Pocatello---history and hospitality lessons from Judy G.

Been reading Conrad Hilton's autobiography, Be My Guest.  I picked up an old paperback copy in a used book store in downtown Logan that was having an going out-of-business sale. All the books in the entire store were stacked on tables. Lots of remainders, mostly. I didn't feel like really digging into their stacks.

I walked through the whole place without seeing anything I wanted, and then saw the Hilton tome on the way out, on the deep discount car on the sidewalk. I'd never seen it before, but I knew immediately I had to spend the dollar-o-seven for my own personal copy.

Tonight in the motel in Pocatello, I'm further feeding my interest in the history of the American hospitality industry by watching the old MGM musical Harvey Girls (1946) on TCM.

The movie, which stars Judy Garland, came on while I was sitting on bed wrapping up the day's work. Twenty minutes in, my interest piqued by the historical subject, I had to go read the Wikipedia entry on Fred Harvey,

I can't believe that I haven't heard of him before, and about the Harvey Girls. Among other things, Harvey is credited with establishing the first restaurant chain in America. A real pioneer.

Speaking of Judy Garland--ironically last night in the Days Inn in  Logan I was also watching TCM, and in between the features, they showed an original theatrical trailer for  A Star is Born (1954), which they are showing next week.

I've never seen the Garland version, as it happens. In the trailer they showed, she was singing a scene from this number which she performs in the movie. If you know the movie, you certainly know which song I'm talking about. But not having heard it before, I did a double take when it came on. Some coincidences are particularly delectable.