Cold!

It is really cold outside. I wish I could stay in bed. But gotta go to work. 

Casa Pollastro

 A pretty good restaurant. 

Big Sleep Redux

The other day I was watching one of my favorite movies, The Big Sleep. I've seen this movie probably twenty times over the past 35 years since I first saw it when I was in high school on some grainy VHS tape. 

But something was different about this viewing and I couldn't quite place what the difference was. For example there was a scene in the D.A.'s office with Bogart's character, several cops and the District Attorney. They laid out the progress of the notoriously complicated case. I had no memory of this scene. Their conversation helped shed light on the convoluted plot and for the first time I began to grasp the basic plot line. I began to think I had slept through this scene over the years. How had I missed it?

I also picked up other little details that I hadn't noticed before like Marlowe discovering an intruder had entered through a kitchen window. Little things, little details. Then near the end of the film, Regan's wife looked different than I remembered. Keep in mind it hadn't been that long ago since I had seen this movie. I'm pretty sure I had seen it in the last year. I wondered if I was experiencing early on-set symptoms of dementia or forgetfulness. 

And when the movie was over I seemed to remember there had been a restaurant scene with a conversation between Bacall and Bogart filled with innuendo. But that scene was not in the movie I just watched. I began to think maybe I had mixed this scene up with another Bogart-Bacall movie. 

The next day, after reading some articles online about The Big Sleep I discovered the truth.

There are two versions of this movie! 

The movie was filmed in 1944 but they held off on release in favor of war movies. They did release the initial film (the version I watched the other day) to military personnel serving overseas. But then news broke about the real life romantic affair between Bogart and Bacall. To take advantage of the public's fascination of the affair the studio re-shot and added some scenes that highlighted the romance between the two fictional characters. They eliminated the scene in the D.A.'s office as being too lengthy and "boring." Regan’s wife was re-cast because the original actress was unavailable for re-shots. 

So I wasn’t going mad. I had never seen the original cut before. My DVD copy has both versions, one on each side of the disc. I had just haphazardly put the DVD in the player not realizing there were two versions. 

So which version is better? Well, overall I’d say the 1946 theatrical cut is a better film. But, the original ‘45 cut is actually easier to follow. But it does lack some cracking scenes and banter between Bogart and Bacall. Personally, I’d like to see a combined version. Keep all scenes that don’t contradict the story or cause continuity issues. Keep the D.A. office scene. It is expository but it helps explain what’s going on. I’ll need to re-watch the ‘46 version again to see which Regan wife actress was a better fit. And I would keep the little scenes of Marlowe searching Geiger’s house and discovering the open kitchen window. I liked those little details.

Both versions are great. I’m just glad my confusion wasn’t due to losing my mind.

Wildness

I picked up this copy of The Practice of the Wild by Gary Snyder at the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco a few years ago. I have been re-reading it the past few weeks as it brings me a modicum of peace during chaotic times. 

Oh!

 This was not staged. 

Rise

 Two days later had soufflés at Rise 

Drivin to Dinner

 Driving to my wife’s birthday dinner 

Wake up Cat

 She wants me to wake up 

Accolades

Saturday was a big day for us as Ava got a Superior One Rating at her first ever high school choir competition. And Jackson was accepted to the aerospace engineering program at the University of Texas. 

Presentation

 Presented today