McNeil's Movie Korner: Norman Panama Night

Welcome to an all-new edition of that perennial favorite, McNeil's Movie Korner. Last night, McNeil committed two films to his DVR, straight from TCM: THE MALTESE BIPPY (co-starring "blog" fave Carol Lynley) and THE ROAD TO HONG KONG. "Maybe it was Norman Panama night," McNeil speculates. "He directed both of them." Aside from having an awesome name, Norman Panama belongs in the "blog's" directorial pantheon, which includes George Marshall, Jack Arnold, and Fielder Cook, all of whom we admire for their strange, unremarkable proficiency. Now, the "blog" cannot endorse THE ROAD TO HONG KONG. We recommend the older ROAD movies (not the first one, THE ROAD TO SINGAPORE, not at first, because the formula hasn't quite jelled yet. But you can go back and watch that after you've seen a few others. You're welcome! Okay, I'll shut up about Bob Hope now.) In defense of HONG KONG, McNeil has nice things to say about Joan Collins. We must admit that in the "clip" above, featuring Ms. Collins, one may detect the famous Hope influence on Woody Allen's composition and delivery of a certain kind of one-liner (see a parallel scene in Allen's LOVE & DEATH). So I didn't shut up about Bob Hope after all! All right. This is what a "blog" is. I'm sorry! To that end, and because I'm too tired after typing all this to start a new "post," I'll mention that I'm re-listening to Ornette Coleman's SKIES OF AMERICA, struck again by its definite Ivesian spirit. Goodbye. I'm going to go away and rethink what I'm doing with my life.