It’s been more than a week since I finished reading the Bert Lahr biography, “Notes on a Cowardly Lion“, written by his son, John. I am still emotionally involved. Why? Why does a book written more than 40 years ago about… Read More ›
Movies
JIMMY STEWART AND THE ALMOST INTERVIEW
Full disclosure upfront, I never met Jimmy Stewart. No interviews. No emails. No phone conversations. But I’ve got Jimmy Stewart in my brain, TCM’s was airing most of the legendary star’s films from the 1930s through 1980s. There was a… Read More ›
ABOUT THE OSCARS
Fandango’s Provocative Question #214 So what about those Oscars, eh? They have become increasingly irrelevant to many of us, especially since many of us haven’t seen any of the movies up for awards — and the ones we saw and liked… Read More ›
ARE WE PLAYING EXTRA INNINGS?
Fandango’s Flashback Friday — May 13th — Just one day late This is a 2021 flashback but I’ve done so much editing on it, it’s sort of a new flashback. The subject of whether or not we have an afterlife keeps… Read More ›
GOD HAS A PLAN
I was still trying to figure out if John Oliver was really going off the air or we’d just missed the final few minutes of his piece because there was a sports emergency which had interrupted the show. It was… Read More ›
SABOTAGE – AND – MURDER
Alfred Hitchcock Presents and the subsequent series, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, ran from 1955 to 1965. I often get to see it on METV. That means I am up too late as it runs at midnight here. Hitchcock only directed… Read More ›
VILLAGE MEMORIES: HARRY BELAFONTE by GARRY ARMSTRONG
In 1968, back when Greenwich Village was where all the “cool people” hung out, Leon Bibb was a popular folk singer and a frequent guest on the folk show I hosted at WVHC at Hofstra University (which was still a… Read More ›
“TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD” REVISITED – GARRY ARMSTRONG
We talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. We seem to be going backwards. It’s great cocktail conversation among progressives, but not much happens when the party is over.
BEWARE THE PELLET WITH THE POISON – A FRIDAY FLASHBACK
Fandango’s Flashback Friday — April 7th A Friday flashback and a very happy 81st birthday to Garry! It’s might be in the chalice from the palace or possibly in the vessel with the pestle. On the other hand, it might be… Read More ›
MOSES, MEL, AND ME – GARRY ARMSTRONG
Before I put a finger on the keyboard, I admit this is probably heresy, at least to some people. As Easter approaches, one simply doesn’t make fun of religious movies. But I do. Last night, Marilyn and I had our annual viewing of… Read More ›
EPIPHANY: THE MOMENT OF CHANGE
Sometimes in life, we recognize the precise time when our life changed. Something happened. Maybe it was a phone call or a random conversation. It could be a letter or something we read in a book. It wasn’t necessarily an… Read More ›
SHUT UP AND WATCH
The Monday Morning Dawdle Are you quiet or vocal when watching television, a movie, or a film? Can you sit there with others and watch silently, or are you filled with oohs, ahhs, and other gesture forms? I talk to… Read More ›
ALL WE NEED IS A CHEERY SONG TO BRIGHTEN OUR DAY
When you find yourself in Rome, sing a cheerful song. Presented by Monty Python and the “Life of Brian.” At my funeral, I hope everyone sings this song. It’s the bright side of death.
RUN AWAY, RUN AWAY!
Thus went the cry of Monty Python’s Knights of the Round Table in “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” They didn’t have horses, but they had coconut shells they used to make clopping, hoof-like sounds. “Run away, run away!” Oh how… Read More ›
AN OUTBREAK OF PEACE – CHRISTMAS 1914
The Christmas truce (German: Waffenstillstand; French: Trêve de Noël) was a series of widespread but unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front during the Christmas season of 1914. During the days leading to Christmas, German and British soldiers left their trenches… Read More ›
THE FUTURE WENT ON TRIAL AND LOST
“INHERIT THE WIND” AND THE SCOPES TRIAL The Scopes Trial was officially The State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes. The trial is usually referred to as the Scopes Monkey Trial. It was held in Tennessee in 1925. In it, John Scopes… Read More ›
A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS
Fandango’s Provocative Question #188 Let’s have some fun this week. Or what I hope you’ll think is fun. My question is simple. It’s all about favorites. If you were asked to name your absolute favorite in each of the following categories,… Read More ›
GARRY AND BERNIE SCHWARTZ
Those of you who are regular visitors to this site know I like to share stories about my encounters with legendary stars from old Hollywood. The shares come from my working days as a TV news reporter. It was a… Read More ›
MY HEROES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN COWBOYS – GARRY ARMSTRONG
I just finished reading the definitive biography of legendary film director, John Ford. It’s a wonderful read by Scott Eyman who specializes in biographies of Hollywood legends. “Pappy” Ford, of course, was the master of western films — from the… Read More ›
TRUTH & MYTH: EARP, HOLLIDAY & BAT
Everyone knows the story of Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the OK Corral. It’s possibly the most iconic story out of the “wild west.” But there are many more stories yet untold. I’ve been following the trail of this one for a… Read More ›
SERENDIPITY: SEEKING INTELLIGENT LIFE ON EARTH 