Sheila O’Malley
@sheilakathleen.bsky.social
Writer. I review films at Ebert. Essays at Criterion, monthly column at Liberties Journal. NYFCC / NSFC member. I’ve been blogging at sheilaomalley.com since 2002. I have a newsletter: https://sheilaomalley.substack.com/ I write a LOT about Elvis. TCB! ⚡
The Honeycombs were a one-hit wonder? Okay. You could say that. But look at the legacy. Honey Lantree was just doing what she loved , but ... it's like one of my favorite Shakespeare lines from Merchant of Venice: “how far that little candle throws his beams.” so happy birthday Honey Lantree!
August 28, 2025 at 1:59 PM
The Honeycombs were a one-hit wonder? Okay. You could say that. But look at the legacy. Honey Lantree was just doing what she loved , but ... it's like one of my favorite Shakespeare lines from Merchant of Venice: “how far that little candle throws his beams.” so happy birthday Honey Lantree!
the woman who posted the Spinout pic said, “The girl drummer in Spinout and Honey Lantree inspired me as a kid to become a drummer.”
Karen Carpenter said when she saw The Honeycombs on The Ed Sullivan Show, it inspired her to become a drummer.
Karen Carpenter said when she saw The Honeycombs on The Ed Sullivan Show, it inspired her to become a drummer.
August 28, 2025 at 1:56 PM
the woman who posted the Spinout pic said, “The girl drummer in Spinout and Honey Lantree inspired me as a kid to become a drummer.”
Karen Carpenter said when she saw The Honeycombs on The Ed Sullivan Show, it inspired her to become a drummer.
Karen Carpenter said when she saw The Honeycombs on The Ed Sullivan Show, it inspired her to become a drummer.
Right before Lantree died at the age of 74, she came up in a discussion on FB. I posted about the BONKERS final moment of the Elvis movie Spinout. Someone in the comments, a woman, posted a picture of Elvis’ “band” in Spinout, all boys, with – a girl drummer. I said, "Hey it's like the Honeycombs!"
August 28, 2025 at 1:54 PM
Right before Lantree died at the age of 74, she came up in a discussion on FB. I posted about the BONKERS final moment of the Elvis movie Spinout. Someone in the comments, a woman, posted a picture of Elvis’ “band” in Spinout, all boys, with – a girl drummer. I said, "Hey it's like the Honeycombs!"
The Honeycombs’ biggest hit, “Have I the Right?” (1964) was also their debut single, it went to #1 in the UK, #5 in the US. They auditioned for renegade producer Joe Meek with the song and he decided to produce it as well as the B side. Notice the photo. Kind of gimmicky. But it worked.
August 28, 2025 at 1:40 PM
The Honeycombs’ biggest hit, “Have I the Right?” (1964) was also their debut single, it went to #1 in the UK, #5 in the US. They auditioned for renegade producer Joe Meek with the song and he decided to produce it as well as the B side. Notice the photo. Kind of gimmicky. But it worked.
A girl drummer was seen as a gimmick and people refused to even believe she was doing it. People thought she was “pretending” drumming to a track already laid down. Lantree was like, "I wish I cared what you thought but oh looky our single is #1 in the UK. Be mad about it."
August 28, 2025 at 1:33 PM
A girl drummer was seen as a gimmick and people refused to even believe she was doing it. People thought she was “pretending” drumming to a track already laid down. Lantree was like, "I wish I cared what you thought but oh looky our single is #1 in the UK. Be mad about it."
“I just sat at the drums and said, ‘Can I have a go?’ I just took to it.” — Honey Lantree #BOTD
Lantree, hairdresser turned drummer for the Joe-Meek-produced (boy) band The Honeycombs. A boy band w/a girl drummer is still rare. In the 1960s it was unheard of. A wee thread on this inspiring figure!
Lantree, hairdresser turned drummer for the Joe-Meek-produced (boy) band The Honeycombs. A boy band w/a girl drummer is still rare. In the 1960s it was unheard of. A wee thread on this inspiring figure!
August 28, 2025 at 1:30 PM
“I just sat at the drums and said, ‘Can I have a go?’ I just took to it.” — Honey Lantree #BOTD
Lantree, hairdresser turned drummer for the Joe-Meek-produced (boy) band The Honeycombs. A boy band w/a girl drummer is still rare. In the 1960s it was unheard of. A wee thread on this inspiring figure!
Lantree, hairdresser turned drummer for the Joe-Meek-produced (boy) band The Honeycombs. A boy band w/a girl drummer is still rare. In the 1960s it was unheard of. A wee thread on this inspiring figure!
“I do not ever want to be a huge star.” — Tuesday Weld #BOTD
wrote a short piece about her: the great pretty poison, wild in the country - opposite Elvis - play it as it lays. www.sheilaomalley.com?p=106223
wrote a short piece about her: the great pretty poison, wild in the country - opposite Elvis - play it as it lays. www.sheilaomalley.com?p=106223
August 27, 2025 at 1:03 PM
“I do not ever want to be a huge star.” — Tuesday Weld #BOTD
wrote a short piece about her: the great pretty poison, wild in the country - opposite Elvis - play it as it lays. www.sheilaomalley.com?p=106223
wrote a short piece about her: the great pretty poison, wild in the country - opposite Elvis - play it as it lays. www.sheilaomalley.com?p=106223
“Oh, good Lord, what’s the matter with women, anyway?”
“Please don’t call me ‘women,'” she said.
“I’m sorry, darling,” he said. “I didn’t mean to use bad words.”
— Dorothy Parker, “Dusk Before Fireworks”
“Please don’t call me ‘women,'” she said.
“I’m sorry, darling,” he said. “I didn’t mean to use bad words.”
— Dorothy Parker, “Dusk Before Fireworks”
August 22, 2025 at 2:12 PM
“Oh, good Lord, what’s the matter with women, anyway?”
“Please don’t call me ‘women,'” she said.
“I’m sorry, darling,” he said. “I didn’t mean to use bad words.”
— Dorothy Parker, “Dusk Before Fireworks”
“Please don’t call me ‘women,'” she said.
“I’m sorry, darling,” he said. “I didn’t mean to use bad words.”
— Dorothy Parker, “Dusk Before Fireworks”
From “I Hired a Contract Killer” (1990), directed by Aki Kaurismäki.
Happy birthday, Joe Strummer
Happy birthday, Joe Strummer
August 22, 2025 at 2:54 AM
From “I Hired a Contract Killer” (1990), directed by Aki Kaurismäki.
Happy birthday, Joe Strummer
Happy birthday, Joe Strummer
Next to me at all times. Belly exposed.
August 21, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Next to me at all times. Belly exposed.
Rossy de Palma
August 21, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Rossy de Palma
91 years apart.
August 19, 2025 at 1:09 AM
91 years apart.
Frankenstein poster art just released with the perfect tagline Only Monsters Play God! @realgdt.bsky.social 's gorgeous film will open in select theaters on October 17. My book on the film is available for pre-order: Getting close!! www.mcnallyjackson.com/book/9798886...
August 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Frankenstein poster art just released with the perfect tagline Only Monsters Play God! @realgdt.bsky.social 's gorgeous film will open in select theaters on October 17. My book on the film is available for pre-order: Getting close!! www.mcnallyjackson.com/book/9798886...
I went to the preview of a new play called SEA GLASS, by Olivia Dennehy-Basile (Brian Dennehy's granddaughter), directed by Jen McCabe, an old friend of mine. It's about 2 teenage sisters in 1979, raising themselves due to absent selfish parents: Loved it. Run til 8/30: wptheater.org/wp-space-pro...
August 18, 2025 at 1:22 PM
I went to the preview of a new play called SEA GLASS, by Olivia Dennehy-Basile (Brian Dennehy's granddaughter), directed by Jen McCabe, an old friend of mine. It's about 2 teenage sisters in 1979, raising themselves due to absent selfish parents: Loved it. Run til 8/30: wptheater.org/wp-space-pro...
For Hitchcock's birthday, a piece I wrote from maybe 2021 about Eminem's Hitchcock thing, on full explicit display in 2020, bookended by albums called Music to Be Murdered By (named after AH's spoken word album of the same name). anyway if you're into obsession: www.sheilaomalley.com?p=170116
August 13, 2025 at 12:55 PM
For Hitchcock's birthday, a piece I wrote from maybe 2021 about Eminem's Hitchcock thing, on full explicit display in 2020, bookended by albums called Music to Be Murdered By (named after AH's spoken word album of the same name). anyway if you're into obsession: www.sheilaomalley.com?p=170116
I moved my main room around, reversing the location of everything. Frankie was in a PANIC, racing around, jumping away, yowling. Once it was all done I was on the couch, looked up and noticed him in his regular spot, only now across the room. Great vantage for his favorite window. Good and brave.
August 11, 2025 at 3:04 PM
I moved my main room around, reversing the location of everything. Frankie was in a PANIC, racing around, jumping away, yowling. Once it was all done I was on the couch, looked up and noticed him in his regular spot, only now across the room. Great vantage for his favorite window. Good and brave.
48. A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their Remarkable Families, by Michael Holroyd
I LOVED this. oh for a time machine to go back and see ET play Beatrice in Lyceum production of Much Ado. Or her controversial Lady M. Geniuses and their nepo babies.
I LOVED this. oh for a time machine to go back and see ET play Beatrice in Lyceum production of Much Ado. Or her controversial Lady M. Geniuses and their nepo babies.
August 10, 2025 at 1:10 AM
48. A Strange Eventful History: The Dramatic Lives of Ellen Terry, Henry Irving and their Remarkable Families, by Michael Holroyd
I LOVED this. oh for a time machine to go back and see ET play Beatrice in Lyceum production of Much Ado. Or her controversial Lady M. Geniuses and their nepo babies.
I LOVED this. oh for a time machine to go back and see ET play Beatrice in Lyceum production of Much Ado. Or her controversial Lady M. Geniuses and their nepo babies.
47. The New Meaning of Treason, by Rebecca West
most well-known for a 1500 page book about the former Yugoslavia - which is why I ended up traveling there, by the way - it worked - West did it all. I love her book on 20th century treason scandals. from lord haw haw to the Profumo affair.
most well-known for a 1500 page book about the former Yugoslavia - which is why I ended up traveling there, by the way - it worked - West did it all. I love her book on 20th century treason scandals. from lord haw haw to the Profumo affair.
August 10, 2025 at 1:05 AM
47. The New Meaning of Treason, by Rebecca West
most well-known for a 1500 page book about the former Yugoslavia - which is why I ended up traveling there, by the way - it worked - West did it all. I love her book on 20th century treason scandals. from lord haw haw to the Profumo affair.
most well-known for a 1500 page book about the former Yugoslavia - which is why I ended up traveling there, by the way - it worked - West did it all. I love her book on 20th century treason scandals. from lord haw haw to the Profumo affair.
46. The Way Men Act, by Elinor Lipman
In our current hellspace where rom coms have gone the way of the dodo - I often think "well but they are alive and well in the wonderfully funny books by Elinor Lipman." I've read them all.
In our current hellspace where rom coms have gone the way of the dodo - I often think "well but they are alive and well in the wonderfully funny books by Elinor Lipman." I've read them all.
August 10, 2025 at 1:02 AM
46. The Way Men Act, by Elinor Lipman
In our current hellspace where rom coms have gone the way of the dodo - I often think "well but they are alive and well in the wonderfully funny books by Elinor Lipman." I've read them all.
In our current hellspace where rom coms have gone the way of the dodo - I often think "well but they are alive and well in the wonderfully funny books by Elinor Lipman." I've read them all.