The Vessel, just outside the Hudson Yards upscale mall at
33rd St and 11th Ave in NYC is a spiral staircase. This
interactive artwork was imagined by Thomas Heatherwick and Heatherwick Studio
as a focal point where people can enjoy new perspectives of the city and
one another from different heights, angles and vantage points. Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting
flights of stairs -- almost 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings -- the
vertical climb offers remarkable views of the city, the river and beyond.
NOT THE FIRST CHOICE
Perhaps the most popular, successful, and iconic “buddy-movie” pairing of all time was Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the ROAD pictures. It was a perfect pairing, especially as each actor was already a true American icon and movie star individually before being paired.
But I am sure you will be surprised to know that the first ROAD picture was originally written as a vehicle for George Burns and Gracie Allen! Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie were also considered for the leads before they finally, and thankfully, went to Hope and Crosby.
It is impossible to picture anyone but Peter Falk as Lt Columbo. But Falk was not the first actor to play the role on television, and not the first choice for the long-running series.
The character of Lt. Columbo first appeared in a 1960 episode of the television anthology series The Chevy Mystery Show titled "Enough Rope", and was played by Bert Freed. The episode was partly derived from the short story “Dear Corpus Delicti” by Levinson and Link that had appeared in an issue of the Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine. Levinson and Link adapted the TV episode into a stage play titled PRESCRIPTION: MURDER, which starred Thomas Mitchell (Uncle Billy in IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE) as the detective. Columbo returned to the small screen in a TV movie of the stage play.
L + L had suggested Lee J. Cobb and Bing Crosby for the role of Columbo in the tv movie, but Cobb was unavailable and Crosby turned it down because it would interfere with his golf. And so, Peter Falk became the colorful detective.
By now we all probably know that Jack Haley was cast to replace Buddy Ebsen, who had an allergic reaction to the makeup, as the Tin Man in THE WIZARD OF OZ. But did you know that Ray Bolger was originally hired for the role, with Buddy Ebsen as the Lion. Bolger wanted to play the Lion and convinced the studio to allow him to switch roles with Ebsen.
Tammy Grimes was the initial choice of producer/director William Asher to play the suburban witch Samantha on BEWITCHED. However, Grimes turned down the role to star in Noel Coward’s musical HIGH SPIRITS (which I remember seeing on Broadway as a youth), an adaptation of his play BLITHE SPIRIT. Grimes was replaced by Asher’s wife Elizabeth Montgomery.
And John Forsythe was not the first choice for the role of Blake Carrington on DYNASTY. George Peppard was initially cast as Carrington. But he quit one week into filming the premiere episode due to creative differences with the writers.
The first Broadway musical I saw as a child (age 5) was THE MUSIC MAN. The star of the show was, of course, Robert Preston. Preston was the perfect man for the part, but he was not the first choice.
Meredith Wilson had written the role of Professor Harold Hill for his friend, bandleader Phil Harris, but Harris did not want to risk the move to Broadway. It was offered to and rejected by Gene Kelly and Danny Kaye. Ray Bolger lost the part because his manager, also his wife, made too many unrealistic demands, including the addition of a solo number for Ray similar to “Once in Love With Amy” from his hit CHARLIE’S AUNT. Eventually Robert Preston was cast.
And, while a great success in the original stage version, Preston was not first choice for the film version, partly because he was not a box office star. Jack L. Warner wanted Frank Sinatra to play the part, but Meredith Wilson insisted on Preston. Cary Grant had also been approached by Warner to play Hill but he declined, telling Warner "nobody could do that role as well as Bob Preston".
As an aside, while I did like Craig Bierko in the revival of THE MUSIC MAN, the first Broadway musical I saw in the new millennium – if you closed your eyes you could almost picture Robert Preston as Bierko sang “Trouble” – I thought Matthew Broderick, who I loved in THE PRODUCERS, was horrible casting in the tv movie version, just as Jason Alexander was horrible casting as Albert Peterson in the tv movie of BYE BYE BIRDIE.
Frank Sinatra was originally cast as Billy Bigelow in the 1956 film adaptation of CAROUSEL. A combination of throat problems and prior commitments forced Frank to bow out and be replaced by Gordon MacRae. Another aside - one of my favorite recordings by Sinatra is his version of SOLILOQUY.
Steve McQueen was first offered the roles of Sundance in BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID and Popeye Doyle in THE FRENCH CONNECTION before they eventually went to Robert Redford and Gene Hackman.
Harrison Ford was not the first choice for either of his iconic roles. Al Pacino was first offered the part of Han Solo in STAR WARS, but passed on it because he felt it was too "out there." The role was also offered to Jack Nicholson, Chevy Chase and Bill Murray before Harrison Ford was finally cast.
Tom Selleck had been cast as Indiana Jones but could not follow through because of his MAGNUM PI contract. Tom did go on to make the less successful Indiana Jones-esque film THE HIGH ROAD TO CHINA.
We all have heard that Pierce Brosnan had to turn down the role of JAMES BOND after Roger Moore’s run because of his REMINGTON STEELE contract. But he eventually did take over the role.
And finally, Mark Harmon was not the first choice for Leroy Jethro Gibbs in NCIS. It has been reported that Don Johnson was offered the role but turned it down and that CBS wanted Harrison Ford.
Have you ever considered becoming a paid tax preparer? share my advice and comments on the tax preparation business for those who are thinking about becoming a paid tax preparer in SO YOU WANT TO BE A TAX PREPARER.
"Mr. Flach's
book . . . should be required reading for anyone who's considering getting into
the tax business as a tax preparer."
Andy Frye
This book can also provide help to tax preparers who would like to expand their practice.
. The
cost of this book is only $10.95 - postage included.
Click here for more information.
BETCHA DIDN’T KNOW
The screenplay for 1963 movie THE BIRDS, loosely based on a 1952 short story by Daphne du Maurier, was written by novelist Evan Hunter, the author who wrote the novel BLACKBOARD JUNGLE and also wrote the 86th Precinct police procedurals under the pen name Ed McBain. Hitch wanted a “serious” novelist to write the screenplay. Hunter had written episodes of Hitchcock’s tv series.
Evan Hunter was itself a pen name. His real name was Salvatore Albert Lombino. He used the name Evan Hunter because of prejudice against writers with foreign names. He also wrote as John Abbott, Curt Cannon, Hunt Collins, Ezra Hannon, and Richard Marsten.
The original script has the car with Rod Taylor and Tippi Hedren driving through a town full of devastation caused by birds and a final massive coordinated bird attack of the car. That ending is not what Hitchcock first wanted.
Evan, or Ed, or Salvatore, told me an original ending of the film had them driving into San Francisco and seeing the Golden Gate Bridge covered in birds, indicating that the havoc was not localized.
Hitchcock also did not want the words “THE END” to appear on screen, but it was added by the studio.
As promised, this is a “twofer” – two things Evan, or Ed, or Salvatore, told me. I met him, and his beautiful wife, twice decades ago – as a guest lecturer on a mystery-themed transatlantic cruise on the QE2 and as a participant (playing one of the characters) at a murder mystery week-end at the Mohonk Mountain House in upstate New York.
So, number 2 – why did he write the 87th Precinct series under the name Ed McBain?
When Earle Stanley Gardner decided to stop writing the very popular Perry Mason books his publisher wanted a new series to replace this big money-maker. They approached Evan Hunter, who created the 87th Precinct series
Back
in the 1950s, unlike today, detective and mystery fiction was considered “pulp”
and B-list writing, and its writers were considered B-list writers. The pen name of Ed McBain was used for the
87th Precinct series so Evan Hunter’s reputation as an A-list “serious” and
“legitimate” novelist would not be “tarnished”.
WE’RE
NOT IN KANSAS NEW JERSEY ANY MORE
I moved from metropolitan New Jersey – across the “pond” from the Big Apple - to rural North East Pennsylania 10 YEARS years ago, going from a “blue” state to a “red” state. Things are a bit different here in “the country”. For example -
(1) I never thought I would hear this said in a holiday season radio advertisement -
“A new luger under the Christmas tree will mean a lifetime of pleasure!”
I realize here in the country guns and hunting are often a part of everyday life, but this still sounds wrong to me.
My first introduction to the proliferation of guns in my new home was when I learned that one of the items you can use to verify your identity when renewing your PA driver’s license is your gun license.
(2) One day while reading the “Do Something” column of the local newspaper I came across the announcement for a “Manure Management Workshop”.
And it had nothing to do with political public relations.
(3) My first time voting as a Pennsylvania resident was the 2012 Presidential election.
As I introduced myself to the panel at my polling place and was signing in the Republican challenger, who had overheard that I was a new PA resident, came over to welcome me, publicly announcing (I assume jokingly) – “Here in Pennsylvania the Republicans pay $20.00 per vote.”
My response – “I just came from Hudson County, NJ where the Democrats paid $25.00 per vote.”
FYI, in Hudson County NJ it is, or at least at one time was, practically illegal not to vote Democrat. And we were told by the local Democratic Party to vote early and vote often, and to remind our deceased relatives to also vote early and often.
I was not upset or offended by the challenger’s greeting, and accepted it as a joke. But I couldn’t help thinking that if he had said that to me at a Jersey City polling place he would have been promptly physically evicted and escorted to jail.
By the way – I actually did vote Republican (something I will probably never do again) – for Romney - in that election, but never got my $20.00!
(4) All kinds of weird stuff happened locally when I lived in Jersey City, and nothing I would read in the Jersey Journal would surprise me. I thought I had escaped all the crazy people and happenings when I moved from the city to the country
But what is described in the following headline, which appeared shortly after my move, never occurred (to my knowledge anyway) anywhere in Hudson County NJ -
“Pennsylvania Man Jumps Out of Window, Gnaws Woman’s Head in Bloody Attack.”
What happened?
“Richard Cimino Jr., 20, was arrested in Hawley, Pa. after he allegedly broke into a house before emerging from a window naked and bloody then began to chew on a passing woman’s head in a so-called ‘cannibal’ attack.”
Fortunately, it was a truly unique incident and nothing near as bizarre has been reported since.
Of course, now that I live in NEPA my
auto insurance premiums have been cut in half, the total real estate taxes on
my condo were just slightly over $600, the air is cleaner, life is more relaxed
. . . the list goes on and on.
ATTENTION DUAL INCOME MARRIED NJ TAXPAYERS ON EXTENSION
Have you filed your 2021 tax returns yet? If not (this does not work on an amended return) before doing so you should purchase and read my special report AVOID NEW JERSEY TAXES LEGALLY to find out how to save from hundreds of dollars to thousands of dollars in NJ state income tax (and maybe some federal tax as well), depending on the extent and source of your individual incomes.
This report includes several historical real-life examples from my tax practice (I have been preparing NJ-1040s for as long as there has been a NJ-1040 and recently retired after completing 50 tax seasons) of how I used a special strategy and loophole to save my clients hundreds to thousands of dollars in NJ state income tax and a special worksheet to use to calculate your tax savings.
It also briefly discusses other ways to legally avoid NJ state income taxes.
I will send you this special report for $6.99 plus $1.80 postage and mailing – a total of only $8.79.
Send your check or money order (payable to TAXES AND ACCOUNTING, INC) for $8.79 and your postal mailing address to –
AVOID NJ TAXES LEGALLY
TAXES AND ACCOUNTING INC
POST OFFICE BOX A
HAWLEY PA 18428
AMERICA’S GREATEST THREAT
I have been voting for 50 years. Over the years I have voted for Democratic, Republican and 3rd-Party candidates, based on the individual issues and candidates. I have never been a “card-carrying” member of any political party and I have not registered as either a Democrat or Republican since my early 20s.
Never in my lifetime, until now, have I been able to say with
certainty that the greatest threat to America, the American people,
American democracy, American freedoms, and true American values is a major political
party – the Republican Party.
Today’s Republican Party
is controlled by the racist and repressive so-called “evangelicals” of the
Religious Right, has been bought and paid for by the despicable NRA, and has
completely embraced malignant narcissist and wannabe dictator Trump and his
lies.
In the history of our
country no one single individual has done more damage to America than
Trump. The one and only accomplishment of the Trump presidency was
to embolden, empower and “legitimize” hatred, racism, bigotry, and white
supremacy.
The political divide in
America today is NOT liberal vs conservative - it is intelligence (Democrat) vs
ignorance (Republican). By embracing Trump and his lies and the Religious Right
the Republican Party has abandoned all integrity, credibility and honor and
totally abandoned all true conservative and “traditional” Republican philosophy
and policy. The agenda of today’s Republican Party is contrary to
true conservatism. The only voters the Republican Party is
interested in representing are the ignorant racists that make up Trump’s core
cult. Sadly, true conservatives and traditional Republicans no
longer have any voice in American politics today
Winston Churchill Has
been credited with saying that if you are not a liberal by age 20 you have no
heart and if you are not a conservative by age 40 you have no
head. I believe, at age 68, I have both heart and head. I
support fiscal responsibility in government and do not believe the answer to
all our problems is to tax the rich simply because they can afford it – but I
recognize the need to work together with our international allies whenever
possible and for programs that address the social and economic problems of our
citizens. Today’s Republican Party has neither heart nor head – no
empathy and no intelligence.
It is vital for the
future of America that we defeat EVERY Republican candidate in EVERY
election for EVERY office at EVERY level in 2022 who does not vocally
oppose, denounce and disavow Trump, his lies and the leadership and agenda of
today’s Republican Party.
And this, too, is
important. Trump’s lies and call to action were the direct causes of
the treasonous assault on the US Capital on January 6th. Trump
MUST be indicted, prosecuted, convicted, and incarcerated for this and his many
other crimes.
ALWAYS LEAVE ‘EM LAUGHING
Another twofer -
(1) What is the difference between Trump and a flying pig?
The letter F
(2) How many Republicans does it take to change a light-bulb?
None. Trump lies, tells them it was changed and
they sit in the dark.
TALK TO YOU NEXT MONTH.
C0PYRIGHT
© 2022 by Robert D Flach
