There are so few left and so few were as gifted, classy, beautiful inside and out as Gena Rowlands, a superb actor/actress, who died days back, at age 94.
She teamed with her great actor/director/independent film achiever, John Cassavetes in such seminal films as “Gloria” and “A Woman Under The Influence.”
Her performance in “Gloria,” one I first saw in the early days of cable/uninterrupted television in 1980, was spellbinding and truly resonates to this day.
Ms. Rowlands collaborated with her son NIck Cassavetes in “The Notebook,” another highly acclaimed film.
Recently I posted about her turn in an “Alfred Hitchcock Presents,” episode, one of 4 in which Ms. Rowlands appeared, and that will be shown below.
She died surrounded by her family including husband, Robert “Bob” Forrest
An extraordinary woman and with John Cassavetes, a real great she went mostly independent, perhaps making less quantity, but certainly great quality!
The magnificent Gena Rowlands, pictured above.
I cite Ms. Rowlands early in the post below.
“Doubtful Doctor”/ “Alfred Hitchcock Presents” Notes
This is a testament, not really a review.
However in reading such, I agree to reveal little if anything, about the plot of “Job” (at the Hayes Theater 240 West 44th Street,through September 29th) this wall to wall, superb acting/writing/direction, tense thriller, would diminish your enjoyment and I highly recommend the “you’s” out there see “Job.” It is a superb, riveting production.
Both Paul Friedman and Sydney Lemmon give superb performances.
The writing and story, again so intense from as might be said, “bell to bell” is magnificent. That came from Max Wolf Friedlich and the director, also so good is Michael Horwitz.
Sydney Lemmon is the granddaughter of the great, great Jack Lemmon and some notes/coincidences will arise here in the future.
Once, circa the early 90’s, I asked Mr. Lemmon to compare the to be released “Glengarry Glen Ross,” in which he had a major part, with one of my favorites, “Save The Tiger,” for which Lemmon earned a best actor “Ac” Award.
He answered eloquently and precisely and this “flashed” as I watched an exchange of generational attitudes, between Peter Friedman and Sydney Lemmon. I thought back to a similar, highly animated “discussion” between Jack Lemmon and Laura Heineman in “Tiger.”
One thing for sure Lemmon and Friedman are superb in “Job” and I highly recommend seeing it.
Sydney Lemmon and Peter Friedman, are pictured top left to right.
Click below for more information, including that involving tickets purchases.
JOB THE PLAY | OFFICIAL BROADWAY SITE
I believe it was in 1988, at a senior golf tournament, called the Commemorative, from which, I have such nice memories of Chi Chi Rodriguez, the talented, outgoing and charitable pro golfer, (can’t wait for golf is said as on ), who died last week at age 88.
My friend and one time CBS cameraman, Tony Ancona conducted the interview and few have ever come off, as lively and sincere, as Juan “Chi Chi” Rodriguez, in that interview.
He talked about playing all the times he was asked and colorfully and emphatically emphasized “practice, practice, practice,” when asked by Tony, how amateur or weekend golfers could improve on the course.
Most of all, I remember Mr. Rodriguez talking of what one leaves behind, what he gave back when that is asked, upon his death.
Now that it came, surely what Chi Chi left behind for all, especially those in his native Puerto Rico, is staggering.
Maybe he and Tony, another giving, good man are hitting some in a better place.
The great Chi Chi Rodriguez, pictured above.
The New York Yankees clinched their 26th American League Pennant, with a win at Baltimore (Orioles) (the teams entered play today, with Baltimore a fraction of a game ahead in a “one eighth division” race) on September 20, 1961.
That game is best known for the Ford Frick deadline imposed (otherwise an asterisk and as cited here before, cited by Dick Van Dyke as “Rob Petrie” to his son “Richie” played by Larry Mathews on the Dick Van Dyke Show) deadline, that if Roger Maris did not pass the Babe’s 60 HRS, within that, the Yankees’ 154th game, an asterisk would be placed next to his name in the record book, if he exceeded the Babe’s 60 home runs, the number Ruth hit in 1927.
In the tilt, Maris hit his 59th home run, passing greats, Jimmy Foxx and Hank Greenberg and joining Babe Ruth, who also hit 60, as the only players to hit 59 home runs in a season.
Phil Rizzuto, who called #59 so well on radio, once told me in an interview of the drama inducing “headache types” produced on his great calls of Roger’s 61st home run 10 days later in ’61 and Chris Chambliss’ ’76 HR, that yielded the Yankees’ 30th Pennant.
As with Superman, when he split into 2, I had help with the fact, it was just after Rizzuto, in the middle innings that 9/20/61, said it would be the Yankees’ 26th pennant, that he intoned “on deck” (for Baltimore) “is Whitey Herzog.”
Yes, that Dorel “Whitey” Herzog, against his managed Kansas City Royals, that the Yankees ended a 12 year pennant drought, winning that 30th such, clinched on Chambliss’ B9, game ending solo home run.
The Yankees won pennants 31 and 32 and titles 21 and 22, the next 2 seasons, again defeating Herzog’s Royals in highly competitive ALCS.
Try this one as 12 teams in the ‘offs/2024 baseball drags on.
I have 4 examples of teams winning their last crown the number of years ago, with said team winning at least the pennant that number year.
Surely examples are needed.
All 4 won pennants but only one won the World Series in that #’d year.
The Detroit Tigers last title was 40 years ago and they were 7’d in the 1940 World Series by the Cincinnati Reds.
Cincinnati also won the 1919 World Series vs the White Sox, whose last crown was 19 years ago in 2005.
The Minnesota Twins nee Washington Senators won it all most recently 33 years ago in 1991.
As the Senators, “Wash” lost to the New York Giants in the 1933 World Series.
Only the Chicago Cubs, who ended a 108 year title drought, winning a 7 game World Series from the then Indians (now the Guardians, still sans a crown since ’48 and whose one eighth “div” lead has been cut to just one and a fraction games over the Twins) 8 years ago won the numbered year World Series as their last previous crown had been achieved in 1908.
Who but me, and all this to avoid talk of the “shooting fish in a barrel”/very lucky U.S. Men’s team winning by just 4 points vs Serbia, which was “Siberia-ish” in shooting when it counted most.
The great player, Ed Roush, pictured above, felt and I believe justifiably, that his 1919 champion Reds would have won vs the White Sox whether the “Chi” team played all out or not.
Cincinnati did win and that is the point.
The great memories of the superb running back Duane Thomas’ actions both on and off the field, especially that which “evidently”/did occur after the 6th Supe, can be discussed many ways.
I praise them as great, this day after Duane died at age 77.
If it is the ultimate game referring to the so hyped Super Bowl, “why do they play it every year,” “he queried. For that alone, praise to you Mr. Thomas and those “doubtingThomas” (pun intended)–check reality and football’s way too much hold on this, as my father, who truly liked football, called it long ago, “duped” U.S. public.
On the field, two superb Duane Thomas seasons, those in ’70 and ’71, each year a Cowboys’ great winning streak, respectively leading to a conference and finally at long last an NFL crown in a (24-3) win vs Miami (Dolphins)–they would win the next 2 and none since—in the 6th Super Bowl.
After that game, that fine day in “The Year of Garcia” (Rod in the Rose Bowl and high school classmate Vin’s Cowboys, and “my” Lakers and Bruins winning titles), Tom Brookshier of CBS prepared to interview Duane, who was accompanied by the great Jim Brown.
A picture/video is worth so many words, especially mine, though I do not hesitate to praise this action, on so many levels. Perhaps it can be seen below.
Above in heaven, as James Lipton said if it exists and at the so called “pearly gates,” no need for Duane to be “nervous,” (he rarely if ever was) and a good thought is Brookshier Jim and Duane gathering in some way, all in certain agreement, regarding the great, albeit brief football and sociological greatness of Duane Thomas.
Here it is, Duane and Jim appear at the 7 minute mark.
The opening picture (left to right) is that of a pair of greats at what they did, broadcaster Pat “Super” Summerall and quarterback Roger Staubach.
At the end, the greatest of television football broadcasters, Ray Scott calls Duane’s TD run that gave Dallas a (17-3) lead with Mike Clark’s subsequent point after touchdown conversion.
On radio, I wish I could find it, another great broadcaster, Bill Mercer the Cowboys’ “voice,” delineates the 5 to the 3 and touchdown, the proper and great call of Duane’s TD.
So much of it gone, I heard Harlan making a mockery of radio broadcast cannons, but as in “The Boys of Summer” “Don’t look back” as all, more than “gained on us,” and I do not mean Bob Gain.
The great Duane Thomas, pictured above.
Of course citing the White Sox loss skein and other factors including those that made “Chi” a growing underdog manifested in the White Sox win at Oakland last night, which snapped their A.L. record tying 21 game losing streak (O’s in ’88 to start the season).
Elsewhere, last week Blake Snell authored a no-hit game while last night Framber Valdez was denied his second career such game, when ‘2024 World Series MVP Corey Seager unloaded a 2 out/2RHR in the “still’ Astros win (4-2) vs Texas.
Only Don Wilson, who died far too young among the so many excellent Astros’ pitchers, has hurled 2 no-hit games with that franchise.
The baseball regular season, made so much less important by virtue of the fact 12 of the 30 teams qualify for post-season play, grinds on without any really good team.
Witness the fact no team is really near the .600 win percentage mark.
However, there is an historically bad (for a major league team, no matter how bad in the bigs, those players are truly talented just not relative to other big league players to this point) one, that being the (27-88) Chicago White Sox.
They have lost 21 straight games tying the ’88 O’s for the American League mark (“Oak” is about a 8 plus to 5 home favorite to hand the Chi Sox a record breaking loss tonight) and have 20 less wins than the next worst team.
The great pitcher, Early Wynn, pictured above.
So few White Sox wins, early or late in a woeful 2024 season.
A fortunate turn, late night into this day, as awake, I saw “The Judgment,” the famed last episode of the seminal television show, “The Fugitive,” these nearly 57 years later, as it aired on MeTV.
Some, maybe many of you have never seen the series, no less the classic final episode that aired amidst great expectation and of course yielded great (at most 3 networks) ratings.
Thus, even after this long period, the only spoiler alert, one I had not “noticed” (me with my incredible penchant for the calendar/which day etc.) is that the show’s narrator, the great William Conrad, (later “Cannon” and earlier, one of the killers, in “The Killers,” Mr. Lancaster’s burst on film, based on Mr. Hemingway’s novel), ended the show, in its epilog with the following: “Tuesday September 5th, the day the running stopped.”
William Conrad, pictured above.
Hot as a (you fill in), however, “bailed” to an extent, by the wonderful Ned Martin, long dead, but “ON,” Tigers/Red Sox, Monday October 2, 1972.
Much to say/note that others, of course do not pick up (por ejemplo, terribly important Red Sox losses on 10/2/ Mondays, 6 years apart), however this is about praise by Ned, afforded to a great opposing player, Al Kaline.
Those 52 years ago, Mr. Martin an excellent broadcaster, talked of how the current players could learn from following the actions and practices, the unbridled professionalism, of Mr. Kaline, all the while as Al led Detroit to wins that gave the strike affected ’72 A.L. East to the Tigers and not Ned’s Red Sox.
I promise more context, Tigers/Red Sox real races in both ’67 and ’72 ahead.
Above, click to view and hear two great Red Sox broadcasters, first Ken Coleman, I guess on television, and the above cited Ned Martin call this game ending play, part of the Red Sox ’67 “Impossible Dream” A.L. Pennant glory.
Andy B Sports 