One of my favorite bloggers/writers, Mark Evanier, reported earlier today about one of my all-time favorite movies: "Sad to hear that the lovely Dorothy Provine has left us at the age of 75. Ms. Provine was a great and lovely comic actress, as she proved on TV shows like The Roaring Twenties and movies like Good Neighbor Sam and Who's Minding the Mint? But she will especially be remembered for her role as Milton Berle's spouse in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. She played the only major character in the film who didn't get injured, dumped in a trash can or covered with paint...and the only one who seemed to have a greedless heart. She got out of acting around 1969 and it was a shame because she was quite good in everything she did...For those of you scoring at home, here's what I believe is the full list of suriving members of the Mad World cast: Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, Jonathan Winters, Peter Falk, Stan Freberg, Carl Reiner, Jerry Lewis, Marvin Kaplan, Nicholas Georgiade, Barrie Chase and maybe Bob Mazurki. Bob Mazurki was the little boy who directed Phil Silvers to drive his car through a river. Also, several of the stunt people are still with us and I probably should research which ones, since they were as much as the "stars" of that movie as most of the featured actors."
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Vic Damone & My Father backstage at the 500 Club
Remembering my late father, Vincent "Jimmie" DeLorenzo, who passed away April 20, 2009. Here he is circa the early 1960's visiting with his Army buddy Vic Damone backstage at Atlantic City's 500 Club. Looking sharp!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Jim DeLorenzo takes on Vanity Fair’s Proust Questionnaire
Jim DeLorenzo knew early in life he was destined to do his best work behind the scenes, as he came to realize his athletic skills and hand-eye coordination just weren’t enough to get him onto a high school team. Using his managerial and organizational skills, becoming a cracker-jack writer, and an avid fan of sports, pop culture, and world history, DeLorenzo soldiered on, eventually working with many sports teams, athletes and properties on and off the court.
What is your current state of mind? “I’m overtired but optimistic with lots of projects in my head and on my desk.”
What words or phrases do you most overuse? “That’s what she said,” “You got that right,” and “He got all of that one.”
What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Sitting on the Fairmount Southampton’s private beach in Bermuda with my lovely bride, reading a Hard Case Crime paperback and drinking a pina colada, taking a swim out to the reef and back, and resuming.”
What is your greatest extravagance? “A storage unit filled with the effluvia of my first 38 years on this planet, but no sled.”
What is the trait that you most deplore in yourself? “Not working out.”
What is the trait that you most deplore in others? “Working out, especially in the middle of a work day.”
What is it that you most dislike? “Certain smells, such as vinegar, gasoline, or a neighbor’s cooking.”
On what occasion do you lie? “When I claim that I’m not angry or upset.”
What is the quality you most like in a man? “Reasonable expectations.”
What is the quality you most like in a woman? “That she agreed to marry me.”
Who or what is the greatest love of your life? “Originally William Shatner, now it’s my lovely bride.”
What do you consider your greatest achievement? “Meeting my lovely bride on an arranged date, and finding very quickly we were perfect for each other.”
When and where were you happiest? “The first full night in Carmel-by-the-Sea on the second date of our honeymoon, after we spotted a certain celebrity who lightened the mood considerably.”
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I would have found a way to finish my Masters degree in English way back when.”
Where would you like to live? “If not in Philadelphia, then in Bermuda, maybe Chicago, maybe Carmel. In the latter three cases I’d have to have access to my Phillies games.”
What is your favorite occupation? “Shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice.”
What is your most treasured possession? “My championship rings and watches from Villanova, stationery and effects from my late father’s business, the baseball glove he bought for me before I was born, and photos from almost every event or city I’ve visited. And a Godzilla egg I bought in a toy store in Tokyo.”
What is your greatest regret? “That I have yet to help the charities and organizations that I really want to help but get caught up in day-to-day politics that sap my drive.”
What is your current state of mind? “I’m overtired but optimistic with lots of projects in my head and on my desk.”
What words or phrases do you most overuse? “That’s what she said,” “You got that right,” and “He got all of that one.”
What is your idea of perfect happiness? “Sitting on the Fairmount Southampton’s private beach in Bermuda with my lovely bride, reading a Hard Case Crime paperback and drinking a pina colada, taking a swim out to the reef and back, and resuming.”
What is your greatest extravagance? “A storage unit filled with the effluvia of my first 38 years on this planet, but no sled.”
What is the trait that you most deplore in yourself? “Not working out.”
What is the trait that you most deplore in others? “Working out, especially in the middle of a work day.”
What is it that you most dislike? “Certain smells, such as vinegar, gasoline, or a neighbor’s cooking.”
On what occasion do you lie? “When I claim that I’m not angry or upset.”
What is the quality you most like in a man? “Reasonable expectations.”
What is the quality you most like in a woman? “That she agreed to marry me.”
Who or what is the greatest love of your life? “Originally William Shatner, now it’s my lovely bride.”
What do you consider your greatest achievement? “Meeting my lovely bride on an arranged date, and finding very quickly we were perfect for each other.”
When and where were you happiest? “The first full night in Carmel-by-the-Sea on the second date of our honeymoon, after we spotted a certain celebrity who lightened the mood considerably.”
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? “I would have found a way to finish my Masters degree in English way back when.”
Where would you like to live? “If not in Philadelphia, then in Bermuda, maybe Chicago, maybe Carmel. In the latter three cases I’d have to have access to my Phillies games.”
What is your favorite occupation? “Shagging flies in the outfield during batting practice.”
What is your most treasured possession? “My championship rings and watches from Villanova, stationery and effects from my late father’s business, the baseball glove he bought for me before I was born, and photos from almost every event or city I’ve visited. And a Godzilla egg I bought in a toy store in Tokyo.”
What is your greatest regret? “That I have yet to help the charities and organizations that I really want to help but get caught up in day-to-day politics that sap my drive.”
A Ten Commandments Quandry
Is it breaking one of the Ten Commandments if you are coveting your mother-in-law's HDTV with the LED screen watching the Ten Commandments in her house? Because I hadn't been totally sold on why I would want one until I sat there last Saturday night watching the NCAA Final Four, Mets and Yankees games, and Cecil B. DeMille's epic in amazing color, size and sound. BEHOLD SAMSUNG'S MIGHTY HAND!
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