The Final Frontier

Today my class took their second field trip...to the Chabot Planetarium and Space Center.  Since I reserved too late, we were not able to take a class; we watched two films.  Solarmax in the Megadome- a fantastic film about the Sun and its effects on our planet.  The Planetarium show was about the Maya and their astronomy.  The kids seemed to enjoy the trip- they loved the hands on attractions and the gift shop.  The best line of the day was "when can we go on a field trip where we don't have to learn about something."  Oh, one day they'll appreciate these trips!!

Stormy Weather

Another icon of American entertainment has joined the celestial choir...Miss Lena Horne.  Such a sultry voice and such a beautiful person, physically and spiritually.  An actress/singer, she will be remembered as Glinda the Good in the film version of The Wiz.  She also starred in Stormy Weather back in the 40s.
She overcame many hardships in the entertainment world due to her color, but she became a bonafide success!
I got to meet her when my friend Frank had to go back to get her autograph after her one woman show back in the 80s.  We waited at the stage door and were allowed in and met the legend herself.  I took a book detailing a musical she starred in, Jamaica.  She was ever so gracious and talked about that particular production.  I wish I knew more about her, but I know she was a belter and a lady.  Not many entertainers today can claim that.

Behind the Glitz, Glamour and Showbiz Beats a Heart

Friday afternoon an assembly was scheduled.  The note in the faculty room said "Assembly: A Career in Professional Wrestling."  At first, I read it fast and thought it said "professional writing."  Sure enough, we were going to have a visit from a professional wrestler; his niece attends my school.  My kids kept asking who was the wrestler.  I was as much in the dark as they were.
So, at 2 PM our vice principal announced, in her loud and booming voice, "Ladies and gentleman; boys and girls!  Presenting the Tonga Kid!"  Well, he walked in- a massive bulk of a man- dignified, proud and not looking as rough and tough as his television persona.  It was an actual human being.

He proceeded to talk; I thought it was going to be about the sport and entertainment of wrestling.  It was wonderful inspirational talk about life, school, mothers and his career.  He emphasized staying in school and doing homework.  He admitted to the kids that he did not know how to read and write.  He has traveled internationally, but was illiterate in certain things- the basic things.  Then he talked about mothers.  He choked up a few times.  Made me choke-up.  Here is a man who has wrestled with Rowdy Roddy Piper and Hulk Hogan, shedding tears about his late mother.  Now that is a man with feeling and humanity- a role model for those kids who think crying is for sissies.  He also made it a good point to emphasize he did not live the life of luxury we think pro wrestlers live...he lives in an apartment with his family and drives a van!
He also told the kids never to attempt the moves seen on TV- those are practiced, rehearsed and they know how to break a fall.
I have enjoyed wrestling as an entertainment- shades of the gladiatorial arena of ancient Rome, but I have a new respect for the men, because they can put aside their "Hollywood image" and talk like the rest of us and reach out and tell the youth of today how it is.  Bravo for Sam Fatu...AKA the Tonga Kid!!

T'was a good week

It was rather a busy week; aside from school and Papi, we went on our annual field trip to the Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum in San Jose, California.  A great outing for the kids and the day was spectacular.  Had three great chaperones: Pete, Mariana and Keith and my niece Christina came along and was one of the official photographers.  She enjoyed the antics of the kids, too.
I must say that this yearly expedition is wonderful as I get to reacquaint myself with antiquities and mummies.  The kids are fascinated by the mummies- three human and various animal ones- and they soak up lots of information.  They were so well-behaved that one of my mischief-makers said, "And you were worried about our behavior, Mr. P!"  I am already contemplating one more field trip...to the Metreon IMAX theatre to see Disney's OCEAN.  

Never Forget

The day of the Holocaust remembrance was the 10th of April this year, I believe.  As the years spread us apart from those horrific days, it is sad to see some of our youth not giving a care whatsoever.  I guess it's because it happened so long ago for them, and being Christian, something such as the Holocaust could never happen to them.
Living in San Francisco is great because we are such a diverse city, but yet there is hatred amongst various ethnic groups.  From gang violence to hate crimes.  I see the kids I teach how "safe" they feel in the Bay Area, but what happens once they leave to other states or countries where diversity is not the norm?
Events such as Holocaust Remembrance Day must be "celebrated" in our schools and in our families.  Teachers educate and allow them to research and learn what happened in those days- not only to the Jews, but to those righteous enough to stand up to the Nazis; to the Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals, Catholic religious, etc.  The evil seeds Hitler planted sprout today as vicious weeds trying to destroy "the good in humanity."

Rwanda, the Sudan, the Killing Fields of Pol Pot...different times and people, but with the same goal- genocide; get rid of those who have "caused our problems."

Sometimes I wonder if extraterrestrials do exist and they are observers of what transpires on this blue planet.  Are they horrified?  Do they wonder why our species destroys its own kind?

Yet, no matter how ugly those times were, let us remember and celebrate Life...the survivors share their stories of heroism and courage; truly role models for our youth yearning to find out what is right.  Life is so precious that everyone deserves to experience it and not become a victim because of some idiot's ill conceived ideas about how our nations should exist.

Have you ever been picked on or bullied because of how you look or act?  If so, you've experienced the "Yellow Star."  God bless all victims, survivors and children!

In the beginning

Let's go back to the very beginning...a very good place to start.  During the Easter season, lots of Biblical films get airtime on TV.  Of course the popular ones are shown and the ones that are not a critical success are bound to be watched at home.  The Bible...in the beginning is one such film.  My mom and I saw this one back in 1967 at the old United Artist theatre on Market Street.  A two o'clock matinee; afterall this film was a roadshow engagement.  That theatre had a record-breaker with The Sound of Music playing for about two years.  Talks about movies with staying power!  As usual, I digress.
The Bible was directed by John Huston.  He was a director from, as the kids would say, the "old school."  Looking back, the film was very long, tedious and reverent.  Afterall, it was the story of our human beginning.  Visually, it is an incredible film with a cast of thousands and no CGI.  I emphasize this fact to my students as they refer to green screen and the like.  An ambitious film five years in the making.  Hmm...let's see why it's on my top 10 Biblical epics...
The cast included big names and new names...Adam and Eve were portrayed by Michael Parks and Ulla Bergryd (who?)  Michael Parks had moderate success on American TV and film; Ulla was a student from Sweden and caught the eye of director Huston.  Cain and Abel were portrayed by Richard Harris and Franco Nero.  Funny, in 1968 they would be cast in the film version of the musical Camelot- Harris as King Arthur and Nero as Lancelot.  Both these actors would find international film success.  John Huston not only directed the film BUT narrated and played Noah.  In fact, the Noah sequence was the comedic highlight of the film.
Stephen Boyd portrayed Nimrod, the builder of the Tower of Babel.  The last half of the film dealt with the saga of Abraham and Sarah, portrayed by George C. Scott and Ava Gardner.  His portrayal of the patriarch is the best, IMHO.  And Ava Gardner was a joy in the part of the wife who could not bear a child.  Speaking of which, Hagar the Egyptian was portrayed by Zoe Zaldis (again, who?) and was cast in the part of "Hagar" because she was having an affair with the director.  And, apparently Mr. Scott and Miss Gardner were the subject of gossip as well.  But this is not The Ten Commandments, so they're safe.  Peter O'Toole was cast as the "Three Angels of the Lord."
The Creation sequence was OK; I think it was more spectacular in One Million Years B.C.  But the creation of man from the dust of the ground was interesting to say the least.  The first murder is still as chilling to young audiences as to the ones in the 60s.  I've shown this part in my religious education classes and the kids get quiet or say "No!"  Cain strikes his brother with the jawbone of an ass.
The last half of Act I is the Noah sequence and it is spectacular, especially the building of the ark, the arrival of the animals and the great flood itself.  Mario Chiari was nominated for his scenic design of the film.
The Tower of Babel was a great sequence, though I really doubt it was a 50 story skyscraper.  But then again this sequence was used to show how languages evolved.  Lastly, the story with Abraham got tedious at times.  It gets its message across and the sacrifice of Isaac is moving, thanks to the fantastic score by Toshiro Mayuzumi.  It was this score that got me hooked to the genre of film music.  I still love the theme to this film and the music is really different from the traditional composings of Alfred Newmann, Max Steiner or Elmer Bernstein.  It is a movie score worth checking out.
Bueno, I think this entry is longer than the film!  It may not be your type of film, but definitely one to check out.  If you are not into the story, but a student of film, look for the technicals.  Try to enjoy, huh?

Another TV Icon...Gone

Popular televison luminary, John Forsythe, passed away at the age of 92.  He's best know for two roles he created- the voice of "Charley" on Charlie's Angels and as the patriarch on the popular drama Dynasty as "Blake Carrington."  He had a melifluous voice and was handsome.  As a child, I remember him on Bachelor Father.  Hopefully his legacy will live on as young people discover/re-discover his performances.  RIP, John Forsythe.

Superstar?

As I did with Halloween, I thought it would be fun to write about the various Biblical epics that I grew up with.  Some are amazing works of cinema, whilst others are somewhat snarky.  And I would like to write about Old Testament films, as well as the ones of New Testament interpretation.
Being that it is Good Friday, I'd like to start with MGM's King of Kings.  Produced by Samuel Bronston and directed by Nicholas Ray.  The stars were an eclectic and alternative mix of knowns and unknowns.  Jeffrey Hunter was cast as Jesus- blue eyes and a reddish mane.  His voice was powerful enough to convey the message of "peace, love and the brotherhood of man."  Siobahn McKenna, Mary the mother of Jesus, was a tad too mature for the role, yet her delivery was not too matronly.  Carmen Sevilla, an A-lister in her native Spain, is a gorgeous Magdalene.  But her voice is dubbed and I think it is noticeable.  Other of note- Hurd Hatfield as Pilate, Ron Randell as Lucius, Frank Thring as Herod and in her film debut, 16 year old Brigid Bazlen as Salome.  Seasoned veterans that I know, Robert Ryan and Harry Guardino, portrayed John the Baptist and Barabbas, respectively.
The film was shot in Spain because the countryside resembled with the production team imagined the middle east to look like two thousand years ago.  Some of the countryside is spectacular, especially for the Sermon on the Mount scene, with a literal cast of thousands.  This scene is considered a textbook example for difficult filming.  Jesus is walking through the crowd at difficult angles and inclines, so the poor camera people had to navigate and plan carefully.  Watch it for the technical aspect alone!  The costumes and hair styles,  especially for Herodias (Rita Gam) and Claudia (Vivieca Lindfors) are too contemporary, but nonetheless fun to look at.  The grand musical score is by Miklos Rosza.  It is one of my favorite scores.  You will note that the music runs through out the film.  I'd say 85% is underscoring.
The story, though, is a tad different in some ways.  The Gospel narrative is there; not much emphasis on the miracles.  It is more of a human story.  One of the sub-plots is Barabbas's fight to liberate Judea from the Roman.  In fact, during the Palm Sunday sequence, Barabbas leads a group of "patriots" on a raid of the fortress Antonia.  Obviously not in the Gospel, but it was the action scene needed to attract the segment of movie goers who found religious movies to be boring.
I was introduced to this film in 1967, when the local ABC affiliate, KGO channel 7, had movies before prime time.  It was shown on two days; part one ended with the beheading of John the Baptist.  The dialogue was made a bit contemporary as well. (Father, into your hands I commend my soul.)
It is a classic and if you are a fan of the genre, regardless of your faith, this is a film to check out.  And if you can, focus on the music!!

Baruch ata hashem

Today I was priveleged to share in a Seder meal with my dear friend Dan and his wonderful family.  In fact, it was an honor to sit next to the patriarch, his dad Jerome, and his older brother, Ben.  Truly a lovely family...his sister Rebecca, sister-in-law Nancy, niece and nephew,  and of course his remarkable mom, Jane.  Oh, how I miss family gatherings and especially meals.  Arrived late due to a prior committment (Masters in Ed class in San Ramon).

The repast was delish!  Matzoh ball soup in a mushrom broth, gefilte fish made with salmon- to die for!  A very, very spicy and hot horseradish.  A wonderfully wicked charoset, and a scrumptious salad and a dish that caused a great discussion- grain or grass.  Quinoa, I think.  Desserts were unleavened cookies and a dark chocolate cake that would rival any restaurant dessert!

The best part was sharing this meal with my friend and his family- hopefully one day to be known as friends as well.  Truth be known, since I got there late and couldn't sing "Dayenu" - I actually wanted to burst in song with "Yeverechacha."  Perhaps next year, huh?

Thank you Dan and family for making me feel very welcome!  God's blessings upon you and may She guide and protect you all in your travels, endeavours, and get-togethers.  L'chaim!

Summer Employment

Summer this year will be a tad busy.  I have committed myself to work at the Salesian Boys and Girls Summer Day Camp from mid-June to mid-August.  What area?  Music and drama.  More importantly, what ages?  Ready?  From three to nine...*sigh*....uh....huh?  It was a recommendation from a co-worker, who's been working there for a long time, that got me this summer gig.  The interview with the summer director was not as stressful as I thought it would be.  She made me feel relaxed and told me all the great things that this club does for the youth.  The best thing is working in a neighborhood that I take for granted, yet it is in my hometown- North Beach.  Walking down Columbus Avenue and Stockton Street was just exhilarating.  The smells, the sounds, the crowds, the ambiance- truly a part of San Francisco I only share with out of towners.  I guess, like anyone, we take neighborhoods in our hometowns for granted.  It will be great to explore this exciting neighborhood.
Now, what to do and teach?  Thank goodness for "Ein mopps komm in die kuche" and Xuxa's incredible version of "It's A Small World."  OK, that's all for today.