The void that surrounds Didi and Gogo — and us — is banished by the light of their amused and amusing self-sufficiency.
His eyes lit with amused intelligence, Douglas's Liberace is your classic "bossy bottom," a gleeful narcissist who treats his hangers-on as a mirror (sometimes literally: he pressures Scott to get plastic surgery to look like a younger version of him).
The mayor, an amused and amusing man, energetically presents his case for Mr. Atay's consideration, then shrugs and basically says, "Hey, what do I have to lose?" — a nicely judged exit sentiment for a heavy-light show.
Certainly that film's light comic touch and amused cynicism disappeared when Korda turned the direction of its follow-up, "The Rise of Catherine the Great" (1934), over to another wandering Hungarian, Paul Czinner.
It's the Kingsley effect; the amused, bemused smile that I see lighting up every face that encounters him.
"They're more appreciative; adults are obsolete children, and the hell with them". When Mr. Geisel was interested or amused, which was very often, his eyes would light up with boyish warmth.
Kenneth S. Eisenberg, Silver Spring, Md .: After too much turkey and Norman Rockwell spirituality, your delightful and obviously K Street inspired homily was a light and satisfying confection that I must confess both amused and confused me.
Not every mayor would have stood at the lectern looking amused, or maybe bemused, while two reporters — me and a New York Times colleague — tried to make light of his publicity stunt by bringing in Chinese takeout to the news conference, and dipping chopsticks into our cartons while he spoke.
Whirls, flickers and light waves are launched with just the swipe of a fingertip, and I experience it myself under the amused glances of Trafik themselves, who seemed to enjoy my insistence on the whirls.
JOE'S WORD (City Lights, paper, $11.95) gets my nod for the wry wit of its author, Elizabeth Stromme, and for the amused affection she has for an unglamorous neighborhood at the losing end of Sunset Boulevard.
