Much like @blue-character-brawl, the 128 characters that made it in have been split into four brackets, where the four winners will fight in the semi-finals, and then the winners of those will fight in the finals to find out who the best character in fiction with facial hair is! Brackets will last 24 hours (except for the finals) and the first set of polls will be posted on April 26 between 4:00 and 4:30 PM EST! Here are the matchups:
Bracket 1
Matt (Wii Sports) VS. Saburo (Wii Sports)
Rockhopper (Club Penguin) VS. Sensei (Club Penguin)
Mario (Super Mario) VS. Wario (Super Mario)
Luigi (Super Mario) VS. Waluigi (Super Mario)
Toadsworth (Super Mario) VS. Penguru (Super Mario Galaxy)
Cranky Kong (Donkey Kong) VS. Bluster Kong (Donkey Kong)
Vitruvius (The Lego Movie) VS. Sandy (Lego Monkie Kid)
Rex Fury (Lego City Undercover) VS. Forrest Blackwell (Lego City Undercover)
Dr. Coomer (HLVRAI) VS. Gordon Freeman (Half-Life)
Colonel Mustard (Clue) VS. Mr. Monopoly (Monopoly)
War Doctor (Doctor Who) VS. Wilfred Mott (Doctor Who)
i Tony Stark (Marvel) VS. Steve Rogers (Avengers: Infinity War)
Stephen Strange (Marvel) VS. J Jonah Jameson (Spider-Man)
Grandpa Fletcher (Phineas and Ferb) VS. Balthazar Cavendish (Milo Murphy’s Law)
2nd Dimension Doofenshmirtz (Phineas and Ferb) VS. Major Monogram (Phineas and Ferb)
Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars) VS. Count Dooku (Star Wars)
Bracket 2
Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) VS. Dr. Eggman (Sonic the Hedgehog)
Wilford Warfstache (Markiplier) VS. Old Mark (In Space With Markiplier)
Oliver Queen (DC Comics) VS. Mobius (Loki)
Ron Swanson (Parks and Recreation) VS. Stanley Hudson (The Office)
M. Rasmodius (Stardew Valley) VS. Gus (Stardew Valley)
Lewis (Stardew Valley) VS. Linus (Stardew Valley)
Chief Bookem (Kirby: Right Back At Ya!) VS. Mayor Len Blustergas (Kirby: Right Back At Ya!)
Top Chef (Deltarune) VS. Asgore Dreemurr (Undertale)
Senshi (Dungeon Meshi) VS. Mustache Girl (A Hat in Time)
Santa Claus (Christmas) VS. Julius Pringle (Pringles)
Present Mic (My Hero Academia) VS. Edward Newgate (One Piece)
Drayden (Pokémon) VS. Kamado (Pokémon)
Cirdan (Lord of the Rings) VS. Gimli (Lord of the Rings)
Alex Louis Armstrong (Fullmetal Alchemist) VS. King Bradley (Fullmetal Alchemist)
Richie Tozier (It) VS. Murray Bauman (Stranger Things)
Homer Simpson (The Simpsons) VS. Jasper Beardly (The Simpsons)
Bracket 3
Warden Blackwall (Dragon Age Inquisition) VS. Dorian Pavus (Dragon Age Inquisition)
Pops (Regular Show) VS. Alex Dorpenberger (Close Enough)
Kili (The Hobbit) VS. Bofur (The Hobbit)
Alador Blight (The Owl House) VS. Phillip Wittebane (The Owl House)
Iknik Blackstone Varrick (Avatar: Legend of Korra) VS. Iroh (Avatar: The Last Airbender)
Murro Morton (Identity V) VS. Percy (Identity V)
Jeff Winger (Community) VS. Gregory House (House MD)
Rico Rodriguez (Just Cause) VS. Tom Sheldon (Just Cause)
King Triton (The Little Mermaid) VS. Frozone (The Incredibles)
Harry Du Bois (Disco Elysium) VS. Kim Kitsuragi (Disco Elysium)
Gashu Satou (Your Turn To Die) VS. Hades (Hades)
Kogoro Mouri (Detective Conan) VS. Shaggy Rogers (Scooby-Doo)
Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso) VS. John Wick (John Wick)
Otokichi Shirabe (Suite Precure) VS. Asuma Sarutobi (Naruto)
Gomez Addams (The Addams Family) VS. Frederick Loren (House on Haunted Hill)
Cap’n Cuttlefish (Splatoon) VS. Lionel (Animal Crossing
Bracket 4
Abe Lincoln (Clone High) VS. Rex Mohs (Scott The Woz)
Hercule Poirot (Poirot) VS. Seneca Crane (The Hunger Games)
Bob Zanotto (Psychonauts) VS. William Riker (Star Trek)
Alexsandr Kallus (Star Wars) VS. Steve (Minecraft)
Sea Hawk (She-Ra) VS. Boris Badenov (Rocky and Bullwinkle)
Victor Sullivan (Uncharted) VS. Yosemite Sam (Looney Toons)
Thorin Oakenshield (The Hobbit) VS. Qui-Gon Jinn (Star Wars)
Din Djarin (Star Wars) VS. Alec Hardy (Broadchurch)
Buford Tannen (Back To The Future) VS. Scott Howard (Teen wolf)
Halt O’Carrick (Ranger’s Apprentice) VS. Jack Pearson (This Is Us)
Thomas Magnum (Magnum PI) VS. Dedue Molinaro (Fire Emblem)
Barbarian (Clash of Clans) VS. Adam Jensen (Deus Ex: Mankind Divided)
Remus Sanders (Sanders Sides) VS. Grandpa Harley (Homestuck)
Massimo Marcovaldo (Luca) VS. Dr. Erasmus Craven (The Raven)
Toki Wartooth (Metalocalypse) VS. Richard Kimble (The Fugitive)
Deputy Dewey Riley (Scream) VS. Walter White (Breaking Bad)
The Special Guest Stars of “Burke’s Law” read like a Who’s Who list of Hollywood of the era. Many of the appearances, however, were no more than one scene cameos. This is as complete a list ever compiled of all those who even made the briefest of appearances on the series.
Beverly Adams, Nick Adams, Stanley Adams, Eddie Albert, Mabel Albertson, Lola Albright, Elizabeth Allen, June Allyson, Don Ameche, Michael Ansara, Army Archerd, Phil Arnold, Mary Astor, Frankie Avalon, Hy Averback, Jim Backus, Betty Barry, Susan Bay, Ed Begley, William Bendix, Joan Bennett, Edgar Bergen, Shelley Berman, Herschel Bernardi, Ken Berry, Lyle Bettger, Robert Bice, Theodore Bikel, Janet Blair, Madge Blake, Joan Blondell, Ann Blyth, Carl Boehm, Peter Bourne, Rosemarie Bowe, Eddie Bracken, Steve Brodie, Jan Brooks, Dorian Brown, Bobby Buntrock, Edd Byrnes, Corinne Calvet, Rory Calhoun, Pepe Callahan, Rod Cameron, Macdonald Carey, Hoagy Carmichael, Richard Carlson, Jack Carter, Steve Carruthers, Marianna Case, Seymour Cassel, John Cassavetes, Tom Cassidy, Joan Caulfield, Barrie Chase, Eduardo Ciannelli, Dane Clark, Dick Clark, Steve Cochran, Hans Conried, Jackie Coogan, Gladys Cooper, Henry Corden, Wendell Corey, Hazel Court, Wally Cox, Jeanne Crain, Susanne Cramer, Les Crane, Broderick Crawford, Suzanne Cupito, Arlene Dahl, Vic Dana, Jane Darwell, Sammy Davis Jr., Linda Darnell, Dennis Day, Laraine Day, Yvonne DeCarlo, Gloria De Haven, William Demarest, Andy Devine, Richard Devon, Billy De Wolfe, Don Diamond, Diana Dors, Joanne Dru, Paul Dubov, Howard Duff, Dan Duryea, Robert Easton, Barbara Eden, John Ericson, Leif Erickson, Tom Ewell, Nanette Fabray, Felicia Farr, Sharon Farrell, Herbie Faye, Fritz Feld, Susan Flannery, James Flavin, Rhonda Fleming, Nina Foch, Steve Forrest, Linda Foster, Byron Foulger, Eddie Foy Jr., Anne Francis, David Fresco, Annette Funicello, Eva Gabor, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Reginald Gardiner, Nancy Gates, Lisa Gaye, Sandra Giles, Mark Goddard, Thomas Gomez, Pedro Gonzalez Gonzalez, Sandra Gould, Wilton Graff, Gloria Grahame, Shelby Grant, Jane Greer, Virginia Grey, Tammy Grimes, Richard Hale, Jack Haley, George Hamilton, Ann Harding, Joy Harmon, Phil Harris, Stacy Harris, Dee Hartford, June Havoc, Jill Haworth, Richard Haydn, Louis Hayward, Hugh Hefner, Anne Helm, Percy Helton, Irene Hervey, Joe Higgins, Marianna Hill, Bern Hoffman, Jonathan Hole, Celeste Holm, Charlene Holt, Oscar Homolka, Barbara Horne, Edward Everett Horton, Breena Howard, Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Arthur Hunnicutt, Tab Hunter, Joan Huntington, Josephine Hutchinson, Betty Hutton, Gunilla Hutton, Martha Hyer, Diana Hyland, Marty Ingels, John Ireland, Mako Iwamatsu, Joyce Jameson, Glynis Johns, I. Stanford Jolley, Carolyn Jones, Dean Jones, Spike Jones, Victor Jory, Jackie Joseph, Stubby Kaye, Monica Keating, Buster Keaton, Cecil Kellaway, Claire Kelly, Patsy Kelly, Kathy Kersh, Eartha Kitt, Nancy Kovack, Fred Krone, Lou Krugman, Frankie Laine, Fernando Lamas, Dorothy Lamour, Elsa Lanchester, Abbe Lane, Charles Lane, Lauren Lane, Harry Lauter, Norman Leavitt, Gypsy Rose Lee, Ruta Lee, Teri Lee, Peter Leeds, Margaret Leighton, Sheldon Leonard, Art Lewis, Buddy Lewis, Dave Loring, Joanne Ludden, Ida Lupino, Tina Louise, Paul Lynde, Diana Lynn, James MacArthur, Gisele MacKenzie, Diane McBain, Kevin McCarthy, Bill McClean, Stephen McNally, Elizabeth MacRae, Jayne Mansfield, Hal March, Shary Marshall, Dewey Martin, Marlyn Mason, Hedley Mattingly, Marilyn Maxwell, Virginia Mayo, Patricia Medina, Troy Melton, Burgess Meredith, Una Merkel, Dina Merrill, Torben Meyer, Barbara Michaels, Robert Middleton, Vera Miles, Sal Mineo, Mary Ann Mobley, Alan Mowbray, Ricardo Montalbán, Elizabeth Montgomery, Ralph Moody, Alvy Moore, Terry Moore, Agnes Moorehead, Anne Morell, Rita Moreno, Byron Morrow, Jan Murray, Ken Murray, George Nader, J. Carrol Naish, Bek Nelson, Gene Nelson, David Niven, Chris Noel, Kathleen Nolan, Sheree North, Louis Nye, Arthur O'Connell, Quinn O'Hara, Susan Oliver, Debra Paget, Janis Paige, Nestor Paiva, Luciana Paluzzi, Julie Parrish, Fess Parker, Suzy Parker, Bert Parks, Harvey Parry, Hank Patterson, Joan Patrick, Nehemiah Persoff, Walter Pidgeon, Zasu Pitts, Edward Platt, Juliet Prowse, Eddie Quillan, Louis Quinn, Basil Rathbone, Aldo Ray, Martha Raye, Gene Raymond, Peggy Rea, Philip Reed, Carl Reiner, Stafford Repp, Paul Rhone, Paul Richards, Don Rickles, Will Rogers Jr., Ruth Roman, Cesar Romero, Mickey Rooney, Gena Rowlands, Charlie Ruggles, Janice Rule, Soupy Sales, Hugh Sanders, Tura Satana, Telly Savalas, John Saxon, Lizabeth Scott, Lisa Seagram, Pilar Seurat, William Shatner, Karen Sharpe, James Shigeta, Nina Shipman, Susan Silo, Johnny Silver, Nancy Sinatra, The Smothers Brothers, Joanie Sommers, Joan Staley, Jan Sterling, Elaine Stewart, Jill St. John, Dean Stockwell, Gale Storm, Susan Strasberg, Inger Stratton, Amzie Strickland, Gil Stuart, Grady Sutton, Kay Sutton, Gloria Swanson, Russ Tamblyn. Don Taylor, Dub Taylor, Vaughn Taylor, Irene Tedrow, Terry-Thomas, Ginny Tiu, Dan Tobin, Forrest Tucker, Tom Tully, Jim Turley, Lurene Tuttle, Ann Tyrrell, Miyoshi Umeki, Mamie van Doren, Deborah Walley, Sandra Warner, David Wayne, Ray Weaver, Lennie Weinrib, Dawn Wells, Delores Wells, Rebecca Welles, Jack Weston, David White, James Whitmore, Michael Wilding, Annazette Williams, Dave Willock, Chill Wills, Marie Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Sandra Wirth, Ed Wynn, Keenan Wynn, Dana Wynter, Celeste Yarnall, Francine York.
hello, love ! get ready for a pretty long list ! luke skywalker, han solo, jaina & jacen solo & ben skywalker (star wars), janet van dyne, tommy and billy maximoff, hela odinsdottir, jennifer walters, sharon carter, agatha harkness, carol danvers, maggie lang, mantis, queen ramonda, okoye, nakia, the dora milaje, nate richards/iron lad, bruce banner, wong, peter quill, drax, melina vostokoff, darren cross/modok, howard stark (mcu), marlene (tlou), forty quinn, henry quinn-goldberg, sherry & cary conrad (you), mike wheeler, henry creel, jim hopper and joyce byers (stranger things), queen anne of austria, d'artagnan, aramis, athos, & porthos (the musketeers), missandei, cersei lannister, jaime lannister, arya stark, sansa stark, jon snow, rhaegar targaryen, lyanna stark (game of thrones), victoire, dominique, & louis weasley, molly and ginny weasley, james potter, gabrielle delacour, (harry potter), harwin strong, aemond targaryen, aegon targaryen ii, daeron targaryen, jaehaera and maelor targarye, laena velaryon, baela targaryen, rhaena targaryen, aemma arryn (house of the dragon), tommy shepherd, billy kaplan, victor von doom, jericho drumm, teddy altman, pietro maximoff, erik lehnsherr, lorna dane, logan howlett, gabby kinney, jubilation lee, akihiro, ororo munroe, warren worthington iii, julian keller, alani ryan (marvel comics), adonis creed, bianca creed, rocky (creed), amanda young, adam stanheight, jill tuck, lawrence gordon, ezekiel banks, william schenk (saw), dewey riley, tatum riley, casey becker, roman bridger, nancy loomis, randy meeks, marta meeks, charlie walker, jill roberts, trevor sheldon, kate roberts, richie kirsch, wayne bailey/kirsch, judy hicks, wes hicks, liv mckenzie, sarah darling, mikey altieri, derek feldman, rebecca walters, jenny randall, anthony perkins, ross hoss, vince schneider, leslie macher, christopher stone (scream) would be very much wanted !
For a simple housewife and a bandleader, Lucy and Ricky got involved with the police on a surprising number of occasions. Here’s a line-up of Lucy’s encounters with the men in blue.
“Liz Learns To Drive” (1948) ~ Liz (Lucille Ball) goes to the police station to get her driver’s license. The officer is played by Frank Nelson.
NELSON: “Name?”
LIZ: “Elizabeth Cugat.”
NELSON: “Address?”
LIZ: “321 Bundy.”
NELSON: “Race?”
LIZ: “Of course not! I don’t even have a driver’s license!”
After much rhetorical to-ing and fro-ing, he takes her fingerprints and gives her the eye test:
NELSON: “Read the letters on the wall over there.”
LIZ: “M-E-N.”
Later in the complicated plot, Liz finds herself back at the police station, this time being questioned by Sergeant Lewis (Herb Vigran). She’s a suspect in a murder case!
“Safe Driving Week” (1950) ~ Liz is pulled over by a motorcycle cop (Sheldon Leonard), although she’s unclear why. He says that Liz made the wrong arm signal when turning left. When Liz asks what he is writing, he facetiously calls it a story for Reader’s Digest about ‘The Most Unforgettable Person I’ve Ever Met’! Naturally, it is a traffic ticket. Later, Liz passes a car on the wrong side of the road because she’s three feet from the left curb! A policeman pulls them over - the same officer who issued Liz the ticket. To explain her driving on the left, Liz decides to adopt a British accent.
LIZ: “Pip-pip, cheerio, hallo there, Bobbie!”
The Officer tests her by asking her to sing the British Anthem. Liz sings “London Bridge is Falling Down.” The policeman insists on driving the car away from the curb, but runs over his own motorcycle in the process! Liz drives away, leaving the motorcycle cop in tears, clutching only his handlebars.
“New Neighbors” (1952) ~ Believing their new neighbors are dangerous spies, Lucy forms a militia and calls the police. Sergeant Morton (Allen Jenkins) is nearly killed when they open fire at the sound of the doorbell!
LUCY: “These people are agents of some foreign government!”
SERGEANT MORTON: “What’s their name?”
LUCY: “O’Brien!”
Morton apathetically ask if she's been nipping at the cooking sherry.
David Allen Curtis Jenkins (Sergeant Morton) made a career out of playing policemen and tough guys in films throughout the '30s and '40s including Five Came Back (1939) with Lucille Ball. This was the first of his three appearances as a policeman on “I Love Lucy.” From 1961-62, Jenkins voice Officer Dribble on the animated series “Top Cat”.
“The Courtoom” (1952) ~ Robert B. Williams played the Bailiff. Williams was a busy Hollywood day player who had recurring roles on "Dennis the Menace" and "Hazel." His last role was as Garth Gimble Sr. (Martin Mull's father) on "Fernwood Tonight" in 1977.
“Lucy Goes to the Hospital” (1953) ~ Ricky creates pandemonium at the hospital by showing up for the birth of his son in full Voodoo make-up! Ralph Montgomery plays the policeman called to the scene. He had appeared with Lucille Ball in the 1949 film Sorrowful Jones.
“Ricky and Fred are TV Fans” (1953) ~ When they are caught stealing from a diner cash register and trying to cut the wires to their apartment building, Lucy and Ethel are hauled down to the station (Precinct 31) by Officer Jenkins (Allen Jenkins) where they encounter Desk Sergeant Nelson (Frank Nelson). This is not the first time these actors have worn blue for Desilu - nor the last.
“The Girls Go Into Business” (1953) ~ Emory Parnell plays the cop on the beat. Although this is his only series appearance, the veteran character actor was in three films with Lucille Ball and seven with William Frawley.
“Equal Rights” (1953) ~ The arresting officers are played by Fred Aldrich (left), who appeared in four other episodes, and Louis Nicoletti, who was a veteran of 15 episodes.
When Ricky and Fred are jailed, the police officer in the final scene is Richard Reeves, who played Bill Foster for two episodes, but was also seen as the tall Indian in “The Indian Show” (1953).
“Too Many Crooks” (1953) ~ When the building is in an uproar over the identity of Madam X, a policeman arrives to sort things out. Once again, the officer on the scene is played by Allen Jenkins.
“Tennessee Bound” (1955) ~ While driving too quickly through Tennessee, the gang is arrested by the Sheriff of Bent Fork, played by Will Wright. He previously played Mr. Walters, the locksmith from Yonkers in “The Handcuffs” (1953). In 1949, he appeared with Lucille Ball in the film Miss Grant Takes Richmond.
“Lucy Visits Graumans” (1955) ~ While trying to steal John Wayne’s footprints, Lucy and Ethel are interupted by two cops on the beat, who indulge themselves trying to fit their feet into the cement shoe prints of celebrities. Clarence Straight and Ben Neims play the policemen. This is just one of many law enforcement officials Straight played throughout his career. Neims also played an officer (of another sort) on the S.S. Consitution in “Bon Voyage” (1956). His final role was as a Police Chief in the 1974 film Dirty Mary Crazy Larry.
“The Great Train Robbery” (1956) ~ The plainclothes Police Detective is played by Joseph Crehan, who had previously appeared with Lucille Ball in There Goes My Girl (1937), Ziegfeld Follies (1947), and The Fuller Brush Girl (1950). Throughout his fifty year screen career he played Ulysses S. Grant nine times!
“Paris at Last” (1956) ~ Lucy is implicated in a conterfeiting scheme and arrested. Trevor Ward plays the gendarme who arrests Lucy for passing the fake Francs. He had just appeared as the Cockney groom at the English country estate in “The Fox Hunt” (1956) two episodes earlier. In real life Ward was not French, American, or English – he was Welsh!
At the police station, two more gendarmes are introduced. Ramsay Hill plays the police desk sergeant who only speaks French. This is his one and only role on the series, but he served as technical adviser on the 1947 film Lured starring Lucille Ball..Johnny Mylong plays the gendarme who speaks both French and German. He soon returns to the series as the Casino Manager in “Lucy Goes To Monte Carlo” (1956).
“Lucy’s Bicycle Trip” (1956) ~ Biking along the Med, Lucy encounters Border Control Officers for Italy and France. Henry Dar Boggia (left) plays the Italian Border Guard. Francis Ravel (in the booth) plays the French Border Guard. Felix Romano plays the Italian Border Guard who comes on duty in the episode’s final moments. For the record, Border Guards are considered Law Enforcement Officials in both France and Italy.
“Return Home from Europe” (1956) ~ Frank Nelson plays the Customs Officer who tries to solve the mystery of the cheese / baby. Nelson will soon take on his second recurring role on the series as Ralph Ramsey. A Customs Officer is considered a federal law enforcement officer.
“Visitor from Italy” (1956) ~ James Flavin plays the Immigration Officer searghing for Mario (Jay Novello). Flavin also appeared with Novello in “Lucy and the Safe Cracker” (1962) where he played a cop named Sergeant Wilcox. He returned two episodes later to play Sergeant Wilcox again in another bank-themed episode, “Lucy and the Bank Scandal” (1963). Flavin appeared in four films with Lucille Ball, including playing a police sergeant in Without Love (1945). During his long career he played so many officers of the law that his IMDB photo is of him in a police uniform!
“Lucy Hunts Uranium” (1958) ~ Racing through the Nevada desert the Ricardos and Fred MacMurray are pulled over by a motorcyle cop in this press photo for the episode.
“Lucy Goes to Mexico” (1958) ~ Returning to San Diego, Lucy and Ethel get stopped by a Border Guard played by Charles Lane, who suspects they may be smugglers.
In the opening scene, a Tijuana traffic cop tries to keep order when a donkey painted like a zebra rests in the middle of a busy street! The actor appears uncredited.
“Lucy Upsets the Williams Household” (1959) ~ Lucy and Desi play the Ricardos on “Make Room for Daddy” aka “The Danny Thomas Show”. Lucy gets in trouble with the law when out on a shopping spree. The policeman is played by an uncredited performer.
William Austin and Clara Bow in It (Clarence G. Badger, 1927)
Cast: Clara Bow, Antonio Moreno, William Austin, Priscilla Bonner, Jacqueline Gadsdon, Julia Swayne Gordon, Elinor Glyn, Gary Cooper. Screenplay: Hope Loring, Louis D. Lighton; Titles: George Marion Jr., based on a story by Elinor Glyn. Cinematography: H. Kinley Martin. Film editing: E. Lloyd Sheldon. Costume design: Travis Banton
Was Elinor Glyn's Cosmopolitan magazine story "It" really a sensation, or is that just hype? Odds are it was the latter, because Glyn, who has a cameo in Clarence G. Badger's film It, billed as "Madame Elinor Glyn," was a master self-publicist. "It" gets several definitions in the course of the film, all of which are really just a relabeling of what has always been called "sex appeal." In the end it boils down to "whatever Clara Bow had." One of those definitions, delivered by the Madame herself, is "Self-confidence and indifference to whether you are pleasing or not," which actually doesn't fit Bow's character, Betty Lou, who is never indifferent to whether she is pleasing the object of her attentions, Antonio Moreno's Cyrus T. Waltham. She even flings herself on his desk to flirt with him. It is really just routine rom-com stuff: Girl spots boy, girl lands boy, boy makes a premature move and gets slapped for it, girl rejects boy because he thinks she's an unwed mother, boy pursues girl but she rejects him again when he wants to make her his mistress instead of his wife, girl concocts revenge plot that goes awry so that at the end girl gets boy anyway. Today, It is mostly a rather creaky relic whose interest lies mainly in its display of Bow's abundant charm and comic finesse and in the appearance of Gary Cooper in an uncredited bit as a newspaper reporter -- he barely even gets a foot in the door in the film. The credited director, Clarence G. Badger, had a long and undistinguished career, and even though some of the film is said to have been directed by Josef von Sternberg, it would be hard to single out his contribution. Moreno, the leading man, is stuck with an unfortunately fluffy mustache, and the comic support by William Austin is marred by the fact that the orthochromatic film stock turns his blue eyes almost white, making him look more than a little creepy. The climax takes place on a yacht called -- get it? -- the Itola, which I think was originally the Capitola but had its first syllable lopped off for the sake of the joke.
BUSTER WILLIAMS at MEZZROW’S with Brandon McCune, 30 AUGUST 2024, 9 pm set and Cyrus Chestnut!!!, 31 AUGST 2024, both sets
BRAD MEHLDAU at SMOKE JAZZ CLUB with Felix Moselholm, 31 AUGUST 2024, 9 pm set
While MEZZROW’s has the famed Village piano bar Bradley’s in its lineage, it has room for drum kits and most sets there are full piano trios. Drummers make the adjustment and several primarily trio drummers leading with supreme subtlety. But there are occasional duos there as with this two night BUSTER WILLIAMS run with a very fine Brandon McCune on the Friday night and the sublime, absolute top drawer Cyrus Chestnut on Saturday right when BRAD MEHLDAU with Felix Moselholmwas uptown at SMOKE JAZZ CLUB. I luxuriated in seeing all of them.
WILLIAMS just showed up and played. Even more with the gentler and more deferential McCune he accepted the gentle chord beds and offered a tutorial in bass playing with chords and close arpeggios that kept a rhythm and offered insights into the structure of the harmonies and melodies. There was no stage patter but I recognized all but one tune; there was Someday My Prince Will Come, Stevie Wonder’s Isn’t She Lovely?, Summertime, and Blue Monk in there. McCune’s chords were lush and they built his solos from the ground up. He contributed fully to a fine gig, but my attention was fully on Williams.
I’ve seen MEHLDAU at Mezzrow’s (solo) and Small’s (in a quartet) as well as with his trio at both Jazz St Louis and the Sheldon. He’s a bit too twitchy for solo, though his Beatles album is fun and more than the gimmick, while the quartet constrained him. His 90s series of albums, The Art of the Trio, signaled his presence on the scene—and gave me something to riff off of for this title. A duo lets him get at the intimacy his solo work indicates and, in younger Felix Moselholm, he had a worthy foil. The bass was active and attentive, very supportive rhythmically and harmonically. Mehldau was, of course, quirky with a cover of a pop tune by someone named Elliot Smith and an original called Quit. The standards were a bit off the beaten track and perhaps that was a benefit, The More I See You to open (I couldn’t place it but thought it might be Sometimes I’m Happy which is the impression I get from Mehldau), In the Still of the Night, and Folks Who Live on the Hill. But I particularly liked a setting of John Coltrane’s Moment’s Notice in 5/4 time.
Good as Mehldau is, he isn’t as high in my pantheon as he objectively deserves to be. But I unabashedly have Cyrus Chestnut up there, so I watched both sets and marveled. He gets fine bass players, but BUSTER WILLIAMS is a cut above but equally he gave the bassist a more dynamic conversation. There was a standard I recognized but couldn’t name and Darn That Dream which Chestnut often plays as well as standards I both couldn’t name but also didn’t recognize.
It was back to that Bradley’s feeling of serious players playing the repertoire for serious listeners including their community of peers. It was so good I could be an even more serious listener, relaxed and open, letting analysis go out the window. It was really quite special.
Welcome, laipni lūdzam, tervetuloa, selamat datang 🤗
What does @Wikipedia say about 21st December through the years 🏛️📜🗓️?
21st December 2020 🗓️ : Event - Great conjunction
A great conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn occurs, with the two planets separated in the sky by 0.1 degrees. This is the closest conjunction between the two planets since 1623.
"A great conjunction is a conjunction of the planets Jupiter and Saturn, when the two planets appear closest together in the sky. Great conjunctions occur approximately every 20 years when Jupiter "overtakes" Saturn in its orbit. They are named "great" for being by far the rarest of the conjunctions..."
Image licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0? by KSPFanatic102
21st December 2018 🗓️ : Event - Special Boat Service
Operatives of the British Special Boat Service boarded the container ship Grande Tema in the Thames Estuary to detain four stowaways who had threatened the crew.
"The Special Boat Service (SBS) is the special forces unit of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. The SBS can trace its origins back to the Second World War when the Army Special Boat Section was formed in 1940. After the Second World War, the Royal Navy formed special forces with several name..."
Image by British Navy / Vector graphic : Futurhit12
21st December 2013 🗓️ : Death - John Eisenhower
John Eisenhower, American historian, general, and diplomat, 45th United States Ambassador to Belgium (b. 1922)
"John Sheldon Doud Eisenhower (August 3, 1922 – December 21, 2013) was a United States Army officer, diplomat, and military historian. He was a son of President Dwight D. Eisenhower and First Lady Mamie Eisenhower. His military career spanned from before, during, and after his father's presidency,..."
Image by Paul Savelli, US Dept of Defense
21st December 1973 🗓️ : Event - Geneva Conference (1973)
The Geneva Conference on the Arab–Israeli conflict opens.
"The Geneva Conference of 1973 was an attempt to negotiate a solution to the Arab–Israeli conflict as envisioned in United Nations Security Council Resolution 338 following the called-for cease-fire to end the Yom Kippur War. After considerable "shuttle diplomacy" negotiations by Henry Kissinger,..."
21st December 1923 🗓️ : Event - Nepal–Britain Treaty of 1923
Nepal and the United Kingdom signed the first treaty that defined the international status of Nepal as an independent and a sovereign nation.
"The Nepal–Britain Treaty was first discussed in 1921 and the final treaty was signed on 21 December 1923 in Singha Durbar. The treaty was the first formal acknowledgement by the British that Nepal, as an independent nation, had the right to conduct its foreign policy in any way it saw fit and was..."
Image by Herrmann Julius Meyer
21st December 1820 🗓️ : Birth - William H. Osborn
William H. Osborn, American businessman (d. 1894)
"William Henry Osborn (December 21, 1820 – March 2, 1894) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He was a railroad tycoon who, as head of the Illinois Central Railroad and later the Chicago, St. Louis and New Orleans Railroad, became one of the most prominent railroad leaders in the United..."
21st December 🗓️ : Holiday - Earliest usual date for the winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere and the summer solstice in the Southern Hemisphere, and its related observances: Ziemassvētki (ancient Latvia)
"Ziemassvētki ([z̪iemas̪s̪veːt̪ki]), also Ziemsvētki is an annual festival in Latvia which observes the winter solstice and birth of Jesus Christ. Latvians around the world celebrate it from 24 to 25 December. 24 December is Ziemassvētku vakars (Christmas Eve, lit. Christmas Evening), 24 December is..."
Goalie Matt Murray and Maple Leafs are almost ready for opening night after downing the Habs
If Monday was a dress rehearsal for the season opener, the Maple Leafs are looking sharp, while the Montreal Canadiens still need help in the wardrobe.
A Toronto lineup nearing completion, behind Matt Murray’s 28 saves in a 5-1 preseason win, gave the hometown Habs a taste of what could happen in nine days when the NHL schedule for both sides begins at the Bell Centre.
Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe had expected his best players to dominate on Monday night. It was the bubble boys he was scrutinizing. Nick Robertson all but removed himself as one of those question marks with a three-assist night. His speed drew the first penalty that William Nylander and the league’s No. 1 power play last year quickly buried. Robertson was setting up on the left side with Alex Kerfoot and Nylander, with Kerfoot subbing in for injured center John Tavares.
Keefe was also high on Murray’s first full game as a Leaf. Solid positionally, Murray stared down a few slot chances and a 5-on-3. Some of those opportunities were the result of the new Leafs' being too creative, and Keefe seemed less enthusiastic about the play of some bottom-six players and defensemen.
Still, there were no major concerns from Monday that would affect the main body of players that will head to Gravenhurst, Ont., on Tuesday for a three-day team bonding exercise, a golf outing, and two practices before the final home-and-home exhibition series this weekend versus Detroit.
Robertson keeps piling up the points (seven in four games) after it seemed early in camp he’d be lost in the crowd of veteran newcomers.
Winger Zach Aston-Reese enhanced his profile with a goal, but also put the Leafs down two men when he boarded Canadiens’ first overall draft pick Juraj Slafkovsky, who turned at the last second. Aston-Reese’s PTO contract is reaching its critical stage.
It’s no secret that Montreal’s to-do list is a long one after a 32nd-place finish last season and a winless preseason so far, but the Leafs spared few horses Monday. When the Canadiens did break through, Murray was there, having now stopped 45 of 46 shots in his two outings.
Jonathan Drouin finally cashed in on a 5-on-4 later in the game, though as Keefe noted, Murray made the initial save on that, too. For what it’s worth, the Leafs guaranteed themselves a winning record in the preseason (4-1 so far), though surviving the Eastern Conference in real games against playoff contenders is going to be a harder seven-month grind.
Other Leafs looking to impress in Monday’s tune-up were Aston-Reese’s linemates Pontus Holmberg and Nicolas Aube-Kubel. The latter had a second-period brain cramp trying to stickhandle through traffic, a situation that Murray alleviated.
Adam Gaudette, slowed by a shoulder injury last week, was on the left side of centre Denis Malgin and Alex Steeves. The defenceman, Victor Mete, did well as he heard the footsteps of the returning Rasmus Sandin and the soon-to-be recovered Jake Muzzin.
On the Habs’ side, Slafkovsky needed to show something after a couple of ordinary exhibition games in which the first overall pick didn’t score or threaten much. He has not provided a good tailwind to his first week as an NHLer, but he was all around Murray and got the assist on the Drouin goal.
Montreal coach Martin St. Louis gave the 18-year-old some lively linemates such as Kirby Dach as well as some power-play minutes.