Wildlife: Mama Whitetail and her two fawns were climbing up the mini-mountain with the "F" painted on it above Lakeshore Drive this morning.



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Weather: Wintery, but dry -- it was very dark until Noon..

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Media Watch: A Date With Judy (1948) was on TCM last night, following an interview with it's star -- the gracious Jane Powell, who looks wonderful as she approaches 80 years old. There were stalwarts from MGM's Central Casting Department, doing what they did regularly -- Wallace Berry was the gruff ol' dad, Carmen Miranda was her goofy effervescent self, and Xavier Cugat pretended he was some kind of Latin stereotype, rather than the classy guy he really was.
The movie was full of 40's-style faux "Teenage" stereotypes that resembled "Archie Comics" more than anything real. Elizabeth Taylor was stunning as dark-haired "Veronica." Jane Powell was "Betty" all the way, even if her character's name WAS "Judy." Leon Ames played a lookalike version of "Mr. Lodge," i.e. "Veronica's" father. Jane Powell's brother even had a beanie like "Jughead." Liz Taylor's brother was an incomparable leading-nerd. He even led an all-nerd singing group, which was pretty embarassing to see and hear.
Neophyte Robert Stack only partly resembled insufferable "Reggie."
Stack was the mutual love-interest of both "Betty" and "Veronica," even though he wasn't a teenager -- he was supposed to be a GI Bill college student doing a summer job as a soda-jerk at his uncle's malt shop -- which was a lot like "Pop Tate's" place in "Archie's" small town of "Riverdale."


The long-running "Archie" series (below) started in 1941,
replacing "Madam Satan" (above)in Pep Comics.
Harry Lucey originally drew both features, and was followed by
the very capable Bob Montana and Al Hartley in later decades.