Godspeed Michael Forest

Actor Michael Forest, who played Apollo in the Star Trek episode "Who Mourns for Adonais?" and guest starred on shows from The Twilight Zone to The Dick Van Dyke Show. died on October 14, 2026, at the age of 97. He also appeared in several Roger Coman movies and dubbed voices on several anime projects (including Alex Rosewater on The Big O).

Michael Forest was born Gerald Michael Charlebois on April 27, 1929, in Harvey, North Dakota. He moved with his family to Seattle while very young. He decided to become an actor after he saw a friend in a play at the Seattle Rep Playhouse. He attended the University of Washington and then San Jose State, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in Drama.

In 1955, he moved to Los Angeles. He made his television debut in episodes of Lux Video Theatre, being credited under his given name Gerald Charlebois. In the Fifties, he guest starred on the shows Highway Patrol; Jane Wyman Presents the Fireside Theatre; Cheyenne; Tombstone Territory; The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin; Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok; Zorro; Have Gun-Will Travel; Zane Grey Theatre; Yancy Derringer; Lawman; The Texan; The Rifleman; Bronco; Death Valley Days; The Dennis O'Keefe Show; One Step Beyond; Bat Masterson; The Alaskans; First Person; General Motors Presents; and The Westerner. He appeared in the movies The Deadly Mantis (1957), Shoot-Out at Medicine Bend (1957), The Saga of the Viking Women and Their Voyage to the Waters of the Great Sea Serpent (1958), Beast from Haunted Cave (1959), Ski Troop Attack (1960), and Valley of the Redwoods (1960).

In the Sixties, Michael Forest guest starred on the shows Adventures in Paradise; Michael Shayne; Maverick; The Tall Man; Bachelor Father; Cheyenne' Festival; The Detectives; 87th Precinct; Frontier Circus; Tales of Wells Fargo; Wagon Train; Room for One More; Laramie; Ben Casey; Dr. Kildare; The Outer Limits; The Dick Van Dyke Show; The Twilight Zone; Perry Mason; The Man From U.N.C.L.E.; Rawhide; Gunsmoke; Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.; 12 O' Clock High; I Spy; Branded; Combat!; The Virginian; Mission: Impossible; Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color; Laredo; Gilligan's Island'; Mr. Terrific; Star Trek; Bonanza; Ironside; Daniel Boone; Get Smart; Garrison's Gorillas; It Takes a Thief; The Doris Day Show; Here Comes the Brides; and Lassie. He appeared in the movies Atlas (1961), A House is Not a Home (1964), The Glory Guys (1965), Deathwatch (1965), Mosby's Marauders (1967), The Money Jungle (1967), The Sweet Ride (1968), and 100 Rifles (1969).

In the Seventies, Michael Forest guest starred on the TV shows The Rookies; As the World Turns; and The Young and the Restless. He was a guest voice on the anime series Lupin the III Part II and Back to the Forest. He appeared in the movies The Last Rebel (1971), Lo ammazzò come un cane... ma lui rideva ancora (1972), Hector the Mighty (1972), The Assassination of Trotsky (1972), Racconti proibiti... di niente vestiti (1972), The Dirt Gang (1972), Now They Call Him Sacramento (1972), Cotter (1973), The Magnificent Dare Devil (1973), Elena sì... ma di Troia (1973), The Loves and Times of Scaramouche (1976), The Message (1976), and Icacciatore di squali (1979). He provided voices for the English versions of the animated movie The Adventures of Manxmouse (1979).

In the Eighties, Michael Forest appeared in the television mini-series Mussolini: The Untold Story. He guest starred on the TV shows Simon & Simon; Who's the Boss; and Days of Our Lives. He provided voices for the English version of the anime series Red Spark Zillion, Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: A War in the Pocket, Crying Freeman, and Gundam 0083. He appeared in the movies King Kong Lives (1986), Deep Space (19988), and Border Shootout (1990). He provided voices for the English versions of the anime movies Fist of the North Star (1986), The Story of Fifteen Boys (1987), and Doomed Megalopolis: The Last Megalopolis (1988).

In the Nineties, he was the voice of villain Alex Rainwater on the anime series The Big O. He also provided voices for the English versions of the anime series Mobile Suit Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, Orguss 02, Science Ninja Team Gatchaman, Armitage III, Street Fighter II V, Space Knight Tekkaman Blade, Tokyo Revelation, El Hazard: The Magnificent World 2, Saber Marionette J Again, Giant Robo: The Animation: The Day the Earth Stood Still, Trigun, Black Jack, Dual! Parallel Trouble Adventure, and Carried by the Wind: Tsukikage Ran. He provided voices for the English version of the Italian anime Detective Extralarge, Casshan, He also provided voices in the English versions of the live-action Power Rangers shows. He guest starred on the shows Silk Stalkings and Seven Days. He provided voices for the English versions of the Jackie Chan movie Operation Condor (1991) and the Chinese TV movies Romance of the Three Kingdoms Part 1. He appeared in the movies Body of Evidence (1993) and Cast Away (2000).

In the Naughts Michael Forest provided voices for the anime movies Cowboy Bebop: The Movie (2001) and Naruto the Movie 3: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006). He provided voices for the English version of the movie Izo (2004). He provided voices for the English versions of the anime series Witch Hunter Robin, Overman King Gainer, Heat Guy J, The Twelve Kingdoms, I'll/CKBC, Someday's Dreamers, Last Exile, Rumic Theatre, R.O.D. the TV, Scrapped Princess, Texhnolyze, Gungrave, Paanoia Agent, Mars Daybreak, Planetes, Samurai Champloo, Daphne in the Brilliant Blue, Otogi Zoshi, IPGX: Immortal Grand Prix, Gun X Sword, Ghost Slayers Ayashi, Aika R-16: Virgin Mission, and Nyoron Churuya-san. He guest starred on Cold Case and Alias,. He provided voices for the English version of the French film Replay (2001) and the anime movie Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom (2006).

In the Teens,he appeared in the movies The Scarlet Worm (2011) and Unbelievable!!! (2020). He reprised his role as Apollo in the fan TV series Star Trek Continues. He provided a voice for the anime series The Disapperance of Nagato Yuki-chan.

Michael Forest was a remarkable actor. He had a voice perfect for both live-action and animation. It was deep and resonant, and also versatile. Between his height (he was 6 foot 3) and his voice, he was the perfect actor to play the god Apollo on Star Trek. And while he played the role of the haughty Apollo well, he was adept at other roles as well. He did a fine job as Joe Coogan, the former flame of Laura who has become a priest, in the Dick Van Dyke Show episode "The Live and Love of Joe Coogan." With regards to anime, he did a great job as the voice of Alex Rosewater, the ruthless and power-hungry chairman of the Paradigm Corporation, in the English dub of The Big O. Throughout his career he played a number of diverse roles and played all of them well.

"Day Tripper" by The Beatles

Today in 1965, at  EMI Studios (now known as Abbey Road Studios), The Beatles recorded "Day Tripper." It has always been one of my favourite Beatles songs. John Lennon wrote the music and the majority of lyrics, with Paul McCartney contributing some of them. As to the topic of the song, in 1970 John Lennon described it as "a drug song," while in 2004 Paul McCartney said it was "about acid." "Day Tripper" is then a play on words. "Day tripper" is generally used of people who take day trips, short recreational trips made in one day. In "Day Tripper," it's apparently being used about acid trips. 

"Day Tripper" was released in the United Kingdom on December 3, 1965 as a double A-side with "We Can Work It Out." It hit no. 1 on the UK singles chart and "Day Tripper"/"We Can Work It Out" was the Christmas single for 1965. Surprisingly, it only went to no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100, even though "We Can Work It Out" went to no. 1. Regardless, I think "Day Tripper" may be the more important of the two songs. Indeed, I think it is an early example of power pop.. It has been covered multiple times by such artists as Otis Redding, José Feliciano, and Cheap Trick. 

The Original Opening of I Love Lucy

It was 75 years ago on this date that I Love Lucy debuted on CBS. Most of us are familiar with the "heart on satin" opening we saw in syndicated reruns of the show, but that wasn't its original opening. The original opening included animation that referenced the show's sponsor (Philip Morris was its first sponsor). 

The animation was created by William Hanna and Joseph Barbera, who refused credit as they were still under contract to MGM. The bellhop at the beginning was Johnny Roventini, who represented Philip Morris for decades. Several variations of the animated opening were made, each one referencing one of  I Love Lucy's sponsors. Besides Philip Morris, these included Proctor & Gamble (for Cheer laundry detergent and Lit Home Permanent), General Foods (for Sanka), and Ford Motor Company. 

The "the heart on satin" opening was created for the reruns CBS started airing in the daytime in the 1959-1960 season and was then subsequently used in syndication.  The reason for this was that the reruns on CBS and later in syndication would naturally have different sponsors, making references to the original sponsors irrelevant. The heat design and its typography were created by Verdun Philip Cook, who was a typographer and animator who did work for Desilu Productions. The post-production on the "heart on satin" opening was done by Howard Anderson Jr.'s studio. Howard Anderson Jr. was a visual effects artist who later worked on another Desilu show, Star Trek.

I Love Lucy was one of the earliest TV shows to have animated opening credits and possibly the first sitcom to do so. In that respect, it was yet another way in which I Love Lucy would prove influential. Animated openings to shows would prove popular during the Fifties and well into the Sixties, with such shows as Dobie Gillis (during its first season), Bachelor Father, My Three Sons, Bewitched, The Wild West West, and I Dream of Jeannie among those with animated credit sequences. 

Below is a video of the original opening from the debut episode of I Love Lucy  and the "heart on satin" opening used in reruns.

The 75th Anniversary of Goodyear Television Playhouse

It was 75 years ago on this date, October 14, 1951, that the anthology series Goodyear Television Playhouse debuted on NBC. The series was critically acclaimed. It was also nominated for its share of Emmy Awards. Goodyear Television Playhouse was also relatively popular with audiences. It ranked at no. 16 in the 1951-1952 season, no 15 in the 1952-1953 season, and no 22 in th 1953-1954.

Of course, in some ways The Goodyear Television Playhouse could simply be considered the same show as The Philco Television Playhouse give they shared the same producer (Fred Coe) and the same crew. Indeed, The Goodyear Television Playhouse and The Philco Television Playhouse are often referred to collectively as The Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse, even that was never the actual name of either program. The Philco Television Playhouse came about when Philco entered into a partnership with Actors Equity Association to produce adaptations of Broadway plays for television. It debuted on October 3, 1948. The show would shift to adaptations of popular novels in its second season and then its third season to original teleplays. 

It was in 1951 that Philco started sharing sponsorship with Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. The two sponsors alternated weeks, so that one week The Philco Television Playhouse would air and the next week The Goodyear Television Playhouse would air. It was in 1955 that Philco dropped its sponsorship, so The Philco Television Playhouse came to an end. The Goodyear Television Playhouse then alternated weeks with The Alcoa Hour, sponsored by the Alcoa Corporation. Unlike The Philco Television Playhouse, it truly was a different show from The Goodyear Television Playhouse, with its own production team. 

Over the years, several well-known actors guest-starred on The Goodyear Television Playhouse, including Eddie Albert, Ernest Borgnine, Melvyn Douglas, John Forsythe, June Lockhart, Roddy McDowall, Tony Randall, and many more. Some of the young actors appearing on Goodyear Television Playhouse would go onto become major stars. These included Grace Kelly, Sal Mineo, and Tuesday Weld. It also produced teleplays that are remembered to this day, at least two of which were later adapted as movies ("Visit to a Small Planet" and "The Catered Affair").  The show also proved pivotal in the careers of several writers, including  Paddy Chayefsky, Horton Foote, Gore Vidal, and others. 

By 1957, live anthology shows had more or less run their course. Goodyear Television Playhouse ended its run and instead Goodyear sponsored a filmed, half-hour anthology series titled Goodyear Theatre. It ran for three seasons, ending in 1960. 

Sadly, as a live television show whose episodes were at best preserved on kinescopes, Goodyear Television Playhouse would not have a syndication run. Today it seems likely that not many beyond those alive at the time and television historians and classic television buffs know about it. But for a time, Goodyear Television Playhouse produced some of the best teleplays on American television. 

I Love Lucy and Its Place in Latino Television History

I Love Lucy debuted on CBS on October 15, 1951. That makes this Thursday the show's 75th anniversary. I Love Lucy numbers among the most influential shows of all time, from it being shot on 35 mm film in front of studio audience to Lucille Ball's real life pregnancy being written into the show's storylines. Among other things, I Love Lucy occupies a unique place in the history of Latinos on television.

For those few of you who are not familiar with I Love Lucy, it centred on Lucy Ricardo (Lucille Ball) and her husband, Cuban bandleader Ricky Ricardo (Lucy's real life husband Desi Arnaz). They lived in an apartment in New York City that they rented from Ethel and Fred Mertz (Vivian Vance and William Frawley). Many of the show's plots centred on Lucy trying to break into show business or various other schemes.

Of course, in Lucy being married to Ricky, I Love Lucy was the first ever show to feature a multiethnic marriage. While Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz were married in real life and no states expressly forbade individuals of Northern European descent from marrying Cubans, this was still revolutionary for the time. Indeed, many states did forbid white and various other ethnicities from marrying. For instance, Texas anti-miscegenation laws were so strict that whites could not marry anyone who wasn't white.

Given the times, it should come as no surprise that when I Love Lucy was in development, CBS initially objected to Desi Arnaz, playing Lucy's husband on the show, despite the fact that they were married in real life. They were convinced that television audiences would not accept an "all-American" woman being married to a Cuban man. To prove to CBS this was not the case, Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz developed their own stage act, written by Madelyn Pugh and Bob Carroll Jr., who had written Lucille Ball's radio show My Favorite Husband. They took this act on the road and proved to be very successful. It was the success of this act that convinced CBS executive Harry Ackerman that a show starring both Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz could be a hit. OF course, it also helped that Lucille Balll's proposed new show was drawing interest from CBS's rival NBC. With the prospect of losing Miss Ball to NBC, Harry Ackerman eventually gave into Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz's wishes.

No secret was every made of Ricky Ricardo's Cuban ancestry and, in fact, the character was largely based on Desi Arnaz himself. Ricky was an immigrant from Cuba to the United States, just as Des Arnaz had been. Both were bandleaders who played Cuban music. Of course, to a degree Ricky Ricardo was something of a stereotype. e was highly excitable and he had a bit of a temper. When upset it was not unusual for Ricky to erupt with a stream of rapidly spoken Spanish.

While there were aspects of Ricky Ricardo that were stereotypical, there was much else about Ricky that ran counter to common assumptions about Latinos in the United States at the time. Ricky Ricardo was college educated, having attended Havana University. Starting out as the bandleader at the Tropicana, he eventually bought the club and renamed it the Club Babalu. This was a sharp contrast to other Latino characters on American sitcoms in the Fifties. Frank the gardener on Father Knows Best was so naive that it seems likely he couldn't function in American society without the Anderson family. Pepino on The Real McCoys always deferred to the McCoys and was often the target of Amos McCoy's tirades. Regardless, I Love Lucy was not only historic in featuring the first multiethnic marriage, but in featuring the first Latino lead character on an American sitcom.

Beyond the fact that I Love Lucy was the first American show to feature a mixed marriage and the first sitcom to have a Latino as one of its leads, it also exposed American audiences to a good deal of Cuban music. Many episodes feature performances by Ricky Ricardo and his band. Among the songs included on the show were Desi Arnaz's signature song "Babalú," "El Cumbanchero," and "The Straw Hat song." The musical numbers on I Love Lucy drew heavily upon Desi Arnaz's act in real life and his orchestra.

While Ricky Ricardo was the only Latino to appear regularly on I Love Lucy, the show featured several Latin guest stars. In "Ricky's Old Girlfriend," Mexican American actress Rosa Turich played Cuban singer Carlota Romero, after Ricky had just fabricated a story about an old girlfriend by that name.Guatemalan actress Lillian Molieri was also in the same episode, appearing as Carlotta in a nightmare that Lucy has. Cuban born actress Rita Conde appeared in the episode "Cuban Pals." "The Ricardos Visit Cuba" featured some of Ricky's relatives played by Mexican American actor Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., Mexican American actor Jorge Treviño, and Nicaraguan actress Lillian Molieri: At the time of I Love Lucy, Latinos appeared infrequently on American TV shows outside of Westerns (where they were often stereotypical Mexican bandidos).

Ultimately, I Love Lucy broke a good deal of new ground with regards to Latinos on American television. It was the first show ever to feature a multiethnic marriage. It was also the first American sitcom to feature a Latino as a lead character. It exposed American audiences to Cuban and Latin music on a somewhat regular basis. And it occasionally featured Latino guest stars in prominent roles.

"Number 9 Dream" by John Lennon

John Lennon was born on this date in 1940. With that in mind, I thought that for today I would just leave you with one of my favourite songs he did as a solo artist. "Number 9 Dream" was released on December 16, 1974. It was the second single from John's Walls and Bridges album. Fittingly enough, it peaked at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Also fittingly enough, "Number 9 Dream" came to John Lennon in a dream. While the chorus, "Ah! böwakawa poussé, poussé" sounds like it is from an actual language, in reality it has no meaning. The song was one of John Lennon's favourites, although he would later dismiss it as a "throwaway." Personally, I think John was being too hard on the song. I think it is an excellent song and reminds me quite a bit of the sort of the work John Lennon had done with The Beatles.

Popi (1969)

Today one does not hear very much about the movie Popi (1969), but upon its release it received mostly positive reviews and it did moderately well at the box office. It was also nominated for various awards, from the Golden Globes to the WGA. It also happens to be significant in the history of Latinos in American film.

Popi (1969) centres on Abraham Rodriguez (Alan Arkin), a Puerto Rican living in Brooklyn, New York. He is the father of two sons, who both refer to him as "Popi." He wants to marry his girlfriend Lupe (Rita Moreno), but hasn't the money to do so. What is worse, his neighbourhood is increasingly being affected by gang violence. Popi then hatches a scheme to get a better life for his sons. 

Popi (1969) was written by Lester and Tina Pine, both of who had earlier written for television. It was directed by Arthur Hiller, who had already directed such films as The Wheeler Dealers (1963), The Americanization of Emily (1964), and Penelope (1966). Alan Arkin had initially rejected the part of Popi, whereupon producer Herbert B. Leonard offered it to Marcello Mastroianni, who turned it down, but he rejected the idea of playing a Puerto Rican. The script was then reworked and once more offer to Alan Arkin, who this time accepted the role of Abraham "Popi" Rodriguez. As to Popi's sons, around 5000 boys auditioned for the roles. Many of the boys who tried out for the role came from both Spanish Harlem (in which Popi was set) and  the 11th & Second Avenue Boys Club in East Harlem.

Filming began on Popi (1969) on April 21, 1968. It was shot on location in New York. Among the locations used in the film were 91 Central Park West, the apartment building where Popi worked as a handyman and the New York Hilton Midtown, where Popi worked as a busboy. Part of the film was also shot in Miami, Florida, where the latter part of the movie takes place.

Popi premiered in New York City on May 27, 1969. Popi (1969) premiered in New York City on May 27, 1969. For the most part it received positive reviews with a few critics who did not care for the film very much. Roger Ebert in The Chicago Sun-Times was among the critics who gave Popi (1969) a good review, although he did have some problems with the movie. He felt with Popi's scheme in the second half of the movie that it was where the film "...bogs down."  He went onto write, "The first half, set in New York, is rich and warm, filled with the flavor of city life. The second half, involving the Florida plan, functions only on the level of TV situation comedy." While Roger Ebert liked Popi (1969), the critic at Variety did not, commenting, "Arkin is given too much free rein for his very personal style, and is sometimes guilty of working a scene, meant to be poignant or even dramatic, for a laugh, which he usually gets. The undecided mood of the film works against it for any lasting impression on the viewer." Vincent Canby in The New York Times outright hated Popi (1968). He referred to it as "insidious" and even claimed it played poverty for laughs. Regardless of what critics thought of Popi (1968), it did fairly well at the box office, where it made $2 million in North America.

Today viewers (including myself0 would object to Alan Arkin being cast as a Puerto Rican. Apparently, neither Herbert B. Leonard nor Arthur Hiller considered any Latinos for the role of Popi. Even in the Sixties it was not unusual for actors of other ethnicities to play Latino characters. Except for Rita Moreno, the Sharks and other Puerto Rican characters were all played by whites in West Side Story (1961). Egyptian Omar Sharif played Che Guevara in the movie Che! released the same year as Popi (1969). Brownface was still very much a fact of life in Hollywood in the late Sixties. It is perhaps fortunate that Rita Moreno, who is Puerto Rican, played Lupe in the film.

While Alan Arkin was miscast as Popi, his performance in the role is a bit more complicated. Alan Arkin's performance as Popi is nuanced and does possess emotional depth. It is not one-dimensional at all. At the same time, there are times where Alan Arkin's accent seems a bit too exaggerated and there is a stark contrast between Mr. Arkin and Rita Moreno and the young actors who played Popi's sons. The emphasis on slapstick, prominent in the latter half of the film, has also been criticised in later years. Regardless, Alan Arkin's portrayal of Popi was much more sensitive and much more humanistic than other Latino characters played by non-Latno actors.

The success of Popi (1969) would lead to a short-lived sitcom of the same name that aired during the 1975-1976. In the TV show Popi, Popi was played by an actual Puerto Rican, Héctor Elizondo. The show received positive reviews from critics, but it failed in the ratings. Scheduled against Laverne & Shirley on ABC and Movin' On on NBC, it was cancelled after 10 episodes.

While most people today would object to Alan Arkin being cast as a Puerto Rican, Popi (1969) is still somewhat historic with regards to Latino characters in American films. In 1969, there were not very many movies centred on Latino characters. When Latino characters did appear in movies of the era, they were often blatant stereotypes. Popi (1969), for what flaws it may have, presented a Puerto Rican father with some sympathy and even some dignity.