Saturday, December 31, 2016
William Christopher, R. I. P.
By Ken Levine: This awful awful year just will not end. Bill Christopher, who played Father Mulcahy [on M.A.S.H.], has passed away at 84.
Tyrus Wong, R. I. P.
Tyrus Wong, Pioneer ‘Bambi’ Artist, Dies at 106: Tyrus Wong, whose paintings served as visual inspiration for Disney’s animated classic “Bambi,” died Friday, Dec. 30. He was 106.
December 31
As most of you know, there was a time back in July when I wasn't at all sure I'd be around to see the end of the year. Yet here I am. Hooray!The other notable event of the year for me was finding three abandoned kittens who are now residents of Casa de Crider. The Very Bad Kittens have become somewhat well known on Facebook, but for the most part I've avoided inflicting photos on you here on the blog.
I finished and turned in Dead, to Begin With, a Sheriff Rhodes novel that might well be the final one. My editor left St. Martin's, and there's been a reorganization. I won't know about the fate of the series until the new year, but I'm not sanguine. And I'm fine with that. I've had a great run.
And speaking of the new year, on January 2 I'll be spending all afternoon and a good part of the evening getting tested at M.D. Anderson. On January 3 I'll learn my fate. I'm about 90% sure that the long-postponed chemo will be on the menu, so keep a good thought or two for me in 2017.
And in the meantime, Happy New Year, everybody!
How the 1963 'Career Girl Murders' Bolstered the Myth that Cities Aren’t Safe For Women
Atlas Obscura: Response to the murders—and the subsequent wrongful conviction—was a perfect storm of panic about liberated women, black men, and city life.
Friday, December 30, 2016
Chris Cannizzaro, R. I. P.
NY Daily News: Chris Cannizzaro, an original 1962 Met, has died, the San Diego Padres announced on Friday. He was 78.
Cannizzaro played 59 games for the Amazin’s who lost 120 games that season and stayed with the club through the 1965 season. He hit .236 with zero home runs, 30 RBI over his four seasons spanning the Polo Grounds and Shea Stadium. He led the league in caught stealing percentage in 1962 (56%) and 1965 (53%).
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Robert Hulseman, R. I. P.
Boing Boing: Robert Hulseman, creator of the iconic Red Solo Cup seen at frat parties, sizzurp celebrations, and Midwestern family reunions everywhere, has died at age 84. Hulseman, with friend Jack Clements, followed up that iconic container design with another: the Solo traveler coffee cup lid, such a classic design that one of them is now in the New York Museum of Modern Art.
Forgotten Hits: December 30th
Forgotten Hits: December 30th: Our brand new series kicks off today with a look back 50 years ...
Meg Chittenden, R. I. P.
Judy Bobalik reports on Facebook that Meg Chittenden has died. I've known her for years through seeing her at Bouchercons. A wonderful woman and writer.
Barbara Tarbuck, R. I. P.
Hollywood Reporter: Barbara Tarbuck, the busy actress who played Lady Jane Jacks on General Hospital for more than a decade and recently appeared on American Horror Story, has died. She was 74.
FFB: Sharp Practice -- John Farris
Sharp Practice is an amazing book. It's a ripper novel, but it's also about a lot of other things: writing, folk music, amnesia, academia, psychology, incest, and lunacy, to name just a few of them. Farris doesn't skimp on any of them. It's powerful stuff. The writing is amazing. There are long stretches of almost idyllic scenes, beautifully rendered landscapes, intricate histories, odd characters that take over for a few pages, and then come startling twists and bursts of potent violence. Word of warning: Don't get too attached to any of the characters. There's plenty of darkness, along with a little bit of light. Not much, but a little. There's even humor.
I've followed John Farris' career for well over 50 years, starting with the great Harrison High. He's written a little bit of everything, and everything I've read by him has been purely wonderful. I've never read any of his Harrison High sequels, which I once thought might be just hackwork to put money in the bank (NTTAWWT). Judy, however, read all of them and thought they were very good. I have several, and I guess it's time I found out for myself. Farris is a master, no matter what he's writing, so I'm sure it'll be fun.
Thursday, December 29, 2016
Carleton Carpenter
The death of Debbie Reynolds made me think of "Aba Daba Honeymoon," which also made me think of Carleton Carpenter, which led me to look for him on the internet. I'm happy to report that he's still alive and that he even published a memoir (The Absolute Joy of Work) in 2016. So now I suppose I'll have to head for the bookcase and pull down a copy of one of his mystery novels and read it.
December 29, 1960
This will be the fourth year in a row that I've run this post. I guess that makes it a tradition.Judy and I met on December 29, 1960, on a blind date arranged by her friend Loibeth Black and my friend Fred Williams. On the left you can read what Judy wrote in our wedding book about that night.
I remember exactly what she was wearing, and though she doesn't mention it, she also wore what was then called a mouton coat. Just about every girl had one of those back then. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it were in a closet somewhere in this house. I don't know if she was impressed by me, but I was certainly impressed by her. She was a senior in high school, and I was a freshman in college. She was black-haired beauty. I was a short-haired, four-eyed geek. It didn't take me long to learn that she was also very smart, and if I didn't fall for her on that date, it wasn't long before I did. After a few dates I could tell that she liked me, too, for reasons I'll never understand.
We always celebrated December 29 as an anniversary and gave each other a gift every year. I miss the old days.
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Debbie Reynolds and Me
While I never met Debbie Reynolds, I feel almost as if I grew up with her. My first memory of her is from a movie called Two Weeks with Love, which I saw when I was about nine years old. I thought "Aba Daba Honeymoon" was the greatest song ever, and I fell hard for Debbie Reynolds. I saw her in many movies after that, and when that rat Eddie Fisher dumped her for Liz, it was big news among my friends, especially the girls. (Carleton Carpenter, who sang the duet with Debbie, went on to write a series of mystery novels, most of which I own, but none of which I've read.)
But the main thing I wanted to mention is that there was a persistent rumor that Debbie was related to some people in my little hometown of Mexia, Texas. These people weren't the cream of society, quite the opposite, in fact. One of them was known only to me (and everyone else I knew) as Guv'nor. He was, as we say now, mentally challenged, and he lived with his mother in a house that wasn't much more than a shack. The rumor went that Debbie came to Mexia more than once to visit Guv'nor and his mom. I knew at least two people who claimed to have seen her when she was in town.
Several years ago Judy and I saw her do a one-woman show about which I remember very little other than that she was natural and charming and exactly what I'd expected Debbie Reynolds to be. I sure wish I'd seen her when she slipped into my hometown to visit her less fortunate relatives. If they were her relatives and if she ever did.
But the main thing I wanted to mention is that there was a persistent rumor that Debbie was related to some people in my little hometown of Mexia, Texas. These people weren't the cream of society, quite the opposite, in fact. One of them was known only to me (and everyone else I knew) as Guv'nor. He was, as we say now, mentally challenged, and he lived with his mother in a house that wasn't much more than a shack. The rumor went that Debbie came to Mexia more than once to visit Guv'nor and his mom. I knew at least two people who claimed to have seen her when she was in town.
Several years ago Judy and I saw her do a one-woman show about which I remember very little other than that she was natural and charming and exactly what I'd expected Debbie Reynolds to be. I sure wish I'd seen her when she slipped into my hometown to visit her less fortunate relatives. If they were her relatives and if she ever did.
Debbie Reynolds, R. I. P.
TMZ.com: Debbie Reynolds -- who rose to stardom in "Singin' in the Rain" and quickly became a staple among Hollywood royalty -- died Wednesday as a result of a stroke, TMZ has learned ... just one day after her daughter Carrie Fisher passed away ... this according to her son Todd.
Carrie Fisher and Me
Like everyone else, I'm saddened by the death of Carrie Fisher. Judy, Angela, Allen, and I went to see Star Wars the day it opened in Brownwood, Texas, where we were living at the time. A few days later Angela, Allen, and I all got Star Wars t-shirts. I still have mine. Carrie Fisher was a big part of the movie's success. She was the very best kind of princess. She was smart, good with a blaster, and didn't take crap from anybody.
I never met Carrie Fisher, but there is a connection, however tenuous it might be. I never met her, but I did meet one of the men she (allegedly) had a romantic fling with. In the movie version of Postcards from the Edge, he's played by Dennis Quaid.
The man that she (allegedly) had a fling with is a writer, and Judy and I met him at a conference a year or so before the movie came out. Judy once told me that he (the writer) was "the best-looking man I ever saw in person." I said, "You mean besides me."
Now I have to tell you something you might not know about Judy, even if you knew her fairly well. Judy never lied. Ever. She was probably capable of it, but she told me that she would never do it, not for any reason. So when I said, "You mean besides me," she said, "No. He's the best-looking man I ever saw in person."
I sulked around covertly for a day or so, but I got over it. After all, he was a pretty good-looking guy. Even better-looking than Dennis Quaid.
And that's my Carrie Fisher connection.
I never met Carrie Fisher, but there is a connection, however tenuous it might be. I never met her, but I did meet one of the men she (allegedly) had a romantic fling with. In the movie version of Postcards from the Edge, he's played by Dennis Quaid.
The man that she (allegedly) had a fling with is a writer, and Judy and I met him at a conference a year or so before the movie came out. Judy once told me that he (the writer) was "the best-looking man I ever saw in person." I said, "You mean besides me."
Now I have to tell you something you might not know about Judy, even if you knew her fairly well. Judy never lied. Ever. She was probably capable of it, but she told me that she would never do it, not for any reason. So when I said, "You mean besides me," she said, "No. He's the best-looking man I ever saw in person."
I sulked around covertly for a day or so, but I got over it. After all, he was a pretty good-looking guy. Even better-looking than Dennis Quaid.
And that's my Carrie Fisher connection.
Tuesday, December 27, 2016
![Conan the Barbarian: The Complete Collection (Book House) by [Robert E. Howard]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41pmlZCjXAL.jpg)
Richard Adams, R. I. P.
BBC News: The author of Watership Down, Richard Adams, has died aged 96, his daughter has said.
The tear-jerking children's classic about a group of rabbits in search of a new home after the destruction of their warren was first published in 1972.
The tale, first told by Adams on a long car journey with his daughters, turned into a best-seller.
Carrie Fisher, R. I. P.
BBC News: US actress Carrie Fisher, best known for her role as Princess Leia in the Star Wars series, has died aged 60, days after suffering a heart attack.
Vera Rubin, R. I. P.
Pioneering Astronomer Vera Rubin Dies: (NEWSER) – Vera Rubin, a pioneering astronomer who helped find powerful evidence of dark matter, has died, her son said Monday. She was 88. Rubin's scientific achievements earned her numerous awards and honors, including a National Medal of Science presented by President Bill Clinton in 1993 "for her pioneering research programs in observational cosmology." She also became the second female astronomer to be elected to the National Academy of Sciences. "It goes without saying that, as a woman scientist, Vera Rubin had to overcome a number of barriers along the way," California Institute of Technology physicist Sean Carroll tweeted Monday. Rubin's interest in astronomy began as a young girl and grew with the involvement of her father, Philip Cooper, an electrical engineer who helped her build a telescope and took her to meetings of amateur astronomers, the AP reports.
Hat tip to Deb.
Hat tip to Deb.
Ricky Harris, R. I. P.
Actor, Comedian Ricky Harris Dead at 54: (NEWSER) – Comedian and actor Ricky Harris passed away Monday of a heart attack, his manager tells the Hollywood Reporter. He was 54. Harris performed on HBO's Def Comedy Jam before making his acting debut in 1993's Poetic Justice with Janet Jackson and Tupac Shakur, reports the Los Angeles Times. He went on to have TV roles on Moesha, Everybody Hates Chris, Dope, The Tracy Morgan Show, and The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story, per CBS News. He also performed skits on his childhood friend Snoop Dogg's albums. In an Instagram video, Snoop Dogg says Harris was a "Long Beach original" who's "on his way to heaven now."
Hat tip to Deb.
Hat tip to Deb.
Everyone Really Hates the Word "Whatever"
Mental Floss: Never mind that the best quote of 2016 contains the dismissal "whatever"—the word is universally abhorred for the eighth year running, a new poll released by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion reveals.
Liz Smith, R. I. P.
Liz Smith dies aged 95: Ralf Little leads tributes to Royle Family and Vicar of Dibley star: he BAFTA award-winning actress Liz Smith, who played Norma in the hit comedy show The Royle Family, has died aged 95.
The actress, who also starred as eccentric baker Letitia Cropley in The Vicar of Dibley, died on Christmas Eve.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Hat tip to Jeff Meyerson.
Overlooked Movies: Law of the Pampas
And what a cast! There was Sidney Toler, Charlie Chan himself, impersonating an comic Argentinian, and Glenn Strange, who went on to play Frankenstein a few times. Strange was all over TV in the '50s, too. Even Eddie Dean had a bit part. He went on to be a pretty big singing cowboy star in the '40s. And Sidney Blackmer, who sure had a great career. I don't know who played the kid, Ernesto, but he was more annoying than anything. He was probably inserted to appeal to the crowd that would fill the theater for this 1939 feature.
The plot's fairly simple, also a nod to the intended audience. Hoppy and his sidekick, Lucky (Russell Hayden, in this instance), go to Argentina with a herd of cattle shipped there by the Bar 20. Hoppy's going along because he has grasped in an instant that the accidental deaths of the wife and son of the ranch owner weren't accidental at all. And he already knows who done it. These B-westerns didn't deal in subtlety.
There's plenty of ridin' and shootin' and fightin'. There's even an explosion. William Boyd is excellent as Hoppy, as usual, and the movie seemed to be to of a little higher quality than most B-westerns, with some attention to the details of the Argentinian ranch and gauchos, even though Argentina looks a lot like California. All in all, an entertaining way to spend 80 minutes or so.
Monday, December 26, 2016
George S. Irving, R. I. P.
Playbill: Actor George S. Irving, a Tony winner in 1973 for Best Featured Actor in a Musical in Irene opposite Debbie Reynolds, died December 26.
Born George Irving Shelasky November 1, 1922, in Springfield, Massachusetts, he grew up singing at neighborhood synagogues and churches. In 1942 he was cast in the chorus at the MUNY in St. Louis, and made his Broadway debut in 1943 in Oklahoma!. With 32 Broadway credits, Irving performed in such classics as Gentleman Prefer Blondes, Can-Can, Bells Are Ringing, the 1981 revival of The Pirates of Penzance, and Me and My Girl, for which he earned a Tony nomination. He was last seen on a Broadway stage for the one-night-only benefit performance A Wonderful Life for The Actors’ Fund.
Holden Caulfield’s Christmas Prequel to ‘Catcher in the Rye’
The Daily Beast: Before J.D. Salinger’s iconic teenaged character ever appeared in the author’s most famous novel, he was the protagonist of a Christmas short story in The New Yorker.
What Is the Trendiest Baby Name in American History?
What Is the Trendiest Baby Name in American History?
Hint: There's a Beatles connection (but maybe not the one you're thinking).
Hint: There's a Beatles connection (but maybe not the one you're thinking).
I'm Going to Look in the Walmart Parking Lot
What Happened To This Cult Leader's Lost Treasure?: The self-styled prophet Brother XII may have left behind $6 million in gold coins.
Sunday, December 25, 2016
George Michael, R. I. P.
Ex-Wham! singer George Michael dies: The star, who launched his career with Wham! in the 1980s and later continued his success as a solo performer, is said to have "passed away peacefully at home".
Peace on Earth
Daily Mail Online: This is why you don't leave Christmas shopping to the last minute: Massive brawls break out in malls across the US as tempers fray and fists fly in New Jersey, Alabama and Georgia
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