Short Films: One Too Many (Éramos pocos), Helmer & Son

Éramos pocos (One Too Many), Directed by Borja Cobeaga

There are some short films that I've really enjoyed. Since I've done some posts about aging, this one seems appropriate for the blog.

This one is a 2005 Academy Award nominated short film from Spain. I'll give away some of the plot, but not the ending.

The one I saw was in Spanish with English subtitles.

When the film starts, a man is waking up and discovering that his wife's left him. He has a teen-aged son.

The two of them aren't able or willing to care for themselves and their apartment.

Dad goes off to the nursing home to retrieve his mother-in-law and bring her back to care for them. Her meals are delicious. She takes good care of them and the home.

This film is under 30 minutes long. It's poignant and funny with a twist of an ending.

This is on a DVD collection of 2006 Academy Award Nominated Short Films that's available at Amazon. I first saw it on one of our favorite PBS shows, Image Makers. Check your local PBS station to see if you get that show. They may replay it. They feature some terrific short films from all over the world, many are Oscar winners and nominees. Academy Award Nominated Short Films

The Amazon DVD also contains the Danish short, Soren Pilmark’s Helmer & Son, which I look forward to viewing.

The film is described this way: A son is called to the rest home where his recently admitted father has locked himself inside a closet. Distinguished by a good dialogue, the short provides an insight on the relationship of father and son. *There is more that's said about this one, but it gives some of the outcome away.

In Hamlet, Shakespeare said that brevity is the soul of wit. There's something particularly wonderful about those who can create something fine, and do it in a short form.

Poster image from abandomoviez.net

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The Case of The Blushing Pearls, Tuesday Flashback Feature, Perry Mason

This is part of my Tuesday Flashback Feature. We reminisce about classic TV shows usually from the 1950s-1970s where gemstones or pieces of jewelry featured prominently in the storylines.

Perry Mason
The Case of the Blushing Pearls
Oct. 24, 1959

Wealthy businessman, Hudson Nichols' son, Grover has been seeing a lot of Mitsuo Kamuri. Hudson doesn't like this at all. Mitsuo is "caught" with a string of valuable pearls belonging to Grover's mother!

The truth is that Hudson has framed her! He says he'll absolve her if she'll break off her relationship with his son. Grover tells his father that he's going to marry Mitsuo. She consults Perry Mason, who tries to intervene.

Ito Kamuri, Mitsuo's uncle, who had originally strung the pearls and has made

Raymond Burr shows Dennis Hopper
where it happened

two sets of false pearls is found dead, having apparently committed hara kiri, a suicide ritual which originally was reserved for the Samurai.

The police don't believe it's hara kiri. Perry and Lt. Tragg believe that the uncle was murdered. Mitsuo is charged with the crime and Perry must solve the mystery of who has the real pearls. 

Mason cleverly fools everybody at the court room when he figures out there are two fake necklaces and a real necklace involved in the murder. Mason impresses and baffles the opposing attorney and Lt. Tragg with his courtroom skills in this episode.

Each Tuesday, we'll feature a different show, often a US sitcom. Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources.

Particularly when the episode hasn't been recently viewed personally, information will be as accurate as possible. When available, a show photo will be included.

I'm always interested to hear your memories. In the interest of supporting fellow artists, I'll be featuring a few shops where the pieces tie into the general theme of the featured story.

Perry Mason was a courtroom drama that began on radio and then ran on television from 1957 to 1966. Another series ran in 1973-74. Several made-for-tv movies were made in the 1980s and 90s. The program stemmed from a Perry Mason Mysteries series of books by the author, Erle Stanley Gardner.

As we saw last Friday with Monk's The Big Reward, police, lawyer and mystery-based shows have their fair share of plots concerning gemstones and jewelry.

As so many comic situations could be thought of around jewelry mishaps, many situations revolving around murder, mayhem, money, madness and malfeasance have been the stuff of mysteries for years.

The radio episodes of the show are fun and can be listened to any time. Perry Mason Radio Show - Mp3 on DVD and also Perry Mason Old Time Radio will whet your appetite.

Catch up with the show on video. Perry Mason (50th Anniversary Edition) or maybe Perry Mason: Seasons 1-4. Do they make them like this any more? Take a look on Amazon.

Read all about it. Try I Dreamed I Married Perry Mason or maybe Case Of The Screaming Woman (Perry Mason Mysteries).

Another book is about Raymond Burr: A Film, Radio and Television Biography, who played Perry Mason on television.

Enjoy the Perry Mason radio shows on MP3. "The Perry Mason of radio would rather swap gunshots with evildoers than sit in a boring courtroom, waiting for the deliberation! Geared more towards action than courtroom drama, Perry Mason ran 12 seasons and later led to the development of the now-popular Raymond Burr television show, which started in the late 1950s."

A young George Takei (Sulu on Star Trek) is featured in a solid supporting role where he is near the murder victim and at the same time has a major relationship with Mason's defendant. This appearance was at least six years before Star Trek.

Takei has written To the Stars: The Autobiography of George Takei, Star Trek's Mr. Sulu. Another holiday gift idea is always Star Trek: The Original Series (Remastered) - Three Season Pack.

Old Shanghai Women's Kimono Robe - Peacock & Blossoms (Long or short)
 

This is one of the best times of year to shop at Etsy for those special items that you won't find anywhere else.

A young George Takei (Sulu on Star Trek) made an appearance in this episode of Perry Mason.  

Think about this Kant quote... Judge the heart of man by his treatment of animals. 

Barbara Hale, who played Della Street, was surrounded by television good guys. Perry Mason was her tv boss. Then her real-life son, actor William Katt, played Paul Drake, Jr. in some of the later Perry Mason TV Specials. Katt is also remembered as TV's Greatest American Hero.

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The Big Reward, Friday's Tuesday Flashback Feature, Monk Final Episode Special

This is a very special Friday edition of my Tuesday Flashback Feature. We reminisce about classic TV shows usually from the 1950s-1970s where gemstones or pieces of jewelry featured prominently in the storylines. Ah, 2006. I remember it well...

This special Friday edition is in honor of the series finale of Monk. Its last episode airs tonight, December 4th, 2009.  So long, Adrian, Leland, Randy & Natalie. See ya in syndication.

Monk
The Big Reward
February 3, 2006

Monk and Natalie go to police headquarters to ask Captain Stottlemeyer for a raise. While they are there, Lieutenant Disher brings in Warren Landis, a security guard from a local museum, for questioning. 

The world-famous Alexander diamond has been stolen from the museum, and the police are interrogating all museum employees. When Monk notices some chemical residue on Landis' fingers, Lieutenant Disher arrests the security guard on drug charges.

When Natalie hears that there's a million dollar reward for the diamond, she convinces Monk to use his detective skills to try to find the stolen gem. 

Monk goes to the museum to investigate, where he encounters three other detectives who are also after the reward: a retired Scotland Yard detective named Inspector St. Clare, a young detective with lots of techno-gadgets named Rufus, and a muscle-bound bounty hunter named Dirk.

While Monk searches the crime scene, the other detectives hang back and follow his lead. Monk deduces that the heist was an inside job, and clues indicate that the perpetrator could have been a practitioner of transcendental meditation. 

Monk and Natalie head to a meditation retreat, where they find their man: Danny Chasen. Unfortunately, Chasen has been murdered, and the diamond is nowhere to be found.

Monk is convinced that Chasen must have been working with someone else, an employee of the museum. Monk heads back to police headquarters to confer with Captain Stottlemeyer. While there, Monk notices a woman named Jennie Mandeville. 

Disher explains that Mandeville has been coming into the police station to confess to nonexistent crimes. Later, Dr. Kroger informs Monk that Jennie Mandeville is the name of the woman who established the meditation retreat where Danny Chasen was killed, and with this bit of information, Monk solves the case!

Monk races from Dr. Kroger's office to police headquarters with the three detectives following him the whole way. When he gets to the station he explains what happened. 

The woman calling herself "Jennie Mandeville" was in on the robbery. She took the name from a plaque at the meditation retreat where she had gone to kill Danny Chasen, one of her fellow robbers. 

Warren Landis, the museum security guard that Lieutenant Disher arrested for drugs, was also one of the jewel thieves, as well as the boyfriend of the so-called "Jennie Mandeville." Landis was the inside man, and he had the diamond on him during the post-robbery questioning that led to his drug arrest.

Knowing he would soon be searched, Landis used a wad of gum to stick the diamond under the table in the interrogation room where he was being questioned. Later, after his arrest, he called his girlfriend from jail and told her where he hid the diamond. 

She took on the fake name of "Jennie Mandeville," and began confessing to fake crimes, trying to gain access to the interrogation room where the diamond was hidden. Unfortunately for her, she never did manage to get herself into the right room.

With the case solved, everyone turns their attention to the interrogation room where the diamond remains, and all they can do is watch as a cleaning lady finds the priceless gem. 

The cleaning lady gets the big reward, but Monk gets a reward of his own when Stottlemeyer informs him that the police department has agreed to put him on retainer. It's good news for Monk, the people of San Francisco, and all those who appreciate Monk's unique approach to solving crime. 


Thanks to the Monk web site for the synopsis this time. Christmas photos aren't from the episode but are seasonal pics. Great show. It'll be missed. Aw shucks.

If you aren't familiar with the show, try some of the DVDs. Monk: The Obsessive Compulsive Collection: Seasons One - Four will give you the first half of the series. That would drive Monk crazy. Only half! Other seasons are also available. There's also an episode guide: Monk: The Official Episode Guide Maybe they'll publish a second volume?



Each Tuesday, we'll feature a different show, often a US sitcom. Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources. Particularly when the episode hasn't been recently viewed personally, information will be as accurate as possible. When available, a show photo will be included.

I'm always interested to hear your memories. In the interest of supporting fellow artists, I'll be featuring a few shops where the pieces tie into the general theme of the featured story.


You can always find items at Etsy to help soothe some of the sorrow of parting...  Please note: vintage and art objects on Etsy may be sold out.

Captain, what doing?? Kilsook's Shop has a print of an original mixed media illustration which is kind of reminiscent of something Randy did in an episode once.

Missing Captain Stottlemeyer already? There's a Blond Mustache Love Pin at Isette's Shop. 


A mustard Natalie Bag with Kelp Print is at Appetite's Shop. 


The Randy's Donuts Art Photo of Disher fans' dreams is waiting over at FriendlyMade's Place. (below)



There's even an I'm Feeling Monkish Top 20 Custom Monk Phobias Shirt! Seek it out at HotMonkeyGraphics.


Trudy must have left her vintage etched clear glass coffee cup in France. Since AuntRitz has one with the name Trudy etched into it. Is it a clue?? Maybe there is a cinnamon stick in it? (above)


Don't lose your cool on Friday nights without your Monk! Mugly the monkfish would be happy to keep you company. He's hanging out in Brighteyesbushytail's Shop wondering if anyone loves him.



Monk's Blend Black Tea will surely help him during this huge transition in his life. InfusionsTea carries the brand. 

Somehow the San Francisco Police will carry on, with or without Mr. Monk's help. Therpsajik's Shop has a 1950s Special San Francisco Police Badge. (above) Adrian may have chosen to turn his badge back in, but you can get this nifty one for yourself.


DripStick's Shop will let you reminisce about those good old days in San Francisco for a while. Take a gander at the Vintage Travel Advertisement Series - San Francisco Cityscape.

* Let us know if you watch(ed) Monk, too. We won't be available to comment this evening though! End-o-Monk Party and all.

Images from the Monk web site and the sellers themselves
You can play Guess The Episode
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Getting wiggy: Retro TV's Identical Siblings and Cousins

Change the haircolor, change the personality?! Look out for the 'Hairy' Situations!
 

There were a lot of troublesome toupees and hopeless haircuts that made them want to curl up and dye. But don't flip your wig! These hairy situations were the stuff of classic tv plots.

TV's Lookalike Relatives (actors wearing wigs and playing two roles).

This series of articles, or lenses as they're called, look at episodes of classic tv shows where hair was somehow a big component in their storylines. I feature a different show, often a US sitcom from the 1950s-1970s.

Sometimes, like with this lens, there'll be an overall theme including more than one show. Also there was a special feature post about the years Hair Olympics, OMC Hair World.


Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources and, especially when the episode hasn't been viewed recently, will be as accurate as possible. A show photo will be included if possible.  We plan to get an article out each Friday.

This is about a phenomenon that spans tv shows, periodic visits by siblings and cousins who look remarkably like series regulars, only their hair color, and often their personality, is different. Hmmmmm. 


Please read more -- and watch video examples of Ophelia Frump, Jethrine Bodine, Jeannie's lookalike sister and Samantha Stephens' cousin, Serena.



Images from sitcomsonline


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That Ring, That Girl, Tuesday Flashback Feature

This is part of my Tuesday Flashback Feature. We reminisce about classic TV shows usually from the 1950s-1970s where gemstones or pieces of jewelry featured prominently in the storylines.

That Girl
That Cake
Nov. 13, 1970

Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) and Donald Hollinger (Ted Bessell) finally become engaged to wed in the fifth and last season of the show. While preparing for a wedding, continuing her acting career and everything else she's doing, Ann lands the prestigious title of Miss Everything at the New York Has Everything exhibit.

For the role of Miss Everything, she bakes a fruit topped cheesecake using all New York ingredients. The cake even gets shipped to New York Governor Nelson Rockefeller's house for a state dinner!

The situation turns frantic after the cake's been shipped and Ann thinks she's lost her engagement ring in the cake batter! What will happen if Governor Rockefeller bites into a piece of cake with her ring in it?! Will she ever get the ring back?! *

Wedding and engagement rings seem to regularly meet terrible fates on television shows. This isn't even the first or last ring to be or thought to have been baked into something. 


Each Tuesday, we'll feature a different show, often a US sitcom. Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources. Particularly when the episode hasn't been recently viewed personally, information will be as accurate as possible. When available, a show photo will be included.

I'm always interested to hear your memories. In the interest of supporting fellow artists, I'll be featuring a few shops where the pieces tie into the general theme of the featured story.

That Girl ran from 1966-1971. Ann Marie is a struggling actress living in New York City. She takes on a lot of temp work, trying to find jobs acting and modeling. Her boyfriend is Donald Hollinger, a magazine reporter.

This episode is in the final Season, That Girl: Season Five. Amazon.com has DVDs of one of the shows that can remind us of "how tv used to be." Please use the Amazon search box on my blog if you're shopping with them this year. That would help us out a lot in a very slow year.

A Free to Be You and Me DVD is available for the whole family.

Joey Bishop and Marlo Thomas
The Danny Thomas Show

The St. Jude's Reasearch Hospital was founded by the late Danny Thomas, Marlo Thomas's father.

Want to read about Marlo Thomas' real life love story?  Donahue: My Own Story by Phil Donahue.

There is also a hardcover book, Free to be You and Me.

* Even with all the chaos that ensued, it was ok. Turns out the ring was never in the cake after all.

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Images from Sitcomsonline

Mark Twain House and Ebeneeze, A Hartford Holiday Carol; Connecticut Christmas

November 30th is Mark Twain's birthday. When I was a kid, we used to visit The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut.

Their annual Holiday House Tour begins in early December. Visit the Twain House if you can. It's enjoyable, there's often something new and they'd appreciate the support.

The play, Ebeneeza: A Hartford Holiday Carol, will be traveling through four Hartford locations, including The Mark Twain House & Museum. Mark Twain plays the Ghost of Holidays Past. This sounds like fun, particularly for fans of Mark Twain's and Connecticut natives.

Mark Twain in his times is an interesting site. Their focus is to show how he "and his works were created and defined, marketed and performed, reviewed and appreciated" in context.

"Many of Mark Twain's works still speak directly to modern readers, but the larger story of his career -- as best-selling writer, live performer, celebrity and American icon -- can be more fully appreciated when those works are located in the context of his times."

Mark Twain was a fascinating and brilliant writer. The film, Mark Twain - A film directed by Ken Burns has some good insight.

One of our favorite Twain books is The Diaries of Adam and Eve. You don't hear a lot of mention of it but it's very funny. These are available on Amazon.

This holiday season if you're so inclined, you may also check out his book The Bible According to Mark Twain: Irreverent Writings on Eden, Heaven, and the Flood by America's Master Satirist.

Great humorists' works can definitely stand the test of time.


If you're reading this on my Facebook Fan Page, you may also want to check out my blog.

Image from The Hartford Advocate

The Ring, The Waltons, Tuesday Flashback Feature

This is part of my Tuesday Flashback Feature. We reminisce about classic TV shows usually from the 1950s-1970s where gemstones or pieces of jewelry featured prominently in the storylines.

The Waltons

The Ring

Oct. 17, 1974

"Sometimes when we were children all the love and attention we got at home just wasn't enough. For each of us there came a time when something from the outside was needed to give us a sense of self-confidence. It was a need of this kind that got my sister." -- Earl Hamner's introduction

Nuriye Purple Amethyst
and Sterling Silver Ring

Mary Ellen Walton (Judy Norton-Taylor) is excited about going to her first college dance. She has a date with a friend of her brother, John Boy's. She buys a second-hand evening bag to go with her dress. 

After she gets it home, Mary Ellen finds a pretty and valuable amethyst ring inside the purse. She decides to wear the ring to the dance. She and Erin (Mary McDonough) keep the finding of the ring a secret.

Mary Ellen loses the when she takes it off to wash her hands in the rest room at the dance. She doesn't realize it's lost until she gets home.

Later, Mrs. Breckenridge (Adrienne Marden), the previous owner of the bag, comes over asking about the missing ring. It turns out that the ring has a lot of

Purple Antique
Beaded Rose Evening Purse
Clutch Handbag w/ Chain

sentimental value for her.

Mary Ellen, John Boy and his date go back to retrieve the ring. The college gym, where the dance was held is locked up. One of the girls must crawl in the window to the rest room to get the ring. Leaving the building, they're discovered!

Mary Ellen brings the ring back to its rightful owner, Mrs. Breckenridge and is sorry for what she did.

"Our lives are measured not by birthdays but by the events that fall between them. Mary Ellen's first grown-up dance was a landmark in her passage from girlhood into the beautiful and engaging young woman she was to become.

"Yet, for a while in her dresser drawer, a reminder of the cocoon from which she had emerged, there remained a beat-up and much treasured old baseball glove, which she eventually passed on to her brothers." Earl Hamner's closing

Dahlia Women's Elegant Flower Wool Cloche Bucket Slouch Hat
Love that you can style this easily and that it comes in different colors

The series, The Waltons: Complete, Seasons 1-9 can be yours in a boxed set just right for gift giving. Single seasons are available available as well. Check your library and TV schedule for this episode.

Each Tuesday, we'll feature a different show, often a US sitcom. Information, including spoiler plot outlines come from various sources. Particularly when the episode hasn't been recently viewed personally, information will be as accurate as possible.When available, a show photo will be included.

I'm always interested to hear your memories. In the interest of supporting fellow artists, I'll be featuring a few shops where the pieces tie into the general theme of the featured story.

My first Tuesday Flashback Feature was about The Ring-a-Ding Girl, an episode of The Twilight Zone. Earl Hamner wrote that episode and there's a short quote from him on that page..

If you're getting ready for a dance and want to be dolled up like Mary Ellen, Etsy is a good place for you to shop. Let your uniqueness shine through. Please note: vintage and art objects on Etsy may be sold out, shops may no longer be open.

Recreate that vintage look with a few items added to your own wardrobe.

Would you wear the Ivory White Vintage Rose Cardigan Sweater? (right) Sourpuss Clothing makes vintage inspired looks in different colors and styles. They get very good customer ratings and are fun for any age.

Even the 1940s Vintage Bullet Bra in your choice of color. Want to be a very authentic Sweater Girl or pinup?

Sterling Silver Large Cabochon Purple Contemporary
Amethyst Gemstone Ring, February Birthstone

Finally, if you're longing for a little memento of the family, the 1975 Little Golden book The Waltons and the Birthday Present.

.... "Good night, Mary Ellen."

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Waltons image from The-waltons.com