Friday Blog

Mary Jane West AKA “Mae” was born on August 17, 1893 in Brooklyn, New York. Mae’s mother was a German immigrant and her father was “Battling Jack” West a featherweight prizefighter of English and Irish descent.  She made her performing debut at a church social when she was five. By fourteen, she was a Vaudeville  actress known as Baby Mae.

West pushed the limits of social norms. She wrote and starred in several successful Broadway plays, including “Sex,” which sparked controversy but also catapulted her into the spotlight. Her productions drew mixed reviews from critics but New Yorkers filled the seats each night, expecting racy plots and risqué jokes.

Hollywood studios provided Mae with generous offers. In 1932, the 38- year- old finally left the Big Apple and signed with Paramount Pictures.   Her first movie appearance was in “Night After Night”. In a classic scene, a coat check girl admires Mae’s jewelry and exclaims, “Goodness! What lovely diamonds”. Mae replies, “Goodness had nothing to do with it”. 

Mae wrote nine of the thirteen films in which she starred. Before shooting 1933’s “She Done Him Wrong” West was reviewing a large book containing  pictures of leading men when she “glanced out the window and I saw this good-looking guy walk across the street. So, I said, “That’s about the best-looking thing in Hollywood: who is he?” So they said, “Oh, that’s Cary Grant. We haven’t used him in a picture as yet” I said, “Well, if this guy can talk, I’ll take him”. She gave Grant his first leading role and the film was nominated for the best picture Oscar. 

Mae West was credited with single-handedly saving debt-ridden Paramount from bankruptcy. By 1936, she was the highest-paid star in Hollywood and the second highest-paid person in the U.S. after newspaper mogul William Randolph Hearst.

Partially because of West’s racy films, studios became the target of various morals crusades. Industry executives adopted a set of guidelines, commonly referred to as the Hays Production Code.  Instead of dealing with the new  puritanical rules, West set her sights on fresh horizons to conquer. She appeared on Edgar Bergin and Charlie McCarthy’s radio show and her lewd dialogue got her banned from that medium. She moved to Las Vegas where she performed on stage and in nightclubs.

West returned to Hollywood in 1940 to film “My Little Chickadee” with W.C. Fields. The pairing resulted in a successful movie but off-screen Fields and West despised each other. West would only make a handful of appearances on the screen before her death in 1980. These included the dreadful ‘Myra Breckinridge” and a guest slot on “Mr. Ed” (how did I miss that).

A Rich and Famous Lifestyle

West didn’t drink or smoke but loved  dating younger men. Her long-term partner Paul Novak was 30 years her junior.

Her enormous ego compelled Mae to throw barbs at other female stars including Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor.  She did have nice things to say about Marilyn Monroe before adding  “Of course, she copied me.”

West resided in The Ravenswood, a Hollywood apartment building that also housed Judy Garland, Clark Gable and Ethel Merman. When West began to date Black boxing champ Gorilla Jones, management banned him from the building because of his race. West promptly purchased the building and terminated the ban. West also dedicated her time and resources to many charitable causes, focusing primarily on social welfare organizations especially those benefiting children.

Quotes

“When caught between two evils I generally pick the one I’ve never tried before”.

“I only like two kinds of men: Foreign and Domestic”.

“I generally avoid temptation unless I can’t resist it.”

“She’s the kind of girl who climbed the ladder of success wrong by wrong.”

 “That woman speaks eight languages and can’t say ‘no’ in any of them.”

I still can’t believe I missed that Mr. Ed episode.

Have a great weekend.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my highly acclaimed book, ‘Get Smarter- Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Recently, I was surprised to discover that Keurig Dr Pepper is headquartered in Massachusetts. I knew from my many business trips to Dallas that Dr Pepper is a long-established Texas company. And Keurig? Must be a European entity, I thought.

The reality is that Keurig was the brainchild of John Sylvan and Peter Dragone who were roommates at Maine’s Colby College in the late 1970s. After a few years in the high-tech industry, Sylvan, a lifelong tinkerer, quit his job to devote his time to solving what he considered an inconvenient problem – stale office coffee.

Sylvan designed a coffee pod system and a machine to brew the pods. Dragone was serving as director of finance at Chiquita Brands when Sylvan called him for help with his business plan. The pair founded Keurig in 1992 in Woburn, Massachusetts. Keurig is the Dutch word for excellence. Realizing that they needed significant capital, the entrepreneurs approached Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for financial backing.  Once Green Mountain’s nose was in the tent, Green Mountain brought in hordes of backers and executives to kickstart Keurig (I had always envisioned Green Mountain as a couple of mellow Bernie Bros sitting by a campfire). The new environment frustrated Sylvan, forcing him to quit in 1997. He sold his shares for only $50,000. Dragone departed soon after.

The company experienced explosive growth selling to offices and coffee shops worldwide. In 2004, after much trial and error, the company introduced a home version that was affordable and small enough to fit on kitchen counters. Sales exploded due to pent up demand from workers who loved their office Keurig.  Coffee pods became a hot seller in supermarkets worldwide. 

In 2006 Green Mountain assumed full ownership of the corporation and began marketing their technology to companies including  Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.

Selected Stats

40% of Americans own single serving machines- up from 10% in 2012.

27% of Americans use Keurigs.

Keurig produces 10 billion K-cups per year – Nespresso produces 14 billion coffee pods annually.

The Downside: 29,000 coffee pods enter landfills every minute (yes, minute). – These containers will take 500 years to decompose.  Keurig began working on recyclable materials in 2011 . Their goal is that 90% of the k-cups  will be recyclable.  Other brands are far ahead of Keurig in the sustainability arena- some allow consumers to reuse their pods.

Enter Dr Pepper

In 2018, Keurig Green Mountain merged with the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group to create a new company generating over $11 Billion in annual sales. Not that you asked but Dr Pepper is a former software client of mine. Employees are fiercely loyal to their brand and even proud of the Dr. Pepper Museum.

Dr. Pepper was originally formulated by Brooklyn-born pharmacist at a Waco, Texas drug store. As with the formula for Coca Cola, the recipe for Dr Pepper is a trade secret. The formula is allegedly secured in two halves in safe deposit boxes in separate Dallas banks. Dr. Pepper was first sold in 1885, one year before the introduction  of Coca-Cola. Amazingly almost 140 years later those two brands rank as the top two best-selling carbonated soft drinks in the U.S. The history of the two rivals is filled with failed potential mergers and dozens of lawsuits ranging from trade theft to anti-trust.

Dr Pepper enjoys dubious bragging rights because while the Food and Drug Administration classifies Coke as a cola, the agency does not classify Dr Pepper as such. Nor does the FDA classify the Texas institution as a root beer or a fruit flavored soft drink. Instead, Dr Pepper has been given its own category called “pepper soda”.

Bottom’s Up.

Have a great weekend.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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August 9 marks the 97th anniversary of the birth of actor and novelist Robert Shaw. He left us way too soon in 1978, four years after his memorable performance as Quint in ‘Jaws”. Shaw was an accomplished Shakespearian actor who was nominated for an Oscar for his role as Henry VIII in the 1966 movie, “A Man for All Seasons”. He also excelled in performances including “From Russia with Love”, “The Sting”, and “The Taking of Pelham One Two Three”. Meanwhile Shaw maintained a prolific writing schedule and authored several bestselling novels.

Most movie fans would cite Quint as their favorite character portrayed by Shaw. And since this is the 50^th anniversary of the publication of Peter Benchley’s novel “Jaws”, here are some fun facts about the movie that hit theaters in1975.

Lee Marvin was Steven Spielberg’s first choice to play Quint despite the director’s reticence to cast big-name actors. When Marvin replied that he would rather go fishing, Spielberg approached Robert Mitchum who also deferred. Spielberg turned to Sterling Hayden but that didn’t work because any income Hayden earned would be taken by the IRS for an outstanding tax liability. Robert Shaw had his own serious IRS troubles and the agency limited the number of days Shaw could spend in the U.S. Shaw was able to become Quint when Spielberg agreed to fly the actor to Canada on his days off. Shaw based his performance on Crain Kingsbury, a local fisherman and legendary eccentric who was able to secure a role in “Jaws”.

Charlton Heston wanted the role of Chief Brodie but Spielberg decided not to cast the icon because of his “saving the day” roles in recent movies, “Airport 75” and’ “Earthquake”. Spielberg reasoned that if Heston were cast audiences would feel the shark had no chance. Heston was enraged and vowed never to work with Spielberg. The director chose the relatively unknown Roy Scheider.

Jon Voight, Jeff Bridges, and Jan-Michael Vincent were considered for the role of Hooper. Fortunately Spielberg chose Richard Dreyfuss because the palpable tension we saw on the screen between Dreyfuss and Shaw was real – they despised each other.

Screenwriters Peter Benchley and Carl Gottleib struggled with Shaw’s “Indianapolis” monologue and so Shaw rewrote it to the screenwriters’ overwhelming approval. Shaw’s was so drunk during the first filming of the soliloquy that none of the tape could be used. When he sobered up, a remorseful Shaw begged Spielberg for a reshoot. The actor delivered a masterpiece in only one take. Scheider described Shaw as “a perfect gentleman” but all he needed was one drink to turn into a “son-of-a-bitch.”

Lee Ferro who played the grieving mother was a local who performed in stage productions at the Martha’s Vineyard Playhouse . She only made two other movies including the “The Mistover Tale“ when she was  87. Fiero was unable to fake a slap and as a result, Scheider said the smacks he received in the seventeen takes were some of the “most painful” of his career.

Random Chum

The original 52 day schedule expanded to 155 days primarily due to extreme weather conditions. Spielberg could have chosen to film in a Hollywood tank or a protected lake. Instead, he insisted on filming  at sea with a life-sized shark. He claims that it was youthful foolhardiness and ignorance of mother nature that led him to film on the ocean. He was dismayed by the phoniness of the fake shark, so he shot it from awkward angles for only moments at a time so viewers wouldn’t get too close a look.

When composer John Williams played the score for director Steven Spielberg, The director laughed and said, “That’s funny, John, really; but what did you really have in mind for the theme?” Spielberg later admitted that the movie would not have been nearly as successful without  Williams’s score.

“Jaws” won three Academy Awards but lost Best Picture to “One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

The line “You’re gonna need a bigger boat” was not scripted but was ad-libbed by Scheider.

Have a great weekend and don’t go in the water.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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July 26th marks the 96th anniversary of the birth of Stanley Kubrick. The film director, screenwriter, and producer made some of our generation’s most ground-breaking films. However, because of his perfectionism bordering on mania, Kubrick only directed thirteen feature films over his 46 year career.

Born in Manhattan, Stanley was given a camera when he turned thirteen. By the time he reached his late teens, Kubrick was gaining recognition as a photographer and began receiving regular assignments from  “Look” magazine. He was also an avid film fan and decided to combine his interests in the early 1950s. After directing a few forgettable short films Kubrick gained critical acclaim with 1956’s film noir, “The Killing”. The following year he directed  Kirk Douglas in the classic anti-war film, “Paths of Glory” .

Spartacus and Beyond

In 1960 Kubrick directed Kirk Douglas in Spartacus, which at the time, was Hollywood’s  most expensive production (12M).

Wishing to write and direct a nuclear war thriller, Kubrick found a book called “Red Alert” by Peter George and used it as the basis for 1964’s “Dr Strangelove”.  Originally written as a drama, Kubrick decided that that the subject matter was too funny to be taken seriously. While audiences were amused by the dark comedy, the film set off alarm bells at U.S. government agencies. Procedures were adopted to ensure that no one individual e.g. General Jack Ripper would have access to the complete code needed to unlock a nuclear weapon.

He spent four years working on his next film, “2001:A Space Odyssey”, a science fiction masterpiece that revolutionized the use of visual effects in cinema.

1971’s “A Clockwork Orange” was a critical success but was blamed for a series of copycat break-ins and murders in England. As a result, Kubrick requested that the movie be pulled from UK theaters.

Having turned down the opportunity to direct a sequel to 1973’s “The Exorcist”, Kubrick produced his own horror movie, 1980’s “The Shining”. The film was not only a box-office success but maintains a legion of fans and scholars captivated by the movie’s symbolic imagery and subliminal messages.

1987’s “Full Metal Jacket” won critical acclaim and was another box-office success.

Directing from Afar

Kubrick moved from the United States to England in 1961 because of his dissatisfaction with Hollywood studio practices. In 1974 while filming “Barry Lyndon” in Ireland,  Kubrick received death threats from the Irish Republican Army.  He fled with his family back to England and became a recluse for the rest of his life.

Perfectionist to the End

Kubrick’s attention to detail was legendary and his management style could be brutal. While filming “The Shining”, Kubrick bullied the late Shelly Duvall to get her into the hysterical state he desired.  Things became so stressful for Duvall that she began losing her hair. And that was before Kubrick demanded 127 takes for the classic scene where she swings a baseball bat at Jack Nicholson.

Kubrick died less than a week after the release of 1999’s “Eyes Wide Shut”, a movie that holds the  Guinness Book of World Records record for longest continuous  film shoot (fifteen months).  An example of Kubrick’s tenacity was his forcing  Tom Cruise to walk through a door 97 times before the director was satisfied. Co-star Nicole Kidman observed  “I think Stanley would have been tinkering with it for the next 20 years… He was never finished. It was never perfect enough.”

Trivia

Kubrick received thirteen Academy Award nominations but won only one.  Ironically, his Oscar  was not for directing but for Best Special Visual Effects (2001:A Space Odyssey).

Peter Ustinov is the only actor to win an Oscar for a performance in a Kubrick film (Spartacus). The only other Kubrick-directed actor to be nominated was Peter Sellers (Dr. Strangelove).

Sellers was paid $1 million for Strangelove  which was 55% of the film’s budget. In addition to the three roles he played, Sellers  was slated to play gung-ho pilot Major Kong. Surprisingly the brilliant actor couldn’t perfect a Texas accent. Kubrick reached out to John Wayne and Bonanza star Dan Blocker before settling for the great Slim Pickens.

Have a great weekend. Make mine a grain alcohol with unchlorinated rainwater.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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Supernatural

July 20 marks the 77th birthday of legendary guitarist. Carlos Santana. Born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico, Santana’s family moved to Tijuana when he was five. That year he began playing the violin but ditched that instrument in favor of a guitar when he was eight.

The family moved to San Francisco when he was a teenager. Soon after the move, Carlos quit school and started washing dishes at a restaurant. He became heavily influenced by the city’s hippie culture and opened himself up to different styles of music including folk and jazz. After seeing his idol B.B. King in concert, Carlos became focused on playing professionally. He formed “Santana Blues Band”  with some fellow street musicians and it soon became simply “Santana”.

The band’s big break came at the rock cathedral, Fillmore West when blues singer Paul Butterfield became so drunk he couldn’t perform. Santana’s manager convinced concert promoter Bill Graham to let Santana fill the void.  After their acclaimed performance, the group received a record contract and soon became world famous because of their dynamic performance at 1969’s Woodstock Festival. That same year, their first album was released featuring their first hit “Evil Ways”. The recording reached triple platinum status with its unique blend of African rhythms, blues, jazz, and Latin-infused rock.

The 1970s and Beyond

The band enjoyed great celebrity for a few years but Carlos was becoming disenchanted with the drug fueled rock scene. He had experimented with hallucinogens for years and was under extreme influence during his legendary Woodstock performance. He became enthralled with the music of jazz greats Miles Davis and John Coltrane and started developing an interest in spirituality. He teamed up with legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin who had played on Miles’ classic album “Bitches Brew” and was now fronting the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Santana and McLaughlin brought their bands together to record an album in 1973.  That year, McLaughlin introduced Santana, and Santana’s wife Deborah, to his guru, Sri Chinmoy who accepted the couple as disciples.

Santana claims the guru enforced a strict regimen for his followers- “It was like a West Point approach to spirituality. Five o’clock in the morning mediating, every day.” Santana was forced to cut his hair and become a strict vegetarian. The guitarist decided to leave Chinmoy’s fold when he heard the guru mocking Billie Jean King’s same-sex relationship. Carlos explains “this guy’s supposed to be spiritual after all these years; mind your own spiritual business and leave her alone”.

Santana easily mixes spiritualism and music and his performing schedule continues to be relentless. In 1986 he finally got to perform with Miles a milestone that Santana claims was ”the musical highlight of my life”. The following year Santana was able to pay tribute an earlier idol, fellow Mexican/American rocker Ritchie Valens. Santana wrote the score to the movie, “La Bamba”, the life story of Valens.

Music, Spirituality and Mentorship

Santana was already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when his  2000 “Supernatural” album won nine Grammy awards, breaking the previous record of eight Grammys earned by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Santana dedicated his award to “all the people who don’t have running water or electricity…if I could do it, you could do it.”

He gives millions in financial aid through his Milagro (miracle) Foundation. For many years he has mentored a new generation of musicians. During his 1992 tour he invited members of the then up and coming band Phish to jam with his band. He has also acted as a mentor to Derek Trucks,  Robert Randolph and Billy Strings.

Santana has designated a building on his California estate as his “church”. He claims that Miles sometimes visits him at night and that he also converses with John Coltrane and several saints. He also records his thoughts with hopes of inspiring others”. One entry from the year 2000 is “If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment”. “There is no person that love cannot heal; there is no soul that love cannot save”.  

Happy Birthday Carlos and thanks for all that incredible music.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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If you happen to run into Harrison Ford on July 13, be sure to wish him a happy 82nd birthday.  Born in Chicago, Harrison’s mother was a radio actress and his grandfather worked in Vaudeville. He was a philosophy major at Ripon College when he became  involved in  summer stock. Ford not only learned a few things about acting but also developed some carpentry skills by building stage sets.

In 1964 Ford travelled to Hollywood in search of voiceover work. He honed his carpentry skills by studying woodworking books and  practiced on an empty house before accepting any paying jobs. He developed a reputation as one of the best cabinetmakers in Los Angeles and was hired by some famous clients including directors  Francis Ford Coppola and George Lucas.

Lucas cast Ford in 1973’s  “American Graffiti” and Coppola cast him in the 1974 classic, “The Conversation”. Because of his success as  a carpenter, Ford could be selective about his screen roles.  He was offered the role of Michael Stivic (Meathead) in “All in the Family” but turned it down because of Archie Bunker’s bigotry.

Many Hollywood actors auditioned for the role of Hans Solo in 1976’s “Star Wars” including Jack Nicholson, Robert de Niro, Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell, Billy Dee Williams, Christopher Walken and Nick Nolte. Harrison Ford prevailed as Lucas wanted a new face and the production crew members were enchanted by Ford’s charm.

Lucas was reluctant to cast Ford in 1981’s “Raiders of the Lost Ark” because he did not want every George Lucas film to be a “Harrison Ford movie”. However Lucas’ first choice, Tom Selleck dropped out because of his “Magnum PI commitment” and Ford became Indiana Jones.

The actor insisted on performing his own stunts for the Indiana Jones trilogy. One of the best scenes in the original was fortuitously created by Ford because he was suffering from dysentery. The script called for a long fight with the swordsman in black but the ailing Ford asked director  Steven Spielberg if they could shorten the scene. The duo quickly agreed that Ford would take out his gun and shoot the villain- to the great surprise of most who were on the set.

Hits and Misses

Ford auditioned for the role of Joe Buck in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy but was passed over for Jon Voight. Since that time he has seemingly won every role he sought.

Ford declined Tom Skerritt’s role in 1979’s “Alien” and turned down Jack Nicholson’s role in Terms of Endearment. He rejected Kevin Costner’s roles in “The Untouchables” and “JFK”. He turned down the role of Jack Ryan in The Hunt for Red October” but eventually starred as Ryan in “Patriot Games” and “Clear and Present Danger”.  Ford also turned down Liam Neeson’s title role in “Schindler’s List”, Warren Beatty’s role as “Dick Tracy”, Mel Gibson’s role in “The Patriot” and George Clooney’s role in “The Perfect Storm”.

Real Life Hero

Ford’s heroic exploits aren’t reserved solely for the screen. Because of his flying skills, he’s always volunteered for search and rescue missions. In 2000 Ford landed a helicopter onto Wyoming’s Table Mountain and rescued a hiker who had fallen ill. In 2001, he rescued a lost boy scout in the Wyoming wilderness.

Closing Tidbits

Fords’ films have grossed over $10 Billion. While he is one of history’s most beloved actors, he has never won an Oscar. His only nomination was for 1985’s “Witness”.

He had a small role as a school principal in 1982’s “E.T.” but the scene was cut because Steven Spielberg felt that Ford’s presence would break the flow of the film.

His  portrayal of Branch Rickey in 2012’s “42” marked the first time Ford’s played a real-life character.

We’ve already mentioned his exploits as Hans Solo, Indiana Jones and Jack Ryan but let’s not forget his great work in 1988’s “Working Girl” and 1993’s “The Fugitive”.

Finally, don’t believe everything you see in the movies. Harrison Ford  is not afraid of snakes. In fact  while serving as a counselor at a  Wisconsin summer camp, Ford prepared boy scouts for the Reptile and Amphibian Study Merit Badge.

Happy birthday to an American original.

Have a great weekend.

If you liked this blog you will enjoy my new book, “Get Smarter-Be Amazed”. Visit www.tedcurtinstories.com for direct links to Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

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