Transformation

Blogs that are the most fun to write are those that have little to do with politics or, of course, the death of someone gone too soon. Last night, with the Comet channel airing The X-Files episodes I’d seen at least twice recently, I spent most of the time spinning around the dial watching bits and pieces of other stuff, particularly two movies broadcast on the Outlaw channel, 48–4 on OTC in NYC. I researched each at IMDb and found great info.

Arrow in the Dust (1954), a B western, stars Sterling Hayden and Colleen Gray. Billed eleventh is Iron Eyes Cody, an uncredited role. I recognized the name but was unable to recall if I’d ever checked his bio. I figured he must be at least part Native American. Nay, he is 100% Sicilian, his parents having emigrated to the USA. He was born Espera (Oscar) DeCorti. He moved to California in 1924 and found his way into movies, passing himself off as an Indian. He married Bertha Parker, a Native American archaeologist. They adopted two sons of Dakota and Maricopa descent. Cody worked for decades to promote Native American causes and was honored by Hollywood’s Native American community as a “non-Native” for his contribution to film. It sounds like he’d done penance. There are 216 titles under his name, career spanning 1925-’90. He played Geronimo, Crazy Horse (twice) and the Indian who sheds a single tear in the Keep America Beautiful ads that ran from ’71 into the ’80s. He was married from ’36 until the passing of his wife in ’78. His second marriage lasted only two years. He died at 91 in ’99. How do you say hai fato bene, signore in an Indian dialect? Photo from Google Images:

Run of the Arrow (1957) is oddly interesting chiefly because Rod Steiger is in the lead as an ex-confederate soldier who moves wests and aligns with the Sioux rather than the cavalry, which is comprised of Union loyalists he mistrusts. A woman I’d never heard of played his Indian wife — Sara Montiel, born María Antonia Abad Fernández in Spain. She came to North America and was popular in Mexican cinema. That led to a few appearances in Hollywood fare, most notably Vera Cruz (1954). She returned home in 1957 to do a musical, El Último Cuplé, and it catapulted her into international stardom. It was the biggest box-office success in the country’s history. Her next work, La Violetera (1958), surpassed it. The soundtracks from both films reportedly outsold Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra in the world market. From there she did stage work and concerts, equally adept at comedy. She was active until 2011 when she appeared in Sex Dance, a video of her son Zeus, a singer. In 2013 she was the subject of a made-for-TV documentary, Sara’s Dream. She married four times and had several affairs. She was a mom of two adopted sons. She passed away at 85 in 2013. Que bueno, Senora. Photo from GI:

RIP Brooklyn-born character actor Richard Foronjy, 86. Born Richard Edward Salerno, he worked as a butcher and was arrested more than 20 times. He spent more than eight years in prison after being convicted of armed robbery in his 20s. There are 79 titles under his name at IMDb career spanning 1973–2003. Here are eight films in which he appeared: Serpico (1973), his debut, The Gambler (1974), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), The Jerk (1977), Prince of the City (1981), Repo Man (1984), Midnight Run (1988), Carlito’s Way (1993). He did a slew of guest shots on primetime fare and was in 13 episodes of The Gangster Chronicles and 17 of Under Suspicion. He was a father of four. Magnifico, Goombah. Photo from GI:

All military installations in the USA should be on high alert.

Periods of warming have been a boon to mankind, cooling has been disastrous. I don’t know if that will stay the same — and I doubt anyone else does. Headline from foxnews.com: “Sweet season ahead for Georgia peach crops thanks to warmer winter.”

Returns at the Anti-Inflation Book Shop continue to be dismal. My thanks to those who swapped and donated, and to the woman who bought Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and Clement Hurd, and a kids’ book on animals in Russian, which she checked to make sure wasn’t manufactured in China.

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