THE STEAMING POOP - LITERALLY

If dog owners are supposed to follow "pooper scooper" laws and pick up the mess left behind, then why aren't the mounted police held to the same standard?

The above pic was taken along The Embarcadero today at lunch.

Ugh.

WITH APOLOGIES

As much as I love the 80's, there are a few things from that era that I am truly sorry for and Bruce Willis' 1987 album, "The Return of Bruno," is one of them.

He needs to apologize as well.

GRACIOUS HOME

This house is exquisite, I'd like to make an offer.

Built in 1961, the Joseph Eichler-designed home, located at 15 Cabrillo Court in San Rafael, is currently on the market for $1.399 Million.

SOCK IT TO ME

Goldie Hawn tried to give me a kiss at ABC Carpet and Home in 1998.

THOSE WERE THE DAYS

I came across some old pictures of San Francisco and thought I'd post 'em up here.

The first is somewhere on Nob Hill and the second is, of course, Fisherman's Wharf.

The last is probably my favorite. It's the intersection of Stockton and Geary, right in the heart of Union Square. Notice everyone is in hats. The Hotel Plaza (in the background) has since been torn down and replaced with the Grand Hyatt.

The more things change the more they stay the same, huh?

NOT EVEN NOMINATED - 1941

1941's The Wolf Man is largely considered the last great horror film to be released by Univeral Pictures (a period that included classics such as The Mummy, Dracula, and Frankenstein). It's the type of film that, at least during this period in Hollywood, would never find it's place on a list of "Oscar nominess," which is too bad. At the top of that list should have been, for Best Actress in a Supporting Role, Maria Ouspenskaya.

She plays the role of Maleva, the gypsy (and mother to the character played by Bela Lugosi) who gives Lon Chaney, Jr. (as Lyle Talbot, The Wolfman), his sad fortune:

Maleva: "Whoever is bitten by a werewolf and lives becomes a werewolf himself"

L. Talbot: "Ah, don't hand me that. You're just wasting your time"

Maleva: "The wolf bit you, didn't he?"

IT'S A WONDERFUL NIGHT FOR OSCAR, OSCAR, OSCAR, WHO WILL WIN - 1939

More often than not, the Academy Award doesn't go to the deserving winner and 1939 was no different. 1939 is considered by film fans and historians to be the best year Hollywood ever had, creatively speaking, and the list of films released that year back that up. 

I can only imagine how difficult it must have been for Oscar voters to have had so many terrific films to choose from. 

 The nominees for Best Actor that year is a who's-who of fondly remembered stars, and they were: 

 Robert Donat for "Goodbye, Mr. Chips" 

Mickey Rooney for "Babes in Arms" 

Clark Gable for "Gone With The Wind" 

James Stewart for "Mr. Smith Goes To Washington" 

Laurence Olivier for "Wuthering Heights" 

Who won: Robert Donat. Who should have won: Clark Gable. 

Both Robert Donat and Clark Gable were under contract at MGM, the studio that produced the films both actors were nominated for (well, technically, GWTW was produced by David O. Selznick but MGM had bought the distribution rights in exchange for loaning out Mr. Gable). While "Mr. Chips" was well received by critics, it was largely ignored by audiences. 

GWTW, however, was not only a critical success but it was a HUGE box office hit as well (in fact, it's the highest-grossing film of all time, when adjusted for inflation). In an attempt to boost ticket sales for "Mr. Chips," L.B. Mayer (chairman of MGM) secretly campaigned for Donat in the hopes that more moviegoers would rush to see the film that won the award for Best Actor. Robert Donat was awarded the coveted statuette, but Mayer's plan didn't work and the movie sank at the box office. 

Gable, however, turned in a career-defining performance that he is still remembered for to this day, so he really won after all. By the way, Gable was presented with a Best Actor Oscar for his brilliant comedic turn in 1934's "It Happened One Night."

THE DEMON BROKER OF WALL . . . STREET

Word on the street is that one of my favorite movies, American Psycho, is being turned into a Broadway musical.

Tony-award winning composer Duncan (Spring Awakening) Shiek is writing the score, and HBO's Big Love writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa penning the book.

No word yet on when or where this little opus will play but I find this news to be very exciting. The idea of a musical based on this disturbingly brilliant film is so subversive.

I can't wait to see if it comes to fruition.

NOW AND ZEN

GAY ACTIVISTS STICK IT TO THE SUPREME COURT PRINCETON-STYLE

Opponents of the anti-gay marriage law Proposition 8 had hoped to have the trial in federal court broadcast on YouTube (the constitutionality of the law is being contested). Unfortunately, the U.S. Supreme Court said no. However, 2 Los Angeles filmmakers have come up with a genius plot to get around the ruling.

They, along with several bloggers and some famous Hollywood actors, have begun re-enactments using court transcripts. You can check out those re-enactments at http://www.marriagetrial.com/.