Were you one of the 50,000?

If you were one of the 50,000 people across the country who signed the online petition (and made comments as well) from the Bold Progressives (Progressive Campaign Change Committee), then here are the names and comments being presented to Senator Harry Reid in Nevada:

I often wonder if all the petitions I sign with progressive groups really get through. I guess they do.

John Barry, Composer, Dies at 77

John Barry

John Barry, well known film composer, died yesterday of a heart attack in Glen Cove, N.Y.
Barry, who wrote scores for more than 100 feature films, TV films, and TV series went on to win five Oscars (the scores for “Born Free,” “The Lion in Winter,” “Out of Africa,” and “Dances with Wolves”; and best song for “Born Free”), and he was noted for composing the James Bond films. He also won four Grammys. Maybe Barry’s most memorable non-Bond score was “Midnight Cowboy.” Other credits include “Body Heat,” “The Cotton Club,” and “Chaplin.” Musically, the man was nothing if not eclectic.

Here he is in England being interviewed by Jools Holland in 2001:

Related Articles

• John Barry, Legendary Film Composer, Dead at 77 (moviefone.com)
• Bond composer John Barry dies (telegraph.co.uk)
• Film: Newswire: R.I.P. John Barry, James Bond composer (avclub.com)

Monday Morning and I’m Exhausted…

Damn Turner Classic Movies! Why do they have to show silent films at Midnight on Sunday Nights/Monday Mornings?

Louise Brooks

Last night was G. W. Pabst’s German classic “Pandora’s Box” with Louise Brooks.bThis adaptation of the Wedekind play was made in 1929 and is the film we remember Brooks for. The extreme sex-oriented history of LuLu, from her early life and murder of Dr. Schon, to her final end at the hand of Jack the Ripper in London is one of the most amazing silents and I forced myself to stay awake to watch it all.

Then, as I got ready to drop into bed (Elly and both dogs sleeping away), TCM announces that the next film up is Pabst’s 1931 “Die Dreigroshenoper” (The Threepenny Opera, by Brecht and Weill) with Lottie Lenya (at that time, Mrs. Kurt Weill) in her original role as Jenny. This was in German with English subtitles… and…as it was already 2:30 AM… I just couldn’t stay awake.

Lotte Lenya sings Pirate Jenny from Pabst’s Dreigroshenoper:

Why do they have to schedule the films I love at 2:30 in the morning?!

Related Articles

• 1929, January 30 – PREMIERE OF “PANDORA’S BOX” (todayintango.wordpress.com)
• Thomas Gladysz: Dear Stinkpot: Letters from Louise Brooks by Jan Wahl (huffingtonpost.com)
• Stupid Things I Said To Rufus Wainwright (sfgate.com)
• Mack the Knife, and biblical development (church-discipline.blogspot.com)
• Opera Review: Charged Update on ‘Beggar’s Opera’ (nytimes.com)