What's In a Playlist?

Me and music is one of those long-lasting affections. It'll outlast all my relationships, mean more to me than most things in this world and keep me going through troubled times. Usually, it perks me up, reminds me that there's something worth carrying on for. In compiling this playlist - designed to keep me positive - I had to dispense with many songs I consider favourites because they're so sad. You'd expect there to be more Judy here, for instance, but Judy invariably breaks my heart.

So here is my extra special playlist, split into categories. I realised pretty quickly that anything connected to Jerry Herman and Stephen Sondheim needed to be in its own categories. Those two masters of the musical have a lot to answer for. My adoration of Merrily We Roll Along, in particular, is on display.

Classic Musicals 

'A Step in the Right Direction' - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
'Finale' - Call Me Madam
'Cactus Time in Arizona' - Girl Crazy
'Processional' - The Sound of Music
'Golden Ticket' - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
'If My Friends Could See Me Now' - Sweet Charity
'Portobella Road' - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
'Substitutiary Locomotion' - Bedknobs and Broomsticks
'The Turnable Song' - Something in the Wind
'Put On a Happy Face' - Bye Bye Birdie
'Rosie' - Bye Bye Birdie
'It's a Lovely Day Today' - Call Me Madam
'That's Entertainment' - The Bandwagon
'Pick Yourself Up' - Swing Time
'Moses' - Singin' in the Rain
'One Brick At a Time' - Barnum
'If I Ruled the World' - Pickwick
'Thank You Very Much' - Scrooge
'Stereophonic Sound' - Silk Stockings
'Come Follow the Band' - Barnum
'The Colours of My Life Reprise' - Barnum
'Museum Song' - Barnum
'Out There' - Barnum
'I Like Your Style' - Barnum
'On How to Be Lovely' - Funny Face
'No Way to Stop It' - The Sound of Music
'Leave It to the Ladies' - Blitz
'Down the Lane' - Blitz
'The Roses of Success' - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
'I Don't Care' - In the Good Old Summertime
'Ten Minutes Ago' - Cinderella
'Impossible' - Cinderella
'Join the Circus' - Barnum

Herman and Sondheim

'A Parade in Town' - Anyone Can Whistle
'Open a New Window' - Mame
'That's How Young I Feel' - Mame
'Suffragette March' - Mrs Santa Claus
'Whistle' - Mrs Santa Claus
'Bosom Buddies' - Mame
'Put On Your Sunday Clothes' - Hello, Dolly!
'Before the Parade Passes By' - Hello, Dolly!
'Some People' - Gypsy
'Mame' - Mame
'Chin Up, Ladies' - Milk and Honey
'Side by Side'/'What Would We Do Without You' - Company
'I Am What I Am' - La Cage aux Folles
'Something's Coming' - West Side Story
'Everybody Says Don't' - Anyone Can Whistle
'Just Go to the Movies' - A Day in Hollywood
'It's a Hit' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Tap Your Troubles Away' - Mack and Mabel
'Someone Woke Up' - Do I Hear a Waltz?
'Do I Hear a Waltz?' - Do I Hear a Waltz?
'Overture' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Now You Know' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Old Friends' - Merrily We Roll Along
'The Hills of Tomorrow'/'Merrily We Roll Along' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Our Time' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Opening Doors' - Merrily We Roll Along
'Ever After' - Into the Woods

Modern Musicals

'Human Again' - Beauty and the Beast
'Just Around the Corner' - The Addams Family
'Where Did We Go Wrong' - The Addams Family
'Walk Through the Fire' - Buffy the Vampire Slayer
'This Is My Life' - Bad Girls: The Musical
'Once We Were Kings' - Billy Elliot
'This is the Moment' - Jekyll and Hyde
'I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do' - Mamma Mia!
'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' - Spamalot
'Bruce' - Matilda
'When I Grow Up' - Matilda
'One Normal Night' - The Addams Family
'One' - A Chorus Line
'Who's That Boy?' - Soho Cinders
'Steal the Pig' - Betty Blue Eyes
'Another Little Victory' - Betty Blue Eyes
'A Star is Born' - Hercules
'Nobody' - Betty Blue Eyes
'Anything Can Happen' - Mary Poppins
'Naughty' - Matilda
'You Can't Stop the Beat' - Hairspray
'Finale B' - Rent
'When I Find My Baby' - Sister Act
'Raise Your Voice' - Sister Act
'Sunday Morning Fever' - Sister Act
'Spread the Love Around' - Sister Act
'Come So Far (Got So Far to Go)' - Hairspray 
'You Shall Go to the Ball' - Soho Cinders
'Long As I'm Here With You' - Thoroughly Modern Millie
'How the Other Half Lives' - Thoroughly Modern Millie
'For Now' - Avenue Q

Jazz, Easy Listening Etc

'Take a Look' - Alison Jiear
'Don't Fence Me In' - The Andrews Sisters and Bing Crosby
'In the Mood' - Bette Midler
'Zing a Little Zong' - Bing Crosby
'Walkin' My Baby Back Home' - Bing Crosby and Judy Garland
'Don't Rain On My Parade' - Bobby Darin
'Taking the World By Storm' - Bonnie Langford
'I'm On My Way' - The Cliff Adams Singers
'High Hopes' - Doris Day
'Something's Gotta Give' - Ella Fitzgerald
'I've Gotta Be Me' - Glee Cast
'The Way You Look Tonight'/'You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile' - Glee Cast
'In the Mood' - Glenn Miller
'American Patrol' - Glenn Miller
'Five Little Miles From San Berdoo' - Jane Russell
'I Concentrate On You' - Judy Garland
'Just in Time' - Judy Garland
'Who Cares?' - Judy Garland
'You've Got Me Where You Want Me' - Judy Garland and Bing Crosby
'New York, New York' - Liza Minnelli
'Hello, Dolly' - Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland
'Chicago' - Liza Minnelli and Judy Garland
'Gonna Build a Mountain' - Matt Monroe
'Dearie' - Ray Bolger and Ethel Merman
'Hey, Look Me Over' - Rosemary Clooney and Bing Crosby

Bits & Bobs

'That's Me' - ABBA
'We Didn't Start the Fire' - Billy Joel
'You May Be Right' - Billy Joel
'Birdhouse in Your Soul' - Kristin Chenoweth and Ellen Greene

Classic Film Review: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate stars Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw, a former Korean POW who has been brainwashed into becoming a political assassin. On his return from combat, he was awarded the highest military honour available, something his mother Mrs Eleanor Shaw Iselin (Angela Lansbury) and Senator John Yerkes Iselin (James Gregory) are pleased to shout from the rooftops. They're waging a war against potential communists in positions of power, though Eleanor is very much the driving force. The trouble is, Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is having flashbacks of his POW experience with Raymond Shaw where he seems to recall Shaw killing two members of the team and casts doubt on the heroic feats that gained Shaw his medal. Marco feels like he's going mad but a chance encounter convinces him he's right. From then on, his aim is to work out what's going on with Shaw and how he can stop it. This film also stars Janet Leigh as Eugenie Rose Chaney, a woman Marco meets on a train heading to New York.

I suppose the revelation for people who hadn't already appreciated the depth of their talents would be the brilliance of both Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra. Lansbury certainly should've won the Oscar for her supporting performance that easily steals the film. The way the character develops from an enthusiastic mother to master manipulator is a brilliant evolution that feels completely natural thanks to Lansbury's subtle performance. The best scene of the film easily belongs to her, though I won't ruin it for those unfamiliar with the plot. Frank Sinatra, too, puts in a stellar performance as the tortured Marco who then drags himself back together to try and stop the assassination attempt. As a dramatic actor, Sinatra is often overlooked but his roles in this film and in From Here to Eternity (1953, reviewed here) are proof that he was more than just a musical star.

I did have a few niggles with The Manchurian Candidate, though I understood the reasoning behind them. The flashback scenes where Shaw explains how his relationship with Jocelyn Jordan (Leslie Parrish) began and ended feels a little shoehorned in but, since the character becomes important very quickly, it was a necessary evil, and also allowed for another riveting Lansbury scene. Equally, Janet Leigh was monstrously over-billed, and I say that as someone who adores her in every role, regardless of the quality of the film. Her performance was excellent, yes, but her role was a small one.

Overall, this is another film that deserves all the praise. It's long but the last half an hour is a lesson in how to ramp up tension and keep it there. A fantastic film that is an intricate as it is suspenseful.

My Musical Memories

I got to thinking, as I was not sleeping in the early hours of the morning, what a huge impact musicals, their songs and their stars, have had on my life. A lot my memories are tangled up with particular songs, albums are connected with specific moments in time, some good, some bad. I felt like sharing. This is practically chronological, though there are some jumps.

I remember seeing the stage show of Singin' in the Rain not long after I started secondary school, sitting in the third row and getting wet at the West Yorkshire Playhouse. It took a long time for me to 'condescend' to see the film. What a mistake that was.

I remember buying the Summer Holiday cast album on CD, bringing it home and my mum demonstrating how to dance along to 'Foot Tapper', one of my final positive memories of her.

I remember the triumvirate of albums that sustained me for what felt like an age but was a mere few months - film cast recordings of The Sound of Music and Grease and the Michael Ball production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I loved the song 'Teamwork' in the latter and miss it since my CD broke and I haven't been able to replace it. 

I remember nearly breaking my ankle jumping over a sofa at a friend's house while listening to The Sound of Music. The friends were in another room, away from my racket. I realised in that moment I didn't belong anywhere near them.

I remember ordering The Harvey Girls on VHS having once seen it on television. It arrived at my Grandma White's house and I told her she could watch it. Jealous, and having had a row with yet another friend I shouldn't have been friends with, I was walking around Wrenthorpe and I called her. She told me she was up to 'It's a Great Big World' and the idea of being with 'friends' when I could be watching that beautiful scene instead made me indescribably sad.

I remember skipping college to watch Pal Joey. And On the Town. Maybe that's something to blame Frank Sinatra for.

I remember buying a book on MGM musicals and taking it to college so I didn't have to talk to anyone all day.

I remember doing an A-Level language project on musical songs in the 1940s and 60s. It stank.

I remember terrorising the neighbours with the Thoroughly Modern Millie Broadway cast recording with Sutton Foster. While dancing along to 'Forget About the Boy' I jumped on a chair and it fell over, sending us both crashing to the floor. Lesson not exactly learned.

I remember persuading my Grandma Brown to buy me three films for £20 in HMV - Singin' in the Rain, Little Shop of Horrors and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. She thought I selected the last one just to make up the three so I took my laptop round to her house and made her watch it - she soon changed her mind. Then there was me dancing the 'Barn Dance' along the corridor in that bungalow, scaring the life out of both my grandparents.

I remember countless Sundays  in my Grandma Brown's kitchen, listening to Elaine Paige on Sunday and writing fan fiction in thick spiral bound notebooks.

I remember taking walks down the backs near my Grandma White's house with a musical compilation recorded onto my Walkman. I danced along stones wedged into the shallows of a lake singing 'All That Jazz', Claire Sweeney's version.

I remember that after getting the Wicked soundtrack I went up a hill near my Grandma White's house and sang along to 'Defying Gravity' at the top of my voice while jumping between a rock and a bench.

I remember the thrill of listening to 'Processional and Maria' from The Sound of Music and how that piece of music still has the power to make me smile and conduct along.

I remember walking to my Grandma Brown's and making sure I was listening to the London cast recording of Mary Poppins and the song 'Jolly Holiday' for a particular stretch along Aberford Road. There was singing, lots of singing.

I remember getting through my first year at uni by taking long walks past midnight with my MP3 player. Particularly, there was a set of steps that headed up to the main road. I danced up and down those, frequently to 'Avenue A' from Mrs Santa Claus, waving at passing cars.

I remember the first time I ever watched A Muppet's Christmas Carol with my flatmate and pausing halfway through to take a call that made me smile more than I had since I got to university.

I remember sitting outside McDonald's near uni listening to 'When the Children Are Asleep' from Carousel and thinking how pleasant that scenario sounded.

I remember the first time I watched Call Me Madam. I was at my Grandma Brown's, my grandfather was in hospital and my great aunt called halfway through the film. I was upset that the phone call stopped my grandmother watching Donald O'Connor dance in 'What Chance Have I With Love?', one of his best performances.

I remember meeting someone and being gutted that The Sound of Music had recently toppled from the head of her favourites list. If only I'd spoken to her a month earlier.

I remember listening to 'It Really Doesn't Matter' on YouTube, learning all the words to distract me from the fact I was living in a fifteen person house I despised.

I remember annoying the neighbours when I lived in Middlesbrough by singing along extremely loudly to 'Do You Hear the People Sing?' three or four times a night.

I remember working to rule in Bradford, sitting in my dad's car until just before clocking-in time singing 'Once We Were Kings' from Billy Elliot loudly enough to irritate anybody in the car park.

I remember after a particularly bad supervisor meeting listening to 'A Star is Born' from Hercules and managing to make myself smile before I left Sheffield.

I remember seeing Liza Minnelli sing 'Maybe This Time' live and thinking that nothing could possibly beat that for me.

I remember seeing Idina Menzel singing 'No Day But Today' and the audience around the Royal Albert Hall joining in to create an electric atmosphere.

I remember sitting in the third row watching Merrily We Roll Along and never wanting it to end. I got a similar sensation when I watched the cinema showing, though I bawled my eyes out at a different song.

There are more, many more. A lot of songs associated with bad moments too but those I'll keep to myself. The point is, while most people say they 'like' music, I really couldn't live without it. These songs are what keep me going and not a day goes by (thanks, Mr Sondheim) where my earphones don't help me blot out the real world, just a bit.

Some Favourite Lyrics

It's my birthday today and music is one of my passions so I decided to share a few of my favourite song lyrics with you. Some snippets are longer than others but all of these are beautiful. Well, I think so anyway. The images I get from them are quite potent. These are just five out of literally thousands of songs I adore.

• It Never Was You - sung beautifully by Judy Garland in I Could Go On Singing, lyrics by Maxwell Anderson... 

An occasional sunset reminded me,

Or a flower hanging high on a tulip tree,

Or one red star hung low in the west,

Or a heart-break call from a Meadow Lark's nest,

Made me think for a moment,

Maybe its true,

I found him in the star,

In the call,

In the blue...

• No Way to Stop It - sung in the stage version of The Sound of Music, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II...

A crazy planet full of crazy people,

Is somersaulting all around the sky.

And every time it turns another somersault,

Another day goes by.

And there's no way to stop it,

No, there's no way to stop it.

No, you can't stop it even if you tried.

So, I'm not going to worry,

No, I'm not going to worry,

Every time I see another day go by.

• Gone - written and performed by Melody Gardot... 

I won't wake up, 

To the sound of your feet,

Walking down the hall,

Like a soft heartbeat,

I won't wake up,

Cause by the time that,

I do you'll be gone...

• I Don't Want to Know - performed by Angela Lansbury in Dear World and written by the wonderful Jerry Herman...

Let me hide ev'ry truth from my eyes with the back of my hand,

Let me live in a world full of lies with my head in the sand.

For my memories all are exciting.

My memories all are enchanted,

My memories burn in my mead with a steady glow;

So if, my friends, if love is dead,

I don't want to know.

• Vincent - written and performed by Don McLean...

Starry, starry night,

Portraits hung in empty halls,

Frame-less heads on nameless walls,

With eyes that watch the world and can't forget,

Like the strangers that you've met,

The ragged men in ragged clothes,

The silver thorn of bloody rose,

Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow...

  

Classic Film Review: The Lady Vanishes (1979)

Although it has many flaws, The Lady Vanishes still remains an enjoyable film, not to be taken too seriously with some amusing performances. Based on the novel The Wheel Turns by Ethel Lina White and the 1938 Hitchcock film, this version too self-conscious and hammy on occasion but, having neither seen the original film nor read the book, I can't really comment on comparisons.

Cybil Shepherd stars as Amanda, an American woman heading to England to marry for the fourth time. She makes a spectacle of herself in the hotel the night before her departure, leading to a hangover. Once on the train, the kindly Miss Froy (Angela Lansbury) looks after her and takes her for a cup of tea. They return to the carriage and Amanda falls asleep. But when she wakes up Miss Froy is gone and the other occupants of the carriage swear that she never existed. Amanda refuses to give up, enlisting the help of photographer Robert (Elliot Gould) and Dr. Hartz (Herbert Lom) to help her prove her case but things get stranger as the journey continues.

Apart from Angela Lansbury - who puts in a typically understated performance - the stars of this film are Arthur Lowe and Ian Carmichael as Charters and Caldicott, two British cricket-obsessives who are desperate to get home to England and find out the score of the test match. They provide some of the most memorable lines of the film and I cared more about their survival than Amanda and Robert's.

This a light mystery and an opportunity for Cybil Shepherd to be seen in a very nice dress for ninety minutes. Gould seems more suited in his role, mocking himself constantly, whilst Shepherd becomes shrill and too melodramatic, even for this film. It's not a spectacular piece by any stretch of the imagination but there are some good moments, mostly related to cricket and tea.

Tea, Tea, Tea

Did anyone else watch Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea over two nights last week? I found it very entertaining, particularly the last fifteen minutes or so when Wood was discussing the future of tea - if it has one. The focus group with young people, and deciding whether Lady Gaga was a good advertising technique, got me thinking about when I first started drinking tea and enjoying it.

The two most formative years of my life were between 16 and 18, while I was at college. That was the time I began writing (it might've been only fan fiction but it certainly helped me with things like plotting, dialogue and characterisation so I'm not arguing), it was the time when my passing appreciation of musical film and theatre grew into a love that would prove to be my favourite way of working through...anything. It was also the time I started drinking tea.

Picture it (I suddenly feel like Sophie Petrillo): I would leave home or college (sometimes not actually bothering to attend when I was meant to be) and walk the few miles to my grandparents house. All I had on me besides the essentials was a battered tiny bag containing the A5 spiral-backed notebooks I accumulated full of fan fiction, a pen and possibly my latest 40s era CD. It was quite a walk over there, the final quarter being uphill, stretching past Pinderfields Hospital. That was the moment when I used to deliberately check there was no one behind me and start singing along to whatever track I was listening to at that moment. Frequently, I made sure it was this one:

When I got to the bungalow my grandmother put the kettle on straight away. If I was lucky my grandfather was away on his mobility scooter watching lawn bowls. The perk of this was that we'd be able to watch Murder, She Wrote in the living room instead of sitting on the floor in the bedroom. If I was early I'd have my first cup of tea in my gorgeous koala mug (still my cup of choice when visiting her) at the kitchen table with my notebook open but as soon as this theme music started I was into the living room like a shot, my grandmother already having put the kettle on for a fresh cuppa (with plenty of biscuits) as we watched Angela Lansbury:

Afterwards I retired to the kitchen, with another cuppa, to write and write and write until the time came for me to leave their bungalow and walk the mile or so to my other grandmother's where most of my evenings ended. The amount of writing I got done in those hours, though, was prolific. And you know the funny thing? I never drank tea anywhere else at this point. Not at home, not at my maternal grandmother's, not out in town. It was my special drink for there, made just right.

I started drinking it again at university to get that home feeling. These days I need a drip installed to manage my intake. Years ago I cut out the sugar but I have it quite weak and with a big dribble of milk. There's also an obsession with fruit and herbal teas but that's a post for another day. In the meantime, say hello to Sophia!

(In this post I managed to talk about Victoria Wood, Murder, She Wrote and The Golden Girls - all things that kept me going through those tricky college years!)

Classic Film Review: Death on the Nile (1978)

This adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel certainly has a cast beyond compare. With all this talent on show you have to wonder whether the actual result will be disappointing under the weight of expectation. It isn't though: Death on the Nile is an excellent adaptation of an excellent mystery.

Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot is played here for the first time by Peter Ustinov. Poirot is in Egypt about to take a trip down the Nile on the same boat as rich heiress, Linnet Ridgeway (Lois Chiles), who has gathered quite a few enemies through her lifetime. She has recently married Simon Doyle (Simon MacCorkindale) but stole him from his fiancée, Jacqueline (Mia Farrow). Jacqueline has decided to make their honeymoon hell, following them from place to place, even surprising them on top of a pyramid. Also on the boat are Mrs. Salome Otterbourne (Angela Lansbury) and her daughter Rosalie (Olivia Hussey) - Linnet is embroiled in a legal battle with romantic author Mrs Otterbourne after she made some defamatory remarks about her in print which makes enemies out of mother and daughter. There's also Mrs. Van Schuyler (Bette Davis), who has taken an interest in Linnet's pearls, and her companion Miss Bowers (Maggie Smith) who has an ancient grudge to settle with the Ridgeway family, whom she blames for her current dependent position. To round out the list there is Linnet's lawyer, Andrew Pennington (George Kennedy), who has been embezzling his client's funds and risks discovery now she's married; her maid, Louise (Jane Birkin), who has been seeking Linnet's permission to marry for years; Dr. Bessner (Jim Warden) who has been on the receiving end of slander by Linnet and socialist, Jim Ferguson, who believes she should be shot as a lesson to the 'others'. This makes for quite a list of motives when Linnet is killed and almost all of passengers had the opportunity. Poirot, with the help of Colonel Race (David Niven), sets out to discover the culprit but it isn't long before the bodies start piling up.

It could be said that this one takes a while to get going. The murder certainly doesn't happen immediately but this allows the viewer to grow intimate with the various suspects. The various introductions are well-paced, not overwhelming, and impart just enough information without overloading the audience. The writing is superb, which it should be given its origins, and the Egyptian scenery is absolutely breathtaking. You don't just get a formidable cast, you get it against the backdrop of some of the most majestic scenery in the world. Most of the cast getting on camels and donkeys was a sight to see also!

In all honesty, I think Angela Lansbury stole the show as drunk novelist Mrs. Otterbourne. If an actress draws your attention to her in every scene she's in, if she can play someone flamboyant to the point of invoking utter frustration in those around her and if she can scare David Niven's character just by dancing with him... Well, you've got a scene-stealer on your hands and that's no small feat alongside such an excellent cast. Bette Davis also has some stinging lines and her scenes with Maggie Smith (mainly in suits!) were pure gold. Their final exchange merits repeating: Mrs. Van Schulyer: "Come, Bowers, it's time to go, this place is beginning to resemble a mortuary." Miss Bowers: "Thank God you'll be in one yourself before too long you bloody old fossil!" Watching this film did nothing to dim my adoration of either Lansbury or Smith - in fact, it increased it which was damn difficult to achieve!

And what of Ustinov as Hercule Poirot? He was so perfect that he doesn't really merit discussion. He played  Poirot as he should be played - calculating, manipulative when necessary, amusing in his own way. There was nothing wrong with his performance, only his height. The moment where he faces off with a cobra in his bathroom is incredibly tense. That brings me to my final point: I was exceptionally impressed about how the directors weren't afraid to use silence when necessary. They seemed to accept that it ramped up the tension more than any words could. When an attempt is made on Linnet's life by a stone dropping from the top of some ruins, the viewer is alerted to what is going on by a silent look round at the suspects as they meander through the ruins then we're aware of someone climbing lots of stairs, only distinguishable by their breathing. This and the snake scene amongst others were perfect examples of how you don't need continuous noise to keep the audience on the edge of their seats - you just need something at stake. A perfect lesson to storytellers everywhere.

Classic Film Review: The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

I came to this film unacquainted with the book involved (and, to my shame, Agatha Christie books in general). That meant I had no idea of the plot and therefore could guess at the culprit. My suspicions proved somewhat correct, although the actual motive was a surprise. There were enough twists and turns to keep me interested and enough star power - I felt - to keep anyone watching.

Released in 1980, The Mirror Crack'd stared Angela Lansbury in her only outing as Miss Marple alongside Hollywood luminaries Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis and Kim Novak. It tells the story of a Hollywood crew descending on St. Mary Mead to shoot a film. It marks the return of Marina Gregg (Taylor) to the screen following a nervous breakdown. Her devoted husband Jason Rudd (Hudson) is the director trying to keep things running smoothly but this proves difficult when co-star Lola Brewster (Novak) arrives with her husband and producer Marty Fenn (Curtis). At the village fete a local woman drinks a cocktail intended for Marina and promptly drops dead. Cue the arrival of Scotland Yard's Inspector Craddock (also Miss Marple's nephew) to investigate the murder.

Lansbury made a good Marple, basing her representation on my other favourite in the part, Geraldine McEwan. That said, because of Lansbury's future as Jessica Fletcher, my vision of her was probably marred. I do wonder whether more Marple mysteries would've been made with Lansbury had Murder, She Wrote not come along but I'm more than happy with the way things turned out. The rest of the cast was excellent, in particular Geraldine Chaplin as production assistant Ella. Rock Hudson turned in a good performance, reaffirming the liking for him I've had since first watching his movies with Doris Day. Oh, and there's an excellent line in the film about Doris Day where the camera shifts straight back to Hudson - I like that kind of nod! Elizabeth Taylor's Marina was better in some places than others but I did believe in her. I struggled with Novak, primarily because I've struggled with her in the past. I'm not sure what it is but I can't bring myself to like the actress or appreciate the parts she portrays, at least the ones I've seen so far.

However, this was a reasonable slice of entertainment. The village scenes were nicely shot while the supporting characters within in the village were given more time than was appropriate given that this turned out to be a one-off. Worth a watch if only to see Angela Lansbury during her transformation from Eglantine Price (Bedknobs and Broomsticks) to Jessica Fletcher.

Upgrade Postponed

You know how it is. You get yourself all worked up in preparation for something and it's put-off. I just found out that my upgrade viva (scheduled for Monday) has been postponed due to one of the panel double-booking themselves. While I know this is really no one's fault, I'm pretty miffed and the mental turmoil I've been putting myself through for the last few days now seems redundant. The lousy thing is, I know I'll put myself through it again ahead of the rescheduled date: it's just the way I am and there's nothing I can do about it.

I feel like I'm balancing on a tightrope stretched upwards between two buildings. I'm facing an uphill struggle once I get going again but, for now, I'm in limbo. I can go over everything I've already done but I'm not prepared to start on any fresh research until I know what's going on. Feels too much like counting my chickens. I'll have to stay where I am for now and just hope I don't fall off and break my neck in the interim.

Sometimes you need a little Gilbert and Sullivan combined with a little Angela Lansbury just to take the edge off.

"But at present I'm afraid I am as mad as any hatter..."

Merry Musical Christmas

Christmas is a funny old time. I think I dislike it but I can never be completely sure. However, one thing I know I don't dislike are the songs associated with it, particularly those emerging from some of my favourite musicals. Here are a couple to get you into the festive spirit, starting with the wonderful Angela Lansbury. She could tell me I wanted anything and I'd believe her so maybe I do need a little Christmas after all:

"Haul out the holly

Put up the tree before my spirit falls again

Fill up the stocking

I may be rushing things but deck the halls again now..."

I'm being a bit cheeky because my second choice is Angela again. Her excellent Christmas film Mrs Santa Claus is one of my favourite festive treats. With a score by Jerry Herman and Angela singing it yet again, I don't think you can really go wrong. This is the title track from the film:

"I'm Mrs Santa Claus, the invisible wife

And Mrs Santa Claus needs a change in her life

I've been manning the business and planning each holiday plan

And I'm tired of being the shadow behind the great man..."

When you think of Judy Garland Christmas songs, I know which one naturally springs to mind. This little gem, though, was part of the score of In The Good Old Summertime. Judy's phenomenal - as usual:

"So be jolly

Have a holiday as gay as holly

May the ones you love be near you

With the laugh of friends to cheer you..."

And just because I'm not a complete tease... This is the extended scene from Meet Me In St. Louis, with Tootie's anxiety about Santa being unable to find them when they move and then her smashing up the snow people the family have built:

"Someday soon we all will be together

If the fates allow

Until then we'll have to muddle through somehow

So have yourself a merry little Christmas now..."

Whatever Christmas means to you, I hope it fulfils your expectations. Merry Christmas. 

Nobody Calls Me Nobody

I'm a funny one. The only way I can boost my mood to the point of productivity sometimes is to submerge myself in my favourite upbeat (and usually musical) songs. It's almost guaranteed to fire me up. I have a playlist on my iTunes called 'Musical Favs Etc' which currently runs to over 700 songs. If I'm in a mediocre mood I let the playlist run and see what effect it has. If I'm in a terrible mood I'm forced to select the songs which will most improve my mood. These are some of my current favourites:

• 'Birdhouse In Your Soul' - Kristin Chenoweth & Ellen Greene from the soundtrack to Pushing Daisies.
• 'We're Gonna Be Alright' - Julienne Marie & Stuart Damon from Do I Hear A Waltz?
• 'A Parade In Town' - Angela Lansbury from Anyone Can Whistle.
• 'Thank You Very Much' - James Head from Scrooge.
• 'It's A Lovely Day Today' - Donald O'Connor from Call Me Madam.
• 'On How To Be Lovely' - Kay Thompson & Audrey Hepburn from Funny Face.
• 'The Life I Never Led' - Katie Rowley Jones from Sister Act: The Musical.
• 'I've Gotta Be Me' - Glee cast version.
• 'Walkin' My Baby Back Home' - Bing Crosby & Judy Garland.
• 'A Little Priest' - Angela Lansbury & Len Cariou from Sweeney Todd.
• 'Old Friends' - Ann Morrison, Jim Walton & Lonny Price from Merrily We Roll Along.
• 'One Brick At A Time' - Glenn Close from Barnum.
• 'Down The Lane' - Toni Palmer from Blitz!
• 'Out There' - Jim Dale from Barnum.
• 'Just Around The Corner' - Bebe Neuwirth from The Addams Family.
• 'Another Little Victory' - Sarah Lancashire & Reece Shearsmith from Betty Blue Eyes.

As you can tell from that list, Stephen Sondheim inspires me quite a bit with four songs from his pen. There are many many more songs in my playlist that fire me up. 'A Little Priest' may seem a bit of an odd choice but it's full of energy and venom - sometimes all you need to be inspired. I go through phases with them, relying on various songs to drag me out of different types of doldrums. 

My latest love is 'Nobody' from Betty Blue Eyes, a musical I didn't get to see but I fell in love with the soundtrack at first listen. 'Nobody' is sung by Sarah Lancashire's character, Joyce, and pretty much embodies the lift I need to give myself at times. Take a look at this live performance:

She's right - nobody gets the privilege of calling me nobody because they don't know the first thing about me. Any wonder this song is currently my favourite?

Happy 80th Jerry Herman

It just came to my attention that Jerry Herman is 80 today. Wow. I probably shouldn't be surprised at his age, considering how many fantastic musicals he's been responsible for. It's quite a roll-call: Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack & Mabel, Dear World, La Cage aux Folles to name the most famous. How many amazing melodies have come from those? His songs have been interpreted by such luminaries as Angela Lansbury, Barbra Streisand, George Hearn and Bernadette Peters, to name a select few. His lyrics are both funny and poignant - and no one does a showstopper like Jerry. He's guaranteed to leave a song revolving in your head for days on end, not a bad thing when the songs are as good as his. So, without further preamble, here are a few of my favourites of his:

'Bosom Buddies'
It's a well-known crime that Angela Lansbury wasn't chosen to play the role of Auntie Mame in the screen version of Mame. She would've been truly amazing. Nevertheless, we still have her on the Broadway cast recording and this neat little performance with Bea Arthur gives a glimpse of what a wonderful film it could've been:



'I Won't Send Roses'
From Mack & Mabel, this is just a perfect song, one of the most unconventional and heartbreaking love songs you could imagine. Although the show was not a commercial success, the concert performances of it proved very popular and the remarkable score is still one of my favourites. Robert Preston's version of this song is probably my favourite but Howard Keel is almost as good here:



'I Am What I Am'
What can you say about this song except that it completely transcends the original musical. It's an anthem in its own right and George Hearn is one of many artists to perform it to perfection:



'I Don't Want To Know'
Even though Dear World was a flop, the score remains fresh and relevant. So many people have recorded this track - Angela Lansbury's version is beautiful but we won't make this post an Angela appreciation session - but Liza Minnelli's is pretty special:



'Whistle'
We will end with Angela though! The television movie Mrs Santa Claus is Herman at his light and breezy best as the title character accidentally lands in New York and begins fighting for employee rights. It may be aimed at kids, but I still love it! Here's my favourite song:



There are so many fabulous songs I'd love to mention. Jerry Herman - you are a genius of musical theatre. Thank you!