Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Louis Prima- Oh Marie

Have you ever seemingly been the last person on Earth to see a movie?
A few years ago, about 5 to be exact, Bekah and I went on a cruise with some friends from church. 
Well, Be-Bop went with us because she had just been hatched.  Plus, she looked so cute with the flamingoes in the Bahamas.
For most of the trip, the guys that we went with were reciting lines from "Napolean Dynamite".
At the time, I don't think I had ever heard of the film, but they had obviously enjoyed it immensely, because that is just about the extent of the conversation that weekend...
...that and the repeating of the phrase, "Git-r-done", another phenomena that I was late on.
So guess what Bekah and I did as soon as we got back home?
We rented "Napolean Dynamite" (and got a copy of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour).
As I am writing this, I am finishing a box of tots.  I've got mad skills at this blogging thing.  Git-r-done.
So I thought I was caught up.
Yesterday, I read about a 1996 film starring Tony Shalhoub from "Wings" and "Monk", Stanley Tucci from lots of things, Marc Anthony, and Minnie Driver.
It's called "Big Night".
Set in the 1950's in a small town on the Jersey Shore, it tells of two immigrant brothers from Italy who own and operate a restaurant called "Paradise".
As their restaurant is failing, one of the brothers goes to a successful competitor (one, whose wife he happens to be having an affair with), and asks for a loan.  Instead, the competitor says that when the great Italian-American trumpeter, Louis Prima, comes to town, he will arrange for him to visit their restaurant.  Surely his patronage will revitalize their business.
The brothers frantically prepare for the "big night", inviting dozens of people to dine for free, and spending what little they have left in preparation of an extravagant feast.
The film won several awards when it was released.
This particular tune is included on the soundtrack.
Louis Prima, incidentally, went on to voice the raucous orangutan King Louie in the Disney animated film "The Jungle Book".
That one I've seen.

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