Truck, what truck?

52 is an odd year for an even number. I'm one year younger than my Brother when he died. It's tough to wrap my head around that, still, and all the other grief I've dealt with over the last year.

Did a lot of driving this weekend in the new car. It's been a comfort, a lot of fun to drive. Went to Yellow Springs for lunch, another match of International Mini Golf (the first draw!) and to Westerville for dinner. Took in a good sunset at Hoover Reservoir.



My Wife's been taking good care of me. This afternoon we went to the Ohio Theater and took in a matinee of Raiders of the Lost Ark. Clark Wilson did his thing on the Mighty Morton Organ.



So it's been a good birthday weekend. And I got a reminder from my son's mother about upping the size of diapers. He's eating well, if not sleeping right, but he is growing - he never came with a pause button.

Date night at the moving picture show

Tonight was the CAPA Summer Movie Series annual showing of a silent feature. I was pleased that they were able to get a Harold Lloyd film. As I watch more of his work, I respect him a lot more as a comic and tonight's feature, Girl Shy, was no exception.

It's a very pleasant comedy of a boy who meets a girl, likes the girl but does not think he's making good, so he unpleasantly dumps the girl. Then, he realizes he's doing well for himself and tries to get the girl back. There's a wonderfully zany chase sequence of over twenty minutes that closes the film. The crowd loved it, Girl Shy is a fine way to be introduced to Lloyd's work.

Once again, Clark Wilson was amazing playing off the cue sheets and providing the sound from the Mighty Morton Organ of the Ohio Theatre. It's summer to me, and they've been doing it since 1969.

Mary Pickford Will Nurse Us All

Tonight was the CAPA Summer Movie Series screening of their annual silent film. A couple of years ago they showed Mary Pickford in Sparrows. It was the first film of hers I had seen and I rather enjoyed it despite her playing a teenager on film while in her late thirties.

This evening they brought back another Pickford film, The Little American, from 1917. It's a World War One film about an American woman who goes to France during the war to visit an ill relative. As you'd expect, things happen. It's a war, the United States is neutral at the time but there's plenty of anti-German sentiment. There are spies, one black servant and a very strange rescue at sea. There's also a love triangle, and some raping and pillaging that made me dislike the ending of the film. Overall it's a very entertaining ninety six year old movie.



Pickford is a force in this film, her talent and charisma is very obvious. She was one of the first major film stars, and the proof is on screen.

There was a technical glitch tonight, the film stopped about twenty minutes in for some unknown reason. Have to give live organist Clark Wilson props for doing a great improvisation during the two minutes or so that the screen was black. He's a very talented performer.

There was a short presented also. A World War One piece starring Pickford to get people to buy war bonds. I was tickled to see long time Chaplin foil Henry Bergman in a small role.

Also in attendance was author Christel Schmidt, author of a new book on Pickford. She gave a very informative and entertaining talk about Pickford's life and career before the feature. Nice touch by CAPA to add some good knowledge to the evening.

Columbus is doing alright.

Still trying to get out and about despite either being at the hospital or work every day. It's good to take a walk to clear my head and downtown's looking good this summer.



Always nice to have company on your walk after a pitcher of margaritas.



It's not a real summer until I see a film at the CAPA Summer Movie Series. My wife had never seen all of Bonnie & Clyde and I had not seen it in years, let alone on the big screen. That said, the print was not as good as it could have been. A lot of nicks and scratches. I've seen better. Film's still great.

We even saw the ghost organist descending into the pit of the Ohio Theater.



After the film, we cut through Columbus Commons, and the symphony was rehearsing.



It was a fine, totally unknown event that makes living in a city very cool.

Beautiful Ohio

Going into this exquisite theater is one of the best things about living in Columbus.

Originally built by the Lowes Theater chain in 1928, it was saved in the late 1970's by people with insight instead of destructive minds. It's been impeccably restored. I've seen a handful of concerts here including Brian Wilson, Yo-Yo Ma and Peter Serkin, but the main reason I go here is CAPA's Summer Movie Series.

The Mighty Morton Organ is brought up from the depths and these days is played by Clark Wilson. One of my memorable film experiences is seeing Four Horseman of the Apocalypse screened with the great Gaylord Carter playing his own, original, score. The theater was also home base to a Laurel & Hardy convention, where hundreds of convention goes all sang along to Sons of the Desert. It's always fun to see a Hitchcock film shown, where those in the know all cheer when the director makes his cameo.

It has been difficult for CAPA to assemble a quality series in recent years, with the studios reluctance to release film prints, but they do their best. The theater survives, and it's a wonderful experience.