HERE WE ARE IN MONTECITO, an upscale suburb of Santa Barbara California, waiting it out big time with Sam S.P. Eagle , a formidable tennis spare time doubles partner, Sam coming back to his red carpet roller coaster, after collectivelyassimilating Oscars for “the African Queen” with Bogy and Katherine Hepburn, “On the waterfront” with Marlon Brando”“Lawrence of Arabia” with a Maurice Jarre musical tour de force and “Doctor Zhivago” with Omar Sharif (“again, Sam?” )and Julie Christie…,Alec Guinness as the uniformed khaki cladofficer. (“Bridge on the River Kwai”).
II
During Sam’s bagging of trophies and Oscars , he strolled past the digs of James Agee, the former Times magazine moviecritic, who was awarded a Pulitzer for his autobiographical novel “Death in the family”.
And what about “Let us now praise famous men”.
“S.P. Eagle! Another guise! Sam. We won’t tell a soul… a ticketed admission at that! “You run around your back hand.”
III
Passing Robert Hutchins Grecian estate for debate on the nation’s moral stance. “Relatively speaking Sam, you think Dr. Hutchins, born in Brooklyn, treasurer at Yale, President of the University of Chicago,
Outlawing football. Co founder of the Great Books…”
“Your namesake Mortimer. Any relation, kiddo?”
IV
“Sam, tell me your partner in crime. How did you do it? The climb from’ B’ flicks….seeing your “Tales of Manhattan” at theRugby on Utica off Church, in East Flatbush. Around the corner from Silver Rods drug store, across from the bank and the“parler Italiano”, barber where he placed the “lift” as a stoop foran eight year old’s cut… from P.S. 233 and a typhoid fever coma of thirty days. No penicilium to wipe out the 106 fever inthose yesterdays.… Bethel Hospital nee Brookdale, on LindenBoulevard.
“Free dishes,” replied the multi lingual tennis player turned “A” producer. A moneyed Daryl Zanuck with all the scratch andlivery that goes with the status.
A walking stick or cane. A crutch to lean on in the passing of time. “Appearances, my boy,” unlike the yesterdays ,running around his back hand.
“Once we got Bog, “Kiss me Kate” Hepburn signed in, agreeingto the “the African Queen..on location, the Amazon River.. John Huston signed in….and we were off.,” said S.P. Eagle, giving a nod toward James Agree hotel where the scribe was into histrance…nicotine, not un like the “Last Tycoon” “ The Great Gatsby” F. Scott Fitzgerald dying at the Garden of Allah on the Sunset Strip, Sheila Graham, the Louella Parsons Hedda Hopper gossip columnist at his bedside….the New York Post columnist down the Strip at the drugstore…. Producing Larry Parks in the “Jolson Story”.
. V
Nothing posthumous about crafting a column about the storied crush of fan mail for the fantasies and wishful thinking of the Big Apple denizens and gulls, who identify with the likes of Shelly winters, Evelyn Keyes , Sam Goldwyn’s ‘quips,’believing in the pretensions, the reality scene. What makes(Sidney Skolsky’) Sammy Run? ”
VI
Rounding the jogging track on the edge of the U/C Santa Barbara campus(where Michael Douglas got his break…..”Volley ball volley ball, that’s the best game of all”….Eugene O’Neil’s Connecticut estate), S P Eagle touchedhis partner’s am. “ Some sensitive soul told me in 1939, the early days of my career……baking mickies, roasting marshmallows, the depression, the War, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, kiddo…. “Tales of Manhattan” was my first fastbreak. “
VII
“You put it together Mist6er Eagle. 1938-’39 Your ”gestalt”…dish night at the Rugby. My mother had to go……win thosedishes. a scholarship student at Hunter High in rhetoric. Screwed out by her older sister Grandma listening where her oldest was coming from. Sending my mother out to” voick” you slave. Age 13, her sister going on to College A moral outrage, Mister S.P . A moral outrage!”
VIIOI
“Some seven decades plus….. Seventy six years. A lifetime toput it together. The gestalt!
Angels Bogy and Kate. Pioneers behind a” nickel and dimeproducer into his” déjà vu“ When we did “Suddenly last Summer” I knew in my gut. Retire to my yacht like Aristotle Onassis.. No more name dropping , running around my backhand...
IX
“Tell me s did Maurice Jarre whistling Clara Schuman’s Robertmelody for your” Lawrence of Arabia”?, were you aw aware the harmonies reminiscent of his first movement.?”
“ I’m at a loss for words. Being the producer , Maurice was scoring “Doctor Zhivago” David Lean, directing. What more can we say? Some 77 years of running around my backhand.Kiddo. We’re not at “The Three Stooges slapstick. We’re not sting in the mail room, sorting the fan mail But not their worthwhile humanity..
Sidney Buchman, his brother Harold, Sam Briskin, RobertRiskin ,(“Mr. Smith goes to Washington”), Max Arno, Frank Capra have all vanished from the Gower and Sunset lot.. ”
“ But It sure beats Larry Moe and Shemp’s (Curl) shtick out of Bath Beach and” Philly”, Padre, You become a quality human being .A nickel and dime bandit, finding your rhythm…yoursShang-la. The High Llama has been waiting a long time. .Youvision found its own audience. You found yourself, Padre..”
April 14, 2015. The City that never sleeps.
“
