Category Archives: Rom’s Blog

Keep Your Stick on the Ice

Posted on June 7, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. May 4, 2015 Tired of signing off your correspondence in the same old way? Bored with typical greetings such as “Sincerely” or “Best?” Below is a list of salutations I found on the internet, some familiar, … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged correspondence, Salutations | Leave a comment

The Great Mystery of My Life

Posted on May 10, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. September 1, 2013 I could never be a spy. If captured, all the enemy would have to do is play a recording of my speaking voice and I would tell them anything they wanted to know … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Frank Bernieri, Harvard University, Malcolm Gladwell, Nalini Ambady, Robert Rosenthal, The New Yorker, The New-Boy Network, University of Toledo, What the Dog Saw | 4 Comments

Jo Stafford: The Portrait Edition

Posted on April 8, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. February 12, 2015 Sometimes the things that make an immediate favorable impression on me end up fading from my favor, while the things that earn my admiration slowly over a long period of time end up … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Barbra Streisand, Capitol Records, Darlene Edwards, Ella Fitzgerald, Grammy for Best Comedy Album, Jo Stafford, Paul Weston, Pied Pipers, Stephen Sondheim, The Last Time I Saw Paris, The Portrait Edition, Tommy Dorsey, Tower Records | 6 Comments

Cav and Pag in the Twilight Zone

Posted on March 8, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. February 10, 2015 While throwing out some old receipts, I came across a ticket stub for Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, or “Cav and Pag” as opera aficionados call this particular double-bill of one-act operas. … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Canio, Casa Italiana, Cav and Pag, Cavalleria rusticana, one-act operas, Pagliacci, the Twilight Zone | Leave a comment

Observations on The Ruling Class

Posted on February 8, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. December, 2000 and February 1, 2015 The Ruling Class is the most well-known play by English playwright Peter Barnes, having been made into a 1972 film featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Peter O’Toole. (Barnes’ play Red … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Hamlet, James McAvoy, Peter Barnes, Peter O’Toole, Red Noses, The Ruling Class, West End revival, William Shakespeare | 1 Comment

Luise Rainer, 1910 – 2014

Posted on January 3, 2015 by admin

By Rom Watson c. December 30, 2014 With the recent death of Oscar-winning actress Luise Rainer, you may be tempted to watch some of her lesser-known films. These are periodically screened by Turner Classic Movies, usually on her birthday, January … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Adrian, Best Actress, Combat!, Dominic West, Erik Rhodes, Escapade, Finest Hour, Hans Conreid, Hostages, Johann Strauss II, Johdi May, John Wood, Joseph Ruttenberg, Lana Turner, Luise Rainer, Margaret Dumont, Michael Gambon, Miliza Korjus, Oscar, Paul Muni, Paulette Goddard, Polly Walker, Robert Donat, Spencer Tracy, The Big City, The Emperor’s Candlesticks, The Gambler (1997), The Good Earth.Dramatic School, The Great Waltz (1938), The Great Ziegfeld, The Lady and the Maid, The Love Boat, The Toy Wife, Turner Classic Movies | 4 Comments

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Posted on November 10, 2014 by admin

By Rom Watson c. September 9, 2014 When someone dies and they’re cremated, this is what their ashes come in: You may choose to transfer the ashes to a … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Lilia Skala, Robert Dixon | Leave a comment

The Magic of the Movies

Posted on November 8, 2014 by admin

By Rom Watson c. January 9, 2014 Composers decide which notes to play and which notes should remain silent. Painters decided which colors to put on the canvas and which colors should remain on the palette. All art forms require … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged 24 fps, 48 fps, 48 frames per second, animation, black-and-white film, Gizmodo, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, Vincent Laforet | 3 Comments

A Better Life While I’m Alive

Posted on October 10, 2014 by admin

By Rom Watson c. January 19, 2014 Michael Spielberg died at the age of 48. I never met the man, but I attended his memorial service because of my friendship with his mother, Iris Lord. The service was held at … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Iris Lord, Michael Spielberg | 3 Comments

The Last Time I Saw Patti Lupone

Posted on September 3, 2014 by admin

By Rom Watson c. July 15, 2014 A few years ago, my wife and I attended a Patti Lupone concert at Disney Hall. (Friends unable to attend gave us their tickets.) On the whole we enjoyed the concert very much, … Continue reading →

Posted in Rom's Blog | Tagged Blue, Disney Hall, Joni Mitchell, Patti Lupone, The Last Time I Saw Richard | 2 Comments