Of Bats and Bunnies

Began the morning with breakfast and The First Easter Rabbit. I went further into this 1976 Rankin Bass special at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog back in 2023.

The First Easter Rabbit

Switched to Press Your Luck while making my grocery list. The episode had the woman champ win money for a home viewer...only to lose hers minutes later to a Whammy. The one guy was the only one to avoid the Whammy and pick up a trip to Washington DC. 

Checked my schedule while the show was on. Mostly the same hours as last week, but an early day on Sunday, and this time, the 8 1/2 hour day is Saturday and Wednesday is back to four hours. The Sunday bagger and head bagger must have taken those days off. I badly need to find a better job, or at least something to do with myself at home or nearby.

Headed out to make a quick grocery run. I got white and brown sugar and dried apricots from the bulk bins, coconut milk, bananas and Waterloo sparkling water in 99 cent cans at Sprouts. Picked up blood oranges for a good price, yogurt on sale with an online coupon, coconut macaroons off the bakery clearance rack, new Spindrift soda on a good sale, pads, and butter for baking later. Neither store was busy, and I spent a little over 20 minutes in both. 

Cut through Newton Lake Park on the way home. It's really green now. The hills and banks of the lake are carpeted in bright green and sunny yellow buttercups. The trees burst with pink, lavender, and white and show the first signs of leaves. 

After I got up the hill and past the Haddon Township Environmental and Historical Center, I went to the A& Pretzel Shop for lunch. They weren't busy, either. I was able to get pretzels, a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel, and a Diet Pepsi in peace. 

Put on It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown while having lunch after I got home. The Peanuts are excited about their spring festivities, even as Christmas decorations go up at the local department store. Peppermint Patty tries to teach Marcie how to color eggs, but Marcie can't seem to grasp the concept of hard-boiling. Snoopy buys Woodstock a birdhouse. Charlie Brown takes Sally shopping for shoes. Lucy pesters Schroeder for gifts and colors and hide her own eggs. Don't bother with all the fuss, says Linus. The Easter Beagle does all that. Sally's skeptical after the incident with the Great Pumpkin at Halloween, but Easter morning brings more than one surprise for the kids.

After I finished lunch, I brought the butter downstairs to do some baking. I had two very ripe bananas that were so soft, they were practically turning into pudding in their skin. There's a recipe in the Pillsbury cookie book Anny gave me years ago for banana cookies that only requires bananas, vanilla, brown sugar, flour, and salt. No eggs or baking powder or soda. The recipe came with a caramel frosting, but I thought the brown sugar and ripe bananas made the cookies plenty sweet enough without it. Yum. They came out tasting like perfect mini banana bread morsels and smelled amazing in the oven. 

Switched to Batman Forever in honor of Val Kilmer, who died earlier this week, while the cookies cooled. He's Batman here, fighting Two-Face (Tommy Lee Jones) in a somewhat more colorful Gotham. Nerdy Edward Nygma (Jim Carrey) wants Bruce Wayne to consider his new machine that can send TV signals into the brain. Bruce points out the possibility for it to manipulate minds and rejects it. Nygma continues to develop it anyway, eventually programming it drain minds and transfer the information to his. Nygma calls himself the Riddler and joins Two Face to get rid of Batman once and for all.

Bruce has his own problems. He's trying to deflect the interest of psychologist Chase Meridan (Nicole Kidman), who is very interested in his split personality. After a family of aerialists die trying to stop Two-Face from killing everyone watching a local circus, Bruce takes in the orphaned youngest member Dick Grayson (Chris O'Donnell). Dick wants to join him and avenge his family, but Bruce knows all too well that revenge is a dish best not served at all. However, he may need more help dealing with Nygma than he originally believed. The Riddler is slowly losing his grip on reality...and may be manipulating more than brains when he gets Bruce into his machine, too...

I know a lot of people find this to be too goofy, but I think it walks the right fine line between the camp of the TV show and Batman and Robin and the violence and darkness of the Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan films. Kilmer and Carrey put in career-best performance as the tortured costumed vigilante and the obsessed researcher-turned-supervillain. Not everything lands; Kidman is underused in a thankless love interest role, O'Donnell can be annoying, and Jones is really miscast as the other villain. 

Honestly, if you want to check out a Batman movie, the just-dark-and-weird-enough tone might make this the best place to start. You can go backwards or forwards from here, depending on how dark or campy you like your superhero films.

Switched to Match Game '73 during dinner. I really wish Pat Carroll had returned after her one week. She was hilarious and not a bad player. Robert Culp, on the other hand, didn't seem to get the humor and didn't have nearly as much fun. Nipsey Russell made his debut in the next week, complete with poetry, while Charles returned and Brett moved downstairs to the fourth ingenue seat to annoy Richard. 

Finished the night with Princess Castle at Tubi after a shower. I'll go further into this unique Golden Films fairy tale at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog tomorrow. 

Dolls on Haddon Avenue

It had only just stopped raining when I finished today's chapters of The Master of Ballentrae and rolled out of bed. Had breakfast and kept one eye on the clouds while watching the first half of Man In Space on the Tomorrow Land Treasures set. Disney animation director Ward Kimball and three German scientists explain the history of rockets and space travel, how man may react to being in space, and a possible future of rocket travel. While I lost interest during the second half, when they were explaining how space travel may look in the future, I did admire the wonderful animation. The sequence involving space medicine and how man could react to weightlessness and space sickness was less lushly animated but much funnier.

Since the weather continued to be cloudy, warm, and humid but not rainy, I headed out to explore Collingswood. I've spent enough time inside lately. Started off at the Groove Ground Coffee Shop. I wanted a drink, but WaWa declared the Collingswood store to be too small to expand and closed it. Had a frozen hot chocolate there instead to wet my whistle. I'm glad I got there when I did. They were already busy at quarter of 1. By the time I left, there was a longer line for drinks and egg sandwiches.

My next stop was two blocks down and around the corner at Collingswood Music. They mainly sell instruments and lessons, but they do also have records. Came out with four, two rock, one a vocalist, one a jazz collection: 

Neil Diamond - Double Gold

Elton John - Rock of the Westies

Julie London - The Best of Julie

Maxwell Jazz II Sampler (Limited edition collection of classic jazz, for some reason marketed under the Maxwell cassette tape name despite being a record.) 

Peered around at the collectibles shops Time Lapse and Clutter next. Didn't see anything of interest at either place and headed another block down to The Pop Shop for lunch. It was past 2 by this point, way beyond lunch time. The Pop Shop was so quiet, the only people in the place besides me and the waiter was a mom and her utterly adorable toddler daughter. I enjoyed grilled cheese with apples, cheddar, and bacon, fries, and an iced tea in relative peace. 

Next up after a quick stop at Haddon Culinary for a Coke Zero was the lobby of the Collingswood Library. I almost always find something interesting on the book sale shelves there, and today was no exception. I've been trying not to buy more cookbooks...but I couldn't resist one featuring The Golden Girls! I really need to watch more of that show on Hulu. I'm not a fan of cheesecake, but there were other interesting recipes I wanted to try, including a banana cake from Sophia.

Since it's across the street and a block down from the library anyway, I went to Innergroove Records next. They surprisingly weren't busy either, despite it being almost 3 when I came in. I figured the high schoolers would already be there. I wanted to dodge the weather and didn't feel like spending an hour bent over the dollar bins, but I did dig out some good regular and two-dollar titles, including two kids' albums: 

Peter Cottontail (Disney release from 1972 with a rather odd cover depicting the title character. In addition to the title song, they also have "I'm Late" and songs about Thumper from Bambi and the White Rabbit from Alice In Wonderland, along with a vocal retelling of the Grandpa Bunny short story from the Storybookland anthology.)

Here Comes Huckleberry Hound (Listed as the original TV soundtrack, I presume these are condensed versions of shorts from the Huckleberry Hound TV show.)

George Winston - Ballads and Blues 1972

Herman's Hermits - The Best of Herman's Hermits 

Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money 

Jumped into Occasionette on my way back down Haddon Avenue. I was hoping to find a cool birthday card for Rose here. I saw every type of card but birthday cards! Though they do have some neat kitchen accessories, most of their wares are too expensive at regular prices. I moved on to the bike rack behind the Senior Center instead and went home.

Finished Man In Space when I got home, then put on the 1939 version of The Three Musketeers. I go further into this cute spoof of the classic Alexandre Dumas swashbuckler featuring Don Ameche and the Ritz Brothers at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Three Musketeers (1939) 

Dressed the dolls for Easter and early spring while the movie was on. Samantha is in her lovely pink and magenta Flower Picking Dress. The long skirt and asymmetrical lace collar look so pretty and grown-up on her. Jess wears the purple fruit-print Birthday Jumper and t-shirt from 1998. It's too cold for the purple jellies that go with it, so she borrowed Kit's red strap shoes. Josefina celebrates her feast day last month in her Feast Day Outfit with the ruffly camisa and turquoise and white skirt. Felicity also gets to celebrate her birthday this month with her salmon-pink Birthday Dress and floral Apron. The soft southwestern colors in Julie's original Birthday Dress are perfect for Ariel. Kit may not appreciate the frills, but she does look cute in her Candy-Making Dress.

Barbara Jean, Molly, and Whitney all wear hand-made outfits. Whitney and Molly get to try on the smocked dresses I bought them from the seller at the church yard sale during the Collingswood Book Festival last October. Molly's is pink stripes with rows of little red flowers; Whitney's is lavender gingham. The smocking on both outfits is trimmed with three roses, Molly's red, Whitney's purple. They both look lovely, especially Whitney in that simple but pretty purple print. I got Barbara Jean's pink, magenta, and yellow geometric-print dress off eBay two years ago. It's sleeveless, so she has a white cardigan with satiny ruffle trim on over it. 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while finishing up the dolls, and later while eating dinner. The celebrity coordinators got creative during the second week of Brett's absence and brought in three of the most popular semi-regular comediennes, Joyce Bulifant, Marcia Wallace, and Betty White, to rotate sitting in her seat. At one point, the ladies all end up sitting on the lower tier, with Charles joined by Bill Daily and Bart Braverman on the upper tier. Charles spent the rest of the episodes making jokes about what macho men they were.

Since for some reason they went back to Match Game '73 again for the last half-hour, I headed to YouTube. Today would have been the birthday of second Family Feud host Ray Combs. Someone posted the episode where they celebrated it on the air, complete with a cake, balloons, and his friends and family turning up in the last few minutes. The whole thing was really sweet, especially when they first brought the cake in.

Finished the night with more of my recent record and CD finds. Actually, the main reason I bought Here Comes Huckleberry Hound was for the Yogi story, "Rah Rah Bear"...and yeah, it's probably the best of the four episodes. Yogi hears that the Bears are playing the Giants and doesn't realize they're discussing football, so he heads to Chicago to help his fellow ursine creatures. 

As for the others, "Huck, the Giant Killer" has some mildly amusing fairy tale gags, but "The Pony Express Rider" features annoyingly dated Native American stereotypes chasing down his one letter. Jinks has to be nice to those "meeces," or he might not get up there, in "Heavens to Jinksy!" Pixie and Dixie don't understand why he won't chase them, and a local dog makes it hard for Jinks to keep his temper. 

Dave Brubeck took trips to "Eurasia" and New York in a pair of Jazz Impression albums from 1958 and 1964 respectively. Eurasia is slightly more interesting, featuring lilting pieces with exotic titles like "Nomad" and "Calcutta Blues." New York has two numbers from the short-lived TV show Mr. Broadway, plus more obvious titles like "Autumn In Washington Square" and "Something to Sing About." (And considering how much I liked these, I might have to look for the Brubeck's "Jazz Impressions" of Japan as well.) 

(Oh, and at press time, despite remaining cloudy and humid, it still hasn't rained.)

Winds of Spring

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the short "Beezy Bear." Humphrey the Bear keeps trying to get to Donald's honey boxes. First, he has trouble distracting the bees, then J. Audubon Woodlore the park ranger takes the board Humphrey used to hold up the wire fence. Donald intends to wash him out, but he doesn't want to be the one holding the hose when the water hits them!

It was late when I rushed out. I got there a little late too, which was the worst thing that happened during my entire 8 1/2 hour shift. It was dead when I came in. It did pick up considerably later in the day, to the point where I had a hard time keeping up with the carts after about 2:30-3. Had to put away a lot of cold items and mop the women's bathroom really fast, too. The weather was cold in the morning, and got cloudy and cold again after about 3-3:30, but it was sunny, windy, and relatively warm in between. 

Changed and put on Match Game Syndicated when I got home. By the time I got in, they were still on the week with Betty Kennedy in Brett's seat. Around when I started eating, they'd switched to the week where Jack Klugman sat in his ex-wife's usual seat so he wouldn't have to pay alimony. At one point, Gene and Jack had their backs turned to the camera while they "fished" in the "canal" behind the top risers. Gene and Charles got Jack a radio so he could hear the races, too. Brian Patrick Clarke of Eight Is Enough was the male ingenue that week who got to watch their shenanigans. 

Finished the night after a shower with specials and vintage TV episodes on Tubi. Scooby Doo! Ghastly Goals takes Mystery Inc to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for the International Soccer Cup. Shaggy and Scooby run afoul of a red horned monster when they try to help a couple of kids retrieve their soccer ball. The kids want their ball back because it's signed by a major soccer star, but the monster has a much greater interest in it. Turns out he spilled a formula for a super-bouncy rubber on the ball. Scooby will have to hit the field to help get the ball back and keep this horned creep from wrecking more havoc.

Hugs and Tugs are having their own problems in "Care About Spring," a later episode of Care Bears Family. When they won't help each other out, Gram Bear tells them the story of Jack and Jill, who are given a magic ring that could help save Mother Nature from the Witch of Winter. The kids are upset when they use the ring to help Wee Willie Winkie and Jack Be Nimble instead of with their mission. They go to help Mother Nature anyway...and get some surprise help from the friends they helped out along the way.

No April Foolin'

Began the morning with breakfast and My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. The "Equestria Games" finally begin as Spike and the delegates from Ponyville take part in the festivities. Spike gets stage fright when called on to light the torch. Twilight uses her magic to do it for him, leading him to believe he can light it with his mind. He tries to help in other ways when he learns otherwise, but just ends up embarrassed. It takes a major calamity that only he can stop to make him see just how valuable a member of the team he is.

Threw on Press Your Luck while getting organized. I came in during the second half of the episode. The one lady accidentally passed her seven turns over to the guy next to her, forgetting he already had over $10,000. She thought she made a mistake...but a Whammy wiped him out. She would earn enough money to make it to the next show. She did well enough in the first round, but another guy did better and was leading when I left.

Started with a stroll to Dollar General. I mainly needed cough drops and tissues. I've used up a ton of both lately, thanks to my allergies. I got the only sugar-free bag of cough drops they had, along with two boxes of tissues, more Propel-type drink mixes, and a card for my nephew Khai's birthday later this month. 

Headed down the White Horse Pike to WaWa next. I was mainly there to use the ATM machine and get the rent. Treated myself to a pretzel and a strawberry cheesecake smoothie. Yum. The smoothie was really good. It didn't taste like cheesecake, but it sure tasted like strawberries. I suspect WaWa likely used real ones. 

The other reason I went for a walk was simply to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Though it was windy, it also wasn't that cold for early April, probably in the upper 50's-lower 60's, and sunny and bright as can be. Though most people haven't put up their Easter decorations yet, their gardens are bursting with new green grass, brilliant yellow and white daffodils, and deep purple violets. The trees are blossoming now too, wide carpets of pink, white, and purple.

Had lunch, then vacuumed and dusted my rooms while watching Night at the Opera. I go further into this classic Marx Brothers movie for April Fool's Day at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Happy April Fool' Day! - A Night at the Opera

Switched to the Peanuts baseball specials in honor of the just-started season while I put up the Easter decorations. Charlie Brown's All-Stars are ready to quit, but Chuck manages to entice them with the promise of new uniforms. Unfortunately, the offer is withdrawn when the businessman discovers that the team features four girls and a dog. After Linus and Schroeder scold the girls for their nasty behavior towards Chuck, they find a way to show how much they appreciate him. 

It's Spring Training, Charlie Brown is an almost identical story, but this time, the kids just have to win a game to get their uniforms. Frieda's little brother Leland insists on joining the big kids, despite being far younger than them. He ends up being the hero of the game when he's too small for the pitcher to really aim at and literally stumbles around the bases.

Went downstairs after the cartoon ended to make muffins for work this week. I've made Orange-Chocolate Chip Muffins from The Hershey's 1934 Cookbook before. They're another recipe that hasn't failed me yet. I overcooked them slightly, but they still tasted wonderful. I added fresh-squeezed orange juice from the one I zested to give them even more flavor.

Watched Match Game Syndicated as I baked and ate dinner. The first two hours finished out the week with Fred Grandy, Gary Crosby, Marjorie Wallace, and a noisy audience full of college students. The last hour moved to the first week Brett was away appearing in a play. Bubbly Betty Kennedy took her place and Phyllis Diller took over her crusty wisecracks. McLean Stevenson demonstrated why he'd permanently take over the third seat in the next season.

Finished the night working on my review with more recent record and CD finds. I had no idea what Dr. Blizzard's Original Savannah Band was before I ran across this, but I loved the colorful cover depicting the big band era of the 1940's. Apparently, they were a disco group with a big-band sound, not unlike some of Donna Summer's earlier work. "Cherchez La Femme," "Hard Times," and "Sour and Sweet/Lemon In the Honey" in particular leaned on the big-band side of things.

 

I was a kid when The Kinks made their comeback in the late 70's-early 80's. "Come Dancing" was one of my favorite songs from my early childhood. I may not have known what a "palley" was, but I figured it was like the dance halls and soda shops I saw in movies set in the 40's and 50's and heard about in my parents' stories of their childhoods. Come Dancing With the Kinks features this and more songs from that comeback, including "A Rock and Roll Fantasy," "Low Budget," and "Father Christmas."

Fools and Games

Took so long finishing Burning Water (which was too dark and bloody for my taste), it was late when I finally got moving. Watched Alice's Wonderland Bakery while I ate. Alice and Fergie are surprised when they learn that "Another Alice" has been delivering subpar versions of her Teacup Cakes. They follow the clues to find out who the imitation baker is. "Fergie Plays the Palace" after the Queen of Hearts hears him playing his trumpet for his friends. The kids try to turn his number into a huge production, but Alice finally figures out that some recipes - and musical numbers - work best with simple ingredients.

Messed around on the computer, then took the laundry downstairs and stripped the bed. The weather is supposed to be off and on warm this week, but even the mid-50's is too warm for turtlenecks and wool trousers. It's time to get the spring and summer clothes out, toss the spring/fall sheets on the bed, and shed a few blankets. It's also time to see what I need for the season. I could use a plainer lightweight skirt that's appropriate for interviews and to replace 

Threw on a couple of animated specials and episodes about baseball and enjoying the game while I worked. I went further into The Berenstain Bears Play Ball (along with the Easter special Peter and the Magic Egg) at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog last March.

The Berenstain Bears Play Ball

Angel Cake has similar problems on the 2003 Strawberry Shortcake. Angel is used to having complete control at her bakery and making each cake look perfect. "Angel In the Outfield" learns that it doesn't work that way with sports when she isn't very good at the ball games her friends play. She tries not to storm off in a huff, but her anger and bad behavior gets worse every time she joins in, until she won't even let them borrow her ball. It takes watching toddler Apple Dumplin' goofing off with her pet Apple Ducking to make her realize that playing games with your friends is about having fun, not being perfect.

It was past 3 PM and I had just put the laundry in the dryer when I realized I hadn't had lunch yet. Not to mention, I had some books to drop off at the kiosk down the block. After I left them there, I headed to Capitol Pizza on the White Horse Pike. They were surprisingly busy for past 3 PM. An older man watched the game show America Says on the monitor; a kid on his way home from school ordered a take-out treat. 

I had a slice of cheese, a slice of mushroom, and a bottle of Diet Pepsi while joining him for America Says. This cross between Hot Potato and Family Feud has two groups of people from different professions each guess the answers to a survey questions. The first letter of the answers are provided. If one group misses an answer, the other can finish the question. The bonus round has the winning team identifying top answers to a survey question, with the answers increasing with every question. No wonder this was a five-year hit for Game Show Network and continues to re-run there. The game-play is fast-paced and funny, and host Joel Michael Higgins is adorable.

Originally thought of getting ice cream, but I still had a lot of work to do at home. I have a lot of oatmeal cookies left, too. Not to mention, though it was above-average warm for late March, in the upper 70's, it was also above-average humid, cloudy, and windy. This was no day to linger. 

Went right back upstairs when I got in, brought the clothes upstairs to sort, and dropped the sheets and blankets in the washer. Put on Hook, Line, and Sinker at Tubi while I worked. Wilbur Boswell (Bert Wheeler) and Addington Ganzy (Robert Woosley) are insurance salesmen who are out selling their wares when they come across runaway playgirl Mary Marsh (Dorothy Lee). Mary just inherited an old hotel from her uncle and wants to do something with it. Addington convinces her to restore it and attract a wealthy and elite clientele. 

What they attract is Rebecca Marsh (Jobyna Howland), Mary's mother, and the lawyer John Blackwell (Ralf Harolde) whom her mother wants her to marry. Turns out John's involved with a group of unsavory gangsters who are after the contents of the hotel safe. Another gang is interested in the smuggled goods stashed in the basement. Both groups do everything they can to scare the guys and Mary off or force them to reveal the password for the safe, including getting into a shootout in the hotel lobby.

I have to admit, Wheeler and Woosley have grown on me over the years. While not all of their movies have dated that well, a lot of their wiseguy schitck still works. Woosley in particular is a riot wooing Howland, and Lee and Wheeler are too cute together. This is in the public domain, so it's pretty easy to find if you're into them or 30's comedy.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated after the movie ended and I brought the sheets upstairs. (I brought the blankets up earlier - the sheets hadn't dried all the way.) I really wish Diana Sorvino had come back. She wasn't a bad player and could be pretty funny, especially when flirting with a handsome young contestant. Betty and Charles even helped her hand around spaghetti and meatballs on the second-to-last day of the week. Former Miss USA Marjorie Wallace returned the next week, joined by Fred Grandy and Gary Crosby. 

Finished the night after dinner and a shower with more very funny game shows. Comedy-driven game shows go back almost to the beginning of television. Groucho Marx's You Bet Your Life started on radio in the late 40's. Groucho would interview goofy or funny contestants, then ask them a few questions for increasing amounts. It was an even bigger hit on TV, where you could see Groucho and his cigar and duck and all the wacky people who flummoxed him. In the episode we get here, he interviews a hilariously down-to-earth older woman from Maine and a guy who does some rather bad celebrity impressions. 

Ernie Kovacs and his wife Edie Adams had just as much fun in the late 50's with Take a Good Look. This spoof of panel shows like What's My Line had Kovacs introduce a celebrity guest, or someone who had done something unusual or had a strange occupation...then join two other actors to perform skits barely related to the subject at hand. Hans Conried, Caesar Romero, and Ben Alexander join Adams to figure out how all this leads to who the person is or what it is they do. 

Two of the undisputed winners among comedy game shows are Match Game and Family Feud. Though Match Game had more of an uphill climb than Feud (which was a hit out of the gate), they both went through multiple incarnations and remain wildly popular in re-runs. (In fact, at press time, Steve Harvey's Feud is still going strong in syndication.) This early Feud episode from 1976 and Match Game episode from its peak in 1977 give us an example of why both shows remain beloved and influential to this day.

The wild success of Match Game prompted the creation of other celebrity-driven comedy panel shows.  Celebrity Sweepstakes ran on NBC from 1974 to 1976. Two contestants try to guess which of six celebrities could correctly answer questions read by handsome host Jim McKreil. It's played as a horse race, with the audience given tip sheets on each panelist's strengths and weaknesses and giving odds on whether they can answer the questions. Not only are their wisecracks funny, but the format is really unique, and I love the colorful set. I hope more of this one turns up eventually.

Purely comic shows had a rougher time of it in the more conservative 80's. The Joke's On Us is something of a comedy variation on Liar's Club. Four comics begin a joke, and the contestants have to decide which punchline is the real one. Not bad. The comics, here including Fred Willard and Soupy Sales, are having a lot of fun, though the jokes range from groaners to corny to still hilarious now. Monty Hall keeps the comics in line and delivers a few groaners of his own. 

Cable channels could get away with a lot more weirdness. Remote Control was the first game show on MTV. Host Ken Ober is a goofball who lives in his basement and obsesses over TV shows. Three college kids are strapped into recliners and answer TV and music video-related questions. The student with the lowest score is dragged into the wall half-way through. The winner moves on to the bonus round, where they have to name nine music videos in 50 minutes. My sisters and I loved this show in the late 80's, and despite the very 80's set and attitude, it remains hilarious to this day. We even get a local battle here, with two of the students being from Drexel and Rutgers New Brunswick.

America Says is far from the first funny show on Game Show Network. National Lampoon's Funny Money from 2003 also involved stand-up comics doing their schtick. This time, host Jimmy Pardo would ask a question. The contestant who answered the question would choose a comedian to perform for 45 seconds. During each performance, when the laugh meter reached the green zone, the contestant would get the advantage on the next question. Round two had the comedians giving funny captions for pictures, with the contestants guessing which would get the most laughs, while the third had them trying to remember the comedians' routines. In the bonus round, they'd get to remove a piece from the board to reveal a scene from a comedy movie every time a comedian hit the green zone.

Complicated, but the comedians and their routines could also be pretty darn hilarious. It's too bad this one doesn't seem to have worked at Game Show Network and only ran a few months. I wonder if they could try reviving it, maybe simplifying the game play and eliminating the National Lampoon name. 

Comedy game shows continue to this day. Funny You Should Ask, a semi-revival of the 1968 series of the same title, started in 2017. Six comedians are asked for their answer to a trivia question. The contestant has to decide if they're right or wrong. The bonus round has the winner answering multiple-choice questions with only one real answer. 

No wonder this is still going in syndication at press time. The gameplay is simple, the set is colorful and stylized, and the panel is hilarious. I especially loved Tiffany Haddish and Jon Lovitz in the early episode seen here. Louie Anderson appeared so often, the chair he sat in apparently now has a plaque that says "Louie's Chair." I'll definitely be looking for more of this one.

Celebrate April Fool's Day tomorrow and the start of spring with some of the wackiest fools to ever grace game shows!

You Bet Your Life (1956)
Take a Good Look (1961)

Celebrity Sweepstakes (1976)

Family Feud (1976)

Match Game (1977)

The Joke's On Us (1983)

Remote Control (1987)

National Lampoon's Funny Money (2003)

Funny You Should Ask (2017)

Oh, and the thunderstorms did finally roll in around quarter of 9. It's been storming off and on - including high winds and buckets of rain - ever since. 

'Til There Were Matches

Began the morning with breakfast and The Best of the Animals. The songs on the 1987 CD release are from the group's original incarnation, before they split up the first time in 1966. "House of the Rising Sun" was a massive hit in 1964, and remains probably their best-known song. My personal favorite is the rebel's declaration "We've Gotta Get Out of This Place." Other well-known tunes here include "I'm Crying," "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," and "Bring It On Home to Me." 

Headed out to work after the CD ended. I got there just in time and spent the entire day pushing carts and gathering trash. There were college boys who could handle the inside chores. I wouldn't have wanted to be anywhere else. It was cold and cloudy when I went to work, but the clouds broke up around noon, and by the time I finished, it was a gorgeous, sunny, warm early spring day. 

After I got home, I changed and climbed into bed to rest and read Burning Water by Mercedes Lackey. Listened to Miles & Quincy: Live at Montreaux while I did. No less than Quincy Jones produced this classic 1983 jazz album for Miles Davis' comeback at the Montreaux Jazz Festival. You can hear why Jones wanted to work with Davis in songs like "Springsville," "The Pan Piper," and a medley of numbers from Porgy and Bess.

Switched to With the Beatles when I went online. This would be the Beatles' second album, almost evenly split between new songs written by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison and covers. In fact, "Don't Bother Me" was George's first composition. "All My Loving" was the hit here; it, "Bother Me," and "I Wanna Be Your Man" are the best of the originals. Honestly, they have more fun with the covers. George gets an awesome "Roll Over Beethoven," John really gets into "Money (That's What I Want)," and Paul sings a lovely "'Til There Was You."

Finished the night at YouTube with tonight's Match Game marathon. There were quite a few male contestants named Robert or Bob who appeared on the show from 1973 to 1982. The most frequent was probably Price Is Right host Bob Barker. He started on the second week in 1973 and continued appearing fairly often through 1980. His first week also featured the only members of The Waltons to appear on the show, Michael Lerned and Richard Thomas. In 1980, he had to deal with a chair that dropped below the desks and wasn't happy when Gene covered the slit skirt on one of the women backstage.

Robert Pine, best known today for starring in the entire run of CHIPs and as the father of actor Chris Pine, did a week in 1980 with Bob Barker. Amiable Robert began late in 1978 and ran through 1981. Robert Donner of Mork and Mindy started late in 1979 and would also continue appearing through 1981. with a few last weeks on The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour. Donner's totally deadpan humor and his nifty artwork on his cards really livened up his later episodes. Hunky Robert Walden was playing a cocky reporter on the drama Lou Grant when he first turned up in 1978. He would continue to turn women's heads (including Patty Duke's) through early 1981. Dancer and host Bobby Van first started in 1973 with his wife Elaine Joyce and would appear sporadically with and without Elaine through 1977. 

Other Roberts appeared less often on the show. Robert Culp had far less fun during his one week in 1973 than the other newcomer that week Pat Carroll. Host and comedian Robert Q. Lewis enjoyed himself more later that year on Joyce Bulifant's first week. Goofy stage actor Robert Morse did one memorable week in 1974, including an episode where he inadvertently blurted an answer and the question had to be replaced. TV star Robert Vaughn first turned up in one of the best weeks of 1973 with Nancy Dussault and McLean Stevenson and would reappear again in 1975. 

What about a couple of guys named Bob? They're all here in this hilarious marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Bobs are Awesome Marathon

A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening

First of all, here's my review for Hollywood Stargirl, which I watched last night. I go further into this sweet 2022 sequel to the Disney Plus hit at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Musicals On Streaming - Hollywood Stargirl

Began the morning with breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel and Miss Elania want to keep playing with their train set, but it's "Quiet Time at School." Miss Elaina takes a nap to rest, while Daniel reads. When quiet time is over, they can resume playing. It's "Naptime at Blanket City" when Jodi and Dan help Jodi's little brothers sleep, then Dan helps Margaret settle down at home.

Since I was meeting Jessa later, I took Uber to work. No trouble there. He arrived within 6 minutes and got me to work in less than 5.

No trouble at work, either. For one thing, we were steady all day, but never really overwhelming. I swept and gathered carts the entire morning. For another, it turns out one of the managers made a mistake with the schedule. I'm supposed to work 8 and a half hours on Wednesday. At least I'll have a better paycheck than I thought. 

I had one more thing to do after I changed but before I met Jessa. I got a phone call last week saying I was past due for a Covid vaccine. I sat down and waited a minute or two for the young pharmacist to be ready. She gave me the injection at the seats across from the pharmacy near the window, put a Band Aid on it, and I was on my way. Grabbed a Cherry Coke Zero on the way out.

I waited for Jessa. And waited. And waited. I finally heard from her at quarter of 3. She said she'd meet me at the Goodwill behind the Acme in 20 minutes. At least it was a nice day for a short stroll. It had been cloudy earlier, but by 3 PM, it was sunny, windy, and warm above average for March, in the upper 70's. 

Things went much better after she finally arrived. In fact, I made some terrific finds at Goodwill. Found two long-sleeved t-shirts in pretty peach and mint green floral prints. Dug another recent American Girl cookbook, this one featuring cupcake recipes, and a collection of Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde and other Robert Louis Stevenson stories out of the books shelves. The last thing I expected to see at Goodwill was one of the Walt Disney Treasures sets. They had Tomorrow Land, the collection of science-related shorts and films from the 50's Disneyland show, for a mere $5.99. Although this isn't one of the rarer titles, it still tends to go for anywhere from $15 to $40 on eBay. Jess found a tall white container to use as an umbrella rack and a pile of clothes. 

We were in and out of Marshalls and Ross next. Jessa bought clothes at both places. Marshalls had the Kind Kids soft bars for $3.99, at least $3 cheaper than the Acme usually has them. I also picked up "masks" for your feet that would slough off dead skin. My feet are horribly dry, but I would prefer not spending time at a spa. Ross never has the selection that Marshalls does. I found nothing there.

We had dinner across the parking lot at the Vietnamese Pho restaurant a few doors down from Tu Se Bella and the Japanese restaurant we ate at a few weeks ago. I wasn't going to attempt Pho again after I could barely get it in my mouth the last time I was there. Jess had beef, vegetables, and rice noodles, and I had shrimp, vegetables, and rice noodles. Yum! It came in a bowl large enough to feed all of southeast Asia, let alone Vietnam. It was spicy but tasty, and that huge bowl provided plenty of leftovers.

After Jessa dropped me off, I put everything away and took a shower, then finished the night on YouTube. Singer and actress Connie Stevens first appeared on Match Game the week of Thanksgiving 1977. She got to hear Orson Bean discuss his role in the animated version of The Hobbit that debuted that week and see Fannie Flagg play nurse for Charles and Brett, complete with costume. (The outfit was actually from her cameo as the school nurse in the beginning of Grease.)

 Connie appeared sporadically from late 1978 through 1981, always sitting in the fourth ingenue seat. Though she wasn't the best at matching, she was pert, funny, and down-to-earth enough to fend off Gene Rayburn's advances. She saw the New Year's Eve 1979 in. Later in the year, Bill Daily threw the top of his chair, then forgot and tried to sit down! He spoke in a soprano for a while as Gene led him offstage. She was there for the final, originally unaired week that saw the contestant Carolyn become the show's biggest winner ever with over $30,000. Marcia Wallace did her best to deal with Bill, while Fred Grandy tossed in his two cents. 

Her last appearance was on one of the later weeks with McLean Stevenson. Charles Nelson Reilly was off directing opera for her last two weeks. Brett was probably very happy to be between Robert Walden and Bart Braverman on the first week. In the second, Bart was in the male ingenue seat, and equally fussy Richard Deacon took Charles' place.

Make your own kind of music with this classic rock sweetheart turned TV favorite!

Match Game Saturday Classics - Connie Stevens: Best Episodes on Match Game

Chocolate Chips and Sweet Springs

Began the day with breakfast and The Busy World of Richard Scarry. The kids and their substitute teacher discover "The Mystery of the Stone Circle" when they accidentally find the way into caves under a group of boulders with pre-historic markings on them. Inspector Sneef saves every holiday shopper in New York after metal objects begin mysteriously floating upwards in "The Big Apple Christmas Caper." "Who's Too Scared to Masquerade?" Not Sally and her friends, who find the perfect spooky costume to wear to a monster costume party.

Let Press Your Luck run as I made my grocery list, then went online to check my schedule. In good news, no early days next week. 10:30 is the earliest. And that's because...no Wednesday, either. I only work Saturday and Sunday. On one hand, that means plenty of time to clean the apartment, prepare for Easter and warmer weather, and figure out where I want to go next with the job hunt. It also means I'm going to have a really lousy paycheck.

Headed out to do my grocery shopping next. Started at Westmont Plaza to beat the high schoolers to Target before they got out. I had an online coupon for Skintimate shaving lotion. I thought I had one for Ivory soap, but it didn't come up that way. Kind protein bars were on sale, too. 

Ducked next door to Sprouts just as the kids started coming up the hill. Fortunately, Sprouts has little that interests them. Grabbed bananas, soda, coconut milk, and granola bars from the regular shelves. It took me forever to find the bulk oatmeal. Turns out it's in barrels in the back of the bulk aisles. Shoveled out the old-fashioned version for a recipe, along with more of the European hot cereal and those yummy golden raisins.

Made my way past the Haddon Township Library and High School to the Westmont Acme next. Needed to restock yogurt, blood oranges, eggs, and soda that Sprouts doesn't have. Picked up bagels for lunch this weekend. Decided to try Dave's Killer Bread chocolate almond bars in lieu of granola bars (none of the one I like were on a good sale).

Took the long way home through Newton Lake Park and over the hill to the Haddon Township History and Environmental Center. It had been off-and-on sunny and relatively warm, in the mid-60's, but the sun was out when I was going through the park. It's really starting to look like spring there now. The leaves are barely sprouting on the trees, but the bushes and vines are lush and lime green. The fountains sparkle in the rippling lake. No wonder I dodged a lot of kids walking home from school and adults going for jogs and strolls. 

Got organized while watching The Price Is Right. The contestants did really well in both shows, including a rare $11,000 wheel win on the first episode. The trouble hit during the Showcases in the second episode. One contestant went so badly over, I knew she had no chance...but the other just barely missed. As Bob pointed out, it was a shame, since all but one person won their games in the rest of the show.

Grabbed my baking ingredients to make one of my favorite recipes after Price ended. I got my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe out of Prevention Magazine in 2010, the year my friend Linda Young gave me a subscription. It requires whole wheat flour, canola oil, egg whites, and oatmeal instead of butter and regular eggs. Not only are they more nutritional, but the oil and egg whites make them extra-chewy. I've very rarely had trouble with this recipe, and this time was no exception. The first batch came out a little dark, but the second was perfect, just sweet and nutty enough. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated while making the cookies, and later during dinner. The first couple of episodes featured Ted Lange of The Love Boat, a sweet Susan Richardson with blonde hair done in a unique curly style, and Joyce Bulifant. Alas, the last two episodes of that week are currently missing, due to them still trying to sort out the red tape with Jimmie Walker. I didn't object too much when they moved straight into the week featuring Diana Sorvino, a friend of Charles Nelson Reilly who would be the only opera singer to appear on Match Game. She got to see Gene show off his body when a contestant make a joke about it...and then Betty White do her own idea of a stripping routine.

Went upstairs for Hollywood Stargirl after dinner. I'll go further into the sweet sequel to Stargirl at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog tomorrow. 

Finished the night with the soundtrack for Licorice Pizza. I haven't seen the 2021 comedy yet, but I can say its soundtrack has an awesome cover, done as a earth-toned version of the artwork on pinball machines in the 60's and 70's. There's also some great music here. As you can guess, it's mostly 70's favorites like "Life on Mars?" by David Bowie, "My Ding-a-Ling" by Chuck Berry, and "Stumblin' In" by Chris Norman and Susi Quatro, though Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters' version of "Accentuate the Positive" does manage to sneak onto side A. We even have lesser-known 70's tunes like "Walk Away" by James Gang and "July Tree" by Nina Simone that I'm glad I got to hear. I almost didn't buy this at Abbie Road, but I'm glad I broke down and grabbed it. Worth checking out whether you've seen the movie or not if you're a fan of the music of the time period and don't already have a lot of these tunes elsewhere.

Ramblin' Woman

Began a beautiful morning with breakfast and What's New, Scooby Doo? "It's Mean, It's Green, It's the Mystery Machine" turns the gang's beloved ride into the monster when it seemingly glows green and drives on its own. Seems it previously belonged to a kid rock group called the Mystery Kids, whose pushy mother is desperate for them to make a comeback. Shaggy and Scooby worry that the ghost of the group's former pianist is possessing the car, but Velma is certain that there's more likely explanations for its behavior.

Put on Frank Sinatra while doing research on Regus and writing down questions to ask during the interview. All the Way is apparently a collection of his later Capitol singles. I couldn't resist a disc that features some of his most beloved songs, including the title ballad, "High Hopes," and "Witchcraft."

The lady from Regus did indeed call at 1 PM. We talked for five minutes. She asked me if I minded doing cleaning and picking up furniture in addition to office duties. I said it wasn't much different from what I'm doing now. I'd be fine. I also explained about needing to use public transportation if I wanted to cover another office. She sounded impressed enough to invite me for a second interview at their campus in Cherry Hill...but when I checked my e-mail about 15 minutes after she got off, there was one from Regus saying they moved on and I wasn't selected for more interviews. I have no idea why she told me otherwise. Either she changed her mind really fast, or someone went over her head. 

Headed out to run errands after I finished checking my e-mail. My first stop was Dollar General. I needed trash bags sized for smaller trash cans. I also bought chocolate chips and canola oil there for a recipe I plan on doing tomorrow. 

Crossed the White Horse Pike and made my way down West Clinton next for lunch. I settled on a carrot cake muffin, slice of bacon and asparagus quiche, and elderflower chai at Common Grounds Coffee House. They were busy, but I did get a table next to the counter. Everything was excellent. The quiche was tasty, the muffin had a dollop of cream cheese frosting in the middle, and the chai was a little sweet but not bad.

It was just too darn nice of a day not to prolong my walk. Chilly, yes, in the lower 50's, and a bit breezy, but sunny and without a cloud in the brilliant blue sky. I wasn't the only person out for a stroll, either. I saw parents pushing babies in strollers and kids on bikes speeding home as school let out.

Made my bed and did things online while watching O'Dessa. I go further into this dystopian rock opera gender flip of the "Orpheus and Eurydice" myth at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Musicals On Streaming - O'Dessa

Switched to Match Game Syndicated while eating dinner. Fred Travalena lends his many voices (many of them of recent presidents) to this week. Dick Martin was happier to be sitting on the lower tier with Elaine Joyce and Debralee Scott. Brett's less thrilled about the Star Wheel landing in her three times in a row and Charles continually whining for Gene to put Bess Myerson in her place.

Finished the night with more recent music acquisitions as I worked on the O'Dessa review. Made In the Shade is very similar to All the Way, only this time, we get the mid-70's hits from the Rolling Stones. "It's Only Rock and Roll" and "Brown Sugar" were the major hits here, I also like "Dance Little Sister" and "Rip This Joint."

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz, Volume V picks up in the late 50's and early 60's, as jazz became cooler and legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane pushed the boundaries of the genre. Coltrane's contribution is "Alabama." Davis gives us the more blase "So What?' There's also the Bill Evans Trio with "Blue In Green." The most recent entry is "Steppin'" by the World Saxophone Quartet from 1981. Jazz made something of a comeback in the 80's as a refreshing contrast to the heavy metal and synthesizer pop prevalent elsewhere. I fondly remember listening to several jazz stations as a kid and thinking  how different and elegant it all sounded, reminiscent of smoky clubs in years gone by. 

Memories of Spring

Got a quick start today with breakfast and the Disney short "Chef Donald." Donald wants to make waffles from a recipe he hears on the radio. That would be a lot easier if he hadn't accidentally gotten rubber cement in the batter. Now Donald has to fight with his own creation while wondering what went wrong.

Work was dead as a doornail. It's the middle of the week, the end of the month, and the only thing going on is college basketball. Not to mention, the weather wasn't the best. It was cold and breezy, and the clouds were in and out all morning. It showered very briefly around noon, but to my knowledge, hasn't done anything like it since. I was in and out with no trouble whatsoever. 

I heard from the office rental place in Cherry Hill during work. I guess they never got my e-mail, because they wanted to know when they could do a quick phone interview. Tomorrow at 1 PM will be fine.

Put on another Disney cartoon when I got home while changing. "Flowers and Trees" was the first short done in the new, wider three-strip Technicolor process, and it won an Oscar in 1933. The still-gorgeous color manages to offset the simple story. Two saplings in love are threatened by an old stump, who burns the woods to take them out. That proves to be his undoing when he remembers that he can burn, too...

Went for a quick walk to A&A Pretzels to pick up lunch. All they had were the stuffed pepperoni pretzels, so I got those, a can of Diet Pepsi, and two of the regular. Though the clouds were breaking up by this point, it remained breezy and chilly for the time of year. 

Had lunch while watching My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. "Games Ponies Play" have Twilight and her friends doing everything they can to impress the Equestria Games Inspector Ms. Harshwhinny to hold the games at the Crystal Empire this year. When they meet her at the train, she seems to be impressed by their huge cheer, but not so much by the endless tours of the castle. Rarity hopes they can stall, so she can do an especially elaborate hairstyle for Princess Cadence. Turns out all of the pomp and circumstance wasn't necessary. Not only are they entertaining the wrong pony, Ms. Harshwhinny is more impressed by those who don't go out of their way to make a fuss.

Went online for Broadway's Lost Treasures Volume II, which can currently be found at the Internet Archive (along with the rest of the series). We have a lot more Tony-winners and nominees here. Thankfully, only three of the songs are from the 1971 "through the years" Tony show, and one, Tom Bosley's lively "The Name's LaGuardia" from Fiorello!, is actually a chorus number. Robert Morse also does well by his "I Believe In You" from How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. Angela Lansbury and Beatrice Arthur have a blast reviving their "Bosom Buddies" from Mame in 1987, when they were major TV stars. We see more of Jerry Orbach than I'm sure most people ever wanted to when he takes it all off for "All I Care About Is Love" from the original 1975 Chicago. 

The undisputed winner among the big numbers was "The Lambeth Walk," energetically performed by the cast of the British comedy Me and My Girl. They have so much fun with the number, they actually take it into the audience. Katherine Hepburn gives us a glimpse of how she managed to keep the Coco Chanel biography Coco up and running with her sterling performance before a lengthy fashion show to "Always Mademoiselle." Patti LuPone kicks things off in high style performing the title song from the hit 1987 revival of Anything Goes. Michael Jeter seems to be made of rubber as he flies through an amazing drunk Charleston with the cast of Grand Hotel in "We'll Take a Glass Together." "One Day More" shows off the entire enormous cast and complicated plots of Les Miserables. 

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. This was the wild week with McLean Stevenson sitting between Jannelle Allen and Debralee Scott. In the second episode, Charles hits Gene with his card during an argument over the merits of the original Shogun mini-series. Gene collapses onto Jannelle's lap, prompting McLean to take over the next two questions. The none-too-happy host shows up with his head wrapped in bandages in the next episode, leading to a round of mummy and toilet paper jokes before he finally calls the female contestant to help him get it off.

Finished the night back at YouTube with spring childhood memories. From the early 80's through the early 90's, toy companies released half-hour specials based on either a new toy line, or an addition to an existing line. More rarely, there would be something based on a popular book or comic strip, like Fairies from 1981. A teen hunter is brought to the fairy realm to stop the fairy king's shadow from spreading darkness across the land. Despite the fairy tale premise, this actually a bit darker than most of the shows I watched tonight, with almost painterly artwork bringing the fairies and their world to life.

The early Strawberry Shortcake and Care Bears specials are a lot more typical. In Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine, Professor Coldheart lures a bullied boy who wants revenge on the kids who made fun of him into repairing his machine that will turn them into ice statues. The Care Bears know that revenge is hardly the best way to make friends, and the boy learns a lesson when Hugs and Tugs (who make their debut here) are also caught in the machine's rays.

Strawberry Shortcake and Pets on Parade introduces the kids' beloved critters, sweet diet-obsessed Angel Cake and her skunk Souffle, the Purple Pieman's female counterpart Sour Grapes, Strawberry's bike (one of the few toys from her line we had), and the Strawberryland Trolley. Sour Grapes and the Pieman claim Strawberry fixed the pet contest in favor of their crow and snake. Souffle knows what it's like to have people misunderstand you and encourages Strawberry to fight with her greatest weapon - the Pieman's dislike of berry talk.

For every Strawberry Shortcake that's well-remembered today, there's a Herself the Elf or Rose Petal Place that only animation historians, toy collectors, and kids who grew up in the era remember. Herself the Elf is something of a cross between Strawberry and Fairies. Herself and her friends control nature with their magic wands. After Herself is kidnapped by a wicked wizard and his shrill daughter, her friends combine their powers to go after her. Likewise, Rose sings to keep the garden alive in Rose Petal Place, but her friends have to rescue her after she's taken by obnoxious spider Nastina and her annoying fly partner Horace. 

Sweet Sea is entirely new to me. I never even heard of the doll until tonight, and I certainly don't remember the cartoon. Unlike most of the toys advertised in these specials, Sweet Sea was the only doll in her line, a cherubic mermaid. Her friends were sea animals that came as part of outfit packs. In the special, Sweet Sea's parents give her a magic necklace that is supposed to keep an evil sea serpent at bay. When the Serpant's octopus partner gets his tentacles on it, Sweet Sea and her seahorse friend go after them.

I have far fonder memories of The Charmkins. This and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory were the first videos we ever rented in 1985, and we took it out a lot over the years. Despite having never owned any of the sweet-smelling, charm-based toy line, we loved the story of how feisty Black-Eyed Susan and her brother Wee Willie Winkle rescued dainty ballerina Lady Slipper from Dragonweed and his brothers.

Peppermint Rose debuted in 1993, by which time most of the fanciful girl lines had come and gone. It was too late in the day for even the pretty dolls in their flowery Victorian bloomers and Blossom hats to make much of an impression. Too bad, as this special is honestly pretty fun. Rose is recruited by a tiny wizard to rescue the magical peppermint rose bush from beetles who want to devour it. Seeing her go from a whiny kid who thinks she can solve anything by writing a check to a thoughtful young woman who is able to lead her friends in the song that finally defeats the beetles is actually rather sweet. The sequence where she has a rap-off with an insect is as hilariously campy and of-its-time as it is out of left field. 

If you also can't remember a spring without fairy, nature, and Care Bear magic, you'll want to check out these rare 80's fairy tales!

Fairies (1981)

Strawberry Shortcake and Pets On Parade (1982)

The Magic of Herself the Elf (1983)

The Charmkins (1983)

The Care Bears Battle the Freeze Machine (1984)

Rose Petal Place (1984)

Sweet Sea (1985)

Peppermint Rose (1993)

Movies In the Springtime

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the 1938 Disney short "Boat Builders." Donald, Goofy, and Mickey put together a boat from a box, but there's problems at the outset. Donald has a hard time painting the tail when Mickey's trying to adjust the wheel, while Goofy falls for the pretty mermaid figurehead for the front of their ship. They think they're big-shot sailors, until Minnie christens the boat a little too hard, and it falls to pieces before it gets half-way across the harbor.

Called Uber next. It was getting late, and I wanted to make it to the 11:30 showing of Snow White. The driver picked me up in 9 minutes, but he was a pleasant man who dodged what little traffic there was. I was at the Cinemark theater in 15 minutes. Dashed into Dollar Tree to grab a Diet Pepsi and snacks for the movie before heading into the theater.

I got in probably about half-way through the commercials. I have no more desire to see King of Kings today than I did last week. I really don't need to see a remake of Lilo & Stitch either, but Elio still looks like something worth checking out this June. I wasn't a fan of the Karate Kid franchise in the 80's, and I'm not interested in more films now. 

As for Snow White, I go further into this Disney live-action retelling of their first animated feature at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Snow White (2025)

Also, for the second time in a little over a month, the theater was filled to capacity on a day it shouldn't have been full at all. There were at least three groups packed in the theater with me. I think they may have been special needs or autistic high schoolers, from what I heard their teachers say. At least they were a lot more pleasant than the middle schoolers who saw Captain America: Brave New World with me last month. They didn't talk through the movie, and no one made dumb jokes. (And when they did talk, they often weren't saying anything I wasn't thinking myself.) I was more concerned about their teachers constantly getting up and down to tend to them and disrupting the early goings of the movie.

Dodged all of the groups after the movie and hurried to Applebee's for lunch. Unlike the theater, they were quiet, despite it being 1:30 and still lunch time. I ate a delicious, juicy bacon cheeseburger and well-seasoned fries in wonderful peace.

Made a very brief stop at Walmart next. I didn't even bother with the housewares side of the store this time. I haven't found anything interesting over there in months. I grabbed cough drops and Alka-Seltzer medicine to combat my allergies and moved on. 

It was too gorgeous of an afternoon to go home right away. The sun was shining, the breeze was blowing, and it was soft and warm, probably in the lower 60's. Strolled down the White Horse Pike, stopping at WaWa for a green pineapple smoothie so I could take that allergy medicine. The smoothie wasn't bad, very sweet, but full of earthy tropical flavor.

I hadn't explored Sun Valley Records in a while. They're a small record and head shop on the other end of the White Horse Pike near Lindenwald. While they have a decent used DVD collection, their records and CDs are mostly new, and thus, far more expensive than most of the other record shops in the area. Not to mention, they specialize in rock and jazz, with some R&B mixed in. No cast albums, no country, and soundtracks only if they have songs in the aforementioned genres. I did pick up a few things. The DVD was the 1933 horror film The Mystery at the Wax Museum. The one record was: 

The Beatles - With the Beatles (I haven't been able to find this anywhere else.)

The CD was:

The Animals - The Best of the Animals

Walked back to WaWa to pick up the bus and throw away the smoothie cup. I waited, and waited, and waited. The bus was at least ten minutes late. At least it didn't take long once it did arrive. The traffic wasn't bad for almost 5 PM. I was in Oaklyn and at home by 5. 

After I took out the trash, I put on Snow White and the Three Stooges. Snow White has a lot in common with this live-action version from the 60's, including the prince not being a prince, the comic relief characters being relatively subdued, and the lovely music and production. I went further into this one at my musical review blog way back in November 2018.

Cult Flops - Snow White and the Three Stooges

Finished out the night with two of my recent jazz and vocalist acquisitions. Pearl Bailey was taking Broadway by storm in the black cast of Hello Dolly! when she recorded The Real Pearl Bailey. Her gritty, laid-back style can be heard on songs like "I'm Gonna Keep On Doin'," "The Color of Rain," and "A Tower of Strength." (Interestingly, we have another song from How Now, Dow Jones here, "Walk Away.") 

The Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz Volume IV takes us into the post-world jazz scene of hot Dixieland bands and cool modern jazz that became the choice dance music of swinging college students, even as rock began encroaching on its turf. I recognize many of the songs here, like "Criss-Cross" by the Thelonius Monk Quartet, "My Funny Valentine" by Sarah Vaughn, Monk's solo "Bag's Groove," and the Modern Jazz Quartet's "Django."