“Please, sir, may I have some more?”
It’s that time of year again! Just a note in the spirit of the holiday season to mention my favorite Thanksgiving Eve movie.
Every Wednesday before Thanksgiving I make a point out of watching the musical Oliver! And yes, I know it has nothing to do with Thanksgiving.
I know the musical sentimentalizes several characters that Dickens portrayed in a sinister way in the book (especially Fagan and The Artful Dodger) but the finished product has always seemed very holidayish to me. Continue reading
Thanksgiving week rolls along here at Balladeer’s Blog with this look at some of the most enjoyable – on whatever level – B-movies from the one and only Leo Fong! Leo’s been called a poor man’s Bolo Yeung cross-bred with an even poorer man’s Joe Don Baker … but I was drunk when I called him that, so make of it what you will. 
MURDER IN THE ORIENT (1974) – Leo Fong IS Lao Tsu, but not THAT one, in this lethargic treasure quest/ revenge story. Leo (He’s ALWAYS Leo to me no matter what his character is named) learns his sister has been killed by the Golden Cobra crime gang. That gang is after a pair of samurai swords on which Imperial Japanese war criminals serving in World War Two engraved a split map leading to a fortune in stolen gold. 
A TALE OF TWO HALVES – The SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY FIRE took it on the road against the AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY GYRENES. The Gyrenes led 7-0 in the 1st Quarter and 13-10 at Halftime. From there the Fire shut out Ave Maria University while going on top 17-13 to end the 3rd Quarter and ultimately winning the game 24-13. 
“GORILLA” WARFARE – Over in D2 the PITTSBURG (KS) STATE GORILLAS visited the WEST TEXAS A&M BUFFALOES. The Gorillas were out in front of their opponents 14-7, 28-21 and 35-28 in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Quarters, respectively. In the 4th, Pitt State polished off the Buffaloes by a final count of 42-28. 
SPIRIT OF SIXTY-FOUR – This game pitted the DORDT COLLEGE DEFENDERS against their hosts the BRIAR CLIFF UNIVERSITY CHARGERS. The Defenders seized a 23-0 advantage in the opening Quarter and never looked back. Ultimately, Dordt College obliterated the Chargers to the tune of SIXTY-FOUR to NOTHING! 
Here at Balladeer’s Blog I like to listen to you readers. Many of you have enjoyed my takes on the earliest adventures of Marvel Comics characters like 
TALES OF SUSPENSE Vol 1 #59 (November 1964)
Synopsis: The Black Knight (Nathan Garrett), usually a supervillain opponent of Giant-Man & the Wasp, was in prison following the recent clash between the Avengers and Baron Zemo’s original Masters of Evil, of which he was a member. The Knight’s winged horse Elendil at last located its master’s cell window, allowing him to retrieve some chemicals from its saddle-bag. With those chemicals the Black Knight dissolved the bars of his cell, mounted Elendil and flew off, wanting revenge. 
For Balladeer’s Blog’s review of the first episode of this 1971-1973 series about London by Gaslight detectives from both the Victorian and Edwardian Ages you can simply click 
Episode: THE SENSIBLE ACTION OF LIEUTENANT HOLST (March 4th, 1973) 
John Thaw portrays Lieutenant Holst but neither boozes like Inspector Morse nor manhandles suspects like he did in his Sweeney days. Holst displays a casual savviness and a street-smart air, especially when dealing with a slippery hotel front desk employee. “Professional” is the defining adjective for Thaw’s Holst. 
FIRST RESPONDERS & MILITARY APPRECIATION DAY – The SAINT THOMAS UNIVERSITY BOBCATS (should be the Tomcats) welcomed the WARNER UNIVERSITY ROYALS yesterday. After a scoreless 1st Quarter the Royals led 7-6 at Halftime. That became a 10-6 edge in the 3rd Quarter before the Bobcats tied things up at 20-20 in the 4th. In Overtime STU won out 27-20. 
S.A.M. – SERVICE ACADEMY MANIA – Saturday saw the annual rivalry game between the UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE ACADEMY MARINERS and the COAST GUARD ACADEMY BEARS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie became a 10-7 Mariners advantage at the Half. The 3rd Quarter ended with the USMMA up 17-7 before exchanging Touchdowns with the Bears in the 4th to win it 24-14. 
VIKING VALLEY – The VALLEY CITY STATE VIKINGS traveled to face the DAKOTA STATE TROJANS. The Vikings kept the Trojans off the scoreboard until the 4th Quarter as they led 7-0 in the opening Quarter and 14-0 by the midpoint. Neither team scored in the 3rd Quarter and Valley City State won by a final count of 14-6. 
FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH (1907) – Written by Thomas William Lawson, a writer and stock manipulator who made a fortune from shady stock deals … in between advocating for cleaning up Wall Street to shut down those fleece jobs. The reforms Lawson campaigned for were taken up decades later when Franklin Roosevelt appointed future Supreme Court Justice William O Douglas to head the Securities Exchange Commission. 
Jim Randolph, one of the novel’s main characters, is in the T.R. mold: he may be a bloated rich pig but at least he’s a bloated rich pig with a sense of noblesse oblige. Jim shares Teddy Roosevelt’s disdain for the Trusts and for con men who use the stock market to rip off their clients. 
