Saturday 9: The Candy Man

Saturday 9: THE CANDY MAN (1972)

Unfamiliar with this week's song? Hear it here.

1) This song is from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, starring Gene Wilder. The movie was remade as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, with Johnny Depp as Willy Wonka. Which Wonka did you prefer?

A. The original. While I'm at it, I would like to formally lodge a complaint against Hollywood for lack of original content. I am tired of remakes. New material, please.

2) In the movie, this song is sung by Bill, the candy store shopkeeper. Think about the last counter person you dealt with. We know that he or she likely didn't break into song, but did you two engage in conversation?

A. I always say hello and ask a checkout clerk how his/her day is going. Then I thank them and tell them to have a great day. I guess that is conversation.

3) The lyrics tell us that The Candy Man can make the world taste good. What's the last thing you ate? Was it delicious, or just OK?

A. I had yogurt for dinner. It was not delicious. It wasn't even OK. It just was.
  
4) The most popular recording of this song was by Sammy Davis,  Jr. Sammy was in a horrific car accident when he was 29 years old. His cheek and nose were broken and he lost an eye. That he survived at all left him reflective and after his hospitalization, he converted to Judaism. Do you still worship in the faith you were raised in?

A. I wasn't raised in any faith. I was raised in the church of curse and swear and be non-religious. I think they call it "secular" these days.

5) Sammy was proud of the honorary college degrees he received because he never formally attended school. As a child, he performed on the road with his father and uncle. In addition to depriving him of an education, that lifestyle kept him from kids his own age. He would later describe his childhood as, "in a word, 'lonely.'" Give us a one-word description of your childhood.

A. Hard.
 
6) Because he spent so much of his youth on the road, living on buses, trains and hotel rooms, he loved eventually having his own kitchen and being able to cook his own meals. This weekend, will you spend much time in the kitchen?

A. I sincerely hope not.
 
7) Sammy enjoyed experimenting with clothes and jewelry. What about you? Do you consider yourself conservative in dress or are you fashion forward?

A. I tend to be conservative, dressing mostly in black or blue colors. I always look nice but I prefer to blend in with the wall.

8) When he died, Sammy was in debt to the IRS. Do you handle your own taxes, or do you use the services of an accountant?

A. I do my taxes up to a point and then hand it over to the accountant.
 
9) Random question: If you had to tell nothing but the truth (not even the tiniest white lie) for 24 hours, do you think you'd get yourself in trouble?

A. No, because I'd take the phone off the hook and go read a book so I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. But even if I did not do that, I try to be truthful unless the truth would be very hurtful. I've never seen the point of lying. It is hard enough to remember reality, much less the fantasies people make up to make themselves look better.

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