Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
America's Copy Editor®
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
author of the New York Times/IndieBound bestseller Dreyer's English and Stet! (the game!) • Random House copy chief/managing editor (ret.) • he/him/his
benjamindreyer.com
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Benjamin Dreyer
@bcdreyer.social
· Nov 27
Greetings, new people here at House of Copyediting. Besides first-rate, IISSM, prose advice, you'll get:
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
• a random theater photo of the day, sometimes more than one
• birthday alerts for dead actresses, and occasionally live ones
• Sallie updates
And it's all free!
Happy Jack Barrymore's probably birthday!
February 14, 2026 at 2:45 PM
Happy Jack Barrymore's probably birthday!
today's randomish theater photo:
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
February 14, 2026 at 2:16 PM
today's randomish theater photo:
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
birthday girl Florence Henderson and a bunch of Vons Trapp in The Sound of Music, early 1960s
The swivel, as it's called, wasn't added till 1967, to make the award more telegenic.
February 14, 2026 at 2:14 PM
The swivel, as it's called, wasn't added till 1967, to make the award more telegenic.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
It’s Thelma’s birthday tomorrow.
February 13, 2026 at 10:52 PM
It’s Thelma’s birthday tomorrow.
Happy Thelma Ritter's birthday!
February 14, 2026 at 2:11 PM
Happy Thelma Ritter's birthday!
"Ya always humilate me! Humilate me!"
February 14, 2026 at 1:44 PM
"Ya always humilate me! Humilate me!"
Montgomery Ward gets a shoutout in The Most Happy Fella (though it's definitely a reference to the catalog and its weight), which takes place in 1927, by which time M.W. had indeed opened at least its first store.
So it sort of counts?
So it sort of counts?
February 14, 2026 at 1:28 PM
Montgomery Ward gets a shoutout in The Most Happy Fella (though it's definitely a reference to the catalog and its weight), which takes place in 1927, by which time M.W. had indeed opened at least its first store.
So it sort of counts?
So it sort of counts?
As long as it's not an hotel.
February 14, 2026 at 1:24 PM
As long as it's not an hotel.
She has one of those vibrant emphatic stage presences that are intoxicating (and don’t always come through on screen).
Julie Harris was like that too, I’d say.
Julie Harris was like that too, I’d say.
February 14, 2026 at 4:46 AM
She has one of those vibrant emphatic stage presences that are intoxicating (and don’t always come through on screen).
Julie Harris was like that too, I’d say.
Julie Harris was like that too, I’d say.
“You’ve definitely seen Casablanca 28 times.”
Um, I’ve definitely seen Casablanca three times.
Um, I’ve definitely seen Casablanca three times.
February 14, 2026 at 4:44 AM
“You’ve definitely seen Casablanca 28 times.”
Um, I’ve definitely seen Casablanca three times.
Um, I’ve definitely seen Casablanca three times.
It’s crucial not to confuse pessary and cassowary.
February 14, 2026 at 4:42 AM
It’s crucial not to confuse pessary and cassowary.
It seems to have started as more or less “done out of desperate need” and then become simply “utterly lousy.”
February 14, 2026 at 4:41 AM
It seems to have started as more or less “done out of desperate need” and then become simply “utterly lousy.”
Ah, we’ve reached the people telling me what I’ve seen portion of the evening, and that’s going to pall quickly.
February 14, 2026 at 4:38 AM
Ah, we’ve reached the people telling me what I’ve seen portion of the evening, and that’s going to pall quickly.
Dumb as fuck too, sure, but absolutely out of his mind.
February 14, 2026 at 4:25 AM
Dumb as fuck too, sure, but absolutely out of his mind.
Reposted by Benjamin Dreyer
Doctors say that vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. A nepo baby who barbecues dogs and snorts cocaine off toilet seats says that vaccines make children vulnerable to 5G radiation. For busy parents, it can be hard to know who to trust.
February 14, 2026 at 3:41 AM
Doctors say that vaccines protect children from dangerous diseases. A nepo baby who barbecues dogs and snorts cocaine off toilet seats says that vaccines make children vulnerable to 5G radiation. For busy parents, it can be hard to know who to trust.
I don’t think I quite realized the extent to which Andy Ogles is barking mad.
February 14, 2026 at 4:21 AM
I don’t think I quite realized the extent to which Andy Ogles is barking mad.
Particularly "strictly from hunger."
February 14, 2026 at 4:08 AM
Particularly "strictly from hunger."
It's not to everyone's taste, and I can think of a few people who I think have generally impeccable taste who don't really care for it. It happens.
February 14, 2026 at 4:04 AM
It's not to everyone's taste, and I can think of a few people who I think have generally impeccable taste who don't really care for it. It happens.
Psycho, for sure, and The Birds
and Days of Heaven!
and Days of Heaven!
February 14, 2026 at 4:02 AM
Psycho, for sure, and The Birds
and Days of Heaven!
and Days of Heaven!
We need to bring back "from hunger" in a big way.
Just going to say it: No matter what you think of Wuthering Heights, Cathy’s dresses (after she goes off to live at the Grange) are from hunger. Bad fit, shiny, cheap-looking fabric, bad color combos. I know they’re intentionally stylized, but please, my eyes!
February 14, 2026 at 3:59 AM
We need to bring back "from hunger" in a big way.
March of the Wooden Soldiers
The Wizard of Oz
Lady of Burlesque
The Women
Sunset Boulevard
The Catered Affair
Murder on the Orient Express (Lumet, natch)
Summer Stock
A Star Is Born (Cukor, natch)
etc.
The Wizard of Oz
Lady of Burlesque
The Women
Sunset Boulevard
The Catered Affair
Murder on the Orient Express (Lumet, natch)
Summer Stock
A Star Is Born (Cukor, natch)
etc.
February 14, 2026 at 3:56 AM
March of the Wooden Soldiers
The Wizard of Oz
Lady of Burlesque
The Women
Sunset Boulevard
The Catered Affair
Murder on the Orient Express (Lumet, natch)
Summer Stock
A Star Is Born (Cukor, natch)
etc.
The Wizard of Oz
Lady of Burlesque
The Women
Sunset Boulevard
The Catered Affair
Murder on the Orient Express (Lumet, natch)
Summer Stock
A Star Is Born (Cukor, natch)
etc.
I think we'd have to go to "Name a film you've seen 28 times" before I could whittle the list down to a dozen or two.
Name a film you've seen 8 times
February 14, 2026 at 3:54 AM
I think we'd have to go to "Name a film you've seen 28 times" before I could whittle the list down to a dozen or two.