Oh Captain! My Captain! … as my tears flow. In Memory of Robin Williams.

O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done,
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won,
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills,
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding,
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head!
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still,
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will,
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done,
From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won;
Exult O shores, and ring O bells!
But I with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

How profound now these words are.

I felt like a ton of bricks had fallen upon me when the news broke of Robin Williams death.

It doesn’t feel real, I don’t want it to be real. I thought the death of James Gandolfini last year had affected me, my God … Robin Williams has floored me.

I sat in front of the TV for hours and hours to see and hear everything I could, tonight things taped still not seen. I needed a break. I feel like an OD victim so overwhelmed and grief-stricken.

Where James Gandolfini was an exceptional actor and also a devout supporter of our troops, he only came into my world with the onset of The Soprano’s. But Robin, I was a Johnny Carson Tonight Show junkie. I don’t think I missed a show from 16 years-old on unless hospitalized when sick and probably not even then.

On July 25th my right eye went blurred and seeing double, I haven’t posted a thing since the 24th, MRI/MRA later and awaiting results I had to write something to pay homage to a man who brought so much joy, laughter, tears to everyone else’s life. I had to gather my thoughts but so hard to do because it still hasn’t sunk in that Robin is really gone now from this life. It just does not seem like reality, on the other hand beyond way too much reality, more like a nightmare we all want to just wake up from. Because Robin Williams was the life of everybody’s party.

His first appearance on the Tonight Show was hysterical and every appearance after. I had never seen anybody who could just do spot on improv and be that outrageous the way he could.

 

 

When you could make Carson laugh until tears ran down his face you knew this man would be a star, but then I never imagined to what degree or magnitude that he would become.

His comedic genius was only the beginning, the acting was phenomenal whether comedy or drama. The passion of some of his characters would leave you speechless.

New study showing meditation for combat soldiers PTSD.

New study showing combat veterans benefit from meditation.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/meditation-battle-23765386

When I saw this last weekend on the ABC weekend world news all I could think of was the 1970 movie “Tribes”.

 

 

Isn’t this what Jan-Michael Vincent’s character Adrian did to get him through those grueling exercises all while smiling, then teaching it to the rest of the platoon?

 

So what is so new about this?

Mickey Rooney… An Era Of Legendary Hollywood Has Died.

 

Lord, what can you not say about this man and actor.

I have been watching him all my life, my mom all of her life. Generation after generation after generation.

Of course I’ll always have forever etched in my mind all those Andy Hardy movies he made with Judy Garland, but there’s one in particular I have never forgotten.

A Human Comedy.

I first watched this movie when I was about 6 years-old and remember crying at the scene in-which he reads a letter from his brother. At almost 57 I still remember Homer Macauley. To this day I still believe it was Rooney’s best performance ever at a young 22.

I can’t count all the movies he made in an era when an actor signed to a studio pumped out 7, 8 movies a year. All I know is with his passing you feel as if a part of your family has left.

All the words apply, Icon, Legend in reality with the acting, dancing & singing abilities Mickey Rooney was a Monument of Entertainment.

He has left this world with enough of it on film and television there would be always something on to watch. Something that a thousand cable channels can’t seem to provide. Just goes to show you what classics are all about and class acts. Mickey was on the top of the list.

93+ years of life God graced us with of this man and after God welcomed to Heaven I’m sure Judy was standing there waiting. What a grand reunion that must be taking place right now. There always smiling in one place and tears left behind, yet still these stars always remain with us forever.

There’s only one channel I need, Turner Classic Movies. It’s where they keep our happiest memories for us and put them on display.

Hollywood lost its biggest star, a Hollywood Golden Era very much missed.

 

Shirley Temple, The Child That Made Our Childhood Has Died.

Shirley Temple dies at 85.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/shirley-temple-dies-at-85-1.2531741

 

Blog upcoming later today…

 

In the Brit/Irish Wing of Heaven…now sits Peter O’Toole.

I’m sure Richard Burton, fellow Irishman Richard Harris and classmate Alan Bates greeted their Shakespearean equal with wide grins, glasses in hand and a bottle to share. Fans around the world aware that we’ve lost another icon and are running out of the best.

Upon hearing the news of O’Toole’s death as with all the greats who leave us, a deep sadness set in. Flashes of all the movies, masterpieces, performances he blessed us with went flying through my mind. As a child I remember the raves of what seemed everybody on Lawrence of Arabia, adults and teens alike were flocking to the theaters to see not one but two handsome men with Omar Sharif. Though it would be O’Toole that would captivate the audience.

Saturday Sonata In Honor Of James Gandolfini.

Now the song itself is befitting the character he made famous, Tony Soprano but not for the man himself the actor. Jimmy Roselli’s “Little Pal” literally became the mob song, all you have to do is listen to the lyrics.

The Beach Will Never Be The Same….Without Annette Funicello.

The Passing of America’s Sweetheart was a sad announcement Monday. All I could think of another part of my youth gone, a much to frequent events coming more and much faster over the last year.

No more is it just my parents era of entertainment, it’s mine.

In reality I honestly cannot really remember sitting and watching the Mickey Mouse Club. Born in 57′ I probably had at some point but I can say I watched every single film that Annette Funicello & Frankie Avalon made together. Every single beach movie. No swearing, no naked bodies, just a more innocent time. We begged our parents to let us buy the newest 45rpm and what we watched and listened to made us feel happy.

Annette stood for these times. The world watched her grow up and blossom and she did so with class. The movies and the music will live on and always keep her memory alive and when we see and hear them if only for a moment, it will still be our innocent time.

Thank You Annette.

God Speed to her family & friends.

 

In Memory of Jack Klugman, Charles Durning & Fontella Bass.

Of lately I feel like an obituary writer and it is more than disheartening.

December has been a horrible month for the entertainment industry, as far as that goes the whole year whether Musicians or Actors. One right after the next, the deaths just keep coming. Dave Brubeck, Ravi Shankar, Larry Hagman, Lee Dorman and now Jack Klugman, Charles Durning & Fontella Bass.

Klugman was something special. His role as Oscar on the TV side of the Odd Couple was a show you looked forward to every week. I grew up watching him in a variety of Movies and TV. From the “Day’s of Wine and Roses”, “Twelve Angry Men”, the earliest of the Twilight Zone episodes, from Broadway where he created the character of Herbie in 1959 stage version of “Gypsy” to The Odd Couple Broadway & TV (he replaced Walter Matthau on stage version) and back then later Quincy M.E.. Jack always played his characters convincingly and more, with passion.

He just was a likable personality that fit in to whatever project he was doing. So it was sad to hear of his death Christmas Eve. He gave us decades & decades of enjoyment and will be remembered for his gift of making us laugh. Of course me having worked in the Thoroughbred Industry all my life that was another soft spot I had with this man. He loved horse racing, gambling and was an owner of them as well.

Monday Mourning ~ My Beloved “Marty” Ernest Borgnine has died.

I’m absolutely heartbroken.

Believe it or not I actually go to sleep with “Marty” playing. I have the movie recorded on DVR. Being Italian I just find the movie relaxing. I could watch it every day and never get sick of it and know the lines like the back of my hand.

My favorite one in the movie is from Esther Minciotti who played his mother, when she tells her always complaining sister.

“Where you go rain goes, someday you gonna smile we all gonna to have a big holiday”.

This movie is beyond a CLASSIC.

It made Ernie a star because how only he could of portrayed him. With passion and straight from the heart.

He took a hold of “Marty” and made all who watched fall in love with him. He was one of the best character actors there was.

Goodbye Colonel Potter. Harry Morgan 1915-2011

It was with great sadness to hear today that a great actor from one of my favorite sitcoms had died. Harry Morgan who in his entire career never appeared once on any talk show even when Dragnet was such a hit, because he felt why talk about himself. A rarity among actors of any stature. But my God is there a lot to talk about when it comes to this man.

Sexy Sunday with Elvis & Kitty White ~ Crawfish

Mind you they are singing about FISH.

Funny when I hear it I’ve got other things on the mind. LOL

Only Elvis Presley could sing a song about fish and make it sound sexy.

This was from the film “King Creole” and this was my favorite Elvis film and soundtrack. He blew everybody away with “Trouble” but again what caught my ear when I saw this when very young was this sultry song sung by Presley and Jean “Kitty” Bilbrew aka Kitty White.

A Thanksgiving Prayer for now and the past.

This has to be  my favorite movie Thanksgiving movie prayer and why? Because it’s so damn truthful.

Sultry Saturday ~ Moonglow from Picnic

The sexiest dance number in cinema history.