#Groucho Letters

[schizografia]

Cari Fratelli Warner,

evidentemente ci sono molti modi di conquistare una città e di conservarne il dominio. Per esempio, quando questo film era ancora in fase di progetto non avevo idea che la città di Casablanca appartenesse esclusivamente alla Warner Brothers. E invece, solo pochi giorni dopo aver pubblicato il nostro annuncio, riceviamo la vostra lunga, ominosa missiva che ci intima di non usare il nome Casablanca. Sembra che nel 1471 Ferdinando Balboa Warner, il vostro bis-bis-bisavolo, mentre cercava una scorciatoia per la città di Burbank capitasse per caso sulle coste dell'Africa e, levando in aria il suo Alpenstock (barattato poi con un centinaio di acri di terra), battezzasse quel luogo Casablanca. Non riesco proprio a capire il vostro comportamento. Anche se intendete rispolverare il vostro film, sono sicuro che col tempo lo spettatore medio imparerà a distinguere Ingrid Bergman da Harpo. Io non so se ci riuscirei, ma di sicuro mi piacerebbe provarci. Voi sostenete di essere i proprietari di Casablanca e vietate a chiunque di usare questo nome senza il vostro permesso. “Ma come la mettiamo con Warner Brothers”? E' vostro anche questo? Probabilmente avete il diritto di usare il nome Warner, ma Fratelli? Professionalmente, noi siamo fratelli da molto più tempo di voi. I Marx Brothers se la sgavettavano in giro per i teatri quando il Vitaphone era ancora un sogno proibito nella mente del suo inventore, e del resto prima di noi ci sono stati altri fratelli: i Fratelli Lumière, i Fratelli Karamazov, Dan Fratelli, un esterno che giocava nel Detroit, e la canzone "Fratello, ti avanza un nichelino?" (che originariamente s'intitolava "Fratelli, vi avanza un nichelino?", ma siccome un nichelino in due era da pidocchi hanno buttato fuori un fratello e preso tutto il malloppo all'altro). E tu, Jack? Credi che il tuo sia un nome originale? Ebbene, non lo è. Si usava molto tempo prima che tu nascessi. Lì per lì mi vengono in mente due Jack: quello di "Jack e la pianta di fagioli" e Jack lo Squartatore, una figura di portata storica veramente incisiva. Quanto a te, Harry, probabilmente firmi i tuoi assegni nella ferma convinzione di essere il primo Harry di tutti i tempi; gli altri sarebbero impostori. Ma io ricordo due Harry che ti hanno preceduto. C'era Harry del faro, di rivoluzionaria memoria, e un Harry Appelbaum che abitava all'angolo fra la Novantatreesima Strada e Lexington Avenue. Purtroppo, Appelbaum non era molto noto. L'ultima volta che ho sentito parlare di lui, vendeva cravatte da Weber e Heilbroner. E veniamo allo studio Burbank. E' così che voi fratelli chiamate la vostra sede, mi pare. Il vecchio Burbank non c'è più, forse vi ricordate di lui. Era un asso del giardinaggio; sua moglie soleva ripetere che Luther aveva dieci pollici verdi. Che donna spiritosa doveva essere! Burbank era il mago che a forza di incrociare frutti e verdure li rendeva talmente scombinati e nevrotici che non sapevano mai se entrare in sala da pranzo sul piatto dei contorni o su quello del dessert.

E' solo una congettura, s'intende, ma chissà, forse i discendenti di Burbank non vedono di buon occhio quella fabbrica che si è messa a sfornare pellicole cinematografiche nel territorio della loro città, appropriandosi del nome Burbank e usandolo come copertura. E' perfino possibile che la famiglia Burbank vada più orgogliosa della patata prodotta dal vecchio che non dei vostri "Casablanca" o magari "Gold Diggers of 1931". A quanto pare mi è venuta fuori una bella filippica, ma vi assicuro che non ne avevo l'intenzione. Io "adoro" la Warner. Alcuni dei miei migliori amici sono nella Warner Brothers. E' perfino possibile che io stia commettendo un'ingiustizia nei vostri confronti e che voi, poverini, siate estranei a questo comportamento da botoli ringhiosi. Non mi sorprenderebbe affatto scoprire che i capi del vostro ufficio legale sono all'oscuro di quest'assurda diatriba, giacché io sono in buoni rapporti con molti di loro e si tratta di brave persone con i ricci neri, i completi doppiopetto e un amore per il prossimo che è più saroyaniano di Saroyan. Ho la sensazione che questo tentativo di impedirci di usare il titolo sia stato partorito dalla mente di qualche azzeccagarbugli dal musetto aguzzo, che sta svolgendo un breve apprendistato nel vostro ufficio legale. Lo conosco bene, quel genere: fresco fresco di università, affamato di successo e troppo ambizioso per seguire le naturali leggi della promozione. Questo scellerato causomane ha probabilmente istigato i vostri avvocati (che sono perlopiù brave persone con i ricci neri, i completi doppiopetto, eccetera) a tentare la diffida. Ebbene, non la passerà liscia! Gli daremo battaglia fino all'ultimo appello! Nessun esangue avventuriero legale riuscirà a spargere zizzania fra i Warner e i Marx. Dentro di noi siamo tutti fratelli, e rimarremo in armonia fino a che l'ultima bobina di Una notte a Casablanca avrà terminato di svolgersi sul suo rullo.

Ossequi,

Groucho Marx

[oldshowbiz]

1982.

[vince-noir-666]

Source

What's new for this series? Are there any new games or updated rounds?

I feel like people love the Buzzcocks format and they would freak out if we changed it. The show is so famous it's one of those that can go on forever and it doesn't matter who's in it.

The weird Mick Hucknall game that Greg is obsessed with is back. He essentially puts Mick Hucknall's picture over someone else's face and we guess who's behind it.

What can you tell us about the guests this series? Who can we expect to see?

The Nova Twins were on my team who were hilarious... and telepathic. They're for young people but I'm quite interested in their music. There's also been Suggs from Madness and Harry Hill, which was exciting. Katherine Ryan was also very funny.

Gregory Porter was absolutely amazing. No one really knew what he was going to be like, because he has that smooth beautiful soul voice, but he was really funny. He pitched it really well. Americans are always good at that, coming in, working out what is going on, then finding the right level and tone and joining in. He is a class act.

What has been your most embarrassing celebrity encounter?

What, ever? Jesus... When I was partying, I had a lot of weird encounters. Pete Doherty bit my ear once. Not off, but he did draw blood. I'm trying to think of things that won't get other people in trouble.

What's the best thing about filming Never Mind The Buzzcocks? What's the worst?

I have a soft spot for the show because I spent five or six years doing it with Phill Jupitus so it's part of my life weirdly. It's always 'Bs' with me, there's some kind of magic with the letter B. Boosh, Bake Off and Buzzcocks. I'm scared to make a show that doesn't begin with B.

I like that it's about music as there doesn't seem to be any other shows out there about music. I love all the people on it so it's easy for me to do. I also like the fact there's an audience because it makes it quite exciting.

You first appeared on the show way back in 2007. What's changed since then?

It's interesting doing it this time now that I'm older. When I used to do it, I would get shitfaced before the show and take the guests out to The Groucho Club and it would end up really messy. I would sometimes even do the show without going to bed the night before.

I remember once I hadn't been to bed for a few days and when I came into the studio, Lorraine Kelly chased me around and spanked me over the desk with a wooden spoon. At that point I didn't know if I was dreaming, or if that was real, but I knew I needed to go to bed.

Another time I was out at a party, and someone had to come and get me and bring me in. Weirdly, they went quite well, those shows.

Now I've got two children, it's more like a cup of tea and then home.

Which of your fellow panellists do you have the most rivalry with?

I like taking the piss out of Greg, but me and Jamali aren't that bothered about winning. We're not adverse to cheating but to be honest we never win so it doesn't make a difference. I feel like we've only won once throughout the whole three series! The downfall is down to us both.

Which panellist is the cheekiest?

I wouldn't describe anyone as cheeky, so maybe that means I am. Greg's quite cheeky, he makes it quite jovial and fun. Daisy is the most ridiculous, and I mean that as a compliment, because she says things you would never think of saying and does things that you can't believe your eyes are seeing. Jamali is absolutely vicious, he can destroy people. He is the most troublesome because he absolutely annihilates the identity parade line-up but that's his thing, he's like a viper. He just sits back and bang.

Who has the best banter?

Me and Greg have quite good banter because we've known each other for quite a long time. We did stand-up together so we're old mates. I love working with Jamali, we're like the double act that no one knew they needed in a bad cop movie.

Who on the panel causes the most chaos?

Daisy. She is chaos. She dresses amazingly though and has been killing it with some amazing dresses and looks.

If you and your fellow panellists were in band, what would that band be called and who would be the lead singer?

Oh Jesus Christ. I'd have to be the lead singer, wouldn't I? Greg on drums. I feel like Jamali wouldn't turn up, he couldn't be fucked, but if he was there, he'd be on bass. I'd have to be pulling some shapes at the front although Daisy could also do that.

If you were in a band, which other celebrities or musicians would you want to play alongside?

I used to be in a band with Serge from Kasabian called Loose Tapestries. We never performed live, but I would've liked to. It was mostly TV soundtrack stuff.

I was also the lead singer in couple of bands years ago, around the same time I started comedy, which were called Smee and Slam Icabod.

I've also done some things with Razorlight. I did a gig at The Royal Albert Hall and Jonny Burrell came on. What was good about making The Mighty Boosh, was that Julian [Barratt] and I could make different types of music but when you're in a band you have to choose one genre. We could do surf rock, electro, funk, and jazz because it was a comedy show.

Who would be your dream Glastonbury headliner?

Elvis would be good, I love Elvis. The Beatles would be good, but don't tell Jamali I said that. Black Sabbath or Jimi Hendrix would be amazing. The Doors as well.

I used to go on stage with Kasabian dressed as Vlad the Impaler and dance around like Bez, a vampire Bez, and one time I went on at Glastonbury. Dolly Parton was on before them, so we chatted for about half an hour, and she complimented my outfit. There must be a picture of us somewhere.

What's your favourite album of all time?

That's a hard one. I'm going to have to say Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones. My mum and dad are full rock and rollers, so I grew up on Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Doors, The Stones, The Kinks and Black Sabbath. I like the Beastie Boys too.

When we did The Mighty Boosh we were quite into the Wu Tang Clan and Kool Keith. Lots of rap. Beck was quite big then too. Iggy Pop, The Peaches, Joni Mitchell. I like folk, I like everything.

First gig?

It was probably Status Quo or David Bowie with my parents. It was a good start. I remember seeing Oasis before they had an album out. When I was in college it was the likes of Blur, Pulp, Oasis, and Supergrass. When we got famous as The Boosh, we were hanging out with The Yeah Yeah Yeahs and The White Stripes. Then it all went a bit pop.

No disrespect to pop but it's not my thing, X Factor and all that shit. I feel slightly sorry for the kids. Not that I don't love pop - I love ABBA, I love The Bee Gees and Britney Spears. I love bands though, there's something quite magical about bands.

Five of us would perform as The Boosh - if it went well, we could go and celebrate together, and it would be us against the world. You want to like a band when you're young, don't you? Someone that's a little bit rebellious.

[theineated]

My piece for @malevolentbigbang !! It is based on a scene from the fic that @captaincravatthecapricious has written!

Read it here:

[Image ID: A digital drawing depicting Arthur Lester, a white man dressed in a dark suit with a white shirt, sitting on an old cinema seat over a black background in which some lines of dialogue are written. His right hand is on the armrest, and his left hand is over his chest. His left pinky finger is brown and shriveled. Some bandages on his chest are visible between the sides of his shirt. He looks anxious, but his eyes are wide open and yellow. The dialogue in the background is written in yellow bold capital letters for John's lines and in light blue softer letters for Arthur's. The first and last of John's lines fade into the background. John: "Another man has entered the room. Arthur?" Arthur: "Nothing." John: "Keep your fucking eyes open". Arthur: "Sorry, friend". John: "Keep your fucking head still". "Are you cold?" Arthur: "No, no. I'm fine." "Fuck." "Fuck." John: "What the fuck is wrong with you?" Arthur: "Nothing, nothing." John: "Groucho has gone back into the room. Oh, someone else is knocking at the door."]

[mudwerks]

Thanks for the potatoes. Would have thought you’d stuck a piece of butter in each one. They were very nice potatoes.

Groucho Marx Quote - Letter to Idaho Governor C.A. Robins, 11/28/1947 | Quote Catalog

[porterdavis]

Ah, des bons mots

1. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;

Bring a friend, if you have one."

George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.

"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second...If there is one."

- Winston Churchill, in response.

2. A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."

· "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."

- Clarence Darrow

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6."Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."

- Moses Hadas

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."

- Mark Twain

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."

- Oscar Wilde

9. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."

- Stephen Bishop

10."He is a self-made man and worships his creator."

- John Bright

11. "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."

- Irvin S. Cobb

12. "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."

- Samuel Johnson

13. "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."

- Paul Keating

14. "In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."

- Charles, Count Talleyrand

15. "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."

- Forrest Tucker

16. "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"

- Mark Twain

17. "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."

- Mae West

18. "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

- Oscar Wilde

19. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than illumination."

- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

20. "He has Van Gogh's ear for music."

- Billy Wilder

21. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."

- Groucho Marx.

22."He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Winston Churchill

[lboogie1906]

Ketty Lester (Revoyda Frierson; August 16, 1934) is a singer and actress known for her hit single “Love Letters”, which reached the top 5 of the charts in the US and the UK. She is known for her role in the television series Little House on the Prairie.

She was born Revoyda Frierson in Hope, Arkansas. Her parents were farmers who would eventually have a total of 15 children. As a young child, she first sang in her church, and later in school choirs. She won a scholarship to study music at San Francisco State College. She began performing under the name “Ketty Lester” in the city’s Purple Onion Club. She toured Europe and South America as a singer with Cab Calloway’s orchestra.

She appeared as a contestant on You Bet Your Life, hosted by Groucho Marx.

She recorded her first single, “Queen for a Day”, for the Everest label. In 1961 they released her single “Love Letters” b/w “I’m a Fool to Want You”. She recorded an album of Christian music entitled I Saw Him in 1984.

By the early 1970s, she gave up singing commercially and turned to acting. She was reportedly offered the role taken by Diahann Carroll in Julia and appeared in a variety of movies, including Uptight (1968), Blacula (1972), Uptown Saturday Night (1974), and The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975).

She established herself as a television actress in the 1970s and 1980s, playing the roles of Helen Grant on Days of Our Lives (1975–77) and as Hester-Sue Terhune on Little House on the Prairie (1977–83), as well as making appearances on other television shows and movies, including The Night the City Screamed (1980). She recorded an album of Christian music entitled I Saw Him in 1984, and returned to films with roles in Street Knight (1993) and as Aunt Lucy in House Party 3 (1994). #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence #sigmagammarho

[kolbisneat]

MONTHLY MEDIA: October 2023

It's the scariest time of the year and I'm not talking about tax season. Here's how I spent the month of October!

……….FILM……….

Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) Knowing practically nothing about Elvira's schtick, I was floored by how...utterly constant the jokes come at you. I later read a review that described Elvira's character as "Groucho Marx with boobs" and I couldn't put it any better. If this didn't end with a rap I'd give it a perfect score.

The Nice Guys (2016) So great. It really is a shame we didn't get more with this cast cause it's all just so great. The casual violence, the comedy, the setting, it's perfect. Between this and Barbie I'm now realizing just how perfect Ryan Gosling is at playing the beautiful idiot. "I think I'm invincible. It's the only thing that makes sense," is so good. Anyway go watch it if you haven't seen it.

Detroit Rock City (1999) Does a great job of setting the tone early and commits to it through to the very end. Fun and gross and problematic...just how KISS would want it.

……….TELEVISION……….

Poker Face (Episode 1.07 to 1.08) Love that I can watch an episode or two and just kinda enjoy the ride. More episodic mysteries, please. And with Detroit Rock City, this makes October a real Natasha Lyonne month.

Love is Blind (Episode 5.01 to 5.11) Wild to discover an entire proposal/wedding got axed from the show and I'm constantly reminded that anyone who goes on a reality tv show will inevitably disappoint you.

……….YOUTUBE……….

Pop Science And The Limitations Of Infotainment by Coffee Break Really interesting breakdown of the dangers that go along with turning science into something more digestible and engaging. Well worth the watch. VIDEO

This is Financial Advice by Folding Ideas Yes I did watch a 2.5 hour dive into meme stocks. And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. VIDEO

yay, modern filmmaking... by CinemaStix and The Pirates Trilogy is Pure Bliss by Just Write Clearly I enjoy watching video essays about film and these two really stood out. Both channels tend to lean towards celebrating film and media but Cinemastix's...gentle deconstruction of why the faster pace of editing in modern films can be a disservice to the artform really left an impression with me. And I'm still a big fan of the original Pirates trilogy. VIDEO (Modern Filmmaking) VIDEO (Pirates)

……….READING……….

The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin (Complete) I love a good beefy novel but then you read something like this: something so lean and yet so rich, and you start to wonder why authors need hundreds of pages to tell a story. A Wizard of Earthsea didn't click with me when I first read it but I really should go back to it (as well as continue the Earthsea Cycle).

Take Ivy by Shosuke Ishizu, Teruyoshi Hayashida, and Toshiyuki Kurosu (Complete) Really great style-inspiration after listening to the podcast series dedicated to it.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The IDW Collection Vol. 11 by Kevin Eastman, Tom Waltz, Damian Couceiro, and other talented illustrators and letterers (Complete) Went back to the TMNT comic after seeing Mutant Mayhem and this was such a great return to form! One of the strongest collection of stories I can remember in a while. Even the human-centric stuff (which tends to fall flat for me in this series) was interesting and just enough to work. Really great stuff.

Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 10 (HC) by Brian Michael Bendis, Stuart Immonen, and many others (Complete) I admit I've always prefered Immonen's work to Bagley's so I'm excited to finally get into his run in this reread. The Ultimate Goblins never worked for me but this volume has a really great second arc that highlights the best of Spider-Man (blending highschool drama with superhero drama).

……….AUDIO……….

Destroyer by Kiss (1976) You know I never really got into KISS and I have no idea why. I love theatrics, I love rock opera, I love a gimmick. This has all of that in spades. Needless to say I'm now a big fan.

……….GAMING……….

Oz: A Fantasy Role-Playing Setting (Andrews McMeel Publishing) Both of my groups are in Oz this month (it is Oztober, afterall). One crew is currently sorting out drama in Munchkin District and the other is still navigating the aftermath of some magically-caused domestic terrorism.

And that’s it. See you in November!

[mittensmorgul]

so: theories on who gave John that letter and key and then "vanished?"

could be a lot of folks...

someone who knew Henry (like that one remaining living MoL in 2013)

Henry himself, having set it up before the initiation ceremony gone wrong as an insurance policy, like... ensuring his son would not lose his legacy (thought you'd think John would recognize his own father... unless he was wearing groucho glasses or something...)

or... could it... have been Dean... putting it in his hands from the future? to give him the key to stop the Akrida before it could devour our universe? and then trying piece the history together after the fact?

or even Cas, flapping in from the future on an errand Dean asked him to perform :'D

suppose it could be Chuck, because he's always trying to meddle :'D

but I think once we know that-- who that mystery vanishing person was-- it'll unlock a lot more (literally! he gave john a key!)

and I know they keep saying everything they're doing won't change original canon, but damn, i sure hope that in rewriting the beginning, they're also able to rewrite the end. Because otherwise what is the point?

[bess3714]

Batman/Dylan Dog #1

Comic Series: Batman/Dylan Dog

Issue Number: 01

Title: The Shadow of the Bat

Writer(s): Roberto Recchioni

Artist(s): Gigi Cavenago & Werther Dell’edera

Colorist(s): Gigi Cavenago (Prologue); Giovanna Niro

Letterer(s): Pat Brosseau

This was genuinely one of the most enjoyable comics I’ve read in a while. The dialogue was funny, the art was great, the characters felt alive. And you got 88 pages for $4.99! For comparison, Action Comics #1063, which released the same week, was also $4.99 and only had 36 pages. That’s 5.7 cents per page vs. 13.9 cents per page. I love a great deal almost as much as I love a great comic!

This was my introduction to Dylan Dog and I’ve gotta say, he’s fantastic. The interactions between Dylan and Bruce immediately showed off the differences in their characters and personalities, giving me a pretty good sense of who Dylan Dog is. Also, Groucho is such a fun character, he plays off of Dylan so well!

And the art! The use of color and shadow was so fun, and every panel was doing something. Also, I didn’t have to deal with the distraction of characters leaping out of the panel bounds every single page like I do for some comics (Looking at you, Batman and Robin).

Now, it was pointed out in some other reviews and commentary that the female characters weren’t treated very well, that they were there to be sexy side dressings, and while I do agree with that, it’s definitely not the worst example I’ve ever seen. Dylan is a little sleazy! He has that film noir-esque vibe to him, but that’s not exactly a negative thing, and while I wouldn’t call the women in the comic to be progressive examples of feminism, I was mostly neutral on the critique. I also thought the plot was a little slim, but I could see all the ways the comic was leading into the next issue, which is great. That’s what a first issue should do!

Why You Should Read This:

(Oh lord, where to start?) It’s funny, and pithy. The comic pokes fun at Batman’s whole brooding loner shtick, but not in a mean way. It has a ridiculous number of pages, but there’s no useless fluff to it. Check it out if you want to laugh and be entertained!

[debdarkpetal]

#Repost @/_letusclingtogether_ on Instagram:

——

'Did you know?'

1 - Freddie calls everyone 'dear'

2- A can of 2000 flushes only lasts John 3 days.

3-the band retains a year-around crew whether they're touring or not, including the guy who hands John a triangle for one note.

4-The chief influence on their 'Flash Gordon' movie music was Zither and Zaza 's monumental soundtrack from Prome Night.

5- Groucho Marx was given a complimentary Queen II Jacket shortly before his death.

6-Freddie is a ping-pong champion and hockey expert.

7-After the Us and Japan, their biggest market is Australia

8-Brian was an astronomer for 4 years.

9-The prize they really received for their Japanese Album Year Award was a wooden comb. Well, at least it wasn't a Teriyaki Burger.

10-Roger takes 40 vitamins a day.

11-Masquerading as Larry Lurex, Queen had a British chartbuster with a remake of the golden oldie 'I can hear music'

12-John Deacon is dead.

13-The front of a 1952 Buick looks just like Lon Chaney

14-Japanese fans write the boys letters about the 'world' situation. 'Situation?' BM (BRIAN MAY), 'world?' JD (JOHN DEACON).

[kittypatch]

These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words. Insults then, had some class!

1. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;

Bring a friend, if you have one."

George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.

"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second...If there is one."

- Winston Churchill, in response.

2. A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."

· "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."

- Clarence Darrow

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6."Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."

- Moses Hadas

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."

- Mark Twain

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."

- Oscar Wilde

9. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."

- Stephen Bishop

10."He is a self-made man and worships his creator."

- John Bright

11. "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."

- Irvin S. Cobb

12. "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."

- Samuel Johnson

13. "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."

- Paul Keating

14. "In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."

- Charles, Count Talleyrand

15. "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."

- Forrest Tucker

16. "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"

- Mark Twain

17. "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."

- Mae West

18. "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

- Oscar Wilde

19. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than illumination."

- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

20. "He has Van Gogh's ear for music."

- Billy Wilder

21. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."

- Groucho Marx.

22."He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Winston Churchill

【PS】 I’m back after a grueling week in Scottsdale. Now I’m facing mountains of paperwork to finalize all the legal issues, care home placement, and home sale. Yikes! Missed my kitties and am happy to be able to snuggle with my fur balls❤️

[oldshowbiz]

“McCarthy started it,” said Groucho Marx. “Everybody became afraid to say what they were thinking. This affected comedy and comedians ... Sponsors want us to be a faceless people … Humor and criticism always have been suspect.” 

Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy characterized those who opposed him as unpatriotic, and many people agreed. When a passing reference was made about McCarthy on an episode of The Jack Benny Program, a woman wrote a letter to Radio TV Magazine: 

“I think Jack Benny’s program outlived its usefulness … I am not impressed with this unfunny nonsense … any loyal American would call very poor taste the remark he made on his program against Senator McCarthy, who is trying to expose the Red termites in our government.” 

J. Edgar Hoover received letters that urged him to investigate comedians for so-called un-American activity: 

“Dear Mr. Hoover, I suggest that the TV entertainer Groucho Marks [sic] be investigated as being a Communist. Last night on his program both my husband and I understood him to pronounce ‘The United States’ as ‘The United Snakes.’ In his book Groucho and Me, he speaks quite affectionately of Charlie Chaplin, who is a well-known Communist ... Please, Mr. Hoover, investigate Groucho Marks.” 

Right-wing politicians advocated for a ban on old Charlie Chaplin movies and many people pushed for his deportation. The fact he had never applied for American citizenship, did not sit well with McCarthy supporters. A letter published in TV Radio Life complained about Chaplin: 

“There is no one person as despised as this ‘creature.’ The glorious country of ours made it possible for him to become a multi-millionaire and then he dares to call himself a ‘citizen of the world.’ Well, the rest of the world can have him; the good old U.S.A. is well rid of him. If I ever happen to catch a picture of his on TV, I will put the sponsor in my ‘little black (list) book’ and carry on from there. I will do everything humanly possible to hurt the sale of said sponsor’s merchandise … there are so many other undesirable traits about him … I, for one, do not want to see any Chaplin movies, no matter how good they might be.” 

Chaplin films were banned in Memphis. Memphis censor Lloyd Binford explained:

“Chaplin films have been banned permanently. He’s a dirty, filthy character … a traitor to the Christian, American way of life.” 

His old movies were pulled from WPIX-TV in New York because of his “political views”  and NBC edited an old Chaplin film because it showed him “nose thumbing a police officer.” 

The American Legion in Milwaukee pressured movie theaters to deny Chaplin’s Limelight (1953) a screening. 

“Americans can survive without seeing any more of Charlie Chaplin,” said a legionnaire. 

Protesters marched throughout the city holding signs that said, “Ship Chaplin off to Russia” and “Kick the Communist out of the country.”

[oskarlevant]

Lillian Gish's letter when asked in 1988 if actors had scripts and dialogue to memorize in making silent movies.

The letter's recipient, Steve Stoliar, later wrote the classic memoir 'Raised Eyebrows', about his time working as an assistant to the elderly Groucho Marx.

[primordialsoundmeditation]

These insults are from an era before the English language got boiled down to 4-letter words. Insults then, had some class!

1. "I am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;

Bring a friend, if you have one."

George Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.

"Cannot possibly attend first night, I will attend the second...If there is one."

- Winston Churchill, in response.

2. A member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will either die on the gallows, or of some unspeakable disease."

· "That depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace your policies or your mistress."

3. "He had delusions of adequacy." - Walter Kerr

4. "I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure."

- Clarence Darrow

5. "He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary."

- William Faulkner (about Ernest Hemingway).

6."Thank you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll waste no time reading it."

- Moses Hadas

7. "I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."

- Mark Twain

8. "He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends.."

- Oscar Wilde

9. "I feel so miserable without you; it's almost like having you here."

- Stephen Bishop

10."He is a self-made man and worships his creator."

- John Bright

11. "I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial."

- Irvin S. Cobb

12. "He is not only dull himself; he is the cause of dullness in others."

- Samuel Johnson

13. "He is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."

- Paul Keating

14. "In order to avoid being called a flirt, she always yielded easily."

- Charles, Count Talleyrand

15. "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him."

- Forrest Tucker

16. "Why do you sit there looking like an envelope without any address on it?"

- Mark Twain

17. "His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."

- Mae West

18. "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others, whenever they go."

- Oscar Wilde

19. "He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than illumination."

- Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

20. "He has Van Gogh's ear for music."

- Billy Wilder

21. "I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it."

- Groucho Marx.

22."He has all the virtues I dislike and none of the vices I admire."

- Winston Churchill

【PS】

English Literature a Community

Regina Velásquez

[nightkitchentarot]

Classy Insults

1.  "I  am enclosing two tickets to the first night of my new play;   Bring a  friend, if you have one."     George  Bernard Shaw to Winston Churchill.   "Cannot possibly attend first night, I  will attend the second...If  there is one."     -  Winston Churchill, in response.    

2.   A  member of Parliament to Disraeli: "Sir, you will  either die on the gallows, or of some  unspeakable  disease."     ·  "That  depends, Sir," said Disraeli, "whether I embrace  your policies or your  mistress."   

3. "He  had delusions of  adequacy."    -  Walter Kerr 

4. "I  have never killed a man, but I have read many  obituaries with great  pleasure."     -  Clarence Darrow 

5.  "He  has never been known to use a word that might  send a reader to the  dictionary."     -  William Faulkner (about Ernest  Hemingway). 

6."Thank  you for sending me a copy of your book; I'll  waste no time reading  it."     -  Moses Hadas

7. "I  didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice  letter saying I approved of  it."     -  Mark Twain 

8. "He  has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his  friends.."     -  Oscar Wilde   

9. "I  feel so miserable without you; it's almost like  having you  here."     -  Stephen Bishop

10."He  is a self-made man and worships his creator."     -  John Bright 

11. "I've  just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's  nothing  trivial."     -  Irvin S. Cobb  

12. "He  is not only dull himself; he is the cause of  dullness in  others."     -  Samuel Johnson 

13.  "He  is simply a shiver looking for a spine to run up."     -  Paul  Keating

14.  "In  order to avoid being called a flirt, she always  yielded  easily."     -  Charles, Count Talleyrand 

15.  "He  loves nature in spite of what it did to him."     -  Forrest Tucker  

16.  "Why  do you sit there looking like an envelope  without any address on  it?"     -  Mark Twain 

17. "His  mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork."     -  Mae West 

18.  "Some  cause happiness wherever they go; others,  whenever they  go."     -  Oscar Wilde 

19. "He  uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts... For support rather than  illumination."     -  Andrew Lang (1844-1912)

20.  "He  has Van Gogh's ear for  music."     -  Billy Wilder

21. "I've  had a perfectly wonderful  evening.  But  this wasn't  it."     -  Groucho  Marx

22."He  has all the virtues I dislike and none of the  vices I  admire."     -  Winston Churchill