great books of western civilization

We've been overwhelmed by teaching, work and the usual contrivances, and no doubt you've given up hope for us like some 17th century sailor lost at sea. I am here to proclaim we are here, and we have been keeping up with our friends on the web when we have been able to. It is difficult for me to keep the Shelf dusted, let alone post anything, while in the middle of teaching. And yet it was an experience with a student and a list I've seen going around on Facebook that has inspired today's post.

Now I know what you are thinking: "JC - since when have you succumbed to the subtle wiles of Facebook. Well that's neither here nor there, but should you be a regular pal of the Shelf and are on Facebook as well- send me a line in my email and we can arrange to "friend" one another. That and puppies should warm the cackles of your heart. Well, at least the puppies will.

Back to my tale- I happen to be teaching a World Mythologies course at the moment, and after one such class a student and I had a discussion on the Greeks and their influence on the development of the West. Having only been recently introduced to "classical" education, the student wondered about how far the influence went, and what really composed a "classical education." Being no slouch in that department, we talked about what, up until the 1960s and 70s, constituted study in the classics and why they are important to understanding our own history and culture. She then asked about what one may have had to read, which lead to talking about books in general.

Shortly after that I ran across a "Have you read these Great Books" list on Facebook. You've seen all of the "great books" lists here and there, including a BBC list going around Facebook. And there are many of them published by Time Magazine, Newsweek, CNN and every other purveyor of information on the interwebs. Be honest...have you looked at these lists and thought to yourself, "That's a classic?" or "I've never heard of that." or "That book just came out last year, and was terrible!"

I've thought much the same, and I might add, thought I and my friends could come up with a more comprehensive list. Since so many of you out there (and my Facebook friends) are avid readers, I thought it would be cool to poll everyone and gather the information to compile our own "Great Books" list and later publish it here and you would be welcome to send it far and wide. Like other lists, I expect to have debate and many who agree and disagree with it. The twist, obviously, is that everyone here will have had a chance to have their say and contribute.

The idea is simply thus: I have decided to make two lists, a Nonfiction (History, philosophy, biography, science, nature, etc) and a Fiction list of 100 books each. What I need from you is a series of suggestions. I will make a set of beginning suggestions below to get the ball rolling (and get some of the more obvious picks out of the way). Please comment on this note below with some of your own suggestions and maybe, even briefly, your reasoning as to why it should be on the list. You can suggest 1 or 10 or 20! I ask only for certain criteria, just to make it easier to compile the list and keep it to 100 each:

1. The lists will focus on books of Western Civilization- or of great influence on Western Civilization. While I have read several works by Asian authors and on Asian Civilization, I think that might be a rare thing- and truly deserving of it's own list. This way, our list will be more readily identifiable to everyone.

2. Please include the title, the author and which list it should be included on; while many may recognize the book, I just want to be sure.

3. I would ask that perhaps we avoid books from the last 10 years or so- unless you can make an emphatic case to me and others that it deserves to be there. Books, like many other things, reveal their quality with age. What may be hot now, because of a movie or Book club, may really not stand the test of time 10 years from now.

4. Consider books from all age levels- and if an author, like for example Shakespeare or even Dr. Seuss has multiple works that should be included, I think maybe "The works of..." would suffice in order to include a wider range of authors and material on the list. However, I believe that should be the case only in more obvious or exceptional cases.

5. I think it will be easier to define entry by author- so if there are two essential books by that author- they can be included for that one entry (what do you think?)Or we can list "The Works" as mentioned above.

You can offer your suggestion in one of several ways: the most obvious is for you to add your suggestions in the comment thread for this post. The other is for you to email me at randomshelf@hotmail.com with your suggestions. This post will stay up for a last a week to garner as many suggestions as possible. The other method is perhaps a little unconventional. DO you have a friend who you know could suggest some great books? You are welcome to email or link to this post of course, but consider a post of your own that links back to this one, to gather more suggestions from your circle of readers. Then you can forward a list of those suggestions to me, link back to them or email them.

That's pretty much it! I will then compile the lists from all of the suggestions after a certain period of time and if they number over 100 each I will present the complete list and ask everyone to maybe vote on what to take out to pare it down to 100- just for a manageable list. If it the list ends up being 110- or something close like that- maybe I will have everyone vote on which of the 10 or so should be honorable mentions. I will also add suggestions garnered from Facebook as this will be link to, or posted there as well.

Once both of the lists are complete, I will present a separate post for each list, Great Books: NonFiction & Great Books: Fiction and publish them here for you to check off, sound off on, or share. Contributors, and those who posted for the cause as well, will be welcome to publish the list (with at least a link to the original) on their own sites for further discussion.

So send me your suggestions!

Here are a few of mine to get things started (I have many more- but I want to hear from you!):

Nonfiction:
Plutarch: Lives
Herodotus: The History (father of history)
Thucydides: The History of the Peloponnesian War
Stephan Ambrose: Citizen Soldiers, Undaunted Courage
Alexis de Tocqueville: Democracy in America
David Hackett Fischer: Paul Revere's Ride
Plato: The Republic
Rousseau: The Social Contract
John Locke: Of Civil Government and other works
Machiavelli: The Prince and Other Writings
Thomas Paine: Common Sense and Other Writings
Jay, Madison & Hamilton: The Federalist Papers
F. A. Hayek: The Road to Serfdom
Adam Smith: The Wealth of Nations
Benjamin Franklin: Autobiography
Frederick Douglass: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass

Fiction:
Homer: The Iliad and The Odyssey
Dr. Seuss: The works
Shakespeare: The works
John Milton: Paradise Lost
Jonathon Swift: Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal
Edgar Allan Poe: The Works
Herman Melville: Moby Dick
Arthur Conan Doyle: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
George Orwell: Animal Farm


Stumped for suggestions or is that title on the tip of your tongue? Or are you merely looking for ideas?
Here are a few websites you might find interesting, and as a bonus, several of them have the text of some of the books reprinted online (if you like reading that way- I prefer the actual book in my hands):
Access The Great Books Online (lots of text online)
The Great Books and Classics (lots of text online)
How Now, Great Books
The Great Books of Western Civilization

When making a sugggestion or thinking of one, consider this: what would you want your children to read, what influenced you, and what deserves to be on everyone's bookshelf. Now is the time to make your voice heard and no longer have the haughty "know it alls" tell you what constitutes a great book or not.

Now don't delay! Comment below and give me your suggestions today!



Of course, you don't have to take my word for it.

repost: happy independence day

Given the events of the past 6 months, does the average person even realize what freedoms are at stake, or even understand our Founding Fathers - who studied the many governments throughout history to find the best way to secure and protect those freedoms- and their legacy? The following is a repost from a past July 4th. While we grill out, hit the beach or lake, or shoot off fireworks - let us remember what, and who, made this possible.


Back in July of 1776, the war for independence was far from over and seemed all but lost. George Washington and the continental army were in New York licking their wounds from a previous loss and unknown to them, they were preparing for another defeat. Some citizens supported their cause. Some did not. Some fed them. Some did not. Things were not looking good for the Americans. Even patriotic citizens doubted the ability of their military to defeat the British and sometimes wavered in their support. America as a society was a "fair weather friend" to these soldiers fighting for freedom and the fledgling government whose vision of independence brought on their call to arms. Yet, during this same time in Pennsylvania the Continental Congress was in session and in the process of making world history. When all seemed lost and it appeared that the popularity of the continental polititions and their ideas was all but nil, they girded their loins and by the inspiration of God Himself drafted a bold document for the world to see and envy for centuries to come.On July 9th 1776 in New York, George Washington ordered that this document ,which was called at this time the "Dunlap Broadside", be read aloud to his assembled army and whatever citizens who may wish to hear. When the reading of the Declaration of Independence was complete the words had inspired the soldiers and citizens so much that they began to celebrate uncontrollably. The words of that document resonated in the souls of those who heard it so much that even in a phase of war where many pondered accepting amnesty from the British in exchange for surrender, citizens and soldiers alike gathered around a statue of King George in New York and removed it's head. The head was taken to their leader George Washington as a symbol of their desire for freedom and their approval of the words read to them earlier in the day.In today's America, we are similar to the fickle citizenry of 1776. Some support our government and some don't. Even some who call themselves patriotic doubt our country's ability to win our military engagements over seas. Worse yet, we have citizens in this country who believe that we are always wrong. There is no mystery as to why our country has been askew as of late. It's the fault of the people.There are good citizens in this country and I hope I am one of them, but the confused far outweigh the understanding people of this nation. Somewhat like the America of 1776, we have been experiencing political upheaval with folks pointing fingers and choosing sides. The resolve and unity of September 12th 2001 have all but disappeared from us. We need something to bring us together to be a nation of one. Once again we need nothing less than devine words inspired by God to touch our souls and remind us what we stand for and what we are made of. For the remainder of today's post I give you those words; the words of the Declaration of Independence. These words at one time were strong enough to cause ordinary citizens to march out and bring back the head of a king and I believe they are still that strong today. Read and ponder and don't forget: today is not just July 4th.......it's Independence Day.


IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united states of America

"When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.
He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.
He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.
He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:
For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:
For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies
For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."











Feel free to comment if the need strikes you.



The time is near at hand which must determine whether Americans are to be free men or slaves. George Washington

we interrupt this broadcast...

It's been busier than usual at Chez Shelf, what with teach two courses now in addition to everything else. So that may explain some of the light posting around here. That doesn't mean I am not paying attention to things- including the passing of several celebrities and the whole Sanford debacle. I know, because I've read them, that many other fellow bloggers have been keeping teh interwebs informed and topics thoroughly discussed. However, the things that have concerned me the most are things that we don't often discussed here on The Shelf, and like my friend Laura, we haven't focused on politics at all, as it seems so dark and discouraging of late. We do try to focus on Classic films, culture and history on The Shelf, but we do like to take a general congenial tone, as you can encounter bluster and doom elsewhere. However in the last few days, indeed weeks, things have occurred that concern me- and what is most troubling is the inattention being given to these topics; Iran, Honduras and North Korea.

Sure- you can definitely see it on news sites and the regular political sites- but what about the general public? We are plastered by MJ tributes, Spencer and Heidi (god, I wish I had never found out who those two were), wall to wall celebrity death watch, and Sanford peccadillo debates. I conducted a casual poll among students, not asking or giving opinion- but more asking about general recognition. Out of the 35 students asked, 2/3rds of them knew more or less "something" was happening in Iran, 2 of them knew just what that something was. The rest "hadn't heard." (Again- this is very unscientific- just a casually polling) None of the students asked knew anything about North Korea missile tests aimed at Hawaii or our following their shipping boat and had no clue about Honduras. Sad to say, several students didn't know Honduras was a country. In fact one person was sure she went there on a student trip to Europe during High School. Sigh. Geography issues aside (and I did correct them), this illustrates several things, but chief among them is that despite this being the most tech and internet-savvy generation, people still either don't seek out information or facts, or still rely on television to provide them with news. If they don't pick it up in passing on CNN on their way to E! Entertainment Network or as a scrolling blurb during some Reality show, they may not pick it up at all.

I think the topics of North Korea and Iran are very troubling and we should all pay attention. We should be mourning the loss of freedoms and the death of protesters in Iran. We, and by we I mean our Leaders, should have taken a strong position from the get go- not a wait and see who will win attitude. The most recent item that has me paying rapt attention is the issue of Honduras and their Constitutional and legal excise of power in depowering their former President. If you haven't been paying attention, Mel Zelaya was attempting to micromanage and push through a referendum to ensure eliminating the Constitutional term limits law, which would allow him to pull a "Hugo" and basically become yet another tin-pot dictator. Hugo Chavez was even "helping" by providing the ballots and promising to make sure things went "smoothly."

So what happened? Well, allow me to quote Mary O'Grady in her piece in the Wall Street Journal:
"The Supreme Court ruled his referendum unconstitutional, and it instructed the military not to carry out the logistics of the vote as it normally would do.The top military commander, Gen. Romeo Vásquez Velásquez, told the president that he would have to comply. Mr. Zelaya promptly fired him. The Supreme Court ordered him reinstated. Mr. Zelaya refused.
Calculating that some critical mass of Hondurans would take his side, the president decided he would run the referendum himself. So on Thursday he led a mob that broke into the military installation where the ballots from Venezuela were being stored and then had his supporters distribute them in defiance of the Supreme Court's order.
The attorney general had already made clear that the referendum was illegal, and he further announced that he would prosecute anyone involved in carrying it out. Yesterday, Mr. Zelaya was arrested by the military and is now in exile in Costa Rica." (O'Grady, Honduras Defends Its Democracy, The Wall Street Journal)

OK- first thing to understand- this is the Honduran Constitution, laws and process. Second thing is: THIS WAS NOT A COUP. This was how their government dealt with an elected official seeking to grab power and considering himself above the law, and perhaps engaging the assistance of a foreign power to do so. The other branches of the Honduran government followed the constitution to the letter, and even people in his own party were telling him not to try and circumvent their constitution. This is what our own Founders themselves were talking about in terms of where the power resides, and laying down rules and laws and ways to remove those who would circumvent them from office. There was no "military coup" like the press and the other leftist thugs like Chavez and Fidel would want to make it out to be. The Legislature and Supreme Court of Honduras instructed the military in what they are to do and instituted an interim President.

Now- here is the kicker: our fearless Leader- he who shall be OBAyed, has now gone on record to defend Zelaya and say there was a coup. Our own President is taking the side of these leaders- guys who were in the vein of say, leaders from the era of the 80s in Chile for example. So let me get this straight: when hundreds of people fighting for their freedoms, that our country emulates, you can't make a statement or take a position of strong support- that's meddling. But when a leader is circumventing the supreme court, people, legislature, and constitution to ensure lifetime rule like Hugo Chavez - we've got to step right in and make sure that leader doesn't get LEGALLY ousted by his government- That's statesmanship. OK- I've got it now. Do you?Why is that other countries of the world are now better at demonstrating the freedoms and Constitutional ideals that we claim to cherish?

And today the story has taken a further turn: The UN is demanding that Zelaya be restored. In fact President Obama is quoted in the story also as saying: "It would be a terrible precedent if we start moving backwards into the era in which we are seeing military coups as a means of political transition rather than democratic elections." While on the face of the statement, it seems reasonable, however he is utterly and completely wrong about one thing- there was no military coup as such. This was a Constitutional means of ousting an over-reaching politician. the Honduran people and their representative legislature and their Supreme Court displayed the whole checks and balances thing in action. They are the ones who directed the military to act or not act. There is no military leader in charge, nor was there ever one in charge- they've elected an interim President.

But why should we be surprised? Leftists not only have a fondness for power, but also for overlooking it's own over-reaching politicians and leaving them right where they are as to not loose power. But this is getting ridiculous. So now it's ok for the UN to tell a democracy that their Constitution needs to be circumvented? So if Zelaya goes back- does that mean that the UN or Castro and Chavez will "enforce" his return? Or worse- "enforce" his bypass of their constitution to eliminate the constitutionally imposed term limits? Now the UN is in the position of promoting "hyper-presidencies" as the left is beginning to call democratically elected leaders who get into power and then do everything, legal or illegal, to stay in power. Again- in a Democracy- does the power reside with the people or the Executive? Since he was removed by Constitutional means, by another of the Constitutional branches of government and according to their law and process- he no longer holds any power. I am so sick of the idiots in the world who pass off their raw grabs for power under the guise of populism. And even more, I am sickened by the naked ambition of our own leader who is aligning himself with the thugs of the world and thereby opposing the freedoms and the peoples of the world.

But what do you think? I suppose after a break here at The Shelf, it may have been coming on strong to rant this way, but I decided to no longer be silent. Years ago, when Wolf and I started - we had a simple motto: Think for yourself. It's time to remind myself and others of that motto that has never changed here. Perhaps it's time to speak up about these things again when occasion warrants and to ask questions. Oh, we'll continue to have fun and focus on Classic films and culture and history, but we can't forget that sometimes politics needs to take a back seat to our own basic freedoms and the laws and principles that we, as Americans, say we emulate and cherish. Freedom, as I believe and as our Founders verbalized is not a particular thing only allowed to those ready for it, culturally conditioned for it or given by a government. Rather it is a basic Human right, or as someone else better expressed it:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

Do we believe those words? I do. And no amount of economic disaster, leftist chic populism, fear, or trendy socialistic policy will EVER change that. SO why do we decide to adapt or reverse engineer these rights to fit someone else's idea of power or public policy. The Founders may have lived several hundred years ago, but if you know anything about them, you know they reached far back into history and weighed out the best and worst of civilizations and governments to provide us with not only the farsighted enumeration of rights we have today, but the means to continue to right wrongs against the rights of our citizens. And in the case of our nations history, make sure that those rights should not be abridged by slavery, gender or race.

So tell us what you think in the comments thread and forgive the rant. We return you to regularly scheduled episode of "So You Think my Fat Ass can Groom Dogs, Dance, Date, Lose Weight have Talent and Survive the Jungle," already in progress.



Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.

the classic film union is open for business...

Hello fellow TCM fans, I just received an email announcement from a friend at TCM telling me that the new TCM social networking site: Classic Film Union is now online and open for business. Here is the gist of the announcement:

"Fans Can Connect and Share Photos, Blogs, Movie Reviews and More at TCM Classic Film Union:

Turner Classic Movies (TCM), which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, has launched a first-of-its-kind social network that links fans online. The site, called the TCM Classic Film Union, can be found at tcm.com/fan.

“TCM fans are devoted to the world of classic film, and they want to connect with others who share their passion,” said Molly Battin, senior vice president of brand development and digital platforms for TCM, TBS and TNT. “TCM has long been a forum for these fans, but this new fan community takes it to the next level.”

The TCM Classic Film Union is an easy way for fans to set up personalized profiles and link to friends. The film union features unique, in-depth ways to express movie and film preferences.

TCM also has taken the concept of a social network in a completely new direction. The TCM Classic Film Union allows users to connect to their favorite movies and stars, all in vast, media-rich, classic film universe set up by TCM. Using the networks’ database, TCM has added more than a million people (including actors, directors, producers and more), plus hundreds of thousands of films. The TCM Classic Film Union allows anyone to immediately add these links to their personal network and begin sharing ideas and media with others. For a serious movie fan, there is no bigger repository of materials about films and filmmaking.

While the TCM Classic Film Union is in its beginning stages, early adopters have already built extensive profiles. Some users have posted rare photos and video clips. Others have created blogs or developed groups to discuss celebrities, genres and favorite classic film subjects.

Unlike other social networking sites, the TCM Classic Film Union is targeted at movie lovers. “The great thing about this new community is that it lets fans get together in ways that have never been possible before,” said Richard Steiner, vice president of digital platforms for TCM. “We’re amazed at the excitement we’ve already seen, even though the film union is just getting started. The ability to find stars and movies from such a deep library is clearly a huge draw for fans. And they are creating connections and finding new friends.” "

I have already begun to set up a profile and you can look me up once you create one and invite me as one of your Union "friends" if you wish. I would be glad to talk and connect with fellow classic film fans and Shelfers, just search JCLoophole and you should see my familiar mug there. It's a new site, fairly easy to set up, but there are perhaps a few kinks to iron out still. Overall I think it's a great way to continue this conversation and for classic film fans to connect. In addition to your profile and friends, you can post pictures, select favorite films and stars, create lists (I believe) and join discussion groups. Great TCM graphics, photos, and the powerful TCM database are at your disposal as well.

So what are you waiting for- head on over and sign up today! And don't forget to look for your dear old pal JC Loophole!

Also - don't forget that this month TCM celebrates Directors throughout June. You can learn more and see a full schedule at TCM.com. In particular, they have also named who they consider the 15 Most Overlooked Classic Hollywood Directors and will focus on them as well. Here's their 15, do you agree?:

Jack Arnold
Frank Borzage
Clarence Brown
John Cromwell
Allan Dwan
John Farrow
Edmund Goulding
Henry King
Gregory La Cava
Mitchell Leisen
Fred Niblo
Robert Rossen
Robert Stevenson
W. S. Van Dyke
Sam Wood

Learn more about these directors and more daily lists and fun features at TCM Dailies.



Oh, Nicky, I love you because you know such lovely people.

repost: hell on a beach

In honor of this day, in which we should never forget the sacrifice given, we present this popular essay from a couple of years ago.

... Today marks that remarkable day in history, once described as "hell on a beach": D-Day. On this day, are we thinking about the heroes who gave their true last full measure? Have you read anything about it lately? There are numerous books out there, as well as various web sites with good information to tell the tale of that morning of June 6, 1944. Please go and pursue read that material, but for now I want you to think about the following:
Allies knew they would have to conduct an invasion of France and press on to Berlin from the West in order to defeat the Germans. Normandy became the most likely location for the invasion in 1943, and later that year the plan for Operation Overlord was submitted to Allied leaders and approved. The men (and women who may have not been on the front lines, but served in vital areas nonetheless) trained for almost a year prior to the invasion. Since 75% of the invasion forces would be American, the Allies choose as leader of the operation, General Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Eisenhower was a soft spoken man in many ways, never truly given to the political aspect of pushing your military career. He was an organizer, a admirer of the military man, and a natural leader- one who had genuine affection for the men fighting for freedom. Once when visiting with the men before that fateful June day he asked if any of the soldiers were from Kansas. When one soldier raised his hand, Eisenhower replied, "Go get 'em Kansas." He was like that with the men. He was also committed to what needed to happen. Once the course was decided, there was no turning back. And if the invasion was a failure, he also knew that he would take a huge portion of the blame. It wasn't the blame from the press or the political leaders that worried him- he was more concerned with the mothers and fathers and sisters and brothers and sweethearts and children back home who not only desperately wanted the boys to come home alive, but also wanted them to succeed. Aided on the British side by General Sir Bernard Law Montgomery, who commanded the ground troops, and Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay who commanded naval operations, these three men became the leadership of an invasion that would have little equal in the annals of history. The last word, to go, would remain with Gen. Eisenhower.

The boys themselves knew that many of them would not make it, that despite their training some of them would not set foot on the beach. And those that made it to the beach, may just be buried on it's shores. The boys of D-Day knew what could happen, yet they also knew that it had to be done. The allies knew that the Germans had heavy guns there, and had had time to build up defenses against both an aerial and naval assault. Therefore, both had to occur. The night of June 5 Allied paratroopers were dropped behind enemy lines to try and weaken those defenses and take out some of those guns. If you have read Band of Brothers or seen the mini-series then you know a little of what I'm describing. Many of the guys didn't make it, some units lost almost all of their men. Those surviving units completed their missions and survived because of their comrades and the men who emerged from the ranks as natural leaders to take the place of the fallen.

Then that fateful day of June 5th (that's right, June 5th) the day that was designated for the invasion, weather caused great concern. The leaders, and ultimately Gen. Eisenhower decided to hold off for a day, in hopes of more favorable weather. June 6th came and while the weather was not perfect, a window of opportunity arose and Gen. Eisenhower gave the order- "Ok, we go." On those words an invasion involving over 150,000 men and 5000 naval craft, numerous aircraft began. Some landing boats were blown out of the water. Thousands died just trying to make it to the beach, and then those cliffs. Many more died trying to take those cliffs and quiet those guns. It was a day of sacrifice for the allies, and the people who gave their all did not die in vain. The invasion succeeded. The allies were able to take Normandy, establish supply points and a naval base of operations. Valuable reinforcements came, landing strips for Allied aircraft were secure. Over the next year the Allies pushed ahead to Germany, with the Russians pushing from the East. The hope and the fears of the free world went with them every step of the way.

These boys...these men who gave their all were previously neighbors. Sons. Brothers Husbands. Students. Teachers. Ball players. Butchers. Milkmen. Farmers. Accountants. Shop clerks. Builders. Trash men. They were, in short, the people we knew. And they were the best of us. They were Americans; raised in a country of freedom, hardened during a time a depression, and conditioned to defeat a terrible foe with terrible means. They knew what had to be done. The people back home knew what had to be done. Everyone knew that it came with a price. These men of D-Day paid that price.
Think about that. They knew the cost, and they paid it. Don't we need to remember that and cherish it? Don't we need to thank them for that? What strikes me today is that everytime I talk to a friend, a soldier who is just home from Iraq and Afghanistan is that fact that they also know what is at stake and that the freedom for our futures and for the future of others exacts a price. As the cliche goes, and is true as most cliches are, freedom is not free. The sooner we remember that... the sooner we remember the true value of it, the better off we will be.
Before the men of D-Day left for their missions, General Eisenhower issued his "Order of the Day" to the "Sailors, Soldiers, and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force!" I think to close out today, I would like to quote that extraordinary "letter" to his men, the men of D-Day:

You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hope and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you. In company with our brave Allies and brothers-in-arms on other Fronts, you will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security for ourselves in a free world.

Your task will not be an easy one. Your enemy is will trained, well equipped and battle-hardened. He will fight savagely.

But this is the year 1944! Much has happened since the Nazi triumphs of 1940-41. The United Nations have inflicted upon the Germans great defeats, in open battle, man-to-man. Our air offensive has seriously reduced their strength in the air and their capacity to wage war on the ground. Our Home Fronts have given us an overwhelming superiority in weapons and munitions of war, and placed at our disposal great reserves of trained fighting men. The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to Victory!

I have full confidence in your courage, devotion to duty and skill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory!

Good luck! And let us beseech the blessing of Almighty God upon this great and noble undertaking.

On behalf of Wolf and myself I would like to say thank you. Thank you, men and women of D-Day. Thank you for your sacrifice. Thank you to those fought and survived and those fought and lay down their lives for me and my family. Thank you to those at home who sacrificed much of their daily comforts to fight the war. And thank you to the families of the fallen- your sacrifice is sacred beyond measure. This American will not forget and will always cherish the courage, devotion to duty, and the freedom for which you fought.
And to our men and women overseas who fight today for our freedoms- Thank you and to quote General Eisenhower, "Go get 'em."




I treasure my remark to a grandson who asked, "Grandpa, were you a hero in the war?" "No", I answered, "But I served in a company of heroes".

sad news...

Just found out this sad news via CNN: actor David Carradine was found dead in Bangkok, Thailand. The news is just breaking so there aren't many details yet, but you can go to CNN.com or Foxnews.com later for more details. He was 72.

I remember growing up and watching him on the iconic TV show Kung Fu. I even had a Kung Fu lunch box. But later I watched him and loved him in many films such as The Long Riders, Lone Wolf McQuade and Behind Enemy Lines. He was probably one of the more prolific "guest stars" on multiple television series and was of course part of a large acting family that included brothers Keith and Robert. His father was the legendary John Carradine who was in many classic films such as Stagecoach, The Grapes of Wrath and Drums Along the Mohawk.

David Carradine was perhaps more familiar to modern audiences as "Bill" in Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill 1 & 2. He had a very long career, as did his father. He will be missed. You can visit the Official David Carradine website here.

When this is all over, I'm goin' to write a book; make myself more famous than I already am.

father's day is on the way

It may be several weeks away, but it isn't too early to shamelessly plug...er, I mean, uh...remind everyone that Father's Day is almost here and it's time to start thinking of dear old Dad. Forget the old necktie routine, you need something special to show Dad you really care. Stuck for ideas? Well, we stumbled upon this handy guide, thanks to Rhett and Link, to Father's Day: Rusty and Larnold's Father's Day Advice.



Hmmm...still stuck? Well would you listen to 2 Hot Girls in the Shower? I know I would!



Ok, maybe a gift certificate would work. At least make it to somewhere he likes?



Work never hurt anyone. It's good for them. But if you're going to work, work hard. King Solomon had the right idea about work. "Whatever thy hand findest to do," Solomon said, "do thy doggonedest."

repost: thank you...

In honor of Memorial Day and all those who have served and are serving, we present this repost of an essay from a couple of years ago by Wolf: Some Gave All.



As we fire up the grills today and enjoy family and friends I challenge us all to remember those for whom this day began. For centuries man has engaged in battle. Since time began there has always been a group somewhere who took up arms to defend their own or others who could not do so for themselves. Today we remember those who undertook this duty for our nation, but did not live to return home. I am not ashamed to say that as Americans, we live in the greatest nation on this green earth. God smiles on this country and those who feel otherwise can go jump in a lake.
The Declaration of Independence and Constitution alike are documents inspired of God and we live under the protection of their great canopy today. Lets take today to enjoy our freedoms and remember those who stand watch and hoist that canopy for us.

There is the famous phrase "All gave some and some gave all..". We hear it now and then and most of us pay little attention. Today is the day we remember those who gave all. My grandfather fought in and was wounded in the invasion of Italy in WWII. He is with us today because our family is greatly blessed. There are those who fought alongside him who never made it back to their families. I once heard him talk about the horrors of war saying that since returning home he has thought "Why did I survive? Why is it that when I was injured that I came out OK yet there were so many others who never made it past 19 or 21 years of age and returned home dead." He told me once that he had a great friend in his unit from Tennessee. He said they fought together in North Africa and into Italy. After he was wounded, he was taken to a field hospital and then to Charleston, S.C. to recover. Once he had gained his bearings in Charleston, he says he went to great lengths to check on the status of his friend who was still fighting overseas. In the process of doing so, he discovered to his horror that his unit had gone on to spearhead an attack on a city held by the Nazis and was almost completely wiped out. The list of casualties included his friend. This caused him to wonder why he survived and why he wasn't dead with his friend. I know he is grateful that he is here with us today, but I understand why he has had concern in the past.

There are those who have gone on before who died for the cause of our freedom or for the freedom of another. I don't care what your politics are. Whether it's our freedom or the freedom of some other nation, it is still freedom. People say that our soldier are dying for nothing in Iraq, but I say that disrespects the fallen who went out and put their life on the line for the freedom of another. No soldier ever died for nothing as long as they believed in the cause for which they fought. Let us put partisan views aside today and remember those who will never make it home. For the sake of their memory and the honor of their families, let us join together this day in a moment of silence to remember those who have fallen. I know we've all seen this video clip of the soldier returning from Iraq and surprising his son. As a father of two boys, I know what it is to enjoy the love of your children. In my career I have had several instances where I thought that I might not have made it home to see them again. Luckily I'm still with my family, but as we watch this clip today, let's think of what it is like for all of those little boys and girls past and present who won't get to hug mommy or daddy again. Let's think that even though our soldiers fight for freedom right now in another country, they still fight and die for freedom. Let's honor them for their courage and sacrifice and let's think about what it means when we hear "some gave all".







Please feel free to comment if the need strikes you.

"War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. ."

repost: memorial day

Some of year are right in the middle of enjoying the three day weekend- let us not forget why we mark this day. A post from last year:

This is the day (which should be one of many) that we set aside to remember those who fought for our freedom and to defend it. I know many of us will be grilling and doing lots of other things, as it's become more of an unofficial kick off to summer. But let's take a moment and remember what the day really is for, and perhaps to thank those who have served or currently serve in the military.

I personally would like to thank my own dad who served in the Air Force during the Vietnam Era and my grandfather who was in the Army during World War II. The both served with honor. Thank you Dad and Papa, for not only your service, but for your example and the hundreds of lessons you taught me.

I like to also read or reread books about the soldiers such as D-Day, Citizen Soldiers, The Coldest War and so many more, but one of my favorites is Ambrose's Band of Brothers. It was turned into one of the best mini-series/movies I've seen about the subject. I'm posting two clips from the series; one from the beginning where the 101st Airborne drops into Normandy as an advance for D-Day, and one from near the end of the series where a patrol comes across a Concentration Camp. WARNING- some of the scene is a bit graphic, but nothing too bad. But watching these two clips remind me of how much they saw, but how much they accomplished.

Here is clip one from Band of Brothers: Episode 2, Day of Days


And here is the second clip. This time from Episode 9: Why We Fight


Thank you- and Happy Memorial Day.



I've come to realize that there is nothing good about war, but there is good in why you fight wars.

perhaps an explanation is in order...

We've been MIA for about a month now, and other than the regular pressures of daily life, work, etc, there are other reasons behind this absence and perhaps I owe some explanation to our loyal Shelfers- some sort of idea as to what's going on in Uncle Loophole's blogging mind.

Allow me to begin at the beginning. This blog was started in September of 2005, just a few weeks after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. I was venturing into blogging as something new- something to allow myself a venue to express my opinions and ideas; sometimes about politics, but mostly about popular culture and one of my passions, classic cinema. The blog grew unexpectedly and in short order, I was joined by my cohort, Wolf Flywheel. Wolf has been absent from writing on The Shelf for the better part of a year now, very much busy with work and family, but no less passionate about the things he essayed about here in these hallowed halls.
At the time there weren't as many "Classic Film Bloggers" out there as there are now, but there we enough to inspire me, challenge me and enlighten me. We wanted to increase the discussion and passion of classic film, and make the younger generation relate to it more. I think Turner Classic Movies and the Internet has done just that, and we have been lucky enough to be around and witness it happen.

We've also been lucky enough to develop a bit of a relationship with some of the wonderful folks at TCM and we've been able to promote and highlight their offerings in our own feeble way. We've even been fortunate to review classic and more recent DVDs from the kind folks in the marketing departments at Warner Brothers, Fox/MGM, Paramount and Genius Products. All in all, I'd say we've had loads of fun, and perhaps more than we really merited. After all, we are just a blog, not some sort of professional publication.

We also delved into popular culture and entertainment- discussing animation, television, our nations unhealthy obsession with celebrity and more discussion into our national psyche for good or bad. For several years we brought you the "media roundup" feature which we intended to highlight the best picks of DVDs, TV, books, music- generally all media releases of the week. It was time consuming, but great fun. We also contributed previews of documentaries on TCM, our TCM picks for the month and special Holiday posts looking at everything from television specials to candy. We've even posted about Old Time Radio several times.

This brief autobiography is not intended as self-aggrandizing talk in any way, but merely an introduction to the present condition and state of mind. You see, many times when I've come to these pages to discuss any of these things with you, I've often found a wonderful array of voices (many listed in our links or community sidebar) that have either discussed it or covered much of the same ground, etc. In other words- somebody else had beat us to it, and did it better than we would. I often found myself wanting more and more to just post a serious of links and say- "click here and read this! It's great and what we would say!" But that isn't much of a blog, is it?

You see, unlike 4 years ago, the voices discussing Classic films and much of the other topics we cover are many and all over the Internet. I regularly discover a previously unknown (to me) site almost every other week. And it's great. I felt like I was in a small community before, and now I feel like that community has grown by leaps and bounds.

So the question I've been asking myself more and more is- what am I doing? In the midst of daily like, work, etc- what difference can I make, what is the point of writing every week and what worthwhile statement or review or topic or discussion can I truly offer. Don't get me wrong. I love doing this, but things change. The media format are beginning to change, more towards digital download I believe. The DVD screeners, etc are slowing down, the TCM community is getting larger by the day- etc- and these are great things! So there you have it- what do I have to bring to the table. I guess I feel like the equivalent of the guy who brings jello salad to the church social: "More jello salad? Again?" (By the way- I'm not knocking on Jello). Even that old standby politics has become increasingly more visceral and less open to discuss. No one seems really interested in an honest exchange of ideas. And what's worse- more people are becoming less familiar with those ideas, period. Disheartening. We had a motto, oft repeated in the early days of this blog: Think for Yourself. It almost feels like spitting in the wind to say it now. And the question becomes- am I really thinking for myself? I don't know sometimes.

So I beg your indulgence. I don't think and don't mean to say we are shutting the doors here at The Shelf. It has been hard trying to do it on a regular basis by myself, but it also helps to have passion and direction: two things that have been missing lately. I have a few ideas- a proposal of a metamorphosis into something new; something I've been ruminating for a while. And I would love to include some of our great Shelf friends and fellow bloggers on this venture, but I must flesh it out, as it were, before diving in and proposing it.

In the meantime, I will try to post from time to time, although intermittently, until things have become clear. I will continue to maintain our wonderful collection of links to other great bloggers and our what's on the Shelf feature regularly. I would however welcome any criticism, suggestions or comments any of you may have, we certainly could use it. So please leave your thoughts in the comments section or feel free to email us at randomshelf@hotmail.com. We will be back soon!



We've been in worst jams than this, haven't we, Hildy?

115 years at the movies...

For 15 years, Turner Classic Movies has revitalized, encouraged and entertained classic movie fans everywhere. In 1994, Ted Turner, surrounded by Van Johnson, Celeste Holm, Jane Powell, Robert Osborne and others and threw the switch to begin a 15 year ongoing love affair with so many fans. The reasons we love TCM are too numerous to mention. The fact that it has stayed true to it's original mandate and to the fans is surely one of the most important: presenting classic films the way they were intended. Over the next week or so, we will be featuring several tribute articles to TCM, but allow us to kick off the way TCM did in 1994, with a featurette celebrating movies and, maybe- explaining why, at least visually, why we love the channel so. The original TCM 1994 featurette, 100 Years at the Movies.



We love you TCM. Here's looking at you, kid.



Life isn't like in the movies. Life... is much harder.

more treasure at treasure island

Good news for those of you watching the news about Warner Archives that we've discussed ad nausem here. The next wave has been released, with about 15 new titles, including several Randolph Scott westerns and some older Katherine Hepburn titles. The title I am most excited about is the release of The Mad Miss Manton with Henry Fonda, Barbara Stanwyck (prior to their Lady Eve pairing) and Sam Levene. That one definitely shot up on the Shelf "must have" list. All but one of the titles are pre-1960s and our pal Laura has listed all of the new releases over at her Miscellaneous Musings.

Now the extra good news is that Cinema Retro is reporting that there is currently a special offer that the kind folks at WB Archives are running, where if you click on the banner (available at Cinema Retro) and buy 2 titles, you can receive a third title free, using the promo code Spitfire. To be honest, I don't know if the code alone will suffice or not, but to be safe go over to Cinema Retro and enter the WBShop by clicking the promo banner there at this link: Cinema Retro: WB Promo.

Happy Classic Viewing and stay tuned to the Shelf, we have a special TCM tribute coming up and a DVD review of the recent special edition release of The Robe.



Miss Manton, I don't know what your game is but I know this - either your education or your spankin's been neglected. Now I can't do anything about spankin' ya, or can I?

happy easter to one and all...

While we are hunting for brightly colored eggs, please enjoy this repost from Easter of 2006. Happy Easter!

We know what you Shelfers have been asking for- and we intend to deliver. It's time for a look at Animated Easter Specials.
Easter Animation
Growing up as a little kid in the 1970s meant seeing Primetime animated specials in their heyday. Old pros like A Charlie Brown Christmas, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and some others had been around for a while - but even more were being produced in the 70s. So you had not only the standards, but new classics coming out almost every year. The bulk of the Easter animated specials were made during the 70s and into the early 80s.

While some contend that primetime specials fizzled out by the early 80s, the production of new specials and the promotion and airing of specials continued to be strong well into the late 80s. The mid 80s saw new specials from Garfield, some new Peanuts specials, Fat Albert, Looney Tunes, and some Disney specials (also using old cartoon footage with new bridging animation or live action). For example, Garfield's Halloween Special premiered in the 1985-86 season - and the year before Disney produced a primetime special celebrating Donald Duck's 50th Birthday. The end of the era truly came in the late 80s through the early 90s when less and less primetime slots were allocated during the holidays for animated specials. New specials were rare- networks preferring to re-air specials for which they already owned the rights to air. New specials appeared occasionally, but usually in the form of a special using either a daytime or syndicated series (such as Tiny Tunes or a "special" holiday episode of The Simpsons).

Here is a short list (minus straight-to-video titles) of Primetime animated Easter specials produced during the 70s and early 80s. There were also the occasional "special episode" of a syndicated cartoon series- but those are for another list. Here are the shows you might have seen (and seen again) on some night during the week of Easter Sunday. What follows are brief highlights of a few of the specials that are real classics:

1971: Here Comes Peter Cottontail (Rankin/Bass)

1974: It's The Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown (Lee Mendelson-Bill Melendez Productions/ Charles Schulz Creative Associates/ United Features)

1976: The First Easter Bunny (Rankin/Bass)

1977 :The Easter Bunny Is Comin' To Town (Rankin/Bass) and Bugs Bunny's Easter Special (name was changed to Bugs Bunny's Easter Funnies when it appeared on VHS - Warner Brothers/ De Patie-Freeling)

1980 Daffy Duck Easter Special (WB/De-Patie-Freeling)

1982 The Smurf's Springtime Special (Hanna Barbara) and Fat Albert's Easter Special (Filmation)

1983 The Easter Chipmunk (Ruby-Spears' Alvin & The Chipmunks) and Family Circus Easter (Artisan)

Some other specials that were made for syndication and appeared on cable in Primetime: Yogi, the Easter Bear, 1994 and (believe it or not) Baby Looney Tunes' Eggs-Traordinary Adventure 2002

Here Comes Peter Cottontail

Rankin Bass pretty much ran through the gate with Here Comes Peter Cottontail. Based on a book, the special tells the story of Peter's efforts to win the right to be the Chief Easter Bunny. Told through RB's stop-motion "ani-magic", Here Comes Peter Cottontail features wonderful voice work and a classic story. Danny Kaye stars as the narrator Sassafrasrass and Peter's allies, Colonel Bunny and Antoine. Casey Kasem is our hero, Peter and Vincent Price plays his rival, Irontail. Rankin Bass vets Paul Frees and Joan Gardiner are also featured. Peter races through the holicalendarnder trying to give away more Easter eggs than the nasty Irontail so that he can earn the right to be Chief Easter Bunny. This one is a little different in that it doesn't concentrate on Easter the Holiday - Peter actually cycles through everything from Halloween to the Fourth of July. Danny Kaye is great and you stop thinking - "hey, that Rabbit sounds like Casey Kasem" about 10 minutes into it and just focus on the story. Excellent special which should be on your Shelf, and it has just been reissued on DVD this year. You most likely find it being pushed with a new animated feature movie Peter Cottontail- The Movie, which is being touted as a sequel of sorts. It appears to be CGI, but I can't give any other details, because I haven't seen it. You are on your own - but let us know in the comments section if you have seen it and tell us what you think. Here Comes Peter Cottontail is very recommended.

It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown

Last week we took a brief trip to 1975. Let's go back for a brief moment shall we? The television season of 1974-75 saw the debut of several great primetime animated specials, three of them in particular were animated and produced by Bill Melendez and Lee Mendelsen and premiered on CBS. They were: Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus, Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown, and It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown . I love 'em all- and I wish I could find Virginia on DVD. Needless to say It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is a classic- and I'm sure you are not surprised that we would have that opinion. What really sets it apart for me is that it is a trip reverse kind of Great Pumpkin. All of the gang are worried about getting things ready for Easter, but Linus reminds them that they don't need to worry- the Easter Beagle will take care of that. You would think that having just been dealt a devastating blow by the whole Great Pumpkin fiasco that Linus would've been ostracized by the rest of the crew. But no- they tolerate him and his "quirks" as a lovable group of friends should. Were they not worried that Linus would wig out on them some day and invent some elaborate scenerio in which he invites them all to a deserted mansion at the top of a spooky hill for a reunion, in which he secretly plans to cut off all communication, block all exits and roads and then kill them off one by one for laughing at him and his "quirks" while they were kids? Did they? I don't think so- but then, this was the 70s, peace, love and whatever makes you happy man. Darn you, hippies! Guess what though- Linus turns out to be right! Sweet revenge! Speaking of Hippies, Peppermint Patty and Marcie have a great role in this special (the first to include them by the way). Patty attempts to teach her "friend" Marcie how to dye eggs - and Marcie does everything to those eggs but hardboil them. It was the first time I heard belly laughs out of my kids when they were watching a Peanuts special scene that didn't involve Snoopy. Do yourself a favor - go get the DVD. It also has a bonus special, It's Arbor Day, Charlie Brown (Charlie Brown was not stupid- why did he need constant reminding of when the holidays were coming?). It's the Easter Beagle, Charlie Brown is highly recommended.

Bugs Bunny's Easter Special

Bugs Bunny's Easter Special. Believe it or not, this was the first Looney Tunes "Holiday" themed special. This pretty much set the standard for most of them, and was one of the better produced as it was primarily done by Friz Freeling and his studio. The special had Granny trying to find a replacement for an ailing Easter Bunny. Various Looney Tunes characters are recruited as Granny goes through the Warner's Studio either encountering characters working or screening their work. This is a device that bridges the footage from old cartoon shorts with new animated sequences. Fairly standard Holiday Looney Tunes fare, but when you are a kid and you love Looney Tunes anyway, you don't need much encouragement to love it. By the way, at the end it is revealed that Daffy was the Easter Bunny in disguise all along. That Daffy! It is doubtful that this show will ever see DVD, which is a shame because it would be nice to have the bridging sequences. If you can find it, Bugs Bunny's Easter Special is recommended.


The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town

Along with It's the Easter Beagle Charlie Brown, this is my favorite. This Rankin- Bass classic follows in a similar vein to their popular Santa Claus is Comin' to Town. In fact, Fred Astaire reprises his role as The Mailman from that film to, yet again, answer kids questions about our Holiday favorites. He tells us the story of Sonny, the first Easter Bunny and how many of the Easter traditions we love today were invented. Everything from Jelly Beans to dyed eggs, Easter suits and Easter parades are explained. The story follows Sonny as he is found and raised in a town comprised of just kids, called (of course) Kidsville. Sonny tries to trade off some of the eggs (laid by singing hens with southern accents no less) in a nearby kingdom, but meets a problem in the form of a egg pinching bear named Gadzooks. With the help of a hobo named Hallelujah Jones, Sonny and kids come up with clever ways to get past Gadzooks. Do I need to stop and alert you to the fact that the only adult present in Kidsville is a hobo? I think not- I will let the obvious jokes percolate on your own brain. (Hey, you gotta help a little!) Once Sonny makes it to the the nearest town called Town (the writers were very busy that year) that had no children except one, the King named Bruce. G'Day Bruce! One problem- while Bruce likes Sonny and wants him to bring all his Easter goodies, the real iron fist behind Bruce is his Aunt Lily Longtooth, who makes Bruce do everything she says and wants things just so. I think you can figure out where everything leads. We've got Easter eggs and Jelly beans after all! The Easter Bunny is Comin' to Town is out on DVD and is recommend.

Well - that's it Shelfers- stay tuned for more Shelf madness!

Some Easter Beagle! He gave me my own egg!