Ma…he’s making eyes at her

One of my favorite old-time radio anecdotes was told by Burns and Allen writer (and later creator of the classic television sitcoms The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction) Paul Henning in my Facebook chum Jordan R. Young’s invaluable book on comedy writing, The Laugh Crafters.  Henning related how being George Burns’ brother—Willy—was not an enviable position at times. For example, one day…

Movies I’ve stared at recently on TCM (and IFC and Sundance TV) #66

Barring any cataclysmic planetary interruptions for the rest of this weekend, it will be Thrilling Days of Yesteryear’s pleasure to resurrect its long dormant Doris Day(s) feature beginning tomorrow, April 21—so don’t anyone complain that they didn’t get prior warning.  In the meantime, here are a few random features that I’ve watched courtesy of (ka-ching!) AT&T U-Verse’s…

Cinematic Vegetables (Part one in a continuing series)

The last time sister Kat was in town to pay us a visit (for the uninformed, she moved to the wilds of the PNW with her partner and my nephew back in April of 2013) she cracked a Napoleon Dynamite joke after seeing a half-gallon of 2% milk in our refrigerator.  She then learned, as I have in similar situations,…