#Richard Rober

[letterboxd-loggd]

Jet Pilot (1957) Josef von Sternberg

September 30th 2024

[mariocki]

Deported (1950)

"Signor Smith, do all of you Americans treat women so, uh... so directly?"

"I wouldn't know. Maybe."

"But why? Have you so little time to spare?"

[gatutor]

Scott Brady-K. T. Stevens-Richard Rober "Puerto de Nueva York" (Port of New York) 1949, de László Benedek.

[movie-titlecards]

Port of New York (1949)

My rating: 4/10

Somewhat remarkable for being Yul Brynner's movie debut (with hair, even!), but otherwise pretty stodgy and dull.

[streamondemand]

'The File on Thelma Jordon' – Barbara Stanwyck plays her mark on Criterion Channel

Robert Siodmak’s The File on Thelma Jordon (1950) is one of the most low key film noir dramas of its era. Barbara Stanwyck in fine form as a gentle seductress who targets assistant D.A. and married man Cleve Marshall (Wendell Corey), playing into his self-pity during a drunken night out. When she becomes the prime suspect in the murder of her aunt, a high society matron who names her in her…

[cladriteradio]

Here are 10 things you should know about Richard Rober, born 117 years ago today. He enjoyed two decades of stage success, but his film career was cut short when he died at 46.

[salemripley]

Quick sketch. Bob. Bob you got. Um. Lipstick all over you.

[lboogie1906]

Attorney Valerie Jarrett (November 14, 1956) senior advisor to President Barack Obama, was born in Chicago. Illinois attorney, businesswoman, and community leader known for her role as one of the three campaign co-chairs of Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. She served as co-chairperson of the Obama-Biden transition project.

She was born in Iran. Her father, Dr. James Bowman, was the director of a hospital for children in Shiraz. Her great-grandfather, Robert Robinson Taylor, was the first Black person to earn a degree from MIT. Her grandfather, Robert Taylor, was the first African American to head the Chicago Housing Authority.

Her family lived in England but returned to the US in the early 1960s. She traveled and lived abroad. As a teenager, she spent summers visiting Ghana, Nigeria, and Egypt.

She began her college career at Stanford University, earning a BA in Psychology. She earned her JD from the University of Michigan. She married the late William Rober Jarret (1983-88). They had one child.

She entered Chicago politics working for Harold Washington. She was deputy chief of staff to Mayor Richard Daley, Jr. She met Barack and Michelle Obama.

She served as Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Planning and Development. She chaired the Chicago Transit Board. She served as a chair of the Chicago Stock Exchange. She has worked for The Habitat Company. She is president of the firm. She advised Obama as he moved from the Illinois State Senate to the US Senate and the White House.

She was a behind-the-scenes mediator and adviser. She was known for her calm, conciliatory demeanor. These characteristics were welcomed during the Jeremiah Wright controversy. She persuaded Obama to deliver his famous public speech on race in Philadelphia.

President Obama selected her as White House Senior Advisor and Assistant to the President for Intergovernmental Relations and Public Liaison. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[twittercomfrnklin2001-blog]

The File on Thelma Jordon

Barbara Stanwyck is such a good actress that she never tips her character’s hand in Robert Siodmak’s last Hollywood film noir, THE FILE ON THELMA JORDON (1949, TCM, YouTube). Whenever she talks of her character’s past, it’s an acting lesson in how to personalize the most minute detail simply and effectively. Even more impressive, she manages to look at Wendell Corey with passion in her eyes. Corey had been playing supporting roles effectively for producer Hal Wallis since his film debut in 1947, so the producer promoted him to leading man as the assistant district attorney who risks his family and career when he falls for Stanwyck and tries to help her dodge a murder rap. Initially, she comes to his office to ask for police protection for her rich, elderly aunt (Gertrude Hoffman, who deserves more screen time), claiming there have been break-ins at the old woman’s mansion. He’s drunk when they meet and immediately comes on to her. That she seems to tumble for him suggests she’s up to no good since a) he’s not all that hot, and b) he plays the drunk scene all wrong, giving into the disorientation rather than fighting it. Later he has to play innocent in a scene with the D.A. (Barry Kelley), and his mock sincerity is so phony you expect the boss to laugh in his face. Corey only scores in one scene, in which he confronts Stanwyck with her checkered past. His gaunt face and height work well there. For the rest, I couldn’t help wishing Wallis had given the role to his main leading man at the time, Burt Lancaster. I appear to be in the minority on this. A lot of critics, even today, think it’s a solid performance. Well, that’s just the kind of hairpin I am. Anyway, it’s a pity, because Siodmak and cameraman George Barnes have created a terrific-looking film, and, except for some misguided “comic” music during Corey’s drunk scene, Victor Young creates a powerfully romantic score. I should have guessed he wrote the music when the first few bars of the title cue made me weak in the knees. There’s also a great supporting cast, with Paul Kelly as a homicide detective, Joan Tetzel as Corey’s long-suffering wife, Richard Rober as Stanwyck’s evil friend, Mary Gordon in an effective, silent bit as a cleaning woman and, best of all, Stanley Ridges as Stanwyck’s defense attorney. The veteran actor has a great, florid, barnstorming role and he seizes it with gusto. In his main scene with Stanwyck, they connect so well, you’ll wish they had more time together.

[baladric]

I want to start listening to/watching opera do you have any suggestions to start with?

oh boy, this is a hell of a question with a lot of possible answers! opera is super subjective, and everyone with a passion for it has a different seminal experience—most often that's a live production of La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi, La bohème by Giacommo Puccini, or Carmen by Georges Bizet. really the best possible in for opera is live performance—but there's a reason opera's considered a hobby for rich people, so in lieu of shelling out for tickets!!!

below the cut is a list of arias that fucken rip (and a few full-length opera recs)! this is definitely not your, like, greatest hits list, because i think the arias everyone shoves at people are deeply fucking boring—but you definitely have heard the first three before!

Habanera (L'amour est un oiseau rebelle) sung by Elina Garança, from Bizet's Carmen (because this shit is HOT)

The Queen of the Night (Der Hölle Rache) sung by Diana Damrau, from Mozart's Magic Flute (this one lacks subtitles, so the gist of the aria is the Queen is Angry™ at her daughter for resisting her super super reasonable order to murder her own father, as one does)

Summertime sung by Audre McDonald, from Gershwin's Porgy and Bess (you know this song!!)

Sempre libera sung by Pretty Yende, from Verdi's La Traviata (also lacks subtitles, so the gist of this one is Violetta [the character] is on the verge of falling madly in love, and is trying to convince herself to shut the guy down and keep living her easy breezy party life instead of taking the risk of being hurt and chained down)

Près des ramparts de Seville sung by Elina Garança, from Bizet's Carmen (from the same production as the Habanera above; including 2 from that production bc it's a smash fuckin hit and like... it sure leans into how SEXY opera can be)

Pur ti miro! sung by Nardus Williams and Kate Lindsey, from Monteverdi's Coronation of Poppea (no subtitles, so: this is a love duet from the very end of the opera, right after Poppea [soprano] has been crowned Empress, and is basically just Poppea and Emperor Nerone expressing their very tender joy at being married and in love)

O mio rimorso! sung by Rolando Villazòn, from Verdi's La Traviata (specifically a very cute video from a filmed orchestra rehearsal where Villazòn's just playing around, like. it makes me so, so happy to see it expressed that this shit is fun to do!!!)

if you want more recs, i'm have far too many pieces to put here and also there's a lot of resources for this online! this list is tragically reflective of my own fixation on the Romantic period (exceptions being the Monteverdi, which is what we call Early Music, the Mozart, which is Classical, and the Gershwin, which is quintessential contemporary opera), so mind you, even if you don't like most of these, there's opera for you!

now if you want to dig in further and try out watching an entire opera:

considering that i listed two of Carmen's arias from that same production, i do pretty strongly recommend the 2010 Metropolitan Opera production of Carmen—however, the only video of it that has subtitles is on the Met's streaming site, so it does cost a little money to watch it, much though that hurts my heart. i cannot recommend it enough, but also money is garbage. (fair warning, this opera gets very dark, and it's from the 1800s so it operates from a very toxic perspective of the Romani—and it's opera, so of course the Romani characters are not played by Romani singers, which is its own can of worms)

you'll notice there are also two arias from La Traviata on my list—so of course that's my second full-length recommendation! Traviata is a true classic (that scene in Pretty Woman where Richard Gere takes Julia Robers to the opera? they're watching La Traviata—which is a fun detail, since it tells a story that's very resonant for Roberts' character specifically) and it contains some of the most sparkling, beautiful, heart-rending music that exists, imo. there's a really incredible full-length video of a 2006 production by LA Opera that features really lush period-appropriate costuming and sets, and a really especially fierce take on the lead tenor role. plus it's Renée Fleming, and love her or hate her, if you're gonna do opera, you have to give her a listen once or twice!

finally, the general consensus is that The Magic Flute is a good starter opera! i have my complaints about that but it's definitely a popular choice for a reason! contains the famous Queen of the Night aria from above, which is the most quoted operatic piece p much of all time, and it's definitely a lighter-sounding piece of music than the other two i listed! decent full-length video of a 1995 production at La Scala

that's all for now, but if any of it catches you, anon (or anyone else!) i'm definitely always down for more suggestions. and if you feel like goin rogue after this, my main suggestion is to figure out what specific kinds of sound you like—the light, fast Mozart? the rich Traviata? lush sexy Carmen? or the much more sparse Monteverdi?—and dig into those musical eras! and also if you like any of these singers' voice specifically, search them on youtube and just go hog wild!! honestly i found Pretty Yende because of this and as soon as i post this i am 100% gonna go watch about 7 more of her videos and cry a lot (her Addio del passato, oh my GOD)

[letterboxd-loggd]

The Tall Target (1951) Anthony Mann

February 25th 2024

[mariocki]

Larceny (1948)

"No hard feelings, Rick, I'm just doing a job. I had to check."

"OK, you've checked. Now check out of here. And don't let anybody notice you."

"Nobody ever does. I got an ordinary face."

[mlobsters]

supernatural s6e9 clap your hands if you believe (w. ben edlund)

oh no. a cheeky and obvious knockoff of xfiles, my expectations are subterranean. even the titles. oh lord. (the fake xfiles music is awful. and the knockoff version of the titles. ack. watching this show does make me appreciate mark snow, the xf composer, even more)

(i watched xfiles while it was airing back in the 90s and it was my favorite show, very formative. i have many squishy feelings about the xfiles and my otp. and! my first impression of sam and dean, season 1, without really knowing much about the show, was s4-5ish mulder and scully)

okay, probably mostly everyone would say star trek voyager for robert picardo, but he was also in china beach! which came up back in s2e19 folsom prison blues with jeff kober.

china beach (1988-1991) rober picardo as dr dick richard

picardo was also in the wonder years AND he was the johnnycab voice (and the "robot" was modeled after him too) in total recall. resident actor of my childhood.

total recall (1990) robert picardo (voice and likeness) as johnnycab

(really pretty natural lighting, and pleasantly populated feeling street)

DEAN Hey, you wanna be a real boy, Pinnochio, you gotta act the part.

SAM I was faking it Dean! Ever since we got back on the road together, I was picking every freaking word. It’s exhausting.

DEAN Okay. All Right. But until we get you back on the soul train, I’ll be your conscience, okay?

SAM So you’re saying you’ll be my… Jiminy Cricket.

DEAN Shut up. But yeah, you freaking puppet. That’s exactly what I’m saying.

again, the soulless banter and bickering we were missing! thank you

another nice little detail. sam is itching to push this guy and dean has to nudge him out and they made him like. audibly grumble a little, it's very loud and clear for such a likely quiet sound. but it was a cute touch. him being visibly different is fun

SAM Close encounter! What kind? First? Second?

DEAN They’re after me!

SAM Third kind already? You better run, man. I think the fourth kind is a butt thing.

DEAN Empathy, Sam! Empathy!

again, cute

good grumpy dean content

DEAN Our reality’s collapsing around us, and you’re trying to pick up our waitress?

SAM Yeah. Okay. Look. Brings up a question. So, say you got a soul and you’re on a case, and your brother gets abducted by aliens—

DEAN Yeah, then you do everything you can to get him back.

SAM Right! You do, but, what about when there are no more leads for the night? Are you supposed to just sit there in the dark and suffer, even when there’s nothing that can be done at that moment?

DEAN YES!

SAM What?

DEAN Yes, you sit in the dark and feel the loss.

SAM Absolutely! But couldn’t I just do all that and have sex with the hippie chick?

DEAN No!

SAM It’d be in the dark.

makes a good case!

breaking news, we're back to the black desktop background

MARION Mmm. There is much theory and little fact. We know they only take firstborn sons, just like Rumplestiltskin did. Personally, I think they’re taken to Avalon to service Oberon, the King of the Faery.

SAM Dean? Did you service Oberon, King of the Fairies?

all right they'd been hitting with the humor for me so it's only fair they take a bit way too far with this whole tackling the rando guy and having dean call him a fairy repeatedly, obviously so people can think he's doing a hate crime. oh, great. and you know it's going to be some ableist joke because it's a little person too.

also the effects for the watchmaking elves is... not great lol

nice end of episode scenic chat,

SAM Dude, I do still have all my brain cells. If anything, my brain works better now.

DEAN Just making sure that’s where your head’s at. That you’re not having second thoughts about getting your soul back.

of course not!!!

considering it started out so painfully, it was overall a fun episode! kind of cracky but still dealing with the main plot. and not pushing the awkward humor buttons nearly as much as they did in the earlier seasons

[graemepark]

THIS IS GRAEME PARK: LONG LIVE HOUSE RADIO SHOW 25OCT24

THIS IS GRAEME PARK: LONG LIVE HOUSE RADIO SHOW 25OCT24

In this week’s Long Live House Radio Show:

Girls Of The Internet feat. Olivia Louise

Justice starring Tame Impala

Soul Of Hex feat. Motion Parallax

The Vapor Caves

David Penn & Rober Gaez feat. Sheilah Cuffy

Sgt Slick feat. Karina Chavez

Mousse T.

Steve “Silk” Hurley

Armand Van Helden

Ralphi Rosario

Underground Resistance with Yolanda

Reese & Santonio

The Fog and more.   

LONG LIVE HOUSE RADIO SHOW 25OCT24

Title (Mix), Artist

The Groove That Won’t Stop, Kevin Saunderson

Escape, The Deepshakerz & Kid Enigma

Her, Girls Of The Internet feat. Olivia Louise

Neverender (Rampa Remix), Justice starring Tame Impala

Too Loud (Tedd Patterson Funknasty Remix), Soledrifter feat. Alexandra Morrison

Got The Rhythm, Paul Richard

Face Down, Soul Of Hex feat. Motion Parallax

Sacrifice (Ken@Work Remix), The Vapor Caves

Deep Inside (Jay Vegas Remix), David Penn & Rober Gaez feat. Sheilah Cuffy

Dance With You, Sgt Slick feat. Karina Chavez

All I Want Is The Bass, Mousse T.

No Love Like Yours, Trutopia

Saturday Night (Amsterdam Mix), Salphunk

Jack Your Body, Steve “Silk” Hurley

Witch Doktor, Armand Van Helden

You’re Gonna Miss Me, The Turntable Orchestra

I Want You, Ralphi Rosario

Do What You Feel, Joey Montenegro

Caught In The Middle, Arduini & Pagany

Right On!, Silicone Soul feat. Claire Louise Marshall

DiscoDisco!, Dirtytwo

Ain't No Love (Ain't No Use), Sub Sub feat. Melanie Williams

Your Time Is Up, Underground Resistance with Yolanda

Truth Of Self Evidence, Reese & Santonio

House Nation, House Master Boyz & The Rude Boy Of House

Been A Long Time, The Fog

[urbaneturtle]

DCAU Rewatch: Batman the Animated Series 48: What is Reality?

DCAU Rewatch: Batman the Animated Series 48: What is Reality? The Riddler is back and he challenges Batman and Robin to a duel of the minds in virtual reality.

The Riddler is back and he challenges Batman and Robin to a duel of the minds in virtual reality. Credits: Written by Marty Isenberg, Rober N. Skir Directed by Dick Sebast Music Composed by Richard Bronskill Animation Services by Akom Production Co.  The second Riddler episode is not much different than the first. Riddler traps someone in an elaborate maze full of traps. Except this time…

[la-mousme]

HIS 5925 Week 3 Essay

                For this week’s readings, I seem to cover the identifying section in this week’s discussion of the origins of Digital History. With articles and book chapters from, "Interchange: The Promise of Digital History", Richard White’s, “‘What is Spatial History?’ Spatial History Lab, Stanford University”, and Sheila A. Brennan’s, "Digital History: The Inclusive Historian's Handbook". All sources having a connection in finding a way to define the current (current as in the time period from which it stems from) structure of what makes Digital History significant and how it must be separated from other mediums of historical representation.

            Digitizing history was an uncharted discussion that seemed improbable to fathom for historians during the late 60s and early 70s, as computers were mainly place holders for data in which a human may take years to produce or write down. [1] However, in 1974, there was a shift in how quantitative data can be used with scholars through the publication of Rober Fogel and Stanley Engerman’s, Time on the Cross: The Economics of American Negro Slavery. The revolutionary work aimed to question the very structure that numerical analysis and the computation of technology were founded on, which kick started various thinking in how mass humanistic and scientific data may be used. [2]

Although, there is more previous examples of inventions and creative use of technology made during and after World War II that also influenced the study of digital history, for the sake of simplicity this post will focus more from 2008 and so on. Starting with the Journal of American History source, the introduction portrays an interesting structure of having various historians have their input of certain aspects of digital history, while giving their opinions and personal anecdotes. There is linear descriptions on what digital history is, what it looks like as of 2008, what processes were made for its current state, and descriptions on the many stages it took to get there. A previous referenced author, William Thomas, is featured in the book and states, “[…] digital history is the fluidity or impermanence of the medium. I do not mean that what a scholar produces is in danger of disappearing. […] Early digital history efforts were largely archival, often called ‘intentional archives’ or ‘thematic research archives.’ Many projects we ran at the VCDH, for example, sought to allow a user to access, manipulate, compare, assemble, and reassemble evidence”. Explaining the fluidity of digital and the complexities that come with it, thus showing the progression and active reflection on past archival work in improving the quality of representing data.

In relation, comes the question of what digital history is and what does and what can it do. Richard White’s article answers such question as he discussion and argues the relevance of spatial awareness and history merging into digital history. White essentially argues that spatial is digital history for the sake in how it feasibly be represented. He essentially splits up digital history into the physical and metaphysical with the use of maps and new digital archives and databases such as ARCGIS. [3] It is dividied into representational space, spatial practice, and representations of space; all differing in how the technology responds to the space created by the scholar, the space made by the data, and how we interact with that final state, a published database. [4]

In making a final reflection of this week’s reading, I’ve learned that there is more layers to digital history than what I presumed. This layer was of the origins and spatial productions of digital history. There is a shocking complexity to the overall use of digital histories, so many that I questions the viability of it in the future with its progression being so overwhelming.  

[1] Thomas, William G. “Computing and the Historical Imagination.” A Companion to Digital Humanities (2007). Paragraph 2.

[2] Ibid., 7.

[3] Richard White, "What is Spatial History?" Spatial History Lab, Stanford University. (2010). 3.

[4] Ibid., 2-4.