There's no business...

I finally gave up waiting for the TV producer to answer my emails and asked to see him face to face. He told me over lunch that before he talks to his agent in detail about my TV show idea we need to decide what it’s REALLY about. He hadn’t even read my previous emails as he’s been so busy working on another show. Just the six weeks wasted.

So we thrashed out some ideas which he told me to write up and now we need to get something on tape. All I need to do is find four dogs with camera friendly owners who want to be on TV.

I can’t go into detail about the program idea because one of you might steal it. This business we call show is a dog eat dog world and I have been advised to trust no one.

Then Mary McG called to say she’s been ill and needs to put the second round of filming for The Making of Plus One movie back until October 25^th. I resisted the temptation to say “nothing trivial I hope.”

As Julia reminded me, it takes a Herculean effort to make any creative project happen and then survive the process. In the meantime, here’s a brief promo of what’s been shot so far of The Making Of Plus One movie.

Help!

I hate to name drop… but pull up a chair. Last night, I stood two feet from a Beatle and shook hands, and chatted with, a Beatle widow. I thank you.

I went with Julia (as her Plus One – just like the good old days) to see a screening of The Beatles film, Help! It’s the new, all singing all new color, new sound, hi def version of the best Beatle film that was first released in 1965. Ringo Starr introduced the movie and George’s widow, Olivia, who was absolutely charming and delightful, agreed with me that their son, Dani, is George’s spitting image.

There was a host of other celebs there and I met them all (in no particular order of importance): Jeff Lyn, Dave Stewart, Victoria Tennant (the first Mrs. Steve Martin) and Sally Kellerman who played Hotlips in the movie version of M.A.S.H. Julia knows her from when they both sang at Oh What A Pair a few years back and stayed in contact. Sally came to my birthday party that year. It was a big thrill to have her, Tracey Ullman, Julia, Billie Myers and a number of other great singers who you’ve never heard of, sing me happy birthday. I think we have it on tape somewhere but I’ve noticed we never replay any family event we tape so I’m not sure why we bother. Julia has actually lost the tape of Colin and my wedding.

Sally was thrilled to see Julia and invited us to her show at Genghis Cohen next Tuesday (Nov 13th) where she will be signing one of Julia’s songs.

Julia and I had a great time. Highlight for me was Julia being convinced that the Titanic director James Cameron was there but I couldn’t see him. She said: “Over there talking to the man with the green tie.” It was Cameron Crowe, who directed Almost Famous. Her brain has gone since she had a baby.

It was a thrill for her that so many people knew who she is. Brian and Rusty, who play with Paul McCartney and anyone else who can afford them, admired Julia’s chiffon blouse. Brian said it was a “whisper” of a shirt. But he’s not gay. I’ve seen him with a gorgeous girl at events before. He also said he was very familiar with Julia’s music which quite made Julia’s night.

One lady stopped Julia in the street to admire her coat and they whiled away several minutes waiting for the lights to change, discussing its exquisite embroidery. The kind lady clearly felt she had to pay me a compliment and said I looked “nice” as well. It reminded me of the time Julia and I went into Betsy Jackson on Main Street and the sales assistant gushed over the outfit Julia was wearing from that year’s collection. Feeling she ought to say something complimentary to me, she thought for a moment and the best she could come up with was: “and you look very comfortable.”

A bit about Help! The songs were/are great. The sound was great. And it was wonderful seeing The Beatles at their peak looking so young and, well, still alive. We must never forget that there are only two of those precious icons left. The screening was switched at the last minute from Paramount Studios in support of The Writers Guild who are (is?) on strike and The Samuel Goldwyn Theatre didn’t have the facility to show it in Hi Def but the color was definitely enhanced so the DVD makes a worthy addition to any Beatles fan’s collection. And it’s quite funny. In places.

Keeping with the music theme, Julia has a new album coming out on November 17th on Nova Tunes, a new web record shop that’s being launched on the same day. It’s an album of original jazz songs that she has written and it is AMAZING! Really. No one, I repeat, NO ONE, has written jazz songs this good since Cole Porter. She has a week to come up with the running order and decide on a title. The dilemma is that there is one cover on the album (isn’t it quaint that I still call them albums?) of the Michael McDonald song I Keep Forgetting with, wait for it, the great man himself singing backing vocals. It is incredible but is more smooth jazz and not really in keeping with the other songs so should it go at the beginning, as it’s so show stopping, or at the end because it’s not really the same vibe as the other songs which are spectacular in their own way?

This dilemma is keeping Julia awake at night. The good news is that some great shots came out of the photo shoot for the CD cover but days have been spent mulling over them. It took me 30 seconds to select the best four.

I’ll let you know what it’s going to be called as soon as the decision has been made. My choice is China Blue, after one of the tracks. We’ll see.

Viva Las Vegas

I drove from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to meet with Mary McGuckian, who has optioned Plus One. I decided to drive and not fly as I've driven there before on a girls' road trip and had a great time, probably because I wasn't driving. On my first drive there with my sister, Julia, her manager Lori and Lori's girlfriend, Joan, our first bet had been how long would it take us to get there? Four hours and 28 minutes was the answer and I won the $40 in the kitty. No wonder I have such fond memories.

Husband Colin and Julia both thought I was making a terrible mistake in driving there on my own, as I am prone to getting lost, but I had Mapquested it and was supremely confident. I telephoned Colin every 20 minutes and shouted: “Bored.” It’s one long, tedious road and none of my radio stations worked. I only got lost twice. I’ll wager thousands of people before me have ended up in Barstow en route to Vegas from Los Angeles. That was stressful enough, but not as stressful as being lost in Vegas itself and gagging for a pee. I pulled into the hotel with the pirate theme and made full use of their facilities before being pointed in the direction of the Renaissance Hotel.

Mary McG was thoroughly immersed in shooting her latest movie about couples going to Vegas in search of IVF, or A.R.T. in Las Vegas, as it will be called. As the producer, director and writer, she had much to deal with, including an issue with the Teamsters’ union that threatened to shut down production for some minor confusion with the drivers. You don’t mess around with those Teamsters or you could wake up with a horse's head in your bed, but Mary handled everything with great aplomb and serenity and quickly defused the situation. The cast and crew were also mad, crazy busy, so there was much hanging around for me with nothing to do but admire these people who work 18-hour days without complaint. Mary was working 20-hour days. I kid you not.

She had 40 seconds to talk with me in between takes and invited me to run with her from the production office up to room 1503 where they were shooting the next scene. Enough time for her to ask me what I thought about her idea to make two films, one a film about the making of Plus One, a sort of mockumentary (if you will), with the actors playing the parts of the producers, etc., that would start shooting in Cannes next May. Then the actual film based on Plus One. Sounds like an excellent plan. Does that mean two checks for me?

We could have discussed it over the phone, but I’m glad I went all that way to hear it from her lips and see for myself that Mary McGuckian is the real deal. Look out for her film Intervention, due for release in November.

There's been little chance to enjoy quality time with myself before having to find further gainful employment, as I caught a heinous gastric flu from Colin just before my friend, Diane, flew in from the UK for a 10-day flying visit. I shall spare the gory details. Suffice to say, a high fever and much toilet paper was involved.

If you're still reading, you have Diane to thank for this blog ending sooner rather than later. Diane is something of a blog whiz (www.dianealdred.com) and has advised me that my previous missives have been way too long and infrequent. She says readers quickly lose interest and move on to something else.

She also advised using photographs to spice things up. To this end, here is a photo of my feet after Diane and I enjoyed manicures, pedicures and massages at The Four Seasons Beauty Spa, courtesy of Diane’s ex-husband.

I could write another 800 words on our perfect day of pampering, but I wouldn’t want you to lose interest.