Total Pageviews

Tuesday, December 5, 2017

The Writer's Life 12/5 - Cinematic Miracle & More

There's a new biography on Michael Curtiz, director of Casablanca (1942) and other successful films. An article in today's NY Post by Lou Lumenick deals specifically with the difficulties that arose while shooting the classic, as outlined in Alan E. Rode's book. I'd heard the gist of it previously, but the details are so interesting. Seven writers worked on the screenplay at one time or another. One, Casey Robinson, thought so little of it he turned down credit for what would have been his only Oscar. Paul Henried, who demanded top billing along with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, described the script as "lousy." By some miracle, working on the fly, making changes daily, it all came together. Bogie and Curtiz almost came to blows over how the lines should have been delivered in the airport scene. Producer Hal B. Wallis, long before his association with Elvis and the Colonel, stepped between the titans. Wallis also came up with the classic closer: "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." It was dubbed onto the print weeks after the production had closed down. The film received eight Academy Award nominations, winning three, for Best Film, screenplay and director. And it is usually listed at or the near the top on lists of the greatest films of all time. Curtiz really earned his pay.


There are many predictable aspects of sports. One is the Steelers beating the Bengals. Pittsburgh has now won six straight against its division rival. Last night's game was particularly brutal. There were a total of eleven personal fouls, and Cincinnati was flagged 13 times for a total of 173 yards, a team record. PK Chris Boswell won it with a field goal as time expired, the second week in a row he has done that. Maybe the Bengals' players should kneel in protest of their ineptitude.

I don't know what to think of the Net Neutrality controversy. My instincts are always to support the opposite of what politicians propose.

A  NY Post blurb had me laughing out loud. Citizens of a community in Ireland claim fumes from a plant run by Pfizer, maker of Viagra, are arousing men. One woman said: "One whiff and you're stiff." The company says it's a myth. Regardless, I hope a plant is built here is Sheepshead Bay, preferably on the roof of our co-op.

I made the call to Cablevision to cancel the TV portion of my package. The woman on the line made an offer that was tempting: 100 megabytes of internet and the same basic package for $71 and change plus tax. I declined, the speed I have currently more than adequate. Then, like Don Corleone, she made an offer I couldn't refuse: $64 and change plus tax for what I'd already had. I unhooked the antenna and plugged in the cable. I'm interested to see if the picture continues to break up constantly. It may have been doing so because I somehow had placed a bookcase on the wire, which I discovered while moving fixtures around. The next time there's an increase I'll have the leverage of an antenna to fight it.

I expected the floating book shop to be rained out today. Fortunately, it looks like the storm will occur overnight, something that has happened several times recently. My thanks to the couple who bought two books in Russian, and to Ludmila, who purchased a book on health in that language; and to the gentleman who selected Tales of Hoffman by E.T.A. Hoffman and Ask the Dust by John Fante.
Vic's Sixth novel: http://tinyurl.com/zpuhucj 
Vic's Short Works: http://tinyurl.com/jy55pzc
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)