Before we get to Pat Boone doing Heavy Metal, the air needs to be cleared about Joan Crawford. She got smeared with lies by an ungrateful, adopted daughter. The book was called Mommie Dearest, and it came out after Joan died. I wasn't big into movies then, yet I do remember the book coming out. It was like the McMartin Preschool trial. I heard about it and went wow, but other than that, I never got to the bottom of it until recently.
The same kind of smear job happened to Bette Davis by another ingrate daughter. Unfortunately for Bette, she got smeared while still alive. She had a stroke. She got bad press. Her last years were not kind to her. Getting stabbed in the back by a family member is no good. If the allegations were true, fine, but they weren't.
Here's a good website if anyone wants to get the real story of Joan Crawford and her adopted children. It's called Legendary Joan Crawford. I think Joan was every bit the actress Bette was. They were both hot stuff in their youth. They both continually got the job done as they moved into middle age and then even older. That's the sign of quality actors, when they show such longevity.
Joan's grandson Casey has set up a page where he is answering questions and defending Joan's honour. She was a good person.
Ask Casey
Joan did a movie called Straight-Jacket. I wasn't able to find it at youtube. I have watched her in some others. She was pretty good in Grand Hotel, the one where Garbo played the ballerina. Crawford actually had a bigger part in that movie than Greta. She was very hot. I also saw her in the Whatever Happened to Baby Jane movie. She was wicked awesome in that one. Bette Davis and Joan Crawford were the Larry Bird and Magic Johnson of cinema. They pushed each other to greatness. Even though Hollywood discriminates against a lot of people for roles, including older folks, those two continued to find quality parts after age 40.
Anyway, I found clips from Straight-Jacket, and there was this really nice song going with one of them. By the end, I was like wait a second, I know that tune.
Here's Pat Boone's version of Crazy Train followed by Ozzy's original. I like 'em both. You gotta appreciate a cover song that pays homage to a tune yet is presented with a different schtick. Who'd a thunk Pat Boone could be so cool?
5 comments:
I found two very good movies dealing with anti-semitism, Gentleman's Agreement and Ship of Fools. You should check them out asap, because they could be deleted. That would be time better spent than listening to some toxin like donkeytale. I'm very relieved he has voluntarily decided to stop posting at this humble blog.
Pat Boone doing Heavy Metal.....Joan Crawford?
That's the first I heard Pat Boone doing heavy metal. I was pleasantly surprised. Cover songs seem to rarely get the job done.
I admit this essay on Joan Crawford was a bit weak. I'm just tired of people getting smeared with no proof. On second thought, maybe she didn't hold a candle to Bette Davis. I think Bette was brilliant right away, and it took Joan some years to hone her craft.
Ok Last Dude Left, I have another movie to recommend. You won't be disappointed.
I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang - Pt 1
What is your opinion on the child-beater allegations against Bing Crosby?
I'm no authority on the man. I have thought that Gary Crosby's claims are actually bolstered by the obsessive casting of Crosby as a saintly saviour of troubled youth, and subsequent media image of Crosby as an ultimate "family man" on screen & off. That always struck me as over-the-top but a great cover for someone who might be privately just the opposite.
My opinion of Bing Crosby is very low. At a minimum, he loved to mete out heavy corporal punishment. He wanted to be seen as a regular guy. Those kinds of ass whoopings were as lowest common regular guy denominator as there was. He wouldn't have gotten away with that today. But back then it was probably common practice. Teachers were even allowed to hit students, not beat them senseless but certainly give them quick hits with the ruler or whatever.
Two of his kids killed themselves. He made them wait until old age to receive their inheritance. I think he gave them a low monthly allowance. Now I'm not saying the rich should shower their kids with too much cash, but we're talking teaching a life lesson too far. Bing could have easily given them 50 grand to live on each year, some kind of middle ground amount. He should have. He wasn't a regular guy. He was loaded.
I agree his film persona was not the truth. In his defense, that's how he was socialised. There's a good chunk of corporal punishment still going on in Ireland. They present themselves as oh so gentle, but people should look into a group called the Christian Brothers. They are child abusers who get away with it. Bing was Mr. tough guy Irish Catholic. Just because he had a good voice and some acting skills doesn't mean he was a good person.
This reminds me of a 70's sitcom called Chico and the Man. The old guy character was a jerk, crusty and mean. Chico played by Freddy Prinze was the nicest guy ever born. But in real life, the man played by Jack Albertson was a great guy and Prinze was the bad guy with a mean streak.
Thanks for the comment.
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