 4 kids inside, then went home.

Put on The Price Is Right when I got in, then Match Game '74. The Scoey Mitchelll-Elaine Joyce week ended with Charles Nelson Reilly announcing that he would leave soon to direct a Broadway play, The Belle of Amherst. Character actor Richard Lang made his only appearance the next week.

Finished up with Viennese Nights on YouTube. I go further into this charming Technicolor operetta from the early 30's at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Cult Flops - Viennese Nights

Dolls on a Perfect Spring Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. Mickey is reading "Daisylocks and the Three Bears" to his teddy bear Duffy when Daisylocks herself turns up at his door. She's supposed to be delivering blueberries to the Three Bears, but she got lost. Mickey and the gang help lead her home and wake up Papa Bear when she gets there. 

Switched to Pirates of Dark Water while getting organized. "The Collector" is a wizard who shrinks ships and seals them in bottles to take their treasures. He first steals a ship that Ioz sneaked aboard to get his treasure, then gets the Wraith. It's up to Ren and Niddler to trick the wizard and reverse the spell.

Spent the rest of the morning dressing the dolls for warmer spring weather. Ariel is in a hand-made pink polka dot dress with pearls sewn on the smocking that I bought from a doll dress maker two years ago. She borrowed Samantha's side bow headband. Samantha is dressed for her birthday in her Pink Striped Dress and Lace Pinafore with the white and pink shoes. Molly's also in a hand-made outfit, in this case a recreation of her hard-to-find Victory Garden Dress. Josefina celebrates a late Cinco Del Mayo in her gorgeous Dress and Vest with the lovely red and gold print skirt and black velvet vest. She wears it with her gold embroidered shawl from her Feast Day Finery.

Barbara Jean's hot pink fringed and sequined dress and fur wrap was supposed to be a play outfit for Melody, but I have it as her ultra-chic prom gown. She borrowed a tiara from the Sugar Plum Fairy ballet outfit to make her the queen of the Cherry Hill High East prom. Felicity is ready to help me clean in her green striped Work Gown and the lace-trimmed apron I originally bought from Cold Spring Village years ago as a pinafore for Samantha. Kit's ready to find that scoop in the second version of her Reporter Dress with the polka-dot vest and skirt and the cute rickrack side collar and bow. Whitney goes red, white, and blue for Decoration Day (Memorial Day when her story is set in 1959) in Maryellen's bow-print School Outfit. 

Listened to two of my recent record finds as I worked. Hooligans is one of the many Who greatest hits collections floating around. I have Meaty, Beaty, Big and Bouncy on CD, but that one stops in the early 70's. This one goes up to Who are You and includes songs from that, Quadrophena, Who's Next, and Who By the Numbers. Of the less familiar non-album singles, my favorite is "Join Together." Other later songs on here I love include the dynamic live "Summertime Blues," "The Song Is Over," and the title song from Who are You. 

Diana Ross' self-titled album from 1980 was one of her biggest hits and featured two of her most popular singles, the bouncy "Upside Down" and upbeat "I'm Comin' Out." Other good ones here featured her in a more typical bluesy mode. I especially liked "Now That You're Gone" and the cute "Have Fun (Again)."

Headed out early after Diana Ross ended. Picked up two soft pretzels and a pepperoni-filled pretzel from A&A Pretzel Shop and ate them at the stone bench along the road leading into the Bettlewood entrance to Newton Lake Park. I didn't have much time to enjoy them. I had to hurry along to work. 

I was a minute or two late, nothing horrible...which was a good thing. Despite there only being 23 kids today, they were pretty riled up, even the 8 kids at my table. I had to coax one little girl who decided to hide in the bathroom stall out so she could go back with the others. 

Thankfully, we were able to get them out to the playground early. It was too nice for them to be inside for long, anyway. Like I told one little girl when she finally got on the swings, this was just about the most perfect weather you could imagine. It was golden sunny, warm, and blustery, probably in the upper 60's. If the kids weren't chasing each other, they were playing hide and seek with me and the other teachers, racing Hot Wheels cars down slides, or dancing to Taylor Swift songs, "The Floor Is Quicksand," "Diggin' In the Dirt," and songs from Encanto, The Lion King, Moana, and KPop Demon Hunters. There were four left when we took them briefly back inside to get anything they'd left there, then joined the remaining 8 older kids on the blacktop to let the teachers conduct their meeting in the cafeteria.

Took a shower when I got home, then had dinner while watching Three Daring Daughters. I go further into this charming vehicle for Jane Powell and Jeanette MacDonald at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Happy Mother's Day! - Three Daring Daughters

Finished the night with more Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Plus. "A Dragon Tale" has Mickey and the gang trying to get a fire-breathing dragon away from Queen Clarabelle's front door so she can have her tea party. Turns out the dragon isn't anything like they think he is, and they learn about being a good friend when they help him find something he can drink tea out of and get Dragon Pete unstuck from a narrow bridge.

Night of the Mario Galaxy

I overslept and had just enough time this morning before my dental appointment to eat a quick breakfast, dress, and take a call from Alyssa at Camden County. I wasn't able to get the First Time Buyers loan. You need two lines of credit, and though my credit is about as good as you can get, I only have one credit card. I've also only had the second Healthy Kids job for almost a year. Even though I've been at the Acme for 27 years, they don't count Healthy Kids. She said she'll apply me to a less-stringent loan and see if I can get that. 

By the time I finally called Uber, it was too late. They arrived in 10 minutes, which made me slightly late to my dental appointment. I did better later in the day. It took 9 minutes for the driver going to the Cinemark to arrive, and 8 for the one going home.

My dental appointment did not go well. My back lower left tooth, the one behind where the other one was pulled, has been sore and a little wobbly for weeks. My gums have been a little sore, too. I thought I took care of that problem five years ago! I haven't had so much as a cavity since that last tooth was pulled in June 2023. It was fine the last time I went for a dental appointment in early January. At least they won't be pulling it for another two weeks, and I was able to get the usual cleaning, but it's still scary and frustrating.

I tried to cheer myself up with a spinach and feta omelet and multi grain bagel at the Westmont Bagel Shop. I spent most of the time listening to a group of older women behind me chattering. Bought water and "puffcorn" (popcorn with no hulls) for the movies at Dollar Tree and tried to get money at Target.

After I gave up on the money and decided to just take Uber, I headed to the Cinemark in Somerdale to see The Super Mario Galaxy Movie. I missed the showing I originally planned on seeing...but there was another one just 20 minutes after that. I got into that one with five minutes to spare.

For once, almost every commercial before the movie was for something I really wanted to see, or at least thought looked interesting. I'm so glad they're finally putting out the Michael Jackson biography after pushing back the release date at least three times. I will absolutely be catching that at the end of the month to review it for my Musical Dreams blog. Supergirl is a definite yes after I loved Superman last summer. (And it'll give me something to look forward to between the end of the school year and Lauren visiting.) Masters of the Universe looks like they're at least trying to get closer to the original cartoon than the first time MGM attempted to go live-action with that franchise in 1987. We'll see about the unique animated buddy action fantasy Forbidden Island in late September. I may wait for that and the Paw Patrol dinosaur movie to debut online. The only one I likely won't bother with is Minions & Monsters. The commercial was cute, but I never really got into the Minions/Despicable Me franchise. 

I won't go heavily into The Super Mario Galaxy Movie because of spoilers, but...I loved it. I don't have a clue as to what the critics are complaining about. They whined about the last one, too. Maybe they don't like movies being based on video games. Chris Pratt was much better as Mario, Donald Glover was a surprisingly perfect Yoshi, and Benny Safdie was hilarious and even touching as Bowser's devoted son Junior. In fact, I love how they handled the relationship between Bowser and Junior. Bowser may be a lousy emperor, but he is a great single dad. If anything, Princess Peach (Anya Joy-Taylor) was even more awesome here than in the first movie, reminding me of why she's been my first-choice character whenever she was playable for 40 years. 

It's still no masterpiece. Some sequences, like the short bit with the Bee Queen and the one with Yoshi and the babies on the dinosaur planet, don't really move the plot along and seem shoehorned in to add more references to other Nintendo games. They crowd out characters like Fox McCloud of Star Fox and Rosalina whom you wish got more screen time. Some of the action set pieces go on for way too long, and a lot of the references may only land if you've been a hard-core Nintendo nut for the past 40 years. 

All in all, I say completely disregard whatever you've heard about this and go check it out, especially if you or your kids are Mario fans. It may not be a perfect galaxy, but it's still a lot of fun to explore.

Headed up the hill to Wal Mart after the movie ended, if only to enjoy the gorgeous day. It was windy, but sunny and relatively warm when you could get out of that cold wind, probably in the mid-upper 50's. I was hoping to find The Super Mario Galaxy Movie soundtrack there, but though they have restocked their record collection since last year, the soundtrack won't be out on physical media until later this year. I just picked up a few bits and pieces I needed instead, including a new dry erase board, granola bars, the Shirley Temple flavor of Olipop that I've seen nowhere else, and their soft and tasty breakfast cookies. 

I got home with just enough time to take out the trash and check something online before Jessa arrived. We ended up back at a surprisingly busy Ponzio's. Their back dining area was closed. I wonder if they were having a party later that evening? Some seats at the counter were closed, too. At any rate, we still had a wonderful dinner. Jessa's Double Decker Turkey Club was so huge, it was more like an 18-Decker. My chicken wrap was delicious, with lettuce, roasted bell peppers, fresh mozzarella, and lots of pesto mayonnaise. She took a slice of chocolate fudge cake home to Mike, but I did eat the vanilla buttercream cake slice right there. Oh yummy. Perfectly sweet, moist, and buttery. The waitress said they were out of a lot of desserts. I'm guessing the cheesecakes and pies and tarts were the first to go, because they seemed to have plenty of cakes and cookies.

Took a shower, then finished the night with The Wild Wild West. James West and Artemis Gordon investigate "The Night of the Beast" (aka "The Night of the Simian Terror") when they hear about a giant ape wrecking havoc on Senator Seth Buckley's (Dabbs Greer) plantation. His terrified ward Naomi (Grace Gaynor) and son Benjamin (Felice Orlandi) are more concerned about being the last of the Buckleys...and that someone has been picking off the Buckleys one by one. The ape had once been controlled by a scientist, but someone else, someone connected to Buckley, seems to be in charge of "the beast" now...and is using him to extract his revenge on the entire Buckley clan. 

Oh, and American Girl just re-released the first 8 historical dolls - Molly, Samantha, Kirsten, Felicity, Addy, Josefina, Kaya, and Kit - in limited edition versions, with their original meet outfits, accessories, and books. The only one of those dolls I don't have who interests me is Addy, and I could probably adopt one cheaper on eBay, but they're still available if you want them and don't have any of them. (Now if only they'd re-release more of their outfits...or even make new ones...) 

Dolls and Harts of My Dreams

Actually, I began today with a phone call. The lady from the Camden County First Home Buyers loans was calling me back to do an online application. Awesome! She sounded really pleasant and interested, too. I gave her my information and explained why I'm doing this. I want to get out of this attic, and soon, preferably between mid-October after I get back from my vacation in Pittsfield and mid-January. 

After I finished with her, I had breakfast while watching Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies. The Easter Bunny is sick and can't make his usual rounds this year. Granny wants Bugs to do it, but he's busy making his shorts, so she searches for a replacement among the Toons. With a story that flimsy, this is less of an Easter special and more "Oscar-winning shorts from Termite Terrace." Among the shorts seen are bits and pieces of "Knighty Knight Bugs," "Hillbilly Hare," "Birds Anonymous," "Robin Hood Daffy," "Sahara Hare," and "For Scent-imental Reasons." 

Switched to Tale of the Bunny Picnic after I ate. I go further into this charming Muppet spring cable special from 1986 that introduced Bean Bunny at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy Easter! - Tale of the Bunny Picnic

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon dressing the dolls for the spring holidays. Samantha looks so pretty and grown-up in her pink and magenta Flower-Picking Dress with the asymmetrical lace collar. I'm glad I bought that outfit when I did. It's hard to find now. Josefina is in her Feast Day Finery ruffled camisa and turquoise skirt. Felicity is pleasantly salmon pink in her Birthday Dress and flowered Pinner Apron. Kit may not appreciate the ruffles, but she does look cute in her Candy-Making Dress. The soft fall colors on Julie's original Birthday Outfit look even better on redheaded Ariel. Jessa gets the original late 90's Girl of Today Birthday Outfit with the fruit-print purple jumper and t-shirt. 

Whitney, Molly, and Barbara Jean wear home-made outfits, Whitney and Barbara Jean's from eBay. Barbara Jean's minidress has a fashionable 60's pink, yellow, and brown geometric design. It's sleeveless, so she wears a white ruffled sweater over it. Whitney's white dress has pastel polka-dots, a wide skirt, and purple ribbon trim. I bought Molly's pink and red striped dress with the flowers and the smocking from a booth at a church book sale last spring. 

Listened to records as I finished the dolls, and later as I ate lunch. Dreamy Serenades with Sammy Kaye and His Orchestra are exactly what it says on the cover - dreamy ballads or songs about dreams, done in a soft, breathy style, almost Hawaiian. These lovely ballads make gentle background music for a soft spring day, including "I'm a Dreamer, Aren't We All?," "I Had the Craziest Dream," "With My Eyes Wide Open, I'm Dreaming," "My Isle of Golden Dreams," and "Girl of My Dreams."

The Tale Spinners Aladdin is a pretty straightforward retelling of the original Arabian Knights story. It's even set in China, rather than the Middle East as in the Disney version, and Aladdin lives with his mother. This does cut the Genie of the Ring, probably for time, but otherwise, it's action-packed and actually rather charming.

Swashbuckler is a rousing original pirate yarn from 1976. John Addison wrote an appropriately lush score that works with the old-fashioned adventure and derring-do. In fact, the title of the second-to-last number is "Derring Do!" Other notable pieces here include the Main Theme, "The Coach Robbery," "The Pickpocket Monkey," and "The Incredible Chase."

Soon as I finished eating, I jumped on my bike and headed off to the Thomas Sharp School. We had far fewer children today, 22 younger ones all together, 6 at my table. They messed around a little in the bathroom, but otherwise, they were just fine. They're still getting too wild in the cafeteria after snack time, though. Pinching, biting, name-calling and then tattling about it, running around. Several kids pulled plastic eggs out of their class Easter bags when they were told not to. Two actually got them open, revealing Play Dough. One girl was really good about putting hers away. Her friend just got upset and had to be talked into it. I couldn't get the eggs back together, so I wrapped them up with plastic and paper towels and put them in their backpacks. 8 kids had to be held back by the head teacher while we got the ones remaining outside.

It wasn't as nice of a day to be on the playground. For one thing, it was windy and considerably chillier, barely in the 50's. For another, it was also cloudy and kept spitting lightly on and off the entire time we were outside. We also had to ban the kids from using the bouncy balls they got for Easter when they bounced them over the fence around the playground twice and the teachers had to retrieve them. The kids still had fun, though. They chased each other, played hide and seek, and gathered flowers that had fallen from the tree over their heads and made tiny bouquets. Others danced to "Try Everything" from Zootopia, "Zoo" from Zootopia 2, "I Like to Move It," and songs from Moana, Moana 2, and Trolls. 

The sprinkles had picked up slightly before the kids started to complain about the cold. We finally got the remaining four inside around 5 PM. I spent the 15 minutes I had left sharpening colored pencils. I also discovered there was a reason the kids took their Easter bags home today. I thought their Spring Break started Monday, but it begins tomorrow. That means I get a full day off I hadn't planned on, as I'm also off of the Acme tomorrow. Sweet. I'll move my grocery shopping to tomorrow instead of Saturday and see if I can get some things done in Westmont that I originally planned on doing next week.

There was a package from Amazon waiting for me when I got home. My first birthday present to myself are the most recently-released Peanuts specials soundtracks. Apparently, Craft Recordings couldn't find the original audio masters for Charlie Brown's All-Stars, so they paired what they could get off the actual special with It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown. I'll listen to it tomorrow or this weekend.

Watched Match Game '90 during dinner. Jo Anne Worley finished the previous week with a record on the Match Up mini-game, getting 7 matches in a row. Brett Somers turned up for the first of three weeks on the next show, sitting between Fred Travelena and his one-man White House and her old drinking buddy Charles Nelson Reilly. She got to flirt with a handsome young contestant who had no trouble choosing her for that Match Up game.

Finished the night with Hart to Hart. "A Couple of Harts" are on a picnic outside of Acapulco when the junker car Max loaned them break down. They walk to a nearby mansion to ask for directions to a repair shop, only to fall right smack in the middle of a conspiracy when the wealthy woman owner assumes they're the new butler and maid. Turns out the woman is the head of a group of revolutionaries who just assassinated a senator and intend to do even worse at a dinner that night...and a close friend of the Harts may be involved as well. 

Dolls on a Sunshiny Day

Began the morning with breakfast and Pac-Man. Pac Man and Pepper board "The Pac Love Boat" hoping for a quiet anniversary cruise. What they didn't count on was the ghosts tagging along, or Pac Baby, Sour Puss, and Chomp-Chomp ending up as stowaways. The Ghost Monsters commit "The Great Power Pellet Robbery" when they attack the armored car Pac Man is driving, but they get quite a surprise when they discover what the pellets actually are.

Took the laundry downstairs, then spent the next few hours after that dressing the dolls for St. Patrick's Day and the much nicer weather we're having this week. Samantha is in her mint-green and pink Special Day Dress and the red shoes with the bows. I'm so glad I bought that dress when I did in 2015! It's expensive on eBay now, and it looks so cute on her. Molly's wearing a shamrock-print dress with rickrack trim I found at a yard sale years ago. Josefina is in her Harvest Outfit with the sage green skirt and pretty embroidered camisa. Elizabeth's Summer Gown has a quilted petticoat that makes it more appropriate for spring, and it's celery-green color looks lovely on Felicity. 

Ariel is in another hard-to-find retired outfit, Julie's Calico Dress with the red bandana and high brown boots. Whitney wears a yellow Queen's Treasures dress with a ruffled collar and red and green flower print and matching headband. Kit's in her flowered Birthday Wrap Dress with the coral sweater from her Photographer's Outfit and white t-strap shoes. Jessa gets her Girl Scout turtleneck, pull-on khaki cargo pants, and turquoise and white sneakers. Barbara Jean is very mod in her swirling turquoise, orange, yellow, and red mini-dress with the go-go boots and white fur vest. 

Finished out my current record finds while dressing the dolls. I had no idea Martin Mull was a singer until recently. I know him best as a comedian on Clue or tossing out quips on Hollywood Squares or in the host's chair on Fernwood Tonight. No Hits, Four Errors: The Best of Martin Mull reveals he was a comedian as a singer, too, with songs ranging from gospel spoofs ("Jesus Is Easy") to cracks at country ("Flexible," "Eggs") to a disco version of "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" listed as "Santafly." He's kind of in the same category as Bette Midler - he sang everything, though he's a bit less campy and more laid-back than her.

It's been a while since I visited my favorite couple from Wistful Vista Fibber McGee and Molly. The first episode on side one had Molly and Fibber preparing for a "Canoe Ride" while their wacky neighbors tell them about their planned vacations. Likewise, all of their strange neighbors have their opinions when Fibber uses his "Hunt and Peck" method to write a movie about the history of the typewriter.

Switched to Disc Four of the Broadway: The American Musical soundtrack while finishing the dolls and eating lunch. By the mid-60's, the Broadway musical was once again evolving. Rock was the new sound in popular music, and musicals weren't always seen as reflecting the sudden change in tastes. Cabaret, with its sensual opening "Wilkomen," changed what a musical could do and be. Hair, "the New Tribal Love-Rock Musical," was proof that yes, Broadway could do the new sound and sensibility, as "Let the Sunshine In" became a massive hit in 1967. Grease moved from off-Broadway in 1973 and was an even bigger hit, with "We Go Together" being one of the best chorus numbers from the show. A Chorus Line debuted in 1975 and would run for 15 years. Its big finale, "One," with its glittering gold-spangled kick line, wowed audiences even as they related to the dancers' stories of heartbreak. Chicago was overshadowed by A Chorus Line in 1975, but it proved to be ahead of its time. The 1997 revival, complete with the opening number "And All That Jazz," is still running on Broadway at press time.

Broadway had been faltering for years along with New York itself, as urban decay crept in, theaters closed, and people found more of interest at home watching far cheaper plays on TV. Pippin became the first musical to take advantage of this audience, releasing TV commercials and a Motown cast album that proved there was still room for a "Corner of the Sky." Likewise, The Wiz invited audiences to "Ease On Down the Road" with its R&B score. The success of Annie, with the hopeful anthem "Tomorrow," brought family audiences back to Broadway. England returned with power ballads from the rock operas Evita and Jesus Christ Superstar, while Stephan Sondheim pushed boundaries even further with the intimate Company and its "Ladies Who Lunch" and the rousing "I'm Still Here" from Follies. Jennifer Holliday raised the roof and won a Tony with another R&B score, "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going" from Dreamgirls.

Called Uber after the CD ended and I sent off an e-mail to Bryanna, telling her to send me Josh Phillips' e-mail or phone number. I was already late calling them...and I pushed the wrong button! It took them 10 minutes to come as it was. I ended up at the Acme and had to call them again. They took 11 minutes this time, which meant I was 15 minutes late. At least there was no traffic around.

Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all day. No one was angry, not even the kids. I got there just in time to take my crew of 6 to the bathroom. They were a little rowdy, but not too horrible...because they all wanted to go outside and play in the now-clear playground. Thankfully, they handled the new no swings, no tag rule well. Only one little girl tried to go on the swings and had to be pulled off. The head teacher brought a bubble wand and let them chase bubbles for the rest of the afternoon. I hadn't laughed so hard in ages. They were so funny! If they weren't chasing bubbles or running around the slides, they were drawing on the concrete with chalk or dancing to "Pink Pony Club," "I'm Still Standing," the theme from Bluey, "Pup Pup Boogie" from Paw Patrol, and songs from KPop Demon Hunters, Frozen, Trolls, and Moana. 

As one of the boys said, it was a perfect day. It was sunny, warm, and breezy, the sky a soft robin's egg blue. Boys stripped off sweaters; girls rolled up dress sleeves. It was so nice, even after we took the kids off the playground, we just let them run around with the older kids on the blacktop in the back and play ball games. Even the little boy who said he wanted to go inside ultimately stayed played with Legos at a picnic bench instead. It was so late when we got them back, I never went back inside, either. I just left from the blacktop.

Took advantage of the nice day and a less-stiff knee to walk home. First stop was Crust N' Cravings for their delicious pizza. I enjoyed a slice of broccoli-tomato, a slice of sausage, and a black cherry Sparkling Ice. Dodged the debris leftover from scraping up snow on the White Horse Pike sidewalks long enough to stop at CVS to use the bathroom and take advantage of a buy one, get one 50 percent off sale and pick up Secret deodorant.

Finally remembered to put the laundry in the dryer when I got home, then took out the recycling and put on Match Game Syndicated. Charles Nelson Reilly was still away doing a (short-lived, as it turned out) Broadway show, so Fred Grandy took over for him in the first three episodes, and Richard Deacon in the last one. Bart Braverman drooled over ladies and showed off his cowboy gear in the first week. Fred Travalena tossed out quips in his many voices in the second.

Brought my laundry upstairs, then finished out the night with charades and acting-based game shows on YouTube. Charades goes way, way back on TV. It was one genre that couldn't be pulled off on radio. Charades has to be seen to be believed. Mike Stokey's Pantomime Quiz was one of the earliest hit game shows on TV. Celebrities have to act out a silly or weird phrase in a certain amount of time. Whichever team acts out in the least time wins money for their charities. This March of Dimes special from 1949 with Vincent Price and Hans Conried, among others, is one of the oldest TV game show episodes to exist today.

Pantomime Quiz would be revived in 1979 as Celebrity Charades. Basically the same deal, even down to the informal living room-like set. Jay Johnson and his dummy Squeaky hosted this version. Unlike Pantomime Quiz, which ran off and on for years, Celebrity Charades only lasted a few months. The premiere episode with Jon "Bowser" Bauman, Richard Paul, and Ted Lange among those doing the charades is the only one currently online.

Goodson and Todman twice tried their hand at a charades show. Showoffs in 1975 had Bobby Van hosting as two celebrities helped two contestants figure out what a word was. The winning contestant then acted out three words for their celebrity partners. They could stop after $1,000, or go until they got $5,000. Alas, ABC wiped most of this show. Only two episodes are known to exist, including the one here with Dr. Joyce Brothers having to bow out of the final round after she twists her ankle, leaving Dick Gautier to do her part alone. 

Body Language did slightly better a decade later. Now, two celebrities act out a series of words that form a puzzle. The contestants have to guess the puzzle. If they win, their celebrity will act out a series of words in 60 seconds. However many words they guessed is what they'll win in the final round. The celebrity then acts out 3 words. If the contestant guesses all of them, then win the money. This is basically Showoffs Plus, but frankly, it's a lot tighter, faster-paced, and more interesting to watch. No wonder it's been a staple on Buzzr off and on for years. In fact, considering how much fun Todd Bridges, Kim Fields, and host Tom Kennedy are having in the episode here, I'm surprised Freemantle hasn't sold or loaned this format to Nickelodeon or The Disney Channel yet. 

The Canadians got a bit more into charades and acting shows than we Yanks did. Acting Crazy was a hit in the early 90's, with series in 1991 and 1994. Basically the same deal as Pantomime Quiz, with two celebrities in two teams with three contestants. No wonder this came back. It's just as much fun to watch as Body Language. Marcia Wallace and Sally Struthers have a blast here with host Wayne Cox.

Charades games made a comeback on TV in Celebrity Name Game from 2014. This time, the pun-filled phrases are replaced by acting out pop culture icons or popular brand names. The celebrities switch teams half-way through. In the third round, the contestants themselves go head-to-head while host Craig Ferguson reads names from a specific category. The bonus round has the winners guessing 10 names behind pictures. One goes into a soundproof Booth while the other guesses clues. If they can guess in 55 seconds without giving an illegal clue, they win an extra $20,000. No wonder this would prove to be popular in syndication and just started running on Buzzr. It's just as much fun to watch, and everyone puts so much energy into it!

Two words...acting games! Play charades with some of the craziest actors around in these hilarious pantomime-filled episodes.

Mike Stokey's Pantomime Quiz (1949)

Showoffs (1975)

Celebrity Charades Premiere (1979)

Body Language (1985) 

Acting Crazy (1994)

Celebrity Name Game (2015)

Dolls and Angels

Began the morning with breakfast and Beware! I go further into this charming "race film" from 1946 with bandleader Louis Jordan trying to save his old college from closure at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Beware! (1946)

Started dressing the dolls for February while the movie was on. The current Lunar New Year outfit at American Girl is too fussy for laid-back Jessa, so she gets Ivy's more authentic Chinese New Year dress. Whitney's thick pink felt poodle skirt with the long-sleeved white blouse and lace-trimmed slip is from eBay. I found her pink cardigan sweater with the pearl trim at a yard sale. Samantha's dusky pink Talent Show Dress is so historically accurate, it's based after a real-life girl's dress from 1904 in a museum. Josefina also wears a dress from eBay, a romantic magenta floral Regency gown with an elastic collar and a delicate lace wrap. 

The white and gold knitted Sweet Spring Dress from a decade ago is short enough to pass for a minidress for Barbara Jean. She wears a white Springfield Collection cardigan with satin ruffle trim over it.  Ariel is in Julie's flowered pantsuit and zipper turtleneck. It's way too cold for the sandals that go with that outfit, so she's wearing boots instead. Kit wears her red and blue Treehouse Cardigan Sweater and blue hat with the red pom-pom. The outfit I got on eBay didn't come with the skirt, so she's borrowing the navy-blue one from Molly's meet outfit. Felicity attends tea ceremony lessons in her Laced Jacket and Petticoat. Molly wishes she could wear something more glamorous than her plaid school jumper and blouse and the black strap shoes she borrowed from Samantha. 

Switched to Charlie's Angels during lunch. The ladies and Bosley meet at the end of the third season, not for a case, but to celebrate their third anniversary as a team. Their memories and reminisces of the previous three seasons' worth of cases turns into "Angels Remembered." Yeah, this is a clip show, likely intended as a transition between Kate Jackson's last season and Shelley Hack's first.

I hadn't even finished dressing the dolls when it was time to call Uber. Thankfully, despite my late start, I had no problem getting a driver. The one going there arrived in 7 minutes and got me there a few minutes early. The one going home took 9 minutes at the height of rush hour. There was a little traffic on the White Horse Pike going home. Otherwise, no problems.

None with the kids, either. We had far fewer children today, only 20 pre-schoolers and kindergartners. I had 8 at my table today, and they did get a tiny bit rowdy in the bathrooms. (I had a hard time getting the boys out in particular.) I read a Clifford's Puppy Days story to the kids playing with Barbies and brickle blocks and talked to an upset young lady who was missing her parents after snack time. The kids loved seeing me draw Scott, Maple, and Betty as superheroes and Pruitt as an Joker-style super-villain when we moved to the library in a scene from the sequel to Captain Victor, Man of Power I have planned. By the time we moved the kids to the cafeteria, there were only three "littles" left. The last younger kids went home at the same time I did.

I brought my trash outside and carefully picked my way around snow and ice to drag out the trash bags and cans before Jessa picked me up around quarter after 6. Between the weather and the snow that was still piled up despite the warmer weather, I figured this was no time for fancy meals or going further afield. I picked the Legacy Diner in Audubon. They were a bit busy when we arrived, but cleared out quickly as she had pepper steak on rice, and I had a "Brooklyn Dodger" omelet with Swiss cheese, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes, hash browns, and rye toast. She said she snacked at work today, but I didn't have a big lunch and got a slice of a delicious, moist Chocolate Fudge Cake.

Finished dressing the dolls while watching the remaining third season episodes of Remember WENN when I got home. "The Ghost of WENN" appears as a spooky voice in the halls during a thunderstorm while the cast is performing a horror show. Hilary is terrified that it seems to target her specifically, Betty is terrified that they'll lose the transmitter, and Mackie is just terrified.

"Caller ID" tells us more about the magic of radio than any episode of the series. Mackie's playing DJ for their late-night musical show Dreamland Dance Floor when a woman (voice of Alice Playten) calls and claims she's going to jump off a near-by building. Mackie and the others end up putting on a massive crossover of most of their major shows to keep her from slipping...and show her that the real magic of radio is what our own imagination makes the characters out to be.

"Happy Homecomings" are anything but when Betty hears a Jonathan Arnold who is definitely not Victor on the radio. Worried, she turns to sweet lawyer Doug Thompson, who recommends that she finally opens that strong box Victor gave her. What Betty finds is hardly what she expects...and it turns out to be anything but true. Meanwhile, Hilary is less than enthused at Jeff's return, Scott's found more codes going out over the airwaves, and yes, Victor comes home...but seems to be more than a little out of it as he, Scott, and Betty end up confronting a gun-wielding Pruitt in the finale.

This is the infamous cliffhanger that left everyone in the WENN fandom screaming at the top of their lungs for six months straight. Longest six months of my life until the housing mess in 2021-2022. All I wanted from December 1997 through June 1998 was to pass my college courses and find out the end of those blasted cliffhangers! They're a big part of the reason I love the third season so much. This is far and away my favorite season of the series. Many fans complained when the show was on that the third series gets too dark. I love it because it gets so dark, because it goes places most sitcoms wouldn't dare to go even today. However, changes at AMC were on the horizon during those six months, not all of them pleasant or welcome, as we'll discover in the fourth and final season...

Finished the night honoring Black History Month with jazz great Wynton and Ellis Marsallis' Joe Cool's Blues. Father and son are at the top of their game with this delightful tribute to the Peanuts specials of the 60's and 70's. While there are nice covers of classics like "Linus and Lucy," "Little Birdie," and "Christmas Is Coming," the real interest here are the Marsallis' original compositions. "Why Charlie Brown," "Wright Brothers' Rag," "Snoopy and Woodstock," and the title song fit in perfectly with Guaraldi's original music and sound like they could have come from the specials themselves. 

Dance Party On Ice

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and Pac-Man. It's an "Invasion of the Pac Pups" when six little Chomp Chomp pups wreck havoc on Pac Man's home and his life. Mezmeron and the Ghosts make a "Journey to the Center of Pac Land" when they dig under what they think is the Power Forest. They do manage to get Pac Man at first, but Pepper knows how to handle them.

Switched to Super Password while making my grocery list. Got to see a bit of Marsha Warfield and Marty Cohen chatting with Bert Convy before I called Uber. My knee is still really sore. I think it doesn't like this cold weather. Besides, I wasn't getting a ton of groceries, but I did have a lot of heavy ones I wanted to get. Thankfully, they only took 7 minutes to pick me up and about 5 to arrive.

If you've seen the weather reports for the East Coast, I think you can guess that the Acme was mobbed today. It's not supposed to snow until early Sunday morning, but the temperatures are going to drop into the teens tomorrow. No one wants to be out when it's gale-force windy and literally freezing. I restocked oranges, apples, yogurt, granola, granola bars, and probiotic soda. Had online coupons for bakery cookies and Propel drink mixes. No 20 ounce Fresca, but I did get two of the Diet Coke With Lime. Thankfully, there were enough lines open that the 15 items or less checkout line was short. 

Once I got home and put everything away, I switched to a more dramatic 80's cartoon while eating a quick lunch. In the first season of Jem, Jem and the Holograms are on vacation at a Colorado ski resort owned by a friend. They're shocked to discover the resort is in serious trouble. The Misfits and their sleazy manager Eric Raymond have been sabotaging it to help a friend of Eric's and his competing resort. The Holograms agree to a ski race with the Misfits to decide ownership of the resort. It becomes their "Last Resorts" when the Misfits sabotage that too, and Jem is trapped in a cave after an avalanche. That cave, however, contains something that could be more of a help to the resort than any concert ever could.

Took Uber to the school, too. I can sit at the school, but I'm not up to a bike ride, and it's gale-force windy anyway. Thankfully, unlike yesterday, the Uber going to the school arrived in 10 minutes and got me there right on time. The one I initially got going home canceled...but their replacement took a mere 5 minutes to arrive.

Things were definitely better today. For one thing, I had a small group, only 6 kids plus one boy I agreed to take because he was so enamored with playing daddy to one of the girls' American Girl modern line dolls, he didn't get up and run around quite as much as usual. The kids loved it when I showed them pictures of my American Girl doll collection. I even showed them my wrapped-up knee to explain why I couldn't chase after them like usual today. It helped that we only had about 20 younger kids all together. It was the head teacher's birthday. All of the older kids sang "Happy Birthday" for her during snack time. It was so sweet of them! 

The head teacher had a surprise when we went to the library. Our Friday dance party turned into a disco dance party when she handed around glow stick bracelets for everyone. I did wiggle a bit when I went to sharpen colored pencils, but I mostly stuck with the kids in the back of the library who were coloring on a wide piece of paper, building with magnetic tiles, or looking at books. Like I told the two boys who were back there for most of the time, a quiet party can be just as much fun as a big, noisy one! I finished my picture of Betty, Eugenia, Hilary, and Maple from The Four Dancing Princesses and did stencil pictures of a butterfly and a pig. (Really more of a boar - we're out of pink colored pencils.) One of the boys did an amazing picture of a roaring rocket in his favorite colors. (He's going to be a great engineer someday, that one.) The other colored a picture of Spongebob Squarepants' pineapple house.

Watched The Price Is Right and Match Game Syndicated when I got home. Mary Ann Mobley's host hubby Gary Collins was the male ingenue this week, joining Debralee Scott, Betty White, an antsy Bill Daily, and in Charles' seat, Dick Martin. Debralee spent a good part of the week flirting with a handsome young man from New York with the accent to match. (Debralee herself had been born in North Jersey.) 

Finally got my schedule at this point, too. It's...pretty much the same as this week with slightly more hours next Saturday. To be honest, I'd already planned on taking Sunday off. There's no way I'm going to get an Uber driver in the middle of a major snow and ice storm. The way my knee's feeling, I'll likely call out tomorrow, too. 

Finished the night starting season 3 of Remember WENN. Victor explains to Betty where he's been "In the WENN Small Hours" and why he's turned up so suddenly. He's doing important government work, and she can't let anyone know he's alive...which proves to be a problem when first the rest of the cast starts trickling in from talking to the police, then sponsor Mr. Medwick turns up with explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets). Betty and Victor do manage to head him off after they tell him the, er, strange things that have gone on while he's been out of the US, but Victor can't stay...and then drops a bombshell about just how well Scott Sherwood actually knew him.

Hilary Booth, meanwhile, is frustrated with her recent lack of roles that suit her considerable dramatic talents. She thinks she's found the perfect vehicle for her and Jeff when a budding playwright (Harry Hamlin) comes to her with his magnum opus. They convince their sponsors the Sweets (Louis Zorich and Peggy Cass) to fund their show "Prior to Broadway," but can't decide if it's a comedy or a drama. Betty's more interested in re-reading the letter of introduction Victor sent along with Scott, noticing that it sounds an awful lot like one of Scott's pet catchphrases...

Dolls On a Warm Winter Day

Began the day with breakfast and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. When Mickey goes to help Clarabelle Cow at her Moo Mart, the clubhouse becomes "Donald's Clubhouse." Goofy and Pluto teach Donald a lesson in helping out when he keeps trying to push all the work in cleaning up the clubhouse for a surprise guest on them and the Handy Helpers.

Spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon dressing the dolls for cooler January weather. Molly wears her Play Outfit with the gray and red plaid flannel shirt. I haven't gotten her oxfords yet, so she borrows Kit's. Kit wears Rebecca's School Outfit with Samantha's black strap shoes. Samantha is in her gray flannel School Outfit and the black boots from Rebecca's School Outfit. Felicity will be warm and cozy on the trail in her emerald green Riding Habit. Jessa is in her original Meet Outfit with the yellow felt sweater and black corduroys and a flower-print long sleeved AG shirt from the 2002 Ready for Fun meet outfit. Ariel wears Julie's orange and blue embroidered long-sleeved tunic, dark blue corduroy gauchos, and boots. Whitney hopes she can go skating in her blue and red Skating Outfit and Springfield Collection skates. Josefina and Barbara Jean are both in hand-made eBay outfits. Josefina wears a lovely blue and red flower print Empire-waist dress, while Barbara Jean's yellow dress has long, full sleeves and pin tucks on the chest.

Listened to records while I worked. Merrily We Roll Along is the 1981 musical adaptation of the 1934 play that goes backwards in time, showing the dissolution of a movie producer, his wife, and his best friend from the acrimonious debut of his latest film to their high school graduation. Apparently, Sondheim suggested this one because he wanted to work with teenagers. He may have thought the idea charming, but he was the only one who did in 1981. Audiences and critics alike found the book too bitter and difficult to figure out, though Sondheim's music was praised. It was so badly received at the time, it ended Sondheim's collaborations with producer Harold Prince until 2003. 

I can see why people wanted to give this a second chance, even after the original production flopped. "Old Friends," "Good Thing Going," the searing "Not a Day Goes By," and the title song are among the best Sondheim ever wrote. The cast is mostly unknown and kind of shrill, though Jason Alexander can be heard as a washed-up Broadway producer. Apparently, a lot was re-written and re-worked after this production failed, enough that a revival off and on Broadway in 2023 and 2024 with Johnathan Groff as Frank and Daniel Ratcliffe as Charley was a surprise hit. I might have to look for that one too and see what's different. As it is, the original cast is worth hearing for the wonderful songs and unique plot alone.

I was so late getting out to the Thomas Sharp School, I ate my lunch with the kids. It was even nicer today than it was yesterday, sunny and warm, without a bit of wind, probably in the mid-50's. The kids had a great time running around outside after their snacks. I made sure there was no fighting over the swings and kept an eye on my watch to make sure everyone got enough time. The other kids danced to "Takedown" from KPop Demon Warriors and various kids' dance numbers or chased the other teachers. They were so funny playing tag! I hadn't laughed so hard in ages. 

Grabbed dinner and put on Copacabana after I got home, after a quick stop at the Speedy Mart for a Propel water. I go further into the 1985 TV movie version of the Barry Manilow song at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On TV - Copacabana (1985) 

Watched Match Game Syndicated after the movie ended. Gail Farrell was the only cast member of The Lawrence Welk Show who was brave enough to join the lunacy on Match Game. She was joined on her week by an even more famous musician, diminutive singer-songwriter Paul Williams. 

Switched to Remember WENN after the show ended. "Sight Unseen" becomes the first of two episodes in a row to deal with minority relations in the 1940's. In this case, a blind girl (Molly Ringwauld) comes the station to meet her hero "The Vagabond." The Vagabond is played by Mackie Bloom, who is a short, balding character actor and anything but the suave, handsome man he thinks she wants. He's the one who learns a lesson when she points out that he's just a voice to her, but one that means more than all the sight in the world.

"The Emperor Smith" is George Smith (Howard Rollins), a black waiter Betty hastily puts on the air as the sexy Lord Bramley in one of Hilary's soaps when Mackie gets laryngitis. He's a sensation, but this is 1940 Pittsburgh, and blacks playing anything besides waiters is still frowned on. Betty and the cast jump through hoops to keep their "mystery man" under wraps when a gossip columnist insists on getting the full scoop. 

Finished the night with more Copacabana. Manilow expanded the movie into a full stage musical in the early 90's. Though it has yet to play Broadway, it did run two years in London from 1994 to 1996 and has toured the US. Here, the story is framed as a songwriter imagining the story of his newest brainchild, and Tony is not the one who dies in the end. The framing is a bit confusing, but I actually think the ending here works better than the more tragic one in the movie does. Some of the additional numbers are fun, too. I love the opening "Just Arrived" that depicts Lola and many other women arriving in New York to find stardom, the hilarious "Who am I Kidding?" for Sam Silver after everyone at the Copa convinces him to keep an eye on Tony in Havana, and the meta-romance "This Can't Be Real."

Even the Muppets had their own take on the song in The Muppet Show. Liza Minnelli performed it with two Muppet monsters representing Tony and Rico in a hilarious spoof of 40's film noir from the 4th season. Kermit is the private eye trying to figure out who's killing the cast, while Piggy is Minnelli's jealous understudy. 

Home Front Angels

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. "Daniel Does It Himself" when he has to wait in bed before he goes outside and plays in the snow. He makes a snowman all on his own when he does finally get out. Wish some of my kids had the gumption he shows when "Daniel Learns to Swing." He doesn't want Jodi's Nana to push him, but he's having trouble with the momentum, so Nana points out what Jodi's doing. When they get inside, Jodi's mom teaches them to make the twins' new beds.

Switched to Mickey Mouse Clubhouse as I got organized. "Mickey's Choo Choo Express" will Professor Ludvig Von Drake's never-melting snow from Mistletoe Mountain, but first, Mickey and his pals have to find the parts of the train and put them together. They then need to find the track and the way up the mountain to the Professor.

Checked my schedule at this point. I'm not happy at all. Though I only work four hours, I work Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday. With school starting Monday, that means two days where I'll be rushing. On the other hand, I have the rest of the week off after Wednesday, including a rare and surprising Saturday.

It was too late by the time I got moving for grocery shopping. I'll do that tomorrow. I did still need to hit the ATM machine, so I went for a walk down to WaWa. I picked up a grilled chicken sandwich and soft pretzel for lunch with those gift cards from the kids, along with a sweet but very cinnamon-y Snickerdoodle Smoothie. It remains chilly here, cloudy and windy, but not to the degree of yesterday.

When I got in, I had lunch while watching Remember WENN. In "World of Tomorrow," station manager Scott Sherwood is excited for the small-time station's big Wizard of Oz-inspired show at the end of the 1939 New York World's Fair. Writer Betty Roberts, who has to come up with this epic and actually get their star-struck cast to perform it, isn't as sure. Diva actress Hilary Booth is more upset that her husband Jeff Singer was called to broadcast in war-torn London by their former manager Victor Comstock. For all his seeming disinterest, it's Scott who finally puts Jeff and his touching speech in London on the air to finish the show...before the broadcast dissolves into static...

After lunch, I spent the rest of the afternoon taking down most of the Christmas decorations. I got all the stuffed animals and everything in the bedroom but the big fabric ribbons. The bears I keep out year-round went back on the bed. The Christmas bears and stuffed animals and their clothes went in the felt Santa Bag. Took down the tree, it's ornaments, the tinsel garland and lights. The front door wreath and vintage cut-out cardboard Santa go in the box with the tree because they don't fit anywhere else. The things for the bedroom went in the Christmas popcorn tin I got from a friend a few years ago. The only things left are the miscellaneous items that go out first - the fabric ribbons, the crocheted coasters, the poinsettia place mats, the nativity, the magnets. 

The staff of WENN aren't the only ones dealing with the realities of World War II. Molly: An American Girl On the Home Front (Maya Ritter) is living in a normal Chicago suburb in 1944 with her parents Helen (Molly Ringwauld) and Dr. James (David Aaron Baker) McIntire and her older siblings Jill (Genevieve Farrell) and Ricky (Andrew Chalmers). Molly loves tap dancing (even if she isn't the best) and speculating with her best friends Linda (Samantha Somer Wilson) and Susan (Hannah Fleming) about what their pretty, glamorous teacher Miss Campbell's (Sarah Mannien) wedding will be like. 

The bottom drops out of Molly's world when Dr. McIntire enlists to take care of troops in war-torn London. Her mother gets a job at an aircraft manufacturing plant, which brings in fussy Mrs. Gilford (Sarah Orenstein) and her rules and turnips from her garden. Her favorite Aunt Eleanor (Amy Stewart) joined the WASPs as a pilot. Then sweet, shy Emily Bennett (Tory Green), an English refugee, comes to stay with Molly's family. Molly assumes she's wealthy, titled, and stuck-up, but she's really scared and lonely. Molly learns a lot from London native Emily about how the war really effects people, When Mrs. Gilford and Miss Campbell lose people who are close to them and Dr. McIntire goes missing, Molly begins to realize just how hard wartime is, and why we all have to make sacrifices to achieve our goals. 

A lot of American Girl fans like this movie better than most of Molly's core books, claiming Molly is more sympathetic, Emily is more than a one-note character who was there to argue with Molly, and it expands more on the characters. On one hand, I miss a lot of charming incidents from the books that made them so funny, like Molly's Halloween war with Ricky, Molly and her friends making a quilt for the soldiers, and their entire trip to summer camp. And I really wish they'd done a lot more with the Aunt Eleanor subplot. She's brought up for one scene and vanishes after that. 

On the other hand...yeah, I can see their point. For one thing, Ritter's Molly is heartbreaking and hilarious, especially when she's trying so hard to learn those dance steps. The scene where Emily has a nightmare and Molly talks to her and comforts her is more touching and effective than anything in the birthday book, as is the scene during the air raid where Dr. McIntire finally gets the courage to tell everyone he's going overseas. Getting to know her dad before he leaves is a major plus. In the books, he only really appears in the last few paragraphs of Changes for Molly, one of her mysteries, and her Route 66 book. Here, we can see their close relationship and understand why she misses him like she does.

If you have a daughter with a Molly doll or is a fan of mid-20th century history or a tap-dance queen, you'll definitely want to share Molly's wartime journey with her. 

Switched to The Unpleasantness at the Bellona Club as I worked on taking down the tree, and later as I vacuumed the fake needles on the floor. Lord Peter Wimsey (Ian Carmichael) is asked to investigate the death of 90-year-old General Fentiman (Ralph Truman), who passed on at the Bellona Club, a club for veterans. Thing is, no one seems to be sure of the time he died even Dr. Pemberty (Donald Pickering), who checked his body. He was just found with his heart stopped. His sister Lady Dormer died earlier in the day. Their estate is to be divided among her companion Ann Dorland (Anna Cropper) and his grandsons Robert (Terrance Alexander) and George (John Quentin) Fentiman. George has been having trouble with hallucinations and keeping a job ever since he came home from World War I shell shocked, and his wife Sheila (Vivien Heilbron) is worried. Ann refuses to talk to anyone, especially after it's discovered she knows a lot about poisons. Wimsey does manage to work out the time, via everyone stopping for 2 minutes of silence on Armstice Day, but he has a harder time with this motley crew with their vast array of motives.

Carmichael is a wonderful, inquisitive Wimsey in this charming BBC adaptation from the 70's. There's some great costumes for the BBC in this time period that really capture the flavor of the early 20's. I might have to look for the rest of these if they're as much fun as this.

Switched to a more modern sleuthing group as I finally sat down for dinner. Charlie's Angels are shocked when three women who look just like them rob a sports arena. The real Charlie lets them stay at another gentleman's club while they try to figure out who is impersonating him and them and what these "Counterfeit Angels" are really after. 

Finished the night earlier in the 70's with my Super Hits of the 70's: Have a Nice Day Vol 4 CD that I found the other day. This one goes way far back, right to the beginning of the 70's, when hard rock, soul, R&B, and bubblegum pop ruled the airwaves. Hits from that era that are still fairly well-known nowadays include "Rose Garden" by Lynn Anderson, "Mr. Bojangles" by The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, "Put Your Hand In the Hand" by Ocean, and "Stay Awhile" by the Bells.