The Evening Pause – Page 126 – Behind The Black

Bob Hope singing “Buttons and Bows”

July 5, 2010 8:32 pm Robert Zimmerman

An evening pause: Remembered mostly today for his dedication to entertaining our American troops overseas as well as his comedy movies with Bing Crosby, Bob Hope was more than this. He had one of the quickest wits of any comic in history combined with a manner that was gentle but honest. It is a shame that few comics today can put this combination together, going instead for a kind of Don Rickles-type insult humor instead. Here is Hope (with his co-star Jane Russell) in the movie The Paleface, showing that he could sing as well. The second-half of the clip shows a not-too-interesting skit with Roy Rogers and (again) Jane Russell with all three singing the same song:

July 4, 1776, Hatching an Egg

July 4, 2010 6:45 am Robert Zimmerman

How about some music to celebrate July 4:

Julie Andrews singing Burlington Bertie from Star!

July 1, 2010 9:39 pm Robert Zimmerman

An evening pause: Julie Andrews, in her prime, had one of the most incredible screen presences of any actor in the history of film. Unfortunately, though everyone will agree that she has had a marvelous career, except for a few rare but truly wonderful exceptions (Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music) I have always felt that her amazing ability to mesmerize an audience with a mere look was generally wasted in most of the movies she made.

Here is Julie in the movie Star!, which did not do well when released because it came out at a time (1968) when filmgoers seemed uninterested in entertaining musicals. Movies then had to relevant (oh that word!). She is playing a young woman whose deepest passion is to perform on the stage. This scene is her first real chance to do something solo. Stay till the end. ~~Her first words after the she leaves the stage says it all.~~ Unfortunately the versions available now cut that last line, where she so sincerely says, “That was wonderful.”