Hello there Cowboy

 

Happy Birthday Harry

 

Today Harry Nilsson would have turned 81 years old.     Thinking of Harry today.  

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story -- a movie review

 

This past weekend I watched the new documentary "The Lost Weekend:  A Love Story."   This film told the story of May Pang and her 18-month relationship with John Lennon in 1973 & 1974.

This documentary was extremely well made.   It frequently used line-drawing animation to get the story told and I found it to be extremely effective.   There were some very good interviews with not just May Pang herself but also with Julian, Chris O'Dell, and several others that were there.    The story was told not just through these modern-day interviews but with archive footage from the 70s and archive talk show footage of May from the 1980s.     The variety of interviews really helped keep the story moving.

My absolute favorite part was all of the previously unseen photographs and home movie footage in the documentary.    Just when you think that the majority of "Lost Weekend" photos have been seen (especially thanks to May's Instamatic Karma book) - this film is released, and there are so many more!  There is some home movie footage that belonged to Julian that shows John, May, and Jules on a boat and swimming, which is just precious. 

If you have read May's book, Loving John, then you know everything that is told in this film.   There is nothing new or unknown that is told.    However, May's book was written in the 1980s and not very many modern John fans have read it, so the stories very well could be new for some.   I actually found it refreshing that May's story has not changed over the years.    Often, when someone re-tells their story, things get embellished or changed around, but this was not the case when it comes to May.   

Of course, the film is May's story.   It is not John's, and it is not Yoko's.  This is May's memories and her point of view.   Some might find it all to be a bit controversial because May's version of the story is not the same as Yoko's or even John's.     May and the Lost Weekend often gets glossed over or removed when learning about John's life, so it is good for May to continue to tell what happened from her point of view because the official Lennon estate will not tell it.  

My only complaint would be that the placement of some of the photos was not historically correct.  For example, in talking about John and Ringo in 1974, a photo of them at the Copa Cabana Club in 1976 was shown.   Little things that happened from time to time, but that is just me being my usual nit-picky self about dates of photographs and isn't a reason to not watch the film or anything. 

    Even if you have read the book, it is worth watching The Lost Weekend:  A Love Story because of the interviews and the rare photos.     

https://amzn.to/49SH39P

"Yes, I am having a lost weekend...."

 

What a line up!

 March 13, 1974

When Halloween was Christmas

October 31, 1971 -  50 years ago today, on Halloween,  John Lennon, Yoko Ono and the Harlem Community Choir recorded one of the best Christmas songs of all time (well in my opinion), "Happy Xmas (War is Over).   
 

The Greatest recording session

 

John, May and Jackie

 

The Internet sleuths have discovered that the album John is holding is by former Beatles opening act, Jackie DeShannon.  

At the club

 

Going out after seeing the Sgt. Pepper play

 

November 17, 1974

The last photos of John and Cynthia

                   photo by Peter Bosari (I'd really appreciate this photo not being spread around the Internet)
 

                                                            Photo most likely taken by Mal Evans

            

Just when you think you'd seen all of the photographs of John and Cynthia from the Lost Weekend period...BOOM!  Mojo magazine comes out with this colored gem!    The date and location of the photo that Mojo put on the color photo is totally wrong.   The first two photos were taken on January 10, 1974 and the color photo was taken January 14, 1974 at the same time the gang all went to a TV studio and Julian met Jodie Foster and everyone from the then unknown Happy Days TV show. 

Smiling May

 

Just another guy in the audience

John, Neil and Friends

People you never thought would be in a photograph together

Today we celebrate Mike McCartney's birthday and I located these gems from days gone by of Mike with May Pang, Cynthia Lennon and Sid Berstein.   Interesting combination if you ask me.

John visits rehearsal

Julian in disguise

Day at the Pool

I love the photos of John and May in Palm Spring in late 1974 after they went to Disney World.   Think about this -- John had just recently signed the papers to dissolve the Beatles.  He bought a Mickey Mouse t-shirt at the Magic Kingdom and was spending a day by the pool with his girl (and son). 

An attempt at father-son bonding

Time is Fleeting