THE LAST OF THE ANDREW SISTERS

                                                                         

                                                                     

The very last of the Andrew Sisters left us yesterday at age 94 of natural causes. The Andrew Sisters, bar none, were perhaps the most famous of all the girl singer groups and the ones who were the fiercest at each other's throat fighting over money instead of continuing the amazing harmony and gift of music that God had given each of them. Patty was the Andrews in the middle, the lead singer and chief clown, whose raucous jitterbugging delighted American servicemen abroad and audiences at home. She could also deliver sentimental ballads like "I'll Be with You in Apple Blossom Time" with a sincerity that caused hardened GIs far from home to weep. From the late 1930s through the 1940s, the Andrews Sisters produced one hit record after another, beginning with "Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen" in 1937 and continuing with "Beat Me Daddy, Eight to the Bar," ''Rum and Coca- Cola"  (written by my dear friend  Morey Amsterdam of "dick Van Dyke" fame) and more. They recorded more than 400 songs and sold over 80 million records, several of them gold (over a million copies) Other sisters, notably the Boswells, had become famous as singing acts, but mostly they huddled before a microphone in close harmony. The Andrews Sisters - LaVerne, Maxene and Patty - added a new dimension. During breaks in their singing, they cavorted about the stage in rhythm to the music.
Their voices combined with perfect synergy. As Patty remarked in 1971: "There were just three girls in the family. LaVerne had a very low voice. Maxene's was kind of high, and I was between. It was like God had given us voices to fit our parts."The Andrews's rise coincided with the advent of swing music, and their style fit perfectly into the new craze. They aimed at reproducing the sound of three harmonizing trumpets."I was listening to Benny Goodman and to all the bands," Patty once remarked. "I was into the feel, so that would go in to my own musical ability. I was into swing. I loved the brass section.Unlike other singing acts, the sisters recorded with popular bands of the '40s, fitting neatly into the styles of Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Bob Crosby, Woody Herman, Guy Lombardo, Desi Arnaz and Russ Morgan. They sang dozens of songs on records with Bing Crosby, including the million-seller "Don't Fence Me In." They also recorded with Dick Haymes, Carmen Miranda, Danny Kaye, Al Jolson, Jimmy Durante and Red Foley. The two sisters Patty and Maxene joined forces in 1974 for the Sherman Brother musical "Over Here", The show wa sa hit but money again raised its  ugly head first with the producers themselves and then Patty's husband wanted a percentage of the show after giving suggestions to songwriters Bob and Dick Sherman, who had accepted and incorporated these suggestions into the show as a genuine show helping gesture. There are no show helping gestures that don't cost us, dear readers.  Today is the 91st birthday of Carol Channing and it would have been Eddie Cantor's who was born in 1892. I loved Eddie Cantor. It would also would have been Mario Lanza's birthday who was born in 1921 and dear Suzanne Pleshette who was born in 1937.
Suzanne of course starred in the last movie that Walt Disney was alive for called "Blackbeard's Ghost." She was the perfect partner for Bob Newhart in the six years of their show together on CBS.

EVEN THE POPE CAN HAVE A BAD DAY!

It seems even the Pope can have a bad day. Pope Benedict the IV was preparing a blessing in remembrance of the Hallocaust  for the Catholic Youth Council releasing a dove of peace out his Papal Window in Rome. This of course was complicated by an angry seagull who attacked the poor defenseless dove. Look how many forms the devil takes these days! The dove was eventually able to escape the attacking sea gull. Apparently, the pope has had trouble with this particular bird for years! In 2012, he flew back into the papal apartment after being released causing the Pope to exclaim "Mama Mia!" The same thing happened the year before and the year before that! Gee, it's a good thing this Pope wasn't Noah-- we'd still be floating on tree trunks! But seing one of the symbolic birds of peace seems to be a new complication. Well, nobody says the devil isn't persistent. If only the Pope had Randy Johnson on his team! What's even funnier that even the pope says "Mama Mia!" Well, at least the sun was out and it was a beautiful day! Ah yes, the old saying is true "Into each life, some rain must fall! Even if the sun is out at the time. Lord only knows that I ave my own battles with "the pitchforked wonder."

GOLDEN HORSESHOE TRIBUTE

                                                                    

The Golden Horseshoe Revue was a classic and beloved daily stage show at Anahiem, California's original Disneyland from 1955 until 1986 when it was cancelled. It still holds the record for the most performed stage show (over ten thousand performances) Disneyland is holding a tribute show in the original theatre of this beloved old show minus of course the late Wally Boaag, the late great Betty Taylor and all the original stars. I got to see the tribute show which was pleasant and all but so scaled down it was simply a glance of the greatness that this show once was. It was indeed Walt Disney's favorite entertainment at the park. While I commend Disneyland for trying, I truly think that they need to bring it back in its full glory, maybe includ ethe Dapper Dans in the show and find an Irish tenor who can render "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" and "Clancy Lowered The Boom."  The tribute show runs Wednesday through Thursday, six times a day including a dinner show at 6:30pm each night for pass holders through February 4th. My friend David Holmes played Sam the Bartender in a later ncarnation of the classic old show. Get there early, however. Make your reaservation when you first get into the park.

WE REMEMBER THE CHALLENGER

                                                                

On this day in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded in the first seventy-three seconds of it's flight. I remember that day very well. I was living in Rowland Heights and I was watching it all on the television in my living room. It was a day of disaster and pain for all Americans.  Millions of television viewers were horrified to witness the live broadcast of the space shuttle Challenger exploding 73 seconds into flight, ending the lives of the seven astronauts on board. And they were equally horrified to learn in the aftermath of the disaster that the faulty design had been chosen by NASA to satisfy powerful politicians who had demanded the mission be launched, even under unsafe conditions. Meanwhile, a major factor in the disaster was that NASA had been ordered to use a weaker sealant for environmental reasons. Finally, NASA consoled itself and the nation with the realization that all frontiers are dangerous and to a certain extent, such a disaster should be accepted as inevitable.

At least, that seems to be how many people remember it, in whole or in part. That’s how the story of the Challenger is often retold, in oral tradition and broadcast news, in public speeches and in private conversations and all around the Internet. But spaceflight historians believe that each element of the opening paragraph is factually untrue or at best extremely dubious. They are myths, undeserving of popular belief and unworthy of being repeated at every anniversary of the disaster.

The flight, and the lost crew members, deserve proper recognition and authentic commemoration. Historians, reporters, and every citizen need to take the time this week to remember what really happened, and especially to make sure their memories are as close as humanly possible to what really did happen.

If that happens, here's the way the mission may be remembered:

1. Few people actually saw the Challenger tragedy unfold live on television.
2. The shuttle did not explode in the common definition of that word.
3. The flight, and the astronauts’ lives, did not end at that point, 73 seconds after launch.
   The capsule went hurtling towards the ocean at two hundred miles an hour at 200 G. They lost consciousness certainly, but they were still alive until the hit the water.
4. The design of the booster, while possessing flaws subject to improvement, was neither especially dangerous if operated properly, nor the result of political interference.
5. Replacement of the original asbestos-bearing putty in the booster seals was unrelated to the failure.
6. There were pressures on the flight schedule, but none of any recognizable political origin.
7. Claims that the disaster was the unavoidable price to be paid for pioneering a new frontier were self-serving rationalizations on the part of those responsible for incompetent engineering management — the disaster should have been avoidable.

We lost much on this day. But we will always remember our friends. I hear also that the Boy Scouts of America may  by next week be ending its ban on gay leaders and gay scouts. Thank God. Equality is finally taking it's turn in our lives.
 

CAN YOU BELIEVE A DISNEY PARK COVERED IN SNOW?

                                                                       

I thought I would share these pictures with all of you because it is most unusual sight. It's two views of a Disney Theme Park covered in snow. This is of course Disneyland Paris which opened almost twenty-one years ago and is really quite a beautiful park. The first picture is Captain Hook's ship which was once a landmark in the Anahiem, California park for many years before the new Fantasyland was built there. The second picture is the King Arthur carousel that is in every Disney park so far. What a beautiful sight Disney in the snow can be and this is certainly no exception. Remember at one point, this poor park was doing so poorly financially, that the Disney folks actually considered closing it down entirely. Thanks to a rich prince who invested heavily into in the late 90's, the park has come into it's own. This really is a very beutiful park. I think Walt would have loved it, very much. The park was pretty mch empty when these shots were taken and very very cold, but the Disney magic kind of made up for that.

A PHANTOM TURNS TWENTY-FIVE

Congratulations are in order on this date. And kudos also to composer Andrew  Lyold Webber, A milestone previously unthinkable in American theatre becomes a reality on Jan. 26 when a Broadway show, The Phantom of the Opera, celebrates its 25th anniversary. A special curtain-call event at the Majestic Theatre will be followed by an after-party at the New York Public Library.

The black-tie and glamorous-garb crowd will include producer Cameron Mackintosh, director Harold Prince original star Sarah Brightman, current stars Hugh Panaro (The Phantom), Sierra Boggess (Christine), Kyle Barisich (Raoul) and Phantom cast alumni from 25 years on Broadway.

Composer Andrew Lloyd Webber, who wrote the international smash with Charles Hart and Richard Stilgoe, drawing on the popular 1911 novel by Gaston Leroux, is not able to attend due to a medical issue.

Harold Prince the director said "Did I ever dream [a 25-year run] would happen? No, of course not. I knew [from staging the London production] we had a hit, but, in the theatre that I was raised in, a long run was 1,000 performances. That was a big, big hit. Then, My Fair Lady ran five years. But [a 25th anniversary] is another world, and I'm happy to have been part of it."

Boggess, who originated the role of Christine in London's Love Never Dies, the sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, joined the Broadway company of Phantom Jan. 21 for a limited engagement. Boggess' history with Phantom began when she originated the role of Christine in the revised Las Vegas production in 2006. She also played Christine for the London production's 25th anniversary, which was marked by a special staging at The Royal Albert Hall in October 2011.

The actress recently starred in Cameron Mackintosh's record-breaking London production of Les Misérables as Fantine. She starred as Broadway's The Little Mermaid and appeared in the Broadway revival of Master Class.

Panaro has a history of playing the Tony Award-winning show's rivals — both The Phantom and Raoul. He was first cast in December 1990 as Raoul, a role he played for more than two years and over 900 performances. In February 1999 he took over the title role, becoming the 10th of 12 men to be cast as The Phantom on Broadway.

To date, Panaro has played The Phantom with the New York Company over 1,800 times in three different engagements, including his most recent return that began in September 2010. Combined, he has performed (as both The Phantom and Raoul) in over 2,800 performances of the Broadway production.

A GREAT BIG ACCIDENTAL DISCOVERY

Think of what you'd wish for if you found Alladan's magic lamp and was able to make just one wish.  Well, back on this date, it was sort of like finding something that was as valuable as that single solitary wish from the all powerful genie. And after the discovery, its doubtful that you would ever in your life need anything else again.

We go back over one hundred years ago, back January 25, 1905, at the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, (Remember that old song "We're Marching to Pretoria?") Well, at any rate at Pretoria, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered during a routine inspection by the mine's superintendent. Now get this: it weighed 1.33 pounds, (Holey Moley!) and it was  christened the "Cullinan,"and good friends and gentle readers, it was the largest diamond ever found. The gem was discovered by a Mister Frederick Wells and he was eigteen feet below the earth's surface, when he spotted a flash of starlight embedded in the wall, just above him.

 

 His discovery was presented that very afternoon to Sir Thomas Cullnan who owned the mine. Sir Thomas  then sold the diamond to the Transvaal provincial government, which presented the stone to Britain's King Edward VII as a birthday gift. Did you get that? A birthday present! Oh my stars! Sir Thomas was worried that the diamond might be stolen in transit from Africa to London, and so the young man who found the diamond, (Edward) arranged to send a phony diamond aboard a steamer ship loaded with detectives as a diversionary tactic. While the decoy slowly made its way from Africa on the ship, the Cullinan was sent to England in a plain box.

 

Edward entrusted the cutting of the Cullinan to Joseph Asscher, head of the Asscher Diamond Company of Amsterdam. Asscher, who had cut the famous Excelsior Diamond, a 971-carat diamond found in 1893, studied the stone for six months before attempting the cut. On his first attempt, the steel blade broke, with no effect on the diamond. On the second attempt, the diamond shattered exactly as planned; Asscher then fainted from nervous exhaustion.

The Cullinan Diamond was later cut into nine large stones and about 100 smaller ones, valued at millions of dollars all told. The largest stone is called the "Star of Africa I," )of which you might have heard of) or "Cullinan I," and at 530 carats, it is the largest-cut fine-quality colorless diamond in the world. The second largest stone, the "Star of Africa II" or "Cullinan II," is 317 carats.

 

Both of these stones, as well as the "Cullinan III," are on display in the Tower of London with Britain's other crown jewels; the Cullinan I is mounted in the British Sovereign's Royal Scepter, while the Cullinan II sits in the Imperial State Crown. Mkes you want to go out and explore something,huh?

 

 

 

REMEMBERING MY HERO< ROBERT SHERMAN

Last Sunday morning, my writing partner and I (John Nugent) went to Hillside Memorial Cemetary for the uncovering of the memorial grave marker for my hero, Robert B. Sherman. Bob, of course was one half of the absolutely amazing Sherman Brothers who wrote countless songs from 1952 to 2012, a sixty year partnership. I don't think I would ever be a songwriter today without the influence of these two amazing men. I don't really think that they ever wrote a bad song together. All of their songs were simple, singable and sincere. They all told a wonderful story. Sometimes they actually made up words to convey an idea! Who can forget "Fortuosity" "Fantasmagorical" and "Friendability." Besides of course that amazing "Supercalifragilistic" word we all know so well. The service was very simple and so lovely. I got to see Bob's son, Robbie for the first time in seventeen years. I met his other brother, Jeff who gave us that fabulous documentary "The Boys" and I got to say hello to Richard Sherman whom I so admire and have for years. Bob Sherman and I had always connected and we made a friendship at our very first meeting at his home way back in November of 1993. The performance of the Sherman song "Mother Earth and Father Time" from Charolette's Web was especially lovely. I will always try to write songs as the Shermans always did. To me, there just isn't any better songwriters. The respect and love that "The Boys" had for Walt Disney was absolutely incredible and Richard continues his respect to this very day by attending all the big Disney events and re-launches of the classic animated films. John Nugent and I were very much in awe of the entire ceremony. I am certainly happy that we got there about forty-five minutes early for it was well attended and there were many other services going on all around it. Believe it or not the song count between myself and John is at nine hundred and eighty-six songs, just fourteen shy of one thousand songs. This is our 6th year of our partnership together. I only wish that my family were more aware of the music I've created with partners over the last thirty-two years.

JANUARY 2013 NEWS

We wait now for some developments to occur. Lainie Kazan is reading our screenplay version of "First Mother" and we have a number of investors lined up who are really into investing into new properties for movies. Meanwhiile we've completed new screenplays of "Amusingly Yours" about a single successful writer about to marry the wrong girl and is saved by his "muse", Maxine. There's also "Professor Chutzpah" about the youngest full time con man who discovers quite suddenly that he has a nine and a half year old son-- and this kid is not only a better con man than his father, he's PT Barnum, four foot eight. We are also putting finishing touches to our musical  "The Wild Swans" which is based on the classic fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. That too some real adapting because the original story was only five pages. Today also marks the 19th anniversary of the Northridge Quake-- boy, do I remembe rthat fateful morning. John Nugent celebrates his 40th birthday on Sunday, February 3rd and we all look forward to that, but more than that will be the big pow wow meeting that will take place in Hollywood, Florida on January 25th with the investors and the creative team that my manager Jimmy Chapel has assembled. This Sunday they will reveal the head stone for Robert B. Sherman in Culver City. John and I are determined to be there to honor our hero's memory. And on January 28thm I will discover if I get any money from my Disney Workman's comp lawsuit. I'll keep you posted.

ANNIVERSARY OF PROHIBITION

Can you imagine that on this date way back in 1919, Prohibition came into effect. Indeed it did. Big mistake. But government tends to do that a lot sometimes. So yes, on January 16th, 1919, ninety-four years ago, The 18th Amendment to the United  States  Constitution, prohibiting the "manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors for beverage purposes," is ratified on this day in 1919 and became" the law of the land."

The movement for the prohibition of alcohol began in the early 19th century, when Americans concerned about the adverse effects of drinking began forming temperance societies. By the late 19th century, these groups had become a powerful political force, campaigning on the state level and calling for total national abstinence. In December 1917, the 18th Amendment, also known as the Prohibition Amendment, was passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.Prohibition took effect in January 1919. Nine months later, Congress passed the Volstead Act, or National Prohibition Act, over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. The Volstead Act provided for the enforcement of prohibition, including the creation of a special unit of the Treasury Department. Despite a vigorous effort by law-enforcement agencies, the Volstead Act failed to prevent the large-scale distribution of alcoholic beverages, and organized crime flourished in America. Good old Al Capone became the best known man in the country.  His life at the end was very sad and he actually embraced religion in his jail cell at Alcatraz.  In 1933, the 21st AmendmentThis is my first blog entry for 2013. And I, for one toasted the new year with great fan fare and tears. 2013 just has to be a better year than 2012.  We have a really hard working manager by the name of Jimmy Chapel who is really working so hard for my writing partner, John Nugent and myself.  We have at this moment twenty sit com pilots and twelve screenplays ready for sale this year. One thing about retirement, it really alows you to write. I invite my readers to visit Jimmy Chapel's web site at www.jimmychapelmanagement.com  It shows all of our many projects we are currently developing.  This is also my seventh year keeping a blog. It's been very interesting all of these many years. So take up your glass of wine and toast to a bad idea eventually repealed.

 

 

Another Christmas Day in my life. In my new apartment in Sun Valley. My 65th Christmas Day. It was another challenging year with my partner and I facing an eviction (and not for lack of rent) by a greedy landlord and the complete loss of a computer. But once agin, my Lord and my God came through for not only my partner John and I, but for John Nugent, my writing partner who lives with us these days. We were forced to find another apartment, but that apartment is larger, quieter and free of bugs and other pests like spiders. We now live in Sun Valley which is very close to Burbank. Christmas had to be without visiting family this year, but I'm hoping that little problem called relliable long didtance transportation will be solved by next Christmas. We have a great landlord and some really nice neighbors and the nosey days of Fulton Avenue in Van Nuys are finally over. I will miss friends we made there, but life goes on and new adventures await. I've been writing like absolute crazy this year completing about seven screenplays, seven or eight television pilots and even a new musical. God looks after me in ways I can not describe. He may "draw straight with crooked lines", my friends, but he still has the best solutions and answers to every problem that I put before Him. So this is a quieter Christmas without family (and I will miss that a lot) but I am aiming that 2013 will be the great year of success for my writing partner and me. I want to thank all of my friends like Kevin and Judy Eagan and Tim Doran and I finally connected with Jaimie Silos, my old room mate from my living in Hacienda Heights days ,this year after absolute years of not hearing from him. I called all of my sisters and spent some valuable telephone time, but I will aim for the real thing with them by next Christmas. Jimmy Chapel has some exciting new marketing opportunities and I'm placing all my hopes on God's Mercy. Happy Birthday to my Saviour and King. He is the absolute center of my life.

 

A NEW HOME

After thirteen long years, my domestic partner and I have left our old apartment at 6717 Fulton Avenue in Van Nuys, and found a much quieter, brighter and bigger place in Sun Valley, right next to Burbank. Gone is the noise from all the ambulences, police cars and fire trucks that used to race down Fulton Avenue at all times of the day or night. The morning traffic on this street is absolutely and incredibly bad. The street is in horrible disrepair left over from the earthquake that ravaged the area way back in 1994. Turning left r right onto Victory Blvd was another nightmare. Every kind of accident you could name took pace there. We will miss our garden, but the money we used to spend to maintain it will actually make up te difference we are paying in rent. So we hope and will now spend the holidays without the expense of keeping up with what the cheap landlord, Richard Roberts never took care of. Oh well, as my father used to say "Some guys pinch a penny so hard, Lincoln not only screams, he storms off the coin-- and you shouldn't piss off a guy like Abraham Lincoln." The landlords here are absolutely wonderful. They keep their promises! What a refreshing thing to have happen! So the holidays will be different, but so much better this year. Farewell fulton Avenue forever! I sure hope somebody in the city decides to re-pave your cracked and hole filled roadway. I now can do some amazing writing with all the peace and quiet of this wonderful new place.  Thank you, God!

AFTER THIRTEEN YEARS

Sometimes you stay in one place for so damn long that it fails to make sense any more. My domestic partner and I have lived in one apartment in Van Nuys, California for thirteen long years or the entire length of our relationship together. Sometime your hand is forced and this time it was simply a greedy landlord. This guy would make Scrooge look like Mary Poppins. But as they say "what goes around, comes around. So on Monday, November 5th, we move lock, stock, barrel and cats to Sun Valley about four and a half miles away. It's a bigger apartment, but without our beloved patio and garden, but at least we will save loads of money by not having to invest in plants, barbecues, garden tools and solar lighting. The amazing amount of money that we spent her on Roses and plants was astronomical. Our cheap landlord (who has a barber shop on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles) is bar none the very cheapest man in the entire world. He didn't even provide a hose for his property. He never kept the place swept up or weeded. We did it all! Oh well, farewell, Richard Roberts. It wasn't nice knowing you. Good luck to whoever he suckers into this place. We threw out so much stuff. It's absolutly amazing as to what you gather in thirteen long years. The kitchen stuff we divested ourselves from was amazing. We look forward to the move though it was hard giving up our garden. Farewell Fulton Avenue, we will NOT miss you. What a crazy street!

EVICTION ATTEMPT

So my landlord wants to evict us over us not cleaning our apartment to his specifications when we rented from him thirteen years ago this one bedroom apartment here in Van Nuys, California was sub standard, uninhabitable and lacked basic amenities like a fresh paint job and a shampooed rug. And we will go to court on October 18th of this year to duke it out. This is all a silly argument and all due to retailiation by him because we challenged his ilegal rent increase, He was embarassed and didnt like losing. We countered by calling the Health Department when we discovered a small gas leak from a non working furnace had been infiltrating our apartment's air for four and a half years. We are confident and with God's help we will win. Of course, the Health Department has made him fix everything finally in two apartments out of four. But some people learn lessons only the hard way. Too bad for him. We have A GREAT lawyer. So on we go and hopefully we will win! sometimes yu jus have to battle for your principles.

MY 65th BIRTHDAY

 

 

Amazing! Today I turn sixty-five years old. I am an official senior citizen. I am more creative today than I have ever been in my life.  My health is still okay with some obvious limitations, but maybe with Medicare, I'll be able to correct some of these problems. At least my diabetes as of this writing is in good control. I still have my ultimate trust in God who remains the center of my life and "The King of my Heart." I have a creative partner in John Nugent who is bar none of the most spectacular gifts from the Lord I could ever hope for. My longtime partner John Long I love dearly. I face a problem that bothers me greatly but I will trust in the Lord one thousand percent and put everything in His hands. He has always been there for me and I am confident, He will be there again and again. I am also grateful for my talent manager, Jimmy Chapel who is an absolutely amazing friend and one hell of a wonderful singer. Tonight we have a party and I'm hoping that everyone invited will show up. I am grateful today to my incredible parents who gave us four kids absolutely everything. I now have outlived them BOTH.  My aunts and uncles were amazing and my cousins continue to be a wonderful support. Thank you, Bonita and Susan and Randy Parole. Life is a challenge, but with God's grace, everything will be good soon. Sometimes the Lord needs to shake your tree to get your attention. He may add a little thunder and lightning, but He is also there with his rainbow and sunshine. Praise be to God!  My ultimate salvation! I have good friends and people who love me and that is not half-bad. It's all good. I guess I should recall the words of George Burns who once said "Getting old is mind over matter. If you really don't mind, it really doesn't matter." 

FACING A VERY LARGE CHALLENGE

 

The above is a "letter from hell" that supposidly was received by English authorities by Jack The Ripper. I received almost a doomsday letter in the last month from my landlord of thirteen years. My partner and I had moved into our apartment thirteen years ago after I lived with our present landlord for over two years in his own house. This apartment became available and I happily went to inspect it. Unfortunatly, I found that the weeds on the property were overrun, there was plumbing problems, holes in the plaster and the unit had cockroaches. I reported this back to my slash roommamte/landlord and was told "Take It Or Leave It." Now since I needed an apartment very soon to accomodate my new domestic partner, I took it hoping that my relationship with the landlord would "convince him" that he had certain duties as a landlord. Boy was I wrong. When you're cheap, my friends, your cheap. My dad used to say that "some guys pinch a penny so hard, Lincoln not only screams, he storms off the coin--and you shouldn't piss off a guy like Abraham Lincoln." For seven long years nothing was done by the landlord to remedy the cockroach problem. I also moved into a apartment that was not painted, the rug was shabby, and there were all the above mentioned problems. Fast foward to 2006 and finally some attention was made to the problem, but not on a regular basis and the roaches by that time had simply taken over everything. Their little trail of poop was everywhere: on the walls, on the kitchen cupboards, and in the bathroom.  My partner and I had maid service from 2006-2008 atwhich time I lost my job becoming disabled and had to let te maid go. Fast foward to 2011-2012 and the same landlord must have found a conscience in a vending machine because then he started spraying regularly. Preparing for one of these "events" is tarumatic to be sure for one must empty all kitchen and bathroom cupboards and load them into your living room. In June of 2012, the Dewey Pest Control guys and the landlord decided that they needed "an official scapegoat".  Now they couldn't go after the "Section Eight" tenant, so that left my domestic partner and I and the poor slob in Apartment #3-- who didn't even own a vacuum cleaner. My partner and I had given up hope. We stayed because the rent was rent controled and relatively cheap. The landlord's note on July 23 wanted us to clean up our act and that he would help us by working with us and suppyling cleaning supplies. X nay on the help and supplies and another spraying was scheduled for August 30th. We hired a professional cleaner to the tune of $120.00 on August 28th. He scrubbed the kitchen and bathroom for four hours. The landlord secretly took pictures without our permission and on the Tuesday after Labor Day", we received a three day notice to clean and perform covenants or quit--the letter from hell. Within the the three days on Thursday, we hired another professional cleaning team of two women for $180.00 and  we paid our september rent and in the same enclosure by certified mail with return receipt we informed the landlord that we intended to perform the cleaning within the time limit. The three day notice had specified that the landlord did not intend to evict if we had cleaned. That turned out to be a lie and we received a lawsuit on the following Tuesday evening. The landlord was supposed to install a carbon monoxide filter. That was an agenda item because he returned our rent check and said he wanted us out. He then proceeded to the kitchen where he took dirt out of his pocket, threw it on the floor and took the ironing board (which we never use these days) and other items to make our kitchen look dirty. He then whipped out his camera to take pictures of "the mess' and we immediately challenged him and ordered him to leave the apartment-- it was still ours. By Wednesday, there was a gas smell in my living room and we called the Gas Company. We had a heater that had not operted in four and a half years and had been silently and steadily emitting a leak ever since. Thank God no one was permitted to smoke in our apartment and we didn't light matches. We then called the Health Department who discovered the roaches and all manner of other violations and he wrote the landlord up. Amazingly, the landlord did a 180 and informed us he was going to "fix everything" but was proceeding with the eviction or unlawful detainer. The court filing fee was over two hundred dollars, I myself being spared the same fee because I'm on Social Security. This last month has been an absolute nightmare. The lesson we learned: call the health department and the housing authority way early. Don't delay. Every apartment in California has an implied warranty that it is 100% totally habitable-- free from roaches, black widow spiders, rotting floors etc. Don't let this happen to you. The landlord can not punish you for calling the Health Department.

 

OUR MUSIC HEARD ALL OVER THE WORLD

WELL  HERE IS SOMETHING....

My writing partner (John Nugent) have been writing together now for five years. He officially arrived in Southern California in 2007 on Labor Day Weekend.  And we've been writing like crazy together all of these many years. We started with a musical spoof called "SEVENLY" and then went on to write Twenty-one more creating an incredible catalog of songs together.

Now we've joined Sound Cloud and we have the results from three months on the site.

The United States ...............  156 listeners
United Kingdom.................     21 listeners
Brazil..................................     20 listeners
Germany.............................     19 listeners
Sweden...............................      15 listeners
Switzerland & Canada..........     9 listeners each
Austrailia....................................8 listeners
France & Ireland........................7 listeners each

Plus we have Japan at 6, Belgium and Hungary at 4 each as well as
Spain, The Russian Federation, Italy, Austria, Turkey. Israel and Egypt.  A total of forty countries around the world. John and I are very proud of those stattistics.  Four our fans our website is www.showbusinewssmusicals.com and on Soundcloud by putting my name (Michael Ricciardi) into the browser.

We thank all of our fans and we appreciate your loyality.

NOW I'M A SENIOR CITIZEN, GOOD LORD!

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So now I am a senior citizen because I have just signed up for dear old Medicare in anticipation of my 65th birthday on September 24th of this year!
Well, there's a comfort. And because I also signed up for what they "Secure Horizons" I pay only $99.70 a month out of my Social Security Check for absolutely the most amazing medical coverage ever. That's one hundred percent of everything except for an ambulance ( I pay $200 out of $1500.00) and any visit to an urgent care when I'm not admitted to a hospital and that cost is only $65.00. Pretty damn cheap. No deductibles. No co-pays even for a specialist. It makes me feel pretty secure. The coverage actually starts on September 1st and I don't pay for it until September 24th-- not bad. This is my sixth year in writing a blog and I really keep busy writing musicals. Finally I have the space  and the time to write and with an important meeting coming with Lanie Kazan, I just may have a new career in television writing. I remember what my dear friend Morey Amsterdam used to say "Growing old is mind over matter. If you really don't mind, it really doesn't matter."  It's also nice having holidays like Memorial Day off again. When I was working in camera retail, I almost never got these holidays off-- so it's nice. And today is a most beautiful day here in Southern California, so I shall be enjoying it with a cold soda (and maybe a beer) with a BBQ today. i really love cooking out and now that I've discovered a great retail outlet like "Fresh And Easy" I find prices really reasonable and especially BBQ packs of chicken, hamburgers and ribs. My thoughts and prayers with all service men and women today. Thank you for giving us Americans a truly wonderful gift and loyalty. We love you for it!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHEMP HOWARD

Not every classically funny performer is as well known as others. One of the best comedians in that category was dear Shemp Howard, brother of Moe of the incredible Three Stooges. I loved the Three Stooges when I was a kid. Not as much as Laurel and Hardy of course, but those guys were in a different league. Shemp resisted becoming one of the trio until dear Curly had a totally debilitating stroke. From 1939 onwards, Shemp appeared frequently in Columbia's two-reel comedies, co-starring with Columbia regulars Andy Clyde, The Glove Slingers, El Brendel, and Tom Kennedy. Dear Shemp was given his own starring series in 1944; he was working for Columbia in this capacity when his brother Curly was felled by a debilitating stroke on May 6, 1946. Shemp reluctantly replaced Curly in Columbia's popular Stooge shorts, knowing that Moe and Larry would be out of work if he refused. Initially, Shemp rejoined the Stooges on a temporary basis until poor Curly recovered, but as Curly's condition worsened, it became apparent that Shemp's association with the Stooges would be permanent. (Prior to replacing Curly on film, Shemp had substituted for his brother in some personal appearances in the early 1940s.) Shemp's take as the third Stooge was much different from Curly's. While he could still roll with the punches as the recipient of Moe's slapstick abuse, he was more of a laid-back dimwit versus Curly's energetic man-child persona. And unlike Curly, who had many distinct mannerisms, Shemp's most notable characteristic as a Stooge was a high-pitched "bee-bee-bee-bee-bee-bee!" sound, a sort of soft screech done by inhaling. This was rather multi-purpose, as Shemp uttered this sound when scared, sleeping (done as a form of snoring), overtly happy, or dazed. Shemp appeared with Moe and Larry in 73 short subjects and the feature film Gold Raiders. He also suffered a mild stroke in November 1952, though he recovered from it within weeks and without noticeable effect on his remaining films with the Stooges (largely remakes of earlier films that recycled footage to reduce costs). In September 1925, Shemp (age 30) married Gertrude Frank (age 28), a fellow New Yorker. They had one child, Morton (1926–1972). (U.S. Representative Barney Frank is the son of Gertrude's cousin, Sam Frank. Shemp used his somewhat homely appearance for comic effect, often mugging grotesquely or allowing his hair to fall in disarray. He even played along with a publicity stunt that named him "The Ugliest Man in Hollywood." ("I'm hideous," he explained to reporters.) Notoriously phobic, his fears included airplanes, automobiles, dogs and water. According to Moe's autobiography, Shemp was involved in a driving accident as a teenager and thus never obtained a driver's license. On November 22, 1955, while returning home by taxicab from attending a boxing match (one of Shemp's favorite pastimes), Shemp died of a heart attack. He was sixty years old. Shemp was lighting a cigar after telling a joke when he suddenly slumped over on his friend Al Winston's lap. Moe Howard's autobiography states that Shemp died on November 23, 1955 and most subsequent accounts point to that date because of Moe's book. But much of dear Moe's book was finished posthumously by his daughter and son-in-law Don Lamont and some specific details were confused as a result. The Los Angeles county coroner death certificate states that Shemp Howard died on Tuesday November 22, 1955 at 11:35 PST; confirming that, Shemp's obituary appeared in the November 23 afternoon editions of L.A. newspapers, establishing the night of November 22 as the date of death. He was entombed at Home of Peace Cemetery in East Los Angeles, the same place his brother Curly was buried. Dear Shemp, remembering you this day. Thanks for the laughter. We loved it and we loved you!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JERRY LEWIS

Today is the 86th birthday of comedy legend Jerry Lewis. He was born on this day before Saint Patrick's Day in 1926. What an amazing talent and generous heart Jerry Lewis has always been. What he has done for Muscular Dystrophy alone over the years is absolutely staggering. Jerry Lewis initially gained fame with singer Dean Martin, who served as straight man to Lewis's zany antics in the Martin and Lewis comedy team. They distinguished themselves from the majority of comedy acts of the 1940s by relying on the interaction of the two comics instead of planned skits. In the late 1940s, they quickly rose to national prominence, first with their popular nightclub act, next as stars of their own radio program. Within a year of their first act together, they went from earning 150-175 dollars a week each at one club to $30,000.00 a week as a team at The Copacabana.They then made appearances on early live television, debuting first on the June 20, 1948 debut broadcast of Toast of the Town with Ed Sullivan on the CBS TV Network (later the Ed Sullivan Show), followed on October 3, 1948 by an appearance on the NBC TV series Welcome Aboard then as the first of a series of hosts of The Colgate Comedy Hour in 1950. They began their Paramount film careers in 1949 as ensemble players in My Friend Irma, based on the popular radio series of the same name. This was followed by a sequel in 1950, My Friend Irma Goes West Starting with At War with the Army (1950), Martin and Lewis were the stars of their own vehicles, in fourteen additional titles at Paramount. Final was Hollywood or Bust (1956). All sixteen were produced by Hal Wallis.
However, as Martin's roles in their films became less important, the partnership became strained. Martin's diminished participation became an embarrassment in 1954, when Look magazine used a publicity photo of the team for the magazine cover, but cropped Martin out of the photo. The partnership finally ended on July 24, 1956. Attesting the team's popularity, DC Comics published the best-selling The Adventures of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis comic books from 1952 to 1957. The series continued a year after the team broke up as DC Comics then featured Lewis solo, until 1971, in The Adventures of Jerry Lewis comic books. In this latter series, Lewis was sometimes featured with Superman, Batman, and various other DC Comics heroes and villains. It inspired the Filmation cartoons production company to make, in 1970, a series called Will the Real Jerry Lewis Please Sit Down, with Jerry as the one character inspired by reality, beside other fictitious characters, including Jerry's fictitious relatives. Both Martin and Lewis went on to successful solo careers, but for years neither would comment on the split, nor consider a reunion. They made at least a couple of public appearances together between the breakup and 1961, but then were not seen together in public until a surprise appearance by Martin on Lewis's Labor Day Muscular Dystrophy Telethon in 1976, arranged by Frank Sinatra. The pair eventually reconciled in the late 1980s after the death of Martin's son, Dean Paul Martin. The two men were seen together on stage in Las Vegas when Lewis pushed out Dean's birthday cake and sang "Happy Birthday" to him. In Lewis's 2005 book Dean and Me (A Love Story), Lewis wrote of his kinship with Martin, who died in 1995. After the split from Martin, Lewis remained at Paramount and became a major comedy star with his first film as a solo comic, The Delicate Delinquent (1957). Teaming with director Frank Tashlin, whose background as a Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon director suited Lewis's brand of humor, he starred in five more films, and even appeared uncredited as Itchy McRabbitt in Li'l Abner (1959).Lewis tried his hand at releasing an album in the 1950s, having a chart hit with the song "Rock-a-Bye Your Baby with a Dixie Melody" (a song largely associated with Al Jolson and later re-popularized by Judy Garland) as well as the song, "It All Depends on You" in 1958. He eventually released his own album titled, Jerry Lewis Just Sings. By the end of his contract with producer Hal B. Wallis, Lewis had several productions of his own under his belt. His first three efforts, The Delicate Delinquent (1957), Rock-A-Bye Baby (1958) and The Geisha Boy (1958), were all efforts to move away from Wallis, who Lewis felt was hindering his comedy. In 1960, Lewis finished his contract with Wallis with Visit to a Small Planet (1960), and wrapped up work on his own production, Cinderfella Cinderfella was postponed for a Christmas 1960 release, and Paramount, needing a quickie feature film for its summer 1960 schedule, held Lewis to his contract to produce one. Lewis came up with The Bellboy. Using the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami as his setting—and on a small budget, with a very tight shooting schedule, and no script—Lewis shot the film by day and performed at the hotel in the evenings. Bill Richmond collaborated with him on the many sight gags. In a 2005 interview, Lewis revealed that Paramount were not happy financing a 'silent movie' and withdrew backing. Lewis used his own funds to cover the $950,000 budget. During production Lewis developed the technique of using video cameras and multiple closed circuit monitors, which allowed him to review his performance instantly. His techniques and methods, documented in his book and his USC class, enabled him to complete most of his films on time and under budget. Happy Birthday, sir comic genius! You're amazing