Big Time Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast before hurrying off to the Collingswood Farm Market. It was supposed to storm all day, but it was merely cloudy, cool, and windy when I rode my bike to PNC Bank. I needed money for the farm market and the rent. The main building was closed, but the lobby was opened, so I was able to use the inside ATM.

I must not have been the only one who wanted to take advantage of the decent weather while Mother Nature continued to be generous. The farm market was mobbed when I arrived. People were buying first-of-the-year tomatoes, peas, and cucumbers for their weekend barbecues and birthday parties. Disappointingly, I saw no strawberries. I just bought apples and an apple cider doughnut from Springfield Farms in Cherry Hill.

Rushed home for a quick lunch and Big Time Movie. I go further into this hilarious spoof of spy capers and Beatles films featuring Nickelodeon's boy band Big Time Rush at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Family Fun Saturday - Big Time Movie

The weather still looked iffy at quarter of 1, so I called Uber for a ride to work just in case it actually rained. No trouble there. The driver going to work arrived in 7 minutes; the one going home came in 6. No traffic either way.

It did rain briefly twice when I was outside with the carts, once somewhat heavily...but they both proved to be short-lived. It mostly continued to be cloudy and windy all afternoon. We were super busy when I arrived. They kept putting the head bagger in registers, which meant I had to sweep and do the carts. Once she took over sweeping and the inside chores, I focused on the carts. By the time I finished, it had quieted down considerably, and the carts weren't vanishing nearly as fast. No trouble whatsoever. 

Oh, and I got my schedule at work, too. Yes, I got my vacation week. I didn't think there would be trouble getting it. Beginning of the month shoppers aside, the Acme won't pick up until we hit high school graduations and Father's Day weekend. 

Finished Big Time Movie when I got home, then moved to YouTube for the Loretta Swit Match Game marathon. She was one of the earliest semi-regulars, appearing fairly frequently during 1973 and early '74 and more sporadically through 1980. She started out early in '73, when the questions were still pretty simple and the audiences a bit more subdued, on the week that also introduced Kaye Ballard and Mary Ann Mobley. 

She was one of the few panelists who had the honor of sitting in all three seats. She could occasionally be found in Brett's character actress seat during 1973. From late '73 onward, she switched between the 4th and 6th seats, doing equally well in both places. She was in the 6th seat during the memorable week with "Mama" Cass Elliot in mid '73, one of only two rock stars to appear on the show, and ended up spending that week listening to Brett and Jack Klugman argue over her head.

She did better later in the series. She dodged Kaye Stevens of the noisy giggles and gentle football player Rosy Greer during a week in 1974. 1975 brought in a charming older lady with a delightful laugh who didn't do very well with her question, but was a lot of fun to watch. She saw Scoey Mitchill complain about Fannie Flagg not matching the contestants in the syndicated era. (Not that Scoey was one to talk. I can count the times he matched on one hand.) She was there during the only week for adorable hostess and dancer Ruta Lee, and to hear Charles' heartfelt dedication to Betty Grable, who passed away shortly before Match Game began. 

Loretta figured into some memorable nighttime episodes, too. The best was definitely the one with the sweet little old man who claimed he was an amateur humorist, looked like Wally Cox, and called himself "Tiger." The panelists were charmed, and the young woman contestant next to him thought he was so cute, she claimed they were engaged. 

Celebrate the life of the best nurse on the 4077th with this charming marathon! And come back tomorrow for Swit's other game show appearances, including on the $10,000 and $20,000 Pyramids and Password Plus.

Match Game Saturday Classics - In Loving Memory of Loretta Swit: A Tribute

The Lady With the Hot Lips

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Adora, Bow, and Glimmer head to the Kingdom of Dryl to persuade cheerful Princess Entraptra to join the Princess Alliance. Entraptra is more interested in figuring out how to adapt the technology of the First Ones to her modern robots. Trouble is, the crystal she used unleashes a virus that causes a "System Failure." It turns her robots against her and weakens Adora when it attaches itself to her sword. Bow rallies the staff of Entraptra's castle to help out, reminding them that even the seemingly least-significant person can make a big impact.

Briefly watched the tail end of the 1986 Card Sharks (the old guy who won the Money Cards didn't really get a whole lot, but was a riot anyway) before heading out to run errands. Made a brief stop at Target to see if they had the mouthwash I use. When they didn't, I walked next-door to Sprouts to do this week's grocery shopping. I'll be saving grocery shopping at the Acme for Monday when Lauren visits, but I did need some things here, including dried cranberries, blood oranges, soda, fruit leather bars for a snack with the kids later, and enough yogurt to cover the weekend.

Hurried back home, then started cleaning after I put away the groceries. Watched One Crazy Summer while I vacuumed, Swiftered, and dusted the front room. Hoops McCann (John Cusack) isn't enthusiastic about spending the summer in Nantucket with his horny pal George (Joel Murray) until he meets beautiful rock singer Cassandra (Demi Moore). Cassandra is desperately trying to earn enough money to keep her grandfather's boarding house from being demolished by Aguilla Beckerstead (Mark Metcalf), the nasty owner of a seafood restaurant chain. Hoops first lies to her about being a basketball player, but gets caught during a nutty date with Cookie (Kimberly Foster), the girlfriend of Beckerstead's lazy and obnoxious son Teddy (Matt Mulhern). Hoping to make it up to her, he uses his art skills to make flyers and commercials for her concert at a local nightclub.

That does get her the money, but it's too late. Beckestead has already bought the house. Hoops' gentle friend Ack Ack (Curtis Armstrong) suggests winning the local regatta and trading the trophy for the house. With the help of the wacky Stork twins (Bobcat Goldthwait and Tom Villard) and George's tough little sister Squid, they fix up "The Boat" and prove to everyone in Nantucket that the most important thing about a wild and crazy summer is having friends backing up even your weirdest notions.

I've loved this movie for years, especially the performances of Cusack as the shy artist who hates boats and desperately wants to learn about love and Murray as his girl-obsessed best friend, but it's not for everyone. The juvenile humor and weird characters makes this very much a film of the late 80's. Your mileage may vary if you're a fan of Cusack or the slobs vs snobs comedies of the 80's and early 90's. 

Had lunch while watching the tail end of Supermarket Sweep (including a quick win on the Big Sweep), then the start of the next one before I went out to the Thomas Sharp School on my bike. Though it was cloudy, breezy, and humid as heck, it was also warmer and not raining. I had no trouble getting down the White Horse Pike and got into work just in time. I even waved at some of the kids as I walked around to lock up my bike near the playground.

Thank heavens the kids did get to go outside today! They were all kind of on the antsy side, probably due to it being the start of the weekend. Fortunately, we didn't have quite as many, only 20 or so. I did have to convince one of the girls to put her play makeup away (she already made a mess with her lipstick and got it all over her leggings). I also had to constantly remind the boys playing with the magnetic tiles later that their mile-high lemonade stands, trains, and castles for stuffed Stitches were admirable and ambitious, but also use up too many tiles that should be shared.

Considered stopping at CVS on the way home, but the weather was still kind of iffy. I just went straight back to Oaklyn instead, crossing at the corner of the White Horse Pike and West Clinton to avoid the worst of the traffic. 

Went straight into Remember WENN when I got home. Frustrated over the Johnathan Arnold broadcasts, Jeff packs up and returns to London, much to Hilary's consternation! They're already short on actors, thanks to Pruitt's interference, and now Mackie is doing everything himself. "The New Actor" winds up being Scott, who supposedly left his California job to come back to WENN. 

Scott gets a baptism under fire his first day on the job in "Two for the Price of One." Hilary's not happy when he's late and plays his elderly gardener character in her daytime show as a hunky leading man. Things get even crazier when Pruitt's dowdy secretary Miss Cosgrave (Audie Neenan) reveals she has them doing shows for both WENN and another station, WEEP. They have to rush to create programming for both stations...then mix up the programs in order to keep WEEP from ending up with their programming as well.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated during dinner. Comedian Freeman King made his only appearance on the show during this week, while giggly comedienne Betty Kennedy joined in for her first week. One of the episodes from this week apparently features such racially insensitive language and jokes, it's now banned from the airwaves. (And explains why King never appeared on any version of Match Game ever again.)

Listened to the second volume of Remember the Golden Days of Radio after Match Game ended. This one switches the focus to many types of drama, from the heart-pounding opening to The Lone Ranger to real-life newscasts like the on-the-scene reports on the Hindenburg explosion. We also get bits and pieces of action shows like Jack Armstrong, All-American Boy and Dangerous Assignment, plus a nearly-full episode of The Shadow.  

Finished the night with two episodes of MASH in honor of Loretta Swit, who passed away today. Hot Lips, Hawkeye, and Klinger have to go to an "Aid Station" to help out. While the rest of the 4077th pass the days they're away worrying about them, Hot Lips finally begins to have an understanding about the unconventional Hawkeye and what makes him tick.

Hot Lips gets engaged to a handsome officer she met in Tokyo. "Margaret's Engagement" is met with various reactions from her fellow members of the 4077th, from delighted to amused. Frank Burns is not amused. Frank Burns is furious. He first stabs her in the finger, then tries to prove how tough he is in order to win her back.

Worked on editing Land of WENN all evening. Betty and Mackie inadvertently discover the Rebel Society that's been attacking the Shadow Realm meeting at the stables in the back of the Buttery Inn. Their mysterious "Leader" who remains in the shadows and knows how to break codes insists on them joining, especially after Betty reveals that she intends to find the three missing talismans and weapons.

Maple joins Betty at the Mayor's mansion downtown, where Betty discovers Lord Kurt Holstrom bought the Fire Talisman and bow and arrow at auction. The ladies think they've drugged him and his men, but he avoids Maple's foul-smelling brew to order their arrest. He's the one who gets into trouble instead when he tries to use the Flaming Bow and Arrow and accidentally sets the Buttery Inn on fire. The Leader turns into a demon and just barely escapes. Victor in his Johnathan Arnold disguise leads Holstrom away as Betty, Maple, Mackie, C.J, Eugenia, and Mr. Foley flee in Mackie's cart.

When they get too close to the fighting around the white crystal mines that power the magical elements and machinery, Betty uses her sun magic to propel them over the fighting to safety...but it wipes her out. She collapses unconscious as the others head down the road to the prosperous lakeside resort city of Port Harbor and their Summer Arts Festival. 

Victor has his own problems. He's torn between his duty to his spying for Brittanica and his desire to help out more. His feelings are tested when he witnesses Pruitt stripping the magic from one of the young men who attacked the Shadow Realm's cannons, but can't do anything about it thanks to being in his Johnathan Arnold disguise at the time. 

(Oh, and it did finally rain...around 10 PM, long after I and all of the kids were at home. And when it rained, it thundered and blustered. I don't think the storms will be sticking around, but the rain will be here through tomorrow.)

Life Reimagined

I got caught up finishing Life Reimagined, on thriving in mid-life, this morning, and was late getting moving. Good thing I wasn't supposed to be eating, because I didn't really have the time for breakfast. I had just enough time to write in my journal, get dressed, and rush off to Collingswood Family Medicine for my doctor's appointment.

When I went to check in, the receptionist said I had made my appointment early and wasn't due until next month...but I really needed a physical for work. And yes, that went fine. Not only am I physically fit to deal with kids, but I told Dr. Jessica I felt a lot better. I love taking care of the kids, and even if I don't get on the summer camp program, at least I know that I am capable of finding a job, have new skills, and have made new friends. In fact, I'm not sure I even want to work behind a desk anymore. I need to be around people, to find my purpose helping others. I can spend quiet time behind my desk at home. I did get a needle for blood tests and will be having my mammogram in July, but other than that, I'm in good shape. 

Treated myself to two soft pretzels and a cheesesteak-stuffed pretzel from A&A Pretzel Shop on the White Horse Pike for lunch. Watched Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while I ate. Mickey is surprised to learn that the story of "Mickey and the Enchanted Egg" is unfinished when Goofy and Donald bring said egg to the Clubhouse. The egg hatches into an adorable baby dragon. They try to bring the dragon back to its owner, Wizard Pete, but he thinks they stole her and keeps trying to keep them from his tower.

Switched to I Saw the Light while eating a quick lunch. I go further into this 2015 biopic with Tom Hiddleston as tragic country legend Hank Williams at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

I Saw the Light

Worked on editing before lunch. "The Master" (Seldon Sentry) scolds his three most prominent men - King Charles of Weepla, Mayor Kurt Holstrom of Yorkalia, and Pruitt - for not capturing the King of Thieves and allowing the Rebel Society to find their black crystal factories. Pruitt orders the Black Knight Sir Johnathan Arnold to find out who's been leaking information to the Rebel Society...which Victor Comstock finds rather humorous, considering he's the one who's been doing it.

Meanwhile, Jeff brings Betty and Mackie to the melting pot that is Brooklania, a bustling, slightly seedy section of Yorkalia. Mackie delivers Scott's coded messages to Maple LaMarsh, owner and principal performer at the Buttery Inn. She ignores Jeff's flirting and almost turns them away, until Mackie gives her the book and Betty reveals she's a Guardian-in-training. Betty adds that she intends to hit up the large library nearby to do more research on the Guardians and find out where the remaining Guardians and talismans are hidden.

Thank heavens it was cloudy and cool for most of the day, but never rained. I was able to ride my bike to the Thomas Sharp School. I even saw the kids looking for butterflies with their class outside when I arrived. We had so many kids today, there were too many to take to the playground right away. In fact, we didn't get them outside until the last hour. We had to wait until some had gone home to unleash them on the small playground. I read them Leo the Late Bloomer after snack time, and they watched a simply animated version of The Gingerbread Man and short videos on numbers and the alphabet that encouraged them to move along. Coloring had suddenly become very popular. There were at least 10 kids crowded around the crayons, scribbling masterpieces, before we finally got out.

Finally put on one of the more traumatizing episodes of Remember WENN when I got home. "Who's Scott Sherwood?" Betty would like to know herself...and so would Rollie Pruitt (Johnathan Freeman), the miserly accountant who first darkened WENN's doorstep during the Christmas episode. Turns out he's figured out what Scott's up to with the Memorial Fund and has him fired. The others end their shows in support of Scott. Betty's not sure he's worth their efforts, especially after she catches him in an even more damaging lie about how he arrived and his real relationship with Victor Comstock...

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner. I came in just as Bart Braverman briefly took over as host when Gene got tired of the complaints. Honestly, Bart sounded more like a race track tout than a game show host reading a question. The next episode is lost, so alas, we never do get to find out how the nice old man contestant Irv does. 

Finished the night with Remember the Golden Days of Radio Volume 1, one of the two Golden Days of Radio records I picked up from the Mt. Laurel Library earlier this month. It's a collection of some of the great moments of radio in the 30's and 40's, when it was the only at-home entertainment. Jack Benny hosts the wrap-around sequences. I knew about the comedies and sitcoms like Fibber McGee and Molly and The Fred Allen Show already, but other segments were less familiar. Not being a fan of TV soap operas, I'd certainly never heard the radio ones, making the segments of The Romance of Helen Trent and Ma Perkins all the more interesting. Heard familiar commercials, too, including one of the earliest radio jingles for Pepsi. 

Coloring a Rainy Day

I awoke this morning...to realize I overslept. I had barely enough time to write in my journal, change, grab breakfast, and call Uber. There was no way I could take the bike, even if I was on time. I emerged into a steady shower that would continue without abatement the entire day. Thankfully, the driver only took 3 minutes to arrive, and there were no problems on the road. I got to work with no time to spare.

That was the worst thing that happened all day. Between the bad weather, it being between holidays, and it being so close to the beginning of the month, we were quiet all morning. I had no trouble sweeping and gathering carts and trash, other than I got wet getting the carts. 

After I finished my shift, I picked up cough drops, then put up my umbrella and headed across the street to Rexy's. My first thought for lunch was the taco place in Audubon, but it wasn't a good day for even a short ten-minute stroll. They were relatively busy for a rainy day at quarter after 1. I had a tasty fried chicken sandwich with Cole slaw, thick steak fries, and a Diet Coke. Went back across the street to the Acme and picked up the Uber from there. Once again, it only took 3 minutes. I was at the school in a little over 5.

There was one small problem with that. I was too early. The after-school program wouldn't start for another 20 minutes. The rain slowed enough by that point for me to stroll down to the small independent convenience store on Collings that advertised selling bagels. I bought two rainbow bagels and a bottle of water (I forgot the Navy bottle I've been bringing to school and left the one I bought from the Acme at Rexy's) before heading back. 

Got there just in time, which is good because we were mobbed today. We had 31 younger kids and 15 older ones...and it goes without saying, given the weather, that they never went outside. At least the ones at my table all behaved pretty well. They shouted a bit, but other than that, they all played fairly quietly with rubber animal toys when they arrived. After a bathroom break and a snack, they colored pages someone printed with marker until it was time to go. (I thought my Paw Patrol page came out rather well.)

Had no trouble getting Uber going home, either, despite it being rush hour. This time, the lady arrived within 7 minutes. The bad weather must have driven everyone home early. There was no traffic on the road, even at the late hour.

Put on more Remember WENN when I got in. "Prior to Broadway" brings in another student from the Aldrych Academy of Drama. Euripides Moss (Harry Hamilin) is eager for Hilary and Jeff to appear in his epic play. Hilary is tired of the odd roles she often plays and thinks this will be a wonderful opportunity to get back onstage. They even bring in sponsors Mr. (Louis Zorich) and Mrs. Sweet (Peggy Cass) to bankroll the show. Now, if only they could figure out whether to play it for comedy or drama. Meanwhile, Betty is going over the letter of introduction Scott brought with him when he arrived at WENN, and between the overly-complimentary wording and the use of his familiar phrases, it does sound like Scott wrote the letter himself...

Switched to Alice's Wonderland Bakery next. The kids remind Hattie that "It's the Hatter That Matters" when he loses his beloved top hat and they run to every sticky place in Wonderland to find it. Cheshire Cat joins the kids to make a huge feast for Dodo's bingo night, but he vanishes when he creates a "Cheshire Cat-tastrophe" and drops sticky syrup on Cookie. She tries to relate the recipes with her pages stuck together, but can't remember them all the way, so they call on someone who knows riddles like the back of his paw...the Cheshire Cat.

Had dinner while watching Match Game Syndicated. They started off with Charlene Tilton's second week on the show. Bill Daily spent that week mooning over her, while Patty Duke spent it wishing Charlene would actually wear something like clothes, wishing she had enough up top to fill out said clothes, and listening to Charles' idea of "acting" for her. Wesley Eure turned up in the second episode. He pretty much spent his week flirting with Brett and teasing Debralee Scott.

Worked on editing Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN after a shower. Mackie and Betty are recruited to help Scott steal from gangster Palermo Racine and actress and singer Grace Cavendish...the latter of whom is a siren who tries to lure Mackie, Scott, and his men. Betty distracts her long enough for Scott to retrieve papers she has on her person. 

As it turns out, Scott is more familiar with Racine than he wants to admit, and Mackie's not a fan of his, either. Scott still owes him money, and Mackie ended up in jail after being his chauffeur and getting caught in a theft. Betty is furious when Scott finally admits that a portion of the money they steal is going to his debt rather than the poor. She insists that she and Mackie leave that afternoon. 

Even after Mackie and Betty leave the Enchanted Forest, there's still danger. They get caught in a meadow filled with carnivorous flowers that put their victims to sleep with golden pollen, then eats them. Good thing Jeff Singer, whom they were supposed to meet, comes along and uses his bow and arrows and fire magic to hold off the flowers. He explains that Scott wanted him to meet them there, and he'll take them the rest of the way to the Buttery Inn at Broolyania. 

Finished the night with a second season episode of The Love Boat. "The Kissing Bandit" (Billy Crystal) is really a shy cartographer who dons a mask and runs around the decks, kissing random women. The ladies, including two suspicious middle-aged women on vacation (Pat Carroll and Nancy Kulp), are delighted. Captain Steubing is annoyed when he kisses his date (Sharon Acker) and decides to lure him out of hiding. "The Witness" (Robert Reed) is onboard avoiding a trial after having spent months recovering from his involvement with a gang killing. A lady onboard (Toni Tennile) keeps asking him about a certain bar, one that he wishes to forget...but she has her own reasons for wanting him to remember. "Mike and Ike" are Issac and his good friend, a prominent businessman (Billy Davis Jr) who is on a cruise with his wife (Marilyn McCoo) and their son (Todd Bridges). Issac is delighted to show the kid their old moves from their street corner singing days, but what he really wants is to have his father forget his business deals and spend time with him. 

Dolls On a Cloudy Day

Began the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. Glimmer convinces Angella to let her, Bow, and Adora travel to "The Sea Gate" and convince Mermista of Salineas to join the Alliance. Glimmer hires roguish Captain Sea Hawk to get them there. Bow is delighted by his stories of adventure, but the girls don't believe a word and scold him for showing off. It's Glimmer who finally figures out how he can help when Catra and the Horde attack the Sea Gate while She-Ra is repairing it.

Spent the rest of the morning dressing the dolls for what will hopefully be a much warmer June. Barbara Jean wears the purple paisley mini dress she came in (what amounts to her "Meet" dress) with lace stockings (her original ones are too fragile to wear) and her own white strap shoes. Josefina wears one of her prettiest camisa outfits, the lovely Harvest dress with the maroon flowered skirt and ribbon trim. Samantha is in her tight pink Frilly Frock with the pearly lavender boots. Ariel celebrates Pride Month in her rainbow-trimmed terrycloth romper and roller skates. Kit gets her second meet outfit, the turquoise sundress with the white collar and pink flower print. 

Molly's rickrack-trimmed birthday dress is too thin for her actual birthday in April and is far more appropriate for warmer weather. Whitney is dressed for tea in 1960 in her purple and pink rose-print dress and shiny purple shoes. Felicity is in the white gown with the blue roses I picked up from a booth at the Deptford Mall almost 15 years ago. Jessa also wears an outfit from a booth, a white hoodie with an embroidered flamingo patch, Jean shorts, and the striped socks and turquoise sneakers from the early 2000's modern meet outfit.

Watched Walk the Line while I dressed the dolls, and later as I had lunch. I go further into this classic biopic on the relationship between country legends Johnny Cash (Joaquin Phoneix) and June Carter (Reece Witherspoon) at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Walk the Line 

It was cloudy, cool, and windy when I left for the Thomas Sharp School, but not damp or raining. I figured I'd be fine to ride my bike. Got there just in time. We had 31 kids jammed into the cafeteria today. Thank heavens they were all allowed to go outside, especially since it's unlikely they will be able to tomorrow. They were pretty good at the table before that, too. After we got in, I pulled out markers and colored pencils and let them color in Hello Kitty coloring pages until it was time for them to go.

Had dinner and got started on the third season of Remember WENN when I got home. Betty is still trying to figure out how the formerly dead Victor Comstock showed up "In the WENN Small Hours." Turns out he's a double spy working in England under the name Johnathan Arnold, and Betty can't tell anyone. When they're caught by explorer Cutter Dunlap (Malcom Gets), the duo have to make up some pretty crazy stuff to keep Victor and Cutter's reputation alive on the airwaves. Oh, and Victor leaves behind one rather big cliffhanger involving his so-called friendship with Scott Sherwood...

Worked on Land of WENN next. I was originally going to depict how Scott ended up being cursed, but I couldn't figure out how to do it. I think I might leave it at him being caught after Betty rejects him and save that idea for the next round of flashbacks. 

Watched Match Game Syndicated while I wrote. We started off with the last episode of the week with big Jim Staal and Anita Gillette, the latter making her first appearance on the show since 1973. Bart Braverman and Debralee Scott spent the week arguing over answers and alternating between flirting with and annoying each other. 

Legendary comedienne Phyllis Diller made her first appearance on the show the next week. She wasn't too happy when Gene leaned in for that new-kid-on-the-block kiss! Fred Travalena made his second appearance, this time in the fifth "smart guy" seat next to Diller.

Finished the night listening to my newly-acquired cast albums while working on the Walk the Line review. I Can Get It For You Wholesale revolves around ambitious and obnoxious businessman Harry Bogen (Elliot Gould), who rockets across New York's Garment District in the 30's like a searing comet. He's determined to make something of himself, even if he has to lie to his mother (Lillian Roth), his girlfriend Ruthie (Marilyn Cooper), and his secretary Miss Marmelstein (Barbra Streisand) to do it. 

Some of the songs aren't bad, notably "Who Knows?" for Cooper, "Have I Told You Lately" for second couple Ken Le Roy and Bambi Lynn, and "The Way Things Are" for Gould as Harry explains his desire for wealth...but really, Streisand blows everyone away with her classic "Miss Marmelstein," the lament of the underappreciated secretary who can type like no one's business but can't land a man. Not the best thing ever, but not horrible if you come across it and are a fan of Streisand or darker musicals.

New Faces of 1952 was just that - a revue celebrating unknown and relatively new talent. Leonard Sillman had been doing New Faces revues off and on since 1934 (and I believe they'd continue into the 60's), but this is probably the most famous. Among the "New Faces" - Frenchman Robert Clary (who would later star on Hogan's Heroes), Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley, June Carroll, Ronny Graham, and Eartha Kitt. The last-named would feature in the show's biggest hit, her take on celebrity, "Monotonous." Other good ones include Carroll's "Penny Candy" and "Love Is a Simple Thing." 

Animation Salutes the Troops

Started off my Memorial Day with material from the Colliers Harvest of Holidays anthology. Began with the stories for Mother's Day, since I forgot to read it that day. The long story here is the charming tale of a little Ukrainian girl who gets lost while falling asleep in the wheat fields. She tells the people who help her that her mother is the most beautiful woman in the world...and to her, she is. There's also a few poems on motherhood, including a very sweet one that has a little boy describing how safe he feels with his mother always starting and ending the day.

Memorial Day began after the Civil War as Decoration Day, so all of the material in Colliers revolved around that conflict. The long prose piece was "Light Bread and Apple Butter." A young Union soldier befriends a southern mother and her children when he helps her with chores, and she gives him apples for his fellow soldiers. The poem was "Barbara Friechie," the old woman in Baltimore who holds out a tattered American flag to the fighting men.

Continued the Looney Tunes shorts during breakfast. Termite Terrace made three types of cartoons during the war years. "The Draft Horse" is an example of a character-based short, in this case a one-off. The title character is badly disappointed when, despite a comic physical, he's unable to join the Army's cavalry corps. He learns just how scary war is - and how everyone has a job to do, even if it isn't on the battlefield - when he gets caught in the middle of war games and ends up fleeing home. We also have "Hollywood Canine Canteen," with its dog caricatures of sailors and soldiers having a good time and of popular celebrities of the era, including ones like radio comedian Ish Kabibble and bandleader Kay Kyser who aren't as well-known today.

The second type of short are sketch comedies revolving around life in the barracks or on the home front. Warners started with these before the US even entered the war; the barracks spoofs "Rookie Revue" and "Meet John Doughboy" came out in October and July 1941 respectively and make fun of the peacetime draft. My favorite is "The Weakly Reporter," on life in the cities and suburbs during the war. I love the woman who fixes a whole factory with her one bobby pin! 

The third type are allegories on how we got into the war, and how we planned on winning it. "The Duckinators" uses barnyard fowl to parody the rise of the Axis dictators and how the US finally got involved with their destruction. "Fifth Column Mouse" uses mice and a cunning cat to depict how many countries were easily duped by the Axis powers and how they fought back.

For once, I made it to work just on time. Good thing, too. We were busy as heck for most of the morning. The carts kept vanishing no matter how often I brought them up front, and I had to sweep and put cold items away, too. I never did get to the trash. Thank heavens the weather was stunning today, breezy, sunny, and warm, without a cloud in the searing blue sky. You'd never know how much it's been raining lately.

Since I wasn't planning on doing anything fancy for dinner, I treated myself to lunch and a treat out. Picked up a slice of mushroom pizza, a slice of sausage, and a Diet Pepsi at Phillies Phatties. Enjoyed them in peace and quiet while listening to Spanish-language news on Telemundo. Everyone must have gone to Common Grounds, which was far busier. Got a slice of rich, buttery crumb cake and a Peach Matcha Sparkling Drink - matcha green tea with peach syrup in soda. Oh, yum. It was all so sweet and tasty.

When I got home, I took the laundry downstairs and I finished out the Looney Tunes, then moved on to the Disney wartime shorts. Donald Duck appeared in far and away the most war-related shorts. His first, "Donald Gets Drafted," has him lured by the Army posters that promise glamour and an easy life. He gets neither when Sargent Pete singles him out as incompetent, then makes him stand to attention on an ant hill! "Sky Trooper" continues Donald's longing for the glamorous life of a pilot. After he fails the physical, Pete sends him up with the paratroopers...then regrets it when they both end up tumbling out of the plane.

My favorite of the Donald wartime shorts is "The Vanishing Private." Donald follows Pete's orders to make a cannon "hard to see" a little too literally when he douses it with an invisibility paint. After he ends up in it too, "the little man you can't see" leads Pete on a wild chase all around the camp! "Fall Out, Fall In" gives us Donald's attempt to pitch his tent among the loud snores of his troop mates. He's "Commando Duck" who is sent to a (heavily caricatured) Japan to wipe...no wash...out the enemy.

Donald's most famous wartime short is "Der Fuher's Face." This surreal nightmare, with Donald as a worker in a heavily stylized Nazi Germany, won an Oscar for its wild, creative, terrifying depiction of Nazi propaganda and abuse. Even the title song was a huge hit for comedy orchestra Spike Jones and His City Slickers. 

Donald wasn't the only Disney character who went to war. "How to Be a Sailor" has Goofy learning about sailing through the years, then about modern sailing, including semaphore. The "modern" segment ends very obviously with Goofy and war footage. "Victory Vehicles" is a World of Goofy short depicting many different alternatives to cars during the war years. (And Leonard Maltin is right - the song "Hop On Your Pogo Stick" is rather catchy.) Like Bosko, Mickey got involved with World War I in "The Barnyard Battle." Unlike Warners' first star, Mickey's fight with Hun cats is portrayed more humorously, including him using piano keys as bullets in a machine gun.

Partially due to the financial trouble they were in during most of the 40's, the Walter Lantz Studio at Universal didn't dive into war propaganda as often as the other studios at the time. Like Donald, Woody Woodpecker wants to be an "Ace In the Hole" and fly a plane, but his bulldog sergeant has him shaving horses. He definitely regrets it when Woody does finally manage to get in the air. The first in a series of jazz-based Swing Symphony shorts was "21 Dollars a Day Once a Month," This one is another spoof of the peacetime draft, featuring a toy army singing about military life. (Ironically, it was released exactly a week before the US entered the war, making it perhaps more timely than Universal intended.)

The Pink Panther would be one of the only major animated characters to join the Vietnam War in "G.I Pink." Unlike Donald, who was swayed into the Army by the glamour of war, Pink is attracted by the power. Cranky drill sergeants, land-mine-riddled obstacle courses, and angry mascot dogs makes him wish he'd stayed home.

Switched to my America the Beautiful record set after "G.I Pink" ended and I finally remembered to put the laundry in the dryer. This two-disc Reader's Digest collection of patriotic music was released in 1986 in conjunction with the reopening of the Statue of Liberty after her multi-year restoration. We get everything from "The Grand Canyon Suite" to "American Patrol" to Kate Smith singing "God Bless America." The most unique is probably a medley of George M. Cohen hits performed by the Boston Pops, with the audience singing along to the most familiar songs.

Worked on my fanfic while the record was on. Edited and updated Mr. Eldridge and Scott discussing how magic was banned in Wennaria and how finding the remaining Guardians may be the key to driving them out of their land. Scott would search for them, but he's busy with many other activities, including being involved with the Rebel Society. Betty finally says she'll do it. Scott is worried that she's not ready, but Mr. Eldridge thinks it'll be good for her to get out and use her powers in the wider world.

I also added a flashback sequence, depicting how Scott got into trouble in the first place. As in the show, he was a sailor and thief who lied about being friends with the late King Victor in order to get a cushy job. Not only does Betty find out and turn him away, but Pruitt figures it out too...and he wants more than just to throw Scott in the dungeon...

Watched Match Game Syndicated during dinner, after I brought my dry clothes back upstairs and put them away. Sweet game show host Bill Cullen and lovely and witty Lee Merriweather joined in this week. Brett and Charles spent the week sniping at each other, while Betty was more reluctant to answer a question that involved flattening a cat.

Finished the night after a shower at YouTube with a later Family Feud Armed Services tournament. With the US entering another war, this time with Iraq, in 2003, Freemantle revived the Armed Services tournament for the Richard Karn Feud in 2004. This wasn't quite as comprehensive of a battle - there was no final game, and the Coast Guard didn't play - but it did produce some memorable episodes. Once again, the Marines just outplayed everyone, though they didn't do as well at the Fast Money.

Salute those men and women who fought and died in the Iraq War with these later Armed Services Feuds!

Army Vs. Navy

Marines Vs. Air Force

Navy Vs. Air Force

Army Vs. Air Force

Marines Vs Army

Marines Vs Navy 

Salute Your Matches

Started the morning with breakfast and more wartime Looney Tunes shorts. The trio of Bob Clampett classics I watched yesterday were far from the first time Bugs and Daffy got involved with World War II. "Herr Meets Hare" was the second-to-last propaganda short Warners released before the war in Europe ended. ("Draftee Daffy" was the last.) Bugs bedevils Herman Goring, including a scene with him dressed as a Valkrye on a white horse that prefigured "What's Opera, Doc?" by over a decade.

Daffy got more directly involved with the war in "Daffy-the Commando." Here, he goes up against villains who are very obvious bird Nazi parodies, including a nasty general who keeps abusing his diminutive but loyal underlying. Daffy wasn't the only one to take the Nazis head on, either. "Russian Rhapsody" introduces tiny, multi-colored "gremlins from the Kremlin" who sabotage the plane flown by none other than Hitler himself.

World War II was not the first time one of the Tunes fought for their country. "Bosko the Doughboy" takes on the Kaiser in Warners' earliest short to depict war battles. Despite one of his friends dying for his country, this short is largely more lighthearted than the 40's entries, with Bosko making music with machine guns and dodging snipers.

Headed out to work after "Bosko" ended. No trouble there. We were off-and-on steady, but never overwhelming. The weather helped a lot. This was the nicest day we'd had in almost a week. The sun was out when I arrived in the morning, and it was windy and much warmer, in the lower 70's. Even after the clouds rolled in, it remained warm, and it never rained. I suspect most people were either on vacation, or enjoying the weather at barbecues and picnics. I spent the entire time pushing carts and shelving cold items with no trouble whatsoever.

Went straight into the Match Game marathon when I got home and had dinner a few hours into the show. The men and women of the Armed Services did occasionally appear as contestants on the show. One pretty officer in 1976 turned up on Joey Bishop's first week. Another sweet female Naval private won big during the syndicated run. The first Armed Services member to appear in 1973 was a slightly bemused Army priest who came in for several religious jokes. One big Army officer in 1975 had such thick and wide winged eyebrows, Richard joked he could comb them over if he ever went bald.

They turned up even more often on the nighttime show. Eva Gabor one big money for an eager Air Force officer, but he was so happy to hug her, he accidentally broke her toe when he kicked it. Eva was very positive about it later and took it like a champ, though, saying she now had a cheaper pedicure. A handsome Naval officer appeared alongside a charming Israeli woman, but I'm not sure she really got the game all that well. The entire upper tier saluted a well-dressed Scottish officer after the contestants swung in. Jack Klugman spent an episode with a Navy captain complaining about not receiving gifts. The producers gave him a jacket...and then he proceeded to go crazy when the officer won, spinning the Star Wheel, running out in the audience, and sweeping the officer's beautiful fiancee off her feet!

The Match Game-Hollywood Squares Hour also had several Armed Services contestants. The most notable was the officer who played a young Butch Hartman (later creator of The Fairly Oddparents, among other cartoons), and the sailor who caught Leonard Frey's eye and made it to the second round.

No version of Match Game had more fun with the troops than Match Game '90. With the First Gulf War raging during most of the run, they had a whole week with Marines as contestants and in the audience. This coincided with the run of soap stars they had appearing on the show. Karen Whittier and Fiona Hutchinson of One Life to Live were wildly popular with the Marines, who cheered on everything they said or did. Sweet Karen proved to be more than a pretty face when she wrote a poem thanking the Marines with Charles Nelson Reilly and helped Marines wives win in the Head-to-Head twice in a row. Fiona spent the week flirting with Ronn Lucas and his dragon puppet Scorch.

Salute our men and women of the Armed Services with this wild Memorial Day Weekend marathon!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Celebrating Memorial Day With Match Game

May Fair Harvest

Began the morning with breakfast and four Paramount Superman cartoons from World War II. Given the tenor of the comics at the time, it would have been more surprising if he hadn't fought the Axis. Superman goes up against "Japoteurs" who try to steal an experimental plane. He has to save the plane and Lois, who stowed away, as well. "The Eleventh Hour" is a mature short with gorgeous animation that has Superman committing sabotage in Japan, until the Japanese take Lois hostage. "Jungle Drums" has Superman and Lois foiling a Nazi plot to stir up natives in Africa and take down Naval ships. He rescues a lovely "Secret Agent" from the Nazi spies whose plots she's uncovered during an exciting finale on a damaged bridge.

Headed out quickly after "Secret Agent" ended. Every year on the Saturday before Memorial Day, Collingswood kicks off the summer season with a huge street fair spanning most of Haddon Avenue. The farm market is also folded into the May Fair for the week, though it closes before the rest of the fair. I grabbed strawberries (surprisingly cheap) and North Carolina blueberries before heading to Haddon Avenue.

My first stop was their massive car show. Rows and rows of shiny classic cars in jewel and pastel tones stretch for five blocks on the Camden end of Haddon Avenue. I saw a pretty pale peach Mustang, cherry red GTOs, a pale blue station wagon from the 50's, a lovely blue Mercury from the 40's, a rusty jalopy covered in skulls and spider webs, and a bright pink Chevrolet with fake food on the window that the little girls in my class would have loved. Took several shots for Lauren, including of an orange GTO and a metallic purple sports car. One of the newer vehicles was a bright scarlet truck from 1992 that looked like a newer version of the old Ford truck my stepfather owned in the mid-late 90's.

The other side of Haddon Avenue near Collingswood is given over a midway for young kids. There was a lovely little green Merry go round featuring pretty tan horses with pink and blue manes, a mini-Scrambler ride, and a Ferris Wheel with rainbow bucket seats. Most of the kids seemed to prefer the bounce houses, considering how long the lines were. I saw an inflatable circus tent, an Army-themed camouflage house guarded by an enormous officer, and a steep gray dragon's lair with a bright red inflatable dragon guarding the top of the long slides. There were so many kids waiting for the rides, I even ran into one of the boys from the after-school program brandishing a balloon sword.

The blocks in between them is given over to a big craft show. Though I admired hand-made clothes and jewelry, paintings from local artists, home-made pet treats and outfits, and beautifully carved signs and furniture, I was mainly interested in the hand-knitted and crocheted stuffed toys. I found an adorable gray striped tabby cat I named Stormy for me from one stuffed animal seller and a cute floppy one for Lauren from another seller.

Checked out two stores I don't often get a chance to explore. Odd Folks is a "curated" selection of new clothes, old books on art, fashion, and design, and small used pieces. Lovely shop, but expensive and limited. I didn't see anything I absolutely needed and moved on. 

Ellis Antiques is only open in the mid-afternoon afternoon on certain days. There were way too many people in there for me to explore their boxes of records, which sat on tables in the narrow halls. They kept bumping into me. They need to find a room for the records or at least move them where people going through them won't get into everyone else's way. I walked out with nothing.

Had lunch at Sabrina's Cafe, which was surprisingly not that busy. Everyone must have been at the fair by 1:30 or eating at one of the overpriced booths. I usually get pancakes there, but I wanted to buy a sweet treat later, so I went with a Farmhouse Omelet instead. Potatoes, vegetables, and goat cheese, with thick slices of multi-grain toast and crispy hash browns. Oh, yum. It was very tasty, and the omelet was just big enough to eat in one sitting.

There was one treat I couldn't leave the fair without. I don't often get to try funnel cake. I never even got to eat them at the boardwalk when I was a kid. Mom always said it was too fattening. It did cost me $10 from one of the booths...but it was also delicious. Big, crispy, and just sweet enough, dusted with tons of powdered sugar. 

The clouds that had lingered since yesterday briefly burst as I was eating my funnel cake. I hurried over to one of the dining tents with wide circular tables to finish out my treat and stay dry. After the rain finally died out, I hurried to my bike. I figured that was a sign that it was time to go home. Besides, the wind was getting worse. I was honestly glad for the clouds. It's usually hot as heck on the day of the May Fair, and there isn't much shade on Haddon Avenue. This may be the first May Fair I've ever been to where I didn't sweat to death.

Once I got home, I put sweet Stormy on a shelf, then watched Panama Hattie. I go further into this wartime vehicle for Ann Sothern and Red Skelton with Cole Porter music at my Musical Dreams Movie reviews blog.

Happy Memorial Day! - Panama Hattie

Worked on editing Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN while the movie was on. Scott, Betty, and Scott's men successfully manage to steal a chest of gold from Pruitt by drugging him with cake...but Johnathan Arnold, aka King Victor, is suspicious, especially given he knows Betty isn't usually a thief. Betty manages to just avert a fight between the two disguised men over her and their magic.

She spends the next two months learning about healing magic from Mr. Eldridge and fencing from Scott. Betty still doesn't like the stealing, but she's otherwise starting to come around to the charming rogue. They also help rescue actor Mackie Bloom, who was passing through the woods with his cart, from the enormous armored pig-monsters the Hell Boars. Mackie's more than a little nervous when he gets a gander of Scott's demon form and Betty's magic, but they calm him down after Scott reverts to human and explain they don't intend to harm him.

Put on a couple of Looney Tunes shorts from World War II as I ate leftovers for dinner. The Toons came into their own during the war, as their brand of in-your-face humor was more in line with the tenor of the time than the more subtle comedy at Disney, thanks to wacky directors like anything-for-a-laugh Bob Clampett. He made three of the most famous wartime shorts, starting with "Super Rabbit." Bugs parodies the superhero craze of the time when a scientist turns him into a super-powered rodent. He goes after a cowboy and his horse who are trying to drive rabbits out of the desert. When push comes to shove, he ends up donning the uniform of a real hero - a Marines officer.

"Draftee Daffy" has the wackiest duck in California trying to outsmart the Little Man from the Draft Board. No matter where he goes, how many safes he locks him into, or how many times he blows him up, Daffy just can't escape this guy. He's not even safe from him six feet under.

My favorite wartime Looney Tunes and Bugs Bunny short is "Falling Hare." This may be the only short where Bugs ever encountered an antagonist who gives as good as they get. He catches a little gremlin sabotaging planes. The quick-witted fellow manages to dodge him at every turn...even when he sends the plane they're riding into a free fall...

Finished the night after a shower with today's Match Game marathon. McLean Stevenson started out on the show in late 1973 when he was still playing Henry Blake on MASH and quickly became one of the wildest semi-regulars. You never knew what he would do. On one episode, he embraced a contestant, only to protest that she stole his gold caps. On another from late 1973, he turned up shirtless except for a bow tie, claiming none of the other men would loan him clothes. When Gene gave him a jacket, he asked for another because the first was itchy. His most memorable appearance in 1974 had him first appear in the contestant's desk, then kiss Richard after the contestant won. When she won again, he chased Gene all around the studio!

That would be McLean's last appearance on the show until 1978. By that point, he'd left MASH and was trying desperately to get his own show. He was about to start in the religious-themed sitcom In the Beginning when he turned up again in 1978, but that barely lasted five episodes. (The closest he'd get to a hit after MASH was Hello Larry, a 1978 sitcom about an abrasive radio talk show host that lasted two years despite being notoriously bad.) 

McLean had far more luck taking over Richard Dawson's 5th "smart guy" seat during the syndicated run. Even there, he never could sit down for long. Protesting his wardrobe that mainly seemed to consist of primary-colored sweaters, Gene gave McLean one of his suits in one episode. Ted Lange had him turn up in a white suit and cowboy hat in another. It didn't take. McLean looked less like a fashion plate and more like he got lost on the way to the set of Dallas. As Brett pointed out several times during the episode with Gene's suit, McLean had no flair for fashion.

He did better hosting the show. The first time he got the chance to ask the questions was during the notorious "Sho Gun" incident. Charles and Gene's argument over the merits of the popular epic mini-series ended with Charles hitting Gene with his card. Gene collapsed onto ingenue Jonnelle Allen and answered the questions, while McLean eagerly and sarcastically took over hosting for the next two questions. He had so much fun, Gene let him do it again, this time with no attack necessary, a few weeks later. 

McLean was there for the very last episode of the syndicated run. He joined the others in teasing Charles about goofing around with the dummy who was used to test the color levels. Later on, one of the female contestants claimed she only came on the show to kiss him. Despite McLean insisting he had a cold, she got her wish...and they both got very into it! They did so well, Skip Stevenson ran over and kissed the other contestant. Brett cheekily pointed out that McLean had turned the color of his red sweater, while Betty White suggested they send all those colds to Richard Dawson.

Let's all salute one of the wackiest of the wacky panelists on Match Game with this truly loony marathon! 

Match Game Saturday Classics - Best of McLean Stevenson

They Say It's Spring

Slept in and got a late start with brunch and classic Popeye shorts from the early 40's. Paramount's Famous Studios had Popeye joining the services before the US even officially entered World War II. He doesn't do so well in "The Mighty Navy" at first. He's an experienced sailor who is used to being in charge of his own ship and can't follow Navy authority. It takes an attack from an unknown enemy to show his fellow sailors that he has the stuff to be a real soldier. 

"Kicking the Conga Around" is the first of several wartime shorts to feature Olive Oyl. Here, she's Senorita Olive, the flirtatious beauty who takes Popeye and Bluto to a conga cafe in Cuba. Bluto ends up dancing with her when Popeye complains that he can't dance, but spinach gets his feet up and moving!

Headed out to run really quick errands after the cartoon ended. My first stop was Sprouts for soda, coconut milk, golden raisins, a turkey and cheese wrap for lunch, and buy one-get one 50% off granola bars. Found big, soft chocolate chip cookies on clearance in the bakery section. Headed to the library next to drop off the Tea Shop Mystery and Enchantment books, then rode up the hill and past the quiet Haddon Township High School to the Acme. Mainly needed yogurt here. I also picked up Kind Kids bars on a good sale, Popwell soda, and coconut macaroons from the bakery clearance rack.

Took the quick way home across Newton Lake Park. At this point, it was still a gorgeous day. The sun had finally emerged, and while not overwhelmingly hot, it was warmer than it has been in the past few days, probably in the mid-60's. In fact, the park was surprisingly quiet for 1:30. Everyone must have gone to lunch or back to work. The path I pushed the bike up is really beautiful now, all lime green leaves and lengthening shadows. It was a bit muddy, but not too hard to traverse.

Raced home after that, quickly put everything away, stuffed my wrap in my mouth, and hurried back out again. I got to Thomas Sharp School just in time. On one hand, we didn't have nearly as many kids today, only about 20 or so. They were fairly rowdy, though, probably due to it being Friday and the start of a holiday weekend. It was nearly impossible for me to keep the four boys at my table sitting down and not trying to kill each other with the heavy rubber dinosaurs and animals they played with.

At least we actually got to go outside this time, if only for a half-hour. Even as the kids ran around the playground set, dark clouds loomed on the horizon, and the wind was getting more and more blustery. We took them in early, and I read three books to them instead. That seemed to calm them down. They weren't bad listening to the stories about yard sales, Little Critter and his sister spending time with their grandparents, and the little boy whose uncle from Florida sent him an alligator keychain that turns into a real alligator when soaked in water. By the time they settle down with dolls, Mega Blocks, and magnetic tiles, they were in far better moods.

Made a quick stop at the CVS on the border of Oaklyn and Collingswood on my way home. I just picked up a Cherry Coke Zero to take out money for the May Fair tomorrow. (And forgot I also needed mouthwash.) There was a slightly line at the self checkout kiosk. Otherwise, I was in and out. 

Had dinner and finished the Popeye shorts after I got home. "Blunder Below" and "Fleets of Strength" may be two of Popeye's definitive wartime outings. They clearly delineate the Japanese as the enemy, with Popeye defeating an air raid in "Blunder" and Japanese ships in "Fleets." (The latter in particular features some fairly ugly stereotyping typical of World War II shorts.) "Olive Oyl and Water Don't Mix" when Bluto and Popeye fight to show her around their battle cruiser, and only blow it up in the end instead. 

Popeye isn't saying "Many Tanks" when Army soldier Bluto steals Navy sailor Popeye's uniform in order to take his date with Olive. Popeye manages to lead the tank corps on a merry chase to get back to his girl. "Baby Wants a Battleship" when Swee'pea sees how big and lavish Popeye's ship is. He has to chase the baby all over the ship in order to get him back before Olive comes back from shopping. Popeye wants to deliver "Spinach fer Britain," but the Nazis (the only time he tangled with them) are equally eager to make sure the food doesn't get through enemy lines.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated after dinner while I worked on the previous blog entry I wasn't able to get to last night. Marcia Wallace spent the first episode making sarcastic comments about and to her former Bob Newhart Show cast mate Bill Daily while Randi Oakes of CHIPs and David Doyle of Charlie's Angels looked on. Arte Johnson took the 5th "smart guy" seat in the next one, while comedian Ronny Graham made his first (and only) appearance on the show. He did really well, too, getting a Head-to-Head right on his first try.

Oh, and those dark clouds that had been gathering since the kids were on the playground finally burst around this point. The wind reached gale force levels, and the rain came down in torrents...for all of 20 minutes. It vanished in time for a rather pretty molten orange sunset. To my knowledge, it hasn't done anything but blow since.

Oh, and I got my schedule at this point. In good news, much better hours. I do work Memorial Day, but it's an early day. Work late enough next Saturday for me to hit the Farm Market and pick up fruit for Lauren and me on vacation.

Moved to two third season episodes of MASH on Hulu in honor of Memorial Day Weekend. Hawkeye and Trapper are looking forward to a relaxing furlough, but they end up on "Rainbow Bridge" when they're asked to trade badly wounded prisoners with the Chinese. Frank insists on coming along and almost ruins the deal with his itchy trigger fingers, but Hawkeye manages to calm everyone down, including Frank.

It's "Springtime," and thoughts at camp are turning lightly to matters of romance. Frank and Hot Lips continue their affair. Radar falls for a cute nurse who loves poetry (Mary Kay Place), Klinger gets married over the air (and yes, he wears a wedding gown). Hawkeye gains a devoted follower (Alex Karras) after he saves his life. 

Finished the night working on updating my Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN fanfic. Elizabeth (Betty) discovers that not only is fraudulent former Prince Regent Scott Sherwood Mr. Eldridge's apprentice, but he's under a curse. Pruitt turned Scott into a demon when he's in the light, which is why he tries to stay in the shadows and covers himself in even the softest light. Scott is also the King of Thieves, the head of the bandits who have been stealing from nobles loyal to Pruitt. Betty's reluctant to help him out, but he reveals that he uses part of the gold to buy food for the starving people of Wenneria and convinces her to help.

Corpulent Prince Regent Rolleigh Pruitt is furious that Sir Johnathan Arnold (King Victor in a double-agent role) can't seem to catch the King of Thieves. He orders him to accompany him and his men into the woods with a box of gold for the Treasury. Pruitt doesn't trust Arnold any further than he can throw him and has devious evil candy witch Pavla Nemcova lure him and Duke Jeffery Singer into a trap. 

Pruitt also has Gertie Reece, Betty's mentor and employer, int the dungeon. He steals her talisman to stifle her magic, but she still definitely reminds him that her new apprentice is out there, and is strong enough to defeat him. He won't lure her, like he did Lord Justin, who was turned against his friend King Gregory and his family. When she won't tell him more, he orders his men to keep her in the dark until he can move her to a larger fortress. 

Rainy Day Blues

Began the morning with breakfast and Garfield and Friends. "Mystic Manor" is supposedly a haunted house, but it's closed. When Odie wanders into the house, Garfield has to chase him around its many frightening tricks and monsters, or no dinner! It's "Flop Goes the Weasel" when Wade Duck accidentally runs into the chicken-eating weasel and catches him. Everyone says Wade is a hero, which gives him a swelled head...until the weasel comes back and the chickens now expect him to catch it. Jon is shocked to learn "The Legend of Long Jon," his pirate ancestor who turned traitor. Garfield discovers a hidden secret in his diary that may change what people believe about the buccaneer.

Spent the rest of the morning watching Let's Dance. I go further into the only pairing of Fred Astaire and boisterous comedienne Betty Hutton at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

Let's Dance

The weather was dreadful when the movie ended. It was unseasonably cold, not even in the 60's, and had been showering heavily all morning. This mess would continue pretty much the entire day. I called Uber. Fortunately, no trouble there. The driver going to Thomas Sharp School arrived in 5 minutes. The one going home took 9, but in his defense, he was picking me up during rush hour on a rainy day.

I think you can guess that the kids were really crazy now. They hadn't been outside - at school or home - for two days. They yelled, threw things, and chased each other for the entire three hours. And yeah, we didn't go out today, either. There were 35 of them squeezed into that small gym. At least they calmed down a bit when we broke out the magnetic tiles. They really love those, especially the boys, even if they all fight over the wheeled train flats.

Once I got home, I had dinner while watching the Remember WENN second season finale "Magic." There's excitement in the air and on the air when Hilary and Jeff put on their mind-reading act for some of the most influential men in Pittsburgh, including Amazon Andy sponsor Kurt Holstrom of Holstrom Construction. Scott and Betty reveal to Holstrom that the decoded messages on "Andy" haven't been making sense of late. When Scott decodes the messages, they learn that Holstrom - and the station - are more deeply involved in espionage than any of them could have guessed. And all of that is before a certain station manager who was believed dead in London turns up alive in the Green Room...

The second season runs with the sitcom formula, with some of the wackiest episodes of the entire show. I honestly prefer the more heartfelt Christmas episode, although "Some Good News, Some Bad News," "Scott Sherwood of the FBI," and "Close Quarters" are also excellent. A few of the episodes don't quite land. "Behind Every Great Woman" has always bothered me. Hilary and Scott treat Betty badly during the entire episode, and neither of them really get into trouble for it (although Ruth does get her comeuppance). As mentioned, though I love the interns and wish we could have seen more of them, there's something kind of off about "Don't Act Like That" too. By and large, this is one of the two best seasons of the show...but things get kind of complicated from here on out...

Took a shower, then finished the night listening to CDs while I worked on reviews. I've had my original Billboard Top Hits CDs since they were the only discs I could afford to buy at FYE in college, but I haven't seen them anywhere else in years. The 1975 and '77 both have some terrific songs. Top Hits '75 includes the Captain & Tenille's charming "Love Will Keep Us Together," one of Linda Rondstat's best ballads "When Will I Be Loved," Neil Sedaka's comeback with "Bad Blood," the Elton John hits "Island Girl" and "Philadelphia Freedom," and the first tinge of disco with "Get Down Tonight."

By 1977, the disco trend was in full flower. "I'm Your Boogie Man" by KC and the Sunshine Band, "Boogie Nights" by Heatwave, and "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" by Leo Sayer all reflected the popularity of dancing the night away under mirrored balls in this era. Other favorites from '77 include "Undercover Angel" by Alan O'Day, the driving "Don't Leave Me This Way" by Thelma Houston, and Rose Royce's bouncy ode to the "Car Wash." 

English/Aussie duo Air Supply is one of the most definitive of the "yacht rock" or soft rock groups of the 70's and 80's. Their heartfelt ballads were a major part of my early childhood from 1980 through 1985. They even got a song on the original Ghostbusters soundtrack, "I Can Wait Forever." Other familiar hits on The Definitive Collection include "Lost In Love," "Two Less Lonely People In the World," "Every Woman In the World," "All Out of Love," and "Here I Am." 

Night of the Chilled Spring

Began a gloomy morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. "If the Shoe Hat Fits," Hattie will wear it. After all, it was given to him by his father and the March Hare for his Unbirthday. When he'll only eat one type of sauce on his manicotti, Alice and Fergie try to give him others. Hattie finally reveals that, whether you wear the shoe on your head or foot, what matters is whether you're comfortable with it...and if it makes you happy. "Cookie Is Booked" for a tour of Wonderland when she's trying to become the royal cookbook. Alice, however, misses her council, and she can't really cook without her human there.

Though it wasn't raining hard at quarter of 9, it looked like it would any minute. It was humid, breezy, and very chilly, barely in the 60's. I have to call for Uber all day. Fortunately, the longest it took to get a ride was 9 minutes this morning. I was almost late. Otherwise, it was mostly 5 or 6 minutes later. No traffic anywhere, not even going home on the White Horse Pike at rush hour. 

The Acme wasn't busy, either. The rain must have scared everyone off. It showered off and on all morning, sometimes heavily. Fortunately, it was never heavy enough to make me more than damp when I did the carts. I swept the store and did the inside trash. Otherwise, I was in and out with no trouble.

Thankfully, the rain had taken a leave of absence by the time I finished. I wasn't in the mood for Asian food, and not only am I not a fan of fast food, but this was no day for sipping milkshakes on Sonic's patio. I strolled down Nicholson and up to the Brown Dog Cafe on Merchant Street. I was surprised at how busy it continued to be, even at 1:30. I guess I wasn't the only one looking for a simple lunch in a cozy, dark wood room. My ham and cheese croissant sandwich with avocado spread and ruffle chips were hearty, crunchy, and warm on a cold day. Since I was sweaty from the walk, I added a tasty cold-foam Matcha Tea flavored with real lavender.

Even with leaving around 2 PM, I still got to the Thomas Sharp School 15 minutes early. Since the rain had slowed to a very light shower, I took a brief walk around two blocks. As long as it isn't pouring, I kind of like walking in the rain. It's quiet - all you hear are the birds and pitter-patter of the raindrops - and it smells wonderful, like everything on the planet was just pulled out of the dryer.

Given they'd been stuck inside all day, I think you can guess that the kids were pretty antsy for the entire afternoon. It showered hard off and on the whole time, which meant no going outside. There was a lot of yelling, knocking toys over, and throwing things. After snack time, I settled down at the art table with colored pencils and the few blank pieces of paper we could find. After the paper ran out, the kids dug out coloring pages from their classes and drew on those. I read them books while we worked. One little girl even gave me her colorful artwork.

Put on more Remember WENN when I got home. "The First Mrs. Bloom" sets up conflicts for the remainder of the second and most of the third season as we discover that Scott has been skimming money from their bridal show sponsors to supposedly build a memorial for the fallen Victor Comstock. Penelope Comminger (Julie Haggarty) of Flowergrams Bouquets was once engaged to Mackie Bloom, but he got cold feet over her wealth and took off. She thinks they marry real people on the air, leading Mackie and Betty to almost go through with their on-air nuptials. 

"Like a Brother" switches the focus to Scott, kindly old go-fer Mr. Eldridge, and silent sound effects man Mr. Foley. Mr. Foley just inadvertently created the laugh track to give Mackie's comedy act a shot in the arm. It turns out to be far more useful than just bolstering Mackie's bad jokes when the new sponsor turns out to be none other than Mr. Foley's loudmouth older brother Blair (Michael Patrick). When even Scott Sherwood is annoyed by a guy, you know he's a jerk. Mr. Eldridge is horrified to see his treatment of his old friend Pepper Carnasie (Eddie Bracken), a former vaudevillian fallen on hard times. After Blair insists on messing with their sounds, Scott, Hilary, and Jeff come up with a way to use the laugh track on the real comedy routine - Blair's puffed-up ideas of himself.

Switched to Match Game Syndicated after dinner. For some reason, Buzzr leaped way ahead to the first episodes of the syndicated run. Brett, Charles, and Gene are joined by glamorous Eva Gabor, goofy male ingenue Bart Braverman, Fannie Flagg, and ever-nervous Bill Daily. Eva's just happy to get a right answer for a change, while Bill chatters on about his bad answers next to her.

Finished the night with The Wild Wild West. Artemis is determined to get to the bottom of "The Night of the Big Blast" when Jim seemingly explodes and kills government officials. He's more than happy to make a trip to New Orleans and flirt with pretty actress Fay Fortune, despite the disapproval of her formidable mother. Turns out that mad scientist Dr. Faustina (Ida Lupino) is furious with the government for ignoring her remarkably human-like robots and intends to use them to kill President Grant...including one that looks like Artemis...

On the Sunny Side of the Playground

Kicked off the morning with breakfast and She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. "Flowers for She-Ra" takes Glimmer, Adora, and Bow to Plumeria in order to recruit its Princess Perfuma to help revive the Princess Alliance. Trouble is, Perfuma and her people are basically peace-loving, flower-wearing hippies. Not only do they want no part in the fighting, they think She-Ra can solve all their problems. She-Ra may be all-powerful, but Adora is not. She does have a quick mind and enough sense to figure out how to stop the Horde from poisoning their land.

Worked on updating Once Upon a Time In the Land of WENN for the next few hours. The day after the demon attack, Gertie shows Betty a golden sword inlaid with crystal, which once belonged to her mother Nora before she was killed by the Shadow Realm. Nora was the Light Guardian, who could manipulate light waves and sunlight with her magic. The older woman had trained Betty's mother, and now intends to train Betty herself.

Unfortunately, the mind-controlled guards of the Shadow Realm turn up in Pittsburgh Village just two weeks later, banging on the women's door and demanding they give up their magical artifacts. Not only is Betty shocked by their appearance, she's even more on the floor when she realizes that the Black Knight, Sir Johnathan Arnold, is really the supposedly dead King Victor. Victor quickly explains that he was recruited by Brittanica to spy on Pruitt and the Shadow Realm's clandestine activities. Betty is able to use her magic to flee, but Gertie isn't so lucky...

Ran The Stork Club while I worked. I go further into this tuneful vehicle for brash comedienne Betty Hutton as a hat-check girl at the elegant New York nightclub at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog.

The Stork Club

Put on PAW Patrol while eating lunch. Marshall is ready to adopt an adorable gosling who got separated from his mother in "Pup Pup Goose," but he learns how hard it is to care for a little one when the gosling wanders off in Adventure Bay. The pups search try to reunite him with his flock, before they fly south for the winter. Mayor Humdinger makes his debut on the show in "Pup Pup and Away." The pups first have to fix Mayor Goodway's hot air balloon, then get Ryder into the basket after she accidentally take off, so (for the first of many, many times) they can beat Humdinger at his own game.

Headed to the school after the cartoon ended. The school band was still meeting in the gym when we arrived, so they had to crowd the kids into the small library for a half-hour or so. I'm so proud of the trio who sat at the table with me. They played with a car one of the boys brought, and when the head teacher said for them to play The Quiet Game, they did so. They didn't get up and tattle on those who did talk either, like so many of the kids did, and were able to help choose the game they all took part in later on the playground. (I did have to confiscate the toy car briefly to calm them down, though I returned it to its owner after we were in the cafeteria.)

I'm so glad the kids were able to get outside! They all had a ball pretending to be crabs and chasing each other around the playground, and I had a ball watching them. They were so funny. It was a beautiful day, too, sunny and just warm enough, probably in the lower 70's. When we went inside, the remaining kids played with magnetic blocks, and then played Guess the Animal (basically animal charades) until they all went home. 

Made a really quick stop at the CVS on the border of Collingswood and Oaklyn on the way home. I picked up vitamins buy one, get one half-off. Got a drink for the ride home, too.

When I got in, I watched Remember WENN while getting organized. "Scott Sherwood of the FBI" has told his Aunt Agatha (Jan Miner) that he's the head of their organization. He and Betty almost literally jump through hoops to keep Scott's only real family from finding out his deception, at least until an actual agent shows up and seems to think it's all real. 

Had dinner while watching Match Game '76. Tom Poston made his only appearance on the 70's run of the show, and Barbara Shawma her only appearance period this week. Patti Deustch joins in with her unique answers, while Charles Nelson Reilly is just glad the contestants are picking people other than Richard for the Head-to-Head for a change.

Finished the night listening to Sesame Street Gold while working on the Stork Club review. Pretty much all of the most beloved songs recorded for the show before 1977 can be found here, from Ernie's "Rubber Duckie" to "The People In Your Neighborhood" to the kids singing the theme. Some of the songs that aren't as well-remembered today were worth noting, too. My favorite was "I've Got Two," as Big Bird, Oscar, Mr. Hooper, and their neighbors acknowledge that, despite our differences, we all have two eyes, two ears, two arms and legs, and a loving heart. 

Children and Harts

Started off the morning with breakfast and Alice's Wonderland Bakery. Rosa's Abulito is devastated when he loses the salsa dancing contest to one of the card guards. Alice hopes the "Cream Puffs of Champions" will give him a boost. Rosa adds just a little bit more confidence cream cheese than called for...and suddenly, he's dancing right into the tea party the Queen is holding with the winning card guard. Alice, Rosa, and the boys have to get their salsa on and keep him from interrupting their tea. 

After Alice, I took my laundry downstairs and switched to that AI Chat I ran my long WENN fantasy story through last week. I really would like to finish it. I was about half-way through it in the fall of 2015 when all of the hype around The Force Awakens got me back into Star Wars before I could finish. No concern about that now. I think I've very much burnt out on Star Wars and have absolutely no desire to return to that overstuffed franchise at present. 

Switched to Remember WENN after breakfast. Hilary and Jeff are "Strange Bedfellows" when they join opposite sides of the city council race. Scott sets up a debate to let them show off their political interests on the air, but they end up airing their grievances with each other instead. It's the laid-back former baseball player who is also campaigning who reminds them that politics has a lot more to do with civic duty than with formal lunches and pretty speeches.

The WENN staff find themselves in "Close Quarters" when the doctor on Maple's Health and Wellfare show thinks Mr. Foley has a rare disease. Everything starts out well, with a memorable spaghetti dinner and the cast dancing with each other. As the weeks wear on, the cast start to become more than a little fed up with each other and being stuck together, and there's Hilary having to comfort Jeff's nightmares about the bombing in London.

Listened to one of my recent record finds while I wrote down four pages of notes and ideas from the AI Chat and brought my laundry back upstairs. I'm guessing my double studio cast album of the romantic operetta The Desert Song and the operetta-musical hybrid Roberta are from the 1950's, from the cover designs, singers Gordon MacRae and Lucille Norman, and the fact that both saw revivals and remakes then. MacRae doesn't sound much more passionate here than he did in the 1953 Desert Song film, but Norman does get a nice "Romance" and "French Military Marching Song." I wish my favorite song from Roberta, "Let's Begin," hadn't been relegated to a chorus number, but Norman does get to pour her soprano into "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes." 

Headed out after the record ended. Had lunch at Crust N' Cravings at the corner of Collings Avenue and the White Horse Pike. They're a narrow, unassuming pizza place with old wooden tables next to an ancient cooler filled with mismatched soda brands. Looks can be deceiving. The slice of cheese and slice of tomato-basil I had were amazing, with a soft, thick seasoned crust and lots of cheese and sauce. Tried their deliciously custardy tiramisu, too.

Ames Drug Store is a tiny independent pharmacy a block from the White Horse Pike. Though their prices were honestly pretty reasonable for a tiny store, they didn't have much in the way of merchandise. I was hoping to find more sugar-free vitamins, but I just ended up with a nail file and a pack of wipes for my backpack and a roll of Breathsavers. (I haven't seen the roll version in years, maybe decades.)

They're also about four blocks from Thomas Sharp School. As I rode up, I heard tinny horns playing "Hot Cross Buns." Crowds of kids, parents, and teachers watched what I presumed to be the school band hold an outdoor concert on the front steps. I had wondered why I was listed to come in at 2:45 today, instead of 2:30. The music continued even as I led my bike around to the rack near the playground and headed inside.

The kids were a bit antsy from having to sit so long and listen to that concert, but they were otherwise pretty good today. We got to play with rubbery fake food and magnetic building blocks, and this time everyone but two of the boys got to go outside. Good thing, too. It was lovely, windy and cool and sunny. It's not supposed to be this nice later in the week. Might as well get them out now while we can. I got to read two stories to them after we went in, an exciting LEGO comic book about a dedicated cop stopping robbers from stealing a blue diamond (including one who won't stop eating) and a story about Tweety Bird bringing the North Star up to the Little Dipper so it can direct people to where they need to go.

It was such a gorgeous day, I took the long way home across Newton Lake Park. Looks like there's been a lot of work done at the park since the last time I was down at the area across from the Parkview Apartments. New blacktop made the path a lot easier to navigate. I didn't have the time to take a closer look, but they did finally finish building the new playground equipment, too.

Started re-writing when I got home. The wrap-around sequences for Land of WENN are set in the early 4th season, between "And If I Die Before I Sleep" and "Hilary's Agent." Mrs. Viola Doria, whose husband owns Doria's Deli, was impressed with Betty's massive epic "When In Rome" and wants Betty to come up with a similar Tolkien-esque fantasy saga. Betty's more than happy to comply. She's still eager to write something richer and more detailed than sitcoms and soap operas, even after the "Rome" broadcast went off the rails. Scott joins her and speaks warmly with Mrs. Doria, revealing that her husband is an old friend of his. Betty does finally shoo him to his soap opera, but his presence and her frustration with Victor not being there for the meeting intrudes on her writing, making her wonder how she fell for a bad boy con man who isn't so bad and a noble broadcaster whom she might have put on too high of a pedestal before.

(Incidentally, Mrs. Doria and Doria's Deli were named for Doria's Deli on West Clinton and the business that replaced it shortly before I started writing, Viola's Deli. Both are long gone. The Pudding Palace is currently in that location.) 

This leads into the fantasy story. In her story, Betty is Elizabeth, the former writer for Wennaria Castle who now lives in quiet Pittsburgh Village, printing and writing books with her crusty boss and mentor Gertrude Reece. One night, while gathering berries for ink, she's attacked by ugly, dangerous monsters who are after her basket. They're chased off by a man in black who stays in the shadows, but Betty knows his voice and the touch of his hand. After she's inside, Gertie brings the book she was printing to a kindly older man who confirms that Betty was saved by the former Prince Regent Scott, and that Betty has a lot more magic of her own that she'd ever believe.

Watched Hart to Hart while I worked. It's "Operation Murder" when a woozy Jennifer accidentally witnesses a murder while staying in the hospital overnight. No one believes her but Jonathan...and an FBI agent who was also at the hospital. Turns out what Jennifer witnessed was the murder of a gangster who was supposed to be in witness protection. Among those involved are their doctor, who owed the gangster gambling debts. Jonathan and Jennifer get her back in the hospital so they can prove who really did the gangster in.

Put on Match Game '76 while eating dinner. Ironically, it was one of the episodes I saw last night on the Ron Pallio marathon, his second day from his first week. Fannie Flagg and in her last week, Jo Anne Worley also join in here. 

Finished the night at YouTube with some favorite word-related game shows. The undisputed word game champs are Match Game and Password. They're both simple, addictive, fun to play, and in the case of Match Game, absolutely hilarious. They've been revived constantly since their creation in the 60's (Match Game is about to get another revival with Martin Short), but the episodes I have here are probably from their most famous incarnations. 

The 70's-80's Match Game added a larger panel and upped the comedy quotient, turning the questions into epic salacious jokes about Dumb Donald and Old Man Periwinkle. Password Plus from the late 70's-early 80's and Super Password from later in the 80's had contestants guessing five words, then the subject those words revolved around. The episodes seen here are typical versions of all three; Super Password with Bert Convy is especially fun.

Their success was bound to inspire imitations. The original You Don't Say was identical to Password, only contestants had to guess the name of a famous person or phrase instead of a word. Tom Kennedy kept an eye on the proceedings. I have the only remaining color episode here, with Mel Torme and Pat Carroll doing the describing.

The $10,000 Pyramid debuted a few months before the 1973 Match Game and proved to be almost as popular. Here, celebrities describe topics or ideas rather than words. The champ moves on to The Winner's Circle, where they and the celebrity describe 9 different subjects in the shape of pyramid in a certain amount of time. Dick Clark mostly hosted the show through the late 80's and is the host that remains most associated with it. The episode I have here with Sandy Duncan and Ed Asner are among the few remaining from the original 1973 CBS run.

Wheel of Fortune also has its roots in the 70's. Chuck Woolery and Susan Stafford were the original host and hostess from the show's beginnings in 1976 until late 1981. This episode featuring the Armed Forces playing each other is one of the few from the Woolery era to not feature contestants spending their money on prizes between solving phrases.

Boggle: The Interactive Game is one of the three phone-in games Wink Martindale attempted to do with The Family Channel in 1994. Frankly, this is by far the least interesting of the three. Finding words on a phone keypad isn't all that exciting, and the frequent stops so those folks on the phone can play along make this slow-moving. No wonder this didn't last more than four months. 

Word games continue to turn up on TV today. Tug of Words is a recent hit on Game Show Network that has three contestants making a word chain and changing letters to make new words, with the words getting larger with each round. The bonus round has them having to change one of two words in a phrase to make a new phrase as words move on a track. This actually ended up being quite a bit of fun. No wonder it was a two-year hit on Game Show Network. Samantha Harris hosted the episode I have here.

See if you can guess the words before the contestants with these funny and thought-provoking shows!

You Don't Say! (1967)

The $10,000 Pyramid (1973)

Match Game (1977)

Wheel of Fortune (1978)

Password Plus (1980)

Super Password (1986)

Boggle: The Interactive Game (1994)

Tug of Words (2022)

Into the Wind

Began the morning with breakfast and Mufasa: The Lion King. I go further into this prequel on the life of the original King of the Pridelands at my Musical Dreams Movie Reviews blog. 

Animation Celebration Saturday - Mufasa: The Lion King

Rushed off to work before the film even ended. This time, the weather was nice enough despite the strong wind for me to take my bike. Things worked better during the first half of my short shift, when the Sunday morning bagger took over the indoor chores, and I just had to push carts. He left after my break, which meant I now had to sweep as well. It took me forever to clean up an egg that smashed on the floor and got glued on. I practically had to scrape it off. It took me so long, I fell behind with the carts and never did really catch up with them.

Let the wind blow me home after that. Finished Mufasa, then took a shower, had dinner, and finished the night watching tonight's Match Game marathon. Welcome Back Kotter was a year into its four-year run when Ron Palillo first appeared on the show. He was known for playing dorky and enthusiastic Arnold Horshack on the show, and Gene would frequently request for him to do the wheezy hyena-like laugh that was the character's trademark. 

Along with Debralee Scott, Ron was probably the best and most popular of the four "Sweathogs" who appeared on the show. He proved to be a good player, charming, witty, and easily able to dodge Brett's obvious advances. The five weeks he appeared on the show were among some of the most enjoyable of 1976 and 1977.

Probably the most memorable was the week that also featured soap opera star Tudi Wiggins, who frankly looked more like everyone's favorite English teacher than a daytime drama diva. Between Ron's adorable braying and Tudi's dry wit, the show was already pretty wild that week. It culminated in the infamous episode with the sexual answer and a racial comment from Gene to Nipsey Russell (who sat in Charles' seat) that's been banned from the airwaves since it's debut. Jo Ann Worley made her last appearance on the 70's-80's run during his first week, with Fannie Flagg tossing her own quips to Charles and Brett. Elaine Joyce and a crusty Mary Wickes turned up during his final week. 

Say "welcome back" to the sweetest and smartest of the Sweathogs in this wild marathon that will have you falling down with your own wheezy laughter!

Match Game Sunday Classics - Welcome Back Kotter w/Ron Pallilo on Panel

The Man Behind the Games

Got a quick start this morning with breakfast and the black-and-white Mickey Mouse short "Ye Olden Days." Mickey is a minstrel who tries to rescue Princess Minnie from a marriage to Prince Goofy she doesn't want. When he's caught, King Pete orders a jousting contest between them. Resourceful Mickey does everything he can to get past clumsy Goof and win his fair princess.

Since it was still cloudy at that point and getting late, I called Uber. They picked me up within 9 minutes. It started showering as I ducked out and hurried in with a few minutes to spare.

Work was a pain in the rear. We were busy all day. I kept getting called to clean up spills, including a gallon of cheap generic fruit punch someone dropped at the self-checkout line. It went all over, including behind the self-checkout stands. Even a mop couldn't get all of it. Two other puddles in the produce and deli were likely caused by whole watermelon that were sweating and dripping for some reason. I kept getting behind with the carts, and I never did get to the trash.

At least the weather improved. The rain vanished within minutes. By the time I went out to do carts, the sun was out, and it was warm, breezy, and humid. It remained beautiful for the rest of the day. 

I found out at least some of the reasons for the busy day from the afternoon Uber driver, who picked me up in 10 minutes. She was so grateful for picking up someone in South Jersey who just needed a five-minute drive, she practically sobbed with relief! Apparently, there was a ton going on in Philly and Camden this weekend, including a festival at the Italian Market, huge block parties all over town, and graduations for Drexel, Jefferson, and Rutgers. She'd been driving all over the city, dodging horrible traffic. We had a lively, enjoyable conversation all the way back. (And there was no traffic here - it must have all still been in Philly.)

Changed when I got home, then spent the rest of the night eating dinner and watching the Match Game marathon. This one went a different route, featuring the man who created and produced many of the shows I highlight on this blog, Mark Goodson. Goodson and Todman began writing and producing game shows on radio. Their first hit was What's My Line in 1950. We got a rare glimpse of Goodson's partner Todman (who preferred to focus on the business end of things) in a mid-50's Line episode with them as Mystery Guests, and later when Todman was a Mystery Guest on the early 70's syndicated Line and Goodson was a panelist. 

Goodson also joined Arlene Francis and John Charles Daily as the hosts of the special What's My Line at 25, highlighting the best moments of the show's long run on CBS. It mostly focused on the Mystery Guests and some of the better-known or funnier panelists, like Groucho Marx and Ernie Kovacks. We saw Danny Kaye take forever to ask a very long question, Groucho Marx makes cracks about blondes and sex, and how Mystery Guests disguised their voices so well, sometimes, the panelists thought they were the opposite sex or not even human. (And at least one Mystery Guest wasn't. Edgar Bergen came around with Charlie McCarthy.) Incidentally, though some of the episodes highlighted do exist in full, many others were cut to bits for this special and can no longer be found in the Goodson-Todman Archives.

Match Game saw three memorable appearances from Goodson. He briefly replaced Charles Nelson Reilly while he was getting his toupee done on Halloween 1974. A few months earlier, he came out on the turntable with the contestant to give Gene a bag for his needlepoint in honor of how well the show was doing. He also gave a heartfelt speech on the show's success at the end of the 1976 New Year's Eve episode, including a joke question about "Old Man Rayburn" hosting Match Game '99. (Which did not happen. Goodson passed away in 1992. Gene died in November 1999. Michael Berger hosted the notoriously bad 1998-1999 Match Game.) 

Goodson's favorite of all his games was To Tell the Truth. He once sat in for Bud Collyer on the original 50's- 60's run and briefly took over for Alex Trebek in 1991 when his wife was having a baby. He was also on the panel a couple of times. He got to see a parade of beautiful bridal fashions circa 1970 and meet three men dressed in World War I pilot costumes who restored and flew antique Jenny bi-planes.

Usually, Goodson turned up to celebrate a milestone, as in the first episodes of the 19th and 20th seasons of The Price Is Right. He also made a few appearances on the Richard Dawson Family Feud. Richard was delighted to be crowned King of the game show hosts in the late 70's, when the show was at the height of its original success. Goodson also turned up at least once just off-camera, watching the proceedings as Richard chatted with the most adorable little toddler boy. 

Get to know the man behind some of the most beloved game shows of all time in this delightful trip down memory lane!

Game Show Saturday Classics - Mark Goodson Showcase

(Oh, and the marathon ran so long, I ran out of time for musical reviews. Look for Mufasa: The Lion King tomorrow!)