RHUBARB


from 'Rhubarb' (1969)

The word 'Rhubarb' is used by actors and extras to simulate a low key conversation, mumbling and general hubbub, particularly in crowd scenes. The word was used due to its lack of harsh sounding consonants, and spoken by a large group of people, unsynchronized, effectively created a continuous murmur.
When a few actors gathered backstage and represented ‘noise without’ made by a mob, they intoned the sonorous word ‘rhubarb’. The action was called ‘rhubarbing’, the actors ‘rhubarbers’.

The Eric Sykes' 1969 short film 'Rhubarb' plays on this insensible babble, with the script consisting entirely of the repeated word 'Rhubarb'. This was later remade by Sykes in 1980 under the title 'Rhubarb Rhubarb'.

CLIMAX! The Long Goodbye

CASE SOLVED

Corpse Walks Away During Drama on TV

And the dead man got up and slowly walked away...

No doubt about it. Thousands of televiewers were talking about it yesterday.
It seems that on the new high-budgeted CBS dramatic series, Climax, which had its debut on KNXT (2) Thursday night, actor Tristam Coffin was lying under a blanket and Detective Dick Powell was talking about having the body removed when the actor arose from the dead and strolled off scene.
Powell and the other actors went right on talking as if nothing had happened. And the show went on and the private eye finally solved the murder, leaving televiewers a little perplexed.
CBS blushingly explained yesterday that Coffin thought the scene was over and that he was off-camera when he took his macabre stroll.

 - Los Angeles Times (October 1954)


SLAIN GUY CRAWLS OFF VIDEO SET

CLIMAX! On its premier from Hollywood last night the new Climax series reached a totally unexpected climax. For it's opener, the series presented a tight, taut Raymond Chandler murder thriller titled, "The Long Goodbye", starring Dick Powell as a private eye.
The action had moved to it's moment of greatest impact. An alcoholic author had just been mysteriously shot. A blanket was drawn over the body and while the viewers sought to figure out who killed the victim, the body got up and crawled off-stage on all fours, dragging the blanket atop him.
We haven't seen a camera booboo so ludicrous since the early days of tv when WBKB put on "Arsenic and [Old] Lace", and the corpse in the window seat suddenly came to life.
Despite this bobble, this was a great show with Powell turning in a top-grade performance as a casual, cool detective, who unraveled a complicated case, but I'll be he will always insist on a filmed show in the future to avoid such boners, even though he had no part in causing this one.

- Chicago Daily Tribune (October 1954)


A delightful bit of instant mythology



Rolling Stone review from October 18, 1969, by T.M Christian.

To view text click to enlarge.
Due to the first column and paragraph one of column two being blurred, I have transcribed them below:

"They began months ago, the rumours of an event that at first seemed hardly believable but which in the end was accepted as all but inevitable. After all, with 'Garage Jam', Super Sessions', 'The Live Adventures of...', Blind Faith, Joe Cocker's LP, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, 'Jammed Together' and 'Fathers & Sons', it had to happen. Set for release later this month, the 'Masked Marauders' two-record set may evoke an agonizing 'tip-of-the-tongue', lobe-of-the-ear recognition in some, or cries of 'No, no! It can't be true!' in others. But Yes, yes it is - a treasured, oft-xeroxed sheet of credits (which, for obvious contractual reasons, will not be reproduced on the album), and the unmistakable vocals make it clear that this is indeed John Lennon, Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan, backed by George Harrison and a drummer as yet unnamed - "THE MASKED MARAUDERS".
Produced by Al Kooper, the the album was recorded with the impeccable secrecy in a very small town near the site of the original Hudson Bay Colony in Canada. Cut in late April, only three days were required to complete the sessions, though mixing and editing involved months of serious consultations on both sides of the Atlantic. Word has it that the cover art was intended as a "send-up" of Blind Faith, but none of the principals were willing to comment on the situation."

Available on Deity Records.

Dancing in the streetcars named Desire

Well no there wasn't really any dancing in any street/cars/streetcars, no Martha Reeves or Bowie and Jagger either. But there was me, by myself, and my bike (as yet not named Desire). Importantly, I was flying solo! Let loose on the streets of Malmö! A momentous occasion!
For me, at least.

It might seem a trivial thing. But for me it epitomised the moment when I felt settled in. It meant I could get around by myself, I knew where I was going and where places that I wanted to go were, I could navigate the cycle paths, and use correct cycling etiquette.

It was a beautiful spring day, blue skies and a crisp breeze, but not a wind that will chill you as you are cycling along. A bit of cloud coverage, as to not impinge upon my vision with dreaded sunstrike. In short, a brief but rather thrilling ride.

And there was a pot of gold at the end of the cycle path - in the shape of a large second hand store, half clothes, half bric-a-brac: some uninspiring framed paintings and cheap prints, old luggage, swedish records and seemingly the entire back catalogue of James Last recordings. Not really much to write home about on the record front. Was almost tempted to purchase various Agatha Christie's in Swedish, but I am sure they will wait until I might have the ability to read a sentence.

Sadly the perfect trench coat also eluded me (how am I meant to walk around like I am from a Chandler novel without a trench coat?) but definitely hit the jackpot with a pair of shoes for 50:-, the equivalent of 10NZD.



All of Malmö's second hand shops have redeemed themselves with this purchase. I also picked up a 1940's style white blouse, which will be good for the warmer weather, as I keep reminding myself I am not actually moving into winter months, but out of them.

To celebrate my one small step for man one giant leap for Florence in Sweden, i made a cake in a fry pan. A Swedish Apple Cake it is called, a close sister cake to the Swedish Visiting Cake, replacing the almonds for apples. Attempt 1 went ok, I feel a few tweaks and corrections to the recipe should turn it into a popular fave. I think Ikept confusing it in my head as to what the blazes I was actually cooking: cake? slice? pie? (It was continuously referred to as 'pie', but it is not a pie at all.) Devoured with lashings of Vanilla Whip (its like cream with vanilla! or ice cream without being cold!) whilst watching Twin Peaks, naturally.