Frank Aletter R.I.P.

Actor Frank Aletter, who starred in the sitcom It's About Time and appeared in many others, passed on May 13 at the age of 83. The cause was cancer.

Frank Aletter was born on January 14, 1926 in Queens, New York. He served in a Special Services Unit in the United States Army in Germany from 1946 to 1948. After leaving the service he studied at the Dramatic Workshop at the New School for Social Research in Manhattan, New York. He appeared on Broadway in Wish You Were Here from 1952 to 1953. His film debut was in Mister Roberts in 1955, playing the role of Gerhart. He made his television debut the following year on The Alcoa Hour in 1956. That same year he appeared in the play Time Limit and later Bells Are Ringing on Broadway. In 1959 he appeared on The United States Steel Hour.

The Sixties would see Frank Aletter leave the Broadway stage. While he would appear in a few movies, most of his career would be spent on television. Indeed, his first appearance on a sitcom was also his first starring role on a TV show. Frank Aletter played Buddy Flower on the 1960-1961 sitcom Bringing Up Buddy. Buddy Flower was a stockbroker and bachelor whose prospects for romance were somewhat hampered by the overprotective aunts who raised him. Unfortunately, in lasting only a season Bringing Up Buddy was a sign of things to come for Aletter with regards to situation comedies.

For the next few years Frank Aletter made guest appearances on several shows, including Target: The Corrupters, The Lucy Show, The Twilight Zone, My Favourite Martian, and Perry Mason. The 1964-1965 season would see Aletter in his second lead role in a sitcom, playing opposite Cara Williams in The Cara Williams Show. The two of them played Frank and Cara Bridges, a couple who work at the same business, but must keep their marriage a secret because of the company's rules against married couples working together. It was no more successful than Bringing Up Buddy. It lasted only 20 episodes.

The following season Frank Aletter guest starred on The Fugitive, Twelve O' Clock High, and Ben Casey. It was in 1966 that he appeared in what may be his most famous role, that of the astronaut Mac on the Sherwood Schwartz series It's About Time. The series centred on two astronauts who are thrown back in time to the Stone Age, where they must live with a family of cavemen. Unfortunately, CBS scheduled It's About Time against Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour, then a top rated show. After a change of format (in which the astronauts return to the 20th century, taking the cavemen with them) and hence some small changes in the cast, It's About Time ended after one season. Unlike Bringing Up Buddy and The Cara Williams Show, however, It's About Time. would be remembered. Although it has rarely been rerun, let alone released on DVD, the show forms the fond memories of many younger Baby Boomers and older Gen Xers.

During the Sixties Frank Aletter also appeared in the movie A Tiger Walks. He would later appear in the films Tora! Tora! Tora!, Now You See Him, Now You Don't, Run, Cougar, Run, and Private School. Like his earlier career, however, his later career would be spent mostly on television. Aletter appeared on such shows as Petticoat Junction, The Name of the Game, Love American Style, Maude, Ironside, M*A*S*H, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Mannix, Kojak, Cannon, All in the Family, Three's Company, Murder She Wrote, Dallas, and 1st and Ten. Throughout his career, Frank Aletter appeared in over 100 shows.

Aletter was on the board of directors of the Screen Actors Guild for many years and was at one time its vice president.

Frank Aletter's career consisted primarily on guest appearances on television shows. As an actor he was very much in demand. In fact, his career could have been much more successful than it was. After all, he did something few actors ever do--he starred in three different sitcoms. Unfortunately, Bringing Up Buddy, The Cara Williams Show, and It's About Time would not be hits. The failure of none of these shows was Aletter's fault (and in the case of It's About Time, it was almost certainly its timeslot) and it is possible that without him they might not have even survived as long as they did. Frank Aletter was charming and possessed a gift for comedy. His timing was impeccable. While he had a great career, making many memorable appearances on various TV shows, one was wonders what it could have been if one of his shows had been a success.

Paralyzer by Finger Eleven

I have to apologise for not making too many posts to this blog of late. Unfortunately it has been busy at work and it is allergy season to boot. Rather than an actual post, then, I thought I would leave you with a video. In this case it is a song by Canadian alternative rock band Finger Eleven, courtesy of YouTube.

Television Writer John Furia Jr. Passes On

Television writer John Furia Jr. passed on according to announcement made by the Writers Guild of America on Friday. He was 79 years old.

John Furia Jr. was born in 1929. He entered the entertainment business as a singer with dance bands in the New York City area. Eventually he began writing for television, his first work being on the TV series National Velvet in 1960. Furia would go on to write scripts for Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, The Twilight Zone, Longstreet, The Waltons, and Hotel. He wrote the story for one movie, The Singing Nun released in 1966. Furia also worked as a producer on such shows as Insight Kung Fu, The Blue Knight, and Gibbsville. He also wrote and produced some television movies.

From 1973 to 1975 he was president of the Writers Guild of America West. He was also a professor at the University of Southern California, where he founded the University's School of Cinema-Television Writing Division.

Star Trek (2009)

Adapting a pre-existing property, whether from a novel, a comic book, or a television series, can be difficult for a filmmaker. Die hard fans of the property will have certain expectations for the film, while at the same time the filmmaker must make a movie that will entertain the ordinary movie goer as well as the die hard fan. Perhaps no other filmmaker had a more difficult job than J. J. Abrams in creating his movie version of the classic series Star Trek. To this day the series has a legion of fiercely followers. What is more, Star Trek has made such an indelible mark on Anglo-American pop culture that even people who have not seen an episode of the series can identify its characters and even its catchphrases quite easily. In many respects, J. J. Abrams had a more difficult job in bringing Star Trek to the screen than Peter Jackson had in bringing Lord of the Rings to the screen or Zack Snyder had in bringing Watchmen to the screen. Fortunately, I suspect that if most Star Trek fans and, perhaps more importantly, the average movie goer is like me, then he or she will not be disappointed in J. J. Ambrams' reboot of Star Trek.

Among the biggest hurdles in bringing any television series to the big screen often lies in its castings. It is not enough for an actor to look like the one who originated the part, he or she must also capture the spirit of the character as he or she was originally portrayed. Fortunately, the cast of Star Trek succeeds admirably in keeping to the spirit of the original characters. Indeed, Zachary Quinto's performance as Spock is uncanny. Not only does Quinto look like Leonard Nimoy, but he sounds like him as well. Karl Urban is also remarkable as Dr. McCoy, capturing the essence of the character perfectly. Chris Pine portrays Kirk's humour and even his arrogance perfectly, and without William Shatner's peculiar speech patterns (which I think only Shatner could do well...). Going beyond the original series' regular characters, Bruce Greenwood (from the late, great series Nowhere Man) does very well as Captain Pike (whom Trekkers will remember was the captain of the Enterprise in the first pilot, "The Cage'), as does Eric Bana as the villain Nero.

While the cast does very well with the material, I am sure the question on many Trekkers' minds is whether the movie itself is loyal to the original conception of the series. I have to answer that it is. The movie does not depart in any significant way from the mythology of the original series except one (I won't reveal that here, but Trekkers will know it when they see it). What is more, there are some wonderful references to the original series and even one reference to Enterprise which I suspect only Trekkers will get. As to whether Star Trek is capable of entertaining those who are not die hard Star Trek fans, I believe it is. The characters are three dimensional and the dialogue is intelligent. The plot moves along at a very good pace. And there is no shortage of action. For those people who are not Trekkers, I can guarantee that you will also be thoroughly entertained.

Overall, in my opinion Star Trek is the best movie in the franchise except for Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. J. J. Abrams has accomplished what few others could (not even Gene Roddenberry with Star Trek; the Next Generation)--he has captured successfully captured the feel of the original series. Star Trek is a movie that will not only entertain die hard fans, but the average person as well. Now I can only hope that it does well enough to warrant a sequel...

TCM's Latino Images in Film

It is a sad fact that for the better part of its history, minorities have not fared well on film. From the Silent Era into the Golden Age of Hollywood, most portrayals of African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans have been stereotypes. In this respect, Hispanics have fared no better than other minorities. Indeed, the Mexican bandits of The Treasure of the Sierra Madre have been all too typical of the portrayal of Hispanics on film.

This is not to say that even during the Golden Age of Hollywood, positive representations of Hispanics were entirely absent on film. Ricardo Montalban as Police Lieutenant Peter Morales in Mystery Street and the striking miners in Salt of the Earth are two examples of such. This month Turner Classic Movies (TCM) turns its spotlight on Race and Hollywood: Latino Images in Film. Every Tuesday and Thursday TCM is showing films which feature portrayals of Hispanic people.

The films represent a cross section of movie history, from the Silent Era (Ramona, The Mark of Zorro) to the current era (Mi Familia, Lone Star). What is more, TCM is not flinching from the ugly fact that Hollywood did use Hispanic stereotypes. They are not simply showing such positive representations of Hispanics as Stand and Deliver and The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez, but movies which feature outright stereotypes such as The Mexican Spitfire and In Old Arizona. TCM is also showing films which feature what Raquel of Out of the Past calls "brownface"--the practice in cinema of using make up in an effort to make non-Hispanic actors playing Hispanic characters look more ethnic (for an example of brownface, one need look no further than Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil). Sadly, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Hispanic characters often played by non-Hispanics in brownface, and often the characters they played were stereotypes in the extreme.

Fortunately, Hollywood would make progress with regards to Hispanics in films. More positive portrayals of Hispanic characters would appear as early as the Fifties, in such films as Giant. By the Eighties and Nineties such films as Stand and Deliver and Mi Familia would emerge. TCM is showing these films as well, showing that we have made some progress.

TCM's Race and Hollywood: Latino Images in Film looks to be a very interesting overview of the representation of Hispanics in American film. As mentioned earlier, the films range from the Silent Era to the current, from extremely stereotypical portrayals of Hispanics to more realistic, even positive portrayals. Like other minorities, Hispanics were given short shrift from Hollywood for much of its history. It is good to see TCM giving Hispanic people their due.

Dom DeLuise Passes On

Comic actor Dom DeLuise passed on Monday at the age of 75. He had been ill for some time.

Dom DeLuise was born on August 1, 1933 in Brooklyn. He graduated from the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan and then attended Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. It was in the late Fifties that his career began, among other things playing Tinker the Toymaker in the daytime children's show Tinker’s Workshop. He was a semi-regular on The Shari Lewis Show, on which he played an inept private eye. He also appeared on The Garry Moore Show, which was where he created Dominick the Great, a bumbling magician whose every trick failed as he desperately tried to maintain his composure.

Dom DeLuise made his debut on Broadway in the play The Student Gypsy in 1963, playing Muffin T. Ragamuffin D.D., Ret. He made his film debut in Diary of a Bachelor in 1964, followed by a more serious role in the film Fail-Safe later that year. It was also in 1964 that DeLuise appeared as a regular in the series The Entertainers. In the Sixties DeLuise appeared frequently in films and on television. He guest starred on such shows as The Munsters, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, The Girl From U.N.C.L.E., The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The Dean Martin Show, and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. He had his own short lived series, The Dom DeLuise Show, in 1968. DeLuise also reappeared on Broadway, in Here's Love in 1963.

The Seventies was arguably the heyday of Dom DeLuise's career. He was a favourite of Mel Brooks appearing in several of the director's films, including The Twelve Chairs, Blazing Saddles, Silent Movie, History of the World Part I, and Spaceballs. He also appeared in a number of other films in the Seventies, including Norwood, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother, The World's Greatest Lover, Sextette (based on the Mae West play), The End, The Cheap Detective, and The Muppet Movie. On television he had his own short lived sitcom, Lotsa Luck, and guest starred on Medical Centre. Deluise also appeared on Broadway in Last of the Red Hot Lovers.

The Eighties saw Dom DeLuise appear in such films as Cannonball Run, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Johnny Dangerously, and Going Bananas. He lent his voice talent to The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, and Oliver and Company. He also appeared on the TV shows Amazing Stories, 21 Jump Street, and B. L. Stryker. From the Nineties into the Naughts he appeared in the movies Driving Me Crazy, Almost Pregnant, Robin Hood: Men in Tights, Always Greener, It's All About You, and Breaking the Fifth. He appeared in such shows as Married with Children, SeaQuest DSV, Burke's Law, and Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He also provided voice work on such television cartoons as Dexter's Laboratory, Cow and Chicken, Fievel's American Tails, and Duck Dodgers.

There can be no doubt that Dom DeLuise was very funny. He may not have been leading man material, but in the proper part he could upstage anyone in the lead. In fact, he was among the best actors in Mel Brooks' films. Whether as Buddy Bizarre, the director in Blazing Saddles or Emperor Nero in History of the World: Part I, he was often among the funniest parts of the movie. It is sad to think that he has left us now.

"Boy or a Girl" by Imperial Drag

This being a busy week, I thought tonight I would simply post a video. In this case, that video is "Boy or a Girl" by Imperial Drag. For those of you who have never heard of Imperial Drag, they were a glam rock/powerpop band circa 1994 to 1997. Imperial Drag arose from the ashes of Jellyfish, perhaps the best powerpop band of the Nineties besides The Posies. After Jellyfish broke up, keyboardist Roger Joseph Manning Jr. teamed up with guitarist Eric Dover (who had played with Jellyfish on tour) to form Imperial Drag. Imperial Drag was inspired by such glam rock bands as Sweet and T. Rex from the Seventies, not only in the style of their music, but in the image they cultivated as well. They released a self titled debut album in 1996. The album produced one hit, the song "Boy or a Girl, which went to #30 on Billboard's Modern Rock Tracks chart and to #54 on the United Kingdom's Singles Chart. While "Boy or a Girl" did well, however, the album Imperial Drag did not. The trend towards powerpop in the early Nineties was coming to an end, and Imperial Drag's glam rock image was out of step with the the post-grunge bands of the late Nineties. Imperial Drag disbanded in 1997. In 2005 a compilation demos and non-album tracks by Imperial Drag simply called Demos was released through the now extinct Weedshare music service.

As to the video to "Boy or a Girl," it was directed by Nick Small, who also directed the videos for "Little Baby Nothing" by The Manic Street Preachers and "Kung Fu" by Ash. Small designed the video as an homage to the Russ Meyer movie Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (which as everyone knows, was co-written by Roger Ebert). Anyhow, without further ado and courtesy of YouTube, here is "Boy or a Girl..."