Afternoon In the Fall Sunshine

Began a misty, moisty morning with a quick breakfast and Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood. Daniel becomes "King for a Day" when King Friday agrees to let him take over his duties for a while. Dan is supposed to bring a sweet treat and something to make noise to the castle, but he keeps being distracted by neighbors in need of help. He gets Doctor Anna when he finds Prince Tuesday with a sprained ankle, gives his banana muffin to O when he loses his own sweet treat, and gives Miss Elaina the cymbals he chose to cheer her up when her favorite stuffed toy has to be washed. Turns out what matters isn't what he brought, but the fact that he was kind to his neighbors and friends.

Hurried out shortly after the cartoon ended. The mists lingered as I dashed off to work. As it turned out, I had no need to rush. Except when I used the bathroom or was on break, I spent the entire day outside, pushing carts. Turned into a good day for it, too. Somewhere around noon, the mists lifted, and it became a gorgeous, partly sunny (if incredibly humid) day. Truthfully, I probably didn't need to be out there all day, but there was plenty of help inside and out, and there really wasn't much for me to do anywhere else.

I was sore but happy when I headed home. Changed, then made leftover burgers, rice, and a greens salad for dinner while watching Match Game '74. In the episode that was on as I got in, Richard and Gene talked about Gene eating lasagna over Richard's house, and everyone makes fun of Gene's attempt at a Godfather (or the Godfather's mother) accent and Richard's big eyes. For some reason, Buzzr skipped the next episode, moving us onto the one where Gene does a little dance down the stairs, Pat Harrington and Richard Dawson admit that his black jacket makes him look a bit like he's dancing to a funeral.

Things got a lot crazier in Match Game PM. The episode ended in a tie that went on for so long, they came back from commercials in time for Gene to announce they were on their third sudden death round. The sweet college student didn't do so hot after that, either. She missed "I Wanna Be ___" in the Audience Match; even after she got the second, she didn't have much luck with Susan Richardson in the Head-to-Head.

Sale of the Century was pretty much the same as last night. Everyone was even for most of the game. One lady would get ahead, then the other. The man wasn't far behind, and he did win two prizes on the Fame Game. Once again, the woman champ burst ahead and won the Speed Round decisively. She picked up a cute Norman Rockwell art print on the Match the Prizes board.

Moved online for the 1959 Hammer Horror version of The Mummy on TCM. This has very little to do with either the 1932 Boris Karloff Mummy, or the later series from the late 90's-early 2000's. Archeologist John Banning (Peter Cushing), his father Stephan (Felix Aylmer) and his uncle Joseph Whemple (Raymond Huntley) are in Egypt, about to open the tomb of Princess Anaka (Yvonne Furneaux). John broke his leg and can't join his father in the opening...but that turns out to be a good thing. Despite warnings from native Egyptian Mehemet Bey (George Pastell), Stephan opens the seal and discovers the princess. He also finds "the Scroll of Life"...and when he reads from it, comes face-to-face with a towering bundle of rags (Christopher Lee) who was once a high priest in love with the princess. His father is found catatonic after his encounter with this terrifying vision.

Three years later, Stephan recovers enough to tell his son what he saw...but he's killed shortly after by the Mummy. Mehemet used the Scroll of Life to revive him and murder the unbelievers. When Joseph is killed, John tries shooting the interloper, but it does no good. Police Inspector Mulrooney (Eddie Byrne) prefers "cold, hard facts." He doesn't want to believe John, until the Mummy attacks him, too. Turns out John's wife Isobel (Furneaux) is the exact look-a-like of Princess Anaka. The Mummy will do anything to keep his beloved safe, even kill. John and Mulrooney have to stop this creature from carrying Isobel off, before he tries to make her like him.

Slow as the Mummy itself as times, but still very interesting. The movie sometimes seems less like a horror film and more like quieter variation on Amelia Peabody/Indiana Jones-style adventures, with its detailed Egyptian love story and Mummy's Curse. Cushing, Pastell, and Aylmer get top honors as the son who doesn't believe in the curse, the native Egyptian who does with every fiber of his being, and the father who saw way more than he should have. Recommended for lovers of the Hammer Horror movies of the 50's, 60's, and 70's, or for those of you who are like me and prefer their horror on the bloodless side.

Finished the night back at Disney Plus with the Halloween episode of Mickey and the Roadster Racers. Mickey is absolutely determined to defeat "The Haunted Hot-Rod" in a Race Around Ragged Peak...but is this spooky roadster the real-deal, or Pete playing pranks? Pete's the one getting pranked in "Pete's Ghostly Gala." Three real spooks refuse to leave his Halloween Party before the guests arrive. Minnie, Daisy, Pete, and Cukoo-Loca play Ghostbusters to get rid of them.