Posted in Asbury Connection, Asbury Park Connection Photo Gallery, Blogfinger Photograph, Music from the movies, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, tagged Asbury Park water park on March 19, 2020| Leave a Comment »
By Paul Goldfinger. © July, 2014. Asbury Park, NJ Click to enlarge
DORIS DAY. Here’s how it works: You go to Rome and visit the Trevi Fountain. Then you turn around and throw your money over your shoulder into the water. Then you get your wish. Really? And “thrown by three hopeful lovers.” But who’s keeping score?
Posted in Blogfinger News, Music from the movies, tagged Bible goes to Hollywood, Jack Goes Boating soundtrack, Phillip Seymour Hoffman on March 13, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Paul Goldfinger, Editor.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman* was a great actor, although he sometimes made weird movies. In 2010 he directed his first film called “Jack Goes Boating.” It’s supposed to be a romantic comedy, but the four characters are depressing. I forced myself to watch it for the sake of the soundtrack, but we couldn’t get past the first half.
The music, on the other hand, is varied and interesting. We recently posted one of the songs on BF — a re-do of “Blue Moon,” which is quite wonderful. Here is the link:
The song which opens the film, however, is “The Rivers of Babylon” by a reggae style (“rock steady”) Jamaican group from the 1960’s and 1970’s called the Melodians who had embarked on some Rastafarian themes in their work, resulting in an international hit called “The Rivers of Babylon” recorded in 1969.
The song was chosen to open the movie, and I really liked it. Then I listened carefully to the lyrics (I’m always first attracted to the music — then the lyrics.)
It turns out that the Melodians were using parables taken from Psalm 137 which tells the story of the invasion of the ancient kingdom of Judah in 586 BCE. This Jewish nation was destroyed by the Babylonians who , after demolishing the first holy Temple, carted off most of the Israelites to Babylon (now Iraq).
The rivers in the song title refer to the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. What does this Bible story have to do with the movie? — I ‘m not sure.
The middle east around 586 BCE.
But here is “The Rivers of Babylon” from Jack Goes Boating. — (*Phillip Seymour Hoffman passed in 2014.)
Posted in Music from the movies, tagged MUSIC: Boardwalk Empire on March 10, 2020| 6 Comments »
A scene from Boardwalk Empire. Don’t miss it when it returns. Re-post from 2012.
Paul Goldfinger, Editor@Blogfinger
This delightful tune is brief but poignant. It is from the soundtrack of Boardwalk Empire, the HBO hit series. Stephen DeRosa is the singer, and if he were appearing at the Great Auditorium, I bet we’d have some protesters there.
But we’ll let him have his say on Blogfinger, and remember, this show is set in wild Atlantic City back during Prohibition days.
The band for this album is Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks. They won an Emmy for the soundtrack.
For the music historians out there, Eddie Cantor made this song his own in 1923.
Posted in Asbury Connection, Music from the movies, Photograph by Paul Goldfinger, Photography: The Other Side of Asbury, tagged Asbury Park Casino on February 29, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Casino in Asbury Park is the access from Ocean Grove. It is literally an Asbury connection for any Tom, Dick or Calamari. The artist is Porkchop. Photo by Paul Goldfinger. © July, 2015. Click to watch her eyes.
MARTHA WAINWRIGHT from the soundtrack of The Aviator
Posted in Jersey Shore gallery, Music from the movies, New Jersey events and photographs, tagged Grey skies in Bradley Beach on February 25, 2020| Leave a Comment »
The other side of Bradley Beach. November 2013. By Paul Goldfinger. © Click to enlarge
LES PAUL AND MARY FORD. “The Moon of Manakoora” from the soundtrack of Silver Linings Playbook.
Posted in Music from the movies, Photographic Gallery, Black and White, tagged Paris old but not derelict building on February 11, 2020| Leave a Comment »
Paris. By Paul Goldfinger. © c.1995 (a la Eugene Atget)
DANA BOULÉ. “Parlez-moi d’amour” From the film Midnight in Paris.
Posted in Music from the movies, Ocean Grove photographs, tagged Everything I have is yours, The Ocean Grove Beach House on January 27, 2020| 1 Comment »
Pitman Avenue, Ocean Grove, NJ. Paul Goldfinger photo © October 2013.
The song, “Everything I Have is Yours” was written in 1933 by Harold Admonson (lyrics) and Burton Lane (music) for the movie “Dancing Lady.”
Julie London also recorded it for her album “Nice Girls Don’t Stay for Breakfast.” (Say it isn’t so Julie.)
Posted in Music from the movies, Photographic Gallery, Black and White, tagged Flying Down to Rio with Rudy Valee, Phalaenopsis orchids on display, Victor Youmans music on January 10, 2020| 1 Comment »
Phalaenopsis–the “moth orchid.” Bronx Botanical Gardens. By Paul Goldfinger. 2008. ©
I rarely photograph flowers (that’s Eileen’s job,) but a friend once challenged me to prove that a black and white photograph of a flower could be appealing. Sometimes color isn’t the answer and that is why I gave up on color for many years….until Blogfinger.
In 1933, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared in a film called “Flying Down to Rio.” Victor Youmans (“No,No Nanette”) wrote the music, and “Orchids in the Moonlight” became a hit, done as a tango. Many artists recorded this song, but this version is from the “Victor Youmans Song Book” with Rudy Vallee:
Posted in Blogfinger Presents, Music from the movies, tagged Dover New Jersey, Henry Boschen on December 29, 2019| 24 Comments »
Dover, 1960; Blackwell Street. By Henry Boschen © Click to enlarge. Re-posted by popular demand. 2019 update.
By Paul Goldfinger, MD, Editor @Blogfinger.net
Henry Boschen (1922-2011) made this wonderful black and white image in 1960 on Blackwell Street in Dover, New Jersey, a blue collar town in Morris County which was founded in 1869. In 1960, before the Rockaway Townsquare Mall was built in 1977, Dover was the place to go for shopping. It was a diverse town, and many of the merchants were Jewish. A growing Hispanic population was beginning to change the personality of Dover. Spanish restaurants and credit unions were opening. Most of the immigrants were from a particular town in Puerto Rico.
Henry’s image captures the warmth of Christmas in 1960 when shoppers would flock to visit downtown Dover where an old-fashioned homespun style was found in the shops. You could buy a fine men’s suit at the Quality Shop and pick up fresh fish at Fred’s. The Walk-Well shoe store was a family business, as were many of the stores downtown.
Dover Photo was one of the few Leica dealerships in New Jersey, so aficionados like me would go there to buy lenses, superb cameras and darkroom gear. Murray and his sons would offer technical advice to visitors. They displayed original photos and they offered trade-ins on equipment. I was one of their best customers.
Dover General Hospital, known for its excellent nursing and physician care, was sixty years old that year and was within walking distance to downtown. It was founded by a group of Dover women who wanted to improve healthcare at the turn of the century.
My first medical office was on Blackwell Street. I chose Dover because they had no cardiologist and I wanted to work in the trenches instead of at some ivory tower. The National Community Bank downtown gave me a mortgage before I even saw my first patient. The town doctors told the banker that I was a good risk. My practice was busy from day one.
Henry Boschen, my patient and friend, gave me this print, and it is a great treasure.
RICHARD BURTON
Posted in Feature article, Music from the movies, Ocean Grove feature article, tagged Blackbirds at the Quaker Inn, Joe Cocker on December 9, 2019| Leave a Comment »
Blackbirds sit along the front downstairs railing at the Quaker Inn in Ocean Grove, NJ. Paul Goldfinger photo. Re-post from 2012.
By Paul Goldfinger, wildlife editor @Blogfinger
Carl Hoffman was startled when he walked by the Quaker Inn on Main Avenue in Ocean Grove. There along the front railing was a row of blackbirds. So Carl tipped us off, and over we went to get some photos. Sure enough, there were 13 blackbirds sitting there unperturbed. I decided to interview one of them and to get a quote. He wasn’t shy — quoth the raven, “Nevermore.” After that there were no more quothes.
It seems one of the innkeepers at the Quaker found the birds and put them up for Halloween. While we were there perusing the blackbirds, a young man named Nick Scott, age 14, came flying out of the house trying to make a getaway on his bike. Nick, a personable 14-year-old student at St.Rose, is the son of Liz Scott, one of the innkeepers. She preferred not to be in the picture, but Nick agreed to pose with the birds; that’s not to say that he is for the birds — only with the birds. Not that there’s anything wrong with being for the birds.
Nick Scott, Ocean Grover who was fearless in posing with a fake flock of finely feathered flying blackbirds. PG photo
The Quaker Inn dates back to 1877, making it an old hotel. It’s terrific if you are from out of town and feel like packing up all your cares and woes. There are no woes at the Quaker. So, if no one seems to love or understand you, this is the place.
The Quaker Inn sans blackbirds. Website photo.
SOUNDTRACK: From the movie “Sleepless in Seattle,” by Joe Cocker (who sure sounds a lot like Ray Charles, but they cannot be brothers).
