Film noir and brilliant TV

March 30

Ian, Bill, Lynne, Bobb, Barbara, Will, Edgar, Jim, Steve L, Jeanette, Bob

I'm bookending March, with Diner Diaries immortalising only the first and last Mondays of the month thanks to Douglas Fairbanks's silent pranks and Will Ryan's considerably noisier Cactus County Cowboys!
Although he hasn't been awarded much sympathy by the public - many of whom, it seems from press and radio, have decided he's guilty - Phil Spector has been remarkably cheerful while he awaits the jury's verdict, according to Jim. While no one expected the jury to make their mind up in a trice, every obstacle appears to have been placed in the way of a definite conclusion to the five-month trial, from letting the jury stay home in case downtown was clogged up by crowds celebrating Cezar Chavez day or one of their number falling ill. When you consider that he could spend the rest of his life in jail, it has been a considerable achievement for him to surround himself with friends like Jim, generously taking them out to meals and generally living as normal a life as possible. Most murder suspects have only the four walls of a prison cell to look at while they await a verdict, but it can be just as hard to go out in public.
As far as I know, Spector has not recently visited Micheli's, the Italian tourist trap off Hollywood that really should be the automatic choice for a meal before seeing a movie at the Egyptian. But it shows just how many doubts surround the place, that its merits are so often debated. Now was one of those times, ahead of the April film noir season at the Egyptian. It has few real fans among our group and some definite detractors, notably Ian and Lynne.
I'll take the liberty of jumping ahead of myself to say that Lynne, Will and I went there on the season's first night and had a good meal, promptly served. That may have had something to do with the recession thinning out the number of customers, but let's take it as a good omen for both film noir and Cinecon. Perhaps the real puzzle is why the area doesn't have a whole bunch of excellent restaurants clamoring for our dollars. Taking tourists for granted can be a hard habit to shake off..
How much TV should we watch? That question has been asked far more than how often we should or should not go to the movies - because that has traditionally meant getting out of the house? Because movies are more of an art form than TV? Barbara revealed that she rations herself, either despite or because she wants to clear away space to watch American Idol, among other attractions of the small screen. But I haven't heard of anyone rationing themselves with regard to movies, unless to save money, so I think TV has had an undeservedly bad press. Aside from Idol, which Lynne and I also follow avidly, the debate on TV's merits were prompted by a new series that launched on HBO on Sunday, a serialization of Alexander McCall Smith's Botswana-based books, The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency. This really is a marriage made in heaven: excellent books, a fine lead actress in Jill Scott, great producing and directing from the late Sidney Pollack and Anthony Minghella, and wonderful Botswana scenery. Don't ration yourselves!

CAUGHT ON THE BREEZE
There's so many more people know you than you know
I've been free for a long time of worrying about what people think of me
Every man would like to be randy for a day
Do you really mean to say that a man with a beard can't be sexy?
I saw Johnny Mathis driving down Sunset once
Touching is all right for sex, but that's it as far as I'm concerned