Fraker, Hood, Wilder, Yeatman, Zinnemann

Stalag 17 (Billy Wilder, 1953). This unlikely comedy set in a Nazi prison camp has a more famous echo that showed up on CBS around twelve years later. It’s not hard to see why someone might think this could turn into a nifty recurring show. The hook about prisoners of war who’ve cooked up their own unique society in captivity, complete with schemes to dupe the guards and cobbled together contraptions to better hide their small luxuries, is further enlivened by the colorful nature of the characters, a common result when Wilder’s is one of the names on the screenplay. … Continue reading Fraker, Hood, Wilder, Yeatman, Zinnemann

One for Friday: Scruffy the Cat, “My Baby She’s Alright”

There was a lot that I didn’t know about music when I arrived at my college radio station. Without knowing that a microphone with a broadcast capabilities was my destination, I’d spend the prior year or two cramming. I subscribed to Rolling Stone (in part, because Paul Schaffer told me to), I listened to the one local radio station that treated the release of a new R.E.M. record as an event, I stayed up late on Sunday nights to watch MTV’s 120 Minutes. Without really knowing it, I was researching, trying to understand the secret life of music that scooted … Continue reading One for Friday: Scruffy the Cat, “My Baby She’s Alright”

Can’t get started, need a little motion

I have rebounded from my annual weekend of research and debauchery a little more quickly than I did in recent years. However, I still sit here a few nights later feeling like I have so many things that I need to regain the mentally energy for, specifically reading and writing. To provide a little extra kick to myself, I’ll pledge that tomorrow I’ll continue with our latest countdown. Because everyone knows that once you roll the preview you have to run the feature. Continue reading Can’t get started, need a little motion