SEPTEMBER 29 UPDATE

(Also: September 26 Update and September 27 humor which did not publish)

 

COMMITMENTS

Stefanie Norman, SS, Atlanta Vipers Gold, to Univ of South Carolina

Sidoti, Dani.  AZ Hotshots Gold, to San Diego State

Erica Sluss, C, So Cal Breakers, to Louisiana State

Michelle Smith, 1st,3rd, OC Batbusters (Haning) to Stanford University

Renee Francis, C,2rd,1st, Santa Fe CC (FL) to College of Charleston

Jackie Vasquez, OF, Phoenix Storm Gold, to University of Kansas

Correction: Angie Danis (not Davis ) St Louis Lightning, to Michigan

 

CHRISTINA CLARK

ASA was informed late Monday afternoon by Christina Clark’s doctor that the stress fracture of her ankle has not healed sufficiently, and the ankle remains in a boot.  So, the hard-hitting first baseman will not make the trip to the ISF Junior Women’s World Championship in China , starting October 12.  ASA will not name a substitute.  We heartily applauded Christina’s stellar play at the Junior World championship last December in Mexico , and look forward to seeing her play at full strength this coming season for Fresno State .

 

UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA

SPY normally does not endorse coaches clinics because we can’t see that many, and virtually every college program conducts a clinic.  However, we have attended the University of Arizona coaching clinic in the past, and were impressed, not only with the quality of the coaching, but the attendance of highschool and travel ball coaches from several states.  Like last year, the 2003 clinic – October 24-26 – is wrapped around a series of games involving the Wildcats and seven Southwestern teams.  Gives me a good opportunity to visit with my Mother’s family; half of the grandchildren went to Oklahoma , the other half went to UofA.  For more information: www.candrea.com.

 

IN MEMORIAM: ELIA KAZAN

Kazan won three Oscars; he directed great films and plays; he slept with Marilyn Monroe and other leading actresses; he was a prolific author; he was noted for tackling tough subjects in his films and on the stage; yet, when he died this weekend, he was invariably remembered for a day in 1952 when his critics believe he put personal fears for his career  above political and professional principle.

 

Kazan directed such screen classics as A Streetcar Named Desire; On the Waterfront; East of Eden; and Splendor in the Grass, and such memorable films as A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, The Sea of Grass; A Face in the Crowd; and Viva Zapata; and he directed such issue-sensitive films as Gentleman’s Agreement and Pinky.

 

Equally successful on Broadway, Kazan directed Death of a Salesman; Streetcar; Cat on a Hot Tin Roof; Sweet Bird of Youth.

 

Kazan directed many of the great actors and actresses of all time: Brando, James Dean, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger, Lee J Cobb, Anthony Quinn, Spencer Tracy, Warren Beatty, Gregory Peck, Andy Griffith, Tony Franciosa, Walter Matthau, Lloyd Nolan, Vivien Leigh, Kathryn Hepburn, Natalie Wood, Dorothy McGuire, Eva Marie Saint, Carroll Baker, Lee Remick, Julie Harris, Marilyn Monroe, Patricia Neal, Theresa Wright  and others.  Twenty-one were nominated for Academy Awards in Kazan films, and nine won the Oscar.  Kazan, a pioneer of the Method school of acting, launched many of their careers. SPY comment:  James Dunn had only that one brief shining moment, but his star turn in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, in which Kazan draws a heart-tugging performance from Peggy Ann Garner, revealed the director’s touch.  Zapata remains the definitive work on Mexican revolutions in the early part of the century.  And, you can understand how demagogues, like Huey Long or some latter-day TV preachers, can sway millions by watching Andy Griffith’s incredible performance as Lonesome Rhodes in A Face in the Crowd.  Kazan was fearless; he exposed anti-Semitism in Gentleman’s Agreement and racial mixing in Pinky.  Less kindly, he allegedly took advantage of Vivien Leigh’s diminished mental state, which made her perfect for Blanche in Streetcar.

 

Also adroit on the casting couch, Kazan bragged in his autobiography about his affairs with many of his leading ladies, including Marilyn Monroe.  He was sleeping with Marilyn while maintaining a close relationship with Arthur Miller, her husband.

 

For all of his success, Kazan ’s own defining moment haunted him the rest of his life. More than 50 years after the fact, his obituaries this weekend without fail described him, as one headline said, as “Director and Informer.”  Kazan , like many people in the Group Theatre of the 1930s, joined the Communist Party.  On April 10, 1952 , Kazan testified before the infamous House UnAmerican Activities Committee, which, with Senator Joseph McCarthy, spearheaded the hunt for Communists in American life.  Kazan named friends such as noted playwright Clifford Odets, actors John Garfield and Paula Strasberg and five others.  Kazan maintained for the rest of his life that he testified because he would have been blacklisted in Hollywood , as many were, for refusing to cooperate.  Spyros Kouras, a fellow Greek and Hollywood power, told Kazan he would never work again if he failed to cooperate – and many on the blacklist were banned by the studios.

 

Ironically, what many in Hollywood wanted Kazan to do, given his reputation for tackling such sensitive issues as racism, religious prejudice, etc. and his imminence in Hollywood and New York, was to stand up to the Committee.  Many believed a stand by such an outstanding director would break the blacklist.  But, Kazan refused.  Years later, when he wrote his autobiography, Kazan said he was “glad ever since” that he named names, although he regretted that some old friends were hurt. 

 

Thus, when he was presented a lifetime achievement award in 1999 by the Academy, almost five decades later, there were protests among movie and theatre figures, and, several notable celebrities refused to applaud Kazan at the Academy Awards.

 

(SPY note: Kazan was not the only Hollywood figure to name names, but, from several sources which I reviewed, for a college paper I wrote in the 50s about HUAC, Kazan may have been one of the few who, if they had taken a strong stand, might have impressed leading figures in Congress to reign in HUAC.  The fear of Communist infiltration was palpable, and the Philbys, Ames and others proved that our and British intelligence agencies could be penetrated.  Still, the excesses of Dirksen, Rankin, Nixon and others stand as a warning even today about the dangers of zealotry fueled by ambition.

 

IN MEMORIAM: ALTHEA GIBSON

In her warm, touching eulogy of Althea Gibson, which was carried today in many newspapers, Zina Garrison laments that too few of today’s female athletes, especially black athletes, know of Althea’s accomplishments or appreciate that she broke racial barriers which they have never had to encounter. 

 

Having developed her tennis skills playing paddleball on the sidewalks of Harlem, Althea became the first black woman to compete in what became the US Open, the first black woman to play at Wimbledon, which she won twice (in singles).  Like Babe Didrickson, Althea played several sports, notably the LPGA tour and women’s basketball.

 

Althea did more than just win trophies and titles; she won social acceptance for black athletes, and the newspapers called her “the Jackie Robinson of tennis.”  Garrison, Arthur Ashe, and others benefitted from Althea’s breaking down those barriers.   It saddens Garrison that today’s top black tennis players, the Williams sisters, never met Althea.  I would enlarge that by saying every female tennis player of any color owes a debt to Althea Gibson – not just for overcoming racial prejudice, but for the style and grace, the commitment to excellence, which she exhibited throughout her life, on and off court.

 

IN MEMORIAM: THE TROLLEY

During the late1950s, Washington was a social paradise for the young set.  On Saturday nights, we would put on our white dinner jackets, and escort pretty young misses from Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Sweetbriar, and other colleges, in the Capitol to work as interns, to dances on the terrace at the Shoreham.  Friday nights, we went to Glen Echo Park – on the trolley.  Some of us had cars but the trolley cars in Washington were not only ubiquitous, they were fun to ride.  At Glen Echo, you could ride the carousel and other carnival type attractions, swim, eat and dance – inexpensively.  From the top of the ferris wheel, you could see the Potomac and the canal.  All very romantic.  As Frank said, 21 was a very good year.  I can still smell the bal de Versailles .

 

Looking back, I now realize that Glen Echo was somewhat snobbish – the girls from the best schools, the guys from Georgetown , Harvard, Princeton , UVA, etc.  It was also segregated, as was life in the Capitol.

 

Today, Glen Echo is but a shadow of itself.  Little kids of all colors come to ride the carousel, and there are children’s theatres put on by volunteers.  And, the old tavern still turns out the best cheeseburgers in Washington .  Clog and in-line dancers now take the floor in the old ballroom.  The great swing and jazz bands don’t come anymore.

 

Trolley service ended in the 60s but many of the trolley cars were put into a museum in Silver Spring .  Yesterday, there was a fire and many of the irreplaceable, one of a kind trolley cars were destroyed – along with a lot of warm memories.

 

LILI

Every once in a while, Hollywood makes a “little” film, not projected to make much money, and thus is denied booking at such major intro theatres as Radio City Music Hall.  Indeed, Lili has a simple plot, just better than average dancing, only one song (which won an Academy Award) and a budding star who did not yet command Hollywood attention.  But, audiences loved it, and Leslie Caron won an Oscar for her role as the French farm girl who talks to Puppets – and Lili and the puppets (and Mel Ferrer and Kurt Kaznar) steal the show and our hearts.

 

Lili kept me up until 1:30 am , and just as I was ready to call it a night, the so-familiar refrain caught my ear, and I was mentally revisiting so many places which I knew so well for 30 years as I watched The Last Time I Saw Paris .  Elizabeth Taylor was so beautiful, Van Johnson finally had a good role, Walter Pigeon as always a class act – but, for me, the star was Paris .  Bogie was right.

 

PAYING TO EAT WELL

The latest fad in Washington : personal chefs.  Major article in Washingtonian magazine discloses that there are now about 150 personal chefs who will come to your home and, for about $350, provide you with a 5/4.  That’s five dinners for a family of four.  And, this isn’t baked macaroni.  We’re talking gourmet meals from the finest ingredients.  The article provides a roster of chefs, identifying not just price but their specialties.  The chefs buy the ingredients, including the perfect wine for their entrée, dessert, etc.  Of course, there are also extras which rachet up the bill.  But, you are spared the ordeals of shopping, cooking, and cleaning up afterwards.

 

Not having a family of four, indeed living alone, does not prevent me from having gourmet-type meals every night.  I too have a personal chef who also prepares my meals in advance, and packages them for freezing and thawing: Monsieur S. Way .

 

A Kitchen Disaster.  There was a time I took great pride in preparing gourmet dishes and especially desserts.  Once made a seven layer chocolate cake, designed to look like a Parisian hatbox, complete with ribbons and an imported filling; at a Christmas party, a secretary exclaimed that my cake was even better than her last orgasm, not realizing Secretary of State George Schultz was standing behind her.  A man of great poise, the Secretary commented, “In that case, I had better try it.”  I’ve slipped since then.  On Friday, I decided to make tuna salad in a blender, and put solid white albacore tuna, pickle, boiled egg, and mayonnaise in the blender.  But, it wasn’t chopping properly so I took the top off and began pushing ingredients down with a fork.  The phone rang; a long call from an old friend, updating me on her children (when in hell did we all get so old).  I did not notice that the fork had slipped down into the blender, so I put the top back on and pushed the button.  After a few seconds of metal grinding metal, the top flew off, a badly mangled fork flew across the kitchen, accompanied by gobs of tuna, egg, pickle and mayonnaise.  No shotgun ever made had that wide a spread.  Not as big a mess as one made by a friend, who put liquid soap in the dishwasher.  (Speaking of old: have you seen recent pictures of Martha Stewart?)

 

BRAIN TEASER

(from reader Ronnie Lombard)

Mind teasers of COMMON KNOWLEDGE. No cheating! No looking    around!

No using anything on or in your desk or    computer!

Can you beat 20?? (The average is 7) Write down your    answers and
check answers (on the bottom) AFTER completing all    the
questions.REMEMBER - NO CHEATING!!! Then, before you pass this on    to
your friends, change the number on the subject line to show how    many
you got correct in the subject line.

May make you    feel just a little bit stupid.

Forward to your friends and    also back to the one who sent it to you.

LET'S JUST SEE HOW    OBSERVANT YOU REALLY ARE.

1. On a standard traffic light, is    the green on the top or bottom?

2. How many states are there?    (Don't laugh, some people don't know)
3. In which hand is the    Statue of Liberty's torch?

4. What six colors are on the    classic Campbell 's soup label?

5. What two letters don't    appear on the telephone dial? (No cheating!)

6. What two    numbers on the telephone dial don't have letters by them?

7.    When you walk does your left arm swing w/your right or left    leg?

8. How many matches are in a standard    pack?

9. On the United States flag is the top stripe red or    white?

10. What is the lowest number on the FM    dial?

11. Which way does water go down the drain, counter or    clockwise?

12. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash    run?

13. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?

    14. Which side of a women's blouse are the buttons on?

15. On    a NY license plate, is New York on the top or bottom?

16.    Which way do fans rotate?

17. Whose face is on a    dime?

18. How many sides does a stop sign    have?

19. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right or    left side?

20. How many lug nuts are on a standard car    wheel?

21. How many sides are there on a standard    pencil?

22. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's    missing?

23. How many hot dog buns are in a standard    package?

24. On which playing card is the card maker's    trademark?

25. On which side of a Venetian blind is the cord    that adjusts the
opening between the slats?

26. On the    back of a $1 bill, what is in the center?

27. There are 12    buttons on a touch tone phone. What 2 symbols bear
no
digits?

28. How many curves are there in the standard    paper clip?

29. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or    clockwise?


    ***********************************************************


    Don't look at answers below until you complete all the    questions



1. Bottom

2. 50    (please tell me you got this one!)

3. Right

4.    Blue, red, white, yellow, black, &gold

5. Q,    Z

6. 1, & 0

7. Right

8.    20

9. Red

10. 88

11. Counter    (north of the equator)

12. Towards bottom    right

13. 12 (no #1)

14.    Left


15. Top

16. Clockwise as you look    at it

17. Roosevelt

18. 8

19.    Left

20. 5

21. 6

22.    Bashful

23. 8

24. Ace of    spades

25. Left

26. ONE

27. *,    #

28. 3

29.    Counter




Ronnie Lombard

 

End

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