I am happy to report that Pearl is feeling much better today. I went over to Northridge Hospital this morning to visit her, and she was resting comfortably in a private room. She is underweight and fragile right now, but the doctors say she suffered no kidney damage from the UTI, which was a concern before the tests results came back. She's rehydrated and they're giving her antibiotics to finish off the infection. It looks like she might be coming home from the hospital by Sunday or Monday. There are other issues that may come up. They are gonna have a speech therapist perform a swallow test, to see if she can still eat solid food. One of the complications of late stage dementia is losing the ability to swallow. Because I feed Pearl every day, I know that she can still swallow her food as long as she is not hurried. This is why her meals take so long. Her daughter said Pearl's doctors want to make sure she won't aspirate. That happened to my Mom, and it can cause pneumonia, but Mom had Stage 4 throat cancer. I think Pearl can still swallow her food and I hope they will give her a chance, because the only alternative is a g-tube, and at that point, the person is basically only consuming Ensure for the rest of their life. So, fingers are crossed on that score and once again your prayers are appreciated.
Last night I was able to watch a movie : "Mexican Spitfire"(1940), starring Lupe Velez and Leon Errol. It was just what I needed after the events of the past several days, and I am here to tell you that not only is it a Laff Riot, but quite simply one of the funniest movies ever made, period. As a comedy team, Velez and Errol can be ranked up there with any of the great duos, and in "Spitfire" they pull out all the stops. It was a sequel to "The Girl From Mexico", which we saw and reviewed a few nights ago, so the storyline continues from the end of that film, which saw Velez's character Carmelita marrying Donald Woods, the advertising executive who brought her to New York where she became a singing sensation.
As "Mexican Spitfire" begins, the newlyweds are returning from their honeymoon. Lying in wait are Lupe's rwo nemeses : Wood's ex-fiance and his belligerent Aunt, who plan to derail the marriage so that the "ex" can retake her throne as Queen Bitch in Woods' life. Of course, the "QB", as it were, is underestimating Velez once again, just as she did in the first film. Worse for her, Uncle Matt is back. Three cheers for Uncle Matt, and three more for Leon Errol, the actor portraying him. He plays a dual role in this film that is really a triple role, in what I would call one of the greatest comic performances in the history of motion pictures. His "Lord Epping" had me in stitches throughout.
Rather than describe the entire plot as I usually do (cause I'm a little tired tonight), I just wanna say a few words about Lupe Velez instead. I've now seen her in three films, and in "Mexican Spitfire" she's at her very best, which is one of the main reasons why this movie was chosen by AFI as a nominee for one of the 100 Funniest Comedies Ever Made. In my opinion it should've made the list, and I'd put it up in the Top Twenty, maybe higher. Leon Errol's triple performance is outrageously funny too, and there's an epic food fight at the end that surely was an influence for The Great Pie Fight at the end of "Blazing Saddles". But the thing with Velez, the more you watch her, the more you are impressed with her technical ability as a comedienne. She doesn't just recite her lines, but includes all kinds of different gestures, body language, various facial expressions and changes in voice. None of these are garish or hammy, however. As manic as her performances can be, every motion she makes is precise and perfectly timed. She has to do all of this with respect to the other actors, and to pull it off with a total pro like Errol, especially in his "Lord Epping" mode, takes high-level technical skill, in addition to being funny while still making everything look spontaneous. She really is incredible. After seeing her in "The Girl From Mexico" I thought she might've been an influence on Lucille Ball. Now I'm sure of it. Lucy must have been a fan of Lupe, and I don't know why it is that Velez has not been given the same lasting recognition she most certainly deserves. It's true that Lucy had a legendary TV show that reached millions and plays in reruns to this day. It's also true that Velez had a short career and life. As mentioned, she died long ago, in 1944 at age 36. So maybe the 75 year span has caused her name to fade, I dunno.
All I can say is that she's a comedic genius, and I'm saying that as someone who knew nothing about her other than her name, until recently. I came in cold to her films, through one of my random library searches. One day around Christmas I was looking at someone's IMDB list of their favorite stars, and I saw Lupe Velez. I knew she was the "Mexican Spitfire" - her nickname as well as the title of her most famous film, but I'd never given her much thought. This time, though, I placed a hold on three of her movies, and from the first few minutes of "The Half-Naked Truth" I knew I was watching a unique talent. Watch "Mexican Spitfire" and see if you don't agree. It's true that she has a star on Hollywood Boulevard, and that she was well-known in her time. She was married to Tarzan and had an affair with Gary Cooper, so she was also a major celebrity. But I think she should still be remembered today, and mentioned in the same breath with the greatest names of comedy, because she really is that good. ////
I am writing from home tonight, and that's all I know for the moment, except that I have got to get out of this apartment building before I go insane. It's all college students here, except me, and I have next door neighbors who never stop partying. The building is old and the walls are thin, and the noise makes it hard to concentrate. Thank God I am not here much, and maybe soon I won't have to live here at all.
Oh well, onward and upward as always. See you in the morning.
Tons of love. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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