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.

ABC News: Good Morning America- First Lady Hillary Clinton (1998)

Source:ABC News- First Lady Hillary Clinton (Democrat, Arkansas) on ABC News Good Morning America, in 1998.

Source:The New Democrat

“First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton gives an interview on ABC’s “Good Morning America”, facing tough personal questions.

January 28, 1998. (A day after the famous “Today show” interview)”

From Caleb Rojas Castillo

Lisa McRee, hosting ABC’s Good Morning America. Gee, there’s a blast from the past. She co-hosted that show, what two weeks. I guess when your network’s overnight newscast gets better ratings than your morning show, that’s a clue that you might need to change your morning crew. Diane Sawyer, saved Good Morning America and perhaps is the reason why that show is a strong competitor with The Today Show. Or at least while Diane was hosting GMA.

Hillary Clinton, is either the most gullible person on the planet: and would take the word of a known compulsive liar, when the liar says that fire is cold and water is dry and it snows in South Florida in July, or she’s just a bad liar herself. I mean, to say she believed her husband, who just happens to be Bill Clinton, perhaps better known as Wild Bill and Slick Willy, when he told her that allegations about Monica Lewinsky were false, is hard to believe. I mean, Bill is her husband and it’s not like they have a long distance marriage and do not know what is going on in the other’s life. They’ve shared a bed at this point for over twenty years. Well, they shared that bed when Bill wasn’t with one of his girlfriends.

When you’re a fly in hot water and you can actually swim, I know a little tough to consider, you get yourself out of the water and fly away. That is what Hillary is trying to do here. Lisa McRee, wants to talk about Lewinsky. Hillary, would rather talking about the color of a brick wall, or how often someone should clean their garbage cans. Or how come the Chicago Cubs, haven’t won a World Series in a hundred years, or the price of Arkansas dirt, then talk about her husband’s latest affairs. So of course she’s going to try to change the subject from Lewinsky and try to talk about her husband’s political agenda. Outside of saving his ass in the White House. And that is exactly what she tried to do here.