20
Larchmont Chronicle
JUNE 2022
SECTION ONE
Recalculating pitchers, Abbey’s gorgeous new era, chutzpah! Facing Nolan (10/10): 102 minutes. Who is the best pitcher of all time? I never saw Walter Johnson or Cy Young or Christy Mathewson or Grover Cleveland Alexander, so won’t opine on them. But I have seen those from the ’40s on. The best I ever saw was Sandy Koufax, but Sandy only had six good years (1961-66). Before catcher Norm Sherry gave him the tip during a spring training game in 1960 that changed his life, he was a wild man. Warren Spahn is #2. Maybe Bob Gibson is #3 of those I’ve seen. Bob Feller is up there, but I didn’t really see him pitch. Today’s pitchers who can’t even complete a game aren’t in the picture. Now this documentary about Nolan Ryan has me recalculating. One of the best docs I’ve seen about anything, it tells the story mostly through interviews with people who should know: batters who have faced him. Included are George Brett, Rod Carew, Cal Ripken, Jr., Craig Biggio and many more, along with, of course, Ryan himself and his movie-star-gorgeous wife and their children and lots of clips of him in action. As an aside, he has a beautiful family. He blew away lots of records, sev-
en no-hitters and a fastball timed at 107 mph, pitching effectively until he was 47. Maybe he should be near the top of my list? Downton Abbey: A New Era (9/10): 124 minutes. PG-13. Apparently struggling to find a plot device, director Simon Curtis and writer Julian Fellowes stole one from the iconic 1952 MGM musical “Singin’ in the Rain.” The minute I heard the voice of actress Myrna Dalgleish (Laura Haddock) it was clear that she was mimicking Jean Hagen, who played Lina Lamont in “Rain.” Hagen won an Oscar nomination for her performance as the voice-challenged silent star beauty. There’s a lot more to this than the takeoff from the classic film, of course. As has become emblematic from the TV series and the first movie, the production values are outstanding. The locations (including the French Riviera) are gorgeous, the color mesmerizing and the recreation of the post-Edwardian era of the 1920s superb. The movie-filming plot is a good setup for the gang to resolve what becomes a big family mystery. Spoiler alert: Everything about this film is
At the Movies with
Tony Medley top notch…until the ending. I don’t know what Curtis and Fellowes were thinking but it was a bad idea to end this uplifting, happy film on such a downer. Had it ended 10 minutes earlier, I would have rated it 10/10. As a footnote, the movie stands on its own and does not rely on having seen the TV series as a required prelude. Diamond Hands: The Legend of WallStreetBets (9/10): 89 minutes. How a group of irreverent youngsters took on the Wall Street pros and ran a short squeeze on the stock of Gamestop is told by the whippersnappers themselves and it’s a fascinating tale of risk and reward, ups and downs, gains and losses … and Chutzpah! Bravo.tv and MSNBC. The Offer (8/10): 10-Episode series. TV-MA. This series is told from the POV of 42-year-old Al Ruddy (Miles Teller). It shows deep mob involvement, especially Joe
Colombo (Giovanni Ribisi), boss of the Colombo crime family. Paramount boss Bob Evans (Matthew Goode in a splendid performance), who post production claimed credit for severely editing writer/ director Francis Ford Coppola’s “Godfather,” is shown as a crazed, drug-addled over-thetop studio exec who greenlighted the film but fought Ruddy on just about every decision, from picking Coppola (Dan Fogler) to casting Marlon Brando (Justin Chambers, who does a fine job) and Al Pacino (Anthony Ippolito, who captures Pacino’s insecurities). Gulf and Western CEO Charles Bludhorn (Burn Gorman) is the boss of everyone. In real life, he was a unique person. Whether he was as bizarre as Gorman plays him would be difficult to believe, although anything is possible. As to casting, Fogler captures Coppola’s challenged height (5 feet 4 inches) and Goode shows Evans to be probably the way he was and is. The series shows how Ruddy bent over backwards to kiss up to the Mob and he continues that posture with this movie, just a bunch of regular guys who happen to kill people for a living. Unjustly minimized is
Peter Bart (Josh Zuckerman), who first optioned Puzo’s book for Paramount, and is a far stronger personality than shown here. Notwithstanding, this series is entertaining and enjoyable. Paramount+ The Most Reluctant Convert: The Untold Story of C. S. Lewis (8/10) 73 minutes. Max McLean stars in a play he wrote as C. S. Lewis, the creator of “The Chronicles of Narnia.” Lewis is probably equally well-known as a convert from strict atheism to devout Christianity. Lewis (Please turn to page 21)
American soprano sings at All Saints’ in Beverly Hills
Melissa Givens, an American soprano, will be performing at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills on Sun., June 12 at 5 p.m. She has been described as “a pleasure to hear” with a rich and powerful tone. Givens will be accompanied on piano during the hour-long concert. No reservations are needed. Donations requested at the door are $20 for adults and $10 for students and seniors.
Celebrate Grads & Dads with our June Dinners! Grilled Salmon Tapenade Grilled Atlantic Salmon served on creamed spinach with creamy mashed potatoes.
Almond Chicken Breast of chicken dusted with flour and almonds served with steamed broccoli and creamy mashed potatoes.
Gourmet Meatloaf Choice chuck and pork ground together to create this old-time favorite! Topped with mushrooms and gravy. Served with creamy mashed potatoes.
Hotcakes for Dinner Open til 7:30 Nightly for Dine-in, Patio, Take-out Delivery
6333 W. 3rd St. In the Original Farmers Market
Open Weekdays 6:30 am - 7:30 pm, Weekends 6 am - 7:30 pm
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(323) 933-8446
©LC0621
One Buttermilk Hotcake, one egg, choice of one turkey link or bacon. Served with maple syrup and butter.
