Take Off! My Life and Times in Toronto

Whatever Happened To Fay Wray? She Died Today

As any Rocky Horror fan would know, Tim Curry uttered those words, putting Fay Wray in the minds of generations to come. Sadly, she died Saturday.

She was born Vina Fay Wray on Sept. 15, 1907, near Cardston in rural Alberta, Canada. Her parents moved to the United States when she was 3, first trying farming in Arizona and eventually returning to Salt Lake City, where Wray's mother was from. Later, they settled in Los Angeles.

As a teenager she haunted studio casting offices and won an occasional bit role. Despite her mother's fears that the movie crowd was sinful, Wray was allowed to accept a six-month contract with Hal Roach at $60 a week.

Wray had a daughter, Susan, from her first marriage and a daughter and son, Victoria and Robert Jr., by the second. Sixteen years after Riskin's death, she married his physician, Dr. Sanford Rothenberg, who died in 1991.

Go See Super Size Me!

I went to see Super Size Me last night.

Oh. My. God.

I'll never eat at McDonald's again. Jumping Jesus, this documentary should be shown at all high schools to 9th graders alongside the "driver's ed" films, it's that scary. "Word up" to all dieticians and nutritionists -- go see this film! It will give you great ammo in the war against all things Fast Foodish.

The film follows the 30 day "diet" of the star and director -- Morgan Spurlock -- eating only at McDonald's, and ordering "super sized" meals (if offered by the person at the counter). As the film opens, he goes to several medical professionals who certify that he is in excellent health. Over the course of 30 days (90 meals), he gains 15% body mass (all fat), develops liver problems and suffers from the addictive maladies that eating only highly saturated fats and lots of salt and sugar will inflict on you.

He makes a point of ordering every different item on the McDonald's menu over the course of the 30 days, which means he ate even the dreaded "McFilet". When he covers the history of the chicken "McLugnut" (as I like to call it) is enough to make you never touch one again.

As the film progresses, sidebars discuss how the fast food industry pumps 10,000 ads onto the average U.S. child each year, and how they have made their restaurants into replacement playgrounds for urban and suburban kids. A telling piece shows 1st graders unable to identify George Washington and a "velvet" Jesus -- but they spot Ronald McDonald in an instant (they even stumble when presented with 'Wendy' from Wendy's Hamburgers). Food industry lobbyists are portraited as monsters (he even gets one to admit, on camera, his products are harmful) and the power of the industry is highlighted.

There are lots of insights into the impact the generational paradigm shift (from rarely eating out to almost exclusively eating fast food) has had on U.S. culture and health. Public policy and the nature of health care have been negatively impacted by the fast food business.

As the film progresses, we watch Spurlock's health go in the crapper as the toll taken by eating only at Mickey D's kicks in. All the doctors who monitored him assumed the diet would make him fat, but by the end of the 30 days, they're horrified at the liver damaged caused by this diet and several are begging him to stop before the 30 days are up (the moments spent with his nutritionist are almost agonizing as she wracks her brain for ways to eat a borderline nutritious meal while remaiing on the McDonald's diet -- big surprise: there are none).

You'll be grossed out, scared and hopefully put off this crap for good. If your BMI is over 30, I urge you to see this movie! It's the "Scared Straight" film of our times.

Joe Bob sez "check it out".