ASK DR. HAL Continues at Chez Poulet!

October 20th, 2009

CHICKEN JOHN PRESENTS

THE ALL-NEW SAME-OLD ASK DR. HAL! SHOW!

NOW PLAYING AT THE

CHEZ POULET GALLERY-CABARET

3359 ARMY (CESAR CHAVEZ) ST.

 [Where Mission St. Joins Cesar Chavez]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 23RD

ADMISSION $10 (Sliding Scale– no one turned away)

NINE P.M. SHARP!

===DOORS OPEN FOR THE SHOW AT 8:30 PM===
THE PRE-SHOW begins about Eight-Thirty. We will be starting as close to Nine PM
as
we can.
Despite a long history of lagging audiences, we won’t hold the
curtain
as we have in the past–
WE CLOSE, ideally,  before Midnight, to give our East Bay friends the chance to
make it in time to catch the
last train from the 24th St. BART Station, a few short
blocks North of the CHEZ
POULET GALLERY-CABARET [Last East Bay train departs
about
12:16 AM] in S.F.’s colorful Mission District!

        The Dr. Hal Report        
Vol. XII                                                                                                                         
No. 2

UNIQUE ANIMATED CARTOON PRESENTATION!
EDITOR‘S NOTE: DUE TO UNFORESEEN TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES LAST
WEEK,
WE DID NOT SHOW THIS CARTOON. THEREFORE, WE INTEND
TO RUN IT THIS WEEK. IF IT STILL DOESN’T HAPPEN,
WE WILL CONTINUE
TO ATTEMPT TO PRESENT THIS SAME
CARTOON EVERY WEEK UNTIL WE
FINALLY SUCCEED.

Popeye THE SAILOR  Meets Sindbad THE SAILOR (1936)
Another in our
series of
the
best American cartoons!
Lovingly selected
by KrOB
Third Time’s the Charm!
At least, we hope so! This time we‘re really going to bring you
Popeye
Meets Sindbad. Everybody
who’s a fan of this great cartoon calls it that, but the real
title, for the record, is Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor.
We‘ve
shown a bunch of cartoons at ADH by now, including a few by the legendary Max Fleischer
Studio, but until now, no Popeye. We‘d like to make up for that by exhibiting one of the very best,
if not the best, of this fabulous series. This “short” is quite a picture– it’s actually 16 minutes long
(most cartoons run about seven), a “two-reeler.” It was produced in Technicolor (so the color
still looks good) and was released on November 27th (which is the day before Dr. Hal’s birthday) by
Paramount, the Fleischers’ parent studio. It’s full of incredible invention– monsters, landscapes
(using the Fleischers’ patented Stereoptical 3-D process) and fast-paced gags.
Popeye‘s
vocals are done by Jack Mercer, the familiar “Popeye voice” that all other interpreters of
the rôle have perforce only imitated. Mercer‘s Popeye was often characterized by subvocalizing, a
continuous stream of muttered “asides” (you don’t see his lips moving during these) which frequently
include the funniest lines (extemporized by Mercer) in the picture. Olive Oyl is of course voiced by
Mae Questel, who also did Betty Boop. Bluto (Sindbad) is done by Gus Wickie. The difficult-to-
understand songs, and the musical supervision generally of the Studio’s musicians are by Sammy
Timberg,
the Fleischers’ go-to music guy.
This was the first of the three Popeye Color Specials, each three times as long as a regular Popeye
cartoon, of those days, and were often billed in theaters alongside or above the main feature.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor
was nominated for an Academy Award (though sadly
it lost to a Disney cartoon that year, the Silly Symphony The Country Cousin. But this cartoon has
been enormously influential and is considered the best of the three supercartoons the Studio made
at the height of its power (before World War II, when the brothers lost control and Fleischer then
became Famous Studios).
One influence it had was on special effects artist and auteur Raymond F. Harryhausen, partially
inspiring him, 22 years later, to  make The 7th Voyage of Sinbad.
Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor has been deemed “culturally significant” by the United
States Library of Congress,
and selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry. In 1994,
the film was voted #17 of the 50 Greatest Cartoons of All Time by members of the animation field. We
know that as it begins our show you’ll like it, too.
“Who’s that most remarkable, extra-special kind of fel-low?”
“Youse– Sin-lous-y Sail-orrr!”

AND WITH:

HORRIFYING KLASSIC KrOB MONSTER EDIT:


THE SAVAGE STYRACOSAURUS!


TERRIFYING, BONE-CHILLING KLASSIC KrOB MONSTER EDIT! An unforgettable encounter
with one of Skull Island’s pugnacious prehistoric denizens. The artistry of Marcel Delgado, Willis O’Brien
and other god-like luminaries. A raging dinosaur, Styracosaurus, shows what it’s made of. Named by the great
Lawrence Lambe in 1913, it’s a member of the Centrosaurinae. At least two species, S. albertensis and S.
ovatus
are currently assigned to Styracosaurus. Other species assigned to the genus have since been
reassigned elsewhere. And if that’s not an all-time bargain, Pilgrim, we’ll eat our Fez. Scientific!
Educational!
View it all
on our Giant Screen. It’s just one small fractal fragment of the totality to be
experienced at our unique and well-travelled night club show; once more we bring it to an outré but
receptive audience. Not for the closed-minded. Fully narrated by Dr. Hal.

Read the latest hard-hitting interview with Dr.. Hal on Laughing Squid’s Blog:

http://laughingsquid.com/a-conversation-with-hal-robins/

SOCIAL NOTES
During our long recent period of doing shows with substitute “Chickens” (while the open-to-distraction original
experimented with boat-building and dubious international relations studies), our usual go-to computer guy,
dynamic David Capurro took a lengthy sabbatical. Now that we’re up and running at Chez Poulet once again,
some, we hear, are puzzled & perplexed by the fact that dapper Dave is actually back– but seated in our ADH
audience–
while recently married former eligible bachelor shrewd Sean Kelly serves up associated stream-of-
consciousness pix
on the big screen from his perch on stage as our Imagemeister… Fear not, frantic fans of
cunning Cappy– you’ll see him back in the saddle soon– after he untwists a (work-related) entanglement… But
we’ve gotta say that sensational Sean’s pretty good at what he does, & for the past two iterations has been slickly
showing everyone how it’s done… We’re in good hands either way, eh? Natch, with durable David C. on hand, the
once & future Yo-Yo-Pro tends to bring along his posse– jolly Juhari, kohort Ken Garr, & last wk. two cousins,
mysterious Michael and judicious Julia– what did they make of it all, one wonders? And many welcome friends
were along to cheer us on– notably kurvaceous Kate Willett (insert wolf-whistle here) and devoted consort mordant
Marc Roper– too bad, slavering staghounds– delectable Dawn Stott, luscious Lynn Rubenzer, kute Kelleigh
Trowbridge
(who gamely endured a protracted koo-koo KrOB Moment) & ultra-appealing Ulrike… Easy-on-the-eyes
Eileen Hassi also provided magnum moral support… Of cuss, we wouldn’t neglect peripatetic Paul Pot, who finally
brought (back) Prof. Pete Goldie’s beloved Cassini-Huygens Probe Model.. yeah, it’s true– we’re all getting back
together under th’same roof… Power couple devilish Don Bruce & tempestuous Tracy Feldstein were in the house, &
surprise visitors, Pittsburgh, PA’s own talented Tommy Amoeba, squeeze to irrepressible, phabulous Phat Mandee,
scintillant star of the still-slayin’ ’em Burning Opera @ Teatro Zinzanni –see it while you can, man… When the all-
too-usual
tech tergiversations derailed our kartune (see above), trouper mellifluous Mandee stepped in to substitute
with a lively tune, accompanied by cheerful Chicken on uke, saving our bacon yet again… But, honestly, folks, kontrite
KrOB assures us that these flubs are history– next wk. you’ll see that cartoon with no glitches, goofs or gratuitous
graveolence… really… Moving on, Persistent Puzzling Evidence, who hears all & sees all, was tracking th’ whole
megilla via magick mini-cam, for future You Tube placement… We keep telling yez– get thee to Puzzling Evidence
TV
on the ever-lovin’ Interweb, seekers, & check out his latest vids. After so many long years of recording at so
many events, we suspect it’s all going up on You Tube these daze… We hope y’all’re finally glimming that fabled
footage... We are… Drop your eyes down to some of the coverage of our latest shows, right below… Just click on
any
of those URLs directly under this feature, fella-creature. And don’t miss our sizzlin’ show next week. That’s the
one to catch, natch. Not to mention demented Dr. Hal’s Art Show, “The Productions of Time,” bursting on th’scene
Thursday-– the day before Ask Dr. Hal! — at the Mercury Café over on Page & Octavia in S.F.  If you’ve ever wanted
to get (signed) copies of deviser Dr. Hal’s books, he’s finally got a few more copies to offer the publick. Kra-a-azy
KrOB
‘ll be on hand as well, to provide the (very) Special Effects… So, ADH corn-cluded yet another night on th’ boards.
After-stayers
all enjoyed the post-show party ’till choleric Chicken gave alla those whip-it huffers th’ old heave-ho…
Usually, perturbed Puz-Ev takes done-in Dr. Hal & kaput KrOB on to some late-nite eatery for the after-after par-tay.
Space in his chariot being limited, only a few others traditionally can squeeze in, but it turned out this time that ’twas
deserted Dr. Hal left out in the cold, forlornly watching the others zoom away… just not enuff room in that vehicle…
With self-pitying steps he began t’make his solitary. sad way homeward, but was then spared th’ tender mercies o’
shank’s mare as a jumbo jalopy w/ kindly Kappy’s posse rumbled up and hauled the heavy-hearted headliner to his
forlorn front door… Meanwhile– we keep telling youse– here’re alla those…

AMAZING, AMUSING

PUZZLING EVIDENCE

YOU TUBE

CLIPS!


Did you know you can watch some of the show right this minute?
Well, thanx to Puzzling
Evidence,
you
can! Go ahead– scope out a few of the hi-lites from previous episodes of Ask Dr. Hal!
on You Tube! It’s easy! It’s fun! It’s time-consuming! And it’s technologically au courant, and absolutely
the next best thing to being there in person! You need to visit his wonderful site, with rare video of the
Lost Galleon La Contessa and many wonders unrelated to our show– HELCO from Burning Man ’96,
various festivals and performances of all your faves– as well as our stuff from the links below. How?
How, you say? You do? Why are you talking to your computer? Go ahead– just click, clickety-click, on these
handy URLs. Remember, if it won’t play, try watching in High Quality…


Our second show of the latest run— straw telescopes seek Cassini Probe porn, with Phat Mandee
warbling “Over the Rainbow” in the background! It’s our
October 16th show, its hour come round at
last (
Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/2/TNz1un4qzWA

Saturn-shine on the moons of Saturn up against the Three Body Problem in the new “invisible” ring;
Cosmic Splat on Iapetus. What flavor ice cream is
Hal, you ask? Answered October 16th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/1/rgLjQx0yECc

Light bulb eating by Chicken John and Phat Mandee consumes a priceless antique Edison -Mazda bulb
October 16th (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/0/SCP6w2S1zcY

Our prevue show features Moon Matters, & Pete Goldie offers a lunar lunchpail on October 9th (Pt. 1):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/7/OE2n6ph_aNs

Then after more Selenitic sensationalism Pete gives Chicken a needed lesson in courtesy, aided by
the
Politeness Pachyderm, a.k.a. the Polite Elephant. This was on October 9th (Pt. 2):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/6/xEKerwUwodA

Dr. Hal enters with an excerpt from Milton‘s L’Allegro, somewhat bungled as always– then… From our
October 9th show (Pt. 3):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/5/Nc-GK1Vds8A

Love and other things, Hell, clay, pebbles, meters, Chaco Taco’s Op-ish birth story, carnys, BigTop
peanuts, hay, barkers, cops, burlesque girls, vagina dentata, THC-induced delirium, clicking sounds,
Dawn‘s laugh, Don Fisher, Jesus‘ middle name, you name it… on October 9th (Pt. 4):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/4/7OQ7eO45YJM

Picking up some still life while being “gingered” by a microwaved viking dressed in a paisley fractal
art barge….priceless.
At least, we hoped so– on October 9th (Pt. 5):

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PuzzlingEvidenceTV#p/u/3/co14OqXtjUs

ART SHOW! THE PRODUCTIONS OF TIME

OPENS OCTOBER 22ND!

For everyone who missed Dr. Hal’s last art show, some of the images shown there will be featured again,
together with new and previously unshown works. It’s all happening at the Mercury Café, 201 Octavia Street
(at Page)
the evening of Thursday, October 22nd. A limited number of Dr. Hal’s books, The Meaning of Lost
and Mismatched Socks
(which is becoming quite a rarity– Random House is out of them), Dinosaur Alphabet
and Alien Apocalypse 2006 will also be available for sale, including autographed and dedicated copies.
This may be the last best chance to get some of these. Art Prints of many of the pictures can be ordered from
Studio Reflex of San Francisco– pick up a form at the show. There will also be an opening party, with a live
performance
by Dr. Hal ably assisted by KrOB’s visual and auditory magic! Keep watching this space for more
details. The Mercury, serving organic and fair trade coffees and locally produced foods, can be reached at
                  (415) 252-7855.