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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Actors Who Struck TV Gold...Twice, Thrice, and More!


Okay, so I have only a few hours to write this blog entry today, so I really tried to choose a topic that was quick and easy, but yet was still informative enough to get people talking.  And, I think I came up with one.



But first things first, I want to take a small moment here to talk about Shirley Temple Black, the actress who won over the hearts of millions during the 1930s as one of Hollywood's first child stars.  She passed away on February 10, 2014 at the age of 85.  She definitely was a class act the entire time, and through her lengthy movie career we watched her grow from child starlet to young woman.  And, Shirley Temple definitely had an impact on my own family as well, as one of my sisters happened to be named after one of the characters she played in one of the many movies that she was featured in (That movie being the 1936 classic "Captain January"). 

So, before I continue with today's blog entry, let's raise our glasses of Shirley Temples in memory of Shirley Temple.  



Now let's continue on with today's blog topic.  This is the "Whatever Wednesday" portion of the blog, which means that I will let the hands of fate decide what my topic is going to be about.  Now, I had already chosen the card before I left for work on Tuesday, and I can share with you now that the topic will have something to do with television, as I drew the Mrs. Peacock card.

And, here's the beauty of it all.  I was relieved that I had chosen the Mrs. Peacock card, because today's topic was heavily inspired by a conversation that I had with a co-worker of mine just yesterday at work.

Here's the situation.  Occasionally at my job, one of us is dispatched to the customer service desk to grab any and all recovery for our department.  What I mean by recovery are items that have been returned by customers, or items that have been left in other departments, or other similar circumstances like that.  Well, yesterday I went up to grab recovery, and there were a whole bunch of box sets of television series on DVD and Blu-Ray to put away.  And, my co-worker and I were discussing the various television shows that we were putting back on the shelf.

Well, as it so happened, I had a whole bunch of "The Big Bang Theory" DVD's to put away, and I made the casual observation "I can't believe that the guy who plays Leonard on this show used to be on "Roseanne" twenty years ago."

My co-worker seemed shocked.  "Really?"

I said, "Yeah.  Come look and see."

As, as luck would have it, we also happen to have the complete series run of "Roseanne" on sale in the same aisle.  And, then I showed my co-worker the picture of David on the "Roseanne" cover, and compared it to the cover of "The Big Bang Theory" season one edition, and sure enough, he noticed that Johnny Galecki had played both roles.

And, it got me thinking.  These days, it's very rare for actors to strike gold twice in two different roles on two different television shows.  Certainly Johnny Galecki has managed to join that club.  In addition to the seven seasons and counting of "The Big Bang Theory" he has filmed, he was also a part of "Roseanne" for, I believe six of the show's nine-year run.  That's a combined total of thirteen years on two different shows.  Very impressive.

But I'm certain that Johnny Galecki is not the only actor to have success like that.  There are hundreds of actors who have enjoyed a successful run on one show, and then had another successful show years down the road. 

And, that's what this topic is about.  Actors and actresses who have struck gold twice in the world of television.

Now, just for the sake of argument, I won't be talking about actors and actresses who have played the same role on a parent show and its spin-off.  So, as much as you really loved Estelle Getty on "The Golden Girls", I can't bring up the fact that she also played the same role on "Empty Nest" as well.

But, that's not to say that we won't have a couple of Golden Girls making an appearance on this list.  For now, let's begin by sticking with "The Big Bang Theory", as another star of the show struck it big twice.



KALEY CUOCO

Of course these days, most people will likely know her in the role of Leonard's on-again/off-again/on-again girlfriend, Penny on "The Big Bang Theory".  But that wasn't her first role in television.  When Cuoco was just seventeen years old, she had won the role of Bridget Hennessy in the ABC series "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter".  That show managed to run a total of three seasons before it was cancelled in 2005, but just a couple of years later, Cuoco would win the role that made her really famous.  Although, there is a part of me that wonders...had John Ritter lived, would "8 Simple Rules" had continued longer than 2005?  We'll never know, of course, but this leads right up to our next actress.




KATEY SAGAL

Now, Katey Sagal is an interesting case, because she is in an even rarer category.  She managed to have lighting strike not once, not twice, but thrice.  "8 Simple Rules" was the sitcom that was sandwiched in between her other two success stories.  The first one, of course, was playing the role of Peg Bundy on the FOX series "Married...With Children" from 1987-1997.  And, of course most people nowadays associate her with the show "Sons of Anarchy", in which she has played the role of Gemma Teller Morrow since the show's debut in September 2008.  I would also state that the three series in which she has really made the most impact have cemented Katey Sagal's status as a wonderful actress, as the roles of Peg Bundy, Cate Hennessy, and Gemma Teller Morrow are all so wildly different from each other.

(And, that's not even counting her turn as the animated character of Leela on "Futurama" either!  My goodness, everything she touches really does turn to gold, doesn't it?)



ED O'NEILL

Well, since we mentioned Katey Sagal as Peg Bundy, we may as well add her on-screen husband, Ed O'Neill, who played Al Bundy for the eleven seasons that "Married...With Children" aired.  These days, you can find Ed on the set of another successful sitcom, "Modern Family".  In that series, Ed's character is married to Sofia Vergara's character...who ironically enough was the woman that Al Bundy probably fantasized over in "Married...With Children".  It just took him...oh...eleven, twelve years to achieve that dream.  (insert winky face here).



SUZANNE SOMERS

Well, you could basically insert mostly anybody from "Three's Company" on this list with the exception of Joyce DeWitt.  After all, John Ritter did that show and "8 Simple Rules".  Don Knotts did that show and "The Andy Griffith Show".  Heck, even Jenilee Harrison was featured on "Dallas" for a couple of years after filming "Three's Company"!  But ironically enough, Suzanne Somers was the one who had two and a half successful sitcoms to air after she famously was fired from her role as Chrissy Snow in 1981. 

Now, the reason why I say two and a half successful shows is because while "She's The Sheriff" ended up lasting a couple of seasons, hardly anyone I knew watched it, and it didn't really take off.  But when Suzanne Somers was offered the lead actress role in "Step by Step", she stayed on for seven seasons - two more than she did when she was on "Three's Company"!



PATRICK DUFFY

And, since we're on the "Step by Step" train, we may as well include Patrick Duffy.  After spending twelve seasons on "Dallas" (minus the dream season, of course), Patrick Duffy won the role of Suzanne Somers' husband on that show just a few months after "Dallas" wrapped up in 1991.  Interestingly enough, Duffy is currently on the rebooted series of "Dallas" which began filming in 2012.



STACI KEANAN

And, hey, let's keep the "Step by Step" train chugging along with Staci Keanan.  She too stayed on the series during the show's entire run...but her first big break was on the NBC series "My Two Dads", which aired from 1987-1990.



KIM FIELDS

Okay, so I know most of you remember Kim Fields from her nine season stint as Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey from "The Facts of Life".  But while Nancy McKeon moved to "The Division", Mindy Cohn became the voice of Velma on "Scooby-Doo", and Lisa Whelchel became a "Survivor" contestant, Kim Fields managed to be a part of a second successful sitcom.  Just five years after ending her run as Tootie, Kim Fields was cast as Regine in the UPN sitcom "Living Single", which ran from 1993-1998, starring in the sitcom alongside Queen Latifah, Kim Coles, and former Cosby Show actress Erika Alexander.



ANDY GRIFFITH

On "The Andy Griffith Show", Andy Griffith played Andy.  On "Matlock", Andy Griffith played...Matlock.  And, both roles lasted eight and nine years respectively.  Who says you have to be a certain age to achieve success?



RON HOWARD

Ron Howard is another one who proved that age meant nothing when it came to having huge success in television.  Not only did Ron Howard grow up on the set of "The Andy Griffith Show" for eight years playing Opie, but six years after the show wrapped, he would play the role of Richie Cunningham on "Happy Days" which aired between 1974 and 1984.  And these days, he's only one of the biggest movie directors in the world.  I'd say that boy did real good in his life, wouldn't you?



THE GOLDEN GIRLS

Seriously, with maybe the exception of Estelle Getty, all the Golden Girls were the queens of lightning striking twice or even three times.

Bea Arthur began her career in "Maude", playing the title character between 1972-1978.  Later, she would play the role of Dorothy Zbornak during the entire show's run from 1985-1992.

Rue McClanahan also had a recurring role in "Maude" as Maude's dingbat neighbour, Vivian.  And, Rue followed Bea Arthur to "The Golden Girls" as Blanche Devereaux.  But in between that, she also had a recurring role on "Mama's Family", playing the role of Aunt Fran in between "Maude" and "The Golden Girls".

But the real champion of success?  Betty White.  She had no less than four...count them...four successful runs on four different television series.  Of course, we all love her in "The Golden Girls" playing Rose Nylund.  But she also played Sue Ann Nivens in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" for a number of years, played the role of Ellen in "Mama's Family" for a couple of seasons, and is currently enjoying a four-year-run on the sitcom "Hot In Cleveland".  And, at 92, she shows no sign of stopping.  You go, Betty White!

So, that's just a smattering of actors who struck it big in television more than once.  Have any more to add?

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

February 11, 1990

It's time for another edition of the Tuesday Timeline.  And, even though this week is the week of the holiday that shall not be named (which isn't even a real holiday), this week's edition of the blog will not feature a single reference to that day in which you're supposed to give your girlfriend a box of chocolates so that she can dump you months later for making her fat.

(Sigh...I tried people.  I really did try.)

But that doesn't mean that we can't have fun along the way with this particular entry today.  A lot of interesting stuff happened on February 11 in the world of history and pop culture.  Just have a look at these!

660 BC - This date is believed to be the date in which Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu

1531 - Henry VIII is recognized as the supreme head of the Church of England

1752 - The first hospital to open in the United States - Pennsylvania Hospital - is opened by Benjamin Franklin

1790 - The Religious Society of Friends (otherwise known as the "Quakers") petition U.S. Congress to abolish slavery nationwide

1794 - The first session of the United States Senate opens to the public

1826 - The University of London is founded under its original name - University College London

1843 - Giuseppe Verdi's "I Lombardi alla prima crociata" receives its first performance in Milan, Italy

1861 - The United States House of Representatives unanimously passes a resolution guaranteeing noninterference with slavery in all states

1903 - Anton Bruckner's 9th Symphony receives its first performance in Vienna, Austria

1916 - After giving lectures on birth control, Emma Goldman is arrested

1917 - American author Sidney Sheldon (d. 2007) is born in Chicago, Illinois

1919 - Actress Eva Gabor (d. 1995) is born in Budapest, Hungary

1938 - The BBC debuts the world's very first science-fiction program - an adaptation of a portion of the play "R.U.R"

1943 - General Dwight D. Eisenhower is selected to command the Allied armies in Europe during World War II

1953 - President Eisenhower refuses a clemency appeal for Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

1968 - The Memphis Sanitation Strike begins

1971 - A total of eighty-seven countries sign the Seabed Arms Control Treaty outlawing nuclear weapons on the ocean floor in international waters

1973 - The first release of American P.O.W.'s take place during the Vietnam War

1997 - Space Shuttle Discovery is launched on a mission to service the Hubble Space Telescope

2006 - Author Peter Benchley (b. 1940) dies at the age of 65

2012 - Singer Whitney Houston (b. 1963) is found dead in her hotel room of a drug overdose at just 48 years old

There are also a number of people who have birthdays on February 11.  Here's just a sample of those who are turning one year older today.  Happy birthday to Tina Louise, Burt Reynolds, Gerry Goffin, Sergio Mendez, Jeb Bush, Wesley Strick, Catherine Hickland, Bradley Cole, Carey Lowell, Sheryl Crow, Diane Franklin, Sarah Palin, Ty Treadway, Jennifer Aniston, Kelly Slater, Shawn Hernandez, Isaiah Mustafa, Brice Beckham, Brandy Norwood, Matthew Lawrence, Kelly Rowland, Natalie Dormer, and Taylor Lautner.

So, what date are we going to go back to this week?  How about a date that is firmly etched into the pages of modern-day history?  A date that will forever be highlighted in "Black History Month" for years to come.



We're taking a trip back in time twenty-four years ago to February 11, 1990.  And, many of you probably already know what happened on that date because when this man passed away two months ago at the age of 95, this date was mentioned quite a lot in his epitaph and remembrances.



February 11, 1990.  The date that Nelson Mandela was freed from prison after spending over twenty-five years behind bars.

Certainly, it was one of the most important events to ever take place within the twentieth century.  And, although I was barely nine years old when the release took place, I do remember our teachers talking about it with us in class, and I sort of knew that what had happened was the end of a living nightmare for Mandela, who would later become the President of South Africa in 1994.  



And, I'm sure that everyone who was alive on February 11, 1990 was watching as Nelson Mandela walked outside of Victor Verstee Prison holding the hand of his then-wife Winnie as a free man.  It truly was one of those moments that made you stop and stare, and reflect on what he must have went through while he was imprisoned.

But why exactly was he in prison in the first place?  What did he do that constituted Nelson Mandela spending a little over a quarter of his whole life behind bars?

The story goes like this.

In the 1940s, South Africa was not a very nice place to be if your skin colour happened to be black.  Apartheid (a term meaning 'the state of being apart') was in full swing, and the racial segregation between people of colour in South Africa and white South Africans was out of control.  Similar things were happening in other nations of the world with racial segregation during this time, but one could look at South Africa as being at the absolute extreme worst case scenario.

Between the period of 1960 and 1983, for instance, it is estimated that close to three and a half million non-white South Africans were forcibly removed from their own homes and asked to leave the country for other parts of Africa.  If you think that was bad enough, citizenship for black South Africans were revoked beginning in the early 1970s and the South African government at the time segregated educational opportunities, medical care, and public transportation, leaving black South Africans with lesser quality services than white South Africans.

It was probably one of the biggest stains to ever be left in the history of the twentieth century.  You can see why so many people in the world look at apartheid as a disgusting part of modern day history.



And certainly Nelson Mandela was against apartheid in all of its forms. 

It's hard to say when Mandela's fight against apartheid really began, but many would believe that the catalyst took place in 1948.  1948 was an election year, and it was also a year in which the right to vote was only granted to white South Africans.  And, 1948 is the year that apatheid really began to show its ugly head when Daniel Francois Malan of the National Party took power. 

I suppose it is redundant to mention this now, but at the time, the National Party was absolutely pro-white rights and anti-black rights.  And, the year that Malan and his party implemented the new apartheid legislation was the year that Nelson Mandela began his fight against apartheid.

Throughout the 1950s and early 1960s, Nelson Mandela - with assistance from the African National Congress - launched a campaign to raise awareness against apartheid, and although he was a very charismatic speaker and had a following of people who listened to his words, he certainly did have his brushes with the law. 

It seemed as though every few months, Mandela would find himself in trouble with the law over his anti-apartheid sentiments.  He was arrested in June 1952 after holding a public rally in which ten thousand people showed up, and was briefly held in Marshall Square Prison.  But the net result of that arrest meant that the membership of the ANC grew from 20,000 members to over 100,000.  Of course, this also had a negative impact as well, as the government's concern over so many people turning against their laws that they arrested mass numbers of people on the streets and introduced the Public Safety Act in 1963, which promoted martial law.

Then came Mandela's arrest for high treason on December 5, 1956.  He, alongside with most of the ANC Executive members were charged with high treason following a series of protests and anti-apartheid movements, which the government deemed to be a threat to their rule.  Can't imagine why that would be the case.

A total of 156 people were arrested, and the trial lasted a grand total of five years, wrapping up in March 1961 with the accused being declared not guilty. - a verdict which completely embarrassed the government of South Africa.  But just because Nelson Mandela avoided serving jail time at the conclusion of the Treason Trial of 1956 didn't mean that it was all over.  For, Nelson's hardships would really begin in the year 1962, when he was arrested along with ten others on the charges of recruiting people for training in guerrilla warfare and committing acts of sabotage, conspiring to commit said acts, and soliciting and receiving funds from sympathizers in other African nations. 

It was at the beginning of the trial that Nelson Mandela stood up and gave a three-hour long speech from the defendant's dock, which explained the political positions of the ANC, as well as defending everything that they had done in an effort to rid South Africa of all things having to do with apartheid.  It was certainly an eloquent speech...and perhaps the most important statement of that speech was at the very end of it.  Here are Nelson's own words, as spoken at his trial in April 1964.

"During my lifetime I have dedicated my life to this struggle of the African people.  I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.  I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal for which I hope to live for and see realised.  But, My Lord, if it needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."

Of course, we all know what happened after that.  We know that Mandela was found guilty and was sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa in June of 1964.  He spent the next two and a half decades in three different prisons undergoing many hardships, but refusing to back down on his dream that one day apartheid would be a thing of the past, and he hoped that he would live to see the day in which South Africans of all different backgrounds would enjoy equal rights.

Mandela's release from prison in February 1990 marked a huge turning point for the future of South Africa.  A new president (F.W. de Klerk) had just been elected not long before Mandela's 1990 release, and while he believed that apartheid was an outdated political system that did more harm than good and pardoned all of the prisoners who were a part of the ANC during the 1950s and 1960s, Mandela was not initially given his release papers.  It wasn't until November 1989 - the same month that the Berlin Wall came crumbling down - that de Klerk called his cabinet together to debate legalizing the ANC and freeing Mandela from prison.  Not everyone on his cabinet was keen to see Mandela released at all, but de Klerk stood firm in his stance that Mandela be released from prison, and in December 1989, de Klerk and Mandela had a formal meeting discussing the situation.

Mandela's release was granted on February 2, 1990...and nine days later, Mandela walked out of that prison a free man...with renewed hope for the future.

And, over the last twenty-three years of his life, Mandela certainly made his mark on a now apartheid free South Africa, winning the presidency and making the necessary changes that he had wanted made for decades.  His death in December 2013 at the age of 95 was the end of a life devoted towards bringing equality to all, and I think that he will always be considered one of the biggest freedom fighters of recent history.

February 11, 1990 was only the beginning...

Monday, February 10, 2014

007 Feature #6 - "Casino Royale" featuring Craig...Daniel Craig

I can't believe that it has come to this, but we're in our final week of the special 007 feature that I have kept going in the Monday Matinee feature over the past six weeks.



Since the beginning of the year, we've had a lot of fun reminiscing about all things Bond.  And, of course, we've had a lot of fun comparing and contrasting the half dozen men who have been lucky enough to play the role of James Bond in film. 

Just to recap, here are the previous entries in the special 007 Monday Matinees - dating all the way back to January 6.

007 Feature #1 - Dr. No featuring Connery...Sean Connery
007 Feature #2 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service featuring Lazenby...George Lazenby

And, here we are.  The sixth and final entry in the series featuring the sixth - and as of 2014 current - actor to play James Bond.  And, the casting of this new Bond is an interesting story.

But to begin this story, why don't we take a trip back in time to 1995 - the same year that Pierce Brosnan debuted as James Bond in "GoldenEye".  When Brosnan was given the role, his contract was for four films in the James Bond series.  And over a period of seven years between 1995 and 2002, Brosnan honoured his commitment to those films.  Many people suspected that because Brosnan's films did quite well at the box office that he would extend his contract.

However, Brosnan was also quite the observant fellow, and he noted that the longer Roger Moore stayed in the role of James Bond, the worse the movies got.  By the time Roger Moore retired as Bond in 1985, he was already pushing sixty, and 1985's "A View To A Kill" was considered one of the worst films of the entire Bond franchise from a financial standpoint.

So with Pierce Brosnan turning fifty years old himself in 2003, he decided to leave the franchise after 2002's "Die Another Day" because he didn't want to have the same thing happen to him as it did with Roger Moore.  Brosnan's resignation from the Bond series was made official in February 2004.  Shortly after that, the casting process began for the next movie in the Eon Production series.

And, according to Bond producer Michael G. Wilson, there were a long list of actors just waiting to take Brosnan's place.  It is rumoured that Croatian actor Goran Visnjic was one of the top contenders for the role, and certainly he does have the right look for James Bond.  Unfortunately, he didn't have the right voice, as his heavy Croatian accent prevented him from mimicking a proper British accent.

Sam Worthington was considered as well, but quickly passed over.  And Henry Cavill was only twenty-two when he auditioned for the part of James Bond - which was WAY too young for the role.

(Keep in mind that Connery and Lazenby tied for the youngest James Bond ever - as both of them were thirty when they filmed their first films.)

But then a new name surfaced that had film producers intrigued.  A name that was linked to other projects such as "I Dreamed Of Africa", "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider", "Road To Perdition", and "The Jacket".  A casting choice that was not without controversy.



Yes, the casting choice of Daniel Craig as Bond was quite a story.  Believe it or not, Craig had been offered the role of James Bond in 2004 - the same year that Brosnan officially handed in his resignation.  And, believe it or not, Craig refused at first.  He had felt as though the Bond formula had gotten quite stale and stagnant, and he believed that a typical Bond film followed the same exact formula which did not interest him at all.

However, Craig changed his tune when he was given the script for Eon's twenty-first film in the series.  When he read the script, he instantly took on the role, and in October 2005, the official announcement was made that Daniel Craig would become the sixth actor to play Bond.

And, boy oh boy were people initially angry about it.  For one, the previous actors were all suave, debonair, and dark-haired.  This Bond was blonde!  And, apparently something as simple as a different hair colour was enough to make people furious.  Many people took to the Internet and voiced their displeasure - even creating a website entitled "Daniel Craig is NOT Bond".  Can you believe that?  Even British publication "The Daily Mirror" ran a piece with the headline "The Name's Bland - James Bland".

Ouch.

Despite all of these detractors and people planning on boycotting any Bond films with Daniel Craig in the lead role, I decided to give him a shot.  And, upon retrospect, I'm really glad I did.  Not only did I feel that Craig did the role justice, but after watching him as Bond, he is easily ranked as my second favourite Bond of all time (admittedly, nobody can touch Sean Connery in Bond perfection, but Craig came close).

So, as of 2014, Daniel Craig is still the current Bond.  And so far, he has made three films in the series.  There was 2006's "Casino Royale", 2008's "Quantum of Solace", and 2012's "Skyfall".  And, believe me when I tell you that I had a tough task in choosing which film I was going to spotlight in this final Bond feature.  All three of the films are stunning - two of them ending up in my list of my own personal favourite top 10 Bond films.

I eliminated "Quantum of Solace" right away - not because it was a bad film (it most certainly wasn't), but because it's the one film of Craig's three that I liked the least.  And "Skyfall" would have been a decent choice as well.  Adele did win an Academy Award for the theme song, and as of 2014, it is the highest grossing Bond film, the second highest grossing film of 2012, and the eighth highest grossing film of all-time. 



But, there's a couple of reasons why I decided to choose 2006's "Casino Royale" as the film to conclude this look back on the history of 007.



Firstly, the symbolism (whether it be intentional or not) was glaring.  The film is called "Casino Royale" (and much of the movie does take place in a casino), and one of the games that is played in casinos is "Blackjack" (sometimes called Twenty-One).  And, wouldn't you know it?  This film happens to be #21 in the series!  Coincidence?  I think not.

And, secondly, this film marked a little bit of a reboot of the series, with the film being all about how James Bond's career as a MI6 agent began.  This, despite the fact that Judi Dench reprises her role as "M" from her time in the Brosnan series of films.  Ah well, it's James Bond.  I suppose we can tweak the continuity just a smidgen...especially when you consider that James Bond should really be in his eighties had he aged chronologically.

Now, I hear some of you saying - wait a minute.  Wasn't there already a Bond film called "Casino Royale" that was released sometime in the 1960s?

Well, yes...and no.

It is true that a movie called "Casino Royale" was released in 1967, with Charles K. Feldman as producer and David Niven as "Bond".  And, it is also true that Feldman had gone to Bond producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman to have the movie made as part of the Eon Productions series of films.  After all, Feldman did hold the movie rights to Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale".  The problem was that Feldman couldn't reach an agreement with Broccoli/Saltzman, and as a result, he opted to turn "Casino Royale" into a sort of parody of the previous Bond films - with disasterous results.

Flash forward nearly forty years, and "Casino Royale" was given a new lease on life...as well as a more serious plot line with Daniel Craig slipping into Bond's familiar black tuxedo.

Now, just exactly what that plot is...I cannot say.  Much.  After all, this is a Monday Matinee.  And, if you've followed along with this blog for the last two and a half years, you know that I never reveal movie endings on Monday Matinees.  But, just so you have a little bit of a Cliff's Notes version, I'll share some tidbits.

Firstly, don't be alarmed by the fact that the first few minutes of the film are in black and white.  It's supposed to be this way.  And, to be honest with you, the cinematography is excellent in that scene.  Really sets the mood for the rest of the film (which is in colour, I should note).



Secondly, I'm really enjoying the casting choice of Eva Green as the Bond girl in this film - Vesper Lynd.  She is probably one of the better casting choices for Bond girls in recent years, and she certainly can hold her own in this movie.  But without spoiling it for you, let's just say that Bond girls only appear in one film and one film only...and her role at the end of the film is...well, let's just say that she goes out fighting.



Thirdly, the primary antagonist is played by Mads Mikkelsen - who goes under the alias of "Le Chiffre".  For those of you who are fluent in French, you know that the word "chiffre" in English means number.  And, in the film, "Le Chiffre" is a banker, which means that he is involved in a - pardon the pun - number of activities that have to do with finances...which most often than not are illegal in nature.  He also uses his gift of numbers to manipulate poker games to his advantage.  And, needless to say, there is a prerequisite card game or two featuring Le Chiffre and Bond.

Fourthly, keep an eye out on actor Giancarlo Giannini, who plays the role of Rene Mathis.  His character is confusing.  Very confusing.



And, finally, for the female readers of this blog, this scene is sure to give you heart palpitations.  Easily one of the most recognizable scenes in recent Bond films for sure.



And now, let's get to the backstage gossip of "Casino Royale"!

1 - Apparently Vesper Lynd was based off of a real-life World War II resistance fighter named Christine Granville.  Allegedly, Granville and James Bond creator Ian Fleming had a brief affair!

2 - This was the very first Bond film since 1962's "Dr. No" that did NOT feature any dancing nude women in the opening!  - mind you, the credits that DID feature them were silhouetted!

3 - There's a suit that Daniel Craig wears towards the end of the film.  It is actually an exact replica of the suit that Sean Connery wore in "Goldfinger" - the only difference being the colour.

4 - If you cringed during the scene in which Bond crashes an Aston Martin DBS car, you have every reason to.  In order to get that scene right, three Aston Martin cars were completely destroyed.  Total cost?  Almost one million dollars alone!

5 - Daniel Craig gained 20 pounds of muscle in preparation for this role.

6 - Other actors up for consideration of the role of James Bond included Alex O'Loughlin, Julian McMahon, and Gerard Butler.

7 - Audrey Tautou of "Amelie" fame was almost given the role of Vesper Lynd in the movie (which admittedly would have been a good casting choice as well), but she decided to film "The DaVinci Code" with Tom Hanks instead.

8 - Daniel Craig is the first person to play Bond who is younger than the film series.  The Bond film series started in 1962.  Craig wasn't born until 1968.

9 - The first Bond film not to feature Miss Moneypenny in any capacity.  She would not return until 2012's "Skyfall", in which she was portrayed by Naomie Harris.

10 - This film also didn't have a "Q" - the first Bond film to have no "Q" since "Live and Let Die".

11 - Had Pierce Brosnan returned to film "Casino Royale", it would have cost producers an estimated $30 million!

12 - The first James Bond film to be based on a full Ian Fleming novel since 1979's "Moonraker".

13 - About a week after filming wrapped up on "Casino Royale", the 007 Stage burned down in July 2006 - the second time that a fire had gutted the area.  The first fire happened just before "A View To A Kill" began production.

14 - It took six weeks to film the opening parkour scene.

15 - Would you like to know the real identity of "M"'s secret affair - a.k.a. the naked guy in bed with her during one scene?  That would be the film's transport co-ordinator.

16 - Would you believe that Daniel Craig was actually offered the chance to buy a bootlegged copy of "Casino Royale" in Beijing just two days after the film's November 2006 premiere?  Unbelievable!

17 - "Casino Royale" reportedly made a huge impact on one former Bond actor.  Roger Moore loved it so much that he bought a copy on DVD as soon as it became available!

18 - Daniel Craig performed a lot of his own stunts in the film...which lead to some very painful injuries.  Watch the film, and you'll understand what I mean.

19 - The film's theme song was recorded by Soundgarden vocalist Chris Cornell - the first male artist to sing a Bond theme since a-ha recorded 1987's "The Living Daylights".

20 - When Barbara Broccoli called Daniel Craig to let him know that he had won the part of James Bond, he was grocery shopping.  He subsequently abandoned his cart full of groceries and promptly celebrated the good news with a round of martinis...presumably shaken, not stirred.

21 - This film is the longest running film of the entire Bond series - running at a length of 144 minutes.

And, that's a wrap!  I hope you enjoyed this special six-part series of James Bond movies.  I will forever be a huge fan of all things Bond, and I will always hold a special place in my heart (and DVD collection) for the many different 007 films in the series.

So, in the grand scheme of things...what does my list of Bond actors look like from most liked to least liked?  And, what is my infamous Top 10 list of all-time favourite Bond movies?

Well, I'll share my list...and feel free to share yours.

First...my favourite Bond actors.  From best to least best. 

1 - Connery...Sean Connery
2 - Craig...Daniel Craig
3 - Moore...Roger Moore
4 - Brosnan...Pierce Brosnan
5 - Lazenby...George Lazenby
6 - Dalton...Timothy Dalton

(NOTE:  Lazenby would have surpassed Brosnan had he made more movies...and although I have developed a new appreciation for Timothy Dalton as Bond, he still remains at the bottom of my list.)

And, now...my Top 10 list of Bond movies.  #1 shouldn't come as much of a surprise, but my list contains at least one film from the top four Bonds, anyway.

1 - DR. NO
2 - GOLDFINGER
3 - CASINO ROYALE
4 - SKYFALL
5 - GOLDENEYE
6 - THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
7 - LIVE AND LET DIE
8 - THUNDERBALL
9 - TOMORROW NEVER DIES
10 - ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE

Thanks for being a part of this special series of Monday Matinees!  And to leave you, one final video.



Sunday, February 09, 2014

That's What Friends Are For

It's the all-music weekend this weekend, and for this week's Sunday Jukebox, we're going to be featuring the perfect song to represent the spirit of "BLACK HISTORY MONTH".  After all, today's song features three of the world's most celebrated singers of African-American origin teaming up together to sing a ballad about the wonders of friendship.

Now, here's a little bit of a pop quiz for all of you before we go right ahead with today's featured #1 single.  Don't worry.  You won't be graded on your answers here.

Okay.  Here's question number one.  Which singer - who happens to also be a cousin to the late Whitney Houston - began her career in the 1960s with such classic hits as "Walk On By", "Do You Know The Way To San Jose?", and "I Say A Little Prayer", and is easily considered to be one of the more popular vocalists of her time.  Sure, she kind of lost some points with her whole Psychic Friends Network pimpage...and, sure, she did file for bankruptcy in 2013...but hey, thankfully her music is mostly what this singer is defined by.  Do you know who she is?

Question #2.  This lady rode the "Midnight Train To Georgia" all the way to the top of the charts...and beyond!  She had hits both as a solo artist, and as the leader of a band of people known as the Pips.  Her career has spanned a total of five decades so far, and she also holds the distinction of singing one of the many James Bond themes that have been released over the last few years.

Question #3.  Now, this is a guy who didn't let a little thing like losing his sight stop him from having a successful career as an entertainer.  Beginning his career when he was just a child, this "little" guy grew into one of the most successful singer/songwriters of all time.  With hits like "Superstition", "My Cherie Amour", "I Just Called To Say I Love You", and "Part-Time Lover", as well as a duet that he did with Paul McCartney, this man proved that he had the goods to back it up.  Although he hasn't had any hits on the charts in recent years, he can still be found singing and performing at various events today.

So, pencils down everybody.  Have you got your answers ready?

Well, if you answered Dionne Warwick for Question #1, Gladys Knight for Question #2, and Stevie Wonder for Question #3...congratulations.  You've successfully passed the pop quiz.  Well done, everybody!

And, as it so happens, today's Sunday Jukebox entry features all three of these singers recording a song together along with British rock/pop legend Elton John.  The song hit the top of the charts in January 1986, and stayed there for a number of weeks until February, when it was dethroned by Whitney Houston's "How Will I Know".



Sadly, this single also marks the final time that Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, and Stevie Wonder ever had a #1 single on the Billboard Charts.  But, given the concept of the song, as well as the reason behind the song being recorded in the first place, I think it was very much worth it.

So, are you ready to take a look at the song that was on the top of the charts twenty-eight years ago this weekend?  Have a look!



ARTIST:  Dionne Warwick and Friends
SONG:  That's What Friends Are For
ALBUM:  Friends
DATE RELEASED:  December 1985
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 4 weeks

Yes, today's blog entry is all about the power of friendship.  And, it also happens to be a song that was used to raise awareness for a worthy cause.

Come to think of it, 1985 was a huge year for charity singles.  I think the whole movement kicked off with Band-Aid's 1984 Christmas single "Do They Know It's Christmas", and by the end of 1985, there were music fundraisers popping up all over the place.  In 1985, U.S.A. for Africa released the #1 single "We Are The World".  In Canada, we had "Tears Are Not Enough" released that same year.  And, I'm sure that if you were around in 1985, you watched at least a portion of the famous "Live-Aid" performance of July 13, 1985 or "Farm-Aid" in September of that year.

I suppose that 1985 could be considered the most charitable year of the 1980s.  And certainly, millions of dollars were donated to each of the causes.



Well, in late 1985, both the United Kingdom and the United States decided to organize a recording session for several artists to record a single entitled "That's What Friends Are For" as a way to raise money for AIDS research.  Since the discovery of AIDS in 1981, people became alarmed at the number of people who were dying from the disease, and everybody agreed that a cure must be found.  So, the idea to release a charity single to raise money for the research necessary to eradicate AIDS from the world was a very good idea.

The song "That's What Friends Are For" wasn't exactly a brand new song.  It had been written by legendary singer/composer Burt Bacharach and Carole Bayer Sager, and had been previously performed by Rod Stewart for the soundtrack of the 1982 film "Night Shift".  Now, Rod Stewart's version failed to make an imprint on the charts that year, but nevertheless, that song was the one that was picked.

Now, why this song was chosen, I don't exactly know.  But my speculation is that the song's lyrics were particularly poignant, especially considering what cause the song was championing.  I was born the same year that AIDS stories first began to surface in the media, and I know that when the world first heard about it, they panicked.  These days, we all know that AIDS can only be contracted through sexual intercourse and sharing used drug needles (and prior to 1990, through tainted blood transfusions).  But back in the early 1980s, not a whole lot of people understood what AIDS was.  They thought that it was highly contagious and an instant death sentence if you happened to contract it.  Many people back then mistakenly believed that if you so much as even touched someone who was HIV positive, or drank out of the same can of Pepsi as someone who was HIV positive, or kissed someone who was HIV positive that they would contract the disease like that. 



I can only imagine how scary it must have been for people who were infected with HIV back in the 1980s.  Because of the stigma associated with the disease, often people found themselves battling the disease alone as many people who couldn't understand or refused to understand simply walked away.

I think that was the reason why that song was chosen.  That no matter what kind of person you were, and no matter if you were HIV positive or had full-blown AIDS, you were still deserving of friendship and you were still deserving of love.  Certainly a great message, even though it did take a number of years after the song was released before it came across.



So, with the song chosen for the charity single, the next step was finding artists who would take part in the recording.  And, as it so happened, many of the artists who were chosen had previously worked together before!

I mean, everybody knows that the partnership between Dionne Warwick and Burt Bacharach is legendary.  After all, he wrote many of the songs that helped Dionne Warwick become such a huge presence on the 1960s pop charts.  But did you know that Stevie Wonder and Elton John had also previously collaborated together?



That's Stevie Wonder playing harmonica on Elton's 1983 single "I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"!

With the final line-up of the single being Warwick, Wonder, John, and Gladys Knight, the single was finished on time to be released both as a single, and as a track on Dionne's 1985 "Friends" album.  And, do you want to know just how much money was raised with the charity single?

How does three million dollars sound to you?  Now, I know that $3 million doesn't seem like a whole lot to you right now - but in 1985, it was certainly worth its weight in gold.

And, considering that having the status of HIV positive is no longer the death sentence it once was - with many people being able to live more than two decades after their initial diagnosis these days - well, I would say that the single release certainly was a part of that research.  Who knows?  Maybe in fifty years or so, a cure can finally be found one day.

And, I guess it's also important to note that the message of the song - the song about friendship - applies to all kinds of people no matter what your age, gender, sexual preference, skin colour, religious background, or political affiliation.  If you're willing to let love and friendship into your heart, then there's no reason why you aren't deserving of it.

Saturday, February 08, 2014

50 Years Ago Tomorrow...

You know, I've decided to switch things up a smidgen for this weekend.  I know that today is supposed to be the day in which I was supposed to feature a Saturday Smorgasbord entry - which for the second Saturday of the month typically features some kind of toy or game.  But given that a momentous event is set to take place this weekend, I've decided to change the topic of the blog just for this weekend only.

(Well, that, plus I can't think of a video game or board game to feature in a blog topic this week.)

So, I'm going to explain what I'm going to be doing this weekend.  They say that music is one of the most universal languages in the whole world.  Practically everywhere in the world (except for maybe Antarctica) uses music in some format.  Whether it be for leisure, for performance arts, or for background music at fashion shows, you have to admit that the world would be a really dismal place if there were no music.

And, as it so happens, this weekend there's going to be an event that takes place that is slated to be huge.



On Sunday, February 9, 2014, CBS is planning a very special tribute to The Beatles by having a television event featuring artists of all genres and backgrounds performing classic Beatles hits.  And, naturally, the special can't be complete without a special reunion between the two surviving members of the band - Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.  Now, mind you, if you watched the Grammy Awards two weeks ago, you know that Paul and Ringo already performed together on that awards broadcast.  But this Sunday's performance is something special.



For it will take place on the fiftieth anniversary of the day that The Beatles made their very first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show - which naturally took place on February 9, 1964.

Now, granted, The Beatles had made it big in their native UK two years prior to that in 1962.  But when Beatlemania struck across the pond and McCartney, Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon departed that plane to walk on American soil for the first time as a band - I can only imagine that it must have been a huge day.

So, I've decided to devote today to that very special performance, as well as showcasing a song that the band released that was actually topping the American charts at the time the band made their American debut.

So, I suppose the next question is...why are you doing the feature today and not tomorrow - when the actual anniversary took place?

Interesting question.  One that I can supply an answer to.

Because I'm simultaneously celebrating "BLACK HISTORY MONTH" this February, and because I already made the promise to feature #1 hits by African-American artists all this month in the Sunday Jukebox entries, I can't very well just go against that promise that I made.

So, that's why I'm doing the Beatles feature today!

Now, admittedly, I am too young to remember that iconic Ed Sullivan Show performance.  That performance was fifty years ago, and I am only thirty-two.  However, I do know quite a lot of people who were old enough to watch and appreciate that performance for what it was.

You see, both of my parents were born in the mid-1940s.  My mom just missed out on being a Baby Boomer by a couple of months, but my dad was one of the very first Baby Boomers, being born in 1946.  If my math is correct, this would mean that my father was 17, and my mother was 18 when The Beatles first made their debut on American television.  That was right around the average age of the audience who were lucky enough to watch them live on the set of the Ed Sullivan Show.

So, I thought...why not ask them what they thought of the performance?  After all, they were there.

Unfortunately, my father couldn't help me.  Not only did he not watch the performance, but he didn't really care for the style of music that The Beatles played.  He was more content listening to Hank Snow, Patsy Cline, and other 1960s era country artists whose popularity were measured by how loud they twanged their guitar strings or how high their hairstyles reached.

My mom on the other hand...she loved The Beatles.  In fact, I think it was through her that my sisters and I all developed our own love for the Fab Four.  And, she did watch that performance on television live...one of the seventy-three million people to do so that night.

Well, much to the chagrin of my late grandfather who absolutely despised The Beatles, that is.

Of course, my mom didn't really go as crazy for The Beatles as other girls her age did.  She didn't have this obsession with Ringo Starr or Paul McCartney as other fans did (though admittedly I went through much of my early childhood believing that my sister was named after a Beatle - she wasn't).  Still, it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and she absolutely enjoyed the whole show.

In fact...if you click HERE, you can watch that performance as it happened some fifty years ago, as well as two other appearances that the band made on February 16 and February 23, 1964. 

That's right!  The Beatles were such a huge hit that they appeared on the following two episodes of the Ed Sullivan Show as well!  Remember, the first appearance of the band is at the beginning of the clip and starts with the song "All My Loving" - a song that actually became a #1 hit single in Canada!

But "All My Loving" is not going to be the featured song choice for today.  Believe me, if I could have found enough information on that song, I easily would have made it so.  But today's song choice is an important one because on all three of the Beatles' appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964, they closed off each set with the same song...a song that appropriately enough was at the top of the charts at the time.



ARTIST:  The Beatles
SONG:  I Want To Hold Your Hand
ALBUM:  N/A (was initially a single-only release)
DATE RELEASED:  November 29, 1963
PEAK POSITION ON THE BILLBOARD CHARTS:  #1 for 7 weeks

NOTE:  Although the song was initially single release only, it has since appeared on several Beatles records - including the "1" compilation.



NOTE 2:  The single pressings for "I Want To Hold Your Hand" contained different B-sides, depending on your nation of origin.  Europeans received "This Boy", while North Americans listened to "I Saw Her Standing There".

Now, this single holds the distinction of having a couple of firsts.  It was the very first single to reach the top of the American charts.  It was the first Beatles single to be recorded using four-track equipment.  And, it was one of the first cases in which this song kept another song recorded by the same artist off the top of the charts for weeks (in this case, the song "She Loves You").  Amusingly in the UK, the opposite took place, with "She Loves You" keeping "I Want To Hold Your Hand" off the top spot!

Anyway, the song was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1963 at a time in which McCartney was dating actress Jane Asher, and when McCartney was staying at a guest at Asher's parents' home, located at 57 Wimpole Street in London.  It was at that address that Lennon and McCartney penned the lyrics of the song.  In September 1980 - three months before Lennon's death, John Lennon was interviewed by Playboy Magazine, and he described the songwriting process for the song like this.

"We wrote a lot of stuff together (McCartney and I), one on one, eyeball to eyeball.  Like in 'I Want To Hold Your Hand'.  I remember when we got the chord that made the song.  We were in Jane Asher's house, downstairs in the cellar playing on the piano at the same time.  And we had 'Oh you-u-u/got that something...' And Paul hits this chord [E minor] and I turn to him and say 'That's it!' I said.  'Do that again!'  In those days, we really used to absolutely write like that - both playing into each other's noses."

Fourteen years later, Paul McCartney confirmed that this was the case in an interview he did in 1994;

"'Eyeball to eyeball' is a very good description of it.  That's exactly how it was.  'I Want To Hold Your Hand' was very co-written.  It was our big number one; the one that would eventually break us in America."

And, boy did that song take off.  Though the US release of the single was held off until December 26, 1963, once it was, it took almost no time at all for the single to rise all the way up to the top.

But here's one final story to share with you all.  Initially, the single was to be held off until early 1964, which would have coincided with the date that The Beatles made their American debut.  But then a fourteen year old girl got involved after hearing a clip of the song, and before you know it, she managed to get the ball rolling.  But why don't I just post a snippit of an interview given by that then fourteen-year-old girl, Marsha Albert?

"It wasn't so much what I had seen, it's what I had heard.  They had a scene where they played a clip of "She Loves You" and I thought it was a great song...I wrote that I thought the Beatles would be really popular here and if [deejay Carroll James] could get one of their records, that would be great!"

Turns out that James - who at the time was working for Washington DC based radio station WWDC - took Albert's suggestion to heart and actively pursued the station promotion director to get the British Overseas Airways Coproration to send the station a copy of what was then the Beatles' newest single, "I Want To Hold Your Hand".  Not only did the station get the record, but because they got it in at a reasonable time, Carroll James called Marsha Albert at home and told her that if she could get to the station by five o'clock in the afternoon, he would let her announce the record live on air!  




You don't need me to tell you what happened next, do you?

Anyway, that's our look back at The Beatles and the fiftieth anniversary of the night they appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show.  Tune in this Sunday at 8:00pm for the special anniversary celebration which will feature both McCartney and Starr.




It's just a shame that John Lennon and George Harrison won't be there.  Alas, maybe they will be in spirit.