Paramount Movies: Sunset Boulevard (1950) Gloria Swanson & William Holden Star

Source:Paramount Pictures-

Source:The Daily Review

I don’t like using the word-perfect that often, because perfect is almost never seen and heard of, but Sunset Boulevard along with North by Northwest, is about as close to a perfect movie as anyone could ever see.

Great plot about a young almost wannabe screenwriter who at this point is desperate for work, so he can make his car payment. Whose on the run from repossessors and stops off at what he believes is an abandoned house only to discover that one of the top actress’s ever in Hollywood lives there. Which is how Joe Gillis (played by William Holden) meets Norma Desmond, (played by Gloria Swanson) otherwise they probably never meet each other. Joe Gillis, is considering giving up Hollywood and going back to Ohio and getting a blue-collar job. Norma Desmond, hasn’t worked in a while and the Hollywood studios no longer want her.

Norma Desmond, finds out that Joe Gillis is a Hollywood writer, struggling at that and owes three months back rent on his apartment, as well as a car he can’t afford. She knows he needs money, which is what she has plenty of and needs a job, which she has one for him. She’s not working now as an actress and doesn’t have any roles coming her way and decides to write her own script and get back into movies that way. And hires Joe to be his proofreader and to fix up her script so someone would take it and make a movie from it. Joe, is not impressed with the script so far, but believes he can work with it. Still has friends in Hollywood and has one his friends Betty Schaefer (played by Nancy Olson) help him rewrite the script and they work on it together.

Norma Desmond, is lonely and desperate to get back into movies and doesn’t want to live off her royalties and investments. She wants Joe to perhaps help her get back into the movies, but what I at least believe she’s looking for is male companionship and believes her script will get her back into movies. I don’t think it is ever clear that she thinks Joe Gillis, someone who she’s never heard of who can’t afford either his apartment or car and hasn’t worked in a while, is a talented writer and someone who has a future in Hollywood. Joe, needs a job obviously as well as money and I see them as basically using each other to meet their short-term interests. I don’t see them as a writing team that is going to write their own movie together.

Gloria Swanson, has just turned 50 at this point and so has her character in Sunset Boulevard. But Hollywood already sees her has washed up and way past her prime. Gives you an idea of how Hollywood sees the world different at least in the 1940s and 1950s than the rest of us. And in many ways this movie is pretty sad, because it shows how Hollywood treats its stars once they believe they no longer have any use for them and almost treat them like strangers and as people they don’t want to be seen with anymore. Gloria Swanson, is her beautiful and brilliant self now playing someone who s past her prime, but as an actress she still has everything going for her and is still the star of the movie. Bill Holden, is his usual charming and even funny self who mixes in clever humor in a very serious if not dark and depressing, but a great movie.
Source:Paramount Movies

NBA-TV: 'Kobe Bryant Retiring From The NBA After 2015-16 Season'

Source:NBA- The face of the Los Angeles Lakers, in the 21st Century.

Source:The Daily Review

Probably easy to say this now, but Kobe Bryant’s time to retire from the NBA has been here for a while. And it was really just about him finally seeing that and deciding to give up what has been one of the great NBA careers of all-time. As far as what he’s personally accomplished and what the Los Angeles Lakers have accomplished with him. At least arguably the team of the 2000s winning four NBA Finals and six Western Conference Finals. The player of the 2000s at least if not post-Michael Jordan. 2008 MVP, 11 times All-NBA First team. But the Lakers haven’t made the NBA Playoffs since 2012 and have been pretty bad since. Actually being the second best team not just in Los Angeles, but at Staples Center with the Clippers becoming a real force in the NBA. Yes the Clippers and you’re not seeing that, because you’re high right now. Either on Red Bull, or something illegal.

Kobe, has been beat up the last few seasons, because of age and so many miles that he’s piled up on the NBA court which takes a toll on anyone’s body even great players who accomplish superhuman feats. So Kobe I believe is late on this and the Lakers still aren’t very good and again looking like one of the worst teams in the NBA at 2-13 right now. Headed to their fourth straight non-playoff season in a league where 8-15 teams make the playoffs in each conference. All you have to do is be mediocre to make the NBA Playoffs and the Lakers aren’t even that right now. So as great of a career that Kobe has had and I at least believe the best player post-Michael Jordan, at least in the 2000s. But not the greatest Los Angeles Laker ever. Both Kareem and Magic are better, but it has been time for Kobe to call it a career.

I grew up watching NBA basketball in the 1980s just outside of Washington with the Lakers being my second team behind the Wizards, who were called the Bullets back then. And fell out of love with the Lakers when they signed Shaquille O’Neal and went to a more ball control half court style of offense. Which was common for most NBA teams in the 1990s. But I’ve always have a lot of respect for Kobe Bryant, because he was truly a great player and not just a great talent. He was a gentlemen and professional basketball player in an era of realty TV and pop culture celebrity wannabes who played basketball really just to get on ESPN Sportscenter, be celebrated online and further their NBA careers. Kobe, is very similar to Tim Duncan in how he presents himself as the constant professional who lets his game speak for itself. He was a great player who would have thrived in the NBA hey day of the 1980s just like Big Tim and will be surely missed.

The Daily Conversation: Bernie vs Hillary On The Issues

Source:The Daily Review

The differences between Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton? Well which Hillary Clinton are you talking about. 2000, 2002, 2006, 2008, hopefully not as Secretary of State. Don’t want 2016 to be about Libya for her, assuming she is the Democratic nominee for president. I actually like the 2015-16 Hillary quite a bit. She’s even now in favor of legalizing marijuana at least at the state level. Has publicly admitted that the Iraq War was a mistake, even if she privately knew that in 2006.

The 2015-16 Hillary looks like the Pragmatic Progressive. But I still prefer the Progressive With Results from Martin O’Malley. And if he can ever get a non-relative to endorse him for president and give his campaign money, he might still make a run for the Democratic nomination. Because he’s already accomplished as Governor of Maryland what Bernie and Hillary say they want to do, but have never actually accomplished anything.

With Bernie Sanders, like him, dislike him, hate him, love him, terrified of him and would never want to let him see your wallet and financial information for fear that all of your money would suddenly disappear after Uncle Sam takes what he wants from you, you have to at least respect him. Because here’s a real-life politician not a made up Hollywood politician, but a real-life human being and politician at the same time, (which might be a newsflash for a lot of Americans) who actually knows what he believes and says what he thinks. For the most part.

I mean free college, free health care, free health insurance, I think he’s at least smart enough to know that people will have to pay for all of their new government services and that of course they won’t be free. These will not be Christmas presents from their rich Uncle Bernie. But their Socialist Uncle Sam, or Bernie, who’ll have new taxes to pay for these services. Two guarantees in life, death and taxes, at least in America. And taxes are bills that Americans have to pay to get the free government services. Free government services is like trying to take a bath with dirt and playing football in the bathtub. It simply doesn’t exist for anyone whose a taxpayer.

Hillary Clinton vs Bernie Sanders, to me at least looks like Bill Clinton vs George McGovern, or Jerry Brown, from back in Jerry’s hippie radical days in the 1960s and early 70s. Hard to imagine that once Bernie after he finally picks a number by how much he wants to expand the Federal Government in size and in money, assuming that ever happens, that he could beat Hillary anywhere outside of New England and San Francisco. And perhaps just Vermont and San Francisco. Too bad for Bernie that New York City is not a state, because maybe he could beat Hillary there.

Because Americans and even Democrats, are learning that to create all the new big government that Senator Sanders wants to create, the rich won’t pay for all of that. Their money will be in other countries even before some committee in Congress like Ways and Means, or Finance, looks at his proposals. So of course the middle class Americans will get stuck with the tax bills for all of these new programs. Hillary, is already scoring against Bernie in the debates on this. About whose going to pay to being Sweden to America. Hillary can say, “I have friends in Congress both in the Senate and House who I’ve worked with on these issues in both parties. And we can work together on these issues.” With Bernie it will an all or nothing approach that will die in Congress faster than a constitutional amendment to repeal both the first and second amendments.

The Richest: The Worst Black Friday Disasters

Source:The Richest-

Source: The Daily Review

Black Friday, the official start of the Christmas shopping season in America and as someone who has some experience working in retail I know how crazy it can be. It is that one day of the year where Americans can go crazy and not look crazy, because they must have whatever the current OMG product is out there. Generally having something to do with new technology. And if they don’t get that product, they’ll look like so old school, or 2014 or whatever the year is compared with people who already have that new smart phone, iPad, or whatever the hell it is. It is that one day of the year that people find great deals on stuff that they don’t need and buy it. To wake up the next day to figure out they don’t want or need whatever the thing is that they just found a great deal on. And besides, what they just bought is already old school compared with whatever the latest thing is.

It is that day of the year where people can camp out the night before so they’re in at Best Buy, Macy’s, or whatever the store is, the second it opens and be able to buy whatever they think they’re looking for at that second, to find out they don’t want it, or need it when they get home. Or perhaps its a present and they think to them self, “why would this person want this.” Black Friday, is 21st Century pop and valley culture gone wild, where everyone has that one day to be more like whatever their favorite current celebrity is until they find a new one the next day. Despite all the stupidity that comes from Black Friday with all the faddism that comes from it, as someone smart once said and I’m paraphrasing, but that idiots are useful. Black Friday, puts money in people’s wallets, saves people money if they spend their money wisely on stuff they can actually use and need and it also creates a lot of jobs. Things that we still need a lot of as a country.

For Social Justice Warriors, (speaking of useful idiots) Black Friday is not a racist holiday. It is not some racial slur at African-Americans and anyone else of African descent. It is also not some day that promotes economic greed and the weakness’ of private enterprise, capitalism and corporate greed. It is a great use to the American economy, because it creates jobs and keeps business’s successful. It puts money in average Americans wallets and saves money for a lot of Americans who spend the day wisely. Yes, private business’s end up doing very well on this day, but that’s called private enterprise and capitalism. And workers and consumers don’t do well when business’s don’t do well. These things go together. And someone not a fan of this system should explain what they would do differently. Perhaps try to find some state-run business that has real competition that does well on Black Friday. Or Rainbow Friday, or whatever the politically correct term would be for it.
Source:The Richest

Steven Crowder: Thanksgiving- A Politically Incorrect Guide

Source: Steven Crowder-

Source:The Daily Review

To start off on a positive note before I send everyone to back the Great Depression. Actually, it won’t be that bad, but I just want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who doesn’t view this great American holiday as a racist holiday. For the rest of you, please seek help and perhaps smoke a joint and learn to relax. But to the Social Justice Warriors, Canada which many so-called Progressives or Social Democrats celebrate as some great utopian social democratic utopia, celebrates Thanksgiving. So who are the racists now? America, or Canada, perhaps both in a Social Justice Warrior’s peanut-sized brain. Thanksgiving, is not about celebrating the Europeans victory over the Indians. But celebrating what we all have to be thankful for.

Thanksgiving, is really one of those handful of holidays that we have in America where families get together and drive each other crazy. Leaving people to remember why they haven’t seen their uncle in a whole year. Perhaps brother, sister, aunt, in-laws, parents even. As well as to remember how thankful they are to have relatives that will drive them crazy. Not to get drunk and celebrate European victory over the Indians. This is a great holiday a day when Americans can feel proud to eat, drink, watch football all day, not bother to exercise. Not a day to celebrate the fact that Europeans conquered America and left the Indians to live on reservations. By the way, American-Indians are free to live with other Americans in America. European and otherwise.

Thanksgiving, is that great American holiday that actually brings Americans together in a very divided country. Where people who believe Barack Obama is destroying America, break bread with people who believe minorities are entitled not to be offended. People who believe that ObamaCare, or the Affordable Care Act its supporters such as myself, is a Marxist government takeover of the health care system, can break bread with people who believe the ACA is a good thing and will make the American health care system look like Germany. Where you have to cover your own health care costs, but get to choose how you pay for it with a market of different health insurers. This is not a holiday to jump into an American-Indian’s face and say, “ha! We won and you lost!” If there is one holiday that should unite all Americans that everyone can take one day off and just relax and enjoy themselves and give thanks, its Thanksgiving.
Source:Steven Crowder

Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher: The Power of Stupidity & Political Polls- July 1993

Source: No Cow Eyes- Jerry Seinfeld.

Source:The Daily Review

Political polls do have a place in American politics. I’m just not sure it is a good place, because imagine what our government would be like if politicians just made decisions based on what they believed and knew what was the right thing to do. And then let their voters decide if they should get reelected or not. Instead of a politician taking a poll on what is the best shirt to wear with their jacket. Or what they should eat at political events. Political polls do have a positive place in America if leaders actually use them correctly. Because a politician who might actually know what he thinks about an issue can see where their public is and far they are apart. And then stick with their position, but now they knew who they need to bring to their side and communicate to them. Instead of just taking positions based on polls.

The early 1990s, America was under attack from bogus lawsuits. Seemed like every stupid person was smart or lucky enough to find a lawyer even from accidentally backing into one, because they didn’t know their car was in reverse when they hit the accelerator. And every stupid person that was guilty of hurting themselves, but not able to hurt anyone else, found a lawyer who could find a way to blame their stupidity on smart people. We had women who sued McDonald’s, because she spilled her hot coffee on herself in her car. I remember hearing about that one in high school. We had someone else sue a tobacco company because they were now addicted to cigarettes, even though the cigarette box had warning labels on about the dangers of smoking tobacco. Another lawsuit involving someone being obese suing a good company for their obesity.

What political polls and bogus lawsuits have in common, is that they are both for stupid people. For politicians to show voters that they care about them, as they’re laughing behind their voters backs with their hands pulling out their wallets and taking their money. The bogus lawsuits, are also for stupid people and greedy lawyers, because it gives idiots who actually might be embarrassed for being as stupid as they are, an opportunity for blame someone else for their stupidity and then profit off it.

“It is now my fault that I pored that hot coffee down my throat without first checking to see how hot it was. It’s also my fault that I spilled my coffee on myself in the car. That coffee should have never been that hot in the first place.”

That is the lack of logic that are behind bogus lawsuits where the person suing is simply stupid, or irresponsible, or both. And if we had better judges in America, these lawsuit would get throw
Source:No Cow Eyes

Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher: George Carlin (2001)

Source:Amet Reloads- George Carlin appearing on Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher, in 2001.

Source:The Daily Review

"Bill Maher & George Carlin , Politically Incorrect : Politics, Government, Corruption." 

From Amet Reloads

Not clear the date of this show, but it sounds like the early days of the George W. Bush Administration in 2001, when our long national nightmare was just beginning (to paraphrase former President Gerald Ford) You would think after being appointed President of the United States and losing the popular vote and arguably Florida as well that would have given the election to Al Gore and not being very popular when assuming office in January, 2001 and having a divided Senate and a House with bare Republican majority, that President Bush just might try to govern as a uniter. And not try to force his right-wing agenda that the country didn’t support on the country.

But you gotta give President Bush credit for one thing (and that’s where his credit runs out) he told the country what he believed and what he would do and then he did exactly that. He really is one of the most honest president’s we’ve ever had. Which is sort of like being the tallest man in Japan. So what! But it's true. 

That whole cliché that elections matter: that is so true with G.W. Bush. The country knew what they were getting when they voted for him, other than that little trillion-dollar debacle called the Iraq War. And they voted for him anyway. I don’t blame President Bush for being who he was. I blame the Democratic Party who both times had a candidate better than Bush, but barely lost to him twice, for not running good campaigns and taking Bush seriously.

It is one thing to be a bad president and good luck finding a worst one than G.W. Bush where you look at the State of The Union when he took office and where it was when he left, but that person still has to get the job first and beat the opposition. 

I blame Al Gore, for not winning his home state Tennessee and not winning Florida in a walk with the senior vote and coming off as rude with superficial voters in the debates, for not taking advantage of the most popular politician in the country who just happened to be his boss in President Clinton and using him to take apart the Bush Campaign. 

I blame John Kerry, for again not taking President Bush seriously enough as a politician. And not taking the swift boat debacle seriously and wasting a whole summer not moving past that. 

But more importantly, I blame fifty-million or so American voters who didn’t have the decency to be awake, sober, and on their medication when they went into the voting booths in 2000. And voting for the wrong person. 

Meg Rifter: George Carlin- 'Maybe it's Not The Politicians Who Suck?'

Source:Meg Rifter- George Carlin on American politicians and the people who elect them.

Source:The Daily Review

"George Carlin's bit on voting and politicians."

From Meg Rifter 

I partially agree with George Carlin on this. Our politicians actually do suck in way too many cases. I think that is obvious when you have a Congress that can’t get its basic responsibilities taken care of like gee I don’t know, funding the government that they are part of, or paying the bills that has been run up on the debt, which is what a debt ceiling extension actually is. Not an agreement to borrow more money, just to pay the interest on the current debt. 

Just the way our politicians treat each other would be an example of political sucking (to mix a political metaphor) is another example of how members of Congress in both parties treat each other. Like the majority not allowing the minority opportunities to offer amendments and other examples like that. But just in case people who aren’t insomniacs actually read this, I don’t want to put everyone else to sleep with what is called in Washington Congressional speak: language that only the House and Senate uses.

I completely disagree with George Carlin on his notion that non-voters have every right to complain. Sure, according to the First Amendment they do, which is all that they need. But for people to be taken seriously, they have to sound credible. And if you’re not doing everything you can to improve government and the least you can do is to bother voting, you can’t credibly complain about politicians who are on office now, because you were too busy complaining, or sitting on your ass at home, or at a coffee-house, perhaps watching celebrity TV all day, getting drunk, masturbating, whatever it might be and not voting. 

Had Democrats bothered to turn out in 2010 and 2014 anywhere near the numbers they did in 2008 and 2012: what Tea Party revolution? Republicans rely on low voter turnout to get elected and reelected. There are still more Democrats than Republicans in America. What Republican gerrymandering if Democrats held onto all of those legislatures and governorships in 2010?

I realize I’m coming at this from a Democratic vantage point, but here’s a newsflash: I’m a Democrat and I’m not saying this to put Republicans down, but Democratic voters don’t have much to complain about when they don’t vote for Democrats. Especially when their reasoning is that they don’t like Center-Left establishment Democrats and that the candidate, or incumbent is not in love with government and doesn’t have a new tax or government program to take care of everyone’s problems for them. Or is not as Far-Left as the Green, or Democratic Socialist candidate. 

Democrats, won back Congress in huge numbers in 2006, because Republicans didn’t bother voting. This works both ways. If you don’t do the very least that you can do to improve government and get the best possible people to represent you, which is bothering to vote and the person you most not rather see wins that office, whose fault is that? All the opposition did was show up and win and beat a party that didn’t bother to vote.

If you don’t like the current field of candidates, run yourself, or encourage someone who you think would be a good candidate to run and then work for that person. Assuming that you caught them when they were drunk, or high, or had a gun pointed at their head (that wasn’t filled with water) and agreed to run for that office. 

But a big reason why we have politicians who suck is because we have voters who suck themselves and maybe we should require all voters to pass a sobriety test, or eye examination before voting. But other reasons why we have politicians who suck is because we have voters in name only. People who are registered to vote, but who don’t bother voting at all. And as a result we get politicians, because of a low voter turnout who would’ve lost badly had we just had a decent voter turnout for that election. Who represent a small faction of the country and wouldn’t have won any other way.

Counter Argument: George Carlin- Politically Correct Language

Source:Counter Arguments- Comedian George Carlin, taking apart political correctness and what he called soft language.

Source:The Daily Review

"A personal point of view regarding a debatable topic. Individual: George Carlin
Topic: Political Correctness Opinion: Political correctness cripples discourse, creates ugly language, and is generally stupid."

From Counter Arguments

Source:Soft- The great comedian George Carlin on political correctness. 

"George Carlin: 'Political correctness is fascism pretending to be manners"

From Soft

I probably agree with everything that George Carlin said in this video. Other than the word liberal. Replace liberal with illiberal and Liberals with Illiberal’s and we agree on everything here.

Without Liberals, George Carlin isn’t able to make this video, because Liberals gave us our First Amendment Freedom of Speech rights. It is illiberal fascists on the Far-Left, who have the balls to call themselves Liberals, even though they have more in common with Karl Marx and Fidel Castro, than they do with Jack Kennedy, Tom Jefferson and even Wendell Willkie. Who actually were Liberals, because they believed in liberal values and not illiberal values.

Illiberal fascists are the people who run the U.S. Political Correctness Department on the Left in America. While Liberals, Conservatives, Libertarians and even some Progressives, disobey all of their laws.

It’s not that labels and the truth that are the problem in America. Without them how would know what is real and what is make-believe. How would we know how to refer to each other. I guess we would have to wait for the PCD, or Political Correctness Department to tell us that. Perhaps Ben Affleck will play the Chief of that department in his next movie. Maybe Michael Moore will be his deputy after he’s done with his next film about how so-called White people want create a new American Civil War and kick out all the non-Europeans in the country. And even Europeans who aren’t of British descent and Protestant.

Without the truth and accurate ways to referring to each other, we might as well all go blind and death. Because none of us will know what the hell is going on. The truth is never the problem, it is what leads to the truth that can be. People can only improve once they know what is wrong.

If a Muslim believes that women should be his servant and that the man is always in charge and that women shouldn’t be allowed to work and the whole deal, similar to how many Christian-Conservatives feel today and not just one Muslim, but that is mainstream thought in that culture and a non-Muslim and lets say a non-Muslim of European heritage points that out, how is the person who is accurately critiquing Muslims who believe these things a bigot? All this person is doing is pointing out some negative truths about some Muslims.

If someone is fat and crazy, are you supposed to pretend they got a body of Hercules and are the sanest person around? And perhaps the worst thing about illiberal political correctness is how phony it is. (I’m being really kind) Because it is disguised as tolerance, even though it is the opposite towards people who disagree with them.

Once you hide the truth for fear it might offend people, you become a fascist. And once a society does that, they just threw the First Amendment in the garbage. And as a result the society will regress and become a regressive society and not even a progressive society that political correctness fans claim they want. Because the society will stop progressing, because people won’t know the truth about themselves and how to improve.

“Joey, isn’t a bad student compared with the rest of the class, or is dumb. He just learns slower. And because of that we shouldn’t get him any help, or hold him back, because we don’t want to hurt his feelings.” And that is just one example of political correctness where students are promoted even if they don’t make the grades, because for fear of hurting their self-esteem. And is something that a progressive society and free society can’t afford if they want to continue to make progress.

4 For Texas (1963) Starring Anita Ekberg, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin & Ursula Andress

Source: Alamy- Anita Ekberg, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Ursula Andress.

Source:The Daily Review

"EKBERG,SINATRA,MARTIN,ANDRESS, 4 FOR TEXAS, 1963" 

From Alamy 

“Four For Texas Official Trailer #1 (1963) – Frank Sinatra Movie HD. Frank Sinatra plays a tough guy who hooks up with fellow rat packer Dean Martin to open a casino in this western.” 

“Zack Thomas and Joe Jarrett separately are heading for Galveston in 1870 and witness a stagecoach attack by a gang on horseback led by Matson, a local gunslinger. After repulsing the bandits, Zack discloses a bag containing $100,000, but Joe relieves him of the money at gunpoint and proceeds to an orphanage where he was reared. He later deposits the loot in a bank run by Harvey Burden, a crook who has supported Zack in his efforts to become the town’s gambling boss. Zack learns that Joe is in Galveston, and he arranges a meeting but is interrupted when Matson attempts to kill Zack. Joe wounds the bandit, thus saving his rival’s life, and then goes off to see Maxine Richter, owner of a riverboat which Joe plans to refurbish as a gambling saloon. Outraged that anyone would dare to give him competition, Zack plans for his gang to take over the boat on opening night. Unknown to both men, however, Burden has decided to let the gangs destroy each other so he can move in with Matson’s bandits and take control. Maxine and Elya Carlson, Zack’s devoted girl friend, persuade the two gamblers to join forces. As a result of the alliance, Matson’s gang is defeated, Burden is arrested, and the women get their reward at a double wedding.” 

Source:Turner Classic Movies- perhaps you are already familiar with these two gentlemen.

From Turner Classic Movies 

"Frank Sinatra plays a tough guy who hooks up with fellow rat packer Dean Martin to open a casino in this western."

Source:Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault- Swiss-German Goddess Ursula Andress.

From Movie Clips Classic Trailer Vault 

To be completely honest with you: I only saw 4 For Texas and really only like it because Anita Ekberg Ursula Andress are in it and both look great in it. Anita Ekberg, Marilyn Monroe without the childish immature baggage of Marilyn and yet physically almost as adorable and might even be sexier. Because similar body and yet she comes off as a grown up. The same thing with Diana Dors, who is probably comparison with Anita than Marilyn.

Not as familiar with Ursula, other than as Cat Woman from Batman, but she’s also a gorgeous sexy baby in this movie. Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, are both funny in this movie, but what else is new, especially when they’re together. And they both have goddess’s for girlfriends. Frank, has Elya Carlson (played by Anita Ekberg) and Dean, has Maxine Richter. (Played by Ursula Andress) Good luck finding a movie where either Frank and Dean weren’t in where they weren’t working with a goddess.

As far as the movie: Frank and Dean, both play bank robbers in Texas. Both going after the same hundred-thousand-dollars that is being transported by stagecoach in the 1870s in Galveston, Texas. Both have dreams of opening up their own casinos and going straight. (So to speak)

The problem is they both want the same hundred-grand and don’t want to share it. Another problem that they have is that there’s this outlaw named Matson, (no first name given) who is after the same money. So Zach (played by Frank) and Joe (played by Dean) decide to become partners temporarily to knock off the Matson Gang.

Again this is not a great movie, but because of the four stars in it and then add Charles Bronson and Victor Buono, the Three Stooges make a cameo and you’re talking about a very entertaining and even funny movie. But without Anita Ekberg and Ursula Andress, I’m probably not watching much of it. 

Paramount Pictures: Where Love Has Gone (1964) Susan Hayward & Mike Connors Star

Source:IMDB- Where Love Has Gone (1964)

Source:The Daily Review

“Contractor Luke Miller returns to the San Francisco home of his ex-wife, sculptress Valerie Hayden, after learning that their 15-year-old daughter, Dani, has been arrested for the murder of Valerie’s lover. His plane is met by lawyer Gordon Harris, who callously engineered Luke’s divorce and deprived him of the right to visit his daughter. Now, however, Harris asks Luke’s help in providing a favorable family setting for the juvenile court hearing but discourages any hopes of gaining Dani’s custody once the case is resolved. Luke’s return revives memories of his former life with Valerie and her domineering mother, Mrs. Gerald Hayden. When Luke and Valerie are married, he aspires to become an independent architect, but Mrs. Hayden forces him into a business partnership with her. Valerie, ignorant of her mother’s underhanded ways, blames Luke for being weak; his subsequent drinking problem and her adultery combine to destroy the marriage . Terrified that her mother might be awarded custody of the child, Valerie takes moral responsibility for the murder at the hearing; in addition, she blames her failure as a mother on her own sorry upbringing, a disclosure that both discredits and humiliates Mrs. Hayden. Freed at last from her mother’s domination, Valerie commits suicide, making possible a reunion between Dani and Luke.”

From TCM

"The most wonderful thing about this marriage ... I'm not a Hayden anymore ... I'm a Miller" 

Source:Lorre B- Mike Connors & Susan Hayward star

From Lorre B

Hollywood Babydoll’s Joey Heatherton and Susan Hayward. Joey is actually like 18 at this point, but seems more like 12-13 in the movie. And Susan even at 46-47 (depending on when this photo was taken) looks and acts like 20 year old in the movie, because she was always so cute and beautiful and immature.

“Despite the fact that Susan looks sensational at 47, her flashbacks as a blushing bride and new mama are a stretch. Mike Connors as the young war hero/groom, at 39, was pushing credibility, too. It’s to Susan’s no-nonsense credit that she didn’t draw outside the lines of nature with makeup and become a caricature of herself like many golden era divas.”

Source:Rick's Real Reels- left to right: Joey Heatherton & Susan Hayward

From Rick's Real Reels

I haven’t thought about this, until I just read it, but if you’re familiar with the great Lana Turner, (as an actress and goddess) and you’re familiar with Where Love Has Gone from 1964, the story about Valerie Hayden’s daughter Danielle Miller (played by Joey Heatherton) who ends up killing her mother’s boyfriend, is very similar to Lana’s daughter Cheryl Krane, who ends up killing her mother’s boyfriend Johnny Stompanato. 

The Stompanato killing, happened in real-life and both killings happened when the killer’s mother is involved in a dispute with their boyfriend. I’m not an expert on Lana Turner, most of what I’ve learned about her has been in the last two years. But she lived a crazy life as if she was always drunk or something and didn’t know what the hell she was doing. Valerie Hayden, (played by the great Susan Hayward) lives a similar life as Lana in this movie.

As far as this movie: great movie! It is very dramatic, if not traumatic when you’re talking about a family that is led by a very overprotective mother, (played by Bette Davis) who is always making moves regarding her daughter’s life and makes those moves on her behalf and rarely if ever consults her daughter about what she’s doing for her. 

And as a result her daughter even though she’s this gorgeous, baby-faced, sexy, intelligent, talented woman, ends up being somewhat immature and irresponsible. Because her mother has a lot of control over her own life. She meets World War II U.S. Army hero Luke Miller (played by Mike Connors) and falls in love with and perhaps hoping she can find some independence from her mother. They get married, but now Mrs. Hayden, (played by Bette Davis) wants to control her daughter and her new son-in law. And has him blacklisted so he has no other choice, but to work for her company.

Again, this is a very dramatic if not traumatic movie and yet its pretty funny as well. And maybe that just because of Susan Hayward, who had this Liz Taylor quality of being able to combine drama, with comedy and humor. Who plays a very adorable and immature irresponsible woman, who goes too far, because now she’s married to man who has just gotten out of the U.S. Army and fought in World War II. Whose use to giving orders, not taking them. Who doesn’t have any patience for the games and soap opera tactics of her wife and mother in law. 

This was never a relationship that was designed to work out. The Miller’s, get divorced, Luke is out of the picture and has no input with how his daughter is raised and Valerie (played by Susan Hayward) finds a new man before she dumps her husband and that is how her boyfriend gets killed. Because she has a fight with him with her daughter stepping in to end the fight and kills her mother’s boyfriend.

I think Where Love Has Gone, is also a very entertaining and funny movie, especially if you’re familiar with life of Lana Turner, especially in the 1950s and 1960s. Gorgeous, adorable, talented and yet immature and irresponsible woman. Whose always involved with the wrong man while having young daughter to take care of. In Lana’s case, Italian gangster Johnny Stompanato. 

Valerie, gets involved with a man after Luke Miller, who isn’t a good man and he ends up being killed by her daughter. Luke Miller, by most accounts is a good man, but he only gets back in his daughter’s life after she’s charged with her murder of her mother’s boyfriend. This movie looks like a great soap opera. With a lot of great drama, writing, acting and humor, which all great soap operas have and I’m a big fan of it. 

Christopher Kemmett: Real Retards Vote- Why you Don't Want to Stop Them

Source:The Daily Review-

Source:The Daily Review

When I saw this post on The Real Strategy a blog I’ll admit I’m not that familiar with, it got me thinking about the title of a book from the great political humorist P.J. O’Rourke. Where he says, “don’t vote. It just encourages the bastards.” Which came out in 2009-10. What O’Rourke is implying there if not just flat-out saying is that when you vote for politicians, or their opponents, you’re endorsing them and what they do. When the fact is the problem is what American politicians do for us and in too many cases do for us. By making our lives more difficult by doing too much, or not what they’re constitutionally required to by law, which is to pass the budget that funds the government.

As a Democrat, I’m a big fan of democracy short of empowering the majority to rule over the minority. Big reason why I’m a Liberal Democrat and not a Social Democrat, which is more common in Europe. But the main problem with American politics is not our politicians and I mean our crooked and bought hyper-partisan politicians. The main problem with American politics are the voters who vote for those politicians. People say especially with the Left where I’m proud to be (Center-Left that is) that if we just have higher turnout we would get better politicians and people more representative of who they’re supposed to represent. The problem with that is again if you have more people voting, you’re going to have at least with the current state of the American voter, you’ll have more dumb people voting for people who they don’t know. Getting sucked in by an oil-slick politician or candidate. Who has no intention of doing what they campaigned on.

You can pass all the great campaign reform laws that you want, but if you still have the same dumb voters who are either too dumb to vote for the people who’ll best represent them and vote for the worst alternative possible instead, or don’t bother to research candidates and politicians they’re considering voting for and just go off of soundbites, or the person whose most up to date with pop culture references, or technology, or campaign commercials, or they think one candidate is not as bad as the other person, so for that very and only reason the lesser evil deserves their vote over the really evil person, we’re always going to have an American public complaining about how bad our political system and government is. Even though they are responsible for creating that very government and system themselves.

We don’t need more voters. We need better voters. We need people who actually take voting seriously and take it as seriously as they would when their buying a home, a car, deciding where to send their kid to college and everything else they value, their i-pad, or i-pod, what so-called reality TV show to watch, etc. And with a more educated public when it comes to voting, you’ll see better politicians and better government and with that you’ll not just to see more voters, but more educated voters. With politicians having fewer dopes they can rely on who’ll buy beach out in Cincinnati if you tell them that you have one there for sale simply because you told them that. And since they failed geography and social studies in high school, aren’t even aware that Cincinnati is nowhere near and ocean. And probably couldn’t even find it on a map if they were standing there.
RT America: American Voters Disaffected With Political Establishment

ESPN: An Audience With Muhammad Ali (1974)

Source:ESPN-

Source:The Daily Review

Muhammad Ali, perhaps at his most popular and highest peak professionally in 1974. Now seemed more as a mainstream figure and perhaps less as a rebel, or some Black Power figure or something. He’s not the most recognizable and most popular athlete in the world forty-years ago and today just because African-Americans, Native-Africans and Muslims regardless of race, or ethnicity love him. He became more of a mainstream figure in the mid 1970s as more Americans especially got to know him, but he moderated as well and said less derogatory things about Caucasians and the establishment. And more people got to see how intelligent and the great comedic wit and acting ability that he had as well.

Muhammad, was certainly a member of the TV Generation and was perfect for it and came up during the perfect time for him. That is why he’s so famous, because he came up when network TV was so crucial and dominant and had the perfect personality for it. Someone who was very bright and knew exactly what he was talking about, but also someone who was very funny and entertaining and people simply loved him and still do for it. This is in late 1974 and he Muhammad fought Joe Frazier for the third and final time about a year later. And you hear Ali talking about Frazier, because that is the fight people wanted to see again. And Smokin Joe wanted another shot at Ali and regain the World Heavyweight Championship. And Ali probably wanted to beat Joe Frazier again.

Muhammad Ali as a politician? I hate to do this as a great of an athlete and in many ways as a man he was, I could see him as the Donald Trump of the 1970s or 80s had he not come down from Parkinson’s. As he said himself as a non-politician he was free to say whatever he feels and believes and even the truth. You can’t do that as a politician and expect to be reelected. You have to be more careful and target what you say and how you say it. One of the reasons why Donald Trump has never been elected to anything is because he’s unelectable. He’s done the best Mitt Romney impersonation you’ll ever see by being multiple choice on so many key issues. Muhammad was always better off being free and out of elected office and being exactly who he was. Not feeling the need to have to please people.
Source:ESPN

HBO: The Thrilla in Manilla- The Heavyweight Fight of The Century

Source: HBO-

Source:The Daily Review

I’m not a boxing expert and don’t pretend to be one and I haven’t followed boxing very closely for almost twenty-years now since the heavyweight division went into the toilet as if it was flushed down. But The Thrilla in Manila at least to me is at the very least the best heavyweight division fight of all-time. It represents the best and the worst of boxing. Two big strong men literally beating the hell out of each other. In a way it was like an Old West shootout where the last man standing won. But even Old West shootouts generally had winners. This fight was more like a divorce. Where there wasn’t real winner. Just a survivor who was slightly better off than the man he beat. This fight was only stopped, because Joe Frazier was literally blind at the end of it. Thats how much this fight took out of both men.

The Thrilla in Manila was the last fight in the greatest trilogy again at least in the heavyweight division. Which is the only division in boxing that I follow at all. Smokin Joe won the first fight in 1971 and Muhammad won the second fight in 73 and beat the man who beat Joe for the heavyweight championship in 1974, which of course was George Forman. So yes the third fight was again for the Heavyweight Championship of the World for the second time and Joe wanted it back. But as they said in this film The Thrilla in Manila was about the World Heavyweight Championship of each other. The right to say that they were better than the other. That they were the best heavyweight of their generation and of the 1970s. You could still argue about Larry Holmes, but they both would’ve had a good case had they won this fight.

The Thrilla in Manila looks like to me what it would have been like had Germany fought Japan at the end of World War II. Imagine had they destroyed each other during that war instead of getting their assess handed to them by America and the Western Allies and literally destroyed each other, but didn’t know how to give up. And kept going on until neither one had one fighter and one weapon left. That is what this fight was like. Two big strong men beating the hell out of each other until one literally couldn’t take it anymore and was literally knocked out, or gave up. That is why I say this fight represents boxing at its best and worst. Two guys in the primes giving everything they had against the other, but beating each other up so much that they caused real physical damage to the other.
Source:HBO

The Man Inside (1958) Anita Ekberg & Jack Palance

Source:Jim Reid- Swedish Goddess Anita Ekberg.

Source:The Daily Review

Patrick (No Last Name) played by Sam Carter is a jewel thief who pulls off a big heist in (somewhere in Europe) Europe. Milo March (played by Jack Palance) is a private detective hired to track down Patrick and the jewels that he stole. Trudi Hall (Swedish Goddess Anita Ekberg Miss Sweden) is also after the jewels that Patrick stole. Milo and Trudi run into each other and find out they're both after the same score, but have different motivations and reasons for tracking it down. They also discover that people are after them, because they're after that jewelry score and decide to work together on this case. This is a fairly simple and I believe not a very well executed movie. But with a good plot and writing and besides it has Anita Ekberg and Jack Palance in it.

I saw a couple of Anita Ekberg movies this weekend. The Man Inside and 4 Four Texas that also had Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin in it. I know that a lot of people will probably disagree with me on this. But Anita is not the Swedish Marilyn Monroe and Diana Dors is not the English Marilyn Monroe. They were both better than Marilyn. Anita and Diana both grew up while remaining their hot baby-faced adorable goddess features with their great voices throughout their lives. Unlike Marilyn who had a childish, or at least adolescent personality and maturity level to go with her baby-face up until the day she died in 1962 only at the age of 36. Anita, same generation as Marilyn lived to 83 and only died last year and look incredible her whole life and had a great career as an entertainer.
Source:Jim Reid

The Late Show With David Letterman: Dyan Cannon (1991)

Source:Marmar- Actress Dyan Cannon.

Source:The Daily Review

Is it just me or did Dyan Cannon seem like she was on laughing gas, or something during this interview? Perhaps she just had a root canal and just came from the dentist or something. Maybe she went to a bad comedy show and took laughing gas there to be nice. So she would laugh at any bad joke that she heard. But that is what you get from Dyan. The adorable baby-face and personality that comes with where she’s always laughing and perhaps has even laughed at funerals before or something. (Now that’s cold) But she laughed at practically everything Dave said there. But this is why she’s great on shows like this, because talking to her is just like talking to a great comedian.

I was a fifteen year old high school freshman who was probably asleep when this interview was shown in 1991. I couldn’t tell you anything about the movie they were talking about even if I wanted to. Which I don’t because I simply don’t know what movie they’re talking about. But the idea that Dyan would have to sell which I’m sure was her beautiful Los Angeles home to make her own movie that only had a three-million-dollar budget, seems surprising to me. She was a Hollywood starlet for twenty-years at this point. Maybe she was going through another divorce where she owed her twenty-year old tennis assistant/beach bum ex-husband a lot of money in alimony, or something. But you would think a great successful Hollywood entertainer could easily finance a project like that.
Source:Murmar

The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson: Dyan Cannon (1982)

Source:The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson- Hollywood Goddess & Babydoll Dyan Cannon, in 1982.

Source:The Daily Review

“Dyan Cannon (born Samille Diane Friesen; January 4, 1937) is an American film and television actress, director, screenwriter, editor, and producer…

From Geta Yedi

“There is no initial comedy segment. Johnny first asks Dyan Cannon how she feels about being called sexy. She says it used to bother her, but no longer. She confirms that producer Jerry Wald gave her the name Cannon because he said she reminded him of explosions. She agreed to the change to get a screen test. After the test she was rejected, and told her nose was too flat. She went to a surgeon to have it changed, but he refused. Then she and Johnny talk about how men and women try to change partners in relationships. She says she became a spokeswoman for Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Johnny says he is also involved in the organization. She then talks about her film “Author, Author”, and a clip is shown. Next comes the comedy segment: Johnny as a spokesman for the banking industry. Dr. Ruth Westheimer talks about why American society has difficulty dealing with the topic of sex. She talks about her radio show. She and Johnny then discuss various issues that people are curious about…

Source:IMDB- Hollywood Babydoll & Goddess Dyan Cannon, on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, in 1982.

From IMDB

Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson, in June, 1982. This photo is from another video that apparently is not available online right now, but you can still see the interview on this blog by clicking the link from Geta Yedi.

Source: The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson- Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon, on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1982.

Johnny Carson, needed to be careful about having people like Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon on his show, because she was probably as quick as he was off the cuff with the humor, or at least in the same ballpark. Who didn’t need a script to crack joke and even do monologue.

And as good as Johnny was at poking fun at famous people and he might be the best comedian ever at doing this, he wasn’t exactly flawless. I mean he was basically the male Liz Taylor when it came to married life. Both when it came to his multiple marriages and divorces. He could write a book literally based on his personal experiences in life of what not to do when it came to married life. And Dyan knew these things and knew him very well.

Late night comedic hosts have to draw a line about who they pick fun at when they have guests on. I mean if they have people on who are experts at screwing up, sure! Making fun of them would be easy, especially if they don’t know how to punch back, or even screw that up. But not many people would want to see that.

But if they go after quick-witted people like a Dyan Cannon who knows the host well and has had her issues in life that could be poked fun at like her multiple marriages and divorces, but can give it back as well then they’ll end up taking clean shots on their own show and perhaps even be put on the defensive.

Johnny Carson, whether they were standup comedians, or not and Dyan’s case, more of a comedic actress with a quick off the cuff humor and great ability to improvise, loved funny people. Which is why having Dyan on his show worked so well.

Johnny, also liked intelligent people and intelligent people who were funny. Frank Sinatra comes to mind, Burt Reynolds would be another one and Dyan Cannon would be close to, or at the top of this list. He would mention things to talk about and generally what was going on in Dyan’s life and what she’s interested in and they would simply talk about like two people who knew each other very well. With no script and would do it in a very funny way that would keep the audience interested and laughing. And even have Dyan with her adorable laugh laughing her head off for most of the interview which is what you see here. Dyan Cannon, was the perfect guest for Johnny Carson, because she kept him on his toes and made him think.

Barry Kibrick: Dyan Cannon- On Between the Lines: Life With Cary Grant

Source:Barry Kibrick- Hollywood Goddess Dyan Cannon.

Source:The Daily Review

"Barry Kibrick sits down with Dyan Cannon to talk about her book "Dear Cary" about her marriage and life with Cary Grant."

From Barry Kibrick 

I didn't get much out of this interview, but I can speak about Cary Grant and Dyan Cannon two of my favorite actors, as well as comedians of all-time. I bet they were laughing the whole time during their marriage just because of how off the cuff quick-witted they were and Dyan's case she still is.

In Carry Grant's case I believe we are talking about the best actor ever and I mean actor as far as men. Perhaps the funniest actor and physical comedian ever as far as his delivery and improvisation. And in Dyan Cannon's case you're talking about one of the best actress's of her generation. People born in the mid and late 1920s and the 1930s. As well as one of the best looking.

Cary and Dyan, were together in the mid and late 1960s. Cary's career was slowing down and he had time to have a strong relationship with a beautiful sexy woman like Dyan Cannon who was going to become a Hollywood Goddess and one of the top actress's of the 1970s and the 1980s.

So I guess that gave Cary an opportunity to show a young beautiful baby-faced adorable actress like Dyan Cannon the ropes of the business so to speak and perhaps finally start a family with a women. Which is what Cary and Dyan did in the mid 1960s. Cary Grant would go on to live another twenty years after getting together with Dyan Cannon, but never regained the stardom that he had in the 1950s.

Dyan Cannon, has had some great roles in some of my favorite movies. The Last of Sheila, which she did in 1972 with another Hollywood Goddess Raquel Welch. Shamus, in 1973 with Burt Reynolds, The Doctors Wives in 1971, Caddyshack 2 from 1988 which is a hell of a lot better than the original Caddyshack from 1980.

And she's a woman whose somehow managed to stop aging after she hit 30, or something and still looks incredible today with that gorgeous baby-faced, adorable personality and great sense of humor. Not the great career of a Liz Taylor, or a Lauren Bacall, but she's had a great career and has made a great impact on Hollywood and perhaps is still the best Los Angeles Lakers fan alive.

CBS News: Longines Chronoscope- U.S. Senator Richard Russell (1952)

Source:CBS News Bradford Hewitt & Paul Martin.

Source:The New Democrat

"LONGINES CHRONOSCOPE WITH RICHARD B. RUSSELL - National Archives and Records Administration   - ARC Identifier 95749 / Local Identifier LW-LW-80 - Interview with Richard Russell. DVD copied by IASL Master Scanner Katie Filbert." 

From Public Resource

Senator Richard Russell, was one of the leading Dixiecrats in Congress for almost forty-years. He was the Chairman of Southern Caucus in Congress and led the opposition to every civil rights bill in Congress in the 1950s and 1960s. To be honest with you, as a Liberal Democrat, I’m glad he would a Republican today and that he is a big reason why Senate cloture rule was changed in 1975. So that instead of needing 67 votes to end debate, now the Senate needed 60. Because Senator Russell, was in Congress at the height of the civil rights battles in the 1950s and 60s. And those laws could have been passed faster without Russell and the Dixiecrats in Congress.

What is a Dixiecrat? They’re almost gone and out of the Democratic Party now if not gone all together. But today Dixiecrats are Southern right-wing Republicans. Both conservative libertarian, like with Representative Walter Jones from North Carolina and a whole host of so-called Religious-Conservatives in Congress, in the House and Senate. Senator Jeff Sessions, from Alabama, would be an example of a Religious-Conservative Republican in Congress. But from the end of the American Civil War, if not farther back, Dixiecrats were right-wing Democrats. Who believed in states rights and were strong Federalists, as am I. But they believed federalism gave the states the right to deny their residents access based on race. I do not.

In 1952, when this interview was done, the civil rights movement was really just under way. Even though it had already won a big battle in the 1940s with President Harry Truman desegregating the U.S. Armed Forces. Senator Russell, ran for president in 1952 and was a Dixiecrat. And a true Federalist and part of his federalism was that the states could handle their own domestic issues entirely. And even force their residents to be separated by race and allow for business owners to deny people access to their business based on race. And force African-Americans to sit in the back of the bus and go to rotten schools and you can go down the line. So the Dick Russell you see in 1952, is the same Dick Russell that fought against the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Act. And other civil rights laws and help for poor people of all races from the Federal Government.