The phrase "Get ‘em up" has been used so often in movies that it should win a lifetime achievement award. It is direct, authoritative and succinct. And it is so much more convincing than Peter Lorre's nice guy approach from The Maltese Falcon. "You will please clasp your hands together at the back of your neck" simply doesn’t move me to "get 'em up."
Dillinger is the 1945 film that tells the story of John Dillinger's rise and fall. The story goes, he learned his craft in prison and got a gig as a gangster when he got out. Top that, Indeed. And while you're at it, have your AI team write up a resume for a gangster job.
The movie shows us that Dillinger's first robbery netted him a little more than seven bucks, the same amount he had in his pocket when he was shot after attending a movie. If he had bought an extra popcorn, that fascinating plot point would have gone down the tubes. If he had gotten 'em up, he might have lived to learn more tricks in prison.
The spelling is a little off, but the taste is right on target with Dehlinger Wines. Located in the Russian River Valley, you know they have a handle on Pinot Noir ($60) and Chardonnay ($40).
1954's Dragnet was directed by and starred the one and only Jack Webb. It was adapted from the radio series, not television, as the case featured in the script was deemed too violent for the small screen. Yes, kids, there was a time when all TVs were small.
Webb is a favorite of mine. He's just all cop. Even playing a swinging young guy in Sunset Boulevard he came off like a narc. The dialog in Dragnet, whether big-, small- or no- screen, always sounds like your junior high school coach telling you to cut your hair. When Webb orders you to "get 'em up," you’d better do just that or suffer one of his withering verbal takedowns. The Joe Friday comeback, "I'll bet your mother had a loud bark," is one of my treasured memories from the Webb file. And as far as the radio version, has foley ever been as obvious as those footsteps?
The spelling is a little off, again, but Dragonette Cellars in bucolic Buellton has a $100 Pinot Noir that is worth tracking down and arresting. They also do Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Grenache and even a Santa Barbara County olive oil. They're all on the pricey side, but worth it.
In the 1949 classic White Heat, James Cagney returns to gangster mode. He tried to move away from the tough guy roles, but his career faded a bit and he, uh, bit the bullet. This tough guy was really a mama's boy at heart, although a psychotic mama's boy.
The trail of violence runs through a couple of prison sentences. After one of them, Cagney's character decides to get the band back together for some more robbing and killing and such. That was really all he knew how to do, even though he kept getting caught. His last opportunity to "get 'em up" goes by the wayside when he shoots the fuel tank on which he stands. Now, you can say that's a stupid move. But if you're a psycho gangster who wants to go out in a blaze of glory, that's probably your only move. "Made it, Ma! Top of the world!"
A white heat wine could be mulled pinot grigio, if you have no Ripple in the house. But for a wine pairing that befits the top of the world claim, let’s look at Argentina's Bodega Fernando Dupont. His winery sits nearly 8,000 feet above sea level in the Andes, and it's in a valley. Oh, there's a tasting room there, too, and they say it has quite the view. The reds are blends of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah.
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