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Continue reading →: Gene Hackman, RIP
Gene Hackman, RIP Having just celebrated Gene Hackman’s 95th birthday, I was deeply saddened to read this tragic news this morning. Hackman, his wife, and dog were all found dead in their Santa Fe, New Mexico home. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. We’ve lost a film legend.…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2182
Song of the Day: Being the Ricardos (“The End of a Dream”) [YouTube link], composed by Daniel Pemberton, closes out this Aaron Sorkin-directed 2021 film, starring Nicole Kidman as Lucille Ball and Javier Bardem as Desi Arnaz. Each was Oscar-nominated in their respective lead categories. This lovely cue is a…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2181
Song of the Day: The Gentle Rain (“Chuva Delicado”), music by Luis Bonfa and lyrics by Matt Dubey, is the central theme to this 1966 American-Brazilian film, starring Christopher George and Lynda Day George. The song has become a bossa nova jazz standard and has been recorded by many wonderful…
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Continue reading →: Roberta Flack, RIP
I was so very sorry to read of the passing of the amazingly talented singer and pianist Roberta Flack, who died today at the age of 88. Flack was diagnosed with ALS in 2022. Blending elements of jazz, soul, and folk music into her repertoire, Flack gave us some wonderful…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2180
Song of the Day: The Go-Between (“Theme and Variations”), composed by Michel Legrand, was first heard in this 1971 historical drama, starring Julie Christie, Alan Bates, and Michael Redgrave. It was later re-worked by Marcelo Zarvos for the 2023 Todd Haynes film, “May December“, starring Natalie Portman and Julianne Moore.…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2179
Song of the Day: Darling Lili (“Whistling Away the Dark”), music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Johnny Mercer, is a singular musical moment for Julie Andrews in this 1970 film, co-written by Blake Edwards and William Peter Blatty (yes, the novelist who wrote “The Exorcist“). The film also starred Rock…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2178
Song of the Day: The Party (“Nothing to Lose”), music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Don Black, is heard in this 1968 improvisational comedy, directed by Blake Edwards, and starring Peter Sellers. This melodic song is delivered by Claudine Longet in the film, but with the hilarious antics going on…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2177
Song of the Day: The Big Lebowski (“Lujon” aka “Slow Hot Wind”), music by Henry Mancini, lyrics by Norman Gimbel, was originally included on Mancini‘s album, “Mr. Lucky Goes Latin,” though it had nothing to do with that television series. The music showed up later in several films, including “The…
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Continue reading →: Song of the Day #2176
Song of the Day: The Bishop’s Wife (“Lost April”) [YouTube link], music by Emil Newman and Herbert W. Spencer, lyrics by Edgar DeLange, is performed by harpist Gail Naughton in the 1947 film. Okay, those were Naughton’s hands and arms as Cary Grant appears to be playing the harp (which…
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Continue reading →: Isabel Paterson Rests in Peace
Back in October, I reported on the death of my dear friend Stephen Cox. The other day, my friend and colleague, Timothy Sandefur, posted this wonderful, poignant news on his blog, a fitting postscript not only to his own fine 2022 work on Isabel Paterson (Freedom’s Furies: How Isabel Paterson,…
