『赤膽屠龍』是美國最有影響力之一的導演霍華德霍克斯(Howard Hawks)於 1959年執導的經典西部電影，由約翰韋恩，狄恩馬丁和瑞奇尼爾森主演。但霍華德霍克斯的拍攝動機卻是針對1952年由Fred Zinnemann導演，加利古柏(Garry Cooper)主演的另一部經典西部電影『日正當中』(High Noon)。這兩部電影之間的關係說明美國也是一個充滿了矛盾的國家。 Continue reading
六十年代披頭四(The Beatles)橫掃世界所向披靡，首首歌曲都攻入排行榜前數名，但他們的氣勢卻被1947年Ken Lane、Sam Coslow、Irving Taylor三位美國音樂家所寫這首老掉牙的情歌狠狠切斷。『鼠黨』(Rat Pack)成員之一，狄恩馬丁(Dean Martin)於1964年8月一舉擊潰披頭四的《A Hard Day’s Night》，連續八周拿下告示牌第一名。
其實，這首歌早有許多著名歌星演唱，包括1957年『鼠黨』老大法蘭克辛納屈(Frank Sinatra)錄製唱片，但都未有太大的成就。直到1964年狄恩馬丁以其慵懶的獨特歌喉，才讓這首歌揚眉吐氣。 Continue reading
西部片是美國獨特的文化，像我們的武俠電影一樣。即使不喜歡看西部電影，大概也都曾經看過。 1959年的“赤膽屠龍 Rio Bravo”堪稱西部片的經典，大牌雲集，有談到西部電影少不了的John Wayne（1907-1979）和Dean Marin（1917-1995），Ricky Nelson（1940-1986），以及長腿美女Angie Dickinson（1931-）。雖然以現代“人心不古”的角度看，這電影節奏不快，故事也無懸疑。但不光有槍戰，其對白風趣，還有動聽的音樂，集娛樂之大成。 Continue reading
“Hello Mary Lou” is a song written by U.S. singer Gene Pitney and Cayet Mangiaracina and performed by Ricky Nelson in English and German in 1961. It reached #9 on the Billboard music charts on May 28, 1961, although the other side of the single, “Travelin’ Man”, hit #1. In the United Kingdom, where it was the unrivalled A-side, it hit #2, and it was a hit in much of Europe, particularly Norway, where it spent 14 weeks at #1. The song features an influential guitar solo by James Burton, often cited by later guitarists such as Brian May. The song is from his sixth album called Rick Is 21.
By Ricky Nelson
Lyrics
Hello Mary Lou
Good-bye heart
sweet Mary Lou I’m so in love with you
well i knew,Mary Lou we’d never part
so hello Mary lou
good-bye heart
You passed me by one sunny day
flashed those big brown eyes my way
and ooh I wanted you forever more
now I’m not one who gets around
swear my feet stuck to the ground
even though I never did meet you before
I said “Hello, Mary Lou
Goodbye heart
Sweet Mary Lou I’m so in love with you
Well I knew Mary Lou
we’d never part
So hello Mary Lou
good-bye heart
well hello Mary Lou
good-bye heart
I say hello Mary Lou
Good-bye heart