Godspeed Dancer Bobby Banas

Bobby Banas, a dancer, choreographer, and actor who appeared in the film West Side Story (1961) and such shows as The Judy Garland Show, died on July 29 2024 at the age of 90.

Bobby Banas was born on September 22 1934 in New York City. He expressed an interest in dancing while very young. As a teenager he took ballroom dancing lessons. He was in the Michael Panaieff Children’s’ Ballet Company, in which a young Natalie Wood was his dancing partner. He attended the Hollywood Professional School and Hollywood High.

Bobby Banas made his film debut doing the Charleston in Has Anybody Seen My Gal in 1952. He appeared on Broadway only once, playing an Indian and a kangaroo in Peter Pan. In the Fifties he appeared in the films Carousel (1956), Rock Around the Clock (1956), The King and I (1956), The Best Things in Life Are Free (1956), Don't Knock the Rock (1956), Untamed Youth (1957), Calypso Heat Wave (1957), The Girl Most Likely (1957), Daddy-O (1958), Damn Yankees (1958), Rally 'Round the Flag, Boys! (1958), Juke Box Rhythm (1959), Riot in Juvenile Prison (1959), Say One for ME (1959), Li'l Abner (1959), and Let's Make love (1960). He appeared on television in the shows Producer's Showcase and Make Room for Daddy.

In the Sixties he played Joyboy in the movie West Side Story (1961). He also appeared in the movies Babes in Toyland  (1961), Twist Around the Clock (1961), Don't Knock the Twist (1962), How the West was Won (192), Bye Bye Birdie (1963), The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1964), Mary Poppins (1964), Girl Happy (1965), Billie (1965), and Made in Paris (1966). He appeared on the TV Shows The Dick Van Dyke Show and Get Smart. In 1978 he appeared in the TV movie Bud and Lou. In the Eighties he appeared on the TV show Cagney & Lacey, the TV movie My Wicked, Wicked Ways: The Life of Errol Flynn (1985), and the feature film Odd Jobs (1986).

Bobby Banas also worked as a choreographer on many movies and TV shows. On television he was a choreographer on Shivaree, The Kraft Summer Music Hall, Malibu U., and The Jonathan Winters Show. He served as a choreographer on individual episodes of The Virginian, Barnaby Jones, The Bad News Bears, Mork & Mindy, and Webster. He served as a choreographer on the movies The Skydivers (1963), Skatetown USA (1979), Heart Like a Wheel (1983), Tuff Turf (1985), Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Under the Boardwalk (1988), Teen Witch (1989), and Always (1989).

Bobby Banas was a wonderful dancer. A few years ago a video clip from The Judy Garland Show of Mr. Banas leading other dancers in the dance The Nitty Gritty went viral, and it is easy to see why. It is also easy to understand why he was so much in demand as both a dancer and a choreographer. Bobby Banas may not be a household name, but he certainly played a major role in many people's childhood memories.

"Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones

Ever since I re-watched Once Upon a Time....in Hollywood (2019) the other night, I have had "Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones stuck in my head. The song first appeared on the British edition of The Stones' Aftermath. It was covered by Chris Farlowe, whose version went to no. 1 on the UK singles chart. The song made its first appearance in the United States on the American edition of The Rolling Stones album Flowers. In addition to Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood, "Out of Time" has appeared in the movie Coming Home (1978).

Sunday Night Television When I Was Growing Up

For much of television history, Sunday has been the most-watched night of broadcast network television. Over the year several highly successful shows have aired on Sunday night, including The Ed Sullivan Show, Bonanza, NBC Mystery Movie, and Murder, She Wrote. It should be little wonder that Sunday nights number among my fondest memories of watching television when I was growing up, alongside Saturday morning cartoons.

My earliest memories of watching television on Sunday nights come from the late Sixties. On any typical Sunday night my family would watch Lassie, followed by Walt Disney's Wonderful World Colour, the last half of The Ed Sullivan Show, and Bonanza. I don't know what my parents watched after Bonanza, as my brother and I were generally in bed by then. It is notable that all of these shows were long running. Lassie debuted in 1954 and ran for 19 seasons, although the its last two were in first-run syndication. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour had debuted as Disneyland on ABC and while still on that network would undergo a name change to Walt Disney Presents. It moved to NBC in 1961 and underwent another name change to Walt Disney's Wonderful of Color. Under various names and changes in network, the Disney anthology show would run 29 years without interruption. It has been revived several times since. The Ed Sullivan Show debuted in 1948 under the title Toast of the Town. Informally called "The Ed Sullivan Show" for years, it officially took that name in 1955. It ultimately ran for 24 seasons. As to Bonanza, it was a ratings behemoth. Starting with its third season, Bonanza ranked in the top ten shows of the season for the next nine seasons, three of those seasons spent at the number one spot. Bonanza lasted for 14 seasons, making it the second longest running TV Westerns after Gunsmoke.

Of course, television schedules change and shows go off the air. By the mid-Seventies Lassie, The Ed Sullivan Show, and Bonanza were gone from Sunday nights. Only the Walt Disney anthology series (now called The Wonderful World of Disney) remained. Even so there were still shows I remember fondly from the Sunday nights during the era. The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie was an umbrella series with various rotating shows. Among these shows were ones that I enjoyed a good deal: Columbo, McCloud, and McMillan and Wife. On ABC there was The ABC Sunday Night Movie, one of the many movies anthologies in the Seventies that showed feature films. This was where I would first see many of the James Bond movies.

By the late Seventies I did not enjoy Sunday night television as much as I did when I was younger. The Wonderful World of Disney remained, but The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie was gone. Still, there were shows I enjoyed from this time period. All in the Family, One Day at a Time, and Alice all aired on CBS.

By the early Eighties I was entering adulthood. While I realize we tend to look back on things from our childhood more fondly than things from other ages, it seems to me that Sunday night television was not quite as special as it was in the Sixties and Seventies. The Wonderful World of Disney was gone from Sunday night. The two shows I remember fondly from this era are Murder, She Wrote and Trapper John, M.D. At no point since I have become an adult has Sunday night television been quite as special as when I was a kid, even though some great shows have aired since then (for example, Mad Men).

DC Comics Returns to An Old Logo

Yesterday DC Comics unveiled a new logo that is actually an old logo. DC Comics adopted the "DC Bullet" in 1976. In the end it would be DC Comics' most enduring logo. It would not be retired until 2005, meaning it was in use for twenty nine years. It was designed by famed graphic designer Milton Glaser, who also designed the "I Love New York" logo, the LaGuardia High School logo, the Brooklyn Brewery logo, and others. The DC Bullet is probably DC Comics' most famous logo of all-time and may well be Milton Glaser's most famous work besides the "I Love New York" logo. DC's president and publisher Jim Lee said of the return to the DC Bullet, "In the minds of many fans, that is the mark that defined the DC brand. It’s exciting to bring it back."

Of course, over the years DC Comics has had several different logo. Its earliest logo from 1940 consisted of two circles which read "A DC Publication." "DC" stood for Detective Comics, Inc. (the company being named for its flagship publication, Detective Comics), although the logo was also used on Detective Comics, Inc.'s sister company All-American Publications. In 1942 the logo was modified to read, "A Superman DC Publication." In 1946 Detective Comics, Inc. was merged with All-American Publicationsto become National Comics Publications, although it retained the logo.

The logo would be revamped by Irv Schnapp in 1949. Irv Schnapp was a graphic designer and letter who worked at DC Comics for years. Among other things, he revamped the Superman logo in 1940 and created or revamped many other logos at the company over the years. Ira Schnapp's logo differed from the earlier DC logos in that it read "Superman" at the top with "DC" in the centre and "National Comics" at the bottom. Often the "Superman" and "DC" in the logo would be in the colour red. After the DC Bullet, Ira Schnapp's DC logo is the longest lasting of DC's logos. It was adopted in 1949 and remained in use until 1970, a full 21 years. Here I must point out that while the official name of the company was "National Comics Publications" and later "National Periodical Publications," The company was known informally as "DC Comics" for years, likely since the Golden Age.

After Ira Schnapp's logo was retired, DC Comics changed logos next frequently over the next few years. The next logo featured the main character of the title in a circle with the "DC" and the title below the circle. Adopted in 1970, it was abandoned in 1972. The next logo was a simple circle with the letters "DC" in it. Adopted in 1972, it was revamped in in 1974 so that the letters "DC" were surrounded by the words "THE LINE OF SUPER STARS." Of course, in 1976 the DC Bullet was adopted.

After the DC Bullet was retied in 2005, DC Comics went through another period where they changed the logo frequently, The next design would be known as the "swoosh," the letters DC in front of an oval  design. It lasted from 2005 to 2006. DC Comic's next logo would become known by many as the "Peel." It featured a san serif "DC" in which the "D" appeared to be peeling back from the "C." The Peel was a sharp break from DC Comics' previous logos in that it entirely abandoned the circle motif. The DC Peel initially proved unpopular, although today there are those who look back on it fondly. Regardless, the Peel only lasted from 2005 to 2012. It was then replaced by a new, simpler logo that featured a serif DC within a circle. In many ways it recalled the DC logo of the early Seventies. Introduced in 2016, it has lasted until now.

I have no doubt that many fans will welcome the return of the DC Bullet. It was DC Comics logo from my early teens throughout my young adulthood. By the time it was retired, I was middle-aged. Entire generations grew up with the DC Bullet. If DC Comics had to change logos again, it would seem a return to the DC Bullet was a good idea.

Below is a handy graphic showing the DC Comics logo over the years that I snagged from Bleeding Cool.

Batman's Debt to The Spider

It is well-known that the comic book character Batman was inspired by the pulp character The Shadow. The very first Batman story, "The Case of the Chemical Syndicate," published in Detective Comics no. 27 (May 1939) was taken from The Shadow novel Partners of Peril by Theodore Tinsley (using the Street & Smith pen name Maxwell Grant) from The Shadow no. 113 (November 1936). While Batman owes an obvious debt to The Shadow, it seems to me that the superhero was also inspired largely by another pulp character, The Spider.

For those unfamiliar with The Spider, he was  a character published in the pulp magazine The Spider, published by Popular Publications. He first appeared in The Spider no.1 (October 1933). The first two issues of The Spider were written by R. T. M. Scott, most famous for having created "Secret Service Smith." In those first two issues "The Spider" was little more than a pseudonym for millionaire Richard Wentworth as he operated as an amateur criminologist. Popular Publications decided the first two Spider novels were too slow-paced, so writer Novell Page was brought into replace him. Norvell Page totally revamped The Spider. He was still millionaire Richard Wentworth, but now as The Spider he fought crime in a sallow fright mask complete with fangs, a black felt hat, and a black cape. What  is more, he had no compunctions about outright killing criminals,  although he scrupulously avoided killing law enforcement or ordinary civilians. As written by Norvell Page and such writers as Donald C. Cormack, Wayne Rogers, Emile Tepperman, and Prentice Wnchell, he proved to be success.

As stated above, The Spider's alter ego Richard Wentworth was a millionaire. From his first appearance in Detective Comics no. 27, Batman's alter ego Bruce Wayne is also described as a socialite and a millionaire. This is in sharp contrast to The Shadow, at least in the pulp magazine (the radio show is a different matter). The alter ego of Lamont Cranston, "wealthy man about town," is not The Shadow's real identity. In fact, the real Lamont Cranston  had a deal with The Shadow so that The Shadow could masquerade as him as he travels the world. The two men looked so much alike that the masquerade was successful. That Bruce Wayne is a millionaire may then owe a good deal to The Spider. Of course, both The Spider and Batman owe a good deal to Zorro, whose secret identity was that of Don Diego de la Vega, son of the wealthiest landowner in California.

The similarities between Batman and The Spider do not end with the fact that both are rich. Richard Wentworth's best friend is New York City Police Commissioner Stanley "Kirk" Kirkpatrick. Commissioner Kirkpatrick was certain that Richard Wentworth is The Spider, but was never able to prove it. He was certain to let Wentworth know that he ever learned the truth, he would arrest him. Like many pulp vigilantes, The Spider was wanted by the police (little wonder given his tendency to kill criminals). As to Batman, it is the very first panel of the very first Batman story that we are introduced to both Bruce Wayne and his friend Commissioner Gordon. Unlike Kirk in the Spider novels, Commissioner Gordon never suspects Bruce Wayne is Batman.

Of course, this brings us to another similarity between The Spider and Batman. As mentioned above, The Spider was wanted by the police. This was also true to a degree of Batman in his first year of appearance. In multiple issues of Detective Comics he finds himself falsely accused of a crime and must clear himself. Eventually, the Gotham City Police Department would become allies of Batman, so much so that Commissioner Gordon would summon him via the Batsignal.

One final similarity between Batman and The Spider is that both use gadgets. The Spider had a small array of gadgets, the best known of which was a gold ring with which he could imprint his symbol on the heads of criminals he killed so others would not be blamed for the crime. He also carried what he called his "web," a silken line that could hold a good deal of weight. He also had a powerful air pistol so that he could kill silently when the need arose. Of course, Batman's many gadgets are well-known. The Batarang first appeared in Detective Comics no. 31 (September 1931). Batarangs would be followed by a number of other gadgets, everything from tear gas pellets to torches. Of course, in using gadgets both The Spider and Batman owe a good deal to Doc Savage, who kept such gadgets as anesthetic gas grenades, a lock picking kit, a hypodermic kit with vials of truth serum, and other gadgets in his vest.

While Batman obviously owe a good deal to such characters as Zorro, The Shadow, and Doc Savage, it would seem he also owes a good deal to The Spider. Both are millionaires. In their secret identities, both have friends who are police commissioners. Both were wanted by the police at one time or another. And both use gadgets. Anyone familiar with both characters would probably notice the similarities.

Stop Showing Police Bodycam Videos on the Evening News

Earlier this month the bodycam video of the fatal shooting of Sonya Massey in her own home was released. For those who have not heard about the case, Ms. Massey had called 911 to report a possible prowler. Two deputies responded and, ultimately, Sean Grayson shot her in the head. Grayson was fired from the Sangamon County, Illinois Sheriff's Department two weeks after he killed Sonya Massey. Grayson has since been charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of aggravated battery with a firearm, and official misconduct. Sadly, the NBC Nightly News chose to air the bodycam video of Sonya Massey's murder upon its release, and I have to think the other networks did the same. I know that many news sites embedded the video in stories and set it to autoplay. To me, this is totally unacceptable.

The simple fact is that for many of us, police bodycam videos of the killings of individuals serve as nothing more or less than triggers for post-traumatic stress. From speaking to other survivors of victims of police violence I know I am not alone in this. Actress Vanessa Marquez, who was shot in the back and killed by officers of the South Pasadena Police Department, was my dearest friend. Ever since then I have been unable to watch any police bodycam video without serious trauma to my psyche. When the bodycam video of Vanessa's killing was released, it was aired by many news outlets. I was watching one of our local television stations one Sunday night when Inside Edition came on. Unfortunately, they had a preview of a story on the shooting of Vanessa at the start of the show. It was bad enough that they claimed she was "mentally disturbed," but they also included a portion of the bodycam video. It was only someone calling Vanessa's name in a shrill voice (I am guessing it was one of her killers), but it was enough to give me nightmares for the next two weeks. I have since forced myself to watch portions of the bodycam video, but always with the same result. Here I want to state I have never watched the footage of her death, as I suspect I could never recover from that. What makes all of this sadder still is that I know mine is not an isolated case.

Here I have to emphasize that police bodycam videos of killings by law enforcement officers not only cause stress in survivors of victims of police shootings, but African Americans in general. A study published in the Fall issue of Cultural Diversity & Ethnic Minority Psychology and conducted by Glenna L. Read of the University of Georgia Grady College; Harry Y. Yan of Texas A&M; and Rachel L. Bailey of Florida State University revealed that viewing violent police bodycam videos by African Americans can result in difficulty sleeping, feelings of being on guard, and even symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. A 2018 study published in The Lancet about police killings showed that Black people continued to be affected by the killing of an unarmed Black person months after they first heard about it. I have not read any studies on the effects of police bodycam videos on Latinos or Native Americans, but I have to suspect they would be similar to the effects they have upon Black people. After all, Latinos and Native Americans are also disproportionately shot and killed by law enforcement.

Here I want to state that I do not oppose the release of police bodycam videos. They can and often do reveal police misconduct and unprofessional behaviour. Indeed, I have to wonder if Sean Grayson would have been charged with Sonya Massey's murder if the video had not been released. That having been said, I do wish the media would show some discretion with regard to police bodycam videos so that we survivors of victims of police violence do not see them by accident and as a result experience post-traumatic stress. To me, the best solution would be for media outlets to embed them on a webpage with a robots.txt restricting search engines from spidering the page so that the video does not appear in search results. This would give those curious about any given bodycam video a chance to see it while keeping survivors of victims of police violence from seeing it and experiencing post-traumatic stress. As to the evening newscasts, they could simply direct people to the web page.

The sad fact is that many Black people, Latinos, and Native Americans have been killed by police over the years. The George Floyd Protests of 2020 do not seem to have decreased such killings in the slightest. That means that as time goes by there are more and more survivors of victims of police violence. None of us should be subjected to police bodycam video of another killing by police that could result in post-traumatic stress.

Godspeed Duke Fakir, Last of the Original Four Tops

Abdul "Duke" Fakir, founding member, first tenor, and last original Four Tops, died on July 22 2024 at the age of 88. The cause was heart failure.

Duke Fakir was born on December 26 1935 in Detroit. He attended Pershing High School in Detroit. Growing up he wanted to be a professional athlete, and he played basketball and football, and took part in track and field events. He sang in his church's choir where his talent first became obvious. As a teen he became friends with fellow singer Levi Stubbs. They first sang with Lawrence Payton and Renaldo "Obie" Benson at a local party.

Initially, Messrs. Fakir, Stubbs, Payton, and Benson called themselves "The Four Aims." As The Four Aims they released a single on Grady Records, "If Only I Had Known," in 1956. It failed to chart. That same year they recorded the single "Kiss Me Baby" for Chess Records. It was at their first recording session at Chess Records that it was brought up that the name "The Four Aims" might be confused with popular singing group The Ames Brothers. They then took the name 'The Four Tops." They later recorded singles for Columbia Records and Riverside Records, none of which charted.

While The Four Tops saw little success with singles in those early years, they continued to tour extensively. This brought them to the attention of Barry Gordy, who convinced them to sign to Motown Records in 1964. Their first single on Motown Records, "Baby, I Need Your Loving," was also their first hit. It went to no. 11 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was in 1965 that they had their first no. 1 hit, "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)." Throughout the Sixties, The Four Tops would have several more hits, including "It's the Same Old Song," "Reach Out I'll Be There," "Standing in the Shadows of Love," and "Bernadette." Over the years The Four Tops also released several albums, the first being their self-titled debut album in 1965 and the last being Christmas Here With You in 1995.

The Four Tops continued to release singles throughout the Seventies and into the Eighties, although with less success than they had in the Sixties. They continued to tour extensively. One thing that set The Four Tops apart from other groups is that their membership remained stable. Levi Stubbs did not leave the group until 2000, and then only because he had a stroke. He died in 2004. Lawerence Payton and Obie Benson remained with The Four Tops nearly until their deaths. As to Duke Fakir, the continued to tour with The Four Tops until less than a month before his death.

Like the rest of The Four Tops, Duke Fakir was an incredible performer. As first tenor his voice was always and smooth. Like the other Four Tops his voice was also versatile. He could perform pop standards, rock 'n' roll and even country songs. The Four Tops were great showmen, and few vocal groups ever matched their talent.