The Late Great Leonard Cohen

Poet, novelist, and songwriter Leonard Cohen died on November 7 2016 at the age of 82.

Leonard Cohen was born on September 21 1934 in Westmount, Quebec. His paternal grandfather was Lyon Cohen, co-founder of the Canadian Jewish Times, the first English language Jewish newspaper in Canada, and the first president of the Canadian Jewish Congress. His father, Nathan Cohen, owned a successful clothing store. His mother, Masha (née Klonitzky), was a nurse and the daughter of Talmudic writer, Rabbi Solomon Klonitsky-Kline. Leonard Cohen's father died when Leonard Cohen was only nine years old.

Leonard Cohen attended Roslyn Elementary School in Westmount. He attended several years at Herzliah High School in Montreal before transferring to  Westmount High School. He became interested in poetry and music while still in school, and became particularly interested in the work of  Federico García Lorca. He taught himself to play acoustic guitar.

In 1951 Leonard Cohen enrolled at McGill University in Montreal. The magazine CIV/n published his first poems in March 1954. Leonard Cohen graduated from McGill University in 1955. It was in 1956 that his first book of poetry, Let Us Compare Mythologies, was published. Mr. Cohen furthered his education with a term at the law school of McGill University and then a year at the School of General Studies at Columbia University. His next book of poems, The Spice-Box of Earth, was published in 1961. It was followed by the novel The Favourite Game in 1963 and another book of poems, Flowers for Hitler, 1964. Another novel,  Beautiful Losers, was published in 1966.

Leonard Cohen made little money from his writing upon the initial publication of his books, and as a result he turned to songwriting. He wrote the songs "Suzanne" and "Dress Rehearsal Rag" in 1966. Both were recorded by Judy Collins and appeared on her album In My Life. Miss Collins also released "Suzanne" as a single. Mr. Cohen released his first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, in 1967.  Many of the songs on the album would be covered by other artists. "Suzanne" was recorded by Noel Harrison, Neil Diamond, Tori Amos, Nick Cave, Peter Gabriel, and others. "Sisters of Mercy" was recorded by Judy Collins and The Chieftains; it also provided the name of the Goth band The Sisters of Mercy. "So Long Marianne" was recorded by Brian Hyland and the band James.

In the late Sixties and in the Seventies Leonard Cohen followed his first album with four more albums (Songs from a Room in 1969, Songs of Love and Hate in 1971, New Skin for the Old Ceremony in 1974, Death of a Ladies' Man in 1977, and Recent Songs in 1979). As with his first album, many of his songs would be covered by others. "Story of Isaac", from Songs from a Room, was covered by Suzanne Vega and others.  "Famous Blue Raincoat", from Songs of Love and Hate, was recorded by Jennifer Warnes, Tori Amos, and others. "Ballad of the Absent Mare", from Recent Songs, was covered by  Emmylou Harris and others. Mr. Cohen also published two more books: The Energy of Slaves in 1972 and Death of a Lady's Man in 1978.

It would be in 1984 that what might be Leonard Cohen's most covered song appeared on the album Various Positions. "Hallelujah" has been covered by such artists as John Cale, Jeff Buckley, and many, many others. Over 300 versions of the song are known to exist. It was also in 1984 that his book Book of Mercy was published. In 1988 Mr. Cohen released the album I'm Your Man.

The Nineties saw the release of Mr. Cohen's album The Future in 1992 and his book Stranger Music: Selected Poems and Songs in 1993. He spent most of the Nineties as a a Buddhist monk  in the Mount Baldy monastery near Los Angeles. At the time many pondered if he would ever record again, but in 2001 he released the album Ten New Songs. He followed it with Dear Heather in 2004. His book Book of Longing was published in 2006.

The Teens saw more new music from Leonard Cohen. He released the albums Old Ideas (2012), Popular Problems (2014), and, his final album, You Want It Darker (2016).  His book Poems and Songs was published in 2011 and Fifteen Poems in 2012. Leonard Cohen continued to work even as he was dying. He was working on two other musical projects and another book of poetry.

To say that Leonard Cohen was one of the greatest songwriters of all time might well be an understatement. He was certainly one of the greatest lyricists. Through his songs Mr. Cohen addressed a number of topics, both timeless and current: love, religion, despair, isolation, war, politics, and many more. His songs could at times be depressing, although even at their darkest there would always be a glimmer of hope. Mr. Cohen could even address the darkest themes with a sense of humour (as in his song "Everybody Knows").  Even when Mr. Cohen's songs did not directly address the subject of religion, his songs were always deeply spiritual. What is more, anyone could identify with Leonard Cohen's songs. He was Jewish all his life and had lived as a Buddhist monk, but his songs could be appreciated by anyone, whether they were Christian, Muslim, atheist, or someone with no particular belief system at all. Quite simply, like any great poet, Leonard Cohen addressed the human condition, and he did so with lyrics that were as often oblique as they were clear.

Throughout his career Leonard Cohen saw little success on the charts. Only his first album ever went gold. Even so, he must stand as one of the most successful songwriters of all time. There are over 300 versions of "Hallelujah" alone. With the exception of his most recent album, nearly all of his albums boasted at least one song, usually more, that was covered by multiple artists. Much of this was perhaps because Leonard Cohen's songs were much like he was: elegant and charming, yet human and approachable. While Leonard Cohen may not have seen much success on the charts, there can be no doubt he will be remembered long after many pop sensations have been forgotten.

Godspeed Kay Starr

Legendary singer Kay Starr died on November 3 2016 at the age of 94.

Kay Starr was born Katherine Starks on a reservation near Dougherty, Oklahoma on July 21 1922. Her father, Harry, was Iroquois. Her mother, Annie, was of Irish and Native American ancestry. She was still only three years old when the family moved to Dallas, Texas. Miss Starr began singing while very young. When she was seven years old her Aunt Nora entered her in a talent competition held by radio station  WRR and she won.  Afterwards she had her own fifteen minute show on the station, singing both pop and hillbilly tunes. The family eventually moved to Memphis, Tennessee. There she sang on radio station WMPS, continuing to perform both pop and hillbilly songs. It was while she was there that she and her parents decided to change her stage name to "Kay Starr", due to misspellings in her fan mail.

Kay Starr was only fifteen when she was discovered by jazz violinist Joe Venuti. Mr. Venuti hired to sing with his orchestra for his dates at the Claridge Hotel in Memphis. He was so impressed with her that he hired her to tour with his orchestra during the summer. Miss Starr toured with Joe Venuti and his orchestra for three summers in all. Performing with Joe Venuti's band led to Kay Starr performing with Bob Crosby and His Bobcats on the radio show Camel Caravan briefly in 1939, and then for a brief time with Glenn Miller and his band when their regular vocalist Marion Hutton was ill.

After graduating from high school she did further tours with Joe Venuti. She sang with  Wingy Manone's band for a time. From 1943 to 1945 she sang with Charlie Barnet's band. She was forced to take a year off from performing when she contracted pneumonia and then developed nodes on her vocal cords. She returned to performing in 1946 as a soloist. The following year she was signed by Capitol Records. She had her first hit was "You Were Only Foolin' (While I Was Falling In Love) ", which went to no. 16 on the Billboard singles chart. She followed it with "So Tired", which went to no. 7 on the singles chart and "How It Lies, How It Lies, How It Lies", which peaked at no. 28.

It would be 1950 that would see Kay Starr become a major pop star. That year she had her biggest hit so far with "Hoop-de-Doo", which peaked at no. 2. It was followed by "Bonaparte's Retreat", which peaked at no. 4. That same year her first album, Songs by Kay Starr, was released. The early Fifties would see Kay Starr have yet more hits, including "I'll Never Be Free", "Oh! Babe", "Come On-A My House", and "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)". Her biggest hit was in 1952--"Wheel of Fortune" hit the no. 1 spot on the Billboard singles chart and was certified gold.

In 1955 Kay Starr signed with RCA Victor. Unfortunately, the rise of rock 'n' roll would put an end to the string of hits she had since the late Forties. In the late Fifties she would only have two hits. "The Rock And Roll Waltz" hit no. 1 in 1956. "My Heart Reminds Me" peaked at no. 9 the following year. In 1959 Kay Starr returned to Capitol Records. While she recorded several more albums, she would only have a few hits in the Sixties. "My Heart Reminds Me" peaked at no. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1965. Tears and Heartaches" peaked at no. 19 in 1966. "When The Lights Go On Again (All Over The World)" peaked at no. 24 in 1968. She not only recorded several more albums, but also continued to tour.

In the late Forties Kay Starr appeared in a few films. She appeared in Stop That Dancin' Up There (1944). Make Believe Ballroom (1949), and When You're Smiling (1950). In Down to Earth (1947) she provided Adele Jergens's singing voice. On television she appeared on such shows as Four Star Revue, The Colgate Comedy Hour, Toast of the Town, The Honeymooners, Producer's Showcase, Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The Dean Martin Show, The Hollywood Palace, and The Red Skelton Show, as well as the TV special The Pied Piper of Hamelin (1957).

Kay Starr was a phenomenal singer. In fact, she was so versatile that it is difficult to pin her down to any one genre. Over the years she sang traditional pop music, jazz, the blues, hillbilly music, and Western music. Indeed, while her two best known songs ("Wheel of Fortune" and 'Rock And Roll Waltz") are traditional pop, her best work was arguably in jazz and the blues. Some even consider her to be the greatest jazz singer of all time. Certainly her voice had great range and was incredibly expressive. Kay Starr could convey any emotion she chose through her singing. What is more, her voice was absolutely explosive. One had no trouble hearing Kay Starr. She will certainly be remembered for many years to come.

Godspeed Lupita Tovar

Lupita Tovar, who starred in both American and Mexican films, died yesterday at the age of 106.

Lupita Tovar was born Guadalupe Natalia Tovar in Matías Romero, Oaxaca, Mexico on July 27 1910. Lupita had been her nickname since childhood. The family later moved to San Pedro de los Pinos near Mexico City.  In school Miss Tovar studied gymnastics and dance, and it would be this that would lead to her acting career. When she was 16 documentary filmmaker  Robert J. Flaherty and a group of talent scouts visited her gymnastics class at her school. Miss Tovar received a 7 year contract for $150 a week with Fox Studios. Her grandmother accompanied her on the train to Hollywood in 1928.

Lupita Tovar made her film debut in 1929 in a bit part in The Veiled Woman (1929). She appeared in bit parts in the films Joy Street (1929), The Black Watch (1929), and The Cock-Eyed World (1929). In 1930 she moved from Fox to Universal. Her first film with Universal was La voluntad del muerto (1930), a Spanish language version of The Cat and the Canary. It was in 1931 that she appeared in her most famous film, Universal's Spanish language version of Dracula. The film was shot on the same sets as Tod Browning's English language version, but used a different cast and director. In 1932 she appeared in Santa, the first Mexican sound film. During the Thirties she also appeared in such films as Carne de cabaret (1931), Yankee Don (1931), East of Borneo (1931), Border Law (1931), Vidas rotas (1935), Alas sobre El Chaco (1935), The Invader (1936), Blockade (1938), María (1938), The Fighting Gringo (1939), and South of the Border (1939).

In the Forties Lupita Tovar appeared in the films Two Gun Sheriff (1941), Resurrección (1943), Gun to Gun (1944), Miguel Strogoff (1944), and The Crime Doctor's Courage (1945). Her final appearance was in an episode of the anthology series Invitation Playhouse: Mind Over Murder in 1952.

Lupita Tovar married talent agent and producer Paul Kohner in 1932. Many of their descendants would go into the film industry. Their daughter was actress Susan Kohner. Their son was producer and director Pancho Kohner. Among their grandchildren were producer, director, and writer Paul Weitz and producer, director, and writer Chris Weitz.

In more recent years Miss Tovar has appeared in retrospectives of the Spanish language version of Dracula (1931), Santa, Mexican cinema, and Old Hollywood.

Lupita Tovar was certainly beautiful. In fact, with her dark hair and big eyes she was absolutely striking. She was also very talented. This is more evident than in her best known film, the Spanish version of Dracula (1931). While Helen Chandler was an adequate Mina Seward in the English language version, Miss Tovar was absolutely amazing as Eva Seward in the Spanish. Indeed, Miss Tovar brought a touch of sexuality to the role that was entirely lacking with Helen Chandler. She also gave a superb performance in Santa, playing the title character, a young woman whose husband's cheating ruins her life. While Lupita Tovar never achieved major stardom, her career was filled with memorable performances.

Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

It was on April 29 1983 that Walt Disney Productions released an adaptation of Ray Bradbury's 1962 novel Something Wicked This Way Comes. Even then Something Wicked This Way Comes was regarded as one of the classics in the dark fantasy genre. Indeed, the novel had already had an impact on popular culture. Harry Nilsson's 1967 album Pandemonium Shadow Show drew its name directly from the novel, and it was a major influence on best selling author Stephen King. What many at the time of the movie's release might not have realised is that the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes actually had its origins in film.

It all began when Ray Bradbury and his wife Marguerite were invited to a showing of Invitation to the Dance (1956) by their friend, legendary actor, director, and dancer Gene Kelly. The carnival sequence in the movie struck a particular chord with Mr. Bradbury. He told his wife walking home from the film, "I'd give my right arm to write a screenplay for Gene Kelly." His wife told him she was certain that in his files he had something dealing with carnivals or circuses.

The two of them looked through his files and found an unfinished story entitled "The Black Ferris" that had been meant for The Dark Carnival (Bradbury's first anthology as well as his first book). Ray Bradbury wrote an 80 page screenplay and sent it to Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly loved the screenplay and wanted to both produce and direct it. Unfortunately, he had difficulty getting backing for the project. Gene Kelly sent the script back to Mr. Bradbury. Ray Bradbury then re-wrote the screenplay as a novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes, which was published in 1962.

For those unfamiliar with Something Wicked Way Comes, it is a dark fantasy novel about two thirteen year old boys (Jim Nightshade and William Halloway) who, with the help of Will's father Charles, find that they must defend their small town of Green Town, Illinois against a sinister, supernatural carnival--Cooger & Dark's Pandemonium Shadow Show. Headed by the menacing Mr. Dark, the Pandemonium Shadow Show featured such unusual attractions as the Dust Witch, The Skeleton, and a rather unusual carousel. Ray Bradbury drew a good deal upon nostalgia for his Midwestern childhood for much of the inspiration for Something Wicked This Way Comes, but he also drew upon the horror genre and folk tales a good deal as well. In the end, it is one of the darkest works he had ever written.

While Ray Bradbury never got to make Something Wicked This Way Comes as a film with Gene Kelly, it was only a matter of time before the novel would become a movie. It was in 1977 that Ray Bradbury sold the film rights to the novel to Paramount Pictures. To work on the script with him, he turned to Jack Clayton, who had been one of the associate producers on the film Moby Dick (1956), for which Mr. Bradbury had written the screenplay. Jack Clayton was an established director, having directed such films as Room at the Top (1959), The Innocents (1961), and The Pumpkin Eater (1964). The film would have starred Kirk Douglas and would have been produced by Kirk Douglas's company Bryna Productions. Unfortunately, Paramount Pictures never made the film.

It was in 1981 that Walt Disney Productions bought the film rights to Something Wicked This Way Comes. Starting with The Black Hole in 1979, Walt Disney Productions had been trying to break free of their reputation for family films and animated features by making films that were still family friendly, but included more mature themes. Walt Disney Productions then hired Ray Bradbury to write the screenplay. It was Ray Bradbury who suggested to Disney that they hire Jack Clayton as the film's director.

Unfortunately, production on Something Wicked This Way Comes would not proceed smoothly. Ray Bradbury and Jack Clayton wanted the film to be fairly faithful to the novel, which is fairly dark. Disney wanted a more family friendly film. Disney would eventually insist that Ray Bradbury's screenplay had to be revised. As a result Jack Clayton hired writer John Mortimer to make some uncredited revisions to the script. This led to a disagreement between Ray Bradbury and Jack Clayton.

In the end Walt Disney Productions would wind up taking control of the project from Jack Clayton and Ray Bradbury. A test screening went poorly, and as a result Disney re-edited the film and even shot whole new scenes with a second unit director. A good number of special effects sequences were added. The original score composed by Georges Delerue (who had composed the score for Jack Clayton's film The Pumpkin Eater), which Disney considered "too dark", was replaced with a new score by James Horner (who later composed the score for 1997's Titanic). Neither Ray Bradbury nor Jack Clayton were particularly happy with Disney's interference with the film.

Unfortunately for Walt Disney Productions, their intervention was all for naught. In fact, it seems possible that it could have made things worse. While Something Wicked This Way Comes received mixed to positive reviews, it bombed at the box office. Something Wicked This Way Comes made only $8.4 million at the box office, but cost  $19 million to make. As to Ray Bradbury himself, he said that the movie was "..not a great film, no, but a decently nice one."

As an adaptation of the novel Something Wicked This Way Comes, in some ways the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes is a failure. While it does a good job of capturing the Norman Rockwell qualities of small town America in the novel, it falls slightly short in its portrayal of the darkness just lying beneath the surface of life in Green Town. Sadly, it would seem Disney's attempts to make Something Wicked This Way Comes family friendly made it something less powerful than the original novel. Of course, here it should be pointed out that perhaps any adaptation of Something Wicked This Way Comes would fall short, given the book has been counted among the greatest American novels of the 20th Century.

Considered its on its own, it would seem that Ray Bradbury's assessment of the movie Something Wicked This Way Comes as "..a decently nice one" is fairly accurate. The movie does succeed quite well in painting a portrait of small town life in the first half of the 20th Century, and it does feature some true moments of horror. Jonathan Pryce made for a great villain in the form of Mr. Dark. While the film does not measure up to the novel nor does it capture the novel perfectly, it is quite enjoyable on its own.

The Late Great Robert Vaughn

I am not sure where I first saw Robert Vaughn. It may have been in The Magnificent Seven (1960) or it might have been on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. I do know he has been one of my favourite actors since childhood. As a lad I always thought he was so cool as Napoleon Solo on The Man From U.N.C.L.E.  Even then I realised he was a very talented actor from his performance as Lee in The Magnificent Seven. Throughout my childhood I would see many more performances from Robert Vaughn in various TV shows and movies. And while I was a huge fan of him as a child, as an adult I grew to admire him even more. I discovered his book Only Victims: A Study of Show Business Blacklisting on the Hollywood blacklist. The book was his dissertation for his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Southern California. That's right. Robert Vaughn was not only a talented actor, but he also had a PhD. Sadly, Dr. Vaughn died today at the age of 83 after a long battle with leukaemia.

Robert Vaughn was born on November 22 1932 in New York City. He sprang from a long line of actors. His maternal great grandfather, Sebastian Gaudel, was reportedly in the commedia dell' arte in France. His maternal grandfather, Frank S. Gaudel, was the director of the Glencoe Comedy Players in Glencoe, Minnesota. His maternal grandmother,  Marie or Mary Halloran (she was called both) was an actress in Glencoe. His parents were also actors. His father, Gerald Walter Vaughn, was a radio actor who generally played heavies on such shows as Gangbusters and Crime Doctor. His mother, Marcella Gaudel, was an actress who appeared in the 1931 Broadway production of Dracula.

Robert Vaughn's parents divorced when he was a baby. His mother moved back to Minnesota where he was partially raised by his maternal grandparents. His mother encouraged young Robert in acting, teaching him the "To be or not to be" soliloquy from Hamlet when he was only five. At age twelve he travelled with an Iowa tent show, Sweet's Famous Players. He debuted on radio in the part of Billy on Jack Armstrong, the All-American Boy. He also appeared on such radio shows as Let's Pretend. He attended North Community High School in Minneapolis, where he was active in theatrical productions. After graduating high school he attended the University of Minnesota as a journalism major. He dropped out after a year and moved to Los Angeles. There he attended  Los Angeles City College. He later transferred to  Los Angeles State College of Applied Arts and Sciences where he earned his master's degree in theatre. He was an established actor when he earned his PhD from the University of Southern California in 1970.

In 1955 Robert Vaughn played Judas Iscariot in the annual The Pilgrimage Play at the Pilgrimage Play Theatre (now the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre) in Hollywood. That same year he made his television debut in an episode of Medic. In the late Fifties Dr. Vaughn appeared on such shows as You Are There, Big Town, The Millionaire, Father Knows Best, Zane Grey Theatre, Gunsmoke, Dragnet, Mike Hammer, The Rifleman, Zorro, Bronco, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Rebel, Laramie, and Wagon Train.

He made his film debut in a bit part in The Ten Commandments (1956). His first substantial role was in Hell's Crossroads (1957). He appeared in the films No Time to Be Young (1957), Teenage Cave Man (1958), and Unwed Mother (1958). Dr. Vaughn served in the United States Army for a time in the late Fifties before returning to acting. He played Chester A. Gwynn in The Young Philadelphians (1959), for which he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. The Young Philadelphians was followed by Robert Vaughn's most famous film, The Magnificent Seven (1960). In the film he played Lee, the gunslinger suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

The Sixties would see Robert Vaughn cast in his most famous role, that of superspy Napoleon Solo on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. Alongside Illya Kuryakin (played by David McCallum), Solo was an agent for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement, a secret organisation constantly in battle with the forces of evil, which usually came in the form of THRUSH, a group dedicated to world conquest. The show proved to be something of a fad, and at its height Robert Vaughn was receiving 70,000 pieces of mail a week.

Robert Vaughn also starred on the single season show The Lieutenant, on which he played Captain Raymond Rambridge, the commanding officer of Second Lieutenant William Tiberius Rice (played by Gary Lockwood), the lieutenant of the title. He made one guest appearance on the spin-off from The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. In the Sixties he also guest starred on such shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Bonanza, The Virginian, The Dick Van Dyke Show, 77 Sunset Strip, Please Don't Eat the Daisies (as Napoleon Solo), and The Red Skelton Show.

During the Sixties some episodes of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. were edited together and released theatrically, but Robert Vaughn appeared in several movies besides these. He had a cameo in The Glass Bottom Boat (1966) as Napoleon Solo. He played an atypical role as politician Walter Chalmers in Bullitt (1968). He also appeared in the films The Big Show (1961), The Caretakers (1963), If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969), The Bridge at Remagen (1969), Julius Caesar (1970), and The Mind of Mr. Soames (1970),

In the Seventies Robert Vaughn starred on the TV show The Protectors, on which he played international troubleshooter Harry Rule. He also starred on the miniseries Captains and the Kings, Washington: Behind Closed Doors, and Centennial. He guest starred on such shows as Columbo, Police Woman, The Eddie Capra Mysteries, Hawaii Five-O, Trapper John M.D., and The Love Boat. He appeared in several movies during the decade, including another remake of Seven Samurai. Gelt in Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) was essentially Lee from The Magnificent Seven in space. He also provided the voice of Proteus IV in the movie Demon Seed (1977). He appeared in the films The Statue (1971), Clay Pigeon (1971), The Man from Independence (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), La baby sitter (1975), Atraco en la jungla (1976), Starship Invasions (1977), The Lucifer Complex (1978), Brass Target (1978), Good Luck, Miss Wyckoff (1979), Cuba Crossing (1980), Fukkatsu no hi (1980), and Hangar 18 (1980).

In the Eighties Dr. Vaughn had regular roles on both Emerald Point N.A.S. and The A-Team. He appeared in the miniseries The Blue and the Grey. He guest starred on such shows as Hotel, The Hitchhiker, The Ray Bradbury Theatre, and Hunter. He played the title role in the TV movie FDR: That Man in the White House (1982). Perhaps his most notable TV appearance was the 1983 reunion movie The Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E.: The Fifteen Years Later Affair. He appeared in such films as S.O.B. (1981), Superman III (1983), Veliki transport (1983), The Delta Force (1986), Killing Birds (1987), Hour of the Assassin (1987), Skeleton Coast (1988), The Emissary (1988), C.H.U.D. II - Bud the Chud (1989), Transylvania Twist (1989), Nobody's Perfect (1990), and Buried Alive (1990).

In the Nineties Robert Vaughn was the host of Danger Theatre. He had a role on the short lived show The Magnificent Seven. He guest starred on such shows as Murder, She Wrote; Kung Fu: The Legend Continues; Burke's Law; One Life to Live; Diagnosis Murder; The Nanny; and Law & Order. He appeared in such films as Blind Vision (1992), Dust to Dust (1994), Witch Academy (1995), An American Affair (1997), Vulcan (1997), Motel Blue (1997), Visions (1998), The Sender (1998), and BASEketball (1998).

From the Naughts into the Teens, Robert Vaughn starred on Hustle, on which he played Albert Stroller, the roper for the group of con men on the show (the roper being someone who identifies marks and "roping them in'). He appeared in the miniseries Family of the Year and  In the Naughts he also appeared in such films as Cottonmouth (2002), Happy Hour (2003), and Scene Stealers (2004). In the Teens he continued to appear on Hustle. He also appeared as Milton Fanshaw on thirteen episodes of Coronation Street. He guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. He appeared in the films Patrimony (2011), The Magnificent Eleven (2012), Excuse Me for Living (2012), A Cry from Within (2014), and The American Side (2016). His final appearance will be in the film Gold Star.

I think there will be no doubt that Robert Vaughn will always be remembered as Napoleon Solo on The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and Lee on The Magnificent Seven. He was very fortunate to have played one of the most iconic roles in television and one of the most iconic roles in film. That having been said, the two roles do show just how very talented Robert Vaughn was, as they were both very different from each. Napoleon Solo was calm, cool, collected, and very charming. Lee was nervous and obviously suffering from trauma. Both men were very sophisticated and both could be deadly, but they were also very different.

Indeed, Robert Vaughn played a wide variety of roles throughout his career. He played three United States presidents (Harry Truman, FDR, and, in an episode of Law of the Plainsman, a young Teddy Roosevelt) and did so convincingly. He played the opponent of the lieutenant of the title on two episodes of Columbo, one the owner of a ship-building business and the other a used car salesman. In The Young Philadelphians he was a disabled veteran accused of murder. He was evil the voice of an evil computer in Demon Seed. Through his long career he played everything from politicians to military officers to scientists to con men. What is more he was convincing in every role. What is more, those who worked with him remarked upon his professionalism and described him with such words as "lovely' and "charming". I don't know too many people who had the honour of meeting Robert Vaughn, but those few that I do described him as the nicest man one could hope to meet. Robert Vaughn was then the consummate professional and a true gentleman.  He had been one of my heroes nearly my whole life. I am very sad to know he is gone.

Grace Kelly in To Catch a Thief

When people hear the phrase "Hitchcock blonde", chances are good that Grace Kelly may be the first actress that comes to their minds. She starred in three Alfred Hitchock's fillms, all three of which might number among his most iconic. She first worked with Mr. Hitchcock in Dial M for Murder (1954) and then again with him on Rear Window (1954). Their final film together was To Catch a Thief (1955), which also starred frequent Hitchcock collaborator Cary Grant.

In To Catch a Thief Grace Kelly played Frances Stevens, daughter of wealthy widow Jessie Stevens (played Jessie Royce Landis). Cary Grant played retired jewel thief John Robie, AKA "The Cat", who must prove his innocence when a string of thefts start occurring on the French Riviera. The film was a significant one for Cary Grant, who briefly left the film industry after his career experienced a slump in the early Fifties. Alfred Hitchcock actually had to lure him out of retirement. Like Rear Window and, to a lesser degree Dial M for Murder, To Catch a Thief was in some respects a significant film for Grace Kelly. Arguably it cemented her place in many peoples' minds as the Hitchcock blonde.

Much like Rear Window, To Catch a Thief arguably featured Grace Kelly in some of her best known costumes. In the case of both films, the costumes were designed by the legendary Edith Head. For To Catch a Thief Miss Head was nominated for Best Costume Design, Colour.  Grace Kelly and Edith Head weren't the only veterans of Rear Window to work on To Catch a Thief.  John Michael Hayes had also written the screenplay for Rear Window and, following To Catch a Thief, would work on the screenplay for The Trouble With Harry (1955) and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956).

A portion of To Catch a Thief would be filmed in Monaco, the postage stamp kingdom of which Grace Kelly would soon become its princess. While shooting Miss Kelly saw a beautiful, walled garden she wanted to visit. Unfortunately, arrangements with  its owner, Prince Rainier of Monaco, could not be made. It would only be seven months later that Grace Kelly would marry Prince Ranier and retire from acting. She only made two more films after To Catch a Thief: The Swan (1956) and High Society (1956).

Below are some of Edith Head's costumes worn by Grace Kelly in the film.

50 Years Ago Today NBC Went All Colour

It was 50 years ago today that the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) became the first American broadcast network to have an all colour schedule. It was on November 7 1966 that their last, regularly scheduled black and white show, the daytime game show Concentration, aired its first regularly scheduled, colour edition. While all three broadcast networks (NBC, CBS, and ABC) had prime time schedules entirely in colour starting with the 1966-1967 season, various daytime shows would continue to be broadcast in black-and-white on CBS and ABC. In fact, ABC would continue to air a good deal of daytime programming in black and white until December 1967, over a year after NBC had converted over to an all colour schedule.

For NBC the conversion to an all colour schedule was no simple victory over its competitors, but the end result of what had been a long fought battle with its old rival CBS. It was on July 3 1928 that John Logie Baird demonstrated the first ever colour television transmission in London. In the United States Bell Laboratories demonstrated colour television in June 1929. It would not be until after World War II that the development of colour television would really take off in the United States. While various companies developed their own colour systems, the competition would ultimately come down to systems developed by CBS and RCA (the parent company of NBC).

CBS was actually the first of the two companies to develop a colour system. Unfortunately for CBS, its system was incompatible with the black-and-white sets of the early Fifties. The system ultimately developed by RCA was compatible with the black-and-white sets of the time. While CBS's system had been favoured early on, it was then the RCA colour system that ultimately won in 1953. As NBC was not only owned by the company that developed the American colour system, but a company that manufactured television sets, it should perhaps not be surprising that NBC took the lead in colour programming.

Indeed, NBC was the only American broadcast network to air programmes in colour during the 1953-1954 season. On November 22 1953 an edition of The Colgate Comedy Hour became the first colour television broadcast in the NTSC colour system. Later that season, on January 1 1954, NBC aired the Tournament of Roses Parade in colour. It was on January 5 1955 that NBC debuted the first regularly scheduled, colour TV show, Norby. Norby was a short-lived sitcom starring David Wayne as the title character, the vice president of a small town bank. It was also in 1955 that NBC's popular children's show, Howdy Doody, made the switch to colour.

From the mid-Fifties into the mid-Sixties NBC gradually increased its colour programming. The adventure series Northwest Passage was aired in colour for its only season (1958-1959). Much more successful was the Western Bonanza. Debuting in 1959, it proved to be one of the longest running and highest rated shows of the Sixties. It aired in colour from the beginning. By the 1965-1966 season NBC aired only two shows in black-and-white in its prime time line-up. The short lived World War II drama Convoy had to be shot in black-and-white because of its use of black-and-white, archive footage. The classic sitcom I Dream of Jeannie was shot in black and white in part because of its special effects, but also largely due to the fact that NBC executives had little faith in the show. As it turned out I Dream of Jeannie became the last prime time show regularly aired in black-and-white on NBC. It also defied NBC executives' expectations and ran for five seasons, not to mention a highly successful run as a syndicated rerun. With the 1966-1967 season NBC's entire line-up was in colour.

As to why CBS and ABC were not as quick to jump on the colour television bandwagon, much of it probably had to do with the fact that ownership of colour television sets was very low from the mid-Fifties to the mid-Sixties. In 1964, eleven years after RCA's colour system had become the industry standard, only 3.1% of all American households owned a colour television set. As to why so few households owned colour TV sets, there can be no doubt it was due to their sheer cost. In 1954 a RCA colour set cost $1000, roughly the same amount as some cars sold during the era. Prices for colour sets would drop from the Fifties into the Sixties, although they were still somewhat expensive. In 1962 a colour TV set cost about $400, which would be about $3198 today.

Fortunately by the mid-Sixties colour sets had become somewhat more affordable. It was in 1966 that for the first time ever colour television sets surpassed black-and-white sets in sales, with 5.8 million sets sold. With colour sets more affordable than they had been, ownership of colour sets increased steadily from the Sixties into the Seventies. In 1970 39.3% of all homes owned colour television sets. By 1972 the majority of American homes had colour sets, a full 52.6%. By 1978 the ownership of colour TV sets was up to 78%.

While only a few households owned colour sets in 1966, NBC was then wise to switch to an all colour line-up that year. The year 1966 was the beginning of a dramatic increase in the ownership of colour TV sets in the United States that would continue well into the Seventies. It should be little wonder that the other networks were quick to follow in NBC's footsteps. By December 1967 the entire schedules of all three broadcast networks were entirely in colour.