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Claudette Colbert
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Claudette Colbert (September 13, 1903 - July 30, 1996) was a French-American actress.

Born Lily Claudette Chauchoin in Paris, France, around 1905 her family emigrated to the United States and settled in New York city. She began acting in high school plays and a few years later appeared on the Broadway stage in a bit part. Hooked, she gave up on her plans to be a fashion designer to instead pursue a career in acting. She made her first motion picture appearance in 1927, in For the Love of Mike, a silent film shot on location in Paramount Studios in New York, New York facilities. However, talking films were taking over and two years later, Colbert appeared in her first talking film, The Hole in the Wall, co-starring another newcomer, Edward G. Robinson .

With her heart-shaped face, lively wide eyes, and aristocratic manner, Colbert transcended type, making her equally convincing in diverse roles. Her versatility led to major parts in top motion pictures and made her one of the biggest box-office stars of her time.

In 1934 she won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role opposite Clark Gable in the Frank Capra film, It Happened One Night. Colbert epitomized witty sophistication when she starred in Preston Sturges' classic screwball comedy, The Palm Beach Story, oppostite Joel McCrea.

From 1936 to 1944, she starred in numerous programs of Cecil B. DeMille's Lux Radio Theater, which was one of the most popular dramatic radio shows at the time. In 1952, she returned to work in her native France where she stayed until 1955.

After making two more Hollywood films, she went back to Broadway in 1958 doing "The Marriage Go-Round" with Charles Boyer, earning a 1959 Tony Award nomination for her work. Ms. Colbert's last film was Parrish in 1961. She acted in numerous Broadway plays for the next twenty years. In 1987, she did a television mini-series titled The Two Mrs. Grenvilles and was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Mini-series or a Special. In 1988, she won the Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture made for TV.

During her long and successful career, Claudette Colbert played in sixty-five films. For her contribution to the motion picture industry, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 6812 Hollywood Blvd.

Colbert died at her vacation home in Speightstown, Barbados, following a massive stroke at the age of 92, and she was interred there in the Parish of St. Peter Cemetery. A requiem mass was held at St. Vincent Ferrer church in New York later.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claudette_Colbert

Mel Tormé
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Mel Torme)

Mel Tormé (September 13, 1925 - June 5, 1999) was a jazz singer with a light, velvety, high-tenor voice. He is considered by many to be one of the greatest male singers in the history of jazz. Tormé also wrote a number of classic jazz songs and wrote almost all the arrangements for the songs he sang.

Tormé was born Melvin Howard Tormé in Chicago of immigrant Russian-Jewish parents. A child prodigy, he began singing publicly at the age of four, acting by age nine, and playing drums by time he was a teenager. His first published song, "Lament to Love," was recorded by Harry James when Tormé was only 15.

Tormé went on to publish some 250 songs, mostly in collaboration with Bob Wells. Their best known effort is "The Christmas Song", recorded by Nat King Cole in 1945, and a holiday classic ever since. Tormé frequently commented that the song took less than an hour to write and was not one of his personal favorites.

During the war years, Tormé performed in led the Mel-Tones, a vocal group specializing in jazzy arrangements, usually backed by the swing band of Artie Shaw.

In 1947, Tormé went solo, recording a number of romantic hits, including the number one "Careless Love". His high pitched, silky-smooth vocal style earned him the sobriquet "Velvet Fog", which he disliked.

During the 1950s, as rock and roll increased in popularity, Tormé abandoned the commercial path and turned more and more to jazz. Critics say his art reached its first creative peak on a series of albums arranged by Marty Paich, one of the leading figures in West coast jazz of that period.

With the resurgence of jazz in the 1970s, Tormé entered another artistically fertile period. During the last twenty years of his career he recorded frequently in a variety of settings, the best known of which were a series of concerts with pianist George Shearing. In addition to producing a steady stream of albums, he performed live up to two hundred live dates annually, and appeared regularly on television, including nine guest appearances on the Night Court series where he was the idol of the main character played by Harry Anderson. In the mid-90s he even gained popularity among Generation Xers for his appearances in a series of Mountain Dew commercials and on Seinfeld.

In August 1996, a debilitating stroke abruptly ended his 65-year singing career.

In February 1999, Tormé was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

He died at 73 on June 5, 1999. In a eulogy after his death, John Andrews wrote:

Tormé's style shared much with that of his idol, Ella Fitzgerald. Both were firmly rooted in the foundation of the swing era, but both seemed able to incorporate bebop innovations to keep their performances sounding fresh and contemporary. Like Sinatra, they sang with perfect diction and brought out the emotional content of the lyrics through subtle alterations of phrasing and harmony. Ballads were characterized by paraphrasing of the original melody which always seemed tasteful, appropriate and respectful to the vision of the songwriter. Unlike Sinatra, both Fitzgerald and Tormé were likely to cut loose during a swinging up-tempo number with several scat choruses, using their voices without words to improvise a solo like a brass or reed instrument.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Torme

Moonlight in Vermont
Mel Torme

Pennies in a stream
Falling leaves a sycamore
Moonlight in Vermont

Gentle finger waves
Ski trails down a mountain side
Snowlight in Vermont

Telegraph cables, how they sing down the highway
As they travel each bend in the road
And when people meet, in this romantic setting
They're so hypnotized be the lovely...

Evening summer breeze
Sweet warblings of the meadowlark
Moonlight in Vermont

Written by Blackburn/Suessdorf

Nell Carter
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Nell Carter (September 13, 1948-January 23, 2003) was an American singer and actress.

Born Nell Ruth Hardy in Birmingham, Alabama, Carter won a Tony Award for her work in Ain't Misbehavin in 1978.

But Carter is perhaps best known as the loving housekeeper Nell Harper on the 1980's comedy sitcom Gimme a Break!, which earned Carter Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominations. The popular show lasted from from 1981 to 1987.

After the show ended, Carter appeared in low-budget films, TV specials, and on game shows such as Match Game and To Tell the Truth.

Carter converted to Judaism in 1982.

Carter died from heart disease complicated by diabetes in 2003. (In 1992, she had surgery to remove aneurysms. She had also often struggled with alcohol and drugs). She was the mother of two adopted teenagers.

When she died, friends and family were surprised to discover barely $200 in her bank account. They were further startled to discover that Carter had been living as a closeted lesbian, and that custody of her children had been left to her domestic partner. At the time of her death, Carter had been rehearsing for a production of A Raisin in the Sun in Long Beach, California and filming a movie, Swing.

Carter is interred in the Hillside Memorial Park Cemetery in Culver City, California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nell_Carter

Ain't Misbehavin'
No-one to talk with, all by myself,
No one to walk with, but I'm happy on the shelf.
Ain't misbehavin', I'm savin' my love for you.

I know for certain the one I love
I'm thru with flirtin', it's just you I'm thinkin' of,
Ain't misbehavin', I'm savin' my love for you.

Like Jack Horner in the corner,
don't go nowhere, what do I care,
Your kisses are worth waitin' for, believe me

I don't stay out late, don't care to go
I'm home about eight, just me and my radio
Ain't misbehavin', I'm savin' my love for you.

Good morning WA2K radio.

First allow me to thank edgar for the Fats Waller music. What a wonderful talent he was. As usual, Bob, all of your background information is great and enlightening reading, and after rejuvenation, I will be back to comment on each one. Thanks, Boston!

For Yit and McTag, a modest bow for your acknowledgement. <smile>
Of course, we love the awakening reminder of Omar Khayyam, Brit.

Ah, Teddy Roosevelt and Black Jack Pershing, listeners. I wonder where the "riderless horse" tradition began? I do hope our Raggedy will show us a picture of Adams' photograph, Bob.

Later, I want to recognize Adam Clayton Powell of Blood, Sweat, and Tears, because I like that man's unusual delivery.

This is for our Raggedy:

Thought for Today: ``Better to be without logic than without feeling.'' - Charlotte Bronte, English author (1816-1855).



09/12/05 20:00

It seems that our dys and Di are back from their jaunt, and we hope to see pictures of their excursion a little later on.

Good Morning WA2K:



Thank you for the dedication, Letty. Is it the content of the thought or Charlotte Bronte that made you think of me? I do indeed appreciate Charlotte's thought , however, I must admit my preference is EMILY:

"I'll walk where my own nature would be leading; it vexes me to choose another guide."

Bob, Claudette Colbert has always been one of my favorite actresses. (She reminds me of my mother)

And today's birthdays are:

1520 - William Cecil, 1st Baron Burghley, English statesman (d. 1598)
1604 - William Brereton, English soldier and politician (d. 1661)
1739 - Grigori Potemkin, Russian statesman (d. 1791)
1775 - Laura Secord, Canadian heroine of the War of 1812 (d. 1868)
1802 - Arnold Ruge, German philosopher and political writer (d. 1880)
1813 - John Sedgwick, American Civil War general (d. 1864)
1819 - Clara Schumann, German pianist and composer (d. 1896)
1830 - Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, Austrian writer (d. 1916)
1842 - Guglielmo Ciardi, Italian painter (d. 1917)
1842 - John H. Bankhead, U.S. Senator (d. 1920)
1851 - Walter Reed, American physician and biologist (d. 1902)
1857 - Milton S. Hershey, American chocolate entrepreneur (d. 1945)
1857 - Michał Drzymała, Polish peasant rebel (d. 1937)
1860 - John J. Pershing, American general (d. 1948)
1863 - Arthur Henderson, British politician and union leader, Nobel Peace Prize 1934 (d. 1935)
1873 - Constantin Carathéodory, mathematician (d. 1950)
1874 - Arnold Schoenberg, composer (d. 1951)
1876 - Sherwood Anderson, writer (d. 1941)
1877 - Wilhelm Filchner, German explorer (d. 1957)
1885 - Wilhelm Blaschke, Austro-Hungarian geometer
1886 - Sir Robert Robinson, chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1975)
1887 - Lavoslav Ruzicka, Croatian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (d. 1976)
1893 - Larry Shields, jazz musician (d. 1953)
1894 - J.B. Priestley, playwright and novelist (d. 1984)
1894 - Julian Tuwim, Polish poet (d. 1953)
1895 - Morris Kirksey, American athlete and rugby player (d. 1981)
1903 - Claudette Colbert, actress (d. 1996)
1911 - Bill Monroe, singer (Bluegrass band) (d. 1996)
1916 - Roald Dahl, writer (d. 1990)
1918 - Dick Haymes, Argentine vocalist (d. 1980)
1917 - Robert Ward, composer (d. 1994)
1922 - Charles Brown, American blues singer and pianist (d. 1999)
1923 - Aurelio Fierro, Italian singer (d. 2005)
1923 - Edouard Boubat, French photographer
1924 - Maurice Jarre, composer
1925 - Mel Torme, singer (d. 1999)
1925 - Amilcar Salomón Zorilla, Peruvian painter
1929 - Nicolai Ghiaurov, Bulgarian opera singer (d. 2004)
1932 - Barbara Bain, actress
1937 - Don Bluth, animator
1938 - Judith Martin ("Miss Manners"), etiquette writer
1939 - Richard Kiel, American actor
1941 - David Clayton-Thomas, singer (Blood, Sweat & Tears)
1941 - Tadao Ando, Japanese archictect
1944 - Jacqueline Bisset, actress
1944 - Peter Cetera, American singer and bass guitarist (Chicago)
1945 - Noël Godin, Belgian humorist
1948 - Nell Carter, American actress and singer (d. 2003)
1950 - Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz, Polish politician
1952 - Randy Jones, musician (The Village People)
1952 - Don Was, singer and composer
1952 - Raymond O'Connor, American actor
1961 - Dave Mustaine, musician (Megadeth)
1965 - Zak Starkey, British musician
1967 - Michael Johnson, American track and field athlete
1968 - Emma Sjöberg, Swedish model and actress
1969 - Shane Warne, Australian cricketer
1971 - Goran Ivanisevic, Croatian tennis player
1971 - Stella McCartney, British fashion designer
1973 - Christine Arron, French runner
1977 - Fiona Apple, singer
1980 - Viren Rasquinha, Indian hockey team member
1980 - Ben Savage, actor
1982 - Nenê, Brazilian basketball player

Good morning, Raggedy. Thanks once again for the celeb updates, PA.

Ah, that must be Ansel Adams' photo, and I love stuff in black and white.

I also see that Roald Dahl is among your celebs. Love his short stories.

Anyone here ever read "Beware of the Dog"?

I had no idea that Claudette was born in France. Speaking of which, what happened to our Francis? Hope he's not pissed off 'cause I beat him to the answer last evening. <smile>

Although Adam Clayton Powel is not among Raggedy's birthday celebs, I thought I would play this song for our listeners:

Blood sweat & tears - You've made me so very happy

I lost at love before
Got mad and closed the door
But you said "Try, just once more"
I chose you for the one
Now we're having so much fun
You treated me so kind
I'm about to lose my mind
You made me so very happy

The others were untrue
But when it came to loving you
I'd spend my whole life with you
Cause you came and you took control
You touched my very soul
You always showed me that
Loving you was where it's at
You made me so very happy
I'm so glad you came into my life yeah

I love you so much you see
You're even in my dreams
I can hear you, I can hear you callin me
I'm so in love with you
All I ever want to do is
Thank you baby, thank you baby

You made me so very happy
I'm so glad you came into my life
You made me so very happy
You made me so so very happy baby
I'm so glad you came
Into my life
I want to thank you girl
Every day of my life
I want to thank you
You made me so very happy (fade)

For Raggedy by way of redemption:

PRESENTIMENT

by: Charlotte Bronte (1816-1855)

"SISTER, you've sat there all the day,
Come to the hearth awhile;
The wind so wildly sweeps away,
The clouds so darkly pile.
That open book has lain, unread,
For hours upon your knee;
You've never smiled nor turned your head;
What can you, sister, see?"

"Come hither, Jane, look down the field;
How dense a mist creeps on!
The path, the hedge, are both concealed,
Ev'n the white gate is gone
No landscape through the fog I trace,
No hill with pastures green;
All featureless is Nature's face.
All masked in clouds her mien.

"Scarce is the rustle of a leaf
Heard in our garden now;
The year grows old, its days wax brief,
The tresses leave its brow.
The rain drives fast before the wind,
The sky is blank and grey;
O Jane, what sadness fills the mind
On such a dreary day!"

"You think too much, my sister dear;
You sit too long alone;
What though November days be drear?
Full soon will they be gone.
I've swept the hearth, and placed your chair,.
Come, Emma, sit by me;
Our own fireside is never drear,
Though late and wintry wane the year,
Though rough the night may be."

"The peaceful glow of our fireside
Imparts no peace to me:
My thoughts would rather wander wide
Than rest, dear Jane, with thee.
I'm on a distant journey bound,
And if, about my heart,
Too closely kindred ties were bound,
'Twould break when forced to part.

"'Soon will November days be o'er:'
Well have you spoken, Jane:
My own forebodings tell me more--
For me, I know by presage sure,
They'll ne'er return again.
Ere long, nor sun nor storm to me
Will bring or joy or gloom;
They reach not that Eternity
Which soon will be my home."

Eight months are gone, the summer sun
Sets in a glorious sky;
A quiet field, all green and lone,
Receives its rosy dye.
Jane sits upon a shaded stile,
Alone she sits there now;
Her head rests on her hand the while,
And thought o'ercasts her brow.

She's thinking of one winter's day,
A few short months ago,
Then Emma's bier was borne away
O'er wastes of frozen snow.
She's thinking how that drifted snow
Dissolved in spring's first gleam,
And how her sister's memory now
Fades, even as fades a dream.

The snow will whiten earth again,
But Emma comes no more;
She left, 'mid winter's sleet and rain,
This world for Heaven's far shore.
On Beulah's hills she wanders now,
On Eden's tranquil plain;
To her shall Jane hereafter go,
She ne'er shall come to Jane!

right side of fence=navajo nation
left side of fence=Mormon nation (Utah)

Well, here is our dys in the company of a mesa. <smile>.

Keep 'em coming, cowboy.

I always thought that line was, "But you're sunshine, just once more," which never really did make much sense.

Hey, Tico. Well, I'm trying, buddy, but I am not certain what you mean. Are we talking about You Are my Sunshine?

Monument Yalley (navajo nation) Utah

Colorado River exiting Cataract Canyon starting Lake Powell

Dys and Diane camping @ Torrey Utah on the edge of Capitol Reef National Park;

Listeners, while I am trying to figure out our Tico's meaning, I wish I could describe to you the photos that our dys is showing.

"....a picture that no artist ere could paint...."

Capitol Reef National Park (Utah)

Dead Horse point, Colorado river, Moab Utah

near Cisco Utah

Uncompaghre Plateau (Dolores River-Unaweep Canyon) Colorado