The Writer's Life 12/18 - Penny & Co.

RIP Bronx born actress/director Penny Marshall, 75. Her dad was Italian, born Masciarelli. She is quoted as having said: "My brother and sister were much older. They were planned. I was not planned for. I was called the mistake, amongst other things." She certainly corrected it in a big way. Although she had help breaking into show business from her highly successful brother Garry, she made her own mark. She had a number of minor roles before landing 27 episodes of The Odd Couple. Soon she won the role that would make her famous, Laverne DeFazio on Laverne and Shirley, which shot 178 episodes over eight seasons, 1976-'83. And it was there that she learned the art of directing. She was at the helm of only seven big screen features, but two were huge commercial successes and one a memorable pairing of Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams. She was the first female to direct a movie that grossed more than $100 million in the USA, Big (1988), and the first with two that surpassed that figure, A League of Their Own (1992). She left her comedy comfort zone to direct the ultra serious Awakenings (1990), doing a fine job. Although she never won an Oscar or Emmy, she did win 15 other awards, several overseas. Well done, madam. (Facts from IMDb)

Each night at nine, PBS affiliate WNDT, channel 14-1 on my over the air antenna, runs European crime dramas. I've really enjoyed two Swedish productions: Beck, whose protagonist is a commissioner, an older gentleman, and which still seems to be going strong; and Johan Falk, which seems to have completed its run. The episodes run about 90 minutes and are frequently violent, which for some reason surprised me, as I think of European societies as passive in terms of law enforcement. Then again, Steig Larsson's wildly popular Millenium novels are hardly tame. Another program is Flemming, which is shot in Berlin and runs about 40 minutes. It too has ended it run. While it's interesting, it seems a bit too pat in the psychology of human beings. The central figure is an obnoxious know-it-all detective, a Freudian Sherlock Holmes, who also hosts a TV show. Oddly, I haven't been able to get into the Italian offering, Anti-Drug Squad, which seems dominated by hip young detectives. I was unfamiliar with all the players in these series, although I've since researched them and found the names of several in fare I'd seen. Although the shows are subtitled, the print is large, easy to read. English is occasionally spoken by bad guys protecting the privacy of their nefarious discussions. Although the station has been around since 1970, it periodically changed its call letters. It began its current incarnation in 2018.

It hadn't happened in a long time. For the second straight day one of my own books sold. My thanks to the young woman who bought Exchanges, and to the gentleman who purchased four DVD's; and to the lady and gentleman who each selected a thriller in Russian.

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