That's MISERY Pal !

#246-for Archive: www.oaklanddupree@substack.com

That’s from a brief conversation I had with Richard Lewis , the late comedian/actor who succumbed to a heart attack this week. Sadly, Richard had Parkinson’s which weakened him. The conversation , where I served as involuntary straight man , went like this :

“ Hey Richard, that bookstore on Sunset Strip is featuring your book on their marquee…Magical Mystery Tour !”

“ That’s MISERY, pal !”

This was in Greenblatt’s Deli on Sunset in Hollywood, which was my day gig for four years in the late 90’s, making deliveries in the famed Greenblatt’s vans, taking orders on the phone, managing the soda pop , beer, potato chips, fine chocolates, and caviar inventories in the upscale store, and ordering those things and dealing with salesmen. I was the beer buyer, but didn’t drink so I had the 20 something clerks sample the suds. I also worked the floor of the vast wine shop, bullshitting away on “oak-ey Chardonnays ” and robust, earthy Bordeauxs, and waited tables in the deli/restaurant when we were short a server…anyway, Richard Lewis was a regular Greenblatt’s Deli customer there 3-5 times a week, so I had many brief conversations with Richard, a friendly guy when he was in the mood. Richard was a mensch, really, and we had several things in common, born in 1947 in New York state and were recovering alcoholics and actors, though Richard’s career eclipsed mine , to state the obvious….heh heh heh heh heh… Richard had a brief TV series with Eugene Levy which I watched and told him “ Richard , it’s good to see you in colors” (he always wore black in public) He was effusive in his praise for Levy as a comedic actor. too bad that show didn’t catch on… Richard had a nice white house on Hemet Place , a short street a few blocks up from Sunset, behind Greenblatt’s, on the slope of Mount Olympus across from Laurel Canyon. I would deliver cases of San Pellegrino, carbonated Italian mineral water in glass liters to Lewis’s house and have discussion. He drove a two seat, black Mercedes Benz sports car with personalized plates saying PROCOL…he was a big Procol Harum fan and I think he hung with the band at one time…Lewis starred in a movie called Drunks in which he played a guy struggling for sobriety. I saw the movie at the Westwood ( near UCLA) where it played first-run . I told Richard that I was talking to the screen saying “Don’t do it !” when his character lifted a drink and relapsed from sobriety. He appreciated my praise. Richard Lewis , rest in peace , sober brother !

Sportz Shortz: The San Francisco Giants have acquired Matt Chapman, a power hitting , Gold Glove 3rd Baseman who was originally developed by the cheapskate Oakland A’s. Chapman , as a Giant, will put asses in the seats. This move pleases me greatly…now to get some pitching !…the football SF 49ers have hired their new defensive coordinator from within ,Nick Sorenson, and added the former disgraced Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as kind of a consulting guy, easily dispensable. Last season, the Vegas Raiders led the Chargers 42-0 at halftime when the team quit on him, and the LA owner canned Staley the next day. One of my readers ,Georgia Rowe, enjoys the sports stuff , even as a non-fan… she requires a little explanation sometimes... The KC Chiefs “superfan” Xavier Babudar, who dressed up like a wolf and did that repulsive Tomahawk chant chop at KC home games, was busted for sticking up many banks in the Missouri /Kansas area. I am sure he will be replaced by another bozo.

Mary Poppins Canceled ! ?…Apparently the word “ Hottentot” used in that film is now considered a kind of slur for a wandering tribe in South Africa called Khoekhoe. I guess we must keep up with those things. Even Mary Poppins, that beloved G-Rated family film starring Julie Andrews is not safe from the cancellation mob. Loved Andrews in Victor/Victoria( directed by hubby Blake Edwards) and Torn Curtain to mention just a couple. She’s an enduring, towering talent !…Just finished Deacon King Kong a novel by James Mc Bride, after reading his newer novel Heaven And Earth Grocery Store. It is so rewarding to discover a writer this good ! Mc Bride is a working musician as well as author…Zipped through those two novels… Now reading the complete short stories of Chester Himes, who wrote from the thirties til the sixties ( Cotton Comes To Harlem)…just an outstanding and brilliant storyteller who essayed the African American experience from all angles. No two stories of Himes are alike, really. Clever and shockingly bold for the times were Himes’ tales.

Laughably Ludicrous: Candidate for US Senator from California, Shifty Schiff has now switched his Primary Election pitch to: “ Stop Garvey, he voted for Trump twice !” oooooooh the boogie man ! Newsom has Shifty set up for the win, yet his campaign is panicked by an airhead like Steve Garvey and bombards the media with ads…speaking of Newsom, apparently he put the fix in for the Panera bread owner, his big bucks doner and school buddy, to pay only $16. an hour instead of twenty, the new fast food worker wage, because he sells fresh baked bread. Newsom , naturally, denies it. It is mind boggling to see how far two woefully ineffective San Francisco politicians, Harris and Newsom, ( Willie Brown schooled them) have risen in the national Democratic Party. If Gavin Newsom is the future of the Democrats, abandon all hope! What happened to rising stars Beto O’Rourke, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar ?… will there be an equivalent of Barack Obama emerging miraculously ? Rhetorical questions , sad but true … BTW do the math… on twenty bucks an hour, 40 hours a week and maybe some overtime, deduct taxes, try to survive with two grand a month for a cheap apartment and Oscar Mayer bacon $11. for a 12 ounce package…groceries are now a fucking luxury item and THAT fact could cost Joe Biden his job !…There’s a ballot initiative to strike down Proposition 47 in California, a law lenient on petty theft leading to a shoplifting epidemic that has shut down many retail stores… Crack down on crime ! is the theme nowadays. I wish someone would do a ballot initiative to reduce oppressive bridge tolls on all bridges to a reasonable rate like maybe $3. my pipe dream, it’ll never happen …ten bucks to cross the Golden Gate Bridge now !… March comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb…Let’s hope so ! Yesterday the storm was battering those scarce early blooming California Poppies that signal springtime here in Nor Cal…Lake Tahoe and the Sierra is blanketed with deep snow from an ongoing blizzard…of course, that’s nothing new …remember the Donner Party ? and I have already regaled you with the tale of Herbie Herbert and myself driving the band Frumious Bandersnatch and our equipment to South Lake Tahoe for a gig, mid-winter during the sixties , using Mike Greene and Beggar’s Opera’s Fred Truck ( like a huge UPS van)….the snow was piled up higher than the phone booths… (what’s a phone booth ?) ahh ! youthful adventures fueled by LSD.

Gloomy Gray February Viewing : When We Were Kings ( 1996) It took 22 years to put together this truly excellent documentary on the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle” the World Heavyweight boxing championship match between Champ George Foreman and Muhammed Ali, the challenger. The unscrupulous hustler Don King pulled off the promotion of his life promising each fighter $5 million bucks to be paid by the dictator of Zaire ( former Belgian Congo). The doc is narrated by Norman Mailer and George Plimpton. There was a musical cross promotion , a concert featuring James Brown ( mustachioed at the time , not his best look) BB King, The Spinners and the jazz instrumental band The Crusaders. The music is presented in the film as an elaborate montage, with BB King delivering a dynamite rendition of Sweet Sixteen that packed an emotional wallop…as for the fight , Foreman was undefeated, a knockout artist of superhuman strength, and considered unbeatable. Ali was at his crossroads, but was beloved by the Africans who put the voodoo vibe on poor George and Muhammed Ali let George punch himself out with the “Rope -A Dope” strategy, then finished Foreman off with a fabulous flurry of punches, a heroic knockout that thrilled the 100,000 fans in attendance and all watching via telecast and re-established Muhammed Ali as the greatest boxer of all time. My favorite fight for sure and one of very best documentaries ever filmed. Watching this one again after 27 years was pure joy!…Black Legion (1937) Xenophobia and Fascism in the American workplace with Bogie starring as a disgruntled worker who joins a secret society. Very timely film, a little corny and dated, but a reminder about MAGA and Trumpism, to be sure…Silver Dollar Road (2023) A disheartening documentary of the Reels family on the North Carolina coast, who after Emancipation from slavery bought land and lived and thrived on it for a century and a half until foul white realtors and racist courts conspired to remove them and rip off the property for coastal development. The family is resilient and hung tough against evil forces as best as it could. It is an ongoing struggle to survive by shrimp fishing. The old Jim Crow South resurfacing in a very subtle guise…Short Term 12 (2013) Touted by my pal Sam the Bartender as a great movie. It is! Starring Brie Larsen as a counselor for a group home of disturbed and troubled teens. This picture has heart and soul and will bring the viewer to tears. Rami Malek ( pre Freddie Mercury) and La Keith Stanfield ( pre- Get Out) shine in this emotional indy... had to watch it on Freevee, though with commercials, a supreme vexation especially after spending a hundred and fifty bucks a month for streaming and Amazon Prime etc.. I prefer that channel to Tubi or the others because they give you a running clock in the corner e.g. 2:35, so you can mute it , go take a pee or replenish your beverage or peanut bowl…The Old Way ( 2023) A Western Revenge-O-Matic ( in Tarantino parlance) With Nic Cage trying to do his best Clint Eastwood( a la Unforgiven, Pale Rider) as a retired gunman out to hunt down and kill four bad guys. It doesn’t quite work , but a nice try…A young actor, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, playing Cage’s young daughter, turns in a very impressive performance…Priscilla ( 2023) A Sofia Coppola ( Nic Cage’s cousin) joint, detailing the life of Elvis Presley from Priscilla Presley’s POV based on her book Elvis And Me. It paints Presley as a charming but domineering man who scouts her in Germany when she was a 14 year-old Army brat. He grooms the young girl with love for years and eventually marries her and ensconces Priscilla in Graceland while Elvis goes to Hollywood and bangs starlets like Ann Margret and Nancy Sinatra. This one appeals to women, I’m sure, as Priscilla finally seeks her release and independence from “The King”…The Tourist ( 2024 Netflix) A streamer of two six episode seasons released so far. The first season is set in the Australian outback, the second in Ireland. I’m at episode three of the second season. From the get-go you must suspend disbelief as the premise for this wacky action series is based on amnesia. Medical experts say amnesia is a very rare affliction, debunking almost all the fiction and films we know…Yep ! amnesia as a cinematic plot device is total bullshit ! The first episode has the protagonist in a compact car being pursued in the outback by a murderous semi-truck…it’s sorta Spielberg’s Duel meets Mad Max : Fury Road… a big crash resulting in hospitalization and thus the amnesia. It’s sort of a Jason Bourne type reveal as a zoftig constable is drawn to the man and eventually becomes his girlfriend. Super size characters and villains populate this series and obesity and weight loss are elements in this often violent tale laced with cringe-worthy humor. When a villain , Billy Nixon, a redneck Yank with a belly hanging a foot over his belt is pushed down a well, our hero says “well, well , well !” a line I remember from one of The Little Rascals 1930’s short comedies…If you have nothing else to watch, The Tourist entertains fairly well.

Songs of The Day:

Sixty Minute Man -Rufus Thomas

Rubber Band Man - The Spinners

Intro and Outro -Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band

Conquistador- Procol Harum

Too Funky In Here- James Brown

( all tunes on You Tube)