Joey in Coney Island

My memories of growing up in New York City are wonderful and I will never forget it. One event I remember quite clearly is our yearly trips to Coney Island. I can still see the fat laughing lady, the tarot card woman who told you all the ominous things looming in your life, and I can clearly see the exquisitely designed horses on the big carousel. I can see my dad propping up this little skinny kid on top of the big horse and holding me as it turned round and round. My dad just laughed and laughed as I basked in that glorious moment.  I remember the guy waiting by the subway selling all kinds of cheap toys to the kids heading back home. My favorite toy?  The puppet monkey that played the drums! You’d think I won the lottery when my dad bought me one after a long day of rides, hot dogs & cotton candy. When I watched “The Little Fugitive,” 1951 this past week, it all came back to me.  I remember growing up in New York City and what we kids did in the streets, stick ball, basketball, Johnny on the Pony, and we even made up our own games. It was living; we were all urchins oblivious of the hardships of our adult neighbors. We were just kids, and going to Coney Island was an event, an event you’d never forget.

“The Little Fugitive,” done in almost documentary style is a touching, and funny movie.  The storyline is of a little boy named Joey played by (Richie Andrusco) who runs away to Coney Island after thinking he’s accidently killed his older brother Lennie (Richard Brewster).  Joey & Lennie’s mom is a widow trying to make it in a post war New York City.  You can tell she was a multi-tasking mom and because of this, she has Lennie, who appears to be about 12  take care of his 5- year- old brother.  When I think about that, I say “Wow.” Sorry, but 12-year-old boys like this are few and far between today.  It’s Lennie’s birthday and he plans to hang with his buddies in Coney Island, mom however, has to leave town to see a sick relative. Imagine a 12-year-old is left home alone to care for his little brother for a couple of days.  Joey has totally screwed up everything for Lennie. Lennie is pissed, but has no choice. He has to tag along with Joey.  Lennie & his posse decide to play a horrible trick on poor little Joey.  Joey is fascinated with cowboys, in fact, he wants to grow up and be one.  The posse knows this, they take little Joey to what looks like some abandoned lot. You can see the surrounding tall buildings as if standing tall and scolding the posse as they plotted the cruel game.  They give Joey a rifle and teach him how to shoot. They make him take aim at his brother and shoot. His brother falls and pretends to have been really shot, ketch-up splatters and all. This is such a sad scene. Joey really thinks he killed his brother, and the posse tells him to run before the cops catch him. “You’ll fry,” one yells out.  What happens next is magic, just magic for little Joey.

Joey the Cowboy

It’s too bad kids today wouldn’t give this movie the time of day.  It’s a shame because many would see themselves more so in the character of Joey and Lennie than they do in the trash heap of kid movies today.  The best thing for me about this movie is the realness of the people, and places. The camera shots of the beach in Coney Island are unforgettable and real. The sights and sounds of Coney Island are so real that you can smell the salted air, & taste the Nathan Hot dogs. Joey’s subway ride reminded me of my rides on the subway when I was wee thing.  I loved the scene when Joey is eating his yummy hot dog on the beach. He was in heaven, and the camera captured Joey’s hot dog eating ecstasy.  This is more than a film; it’s a time capsule of a bygone era. It was an era when kids took on heavy duty responsibilities and did what they had to do for the greater good of the family. A time when kids played outside to let out some steam and were just kids; a time when our neighbors watched out for kids and reprimanded the kids when needed.  A time when yes, there was danger all around, but for the most part, kids didn’t fear abduction or worse.  A forgotten time, caught on film and never to be seen again, I’m afraid. You can catch this gem on Netflix streaming.

My husband just can’t figure me out, each and every time he wants to watch a movie on our large screen TV,  I choose to stay upstairs in our bedroom with my 32’ inch TV to watch “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” or “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour.” Ok, so why do I do this? I am totally fascinated with how Hitchcock can take a half hour or hour show and keep an audience captive.  These anthology shows were, as I put it, wonderfully done! The shows deal with the dark side of humans. You know, the little bad guy in the red suit in your head, having the battle with the angel on your shoulder.  Infidelity, jealously, greed, & murder, it doesn’t get better than that. I guess I love these the most because this is how I was introduced to Hitch. I remember as a little girl seeing the reruns of this show. Everything would stop at our house because Hitch was on.

Ok so why am I such a fanatic about Hitch’s anthology series, firstly, they have intelligent plots, witty dialogue and a mouthful of murder. I once heard that Hitch himself was quite interested in the criminal mind. In fact, he based a lot of his movies on real life cases, such as “The Lodger,” (1926) loosely based on Jack the Ripper.  Another notorious English murder case he closely followed was the Hawley Harvey Crippen case in the early 1900’s. This was a case of a mild mannered doctor who was accused of murdering his wife, and buried her remains in the coal cellar. He then fled London to America with his lover. The lovers were then caught, and the new technology of wireless telegraphy was credited for their capture.  Many plots in “….Presents,” are precisely about this. I’ve seen at least 3 episodes of a husband burying his wife in some dark, clammy cellar. Was Hitch implying that murder begins at home? Humm…

The little fat master of suspense, with the British accent, himself introduces the weekly macabre stories, which 99% of the times, some type of murder occurs. I gotta tell ya, I am surprised at times at the grizzly detail on some of the stories, not so much for us today, but way ahead of its day. This wasn’t your typical TV show in the 1950’s. The best part for me is the guest stars. He had top-notch actors, like Jessica Tandy, Hume Cronyn, Rip Torn, Vic Morrow, and many more. The writers and directors for the series were also top-notch.  Hitch directed a few of the episodes himself.  Hitch took these shows to a whole new level with his funny and at times somber introductions. He uses props to illustrate the story, cracks jokes, and makes sure he takes breaks for his sponsors.  Here we get a glimpse of what it was to watch TV in the 1950’s.

1950’s TV land for all intents and purposes was quite boring. Not to say that shows like “I Love Lucy,” “Gun Smoke,” & “The Honeymooners,” weren’t good or had their funny & interesting moments. But these shows were quite predictable and unadventurous. Along comes this unconventional little fat guy with a British accent and changes conventional TV. Where most shows of the day had to have the guilty pay for their sin on screen at the end, Hitch didn’t. We see a lot of shows end with the culprit getting away with it. Later of course, Hitch informs us differently. Which is one of the things my husband does not like about the show. But in 1950’s TV land no crime could go unpunished, so Hitch assures the audience at the end, that the criminal got theirs. They were caught and sent to “the joint,” this done of course, to keep the censors at bay. Quite a clever way of doing it.

Hitch with one of his props for the show....

A couple of the shows dealt with social issues which still resonate today, one on child abuse, another on alcoholism. And on both these shows Hitch ends with a somber message and hoping that show helped someone. I have a few favorite shows from the series, like any other series, some episodes were better than others, but only rarely does one really disappoint.

I guess I consider myself an anthology fanatic in general. But Alfred Hitchcock Presents is my favorite, and the best, next to The Twilight Zone, in my humble opinion. The sets and sounds on the show make you feel like you are riding a time travel machine and looking out at a bygone era. And this fashion slave cannot get over the 1950’s fashion in the show, beyond beautiful and feminine! Even today in our hi-tech, supercharged, uncensored era, this series continues to entertain young and old alike. That says something about Hitch. Although the shows were not produced by Hitchcock, it mirrored his movie making personality. Evidently the Hitchcock brand carried weight and the producers made sure every episode reflected that.

I for one am glad this little fat dude with a British accent did something that many heavy-weights of his day didn’t dare do. He risked his reputation and stepped into our living rooms each week with dark, jaw-dropping stories. Many I’m sure, of his nose-in-air peers, sneered, but who is having the last laugh now? Hitch we proved them wrong! Your shows are still awesome, entertaining, and we are so glad you took the chance!

You can order seasons 1-4 on Amazon Hulu streams them for free, and one season is being streamed on Netflix.

Ann Todd, & Ray Milland as Olivia & Mark

I managed to see a sleeper a few days ago, “So Evil My Love,” (1948); it was one of those rare times I was actually able to sit down and watch a movie without interruptions. So glad I got to see this one, it’s available on DVD, but Amazon just has two available as of this writing. It’s a story of a missionary widow (Ann Todd) who falls for a con-man (Ray Milland) who turns the pious woman into a cold blooded murderer.  The story opens with the missionary, Olivia Harwood on a ship one stormy night headed to England. Olivia had been serving in the West Indies along with her husband who passed away while serving.  Aboard the ship are a few suffering from Malaria and Olivia is recruited to help with the infirmed in the lower deck. It is there she meets the suave and handsome Mark Ellis (Milland). Mark isn’t very open about his past, vague in fact, but that does not stop Olivia from becoming friendly with him. He manages to persuade her to let him live in a lodging home she inherited from her husband.  Mark is a worldly man, he’s been around, and done some things. His criminal past has taught him many things. He sees Olivia as easy prey.  She’s simple, plain, shy, & in much need of a man’s love and he knows just what to do to seduce her. He uses his charm, tells her all the pretty things she needs to hear and finally has her under his spell.  But the cad does not stop at that, he also uses his charm on the worldlier, and well, trashy Kitty (Moira Lister). But Olivia thinks Mark just loves her and no one else. Why are some women so damn gullible?

Mark gets in touch with a partner in crime and they plan a daring art heist. The heist fails, and Mark narrowly escapes death. You kinda wish he hadn’t  :/ .  Desperate, he plans to leave London in search of money.  But Olivia will not have it and is willing to keep her man no matter what. At this moment you see Olivia compromising all for the sake of a man. She decides to eat humble pie and borrow money from a wealthy friend she had not seen for a long time. She gets in touch with her wealthy friend, Susan (Geraldine Fitzgerald) who is now having problems in her marriage, & is on a verge of mental breakdown. Susan had at one time, in confidence, written some letters to Olivia containing descriptions of her romantic dalliances and questionable moral conduct. Unfortunately for Susan, Olivia kept those letters, and Mark will use them to blackmail her.  At first Olivia is sickened about the plan of blackmailing her one friend. But when threatened with abandonment, she acquiesces. It is here we see the “Jekyll & Hyde,” effect. The wholesome, pious woman becomes dark, calculating, and cold…and all for a man.

Olivia in the "Jekyll & Hyde" effect

Olivia sets the blackmail wheels in motion in Susan’s home. With each passing victory, she becomes “confident,” and feels powerful for the first time in her life. She tells Mark how exciting it all felt to have power over others. She enjoyed every moment of it. No remorse, regret, or turning back. But what she does not know is that Susan’s husband, Henry, (Raymond Huntley) is many steps ahead of her game.  Mark is glad that Olivia has become like she has, the plan is better than he thought. Olivia eventually realizes that Mark is not who he says he is, and she means nothing to him; she is however, Mark’s useful idiot. Mark will pay the ultimate price and will learn that he taught his student well…too well.

I loved this movie! The film set in the Victorian era and shot in film noir style is a thriller, and has a jaw dropping ending that will stay with you for a good while. The story loosely based on a true story, is dark and captivating. Ann Todd as the missionary turned blackmailer, and murderer is convincing, and spine tingling! Watching Milland play a cad, stop-at-nothing, greedy, wannabe artist, & thief was a little hard for me. I’ve seen Milland play more romantic type roles, but he was able to turn that switch off for a while in this role and very effectively.  Fitzgerald as the frail, deer-in-headlights, stifled wife was a typical role for Fitzgerald. She captured the tortured life of a woman who turned to alcohol to drown out her “poor, little rich girl” existence. A must see!

Elizabeth Taylor (1932 – 2011)

The very first time I saw Elizabeth Taylor I was a little girl, I can’t remember what movie I was watching, but I remember thinking, how beautiful she was. She had these tantalizing eyes that left every man breathless. Her style and fashion sense was every woman’s envy.  My favorite movies with Liz are “Giants” (1956) where Liz plays a wife of a Texas tycoon, who is treated as an outsider in the royal family. She plays a very strong, independent woman, who refuses to conform to the folk ways of Texas. That’s probably why I love her role in this movie.  I absolutely loved her in “Butterfield 8,” Liz plays a tormented woman, who is a model/call girl. She drinks a lot, hops from bed to bed, and lavishes in using men to then dump them.  I heard it once said, she hated this movie, and she thought it was trash.However, she played the trashy woman so well, it won her an Oscar.  The movie is a little campy, but a riveting story of woman gone bad and in disparate need of love and compassion.  And Liz played the role to the hilt.

I can’t say I am a major fan of Liz Taylor, but I liked her, and now she is gone, and it saddens me. Because along with Liz goes a bygone era, an era I long for. Rest in peace Liz, now go tantalize the angels.

Don’t miss TCM’s 24 hour memorial tribute to Liz on 4/10.

Don Ameche & Claudette Corbert

Recently, I was able to catch a movie I had never seen. Imagine that, and I thought, I had about seen every classic movie under the sun! Not I know I have thousands more to see before I walk through the pearly gates. Sleep, my Love, (1948) with Claudette Corbert, Don Ameche, Robert Cummings, and Hazel Brooks, is one psychological thriller you will not want to miss.

Just think “Gaslight,” with Ingrid Bergman, & Charles Boyer, and you’ll get the gist of the plot. The movie opens with a speeding train and wealthy, Sutton Place resident, Alison Courtland (Claudette Colbert) wakes up in the middle of the night on the speeding train, but has no idea how she got there. Alison lives in Sutton Place, an exclusive area of NYC, how did she end up in Boston, on a train? She panics and begins to scream. A doctor attends to her and convinces her she has just had a nightmare and all will be alright. Alison finds a gun in her purse but has no idea how that got there. After she is treated, she meets a fast talking elderly woman who accompanies her to the airport where she will board a plane back home. We later find out that this woman is all part of a big plot conceived by her cad husband, to make poor Alison think she has lost her mind.

Alison’s husband, Richard, played by Don Ameche, has a honey, Daphne, played by Hazel Brooks, who is increasingly growing impatient with the clandestine meetings. I mean, Emerald bracelets, and diamonds can buy a man but so much time. She wants it all: “the house, life, clothes, cocktail parties, & the man.” Richard assembles a couple of low lives to help him get rid of his wife, Charles Verney and his wife. Verney is a struggling photographer who is looking to make a fast buck. He trains Richard in the use of drugs and hypnosis. Richard begins to drug his wife almost every night, and using hypnosis to make her kill herself, so he can live happily ever after with his floozy girl, Daphne in Sutton place. As Daphne pushes Richard to get it done, he gets sloppy and his plot is foiled by a wannabe sleuth, Robert Cummings, who is now falling for the victim, Alison.

Hazel Brooks "the" Femme Fatal

For those of you who love a mystery, you may get annoyed because we are made aware of the plot early on. But the movie’s mood will keep you glued because we want to know what happens to the scoundrels whom have contrived the creative plot. And boy, do you really want the cad husband to get his. Along the way we are treated to some intense scenes, the speeding train, and a hold your breath balcony moment. The house on Sutton Place is wonderfully moody with it’s ominous spiral staircase that appear to go on forever. The use of shadows in the house gives you a feel of the evil lurking in the grand house.

My only issues with the movie are, Ameche as the cad husband was very weak. Raymond Burr appears about two times in the film as a glum, imposing, but clueless, detective. I couldn’t help thinking, that Burr should have played the husband, and Ameche the detective. Claudette Corbert as the clueless, and doting wife, was good, but somehow not convincing. Hazel Brooks as the floozy, icy, but sizzling femme fatal was excellent! However, when Daphne opened her mouth with that thick Bronx accent, I couldn’t help thinking what a fiasco it would’ve been had she gotten her way. Maybe this would’ve been the ultimate revenge for Alison.

Thomas Edison

Well I’m excited about TCM’s “Moguls and Movie Stars, the History of Hollywood.” It’s walk through Hollywood’s history. Being a history and classic movie aficionado, it gets no better than this. This whole month starting tonight we will learn of the humble beginnings of Hollywood and how it grew into a mega million dollar empire. The series airs tonight, and every Monday and Wednesday night through December 15th at 8:00 PM EST. Movies of the respective era featured will follow after the documentary. How exciting is that? Each segment will focus on a different era of American movie history, from the invention of the first moving picture to the cutting edge films of the 1960′s.

The moguls weren’t always moguls, let’s get that straight from the beginning. In fact, many were poor immigrants from Eastern Europe who came to United States and who were running away from very harsh conditions. And like most immigrants, they were penniless, and didn’t speak English. Strangers in a strange land. But they had a dream. The story of Hollywood is a story of American ingenuity, entrepreneurship, and hard work. I like how the producer of the series puts it, “They (moguls) weren’t necessarily charmers, but what made their stories so terrific is that essentially they put on the screen their own dream of what this country was or should be.” Many came from poor Jewish backgrounds and fortunately for them they got into film at its infancy. After arriving in America many owned nickelodeans before the age of theaters and production. We will learn in the series of the “undocumented” Samuel Goldwyn who came to America via the Canadian border. And many other stories of the great pioneers of film.

Samuel Goldwyn

The series will be narrated by none other than Christopher Plummer, who, I’m sure will make this series a pleasure to see. They don’t come any classier than he. The series will have classic film footage, photographs, and color footage from the great classic movie, “On the Waterfront.” Classic movie stars will be profiled and we will learn about their relationship with the moguls. I’ve heard some horror stories, but I’ve also heard some good stories. In addition, the series will have interviews with relatives of the moguls. That should be really interesting to see.

For me, I will see it as an American story. It is a story of how anyone can make it in our great country. I am sure that many of these moguls had all kinds of problems when they first came here. But nothing stopped them. They kept at it, and realized their dream and in the process made dreams come true for so many others. Now that, is an American story.

Ethel becomes acquainted with the dress company’s accountant, Martin Blackford played by, Kent Smith. Martin is an unassuming, quiet man who no doubt was shocked that a beautiful woman such as Ethel would give him a second glance. I get the impression that Ethel thought the accountant made lots of money, and invites him for dinner at the gambling joint she frequents with her, ahem, clients. Much to her surprise, the accountant is broke, and openly tells her so when Ethel orders her very expensive dinner. But not to worry, Martin is introduced to Grady, the gambling joint’s owner, who needs some financial advice. Martin offers his expertise and is immediately offered a well paying job at Grady’s. Martin wins the affection and respect of Grady who now refers him to the big hancho of the operation, George Castleman, played superbly by David Brian. Martin and Ethel set out to meet Castleman, and it is this night that will seal their fate. In this meeting, Castleman reveals the real nature of the business. The business is involved in criminal activity, and they need someone who can handle the financial end of it. You know hide the money from Uncle Sam, etc. Martin isn’t happy with this, but money hungry Ethel, convinces him to forget that and and grab the opportunity by the throat. At this point, Martin would do anything for the fem fatale, and he did.

Ethel throws Martin under the bus, and begins a love affair with Castleman. She becomes a “kept” woman. But even this doesn’t bother her. She learns manners, diction, and all the genteel ways while in Paris for a year. But inside Ethel was still the uneducated, poor girl who just wanted a piece of the pie no matter the cost. She lived a fantasy for a while until Castleman asks her to spy on one of his representatives in the West coast, Nick Prenta, played by hottie, Steve Cochran. Ethel realizes that married Castleman doesn’t really love her. Why do women fall for this? She feels dirty and used but does whatever Castleman asks. After all, Castleman is her meal ticket. She’ll never go back to being poor. Ethel spies on Nick, but ends up falling in love with him, and  doesn’t provide information for Castleman. But Castleman is on to Ethel, and beats her, and makes her lure her lover to her home so that he can wipe him out. Ethel does, and Nick is killed.

Ethel decides to run back home to her poor parents. She needs to feel grounded again, and so returns to her roots. She knows she is next on Castleman’s list and so she waits. It is Martin, who warns her of Castleman’s intention and even after being dissed by Ethel, wants to save her life. They plan an escape, but Castleman arrives before they do. What ensues is the only way Ethel will realize the error of her ways.

The movie warns us of the “grass is greener,” syndrome. Yes, Ethel was unhappy, and maybe she should have left her husband, but not all that glitters is gold. Many seek happiness in all the wrong places, and Ethel surely did. Sometimes happiness has nothing to do with money.

I’ve often thought of the feuding sisters, Olivia de Havilland and Joan Fontaine. They are now in their 90′s, and still do not speak to each other! So what happened? You’d think that after decades of ill feelings, they would have reconciled. But unfortunately in this instance, that is not the case. Back in the day this was news. Nowadays you don’t hear about it much, but most classic movie fans know of the story.

In 2008 The Academy of Motion Pictures let the cat out the bag for modern audiences. At the time the Academy was having a bash in honor of Bette Davis’ 100th birthday, another grand lady from a by-gone era. Joan and Olivia were invited to the gala since they were both Bette’s contemporaries. Olivia now living in Paris, declined the invite because the trip would be too long for her. Upon hearing her sister Joan would attend, she decided that the trip wouldn’t be too long after all. After all Bette was her friend, one she worked with in movies like “Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte.” Joan gets wind of this, and decides she isn’t going! And I thought time heals wounds, ah, not in this case. I find it ironic, that Bette is somewhat responsible for the latest skirmish. Remember Bette in “Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?” The macabre story of sibling rivalry comes to my mind. Of course, the story in “Whatever…” is way off base, and not the real life story of Joan & Olivia. Neither Joan, or Olivia ever lost their luster. And neither kept the other hostage and fed them dead rats, or intended to commit murder. But still I can’t help finding it all ironic.

Olivia and Joan both started off very young in Hollywood. Both rising stars at pretty much the same time. The bigger the success each got, the worse the feelings between them got. It became apparent that the raw emotions which divided the sisters stemmed from childhood. There has been other Hollywood feuds, but this feud is monumental and unique. Decades have come and gone and they still feel as if it happened yesterday.

They were the first sisters to win Oscars, and the first to be nominated for best actress in the same year. They were both very good at their art, and it seems to me, both competed against each other. In 1940 Joan was nominated for her role in Hitchcock’s “Rebecca.” The story goes that both wanted the part of the sweet and unworldly Mrs De Winter, but Joan got it. Joan lost in 1941 to Ginger Rogers. A sigh a relief for Olivia, but Joan grew more determined. Within a year, the sisters were in competition again. Joan was nominated for her role in Hitchcock’s “Suspicion,” her second role with Hitchcock. Olivia was nominated for her role in “Hold Back the Dawn.” Ginger Rogers presented the award that year, and Joan was the winner! Years later Joan said she froze as her name was called out, with her sister sitting next to her.

Joan wrote of that moment: Olivia said “Get up there,” & Joan burst into tears. All the resentments and jealousies of an uncomfortably shared childhood returned; “the hair-pulling, the savage wrestling matches, the time Olivia fractured my collar bone, all came rushing back in kaleidoscopic imagery. My paralysis was total … I felt age four, being confronted by my older sister. Damn it! I had incurred her wrath again.”

OK, so let’s just say we can pin point that what sealed the rivalry between the two sisters was “Rebecca.” That means that these two sisters have been pissed off with each other since Hitler invaded France. And if you take Joan’s account of when it all began (1920′s) they have been pissed since the Flapper cut her hair short and hemmed her dress! Here’s the kicker, in 1946 Olivia was nominated for her role in, “To Each His Own,” and Joan Crawford was supposed to present the award. Joan Crawford pulled out, and the Academy trying to make the two kiss and make up, had Fontaine present it to her sister.

You’d think, it was the moment of truth, love, and reconciliation. Not! Joan calls out her sister’s name, Olivia goes up to the podium, and the world watched as Olivia refused to shake Joan’s hand. Olivia won another Oscar in 1949 for her role in “The Heiress.” Love that movie!

Today these women are in their nineties. Olivia is the last surviving actor of “Gone with the Wind.” By-the-way, Olivia was nominated for her role as Melanie in “Gone..” but lost to Hattie McDaniel, the first black actress to be honored. I did hear say that although she lost to Hattie, she was happy that a black woman had been given the honor.

The saying, “truth is stranger than fiction,” comes to mind. In the movies all ends well, even with siblings that fight. But for these sisters, it’s too complicated, and nastier than the movies. Time is running out for both. I have to guess that these two will never reconcile.  Sisters can be close, others can be distant, or competitive. But even the ones that are distant and competitive cares for the other. I grew up with 5 sisters, I know the dynamics in the “sisterhood.” We know how to get on each others nerves, what buttons to push, and how to bring out the worst in the other. It’s in our genes. But to be as these two are, the wounds are wide and deep. And only a God encounter, or just plain humility will bring them back.

Charles Higham wrote a biography of the sisters and he assessed it like this: “Olivia never got used to the idea of a younger sister. She would, apparently, rip up her old clothes that Joan was supposed to wear as hand-me-downs, forcing her to stitch them back together. Joan is said to have resented what she saw as her mother’s favoritism for Olivia.” Now take that and mix it up with Hollywood’s “dog-eat-dog” world and you get two very angry 90-year-old women wallowing in bitterness and resentment for decades. Not a movie, it’s real life. Sad.

328 Chancey Street Today

Jackie Gleason patterned the Kramden apartment after the one he lived in with his mom at 328 Chauncey street. The building, like in the series, Gleason said, “… was dull. The bulbs weren’t very bright. The surroundings were very bare.”  If you asked anyone who knew Jackie, about him, they’d all say the same, he was “hilarious and had a heart as big as a house.” He was known to be generous, giving, and helpful, but his greatest gift was laughter. And if you are a fan, you know exactly what I mean. His true self came out in the character of Ralph Kramden, and he even said that. Ralph, although big, loud, and imposing, had a soft spot. The soft spot totally overpowered anything negative about Ralph. And maybe that’s why Ralph’s character was Gleason’s most loved one. He said of the character, “The poor soul hasn’t got a hell of a lot of ability. But he keeps trying. He gets schemes to make he and Alice happy. He fails. When he fails he feels a great deal of affection toward her and she knows why he did it. And he apologizes all the time. He’s just an ordinary guy who is trying to make it and can’t do it.”

One of these days, Alice!

For a guy who made everyone laugh, he had a hard life, and offers valuable lessons we can learn from. Growing up in Brooklyn’s Bushwick area, I’m sure, was no paradise. He lost his older brother when he was 3, his father skipped town when he was nine, and he was raised by an overprotective mother. The loss of his father haunted him the rest of his days, and often he wondered if his dad was part of the audience which watched him. He once said: “I would always wonder whether the old man was somewhere out there in the audience, perhaps a few seats away. I guess I always kind of expected him to appear backstage suddenly, saying ‘Hi, I’m your old man.’ Then one day, I realized that wherever he was, it would be easy for him to contact me–if he really wanted to.” He adored his mom, but because she was afraid to lose him, she overly protected him. He wasn’t allowed to go out and play with the kids. He didn’t even start school until he turned 8. He once said, that he got the “poor soul” look from the days he’d pressed his face against the window watching the kids play outside.

"Do the Hucklebuck..."

Eventually his mom loosened up a bit and at the age of 12 Gleason landed a job racking up balls for a local pool hall. And we know how he used this experience in movies like, his Oscar nominated role in “The Hustler” (1961) & The Sting II (1982). I have you know that most actors will use stunt doubles for pool playing shots, but Gleason did not. So, how did he enter show business? In a 60 Minute interview he said, “I was in a grammar school graduation play and I got a laugh. That laugh was the greatest thing that happened to me. And if you can go out in front of an audience and do things that make them happy and make them laugh, there’s no greater thrill. The instant critique of laughter and when you achieve it—it’s wonderful.” What a guy, huh? At 19, his mom died, and Gleason had 32 cents to his name. He said, “I knew no fear. I was stupid, brash, arrogant and broke.” I think we can all say the same for ourselves when were 19! He took the subway to Times Square and the angels of fame kissed his brow.

Not all in Gleason’s life was “peachy cream.” We all know he had alcohol issues, but he denied ever drinking on the set. His appetite for food is said to have been due to childhood deprivation. He married three times, and by-the-way, his grandson is actor, and hottie, Jason Patic. His third time at marriage with Marilyn Taylor is said to have been his happiest. Marilyn and he married in 1972 and she was by his side when he died in 1987.

We can say that Gleason modeled a lot of his well known characters after himself. Reginald Van Gleason, big drinker and extravagant spender that Gleason was known to be and Ralph Kramden the hustler always trying to make the big time. But it’s all good because it seems to me, that Gleason fulfilled his mission on earth, he made us all laugh. Thank you Jackie, Ralph, and Reginald! “Baby you’re the greatest!”

“The Goddess” used this type of acting and it brought to life the story of a woman, Emily Ann Faulkner, caught up in being a celebrity, hooked on drugs, and alcohol, and lastly mental break-down. Kim Stanley plays the main character and perfectly so, since her portrayal paralleled her own life. The story by Paddy Chayefshy, is broken up in three parts, and each introduced by its own title, “Portrait of Young Girl,” “Portrait of a Young Woman,” & “Portrait of a Goddess” Emily Ann Faulkner is nine years old in the first act, played by Patty Duke. It’s the 1930′s and Emily’s mom (Betty Lou Holland) is a young single mom from the south. She is determined to enjoy her youth despite her daughter, and decides to abandon her. In one of the movie’s most disturbing scenes, Emily overhears her mom call her, “nothing but an unwelcome burden.” Words which cut straight through Emily’s heart and soul and scar her for life.

In the second act, Emily is now a teenager, but very much like her mother, a foolish woman. Emily had earned the reputation of being a loose woman. She sleeps around because it’s what makes her feel popular and wanted. She marries a young man (Steven Hill) she thinks is her ticket to Hollywood. It turns out he’s worst off than she, mentally speaking. They have a child, and the marriage falls apart. But Emily has dreams, dreams of becoming a star in Hollywood, and no baby was going to stop her from living her life. She, like her mother, abandons her daughter, and divorces her husband and heads out to Hollywood.

In the third act, Emily achieves her dreams of stardom, changing her name to Rita Shawn. She learns the dirty and sleazy ways of Hollywood and plays the game. She marries a celebrity (Lloyd Bridges), and after another very dysfunctional relationship with him, she files for divorce. As she climbs up the latter of fame and fortune, she realizes the emptiness of this type of lifestyle. She becomes an alcoholic, and gets hooked on prescription drugs. Although she is famous, she is lonely, and has no real friends. She eventually has a mental breakdown and it is her mother who helps her recuperate. But that recuperation only last for a while, and Rita relapses.

The end of the story is open to interpretation, but you get the feeling she will forge ahead, although on drugs and alcohol. A functioning alcoholic and drug-addict movie star. Very typical then as it is now. You can’t help feeling sad for the innocence Emily has lost and will never regain. The movie is solemn, but exposes Hollywood for what it is, a place where values mean nothing, and celebrity means everything; a place where those most victimized are the very ones least able to cope with it. A place of lights, camera, action, and dreadful loneliness.