Reading Giddins "Avidly, Avidly"

The Prof eagerly peeled off the shrink-wrap and admired the packaging for the new Criterion DVD of Sweet Smell of Success, relishing the thought of the feast to come: the film restored with a commentary track, and a whole disc of extras including a full length documentary on director Alexander Mackendrick.  But it turned out the booklet that comes with the film was no mere appetizer--it was a banquet unto itself.  (Yeah, the Prof just said "unto."  Don't get shirty.)  The best thing in the very packed booklet is Gary Giddins' essay which weaves together the historical details and an appreciation of the contributions of Tony Curits, cinematographer James Wong Howe, story writer Ernest Lehman, and screenplay writer Clifford Odets.  Giddins also surveys earlier and later films with similar themes and styles, and does some literary detective work linking the film with The Great Gatsby.  It's beautifully written.  Go read it at Criterion's site.

Whew!  And the Prof learned by accident while linking you, fair reader, to the site that Criterion has just released the elusive Kon Ichikawa masterpiece The Makioka Sisters at what is, for Criterion, a bargain price.  More on that and Ray's Jalsaghar (The Music Room) as the Prof gets his sweaty mitts on them.

Gary Giddins on Jazz Writing

Giddins is the best jazz writer there ever was. Period. He's also one of the best writers on any subject currently writing about American culture. Here's a recent post to his site about being a writer. His new huge tome on the history of jazz, co-authored with Scott Deveaux, is due out in a few weeks. no doubt the Prof will have more to say then.