A Nod to Hollywood Noir

...the classic film genre

A Nod to Hollywood Noir

 

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It was a quarter to two, perhaps three.

She'd been working overtime for days
trying to make ends meet,
when he walked in.

His name was Johnny.
Not to be confused with the other John's in her life...
Johnny Come Lately,
Johnny Walker,
or, Johnny B. Goode.

He was a cross between Gable and James Dean -
the actor, not the sausage.
Notorious for wearing black…and being quick.
( He could turn off a light and be in bed before the room got dark! )
The night he arrived at our heroine's bar,
he was suffering from a head trauma -
said he had fallen in love with the lady in red!
She offered him some sympathy
and a cold compress for his head,
which was a 12 oz. package of frozen peas.

The moral of my story is this -
A girl can never have too many John's in her life
or too many bags of frozen vegetables in her freezer.
Or, to paraphrase the words of a poet
( and that would be me )
let's just say,
“…she went to his head,

like a cold in the dead of winter.”

 

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Reviews

[Alfred Kukitz]

Kelly Scheppers!

Astounding in tale and humor. I loved this story. You are going into the vestibule of favorites!

Regards,
Al

[Kelly Scheppers]

I don't believe my smile could get any bigger - thank you, Al! (((hugs)))

[Einstein Noodle]

:) love the reading ..great fun with another era that should never be lost ... loved it all so won't quote anything from it ..thanks for sharing Kelly ..not surprised it birthed on your pages ;)
classy is what comes to mind
E.

[Kelly Scheppers]

It's a first for me, in writing a short, short story...maybe not my last! I truly loved that era of time...the pencil skirts, the hats the women wore, and the ruby redness of lips. I'm stoked you enjoyed it, Gene...thank you so much!

[Einstein Noodle]

well done says i! i'll certainly be watching for another ...the era was one of a kind (as they all are) ..with much to admire in it ... (as some are not) ;)

[emmajoy]

Laughing all the way to my dreams! What a wonderfully clever and witty and colourful and worthy three times' read is this, Kelly! Your interplay of words, especially ' “…she went to his head, ~ like a cold in the dead of winter.” makes the whole even wholer!

Love the black and white movies but will look at them in a different way now, adding my own little bitsy pieces.. see what you're doing to my mind! x

[Kelly Scheppers]

...don't forget the popcorn, darlin! Thank you so much, my dear Emma!

[emmajoy]

Laughing, skip the popcorn, find me a dream.. :)

[Kelly Scheppers]

...if only wishing could make it so. Keep good thoughts...and believe! x

[emmajoy]

Will keep drumming my fingers on hope until it responds x

[redzone]

very nicely done Kelly, yes a nod to Hollywood with a bit of playfulness and elan and who could represent for Hollywood noir better than Lauren Bacall, except maybe her partner in "crime" Humphrey B.... "of all the gin joints in the world you had to walk into mine" (or something like this...) and it is also different in style than the usual "short story", more a poem in format but very appropriate I think since when we talk about Hollywood we ain't talking "typical"... "here's looking at you, kid"... and no John, Johnny or any kind of John ever said those words... lol...

maybe you haven't noticed, but I like your story very much Kelly...

[Kelly Scheppers]

Lauren and Bogie were two of the best. What a time it must have been to be living in that era! Thank you for your encouragement on this, Curt...thank you so much!

[redzone]

well Kelly what can I say, I "looked at you kid" and saw good story nicely done and a killer last lines and you are very welcome... ;0)

[William Liston]

This one's a special gem, Kelly.
I love your playful, descriptive tone throughout and how it perfectly builds on the vibe set by the picture. The uniqueness of your language made me smile, especially with the wittiness of lines like "He could turn off a light and be in bed before the room got dark!" The last stanza's a killer ... that poet you mentioned must be a pretty darn good one ; )
Eloquently penned.

- William Liston

[Kelly Scheppers]

My first short, shortest of all stories...what a pleasure to read your review, Will! Thank you!

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Excellent video clip and poem-noir Kelly! Homage to noir films with twists and humor. Love all the "Johnnys"-"A girl can never have too many." Love "the actor, not the sausage"- great lines that Bacall would have had so much fun with. Total enjoyment- thank you for this!

[Kelly Scheppers]

...thank you kindly, Annette! I am thrilled you enjoyed my first short, short story!

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

I sure did! Waiting for the sequel....:)

[Lydia Shutter]

Oh yea!!!!! "He could turn off a light and be in bed before the room got dark!" Great wordplay and again you are showing your sassy self. Loved it, Kelly! Lydi**

[Kelly Scheppers]

I knew you would love this, Lydi...I just knew! Many thanks my friend! ; )

[Samuel Dickens]

Ha! I think you nailed it. I loved the cleverness, the humor, and the flickering black and whiteness of it. A very good job, indeed.

[Kelly Scheppers]

I am thrilled beyond words, Sam. Thank you so much!

[Ted Kniffen]

For some reason, reading this piece, Robert Mitchum came to mind. That great underrated actor of the 50's film noir crime dramas, but since Johnny B.Goode was in there (definitely a 50's rock and roll number) Robert Mitchum it is. The asides are very humourous and add greatly to this poem.

Not sure a girl needs that many johns in her life (double entendre here), but a frozen bag of peas always comes in handy.

Well done, Kelly.

[Kelly Scheppers]

Mitchum was awesome in the black and white classic, "Out of the Past" with Jane Greer. What a presence upon the screen he was, tough and dynamic! Thank you, Ted!

[Pete]

this really made me smile and laugh with a bit of nostalgia. i like what you did with it. clever, with a great title & ending. so much fodder & traction in that classic film genre. such seductive power in the simple lighting of a cigarette, the way of a lean against a wall & oh those eyes and that look. "noir" indeed. a time in film when things weren't so explicit.
suggestive was enough of a ticket. things needing a thaw after being frozen. nasty things, those head colds.

[Kelly Scheppers]

You have a great eye, Pete...thank you so much!