FF XIV, 8

                                                                                   

Fax Facts and Reviews

Vol.. XIV No. 8

Sunday, May 19, 2013

       The first cell-phone I ever saw was in the film, Clueless, with Alicia Silverstone. I got lots of laughs from this film and became a fan of its engaging young actress. The story was supposedly modeled after Jane Austin’s novel, Emma (which I never understood: I read the novel, hated it, and almost never got through with it. All I could see was a pretty young girl (who may or may not, be as pretty as Alicia!) who attempts to play at being cupid, and form romances between any two people with whom she comes in contact. Boring!

       To my way of looking at Clueless, the plot was much more of an exposition of the cellular telephone and the purpose for which it was first made. But that’s all water under the dam, now that Alicia was replaced in Hollywood by Reese Witherspoon. Reese (who took home an Oscar for her work in the Johnny Cash film biography) got all of the roles that were Alicia’s cup of tea, yet her appearance in the star-studded Batman (I forget which one it was) pretty much ended her film career. The last time I heard her name in the news, it was for the highly controversial method by which she was feeding her offspring. (Don’t go there if you want to know how or why!) .

       When I asked what Clueless has to do with Emma, I was told that in each case, the heroine is a busybody who tries to steer every one of her associates as straight to the altar as they can go. She finds a lot of people in her social status that are almost as uninteresting as she was to me. Sad but true, it took me forever to wade through that silly patter of social life among teenagers in that particular phase of the Earth’s history. Imagine my surprise and disgust when I found, much to my chagrin that Cell Phones had taken the world by storm; and I see them as much more a threat than Hurricane, Tornado, Blizzard or Plague.

Pet Peeves

       The article in the last issue of Frank’s Fax Facts attracted at least four subscribers to share their frustrations with us. So far, the readers who sent their “Pet Peeves” to me, are Bill McGlassen, Howard Deck, Patricia Gragg, and Chuck Beech.

Here’s what Howard Deck wrote: (and I couldn’t agree with him more)

 A pet peeve for your consideration:

Individuals who leave their unattended shopping cart parked in the middle of the aisle, while they semi consciously browse among the canned vegetables (or whatever), oblivious to others just trying to navigate through.  Women are the worst offenders.

Bill writes:

         My pet peeve today is the fact that it is my opinion that essentially all University faculty members are all Liberals.  There are so few conservatives and they must take lots of abuse.  I enrolled in an elective American History course my senior year (1959) at University of Missouri.  It was taught by the Head of the History Department, and that was the only undergraduate course he taught.  The class had a tremendous reputation and it was difficult to get into the class as it rapidly filled up the 100 plus seats in the lecture room.  There were several text pamphlets which covered several opposing views, such as those of framers of the constitution, civil war issues, monopoly busters of the Teddy Roosevelt era, and the New Deal of FDR.  There were several opposing economist authors.  The purpose of the course was to show there are different views and we had an opportunity to analyze both sides.  My family heavily supported the Democratic Party and voted the party line.  This course made an impression on me to analyze the facts more deeply and not just accept things on the surface, but to investigate them deeply.  This was a 5 hour credit course and I never missed a lecture.  I doubt that a History Professor today would ever attempt to lead a class such as this, because they have become too biased.  That concludes my Pet Peeve for today.

From Chuck Beech

"child proof" caps are truly an annoyance, my no. 1 pet peeve is people talking on cell phones in public places e.g. while perusing the grocery aisle and blocking traffic while taking 5 minutes to contemplate a box of macaroni; a task that would ordinarily take 15 seconds but because of the distraction of the telephone their mind doesn't work right

And Patricia Gragg gets right to the point!

Great idea about pet peeves!   How about teenagers/young people who say the word “like" after every three or four words in a sentence?    example..."well I called my boyfriend and, like, he said we could go out, like, maybe Friday. but, like, I'm busy that day and I said, like, maybe we could, like, go out, like, maybe.....

Share your peeves with us. Do not be shy! 

         A Conservative  Old Coot writes that his own pet peeve is, as everyone who has ever known him, knows, is the Cellular Phone,  I feel that whoever thought it up (now, mind you, I keep one in my car much of the time—but use it only for times when I have to call AAA or some other emergency occurs-like times when my telephone quits on me) But, I strongly challenge those youngsters who say that they would rather be dead, than not to have their own cell. My reaction is, “Better to be IN a cell, than wasting your precious lives trying to keep in constant touch with everybody you know. I feel that cell phones and their spelling will be the death of literature; abbreviating every word cannot but have a bad effect. And current fads, like LOL, will make the laziest student even lazier.

         I first heard of Cell Phones in the delightful comedy Clueless. It brought stardom to Alicia Silverstone (who became my favorite young female player). Now, when I am waiting at a red light to turn green (my color “Ignorance” works just fine here) and am in a hurry to meet an appointment. Then a woman, who is in the car ahead of mine, just SITS there well after the color change had taken place! I wish I could just tell her how many people (besides me) are inconvenient because of her “Texting” while waiting for the light! And, speaking of that abominable word (as irritating to me as FUN. That word is no longer used as a noun, but seems to be used as if it were an adjective. As in sentences like “It was so fun!” I have even heard this sick report, “This time was even funner than the last!”  But that is yet another of my pet peeves!

         Looking back a few years, the film, Clueless was concerned with a California high school with the most sophisticated students I had ever seen, even in movies. The biggest laughs were from just the fact that every student in the school, had his own cell phone. I laughed; because Silverstone and her friends would call each other, right there in class! I laughed then—but now I don’t find it a bit funny. It scares me to death.

         Selah!

Cat Fax

   “The love of dress is very marked in this attractive animal. He is proud of the luster of his coat, and cannot endure that a hair of it shall lie the wrong way.”

Jules Champfleury

Old Movie Reviews

Driving Miss Daisy

       Jessica Tandy won her very first Oscar, after doing so much fine work throughout the century for this almost perfect film. It was her last film, and it is a beautiful tribute to a brilliant career. She was wed to Hume Cronin, and starred with him in many of their movies. Their careers (each of them) kept them working before the cameras to the end of both lives, literally.
       Miss Daisy is a sweet little old Jewish Lady, whose son is a banker and tries to do anything he can to make her feel safe and happy after she has a wreck. He refuses to allow her to drive because he knows her accident was her own fault as the result of carelessness on her part. So he hires a “colored gentleman” to be her chauffer, buys her a new car and tries to convince her that she is lucky just to be alive. But Miss Daisy is not used to taking orders, especially from her own children. 

       There are scenes of bitterness, suspicion comedy and just good old film making. Mississippi’s own Morgan Freeman is quiet simply magnificent as Miss Daisy’s Chauffer, as she teaches him to read.

       By the end of the film, I felt just as if I had lost another member of my own family. I adored it the first time I saw it; but seeing it a second time, I felt as happy as a lark!

 Draft Dodgers Ltd.

       I was, naturally sad to see Lynwood on the Sunday before his return to the States. He made me promise faithfully that I would call him the moment I reached Fort Jackson, since his home was only about a mile from the camp. “I’ll come over and we’ll get a room at the Cola.” Which was his name for the second best hotel in Columbia.  But since I planned to take my longest trip alone, time was of the utmost importance: I wanted to see Italy, from La Scala to Daddy’s home town, Ceffalu. Sicily.

       When my solo trip began, I took a train to Milano, in Italy. There, I had booked a ticket to their world-famous Opera House. I had done my business with the same firm (in Karlsruhe) that had done so well with my Wagnerian Opera Trip. Imagine my disappointment (not to mention my criticism, when I was told (at the boxoffice) that they had never heard of me! Not even the fact that the opera I would have seen, was one that I had never even heard of! So, I made the best of a bad situation by catching another train later that afternoon, for Pisa! I wanted to see if that Tower really leaned as much as they said it did!!

       Before I left Milano, however, I had to take a bus to and from the opera house, and it was while riding to La Scala, that I noticed that a newspaper everyone seemed caught up with, had something connected with Susan Hayward. At this stage of my life, she was one of my idols! I could just fill in the blank spaces of the newspaper: Susan Hayward had not died at all. The article (as someone explained to me later) told of a midnight tryst with none other than MY character (Bob Steele) when Sammy, George and I played at being Cowboys (we became Juck Bones, Men Kaynered and, I was Stob Beele! Well, we both had curly hair!) I was so disappointed when I heard about this (now, all those years afterward, I am not certain what the outcome was, but I definitely remember that they were found nude in her front yard. That’s one of my most vivid memories of Milano.

       And here’s another strange memory: When I was back at Milano’s train station, waiting for a train to Pisa, a man came up to me and began talking as if he knew me! I don’t remember now, what he said, but I do remember that I finally convinced him that I was not anyone he had ever met. He then assured me that the person for whom he was looking, looked exactly like a copy of myself! Isn’t life funny? That sort of thing never happened to me in all of my life, and I have to admit, I looked carefully at everyone who was in the depot that afternoon. I wanted to see my double! Well, wouldn’t you?

       Pisa was a pretty place, and I didn’t have to ask anyone where their Leaning Tower was located. It looked much worse than I had expected, and to this day, I will never understand how it keeps from falling! But they make a lot of money from the millions of people like me, who stop in Pisa for just that reason. I was not in the least disappointed in what I saw. I took a room for the night, and remember (this came back to me in a flash) I went to a theater that evening that was showing There’s No Business Like Show Business, which starred Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, Donald O’Conner, Dan Dailey, Mitzi Gayner and Johnny Rae (this was his only film, I believe). It was loud, long and pretty awful (and just like the Germans, they dub all movies into Italian (and not German, of course), But I got my money’s worth seeing Donald O’Connor, and Marilyn (who was never better) doing The We’re Having a Heat Wave! Johnny Rae was not as terrible an actor as I had expected, as the brother who leaves his all-theatrical family to become a Catholic Priest. Merman was her usual "blastingly" loud self (especially singing the title song) and the film’s entire music was composed by wonderful Irving Berlin,

       As I walked slowly through the streets of Pisa, towards my hotel, I heard a crowd in a tavern as I was going past, singing a German song that sounded more than a little familiar! I stopped just outside the doors than led to the assemblage, and little by little it came back to me: it was a song that Miss Alline Hill had taught all of us, in Public School, several years before, She did a lot of songs like that; wrote the words on the blackboard and we had to copy them, and use them to sing the tunes (from lots of countries); This was called (this is how she wrote it so that we could get the correct words, even though she had simplified it for our ears to be able to repeat them, as she played them) “From Luzern to Wagis-ahn---Hole de re-de-ah—Hole de reAH.) I would have given anything to have my old teacher (she was my first Piano Teacher, as well as George’s) there with me in Pisa! I felt a lump in my throat as big as a frog with the pain that always seems to be my reaction to certain beautiful memories.

       I just had to see how the singers looked, so I walked slowly in, and heard the entire song as I watched them: Some were seated at their own tables, with their arms around each other’s neck; rocking back and forth as they kept time with the music; others were dancing as they sang, and a few were like me: Just trying to capture the moment ---and have it for a lifetime of joyous memories.

(Continued Next Week).”

Old Movies Quiz

1.      Who starred with Jessica Tandy, as her son in Driving Miss Daisy?

2.     What was the tragedy about which The Bridge of San Louie Rey (1944) was written?

3.      Stella Dallas was played by which popular star of such films as The Lady Eve, Ball of Fire and Christmas in Connecticut?

4.      What very funny lady (Oscar Winner)  lived in a house where every train that passed would rattle the plates almost off the wall? Clue: think of three Letters.

5.      What actress was Bette Davis’s best friend in All about Eve?

6.      Who was played to perfection in the title role?

7.      What sultry lady was Miss Sadie Thompson?

8.      Complete the title, Love Laughs at (?) the leading man’s name in one of MGM series that often filled the bill of Double Features.

9.      The Maisey series starred which blond beauty at MGM?

10. What actor played The Great Gatsby first?

 

 

Your Quiz Maker is embarrassed because he cannot find last week’s Quiz. Please send me a copy of the last quiz, please. (I have been in a daze ever since beginning my 14^th yr)

 

 

FF XV1, no. 7

                         

Fax Facts and Reviews

Vol.. XIV No. 7

Sunday, May 12, 2013   

       I’m thinking of sending you a list of my pet peeves. Then, if you’d like to discuss your own Personal Pet Peeve with all of us: you could E mail it to me and I would put it in Fax Facts, and let anyone who has shared the same frustration, share it with us. We could exchange them so we would all be ready to kill whoever is causing our suffering.

       To begin with a mild annoyance, I’ll show how I have suffered while trying to get my giant-sized bottle of mouth-wash open: I had no trouble at all with its earlier version (which was not as expensive). It  all started with my lifting the bottle that feels as heavy as a truckload of gravel, with my delicate hands; then  I tried cutting the celluloid (which had closed off any possibility of my being able to open it, even with scissors (which I felt would enable me to in order to roll it off and make the mouth wash available. I have never seen anything like this plastic. After wasting time and injuring my right hand, I had accomplished nothing, except weakening both hands considerably, and emitting some very strong language.

        “Well,” thought I, “Maybe you’re supposed to use brute-strength only to force it open.” By now, there was no feeling at all in my fingers, and my hands were so inept and weary, that it was pitiful. I gave it up for that first session. After all, what ever I am, I have the exact opposite of brute-strength! Still, if I had been able to make a video of myself fighting with that Mouthwash you probably would get quite a kick out of it! Sadly, I went down in utter and ignoble defeat!

       The next night, before my usual early trip to the Sandman’s house, I attacked the enemy again. Again I had flossed my teeth with my electric toothbrush, then I used my Water Pick to drive out any debris that remained. All I really wanted to do as a final bow to healthy teeth and gums, was to use some of that good tasting (I cannot stand Listerine) mouth wash off any food particles that were still hidden under my gums, and mouth in general.     

       This time, I was better prepared (as Mama used to remind all of her brood: “Practice makes Perfect!” And I seriously agreed, having spent at least half of my time on this earth, practicing the piano. Now, just what did I do there? Why, I practiced, of course, and while I was far from perfection, I wasn’t a disaster. So, I took a pair of scissors and forced it to break the seal on the monstrosity and peeled off the rest of the offending celluloid. I felt good about what I had accomplished by perseverance.

       I’ve had no farther problems with it; but I really felt like “Hitting the Bottle!”

       Share your Frustrations with us: Next week I will alienate many of you, I’m sure, by attacking people who keep me from driving by sitting still when the red light goes off and the green goes on; and she (or they) go right on chatting away as I do a slow burn!

THE CATS’ Box

“It would be easier to write with a herd of buffalo in the room than even one cat; they bite the end of the pen and walk on typewriter keys.”   Barbara Holland

Draft Dodgers,

Other Voices, Other Rooms,

I’m not able to keep everything in chronological order concerning other shorter trips that we made (and these were all LEGAL!) But I will attempt to (at least get the rest right.)

Amsterdam and Brussels

Two or three German tailors, who had a dry cleaning as well as a Taylor’s Shop where they made all sorts of gorgeous clothing, so inexpensive that I had them make a woolen overcoat and a blue plaid Sport jacket. Both had “elegance” (which I had never worn before) all over them! When I wore the overcoat, that first year in Ann Arbor, my fellow music buddies said it made their coats seem positively tacky, by contrast as we walked to classes and wherever we were having that day’s lunch.. As Anna Russell used to say, adding a laugh, “That pleased me “veddy much!” My elegant black coat, was made entirely of cashmere; and the pockets were made of beautiful blue velvet, inside! I wore it all those years I was in Michigan later, but after storing it and never getting to wear it down here in Mobile,  I gave it to the GoodwilI felt like weeping because it held so many hours of pleasure for me, both here and abroad.

       Lynwood almost had a mini-stroke when he saw me in my coat for the first time, and when I told him the small price I paid for it, he was unbelieving. Since these tailors and our Historical Division were in the same building, I was given multiple fittings, so it was, quite naturally, a perfect fit, to say the least. “I’m gonna write Mother and Daddy to send me the money to buy a nice coat as near like that as I can.afford,” I suggested that he get the tailors to make the same kind of coat that I had, but he said he couldn’t possibly get to Karlsruhe for the fittings without an act of Congress.         

We spent the next night in Brussels, after doing our sight seeing bit. Neither of us had er believed he would get to see these wonderful and diverse cities in our lifetime. Sadly, he died in 1970 (the same summer as Mama did) We had both almost cried when our army ship, which was bringing  us to Europe, stopped overnight close to a town near to London, but only the officers on board were allowed to go ashore . We consoled ourselves with the learning of free air transportation we would be able to get,  to places  like England, Spain and Greece just by signing up at the right time, and at the right place. Sadly for me, I was never able to be at the right place at the right time, and the only place I was flown to was from Naples to Rome after Lynwood was back in the States. Then, I had reserved a seat on an army plane going to London. I had another whole week left on my furlough, and was as high as a kite, I was so happy! And then, when I was waiting in line to board the plane, I was told that I had been “Bumped” by an Officer, who (of course) ranked higher than me! But, I was determined to see London; and later (after over 20 years) I was able to take two week-long visits to England on a plane! 

We went to see the film The Barefoot Contessa, with Ava Gardner, Humphrey Bogart, Rosana Bracci and Edmond O’Brien. It was disappointing, when all was said and done.

We liked everything about Brussels, but there were no “Must See” items we decided.

The following morning we caught a train to Amsterdam. I had always had a longing to see this fabulous city. And I believe the impetus for this yen was a story I had read, in the third grade, about a young boy (and I vicariously was that boy) had a bed that is built into the wall. It got so cold there, at night, that this proved to be a simply way to keep warm. Of course, at that tender age, it never crossed my mind to ask, “What about the summers?” But I dare say even the hottest day of summer there, would seem like “Springtime in the Rockies” to me and my suffering friends.

We took a tour of a diamond factory that morning. That’s where Lynwood had seen this matronly woman who had the most disgusting habit of darting her tongue out of her mouth, as she fluttered her eyelids. But I would never have noticed had my traveling companion called my attention to her peculiarity.  We saw diamonds for Royalty as well as Millionaires. I found it fascinating to see how they turned the rough and dirty rocks into breath-takingly beautiful gems for rings, necklaces and even more fantastic purposes,
         Then we had a tour of the Rijas Museum (I had to call Robert Pope for the spelling! Because, to us, it sounded like Rikes, which rhymes with Bikes!) This place (that looks absolutely wonderful) houses so many great Dutch Art that it is more then merely mind-boggling, but filled me with a longing for a place that I could get to any time I wanted, to see the magnificent art on canvas.

The Night Watch was worth the trip to Holland, had we gotten no other pleasure from the trip. Now, after over fifty years, I can remember only the size of that canvas! I have a vague remembrance of paintings of several Dutchmen, in clothes of bygone days, and the “Something” that the watch was all about, but I do hope the artist was Rembrandt, because that’s the only name I can remember.

For some obscure reason that I have long since forgotten, we took a side trip to Hamburg, near enough to Bonn (which, at that time, was the West German capitol), I remember we had the only hamburger we had (other than at PXes) in that city for which it was named. I remember, also, that Hamburg is a large and up to date city. Our hotel had TV and while we were there, watched a football game between two German cities (whose name, like so many other things) I cannot recall. But those people watch their games as jealously (or more) that even a “Roll Tide” screamer! 

Old Movie Trivia Quiz (May 12)

1. What Hollywood Beauty was The Barefoot Contessa?    

 

 

2. What director liked to put himself in his films, as less than a Cameo- he never spoke!

3. Who played Blondie in about two million movies (or so it seemed to me!)

4. Who played Young Tom Edison?

5. Name the star of The Boy with Green Hair

6. Which film was Carole Lombard’s final role, and name her co-star.

7. Who was the actor who won an Oscar in the dual role of Dr. Jeckell and Mr. Hyde?\

8. Who were the stars of The Thin Man series, and who wrote the original mystery?

9. Tiny Republic Pictures made which of the following:

Remember Pearl Harbor, Guadalcanal, or God is my Co-Pilot?

10. Who was Bing Crosby’s young co-star in East Side of Heaven?

Answers to the Last Puzzles

 1. Erskine Caldwell wrote the first two novels, and I am almost sure he wrote Mildred Pierce. Also.

2. John Wayne (Rooster Cogburn)

3. I did not write this down, and have not the first idea who these gals are- but I will keep looking.

4.  The Sorcerers Apprentice

5. Simon Templar’s initials make him the SainT.

6. Bug Eyed Jerry Collona always got a laugh, saying “Who’s Yehudi?” on Bob Hope’s radio show.

7. The Lane Sisters were Lola, Rosemary and Priscilla (in that order age-wise: Priscilla had the biggest career, and Rosemary sang in a lot of films of the 30’s and 40’s

8. Republic Pictures

9. Myrna Loy

10. Dashiel Hammett

 

Frank’s Fax Facts and Reviews

Vol.. XIV No. 7

Sunday, May 5, 20132013

         This “spring” has been so very unusual that my floral as well as the physical part of my mind, spring has been more like Waiting for Santa Clause, than anything else: when the birds flew down into my yard, they almost fainted to see my giant magnolia tree in its Sunday best! The temperatures seem to be trying to make up for the fact that they gave us virtually no winter weather last year. I have more than enjoyed the cooler temperatures, and would just love it if they stayed right where they are now. Of course, all of my friends (save Steve Bekemeyer, who shares my loathing of sticky hot summers) think I am bonkers. I still maintain that the greatest invention that ever there was, when air conditioning for pore folks was made available. Do I hear any dissenters? My mother would be the first to say, “What I don’t hate, or love, is hot weather!”. She told me, oh, so many times, was how the snow in Syracuse, NY,(where she lived until Daddy saved her from freezing to death by marrying her and moving to Mississippi) the snow would pile up so high that it often reached the upstairs window. Now that’s what I call winter weather!

         I will add anther year to my (already too long) life two days from now. I am being treated to no less than three Birthday dinners!* Two of these dinners will be discussed next week! I am truly blessed to have so many great friends!

         *The first of these meals: Elizabeth French and Peggy Raines took me to a brand new Italian restaurant that has just opened its doors (where the vegetable and fruit market used to be) The new name is Roma Restaurant, and here we had really Italian food! Unlike the many imitations of Italy’s great cuisine, none ever excited me as much as this one, which filled every fiber in my body! All three of us had identical meal’s; starting with a delightful salad, prettily served on a plate with tomato, red onion, and cucumber slices, and lettuce. We all had the bleu-cheese dressing. For our entrée, we had a dish that had Tilapia and shrimp, on a bed of something absolutely divine. The Bleu Cheese dressing was excellent. Hot toasted French.  bread with a garlicky  flavor completed the meal. My dessert was a canola; which was utterly wonderful! The ladies had Tira Misu,. which they said was great, too!.

         The restaurant has one major flaw (which could seriously affect its more staid customers: there was entirely too much noise (Mingled with a huge TV screen) and the walls tend to magnify babies’ crying and others distracting. But, in contrast, the service was above and beyond the regular variety, even though our young (Italian) waiter was beyond reproach. I give the Roma ***1/2! Their noise makes me hesitate to give them a four.

 

 

Kitty Fax

“A cat makes the very best pet, and this you must never forget; Dogs can be mean-but cats are serene (except on the way to the Vet!)

Kevin Fagan

Draft Dodgers Limited (Paris)

         We made a rapid trip through the Louvre, and were both disappointed in the Mona Lisa (we both were taken aback by its size- which is tiny),  Since “Mona” and “Winged Victory” were its chief assets, I was not blown away by Paris’s Grandest Art Gallery, after having visited the London, Chicago and New York museums. We managed to eat at a decent restaurant one night, and both had the onion soup that really is fantastically wonderful. And we certainly did get our exercise looking for everything, Of course, basic army training had given  us enough practice in waling all over Fort Jackson, so was not really too difficult.

         I took several snap shots of the Eifel Tower, just as I had doe with Notre Dame, the Louvre, as well as most of the tourist things we had visited, But the Eifel Tower still breaks my heart, because I was too frugal to pay the ridiculously high price to ride to the top in an elevator. Lynwood and I thought we would be more than equipped with the pep (or, whatever: Perhaps Stamina) to climb those metal stairs to the top; but after giving up the
Ghost after less than half of them, we threw in the towel.

         We were waiting at the place our bus had “Dropped” us (read that Forsaken us) when we had given up everything else on the trip but the bus ride back to Heidelberg. I was really surprised when the bus was waiting for us just where “The Cricket” (or did I call her the
Grasshopper”? Since Lynwood used the term both ways) had assured me that they would be waiting on us. As we walked towards two seats, everyone there (or so it seemed at the time) greeted us with things like, “You should have stayed with us!” as well as, “Our entire week has been wonderful.” Lyn and I decided they had to be lying, or mentally retarded!

         Nevertheless, I do not think I have ever been any happier to see anyone that I was to see the inside of that bus! We stopped only once, at a small town near the border, and got out to eat supper. We both had small loaves of freshly made bread,  with beer and “French Fries” (Which we both had become almost addicted to on this trip) I had managed to save a few coins from my trip money, that Mama had sent to me in advance, but there was very little of that left after all of the extra expense.

         We vowed to get to the top of the Eifel Tower on the next trip. We also vowed that we would do without anyone else masking our plans.

         There was one rest stop on the return trip, and we ate some soup (not Onion, which was too expensive) with the last wonderful French bread, and I still had enough money for a beer apiece.

         It had been (for us) a wonderful time, and by the time I had to get a train back to Karlsruhe, I was totally exhausted, But I was contented, as well as being glad to be back to Smiley Barracks and my library!

Movie Trivia Quiz #

1.      What have Tobacco Road, God’s Little Acre and Mildred Pierce in common?

2.      Rooster Cogburn was the attempt to get the same results of pairing Katherine Hepburn with the star of which award winning film? (Hint: it had Glenn Cambell, too)

3.      Who was the Oscar winner of Best Actress, and best supporting actress in the same film. The title has only 2 words: what are they?

4.      Disney’s Mickey Mouse was the “Star” of which scene from Fantasia?

5.      Who was Simon Templar?

6.      What comedian was noted for asking, “Who’s YeHudi?” This began on Bob Hope’s radio show,

7.      Arsenic and Old Lace starred Cary Grant with which of the Lane Sisters?  Can you name all three siblings?

8.      Daredevils of the Red Circle, was a serial from which Hollywood studio?

9.      What actress played Nora Charles in the Thin Man series?\

10.  Who wrote the novels on which it was based?

I have been so upset lately that I don’t know which number Trivia tests to print the answers for; but, hopefully, most of the confusion is over. (Yet this issue is really screwed up as far as “Boundaries are concerned!”