#lib golf london

[elegant-phff]

Eleven.Hollywood Halloween

Prince Harry of Wales

29 October,2015

London,United Kingdom-Los Angeles,California,United States of America

Ever since the phone call with Alexandra regarding the Halloween party,Harry had been rather excited about going to Los Angeles.He didn't even like Halloween that much.Every year he'd spend the festival by staying at his apartment and binge watching Halloween movies.When he was with Meghan,the plan was also the same since she'd spent the occasion filming.

But this year was different.This was going to be their first meeting after they 'got together'.Harry and Alexandra both knew why they were taking things slow.They both had gotten out of very serious relationships and it would take them some time to cope with it.However,Harry couldn't help but feel so drawn towards the woman he had come to know.She was different,different than everyone else he had been with.

She could brighten up an entire room just by her smile,she was unintentionally funny,the way her face would mold into a funny form as a reaction could easily make a person laugh.She loved kids more than she'd like to admit and she was more extraordinary than she thought.She was humble in a oblivious way.She is the type of person who would cancel everything just to make sure you are okay.That is what made Harry attracted towards the woman.Three years ago ,it was his playboy ways for getting her number but as he got to know her more he found her even more incredible.Her looks were just another bonus.

"Harry,make sure to tell Alexa that she has to meet me once she arrives in London,I have a lot of questions,"Kate said pointedly to her brother-in-law.Once she had found out about the couple's blooming relationship,she was ecstatic.She loved Alexandra and she knew that the younger woman was an amazing person."Yes,ma'am,"Harry rolled his eyes.The older couple had been persistent about meeting both of them as a couple more often.

"When is your flight leaving?"William asked entering the living room."Uhh,in a few hours,"Harry replied looking st his watch.William nodded."Want any drink?"He asked his younger brother as he opened the refrigerator."No thanks,might want to be sober for the flight,"He replied.William nodded.

"Uncoo Hawwie?"George's little voice spoke from Kate's lap."Yes,Georgie?"Harry asked in a baby voice,taking his nephew in his lap."Where are you going?"He asked squeezing his uncle's cheeks."I am going to America baby,"Harry spoke,his voice muffled because of George's tantics."Can you bring me some candies?"He whispered,trying to make sure his mum didn't hear it.

"I heard that,"Kate teased.

Harry made a mocking face at his sister-in-law and turned to George."Don't worry,I will bring tons and tons of candies,"Harry smiled,his eyes twinkling towards the little boy who was giggling in amusement.

"You know,I was talking to Pa the other day..."William began,making his way towards the trio.Harry turned his attention towards his older brother as he took a seat beside them."He was talking about Air Cdre Larsson...who happens to be Alexandra's dad,if I am not wrong,"William said suggestively.Harry raised his brows in confusion,"What are you trying to imply?"William huffed in response,"Are you really that dumb?"

"Apparently he and Pa are really close,as he was saying.Don't you think you guys should tell them?"

"I didn't know that they were this close,"Harry began.

"Yeah,apparently they play golf together,"William interjected.The three adults shared a chuckle,while the toddler future king began to grow fussy."I think he is sleepy,I will put him to bed,"Kate said,taking George in her arms.The two brothers nodded.

"Anyways,we just got together and it isn't even official yet.I will tell them when we are like together together,"Harry explained.William nodded,satisfied but asked curiously,"Do you wanna make it official?"

Harry thought for a few seconds,"Yes."William's face formed into a cheeky smile,Harry was about to question the reaction but was interrupted by William."Look at the time!You will be late for your flight,"William ushered Harry."Oh crap!Yes,I will get going,"Harry exclaimed forgetting about his earlier thought.

"I will go say goodbye to Kate,"Harry said.William nodded.Once he came back,he hugged his older brother and bid his farewell."Let me know if anything happens,"William smirks.Harry rolled his eyes,"Shut the fuck up,I will see you."

"See you!"William then closed the door of apartment 1A.

LAX,California

"Are you sure there are no paparazzis?"Harry asked his private secretary,Edward Lane-Fox."Yes,nobody is notified of your arrival in the States so the paps are not aware.Although it would be best we move discretely as if anyone from the public notices you,it would be a mayhem,"Edward replied,his words coming out as if he had memorized it by heart.Accompanying Harry to the States was Edward and his two RPOs,Lucas and Mark.The two bodyguards were right behind Harry and Edward in normal clothing trying to blend in as much as possible.

"You sure about staying at Mrs.Jonas's place?"Edward asked as they hopped into their designated vehicle."Yup,"Harry replied settling himself."I was specifically instructed to not stay at a hotel by yours truly,"Harry added snickering.Edward couldn't help but chuckle."She seems to be keeping you on your toes,"Edward remarked."Oh please,she truly is scary,"Harry exaggerated.Even the Lucas and Mark couldn't help but laugh at that.

Ten minutes or so later,they arrived at the very posh and Hollywood filled neighbourhood of Beverly Hills."Are you sure this is the correct address?"Edward asked,marveling at the view in front of him."Yes,this is the location Alex gave me,"Harry said,looking at the address in his phone once again.

"Let me call her,"He added,dialing Alexandra's number."Hey,I am outside,yeah..if you could come out...Thanks,"Harry finished the call.A few minutes called,Alexandra came out of the house--more like a mansion.She smiled as she made her way to the SUV."Hi,"Alexandra said hugging Harry.Her face flushed a deep red and Harry kissed her cheek."Hi,"Harry breathed out.Damn he forgot how breathtaking she was.

"This is my private secretary Edward,and my two RPOs Lucas and Mark,"Harry introduced."Ma'am,"Edward said with a polite smile."Please call me Alexandra or Alexa,"Alexandra said.

"I think we should head inside before anyone sees us,"Alexandra advised."Yes,of course,"Harry responded,prompting for his companions to follow him."Are you sure your sister is okay with all of us staying?"Harry asked as they entered the house."Yes of course,it was rather their idea,"Alexandra reassured.

"Summer,they are here!"Alexandra yelled."Do not yell at me,young lady,"Summer scold wadling down the stairs.Alexa rolled her eyes and muttered under her breathe,"Hormones."Harry tried to conceal his laughter but it turned into a snort.

Alexandra looked at Harry with a bewildered expression."Harry,it's nice to meet you!"Summer greeted,reaching to shake his hand."It's good to know the feeling's mutual,"He flashed his charming smile.Alexandra grinned at her sister's flustered face."How is the little one doing?"Harry asked gesturing to Summer's now gigantic bump.

Summer rubbed her hands around the bump as she answered,"Oh the baby is getting restless,constantly kicking,"He was cut off by Alex remarking,"Definitely doesn't get it from you."Summer was quick to glare at her sister with a murderous look but the younger Larsson only smirked.

"A couple more weeks,so I can't wait,"Summer said looking at Harry.Completely ignoring Alexandra.Harry couldn't help but grin at their banter.It reminded him of his and William's relationship.A lot of teasing and joking.

"Are you planning on keeping all of these guys at your living room?"Alexandra asked sarcastically."Alexandra Chase Larsson I will cut you if you do not shut up,"Summer clapped back.

"Let's ignore my dipshit sister,why don't you guys sit down?"Summer said gesturing to the sofa."Oh yeah,sure but before that do you mind if they check around a bit?"Harry asked rubbing the back of his neck.It was evident that he disliked that part of his life."Yeah,of course,no problem,"Summer smiled. With a nod Lucas and Mark made their way around the house.

"Would you guys like anything?"Summer offered."Oh no,we are alright,"Harry politely declined.Alexandra scoffed,"Bullshit,I am making you guys Earl Grey." "Is it okay with you,Edward?"Alexandra stopped to ask the private secretary.Edward on the other side looked baffled,"Uh-yeah yeah,I it's fine.Thank you."Alexandra smiled and made her way to the kitchen.

Harry turned to Summer and asked,"Where is Nick?" "He is showering,he will be back soon,"Summer smiled."So how was your flight?"She inquired."Not too bad considering the weather,"He answered.Summer nodded understandingly.

"How is the States treating you?"Harry asked kindly.Summer took a deep breathe,"It's a lot of American accent and dumb questions."They both stayed silent before burst out in laughter.

"Everything okay,you guys?"Alexandra asked with her brows raised, emerging from the kitchen with a tea trolley.

"Oh we are fine,I was just hearing about Summer's American adventures,"Harry chuckled.Alexandra snickered as she handed him a cup of Earl Grey."Thank you,"He whispered finally recovering from the laughter fit.

"Ray's stories are worth a Jimmy Fallon Mad Libs scene,"Alexandra laughed,placing herself beside Harry."I am willing to give my stories to them as a plot.Only if the world realised how dumb the people of the great USA actually are,"Summer exclaimed.

"I mean come on,they are so fucking racist and gosh,I never thought they'd be this sexist,"She added."I agree to the racist and sexist part.Especially this industry,they are shit,"Alexandra agreed."The Obamas are great though,"Harry interrupted.The sisters nodded in agreement."Probably the only thing good about this country,"Alexandra rolled her eyes.

"Don't say that,you might cause an angry mob,"Summer joked."Yeah,it would only get worse if they hear me agreeing with you guys!"Harry added jokingly."An international scandal!Prince Harry hates Americans?Is this a sign that the Queen wants to take over America again?!"Alexandra exclaimed imitating a deep voice.The group,including Edward burst out laughing.

"Don't let my Gramp hear that,he would love you say too much for that,"Harry added,containing his laughter.Alexandra threw her hair back with a smirk and sassed,"What can I say?I am very lovable."

Their playful banter was interrupted by Lucas and Mark returning from their tour,"All clear."Harry gave them a awkward smile.Summer-who was quick to notice the sudden awkwardness,changed the topic."You know what?You guys had a long flight,I will let you guys rest before dinner'"Summer exclaimed standing up.She gestured for Alexa,"Alexa why don't you show Harry his room,while I show his fellow companions where they are staying?"Alexandra resisted the urge of rolling her eyes at her sister's cheeky tone.

"Sure,"Alexandra replied with a sarcastic smile before dragging Harry by his arms.They ascended the stairs,with a giggling Harry,"Slow down,I will fall!"

"Under my watch,nothing is happening to you,Prince Charming,"Alexandra threw him a playful wink.Once they reached the room's door,Harry decided to play along."Oh,really?"Harry asked in a deep husky voice---his playful tone long gone.He placed his arms in a secure lock around her waist.They fitted perfectly like a puzzle.

Alexandra could feel his hot breathe fanning over her lips.She has missed him,more than she'd like to admit."I've missed you,"She whispered.Harry finally broke the painful distance between them by capturing her mouth in a slow and gentle kiss.They both were trying to savour the moment but it was long overshadowed by the sudden desire that sparked inside them.Soon the kiss became heated.

"We should probably not have sex,literally the first time after we meet each other,"Harry chuckled breaking the kiss but his arms were still securely wrapped around her waist."You are right,"Alexandra laughed,straightening Harry's shirt."I have missed you so much,"Harry said,staring right into her soul.Alecandra felt her cheeks heat up due to his intense gaze.

She finally looked up---only to be met by his goofy smile.Her lips formed itself into a huge grin.gosh the effect he had on me."You are so goddamn cute,"Alexandra exclaimed,the grin never leaving her face.Harry couldn't help but laugh."Look at you,so whipped,"Harry teased.By now,they had moved to the bed.Both laying comfortably beside each other.

Alexandra simply smiled in response.They both stayed quiet for a few minutes.The silence was not awkward,it was peaceful.Both of them trying to savour the presence of each other."I forgot to tell you,this is my room,"Alexandra broke the silence.Harry,who was facing towards the ceiling turned to look at her."Well for now,but I mostly stay here when I am in California,"She added.She was staring at the fairy lights dangling loosely from the ceiling.The dazzling of the lights reflecting in her green eyes.Her mouth was tugged into a faint smile and her posture relaxed.

To Harry,she looked like an adorable puppy.Excited by small things and definitely by getting attention.It wasn't difficult to make her happy,literally anything could get the job done.

"It has a lot of your element visible,"Harry finally spoke."I always thought of it that way,"Alexandra smiled."What's the point of staying if it doesn't feel like home?but for me the two of them are home,"She added.

That's when Harry knew he was gone for."Be my girlfriend?"He blurred out. "What?"Alexandra asked how facing him."I asked you,be my girlfriend?"He said again,slower,as if her hearing was the only problem."Harr--"She began but Harry cut her off,"I know this is the most unromantic and weirdest way to ask you this but come on,what's normal about us?I just need you,so ?"

Alexandra was speechless.Did he really just ask that?"Yes,"She smiled.She knew it wasn't going to be easy but she knew they were in this together.

Harry's mouth stretched into a huge grin and he leaned forward to kiss his girlfriend.

30th October,2015

The day before Halloween consisted of all the last minutes touches to Harry's costume which was the most basic vampire costume.Although,according to his now girlfriend,he was not going to be basic at all,since he was going to be one of the few ginger vampires and also a prince.To which he couldn't help but feel a bit narcissistic(in a good way).Alexandra had insisted on not doing matching outfits because a)it was cliché as fuck and b)there was not way in hell she was brainstorming or changing her costume since it took her 39273 years to convince Marvel to let her borrow the Scarlet Witch costume.

           "I still can't believe you are going as Scarlet Witch,"Nick exclaimed.Summer and Harry snickered as Alexandra rolled her eyes."I am not original and I do not want to be original,"She responded."I mean come on,I am a superhero which is an amazing thing and I so will go as my character.What's wrong with that?"She added."You would look like a narcissistic arsehole,"Summer piped in.

"Or I would look like a badarse Wanda Maximoff,"Alexandra implied."In my opinion,I know you will look great,"Harry defended.Alexandra smiled largely at the comment.Summer pretended to barf,"You guys already make me want to vomit and it's not because of my pregnancy."

"That's what you guys made me feel like,"Alexandra clapped back,making her way towards Harry to side hug him.

"We are getting sidetracked,"Nick said,interrupted the moment.The rest of the three rolled their eyes."You are lucky they allowed you the costume from Civil War,or else what would've you done ?"Nick asked.Alexandra shrugged,"I would have worn the costume from Age of Ultron,it's more comfortable than this one."

"How did they allow the new one anyway?"Summer asked.Harry leaned back,listening intendly to the conversation."They released the costume pictures earlier anyways so I begged them a bit and they agreed!"Alexandra exclaimed.

"Lucky bastard,"Nick murmured,only to be slapped on the head by his sister-in-law.

The rest of the day however,was quite uneventful.The married couple were out at Target getting candies last minute since Summer decided to munch most of them.Alexandra and Harry spent most of their time making alterations to both of their costumes.

"I feel odd wearing this costume with blonde hair,"Alexandra commented as she tried on the iconic Scarlet Witch costume."You look odd as well,"Harry replied.

"You don't look scary and fierce like Scarlet Witch,you just look adorable,"He added with a cheeky smile.

Alexandra looked up from the mirror and smiled,"You really are smooth,Wales."Harry simply shrugged in response,"What can I say?I have always been smooth."

"And you ruined it."

Harry smiled."Anyways,what can I expect tomorrow?"He asked,changing the topic.Alexandra looked at him quizzically,"As in?"

"I mean,who are going to be there and what type of people?"He replied.

Alexandra nodded understandingly."I don't know all of the people.But I do know that some of the Marvel cast is going to be there,Kim K,Kendall and Kylie are going to be there and ---Oh David Beckham!"She replied enthusiastically.

"I know him,"Harry replied happily.

"Also,my friends are going to be there so be prepared,"She added in a warning tone.Harry furrowed his eyebrows,"Why?"

"They might just interrogate you,"She said.Harry cringed,"Fuck."

31st October of 2015

"I feel like this makeup is never going to get off,"Harry whined as Mario,Alexandra's trusty makeup artist did his make up.Mario chuckled,"Don't worried sir,it would be out in seconds." Harry groaned,"Please don't call me sir,it makes me feel like I am in an engagement."

"Sure thing."

"How is the progress?"Alexandra asked,emerging from her closet.

Harry looked up from his position,much to Mario's dismay."Holy shit you look hot,"Harry exclaimed with his eyes widened.Alexandra chuckled,"Thank you,kind sir."

"Harry you might want to look forward if you want to get things done,"Mario warned.Harry looked front and apologised.

Twenty minutes later,the group finally emerged from the house and made their way to the Halloween party which was taking place at the Beverly Hills Hotel.

"Fair warning,people here are crazy,"Nick warned Harry.Harry although quite puzzled,nodded.

"My,my,my is that Alexandra?"A Colombian accent exclaimed."Sofia!"Alexandra replied,stepping forward to embrace the older woman.

Sofia looked around the younger woman,noticing her sister and brother-in-law when her eyes landed on the British Prince."Is that Prince Harry?"She asked.Alexandra frantically nodded,"Let's not get things exposed."Sofia nodded understandingly,"No worries,but introduce me!"Alexandra laughed and dragged her to her boyfriend."Harry,meet my good friend Sofia Vergara.Sofia,this is my boyfriend Harry,"She introduced each other.

"Your Highness,it's a pleasure to meet you,"Sofia said politely."Ms.Vergara,please call me Harry.I must say,I am a huge fan,"He responded with his signature smile.They chatted along for a while when Sofia had to go."It was a pleasure meeting you."

Soon enough,the couple met Taylor and Selena,which was rather interesting.They immediately took Harry to a corner and started interrogating him,which much to Alexandra's dismay was out of her eyesight.

The ending to the night was rather interesting."Paparazzis got a tip about the party,"Taylor whispered to Alexandra minutes before they were about to leave.

The party had a no phone rule so nothing inside the party would get leaked for the privacy of the celebrities.The media as well,was unaware of the party until now.

"Fuck,"Alexandra exclaimed."Yeah,paparazzis are rounding up around the entrance,"Selena informed.

Alexandra walked away to make her way to Harry who was talking to David Beckham."Excuse me,mind if I steal him for a bit?"Alexandra asked with a polite smile."Sure,"David smiled.

"What happened?"Harry asked as she dragged him away."The paps are rounding up in the entrance.Which means we will be photographed when we leave,"Alexandra explained.Harry's face turned to a frown,"Shit,what now?"

"Well,we could simply leave separately but the thing is we came in the same car so it wouldn't make sense.Or we could go together--"

"Let's do the latter,"Harry quickly said.

"Harry,don't you think it's a bit too early?"Alexandra asked,concerned."I know,I know but here is the thing.We have to come out sooner or later.Let's do it now.We have each other,we will be there for each other,"Harry explained.

"But we haven't told anyone,"She argued."That's the first thing we do after we leave,"Harry reassured.

Alexandra sighed,"Fine."

Few minutes later,they bid their goodbyes and prepared to exit the hotel."Ready to tell the world you're mine?"Harry asked taking Alexandra's hand."With you?Always,"She grinned.

With that,they exited the hotel.Harry leading the way.The screams of the paps got louder.

And that's how the world found out about the new ground shattering couple.

[papermoonloveslucy]

BOB HOPE’S WORLD OF COMEDY

October 30, 1976

Produced and Directed by Jack Haley Jr.

Written by: Charles Lee with Gig Henry, Jeffrey Barron, Katherine Green, and Jack Haley Jr.

Bob Hope (Himself, Host) was born Lesley Townes Hope in England in 1903. During his extensive career in virtually all forms of media he received five honorary Academy Awards. In 1945 Desi Arnaz was the orchestra leader on Bob Hope’s radio show. Ball and Hope did four films together. He appeared as himself on the season 6 opener of “I Love Lucy.” He did a brief cameo in a 1964 episode of “The Lucy Show.”  When Lucille Ball moved to NBC in 1980, Hope appeared on her welcome special. He died in 2003 at age 100.

Lucille Ball (Herself) was born on August 6, 1911 in Jamestown, New York. She began her screen career in 1933 and was known in Hollywood as ‘Queen of the B’s’ due to her many appearances in ‘B’ movies. With Richard Denning, she starred in a radio program titled “My Favorite Husband” which eventually led to the creation of “I Love Lucy,” a television situation comedy in which she co-starred with her real-life husband, Latin bandleader Desi Arnaz. The program was phenomenally successful, allowing the couple to purchase what was once RKO Studios, re-naming it Desilu. When the show ended in 1960 (in an hour-long format known as “The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour”) so did Lucy and Desi’s marriage. In 1962, hoping to keep Desilu financially solvent, Lucy returned to the sitcom format with “The Lucy Show,” which lasted six seasons. She followed that with a similar sitcom “Here’s Lucy” co-starring with her real-life children, Lucie and Desi Jr., as well as Gale Gordon, who had joined the cast of “The Lucy Show” during season two. Before her death in April 1989, Lucy made one more attempt at a sitcom with “Life With Lucy,” also with Gordon, which was not a success and was canceled after just 13 episodes.

Neil Simon (Himself) is a playwright and screenwriter responsible for more than 30 plays, most of which were seen on Broadway and adapted into films.  At the time, one of his most enduring plays The Odd Couple was being done on television. In 1983 became the only living playwright to have a New York theatre named in his honor. In 1960, when it was still called the Alvin Theatre, Lucille Ball appeared there in the musical Wildcat.

Don Rickles (Himself) worked as a stand-up comic in nightclubs for nearly 20 years before making his film debut in 1958. Rickles was known as an insult comic and became a staple of Hollywood roasts. In “Lucy the Fight Manager” (TLS S5;E20) he made his first and last acting appearance with Lucille Ball, but would be seen with her on variety shows and specials through 1988. Rickles was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the animated Toy Story franchise. He died in April 2017 at age 90.

Norman Lear (Himself) is a television writer and producer responsible for such hits as “All in the Family,” “Maude,” “One Day at a Time,” “The Jeffersons,” and many others. He received three Emmy Awards for his work on “All in the Family.”  

Caroll Spinney (Big Bird) started playing Big Bird on “Sesame Street” in 1969. In 2000, Big Bird was named a Living Legend by the United States Library of Congress. Created by Jim Henson, Big Bird is one of two Muppets to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Spinney has been honored with four Daytime Emmy Awards for his portrayals on the series and two Grammy Awards for his related recordings. Two recordings of Spinney's voice have earned Gold Record status.

As with many Bob Hope specials, the show is sponsored by Texaco.

Bob Hope's opening monologue talks mainly about the Presidential Election, which would take place in two weeks. Incumbent president Gerald Ford ran against Jimmy Carter. He also touches on the World Series, the Swine Flu epidemic, Zsa Zsa Gabor's multiple marriages, and the CB radio craze.

Bob's first guest is Big Bird from “Sesame Street” (Caroll Spinney). Big Bird does an ad-lib impersonation of Jack Benny that makes Hope laugh. This kicks off a montage of clips about animals.

A pet shop staffed by Bob Newhart 

Jackie Gleason playing golf with Mildred, a chimp in How To Commit Marriage (1969)

Roy Rogers and Trigger “the wonder horse”

Julie London with puppies who prove not to be housebroken

Dan Rowan with a horse and Dick Martin with a camel 

Hope with his dog in a vet's waiting room and Betty Grable there with a race horse

Hope and Greer Garson in divorce court fighting over their dog, Mr. Smith

Lassie as the subject of “This is Your Life” in a spoof from “The Bob Hope Show”

Next Hope introduces a montage of clips featuring international stars.  

Maurice Chevalier (France)

Eva Gabor (Hungary)

Zsa Zsa Gabor (Hungary) with Angie Dickinson

Ingrid Bergman (Sweden)

Anita Ekberg (Sweden) with William Holden and Robert Strauss

Olivia Newton John (Australia)

Rex Harrison (England) and Lilli Palmer (Poland) with Janis Paige

David Niven (England) with Marilyn Maxwell

After a Texaco commercial, Bob introduces Lucy Ricardo aka Lucy Carmichael aka “the bionic woman of comedy” - Lucille Ball. 

Lucy reminisces with Bob, which leads to a black and white clip of a sketch from “The Bob Hope Show” (September 24, 1962). In it, Lucy plays a District Attorney and Bob a gangster named Bugsy Hope.

Back on stage, Bob asks Lucy the secret to her show's endearing success. She says that it has to do with the realatable domestic situations created by the writers. Bob add that the physical comedy gives her comedy world-wide appeal. Lucy says that as of last count her shows were seen in 79 countries. Lucy says she's heard herself dubbed in Japanese, and that in South America it is HER who as the accent. Asked about being a legend, Lucy says it is “kind of like an obituary” but she's very grateful.

After another Texaco break, Bob talks about slapstick and introduces a montage of clips.

Ernie Kovacs trying to sell his house during an earthquake

Bob as Bobby Riggs playing against Billie Jean King (Ann-Margret)

Hope and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as astronauts walking in space

Jack Benny using hidden cameras in his home to avoid paying Hope a guest-star fee

The second hour of the special kicks off with Hope introducing playwright Neil Simon. They talk about writing, the difference between drama and comedy, and ethnic humor, which is the cue for the next montage of clips about vaudeville.

Hope and Crosby do a routine

Hope, Crosby, Steve Allen, and Jack Paar are child actors competing for the same job

Danny Thomas as a candy seller interrupting Hope's act by stealing all his punchlines

Donald O'Connor as Wingo the Magnificent, a knife thrower, with Hope as Courageous Targo, his human target

Hope introduces Don Rickles, who promotes his new show “CPO Sharkey” which he compares to Phil Silvers in “Sergeant Bilko.”  Hope says he's been the victim of insult comedy, which begins a montage of clips where Bob is insulted by:

Milton Berle

Tony Randall

Redd Foxx

Glenn Campbell

Gina Lollobridgida

Jerry Colonna

Dorothy Lamour

Tony Bennett

Fred MacMurray

Joan Crawford

George Sanders

Frank Sinatra

Troy Donahue

Hedda Hopper

John Wayne

Dyan Cannon

Debbie Reynolds (with Jack Benny)

Juliet Prowse

Bob Hope introduces Norman Lear, who mentions he has no shows on NBC. They talk about “Mary Hartman Mary Hartman,” the 'Family Hour,' his flops like “Hot L Baltimore,” and Archie Bunker. The next batch of clips is about satire.  

Johnny Carson as a playboy movie star Rock Carson appearing on a talk show 

Hope, Burt Reynolds and Dyan Canon spoof the TV series “Paper Moon”  

A sketch called “Bananaz” (“Bonanza”) starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Juliet Prowse

A “Batman” spoof starring Martha Rae as Bat Girl and Bob Hope as the villain Lobsterman

Medical dramas are poked fun at by Hope, Barbara Eden, and Lee Marvin

After a commercial, the montages are about dancing. Some of Hope's choreographed clips: 

Dancing with Raquel Welch

Doing Eddie Foy's famous sand dance

Soft shoe with Pearl Bailey

A trio with Jeanne Crain and Betty Hutton

A challenge dance with George Burns

Rare footage of Dean Martin dancing alongside Hope

Polly Bergen, Jimmy Durante and Hope dance as babies while on their knees (above photo)

A partner dance with Ginger Rogers

Hoofing with Hope and Jimmy Cagney

Modern dance with Ann-Margret

Hat and cane steps with Sammy Davis Jr.

Hope wraps up the special with a look at some of the comedians of the past.  

Budd Abbott and Lou Costello (above photo)

Fred Allen

Gracie Allen

Cliff Arquette aka Charlie Weaver

Mischa Auer

Robert Benchley

Jack Benny

Willy Best

Fanny Brice, the original 'Funny Girl'

Joe E. Brown

Billy Burke

Eddie Cantor

Jack Carson

Charles Correll, Amos of “Amos 'n' Andy”

Wally Cox

Joan Davis

Marie Dressler

Leon Errol

W.C. Fields

Billy Gilbert, the greatest sneeze in show business

Ted Healy and the Three Stooges

Hugh Herbert

Judy Holliday

Edward Everett Horton

Buster Keaton

Edgar 'Slow Burn' Kennedy

Ernie Kovacs

Burt Lahr

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy

Harold Lloyd

Carol Lombard

Harpo and Chico Marx

Donald Meek

Victor Moore

Jack Norton, the perennial drunk

Franklin Pangborn

Joe Penner

Will Rodgers

Irene Ryan, Granny of “The Beverly Hillbillies”

Charlie Ruggles

S.Z. 'Cuddles' Sakall

Max Sennett, king of the Keystone Cops

Arthur Treacher

Burt Wheeler and Robert Wolsey

Ed Wynn

This Day in Lucy History – October 29th

“The Diet” (ILL S1;E3) – October 29, 1951

"Visitor from Italy" (ILL S6;E5) – October 29, 1956

"Lucy Buys a Sheep" (TLS S1;E5) – October 29, 1961

"Lucy and Andy Griffith" (HL S6;E8) – October 29, 1973

[mastcomm]

Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, other USWNT stars selected for U.S. Olympic qualifying roster

The 20-women roster for the U.S. Olympics has been revealed and unsurprisingly some of America’s World Cup heroes have been selected to help their country get to the 2020 games in Tokyo. At the top of the list of notable players are reigning Women’s Ballon d’Or winner Megan Rapinoe and Carli Lloyd.

CONCACAF qualifying for the Olympics goes from Jan. 28 to Feb. 9. The United States will have to place in the top two of the group in order to make it, but that shouldn’t be a huge concern given that they are currently the No. 1 team in the world, according to FIFA— though it also helps that Canada, No. 8 in the world, is the only other CONCACAF team in the top-25.

Here’s the entirety of the USWNT roster:

Goalkeepers

Adrianna Franch

Ashlyn Harris

Alyssa Naeher

Defenders

Abby Dahlkemper

Crystal Dunn

Ali Krieger

Kelley O’Hara

Becky Sauerbrunn

Emily Sonnett

Midfielders

Julie Ertz

Lindsey Horan

Rose Lavelle

Samantha Mewis

Andi Sullivan

Forwards

Tobin Heath

Carli Lloyd

Jessica McDonald

Christen Press

Megan Rapinoe

Lynn Williams

For Rapinoe, this will be her first Olympics since the London Games in 2012, as she missed the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro because she suffered a torn ACL following the 2015 World Cup. But that absence might have worked out for her since she wasn’t on the team that was upset by Sweden in the quarterfinals. 

Lloyd will look to become the oldest U.S. Olympic soccer player in history as she turns 38 years old a week before the games– Christie Rampone, who played in every Olympics from 2000-2012, held the previous record.

Of the players currently on the roster, only Williams and Sullivan weren’t on the 23-player 2019 World Cup championship squad. Alex Morgan is expected to be back in the spring following her maternity leave. New manager Vlatko Andonovski will have final say on trimming down the team, as the final roster for Tokyo will only feature 18 players, which will likely include two keepers. 

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[theconservativebrief]

Amy Winehouse is going on tour, as reported by Reuters last week.

A hologram of the artist, who died in July 2011, will tour North America next year. Her father Mitch Winehouse is the primary caretaker of her estate, and says he’s been working with Las Vegas-based company Base Entertainment’s nascent hologram studio to make sure that this digital Winehouse is an accurate recreation. And, as is always the case when a new hologram of a dead celebrity is announced, the reaction from fans has been mixed.

“Like she hasn’t been exploited enough??! Let her rest in peace and stop tarnishing her legacy,” one wrote on Twitter. Fair!

“People are mad about Amy Winehouse’s hologram tour. Can’t relate, I never got to see Amy perform live AND it’s raising money to help the Amy Winehouse Foundation which provides rehab facilities for young people who can’t afford them,” wrote another. Also fair!

What is not fair is that we are forced to consider, yet again, whether the dead celebrity hologram industry is just a niche technological novelty that will soon go out of fashion, or the future of entertainment.

It’s been six years since Tupac Shakur (then 12 years dead) appeared on stage at Coachella to perform alongside Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre.

This hologram, created by special effects company Digital Domain, was not a hologram. It was a trick of light founded on 150-year-old theater prop standard called “Pepper’s Ghost,” which uses glass and some knowledge of refraction to create an otherworldly-looking figure. It was invented by British scientists Henry Dircks and John Henry Pepper, and first used to add a “real ghost” to an 1862 production of Charles Dickens’ other creepy Christmas novella, The Haunted Man and the Ghost’s Bargain.

In a May feature for Wired, Jimi Famurewa called it a “low-tech piece of razzmatazz” and pointed out that it is still in use in Disney World’s Haunted Mansion ride and in stage productions of the horrible musical adaptation of the 1990 film Ghost.

The technologies that enable detailed 3D modeling, capture super-intimate facial tics, and allow neural nets to mimic highly-specific manners of speaking have evolved plenty over the past couple of years. But the technology behind projecting those images to create the illusion of a three-dimensional body has evolved very little since its invention. The biggest change: In 1995, German inventor Uwe Maass patented a version of it that swapped glass for — basically — Saran wrap, and subbed in HD video.

It was this basic tech that was used to make Tupac, married with Digital Domain’s cutting-edge CGI capabilities. The company was, at the time, best known for fabricating Brad Pitt’s face in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and for being owned by James Cameron, though it had actually been purchased by dot-com millionaire (and Michael Bay’s college roommate) John Textor in 2006.

Textor’s company won a special award at Cannes Lions for the Tupac hologram that June, and filed for bankruptcy three months later after Textor was sued for $80 million by the state of Florida.

Tupac Shakur’s “hologram” at Coachella Christopher Polk/Getty Images

In 2015, Rolling Stone’s Andrew Leonard chronicled the bitter (and very spicy!) war between the two biggest hologram companies: Hologram USA and Pulse Evolution. Hologram USA is owned by Greek billionaire Alki David; it was responsible for the Whitney Houston hologram tour that was shot down by her family in 2016, and it was also responsible for the breach of contract lawsuit filed against Whitney Houston’s family in 2017.

It owns the exclusive rights to resurrect Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Billie Holiday, and Jackie Wilson, and it is managing Chicago rapper Chief Keef’s current tour, which he is not attending because only his hologram is attending, and because he is legally not allowed to go to London.

Pulse Evolution is made up of the leftover parts of Digital Domain and it owns the rights to the digitally-enabled ghosts of Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, and Selena. Hologram USA sued the company for patent violation days before Pulse was set to debut its biggest accomplishment: Michael Jackson performing a previously-unreleased song at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards. In March 2016, Pulse settled with Hologram USA for an undisclosed sum.

Base Hologram, which is working on the Winehouse tour, is actually a relatively new and minor player in the world of dead celebrity holograms. The company, which is best known for producing Vegas staples such as Magic Mike Live, Phantom, and Criss Angel��s “Mindfreak” magic show, partnered with laser projection company Epson to launch its hologram division in January of this year. It has plans for nationwide tours, like with Winehouse, and for permanent theatrical residences.

The January press release announcing Base Hologram’s existence promised that the new company would represent “one of the most aggressive and unique approaches” to the field. Executive producer Marty Tudor told Vox in an email that his company’s tours use “cutting-edge proprietary techniques” to combine audio with “digital and laser imaging, CGI techniques, and spectacular showmanship.”

This claim was put to the test with the Roy Orbison production, which debuted in LA earlier this month, and was reviewed positively by the Los Angeles Times. Orbison’s son also told the paper that his father would have liked the show, having been tickled by the holographic Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope.

Last year, in a longform consideration of the question of whether the government could commission a CGI Donald Trump to perform the president’s duties whenever he was busy with other concerns — such as golf, or television, or not feeling like it — New York Magazine’s Brian Feldman spoke to “digital facial expert” Mike Seymour, a special effects industry blogger and associate lecturer at the University of Sydney.

Seymour told him: “This technology is growing nearly daily and deep learning and neural nets are contributing not only to modeling and facial tracking, but soon to fine detail, high-frequency animation also. The actual computer rendering of the face has already become remarkably complex, producing digital skin that accurately represents the way light both reflects off skin and is partially absorbed and scattered.”

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There are also private research labs that can create 3D models of a human face using just one high-quality reference image, Seymour told Feldman, and it’s only a matter of time until that technology is commercially available.

But to make Winehouse’s hologram (or light creature, I guess), Tudor tells Vox that Base will just have to hire an actress who resembles her physically to don a motion-capture suit and create a bank of movements. Tudor didn’t mention if Winehouse ever had a 3D scan taken of her face, but it seems unlikely, so his company will also have to work through an elaborate process to make a digital recreation of that. Given that she was a very famous person who was photographed literally thousands of times, it may be tedious, but it won’t be difficult.

Famurewa’s Wired piece explains how the Tupac team “[Worked] around round the clock for two months in a room plastered with pictures of the rapper,” making “an entire bank of facial movements and expressions” to pull from when sequencing the entire pre-programmed Coachella performance. The VFX team basically just used the bank to piece together a video that bounced of some mirrors and translucent foils to make it look 3D; what seemed very high-tech and futuristic was actually just very labor intensive.

Making digital recreations of dead celebrities who can talk and ad lib during a show is also fairly easy now, thanks to chatbots modeled using artificial intelligence. All it requires really is that these companies can find and license a large enough sample of the person talking.

The big question is how to obtain all the materials you need to make a dead celebrity hologram. The legal issues around that rights and archives gathering are still pretty murky.

For example: One of the more notable legal battles in this space happened in 2012, when Marilyn Monroe’s estate threatened to sue obscure startup Digicon Media, which had patented “VM2 — The Virtual Marilyn, the first visual actress to live and work from Cyberspace.” Digicon claimed that Virtual Marilyn — who you can still visit on an incredibly retro, net art-heavy website — “did not in any way infringe upon the purported IP rights that were asserted by the Estate.” Digicon eventually gave up on its plans to have VM2 perform live, and seems to have stopped making new work.

In general, to create a hologram of a dead musician, any entertainment company first has to license the artist’s music and videos the same way it would to use those things in any other, more traditional show. It also has to license any images of the celebrity’s likeness necessary to create the visual recreation, which likely means dealing with the family or estate of the celebrity in question. From there, a contract has to be drawn up between all of the relevant parties to figure out how to dole out the profits.

VM2 — Virtual Marilyn! Digicon Media

But that’s not exactly the end of it! A celebrity’s likeness is subject to copyright and trademark, and something else that’s even slippier: “right to publicity.” This is similar to a normal person’s right to privacy, and means that while a person is living, they hold the primary right to make money off of their own existence and face and voice and even mannerisms. But after they die, what happens to that right depends entirely on the state they lived in.

There are 23 states in which a right to publicity lives on postmortem, and the time frames vary widely, from 10 years in Washington to 100 in Oklahoma. In California, the right to publicity is held by the person’s family or estate for 70 years. In New York, it doesn’t currently exist at all, with the right to publicity halting at the moment of death. Nearly every year, a bill is proposed that would extend the right to publicity in New York to 40 years after a person’s death — primarily to guarantee that a celebrity’s family or estate would be able to profit off of it.

As more of a legal scaffolding is built up around the still relatively niche industry, it will become more and more expensive for those looking to get in the business of buying up life rights and putting on new shows.

When Justin Timberlake hinted that he may perform with a hologram of Prince at last year’s Super Bowl, Prince fans furiously circulated gossipy tidbits about how much Prince hated Timberlake, and wouldn’t have wanted to share a stage with him, even from the grave. They also circulated a quote from a 1998 interview with Guitar World, in which Prince responded to a question about whether he would ever perform with a holographic version of say … Duke Ellington:

“That’s the most demonic thing imaginable. Everything is as it is, and it should be. If I was meant to jam with Duke Ellington, we would have lived in the same age. That whole virtual reality thing… it really is demonic. And I am not a demon.”

But holograms have been normalized, significantly, since 1998. Even before the Tupac performance — landmark primarily because of its shock value and the intimacy of the details programmed into its performance (like thanking the audience for applause, and interacting with the other performers) — Kate Moss walked as a hologram at an Alexander McQueen show in 2006, Will.i.am appeared as a very confused hologram on CNN in 2008, Frank Sinatra performed with Alicia Keys at the 2008 Grammys, Elvis Presley performed with Celine Dion on American Idol in 2009, and Mariah Carey showed up to a T-Mobile event in Poland in 2011.

Not all of these people were dead, obviously, but the “wow!” of making any famous person appear to be someplace they couldn’t actually physically be still dimmed a little more with each instance. When Feist — best known at the time as one of many indistinguishable members of Broken Social Scene — “performed” in three Canadian cities at the same time in 2013, the possibility of holographic concert tours that would be easy and weird and possibly profitable seemed fairly close. Yet, no real pop star has tried it.

Japanese virtual pop star Hatsune Miku went on her first wildly successful tour of North America in 2016; fans paid as much to see her as they did to see Taylor Swift the summer before. Not because they love the surprise of a hologram, but because they love her music and this is the form in which she exists. It hardly even seems odd.

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And then, last year, The Verge’s Lauren Goode reported on startup 8i, asking if holograms are “the future of how we capture memories.” The New Zealand and LA-based company has been working on setting up studios that resemble classic department store family photo studios, but use an arrangement of 41 cameras and proprietary software to render holographic video vignettes of whoever steps inside.

“Everybody wants holograms of their kids,” Nicole St. Jean, 8i’s vice president of content, told Goode. And chief executive Steve Raymond promised her, “People are going to want to put their loved ones into their phones for lots of reasons… [It] will become something you can just buy on Amazon and have it installed in your living room and make it at home.” The point of improving the technology isn’t to make anyone think the holograms are real, but to make them feel a more irresistible and automatic emotional connection. You don’t love a pricey computer-generated “vignette;” you love your toddler.

When Wired spoke to celebrity estate manager Jeff Jampol earlier this year, he said that the technology itself was basically worthless: “You can’t move around it, it can’t interact with you other than from a distance. It’s the equivalent of a used VHS tape.”

The novelty of a “hologram,” he argued, would wear off, and only our emotional ties to dead celebrities we’ve loved would remain to keep us interested in a dusty, hokey experiment. If the intensity of feeling that comes with the unexpected intimacy of these tricks of light wears off, this entire hotly debated industry will be little more than a couple-decade trend — as forgettable and inconsequential as the once-beloved VHS.

Original Source -> No industry is weirder than the dead celebrity hologram industry

via The Conservative Brief