The Late Great Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin, the composer best known for the icon theme to Mission: Impossible, died on June 26 2025 at the age of 93. 

Lalo Schifrin was born Boris Claudio Schifrin on June 21 1932 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. His father, Luis, was a violinist with the Buenos Aires Philharmonic. He was only six years old when he began to learn the piano. He was 16 years old when his classmates introduced him to jazz, and he quickly became a fan of the genre. At the University of Buenos Aires, he studied music and law. He received a scholarship to the Paris Conservatory of Music in 1952, where he studied classical music under composer Olivier Messiaen. At night he would play in jazz bands.

He returned to Buenos Aires in 1956. There he founded his own jazz band. It was also there that he began composing for TV shows and films.He served as the composer on the Argentinian movie Venga a bailar el rock (1957) and El jefe (1958). It was when jazz legend Dizzy Gillespie was visiting Argentina that he invited him to the United States to work with him. He moved to New York City in 1958 and played piano at a Mexican restaurant until he began work as an arranger with Xavier Cugat. In 1960 he performed with Dizzy Gillespie on the jazz great's album Gillespiana.

It was in 1963 that Lalo Schifrin moved to California to work in film and television. He served as a conductor on the score for the movie Rhino! (1964) and on television he composed and arranged background music for such shows as Dr. Kildare and The Man From U.N.C.L.E. He composed the score for the TV movie Dark Intruder, which aired in 1965. In the Sixties, he composed the themes for the shows Mission: Impossible, T.H.E. Cat, Mannix, and Medical Center. He worked on such films as Who's Minding the Mint (1967), Cool Hand Luke (1967), The President's Analyst (1967),Coogan's Bluff (1968), Bullitt (1968),Hell in the Pacific (1968), Where Angels Go, Trouble Follows! (1968), Che! (1969), Eye of the Cat (1969), Kelly's Heroes (1970), and WUSA (1970).

In the Seventies Lalo Schifrin composed the themes of the TV shows;Planet of the Apes, Starsky & Hutch, and Petrocelli. He worked on such movies as The Beguiled (1971), THX 1138 (1971), Dirty Harry (1971),Joe Kidd (1972),Enter the Dragon (1973), Charles Varrick (1973), Magnum Force (1973). Voyage of the Damned (1976), The Eagle Has Landed (1976), Rollercoaster(1977), The Cat from Outer Space (1978), The Amityville Horror (1979), Brubaker (1980), and The Competition (1980).

In the Eighties he worked on such films as Caveman (1981), Buddy Buddy (1981), Class of 1984 (1982), The Sting II (1983), Doctor Detroit (1983), The Osterman Weekend, (1983),Sudden Impact (1983), Tank (1984), Bad Medicine (1985), The Fourth Protocol (1987), and The Dead Pool (1988). On television he composed themes for the shows Chicago Story, Glitter. 

In the Nineties Lalo Schifrin worked on such films as F/X2 (1991), Scorpion Spring (1995), Money Talks (1997), Something to Believe In (1998), Tango (1998), and Rush Hour (1998). In the Naughts he worked on such films as Longshot (2001), Bringing Down the House (2003), After the Sunset (2004), and Abominable (2006). In the Teens, he worked on the films Love Story (2011) and Lyset fra sjokoladefabrikken (2020). 

Lalo Schifrin was one of the greatest television and movie composers of all time. He was nominated multiple times for Emmy Awards and Oscars. His compositions are certainly memorable, particularly the theme to Mission: Impossible, which remains one of the best known television show themes of all time. A 2023 list of the "50 Best TV Theme Songs of All Time" fro Consequences of Sound placed it at no. 4. Lalo Schifrin would be remembered if it was the only thing he had ever written, but as it is he wrote so many other pieces of music for television and film.

"Impasse": A Groundbreaking Episode of Medical Center

Positive portrayals of lesbians were unknown in the first few decades of American broadcast television. At worst, they were sometimes portrayed as outright sociopaths, as in the case of Miss Brant (Virginia Christine), a sniper who kills attractive young women out on dates with their boyfriends, in an episode of the short-lived series The Asphalt Jungle (based on the movie of the same name). Although it is never explicitly said that Miss Brant was a lesbian, it was made fairly obvious. At best lesbianism might be presented as a mental disorder, sa in the case of the Eleventh Hour episode "What Did She Mean by Good Luck?" and the Bold Ones: The New Doctors episode "A Very Strange Triangle." The Medical Center episode, "Impasse," from 1973, was then revolutionary in featuring a psychiatrist, Dr. Anne Claymor (Lois Nettleton), as both a lesbian and a healthy, well-adjusted human being.

For those of you unfamiliar with Medical Center, it was a medical drama that ran from 1969 to 1975. It centred on surgeons Dr. Paul Locher (James Daly) and Dr. Joe Gannon (Chad Everett) at an unnamed hospital (the "medical centre" of the title) in Los Angeles. "Impasse" starred Lois Nettleton as Dr. Anne Claymor, a psychiatrist who is called into treat a a young heart patient, Tobi (Jamie Smith-Jackson), who is proving difficult. Dr. Gannon has a crush on Dr. Claymor, and it is after Tobi's boyfriend Sam (Tim Matheson) tells Dr. Gannon that Dr. Claymor is a lesbian. That leads Dr. Gannon to visit Dr. Claymore in her apartment where she admits that she is a lesbian.

This particular scene is remarkable for a TV show episode airing in 1973 (if you want to see it, it si available on YouTube). It is made clear that Dr. Claymor is comfortable with her lesbianism, as she deals with the stereotypes Dr. Gannon, like many Americans at the time, believed to be true, No, she does not hate men. Yes, a lesbian doctor can treat a young woman without pouncing on her. At no point in the episode is lesbianism presented as a mental disorder, although the fact that it was still frowned upon in society was acknowledged.

At the time, when homosexuality was still presented as a mental disorder on most American television shows and was still listed as such in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders used by the American Psychiatric Association, "Impasse" was revolutionary in its portrayal of Dr. Claymor. In his book Alternate Channels - LGBTQ Images on Television, author Steve Capsuto refers to Dr. Claymor in "Impasse" as "...American TV’s first productive, happy lesbian character." Following "Impasse" there would still be shows on which homosexuality was presented as a mental disorder and homosexuals as sociopaths, but it was definitely a step in the right direction. 

"Stonewall Nation" by Madeline Davis

Chances are good that you have not heard of the song "Stonewall Nation" by Madeline Davis (I must confess that I had not until relatively recently),: but it is is historic nonetheless. Quite simply, it has been called the first gay liberation anthem. It was written by Madeline Davis after she had attended her first march on the New York capitol in Albany, New York. 

Of course, the song's title will have some significance for those who know their history. It was from June 28 1969 to July 1 1969 that spontaneous demonstrations against  a police raid (commonly called the "Stonewall riots") took place form June 28 1969 to July 3 1969 at the Stonewall Inn in New York City. The Stonewall uprising is commonly regarded as the starting point for the gay liberation movement. For many in the LGBTQ community in the Seventies, the phrase "Stonewall Nation" may have had even more significance. The name "Stonewall Nation" was given informally to a separatist community proposed in Alpine County, California in 1970. 

As to the song itself, "Stonewall Nation" seems somewhat reminiscent of the folk music of the time, namely the work of such artists as Joni Mitchell, Judy Collins, and Buffy Sainte-Marie. I do not find it particularly listenable, but the song is historic nonetheless. 

Bobby Sherman Passes On

One-time teen idol and actor Bobby Sherman died on June 24 2025 at the age of 81. Hr had stage IV kidney cancer. He was known for such songs as "La La La (If I Had You)" and "Julie, Do You Love Me,"  and was one of the regulars on the show Here Come  the Brides. 

Bobby Sherman was born in Santa Monica, California on July 22 1943. He grew up in Van Nuys, California. His father owned and operated his own milk delivery service, Woodland Hills Dairy. Bobby Sherman took to music while he was still young, and growing up he knew how to play guitar, piano, French horn, trumpet, trombone, and drums. 

He graduated from Birmingham High School in Van Nuys in 1961, and then studied child psychology at Pierce College in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.  His first single,"Judy, You'll Never Know (I'll Never Tell You)," came out in 1962. He followed it with a few singles that did not chart.  It was while he was attending Pierce College that his girlfriend took him to a cast party for the movie The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965). Bobby Sherman got up and sang with the band at the party, which led actors Natalie Wood, Jane Fonda, and Sal Mineo to approach him and offer to help him with a music career. This would lead to Bobby Sherman becoming a regular on the ABC music series Shindig!. 

It was in 1965 that Bobby Sherman made his acting debut in a guest appearance on an episode of Honey West. In the late Sixties, he guest starred on the shows The Monkees and The F.B.I. It was in 1968 that he began playing the role of Jeremy Bolt on the TV series Here Come the Brides. He appeared in the movie Wild in the Streets.

It would be from the latte Sixties into the Seventies that Bobby Sherman's music career would be at its height. His first major hit was "Little Woman" in 1969, which went to no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. That same year "La La La (If I Had You)" would go to no. 9 on the chart. Over the next few years he would have such hits as "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Hey, Mister Sun," "Julie, Do You Love Me," and "Cried Like a Baby." His last major hit would be "The Drum" in 1971, although he would continue to release singles until 1975.

It was in 1971 that he guest starred on The Partridge Family in an episode that was a backdoor pilot for the TV series Getting Together. Getting Together did not prove to be a success, lasting for only 14 episodes. In the Seventies, he guest starred on the shows Cade's County, The Mod Squad, Emergency!, Ellery Queen, Jigsaw John, and Flying High. He appeared in the movie He is My Brother (1975). It was following his guest appearance on Emergency! that Bobby Sherman decided to become a paramedic. He worked as an emergency medical technician who trained paramedic in CPR at the Los Angeles Police Academy and also served as a reserve police officer in L.A. and a deputy sheriff in San Bernardino County.

Bobby Sherman would continue to appear from time to time on TV shows and in movies, making guest appearances on Fantasy Island; The Misadventures of Sheriff Lobo; The Love Boat; Murder, She Wrote; Blacke's Magic; and Frasier. He was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Sanchez of Bel-Air in 1986. He appeared in the film Get Crazy (1983). 

|It was in 1998 that Bobby Sherman returned to the stage as part of the "Teen Idol Tour" alongside Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits and Davy Jones of The Monkees. In 2011 he and his wife Brigitte founded the Brigitte & Bobby Sherman Children’s Foundation.

I can't speak for Bobby Sherman's musical career, as I never have listened to his music, but I always did enjoy him as an actor. I particularly remember him well as the vain, egomaniacal beach movie star Frankie Catalina in the Monkees episode "Monkees at the Movies." In the Emergency! episode "Fools," he played an arrogant intern, Dr. Donaldson, whom Dr. Brackett (Robert Fuller) orders to ride with Squad 51 for a day to teach him humility. Not all of Bobby Sherman's characters were as unpleasant as Frankie Catalnia and Dr. Donaldson. On Ellery Queen he played Doug Carmichael, the brother-in-law of an eccentric inventor and one of the few who knew the inventor was still at himself. Of course, when it comes to acting I suspect he will always be remembered best as the stammering Jeremy Bolt on Here Come the Brides.  Bobby Sherman was certainly talented and he was always entertaining.

Godspeed Lynn Hamilton

Lynn Hamilton, who played Fred Sanford's girlfriend Donna on Sanford and Son and the Waltons' neighbour Verdie on The Waltons, died on June 19 2025 at the age of 95.

Lynn Hamilton was born on April 12 1930 in Yazoo City, Mississippi. She was only four years old when her family moved to Chicago. She attended Bloom High School in Chicago Heights. She studied acting at the Goodman School of Drama Theatre in Chicago. She gained more experience in acting with a South Side theatre in Chicago. 

She moved to New York City in 1956.  In the late Fifties, She appeared on Broadway in Only in America, The Cool World, and Face of a Hero. She made her film debut in a bit part in Shadows (1958), which marked the directorial debut of John Cassavetes. She also appeared in the short "The New Girl" (1960).

Lynn Hamilton spent three years with the New York Shakespeare Film Festival. She was also a part of President John F. Kennedy's cultural exchange program, in which she toured with the plays The Miracle Worker and The Skin of Our Teeth. She appeared on Broadway in Tambourines to Glory in 1963. In 1966 she became part of the Seattle Repertory Theatre. In the late Sixties, she auditioned for a role in Funny Girl (1968). While she didn't get the part, she decided to stay in Los Angeles. She appeared in the movie The Learning Tree (1969). In 1969 she made her television debut in a guest appearance on the show Room 222. In the late Sixties, she also guest starred on the shows Then Came Bronson, Mannix, Gunsmoke, The Bill Cosby Show, Insight, and The Psychiatrist.

It was in the Seventies that Lynn Hamilton played what may be her two best known roles. She made her first appearance on Sanford and Son early in its first season, laying a landlady from whom Lamont Sanford briefly rents a bachelor pad. The producers were so impressed with Lynn Hamilton that when they decided to give Fred Sanford a girlfriend, they cast her. She first appeared in the role of Donna Harris on Sanford and Son in its tenth episode. She appeared until the show ended its run. It was in the first season of The Waltons, while she was still appearing on Sanford and Son, that she first appeared in the recurring role of Verdie Grant, a widowed neighbour and close friend of the Walton family.  She played Verdie until the show ended its run in 1981, and then appeared in two of the reunion movies. 

During the Seventies, Lynn Hamilton appeared in the mini-series Roots: The Next Generation. She guest starred on the shows Longstreet, Hawaii Five-O, Ironside, Ghost Story, Barnaby Jones, The Young and the Restless, Good Times, Starsky and Hutch, and The Rockford Files. She appeared in the movies Brother John (1971), The Seven Minutes (1971), Buck and the Preacher (1972), Lady Sings the Blues (1972), Hangup (1974), and Leadbelly (1976). 

In the late Eighties, Lynn Hamilton began a two year run appearing in a regular role on the soap opera Generations. She also had a recurring role on the soap opera Rituals and the sitcom 227. She guest starred on the shows The Powers of Matthew Starr; Knight Rider; Insight; Quincy, M.E.; ABC Afternoon Specials; Riptide; Highway to Heaven; Webster; Still the Beaver; Days of Our Lives; Amen; Hunter; and The Golden Girls. She appeared in the movie Legal Eagles (1986).

In the Nineties she continued to appear on Generations. She appeared in a lead role in the soap opera Dangerous Women and had a recurring roles on Sunset Beach and The Practice. She guest starred on the shows Sister, Sister; Murphy Brown; Sisters; Life's Work; Dangerous Minds; Moesha; and Port Charles. She appeared in the movie The Vanishing (1993). 

In the Naughts she continued to appear on The Practice. She guest starred on the shows NYPD Blue, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Judging Amy, and Cold Case. She made her last appearance on screen in Baby's Breath (2003).

Lynn Hamilton was a very talented actress, which can be seen in her two famous roles, two roles that she played concurrently. Donna Harris on Sanford and Son was strong, independent, and no-nonsense, often calling Fred on some of his wackier behaviour. Verdi on The Waltons was also a strong woman, although she was also fiercely proud and somewhat distrustful of others beyond family and close friends (and sometimes she can distrust them as well). Lynn Hamilton was particularly good at paying strong women. In the Gunsmoke episode "The Sisters" she played Mother Tabitha, the caring but firm head of two other nuns. Not all of Lynn Hamilton's characters were necessarily nice. She appeared in the Barnaby Jones episode "Sunday: Doomsday" she played the wife of a man that Barnaby had sent to prison. She is downright hateful towards Barnaby, blaming him for how her life went wrong  In her guest appearance in The Rockford Files episode "The Hammer of C Block" she played a character who was a bit more pleasant, but still a far cry from Donna or Verdi. She played a former prostitute, now married to a doctor, who's fearful of her past being revealed. Lynn Hamilton had an enormous amount of talent and was even a bit of a pioneer, paving the way for future Black actresses. 

Lou Christie Passes On

Lou Christie, the singer-songwriter who had such hits as "Two Faces Have I," "Lightnin' Strikes," and "Rhapsody in the Rain," died on June 18 2025 at the age of 82 following a short illness.

Lou Christie was born Lugee Alfredo Giovanni Sacco in Glenwillard, Pennsylvania on February 19 1943. He attended Moon Area High School in Moon Township, Pennsylvania. He was 15 years old when he befriended classical musician Twyla Herbert, who was 22 years older than he was.The two formed a songwriting partnership that would last until her death in 2009. He performed with various Pittsburgh area groups from 1959 to 1962, and released various singles on local Pittsburgh labels. His single "The Jury" by Lugee & The Lions (which comprised him Twyla Herbert's daughter Shirley, and two more people) proved to be a local hit. 

After graduating from high school in 1961, Lugee Vacco moved to New York City. There he worked as a session vocalist. It was in 1962 that he went to Pittsburgh record executive Nick Cenci with some demo tapes. It was Mr. Cenci who gave him the stage name "Lou Christie." He also produced Lou Christie and Twyla Herbert's composition "The Gypsy Cried" and released it on his own C & C label. It proved to be a regional hit. It was then picked up by Roulette Records and released nationally. It went to no. 24 on the Billboard Hot 100. Roulette also released his self-titled debut album.

Lou Christie would follow "The Gypsy Cried" with an even bigger hit, "Two Faces Have I," which went to no. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lou Christie's career would be interrupted when he was drafted into the United States Army. He was in the Army for two years. After being discharged from service, Lou Christie signed with MGM Records. While MGM disliked his first single for the label, "Lightnin' Strikes," Lou Christie promoted the song himself and it eventually hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. The following year he would have a hit with "Rhapsody in the Rain." In the Sixties, Lou Christie would have one more hit, "I'm Gonna Make You Mine," which went to no. 10 in 1969. 

In the Seventies, Lou Christie would have a minor hit with "Beyond the Blue Horizon," which went to no. 80 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974. At the same time he shifted towards country music, releasing a self-titled album in the genre. After the Seventies, Lou Christie would release two more singles (one being a cover of "Since I Don't Have You"with Lesley Gore) and five more albums. His last, Summer in Malibu, was released in 2015.

Lou Christie was both a gifted songwriter and a gifted vocalist. He had a remarkable falsetto that he put to particularly good use on "Lightnin' Strikes." He also had fantastic delivery. If such songs as "Two Faces Have I," "Lightnin' Strikes," and "Rhapsody in the Rain" were hits, much of it was because of the emotion in Lou Christie's vocals. A perfect example of Lou Christie's incredible vocals can be found in "Lightnin' Strikes," in which he goes from the stanzas of the song, which are all sweetness and light, sung in his rich baritone voice, to the maniacal falsetto in the build-up to the chorus. Lou Christie was a great vocalist and his song remain listenable to this day. 

Announcing the 12th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon

I am proud to announce that the 12th Annual Rule, Britannia Blogathon will take place from September 19 to September 21 2025. 

While Hollywood comes to many people's minds when they think of classic movies, the fact is that the United Kingdom made many significant contributions to film over the years. From the Gainsborough melodramas to Hammer Films to the British New Wave, cinema would be much poorer without the British.

Here are the ground rules for this year's blogathon:

1. Posts can be about any British film or any topic related to British films. For the sake of simplicity, I am using "British" here to refer to any film made by a company based in the United Kingdom or British Crown dependencies. If you want to write about a film made in Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, then, you can do so. Also for the sake of simplicity, people can write about co-productions made with companies from outside the United Kingdom. For example, since 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is a British-American co-production, someone could write about it if they chose.

2. There is no limit on subject matter. You can write about any film in any genre you want. Posts can be on everything from the British New Wave to the Gainsborough bodice rippers to the Hammer Horrors. I am also making no limit on the format posts can take. You could review a classic British film, make an in-depth analysis of a series of British films, or even simply do a pictorial tribute to a film. That having been said, since this is a classic film blogathon,  I only ask that you write about films made before 2015. I generally don't think of a film as a classic until it has been around for thirty years, but to give bloggers more options I am setting the cut-off point at ten years ago.

3. I am asking that there please be no duplicates. That having been said, if someone has already chosen to cover From Russia with Love (1963), someone else could write about the James Bond series as a whole.

4. I am not going to schedule days for individual posts. All I ask is that the posts be made on or between September 19, 20, and 21 2025.

If you want to participate in the Rule, Britannia Blogathon, you can simply comment below or get hold of me on Bleusky at mercurie80 or my email:  mercurie80 at gmail.com

Below is a roster of the participants:

A Shroud of Thoughts: Quatermass and the Pit (1967)

Moon in Gemini: Far from the Madding Crowd (1967) 

Realweegiemidget Reviews: Dancin' Thru the Dark (1990)

Speakeasy: The Passionate Friends (1949)

Cinematic Catharsis: Witchfinder General (1968)

Liberal England: The Intruder (1953)

Below are graphics you can use for the blogathon or you can always make your own!

Nestor Paiva: Portuguese American Character Actor

(This post is part of the 2025 Luso World Cinema Blogathon hosted by Spellbound by Beth Ann and Critica Retro)

Nestor Paiva may not be a familiar name to the average person, but chances are good that they might well recognize him if they saw him. His career spanned from 1937 to 1967, and he appeared in over 400 movies. His roles ranged from bit parts that were on screen but briefly to supporting roles with a good deal of screen time. He may be best known as Captain Lucas in Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) and Revenge of the Creature (1955) and the innkeeper Teo Gonzales on the TV show Zorro. During his career Nestor Paiva played a number of ethnicities and I have to think some viewers thought he was Hispanic in descent, but in truth he was a Portuguese American.

Nestor Paiva was born on June 30 1905 in  Fresno, California. His parents were Portuguese citizens from the Azores, an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean which Portugal had begun colonizing in the 15th Century. His father's family migrated to the United States in 1880, when his father, Frank, was only seven years old. His mother, Mariana, was 17 when she migrated to the United States in 1896. That same year she married Frank. They operated a grocery in Fresno for a time. The family eventually moved to Alameda County, California, It was there that Nestor Paiva attended the University of California, Berkeley. He acted in both plays at the university and elsewhere. It was the University of California, Berkeley that he also had the opportunity to direct plays. 

In fact, among Nestor Paiva's earliest jobs was as director of the Eight o' Clock players at radio station KLX in Oakland, California. Nestor Paiva would have a successful career in radio. Through the years he appeared on such radio shows as Bold Adventure, Cavalcade of America, Family Theatre, Gunsmoke, Lux Radio Theatre, The Roy Rogers Show,  Wild Bill Hickok, and others. 

Of course, it would be inevitable that Nestor Paiva would find his way to Hollywood. He made his film debut in 1937 in an uncredited role in the movie Island Captives. From the Thirties into the Forties he played a number of small, often uncredited roles. He was the head waiter at the West Indies Club in Another Thin Man (1939) and a store detective in Bachelor Mother (1939). He played a theatre manager in Dressed to Kill (1941). Often his characters wouldn't have names, such as the Man with Suspenders in Reap the Wild Wind (1942) and the sausage vendor in Road to Morocco (1942). While politically incorrect today, he also played a wide variety of ethnicities, from a Venezuelan officer in Boom Town (1940) to an Italian mayor in Chetniks (1943) to the Romani Gregor in The Inspector General (1949). Curiously, Nestor Paiva rarely played characters of Portuguese descent. One instance in which he did, according to IMDB, was The Lady Has Plans (1942), in which he played a Portuguese waiter.

As to his most famous role, given the movie is set in Brazil and Nestor Paiva was Portuguese in descent, one would think that Captain Lucas in Creature from the Black Lagoon would be a Brazilian. Instead, he is specifically said to be Venezuelan. Of course, it is still possible that Captain Lucas could be Portuguese in descent. People of Portuguese descent make up one of the largest ethnic groups in Venezuela. People from Portugal began immigrating to Venezuela in the early 20th Century. Supposedly the Portuguesa River in Venezuela was named for a Portuguese woman who drowned in the river.The State of Portuguesa would in turn take its name from the river. Regardless of Captain Lucas's ancestry, he was the only character besides the Gill-Man himself to appear in the sequel Revenge of the Creature. 

Of course, Nestor Paiva is also known for playing the innkeeper Teo Gonzales, who appeared in several episodes of Zorro. Zorro would be the only show on which Nestor Paiva had a recurring role, although he guest starred on many, many other shows. He made his television debut on an episode of Dick Tracy in 1950 and then went onto guest star on such shows as Topper, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, The Lone Ranger, Maverick, Perry Mason, Rawhide, Bonanza, and many others. 

Nestor Paiva would have significant movie roles beyond Creature from the Black Lagoon and Revenge of the Creature. While Nestor Paiva was often only on screen for a few minutes in many of his early films, he got a bit more screen time playing the villain The Scorpion in the serial Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (1943).  He played Old West outlaw Sam Bass in the 1946 B-Western Badman's Territory.  In Tarantula (1955) he played Sheriff Jack Andrews, who ultimately turns to Dr. Matt Hasitings (John Agar) in investigating some strange deaths.  He had a fairly large role in the Western Comanche (1956) in which he played a scout named Puffer.

With his gift for dialects and accents, it should come as no surprise that Nestor Paiva also provided voices for both theatrical and television cartoons. He provided voices for two Walter Lantz cartoons, "What's Sweepin'" (1953) and "Alley to Bali" (1954) and the MGM carton "Señor Droopy" (1949). He would later provide voices for the animated TV series Jonny Quest. 

Sadly, Nestor Paiva would die all too soon at the age of 61 on September 9 1966. The cause was stomach cancer. His last role was in the comedy The Spirit is Willing in 1967. He left behind many performances that remain enjoyable to this day. Nestor Paiva was the consummate character actor, capable of creating a fully-realized character in a matter of minutes. From Mighty Joe Young (1949) to All That Heaven Allows (1955), Nestor Paiva left an impression even when his character was only on screen for a few moments. His roles were often small, but they were always memorable.

Happy Juneteenth 2025

I want to wish everyone a happy Juneteenth. It was on June 19 1865 that Major General Gordon Granger  of the United States Army arrived in Galveston, Texas where he was take command of the Union troops there to enforce the emancipation of the slaves there. Juneteenth is then also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day for that reason. It has been celebrated in Texas since 1866 and in 2021 it was made a Federal holiday

"Lightnin' Strikes" by Lou Christie

Lou Christie, who had the hits "Two Faces Have I" and "Lightnin' Strikes," among others, died yesterday at the age of 82. I will write a full eulogy tomorrow, but tonight I would like to leave you with his biggest hit, "Lightnin' Strikes," which went to no. 1 in February 1966. This particular clip is from the syndicated music show Hollywood a Go Go. He only appeared on the show once, in the January 15 1966 episode.

Godspeed Sly Stone

Psychedelic soul and funk pioneer Sly Stone, well-known as the lead of Sly and the Family Stone, died on June 9 2025 at the age of 82. The cause was chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Sly Stone was born Sylvester Stewart on March 15 1943 in Denton, Texas. His family moved to Vallejo, California when he was still very young. His family was deeply religious and he grew up in the church, which included music. He was only eight years old when he and three of his siblings recorded the gospel single, "On the Battlefield"/"Walking in Jesus' Name." As  a child, Sly Stone was already skilled on keyboards. He had learned to play guitar, bass, and drums by the time he was eleven. 

In high school Sly Stone (still going by his birth name) played with various bands. He was a member of a doo-wop group called The Viscaynes. It was in 1961 that they released the single  "Stop What You Are Doing," on which Sly Stone sang harmony. Their next single was "Yellow Moon," which had been written by Sly Stone. The Viscaynes would release a few more singles.

Sly Stone attended Vallejo Junior College, after which he became a deejay at radio station KSOL in San Francisco. He later moved to radio station KDIA. It was during this same period that he produced records for the San Francisco based label Autumn Records. He produced records for Bobby Freeman, The Beau Brummels, and The Great Society, among others. It was also around this period that he took the name "Sly Stone."

It was in 1966 that he formed a band called Sly & The Stoners. It was about the same time that his brother Freddie formed a band called Freddie & The Stone Souls. It was saxophonist Jerry Matinic, a friend of Sly Stone, who suggested that the two brothers combine their two bands. The end result was Sly and the Family Stone. Sly and Freddie's sisters Vet and Rose would also be a part of the Family Stone. 

Sly and the Family Stone signed to Epic Records. Their first album,, A Whole New Thing, was released in October 1967. The album sold poorly and did not chart. Fortunately, the non-album single "Dance to the Music" proved to be a huge hit, going to no. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 9 on the Billboard R&B chart. Their second album took its title from the single and featured a more pop-oriented sound. It also proved more successful than their first album.

As successful as "Dance to the Music" was, Sly and the Family Stone would see even more success with the single "Everyday People." Released in November 1968, it hit no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 9 1969 and stayed there for four weeks. It also went to no. 1 o the Billboard Soul chart. Arguably 1969 would see Sly and the Family Stone at the peak of their success. They would have another number one single during the year, the song "Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)." Their single "Stand!" went to no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 and their single "Hot Fun in the Summertime" went to no. 2. 

Sly and the Family Stone would have one last number one single, "A Family Affair," in 1971. The band would see less success in the early Seventies, although they still had singles that did relatively well. Unfortunately, drug use and internal strife would take its toll on Sly and the Family Stone. As the Seventies progressed Sly and the Family Stone's singles and albums saw less success. Sly and the Family Stone broke up in 1975.

Sly Stone's first solo album, High on You, was released the same year. Sly Stone did a great deal of session work in the next many years, from playing organ and piano on The New Riders of the Purple Sage song "Mighty Time" to the horn arrangement on The Brothers Johnson's song "Ball of Fire." In 1976 Sly Stone reunited with The Viscaynes and recorded the single "Oh What a Nite" as Sly Stone and The Biscaynes. Sly Stone recorded the 1979 album Back on the Right Track, which was released under the name Sly and the Family Stone, The 1982 album Ain't But the One Way was also released under Sly and the Family Stone. In both cases they were more or less Sly Stone solo albums. In 2011 he released one last solo album, I'm Back! Family & Friends. 

Sly Stone was a true pioneer and he could quite rightfully be described as one of the inventors of psychedelic soul and funk. While he had a low opinion of both the song "Dance to the Music" and the album Dance to the Music, both would prove influential. Both The Temptations an The Four Tops followed its lead, while arguably such groups as the Undisputed Truth and the Jackson Five owed their existence to Dance to the Music and later Sly and the Family Stone albums. Along with James Brown and George Clinton, Sly Stone was responsible for the development of funk. Their early successes would pave the way for future funk artists. Sly Stone would also have an impact on a wide array of artists in a wide array of genres, including Herbie Hancock, Curtis Mayfield, Bob Marley, Prince, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Black Eyed Peas, and The Roots. It has been said that Sly Stone invented sounds from the Seventies in the late Sixties. He certainly was a true pioneer. 

The Late Great Brian Wilson

Brian Wilson, co-founder, leader, and primary composer of The Beach Boys, died yesterday, June 11 2025, at the age of 82. He is often counted among the greatest composers and producers of the rock era. He was the architect behind The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds, often counted among the greatest albums of all time. It even influenced The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. 

Brian Wilson was born on June 20 1942 in Inglewood, California. He was two years old when his family moved to Hawthorne, California. He had two younger brothers, Dennis (born in 1944) and Carl (born in 1945). He proved to have a gift for music while very young. He studied the harmonies of The Four Freshman closely, and taught his brothers to sing background harmonies. In high school he played baseball and football, and participated in track and field as well. 

It was at Hawthorne High School that Brian and Carl Wilson enlisted his cousin Mike Love and two friends to perform at Carl and The Passions. Afterwards Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, Dennis Wilson, Mike Love, and Al Jardine formed The Pendletones, the name being a play on the clothing brand "Pendleton." It was Dennis Wilson, the only member of the band who actually surfed, who suggested the sport as the subject of their first song, "Surfin'." The Pendletones became The Beach Boys and "Surfin'" was released on the local, Southern California X and Candix labels. It became a regional hit, leading to The Beach Boys being signed by Capitol Records. Their first single on Capitol, "Surfin' Safari," reached no. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1962. Their first major hit, "Surfin' U.S.A.," released in 1963, went to no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Even in The Beach Boys' early days, Brian Wilson was their primary composer, writing songs with songwriter Gary Usher and band mate Mike Love. He also expanded into production, producing such singles as "Surfer Girl" and "In My Room," and eventually albums such as Surfer Girl and Little Deuce Coupe. He also produced other acts, including Bob and Sheri, Rachel and The Revolvers, The Hondells, Paul Petersen, and others. 

The Beach Boys were one of the American bands to continue their success after the arrival of The Beatles and the British Invasion. If anything, they may have become bigger. Such songs as "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda," "California Girls," "Barbara Ann," and "Good Vibrations" all hit the top five of the Billboard Hot 100. Unfortunately, the pressures of The Beach Boys' career would created a strain on Brian Wilson. It was on a flight from Los Angeles to Houston that he broke down crying uncontrollably. While he would play the show in Houston, for the rest of the tour he was replaced by Glen Campbell. It was in January 1965, when The Beach Boys went to work on their next album, that Brian Wilson announced he would no longer tour with the band, although he continued to record with them in the studio. Brian Wilson's first solo credit would be on the single "Caroline No," which was released in March 1966. While the single was credited only to Brian Wilson, it would be included as the closing track of The Beach Boys' album Pet Sounds. 

Arguably, The Beach Boys' success both creatively and on the charts peaked with  Pet Sounds, released in May 1966. The album reached no. 10 on the Billboard Top LPs and no. 2 on the UK Record Retailer LPs chart. While the album received positive notices upon its release, it would be overshadowed by the release of The Beatles' album Revolver in August.Since then it has come to be regarded as one of the greatest albums of all time. Following Pet Sounds, Brian Wilson worked on the single "Good Vibrations" and then began work on the planned album Smile. Unfortunately, his mental health would begin to decline and Smile would never be finished.

After 1967 The Beach Boys were no longer the creative force they once were, although they would have hits from time to time. As to Brian Wilson, the 1967 album Wild Honey would be the last album on which he was the primary composer for a time. Although he wrote songs for the 1970 album Sunflower, most oft them were not included on the album. Afterwards Brian Wilson reduced his participation with The Beach Boys. Following his father's death in 1973, he lived a reclusive life until about 1975. In 1976 he returned to performing with The Beach Boys. He produced their 1977 album The Beach Boys Love You. As a followup he produced the album Adult/Child, which would go unreleased. 

Unfortunately, following a catastrophic tour of Australia that Brian Wilson began to backslide, taking both cocaine and barbiturates. Eventually he was gotten into recovery and he would participate in the recording of the band's 25th, self-titled album. It was in 1988 that his first solo album, titled simply Brian Wilson, was released. He would release twelve more solo albums, with the last being Brian Wilson Long Promised Road in 2021. Among them was the 2004 album Brian Wilson Presents Smile, which revisited the aborted Beach Boys album Smile with all new recordings of the songs meant for the original project. 

Of course, Brian Wilson continued to work with The Beach Boys. With others he produced The Beach Boys' albums Still Cruisin'. With Joe Thomas he produced Stars and Stripes Vol. 1. He produced the entire album That's Why God Made the Radio except for the song ""Daybreak Over the Ocean", which was produced by Paul Fauerso). He would perform on stage with The Beach Boys from time to time, including during their 50th anniversary tour in 2012. He last performed with The Beach Boys in 2022.

Brian Wilson's influence on popular music is incalculable. The various hits he wrote and produced with The Beach Boys would have an impact not only on individual artists, but on entire genres. Arguably, it was Brian Wilson and The Beach Boys who invented the California sound, which would eventually include artists from Jan & Dean to the Mamas and the Papas. Their album Pet Sounds proved influential on the genre of sunshine pop. With the harmonies in his songs, Brian Wilson would have a huge impact on power pop, and the song "Wouldn't It Be Nice" would be one of the urtexts of the genre. Along with The Beatles, The Byrds, and Small Faces, they would be among the bands responsible for progressive pop. His work with The Beach Boys would influence genres as diverse as art rock, jazz, punk, and hip hop. Except for The Beatles, The Kinks, and The Who, The Beach Boys may have been the most influential artists on power pop, punk and alternative rock.

Of course, there should be little wonder that Brian Wilson would be so influential. He was responsible for some of the most sophisticated harmonies in popular music. Along with The Beatles, Brian Wilson was one of the individuals who transformed rock 'n' roll into rock music. Early rock 'n' roll was concerned primarily with things of interest to teenagers of the era, such as love, dancing, and cars. Brian Wilson moved the genre into more sophisticated, more introspective lyrical territory. At the same time he made music that was more complicated than it had been before. Brian Wilson took rock music beyond the typical ensemble of lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums, incorporating strings even the theremin into The Beach Boys' music. Few composers and producers would ever have the impact on modern music that Brian Wilson has had.

Godspeed Pippa Scott

Pippa Scott, who appeared in the movies Auntie Mame (1958) and Petulia (1968), and was a regular on such TV shows as The Virginian and Jigsaw John, died on May 22 2025 at the age of 90.

Pippa Scott was born on November 10 1934 in Los Angeles. Her father was screenwriter Allan Scott, who wrote such films as Top Hat (1935) and The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T (1953). Her mother was Laura Straub, a stage actress who had appeared on Broadway. Her uncle was screenwriter Adrian Scott, her father's brother who was one of the Hollywood Ten. 

Pippa Scott attended Radcliffe and UCLA, then studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England. She made her television debut in 1955 in an episode of Your Play Time. In the late Fifties, she was a regular on the TV series Mr. Lucky. She gust starred on the shows Camera Three, Producer's Showcase, General Electric Theatre, Maverick, The Dupont Show with June Allyson, The Alaskans, The Aquanauts, The Twilight Zone, and Hong Kong.  She made her debut on Broadway in 1956 in Child of Fortune. In 1957 she appeared on Broadway in Miss Lonely Hearts. She made her film debut in The Searchers in 1956. She appeared in the movies As Young as We Are (1958), and Auntie Mame (1958).

In the Sixties, Pippa Scott was a regular on the first season of The Virginian. She guest starred on the shows Stagecoach West; Thriller; Have Gun--Will Travel; Outlaws; The Tall Man; Dr. Kildare; Adventures of Paradise; Bus Stop; Follow the Sun; The United States Steel Hour; Redigo; The Fugitive; Wagon Train; Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.; The Reporter; The Rogues; Kraft Suspense Theatre; The John Forsythe Show; Ben Casey; The Dick Van Dyke Show; Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre; Perry Mason; The Felony Squad; Insight; Tarzan; F Troop; T.H.E. Cat; Dundee and the Culhane; The Rat Patrol; I Spy; Judd for the Defense; Family Affair; The Outsiders; The Outcasts; and Lancer. She appeared in the movies My Six Loves (1963), The Confession (1964), For Pete's Sake! (1966), Petulia (1968), and Some Kind of Nut (1969).

In the Seventies, Pippa Scott was a regular on the show Jigsaw John. She guest starred on the shows Storefront Lawyers; Medical Center; Cade's Country; Sarge; Arnie; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Gunsmoke; Love, American Style; Longstreet; Owen Marshall, Counsellor at Law; Mission: Impossible; The Rookies; The Waltons; Columbo; Barnaby Jones; Cannon; The Cowboys; Ironside; The Streets of San Francisco; Kolchak: The Night Stalker; Mannix; Matt Helm; This is the Life; Popi; and The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries. She appeared in the movie Cold Turkey (1971).

Following the Seventies, Pippa Scott appeared less frequently on screen. She appeared in the movies The Sound of Murder in 1982, Footprints in 2009, and Automotive in 2013. She guest starred on Remington Steele in 1983. 

Pippa Scott was an incredible talented actress who could play a wide variety of roles. In Auntie Mame she played the title character's lively secretary, Pegeen, who develops an attraction to Mame's nephew.. On The Virginian she played the no-nonsense, strong-willed newspaper editor Molly Wood. She played a well-known, down-and-out, overly dramatic actress on The Waltons episode "The Actress." She guest starred on Perry Mason twice, once as a defendant who had learned her husband was a bigamist in "The Case of the Bigamous Spouse" and once as a defendant accused of stealing from her business who switches identities with another woman in "The Case of the Fanciful Frail." Pippa Scott was equally talented at both comedy and drama, and she was capable of playing roles that were very different from each other.

Renée Victor Passes On

Renée Victor, a singer actress who voiced Abuelita Elena Rivera in the movie Coco (2017) and appeared on such shows as Weeds and Snowpiercer, died on May 30 2025 at the age of 86 after a battle with lymphoma.

Renée Victor was born in San Antonio, Texas on July 25 1938. It was in the 1960s that she moved to Los Angeles where she began her career as a singer. She worked with such legendary bandleaders as Xavier Cugat and Perez Pedro. She also worked as a dance instructor, teaching tango and salsa. She married Ray Victor, and the two would perform as a duo Ray & Renée from 1963 to 1973. It was in the 1970s that she began hosting the local public affairs show Pacesetters on KTLA in Los Angeles. 

It was in the 1980s that Renée Victor began acting. During the decade she guest starred on the shows Hotel, Masquerade, Scarecrow and Mrs. King, George Burns Comedy Week, and Matlock. She appeared in the movie Salsa. 

In the Nineties Renée Victor provided additional voices on the Saturday morning cartoon The Addams Family. She guest starred on the shows Bob, The Parent 'Hood, Men Behaving Badly, The Tony Danza Show, Team Knight Rider, and That's Life. She appeared in the movies The Doctor (1991), Steal Big Steal Little (1995), The Apostle (1997), The Prophecy II (1998), The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit (1998), and My Brother the Pig (1999). 

In the Naughts Renée Victor had recurring roles on ER, Weeds, and Tyler Perry's House of Payne. She guest starred on Strong Medicine, Mister Sterling, Women's Murder Club, Good Morning Agrestic, and Children's Hospital. She appeared in the movies Island Prey (2001), Never Trust a Serial Killer (2002), Assassination Tango (2002), Prospect (2004), Hot Tamale (2006),. Hollywood Familia (2006), Confessions of a Shopaholic  (2009), Stuntmen (2009), and Boyle Heights (2010).

In the Teens  Renée Victor voiced the grandmother in Coco (2017). She also appeared in the movies Wake (2011), A Night in Old Mexico (2013),  Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones (2014), Superfly (2018), and In Other Words (2020). She continued appearing on Weeds. She had recurring roles on Snowpiercer, The Super Man, Vida,  and Dead to Me. She guest starred on the shows Major Crimes, Witches of East End, Gentefied, All Rise, and Victor and Valentino.

In the 2020s she had a recurring role on With Love. She guest starred on Fairfax, Undone, Mayan M.C., and A Million Little Things. She appeared in the movies Green Ghost and the Masters of the Stone (2021), Welcome to Our World (2021) and Moe (2023). 

For most people Remée Victor would always be Abuelita Elena Rivera in the movie Coco. Mrs. Victor did a great job of voicing Abuelita, who was no-nonsesne and overly protective, yet still loving towards the lead character Miguel. Renée Victor excelled in playing comforting characters. On Snowpiercer she played Mama Grandé, one of the spiritual leaders of the oppressed people living in the tail of the title train. She played the nun Sister Teresa on Mayans M.C. In contrast to these characters was Lupita, the housekeeper of lead character Nancy (Mary-Louise Parker) on Weeds. Lupita is wisecracking, cagey, and gutsy, Renée had an enormous amount of talent and could play a wide array of characters.

Ena Hartman R.I.P.

Ena Hartman, who was a regular on the TV series Dan August and appeared in the movie Terminal Island, died on April 16 2025 at the age of 93.

Ena Hartman was born Gerthaline Henry on April 1 1932 in Moscow, Arkansas. She was raised by her grandparents until she was 13, when she moved to Buffalo, New York to live with her mother. She dropped out of high school and opened a restaurant. She earned enough money from the restaurant to move to New York City. where she took up modelling and studied acting with Josh Shelley and Lloyd Richards.

Ena Hartman became the first Black actress to receive a talent contract from NBC. She made her television debut in the Bonanza episode "Enter Thomas Bowers." She guest starred on the shows Profiles in Courage, The Farmer's Daughter, The Jean Arthur Show, Tarzan, Dragnet 1967, Adam-12 (the very first episode), The Named of the Game, It Takes a Thief, The Outsider, and Ironside. She appeared in the TV movie Fame is the Name of the Game, which served as the pilot for the TV series The Name of the Game, and Prescription Murder, the TV movie that marked the first appearance of Peter Falk as Columbo. She was one of the stars of the TV series Dan August. She made her film debut in an uncredited role in The New Interns (1964). She appeared in the movies Our Man Flint (1966), Games (1967), and Airport (1970).

In the Seventies she continued to appear on Dan August. She guest starred on Police Story. She appeared in the movie Terminal Island (1973).  She retired from acting in the mid-Seventies.

Earlier in her career Ena Hartman had been chosen by Dorothy Dandridge to play her in a biopic that would have co-starred Sidney Poitier. Unfortunately, Mr. Poitier decided not to do the film and it was never made. She was one of the actresses in the running for the part of Lt. Uhura on Star Trek, a role which ultimately went to Nichelle Nichols. She was also in the running for the role of Sister Irene in the Elvis Presley movie Change of Habit (1969), the part going to Babara McNair in the end. 

Many of Ena Hartman's roles during her career tended to be small, but she made an impression nonetheless. In Our Man Flint she played the WAC who assists Cramden (Lee Cobb), the former boss of superspy Derek Flint (James Coburn). In the Bonanza episode "Enter Thomas Bowers," she played Caroline, the daughter of Jed (Ken Renard), a citizen of Virginia City who befriends opera singer Thomas Bowers (William Marshall). On Dan August she played the no-nonsense, plain-spoken police dispatcher Katy Grant. She was the star of the movie Terminal Island, in which she played Carmen, a  woman sentenced to life imprisonment on the island of the title, where convicted murders are sentenced following the abolition of the death penalty. Ena Hartman was a talented actress who gave solid performances regardless of the size of a given role. She was also a pioneer as a Black actress, paving the way for other women of colour.

Valerie Mahaffey Passes On

Valerie Mahaffey, who won an Emmy Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the recurring role of Eve on Northern Exposure, died on May 30 2026 at the age of 71. The cause was cancer.

 Valerie Mahaffey was born on June 16 1953 in Sumatra, Indonesia. Her father worked in the petroleum industry. She spent much of her childhood in different parts of the world before her family settled in Austin, Texas when she was 16. She graduated from Austin, Texas and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Texas in 1975. 

Valerie Mahaffey made her debut on Broadway in Rex in 1976. She went onto appear on Broadway in Dracula and Fearless Frank. She made her television debut in 1977 in the TV movie Tell Me My Name. She had a regular role on the daytime soap opera The Doctors from 1979 to 1980. She was nominated for the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for the show. 

In the Eighties Valerie Mahaffey appeared in the mini-series Fresno. She guest starred on the shows Tales of the Unexpected, American Playhouse, Newhart, Jack and Mike, Murphy's Law, Father Dowling Mysteries, and Quantum Leap. She played District Attorney Barbara August in two Perry Mason TV movies. She appeared on Broadway in Scenes and Revelations, Play Memory, and The Loves of Anatol.

It was in 1991 that Valerie Mahaffey first played Eve on Northern Exposure. She went onto to appear as the character in four more episodes. She was also a regular on the sitcoms The Powers That Be and Women of the House. She guest starred on the shows Cheers, The Young Riders,Baby Talk, Seinfeld, Dream On, L,A. Law, Wings, The Client, Caroline in the City, George & Leo, ER, Ally McBeal, and Love & Money. She appeared in the movies Senior Trip (1995), Jungle 2 Jungle (1997), and Dinner at Fred's.

In the Naughts Valerie Mahffey had a recurring role on Desperate Housewives. She had a recurring role on The United States of Tara. She guest starred on the shows That's My Bush!; Night Visions; Judging Amy; The West Wing; Law & Order: Special Victims Unit; Frasier; Good Morning, Miami; Without a Trace; Out of Practice; Crumbs; CSI: Crime Scene Investigation; Raines; Private Practice; Boston Legal; Better with You; Hannah Montana; and Raising Hope. She appeared in the movies Par 6 (2002), Seabiscuit (2003), My First Wedding (2006), A Previous Engagement (2008), and Summer Eleven (2010).

In the Teens she continued to appear on Desperate Housewives. She had a recurring role on the medical drama Monday Mornings, the comedy drama Devious Maids, the sitcom Young Sheldon, the comedy drama Dead to Me and the crime drama Big Sky. She guest starred on the shows The Exes, Glee, Grey's Anatomy, Kirstie, Franklin & Bash, Hart of Dixie, Workaholics, Impastor, The Mindy Project, and The Man in the High Castle. She appeared in the movies Jack and Jill (2011), If I Were You (2012), Crazy Eyes (2012), Sully (2016), No Pay, Nudity (2016), The Witch Files (2018), and French Exit (2020).

In the 2020s she continued to appear on Young Sheldon, Dead to Me, and Big Sky. She guest starred on the show Echo 3. She appeared in the movie The Eighth Day (2025). 

Valerie Mahaffey was an enormously talented actress who played a wide variety of roles. She had a particular gift for playing characters who were neurotic or even psychotic. I have to think that she will always be best remembered as Eve, the hypochondriac wife of Adam (Adam Arkin). She rightfully deserved her Emmy win for the role. She will also be well-remembered as Alma Hodge, the scheming ex-wife of Orson (Kyle MacLachlan). On Devious Maids she played another ex-wife, Olivia Rice, who had been married to Michael Stappord (Brett Cullen). Olivia was mentally unbalanced and had severe anger issues. Among her later roles was American expatriate Madame Reynard in the movie French Exit. In contrast to many of her TV characters, Madame Reynard was upbeat and quirky. Valerie Mahaffey had a talent for bring to life a wide array of characters and making some left-of-centre characters seem true to life.

Godspeed Jonathan Joss

Jonathan Joss, who provided the voice of John Redcorn on the animated series King of the Hill and played the recurring role of Chief Ken Hotate on Parks and Recreation, was shot and killed by a neighbour on June 12025. He was 59 years old. 

Jonathan Joss was born Jonathan Joss Gonzales on December 22 1965 in San Antonio, Texas. He was of Comanche and White Mountain Apache descent. He graduated from McCollum High School in San Antonio in 1984. He attended Southwest Texas State University (now  Texas State University–San Marcos) for a time  and then San Antonio College for a while. He graduated from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio with a degree in theatre and speech. 

Jonathan Joss made his television debut in the TV movie The Substitute Wife in 1994. It was in 1998 that he was cast in the role of John Redcorn on King of the Hill. He replaced John Redcorn's original voice, Victor Aaron, who died in a car accident in September 1996. Jonathan Joss remained the voice of John Redcorn until King of the Hill ended its run in 2009. He voiced John Redcorn in four episodes of the upcoming revival of the show. In the Nineties Jonathan Joss also guest starred on the shows Walker, Texas Ranger and The Wild Thornberrys. He appeared in the mini-series Dead Man's Walk. He appeared in the movies 8 Seconds (1994),  Texas (1994), Almost Heroes (1998), and Impala (1999).

In the Naughts Jonathan Joss continued to voice John Redcorn on King of the Hill. He guest starred on the shows Charmed, ER, Justice League Unlimited, In Plain Sight, and Friday Night Lights.He appeared in the mini-series Into the West and Comanche Moon. He appeared in the movies Christmas in the Clouds (2001), Johnson Family Vacation (2004), and True Grit (2010). 

It was in 2011 that Jonathan Joss began playing the recurring role of Chief Ken Hotate, leader of Pawnee's local Wamapoke tribe. He guest starred on the shows The League, Manhattan Love Story, The Messengers, Ray Donovan, and Chartered. He appeared in the movie The Magnificent Seven (2016).  In the Teens he appeared in the movies Grow Up (2021) and The Forever Purge (2021). He guest starred on Tulsa King. He reprised his role as John Redcorn in four episodes of the revival King of the Hill.

Jonathan Joss also provided voices for several video games, including Santa Fe Mysteries: The Elk Moon Murder, Santa Fe Mysteries: Sacred Ground, King of the Hill, Red Dead Redemption, and others. 

Jonathan Joss was a pioneering Native American actor. Along with various characters on Northern Exposure, John Redcorn was one of the earliest Native American characters who was both well-developed and complex. He broke with the often stereotypical representations of Native Americans on television that were often less than complimentary. Jonathan Joss bore much of the responsibility for the development of John Redcorn as a three-dimensional character, having played him since the second season of King of the Hill.

Ken Hotate on Parks & Recreation was another character that broke with television's usual portrayals of Native Americans. Ken was an astute, sharp dressed businessman with a keep sense of humour. He was both respectful of Pawnee and respected by them. At no point was Ken or his tribe ever made the butt of a joke on Parks and Recreation, although he sometimes had fun at the expense residents of Pawnee. Arguably John Redcorn on King of the Hill and Ken Hotate on Parks & Rec helped pave the way for more and better Native American representation on television. Quite simply, it was Jonathan Joss's work that helped lead to such shows as Rutherford Falls and Reservoir Dogs.

The 21st Anniversary of A Shroud of Thoughts

A Shroud of Thoughts was a human being, it would be old enough to drink. It was 21 years ago on this date, June 4 2004, that I launched this blog. A Shroud of Thoughts shares its anniversary with Mrs. Miniver, which premiered in New York City on June 4 1942, and Jackie Gleason's first TV show, Cavalcade of Stars, which debuted on the Dumont Television Network on June 4 1949. Of course, a lot has changed since A Shroud of Thoughts first began. Smart phones were still in their early days and were relatively rare. Social media was also in its infancy as well, Friendster a little over a year before A Shroud of Thoughts and MySpace only ten months before. As to streaming, it just plain didn't exist as we know it. .It wouldn't be until 2006 that Amazon would introduce Amazon Unbox (which would evolve into today's Prime Video).  

My own life has changed a good deal since I launched A Shroud of Thoughts. At the time I began this blog I had one job, which I quit after taking another job. I had that job many years before our office closed down and I was laid off. My best friend Brian died in 2011. I met my dearest Vanessa Marquez through  TCMParty, the collective live tweet of movies airing on Turner Classic Movies. Sadly, she died tragically in 2018. Of course, since I launched this blog I have published a few books and even been on Turner Classic Movies.

Compared to last year's 20th anniversary of A Shroud of Thoughts, I am way ahead this year. Last year on June 4 I had a fever and what I am convinced was a second bout of Covid-19. My old computer would start gong out later that month, forcing me to use our old laptop. The old laptop finally bit the dust in February of this year. I got a new laptop as soon as I could. In November of last year I published another book, A Merry Little Christmas: Essays on.Christmas in Film & Television. 

For the past 21 years A Shroud of Thoughts as been a large part of my life, and I have to think that its posts will be around long after I am gone (or at least until Google deletes it). In many ways it has become my life's work.  I want to thank anyone and everyone who has ever read this blog over the years. as well as my fellow bloggers who have supported me in this endeavour.

Each year on A Shroud of Thoughts' anniversary I list what I think are the best posts of the past year. Without further ado, here they are. 

"Stop Showing Police Bodycam Videos on the Evening News" July 25 2024

"American Family: A Pioneering Mexican American Drama" August 27, 2024

"Preserving the Legacy of Vanessa Marquez" August 30 2024 

"Filmation's DC Comics Superhero Cartoons of the Sixties" September 6 2024

"The 50th Anniversary of The Rockford Files" September 12 2024

The Fiftieth Anniversary of Kolchak: The Night Stalker" September 13 2024 

"The 60th Anniversary of The Munsters" September 24 2024

"The 80th Anniversary of Laura" (1944) October 11 2024 

"'Catspaw,' The Star Trek Halloween Episode" October 28 2024 

"Pushover (1954)" November 22 2024

"A Nightmare on Elm Street Turns 40" December 7 2024 

'The Thin Man Turns 90" December 18 2024 

"The 70th Anniversary of The Bob Cummings Show" January 8 2025 

"Movin' On Up: the 50th Anniversary of The Jeffersons" January 18 2025 

"Jack Lemmon's Centennial" February 8 2025

"The 40th Anniversary of Moonlighting" March 3 2025 

"The Rocketeer (1991)" May 2 2025

The Late Great Loretta Swit

Loretta Swit, best known for playing Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on  the classic television show M*A*S*H, died on May 30 2025 at the age of 87. 

Loretta Swit was born Loretta Szwed on November 4 1937 in Passaic, New Jersey. She attended the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. She acted in repertory and made her off-Broadway debut in An Enemy of the People. On Broadway she was an understudy for the role of Ellen Gordon in Any Wednesday and she toured with the play in 1967. She also toured with Mame in the role of Agnes Gooch. She moved to Los Angeles in 1969. She made her television debut in a guest appearance on Hawaii Five-O that same year. In 1970 she guest starred on Mission: Impossible, Mannix, and Gunsmoke.

It was in 1972 that Loretta Swit was cast in the role of Major Margaret Houlihan, nicknamed "Hot Lips"in the early seasons of the show, on M*A*S*H. She was nominated ten times for Outstanding Continuing Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series and won twice. In the Seventies she guest starred on the shows Cade's County; The Bold Ones: The New Doctors; Bonanza; Young Dr. Kildare; Love, American Style; Petrocelli; Good Heavens; The Love Boat; Supertrain; and The Muppet Show. She made her film debut in 1972 in Stand up and Be Counted. She appeared in the films Deadhead Miles (1973), Policewomen (1974), Freebie and the Bean (1974), and Race with the Devil (1975). She appeared on Broadway in Same Time, Next Year.

In the Eighties Loretta Swit continued to appear on M*A*S*H until it ended its run after eleven seasons. She guest starred on The Love Boat and ABC Afternoon Specials.. She played Mary Beth Lacey in the the TV movie Cagney & Lacey, but could not play the role when it became a TV series because she was still appearing on M*A*S*H*. she also appeared in such TV movies as The Best Christmas Pageant Ever and Dreams of Gold: The Mel Fisher Story. She appeared on Broadway in The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She appeared in the films S.O.B. (1981), Beer (1985), and Whoops Apocalypse (1986). 

In the Nineties Loretta Swit guest starred on Batman: The Animated Series; Murder, She Wrote; Burke's Law; and Diagnosis Murder. She appeared in the mini-series The Big Battalions. She appeared in the movies Forest Warrior (1996) and Beach Movie (1998). Her last appearance was in the movie Play the Flute (2019). 

Loretta Swit will always be best remembered as Major Margaret Houlihan and with good reason. Not only is M*A*S*H one of the greatest and most popular television shows of all time, but Margaret was one of its best characters. What is more, it was Loreta Swit who was largely responsible for the development of Major Houlihan as a character. In The Hollywood Reporter, Alan Alda said, "She worked hard in showing the writing staff how they could turn the character from a one joke sexist stereotype into a real person — with real feelings and ambitions."  If M*A*S*H is a success, it is largely because of Loretta Swit.

Of course, Loretta Swit played more roles than Margaret Houlihan. In the movie S.O.B. she played venomous Hollywood gossip columnist Polly Reed. In one of her earliest roles, the Mannix episode "Only One Death to a Customer," she played a gangster's moll who operates a fashion boutique. In the TV movie adaptation of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, she played Grace Bradley, the mother who winds up directing the pageant after the original director is injured. Loretta Swit was a an enormously talented actor who could create a variety of  fully realized characters She leaves behind a number of memorable performances.

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong is a largely forgotten show from the early days of American broadcast television. Its run was only brief. It only ran for thirteen episodes. Worst yet, there are no known episodes of the show. Regardless, The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong is remarkable because it starred the legendary Anna May Wong, making it the first American television show to have an East Asian American lead. 

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong centred on the Liu-Tsong of the title, the owner of a chain of Chinese art gallery who often finds herself solving mysteries on the side. The episodes had such titles as "The Egyptian Idol," "The Man with a Thousand Eyes," and "The House of Quiet Dignity." 

The origins of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong go back to Anna May Wong's trip to China in 1936. Miss Wong recorded her trip in articles that she wrote for such publications as The Los Angeles Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The New York Herald Tribune, and Photoplay. Sh also filmed much of her trip in a travelogue called My China Film. The trip would lead Anna May Wong to consider the production of a play that dealt with modern China. She would play a Chinese travel guide who would educate audiences on China and the West. Nothing ever came of the idea, although the tour guide would evolve into gallery Liu-Tsong. As to the name "Liu-Tsong," Anna May Wong's birth name was "Wong Liu Tsong." 

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong debuted on August 27 1951 on the DuMont Television Network. It ran until November 21 1951. According to Not Your China Doll: The Wild and Shimmering Life of Anna May Wong by Katie Gee Salisbury, the show was plagued by "bad writing and meagre sets." To make matters worse, it aired against two high rated shows, Kraft Television Theatre on NBC (which came in at no. 23 in the Nielsen ratings for the year) and Strike It Rich on CBS (which ranked no. 25 in the Nielsens for the season). DuMont cancelled The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong after one season.

As mentioned early, no copies of The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong are known to exist. Reportedly, in the early Seventies, DuMont's library of  35mm and 16mm kinescopes were unceremoniously dumped in the East River in New York City Here it must be pointed out that The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong was not the only historic show to air on DuMont. The first science fiction show, Captain Video and His Video Rangers, the variety show Cavalcade of Stars (on which The Honeymooners originated and which made Jackie Gleason a star), and Rocky King Detective, one of the earliest police procedurals all aired on DuMont.

Sadly, while East Asian Americans would appear in guest appearances on shows and in supporting roles as well (Hey Boy on Have Gun--Will Ttavel and Hop Sing on Bonanza), it was not until Jack Soo starred on Valentine's Day in 1964 that there would be another show with an East Asian American lead. While The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong did not last long, it certainly made history.