Everybody Comes To Rick's

'' Round up the usual suspects!'' ''We will always have Paris.'' ''Play it , Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By' ''. These lines are, of course, from ''Casablanca''. If you have never seen the movie, then Mr. Scoleri has given you an assignment to watch it. The movie was on the other day, and, even though I have seen it countless times, I watched it again.... Great movies never get old. The same is true of great music. No matter how many times you see or listen to something, it feels just right to the soul. ''Casablanca'' was a movie I first encountered in my early twenties. The legend had already been enshrined around it for about fifty years. Now, I must confess, I liked it when I first saw it , but, I didn't love it. I didn't get why this movie, which was dated by modern times, should have such a ferocious following. It was a simple love story , nothing more. I am smiling writing this because it shows you how wrong I was then in my youth. The fact it was dated was one of its charms. The movie was made in the spring and summer of 1942. War had just come to the United States the previous December. Americans were shocked, angry, and frightened. The feeling is in every scene in the movie. With the advantage of hindsight, we all know we came out of the war supreme, but, that sense of doom helped drive the story along. There is a tendency of modern audiences-- particularly younger moviegoers, who do not seem to care about anything that happened before they were born-- to see some of the scenes as unrealistic. That is their mistake, I believe. A movie should be viewed with no preconceived notions about how much better it would have been made today. Add to the fact that this movie has a historical legacy, then modern viewers tend to dismiss it quicker. I believe that was my problem when I first saw it. The film grew for me with repeated viewings. Great movies also do this every time you watch: you pick up a little nugget of joy that you never saw before.... ''Casablanca'' first started out as a play in the 1930's. It was called ''Everybody Comes To Rick's''. When sold to Warner Brothers, the name changed . Believe it or no, Ronald Reagan was the first choice to play Rick. Imagine that!!! Wiser heads prevailed, and, Humphrey Bogart was given the role. In time, Reagan found work in another profession.... The cast came together. Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa. Paul Henreid as the valiant Victor Lazlo. The great Claude Rains as Louis Renault. Doolie Wilson as the piano player, Sam. And, Conrad Veigt, playing the Nazi villian Major Strasser. All of them shine in their roles. But, a little history of the production shows their was a lot of tension on the set. Bogart and Bergman were cold to each other. Henreid hated most of his fellow actors. The cast was worried that the script was being made up on the fly each day. Sometimes, tension on a movie set can create havoc. Sometimes it can create magic. The latter applied here.... I will not go over the story, preferring not to spoil it for those who haven't seen it. One thing I would like to touch on is why this movie is always included on the lists of ''Most Romantic'' films of all time. I see some romance in it at various points in the film, but, the overwhelming feeling of the story is loss. Lost Love. Lost Hope. Lost Dreams. All of these in a Lost World. Consider Rick and his feelings for his great love, Ilsa. He spents most of the movie licking his wounds on having lost her. Theirs was a whirlwind courtship. Both fell for each other rather quickly. He was hurt from his earlier life, and, she had a recent tragedy also, when they found each during that magical time in Paris. Then, they lost the love they had for each other.... There is also the people who hang out at ''Rick's Cafe Americana'' who desperately cling to the desire of getting their papers, somehow, and fleeing Casablanca. Almost every night they fail. Lost hope and dreams... Meanwhile, the evil of the Nazi march is everywhere. The arrogance of their behavior, and, the contempt of them by the regulars, creates that Lost World feeling. Among this band of sad souls, the world is no longer kind and hopeful. Rather, distrust and fear are the paramount feelings[ one of my favorite parts of the movie is when Bogart tells Strasser to be careful of invading New York because of how dangerous it is]. Looking at the movie from one angle, these people lead desperate and depressing lives... And, yet... There is the other side of loss: the possibility to renew ones life and start again. That is what I, finally, take away from them. They never give up, as we humans should never do. They find little joys in their lives that add up to satisfaction, however, small it may be. It says it all during the climax at the airport... And, that ending, well, many female friends of mine still find it unbelievable that Bergman goes with Henreid and not Bogart. Perhaps, but, a life with Bogart would have involved endless headaches and heartaches. He was a rogue, never to be tied down. This man Rick was an iron man with a soft heart. This may be attractive in the short run, but, most likely, an uncertain lfe would await her. With Henreid's Victor Lazlo, she would be with a hero, who would give her the good life once the war was over. Lazlo would, after the war, probably have gone into politics and been with the movers and shakers in Washington--- well, on second thought, maybe, she might have done better with Rick after all.... One last thing to note. That bar. That wonderful bar that Rick ran. As someone who has appreciated bars in my life, I would love to own a place like that!! Gambling in the back. An orchestra playing up front. The piano player shooting out the lively tunes. A little danger from the bad guys and the good guys mixing it up. Corruption and decency battling it out every night.... And me sitting in a white dinner jacket, with a bottle, a cigar, and, the pretty dames....

A Christmas Story

The holidays are here, and with their arrival there is the hustle and bustle of current activity. We all run around for those special gifts for your loved ones. There is the promise of time off from work and eating fattening foods and drinking a beverage or three and sleeping at your own pace. Sure, we run around at times, but, at this time, with the year also ending, it is a time to take stock of the present. And, to drift back to the past... If you have some years under your belt, like I have, you have the times of your life that you remember. The ghosts of Christmas past are very vivid and very near to you. I remember the gifts we got as kids. Between the 3 kids, there was always the friendly competition of who has the most presents piled up under the tree. One year it was me, the next year Brother Tom, and the next Sister Lisa. If you won, there was a slight smiling satisfaction of first place. My parents weren't playing favorites, of course. They spent the same amount on all of us according to our needs. You realize things a little better as you grow older and the Christmas bills come at you, but, Mom and Dad had a money tightness all of their lives. And, yet, they never disappointed us. We weren't spoiled, we knew how things were. Though it put them in a financial hole, we got our gifts. Don't get me wrong, we were middle class-- we didn't go without-- it was just we had a budget that the family adhered to. And, with those gifts, we also got the most precious thing they gave us: their unselfish and eternal love. I value nothing more in life than that...  There was always the matter of putting up the Christmas tree. Sounds simple, doesn't it? Not in my family.We MEN--- Tommy, Dad, and me-- would start out every year putting our artificial tree together. The endless boxes of ornaments and lights were the first order of business. My Dad never threw anything away so we had to test the same lightbulbs EVERY year. Most had burned out from the previous year, but, Dad, God Love Him,  insisted on keeping them. This was not wise, however. One year, after using the same lights that probably went back decades, we soon began to notice an odd smell coming from the tree. Sure enough, the tree was on fire!!! Not a raging inferno, but, enough to set off the smoke detectors. And, what screams Christmas more than smoke detectors, huh? After putting the fire to bed, Dad ruefully looked at the lights and said, '' Maybe, we need new ones.''... Back to putting up the tree, the three MEN  would instantly argue about how it looked. ''One side was crooked!!! No, it isn't!!''...''The ornaments seemed all wrong!!! That is because you made them wrong in school, brother!!!''...'' The star on top needed more support!! You don't know how to do this!!!''... The Three Wise Men at some point would get so mad at each other that we would walk away from the tree. And, then, my Mom would come in and quietly and perfectly solve the problem by putting up the most beautiful tree you have seen. The One Woman solving the problems The Men did. Mom did that a lot in our lives... Came dinner time on Christmas Eve. The night before Christmas was always us because Dad insisted on us being there. He said he wanted the family together. On Christmas Day, if we wanted to go other places, that was fine, but, Christmas Eve he wanted the family around him. Mom and Dad would also invite family and friends who had no other place to go on Christmas Eve. They didn't want anyone to be alone. This was what they were about. Two kind people who wanted people around them to share in the love of the family. They cared about other people. And, there was always a small gift for those ''orphans'' to open... At dinner, we would all gorge ourselves with lobster and shrimp. While cooking the fish, there would be tasty appetizers to munch on and some adult beverages. There would be plenty of spirited conversations and some serious arguing about whatever. They were arguments and disagreements only a family could have. No bad or hurt feelings would come of it.  Because it would always come back to the love we had for each other.... After dinner and the opening of presents, there came the silent, easy way of us enjoying each other's presence. It had been a long year. The constant struggle that confronts all of us in the real world was a distant memory. A sense of peace and joy of having family close was our feeling. We fought the world, but, that was on the other side of the front door. Here, in the warmth by the fire, was what family was meant to be. Quiet and relaxing. Occasionally, I would stick my head outside and feel the night. All the world seemed as one. No one was ever going to break this family up.... Death did... One by one, the family slowly went away. I always had the thought in the back of my mind that our time together wasn't permanent. However, it seemed to go away overnight. For every addition-- like my wonderful nephews-- there was a subtraction. First Tommy. Then Dad. Then my Grandmother. Then Mom. In a few years they were gone, never again to share the magic of us all being together on Christmas.... Now, many years later, we have a new family. The little runts who are my nephews have become grown men with children of their own. Lisa and I are still standing. We are the Old Guard. We are the people are parents were so long ago. And, we have with us the traits, and, I believe, the goodness, of my parents souls. We have carried on the tradition, inviting family and friends and ''orphans'' with no place to go, over to her house for Christmas Eve. We are spreading the oldest and best tradition there is: FAMILY. Love. Be there for each other. That is at the heart of  our family legacy, as I hope it is for your family. The love we spread to the next generation after we are gone. I am confident that feeling will continue forever.... In Heaven right now? Oh, I can tell exactly what is happening: God is telling Dad to throw away the old Christmas lights... Dad and Tommy are fighting over the Christmas tree in Heaven... My Grandmother is making some gravy... And, Mom is anchoring all the madness around her with a smile... Merry Christmas To You And Your Family, Everyone!!!

It's A Wonderful Movie

'' The Greatest Gift'' was a short story that Philip Van Doren Stern tried to peddle in 1939. No one seemed interested in the story of a man  finding himself. This was still the Depression, and World War Two was just around the corner. So, after striking out with producers and agents, he made the short story even shorter. He condensed it into a Christmas card and sent it to 200 people. Eventually, the card and story made its way around all the studios. One major director saw it. His name was Frank Capra.... Capra saw the story in 1945 after getting out of the military. The war had just ended and Capra, after seeing the horrors of war, decided he wanted to make something that lifted the spirits of the population again. He had a history of doing this. He made '' Mr. Smith Goes To Washington'' and ''Meet John Doe'' before the war. All of Capra's films had the same theme: a good man fighting injustice in the world, and ultimately, triumphing over adversity to restore the goodness of life and human spirit. Capra decided to make the movie and he changed the title to ''Its A Wonderful Life''.... Now, we all have seen the movie. It has become a stable for annual viewings every Christmas. It is the ultimate family movie. And, we all shed a tear or two at the end when George Bailey comes back home to his family. The images and feelings of this movie have stayed in us for all of these years because, quite simply, we identify with George. We all had the dreams of big ideas and limitless dreams, but, as we all know, reality knocks you down and you settle for what you have. The redemption of George, and, of us as the viewer, is that as time goes on you cherish what you do have. Family, friends, the little moments of pleasure that add up to a wonderful life. It is all in the movie. George gradually accepts his fate and realizes how blessed he truly is. We do also as we age... The running strength in the movie is the cast. Jimmy Stewart was, simply put, America's star. He was the Everyman. From the first moment on screen, you want all the best for this man. Decency and sweetness can sometimes be very hard to project on screen. Stewart does it here-- in fact, in almost any role he did-- but, in this movie he achieves the perfect performance. Stepping back from the story, George Bailey has been dealt quite a bad hand in life, but, through Stewart we root for Bailey to succeed. When he gets knocked down time and time again, we also feel the brunt of the disappointment... As his loyal wife Mary, Donna Reed has the patience and soul of an angel. Loving George from childhood, this strong woman not only gives George children and homelife, but, also, compassionately consoles George after life kicks him down time and time again. This is a good woman. Whatever dreams she may have had, she lets go of them for the love of her husband. It pains her to see George so unhappy. She tries to sooth the troubled demons that lurk in him. Perhaps, more than George sees in himself, she knows that once he lets go of what might have been, he will see what a kind and good man he truly is.... The town of Bedford Falls doesn't really exist. It should, however. It is a town in America where everyone knows everybody and cares about each other [ except for Mr. Potter, played brilliantly by Lionel Barrymore]. The cops, Burt and Ernie--- yes, '' Sesame Street'' took those two names because Jim Hensen loved the movie so--, Violet Bick, Uncle Billy, Mr. Gower, and, good ole Clarence The Angel. We know them so well from watching the movie many times that they also feel like family. We feel pain for their losses in life, too. These are simple people, but, life also had chipped away at them. Although it is never gone into deeply, Violet seems to me to be classified as a loose woman in town. Therefore, she is excluded and shunned. Only George takes pity on her. At the end, she is redeemed also. How, it is not said, but, she shares with George a sense of self worth and awareness.... When Clarence enters the picture, he takes George back to Bedford Falls, now called Pottersville. I must say, it does look like a fun little town if you watch a touch of Las Vegas, but, I will stick with the story as is. George goes through the ritual of not being born and seeing the results. This is another area where I think the viewer has visited in his or her own mind. If you weren't born, then what? If you are a parent, obviously your children would not exist [or, would in some other form with your partner with someone else]. Would those children be the same people without your genes and personality? Would your parents have had a rougher life without you? Would the love of your life be with someone else and be miserable, or, in Mary's case, a lonely soul? Would your friends be harsher and less joyful if you were never in their lives?... All of these scenarios are touched on in the movie and give all of us a pause for thought. Yes, we all do touch other people's lives in our own way. Some touch strongly, some touch gently. Some bring knowledge and wisdom, some bring simplicity and sweetness. But, we do touch and connect. If , as they say so powerfully in the movie, '' No man is a failure who has friends'', then you are just as rich and blessed as any millionaire. More so, I believe. Because you are accepted on a pure level of someone caring for you because you are you, not your money or power. It is an acceptance of the heart and soul which is the basis of all human behavior. Mr. Potter has more money than most people, but, would you want to be him at the end or George Bailey?..... And, that end!! That wonderful end!!! Show me a person who doesn't cry at the end of the story and I will show you someone who did not understand the movie. Crying is a form of love. You cry in an argument and you cry when a loved dies. Why are you crying? Because you love the person. And, we love George Bailey and his loved ones, too. They deserve our love. These are good people in that far away from reality town. Fictional characters, to be sure. But, the lives they lead and the passion to care will never be fictional.... Frank Capra and Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed and most of the cast are gone now. Wherever they are I hope it is a little like Bedford Falls. With them dancing over the floor that turns into a swimming pool. Singing about ''Buffalo Gals''. And, knowing that they aren't failures because generation after generation considers them friends.... Hee Haw!!!!!!

The Day The Music Died: December 8th, 1980

John Lennon never refused an autograph request. Going back as far as he could remember there was always someone waiting there in his life for his signature on a piece of paper. So, when the fat fan in the Hawaiian shirt approached him silently, he knew to sign. The fan held out Lennon's latest album ''Double Fantasy'' out for the star to sign. Lennon bent over to write. At that moment, an amatuer photographer, Paul Goresh,  who hung around the building where Lennon and Yoko Ono lived, The Dakota, zoomed in with his camera to catch the shot of Lennon with the fan. He got it. John asked the fan if that was all that he wanted. The fan, stricken silent by the great star, said nothing and backed away. John and Yoko then got into their waiting limo to take them to the recording studio. The fan asked Goresh if he had the picture of him and Lennon, and Goresh said he was sure he did. Almost six hours later, the fan became a killer... After five years of self- imposed retirement, John Lennon, in the fall of 1980, had his batteries recharged for the public. He turned the milestone age of 40 in October, and, he and his wife, Yoko Ono, had released their comeback album, ''Double Fantasy'' in November, to brisk sales and tremendous public interest. By December, the Lennons were planning the follow up to the album and a possible world tour. John, after so many years of searching and self improvement to ease his childhood pain, seemed , finally, to be content and happy in his role of father and husband. By December the 8th, the dark clouds and demons were gone. Ahead, lay a new beginning... In the limo on the way to the recording studio, John chatted with a San Francisco DJ named Dave Sholin. Sholin was sharing the limo with the Lennons after doing a radio interview with them that afternoon. Sholin asked some follow up questions of John about Paul McCartney. John said that he loved Paul like a brother and would do anything for him. Sholin feelings about John that day are of a man deeply in love with life and full of energy. When the limo dropped John and Yoko off at the studio, Sholin and his crew went straight to the airport with the interview tapes. It was John's last interview... At the studio, John and Yoko said hello to their producer, Jack Douglas. All three, for the last two weeks , had been working on a song of Yoko's called , ''Walking On Thin Ice.'' The hope was to have the song out for Christmas of 1980. When David Geffen, the head of their record label, arrived, the button was pushed and Yoko's song came blasting out. By common consenses, it was the best thing she had ever recorded [ which isn't saying much]. Smiles went around the room as all agreed that this should be rushed out for the holidays. After Geffen left, John and Jack Douglas talked quietly. What they talked about is something that Douglas has always kept mum about, but, he has hinted in interviews that John was talking about death. Douglas says that John always was very candid about living a short life. Perhaps, John felt his life ending soon and was resigned to the inevitable. Whatever his feelings that night, John soon snapped out of his morbid talk and said he and Yoko were leaving to get something to eat and invited the producer to join them. Jack Douglas declined, but, he would see them bright and early the next morning. He reports John and Yoko got in the elevator, waved and smiled at him, and, wished him a good night. The elevator closed. Jack Douglas never saw John the next day... The limo pulled in front of the Dakota at 10:45 PM. John had decided to stop home first to see their son, Sean, before going out to eat. Yoko got out of the car first, followed by John. He was carrying the cassette of her song in his hand. Waiting, just off the archway to the building, was the fat fan from Hawaii. Yoko walked by him and then John. The killer said later that Lennon gave him a hard look, as if maybe, John recognized him from earlier. We will never know because that is when the first shot was fired.... It all happened very fast. Five bullets shot. Lennon staggering up the steps, somehow, he managed to keep going before collapsing on the ground. Yoko screaming. The security guard pressing the button to the police station. The killer calmly picking up his book to read after the shooting.... The police arrived a few minutes later. The first car there grabbed the killer and handcuffed him. A second car pulled up soon after. The policemen, James Moran and Bill Gamble, approached the victim. They saw a small Oriental woman weeping over a fallen man. Blood was pouring out of his mouth and chest. At first, the cops didn't recognize the victim, but, they knew he was dying. They put John in the back of their squad car and Yoko soon followed in a backup car. Racing through the streets of New York to Roosevelt Hospital, they were in a race with time. Moran looked back at John and asked him if he knew who he was. John moaned yes. It was his last word.... The emergency room at Roosevelt knew John Lennon was a goner. But, they worked on him with all of their skills. He had lost too much blood. Finally, they gave up. These battle scarred veterans of the emergency room-- who had seen every horror in their job--- started crying. They knew who was lying there... Word leaked out to the world. Howard Cosell announced it on ''Monday Night Football''. Soon, crowds gathered outside the hospital and the Dakota. People were crying for John Lennon, but, also, for themselves. With his passing, a chapter of a whole generation had closed. Their youth was now gone. Certain people in history, like JFK, die, and suddenly, we all feel older and our own mortality feels closer to us. John Lennon was a star, to be sure, but, for millions of people, he was also one of us. We had lost a bright light... I had just turned 15 years old on December 8, 1980. I wasn't quite the Beatle fan I am now, but, something, even then, seemed very sad to me. In time, I grew to love the Fab Four and their fearless leade. I still  mourn the loss of this imperfect but very human rebel/musician/peacenik/househusband. God, it is 31 years ago, but, in many ways, it feels like yesterday.... And, I will always believe in yesterday....