Always The Pariah....

Found here

Hot, Sweet & Blue

Phantom Lady - Robert Siodmak - 1944 - Unexpected Hipster #7

Another noir featuring an unexpected hipster, Siodmak's Phantom Lady's hipster - Cliff, played beautifully by Elisha Cook Jr., is a hipster more of the zoot suited variety. Cliff is a drummer who plays in a square stage group musical dealy by night and after hours he heads to various apartment jam sessions to beat his little heart out. Cliff is only in the story for a short time as he is merely a small player in the scheme to frame a man for murder. Cliff steals the scene though, when he takes Carol "Kansas" Richman to a jam session. You can cut the sexual tension with a knife. Kansas, however, has other plans. She knows that her boss has been framed and she's determined to find the guilty party and she knows that Cliff has the info she needs, so she gets all tarted up and lets him think she's going to put out later.

Long ago I began to accept that not all noir films have endings that leave you deflated although those are the ones I like the most. I always feel like when the ending reflects the tone of the film, there is more closure...or something...anyway, Phantom Lady is not one of those films, but it is very stylishly shot and the cast really chews up the screen with some great acting. I was particularly taken with Ella Raines as Kansas. I'd love to see more of her.

"Chicki, chicki, chicki, chicki..."

"...Cha!"

"Marcella, I know you're awake, I could see your light on from downstairs."

"Well, who are you? What do you want?"

"Where were you around 8:00 tonight?"

No answer...

"ehhh!"

"Told you not to get pistachio."

"How's yours?"

"Never go wrong on vanilla."

Kansas staring down the barman

"Say! You look even better than you did sittin' in the theatre. You could have

knocked me cold when you gave me the eye."

"Gee! You sure know how to beat it out."

"Thanks, baby. You and I are gonna have fun tonight. You like jazz?"

"You bet! I'm a hep kitten!"

Paaaarrrrrp!

Rattattattat!

"You know how interesting a pair of hands can be? They can trick melody

out of a piano keyboard, they can mold beauty out of a piece of common

clay, they can bring life back to a dying child. Yeah, a pair of hands can do

inconceivable good, yet the same pair of hands can do terrible evil, can destroy,

whip, torture, even kill. I wish I didn't have to use my hands to hurt another

human being."

"Look, this is a man's job!"

"I'm sorry, but I can't just sit by. That woman must be somewhere in this city.

One word from her and Scott could walk out of there a free man."

"Hello! HELLO!!"

Kerouac on the CBC

Kerouac explaning the "Beat Generation" in french

More Canadian Beats

Filmed at The Bohemian Embassy in Toronto's Gerrard Street Villiage.

I'd love to see this whole program.

Like...Canadian Beats, eh

Found here

Beatnik Photos

A lot of great photos, in general, at this blog. Several beatnik photos including this

one of Dick Woods at the Gaslight Coffee House in Greenwich Village.

Beats On TV - Honey West - Episode 11- A Stitch In Crime

Now, I've been nurturing a small crush on TV's most charming female P.I. for quite

some time now, but this episode put me over the edge.

In "A Stitch In Crime" Honey and her macho sidekick, Sam Bolt are in charge of minding

a collection of haute couture for a designer in L.A.. However, they get hijacked by a gang

of juvenile Delinquents who steal the dresses. There's nothing particularly ingenious

with the plot here, the important part is that one of the J.D.'s is a guitar picker and he

hangs out in a coffee house called The Far Out. Honey and Sam decide to go incognito

so that they can watch the characters and get more info.

It's weird how TV shows would utilize beatniks, well into the 60's, when actual beats were

getting a little long in the tooth and giving way to the folk song kiddies and hippies.

Whatever, it works, and gets a laugh.

"They don't believe us, Sam."

The Far Out Coffee House

"I hear that note, that one great note and I get the message, but in the corner, where do we hide ? Hide, hide hide hide.

"Won't you be my valentine ?"

"Yeah, any day of the year, man."

The Way Out Room

"Like, way way out."

Ken Nordine - Word Jazz

A truly fantastic album of jazz and poetry. I would have posted it myself ages ago except...I don't have a copy !!

So, thank you thank you thank you to baikinange over at Schadenfreudian Therapy for posting it. Now go over there and get it, pronto.

Some Panels From "The Man From Harlem" By Guido Crepax

Like, Happy Birthday

I was gonna save this for when somebody I knew was having a birthday, but

what the heck...