"The KKK Took My Baby Away" by The Ramones

I had been planning to eulogize actress Jean Marsh today, but I have found myself sidelined by the seasonal allergies that hit me every April. In hope that I will feel better tomorrow, I will then leave you with a shorter post. Keeping in mind it was 24 years ago that Joey Ramone died, here is my favourite Ramones song of all time, "The KKK Took My Baby Away."

The Ten Commandments (1956) on Television

Tonight the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is once more airing The Ten Commandments (1956), Cecil B. DeMille's biblical epic starring Charlton Heston. For decades it has been an annual tradition on ABC, and an annual tradition for many viewers. I have seen most airings on the film on ABC since my childhood.

The Ten Commandments (1956) made its television premiere on ABC on Sunday, February 18 1973. Just as it does today, ABC showed the movie in its entirety that night. For the most part ABC has always aired the film in its entirety on a single nights, although there have been at least two instances in which ABC divided The Ten Commandments into two parts. The first time was upon its second airing in 1974, when the first part aired on Sunday, February 17 and the second part on Monday, February 18. A second instance in which The Ten Commandments aired in two parts was in 1997, when it aired on Sunday, March 30 and Monday, March 31.

Since it s television debut, ABC has changed the time of year when they air The Ten Commandments. Although today the movie is associated with Passover and Easter, it made its premiered on Presidents Day weekend in 1973 and it aired in conjunction with President's day in 1974 as well. It was in 1975 that The Ten Commandments began airing on Easter Sunday. The Ten Commandments aired on Sunday nights until 2006, when it was moved to Saturday might. Since then, with but a few exceptions, it has aired on the Saturday before Easter. Among the exceptions to this was 2023, when it aired on April 1, eight days before Palm Sunday, because the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs fell that day.

Since The Ten Commandments made its television debut in 1973, there has been only one year in which ABC did not air it. That year was 1999, when ABC decided that they did not want to disrupt their Sunday night lineup (which included the hit show The Practice). As a result ABC received a number of phone calls from irate viewers for whom watching The Ten Commandments had become a family tradition. ABC has aired it once a year ever since.I have to think it will continue to air annually as long as there are broadcast networks.

10 Years Ago I Was on Turner Classic Movies

It was ten years ago today that I had the honour of introducing A Hard Day's Night (1964) with Ben Mankiewicz on Turner Classic Movies. This was part of the TCM Fan Favourites series that the channel was doing in 2014-2015. In the Fan Favourites segments, TCM fans got to discuss favourite films with Ben Mankiewicz. The first batch of Fan Favourites segments aired in November 2014 and included Aurora--better known as Citizen Screen (who introduced Meet Me in St. Louis), TCM Party co-founder  Paula Guthat (who introduced The Lemon Drop Kid),  Miguel Rodriguez of the Horrible Imaginings Podcast (who introduced The Thing from Another World), and TCM Party regular Joel Williams (who introduced Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid).

I was part of the second batch of Fan Favourites, which aired on April 11 2015. The day begin with Christina Rinaldi introducing Footlight Parade (1933), followed by myself introducing A Hard Day's Night. After me there was Donna D'Andrea with The Way We Were (1973) and Steve Zeoke wtih The Defiant Ones (1958). Steve and Christina and I would become friends following our appearances on TCM.

Anyway, It was in January 2015 that Turner Classic Movies announced in posts on Google+, Instagram, and Facebook that they were looking for four more fans for their next Fan Favourites segment. While the first time Turner Classic Movies asked fans to submit ten different films they would like to introduce, in January TCM asked fans to select one film and tell why they chose that film. In my case, I replied to their post on Google+ and explained why I would choose A Hard Day's Night (which should come to no surprise to those who know me well). Much to my surprise I was chosen as one of the four viewers for Fan Favourites almost immediately. Steve Zeoke always thought that TCM had wanted me from the very beginning, as I was one of TCMParty's original members.  Anyway, those of us who took part in the Fan Favourite segments were sworn to secret until the month they were about to air. I cannot tell you how hard it was not to tell everyone I was going to be on Turner Classic Movies!

For those of you unfamiliar with the Fan Favourite segments, they were accomplished using video chat. That is, when we did my introduction, Ben was in TCM's studios in Atlanta, while I was at home. Before my chat with Ben, I had two practice chats with  Courtney, Associate Producer at Turner Classic Movies, and Mardy, the sound engineer at TCM, to work out any technical difficulties.  As to the actual shooting itself, the introductions were shot in the order in which they will appear, which meant that I went on second. 

Turner Classic Movies sent each of us took part in my class of Fan Favourite segments a DVD with our segments. I never have watched mine as I cannot stand to look at myself in photos or in videos. If you are wondering why there are so few pictures of me, that is why. In the nearly ten years I have had the DVD, I have never watched it.

Sadly, I think TCM only did about one or two more Fan Favourites. I know my friends Annette and Meaghan introduced films in September 2015. I really enjoyed doing it myself. At the time I did worry about how I would come off on television, but all of my friends thought I did well and, most importantly, Vanessa still thought I was cute.  I really wish they had continued with the segments, as I thought they were fun. I have always enjoyed seeing other fans talk about their favourite movies, and often the fans know more about their favourite movies than some of the experts. Introducing A Hard Day's Night on TCM will remain one of my favourite memories.

Three Songs from Blondie

The soundtrack to my life when I was in my middle teens included such bands as Cheap Trick, The Cars, The Knack, The Ramones, and Blondie. It is for that reason that I was particularly saddened by Clem Burke's death. Aside from being the drummer of one of my favourite band and one of the best drummers ever, Clem Burke's death spells the end of Blondie for me. It's hard to see the band continuing with only Deborah Harry and Chris Stein, particularly given Chris Stein's health has not been good of late. Anyway, I have been listening to Blondie more than usual and I thought I would share three of my favourite songs from the group.

First up is my all-time favourite Blondie song, "Atomic." The song was written by keyboardist Jimmy Destri and Debbie Harry. It originated as his attempt to doing something along the line of Blondie's earlier song "Heart of Glass," but evolved into something else. Amazingly enough, while "Atomic" is one of Blondie's best known songs, it only went to no. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1979.


Like "Atomic,' "Dreaming" is also from the Blondie album Eat to the Beat. It was written by Chris Stein and Debbie Harry. The song grew out the line "dreaming is free," which occurred to Chris Stein. Debbie Harry then worked out the rest of the lyrics from there. I have always thought that "Dreaming" was one of Blondie's more purely power pop songs, power pop being my favourite subgenre of rock music.Though I don't think it is remembered as well as "Atomic," it actually did better on the Billboard Hot 100, going all the way to no. 27.



While "Atomic" and "Dreaming" were both singles, "Petty Baby" was an album track from Parallel Lines. The song was supposedly inspired by Brooke Shields in the movie Pretty Baby (1978), While I have no doubt that this is true, I have always had trouble wrapping my head around it because of the line "petite ingenue." Supposedly by the time she was 13 she was already 5' 4", which I really wouldn't describe as "petite." Maybe Debbie Harry underestimated Brooke Shields's height or simply liked the line. Regardless, I do love the song and there is no denying it is catchy.

Godspeed Drummer Clem Burke

Clem Burke, the drummer for the rock group Blondie, died on April 6 2025 at the age of 70. The cause was cancer. He had played on every single one of Blondie's albums.

Clem Burke ws born Clement Bozewski on November 24 1954 in Bayonne, New Jersey. His father had also been a drummer and he began playing drums while very young. In the late Sixties and early Seventies he played with various local New Jersey bands. He was also a member of the St Andrew's Bridgemen Drum and Bugle Corps in Bayonne for a time.

It was in early 1975 that Debbie Harry and Chris Stein recruited Clem Burke to replace original drummer Billy O'Connor. The band went onto perform regularly at Max's Kansas City and CBGB in New York City. They eventually signed with Private Stock Records and their first, self-titled album was released in December 1976. Their debut album would be followed by Plastic Letters in 1978. Their breakthrough album, Parallel Lines, was released in 1978. It was also that year that they had their first major hit, "Heart of Glass," which went all the way to no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Blondie continued to do very well, producing such hits as "Call Me," "Atomic," "The Tide is High," and "Rapture," until their album The Hunter in 1982. The album itself only went to no. 33 on the Billboard album chart while the only single from the album to chart, "Island of Lost Souls," only went to no. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100. The band announced they had disbanded in November 1982.

While Blonde was split up,Clem Burke would play with various other artists. He played frequently with The Romantics, and even appeared on their albums Made in Detroit (1993) and 61/49 (2003). He also played with Eurhythmics on two albums (In the Garden in 1981 an Revenge in 1986). Clem Burke also worked with such artists as Iggy Pop, Chequered Past, Pete Townshend, The Adult Net, The Plimsouls, and others.

Blonde regrouped in 1997 and released their first new album in years, No Exit, in 1999. Clem Burke appeared on every one of their albums until the final one, Pollinator, in 2017. When Blondie wasn't touring he played with a Blonde tribute band, Bootleg Blondie.

Clem Burke was one of the best drummers in the history of rock music. His style was not unlike that of Keith Moon or Earl Palmer. He hit hard and he hit fast. That is not to say that he was not capable of subtlety,  and he could play on a ballad as easily as he could a power pop rabble rouser. It was Clem Burke's adaptability as a drummer that let Blondie do songs in styles from disco ("Heart of Glass") to reggae ("The Tide is High"). It is little wonder that he played with artists as diverse as The Romantics, Wanda Jackson, and The Ramones. He was definitely one of the best drummers of his time.

Jay North Passes On

Jay North, beset known as the star of the classic sitcom Dennis the Menace, died on April 6 2025 at the age of 73. The cause was colon cancer, which he had been fighting for years.  He also starred in the 1966 movie Maya and the short-lived TV show of the same name.

Jay North was born on August 3 1951. He was only four years old when his father left his family. He never saw his father again. His mother was the secretary to the West Coast director of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). He was six years old when his mother, through her connections with AFTRA, arranged for him to appear on the local children's program Cartoon Express on Los Angeles television station KHJ. It was there that talent agent Hazel MacMillan discovered him.

Jay North made his television debut on an episode of Wanted: Dead or Alive in 1958, playing a boy who hires Josh Randall to track down Santa Claus. In the late Fifties he also guest starred on the shows 77 Sunset Strip, Rescue 8, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, Sugarfoot, The Detectives, The Donna Reed Show, and The Red Skelton. It was in 1959 that he began his starring role on Denice the Menace, which was based on the Hank Ketchum comic strip of the same name. The show proved to be a success and ran for four seasons. He made his film debut in The Miracle of the Hills (1959). In the late Fifties he also appeared in the movies The Big Operator (1959) and Pepe (1960). In the latter he had a cameo as Dennis the Menace.

In the Sixties Jay North continued to appear on Dennis the Menace. He appeared in the movies Zebra in the Kitchen (1965) and Maya (1966). Maya (1966) led to the short-lived television series Maya, on which Jay North also starred. He also guest starred on the shows The Red Skelton Show, Wagon Train, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Lucy Show,My Three Sons, and Jericho. He provided the voice of Prince Turhan on the "Arabian Knights" cartoon segment of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. He also provided the voice of Terry Dexter on the animated cartoon Here Comes the Grump.

In the Seventies Jay North voiced a teen-aged Bamm-Bamm Rubble on The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show. He guest starred on Lassie and appeared in the TV movie Scout's Honor. He appeared in the B-movie The Teacher (1974). He served for a time in the United States Navy.

In th Eighties he had a week-long guest appearance on the soap opera General Hospital. He also gust starred on Not Necessarily the News. He appeared in the Yugoslavian movie Dikiy veter (1985).  In the Nineties he was a guest voice, playing himself, on The Simpsons. In the Naughts he had a cameo in the movie Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star (2003).

Starting in the Nineties, Jay North worked with Paul Petersen of The Donna Reed Show in the organization A Minor Consideration, which is devoted to supporting past and present child actors.

Perhaps because I have seen it more than anything else he was in, I remember Jay North best from his debut appearance in the Wanted: Dead or Alive episode "Eight Cent Reward," in which he played a boy who hires bounty hunter Josh Randall to track down Santa. Even though it was his first acting job, young Jay North was entirely convincing in the role. Of course, I also remember him from reruns of Dennis the Menace. While there have been TV movies and a feature film since the sitcom, it is still a young Jay North I picture when I think of a live-action Dennis Mitchell. He also did well in his various guest appearances on TV shows and the few movies he did. He will certainly be well remembered.

The Late Great Robert McGinnis

Robert McGinnis, who created iconic posters for Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), The Odd Couple (1968),. Barbarella (1968), and several Bond movies, died on March 10 2025 at the age of 99.  In addition to movie posters, he also created art for paperback book covers and magazines from Good Housekeeping to The Saturday Evening Post.

Robert McGinnis was born on February 3 1926 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up in Wyoming. He was only a teenager when he worked as an apprentice at Walt Disney Studios. He studied art at Ohio State University. During World War II he served in the Merchant Marine.

Following his service during the war, Robert McGinnis went to work in advertising. It was following a chance meeting with fellow illustrator Mitchell Hook that he began illustrating cover of paperback books for Dell Publishing. He drew covers for paperbacks written by such authors as Edward S. Aarons, Erle Stanley Gardner, Brett Halliday, Richard S. Prather, Donald Westlake (under his pen name Richard Stark), and Alan Geoffrey Yates (under his pen name Carter Brown). Later he did artwork for several magazines, including Argosy, Good Housekeeping, Guideposts, Ladies Home Journal, McCall's, National Geographic, Reader's Digest, and The Saturday Evening Post.

Robert McGinnis created the posters for several movies. His first was for Breakfast at Tiffany's in 1961. In the Sixties he did posters for the films Thunderball (1965), Arabesque (1966), How to Steal a Million (1966), You Only Live Twice (1967), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968), The Odd Couple (1968), Barbarella (1968), The Wrecking Crew (1968), and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). In the Seventies he did the posters for Giù la testa (1971), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Live and Let Die (1973), Sleeper (1974), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Gator (1976), and International Velvet (1978). He created the titles for the Western The Hallelujah Trail (1965).

Over the years Robert McGinnis created many covers for romance novels. In 2004 he began creating covers for the Hard Case Crime paperback imprint. In 2016 he began providing covers for reprints of Neil Gaiman books.

Robert McGinnis was one of the greatest illustrators of all time, and he would be remembered even if he had not created several high profile movie posters. The covers he had made for paperbacks from historical fiction to mystery to romance to science fiction. Regardless of genre, his paperback covers and movie posters were remarkable. He had a gift for detail, whether it was a gun, a car, a boat, or chair. He even paid careful attention to the fashions of the day. His use of colour was incredible. Of course, he had a gift for portraying human beings, particularly beautiful women. The image many of us have of James Bond, grasping an automatic and surrounded by women, comes not so much from the movies themselves as from their posters. Robert McGinnis was a fantastic artist who was matched only by a few when it came to covers of paperbacks and movie posters.

"Spend This Night With Me" by Val Kilmer from Top Secret! (1982)

Like many people, the movie Top Secret! (1982) was where I first saw Val Kilmer. Top Secret! (1982) bombed at the box office upon its release, but I rather suspect that there are many people my age who remember it well. It was directed by Jim Abrahams, Davud Zucker, and Jerry Zucker, the creators of Airplane! (1980). It is partially a parody of Elvis Presley movies, with Val Kilmer playing rock 'n' roll star Nick Rivers, who funds himself involved in intrigue behind the Iron Curtain. Of course, this means that Top Secret! also parodies Col War Era spy movies, World War II spy thrillers, and yet other films.

Anyway, playing a rock 'n' roll singer, Val Kilmer was actually called upon to sing in the movie. Here is one of those scenes in which he does sing, performing the song "Spend This Night With Me." It was an original song written for the movie by David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Mike Moran.

The Late Great Val Kilmer

Val Kilmer, who played Doc Holliday in the movie Tombstone (1993), Batman in Batman Forever (1995), and Colonel John Henry Patterson in The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), died yesterday, April 1 2025 at the age of 65. He had been diagnosed with throat cancer in 2015. The cause of death was pneumonia.

Val Kilmer was born on December 31 1959 in Los Angeles. His parents divorced when he was 9 years old. He attended  Chatsworth High School in Chatsworth in the San Fernando Valley. When he was 17 years old he became the youngest person at the time to be admitted to the drama division of Julliard. While he was at Julliard Val Kilmer wrote the play How It All Began, which was ultimately  directed by Des McAnuff and produced by Joseph Papp for The Public Theatre.

It was in 1983 that Val Kilmer appeared on Broadway in Slab Boys. Slab Boys led directly to his film debut the following year playing the lead in Abrahams, Zucker, and Zucker's movie Top Secret! (1984), the directors having seen him in the play. He made his television debut in 1985 in an episode of ABC Afternoon Special. In the Eighties he appeared in the TV movies The Murders on the Rue Morgue, The Man Who Broke 1,000 Chains, and Billy the Kid. He appeared in the film Real Genius (1985) before roles in Top Gun (1986) and Willow (1988) established him as a star. He ended the Eighties with the movie Kill Me Again (1989).

In the Nineties Val Kilmer played several high profile roles. He was Jim Morrison in The Doors (1991), Doc Holliday in Tombstone (1993), and Batman in Batman Forever (1995). He also appeared in the movies Thunderheart (1992), The Real McCoy (1993), True Romance (1993), Heat (1995), "Wings of Courage" (1995), The Island of Dr. Moreau (1996), The Ghost and the Darkness (1996), Dead Girl (1996), The Saint (1997), At First Sight (1999), Joe the King (1999), Pollock (2000), and The Red Planet (2000). He was the voice of Moses and God in The Prince of Egypt (1998). In 2000 he was the guest host on Saturday Night Live.

In the Naughts Val Kilmer appeared in the movies The Salton Sea (2002), Hard Cash (2002), Wonderland (2003), The Missing (2003), Blind Horizon (2003), Masked and Anonymous (2003), Spartan (2004), Stateside (2004), Alexander (2004), Mindhunters (2005), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005), Summer Love (2006), Moscow Zero (2006),  10th & Wolf  (2006),  Played  (2006), Déjà Vu  (2006), Have Dreams Will Travel (2007), The Chaos Experiment (2009),  Streets of Blood  (2009), American Cowslip  (2009), The Thaw (2009), Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009), Hardwired (2009), Double Identity (2009), The Traveler (2010), Bloodworth (2010),  MacGruber (2010), and Gun (2010). He was a voice on the animated film Delgo (2008). On television he guest starred on the shows Entourage and Numb3rs. He appeared in the miniseries Comanche Moon. He was the voice of KITT in the short-lived 2008-2009 revival of Knight Rider.

In the Teens he guest starred on the TV shows Life's Too Short, Ghost Ghirls, and Psych. He appeared in the movies Kill the Irishman (2011), Blood Out (2011), 5 Days of War (2011), Twixt (2011), Seven Below (2012), Wyatt Earp's Revenge (2012), The Fourth Dimension  2012), Breathless (2012), Riddle (2013), Standing Up (2013), Palo Alto (2013), Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014), Song to Song (2017),  The Snowman (2017), The Super (2017), 1st Born (2019), Cinema Twain (2019), A Soldier's Revenge (2020), and  Paydirt (2020). He was a voice in the animated movie Planes (2013).

In the 2020s Val Kilmer starred in the documentary Val (2021), which he produced and wrote. It focused on his life and career. He also appeared in the movies The Birthday Cake (2021) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022).

Val Kilmer was such a great actor that it is hard to choose where to begin when discussing his roles. He played a diverse number of roles and he played all of them well. If I had to choose a favourite, I believe I would go with Doc Holliday from Tombstone. He brought the character to life in such a way that when I picture Doc Holliday,it is Val Kilmer I see in my head. He seems to have had a gift for playing historical figures. He played Jim Morrison in The Doors, military officer John Henry Patterson in The Ghost and the Darkness, artist Willem de Kooning in Pollock, and yet more. His Elvis in True Romance was a figment of Clarence's (Christian Slater) imagination, but Val Kilmer was wholly convincing as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. His roles included everything from the brutal right-hand man of thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro)in Heat to Dr. Moreau's crazed assistant in The Island of Dr. Moreau to gay private eye Perry van Shrike in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.. Ultimately, Val Kilmer could be described as a chameleon, able to transform himself into an number of roles.

Godspeed Bruce Glover

Bruce Glover, who played the assassin Mr. Wint in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Deputy Grady Coker in Walking Tall (1973),  Part 2: Walking Tall (1975), and Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), died on March 12 2025 at the age of 92. He was the father of actor Crispin Glover.

Bruce Glover was born on May 2 1932 in Chicago. When he was growing up he had no aspirations to become an actor. As he painted and played football, he considered either becoming an artist or a professional athlete. He attended Carl Schurz High School and then Wright Junior College.

Bruce Glover's entry into show business was unusual. He was a model for an art class when one of the fellow art class models asked him if he would mind wearing a gorilla suit for a stage act she performed. It seems she was a stripper and needed someone who could not only wear the gorilla suit, but throw her around for several minutes. To prepare he went to the Lincoln Park  Zoo where he studied their renowned gorilla Bushman. The act took him to Tampa, Florida for six weeks.It as then that he was drafted into the United States Army. He was stationed in Korea and served form 1952 to 1955.

Once he was out of the service, Bruce Glover's acting career began. He appeared in a local production of Camino Real and then did summer stock in Wisconsin in 1957. He earned degree in speech from Northwestern University. Bruce Glover then moved to New York City. He made his television debut in an episode of The Verdict is Yours in 1958 and his film debut in an uncredited part in Never Steal Anything Small  in 1959. 

In the Sixties he guest starred on the shows Car 54, Where Are You?; The DuPont Show of the Week; Route 66; The Nurses; 12 O' Clock High; Perry Mason; My Favorite Martian; Hawk; Dundee and the Culhane; The Danny Thomas Hour; The Rat Patrol; Run for Your Life; The Good Guys; The Big Valley; The Guns of Will Sonnett; The Outsider; Adam-12; Paris 7000; Bonanza; Mission: Impossible; and The Mod Squad. He appeared in the TV movie The Over-the-Hill Gang, He appeared in the movies Frankenstein Meets the Spacemonster (1965), Who Killed Teddy Bear? (1965), Blindfold (1966), Sweet Love, Bitter (1967), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), Dayton's Devils (1968), and C.C. & Company (1970). He appeared on Broadway in The Night of the Iguana, Mother Courage and Her Children, and The Lion in Winter.

In the Seventies he appeared in the movies Scandalous John (1971), Bless the Beasts and Children (1971), Diamonds Are Forever (1971), Black Gunn (1972), Walking Tall (1973), One Little Indian (1973), Chinatown (1974), Hard Times (1975), Part 2: Walking Tall (1975), Final Chapter: Walking Tall (1977), and Stunts (1977). He guest starred on the TV shows The Psychiatrist; Bearcats!; The Partners; Gunsmoke; The Blue Knight; S.W.A.T.; Harry O; Kojak; Switch; The Streets of San Francisco; The Feather and Father Gang; The Six Million Dollar Man; Barney Miller; Battlestar Galactica; Police Story; Big Shamus, Little Shamus; CHiPs; Vega$; The Wonderful World of Disney; and B.J and the Bear.

In the Eighties Bruce Glover guest starred on the TV shows Hart to Hart; No Soap, Radio; Benson; Small & Frye; At Ease; The Dukes of Hazzard;  T. J. Hooker; The Facts of Life; The A-Team; Our House; Santa Barbara; and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in  the movies The Big Score (1983), Hunter's Blood (1986), Big Bad Mama II (1987), Ghost Town (1988), Hider int he House (1989), Penny Ante: The Motion Picture (1990; and Street War! (1990).

In the Nineties he appeared in the movies Popcorn (1991), Street Wars (1991), Chaindance (1991), Shakespeare's Pan 12 from Outer Space (1991), Warlock: The Armageddon (1993), Night of the Scarecrow (1995), American Hero (1997), Spoiler (1998); 6 1/2 (1998), Suicide, the Comedy (1998), and Die Hard Dracula (1998). In the Naughts he appeared in the movies.Ghost World (2001), Will Unplugged (2005), Simon Says (2006),  It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007), Broke Sky (2007), Buffalo Bushido (2009), and Six Days in Paradise (2010). In the Teens he appeared in the movies Scammerhead (2014) and Hiszpanka  (2015).

Chances are good that Bruce Glover will always be remembered as Mr. Wint, who with his partner Mr. Kidd (Putter Smith) gleefully commit murder in Diamonds Are Forever, yet he played a wide variety of roles throughout his career. In the Walking Tall movies he played a character as far from Mr. Wint as one can get, loyal, trustworthy deputy Grady Coker. In Hard Times he played a character about as far from Grady in  Walking Tall as Grady is from Mr.Wint in Diamonds Are Forever, the brutal loan shark Doty. Over the years he played a wide array of parts, including the eccentric Feldman in Ghost World, legman Duffy in Chinatown, the aspiring bank robber Scooter in the Bonanza episode ""What Are Pardners For?", and more. Bruce Glover could play nearly any part he set his mind to play, and he always played them well.

The Late Great Richard Chamberlain

Today would have been Richard Chamberlain's 91st birthday. He remains best known as the title character on the popular medical drama Dr. Kildare. He was also the undisputed "King of Miniseries," having appeared in Centennial,  Shōgun, and The Thorn Birds. He also had a movie career, playing Aramis in director Richard Lester's  The Three Musketeers (1973), The Four Musketeers (1974), and The Return of the Musketeers (1989); and playing Allan Quatermain in  both King Solomon's Mines (1985) and Lost City of Gold (1986). Sadly, Mr. Chamberlain died on March 29 2025 at the age of 90 of complications from a stroke.

Richard Chamberlain was born on March 31 1934 in Beverly Hills. Although he grew up on Beverly Hills, it was, in his own words, on the"...wrong side of Wilshire Boulevard, the wrong side of Beverly Drive, in an extremely normal neighborhood." He went to Beverly Hills High School. There he lettered in track and also took part in school plays such as I Remember Mama. He majored in art at Pomona College, but decided to pursue acting in his senior year. Richard Chamberlain attracted the attention of Paramount, bu the was drafted into the United States Army while he was discussing a contract with the studio. He served in Korea and attained the rank of sergeant.

Following his service, Robert Chamberlain studied acting under character actor Jeff Corey. He signed with legendary agent Monique James of MCA. He made his television debut in 1959 in the Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode "Road Hog." In 1960 he guest starred on the TV shows Rescue 8, Bourbon Street Beat, Gunsmoke, Mr. Lucky, Thriller, and Riverboat. He made his film debut in 1960 in The Secret of the Purple Reef.

It was in 1961 that Richard Chamberlain began playing Dr. James Kildare on the hit TV show Dr. Kildare on NBC, based on the character created by Max Brand later adapted into a series of MGM movies. The show proved to be a major hit, and ultimately ran for five seasons. He also played Dr. Kildare in an episode of the TV show The Eleventh Hour. In the Sixties he later starred in the British series The Portrait of a Lady.He guest starred on the shows The Deputy and Whispering Smith. He appeared in the movies A Thunder of Drums (1961), Twilight of Honor (1963), Joy in the Morning (1965), Petulia (1968),  The Madwoman of Chaillot (1969), and Julius Caesar (1970).

In the Seventies Richard Chamberlain played in The Music Lovers (1971), Lord Byron in Lady Caroline Lamb (1972), and Armais in both The Three Musketeers (1973) and The Four Musketeers (1974). He also appeared in the movies The Towering Inferno (1974), The Slipper and the Rose (1976), The Last Wave (1977), and The Swarm (1978). On television he appeared in the TV movies F. Scott Fitzgerald and '"he Last of the Belles," The Count of Monte Cristo, and The Man in the Iron Mask. He appeared in the mini-series Centennial and Shōgun.

In the Eighties Richard Chamberlain starred in the mini-series The Thorn Birds, The Bourne Identity, and Dream West. He starred on the short lived series Island Son and the TV movie Casanova. He appeared in the movies Murder by Phone (1982), King Solomon's Mines (1985), Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986), and The Return of the Musketeers (1989).  In the Nineties he appeared in the mini-series The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years and Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke. He guest starred on Touched by an Angel. He appeared in the movie Bird of Prey (1995) and, A River Made to Drown In (1997).

In the Naughts Richard Chamberlain guest starred on the shows The Drew Carey Show, Will & Grace, Hustle, Nip/Tuck, Desperate Housewives, Chuck, and Leverage. He had a recurring role on the short-lived shows Brothers and Sisters. He appeared in the TV movie Blackbeard. He appeared in the movies The Pavilion (2004), Strength and Honor (2005), and I Now Pronounce Your Chuck & Larry (2007).

In the Teens Richard Chamberlain guest starred on the TV shows Leverage and Chuck. He was a guest voice on the animated series Thundercats. He appeared in the movies The Perfect Family (2011), We Are the Hartmans (2011), and Nightmare Cinema (2018). He was the voice of Highfather in the animated movie Justice League: Gods and Monsters (2015).

Richard Chamberlain was an versatile actor capable of playing  a wide array of roles. For many he will always be best remembered as the earnest, idealistic Dr. James Kildare. Others might remember him best as the charming, somewhat hot-tempered Armais in the Three Musketeers movies. Still others might remember him best as John Blackthorne, the pragmatic and individualistic English pilot, in Shōgun. Over the years Richard Chambelain played a number of heroes, including Edmond Dantes in The Count of Monte Cristo and Jason Bourne in The Bourne Identity (the first actor to do so). He could also play villains. He was David Danner, the brutally abusive husband of the title character (Julie Christie) in Petulia. In The Towering Inferno he played the dodgy electrical subcontractor whose cutting corners causes the title fire of The Towering Inferno. On Leverage he fell somewhere in between, playing the greatest thief in the world, Archie Leach, who was Parker's mentor. Richard Chamberlain was quite simply an iconic actor with an incredible amount of talent who appeared in a number of memorable roles.

The Late Great Clive Revill

Clive Revill, who appeared in such movies as Bunny Lake is Missing (1965) and The Assassination Bureau (1969), and who provided voice work for everything from TV cartoons to The Empire Strikes Back (1980), where he was the original voice of the Emperor, died on March 11 2025 at the age of 94.

Clive Revill was born on April 18 1930 in Wellington, New Zealand. Clive Revill was a great admirer of Shakespeare, but he initially became an accountant rather than an actor. He3 made his stage debut in 1950 in a production of Twelfth Night. It was an encounter with Laurence Olivier and his wife Vivien Leigh that changed his life forever. Laurence Olivier encouraged him to go to his Old Vic Theatre School in Bristol where he could study acting. Clive Revill then moved from New Zealand to England.

In the United Kingdom in the Fifties, Clive Revill appeared in productions of  Listen to the Wind, The Tempest, and The Toast of Toad Hall. He made his Broadway debut in Mr. Pickwick in 1952. Towards the end of the decade he appeared on Broadway in Irma La Douce. He made his television debut in the TV production Strike in 1955. He guest starred on the shows BBC Sunday Night-Theatre, The Adventures of Robin Hood, ITV Play of the Week, and BBC Sunday-Night Play. He made his film debut in Reach for the Sky in 1956. He appeared in the movies The Horse's Mouth (1958) and The Headless Ghost (1959).

In the Sixties Clive Revill appeared in the movies Bunny Lake is Missing (1965), Modesty Blaise (1966), A Fine Madness (1966), Kaleidoscope (1966), The Double Man (1967), Fathom (1967), Italian Secret Service (1968), Nobody Runs Forever (1968), The Shows of the Fisherman (1969), The Assassination Bureau (1969), The Buttercup Chain (1970), and The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970). He guest starred on the TV shows The DuPont Show of the Week, Chronicle, Theatre 625, The Inside Man, The Wednesday Play, and ITV Playhouse. He appeared on Broadway in Oliver! and Sherry!.

In the Seventies Clive Revill provided the original voice of the Emperor in The Empire Strikes Back (1980). His voice would be replaced by that of Ian McDiarmid in the 2004 release of the film on DVD. He appeared in the films A Severed Head (1971), Boulevard de Rhum (1971), Escape to the Sun (1972), Avanti! (1972), The Legend of Hell House (1973), The Black Windmill (1974), The Little Prince (1974), Ghost in the Noonday Sun (1974), Galileo (1975), One of Our Dinosaurs is Missing (1975), and Mathilda (1978). He guest starred on the shows Brett, Jason King, Thirty-Minute Theatre, Arthur of the Britons, ITV Saturday Night Theatre, Ski-Boy, Churchill's People, Maude, The Feather and Father Gang, The New Avengers, Young Dan'l Boone, The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries, Play for Today, Columbo, BBC Play of the Month, A Man Called Sloane, and Nobody's Perfect. He appeared in the mini-series The Lives of Benjamin Franklin, and Centennial. He appeared on Broadway in The Incomparable Max and Sherlock Holmes.

In the Eighties he was a regular on the short-lived TV show Wizards and Warriors. He was a regular or recurring voice on the television cartoons Snorks, The Transformers, Dragon's Lair. and  Midnight Patrol: Adventures in the Dream Zone. He provided voices for the cartoons The New Scooby-Doo Movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Pound Puppies, My Little Pony 'n' Friends, Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, Smurfs, and others. He guest starred on the shows Vega$, Hart to Hart, The Devlin Connection, Remington Steele, Dynasty, The Facts of Life, . T. J. Hooker, Three's a Crowd, The Fall Guy, Faerie Tale Theatre, Magnum P.I., The Twilight Zone, The Love Boat, Newhart, Sledge Hammer!, MacGyver, Mama's Boy, The New Gidget, Murder She Wrote, Probe, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dear John, Hunter, and Get a Life. He appeared on Broadway in Lolita. He appeared in the movies Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981), The Frog Prince (1986), Rumpelstiltskin (1987), The Emperor's New Clothes (1987),  C.H.U.D. II: Bud the Chud (1989), and Mack the Knife (1989). He was a voice in the animated movie Transformers: The Movie (1986).

In the Nineties he was the voice of Alfred Pennyworth on the first thee episodes of Batman: The Animated Series (Efrem Zimbalist Jr. took over for the rest of the series). He provided voices for the animated shows Tiny Toon Adventures, Tom and Jerry Kids Show, The Legend of Prince Valiant, The Little Mermaid, Freakazoid!, Pinky and the Brain, and others. He guest starred on the shows Shades of LA; Star Trek: The Next Generation, Babylon 5, Fortune Hunter, The Preston Episodes, Murphy Brown, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, Touched by an Angel, Step by Step, and Clueless. He appeared in the movies Let Him Have It (1991), Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993), The Wacky Adventures of Dr. Boris and Nurse Shirley (1995), Dracula: Dead and Loving It (1995), Possums (1998), and Intrepid (2000). 

In the Naughts Clive Revill was a voice regular on the animated series Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future. He provided voices for the animated shows All Grown Up! and Secret Mountain Fort Awesome. He guest starred on The Closer. He appeared in the movies Crime and Punishment (2002), and Gentleman Broncos (2009). He last appeared in a movie in La reina de España (2016).

Clive Revill was an incredibly versatile actor and played a wide array of roles throughout his career. He played the police officer Andrews in Bunny Lake is Missing. In Legend of Hell House he played Dr. Lionel Barrett, the physicist hired by an eccentric millionaire to investigate his haunted house. In the final episode of the original run of Columbo, "The Conspirators," he played an Irish author and poet who was clandestinely a gunrunner for the Irish Republican Army. In The Assassination Bureau he played the ill-fared Cesare Spado, the Italian member of the Bureau. In The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes he played Rogozhin, the representative of Russian ballerina  Madame Petrova (Tamara Toumanova) who is convinced Holmes and Watson are gay lovers. Clive Revill could play a wide variety of roles and he played all of them well.

Zap2It Disappeared...Sort Of

Yesterday I visited popular TV listings site Zap2It only to have it redirect to the Newsnation TV schedule. According to Distractify, this has been occurring to users since Tuesday, March 25. One can only assume that Zap2It's parent company, Nexstar Media Group, decided to discontinue the popular television listings site without telling anybody. As it turns out that is not entirely the case.

A Google search for "Zap2It" reveals that the Zap2It listings are now available on Gracenote. As to what Gracenote is, according to its About Page, it is the "content data business unit of Nielsen that powers innovative entertainment experiences for the world’s leading media companies." If "Neilsen" sounds familiar, it's because they are the ones responsible for the well-known Nielsen television ratings. The Zap2It listings appear to be functional for the most part. One can still use their Zap2It login and credentials. The listings themselves are intact. The only problem I have found so far is the search. While I had no problem searching for various television shows, it appears to be missing some of the results for movies Zap2It has had. Neither Stand and Deliver (1988) nor Twenty Bucks (1992) came up in search. I am hoping this is just a glitch, and I have notified Gracenote about it.

As to Nexstar, they really don't want to know my opinion of them, but suffice it to say that I think they are jerks (and that's putting it mildly). They did not email Zap2It users and let them know that the site was closing down and listings would now be available on Gracenote. They did not even issue a press release letting people know it was being shut down. They didn't even set up a page at Zap2It.com letting people know the site was closed and the listings were now on Gracenote. It simply redirects to the NewsNation schedule without explanation. This shows a lack of respect for Zap2It users. I know I won't be watching NewsNation ever again because of this. If Nexstar disrespects Zap2It users, then they'll disrespect NewsNation viewers too.

As it is, I think Nexstar might regret their mistake. I am not sure, but I think Zap2It may be the most popular online television listings out there. If not, it is definitely one of the most popular. Zap2It is also fairly old. It was launched nearly 25 years ago, on April 3 2000 by Tribune Media Services. Zap2It would change over the years, but the listings were a constant. It was bought, along with the rest of Tribune Media, by Nexstar in 2019. It is with good reason that many users missed Zap2It when the site was redirecting to NewsNation's schedule. What is more, they complained about it, on Bluesky, on Reddit, on X, and yet other places. I don't think any of these users are happy with NexStar and I have to think they will be loath to use Nexstar's products in the future. Zap2It is the best TV listings online and it has a loyal following. Its users are faithful to it.

Two Comic Book Blogs Worth Checking Out

Although I don't write about them terribly much in this blog, most of my readers know I have been a comic book fan since childhood. And I am fascinated by the history of the medium. Over the years I have read several blogs on comic book history, as well as the excellent "Comic Book Legends Revealed" feature by Brian Cronin at CBR. Here I want to tell you about two of my favourite blogs on comic book history.

The first is written by a comic book professional. Todd's Blog: Todd Klein on lettering, literature and more is the blog of letterer and logo designer Todd Klein. Todd Klein has long worked with DC Comics, on everything from Swamp Thing to Detective Comics to Sandman. I am convinced that no one knows more about the history of lettering and logos at DC Comics and comic books in general than Mr. Klein. Do you want to learn more about the legendary Ira Schnapp, the long-time letter at DC Comics from the Golden Age into the Silver Age? Todd's Blog is where you can do that. Curious about Gaspar Saladino's work on Justice League of America? You can read up on it at Todd's Blog. Todd Klein writes about a lot more than comic books and lettering, but all of it is fascinating.

The second is Comics Archaeology, which features retrospectives and reviews of old comic books, primarily but not exclusively from the Silver Age. They just completed a retrospective of the entire run of one of my favourite titles My Greatest Adventure/Doom Patrol volume 1, taking a look at every single issue. Their reviews are a delightful combination of history and humour, and you can learn a lot from their posts.

If you enjoy comic book history, I recommend checking out both of these blogs. They are both thoroughly informative and entertaining.

"Sgt. Steve" by Saigon Kick

I have always loved the band Saigon Kick. Back in the day they were classed as heavy metal or alternative metal, but to be3 honest their styles are so diverse that it is hard to place them in any one genre. Indeed, many of their songs are Beatlesque. Among them is "Sgt Steve," from their 1993 album Water. "Sgt. Steve" describes a far-right conspiracy theorist who is clearly experiencing paranoid delusions. If anything, it would seem to be even more timely now than it was in 1993.

Thank You for a Successful 11h Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon Blogathon

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon was this weekend and I want to thank everyone who participated for a successful blogathon. This year's entries dealt with television show episodes from the Fifties to the Eighties. They also covered genres from mystery to Western to sitcoms to horror. If the Fates allow, I can guarantee that there will be a 12 Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon in March 2026.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Arthur" (Season 5, Episode 1)

Laurence Harvey as Arthur

(This blog post is part of the 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon, hosted by A Shroud of Thoughts)

Aside from The Twilight Zone, Alfred Hitchcock Presents might well remain the most famous American anthology television show ever made. Like many famous shows, various misconceptions have developed about Alfred Hitchcock Presents over the years. The first is that Alfred Hitchcock had nothing to do with the show beyond hosting it. The second is that he was deeply involved in the production of the show. The truth is actually somewhere in between. Indeed, Alfred Hitchcock directed the occasional episode. Among the best of the episodes directed by the master himself was "Arthur," which opened the show's fifth season.

"Arthur" centres on Arthur Williams (Laurence Harvey), the operator of a thoroughly modern chicken farm where he even makes his own chicken feed. Arthur is engaged to a beautiful woman named Helen (Hazel Court). Unfortunately, Helen wants to see the world beyond the chicken farm and ultimately marries another man,  a rich gambler named Stanley Braithwaite. As it turns out, life with Stanley isn't as enjoyable as Helen thought it would be, and she comes back after about a year. As it turns out, Arthur has no desire of welcoming Helen back into his life and has a rather novel solution to her return. In addition to Laurence Harvey and Hazel Court, the cast also features Patrick Macnee, later famous for The Avengers, as Police Sgt. John Theron and Robert Douglas as Inspector Ben Liebenberg.

"Arthur" was based on the 1948 short story "Being a Murderer Myself" by Arthur Williams. The episode "Arthur" follows the story fairly closely, although there are some differences. Arthur Williams's original story is set in South Africa, while the episode is set in New Zealand. Another difference is that in the story the protagonist's former girlfriend is named Susan, while in the episode she is named Helen. Both the story and the episode are narrated in first person, although in the story the narrator is unnamed. Of course, given "Being a Murderer Myself" by written by Arthur Williams, it is safe to assume the narrator's name is indeed "Arthur Williams," the name of the episode's protagonist.

As to Arthur Williams himself, "Being a Murderer Myself" was the only story he ever wrote. Legendary British crime writer Julian Symons included "Being a Murderer Myself" in The Penguin Classic Crime Omnibus, which he edited. He figured out that Arthur Williams was Peter Barry Way, a South African born in 1917,

As to Peter Barry Way's inspiration for "Being a Murderer Myself," according to Jack Seabrook in his excellent write-up on "Arthur" on the bare•bones e-zine, Peter Barry Way may have based the story on an actual murder case that took place in Sussex, England in 1925. Norman Thorne was a chicken farmer who was engaged to Elsie Cameron. Thorne started seeing another woman and decided that he no longer wanted to marry Miss Cameron. In an attempt to force Thorne to marry her, Miss Cameron claimed she was pregnant, even though the two of them had never consummated their relationship. Elise Cameron went to visit Norman Thorne on December 5 1924, after which she was not seen again. The police launched an investigation and ultimately found her overnight bag and other items on Thorne's farm. Thorne ultimately admitted he had dismembered her body, but claimed she had committed suicide by hanging, although the police found no evidence of such. In the end, Throne was found guilty by a jury and hanged for murder. Both "Being a Murderer Myself" and "Arthur" resemble the Norman Thorne case to a large degree, the biggest differences being that it is Susan/Helen who cheats on Arthur,  Arthur had a much more original means of disposing of the body and, at least in the short story he apparently gets away with his crime.

"Arthur" would not be the first time that Alfred Hitchcock and the short story "Being a Murderer Myself" crossed paths. It was one of the stories that was included in the anthology Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Stories They Wouldn't Let Me Do on TV, published by Simon & Schuster in 1957. In the preface, Hitchcock claims that this collection includes stories that "cannot be produced on the home screen." Of course, "Being a Murderer Myself" obviously found its way to the small screen or else I would not be writing this blog post.

Indeed, Alfred Hitchcock obviously loved the story, as it is one of the 17 episodes of the show that he directed. The teleplay was written by James Cavanagh, who wrote 15 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. In addition to having been directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself and having been adapted by one of the show's more prolific writers, "Arthur" also featured one of the show's best casts. Laurence Harvey had already made a name for himself, having appeared in such films as Romeo and Juliet (1954) and Room at the Top (1958). Hazel Court had appeared in several television shows and movies, among them The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), which transformed Hammer from a minor studio to one of the greatest makers of horror movies of all time. Patrick Macnee was only a year away from becoming John Steed on The Avengers and had appeared in Scrooge (1951), Les Girls (1957) and other films.

While both Alfred Hitchcock's direction and James Cavanagh's teleplay are excellent, it is largely the cast that makes "Arthur" one of the best episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Given he narrates the episode, "Arthur" would not have worked if Laurence Harvey had not given a pitch-perfect performance. Fortunately, he does, from the very opening narration in which he addresses the viewer directly. Arthur is convinced he is clever and even claims to be "quite normal." Despite Arthur's claims otherwise, Arthur is hardly normal and possesses so much self-confidence that he is clearly an egomaniac. Fortunately, he also possesses a good deal of charm, which drives the episode forward.

Viewers familiar with Alfred Hitchcock Presents know that many episodes end with a culprit apparently getting away with their crime. "Arthur" is no different in this respect. Of course, this would violate the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters' Television Code, which prohibited criminals from getting away with crimes. It was then in his outro that Alfred Hitchcock would explain how any perpetrators of crimes got their comeuppance, often humorously. "Arthur" features what might be the best and most hilarious comeuppance visited upon a criminal in an Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode ever, made all the better by Hitch's delivery of it.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents and its continuation The Alfred Hitchcock Hour produced many fine episodes and it is honestly difficult for me to choose only one as my favourite, but "Arthur" definitely numbers among them. I have always loved dark humour and the cast delivers superb performances across the board. Alfred Hitchcock's outro makes it all the better. Arthur Williams may have only written one story, but it made for a great Alfred Hitchcock Presents episode.

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon Has Arrived

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon has arrived. As in past years, this year's blogathon features several entries on episodes from classic television shows.

For those of you who are participating in the blogathon, I ask that you link to this page. I will be updating this page with links to the various blog posts that are part of this blogathon throughout the weekend. If you want a graphic for your post, I have several on the announcement page here.

Without further ado, here are this year's posts.

Realweedgiemidget Reviews: "TV… Playbacking One of Gena Rowlands’ Television Roles in a Detective Series"

Hamlette's Soliloquy: "'The Avenger' (Bonanza) 1960"

From Beyond the Time Barrier: "A Rolling Reporter Gathers Some Moss: 'The Spanish Moss Murders'"

Smoke in the Library: "Mayberry RFD: New Couple in Town"

Make Mine Film Noir: "The Dick Van Dyke Show: 'The Big Max Calvada' Episode (November 20, 1963) is Film Noir Played for Laughs"

Another Old Movie Blog: "Eve Arden in 'Miss Aggie's Farewell Performance' on Ellery Queen"

Liberal England: "Rising Damp: Rigsby burning love wood outside Miss Jones's hut "

A Shroud of Thoughts: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents 'Arthur' (Season 5, Episode 1)"

18 Cinema Lane: "Sally Watches…Highway to Heaven"

Moon in Gemini: "All in the Family: 'It Was a Freak Accident!'"

A Scunner Deeply: "Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon 2025 – 21 Jump Street – 'Mike’s P.O.V.'"

Whimsically Classic: "11th Annual Favorite TV Show Episode Blogathon–Mama’s Family, 'The Big Nap;"

The Midnite Drive-In: "Life After Life"

Godspeed Jesse Colin Young of The Youngbloods

Jesse Colin Young, founding member, lead vocalist, and bassist of The Youngbloods, died on March 16 2025 at the age of 83. Their version of Chet Powers's song "Get Together" has become an iconic and identified with many with the decade of the Sixties.

Jesse Colin Young was born Perry Miller in Queens, New York City on November 22 1941. His mother was a violinist, while his father was an accountant who loved music. He learned to play piano while still very young. He attended He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he studied classical guitar. He later attended Ohio State University and still later New York University.While attending college he performed as a musician and he eventually left school to perform professionally full-time.

It was in the early Sixties that Jesse Colin Young met pianist, vibraphonist, and  music producer Bobby Scott. This lead to Jesse Colin Young's first solo album, The Soul of a City Boy in 1964. A second solo album Young Blood followed in 1965. Jesse Colin Young met folk singer Jerry Corbitt in the mid-Sixties. In January 1965 the two of them began touring Canada as a duo. Eventually they started billing themselves as "The Youngbloods," after Jesse Colin Young's second album. They eventually added Lowell "Banana" Levinger and drummer Joe Bauer.

The Youngbloods signed to RCA Victor and their self-titled, debut album was released in January 1967. Their future hit, "Get Together," was on that album and was released as a single, but it only peaked at no. 62 on the Billboard Hot 100. Their debut album was followed by the albums Earth Music in 1967 and Elephant Mountain in 1969. It was after"Get Together" was used in public service announcements for the National Council of Christians and Jews that the song was reissued and reached no. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969.

The Youngbloods would release two more albums, Good and Dusty in 1971 and High on a Ridge Top in 1972 before breaking up. Jesse Colin Young then returned to his solo career. His first solo album after The Youngbloods, Together, was released in 1972. He saw some success in the Seventies with the albums Song for Juli (1973), Light Shine (1974), Songbird (1975), and Love on the Wing (1977). From 1979 to 2019 Jesse Colin Young released ten more studio albums. Jesse Colin Young also released six live albums and several compilation albums.

While "Get Together (originally titled "Let's Get Together")" had been recorded a few times before The Youngbloods did so in late 1966, it was theirs that became the quintessential version. There was perhaps good reason for this, as the band and Jesse Colin Young suited the song perfectly. With his rich tenor vocals and his skill as a musician, as well as the skill of the other Youngbloods, it was a superior rendition of the song. And while Jesse Colin Young did not write "Get Together," The Youngbloods' version of the song was similar to songs he wrote himself. His songs were characterized by socially conscious lyrics, his warm vocals, and superior guitar work. If Jesse Colin Young continued to have success after The Youngbloods broke up, it was because he was very talented.

Warner Should Restore the Classic Looney Tunes to Max Immediately

This morning I awakened to some bad news from Deadline that the classic Warner Bros. theatrical cartoons, collectively called "Looney Tunes" by most people, have been removed by Warner Discovery's streaming service Max. Now I have been subscribed to Max for years without interruption for three reasons: first, classic movies; second, the DC Comics content; and third, the classic Warner Bros. cartoons. To say I am not happy would be an understatement.

Indeed, I am not the only one who is angry. According to the Independent, many Looney Tunes fans have complained about Max's decision to remove the cartoons from the service. I know this to be true myself scrolling through Bluesky, where the posts can be summed up by one person in particular who said, "I hate Max for removing Looney Tunes." Quite a few people have pointed out that this is yet another argument for buying physical media.  Jeremy Smith on Slash Film went so far as to declare in an editorial, "Max Removing The Original Looney Tunes Shorts Is An Act Of Cultural Vandalism."

According to Deadline, the removal of the classic Looney Tunes from Max is part of a plan whereby the streaming service is focusing more on adult and family programming than children's programming. If that is indeed the case, then Max's decision to pull Looney Tunes from the streaming service is, to put it bluntly, stupid. The classic Warner Bros. theatrical shorts, whether they were part of the Looney Tunes series or the Merrie Melodies series, were made for general audiences. In fact, cartoons often contain jokes, innuendos, pop culture references, and even situations that probably go over the heads of many children even today. I daresay that the Looney Tunes probably appeal more to most adults and general audiences than much of the content that remains on Max.

Now it is true that there are Looney Tunes available on Prime Video, but it appears one has to rent them by cartoon, and some can be found on YouTube, but that is not the same as having several hundred Warner Bros cartoons on Max itself. Indeed, it is one of the reasons I have subscribed to Max all these years and I know it is one of the reasons that others have as well. I don't think it would be unreasonable for the average person to expect Warner Bros.' own classic cartoons to be on their own streaming service. In not having Looney Tunes, Max is then falling short of what many people expect of the service and failing its users. Of course, here I must point out that if it were up to me not only would Max have all the Looney Tunes cartoons, but the many classic TV shows Warner produced as well, from Maverick to F Troop.

I think it's safe to say that as far as the general public is concerned,  Warner Bros. is best known for their classic cartoons. Bugs Bunny is probably more famous than the studio's biggest stars. I have to think that much of the reason Warner Bros. has survived over the years is in part because of those cartoons. I have to think that in removing the Looney Tunes from Max they will see an enormous drop in subscriptions, one that could endanger the streaming service's survival. It is then wise for them to restore the classic Warner Bros. shorts as soon as possible. I know I might not continue to subscribe if they don't.

(Postscript: If you want to complain to Max about removing Looney Tunes from the service, the fastest way to do so may be to simply type "Max feedback" on Google or another search engine. The very first result (at least on Google) should be the Max Feedback page. Once there you either choose for your topic Programming Feedback or Programming Request. Programming Feedback actually lets you type in your own comments, so you can complain about Looney Tunes missing from the service there (please do be polite though). On Programming Request you'll want to choose Additional shows/movies, then for the title type in "Looney Tunes" or "Merrie Melodies. Anyway, I urge my fellow Max subscribers to leave feedback. If they get enough of it, it's possible they could return Looney Tunes to the service.

The 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is Coming!

This is a reminder that the 11th Annual Favourite TV Show Episode Blogathon is next weekend, starting on Friday, March 21. For those of you unfamiliar with the blogathon, you can read all about it here.

The 85th Anniversary of Road to Singapore (1940)

It was 85 years ago today that Road to Singapore, starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, premiered in New York City. It was the first of the seven "Road to..." movies, each of which starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope and most of which starred Dorothy Lamour. While Bing Crosby and Bob Hope played different characters in each movie, the characters were all pretty much the same. They were generally con men who wanted to make a lot of money, and often found themselves getting in trouble doing so. Dorothy Lamour played the love interest in most of the films. The films were known for satirizing various movie genres, as well as their frequent pop culture references.

While Road to Singapore (1940) was the first movie in which Bing Crosby and Bob Hope appeared as a team, they had worked together before. In December 1932 Bob Hope was the master of ceremony at a show held for two weeks at the Capitol Theatre in New York City. Among the performers at the show was Bing Crosby. Bob Hope and Crosby came up with various comedy bits that proved to be a hit with the audience. Bob Hope would later be a guest on Bing Crosby's radio show The Kraft Music Hall. Still later, when Bing Crosby hosted a special Hollywood night at  Del Mar, he and Bob Hope performed some of the bits that they had done at the Capitol many years before. Both men were signed to Paramount, so it was natural that the production chief of Paramount, William Le Barron, who suggested that the two make a movie together.

Given all of this, it might seem like a surprise that Road to Singapore was not originally intended as a movie starring Bob Hope and Bing Crosby. The origins of Road to Singapore are obscure, but it apparently originated as a script for Mr. Crosby entitled Follow the Sun. Follow the Sun was redone as a vehicle for George Burns and Gracie Allen called Road to Mandalay. Burns & Allen turned the film down, whereupon it was rewritten for Fred MacMurray and Jack Oakie. The two of them allegedly turned it down, although neither of them could remember doing so. It was after the script was reworked one more time and renamed Road to Singapore that it was offered to Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.

Road to Singapore starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope as ne'er-do-wells Josh Mallon (Bing Crosby) and Ace Lannigan (Bob Hope). Romantic complications in their lives lead the two men to flee for Singapore. As it turns out, before they can reach Singapore their money runs about the time they reach the fictional island  of Kaigoon. They they meet Mima (Dorothy Lamour), with whom they both fall in love.

Although "the Road to..." movies are often referred to as the "Hope-Crosby pictures," they would perhaps be better termed the "Hope-Crosby-Lamour" movies. Even in Road to Singapore, Dorothy Lamour was more than a romantic interest. She was effectively the third member of the team. She became even more a part of the team in the later "Road to..." movies. Dorothy Lamour learned on her first day on the set of Road to Singapore that it was useless to pay any attention to the script, as Bob Hope and Bing Crosby simply extemporised as they saw fit. Fortunately, Dorothy Lamour was a talented actress who was able to keep up with them.

Although today Bob Hope may be the most recognizable name of the three leads, he was billed third on Road to Singapore, beneath Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour. It would be the only "Road..." movie on which he received third billing. With Bob Hope's film career taking off, afterwards the billing would always be "Bing Crosby," "Bob Hope", and "Dorothy Lamour".

Road to Singapore proved to be a success. It received generally positive reviews from critics. It also proved to be a hit at the box office. In the end it would make $1.6 million. Quite naturally, the success of Road to Singapore led to a sequel, Road to Zanzibar (1941), which lead to further installments in the series.

Of course, it was Road to Singapore that established the format for the future "Road to... movies." Each of the movies was a musical comedy, with Bing, Dorothy, and even Bob singing various songs. The songs in Road to Singapore included ""The Moon and the Willow Tree (sung by Dorothy Lamour in the film)," "Sweet Potato Piper (sung by Bing Crosby, Dorothy Lamour, and Bob Hope in the movie)," and "Too Romantic (sung by Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour in the film)." Bing Crosby recorded "The Moon and the Willow Tree,' "Sweet Potato Piper," and "Too Romantic" for Decca Records, with both "Too Romantic" and "Sweet Potato Piper" proving to be hits.

Road to Singapore (1940) also established the many in-jokes and pop culture references that populate the movies in the series. The "patty-cake" routine, which Crosby and Hope use as a distraction to the villains, also originated in Road to Singapore. Road to Singapore also established the personalities of Bing Crosby and Bob Hope's characters. Bob Hope's character was high-strung and filled with bravado, even though he was a naturally born coward. Bing Crosby's character was more calm an collective, the smooth one of the two, and it was he who generally came up with their various schemes. Although both were ladies men, it was Bing's characters who usually got the girl. And, of course, both Bob and Bing's characters were con men.

Like the other "Road to..." movies, to a degree Road to Singapore has not aged well. Racist and sexist attitudes that were prevalent during the era are to found in the film. At the same time it is clear that Road to Singapore was not meant to be taken seriously, and they weren't meant to be mean-spirited or hurtful. It must be kept in mind that Road to Singapore and the other "Road to..." movies were very much products of their time.

Road to Singapore would have a lasting influence beyond setting the pace for the other "Road to..." movies. Years before the term metafiction was even coined, Road to Singapore and the other "Road to..." movies were meta. Being metafictional, Road to Snigapore would have an influence on everything from The Monkees to Moonlighting to Airplane! (1980). Over the years there have been many homages to the film, from theatrical cartons like the Popeye short "We're on the Way to Rio" to the Danny Thomas Show episode "The Road to Lebanon" to a segment of Mel Brooks's film History of the World, Part I (1981). Road to Singapore (1940) occupies a place in film history that few comedies do.

"Time Has Come Today" by The Chamber Brothers

Since Sunday I have felt tired every single day. Of course, I know the cause. It is the change to Daylight Saving Time that took place Sunday. For me it's not simply a case of losing an hour of sleep, but the entire shift of the clock hands forward by an hour disrupts my sleep and my entire routine. Oh, I will eventually adapt to it, but I will never be as competent, whole, or happy as I am when we are on Standard Time. I really wish we would do away with Daylight Saving Time entirely and remain on Standard Time all year around.

Anyway, since I feel wore out, I will leave you with a song about time, "Time Has Come Today" by The Chambers Brothers. I do have to warn you, this is the eleven-plus minute album version.

Jan Shepard Passes On

Jan Shepard, who appeared in the Elvis Presley movies King Creole (1958) and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966), died on January 17 2025 at the age of 96.

Jan Shepard was born Joanna Sorbello on March 19 1928 in Quakertown, Pennsylvania. She acted in plays when she attended Quakertown High School. She was also a cheerleader, a drum majorette, and the valedictorian of her class. She moved to Los Angeles in 1949. She joined the Ben Bard Players. a theatre company that had been founded by actor and comedian Ben Bard. She later trained at the Pasadena Playhouse. To make a living she worked as a secretary at n I. Magnin department store. She shared an apartment with Amanda Blake, who would later become famous as Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke.

Jan Shepard made her television debut on an episode of Fireside Theatre in 1952. In the Fifties she appeared on the shows Death Valley Days, I Married Joan, Big Town, Ford Television Theatre, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Captain Midnight, The Adventures of Kit Carson,The Loretta Young Show, My Little Margie, Public Defender, Stage 7, TV Reader's Digest, The Man Behind the Badge, The Lone Ranger, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Private Secretary, Screen Directors Playhouse, It's a Great Life, Waterfront, The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp, Crossroads, The Man Called X, Sergeant Preston of Yukon, Circus Boy, Science Fiction Theatre, Code 3, Official Detective, The Gray Ghost, The Californians, Target, Trackdown, Highway Patrol, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Richard Diamond Private Detective, Wichita Town, The Man and the Challenge, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Tombstone Territory,. Philip Marlowe, Grand Jury, and U.S. Marshal. She had a recurring role as Nurse Betty on the syndicated show Dr.Christian. She made her movie debut in Sabre Jet in 1959.  In the Fifties she appeared in the moves Burden of Truth (1957), King Creole (1958), and Attack of the Giant Leeches (1958).

In the Sixties Jan Shepard was a regular on the soap opera The Clear Horizon appeared in the movies Third of a Man (1962), Della (1965), and Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966). She appeared on the TV shows Dante, Rawhide, Bat Masterson, Gunslinger, Assignment: Underwater, Stagecoach West. Lock Up, The Brothers Brannagan, Cain's Hundred, Bus Stop, Lawman, King of Diamonds,  Laramie, The Lloyd Bridges Show, G.E. True, Kraft Suspense Theatre, Perry Mason, Convoy, The Long Hot Summer, Bonanza, A Man Called Shenandoah, Teh Road West, Gunsmoke, Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color, Ironside, Mannix, The F.B.I., The High Chaparral, Land of the Giants, The Virginian, Then Came Bronson, Marcus Welby M.D., and This is the Life. She appeared in the TV movie The Doomsday Flight.

In the Seventies she appeared in the shows Longstreet and The Rookies. She appeared in the TV movie That Certain Summer.

While Jan Shepard played Elvis's sister in King Creole, I have to think she may be best known for her work in television. She appeared on Perry Mason four times along, from playing a politician's wife accursed of murder in "The Case of the Paper Bullets" to a race car driver's wife in "The Case of the Runaway Racer." She appeared in multiple Western TV shows, including three appearances on Rawhide. In the TV Westerns she played everything a woman working with a band of renegades in the Bat Masterson episode "Bullwhacker's Bounty' to the fiancee of a drover addicted to morphine in the Rawhide episode "Incident at the Top of the World" to a woman coerced into lying about a murder in the Laramie episode "The Jailbreakers." Jan Shepard was certainly versatile.

Godspeed Olive Sturgess

Former actress Olive Sturgess died on February 19 2025 in Ocean Falls, British Columbia at the age of 91. She had lost the home she had owned for 60 years in the Pacific Palisades fire, but died of natural causes. She played Bob's nephew Chuck MacDonald's girlfriend Carol on The Bob Cummings Show and guest starred on many television Westerns. Among her movies roles was .  the daughter of Vincent Price's character in The Raven (1963).

Olive Sturgess was born on October 8 1933 in Ocean Falls, British Columbia. Her father, Leonard Sturgess, hosted his own radio show. As a youngster she took both piano and ballet lessons  She also It was seeing Mary Martin played Peter Pan on stage that convinced her to take up acting. Her family moved to California in 1954.

Olive Sturgess attended Whittier College, and also acted at the Beverly Hills Playhouse. It was at this time that she was discovered by Hank Garson, who wrote radio shows at CBS. She was signed to a contract with Universal-International. At Universal-International not only was she given vice and dancing lessons, but she was also taught fencing, firing guns, and horseback riding Miss Sturgess grew to love horseback riding, and became proficient enough in it to participate in rodeos.

Olive Sturgess made her film debut in the theatrical short "Leave It to Harry" in 1954. She made her television debut in 1955 in an episode of Studio 57. In the Fifties she played the recurring role of  Carol, Chuck's girlfriend, on The Bob Cummings Show. Later in the decade and in the early Sixties, she played twins May and June McBean on the Western TV show The Tall Man. She guest starred on the shows Shower of Stars, The Millionaire, The People's Choice, Front Row Center, The Red Skelton Show, Four Star Jubilee, Telephone Time, Casablanca, Producer's Showcase, Lux Video Theatre, Crusader, Matinee Theatre, West Point. Wire Service, Strange Stories, The Alcoa Hour, Goodyear Television Playhouse, Tales of Wells Fargo, Perry Mason, Cheyenne, Panic!, Sugarfoot, Studio One, The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen, U..S. Marshal, Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse, The Texan, General Electric Theatre, Rawhide, Have Gun--Will Travel, Lawman, Buckskin, Schlitz Playhouse of Stars, Laramie, The Donna Reed Show, Philip Marlowe, Johnny Midnight, The Man and the Challenge, Wagon Train, Mr. Garland, Hawaiian Eye, and The Rebel. She appeared in the films Lady Godiva of Coventry (1955) and The Kettles in the Ozarks (1956).

In the Sixties Olive Sturgess continued to appear on the TV show The Tall Man. She appeared in two episodes of the horror/suspense anthology Thriller. This led her being cast as Estelle Craven in The Raven (1963). She guest starred on the TV shows The Rebel, The Jack Benny Program, Bronco, Bringing Up Buddy, Westinghouse Preview Theatre, Whispering Smith, Maverick, Outlaws, Checkmate, The Wide Country, Make Room for Daddy, Destry, Petticoat Junction, The Virginian, Dr. Kildare, Bonanza, The Girl from U.N.C.L.E., and Ironside. She appeared in the movies Requiem for a Gunfighter.

Olive Sturgess's last on-screen appearance was in two episodes of The Rookies, playing a different character in each one.

If Olive Sturgess was prolific in American television in the Fifties and Sixties, it wasn't simply because she was pretty and fresh-faced. It wasn't even because she knew how to ride a horse and shoot a gun. It was because she could play a wide variety of parts convincingly. Carol on The Bob Cumming Show was very much a Mid-Century ingenue, sweet and wholesome, but she also played hillbillies May and June on The Tall Man. In the Thriller episode "The Closed Cabinet" she played a young American woman investigating a mysterious cabinet that may responsible for a curse on a British family. In the Maverick episode "The Golden Fleecing' she played a young Quaker woman. Of course, Miss Sturgess may be best known as Estelle in The Raven, the headstrong daughter of wizard Dr. Erasmus Craven. Olive Sturgess could play a number of roles and she played all of them well.