The Late Great Don Rickles

Don Rickles, the famous insult comic who appeared in such films as  Run Silent, Run Deep (1958) , various entries in the "Beach Party" series, and Kelly's Heroes (1970), died yesterday at the age of 90. The cause was kidney failure.

Don Rickles was born on May 8 1926 in Queens, New York. He grew up in Jackson Heights, New York. During World War II he served in the United States Navy. After he was honourably discharged in 1946, he followed his father into the insurance business. Meeting with little success in the insurance industry, he decided to go into acting. He studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Finding it difficult to get acting jobs, he took up stand up comedy. He performed in the Catskills and at nightclubs in New York City, Los Angeles, and Miami. He became an insult comedian as a response to hecklers.

Don Rickles made his television debut as an announcer on an episode of Stage 7 in 1955. He also appeared as an announcer on episodes of Four Star Playhouse and Chevron Hall of Stars. As a comic he appeared on The Eddie Fisher Show. As an actor he appeared in an episode of The Thin Man. He made his film debut in Run Silent, Run Deep in 1958 and then appeared in the films The Rabbit Trap (1959) and The Rat Race (1960).

It was during the Sixties that Don Rickles's career really began to take off. He guest starred on such shows as The Twilight Zone, Wagon Train, Hennessey, The Addams Family, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Burke's Law, The Munsters, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C., F Troop, The Wild Wild West, The Lucy Show, I Spy, and Get Smart. He frequently appeared on variety shows and talk shows doing his insult routine, including such shows as The Tonight Show Starring Jack Paar, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, The Joey Bishop Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Ed Sullivan Show, and The Carol Burnett Show. During the 1968-1969 season he had his own variety show, The Don Rickles Show.

During the Sixties Don Rickles also had a thriving movie career. He appeared in several entries in the "Beach Party" series, as well as related films, including Muscle Beach Party (1964), Bikini Beach (1964), Pyjama Party (1964), and Beach Blanket Bingo (1965). He also appeared in the films X: The Man with the X-Ray Eyes (1963), Enter Laughing (1967), The Money Jungle (1967), Where It's At (1969), and Kelly's Heroes (1970).

In the Seventies Don Rickles had a short-lived sitcom, The Don Rickles Show, that ran during the 1971-1972 season. He saw more success with CPO Sharkey, a service comedy centred around the Naval noncom of the same name, that ran for two seasons from 1976 to 1978. He guest starred on the shows Sanford and Son and Medical Centre. He continued to appear on such talk shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, Dinah!, and The Mike Douglas Show.He had a small role in the film The Love Machine (1971) as an announcer.

In the Eighties Don Rickles guest starred on Archie Bunker's Place, Gimme a Break!, George Burns Comedy Week, Newhart, and Tales from the Crypt. He appeared in the film Keaton's Cop (1990).

In the Nineties Don Rickles starred in the short-lived sitcom Daddy Dearest. He guest starred on the shows Hunter, The Larry Sanders Show, The Single Guy, and Murphy Brown. He appeared in the films Innocent Blood (1992), Casino (1995), and Dirty Work (1998). He was the voice of Mr. Potato Head in the films Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999). He was also a voice in the film Quest for Camelot (1998).

In the Naughts Don Rickles guest starred on The Bernie Mac Show and The Unit. He reprised the voice of Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story 3 (2010). In the Teens he guest starred on Hot in Cleveland. He was the voice of frog in the film Zookeeper (2011).

I cannot say that I was a huge fan of Don Rickles's routine, but there can be no doubt that it was groundbreaking. There were insult comics before Don Rickles (Jack E. Leonard being the prime example of such), but he was the one that popularised the form. As a comedian he was hugely popular in the Sixties and Seventies, and he remained popular in the Eighties and Nineties and into the 21st Century.

While I was not necessarily a big fan of Don Rickles's comedy routine, I loved him as an actor. Indeed, I cannot think of the "Beach Party" movies without thinking of Don Rickles. In most of the films his characters were called "Big (fill in the blank), whether he was playing a Martian ("Big Bang" in Bikini Beach) or the operator of a skydiving business ("Big Drop" in Beach Blanket Bingo). While one would expect the characters he played to be a bit prickly, he actually played a wide variety of different characters. On Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. he played one of Sgt. Carter's old war buddies, who credited Carter as being a war hero even as Carter credited him. On The Addams Family he played one of a pair of hold-up men who has the misfortune of meeting the Addamses on what is their favourite holiday. In Casino he played Billy Sherbert, a casino manager. During his acting career Don Rickles played everything from con men to a ventriloquist to a vacuum cleaner salesman. And he did all of them fairly well.

Underdog Character Designer Joe Harris Passes On

Joe Harris, who served as the character designer and storyboard artist at television animation studio Total Television (better known simply as TTV), died on March 26 at the age of 89. TTV produced such classic animated series as King Leonardo and His Short Subjects, Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales, Underdog, and The Beagles. Wile at advertising agency Dancer Fitzgerald Sample Mr. Harris also created Trix cereal's advertising mascot the Trix Rabbit.

Joseph Benjamin Harris III was born on January 5 1928 in Jersey City, New Jersey. He served in both the United States Navy and the United States Marines. He attended the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and after graduation joined Dancer Fitzgerald Sample as an illustrator. He worked on accounts ranging from Bounty paper towels to General Mills cereal.

It was in the late Fifties that Joe Harris created the Trix Rabbit to sell Trix cereal. He not only drew the storyboard for the animated commercial, but also created the cereal's tagline that would last for decades: "Silly rabbit! Trix are for kids!" The Trix Rabbit was introduced in television commercials in 1959.

It was also in 1959 that Dancer Fitzgerald Sample employees W. Watts Bigger, Account Supervisor on General Mills and Corn Products/Best Foods accounts, Chet Stover, copy supervisor on the General Mills account, and Joe Harris, who was then supervisor of animation for the General Mills account, were approached by a superior who told them that General Mills wanted to sponsor a television programme for children. The three men, along with Treadwell Covington (who worked at a direct mail agency) then founded Total Television, known simply as TTV for short.

Joe Harris would serve as the character designer, a storyboard artist, and a producer on all of TTV's programmes. TTV entered the production of animated cartoons with King Leonardo and His Short Subjects. Debuting on NBC on October 15 1960, it was only the network's second Saturday morning cartoon (after Hanna-Barbera's The Ruff & Reddy Show). It was followed in 1963 by Tennessee Tuxedo and His Tales and then in 1964 by TTV's most successful cartoon Underdog. Underdog proved to be a phenomenal success. It ran for nine seasons on NBC and CBS and went onto a very successful syndication run. In 1965 an Underdog balloon was introduced to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, where it was flown annually for literally years. A good deal of Underdog merchandise has been produced to this day, including a lunch box, games, comic books, Little Golden Books, and much more.

TTV's final cartoon would be The Beagles, which was centred around a rock band made up of two anthropomorphic dogs. Sadly, it would prove less successful than TTV's previous efforts. The Beagles lasted for only a single season on Saturday morning, from 1965 to 1966. It was in 1969 that General Mills dropped its sponsorship of TTV. Without the money from General Mills, TTV closed up shop.

After TTV closed down, Joe Harris returned to the advertising industry. Still later he illustrated and wrote the children's book, The Belly Book.

Joe Harris certainly made lasting contributions to American pop culture. The Trix Rabbit is not only still featured prominently on boxes of Trix, but he still appears in commercials to this day. The characters he designed at TTV may have had an even more lasting impact on popular culture. Klondike Kat, Tennessee Tuxedo, Commander McBragg, and, particularly, Underdog would all figure prominently in the childhoods of multiple generations of Americans. To this day Tennessee Tuxedo and Underdog remain two of the most famous characters to emerge from American broadcast network Saturday morning cartoons. As character designer and storyboard artist at TTV, Joe Harris had a good deal to do with their success.

My Picks for the 2017 Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival

It is a sad fact of my life that I have never gotten the chance to attend the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival. What is more, I will not be attending TCMFF this year either. That having been said, I always look forward to it every year. I know that I can see plenty of photos and blog posts from my many TCM fan friends, and Turner Classic Movies always offers a good deal of coverage of the event. Of course, like many fans who are unable to attend I also like to play armchair quarterback and decide what I would go see if I could attend. Here then are my choices of what I would watch if I were attending this years Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival.

Thursday, April 5
12:30 PM At the Chinese Multiplex House 1 Remembering Robert Osborne: As I am sure all of you already know, Robert Osborne died earlier this year. For that reason this year's TCMFF is dedicated to his memory. It is then that they will be celebrating Robert's life at the Festival. I am sure that this is the one event that every single TCM fan will want to attend. Robert Osborne was pivotal to the success of TCM, and important to all of us. This is one of the primary reasons I really wish I could have made it to the festival this year.

7:00 PM Poolside Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: This is one of those instances where it was hard to make a choice. Some Like It Hot is at 6:00 PM, while In the Heat of the Night is at 6:30 PM. That having been said, I have seen Some Like It Hot and In the Heat of the Night on the big screen. I have never seen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory any place but on television. An added bonus is that cast members Julie Dawn Cole (Veruca Salt herself), Rusty Goffe (the head Oompa Loompa), and Paris Themmen (Mike Tee Vee himself) will be attendance, as well at the illustrious Illeana Douglas (actress, director, author, and the granddaughter of screen legend Melvyn Douglas).

9:30 at the Egyptian Theatre The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934): I have no idea how far apart the various venues are, so I don't know if I could make it from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to The Man Who Knew Too Much, but I would certainly try! This is one of my favourite Hitchcock films and I much prefer it to the Fifties remake. It is opposite Harold and Maude, but in the end I cannot resist a classic Hitchcock film made while he was still in England!

Friday, April 7
10:30 AM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX Hand and Footprint Ceremony--Carl and Rob Reiner: Okay, I would hate missing The Maltese Falcon and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, but I am a huge fan of Carl Reiner, as well as his son Rob. If I were at TCMFF there is almost no way that I would miss this.

2:00 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Princess Bride: As far as recent films go, The Princess Bride is one of my favourites. What is more, Rob Reiner is going to be in attendance.

7:30 PM Poolside What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?:  What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? is the film that introduced to me to Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (and for those who are wondering, I am #TeamBette). I have seen it many times over the years, but I have never seen it on the big screen. Sadly, it would mean I would miss Laura and Twentieth Century. A long time ago I concluded that conflicts in what one wants to see are par for the course at TCMFF!

Saturday, April 8
9:00 AM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Court Jester:  Okay, this was a hard choice. The Court Jester is showing opposite another one of my favourite films, Arsenic and Old Lace. That having been said, I have seen Arsenic and Old Lace on the big screen, while I have never seen The Court Jester in a theatre. I must also point out that Illeana Douglas and Fred Willard, two of my favourite people, will be at the showing of The Court Jester.

12:30 PM at the Egyptian Theatre Rear Window: This is showing opposite The Great Dictator, but for me Hitchcock trumps Chaplin (I know many of you will disagree with me on that). And Rear Window is one of my favourite films that Alfred Hitchcock ever made.

2:45 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Jerk: For me this comes down to one name: Carl Reiner. I have been a huge fan of Mr. Reiner since childhood, so there is no way I would miss a showing of The Jerk with him in attendance!

7:30 PM Poolside Planet of the Apes: This is another instance where I will miss another movie I would really like to see, Theodora Goes Wild. That having been said, I have been a fan of Planet of the Apes since childhood and I have never seen it on the big screen. I really wish they had shown Planet of the Apes at midnight instead so I could go ahead and see Theodora Goes Wild!

9:30 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Graduate: This is the one movie I would have to see at TCMFF. The Graduate is one of my all time favourite films and, what is more, Buck Henry will be in attendance. I really would not want to miss it.

Sunday, April 9:
9:00 AM at the Chinese Theatre Multiplex House 1 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Dr. Strangelove is one of my all time favourite movies. In fact, it is in my top ten. I have seen it on the big screen, but I really would not want to miss it at TCMFF.

12:30 PM at Club TCM at the Hotel Roosevelt Ask Leonard Maltin: Leonard Maltin is one of my favourite critics and film historians and I would really love to see him in person. I also have a lot of questions about classic animation I would like to ask him (he's one of the world's foremost experts in the field)!

1:30 PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX The Palm Beach Story: I don't know if I could make it in time from the Leonard Maltin Q&A, but I would certainly try! The Palm Beach Story is my all time favourite Preston Sturges movie and it stars local girl Mary Astor!  I've never seen it on the big screen. I would really hate to miss it.

4:30  PM at the Chinese Theatre IMAX Singin' in the Rain: Have I ever mentioned I  have had a crush on Ruta Lee since childhood? Even if Singin' in the Rain wasn't my third favourite musical (after The Wizard of Oz and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers), Miss Lee's presence would guarantee I would show up! Of course, Todd Fisher will also be there, so it would be a treat to hear him talk about his mother's memories in making the film (Debbie Reynolds, another one of my childhood crushes).

Of course, more than seeing any films or even people I admire, for me the Turner Classic Movies Classic Film Festival would be a chance for me to meet my many classic film buddies, most of whom I have known for literally years, but whom I have never met in person. I am closer to many of my fellow classic film buffs than I am people I do know in person, and I consider many of them dear friends. I have no doubt that much of my time would be spent visiting with them.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the various photos and blog posts that emerge from this year's festival!

Jack Lemmon in The Apartment

 (This post is part of the Jack Lemmon Blogathon hosted by Crítica Retrô and Wide Screen World)

I would guess every Jack Lemmon fan has their favourite role that he played, the one that comes to mind when he or she thinks of Jack Lemmon. For some it might be Jerry/"Daphne" in Some Like It Hot (1959). For others it might be Felix in The Odd Couple (1968). For yet others it might be Professor Fate in The Great Race (1965). For me it will always be C. C. Baxter in The Apartment (1960). It is not simply a case that The Apartment is my favourite movie starring Jack Lemmon. It's also that it is the sort of role that I think Jack Lemmon was best suited to play.

The Apartment was the second film Jack Lemmon made with director Billy Wilder. The initial concept for The Apartment emerged when Billy Wilder first saw Brief Encounter (1945). In the film Laura Jesson (played by Celia Johnson) meets with Alec Harvey (played Trevor Howard) in the apartment of a friend in the course of their affair (here it must be noted that they are both married). Billy Wilder was much more fascinated by the idea of the friend who let the two lovers use his apartment (and who is never actually seen in the movie) than the two people having the affair themselves. Another possible source for The Apartment was the real life affair between agent Jennings Lang and actress Joan Bennett, who at the time was married to producer Walter Wanger. Mr. Lang and Miss Bennett's affair was largely conducted in the apartment of one of Mr. Lang's underlings. When Walter Wanger found out about the affair, he promptly shot Mr. Lang (this being a PG rated blog, I won't say where). Walter Wanger plead insanity and served only four months in prison. Jennings Lang went on to marry songbird Monica Lewis, to whom he was married for forty years and with whom he had three sons. According to Billy Wilder's writing partner I. A. L. Diamond, another source of inspiration for The Apartment was a real life incident in which a woman committed suicide in a man's apartment after their affair had gone sour.

For those who have never seen The Apartment, the film centres on C. C. Baxter, who has a rather unique problem. Working for a large, national insurance company, the rather unassuming accountant has found himself in the position of having to loan his apartment to four different managers to use for their various affairs. As the movie progresses, this already complicated situation grows even more complicated. Making matter worse is the fact that Baxter has long carried a torch for elevator girl Fran Kubelik (played by Shirley MacLaine), who has her own share of personal problems.

In casting The Apartment, Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond only had one actor in mind for the role of C. C. Baxter--Jack Lemmon. After Some Like It Hot, Messrs. Wilder and Diamond both wanted to work with Mr. Lemmon again, and no other actor was even considered for the role. Character actor Paul Douglas was originally cast in the role of the oily insurance company president Mr. Sheldrake. Sadly, Paul Douglas died on September 11 1959 from a heart attack. He was only 52. Fred MacMurray was then cast as Sheldrake.

While the entire cast of The Apartment were perfect for their parts, it is easy to see why Billy Wilder and I. A. L. Diamond wanted Jack Lemmon as C. C. Baxter. In my humble opinion, Jack Lemmon was born to play the role. For me Mr. Lemmon was at his best playing the average guy, the sort of well meaning fellow who is always trying to get ahead in life. This made Jack Lemmon rather singular as an actor, as in the Thirties and Forties there weren't too many actors who could play "average guys". Clark Gable was too handsome to be believable in the role. Cary Grant was too charming to play such parts. Perhaps the actor from the Golden Age of Hollywood to come closest to Jack Lemmon would be Jimmy Stewart, who could play average guys quite well. That having been said, many of the "average guys" played by Jimmy Stewart weren't quite so "average". Very few of us would be appointed to a Senate seat the way Jefferson Smith was, and not many of us would be as self-sacrificing as George Bailey was. The average guys Jack Lemmon played truly were average.

And there was perhaps no average guy as average as C. C. Baxter. Baxter only takes home $94.70 a week from his job (that would be about $792.76 in 2017). He lives in an apartment just west of Central Park, in the West Sixties. He pays $84 for his rather small, rundown apartment. Baxter works long, hard days at the insurance company, often slightly longer than he has to because his apartment is being used by someone else. Jack Lemmon described Baxter as "...ambitious; a nice guy but gullible, easily intimidated, and fast to excuse his behaviour."

Jack Lemmon's description of C. C. Baxter is entirely accurate, particularly about him being "a nice guy". For the most part Baxter is a gentleman. Miss Kubelik notes that he is the only one who consistently takes off his hat in the elevator. He is polite to his neighbours, Dr. and Mrs. Dreyfuss (who think he is a bit of a rake), as well as his superiors at the insurance company (who run roughshod over him with regards to the apartment). While Jack Lemmon is basically a nice guy, he is not perfect. As Jack Lemmon said of Baxter, he is "easily intimidated." In letting them use his apartment, Baxter is essentially enabling his superiors to commit adultery, perhaps not the most morally upstanding thing to do. That this helps Baxter get ahead at the insurance company perhaps only encourages Baxter to continue doing so.

Of course, the average guy can identify with C. C. Baxter in one other respect. Quite simply, he is carrying a torch for Fran Kubelik. I am guessing every average guy has had a crush on a much better looking girl before, one who seems to be out of one's league. While on the surface Baxter would seem to have no chance with the lovely and lovable Miss Kubelik, I have to suspect that she has some feeling for him at the start of the movie. Miss Kubelik not only treats Baxter with respect (as opposed to the various managers at the insurance company), but when he goes to meet with Sheldrake she pins a flower to his lapel. When Baxter lets her know that he actually looked up her file, Miss Kubelik is not alarmed as most women would be, but does not seem to mind in the least. I suspect Miss Kubelik had a bit of a crush on Baxter from the beginning, but never acted on it for various reasons.

Jack Lemmon played other sorts of roles than everymen. He even played villains from time to time (Professor Fate in The Great Race being a notable example). That having been said, I don't think any actor played everymen as well as Jack Lemmon did. Whether as Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1955), Harry Hinkle in The Fortune Cooke (1966), or Felix Ungar in The Odd Couple, no one played average guys as well as Jack Lemmon. And of all the average guy Jack Lemmon ever played, it was perhaps C. C. Baxter that he played the best. If The Apartment continues to be one of the most popular of Billy Wilder's movies, it is perhaps because many of its male fans can identify with Baxter all too well. I seriously doubt any other actor could have done as well in the part. Jack Lemmon may have been great at playing ordinary guys, but he was an extraordinary actor.

The Late Great Colin Dexter

Colin Dexter, the mystery writer best known for creating Inspector Morse, died on March 21 2017 at the age of 86.

Colin Dexter was born on September 29 1930 in Stamford, Lincolnshire. His father, Alfred Dexter, ran a garage in Scotgate, Stamford, while his mother, Dorothy, worked in a butcher shop. Colin Dexter attended St. John's Infants School and Bluecoat Junior School. He won a scholarship to the prestigious Stamford School. Mr. Dexter fulfilled his national service by serving in the Royal Corps of Signals. He received a bachelor's degree in classics from  Christ's College, Cambridge in 1953.

He taught classics at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and earned a master's degree from Cambridge in 1958. Afterwards he taught classics at Corby Grammar School in Northamptonshire until retiring in 1966 because of deafness. He then took a position as senior assistant secretary at the Oxford Delegacy of Local Examinations. He held this job until he retired in 1988.

It while on vacation with his family in Wales in the early Seventies that Colin Dexter, out of boredom more than anything else, began work on the very first Inspector Morse novel. Last Bus to Woodstock was published in 1975 and was followed by twelve more Inspector Morse novels. Mr. Dexter also wrote two novellas and several short stories as well as the book Cracking Cryptic Crosswords: A Guide to Solving Cryptic Crossword.

Inspector Morse proved very successful, inspiring the ITV television show Inspector Morse, that ran from 1987 to 2000, as well as the sequel Lewis and the prequel Endeavour.

There can be little doubt that Colin Dexter was one of the great mystery writers of the late 20th Century. His Inspector Morse novels are mysteries in the Holmesian mould, with complex cases that often included plenty of false leads and false clues. Colin Dexter had a gift for colourful characters, none more so than Morse himself. Inspector Morse loved classical music and poetry, and a weakness for pretty women.  Between his talent for creating complex mysteries and a gift for well-developed characters, there should be little wonder that Colin Dexter was often counted alongside the likes of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Godspeed Lola Albright

Lola Albright, who played Edie Hart on Peter Gunn and appeared in such films as Kid Galahad (1962) and Lord Love a Duck (1966), died on March 23 2017 at the age of 92.

Lola Albright was born on July 20 1924 in Akron, Ohio. Her parents, John Paul and Marion Albright were gospel singers, so that she was exposed to music throughout her childhood. She studied piano from an early age, for a total of about 20 years. Miss Albright attended King Grammar School and West High School in Akron. When she was 15 she started work as a  receptionist at radio station WAKR in Akron. She moved to Cleveland when she was 18 and worked as a stenographer at  radio station WTAM. It was in Cleveland that she first performed as a singer on the radio, making her debut on radio station WJW. She married an announcer at the station and moved to Chicago where she became a model. It was a photographer who suggested that she should try working as a movie actress.

Lola Albright made her film debut in a small, uncredited role in The Unfinished Dance in 1947. She appeared in similarly small, uncredited roles in The Pirate (1948), Easter Parade (1948), and Julia Misbehaves (1948). She had somewhat substantial roles in Champion (1949) and Tulsa (1949).  With Bodyhold (1949) she played her first, female lead role. She finished out the Forties appearing in The Good Humor Man (1950), Beauty on Parade (1950), When You're Smiling (1950), The Killer That Stalked New York (1950), and Sierra Passage (1950).

In the Fifties Lola Albright's career shifted towards television. She made her television debut in 1941 in an episode of Armstrong Circle Theatre. She guest starred on such shows as Lux Video Theatre, Four Star Revue, Tales of Tomorrow, Racket Squad, Duffy's Tavern, It's a Great Life, Gunsmoke, The Red Skelton Show, The Thin Man, and Michael Shayne.  From 1955 to 1957 she had a recurring role on The Bob Cummings Show. It was in 1958 that she began playing the role of Edie Hart on the detective show Peter Gunn. Edie was a singer at the nightclub Mother's, as well as Peter Gunn's girlfriend. She was nominated in 1959 for the Emmy for Best Supporting Actress in a Dramatic Series. She continued to appear in movies, including such films as Arctic Flight (1952), The Silver Whip (1953), Treasure of Ruby Hills (1955), The Tender Trap (1955), Pawnee (1957), The Monolith Monsters (1957), and Seven Guns to Mesa (1958).

In the Sixties, Lola Albright continued to appear in both films and television. She played the lead role in the film A Cold Wind in August (1961). She also appeared in the films Kid Galahad (1962), Les félins (1964), Lord Love a Duck (1966), The Way West (1967), The Money Jungle (1967), Where Were You When the Lights Went Out? (1968), and The Impossible Years (1968). On television she had a recurring role on Peyton Place during the 1965-1966 season. She guest starred on such shows as The Detectives, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, My Three Sons, The Beverly Hillbillies, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Dr. Kildare, Wagon Train, Burke's Law, Rawhide, Laredo, Bonanza, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

From the Seventies into the Eighties, Miss Albright guest starred on such shows as Kojak, Medical Centre, McMillan & Wife, Columbo, The Incredible Hulk, Quincy M.E., and Airwolf.

In the wake of her success on Peter Gunn,  Lola Albright recorded two albums, Lola Wants You in 1957 and Dreamsville in 1959.

Chances are very good Lola Albright will always be remembered best as Edie on Peter Gunn. Beautiful, sultry and gifted with a mellifluous voice, she was certainly perfect for the role. While she may be best remembered as Edie, however, Lola Albright could play a variety of roles. In A Cold Wind in August she played an unbalanced stripper who seduced a teenager. In the classic boxing drama Champion she played a married woman who pursued boxer Midge Kelly (played by Kirk Douglas). In The Monolith Monsters she played teacher Cathy Barrett, the girlfriend of geologist and the film's hero Dave Miller (played by Grant Williams). In Les Félins she played a widow and a femme fatale with murderous intentions. Lola Albright was not just a pretty face with a sultry voice. She was a versatile actress who play roles from relatively ordinary women (although still extraordinarily beautiful by virtue of being played by Lola Albright) to washed-up strippers to femmes fatales.

Thank You for a Successful Blogathon!

The 3rd Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon wrapped up yesterday. I wanted to thank everyone who participated in this year's blogathon! We had a rather wide array of television shows covered this year, from situation comedies to Sixties spy shows. Not only were the United States and United Kingdom represented, but so too was Canada for the first time. If there was a dominant theme this year, it seemed to be Westerns. A plurality of the posts this year dealt with episodes from Western TV shows. As a fan of Westerns I won't complain about that at all! Regardless, there will be a 4th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon next March. For those of you who would like to read this year's posts, you can find the list here.

Again, thank you to all who participated!