Dan Cirucci: Winter's Nap

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Winter's Nap

The other night I watched a DVD of the 1949 Kirk Douglas/Loraine Day comedy My Dear Secretary. Never heard of it? Don't feel bad. This is truly an obscure flick.

This was the first comedy Kirk Douglas ever made and it provides us with a good example of why Douglas was not known for his comic flair.

The DVD says: "A budding young writer goes to work for an erratic, immature playboy." This is supposed to be a screwball comedy but Douglas overplays his role as the playboy (who is also a very successful writer) to such an extent that it becomes painful. Hey, I admit I've never been a Kirk Douglas (or Michael Douglas) fan. Keenan Wynn does take a droll, character turn as Douglas' best friend and Irene Ryan (later of the Beverly Hillbillies and the Broadway musical Pippin) does a great job as Douglas' maid. Written and directed by Charles Martin the movie also features Rudy Vallee as Day's rejected though nonetheless earnest boyfriend.

This is one for a cold, cold winter night when you want to be lulled into hibernation.

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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