On this day, in 1909, to a Kentucky family of whiskey and tobacco merchants, Tom Ewell did come unto this world. A sensitive child who seemed born with mournful eyes, he would grow up not to sell whiskey but to act in movies and TV. He is renowned most for his role as nerdy, mournful-eyed publisher Richard Sherman in Billy Wilder’s film version of The Seven Year Itch. Ewell’s character fantasizes desperately about Marilyn Monroe in ways that these days might bring on career-ending #metoo-related backlash, but this was a different era. The hem of Marilyn Monroe’s dress gets “iconically” flung upwards by a passing subway train.

I recall Tom Ewell most vividly in his later role as retired policeman Billy, who played a sort of mournful-eyed comic wise-man counterpoint to Robert Blake in television’s Baretta.

Tom Ewell (above) gazes mournfully upon Robert Blake’s (below) cockatoo

Not only is it Tom Ewell’s birthday, but also the last day for you to obtain my Kindle novel, the funny-yet-serious, sort-of mournful-eyed historical fantasy The Language of Bears, for a paltry cost of 99 cents.

At least until the next Kindle Countdown Sale in about 3 months.

“Eidswick displays a brilliant command of dialogue, and his prose is poetic and filled with striking imagery…Witty, serious, and original, this stunning tale should attract anyone who delights in an intellectually stimulating read.” – Kirkus Reviews

“The Language of Bears is delightfully original and satisfyingly unpredictable: highly recommended reading not for those who look for superficial action, but for readers who delight in finding an original voice that excels in alternative history and unique perspectives.” – D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review