Monthly Archives: February 2012

Today's Video Link

Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:53 AM

I have occasionally made mention on this site of an incredible close-up magician named Richard Turner. Let me tell you what he does: He cheats.

Richard is the most amazing handler of cards I've ever seen. He can deal you four eights or four queens or anything else he wants. He sits there — and you'll see him do this in the video below — and he shuffles the deck and shuffles it and shuffles it and shuffles it and you'd bet your house that the cards are all thoroughly mixed.

But they aren't. He then spreads them out on the table and they're all still in New Deck order.

And then he deals Blackjack or Poker, placing each ace right where he wants it. He deals the second card in the pack and there's no way you'd catch him. You wouldn't catch him dealing off the bottom of the deck either…or straight out of the middle. I was a writer on That's Incredible! the first time I saw him and I immediately got him booked on the show where he lived up to its title.

This would be impressive even if he could see the cards…which he can't. (Oh, did I forget to mention that? Richard is legally blind. He can see a little but not much. He claims he could do the exact same act if you blindfolded him and I believe it.)

I see him up at the Magic Castle in Hollywood often. I saw him there during his most recent engagement as he dazzled not only visitors but seasoned magicians. They all shake their heads because he's doing something that they simply cannot do.

While Richard was there last time, he shot a series of videos. I'm going to be embedding them here off and on over the next week or two. I suggest you take them full-screen and pay careful attention. This is not camera trickery. He really can do this…

Recommended Reading

Posted on Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 12:35 AM

Kliph Nesteroff has written a long and informative article about the occasional intersections between comedians of the past and The Mob. Kliph writes important pieces about the world of comedy but this is a must-read.

Jerry Alert!

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 8:22 PM

Every time I express any sort of admiration for Jerry Lewis, even if it's only to salute his sheer longevity, I find myself in a debate with someone. Sometimes, it has to do with whether the things he says and does in real life diminish the merits of his movies. And sometimes, it's whether there are any merits in his movies.

I prefer almost all the films he made with the Italian fellow over those he made alone…but I like a lot of what he did alone and even the weakest efforts usually have their moments. What's interesting to me is that I find myself having these debates with folks who either haven't seen any of Jerry's movies lately or haven't seen many of Jerry's movies at all.

If you get the Encore Family channel, be advised that in the next few days, they're running The Ladies' Man, The Nutty Professor, The Errand Boy, The Bellboy and The Geisha Boy. The last of these was directed by Frank Tashlin but the rest were helmed by Jer and they're about as good as his work got when he was in charge. I might have swapped out The Errand Boy and swapped in The Family Jewels but otherwise, it's a pretty good list. If you watch and don't like 'em, there's no point in seeking out any of Jerry's other self-directed flicks.

New Blog Open 4 Business

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 4:44 PM

On my old website, I used to have a section called "Great Los Angeles Restaurants That Ain't There No More." It was all about great Los Angeles restaurants that ain't…well, you get the concept. I listed many, wrote about my experiences at them and featured visuals whenever I had visuals to feature.

That section ain't there no more…but fret not. It has been reborn as a new site, Old Los Angeles Restaurants (The Kind That Ain't There No More). This site is new and improved and I will be adding more and more old Los Angeles restaurants to it in the coming months. There are new listings and I've rewritten and added newly-acquired images to the old ones.

Unlike the old feature, this new website invites reader participation. The old feature drew some of the most hateful e-mails I've ever seen. When I post a political opinion here, as moderate and polite as I am in most of my views, I still get nasty messages from folks who are convinced that the world is doomed because the guy who writes Groo doesn't think Ron Paul is the savior of mankind. That's nothing compared to the mail you get if you write about old L.A. restaurants and omit (because you never went there or maybe even heard of it) the best local hamburger stand of the sixties. So from now on, I have a simple reply to those folks: If I didn't cover your favorite dining establishment, write up something and send it to me to post. We also invite comments and memories from those who remember the places I do write about.

If you didn't live in or around Los Angeles, this new site may be of zero interest to you. I'm not sure I'd care about a blog about old diners in Boise, Idaho. But if you still salivate at the mere mention of C.C. Brown's ice cream sundaes or Pizza Prince pizza…have I got a website for you!

Today's Political Comment

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 11:40 AM

I don't know why anyone expected New Jersey governor Chris Christie to commit political suicide and sign that bill legalizing Gay Marriage in his state. A large swath of the current Republican party doesn't forgive their candidates the slightest departure from the right-wing wish list. Had Christie not vetoed the bill, he could forget about ever running for anything else as one of those folks with an "R" after his name. And it's not like the Democrats would have him.

Yes, it is demeaning to gays to have votes held about whether they're entitled to simple human rights and respect…but it can't be as bad as having that denied. They're probably going to win this planned referendum in New Jersey and that will go a long way to burying this issue forever, not just in that state but in others. Every time another state allows two folks of the same gender to wed and then life goes on as before, another hunk of the U.S. opposition to that shrugs and wonders what all the fuss was ever about.

Lily of the Valley

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 3:26 AM

lilytomlin04

The Pacific Pioneer Broadcasters is an organization of folks who have years of experience in the broadcasting profession — TV or radio. I'm a member and three times a year, I get invited to a luncheon in honor of someone who's distinguished themselves in those industries. Yesterday, it was Lily Tomlin so I had to go. As usual, it was held at the Sportsmen's Lodge out in Studio City.

There was a good dais, including her Laugh-In compatriots, Gary Owens, Joanne Worley and George Schlatter. Also up there were Sally Kellerman, Bruce Vilanch, Kat Kramer and many other folks. Ms. Kramer wowed the room with a song about Lily with special (and very funny) lyrics by Shelly Goldstein, who hasn't been mentioned on this blog for a day or so. All spoke or sang glowingly of their friend Lily, which was not surprising. I don't think I've ever heard anyone not like Lily Tomlin at least within the entertainment business. She has this amazing capacity to find compelling characters…to create them, crawl inside them and be very amusing. And for someone so talented, she has a stunning amount of modesty. I've liked her from the first time I saw her on Laugh-In. Just about everybody did.

As usual for these luncheons, half the fun was running into friends in the audience. At the next table, I spotted the lady who was our Production Assistant on a show I did for Sid and Marty Krofft in 1978 and we had a nice reunion. On the way out, I ran into the gent who directed some of the shows I wrote in the early eighties. The place was also full of cartoon voice actors — Neil Ross, Bill Farmer, Jim MacGeorge and even June Foray. I had a very good time.

My Tweets for 2012-02-18

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 1:17 AM
  • At a luncheon in honor of Lily Tomlin. The food was better last night at Five Guys. #
  • Dick Cheney now lobbying for Gay Marriage; plans to waterboard everyone who voted for Proposition 8. #
  • Nothing makes me more optimistic about the economy than the increasing intent of the G.O.P. to run not on money issues but on social ones. #

Today's Video Link

Posted on Saturday, February 18, 2012 at 12:23 AM

Just click and enjoy. Thanks to Micki St. James for recommending this one…

Recommended Reading

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 11:29 PM

Michael Kinsley on how experience is becoming a negative trait in politics.

Back when Ronald Reagan was running for his first-ever public office — Governor of California — he made that his big selling point. The Founding Fathers, he said, wanted the country to be run by citizens as opposed to politicians. I guess that was true in a sense…but once you're in office, you're a politician. And if you do the job well, it's silly to toss you out and say, "We need someone who's never done it before." And of course, once Reagan was running for a second term, his big selling point became that he had experience in the job.

Closing Notice

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 6:59 PM

Sorry to hear that the Reprise Theater Company here in L.A. is cancelling another show and suspending its major operations. If you read back on this site, you'll see me praising one production after another of this group. Since '97, they've staged three productions per year of classic musicals along with occasional special events. All have been mounted with modest budgets and very little prep and rehearsal time…and the batting average has been astounding. As I think back over great evenings I've spent in the theater, an awful lot of them have been at Reprise productions.

So what's going wrong here? Wish I knew. It can't be the quality of the shows. Some probably would think it's the selection of the shows. This year, they started with a first-rate Cabaret but the rest of the season was to be The Baker's Wife and The Apple Tree and I can understand that maybe audiences weren't jonesing to see those two, lesser-known shows. Last season they had Kiss Me, Kate followed by Gigi and They're Playing Our Song. The year before, it was How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and Carousel. But the choices for this season do not explain the problem. Reprise was losing money with the well-known shows. At worst, they made things a tad worse picking The Baker's Wife and The Apple Tree.

I don't have an answer. Good theater. Reasonably priced. In a comfortable building. And they can't make a go of it. The only hopeful thing I can say here is that I've dealt with the Reprise management and they're really smart, determined folks. If there's a way to make this work, they'll find it.

Burger Time!

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 1:24 AM

Last evening, I took my pedometer and went for a walk. It was 4.6 miles from my home to my bank to the Five Guys that recently opened near me, then to one store and back to my house.

The Five Guys was crowded, which surprised me a little. It's in an area where restaurants get tons of lunch traffic from all the offices around but are usually empty after work lets out. A Koo Koo Roo that closed down nearby always had a line out the door if you went at 1 PM but you had the place to yourself after about 7:00. Guess that's why it closed down.

The folks at the Five Guys looked like they'd been doing it for years. Nothing I saw tipped the fact that the place had only been open since Tuesday. Nothing except that most of the customers were eyeng the Five Guys menu like they'd never seen it before.

As I waited to place my order, a woman was studying that menu and moaning that a hamburger was more than five dollars. "You can get a hamburger at McDonald's for a dollar," she said to no one in particular. Being no one in particular, I responded. "Yeah, but these have meat in them," I said.

This is one of my — you'll excuse the pun — beefs. You can't compare two items of different content. When I see a sign that says "Slice of Pizza, $1.50" I don't think, "Wow, what a bargain for pizza." I think, "Gee, wonder if it's the low quality or the small size that enables them to sell it for that."

The lady was dressed in clothes that suggested that she was either homeless or that was a distinct future possibility. She asked me if I'd eaten there before. I said, "Not at this one but I've been to other Five Guyses." She asked me if I thought they were good. I consulted the pedometer and told her I'd just walked 2.2 miles to get to this one. "These are the best fast food hamburgers and fries I've ever had."

She wanted to try one but was concerned about the cost. I told her the Little Hamburger, which was three and a half bucks, was more than enough for a meal. That's what I was ordering. She decided to give it a try. She got one but apparently didn't have enough money for fries or a beverage. She got the counterman to get her a paper cup of tap water.

When I got my order, I separated out the fries with skin on them (the ones I don't eat) and passed them over to her at her table. "Be my guest," I told her. She was quite grateful for them and told me she liked her meal very much. When I finished mine, I went over to the cash register, bought a Five Guys gift card and gave it to her. She thanked me so many times that I told her, "If you want to thank me, stop thanking me." She thanked me for telling her that.

We were leaving at the same time and she told me, non sequitur, that she had five children and never heard from any of them. I asked her if she had a place to stay. She said, "For now." Then she added, "I guess the way the economy's going, we're all like that." Then she headed for wherever she was going and I went wherever I was going.

Today's Video Link

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:47 AM

John Cleese comments on comments that folks have posted about Monty Python videos on YouTube. I think…

My Tweets for 2012-02-17

Posted on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 12:43 AM
  • Today's potatoes are from Jeff Wyatt Farms, Blackfoot, ID. #