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I spent this weekend catching up on clearing off some stuff from the DVR. Next week will be depressing when I tape off the last of SoapNet's AW episodes, but at least it'll save tape. Part of me is glad not to watch the show's downward spiral and the other part of me is really irritated they're leaving the show when Cass & Frankie, my favorite couple, isn't happy or together. I wanted to like Kathleen. I had liked her when she appeared briefly in Cass' vision (proof positive appearing as spirits is no indication of death in soap opera land) -- she was quite fun. But the one who actually rose from the dead seemed written from a different book, annoyed that Cass had moved on and someone else was living her life, like it was her right. Sorry dear, you may have been there first, but I do think Cass deserved better.
The other things I dropped off the DVR was a series of 8 "Boston Blackie" movies aired as part of TCM's "Watching the Detectives" series. All of the movies were a little over an hour in length, somewhat predictable in that you know a) there's a crime b) Farraday blames Boston Blackie c) Boston Blackie clears himself.
Columbia almost took the opposite approach as the "Shadow" series where the love interest was concerned. For the Shadow, Margo Lane was an addition for the radio series. Pulp fans were irate when she started to be included, encroaching on their hallowed territory. The Boston Blackie original short stories by Jack Boyle included Blackie's girlfriend/wife Mary. Mary showed up in the radio series as his regular gal pal. In the movies, however, all the male regulars stayed the same, but the female characters changed, allowing Boston Blackie to play opposite a new hapless dame or two each time and give Columbia a chance to test a few would-be stars. And those movies were filled with those. Robert Osbourne pointed out most of the notable ones when he introduced each movie. A lot of them went on to play in various film noir roles, not surprisingly. Chester Morris and Richard Lane played off each other brilliantly as Blackie and Farraday.
The other things I dropped off the DVR was a series of 8 "Boston Blackie" movies aired as part of TCM's "Watching the Detectives" series. All of the movies were a little over an hour in length, somewhat predictable in that you know a) there's a crime b) Farraday blames Boston Blackie c) Boston Blackie clears himself.
Columbia almost took the opposite approach as the "Shadow" series where the love interest was concerned. For the Shadow, Margo Lane was an addition for the radio series. Pulp fans were irate when she started to be included, encroaching on their hallowed territory. The Boston Blackie original short stories by Jack Boyle included Blackie's girlfriend/wife Mary. Mary showed up in the radio series as his regular gal pal. In the movies, however, all the male regulars stayed the same, but the female characters changed, allowing Boston Blackie to play opposite a new hapless dame or two each time and give Columbia a chance to test a few would-be stars. And those movies were filled with those. Robert Osbourne pointed out most of the notable ones when he introduced each movie. A lot of them went on to play in various film noir roles, not surprisingly. Chester Morris and Richard Lane played off each other brilliantly as Blackie and Farraday.
