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Morning Coffee: A Bum Leg and a Bonanza of Movie Stars

October 19, 2026October 14, 2026BenjaminLeave a comment

Not every Western needs John Wayne as Rooster Cogburn, Lorne Greene as Ben Cartwright, or Roy Rogers and Dale Evans riding into the sunset. Some, like Virginia City, are so loaded with familiar faces you could shake the cast like a family tree and still wonder who might fall out next.

October 19th, 2026

Good morning, coffee drinkers! Pull up a chair and bring your cup. I already have my chair—and lately, I have been getting considerably more use out of it than I intended.

Three men in period costumes converse in front of a vintage stagecoach marked 'Wells Fargo Overland Mail Co.' with a fourth man visible inside the coach, all set in a western landscape.

Another unexpected gift from this bum leg arrived this week when Virginia City showed up on my television screen. My traveling remains limited, but Hollywood graciously arranged a trip out West without requiring me to get up.

And what a traveling party they provided.

This 1940 Western, directed by Michael Curtiz, serves up a whole salad of old-school movie stars: Errol Flynn, Miriam Hopkins, Randolph Scott, and Humphrey Bogart as the bandit John Murrell. Alan Hale and Guinn “Big Boy” Williams add even more familiar faces to the company.

Bogart even comes with a mustache. That alone might make you set down your coffee and take a second look.

The story follows a Union officer, played by Flynn, who escapes from a Confederate prison and becomes involved in stopping a shipment of five million dollars in gold intended to help keep the Confederacy fighting. Scott plays his former prison commander, who is working to get that gold through. Naturally, other people have their own ideas about where five million dollars ought to go.

Vintage movie advertisement featuring Errol Flynn and Miriam Hopkins, promoting the film 'Virginia City' with additional cast mentions including Randolph Scott and Humphrey Bogart.

You can imagine how peacefully everyone settles their differences.

There is enough action here to shake a stick at twice, provided nobody shoots the stick out of your hand first. A prison escape, stagecoach excitement, robbery, and competing loyalties keep things moving. Just when you think someone might have a quiet moment to explain themselves, another complication comes along.

But the cast is what held my attention.

A scene in a vintage bar setting featuring a woman in a black dress surrounded by several men in cowboy and military attire, engaged in conversation and display.

Watching this collection of performers, I kept wondering how one movie could accommodate so many personalities. Any one of them could command a scene. Put them together, and you find yourself watching the exchanges as closely as the action.

A look. A pause. A line delivered with just enough bite. Somebody standing perfectly still while another actor does the talking—and somehow remaining just as interesting.

That is a pleasure I find in these older movies. I enjoy watching actors work off one another, letting the tension build through their voices, expressions, and timing. The stars may draw you in, but the way they play a scene together keeps you there.

And yes, there are some handsome faces in this picture. Errol Flynn was hardly hired because he looked like somebody’s weather-beaten fence post. But the appeal goes well beyond appearances. These folks know how to hold your attention.

Virginia City gave me more than another afternoon of cowboys riding across the television. It gave me a chance to appreciate familiar performers in different company, especially Bogart, whose presence in this Western kept catching my eye.

A vintage black and white photograph of a glamorous woman in a sparkling dress, sitting on a bar counter, while three men in casual attire cheer and raise glasses in celebration.

Do not expect me to spend the morning swooning over a Southern belle and waiting for a “Frankly, my dear” farewell. I was too busy wondering who would get the gold, who could be trusted, and who would make it through the next scrape. There are other suggestions on how men settle their rage in the wild west.

That is one small consolation of being temporarily parked in a chair. You have time to let a movie unfold. You notice a supporting player. You pay attention to an exchange you might otherwise have missed while heading into the kitchen.

I would still prefer a working leg. Let us be clear about that.

But this week, the television delivered a little adventure and a whole gathering of familiar faces. For a while, I stopped thinking about what I could not get up and do.

So, folks, if Virginia City wanders across your screen, give it a little of your time. Pour another cup and settle in.

I managed a trip out West without leaving my chair. Considering my current transportation arrangements, that is a pretty good morning.

Yee–– Haa!

Signature of Benjamin Groff with attribution to GroffMedia and website link

Morning Coffee: A Cast of Characters

October 16, 2026October 11, 2026Benjamin2 Comments

Look I probably should have told you this before but you see…

well…

insanity runs in my family…

October 16, 2026

With a cast on my leg, I have been glued to my chair. Naturally, that has left me glued to the television while also glued to the screen of my Apple MacBook Pro, swiping through my iPhone, and tapping my Apple Watch to see what it has to tell me.

vintage coffee and pocket watch on lace table — _{^{Photo by Rahime Gül on Pexels.com}}

Usually, it tells me something the other two devices have already announced.

I have an entire electronic staff keeping me informed, and apparently none of them communicate well enough to realize the position has already been filled.

My watch reminds me to stand. My leg reminds me that we need to discuss that first.

Somewhere between notifications, I remember to change the television channel, arrange a trip to the bathroom, and remind Steve that dinner will eventually be necessary. He may prepare it or call it in. His choice. I am trying to be an agreeable patient.

You would have to ask him how that is going.

Meanwhile, Otis, our Jack Russell Terror—excuse me, Terrier—is tearing through the house with enough energy to power all these devices. Doppler radar would struggle to track him. By the time it registered his location, he would have completed another lap and accused somebody of sitting in his chair.

If you know, you know.

One unexpected benefit of this enforced sitting has been a fresh look at movies I have watched many times before.

During some of those earlier viewings, I rolled my eyes. I knew the dialogue, the entrances, the misunderstandings, and what was coming next. Quite often, I was watching alongside a sick relative during the final stretch of their life. Those familiar movies seemed to offer comfort, and we let them play.

At the time, I thought I was simply keeping somebody company.

camera beside white mug — ^{_{Photo by Wendy Wei on Pexels.com}}

Looking back, there was more to it. A familiar voice on the television. A story that asked very little of us. The quiet reassurance of another person sitting nearby.

Now Steve is beside me while I recover, and there is something familiar about that arrangement. Thankfully, I expect to get out of this chair eventually. Steve probably expects that even more enthusiastically.

For now, I have a cast on my leg and have developed a renewed appreciation for the cast on the screen.

Today’s selection was Arsenic and Old Lace, with Cary Grant, whom I have long admired. He was quite a catch then. As far as I am concerned, he would be quite a catch today.

Grant plays Mortimer Brewster, a drama critic whose outspoken objections to marriage have become somewhat inconvenient: he has just married Elaine, played by Priscilla Lane.

That should be enough excitement for one afternoon. Unfortunately, he has relatives.

His aunts, Abby and Martha, played by Josephine Hull and Jean Adair, are sweet, gracious, and devoted to making lonely gentlemen comfortable.

A little too permanently comfortable.

Their hospitality involves elderberry wine with ingredients you would not want included in the family cookbook.

Then there is Mortimer’s brother Teddy, played by John Alexander, who believes he is Theodore Roosevelt. Most families have somebody who dominates a gathering. The Brewsters have somebody prepared to lead a charge through it.

And just when Mortimer’s afternoon seems sufficiently complicated, his brother Jonathan arrives, played by Raymond Massey, accompanied by Peter Lorre as Dr. Einstein.

Jonathan is the sort of relative whose arrival makes you wish you had left for your honeymoon several hours earlier.

The whole thing is wonderfully frantic and ghoulishly delightful, especially this time of year. Cary Grant spends much of it trying to bring reason into a household where reason apparently moved out years ago.

Watching it again, I found myself enjoying the expressions, the timing, and the sheer absurdity of it all. Knowing what happens next gives you time to notice how beautifully they get you there.

Perhaps that is part of the pleasure of returning to an old movie. We bring a different day, a different mood, and a few more years of living to the same familiar story.

This time, I brought a cast, several opinionated Apple devices, a husband on dinner duty, and a dog traveling at the speed of poor judgment.

The Brewster household suddenly seemed almost manageable.

So pour yourself another cup, folks. There is still plenty of enjoyment to be found in an old picture and the company beside you.

But if somebody offers you homemade elderberry wine, you might ask to see the recipe.

I’ll stick with coffee.

Signature of Benjamin Groff with copyright notice and website information.

The taglines as posted from reviews in newspapers in the 1940s read:

She Passed Out On Cary ! No Wonder . . . She’s just discovered his favorite aunts have poisoned their 13th gentleman friend !
I’ll knock your block off, you big stiff! You’re a bum!
Strike. You’re out!
WARNER SHOW OF THE YEAR! BEATS THE STAGE PLAY BY 500 LAUGHS AND 5000 SHIVERS! (Print Ad- New York Sun, ((New York, NY)) 31 August 1944)
HERE IS A LAFF RIOT IF EVER THERE WAS ONE (Print Ad- Philadelphia Inquirer, ((Philadelphia, Penna.)) 28 January 1945)
YOU Don’t SCREAM You Just ROAR! (Print Ad- Evening Recorder, ((Amsterdam, NY)) 1 December 1944)
Something Screwy IS GOING ON! Cary and Priscilla are aghast when Aunts Abby and Martha prepare to slip arsenic into the wine of their 13th victim! (Print Ad-Warsaw Daily Union, ((Warsaw, Ind.)) 24 February 1945)

Now if reviews on my own content would just measure up!

🎬 The Emperor of the North (1973)

November 13, 2025November 8, 2025BenjaminLeave a comment

2–3 minutes

Original title: Emperor of the North Pole

Running time: 1h :58m Rating: PG Genre: Period Drama / Thriller

Director: Robert Aldrich Writers: Christopher Knopf, inspired by the works of Jack London

A Ride Through the Great Depression — and Through Human Grit

The film is set in 1933. The Emperor of the North takes place against the backdrop of the Great Depression. During this time, the rails served as a lifeline for the desperate. They also became a battlefield for survival. Ernest Borgnine plays Shack. He is a brutal railroad conductor. Shack rules his train—the Number 19—with an iron fist and a hammer to match. His sworn enemy is the legendary hobo A No. 1, portrayed by Lee Marvin. A No. 1 rides the rails with the confidence of a man. He is cunning and refuses to be beaten by either poverty or authority.

The story becomes a symbolic duel between two men: the enforcer of order and the champion of freedom. Their rivalry becomes a metaphor for a country divided. Some cling to what little control they have. Others have lost everything but their pride.

A Director Who Keeps the Train on Track

Director Robert Aldrich (The Dirty Dozen, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?) gives the film a muscular rhythm—every whistle blast and rattling wheel pulse with tension. When you think the film will slow, Aldrich revs it up with a fight. He adds a chase or introduces a moment of quiet resolve. His pacing keeps Emperor of the North from ever running off the rails. It balances moments of raw brutality with haunting glimpses of camaraderie among the downtrodden.

A Cast as Strong as Steel

Lee Marvin and Ernest Borgnine headline a powerhouse ensemble. The cast also includes a young Keith Carradine as Cigarette. He plays the eager, inexperienced hobo who idolizes A No. 1 but still has much to learn about survival and respect. The supporting cast, featuring Malcolm Atterbury, Simon Oakland, Sid Haig, Matt Clark, Elisha Cook Jr., and others, adds authenticity to the Depression-era world. Each actor feels carved from the same rough wood as the era itself—grimy, determined, and vividly alive.

A Story About Class, Pride, and the Price of Survival

Though marketed as an adventure, the movie is a study in pride and power. Shack’s tyranny is born out of fear and obsession; A No. 1’s rebellion comes from principle. The screenplay is inspired by Jack London’s tales of survival and the human spirit. It weaves geography and movement into a dance. This dance stretches across boxcars, over bridges, and into the soul of a broken nation.

“Only one man rides the rails — the other rules them.”

By the film’s climax, we’re left asking who truly wins. Is it the man who guards the system, or the man who defies it? Both emerge scarred by the journey. That’s the real message of Emperor of the North. Survival during desperate times demands both strength and sacrifice.

Verdict: ★★★★☆

A rugged, violent, and beautifully shot Depression-era thriller. Borgnine and Marvin deliver performances as fierce as the clanging of the rails themselves. It’s a story about pride and power. It also explores the peril of trying to be “Emperor” when the world has nothing left to give.

The Legend of Bick Bickerstaff: Ticketing Liberace in Oklahoma

April 11, 2025April 11, 2025BenjaminLeave a comment

Benjamin GroffMedia© | benandsteve.com | 2025 Truth Endures©

3–4 minutes

The Man Who Wrote Liberace a Speeding Ticket

When I was young, I had the privilege of working alongside some genuinely seasoned police officers. These were men who had been in the profession for decades. They carried with them a wealth of stories and experience. One of the most unforgettable among them was my Captain, Loyd “Bick” Bickerstaff.

Captain Bickerstaff was the first person I met when I interviewed for the job. He pulled for me to get hired, though I never quite knew why. Maybe he saw himself in me. He was around sixty when we met. At the time, I didn’t know much about his background. I quickly learned through stories from others that he was a legend in Oklahoma law enforcement.

Officers came from various places. If they stopped by our agency, they either knew Bickerstaff or had heard of him. He had that reputation. And if he happened to be off-duty during their visit, they left visibly disappointed.

I remember one particular day when I was on desk duty. A reporter from Time-Life came in. He said he was working on a piece about Route 66. He asked if he could interview Captain Bickerstaff. I told him to wait while I went to get the Captain.

Now, Bick wasn’t the type to jump at the chance to talk to the press—unless he had something to say. But when I mentioned a Time-Life reporter was here to see him, he promptly came out into the booking lobby and, in classic Bick fashion, boomed:

“I bet you want to ask me about that son of a bitch I wrote a ticket to back in the 1950s!”

At that moment, I thought, Well, this will be a PR nightmare. But to my surprise, he and the reporter hit it off. They wandered around the station talking and laughing. They even went outside. The photographer snapped pictures of Bick behind the wheel of a patrol car.

Maybe this won’t turn out so bad after all, I thought.

Still, I couldn’t help but wonder. What kind of ticket did someone get back in the ’50s? It still had reporters chasing the story.

When Bick returned, he shook the reporter’s hand, sent him off, and then strolled back to where I was working.

“I can tell your brain’s buzzing,” he said with a grin. “You want to know what that was all about?”

I nodded.

“Yeah, I’d say so. Stuff like this doesn’t happen every day.”

And so he told me.

In the 1950s, Bick was a trooper with the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. In those early days, he patrolled on a motorcycle. One night, near Elk City, Oklahoma, a flashy car with California plates sped by him on Old 66. It was doing over 75 miles per hour or more.

He took off after it and got the car pulled over. It was late, and as he walked up to the driver’s window, the man inside said:

“Surely, you’re not going to write me a ticket. Don’t you know who I am?”

To which Bick famously replied:

“I don’t care if you’re Liberace—you’re driving like a bat out of hell. Yes, I’m writing you a ticket!”

And as it turned out, it was a Liberace. Liberace’s Brother George!

Bick wrote the ticket anyway. George Liberace followed Bick to the courthouse, paid it on the spot, and went on his way.

A few weeks later, Bick’s supervisor got a call from one of Liberace’s agents. They wanted to fly Bick to Hollywood to be on The Liberace Show. They thought it would be significant: the highway patrolman who dared to ticket a star. Bick said he couldn’t say no. The department thought it was good publicity, and it was.

Years later, people still talk about it. Unknowingly, I worked with the man who once wrote Liberace’s brother a speeding ticket. Bick told me –––

“Liberace brought me out on stage. He announced that I was the highway patrolman who wrote his Brother George a speeding ticket!”

Robert Machray-May 4, 1945 – Jan. 12, 2025

January 14, 2025January 14, 2025Benjamin3 Comments

2–3 minutes

Obituary: Robert Machray––– May 4, 1945 – January 12, 2025

Robert Machray (Ward) was a talented and versatile stage and television actor. He passed away on January 12, 2025, in Los Angeles, California. He was 79 years old. Many remember him for his memorable role as Fire Marshal Captain Dobbins in the iconic sitcom Cheers. Machray left an indelible mark on the world of entertainment. His career spanned more than three decades.

Born in San Diego, California, on May 4, 1945, Machray displayed a passion for performing arts from a young age. He pursued a vibrant stage career. He brought characters to life in major productions at Shakespeare festivals. Esteemed venues like the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, Hartford Stage, and Playwrights Horizons hosted these performances. His dedication to the craft of acting earned him respect and admiration in the theatrical community.

In 1977, Machray transitioned to film and television, debuting in the television film Panic in Echo Park. He quickly gained recognition for his comedic timing and adaptability, leading to roles in series like Operation Petticoat. Over the years, he became a familiar face on many popular programs. These included Roseanne, Life Goes On, The Drew Carey Show, Suddenly Susan, Profiler, and Three’s Company. His film credits include Cutting Class, where he portrayed Mr. Conklin and The Master of Disguise.

Machray’s career highlights included a summer stage production of My Fair Lady in 1983. This production showcased his vocal talents. It also highlighted his theatrical talents. In his later years, he delighted audiences with a guest appearance in the beloved satirical sitcom Parks and Recreation. He retired in 2011 after a fulfilling and impactful career.

Outside of his professional achievements, Machray was known for his wit, kindness, and love of storytelling. He cherished time spent with friends and family, often sharing humorous anecdotes from his life in the entertainment industry.

Robert Machray (Ward) is survived by his extended family. A wide circle of friends and colleagues will remember him fondly. They cherish his warmth, talent, and enduring contributions to the arts.

Instead of flowers, the family asks for donations. Please contribute to organizations supporting aspiring actors and artists. This honors Robert’s lifelong dedication to nurturing creativity and performance.

A private memorial service will be held in Los Angeles to celebrate his life and legacy.