Tony Blankley: "Hillary's Faux Experience"

Tony Blankey is one of a number of conservative commentators -- Deroy Murdock is another -- to point out that Hillary is claiming to have "experience" without actually having any, other than her few years in the Senate.

Any experience she might have had, in an unelected role in the White House, is being deliberately covered up due to the suppression of her White House papers.

Will the mainstream media start asking Hillary directly to prove up her experience? I won't hold my breath waiting...

Dodgers Have First Rose Parade Float

The Los Angeles Dodgers are celebrating their 50th anniversary in Los Angeles with their first-ever Rose Parade float this New Year's Day.

A terrific who's who of Dodger greats will be riding on the float, including announcers Vin Scully and Jaime Jarrin, organist Nancy Bea Hefley, former manager Tommy Lasorda, "Peanut Man" Roger Owens, Ann Meyers Drysdale (widow of former pitcher and announcer Don Drysdale), Fernando Valenzuela, Wes Parker, Carl Erskine, Don Newcombe, and more.

Union 76 gas stations -- a Dodgers sponsor for the last half-century -- are having a promotion for fans to earn Rose Parade pins.

Fans who want to help decorate the float can visit FAWW Decoration.

My daughter worked on the Rotary Club float during her high school years, thanks to her participation in the Interact Club, and it was a wonderful experience. We're hopeful our son will have the same experience later this year.

New Website: Real Clear Sports

The folks at Real Clear Politics have a great-looking new website, Real Clear Sports.

It's set up much like Real Clear Politics, with a compendium of the day's interesting sports stories, and the sidebars have link lists for different sports, along with schedules and videos.

I've added the site to my blogroll under "Miscellany."

Enjoy!

Vaccination Bullies

Michelle Malkin's post on "vaccination bullies" struck a chord with me...as much as I appreciate most vaccinations and the good health they've made possible for so many of us, I'm also disturbed by "vaccination bullies," particularly those who are pushing "politically correct" vaccinations for diseases which aren't easily communicable, Gardasil being the latest example.

I've run into vaccination bullies myself, such as the hospital staff members who were aghast I refused to vaccinate my under-one-day-old baby for Hepatitis B. I calmly explained my baby was not going to go home and have unprotected sex or be stuck with drug needles, and that I didn't think a vaccination 18 hours after birth was a wise decision. Happily, our wonderful pediatrician -- unlike Michelle's -- thought the decision to delay the vaccination was quite reasonable.

I also ran into the vaccination bullies in a school setting, when our oldest was in elementary school. Prior to Open House, the school nurse put up posters in each 6th grade classroom with the names and vaccination records of all the children -- the big push was on to "snare" those children who hadn't yet had the Hep B vaccine -- in order to show which children had had all their vaccinations and were "ready for junior high." Those children with complete vaccination records were rewarded with candy.

I pointed out to the principal that it was wrong to reward or punish children based on decisions which were solely an adult responsibility, and also that she had allowed children's confidential medical records to be published to the entire school via the posters. Before that incident was all over, the school district's attorney was having nurses at four different elementary schools pull vaccination charts off classroom walls, as they were indeed in violation of the law.

Somehow I don't think that elementary principal was too broken up when my younger children were pulled out of her school for good a year or so later. :)

Mike Huckabee: I'm Not Impressed

Mike Huckabee was interviewed by Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday yesterday. The transcript is here and video is here.

I was unimpressed with Huckabee's answers regarding tax increases while he was governor of Arkansas.

When asked about a tax on nursing homes, Huckabee said it wasn't a tax, it was a "quality assurance fee."

This is reminiscent of California's Governor Schwarzenegger wanting to pay for his universal health care proposal with new "fees" on doctors and hospitals.

In each case, I didn't care for the semantic evasion.

When it came to the video of then Governor Huckabee asking the state legislature to send him proposals for tax increases, Huckabee's defense was, in essence, that he had to put everything on the table, including taxes, in order to keep the all-Democrat state legislature from shutting down the government.

So what would a President Huckabee do with an all-Democratic Congress, give them whatever they want?

Some leadership.

In the past I've also been unimpressed with Huckabee's attitudes toward illegal immigration; he seems to equate Christian charity with needing to condone law-breaking. I saw him on HANNITY & COLMES a few days ago justifying giving illegal aliens educational financial breaks over American citizens from other states because the illegal alien children had "been educated in Arkansas" (thanks to their law-breaking parents). He was extremely dismissive of those who disagree with his point of view.

Many social conservatives see Huckabee as a charming guy who is a potential "white knight." I just don't see it...I see an edgy, tax-raising nanny-stater.

National Review (subject link) seems of the same mindset: "Several of the Republican presidential candidates share Huckabee’s views on abortion and same-sex marriage. On domestic-policy issues, however, he stands alone. Thankfully."

Tuesday Update: Jonah Goldberg of NRO writes that Mike Huckabee "represents compassionate conservatism on steroids," and describes Huckabee as a "statist" who is a "right-wing progressive."

Around the Blogosphere This Week

Here are a handful of the interesting stories I've come across in the last few days, starting with "Barack Obama, Neocon" at the subject link above. This piece by John Hinderaker of Power Line points out that "What is weird about Obama and other Democrats who pay lip service, at least, to the value of democracy is that they seem willing to apply the principle to every country in the world except Iraq."

9th Circuit Supports Bush Administration On State Secrets Objection: Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters on the "most liberal appellate court in the federal judiciary" giving the Bush Administration a big victory in the ongoing litigation over surveillance of terrorists. More from WLS at Patterico.

Mi Casa, Sue Casa: John Fund at Opinion Journal: "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has moved to kill an amendment that would protect employers from federal lawsuits for requiring their workers to speak English. Among the employers targeted by such lawsuits: the Salvation Army." The mind boggles...

Democrat Admits: S-CHIP is the Universal Health Care Trojan Horse: Michelle Malkin on former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack's explanation of the plans to incrementally expand federal insurance, leading to universal health care.

Does Marrying Bill Clinton Qualify Someone to Be President?: Er, no. John Hawkins at TownHall.

Policy Fred: A National Review Online editorial on Fred Thompson: "...he is the first candidate in either party to come out with solid plans to reform Social Security and immigration. And while most candidates have called for increasing the size of the military, Thompson laid out a detailed plan to achieve that end in a Tuesday speech at the Citadel Military College. On these issues, Thompson has set a standard for specificity, conservatism, and soundness that we would like to see the other Republican candidates measure up to."

The Secret? It's Not the Potatoes: Pre-Thanksgiving advice from Julia Moskin at the New York Times on how to achieve perfect mashed potatoes.

Patriotism: Not Quite Dead in the Public Schools: Full circle back to Power Line, and a lovely rendition of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" by students in Minnesota. John Hinderaker shot it with his digital camera and there isn't much of a picture, but the sound quality is excellent and the performance is superb; the students should be very proud. This is a classic arrangement of a great song; if memory serves, this is the same arrangement which was sung at the National Cathedral on September 14, 2001.

Coming to DVD: An Affair to Remember

January 15, 2008, is the release date for the new two-disc 50th Anniversary Edition of AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER. As most film fans already know, the movie stars Cary Grant and Deborah Kerr.

This new two-disc edition expands on the fine 2003 Fox Studio Classics release. The extras on the 2003 release included an AMC BACKSTORY episode on the making of the film and a commentary track by film historian Joseph McBride and Deborah Kerr's singing double, Marni Nixon. All of the extras from the 2003 release appear to be included in the 50th Anniversary set.

DVD Times has a complete listing of extras. The 50th Anniversary edition contains several new featurettes as well as a new transfer of the film.

Tonight's Movie: Public Enemy's Wife (1936)

PUBLIC ENEMY'S WIFE is 69 minutes of great Warner Bros. fun, as G-man Pat O'Brien marries a mobster's ex-wife (Margaret Lindsay) in order to snare the mobster (Cesar Romero) when he escapes prison.

The movie isn't always plausible -- for instance, the mountainy Florida coastline looks suspiciously like Malibu, and I highly doubt the wedding in question was legal -- but this is one of those movies where viewers should just enjoy the ride and ask questions later. :) The cast is entertaining, there's nary a dull moment, and the film leaves you smiling at the conclusion.

The supporting cast includes Dick Foran and Robert Armstrong. The film was directed by Nick Grinde. David O. Selznick is one of those credited for the story, which was remade five years later as BULLETS FOR O'HARA.

PUBLIC ENEMY'S WIFE isn't available on video or DVD.

The trailer can be seen here.

CNN: Still the Clinton News Network?

NewsBusters has a most interesting report on CNN's handling of Thursday night's Democratic debate.

CNN appears to have stocked the audience of "undecided Democrats" with questioners who included the former political director of the Arkansas Democratic Party, a former Harry Reid intern (who was directed by CNN to ask Mrs. Clinton the "diamonds or pearls" softball), and a prominent Muslim leader.

CNN also controlled which questions were asked, and refused to intervene when the audience loudly cheered Senator Clinton and booed her opponents.

Add to that Wolf Blitzer refusing to ask the obvious follow-up on Senator Clinton's turnaround on driver's licenses for illegal aliens, and one has to wonder whether CNN was stacking the deck in Hillary's favor.

More on the CNN debate from Hot Air, Dan Riehl, and Dick Morris and Eileen McGann.

Update: DRJ at Patterico's site has more. It appears more of the "undecided voters" were not "ordinary people," but political activists and/or Democratic Party operatives...and the punch line is that the former Reid intern who asked the "diamonds vs. pearls" question is a non-citizen who isn't even eligible to vote.

Fascinating Lives

Two obituaries worth reading: Elizabeth Nel (subject link), who was the last surviving personal secretary who worked for Winston Churchill during World War II; and Monty Westmore, a member of Hollywood's legendary family of makeup artists.

Nel and Westmore were relatively little-known yet significant contributors to two very different areas of 20th Century history. What interesting lives they led.

Tonight's Movie: Too Many Husbands (1940)

Vicky (Jean Arthur) was widowed when her husband Bill (Fred MacMurray) was lost at sea. Six months after Bill's death, Vicky married Bill's best friend and business partner, Hank (Melvyn Douglas). Then Bill, who had been stranded on a desert island, returns from the dead and Vicky suddenly finds herself with TOO MANY HUSBANDS.

Jean Arthur is delightful, secretly enjoying the adoring attention of not one but two men, and she wears a spectacular wardrobe by Irene. (Those hats!) Arthur's acting style is perfect for the befuddled, uncertain wife. Beneath the humor, she also conveys the anguish of loving two men and not wanting to hurt either of them. MacMurray and Douglas have their moments, but they don't have the chance to develop their characters to any great extent, and it's Arthur's movie all the way.

The film is good fun, but Vicky's dithering about which husband to choose does go on a bit too long. The movie's unique feature is also its greatest flaw -- the viewer isn't given a reason to pull for one of the leading men over the other. In fact, at times their endless competition for Vicky makes them unsympathetic. Ultimately, Vicky's dilemma is resolved legally, but not emotionally. The final scene, of the unusual threesome dancing together, aims for whimsy but feels a bit heavy-handed instead, as the characters face what seems to be an uncertain future.

The "spouse returning from a desert island" theme was popular in 1940. Just a few weeks after the release of TOO MANY HUSBANDS, the better-known MY FAVORITE WIFE opened starring Cary Grant and Irene Dunne. In MY FAVORITE WIFE it's the wife who returns from the dead. Cary Grant's character was engaged, not remarried, and as the fiancee (Gail Patrick) was not a sympathetic character, the audience could easily root for Dunne and Grant to reunite...although there was the complication of another man, "Adam" (Randolph Scott), who had been marooned on the island with Dunne.

The supporting cast of TOO MANY HUSBANDS includes Harry Davenport as Arthur's perplexed father, Melville Cooper as the butler, and Edgar Buchanan and Tom Dugan as two suspicious police detectives. All four actors are very funny, with Cooper a standout for his dry reactions to the unusual goings-on in the household.

TOO MANY HUSBANDS runs 84 minutes and was directed by Wesley Ruggles. It was filmed in black and white. The screenplay was based on a play by Somerset Maugham titled HOME AND BEAUTY.

TOO MANY HUSBANDS was remade in 1955 as THREE FOR THE SHOW, starring Betty Grable, Jack Lemmon, and Marge and Gower Champion.

This film has not been released on video or DVD. Click here to indicate interest in a DVD release or to suggest that it be shown on Turner Classic Movies.

TOO MANY HUSBANDS isn't a perfect comedy, but it has some memorable moments and is worth seeing if you're a fan of Jean Arthur or romantic comedies of the '30s and '40s. 

August 2009 Update: TOO MANY HUSBANDS is now available on DVD in the Icons of Screwball Comedy Volume I.

2020 Update: This film is now also available in a three-film Jean Arthur DVD set.

Today at Disneyland: It's Christmas!

Christmastime has come to Disneyland...although I'm still waiting for the word "Christmas" to return to the park after many years of disuse...


Christmas is the most beautiful season of the year at Disneyland...it's hard to blame them for starting this early, it's a massive decorating job and the extended season allows more visitors the opportunity to experience a bit of Disney Christmas magic.

Town Hall is decked out for the season:


Click on any of the photos to enlarge the size.

A detail from the huge Christmas tree at Town Square:


Seasonal flowers at Town Square:


More of the beautiful decorations on Main Street:


This year "Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle" has a new snowy rooftop and lighting for the Christmas season:


There's a very special new event held three different times each evening, in which the castle is lit up while snow falls on Main Street. We happened on this by chance, and it was a beautiful moment, with many happy faces "oohing" and "aahing" as the snow fell and the castle took on a dazzling nighttime look.

The castle photo below is blurry due to the limitations of my digital camera, but the specks in the photo are "snow." If you click to enlarge the photo, you can make out the lighted "icicle" effect a bit better.


If you love Disneyland and Christmas, don't miss the castle lighting, it's really special. Kudos to Disneyland's Imagineers for another wonderful bit of "Disney magic."

Sunday Update: Welcome to readers of Holy Coast.

Monday Update: More photos of the castle transformation at MousePlanet.

Tonight's Movie: Hands Across the Table (1935)

In HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE, it's the heart of the Depression. Manicurist Regi Allen (Carole Lombard) and down-on-his-luck playboy Theodore Drew III (Fred MacMurray), whose family lost its fortune in the stockmarket crash, are each determined to marry for money.

Regi has a likely prospect in a sweet wheelchair-bound millionaire (Ralph Bellamy), while Ted is engaged to a pineapple heiress (Astrid Allwyn). However, when unlikely circumstances lead to Ted boarding at Regi's apartment for a few days, the couple become close and find themselves having to choose between love and money.

This was the first of Lombard and MacMurray's four films together. (THE PRINCESS COMES ACROSS, their second film, was reviewed here last year.) They have excellent chemistry together. It's been a pleasant surprise seeing some of MacMurray's earlier roles in recent months; like most people I associated him mainly with fatherly Disney and TV roles. He had more charisma as a leading man than I expected.

The movie has some interesting contrasts. There is high-spirited fun, such as Lombard impersonating a nasal-voiced long-distance telephone operator ("Bermuda calling!"), after which she and MacMurray collapse in peals of laughter. (According to one article, the director left the camera running after the scene had ended and caught the actors having some genuine laughs.) A late-night love scene between MacMurray and Lombard, before he's due to return to his fiancee, is filled with romantic longing and is superbly acted. Yet the film also has a bit of an edgy, dark tone to it, such as the scene where MacMurray and Lombard scare off one of her suitors by pretending MacMurray is beating her in the next room.

Ralph Bellamy has one of his more appealing "other man" roles in this film -- one really wishes the film had a happy ending for him as well. The supporting cast includes Ruth Donnelly and Marie Provost (who died of alcoholism just a couple years later). William Demarest, who three decades later co-starred with MacMurray in MY THREE SONS, has a small role.

HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE run 80 minutes and was directed by Mitchell Leisen, who made other memorable comedies including EASY LIVING and MIDNIGHT. Leisen's REMEMBER THE NIGHT, starring MacMurray and Barbara Stanwyck, was reviewed here last December.

I've always had a particular interest in Carole Lombard, who was born Jane Peters and related to the Kimberly family of Kimberly-Clark. When I was in college I had a history internship working on photo preservation at the Kimberly Crest estate in Redlands, California. I was able to identify childhood photos of Jane visiting the estate, and my identification was corroborated by a family diary. This "find" led to some local newspaper coverage and a segment in a public TV show called ON CAMPUS.

Carole & Co. is a nice site devoted to Lombard and classic movies.

HANDS ACROSS THE TABLE is available on video and DVD, as part of a 6-film Carole Lombard collection. (Update: This movie is now also available as a single-title DVD release in the Universal Vault Series.)

It can also be seen on cable as part of the library at Turner Classic Movies.

2021 Update: This film will be released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber in April 2021 as part of the Carole Lombard Collection II. My review of the Blu-ray is here.

"A Well-Planned Thanksgiving"

Williams-Sonoma has made a nice booklet titled "A Well-Planned Thanksgiving" available for download on their website.

The booklet includes a timeline and recipes. Enjoy!

Don't read Michelle Malkin's post on The War on Thanksgiving at the same time -- it's guaranteed to give readers heartburn.

Hillary Was For Licenses for Illegal Aliens Before She Was Against Them

Mrs. Clinton has completed a dizzying turnabout on the issue, now stating unequivocally that she won't support driver's licenses for illegal aliens. Democratic candidate Chris Dodd refers to Senator Clinton's position as "flip-flopping cubed."

MSNBC has a timeline of Senator Clinton's varied past statements on the issue.

Questiongate Keeps Growing

The controversy surrounding the Clinton campaign and Questiongate expands, as college student Muriel Gallo-Chasanoff has given an interview about the circumstances surrounding the Clinton campaign assigning her a question to ask Senator Clinton.

Ms. Gallo-Chasanoff says she was approached by a staffer who had a sheet of typewritten questions in a notebook, and the question given to her was specifically notated to be asked by a "college student."

Although Senator Clinton has said that planted questions were "news to me," Ms. Gallo-Chasanoff isn't so sure, given that she was only one of four people out of roughly 200 that Mrs. Clinton called on. She says, "It seemed like she knew to call on me."

Gallo-Chasanoff believes at least one other question at the event was planted.

Let's face it, if Clinton staffers have notebooks with typewritten questions at these townhall-style events, planting questions has probably been going on for a long time, although if that's the case the campaign seems to be taking a real risk denying it's been standard practice.

In fact, Mrs. Clinton has been answering planted questions dating back to her Senate campaign in 1999.

With the coverup often being worse than the crime, wouldn't the campaign be better off simply acknowledging that they believe such questions are an effective way to get out the candidate's message, rather than denying they took place?

Perhaps even more interesting is that the campaign waved the student off from asking the question she wanted to ask -- a fairly simple question asking Senator Clinton to contrast her energy policy with those of the other candidates. Gallo-Chasanoff quotes the staffer as saying, "I don't think that's a good idea, because I don't know how familiar she is with their plans."

Why isn't she familiar with their plans at this late date?

The incident serves to highlight the Clinton campaign's obsession with maintaining control over Mrs. Clinton's events to the greatest extent possible, protecting her from being confronted with questions she's unable to answer.

Meanwhile the Senator is warning Wolf Blitzer not to ask tough questions at the next debate.

As Jonah Goldberg writes: "...can someone please explain to me, how asking the junior Senator from New York state whether she agrees with the governor of the state (and a close political ally) on the question of drivers licenses for illegals is even remotely wrong, never mind some sort of vicious, Nazi-like, personal assault on truth, decency, and Hillary Clinton's integrity? I really, really, don't get it."

That makes two of us.

The question is, will the media and the rest of the nation buy into Senator Clinton's victim strategy and let the Senator skate by over the next year without close examination, or -- unlike when she ran for the Senate -- will she be expected to answer the tough questions with direct answers?

On That Smackdown to Hugo Chavez

Investors Business Daily has written a nice appreciation of "the repartee heard 'round the world" -- King Juan Carlos of Spain telling the Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez to "shut up."

This put-down had all the more impact as it came from a very well-mannered king -- a king who voluntarily gave up the dictatorship left to him by Franco in order to establish democracy in Spain.

The editorial suggests that perhaps in future other nations will be quicker to put Chavez in his place.

We can only hope.

Hillary Clinton Hiding More Documents

Extensive files maintained by Hillary's close friend and associate, the late Diane Blair, which were said in 2005 to 2006 to be nearing completion of archival processing at the University of Arkansas, are now going to be unavailable until 2009.

Funny how that happens.

Speaking of Mrs. Clinton, The New Republic published an interesting article on Hillary's "bunker mentality." Of course, anything in the New Republic is suspect these days -- the name Scott Thomas Beauchamp might ring a bell -- but for whatever it's worth, it's a good read.

Notable in the New Republic piece is Sally Bedell Smith's shock when Terry McAuliffe told her President Clinton had read her book on the Clintons far in advance of its publication. Smith says she was "thunderstruck" and "It was unnerving that he could have gotten a copy at that stage." McAuliffe now denies (of course!) having said that to Smith, but Smith stands by her story: "It is a vivid memory for me."

In "Questiongate," while Mrs. Clinton has denied knowing her staff planted questions in the audience, a couple reports say that Mrs. Clinton's staff pointed out the student to Mrs. Clinton so that she could call on her.

The Clinton campaign has also tried to dance around whether or not they tried to plant a question with a minister named Geoffrey Mitchell at another event. A Clinton staffer said, "I'm not going to comment on what he said. I'm going to discuss what our interpretation is."

"Interpretation," hmmm?

Mitchell stands by his story.

The above stories call to mind waitress Anita Esterday, who said "Why would I lie about not getting a tip?" when the Clinton campaign insisted she'd received one after she served Senator Clinton. Esterday's manager said, "Where Hillary was sitting, there was no tip left." Esterday said she worked alongside women who'd worked at the restaurant for 25 and 30 years, "And I can't imagine them pocketing it."

Neither can I.

There seem to be a lot of people standing by their stories in the face of Clinton lies recently.

It's not the crime, it's the cover-up...as someone who worked on Watergate, Hillary should know that better than anyone. But she's caught in a spin machine and she can't -- won't -- get out.

Travel of Days Gone By

The Chicago Sun-Times ran a very interesting article today on typical menus served on airlines and railroads in decades past.

Things sure were different back then: "Brunch for coach passengers on a 1969 United flight from San Francisco to Omaha featured a mushroom omelette, broiled ham and brandied hazelnut mousse. That same year, a Pan Am New York-to-Barbados flight treated economy flyers to stuffed Rock Cornish Hen with madeira sauce and a separate cheese course before dessert."

Northwestern University has a new website featuring its Transportation Menu Collection. Roughly 400 vintage menus from airlines, railroads, and cruise ships can be viewed online.

For more travel nostalgia, I highly recommend THE ART OF THE AIRWAYS and CLASSIC RAILROAD ADVERTISING.

New on DVD: The Princess Bride (1987)

THE PRINCESS BRIDE has been released on DVD on multiple occasions, but this week it's being released in a new 20th Anniversary Edition. It will be available on Tuesday, November 13th.

Extras include new featurettes.

Be sure to check out the cover art, as well -- the film's title can be read when you hold the box upside-down!

One of my children just read the book this year for the first time, and then saw the film via Netflix. The DVD is now on this year's Christmas list. :)

All together now: "My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die!"

Tonight's Movie: Kid Glove Killer (1942)

KID GLOVE KILLER is a zippy crime drama which packs a great deal of entertainment value into its 74 minutes. The film marked the feature-length directorial debut of Fred Zinnemann, who started out in short subjects and would go on to direct classics such as HIGH NOON and FROM HERE TO ETERNITY. Although ostensibly an MGM "B" picture, other than its short length and run-of-the-mill sets the movie feels more like an "A" film in terms of quality. In fact, THE NEW YORK TIMES noted in its review that "an unpretentious honesty is sometimes worth a million on the budget."

An early version of the CSI genre, KID GLOVE KILLER stars Van Heflin as a police criminologist working to solve the murder of the local mayor. Marsha Hunt is his assistant, a chemist.

There is never any doubt about "whodunit," as the murderer is seen in action; the fun is watching Heflin and Hunt solve the crime. Some of the technology they use looks a little silly from the modern perspective, but there's an interesting demonstration of a spectrograph and other equipment. Watching them comb through slides and notebooks for "matches" to their samples gives one a real appreciation for what it was like to work before computerized records made such searches simple.

One thing I couldn't help wondering: wasn't it dangerous to be smoking in a lab filled with potentially combustible chemicals?!

I also have my questions about whether the key sample Heflin obtained would have actually still been available when he found it, but it made good entertainment so why bother asking questions?

The film -- which THE NEW YORK TIMES called "a little crackerjack of a picture" -- has snappy dialogue and fast-paced editing by Ralph Winters. I once had the honor of meeting Mr. Winters briefly at an evening celebrating SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS, which he also edited.

The cast includes Lee Bowman, Samuel S. Hinds, John Litel and Eddie Quillan. Don't blink, and you can glimpse Ava Gardner as a car hop who serves Lee Bowman and Marsha Hunt. Robert "Bobby" Blake can also be seen for a few seconds, listening to a car radio with his onscreen parents.

KID GLOVE KILLER isn't available on VHS or DVD, but it deserves to be. In the meantime it can be seen on cable on TCM. The trailer is at TCM's website.

April 2012 Update: I had another great experience watching this movie, with Marsha Hunt in attendance, at the Noir City Film Festival.

May 2015 Update: KID GLOVE KILLER is now available on DVD from the Warner Archive. My review of the DVD is here.

Laraine Day Passes Away

Laraine Day, whose long acting career included roughly a decade as a leading lady in many well-known films, has passed away.

Various references give at least three different years for her birth, which appears to have been somewhere between 1917 and 1920.

Day spent part of her childhood in nearby Long Beach, California, where she attended Polytechnic High School.

Day's husband of 47 years died earlier this year. Previous to that marriage, Day was famously wed for a number of years to Brooklyn Dodgers manager Leo Durocher.

Day was perhaps best known for her role as Mary Lamont in MGM's DR. KILDARE series. Turner Classic Movies is showing a KILDARE marathon on November 28, 2007.

Day's best films include FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT and JOURNEY FOR MARGARET. FOREIGN CORRESPONDENT makes my "Top 5 Hitchcock Films" list, and JOURNEY FOR MARGARET is a somewhat overlooked WWII classic in which Day starred opposite Robert Young and Margaret O'Brien. Her other best-known titles include MR. LUCKY, opposite Cary Grant, and she was one of the airplane passengers in THE HIGH AND THE MIGHTY.

Earlier this year I reviewed two fun Day films, BRIDE BY MISTAKE and THOSE ENDEARING YOUNG CHARMS. I've recorded several other Day films which I look forward to seeing, including KATHLEEN, THE LOCKET, KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY, and I MARRIED A COMMUNIST.

More information from the Canadian Press.

Miss Day was a lovely lady who helped provide film fans with many happy hours of viewing. My sincere condolences to her family.

Update: Laraine Day's gravestone at Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills indicates her birth year was 1920.

Fun Cookbook Finds

I love vintage cookbooks, and today I made a couple great finds at a used cookbook sale at our church: BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS COOKIES AND CANDIES and another BH&G volume, PIES AND CAKES.

The books date from 1966 -- perhaps I shouldn't call them "vintage" or I'll have to include myself in that category! They have wonderful retro photos and many appealing recipes. Molasses Pound Cake looks especially good....

My husband remembers PIES AND CAKES being used in his kitchen when he was growing up.

Our 12-year-old daughter has already mixed up a batch of the sugar cookie recipe and has it chilling in the fridge so she can roll them out right after dinner.

These were a bargain at a total of $1.50, considering how much we're likely to enjoy them in the years to come. :)

Tonight's Movie: Petticoat Fever (1936)

PETTICOAT FEVER is a silly trifle which finds Robert Montgomery playing the lonely operator of a "wireless station" in Labrador. One fine day a plane carrying Myrna Loy and her fiance, Reginald Owen, crash lands near the station. Bob gets one look at Myrna, the first beautiful woman he's seen in years, and he falls head over heels in love.

That's pretty much all there is to the movie, as Montgomery tries to find a way to convince Loy to stay with him. The movie is passable entertainment, thanks to the two leads, but just barely. They are in wonderful form here, but unfortunately are working without much of a script.

The film runs 80 minutes and was directed by George Fitzmaurice.

PETTICOAT FEVER isn't available on DVD or VHS, but can be seen on TCM.

New Book: Rescuing Sprite

Mark Levin is getting great word of mouth and sales -- currently No. 4 at Amazon -- for his new book, RESCUING SPRITE: A DOG LOVER'S STORY OF JOY AND ANGUISH.

The book, about the love and loss of a pet dog, sounds like kind of a tough read, but reviews I've read also say it's a beautiful story.

Kathryn Jean Lopez recently interviewed Mark Levin about his book. He also describes how the family's other dog, Pepsi, helped him recover from complications following heart bypass surgery. It's a lengthy, very interesting article which is worth the read in and of itself.

David Limbaugh, a close friend of Levin's, wrote a touching column about the book today.

Levin will guest on Rush Limbaugh's show on Friday, November 16th.

Noonan: "Mrs. Clinton is No Iron Lady"

Not only that, but Mrs. Clinton plants questions at her "town hall" forums, and her campaign doesn't seem to know how to tip.

Another bad week for Mrs. Clinton...

It's Official: Newhart Coming to DVD

It's now official: Season 1 of NEWHART is coming to DVD on February 26, 2008.

There are many happy TV fans today!

Previously at LMM: Newhart May Be Coming To DVD.

Saturday Update: The box art is now available for a look at TVShowsonDVD.com. It could be better...is that really supposed to be Jennifer Holmes as Leslie on the right side of the box?

Hillary: When I'm President Again

The other day I questioned whether the Clintons returning to the White House, if Hillary is elected, violates the spirit of the 22nd Amendment.

So I was quite interested to learn that Hillary apparently thinks she's already served as President. In an interview about driver's licenses for illegal aliens, she said, "The federal government should be making immigration policy and that's what I'm going to try to do as president again and I do not believe that in the context of federal immigration reform that that would be an issue that governors would have to contend with."

The Washington Times copy of the transcript varies from that quoted by the American Thinker, but in both cases "again" is clearly in the transcript.

An innocent use of the wrong word?

Somehow I don't think so.

Nicolas Sarkozy's Speech to Congress

The full text to French Prime Minister Nicolas Sarkozy's stirring address to a joint session of Congress today is at the subject link.

Given how strained our relations with France have been in recent years, Sarkozy's speech was all the more remarkable, as he paid tribute to the United States, "the greatest nation in the world."

Tonight's Movie: The Sea Wolf (1941)

THE SEA WOLF is not my normal cup of tea -- it's a brutal, creepy, and extremely violent movie. It's also superbly acted, grandly atmospheric, gripping, and compulsively watchable.

Directed by the great Michael Curtiz, with a moody score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold, THE SEA WOLF tells the story of the ship GHOST, its sadistic captain, Wolf Larsen (Edward G. Robinson), and those unfortunate enough to sail on the GHOST, including George Leach (John Garfield), a fugitive who took a job on the crew to get out of San Francisco in a hurry; Ruth Webster (Ida Lupino), a prison escapee who is picked up by the GHOST after a ferry wreck; and intellectual writer Humphrey Wan Veyden (Alexander Knox), another survivor of the wreck.

Garfield is electric as Leach, who soon rebels against Larsen and determines to find a way to escape the ship with Ruth. I wasn't wild about Garfield in FOUR DAUGHTERS, but he's terrific in this, and Lupino, as Leach's soulmate, matches him scene for scene. The two actors believably establish a connection between their characters in very few scenes.

One review I read said that the way Garfield snarls "sir," it sounds like a four-letter word. Modern-day filmmakers would do well to study this film and learn how less can be more; without any of today's graphic violence or language, the movie manages to convey an almost overwhelmingly oppressive, dangerous atmosphere.

Notable alongside the fine performances of the four leads are Barry Fitzgerald as the ship's rotten-to-the-core cook, and Gene Lockhart, heartbreaking as an alcoholic doctor who tries to recover his dignity after he experiences the satisfaction of saving Ruth's life.

My interest in Lupino initially drew me to the film, and I'm glad I gave it a try. This isn't exactly what I'd call a relaxing movie, but it's worth seeing. The first shot of the GHOST emerging from the fog is a classic.

THE SEA WOLF is not yet available on DVD. There are rumblings that there is a John Garfield set in the works from Warners, so perhaps if such a set is released, THE SEA WOLF will be included. In the meantime, it's available on VHS.

It can also be seen on TCM. The trailer can be seen at TCM's site.

October 2017 Update: THE SEA WOLF is now available on Blu-ray and DVD in the restored, longer original release version from the Warner Archive.

February 2018 Update: My review of the gorgeous restored Warner Archive Blu-ray may be found here.

Weather Channel Founder: Global Warming "Greatest Scam in History"

Weather Channel founder John Coleman's new article also says: "...ridiculous manipulated science has been accepted as fact and become a cornerstone issue for CNN, CBS, NBC, the Democratic Political Party, the Governor of California, school teachers and, in many cases, well informed but very gullible environmental conscientious citizens...

"There is no run away climate change. The impact of humans on climate is not catastrophic. Our planet is not in peril...

"In time, a decade or two, the outrageous scam will be obvious."

China Bans Bibles From Olympic Village

NewsBusters asked on November 4th, "Will the media notice?"

I sure haven't heard anything about this yet in the mainstream media...I first saw the story at another blog. A search of Google News shows that to date very little has been published on the topic; the most "mainstream" source being a brief piece at the New York Sun.

More information is at WorldNetDaily.

I believe this is a topic where bloggers -- simply by publicizing this ban -- can make a significant difference.

This is a time for the United States, Christian athletes, and all those who support freedom of religion to make a stand. No Bibles, no Olympics.

Thursday Update: A Reuters story claims the ban isn't true. We shall see.

Illegal Immigration Roundup

A short roundup of interesting columns on illegal immigration...

Kathleen Parker writes on "Disincentivizing Illegal Immigration" at Real Clear Politics.

Cal Thomas: "Immigration Wars."

Froma Harrop: "Dems Must Get Serious About Illegals."

James P. Pinkerton: "Hillary Gives Republicans License to Attack."

Stephen Dinan: "Poll: 77% Oppose Illegals' Licenses."

The above columns combine to illustrate where our nation currently stands with regard to the debate on illegal immigration.

One thing's for sure, the ground seems to have shifted since President Bush and Congress first tried to ram through their amnesty bill earlier this year...which is all to the good for our nation's sovereignty and security.

Clintons Exempt From 22nd Amendment?

As I read more and more about President Bill Clinton trying to double-talk his wife into his former job -- and himself back into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue -- the more I think that maybe there should be a new Constitutional amendment allowing only one Presidency per married couple.

As Charles Krauthammer pointed out last week, we are, in essence, going to be electing both Clintons -- and Bill is already term-limited out of office.

Do we really want him to be the first President since FDR to serve more than two terms? Because it's pretty obvious that's really what would be happening. The Clintons might not be breaking the 22nd Amendment as a matter of law, as the former President himself will not be elected again, but they'll be breaking it in spirit.

Just as the Clintons shared his Presidency -- as chronicled in Sally Bedell Smith's new book -- they'll be sharing her Presidency if she's elected. The more likely it grows that Mrs. Clinton will win the nomination, the more unseemly it strikes me for President Clinton to be out on the campaign trail trying to maneuver himself back into the White House.

The issue of President Clinton returning to the White House is a serious -- and unusual -- issue deserving of greater scrutiny over the next year. One has to wonder just how much play it will get in the mainstream media, however, where it seems more likely such concerns would be cast as "sexist" for questioning whether it's appropriate for a Presidential spouse to be elected in her own right.

Meanwhile, you've got to love the former President asserting that the issue of driver's licenses for illegals is too complicated to discuss "in 30 seconds" -- a comment which strikes me as incredibly patronizing. We "little people" who think the question can be answered easily just aren't sophisticated enough to understand the issue, you see; according to Mr. Clinton, there's got to be more than a simple yes or no to the question.

After all, triangulation and winning political power is so much more important than clarity and forthrightness...

Tuesday Update: Evan Thomas of NEWSWEEK on the Clintons and Sally Bedell Smith's new book.

Rush Limbaugh commented today on President Clinton basically telling the American people "You're too dumb to understand why licenses for illegals are good." Rush points out that telling voters they're stupid is not the way to win people to your point of view.

Wednesday Update: More thoughts on the Clintons and the 22nd Amendment from Anne at Just Muttering.

Tonight's Movie: Hide-Out (1934)

One of the great pleasures of movie viewing is that you never know when you're going to stumble across an unexpected treasure. Such a find was HIDE-OUT, a charming film about a dissolute nightclub playboy with mob ties who finds love and a new life while on a forced "sabbatical" in the country.

Robert Montgomery is terrific as the playboy, Lucky Wilson. Montgomery gives a nuanced performance as he gradually reveals the good man hiding inside the fast-living playboy. Maureen O'Sullivan is lovely as always as Pauline, the farmer's daughter who captures Lucky's heart. Over a decade later, a similar plot was the basis for one of John Wayne's best movies, ANGEL AND THE BADMAN, and the story works equally wonderfully here.

Pauline's family members are played by Whitford Kane (from Ireland's Abbey Players), Elizabeth Patterson, and a young Mickey Rooney. Edward Arnold and Edward Brophy are the cops on Lucky's tail, and Arnold in particular helps end the film on a high note.

The New York Times review of 1934 is worth a read: "There are many splendid scenes...and the story is told with a pleasing naturalness and a certain subtlety. The dialogue is smartly written and the performances of the supporting cast are never disappointing."

HIDE-OUT was filmed in black and white and runs 81 minutes. It was directed by W.S. Van Dyke, director of many other wonderful MGM movies, including THE THIN MAN.

Mauri Grashin was Oscar-nominated for Best Original Story for HIDE-OUT. The witty screenplay was written by the great writing duo of Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, who teamed on everything from THE THIN MAN to IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE to SEVEN BRIDES FOR SEVEN BROTHERS to THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK. They did a wonderful job on HIDE-OUT, briskly telling the story with an appealing combination of humor and poignance. The Hacketts' own story is told in the dual biography THE REAL NICK AND NORA, which I enjoyed reading a few years ago.

I've been developing an appreciation for Robert Montgomery; I very much enjoyed him recently in FAST AND LOOSE, and I've seen him over the years in classic films such as HERE COMES MR. JORDAN and THEY WERE EXPENDABLE. The Earl of Hollywood is a very nice website which pays tribute to Montogmery. The site includes a few photos from HIDE-OUT. There is also a biographical page detailing Montgomery's many achievements, including his wartime service, Presidency of the Screen Actors Guild, and work as a pioneering TV producer. And of course, Mr. Montgomery also had a lovely and talented daughter who is still beloved to millions for her role as Samantha Stephens on BEWITCHED.

Another site worth visiting is Classic Montgomery, which has many great photos, not only of Robert Montgomery, but of other actors of the era such as Robert Taylor and Robert Young.

HIDE-OUT is not available on DVD or VHS, but can be seen on cable on TCM, where it next airs on December 4, 2007. It's definitely worth setting your DVR or VCR for this one.

August 2009 Update: Here's a review of the 1941 remake, I'LL WAIT FOR YOU.

October 2018 Update: HIDE-OUT will be released on DVD next month by the Warner Archive. My review of the DVD is here.

Barone: A Watershed Moment for Immigration

Michael Barone writes "October 2007 may turn out to be the month that immigration became a key issue in presidential politics. It hasn't been, at least in my lifetime."

He goes on to say that immigration "may have major reverberations in the presidential campaign -- and in congressional races, as well. The reason is that the Democrats -- and Bush -- are out of line with public opinion on the issue."

As always, Barone offers interesting analysis which is worth a read.

Tonight's Movie: Flight Command (1940)

FLIGHT COMMAND (1940) is the story of a Navy air squadron, the Hellcats, training off San Diego on the eve of America's entry into World War II.

Robert Taylor is Alan "Pensacola" Drake, the brash newest member of the Hellcats. Walter Pidgeon is his commanding officer, and Ruth Hussey plays Pidgeon's wife Lorna, who first meets Taylor when he bails out of a plane on the beach near her home. After a tragedy hits the squadron, Drake innocently becomes a little too close to Lorna while her husband is preoccupied, a relationship which causes dissension among the pilots. This storyline provides a bit of domestic melodrama to go along with the flight sequences.

The film is nothing particularly special and goes on a bit too long, but it's a diverting piece of entertainment which is also an interesting artifact of its historical era, and it has a large cast of good actors. The supporting cast includes Red Skelton, in a straight role as a Hellcat pilot, and Shepperd Strudwick as Hussey's brother. Marsha Hunt has a tiny two-scene comedic role as a Southern girl, and Paul Kelly is a squadron member.

If you don't blink, you can spot John Raitt as one of the Hellcat pilots in the background of many scenes, half a decade before he made the big time as the star of Broadway's CAROUSEL. He has a fair amount of screen time but only a couple of lines. Raitt, one of American theater's foremost singers, was a graduate of my alma mater, the University of Redlands.

Robert Taylor learned to fly while making FLIGHT COMMAND; during WWII, Lt. Robert Taylor served as a flight instructor in the Navy Air Corps, beginning in 1943. According to Lawrence J. Quirk's THE FILMS OF ROBERT TAYLOR, Taylor also directed 17 training films for the Navy, and narrated the Oscar-winning documentary THE FIGHTING LADY (1944).

Fans of the lovely Ruth Hussey will want to visit Ruth Hussey.com, which includes wonderful family photos.

FLIGHT COMMAND was directed by Frank Borzage. It runs 116 minutes. The movie was partially filmed in San Diego, with the cooperation of the United States Navy.

FLIGHT COMMAND is not yet available on DVD or VHS. It can be seen on cable on TCM.

May 2011: FLIGHT COMMAND has now been released in a remastered edition as part of the Warner Archive DVD-R program.

A Blessed All Saints Sunday

All Saints Sunday is one of my favorite days on the church calendar.

I especially love the hymns we sing for All Saints Day, which usually include For All the Saints (subject link) and I Sing a Song of the Saints of God. The little children process into church carrying banners they've made which tell the stories of famous members of the Christian family. Never fails to move me. :)

Happy Sunday to all.

Study: Media Strongly Biased in Favor of Liberals

A new study from Harvard -- hardly a bastion of conservatism -- concludes that the mainstream media strongly favors liberals and gives them more air time, too.

Captain's Quarters has all the details. It's a very interesting read.

Jonah Goldberg: Questions for Mrs. Clinton

Bravo.

Now if members of the mainstream media only had the nerve to ask them.

In other Clinton news, former President Clinton is spinning like mad about the suppression of his White House papers. His claims are hard to follow, but among other things he insists that Hillary -- the smartest woman in the world -- was oblivious to issues regarding the papers and didn't know what Russert was talking about.

Right...

Mr. Clinton also says Tim Russert's debate question was "breathtakingly misleading." Steven Spruiell at The Corner shows that it is Mr. Clinton who is misleading.

If reports can be believed, some of the records will be released to the public in February.

I'll believe it when it happens.

Peggy Noonan on Hillary Clinton

Peggy Noonan, who wrote THE CASE AGAINST HILLARY CLINTON in 2000, has written an interesting new column on Mrs. Clinton, assessing the Senator's debate performance and the current state of the race for the Democratic nomination.

Noonan writes of Senator Clinton: "Here, boiled down, is what she said.

"Giving illegal immigrants drivers licenses makes sense because it makes sense, but she may not be for it, but undocumented workers should come out of the shadows, and it makes sense. Maybe she will increase the payroll tax on Social Security beyond its current $97,500 limit, to $200,000. Maybe not. Everybody knows what the possibilities are. She may or may not back a 4% federal surcharge on singles making $150,000 a year and couples making $200,000. She suggested she backed it, said she didn't back it, she then called it a good start, or rather 'I support and admire' the person proposing such a tax for his 'willingness to take this on.'

"She has been accused of doubletalk and she has denied it. And she is right. It was triple talk, quadruple talk, Olympic level nonresponsiveness."

Noonan goes on to analyze Clinton's political views and likely plans to tax the middle class to pay for her programs. It's worth a read.

Tonight's Movie: My Dear Miss Aldrich (1937)

This evening we enjoyed a Friday night double bill, following THE SUNDOWNERS with something completely different: an amusing MGM "B" movie, MY DEAR MISS ALDRICH.

Martha Aldrich (Maureen O'Sullivan), of Lower Platte, Nebraska, unexpectedly inherits a New York City newspaper from her step-uncle. Martha and her aunt (Edna May Oliver) immediately travel to New York, where Martha clashes with the newspaper's editor, Ken (Walter Pidgeon), who doesn't believe in hiring women. Before you know it, Martha is not only scoring exclusives for the paper as its first woman reporter, but she and Ken have fallen in love.

The movie has some sharp dialogue and a sprightly pace, although unfortunately the short running time results in the story being slightly disjointed. Notably, most of Rita Johnson's part seems to have been left on the cutting-room floor; Johnson and O'Sullivan meet at a dinner party, then are inexplicably close friends. A quick shot in the trailer of Johnson pouring tea for O'Sullivan hints at a bit of dropped storyline.

The development of Pidgeon and O'Sullivan's relationship was also sacrificed for too many scenes with Oliver as the puzzle-mad aunt, who is suspicious of everything and everybody in New York City. Oliver is quite amusing at times, but a little of her goes a long way; more of Pidgeon and O'Sullivan would have been welcome. O'Sullivan is one of my favorite actresses, and she's as endearing in this as ever. Pidgeon is always a welcome screen presence.

Despite its weaknesses, the movie is a fun diversion, particularly if one is a fan of MGM in its Golden Era. It was directed by George B. Seitz, who directed many of MGM's Andy Hardy movies. The movie was filmed in black and white and runs 74 minutes. The supporting cast includes Janet Beecher, Guinn Williams, and Leonid Kinskey.

MY DEAR MISS ALDRICH is not available on DVD or video, but can be seen on cable on TCM.

Tonight's Movie: The Sundowners (1960)

Paddy and Ida Carmody (Robert Mitchum, Deborah Kerr) have spent their entire married life as sheep drovers in Australia. They have no permanent home, simply a horse-drawn cart and a tent. Ida is tiring of life on the road and longs for a home and a more stable life for son Sean (Michael Anderson, Jr.), while Paddy continues to crave the open road and freedom from obligations other than to his wife and son, to whom he is fiercely devoted.

Mitchum and Kerr are superb as the Carmodys, accents and all. They are extremely believable as an unglamorous, hardworking couple who are deeply committed despite each other's faults and the hardships with which they contend. The immaturity of Mitchum's character is frustrating at times, but that's no fault of the actor, who plays the role very convincingly.

As for the overall film, this was a movie I wanted to love, but although I thought Mitchum and Kerr were wonderful and would watch it again to take another look at their performances, I could only muster up middling interest in the very slow-paced, overlong, and thin plot. I like character studies, but the story plodded along at a glacial pace, and the tinge of melancholy that overlaid the film didn't help. While on the one hand the movie positively depicts a committed marriage and the value of family life -- the Carmodys are raising a charming son -- their overall situation is rather sad, as they lead a challenging life filled with setbacks, self-inflicted and otherwise. The very slow changes in Mitchum's character and the lack of a pat resolution are realistic, if not especially cheerful.

The fine supporting cast includes Peter Ustinov, Glynis Johns, and Dina Merrill. The movie runs 133 minutes and was directed by Fred Zinnemann. THE SUNDOWNERS was nominated for five Oscars: Best Picture, Director, Actress, Supporting Actress (Johns), and Screenplay Adaptation. The lack of a nomination for Mitchum was a sad oversight.

All of the exteriors were shot on location in Australia, with kangaroos aplenty in the background. Particularly in the early scenes, I thought the film had the look and feel of a live-action Disney film of the late '50s or early '60s; so I was amused when my husband mentioned "You know, this has always reminded me of a Disney movie."

THE SUNDOWNERS can be seen on DVD on a single-title release or in the Robert Mitchum Signature Collection.

It's also available on VHS, including a VHS Special Edition release.

THE SUNDOWNERS can also be seen on TCM. The trailer can be seen here.

Glenn Erickson's review of the movie can be read here, and another review is here at Reel.com (funnily, the latter review also mentions the film's Disney look).

All in all, this is a well-acted movie which is worth a look for the lead performances, particularly if you're a fan of Mitchum or Kerr, but I felt the film as a whole has an overrated reputation.

Krauthammer: "The Real Hill-Bill Problem"

Charles Krauthammer sums up what Americans must consider when they ponder voting for Hillary:

"...we would literally be getting two presidents...

"Do Americans really want a historically unique two-headed presidency constantly buffeted by the dynamics of a highly dysfunctional marriage?"

The mere thought of four or eight years of that exhausts me...

Whiners Need Not Apply For Presidency

Hillary Clinton skated into the U.S. Senate thanks to the assistance of a remarkably uninquisitive media, as well as by playing for female voter sympathy when Rick Lazio supposedly "stepped into her space" during a debate.

I've been concerned that Hillary could end up as President in the same manner, and was pleasantly surprised when Tim Russert pressed Hillary about the lack of access to the Clinton Presidential papers until the campaign is over. Russert even displayed the letter President Clinton signed restricting access to the papers.

Hillary unbelievably asserted "That's not my decision to make" when it comes to unfettered access to the Clinton papers. Does anyone really believe that? Former President Clinton, the candidate's husband, could obviously rescind his request that the National Archives suppress the documents.

Now, of course, Hillary is complaining not only about Russert (one campaign operative said "he should be shot") -- heaven forbid Hillary actually be pressed on a substantive question -- but about the other candidates for criticizing her. Hillary is apparently trying to play for female sympathy again by claiming the other male candidates "piled on."

Hillary wants to have it both ways: have us believe she's strong and tough enough to head our nation and serve as commander in chief, but play the helpless "female" card when the going gets tough.

I hope America is smarter than New York was when it comes to the prospect of electing Mrs. Clinton to office.

More from Ed Morrissey at Captain's Quarters.

Update: Fred Barnes writes about the double standard Hillary expects: "...the old feminist one in which women must be treated as equals - except when they're criticized by males. When men criticize, that amounts to unfair picking on a woman, or 'piling on' as the Clinton campaign puts it."

Meryl Streep to Play Julia Child

Meryl Streep has been signed to play Julia Child in JULIE AND JULIA, based on the book by Julie Powell.

Powell, a secretary, chronicled her attempts to make all the recipes in Child's MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH COOKING in a year's time. Powell will be played by Amy Adams, who was Oscar-nominated for JUNEBUG and stars in the upcoming Disney comedy/fantasy ENCHANTED.

I haven't read the book -- I perused it, as the concept intrigued me, but frankly I was turned off by foul language -- so am curious how the film will include Julia Child, as Powell didn't actually know her. Child died in 2004, the year before Powell published her book. According to Amazon, Powell "imaginatively reconstructs episodes from Child's life in the 1940s," so that may provide a hint as to how Child's character will be incorporated into the film.

The film will be written and directed by Nora Ephron of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE and YOU'VE GOT MAIL.

Given the track record of the cast and crew, I have high hopes this will be an entertaining film.

New on DVD: The Christmas Card (2006)

At Christmastime last year I very much enjoyed the Hallmark TV-movie THE CHRISTMAS CARD, which I reviewed here. So it was a nice surprise today to discover that this movie was released on DVD last week.

THE CHRISTMAS CARD is a satisfying, enjoyable film well worth purchasing or Netflixing for the upcoming holiday viewing season.

And while you're at it, be sure to also check out ONE SPECIAL NIGHT with James Garner and Julie Andrews. I caught up with it last Christmas for the first time and thoroughly enjoyed it.