'Six Characters in Search of a Play' DVD: Shores' Sordid Sources

The Breaking Glass Pictures DVD of the one-awesome-man stage show "Six Characters in Search of a Play" provides a nice segue to the soon-to-be-released Del Shores short-story collection titled The Sordid Lives Saga: Before the Trip. The DVD is available from online retailers; fans of the written word can pre-order a personalized copy of the book from delshores.com for the apt price of $32.09, rather than the inflation -adjusted cost of $34.09.

The performance focuses on the titular sextet that plays a role in the hilarious white-trash fare of southern Baptist sissy Shores. The MUST-READ book consists of the intertangled character studies of the fictionalized trailer and tract-home dwelling residents of Shores' hometown of Winters, Texas. These works add to the mountain of proof that nobody does Dallas better than Del. 

The final digression before discussing "Characters" is a PSA for a cause that is near-and-dear to the heart of everyone's favorite son of a preacher man. The Del Shores Foundation financially supports screenplays and scripts by LGBTQ authors. The general idea is to allow these voices from The Bible Belt to be heard.

"Characters" is filmed live before a studio-theater audience. It opens with righteous dude Del gleefully making the sordid confession that he is a thief. The basis of this admission of grand-theft guffaws is that Shores bases the 'verses of "Sordid Lives" and of other work that includes the aggravatingly difficult-to-find "Daddy's Dyin', Who's Got the Will?" on friends, family, and people whom he encounters in his travels. 

The rest of the origin story relates to the title of the work. Shores shares that the inspiration this time is a play titled "Six Characters in Search of an Author." That one has a group of fictional characters unexpectedly pop up in the real world. 

The most prominent character in this bunch is the real-life Aunt Sissy of Shores. His telling of her final days reinforces the sense that Beth Grant nails that role in the "Sordid" series. 

This story begins with Sissy being on her deathbed not preventing her from expressing disappointment that Shores, who has gone out of his way to visit her, has not brought one of his beloved chihuahuas. We also hear how this real-life Thelma "Mama" Harper does not care that her desire as to her final resting place is illegal. One can easily picture  Vicki Lawrence saying "Good Lord, Eunice. I don't give a damn if it is illegal. I'm an old woman, and I can have my ashes spread wherever I damn well please. Now hand me the pork rinds and get the Hell out of here." 

In true Shores style of taking a joke one step further, our host shares that the potential for publicity is behind his willingness to risk an unfortunate incarceration to spread the ashes of Sissy as requested. Readers of Saga will know that Shores does not consider losing a gym membership an acceptable penalty for breaking the law.

The next best-well known character is real-life actress Sarah Hunley, who portrays barfly Juanita Bartlett in the "Sordid" franchise. The Saga insights include the childhood experiences behind Juanita becoming the Norm Peterson of the Winters dive around which much of the "Sordid" activity is centered.

The vivid storytelling of Shores evokes strong images of real-life Golden Age star turned tragic alcoholic Marie Prevost. Unlike Prevost, Bartlett never became a household name but was beloved among the version of The Mercury Players in the plays and films of Shores. 

This portion of the film arguably has the best line in "Characters." Shores shares that "Characters" producer Emerson Collins, who is the Joseph Cotton in this tight-knit group, states that he does not need Bartlett to be completely sober for the filming of the "A Very Sordid Wedding" sequel but does need her to be able to stand.

We also hear how Shores (presumably with a box of Whitman chocolates) goes to visit Bartlett in her (presumably shabby) WeHo apartment to find her engaged in her daily routine of drinking alcohol, chain smoking, and watching The Game Show Network. The response of Bartlett to Shores expressing concern that she is drunk every time that he telephones her truly is laugh-out-loud funny.

The "unsung heroes" of characters include an encounter with a fan who becomes a monkey on the back of Shores, and an ultra right-wing Republican relative with good intentions who essentially crashes the funeral of Sissy to which the aforementioned pet is invited. 

A chance encounter with a good-ole boy at the hilariously named real-life Kum & Go gas stations is the segment that proves that Shores is more than a pretty face. This story has Del make an amazing transformation with a minor costume change and incredible alteration of his facial expression and mannerisms. 

BGP does its usual excellent job with special features. An introduction by Shores tells the tale of the inspiration for this depiction of the source material for the work that has made him a minor gay celebrity. The extras also include an interview with Collins and promos for the "Characters" tour. 

Langenstein's Markets of New Orleans Do Not Let the Good Times Roll

 

As the old joke goes, I would like to say that I received a little Mardi Gras joy during a challenging winter of comfortable isolation. 

The fact that Langenstein's markets of New Orleans reneged on a year-long promise to mail me a treat COMPLETELY at my expense was stressful; the manner in which they REFUSED to do ANYTHING to make it better aggravated me to the extent that it exacerbated a serious medical condition and caused emotional distress. The textbook business management aspects of all this warrant this detour into Blogland.

The broad background of this tale of woe is that your New England-based not-so-humble reviewer has visited New Orleans four times and had thoughts of returning post-Covid and of making it a winter home. The appeal lies not in the drinking and debauchery for which The Big Easy is known, but the unique style, culture, and food of the city. Readers of the Inn Credible New England posts on this site know of my disdain for cookie-cutter hotels and communities. 

The delicacies of The Crescent City include king cakes, which are glorified sugar-coated coffee cakes that offer a variety of fillings. The lore of this Mardi Gras treat is that a plastic baby Jesus is baked into it, and that the person who finds that newborn must host the party the following year. Sadly, these cakes and most other New Orleans sweets are almost impossible to find in any New England store.

The rest of this story is that getting a king cake, which arguably has a $15 retail value, shipped typically costs $50 and often more. An aspect of this is that the big boys, who are far from po', that include Haydels and Randazzos ship these semi-perishable baked goods via expedited FedEx or UPS. As a guy who has found sugar-laden week-old king cakes adequately fresh, sending them via the U.S. mail is a reasonable alternative so long as the filling is not cream-based.

As indicated above, an employee who ships products for Langenstein's told me last year when I tried to order a king cake that they were out but that she would mail a cake this year. She remembered speaking to me when I called this past Friday, and she repeated the promise to mail the cake as well as other Mardi Gras sweets that I wanted to order. She also told me that she was wrapping up her day and asked that I call back this past Tuesday. 

On my calling, the same employee acknowledged the repeated pledges to use the postal service to send the king cake. The only extra effort  that this would have required compared to FedExing a package would have been to have a free box sent from the post office and going online to calculate the cost. She knew that I gladly would have paid the postage. 

Also as indicated above, the article-worthy aspects of this series of unfortunate incidents relates to the case-study elements of what I consider a deplorable manner in which Langenstein's operates. 

The broadest aspect of this is the complete failure of Langenstein's to show awareness of the basic principle that the customer is not always right but always is the customer. 

If CEO Ellis Lanaux or COO Trey Lanaux had responded in any manner, tears and recriminations would have been avoided and I likely would have had my desired treats without the company losing a penny. I also would have continued my practice of shopping in their Uptown store when in New Orleans. 

Neither executive acknowledged any of the telephone message that a REFUSAL to provide a more direct number required leaving with a store manager. Nor did these "suits" respond at all to outreach via LinkedIn and direct e-mails.

A related (pun intended) factor is the practice of disingenuously identifying businesses that the same clan has operated for years as "family-owned" to create a pretense that their operating model reflects "peace, love, and understanding." This is akin to my consistent experience that every politician or CEO who identifies herself as a mother lacks any iota of caring as to how she conducts business. 

Another example of this principle is that I am an animal lover to the extent that I say "doggie" just about any time that I see a canine, stop to pet just about every furry creature that I encounter when walking, and quickly bond with all creatures great and small. However, I do not publicly identify that element of my personality because doing so would falsely assert that these warm-and-fuzzy feelings extend to the general population of homo sapiens. 

A more narrow aspect of this is the decades-old management theory that the quality of the leadership of a family business deteriorates with each generation. My experience with fifth-generation grocer Ellis supports that. This also seems to be a theme of the HBO sitcom "Succession."

Reading about that theory while studying for my management degree at a top-ranked school years ago precludes providing definitive details as the reason for this phenomenon. PURE speculation is that these "kids" resent having to spend most of their lives from tweenage to adulthood "helping out" and/or have a sense of entitlement as to occupying the corner office of the increasingly large family empire and not even having to worry about keeping any outside directors happy. There also be some cases of the offspring being "pulled back in" out of a sense of duty. Some of this might be akin to senior tenured professors at institutions of higher-learning who know that their employment is secure regardless of the quality of their work.

A more period-specific theory is that many companies unduly exaggerate the acknowledged tough challenges of keeping the doors open during a pandemic. This animal lover is sympathetic to the folks who must face an unhappy public these days, but this does not excuse a lack of a reasonable effort to conduct business. I suspect that I am far from alone as to walking away from many businesses the past two years and pledging to stay away after it is safe to go back in the water. 

The bottom line this time is that a year of looking forward to a little joy during a Covid period in which chemotherapy is a recent memory unnecessarily ended up being another in an endless string of days of suck the past two years. 

'Dancing Pirate' BD and DVD: Broadway Star Shakes Technicolor Booty

 

The Film Detective cracks an especially important case by tracking down the only existing nitrate print of "Dancing Pirate" (1936). 

The claim to fame of this Oscar-nominated romcom swashbuckler musical is that it is the first full-length technicolor song-and-dance flick. The must-see Ballyhoo Motion Pictures documentary "Glorious Pioneers: The Birth of Technicolor" tells the intertwined origin stories of that technology and that movie in a manner that will make you give a damn my dear.

The wizardry of this production makes it apt that the perfectly cast wonderful leader of the merry old land of Oz himself Frank Morgan portrays the mayor of the California community where our current absurd comedy at its best occurs.

The following aptly bright-and-bold Detective promo for "Pirate" shows that adding the Blu-ray version of this buried treasure to your home-video library is a no-brainer. The showcased charm and humor make this gem the perfect grog to ease the pain of our highly troubled times. 

This 19th-centrury portrait of the titular pirate commences with a clever opening shot that excellently utilizes the technology of the day. Jonathan Pride (Broadway star Charles Collins) is teaching the Beacon Hill crowd the scandalous new dance the waltz in his Boston studio just ahead of travelling to his aunt. 

The first in a series of unfortunate circumstances that fully set our story in motion is that Jonathan gets a Shanghai style surprise on his way to the station. He later awakens to find that he is not in Massachusetts anymore. 

The new literal galley slave manages to jump ship in California only to find that he has gone from the frying pan into the fire. The locals who capture him do not believe that his assertions of innocence. This leads to terrific actual gallows humor. The ensuing laugh-out-loud hilarity is a "Pirate" highlight. 

The "rom" in this "com" centers around the relationship of "beast" Jonathan and local belle Serafina (Steffi Duna), who is the daughter of the mayor. She is the disregarded voice of reason in this community with heavy shades of the dim-witted residents of Hooterville in the "Green Acres" and "Petticoat Junction" sitcom 'verse.

Serafina uses her charming wit and wisdom to delay the unfortunate incarceration of whom she knows to be an innocent man. The arrival of the Gaston of our tale as old as time further complicates things. Seemingly dashing and virtuous Don Balthazar comes riding in from Monterey Jack and soon seeks to bring Jonathan when he goes back. This requires Serafina, who enjoys dancing in the dark, to use her feminine powers of persuasion to save her man.

A subsequent scene in which Balthazar and the mayor negotiate a dowry that literally involves buying the cow and not giving away the milk for free is another "Pirate" highlight. It, like every other scene in which Morgan appears, proves the perfect casting of the wizard in "Oz." 

The climatic wedding scene with vague shades of "The Graduate" provides a perfect end to this fable. Another laugh-out-loud moment comes when Balthazar realizes that his groomsmen do not have his back. 

The epilogue is equally good in that it involves a fitting variation of the trope of riding off into the sunset. This is all part of the mandatory Hollywood ending.

The Ballyhoo twofer that Detective offers pairs "Pioneers" with a featurette on "Pirate." This "True Hollywood Story" discusses the place of the film in motion-picture history.

Detective additionally includes an essay on "Pirate" that is one of the best of the best written of the excellent short histories that supplement these releases. 

'The Capture' BD & DVD: Sturges Does Ford

The Film Detective recent Blu-ray and DVD releases of the John Sturges ("The Great Escape") action/romance/western film "The Capture" (1950) adds to the mountain of proof that the style and substance of tales of the not-so-final frontier greatly extends beyond cattle stampedes and showdowns. This film also is further evidence of the skill of Detective as to finding the best films that you never watched.

Despite this typically masterfully restored film meeting the high Detective standards in most regards, the absence of an insightful and entertaining Ballyoo Motion Pictures documentary is disappointing. The truly good gumshoes at Detective compensate by having Boston broadcasting legend and righteous dude Dana Hersey narrate insightful and entertaining featurettes on Sturges and leading lady Teresa Wright. 

The well-earned fame of Hersey stems from hosting the must-see "Movie Loft" series on WSBK Channel 38 in The Athens of America long before TCM existed and Robert Osborne earned well-deserved fame for sharing insights about a wide variety of films. Hersey also co-hosted the HILARIOUS Channel 38 series "Ask The Manager" that involved answering the letter from viewers about fare such as "The Three Stooges," "Hogan's Heroes," and "Rocky and Bullwinkle." 

These features make one hope that Hersey screened "Capture" on "Loft" back in the day. 

The following Detective SPOILER-LADEN promo. for "Capture" highlights the awesome Silver Age noir vibe of the film and the playful chemistry between Wright and leading man Ayres. This not-necessarily fatal attraction fully comes through in a scene in which Lin Vanner (Ayres) entertains Ellen (Wright) with a bath that is much more vaudeville than burlesque.

Our story begins with a noir staple cum modern film trope. We meet Lin riding through desolate country on the run from the law. This leads to taking refuge at the rustic home of a priest and the subsequent figurative "24 hours ago" time shift to the commencement of the events that brought us to the present conflict.

Lin begins his tale of woe by stating that he is the well-liked and respected boss at an oil-field when the latest in a series of essentially stage-coach ambushes of the company payroll triggers the series of unfortunate incidents that bring us to the present. This commences with the "bros before hos" 'tude of Lin ending his office romance. 

The hunt of Lin for the prime suspect ends with finding that man on the trail. An ultimately fatal misunderstanding leads to our upstanding citizen essentially shooting the "outlaw" in the back. Guilt and other negative emotions result in Lin deciding to get out of Dodge.

An epitome of a Hollywood coincidence results in Lin ending up on the home turf of the suspected robber. This pattern continues with Lin becoming the sole hired hand of unsuspecting young widow/mother Ellen. The obvious underlying theme is that Lin feels that he is doing penance for his "sin."

Of course, the awful truth comes out. This fully turns our story into a combination of "The Goodbye Girl" and "The Taming of The Shrew" as Lin tries to endure the gleeful torment of Ellen while also scheming to have true love prevail. This culminates in one of the best scenes of "Capture" in which all the dirty laundry gets a thorough cleaning.

This confrontation leads to Lin once again hitting the trail in search of truth, justice, and the American way. Thus leading to the subsequent manhunt supports the theory that no good deed goes unpunished. 

Our return to the present leads to the Hays Code Hollywood ending in which justice prevails and those who deserve to live happily ever after achieve that ideal. 

The timeless appeal of this fable about love and honor is that it reminds us of the not-so-distant past in which movies did not rely on "shock-and-awe," the performances of stars rather than actors, or franchises that should have ridden off into the sunset decades ago. 

'Blues for Willadean' DVD: Del Shores Does Tennessee Williams Proud

The Del Shores Oscar-worthy film "Blues for Willadean" (2012), which is available on DelShores.com. awesomely channels "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." This shouldbeena classic strikes a "just-right" balance between the pathos of "Southern Baptist Sissies" with the more "Mama's Family" sensibility of Shores' better-known "Sordid Lives" franchise. 

A warning as to "Sissies" is that it WILL make your eyes leak through at least five viewings; they will get misty even thinking about that film. 

A note as to "Sordid" is that the trailer where most of the "Willadean" action occurs and the dive where most of the swilling of Pabst Blue Ribbon in that universe takes place will look very familiar to "Sordid" fans. Shores proves that you can go home again.

We also get the same attention to detail that Shores brings to all of his work. The "Willadean" sets are perfect; the kicking of the feet after the falling off the stool near the end of the famous "$32.09" scene in "Sordid Lives" is sublime. 

The big picture this time is that "Willadean" is the epitome of the work of a Southern gay playwright that son of a preacher man Shores supports through The Del Shores Foundation. That non-profit issues grants to produce works by good ole boys who like the all-American boy next door. 

The dirt-street cred of "Willadean" stems from the strong neo-modern Tennessee Williams vibe of this tale of this real battered housewife of a trailer park in the white-trash community of Mesquite, Texas. 

The associated exceptional live-stage feel of the production is attributable to Shores basing the production on his deservedly awards-laden play "The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife." Those accolades contribute to the WTF response to the lack of any Oscar love for the film and even more glaring as to Beth "Sissy" Grant, who reprises her role as the titular not-so-happy homemaker. Shores and Grant truly waz robbed. 

Our story begins with scenes of a honky tonk performance of the titular tune interspersed with Willadean scurrying like a petrified bunny to have things in order before her Ralph Kramden from Hell husband JD gets home. All this gets put on hold to call over neighbor Lasagna (nee LaSonia) (Oscar winner and "Trials" cast member Octavia Spencer) to watch one of their favorite low-brow talk shows that make Willadean and Lassgna look like members of the Algonquin Round Table. 

Shores uses this scene to convey three primary themes of "Willadean." Our Alice and Trixie delight in trash-talking about new trailer-park neighbor/bar waitress Rayleen Hobbs (Dale "Glyndora" Dickey) and being cruel without any kindness as the mother-daughter strippers/evangelists on the TV show. This demonstrates the delight that most of us enjoy as to feeling superior to those whom we consider to be beneath us.

Willadean becoming frantic on the television dying illustrates two other central concepts. The first is terror as to the anticipated beating by JD on his coming home to learn that he cannot watch his game. The broader message is the example of blue-collar life. Speaking as one who did not give much thought to going to spending a few hundred dollars at Best Buy twice on two televisions breaking within nine months of each other, many of us do not think about the working stiffs who cannot make such a purchase every few years.

Shores, Grant and JD portrayer David Steen truly bring on the Williams in the first simmering scene between our spouses. Willadean and the audience equally anticipate a smackdown any second. Shores and Steen particularly shine as to a monologue in which we learn the trials and tribulations of a trailer trash husband. These include kicking his still-estranged gay 16 year-old son out of the double-wide years ago. Another touch of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf" comes later when we learn the fate of the namesake of our villain. 

Shores especially shines as to a monologue in which Rayleen provides graphic details about her first lesbian encounter. This reminiscence shows that John Bon Jovi knows about what he speaks. 

Our tale of woe progresses to the expected blackening of the eye and then apologizing and related rationalization regarding that brutal abusing that Willadean has down pat. The better news this time is that Willadean acts on an exit strategy with a real chance of success after hearing the gospel truth. The audience will think that Willadean now is a thoroughly modern Millie who will make it after all.

The range and related brilliance of Shores comes through in a climax that is a much darker version of a pivotal scene in "Sordid." The awful truth here is that JD has fully hulked out and is no taking any prisoners. The one sure thing is that at least one character either is going to end up in the free clinic on the wrong side of the tracks or in a cardboard coffin. It is equally guaranteed that the audience will feel the same shock and awe as the survivors.