Sleepless in Seattle (1993)

Pleasant Rom-com starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. Plot? A recently widowed man pours out  his grief on National Radio causing a woman to fall in love with him.

Its the type of movie where everyone is comfortably well-to-do and no one worries about money or work. The houses are well furnished, the restaurants upscale, the kids smart/cute, and the dinner parties cozy. Tom and Meg have supportive friends, who are willing to move out of the way if needed.  To provide us with some connection, the characters constantly reference old movies (Dirty Dozen, Casablanca, An affair to remember, fatal Attraction, etc.) and the soundtrack blasts out the old classics with Louie Armstrong, Durante, Celine Dion, Ray Charles and Nat King*.

Typical Quote:
Tom Hanks: Jonah, listen to me. You don't know Victoria. I hardly know her myself. She is a fat mystery to me. She tosses her hair a lot. Why does she do this? I have no idea. Is it a twitch? Does she need a haircut? Should she use a barrette to keep her hair out of her face? These are things I'm willing to get to the bottom of. And that is why... I am DATING her. That's all I'm doing. I'm not living with her. I'm not marrying her. Can you appreciate the difference? This is what single people do. They try other people on and see how they fit. But everybody's an adjustment. Nobody's perfect. There's no such thing as a perfect...

Summary Basically, a derivative entertainment product, with two likable leads, designed to make people feel good. Not really my kind of movie - very predictable - but it was OK. The only downside is the presence of Awful, unfunny Rosie O'Donnell. ** 1/2

Notes

* =  While almost all the singers are black, the songs are standards from the 1950s or before.  Somewhere over the Rainbow,  When I fall in love, Stardust,  Makin Whoopee,  A Kiss to build a Dream on, and An Affair to Remember.  Strangely,  for "As time goes by" Dooley Wilson is dropped in favor of Jimmy Durante. Like Warren Beatty's Love Affair,  you wonder if the soundtrack was "blackened up" to make up for there being almost no black characters. 

Shop Aournd the Corner (1940)

One of my favorite Christmas movies, and one of the best Rom-coms ever made. Favorite characters, moments and dialogue:

Supporting Characters

• Joseph Schildkraut as the shamless toady, yes-man, backstabber, and dandy.
• Pepe looking at Rudy's Bonus and Saying "too much"
• Perovitch hiding whenever Morgan wants a "honest opinion"
• Perovitch:  "Entertain? What are you an Ambassador?"

Frank Morgan

• "She didn't want to grow old with me"
• When he admits to Stewart he's been wrong about him.
• Yelling at his staff, then being nice to a customer, then going back to yelling.
• Morgan telling Rudy about the wonderful Christmas meal they will have.

James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan:

• Stewart's hurt puppy dog look when Sullavan calls him an insignificant clerk
• Sullavan's gloved hand reaching for a letter in an empty mail box
• Are those real diamonds? They're pretty near. 
• Stewart: "Half Shakespeare and half me."
• Sullavan line reading of : My trouble is what one might call......psychological.
• Sullavan's expression of Joy when she gets a letter from "dear Friend"
• The catch in Sullavan voice when she says: "Maybe we'll both be engaged Monday morning"
• Sullivan: "Instead of licking my hand, you barked,  My mistake was I didn't realize that the difference between this glamorous lady.....and me was that she was with the Comédie Française......and I was with Matuschek and Company."
• Stewart: If I were a girl and had to choose between a young, good-for-nothing... ...with plenty of hair,and a solid, mature citizen... ...l'd pick Mathias Popkin every time."
• Sullavan: Who is this very attractive young man? He's just the type women fall for."

Just a word on Margaret Sullavan

I love her in this movie and she has perfect chemistry with Stewart.  She's pretty, intelligent, and has a great attractive voice.  But in listening to several podcast reviews I was amazed that serveral people don't like her.  She's too "mean".  She's not good lookin enough.  Of course, Klara is mean to Stewart at serveral points, but from her point of view its justified.  Until the cafe scence, Stewart has been "all business" with her, and full of criticism. And at the cafe she's afraid he's going to spoil her big date,  and Stewart's hanging around seems like deliberate sabotage.  She's does call him an 'insignficant clerk" but that's only after he called her a Snippy old maid who will never find love. The criticism seems to be indicative of people in the 21st century rerquiring everything to be super obvious and "nice".  Lets not offend anyone!

As for Sullavan not being good looking enough.  Klara is supposed to be  "Just a lovely, average girl". Her clothes were deliberately made average, the kind a shop girl could afford.  Sullavan is pretty enough for the role.  Like Myrna Loy, her voice and face are her best qualities.  She's not supposed to be Grace Kelly or a sexy bombshell. 

TNG Star Trek - Season 3 Reviews

Ensigns of Command - Meh. Data beams down to a dangerous planet. His Job? Convince the recent humanoid settlers to leave before the rightful owners of the planet exterminate them. This episode has an interesting story but is let down by the awful acting/casting of the planet settlers and their awful dress. They all look and act like LA Community College drama students. The Clothes are from JC Penny circa 1986. We get the obligatory female character who - unlike everyone else - takes Data's side, falls in love with him, and helps save the day. Meanwhile, on the USS Enterprise, Picard plays lawyer and finds Treaty contract clause number 1,045 subparagraph B, which causes the aliens to back off. Yawn. **

Who Watches the Watchers - Simply cornball. Picard is mistaken for a God, when he saves a life on a primitive planet. What a talkfest. What a snoozefest. I think TNG was trying to be philosophical and that's always bad for a TV show with bad actors and space aliens. It justifies the Prime Directive, but that really didn't need to be proven. *

The Enemy - This has three suspenseful plots going on at once.  Georgi is lost on a planet and must cooperate with a Romulan to survive.  A Romulan prisoner has to be given medical treatment and Wolf = who hates Romulans - has to give him medical treatement.  Finally Picard has a showdown with a Romulan commander who wants his POW back or else.  This is another episode let down by bad acting/casting.  Georgi is a charisma-free character, and the Romulans are played by 3 very mediocre actors in bad makeup.  One yearns for Mark Lenard.  Further,  we get TNG's usual boring "We'll just talk this out, and come to a peaceful resolution"  trope.  Cooperation may be fine in the real world, but Conflict makes for better TV.  **1/2  

The Bonding -  Picard must deal with an orphaned 12 year old boy when his "Redshirt" Mother is killed by a land mine. Good God this was horrible.  Evidently, even in 2400 AD, no  one is smart enough to keep mothers out of combat.  The absurd "You Go Girl" feminism which created this situation is never questioned.   Instead, the whole episode revolves around Klingon customs, the kid and some aliens who pop up.  Rating * 

You've Got Mail (1998)

This Hanks-Meg Ryan Romcom was a big hit back in 1998 but hasn't aged well, and currently has a relatively low IMDB rating of 6.7. Even its target audience (women over 30) give it a mediocre 7.0. Loosely based on Shop Around the Corner, Director/Writer Nora Ephron lifts the central conceit of two people corresponding by mail/email who can't stand each other in real life, while being infatuated with their anonymous counterparts. Everything else in the 1940 version is more or less changed:

• Instead the leads being a poor sales clerk and store manager, Hanks is multi-millionaire Store Chain CEO and Ryan is a well- to-do small bookstore owner
• Instead of strong subplot with strong supporting characters (headed by Frank Morgan), the entire movie is focused on Ryan-Hanks. Their current boyfriend/girlfriend are simply there for comic relief and to be dumped. Dabney Coleman, Jean Stapleton, and Steve Zahn show up but are given little to do.
• Instead of two leads who are forced to work with each other and who bicker and fight,  we get nice Meg Ryan and nice Tom Hanks who are really only at odds because his Book Chain will put her small bookstore out of business.  Once her business goes under, she has no problem hooking up with Hanks.
• Instead of Stewart and Sullavan who go through hard times and heartbreak on their road to eventual happiness, Hanks and Ryan have no real problem except two annoying romantic partners.  Hanks sleeps on his yacht and does business deals, while Ryan lives in an expensive Manhattan brownstone and is almost liberated by her store closing.  Both spend their time dining at fashionable restaurants and coffee houses. 
• Stewart makes a likable character even more so. Hanks makes an unlikable character likable. In fact, with a different lead You've Got Mail wouldn't work. 
• Sullavan plays "Klara" with an edge.  Stewart labels one of her remarks "An interesting mixture of poetry and meanness". Ryan, OTOH,  is perky and, nice.  Even when she calls Joe Fox an empty suit, she seems sad that she said it. 
• And finally, Ephron pads out story to 120 minutes vs. 100 minutes for Shop Around the Corner.  Interestingly, she places the crucial cafe scene where Steward/Hanks find out that Sullavan/Ryan are their pen pals excactly in the middle, just like Shop Around the Corner.  Ephron's film has the Cafe scene at tthe 60 minute mark, Shop at the 50 minute mark. 

Summary:  A pleasant Hanks-Ryan follow up to Sleepless in Seattle.  Corner,  Its hard to dislike any movie with two such likable leads,  But unlike Shop Around the its a forgettable entertainment product. 

TNG - Code of Honor

I saw this episode purely out of curiosity. It had a 5.5 rating on IMDB. What was so bad, I wondered. And after watching it, I still wondered. Yeah, it wasn't a GREAT episode, but it was full of action, fast paced, and had plenty of "You go girl" Feminism. In fact, its a Feminist's Dream episode. And yep, it was written by a woman.

The Story

Y'see Picard needs to get a vaccine from an alien society. But the planet's leaders are Macho men, who have a honor code. And when meeting Picard, they're SHOCKED when woman in charge of USS Enterprise security, beats up the Leader's male bodyguard. You GO GIRL.

Later, SuperGirl beats up another macho bodyguard. Then the tricky leader kidnaps our heroine, and stays he wants to marry her. This results in the leader's wife challenging SuperGirl to a "Battle to the death". Supergirl courageously agrees to the fight, (the vaccine is at stake), and "kills" wifey. The wife is then immediatly beamed up to the USS Enterprise where the Girl Doctor MD brings her back to life.

The tricky macho leader then gets his comuppance. Because wifey divorces him, and takes all his $$. The "Macho Honor Code" is shown to be a fraud, and the male chauvanist Pig leader ends up sads.

My Take
Its actually an enjoyable story. Not great. Not very good. But enjoyable. Full of action, and good acting by the "aliens". Jessie Lawrence Ferguson is excellent as the tricky, macho, leader. 

So Why is it so Hated?
Oh, I forgot to mention one thing, all the "alien race" that hold this "Code of Honor" are Black.  You'd think, so what? Or "Good they gave some black actors some work".  But you don't understand Hollywood or the people who review TNG-Star trek online.  Y'see if the Aliens had been white, no problem. But because they're Black, that's RACISM.  Any TV show which shows black actors (not black PEOPLE) in a bad light is... RACISM.  

I wonder how all the black actors in this episode felt when they started reading about  several white cast members (Ryker and Data) saying this was the "worst episode ever" and "This shouldn't be reaired". I'm sure Jesse Lawerance wasn't happy.  I'm sure he probably thought he was just portraying a space alien. But little did he know he was really portraying all black men - EVERYWHERE for ALL TIME. 

TNG - Allegiance (Season 3)

Allegiance is a "Picard" episode, Aliens abduct Picard to a "Prison Cell" with 3 other Aliens, and replace him a fake Picard. The Crew notice that fake Picard is behaving strangely and when he attempts to destroy the ship, they mutiny. Meanwhile, Picard finally figures out that he's not being held in Prison Cell but is part of a Laboratory Experiment.  When he refuses to play along - the whole thing stops. The episode ends on an upnote, as the curious race that "just wanted to see what leadership is all about" is given a taste of their own medicine.

While enjoyable, the episode points out the difference between TNG and TOS Star Trek. In this TNG episode, "evil Picard" isn't evil at all. He's just an alien fake trying to observe how the crew behaves to different styles of Leadership. And there's no real danger, no action, no fisticuffs, and its all settled by a few words. There are no sharp words among the crew. They all agree that Picard is acting weird, and when Ryker decides to relieve Picard, they all support him.

TOS would've been much more dramatic. And you would've had conflict between the crew: Can Kirk be relieved or not? Spock v. McCoy no doubt. And Kirk would've karate chopped 2 or 3 people trying to get out of the prison cell. And the Aliens would've been much more dangerous/malevolent.

 

TNG is more "adult" but also more boring.   

TOS - Turnabout Intruder

An above average entertaining TOS episode, with the following:

• Great acting by Shatner. He brilliantly plays a woman pretending to be Kirk. This was a perfect chance for Shatner to "Shat it up" and yet except for a few scenes during the "Transferances" he is quite in control. And quite convincing.
• Great acting by Sandra Smith as Janice Lester. She not ony is good as the Homicidal Dr. Lester, she's superb as Kirk trapped in Lester's body. Like Shatner, she's able to make Kirk-Lester masculine without going over the top.
• Excellent Court-martial scene. McCoy, Scotty, and Spock at their best.
• Sulu-Chekov to the rescue. They refuse to support Kirk-Lester's sentence of death on McCoy, Scotty, and Spock for "Mutiny".

Best Quote: 

Spock: No, sir, I shall not withdraw a single charge that I have made. You are NOT Captain Kirk. You have ruthlessly appropriated his body, but the life entity within you is not that of Captain Kirk. You do NOT belong in charge of the Enterprise, and I shall do everything in my power against you.

Cons:   Dr. Arthur Coleman.  The character is well played by Harry Landers. But, and its a big but, his character makes zero sense. He loves Janice Lester,  He lets the other members of the expdition die so she can  carry out her crazy homicidal plan, And he later agrees to Kill Kirk.  And for what? So she can turn into a man? And be Jim Kirk.  I know some people are bi-sexual, but this is carrying it too far! Seriously, imagine being in love with Marilyn Monroe, she's your lover and then being A-ok with her turning into Van Heflin. Really? Of course, maybe Dr. Coleman was just as crazy as Dr. Lester.

The Real Sexism: I've covered the episode's so-called "Sexism" in more detail (see my rant below). But y'know the REAL sexism in Turnabout Intruder? It comes at the end. Dr. Lester has let the other members of he Expedition die. She's attempted to murder Kirk, Spock, Bones, and Scotty. God knows how many more would've died if her plan had succeeded.  Yet at the end what does Kirk say? "Gosh, I never meant to hurt her." And "Her life could have been as rich as any woman's, if only... if only...".

Yeah, poor Janice.  Imagine Kirk saying "Oh, poor Ben Finney, Poor Captain Kor, Poor Lizard Captain Gorn,  Poor Squire Trelayn, Poor Jack the Ripper,  and Poor, Poor Khan." 

Reviewing the Reviewers:   Good God, I'm beginning to doubt the intelligence of those who review TOS on Youtube, IMDB, and show up first on a Google Search.  To all these "Internet Big Dog" reviewers, this episode is Trash.  Why? Its....wait for it... SEXIST.  Just as in "Elaan of Troyus" they don't care what's actually on the screen, they just hate it because  Dr. Lester is hysterical and incompetent. Every woman character on TV, no matter how crazy MUST BE "strong" and "cool headed". 

You would think that any character that obsesses for years about being a Star Ship Captain, without desiring to work their way through the ranks, and is willing to kill numerous people to get her way, would be a touch -ah -- unstable. 

But Hey Dr. lester is a chick, and we know ALL Women are strong stable and cool as cumbers under pressure.  All that stuff about SOME women being emotional is just male propaganda which they made up because... ah...  yeah.  Anyway, women are just as strong as men. And just as tough. And if that's NOT been shown by all of human History its because MEN are writing the history.  So there!

As for Women not being Star ship captains.  Isn't that correct?   How many times has Kirk saved the situation by romancing an Alien babe or engaging in  physical struggle or fist fight? Lets see some 110 lbs.  Female Starship Captain battle "Col Greene",  take down the Big Lizard in "Arena" or overpower the Guards in "A Piece of the Action".  

TOS - Ellison Screenplay v. Final Script - Analysis.

 

Ellison Screenplay	Star Trek Episode
Prologue:  We open with  Star Trek crewman  “Beckwith” (B/W) selling an illegal drug  to another crewmember   Under the drug’s influence the crewman almost destroys the Enterprise’s Engines. He’s ordered off the Bridge by Spock. Distraught, he tells B/W he will see Kirk and confess. B/W kills him, and beams down to the nearby planet.  Kirk and a search party go after him.	Prologue: The Enterprise is buckling under “Waves of Time” from the nearby Planet. McCoy comes to the Bridge to treat an injured man, and accidently injects himself. The drug that makes him paranoid and violent. He transports down after knocking out the Transporter chief. . Kirk and a search party go after him.
Act One Kirk follows B/W’s tracks to a plateau.  Upon reaching the top, they see a shimmering City. The 9 feet tall “Guardians of History” greet them. They explain they are the keepers of time, and show Kirk Earth history. When 1930 Chicago come in view, B/W breaks from cover, fights off Spock, and disappears into the time vortex.  The Guardians state the time flow has been disrupted and disappear. Kirk and the others beam back to the Enterprise.	Act One Kirk and the search party land on the planet.  They find the Time Portal machine called “The Guardian” which shows them Earth History.  Spock says he’s been an idiot and starts to record it.  McCoy jumps out of the bushes and runs into the Time portal.    Uhura tries to call the Enterprise and gets dead air. Time has changed and the Enterprise no longer exists.
Act two: Back on the Enterprise, Kirk and party find the Transporter Room filled with “Space Renegades”.  Its, no longer the USS Enterprise but a Pirate ship! A fight ensues and Kirk gains control of the Transporter room.  Kirk and Spock discuss what to do.  Kirk orders Rand to hold the Transporter Room indefinitely while he & Spock beam back to the planet,	This scene is deleted.  The Enterprise doesn’t exist.
Kirk and Spock meet with The Guardians.  They tell Kirk time has been altered and the world he knew no longer exists.  After much discussion, The Guardians allow Kirk/Spock to follow B/W to Chicago 1930. They speak in parables. They say (1) B/W must be brought back. (2) B/W saved what must die. (3)  Blue and sun are the Key.	Act two: Kirk tells Scottie to wait and when he thinks he’s waited long enough, everyone must jump through and try to find McCoy. Using his Tricorder Spock determines when McCoy jumped through, and Kirk and Spock follow..  Kirk and Spock have already gone back in Time.
Spock and Kirk materialize on  a 1930 Chicago City Street.  A xenophobic speaker is ranting against foreigners taking American jobs. He points to Spock and Kirk and the howling mob chases them, screaming threats and insults.  Spock lays into them sending men flying, Kirk destroys a Lamppost with his Phaser, cowing the crowd and Kirk/Spock to escape into a nearby tenement basement.	Spock and Kirk materialize in Chicago 1930.  Kirk decides they need to blend in, and wait for McCoy.  He steals some clothes, which brings a Policeman. Kirk tries explains the stolen clothes and Spock ears  by saying Spock  was caught in a “Mechanical Rice picker” When Police tries to arrest them, Spock gives him the “Vulcan neck pinch”  Kirk and Spock run for it, and duck into a empty basement
In the Empy basement, Spock yells the Earth is full of Barbarians. Kirk defends it. Kirk suggests Spock disguise his appearance. Spock is disgusted, and tells Kirk to locate a ring that he can put through his nose. A  Building Janitor appears, and gives Kirk/Spock a job sweeping up, in exchange for room and board.   Spock and Kirk sweep up the basement and then run the Tricorder which confirms that the time focal point “Blue, Sun, and Key” is nearby. The Tricorder buns out. Kirk wants Spock to fix it. Spock states they will be difficult given the transistor hasn’t been invented yet.	In the empty basement, Kirk chaffs Spock for enjoying his predicament. They change into regular clothes. Edith Keeler appears, and asks Kirk/Spock what they’re doing. She gives them a Job to sweep up at the Mission.  After sweeping, Spock says he needs the Enterprise data banks to get the exact time McCoy will arrive. Kirk orders him to work with what he has. Spock agrees to create a means of viewing the Tricorder’s history despite working with “stone knives and bearskins”.
We have a flashback to the Enterprise Transporter Room where Rand is fighting to keep the Pirates from entering. Back in the basement, the Janitor offers Spock (now assumed to be Chinese) a job at Restaurant Kitchen.	Deleted Scene
We see Spock  in the Kitchen.  The Cook tries to cheat him out of his wages, but Spock strong-arms him into coughing up the money.  Spock starts to walk home. He stop to watch a revival meeting and  sees Edith Keeler in a blue cape with a Gold sunburst clasp.  He realizes that she is the Key focal point.	In the Mission dining room, Kirk hears Keeler give a speech about how the future will be better and man will travel into space, so there is hope.  Later, Spock says they need to “Borrow” Jeweler’s tools for his work. They steal them, and Keeler confronts them.  Kirk says they will return them in the Morning. Keeler agrees to take no action if Kirk takes her out to Dinner
Act Three: Spock and Kirk decide Keeler is the focal point and to keep her under surveillance.  They take an apartment next to hers.. Spock wonders if he can live with Kirk and since it might be a “Ghetto”  Later, they peer at her Apartment from a nearby roof, Spock accuses Kirk of  “going native”	Kirk and Keeler go for a walk and Kirk tells her “Let me Help” will replace “I love you” as the 3 most important words.  He and Keeler look at the stars and are on the verge of a kiss.
Kirk introduces himself to Keeler, saying he just moved in. They go for walk, and Keeler talks about her charity work
Later, we see Kirk and Keeler in her apartment.  Kirk says he’s tired form new job running a steam shovel.  Keeler notes that Kirk doesn’t fit in and Kirk says he’s from Iowa. Kirk quotes a poet he says will become famous throughout the universe “ Men become strangers when night falls…”	Later, Kirk returns to the Apartment and provides Spock with food and precocious metals. Spock runs the tricorder history and finds that Keeler will either be killed in an auto accident or meet with FDR in 1936. Kirk wonders if McCoy changes history by killing her or saving her.
Spock confronts Kirk and says he getting too close to Keeler. Kirk says he’s been on the move since his youth and never has met a woman like Keeler.  Spock says he understands he’s a Vulcan not a neuter.  Kirk’s continues to praise Keeler and suggests bringing her back with them. Spock then says he’s fixed the tri-corder and Keeler must die.  Kirk doesn’t believe it, and asks why?  Spock conjectures that she may help Hitler win WW2 or give birth to a dictator.  Kirk labels that insane. Spock reiterates that she must die.	.Scene Deleted
Kirk and Keeler are walking down the street.  Keeler goes down some stairs and falls. Kirk has refused to stop her fall.  But she’s not dead, merely bruised.	Act three Later, Kirk and Keeler goes down the Mission steps and almost falls. Kirk saves her. Spock sees it and reminds Kirk that Keeler must die pock runs the Tricorder for Kirk. They see that Keeler has started a peace movement that allows Nazi Germany to get the A-bomb and win World War II.  McCoy has changed history by saving Keeler. Kirk is upset and wonders if there is some mistake. Spock says no.  He reminds Kirk that “Edith Keeler must die”.
Next day, Spock and kirk are on the street and see B/W materialize across the street.  Both charge after him, but B/W kicks Spock in the stomach and runs away.	Scene Deleted
We see Kirk go into Keeler’s charity kitchen and demand she go home for her own safety.  Keeler tells Kirk she loves him.  Kirk demands she trust him and go to her apartment.  Spock appears out of nowhere with a half-hidden phaser Keeler leaves, and Spock reminds Kirk that Rand and the others are fighting for their lives in the Transporter room. Kirk says  he can’t let Keeler die. .  Kirk then realizes Spock’s phaser is  meant for Keeler, since B/W must be brought back alive.	Scene Deleted.
Act Four:  Kirk meets Trooper, a legless man who sells pencils/apples with a sign “I fought at Verdun”. Kirk gives him $2 for any information on B/W.  Trooper is amazed that Kirk trusts him and gives him the $ in advance	Act Four: McCoy lands in Chicago and confronts a Homeless man. McCoy falls unconscious and the homeless man kills himself with a phaser.  Later, in their Apartment Kirk has agreed that Keeler must die. Kirk says he loves Keeler. Spock responds that Keeler must die..
Later, Kirk is in Keeler’s apartment. She wonders if he is going away, he says he might. He tells Keeler he loves her. Spock barges in and says Trooper has found B/W.  The three men go up a dark alley.  Suddenly, a garbage can crashes down on Spock.  Trooper sees B/W about to shoot Kirk, saves Kirk down & takes the phaser blast. Spock knocks the phaser out of B/W’s hand, and B/W runs away. Spock wonders why Trooper sacrificed himself for Kirk.  Kirk wonders too, and asks what was Verdun.	McCoy talks to Keeler and believes she’s an illusion. When he gets better, McCoy starts to help around the Mission and barely misses seeing Spock several times.
Edith is speaking to the crowd preaching that great things are in the future. Spock tells Kirk her ideas are years ahead of her time.  Keeler starts to cross the street.  B/W with comes out of nearby building.  Kirk, Spock and B/W instantly realize that Keeler will be hit by a Truck coming round the corner. Beckwith runs to save her, Kirk refuses to stop him.  Finally Spock tackles BW.  Keeler is hit by the Truck.  Kirk is distraught. Dissolve	Keeler goes out with Kirk, and they discuss going to the movies. Keeler says “McCoy” doesn’t know who Clark Gable is either. Kirk runs back to the Mission, sees McCoy. Spock/McCoy/Kirk greet each other. Keeler walks across the street, Kirk stops McCoy from saving her. Keeler is hit by a truck. McCoy ask Kirk if he knows what he did, and Spock says “Yes, he knows”.
Back at the Guardians   They tell Kirk time has resumed its shape and is back to normal.  Beckwith twists away from Spock and runs back into the time machine. We see B/W with in agony, he’s in the middle of a Super nova,  He dies an agonizing death over and over again.	Deleted
Epilogue:  Spock and Kirk in his cabin aboard the Enterprise.  Spock can’t understand why evil B/W was willing to risk his life to save Keeler. Kirk says even the most evil have some good in them. Maybe the human race deserves another chance. Spock says “no woman was ever loved as much, because no woman was ever offered the Universe for love”  THE END	Epilogue Back at the Guardian:  McCoy, Kirk and Spock return and Scotty tells them they just left a second ago.  The Guardian tells them everything as returns to normal.   Uhura is back in contact with the EnterpriseThe Guardian asks Kirk if he wants to go on further adventures in time, and Kirk looks pained as says”  Lets get the Hell out of Here”.

City on the Edge of Forever - More on Harlan Ellison's Screenplay

From reading various books and listening to several reviews of City on the Edge of Forever, you'd think that Roddenberry just "Tweeked" Ellison's screenplay and it was more or less the basis for the Episode. Ellison is given at LEAST 50 percent of the credit for the episode. Wrong Dude!

Roddenberry (and company) completely changed Ellision's screenplay. Which is why he was so upset at Roddenberry and never forgave him. Yes, the basic plot and the Character of Edith Keeler comes from Ellison but everything else was changed by Roddenberry. As follows:

1) Every supporting character Ellison created in his May 1966 script EXCEPT for Edith Keeler was eliminated by Roddenberry. We're talking: Beckwith, LeBeque, the Space Pirates, Trooper, The Bigoted Cook, The Jainitor, the ranting street corner demagoue, and the Howling mob.

2) Roddenbery elimiated Ellison's epilogue. No Spock and Kirk discussing Trooper, musing about Evil men having some good in them, or talking about Keeler.

3) Roddenberry eliminated Ellison's Prologue: No Beckwith dealing drugs. No Lebeque drug addict. No murder by Beckwith.

4) There are only TWO lines left from Ellison's May 1966 script left intact. Both are from the Guardians.

5) Roddenberry competely changed Kirk's behavior. In Ellison's script, Kirk refuses to believe Keeler must die, and in the final scene REFUSES to stop Beckwith from saving Keeler. Kirk is so in love with Keeler, he asks Spock if he can take her back to the future, and Spock has to remind Kirk that the Landing party is back fighting for their lives.

6) Roddenberry completely changes how Spock/Kirk understand Keeler must die. In Ellison's script, the Guardians tell them before they go back to 1930 NYC that: "Beckwith has saved that which die. Look for a Golden sun on blue". Spock figures out at the end of Act II that Keeler is the "the focal Point" and by the middle of act III that "Keeler must die". Why keeler must die, is never made clear in Ellison's script. Spock suggests she may have helped delay WW II entrance by USA OR given birth to a dicattor.

7) Roddenberry give Keeler character and lots of lines. Once Kirk/Spock arrive in NYC 1930, there are only 4 named characters with lines: McCoy, Spock, Kirk, and Keeler. Keeler is in almost every other scene from the Middle of Act II to the End. Kirk is so broken up at the loss of Keeler, he says in the Epilogue "Lets get the Hell out of here". By Comparsion, Ellison has Kirk almost as upset over the death of Trooper as Keeler, and Keeler doesn't speak until the beginning of Act III, and shares time in Act III and IV with Trooper and the fight with Beckwith.

In summary, Roddenberry (and his writers) massively improved and changed Ellison's script.

Harlan Ellison Screenplay - City on the Edge of Forever.

From some reason there seems to be a lot of praise for Ellison's original screenplay, and a lof of support for Ellions's 40 years quest to prove that Gene Roddenberry was a creep who destroyed his "perfect" screenplay. Sorry, I can't agree. After reading it, and comparing it to the final Teleplay, its obvious that Ellison's May 1966 draft, not only had to be revised, it had major, and I mean MAJOR problems. It'd be fair to say that even if Roddenberry had limited his revisions to getting Ellison's script shot under budget, it would NOT, I repeat NOT been the great Star Trek Episode we now know.

Ellison's May 1966 screenplay suffered from the following problems:

1. It wasn't "Star Trek" - I'll write later about this is more detail.
2. There's almost no humor. No "Stone knives and bearskins", no condesending Guardian, and no "mechanical rice picker".
3. The dialogue is terrible, in some cases awful. Almost all the "Best Quotes" you read on IMDB and elsewhere were written by other writers. The final episode has only two of Ellison's lines. 
4. The episode is beloved because its about Edith Keeler, Kirk, and the sacrifice he has to make. That's NOT what Ellison's screenplay is about. In Ellison's screenplay, Keeler doesn't have a line till the beginning- middle of Act III. In Act IV, she shares time with "Trooper" and the battle with Beckwith, the Enterprise Gangster/killer/drug Dealer. In the epilogue, Kirk is just as upset at the death of "Trooper" as he is with the death of "Keeler".
5. Ellison's screenplay is violent and has a nasty edge to it. There are two deaths in Roddenberry's script, Keeler and a tramp who accidently kills himself with McCoy's phaser. In Ellison's screenplay there are four deaths in addition to Keeler's. Beckwith kills Lt Lebeuqe (the drug addict), Trooper, and himself dies an agonizing death. In addition, several "Space Pirates" and Enterprise Landing party die in a hand-to-hand combat over the transporter room.
6. As stated, Ellison screenplay has a nasty edge to it: a sadistic drug dealer blackmailing a "junkie" for his "Fix". Spock yelling at LeBeque to "Shape up or Ship out", a hate-filled mob attacking Spock, a nasty street corner demagogue ranty about "furinners" a nasty boss trying to cheat Spock out of his wages, Beckwith kicking Spock in the stomach and running away, Beckwith knocking Spock to the ground and stealing his phaser, and Beckwith dropping a Garbage can on Spock and trying to kill Kirk with a phaser.
7. And if that's not enough, Spock sneers at "Earthlings", screams they are barbaric, and is so obnoxious, Kirk (seriously) remarks that "I should have left you for the mob". To cap all the nastiness off, Spock starts to carry around a phaser (stolen by Beckwith) so he can kill Keeler if Kirk "chickens out"!
8. Ellison's screenplay is actually a violence filled, nasty, action filled espisode. The romance and Edith Keeler are pushed to the background. There is no friendship displayed by Kirk-Spock. And they are out to bring back a Killer-Drug Dealer, not McCoy an old friend who was accidently injected with cordonzine.
9. The "Guardians of History" instead of being a snarky, funny, yet majestic thing we see in the final screenplay are - in Ellison's Screenplay - pompous 8 foot bores in robes, who drone on and on telling how time works.

TOS- The way to Eden

 Widely acknowledged as one of TOS' worst episodes, and I can't disagree.  The story idea isn't a bad one, but the episode is badly cast and executed.  At bottom, this should be a comic episode, especially since we get a lot of music and some romance. Instead, except for mild comedy relating to Kirk being called a "Herbert" most of the  episode is deadly serious. The "Space Hippies" - or at least the 3 male Hippies who do almost all the talking - are obnoxious, arrogant,  and ugly of dress and feature.  Other problems:

• The episode is without danger or action. For the first 30 minutes, the only probem is that Hippies are rude and obnoxious and the Hippie Leader resists being Quarantined. For the next 30 minutes, the Hippies take over the USS Enterprise and force it to go Eden.  After almost killing everyone with a sonic device, they leave for Planet Eden on a Space shuttle. The last 8 minutes deal with their sad end. 
• The stakes in this episode are incredibly small.  The Hippies want the Enterpirse to take them to Planet Eden. Kirk doesn't want to.  Once the Hippies get to Eden,  they fall prey to the acid filled fruit and Kirk has the 4 live ones beamed back to the Enterprise.  That's it.  Talk about boring small beer. 
• The romance between Chekov and a Hippie chick (a former Russian Starfleet Academy classmate) is dull and badly done. Chekov is not only incredibly dumb (he practically gives them a floppy disk entitled "How to take over the Enterprise"),  he's supposed to be this buttoned-up, by the book technocrat, who's betrayed his free-wheeling youthful ideals. Absurd! Chekov has always been a ladies man, and rule breaker.  He wants to start a fight with the Klingons in Trouble with Tribbles" and gets himself "Killed" in Specter of the Gun by ignoring orders. 
• The talk about Hippie freedom vs. Star Fleet discipline is incredibly dated. 
• Another absurdity is that Spock, of all people, grooves the Hippies. He digs, man. Again, Spock is a man of science and logic, who disdains emotion and sentiment. He's the last person to agree with the Hippie philosophy of   No rules, man. Just living free, man,  Instead, he makes the Hippie peace sign,  jams with them, and helps them find Planet Eden.
• And God, that horrible music! We get almost 7-8 minutes of unbearable "space rock" by Charles Napier (yes, its Murdock from Rambo II!) with Spock playing his Vulcan harp.
• Could this episode have worked?  Yes, by casting likable attractive people as the Hippies.  And making them charming, and their interactions with the Enterprise crew funny.  And by playing much better music!  If this had been done,   I would've been sad at their deaths on Planet Eden instead of cheering. 

Best Scene:  McCoy and Kirk contront Sevrin with  being a carrier of an contangious disease and orders him quarantined. Sevrin refuses and rants about his Rights and Computers.

Worst Scene:  A 5 minute "Space Rock" Concert with Spock on Vulcan Harp.  Painful. 

Typical bad Dialogue:
ADAM: How about a session, you and us? It would sound. That's what I came for. I wanted to ask, you know, great white captain upstairs, but he don't reach us. But would he shake on a session? I mean, we want to co-operate, like you ask, so I'm asking.

Reviewing the Reviews

One of the reasons this episode is so disliked by the internet "big dog" reviewers think its "anti-hippie" and therefore "anti-left".  These reviewers are VERY uncomfortable siding with Kirk and his insistence on enforcing good manners, rules, and discipline.  Scotty, who mildly complains about the Hippies subverting his engineering staff and interfering with the Engine room operations is labled on "Old Grump" yelling at kids to "Get off his lawn".  Others are shocked that Nurse Chappel implies the Hippies are animals.  Given the episode plot/dialogue its impossible for any reasonable person to side with the Hippies, but these "Big Dog" reviewers also sense that conservatives hate hippies, and they don't want to be on THAT side.  As Mr. Spock would say "Fascinating". 

TOS - The Savage Curtain

 Plot:  The USS Enterprise is halted by an object in space: Its Abraham Lincoln! Once aboard,  Mr. Lincoln persuades Kirk and Spock to beam down to the local planet where a rock like creature demands they engage in a struggle with some of the greatest villians in history - including lovable Ghenjis Khan.

As a young boy, this was one of my favorite TOS episodes. Noble (if foolish) Surak. A talking high IQ rock. Historical figures. The slimey Col. Green. Honest Abe taking a spear in the back. Lots of  sophmoric philosophy about peace/war and how to battle evil. 

On rewatch it all seems a little silly, but its still enjoyable. The first 20 minutes is very good.  I love Kirk slapping down McCoy for being insuborinate. But once the action begins its let down by the extremely low budget, fake sets, and badly directed fights. 

And like many other 3rd season episodes it has problems in logic.  I could list all the plot holes, and logical inconsistencies, but hey, I have a life. So, I'll list just one. Why would a race as advanced as the Excalbians (they can read minds, create historical figures out of thin air, create livable atmosphere on a planet with no oxygen, and destroy the Enterprise at will) not understand good and evil?

Best Quote:

Lincoln: What a charming negress. Oh, forgive me, my dear. I know that in my time some use that term as a term of offense.

Uhura: But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century, we've learned not to fear words.

Favorite Scene:

Scotty and McCoy try to convince Kirk not to beam down to the planet, leading Kirk to say:The very reason for the existence of our starships is contact with other life. Although the method is beyond our comprehension, we have been offered contact; therefore, I shall beam down.

Worst Scene:

Kirk is upset at the Alien for threatening the Enterprise and strikes it.  Damn it Jim, its a Rock.  What was Kirk thinking? 

TOS - The Return of the Archons

 I'll forgo my usual detailed analysis and simply state why this is a bad episode. It plays out like a bad Twilight Zone episode.  Unlike some "Worst ever" Star Trek episodes Return of the Archons is not campy or absurd.  There are no "Space hippies",  its just dull and repetitive.  The epsisode suffers from the following problems:

• We get no "strange new worlds". Instead its set in a TV western town with everyone in western garb. That's our "alien society". 
• We have no guest stars.  We get guest character actors. They act well enough, but they have little charisma.  And they're all 100 percent 'murican.
• Its very low budget.  The Computer at the end is box with lights.  The bad guys have broom handles which emit smoke.  Most scenes ocur in bare rooms. 
• There's little action and much talk.  Other than the "Festival" with a few broken windows, screams, and  dead bodies,  we get no sense of physical danger or action.  A slow-walking zombie mob, threatens Kirk and Spock and they put them to sleep with a phaser blast.  That's about it.
• The story is VERY static.  Kirk/Spock  beam down to the Western town (this is the whole planet) to investigate and meet people dressed in Western garb talking in a happy/zombie like manner.  They go to Hotel room and talk to people about the festival.  They meet the "resistance" and walk to another room, and talk some more.  The Bad Guys find out, & transport them to a dungeon.  They talk some more.  They wait to be brainwashed.  McCoy is brainwashed, and we think Kirk has,  and Spock is about to be. But wait, its all a ruse. Psych! The guy who runs the mind altertering machine is a member of the resistance, and lets Spock go, and never brainwashed Kirk.  Spock and Kirk overpower the guards, meet the computer who runs the whole society, and Kirk destroys it.  The end.
• There's little or no humor.  The Dialogue is forgettable. Sulu gets to overact but everyone else is on cruise control. Uhuara and Scotty are given little to do.
• Typical dull Dialogue: You have come to a world without hate, without fear, without conflict, no war, no disease, no crime. None of the ancient evils. Landru seeks tranquility, peace for all, the universal good.
• Its just dull. Very, very dull. I notice the people who like it, don't talk about the actual episode -what's on the screen. Instead, they use the episode as a way to pontificate about philosophical issues.
• Finally,  Kirk's reason for violating the prime directive is weak.  Basically, Archon society isn't a "living, growing Society" so Kirk has to destroy it. While society is controlled by the Computer, it has no problems.  But also total Conformity.  Not my cup of tea, but Kirk decides this is so awful he must totally change it.  Talk about cultural imperialism.  Notice that in order to get us, the audience, to agree with Kirk, we have the ridiculous "Red Hour" and the computer - for no reason - threatening the Enterprise. 

TOS - And the Children Shall Lead

Plot:  The USS Enterprise arrives at a Research Colony and finds all the adults dead, and the surviving children devoid of grief over their parents' deaths. Once onboard the  Enterprise, the children  - in service of an evil Alien Entity - induce hallucinations and mental distress in their victims. 

Typical Dull Dialogue: 

Evil Alien: The universe will be mine to command, yours to play in.

Dr, McCoy: As Medical Officer I must warn you that unless the normal grief is tapped and released from these children, you are treading dangerously.

Shatner: Neither good nor bad. Forgettable and standard. Once again, Kirk has to convince someone of the error of their ways. And succeeds. Of Course. Rating **1/2

Supporting Cast: Uhura and Sulu are given a chance to do some acting, showing their deep seated fears. The Child actors are simply awful.  Rating *

Spock and McCoy: Not given much to do, but they do it competently. McCoy constantly reminds Kirk to go easy on the Kids. In City on the Edge of Forever,  McCoy tells Joan Collins "I'm a surgeon, not a pychiatrist".  Here, he's a pyschatrist.   Rating **/12

Guest Star: Melvin Belii wins the "Glen Campbell worst performance by a non-actor" award. Maybe Belii was confused and thought he's was reciting an anti-trust trial transcript instead of doing Star Trek. Besides being fat and non-threatening, his line readings are lifeless - when they're not weird. The "stunt casting" occured because the Producer (not Gene Roddenberry) was a friend of Belii.  Rating Zero stars

Summary: Terrible acting, abysmal special effects, and a repetitive, rather unpleasant story. The kids pump their fists, our characters react.  Belii shows up every 10 minutes and tries to be evil. And what a lame villian.  Guess, I'll use six kids to take over the Universe!  One of Star Trek's worst episodes. Rating *

Rewatchability Rating:  Poor. Its like spoiled milk. It doesn't getter any better with more viewings. 

Spock's Brain - TOS

 Plot:  An alien female played by Marj Dusay beams aboard the Enterprise and, after incapacitating the rest of the crew, surgically removes Spock's brain. Captain Kirk and the crew have just hours to locate and restore it before Spock's body dies.

Best Quote: 

Dr. McCoy: I knew it was wrong. I shouldn't have done it.

Captain James T. Kirk: What's that?

Dr. McCoy: I should have never reconnected his mouth.

Captain James T. Kirk: Well, we took the risk, Doctor.

Most Unintentionally Funny line:

Kirk: What have you done with Spock's brain?

Guest Star: Not much to say. Marj Dusay looks sexy in her outfit and boots, but there's not much she can do with lines like: "Brain? What..is..Brain?"  Rating ** 1/2  

Shatner:  Although we get some Grade A No.1 Shatner Ham during Kirk's attacks of pain,  Shatner gives a suprisingly serious and energetic performance. Given the silliness of the script, he deserves applause.  Rating ***

Spock/McCoy:  The acting of Kelly and Nimoy is the highlight of the episode, reaching its peak in the last scenes where McCoy must perform brain surgery on Spock. Nimoy perfectly portrays a mind controlled body and disembodied "brain", while McCoy is suitably concerned about doing an almost impossible task. Like Shatner, these two actors speak the ridiculous dialogue with so much sincerity/skill one can only admire them.  Rating ***

Supporting Characters:   Sulu, Checkov, Uhura, and Scottie are all given a few lines, but mostly stay in the background 

Overall Rating:  I reluctantly included this episode in my 12 worst episode list. There are a lot, lot, worse episodes. While its very juvenile and silly, it moves at a fast clip, is  well acted, and has lots of  humor, both intentional and unintentional. Unlike the other "Worst episodes", its neither boring nor badly executed. And the brain surgery scene and the scene where Kirk must choose which planet to land were engaging.  If only the rest of the story wasn't so incredibly stupid!  And the cheapness of the sets and custumes was off-putting.  At bottom though the script is to blame. You simply can't make a serious episode while uttering nonsense like "where is Spock's Brain?" or  "We must find his brain".    Rating:  ** 

Seven worst Star Trek - TOS - Episodes

1. Alternative Factor (Season 1)
2. And the Children Shall Lead
3. Lights of Zetar 
4. Mark of Gideon 
5. Plato's Step children 
6. Way to Eden
7. Return of the Archons 

Elaan of Troyus

Helen of Troy - get it?

Plot: The Enterprise is ferrying the Dohlman of Elaan to her royal wedding on the planet of Troyius. Elaan is uncivilized and after Ambassador Petri is stabbed, Kirk must prepare Elaan for her regal obligations. Meanwhile, a Klingon ship is tracking the Enterprise, and up to no good. Basically, its a mishmash of Journey to Babel and Taming of the Shrew.

Best Quote: “Am I a soft Troyian fawn to need pillows to sit on? And these ridiculous female trappings. They are an offense to my eyes.”

Guest Star:  Frances Nguyen turns in a engaging performance as the domineering Dolhman.  She's obviously having a blast playing the bratty princess, and has great chemistry with Shatner. Rating ****

Shatner:  One of Shatner's better performances as he deals with the arrogant Elaan, the Klingons,  and being in love aginst his will.  The Shatner Ham is kept to a minimum.  Rating ****

Spock/McCoy:  The boys stay in the background.  This episode is dominated by Kirk and Elaan. 

Supporting Characters:   I loved the gleem in Sulu's eyes when he's sees a chance to get back at the Klingons. The Klingon captain is suitably short of speech and threatening. 

Overall Rating:  One of my favorite Third season episodes. There's a lot going on and the episode moves at a fast clip. The closing space battle is short, but exciting. I can't praise Nguyen's performance enough or her interplay with Shatner.   Sidenote: this episode has very little SF.  With a few changes in dialogue, one could put the story and characters onboard an 1830s Sailing ship.   Rating:  **** 

Postscript:  I've been reading other reviews of this episode on the internent, primarily by "big guns" that are linked to by IMDB, or show up on a Google search...and...I was shocked.  They all hate the episode. And their reasons are incredibly stupid. It seems that the episode reminds them of "Taming of Shrew" and therefore is incredible "Sexist".  IOW, we get a strong female character, who's in charge, and they hate it!  They also don't seem to understand that Elaan is a "Shrew" that never gets "tamed".  She simply accepts that as a "Dolman" she must do her duty.

Besides the blinkered political stupidity, the other that struck me about these reviews is that they don't seem to understand one thing:  Elaan isn't human. She's a alien.  Y'see Star Trek is SUPPOSED to be about seeking out "New life" amd "New Civilizations" and going where "No man has gone before".  But these critics are really upset that Kirk and Elaan aren't standard American Leftists!  No "new forms of alien life" for these critics unless they are SJW approved.  Oh sure, we want "new civilizations - with aliens" as long as these aliens don't tresspass on the cherished beliefs of Liberal New Yorkers, circa 2010. LOL!

It reminds me of Barbara Eden laughing at the critics of Jeannie for not being "a strong woman".  She reminded them, with her usual grace and style, that Jeannie wasn't a woman.  She was 1,000 year old Genie who lived in a bottle!

Top 20 Original Star Trek Episodes

1. Balance of Terror - Season 1
2. City on the Edge of Forever - Season 1
3. The Corbomite Manuever - Season 1
4. Errand of Mercy - Season 1
5. Galilio Seven - Season 1
6. Space Seed - Season 1
7. Amok Time
8. Bread and Circuses
9. Domesday Machine
10. Journey to Babel
11. Mirror, Mirror
12. The Menagerie
13. Obession
14. Piece of the Action
15. Trouble with Tribbles
16. Ultimate Computer
17. All our Yesterdays - Season 3
18. Elaan of Troyius - Season 3
19. Let that be Your last battlefield - Season 3
20. Tholian Web - Season 3

Miami Vice - Season 1

This was the coolest cop show on TV in the 1980s. Nostalgia time. Don Johnson, Miami Beach, flashy clothes, great cars, cool music, hot women. And everything photographed so beautifully you could eat it with a knife and fork.

But re-watching it...hard to get through more than 4 episodes. Of the three recuring Cop characters, only Don Johnson could act. The dialogue is minimal and cliched. Plots? Almost non-existant. Repetitive. Take Hawaii Five-0, dumb everything down x 10, make it all about drugs/guns and you got a Miami Vice story.

Looks great. But definitely less filling. All Sizzle and no steak. Will not watch Season 2.

Little Giant (1946)

Comedy highlights? The "13x 7=28"  skit.  Abbott with a mustache playing a look alike "Cousin"

Unlike most Abbott and Costello comedies, Little Giant doesn't contain song interludes, romantic subplots or an exciting chase finish.  And the boys aren't doing comedy gags, here they play comic characters. Costello is a country bumpkin who goes to LA to sell vaccum cleaners. Abbott plays his crooked sales manager AND his more likable cousin. The supporting female cast is given a chance to shine with statuesque Jacqueline De Wit taking the honors.   Summary: A pleasant, lightweight comedy which gives Costello a chance to take center stage and show some acting skills. Its a role that Red Skelton would've done better - but Costello is more than adequate.   Rating  **1/2

Pardon My Sarong (1942)

 One of Abbott and Costello's biggest box office hits.  A&C are Bus drivers on the lam who end up on a South Sea Isle.  There are some funny moments and gags scattered througout, and it was just the sort of escapist fare the USA wanted in the midset of WW II.  However,  we get too many medicore song & dance numbers.  And too much silliness and too many fake Polynesians.  Not bad, but forgettable.  Rating ** 1/2

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

This is often labeled A&C's best movie. And its understandable.  It has a great supporting cast of Lon Chaney, and Bela Lagosi, and Lenore Aubert (a Dracula ally who pretends to love Lou).  There's nary a wasted moment, and if Costello isn't being funny, something interesting/scary is going on.  Supposedly, Costello didn't want to do the movie, declaring the script was so bad "His little girl write better".  And you can see why Costello had that reaction. 

Almost all the enjoyment comes, not from the dialogue, but from the great actors, the direction, and Costello reactions.  But all that is excellently done. Obviously pitched to a "Teen Audience", this kid at heart enjoyed it.  Rating ***

The Wistful Widow of Wagon Gap (1947)

While I love Abbott and Costello's "Who's on first?" routine, I've never watched their movies, so I gave this one a try.  

Funniest scene:  Costello has frog soup.  Only the frog is a little on the raw side.

Props to George Cleveland as the "Judge".  

A&C play a comedy trope you can see in Crosby-Hope or Wheeler & Woolsey. One partner is the con-man and the other a gullible boob (and gets most of the laughs). Anyway,  Wistful Wagon is pretty funny as A&C end up in a Lawless Western town that forces Costello to support a Widow (well played by Marjorie Main) and her seven kids.  Its even more fun when Costello becomes bullet-proof since anyone who kills him must take his place. Its only 78 minutes, and that includes some gun play and a song.  Enjoyable.  Rating ***

Trafic (1971) tati.

Trafic is a shorter and much more conventional Tati film than Playtime. Here, Tati, his sancho panza, and a pushy American PR girl, drive their new Camper Car from Paris to the Automobile Show in Amsterdam. Needless to say, everything goes wrong. Like other Tati films, the humor is subtle and low key. I think an American director would've taken the scenes and made them more madcap and absurd.

Funniest scene: A filling station, instead of giving out green stamps, gives out big plaster busts of famous personages!

Summary: Tati made this at age 64, and who is incredibly funny at 64? I'd place it 5th amongst Tati's films, I've seen after Mr. Hulot's Holday, Playtime, Jour de fête, and Mon Oncle. But its genial fun and quite charming.

Thou Shalt not Grow Old (2018)

About British Troops on the Western Front in WW I.  The Documentary uses vivid coloralization to literally breathe life into old stockage footage and make these soldiers come alive.  My only criticicism? The horrors of war is hit a little too hard.  One of the best of its kind. Rating ***** 

Playtime (1967)

 You really have to admire Playtime but also wonder what in the world Tati was thinking. How did he ever think this self-indulgent 2 hours almost silent movie could be a hit?  There are plenty of smiles and chuckles to be had, and much cleverness, but  no belly laughs.  And he shot entirely in medium-long and long shots; no closeups, no reaction shots, no over the shoulder.  I can't imagine Joe Sixpack sitting in a theater and enjoying it much.

Forturnately I was able to see it on DVD and was able to take breaks and come back.  And it does improve on a 2nd viewing. You not only pick up on jokes missed the first time, you understand there's a story in all these seemingly unconnected scenes.  Summary I like the movie and plan to see it again, but I still wish that Tati had tried to be funnier and less clever and subtle.  Rating ***

Pocketful of Miracles (1961)

First, don't make the mistake I did.  I saw Pocketful of Miracles after the original Lady for a Day. You'll enjoy Pocketful much more, if you reverse the order. 

That out of the way,  this isn't a bad movie.  But its not particularly good either.  Bette Davis, Glenn Ford and Hope Lange are miscast - but adequate, Peter Falk is always a delight, and you have a ton of great supporting characters. But it drags on too long (137 minutes!) and the wide-screen technicolor further drains any life from the proceedings.  Sidenote: Wilder was smart to film "Some like it Hot" and "The Apartment"  in B&W. 

One feels sorry for Capra.  All the people he wanted to cast turned it down, (like Sinatra and Helen Hayes) so he was forced to make do. Glenn Ford did an excellent job playing a gangster in Mr. Soft Touch but it was different kind of role from Dave the Dude.  In Pocketful he's on the dull side. Bette Davis, whatever her greatness, was NEVER sweet and lovable. And while Hope Lange is lovable ,  she's just wrong for her part. 

Lady for a Day vs. Pocketful of Miracles 

Capra made Lady for a Day at the height of the Depression only a few years after Damon Runyon had written the original story. Dispite being a fairy-tale in many respects, there's a realness and contemporary energy to it.  The cast fit their roles, and the movies zips along without a dull moment.  Here, in Pocketful we have a technicolor period piece full of stars.  Made in 1961, the class issues seem irrelevant, and the movie just plods along.  Its 41 minutes longer than Lady for a Day despite having thes same plot!

Least Favorite Character Actors

 Excluded from the list are actors who went on to become leading men and leading ladies. Also, I've combinted actresses and actors in one list.  So here we go:

1. Earl Holiman
2. Jack Albertson
3. Martin Balsam (The Blandest of the Bland)
4. Red Buttons 
5. Ed Asner
6. Jane Darwell 
7. Hugh Griffith
8. Oscar Levant
9. Arthur McConnell 
10. Burgess Meredith (Good as the Penguin)
11. Ann Revere
12. Peter Ustinov (Good in Spartacus)
13. Robert Vaughn
14. Whoppi Goldberg
15. Shelly Winters (Tolerable in Posediean Adventure)

Lady for a Day (1933)

 Capra at his corniest. Heartwarming tale of homeless"Apple Annie" who poses as a member of high society when her daughter and fiancee come to visit.  Quite deservedly, 74 y/o May Robson recieved an Academy Award nomination.  She's a perfect fit for Apple Annie as are  Guy Gibbee (Pool Hustler Harry) and Warren William (Dave the Dude).  It seems that Marie Dressler and WC Fields both turned down roles.  Summary:   An old fashioned, improbable, fun movie, with an excellent lead perfromance, and touches of charm and humor. Rating ***

Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

 Even though I loved Roald Dahl's  book as a kid,  I never saw the movie till now. I was too young for the original movie release and too old when it came out on V/C tape. Anyway, I didn't miss anything.  Gene Wilder is completely miscast** as "Willie wonka".  Even odder, its a musical and Wilder can't sing and the songs are mediocre.  To compound the damage the movie looks cheap, changes the story for no reason, and casts Jack Albertson (of all people) in a signficant role.  And I hate Jack Albertson. 

I think making it a live action film as a opposed to a Disney Animation was a big error.  Evidently, whoever bought the movie rights didn't think it would be a boxoffice smash and budgeted only $3 Million. And they were right to be skeptical since it only brought in $4 million.  However, it now has a  7.8 IMBD rating!

Summary:  As proven by  the Pre-1970, Disney films,  you can make a film that pleases both the young and the "young at heart".  But this old, aged "kid" hated this movie.  I doubt i would've liked it at age 10.  Were Gene Wilder and Jack Albertson *really* box office insurance in 1971?  They must have been cast for other reasons. And those songs!  A massive drop from the Jungle Book.  While Dahl wasn't English, you have to wonder if an English production might have done a better job.  Rating *

** = what makes the casting of Wilder even more weird, is that Wonka in the book is an old man. which means ANYONE could have been cast.  What about Robert Preston? Or Rex harrison? Or Spike Mulligan? Or Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly? Or Cary Grant? 

Barfly (1987)

 Although based on Bukowski's own screenplay Barfly fails to capture the essence of  his fiction.  Bukowski's fiction  is energtic and interesting.  The film wasn't. Maybe its the old problem of  trying to transfer good prose to the Big Screen.  Anyway, despite some good acting by Mickey O'Rourke and Faye Dunaway, Barfly is a drunken bore. Too bad.  Rating **

Kiss Them for Me (1957)

Story? Three Navy WW II Combat Fliers go on a 4-day leave in San Francisco and find romance and comedy. But its an extremely dull farce. Or, I think it was supposed to be a farce.  Anyway there are several problems with the movie.

The casting 

Evidently, after getting Cary Grant and Jayne Mansfield the producers ran low on $$. So, the rest of the cast is unknowns and "B" actors. We end up with the following cast (or should I say miscast):

• Cary Grant, - age 52 - too old to be a Navy Aviator
• Ray Walston - age 43 -  too old and odd to be a Navy Aviator
• Larry Blyden - age 32 - but a nobody with zero charisma.
• Suzy Parker - a former model who can't act
• Werner Klemperer - dull and unbelivable as a Navy PR guy 
• Jayne Mansfield  -  given little to do - a live cartoon.

Second Problem

The film has a glossy  look and Director Donen keeps things moving, but its still nothing a filmed play that never leaves the Fairmont Hotel.  There's a lot of talk and not much action.  It needs better jokes.

Third problem

We're supposed to laugh at the fliers cynical attitude toward women & wartime heroism and cheer when they call out the phony civilians, but it all seems tired and forced. We've seen it done before and done better.  In fact, audiences in 1957 thought the same thing - Kiss them for Me  bombed at the boxoffice.  Given the film was based a best seller  there was a good story in there somewhere. But the whole thing is badly executed. 

Summary:  Widely regarded as one of Cary Grant's worst movies.  Casting is key in Comedy. And  this mediocre script needed a much better one. Maybe if you'd had Jack Lemmon, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Billy Wilder involved. Hey, that sounds like a pretty good cast, wonder if they ever got together and made a movie? Rating *