I guess it's not strange that of the three best essays I've ever read, one would be about The Incredible Mr. Limpet. (The other two were about beets [Tom Robbins opening discourse in Jitterbug Perfume] and Ian Fraser's brilliant 'Dating Your Mom').
Another one that stuck with me over the years. The movie itself was probably viewed by the studios as a throwaway, with an opportunity for the Warner Brothers animation unit to get a little work.
I always wanted to see actors like Knotts cast against type. Imagine Barney Fife or Zachary Smith as hyper-confident, take-no-shit, we-do-this-MY-way dudes. Obviously, as working actors, they had to take every whiny asshole role that their agents sent over.
That's why I loved Buscemi in "Boardwalk Empire." Nobody fucks with Nucky. And when Nucky comes to fuck with you, he's dressed to the nines.
This essay took me back decades. "Weirdos" who suck at street football are legion, of course, but knowing that as an adult doesn't diminish the memories of acute loneliness I often felt as a child. Wonderful work, Roy.
I'm roughly of your age group, and I remember seeing Mr. Limpet in the movie theater as a kid. The scene that got me was when his human self started lecturing on the importance of the Devonian Period. I was a nerd who had memorized all the geological periods in order, as well as their important features, and was thrilled when he said Devonian, because I immediately thought, "Fish!" Thanks for bringing back the memories, and sharing yours.
While I was pretty good at street sports, despite being tall and skinny -- I was 5'10" and weighed 89 pounds in 7th grade, I too confronted most social situations, even playground encounters, as if they were tests in a subject I knew nothing about, given in a foreign language. I had good manners; that much I could grasp and repeat; but outside of that basic decision tree I was lost. I was almost always pretty good at taking tests. After someone made fun of me, I usually made a better joke about myself than they did. Luckily, this usually didn't piss them off enough to want to punch me
As everyone else has said, this is a lovely essay. It reminds me a bit of “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” Bill Bryson’s account of his Midwestern childhood, which I highly recommend. (It has radioactive toilets!) If I do get around to giving Mr. Limpet a watch at some point, I’ll know who to thank.
I have never heard of this movie even though I was regularly going to movies (and especially the 50 cent Saturday matinee with 17 color cartoons and two feature films (this in Pittsburgh). Don Knotts certainly did a lot of whacked out movies but your retelling of this oine is so charming and yet also rather surreal. ("Deep Rapture" indeed!) Thanks for this charming essay.
This is really lovely, Roy. It hits close to home. As queer kid who thought he could pretend his way to social integration, Mr. Limpet carries many lessons.
I reckon I saw Mr. Limpet on television when I was 7 or 8, 50+ years ago, and it had a serious impact on me. I too was an unhappy kid who didn't know how to fit in (and was regularly punished for it by my peers); when I saw the movie the idea of just being transformed into something better for me, and living a happy life resonated strongly; aquatic life featured strongly in my daydreams for a long time. Thanks for bringing this back to mind.
I guess it's not strange that of the three best essays I've ever read, one would be about The Incredible Mr. Limpet. (The other two were about beets [Tom Robbins opening discourse in Jitterbug Perfume] and Ian Fraser's brilliant 'Dating Your Mom').
This is so well, so beautifully done. I'd love to read more of your personal essays.
A very moving essay. I, too, remember seeing it at a Children's Matinee in Poughkeepsie, NY, probably sometime in 1964. I wonder now what the book is like? (https://www.amazon.com/MR-LIMPET-Theodore-Pratt/dp/B000H1UBJ2)
Very touching and beautifully written. Thank you, Roy.
Another one that stuck with me over the years. The movie itself was probably viewed by the studios as a throwaway, with an opportunity for the Warner Brothers animation unit to get a little work.
I always wanted to see actors like Knotts cast against type. Imagine Barney Fife or Zachary Smith as hyper-confident, take-no-shit, we-do-this-MY-way dudes. Obviously, as working actors, they had to take every whiny asshole role that their agents sent over.
That's why I loved Buscemi in "Boardwalk Empire." Nobody fucks with Nucky. And when Nucky comes to fuck with you, he's dressed to the nines.
This essay took me back decades. "Weirdos" who suck at street football are legion, of course, but knowing that as an adult doesn't diminish the memories of acute loneliness I often felt as a child. Wonderful work, Roy.
"Das Limpet!" (Why I can remember, all this time, what the Kriegsmarine called him and not, say, what I had for dinner last night is beyond me.)
This hits so close that I have to go away now and think about it. Beautiful and painful and just beautiful.
I'm roughly of your age group, and I remember seeing Mr. Limpet in the movie theater as a kid. The scene that got me was when his human self started lecturing on the importance of the Devonian Period. I was a nerd who had memorized all the geological periods in order, as well as their important features, and was thrilled when he said Devonian, because I immediately thought, "Fish!" Thanks for bringing back the memories, and sharing yours.
Fifthing or sixing or whatever the praise for this. I like this personal stuff; it doesn't have to be politics all the time.
While I was pretty good at street sports, despite being tall and skinny -- I was 5'10" and weighed 89 pounds in 7th grade, I too confronted most social situations, even playground encounters, as if they were tests in a subject I knew nothing about, given in a foreign language. I had good manners; that much I could grasp and repeat; but outside of that basic decision tree I was lost. I was almost always pretty good at taking tests. After someone made fun of me, I usually made a better joke about myself than they did. Luckily, this usually didn't piss them off enough to want to punch me
This is so beautiful and moving. A gift to all of us weirdos.
As everyone else has said, this is a lovely essay. It reminds me a bit of “The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid,” Bill Bryson’s account of his Midwestern childhood, which I highly recommend. (It has radioactive toilets!) If I do get around to giving Mr. Limpet a watch at some point, I’ll know who to thank.
I have never heard of this movie even though I was regularly going to movies (and especially the 50 cent Saturday matinee with 17 color cartoons and two feature films (this in Pittsburgh). Don Knotts certainly did a lot of whacked out movies but your retelling of this oine is so charming and yet also rather surreal. ("Deep Rapture" indeed!) Thanks for this charming essay.
This is really lovely, Roy. It hits close to home. As queer kid who thought he could pretend his way to social integration, Mr. Limpet carries many lessons.
I reckon I saw Mr. Limpet on television when I was 7 or 8, 50+ years ago, and it had a serious impact on me. I too was an unhappy kid who didn't know how to fit in (and was regularly punished for it by my peers); when I saw the movie the idea of just being transformed into something better for me, and living a happy life resonated strongly; aquatic life featured strongly in my daydreams for a long time. Thanks for bringing this back to mind.