Memories … Misty Water-colored Memories

Tim & Doris
BobLee
May14/ 2019

BL LOGO.

Memories …  “Can it be that it was all so simple then?

Or has time re-written every line?”

A rough week for those of us of the BBoomer Persuasion.  A “rough week” indeed.

Whatever DOB range you choose for “Baby Boomers” (usually its 1945 – 1960 or thereabouts)… we have all crossed o’er that line where – upon our passing – the ubiquitous “they” say … But, he/she was so young…

Doris Day was 97 and Tim Conway was 85.  That’s “old” in any cultural demographic where birth records have any legitimacy.

Doris Day had quietly exited the public stage 50+ years ago.  Tim Conway somewhat more recently allowing that The Carol Burnett Show stoppeMr Tudballd filming in 1977.  There were several Apple Dumpling Gang movies with Don Knotts and the Dorf videos… but its Mr Tudball and “that dentist routine” that you best remember.

For me it was Ensign Parker on McHale’s Navy…

 

NOTE: My brothers-in-laws’ families and us play an on-line Ghoul Pool game when “celebrities die in 3s”.  If we include Peggy Lipton from The Mod Squad – “One White, One Black, One Blonde” – this was certainly a “See, they DO die in 3s” week.

When Duke Snider died in 2011, my sister-in-law refused to “count him” because she had never heard of him. DUKE SNIDER !!! I have invoked the Duke Snider Rule countless times since then when obscure who zits from “who cares” occupations are submitted for “counting”. … BTW – she had never heard of John Havlichek either. Jeezzzz.

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Doris and Tim were unanimous “counts” this week.  When such universal cultural icons pass away we selfishly mutter “How DARE they…” because it reminds us of our own mortality.  

A bit of our Youth & Innocence dies with them …

When Doris Day was in her “prime” in the late 50s / early 60s with those Rom-Coms with Rock Hudson and James Garner, I wasn’t old enough to have “a crush” on her.   That woulda been like having a crush on your grade school teacher … which we all did at some point but admitting it is really creepy.

I (and most of you) had Annette Funicello and “Darlene” of The Mouseketeers.

Later there would be Barbara Eden of “I Dream of Jeannie” and, of course, Mary Tyler Moore (True MTM aficionados go back to Laura Petrie several years before Mary Richards flung her beret up in the Minneapolis sky.  And Sallie Field … and probably a few I’ve forgotten. … OK, Ginger and Mary Ann.

Those Doris Day Rom-Coms (that’s “Romantic Comedies”, Albert) always refer to her “virginal” persona.  My understanding of “virgin” at that time was “Mary”Doris Day … THE Mary… not Mary Tyler Moore who as Mary Richards was also rather “virginal”.

That Doris Day was “virginal” acting in romantic movies with Rock Hudson (??) would not become “bizarre” for several decades when Rock was outed as a “well… you know”.

How young was I when DD was in her prime – late 50s / early 60?  So young, I didn’t go to”those movies” when they came out but saw them later on TV.  By then I was old enough to have “stirrings”… “Wow, she’s really pretty and soooo sweet…”

I think cultural icons such as Doris Day SHOULD leave the public arena “when its time”… so that our memory of them is not eroded by the ravages of Father Time.

Marilyn Monroe, of course, died at 36 and there are no pictures of an aged Marilyn. I’m not suggesting our icons need to take such drastic measures but “aging gracefully off-screen” has its benefits.  It works with men too as James Dean will forever be “Rebel Without A Cause”.

With the acting profession that is so dependent on physical appearance… the actors each have their own Portrait of Dorian Gray that preserves their image as they (and their audience) wish it to be.

Until recently we only knew “celebrities” by their public persona which, IMO, is “a good thing”.  If Doris Day was a diva and a “b*tch” I don’t need to know that… same with Tim Conway being a profane jerk… not that I think he was.

The “tabloids” have been around for many many years but even “they” seemed to protect the image of certain “stars” back then.

Doris Day and Tim Conway were two “good’uns that we can honestly say “we don’t have stars like that any more…” … sigh … RIP Doris & Tim.

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BookCornerAs good as C.J. Box’s Joe Pickett series … I won’t go quite THAT far but last week I discovered a book series that is as close to CJ’s Joe & Nate as I’ve ever found.  –  Scott Pratt’s Joe Dillard series.Scott Pratt

Joe Dillard is a 40-ish lawyer in Johnson City Tennessee. Like Joe Pickett, he is a Dudley Do-Right kinda guy who takes on evil-doers of every stripe…especially evil bureaucrats.  Joe REALLY has issues with “crooked judges”.

There are nine books in the series and I’m on #7 now.  Definitely read them in order as Joe’s career moves from criminal defender to assistant DA to DA and back to criminal defense.  Like Pickett, Joe Dillard’s world revolves around his family.

His “Nate Romanowski” is County Sheriff Leon Bates.  “Erlene” runs the local “strip club” with a heart of gold.  Joe & Leon are forever dealing with local / state corruption and snively bureaucrats… just like Joe Pickett deals with in Wyoming.

The “bad guys” are usually very bad… and Joe often has to reluctantly resort to violence to take’em down.  There was this one time when five cartel “sicarios” invade Joe’s home in the middle of the night.  He takes out four with a combination of an M-5 and a few claymores… but needs Leon’s help as #5 prepares to give Joe “a Columbian necktie”… YIKES!

Check out Scott Pratt’s Joe Dillard series.  Be careful… Scott Pratt has several stand-alones I cannot vouch for.

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Speaking of kinda Violent … I binged watched John Wick 1 & 2 several weeks ago on Amazon Prime.  Not suggesting John Wick is for everyone.  It’s not.  The body count hits 50+ in the first 30 minutes.  You lose count after that… John Wick

Keanu Reeves’ John Wick is an International Assassin.  He is THE Assassin’s Assassin.

As the very evil Russian Oligarch said… “John Wick is not The Boogeyman.  John Wick is the man you hire to kill The Boogeyman.   I once saw him kill three men in a bar… WITH A PENCIL!”

Don’t mess with John Wick’s Car… or John Wick’s House… and definitely Don’t mess with John Wick’s Dog!

If you liked “The Punisher” – the first one – you’ll probably like John Wick.

John Wick #3 hits “a theater near you” next week.  I suggest watching #1 & #2 before going to #3.

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.A Lot More BobLeeSays Columns … LINK

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