November 3. WARNING BFBF. In news of historic cruelty to animals: Poor little Laika (cue the balalaikas) was a stray mutt plucked from the streets of Moscow during the “cold war” and trained by Soviet Scientists (wielding rolled up ...copies of dog trainer Pravda, no doubt) for the honor of being the first living creature to be launched into Earth orbit today in 1957 . Laika’s heartbeat was 103 bpm before launch and accelerated to 240 bpm at maximum thrust. Ivan, or whoever was monitoring “comrades best friend” probably figured that space travel was about as exciting as chasing a chipmunk for the little brute. Laika went to dog heaven 5 hours after lift- off when the capsule’s cooling system shut down……..Actually, it was a mercy because the original plan was that the bee-otch would’ve starved in space anyway. In other news of the former “Evil Empire,” today In 1939 the satirical romantic “Russian comedy” NINOTCHKA was released . Lugosi, in a rare non-horror role plays Commisar, Comrade Razinin who sends the cold hearted spy Ninochka (Garbo) to the West exposing her to the appealing decadence of Paris and scintilating co-star Melvyn Douglas. Hobbits romp, avengers avenge, and the CGI effects we’ve come to endure do their busy best to awe us, but no computer trick is as glorious as the thaw that melts the icy Greta Garbo into fire in this light-hearted joshing of Russian aristos and commies seduced by the Capitalist world . It was shot entirely at MGM in Culver City, California, and the closest anyone got to Russia was co-star Melvyn Douglas’s father, a Russian-born concert. Speaking of HOT…. Since the beginning of the motion picture industrial complex, rugged Chatsworth, where I make my home, has been a movie starstar standing in for every location on Earth. From Santa Susana Pass you can see the entire smog covered San Fernando Valley. That’s exactly what you see during the searing train robbery opening of WHITE HEAT (1949). The famously imposing Rocky Peak Park geological formations (seen in 1939’s Gunga Din, etc.) are also displayed, perhaps subliminally foreshadowing Cody Jarrett’s Kong-like fate. As I drive up Topanga Canyon to the 118 FWY, I often see the train traveling on the very tracks spiking through the mountain where my acting hero James Cagney once stood. If you visit tcm you can see clips of those WHITE HEAT scenes where Chatsworth played a role. Better yet, see the entire film and you’ll feel on top of the world. 11.03.13 E.E.F.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 19:25:36 +0000
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