Thursday, January 25, 2024

THE REAL ENEMY OF AMERICA

 


Republicans today think the Democratic Party is an enemy of America because Democrats embrace more progressive and liberal policy.

But Democrats are no more an enemy than “traditional” Republicans are an enemy because they embrace true and legitimate conservative policy.

However, today’s Republican Party is truly an enemy of America.  It is the greatest threat and danger facing America, the American people, American freedom and democracy, and true American values today.  This is because it has totally embraced the fascist, racist and repressive agenda of the “Religious Right” and also embraces wannabe dictator Trump and his lies.

As I have said many times before –

Trump is a totally worthless piece of garbage, completely devoid of intelligence, integrity, and humanity, who does not possess a single redeeming positive human quality or value, and who has never performed a single totally unselfish act in his entire adult life.  In our country’s history no one single individual has done more damage to America, the American people, American freedom and democracy, and true American values than Trump.

Traditional Republicans and true conservatives, who no longer have a voice in American politics, have only one intelligent and acceptable option this November – voting for Joe Biden for President.  And voting for Democratic candidates for Congress, governorships, and state legislatures.

Absolutely nothing is more important for the future of America and the world than keeping Trump out of the White House.  And it is vital for the future of America that we work to defeat EVERY Republican candidate for EVERY office in EVERY election at EVERY level.

If Republicans win in November America truly loses.  And if Trump is put in the White House again instead of celebrating 250 years of American democracy in 2025, we will be mourning the death of America democracy.

TAFN











Saturday, November 18, 2023

 
Today I celebrate my 70th birthday.
 
One of the things I am most proud of is the fact that I have vocally and aggressively opposed and denounced ignorant, incompetent, and corrupt narcissist, sociopath, and demagogue Donald Trump since he first announced his candidacy in 2015.
 
In a letter to the editor published in my local newspaper in July of 2015 I wrote – “Perhaps the most disturbing development in American politics in my lifetime (and I am 63) is the fact that tonsorially challenged Donald Trump is taken seriously as a Presidential candidate.”
 
I have always very seriously and sincerely believed that it is literally impossible for any intelligent person to support Trump for any office of political power at any level.  Anybody who listens to Trump or reads his posts and supports him for President is a complete moron.
 
The most important thing we can do to protect America, American freedom and democracy, and true American values is to make sure Trump is never returned to the White House.
 
And make sure Trump is prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for his multitude of crimes.

TAFN
 

 

Wednesday, November 1, 2023

THE MAN WHO NEVER RETURNED

 


The most important thing we can do to protect the future of America and American freedom and democracy is to make sure corrupt, ignorant and incompetent totally self-absorbed demagogue and traitor Donald J Trump is truly “The Man Who Never Returned”.

If Trump is allowed to return to the White House as President in 2024 it will be the end of America as we know it. In 2026, instead of celebrating 250 years of American democracy we will be mourning the death of democracy.

Actually, if fascist DeSantis or just about any other Republican becomes President in 2024 it could mean the end of freedom and democracy in America.  The greatest threat to American freedom and democracy is not Russia or China but today’s Republican Party. 

It is vitally important that we work hard to defeat every Republican candidate in every election for every office at every level in 2023 and 2024.

TAFN











Monday, October 16, 2023

LIFE IMITATES ART

 


DC comics predicted the Trump presidency.  Well, kind of.

Superman’s arch-nemesis Lex Luthor first appeared, as just Luthor, in April of 1940 in Action Comics #23.  He was a middle-aged diabolical genius with a full head of red hair.  An artist’s error in a newspaper strip less than a year later resulted in Luthor’s first appearance as completely bald.

The “Silver Age” (when I was growing up) Luthor, now given the first name Lex so he could be an “LL”, was introduced in April of 1960 in Adventure Comics #271.  Teen-aged Luthor, like Clark Kent from Smallville, originally hero-worshipped Superboy.  Determined to prove he was Earth’s greatest scientist by creating artificial life, his recklessness and inexperience caused a fire in his laboratory.  Superboy arrived and put out the fire, but accidentally destroyed the artificial life form and all of Luthor’s notes, and the fumes from the chemical fire caused Luthor’s hair to fall out.  Unwilling to admit he was responsible for the fire, Luthor believed Superboy was jealous of his intellect and caused the fire and he swore revenge.

It was in the recreation of the DC Universe after the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” that Lex Luthor was changed from an evil genius scientist to an evil genius corporate executive – a billionaire businessman who was actually partially based on Trump.  This is the Luthor portrayed on TV series over the last three decades.  In the comics Luthor became the 43rd President of the United States.

There are two main differences between DC’s President Luthor and Trump.  Luthor was an evil genius – Trump is certainly not a genius (stable or otherwise), just evil.  And Luthor was surprisingly portrayed as competent during his time in office – unlike Trump, who was the most incompetent President in US history.

And, of course, Luthor was bald, while Trump is merely “tonsorially challenged”.

One major similarity.  Superman was the symbol of “truth, justice and the American way”.  So, as Superman’s enemy Luthor was the enemy of truth, justice and the American way.  Just like Trump.

TAFN












Monday, October 9, 2023

A COUPLE OF THINGS NO ONE EVER TOLD YOU

 


HOLY TURN DOWN, BATMAN!

The camp 1960s BATMAN television series was known for casting famous movie actors (and actresses), often from an earlier generation, as the weekly villain.  The list included Cesar Romero, Vincent Price, Eli Wallach, Van Johnson, Michael Rennie, George Sanders, Walter Slezak, Cliff Robertson, and Howard Duff (with wife Ida Lupino), and Talluluah Bankhead, Shelly Winters and Anne Baxter.

Iconic movie star Spencer Tracy was originally approached by the show’s producer to play Penguin, but he turned the role down.

Spencer explained in an interview how he responded to the request -

My reply cited what Maggie Sullivan said when she was offered an Andy Hardy family picture. She said, 'I'll do it when it is titled 'Death Comes to Andy Hardy.' I'll do a Batman when it's called 'Death Comes to Batman.'" 

I guess he was not a fan of the show.

SCHOOL DAYS

Over the years the success of the iconic 1955 movie THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE, adapted from the semi-autographical novel by Evan Hunter (perhaps better known as Ed McBain, author of the 87th Precinct police procedural series of novels), has inspired a genre of classroom-based movies about sensitive and sympathetic teachers dealing with the problems of teen-aged urban youth – up to my generation’s TO SIR WITH LOVE (Sidney Poitier was a student in THE BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and the teacher in TO SIR WITH LOVE) and UP THE DOWN STAIRCASE.

{Aside – I met Evan Hunter, and his beautiful wife, twice.  Once on a murder mystery themed cruise on the QE II and later at a murder mystery week-end at the Mohonk Mountain House resort hotel in New Paltz, NY.}

Three little known movies from the early 1960’s set in classrooms, two in high school and one in college, that I came across a few years ago on the TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES (TCM) cable station had some interesting choices cast in the role of the teacher – the equivalent of Glenn Ford in TBJ.

BECAUSE THEY’RE YOUNG, released in April of 1960, starred Dick Clark as a High School history teacher who becomes involved with the lives of his students (among them Tuesday Weld, Doug McClure and Michael Callan).

COLLEGE CONFIDENTIAL, released in August of 1960, cast Steve Allen as a college Sociology professor who conducts a survey about the lifestyles and sexual urges of the younger generation.  The cast also included Allen’s wife Jayne Meadows, Mamie Van Doren and rockabilly singer Conway Twitty (whose name inspired that of BYE BYE BIRDIE’s Conrad Birdie).

THE EXPLOSIVE GENERATION, released in October of 1961, was William Shatner’s first starring movie role – a High School teacher who assigns his students to write anonymous essays about sex.  The students include Billy Gray (Bud on FATHER KNOWS BEST) and Beau Bridges.

TAFN








Monday, October 2, 2023

YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT

 

Here is perhaps the most important of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s songs, from SOUTH PACIFIC –
 
You’ve got to be taught to hate and fear,
You’ve got to be taught from year to year,
It’s got to be drummed in your dear little ear—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
 
You’ve got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a different shade—
You’ve got to be carefully taught.
 
You’ve got to be taught before it’s too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate—
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
You’ve got to be carefully taught!
 
SOUTH PACIFIC was having a bit of trouble during its out of town try-outs. It appears the show was running a bit long.  Consideration was given to how to trim a few minutes from the production.  Several individuals suggested that this song be cut from the show. But Richard and Oscar would not have it – they were adamant in their support of this song. Their response was - if the song is cut, they might as well close the show out of town. Since R+H were the producers the song remained.
 
The song relevant again today in light of the current political situation.  We must NEVER allow radical fundamental Christians or Republican fascists to be able to censor or control what is taught in our public schools!
 
TAFN













Monday, September 25, 2023

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING MARGARET

 

My first introduction to Agatha Christie’s “Miss Marple” was not via the books or the BBC and ITV tv series shown in America on PBS - but from the four British films from the early 1960s starring Margaret Rutherford (she also appeared as Miss Marple in an uncredited cameo in THE ALPHABET MURDERS).
   
Some Miss Marple trivia: 

* While it was thought Agatha Christie did not approve of Rutherford’s portrayal of Marple, Christie dedicated her novel THE MIRROR CRACK'D "To Margaret Rutherford in admiration".

* Joan Hickson, who starred as the retired school teacher in the 1984 to 1992 BBC series, played a housekeeper in the first film in which Margaret Rutherford played Marple.

 * Before she updated the Marple retired school teacher detective character to modern day Jessica Fletcher, Angela Lansbury was Jane Marple in the 1980 film THE MIRROR CRACK’D, whose cast included Rock Hudson, Liz Taylor, Kim Novak, Tony Curtis and Pierce Brosnan.  And Helen Hayes assumed the role in two tv movies.

But this post is about Margaret and not Jane.

Margaret Rutherford was also known for her performance as Grand Duchess Gloriana XIII in THE MOUSE ON THE MOON (in the original THE MOUSE THAT ROARED the role was one of several played by Peter Sellers) and for her 1963 best supporting actress Oscar turn as The Duchess of Brighton in THE VIPs. 
  
Rutherford went into acting rather late in life, making her stage debut at the Old Vic in 1925 at age 33.  She achieved West End prominence as Miss Prism in THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST at the Globe Theatre in 1939.  In 1941 she was the bumbling medium Madame Arcati in Noel Coward's BLITHE SPIRIT at the Piccadilly Theatre, a role which Coward wrote for her (I saw Beatrice Lilly as Madame Arcati on Broadway in a musical version titled HIGH SPIRITS that also starred Tammy Grimes and Robert Woodward, tv’s original EQUALIZER).  She was also in the film adaptations of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST and BLITHE SPIRIT. 

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1961 and was raised to Dame Commander (DBE) in 1967.

What makes Margaret Rutherford a topic for discussion is not her professional career but her personal life and family history.

Her father, William Rutherford Benn, suffered from mental illness.  During his honeymoon he had a nervous breakdown and was confined to an asylum.  In March of 1883, after being released on holiday, he bludgeoned his father, Congregational minister Julius Benn, to death with a chamber pot.  He later tried to kill himself by slashing his throat with a pocketknife.  Benn was confined to the Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum.  Several years later he was released, reportedly cured of his mental affliction.  He changed his name to Rutherford and returned to his wife Ann.

Margaret Rutherford was born in 1892 in Balham, the only child of William Rutherford Benn’s second wife Florence.   As an infant Margaret and her parents moved to India.  She returned to England when she was three to live with an aunt in Wimbledon after her pregnant mother committed suicide by hanging herself from a tree.  Her father also returned to England and was confined once more to Broadmoor in 1904.

She married character actor Stringer Davis in 1945 and the couple appeared in many productions together, including all the Marple movies and THE MOUSE ON THE MOON.  They were happily together until Rutherford's death.  Davis nursed Rutherford through periods of depression, often involving stays in mental hospitals and electric shock treatment.  In the 1950s, Rutherford and Davis unofficially adopted the writer Gordon Langley Hall, then in his twenties.  Hall later had a sex-change operation and became Dawn Langley Simmons, under which name she wrote a biography of Rutherford in 1983.

Rutherford suffered from Alzheimer's disease at the end of her life and was unable to work.  She died on May 22, 1972, at age 80.

TAFN