harrygbutler tackles books, magazines, and movies in 2021 — 2

Welcome to my second thread for 2021! I’m Harry, and this is my sixth year in the 75 Books Challenge. My taste in reading runs to Golden Age and earlier mysteries, pulp detective and adventure fiction, Late Antique and medieval literature, westerns, and late nineteenth and early twentieth century popular fiction, among others. I also have a fondness for collections of cartoons and comic strips, and I collect pulp magazines from the first half of the twentieth century. I usually have a few books going at once.

I'm also an inveterate movie watcher, and I track my viewing in my thread, too. I watch a wide variety of genres — mystery, western, comedy, adventure, science fiction, horror, and more — and tend to watch older movies, particularly from Hollywood's Golden Age in the 1930s and 1940s, but extending through the 1980s and only rarely later.

My wife Erika and I live in eastern Pennsylvania with three cats — Elli, Otto, and Pixie — and a dog, Hildy. Our pets occasionally make an appearance in my thread. My other interests include model railroading, gardening, and birding, so you'll sometimes see something related to them as well.

I try to provide some sort of comment on the books and magazines I read and the movies I watch, but they are short and aren't really reviews.

New this year is my blog: https://dimtrails.com. There I'll be posting more than just comments on books and movies, but those will occupy a big place, too.

Targets for the year

• Last year, I finished 174 books. This year, I'm scaling back my aims to 150 books, as I'm upping my goal for magazines. I am currently behind on this target, as I've only finished 23 books.


• Last year, I read 12 fiction-oriented magazines, either pulp or neo-pulp. This year, I'm hoping to boost that reading and manage 26, or one magazine every two weeks. I am currently ahead of schedule for this target, as I've finished 7 magazines so far.


• Last year, I watched 702 movies. I'd like to up that total to 730 this year, or an average of two movies a day. I'm currently pretty much on track for this target, as I've watched 138 movies so far.

Books finished in the first quarter

1. Best Cartoons of the Year 1970, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
2. The Corpse in the Green Pyjamas, by R. A. J. Walling
3. The Broken Gun, by Louis L'Amour
4. Roman Antiquities, Books 8-9.24, by Dionysius of Halicarnassus; trans. by Earnest Cary
5. Meet Fred Basset, by Alex Graham
6. Dead as a Dinosaur, by Frances & Richard Lockridge
7. Nightmare in New York, by Don Pendleton
8. The Girl from Outer Space, by Carter Brown
9. Best Cartoons of the Year 1946, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
10. Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, Vol. I: The Old and Middle Kingdoms, by Miriam Lichtheim
11. The Purple Onion Mystery, by H. Ashbrook
12. Law of the Desert Born, by Louis L'Amour
13. Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, Vol. II: The New Kingdom, by Miriam Lichtheim
14. Best Cartoons of the Year 1952, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
15. Ancient Egyptian Literature: A Book of Readings, Vol. III: The Late Period, by Miriam Lichtheim
16. Renegade Swords, ed. by D. M. Ritzlin
17. Best Cartoons of the Year 1953, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
18. Darling, It's Death, by Richard S. Prather
19. Necklace and Calabash, by Robert van Gulik
20. Chicago Wipe-Out, by Don Pendleton
21. Guns of the Timberlands, by Louis L'Amour
22. Grimmer Than Hell, by David Drake
23. When Eight Bells Toll, by Alistair MacLean
24. Best Cartoons of the Year 1965, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
25. Double Cross Purposes, by Ronald Knox

Books finished in the second quarter

26. Buckskin Run, by Louis L'Amour
27. The Bombshell, by Carter Brown
28. Walt Disney's Uncle Scrooge: "The Twenty-Four Carat Moon", by Carl Barks
29. Hagar Says It with Flowers, by Dik Browne
30. Roman Antiquities, Books 9.25-10 by Dionysius of Halicarnassus; trans. by Earnest Cary
31. Vegas Vendetta, by Don Pendleton
32. Death at Breakfast, by John Rhode
33. The Green Archer, by Edgar Wallace
34. Caribbean Kill, by Don Pendleton
35. The Silencers, by Donald Hamilton
36. Murder Has a Motive, by Francis Duncan
37. The Owner of the Lazy D, by William Patterson White
38. The Chinese Maze Murders, by Robert Van Gulik
39. Glory of the Martyrs, by Gregory of Tours; trans. by Raymond Van Dam
40. Quiet, Sam!, by Bil Keane
41. Ambuscade, by Frank O'Rourke
42. The Miracles of the Martyr Julian, by Gregory of Tours; ed. and trans. by Giselle de Nie
43. The Miracles of Bishop Martin, by Gregory of Tours; ed. and trans. by Giselle de Nie
44. Last Stand at Papago Wells, by Louis L'Amour
45. Marmaduke: I Am Lovable, by Brad Anderson
46. Beetle Bailey: Thin Air, by Mort Walker
47. California Hit, by Don Pendleton
48. Hagar the Horrible #2, by Dik Browne
49. Life of the Fathers, by Gregory of Tours
49. Look Who's Here, by Bil Keane
50. Glory of the Confessors, by Gregory of Tours
51. Beetle Bailey: The Rough Riders, by Mort Walker
52. Best Cartoons of the Year 1963, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
53. Shorter Scottish Medieval Romances, ed. by Rhiannon Purdie
54. The Gentleman Says It's Pixies, by Gardner Rea
55. Murder Is So Nostalgic, by Carter Brown
56. The Hills of Homicide, by Louis L'Amour
57. The Phantom of the Temple, by Robert Van Gulik
58. They Got Me Covered, by Bob Hope
59. Washington I.O.U., by Don Pendleton
60. The Romans of Partenay, or of Lusignan: Otherwise Known as The Tale of Melusine: Translated from the French of La Coudrette (before 1500 A.D.), ed. by Walter W. Skeat
61. Planetary Adventures, ed. by D. M. Ritzlin

Books finished in the third quarter

62. The Romance of Yder, ed. and trans. by Alison Adams
63. In This Corner... Dennis the Menace, by Hank Ketcham
64. Thriving on Vague Objectives, by Scott Adams
65. 14 Years of Loyal Service in a Fabric-Covered Box, by Scott Adams
66. Regarding Sherlock Holmes, by August Derleth
67. Dilbert — A Treasury of Sunday Strips: Version 00, by Scott Adams
68. Dutch Romances, Volume II: Ferguut, ed. by David F. Johnson and Geert H. M. Claassens
69. The Jade-Eyed Jungle, by Carter Brown
70. The Cosmic Courtship, by Julian Hawthorne
71. Crock, by Brant Parker, Bill Rechin, and Don Wilder
72. Lassie: The Mystery of Bristlecone Pine, by Steve Frazee
73. Hondo, by Louis L'Amour
74. Heathcliff: Ghosts, Goblins and Creepy Things Like That, by Geo Gately
75. San Diego Siege, by Don Pendleton
76. The Aseptic Murders, by Carter Brown
77. Night over the Solomons, by Louis L'Amour
78. Great Cartoons of the World by the World's Foremost Cartoonists, Eighth Series, ed. by John Bailey
79. Swords Against Darkness III, ed. by Andrew J. Offutt
80. The Chinese Nail Murders, by Robert Van Gulik
81. Blonde on the Rocks, by Carter Brown
82. Satan's Daughter and Other Tales from the Pulps, by E. Hoffmann Price
83. Created, the Destroyer, by Richard Sapir and Warren Murphy
84. Verse Saints' Lives Written in the French of England: Saint Giles by Guillaume de Berneville; Saint George by Simund de Freine; Saint Faith of Agen by Simon de Walsingham; Saint Mary Madgalene by Guillaume Le Clerc de Normandie, trans. by Delbert W. Russell
85. Panic in Philly, by Don Pendleton
86. At the Edge of the World, by Lord Dunsany; ed. by Lin Carter
87. All Hazel, by Ted Key
88. The Angel of Terror, by Edgar Wallace
89. Still Pumped from Using the Mouse, by Scott Adams
90. Mysteries of the Worm, by Robert Bloch; ed. by Lin Carter
91. Tuned In, Marmaduke?, by Brad Anderson
92. What Was That?, by Katharine Haviland Taylor
93. Lands of the Earthquake / Under a Dim Blue Sun, by Henry Kuttner / Howie K. Bentley
94. Beetle Bailey: Sarge Is a Dope, by Mort Walker
95. The Burning Hills, by Louis L'Amour
96. I'm Tempted To Stop Acting Randomly, by Scott Adams
97. In the Hour Before Midnight, by Jack Higgins
98. Jersey Guns, by Don Pendleton

Books finished in the fourth quarter
99. The Hellcat, by Carter Brown
100. Out One Ear and in the Other, by Johnny Hart
101. Angel Esquire, by Edgar Wallace
102. Lonigan, by Louis L'Amour
103. Guide to the Holy Land, by Theoderich of Würzburg; trans. by Aubrey Stewart
104. Dilbert Gives You the Business, by Scott Adams
105. Texas Storm, by Don Pendleton
106. Marmaduke, Take 2, by Brad Anderson
107. Murderers' Row, by Donald Hamilton
108. Detroit Deathwatch, by Don Pendleton
109. Beyond the Fields We Know, by Lord Dunsany; ed. by Lin Carte
110. Beetle Bailey: Rise and Shine, by Mort Walker
111. Best Cartoons of the Year 1951, ed. by Lawrence Lariar
112. The Leavenworth Case, by Anna Katherine Green
113. Little Monsters, ed. by Brant House
114. The Clown, by Carter Brown
115. Horns of Plenty, by Dik Browne
116. Hey! B.C., by Johnny Hart
117. Boys Dig Girls, by Bill Wenzel
118. The Bank Vault Mystery
119. New Orleans Knockout, by Don Pendleton
120. The Monkey and the Tiger, by Robert van Gulik
121. Utah Blaine, by Louis L'Amour
122. The Dumdum Murder, by Carter Brown
123. Walt Disney's Donald Duck: "Under the Polar Ice", by Carl Barks
124. Black Moon, by Seabury Quinn
125. Firebase Seattle, by Don Pendleton
126. Heathcliff Pigs Out, by Geo. Gately
127. Peace, Beetle Bailey, by Mort Walker
128. No Blonde Is an Island, by Carter Brown
129. Casual Day Has Gone Too Far, by Scott Adams
130. War Party, by Louis L'Amour
131. I'm Not Anti-Business, I'm Anti-Idiot, by Scott Adams
132. Christmas Days, by Joseph C. Lincoln
133. The Old English Martyrology, ed. and trans. by Christine Rauer
134. The Willow Pattern, by Robert Van Gulik
135. My Home Town, by Senator Ford
136. The Penetrator: The Target Is H, by Lionel Derrick
137. Play Now -- Kill Later, by Carter Brown
138. The Bible

Magazines completed in 2021

1. Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 9, 1926
2. Argosy All-Story Weekly, January 16, 1926
3. Tales from The Magician's Skull, No. 5
4. Detective Fiction Weekly, July 25, 1931
5. Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 6, 1926
6. Argosy All-Story Weekly, February 13, 1926
7. Railroad Stories, February 1935
8. Argosy All-Story Weekly, March 6, 1926
9. Cirsova #9 / Fall 2018
10. Cirsova #10 / Winter 2018
11. Cirsova, Vol. 2, No. 1
12. Tales from the Magician's Skull, No. 6
13. Cirsova, Vol. 2, No. 3
14. Cirsova, Vol. 2, No. 2
15. Cirsova, Vol. 2, No. 4

Our cat Otto is a big fan of movies: When we start to watch one, he comes running to the living room from wherever he may be and settles in for the duration, though he chiefly dozes rather than actively watching.

I've given Otto a place in my comments on movies. At present, the three ratings are as follows:

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Movies watched in January

1. The Stranger from Pecos (Monogram, 1943)
2. The Thin Man Goes Home (MGM, 1945)
3. Ursus in the Land of Fire (original title: Ursus nella terra di fuoco) (1963)
4. She's Got Everything (RKO, 1937)
5. Bomba and the Jungle Girl (Monogram, 1952)
6. The Nitwits (RKO, 1935)
7. The Desert Trail (Lone Star / Monogram, 1935)
8. The Trap (Monogram, 1946)
9. Thunder River Feud (Monogram, 1942)
10. Daughter of the Dragon (Paramount, 1931)
11. Montana Incident (Monogram, 1952)
12. Trapped by Television (Columbia, 1936)
13. Landrush (Columbia, 1946)
14. The Old Dark House (Universal, 1932)
15. Earth vs the Spider (American International, 1958)
16. Cancel My Reservation (WB, 1972)
17. Six-Gun Gospel (Monogram, 1943)
18. Gunga Din (RKO, 1939)
19. Jungle Jim in the Forbidden Land (Columbia, 1952)
20. Thank You, Mr. Moto (Twentieth Century Fox, 1937)
21. The Lawless Frontier (Lone Star / Monogram, 1934)
22. The House of Fear (Universal, 1945)
23. Rock River Renegades (Monogram, 1942)
24. Carefree (RKO, 1938)
25. Wyoming Roundup (Monogram, 1952)
26. Murder on the Bridle Path (RKO, 1936)
27. Terror Trail (Columbia, 1946)
28. The Echo Murders (Anglo-American, 1945)
29. Hawk the Slayer (1980)
30. City Hunter (1993)
31. The Castle of Fu Manchu (1969)
32. The Kid from Spain (Goldwyn / UA, 1932)
33. Tarzan and the Slave Girl (RKO, 1950)
34. Voyage of the Rock Aliens (1984)
35. Shot in the Dark (1933)
36. The Flying Deuces (RKO, 1939)
37. The Last of the Clintons (Ajax, 1935)
38. The Millerson Case (Columbia, 1947)
39. Silver Blaze (1937)
40. Out of Sight (Universal, 1966)
41. Boot Hill Bandits (Monogram, 1942)
42. The Invisible Killer (PDC, 1939)
43. Santo y el águila real (1973)
44. Radar Secret Service (Lippert, 1950)
45. A Case for P.C. 49 (1951)
46. Outlaws of Stampede Pass (Monogram, 1943)
47. Safari Drums (Allied Artists, 1953)
48. She (1984)
49. South of the Chisholm Trail (Columbia, 1947)
50. High Flyers (RKO, 1937)
51. Drums of the Desert (Monogram, 1940)
52. The Great Hotel Murder (Fox, 1935)
53. Tarzan of the Apes (First National, 1918)
54. Nine Girls (Columbia, 1944)
55. Crossfire in Caracas (original title: El hombre de Caracas) (1967)
56. The Pointing Finger (1933)
57. Haunted Gold (WB, 1932)
58. Mr. Moto Takes a Chance (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)
59. Texas Trouble Shooters (Monogram, 1942)
60. The Sleep of Death (1980)
61. Dance of Death (original title: Wu quan) (1976)
62. The Playgirls and the Vampire (original title: L'ultima preda del vampiro) (1960)
63. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (UA, 1928)
64. Ski Party (American International, 1965)

Movies watched in February

65. Nomads of the North (First National, 1920)
66. Before Midnight (Columbia, 1933)
67. The Argyle Secrets (Film Classics, 1948)
68. Day of the Animals (1977)
69. The Woman in Green (Universal, 1945)
70. Born to the West (Paramount, 1937)
71. The Lone Hand Texan (Columbia, 1947) watched 2/3
72. Island of Doomed Men (Columbia, 1940)
73. No Holds Barred (Monogram, 1952)
74. Range Law (Monogram, 1944)
75. Voodoo Tiger (Columbia, 1952)
76. Pardon My Rhythm (Universal, 1944)
77. Terror Island (Paramount, 1920) (rerelease Realart, 1922)
78. The Crime of Helen Stanley (Columbia, 1934)
79. The Plot Thickens (RKO, 1936)
80. Air Raid Wardens (MGM, 1943)
81. I Killed That Man (Monogram, 1941)
82. The Cuckoos (RKO, 1930)
83. Son of Oklahoma (Sono Art-World Wide, 1932)
84. In Like Flint (Twentieth Century Fox, 1967)
85. The Delightful Forest (original title: Kuai huo lin) (Shaw Brothers, 1972)
86. Broadway Limited (Hal Roach / UA, 1941)
87. The Dragon Missile (original title: Fei long zhan) (Shaw Brothers, 1976)
88. Super-Sleuth (RKO, 1937)
89. Arizona Stage Coach (Monogram, 1942)
90. How To Steal a Million (Twentieth Century Fox, 1966)
91. House of Errors (PRC, 1942)
92. Girl in Danger (Columbia, 1934)
93. The Crime Doctor’s Gamble (Columbia, 1947)
94. Man with Two Lives (Monogram, 1942)
95. Mission to Venice (original title: Agent spécial à Venise) (1964)
96. Destroyer (Columbia, 1943)
97. The Navajo Trail (Monogram, 1945)
98. Lost in Alaska (Universal, 1953)
99. O.S.S. 117 n'est pas mort (1957)
100. Wild Wild Winter (Universal, 1966)
101. Escape in the Fog (Columbia, 1945)
102. Cipher Bureau (Fine Arts Pictures / Grand National, 1938)
103. The Mystery of Chess Boxing (original title: Shuang ma lian huan) (1979)
104. Galloping Romeo (Monogram, 1933)
105. The Chance of a Lifetime (Columbia, 1943)
106. Santo contra los zombies (1962)
107. West of Dodge City (Columbia, 1947)
108. Navy Spy (Grand National, 1937)
109. Anything for a Friend (original title: Amico mio... frega tu che frego io) (1973)
110. Seven Sinners (Gaumont British, 1936)
111. Warlords of the 21st Century (aka Battletruck) (1982)
112. If I Were King (Paramount, 1938)
113. Hell Comes to Frogtown (1988)
114. The Corpse Came C.O.D. (Columbia, 1947)
115. Judex (1963)
116. Eagles over London (original title: La battaglia d'Inghilterra) (1969)
117. Twins of Evil (Hammer / Rank, 1971)
118. The Buddha Assassinator (original title: Fo zhang huang ye) (1980)
119. Beware (Astor, 1946)

Movies watched in March

120. Tom Thumb and Little Red Riding Hood (original title: Caperucita y Pulgarcito contra los monstruos) (1962)
121. Pursuit to Algiers (Universal, 1945)
122. Agent 3S3: Passport to Hell (original title: Agente 3S3: Passaporto per l'inferno) (1965)
123. Dawn of the Mummy (1981)
124. Trailing Trouble (Grand National, 1937)
125. We're in the Legion Now (Grand National, 1936)
126. How To Stuff a Wild Bikini (American International, 1965)
127. Mystery Broadcast (Republic, 1943)
128. The Admiral’s Secret
129. Im Banne des Unheimlichen (1968)
130. Doctor Syn (Gaumont British, 1937)
131. Barbarian Queen (1985)
132. Ghost Catchers (Universal, 1944)
133. Mysterious Mr. Moto (Twentieth Century Fox, 1938)
134. Law of the Canyon (Columbia, 1947)
135. The Last Warning (Universal, 1938)
136. Trail Riders (Monogram, 1942)
137. Submarine Alert (Paramount, 1943)
138. The Preview Murder Mystery (Paramount, 1936)
139. The Plague of the Zombies (Hammer / Twentieth Century Fox, 1966)
140. Mystery of the White Room (Universal, 1939)
141. Panama Patrol (Grand National, 1939)
142. The Unbeaten 28 (original title: Shi ren guan shi ba qi) (1980)
143. Il ladro della Gioconda (1966)
144. Who Killed Aunt Maggie? (Republic, 1940) – 3/13
145. Strange People (Chesterfield, 1933) – 3/14/2021
146. The Last Warning (Universal, 1928)—3/15
147. The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires (Hammer-Shaw Brothers, 1974)—3/15
148. The Lone Wolf Takes a Chance (Columbia, 1941)
149. Let’s Make a Million (Paramount, 1936)
150. Riders of Destiny (Lone Star / Monogram, 1933)
151. Come On, Tarzan (K.B.S. Productions / World Wide, 1932)

Welcome, everyone!

Happy new thread!

>1 harrygbutler: wow, my kites were destroyed rather quickly.

Happy new one, Harry!

Happy new thread to my favourite classic cinema reviewer.

>14 drneutron: Thanks, Jim!

>15 fuzzi: Mine as well. I found photos of several cool survivals while looking for a good thread-topper for a March start.

>16 mstrust: Thank you, Jennifer!

>17 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul! I've got quite a backlog of comments to post.

Happy new thread, Harry!

>9 harrygbutler: That is 2 movies a day :-O

>22 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita! Yes, I'm managing to hit my target average number of movies, which was a little unexpected.

Movie 65. Nomads of the North (First National, 1920)



My first movie in February was this Northern adventure starring Lon Chaney as a young man sought by the Mounties for killing a man, though he had acted in self-defense. A wicked factor's son is behind the accusation, and the Mountie sent in pursuit has his own reasons for possibly wanting the young man out of the picture. Sometimes slow, but engaging nonetheless.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

Movie 66. Before Midnight (Columbia, 1933)



The first in a series of four movies starring Ralph Bellamy as Inspector Steve Trent has a bit of an odd structure, as there is a frame to the main mystery in which a police chief tells the tale of the case. Trent is called in by a rich man who fears for his life, and his fears prove well-founded. Bellamy just doesn't have the charisma necessary to carry off his part well, I think, but the movie was moderately entertaining nonetheless.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>25 harrygbutler: yippee! You're back!

I'm happy to see you back too, Larry!

>26 fuzzi: >27 mstrust: Thank you!

Movie 67. The Argyle Secrets (Film Classics, 1948)



Tame thriller has William Gargan as a reporter out to get a notebook, compiled by another reporter, that contains a list of traitors and facing opponents who are after the same item. For genre fans only, I think.

Mildly recommended. Otto judiciously thinks this movie is OK, but not great.

>30 mstrust: Thank you! I hope yours was good.

Movie 68. Day of the Animals (1977)



Ecological horror movie has wildlife of various kinds targeting a hiking group led by Christopher George. Assorted members of the group, often behaving stupidly, meet their ends as what starts out as a lark in the high country turns into a desperate race down from the mountains in an attempt to survive. Leslie Nielsen plays a loudmouth who is affected by the same conditions as are turning the animals savage, with over-the-top results.

Not recommended. Otto thinks your time would be better spent staring at the wall.

Hi Harry!
I watched Hitchcock's Frenzy a few days ago. Good, but I was very surprised to see nudity in one of his, which along with Barry Foster's bright yellow hair, made it so 70's.
I'm halfway through The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner.

>33 mstrust: Hi, Jennifer! I don't recall Frenzy, though I suspect I saw it long ago. (Ditto for Family Plot: if, as I suspect, I did see it, I don't remember anything about it.) I've never seen The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner, but dramas in general are the genre probably least likely to end up in my viewing queue.

Movie 69. The Woman in Green (Universal, 1945)



Holmes and Watson investigate a series of murders with mutilations that appear to be the work of a madman, though Holmes suspects something even more sinister is going on. Blackmail and suicide and drugging unsuspecting victims all find their place in this entry, rather more thriller than mystery but absorbing nonetheless.

Recommended. Otto finds this one pleasing enough to relax.

Happy new thread!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Harry, do we need to send Basil Rathbone out to find you?

>37 mstrust: "Watson, the game's afoot!"

I suppose I should be heavy-footed Inspector Lestrade and also keep a look out!

"You see, Watson, he's missing! Here's the list of films he had intended to watch this month."
"I've never heard of any of them, Holmes."

>36 figsfromthistle: Thank you!

>37 mstrust: >38 fuzzi: >39 PaulCranswick: >40 mstrust: Haha! And thank you all as well! What can I say: Life has kept me busy elsewhere, and I don't actually foresee that changing much in the near term, but I'll try to post here more regularly, though it probably won't be nearly so often as before.

I've finished 53 books so far this year and am working on more. I'm still right on track with my goal of watching an average of two movies a day, as I've watched 293 as of today, the latest being a German Edgar Wallace krimi with Klaus Kinski in a dual role, Die blaue Hand, from 1967.

Black raspberry cobbler tonight!

>42 harrygbutler: yummy!!!

I'd like some.

>42 harrygbutler: We call cobbler, crumble in the UK and I had either or both yesterday with lovely vanilla cream. Hani made me peach and banana crumble and it was delicious.

Great to see you posting, Harry. I have missed you round here.

>43 fuzzi: It was very tasty, and we have enough berries left over for some homemade ice cream this weekend (and plenty more berries on the plants, too).

>44 mstrust: You'd have been welcome to some. And about the time the black raspberries finish up, the blackberries should be starting, so more cobblers are likely.

>45 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. I don't know how often I'll be posting, but I will try to stop by. I quite like peach cobbler too, so we may have some a little later this summer. Erika handles the pies and cobblers for us, and I'm quite happy to get them.

My fifty-eighth book for the year was They Got Me Covered, a humorous autobiography by Bob Hope published in 1941, so really rather early in his life. It's quite light-hearted, focusing largely on his career, especially radio and movies. In tone, and in the writing, it is much like his monologues and conversations during his specials, so fans of those, or of his wisecracking persona onscreen, will be likely to enjoy this as well. Recommended.

As of the middle of the year (Day 183), I am on track for my goal of watching an average of two movies per day. So far, I've seen 365 movies (exactly half of my goal), and I expect to watch #366 this evening.

>50 harrygbutler: wow.

I do miss seeing Otto's reviews.

>50 harrygbutler: Impressive indeed! May the rest go to plan, too.

Congrats on sticking to your goal, Harry! You'll make it.
I was watching a movie I'd recorded from tv yesterday, and two hours in, about 30 minutes from the ending, I found that the recording had stopped. We've had a lot of power outages lately and it was probably recording then. Grrrrr.

>51 fuzzi: Thanks. Otto has a review nearly every day (and sometimes more often) over at my blog: https://dimtrails.com/

>52 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. I'm a bit behind on books and magazines, but I anticipate I'll make up ground.

>53 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! I've experienced that same aggravation, so I understand. At least once I even ended up renting a movie via Amazon just to finish it when the DVD had problems.

Nathaniel Hawthorne's son Julian was a prolific writer himself, with work in a number of genres. I recently backed a quite successful Kickstarter aimed at funding the reprinting of his science fantasy The Cosmic Courtship, first serialized in All-Story Weekly in 1917. From the blurb on the back of the volume:

Mary Faust, a brilliant scientist, has developed a machine that can allow the conscious human soul to explore the cosmos! Her promising young assistant Miriam Mayne has accidentally transferred her consciousness to Saturn, where she falls under the enchantment of an evil sorcerer! Jack Paladin, her love, sets out after her on a thrilling celestial journey to the ringed planet! Swashbuckling adventure and high romance await...!

I just received the book today, and I'm looking forward to getting started with it in the next few days. I am particularly pleased that the success of the Kickstarter was such to prompt the publisher to plan a line of reprints of similar neglected work, including more by Julian Hawthorne, too. Also as a result of the Kickstarter, The Cosmic Courtship will be made available via Project Gutenberg for others to read as well; indeed, it may already be there.

Fans of the 1960s Batman might want to take a look at James Batman, a 1966 Philippine movie featuring comedian Dolphy in a dual role as both Batman (including his alter-ego, Dolpho) and "James" (i.e., James Bond). This is an amusing, albeit at times incoherent, parody of spy films, as the two heroes (with Batman aided by Robin) are commissioned to foil the evil organization CLAW, which is threatening to destroy the world, or much of the world, if its demands are not met within five days.

>58 harrygbutler: ...um...I...think I might just sit that one out...

>57 harrygbutler: I had never, ever heard of Julian! There will be peel-out marks on my computer for how fast I get to PG! Thanks for the news, as it is to me, Sir 'Arry.

Hi Harry!
>58 harrygbutler: Really, did you find this one at the bottom of a well? It may be the most obscure find yet!

>59 richardderus: Hi, Richard! I've finished The Cosmic Courtship and found it rather enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to reading more by Julian Hawthorne in the future. The publisher of the reprint has plans to do another volume collecting some of his other stories from the magazines. If I could stand reading on-screen, I'd probably already have started his Six Cent Sam's, which is available at the Internet Archive.

>60 mstrust: Hi, Jennifer! I've recently stumbled across a trove of odd movies, including a Turkish flying saucer movie and a Brazilian horror comedy in part inspired (apparently) by Little Shop of Horrors. :-)

Sadly, the other secret agent movies from the 1960s starring Dolphy do not seem to be available, so I won't be able to check them out for now.

My 500th post is up at my blog: https://dimtrails.com/2021/09/06/midnight-mystery-rko-1930/. Postings have mostly been comments on movies, but I did get around to a book today and expect to do more book comments, more regularly, going forward.

::waves at harrygbutler::

Wow! Halfway to 1,000 already...eight years in, I'm only now closing in on that post count. Impressive.

>64 fuzzi: Hi! Thanks for stopping by!

>65 richardderus: Hi, Richard! Well, my posts are largely rather short, like my comments on movies and books here on LT, so they are probably not all that time-consuming to create. I'm aiming for a post per movie watched and eventually per book read, too, so the number should continue to grow.

Hey, Harry! Nice to see you dropping in, and congrats on your 500th post!

>68 mstrust: Thanks, Jennifer! I've been watching a fair number of horror and sci-fi movies recently (in fact, a couple today), but I've been rather disappointed at the empty shelves at Michael's in the Halloween section.

Yes, we've got empty Halloween shelves at Target and At Home. I haven't checked Michael's in many weeks.
I recently watched Mars Attacks! and really liked it. I watched most of a haunted house Netflix movie called Malevolent but it was boring and I dropped it with a half hour to go.

Missing seeing you around the block, Harry.

>71 PaulCranswick: me too...

A Thanksgiving to Friends (Lighting the Way)

In difficult times
a friend is there to light the way
to lighten the load,
to show the path,
to smooth the road

At the darkest hour
a friend, with a word of truth
points to light
and the encroaching dawn
is in the plainest sight.

Harry, to a friend in books and more this Thanksgiving

::peeking in the room::

Nope, no Harry. :sigh:

Have a lovely holiday, Harry. Miss you, fella.

Thanks, everyone, for stopping by while I've been away. I'll try to be more present next year.

Merry Christmas to all!

>76 harrygbutler: Merry Christmas Harry!

I went over to your Dim Trails site but couldn't find a general comment thread to leave holiday greetings.

Forget your stresses and strains
As the old year wanes;
All that now remains
Is to bring you good cheer
With wine, liquor or beer
And wish you a special new year.

Happy New Year, Harry.

>77 fuzzi: Thanks!

>78 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul!

>79 harrygbutler: we're going to do another L'Amour challenge for 2022. Hope you join us.