Robert Newton is fast becoming my newest fixation

— I always feel sort of guilty and embarrassed when they change, but I suppose no long-dead actor, or even any living one, is harmed by my brain being fickle in its interests.

Anyhow, Newton was the main reason I watched Androcles and the Lion (1952) yesterday, although the presence of Alan “voice of Scrooge McDuck” Young, Elsa Lanchester, Jean Simmons, and Victor Mature certainly didn’t hurt. ETA —I am curious as to how it would have played with the original casting of Harpo Marx as Androcles. I supposed he would have talked.

Still trying to put my thoughts in enough order to write about it— I don’t think I’ll go read Shaw’s introductory essay (I assume he wrote one) because my experience is that I enjoy GBS’ plays better than his explanations of what he meant by them. My other early opinion is that Androcles/Lavinia/Ferrovius make a lovely platonic OTP.

also ETA — Just looked at the YouTube comments and woah, Shaw would definitely get a kick out of how many people this play script from 1912 is still angering. Roughly half insist it’s an insult to Christians, while the other half consider it Christian propaganda and are calling it out on that count. (And then there are a couple of people complaining that it’s boring and asking why it isn’t in colour like The Robe or Ben Hur). 

Spooked!…In Soho, Chapter 14

Chapter 14. The party continues.

Stuff I’ve posted on Tumblr in the past week:

Been listening to The Kinks these past few weeks, and now I’m trying to imagine which songs’ narrators (assuming a Kinksverse in which they all coexist) would join the Village Green Preservation Society.

‘Come Dancing’ – Narrator would join the V.G.P.S. His sister might, too.

‘Holiday,’ ‘Father Christmas’ – Narrators might join.

‘Quiet Life’ (from the movie-musical Absolute Beginners), ‘Waterloo Sunset’ – Narrators sympathize with the V.G.P.S.’ aims, but are too reclusive to join.

‘Paranoia’ – Narrator wouldn’t join the V.G.P.S., and probably suspects it’s a front for something nefarious.

‘Autumn Almanac’ – Narrator should join. He’d be a great asset, and might get to meet some new people.

‘Death of a Clown,’ ‘Tired of Waiting’ – Narrators wouldn’t join.

‘Dedicated Follower of Fashion,’ -- This is a third-person narrative, I just remembered. The Dedicated Follower of Fashion might join the V.G.P.S. if there's a photographer present at their events.

‘Sunny Afternoon’ – Narrator would join the V.G.P.S., but for all the wrong reasons. Luckily he’s too lazy to actually show up to most of the meetings or events.

‘Lola’ – Not sure the narrator or Lola have heard of the V.G.P.S. It’d be cool if they joined though.

‘Victoria’ – Narrator is from the 19th century, but if he’s still alive, he’d probably join the V.G.P.S.

‘David Watts’ – Narrator probably hasn’t heard of the V.G.P.S., but it might be a good activity for him, as long as David Watts isn’t also a member.

‘You Really Got Me’/ ‘All Day and All of the Night’ – These two have the same narrator (they’re practically the same song) and he’s far too busy being horny to have heard of the V.G.P.S.
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