The Late Great Quincy Jones

Quincy Jones, the legendary record producer, composer, and songwriter who worked with artists from Count Basie to James Ingram, died on October 31 2024 at the age of 91.

Quincy Jones was born in Chicago on March 14 1933. His mother was committed to a mental hospital when he was 7 years old. His father later divorced his mother and remarried. It was in 1943 that his father moved the family from Chicago to Bremerton, Washington, They later moved to Seattle, where Quincy Jones attended Garfield High School. It was while he was in high school that he honed his skills as a trumpeter and took an interest in music composition and arrangement. Quincy Jones attended Seattle University for a semester before transferring to Berklee College of Music in Boston on a scholarship.

Quincy Jones left college to play trumpet with Lionel Hampton. He left Mr. Hampton in 1954 and moved to New York City. It was in 1956 that he signed with ABC Paramount Records In the Fifties he played as a sideman for such artists as Clifford Brown, Dizzie Gillespie, and Art Farmer. His first album, recorded with drummer Roy Haynes, Jazz Abroad was released in 1955. During his career he released 36 albums, the last being Q Soul Bossa Nostra.

The first album on which Quincy Jones served as a composer was Standards by Ray Anthony in 1954. The first album he produced was Helen Merrill's self-titled debut album in 1955. Over the years he produced albums by such artists as Art Farmer, Billy Eckstine, Dizzie Gillespie, Little Richard, Leslie Gore, Sarah Vaughn, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, Patti Austin, and Frank Sinatra. He produced such hits as "It's My Party" by Lesley Gore and Michael Jackson's album Thriller. He served as an arranger for many artists, including Big Maybelle, Dinah Washington, Diahann Carroll, Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Andy Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Frank Sinatra, and Lena Horne.

During his career Quincy Jones composed themes for such television shows as Ironside, The NBC Wednesday Mystery Movie, Sanford and Son ("The Street Beater"), and Now You See It. He also composed the soundtrack for the mini-series Roots .He composed the soundtracks for such movies as The Pawnbroker (1964), Mirage (1965), The Slender Thread (1965), Walk Don't Run (1966), The Deadly Affair (1967), Enter Laughing (1967), In the Heat of the Night (1967),  In Cold Blood (1967), Mackenna's Gold (1969), The Italian Job (1969), Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice (1969), Cactus Flower (1969), The Anderson Tapes (1971), The Getwaay (1972), and The Wiz (1978).

Beyond his music career, Quincy Jones served as a producer on such movies as The Color Purple (1985), Stalingrad (1990), Steel (1997), and The Color Purple (2023). He produced such TV shows as The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, In the House, and MADtv.

Quincy Jones did nearly everything in music. He played music. He arranged music. He produced records. He scored movies. Beginning his career as a remarkable trumpeter, he became a remarkable producer, arranger, and composer. Many of his compositions remain iconic, including the song "In the Heat of the Night" and the Sanford and Son theme "The Streetbeater." He produced some huge hits, from "It's My Party" by Lesley Gore to "Beat It" by Michael Jackson. Quincy Jones had an enormous impact on music that is still being felt.

The Late Great Greg Hildebrandt

Illustrator and artist Greg Hildebrandt, who worked both with his late twin Tim and on his own, died on October 31 2024 at the age of 85. The Brothers Hildebrandt were known for their iconic Star Wars (1977) and Clash of the Titans (1981) posters. Both with is brother and on his own, Greg Hildebrandt was also known for his work on The Lord of the Ring calendars, DC Comics, and Marvel Comics.

Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were born on January 23 1939 in Detroit. They were only six years old when they started drawing their own comic books. They were heavily influenced the style of classic Disney animated movies such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), and Fantasia (1940). Comic books, paperback covers, and the work of Maxfield Parrish and Norman Rockwell were also influences.

The Brothers Hildebrandt took a six-month class at the Meinzinger Art School in Detroit. By 1959 they were painting professionally. They did some work for the Detroit-based Jam Handy Organization, who created industrial films and sales films. It was in 1963 that they moved to New York City where they went to work for Fulton J. Sheen providing art for his TV series Life is Worth Living.

The Brothers Hildebrandt created the art work for the Lord of the Rings calendars that Ballantine Books published from 1976 to 1978. It was in 1977 20th Century Fox approached the twins about creating poster art for the release of the Star Wars (1977) in the United Kingdom. While a poster had already been created by artist Tom Jung, the studio considered it too dark. The Brothers Hildebrandt then created the famous Style"B" poster for Star Wars (1977). The Brothers Hildebrandt developed thier own idea for a fantasy movie called Urshurak. Failing to ever sell it as a film, Urshurak was published as a graphic novel in 1979. They later created the poster for Clash of the Titans (1981).

It was following their work on the Clash of the Titans poster that Greg and Time began to work separately. He did covers for the magazines Omni and Heavy Metal. He also illustrated covers for books from Dracula to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz to The Phantom of the Opera. He created covers for the Trans-Siberian Orchestra's albums, as well as their merchandise. He also did work for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and Wizards of the Coast. He also illustrated his own book, Greg Hildebrandt’s Favorite Fairy Tales (1984) and in 1999 began work on a series of 1940s-1950s style pinups called "American Beauties."

The Brothers Hildebrandt were very much a part of my childhood and teen years given their work with The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. And I always appreciated their art more so than many other artists of time. They had a realistic style with a richness of colour rarely seen in the work of other fantasy illustrators. Indeed, even after Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies had come out, it is still their illustrations that come to my mind when I think of the novel. Of course, Greg Hildebrandt worked separately from his brother, and he did a lot of great work. From the over of the Black Sabbath album The Mob Rules to his "American Beauties" pinup series, he created a wide variety of artwork. It has been nearly fifty years since I first saw Greg Hildebrandt's work, and he still remains one of my favourite artists.

The Late Great Teri Garr

Beloved star of film and television Teri Garr died on October 29 2024 at the age of 79. She had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis years ago. Teri Garr had appeared in such movies as Head  (1968), Young Frankenstein (1974), and Mr. Mom (1983), and on such TV shows as Star Trek, McCloud, and Friends.

Teri Garr was born on December 11 1944 in  Los Angeles. Her father Eddie Garr had been a performer and comedian in vaudeville. Her mother had been a Radio City Music Hall Rockette. Teri Garr spent many of her early years in Lakewood, Ohio. Her father died when she was eleven, after which her family moved frequently. Eventually her mother worked in the costume department at NBC.

Teri Garr studied ballet. It was after she graduated from North Hollywood High School that she got a part in a road production of West Side Story. She studied acting at the Actors Studio in New York City, where she first met Jack Nicholson.

Teri Garr began her career primarily as a dancer. She was one of the dancers on Shindig! and also danced on its rival show Hullabaloo. She was also a dancer in the Elvis Presley movies Kissin' Cousins (1964), Viva Las Vegas (1964), Girl Happy (1965), and Clambake (1967). In the Sixties Miss Garr appeared as dancer or in bit parts in such movies as Fun in Acapulco (1963), What a Way to Go! (1964), Pajama Party (1964), T.A.M.I. (1964), Red Line 7000 (1965), and The Cool Ones (1967). She had a brief but very noticeable role in The Monkees' movie Head (1968). She appeared in the movies Changes (1969) and The Moonshine War (1970). On television she guest starred on Mr. Novak, Dr. Kildare, Where the Action Is, Batman, That Girl, The Andy Griffith Show, Mayberry R.F.D., Room 222, It Takes a Thief, and McCloud. Her guest appearance on Star Trek, "Assignment Earth," was a backdoor pilot for TV series that did not sell.

In the Seventies Teri Garr had regular or recurring roles on the television shows The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, The Ken Berry "Wow" Show, The Girl with Something Extra, and McCloud. she guest starred on the shows Banyon, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, The Bob Newhart Show, M*A*S*H, The Odd Couple, Barnaby Jones,. Paul Sands in Friends and Lovers, Cher. Maude, Hunter, and Saturday Night Live. She appeared in the movies The Conversation (1974), Young Frankenstein (1974), Won Ton Ton, the Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), Oh, God! (1977), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Mr. Mike's Mondo Video (1979), The Black Stallion (1979) and Witches Brew (1980).

In the Eighties Teri Garr appeared in the movies Honky Tonk Freeway (1981), One from the Heart (1982), The Escape Artist (1982), Tootsie (1982), The Sting II (1983), The Black Stallion Returns (1983), Mr. Mom (1983), Firstborn (1984), After Hours (1985), Miracles (1986), Full Moon in Blue Water (1988), Out Cold (1989), Let It Ride (1989), Short Time (1990), and Waiting for the Light. She guest starred on the shows Faerie Tale Theatre, The New Show. Trying Times, Sesame Street, and      Mother Goose Rock 'n' Rhyme. In 1985 she starred in a retro music video for The Zombies' song "She's Not There."

In the Nineties Teri Garr starred on the short-lived sitcom Good & Evil. She also had a recurring role on the shows Adventures in Wonderland, Good Advice, and Women of the House. She was the voice of Mary McGinnis  on the animated series Batman Beyond. She guest starred on the shows Tales from the Crypt, Futures, Dreams On, Murphy Brown, The Larry Sanders Show, Frasier, Men Behaving Badly, Sabrina the Teenage Witch. Friends, ER, and I've Got a Secret. She was a guest voice on the animated shows The Legend of Prince Valiant; Duckman; Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist; and King of the Hill. She appeared in the movies The Player (1992), Mom and Dad Save the World (1992), Dumb and Dumber (1994), Prêt-à-Porter (1994), Perfect Alibi (1995), Michael (1996), Changing Habits (1997), A Simple Wish (1997), No Money Down (1997), Casper Meets Wendy (1998), Kill the Man (1999), Dick (1999), and The Sky is Falling (2000). She reprised her role as the voice of Mary McGinnis in the animated movie Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker (2000).

In the Naughts Miss Garr appeared in the movies Ghost World (2001), Life Without Dick (2002), A Taste of Jupiter (2005), Unaccompanied Minors (2006), Expired (2007), and Kabluey (2007). She guest starred on Felicity, Strong Medicine, Mad TV, Life with Bonnie, Greetings from Tucson, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, and Crumbs.

I have adored Teri Garr since childhood. And when I was growing up she seemed to be everywhere. I remember her from reruns of the Star Trek episode "Assignment Earth," The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, and movies such as Young Frankenstein and Oh, God!. I am certainly not alone in adoring Teri Garr, as she was a beloved actress. There was an approachability about Teri Garr, a warmth about her, that naturally drew people to her.

Of course, she was also an extremely talented actress, particularly when it came to comedy. When it came to movie roles, she may be best remembered as Inga in Young Frankenstein. Inga was played as  a sex symbol although it was obvious Miss Garr was in on the joke. And while she may be best remembered as Inga, Teri Garr played many other roles that were different. She did an Oscar nominated turn as the anxious, high-strung actress Sandy in Tootsie, who has a severe case of imposter syndrome. In Mr. Mom she played Caroline Butler, who returns to the advertising industry after years of being a housewife and mother. In Witches Brew she played the wife of a professor who just happens to practise witchcraft. Teri Garr was an immensely talented actress who was always noticeable, whether in small roles such as in Head or larger role such as One from the Heart.

Happy Halloween 2024

Every year for Halloween I post vintage, holiday themed pinups, as I realize that there are those who appreciate some cheesecake along with their treats. Without further ado, here are this year's pinups.

First up is Lona Andre, who is relaxing her with her jack o' lantern.

A bevy of starlets relaxing in the hay: Barbara Britton, Ella Neal, Eva Gabor, and Kathleen Booth.

Ellen Drew is also relaxing in the hay, along with jack o' lanterns and masks.

Anne Neyland is flying on her broomstick.

And finally we have Ann Miller in colour!

Happy Halloween!

Some More Vintage Halloween Candy Ads

Today has been a busy day, so in lieu of writing a fuller post, I would leave you with a few vintage Halloween themed ads for candy. As it is, posts on vintage Halloween ads have become a bit of a custom here at A Shroud of Thoughts, as I seem to do one most years. Vintage ads for candy are particularly fitting for Halloween. The first reference to trick-or-treating is from 1927 in Canada. The custom would spread for Canada into the United States, so that by the post-war  years it was well-established in the United States. As would be expected, candy manufacturers would capitalize on the custom of trick-or-treating with Halloween-themed ads.

Below are a few Halloween candy ads.

An ad for Neco Wafers from 1951.

An ad for Baby Ruth and Butterfinger from 1960



An ad for Brach's from 1952

A Pez ad from 1959

A Tootsie Roll ad from 1954.

A Wrigley's Spearmint Gum ad from 1960.

"Catspaw," the Star Trek Halloween Episode

While references have been made to Christmas throughout the Star Trek franchise, in the franchise's entire history there has only been one episode devoted to a holiday. What is more, that holiday was not Christmas. That episode was "Catspaw" by Robert Bloch, which first aired on NBC on October 27 1967. While "Catspaw" is not set on Halloween, the episode references the custom of trick-or-treating (which apparently survived into the 23rd Century). Furthermore, the theme and the atmosphere of "Catspaw" befits the holiday of Halloween.

In "Catspaw" the U.S.S. Enterprise visits the planet of Pyrus VII. After one crewman returns to the Enterprise dead and Scotty and Sulu have gone missing, Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Dr. McCoy transport down to the planet only to find things straight out of a 20th Century horror movie: a spooky castle, witches, and a wizard with his black cat. Of course, Kirk, Spock, and McCoy realize that all is not how it seems.

By the mid-Sixties, Robert Bloch was already famous in the fields of fantasy, horror, and science fiction. He had begun his career writing stories for such classic pulp magazines as Weird Tales, Amazing Stories, and Fantastic. He wrote the novel Psycho, which was adapted as the classic film of the same name by Alfred Hitchcock. By the time he wrote for Star Trek, Mr. Bloch had already written a good deal for television, including episodes of Lock Up, Whispering Smith, Buys Stop, and The Eleventh Hour. He wrote several episodes of Thriller and Alfred Hitchcock Presents, both of which adapted his short stories. He had also written the screenplays for such films as Strait-Jacket (1964), The Night Walker (1964), and The Skull (1965).

"Catspaw" came about after Robert Bloch was approached by D.C. Fontana, who was then the story editor for a new show called Star Trek, about writing for the series. The first episode he wrote for the show was "What Are Little Girls Made Of," which aired in the first season. "Catspaw" would be the second episode of Robert Bloch's episodes for Star Trek (the third would be "Wolf in the Fold"). "Catspaw" was loosely based on an earlier short story that Robert Bloch had written, "Broomstick Ride," published in Super-Science Fiction, Vol. 2 No. 1 (December 1957). In "Broomstick Ride," an expedition is sent to explore the planet Pyris, which apparently has an Earth-like atmosphere. Once there the expedition encounters a society with Dark Age technology, witches riding broomsticks known as wrali, and a firm belief on the part of the wrali that Satan had brought from Earth to Pyrus. For those who want to read "Broomstick Ride," that particular issue of Super-Scence Fiction is available at the Internet Archive.

As to the title, "Catspaw," it is taken from the idiom "cat's paw," which means someone who is the dupe of another. "Cat's paw" is taken from the fable "The Monkey and the Cat" by Jean de La Fontaine. In the story, the monkey Bertrand convinces the cat Raton to get roasting chestnuts from amongst the embers of a fire. Quite naturally, as he pulls each chestnut out, Raton burns his paw. Bertrand and Raton are interrupted by the maid, so that in the end poor Raton gets no chestnuts despite having burned his paw.

Like many Star Trek episodes, "Catspaw" took some time to develop. Robert Bloch submitted his initial story outline on March 9 1967. The story outline was revised on March 14 1967. The first draft of the teleplay was submitted on March 29 1967. The second draft would be submitted on April 14 1967. The third draft, which involved uncredited work by D.C. Fontana, was submitted on April 24 1967. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry revised the final draft, so that it was completed on April 27 1967. Producer Gene L. Coon would make additional page revisions on May 4, May 5, and May 10 1967.

"Catspaw" began shooting on Tuesday, May 2 1967. It was the first episode of the second season to be filmed and the first to feature Walter Koenig as Lt. Chekov. It would also be the first episode produced to feature DeForest Kelley's name in the opening credits. While "Catspaw" was the first episode of the second season of Star Trek to be filmed, it would be the seventh episode of the second season to air, making its debut on October 27 1967. The reason "Catspaw" was delayed was quite simple. It was planned from the beginning for the airing of "Catspaw" to coincide with Halloween.

While "Catspaw" is not set at Halloween, the episode is most certainly fitting for the holiday Towards the beginning of the episode, a dead crewman issues a warning to the Enterprise to leave the planet in an eerie voice. When Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to Pyris VII, they encounter apparitions of witches straight out of Macbeth. The castle's dungeon in the episode is dark and comes complete with a skeleton. The atmosphere of "Catspaw" would certainly make any viewer think of Halloween, and the atmosphere of Pyris II reminds Kirk and McCoy of the holiday as well. At one point, McCoy comments, "Three witches...what appears a castle, and a black cat," to which Kirk replies, "If we weren't missing two officers and a third one dead, I'd say someone was playing an elaborate trick-or-treat on us." The custom of trick-or-treating is referenced twice more in the episode.

As mentioned above, Star Trek never did another holiday episode nor have any of its spinoffs included a holiday episode. "Catspaw" then remains both the only Halloween episode and the only holiday episode of any Star Trek series. It is fortunate that it also happens to be a well-done and suitably creepy episode, perfect for Halloween viewing.

The Bonfires of Halloween

The bonfire in Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

The Halloween sequence in the classic movie Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) remains for many the most memorable sequence in the movie. Among other things, the neighbourhood kids build a bonfire in the middle of Kensington Avenue. The Halloween sequence in Meet Me in St. Louis was based on the vignette "October 1903," one of a series of semi-autobiographical vignettes by Sally Benson published in The New Yorker from June 14 1941 to May 1943. While building bonfires on Halloween is no longer as common as it once was, the tradition goes back many years.

For those familiar with the history of holidays in Northern Europe, the building of bonfires on Halloween should not seem that unusual. The Third Council of Constantinople in 680 CE attempted to ban bonfires, "Those fires that are kindled by certain people on new moons before their shops and houses, over which also they use ridiculously and foolishly to leap, by a certain ancient custom...." Despite this, the lighting of bonfires on certain holidays would persist. Among King Henry VII's expenses listed for one Midsummer's Eve was for making bonfires.

It should then come as no surprise that bonfires were built for Halloween in Scotland, the country from which much of the United States and Canada's Halloween customs come. In  1772 Welsh naturalist and antiquarian Thomas Pennant wrote of the people of the Maylin, near Pitlochry in Scotland, "Hallow Eve is also kept sacred; as soon as it is dark, a person sets fire to a bush of broom fastened round a pole, and, attended with a crowd, runs about the village. He then flings it down, heaps great quantity of combustible matters on it, and makes a great bonfire.”

The custom of building bonfires on Halloween would be brought to Canada and the United States by Scottish settlers. The November 1 1864 issue of The Kingston Daily News from Kingston, Ontario states in their article, "Keeping Up Hallowe'en," "Bonfires were lit in several streets...." The custom of Halloween bonfires was known in the United States as well, even if at times it was discouraged. In the 1890 issue of The Minneapolis Star Tribune, bonfires are mentioned among the mischief performed in the night, "...to say nothing of an occasional bonfire worked on the sly, while the precinct patrolman is at the other end of his beat."

While Halloween bonfires were strongly discouraged in many cities, in other municipalities they became part of the official celebration of Halloween. The December 29 1920 issue of The Great Falls Leader out of Montana has a story on how tumbleweed burning will be held on October 30 of the following year as part of the close of Great Falls' Clean-up Week. The October 20 1930 issue of The Los Angeles Illustrated Daily News features a short article that reads, "FUEL TO FIRES! Halloween bonfires on city playgrounds and in community house fireplaces will burn brighter this year for a gift of several hundred railroad ties donated by Los Angeles Railway corporation."The October 30 1957 issue of The Enterprise-Record from Chico, California featured the headline, "Halloween Bonfire Slated for Ridge Tomorrow Evening." The Paradise Recreation District had a bonfire planned for the evening of October 31 1957

While the burning of bonfires would decline in the latter half of the 20th Century, the practice has not totally died out in the United States. As recently as October 12 2021, The Greenville Daily Advocate in Ohio mentioned a Halloween bonfire party to be held by Darke County SafeHaven in Piqua, Ohio. The origin of the custom of bonfires on Halloween is shrouded in mystery. Some would trace it back to the Celtic pagan festival known as Saimhainnin Scottish Gaelic, Samhain in Modern Irish, and Sauin in Manx. Some might give other explanations for the Halloween tradition. Regardless, while it might not be as common as it once was, it would seem that people will be burning bonfires on Halloween for many years to come.