Have a Very Merry Christmas!

I hope you were all good boys and girls this year!

I know I wasn't...

Merry Christmas!!

No matter how tacky you make it!

Sweepea-TV©: Engrish is My Second Language

I guess even the smallest amount invested will appreciate over time...

...and you're welcome.
[Valet parking in Studio City lot]

Crushing on Steve McQueen

My nephew has made "The Great Escape" his favorite movie. Now I love him even more. And now we have something to talk about at Christmas besides Legos and Futurama (not that that was such a bad thing, but there's only so much you can say about the subjects). His appreciation of the classic war film also made my crush on Steve "The Cooler King" McQueen that much stronger.And for that, my nephew gets a "Great Escape" t-shirt, made personally by me, for Christmas! Now, Steve, in your cute little sweater/blazer combo, can I get a hug?

Classic Holiday Quote

In the old days, it was not called the 'Holiday Season'; the Christians called it 'Christmas' and went to church; the Jews called it 'Hanukkah' and went to synagogue; the atheists went to parties and drank. People passing each other on the street would say 'Merry Christmas!' or 'Happy Hanukkah!' or (to the atheists) 'Look out for the wall!' -- humorist Dave Barry

Bob Hope Christmas Party 1975

Dean Martin makes an appearance at this 1975 Christmas Special.

Rest in Peace, Van Johnson

The actor died today at the age of 92.See our previous "Va Va Voom" post about Van.

Scenes From a Balcony: Scene 8

Which is worse, being in the front of the building or living in the back with the dumpster?? It's a toss-up. Especially since a new instrument has become part of my morning orchestra. In addition to yipping poodles and overbearing mothers, there is a woman who at about 6 AM walks up and down the street and repeats:

"Baby Blue? Baby Blue? Here kittykittykittykittykittykittykitty... Baby Blue? Baby Blue? Here kittykittykittykittykittykittykitty..."

After many mornings hearing this repetition, and imagining some old haggard bag with a cigarette hanging out of her mouth (because of the scratchy throaty muttering), I finally peered out the window this morning to see what this feline-calling female looked like.

Yep, she was a frazzled old lady smoking a cigarette. And she was walking up and down the street in her pajamas, searching in the bushes and underneath cars for this unfortunate cat. "Baby Blue? Baby Blue? Here kittykittykittykittykittykittykitty..."

Each morning she does this, and sometimes even in the evenings. I feel like going out there and telling her to get the fucking hint. I mean, this poor cat...first of all, he's named "Baby Blue" for chrissake. Secondly, he obviously does not enjoy living with this nicotine-perfumed old dame, because he's always M.I.A. So leave the miserable creature alone already, and let the entire street sleep in peace.

At least until my morning alarm of "Goodbye, Love of My Life!" starts ringing.

Sisters from "White Christmas"

I love the movie "White Christmas," and this is the absolute funniest scene in the film. Trying to create a decoy for someone after the girls, Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye dress up like the two sisters and lip-synch to their act.

Rudolph is Just Not the Same Anymore

I have to say that when I was a little girl I used to watch all the Rankin/Bass Christmas productions... "Frosty the Snowman," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and especially the stop-motion classic "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." Well, as a grown-up I watched the 'special' last night, and it wasn't as charming or as fun as I remember. Here's just a snippet:Here are my issues:

1. The parents are jerks.
What kind of parent doesn't love their child for who they are? "Don't worry, I'm sure he'll grow out of it" Daddy Deer Donnor says. What happened to unconditional love? Support? Understanding? Does this not exist in Christmas Town?

2. Santa is an ass.
This is my main issue. What kind of "saint" insults a poor baby reindeer? As a response to the above comment by Donner, Santa answers, "I hope so..." and "Too bad, he sure did have promise." There's even a scene later when the elves prepare a special song for Santa ("We Are Santa's Elves"), and Santa's like "That was fine," and then takes off. Mrs. Claus has to apologize for his behavior to the elves. Later the elves are singing the same song as they work, and Santa tells Mrs. Claus he finds the song annoying, rubbing his temple as if he has a headache. What a grouch. Lastly, Mr. Omniscient "I know when you're sleeping and when you're awake" has no idea about the whole island of Misfit Toys. I know he's old, but is he senile too? This is not the Santa Claus I know and love.

3. The Elves work in a sweatshop.
The Head Elf is like a slave-driver. Herman wants to take a break, but Head Elf says, "Not you! You have to keep working!" What kind of toy-making holiday atmosphere is this?? Herman the Elf wants to be a dentist. Fine. Why not let him fix the dolls' teeth, like he suggested? And they never had a dentist in all of Christmas Town before, with all those candy canes and marshmallows around? You'd think they'd be clamoring for some dental work.

4. Donner is a chauvinistic pinhead.
Rudolph runs away (after being shunned from all those reindeer games) and his parents are worried. Mom wants to go out looking for him, and Donner responds curtly "No, this is man's work," and leaves without her. Was it man's work to insult your child and send him packing, too??

5. Some of the Misfit Toys are not really misfits.
A bear that rides a bike is not a misfit, nor is a polka-dotted elephant. I think I had a spotted rabbit when I was growing up, and I treated it just fine. And what kid wouldn't want a squirt gun that shoots grape jelly? And why doesn't the Charlie in the Box just change his name if that's his only 'defect'? Also, they never even say why the doll (who cries by the campfire) is a misfit. She looks fine to me. (According to Wikipedia, Arthur Rankin, in an interview, revealed that the Misfit Dolly's problem was psychological, caused when she was abandoned by her owner and suffered depression from being unloved. A neurotic dolly? Is that all you got??)

Lastly, there is a 'Bird Fish': a toy bird who swims instead of flies. But then in the final credit sequence, he is tossed out of Santa's sleigh without a parachute or umbrella being handed to the other toys!

Callous! Outrageous!

When watching as a child in the 80's, you tend to look over a lot, apparently. Or you're just so wrapped up in the cute furry animals to notice. But watching it recently and putting that nostalgia aside, I didn't like it. Instead, I found it really annoying.

Scenes From a Balcony: Scene 7

My morning ritual was jarred this morning by a strong variant in protocol. As outlined in a previous scene witnessed daily from my balcony, this morning was quite different. I woke up to the beloved 'love of her life' having a major tantrum outside my window. His uncontrollable outburst was so startling that the poodle even stopped yipping.

"I hate you! You are the worst mother ever!! I wish you'd DIE!" were some of his choice phrases. The mother, who usually smothered her son with kisses and called out in to the early morning air "GOODBYE, LOVE OF MY LIFE!" was unusually quiet, except an occasional "You don't mean that."

The meltdown continued until the bus pulled up. The little boy got on with no words exchanged with his mother and was driven off. Finally the poodle resumed yipping.

I stifled a laugh, afraid the mother would hear me. But I felt like yelling out to her, "Guess he wasn't the 'love of your life' today, huh?"

Happy Birthday, Walt!

Today Walt Disney would be 107 years old!

During World War I, a young man at age 16 lied about his age to join the American Red Cross. The boy was Walt Disney, and he returned home, where he won a scholarship to the Kansas City Art Institute. There, he met a fellow animator, Ub Iwerks. The two soon set up their own company. In the early 20s, they made a series of animated shorts for the Newman theater chain, entitled "Newman's Laugh-O-Grams". Their company soon went bankrupt, however.

The two then went to Hollywood in 1923. They started work on a new series, about a live-action little girl who journeys to a world of animated characters. Entitled the "Alice Comedies", they were distributed by M.J. Winkler (Margaret). Walt was backed up financially only by Winkler and his brother Roy Edward Disney, who would remain his business partner for the rest of his life. Hundreds of "Alice Comedies" were produced between 1923 and 1927, before they lost popularity. Walt then started work on a series around a new animated character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. This series was successful, but in 1928, Walt discovered that M.J. Winkler and her husband, Charles Mintz, had stolen the rights to the character away from him. They had also stolen all his animators, except for Ub Iwerks. While taking the train home, Walt started doodling on a piece of paper. The result of these doodles was a mouse named Mickey. With only Walt and Ub to animate, and Walt's wife Lillian Disney (Lilly) and Roy's wife Edna Disney to ink in the animation cells, three Mickey Mouse cartoons were quickly produced. The first two didn't sell, so Walt added synchronized sound to the last one, Steamboat Willie (1928), and it was immediately picked up. It became the first cartoon to use synchronized sound. [source]

Walt went on to revolutionize the world of Animation, launching the first fully-animated film, developing new coloring, inking, and camera techniques, and building an empire -- all starting with a mouse. On Dec. 15, 1966, Walt Disney passed away.

More Than Lucy, I <3 William Holden

A Christmas Retrospective

Now that the holidays are approaching, I'm taking some time to reflect on the many -- too many to mention -- years that have passed and the Christmases that have come and gone. I've probably talked about this before...in fact, I know I have...about how sad Christmas can be when you're a grown-up. Things change, we all get older blah blah blah. But every year it makes me really nostalgic.

I have many Christmas memories that I cherish... As Christmas Day got nearer, under the tree got more and more crowded with brightly-colored presents of various sizes. I wasn't one of those to pick up the presents and shake 'em. I was a peeker. I just wanted to see which gifts were mine, and their general size and shape.

I remember waking up early in the morning on Christmas Day and peering out of my bedroom to see if my stocking was full. The lumpier it was, the happier I was. I knew what Santa had put in there: nuts, candy, gum or Tic Tacs, and maybe even a small toy. I remember my heart leaping in my chest thinking that Santa had come down the chimney and personally put something in my stocking, thinking solely of me at that moment.

I also would strain my eyes to see if the cookies had been eaten. We'd also leave carrots for the reindeer, and they were always left half-munched on. Knowing that Santa had enjoyed our fresh-baked cookies and that he had fed his reindeer our carrots made me happy.

I recall turning to my sister (whom with I shared a room) and seeing what time it was. How much longer would we have to wait? How many more hours until Mom and Dad would be up? Were my other siblings awake? The doors across the hall would open and there would be my older brother and sister, also peering out of their respective rooms, trying to crane their necks to see downstairs in to the living room. We'd have at least another hour to go until we could go down and see what was there.

And those are the moments I clearly remember: not what present I got what year, or what I got from whom. The anticipation, the excitement, the enchantment that surrounds Christmas Day...that's what I miss the most.

Bone Up on Your Christmas History

The History Channel has launched a great microsite about the history of Christmas. Watch videos, see pictures, learn about world Christmas traditions, and much much more.

It was especially interesting to read about the history of Santa Claus and the Christmas tree.

The Wikipedia page on Christmas is pretty informative, but is often vandalized, and there aren't as many pictures. But it's worth a shot.

And don't forget to visit Falalalala.com to refresh your Christmas music collection!

Weekend Recap

Well Fall is over, and now it's time to prepare for Winter...brrrr!!

I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving! I actually didn't gorge myself like I usually do. I kept myself pretty restrained. That goes for the family squabbles, as well.

Attention, Shoppers! Well Black Friday has come and gone, thank the Lord... I was going to go shopping Friday. But when I woke up early in the morning to 'beat the rush' I rolled over and decided to stay in my nice warm bed instead. After all, isn't that what online shopping is for??

I went to my storage unit to get my fake Christmas tree. But with all the junk in there, I couldn't find it. So I had to buy another one...$9.99 at Target, can't beat that. But then all my Christmas ornaments from past years were buried in the storage unit, so I had to buy all those, too. The total ended up being almost $100, just to decorate my tiny little shoebox apartment. Ah, all for the spirit of Christmas, I guess.

Then I spent the rest of the weekend watching Christmas movies, at least the ones in my DVD collection: "Christmas Vacation," "Love Actually" (which always makes me cry, I don't know why!), "White Christmas," and "It's a Wonderful Life." I think I'm ready for the holidays!!

Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you for your readership!
Have a happy and safe holiday...
...and have a cocktail on me!

One Froggy Evening

The 1955 Warner Brothers cartoon that introduced us all to Michigan J. Frog.

I'll Take This for Christmas...

Roomba Kitty, Roomba!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

After 798 posts,
2 hairstyle changes,
Many upgrades and design fixes,
And numerous thoughts vented...Thank you for your loyal readership as we celebrate our
Third Anniversary!
Here's to many many more...

Sweepea-TV©: Owie!

Now that would hurt: the horse, in mid-stride, gives birth to a cowboy -- with hat!At the Black Angus in Burbank, California

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Mickey Mouse!

Mickey's birthday was yesterday...The Walt Disney Company celebrates his birth as November 18, 1928 (meaning that he would have turned 80 years old!).According to the official legend, Mickey Mouse was the result of a brilliant burst of inspiration, which struck Walt Disney during a train ride from New York to Los Angeles. In New York, he'd just seen his popular character, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, hijacked by his distributor and farmed out to another animation outfit. By the time he arrived in Hollywood, he was ready to roll with Oswald's replacement. Whether Mickey was more a result of inspiration or perspiration, he first appeared in Plane Crazy (1928), and very soon eclipsed Oswald. [source]

Happy Birthday, big guy!

"Race to Witch Mountain" Trailer Released

One of my previous rants has been about the remake -- or "reimagining" as the producers like to call it -- of "Escape to Witch Mountain," called "Race to Witch Mountain." Starring The Rock, here's one of the first trailers for the film. See what you think of this 'modernization' of a Disney classic.

Stupidity Unleashed

Here's yet another commercial that made me cringe in disgust. A young boy is playing "Sonic Unleashed" in a dark room while his mom walks aimlessly in the background. As the moon is revealed through the clouds, the boy inevitably turns in to a werewolf. And if that weren't weird enough, the last shot has him go after the cat. Creepy!

Happy Birthday, Grace Kelly!

(We almost missed it!)

One Man...One Desire...

Pablo Francisco does a perfect imitation of Don LaFontaine, voiceover genius.

No Frills Airline

Don't Forget to Vote Tomorrow!!

Unfortunately, my fellow Americans, you can't vote for me this year. But you should still get out there and vote!!

Happy Halloween!!

Hope your day is DELICIOUS!

Ah, to Live in the Roaring 20's...

If you think your grandparents were innocent and stuffy, you don't know the 20's...

Match Game '74 Classic Moment

To follow up from yesterday's post... The sentence to fill in is "Brett left her _____ in San Diego." A down-home contestant guesses the answer is "Bra," and comedy ensues. And in case you didn't know, Brett Somers' husband is Jack Klugman.

I Want One!

Such a huge fan of the show, and someone else seems to share my obsession of Match Game, for this lunch box creation was part of Something Awful's Photoshop Phriday.
Well I want one!

Happy Birthday, Rita Hayworth!

See our previous Va Va Voom Star of the Day post that outlines her life.

Thursday's This & That

We're ready for Halloween! This is one of our favorite days, and it's approaching fast!! What are you gonna be for Halloween?

Pixie was kind enough to adorn us with a wonderful Kreativ Blogger Award! Thanks, dearie! Now we just have to list 6 Things We Enjoy:

1. Halloween!
2. Drinking a Vodka Collins
3. Confusing Dyno
4. Procrastinating
5. Old movies with happy endings
6. Flirting

So do you think you deserve the Kreativ Blogger Award? How about our very own You're the Shit Award? (See both of these on the bottom right.) Leave a comment directing me to your blog, and I'll check it out! I love exploring new places!

Now stop staring at my gams and comment, dammit!

Classic Clip: Harry James in "Bathing Beauty"

Harry James kicks off this climactic final scene from the Esther Williams flick Bathing Beauty.

Scenes from a Balcony: Scene 6

It's been a while since any real drama has happened in my ghetto abode in the valley. Well, except for the new morning ritual that happens daily outside my window.

I'm lucky enough to live only 15 minutes or so from work, so that means I can sleep until 8 AM. Yet every morning before my alarm goes off this woman stands under my window with her stupid yipping poodle; the constant, high-pitched YIP YIP YIP of this fluffy nuisance begins at 7:30 in the morning. Why is she standing there, you ask?

Well, I'm wondering this, too, so at this point I'm out of bed and staring out the window, trying to see who the hell is standing on a corner at 7:45 in the morning with their irritating poodle going YIP YIP YIP over and over, and for what godforsaken purpose.

Now a rather small school bus pulls up and stops outside my building right where this woman and her high-strung ball of fur are waiting, standing next to a child. She is seeing her small child get on the bus. At this time -- when it first happened -- I believed my annoying wake up session was over, and I felt a brief moment of relief.

But then the mother yells out in a falsetto sing-songy voice: "BYEEEEEEE!!! BYE, LOVE OF MY LIFE!! BYEEEE!!!!" and frantically waves at her child now finding their seat on the bus. As the child sits by the window, the mother becomes more frantic. "BYE, LOVE OF MY LIFE!! I LOVE YOU!!!" Sometimes she even has the menacing little white pup 'wave', too. "BYEEEE!!! LOOK, SHE'S SAYING GOODBYE!! SHE'S WAVING!!!"

The bus finally goes off and the mother and the yippy poodle go back in to their apartment. And I only have 2 minutes until my alarm goes off.

Since this has been happening EVERY morning for the last month and a half, I see no point in setting an alarm anymore.

Two Commercials I Hate Right Now

Jack in the Box not only makes men in to big babies, but has a woman pushing the double stroller. I don't know which is more idiotic.
And for some reason, Axe deodorant spray turns a man in to chocolate. And even weirder, women everywhere go ape shit over him. Nightmare Fuel, party of one!

Crushing on George Peppard

...YUMMMMMM...

The Boss is Not Your Honey!

"THE BOSS IS NOT YOUR HONEY!" from Woman’s World (1957), courtesy of Tack-o-Rama:

If you're a working girl, be a working girl and not a would-be siren. Never try to flirt with your boss...he's your bread and butter and not your honey.

Be business-like not only in your approach to your work, but in your personal appearance, your manners and your deportment. By this we do not mean that you should try and disguise the fact that you're a woman, but simply that, during work hours, you shouldn't flaunt that fact around like a flirtatious flag.

DON’T --
Wear tight skirts that slip above your knees when you sit at desk or bench, or flimsy full ones that billow around your waist whenever a draught blows round a corner.

Drench yourself in heady perfume or strong-scented powder.

Think yourself a budding Marilyn Monroe and wear sweaters two sizes too small.

Arrive late at work and expect a smile to get you off.

Simper at the boss whenever he comes around.

Be coy with every male in sight.

Keep tizzying your hair in office hours.

Change your nail varnish in the shelter of typewriter or machine.

Sit with legs a-sprawl and arms akimbo.

Keep a cigarette dangling from your lips.

Clatter around with bracelets at wrist.

Have long phone gossips with the boyfriend.

Titter the minutes away with office mates.

Start refurbishing your make-up 10 minutes before closing time.

Turn your desk drawers into a medicine chest and beauty case.

Leave spare shoes, bags and hats around.

That's good advice from 1957!

Crushing on Paul Newman

May he rest in peace...

January 26, 1925 -
September 26, 2008

[previous crushing]

Um...Dad, Can I Have Some Privacy?

[Plan 59]

David Blaine: Street Magic

Hilarious spoof.

I Am Big. It's The Pictures That Got Small.

How could anyone remake this?? William Holden is just too adorable.

Good God, It's Another One

I just found out about another remake, and this one's a doozy. They're making a remake of Sunset Blvd. One of my favorite movies of all time, starring one of my favorite actors, William Holden... being regurgitated.

When the movie had been redone in to a musical stage version, I was disappointed. But now it's going to be turned back again in to a musical movie.

Another remake!

ANOTHER REMAKE! Who in their right mind thinks that this is a good idea? It's one thing to put something onstage, but putting it right back on the big screen is absolutely absurd.

For petesake, Gloria Swanson is being replaced with Glenn Close! Argghhhh....

Must-See Movie: The Fighting Sullivans

The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
I like war movies, especially about WWII. Not just because I'm fan of the clothes, hair, and music of the time. But there was a certain romantic patriotism during this era. Men stood up to fight for our country and the women stood by them. Our entire country stood by them!

What makes this film unusual is not that it's based on the true story of the Sullivan brothers, but that it focuses more on life before the war: family, mothers, fathers, loved ones, sisters, and brothers -- entire lives that are affected when our country is attacked at Pearl Harbor.

The Sullivan brothers grew up doing everything together: fishing, fighting, taking in stray dogs, mending old broken-down boats, and especially getting in to lots of trouble. So it was expected that they should all go to war together in 1941 and be assigned to the same boat. In fact, they insisted on it.

This film is not so much about how the five Sullivan brothers' lives ended, but how they lived: as a loving, supportive family that would do anything to be together. And it helps us all remember that each soldier that dies for our country has a life, a love, and a family that they've left behind.

Greatest Pie Fight in Film Ever!

From the 1965 film (and a previous Must-Rent Movie) The Great Race.

Happy "Talk Like a Pirate Day"!

Keep yer eyes off me booty! It be "Talk Like a Pirate Day!"

Go t'arrrr previous post from las' year wit' some mighty good links for ye!

An' enjoy, me matey!

I Want One

Attack of the Remakes!

If you're getting that feeling of deja vu, it's because there's more of Hollywood's lack of originality on the way. Besides the ones we've previously mentioned, expect these additional regurgitations coming soon to theaters near you:

The Day the Earth Stood Still, an update to the 1951 classic, this time starring Keanu Reeves.

1984, updated from the 1965 version, which doesn't even make sense. It's supposed to be about the future, yet it's titled 1984 and its expected release is 2009??

Barbarella, this time starring Rose McGowen as the title character.

Land of the Lost, a remake of the popular 1974 TV series.

Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams.

The legendary cult fave The Rocky Horror Picture Show is in the works, much to the chagrin of Susan Sarandon.

The Birds starring Naomi Watts.

The Wolf Man, a remake of the 1941 classic.

Friday the 13th, called a 'reboot', not a remake -- but the lack of originality is still there.

The A-Team, in production since the mid-1990's, is finally set to be released in 2009.

Robocop, which is being kept hush-hush as to whether it will be a "re-imagining," a sequel, or a remake.

There's also talks about remakes of "Dune" and "Nightmare on Elm Street." And don't forget all the sequels!

Jurassic Park IV
Lethal Weapon 5
Pink Panther 2 (which is a shameful sequel to a remake of the original Peter Sellers comedy)
Night at the Museum 2
Fast and the Furious
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Toy Story 3
Alvin and the Chipmunks 2
Iron Man 2
Shrek Goes Fourth
Beverly Hills Cop IV
Cars 2
...and more Spiderman movies...
The list goes on and on as the years go by...Anyone heard of any others??

'Memba Him?

Remember the 80's TV show Voyagers? Now that I've discovered that the entire series is available for rent at Netflix and purchase at Amazon, I was wondering what child star Meeno Peluce was up to. Meeno played the young Jeffrey who was thrown in to the world of time travel.

I had a major crush on him when I was little, but now he's all growns-up... I found out he's a celebrity photographer, all married and stuff with kids. Funny, he kept a similar hairstyle though...

"My Fair Lady" Remake Planned

The Fabulous Audrey Hepburn blog has reported that there will be yet another Hollywood remake, this one taking the classic My Fair Lady and casting Keira Knightley in the Audrey Hepburn role of Eliza Doolittle. Daniel Day-Lewis is on the producers' wish list to play the role of Henry Higgins.

I know the 1964 film was a remake of a Broadway play that was based on a Greek myth, but this is ridiculous. Must Hollywood make another remake?? Are there no original ideas out there anymore? I mean, why did the writers strike when all it seems like they're doing is recycling old ideas?

And once again a classic film is being "updated." Please, we're not that stupid that we can't interpret old movies to our time period.

Update: Speaking or remakes (especially ones we've already harped on), as for recent news on Race to Witch Mountain, the producers announced who the kids will be: AnnaSophia Robb and Alexander Ludwig. My favorite part...they're calling it a "modern reimagining" of the earlier film. It's called a remake, people!!

"Keep Fishin'" by Weezer

This video just belongs on this blog...for so many reasons.

Crushing on William Holden

Still...

Must-See Movie: Teacher's Pet

Teacher's Pet (1958)
I got the chance to watch this movie over the weekend (as Dyno watched football). It's yet another Doris Day comedy where a man pretends to be someone else after he finds out she hates him, although she's never met him.

James Gannon (played by Clark Gable), the gruff city editor of a newspaper, believes that the only way to learn the business is by doing, and so thinks college education is superfluous. Thus he's not pleased when he's invited to lecture at a college journalism class. He turns down the invitation and writes a nasty letter to the instructor. Yet his editor-in-chief orders him to go. When Gannon shows up to confront Professor Erica Stone (played by Doris Day), he finds her attractive. Before he is able to introduce himself and apologize for the letter, Erica reads it aloud and mocks Gannon before the entire class.

Humiliated, he decides to join the class to show her up, posing as a wallpaper salesman named Jim Gallagher. As they circle around their mutual attraction, they both begin to gain respect for each other's approaches to reporting news.

I found myself laughing out loud many times during the movie. Especially whenever the character of Dr. Pine was on-screen. Played by Gig Young, the character is the successful doctor that Gannon sees as his competition for Erica's affections. Young has played these types of characters before (especially in Doris Day movies), and he's always hilarious. His role in this film, however is different in that we don't know what kind of relationship he has with Erica.

Gable is great in this comedic role (much like his gruff It Happened One Night character), and his reactions are priceless. The only thing distracting is the obvious age difference between Gable and Day. Apparently the movie was deliberately filmed in black & white in an attempt to disguise Clark Gable's age and weight. And other actors turned down the role, seeing that there was such a huge age difference (Cary Grant and James Stewart, allegedly -- although it didn't seem to bother Grant in That Touch of Mink). But all in all it was a fun movie to watch and laugh along with.

Lounge-O-Rama

Almost as if they were named after us, the jazz combo Lounge-O-Rama rocks the SoCal area with rockabilly, big band, and classic standards. The band consists of a trumpet, baritone sax, bass, keyboard, and both female and male singers.

Tomorrow they perform at Pinocchio's Pizza in Pasadena, starting at 8 PM. They promise "Great music from the Great American Songbook; great food (especially the pizza!); family-friendly environment, full bar and beautiful decor at their new location on North Lake. Oh, and...NO COVER!"

The address is:
1449 N Lake Ave
Pasadena, CA 91104

Dyno and I are going to try and go. I've seen them perform and they're SO good! Below is a video of their performance of Louis Prima's "Just a Gigolo." Hope to see you all at Pinnocchio's!

Internet Gold

"Step by step and day by day...reaching out along the way..."

Remember the 80's TV shows that had the great opening theme songs, under a montage of classic scenes from the show? I used to sing along to the likes of Charles in Charge, Perfect Strangers, and The Hogan Family.

Well I found the site where you can download all your favorite 80's TV theme songs! (And other decades, too.) It's called Television Tunes! "Sha-la-la-la...!"

I Miss Animaniacs

I used to watch this show regularly on television during the WBKids! era... I miss those days of junk food and free time to watch frivolous cartoons.

The Prairie's Bad Girl Still Lives!

Did you ever wonder where Alison Arngrim (the famous Nellie from Little House on the Prairie) is now? She's trying her hand at comedy in her one-woman show, "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch."

Check out her very brutally honest website, also titled Confessions of a Prairie Bitch.

William Holden: AFI's #25 Greatest Screen Legends

Hubba hubba...

I've Been Awarded!

I never get an award, an honor, or even as much as a catcall...mostly because, I believe, nobody reads this blog. However, pixie over at The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly has awarded the Lounge with The Diamond Award, because, as she says: "I love reading this blog for frivolous and random entertainment. I also learn a lot about old movies, and it makes me miss living in L.A.!"

Well now I feel bad that I haven't posted in a while.

But nothing comes for free. To fully accept this award, I have to follow these rules:
1.) When you receive a Diamond Award, make a post about it on your blog.
2.) Name the blogger from whom you got it, and attach a link to that blog.
3.) Award the diamonds to seven other bloggers.
4.) Link them.
5.) Tell them that they got an award!

So since I'm a total attention whore, and I want to accept this award, here are some blogs that I'd like to pass this award on to:

1. Bedazzled is always good for finding some random, hidden treasures of the past when it comes to video and music. Imagine it like a walk down kitschy Memory Lane.

2. SorryIGotDrunk is my go-to place for anything alcoholic. Every day I need a little shot in the arm of that frat-type, raunchy humor. And Lou is my inspiration for creating this blog, so he deserves an award for creating my obsession.

3. ComedyJuice is the destination for all things funny: commercials, stand-up comedy, information of where and when to see your favorite comic...this place has it all. And it just makes me giggle every time I see the little fruit.

4. FaLaLaLaLa "preserves the memories of Christmas vinyl past." And since I'm a huge fan of Christmas, I go here for any and all of my nostalgic holiday tunes. I found this blog last year and it was a blessing.

5. And then there's The Sneeze. How do you describe this blog? It's as random as we are. And it makes me laugh every time.

6. Last but not least is A Job in Hell ...the freakiest blog in the world, but also the funniest. As Emma says, she doesn't work for the Devil, she just has to work for him. If you thought your job sucked, you should take a visit to Hell.

Damn, I can't think of one other blog...but can I take my award now?!

Worst Teaching Ever?

I never realized what horrible teaching is portrayed by Laura Ingalls (as played by Melissa Gilbert in the the 70's/80's series "Little House on the Prairie). But the clever commentary by Michael Weiss points out a huge list of negatives in Laura's flawed teaching strategy. Hilarious.

Julie London on "What's My Line?"

Classic Quote of the Day

John Wayne, from the movie "Alamo":

Free for Chubbies

Back in the days before Kate Moss and Paris Hilton, it was okay to be called "chubby". In fact, fat girls got discounts, and had their own "Chubby Fashion Book".
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Pumping on the Wrong Side of the Car

Back From Some R 'n' R!

Okay, kiddies...I'm back....rested and relaxed. But now I've got to get ready to go to work! And I'll try to catch up on my frivolous posting ASAP.

Love,
Sweepea

Time for a Va-cay!

Alright, kids, I have to get outta here and hit the road for a bit. Gotta catch my breath and just take some time off to relax. But check out the past and take a walk down memory lane by clicking on some past posts.

And I'll see you back here on August 14th!

Love,
Sweepea

Must-See Movie: Paris - When it Sizzles

Paris - When it Sizzles (1964)
Playboy screenwriter Richard Benson (played by William Holden) has been paid to write a screenplay for his boss. In his arrogance he's squandered his time in Paris drinking, tanning, and doing just about anything but writing a screenplay. Two days before the script is due he hires Gabrielle Simpson (the adorable Audrey Hepburn) to type the script. Richard and Gabrielle come up with various off-the-wall scenarios for his screenplay, called The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower. As the screenplay they write slowly develops, romance blooms between them.

This movie was filmed a decade after Hepburn and Holden's affair (during the filming of Sabrina) and apparently Holden wanted to pick things up where they left off. However, there is still visible chemistry between them.

The movie was later remade as Alex & Emma, starring Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson.

Here's the TCM trailer:

Steve Martin's The Great Flydini

Steve Martin is magic...and he does magic, too!

The Real "Great Escape"

The movie "The Great Escape" that featured James Garner and Steve McQueen was based on the real escape of 76 men from the Nazi POW camp Stalag Luft III.

Nova has explored the legendary escape on a special microsite that features the articles:

Inside Tunnel "Harry"
A Prisoner's Sketchbook
The Three That Got Away (although 76 made it out of the camp, only 3 made it to freedom)
and History's Great Escapes

Enjoy, "Great Escape" fans!

Feist on Sesame Street

Brilliant!

Performance Tetris, et al

Here's an unusual performance of human beings portraying the iconic 80's video game Tetris. The construction, man hours, and patience...There's more at the production website Game Over, including Pole Position, Space Invaders, and Pong.

1968's View of the Future Woman

Even in the "future," women (wearing spacesuits) will still be expected to clean the damn house.
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Sweepea-TV©: Psychedelic Furs!

Dyno and I went to The Justice Ball on Saturday. We were in the VIP Lounge where they had hosted bars and food. There was also a silent auction. Best part was The Psychedelic Furs performed!
I snuck some videos of the Furs performance. About 10 seconds in you can make out the song, and about 20 seconds in you can hear Dyno whistling along...

And here's the rest of the song. This song finished the set for the night.


I am still recovering from the hosted Vodka bar. Vodka/cranberries, good...hangover, bad....

Added 12:15 p.m. I just found this other video I took on my phone. You can hear just how drunk I was, as the transcript goes a bit like this:

My friend: "What are you taking a picture of?"
Me: "I'm taking a video."
My friend: "Oh..."
Me: "Psychedelic Furs!!"
(People around going 'Whoo!' then laughter, at me prolly)
Me: "Now I'm on video all like 'Psychedelic Furs!!!'"

Yeah, I'm Sure That's What He Meant...

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Monday's This & That

Things are really ramping up around here... I'm getting ready for a well-deserved 2 1/2-week vacation, and that means cranking away at work to get all my shtuff done so I can get the hell outta Dodge! As a result, I haven't found much time to do anything fun lately, but I have found a few choice tidbits of frivolity here and there...

Lighters, handbags, coasters, and other goodies featuring pin-up girls, Cary Grant, Clark Gable, Frank Sinatra, and more retro characters are for sale at PinupgirlLighters.com. They're enough to make smoking cool again!

Go back in time by checking out these WWII posters...

And Wired provides us with Air Hostesses of Yesteryear. Fly the friendly skies with an air of nostalgia!

Well, back to my march... And remember, VOTES FOR WOMEN!

Don Knotts: Weatherman Sketch

From 1959, Don Knotts on Steve Allen's show, doing a routine that he wrote himself.

Happy Independence Day!

Have a safe, fun, and relaxing July 4th Weekend! See you Monday!

Love, Sweepea

"May Be"? Ya' Think??

This Cruella DeVil-wanna be can barely keep her eyes open. She's definitely trouble. And she's definitely a bag.
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