Jackie Robinson's son David, 66, is a coffee farmer in Tanzania, where he owns 200 acres. The seeds were planted in him when his mom took him to Africa in 1967 so that he might explore his roots. He returns to the states twice a year, and will participate in ceremonies honoring his dad this weekend.
Rhode Island is home to a most unusual tourist attraction, a 60-foot advertising display of a blue termite. It overlooks a highway in Providence. Here it is:
Last night the Svengoolie program, channel 33 on Cablevision in NYC, ran Abbott & Costello Go to Mars (1953), which is at the lower end of the iconic duo's canon. The face of Allura, the Queen of Venus (the boys never make it to Mars), was familiar but I was unable to recall her name. Mari Blanchard, a California girl, had an interesting history. At nine she was stricken by polio myelitis. Her mom, a psychotherapist, worked with her for three years and she was able to walk again. Much of the rehab involved swimming. At 17 Mari ran away and joined a circus, where she rode elephants and did trapeze work. Her mom tracked her down and brought her home. She enrolled at USC and earned a degree in international law. While working for a modeling agency, she was noticed by cartoonist Al Capp, who patterned one of the L'il Abner characters after her. She lacked luck in Hollywood, losing roles to other actresses that may have provided a springboard for her career. She participated almost exclusively in B movies. During her starring stint in She Devil (1957), she nearly died from acute appendicitis. She guest-starred on many TV shows in the 50's and 60's. She has 61 titles listed under her name at IMDb. At 40 she began a seven-year battle with cancer, which she lost in 1970. Here's a quote attributed to her: "Basically I'm a career girl. I want to prove myself as an actress. Maybe I won't . . . But I'll have to search until I do. I'll do it--or die trying. I've got lots to learn about pictures . . . I've worked hard. When I know I haven't given my best to a scene, I suffer." Life is so unfair to an unlucky few. Here's a pic of the brainy beauty:
The weather has gone into a complete reversal. Gone is the warmth and glorious sunshine of the past two days. The dreary pattern that has dogged NYC since early March has returned. With the threat of rain in the air this day, I thought it best to work under the scaffold at my usual nook. Fortunately, the second best parking spot opened up after a half hour wait, so I didn't have to lug the crates very far. All sales were in Russian. My thanks to the woman who bought twelve hardcover thrillers, and to the one who purchased a children's book.
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