"Feed the Tree" by Belly

This evening I am not in much of a mood to make a full-fledged post. My seasonal allergies are particularly bad today. I am also grieving the loss of the mulberry tree in my backyard. My niece and her husband cleared out brush there yesterday, and they accidentally cut down my tree. It makes me sad as it always gave bumper crops of mulberries and it also provided plenty of shade. I took a cutting from one of its branches and I am hoping I can grow a new tree from that.

Anyway, I will then leave you with a song suitable to the subject, Belly's 1993 song "Feed the Tree."

Jack Soo: Pioneering Actor and Comedian

Today Jack Soo is probably best remembered as Detective Nick Yemana on the classic sitcom Barney Miller and Frankie Wing in Flower Drum Song (1961). Even so, he played many more roles throughout his career. In fact,  Jack Soo would be a pioneer among East Asian actors in that most of his roles, like Detective Yemana and Frankie Wing, broke from the stereotypes of East Asians that had persisted in American cinema and television since their beginnings.

Jack Soo was born Goro Suzuki on October 28 1917 on a ship crossing the Pacific Ocean. His parents, who lived in Oakland, California, decided that they wanted him to be born in their native Japan, but he arrived sooner than they thought. He grew up in Oakland and received a degree in English at the University of California, Berkeley. It was while he was a student at Berkeley that his entertainment career began. He played in nightclubs in the evening, like Andy Wong's Sky Room in San Francisco. He also got small parts in plays. During World War II, like other Japanese Americans, he was interned. He was sent to the Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah. To help with morale he put together shows and entertained the internees.

It was following World War II that Goro Suzuki adopted the stage name "Jack Soo" to avoid any anti-Japanese prejudice that persisted. He performed in nightclubs in Cleveland, Chicago, Akron, and other Midwestern cities. Eventually, Jack Soo played at the famed Chinese American nightclub Forbidden City in San Francisco. It was there that he was discovered by famed dancer, actor, singer, director, and choreographer Gene Kelly. Gene Kelly was directing the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Flower Drum Song and cast him in the role of Frankie Wing, the emcee at the Celestial Gardens, in the musical.

It was after Flower Drum Song had been running on Broadway for a year, that Jack Soo took over the role of Sammy Fong, the owner of the Celestial Gardens, originated by Larry Blyden. Jack Soo continued in the role of Sammy Fong on Broadway until May 1960 and then toured in the role from May 1960 to October 1961. Of course, he also reprised his role as Sammy Fong in the 1961 movie adaptation of Flower Drum Song. Sammy Fong was a sharp break from earlier Chinese American characters. He was a smooth-talking, rakish, but ultimately decent businessman 

The movie Flower Drum Song (1961) proved to be a disappointment at the box office, but it was instrumental in launching Jack Soo's film and television career. Among the roles he played following Flower Drum Song was Rockwell "Rocky" Sin on the sitcom Valentine's Day. While Rocky was the valet to publishing executive Valentine Farrow (Tony Franciosa), he was a sharp break from such earlier East Asian characters as Hey Boy and Hey Girl on Have Gun, Will Travel, and Hop Sing on Bonanza. Indeed, there was nothing stereotypical about Rocky. He was a smooth-talking, wisecracking, womanizing con man who was in many ways brighter than his employer. Valentine's Day is then historic not only for being one of the earliest shows to feature an  East Asian character who was not a stereotype but for being the first American television show since The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong starring Anna May Wong and the very first sitcom to feature an East Asian American in a lead role.

Unfortunately, Valentine's Day only ran for one season. Regardless, Jack Soo would still have a healthy career. He guest starred on several television shows in the Sixties, including The Jack Benny Program, The Wackiest Ship in the Army, Julia, and Hawaii Five-O. He appeared in m such movies as Who's Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963) and The Oscar. Although known for comedic roles, Jack Soo appeared as Colonel Cai in the controversial film The Green Berets (1968). Jack Soo was known for being critical of East Asian stereotypes, although he did play a stereotype at least once. In Thoroughly Modern Millie he played one of Mrs. Meers's two Chinese henchmen. To make matters worse, he was credited as "Oriental #1." "Oriental #2" was played by another well-known Japanese American actor, Pat Morita. 

Of course, in the Sixties, it was very hard for any East Asian American actor to avoid playing at least a few stereotypes during their career. The fact that Jack Soo played so few is remarkable. The Seventies would see Jack Soo continue to play roles that broke with stereotypes, as well as a combination of comedic and dramatic roles. He appeared one last time in movies playing Mr. Yokomoto in Return from Witch Mountain (1978). He guest-starred on such dramas as The Name of the Game, Ironside, Police Story, and Police Woman. He played a doctor in the 1973 TV movie She Lives! (the same TV movie that turned Jim Croce's "Time in a Bottle" into a posthumous hit). He guest starred on the sitcoms as The Jimmy Stewart Show, The Odd Couple, M*A*S*H, and Busting Loose.

It was in 1975 that Jack Soo began playing Detective Sergeant Nick Yemana. Sgt. Yemana was good-natured and even-tempered. He was known for his deadpan sense of humour, often making humorous remarks about the sometimes bizarre goings on in the squad room. While he always saw cases through, he constantly had a pile of paperwork to complete. He was also known for making the worst coffee known to man. Along with Sgt. Fish (Abe Vigoda), Sgt. Yemana proved to be one of the most popular characters on the show, and the role brought Jack Soo a level of fame he hadn't known since the early to mid-Sixties.

Unfortunately, Jack Soo would not get to remain with Barney Miller until the end of its run. It was towards the end of the fourth season that he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. Due to receiving treatment for the disease, he missed the last five episodes of the season. Jack Soo returned to the show at the start of the fifth season, but the cancer had already metastasized. Worse yet, it also had spread quickly. He only completed nine episodes for the season before having to quit due to his illness. He last appeared in the episode "The Vandal" on November 9 1978. He died only two months later, on January 11 1979. He was only 61 years old. The fifth season finale of Barney Miller was a tribute to Jack Soo titled "Jack Soo: A Retrospective." At the end of the episode, the cast raised their coffee mugs in tribute to him.

While Jack Soo's career was tragically cut short, in that short time he proved to be a true pioneer with regards to East Asian American actors. He played a major role in the first mainstream Hollywood movie with a primarily East Asian cast, Flower Drum Song. He was the first East Asian to play a lead role in an American television show, Rocky Sin in Valentine's Day. Throughout his career, he played roles that defied stereotypes and he refused to play stereotypes. Indeed, Jack Soo saw his career as a means of fighting stereotypes. Certainly Rocky Sin and Sgt. Yemana were a far cry from Hey Boy on Have Gun--Will Travel or Hop Sing on Bonanza. In a career on Broadway, in film, on television that only spanned about twenty-one years, Jack Soo made a difference.

"Maybellene" by Chuck Berry

It was seventy years ago today, on May 21 1955, at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, that Chuck Berry recorded "Maybellene." The song would become Chuck Berry's first hit, going to no. 1 on the Billboard R&B chart and peaking at no. 1 on the Billboard singles chart.

Chuck Berry adapted "Maybellene" from the song "Ida Red," which had been recorded by y Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys in 1938. It was the legendary Muddy Waters who urged Chuck Berry to take a recording of the song to Chess Records, renamed "Ida May" by Mr. Berry. Leonard Chess thought both the names "Ida Red" and "Ida May" were "too rural." The song then became "Maybellene" after Chuck Berry noticed a box of Maybelline mascara in the studio. Chuck Berry also reworked the lyrics under the direction of Leonard Chess, who wanted a song about kids, cars, and young love. Leonard Chess also wanted the song to have a bigger beat, so a bass and maraca player were added to Chuck Berry's band in the studio. As shown by history, the combination of ta big beat, hot rods, and young romance clicked with American teenagers and "Maybellene" became Chuck Berry's first success.

The Late Great George Wendt

George Wendt, best known as beer-loving accountant Norm Peterson on the classic sitcom Cheers, died today in his sleep at the age of 76. Coincidentally, today is also the 32nd anniversary of the series finale of Cheers.

George Wendt was born on October 17 1948, in Chicago. He attended Campion High School in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. He attended Notre Dame University until his junior year. As he told the Kansas City Star in 2016, "I basically quit and didn't inform the university." He worked for his father for a time before he received a Bachelor of Arts from  Rockhurst College in Kansas City, Missouri. He travelled through Europe for around two years before returning to the United States and deciding to become an actor.

In 1975, George Wendt joined Second City, the famous Chicago improvisational comedy troupe. He was with them for six years before. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in The Wedding in 1978. He appeared in bit parts in Bronco Billy (1980), My Bodyguard (1980), and Somewhere in Time (1980).

George Wendt made his television debut in an episode of Hart to Hart in 1981. He guest-starred on the shows Soap, Taxi, Alice, and M*A*S*H. He was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Making the Grade before he was cast as Norm Peterson on the sitcom Cheers. Norm easily proved to be one of the show's most popular characters, and he remained with the sitcom for all of its eleven seasons. In the Eighties, George Wendt was one of the voices in TV specials based on the comic strip Garfield. He guest-starred on the shows of M*A*S*H, The Twilight Zone, Saturday Night Live, and Day by Day. Beyond Cheers, he made appearances as Norm on St. Elsewhere. The  Tortellis, the TV special Mickey's 60th Birthday, and The Earth Day Special. He appeared in the movies Jekyll and Hyde...Together Again (1982), Airplane II: The Sequel (1982), Young Lust (1984), Dreamscape (1984), Thief of Hearts (1984), No Small Affair (1984), Fletch (1985), House  (1985), Gung Ho (1986),  Plain Clothes  (1988), Never Say Die (1988), and Masters of Menace (1990).

In the Nineties, George Wendt continued to appear on Cheers. He was the star of the short-lived The George Wendt Show, and he had a regular role on the short-lived sitcom The Naked Truth. He had a recurring role on Madigan Men.  He appeared as Norm Petersen on The Simpsons and as himself on Seinfeld, Bob, and The Larry Sanders Show. He guest-starred on the shows Tales from the Crypt, Roc, The Edge, The Building, Columbo, Spin City, Whose Line Is It Anyway, and The List. George Wendt also appeared in the TV movies Bye Bye Birdie and Alice in Wonderland. He appeared in the movies Guilty by Suspicion (1991), Forever Young (1992), Hostage for a Day (1994), The Little Rascals (1994), Man of the House (1995), Space Truckers (1996), The Lovemaster (1997), Spice World (1997), Anarchy TV (1998), Dennis the Menace Strikes Again (!998), Rupert's Land (1998), Outside Providence (1999), Garage: A Rock Saga (2000), Lakeboat (2000), The Prime Gig (2000), and Wild About Harry. He appeared on Broadway in Art.

In the Naughts, George Wendt had a recurring role on Sabrina the Teenage Witch. He was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Modern Men. He appeared as Norm on Frasier and in two episodes of Family Guy. He guest-starred on the shows Becker, Rock Me Baby, George Lopez, Masters of Horror, The Green Green Grass, Cubed, Less Than Kind, and Ghost Whisperer. He appeared in the movies Teddy Bears' Picnic (2002), My Dinner with Jimi (2003), King of the Ants (2003), Edmond (2005), Kids in America (2005), The Life Coach (2005), LA Blues (2007), Saturday Morning (2007), Clean Break (2008), Bryan Loves You (2008), Unnatural Causes (2008), Opposite Day (2009), and Santa Buddies (2009). He appeared on Broadway in Hairspray and Elf.

In the Teens, George Wendt had a recurring role on the sitcom Clipped. He appeared as himself on several episodes of the adult puppet show Let's Be Real. He was the voice of Grandpa Frank on the animated show Fancy Nancy. He guest-starred on the shows Hot in Cleveland, Harry's Law, Kickin' It, Portlandia, Kristie, Verdene and Gleneda, Franklin & Bash, Comedy Bang! Bang!, Childrens Hospital, Bill Nye Saves the World, Fresh Off the Boat, Your Pretty Face Is Going to Hell, Peyton's Places, and The Goldbergs. He appeared in the movies Sandy Wexler (2017), The Independents (2018), Grand-Daddy Day Care (2019), Bliss (2019), The Climb (2019), VFW (2019), Aliens, Clowns & Geeks (2019), and Stealing a Survivor (2020). In the Twenties, he was a regular on the series What the Elf?. He appeared in the movies Americanish (2021) and Christmas with the Campbells (2022).

In my humble opinion, Norm Petersen is one of the all-time greatest characters in the history of American television. Norm was known for his one-liners, and no one could have delivered them better than George Wendt. Norm was a clever, self-deprecating everyman, and George Wendt was perfect in the role, so much so that it is impossible to think of Norm as being played by anyone else. Of course, George Wendt played many other characters beyond Norm. In a series of sketches on Saturday Night Live, he played Chicago Bears superfan Bob Swerski. In the movie Dreamscape he played horror novelist Charlie Prince, who has the bad luck of stumbling upon the dreamscape project. In the movie Fletch he played the drug dealer Fat Sam. In the horror comedy House he played Harold Gorton, the neighbor and fan of author Roger Cobb (William Katt). In No Small Affair he played a role about as far from Norm as one could get, the lecherous rock club owner Jake. George Wendt was an incredible talent who played one of the greatest characters in television history as well as a number of great roles. Everybody will always know his name.

The Late Great Joe Don Baker

Joe Don Baker, who starred in Walking Tall (1973) and appeared in three James Bond movies, died on May 7 at the age of 89.

Joe Don Baker was born on February 12 1936 in Groesbeck, Texas. His mother died when he was 12 years old and he was subsequently raised by an aunt. He played football in high school. He attended North Texas State College in Denton on a football scholarship. It was in his senior year that he had his first acting experience, playing a small role in a play. He graduated with a business degree in 1958 and then served two years in the United States Army. After he was discharged, Joe Don Baker studied acting at The Actor's Studio. He appeared on Broadway in their productions Marathon '66 in 1963 and Blue for Mister Charlie in 1964.

In the mid-Sixties Joe Don Baker moved to Los Angeles. It was in 1965 that he made his television debut in an episode of Honey West. He made his film debut in an uncredited role in Cool Hand Luke in 1967. In the Sixties he guest starred on the shows Iron Horse, Judd for the Defense, The Felony Squad, Bonanza, The Outsider, Gunsmoke, Lancer, The Big Valley, Mod Squad, Bracken's World, The F.B.I., and The Most Dangerous Game. He appeared in the movies Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969) and Adam at Six A.M. (1970).

In 1972 Joe Don Baker had what may be called his breakthrough role in Junior Bonner, playing the title character's younger brother, entrepreneur Curly. In 1973 he played Sheriff Buford Pusser in Walking Tall. The movie proved to be a hit and produced two sequels in which Bo Svenson played Sheriff Pusser. Durin the Seventies he also appeared in the movies Wild Rovers (1971), Welcome Home Soldier Boys (1971), The Valachi Papers (1972), Charley Varrick (1973), The Outfit (1973), Golden Needles (1974), Framed (1975), Mitchell (1975), Checkered Flag or Crash (1977), The Shadow of Chikara (1977), Speedtrap (1977), and The Pack (1977).  On television he played the lead in the short-lived show Eischied. He guest starred on the shows The High Chaparral, Mission: Impossible, Ironside, Doc Elliot, and The Streets of San Francisco.

In the Eighties Joe Don Baker played the villain Brad Whitaker in the James Bond movie The Living Daylights (1987). He appeared in the movies Wacko (1982), Joysticks (1983), The Natural (1984), Final Justice (1984), Fletch (1985), Getting Even (1986), The Killing Time (1987), Leonard Part 6 (1987), Criminal Law (1988),  and The Children (1990). On television he played Tom Dugan in four episodes of the show In the Heat of the Night. He guest starred on Screen Two.

In the Nineties Joe Don Baker played Senator Joe McCarthy in the HBO TV movie Citizen Cohn. He appeared in the mini-series George Wallace (playing Big Jim Folsom) and Too Rich: The Secret Life of Doris Duke. He played James Bond's CIA contact Jack Wade in the movies GoldenEye (1995) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1997).  He appeared in the movies Cape Fear (1991), The Distinguished Gentleman (1992), Ring of Steel (1994), Reality Bites (1994), Felony (1994), The Underneath (1995),  Panther (1995), Congo (1995),  The Grass Harp (1995), and Mars Attacks! (1996).

In the Naughts Joe Don Baker guest starred on the show The Cleaner. He appeared in the movies Vegas, City of Dreams (2001), The Commission (2003), The Dukes of Hazzard (2005), and Strange Wilderness (2008). In 2012 he appeared in the movie Mud.

I think it will be safe to say that Joe Don Baker will always be best remembered as Sheriff Pusser in Walking Tall and Jack Wade in The Living Daylights and Tomorrow Never Dies. He was impressive as Sheriff Pusser, the honest but at times brutal lawman. And as Jack Wade, the wise-cracking, down-to earth CIA contact for 007,  he was one of the best things about The Living Daylights and Tomorrow Never Dies. While he may be best remembered for these roles, Joe Don Baker played a large variety of characters throughout his career. Indeed, he played historical figures more than once, including hit man Mad Dog Coll in The Valachi Papers,  the blustering Senator Joe McCarthy in Citizen Cohn and Alabama politician Big Jim Folsom.  In Junior Bonner, Curly Bonner was a very different character from those for which Joe Don Baker was best known, a business-oriented real estate developer. Although best known for his work in film, Joe Don Baker gave good performances on television as well. He was the primary villain in the pilot for the TV show Lancer, "The High Riders," Day Pardee. On episodes of In the Heat of the Night he played Tom Dugan, who substitutes for Chief Gillespie. Joe Don Baker was extremely talented and could play many different roles.