ART NOTES - works by the Chinese dissident Ai Weiwei are at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. through February of 2013.
I HAD NEVER HEARD of the trilogy of erotica by the British author EL James entitled Fifty Shades of Grey - and that may have continued indefinitely. However, the drive to ban the book at several libraries (particularly in the South) has been successful in some cities and towns .... and even more successful in publicizing the book. For example: Florida's library system of Brevard County has removed the book from its shelves ..... but 50 miles away in Volusia County there were more than 200 reservations (for the Volusia system's 15 paper copies of the book) and more than 100 for the electronic version. "I have not received a single complaint," said the director of the Volusia County libraries.
FILM NOTES - a film is planned about the (now defunct) New York punk rock club CBGB - with Alan Rickman in the lead role as club owner Hilly Kristal.
WEDNESDAY's CHILD is Bubbles the Cat - who was found along with another cat (in a hiding place) after a Texas building fire.
TRAVEL NOTES - while trains using magnetic levitation propulsion - or Maglevs in common parlance - have so far not fulfilled their promise (with lines existing only in Asia) rapidly gridlocked roads and air travel hampered by delays, security and environmental concerns has governments willing to take a second look.
LEST YOU THINK that Italy is only known for wine and spirits, its beer industry has grown tremendously: with not only national light lagers such as Peroni or Moretti, but increasingly craft beers of all styles.
SEPARATED at BIRTH - two country musicians: Arkansas native Larry Donn and the soon-to-be-retired Glen Campbell - completing his farewell tour.
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FILM NOTES - the children's character Paddington Bear is to being brought to the big screen by David Heyman (the producer of the Harry Potter film series).
THEATER NOTES - plans for new Broadway musicals about the lives of silent film star Charlie Chaplin and country singer Loretta Lynn have been unveiled (with Zooey Deschanel to portray Loretta Lynn).
ART NOTES - the exhibit Phantom Limb: Approaches to Painting Today will be at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois to October 21st.
THIS COMING SATURDAY the graduation speaker at St. Mary?s College in California will be alumnus Tom Meschery - an NBA player from 1961-1971 with an interesting past. He can be considered the first Russian NBA star (as the son of Russian czarist parents, who fled during the 1917 revolution to China) as well as the first Chinese-born player (in Manchuria, 1938) as well as the first to have been in a concentration camp (run by the Japanese) before his family was able to emigrate to the US after WW-II. He is a retired high school English teacher, who has now released his third volume of poetry.
THURSDAY's CHILD is Nick the Cat - a new spokescat for Sheba cat food, whose co-star is the (now) former "Desperate Housewives" star Eva Longoria.
BRAIN TEASER - try this week's Weekly World News Quiz from the BBC.
THIS PAST THURSDAY yours truly hosted the Top Comments diary with a profile of the late disk jockey Pete Fornatale - who stood out in his profession not because he seemed to be a giant but because he sounded just like you - along with a nimble mind and an eclectic taste in music - and represents a bygone era of music radio.
FRIDAY's CHILDREN are part of five cats at Austria's first Cat Caf? - in Vienna, which boasts more than 300 years of cafe culture - owned by a Japanese national.
......and finally, for a song of the week ............... years ago a friend asked who wrote the song When You Wish Upon a Star - assuming it was a staff writer for the Disney company. Without the search tools we have today, it took awhile to learn that the music was composed by Leigh Harline, who was indeed a staff writer for the film company ... as was the lyricist Ned Washington - albeit for only a short while.
? ? ?But over time, when I kept seeing Ned Washington's name come up as the lyricist for many songs you could hear in nightclubs and piano bars - to this day, even - well, it's worth a look at one of Tin Pan Alley's most prolific writers ... whose name seems unjustly lost to history, more than thirty-five years after his death. He is someone whose work appeared on stage, films ?... and even television later in his career: in other words, the Triple Crown.
? ? ?Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1901, he was the only one of six children not to receive music lessons - perhaps, as has been speculated, because he didn't need them? He began his entertainment career as an MC on the vaudeville circuit, which led to him becoming an agent for certain entertainers, which led to his writing material for their acts ... and especially song lyrics. One of the songs he helped write was chosen for a 1928 Broadway revue, Singing in the Bathtub ?(although, heaven help me: I can only think of Bugs Bunny singing this song). He was hired by Warner Brothers and wrote for a number of Broadway shows over the next five years.
? ? ?But it was when he received a contract in 1934 (at the age of thirty-three) from MGM to come to Hollywood that his career took off. Later he wrote for Disney (as previously noted) and also for Paramount Pictures. What made him particularly attractive to the studios was his ability to write lyrics for any number of composers - and these included Victor Young, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy McHugh, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin and Bronislau Kaper.
? ? ?Beyond his songs, the films he worked on is quite impressive: for Disney, it was the film "Dumbo" as well as "Pinocchio" ?- for which "When You Wish Upon a Star" won him the first of his two shared Academy Awards. For the other studios: the list includes "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "The Unforgiven", "No, No Nanette", "Little Johnny Jones", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "Gulliver's Travels" and High Noon - the title track of which was his other Academy Award winner (and a hit later for Frankie Laine).
? ? ?Some other film (and TV) songs you may recognize: A Town Without Pity (which was later a hit for Gene Pitney), "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and the theme to Rawhide - which became another hit for Frankie Laine - all of which were written with Dimitri Tiomkin as his composer.
? ? ?But many more of his lyrics appeared in films that - even if the film was forgettable - the songs that survived became an integral part of the Great American Songbook, which you can hear today. A partial list (along with the composer of the music) must include My Foolish Heart as well as Stella by Starlight and I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You (w/Victor Young), The Nearness of You (w/Hoagy Carmichael) and I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (w/George Bassman).
? ? Ned Washington wrote well into the 1960's and died just before Christmas, 1976 at the age of 75. Besides his two Academy Awards (and he was nominated for nine others) When You Wish Upon a Star also received a Grammy Hall of Fame award and is a sort of Disney theme song.
? ? Tellingly, his work has been used in contemporary films such as "Fred Claus", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "The Black Book" and "Shrek". And best of all, four years before his death: Ned Washington (first and third photos below) was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his life's work.
?
? ? Of all of his songs, I particularly like the title track to the 1947 film On Green Dolphin Street with music composed by Bronislau Kaper. And while it has been recorded by many performers (especially since Miles Davis made it famous) when it was sung by the late Carmen McRae it was special ... and below you can listen to it.
Lover, one lovely day,
Love came, planning to stay
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The setting for nights beyond forgettingAnd through these moments apart
Memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
I could kiss the ground on
Green Dolphin Street
......and finally, for a song of the week ............... years ago a friend asked who wrote the song When You Wish Upon a Star - assuming it was a staff writer for the Disney company. Without the search tools we have today, it took awhile to learn that the music was composed by Leigh Harline, who was indeed a staff writer for the film company ... as was the lyricist Ned Washington - albeit for only a short while.
But over time, when I kept seeing Ned Washington's name come up as the lyricist for many songs you could hear in nightclubs and piano bars - to this day, even - well, it's worth a look at one of Tin Pan Alley's most prolific writers ... whose name seems unjustly lost to history, more than thirty-five years after his death as someone whose work appeared on stage, films and even television later in his career.
? ? ?Born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1901, he was the only one of six children not to receive music lessons - perhaps, as some have speculated, because he didn't need them? He began his entertainment career as an MC on the vaudeville circuit, which led to him becoming an agent for certain entertainers, which led to his writing material for their acts ... and especially song lyrics. One of the songs he helped write was chosen for a 1928 Broadway revue, Singing in the Bathtub ?(although, heaven help me, I think of Bugs Bunny singing this song). He was hired by Warner Brothers and wrote for a number of Broadway shows over the next five years.
? ? ?But it was when he received a contract in 1934 (at the age of thirty-three) from MGM to come to Hollywood that his career took off. Later he wrote for Disney (as previously noted) and also for Paramount Pictures. What made him particularly attractive to the studios was his ability to write lyrics for any number of composers - and these included Victor Young, Hoagy Carmichael, Jimmy McHugh, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin and Bronislau Kaper.
? ? ?Beyond his songs, the films he worked on is quite impressive: for Disney, it was the film Dumbo as well as Pinocchio ?- for which "When You Wish Upon a Star" won him the first of his two shared Academy Awards. For the other studios, the list includes "For Whom the Bell Tolls", "The Unforgiven", "No, No Nanette", "Little Johnny Jones", "The Greatest Show on Earth", "Gulliver's Travels" and High Noon - the title track of which was his other Academy Award winner (and a hit later for Frankie Laine).
? ? ?Some other film (and TV) songs you may recognize: A Town Without Pity (which was later a hit for Gene Pitney), "Gunfight at the OK Corral" and the theme to Rawhide - which became another hit for Frankie Laine - all of which were written with Dimitri Tiomkin as his composer.
? ? ?But many more of his lyrics appeared in films that - even if the film was forgettable - the songs that survived became an integral part of the Great American Songbook, which you can hear today. A partial list (along with the composer of the music) must include My Foolish Heart as well as Stella by Starlight and I Don't Stand a Ghost of a Chance with You (w/Victor Young), The Nearness of You (w/Hoagy Carmichael) and I'm Getting Sentimental Over You (w/George Bassman).
? ? Ned Washington wrote well into the 1960's and died just before Christmas, 1976 at the age of 75. Besides his two Academy Awards (and he was nominated for nine others) When You Wish Upon a Star also received a Grammy Hall of Fame award and is a sort of Disney theme song. Tellingly, his work has been used in contemporary films such as "Fred Claus", "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button", "The Black Book" and "Shrek". And best of all, four years before his death: Ned Washington (first and third photos below) was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame for his life's work.
? ? ? Of all of his songs, I particularly like the title track to the 1947 film On Green Dolphin Street with music composed by Bronislau Kaper. And while it has been recorded by many performers (especially since Miles Davis made it famous) when it's sung by Carmen McRae it's special - and below you can listen to it.
Lover, one lovely day,
Love came, planning to stay
Green Dolphin Street supplied the setting
The setting for nights beyond forgettingAnd through these moments apart
Memories live in my heart
When I recall the love I found on
I could kiss the ground on
Green Dolphin Street
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