Perpetually middle-aged, tart-tongued, and pragmatic, New York-born character actress, Thelma Ritter was the voice of reason in many movies of the 40s and 50s. Whatever the genre, be it comedy, film noir or melodrama, Ritter was always a breath of fresh air and enjoyable to watch. I’m sharing a few clips of her work in honor of her birthday on Valentine’s Day.
Continue reading Happy Birthday, Thelma Ritter!Category: Birthday Mixtape
Happy Birthday, Alfred Hitchcock!
Yesterday was the Master of Suspense’s birthday. In his honor, I’ve assembled a few scenes from his less discussed works.
Happy birthday, Simón Díaz!
Yesterday was Simón Diaz’s birthday, the author of many of the tunes I grew up listening to as a child. Although he is little known in the U.S., this Venezuelan singer-songwriter’s tunes have been translated and adapted worldwide. In fact, if you’ve ever heard the Gypsy King’s Bamboleo, then you heard a sliver of Diaz’s most famous song, Caballo Viejo.
Diaz’s work is lyrically, intrinsically Venezuelan. Inspired by life on the llanos, or the plainlands, Diaz revitalized the traditional work song, tunes that plain men and women sung while engaged in the monotony of farm labor. The result is both poetic and down-to-earth, and reaches deep into the human soul through the use of nature and animal metaphors. Below is the birthday mixtape. Hope you enjoy it.
Happy Birthday, Tom Waits!
Today is Tom Waits’ birthday. His atmospheric, strange, and memorable music has always been a fave of mine. Let’s put some quarters in the jukebox and have a listen, why not?