The 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon Has Arrived

The 12th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is here! As in past years, this year's blogathon features several entries on episodes from classic television shows.

For those of you who are participating in the blogathon, I ask that you link to this page. I will be updating this page with links to the various blog posts that are part of this blogathon throughout the weekend. If you want a graphic for your post, I have several on the announcement page here.

Without further ado, here are this year's posts.

Realweedgiemidget Reviews: "TV… The Return of the Saint (1979) 'Murder Cartel' Se1, Ep19"

Cinematic Scribblings: "Jeeves and Wooster: 'The Hunger Strike' and 'Brinkley Manor' (1990)"

John V's Eclectic Avenue: "Moonbase Alpha Encounters a 'Black Sun'"

The Wonderful World of Cinema: "A Security Lesson on Alfred Hitchcock Presents: 'Bang! You’re Dead' (1961)" 

The Midnite Drive-In: "The Boy Who Cried 'Wolfe'" 

Another Old Movie Blog: "Ward Cleaver's World War II heroism"

Smoke in the Library: "Burke's Law: 'Who Killed Mr. X?'"

Liberal England: "The last episode of Shoestring: 'The Dangerous Game'"

Dubsism: "Sports Analogies Hidden In Classic Movies – Volume 168: The Rockford Files – 'Beamer’s Last Case'

The Late Great Len Deighton

Len Deighton, the author of such well-known spy novels as The IPCRESS File and Funeral in Berlin, died on March 15, 2026, at the age of 97. 

Len Deighton was born on February 18, 1929, in Marylebone, London. Len Deighton was eleven years-old when he witnessed the arrest of Anna Wolkoff, who was a British subject and for whom Len Deighton's mother cooked. Anna Wolkoff was eventually convicted of  "attempting to assist the enemy (in this case, the Nazis)." According to Len Deighton a 1992 article in The Sunday Telegraph Anna Wolkoff's arrest was '...a major factor in my decision to write a spy story at my first attempt at fiction."

He attended t St Marylebone Grammar School, and then worked as a railway clerk. He was 17 when he was drafted for his national service, and he served in the Royal Air Force for two and a half years. He attended Saint Martin's School of Art and then received a scholarship to the Royal College of Art, from which he graduated.

It was in 1962 that Len Deighton's first book The IPCRESS File, was published. He had written the novel while on vacation in France. The protagonist of The IPCRESS File was a anonymous working class agent who was far removed from James Bond. The novel proved to be a bestseller and would be adapted as the 1965 movie The Ipcress File starring Michael Caine. For the movies, Len Deighton's anonymous agent was named "Harry Palmer." The anonymous protagonist of The IPCRESS File appeared in several more novels, including Funeral in Berlin, Billion Dollar Brain, An Expensive Place to Die, Spy Story, Yesterday's Spy, and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Spy. 

It was in 1983 that Len Deighton's novel Berlin Game was published, the first of his novels to centre on Bernard Samson, a somewhat jaded, middle aged agent for MI-6. He appeared in seven more novels. Beyond the "Harry Palmer" and Bernard Samson novels, Len Deighton also wrote novels that were not part of a series, including Goodbye, Mickey Mouse, about the 220th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force d up to the Allied invasion of Europe; Winter, about a German family from 1899 to 1945; and MAMista, set in a fictional South American country.

Len Deighton also wrote several cook books, the first of which was  Len Deighton's Action Cook Book in 1965. and several non-fiction books on subjects ranging from the assassination of President John F. Kennedy to the Battle of Britain to the Blitzkrieg. 

As a writer of spy fiction, Len Deighton was in many ways revolutionary. His early books, in particular, occupied a place in between the fantasies of Ian Fleming and the more realistic novels of J John le Carré. The "Harry Palmer" novels were certainly gritty and Len Deighton's anonymous protagonist was a far cry from James Bond. He was a working class man who lived in a cheap flat and sometimes even seedier hotels. He shopped in supermarkets and often wanted a raise in his pay. He even wore glasses and had to endless paperwork he had to fill out serving the British government bureaucracy. Ar the same time, however, the plots of Len Deighton's novels sometimes featured elements as fantastic as that of any Ian Fleming novel.  The plot of The IPCRESS File involved mind control. Billion-Dollar Brain centred on a supercomputer and a weapons grade supervirus. His spy novels would have a lasting impact on future spy novels, and he would influence writers such as Charles Cumming, Mike Herron,  and Philip Kerr, Both Jeremy Duns and Derek Thompson have acknowledged Len Deighton's influence on their work. Chances are good Len Deighton will always be acknowledged as one of the greatest spy novelists of all time

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2026

I don't have an ounce of Irish blood in me nor am I Nigerian, Montserratian, an engineer, or a paralegal, so I don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day. I know plenty of people who do celebrate St. Patrick's Day, so here are some of vintage pinups you can celebrate with.

First up is the lovely Barbara Bates, who is engaging in some St. Patrick's Day crafts.

And here is Martha Vickers with what I assume is a St. Patrick's tree.

Here is the lovely and decidedly non-Irish Olga San Juan watering a shamrock. 

And here is the lovely and decidedly Irish Dorothy Malone decked out for the holiday. 

And here is June Haver perched on a giant hat!

and last, but not least, here's Ann Miller dressed up for the holiday.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Judy Pace Passes On

Judy Pace, who appeared on the shows Peyton Place and The Young Lawyers, died on March 11, 2026, at the age of 83. 

Judy Pace was born on June 15, 1942, in Los Angeles. Her father was an airplane mechanic and her mother owned Kitty's Place, which may have been the largest Black-owned ladies apparel shop west of Mississippi at the time. She went to Dorsey High School and then Los Angeles City College. 

She made her movie debut in a small role in the William Castle movie 13 Frightened Girls in 1963. In the Sixties, she appeared in the movies The Oscar (1966), The Fortune Cookie (1966), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Three in the Attic (1968), Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970), and Up in the Cellar (1970). She guest starred in the shows Bewitched, Batman, I Spy, Run for Your Life, Days of Our Lives, I Dream of Jeannie, The Flying Nun, Tarzan, The Mod Squad, My Friend Tony, The New People, and Insight. She had a regular role on the nighttime soap opera Peyton Place and starred on the short-lived show The Young Lawyers. 

In the Seventies, Judy Pace appeared in the TV movie Brian's Song. She guest starred on the shows Shaft, Medical Center, Kung Fu, Sanford and Son, That's My Mama, Ironside, Caribe, Good Times, What's Happening!!, and Beyond Westworld. She appeared in the movies Frogs (1972), Cool Breeze (1972), and The Slams (1973).

From the Eighties to the Naughts, she guest starred on the shows The New Odd Couple and Players at the Poker Palace. She had a recurring role on the web series Beauty and the Baller.

She co-founded the Kwanza Foundation in 1971 with Nichelle Nichols. The group's purpose was to support Black women working in the movie. 

Screenwriter Alan Trustman Passes On

Screenwriter and lawyer Alan Trustman, who wrote the screenplays for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968_ and Bullitt (1968), died on February 5, 2026, at the age of 95.

Alan Trustman was born on December 16, 1930, in Brookline, Massachusetts. He attended the Boston Latin School and The Phillips Exeter Academy. He was 15 years old when he got a job at the First National Bank of Boston. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1952, and the Harvard Law School, graduating in 1955. His father, Benjamin A. Trustman, was a partner at the Boston law firm Nutter McClennen & Fish, and Alan Trustman went to work there. 

Familiar with the First National Bank of Boston from having worked there Alan Trustman had thought of how one would go about robbing that bank. The idea resulted in the screenplay for The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). He had written the screenplay with Sean Connery in mind for the lead, but producer Walter Mirsch and director Noman Jewison cast Steve McQueen in the role instead. This resulted in Alan Trustman rewriting the screenplay to fit Steven McQueen more. The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) would lead to Alan Trustman co-writing another Steve McQueen vehicle, Bullitt (1968). He also wrote They Call Me Mr. Tibbs (1970), Lacy Ice (1973), and Hit! (1973). He worked on the scripts for Ace Up My Sleeve (1975) and The Next Man (1976). His last work as a writer as an episode of Fallen Angels in 1995.

His novel Father's Day was published  in 1992. 

Godspeed Tom Noonan

Tom Noonan, who appeared in such movies as Manhunter (1986) and Heat (1995), died on February 14, 2026 at the age of 74,

Tom Noonan was born on April 12, 1951 in Greenwich, Connecticut. His mother was a mathematics teacher and his father a jazz musician. His older brother was John Ford Noonan, an actor, playwright, and screenwriter. Tom Noonan began his career in theatre, including off-Broadway. He appeared in small parts in the films Willie and Phil (1980), Gloria (1980), and Heaven's Gate (1980). He made his television debut in the TV movie Rage! in 1980.

In the Eighties, Tom Noonan appeared in the movies Wolfen (1981), Eddie Macon's Run (1983), Easy Money (1983), Best Defense (1984), The Man with One Red Shoe (1985), FX (1985), Manhunter (1986), The Monster Squad (1987), Collision Course (1989), Mystery Train (1989), and RoboCop 2 (1980). He guest starred on the shows Tales From the Darkside and The Equalizer.

In the Nineties, he appeared in the movies Last Action Hero (1993), What Happened Was... (1995), The Wife (1995), Heat (1995), Phoenix (1998), The Astronaut's Wife (1999), Wang Dang (1999), and The Photographer (2000). He guest starred on the TV shows Monsters, Early Edition, The X-Files, and The Beat. He appeared in the mini-series Heaven & Hell: North & South, Book III.

In the Naughts, he guest starred on the shows CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, The Jury, Johnny Zero, Kidnapped, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Bright Falls, and Louie. He appeared in the movies The Pledge (2001), Knockaround Guys (2001), Eight Legged Freaks (2002), The Egoists (2003), Madness and Genius (2003), Hair High (2004), The Roost (2005), Seraphim Falls (2006), Snow Angels (2007), Synecdoche, New York (2008), The Alphabet Killer (2008), and Follow the Prophet (2009).

In the Teens, he appeared in the movies Late Phases (2014), The Shape of Something Squashed (2014), and Wonderstruck (2017). He was a voice in the Anomalisa (2015). On television he played Reverend Nathan Cole on Hell on Wheel, Detective Victor Huntley on Damages, and the Pallid Man on 12 Monkeys. He guest starred on the shows The Cape, Bar Karma, The Blacklist, The Leftovers, Quarry, Roadside Picnic, and Animals. He appeared in the mini-series Horace and Pete and Dimension 404.

He also wrote plays, two of which were adapted into movies, What Happened Was… (1994) and The Wife (1995).

Throughout his career, Tom Noonan played a wide variety of roles. Chances are good that many will remember him as the troubled Reverend Nathaniel Cole on Hell on Wheels. He will probably also be remembered as serial child killer John Lee Roche in the X-Files episode "Paper Hearts." Of course,he did a number of movies as well as television. He played the villain Cain, leader of the Nuke drug cartel, in RoboCop 2. In Manhunter, he played serial killer Francis Dollarhyde.While he primarily played villains, Tom Noonan was an enormous talent who could bring any role to life convincingly.

The Late Great Country Joe McDonald

Country Joe McDonald, best known for his Vietnam War protest song “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-To-Die Rag," died on Sunday, March 7, at the age of 84 rom complications of Parkinson’s disease.

Country Joe McDonald was born on January 1, 1942, in Washington, DC. When they were young, his parents were both members of the Communist Party and they actually named Country Joe McDonald for Josef Stalin. They later renounced Communism. Country Joe McDonald grew up in in El Monte, California. He was a trombonist in his high school band and was good enough that he actually led the band. He taught himself blues, country, folk, and rock songs on the guitar, and started writing songs when he was still a teen. He was 17 years old when he enlisted in the United States Navy.

Following his service in the Navy, Country Joe McDonald attended Los Angeles State College for a year before moving to Berkeley to pursue a career as a folk musician. It as in 1965 that he and singer/guitarist Barry "the Fish" Melton formed Country Joe and the Fish. Bruce Barthol on bass, David Bennett Cohen on organ, and Gary “Chicken” Hirsh on drums later joined the group. The name came from two sources. Joe McDonald was called "Country Joe" because magazine publisher Eugene “ED” Denson had heard that Josef Stalin was called "Country Joe"during the Second World War. The "fish," which Barry Melton adopted as his own, also came from Eugene Denson, who drew upon a quote from Mao Zedong that revolutionaries are “the fish who swim in the sea of the people.” 

Like other folk groups of the era, Country Joe McDonald and the Fish evolved from an acoustic folk sound to an electric folk rock sound. They moved from Berkeley to San Francisco where they met with success. They self-released their first EP, Talking Issue No. 1: Songs of Opposition in 1965. It was followed by another, self-titled EP in 1966. It was in December 1966 that Country Joe and the Fish signed with Vanguard Records. Their first album,, Electric Music for the Mind and Body, was released in February 1967. It featured their debut single, "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine." The album performed relatively well, reaching no. 39 on the Billboard album chart.

While Country Joe and the Fish's singles did not do particularly well, their albums did. I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die (1967) went to no. 67 on the Billboard album chart. Together (1968) went to no. 23. Here We Go Again (1969) peaked at no. 48. Their album CJ Fish (1970) faltered at only no. 111 on the chart. Through it all Country Joe and the Fish found themselves banned by the television networks due to the notorious "Fish Cheer (which was changed to spell another four letter word starting with "F" besides "fish")." They also saw a few changes in their lineup, Of course, it was also during this period that Country Joe and the Fish appeared at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, at which they were scheduled at the last minute. Their performance was preserved in the documentary Woodstock (1970), guaranteeing their immortality.

Country Joe and the Fish disbanded in 1970. The 1967 lineup of the group reunited and recorded the 1977 album Reunion. Afterwards the group would reunited from time to time, calling themselves "the Country Joe Band" when Barry "the Fish" Melton was not part of the lineup.

Country Joe McDonald had begun his solo career before Country Joe and the Fish had disbanded in 1970. His first solo album, Thinking of Woody Guthrie, was released in 1969. As a solo artist, he released around twenty studio albums from 1969 to 2017. He also composed songs for the movies Quiet Days in Clichy (1970) and Qué Hacer (1972). It was in the 1980s that he and Bill Belmonst re-launched Rag Baby Records, the label under which Country Joe and the Fish released their original EPs. In addition to Country Joe's solo work, they also released albums by such artists as David Bennett Cohen, Joady Guthrie, Rocky Sullivan, and others.

Country Joe McDonald also appeared as an actor in the movies ¡Qué hacer! (1970), Gas-s-s-s! -Or- It Became Necessary to Destroy the World in Order to Save It (1970), and Zachariah (1971). He and the other members of Country Joe and the Fish appeared in More American Graffiti (1979). He appeared in the TV series Tales of the City. 

Country Joe McDnoald was committed to veterans of the Vietnam War, as well as the Peace Movement. He helped organize the building of the Vietnam War Memorial in Berkeley and  he helped in establish the memorial San Francisco as well. He played benefits for both Sword to Plowshares and Vietnam Veterans Against the War. 

Country Joe McDonald was an incredible talent and extremely versatile as a songwriter. He could write everything from protest songs with deadpan humour such as his most famous work, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" to ballads such as "Janis" to the blues-infused "Not So Sweet Martha Lorraine." While he would always be linked to the late Sixties and the Vietnam War, Country Joe McDonald made lasting contributions to folk and rock music. 

"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag", by Country Joe McDonald and The Fish

Today I still don't feel up to snuff due to the shift to daylight saving time. This year it seems to have hit me harder than usual. Regardless, while I don't feel up to writing a full-fledged post, I wanted to pay tribute to the great Country Joe McDonald, who died on March 7, 2026. Here then is his most famous song, "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag," likely due to its performance at Woodstock, which was immortalized in the documentary Woodstock (1970). Sadly, it seems more relevant now than it has been in years.

I Hate Daylight Saving Time

The famous clock scene from Safety Last

It's hard for me not to take daylight saving time personally. It's not just about losing an hour of sleep. It's not even just about feeling sleep deprived for the two weeks following the shift. It's that I will feel out of sync, for lack of a better term, for the next several months or, at the very least, until the nights begin growing longer.

For much of the time the next several months, I will have trouble getting to sleep and trouble waking up of a morning. Naturally, this will result in increased anxiety for me and I believe it does exacerbate my summer seasonal affective disorder. I  have to think it is because my body is getting less sunlight of a morning, when I need it to wake up, and more sunlight of an evening, when I really don't need it. To put it in more scientific terms, the clock society goes by and my body's internal circadian rhythm are in conflict. It's no wonder I feel miserable. Here I want to point out that I always get eight hours of sleep (at least during Standard Time), so that's not the problem. 

And, yes, I have tried to prepare myself for daylight saving time by waking up earlier in the week leading up to "springing forward." It doesn't work. I still feel miserable. I still feel out of sync. The only surefire cure for me seems to be when we fall back. This year that happens on November 1, and I am already looking forward to it. I will notice a vast improvement immediately after we return to Standard Time.

At any rate, I didn't hate daylight saving time quite as much when we sprang forward in April and fell back in October. I didn't like it, but it seemed to be more bearable.  I suspect that much of this is because sunrise falls later in March than it does in April. Tomorrow the sun won't rise until 7:31 AM. If anything would throw my body clock off, that would. Too, I think I coped better when it was only six months out of the year when I was a kid and then only seven years out of the year for much of my adult life. Eight months out of the year seems interminable.  Indeed, I hate daylight saving time enough that if I owned a business, I would change the hours in accordance with daylight saving time. For instance, if we were open from 9 AM to 5 PM during Standard Time, we would be open from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM during daylight saving time. 

Of course, while most people don't have quite as adverse a reaction to daylight saving time as I do, I know most people don't like it, with a few who absolutely love it. And there could well be a scientific reason for those of who do hate daylight saving time. Quite simply, it appears that Standard Time may be healthier for human beings than daylight saving time. A recent study by Stanford Medicine examined how three different policies regarding time (permanent Standard Time, permanent daylight saving time, and the biannual change we have now) could affect the circadian rhythms of human beings and hence their health. They found that the biannual change in time is actually the worst for people's health. Both permanent daylight saving time and permanent Standard Time would be better, with permanent Standard Time being the best for people's health. Beyond the Stanford Medicine study, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, the National Sleep Foundation, and the American Medical Association all support permanent Standard Time.

Here I have t point out that Congress once tested out permanent daylight saving time. It began on the first Sunday of January 1974 as a response to the oil crisis of 1974. It quickly proved to be unpopular, particularly given children were going to school in the dark. It ended in October when the United States returned to Standard Time. 

Of course, the conceit behind daylight saving time is the conservation of energy. In 1974, the Department of Transportation determined that the impact of daylight saving time on saving energy, reducing crime, and traffic safety was minimal at best. To make matters worse, with the shift to daylight saving time there is an increase in heart attacks, strokes, and fatal automobile accidents. Some studies have even found there is around a 6% increase in suicides following the shift to daylight saving time in spring. It would then seem that there is no real benefit to shifting to daylight saving time. 

At any rate, for much of my life I have hoped that some day daylight saving time would be repealed and we would go to permanent Standard Time. I know I would be much happier and I suspect many others would be as well. Indeed, I think all of us would be healthier.

"The 'In' Crowd' by The Fourmost

It was sixty years ago today, on March 7, 1966,  that rhythm guitarist and vocalist Mike Millward of The Fourmost died from leukaemia at the age of 23. Mike Millward had been with The Fourmost since the band was called The Four Jays way back in 1961.

As to who The Fourmost were, they were a Merseybeat group from Liverpool whose peak years were from about 1963 to 1965. Their first single, "Hello Little Girl," had been written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and had even been recorded by The Beatles themselves for their audition with Decca. It went to no. 9 on the UK singles chart. They would only have a few more hits, the biggest of which was "A Little Loving" in 1964, which went to no. 6. While other British bands would do well in the United States, The Fourmost never really had an impact there. The best they did was their cover of The Beatles' "Here, There and Everywhere," which bubbled under the Billboard Hot 100 at no. 120 in 1966. I have to suspect that The Fourmost never quite recovered from Mike Millward's death, so that while they continued to record into the Seventies, they never did as well as they had from 1963 to 1965. 

In the Sixties, The Fourmost released only one album, First and Fourmost. On that album was a cover of Dobie Gray's "The 'In' Crowd" on which Mike Millward sang lead. Here it is, in memory of Mike Millward, a talent who died far too young.

"Who's On First?" by Abbott & Costello

Today would have been Lou Costello's 120th birthday. He was born on March 6, 1906 in Paterson, New Jersey. Aside from Laurel & Hardy, Abbott & Costello have always been my favourite comedy team. What is more, they have been one of my favourite comedy teams since childhood. I believe it was KPLR out of St. Louis showed an Abbott & Costello movie every Saturday afternoon, while the local stations in the Columbia/Jefferson City market would show them regularly. Regardless, by the time I had reached my teen years I had already seen most of their oeuvre.

To this day, Abbbott and Costello's most famous routine remains "Who's On First?." The origins of the sketch go back to earlier wordplay routines in the history of comedy. Bud Abbott always said its immediate predecessor was a crosstalk routine from minstrel shows called "Who's the Boss?." In the routine, Who was the boss. He had employees named  What and Ida Know, and sometimes Hee and Issy. In the 1880s, the comedy team of Joe Weber and Lew Fields had a crosstalk routine called "I Work on Watt Street." "Who's the Boss?" would give rise to other wordplay routines in the 1910s, including "The Baker Scene (dealing with a bakery)," 'Nuttin' for a Living (dealing with a nuts and bolts factory)," and "Dying to Live (dealing with a dry cleaner)." 

What is more, "Who's on First?" was apparently not the first baseball wordplay routine. Reportedly, a predecessor of "Who's on First?" called "Baseball's Who's Who" was popular on the Mutual burlesque circuit. But Abbot's wife Betty said of "Who's on First," "Bud had done the baseball bit a long time before he worked with Lou. That was public domain. He did it with some comic. I can't remember who." Bud Abbott's nephew, TV director Norman Abbott, claimed that Lou Costello had become fascinated with baseball and came up with the idea of transposing "Who's the Boss?" to baseball. At the time, Lou Costello was working with comedian Joe Lyons.

Audiences apparently weren't thrilled with the Lyons & Costello version of "Who's on First?." It was in 1935 that Lou Costello and Bud Abbott joined forces, and the two of them developed the routine into the one we currently know and love. It was in the fall of 1937 that Variety referred to it as the hit of a travelling stage revue called "Hollywood Bandwagon." It was first performed on radio on The Kate Smith Hour in 1938. It made its first appearance on film in what was also Abbott & Costello's film debut, One Night in the Tropics in 1940. 

Curiously, while most everyone calls the routine, "Who's on First?," Abbot and Costello simply referred to it as "Baseball." When they copyrighted it in 1944, it was as "Abbott and Costello Baseball Routine," Regardless, it has left behind a legacy. In 1956, a gold record of "Who's On First?" was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York. In the Seventies, Selchow and Righter (perhaps best known for the game Scrabble) put out a "Who's on First?" board game. In 1999, Time named it the greatest comedy routine of the 20th Century. In 2002, a recording of the routine from October 6, 1938, was included in the Library of Congress's National Recording Registry. 

Abbott and Costello performed "Who's On First?" many times during their career. Here's one of their most famous performances of the routine, from their movie The Naughty Nineties (1945). 

Godspeed Animator Jane Baer

Animator Jame Baer, who worked on the Disney classic Sleeping Beauty (1959) and the movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), died on February 16, 2026, at the age of 91.

Jane Baer was born Jane Shattuck on October 30, 1934, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. She attended the Art Center in Pasadena. In 1955, she went to work at Disney on Sleeping Beauty (1959), on which she would be a cleanup artist. In the early Sixties, she worked at Ed Graham Animation. She moved to Europe for a time. Once back in the Untied States, she worked at Filmation Associates on such shows as Aquaman and Journey to the Centre of the Earth in the mid to late Sixties. She then wen to work at Pantomime Studios on such shows as Speed Racer, Hot Wheels, and Skyhawks in the mid to late Sixties. She also worked on the animated feature film Santa and the Three Bears (1970).

In the Seventies, among her feature film credits were Journey Back to Oz (1982), The Rescuers (1977), and Pet4e's Dragon (1977). She worked on animation for the comedy The Naked Ape (1973). In the early Eighties, she worked on the Saturday morning cartoons Laverne & Shirley in the Army and The Fonz and the Happy Days Gang. She was a character designer on Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp  (1982). It was in 1984 that she and her husband Dale Bear founded  Baer Animation, which would later include Baer Animation Camera Services. As part of Baer Animation, Jane Baer worked on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988), including the sequences in Toontown and the character of Benny the Cab. She served as an assistant animator on The Black Cauldron (1986) and The Great Mouse Detective (1986). She provided animation for the film Fletch Lives (1989) and worked on the shorts "Tummy Trouble" (1989) and "The Prince and the Pauper." On television, she also worked on the TV series Smurfs. 

In the Nineties, she worked on the films Rover Dangerfield (1991) and Beauty and the Beast (1991). She provided animation for The Last Action Hero (1993) and The Beautician and the Beast (1997). She was a founding member of Women in Animation and also served on its advisory board. She also produced and co-wrote Annabelle's Wish (1997).

Jane Baer was  true pioneer in animation. At a time when there weren't that many female animators, she ran Baer Animation, at which she oversaw supervised anywhere from 50 to 100-plus artists and people, depending on the project they were working on at the time. She also worked on such truly legendary movies, from Sleeping Beauty to Beauty and the Beast. She leaves behind a legacy that only a few other animators can match. 

Maria O'Brien Passes On

Maria O'Brien, who was a regular on the TV show The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts an appeared in the movie Protocol (1984), died on February 24, 2026 at the age of 75. 

Maria O'Brien was born on August 14, 1950 in Los Angeles. Her parents were both legends. Her father was Oscar-winning actor Edmond O’Brien , while her mother was actress, dancer, and comedian Olga San Juan. Her first credit came while she was very young, a guest appearance on the TV show Sam Benedict.It was in 1980 that she began her stint as a regular on the short-lived TV show The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts. In the Seventies, she guest starred on the shows Ironiside, Police Woman, Tabitha, Viva Valdez, Chico and the Man, The Love Boat, How the West Was Won, Number 96, and Quincy. She made heer movie debut in Smile in 1975. She appeard in the movies The Choirboys (1977), American Raspberry (1977), and Psi-Factor (1980).

In the Eighties, Maria O'Brien guest starred on the shows CHiPs; Quincy, M.E.; Magnum, P.I.; Good Morning, Miss Bliss; L.A. Law; Matlock; 1st & Ten; and Jake and the Fatman. She appeared in the movies The Incredible Shrinking Woman (1981), Table for Five (1983), and Protocol (1984).

In the Nineites, Maria O'Brien guest-starred on the shows Murder, She Wrote; Nash Bridges; Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction; Suddenly Suan; and Jack & Jill. She appeared in the movie Good Luck (1996) and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2000). In the Naughts, she guest starred on the TV shows Spyder Games and For the People. In the Teens, she appeard in th emovie Dead on Arrival (2017). She was a regular on the web series Ave 43.

Maria O'Brien was also an acting coach on Days of Our Lives. 

"Next Door to an Angel" by Neil Sedaka

I am feeling under the weather today, so rather than a full blog post I thought I would just leave you with a song. Here is my favourite song from Neil Sedaka, who recently died. It's "Next Door to an Angel." It was released in October 1962 and peaked at no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The Late Great Neil Sedaka

Legendary singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka died at age 86 on Friday, February 27, 2026. He was 86 years old. He wrote or co-wrote and performed such hit songs as "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," "Calendar Girl," "Next Door to An Angel," and "Laughter in the Rain." He also wrote songs that would be  hits for other artists, including "Stupid Cupid" and "Where the Boys Are" for Connie Francis (with Howard Greenfield)   and  “Love Will Keep Us Together" for Captain & Tennille. 

Neil Sedaka was born in Brooklyn on March 13, 1939. He grew up in the Brighton Beach neighbourhood there. He showed an aptitude for music while he was still young and took piano lessons as a child. In 1947, he won a scholarship to Juilliard’s School of Music’s Preparatory Division for Children. His mother wanted young Neil Sedaka to be a classical pianist. 

Neil Sedaka was 13 years old when he was introduced to his 16 year-old neighbour Howard Greenfield, an aspiring poet and lyricist. It was Howard Greenfield who convinced Neil Sedaka that they should try their hand at pop songs. It was in 1956 that Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield sent demos to Jerry Wexler at Atlantic Records. As a result their songs would be recorded by such Atlantic artists as The Clovers ("Bring Me Love"), The Cookies ("Passing Time"), LaVern Baker ("I Waited Too Long"), Clyde McPhatter ("Since You've Been Gone"). 

In addition to writing songs, Neil Sedaka also wanted to be a singer. He joined three other graduates from Lincoln High School to form The Linc-Tones. Their first single, "While I Dream," was a local hit in New York. Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield also wrote such song as  “I Love My Baby,” “Come Back, Joe” and “Don’t Go Away" for the group, who would eventually be re-named The Tokens. Neil Sedaka left The Tokens for a solo career in 1958. The Tokens would go onto have their own hits, including"Tonight I Fell in Love' and "The Lion Sleeps Tonight." 

As to the songwriting team of Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, they eventually landed a contract with Aldon Music in the Brill Building. It was through Aldon Music that they met Connie Francis, who would record their song "Stupid Cupid," which went to no. 14 on the Billboard singles chart. She would go onto record their songs "Fallin'," "Frankie," and "Where the Boys Are." Connie Francis's refusal to let Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield to read her journal inspired their song "The Diary." The song led to Neil Sedaka receiving a recording contract. 

Neil Sedaka would record three singles before "The Diary" proved to be a hit, gong to no.14 on the Billboard singles chart. His single "Oh! Carol" performed even better, peaking at 9. The song was inspired by a girl that Neil Sedaka had dated in high school, Carol Klein, who would become a songwriter in her own right, Carol King. Neil Sedaka's songs "Stairway to Heaven" and  "You Mean Everything to Me" both did well before "Calendar Girl" proved to be Neil Sedaka's first major hit, going all the way to no 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1960. It would be followed by other major hits, including "Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen," "Breaking Up is Hard To Do (which went all the way to no. 1),"  and "Next Door to an Angel."

Unfortunately, Neil Sedaka's success as a singer would fade in 1964 with the British Invasion. His single "Sunny"only went to no. 86 in 1964. His single The World Through a Tear" peaked at no. 76 in 1965. His label did not renew his contract in 1966. Neil Sedaka then fell back on his talent as a songwriter. His songs “When Love Comes Knockin’ (at Your Door)” and “The Girl I Left Behind Me," co-written with Carol Bayer, were recorded by The Monkees. With Howard Greenfield, he wrote "We Had a Good Thing Goin'" for The Cyrkle. He co-wrote "Workin’ on a Groovy Thing" with Roger Atkins for The 5th Dimension. 

In 1969, Neil Sedaka recorded his album "Working' on a Groovy Thing" in Australia, where he still had a strong following.  The album would not be a success, although the song "Puppet Man" and the title song would be hits for The 5th Dimension. His 1971 album Emergence also did not fare well. Having moved to England in 1970, Neil Sedaka's fortunes as a songwriter began to change. His song "That's When the Music Takes Me," from his 1972 album Solitaire, went to no. 18 on the UK singles chart. It would later go to no. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1975. He met Elton John in 1973, who signed him to his label The Rocket Record Co. 

Neil Sedaka would have his first no. 1 song since "Breaking Up Is Hard to Do" with "Laughter in the Rain" in 1974. He would have another no. 1 hit in 1975 with "Bad Blood,' which featured uncredited backing vocals by Elton John. A ballad remake of "Breaking Up is Hard to Do" went to no. 8. His song "Love in the Shadows" went to no. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was in 1975 that Captain & Tennille hit no. 1 with Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield's song "Love Will Keep Us Together." Neil Sedaka would have one last hit in 1980 with "Should've Never Let You Go," recorded with his daughter Dara Sedaka. 

While Neil Sedaka would have no more hit singles, he continued to record. From 1980 to 2016, he recorded 12 more albums. He continued to perform well into the Teens. More recently, Neil Sedaka and his grandson Michael posted duets of the two of them to social media. 

I don't think it is an understatement to say that Neil Sedaka numbers among the greatest songwriters of all time. He was certainly versatile. He is probably best known for his series of bouncy pop hits from the late Fifties and early Sixties, such as "Oh! Carol," "Calendar Girl," and "Breaking Up is Hard to Do," but he wrote many other sorts of songs. His song "Love in the Shadows" is an outright guitar-driven pop rock. "Where the Boys Are" is a ballad. Neil Sedaka could write many different sots of sons, all of them with enough hooks to keep listeners interested. Beyond his talent as a songwriter, Neil Sedaka was also a remarkable singer. He was a high tenor with a sweet and clear voice, and a voice that was emotive enough to fit any mood. In his tribute to Neil Sedaka on social media, Mickey Dolenz wrote, "Neil was one of those rare songwriters who could do it all." Nothing truer of Neil Sedaka as a songwriter could be said.

Here Comes Tomorrow: The First Black Radio Soap Opera

Journalist Richard
Durham

The soap opera was one of the most popular formats during the days of Old Time Radio. The vast majority of soap operas to air on American radio centred on white characters. An exception was the short-lived radio show Here Comes Tomorrow. There series focused on an African American family. It aired on WJJD in Chicago between 1947 and 1948.

Here Comes Tomorrow centred on the Redmond family, including a Black pilot who served in the 99th Pursuit Squadron (part of what would later become known as the Tuskegee Airmen) who returned from World War II with amnesia. It was created by Richard Durham, a Black journalist who had written for New Masses, the Chicago Defender, the Chicago Star, and the Illinois Standard. He would go onto create the radio show Destination Freedom. Richard Durham was also a co-founder of the Du Bois Theatre Guild, which staged Here Comes Tomorrow. It was sponsored by Metropolitan Mutual Insurance. 

The cast of Here Comes Tomorrow included Janice Kingslow, who had appeared in the play Anna Lucasta and later appeared on the radio shows Destination Freedom and Democracy U.S.A; Wezlyn Tildon, a journalist who also acted on radio, singer, songwriter, playwright, poet, and actor Oscar Brown, Jr.; and Fred Pinkard, who would later appear in shows such as The Jeffersons and movies such as Rocky II (1979), and Harris Gaines, Jr.. Richard Durham and Jack Gibson wrote Here Comes Tomorrow. Allen Harris was its director. 

Here Comes Tomorrow was well regarded. In 1948, it took second prize in the "Dramatic Programs, 50,000 Watts" category in  a Billboard program competition. The review in the November 20, 1948, issue of Billboard, stated, "If all "soap operas" were as well written, produced and directed as this show, if they all had its intense dramatic content, its social significance and its potential as a weapon against intolerance, no one would  ever again have cause to level an accusing finger at daytime dramatic serials." According to Jack Gibson, it could also be controversial. Speaking with Smithsonian Productions, he said, "There were times that the script was so strong they used to have to take us out of the studios by freight elevators and put us in taxi cabs and go up the alley." 

Here Comes Tomorrow ended it run in 1948, but it would not be the last Black radio show to come out of Chicago. In 1948, Richard Durham created Destination Freedom, which aired live on WMAQ in Chicago. That show would run on-and-off until 1941. While Here Comes Tomorrow did not last long, it was certainly a pioneering show. 

Lauren Chapin of Father Knows Best Passes On

Lauren Chapin, who played Kathy "Kitten" Anderson on the classic sitcom Father Knows Best, died on February 24, 2026, at the age of 80. The cause was cancer. 

Lauren Chapin was born on May 23, 1945, in Los Angeles. Her older brothers were also child actors. Michael Chapin appeared as the character Red White in a series of Westerns. Billy Chapin may be best known for Night of the Hunter (1955). Lauren Chapin was singed to a contract with Columbia Pictures. She trained with mime Marcel Marceau and dancers/choreographers Marge and Gower Champion. 

Lauren Chapin guest starred on an episode of Lux Video Theatre before being cast as Kathy, called "Kitten" by her father (Jim Anderson, played by Robert Young), on Father Knows Best. She was nine years old at the time. The show ran for six seasons and the show would be rerun for another three seasons on primetime network television. While Father Knows Best was still on the air, Lauren Chapin guest starred on more episodes of Lux Video Theatre and an episode of Fireside Theatre. After Father Knows Best ended its run, she guest starred on an episode of General Electric Theatre. It would be her last acting appearance for several years. She had bit parts in the movies A Star is Born (1954) and Tension at Table Rock (1956). 

The next several years of Lauren Chapin's life would not be happy ones. She dropped out of Pasadena High School, married at 16, divorced at 18, and became addicted to heroin. She got sober in the 1970s. During that decade, she appeared in the movie The Amorous Adventures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (1976). On television, she appeared in two Father Knows Best reunions: The Father Knows Best Reunion and Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas, both in 1977. In 1980, she appeared in the TV movie Scout's Honor. Her final acting job was as  bus driver Mama Bev on the YouTube series School Bus Diaries from 2016 to 2017. 

In addition to acting, Lauren Chapin was an ordained minister. In the Eighties, she worked at a brokerage firm and later worked as a talent manager. Among her clients were Jennifer Love Hewitt. She was also on the board fo A Minor Consideration, an organization whose purpose is to protect child actors. 

Lauren Chapin may have had a brief acting career, but she will always be remembered as Kathy on Father Knows Best. She did well in the part, Much of what set Father Knows Best part from other sitcoms was that it was more realistic, right down to the performances of the children on the show, including Elinor Donahue as eldest daughter Betty and Billy Gray as son Bud. As played by Lauren Chapin, Kathy could have been a little girl many might know from real life, a precocious tomboy with a soft heart. Later in life she did a good deal of charitable work. Both as Kathy on Father Knows Best and through her work later in life, Lauren Chapin leaves behind a considerable legacy. 

Gravedigger: DC Comics' First War Hero to Headline a Comic Book

In 1977, DC Comics began a new war title. In part, the title Men of War came from a pervious ongoing series, All-American Men of War, published from 1952 to 1966. What set Men of War apart from DC Comics' earlier war titles was that the lead feature in the title centred on an African American character. Ulysses Hazard was a special operative during the Second World War.

Of course, there had been Black war characters in American comic books before. Despite the fact that American troops were segregated during World War II, Jackie Johnson was one of Easy Company in the "Sgt. Rock" feature at DC Comics. He first appeared in Our Army at War no. 113 (December 1961). In the pages of  Marvel's Sgt Fury and His Howling Commandos there was Gabe Jones, who first appeared in Sgt. Fury and His Howling Commandos no. 1 (May 1963). What set Gravedigger apart from Jackie Johnson and Gabe Jones were that while they were only supporting characters, he was the lead character in the lead feature of an ongoing series. Quite simply, he was the first Black character to be the lead in an American comic book. 

Codename: Gravedigger was created by writer David Michelinie and artist Ed Davis. He first appeared in Men of War no. 1 (August 1977). He would appear in every issue of Men of War until it end its run with issue no. 26 (March 1980). Codename: Gravedigger acknowledged that the U.S. Army was segregated during World War II. Ulysses Hazard enlisted in the U.S. Army during World War II. He found himself assigned to digging graves rather than being assigned to a combat unit. It was after his best friend was killed by a Nazi fighter jet that Ulysses went AWOL and made his way to Washington, DC. He argued before the the Joint Chiefs of Staff that he should be allowed to take part in combat. They were impressed and made him a special operative, code-named "Gravedigger.'

It was in the early Fifties that war comics emerged in popularity. They remained popular throughout the Sixties into the early Seventies. By the mid-Seventies, they were beginning to decline in popularity. It was perhaps for that reason that Men of War would end its run after 26 issues. Over time, DC would cancel its other war titles. The long-running title Our Fighting Forces had already ended its run in 1978. Unknown Solder (originally Star Spangled War Stories) was cancelled in 1982. G.I. Combat ended its run in 1987. Sgt. Rock (originally Our Army at War) was cancelled in 1988. Like many of DC Comics' war heroes, Ulysses Hazard has not appeared often since the 1980s. Regardless, he remains historic as the first Black war hero the headline his title, as well as one of the first black character in any comic book of any genre to be the lead in a title. 

Godspeed Robert Carradine

Robert Carradine, a member of the Carradine acting dynasty, died today, March 24, 2026, at the age of 71. He had suffered from bipolar disorder and the cause of his death was suicide. He played Bob Younger in The Long Riders (1980) alongside his brothers David and Keith, and starred in the movie Revenge of the Nerds (1984).

Robert Carradine was born on March 24, 1954 in Los Angeles. His father was legendary actor John Carradine. His mother was artist Sonia Sorel. He was half-brother to Bruce and David Carradine and a full brother to Christopher and Keith Carradine.

Robert Carradine made his television debut in an episode of Bonanza in 1971. He made his film debut in The Cowboys in 1972. In the Seventies, Robert Carradine guest starred in an episode of Kung Fu, starring his half-brother David Carradine and his father John Carradine. He starred on the short-lived TV show The Cowboys, which was based on the movie and on which he reprised his role from the movie. He guest starred on the TV shows Run, Joe, Run and Police Story. He appeared in the TV movies Footsteps, Go Ask Alice, The Hatfields and McCoys,  and Suvival of Dana.He appeared in  the moives Mean Streets (1973), You  and Me (1974), Aloha Bobby and  Rose (1975), Jackson County Jail (1976), The Pom Pom Girls (1976), Massacre at Central High (1976), Joyride  (1977), Orca (1977), Coming Home (1978), Blackout (1978), The Long Riders (1980) and The Big Red One (1980).

In the Eighties, Robert Carradine appeared in the movies Heartaches (1981), Tag: The Assassination Game (1982), Wavelength (1983), Revenge of the Nerds (1984), Just the Way You Are (1984), Number One with a Bullet (1987), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Buy and Cell (1988), All's Fair (1989), and Rude Awakening (1989). He guest starred on TV shows The Fall Guy, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone, Faerie Tale Theatre, The Disney Sunday Movie, and The Hitchhiker. He appeared in the mini-series Tales of the Klondike, The Sun Also Rises, and Monte Carlo. 

In the Nineties, Robert Carradine appeared in the movies The Player (1992), Bird of Prey (1995), The Killers Within (1995), Firestorm (1996), Escape from L.A. (1996), Scorpio One (1998), The Effects of Magic (1998), Stray Bullet (1998), Palmer's Pick-Up (1999), Gunfighter (1999), Lycanthrope (1999), The Vegas Connection, and Dangerous Curves (2000). He guest starred on the TV shows Sirens, ER, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, Dark Skies, The Pretender, NYPD Blue, The Practice, Fast Track, Vengenace Unlimited, and Nash Bridges.

In the Naughts, Robert Carradine played the tile character's father on the TV show Lizzie McGuire. He guest starred on the TV show Express Yourself, and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. He apperaed in the movies Ghosts of Mars (2001), Max Keeble's Big Move (2001), Three Days of Rain (2002), The Lizzie McGurire Movie (2003), Supercross (2005), Sex and Breakfast (2005), Hoboken Hollow (2006), 7-10 Split (2007), Tooth and Nail (2007), The 13th Alley (2008), Deep Winter (2008), and Fight or Flight (2010). 

In the Teens, Robert Carradine appeared in the TV movie Jesse Stone: Benefit of the Doubt. He guest starred on the shows Doubt, James Blondes, Tales of the Wild West, and the revival of Lizzie McGuire. He appeared in the movies Final Sale (2011), Fancy Pants (2011), Slumber Party Slaughter (2012), Django Unchained (2012), Finding Fish (2017), Justice  (2017), Bill Tighman and the Outlaws (2019), (2019), Nearly Departed (2019),  American Christmas (2019), and Human Zoo (2020). 

In the 2020s, Robert Carradine appeared in the movies High Holiday (2021), The Night They Came Home (2024), Was Once a Hero (2024), Let's Call the Whole Thing Off (2025), and Skate to Hell (2026). He guest starred on the TV show Medinah.

Robert Carradine was a very talented actor, as shown by how diverse his best known roles were. He played outlaw Bob Younger in The Long Riders, only to star as nerd Lewis Skolnick in Revenge of the Nerd a few years later. He was the cynical Private Zab in The Big Red One. His television work also featured a good deal of variety, from the mute Sunny Jim in the Kung Fu episode "Dark Angel" to novel and boxer Robert Cohn in the mini-series The Sun Also Rises to a chess master turned homicidal on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Robert Carradine could play a wide array of roles and play all of them well. 

Carry On Screaming! (1966)

This post is part of the "Carry On Kenny! – The 100 Years of Kenneth Williams Blogathon" hosted by The Wonderful World of Cinema) 

When people think of British cinema in the Sixties, they might be inclined to think of Hammer Film Productions' lush, atmospheric, and at times sexually provocative horror movies. When people think of British cinema in the Sixties, they might also  be inclined to think of the "Carry On" movies, a series of light comedies marked by low-brow humour, slapstick, and innuendos. Both the Hammer Horrors and the "Carry On" movies were very popular in the Sixties, and they continue to be popular to this day. It was perhaps inevitable that that the two would meet, and so they did , in the movie Carry On Screaming! (1966). Carry On Screaming!(1966) has been described as a spoof of the Hammer Horrors, although it is actually a bit more than that.

Set in the Edwardian Era, Carry On Screaming! (1966) begins with the disappearance of Doris Mann (Angela Douglas) in Hocombe Woods. Her boyfriend Albert Potter (Jim Dale) looks for her and finds only one clue to her disappearance, a single clawed finger. Albert goes to the local police station to report Doris missing. Detective Sergeant Sidney Bung (Harry H. Corbett) and Detective Constable Slobotham (Petter Butterworth) then investigate. Their investigation leads them to Bide-A-Wee Rest Home in the middle of the woods, inhabited by provocative Valeria Watt (Fenella Fielding) and her brother, scientist Dr. Orlando Watt (Kenneth Williams), as well as their butler Sockett (Bernard Bresslaw). As might be expected, it is not long before Sergeant Bung's investigation centres on Dr. Watt and Valeria.

It is likely that audiences were not surprised when Carry On Screaming! (1966) came out. The series had begun in 1958 with the service comedy Carry On Sergeant. It proved so successful that it would be followed by more "Carry On" movies centred on various occupations: Carry On Nurse (1959); Carry On Teacher (1959),Carry On Constable (1960), and so on. With Carry On Jack in 1964, the "Carry On" movies began spoofing various popular movie genres. Carry On Jack (1964) parodied seafaring adventure movies. Carry On Spying (1964) parodied spy movies. Carry On Clea (1964) parodied Cleopatra (1963). Even without the popularity of the Hammer horrors, it was probably inevitable that they would parody horror movies.

Carry On Screaming! (1966) would mark the first and only appearance of Harry H. Corbett in a "Carry On" film. Then as now, Harry H. Corbett is perhaps best known as Harold Steptoe in the classic sitcom Steptoe and Son. The role of Sergeant Sidney Bung was originally written for "Carry On" regular Sid James, hence the character's first name "Sidney (most of Sidney James's "Carry On"characters were named "Sid" or "Sidney")." At the time that Carry On Screaming! (1966), Sidney James proved to be unavailable, appearing in the pantomime Babes in the Wood at the London Palladium. 

Fenella Fielding, who had appeared in the film Carry On Regardless (1961), was cast in the role of the slinky Valeria, which would lead to a change in the character of Dr Orlando Watt as originally conceived. Originally, Dr. Watt was to have been an older character and to have been Valeria's father. It is for this reason that Kenneth Williams was a bit hesitant to take the role at first. "Carry On" producer Peter Rogers then saw to it that the script for Carry On Screaming! (1966) was changed so that Dr. Watt was a younger character and Valeria was his sister rather than his daughter. Fenella Fielding had actually appeared in a Hammer film prior to Carry On Screaming! (1966). She played Morgana Femm in William Castle's co-production with Hammer, The Old Dark House (1963). As to the name Dr. Watt, it would appear to be inspired by the BBC sci-fi series Doctor Who, popular then as it is now.

Of course, it is safe to say that at the time no one realized that a future Doctor on Doctor Who appeared in Carry On Screaming! (1966). Jon Pertwee, who would go onto play the Third Doctor on Doctor Who, played police scientist Dr. Fettle. Jon Pertwee had earlier appeared in Carry On Cleo (1964) and Carry On Cowboy (1965) and later appeared in Carry On Columbus (1992). He was hardly the only cast member of Carry On Screaming! (1966) who would appear on Doctor Who. Peter Butterworth, Bernard Bresslaw, Angela Douglas, Joan Sims, and others all appeared on Doctor Who at some point or another. 

"Carry On" regular Charles Hawtrey almost didn't appear in Carry On Screaming! (1966). The problem was simply that producer Peter Rogers and director Gerald Thomas had difficulty finding a role for him in the script. It was Stuart Levy, the head of distributor Anglo-Amalgamated, who saw to it that Charles Hawtrey appeared in Carry On Screaming (1966). He was concerned that his absence from the film could affect the box office. He was then cast in a role that was originally meant for Sydney Bromley, lavatory attendant Dan Dann. While technically one of the leads, Charles Hawtrey only appears for five minutes in the film.

If Carry On Screaming! (1966) looked like a Hammer Horror, that was largely because of cinematographer Alan Hume. While Alan Hume had previously shot several "Carry On" films, he was also the cinematographer on the Hammer Horror Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and Amicus Productions' first portmanteau horror movie Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). There should then be no wonder that Carry On Screaming! (1966) looks like a film from Hammer Film Productions, Amicus Productions, or one of their rivals.

One thing that does set Carry On Screaming! (1966)  apart from Hammer movies is that it has a theme song, only the second "Carry On" movie to have one (the first was Carry On Cowboy in 1965). "Carry On Screaming" was song by Ray Pilgrim, who released a number of singles (mainly cover versions of songs) under different names from 1960 to 1966. A version of "Carry On Screaming" would be released as a single, sung by Boz Burrell, who would later be a member of both King Crimson and Bad Company.

Carry On Screaming! (1966) was filmed  from January 10, 1966, to February 25, 1966. It was shot at Pinewood Studios in Iver Heath, with exteriors shot on location at Fulmer Grange in Wexham, Buckinghamshire (the exterior of the Bide-a-Wee Rest Home), the fire station on St. Leonard's Road in Windsor (the exterior of the police station), and house on Queen's Road in Windsor (the exterior of Sgt. Bung's house). 

Carry On Screaming! (1966) was given an "A" certificate by the British Board of Film Censorship, indicating it was suitable for adults. Given it was a "Carry On" film (which were known for their saucy humour) and a parody of Hammer Horrors at that, it might come as a surprise to learn that the BBFC didn't require any of the film be cut. Indeed, the BBFC required cuts to both the original "Carry On" film, Carry On Sergeant (1958) , and the first Hammer colour horror movie, The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), not to mention further "Carry On" movies and Hammer Horrors.

Carry On Screaming! (1966) premiered on August 18, 1966, at the New Victoria Cinema in Westminster, London. It was released throughout the United Kingdom by August 24, 1966. Previously, Anglo-Amalgamated had paired "Carry On" movies with entries in their series of "Edgar Wallace Mysteries." That series had ended in 1965, so Carry On Screaming! (1966) found itself on a double bill with the American International Pictures car racing movie Fireball 500 (1966), starring Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello.

Like previous "Carry On" films, critics were not particularly enamoured with Carry On Screaming! (1966). The Times critic referred to it as "...the dullest and least spirited of them all" and lamented that Joan Sims was "...wasted as a cliche harridan." The unnamed critic in the Monthly Film Bulletin wasn't impressed by Carry On Screaming! (1966) either, complaining, "Apart from an engaging performance by Jim Dale (and some appealing squeaks from Oddbod Junior, alias Billy Cornelius), this is glum stuff even by Carry On standards." Penelope Gillatt in The Observer described Carry On Screaming! (1966) as 'An instalment that messes about with the conventions of the series and lays an egg." In the Untied States, Variety wrote of the film, "This 12th in the successful Carry On series puts the skids under horror pix. Snag is most horror films themselves teeter on parody and it is rather tough trying to burlesque a parody."

While Carry On Screaming! (1966) received somewhat mixed reviews upon its release, it has since become regarded as one of the best films in the "Carry On"series. When the British Film Institute listed the five best and five worst "Carry On" movies, in 2018, they included Carry On Screaming! (1966) as one of the five best films in the series. Gold Radio ranked Carry On Screaming! (1966) at no. 2 in their list of the 10 best "Carry On" films. 

From the beginning, the "Carry On" films were distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated and shown at ABC theatres in the United Kingdom. It was in 1966 that Anglo-Amalgamated co-founder Stuart Levy died and the company's other founder, Nat Cohen, decided that Anglo-Amalgamated should produce more prestigious and ditched the "Carry On" films. Carry On Screaming! (1966) was then the last "Carry On" distributed by Anglo-Amalgamated. Afterwards, the Rank Organisation took over distribution of the films and they were shown at that company's Odeon Cinemas. 

If Carry On Screaming! (1966) succeeds, it is largely because it looks like a Hammer Horror. As previously mentioned, much of this is due to cinematographer Alan Hume, who was cinematographer on Hammer's Kiss of the Vampire (1963) and  rival Amicus's Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965). It also helped that Carry On Screaming! (1966), like previous entries in the "Carry On" series starting with Carry On Cruising (1962) , was shot in lush Eastmancolor, the same process used by Hammer Film Productions. Of course, the budgets for both the "Carry On" movies and the Hammer Horrors both tended to be low, so it would be natural for Carry On Screaming! (1966), with a budget of  £197,500, to look like a Hammer movie.

Of course, while Carry On Screaming! (1966) is often referred to as a parody of Hammer movies, it actually parodies the horror genre in general, from American Pre-Code horrors to the Universal monster movies. Kenneth Williams's wonderfully manic performance as Dr. Watt owes much more to Colin Clive as Henry Frankenstein in Frankenstein (193!) and Bride of Frankenstein (1935) than Peter Cushing as the much more reserved Victor Frankenstein in Hammer's "Frankenstein" series. In appearance anyway, Valeria, played by the great Fenella Fielding, owes a good deal to Morticia Addams from the comic strip and TV show The Addams Family. Many have thought the Watts' butler Sockett, played by 6'7" Bernard Bresslaw, was influenced by the Addams family's butler Lurch, but it must be pointed out that both owe a good deal to Boris Karloff as Morgan in the Universal horror movie The Old Dark House (1932). Carry On Screaming!(1966) also owes a great deal to Mystery of the Wax Museum (1933) and its remake House of Wax (1953), as well as horror movies from Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) to The Mummy (1932).

Carry On Screaming! (1966) remains one of the most popular films in the "Carry On" series. It also remains one of the most popular horror comedies ever made. A horror parody that looks like a Hammer film, it has come to be regarded as a classic. 

TCM Remembers Robert Duvall

While at the end of each year I always post TCM's annual tribute to those who have died, "TCM Remembers,' I have never posted a TCM Remembers tribute to an individual star before. I am doing so with regards to Robert Duvall for two simple reasons. The first is that Mr. Duvall is one of my all-time favourite actors. He appeared in some of my all-time favourite movies and guest starred on some of my all-time favourite TV shows. The second is that Turner Classic Movies utilises a portion of his character Hub's speech from Secondhand Lions (2003). Not only is it some of Mr. Dvuall's best work, but in my humble opinion it is one of the greatest speeches ever made in the history of cinema. What is more, I believe every word of it. The speech was made by Hub, at his great nephew Walter's request.

For those of you who would like to read the whole speech, there it is below. That having been said, I would urge you to watch Secondhand Lions, if only for that speech. As I said, it is some of Mr. Duvall's best work.

"Sometimes the things that may or may not be true are the things a man needs to believe in the most. That people are basically good; that honour, courage, and virtue mean everything; that power and money, money and power mean nothing; that good always triumphs over evil; and I want you to remember this, that love... true love never dies. You remember that, boy. You remember that. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. You see, a man should believe in those things, because those are the things worth believing in." (Hub in Secondhand Lions). 

Lory Patrick Passes On

Lory Patrick, who played Tina Swenson on the final season of Tales of Wells Fargo and guest starred on several TV shows in the Sixties, died on January 26, 2026, at the age of 92. She had been married to writer Harlan Ellison briefly and was the widow of actor Dean Jones.

Lory Patrick was born Loretta Basham on April 8, 1933, in Beckley, West Virginia. She graduated from Oak Hill High School in Oak Hill, West Virginia, and then worked as a model in Detroit and New York City. She was a model on the NBC game show Split Personality, shot in New York City, before moving to Los Angeles. 

Lory Patrick made her television debut on an episode of The Loretta Young Show. She played the role of school teacher Tina Swenson,. a neighbour of lead character Jim Hardie (Dale Robertson), on Tales of Well Fargo during the 1962-1963 season (its final season). She guest starred on the shows The Case of the Dangerous Robin, General Electric Theatre, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Wide Country, Aloca Premiere, It's a Man's World, Dobie Gillis, Laramie, Wagon Train, Death Valley Days, Dr. Kildare, The Beverly Hillbillies, Bonanza, and This is the Life. She appeared in the movies Surf Party (1964) and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (1967).

Lory Patrick retired from acting in the late Sixties. She wrote episodes of Bonanza and other TV shows. She wrote a column for writer's magazine and, as Lory Basham Jones, wrote the book Hearing God (1993).

Chances are good that Lory Patrick will always be best remembered as Tina on Tales of Wells Fargo and her guest appearance on the Bonanza episode "Journey to Terror." The two roles could not be more different. Tina on Tales of Wells Fargo was a sweet, intelligent, and upstanding young woman. Rita was part of a band of outlaws and was as ruthless as the men were. In the Dobie Gillis episode "Too Many Kooks Spoil the Broth," she played rich girl Cecily Atwater, who fully expects Dobie to become a wealthy executive. In the Wagon Tain episode "The Levy-McGowan Story," she played Rachel Levy, who falls in love with the son of her father's rival in the game of checkers. Lory Patrick also played Nurse Betty Taylor in a few episodes of Dr. Kildare and Sylvia Dempster in the movie Surf Party. While her acting career did not last long, she leaves behind a number of enjoyable performances. 

The Late Great Robert Duvall

There are those actors whose talent is simply unmatched by but a few. Robert Duvall was one of those actors. In a career that spanned over sixty years, he played everything from a drug addict to an incompetent, but overbearing Army surgeon to a former Texas Ranger. Through the years he played heroes, villains, and everything in between. He was often a leading man in movies, but it might be more accurate to describe Robert Duvall as a character actor and one of the greatest at that. He could play anything  and play it well. Sadly, Robert Duvall died yesterday morning, February 15, 2026, at the age of 95. 

Robert Duvall was born on January 6, 1931, in San Diego, California. His father, William Howard Duvall, served in the United States Navy and eventually reached the rank of Rear Admiral. Robert Duvall was round 10 years old when his family moved east, and he would spend most of his remaining childhood in the Anapolis, Maryland area. Robert Duvall attended Severn School in Severna, Maryland and then attended Principa College in Elsah, Illinois (a village near St. Louis). He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in drama from Principa in 1953. 

Robert Duvall's father fully expected him to attend the United States Naval Academy, but young Robert Duvall enlisted in the United States Army instead. He served in the Army for two years. In 1955, he moved to New York City where he studied at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre. His roommate was Dustin Hoffman, and his classmates ind included Gene Hackman and James Caan. He made his television debut in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre in 1959. In 1960, he guest-starred on the shows Armstrong Circle Theatre and Playhouse 90. 

It was in 1962 that Robert Duvall made his movie debut in one of his most acclaimed roles, playing the simple-minded Boo Radley in the classic To Kill a Mockingbird. During the Sixties, he also appeared in the movies Captain Newman, M.D. (1963), Nightmare in the Sun (1965), The Chase (1966), Countdown (1967), The Detective (1968), Bullitt (1968), True Grit (1969), The Rain People (1969),. MASH (1970), and The Revolutionary (1970). He made several guest appearances on television, including Great Ghost Stories. Cain's Hundred, Shannon, Route 66, Naked City, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Untouchables, The Twilight Zone, The Virginian, Stoney Burke, Arrest and Trial, The Lieutenant, Kraft Suspense Theatre, The Outer Limits, The Fugitive, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Defenders , The F.B.I., Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, Hawk, Shane, The Felony Squad, The Time Tunnel, T.H.E. Cat, Combat!, The Cimarron Strip, The Wild Wild West, Run for Your Life, Judd for the Defence, CBS Playhouse, and The Mod Squad. He appeared on Broadway in Wait Until Dark.

In the Seventies, Robert Duvall was nominated for the Oscars for Best Supporting Actor for the movies The Godfather (1972) and Apocalypse Now (1980), and for Best Actor for The Great Santini (1979). He appeared in the movies Lawman (1971), THX 1138 (1971), Tomorrow (1972), The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid (1972), (1972), Joe Kidd (1972), Lady Ice (1973), Badge 373 (1973), The Outfit (1973), The Conversation (1974), The Godfather Part II (1974), Breakout (1975), The Killer Elite (1975), The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (1976), Network (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), The Greatest (1977), The Betsy (1978), Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978),  Apocalypse Now (1979), and The Great Santini (1979).  On television, he appeared in the mini-series Ike. He appeared on Broadway in American Buffalo. Robet Duvall made his feature film directorial debut with We're Not the Jet Set in 1971. 

In the Eighties, Robert Duvall played Captain Gus McRae in the mini-series Lonesome Dove, for which he was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special. He appeared in the TV movie The Terry Fox Story. Robert Duvall appeared in the movies True Confessions (1981), The Pursuit of D.B. Cooper (1981), (1983), Tender Mercies (1983), The Stone Boy (1984), The Natural (1984), The Lightship (1985), Belizaire the Cajun (1986), Let's Get Harry (1986), Hotel Colonial (1987), (1988), Colours (1988), The Handmaid's Tale (1990), A Show of Force (1990), and Days of Thunder (1990). He directed the movie Angelo My Love (1983). 

In the Nineties, Robert Duvall directed the movie The Apostle (1997), in which he also starred. He appeared n the movies Rambling Rose (1991), Convicts (1991), (1992), Newsies (1992), La peste (1992), Falling Down (1993), Geronimo: An American Legend (1993), Wrestling Ernest Hemingway (1993), The Paper (1994). The Stars Fell on Henrietta (1995), Something to Talk About (1995), The Scarlett Letter (1995), A Family Thing (1996), Phenomenon (1996), Sling Blade (1996), The Gingerbread Man (1998), Deep Impact (1998), A Civil Action (1998), Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000), A Shot at Glory (2000),  and The 6th Day (2000). He appeared on television in the TV movies Stalin and The Man Who Captured Eichmann. He guest starred on Saturday Night Live.

In the Naughts, Robert Duvall appeared on the two-part TV movie Broken Trail. He directed the movie Assassination Tango (2002), in which he also appeared. He appeared in the movies John Q (2002), Gods and Generals (2003), Open Range (2003), Secondhand Lions (2003), Kicking & Screaming (2005), Thank You for Smoking (2005), Lucky You (2007, We Own the Night (2007), Four Christmases (2008), The Road (2009), and Crazy Heart (2009). In the Teens, he directed and appeared in the movies Wild Horses (2015). He appeared in the movies Seven Days in Utopia (2011), Jayne Mansfield's Car (2012), Jack Reacher (2012),A Night in Old Mexico (2013), The Judge (2014), In Dubious Battle (2016), and Widows (2016). In the 2020s, he appeared in the movies 12 Mighty Orphans (2021), Hustle (2022), and The Pale Blue Eye (2022). 

Robert Duvall was one of the greatest actors of the late 20th Century and the early 21st Century. He was so remarkable that it is difficult to summarize his greatest performances in a matter of paragraphs. To adequately do them justice would take an entire book. He could play a wide variety of characters. He played the mentally unbalanced surfing fanatic Lt  Colonel Bill Kilgore in Apocalypse Now. He the character of the title in The Great Santini, a larger than life Marine pilot whose personality clashes with his family. In The Godfather, he was the Corleone's non-Italian consigliere, who served as a voice of reason. Robert Duvall even knocked it out of the park with his film debut. He played the gentle and protective Boo Radley in To Kill a Mockingbird. What might have been his most famous television role was Captain Gus McCrae, the free-spirited but nonetheless philosophical former Texas Ranger in the min-series Lonesome Dove.

Robert Duvall gave a number of great performances even in his lesser known work. This was particularly true of his work in television, on which he left us with a number of great performances. In "A Hole in the City," one of the Naked City episodes on which he guest-starred, he played Lewis Nunda, an armoured car robber who finds himself haunted by his past. In the Route 66 episode "Birdcage on My Foot," he played a heroin addict that Tod (Martin Milner) attempts to rehabilitate. In the Twilight Zone episode "Miniature," he played a a lonely man who becomes convinced that the figures in a dollhouse are alive. His movie The Apostle may not be as well known as The Godfather or Apocalypse Now, but Robert Duvall gives a remarkable performance as the flawed, but sincere Sonny. Among his best-loved performances is that of Hub McCann, the bigger-than-life great uncle of Walter (Haley Joel Osment). 

Robert Duvall was a giant when it came to acting. He had but few peers, and he was unmatched when it came to the variety of roles he could play. While the fame of other actors may fade with time, Robert Duvall will always be remembered for the many great performances he leaves behind.