A MAttER oF SpEaKinG...

...guess who dropped in...

2008-11-25T06:44:00.000-08:00

After months of hunting, since seeing mysterious footprints on the pipes almost every outside the hospital, finally, we caught one of the culprits...he is simply adorable...cuteness personified...but behind all those cuteness, he hissed and bared fangs!!! This civet cat has the aroma of pandan...you can smell it even your are standing a few away. Regardless, we have to set him free...back in the wild...but far far away from the hospital....

...wong chau jun in rangoon road...

2008-11-07T06:13:00.000-08:00

Way down to the end of Rangoon Road, there is a nice place where you can enjoy nice food. Wong Chau Jun is located behind the Sin Kin Snua Coffee Shop.

It serves good food. It is open in morning until late afternoons. The place is usually full of patrons.

The famous signature dish is the "beehoon snooi luak" (vermicelli in sour spicy soup). There is a choice of fried fillet, fried fish head or simply fish meat. This soup is appertizing as it is both sour and spicy. You will find pieces of bird's eye (cabai burung) in the soup, but it is sure worth the try.

They also have the hor fun steamed with fish. The hor fun is not as smooth as the one we had at Highway Seafood Restaurant, but one of the better ones in the island. It comes in plain hor fun with some pieces of steamed fish fillet by the side.

The fried bee hoon with fried fish fillet is nice when eaten hot, tend to be a little oily when it is warm. This restaurant seems to be quite generous with their fillet.

The pork ribs noodles it something different, not exactly nice but just unusual. It is either cooked in fermented bean curds (tau joo) or the "ang chau" (red wine). Serve with chunks of tender pork ribs and chai sim with hefty pieces of chinese mushrooms.

Next, was the honey chicken. It tasted like Marmite Chicken but it is well glazed with honey and has the sweet taste of the bee produce.

The tau foo (everywhere you go in Penang, they have their own signature tau foo). The tau foo here is a little different from the signature tau foo elsewhere, as it has nice thick gravy with a little dried shrimp.

It's a good place to go when you are in town if you happened to be there and wanting to try something different, but make sure you have lots of time in your hand as the waiting time is a little long.

Ratings : 8/10

...barbara bel geddes - the plain miss ellie ewing...

2008-10-31T06:21:00.001-07:00

Although she was the well-known matriarch on the popular nighttime soap opera, "Dallas" on television for thirteen years, as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow, little known that the plain Barbara Bel Geddes was also an Academy Award nominee. Barbara had earlier scored success on stage and screen long before gaining more lasting fame on television.

Barbara (31st October 1922 - 8th August 2005) was born in New York, the daughter of noted theatrical and industrial designer Norman Bel Geddes, who staged more than 200 plays. After growing up amidst the theatre, Bel Geddes began acting on stage at age 18 and soon moved on to Broadway in 1942 and had her first major hit with "Deep Are The Roots" in 1944, winning a Theatre World Award.

She made her silver screen debut as the plain girl trying to convince fugitive Henry Fonda to surrender in "The Long Night" (1947). She was then Oscar nominated for her beautiful portrayal of the aspiring young Norwegian girl, Katrin whose life is chronicled in "I Remember Mama" (1948). She was then cast as the girl in love with Robert Mitchum in the western "Blood On The Moon" (1948) and the story of a desperate girl marrying into riches in "Caught" (1949).

"Panic In The Street" (1950) gave her not much of a screen time in a this good movie about a killer (the ever evil Jack Palance) infected with a deadly plague, playing hero Richard Widmark's wife and in "Fourteen Hours" (1951), trying to talk suicidal Richard Basehart out of jumping from a window ledge.

Though she achieved immediate success in films, Bel Geddes also continued to tread the boards on Broadway, since theatre was her first love. In 1952, she received the prestigious Woman of the Year Award by Hasty Pudding Theatricals USA, America's oldest theater company. She was also nominated for Tony Awardss as best dramatic actress for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in 1956 and for the lead in Mary, Mary in 1961.

She returned to movies in a supporting role in Hitchcock's "Vertigo" (1958) with James Stewart and Kim Novak, playing the plain-jane Midge. She was Danny Kaye's (as musician Red Nichols) wife in the moving "The Five Pennies" (though her singing voice was dubbed). She was one of the "5 Branded Women" (1960) a war melodrama; as Elfrem Zimbalist Jr.'s patient wife, watching him having an affair with the more sultry Lana Turner in "By Love Possessed" (1961). Barbara was seen in two 1971 films - "Summertree" and "The Todd Killings", in supporting roles.

Her greatest television role came as Miss Ellie Ewing Farlow on "Dallas" (1978), which enjoyed a run of thirteen years (1978-1991). She won the Emmy Award for best actress in 1980 and was nominated in the same category in 1979 and 1981. Bel Geddes left the show for health reasons during the 1984-85 season, with the more glamourous Donna Reed taking over the role of Miss Ellie. Barbara Bel Geddes returned for the 1985-86 season and continued on "Dallas" (1978) until 1990, when she effectively retired from acting. She did not appear in either of the two Dallas TV reunion movies.

On August 8, 2005, she died following a long battle with lung cancer.

...continental goes oriental...

2008-10-25T03:12:00.000-07:00

Almost everyone in Penang knows how good (and expensive) the breads in Continental Bakery are, but there is something new that ought to be checked out - it's wolfberry and longan bread. Who would ever thought of the combination of these two make such a sweet and tasty bread. The sweetness of the bread comes from the wolfberries better known as "kee chi" which is known for its nutritional value for eyesight improvement and dried longan that is used in many chinese soups and sweets and you can trust the bakery, they give you a generous amount of both in one bread. The bread is moist and fresh and has a unique taste and fragrance.

Ratings : 7/10

...my wonderful lunch...

2008-10-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

One of the best Koay Teow Tng up in Tanjung Bungah, is the one in Tanjung Bungah Cafe. Tanjung Bungah Cafe is along the main road of Valle of Tempe, at the junction of TAR college.

The coffee shop has a few nice hawker food...namely, the Koay Teow Tng, the Chicken Rice, the Sar Hor Fun and the Kopi Peng (iced milk coffee).

My favourite is definately the Koay Teow Tng. It has duck meat (it's hard to comeby Koay Teow Tng with duck meat these days), mince meat, fish balls and slices of fish cakes. My usual lunch over there is a bowl of the Koay Teow and bless the auntie's heart, she always gives me a bowl of duck legs, neck and sometimes...errr....butt...for free!!!

To top that off, a plate of chicken from the Chicken Rice stall. The pek cham keh is smooth and the roasted bird smells good. The rice is fragrant...and all this writing is making my mouth water!!!

Ratings for Koay Teow Tng : 8/10

Ratings for Chicken Rice : 7/10

Ratings for Sar Hor Fun with eggs : 7/10

Ratings for Kopi Peng : 7/10

...mamma mia!!!...

2008-10-23T07:45:00.000-07:00

It's ABBA-mania all over again!!! Relive the songs from the disco 70s!!!

I was so curious about this movie musical. So much fanfare from so many people, I dragged myself to watch the most talk-about movie musical of the year..."Mamma Mia" (2008)!!!

It is actually a very simple movie, beautiful Greek sceneries, some big names in the movies and a large collection of ABBA songs and...walla...the movie that everyone talks about these days.

It's not a bad movie - light and frothy but nothing spectacular. A little over-rated but why the success??? Well, the ever popular ABBA songs are well associated with many who grew up from that era. I am sure the same success would be garnered if they make a musical with songs from Bee Gees or Bonnie M (except ABBA songs are catchier). This is not a big budget and not a stagy musical (unlike "Sweeney Todd : The Demon Barber Of Fleet Street" (2007) or "Phantom Of The Opera (2004) or even "Moulin Rouge" (2001) which meant strictly for the stage). This is a fun-filled, sunflowery musical so who cares about the flaws. Some musicals are better left on Broadway.

The leading cast is not known for their musical talents, but who cares...it's a fun musical and they carried the songs well!!! I have to admit, Julie Walters and Christine Baranski almost ran away with the movie.

So, if you wanna stand up, sing along and shake your booty...watch this movie!!!

...edie adams - she worked the hard way...

2008-10-20T19:54:00.001-07:00

The versatile Edie Adams who was adept to musicals, comedies and dramas died of pneumonia on 15th October 2008.

She was born Elizabeth Edith Enke on April 16, 1927, in the relatively small town of Kingston, Pennsylvania, but moved while fairly young to Grove City. Her family relocated again, this time to Tenafly, New Jersey, where she grew up. Following her graduation from high school, Edie aspired to become an opera singer and studied voice and piano at New York's Juilliard School of Music. She then went on to take acting classes at the Columbia School of Drama.

The winner of such contests as Miss US TV, Adams was hired to sing on Ernie Kovacs's variety series, "Ernie In Kovacsland" in 1951. After appearing together in the offbeat comedian's follow-up series, the two got married in 1955.

Subsequently she found fame on Broadway, billed as Edith Adams, winning a Theatre World Award for "Wonderful Town" and a Tony Awards in 1956 for playing Daisy Mae in the musical "Li'l Abner". Following that were more musical and dramatic ventures on the stage including "The Merry Widow" (1957), a show she would return to more than once, "Sweet Bird of Youth" (1960) and "Free as a Bird" (1960).

One of Edie's last pairings with Kovacs was in 1960 when they appeared as guests on the very last episode of "The Luci-Desi Comedy Hour." The pair appeared as themselves with one of the highlights having Edie crooning the lovely ballad "That's All". Kovacs' sudden 1962 death was a terrible reversal of fortunes for Edie. An inveterate gambler, he left her owing much money to the IRS. Instead of filing bankruptcy, however, she worked her way out of debt. In the process, her career received a second wind. Perhaps it didn't hurt that the public adored Edie and that she was a genuinely sympathetic figure in the wake of her private tragedy.

When she was ready for film she made an impressive debut as Fred MacMurray's vengeful secretary in the Oscar-winning "The Apartment" (1960). She had a good role in the Doris Day/Rock Hudson comedy, "Lover Come Back" (1961). Thereafter, she played off such comedy pros as Bob Hope in "Call Me Bwana" (1963); Sid Caesar in "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963); and Jack Lemmon in "Under The Yum Yum Tree" (1963) and had a showy bit as a stripper in "Love With A Proper Stranger" (1963).

Adams had her own short-lived vareity series, "The Edie Adams Show" (1963 - 1964). She showed up as one of Rex Harrison's greedy mistress, a fading star, in the ensemble piece "The Honey Pot" (1967).

While growing noticeably heavier in later years, she never lost her trademark humor and sex appeal. Edie could still be seen from time to time on the stage in such shows as "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas," the female version of "The Odd Couple," "Hello, Dolly!" and "Nunsense". She remained committed to the end to restoring/preserving her late husband's videotapes and kinescopes of his ground-breaking 50s TV work. She also recalled her offbeat life with Kovacs in the book Sing a Pretty Song, which was published in 1990.

Edie remarried in 1964 to photographer Marty Mills, with whom she had a son, Josh. That union ended in divorce in 1971. The following year Edie married jazz trumpeter Pete Candoli. She and Candoli, who died in January of 2008, divorced in 1989. In another eerie, tragic circumstance, daughter Mia was killed in a 1982 Los Angeles auto accident at age 22 -- exactly 20 years after her father's similar demise. Suffering from cancer and losing weight in recent years, the beloved Edie died of complications from pneumonia at age 81 in Los Angeles.

...dolores hart - holy starlet...

2008-10-20T19:53:00.001-07:00

Her career as a beautiful starlet was blazing bright in the late 50s. She was one of those teenage star with a promising career, but who would believe, the beautiful Dolores Hart would give up acting and all to become a nun and today, a Reverand Mother.

Dolores Hart (20th October 1938) was born in Dolores Hicks in Chicago, Illinios to actor Bert Hicks and his wife. She was their only child. Despite their religious implication (they were Catholics), seperated and ultimately divorced. She is also the neice of Mario Lanza, who was married to her aunt. During her parents' marital problems, she turned to her grandfather, a movie theater projectionist for comfort, whose enthusiasm for films influenced her decision to pursue an acting career.

She was reported to appear in "Forever Amber" (1947) as child. In 1956, using the stage name Dolores Hart, she was signed to play a supporting role as the love interest of Elvis Presley in "Loving You" (1957). She then appeared in Anna Magnani 's "Wild Is The Wind" (1957) and heavy family drama "Lonelyhearts" (1958 starring Montogomery Clift, Robert Ryan and Myrna Loy). In 1958, she again partnered Elvis in his "King Creole". She has denied ever having had an 'intimate' relationship with Presley offscreen.

She was next put on a saddle with Jeff Chandler and John Saxon in western "The Plunderers" (1960). In 1960, Hart starred in "Where The Boys Are", a teenage comedy about college students on springbreak which developed a near cult-like following. In the film, Hart plays a co-ed who struggles to define herself when confronted with her newly-discovered sexuality and popularity with the opposite sex. Also in the film, George Hamilton, Yvette Mimieux, Jim Hutton, Paula Prentiss, Frank Gorshin and introduced Connie Francis to the silver screen.

Hart was then in the biblical "Francis Of Assisi" (1961 with Bradford Dillman in the starring role) and the comedy, "Sail A Crooked Ship" (1961 starring Robert Wagner). There was a thiller with Stephen Boyd in "The Inpector" (1962). She was more at home in another teengage comedy "Come Fly With Me" (1963, this time with Hugh O' Brian, Karl Boehm, Pamela Tiffin and Lois Nettleton).

At this point she had made up her mind to leave the film industry, and after breaking off her engagement to Los Angeles businessman Don Robinson, the 25-year-old actress became a Roman Catholic nun at the Benedictine Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Connecticut, ultimately becoming the Prioress of the Convent. She chants in Latin eight times a day.

In 2006, she visited Hollywood again after 43 years in monastery to raise awareness for peripheral idiopathic neuropathy, a crippling disease, that afflicts many Americans, including herself since 1997.

Today, the Reverend Mother Dolores Hart is Prioress of the Abbey, but has in recent years become the only nun to be an Oscar-voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

...my one day jalan~jalan cari makan in prai...

2008-10-19T07:36:00.000-07:00

That is where we went recently...across the magnificent but under-construction Penang Bridge to the mainland...Prai!!! This is part of our gang's exploration. i get to revisit all those places that I enjoyed good food when I was working over there.

This time, we did not have to wake up and depart at 4.30am!!! We get to sleep in longer. We left Penang at about 9.45am. We took a slow drive across the bridge enjoying some light converstations.

First stop - dim sum at Jalan Tembikai (in Bukit Mertajam). Wong Chow is a corner coffee shop where I enjoyed the wantan noodles although it is more famous for it's dim sum. Although, they have extended the tables to a few doors away, the place is still jam packed. The wantan noodles is something that makes you wanna eat more than a share. The dimsum is good and very reasonably priced. The har kow (prawn dumpling) is great here.

Next, after having our tummy half full, we drove down to Kampung Benggali area. Although it was a little later than usual, we were estatic that the place is still open. Restoran Kim Seng is very famous for it's dry koay teow with roasted pork. The koay teow is served dry with beansprout, mince meat and fried garlic served with a very well blended chili paste.

Tai Cho Restaurant and Hotel is place where you must try the roasted duck (and I dont mean one that associates to the hotel!!!). It is off Kampung Benggali. The roasted duck is served with special sauce - bean paste (tow chneoh) with bird's eye chili (cabai burung/chili padi). You can have the duck and the roasted pork in that sauce. They serve "lor nooi" (spiced egg), "lor tau knua" (spiced beancurd), chai boay soup (mixed vegetable soup - nothing to hoot about here) and the fish ball soup (as they said...QQnen nen - in mandarin please!!!).

After forcing all these within hours...off we went to Simpang Empat to Hup Hoe biscuit shop. This shop is famous for the roti teow (bread stick, which you find in pink plastic bags). The confectionary shop carries and sells many types of biscuits and they are usually fresh - biscuits from the good-ol-days (roti chiat, roti kapai, pong pniah, sambal heah bee tau sah pniah, atap chi to the modern cream biscuits).

It was a nice simple outing this time. Let's see where to next...:)

...simple breakfast...

2008-10-18T04:41:00.000-07:00

Every morning, in a far corner of Phuah Hin Leong Road (off Burma Road), there is a small stall on wheels that sells Koay Teow Tng. The stall has been operating for more than twenty years. With only a few round metal tables surrounding the stall, the place is usually full of people in the mornings, either eating in or taking away.

If you like your Koay Teow Tng simple, then try this...it only have chicken gizzards (kay kian), chicken liver (kay knua) and some pig's hoon cheong and a few pieces of chicken blood. It's kinda delicious as the soup is clear.

Ratings : 7/10

...coconut in any other name...

2008-10-16T07:56:00.000-07:00

Go down Jalan Dato Keramat and look for an Indian shop that sells coconut and you will find, the wonderful coconut jelly. The shop (not too sure if it's called Joe Coconut Products or just plain Joe), is located on the left Jalan Dato Keramat just before the traffic light to Sungai Pinang and the police headquaters. It's just right after the junction of Pahang Road.

Manjung Coconut Jelly or MAE Tendernut Jelly (the names are confusing as printed on the card), is unlike other coconut jellies. Instead of coconut water, the juice is used to make jelly and poured back into the shell of the huskless coconut. It is very refreshing and cooling when you take it after you refrigerate the coconut.

This is a MUST try!!! It is recommended to serve the coconut cold as dessert for your dinner guests.

Ratings : 9/10

...mr & mrs wong beng hooi...

2008-10-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

What is better than to surprise a wedding couple in the office...and that was what we did!!! It was a funny, interesting and took lots of conspiring effort from many.

To send Mei Mei off to become Mrs Wong Beng Hooi, a few of us decided to pull together and throw her a surprise pre-wedding" party. It was sweet of Mama Nora to organize some games that and Ah Cheh to arrange the nice food...and much kudos go to Sr Cecilia and Sr Isobel for being the partners in crime!!!

It was a usual weekday morning...nothing much happened in the office. As a matter of fact, no one mentioned anything. So thought the bride, our dearest Lai Khay (aka Mei Mei). Instead of our usual "where to for lunch" near lunch hour, everyone acted dumb...infact, everyone remained in their work stations and carried on working.

The groom was summoned over to the office on a supposedly official matter. The bride, as blur as she can be, was was lied to again and again...but many a times, many near "chin poh" (exposed) incidents happened...but with God's blessings, we managed to cover our tracks.

There was a good lunch ala "low tniah" (eve of the wedding), "kahwin kueh" and tea ceremony!!! Everyone gets a chance to drink "zappel" or "stout"!!! The bride and groom also had their first slow dance together (imagine how romantic after so many years!!!). All the "mak ee poh sotong" chipped in to make this a wonderful and fun lunch. Here are some photos...

...pomelo? orange? grapefruit???...

2008-10-13T04:33:00.001-07:00

This is one of my favourite citrus...some said it's Cameron Highland Sunkist, some called it Ipoh oranges, there are some who called it local tamarind...but whatever it's called, it's wonderful. It's looks like a mini pomelo and the texture and taste of the fruit is like grapefruit and orange. It has a beautiful refreshing aroma scent....very fruity...and usually the fruit is sweet. It is not easily found, I bought mine from Bukit Gantang rest stop. So, if you come across this what-ever-you-may-called it fruit, do let me know :P

....a quick thai lunch...

2008-10-13T04:30:00.001-07:00

When you cannot decide what you wanna have for a meal...when you feel like having a little of this and a little of that...what can be better than going for a buffet. So, that was what we did recently...buffet lunch at Prontip Thai Restaurant.

Located at the corner of Peel Avenue and Perak Road, it's hard to miss but also hard to turn in to the compound of the restaurant as the traffic is always heavy. Prontip serves buffet every for lunch and at a very reasonable price...only RM10.90 per head on weekdays and a little more on weekends. The buffet spread is not very vast, but good enough for the price.

So if, you ever thought of having a quick buffet lunch or a pang for a touch of Thai, then head to Prontip.

Ratings : 6/10

...june allyson - the girl next door...

2008-10-07T06:15:00.001-07:00

It took me days before I begin to write about one of my top favourite movie stars. I need to clear my mind, get into the mood and think straight.

In her earlier career, she was known as "the girl-next-door" and later, "the perfect wife". The petite June Allyson (who was born Ella Geisman 7th October 1917 - 8th July 2006), had the perfect wholesomeness and the sweet and sunny disposition screen image. She did not have the glamour of some of her peers of the 40s like Hedy Lamarr, Veronica Lake or Linda Darnell but she had the charms and warmth.

June was born to Robert Geisman, a Dutch-descent janitor and Clara in the

Bronx, New York. Her parents were seperated when she was six months old. When she was nine years old, a lightning struck and old oak tree and the heavy limb fell on her. She spent the next four years confined within a steel brace. Her stubborness and persistence started her doing exercise everyday and later swimming.

She proved to be an excellent scholar and studied piano when she was at the Bronx Public School. June, who was keen with dancing, never had enough money for private tuitionand learned most of her step from watching movies. She then entered Theodore Roosevelt High School which gave her an opportunity to study dancing which she excelled. Now in her mid-teens, she became a fan of the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musicals and she mastered several routines after watching them over and over.

This stood her in good form to audition for the Broadway musical "Sing Out The News" in 1938, where she won a chorus spot. June made her screen debut in 1937 in a Vitaphone short - "Swing For Sale" and went on to make a few more shorts. She understudied Betty Hutton in musical "Panama Hattie" in 1940 and got to play her role for five performances. George Abbott spotted her and cast her in "Best Foot Forward" on stage in 1941 starring Rosemary Lane. During one of the shows, Rosemary asked June to her dressing room. There Rosemary introduced her to Dick Powell. Powell complimented her and offered to be of professional help should she ever go to Hollywood.

MGM bought the rights to "Best Foot Forward" and she would be among the original cast members making their film debut in it but Rosemary Lane was replaced with Lucille Ball. This Technicolor 1943 release showcased June, Nancy Walker and Gloria DeHaven in "The Three B's" (the boggie-woggie Nancy, the barrelhouse June and the blues Gloria) number. She had a show-stopping bit singing "Treat Me Rough" to Mickey Rooney at the beginning of "Girl Crazy" (1943). Her next was "Thousands Cheer" starring the beautiful Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly and a guest star of many. June, Gloria DeHaven and Virginia O'Brien were seen vocalizing in "In A Little Spanish Town" number.

In "Meet The People" (1944), she had one song but featured Dick Powell as the leading man opposite Lucille Ball. From there Powell and Allyson started dating much to the dismay of the studio's boss, Louis B. Mayer who tried to break up the romance as Powell was still married to Joan Blondell, although the marriage was on the rocks. When June was given the script of "Two Girls And A Sailor" (1944), she approached Powell to read it. he suggested that she should try for the role of the older, plainer sister. Gloria DeHaven was the other sister and Van Johnson was the sailor. The response of the audience to her chemistry with Johnson led them to be the idols of bobbysoxers and also to a succession of films pairing these two.

"Music For Millions"(1944) cast her as the elder pregnant sister of Margaret O'Brien and two Robert Walker movies - "Her Highness And The Bellboy" (1945 - the title characters played by the glamourous Hedy Lamarr and Walker) and "The Sailor Takes A Wife". A better movie starring Kathryn Grayson and June as sisters in "Two Sisters From Boston" ranked her higher in the MGM pedestal. She was seen dancing with Ray McDonald to the title number of the all-star Jerome Kern biopic "Till The Clouds Roll By" and singing "Cleopatterer" in 1946. One critic claimed that watching a June Allyson movie was like being drowned in treacle and someone else once commented she would like to dissolve her in a cup of coffee!!!

June yearned for a meaty dramatic role to break her image, so she signed on for "The Secret Heart" (1946) as a mentally disturbed girl. Claudette Colbert was Allyson's stepmother and Walter Pidgeon as the man they both love. In reality, Claudette and June becaome very good friends. Unfortunately, many critics were not in favour of June's role. So, she went back to safer ground to star in "High Barbaree" (1947) with Van Johnson.

Her second 1947 release was also very popular with audiences. The college musical "Good News" starred her with Peter Lawford and along with Patricia Marshall, Mel Torme, Ray McDonald and the energetic dancer, Joan McCracken reaped in high profit to the studio. Although cast a college girl, June was actually 30 years of age!!! June had some great numbers to warble "The Best Things In Life Are Free", "Just Imagine" and the wonderful ending, "Varsity Drag".

She was back with Van Johnson the third time, this time in a romantic comedy "The Bride Goes Wild" (1948) which included Hume Cronyn, Arlene Dahl and Una Merkel. In Alexandre Dumas's "The Three Musketeers" (1948), she was cast as the goodie Lady Constance. The movie had a great cast - Gene Kelly, Lana Turner, Angela Lansbury, Van Heflin, Gig Young and Vincent Price. "Words And Music" (1948) with Tom Drake and Mickey Rooney as Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart boasted an impressive guest star like performing their songs. June partnered by The Blackburn Twins sang and danced a lively rendition of "Thou Swell".

Dick Powell, whom she married in August 1945, adopted a daughter, Pamela in that year. She was told during her childhood that the accident would prevent her from having children. In 1950, however, she gave normal birth to her son, Dick Powell Jr.

Critics were amass comparing her to Katharine Hepburn's Jo when she made "Little Women" in 1949. Some critics preferred the 1933 version, but they were in the minority. There were many that gave her glowing reviews, including Variety. She could cry on cue, a talent she shared with Margaret O'Brien. Allyson's method for triggering tears was to "try very, very hard not to cry . . . So the more I thought about not crying the more I cried." According to Allyson, during O'Brien's death scene, they "could not stop" crying. This version starred June as Jo, Margaret O'Brien as Beth, Elizabeth Taylor as Amy and Janet Leigh as Meg. Mary Astor played their ever understanding mother and Peter Lawford and Rosanno Brazzi supplied the sisters' love interests.

Her next movie set her in a new pace, as the perfect wife. With James Stewart, they triumphed in the baseball drama, the bio of Monty Stratton in "The Stratton Story" (1949). "The Reformer And The Redhead" (1950) and "Right Cross" (1950), had the husband and wife as co-stars but they are strictly for their fans only. She was back with Van Johnson in a better "Too Young To Kiss" (1951), a comedy where she dresses as a twelve year old! She did not get good reviews starring in "Battle Circus" (1953), a Korean-war love drama with Humphrey Bogart. Her co-starred with Van Johnson for the last time in "Remains To Be Seen" (1953).

She was back in another biopic with the lanky James Stewart in the classic "The Glenn Miller Story" (1954) as his wife. She had to compete with a strong cast (William Holden, Barbara Stanwyck, Fredric March, Walter Pidgeon, Shelley Winters, Paul Douglas, Dean Jagger, Nina Foch, Louis Calhern) in "Executive Suite" (1954). "Woman's World" (1954), gave her a good role as the wife of Cornel Wilde. "Strategic Air Command" (1955) was her last teaming with James Stewart as husband and wife. She tried once again to shake off her good-girl image by accepting the role of a vengeful wife of Jose Ferrer in "The Shrike" (1955) without success. "The McConnell Story" did not further her career but she had an affair off screen with her leading man, Alan Ladd.

Then came a string of remakes starting with "The Opposite Sex" (1956 - a remake of "The Women" 1939, in the role of Norma Shearer but it was fun and colourful with a good cast like Ann Sheridan, Joan Collins, Dolores Gray, Ann Miller, Agnes Moorehead and Dick Powell's ex-spouse, Joan Blondell). "You Can't Runaway From It" (1956) was a remake of the award winning, Claudette Colbert's role "It Happened One Night" (1934). She was the madcap heiress in Carole Lombard's role in "My Man Godfrey" (1957).

June Allyson was rewarded with "The Dupont Show With June Allyson" on television. She filed for divorce once during her marriage to Dick Powell, but the turbulent marriage lasted until his death from cancer in 1963. She struggled with alcoholism for years following his death. During these years, she guest starred on television.

She made a comeback to the big screen in the murder mystery "They Only Kill Their Masters" in 1972 for MGM without a bang. "Blackout" (1978) did not sum up much. Her last movie is in 2001 in the low budget comedy drama "A Girl, Three Guys, And A Gun". In between, June Allyson can be seen on TV, guest starring in "Vegas" (1978), "The Incredible Hulk" (1979)", "Simon & Simon" (1982), "The Love Boat" (1978 and 1983), "Hart To Hart" (1984), "Murder, She Wrote" (1984 with Van Johnson) and "Airwolf" (1986). She also appeared in many television tributes to Hollywood's yesteryears.

June Allyson was once the brightest stars. She was the epitome of what Hollywood once was. She had that certain aura that attacts and tugs you by the collar. Thou Swell!!!

(Autographed scanned photo - property of author)

...my one day jalan~jalan cari makan in ipoh (part 3)

2008-10-06T06:37:00.000-07:00

This is the last and final part of the my enjoyable one day trip to Ipoh...to explore not only the caves and crevices, but the wonderful local food that I never knew exist in Ipoh!!!

Having all the "mee koo" excitement, guide Peter took us to the old town to buy the confectionaries and odds and ends...of course we have to stop for the famous soya bean milk (tow chooi). So off we go to town...and I guess, by now, you know what lane we passed by again...

First stop in town was the confectionary and pastry shop...where people go to buy the famous heoh pniah (which is more popularly known as beh teh soh over here in Penang as we have our own version of heoh pniah with brown sugar filling). The shop is a famous establishment in Ipoh. After buying those biscuits, we walked a few doors down for the soya bean milk. I had mine in coconut sugar (gula melaka) at Lay Kei. As far as I can remember, it is the other small stall in a lane that is more famous.

Our ever so kind Peter, even too us to a public park similar to Taiping's famous Lake Garden, but there is no big lake. Taman D.R. Seenivasagam (or more popularly known to the locals as Taman D.R.) is more of a place for the families to have their picnics under the huge canopies of trees.

From there, he drove all the way, beating the traffice and squeezing into a two-way lane with a size of a one way street, to the famous "chew chang kah" (under the tree). It's similar to the one in Mount Erskine only bigger. The are rows of hawker stalls selling Yong Tau Foo (very very famous), poh phniah, etc. As we are still full from the curry mee, we had to watch only with amazement. There was also a lady who makes ham chin peng and yew char koay using a rolling pin out from an empty Pepsi bottle!!!

For one last time, we passed Lorong Po Garden...phew!!! We were like knowing where it is if we ever get lost in the town.

Our last destination and quest was to find the now famous muah chee stall that was featured in the recent "Ho Chiak" TV programme. It is supposedly located very very from where we were. So along the way, we stopped by the Ipoh Airport. As it was a public holiday, I guess there were no flights. The airport was totally empty (just like a scene from a zombie movie). After taking a few pics, we moved on.

We went in circles to find this muah chee stall...we stopped and ask around...it was a wild goose chase...but after a long while, we finally came to this small stall that is right infront of a resident house. It's quite surprising to see the number of people surrounding the stall. Well, it's even more surprising to see the portion of muah chee in a plate!!! I guess, It take about four normal portions to make one box in Penang!!! Other than muah chee, we had the "fa sang woo" (peanut paste). This is good - it's creamy, less sweetness and thick!!!

After all the wonderful places we explored, we finally say goodbye to Ipoh!!

Thank you Peter and Carole for this memorable and fun exploration!!! Looking forward to more :)

...indian auntie's little garden...

2008-10-05T09:04:00.000-07:00

Well, after I posted about my Indian neighbour and her plants, she has now add a new round plastic table. According to Mum, it's easier to sweep the corridor...my Mum is sometimes like volunteer MPPP, likes to sweep our corridor!!!

Look at her Indian auntie's roses...red and yellow...beautiful aren't they??? She should now grow more of the flower plants over at my side...then I don't have to buy and take care of new plants!!! :P

...glynis johns - send in the clowns...

2008-10-05T08:48:00.000-07:00

The husky voiced English actress who could accomplished both light comedies and dramas in the post war films of England and Hollywood is the daughter of actor Mervyn Johns. She was born in South Africa on 5th October 1923, while her parents were on tour there.

She made her debut as a school girl in "South Riding" (1938) after studied acting and dancing as a child. She had a good role in the women prison movie "Prison Without Bars" (1938) but that did not bring fame to her nor "49th Parallel" (1941); her father's "The Halfway House" (1944) playing his daughter and supported Deborah Kerr in "Perfect Strangers" (1945).

After that, she was promoted to lead role in the comedy "This Land Is Mine" (1946) and drama "Frieda" (1947). She was a mermaid in the fantasy/comedy "Miranda" (1948). Her next few movies received substantial distribution in America because of their leading men - Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in "State Secret" (1950); James Stewart in "No Highway In The Sky" (1951) as a stewardess; David Niven in "Appointment With Venus" (1951) a comedy about rescuing a prize cow and Sir Alec Guiness's comedy "The Card" (1952) where she was one of the women in his life.

In "The Sword And The Rose" (1953), she is Mary Tudor and another customed lady in "Rob Roy, The Higland Rogue" (1953). She was good in "Personal Affair" (1953) as a girl falling in love with the very married Leo Genn (the wife was played by Gene Tierney). Another women prison drama, "The Weak And The Wicked" (1954) with Diana Dors did not do her any good.

She continued to be the brightest thing about such movies as the remake of "The Beachcomber" (1954) in the part Elsa Lancaster had played originally and ending up in an unfriendly New Zealand with Jack Hawkins in "The Seekers" (1954). She had a memorable role opposite Danny Kaye in his finest "The Court Jester" (1955) and made a cameo in all-star "Around The World In Eighty Days" (1956). She was in the sentimental family drama "All Mine To Give" (1957) and went back to England to support Lana Turner in "Another Time, Another Place" (1958). She gave James Cagney a hand in the IRA drama, "Shake Hands With The Devil" (1959) and an Oscar nominated supporting role as a friendly Australian innkeeper romancing Peter Ustinov in "The Sundowners" (1960).

Glynis carried the comical segment of the mulit-character "The Chapman Report" (1962). In "Papa's Delicate Condition" (1963), she suffered and endured patiently as the drunk Jackie Gleason's wife and then played her best known role in Disney's "Mary Poppins" (1964) as Mrs. Winnifred Banks singing "Sister Suffragette".

In 1972, she made a triumphant return to the stage with Stephen Sondheim's "A Little Night Music" winning a Tony. Sondheim wrote "Send in the Clowns" in this show especially for Glynis Johns' short-breathed, wistful voice.

There was occasional Tv and stage work and later down the line, a role in another hit film, "While You Were Sleeping" (1995) as Peter Gallagher's scatterbrained mother-in-law. She was seen in "Superstar" (1999) as Molly Shannon's grandmother.

Happy 85th Glynis...

...janet leigh - the beauty in the shower...

2008-10-03T05:50:00.001-07:00

She was a leading lady in many of her movies, but the sweet and wholesome Janet Leigh will always be remembered for her one role that gave her less screen time and ended up dead...in Alfred Hitchcock's top thriller, "Psycho" (1960).

Lovely Janet Leigh was born Jeanette Helen Morrison on 6th July 1927, the only child to Frederick Robert Morrison and wife Helen Lita Westergard in Merced, California. Living in apartments, Janet was a bright child who skipped several grades and finished high school when she was 15. A lonely child, she would spend much of her time at movie theaters. She was a student, studying music and psychology, at the University of the Pacific until she was "discovered" while visiting her parents in Northern California. Her father was working the desk at a ski resort where her mother worked as a maid. Retired MGM actress Norma Shearer saw a picture of Janet on the front desk and asked if she could borrow it.

Without any real training Leigh was signed by the great studio MGM after she passed the screen test. Her first movie "The Romance Of Rosy Ridge" in 1947 as a farm girl in love with Van Johnson. She was the girl who seeked solace in the very married Walter Pidgeon in "If Winter Comes" (1947). She had a part in one of the better Lassie movies, "Hills Of Home" (1948) after which she was the loyal lady in the life of composer Richard Rodgers (Tom Drake) in the all-star "Words And Music" (1948).

She was the wife of Van Heflin in the thriller "Act Of Violence" (1948) and a quiter role as Meg in the 1949's version of "Little Women". In "The Red Danube" (1949), she played a ballerina turned nun. After a few more MGM movies, she was loaned to RKO as a widow romanced by Robert Mitchum in the Christmas perennial "Holiday Affair" (1949). In the musical "Two Tickets to Broadway" (1951) for the same studio, she had musical assignments and to Ann Miller, Gloria DeHaven to contend with.

Her position in the industry was greatly boosted when she became romantically linked with the up-and-coming heartthrob Tony Curtis, whom she married in 1951. Staying sweet, she was put in an Enzio Pinza musical "Strictly Dishonourable" (1951); in the episodic "It's A Big Country" (1951) as Gene Kelly's girlfriend and the lighthearted "Just This Once" (1952) with Peter Lawford.

She was serenely beautiful in Technicolor costume swashbuckling adventure "Scaramouche" (1952). She then did her best work to date, as the tough girlfriend of escaped killer Robert Ryan in the James Stewart western "The Naked Spur" (1953). She and Curtis got together for the highly fictitious biopic "Houdini" (1953). "Walking My Baby Back Home" (1953) is a musical starring the energetic Donald O'Connor and "Prince Valiant" (1953) is another costume drama (with a young Robert Wagner in a silly pageboy wig). She played a straight woman reporter in Dean Martin/Jerry Lewis "Living It Up" (1954).

"The Black Shield Of Falworth" (1954), a knight-in-armor adventure, cast her opposite husband Tony Curtis again. The she was in "Rogue Cop" (1954) opposite Robert Taylor and "Pete Kelly's Blue" (1955). In the meantime, Leigh had fared quite nicely as the lovely Eileen in the 1955 musical "My Sister Eileen" and abused by some thugs with Charlton Heston in Orson Welles's "Touch Of Evil" (1958). She was back with Curtis in the popular "The Vikings" (1958) and a pair of mild comedies "The Perfect Furlough" (1958) and "Who Was That Lady?" (1960), the last stolen by Dean Martin. They divorced in 1961.

As a clerk who absconds with some cash and pays dearly for it in Alfred Hitchcock's now classic "Pyscho" (1961), she gave a searing, intense and sympathetic perfomance, culminatingin her participation in one of the most famous and terrifying scenes in film history as she is brutally attacked in the shower, receiving an Oscar nomination but lost to Shirley Jones.

"The Manchurian Candidate" (1962) was another fine film but her role was relatively small opposite Frank Sinatra. Finally, she was top billed in the teen musical "Bye Bye Birdie" (1963), singing "One Boy" and energetically cavorted through "The Shriners Ballet". Another star part in the frothy comedies "Wives And Lovers" (1963), she find herself slipping from the "A" list. She worked with Paul Newman in "Harper" (1966) and Jerry Lewis in the poor "Three On A Couch" (1966).

She lived with Tony Randall in an underwater home in the silly "Hello Down There" (1969) and battling giant killer rabbits in "Night Of The Lepus" (1972). Spending much of the 1970s on television, she returned to the big screen with daughter Jamie Lee Curtis in the thriller "The Fog" (1980). She appeared in a cameo role in Jamie's "Halloween H20 : 20 Years Later" (1998).

Janet Leigh died on 3rd October 2004 from vasculitis. Her beauty and versatility put her up among those Hollywood near-legends.

(Scanned autographed phot0 - property of author)

...roddy mcdowall - the courage of roddy...

2008-10-03T05:49:00.000-07:00

Roddy McDowall was a rare case of child star that grows up to be as interesting to watch, if not more so as an adult. Darling, sad eyed and sensitive as a lad, he blossomed into a versatile, handsome performer with a penchant for playing snobs, men of refinement and eccentrics, nicely punctuated by his gentle speaking voice.

McDowall was born Roderick Andrew Anthony Jude McDowall (17th September 1928) in London to a Merchant Mariner father and a mother who had always wanted to be in movies. He was encolled in elocution class at age five. Both he and his sister, Virginia were encouraged by their mother to try their hands on acting.

He made his debut at the age of ten in 1938 "Murder In The Family" (as the younger brother of Jessica Tandy and Glynis Johns). Altogether there were fifteen British films appearances during this period, when his mother moved her children to America. He had a brief scene in "Man Hunt" (1941). As chance would have it, Twentieth Century-Fox was looking for a boy, preferably English, for their prestigious production of "How Green Was My Valley" (1941) as cast him as Huw. Starring Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O' Hara, Anna Lee, Donald Crisp and Sara Allgood, McDowall who was cast as the youngest son, stole the scenes he is in.

He was called to portray bigger stars as children as he did in "Son Of Fury : The Story Of Benjamin Blake" (1942 Tyrone Power) and "The Keys Of The Kingdom" (1944 Gregory Peck). In between, he was given the lead role in the wartime propoganda "On The Sunny Side" (1942), the sentimental drama starring Monty Wooley "The Pied Piper" (1942), after which he scored in one of the most pleasing of all boy-and-his-horse pictures, "My Friend Flicka" (1943).

MGM borrowed him for the film that featured his best remembered role as an adolescent, "Lassie Come Home" (1943), acting alongside the 11 year-old Elizabeth Taylor who became his life long friend. MGM kept him on to play Irene Dunne's snobby son in "The White Cliffs Of Dover" (1944), before returning to Fox for an expected sequel "Thunderhead - Son Of Flicka" (1945). There was also a musical comedy with Wooley in "Molly and Me" (1945 - Gracie Allen was Molly).

By the time MGM put him in Jane Powell's musical "Holiday In Mexico" (1946), he was a lanky teen. He played Malcolm in Orson Welles' s "Macbeth" (1948) and he signed with Monogram to star in a batch of immediately forgotten "B" movies, all of which listed him as an associate producer, making him one of the youngest performers to ever receive such a behind-the-scene credit. These pictures include another boy and his dog story - "Rocky" (1948); a quickie version of "Kidnapped"(1948); working on the titled vessel to pay off debt in "Tuna Clipper" (1949); "Killer Shark"(1950) seaching for his dad in Mexico and playing a Russian in "Steel Fist" (1952).

Like many others, he went over to television and Broadway. He was Mordred in Richard Burton/Julie Andrews stage hit "Camelot" (a role that was snagged by David Hemmings in the screen version).

He came back to the big screen after eight years absence, in "The Subterraneans" (1960) and Doris Day thriller "Midnight Lace" (1960). He was a private in the starry male cast of the D-Day epic, "The Longest Day" (1962) and as the ruthless Octavius in "Cleopatra" (1963) where he pretty much commanded the screen in the second half of the lengthy movie once Rex Harrison's Caesar was killed off.

In "Shock Treatment" (1964), he played a weirdo who killed a woman with a pair of pruning sheers. Roddy can be seen in 1965 in "Inside Daisy Clover" (but pretty much remaining in the backgroud); as George Peppard's petulant brother-in-law in "The Third Day"; as apostle Matthew in the biblical "The Greatest Story Ever Told"; as a nasty insensitive studio honcho in "The Loved Ones" and showed his knack in comedy in Disney's "That Darn Cat!".

He landed in one of his best roles ever, playing the brilliant, persuasive and downright strange mentor of Tuesday Weld in the satire "Lord Loves A Duck" (1966). He had a starring role in the horror "It!" (1966) where he kept his mother's corpse for companionship and then the western comedy "The Adventures Of Bullwhip Griffin" (1967).

As simian Cornelius, his most famous adult role, who treats captured human Charlton Heston with decency, in sci-fi "Planet Of The Apes" (1968) is a smash hit, although he was hardly recognizable under John Chambers's unforgettable make-up design. He returned to the part on four more occasions - "Escape From The Planet Of The Apes" (1971); "Conquest Of The Planet Of The Apes" (1972) and "Battle For The Planet Of The Apes" (1973). He also appeared on a short-lived TV series version though as a different character.

Still youthful looking at the age of forty, he was a memeber of a parasitic rock band tormenting the lovely Jennifer Jones in "Angel, Angel Down We Go" (1969) and Disney's semi animated musical "Bedknobs And Broomsticks" (1971) and popped up as an ineffectual school principal in "Pretty Maids All In A Row" (1971) opposite friend Rock Hudson. He was the first few to perish in the blockbuster "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972), as the doomed ship's waiter and then had one of his last top-billed parts in the well-liked but stodgy horror offering, "Legend Of Hell House" (1973), as an occult researcher.

He was an annoying lawyer in another all-star "The Life And Times Of Judge Roy Bean" (1972); one of the victims in the comedy "Arnold" (1973); a cameo appearance as a supermarket manager in "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry" (1974); Barbra Streisand's gay personal assistant in "Funny LAdy" (1975); as a Gypsy woman in the lopsided farce "Rabbit Test" (1978); and the Disney's "The Cat From Outer Space" (1978).

Amid a lot of television assignments, he had a terrific part as a hammy horror movie TV host in "Fright Night" (1985), a role he reprised in a little-seen sequel and executive produced comedy "Overboard" (1987) in which he gave himself a thankless role of a butler. In the 1990s he ended up in a lot of unworthy, direct-to-vidoe fare and lent his voice to many animated movies and TV shows.

In December of 1998 The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) honored him for his acting career and critically acclaimed photography by naming its photo archive after him. The collection, which includes several million negatives and stills, will be known as the Roddy McDowall Photograph Archive at the Margaret Herrick Library.

Roddy McDowall came a long way since...he died of lung cancer on 3rd October 1998 at the age of 70. The day after his death, Angela Lansbury paid tribute to him on BBC Radio Five 5: Up all Night. She described him as 'one of the most wonderful friends, anybody could possibly have ... we've lost a beloved friend' and that he will be 'so missed'. His ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.

(Autographed photo - property of author)

...my one day jalan~jalan cari makan in ipoh (part 2)...

2008-10-03T05:48:00.000-07:00

This is a continuation from Part 1, about my travelling to Ipoh with a mission on food expedition and escapade.

After filling up the boot of the car with pomeloes, our ever cheerfuland able guide Peter decided to take us to Lost World Of Tambun. I was all so excited as I have never been. It's a huge water theme park. We only took some photos when we arrived. The park was crowded as it was a public holiday.

Did you know Ipoh have a Japanese Garden??? I was not aware at all. It is located in the far side of town. Luckily it was a cooling and cloudy day. We had to drive all the way to the town centre. We had to drive quite a distance. As it was in the town center, we need to pass by you know where!!!

The Japanese Garden looks like it was after the Japanese Occupation!!! It is a pity to see the unkept landscaping. The is a large pond in the middle of the garden filled with Japanese carps.

After doing all the walking and getting in and out of the car, we all agreed it was time for lunch. Ever so ready, Peter had a stack of what-to-eat and where-to-go maps. He wanted to take us to try Ipoh's famous curry mee. Curry Mee famous in Ipoh??? I thought curry mee is only famous in Penang. So there it is again!!!

This stall is in Yee Fatt Kopitiam. After going in rounds for a few times, we finally came saw Yee Fatt. This coffee shop is famous for its Curry Mee and now I know why!!! It is really different from Penang's Curry Mee so rich with coconut milk (santan). The Ipoh Curry Mee is practically, noodles in curry chicken. You can have it either dry or with soup. I personally like the dry one. They garnish it with char siew and a few pieces of chicken and a leave or two of mint. It is delicious!!! Only thing is, the portion is a little small for me, but it's good as it keeps me wanting for more. Do not miss this!!!

Having our tummy filled and burping with contentment, Peter showed us to the Chinese temple nearby, just across the street from Yee Fatt. There were throngs of people at the Tow Boo Keong as there is a vegetarian festival where eveything is yellow!!! As we were carnivorous, in due respect to the vegetarians, we decided not to enter the temple, but something outside caught our eyes!!! The is a large make shift stall making and selling the mee koo (dough tortoise). We bought some as they were too cute and colourful to resist.

(to be continued)

...my one day jalan~jalan cari makan in ipoh (part 1)...

2008-10-02T23:06:00.000-07:00

T’was a raining Raya morning. The sky was still pitch-dark. It’s the best time to be sleeping in bed, but no, have to beat the rooster to wake up at 3.30am to get ready to be picked up by Peter and Carole on a food expedition to Ipoh. We departed penang at about 4.45am. After a lot of chatting, laughing and yawning, we finally arrived Ipoh about two hours later.

First destination, to locate the dim sum restaurant, other than the famous Foh San in town. That was when we were "introduced" to Lorong Po Garden behind the petrol kiosk where we stopped to ask for direction. It looks like a dead end and since it was dark, we did not take the chance. See for yourself. It has been haunting us throughoutour whole trip to Ipoh. No matter where we went, it was there.

The restaurant is known as Yoke Fook Moon. Looking forward with anticipation and growling tummies, we went in and started ordering. Since Ipoh is famous for dim sum (although the bean sprout (taugeh) chicken ranks top), I realised that the taste of the dim sum is a little different from what we have in Penang. I think that the taste is more of Ipohnites. Heard of bird's nest custard tart? Have not? Pay RM3.50 for a piece of tart size of a fifty cents coin with a few tiny strips of birds nest!!! This is really for the birds!!! If you spent RM35 for ten pieces, you can buy two swallows and hear them chirping and I think the can make a bigger nest!!!

We dropped by Foh Sun to buy some Leng Long Pau as recommended by the tour manager Carole. The place is a pack and busy as usual, but I still think it is the most over-rated dim sum restaurant. Maybe the best in Ipoh, but Penang has better dim sum. I guess a KL guy will tell you they have better dim sum than in Ipoh or even Penang. It's an acquired local taste.

From there, our wonderful guide cum driver Peter,decided to take us to some of the "tongs" (temples). Ipoh is well known for it's lime stone caves. Temples are built in these majestic caves. But before that, guess what we came across...Lorong Po Garden!!! It's there again, slapped right in the middle of the town!!!

The first tong we reached was the Gua Kek Look Tong. This amazing God created structure is simply magnificent!!! The facade of the cave is a temple. As you enter, you are greeted by the chirpings of the birds. Then there are staircases and railings leading to almost every nook and crevices in the cave. Of course there are huge bronze looking effigies on the altars. But what really took my breath away was the huge beautiful garden lies behind the cave. It is a sight to behind. It makes you feel like you have entered another dimension, or Shangrila rather. It's like stepping into a magical kingdom of greens.

From there, Peter drove us to two other "tongs". These temples have their own beauty, but after visiting the former, nothing compares, but there is one that is worth mentioning. The facade and pillars are a little 70s with bright, loud colours. Inside, the place is full of effigies of all sizes (looks more like an ang kong keng). Here, it gives you the creeps. It's a little dim and when we were there, there were only one or two caretakers. You will have to walk a long passage way to the back of the temple. Behind this temple, there is a long long neverending flight of stairs. As curious as I can get, I decided to climb up. At the other end of the steps was another cave like entrace. It was darker than before. I can only see another passage way that leads to somewhere, but it was closed. I simply love mystery!!! I would love to know where that leads to.

The next one (next to it) is a typical real ang kong keng with the smell joss sticks burning. It has many colourful mythical figurines - flying horses, elephants, mermaids, the eight deities crossing the sea, the three-legged frog that bites on a coin, the god of prosperity, etc. (like those we see in Batu Maung Footprint Temple). There is also a place where you walk down a few steps to wash with holy water.

The was another cave temple that we wanted to visit. Just a walking distance from this two but there was a funeral rite going on, so NO NO to Carole!!! Hehehe!!!

Next, what is Ipoh without buying pomeloes. Peter wanted to take us to somewhere else, not the stalls along the main road where the "pomelo" girls stand right in front of the stalls attracting male customers (which sounded more like a red-light district in pomelo land!!!). To get there, we have to get back to town, which means....taaadaaa....

This is more of a fruit stall or rather a small shopfront. It sells, not only pomeloes but dragon fruits, mangoes, papayas, bananas, watermelons, pinapples, potatoes, cikus, star fruits, biscuits, snacks, rojak sauces, tidbits, drinks, etc.

Many people enjoy drinking loh han kor...a kind of dried fruit that most would boil in water and add sugar before drinking it. It is suppose to have some medicinal values, but I drink it because I like the taste. Here is the loh han kor fruit on a tree. What we get from supermarkets or Chinese medicine shops are dried.
(...to be continued...)

...stella stevens - the sex kitten that roared...

2008-10-01T05:51:00.001-07:00

In the sixties, Stella Stevens was a hot property. She was beautiful, decorative and winsomely sweet. She showed she had a talent for comedy and when given a chance, something more grittier.

Stella was born Estelle Caro Eggleston in Mississippi on 1st October 1936. Stella was married at age of 15, became a mother at 16 (the actor Andrew Stevens) and divorced at 17. She enrolled in Memphis State College to be a doctor, but switched to modeling and acting instead. She did some modeling and a Playboy spread. She was discovered modeling in the tea room of Goldsmith's Department Store in Memphis Tennessee, where a press-agent from United Artists told her if she could get to New York while he was there, he could introduce her to the executives at Twentieth Century Fox.

Her movie debut was in the chorus of "Say One For Me" (1959- starring Bing Crosby, Debbie Reynolds and Robert Wagner) and "The Blue Angel" (1959, a remake with May Britt in the lead). She role as Appassionata Von Climax in the 1959 musical adaption from Broadway "Li'l Abner". She went back to pose for Playboy and became their Playboy Playmate of the month January 1960. (She also appeared in their issue in 1965 and 1968).

She popped up in some television series like "Bonanza" and "Hawaiian Eye", before given the title role "Man-TraP" (1961) a Jeffrey Hunter's alchoholic nympho wife. She was a singer in love with Bobby Darin in "Too Late Blues" (1961). She was paired off with Elvis Presley in "Girls! Girls! Girls!" (1962), singing the beautiful "The Nearness Of You" and with Jerry Lewis in his best madcap movie, "The Nutty Professor" (1963). She then went over to MGM for a pair of comedies with Glenn Ford - as his dim love interest in "The Courtship Of Eddie's Father" (1963) and as a prostitute in "Advance To The Rear" (1964). "The Secret Of My Success" (1965) was a British comedy about how three beautiful girls got rid of their partners (Shirley Jones and Honor Blackman were the other two).

In the first of Matt Helm films starring Dean Martin, she added some spunk in to "The Silencers" (1966). She was back with Glenn Ford in the drama "Rage" (1966) and Dean Martin in the battle of the sexes comedy, "How To Save A Marriage And Ruin Your Life" (1968). She played a tough, free thinking nun in "Where Angels Go...Trouble Follows" (1968). There was a poor remake of the 1941's "Ladies In Retirement" called "The Mad Room" (1969) with Stella in the lead as a psychotic companion of equally looney Shelley Winters and a good role as a whore in "The Ballard Of Cable Hogue" (1970). Her next best and memorable role was in the classic disaster movies made in the seventies, "The Poseidon Adventure" (1972) as a former tart married to cop Ernest Borgnine aboard the doomed vessel.

She started to be associated with television by the mid-seventies, when things were not all that promising at the movies. She was married to a corpse in "Arnold" (1973) and dealt in drugs in "Cleopatra Jones And The Casino Of Gold" (1975); Her big screen career may have slowed during that time, but she has appeared in a number of movies in every decade since she debuted.

In 1981, she produced and directed a documentary profiling a variety of women from many walks of life, entitled "The American Heroine" (1979). Her film crew was comprised largely of film students from the University of Texas at Arlington. They had first worked with Stella in 1979 when she traveled to Texas to act for them, free of charge, in a short class film they were making, entitled "Lewis," directed by a film student.

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...angie dickinson - police woman...

2008-09-30T07:22:00.000-07:00

Everyone remembers the hit TV series - "Police Woman" that had a good run for four years in the 70s, which marked the first time ah hour-long television drama centered on the exploits of a female cop. Angie Dickinson in the starring role of Sgt. Suzanne "Pepper" Anderson made her one of the hottest stars on the tube and gave her her best remembered role.

Angie Dickinson was born Angeline Brown in Kulm, North Dakota on 30th September 1931. Her father was a publisher of the Kulm Messenger. When Angie was eleven, the family moved to Burbank California. While in college, she married Gene Dickinson. Angie, being the daughter of a publisher, at first had visions of becoming a writer, but gave this up after winning her first beauty contest. After finishing college she worked as a secretary in a Burbank airplane parts factory for 3-1/2 years. In 1953 she entered the local Miss America contest one day before the deadline and took second place. In August of the same year she was one of five winners in a beauty contest sponsored by NBC and appeared in several TV variety shows.

She appeared briefly in Doris Day's "Lucky Me" (1954) , unbilled as a party guest and a western, "Tennessee's Partmer" (1955). She was seen in low-budget westerns and action fare over the next few years. Her first significant part was in John Wayne's "Rio Bravo" (1959) as Feathers, the dancehall hostess. She popped up in drama "The Bramble Bush" (1960) as one of Richard Burton's conquest. She was Frank Sinatra's wife in the Ratpack's "Ocean's Eleven" (1960) and the lead in the glossy soap opera "The Sins Of Rachel Cade" as a missionary who gives birth to an illetimate child. In "Rome Adventure" (1962), she was vying for Troy Donahue's attention and the title role in "Jessica" (1962), as a midwife who drives the men in an Italian village to distraction.

She did not have much to do in the better "Captain Newman M.D." (1963), playing a nurse. She had a juicy role as the deadly femme fatale in the 1964 remake "The Killers". She did two poor Dick Van Dyke's comedies - "The Art Of Love" (1965) and "Some Kind Of Nut" (1969). Angie was also seen in the misfired "The Chase" (1966) as Marlon Brando's wife; a war drama "Cast A Giant Shadow" (1966) as Kirk Douglas's wife and an all-star flop "Poppies Are Also Flowers" (1966). She was seen to good effect in tough thriller "Point Blank" (1967) and romanced Robert Mitchum in "Young Billy Young" (1969). She had a nude scene in the trashsy and enjoyable "Big Bad Mama" (1974). Around that time, she started her role in "Police Woman".

Angie finally had a sensational movie role in Brian DePalma's 1980 hit thriller, "Dressed To Kill", as anfulfilled wife whose adulterous fling has deadly consequences. In later years, she played Lauren Holly's wealthy mom in the remake of "Sabrina" (1995); appeared as a former Vegas showgirl in "Duets" (2000) and as Helen Hunt' horrid, alcoholic and vagrant mother in "Pay It Forward" (2000) and popped up in a cameo in 2001's "Ocean's Eleven".

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...selamat hari raya aidil fitri...

2008-09-30T06:46:00.000-07:00

Time for ketupat, rendang and lemang!!! After a month of fasting, finally my Muslim friends are celebrating Hari Raya. I always look forward to this festive season because everytime I walked past my neighbour's kitchen, the smell of baking and cooking fills the corridor that leads to my home. The smell of rendang never fails to make my tummy growling.

I can hear the sound of fireworks outside my window and the cheerful amazement of the children.

This year, her grand daughter brought over some Raya goodies. Less variety of cookies and cakes that I can do without. Luckily, she still gives a generous helping of beef rendang...

So all my Muslim friends...here's wishing you a Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri!!! And for those balik kampung, safe journey!!!

...deborah kerr - always a lady...

2008-09-30T05:23:00.000-07:00

The serene beauty and talent of Deborah Kerr graced the silver screen from classics to poor materials, never losing her composure and refinement. The pleasantly lovely Deborah Kerr (30th September 1921 - 16th October 2007) was born Deborah Jane Kerr-Trimmer in Helensburgh, Scotland, the daughter of Captain Arthur Kerr-Trimmer, who had been gassed in World War I.

She was educated at Northumberland House, Clifton, Bristol. Deborah studied ballet while as a youngster but switched her interest to acting and had her theatrical training at her aunt's drama school in Bristol. She first performed at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park, London. She subsequently performed with the Oxford Repertory Company 1939-40. Her first appearance on the West End stage was as Ellie Dunn in "Heartbreak House" at the Cambridge Theatre in 1943. She performed in France, Belgium and Holland with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association, or Every Night Something Awful) - The British Army entertainment service.

She first appeared in the movie "Contraband", but her role was cut from the final print, hence she made her official debut in George Bernard Shaw's "Major Barbara" in 1941, produced and directed by Gabriel Pascal, with whom she signed a long term contract. Other important assignments that follows are, as Robert Newton's daughter in "Hatter's Castle" (1942) and portraying three different women in "The Life And Death Of Colonel Blimp" (1943).

She was promoted to leading lady in the wartime "Perfect Strangers" (1945) opposite Robert Donat. In US, the film was released under the title "Vacation From Marriage". That same year, she was seen as a British hating Irish girl in "I See A Dark Stranger"(1946) and released in US as "The Adventuress". The next year, she played a nun in the mystical drama "Black Narcissus".

When MGM bought her contract from Pascal, they put her in the role of a nice lady who entices Clark Gable away from bad girl Ava Gardner in a witty look at the world of advertising, "The Hucksters" (1947). She was the married Walter Pidgeon's ex girlfriend in "If Winter Comes" (1947 - the delightful Angela Lansbury is the wife) and the comedy that did not make it, "Please Believe Me" (1950). In between these two, she was nominated for both an Oscar for Best Actress and Golden Globe for her role of a tolerating wife in Spencer Tracy's drama "Edward, My Son" (1949). This marked her first of six Oscar nominations in the leading female category without a win.

Great fortune came pounding at her door when MGM cast her in two of the biggest blockbusters - the great outdoor adventure "King Solomon's Mines" (1950 with Stewart Granger) and biblical epic, "Quo Vadis" (1951 with Robert Taylor, where at one point she was tied to a pole to be attacked by a bull). There was also a colourful remake of "The Prisoner Of Zenda" (1952) where Kerr was given the role played by Madeleine Carroll in the earlier version. She was Catherine Parr in "Young Bess" (1953) andPortia in the prestigious "Julius Cesar". She then made a minor comedy that marked her first teaming with Cary Grant, "Dream Wife" (1953).

In 1953, she got a chance to shatter her genteel image when she replaced Joan Crawfords the adulterous officer's wife in "From Here To Eternity". The picture won the Best Picture Oscar and Deborah Kerr won another nomination for playing the sexy, bored and flirtatious with bite and conviction. She also entered the realms of motion picture iconography when she and Burt Lancaster embraced and tumbled in the beach as the tide gushed about them, in one of the most unforgettable of all movie images.

She was in both Broadway and the movie for "Tea And Sympathy" (1956 both with John Kerr - no relation). There were two mediocre romantic war dramas - "The End Of The Affair (1955 with Van Johnson) and "The Proud And Profane" (1956 with William Holden). Kerr was the strong-willed, levelheaded English school teacher sent to Siam and who instills a conscience in Yul Brynner in Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical - "The King And I" (1956). She was Oscar nominated again although her singing voice belongs to Marni Nixon (who later famously dubbed for Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady").

Oscar nomination number four came with the splendid role of a nun who must keep her reserve while stranded in a remote island with soldier Robert Mitchum in "Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison" (1957), sharing almost the entire screen time with only Mitchum. This was followed by her most famous movies, "An Affair To Remember" (1957) remake of the superior "Love Affair", meeting and falling in love with Cary Grant.

Kerr received her fifth Oscar nod, as a pathetically repressed spinster attracted to a phony major David Niven, in "Seperate Tables"(1958). She reteamed with Yul Brynner for "The Journey" (1959), notable in that she married one of its writers, Peter Viertel in 1960. Next came a flop with Gregory Peck as Sheilah Graham and F.Scott Fitzgerald respectively in "Beloved Infidel". She played a strong and loving Australian wife of sheep dover Robert Mitchum in "The Sundowners" (1960) and won her final Oscar recognition.

Two "nothing special" movies - talky drawingroom comedy, "The Grass Is Greener" (1960 - with Cary Grant, Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons) and a thriller "The Naked Edge (1961 - with Gary Cooper). Her next movie was a horror, as a governess driven to her brink by a pair of odd children "The Innocents". "The Chalk Garden"(1964), again as a governess was commendable. She had Ava Garder to contend with again for defrocked priest Richard Burton in "The Night Of The Iguana" (1964). After that, she had some bad luck with the marriage mixed up comedy, "Marriage On The Rocks" (1965) with Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin; another horror "Eye Of The Devil" (1966), dicovering husband David Niven engaging in some rituals; "Casino Royale" (1967), doing some slapstickas a horny Scottish heiress and the comedy "Prudence And The Pill" (1968) again with Niven.

She bedded skydiver Burt Lancaster in "The Gypsy Moths" (1969) and stood by husband Kirk Douglas while he had a fling with a younger woman in "The Arrangement" (1969). What work she did accept after that was mostly for television - a remake of "Witness For The Prosecution" (1982) playing Nurse Plimsoll; TV miniseries "A Woman Of Substance" (1984); "Reunion At Fairborough" (1985), rekindling old flame with Robert Mitchum and "Hold That Dream" (1986), a follow up to "A Woman Of Substance". Her last movie was the drama "The Assam Garden" (1985).

Her last public appearance was in 1994 when she was awarded an honorary Oscar after six failed nominations over the years. On Oscar evening, Glenn Close presented a special tribute to her work, the Oscar audience watched clips of her films to music. Miss Kerr then appeared from behind the screen, obviously frail, in a blue pastel trouser suit and received a standing ovation from her peers. A life-long shy woman, Miss Kerr said, "I have never been so terrified in my life, but I feel better now because I know that I am among friends. Thank you for giving me a happy life." Following this, there was another standing ovation and Miss Kerr left the stage, which was to become her last official goodbye to Hollywood.

Deborah Kerr lived in Switzerland and Spain after retiring from acting, but returned to England to be with her family when her Parkinson's disease worsened and was a patron of the National Society of Clean Air and Enviromental Protection in Britain from 1992 until her death in 2007. Deborah Kerr, her husband Peter Viertel and her biographer Eric Braun all died within the space of five weeks in the fall of 2007. All were aged 86.

To Miss Deborah Kerr - we missed you!!!

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...anita ekberg - the swedish iceberg...

2008-09-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

A former Miss Sweden 1950, the busty Anita Ekberg (29th September 1931), was a sight to behold. She grew up with seven brothers and sisters but her adventure began when she was elected for the title.

She got a modeling contract from the pageant and a contract with Howard Hughes. She had an uncredited roles, first as a maid of honour in Tyrone Power's "The Mississippi Gambler" and then as a dancehall in the western, "Take Me To Town" (both in 1953 for Universal). She was one of the shapely inhabitant of Venus in "Abbott And Costello Go To Mars" (1953). Anita got better notice in Rock Hudson's Bagdad adventure "The Golden Blade" (1953) as a handmaiden.

She was featured in John Wayne's "Blood Alley" (1955), trying to pass for Chinese and by then, Anita was well-known enough presumably due more to fan magazines than her screen achievements. She played glamour characters named Anita in two of Jerry Lewis Dean Martin musical comedies - "Artists And Models"(1955) and "Hollywood Or Bust" (1956).

She played Helene in the all star Leo Tolstoy epic, "War And Peace" (1956) starring Audrey Hepburn, Henry Fonda and Mel Ferrer. "Back From Eternity" (1956) about a plane crash, gives her a better role. Her next movie, "Man In The Vault" in the same year, did nothing much for her.

"Paris Holiday" (1958) gives her a name as Bob Hope's co-star although the movie is one of his weakest. She finally got top billing, playing an exotic nightclub dancer under the spell of a psychiatrist in "Screaming Mimi" (1958).

After five years in Hollywood she found herself in Rome, where Federico Fellini's "Dolce vita, La" (1960) meant her breakthrough. She stayed in Italy and made around 20 movies during the next ten years, some roles memorable, some to be forgotten and occasionally come back to Hollywood for some poor movies like - "Call Me Bwana" (1963 with Bob Hope), "4 For Texas" (1963 with Frank Sinantra and Dean Martin. Also Ursula Andress) and "The Alphabet Murders (1965 with Tony Randall).

Her two marriages gave her a lot of attention from the press. During the 1970s the roles became less frequent, but she made a marvellous comeback with Fellini's "Intervista" (1987). He sex symbol days maybe long gone, but she still has her hearts for her fans. A true lady.

So, to the Swedish Iceberg, Happy Birthday...

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...lizabeth scott - the femme fatale...

2008-09-29T04:28:00.000-07:00

Lizabeth Scott had the look - sulky, blonde, dark eyebrows and a husky voice to made her a geat femme fatale for the noir genre.

Lizabeth Scott was born Emma Matzo on 29th September 1922 in Scranton, Pennsylvania to Slovakian parents. Producer Hal B. Wallis discovered her when she studied at Alvienne School of Drama in Manhattan after performing in some summer stock and brought her to Hollywood. He put her opposite Robert Cummings in "You Came Along" (1944), about an escort falls in love with a G.I. and lost him to leukemia.

When Hal Wallis formed his own company, he cast Scott in a supporting role in the film noir classic, "The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers" with the lead going to Barbara Stanwyck and Kirk Douglas made his movie debut but Scott steals every scene she's in - which is not many - and provides an anchor of strength and sweetness in an otherwise dark and perverse melodrama, saturated with cruelty, fear, guilt, obsession, murder and blackmail. Infact, Variety claimed she out-acted them both. She was loaned out to Columbia for her best remembered role, in "Dead Reckoning" (1947). As a shady dame who hooks up with Humphrey Bogart, trying to find out who murdered his buddy, she was alluring and did not disappoint.

Scott was the daugther of a casino owner, who gets involved with racketeer, Burt Lancaster in the beautiful Technicolour "Deset Fury" (1947), but the movie was walked away with the great Mary Astor, playing Scott's mother. Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas fight over her in the Prohibition noir-drama, "I Walk Alone" (1948). "Pitfall" (1948) has the married Dick Powell having a fling with and in "Too Late For Tears" (1949) as a ruthless woman who will stop at nothing to hold on to the stash she found.

A football drama, starring Victor Mature and Lucille Ball, "Easy Living" (1949) did not quite come off for Scott playing Mature's wife. She suffered in silence when her selfish sister Diana Lynn fell for the man she loves Robert Cummings in "Paid In Full" (1950). She played a sexy torch singer opposite Charlton Heston in "Dark City" (1950) and a female robber in "Two Of A Kind" (1951). A Civil War drama "Red Mountain" (1951) with Alan Ladd did not fair any better, but a little improvement in "The Racket" (1951) with Robert Mitchum. She gets to play a dual role in "Stolen Face" (1952) and she gets to be the leading lady in Jerry Lewis Dean Martin musical comedy, "Scared Stiff" (1953).

In 1955 Scott, who never married, sued Confidential over allegations concerning her sexual preferences. Her last substantial role was as a publicist in Elvis Presley's 1957 "Loving You". Since 1957 she has been seldom seen except for a few rare television appearances. She appeared in "Pulp" (1972), her last movie to date.

Lizabeth Scott is 86 and her legacy lives on however in the growing popularity of classic movies sparked by video tape, laser discs, and cable movie channels such as AMC (American Movie Classics) and TCM (Turner Classic Movies).

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author).

...tasty, tasty lunch...

2008-09-28T06:38:00.000-07:00

Weekends are meant to indulge and relax...and what a way to relax if not for good food.

Our journey took us to a new restaurant in Anson Road. It is on the right side after the traffic lights. You will come across a row of shops (where the famous Anson Road laksa is and where "Bok Kua Hnooi" used to be...wanna know the meaning of "Bok Kua Hnooi"??? Do not ask...but literally translated to "Papaya Garden"...go figure it out yourself!!! Hint : there are no papaya trees there!!! Hehehe!!!).

Tasty P&C Restaurant (God knows what P&C stands for...definately the owner does not want the business to be private and confidential...unless...), serves a little Taiwanese, Hongkie and local food (like Peter said, "oriental restaurant"!!!). The food in the pictured menu looks pretty exciting. It has noodles, rice, chicken, pork, dumplings, snacks, braised, soup, congees, etc.

First that was recommended to us was "Phoon Choi". It is just like a community pot with everything in it!!! There is cabbage, chinese mushrooms, foo chuk, lotus roots, meat and more meat!!! Deep fried prawns and mussels, roast pork, braised pork, brocolli, etc.). It comes in a claypot and a portable stove!!! Very interesting. Well, the gravy is nice. It's a cheaper version of the Phoon Choi in Jade Palace. It is only RM35.00 for about 3-4 pax.

Then, we had the braised chicken (yew kay). I have always like braised chicken or duck. the skin to the poultry is usually brown in colour and smooth. Unlike roast birds, they are more flavoured and succulent.

The vegetable we had was in oyster sauce with a good serving of lard. It was not over blanched until the vegetable went flimsy, but enough to keep it crips. And the lard sure add to the taste.

Steamed bun delights is pretty interesting. It's like a flattened steamed pau, folding into two with a filling of braised meat, salted cabbage and celery leaves. It's just a chinese taco. Wonderful.

The dessert is simply appealing. The mango sago is really something you must try. It is served chilled with crushed ice. You can find a few small chunks of mango and some sago and "pearl". We also had the stweed papaya with white fungus and barley with bean curd skin (hot). Sorry, could not say much about the almond jelly, for I am not accustomed to the smell of dead cockroaches, but for those who enjoy almond jelly, it is smooth (it seems).

If only 600CC could serve such food...

Great...where to next???

Ratings : 7/10

...donald o'connor - he made 'em laughed...

2008-09-27T08:55:00.001-07:00

Although he did not achieve the laudable acclaim of Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor was amongst Hollywood's best dancers ever. He was in contract with Universal Studios and although they put him at the center of attention as their number one male musical star, the studio was not known for producing ther finest material in the musical genre.

Donald O' Connor (28th August 1925 - 27th September 2003) was born to a large family in Chicago. His parents were circus performers (his father was an acrobat with the the Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey Circus as a leaper and his mother was a circus bareback rider and dancer, calling themselves The Nelson Comiques). Donald joined his family in their later vaudeville act when he was a baby, working his way up to stealing the show with his singing and tap dancing routines.

He and his brothers Jack and Billy were performing in California when they were asked to do a guest bit in a Warner Bros. musical pasthice, "Melody For Two" (1937) but find themselves sliced out of the final print. His actual official film debut was in "It Can't Last Forever" (1937), in an uncredited role as a kid dancer. They returned to the stage and were participating in a benefit show in the Ambassador Hotel when a talent scout from Paramount asked Donald to do a screen test for the role of the kid brother of Bing Crosby and Fred MacMurray in "Sing You Sinners" (1938). He got the part and was an instant hit, more than holding his own against his two older and famous co-stars.

He was then being asked to play the younger versions of Fred MacMurray and Gary Cooper in "Men With Wings" (1938) and "Beau Geste" (1939) respectively. He was given a few important roles in "Sons Of The Legion" (1938); "Tom Sawyer - Detective" (1938) in the title role; "Boy Trouble" (1938); and Betty Grable's "Million Dollar Legs" (1939). Paramount felt they had done all they could with him and let him go.

He went back and toured with the family for a stint, when he signed up with Universal in 1941 and began a long stay with the studio for the next fourteen years. He was given secondary roles to the Andrew Sisters in his first three assignments partnering the gawky but charming Peggy Ryan in 1942 - "What's Cookin'?"; "Private Buckaroo" and "Give Out, Sisters". Donald and the energetic Peggy had an infectious enthusiasm when they hit the floor together, so the studio put them together again in 1942 - "Get Hep To Love" , where the warbling youngster Gloria Jean was the official lead and "When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again", starring Allan Jones.

Donald was back again with Gloria Jean in "It Comes Up Love" (1943) and making a trio with Peggy Ryan in "Mr. Big" (1943) . "Top Man" in 1943 gives him Susanna Foster as a co-star and again they add in Peggy in "This Is Life" (1944). He and Peggy were back as a team in "Chip Off The Old Block"(1944 with Ann Blyth making her debut) ; "The Merry Monahans" (also with Ann Blyth) and were featured in a speciality number in "Bowery To Broadway". He was back one last time with Peggy after he returned from the U.S Army Air Force Special Services for "Patrick The Great" (1945). In "Something In The Wind"(1947) - a Deanna Durbin vehichle, he was given a secondary role (John Dall had the lead).

The story by David Stern about a young army lieutenant who becomes the friend and confidant of a talking mule "Francis" was made into film in 1949. This comedy was smash hit of the year and giving a great boost to O'Connor's standing with Universal and more five more in that series, ending in 1955 with "Francis In The Navy". In between a few more fluffy musicals comedies - teaming with Jimmy Durante in "The Milkman" (1950) and a tepid pirate spoof, "Double Crossbone" (1951).

Then came the pinnacle of his career when MGM gave his a thankless role in the now classic "Singin' In The Rain" (1952), matching every step with Gene Kelly, stealing the show with "Make 'Em Laugh" (if you see this number, you will agree that Donald was the first "breakdancer" before it was a fad in the 80s). He maintained with footings in that studio with a lesser "I Love Melvin" opposite Debbie Reynolds (who co-starred in the former). Fox give him another good role as Ethel Merman's secretary in "Call Me Madam" (1953), singing "You're Just In Love " with the diva and dancing "It's A Lovely Day Today" with the delightful dancer, Vera-Ellen and he handled the more dramatic role in the musical flop "There's No Business Like Show Business" in 1954 (with Dan Dailey and Ethel Merman as the parents; Johnny Ray and Mitzi Gaynor his siblings and Marilyn Monroe as his love interest) although his dancing solo or with Gaynor were wonderful to watch. He went over to Paramount to join Bing Crosby, Mitzi Gaynor and Zizi Jenamaire in the fairly poor "Anything Goes" (1956). He was Buster Keaton in "The Buster Keaton Story" (1957).

By this point, O'Connor had already sequed easily into television, winning an Emmy Award for his work on "Colgate Comedy Hour" in 1953. That medium, as well as Las Vegas and other club venues, were instrumental in keeping his name before the general public from then on. Since the movie musicals were fading into history, he starred in "Aladin" (1961) and supported in Glen Ford's comedy "Cry For Happy" (1961) and Bobby Darin's "That Funny Feeling" (1965).

He was given a good role as an old time entertainer in "Ragtime" (1981). In "Toys" (1992) as Robin Williams's father, he character expired early in the story and in his last movie role "Out At Sea" (1997), he was seen dancing as a cruise ship host.

Donald O'Connor passed away of heart failure in 2003. He is a near legend in the musical movie industry. It's a great loss to all those musical fans. He was innducted into the International Tap Dance Hall of Fame in 2004 after his death. Sometimes such awards came too late.

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...another dim sum affair...

2008-09-27T07:29:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I woke up early on an off day to indulge in makan makan. This time the "gow chiak" gang explored to place none of the gang has been...a dim sum shop located in Anson Road (after the traffic lights at Ghee Hiang) and in between EON showroom and Leong Gay Furniture Shop.

Pak Lay Sin has a good dim sum spread. They have fried dim sum, steamed dim sum, paus (dumplings), chee cheong fun, pee tan chok (century egg porridge) and also a seperate order for many types of noodles. They even have too khar chor (pig trotters in black vinegar - which is mediocre - not sour enough).

Since there were nine of us, we get to order many things...some are worth mentioning...especially the tua pau (big dumpling). The pau dough is not thick and the filling is more than you ask for. The is also a slice of lap cheong (chinese sausage) in it. I am getting a hook on this. I enjoy the lam joo pau that has a thick slice of fats in it. Yummy!!! Bad for health, but no good food is good!!!

It's quite an interesting morning, chit chatted about "minmoniger" (whatever that is!!!) over dim sum and tea.

The only thing that does not appeal to me is, if you park in the Pak Lay Sin carpark, which is next to it, you still have to pay RM1.00.

Ratings : 7/10

...claude jarman jr. - the boy who grew up too soon...

2008-09-27T04:30:00.000-07:00

"The Yearling" (1946) is a heart tugging, enduring family classic story about a young boy Jody and his fawn, going through the adventures in their lives until one day, the boy has to face reality that life is not always sweet as it seems.

The twelve year-old Claude Jarman Jr. (27th September 1934), who was discovered by MGM for the role of Jody, was presented with a miniature Oscar Award for his tremendously moving debut, playing the part of that young boy. The lanky blonde cutie, who projected a rural sincererity was born in Nashville, Tennessee. His father was a railroad company accountant. Claude and his family moved to California and he attended the MGM studio school while being built up as a child star.

He did not have the success of most child stars did. His next movie role, was in the June Allyson/Van Johnson's mediocre drama "High Barbaree" (1947) playing Johnson's character as a young boy. His role improved a little as a young lad befriending Jeannette MacDonald (in her final big screen movie) and Lassie in "The Sun Comes Up" (1949). "Roughshod" is a western starring Robert Sterling and Gloria Grahame. His next best role would be in "Intruder In The Dust"(1949) with David Brian and Juano Hernandez, but it wasn't enough to sustain his career.

After "The Outriders" a western with Joel McCrea and Arlene Dahl in 1950, MGM started loaning him out to other studios. He landed in John Wayne's "Rio Grande" (1950); Randolph Scott's "Hangman's Knot" (1952) and "Fair Wind To Java (1953).

By the mid 50s, Claude chose to leave acting behind and returned to Nashville to complete high school and then attended Vanderbilt University where he took a pre-law course. Following his studies, he served three years in the Navy. By the time he returned to Hollywood in 1959, he found no film work at all but did manage to guest on a few TV shows. He later moved to behind-the-scenes work and made minor strides as a producer and film-festival executive director. He once served as director of Cultural Affairs for the City of San Francisco.

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...seafood along the highway...

2008-09-26T09:58:00.000-07:00

Been there many times, but first time since I started "blogging". Have always like and enjoy the food here, although sometimes the thought of being caught in the usual traffic jam before and on the bridge does turn me off...but then, like the song goes..."ain't no mountain high enough, ain't no river wide enough"...for good food that is!!!

Restaurant Highway Seafood, is located along the namesake, highway to Jawi. It is on the immediate left after the flyover from Simpang Empat to Jawi (the same direction as we go to Restoran Tang Ling in my post for paus).

Here are some of the really good dishes not to be missed...

Steamed Garoupa with Hor Fun. This is something I hardly come across back in the island. The fish is steamed Cheng Choi (clear steamed literally translated as soya sauce is being used) style with some hor fun under. Just imagine this garnished with lots and lots of fried chopped garlic and some chopped spring onions. The hor fun is smooth and soaked in the wonderful gravy.

The marmite chicken is another must-try dish. The chicken is cut into small pieces and marinated with marmite and deep fried and what I believe in some coat of honey. It comes in a small portion which I think I can finish the whole serving!!!

We also had the tom yam prawns. I like this dish, because instead of having the tom yam soup all the time, this is a good change. It is served with a generous helping of tomatoes and onions. It's a good combination of sweet, sour and spicy.

Next came the lala (shell fish). This is another dish that we seldom come across in the island. This dish is special because the lala is steamed in lime juice. This restaurant seems to be very generous with their garlic, as the lala is sprinkled with freshly chopped garlic.As you bite in to it, you can still taste the juice of the squid.

The brinjal stir-fried with bean curd (tao hu) is good. Also a new dish which I have not tried before is the Kai Lan stir-fried with Kiam Bak (salted meat).

I prefer Kai Lan with Pee Hoo. The there is the brocolli with straw mushrooms (shitake). Those are more mild dishes.

A MUST have is the crab in tang hoon (glass noodles). This dish is really something!!! The craustacian is cooked with the glass noodles with milk and pepper. The gravy is creamy (but of milky kind) and peppery. Although I do not really fancy too much pepper in my food, this is exceptional. This is my personal favourite dish, although I do not eat the crabs, I simply adore the tang hoon.

After all these, what a better way to end a great repast with the fried ice-cream. So far, Restaurant Highway serves the best fried ice-cream I have tried. The bread covering is not soaked in oil and the combination of cold and hot is simply unusual.

So, it's worth every mile you travel to Highway for this good seafood.

Ratings : 8/10

...julie london - cry her a river...

2008-09-26T07:53:00.000-07:00

The wonderful sexy, sultry singer and actress, Julie London was born Julie Peck on 26th September 1926 in Santa Rosa California. She moved to Los Angeles at the age of fourteen with her vaudeville song and dance team parents.

She made her acting debut in the B-jungle adventure, "Nabonga" in 1944 opposite former Flash Gordon, Buster Crabbe. She was the relegated to an uncredited role of a chorine in Betty Grable/Dick Haymes' "Billy Rose's Diamond Horseshoe" (1945). Her role expanded in Unirversal's "On Stage Everybody" (1945 - starring Jack Oakie and Peggy Ryan).

Julie was given a better dramatic role in Edward G. Robinson's thriller, "The Red House" (1945) as Tibby, the girlfriend of Lon McCallister's character. She is wasted in a thankless role in "Tap Roots" (1948) and Gay Cooper's war drama, "Task Force" (1949).

She made some second rate movies in the 1950s ("Return Of The Frontiersman" in 1950 starring Gordon MacRae; slueth mystery, "The Fat Man" in 1951, featuring a very young Rock Hudson; "The Fighting Chance" in 1955 and "Crime Against Joe" in 1956). That same year, she appeared as herself in brief appearance singing her hit "Cry Me A River" in Tom Ewell's daydream in "The Girl Can't Help It". She made a couple of westerns in the late 50s - with Jeff Chandler in "Drango" (1957); Robert Taylor's "Saddle The Wind (1958); once again with Gary Cooper in "Man Of The West" (1958) and with Robert Mitchum in "The Wonderful Country" (1959). Julie had a good role in the racial drama "Night Of The Quarter Moon" (1959).

In 1947, she married actor Jack Webb prior to his fame in televison's Dragnet" (1951), and went into semi-retirement, doing few films and even taking a break between 1951 - 1955. She and Jack divorced in 1953 and became a successful jazz and pop singer. Her singing career was then managed and groomed by jazz musician Bobby Troup. She married him in 1959. Ironically, when former hubby Jack Webb became the producer of television's "Emergency" (1972 - 1979), he hired not only Julie but her then-husband, Bobby, and they starred together in her most recognizable role. They played a staff doctor (Troup) and a nurse (London) in a hospital emergency room.

She was most popular as a singer was in the late 50s, when she set aside her full-time film career to concentrate on her singing career. Over 40 albums were released, and her vocal style was endeared by many core fans. She was also known in some circles as "The Liberty Girl" for helping establish Liberty Records as a successful label. Her last recording was an excellent cover of the classic tune "My Funny Valentine" on the soundtrack to the Burt Reynolds neo-noir detective flick "Sharky's Machine" (1981). After suffering a stroke in 1995, her health began to deteriorate. In 1999, husband Bobby died, and her own passing followed later in October 2000.

On her singing voice, she said "It's only a thimbleful of a voice, and I have to use it close to the microphone. But it is a kind of over-smoked voice, and it automatically sounds intimate". Whatever, listen to her rendition of "Cry Me A River" and you will know how good Julie London could sound.

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...new doughnut shop in town...

2008-09-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hey, guess what...the homegrown doughnut maker "Big Apple" has finally rolled its way to Penang!!! It opened it's outlet in Gurney Plaza in Penang. The franchisor is also heading for other Thailand, China, Brunei and the Middle East after their successful introduction launched in The Curve in Damansara last year.

I am never a fan for doughnuts, but bless Christina, she brought over a box of these colourful "donuts". I particularly liked the durian flavoured. It's filled with light frothy cream with the aroma of durian. It's just like eating the durian whipped cream in doughnut!!! Heavenly.

Ratings : 7/10

...a plant with no name...

2008-09-26T05:42:00.000-07:00

I am not too familiar with the name of this plant, let alone the scientific name for it. This plant (in the pot) was given to me by Joanne Tung. It has hard sturdy leaves (that resembles a cactus) and the stem if fatter than most. As I am not too sure if it needs plenty of sun or does not, it has been in this pot for months. It does grow much since. Yesterday, I brought back a partner. I am waiting for the tiny roots to grow before I join them in holy matrimony.

Any tips from anyone on this plant???

...ayam percik...

2008-09-25T05:46:00.000-07:00

I do love visiting Pasar Ramadhan, and this being the fasting month for the Muslims, the Pasar Ramadhan is back. Basically, Pasar Ramadhan (Ramadhan Market) sells food and knick knacks during the whole fasting month for the Muslims before they celebrate their "Aidil Fitri".

Every road and every street corner, you will find at least a stall or two (and some by the dozens) selling all sorts of Malay delicacies. From kuehs to Nasi Ayam to fresh fruits, Pasar Ramadhan is seldom short of variety.

There are a few big and famous Pasar Ramadhans in Penang island. This year, I only managed to visit one near my work place. I was there to get my "ayam percik". Last year, we in the office had a craze of buying ayam percik from this stall. It is located along the Tanjung Tokong Road opposite the Uda Flats. The stall is just byt the roadside.

I may be wrong, but I think ayam percik originated from the East Coast (either from the state of Kelantan or Trengganu). It's the Malay version of BBQ chicken. The chicken is usually marinated with coconut milk and some salt and spices. It is then placed on the wooden clappers and grilled over the fire. It can be served with the peanut sauce.

Ratings : 6/10

...beating yewsuan to curry puffs...

2008-09-25T05:14:00.000-07:00

I do not have much info on where to buy these nice curry puffs, but to beat Carole YewSuan, before she post in hers, here they are...hehehe...beat you to it YewSuan!!!

These curry puffs are from Sungai Ara (exact location and details, please refer YewSuan's food blog).

It is really nice and the size is just perfect for snacks. The puff is filled with potatoes and a slice of egg. The potato filling is not too spicy and not too sweet (Chinese curry puffs usually tend to be a little sweet), but the thing I like best is the sliced egg in it.

Ratings : 7/10

...mickey rooney - the other mickey...

2008-09-23T06:42:00.000-07:00

One of the most durable star of Hollywood, that has been shining for more than eight decades since the 20s, whom was rumoured that the famous mouse was named after him - the imcomparable, versatile, dimunitive and cuddly real life teddy bear, Mickey Rooney!!!

The pint-sized (5' 2") bundle of energy, Rooney was born Joseph Yule Jr. in 23rd September 1920 in Brooklyn, New York to a pair of vaudevillians. He was not even two, when he was participating in his parents' act. His Mom took him to Hollywood when she split from Yule Sr., finding him work in children's stage revues. The tyke was given roles as midgets (in "Not To Be Trusted 1926 - he was a midget with a moustache!!! and "Orchids And Ermine" (1927).

A producer in F.B.O Studios, Larry Darmour was impressed by the little imp and made him a star of a series of two-reelers derived from a popular comic strip about an irrepressible kid named Mickey Maguire (which became Mickey's off screen name as well for the run of the series which was released between August 1927 (starting with "Mickey's Circus", the only time he was billed as Mickey Yule) and March 1934).

For copyright reasons, he could not continue to use the name of Mickey Maguire when he resumed work in features in 1932. So someone came up with "Rooney" as an option for him while playing an orphan kid in Universal's "Fast Companions" (1932). Now an all-purpose child actor, he played the king of a mythical country in the Tom Mix vehicle, "My Pal The King" (1932); a dancing vaudevillian who grows up to be Eddie Quillan in "Broadway To Hollywood" (1933); young John Boles in "Beloved" (1934) and young Clark Gable in "Manhattan Melodrama" (1934). The latter showed just how effortlessly he could make an impression in a brief period of time and MGM decided to put him under contract.

In "Chained" (1934), he was glimpsed briefly in a swimming pool with Clark Gable and Joan Crawford. He stole scenes in "Hide-Out" (1934) as Maureen O' Sullivan's rambunctious kid brother. Being as verstile as he is, MGM loaned his services to other studios - Columbia as Ann Sothern's sibling in "Blind Date" (1934); Fox playing a small town boy named Freckles in "The Country Chairman" (1935) and most importantly, to Warner Bros. for their lavish rendering of "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (1935) giving him a no-holds barred interpretation of Puck. It made him more famous than ever.

Back to his studio, MGM gave him a thankless role in "Ah, Wilderness!" (1935) starring Wallace Berry, then again loaned him to David Sleznick for "Little Lord Fauntleroy" (1936) which marked the first time he would play tough opposite the more delicate Freddie Bartholomew as Freddie'sloyal friend when the latter moves to England. The studio decided that this pairing really clicked and put them along side a third child star, Jackie Cooper, in "The Devil Is A Sissy" (1936). Then in one of the top productions of 1937, "Captains Courageous", Rooney very much in support of Bartholomew, appeared as a cabin boy who takes some of the pomp out of stuck-up rich kid Freddie.

His first of several teaming with the glorious Judy Garland back in his homelot is in "Thoroughbreds Don't Cry" in 1937. Garland's more restrained persona perfectly complimented his often undisciplined exuberance. There was another fairly minor entry in 1937, but it would be a milestone on his career: "A Family Affair", a pleasant drama-comedy about the smalltown Hardy family, persided over by judge Lionel Barrymore and mom Spring Byington. The picture did so nicely at the box office that there was a demand for another, resulting in "You're Only Young Once" (1937) with Lewis Stone and Fay Holden now playing the parents and Ann Rutherford replacing Margaret Marquis in the role of Polly Benedict, Andy's love interest.

Now officially a box-office name, Rooney made another with Bartholomew in "Lord Jeff" (1938). "Boys Town" in 1938, Rooney played the incorrigible, stogie smoking punk and does a turnabout for the better through the guidance of Father Flanagan as played by Spencer Tracy. Judy Garland and Lana Turner were in "Love Finds Andy Hardy". Nonetheless MGM knew they had a hot property and starred him in rambunctious "Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn" (1939), and the "lets-put-on-a-show" plot with Garland again in the musical "Babes In Arms" (1939) which he did impersonations and danced with gusto and won an Oscar nomination. They were teamed again in "Strike Up The Band" (1940) dueting in "Our Love Affair"; "Babes On Broadway" (1941) in which the pair had a charming moment introducing another hit song, "How About You?" and "Girl Crazy" (1943) with a batch of great Gershwin tunes. Kathryn Grayson made her movie debut in 1941's "Andy Hardy's Private Secretary" and Rooney had a swim with Esther Williams in "Andy Hardy's Double Life" (1942).

He guest starred as an Emcee in "Thousands Cheer" (1943) starring Kathryn Grayson and Gene Kelly. In "Human Comedy" (1943) won him another Oscar nomination playing the young telegraph messenger and before going to the war, he costarred with the young Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet" (1944).

He took the boxing circuit in "Killer McCoy" (1947), Rueben Mamoulin's musical "Summer Holiday" (1948), as Lorenz Hart in the fictionalized story of Hart and Richard Rogers "Words And Music" (1948). "A Slight Case Of Lacerny" (1953), found him at his most obnoxious, as the opportunistic owner of a gas station. Rooney produced and starred in some of his movies for his own production company. He was a the helicopter pilot who goes down for the count with buddy William Holden in "Bridges Of Toko-Ri"(1954) and Rooney was at his best in "The Bold And The Brave" a war drama that won him another nomination in the supporting role in 1956.

He was blamed for the failure of "The Private Lives Of Adam And Eve" (1960), as the Devil himself as he took the credit as a co-director. There was a good movie, "Breakfast At Tiffany's", in which his gooney Japanese impersonation was its one major drawback. He had a good role in the all-star hit "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad World" (1963), partnering Buddy Hackett. After a stint in Europe, he had a nice part as a crossed-eyed silent movie comedian who remains a close friend to fading star Dick Van Dyke in the underrated "The Comic" (1969).

He had a funny role as a n aging actor hiring Michael Caine to ghost his memoir in "Pulp" (1972) and as Helen Reddy's boozy dad in the fun Disney fantasy, "Pete's Dragon" (1977). He appeared as one of the host in MGM's "That's Entertainment" (1974). His career took a highnote in the late 1970s as he made his Broadway debut in "Sugar Babies" with another great legend, Ann Miller. It had a long run. He also won an Emmy for television's "Bill" (1981). He was seen in many more movies, even in "Babe : Pig In The City" (1998) and television media. He was also in "Night At The Museum" (2006) with Dick Van Dyke.With movie appearances stretching from 1926 to 2007, totaling 81 years, his is the longest career in cinema history, surpassing that of Lillian Gish. Nothing can keep him down, even till date, he is still making movies!!!

He was married eight times, among them, the luscious Ava Gardner. His life was plagued with many personal problems, including a murder-suicide of fifth wife, Carolyn Mitchell..

Happy Birthday, Mickey!!!

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...dorothy lamour - the sarong girl....

2008-09-22T05:29:00.000-07:00

Movies most famous sarong wearer is not Asian, but the lovely Dorothy Lamour. With her long dark hair, full lips and sleepy eyes, she became the Hollywood South Sea babe.

Dorothy Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana on 10th December 1914, with a dream to become a professional songstress. As a teen, she won a beauty contest as "Miss New Orleans" in 1931 and headed to Chigago to pursue her dreams as a singer. She worked as an elevator operator in a department store for a time. She auditioned to sing with the Herbie Kaye Orchestra. Not only she got the job, but also Herbie Kaye for a husband for four years.

She was given an uncredited role in James Cagney-Joan Blondell-Ruby Keeler-William Powell's big budgeted musical, "Footlight Parade" (1933). Spotted by a Paramount executive in a club, she was screen tested and signed a contract with the studio. Derived her acting name name "Dorothy Lamour" from her step-father, whose surname was "Lambour"). She was given a part as a coed in "College Holiday" (1936), before landing the part that epitomized South Sea glamour, by wrapping herself in a colour batik print in "The Jungle Princess" as the native Ulah who wins the heart of British hunter, Ray Milland in the Malaya (yes, pre-Malaysia), singing "Moonlight and Shadows" and cavorting with her pet chimp Bogo (they did not know there were no chimpanzees in Malaya!!!). Dorothy stole the show in her wrap-around sarong and the film was a tremendous moneymaker.

"Swing High, Swing Low" and "High, Wide And Handsome" (both 1937) gave her supporting parts in these musical drama. She was back in her more familiar ground and sarong in "The Hurricane" (1937) starring opposite Jon Hall (also in "Aloma Of The South Seas" in 1941) and "Her Jungle Love" (1938) again with Ray Milland as her leading man. In between these, she made "The Big Broadcast Of 1938" (1938), "Tropic Holiday" (1938) and "Spawn Of The North" (1938). She was in Jack Benny's "Man About Town" (1939), "St. Louis Blues" (1939) and "Disputed Passage" (1939).

Dorothy was Tyrone Power's leading lady in "Johnny Appollo" (1940). She was cast to the South Seas in her now famous sarong again, this time with Robert Preston in 1940's "Typhoon" and "Moon Over Burma".

The start of a very long journey with Bing Crosby and Bob Hope in their very first teaming as a trio begins with "Road To Singapore"(1940). They took the "Road To Zanzibar" in 1941, "Road To Morocco" in 1942, "Road To Utopia" in 1946, then journeyed to "Road To Rio" in 1947, "Road To Bali" 1951 and finally ended with "Road To Hong Kong" in 1962 (by this time, Dorothy was given a guest appearance role. The leading lady was Joan Collins). A final "Road" picture, "Road to the Fountain of Youth" was in the works in 1977, until Bing Crosby's sudden death.

Along the roads, she displayed her dramatic and comedic abilities in "Caught in The Draft (1941 - opposite Bob Hope); "The Fleet's In" (1942 although the movie was stolen by the great dynamite, Betty Hutton); the south "Dixie" (1943 - opposite Bing Crosby); "And The Angels Sing" (1944); "A Medal For Benny" (1945) and "My Favourite Brunette" (1947).

"On Our Merry Way" (1948) gave Dorothy a good role although not a good comedy drama (starring Paulette Goddard, Burgess Meredith, James Stewart, Henry Fonda, Fred MacMurray). She was now in a supporting part to Betty Hutton in one of the best Cecil B. DeMille's blockbuster - "The Greatest Show On Earth" as a tough circus aerialist whose speciality it is to hang by her teeth in midair.

The remainder of her movie roles were not much bigger and she went back to the South Seas one last time playing a saronged madam in John Wayne's "Donovan's Reef" (1963). She was seen belting out a song in a dress shop in the inane teen romp "Pajama Party" (1964) and walk-ons in the cameo-studded oddities "The Phynx" (1970) and "Won Ton Ton, The Dog Who Saved Hollywood" (1976). He last movie appearance was in "Creepshow 2" (1987) where she played a housewife who gets murdered. On the small screen, she guest starred in "Love Boat"(1980), "Hart To Hart" (1984) and "Murder, She Wrote" (1987).

Dorothy died at 81 of heart attack on September 22, 1996 in Los Angeles, California and interred at Forest Lawn (Hollywood Hills).

Everytime a moon shines in the South Seas, we hear her singing to the strains of "The Moon Of Manakoora" from her 1937's "The Hurricane" which is her signature song. Aloha, Dottie...

...the mystery queue in ikea...

2008-09-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

I noticed a long queue in Ikea (The Curve) when I was there recently. It was almost breakfast time and before we had our dinner, Mei Mei and I decided to walk across to Ikea from The Curve to get some of Na Na's chocolates.

Out of curiosity, I asked Mei Mei why is there such a queue at the snack counter. Ah...she told me, people are lining up to get the curry puffs. Queuing for curry puffs??? Never heard of such. The curry puffs must be really good. Well, after getting the chocolates, we walked back to "hunt" for a good dinner, but my mind has been echoing "curry puffs, curry puffs, curry puffs"!!!

After a pleasant repast, I gave in to my curiosity...we walked back and I was glad the snack counter was still open and I can see the curry puffs on the rack. The line is now shorter. When it was my turn, I got two pieces for RM1.00 per piece. That is for testing before the indulgence.

Hurriedly went back to my room to try the puffs like a cat with a new toy and since the puffs were still piping hot, I decided to take a bite. The filling, to my surprised, is not spicy and unlike some, the potatoes are cooked until really soft. And as a bonus, there is a small slice of egg!!! Love it!!! Will buy more when I am there again...and join in the long line!!!

What started out as a bite after a tummy filling dinner, ended up eating both curry puffs!!! Curiosity not only killed the cat, but sure made me heavier!!!

Ratings : 7/10

...arigato matsuki san...

2008-09-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Had a nice dinner at Matuski Japanese Restaurant in Cantonment Road a few nights ago. It's been awhile since I go "japanese"!!! It's been years since I last went there.

Matsuki is in one of those big bungalow houses along Cantonment Road. It is along the stretch between Gurney Drive and Kelawai Road traffic lights. The premise if of a 1960s big bungalow house, therefore parking is not a problem. Need not wind up stories after stories to look for a parking lot.

Since there were only two of us, we could not order an array. Just enough to fill our tummies.

We had the Wakadori Chicken. It comes with deep fried crispy well marinated chicken (skin and all) in terayaki sauce. I always like terayaki sauce for my japanese food (something which is equivalent to my tnee cheoh for my local dishes and BBQ sauce for my western servings!!!). The chicken comes in a moderate portion with a bowl of rice and stash of chopped cabbage with thousand island and a slice of tomato and some cucumber. The set includes cawanmushi (steamed egg in a cup - very soft like eating tofu fah with a small piece of chicken meat and it was still hot), a bowl of soup and two mouthful size of honeydew. There was also a few pieces of preserved vegetables.

There are a variety of bentos (box set in japanese???). I ordered a simple one...a good serving of rice, few slices of raw sashimi (salmon, yellow tail and octupus), tempura (two average size prawns, two pieces of potatoes and one piece of egg plant. At least it is not soaked in frying oil.) and a hefty (for a bento) piece of grilled fish. This too, comes with cawanmushi, soup and fruit. We had a side order of egg sushi.

The pricing here is quite reasonable. The ambiance in nice. The parking ample. Good place for a relaxing meal. It stirs up my "craving" for Japanese food again!!!

Ratings : 8/10

...alice ghostley - a ghostley lady...

2008-09-21T06:10:00.000-07:00

With a name like that, one would associate it with horror movies, but never with heavy dramas. Comedianne Alice Ghostley (14th August 1926 - 21st September 2007), with her eternally forlorn looks, who portrayed a withering wallflower, a klutzy helper, a dowdy and drab housewife or a cynical tale monger, she had the ability to draw laughters from the skimpiest of material with a simple whine and fret.

She was born in the tiny town of Eve, Missouri in a whistle-stop railway station, where her father was a telegraph operator. Alice grew up in various towns in the Midwest (Arkansas, Oklahoma) and at the age of five, began performing - reciting poetry, tap dance and sing. Spurred on by a high school teacher, she studied drama at the University of Oklahoma but eventually left in order to pursue a career in New York with her sister Gladys, teaming together in an act called "The Ghostley Sisters". Alice eventually developed her own cabaret show as a singer and comedienne, she toiled as a secretary to a music teacher in exchange for singing lessons, worked as a theater usherette in order to see free stage shows, paid her dues as a waitress, worked once for a detective agency, and even had a stint as a patch tester for a detergent company. No glamourpuss by any stretch of the imagination, she built her reputation as a singing funny lady.

The short-statured, auburn-haired entertainer received her star-making break singing the satirical ditty "The Boston Beguine" in the Broadway stage revue "New Faces of 1952", which also showcased up-and-coming stars like Eartha Kitt, Carol Lawrence and Paul Lynde to whom she would be invariably compared to what with their similar comic approach, fretful demeanors and dry sarcasm. The film version of New Faces (1954) also featured most of the same cast. She and "male counterpart" Lynde would appear together in the same films and/or TV shows over the years.

Making a name for herself on the Tony-winning Broadway stage, her eternally forlorn looks later became an amusingly familiar plain-Jane presence on TV sitcoms and in an occasional film or two during the 50s, 60s and 70s. After a successful run on the stage, she dwelved in TV. In the 1957 television musical version of "Cinderella", starring Julie Andrews, Alice and her good friend Kaye Ballard, as the not-nice stepsisters, stole much of the proceedings and although it was mighty hard to take away her comedy instincts, she did appear in a TV production of "Twelfth Night" as Maria opposite Maurice Evans' Malvolio, and graced such dramatic programs as "Perry Mason" and "Naked City", as well as a very short appearance in the Gregory Peck(Best Actor) film "To Kill A Mockingbird" (1962). She kept herself in the television limelight as a frequent panelist in game shows.

She was given featured caricature roles in some lightweight comedies such as "My Six Loves" (1963) starring Debbie Reynolds and "With Six You Get Eggroll (1968) starring Doris Day. She also had a small teacher role in the popular 1978 film version of "Grease". Alice primarily situated herself, however, on the sitcom circuit and appeared in a number of recurring 'nervous Nellie" roles, topping it off as the painfully shy, dematerializing and accident-prone witch nanny Esmeralda in "Bewitched" from 1969-1972 and as the batty friend Bernice in"Designing Women" (1986). 1978 Alice replaced Dorothy Loudon as cruel Miss Hannigan in "Annie", her last Broadway stand. A series of multiple strokes ended her career come the millennium and she passed away of colon cancer on September 21, 2007. Her long-time husband of fifty years, Italian comedic actor Felice Orlandi, whom she married since 1953, died in 2003. The couple had no children.

Goodbye Miss Ghostley...

(Scanned autographed photo - property of author)

...curry mee - white or red...

2008-09-19T08:53:00.003-07:00

Curry Mee is another famous hawker food in Penang. Every Penangnite has his or her own favourite stall (or stalls). Most of the garnishings are the same - cockles, prawns, cuttlefish, tau pok, some have fish balls, some meat balls, some curry chicken, etc. The thing that makes a bowl of curry mee kicks, is the chili paste.

Down in Abu Sittee Lane towards Burma Road, there is a air-conditioned shop called Hot Bowl. It is located nearer to the Indian coconut shop. Hot Bowl serves "white curry mee". The soup is white and rich with coconut milk and you can add the chili paste to your liking. As a matter of fact, they even sell the chili paste separately in glass jars. The soup here is nice, thick and you can even smell the coconut milk (santan) before you add in the chili paste. The chili paste is very well mixed and cooked...with a trace of fried shallots. There is always a small bowl of chili paste on every table. For those who likes to "keh leow" (add more garnishings), they have meat balls, fish balls, etc. The fried bean cake (tau pok) is also something that adds to the flavour.

Besides curry mee, they sell chicken rice (no roast chicken here). The pek cham kay is very smooth and garnished with lots of spring onions and chinese celery. The rice has the aroma of chicken and pandan and also lemak enough. Too khar chor and sometimes nasi lemak is in their menu. Sometimes you will see bak chang and fried fritters.

Ratings : 7/10
Next, is the Chew City Coffee Shop up in Tanjung Bungah. It is along Jalan Sungai Kelian. Right outside the coffee shop usually there is a table under a large Carlsberg umbrella mended by the brother of the curry mee seller, selling miniature cream puffs, apple pies and chicken pies. The pastries are good...they come in bite size.

The curry mee here is a little different from Hot Bowl as it is not white. The soup still have the fragrance of the santan and pandan, but it is less thicker, it makes you feel like eating some home cook curry chicken. He garnishes the curry mee with mint leaves. For those vampires who likes blood, the chicken blood cakes are smooth and there is no trace of unpleasantness. The chili paste is unlike those with dried shallots, but nice enough to compliment the soup.

Ratings : 7/10

Next to the stall, is a stall selling claypot rice. It comes with chicken or pork ribs. I like the claypot rice here because you can taste the salted fish (kiam hoo). Tastewise, it is almost like the claypot chicken rice anywhere else. I think a little more chinese cooking wine would add the aroma of the burnt rice. I like mine with egg. Trouble is, usually one claypot is not enough for me!!!

Ratings : 6/10

...can a mango weevil read???...

2008-09-19T08:53:00.002-07:00

I came across this notice in a banner in Subang Airport...how many mango weevils do you think read this???

...a visit to ah tuan ee's place...

2008-09-19T08:53:00.001-07:00

My Kuala Lumpur food expedition part II!!! Hahaha!!!

The second night, after a day's long, long seminar...with Mal Warwick (hey, did not know you can see so many of pics in the net). Again, after reaching the hotel, we were a bit too lazy and tired to go downtown. So decided to explore other food outlets in The Curve. The food outlets, although expensive seem to be very popular they were all packed again!!!

Since Mei Mei was not too keen with buffet, we wanted to try Bubba Gump, but unfortunately, it was blocked for a private function. In a dither, we could not decide on when to go. Finally, met a familiar name...Ah Tuan Ee. No, we do not know who Ah Tuan Ee is, but sounds very Penang!!! So, in we go to Ah Tuan Ee's place.

True to the namesake, they serve Nyonya cuisine. I am very much against having Nyonya food in restaurants...we pay so much for the food we have almost every week. Anyway, in our hunger, we strode in. The ambiance is quite nice...after browsing the menu, we settled for Joo Hoo Char, Sambal Kiam Hoo and Kapitan Chicken (that is a must for me if I have to eat out in a Nyonya restaurant).

The Sambal Kiam Hoo came first. Very red looking (but aren't all sambal kiam hoo looks red?). Then the chicken. Then the Joo Hoo Char. We had a plate of plain rice each.

My first scoop of the Sambal Kiam Hoo almost set me on fire!!! It was really hot and spicy. I was hoping it has a taste of acar kiam hoo!!! My tongue was wagging like Rin Tin Tin!!! I do not know what happened, but I lost a picture of the Sambal Kiam Hoo. Anyway, I had to order another bowl of white rice to finish the sambal. Well, I have to give a little credit to the Kapitan Chicken. The aroma from the rempah is nice. Next, the Joo Hoo Char. It really could turn all the old Peranakan cooks in their graves. The turnips were not definely shredded. Only a few strands of Joo Hoo Si and the taste is a little blend.

Well, Ah Tuan Ee, if you ever visit Penang, let me introduce you to some of my Mak Ee Poh Sotongs!!! Your food maybe nice to people in the Central, they make better and more authentic Nyonya food up here in the North.

Ratings : 6/10

...the red cow at the curve...

2008-09-19T08:53:00.000-07:00

I was attending a fund raising seminar in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday with Mei Mei. We put up at the Royale Bintang (separate rooms of course!!!) at Mutiara Damansara or better known as The Curve. That did not mean we cannot go to raise our waistlines!!!

Bless Mei Mei's soul, she introduced me to this restaurant for dinner in The Curve. It's Mache!!! As it was almost breakfasting hour, the restaurant was sardine packed (as a matter of fact, all the F&B outlets were like jamming with people, yes, even Secret Recipe!!!). Usually Mache serves ala carte orders, but for the month of Ramahdan, they serve buffet...which is even more to my favour as I get to try everything!!!

The setting was huge...a vast place for such restaurant with the concept of a fruit market. We were told there was no tables left when we first approached the waitress in the front entrance. After a few minutes, with our tummies growling and my insistent of having a nice buffet dinner, we walked back to the restaurant. This time, we are told that there is a table available...either the waitress was amazed with our persistence or she heard the sound our tummies were making!!!

After we were shown to our table, there was no stopping me...I was running amok!!! There were the salad bar...Caesar salads, garden salads and many kinds of dressings. Then there's another counter grilling sausages. The lamb sausage is simply lips smacking!!! Next to that counter, they have soup (on that day were chicken soup and thick mushroom soup) and stirfried German noodles (that look like white worms and tasted like pasta in cabonara sauce).

Opposite these counters, they have all kinds of bread - long ones, short ones, rounds, flats, squares, white, buns, croissants, bagels, loaves, rolls, you name it, they have it!!! Mak Sui Kin would go bonkers!!! Then the desserts...ice-cream, cakes, local kuehs and one of my favourites...Pengat Pisang!!! Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! It has so much bananas that made be go bananas!!! It's lemak enough and got sago!!!!!!!!! There is another one, that looks and tastes like "kueh ee" but cook in santan too!!! They are really good lah!!!

Then there was counter that serves more local Asian dishes, which I did not bother to check it out, but I saw rice...but the next was the best of the lot...BARBEQUE and ROAST...from chicken (fantastically juicy), lamb, beef chunks. Got mint sauce, mushroom brown sauce, BBQ sauce, hot & spicy sauce....who could asked for anything more!!! Roast in BBQ sauce!!!

There is a counter grilling seafood...grilled salmon, grilled prawns...then a stall "selling" drinks...yes, you have to pay seperately for the drinks. To save cost, we forgo that stall. Hehehe!!! I would not want to pay RM5.50 for 1 can of Coke!!! Then there is a small table serving Italian Pizza, available in a few toppings.

I wanted to take some pictures of the stalls and settings of the restaurants, but taking pictures of the food we took, already turned many eyes from the tables surrounding us to our table!!!

So anyone going to The Curve before the 26th September 2008, do let me know...who knows, I may want to go for a second!!!

Ratings : 9/10

...rossano brazzi - the italian job...

2008-09-18T21:10:00.001-07:00

When Hollywood was in the wave of having foreigners, especially Italian lovers to their screen movies in the 40s and 50s, one of their imports was the dashing Rosanno Brazzi (18th September 1916 - 24th December 1994).

He was the son of a shoemaker Adelmo Brazzi, who later owned a leather factory and Maria Ghedini Brazzi. His baptismal name stems from the fact that his father, was in the military service and was stationed in Rossano Veneto when Rossano was conceived. Rossano as well as his siblings, Oscar and Franca, often worked for their father. He lost both parents to the Facist Italian government.

Rossano was quite atheletic as a young man and attended the San Marco University in Florence, Italy, a city in which he lived since the age of four. He was good in soccer (he assumed the role of a goalkeeper for the Florentine college team), tennis, fencing, swimming, golf and boxing. He was also an amateur boxer during his years in the university, but quit when he seriously hurt an opponent unintentionally. In 1937, in his twenties, he earned his law degree, and was sent by his father to practice law in Rome with an established lawyer who was a friend of the family. While there he was approached by a theatrical company.

He worked on the stage before he made his movie debut in his native country in 1939. He came to Hollywood in 1949, playing Proffesor Bhaer opposite sweet June Allyson in "Little Women". After his one Hollywood movie, he went back to native Italy to do more movies but returned to USA in 1954 in the travelog romance "Three Coins In the Fountain", romancing the lovely Jean Peters. He married Ava Gardner in the talky "The Barefoot Contessa" (1954). He was Katharine Hepburn's Italian lover in "Summertime" (1955). In "The Story of Esther Costello", he was Joan Crawford's ex. Brazzi was in the tear-jerker, "Interlude" (1957) as a married symphony conductor in a fling with June Allyson.

In 1957, he played a supporting role in a John Wayne's adventure movie, "Legend Of The Lost" (which also featured a new Italian sex-kitten - Sophia Loren). He was then given the lead in the musical "South Pacific" in 1958, playing the older French planter in the Pacific. His singing was dubbed by Giorgio Tozzi, therefore he get to mouth standards like "Some Enchanted Evening" and "This Nearly Was Mine". Other romantic leading man roles, "A Certain Smile" (1958) opposite Joan Fontaine; "Count Your Blessings (1959) with Deborah Kerr and "Light At The Piazza" (1962) with Olivia De Havilland. He lost a younger Suzanne Pleshette to Troy Donahue in "Rome Adventure" (1962).

He appeared in Peter Sellers's 1967 comedy, "The Bobo"; the wrongly titled "Krakatao: East Of Java" (Krakatao is actually in the west of Java), playing the balloonist dad of Sal Mineo and the English action-crime-drama, "The Italian Job" (1969). After that, he appeared in many telenovas and TV series. He even directed a few Italian movies in the 60s. Rosanno played a monk, trying to stop anti-Christ in 1983 "The Final Conflict" (The Omen III) from destructing the world.

Rosanno Brazzi died on Christmas Eve of 1994 of neural virus. Arriverdecci!!!

...penny singleton - blondie...

2008-09-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Penny Singleton who Blondie Bumstead in the famous Blondie movies was actually a brunette. Penny (15th September 1908 - 12th November 2003) was born Dorothy McNulty in Philadelphia. Her father, Benny McNulty was a Irish Philadelphina newspaperman.

She sang songs at a silent movie theater as a child and after the sixth grade, she joined a touring vaudeville act called "The Kiddie Kabaret". She also danced and sang with Milton Berle and Gene Raymond and billed as Penny McNulty. Her first name derived from having saved large amounts of penny coins.

Moving to Hollywood, the married a dentist, Lawrence Singleton and took a new name, Penny Singleton. She made an appearance as a student in 1930's musical "Good News" and Myrna Loy/William Powell's "After The Thin Man" (1936 - still billed as Dorothy McNulty until 1938 when she went over to Republic Pictures "B" to play lead in the musical "Outside Of Paradise" with Phil Regan). Warner Bros then utilized her as a secondary player in some of their movies.

Columbia decided to shoot a film based on Chic Young's popular comic strip about a sweet blonde housewife and her hyper husband, Dagwood Bumstead. Singleton dyed her hair blonde got the part in the first of the series, "Blondie" (1938) with Arthur Lake playing Dagwood. They went on to play the husband and wife team for 28 movies altogether, ending with "Beware Of Blondie" in 1950.

In between the series, she made western "Go West, Young Lady" (1941) with Glenn Ford as the leading man, but the movie is best remembered for the catfight brawl with Ann Miller. "Young Widow" (1946) starring Jane Russell, gave Penny a supporting part only.

She was the voice of Jane Jetson in the animated TV series, "The Jetsons". She guest-starred in some TV series ("The Twilight Zone" 1964 and "Murder, She Wrote" 1986). In 1966, she led the first strike of Radio City Music Hall Rockettes, gaining improved working conditions. Singleton was elected president of AGVA (American Guild of Variety Artists) in 1969 and was also a Honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree, St. John's University (1974).

This post was drafted on her birthday, but due to some technical error, I only managed to upload it last night.

...fay wray - the beauty and the hairy beast...

2008-09-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

There has been three movie versions of "King Kong". The classic was made in 1933, the comtemporary in 1976 and the latest, 2005. In all three, the sacrificial virgins were played by Fay Wray, Jessica Lange and Naomi Watts in that order.

Fay Wray (15th September 1907 - 8th August 2004) was born Alberta, Canada to a large family which included five other siblings. She was born Vina Fay Wray. The family moved to Arizona when she was still a child so that her father could find better work than in Alberta. They moved again to California. There the parents divorced, which put the rest of the family in hard times. Being in entertainment-rich Los Angeles, there was ample opportunity to take advantage of the chances that might come her way in the entertainment industry.

At the age of 16, Fay played her first role in a motion picture, albeit a small one. The film was a shortie, "Gasoline Love" (1923). The film was not a hit, nor was it a launching vehicle for her career. It would be two more years before she ever got another chance.When it did come, it was another lackluster film called "The Coast Patrol" (1925). The only thing it did for Fay was give her a slightly more prominent role than the film two years earlier. Four more films followed in 1926, and her career finally left the ground. She was noticed to the extent that the Western Association of Motion Pictures chose her as one of thirteen starlets most likely to succeed in film. After three films in 1927, the following year established Fay as an actress to be reckoned with. She played the lead, Mitzi Schrammell, in the hit "The Wedding March" (1928). She had made the successful transition into the "talkie" era when most performers' services were no longer needed because of the sound of their voices on film.

Fay Wray had a prominent role, as a target of the insane human hunter in "The Most Dangerous Game" (1932). In 1933, Fay appeared in eleven films, including "The Big Brain, "The Mystery Of The Wax Musuem"and "The Vampire Bat" but it was another film that placed her in a role that is remembered to this day. That year she played Ann Darrow in the classic "King Kong", the movie that saved the studio RKO from bankruptcy. All these movies also earned her the title "The Queen of Sream". From there, Fay was given more and better roles, but she is best remembered for that one performance. The movie wound up being named one of the 100 greatest films of all time by the American Film Institute in 1998.

The following year, Wray continued her pace in films, making many films again, including "Once To Every Woman", the lighter "The Countess Of Monte Cristo", "Viva Villa!" (with Wallace Berry), the horror "Black Moon" and "The Affairs Of Cellini", but her career was now beginning the proverbial backward slide. Movie roles for her were becoming fewer and fewer with new stars on the horizon.

Now it was Fay's services which were being curtailed. Her 11-year marriage to John Monk Saunders ended in a painful divorce. She made a brief appearance as the wife of Warner Baxter who died early in the film "Adam Had Four Sons" (1941). After "Not A Ladies Man" (1942), Fay was not in another film until the Cornel Wilde adventure "Treasure Of The Golden Condor" (1953). She was pushed further back in "Small Town Girl" (1953), a musical starring Jane Powell, Farley Granger, Ann Miller and Bobby Van. An even smaller role in the star-studded "The Cobweb" (1955) and Joan Crawford's "Queen Bee" (1955) were some of the weakest ever projected. Her last performance before the cameras was a made-for-television movie called"Gideon's Trumpet" for television (1980).

After that, she made more personal appearances on screen and in public. Fay Wray was the guest of honor in 1991, at the 60th birthday of the Empire State Building in New York City. She spent time with and became friends with Peter Jackson, a major fan, while he was in the process of developing his remake of 'King Kong'. For the remake of "King Kong" (2005), director he wanted Fay to say the closing line of the film. Since she died before it was done, the line went to Jack Black. Fay Wray died of an natural causes on August 8, 2004. On August 10, 2004, two days after her death, the lights on the Empire State Building in New York City (scene of the climax from her most popular film, "King Kong") were dimmed for 15 minutes in her memory.

She was an excellent actress who never was given a chance to live up to her potential, especially after being cast in a number of horror films in the '30s. Given the right role, Fay could have had her star up alongside the great actresses of the day. No matter. She remains a bright star from cinema's golden era.

...a pau by any other shapes...

2008-09-15T09:37:00.001-07:00

Since we are still on the subject of paus, these are the paus from Restoran Tang Ling in Simpang Empat (mainland) on the way to Jawi Town. Restoran Tang Ling is at the very corner of a row of shophouses in Taman Tang Ling, a very small township of its own. If you are coming from Bukit Tengah, it's about 10 kilometres from the traffic light outside AutoCity.

The paus there is a little different. The dough skin taste like mee koo (red tortoise). It is not compact but light. The filling comes in the usual tau sah (black bean), kaya, char siew (roasted BBQ pork), bak pau (meat), etc. but the restaurant is famous for it's chai pau (vegetable and not vegetarian).

The vegetable filling is actually shredded turnip (bang kuang) fried ala nyonya joo hoo char but with a dash of pepper and a trace of dried shrimp (heh bee) and moist. But what I really enjoy is the bak pau...although it is a little flatter than the normal paus. The filling is not a big clump of meat but small pieces and even a very small slice of egg. The taste of the bak pau is so different from the bak paus we find elsewhere.

A little far for a good pau...

Ratings : 7/10

...a forum of dim sum...

2008-09-15T08:24:00.000-07:00

After talking to Carole (YewSuan) so much about dim sum and char siew paus, well, I just remembered I have some pics taken when I had lunch in The Forum Chinese Cuisine a few weeks ago with my colleagues.

Dim sum and paus (dumplings) have always been one of my favourite. I would always go ga-ga over the sight of char siew paus and those little dim sums and to add to my ga-ga-ness, nothing compares with dim sum dipped in sweet sauce (tnee cheow)!!!

I remembered when I was working in the airlines back in the early 90s. I was sent for trainings regularly in Singapore. The was a dim sum restaurant in the departure hall of the Changi International Airport called Fook Yuen (or something like that). I remembered SS Yee with his family took me there to send me off. He ordered a variety of dim sums. There was one that really, really intrigued me...banana and prawn wrapped in a thin flour skin. The taste of the combination of sweet and savoury lingered on my mind until my next trip. I ta pau back almost SG100.00 for this special dim sum. Ooh...how crazy I can get over food then!!!

Back to the dim sum in The Forum. This Chinese restaurant is located on the top floor of the almost dying Metrojaya (Island Plaza). The restaurant is very impressive. It is a nice place for dining.

We ordered the Superior Har Gao (mediocre not superior), BBQ Chee Cheong Fun (nice), Shrimp Chee Cheong Fun (nice), Fried Raddish Cake (so-so), Mini Egg Tarts (this is nice, the pastry is crispy and flaky and the custard is not extremely sweet) and my BBQ Pork Dumpling (char siew pau - tried better). The Fried Dumpling Red Bean (Chee Mah Cho - sesame ball with red bean filling or we used to call them "mini-bomb") is fried to prefection.

The Steamed Pork Ribs with black bean is really nice. Tender and tasty. Deep fried Salad Shrimp with mayonnaise dip (do not recall of any salad - mediocre), Yam Dumpling (woo kok - so-so), BBQ Pork Pie (char siew soh - also so-so) and the Canton Spring Rolls (this is nice too. It is meaty and tasted like sausage pastry). The best of the lot is the Beef Ball with Bean Curd. (It's a mixture of beef and tendon...juicy meat and tasty too).

The price ranges from RM3.80 - RM5.80. I guess for a Chinese restaurant of that stature, the pricing is rather reasonable. They even have tnee cheoh for me!!! No matter what, they are so much better than the overrated Foh Sun's in Ipoh (a restaurant that I do not miss).

Thanks Jenny for the lunch and photos.

Ratings : 7/10

...anita page - the last of the screen flappers...

2008-09-15T04:37:00.000-07:00

In the 20s, the term "flapper" is used for young ladies who are fashionable and lively. Veteran actress, Anita Page(4th August 1910 - 6th September 2008), who lived up to the name "flapper", has passed away in her sleep at the age of 98.

The vivid, petite blonde Anita Page was born Flushing, New York with the name Anita Evelyn Pompares. Her father had an electrical contracting business in Murray Hill, Flushing. He helped Anita get into pictures because he had done some lighting work for a studio in Astoria and knew somebody who promised to do what he could for Anita. Later, her mother, Helen "Maude" became her secretary, her father, John, became her chauffeur and her brother, Marino, was her gym instructor.

Anita had a small screen roles in some silent movies, 1925's "A Kiss For Cinderella" and 1926's "Love 'Em And Leave 'Em". She had a starring role opposite the dashing but gay William Haines in MGM's silent "Telling The World" (1928). She supported Joan Crawford in the semi-silent "Our Dancing Daughters" (1928), a movie that made Crawford a star. She starred with "the man of a thousand faces" the great Lon Chaney in a crime/drama "While The City Sleeps" and had a bit role in his "West Of Zanzibar".

The came the movie that made motion picture history, "The Broadway Melody" (1929), arguably the first full sound transitioned musical. It also won an Oscar for Best Picture in that year. The story of two sisters act, trying their luck on the great white way. Anita was one of the sister, the other was played by Bessie Love.

In 1929 Anita received over 10,000 fan letters a week, second only to Greta Garbo. Over one hundred of these were from an ardent Italian admirer, who wrote obsessively about her every move and asked for her hand in marriage several times - Benito Mussolini!.

She was back to support Joan Crawford in another silent, "Our Modern Maidens" (1929) and once again opposite William Haines in two talking comedies, "Speedway" (1929) and "Navy Blues" (1929). Anita Page had Buster Keaton as his leading man in "Free and Easy" (1930), his first musical talkie. There was another Joan Crawford drama "Our Blushing Bride" (1930) and a comedy opposite Crawford's then husband, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., "Little Accident". There was a kleenex drama with Robert Montgomery in 1931 "War Nurse". She portrayed Clark Gable's first on screen love interest in "The Easiest Way" (1931). She made some heavy dramas - with John Gilbert in "Gentleman's Fate" (1931) and with William Haines in "Are You Listening" (1932).

Eloped with her first husband, songwriter Nacio Herb Brown to Tijuana in 1934. They never lived together (Page said they needed to be married in the Catholic Church before she would live with him and this never happened). After nine months of marriage, she found out he was still married to his previous wife when he married Page, so she had their marriage annulled.

She retired from the screen in 1933 (reportedly due to her refusal to give in to Irving Thalberg's (he was married to Norma Shearer at the time) and Louis B. Mayer's sexual advances.

Anita Page made a comeback in 1996 in the odd R-rated "Sunset After Dark" along with child star Margaret O'Brien and Randal Malone. "Witchcraft XI : Sisters In Blood" (2000) was a horror with lots of nudity. Her last film appearance was "Frankenstein Rising" (2008).

There goes another grande dame of the silver screen.

(Scanned autographed photo property of author)

...feng shui horror...

2008-09-14T01:51:00.000-07:00

Being an ardent fan of Asian horror movies, I came upon a movie that made me curious to watch because of the title's namesake than the genre. I always associated feng shui to something Chinese. I did not know that is how they call it in the Philippines too. So I thought, might as well give it a shot.

Much to my surprise, this horror movie lives up to it's reputation (one of the top horror movies in Asia, I later found out). The plot is simple, yet it gives you all the excitement and chills of a good horror movie. Although it was in Tagalog (the Philippine's launguage), it did not hamper the thrills watching it.

Unlike most Asian ghost stories, the central haunting figure is not a lady in wearing white, with long hair going on all fours, crawling down staircases, crawling out from the television screen, standing outside the windows or cackling away in the middle of the night.

Who can refuse good luck? Joy (Kris Aquino) and her family have just moved into a new home, in a sparsely populated village. For them, it's time for new beginnings- a new chance and a new hope. But what for fortune awaits them.. and woe the tragedies to follow. On what should be the most unfortunate day of her life, Joy picks up a package left by a stranger in a bus. It is called 'ba-gua', (or pak kua - feng shui mirror) an item that drives bad luck away. Joy could not refuse the luck that continues to come her way until everything appears too good to be true. Unexplained events disturb her family's peace . People start to die as well. Having been advised by the geomancer to simply say no to the next form of luck, all Joy could do now is wait. But what painful decision awaits her? Will Joy prevail or be consumed by the curse of the bagua mirror? "Feng Shui" was a hit, not only in the Philippines but also in some parts of the world.

The movie stars Kris Aquino (daugther of former Philippines President, Corazon Aquino) as Joy; the good looking Jay Manalo as the husband Inton; Lotlot De Leon; Ilonah Jean; John Vladimir Manalo and Julianne Gomez (as the children).

This movie is a MUST to all those die hard horror movie fans.

...the better food in sungai pinang...

2008-09-10T07:22:00.000-07:00

Quan Zhao Cafe and Restaurant located in Jalan Sungai Pinang (opposite the AAM office). It has low roof and situated next to a car tint shop. It is on the opposite of the famous Ark Thooi Mee Snuah (Herbal Duck Drumstick with Mee Snuah).

Although the restaurant does not have a long list of food to offer, it is always packed in the morning and lunch hours. The cooking is ala ethnic Chinese. Sometimes you have to wait for tables in the weekends.

A must try is the Oh Mee (Oyster Noodles). Unlike the Oh Mee served in Nan Yang Restaurant, the noodles here are much more tasty. The noodles are not yukkily overcooked and the oyster are bigger. You can taste the sweetness from the meat, prawns and oyster in the gravy. It goes very well with the sambal. A fly can make butterfly strokes in the sambal from Nan Yang Restaurant.

The other is the fried glass noodles (Tang Hoon Char). Using almost the same ingredient (of meat, prawns and oysters), the glass noodles are stir fried to almost perfection. It is not gooey nor stretchable and importantly for fried glass noodles, not dessert dry.

We also had the Fried Mee Snuah (Mee Snuah Char) and they used meat and prawns. Nothing special about this dish, but good enough for a non-critic. Better than some, but not any better than others.

Duck being my favourite, we had the Duck in Ginger (Kneoh Ark). The duck is chopped to a thick cube. It is then cooked with ginger, spring onions, leek, tau kee, some dried chinese mushrooms and carrots with a hint of Chinese cooking wine. Gosh, I simply like the gravy!!! I slurpped dry!!!

They recommended something different, Steamed Salted Pork (Kiam Bak Choi). A big slice of pork belly seasoned in salt them steamed with chili and what tasted like lime (or vinegar). This dish makes pratically every taste buds in your tongue work. It is an eye opener.

Other dishes the Quan Zhao is famous for is the Yam Duck (Ark Or), Fried Salted Pork (Kiam Bak Chian), Fried Rice, Leek Fried With Beancurd (Suan Na Char Tau Knuah) and the Fried Seaweed Egg.

Mum likes the food here and so do I. I would usually bring my guests here for a quick meal. They are open from 8.00am to about 4.00pm only.

Ratings : 8/10

...yma sumac - the songbird of peru...

2008-09-10T02:54:00.000-07:00

Known as The Peruvian Songbird, Yma Sumac was born Zoila Augusta Emperatriz Chavarri del Castillo on 10th September 1922 in Ichocan, Peru, a town high in the Andes.

The oriental-eyed Yma Sumac (also known as Ima or Imma Sumack) is known for her astonishing 4 1/2 octave vocal range. She started performing at an early age in radio and movies and made recordings throughout South America. She came to the United States in the 1940s and performed with a small group of musicians and dancers. When she signed with Capitol Records in 1950 her stage name's spelling was changed to the more exotic "Yma Sumac." An urban legend that she is really "Amy Camus," a nice Jewish girl from Brooklyn, originated in 1951 with a joke among musicians repeated in one of Walter Winchell's gossip columns.

She has acted in several films, the Charlton Heston/Robert Young's adventure "Secret Of The Incas" (1954) and Cornel Wilde's Persian poet adventure "Omar Khayyam (1957) and stage shows, and continued to perform into the 2000s. She lives in Los Angeles and has been contemplating new releases of recordings of her most recent concerts.

Now only hardcore movie fans remember her movie apprearences.

Happy 86th Birthday, Ms Sumac!!!

A post note : Ms Yma Sumac passed away on 1st November 2008 due to colon cancer

...cliff robertson - spiderman's uncle ben parker turns 84...

2008-09-09T05:19:00.000-07:00

The Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson, turns 84 today. Robertson, better known to the new generations of audience as Ben Parker in the 2002 version of "Spiderman". He was born Clifford Parker Robertson III in California on 9th September 1923.

After military service, he joined the acting field in 1947, touring in company production. He tried his luck in New York and did live television dramas before landing on Broadway. When the author Elia Kazan of the Broadway show Robertson was in, was assigned to direct the 1955 "Picnic", a story about a handsome drifter arriving in a small Kansas community on the morning of the Labour Day picnic, Robertson made his movie debut as the young fiance of Kim Novak who lost her to William Holden. The movie also featured strong supporting performances from Rosalind Russell, Arthur O'Connell, Susan Starsberg and Betty Field.

He was Joan Crawford's much younger unhinged lover in "Autumn Leaves" (1956). He even sang "Travelogue" with Jane Powell and Kaye Ballard in the musical comedy "The Girl Most Likely" (1957) as one of Powell's three suitors. His performance as an officer was one of the better things in the war drama, "The Naked And The Dead" (1958). Next was the slight "famous at that time" Sandra Dee's surfing teenager comedy, "Gidget" (1959). Columbia finally gave him a leading role in "Battle Of The Coral Sea" (1959). It did not get him anywhere.

Robertson was given a secondary role to Dean Martin and Shirley MacLaine in 1961's comedy, "All In A Night's Work". Then he co-starred in Esther William's last major movie, "The Big Show" (1961) and Debbie Reynolds in "My Six Loves" (1963). He was also in the hospital soap opera, "The Interns" (1962). President John F. Kennedy personally chose him to play him in the dramatization of his war time experience in "PT109 (1963). "Sunday In New York" (1963), with Rod Taylor and Jane Fonda did nothing to boost his status, but his next movie opposite Fonda's dad, Henry, in "The Bast Man" (1964) proves to be Robertson's best role. He was Lana Turner's beachboy husband in "Love Has Many Faces" (1965) and a better movie "Masquerade". "Up From The Beach" (1965) and "The Honey Pot" (1967) improves the momentum.

"Charly" (1968) gave him a meaty role as a mentally challenged baker's assistant who temporarily becomes a genius via a breakthrough operation before reverting back to his previous state won him the Academy Award for Best Actor 1968. He was not present to accept the award, Gregory Peck accepted on his behalf.

Now considered a possible money attraction, Robertson had a string of starring roles in box-office failures: "Too Late The Hero" (1970), a war film on which he clashed off screen with co-star Michael Caine; "J.W.Coop" (1972) which he himself directed and wrote; as Jesse James in "The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid" (1972). He supported Robert Redford and Faye Dunaway in "Three Days Of The Condor" (1975). By the late 70s, he had become basically a television name and he was responsible for unravelling a major studio fraud in the seventies which led to the downfall of a powerful Hollywood figure, David Begelman. The morality of Hollywood was such that it did some harm to his career for a period of time.

He returned to play the cold-hearted husband of Jacqueline Bisset in "Class" (1983) and the beautiful Natalie Wood's last movie (she drowned after making this movie which she did not get to see the release of it), "Brainstorm" (1983). He guest-starred in television's "Falcon Crest" from 1983 to 1984. He went on to make movies but his notable famous was the role of Ben Parker in the three Spiderman movies. He was married to the glamourous Dina Merrill from 1966 and divorced in 1986.

...durian kueh...

2008-09-06T17:51:00.001-07:00

Durians that come in sticks??? For those die-hard durian fans, like Mum (I always call her a durian kwee), after the durian harvest, durian kuehs will make do.

Durian kueh is made from lesser grade durians (if you buy from reliable source, if not you may end up having durian kueh made from rotten fruits!!!). The fruits are mixed with the required amount of flour and sugar, stirred over a moderate fire consistantly. I think it is more or less the same method for making dodols. A good durian kueh must have the fragrance (or pungence to some) of the fruit, not extremely sweet, chewy and a little sticky.

Well, I would go for the real durians anytime!!!

...my house of mooncakes...

2008-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Chang Er (the lovely moon maiden - no lah, who told you moon was inhabited by aliens??? - in Chinese mythology) has been very generous (or vengeful) with me this year. Look at the number of mooncakes I have!!! If I finish all, I will land myself in the nearest hospital!!! Luckily lah, I am in my "no-mooncake-crazy" fancy. Ah Sim Ee gave a box from Tai Thong, Ah Han Ee gave one from Amway and Alex another from Foh San.

Over the years, mooncakes have evolved to many unsual flavours to meet the customers craziness. The more authentic ones like Black Bean Paste, Red Bean Paste, Lotus Seed Paste are making way for pandan paste, chocolate paste, coffee paste, tiramisu paste, green tea paste, durian paste, cream corn, even savoury heh bee (dried shrimp) paste!!! See Carole's blog for Bird Nest Mooncake!!! What will these mooncake makers think of next??? Curry chicken mooncakes???

Anyway, Happy Mooncake Festival to all...

...chicken pies from penang hill...

2008-09-06T08:56:00.000-07:00

Since joining the hospital, I have been introduced to some good food. Amongst them, is the chicken pies from Penang Hill.

To get your order taken by this aunty, is an honour...sometimes, she is so busy she is unable to take any. Do not expect for instant orders. If you are lucky, you get yours within weeks if not months ahead!!!

This time I ordered three pieces instead of my usual ten. Perhaps my craving for pastries has passed. I can eat three to four in one sitting...and i sit a regularly!!! Hahaha!!!

The pie is the size of an adult palm. I can easily gobble up a pie within minutes!!! This time I decided to tear open the pie to taste the fillings instead of putting the whole thing in my mouth, pastry and all. Well, I find potato cubes, onions, big chunks of chicken meat, quarter hard boiled eggs and some peas. The filling is not soupy. The chicken meat sure tasted like the roast chicken you buy from supermarkets. They are stir fried with a dash of Lee & Perrins. When you eat the filling seperately from the pastry, you get to taste it better. They taste of the filling is blended very well. It has that certain aroma that distinguish a good pie from a bad one. The puff pastry does not carry a strong frangrance of butter but fragrance of baked pastry. And the price of the pie is cheap...only RM1.80 per piece.

But now auntie is getting a little bit big headed. She was suppose to deliver the pies on Wednesday, but told Bong Bong, she cannot make it on that day but can only deliver the following day and if Bong Bong does not want her order, she is fine with that. She ought to be thought some customer service!!!

Ratings : 8/10

...invasion of the plants...

2008-09-06T08:36:00.000-07:00

My opposite Indian neighbour has green fingers and hands!!! I put four potted plants on my side of the outside the wall next my door and two bigger plants on the floor so they can get enough sunlight. They have been sitting there for at least two years.

Then one morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw two to three potted plants next to my dying bamboo. I thought they belong to the neighbour opposite my unit, as along that stretch of corridor, the plants can get better sunlight. If I am not wrong, there was a mango plant in a yellow pot. I asked Mum can mango trees grown on pots???

After a week...eeeeek...more potted plants, surrounding the earlier few. Some have interesting foilage, but some only stems sticking out from the soil. A few days later, wahhh...instead of the plants grow, the pots multiplied....now they are sitting on the corridor wall. The Indian auntie told my mum that she wil leave them there until they grow well...hmmmm...bagi satu inci, mahu satu kaki!!! Hehehe...but Indian aunty is a nice person, so let it be...besides, I will ask Indian aunty for some plants when they grow well!!! Hehehe!!!

...mitzi gaynor - she's no cock-eyed optimist...

2008-09-04T05:01:00.000-07:00

From one cool dancer to cooler dancer (or in this case...a hotter dancer). In the case of Marge Champion, her dancing is more aloof..., and Mitzi Gaynor is simply sizzling hot!!!

The leading lady of many light musicals was born Francesca Marlene von Gerber on 4th September 1931. That makes Mitzi Gaynor 77 this year. When the perky Gaynor was four, her mother's sister, decided that Mitzi had a talent in ballet. She made her first professional appearance at the age of twelve, impersonating Danny Kaye in "Up In Arms" and the Brazilian Bombshell, Carmen Miranda from "That Night In Rio".

Mitzi first caught the public's eyes in "My Blue Heaven" (1950) starring Betty Grable, Dan Dailey and David Wayne. There were some pretty nifty turns by the trio of stars, but Mitzi sparkled in her scenes in a supporting role. Showing her kindess, Grable was so impressed with the young dancer's work, went to Fox's studio boss, Darryl Zanuck and suggested that Mitzi is given a number of her own. it resulted in more screen time and the sex-appealing "Live Hard, Work Hard, Love Hard" number with Dan Dailey. When the studio's power-that-be saw the movie, she was given a long term contract. Her name was also changed, by George Gobel (who "discovered" her), from Frances Gerber to Mitzi Gaynor before the movie's release.

She was given a light comedy assignment to put over a few comic lines in "Take Care Of My Little Girl" (1951), billed below the beautiful Jeanne Crain and Dale Robertson, but above Jean Peters. Along in a next ridiculuos musical by Fox with William Lundigan, Jane Greer, David Wayne and Gloria DeHaven, Mitzi was dressed in a sarong and cast her as a torrid terpsichore in the silly South Sea setting, "Down Among The Sheltering Palms" (made in 1951 but released in 1953 in the US). Before the release of this movie, she was starred in the Technicolor "Golden Girl" (1951) as Lotta Crabtree. Her rendition of "Dixie", near the end of the film is incredibly moving. For her work in this, Mitzi Gaynor was named "Most Promising Female Newcomer of 1951" by Look Magazine. In a movie about five wedded couples who learn they were not legally married, "We're Not Married (1952), there is a tenderness and gentleness in her portrayal of a young army bride opposite Eddie Bracken. The other couples were portrayed by Ginger Rogers, Fred Allen, Marilyn Monroe, David Wayne, Eve Arden, Paul Douglas, Louis Calhern and Zsa Zsa Gabor.

Next, she was cast as a girl who helped some bookies and becomes a star in "Bloodhounds Of Broadway" (1952) , then shines in the biographical musical, as Eva Tanguay in "The I Don't Care Girl (1953) where she gives all the zest and zing in all the scenes she is in. Another big budget Fox musical that fell with a dud - Irving Berlin's "There's No Business Like Show Business" (1954) cast her as one of the offspring of Ethel Merman and Dan Dailey. The other siblings were played by "Cry" wailing singer, Johnny Ray and Donald O'Connor and featured Marilyn Monroe. Although she made a great deal in the dancing department with the talented O'Connor, "Lazy" and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" (in hilarious French accent), she was much relegated to the back. Before that, she made a western with the dashing Jeffrey Hunter in 1954's "Three Young Texan".

In 1954, she married Jack Bean, who would become her manager and produced many of Mitzi's TV musical speacials in the 60s and 70s. She was then put in a comedy with George Gobel and David Niven in the comedy "The Birds And The Bees" (1956). Vistavision's "Anything Goes" in the same year, featuring the songs of Cole Porter, gave her a crooner Bing Crosby, French ballerina Zizi Jeanmaire and once again, the delightful Donald O'Connor. She sizzled in the title number and did show her wonderful dancing talents in numbers like "You're The Top" with the laden Crosby and partnered O'Connor in the show stopping "It's De-Lovely".

Frank Sinatra's 1957 movie, a bio about the famous comedian Joe E. Lewis, "The Joker Is Wild" gave Mitzi a teeth to sink in her dramatic side as the second wife. Jeanne Crain played the first wife. She went to MGM to make one of it's last big budget glamourous musicals, with Gene Kelly in "Les Girls" (Mitzi, Kay Kendall and Taina Elg). She had one number with the great Kelly, "Why Am I So Gone About That Gal?".

Then came the role that is famous for until today...Rodgers & Hammerstein's 1958 movie version "South Pacific" as Nellie Forbush. Nellie was made a hit by Mary Martin on the long running Broadway show. She didn't get to dance (except for some strutting in "Honey Bun" number), but did display her vocally ("I"m Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" and "A Wonderful Guy"). She was nominated Best Motion Picture Actress - Comedy/Musical for that year's Golden Globe.

From there, she made a few silly comedies, "Happy Anniversary" (1959) with David Niven, "Surprise Package" (1960) with Yul Brynner and "For Love And Money" (1963) with Kirk Douglas. She stopped the show in the 39th Academy Award (1967) with her singing and dancing of "Georgy Girl". She made a series of her "Mitzi" television specials from the 1968 to 1978, produced by her husband, Jack Bean.

Eventhough she is very much older now, but you can still sense the pixie in her presence. Happy Birthday Mitzi...

(Scanned autographed photo - property of the author)

...marge champion - live snow white turns 89!!!...

2008-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Happy 89th Birthday and many happy returns of the day to Marge Champion (2nd September 1919). She is the other half of everyone's favourite husband and wife dancing team in the fities - Marge and Gower Champion.

She was born Marjorie Celeste Belcher in Los Angeles and learned ballet from her father, Ernest Belcher and became an artists' model for Walt Disney's heroine, "Snow White And The Seven Dwafs" (1937). She was given a small uncredited role as Ginger Roger's friend in the last Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musical in the 30s - "The Story Of Vernon And Irene Castle" (1939). After a few more uncredited roles in the same year - "Sorority House" and "What A Life", she appreared under the name Marjorie Bell in "All Women Have Secret".

She was back to model for Disney's Blue Fairy in "Pinocchio" (1940) and Hyacinth Hippo in the "Dance of the Hours" segment of "Fantasia" (1940), which she also helped choreograph in an elaborate parody of a Balanchine ballet danced by Vera Zorina in "The Goldwyn Follies" (1938) . Marge even recalls doing some modeling for Mr. Stork in "Dumbo" (1941) .

After Gower Champion's (22nd June 1921 - 25th August 1980) original partner retired and having done some solo bits, he sought out Marge, whom he has known from school for his new partner. The team was married in 1947 and soon found appreciative audiences in clubs and also on the television "Admiral Broadway Revue" (1949).

They then appeared as themselves in Bing Croby's "Mr. Music' (1950). MGM gave them a bigger and better assignment, playing Frank and Ellie in their 1951's big budget musical - "Show Boat" starring my favourite Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel and Ava Gardner, dancing two numbers enchantingly to "Life's Upon The Wicked Stage" and "I Might Fall Back On You". The following year, their parts were expanded by MGM in "Lovely To Look At" again starring Kathryn Grayson, Howard Keel with Red Skelton, Ann Miller and Zsa Zsa Gabor (making her movie debut). This time around, they get to do the exuberant "I Won't Dance", gliding beautifully in the Kathryn Grayson sung, "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and energetic finale in a colourful fashion show.

With such credits, the studio decided to try their luck, by giving them their one starring vehicle, "Everything I Have Is Yours", but it was a dud. They were returned to support a bright high energetic musical, pitting their talents against Bob Fosse, Debbie Reynolds and Helen Wood. The couple did "The Challenge Dance" and "It Happens Everytime". In 1955's "Jupiter's Darling" starring Esther Williams as Amytis and Howard Keel as Hannibal, Marge and Gower get to dance with some elephants.

Columbia gave them roles in the "out-going" Betty Grable's musical "Three For The Show" (1955), where they get to do a few numbers, but effortlessly stole the show with their rehearsal number, "Someone To Watch Over Me" and then they were given their own short-lived television show in 1957. They appeared in "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" and "Toast Of The Town" on television.

Gower went on to become one of the most heralded and greatest Broadway choreographer-directors. Marge went on to do some straight acting when movie musicals went out of style, in Blake Edward's "The Party" (1968) starring Peter Sellers and "The Swimmer" starring Burt Lancaster. She too, went to choreographed some musical numbers in straight movies.

Marge and Gower divorced in 1973 and Gower died in August 1980 on the opening night of his last New York triumph, "42nd Street". Marge was married director Boris Sagal until his death in 1981).

(Scanned autographed photo - property of the author)