PETER PAN (1976) – This Hallmark/ ITV joint venture is not as good as the Mary Martin or Sandy Duncan versions or the original Disney animated movie, but its obscurity made it a “must review” item for Balladeer’s Blog. Dwight Hemion directed this telefilm with Andrew Birkin and American comedian Jack Burns (of Burns and Schreiber fame) adapting the screenplay.
The fourteen new songs for this Peter Pan were written and composed by Leslie Bricusse of Scrooge, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and so many other musicals. Anthony Newley, Bricusse’s long time musical partner, worked with him on this project as well.
MIA FARROW, in her Rosemary’s Baby hairdo, portrays the title character with an accent on the little boy aspect of “the boy who wouldn’t grow up”. It’s interesting to watch her depict Peter’s cockiness as more like bravado to cover up how frightened he is. Not brilliant, but interesting. Her singing is okay.
DANNY KAYE gets to play Captain Hook and Mr. Darling after a previous film project with him in those roles fell through years earlier. The veteran Kaye steals the show in his usual comedic and boisterous fashion, making his Captain Hook my personal favorite from all of the versions of Peter Pan. Continue reading
THE FOOL KILLER (1918) – The 1918 one-shot publication called The Fool Killer collected written works by Dr Klarenc Wade Mak, poet, author and socialist political candidate for mayoral office in Kansas City, MO around 1918. Mak had also written Ekkoes (sic) from the Hart (sic) and Mental Dinamite (sic).
During the 1850s Fool Killer tales were fused with political satire and commentary as Charles Napoleon Bonaparte Evans launched 
*** 1. IOWA WESTERN COLLEGE REIVERS (defending national champions) ### 2. HUTCHINSON COLLEGE BLUE DRAGONS ### 3. COFFEYVILLE COLLEGE RED RAVENS ### 4. NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI COLLEGE RANGERS ### 
MARVEL PREMIERE Vol 1 #20 (January 1975)
Born Theodosia Goodman in Cincinnati, OH on July 29th, 1885, Theda Bara was the first monumental “man-eating”, femme fatale sex symbol in American cinema. Theda chose – or was assigned – her screen name because it was an anagram for “Arab Death” but the supposed appeal of that has always eluded me. 
A FOOL THERE WAS (1915) – Theda Bara embodied “the Vamp” character as surely as Douglas Fairbanks would later embody the swashbuckler. In this film based on Rudyard Kipling’s 1876 poem The Vampire, Bara portrayed a metaphorical vampire whose erotic appeal drove men wild. 
This film had a Dialogue Board with Bara’s character saying “Kiss me, my fool” to her latest male victim, a line which was mistakenly quoted as “Kiss me, you fool” for decades. Because this movie was made before the 1930 Hays Code, Theda’s seductive and spiteful character was allowed to go unpunished for her actions in the storyline. 
MYRA BRECKINRIDGE (1970) – This film is based on the novel by Gore Vidal, who once called director John Waters “the pope of trash.” Well, Gore, Waters never had anything to do with Myra Breckinridge in any of its forms, so you have no room to talk. 
First up, a summary of the plot – Myron Breckinridge, played by THE Rex Reed, the famed film critic, is fascinated with Hollywood and is conflicted about his sexuality AND about societal notions of masculinity. Myron believes that the film industry has distorted and perverted masculinity into what would today be called by certain people a “toxic” stew of rabid machismo. 
Next, as Myra Breckinridge instead of Myron, the character goes to Hollywood to work at the acting school run by her uncle – former cowboy star Buck Loner … played by JOHN FREAKING HUSTON! Myra’s plan is to change the way male thespians behave and how men are portrayed in film so that she can destroy the very concept of traditional macho movie heroes forever. 
A PESTILENT VAPOR (1903) – Written by Alice MacGowan, this neglected story introduced a figure who should have become as famous in his way as H.G. Wells’ Invisible Man. 
*** 1. MORNINGSIDE UNIVERSITY MUSTANGS ### 2. NORTHWESTERN (IA) COLLEGE RED RAIDERS ### 3. KEISER UNIVERSITY SEAHAWKS ### 4. MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS ### 5. LINDSEY WILSON COLLEGE BLUE RAIDERS ### 
6. SOUTHWESTERN COLLEGE MOUNDBUILDERS ### 7. GRAND VIEW UNIVERSITY VIKINGS (should be Zebras) ### 8. BENEDICTINE COLLEGE RAVENS ### 9. REINHARDT UNIVERSITY EAGLES (should be Rottweilers) ### 10. INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS ### 
For this weekend’s light-hearted, escapist blog post about superheroes, Balladeer’s Blog goes back to the Justice Society of America, this country’s very first superteam.
ALL STAR COMICS Vol 1 #39 (February 1948) 
Balladeer's Blog 