Spitball Army

Trumbo (2007):

• The travails of blacklisted Hollywood writer Dalton Trumbo told largely through readings from his voluminous correspondence.

Shame (2011):

• Proof that filmmakers are still enamored of The Ambiguous Ending. And Fassbender? Amazing acting, and all of that other stuff, too.

Purification (2012):

• I can never get those two hours back.

Earlier this week, I saw a realtor’s directional sign to an open house. Her name: Fifi Twitty. I kid you not. She must be in the dogbird seat.

[Letter addressed to Mrs. Harry V. C., c/o Mrs. J. W., 20 Block Street, Dundee, Scotland.  Return addressed to Cpl. Harry V. C., 33428766, 1409^th A.A.F. Base Unit, E.D.A.T.C. A.P.O. 741 c/o P.M., U.S. Army.]

England
Jan. 9, 1945

Dearest Mary:

I received your letter yesterday Darling and I was sure glad to hear from you.  It was the one you wrote on New Years.

I am well and getting along the best I can with out you, Dear.  I sure hope that you are getting along allright and your cold is better when you get this.  You will have to forgive me for not writing you last night darling but I had to go on K.P. at seven and I did not finish till five this morning.

I guess you will think I am a sleepy head but I just got up at one thirty and I am still sleepy.

Darling I sure wish that I could have been with you on New Years for you must have had some time.

Dearest please don’t worry about what you did at the party.  I know Darling that I can trust my Dearest wife not to do any thing wrong.  If you had a good time it is all right with me, only I wish that I would have been the one that you were kissing instead of some one else for Darling I miss you so awful much.

Boy Margaret sure picked some time in the morning to walk up to the hill, but maybe she got what she was looking for and something besides.  Darling if I could have been there with you we would of not walked to the hill or any place.  I would a lot sooner sit in front of the fire place with Mrs. H. Cole.

I am getting homesick for you and the nice cozy place in front of the fire with you on my lap and to feel your sweet lips pressing on mine.  I would just give any thing to be there now.  Wouldn’t you Darling?

I sure hope the Sailor makes out with his girl friend for I know what it is like having to wait for some one that means every thing to you and you love so very very much.

Darling you will never have to worry about making me a wonderful wife, for Dearest you are that already.

Dearest I know how you feel about what we were talking about, for I would like to have someone my self and maybe the next time I see you it will be all right.  Do you think so Darling, only dearest why would you have to get away from Dundee and not let any body know?  What difference does it make to them?  But Darling I guess I know how you feel and I will try hard to have you a place so you can be with me then if not before.  What would you say if it was Virginia that came?

Please tell me Dearest what they have been saying to you, will you Mary, please.  Darling I am thinking of you all the time I could never be selfish with you.  I want you to have a wonderful time and I could not think of doing any thing to hurt you.  That is one of the reasons, Darling.  I get to thinking what you would have to go through and it would be hard for me Dearest even if you said it was all right.

Listen Darling you don’t have to worry about me losing sleep.  I think you was awake twice as much as I was the last time.  Wasn’t that right, Dopey?

Listen who is talking about sleeping till 2 o’clock.  I don’t think I was alone, and another thing I did not sleep all the time, did I Darling?

I can not forget that I have a wife even when I am asleep even when I am a good many miles away from her for I am thinking of you Darling all the time.

Darling I will tell you who the some body is when I see you again.  Dearest are the six we are getting at one time we will get them on wholesale price so that won’t cost so much.  Will it?

Well Dearest you said to let you know to tell me what Margaret as Mom so be sure and tell me when you answer, now please don’t forget.  Will you?  Darling I bet she would look funny if you scalped her.  Don’t you think?  If you start that I better watch my self when I come to see you for it would be too bad if I lost my scalp.

I received three letters from Mom yesterday and she wants to know why you don’t write oftener.  She keeps asking how long it will be before you can come home.  Darling I sure wish that I could tell her when but I don’t know what I would do if I could not get to be able to see my Sweet Little wife once in a while even if for only a few minutes.  Do you think you would like to go across.  If I was back home now and you were with me Dearest I would sure be happy.

Mom said that my cousin shot a big buck deer.  It had bigger horns than the one in the picture I have.

I am not worrying about the deers any more for I have the Dearest Dear in the whole world to me and I love her so much.  Darling I will have to close for this time, and if I get another letter from you today I will write another.

All my love
Your Lonely Loving Husband
Harry

I just saw a banner advertising a Black comedian using the name Frank Chocula. I kid you not.

Ninth of 20 watercolor picture/postcards from the postcard book titled: “Official View Book, A CENTURY OF PROGRESS EXHIBITION, Chicago, 1933.”

This card pictures the “Replica of Abraham Lincoln’s Birthplace” at the 1933 World’s Fair held in Chicago, Illinois.

The accordion-style postcard book’s cover:

The Movies mirror life, yo.

Sometimes there are cartoons before the drama; sometimes all you’re left with is a few rocky kernels of popcorn in the bottom of a cardboard box.

Approximate playing time: 73 minutes.

1. Carl Stalling  “Porky in Wackyland (1938) / Dough for the Do Do (1949)”
2. Johnny Mercer & Martha Tilton  “If I Had a Talking Picture of You”  (1947)
3. The Olympics  “Western Movies”  (1958)
4. Peter Holsapple & Chris Stamey  “Widescreen World”  (2009)
5. Ed Harcourt  “Silent Film”  (2007)
6. Great Lake Swimmers  “Moving Pictures Silent Films”  (2005)
7. Merle Haggard  “It’s All in the Movies”  (1976)
8. David Mead  “Only in the Movies”  (2001)
9. Paul Simon  “That’s Why God Made the Movies”  (1977)
10. Steely Dan  “Everyone’s Gone to the Movies”  (1975)
11. Nada Surf  “The Film Did Not Go ‘Round”  (2008)
12. Sunny So Brite  “The Screen Actors Guilt”  (2004)
13. Sloan  “In the Movies”  (2001)
14. Sugar Minott  “Exit Music (for a Film)”  (2006)
15. The Moody Blues  “The Actor”  (1968)
16. Josh Ritter  “The Bad Actress” [solo acoustic]  (2008)
17. Adam Snyder  “Actress in an Airport”  (2001)
18. Hot Butter  “Popcorn”  (1972)

[Letter addressed to Mrs. Harry V. C., c/o Mrs. J. W., 20 Block Street, Dundee, Scotland.  Return addressed to Cpl. Harry V. C., 33428766, 1409^th A.A.F. Base Unit, E.D.A.T.C. A.P.O. 741 c/o P.M., U.S. Army.]

England
Jan. 9, 1945

Dearest Mary:

I received three letters from you yesterday Darling and I was sure glad to hear from you.

I am well and getting along fine, but I get lonely with out my Darling wife where I can see her every day.

I hope it will not be very long till I am with you again and I don’t think it will.  If I get my [pass] I will be with you as quick as a train can get me with you, my Dearest.

Darling, Hank and I were to the movie here on the base.  It was not so bad but I did not enjoy it with out you.

Darling when your boss says any thing to you again about any body making a fuss just tell him that he better not make you work again when I am up there [or] he will see a fuss like he never saw before.

Darling I am sure glad to hear that you have caught up in your work.  It makes me feel better knowing that you don’t have to work late any more like you did Dearest.

I would have liked to have been there with you when you was learning to play the piana [sic].  Darling I bet you had a time.  I know if I tried it every body would of left the country around the place.

Darling it don’t make me any difference how bad the trip is up there, I will make it, for Dearest, I would travel any way just to see you for just a few minutes for, Darling, you know how I feel about you.  Just seeing you and to be with you for a while means all the world to me.

Dearest you must be getting along fine with Jimmie now that he lets you take his coats off when he comes in.  If I don’t watch out you will have my job and I will get out of practice, and Darling I will just have to be in practice for somebody, and I hope that it will not be too long.

Darling would it make any difference what time of the month I get up there?  I think you will know what I mean.  When I get there Dearest I suppose you will be working.  If you are I will go past just across the street from the office so you will see me and quit working.

Darling I liked the pictures you drew in this letter.  I only wish we could take a picture of him right now.  Dearest I would be the luckiest guy in the world, or I would think so anyway.

Darling you wanted me to write a bigger letter than the other ones, but Dearest there is not much to write about around here.  I can tell you what I think better than writing so I will wait & will tell you.

Darling the reason I said any thing to your Mother about you the day you went to work was because you know how she talked when you did not get to work early.  I just done it because I can not stand to have you getting the dickens Dearest.  I can never stand to have any body say any thing about you now or any time.  It hurts me a lot I would a lot sooner for them to say that about me.

Darling when you answer this will you please send me Rod’s address and I will try to write him a few lines.  Dearest will you type it out so I will be sure and get it just right.

Dearest I am going to have to say Good Night.  Darling I will be thinking of you every minute day and night for now and always.

Your Lonely Loving Husband
For now & always
All my Love
Harry

Wearing my late father’s t-shirt: comfortable, soft, not at all like his sun-leathered skin. His smell has been washed out of it.

Little Big Man (1970):

• Picaresque tale (a la Barry Lyndon) of the American West in which spilled human blood is the color of Hawaiian Punch.

My Week with Marilyn (2011):

• Fascinating 100-minute period vignette with a greatly effective supporting cast, by which I mean Judi Dench.

Magic Trip (2011):

• Found-footage documentary chronicles Kesey, Cassady and friends riding a painted bus across USA in 1964. Best bit: an animated LSD trip.

[Letter addressed to Mrs. Harry V. C., c/o Mrs. J. W., 20 Block Street, Dundee, Scotland.  Return addressed to Cpl. Harry V. C., 33428766, 1409^th A.A.F. Base Unit, E.D.A.T.C. A.P.O. 741 c/o P.M., U.S. Army.]

England
January.6.1945

Dearest Mary:

Just a couple more lines to let you know that I am well and getting along as best I can with out you, and that is not so good.  I guess you know Darling how it is.  I received one letter from Mom today Dearest, and I am sending it along to you.  It is kind of bad around home now.  I don’t know when it has ever been like it is now at home for a long time.  Dearest does it ever get that bad around Scotland?  Darling I sure wish we were back there together.  It would not make any difference what the weather was like, would it Dearest?  Just as long as we were together.  I am just waiting till I can be with you again.  I guess that is the only reason that I can get along here [hoping] I can see my Darling wife once in a while.

Have you been to any more good shows?  Home in Indiana is on here at the base now but I am not going to see it.  I don’t like to go any place with out you Dearest, for there is nothing in life that means any thing to me but my Sweet Darling Wife.  I can not get interested in a show no matter how good it is.  Did you get the rest of the pictures yet?  I have the others over here yet.  I am waiting till I get the other ones so I can send them home together.

Darling I got my watch back at last, now I can count the minutes till I am with you again my own Dearest wife.  I am going to have to make this letter a little short Darling but I love you so much.  I am thinking of you all the time even when I am asleep Dearest.  I will have to say Good Night now Dearest.

All my love
Your Lonely Loving Husband till I am with you
Harry.