Birthdays and the like....

Here I was happy when I got into my head to find out if there were any famous people born on September 24. The year didn't much matter. If I hit it on the head for 1946; all the better. So I went on-line and asked the question.
AOL came back with something called Brainy History with a list of all the greats and not so greats who populated the world on that fateful day no matter whatever year it happened to be; and I went from mildly happy and curious to a deep depression and funk.
I wanted someone out there sharing the same time space with me on that happy day when I skid down the chute of life into the overly bright operating room (we didn't believe in home births or mid-wives at that time). A list of also rans might have been good. This list does not help. I'll get back to AOL in a moment.
Hopefully, I pointed the mouse at another possible list of more exalted souls. The heading just reads, "September Birthdays" in white on a blue night sky. September the 24th. is a short list. It is comprised of the following souls: Nia Vardalos, Phil Hartman, Linda McCarthey, Jim Henson, Anthony Newley, Sheila MacRae, Jim Mckay, and F.Scott Fitzgerald. Were my name added to that list, some bright light out there would say something like, "I seem to remember Nia Vardalos. Who is this Genco guy?" I don't even recognize Vardalos.
The rest of the list is memorable if not forgetable in some way. Jim McKay broadcast sports for ABC many years ago. Sheila MacRae was and may still be a well know jazz singer. Folks who frequent Broadway will remember Anthony Newly in "The Smell of the Greaspaint and the Roar of the Crowd". There were some memorable songs there.......all gone from memory. No one can forget Jim Henson. He brought us all those cuddly puppets which some of us grew up with. I liked Grover. He didn't settle for a cardboard box. His home was a garbage can; sturdy, reliable, and dry. Rockers and most music buffs or even elevator music buffs remember who Linda McCartney was. Just because she married into the family didn't make her a great musician; but later in life, she held her own with the band. Phil Hartman became know to the American public because of his appearances on Saturday Night Live. Phil was a funny man with a distinctive voice. Here was another murder. Lastly all students who have been forced to read through his tomes know F.Scott Fitgerald. I was born on same day Fitgerald winked into this world.
And that's really it. I missed Mickey Rooney by one day (September 23). The same goes for Mary Kay Place (TV..half hour sitcoms), Jason Alexander (Seinfeld), Julio Iglesias, Ray Charles, Johnn Coltrane and the Boss; Mr. Bruce Springsteen. That is all on September 23!
One day later and I could have rubbed shoulders (so to speak) with Michael Douglas, Wil Smith, Glenn Gould, Barbara Walters, Shel Silverstein (cartoonist..mostly Playboy), Dimitri Shostakovich (now don't tell me you don't remember who Shostakovich was), and William Faulkner. William Faulkner was the author of "long Day's Journey into Night". In high school I took that book out of the local library several times and matched it up with a record of the stage play. I thought that one day I would find myself playing the drunken son. Ain't never happend. I probably stood a better chance of pairing up with Mickey Rooney. My bet is that I'd be the jerk screaming, "Let's put on a show". That there ain't never happened neither.
I gave up reading the famous people in September after seeing Fitzgerald, Faulkner, and Gould. I have always loved his variations on piano. My father hated concert music; so I liked it LOTS more; and loud yet.
Happy birthday to you all. All I want to know is, "Where's my cake?" I'll be looking for you to supply that answer. I can wait. I can out wait all of you.

Tony's List of Comedies...In No Order of Preference

I was sitting at work one long and slow six month period and just started scribbling names of favorite movies, songs, musical groups, television shows, and comedy full-length movies. I found that I had a more extensive list of comedies on film and television than anything else. Herewith findeth thou suchth a litht. Whatever....

"1942"
Any Laurel and Hardy Talkie
Any Charlie Chase Talkie
Never Give a Sucker an even Break
Airplane I
Noises Off
Mr. Mom
Revenge of the Nerds I
Police Academy I
S.O.B.
Victor Victoria
Moonstruck
Caddyshack I and II
Grumpy Old Men
Grumpier Old Men
In and Out -- (Kevin Kline)
I Love You To Death (Kevin Kline)
A fish Called Wanda
Drop Dead Gorgeous
The First Wives Club
Big Business
Ruthless People
Every Which Way But Loose
Any Which Way You Can
Cannonball Run
Smokey and the Bandit
Moving Violations (John Murray -- Bill's younger brother)
Spaceballs
The Horn Blows at Mid-Night (Jack Benny)
To Be or Not to Be ( Both Versions...Jack Benny first, and then Mel Brooks)
Guess Who's Coming To Dinner
Scavenger Hunt
The Mouse that Roared
The MOney Pit
Mouse Hunt
"10"
Seems Like Old Times
Mr. Hobbs Takes a Vacation (Jimmy Stuart)
Mr. Hulot's Holiday (French Film)
Vacation and European Vacation
Spies Like Us
Summer Rental
American Pie I, II, and III
Hollywood Knights
Used Cars
Big Trouble in Little China
Blazing Saddles
History of the World Part I
Silent Movie
The Seven Chairs
Saturday the 14th.
Christmas in Connecticut (Barbary Stanwyck in the '40's vesion in b/w with Sidney Greenstreet
Groundhog Day
It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World
The Russians are Coming
Animal House

That's where I left the list of comedy movies. Scrooged comes to mind as I write this. Bill Murray was fantastic in the film. Liar Liar comes to mind as a film I missed in the list. There are others. If you can think of more and better candidates, please feel free to add.
A.F.G.