Godspeed Herb Solow

Herb Solow, the former Desilu executive who brought Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, and Mannix to television, died November 19 2020 at the age of 89. The cause was complications from Parkinson's disease.

Herb Solow was born on December 14 1930 in New York City. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1953. It was not long after he graduated that he got a job at the William Morris Agency working in the mailroom. He was promoted to a talent agent in 1954. He later worked as program director of NBC Films (the syndication arm of the network NBC), where he supervised the production of various syndicated TV shows, including the Western Boots and Saddles. Afterwards he worked at CBS as Director of Daytime Programs, West Coast. He was at CBS for a year before returning to NBC as Director of Daytime Programs there. At NBC he worked with Grant Tinker (later co-founder of MTM Enterprises and CEO of NBC from 1981 to 1986) and oversaw production of the game show Let's Make a Deal.

Herb Solow was the executive in charge of production on the shows A Man Called Shenadoah and The Girl From U.N.C.L.E. It was in 1964 that he was hired by Lucille Ball to help revitalize Desilu Productions following her divorce from Desi Arnaz. He helped develop Star Trek and sold the show to NBC. He also helped develop Mission: Impossible and Mannix and sold both shows to CBS. In 1967 Lucille Ball sold Desliu to Gulf+Western, who had also recently bought the motion picture studio Paramount Pictures. Mr. Solow then took a job at MGM Television as vice president in charge of television production.

At MGM he oversaw production of Then Came Bronson, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, and Medical Centre. He went onto become Vice President of Worldwide Television and Motion Picture Production at MGM and was the head of both MGM's Culver City studios in California and its Borehamwood studios in England. He oversaw production of the documentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is (1970).

After he left MGM, Herb Solow produced the TV movies Climb an Angry Mountain, Heatwave!, Killdozer, and McLaren's Riders. He co-created Man from Atlantis with Mayo Simon and served as the show's executive producer. As an independent producer, he produced the movies Brimstone & Treacle (1982), Veliki transport (1983), Get Crazy (1983), and Saving Grace (1986).

He co-wrote the book Star Trek: The Real Story (1996) with Robert Justman (who had been associate producer and producer on Star Trek) and The Star Trek Sketchbook (1997) with his wife Yvonne Fern Solow.

Herb Solow definitely had an impact on television history. At Desilu he oversaw some of the most successful and well remembered shows of all time. Indeed, Star Trek and Mission: Impossible would become franchises, while reruns of Mannix are still in syndication. The shows he oversaw at MGM also saw success. The Courtship of Eddie's Father and Medical Centre had respectable network runs and would be seen in syndication for years. While Then Came Bronson only ran for one season, it remains well-remembered to this day. Similarly, while his own production, Man from Atlantis also ran for only one season (not counting the four TV movies that had preceded it), it would go onto become a cult show. Herb Solow had a knack for knowing what would be successful and developing it in such a way to insure such success.

"Rumble" by Link Wray

If you are a fan of power pop, punk rock, or heavy metal, you have a Native American to thank. Link Wray did not invent the power chord nor was he the first popular music artist to make use of power chords, it was his instrumental "Rumble" that not only popularized the use of power chords, but distortion and feedback as well.

Fred Lincoln Wray, Jr. was born on May 2 1929 in Dunn, North Carolina. His paternal grandfather was Cherokee. His mother was Shawnee. As Native Americans, Link Wray's family was subject to racism in North Carolina. When they could, they passed as white, to the point that they even listed their ethnicity as "white" on 1930 and 1940 United States Census. Link Wray's mother refused to teach her three sons the Shawnee language out of fear that they might be subject to persecution if they were caught speaking it. As might be expected, when Link Wray was growing up, Native Americans were often the target of the Ku Klux Klan. When the Ku Klux Klan was burning crosses in the area, Link Wray's mother would turn off all the lights in their house and place blankets over the windows. It was not unusual for them to hide under beds, in barns, and even in holes in the ground.

It was following service in the United States Army during the Korean War that Link Wray began his music career. Initially Link Wray and his brothers (Vernon and Doug) played country music, but like many music artists of the era he eventually found himself playing rock 'n' roll. It was in 1957 at a dance in Fredericksburg, Virginia that his most famous work, "Rumble," began to take shape. Link Wray's boss, a local DJ named Milt Green, asked Mr. Wray to come up with something suitable for the latest dance craze, the Stroll. Link Wray started improvising with his guitar. The distortion in the song originated when someone placed a microphone close to one of the amps.

The resulting instrumental would prove popular with audiences, who consistently requested. Although now known as "Rumble," it was originally called "Oddball." After rejections from both Capitol and Decca, Link Wray approached Cadence Records. Cadence founder Archie Bleyer disliked "Oddball," but observed that his daughter loved the instrumental. He then signed Link Wray to the label.

As to how "Oddball" became "Rumble," there are two differing stories. One is that it was Archie Bleyer's daughter who renamed the song. The other is that it was Phil Everly of The Everly Brothers who suggested the title "Rumble." In both versions of the story the title "Rumble" was suggested because the instrumental sounded like a street fight.

"Rumble" would prove to be controversial. The song was banned by radio stations in New York City, Boston, and elsewhere because the word rumble was a slang term for a street fight and some feared the song's harsh sound would encourage juvenile delinquency. Regardless, "Rumble" proved to be a hit. It went to no. 16 on the Billboard singles chart.

"Rumble" would prove to be influential, to the point that it can be said that it directly influenced the genres of garage rock, power pop, punk rock, and heavy metal. Pete Townshend of The Who once said, "If it hadn't been for Link Wray and 'Rumble,' I never would have picked up a guitar." Ray Davies of The Kinks has also cited Link Wray as an influence. Iggy Pop credited "Rumble" as having led him into his music career. "Rumble" would have a lasting impact on rock music and gave rise to entire genres of rock.

Google Celebrates Maria Tallchief

The Google doodle for today, November 14 2020, celebrates Maria Tallchief. For those of you who might never have heard of her, Maria Tallchief was the first major prima ballerina from the United States, as well as the first Native American prima ballerina. She was born a member of the Osage Nation with the name Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief on January 24 1925. Her Osage family name was Ki He Kah Stah Tsa. She trained from a very young age in ballet. It was when she was eight years old that her family moved to Los Angeles to further the careers of both Betty Marie (as she was called) and her sister Marjorie. When she was 17 years old she moved to New York City, where she took the name "Maria Tallchief." She danced for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. After the New York City Ballet was founded, she became its first major star. In her career she danced with the American Ballet Theatre and became the first American to dance with Moscow's Bolshoi Theatre. She later danced with the Hamburg Ballet. After retiring from dance, she served as the director of ballet for the Lyric Opera of Chicago and later founded the Chicago City Ballet.

Below is Google's doodle paying tribute to Maria Tallchief and below that a video on the making of the doodle.

Godspeed Norm Crosby

Norm Crosby, the comic known for his many malapropisms, died on November 7 2020 at the age of 93. The cause was heart failure.

Norm Crosby was born on September 15 1927 in Boston, Massachusetts.  He attended Dorchester High School and then studied advertising illustration at the Massachusetts Institute of Art. Rather than continue his education, he enlisted in the Coast Guard where he served as a radar operator. His hearing would be permanently damaged by depth charges while he was on anti-submarine patrol in the North Atlantic during World War II.

Following the war, Norm Crosby worked in advertising for a women's shoe store chain in the Boston area.  He would eventually become chain's advertising manager. On the side he performed comedy at clubs around New England. In an interview he said that at the time he was doing everybody's material. He found his niche as a comedian when he encountered a club owner who made a malapropism in an offhand comment to him. Norm Crosby then began misusing words in his act. It took time for Mr. Crosby to catch on, but he eventually found himself booked at the Latin Quarter in New York City for 18 weeks. Afterwards he was represented by the William Morris Agency. It was not long before he began appearing on television.

Norm Crosby made his television debut on The Garry Moore Show in 1963. In the Sixties he appeared on such variety shows, game shows, and talk shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Perry Como Show, The Jimmy Dean Show, The Hollywood Palace, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, George Jessel's Here Come the Stars, Della, The Joey Bishop Show, It Takes Two, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour, The David Frost Show, The Dean Martin Show, and The Merv Griffin Show. He was a regular on The Phyllis Diller Show. He guest starred on the musical sitcom That's Life.

In the Seventies he appeared on such variety shows, talk shows, and game shows as The Dean Martin Show, The Merv Griffin Show, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, American Bandstand, The Bobby Vinton Show, Celebrity Bowling, Dinah!, and The Hollywood Squares. He was the host of The Comedy Shop. He guest starred on the police drama Adam-12 and the semi-anthology The Love Boat.

In the Eighties he appeared on such variety shows, talk shows, and game shows as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, The Palace, Lou Rawls Parade of Stars, Thicke of the Night, It's Garry Shandling's Show, and The New Hollywood Squares. He was a regular on the short-lived show The Boys.

In the Nineties, Norm Crosby appeared in the movie The Misery Brothers (1995). He appeared on the shows L.A. Law, Roseanne, The Larry Sanders Show, Alright Already, and Diagnosis Murder. He was a guest voice on Buzz Lightyear of Star Command. He appeared in the movies Amore! (1993) and The Misery Brothers (1995).

In the Naughts he guest starred on Arli$$. He was a voice in the animated movies Eight Crazy Nights (2002) and Farce of the Penguins (2006). He appeared in the movie Cougar Club (2007). His last appearance on film was in the movie Grown Ups 2 (2013).

An argument can be made that Norm Crosby was the undisputed master of malapropisms. No one mangled words like Mr. Crosby did. Much of what made his comedy so funny was that his persona, that of a good natured guy next door. On stage, Mr. Crosby was the neighbour or the guy down the block who was always choosing the wrong words. He was definitely one of the best comics to emerge from the mid to late 20th Centuy.

The Late Great Alex Trebek

Alex Trebek, the long-time host of the game show Jeopardy, died yesterday, November 8 2020, after a two year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 80 years old. In addition to hosting Jeopardy, he also worked a good deal with Turner Classic Movies and was active with multiple charities.

Alex Trebek was born George Alexander Trebek in Sudbury, Ontario on July 22 1940. He was named after his father, George Edward Trebek, a chef who had emigrated from Ukraine to Canada. He received his first job when he was 13, working as a bellhop at the hotel at which his father was a chef. He attended Sudbury High School before enrolling at the University of Ontario. He graduated from the university in 1961 with a degree in philosophy.

It was in 1961, before he had even graduated, that Mr. Trebek began working at the Canadian Broadcasting Company. There he would eventually read the national news and he would cover a wide array of special events and sports for both radio and television. In 1963 he hosted his first television show, the CBC music program Music Hop. Afterwards he hosted the shows Vacation Time, Reach for the Top, and Strategy.

From 1971 to 1972 Alex Trebek hosted I'm Here Til 9, CBC Toronto's morning drive radio show. He hosted the CBC game shows Pick and Choose and Outside Inside. It was in 1973 that Alex Trebek moved to the United States. In the Seventies he hosted the  game shows The Wizard of Odds, Double Dare, High Rollers, and Card Sharks.

From 1981 to 1983 he hosted Battlestars. It was in 1984 that Alex Trebek began his long run as the host of Jeopardy. His final taping on the show was October 29 2002. It was on June 13 2014 that Guinness World Records named Mr. Trebek as the game show host with the world record of the most game show episodes hosted. He continued to host other shows, including Lou Rawls Parade of the Stars, Super Jeopardy!, and Classic Concentration. He contineud to host Jeopardy in the Nineties.

In the Naughts he continued hosting Jeopardy and he was a TCM Guest programmer in 2008. In the Teens he continued his long run on Jeopardy. On TCM he was the host of Robert Osborne's 20th Anniversary Tribute.

Of course, Alex Trebek also appeared in many TV shows and movies, usually as himself. Among those shows were Vega$, Cheers, Pacific Station, The Golden Girls, Rugrats, The Larry Sanders Show, Beverly Hills 90120, The Nanny, The X-Files, The Magic School Bus, Seinfeld, The Weird Al Show, The Simpsons, Ned and Stacey, Baywatch, Mad About You, Pepper Ann, Ladies Man, Arthur, Saturday Night Live, Married to the Kellys, Family Guy, How I Met Your Mother, and Jack Ryan. He appeared in the movies Dying Young (1991), White Men Can't Jump (1992), Short Cuts (1993), Jane Austen's Mafia! (1998), Random Hearts (1999), The Male Swagger (1999), Charlie's Angels (2000), Finding Forrester (2000), Little Manhattan (2005), and Phil (2019).

Alex Trebek had close ties to Turner Classic Movies. As mentioned above, he was a guest programmer in 2008 and hosted Robert Osborne's 20th Anniversary Tribute. He attended the TCM Classic Film Festival and was a guest on the TCM Classic Cruise. At both he conducted trivia contests. At the 2019 TCM Classic Film Festival he introduced Wuthering Heights (1939), his wife's favourite movie of all time.

A very good argument can be made that Alex Trebek is the greatest game show host of all time. He was congenial, friendly, and warm. Not only did he clearly enjoy the game, but he was also clearly a man of considerable knowledge himself. Alex Trebek always encouraged learning and the acquisition of knowledge. He instilled a love for trivia in multiple generations.

As Alex Trebek attended both the TCM Classic Film Festival and TCM Classic Cruise, I know people who have actually met Mr. Trebek in person. He was exactly what one would expect from seeing him on Jeopardy. Mr. Trebek was warm, friendly, witty, and erudite. As far as TCM personalities go, he was among the best loved. The many tributes from former Jeopardy contestants confirm that Mr. Trebek was truly a good man. They weren't simply grateful to have been on Jeopardy, but to have gotten to spend time with a truly decent person. Alex Trebek was no mere game show host. He was a scholar and a gentleman in the truest sense.

The Late Great Geoffrey Palmer

Geoffrey Palmer, the actor known for the TV shows The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Butterflies, and As Time Goes By as such movies as O Lucky Man! (1973), The Madness of King George (1994), and Mrs. Brown (1997), died yesterday at the age of 93.

Geoffrey Palmer was born on June 4 1927 in London. From 1946 to 1948 he served in the Royal Marines. While he qualified as an accountant, but a girlfriend persuaded him to join a local dramatic society. He took a position as an assistant stage manager at the Grand Theatre in Croydon. Afterwards he toured in repertory theatre.

In 1955 Geoffrey Palmer made his television debut in 1955 in an episode of St. Ives. In the late Fifties he guest starred on such programs as BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, The Killing Stones, Murder Bag, Arthur's Treasured Volumes, Interpol Calling, The Odd Man, and Probation Officer. He made several guest appearances on The Army Game.

In the Sixties he was a regular on the TV show Family Solicitor. He was a regular on Garry Halliday. He made several gust appearances on Bootsie and Smudge. He guest starred on such shows as ITV Play of the Week, Top Secret, No Hiding Place, Harpers West One, The Edgar Wallace Theatre, The Human Jungle, Suspense, The Saint, Gideon's Way, Riviera Police, The Avengers, Pardon the Expression, Armchair Theatre, The Baron, The Man in Room 17, Sergeant Cork, Public Eye, The Rat Catchers, Emergency-Ward 10, Mrs. Thursday, The Troubleshooters, Coronation Street, George and the Dragon, Z Cars, Love Story, and Paul Temple. He made his film debut in 1962 in A Prize of Arms. During the Sixties he appeared in the movies Incident at Midnight (1963), Ring of Spies (1964), and Cast a Giant Shadow (1966).

In the Seventies, Mr. Palmer starred on the sitcom The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin. He was a regular on Bill Brand. He appeared on such shows as ITV Saturday Night Theatre, Out of the Unknown, Doctor Who, Doomwatch, Colditz, The Liver Birds, The Prince of Denmark, Churchill's People, Play for Today, BBC Play of the Month, Angels, Van der Valk, Happy Ever After, Crown Court, Fawlty Towers, and The Goodies. He appeared in the movies O! Lucky Man! (1973), The Battle of Billy's Pond (1976), and The Outsider (1979).

In the Eighties Geoffrey Palmer starred in the TV shows The Last Song, Butterflies, Fairly Secret Army, Executive Stress, and Hot Metal. He guest starred on such shows as Young at Heart, Whoops Apocalypse, ITV Playhouse, The Professionals, Oxbridge Blues, Screen Two, Blackadder Goes Forth, Inspector Morse, and Bergerac. He appeared in the movies The Honorary Consul (1983), A Zed & Two Naughts (1985), Clockwise (1986), A Fish Called Wanda (1988), and Hawks (1988).

In the Nineties Mr. Palmer starred on the TV show As Time Goes By. He reprised his role as Jimmy Anderson in The Legacy of Reginald Perrin. He guest starred on the shows Screen One and Alleyn Mysteries. He appeared in the movies The Madness of King George (1994), Mrs. Brown (1997), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), Stiff Upper Lips (1998), Anna and the King (1999), and Rat (2000).

Geoffrey Palmer continued to star on As Time Goes By into the Naughts. He was a regular on the shows Savage and  Dickens. He guest starred on the shows Absolute Power, Doctor Who, Ashes to Ashes, Poirot, and Grandpa in My Pocket. He appeared in the movies Peter Pan (2003), Picadilly Jim (2004),  and The Pink Panther 2 (2009). 

In the Teens he guest starred on the TV show Rev. He appeared in the mini-series The Hollow Crown and Parade's End. Mr. Palmer appeared in the movies W.E. (2011), Lost Christmas (2011), Run for Your Wife (2012), Bert & Dickie (2012), and Paddington (2014).

Geoffrey Palmer was known for playing world-weary characters who often had difficulty expressing their feelings. This characterized two of his best known roles, dentist Ben Parkinson on Butterflies and Lionel Hardcastle on As Time Goes By. That having been said, he could easily play other sorts of characters. On The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin he played the title character's brother-in-law, Jimmy Anderson, an incompetent who often overestimated his own authority. His gravelly voice lent itself to authority figures, including Queen Victoria's chief secretary Sir Henry Posonby in Mrs. Brown, Admiral Roebuck in Tomorrow Never Dies, and Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin in W.E. Geoffrey Palmer was a wonderful actor with a gift for comedy who, at the same time, was adept at playing drama.

Godspeed Sean Connery

There can be no doubt that Sean Connery will always be best remembered as James Bond. He was the first actor to portray 007 on the big screen and for many he remains the definitive Bond. That having been said, he played many other roles in his long career. He received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables (1987). He received a BAFTA Award for his role as William of Baskerville in The Name of the Rose (1986). Over the years he played Maj. Gen. Roy Urquhart in A Bridge Too Far  (1977), Juan Sánchez Villa-Lobos Ramírez in Highlander (1986), and Henry Jones Sr. in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). Sean Connery died on October 31 2020 at the age of 90.

Sean Connery was born on August 25 1930 in Fountainbridge, Edinburgh. He worked as a milkman for St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society. He was 16 years old when he joined the Royal Navy in 1946. When he was 19 he developed a a duodenal ulcer and was honourably discharged from the navy. After his service he returned to work as a milkman for St. Cuthbert's Co-operative Society, and afterwards worked as a lorry driver, a lifeguard at Portobello swimming baths, and an artist's model. He had taken up bodybuilding when he was 18, and competed in the Mr. Universe contest. In 1951 he went to work helping backstage at the King's Theatre in Edinburgh.

It was in 1953 that Sean Connery was cast as one of the Seabees in a production of South Pacific. By the time the production reached Edinburgh, he had been cast in the role of Marine Cpl. Hamilton Steeves. Mr. Connery made his film debut as an extra in Lilacs in the Spring in 1954. He made his television debut in an episode of Dixon of Dock Green in 1956. In the late Fifties he appeared in small roles in the films No Road Back (1957), Hell Drivers (1957), Action of the Tiger (1957), and Time Lock (1957). Sean Connery had a major role in Another Time, Another Place (1958), followed by a lead role in the Disney movie Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959). He also appeared in the movie Tarzan's Greatest Adventure (1959). On television he appeared in the TV shows Sailor of Fortune, The Jack Benny Program, BBC Sunday-Night Theatre, ITV Television Playhouse, Armchair Theatre, Disneyland, BBC Sunday-Night Play, An Age of Kings, and ITV Play of the Week.

It was in the early Sixties that Sean Connery was cast in the role of James Bond. During the decade he appeared as 007 in the movies Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967). During the Sixties he appeared in movies beyond the Bond franchise, including The Frightened City (1961), On the Fiddle (1961), The Longest Day (1962), Woman of Straw (1964), Marnie (1964), The Hill (1965), A Fine Madness (1966), Shalako (1968), Krasnaya palatka (1969), and The Molly Maguires (1970). He appeared in such TV productions as Macbeth, Anna Karenina, and Male of the Species. He appeared on the TV show ITV Saturday Night Theatre.

In the Seventies he appeared again as James Bond in Diamonds Are Forever (1971). He played the title character, Daniel Dravot, in The Man Who Would Be King (1975) and Robin Hood in Robin and Marian (1977). He appeared in the films The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Offence (1973), Zardoz (1974), Murder on the Orient Express (1974), Ransom (1974), The Wind and the Lion (1975), The Next Man (1976), A Bridge Too Far (1977), The First Great Train Robbery (1978), Meteor (1979), and Cuba (1979).

The Eighties saw Sean Connery reprise his role of James Bond for one last time in Never Say Never Again (1983). He also played such roles as Ramirez in Highlander (1986), William of Baskerbille in The Name of the Rose (1986), Jimmy Malone in The Untouchables (1988), Henry Jones, Sr. in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989), and Marko Ramius in The Hunt for Red October (1990). He also appeared in the films Outland (1981), Time Bandits (1981), Wrong is Right (1982), Five Days One Summer (1982), Sword of the Valiant: The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (1984), The Presidio (1988), Memories of Me (1988), Family Business (1989), and The Russia House (1989).

In the Nineties Mr. Connery appeared in the movies Highlander II: The Quickening (1991), Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves (1991), Medicine Man (1992), Rising Sun (1993), A Good Man in Africa (1994), Just Cause (1995), The Rock (1996), The Avengers (1998), Playing by Heart (1999), Entrapment (1999), and Fielding Forrester (2000). He was the voice of the dragon Draco in Dragonheart (1996).

In the Naughts Sean Connery appeared in the movie The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003). His last role was as the voice of Sir Billi in the animated film Sir Billi (2012).

Sean Connery may be best remembered as James Bond, but he played a wide array of roles throughout his career. He was the choice of many directors for legendary and literary characters, playing everything from Robin Hood to King Agamemnon to Allan Quartermain. He could not only play the suave, charming James Bond, but also widower Mark Rutland in Marnie, Colonel John Arbuthnot of the British Indian Army in Murder on the Orient Express, former British Army sergeant and fortune hunter Daniel Dravot in The Man Who Would Be King, and erudite archaeologist Henry Jones, Sr. in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. And even when a specific film wasn't necessarily good, Sean Connery always was. While Mr. Connery will always be remembered as James Bond, he will also be remembered for having played a wide array of other roles as well.