Sunday, January 3, 2010

Rant, Key Largo, and agenda

Can I just get this out? I had an interesting work session, and I have a few things I want the general public to know about how to behave.
First of all: read the menu before ordering. It will make things so much easier. I won't go into details exactly, but I will say that we had a couple come in, and the woman just made things difficult after they ordered. All because she didn't read the menu or bother to look at the specials we have posted! So, please, in the future do us all a favor and take an extra minute to look over your options, or better yet, ask the servers. That is what we are there for. We like answering questions and making suggestions!
Secondly: I know part of the glamour of going out to eat is that you don't have to do the clean-up. But I do also think that leaving a HUGE mess is just bad manners. I have seen tables that beg the question: who ever taught you how to eat? Pigsty much? Also, here's a thought: control your kids! Don't let them throw their food on the ground or get it all over the table and the floor and the chairs and the booth. Granted, babies don't know better - but I don't think leaving a rice or noodle bowl unattended in front of an infant is a good idea. That is just asking for trouble. And you know what: if you do leave a BIG mess, leave a tip for the poor saps who have to clean it up. Am I wrong about this? I mean, I was always taught to leave your spot on the table as clean as you can - even in public. Is this a lost thing now?

Okay, enough of that. Time for a Movie Review!! That's right, last night I watched 'Key Largo' featuring the talent of Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Edward G Robinson, Claire Trevor, and Lionel Barrymoore. It was quite the cast. And quite the movie. I really like it. Basically an old war hero (Bogart) travels to Key Largo to meet the father (Barrymoore) and wife (Bacall) of an old pal of his who died during the war. Barrymoore and Bacall operate a hotel, which is being exclusively rented out for a little while by a man who calld himself "Brown" and his fellow travelers. Enter a hurricane, literally. While closing up shop, it comes out that "Brown" is actually the gangster Johnny Rocco (Robinson) who sneaked back into the country to do some dirty work. He takes the hotel under hostage. I'll leave it there so as not to spoil anything. Really, it is a great movie. Apparently it was originally a play - and I would love to get my hands on it! Bogart is typically brilliant. Bacall is ... I don't know what she is. She wasn't bad or anything, but her character wasn't really developed at all. Although she did a good job at showing, not telling, how her feelings for Bogart grew. There is this one moment between them that is just beautiful. Bacall is sleeping by Bogart and he gently soothes her hair. She looks up at him and there is the moment. And you know for sure that they are in love. Barrymoore was wonderful as always, and Trevor was perfect as the scorned drunk. Watching her sing one of her old songs from "back in the day" was just heartbreaking and so touching. And now I finally know who all the gangsters in any cartoon are modeled after. Robinson is the quitessencial gangster, right down to the "That's how it is, see?" Watching him go from tough guy to just being scared to being a coward is really great to watch. Wonderful movie, highly suggest you check it out.
4 out of 5 stars
What's next: "Pick-Up on South Street" a dark film noir, "The Roaring Twenties" one of Cagney's classic gangster movies, and "The Broadway Melody" one of the very first movie musicals! Also got the soundtracks to Leonard Bernstein's "Peter Pan", "HMS Pinafore", and the 2008 concert version of "Chess"

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