Selling My Books on the Streets of Brooklyn 12/16 - Pairs

Last night PBS in NYC ran Soldier in the Rain (1963), a film starring Steve McQueen, of which he had complete creative control. It is mediocre, perhaps less, hurt most by the broad caricature McQueen invests in the protagonist. Always one of my favorites, this may be the only bad performance of his great career. He had a naturalism for which many actors would sell their soul. I think the movie would have worked better with less comedy and more drama. It is based on a novel by William Goldman, who later wrote the screenplays for significant works such as Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), Marathon Man (1976) and All the President's Men (1976). Soldier in the Rain does have one fascinating element: the offbeat pairing of Jackie Gleason and Tuesday Weld. "The Great One" is in understated mode here, as he was for his great performances in Requiem for a Heavyweight (1962) and The Hustler (1963), work in complete contrast to his portrayal of the beloved Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners. Weld, an under-rated actress, was her gorgeous, vivacious self in Soldier...., sunshine personified. Unfortunately, she was rarely called on by Hollywood to be much more than a sex kitten. She played Ricky Nelson’s girl in some episodes of Ozzie and Harriet, and the object of desire, Thalia Meninger, on Dobie Gillis. She brightens every frame of film in which she appears.

Later, I turned to Antenna TV and encountered another great pairing on Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Dick Van Dyke and Stella Stevens, another great beauty cast almost exclusively by producers as a blond bombshell, although she was very talented, especially in comic roles. Her story is inspiring: married at 15, a mom at 16 (actor Andrew Stevens), divorced at 17. She would not be held back. She is one of the most popular Playboy centerfolds of all-time, has amassed 140 screen credits, and is still working.

Kudos to these amazing women. Here are pictures of them in their youth:

Facts culled at IMDb.
The floating book shop was rained out today, which allowed me to get some Christmas shopping done. I bought books. I belong to a family of readers. I was the only one stupid enough to become a writer.
Visit Vic's sites:
Vic's Third Novel (Print or Kindle): http://tinyurl.com/7e9jty3
Vic's Website: http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature/
Vic's Short Story Collection (Print or Kindle): http://www.tiny.cc/Oycgb
Vic's 2nd Novel: http://tinyurl.com/6b86st6
Vic's 1st Novel: http://tiny.cc/94t5h
Vic's Screenplay on Kindle: http://tinyurl.com/cyckn3