The Echo of a Distant Time: May 2024

Tuesday, May 14, 2024

R.I.P. David Sanborn

David Sanborn, circa 1980. Photo: David Redern

The esteemed saxophonist David Sanborn, renowned for his manifold contributions to hundreds of recordings as both a session musician and band leader, has departed at the age of 78 after battling prostate cancer. {AP 5/14}

Copyright 2024, Arthur Newhook. @Sunking278 and @FloydEtcetera on X, and at the same handles on FACEBOOK. MASTODON - @ArthurNewhook@mastodon.world, BLUESKY - @arthurnewhook.bsky.social, and @arthurnewhook on POST. DONATIONS GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED at https://tinyurl.com/ArthurNewhook.

Born #OTD 1898: Arletty

A publicity shot of French actress Arletty, for ‘Hôtel du Nord’, 1938. Photo: Bridgeman Images.

French actress, singer, and model Léonie Marie Julie Bathiat, professionally known as Arletty, entered this mortal coil on 15 May 1898 in the Paris suburb of Courbevoie. Notorious for her dalliance with Nazi Luftwaffe officer Hans-Jürgen Soehring during the dark days of her homeland’s occupation in the crucible of World War II, she was convicted of treason in 1945 and served eighteen months in confinement for this crime. Yet, the French people did prove to be a forgiving lot and Arletty's stage and film career resumed by 1948 and flourished into the 1960s. In 1995, the French government honoured her memory by printing a limited edition coin with her visage. Arletty lived to the ripe age of 94, departing on 23 July 1992.

Thursday, May 9, 2024

Born #OTD 1928: Barbara Ann Scott

Barbara Ann Scott. Photo: Getty Images

Canadian figure skating icon and horsewoman Barbara Ann Scott, hailed in her days of skating as 'Canada's Sweetheart' and victor of the world championship in 1947 and 1948. Born on 9 May 1928 in Ottawa.

Quotables 9 May 2024: The matchless Lena Horne ponders whether 'second class' status be innate, delving into why women can never seem to triumph in a society that demands both sensuality and prudence from them; and extolls the greatness of Count Basie

Lena Horne. Photo: Bettmann/Getty Images

‘You have to be taught to be second class; you're not born that way. But the slanting process is so subtle that you frequently don't realize how you're being slanted until very late in the game’.

‘I don't have to be an imitation of a white woman that Hollywood sort of hoped I'd become. I'm me, and I'm like nobody else’.

'I'm not alone, I'm free. I no longer have to be a credit, I don't have to be a symbol to anybody; I don't have to be a first to anybody’.

‘The naked female body is treated so weirdly in society. It's like people are constantly begging to see it, but once they do, someone's a hoe’.

‘Count Basie isn't just a man, or even just a band. He's a way of life’.

Quotes via https://www.azquotes.com/author/6910-Lena_Horne

Wednesday, May 8, 2024

#RIP Steve Albini: Renowned producer of bands such as Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey, and more, departs at the age of 63 following heart attack

Record producer Steve Albini, circa 2023. Photo: John Semley/WXPN/NPR

NPR - Steve Albini, iconoclastic rock musician and engineer, dies at 61

Quotables 8 May 2024: Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) reflecting on the true value - or lack thereof - of public opinion, and the persistent collective failure to glean lessons from history

Portrait of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, circa 1831. Public domain.

Food for thought for the day from the esteemed German philosopher, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, born in Stuttgart:

‘To be independent of public opinion is the first formal condition of achieving anything great or rational whether in life or in science’. - from ‘Grundlinien der Philosophie des Rechts’ (1820/1821).

‘What experience and history teach is this - that nations and governments have never learned anything from history, or acted upon any lessons they might have drawn from it’. - from ‘Lectures on the Philosophy of History’, published 1832.

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

Quotables 7 May 2024: Sue Lyon reflects on the mental anguish that ensued from her portrayal of 'Lolita' in the 1962 Stanley Kubrick classic

Sue Lyon as the title role of ‘Lolita’ in a 1962 publicity photo for the MGM feature. Photo: Bert Stern.

In a 1996 interview, actress Sue Lyon discussed her experience playing the titular role of 'Lolita' in the 1962 cinematic adaptation of the Vladimir Nabokov novel: ‘My destruction as a person dates from that movie. Lolita exposed me to temptations no girl of that age should undergo. I defy any pretty girl who is rocketed to stardom at 14 in a sex nymphet role to stay on a level path thereafter’.

Sunday, May 5, 2024

David Pastrnak's OT goal to knock out the Maple Leafs: A great moment in Boston Bruins history

Canadian Press

David Pastrnak scores in OT to deliver game seven to the Boston Bruins; the B’s are on their way to Sunrise. {ESPN 5/05}

Verily, a standout amidst a throng of unforgettable moments. Maple Leafs fans are in mourning today, and I do extend sympathy to the wonderful city of Toronto. A proud and iconic franchise, its last taste of championship glory now 57 years past. For me personally, of course, this stands as one of the more gratifying sporting moments of recent years: David Pastrnak's overtime goal did secure the decisive game seven for the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden, whilst goaltender Jeremy Swayman did deliver unparalleled brilliance throughout the series. The Bruins now embark upon Sunrise, FL, seeking redemption for last season’s epic playoff collapse against the Florida Panthers. Naturally, yours truly shall be fervently supporting them every step of the way towards what we do hope will culminate in a Stanley Cup-winning campaign.

Saturday, May 4, 2024

Born #OTD 1929: Audrey Hepburn

Remembering the ever graceful Audrey Hepburn on what would have been her 95th birthday. Shown here lensed by Bob Willoughby in a promotional photo for the 1964 Paramount feature, ‘Paris When It Sizzles’, in which she starred opposite William Holden.

Quotable 4 May 2024: Bette Davis reflects on 'boys' competing for renowned women, the male ego, love culminating in marriage, and the distinction between the anguish and joy of love

Bette Davis by Jack Freulich, circa 1930

‘I was never very interested in boys - and there were plenty of them - vying with one another to see how many famous women they would get into the hay’.

‘The male ego with few exceptions is elephantine to start with’.

‘Brought up to respect the conventions, love had to end in marriage. I'm afraid it did’.

‘The secret of marriage is: separate bedrooms and separate bathrooms’.

‘Once the love bug wears off, as it inevitably does, you are shocked to discover that you really didn't know the object of your affections at all. We know this to be so, even as we repeat the same mistake over and over and over’.

‘Pleasure of love lasts but a moment, Pain of love lasts a lifetime’.

Quotes via https://www.azquotes.com/author/3703-Bette_Davis

Kentucky Derby day: a reflection on the diminishing thrill of horse racing and beyond

Bill Brine/Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps some of you may recall my frequent posts on horse racing in the past. Today marks the Kentucky Derby, yet I find myself struggling to muster the excitement I once had. There's a pang of shame within me for this lack of enthusiasm. I used to anticipate this day eagerly, but over the past three or four years, my fervor for the sport has waned almost completely. Pinpointing the exact cause of this shift is elusive, though I will say the distressing frequency of horse fatalities weighs heavily on my conscience.

Nevertheless, there remains an unparalleled thrill in witnessing the intense competition as horses thunder toward the finish line, a sensation I yearn to experience anew. Sadly, my passion for many pursuits and hobbies has dimmed in recent years. The loss of my long-term girlfriend in 2017, followed by two more relationships that were utterly disastrous, myriad betrayals by former ‘friends’ in a 12-step cult from which I have long since disentangled myself, the turmoil of COVID, the ongoing political upheaval, the grief of losing pets, and financial woes - all of that and more have exacted a toll on my mental well-being.

Even my enjoyment of baseball, once a steadfast source of joy, has become increasingly elusive. I long to rekindle that fire within me, to recapture the exhilaration I once felt on Kentucky Derby day, and to feel truly alive once more. /rant

Friday, May 3, 2024

1957: Vikki Dougan dazzles and gleams

A monochrome portrait captures actress and pin-up girl Vikki Dougan, lensed by Earl Leaf, adorned in a sheer white nightgown, accompanied by a seductive smile amidst a splendid backdrop. Verily, this lady personifies immaculate grace.

Born #OTD 1934: Sir Henry Cooper

Aubrey Hart/Getty Images

Widely regarded as one of Britain's greatest heavyweight boxers and the singular recipient of knighthood in the sport, Henry Cooper entered this world ninety years ago, hailing from council housing in the South London district of Lambeth. Pictured alongside Muhammad Ali (then Cassius Clay) in 1963, before their bout at Wembley Stadium, which concluded due to an eye injury to Cooper. A rematch at Arsenal Stadium in 1966, with Ali defending his world heavyweight championship, ended in almost identical circumstances. Yet, Cooper persisted in pugilistic prowess until 1971 and after retiring remained a cherished public figure, gracing the advertisements of Brut aftershave and commanding attention as a revered speaker at banquets. Sir Henry Cooper was granted pardon from this mortal coil at the age of 76 on 1 May 2011.

Wednesday, May 1, 2024

Born #OTD 1934: Shirley Horn

Shirley Horn, photographed by Keter Betts, circa 1961

In celebration of the life of the incomparable singer and pianist, Shirley Horn, a native of Washington D.C. who on this day would have seen her ninetieth year.

Adele Mara, 1923-2010

Adele Mara, an American actress of Spanish descent, here depicted adorning the pages of Cinelandia magazine, circa 1947. Hailing from the Detroit area, this noble lady was not only a skilled actress but also an accomplished singer and dancer. She is best remembered for her roles in westerns, having appeared in numerous film and television productions over a span of 37 years. Of particular note, she did share the screen with John Wayne in the iconic films 'Wake of the Red Witch' (1948) and 'Sands of Iwo Jima' (1949). Furthermore, she did attain top billing in the 1945 film noir 'The Tiger Woman', as well as the 1948 western 'Angel in Exile'. Adele Mara lived a life replete with accomplishment, departing from this mortal realm at the venerable age of 87 in 2010.

‘One good joint deserves another’

Alberto Vargas for Playboy magazine, circa 1975.