The Horn Section Salutes: Madge Sinclair (1938-1995)

Seventy five years ago today, Madge Dorita Sinclair was born in Kingston, Jamaica. 

She was a mother of two in her thirties when the acting bug bit and she elected to leave a "calm, marvelous, middle-class existence" (description hers) in her homeland.  A gamble no doubt, but Jamaica's loss became New York's gain.  Hollywood's too, once Sinclair got her big break in her second film, playing a local principal butting heads with Jon Voight's titular CONRACK (1974).  

Sinclair was already 36 at the time, and only 57 when she passed away far too young in 1995.  That left but two decades for the distinguished actress to grace our screens, but she still left quite an impression.  Everyone knows that she was terrific as Belle in ROOTS, and that she was perfectly cast and downright iconic as the Queen of Zamunda in COMING TO AMERICA. 

The Horn Section salutes the late, great Madge Sinclair on her 75th by highlighting some of her work that you may not have seen in a very long time, if at all.  Suffice to say that if Madge Sinclair is in it, it is usually worth watching for her alone. 

LEADBELLY (1976) 

For all of her beauty and talent, Madge Sinclair was rarely offered leading roles.  Partly due to her late start in films, and partly due to the sadly still limited opportunities for African-American actresses in the mid-Seventies.  Her role in LEADBELLY is a minor one, as Roger E. Mosley's Shreveport benefactor, but it is her sexiest role on the big screen.  She's given barely ten minutes onscreen but makes the most of it.  Full Review Here

CONVOY (1978)

Sam Peckinpah's penultimate film (and biggest box office hit!) was a guilty pleasure and train wreck rolled into one.  Saddled with a PG rating, Sam still snuck in a barroom brawl with ketchup splattering instead of blood.   It may be a slapdash mess, SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT without the comedic highlights.  But it is a must-see for Madge Sinclair fans, who will get to see the usually regal actress let it all hang out here as the corn-rowed, jean-jacketed, foulmouthed trucker.  Madge's Widow Woman even throws her share of punches in the aforementioned barroom brawl and wrecks her truck at an intersection--the accident was unplanned, but written into the script after the fact per producer Michael Deeley.  No matter to Madge, who clearly seems to relish the rare opportunity to get down and dirty for a part; she kicks the (white) truck and bemoans not selecting a black one(!).  CONVOY is more than just an atypical Sinclair role, it's truly a one of a kind for an actress much better known for royalty than earthiness. 

THE WHITE SHADOW: "Sudden Death" (1979)

CBS' sadly underappreciated THE WHITE SHADOW was ahead of its time, with episodes on segregated country clubs, autism, venereal disease, and the exploitation of high school players by coaches and agents.  Sinclair's lone appearance (during Season 2) on the series was this intense drama dealing with the on-court seizure and death of one of Coach Reeves' players.  As the mother who didn't want him playing basketball in the first place, the actress was again Emmy-worthy.  As was often the case with this groundbreaking series, there was no softening of her character and no resolution.  Few things on late Seventies prime time were more devastating that Madge Sinclair's cold, almost monotone grieving: "You killed my son!"

GUYANA TRAGEDY (1980)

Still not out on legitimate DVD, and possibly a PD title (I keep seeing supercheap, blurry DVD's out), GUYANA TRAGEDY nevertheless was a ratings grabber and Emmy winner in '80.   Four hours simply wasn't long enough for all the bizarre twists and turns in the Jim Jones story, with most characters being composites due to the time constraints.  Sinclair's composite included the passionate speech given by Christine Miller, Jonestown's "Voice of Independence".  This after silently watching Jones (Emmy award winning Powers Boothe) esmasculate her son and take his bride.  It's a tribute to her abilities that she pulls this scene off beautifully.  GUYANA TRAGEDY also features fine work from several actors who frequently co-starred with Sinclair, including James Earl Jones, Levar Burton and Rosalind Cash.  In fact, GUYANA TRAGEDY was the third time that Sinclair and Burton played mother and son (the others being ONE IN A MILLION: THE RON LeFLORE STORY and ALMOS' A MAN).

TRAPPER JOHN, M.D. (1980-1986)

as Nurse Ernestine Shoop.  Yeah, I know, this CBS Sunday Night Nielsen mainstay isn't exactly obscure--it spent the first half of the Eighties in the Nielsen top 20.  Still, despite its popularity, it hasn't been released on DVD as of 2013.  No disrespect to the late Mary McCarty, but Sinclair's addition to the cast in Season 2 was a real coup for the show.  Need proof?  TRAPPER JOHN, M.D. received five Emmy nominations; three went to Madge Sinclair.  "I Do, I Don't" and "Love and Marriage" were two particularly good episodes centering around Nurse Shoop.  Come to think of it, this series needs its own "Why the Hell isn't this on DVD?" post.  Thanks, Madge, for reminding me.

Madge Sinclair was actually diagnosed with leukemia shortly after joining the cast of TRAPPER JOHN, M.D.  She not only outlived her prognosis by several years, she worked for the next thirteen years without interruption, adding a slew of Emmy nominations (and a win, finally, for GABRIEL'S FIRE in 1991) and well-remembered feature film roles in the aforementioned COMING TO AMERICA and THE LION KING (working with James Earl Jones in both).  She passed away on December 20, 1995.

Film Reviews: Best of the Guest Posts

Up and coming: I will be guesting at Rupert Pupkin Speaks yet again.  Rupert's blog is one of my daily reads, and I strongly encourage you to follow the link and take a look.  You'll find lots of leads on the obscure, overlooked, and the very old there.

I'm honored to be invited to participate in Mr. Pupkin's many cinematic compilations, and in the process, I've reviewed many films there for prior guest posts that never made it here to The Horn Section.  Primarily because they're readily available on DVD.  Below is a "best of" compilation from my past Guest Posts there.  Stay tuned for another one soon!  In the meantime, check these out.  And if you'd been reading Rupert's blog all along, you'd have already read these!  Hint, hint.

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS (1967)

(Bad Movies We Love series)

VALLEY OF THE DOLLS has been revered as perhaps the ultimate Bad Movie We Love for 45 years. The differences? The screenwriters didn’t try too hard (I.e. the attempt Ellison and Co. made to create a new, hip OCEAN’S 11 styled language throughout 1966’s THE OSCAR) and we actually saw these performers performing, rather than just telling us how great they are for two hours without giving us any backing evidence. As a result, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS gave us reason to believe that these flawed people are also talented--even if all the signing in the film was dubbed.

Jacqueline Susann’s trashy novel became a trashy movie, but featured far fewer Oscar winners embarrassing themselves than the aforementioned THE OSCAR. The only honorees embarrassing themselves in VALLEY were a horribly miscast Patty Duke and Susan Hayward. The one truly professional performance is from TV journeyman Paul Burke (NAKED CITY), who manages to keep a straight face while squeezing Duke’s face and trying to make the 20 year old actress (playing 26) look “thirty-six” with puffy cheeks and bloodshot eyes from the Dolls and booze. DOLLS’ charm comes from a cast full of TV names, and Barbara Parkins and Sharon Tate are hilariously wooden in contrast to Duke’s hystrionics.  Special mention goes to Martin Milner, who actually appears to be phonetically reading his lines off a teleprompter, even when walking out on Duke’s Neely.

Everyone sleeps with everyone, everyone takes pills, and everyone gets swallowed up by Hollywood. Still, VALLEY OF THE DOLLS has been forgiven, probably because it’s been a consistent money maker while THE OSCAR was a notorious financial flop. No matter, they’re both trashy and overblown and downright lovable.

WILD IN THE STREETS (1968)


(Favorite Film Discoveries series 2011)

Satire about the youth revolution succeeding and putting a President in place who is a younger, urban version of Lonesome Rhodes, only more adept at manipulating The Game. As a matter of fact, he makes the career politicians look like amateurs. Implausible government takeover? Hell, try mathematically impossible.  If 52% of the USA is ‘under 25’ as we're told, only half of those at best ( or roughly 26%) would be able to vote even if the age is lowered to 14 as it is in the film.  Therefore, even if we assume that they vote unanimously, Christopher Jones’ Max Frost still wouldn't have enough votes to win even a threeway race (minimum 34%)!  The 24 year old singing idol Frost also seems way too sexist to inspire complete unity, even by the standards of the era.

Okay, so there’s plenty here that is out of the realm of possibility, which means it ain’t quite DR. STRANGELOVE.  WILD IN THE STREETS still has its moments, with more thought provoking elements than you‘d expect in a film by AIP.  For example, check out the uncanny foreshadowing of Kent State. Jones, who should have had a bigger career, is much more charismatic than his character. Look for a young Richard Pryor, Kevin Coughlin, Millie Perkins, and Hal Holbrook channeling JFK as the candidate seeking the “youth vote“ and getting far more than he bargains for.

WILD IN THE STREETS is available for viewing on Netflix Instant.

HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART 1 (1981)

(Bad Movies We Love series)

Mel Brooks lost something when he stopped collaborating with Gene Wilder and gave himself more time on-camera after the twin triumphs of BLAZING SADDLES and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. The result: SILENT MOVIE and HIGH ANXIETY, both pretty funny but increasingly repetitive and self-indulgent. It was at this point of diminishing returns that Brooks decided to try the sketch movie, a genre that even at its best (KENTUCKY FRIED MOVIE, GROOVE TUBE) is undisciplined by its very nature. From a filmmaking standpoint, HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1 is an absolute mess, with the least successful segment (the Roman empire) lasting the longest and the opening segment building little momentum with one clunker after another.

HISTORY is sloppily made with clumsy attempts to tie things together (“Miracle!”), Brooks mugging shamelessly and giving himself a half dozen roles, and (with collaborators like Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor and Wilder missing) more toilet jokes than ever before. Why on earth does this effort get some love? The second half. No, the narrative doesn’t improve, but Brooks’ Spanish Inquisition by way of Busby Berkeley almost reaches the heights of “Springtime for Hitler”. Then he gives us a French Revolution that is tasteless, childish and very quotable (“Wait for the shake!” “It‘s GOOD to be da King!”). It’s never gets any less slapdash, but HISTORY OF THE WORLD PART 1 finally wears you down and makes the jump from painful groaner to guilty pleasure in its final 45 minutes. “The King and the Piss-Boy” might not quite have the same ring to it as “The Prince and the Pauper”, but Brooks proves that he can’t go wrong even when he isn’t going right. At least until LIFE STINKS, that is.



DEATH WISH 3 and ROCKY IV (both 1985)

(Bad Movies We Love series)

November 1985 began with DEATH WISH 3 atop the box office and ended with ROCKY IV’s record setting opening weekend, making it the ultimate month for 80’s action. Both featured iconic action heroes embracing the times and becoming larger than life superheroes. With Paul Kersey’s entire family completely wiped out by his third cinematic adventure, he’ll have to make do by dating a DA young enough to be his granddaughter and avenging an old war buddy who somehow smuggled two Browning machine guns home from Korea (and past the cops’ strict “no gun” policy). Absolutely nothing in DW3 makes sense: Kersey orders rocket launchers and elephant guns through the mail, executes a purse snatcher with the latter to the cheers of an entire neighborhood, and knocks out men one-fourth of his age with a single punch.  In perhaps the biggest stretch of all, Kersey tells us that boiling cabbage “smells wonderful“. A complete riot literally and figuratively from beginning to end, DEATH WISH 3 becomes a little more entertaining with each viewing. The very definition of a Bad Movie We Love.

Paul Kersey singlehandedly reduced New York City’s population by about ten percent in his third outing.  Meanwhile, there’s only one death in 91 minutes during ROCKY IV, but don’t think the 147 to 1 disadvantage in screen deaths makes Balboa’s fourth outing any less outlandish than Kersey’s third. After all, Balboa gets more ripped at age 40 than he ever was before, and does it with good old fashioned lumberjack work and mountain climbing while opponent Ivan Drago needs all the steroids he can get despite being 15 years younger, 70 pounds heavier and 10 inches taller. Gee, if Rocky had only trained in Siberia a decade earlier.

RAMBO aside, Stallone also shows us he’s a pacifist at heart(!), articulating (sort of) that “it’s better for two guys to be killing each other than 20 million” and winning the Cold War singlehandedly. His post fight speech gets a standing ovation from Gorbachev himself! Well, okay, the fake Gorbachev, looking like Frank Drebin just got through with him. More reliant on montages and more exaggerated than ever, ROCKY IV is so high comedy that Brigitte Nielsen’s accent isn’t even one of the 10 funniest things here.

After these antics, both Bronson and Stallone almost sheepishly tried to scale things back with their respective subsequent fifth installments (DEATH WISH 4 was also over the top, but couldn't match DW3--what could?). Still, we can all be thankful these long running franchises simultaneously embraced their inner cartoons for these classic time capsules of Eighties hubris. Watch them as a double feature, and for maximum recreation of the time and place, spin ZZ Top’s “Afterburner” during intermission.

Film Review: THE EVICTORS (1979)

"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 89





THE EVICTORS (1979 American International Pictures) Starring Jessica Harper, Michael Parks, Vic Morrow, Sue Ann Langdon, Dennis Fimple, Bill Thurman, Jimmy Clem.  Directed by Charles B. Pierce.


Harper and Parks are newlyweds relocating to rural northwestern Louisiana (from New Orleans) for Parks' new job at the cotton mill.  Realtor Morrow sells them a house and also takes a shine to the Mrs., but she's faithful to her husband.  She has other things on her mind, anyway: strange behavior from the locals and the rather gruesome history of her home.  Morrow neglected to share the latter with the couple pre-purchase, but wheelchair-bound neighbor Langdon fills in the details.  Parks' job proves to be more time consuming than anticipated.  Meanwhile, Harper begins receiving threatening notes and seeing a hatted stalker.

What Louisville was to William Girdler (ABBY, SHEBA BABY), the Texarkana/Shreveport area was to Charles B. Pierce.  The final film (after THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK and THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN) of the director's "Texarkana horror trilogy", THE EVICTORS is the most fully realized of the three.  Pierce (who got his start in movies as a set director) again skillfully creates a proper atmosphere, but corrects some distracting errors from his prior works this time out.

The cheesy songs that hindered BOGGY CREEK are nowhere to be found, replaced by a score from Jaime Mendoza-Nava that enhances THE EVICTORS' tension.  CREEK also had a sluggish pace; THE EVICTORS is methodical, but effective.  Pierce himself stays behind the camera, which helps avoid the awful "comic relief" that marred SUNDOWN.  In fact, THE EVICTORS may boast the director's strongest cast of the decade, with a resplendent Harper in especially fine form.  And fine form.

While THE EVICTORS is the best executed of Pierce's "horror" efforts, it was the least successful at the box office by far.  Mainly because a routine haunted house thriller/ghost story just didn't have the built-in audience of a film about "true Bigfoot sightings" or a real-life serial killer who was never caught.  True, we're told this one is based on a true story at the outset, but the claim appears to be as authentic as the one that prefaced MACON COUNTY LINE.

The PG rating tells you THE EVICTORS is considerably less violent than THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN, but it is far from a tease, delivering the long-promised goods at its conclusion.  That said, the murderer's identity is easy to solve (putting it kindly) if you've been paying attention.  In fact, Pierce might even deliver too much.  He includes at least one twist too many at the conclusion.  (I mean, twenty years without a prescription change, or at least a replacement?)  Having said that, aficionados of Pierce's other work will likely be happy to discover THE EVICTORS, and it may even impress a few non-fans.

So....why isn't this on DVD yet?

Actually, it is about to be.  On May 21st it will be released in its entireity--as an extra on THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN's DVD release (but not the BluRay.  Why?).  Good news, but THE EVICTORS might well be deserving of the headlining spot.

Why it should be on DVD:

THE EVICTORS is highly enjoyable if you're a fan of Harper or of Pierce's better-known efforts.

If you'd like to look before you leap on the DVD in May, it is streaming on Netflix Instant.

Film Review: TOGETHER BROTHERS (1974)

"Why the Hell isn't this on DVD yet?" -- Number 88





TOGETHER BROTHERS (1974 20th Century Fox) Starring Ahmad Nurradin, Anthony Wilson, Nelson Sims, Ed Bernard, Glynn Turman, Lincoln Kilpatrick, Kim Dorsey, Owen Place, Frances E. Williams, Craig Campfield, Richard Yniquez, Lynne Holmes.  Directed by William A. Graham.


Five year old Wilson witnesses the murder of respected policeman Bernard and is rendered mute by the shock.  Wilson's teenaged brother Nurradin (who also considered Bernard a mentor) realizes his sibling will be targeted soon and tries to solve the murder himself.  While the cops are frustratingly slow to follow up on leads, Nurradin's gang seeks a truce with rivals led by Yniquez while racing against time to locate Bernard's killer and protect Wilson.

A low budget, oft-forgotten entry misleadingly placed under the Blaxploitation label, TOGETHER BROTHERS contains several twists on expectations, starting with its unique locale.  Director Graham (HONKY) filmed TOGETHER BROTHERS entirely on location in its Galveston, Texas setting.  The gritty, unpolished look adds weight to the film's surprisingly varied themes.

On the surface, TOGETHER BROTHERS has much in common with the following year's CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME.  Children band together to solve the seemingly senseless killing of a respected community leader, with the expected elements of police inefficiency and brutality.  TOGETHER BROTHERS lacks the big name cast of the later film (which was headlined by the debuting, teenaged Laurence Fishburne) but more than makes up for it by presenting ghetto life from perspectives rarely seen at the time.

The inefficiency of the police (even when investigating the murder of a cop) is to be expected by the veteran filmgoer, but the specific abuse of power that ends up costing Bernard his life isn't.  While Kilpatrick's character seems to revive uncomfortable and outdated bromides at first viewing, his strong performance is a plus in driving the film's major message home.  Bernard may well be the most admired authority figure of this community: by blacks and Hispanics, differing social classes, young and old (the church is packed for his funeral).  But even he isn't immune to a form of bigotry that is sadly deemed "acceptable" (in a very public display, to boot).

Graham took a gamble using many non professional actors for the juvenile roles.  The performances given by Nurradin and (particularly) Wilson score, but other amateurs in the cast are easy to identify.  This is a film that has few characters that aren't multi-dimensional, and several suspenseful moments after Nurradin and Yniquez put differences aside and work together on a daring caper at the police station itself.

TOGETHER BROTHERS makes for an uncomfortable first viewing at times, but the rough edges and more subtle points add to its rewatchability.  Guided by Graham and assisted mightily by Galveston's own Barry White on the soundtrack, TOGETHER BROTHERS proves worthy of a second (and third) look.

So...why isn't this on DVD yet?

It may remind you of CORNBREAD, EARL AND ME on the surface, but none of the juvenile actors here went on to approximate Laurence Fishburne's success; apparently, few even chose acting as a profession.  Nurradin only acted once more, in WOMEN OF SAN QUENTIN (1983; also directed by Graham).  Turman's the biggest name here, doing a glorified cameo.   By contrast, CORNBREAD boasted Bernie Casey, Madge Sinclair and Thalmus Rasulala.

While not entirely unsympathetic, on the surface Kilpatrick's character nevertheless revives some stereotypes sadly common for the film's era.

Why it should be on DVD:

TOGETHER BROTHERS might be guilty of a few cliches here and there, but the originality elsewhere outweighs them.  Another film that fell through the cracks and may not leave a good first impression, but....look again.  Graham directly mostly for television (GET CHRISTIE LOVE!), but his other features include CRY FOR ME, BILLY and WHERE THE LILIES BLOOM.

Star power might be lacking in front of the camera, but as mentioned above, the memorable soundtrack is provided by Barry White and (of course) the Love Unlimited Orchestra.

TOGETHER BROTHERS occasionally turns up on Fox Movie Channel.

The LEAST Safe for Work Post Ever: 6 from BLOWFLY

WARNING:  THE TITLE IS NOT MISLEADING.  NOT *ONE* SINGLE VIDEO LINKED IN THIS POST IS SAFE FOR WORK.  NOT EVEN CLOSE.

February the 14th brings another hopefully Happy Birthday to the Original Dirty Rapper, Blowfly a.k.a. Clarence Reid.

Saturday, February 9th brings "Papa" Fly back to the Dallas stage for the first time in four long years at Deep Ellum's Club Dada.

Either occasion gives us a good excuse to look back at some of the best selections from Blowfly's recording career, which now spans nearly a half century.  We previously reviewed the legend's second comeback album of the new millenium, BLOWFLY'S PUNK ROCK PARTY back in 2006.  Here's a half dozen more worth seeking out if you're into dirty jokes, funky music, rampant political incorrectness and over the top, hypersexual supervillainy.  Complete with periodic NSFW video links and album covers (FINAL WARNING!).  Let's proceed:

BLOWFLY AT THE MOVIES (1973)

The first half of the Seventies found anywhere from 16 to 25 tracks on a typical Blowfly album, many just a minute or two in length.  Most were song parodies with a common theme, such as the Blowflyization of the Fifties in OLDIES BUT GOODIES or the sights of the nation in BLOWFLY ON TOUR.  While many prefer his WEIRD WORLD OF BLOWFLY debut, my favorite of the bunch is AT THE MOVIES.  Side One contains the classics "Freddy's Dick is Dead" and "Cross 110th Street" which are still part of Blowfly's live show.  In case you're doubting the date I've put on it, the other parodies include "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone", "Back Stabbers" and "Superstition", all hits from 1972 getting the Blowfly treatment.  Assisting Blowfly on all the Weird World releases (through 1981) was a top-notch backing band featuring Jerome Smith and Little Beaver on guitar, Chocolate Perry and Rick Finch on bass, and the Mike Lewis Orchestra providing strings and horns.

BLOWFLY DISCO (1975)

By this time Blowfly was still doing song parodies, but in longer form (usually 4 to 6 minutes) with about 7 or 8 tracks per album.  Same backing band, same studio--in fact, Miami's "The Studio".   While 1977's PORNO FREAK features another pre-Sugarhill Gang rap song in "To Fuck The Boss", DISCO is the stronger album to these ears.  Frankie Valli's "Swearin' to God" becomes "Spread Your Cheeks", The "Goddamn" Isley Brothers' "Fight the Power" becomes "Kiss It All Around" ("They curse on this record anyway, so I have no problem doin' this shit") and, here's your first NSFW sampling, twisting a fondly remembered classic by the B.T. Express:

Maybe things were a little more polished by this time, with several songs sounding like they were recorded in more than one take as opposed to the off-the-cuff approach of Blowfly's earliest records, but the professionalism just provided more contrast in my opinion and made things funnier.  The K.C. and the Sunshine Band parody sounds purfunctory, but the rest of the record is hilarious and "Shake Your Ass" remains a standard.  A great introduction to the Weird World, this.

BLOWFLY'S PARTY (1980)

Blowfly's highest charting album and biggest seller was also his penultimate release for the Weird World label.  By this time, original tunes were the order of the day, as the parodies virtually disappeared after DISCO.  Two of his best loved R&B originals are here: "Girl Let Me Cum in Your Mouth" and this underground sensation:

"Blowfly's Rapp" hinted at the direction that Papa Fly was headed.  He'd done rap songs before, but the transition from full time crooner and occasional rapper would reverse with his Weird World swan song:

RAPPIN', DANCIN' AND LAUGHIN' (1981)

There's a considerable amount of filler here, true: "Insects Theme" is just an instrumental version of "The Incredible Fulk" and "The Word Game" is pretty tame for a Blowfly LP.  But "Convoy", "Fulk" and "Blowfly Vs. Darth Vader" more than make up for this minor inconvenience, and the hidden goodies within include the Man's complete diss of Kurtis Blow, a revised version of the alphabet (after which Blowfly has a spirited dispute with his creator) and, after Mr. Vader is destroyed, a mini-greatest hits of early Blowfly for about 4 1/2 minutes until the music stops.  After a few polished records, the return of the impromptu 'Fly is welcome.

One question lingers.  If the scientist had "tried that shit on frogs and hogs" and "Goddammit, it works", then why wouldn't at least one of those animals subjected to the successful experiments appear at the contest later in the song?  A million dollars ought to entice a lot of farmers, right?

FRESH JUICE (1983)

After a two year break, Blowfly returned on Oops! records with a record that many consider to be his masterpiece.  Rap and R&B co-exist in even amounts, with examples of the former finding Blowfly battling "The Vampire That Ate Miami" (a more formidable foe than Darth Vader, who was felled by a similar concoction that Count Fagula merely laughed at) and being elected "The First Black President".   Reid returns to crooning as well, with "I've Got to be Free" being one of his best ballads and "She's Bad" being examples.  And, dare I say, it, some social commentary?  "Business Deal" finds Blowfly reversing the pro-sexual harassment sentiment of 1977's "To Fuck the Boss".  And then there's "That's What your Pussy's Made For", which may be the quintessential Blowfly rap song.  Seven minutes of incredibly over the top, un-PC sentiment that has lost little of its ability to offend thirty years later.  Underneath it all (way underneath) is a cautionary tale about sheltering children, predator adults, absentee parents and birth control.  Or maybe I'm just reading too much into it:

Possibly most offensive to teachers.  The protagonists' instructor does thoroughly improper things after class, and Blowfly rhymes "muscle" with "worser".  At any rate, it opens this album flawlessly and IMO should have won a Grammy for Best Comedy Recording in 1984.  "Eat It"?  Please.

ELECTRONIC BANANA (1984)

The followup to FRESH JUICE found Papa Fly leaping headlong into the synthesizer era, with keyboards overshadowing all sonically.  The songs were still hilarious, with "The Electronic Pussy Sucker" and "It Takes a Freak" commendably futuristic, and "Fuck the Devil" name checking Jayne Kennedy and Irene Cara in a good way and Redd Foxx and Richard Pryor in less reverential scenarios.  It isn't all rap drenched in keyboards though.  "Gimme That Old 69" is a brilliant Louis Armstrong pastiche (surprising that Reid never did one until '84) and "Rotten Fish" is calypso Blowfly, featuring a fake Jamaican accent to rival the one Pam Grier gave us in COFFY.

While you're acquainting (or reacquainting) yourself with the one and only Blowfly, rest assured we will also be back AT THE MOVIES next post!

Film Review: THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS (1952)

"Why the Hell isn't This on DVD yet?" -- Number 87






THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS (1952 20th Century Fox) Starring Dan Dailey, Joanne Dru, Richard Crenna, Richard Hylton, Hugh Sanders, Chet Huntley, Stuart Randall.  Directed by Harmon Jones.


Dailey is Jerome Dean, poor baseball prodigy with a grade school education who in 1928 has attracted the attention of St. Louis Cardinals' scout Sanders.  The gregarious, brash Dailey is reluctant to start out in the minor leagues but soon glad he did since he meets and courts pretty Dru while in Houston.  Nicknamed "Dizzy" by the chattering opposition, he adopts the moniker in stride.  In rapid succession Dailey gets brother Crenna (as Paul "Daffy" Dean) signed by the Cards, takes Dru as his bride, and gets promoted to the big leagues. Something of a man-child with extraordinary talent, Dailey takes the National League by storm, and often frustrates Dru and manager Randall with his individualism and unrestrained antics.  Dailey and Crenna lead the Cards to a title and the sky is the limit--until an injury cuts the formerly indestructible ace down in his prime.  What's a man with the gift of gab but without a formal education to do after his playing career ends abruptly?

A self-promoter to rival Namath and Ali, "Dizzy" Dean was one of the most colorful characters in baseball history and the most disappointing aspect of THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS is how conventional it is.  The final screenplay by the great Herman J. Mankiewicz (CITIZEN KANE), PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS follows the basic template that the writer used to great effect in his 1942 Lou Gehrig bio PRIDE OF THE YANKEES.  However, the structure doesn't transfer well at all.  The introverted, Columbia-educated northerner Gehrig and the boastful, motormouth Arkansan Dean had little in common besides the fact that both were among baseball's best players during the 1930's.

While both careers ended prematurely, only Gehrig's life did: there's a considerable difference between the diagnosis of ALS and a broken toe.  Mankiewicz compensates by spending more time on the pitcher's lows (injury, marital problems, broadcasting protests), but Dean's cocky, rube-like antics in the major leagues are at the heart of his legend.  Leading the Cardinals' band, predicting 45 wins from the Dean Brothers and working in the ticket office are all given mere seconds in a montage, and there's no mention at all of Dizzy literally "using his head" on the basepaths during the 1934 World Series or his famous quote after brother Paul's no-hitter the same year ("If I'd a known, I'd a throwed one too!"). 

Dailey is the film's biggest asset, giving a clearly well researched performance.  Dailey captures Dean's pitching motion, sense of mischief and language as well as anyone could be expected to, and carries PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS through its conformism.  He brings this man of self-confidence and stubbornness to life and manages to keep this rapscallion likable despite his complete inability to listen.  Dailey's Dean talks at people constantly, not to them--a harmful character flaw in everyday life, but a perfect quality for a career at the mic.

Dru is fine but underutilized as the eternally patient Mrs. Dean: her real life shrewd business management of her husband's interests is also ignored in the screenplay.  Despite this and the other letdowns, Mankiewicz was nominated for an Oscar.  The film was a box office success in 1952 and Dizzy Dean was elected to Cooperstown the following year, so PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS obviously struck a chord.  It isn't a bad film by any means, just an acceptable one that could have been so much more given Dailey's fine work and the wealth of source material on its legendary subject.  At 93 minutes, this one could actually stand to be longer.

So...why isn't this on DVD yet?

While it may not stick in your memory the way that PRIDE OF THE YANKEES does, this DVD omission is as baffling as one of Dizzy's pitches.  Bios of Jackie Robinson and Monty Stratton from the same era have been out for years now.  Granted, 1948's THE BABE RUTH STORY is still missing, but despite its flaws PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS is much better executed than that legendary fiasco.

Why it should be on DVD:

Bill James stated in his 2000 Historical Abstract that Dean remained popular because he represented a rural America that "had been a part of who we were" and was missed by the time of his sportscasting peak.  It's a good point, but one could also say Dean was ahead of his time.  Thirty years after Dean, Joe Namath, Muhammed Ali and Reggie Jackson were following in Dizzy's footsteps: making boasts, backing them up and being very quotable while doing it.  That is reason enough to rediscover this almost forgotten film bio. 

Also in need of rediscovery is star Dan Dailey, a talented actor somewhat overlooked by modern audiences.   Best known for musical roles and as Betty Grable's favorite co-star, Dailey (who was Oscar-nominated for Best Actor in 1948's WHEN MY BABY SMILES AT ME) shows off another side of his talent here.  THE PRIDE OF ST. LOUIS turns up occasionally on Fox Movie Channel.

The Horn Section Salutes: Jack Klugman (1922-2012)

We've had Blue Christmases in the fairly recent past, losing Dean Martin and Butterfly McQueen in 1995 and Eartha Kitt in 2008.  Sadly, 2012 joined this list, getting a lot less merry with the news that the Big Q himself, Jack Klugman, shuffled off this mortal coil at age 90.

Naturally, it's QUINCY, M.E. that we revere him for, and despite my terminal laziness we have managed a number of episode reviews from the show's final seasons.  Always keep in mind, we kid because we love and there's certainly more of The Big Q coming to The Horn Section.  Klugman's brilliant work recently returned to Netflix Instant, this time with the legendary "Next Stop, Nowhere!" included.

There was a lot more to remember him for, including four classic TWILIGHT ZONE episodes ("A Passage for Trumpet" was my personal favorite), THE ODD COUPLE (wasn't that easy for actors to score back to back TV winners back in the day, but Jack did it), and of course, TWELVE ANGRY MEN (1957, with the also legendary Jack Warden).  Sadly, Mr. Klugman was the last of the angry men standing from that classic.

Everybody loved this guy!

R.I.P. Mr. Klugman.  As always, more to come.