Marvin Hamlisch April Fools

Unfairly~ Aprill Fools from 1969 was panned ~ torn to shreds more like it presumably the intent of some commentators hardly desirous that we grace the movie with our presence ~it didnt quite work we still like it.~Of its time closing a bountiful decade peopled by Beatles Beach Boys many more . I caught up with the Jack Lemmon comedy first time round. the trigger was April Fools theme by Burt Bacharach~ almost fifty years on that theme wistful and reflective evinces Bacharachs unerring gift for melody as always with Bacharach of a lyrical sort.~ so attractive .Veterans Charles Boyer and Myrna Loy whose careers went all the way back to the 1930s were among the stars ~ so was Peter Lawford who played another role ~in Frank Sinatras and Marilyn Monroes story . A 1996 documentary featuring Lawford the Camelot JF Kennedy Clan brims with a bulging dramatis personae~ homes in forensically on the months prior to Marilyns August 1962 death capturing the flavour of the era . boasting a gallery of personalities hookers to grinning hoods ~ but also a thorough forensic post mortem with some contrarious verdicts on the cause of Marilyns death~ oh and of course the usual suspects. Choose your favourites peopling the Cal Neva Nevada haunt of the 1950s 1960s swingers set~ the Mc Guire Sisters of Phyllis fame ~Remember them? 1950s singers who Begat the Begat on Sinatras early 1960s Reprise label Finians Rainbow. The mood of the time captured so evocatively Sinatra warbling ~Ill Wind youre blowing me no good What a Harold Arlen classic If this diatribe~ a pathetic excuse for a formal disquisition has any purpose can we at least agree on turfing out some of todays rubbish for songs of the Ill Wind sort ~ that from a hard rocker when not doing the classical music thing laments the musical demise of Fugees Ready or Not"Lauryn Hill a naturally gifted craggy
gospel voice but also a minor tragedy throwing her talent away better than Madge Madonna listen to Terence Trent Darby another who seemed to go a bit loopy ~ then on to Sinatras Mood Indigo featured in said documentary . ~More names from the Monroe annals how about private eye Fred Otash whom actress singer Mamie Van Doren monosyllabically described as ~ a sneak. Mamies other fame claim was the girl who invented Rock n Roll in name only Elvis and a whole gang of impersonators are lining up with something to say about that. . as singer I'm tempted to this lofty verbal injunction ~ Mamie would you get off the stage even if you sang like a canary in Teachers Pet movie pity it wasnt Pet Detective Jim Carrey opus Speaking of same and invoking the "on second thoughts explanation" Isnt it strange how some movies and inanely grinning comedians seem a great idea first time round .Ironically Carrey hails from understated and irony conscious Canada country producing some of the finest latterday comedians
Belated greetings to 86 year old Mamie van Doren ~dont give up the day job if Doris Day is in the vicinity. A schooled~ singer Doris now in her 90s far ahead of most. the movie in which Mamie and Doris sort of lock horns is another excellent comedy ~from 1957 Teachers Pet starring much lamented Gig Young master of throwaway light comic comment. Well matched and elegantly disposed rival of another comic star of the time Tony Randall
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Still in his early 20s Marvin Hamlisch who did the background music for April Fools was already a veteran of some excellent scores bearing his identifiable gift for film music. Katy Perry's Chained to the Rhythm owes something to Hamlish iconic hit from the 1970s Way we Were Consider as some brandish with brazen effrontery a high moral disposition keeping their heads aloft parroting sanctimious aspirations while blithely disavowing any knowledge of Way We Were. Made it ~ thought that senternce was tipping into a well of euphuism an indecipherable nonsense overload ~ Yes that also ~. Dont worry Ifcopod mission is successful~ contents a load of old rubbish.
Hamlisch had already been established in Swimmer Bananas and one of Woodys Allens cherishable comedies Take the money and Run if you switch Bacharach for Hamlisch and have a mind to go back further theres delightful Whats New Pussycat and again unfairly panned Casino Rloyale. I thougt there was something wrong with moi such was my enthusiasm for everythng about those movies. headed up with Bacharachs score. Remember the mantra not by music of Arnold Schoenberg alone does man survive.The mantra is getting older ~ Try Schoenberg's opera Moses Und Aaron a veritable riot of great music. still sounds cogent and if some can't make it~ Thats their problem