"I Can Se for Miles" by The Who

This has been a stressful week for me, so today I will simply leave you with one of my all time favourite songs. 'I Can See for Miles" was written by Pete Townsend and performed by The Who. The lyrics were inspired in a fit of jealousy on the part of Pete Townsend any time he saw his then girlfriend with other men. Pete Townsend was certain the song would be a smash hit and considered the best song he had written up to that point. 

"I Can See for Miles" was recorded over several different recording sessions. Backing tracks for the song were recorded from May 6 to May 7, 1967, at CBS Studios in London. The vocals and overdubs were recorded at Masters Studio in New York City from August 6 to August 7, 1967. The Who's manager and the song's producer, Kit Lambert, then had the song mixed mastered at Gold Star Studios in Los Angles on September 10, 1967. It was included on their album The Who Sell Out.

"I Can See for Miles" was released as a single on September 18, 1967 in the United States. To promote the new single in the US, The Who appeared on The Smother Brothers Comedy Hour, where they also performed "My Generation." It remains one of The Who's best known television appearances, if not their best known television appearances. Allegedly, Keith Moon bribed a dodgy stagehand to let him put ten times the usual amount of explosives into his drum kit for the explosion at the end of "My Generation." The explosion was so great that Peter Townshend would experience tinnitus afterwards. 'I Can See for Miles" was released in the UK on October 13, 1967, although none of the song's promotion there was quite as, well, explosive as their Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour appearance in the United States.

"I Can See for Miles" peaked at no. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and at no. 10 on the UK singles chart. It did better in Canada, where it went all the way to no. 4. In the United States, it was the highest ranking Who single to date. While many composers would have been happy with the song's performance on the charts, Pete Townsend was disappointed, to say the least. He later said, "To me it was the ultimate Who record, yet it didn't sell. I spat on the British record buyer." 

Regardless, "I Can See for Miles" remains one of The Who's best known songs and the favourite of many fans (it is for me). It would also be the inspiration for a Beatles song. Paul McCartney read a description of the song in an interview with Pete Townsend as The Who's loudest song to date. Paul McCartney then wrote "Helter Skelter," arguably the loudest Beatles song ever recorded.

Without further ado, here is The Who's "I Can See for Miles."

Pat Suzuki: Miss Pony Tail

Most people probably remember Pat Suzuki for originating the role of Linda Low in the Broadway production of Flower Drum Song. She had a successful recording career, and also appeared on movies and on television. She has a place in American entertainment history as one of the earliest Japanese American performers to enter the mainstream.

Pat Suzuki was born Chiyoko Suzuki on September 22, 1930, in Cressy, California. Her father was a musician who specialized in traditional Japanese instruments and also operated a farm. Pat Suzuki took to singing while very young. Sadly, after World War II began, like many other Japanese American families, Pat Suzuki's family were sent to an internment camp. Initially they were interred at the Mercy Assembly Centre in California. Later they went to Granada War Relocation Center in Colorado.

Although she would become a singer, Pat Suzuki majored in education in college. When she ran out of money for her schooling in New York, It was while the production was in Seattle that she got a job at The Colony. She appeared at the club for three years. It was while she was ar The Colony that she earned the nickname "Miss Ponytail."

Bing Crosby caught one of her performances at The Colony, and she made such impression on him that he got her a recording contract with RCA Victor. Her first album, The Many Sides of Pat Suzuki, was released in 1958. She frequently appeared as a singer on various variety TV shows in the late Fifties and early Sixties, including The Dinah Shore Chevy Show, The George Gobel Show. The Frank Sinatra Show, The Ed Sullivan Show, The Tonight Show, and others. She also appeared on the interview show Person to Person and the game shows What's My Line? and The Match Game.

It was an appearing on Tonight Starring Jack Paar that Richard Rogers offered her the role of Linda Low in Flower Drum Song. She turned the role down before accepting it. For her performance, she received a Theatre World Award. She would not play the role in the movie, which would go to Nancy Kwan (whose singing voice was dubbed by B. J. Baker). As it was, Pat Suzuki couldn't have played the role in the movie, as she had given birth to her son not long before the movie started shooting. 

After her son was born, Pat Suzuki semi-retired from the entertainment business, with appearances become rarer. She guest starred on such shows as The Red Skelton Show and Charlie's Angels, and was a regular on the short-lived sitcom Mr. T and Tina. 

At 95 years of age, Pat Suzuki no longer performs, but she is hardly forgotten. Her cover of "How High the Moon" was used in the movie Biloxi Blues (1988). On top of her career as a singer, Pat Suzuki was also a pioneer with regards to East Asian American performers, particularly Japanese American performers. She paved the way for other East Asian performers to come.

Here is her version of "How High the Moon" from her debut album The Many Sides of Pat Suzuki.

Firefox Should Let Users Disable Searching from the URL Bar

I have never searched from the URL bar on Firefox. I don't want to search from the URL bar on Firefox. To me, the URL bar should be exclusively for visiting websites. For that reason, I have always disabled searching in the URL bar. Unfortunately, I learned today that it has been re-enabled. Every way I tried to disable it again failed.

To me, this is a case of Mozilla doing a disservice to Firefox users. I know I am not the only one who dislikes searching from the URL bar. Indeed, it can cause problems. Too many times I have typed a URL in the URL bar only for it to launch a Google search. Beyond that, one of the many reasons people use Firefox is that it is more customizable than Chrome or Edge. Take away the customization and Mozilla might find themselves losing users.

Regardless, I hope in the next update that Mozilla returns the ability to disable search in Firefox's URL bar. I really won't be too happy with Mozilla until they do.

Godspeed Ann Robinson

Ann Robinson, best known for starring in the sci-fi classic War of the Worlds (1953), died on September 25, 2025, at the age of 96. Her death was not made publicly known until the past few days.

Ann Robinson was born on May 25, 1929 in Los Angeles. Her father worked at the Bank of Hollywood, located in the Equitable Building of Hollywood at Hollywood and Vine. Her father started teaching her to ride horses when she was only three and she became an accomplished rider. She attended Hollywood High and Sacred Heart Academy in La Canada Flintridge.

Ann Robinson broke into film as a stunt rider in the film Black Midnight (1949). She was the stunt double for June Havoc in The Story of Molly X (1949) and Shelly Winters in Frenchie (1950). She joined the Circle Theatre in Hollywood. Paramount signed Miss Robinson for $125 a week. In addition to performing stunts in Black Midnight, she also had an uncredited part as a girl serving punch at a square dance. She appeared in similar uncredited parts in such films as The Damned Don't Cry (1950), I Was a Shoplifter (1950), Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion (1950), A Life of Her Own (1950), and All About Eve (1950). She was an extra in A Place in the Sun (1951), and director George Stevens gave her one line of dialogue.

In addition to playing Sylvia Van Buren in War of the Worlds, for the remainder of the Fifties, Ann Robinson appeared in the movies Goodbye, My Fancy (1951), Callaway Went Thataway (1951), I Want You (1951), The Cimarron Kid (1952), Son of Ali Baba (1952), City Beneath the Sea (1952), The Glass Wall (1953), Bad for Each Other (1953), Dragnet (1954), Gun Brothers (1956), Julie (1956), Gun Duel in Durango (1957), Damn Citizen (1957), and Imitation of Life (1959). On television, she guest starred on the shows Biff Baker, U.S.A.; The Web; Racket Squad; The Ford Television Theatre; Rocky Jones, Space Ranger; Waterfront; Passport to Danger; Stage 7; Studio 57; It's a great Life; Fury; The Bob Cummings Show; The Millionaire; Schlitz Playhouse of Stars; Mike Hammer; Man and the Challenge; Johnny Midnight; The Texan; Shotgun Slade; Goodyear Theatre; Perry Mason; Bachelor Father; Rawhide; and Manhunt.

The Sixties saw Ann Robinson appearing exclusively on television. She guest starred on the shows The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp; Dante, Sugarfoot, Peter Gunn, Hawaiian Eye, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Surfside 6, Ben Casey, The Roaring 20s, Death Valley Days, 77 Sunset Strip, and Gilligan's Island.

In the Seventies, Ann Robinson appeared on the shows Police Woman and Days of Our Lives. In the Eighties, she reprised her role as Sylvia Van Buren on the TV show War of the Worlds. She also guest starred on The New Adam-12. She appeared in the movie Midnight Movie Massacre (1988). She had a cameo in the movie My Lovely Monster (1991). She played a character named Dr. Sylvia Van Buren in the movie The Naked Monster (2005) and in the same year had a cameo in the movie War of the Worlds (2005). She appeared in the movies Tales of Frankenstein (2018) and The Last Page of Summer (2020)

Chances are very good Ann Robinson will always be best remembered for War of the Worlds. She told author Tom Weaver in his book Attack of the Monster Movie Makers, "I’ve gotten more mileage out of War of the Worlds than Vivien Leigh did on Gone With the Wind." While that may be true, she did play many more roles in her career. In the movie Dragnet (based on the radio and TV show of the same name), she actually played a police officer. In the Perry Mason "The Case of the Slandered Submarine," she played the wife of a Naval commander in charge of a submarine project, whose father owns an electronics company providing technology for the project. In the Rawhide episode, "Incident of the Challenge," she played a woman reputed to have magical powers. Ann Robinson was always a welcome presence on the big and small screen, and she played a wide variety of roles.  

Donald Gibb Passes On

Donald Gibb, perhaps best known for playing the hulking but none-too-bright Ogre in Revenge of the Nerds (1984), died on May 12, 2026, at the age of 71. The cause was complications from cancer.

Donald Gibb was born in New York City on August 4, 1954. He grew up in California, where he attended Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks. He attended the University of New Mexico on a basketball scholarship and then University of San Diego, where he was on the football team. He played in the NFL in the San Diego Chargers before an injury from an auto accident curtailed his professional football career.

Given his size, early in his career Donald Gibb primarily played heavies. He made his movie debut in 1980 as a henchman in Any Which Way You Can. He made his TV debut in 1981 in the unsold TV pilot Nichols & Dymes. It would be Revenge of the Nerds in 1984 that would change the trajectory of his career. With casting directors discovering Donald Gibb had a gift for comedy, he began appearing in more and more comedy movies and TV shows. During the Eighties, he appeared in the movies Stripes (1980), Conan the Barbarian (1982), Meatballs Part III (1984), Lost in America (1985), Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), Jocks (1986), They Still Call Me Bruce (1987), Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise (1987), Amazon Women in the Moon (1987), and Bloodsport (1988). On television, he was a regular on the HBO sitcom !st & Ten. He guest-starred on the shows Alice, Simon & Simon, Hardcastle & McCormick, The A-Team, Just Our Luck, Magnum P.I., Knight Rider, Otherworld, Benson, The Facts of Life, 227, Hunter, My Two Dads, Dear John, Night Court, and Doctor Doctor. He also appeared in a few TV movies.

In the Nineties, Donald Gibb reprised his role as Ogre in the television movie sequel Revenge of the Nerds IV: Nerds in Love. He guest starred on the shows Sons and Daughters, Amen, MacGyver, True Colors, Quantum Leap, Stand by Your Man, Cheers, Harry and the Hendersons, Dark Justice, Renegade, The X-Files, Daddy Dearest, Hearts Afire, Empty Nest, Boy Meets World, Muddling Through, Seinfeld, Murphy Brown, Kirk, Unhappily Ever After, Weird Science, Homeboys in Outer Space, Pacific Blue, Hangin' with Mr. Cooper, Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction, Days of Our Lives, Arli$$, The Steve Harvey Show, Secret Agent Man, Early Edition, and Veronica's Closet. He appeared in the movies Missing Pieces (1991), Breakfast of Aliens (1993), Magic Kid II (1994), Broken Bars (1995), Bloodsport 2 (1996), American Tigers (1996), High Voltage (1997), U.S. Marshals (1998), and Durango Kids (1999).

In the Naughts, Donald Gibb guest starred on the TV shows Black Scorpion, Philly, She Spies, and The Young and the Restless. He appeared in the mini-series The Fantastic Two. He appeared in the movies Grind (2003), Lightning Bug (2004), Window Theory (2005), The Biggest Fan (2005), 8 of Diamonds (2006), and Hancock (2008). He appeared on the TV show Secret Mountain Fort Awesome in 2011 and the movie Hands in 2026.

Donald Gibb certainly had a flair for comedy, so that it is little wonder that he may be best remembered as ogre in the Revenge of the Nerds movies. It also little wonder that he appeared in many comedy movies, including Lost in America (1985), Transylvania 6-5000 (1985), Jocks (1986), They Still Call Me Bruce (1987), and Amazon Women on the Moon (1987), and such sitcoms as Benson, 227, Night Court, and Cheers. Of course, he could play other roles. His second best known role may be Ray "Tiny" Johnson in both Bloodsport (1988) and its sequel. In the X-Files episode "Conduit" he played Kip, a bartender who apparently had an encounter with aliens. In the MacGyver episode "Split Decision," he played Herman the German, a boxer who also serves as a thug for fight organizers. Of course as mentioned earlier, Donald Gibb played many heavies throughout his career. Regardless of what role he played, whether comedy or drama, whether nice guy or thug, Donald Gibb always gave a good performance.

Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story Now Available on Prime Video

Long-time readers may recall that I reviewed Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story back in 2022. The movie is a mockumentary, but it's also so much more than that. This documentary-style Hollywood biopic is written and directed by Scott Fivelson. It centres on Oskar Knight, a director (utterly fictional), once critically acclaimed, who holds the record for having been nominated for an Academy Award more times than any other director in history.  I have said more than once that  Near Myth: The Oskar Knight Story is a movie that deserves to be seen. If you enjoy films about the history of Hollywoood and a life in the movies, I'd call it a must-see. And, now you can see it, as it is available on Amazon Prime Video in the United States, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

For those of you who interested in watching the movie, here are the links below: 

Prime Video in the US:

Prime Video in the UK

Prime Video in Australia

Prime Video in New Zealand

"She" by The Monkees

It was 59 years ago today that the album More of The Monkees hit no. 1 on the UK album chart. More of The Monkees was the brainchild of then music supervisor of The Monkees, Don Krishner, meant to cash in on the band's popularity. He chose the songs for the album and released it with neither their consent nor their knowledge. The Monkees wouldn't learn of the album until, while on tour, they were browsing a music store only to find a Monkees album none of them had either seen or heard. Michael Nesmith and Peter Tork, in particular, were unhappy that an entire album had been released without their knowledge or consent. Michael Nesmith even went so far as to refer to the album as "the worst album in the history of the world." 

While More of the Monkees does leave a lot to be desired, I have to disagree with Michale Nesmith that it was "the worst album in the history of the world." In my humble opinion, it's not even the worst Monkees album. Indeed, it features some of my favourite Monkees songs, including "Mary, Mary," "(I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone," "The Kind of Girl I Could Love," and my all-time favourite Monkees song "She." "She" was written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, the two songwriters most identified with The Monkees and the ones responsible for their first hit, "Last Train to Clarksville." Without further ado, here is "She" by The Monkees.

I Will Be Glad When Tree Pollen Season is Over

Since about mid-April I have been miserable. Quite simply, it is tree pollen season and I have the usual array of symptoms: itchy eyes, nasal congestion, itchy throat, and the inevitable allergy fatigue. I really haven't felt like doing much of anything the past few weeks, not even making posts to this blog.

Given I experience this every year from about mid-April to late May, it has always surprised me that allergies don't figure in pop culture larger than they due. When they due, they are usually part of a murder mystery or crime story, where the allergy plays a role.  The first thing that comes to my mind is the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Deadly Double," where a woman with Dissociative Identity Disorder has one alter who is allergic to fur and one who is not. Another TV episode in which an allergy plays a role is "Tear Down the Walls," in which penicillin is used to murder a preacher who is allergic to the drug. In the CSI: Crime Season Investigation episode, a juror had his peanut allergy used against him. 

As often as allergies are used in murder mysteries and crime shows, off the top of my head I can't recall seasonal allergies being used in the plots of TV shows and movies. This seems unusual given how common seasonal allergies are. According to the Allergy and Asthma Foundation, 82 million Americans experience allergic rhinitis due to pollen or mold. One would think that in some TV show episode or movie, there would be at least one individual suffering from seasonal allergies, even if it is central to the plot. I am sure there must be TV shows or movies that feature someone experiencing seasonal allergies. If there is, please let me know.

Mr. T and Tina

Mr. T and Tina is probably not a show many people. It was a sitcom that ran for only five episodes on ABC from September 25, 1976 to October 30, 1976. The show was not a vehicle for actor and professional wrestler Mr. T, but instead centres on Taro Takahashi (Pat Morita), but instead a single father and inventor who moves from Tokyo to Chicago when his employer, Moyati Industries, wants him to set up a branch there. To care for his children,Sachi (June Angela) and Aki (Gene Profanato), he hires the bubbly and clumsy, but independent Tina Kelly (Susan Blanchard). Other recurring characters on the show included his landlady Mrs. Llewelyn (Miriam Byrd-Nethery), his somewhat stubborn Uncle Matsu (Jerry Fujikawa), Harvard the Handyman (Ted Lange), and his caustic sister-in-law Michi (Pat Suzuki).

The roots of Mr. T and Tina actually go back to another sitcom, Chico and the Man.  Among the concepts creator James Komack considered for Chico and the Man was a young Chicano living with an older Nisei. He also considered developing a show around popular comedy team Cheech and Chong, and Chico and the Man does resemble the Cheech and Chong sketch "Pedro and the Man" to a degree. A collaboration between James Komack and Cheech and Chong would never come to pass, although the parties involved disagree as to why. Cheech & Chong have said they wanted to concentrate on their film career. James Komack said they "couldn't get it together." Chico and the Man would ultimately centre on a young Chicano (Freddie Prinze) and an older white man (Jack Albertson), but James Komack kept the Nisei character in mind for another show, which would become Mr. T and Tina.

Although Pat Morita played the role of Taro Takahashi in the regular series, in the original, unaired pilot it was George Takei (then as now best known as Mr. Sulu on Star Trek) played the role. George Takei had worked with James Komack before, having guest-starred on Mr. Komack's show The Courtship of Eddie's Father. As to why the role was recast, George Takei explained in an interview in Starlog no. 3 (January 1977), "The show was originally intended to be on later in the evening, around 9:30 or 10:00. When ABC decided to to air the show earlier in the evening and not go for the more sophisticated humour like in Maude, they decided to go with Pat Morita as the star of the series." 

Although Mr. T and Tina is often described as a spinoff of Welcome Back, Kotter (even Wikipedia does so), strictly speaking, it was not. Instead it would be more accurate to describe it as a bit of cross promotion. Pat Morita guest starred as Mr. Takahashi in the Welcome Back, Kotter episode "Career Day," which aired on September 23, 1976, which aired only two days before the debut of Mr. T and Tina on September 25, 1976. Mr. T and Tina was conceived before the episode "Career Day" was, so that "Career Day"can't really be counted as a backdoor pilot for Mr. T and Tina. 

Regardless, Mr. T and Tina would not be well-received. When Mr. T and Tina was screened for critics in June 1976 in Los Angeles, the critics voted it "worst new of the new season." The opinions of critics hadn't really changed when the show debuted in September. n the "Tashman on TV" column in the November 3, 1976 issue of The Independent, Tashman described the show as "...a monument to bad taste. Jay Fredericks in the October 17, 1976 issue of the Sunday Gazette-Mail described fellow sitcom Holmes and Yoyo and Mr. T and Tina as "clearly disasters." Critic Lee Winfrey in the October 1, 1976 issue of The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, " I feel like suing ABC for damages. If I ever watch Mr. T and Tina again it'll be when I'm bound and gagged."  

Audiences did not take to Mr. T and Tina either. Its ratings were literally at the bottom of the Nielsen survey. According to the earlier cited article by Jay Fredericks, Mr. T and Tina was among the 10 lowest rated shows according to the latest Nielsen survey. To make matters worse, the Asian-Americans for Fair Media and Japanese American Citizens League protested the show, so that the producers had to promise to avoid any Japanese stereotypes.

As hard as it is to believe given the critics' reception of the show, Mr. T and Tina did receive an Emmy nomination, although it was certainly not for its writing. Art director Roy Christopher and set director Mary Ann Biddle were nominated for the Emmy for Outstanding Art Direction or Scenic Design for a Comedy Series. 

In the end, Mr. T and Tina only had a brief run. Its last episode aired on October 30, 1976. Although nine episodes were made, only five aired. The show has not been seen since. It has not been rerun in syndication, not even on cable channels, and it is unavailable on streaming. There aren't even episodes available on YouTube.

If it is remembered at all today, Mr. T and Tina is remembered as a show that was lambasted by critics and even considered racist by some.Despite this, it would have an impact on television history. It was Pat Morita's first vehicle after having left Happy Days. It was also the first live-action show since a The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong (starring Anna May Wong) and The Green Hornet (on which Bruce Lee was one of the two leads) to feature an Asian American lead. It was also one of the very first shows, if not the first, to feature a predominantly Asian American cast. Unfortunately, there would not be another show to feature Asian Americans predominantly until Gung Ho in 1986 and All-American Girl in 1994.

Farewell to Ted Turner

Ted Turner, who built WTBS into a superstation and founded Turner Classic Movies, TNT, Cartoon Network, and CNN, died yesterday, May 6, at the age of 87. He had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018. 

Ted Turner was born Robert Edward Turner III on November 19, 1938, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He was nine years old when his family moved to Savannah, Georgia. He went to The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He attended Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. He initially majored in classics, which his father, billboard magnate Robert Edward Turner II, objected to. He later switched his major to economics. He was expelled because he was discovered with a girl in his room. He then enlisted in the United States Coast Guard. 

After his service with the Coast Guard, Ted Turner became general manger of his the Macon, Georgia branch of his father's billboard business. His father committed suicide when Ted Turner as 24, and he became chief executive and president of Turner Advertising Company. The company prospered in the 1960s, and became one of the largest, if not the largest, billboard company in the Southeast. 

It was in the late 1960s that Ted Turner entered the field of broadcasting with the purchase of several radio stations. It was in 1969 that he sold his radio stations to buy Atlanta TV station WJRJ-TV, at that time a struggling, independent UHF station. He changed the station's call letters to WTCG, the TCG standing for Turner Communications Group. The abbreviation also led to the station's slogan, "Watch This Channel Grow." Initially, the station showed primarily old movies and theatrical cartoons like Bugs Bunny, making it a precursor of Turner Classic Movies after a fashion. As popular reruns, like Gilligan's Island, I Love Lucy, and Beverly Hillbillies, dropped off older, more established stations, WTCG picked them up. 

It was in 1976 that the FCC permitted WTCG to utilise a satellite to transmit to local cable systems across the nation. It was renamed WTCG-TV Superstation. During the same period, Ted Turner bought the Atlanta Braves and began airing their games on WTCG. By 1978, several cable systems across the nation were already carrying WTCG. It was on August 27, 1979 that WTCG was formally renamed WTBS (the TBS for "Turner Broadcasting System). 

It was in 1979 that Ted Turner approached Reese Schofield, who had been vice president of United Press International Television News, about founding the first 24 hour news channel. The Cable News Network (CNN for short) was launched on June 1, 1980.

In 1986, Ted Turner bought  MGM/UA Entertainment Co. from Kirk Kerkorian. Ultimately, having accumulated a good deal of debut, he sold MGM/UA back to Kirk Kerkorian, but kept the pre-May 1986 and pre-merger film and television library. Turner Entertainment, Co. was founded in order to manage the library.The films and TV shows from the pre-1986 MGM/UA library were then syndicated around the nation and, of course, many of the movies and shows found their way on WTBS. 

It was following his acquisition of the MGM/UA library that Turner Entertainment began colorizing old movies in order to draw a younger audience to them. The move received opposition from cinephiles, filmmakers, and film critics alike. It was in part due to the colorization of older films, along with other such modifications of the films as pan and scan, that the Library of Congress established the National Film Registry in order to preserve movies as they were originally made. It was in due in part to backlash from cinephiles, filmmakers, and movie critics, as well as declining interest in colorized films, that Ted Turner abandoned colorization. 

It was in 1988 that Ted Turner bought the professional wrestling promotion Jim Crockett Promotions and renamed it World Championship Wrestling (WCW). It was also in 1988 that Ted Turner launched Turner Network Television (TNT for short), which showed older movies and TV shows, making it yet another precursor to Turner Classic Movies.

It was in 1991 that Ted Turner bought Hanna-Barbera. Along with the MGM cartoons from the MGM-UA library, and old Warner Bros cartoons, they would form the basis of The Cartoon Network. The Cartoon Network was launched on August 9, 1992, the first 24 hour channel that showed exclusively animated TV shows. 

In its early days as WTCG, WTBS had shown older movies. TNT had also had great success with showing older movies. Owning the MGM/UA library gave Ted Turner even more access to classic films. It was then that Turner Classic Movies was founded, TCM was launched on April 14, 1994, at 6:00 PM Eastern, with a ceremony at Times Square in New York City with Ted Turner, original TCM host Robert Osborne, and movie legends Arlene Dahl, Celeste Holm, Van Johnson, and Jane Powell in attendance. 

It was on October 16, 1996 that the Turner Broadcasting System merged with Time Warner. This would give TBS, TNT, and, most importantly, TCM access to Warner Bros.' library of classic films. The merger also made Ted Turner Time Warner's largest shareholder. 

In addition to his work in television, Ted Turner was also known as a philanthropist. In 1990, he founded the Turner Foundation, which dealt with the environment and overpopulation. He also co-founded the Nuclear Threat Initiative, dedicated to reducing the threat of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and the Captain Planet Foundation, which is meant to educate youth about the environment. With a $1 billion contribution to the UN, he was responsible for the creation of the United Nations Foundation, which supports the UN and its activities. It was in 2016 that he sold 43,000 acres of Osage County tallgrass prairie in Oklahoma to the Osage Nation 

There can be no doubt that Ted Turner is pivotal in the history of television. He pioneered the superstation, with WTCG being carried on many cable systems throughout the south, even before Chicago station  WGN went nationwide. With CNN, he launched the first 24 hour news channel,. In doing so, he changed television news from scheduled programs to something that was available all day long. The Cartoon Network would also revolutionize watching cartoons on television. At a time when the networks and local stations only aired cartoons on Saturday morning and weekday mornings and afternoon, The Cartoon Network made them available 24 hours day.

And while the media may go on about CNN, to me Ted Turner's crowning achievement in television will always be Turner Classic Movies. Of course, Ted Turner's career had always profited from older films. They were much of the reason TBS and TNT were successes. But with TCM, classic movies became available 24 hours a day. With Robert Osborne as the original host, TCM has been responsible for creating a whole new generation of classic movie fans, who might never have watched older films otherwise. It was also responsible for making some rarer films more widely available. Like many TCM fans, there are films I have discovered on Turner Classic Movies that I had never seen before. TCM has also proven responsible for preserving many classic films as well. While there had been classic movie channels before TCM (American Movie Classics and, The Nostalgia Channel), it was Turner Classic Movies that would prove to a lasting success. It was largely Ted Turner's vision for the channel, as well as its enormous library of films, that made such a hit.

Ted Turner was certainly a pioneer. And while he had his faults (he was nicknamed "the Mouth from the South" for a reason), there can be no doubt that he changed television forever. 

TCM Remembers Ted Turner

Ted Turner, who built WTBS into a superstation and founded Turner Classic Movies, TNT, Cartoon Network, and CNN, died today at the age of 87. He had been diagnosed with Lewy body dementia in 2018. I plan to write a eulogy for him tomorrow. As for now I am quite ready to do so. In founding TCM, Mr. Turner had an enormous impact on my life. I can't help but be saddened by his death. I will then leave you with TCM Remembers Ted Turner, the channel's remembrance of their founder.

Stop It With the Big Ads

A few months ago I noticed a distressing phenomenon on both IMDB and TV Guide. Both sites began featuring gigantic ads at the top of their pages. What is more, particularly in the case of TV Guide, these huge ads caused more problems than simply forcing the reader to scroll down to get the credits or listings.

Indeed, on TV Guide there are times the ads will actually cover the search bar. As a result, I have to reload the page. This isn't a problem on IMDB, but the ads do make both sites slower to load and sometimes even affect the performance of whatever browser I am using at the time. 

Now I suspect the reason for these gigantic ads is that they think they will draw the reader's attention more than an old-fashioned, modest banner ad would, but I do not think that is the case. Usually I am so irritated by the sheer size of these ads that I don't even notice what is being advertised. I might well notice whatever product is being advertised if they had used a simple banner ad.

Anyway, I am hoping this is something that other sites won't adopt and that TV Guide and IMDB will soon do away with them. The goal of advertising is to convince users to buy a product or use a service. That isn't accomplished if the ads irritate them to no end.

Godspeed Mariclare Costello

Mariclare Costello, best known for playing teacher Rosemary Hunter on the hit TV series The Waltons, died on April 17, 2026 at the age of 90.

Mariclare Costello was born on February 3, 1936, in Peoria, Illinois. Her father, Dallas, worked as a civil engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation and her mother, Margaret, was a secretary to the Illinois Speaker of the House. Mariclare Costello went to St. Mark School and the Academy of Our Lady in Peoria. She then attended Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa. During her junior year, she spent time at the University of Vienna. She received a Master's degree in Theatre and Education from Catholic University in Washington.

She was one of the 30 actors selected from literally hundreds to be chosen for the original Lincoln Center Repertory Company. In 1964 she made her Broadway debut, originated the role of Louise in the Arthur Miller play After the Fall. In the Sixties, she appeared on Broadway in But for Whom Charlie, The Changeling, Tartuffe, Danton's Death, The Country Wife, Lovers and Other Strangers, and Harvey. She made her movie debut in The Tiger Makes Out in 1967. She appeared in the movie Pound (1970). She made her television debut in an episode of N.Y.P.D. in 1969. She also guest starred on Storefront Lawyers.

It was in 1972 that she began a five year run playing Miss Rosemary Hunter, the teacher at the school on Walton's Mountain, on The Waltons. In 1977 she left the show to play the matriarch Maggie Fitzpatrick on the short-lived drama The Fitzpatricks.She was a regular on the shot-lived Western Sara. She guest starred on the shows Ironside, Kojak, Amy Prentiss, Harry O, Sunshine, Barnaby Jones, This is the Life, The Incredible Hulk, Insight, NBC Special Treat, Visions, Lou Grant, and Little House on the Prairie. She appeared in such TV movies as The Execution of Private Slovik and After the Fall (based on the play and on which she reprised her role as Louise). She appeared in the movies Let's Scare Jessica to Death (1971), Raid on Entebbee (1976), and Ordinary People (1980).

In the Eighties, she guest starred on Lou Grant; Fame; Murder, She Wrote; The Disney Sunday Movie; CBS Schoolbreak Special, CBS Summer Playhouse, In the Heat of the Night, and Santa Barbara. She appeared in the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984). 

In the Nineties, Mariclare Costello appeared in the movie Indecent Proposal (1983). She guest starred on the shows High Tide, Chicago Hope, and Judging Amy. Her last guest appear on a TV show was on Providence in 2002.

Mariclare Costello taught acting at Loyola Marymount University, and headed the drama program at St. Paul the Apostle Elementary School in Westwood. She directed plays at Loyola High School. 

That Mariclare Costello was a talented actress can be seen in what may be two best known roles. As teacher Rosemary Hunter on The Waltons, she was both compassionate and strong-willed, always an advocate for her students. In Let's Scare Jessica to Death, she played a role as far from Rosemary Hunter as one can get, the rather menacing and vampiric Emily. In the Murder, She Wrote episode "Powder Keg" she played hotel owner Cassie Burns. On the Incredible Hulk episode "No Escape" she played the wife of a mental patient who escaped after David Banner hulked out in the van in which they were being transported. Mariclare Costello could play a variety of roles and play them all well. 

The Late Great Gerry Conway

Comic book writer and screenwriter Gerry Conway, who worked for both DC and Marvel and who created such characters as Firestorm, Jason Todd, Power Girl, Ms. Marvel, and The Punisher, died on April 27, 2026, at the age of 73. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2022. Gerry Conway also wrote for such TV shows as Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent. 

Gerry Conway was born on September 10, 1952, in Brooklyn, New York City. He was a fan of comic books from an early age and even had a letter published in the letter column of Fantastic Four no. 50 (May 1966). As a teenager, he would sneak into the DC Comics offices and talk with the editors. He was only 16 when his first comic book story, "Aaron Philips' Photo Finish," was published in House of Secrets no. 81 (September 1969). At DC Comics, he also had work published in  All-Star Western no. 1, Hoouse of Mystery, Super DC Giant,The Phantom Stranger, and The Witching Hour. During the same period, he wrote stories for Marvel's Chamber of Darkness and Tower of Shadows. During this period, he also wrote for the Warren titles Creepy and Eerie and Skywald's Nightmare.

It was Roy Thomas who offered Gerry Conway the chance to write superhero comic books at Marvel. He took Marvel's "writing test," and while Stan Lee was not impressed with his work, Roy Thomas was. He wrote a script for Ka-Zar for Astonishing Tales no. 3 (December 1970) and then began writing Daredevil with no. 72 (January 1971).  At Marvel, he went onto write for Adventure into Fear, Amazing Adventures, Astonishing Tales, Captain America, Captain Marvel, Creatures on the Loose, Deadly Hands of Kung Fu, Dracula Lives, Fantastic Four, The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Kull the Conqueror, Marvel Team-Up, Our Love Story, Savage Tales, Sub-Mariner, Thor, Werewolf By Night. The Defender, Ghost Rider, Haunt of Horror, Legion of Monsters, Ka-Zar.Planet of the Apes, The Spectacular Spider-Man, Tales of the Zombie, and other titles. His most notable work in the early Seventies at Marvel was on The Amazing Spider-Man. 

After leaving Marvel, Gerry Conway wrote for the short-lived Atlas/Seaboard line on such titles as Destructor, Targitt, and Tiger-Man. He then returned to DC comics, where he remained for the next decade. During this period he created such characters as Power Girl, Firestorm, Vixen, Jason Todd, and Killer Croc, and others. He wrote on such titles as Action Comics, All-Star Comics, All-Star Squadron, Arak, Batman. Batman Family, The Brave and the Bold, Challengers of the Unknown, DC Comics Presents, Doorway to Nightmare, Firestorm, The Flash, Freedom Fighters, The Fury of Firestorm, Hercules Unbound, House of Mystery, House of Secrets, Jonah Hex, Justice League of America, Kamandi, Kong the Untamed, Legion of Super-Heroes, Man-Bat, Metal Men, Mystery in Space, New Gods. Secret Society of Super Villains, Star-Spangled War Stories, Steel the Indestructible Man, Sun Devils, Super-Team Family, Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes, Superman, The Superman Family, Swamp Thing. Sword Quest, Tarzan, The Unexpected. Weird Western Tales, The Witching Hour, Wonder Woman, World's Finest Comics, Young Love, and other titles. He also wrote the DC/Marvel crossover Superman vs. the Amazing Spider-Man. 

Gerry Conway also wrote comic books for Eclipse Comics' The Unknown Worlds of Frank Brunner, First Comcs' Hawkmoon: The Jewel in the Skull and Hawkmoon: The Mad God's Amulet, Topp Comics' Nightglider, and Disney Comics' Disney Adventures.

In addition to comics books, Gerry Conway also did substantial work in film and television. He co-wrote the screen play for the Ralph Bakshi animated feature Fire and Ice (1983) with fellow comic book writer Roy Thomas. They also wrote the story Conan the Destroyer (1984). In 1985, he broke into television with scripts for the animated series G.I. Joe. He wrote scripts for the animated television series Transformers, Centurions, My Little Pony 'n Friends, Spiral Zone, Dino-Saucers, and Dino-Riders. He broke into live-action television with a script for Monsters in 1990.

In the Nineties, he wrote for the TV shows Father Dowling Mysteries, Jake and the Fatman, Matlock, Batman: The Animated Series, Under Suspicion, Two, Pacific Blue, Baywatch Nights, Diagnosis Murder, Players, Silk Stalkings, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Law & Order, and The Huntress. He wrote some of the Perry Mason TV movies.

In the Naughts, Gerry Conway wrote for the show Law & Order and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

In my humble opinion, Gerry Conway was one of the greatest comic book writers of all time. He created several characters who are still pertinent to this day, including Atomic Skull, Firestorm, Jason Todd, Killer Croc, Killer Frost, Man-Thing, Power Girl, and The Punisher, among others. And while I don't particularly like the story (Gwen Stacy is one of my favourite comic book characters, he wrote one of the most revolutionary comic book stories of all time, "The Night Gwen Stacy Died" from Amazing Spider-Man no. 121 (June 1973). While I am not fond of the story, I have to admit it was well-written and it certainly changed the industry forever. 

He was also an excellent television writer and wrote some of my favourite episodes of Law & Order: Criminal Intent, including "Con-Text" and "Probability." For Batman: The Animated Series, he wrote "Appointment in Crime Alley." During his television career, he wrote stellar scripts for everything from Monsters to Matlock.

Above all else, I have to say Gerry Conway seemed like an incredibly nice guy. I followed him on Twitter when that was still a thing, and asked him a few questions about his television work. He always responded and did so politely and with a good deal of humour. He was a great writer and apparently a kind person as well. He will definitely be missed. 

"Dream Police" by Cheap Trick

It has already been a hectic week and I am preparing my eulogy for the late, great Gerry Conway, so I will leave you with one of my favourite songs of all time, "Dream Police" by Cheap Trick. 

Mary Beth Hurt Passes On

Mary Beth Hurt, who appeared in such films as Interiors (1978) and The World According to Garp (1982), died on March 28, 2026, at the age of 79. She had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2015.

Mary Beth Hurt was born Mary Beth Supinger on September 26, 1946, in Marshalltown, Iowa. As a child she was babysat by future film star Jean Seberg, who lived only a street over from her family. She graduated from Marshalltown High School and then enrolled in the University of Iowa to study drama. After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree, she continued post-graduate work at New York University's Tisch School. She met and married actor William Hurt during this period. They divorced in 1982. 

Mary Beth Hurt moved to Ealing, West London, where she became part of the theatre troupe The Questors. She made her Broadway debut in 1974 in Love for Love. In the Seventies, she appeared on Broadway in the productions The Rules of the Game, The Member of the Wedding, Trelawny of the "Wells",  Secret Service, and The Cherry Orchard. She made her television debut in the TV movie Ann in Blue in 1974. She guest starred on the shows Kojak, Great Performances, and Visions. She appeared in the mini-series 3 By Cheever. She made her movie debut in 1978 in Interiors. She appeared in the films Head Over Heels (1979) and A Change of Seasons (1980).

In the Eighties, Mary Beth Hurt appeared on Broadway in Twyla Tharp Dance, Crimes of the Heart, The Misanthrope, Benefactors, and The Secret Rapture. She appeared in the movies The World According to Garp (1982), D.A.R.Y.L. (1985), Compromising Positions (1985), Parents (1989), and Slaves of New York (1989). She was a regular on the shows Tattingers and Working It Out. She guest starred on Thirtysomething.

In the Nineties, she appeared on Broadway in A Delicate Balance. On television, she guest starred on Saturday Night Live, Monty, and The Beat. She appeared in the mini-series The Wild West. She appeared in the movies. She appeared in the movies Defenseless (1991), Light Sleeper (1992), My Boyfriend's Back (1993), The Age of Innocence (1993), Shimmer (1993), Six Degrees of Separation (1993), Affliction (1997), Bringing Out the Dead (1999), Autumn in New York (2000), and The Family Man (2000).

In the Naughts, Mary Beth Hurt appeared in Top Girls. She appeared in the movies Red Dragon (2002), The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005), Perception (2005), The Dead Girl (2006), Lady in the Water (2006), The Walker (2006), Untraceable (2008), and Lebanon, Pa. (2010). She guest starred on the TV shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Law & Order. In the Teens, she appeared on Broadway in The House of Blue Leaves. She appeared in the movies Young Adult (2011), The Volunteer (2013), and Change in the Air (2018).

Mary Beth Hurt was extremely talented and very versatile, able to play a wide variety of roles. She displayed that talent in her film debut as Joey in Interiors, who is uncertain as to her career and takes her family's troubles to heart. Helen Holm in The World According to Garp is a strong, independent, and  brilliant English professor who provides some stability to her husband Garp's life. In The Age of Innocence, she played the somewhat passive Regina Beautfort, the wife of Julius Beautfort. Throughout her career she played a wide variety of roles, from a Massachusetts housewife with a dark secret to a doctor to judges, and she did all of them well. 

Patrick Muldoon Passes On

Patrick Muldoon, who played Richard Hart on the night time soap opera Melrose Place and was a regular on the daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives, died on April 19, 2026, at the age of 57. The cause was a heart attack.

Patrick Muldoon was born on September 27, 1968. He went to Loyola High School in Los Angeles and then the University of Southern California. His major was English and communications, and he graduated in 1991. He played football in both high school and college. He did some modelling.

Patrick Muldoon was discovered by a talent agent, who got him a guest appearance on the sitcom Who's the Boss? in 1990. It was in 1992 that he began his run as Austin Reed on Days of Our Lives. In 1995, he was cast in the recurring role of Richard Hart on Melrose Place. He guest starred on the shows Saved by the Bell and Silk Stalkings. He also appeared in several TV movies. He appeared in the movies Rage and Honor II (1993), Starship Troopers (1997), Wicked (1998), The Second Arrival (1998), Stigmata (1999), Red Team (1999), and Chain of Command (2000).

In the Naughts, he appeared in the movies Blackwoods (2001), Bad Karma (2001), Whacked! (2002), Heart of America (2002), Military Intelligence and You! (2006), Broken Angel (2008), Japan (2009), The Steam Experiment (2009), and Repo (2010). He also appeared in several television movies.

In 2011, he returned to Days of Our Lives as Austin Reed. He appeared on the TV series The Bay and several more TV movies. He appeared in the movies Last Will (2011), Born to Ride (2011), Spiders 3D (2013), The Dog Who Saved Easter (2014), Patient Killer (2014), Christmas in Palm Springs (2014), Badge of Honor (2015), The Dog Who Saved Summer (2015), Robo-Dog (2015), The Wicked Within (2015), Little Dead Rotting Hood (2016), Fishes 'n' Loaves: Heaven Sent (2016), A Horse's Tail (2016), Robo-Dog: Airborne (2017), American Satan (2017), Saving Christmas (2017), A Dog & Pony Show (2016), Runnin' from My Roots (2018), Alpha Wolf (2018), Bernie the Dolphin (2018), My Adventures with Santa (2019), Bernie the Dolphin 2 (2019), The Comeback Trail (2020), and Timecrafters: The Treasure of Pirate's Cove (2020).

In the 2020s, he guest starred on the TV show Second Chances and appeared in the TV movie Double Scoop. He appeared in the movies Vanquish (2021), Magic in Mount Holly (2021), Deadlock (2021), Dakota (2022), The Junkyard Dogs (2022), Marlowe (2022), Kids Can (2023), The Quest for Tom Sawyer's Gold (2023), Pray for Me: Key To Freedom (2023), Murder at Hollow Creek (2024), and The Corner (2025).

"Wild Thing" by The Troggs

It was sixty years ago today that The Troggs hit no. 1 on the Billboard  Hot 100 with "Wild Thing." The song would become the band's signature tune, and would have a lasting impact on rock music. It is a prime example of proto-punk and I think a good argument could be made that it is outright punk. It would be covered by artists from The Jimi Hendrix Experience to The Runaways to Cheap Trick to X. 

Given the song is the signature song of The Troggs, it may surprise many that it was not written for them. The first band to record the song was The Wild Ones, who recorded it in 1965. The Wild Ones was the house band of the New York City nightclub Arthur, which was owned by socialite Sybil Christopher, who was the wife of Wild Ones lead singer Jordan Christopher. Sybil Christopher asked songwriter Chip Taylor to write a song for the band. Chip Taylor composed the song in only a few minutes. Their version of "Wild Thing" was released on November 1, 1965, but failed to chart. 

Precisely who suggested that The Troggs record "Wild Thing" is a matter of dispute. Larry Page who was The Troggs' manager at the time, always claimed that he was the one who suggested that they record "Wild Thing." Reg Presley claimed that Larry Page wanted them to record a cover of a Lovin' Spoonful tune instead. Regardless of whoever came up with the idea of The Troggs recording "Wild Thing," it turned out to be a great idea. "Wild Thing" not only reached no. 1 in the United States, but peaked at no. 2 in The Troggs' native Britain. It reached no.1 in Australia and no. 2 in Canada. Strangely enough, the song was released on two different labels in the United States due to a distribution dispute. It was released on both Fontana and Atco Records. A settlement would eventually be reached so that Fontana would have exclusive distribution rights to all Troggs records. 

A promotional clip for "Wild Thing" was filmed at the Odenplan Metro station in Stockholm, Sweden.

A Few Songs About Superman

It was today in 1938 that Action Comics no. 1 (June 1938) hit newsstands. Of course, it marked the debut of Superman. While Superman was not the first superhero, he proved to be a phenomenon and as a result cemented the superhero genre. Not long after Superman's debut, there would be many more superheroes to follow. Some, like Batman and Captain Marvel are still significant today. As might be expected, Superman would inspire several songs. Here are a few of them.


Here is "Superman" by Dale Hawkins from 1958. I am not sure, but it may bet the first rock 'n' roll song to reference the Man of Steel.

Despite its title "Sunshine Superman' by Donovan from 1966 is not a song about Superman, although it does reference not only Superman, but Green Lantern as well (although I don't know if it is Alan Scott or Hal Jordan that Donovan is referencing).

The 1969 song "Superman" by The Clique is perhaps better known for the fact that it was covered in 1986 by R.E.M. Regardless, it is one of my favourite songs about the Man of Steel.

"(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman," from The Kinks' 1979 album Low Budget isn't about Superman, but rather about a mere mortal with a drab life who longs to be the Man of Tomorrow. It was inspired by the movie Superman (1978), which had come out the previous year.

"Superman's Dead," the 1997 song by Our Lady Peace, isn't really about Superman, but instead about how television had evolved from the simple honesty of the 1950s television show The Adventures of Superman to darker material like Beavis and Butthead.

More so than the other songs here, the 2000 song by Three Doors Down "Kryptonite" is about Superman. Indeed, the song appears to be sung from the point of view of the Man of Steel himself to Lois Lane, asking if she will still stay by him if he fails.

Wiliam Holden in Stalag 17 (1953)

(This post is part of the 7th Golden Boy Blogathon: A William Holden Celebration, hosted by The Flapper Dame and The Wonderful World of Cinema)

Harvey Lemeck, William Holden
and Robert Strauss 

William Holden was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actor, but only won once. As great as he was as Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard (1950) and as he would be as Max Schumacher in Network (1976), it was for his role as J.J. Sefton in Stalag 17 (1953) that he won his only Oscar for Best Actor.

Stalag 17 (1950) centres on American airmen being held as prisoners-of-war in the came called Stalag 17. In particular, the film focus on the men of Barracks 4. The barracks chief Sgt. "Hoffy" Hoffman (Richard Erdman) and security officer Sgt. Frank Price (Peter Graves) set up an escape of two men. Unfortunately, both men are shot in the escape attempt. Afterwards, the barracks' black marketeer, Sgt. J.J. Sefton, is suspected of having informed the Germans of the escape attempt. Sefton is very intelligent and individualistic, and something of a cynic.

Stalag 17 was based on the 1951 Broadway play of the same name by Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski. Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski drew inspiration for the play from their own experiences as prisoners in Stalag 17B in Austria. The play opened on Broadway on May 8, 1951,  at the 48th Street Theatre. It ran for 472 performances. The play was produced by the legendary Jose Ferrer and featured some notable actors in its cast including Frank Campanella, John Ericson, Eric Fleming, Harvey Lembeck (who would reprise his role in the film), and Allan Melvin. 

It was while Stalag 17 was still running on Broadway that Paramount bought the film rights to the play. Billy Wilder, fresh from Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Ace in the Hole (1951), was set to direct. Billy Wilder suggested Charlton Heston for the role of J.J. Sefton, but he was no longer considered once the character evolved to become less heroic and more cynical. The role was then offered to Kirk Douglas, who turned down the part, something he later regretted. It was then that William Holden, who had worked with Billy Wilder on Sunset Boulevard (1950), was cast as J.J. Sefton.

With Edwin Blum, Billy Wilder would make substantial changes from the play Stalag 17. This was particularly true of its tone, which not only became more cynical but also more infused with dark humour. The film version of Stalag 17 became more firmly focused on Sefton. While the stage play was fairly straight-forward, Billy Wilder's film version would be something closer to a suspense thriller with touches of comedy. Indeed, some people have even counted Stalag 17 (1951) as film noir. 

One change requested by a Paramount executive would be resisted by Billy Wilder. The executive worried about the film's success in West Germany, and so he suggested that the guards in the prison camp be changed from Germans to Poles. Billy Wilder was both Polish and Jewish and had lost family in the Nazi concentration camps. He not only refused to change the nationality of the guards, but demanded that the executive apologize. 

Stalag 17 had a remarkable cast beyond William Holden. Four actors reprised their roles from the play: Harvey Lembeck as Sgt. Harry Shapiro, Robert Strauss as Stanislas "Animal" Kuzawa, William Pierson as Marko the Mailman, and Robert Shawley as Blondie Peterson. Edmund Trzcinski, who co-wrote the play with Donald Bevan, has a cameo in the film as a POW who gets a rather interesting letter from home. Gil Stratton, who plays Clarence "Cookie" Cook, the film's narrator and Sefton's aide, would later become a noted sportscaster with CBS. Of course, Otto Preminger who plays Stalag 17's commandant Colonel von Scherbach, was a renowned director. Don Taylor, who played Lieutenant James Dunbar (who is staying at Barracks 4 until he can be sent to an officer's camp), would later become a director himself , directing such films as Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971) and The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977). Peter Graves, who played security officer Frank Price, would later become best known as Jim Phelps on Misson: Impossible. Also in the cast were Richard Erdman, Sig Ruman, and William Pierson. In an uncredited role as a singing POW was singer and songwriter Ross Bagdasarian, who in a few years would become famous as David Seville, the manager of The Chipmunks. 

The prison camp Stalag 17 was built at the John Show Ranch in Woodland Hills in Los Angels County. Interiors were filmed at Paramount Studios in Hollywood. The weather actually cooperated with Billy Wilder and his plans for Stalag 17 (1953). He had wanted the camp to be muddy. Filming began on February 4, 1952, and lasted until March 29, 1952. This is generally the rainy season in Los Angeles, so Mother Nature provided the cast and crew with plenty of mud. In fact, it rained for days. Because his cast and crew had to work in the mud for days, Billy Wilder then chose to wear an expensive pair of custom made, English shoes, thinking it was the only fair thing to do. Of course, the shoes were ruined.

Most movies are shot out of sequence because shooting movies in chronological order is not only time-consuming, but more expensive. Despite this, Stalag 17 (1953) was shot in chronological order. This was to keep the identity of the informant in the movie secret for as long as possible. In fact, it was only in the last three days of shooting that the identity of the informant was made known.

Stalag 17 (1953) premiered in London on May 29, 1953. It premiered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on June 6, 1953. The movie picked up a good deal of critical acclaim. Clyde Gilmour in the Vancouver Sun appreciated the black humour of the film, writing, "Hollywood after Stalag 17 can no longer be accused of falsely idealizing Uncle Sam's warriors by portraying most them in the movies as boyish, wholesome, stainless-steel defenders of truth and beauty and apple pie and the American Way of Life." The critic at Harrison Reports noted "Thanks to the brilliant handling of the subject matter by producer-director Billy Wilder, and to the fine acting of the entire cast, the picture has been fashioned into a first-rate entertainment."Even the typically curmudgeonly Bosley Crowther of The New York Times referred to it as ""cracker-jack movie entertainment.

Audiences loved Stalag 17 (1953) as well. By January 1954, Stalag 17 (1953) had made $3.3 million. It would ultimately make $10 million. Unfortunately for Billy Wilder, he would not see his fair share of the profits from Stalag 17 (1953). Because his previous movie Ace in the Hole (1951) had lost a good deal of money, Paramount deducted the money it had lost from Billy Wilder's profits for Stalag 17 (1953). This would ultimately be one of the reasons Billy Wilder left Paramount.

Stalag 17 (1953) would receive its share of accolades. As mentioned earlier, William Holden won the Oscar for Best Actor for the film. Over the years, some have speculated that William Holden may have won the Oscar for Stalag 17 (1953) because he did not win the Oscar for Sunset Boulevard (1950). William Holden himself thought that Burt Lancaster should have won the Academy Award for Best Actor for From Here to Eternity (1953) instead. Of course, some would argue that William Holden should have won for both Sunset Boulevard (1950) and Stalag 17 (1953). Billy Wilder was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director for Stalag 17 (1953) and Robert Strauss for Best Supporting Actor. 

Stalag 17 (1953) would have a lasting impact on popular culture. Indeed, it seems likely that every single prisoner-of-war movie made since, from The Great Escape (1963) to King Rat (1965) has been influenced by it. There was one television show set in a POW camp that playwrights Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski outright plagiarized their work.  In  January 1967, Messrs. Bevan and Trzcinski filed a lawsuit against CBS and Bing Crosby Productions alleging that the TV show Hogan's Heroes plagiarized Stalag 17. They claimed that in 1963 they had wrritten a one hour script based on Stalag 17 that CBS rejected. They further claimed that CBS then hired other writers to create a similar series, saving the network money. The case would not go to trial until after Hogan's Heroes ended its original network run. The jury actually decided in favour of Donald Bevan and Edmund Trzcinski, only to have the judge reverse their decision. Quite simply, the judge found "striking differences in the dramatic mood of the two works."

Like many of Billy Wilder's films, Stalag 17 (1953) is a complex blend of drama, suspense, and comedy featuring often complicated characters. As Sefton, William Holden plays one of his most interesting characters, a self-serving cynic who at the same time is capable of both courage and loyalty. The rest of the cast, from Gil Stratton as the somewhat naive Cookie to Robert Strauss as the boisterous Animal, also give impressive performances. Not only did William Holden deserve to win the Oscar for Best Actor in Stalag 17 (1953), but the film itself should have been nominated for and won Best Picture, as well as other Oscars. From a director and a lead actor who made many classics, Stalag 17 (1953) numbers among the best films Billy Wilder and William Holden ever made. 

Seventy Years of "Roll Over Beethoven"

It was seventy years ago today, on April 16, 1956, that Chuck Berry recorded the song "Roll Over Beethoven" at the Universal Recording Corp. studio in Chicago. Supposedly the song was inspired by Chuck Berry's real life. His sister Lucy was trained in classical music, while Chuck Berry was a self-taught rhythm-and-blues/rock 'n' roll performer. 

"Roll Over Beethoven" proved to be a hit for Chuck Berry. It went to no. 2 on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart and no. 29 on the pop chart. It has also been covered multiple times. Even before The Beatles became The Beatles, "Roll Over Beethoven" was one of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrision's favourite songs. They would record it for their second album, With The Beatles, in 1963. Another famous cover of the song was by the Electric Light Orchestra, who recorded it for their 1973 album ELO 2. This version opened with notes from Beethoven's Fifth Symphony and included material from the symphony withing the song itself. Released as a single, it went to no. 6 on the UK singles chart. The song has also been covered by such artists as The Flairs, The Vanguards, The Astronauts, The Sonics, Mountain, Climax, Uriah Heep, Gerry & The Pacemakers, The Flamin' Groovies, and others.

Without further ado, here is the one and only original "Roll Over Beethoven" by Chuck Berry.

John Nolan Passes On

John Nolan, who played Geoff Hardcastle on Doomwatch, antagonist John Greer on Person of Interest and Wayne Enterprises board member Douglas Fredericks in Batman Begins (2005) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), died on April 11, 2026, at the age of 87.

John Nolan was born on May 22, 1938 in Westminster, London. His nephews were director Christopher Nolan and screenwriter Jonathan Nolan. In the 1960s John Nolan toured Ireland with a "Fit Up" company. He studied acting at the Drama Centre in London. He was part of the Royal Court Company before joining the Royal Shakespeare Company. He had roles in Julius Caesar, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and other productions. He would later become part of Trevor Nunn’s innovative National Theatre ensemble company.

John Nolan made his television debut in an episode of The Prisoner in 1967. In the late Sixties, he guest starred on Hadleigh and Strange Report. He starred in the mini-series Daniel Deronda and played Geoff Hardcastle on Doomwatch, In the Seventies, he appeared in the mini-series Shabby Tiger and guest starred on Thriller, Marked Personal, The Sweeney, Six Days of Justice, General Hospital, The Sunday Drama, The Rag Trade, 1990, Target,, Return of the Saint, Crown Court, Enemy at the Door, and ITV Playhouse. He appeared in the movie Shabby Tiger. He appeared in the movies Bequest to the Nation (1973), Terror (1979), and The World is Full of Married Men (1980). In 1998, he appeared in the movie Following.

In the Naughts, John Nolan appeared on the shows Victoria and Silent Witness. He appeared in Batman Begins (2005). In the Teens, he appeared as John Greer on the show Person of Interest and the movie The Dark Knight Rises (2012). In 2017, he appeared in the movie Dunkirk.  In 2024, he appeared on the show Dune:Prophecy. 

John Nolan was an incredible talent who could play a wide variety of roles. He was the somewhat irritable, but intellectually curious scientist Geoff Hardcastle on Doomwatch. In Batman Begins and The Dark Knight Returns, he played Douglas Fredericks, the Wayne Enterprises board member who was loyal to the memory of Thomas Wayne and to his son Bruce Wayne. On Person of Interest, he played John Greer, the MI^ officer who comes to serve Samaritan, a super-intelligent but amoral computer system. John Nolan could play any number of roles and play all of them well. 

Actress Jessie Jones Passes On

Actress Jessie Jones, who guest starred on shows from Newhart to Murphy Brown, died on March 20, 2026, at the age of 75 following a long illness. 

Jessie Jones was born on August 21, 1950 in the Texas Panhandle. She attended the University of Texas and began her acting career at a local theatre in Austin. She met Nicholas Hope, who cast her in a play. She moved to New York City to act in the theatre, and then went to Hollywood.

Jessie Jones made her television debut in an episode of Hooperman . In the late Eighties, she guest starred on the shows Newhart, Night Court, Murphy Brown, Designing Women, and Perfect Strangers. In the Nineties, she guest starred on the shows Who's the Boss?, Fudge, Grace Under Fire, The Crew, Caroline in the City, Weird Science, Melrose Place, Unhappily Ever After, and You're the One. She appeared in the movies Switch (1991) and Ed and His Dead Mother (1993). In the Naughts, she appeared on the shows Judging Amy and Cold Case. 

Jessie Jones also wrote plays with Jamie Wooten and Nicholas Hope, including The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, Christmas Belles, and Dearly Beloved. She also wrote episodes of the shows Teacher's Pet and For Your Love. The movie Kingdom Come (2001) was based on the Jones Hope Wooten play Dearly Departed

Godspeed James Tolkan

Character actor James Tolkan, who played Mr. Strickland in the Back to the Future movies and appeared in yet other movies from Wolfen (1981) to Dick Tracy (1990), died on March 26, 2026, at the age of 94.

James Tolkan was born on June 20, 1931 in Calumet, Michigan. He graduated from Amphitheatre High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1949. He served in the United States Navy, but was discharged in under a year due to a heart condition. He attended Coe College and then graduated from the University of Iowa in 1956 with a Bachelor of Arts. He then moved to New York City where he studied acting under Stella Adler and Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio. A classmate was Warren Beatty.

James Tolkan made his television debut in 1960 in an episode of Naked City. In the Sixties, he guest starred on the TV shows Armstrong Circle Theatre and N.Y.P.D. He made his debut on Broadway in 1964 in The Three Sisters. He also appeared on Broadway in Wait Until Dark in 1966. He made his movie debut in the film adaptation of The Three Sisters (1966) and appeared in the movie Stiletto (1969).

In the Seventies, James Tolkan appeared on Broadway in the productions Mary Stuart, Narrow Road to the Deep North, 42 Seconds from Broadway, Full Circle, Golda, and Wings. He appeared in the movies They Might Be Giants (1971), The Werewolf of Washington (1973), The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973), Serpico (1973), Love and Death (1975), Abduction (1975), and The Amityville Horror (1979). He guest starred on the TV show Ourstory.

In the Eighties, James Tolkan played Mr. Strickland in Back to the Future (1985) and Back to the Future Part II (1989), and Mr. Strickland's ancestor Marshal Strickland in Back to the Future Part III (1990). He also appeared in the movies Wolfen (1981), Prince of the City (1981), Hanky Panky (1982), Author! Author! (1982), WarGames (1983), Nightmares (1983), Iceman (1984), The River (1984), Turk 182 (1985), Walls of Glass (1985), Off Beat (1986), Top Gun (1986), Armed and Dangerous (1986), Masters of the Universe (1987), Made in Heaven (1987), Split Decisions (1988), Viper (1988), True Blood (1989), Second Sight (1989), Ministry of Vengeance (1989), Family Business (1989), Opportunity Knocks (1990), and Dick Tracy (1990). He appeared on Broadway in Glengarry Glenn Ross. On television, he was a regular on the short-lived show Mary, starring Mary Tyler Moore. He had a recurring role on Remington Steele. He guest starred on the shows American Playhouse, Hill Street Blues, The Disney Sunday Movie, Miami Vice, The Equalizer, Sunset Beat, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

In the Nineties, James Tolkan had regular roles on the short-lived shows The Hat Squad and Cobra. He guest starred no the shows Tales from the Crypt, Tequila and Bonetti, The Wonder Years, Nowhere Man, Early Edition, and The Pretender. He appeared in the movies Hangfire (1991), Driving Me Crazy (1991), Problem Child 2 (1991), Boiling Point (1993), River of Stone (1994), Underworld (1996), and Robo Warriors (1996).

In the Naughts, James Tolkan was part of the repertory cast of the TV series A Nero Wolfe Mystery. He appeared in the movies Seven Times Lucky (2004) and Heavens Fall (2006). In the Teens, he appeared in the movie Bone Tomahawk (2015).

James Tolkan was best known for playing forceful, often intimidating characters, of which Mr. Strickland may be the best example. They were the sort of roles at which he excelled, but he could play other sorts of roles as well. On A Nero Wolfe Mystery alone, he played everything from  FBI Special Agent in Charge of the New York Office Richard Wragg in "The Doorbell Rang" to president of a holding company Avery Ballou in "Death of a Doxy." In Leverage he played evil millionaire Dean Chesney, who actually steals a heart from a young boy desperately in need of a transplant. He could so comedy, and played Napoleon Bonaparte in Love and Death (1975). James Tolkan was an enormous talent and could play a large array of roles. 

"Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" from Jesus Christ Superstar

I am feeling under the weather due to my seasonal allergies, so I don't feel up to a full post. With Easter Sunday just past and it still being Easter season, I thought I would share my favourite song from one of my favourite Easter movies. "Gethsemane (I Only Want to Say)" from Jesus Christ Superstar dramatises the Agony in the Garden of Gethsamane thst Jesus Christ experienced after the Last Supper according to the Gospels. This clip is from the 1973 movie directed by Norman Jewison.