Before I shock you, I just wanted to mention a few more things about my Empire Hotel peep-show.
The resident directly across from me was a violinist. He would practice his violin directly in front of the window. You couldn't have framed it more cinematically. He did his violining fully clothed. However, the viewing angle only allowed viewing the violinst from the waist up; so it was moot; as well as mute. So, of course, I kept hearing violins, and seeing people carrying violin cases. This may have been less "synchronicity" and more "staying in a hotel next to a violin school." I mean, Juilliard was right there...and an opera house.
One of the apartments was pitch black; but someone was moving around in it by the light of a smart-phone. It really was like a scene out of a movie! I mean, what was that about? Was it simply a case of not paying the electricity bill or something more...creepy
Speaking of creepy, in a good way I suppose, was a conversation my husband and I had yesterday. We were talking about Hogan's Heroes, which we do more than you'd think. It's on ten times a week on MeTV and we sometimes watch it, when there's absolutely nothing else on. As a child, when we only had one TV, and HH went into repeats, I'd have to suffer through it every night. My older brother was obsessed with World War II for some reason (don't ask...my older brother has been a thorn in my side since we were in diapers) and so it was Hogan's Heroes, at 7:30, every night, for most of the 70's. My least favorite genre of filmed entertainment, after Westerns, is War Movies. But I'd sit there with glazed eyes and watch that show, because, well, what else did I have to do?
I mean, now, as an adult, I can appreciate its quality. It's quite well written and produced. They did 168 episodes, with basically the same plot. Colonel Klink is hosting some Nazi high mucky-muck at Stalag 13; one who is in possession of information that Hogan and his boys want. They pull the wool over Klink's eyes and blackmail Shultzie by reminding him about the Russian front. The high ranking Nazi is duped, often ending up going to the front and Klink waves his finger and says: "Hooooogaaannnn!" The End. See you next week, more or less.
Speaking of creepy, in a good way I suppose, was a conversation my husband and I had yesterday. We were talking about Hogan's Heroes, which we do more than you'd think. It's on ten times a week on MeTV and we sometimes watch it, when there's absolutely nothing else on. As a child, when we only had one TV, and HH went into repeats, I'd have to suffer through it every night. My older brother was obsessed with World War II for some reason (don't ask...my older brother has been a thorn in my side since we were in diapers) and so it was Hogan's Heroes, at 7:30, every night, for most of the 70's. My least favorite genre of filmed entertainment, after Westerns, is War Movies. But I'd sit there with glazed eyes and watch that show, because, well, what else did I have to do?
I mean, now, as an adult, I can appreciate its quality. It's quite well written and produced. They did 168 episodes, with basically the same plot. Colonel Klink is hosting some Nazi high mucky-muck at Stalag 13; one who is in possession of information that Hogan and his boys want. They pull the wool over Klink's eyes and blackmail Shultzie by reminding him about the Russian front. The high ranking Nazi is duped, often ending up going to the front and Klink waves his finger and says: "Hooooogaaannnn!" The End. See you next week, more or less.
I see nothing! Nothing...!
What's going on in that picture? When I was looking for a picture of John Banner, who played Schultz, I found one on on some gay website and one caption read: Are you gay for John Banner? Another: Do not be ashamed of your crush on John Banner.
So, as we were discussing the show for the nth time (speaking of crushes) I mentioned that the fellow on the show who gave me "childhood tingles" was Louis LeBeau.
What's going on in that picture? When I was looking for a picture of John Banner, who played Schultz, I found one on on some gay website and one caption read: Are you gay for John Banner? Another: Do not be ashamed of your crush on John Banner.
So, as we were discussing the show for the nth time (speaking of crushes) I mentioned that the fellow on the show who gave me "childhood tingles" was Louis LeBeau.
Why? I don't know. I guess I had a thing for short haired brunettes with comfortably handsome faces. I still think young Jerry Lewis was hot. Apparently, so did Dean Martin:
I see everything! Everything! (and you sure can with the rest of these pix!)
Distracted by prurience once again...
Anyways...so the point of this is synchronicity.
So, we're discussing Robert Clary, who played LeBeau on HH and I'd read somewhere that he'd actually been in a concentration camp. So, I wanted more information. I pick up my smart phone. I look up Robert Clary, one of my first childhood crushes, for the first time in my life. A picture pops up. His birthday: March 1, 1926. His death: ...oh wait, he's dead? His death: November 16, 2022. Wait, that can't be right. I turned to my husband. "What's today's date?" His reply: "The 16th of November." This was two days ago. Wait...what? Mr. Clary had literally just died, more or less. I looked at my husband in stunned disbelief. "He's probably still warm..." he said.
Maybe it's me; but I think that's pretty friggin' weird. Like, had his ghost popped by our house when he was on his way into the light?
Reposez en paix, Monsieur Clary.
Also:
The one who gives me tingles now, watching those reruns, is Werner Klemperer. He's weirdly sexy. Or maybe I'm just weird.
Distracted by prurience once again...
Anyways...so the point of this is synchronicity.
So, we're discussing Robert Clary, who played LeBeau on HH and I'd read somewhere that he'd actually been in a concentration camp. So, I wanted more information. I pick up my smart phone. I look up Robert Clary, one of my first childhood crushes, for the first time in my life. A picture pops up. His birthday: March 1, 1926. His death: ...oh wait, he's dead? His death: November 16, 2022. Wait, that can't be right. I turned to my husband. "What's today's date?" His reply: "The 16th of November." This was two days ago. Wait...what? Mr. Clary had literally just died, more or less. I looked at my husband in stunned disbelief. "He's probably still warm..." he said.
Maybe it's me; but I think that's pretty friggin' weird. Like, had his ghost popped by our house when he was on his way into the light?
Reposez en paix, Monsieur Clary.
Also:
The one who gives me tingles now, watching those reruns, is Werner Klemperer. He's weirdly sexy. Or maybe I'm just weird.
Do not be ashamed of your crush on Werner Klemperer (who also played the violin in real life).
Robert Clary - 1926-2022
CFR 11/18/22
CFR 11/18/22