Wall-to-wall week here. Tomorrow I'll be doing a benefit trivia contest at the U of M - it's the Strib team vs. some TV stations. Details at buzz.mn later today, if you're inclined to show up. Wednesday I will be doing a piece with an ABC crew for the "Medical Mysteries" show. (Explained later.) And of course there's band practice for the school Read-A-Thon this Friday; since I promised there would be video, there will be video. All in all, a remarkably different week. It's nice to be out of the rut. Give me back my rut!

 

I know I’ve mentioned this before, but it’s been four years; in those days the Bleat was too skinny to include screen shots that gave you the full sweep and majesty of epic films such as “Earth Vs. The Flying Saucers.” I’m not here to review it, having done so before – in fact, these screen grabs stand alone as strange, amusing, evocative or abstract.

Abstract: the translating device in the spacecraft. You’d never know what it is without context.

Amusing: terrified spectators in rear-projection peril. The guy on the left seems to be auditioning for some sort of jazz ballet, though.

A caption contest waiting to happen:

Once the size of the aliens was confirmed, Dr. Handley proposed defeating them with insurance salesmen in suppository form.

This is the sort of thing I'd see on an afternoon matinee, and have horrible dreams about for weeks:

As for the voice of the aliens, this is a sign of how a little piece of knowledge changes many things. In 2003 I recognized the voice, but I didn’t know the name. My error; he’s well-known for his work in radio, B-movie sci-fi, and Disney. Instantly recognizable.

A reminder of the transitory nature of fame: here’s a picture from the Jan 28 1928 Tribune newspaper.

It’s a scarf by Ralph Barton,  with pictures of celebrities embedded in the crowd. I can identify three or four, and I’m not sure of two of those. One stands out clearly, though: Harold Lloyd. Here’s a large version. Find Harold!

(Barton died three years after this illo, at the age of 40. His work appeared in all the chic mags – New Yorker, Vanity Fair – but he’s fallen so far out of sight the poor fellow doesn’t even have a wikipedia entry.)

Enjoy this update to the comics section. See you at buzz.mn!

 

 

 

 
       

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