Victor Borge: Dance of the Comedians

Because we all need some comedy relief just now.

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Russ Recommends: Harvey, 1950

Years ago my mother used to say to me, she'd say, "In this world, Elwood, you must be" — she always called me Elwood — "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh so smart or oh so pleasant." Well, for years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me.

Being pleasant is easier said than done. But we could all envy Elwood P. Dowd, a softspoken dreamer of independent means who has the help of a marvelous, magical friend named Harvey.  Jimmy Stewart is at his best in this comic fantasy, ably supported by Josephine Hull as his sister Veta - a Thurber caricature come to life - and a slew of other fine character actors.  Do watch it if you can find it - it will surely make you laugh and give your spirits a lift.

Original 1950 trailer:



Jimmy Stewart's introduction to the 1990 home video release:

Russ Recommends: Blithe Spirit, 1945

Your Head Trucker can't bear to keep up with the ghastly news out of Washington anymore, and so is declaring a moratorium on current events for the duration.

For anyone who needs the relief of a witty, breezy celestial comedy, try the original film version of Noel Coward's celebrated play, if you can find it.  I just saw it again on TCM last night, and it was delightful as ever, with a young and handsome Rex Harrison as the haunted husband and the inimitable Margaret Rutherford as the other-worldly medium. Original trailer:



A short review from the British Film Institute:

Rodney Fails to Qualify

There's confusion on the links as a love triangle sorts itself out, in this delightful production of one of P. G. Wodehouse's short stories from 1928, superbly acted by husband-and-wife team John Alderton and Pauline Collins for the BBC in 1975:

Les Beaux Frères: Serviette

Les Beaux Frères studied at circus schools in Quebec and Montreal, and have performed with Cirque du Soleil and other such companies.  They did this wonderful towel dance on stage in Paris last month.

Wodehouse, Anyone?

One of Wodehouse's immortal creations:
Jeeves, the perfect gentleman's gentleman.

Today's tip from your Head Trucker: whenever you feel the world is going to hell in a handbasket, as I do most days, and you need a bit of cheering up, you can do no better than to turn off all electronic squawking devices and settle back with a nice cup of tea and one of the many delightful comedies written by the inimitable P. G. Wodehouse - pronounced Woodhouse - as this BBC documentary makes clear:



In the 1970's, a British series, Wodehouse Playhouse, dramatized a number of his short stories with the superb husband-and-wife acting duo of John Alderton and Pauline Collins (who also appeared in the classic series Upstairs, Downstairs). Your Head Trucker has a set of these shows, which never fail to amuse. Here's one of the funniest: "Portrait of a Disciplinarian."



Other, less funny attempts have been made at dramatizing Wodehouse's comedies, but as a general rule, they are much better read than watched. So go try one, right this minute, and you can thank me later.

Night Time Is the Right Time

As a follow-up to my review of Ray earlier this week, have to share with my Truckbuddies this clip from the Cosby Show, with the whole Huxtable family getting down on the Ray Charles classic. The littlest girl - what was her name? - singing the backup vocal part is just priceless.

It won't embed, but click on this link and watch it for a great start to your weekend, guys.

Is it just me or does anyone else see the Obamas as a kind of real-life fulfillment of what the Huxtables were meant to portray? Minus the silliness and playing for laughs, of course.