Tuesday, February 18, 2025

"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)" by The Temptations

While they worked in another styles, The Temptations remain best known for such love songs as "My Girl," "Ain't Too Proud to Beg," and "I Wish It Would Rain." Regardless, one of their most remarkable songs was not a love song, but a protest song instead. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)" remains one of the best known protest songs released by Motown, alongside "What's Going On' by Marvin Gaye.

"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" was written by Motown legends Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong. Together Messrs. Whitfield and Strong had already written such hits as ""Gonna Give Her All the Love I've Got" for Jimmy Ruffin,  "I Heard It on the Grapevine" for Gladys Knight and The Pips (Marvin Gaye's version would be a huge hit for Motown),  "I Wish It Would Rain" (with Rodger Penzabene) for The Temptations, and "Cloud Nine" by The Temptations. Individually or with others, they wrote many more hits for Motown.

It was with their previous songs such as "Cloud Nine" and "Runaway Child" that The Temptations had begun to move away from the love songs they had recorded into a new sound that would be called "psychedelic soul." "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" was the fifth single to be released using this new sound.

Of course, as can be heard in "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today," The Temptations changed not only their overall sound, but their lyrical content. Instead of love and heartbreak, their songs now covered the issues of the day such as civil rights, poverty, drugs, and the Vietnam War. "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" embraced many issues, given it addressed the general state of the United States in the late Sixties and early Seventies. The song makes reference to segregation, pills, taxes, unemployment, and many other topics of the day.

"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today" was recorded at Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit on April 12 and 14 1970. The instrumental track was recorded by The Funk Brothers, the group of session musicians who preformed the music on nearly all of Motown's songs from 1959 to 1972. They recorded nearly eleven minutes worth of music, although ultimately only four minutes was use for the single. The entire instrumental track could later be heard on The Undisputed Truth's cover of the  song on their self-titled debut album.

"Ball of Confusion (That's What the World is Today)" was released on May 7 1970. It peaked at no. 2 on the Billboard R&B chart and no. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. It did well in Britain as well, where it reached no. 7 on the UK singles chart. Although inspired by the events of the late Sixties and early Seventies, "Ball of Confusion ((That's What the World is Today") remains all to relevant today.


Monday, February 17, 2025

Miss Topsy: African American Burlesque Star


When people think of the stars of burlesque, they tend to think of dancers like Gypsy Rose Lee, Lili St. Cyr, Tempest Storm, and Blaze Starr. All of these performers were white, but even in the mid-20th Century there were burlesque stars of other ethnicities. Among the most legendary burlesque dancers was Miss Topsy, one of the earliest Black women to become an international star in the field.

Sadly, while there are quite a few pictures of Miss Topsy to be found online, there is little in the way of information. What little I know abut her I found in social media posts by photographer Neil "Nez "Kendall, a few blog posts, and old newspaper articles found on Newspapers.Com and Newspaper Archive.

Miss Topsy was born Mary Elizabeth Thompson in St., Louis around 1942. She had been a secretary to the assessor in St. Louis prior to moving to Hollywood where she became a pin-up and lingerie model there. She was dancing at a Los Angeles Club when a saxophone player introduced her to talent agent Coralie Jr., who was well-known for launching the careers of offbeat performers. It was not long before Miss Topsy became a star in burlesque.

So popular was Miss Topsy that she was even able to tour the Deep South when many Black performers were not always welcome there. She even performed overseas. She had a long residency at the Raymond Review Bar in London in 1963. In 1964 she performed at the Gay 90s in Minneapolis and even had an article about her published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune. In 1968 Miss Topsy performed at the Yum Yum in Kansas City, Missouri. She even danced in such places as France, much of Europe, and Japan. She also continued to be a popular pinup model in many men's magazines of the era. It was in 1973 that she decided to retire. and settle down. She died in 2021

I honestly wish I knew more about Miss Topsy. First, she was born in my home state of Missouri. Second, she was a true pioneer. She was a Black woman who made a name for herself and became a success when  racial segregation was a none too distant memory and discrimination was a standard practice. She blazed a trail for other African Americans when it came to performing in burlesque. Finally, as one can see from her pictures, she was seriously pretty. I can easily understand why she was so popular.





Sunday, February 16, 2025

Lobo, the First Black Western Comic Book Hero

When people think of Black comic book characters, they might think of The Black Panther, Green Lantern John Stewart, The Falcon, or Cyborg, but before any of these characters there was Lobo. Unlike the aforementioned characters, Lobo was not a superhero, but instead a gunslinger in the Old West. He was the very first Black character to have his own title.

Lobo first appeared in Lobo no. 1 (December 1965), published by Dell Comics. Lobo was a wealthy, African American gunslinger who was given the name "Lobo" by the villains in the first issue of the title. Lobo would leave a gold coin with the images of an "L" and a wolf on the foreheads of the villains he defeated.

Lobo was created by writer Don "D. J." Arneson and artist Tony Tallarico, although the two men disagreed on the character's creation.. Mr. Arneson has said that Mr. Tallarico only illustrated the comic book. He denies that Mr. Tallarico created the character, and has said that he plotted the stories and wrote the scripts. According to D. J. Arneson, he had read the book  The Negro Cowboys by Philip Durham and Everett L. Jones and used that as inspiration for the character.  Tony Tallarico claims that he approached D. J. Arneson with the idea.

Unfortunately, Lobo only lasted two issues: Lobo no. 1 (December 1965) and Lobo no. 2 (September 1966). Not only did D.J. Arneson and Tony Tallarico disagree on the creation of Lobo, but they also disagree on why the title came to an end.. According to Tony Tallarico, distributors were returning bundles of the comic books unopened. He claims that after some investigating he discovered that many sellers opposed the idea of an African American Western hero. D. J. Arneson's explanation for the cancellation of Lobo is much simpler. It was simply discontinued because of sales.

While Lobo's title was cancelled after only two issues, the character would not disappear completely. In 2017,m over fifty years after his last appearance, Lobo was revived in All New Popular Comics no.1, which sought to revive many of Dell Comics' characters. In 2018 the collection Fantastic 4N1 included a novella featuring Lobo. 

Although not as well known as The Black Panther, Falcon, or John Stewart, Lobo was historic. He was the first Black character to have his own title and the first Black Western comic book hero. Lobo also indicated the direction that Western comic books in the late Sixties onward would take.  In the Western titles of late Sixties and Seventies, African Americans would play a bigger role, having largely been absent from the Western comic books of the Forties, Fifties, and Sixties.

Friday, February 14, 2025

Happy Valentine's Day 2024

Here at A Shroud of Thoughts it is customary for me to post vintage pinups for certain holidays. Valentine's Day is no different.Here then are this year's pinups.

Barbara Bates


Juile Adams


Yvette Mimieux


Rita Hayworth


Leslie Caron


Ann Miller

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

The Late Great Marianne Faithfull


Marianne Faithfull, the legendary singer known for her version of "As Tears Go By," died on January 30 2025 at the age of 78.

Mariane Faithfull was born on December 29 1946 in Hampstead, London. Her father was Major Robert Glynn Faithfull, who was a British intelligence officer and a professor of Italian literature at Bedford College, London University. Her mother was Austrian aristocrat Eva von Sacher-Masoch, Baroness Erisso. Her early life was spent in Ormskirk, Lancashire and then  Braziers Park, Oxfordshire. Her parents divorced when she was six years old. Her mother moved with young Marianne Faithfull to Reading, Berkshire. Despite her mother's heritage, the family had little money and Marianne Faithful had bouts of tuberculosis as a child.

Marianne Faithfull started her career as a singer,in 1964 when she performed folk music in London coffeehouses. It was in London that she attended a Rolling Stones release party with artist John Dunbar. There she met The Rolling Stones' manager Andrew Loog Oldham. Her first single, "As Tears Go By," was written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones recorded their own version in October 1965). It proved to be a hit for Marianne Faithfull, going to no. 9 on the UK singles chart and no. 22 on the Billboard Hot 100. Marianne Faithful would have further hits with "Come and Stay with Me." "This Little Bird," "Summer Nights," a cover fo The Beatles' "Yesterday," and "Is This What I Get for Loving You."

Marianne Faithfull's self-titled debut album was released in 1965 and went to no. 15 on the UK albums chart. She recorded over twenty studio albums, the last being She Walks in Beauty in 2021. Marianne Faithfull would have only a few more hit singles following "Is This What I Get for Loving You,"  including "The Ballad of Lucy Jordan," "Broken English," and "Sister Morphine." Among her most significant albums was Broken English, her 1979 comeback album.

Marianne Faithfull also had an acting career. She made her film debut in 1966 playing herself in Jean-Luc Godard's movie Made in U.S.A.. She made her television debut in 1967 in the French TV movie Anna. She appeared in the film I'll Never Forget What's'isname (1967), in which  she was one of the first people to ever say the F-word in a mainstream movie. Marianne Faithfull appeared in the films The Girl on the Motorcycle (1968), Hamlet (1969), Ghost Story (1964), Assault on Agathon (1975), When Pigs Fly (1993), Shopping (1964), Moondance (1995), Crimetime (1996), Intimacy (2001), Far from China (2001), Paris, je t'aime (2006), Marine Antoinette (2006), Irina Palm (2007), Faces in the Crowd (2011), and  Belle du Seigneur (2012). She was the voice of a Bene Geesserit Ancestor in Dune (2021). She guest starred in 2001 on the two part Absolutely Fabulous episode "The Last Shout."

Marianne Faithfull also appeared on stage. She made her professional stage debut in Three Sisters at the Royal Court Theatre in London. She also appeared in the productions Early Morning (1968), Hamlet (1969), Alice in Wonderland (1973),  A Patriot for Me, Mad Dog, The Collector, The Rainmaker, The Kingdom of Earth, The Threepenny Opera, and The Black Rider.

Marianne Faithfull was a remarkable singer. Originally she had a melodic voice that was higher on the register. A combination of laryngitis and drug abuse would alter Marianne Faithfull's voice, making it lower and more raspy. In either case she displayed considerable talent, able to evoke emotion in a way few  others singers could. If she became an "It Girl" of Swinging London and a legendary singer, it was largely due to her sheer artistry as a singer.

Tuesday, February 11, 2025

I'm Back with My Dinosaur Act

My new computer arrived today, so I can get back to writing blog posts on a regular basis. In the next few days I will post my eulogy for Marianne Faithfull and posts in honour of Black History Month. Today was spent setting the new computer up, and I really didn't have much time for anything else. In the meantime, to celebrate getting back to writing A Shroud of Thoughts, here is "Dinosaur Act" by Matthew Sweet.

Saturday, February 8, 2025

Jack Lemmon's Centennial


My new computer won't arrive until Monday, but I wanted to acknowledge today, so I am making this post on my phone. You see, it was 100 years ago today that Jack Lemmon was born in Newton, Massachusetts.

Jack Lemmon has been one of my favourite actors since I was a child. Not only was he still making movies when I was growing up, but some of his best-known movies were made in my lifetime. I cannot remember what was the first Jack Lemmon movie I saw. Indeed, his more recent films were being shown on the television network's movie anthologies when I was a kid.

As many of my readers may know, my second favourite movie of all time is The Apartment (1960). C.C. Baxter is always the first character who comes to my mind when I think of Jack Lemmon. C.C. Baxter was one of the many everymen Mr. Lemmon played throughout his career. He was the timid Ensign Pulver in Mister Roberts (1955). He was the hard-working but unlucky Sam Bissell in Good Neighbor Sam (1964). He was the fussy Felix Unger in The Odd Couple (1968). Jack Lemmon had a definite talent for playing average Joes.

Of course, Jack Lemmon could play much more than the average guy. In fact, some of the characters he played weren't very nice. He was the lecherous, somewhat dishonest landlord Hogan in Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963). He played the villainous Professor Fate in The Great Race (1965). He was a hit man for the mob in Buddy Buddy (1981). And while Jack Lemmon may be best known for his roles in comedies, he was impressive in dramas as well. He played alcoholic PR exec Joe Clay in Days of Wine and Roses (1962). In Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) he played a real estate salesman whose career was in decline. In The China Syndome (1979) Jack Lemmon played nuclear power plant shift supervisor Jack Godell.

Ultimately Jack Lemmon appeared in so many great films and played so many great roles that to cover them all it would take a book. From Bell, Book and Candle (1958) to Some Like It Hot (1959) to The Fortune Cookie (1966) to Grumpy Old Men (1993), Jack Lemmon always gave great performances.

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Technical Difficulties

Yesterday our ancient laptop went out. In a way, this was not surprising. To give you an idea of its age, its original operating system was Windows 8. Anyway, I ordered a new computer today, but it will be a while before it arrives. I won't be posting too much until then.

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Black History Month

Today marks the beginning of Black History Month. Its origins can be traced back to 1926 when African American historian Carter G. Woodson and the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (now the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) declared the second week of February to be "Negro History Week." This week was chosen because it was the week of both Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass's birthdays, both of which had been long celebrated in Black communities. Over the years Negro History Week increased in popularity. It was in 1969 that both Black students and educators at Kent State University proposed that February be celebrated as Black History Month. It was first celebrated at Kent State University in 1970. Black History Month caught on, and in 1976 Gerald Ford became the first president to recognize Black History Month.

Although I have never made an official announcement that I was doing so, I have observed Black History Month on this blog for years. While I do write such posts at other times of year, each year in February I write at least one post a week devoted to African Americans in popular culture. Over the years I have written about everything from actress Theresa Harris to comic book artist Matt Baker to the legendary Cab Calloway. I intend to observe Black History Month on A Shroud of Thoughts again this year. With diversity, equity, and inclusion having been under increasing attack over the past few weeks, I feel that my annual observance of Black History Month has become much more important than it ever has been before. Here I want to point out that I also observe other commemorative months, such as Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May and National American Indian Heritage Month in November, and I will continue to do so. It is important to me that the contributions of multiple ethnicities to American history be acknowledged, particularly given I am part Native myself. No one is ever going to convince me otherwise.

Thursday, January 30, 2025

The Late Great Jules Feiffer

Cartoonist and author Jules Feiffer died on January 17 2025 at the age of 95. The cause was congestive heart failure.

Jule Feiffer was born on January 26 1929 in The Bronx in New York City. He took an interest in art when very young, starting to draw when he was only three years old. He also developed an interest in comic strips while he was very young, and he enjoyed such comic strips as Wash Tubs, Our Boarding House, and Flash Gordon. He developed an interest in comic books even before the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics no. 1 (June 1938).

His mother was a fashion designer who made water colour drawings of her designs. She encouraged young Jules Feiffer's interest in art. She gave him a drawing table when he was 13. She also helped him get enrolled in Art Students League of New York. Jules Feiffer graduated from James Monroe High School when he was only 16.

It was following his graduation from high school that Jules Feiffer went to the office of cartoon Will Eisner and asked him for a job. While Will Eisner did not think much of young Mr. Feiffer's artistic ability, he was impressed by the teenager's passion for comics. He then gave Jules Feiffer a job in his studio, doing such things as colouring, erasing, cleaning up, and so on. Over time Jules Feiffer would be given more responsibilities on Will Eisner's comic strip The Spirit. even assisting on stories and drawing. Eventually Will Eisner let Jules Feiffer do his own comic strip that appeared in the back of the Spirit section in newspapers, Clifford, a humour strip centered on a kid by that name.

In 1951 Jules Feiffer was drafted into the United States Army, where he served in the Signal Corps Publication Agency where he worked on training manuals and so on. He was honorably discharged after serving in the Army for two years. It was in 1956 that Jules Feiffer became a staff cartoonist at the Village Voice. He would continue to work for the Voice until 1996 when new owners took over the paper.

While Jules Feiffer was not paid for his work at the Village Voice, he would find an income through his friend Gene Deitch. Gene Deitch had become the creative director at Terrytoons and recruited Mr. Feiffer as one the artists there. While he would not remain with Terrytoons long, he would have one major success in animation. Jules Feiffer wrote the short "Munro," which Gene Deitch directed. It won the 1961 Oscar for Best Animated Film.

As time passed, Jules Feiffer's cartoons would appear in places other than the Village Voice, including Pageant. Playboy, and other publications. Over the years he would also publish several books. Sick, Sick, Sick: A Guide to Non-Confident Living, his first book, was published in 1956. It was a collection of cartoons from 1950 to 1956. Over the years several other collections fo cartoons would be published, including More Sick, Sick, Sick; The Explainers; Hole Me!, and so on. Jules Feiffer illustrated Norton Juster's 1961 children's fantasy novel The Phantom Tollbooth. Jules Feiffer also wrote the novels Harry, the Rat with Women (1963) and Ackroyd (1977). He wrote several plays, including Little Murders (1967), Feiffer's People (1969), and Knock Knock (1976), among others.

Among Jules Feiffer's best known books was the non-fiction book The Great Comic Book Heroes. Published in 1965, it is regarded as the first history of superheroes. Starting with Tantrum in 1979, he wrote several graphic novels. He also wrote several children's books.

Jules Feiffer wrote the screenplay for the adaptation of his play Little Murders (1971) and the movie Carnal Knowledge (1971) and made contributions to the film adaptation of Oh! Calcutta! (1972). He went onto write the screenplays for Popeye (1980) and I Want to Go Home (1989). He also worked in television, writing episodes of such shows as Quest, Comedy Zone, Faerie Tale Theatre, and Great Performances. He was one of the writers on the one hour TV series VD Blues, about the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases, that aired on PBS in 1972.

Although often described as a cartoonist and author, Jules Feiffer had mastered multiple media He had worked in comic strips, animation. non-fiction, plays, movies, novels, graphic novels, and children's books. Throughout all these media Jules Feiffer tackled institutions, society, and life in general with a sardonic wit. If ever there was an artist who could probe the American psyche with intelligence and even a bit of whimsy, it was Jules Feiffer. He influenced such cartoonists as Paul Karasik, Art Spiegelman, Gary Trudeau, and others. His book The Great Comic Book Heroes was not only the first history of comic book superheroes, but it was also one of the first times that the comic book was treated seriously as an art form. The book would have a lasting influence on comic book writers and comic book historians. Few artists would have the sort of lasting impact that Jules Feiffer had.

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

8 1/2 (1963)

(This post is part of the Journey to Italy Blogathon hosted by RealWeedgieMidget Reviews and Speakeasy)


Federico Fellini remains one of the most highly regarded directors of all time. Among his most highly regarded films is 8 1/2 (1963). Upon its release it was nominated for five Academy Awards and won the Oscars for Best Costume--Black and White and Best Foreign Language Film. In its native Italy it was nominated for nine Nastri d'Argento and won six. The Italian Ministry of Cultural Heritage included 8 1/2 in its list of a hundred Italian films to be saved. In 2022 it was ranked the 6th greatest film of all time in Sight and Sound's director's poll. It ranked 7th in the BBC's 2018 list of The 100 Greatest Foreign Language Films. 8 1/2 (1963) proved influential almost immediately upon its release.

8 1/2 (1963) centres on celebrated director Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), whose last film proved to be a financial and critical success. Unfortunately, Guido finds himself suffering from a creative block, with little more than a few ideas for his next film, an epic science fiction movie. Making matters worse for Guido is that his life is not going as smoothly as he would like. He is having difficulty with both his estranged wife (Anouk Aimée) and his mistress (Sandro Milo). Both his fans and the press want to know what he is going to do next.

Federico Fellini first outlined the ideas for what would become 8 1/2 in an October 1960 letter to Brunello Rondi, who had collaborated with Fellini on La dolce vita (1960). Some sort of professional man suffering from a creative block has to interrupt his life for two-week curative rest at the baths at Chianciano. Both the professional man's real life and his inner life (his dreams and memories) would be portrayed in the film.

The script for 8 1/2  would take some work. Federico Fellini worked with Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, and Brunello Rondi, all of whom had worked with the director on La dolce vita (1960), on the screenplay. It was rewritten three or four times before Messrs. Fellini and Pinelli locked themselves in a pensione outside Rome. There they wrote one final draft. Some changes would be made during the production of 8 1/2. Originally was to end with Guido and his wife in the dining car of a train. While on the train Guido would picture the film's characters smiling at him before the train enters a tunnel. In the documentary Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002), Tullio Pinelli took credit for advising Fellini to change the film's original ending for its famous ending on the beach.

Even while the script was being written, Federico Fellini did not have a title for the film. Ennio Flaiano suggested La bella confusione (literally in English The Beautiful Confusion). At last Federico Fellini decided to name the film 8 1/2, given it would be the 8th and a half movie he made (seven feature films and segments in Love and the City (1953) and Boccaccio '70 (1962).

8 1/2 is known for its remarkable cast. Both Marcello Mastrioianni and Anouk Aimée had starred in Fellini's previous movie La dolce vita. Claudia Cardinale, had already appeared in several films, including Il bell'Antonio (1960) and Girl in a Suitcase (1961). Among the notable members of the cast is Barbara Steele, who was already somewhat established as a scream queen, having appeared in the horror movies Black Sunday (1960),  The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), and The Horrible Dr. Hichcock (1962). In 8 1/2 Barbara Steele played the girlfriend of one of Guido's friends.

8 1/2 was released in Italy on February 14 1963. It received praise from most Italian critics and other critics throughout Europe. Cahiers du Cinéma ranked it at no. 10 on Top Ten Films of the Year for 1963. 8 1/2 was released in the United States on June 25 1963. In the United States it was praised by most critics, with Pauline Kael and Judith Crist being notable exceptions. As mentioned in the opening of this post, 8 1/2 won several awards. It also did well at the box office worldwide and in the United States and Canada.

8 1/2 proved to be influential almost immediately, with films either inspired by it or outright imitating it coming out not long after its release. Among the films that owe something to 8 1/2 are Mickey One (1965), Alex in Wonderland (1970),  La Nuit américaine (1973), All That Jazz (1979), and yet others. It was later adapted as the 1982 Broadway musical Nine.

It should be little wonder that 8 1/2 continues to be popular not only with directors, but other creatives as well. It is safe to assume that many artists can easily identify with Guido, having gone through their own periods of creative doldrums, all the while having to deal with their personal lives. While 8 1/2 may appeal primarily to creative types, it seems likely that it could appeal to other types of people as well. Quite simply, in dealing with his creative block, Guido also seeks to find meaning in his life, something that many people do whether they are store clerks, lawyers, or doctors. Many believe that Guido is Fellini's author surrogate, but it is safe to say that many can identify with the fictional director.

Of course, much of the appeal of 8 1/2 is that it is simply a well-made film. It is a movie with a dream-like quality, even as it weaves together Guido's real life, dreams, daydreams, and memories. This is aided by Federico Fellini's stylish direction, Gianni Di Venanzo's cinematography, and the performances of the entire cast.

Over sixty years after its release 8 1/2 remains regarded as one of the greatest movies ever made. It is not merely a movie about making movies, but about so much more. It is an explanation not only of creativity, but of interpersonal relationships and life itself.



Friday, January 24, 2025

Jack De Mave Passes On


Jack De Mave, perhaps best known for playing Forest Ranger Bob Erickson on Lassie, died on January 16 2025 at the age of 91. He had suffered a heart attack on Thanksgiving.

Jack De Mave was born on December 8 1933 in Jersey City, New Jersey. His father was professional boxer who may have been the inspiration for Clifford Odets's play Golden Boy. His mother was a casting director on Broadway. He studied acting with Herbert Berghof, Mary Welch, and Lee Strasberg. He appeared in local productions with Inger Stevens and Charlton Heston. In 1958 he appeared on Broadway with Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne's final production, The Visit. He made his television debut in The Kraft Theatre  episode "The King's Bounty."

In the Sixties he guest starred on such shows as Surfside 6, Wagon Train , The F.B.I.. Daniel Boone, F Troop, and The Fugitive. He played Forest Ranger Bob Erickson on Lassie from 1968 to 1970. He appeared in the movie Blindfold (1966). In the Seventies Jack De Mave guest starred on the shows Storefront Lawyers; The Mary Tyler Moore Show; Funny Face; The Doris Day Show; Marcus Welby, M.D.; Adam-12; Sierra; The Bob Crane Show; and Ellery Queen. He appeared in the movie 1776 (1972).

In the Eighties Jack De Mave had a recurring role on the daytime soap opera Loving. He guest starred on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. In the Nineties he appeared on the show Days of Our Lives and the movie The Man Without a Face. In the Naughts he appeared in the TV movies Meet the Santas (2005) and Ladies of the House (2008).

In the Seventies he also played The Lone Ranger in a series of commercials for Frito-Lay.

I will probably always remember Jack De Mave best as Ranger Bob  Erickson on Lassie, although he played various other roles in his career. He appeared in two episodes of The Mary Tyler Moore Show as
Armond Lynton. Armond first appeared as a man whom Rhoda had accidentally run over and who, much to Rhoda's chagrin, turns out to be married. In his second appearance on the show Armond is now single and obsessed with Mary. Jack De Mave gave many good performances in his guest appearances, and he will be fondly remembered for some time to come.

Thursday, January 23, 2025

The Late Great Sam Moore


Sam Moore, best known as one-half of the legendary music duo Sam & Dave with Dave Prater, died on January 10 2025 at the age of 89. He had been recovering from surgery.

Sam Moore was born Samuel Hicks in Miami on October 12 1935. His parents eventually divorced and he took the surname of his stepfather, "Moore." He grew up singing gospel music and even sang with such gospel groups as The Gales and The Millionaires. When Sam Cooke left The Soul Stirrers he was offered a place in the group, but turned them down. He met Dave Prater in 1961 at The King of Hearts Club in Miami.

Sam & Dave were discovered by local Miami producer Henry Stone, who signed to Roulette Records. While they saw some regional success with their singles released on Roulette, none of their songs became hits on a national level. It was in 1964 that they were singed by Jerry Wexler to Atlantic Records. While they would remain Atlantic Records artists, Sam & Dave were loaned out to Stax Records in 1964.

Sam & Dave and Stax Records proved to be a potent combination. Their first two Stax singles, "A Place Nobody Can Find" and "I Take What I Want," failed to chart but the third single, ""You Don't Know Like I Know," proved to be a hit. It went to no. 7 on the Billboard R&B chart. Their next single on Stax was not only one of Sam & Dave's bigger hits, but became one of their signature songs. "Hold On I'm Comin'" went to no. 21 on the Billboard singles chart and no. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart. They would have several more hits, their two biggest being "Soul Man" and "I Thank You." "Soul Man" went to no. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 1 on the Billboard R&B. "I Thank You" went to no. 9  on the Billboard Hot 100 and no. 4 on the R&B chart. Sam & Dave would have a few more minor hits after "I Thank You." Sam & Dave released three albums on Stax, Hold On I'm Comin' (1966), Double Dynamite (1966), and Soul Men (1967). They released two more albums, I Thank You on Atlantic in 1968 and Back at 'Cha in 1975.

San Moore and Dave Prater did not always get along, and in 1970 they split up. Sam Moore formed an act he called Sam's Soul Together 1970 Review. They released three singles on Atlantic in 1970 and 1971. Sam & Dave would eventually reunite, and toured Turkey in 1972 and England in 1973. They also appeared on American television on shows such as Saturday Night Live. In 1974 and 1975 they recorded new songs. their album Back at 'Cha was released on United Artists in 1975. Sam Morre and Dave Prater split up permanently in 1981. According to Sam Moore, he last spoke to Dave Prater when they walked off stage after their final performance, which was at the Old Waldorf in San Francisco.

Sam Moore spent part of the latter part of his life touring. He performed on the song "You're Not Drinking Enough" on Don Henley's album Building the Perfect Beast. In 1986 he re-recorded "Soul Man" with Lou Reed for the movie of the same name. He recorded songs with Bruce Springsteen for Bruce Springsteen's 1992 album Human Touch. His album , Overnight Sensational was released in 2006.

Later in his career Sam Moore appeared as an actor in such movies as Tapeheads (1988), Blues Brothers 2000 (1998), and Night at the Golden Eagle (2001), and an episode of the TV show Tales of the City.

Sam Moore had a strong, yet smooth tenor voice and there can be not doubt that, along with Dave Prater's voice, it was responsible for much of Sam & Dave's success. At Stax they achieved an energetic, beat-driven style that was heavily influenced by gospel; The would prove to be influential and their songs would be performed by many different artists, most notably The Blues Brothers, but also Elvis Costello, Aretha Franklin, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, ZZ Topp, and many others. While Sam & Dave's success was short-lived, their music has lasted.

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Leslie Charleson Passes On

Leslie Charleson,who played Monica Quartermaine on the daytime soap opera General Hospital for almost fifty years, died on January 12 2025 at the age of 79.

Leslie Charleson was born on February 22 1945 in Kansas City, Missouri. Her first acting job came when she was a little girl, appearing in a car commercial alongside her mother. Leslie Charleson first appeared on television in 1964 in a recurring role on the soap opera A Flame in the Wind (renamed A Time for Us in 1965). She was a regular on the soap opera As the World Turns and from 1967 to 1970 she was a regular on Love is a Many Splendored Thing. In the Sixties she also guest starred on the TV shows N.Y.P.D., The Wild Wild West, and Mannix. She made her film debut in 1968 in an uncredited role in A Lovely Way to Die.

It was in 1977 that Leslie Charleson began playing Monica Quartermaine on General Hospital, a role she would play until 2023. In the Seventies she guest starred on the shows Adam-12; O'Hara, U.S. Treasury; Marcus Welby, M.D; Search; The Rookies; Emergency!; Cannon; Medical Center; Ironside; F.B.I.; Owen Marshall: Counsellor at Law; The Streets of San Francisco; Kung Fu; Happy Days; Caribe; Medical Story; Barnaby Jones; Bert D'Angelo/Superstar; McMillan & Wife; and The Rockford Files. She appeared in the movies Day of the Dolphin (1973) and Cheering Section (1977).

In the Nineties Leslie Charleson appeared as Monica Quartermaine in a recurring role on the General Hospital spinoff Port Charles. She guest starred on the shows Diagnosis Murder. Dharma & Greg; and Friends. She appeared in one episode of the short-lived primetime spinoff General Hospital: Night Shift.

Not having watched General Hospital regularly, I can't speak to Leslie Charleson's performance was Monica Quartermaine on the show, but I can say that she gave some good performances in her various guest appearances. In The Wild Wild West episode "The Night of Fire and Brimstone," she played Dooley Sloan, the plucky daughter of Dr. Sloan. On Mannix she played a woman who hires Joe Mannix to investigate a case in which her husband was accused of shooting a pharmacy employee. In the Emergency! episode "Women" she played Christy Todd, a reporter assigned to accompany paramedics John and Roy on their rounds. Leslie Charleson always gave a good performance and was always enjoyable to see regardless of the show on which she was appearing.

Saturday, January 18, 2025

Movin' On Up: The 50th Anniversary of The Jeffersons


Fifty years ago today, on January 18 1975, The Jeffersons debuted on CBS. While its ratings fluctuated during its run, The Jeffersons ultimately proved to be one of CBS's most successful shows from the 1970s, and ran for eleven seasons. It would also prove successful in syndication as a rerun. It can still be seen on such television outlets as Antenna TV and TV One.

The Jeffersons centred on George and Louise "Weezy' Jefferson (Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford), who move from a neighbourhood in Queens to a deluxe high-rise apartment complex on East 63rd Street in Manhattan. They had a grown son named Lionel (Michael Evans, Damon Evans), who was engaged and then married to Jenny Willis (Berlinda Tolbert). Jenny was the daughter of the Jeffersons' neighbours in the high-rise, Tom and Helen Willis (Franklin Cover and Roxie Roker), an interracial couple who also had a grown-up son, Alan (Jay Hammer). The Jeffersons had a housekeeper, Florence Johnston, who constantly bickers with and insults George, although the two have some fondness for each other. The Jeffersons' next door neighbour was Harry Bentley (Paul Benedict), an eccentric Englishman who works as a Russian language interpreter at the United Nations. Ralph was the apartment complex's doorman, who constantly insisted on being tipped. Charlie (Danny Wells) operated the bar in the Jeffersons' apartment complex.

The origins of The Jeffersons are complicated and go back to the very first episode of All in the Family, "Meet the Bunkers," in which Mike Evans appeared as Lionel Jefferson, a friend of Archie Bunker's daughter and son-in-law, Gloria and Michael. It was Mike Evans who asked his friend Eric Monte to write a script centred around Lionel Jefferson. While the script was never produced, according to Eric Monte it was in this script that the characters of Louise and George Jefferson originated. In 1977 Eric Monte filed a lawsuit against Norman Lear, CBS, Tandem Productions, and Harry Perenchio, alleging that they had stolen his ideas for The Jeffersons, Good Times, and What's Happening!!. He ultimately received a $1 million settlement and a percentage of the residuals from Good Times.

Regardless, Louise Jefferson first appeared in the eighth episode of All in the Family, "Lionel Moves into the Neighborhood." Her husband George, although referred to on the show, would not appear until the fourth season episode, "Henry's Farewell." Norman Lear had wanted Sherman Hemsley for the role of George as early as the first season, but at the time Sherman Hemsley was appearing on Broadway in Purlie and did not want to leave the production. Until Mr. Hemsley was available to play George, George's younger brother Henry (Mel Stewart). Mel Stewart as Henry left All in the Family once Sherman Hemsley was available to play George.

Lionel, Louise, and George Jefferson weren't the only characters on The Jeffersons to have originated on All in the Family. The Willises also first appeared on The Jeffersons, although played by different actors. They appeared in the episode "Lionel's Engagement." Mr. Willis was played by Charles Aidman. Mrs. Willis was played by Kim Hamilton. Lynne Moody played Jenny. The roles wold re-cast for The Jeffersons. It was also on All in the Family that it was established George Jefferson was a dry cleaner.

During the first five seasons of All in the Family Lionel and Louise were recurring characters on the show. George was a recurring character on All in the Family starting with its fourth season. The genesis for the Jeffersons receiving their own show came about due to three Black Panthers who visited Mr. Lear's office. They pointed out that even in his own productions, Black people were portrayed as being poor. With it having already been established that George Jefferson owned a dry cleaning business, it was then easy enough to spin the characters off into their own show. Don Nicholl, Michael Ross, and Bernie West were credited as having created The Jeffersons, while Norman Lear was credited as having developed the show.  George and Louise Jefferson's move to the high-rise apartment complex was portrayed in the All in the Family episode "The Jeffersons Move On Up," which aired a week before the debut of The Jeffersons.

The Jeffersons debuted on January 18 1975, following All in the Family. Some critics were not particularly impressed with the show's debut. Frank S. Swertlow of UPI commented, "The Jeffersons should have an option on their old house. Unless the show perks up, the Jeffersons may have to move back to Queens." Associated Press television writer Jay Sharbutt gave the show a mixed review, writing "It was a good finale for a talented cast saddle with a poor script." While some critics may not have been particularly impressed with the debut episode of The Jeffersons viewers seemed to love the show. It ranked no. 4 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1974-1975 season.

The theme song of The Jeffersons, "Movin' On Up," was written by Ja'net DuBois and Jeff Barry. Ja'net DuBois also sang the theme song, along with a gospel choir. Ja'Net DuBois also worked on another Norman Lear sitcom. She played Willona Woods on Good Times.

For the most part the cast of The Jeffersons was stable, although the show saw some changes over the years. Mike Evans left the show after its first season, so that from the second to fourth seasons, Lionel was played by Damon Evans (no relation). Mike Evans returned to play Lionel with the show's sixth season, although he would be absent for the show's ninth and tenth seasons. Despite Lionel being absent from the show for long stretches of time, Berlinda Tolbert remained with The Jeffersons for its most of its run.

Zara Cully was a regular on The Jeffersons for its first four seasons. She had first appeared in the role of George's mother in the All in the Family episode "Lionel's Engagement." She would not appear in the first 17 episodes of the third season due to a case of pneumonia, but returned to the show upon her recovery. She last appeared in the fourth season in the episode "The Last Leaf," which aired three months after her death. She was 86 years old when she died from lung cancer on February 28 1978. No episode was dedicated to the death of George's mother ever aired, although her passing was acknowledged on the show.

Paul Benedict left The Jeffersons in 1981. It was explained that Bentley had moved to the Soviet Union. He returned for the show's tenth season. Marla Gibbs's departure from The Jeffersons would be much briefer. The character of Florence was spun off into her own sitcom, Checking In, on which she was the head of housekeeping at a hotel. The Jeffersons' new housekeeper was Carmen, played by Roseanna Christiansen. As it turned out, Carmen would only appear in two episodes. Checking In received such low ratings that it only lasted four episodes. Marla Gibbs then returned as Florence to The Jeffersons.

Like many of Norman Lear's productions in the early to mid-Seventies, early in its run The Jeffersons dealt with various issues, including alcoholism, crime, gun control, illiteracy, and suicide. While it would still address various issues throughout its run, over time The Jeffersons evolved into a more traditional sitcom, with George Jefferson often coming up with schemes that Tom Willis would bet wrapped up in.

The Jeffersons was still receiving respectable ratings late in its run. For the 1983-1984 season it ranked no. 19 in the Nielsen ratings for the year. Unfortunately, for the 1984-1985 season The Jeffersons slipped completely out of the top thirty in the Nielsens. CBS abruptly cancelled the show without telling the cast, much less allowing the series to have a proper season finale. Isabel Sanford found out the show had been cancelled from one of the tabloids. Sherman Hemsley read about it in a newspaper. Marla Gibbs also read about it in a newspaper. Franklin Cover heard about it on Entertainment Tonight.

The Jeffersons would go onto a highly successful run in syndication. The Jeffersons would be released on VHS and later DVD. It can be watched on multiple streaming services. What is more, the characters would appear again from time to time. In 1993 much of the cast, including Isabel Sanford, Sherman Hemsley, and Marla Gibbs, reunited for a stage production called The Best of The Jeffersons. Sherman Hemsley and Isabel Sanford appeared as George and Weezy in the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air episode "Will is from Mars." They appeared again in the series finale of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, in which they bought the Banks's house. Sherman Hemsley and Marla Gibbs appeared as George and Florence i the House of Payne episode "Curtis Jefferson."

The Jeffersons would be one of the shows adapted for the series of specials Live in Front of a Studio Audience. Jamie Foxx played George, Wanda Sykes played Weezy, Kerry Washington played Helen, and Will Ferrell played Tom. Marla Gibbs reprised her role as Florence, making her the only one of the original cast to appear on the special. It aired on May 22 2019 on ABC.

The Jeffersons would be nominated for several Emmy Awards with regards to its cast. Isabel Sanford was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series six times and she won once. Marla Gibbs was nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Seires five times. Sherman Hemsley was nominated for playing Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series once. The show also won the Emmy for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Series in 1983.

In some ways The Jeffersons was a groundbreaking sitcom. It was one of the earliest situation comedies to centre on a middle class Black family, an upper middle class one at that. It was the first sitcom to feature an couple in which a white person was married to a Black person (Tom and Helen Willis) as regulars. It was the first Black sitcom to rank in the top five since Sanford and Son and the second longest running Black sitcom (House of Payne beat it by one episode). Some have perceived The Jeffersons as lapsing into stereotypes, particularly in its early days. In the end, The Jeffersons changed the narrative for African Americans on television. It paved the way for the portrayal of Black families who were successful and even affluent. Of course, The Jeffersons remains a popular sitcom as well as a pioneering one. It can still be found on TV outlets to this day.

Thursday, January 16, 2025

The Late Great David Lynch

David Lynch, the legendary director of such films as The Elephant Man (1980) and Blue Velvet (1986), and the creator of the TV series Twin Peaks with Mark Frost, died today at the age of 78. In August 2024 he revealed he was suffering from emphysema.

David Lynch was born on January 20 1946 in Missoula, Montana. His father worked for the Department of Agriculture as a research scientist. His mother was a teacher. Because of his father's work, David Lynch's family moved frequently. He was only two months old when the family moved to Sandpoint, Idaho. During David Lynch's childhood, the family moved to Spokane, Washington, Durham, North Carolina, Boise, Idaho, and Alexandra, Virginia. Having decided he wanted to study painting, David Lynch attended the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design in Washington, DC and then the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

In 1966 David Lynch was working as a printmaker and an artist when he made his first film, the short "Six Men Getting Sick (Six Times)." In the coming years he directed several more shorts, including "Absurd Encounter with Fear" (1967), "Fictitious Anacin Commercial" (1967), "Sailing with Bushnell Keeler" (1967), and "The Alphabet" (1969). He received a grant for his next short, "The Grandmother" (1970), from the newly formed American Film Institute (AFI). It was in 1970 that he began studying at the AFI Conservatory.

It would take several years for David Lynch to complete his first feature film, Eraserhead (1977). Upon its initial release Eraserhead proved divisive with critics, but proved to be popular as a midnight movie with a cult following. Producer Stuart Cornfield saw Eraserhead and was impressed by it. It would lead to Stuart Cornfield and David Lynch working together on The Elephant Man (1980). The Elephant Man (1980) was critically acclaimed and was nominated for eight Academy Awards.

In the Eighties David Lynch directed Dune (1984), an adaptation of the sci-fi novel of the same name, Blue Velvet (1986), and Wild at Heart (1990). It was at the end of the decade that the television series Twin Peaks debuted.  Created by Mark Frost and David Lynch, the show initially received a positive response from critics and proved to be something of a cultural phenomenon. Unfortunately, its ratings would soon falter.

In the Nineties David Lynch created two more television shows, On the Air with Mark Frost and Hotel Room with Monty Montgomery. He also directed the films Lost Highway (1997) and The Straight Story (1999). In the Naughts he directed Mulholland Drive (2001) and Inland Empire (2006).

Over the years David Lynch also directed several shorts, including "The Amputee" (1974), "The Cowboy and the Frenchman" (1988), "Premonition Following an Evil Deed" (1995), "Darkened Room" (2002), "Absurda" (2005), "Boat" (2007), "Bug Crawls" (2007). "Lady Blue Shanghai" (2010), "What Did Jack Do?" (2017), and yet others. He also directed several music videos, including "Wicked Game" by Chris Isaak, "Shot in the Back of the Head" by Moby, "Came Back Haunted" by Nine Inch Nails, and "I Am the Shaman," among others.

David Lynch was also a composer and  released three studio albums in addition to soundtrack albums related to his work. Having initially trained as a painter, David Lynch continued to paint even after his film career had begun. He also wrote the book  Catching the Big Fish: Meditation, Consciousness, and Creativity.

I can safely say that many of my fellow film buffs regard David Lynch as one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. He not only possessed considerable talent with regards to directing, but he was truly one of a kind. In many ways David Lynch was the cinematic equivalent of Franz Kafka, which should come as no surprise as David Lynch had expressed admiration for the author his entire life. At the same time David Lynch's movie demonstrate the influence of Billy Wilder (Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, and The Apartment numbered among his favourite films). David Lynch's movies often blended film noir, surrealism, and horror in setting where an Arcadian veneer hides something much darker. His films were often dreamlike and often hard to decipher.

This is not to say that there was not variety in David Lynch's work. The Elephant Man was a biopic. Dune was a science fiction epic. Blue Velvet, Lost Highway, and Mulholland Drive were neo-noir. The Straight Story was a G-rated biographical movie. And often David Lynch's movies could be many things at once, blending comedy, film noir, romance, and horror all in once package. In the hands of any other director, this might result in wildly uneven work. In the hands of David Lynch, his resulted in works that were sublime.

Beyond being a visionary artist, David Lynch was also an extraordinary human being. I have friends who had the honour to meet Mr. Lynch and all of them have said the same thing, that he was one of the nicest people one could hope to meet. He was well-loved by many, and there are tributes to Mr.Lynch from everyone from Kyle MacLachlan to Steven Spielberg. In 2005 David Lynch began doing daily weather reports and continued to do them until 2010. He brought them back in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they continued until 2022. It was through these weather reports that many around the world grew to love him. For all that his work is known for being dark, in his weather reports David Lynch stood revealed as a polite, mild-mannered Midwesterner who truly cares about people. David Lynch was remarkable well beyond being a talented artist.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Godspeed Cinematographer Roger Pratt


Roger Pratt, the cinematographer on such films as Brazil (1985) and Batman (1989), died on December 31 2024 at the age of 77.

Roger Pratt was born in Leicester on February 27 1947. He attended Loughborough Grammar School  and then served with Voluntary Services Overseas. He graduated from Durham University before attending the London Film School.

He began his career as a cameraman on such films as Bleak Moments (1971), My Childhood (1972), and Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975). His first credit as cinematography was on The Sender in 1982. During the Eighties he served as the cinematographer on the films The Meaning of Life (1983), Brazil (1985), Mona Lisa (1986), Consuming Passions (1988), High Hopes (1988), Paris by Night (1988), and Batman (1989). On television he worked on such TV movies as Dutch Girls and the mini-series The Planets.

In the Nineties Roger Pratt was the cinematographer on the movies The Fisher King (1991), Year of the Comet (1992), Shadowlands (1993), Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994), 12 Monkeys (1995). In Love and War (1996), The Avengers (1998),. Grey Owl (1999), The End of the Affair (1999),. 102 Dalmatians (20000), and Chocolat (2000). On television he worked on the TV shows The Storyteller: Greek Myths and Performance.

In the Naughts he served as the director of photography in the movies Iris (2001), Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002), Troy (2004), Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005), Closing the Ring (2007) Ink heart (2008), Dorian Gray (2009), and The Karate Kid (2010). In the Teens he worked on the films Jadoo (2013) and Keeping Rosy (2014). 

Roger Pratt was a master when it came to light and shadows, with his cinematography often resembling that of German expressionism and American film noir. This can be see in Brazil, which he lit as if it was a black-and-white movie even though it was shot in colour. He used a similar technique on Batman, sometimes using only one tone in a shot so that characters such as The Joker would stand out even more. Roger Pratt's talent for visual dissonance would come to good use in the movie 12 Monkeys, where warm and cold light were often used in the same scene. Of course, here it must be point out that Roger Pratt was nothing if not versatile. While Brazil and Batman were very dark, Chocolat was a brighter movie, although Mr. Pratt still offered up contrasts in light and colour. Roger Pratt was an extremely talented cinematographer who worked on some of the best and most popular movies of the late 20th Century.

Sunday, January 12, 2025

The 60th Anniversary of Hullabaloo

Sixty years ago today, on January 12 1965, the rock and pop musical variety show called Hullabaloo debuted on NBC. Hullabaloo featured some of the top rock and R&B acts of the day, including The Animals, The Beatles, Billy J. Kramer with The Dakotas, The Byrds, Del Shannon, The Four Tops, The Hollies, The Lovin' Spoonful The Moody Blues, The Rolling Stones, The Supremes, and many others, The show's first thirteen episodes featured segments featuring British acts filmed in London  and hosted by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein.

Hullabaloo
owed its existence to another rock and pop music show, Shindig!, which had debuted on September 16 1964 on ABC. Seeing the success that ABC had with Shindig!, NBC developed their own rock and pop musical show called Hullabaloo. It is to NBC's credit that Hullabaloo differed a bit from Shindig!. While Shindig! had a regular host (deejay Jimmy O'Neill), Hullabaloo featured a different guest host each week. Among the guest hosts on Hullabaloo were Paul, Anka, Frankie Avalon, Petula Clark, Sammy Davis Jr., George Hamilton, Michael Landon, David McCallum, George Maharis, Robert Vaughn, and others.

The typical edition of Hullabaloo began with an opening number, after which the guests would be introduced. There would be a "Top of the Pops" segment featuring a medley of the top hits of the time performed by one of the guests of the week. Towards the end of the show there would be the "Hullabaloo A-Go-Go" segment, which featured a go-go dancer in a cage (Lada St. Edmund). In addition to their go-go dancer in a cage, Hullabaloo had an entire group of Hullabaloo Dancers consisting of six women and four men. Among the Hullabaloo Dancers was Donna McKechnie, who later appeared on the soap opera Dark Shadows and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a musical for playing Cassie in A Chorus Line on Broadway.

Hullabaloo was produced by Gary Smith who had been an associate producer on The Judy Garland Show and went on to produce The Kraft Music Hall and several specials (including Bing Crosby's final Christmas special, Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. It was directed by Bill Davis, Who would go onto direct The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour,. The Julie Andrews Hour, and Solid Gold, and Steve Binder, who would go onto direct Petula Clark's famous TV special Petula  Elvis Presley's "comeback special."  Sid Bernstein, famous for bringing The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to the United States, booked acts for Hullabaloo. Peter Matz, who was later the musical director on The Carol Burnett Show, served as the orchestra leader on Hullabaloo.

Much of Hullabaloo would be filmed at Studio 8H in the RCA Building in New York City, which would later be the home of Saturday Night Live. Much of the show would also be filmed at at NBC's Midwood Studios in Brooklyn, where the TV special Peter Pan with Mary Martin and Kraft Music Hall had been filmed and later The Cosby Show and the soap opera Another World. Some segments would be filmed at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. The segments with The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein were filmed at Shepperton Film Studios in Shepperton, Surrey.

When Hullabaloo debuted on January 12 1965 it was an hour long show that aired on Tuesday night. For its second season, which started in September 1965, it was cut back to a half-hour and aired on Monday night. Ultimately, Hullabaloo was cancelled by NBC after one-and-a-half seasons and 48 episodes. Curiously, it would be replaced on Monday night by the youth-oriented sitcom The Monkees.

Sadly, while Hullabaloo was shot in colour, not much of the show survives in colour. In 1973 NBC was clearing out its archives and asked the show's production company if they would take ownership of the original colour masters. When they turned NBC down, NBC wiped the colour masters. Only three half-hour colour episodes would survive. Fortunately, much of Hullabaloo was copied in black-and-white to cinescope on film. In the end only one Hullabaloo episode appears to be completely lost and only three are incomplete.

Although Hullabaloo did not have a long run, it would have a lasting impact. It is referenced in The Ramones' song "Do You Remember Rock 'n' Roll?" along with fellow shows Shindig! and Upbeat. Even though Frankie Lymon never appeared on Hullabaloo, the biopic Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (1998) portrayed a fictional appearance of the singer on the show. In Once Upon A Time...in Hollywood (2019) fictional actor Rick Dalton was a guest host on Hullabaloo. In mini-series The Queen's Gambit at one point characters in the film watch Hullabaloo. What survives of the show has been released on DVD by MPI Home Video.

Hullabaloo would be fondly remembered by those old enough to have seen it when it first aired. Those who were either too young at the time to remember the show or weren't even born yet have found themselves fascinated by clips from the show. While the entirety of the show does not survive, it remains well remembered.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

The 30th Anniversary of The WB

As television broadcast networks go, The WB did not last particularly long. Indeed, its eleven years and eight months of existence are minuscule when compared to the nearly 100 years NBC has existed. Despite this The WB produced a number of memorable shows, including  Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Charmed, 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and yet others in its short existence. The network remains fondly remembered by many to this day. It was 30 years ago today, on January 11 1995, that The WB was launched.

The origins of The WB go back to a programming block of dramas targeted at the key demographic of television viewers calledt he Prime Time Entertainment Network (PTEN for short), a joint venture between Warner Bros. and Chris-Craft Industries. PTEN was launched as a potential fifth television network, although that never came to pass. Among the shows aired as part of PTEN were Babylon 5, Kung Fu: The Legend Continues, and Time Trax. The demise of PTEN would come about because of the creation of two new television networks. As early as October 1993 Chris-Craft Industries announced the formation of the United Paramount Network (UPN) as a joint venture with Paramount Television. It was in November 1993 that Time Warner announced its intention to launch its own network,. The WB, in conjunction with the Tribune Company.

The WB launched on January 11 1995 with a block of three sitcoms. The first show to air on the new network was The Wayan Bros. which starred comedians and  real life brothers Shawn and Marlon Wayans. It was followed by Unhappily Ever After, a sitcom about an extremely dysfunctional family, and Muscle, a sitcom centred on a New York City gym. The following Wednesday The Parent 'Hood, a sitcom starring Robert Townsend and Suzzanne Douglas, debuted in the time slot following The Wayan Bros. the following Wednesday.  In its first season, The WB only aired one night a week.

The following season The WB expanded to Sunday night, weekdays, and Saturday morning. Their children's programming block known as Kid's WB proved particularly successful. It aired on Saturday mornings and weekday afternoons for much of its existence. Through the years it aired such successful cartoons as Pinky & the Brain, Batman Beyond, Pokémon, and others. A weekday morning block was added in 1997. It would be discontinued in 2001.The weekday afternoon block would be discontinued in 2005.

Even as The WB expanded to more nights a week, in its early days its programming consisted primarily of sitcoms. It was with the 1995-1996 season with the night-time soap opera Savannah. In the 1996-1997 season The WB debuted  the family drama 7th Heaven and the supernatural horror series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy the Vampire Slayer provided The WB with some of its earliest success. It debuted with the highest Monday night ratings in the network's history up to that point.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer centred primarily on teenage characters and appealed to a largely teenage audience, so it was perhaps natural for The WB to debut more shows that appealed to teenagers. It was then that Dawon's Creek debuted in January 1998 and proved to be another success for the network. The success of Dawson's Creek was followed by other shows meant to appeal to a young audience, such as Felicity and Popular. The success of Buffy the Vampire Slayer would lead to further genre shows that featured youthful protagonists, including Charmed, Roswell and Smallville. Buffy the Vampire Slayer itself produced one spinoff, the cult series Angel.

It was in 2000 that The WB began to expand beyond a teenage audience to shows that would appeal to a broader demographic. Gilmore Girls proved to be a success after lacklustre ratings early in its run. In 2001 Reba debuted and proved to be the network's most successful sitcom. That same year Smallville provided The WB with another hit. The family drama Everwood debuted in 2002. While it would not prove as popular as Gilmore Girls, it would develop a cult following.

It was in 2003 that The WB began to go into decline. From 2003 to 2005 the network's only real hits would be the teen soap opera One Tree Hill and the supernatural horror series Supernatural. At the same time highly anticipated shows proved to be failures. Birds of Prey (based on the DC comic book fo the same name), Tarzan (based on the classic character), and Just Legal (a show produced by none other than Jerry Bruckheimer) all bombed in the ratings.

In the end The WB found itself unable to expand beyond an extremely young demographic (12 to 24 years old) to the key demographic desired by Madison Avenue, while at the same time having several shows prove to be failures. Much of the reason for the network's failure may also have been because there did not appear to be enough room for two fledgling networks, UPN having only launched days after The WB. It was then on January 24 2006 that , CBS Corporation and Warner Bros. Entertainment announced the closures of UPN and The WB respectively At the same time they announced their plans to launch a new network, The CW, as a joint venture. Some of The WB's shows would make the transition to The CW, including 7th Heaven, Gilmore Girls, One Tree Hill, Reba, Smallville, and Supernatural.

While The WB closed on September 17, 2006; the programming block known as Kid's WB would actually outlive the network. It continued for a time as The CW's Saturday morning lineup. This would come to an end with an announcement on October 2 2007 that The CW would discontinue Kid's WB. On May 8 2008 it was replaced on Saturday morning by a new programming block called The CW4Kids.

It was in 2008 that The WB came back from the dead after a fashion. It was that year that Warner Bros. launched a website called TheWB.com where episodes of shows broadcast on The WB could be streamed. Eventually other Warner Bros. shows that had not aired on The WB would be added to the website, including The Flash (1990), Friends, and The O.C. The WB.com closed in December 2013, having been replaced by CW Seed.

While The WB would last only for a brief time, it would produce several memorable television shows. Buffy the Vampire Slayer,. Charmed, Angel, Gilmore Girls, Everwood, and Supernatural all debuted on The WB and all of them remain popular to this day. Having run 10 seasons, 7th Heaven would ultimately be the longest running family drama. Having run 15 seasons, Supernatural turned out to be the longest running supernatural horror show. To this day the impact of The WB is still being felt.

Friday, January 10, 2025

Godspeed Michael Schlesinger

Michael Schlesinger, film distributor, archivist, and an important figure in the classic film community, died yesterday, January 9 2025. The cause was thymic squamous cell carcinoma.

Michael Schlesinger was born on September 4 1950 in Dayton, Ohio. He began his career in Dayton before getting a job at a film-booking agency in Cincinnati. He moved to Los Angeles in 1981. He worked for years at Paramount, where he would be the head of Paramount Repertory. It was in this capacity he would have a major role in the release of It's All True: Based on an Unfinished Film by Orson Welles in 1993, a documentary on Orson Welles's uncompleted film It's All True, which was shot in 1941 and 1942.  According to Michael Schlesinger, after Paramount's executives saw the film they sent to security to his office to escort him off the lot.

After his time with Paramount, Michael Schlesinger went to work for Sony as a vice president in charge of their repertory. He served in that capacity for twelve years, after which he was an executive consultant for Sony.

Michael Schlesinger also wrote, produced, and directed the series of "Biffle and Shooster" shorts, which sought to capture the feel of the old comedy shorts of the Thirties using the fictional comedy team of Biffle and Shooster (the characters wee created and played by actors Nick Santa Maria and Will Ryan). He also produced director Larry Blamire's films Trail of the Screaming Forehead (2007), The Lost Skeleton Returns Again  (2009), and Dark and Stormy Night (2009). He directed and also wrote the feature film Rock and Doris (try to) Write a Movie (2024).

Michael Schlesinger was very much a part of the classic movie scene in Los Angeles. He assisted with the classic film festival Cinecon in Los Angeles. He was a fixture at the TCM Classic Film Festival, where he introduced movies. He also frequented many other classic film festivals.

I didn't know Michael Schlesinger, although he was a friend to many of my friends. According to those who knew him, he was very funny and known for his generosity. He was also known for his love of classic movies, and he would often take risks to preserve and distribute classic movies even when the studios for which he worked might undervalue those films. He certainly knew a great deal about classic movies, as anyone who has seen his one of his introductions for movies from the TCM Classic Film Festival or another film film festival can testify. My condolences go to Michael  Schlesinger's friends and family.

Thursday, January 9, 2025

The Los Angeles County Fires

Here I want to say that my heart is with the people of Los Angeles County as much of the area has been devastated by wildfires. I hope that all of the fires can be contained soon and brought to an end. I am always concerned any time California (or any other place, for that matter), but these wildfires have distressed me more than most. For one thing, I have many friends in areas that have been endangered by the fires, although as of yet none of them have had to evacuate. For another thing, as a classic movie buff, I love Hollywood and its historic sites. Indeed, a fire that broke out in Runyon Canyon in the Hollywood Hills threatened such sites as the Magic Castle, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, the El Captian Theatre, the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the Hollywood Bowl, and other historic sites. An evacuation order was in effect for a time but has since been lifted.

As it is, so much has already been destroyed by the fires. The Pacific Palisades effectively no longer exists, most of the neighbourhood having been burned to the ground. Will Rogers's historic ranch house and many other structures at Will Rogers State Park were destroyed. Palisades Charter High School, where parts of such movies as Carrie (1976) and other movies were shot, sustained damage from the fires. The famous Bunny Museum in Altadena burned to the ground. While only a few of the museum's artefacts were saved, the bunnies and cats in the museum were all saved. The Topanga Ranch Hotel, the motel built by William Randolph Hearst in 1929, burned to the ground. Several businesses and other establishments have been destroyed, including the Reel Inn Malibu, Altadena Hardware, Foxs Restaurant in Altadena, the Pasadena Jewish Temple and Centre, and much more. Many, many people have lost their homes. At least five people have died, although officials have said the death toll is likely to be higher.

Right now my thoughts are with the people of Los Angeles County. I hope that the fires come to an end with no further substantial damage. If you would like to help those affected by the fires, this article from the Desert Sun has lists of various charities. Right now my heart is breaking and I hope that the people and places I love can make it through the fires okay.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

The 70th Anniversary of The Bob Cummings Show (AKA Love That Bob)

Today only people of a certain age, fans of classic television, and television historians probably remember The Bob Cummings Show (called Love That Bob as a syndicated rerun). Despite this, The Bob Cummings Show remains significant beyond the fact that it starred Bob Cummings, a bona fide movie star who had appeared in such films as The Devil and Miss Jones (1941), Kings Row (1942), Saboteur (1942), and Dial M for Murder (1954). Quite simply, several individuals who worked on The Bob Cummings Show would go onto considerable success on television. It was on January 2 1955 that The Bob Cummings Show debuted on NBC, meaning that last Tuesday was its 70th anniversary.

The Bob Cummings Show centred on Hollywood photographer Bob Collins (Bob Cummings). Bob was a bachelor who dated various beautiful women, as well as an Air Force reserve officer. It is perhaps no coincidence that "Bob Collins" was also the name of Bob Cummings' character, a decorated USAAF officer,  in the movie You Came Along (1945). Bob lived with his widowed sister Margaret MacDonald (Rosermary DeCamp), who disapproved of her brother's lifestyle. Margaret had a teenager son, Chuck (Dwayne Hickman), who idolized Bob and was always trying to attract the models Bob worked with. Bob's secretary was Charmaine "Schultzy" Schultz (Ann B. Davis), who had an unrequited crush on Bob. The show also featured several recurring characters, including model Shirley Swanson (Joi Lansing),. Bob's old Air Force buddy Paul Fonda (Lyle Talbot), and Pamela Livingstone (Nancy Culp), a friend of Schultzy and a birdwatching expert who pines for Bob. There were several episodes in which Bob Cummings would perform double duty, playing Bob Collins and Bob's grandfather Josh Collins. Grandpa came from Joplin, Missouri, as did Bob Collins (and Bob Cummings, for that matter).

Bob Cummings not only had a movie career, but he had even starred in a sitcom before The Bob Cummings Show. On My Hero he played real estate agent Robert Beanblossom. The show did not prove to be a success, only lasting one season and 33 episodes. Despite the failure of My Hero, Bob Cummings remained a popular actor, so that it was inevitable he would get another show. It was then that writer Paul Henning came up with an idea for a show starring Mr. Cummings.

Paul Henning had already worked as a writer on radio for years. Like Bob Cummings, Paul Henning was a native of Missouri (Mr. Cummings was born in Joplin, while Paul Henning was born in Independence). He had begun his career on radio in Kansas City, Missouri before moving onto such national radio shows as Fibber McGee and Molly and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. He moved with Burns and Allen to television and also wrote for such TV shows as The Dennis Day Show and Where's Raymond?.

Having written for years for both the radio and television versions of The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Paul Henning turned to George Burns for help with his idea for a show for Bob Cummings. Both George Burns and Bob Cummings were clients of the talent agency MCA. It was then that MCA got George Burns and Paul Henning together with Bob Cummings so that they could pitch the show to him. The Bob Cummings Show was produced by McCadden Producitons, which also produced The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show and The Jack Benny Program. A new production company, Laurel Productions, was also formed to produce The Bob Cummings Show.

With regards to the cast, not only was Bob Cummings a movie star, but  so too was Rosemary DeCamp, who had appeared in films from Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942) to On Moonlight Bay (1951). With regards to Schultzy, the role had been written for yet another veteran of film, Jane Withers. As it turned out, the show's producers were unwilling to meet Miss Withers's demands. It was Eddie Rubin, who would be one of the show's directors, who suggested Ann B. Davis for the role. Dwayne Hickman was the younger brother of child actor Darryl Hickman, who had appeared in The Grapes of Wrath (1939) and The Strange Loves of Martha Ivers (1946). Dwayne Hickman had previously appeared with Bob Cummings in Heaven Only Knows (1947).  He also  appeared in such films as The Boy with Green Hair (1948) and Mighty Joe Young (1949). When Bob Cummings offered him the role, Dwayne Hickman was trying to decide whether he should take the part or if he should take a temporary job with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power.

Bob Cummings himself was the reason that The Bob Cummings Show debuted in January rather than September, when most shows at the time made their debuts. The Bob Cummings Show was sold in August 1954, making it fully possible it could have debuted as early as September or October of that year. Despite this, Bob Cummings felt the failure of his previous sitcom, My Hero, was due to the fact that it did not have enough of a backlog of scripts when it debuted. Contrary to popular belief, The Bob Cummings Show was not the first midseason replacement, as several others debuted before it had (among them My Friend Irma and Dragnet). 

The Bob Cummings Show debuted on NBC on January 2 1955. For the 1954-1955 season, it aired on Sunday night, following The Loretta Young Show. For the 1955-1956 season it moved to CBS. It remained there throughout the 1956-1957 season before moving back to NBC where it remained until it ended its run in 1959.

Although it never ranked in the top thirty for the season in the Nielsen ratings, The Bob Cummings Show remained relatively popular throughout its run. According to Bob Cummings it was his decision to end the show. By 1959 The Bob Cummings Show had reached five full seasons, which at the time was considered the minimum for syndication. Bob Cummings wanted to sell the show into syndication before it became too dated. Bob Cummings also wanted a break.

Starting on October 12 1959 reruns of The Bob Cummings Show began airing on ABC under the title Love That Bob. It would also air under that title in syndication for quite some time. Much of the reason the title Love That Bob persisted is that beginning on October 5 1961 an entirely new show starring Bob Cummings debuted on CBS, also titled The Bob Cummings Show. Since it was constantly getting confused with Bob Cummings's older show, it was re-titled The New Bob Cummings Show on December 28 1961. The New Bob Cummings Show would not repeat the original show's success. It only lasted 22 episodes. As to the original, whether as The Bob Cummings Show or Love That Bob, it  persisted in syndication for decades. Even now it can be found on such streaming services as Tubi and Local Now.

Aside from remaining popular for decades and starring a well-known movie star, The Bob Cummings Show may be most remarkable for how many of those who worked on it went onto even bigger success. It would only be a few years after the end of The Bob Cummings Show that its creator, Paul Henning, would see his career peak with The Beverly Hillbillies, Petticoat Junction, and Green Acres. Rod Amateau, who directed many episodes of The Bob Cummings Show (only Bob Cummings himself directed more), went onto produce the show Dobie Gillis as well as direct most of its episodes. Of course, as fans of both The Bob Cummings Show and Dobie Gillis know, Rod Amateau was not the only veteran of The Bob Cummings Show  to go onto Dobie Gillis. Dwayne Hickman signed to star as Dobie in December 1958.

Several other individuals from The Bob Cummings Show would also go onto great successes in their career. Ann B. Davis. who had won Emmy Awards for playing Schultzy on The Bob Cummings Show, went onto play housekeeper Alice Nelson on The Brady Bunch. Nancy Kulp, who played birdwatcher Pamela on The Bob Cummings Show, would work with Paul Henning again and in a bigger role on a show. She was Jane Hathaway on The Beverly Hillbillies. Both Joi Lansing and Lisa Gaye would become frequent guest stars on television in the Sixties.

Curiously, Bob Cummings would be the one person who would not repeat his success on television. The New Bob Cummings Show lasted only one season. And while it has a cult following now, My Living Doll with Julie Newmar also lasted only one season. While he might not have seen any more success on TV, Bob Cummings aould see further success in such movies as Beach Party (1963), The Carpetbaggers (1964), and What a Way to Go! (1964).

The Bob Cummings Show presented a sharp contrast to the domestic comedies popular in the mid to late Fifties, shows such as Father Knows Best and The Donna Reed Show. Not only was Bob Collins a bachelor, but he was entirely resistant to the idea of getting married. Bob devoted most of his free time to pursuing beautiful women. And while sexual intercourse was never mentioned on the show (this was the Fifties, after all), it seems likely most adult viewers thought Bob Collins was having sex. Although tame by today's standards, The Bob Cummings Show was risque for its time.

The Bob Cummings Show also differed from the domestic comedies of the time in the nature of its comedy. The humour in many of the family sitcoms of the era tended to be gentle. In contrast, the humour ion The Bob Cummings Show could be very broad, as one would expect a comedy created by Paul Henning to be. In fact, The Bob Cummings Show resembled Paul Henning's later creation The Beverly Hillbillies to a degree. While many of the domestic comedies episodes would revolve around a crisis that was neatly resolved in a half hour, the emphasis on both The Bob Cummings Show and The Beverly Hillbillies was on comedy. What is more, like The Beverly Hillbillies would later, The Bob Cummings Show would sometimes feature story arcs that unfolded over multiple episodes.

The Bob Cummings Show was nominated for several Emmy Awards from 1956 to 1959 in categories from Best Comedy Series to Best Editing. It won two Emmy Awards for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for Ann B. Davis as Schultzy.

Many today would consider The Bob Cummings Show to be sexist, and on the show Bob certainly objectifies women. Of course, it must also be pointed out that many women objectified Bob as well, not to mention the fact that his womanizing almost never went well. While an argument can be made that the show is dated, it can also be pointed out that it was in some ways ahead of its time. The Bob Cummings Show paved the way for The Beverly Hillbillies, which would pave the way for future sitcoms that sometimes used story arcs and did not resolve things neatly in one half hour.  Of course, The Bob Cummings Show would also serve as a launching pad for further success for many of those of who worked on the show, from actors Ann B. Davis and Dwayne Hickman to director Rod Amateau to producer and creator Paul Henning. The Bob Cummings Show may not be known to many younger people, but it was a revolutionary show for its time.