#although I like Monty and Dean together

[jerrylewis-thekid]

The Dean Martin I like, when he was still "The Dean Martin of Jerry". Until "Some Came Running". Then came the Rat Pack, came the Dean Martin Show. He had to continue with serious roles but he had convinced himself, they had convinced him, that he was a comedian. He wasn't a comedian. If he had continued with the serious roles he might have even won an Oscar. But TV was simpler… less work, more money. This is one of the many things that make me angry about this man. He has always "played" savings!

[thecoleopterawithana]

The next night Elliot [Mintz] took us out with a friend of his, Sal Mineo, and we all went to a gay cabaret/discotheque. John was oblivious to the gay ambience. He was curious about everyone's sexuality and liked to gossip about who was sleeping with whom, whether they were gay or straight. John made no judgements about homosexuality but was really curious about who was and who wasn't gay.   He knew that his appearance at a gay club might start rumors about his own sexuality, and it made him laugh. He told me that there had been rumors about him and his first manager, Brian Epstein, and that he usually didn't deny them. He liked the fact that people could be titillated by having suspicions about his masculinity. Then I was the one who was laughing. "How could anyone believe a man who likes women as much as you do is gay?" I told him.   After the show we went back to Mineo's apartment. I was thirsty, and Mineo told me to look in the refrigerator. There was nothing in it but one big bottle of amyl nitrite.   Mineo told John that he knew Ava Gardner. "I'm a real fan of hers. I love Ava," John replied excitedly.   Mineo went to the phone, called London, woke Gardner up, and told her that John wanted to speak to her. John took the phone. "Ava, is that you? Ava, I think you're beautiful. I've seen all your movies. Christ, is it really you?" They spoke for five minutes, then a thrilled John handed the phone back to Mineo.

In May Pang’s Loving John (1983).

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[Once again, a million thanks to @eppysboys for sending over passages of interest.]

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Elliot Mintz (born February 16, 1945) is an American consultant. In the 1960s and early 1970s Mintz was an underground radio DJ and host. In the 1970s he became a spokesperson for John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and took on other musicians and actors as clients as a publicist, including Bob Dylan. [...] 

Though not in a professional capacity, since the death of Lennon, Mintz has acted as a spokesperson for the Lennon estate. In addition, while sifting through Lennon's belongings, he discovered hundreds of unreleased tape recordings including half-finished new songs, early versions of famous hits, and idle thoughts. Beginning in 1988, he hosted a weekly syndicated radio series based upon these recordings called The Lost Lennon Tapes, which was broadcast for about four years. After the show came to an end, Mintz began hosting the spinoff radio program The Beatle Years. Mintz has appeared in feature documentaries about Lennon and Yoko Ono, including The U.S. vs. John Lennon, Imagine: John Lennon and The Real Yoko Ono. In 1985 he was a technical advisor on the television film John and Yoko: A Love Story. He also authored an essay about his relationship with them published in 2005 in a book entitled Memories of John Lennon. [Source]

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Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer and director. Mineo is best known for his Academy Award-nominated performance as John "Plato" Crawford opposite James Dean in the film Rebel Without a Cause (1955). Mineo also received a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination for his supporting role in Exodus (1960). A 1950s teen idol, Mineo's acting career declined in his adult years. He was murdered in 1976. [...]

By the early 1960s, Mineo was becoming too old to play the type of role that had made him famous, and his rumoured homosexuality led to his being considered inappropriate for leading roles. [...] In 1969, Mineo returned to the stage to direct a Los Angeles production of the LGBT-themed play Fortune and Men's Eyes (1967), featuring then-unknown Don Johnson as Smitty and himself as Rocky. The production received positive reviews, although its expanded prison rape scene was criticized as excessive and gratuitous. [...] By 1976, Mineo's career had begun to turn around. While playing the role of a bisexual burglar in a series of stage performances of the comedy P.S. Your Cat Is Dead in San Francisco, Mineo received substantial publicity from many positive reviews; he moved to Los Angeles along with the play.

Mineo met English-born actress Jill Haworth on the set of the film Exodus in 1960, in which they portrayed young lovers. Mineo and Haworth were together on-and-off for many years. They were engaged to be married at one point. According to Mineo biographer Michael Gregg Michaud, Haworth cancelled the engagement after she caught Mineo engaging in sexual relations with another man. The two did remain very close friends until Mineo's death. [...] While some have described Haworth as being nothing but a close friend and a "beard" to Mineo to conceal his same-sex partners, Michaud casts doubt upon this claim; he asserts that Mineo and Haworth's relationship was genuine, that Mineo fell in love with Haworth, and that Mineo regarded her as one of the important people in his life. [Source]

“Portrait of a Marriage really disturbed [John]. The book was an account of the fifty-year marriage of Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson, both of whom were bisexual and continually unfaithful to each other, yet were able to evolve a relationship of great depth and longevity despite the incompleteness of their marriage. John was very distressed by the theme of sexual incompatibility in the midst of great emotional attraction and the fact that no matter how hard one tries, a marriage may always remain incomplete.”

In a 1972 interview with Boze Hadleigh, Mineo discussed his bisexuality. At the time of his death, he was in a six-year relationship with male actor Courtney Burr III. [Source]

BH: Who are those two girls you mentioned, for a double date?

SM: (Laughs.) Are you kidding? I got a girl in every port- and a couple of guys in every port, too.

BH: Do you think rumors about being bi have hurt you in your career?

SM: Maybe. . . Nah, I doubt it. Everyone's got those rumors following him around, whether it's true or not. Everyone's supposed to be bi, starting way back with Gary Cooper and on through Brando and Clift and Dean and Newman and . . . you want me to stop?

BH: Did you resent the rumors?

SM: Well, no. Because what's wrong with being bi? Maybe most people are, deep down.

BH: Shirley MacLaine has publicly said that.

SM: I think she's right- got a good noodle, Shirl does. But anyhow, the rumor about me, from what I hear, was usually that I'm gay. Where, like, with Monty Clift or Brando, the rumor was that they're bi. [Brando later publicly admitted to bisexuality.]

— Boze Hadleigh’s interview with Sal Mineo (1972).

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“John and I had a big talk about it, saying, basically, all of us must be bisexual. And we were sort of in a situation of thinking that we’re not [bisexual] because of society. So we are hiding the other side of ourselves, which is less acceptable. But I don’t have a strong sexual desire towards another woman.”

Have you ever? “Not really, not sexually.”

One online satire imagined an affair between Ono and Hillary Clinton.

“It’s great,” Ono laughs. “I mean, both John and I thought it was good that people think we were bisexual, or homosexual.” She laughs again.

What about that old rumor that Lennon had sex with Beatles manager Brian Epstein (which was also the subject of the 1991 film, The Hours and The Times)?

Lennon himself said: “Well, it was almost a love affair, but not quite. It was never consummated. But it was a pretty intense relationship.” Later, Lennon’s friend Pete Shotton said Lennon had told him that he had allowed Epstein to “toss [wank] him off.”

“Uh, well, the story I was told was a very explicit story, and from that I think they didn’t have it [sex],” Ono tells me. 

— in Yoko Ono: I Still Fear John’s Killer by Tim Teeman for the Daily Beast (13 October 2015).

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Q. Have you ever fucked a guy?

A. Not yet, I thought I’d save it til I was 40, life begins at 40 you know, tho I never noticed it.

Q. It is trendy to be bisexual and you’re usually ‘keeping up with the Jones’, haven’t you ever… there was talk about you and PAUL…

A. Oh, I thought it was about me and Brian Epstein… anyway, I’m saving all the juice for my own version of THE REAL FAB FOUR BEATLES STORY etc.. etc..

Q. It seems like you’re saving quite a lot for when you’re 40…

A. Yes, there might be nothing better to do, tho I don’t believe it.

— John Lennon, interview conducted by/on John Lennon, and/or Dr Winston O’boogie, for Andy Warhol’s Interview Magazine (November 1974).

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John: [...] I was trying to put it 'round that I was gay, you know– I thought that would throw them off… dancing at all the gay clubs in Los Angeles, flirting with the boys… but it never got off the ground.

Q: I think I’ve only heard that lately about Paul.

John: Oh, I’ve had him, he’s no good. [Laughter]

— John Lennon, interviewed by Lisa Robinson for Hit Parader: A conversation with John Lennon (December 1975).

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Like other alkyl nitrites, amyl nitrite is bioactive in mammals, being a vasodilator, which is the basis of its use as a prescription medicine. As an inhalant, it also has a psychoactive effect, which has led to its recreational use with its smell being described as that of old socks or dirty feet. It is also referred to as banapple gas. [Source]

Popper is a slang term given broadly to drugs of the chemical class called alkyl nitrites that are inhaled. [...] Popper use has a relaxation effect on involuntary smooth muscles, such as those in the throat and anus. It is used for practical purposes to facilitate anal sex by increasing blood flow and relaxing sphincter muscles, initially within the gay community.

"If you trace the bottle of amyl (a type of alkyl nitrite) through late 20th century history, you trace the legacies of gay culture on popular culture in the 20th century”

The drug is also used or for recreational drug purposes, typically for the "high" or "rush" that the drug can create.

Poppers were part of club culture from the mid-1970s disco scene and returned to popularity in the 1980s and 1990s rave scene. [Source]

“A cable had arrived for him that very morning stating the obvious: ‘Come too quickly. Stop. Try again. Stop. Am waiting in Paris. Stop me if you’ve heard it. Stop. Stuff yourself with artichokes and live. Stop. Don’t stop. Stop.’ He knew it was from Amie L'Nitrate.”

— in John Lennon’s unfinished story about a sudden rendezvous in Paris. Published in “Skywriting By Word Of Mouth”.

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Ava Lavinia Gardner (December 24, 1922 – January 25, 1990) was an American actress and singer. [...] Gardner appeared in several high-profile films from the 1940s to 1970s [...] She is listed 25th among the American Film Institute's 25 Greatest Female Stars of Classic Hollywood Cinema.

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Answered asks about:

John’s sexuality

Yoko and his sister Julia’s public statements about John’s sexuality

John "trying to put it ‘round that” he was gay

The Bob Wooler Episode

The Tony Manero Story

[Disclaimer: The answer to these asks represent my personal opinion at the time, which is liable to have evolved since then.]

[alcalavicci]

(Disclaimer: if you wrote this and don’t want it up, send me an ask and I’ll take it down)

Snippets of Geordie James’ letters to Claire, May-August 1974

Letter 1:

As you've probably noticed, there aren't enough of us Stockwell fans around. Before my first letter about Dean and Guy was published in the January issue of RBH [Rona Barrett's Hollywood], I felt a bit paranoid in my affection for them. I knew they must have fans somewhere, although maybe few and far-between. Now that I'm corresponding with several other fans of theirs, I can't believe it! I really enjoy exchanging praises about Dean and Guy. They are two subjects I never tire of reading or writing about. I hope you feel the same.

I know that when you wrote your letter, you didn't know how much I adore Dean -- as you've probably guessed by now, I've done as much research as possible on him. The one thing I didn't know about Dean was that he's living with Russ Tamblyn. I had heard from this fellow who wrote a book about former child stars that Dean "lives in Topanga Canyon with a very beautiful roommate." Now Russ Tamblyn is attractive, but I must admit I had something else in mind!

************

Your letter is very interesting and intelligent. This has been the case with all the Dean fans who have written me. If it's true that certain artists attract certain types of fans, I'd say that Dean definitely attracts mature and intelligent people.

Dean fans are generally older than are the fans of others, which prompts me to ask your age, if you don't mind telling me?

About myself -- I'm 27, a Pisces like Dean. In fact, his birthday is the day before mine.

*********

The most up-to-date information I've heard about Dean is that he was in Albuquerque in March of this year, on stage in a comedy called "Relatively Speaking." In an interview from the Albuquerque newspaper, Dean said that he would "prefer to exclude neurotics" in his roles in the future. He complained of being typecast, probably as a result of "Compulsion," his success at playing a poetic, deranged genius, his common character up til now. He said that he would like to do comedy and work with Mel Brooks. Reviews from the play raved that Dean was brilliant in comedy.

How does this news impress you? I ask because I'm wondering if you share my views, which are in complete sympathy with Dean. From that old "Bonanza" segment Dean did, I knew he had comedic sense that was very appealing. If you'll recall, that show opened with Dean playing a drunk, begging for whiskey in the saloon. When taken out of context from the story, that swaying, groping drunkeness showed a great scope for comedy. He is fantastic, able to play it up or down. It is Dean's subtleness, somehow, that makes him so great -- he could never be described as a ham, don't you agree? His acting style is convincing and he makes it look so easy! Just a look, the tiniest gesture, and he says everything. Dean definitely has a charisma, some sort of magic that only a few actors have shared. I often compare Montgomery Clift to Dean, which must be very terrible to do, but I consider Monty to have been the similar type of acting genius Dean is. I'd call it "realism," I guess. When an actor is charged with so much emotion in his work and is able to convey it without over-acting, that's something to praise.

**********

I'm sure I know that look you describe on Dean's face, that disgusted look. When reading this part of your letter, I could see him doing it, so you must have described it well. When I watch the adult Dean acting, I always wait for that subtle, quick scratch. Do you know what I mean? Usually it's his eyebrow that itches him, sometimes his nose. Somehow when I see his scratch, I know everything is all right. I realize I sound a bit like a nut here, but I'm so fond of Dean that I love his little quirks. I think if I ever saw him act when he didn't scratch something, I'd probably think something was wrong. Perhaps I'd better change the subject before I sound like a genuine nut!

*****************

Have you by any chance ever heard from Dean? I ask because no one who's written me has. Personally, I have written Dean half a dozen times at various addresses without any luck. For some time now I have been trying to get in touch with him and ask his permission about starting a fan club for him. All we Dean fans have agreed that we need some means by which we can keep abreast of his career, but the main snag is finding Dean. I'm continuing to try. Right now I have several lines out – if only I can get a bite.

Letter 2:

I agree with you completely in regard to Dean's scope for other characters beyond the neurotic ones. I've read several places about actors and actresses who really suffer prolonged, damaging traumas related to typecasting in neurotic and mercenary roles. Mercedes McCambridge blamed her alcoholism on just such typecasting, as one example. I heard from someone that Bette Davis said that celluloid villains were always the nicest people in Hollywood and now that I consider it, it seems to be so. I think Dean is very together, but all the same it must be very frustrating to see that producers invariably think of him as "the perfect nut" for the part. It is frustrating for any creative person to be confined to one outlet of expression.

"The Happy Years" is one Dean movie I haven't seen, but I'd really love to, especially now after you've described the scene in the classroom. I agree about his flair for comedy, though, in what I have seen of him. What bothers me most about Dean's dissatisfaction is that he just might give up acting, if only temporarily, if producers continue to see him as the perfect nut. This is a secret opinion, never before revealed to another soul, Claire, but have you noticed Dean's lack of enthusiasm for his most recent roles? In particular, that "Police Surgeon" segment, you'll recall, wherein Dean played a prosecuting attorney who was kidnapped in exchange for the mobster he was trying to convict. Dean's fire just wasn't burning very much in that part, unless it was my imagination. Was it? I thought it very refreshing that he played a Good Guy for a change, but something seemed wrong somehow. I don't know if you get "Orson Welles Great Mysteries" there, since we get it here through Canada and it is a British-made series, but Dean was fantastic in that. He had another Good Guy part, as an innocent fellow accused of murdering his girlfriend's husband. What, by the way, do you think of Dean's "ponytail?" I think that I'd love to see his hair let down long -- I'm very curious how he'd look if he "let his hair down." I like long hair on men, anyway, so long as it's not ridiculously long, but in a broader sense Dean's endears me to him more because of its obvious symbolism. Dean is unique, an odd mixture of flashiness and seclusion, a mystery. Someone called him a "male Greta Garbo" and in a way it befits him. I see him as very real, don't you? As a person one could talk to, though I'd probably be terrified to speak to him, I must admit. However, I'd love the chance to be terrified.

"Compulsion," which you mention for its fainting and rape scenes, is one of my favorite Dean films, although I feel like a traitor for saying that, since this movie was the most responsible for his typecasting, it seems. So much was left out of "Compulsion," probably because of the time it was made, but the homosexual relationship, the sado-masochism between Artie and Judd, the helplessness under Judd's superior attitudes. . . so much was trimmed and altered or left out entirely from the book, but Dean put back every word with his eyes, with his gestures, with those melting looks, the never-quite-smiles. For that reason "Compulsion" is one of my favorite films, because never did Dean say so much by saying nothing.

I think my favorite movie from Dean's childhood is "Home Sweet Homicide," so far, but I haven't had the opportunity to see them all. Dean was precious in HSH, don't you think?

Did I tell you last letter about reading how Dean worked as a field laborer in Mexico when he quit acting in his middle teens? I meant to if I didn't. Had you ever read about that?

Letter 3:

Protocol would have me first apologize for the small delay in replying this time and secondly thank you kindly for the adorable pix you copied of Dean for me -- but I know you will forgive me for being rude this time, since I have some fantastic news that just came today. First, I heard from Dean!!! Second, he wrote personally! And thirdly but not leastly, he actually authorized ME to start a FAN CLUB for HIM. Can you believe it? I am so excited that I have scarcely touched the ground all day, as you can imagine. I am absolutely thrilled! He wrote that he has never even felt inclined to endorse a fan club before this, "in all my years," as he phrased it, but recently he has had a change of heart and feels he should "involve" himself in the "give and take" between himself "and those who admire and enjoy my work." He writes a very intelligent letter, needless to say -- and he has told me to go ahead and conduct the club any way I choose and that he will cooperate as much as possible. I repeat, can you believe it? He said I should notify him of receiving this letter and he will write more and contribute information, which of course I did immediately.

***********

As for the fan club we'll be putting together, we will have to start out on a small scale and build through publicity. Of course, you and the other Dean fans who write to me are automatically members, which goes without saying, but we really do need the publicity to reach the masses of Stockwell fans. Have you any suggestions? Any help you can offer would be very much appreciated. I plan to order some printed ads to send here and there and of course I will try Rona -- I have the National Fan Club organization address somewhere -- they print ads, too. Right now I'm so excited that I feel like going door-to-door!

***************

No, I didn't get the Albuquerque interview from Richard. I received it from a very nice woman by the name of Olive White who lives in Albuquerque. She just happened upon my letter in Rona's mag and sent me the available material from the newspaper. We now correspond – she's very nice. Yes, I thought too that it sounded just like Dean to say "a bit of fluff." He has a really unique way of writing and speaking as himself, in my opinion, because he sounds very intelligent and yet very -- "free." If you know what I mean. That's a combination one doesn't find every day.

************

Dean mentioned in his letter that he has just returned from eight weeks location filming in the Phillipine Islands, but he didn't go into detail about it. I asked, of course, and I'll pass that information along to you as soon as he responds again.

I agree with you about that "Police Surgeon" episode Dean guested on. Like you, I feel he just didn't try to get into the part. I'm not sure I understand why an actor would accept a part that he wouldn't really give his best to, expecially when the actor is as gifted as Dean. (Only Dean is as gifted as Dean, come to think of it.) Perhaps it was a question of timing or maybe he was sick or something like that. I know

Dean is a veteran, though, and a trooper, and I'm convinced he could sing and dance with a 104 degree temperature if he wanted to -- I guess, in conclusion, the only thing that makes sense is that Dean didn't want to do the show and yet for some reason or another was obligated to. Perhaps he and the director were at each other's throats two minutes after they were introduced. Any speculations from you? I think I've run out of possibilities.

****************

On the question of Dean's ponytail, all I know is that he apparently had it still in March, during his Albuquerque run. The profile long-shot I received shows it clearly, but the photo was definitely inferior for copying material. I would assume he still wears it, probably lets his hair down at home. I think it's very becoming, don't you?

*****************

About your questions on Dean's marriage [to Millie Perkins], I have no facts, only gossip I've been collecting. I don't know how they met but the implication seems to be that it was through Fox, where both were under contract. They supposedly secretly married on a hiatus together and didn't reveal it til they had to -- they opened a bowling alley together -- how's that for a weird fact? Millie retired from her acting career and refused to fulfill her contract to Fox, which caused her several hassles. The general gossip is that Dean said one actor in the family was enough, what with the nomad's life actors lead and all the separations they might face, so Millie gladly retired, wanting only to be his wife. She followed him everywhere and they faithfully shunned photographers and refused to grant interviews. Naturally, Dean was blamed for making Millie "aloof" since he always had that "aloof" reputation. She married him in her heyday, career-wise, I would assume. In any case, I have a small clipping about Millie's reaction to the divorce which heavily insinuates Dean divorced her, and that she was heartbroken about it for awhile. She pulled herself together, one reporter observed, and was determined to "make a comeback" in films. A footnote to this, though, was that she was blackballed for her behavior during her marriage to Dean.

Letter 4:

As far as Dean's side of the club goes, he's still in there supporting and contributing his best. He said that he has no intention of withdrawing his support (I had feared that he might, since it took him so many years to agree to a fan club). He's sent me quite a bit of information, but more on that in a moment.

***********

The fact of the matter is, Dean has established personal communication with me and I am the only one he has entrusted with his home address and telephone number. In a way I am naturally very honored and in another way, I feel very MEAN indeed having this privilege when you and others love Dean as much as I do. But I'm sure you understand that I can't break Dean's trust because he has really given of himself a great deal to go this far. He told me that he intends to get a post office box number in his home (the city in which he lives, I mean -- Topanga) for the fan club members to use, if they'd care to write.

***************

Dean sent me a monstrous, fat collection of papers -- his biography, a copy of which should be sent to each member. It's several pages long and would cost a fortune for me to copy, just for a few members. Now I'm holding off having it copied myself, as I'd like to know if you could have it copied free of charge?

***************

I have constructed a newsletter about Dean's doings which I am getting copied immediately to be sent to the members of the club.

************

I have spoken to Dean twice and he is really wonderful, Claire! He is very kind and very natural. Naturally he is very intelligent and has an amazing kaleidoscope of interests. What impressed me singularly about Dean from the phone conversations is that he is very real, very easy. He gives one a very calm, happy feeling about things. My biggest thrill happened when Dean went off in a verbal fantasy, when talking about his hottest new interest, a martial arts form called arnis. He started to act, heatedly talking about this martial art. A performance for me alone. I smiled for days afterward!

*****************

I agree with you, I would like the club to be unique and mature, a true reflection of Dean's greatness. I certainly would not want the club to be teenybopperish, as you say, or in any way an embarrassment to Dean.

[enz-fan]

Article by Margo Huxley - early days in Australia, 1975. 

“On stage are what appear to be seven refugees from an op shop run by a lunatic asylum. They wear suits that are too big, too small or both at once. The singer’s hair is a frizz of tangles that falls over his heavily be-rouged face. He moves like a sped up movie of Charlie Chaplin doing an imitation of Harpo Marx - or is it vice versa? He comes on with a patter that sounds like ‘Waiting for Godot’ done by a music hall M.C.

Somewhere in the shadows lurks Groucho, complete with eyebrows and moustache, playing a Gibson electric guitar. Next to him, but only briefly, stands a fellow in a baggy brown suit from the set of the Godfather - he plays bass.

Round-faced and cherubic sits the drummer, almost hidden behind his kit, but visible enough to show that his suit too is certainly somebody’s cast-off.

A resurrected James Dean, white faced and hollow-eyed in a teddy boy suit of brilliant red, the pants of which are far too long and bag around the lower part of his legs, plays acoustic, electric suitar and mandolin.

The maestro of the keyboards - synthesizer, mellotron, string synthesizer and a piano that looks like someone has taken an axe to it, (and though electric, it sounds just like the real thing) - he is resplendent in tails, almost normal except that one sleeve ends at the left elbow and the other is about a foot beyond his right hand.

Then there’s this fellow just standing there, seemingly redundant in an ill-fitting pale blue suit, his head hanging like a broken marionette. Redundant that is, until he breaks forth with a pair of spoons in his hand, playing them against his head, his feet, his knees, anywhere. The rest of the time he plays slightly pixillated triangle, xylophone, bell-tree and tambourine to mention a few. Occasionally he strides up to a microphone, any microphone, to throw in a world or two of vocals.

Suddenly the demented action stops and the whole band stands in cameo stillness for a burst of electronic sound that fills the hall.

“Who are they?” a bloke in the audience asks his mate. “Dunno” the mate replies. “I think they’re Captain Matchbox.”

WRONG! This is Split Enz and as their name implies, they hail from New Zealand. Don’t be fooled. Just because they “dress funny” doesn’t mean they are like Captain Matchbox, skyhooks or - “Anyone who compares us with Roxy Music hasn’t heard Roxy Music” says Timothy Finn, lead singer.

Neither are they like Yes, King Crimson, The Sensational Alex Harvey Band, Beefheart, Zappa, Schonbert, Cage, Al Jolson, Scott Joplin, The Goons, Marcel Marceau, Monty Python or anyone else you like to mention. But comparisons are inevitable.

Comparisons are the direction with which we chart the waters of a new experience. In Split Enz music you fill find everything: classical and neo-classical; music hall honkeytonk and sleazy vaudeville; acoustic and electronic, with a blues and a boogie thrown in here and there; good ol’ rock’n’ roll; and just when you think they’ve done it all they hit you with a piano full of cool jazz, some Gregorian chants or calypso shouts for good measure.

These analogies are only signposts; the more you hear their music, the less you need them, and the more you come to realise that Split Enz create music that is individually theirs. Their lyrics conjure up nightmare visions, obsessions with madness and the macabre, woven out of cliches that spring at you with renewed vigour; phrases such as “time to kill”, “dead to the world” suggest sinister overtomes. Lines like “just hold me down if I have a fit... I think I’ll be all right... I’ll be normal someday”, “the rats are crawling up my back, it can only mean you’re coming back” are delivered with frenetic, demented mime that is more demonic than lunatic.

Some songs perhaps threaten to fall apart at the seams as style, rhythm and reference change and pile upon one another, but for the most part each song, as each performance, is carefully arranged.

“It’s a bloody orchestra.” one innocent bystander is heard to remark. And indeed ‘orchestrated’ is a better word for the music, and ‘choreographed’ a better word for the performance.

The taped Andrews Sisters-type music at the beginning with canned applause and the announcement “... SPLIT ENZ!”, the discourse on “how to get from A to B”, walking on an invisible conveyer belt going nowhere - the whole performance is a carefully planned sequence.

But not stilted, not unspontaneous. There are always new surprises even when, at daytime gigs they dispense with make up and stage clothes and appear as their normal selves. Despite the parodies and satires implied in their music - “Spoofs” is the word Timothy Finn uses - there clings to them an aura of innocence and naivety, like a Henri Rousseau painting.

This impression persists with them off stage. They are quietly spoken and polite. although their normal dress is somewhat - uh - eccentric in these days blue jeans and T-shirts, they are not the formidably intimidating maniacs they become on stage.

Timothy Finn, whose hair is no more manageable off stage than on, does most of the talking. Eddie Rayner of the keyboards is more relaxed, with a fresh-faced charm like the captain of the school cricket.

He joined Split Enz from Space Waltz, a group in which he earned much deserved renown for his wizardry on the ivories and electronic switches.

Jonathon Michael Chunn of the bass guitar has Byronic good looks that even his stage make up cannot hide, and Wally Wilkinson, moustache free from blackening and eyebrows normal is full of witty irrelevancies.

Emlyn Crowther, the man behind the drums, looks as Welsh as his name and smiles a lot. Noel Crombie is the owner of the chattering spoons. He is also the designer and maker of costumes, silent and forlorn looking, like a lost pup. And Philip Judd is reserved, almost disdainful, and stripped of grease paint, looks more like Rudolf Valentino than James Dean – that might be something to do with the scarf knotted at his throat.

Split Enz was formed about 3 years ago, but the present line up has only been together for about 10 months and work remarkably well. Timothy Finn and Philip Judd are responsible for the genesis of the words and music which the whole group then fashion into a final stage presentation.

They don’t like to talk about ‘influences’ – “The Beatles” says Timothy Finn without so much as a bat of an eyelid. And when you think about it anyone who plays music today can’t have escaped the ubiquitous presence of the Beatles. Anyway, Split Enz have admitted to liking the Kinds and the Sensational Alex Harvey Band. You can make what you like of that. It’s not a definitive list.

Their conversation is free of swearing and they don’t smoke, but have been seen to drink a beer or two on the odd occasion. They are naturally “un-hip”. They avoid words like ‘hassle’, ‘dig’, ‘gig’ and anyone in the group who makes such a blunder is gently offered alternatives like ‘bother’, ‘appreciate’, ‘job’.

Confusion occurs about their names – again because of their desire to reject the clichés of the pop world. They decided to take their second Christian names as first names which is why if you ever come across anything written about them in New Zealand, the names won’t tally. Sometimes they themselves forget and call each other by their old names, but the error is always quickly corrected.

However, some of them nationalistically flaunt the great New Zealand ‘eh’ on the end of their sentences. “That’s a great new piano we’ve just bought, eh” – not a question, a statement. But they are dropping the tag “New Zealand’s Top Band” and such like, which, while it is undoubtedly true, is just another cliché to be avoided like the plague (whoops, sorry).

Already their stay of three weeks in Australia has been extended to six in order to record with Festival in Sydney. The album will be produced by their manager Dave Russell and the cover design by ex art student Philip Judd. Out on Mushroom, the album will be a token of Michael Gudinski’s enthusiasm for this band.

They have been deluged with work, after an initially slow start in Sydney. They are the support act for the Leo Sayer Melbourne concert and have done an ABC GTK which was an immediate success. More than 60 phone calls came in after it was shown to ask who the band were – that’s some sort of record.

Up until this Australian tour, the group has always had plenty of time to recuperate from the last job and plan and prepare the next. But they are finding the rigours of touring with jobs every day or so, and sometimes more than one a day, very wearing. Any spare energy left over from the last performance must be channelled into preparing for the one following close on its heels.

Another result of the GTK spot was an approach from an ABC producer to do the sound track for a documentary called “Ten Australians”. In particular they are to back a sequence featuring the artist Sydney Ball at work.

Their plans for the future include a return to New Zealand for a couple of months, followed by a longer sojourn in Australia (amen to that), and depending on reactions to their album they hope to go to England…

Of course such an esoteric band does not have universal appeal, and being unknown in Australia, sight unseen, it’s even harder to win hearts and minds. They have great hopes that the album, plus their shows here and a bit of media exposure will make their return to Australia somewhat easier.

They do not appeal to the younger age groups – “they are no the audience we are really aiming at”. They got a poor reception at the Melbourne Festival Hall Skyhooks concert, where they were first on. The audience didn’t know and didn’t want to. (But I seem to remember once a long time ago, Skyhooks was an “underground” band). But at the Reefer Cabaret, at Unis and the Station Hotel standing ovations are the order of the day.

“There are many ways of saying goodbye:” Timothy Finn lurches into his pitch for the final number – limbs jerking, face twitching at the mercy of some drunken puppeteer; “Goodbye, Byebye, Adieu, See you later, Au revoir…” etc. “…SO LONG FOR NOW”.

Never fear, we have not seen the last of Split Enz. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is A Good Thing.”

[papermoonloveslucy]

LUCY & HENRY FONDA ~ Part Two

1975-1979

[For Part One - Please Click Here!]

“The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Lucille Ball” (February 7, 1975)

Director: Greg Garrison Writers: Harry Crane, George Bloom, Tom Tenowich, Milt Rosen, Don Hinkley, Peter Gallay, Stan Burns, and Mike Marmer

Starring: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Dean Martin, Ginger Rogers, Gale Gordon, Vivian Vance, Bob Hope, Jack Benny, Milton Berle, Gary Morton, Don Rickles, Rich Little, Foster Brooks, Nipsey Russell, Phyllis Diller, Dick Martin, Dan Rowan, Ruth Buzzi

TRIVIA

Lucille Ball is visible excited to hear that Fonda is roasting her. He tells the story of how he and Lucy dated when she first arrived in Hollywood. Public speaking and comedy where not Fonda's forte, but he delivers the material sincerely.  

“The Dean Martin Celebrity Roast: Jimmy Stewart” (May 10, 1978)

Producers: Greg Garrison, Lee Hale Director: Greg Garrison Writers: Harry Crane, Stan Burns, David Axelrod, Jay Burton, Robert L. Mills, Mel Chase, Arthur Phillips, Martin Ragaway, Sol Weinstein, Howard Albrecht, Jack Shea, Larry Markes

Starring: Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Dean Martin, James Stewart, June Allyson, Greer Garson, Red Buttons, Barry Goldwater, LaWanda Page, Eddie Albert, Foster Brooks, George Burns, Tony Randall, Don Rickles, Janet Leigh, Rich Little, Milton Berle, Jesse White, Orson Welles, Mickey Rooney, Ruth Buzzi

TRIVIA

Henry Fonda talks about the films they did together. Fonda introduces and narrates film clips of Stewart's career. Henry Fonda and Stewart first worked together on the film On Our Merry Way (1948). They also collaborated on How The West Was Won (1962), Firecreek (1968), and The Cheyenne Social Club (1970). The were frequently seen on TV awards shows and tributes.

Lucille Ball and Jimmy Stewart never appeared together in a dramatic context. They often were guests on the same awards shows, tributes, and talk shows. The first was “Hedda Hopper's Hollywood” (1960) and the last was Lucille Ball's final public appearance on “The 61st Annual Academy Awards” (1989).  

Fonda, Ball, and Stewart, were all neighbors in Beverly Hills. Lucy talks about his vegetable garden, a subject she has mentioned on other programs. Lucy jokes about what a respectful neighbor he is. She also ribs Stewart about his somewhat prudish reputation.

Lucy: “Next to Jimmy Stewart, Fred MacMurray is electrifying!”  

“AFI Life Achievement Award: Henry Fonda” (March 15, 1978)

Producers: Eric Lieber, George Stevens Jr. Director: Marty Pasetta Writer: Hal Kanter

Starring: Henry Fonda, Lucille Ball, Jane Alexander, Richard Burton, Bette Davis, Kirk Douglas, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, James Garner, Lillian Gish, Charlton Heston, Ron Howard, Jack Lemmon, Fred MacMurray, Marsha Mason, Dorothy McGuire, Lloyd Nolan, Gregory Peck, Barbara Stanwyck, James Stewart, Richard Widmark, Billy Dee Williams

TRIVIA

The American Film Institue (AFI) is an organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. It was founded in 1965 by a mandate from President Lyndon Johnson. Their annual life achievement award began in 1973 and was awarded to John Ford. The ceremony that honored Henry Fonda was the first and only one not to have a host / presenter.

Henry Fonda: “I dated Lucy once. I guess you could say I didn't really plight my troth. I cry myself asleep a lot because if I had plighted by troth properly, they might've changed the name of that studio to Henrylu.”

Lucy's daughter, Lucie Arnaz, and her husband, Gary Morton, sit next to her in the audience.

Film clips from two out of three film collaborations with Lucille Ball, The Big Street (1943) and Yours, Mine and Ours (1960), are included.

“General Electric's All-Star Anniversary” (September 29, 1978)

Director: Dick McDonough Writers: Monty Aidem, Jeffrey Barron, Bob Howard, Paul Keyes

Cast: John Wayne (Host), Lucille Ball, Henry Fonda, Albert Brooks, Alex Haley, Pat Hingle (as Thomas Edison), Bob Hope, Cheryl Ladd, Michael Landon, Penny Marshall, Denise McKenna, Donny Osmond, Marie Osmond, Charlie Pride, John Ritter, Red Skelton (as Old Man Watching a Parade), Suzanne Somers, Jimmy Stewart (as Mark Twain), Elizabeth Taylor, Leslie Uggams, Jimmie Walker, James Whitmore (as Will Rogers), Cindy Williams, Henry Winkler, Sha-Na-Na

Synopsis: John Wayne hosts this 90-minute ABC variety show. He gives a capsulized running history of the past 100 years between musical numbers, vignettes, and vintage film clips. Leslie Uggams and the group Sha-Na-Na perform musical numbers and Albert Brooks does a routine about holding auditions to find a new national anthem.

TRIVIA

Although video of this special is scarce, photographs show Lucille Ball interacting with host John Wayne and performing a fast-paced dance number. There are no photos or other records of Henry Fonda's role in the celebration.  

John Wayne also hosted a similar patriotic variety show, “Swing Out, Sweet Land,” in 1971. Lucille Ball did a serious monologue as the internal voice of the Statue of Liberty. Bob Hope and Leslie Uggams were also involved in both shows. Mark Twain was a character in both.

This special was ostensibly to mark the General Electric Corporation's (GE) 100th Anniversary, which came as a surprise to many as it had just celebrated its 75th Anniversary in 1970!  Although the company was formed in 1895 by the merger of several smaller companies, GE eventually decided that its Anniversary should be marked by the day Thomas Edison himself formed the company in 1878. This change was primarily for advertising purposes – and this special was one of those marketing strategies.

From 1953 to 1962, GE sponsored the anthology series “General Electric Theatre” which, like “I Love Lucy,” was aired on CBS. It was hosted by future US President Ronald Reagan. Henry Fonda played clown Emmett Kelly in “The Clown” aired on March 27, 1955.

In 1952, Lucille Ball was featured in a print ad campaign to promote GE Ultra-Vision television sets.

“America Alive!” (November 9, 1978)

“America Alive!” was a short-lived hour-long NBC daytime show which featured consumer tips, relationship advice, entertainment news and reviews, and comedy, from its home studio in New York City as well as remotes from Los Angeles.

Cast: Jack Linkletter (Host), Lucille Ball and Gary Morton (Co-Hosts), Henry Fonda (Guest)

TRIVIA

While Lucy and Gary were in a California studio, Lucy was supposed to interview Henry Fonda, who was in their studio in New York. The following day, host Jack Linkletter infers that it wasn't strictly an interview. Linkletter doesn't specify what happened and there are no video records of the interview.  

The following day, Lucy spent the entire hour taking questions from an audience of students at UCLA.  

“The 36th Annual Golden Globe Awards” (January 27, 1979)

Lucille Ball was the recipient of the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Henry Fonda was in attendance to support his daughter, Jane Fonda, who won for Coming Home and received the Henrietta Award for World Film Favorite. Fonda was also a presenter. 

SPEAKING OF HENRY....

In 1971's “Lucy & Carol Burnett: The Hollywood Unemployment Follies” (HL S3;E22) the ensemble sings “Hooray for Hollywood” with specially-written lyrics that mention Henry Fonda and his children Jane and Peter.

In 1973's “Lucy and Joan Rivers Do Jury Duty” (HL S6;E9), Lucy and Joan are on a deadlocked jury they compare to the film Twelve Angry Men (1957) starring Henry Fonda as the holdout juror.  

“Lucy Moves to NBC” (February 8, 1980) kicks off with a tour bus driving through Beverly Hills and the tour guide's voice announcing the homes they are driving past, including the Henry Fonda’s. When the bus reaches Lucille Ball's Roxbury Drive mansion, Lucy gets out of the bus – having hitched a ride from after her downtown shopping trip. In real life, the Arnaz family actually did live in the same neighborhood as Henry and Shirlee Fonda as well as James and Gloria Stewart and Jack Benny and Mary Livingstone.

Henry Fonda died in 1982.

Shirlee Fonda: "She [Lucy] was always calling or coming over to see him when he was ill. And after he died, she was one of the ones who always included me in social gathering. When I gave that first party after Henry's death, I said, 'Lucy, you have to be there and help me get though this.' And she was there for me, for 100%"

Lucille Ball died in 1989.

[punk-is-notdead]

Fic title: Daphne? Who the Hell is Daphne?, by RidinCastielInTheImpala (sayitinenochian.tumblr) and tfw_cas

@sayitinenochian

Rating: Explicit

Tags: Castiel (Supernatural) Dean Winchester Sam Winchester Post-Episode: s12e12 Stuck In The Middle (With You) Jealousy First Kiss Smut Fluff Porn With Plot Top Castiel Bottom Dean Panty Kink Grace Kink Castiel/Dean Winchester First Time

Summary: A story in which we explore what might have happened to Castiel's wife, Dean gets irrationally jealous, Sam can't get out of there fast enough, and we find out that Castiel understands more than he lets on, he just has a very dry sense of humour.  

AO3

Cas walked down the stairs into the bunker, and into the library. Dean turned to look at him, a smile breaking across his face. “Hey Cas.”

“Hello Dean,” Cas replied, then turned to the younger Winchester, who was reading a weighty tome. “Hello Sam, can I assist you with your research?”

“Cas...hi,” said Sam, shaking his head. “It’s not research, I’m just reading.”

Dean snorted and said something under his breath that sounded like “nerd". Then, looking up at the angel, said “Where have you been, anyway? You should be resting after what happened the other day.”

Dean still couldn’t bring himself to admit that Cas had nearly died, and that he had been absolutely terrified of losing his best friend. He had had more than one nightmare where Crowley had not come back and saved Cas, and he had woken up sweating and calling out the angel’s name. Also, none of them had addressed the deathbed speech from Cas in which he said ‘I love you’. Dean did not really want to think too hard about who that had been aimed at.

“I was visiting Daphne.” Cas stated in a very deadpan manner.

Daphne? Who the hell is Daphne? Thought Dean, as an unpleasant knot started to form in his stomach. When he got his mouth to communicate with his brain, the words sounded much calmer than he was feeling. “Daphne?”

Cas let out a little sigh as he realised that he was going to have to explain. “Do you remember when you found me after you thought I had been killed by the Leviathans?”

Dean nodded.

“The woman I was living with. My wife, Daphne.”

Oh shit, Cas’s wife. The feeling in Dean’s stomach intensified as he found himself unable to form words or even look at the angel. Sam spluttered and practically shouted “Wife? Cas, you have a wife?”

“Had, Sam. I had a wife. Our marriage was annulled some time ago.”

“But why didn’t I know about that? Dean, why didn’t you tell me?” Sam suddenly noticed the look on his brother’s face, and the change of atmosphere in the room. Dean looked like he was about to throw up, visible discomfort seeping from his posture, and Cas was looking sheepish.

“Er…” said Sam, standing abruptly. “I have to go on a supply run. See you guys later.” He almost ran out of the bunker, hoping that whatever was going on between his brother and the angel would be sorted out by the time he returned. Which would not be anytime soon.

“Cas,” said Dean. “Why didn’t you say you were going to visit her?” He couldn’t bring himself to say the woman’s name, even though he had no reason to dislike her. In fact, he should be thanking her for saving Cas’ life. And yet…

“I did not think I had any reason to tell you of my visits with Daphne. It did not concern you.”

Wait just a minute. Visits? Plural? “What do you mean visits? How many times have you visited her?”

“Every two or three months for the last year and a half. That would make it…” Cas trailed off as he counted in his head.

“It doesn’t matter,” interrupted Dean. “What do you do on these visits? Talk?”

“Yes. And other things.”

What other things? “What the…? Other things?”

“Praying. We pray, and once I healed one of her friends.”

“Oh, right.” Dean was trying extremely hard not to betray the turmoil that had overtaken him.

“Dean, why are you even bothered by this? I do not understand.”

“I’m not. I just wish you’d told me sooner, that’s all.” The Hunter tore his gaze from the angel to glare at his own feet. Cas stared at his friend, trying to fathom what the problem was.

“So, you and Daphne.” Dean had decided that he wanted to open the whole can of worms. “You were married, right?”

“Yes, like I said.”

“You… you know? With each other?”

“Oh, you would like to know if we have been intimate with each other.” Dean flinched at the word intimate, again averting his gaze away from the deep pools of blue in front of him.

“Yes.” This was beginning to feel like a very unfunny version of the Nudge Nudge, Wink Wink sketch by Monty Python.

“No.”

“No? What, never?”

“No. She felt that it would be taking advantage of me, as I could not remember who I was. It was a marriage of friendship and comfort, nothing more.”

“Oh.” Dean felt considerably more relaxed now. But nowhere near completely.

“My only sexual experience was with April, and that ended very badly, as you know.”

“Yeah, that sucks Cas.”

The two of them stared at each other some more, until it became so awkward that Dean had to look away. Cas spoke again. “I decided to seek Daphne out after I realised that I had just left her with no explanation. I felt I owed her something.”

“I guess so,” said Dean, although he was not being entirely honest with himself or Cas.

“I thought it best to not tell her that I am an angel, so I told her that I was married and had a daughter, and was back with them again. She was very understanding.”

“That’s good of her.” He nearly spit the words into the space between them.

“Dean, I am detecting a note of anger in your tone. What is wrong?”

“Nothing, Cas. Nothing at all.” He couldn’t bring his eyes to meet Castiel’s. He knew one look and his guts would tumble out of his mouth onto the floor in the space between them. No chick flick moments.

“Oh,” said Cas as a sudden realisation hit him. “This emotion I am feeling from you; it is jealousy.”

“No. Don’t be ridiculous, Cas. Why would I be jealous?” As Dean said this, he got up from the table abruptly and went to leave the room, seeking the safety of his bed.

Cas grabbed him by the arm and spun him around so that they were facing each other.

“You tell me,” he said. His voice dangerously low.

Looking into Cas’ eyes, their faces so close Castiel’s breath ghosted over his lips, Dean found himself unable to speak or even form rational thoughts.

“Dean.” He was practically growling now. “What reason would you have to be jealous of Daphne?” He knew that saying her name was having an effect on Dean, so he said it as slowly and deliberately as he could.

Dean could barely breathe by now, let alone communicate. “I-she….”

“Are you worried that I kissed her, Dean? Touched her intimately?”

Dean could only nod his head, as he felt Cas back him slowly towards the wall. “I have no interest in doing those things with her, Dean.”

Dean’s back was now touching the wall, the cool concrete shocking against the heated flush that had crept over him. Castiel’s mouth was so close to his, they were breathing the same air. “The only person I want to be intimate with is you Dean. I want you.…”

The end of that sentence was lost as Dean crushed his mouth against the angel’s. Their lips meshed together perfectly. The electricity that normally filled the spaces between them made itself known: the kiss becoming desperate. Dean ran his fingers over the stubble on Cas’ jaw as his hands made their way to entangle in the angel’s mess of dark hair. The sensation that it sent through Castiel was delicious. He wanted to make the other man feel like this, needed it. He reciprocated with a gentle tug, tilting Dean’s head to deepen the kiss, passionately. Tan strong hands found the lapels of his trench coat. Cas snaked his arms around Dean’s waist, both of them clutching and pulling in an attempt to get even closer.

“Fuck!” said Dean, as he pulled away to breathe in shallow pants, gazing into Cas’ eyes.

“Yes, Dean. I would like to very much,” said the angel.

“Well, that’s not quite what I meant, Cas, but yes, please.” He grabbed hold of Cas’ hand, pulling him along towards his bedroom. They could have gotten there a lot quicker if they didn’t have to stop every few yards for one of them to slam the other against the wall and kiss like the world depended on it. After the third time, Dean said, “Fuck… Sam….”, at the realisation that his brother could return at any moment.

“I would not feel comfortable doing that, Dean.” Cas replied with a smirk. A very sexy smirk, Dean silently noted.

“That’s definitely not what I meant Cas,” said Dean. “You know, sometimes, I think you just pretend not to understand what I’m saying.”

Cas grinned wickedly and Dean pulled him towards his bedroom again. They would get there if it killed them. Although, the hunter already felt like he was dying. Dying to touch and be touched.

After what seemed like an eternity, they made their way into Dean’s room. The movement stopped. A small shove and Castiel was seated on the foot of the bed. Dean peered at him deeply, locking their eyes as he began to slowly remove his clothes, teasing. His shirt came off over his head. He bit his lip as he kicked off his shoes, undoing his belt. It slipped from the belt loops and made its way to the concrete floor next to the discarded shirt.

The buttons came undone on the dark levis that clung to Dean’s muscled thighs. The Winchester stepped out of them, standing again with a sense of pride at the sheepish wide eyed look on Castiel’s face. He wore navy blue ones today. How fitting. The lace barely held Dean's already achingly hard cock. Cas could note the smooth skin through the nearly transparent fabric. Without any real control over his own extremities, he reached out to place a hand on Dean's upper thigh, tracing circles there. “You’re beautiful. So beautiful.”

The breath hitched in Dean’s throat and suddenly the urgency left him. His best friend, crush of too many years, was in front of him, with tenderness oozing from his words. A sudden shyness crept over them as they realised the significance of what they were doing. Castiel shrugged out of his trench and suit jacket. Dean reached down and slowly loosened his tie, drawing it over his angel’s head, almost timidly. The confidence he felt faltered as Cas unbuttoned his shirt and threw it to the growing pile of cloth at their feet. One hand on the angel’s shoulder, Dean pushed him back up onto his memory foam mattress. God, please bed, remember this.

The hunter straddled the angel, leaning in to an almost chaste kiss. Castiel slid his hands down Dean’s sides to rest on his gorgeous hips. The touch was so intense that Dean ground down into him, their erections pressing together. Cas ran his fingers under the soft lace that caressed his perfect round cheeks, sending chills throughout the both of them. The kissing that transpired now was anything but innocent.

Castiel hooked his thumbs in the waistband - or what there was of one - of Dean's panties, pulling them down under his ass cheeks. Strong hands cupped them and Dean's breath caught in his throat. He reached between them undoing Castiel's belt and fly, encouraging him to get naked. Cas stood using his hands on Dean's behind to lift the younger man up with him. Eyes wide and dick harder, if that's possible, at this show of strength, the younger man was laid against the mattress and Cas shook out of his pants. The sight of the angel naked was almost better than the act of sin they were about to commit. His hard muscled body, awe inspiring hip bones, and a large thick erection, untouched, stood in front of Dean like a gift from god. Ha. Thanks Chuck.

Before Dean could fully appreciate what he was so graciously given, Castiel was slotting himself between his knees. He peppered kisses over the hunter's chest and neck, nibbling on his collarbone. He sucked a dark mark there, Dean wincing at the welcomed pain and relishing in the feeling as the spot was licked soothingly. A hand rubbed against Dean through the lace at his groin. His back arched to accompany a moan from his throat, like a virgin being touched for the first time. The strange, yet enamoring, sensations that made his nerves sing whenever Castiel touched him were edging him closer to oblivion. Just like that Cas’ touch was gone and Dean was brought back from the ether. “What the hell was that?”

Dean speaking so breathless made Cas’ vessel twitch with want. “It seems that in this intimate position you can sense my grace.”

“Kinky.” Dean smirked, still slightly reeling from the angelic touch. Cas drug the panties down from his legs and off to join the rest of their attire. He leaned back on his feet to take in the breathtaking sight that was Dean Winchester, naked, wanton, flushed… All for him. Moving deliberately, Castiel traced his lips, fingers and tongue from top to bottom. Neck. Nipples. Ribs, Hips. Inner thigh. His breath ghosted over the taut skin of Dean's member, rocking the human with shivers. “Please Cas… please… please….”

“What do you want Dean? Do you want more?” Teasingly, he licked the slit leaking in front of him. Dean arched once again unable to control himself as every inch of him felt enveloped in warmth. “What about this?”

Castiel took his own fingers into his mouth, sucking them, as Dean looked down at the angel between his legs. The sight was the definition of sinful. Cas took Dean's cock into his mouth sliding down until Dean's tip brushed the back of his throat before placing the wet fingers to Dean's pink exposed hole. “Oh god..”

“Dean, please refrain from using my father’s name in the bedroom. It is quite uncomfortable.” Cas reprimanded after pulling off his dick with a juicy pop. He began sliding one digit inside the man slowly. Then he quickly added a second. Dean hissed in a pain pleasure mix at the stretch but as soon as the fingers worked in and out, Dean felt Cas’ grace once more turning the minute touch to near orgasmic levels.

“Uuuuuhhh… fuck.. Uh uh uh…. Cas….” He gripped the sheets to either side of him until his knuckles were white with strain. The angel added another finger after producing a small bottle of lube, pouring some directly onto Dean's pucker. He worked him open scissoring softly, crooking his fingers until the human let out a startled moan, white hot streaks of cum covering his chest. “Oh fuck, you've got to be kidding me. I just came untouched to your fingers. Put it inside me Cas,,, let me feel you.”

Aligning with Dean's entrance he slid his way in all the way to the hilt, suddenly face to face with a very undone Dean. His mouth had formed a wordless o and Cas waited for him to adjust himself to his girth. Wrapping his legs around Castiel's waist was his way of telling his angel to move within him. He set a painfully lazy pace, grinding up into the hunter so gentle, Dean thought he may explode. Every inch of him was shaking, the grace making him feel safe and loved but at the same time ravaged, overtaken, dominated. The moans he let loose into the atmosphere soon had Castiel picking up his speed pounding, deep hitting the sweet spot within him. Dean could see an entire other universe when his eyes fluttered closed. Stars were tiny compared to the beauty of the love making they were sharing.

Castiel fisted a handful of the hunter's hair and tugged so he would look up at him. “Dean come for me, come untouched. On just my cock filling you, my grace surrounding you.”

As soon as the words fell from his lips, he felt Dean's wet channel become impossibly tight as the human came again, this time painting both of their chests. The sounds Cas elicited from him were intoxicating. The rhythm in his hips faltered as he slammed recklessly, chasing his own high. Soon Dean felt him release, the warmth filling him. The feeling paled in comparison to the grace unfolding into him, reaching out, clutching his very soul close to Cas. “Oh Dean…. I love you.”

“I…. I..oh Cas…. I love you too.” Dean panted out his words between the shockwaves of pleasure. Not once had they looked away from each other, drinking each other in. Cas slipped from inside him and was suddenly behind him snuggled to his back. It was over and they were cuddling – yes, cuddling. Dean relished in the almost domestic idea of it. He turned to Cas, boring holes into him with his love filled jade green irises. “Are you going to see Daphne again?"

"Daphne? Who the hell is Daphne?" replied Cas, bringing Dean closer to press a delicate kiss upon his lips.

[therightnewsnetwork]

McConnell: We’re not splitting repeal and replace

So much for Donald Trump’s input, eh? Yesterday, the president tweeted out his strategy for solving the impasse in the Senate over the ObamaCare repeal effort — to split the repeal and replace functions and pass each separately. Senators Ben Sasse and Rand Paul immediately endorsed the idea, although Sasse did want to give the comprehensive strategy a few more days first.

Late last night, Mitch McConnell put the ol’ Kentucky kibosh on the proposal:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rejected President Donald Trump’s advice to first repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and then replace it later with something else.

McConnell says the current health care bill remains challenging but “we are going to stick with that path.”

After Trump’s morning tweet demanding an immediate clean repeal, the White House tried walking it back — at least a little bit. Fox’s John Roberts asked whether Trump had changed his thinking on the strategy for health care, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted he hadn’t:

Q Sarah, the President tweeted this morning about healthcare.

MS. SANDERS: He did.

Q In which he said that if the senators can’t get a bill on repeal and replace together, then maybe the best idea would be — as Ben Sasse and Rand Paul have suggested — split them up into a repeal and then a replacement later. This really runs counter to what the President has been promoting all through the campaign and earlier this year where he insisted that the two things had to be done, if not simultaneously, at least very close to each other. What is the basis for his change in thinking on this particular point?

MS. SANDERS: The President hasn’t changed his thinking at all. I mean, he’s campaigned on, talked about since he was elected repealing and replacing Obamacare. We’re still fully committed to pushing through with the Senate at this point. But we’re looking at every possible option of repealing and replacing Obamacare. We are focused on doing that.

As I said earlier, there is another large amount of counties that now have no Obamacare provider, and so we’re continuing to work hard to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that hasn’t changed.

Q So how does it square this idea with repeal it now, replace it later with what you had said on repeated occasions before that these things needed to be done very close to each other in order to maintain continuity of coverage for many Americans?

MS. SANDERS: Again, we’re still focused on trying to push through where are, and we’re going to continue moving forward and making progress on that front and looking at repealing and replacing Obamacare. The bottom line is, we’re focused on the end product here, and that is to repeal and replace Obamacare with healthcare that works for all Americans.

McConnell won’t bite on it for a number of very good reasons. One: He won’t get past 52 votes for any form of repeal or replacement because there are no Democrats who will join the GOP on either at the moment, so it has to fit under reconciliation or it won’t happen at all. The Senate has one vehicle for reconciliation in place, and while they could craft another, it will create even more potential roadblocks. If they repeal it and then couldn’t get a replacement bill passed, the resulting chaos in the markets would have voters up in arms in next year’s midterms.

Two: McConnell doesn’t have 50 votes for a straight repeal. The moderates are balking at the plans under consideration because they don’t do enough to cushion Americans in individual markets for a transition, so there’s no way they’ll go for a sink-or-swim vote. They want to defend their vote by showing that they passed something in the same vote that performs better than ObamaCare. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Ben Sasse, and Mike Lee would all jump at the chance to vote for a straight repeal, but Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and especially Dean Heller would balk, and McConnell would likely lose at least three or four more Republicans to boot.

Three: Despite Trump’s tweet yesterday morning, there appears to have been significant progress over the last couple of days. Ted Cruz’ compromise plan seems to have engaged all sides in the Senate Republican caucus, and any enthusiasm for that has to be heightened by a sense of having their backs up against the wall. That, plus McConnell’s Monty Hall machinations, may be just enough to pull this effort across the finish line in the next few days. The only way to ensure that is to keep repeal and replacement linked, even if that means having a bill no one really cheers, and hoping that Tom Price at HHS can plug the gaps for a while on the regulatory side.

Needless to say, McConnell will be busy this weekend on the phones. That would explain his lament last night to his fellow Kentuckians in Elizabethtown last night: “It’s not easy making American great again, is it?”

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McConnell: We’re not splitting repeal and replace

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McConnell: We’re not splitting repeal and replace

So much for Donald Trump’s input, eh? Yesterday, the president tweeted out his strategy for solving the impasse in the Senate over the ObamaCare repeal effort — to split the repeal and replace functions and pass each separately. Senators Ben Sasse and Rand Paul immediately endorsed the idea, although Sasse did want to give the comprehensive strategy a few more days first.

Late last night, Mitch McConnell put the ol’ Kentucky kibosh on the proposal:

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rejected President Donald Trump’s advice to first repeal President Barack Obama’s health care law and then replace it later with something else.

McConnell says the current health care bill remains challenging but “we are going to stick with that path.”

After Trump’s morning tweet demanding an immediate clean repeal, the White House tried walking it back — at least a little bit. Fox’s John Roberts asked whether Trump had changed his thinking on the strategy for health care, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders insisted he hadn’t:

Q Sarah, the President tweeted this morning about healthcare.

MS. SANDERS: He did.

Q In which he said that if the senators can’t get a bill on repeal and replace together, then maybe the best idea would be — as Ben Sasse and Rand Paul have suggested — split them up into a repeal and then a replacement later. This really runs counter to what the President has been promoting all through the campaign and earlier this year where he insisted that the two things had to be done, if not simultaneously, at least very close to each other. What is the basis for his change in thinking on this particular point?

MS. SANDERS: The President hasn’t changed his thinking at all. I mean, he’s campaigned on, talked about since he was elected repealing and replacing Obamacare. We’re still fully committed to pushing through with the Senate at this point. But we’re looking at every possible option of repealing and replacing Obamacare. We are focused on doing that.

As I said earlier, there is another large amount of counties that now have no Obamacare provider, and so we’re continuing to work hard to repeal and replace Obamacare, and that hasn’t changed.

Q So how does it square this idea with repeal it now, replace it later with what you had said on repeated occasions before that these things needed to be done very close to each other in order to maintain continuity of coverage for many Americans?

MS. SANDERS: Again, we’re still focused on trying to push through where are, and we’re going to continue moving forward and making progress on that front and looking at repealing and replacing Obamacare. The bottom line is, we’re focused on the end product here, and that is to repeal and replace Obamacare with healthcare that works for all Americans.

McConnell won’t bite on it for a number of very good reasons. One: He won’t get past 52 votes for any form of repeal or replacement because there are no Democrats who will join the GOP on either at the moment, so it has to fit under reconciliation or it won’t happen at all. The Senate has one vehicle for reconciliation in place, and while they could craft another, it will create even more potential roadblocks. If they repeal it and then couldn’t get a replacement bill passed, the resulting chaos in the markets would have voters up in arms in next year’s midterms.

Two: McConnell doesn’t have 50 votes for a straight repeal. The moderates are balking at the plans under consideration because they don’t do enough to cushion Americans in individual markets for a transition, so there’s no way they’ll go for a sink-or-swim vote. They want to defend their vote by showing that they passed something in the same vote that performs better than ObamaCare. Rand Paul, Ted Cruz, Ben Sasse, and Mike Lee would all jump at the chance to vote for a straight repeal, but Susan Collins, Lisa Murkowski, and especially Dean Heller would balk, and McConnell would likely lose at least three or four more Republicans to boot.

Three: Despite Trump’s tweet yesterday morning, there appears to have been significant progress over the last couple of days. Ted Cruz’ compromise plan seems to have engaged all sides in the Senate Republican caucus, and any enthusiasm for that has to be heightened by a sense of having their backs up against the wall. That, plus McConnell’s Monty Hall machinations, may be just enough to pull this effort across the finish line in the next few days. The only way to ensure that is to keep repeal and replacement linked, even if that means having a bill no one really cheers, and hoping that Tom Price at HHS can plug the gaps for a while on the regulatory side.

Needless to say, McConnell will be busy this weekend on the phones. That would explain his lament last night to his fellow Kentuckians in Elizabethtown last night: “It’s not easy making American great again, is it?”

The post McConnell: We’re not splitting repeal and replace appeared first on Hot Air.

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