Today is Saturday, and if it's Saturday then Missy must be coming over to the house for a trial costume fitting. And along with Missy is her friend, Bob. Bob is a painter who also does makeup and hair, and Bob is here to design the Millicent Makeup. Bob has the requisite makeup kit, wig block and wig, and is busily working on the wig while Missy and Barb fuss with the costume. Turns out that the first fitup is really pretty close -- doesn't need much alteration, and Missy decides she'll just finish it off here in the living room.
Saturday also probably brings Nathan over. Nathan comes into town every weekend, and often swings by to see if we're doing anything Interesting. Parading around in Ghastly garb certainly qualifies as Interesting in Nathan's book, so we spill the project beans, at least the ones that have directly to do with the putative show itself. This is the mostInteresting thing Nathan has heard all day, and Barb starts warming up some walks and voices in various pieces of costume. Bob has made some big ol' hair and is trying out some makeup ideas. Nathan and I proffer useless suggestions, Barb dismisses most out of hand in an Interesting voice. Something's coming together here.
Saturday also brings the mail, which today includes a letter from WLEX that does not include a contract but does include the list of movies. I pride myself on knowing more than a little pottytinkle about monster movies good bad and insipid; but I haven't heard of half of the movies on the list. More to the point, neither apparently has the compiler of the Psychotronic Encyclopedia. Fortunately, he has heard of at least the first one, an Italian opus titled The Night Evelyn Came Out of the Grave. I read the synopsis to assorted giggles, switching back and forth from Wally Balloo through Leonard Plinth-Garnell voices to Val-speak, and I remember a bit that David Copperfield pulled at the Opera House in the spring. On the first night of the run, some fashionable Lexingtoons came in about ten minutes late to their very-near front row seats. Said Copperfield (a nice guy offstage) had already done his big opening and was doing some card tricks; he stopped, sat down on the edge of the stage and conversationally said, "Well, we played some music and then I came out and there was applause and I did this disappearing trick and it was pretty cool and then I came in from the back and everybody clapped and then we changed the lights and brought this out and I did a couple of card tricks and then you guys came in and that's where we are. Are we good? we're all caught up? Okay, let's get back to the show." Huh, sez I. That could be a running bit: Barb does a recap of the movie to date, and the movie is so ridiculous that if she just describes what you've seen you can't help but make people laugh. So every week she catches people up and we call it ... Ketchup Theatre.
And you can build a little stage with a curtain and everything just for Ketchup Theatre, sez either Nathan or Bob. I'm not too happy about this You stuff, because that's what it's going to be -- no more building from WLEX ... but this could be something real simple, like a Punch and Judy set, just some plywood and a couple of flippers to stand it up, and a paint job; we could knock this out tomorrow and be done with it.
Okey dokie, Barb -- think we could do this as a running bit? Plug it in after the first hour of movie or so, for the people changing channels?
"Daaaahling, that would be maaaaaahvlus!" This with the first fitting of the wig. Where'd that voice come from? "Dunno, but it feels right." It does, at that.
Missy is Done. Bob steps back to admire his handiwork. Barb is definitely obscured, and the makeup is definitely not going to be easy for her to put on by herself; eventually, yes but not right away. So, Bob ... doing anything Thursday night? Wanna come over to the teevee station and do the makeup? We'll probably have to make some changes anyway once we see it on teevee. Bob's up for it, especially after we throw in dinner. Nathan wants to come, too -- this looks like it could be fun. Sure, why not? We could use some moral support.
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You know, when I was a kid I didn't know Tallulah Bankhead because we didn't have the internet tubes to look stuff up on, but now that you give us this backdrop, it's pretty obvious that TB was an influence in Millie's character.
ReplyDeleteJust one of many, of course. Keep up the memories!