The Truth About That Cherry Tree...

The story of young George Washington chopping down a cherry tree and fessing up to the act of vandalism is one of the most enduring tales told about one of the U.S.'s Founding Fathers. It has recently been discovered that, while a cherry tree was indeed chopped down on that sunny day in Virginia in 1738, it was not young George Washington who did it, but a time traveling Joan Blondell.

And what red-blooded American boy wouldn't lie to cover for Joan? Obviously, none of them!

Musical Monday with Winona Oak

Winona Oak is a Swedish singer/songwriter who is squaring off against herself during her first visit to Shades of Gray on this Musical post-Valentine's Day Monday.

Here's hoping you had a better Valentine's Day that the one implied by this song. (And even if you didn't, maybe you will find entertainment in the music and be fascinated by the clever and creatively filmed and trick-laden video that comes with it.

He Doesn't Love Me (2019)

Starring: Winona Oak

Director: Andreas Ohman

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

The Great Cupid Gender Swap

In celebration of Valentine's Day, here's an idea for a campaign subplot and new magic item. (All text in this post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2020 Steve Miller.)


Cupid's insane sister, Himera, has trapped him in a pocket dimension, and she has taken over as the Spirit of Love. She wants to move up from mere minor entity to full-fledged god, and she is appearing to characters with Charisma scores of 16 or better, and Wisdom scores of 12 or better, with an offer: "Promise to be loving and kind to those who deserve kindness. Promise to defend and protect romantic lovers wherever you find them. Promise these things, and I will give you power and make you a Soldier in my Army of Love."

 

When a character agrees to be a Soldier in the Army of Love, a silver chain with a heart-shaped ruby pendant appears around his or her neck. The necklace cannot be removed, and, although it does not radiate magic, it is a powerful artifact that grants its wearer the following abilities:

    * +5 bonus to hit with all bows, all bows and missiles they fire are treated as if they are enchanted weapons

    * Use charm person as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to the character's Charisma bonus. The character's total levels is the caster level.

    * If the amulet is flipped around so it hangs down between the character's shoulder blades, if the character utters the command word "It's the Power of Love", a pair of ghostly wings appear on his or her back that function as a feather fall spell cast at 20th level. The spell effect is limited to the character, although he or she can share the effect with one other creature (up to Medium-size) if it is embraced tightly.

Himera will continue to appear to the character from time to time, sometimes offering helpful hints in solving whatever problems the character and his or her allies are currently facing, and other times she will ask that assistance be provided to star-crossed lovers under dire threat.

    When the character next gains a level, Himera appears to him or her and demands that the character become a Priest/Cleric/Mystic (or whatever class casts divine magic in your campaign). If the character refuses, he or she, and close friends, allies, and others he or she cares about, are transported to the pocket dimension where Cupid is imprisoned. They must then help the actual Spirit of Love escape from captivity and put his sister back where she belongs.

    Even if the character chooses to become a priest of Himera, at some point he or she is bound to do something that offends the capricious entity and will find him- or herself banished with all their friends and loved ones to Cupid's prison.

The Avengers Dossier, Page Three

And now, we take it's time for another brief look at a supporting player from the 1965/1966 season of "The Avengers".

CAROLINE BLAKISTON

In "The Gravediggers", Caroline Blakiston plays Miss Thirlwell, a nurse at a hospital that hides many secrets.

Born in 1933, Blakiston got her start as an actress on stage, but soon transitioned to television where she found success and a career that has spanned six decades. 

Among the many series she's had recurring or starring roles on are "Poledark" (2015-2018), "Brass" (1983-1990), The Ceasers (1968), "No Cloak, No Dagger" (1963), and "City Beneath the Sea" (1962). She was also regularly cast in parts large and small in various adaptations of Agatha Christie novels and stories during the 1980s and 1990s, as well as being cast as three different characters in three different episodes in both "The Avengers" (in 1961, 1965, and 1967) and "Midsomer Murders" (in 2005, 2009, and 2016).

 
Blakiston has also had roles in numerous television and big screen movies, including a small but important role as Mon Mothma in "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" (1983).

'Mabel's Strange Predicament' is worth witnessing

Mabel's Strange Predicament (1914)

Starring: Mabel Normand, Charlie Chaplin, Chester Conklin, Harry McCoy, and Alice Davenport

Director: Mabel Normand

Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A drunk (Chaplin) causes chaos in an hotel and generates romantic strife between couples staying there by making it appear as though a young woman (Normand) is having an affair with a married man (Conklin).

In addition to just being lots of fun, and therefore worth seeing for everybody, "Mabel's Strange Predicament" is a historical artifact that film history buffs need to see for a number of different reasons.

First, this is one of the early incarnations of what we now recognize at the sit-com. We've got characters of markedly different types and circumstances interacting  in a single space, and we have a situation that escalates due to misunderstandings and lack of communication between the characters. (This story structure and configuration has older roots--in French farces, for example--but every element of a sit-com is so clearly present here that it's worth checking out. (Personally, I also found the changes in social standards that have happened in the past 100 years fascinating. Much of the comedy here hinges on Mabel being locked out of her hotel room in pajamas--any time after 1950, I imagine a young lady dressed like that would be embarrassed about having to go to the lobby and ask for help, but she would have to be wearing a sexy negligee or less for the level of mortification that Mabel displays here.)

Second, this was the first film that featured Charlie Chaplin in his "Little Tramp" get-up. According to some sources, the character was conceived in collaboration between Chaplin and director/co-star Mabel Normand in order to give the drunk that Chaplin plays in in this film a unique flair while also emphasizing Chaplin's strengths as a performer. It was a move that saved Chaplin's film career, as Mack Sennett was getting ready to fire Chaplin because he was not adapting well to the differences between performing on stage and performing for cameras. Normand, who had spent most of her working life in front of or behind film cameras, convinced Sennett to give Chaplin some leeway, and over the several films they made together, she taught Chaplin everything she knew... and, eventually, the student became the master! In a quirk of fate that probably went a long way to helping Chaplin perfect the first, more obnoxious incarnation of the Little Tramp character, he ended up starring as the character in a mostly ad-libbed, last minute production. When work on "Mabel's Strange Predicament" was halted due to bad weather, Chaplin and a couple camera crews were dispatched by producer Sennett  to create a film in front of  a crowd attending a soapbox race who had no idea what was going on with Chaplin engaging in antics. (Click here to check out that very funny short film.) 

Of course, "Mabel's Strange Predicament" is also worth seeing for anyone who just wants a few minutes of fun. And you can do so, right here from this post by clicking on the embedded video below!

The Unifying Theme with Karly Loyce

Model Karly Loyce has come from the Isle of Martinique to demonstrate the Unifying Theme of the Shades of Gray blog.

'The Mouthpiece' has Warren William at his best

The Mouthpiece (1932)

Starring: Warren William, Sidney Fox, Ailine MacMohan, Ralph Incee, Willam Janney, Walter Walker, and Guy Kibbee

Directors: James Flood and Elliot Nugent

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

An attorney (William) who has grown rich and powerful by using every trick to get gangsters and other criminals is reminded that there is more to life than money and winning when a naïve young woman (Fox) enters his life.

"The Mouthpiece" is equal parts courtroom drama, melodrama, and comedy, with Warren William delivering a fantastic performance in which he brings life to Vince Day, a brilliant man who finds his faith in the justice system shattered and his spirit broken when a man he sent to the electric chair turns out to be innocent. Instead of confronting his anger, as well as his feelings of guilt and self-doubt, he loses himself in a maelstrom of booze, womanizing, and partying... while using his knowledge of law and his ability to manipulate juries to prove over and over to himself that the courts and legal system are useless as vehicles to bring about justice. In the hands of a lesser actor, this character would come across as loathsome and pathetic beyond redemption, especially during the scenes where he starts to engage in some self-reflection and he initially retreats deeper into his protective cocoon of destructive behavior and self-gratification. William plays the character with such charm and energy that rather than joining in on his self-hatred by hating him, too, viewers instead will be rooting for him to rediscover the decent person he still is deep down.

As the film unfolds, viewers have an ally in Vince Day's no-nonsense legal secretary, Hickey (played by Ailine MacMohan). She sees the person that Vince could be if he would confront his demons, and she is a rock that keeps him slightly grounded by stepping in to curb his worst excesses and negative impulses. While it's the naivete and purehearted devotion to doing what is right (not to mention her absolute refusal to be drawn into Vince's dark world) of young the young typist, Miss Farraday (portrayed by Sidney Fox) that finally makes Vince rethink his life, it's Hickey whom he turns to for the support and encouragement he needs to change his life. It's also Hickey who is there when Vince ends up paying a heavy price for rejecting the man he'd become.

The relationship between Vince and Hickey are the most important one in the movie, and it is made even moreso by the fact that Warren William and Ailine MacMohan give the best performances in it. They are also great together, and each scene they share together are among the best in the film. The only parts that are better than William and MacMohan playing off each other are the courtroom scenes.

"The Mouthpiece" is one of five movies included in "Forbidden Hollywood Vol. 10", and it's such a good film that it's almost worth the price of the set by itself.

Musical Monday with Oasis

It may be the start to a new work week, but we want to remind our readers and visitors that there is MUCH more to a rewarding life than just whatever you do to put a roof over your head and food on the table. That's the case even if you enjoy what you do for a living.

Here's a nifty reminder of that fact with the 2005 music video for "The Importance of Being Idle", featuring Oasis along with singing and dancing undertakers.

The Importance of Being Idle (2005)

Starring: Liam Gallagher and the rest of Oasis

Director: Dawn Shadforth

Rating: Eight of Ten Stars

Kids today will never know how tough it was...

... what with dial-up modems, and VHS cassettes that could be eaten by the players, only three or four channels on television--and if you missed a show, you would have to wait MONTHS before there was even a slim chance of it being broadcast again. And that's if you were lucky. And we didn't have these fancy cellphones... oh no. We had to go inside if we wanted to make phone calls!

But speaking of kids not knowing how good they have it, here's something to brighten your day, as you spend a few moments with some folks who had it even worse that you did: It's a classic television comedy sketch from "At Last: The 1948 Show" featuring future members of the Monte Python comedy troupe and the great Marty Feldman.

'Remina' delivers horror, but isn't Ito's best

Remina (2020, Viz Media)
Story and Art: Junji Ito
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A rogue planet emerges from a wormhole and the astromoner who discovered it names it after his daughter, Remina, who becomes an instant global celebrity. When it becomes apparent that the planet is a destructive force, and that it is heading straight for Earth at unimaginable speeds, all of humanity turn from loving Remina to hating her... and soon, she is hunted by mobs who believe that if they sacrifice her, the Planet Remina won't destroy the Earth and all of humanity.

I have said in previous posts (here and here, for example) that Junji Ito is one of the few people who is a true master of the very difficult art of creating effective horror comics. That view is reaffirmed  with "Remina", in which Ito uses a backdrop of literal cosmic horror to deliver commentary on a whole host of negative aspects of the human race, as well as reminding the reader that disasters can also bring out the best in some of us. And, ultimately, in "Remina", the world doesn't end with a bang, or a whimper, but with the largest slapstick comedy routine since time began. (And, no, I am not breaking my self-imposed rules on spoilers here; there is really no OTHER way this story could end than with the destruction of Earth. This is something that's obvious when you're ten pages in, and it keeps getting reinforced as you progress through the book.)

However, there is a weakness in "Remina" that underscores where Ito's true strength lies: In telling short stories.

Although "Remina" uses the same sort of cosmic, Lovecraftian horror that Ito has previously drawn on in "Uzumaki", this book does not invoke the same level of gut-wrenching horror in the reader that his previous work did. Although the tales in "Uzumaki" add up to a single, novel-length story, each is also a self-contained short story. The longer tale in "Remina" never reaches the level of intensity that's present in the "Uzumaki" tales--even if the crucifixion/human sacrifice scenes come close. 

Similarly, there are several stories in Ito's famous "Tomie" cycle that convey the message that obsession is a destructive force (whether it be adoration or hatred) and that the human tendency to mob action will always end badly both for the actors and for the thing or person being acted upon more effectively than is done here.

What I think "Remina" shows very clearly is that Junji Ito is far better at telling short stories than he is at creating novel-length works. This isn't a bad book; it's just not as good as some of his other works. The horror is more impactful in his short stories than what we get here, and the characters are more interesting overall, despite the room Ito has to develop them in this longer format work. That said, I understand that the title character of this work is something of a useless dishrag and perpetual victim by design. At no point does she have it in her to be the figure deserving of the admiration nor scorn and hatred that the entire world heaps upon her in their superstitious zealotry. Therefore, she never rises to the occasion of fighting back in any way, but instead is swept along by events and defended at every turn by others.

Thematically, Remina is a perfect lead character for this story, but she pales in comparison to other Ito leads--female or male--and she really isn't the right character to carry a long-form story like "Remina". That said, though, she IS the perfect heroine to be in the extended aerial chase scene toward the end of the book, during which she is literally being swept along by circumstances completely out of her control.

Artwise, the book is of the caliber we've come to expect from Ito. The Lovecraftian imagery of the Planet Remina's surface is some of the most bizarre and intricate he's created, and the rest of the art is as sleek as it always is. The work here may lack some of the intensity of some of his other efforts, but it is nonetheless still very in the quality of workmanship that is displayed.