Rainy Day Matches

Started off the morning with breakfast and that 3-story Peter Pan LP. Ironically, Peter Pan didn't really use that much of the original story. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was better, a full-on musical that retained the original ending with the prince accidentally knocking the apple out of Snow White's mouth. (Although, perhaps due to time, this is also the only version of this story I know of that lets the Evil Queen get away with everything. She doesn't dance herself to death or fall off a cliff.) The Gingerbread Man was nearly a comic opera retelling of the frisky cookie figure who runs away and gets chased by half the county, with barely any dialogue. 

Switched to The Story of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom while getting ready for work. This is just a condensed retelling of the second Indiana Jones movie, with dialogue and stills taken directly from the source. For a kids' record put out by a Disney imprint, it surprisingly retains some of the darker elements. There's almost the entire opening in the nightclub (including the violence), references to Indy and Willie's relationship, the human sacrifice sequence, and most of the ending with Mola Ram on the bridge. It's still dated and still not for younger kids, but if you love Indy, it's fascinating to hear.

It rained heavily all morning. The rain had slowed a bit by 12:30, but it continued to fall. I ended up calling Uber. No trouble there. The driver arrived in 7 minutes and got me there in less than 5.

Work didn't go that smoothly. I ended up in express again. Not only were there only two lanes (and self-checkout) open for most of the afternoon, but people are still having trouble with their cards. I get so flustered when something doesn't work and I end up with a long line. People say I'm too hard on myself, but if I was, I would have been more careful. At least my relief was right on time. 

The rain was gone by the time I finished and it was much cooler, but it was also still humid, cloudy, and wet. Thankfully, my Uber driver arrived within four minutes after the first canceled. She also got me home in less than five minutes.

Finished the night on YouTube with dinner and an early Match Game Sunday Classics marathon. Since the show's producer and judge Ira Skutch was mentioned in Roger Dobiwitz's interview several times last night, he was the focus here. Like Roger and Johnny Olsen, he appeared on camera so often, he too was something of a semi-regular in his own right. He usually turned up either when a question had to be substituted for one that had been answered too early or compromised in some way, or when there was a question on the ruling. He was a tall blonde man with high cheekbones and a fondness for pastel leisure suits with gold chains dangling over his neck. 

Ira's decisions have come into question many times by panelists and viewers alike. The School Riot wasn't the first or last time he'd have to explain one of his rulings. At least once, he reminded them of why he couldn't match "man" and "game show host." There was also the time Donald Ross and Patti Deustch argued him not matching "spot" when he matched "A Little Yellow Spot." He even showed up briefly before Carol Burnett and her crew did in that wacky episode. 

He was just as likely to be right, though. More than once, he was hit with not matching "friend" and "girl/boy friend," including in 1974 during the week with Jackie Joseph. I do agree with him there, even if his ruling nearly ended in a riot. A friend can be anyone. 

Match answers and butt heads with the show's notoriously finicky producer!

Match Games Sunday Classics: Episodes Featuring Producer Ira Skutch on Camera

(Incidentally, not only has the rain stopped, it hasn't been seen since then. It's cooler in my rooms, too. I'm fine without the air conditioner.)