Michael Ansara R.I.P.

Michael Ansara, who played Deputy Marshal Buckhart on the TV show Law of the Plainsman, Cochise on the TV show Broken Arrow, and made an large number of guest appearances on other shows, died on 31 July 2013 at the age of 91.

Michael Ansara was born in Syria on 15 April 1922. He immigrated to the United States with his parents when he was two years old. He attended Los Angeles City College with the intent of becoming a physician, but while there became interested in acting. He graduated from Los Angeles City College with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and then studied acting at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, California. He made his film debut in an uncredited part in Action in Arabia (1944).  He went onto small roles in such films as Intrigue (1947), Queen Esther (1948), and Kim (1950).

Mr. Ansara made his television debut in an episode of Family Theatre in 1951. During the Fifties he starred in two prime times television series. He appeared as Cochise in Broken Arrow, which ran from 1956 to 1958, and then as Deputy U.S. Marshal Sam Buckhart in Law of the Plainsman, which ran from 1959 to 1960.  He guest starred on such shows as China Smith, Terry and the Pirates, The Lone Ranger, Dragnet, Medic, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Hawkeye and the Last of the Mohicans, Frontier Doctor, Zane Grey Theatre, Naked City, The Rifleman (on which the backdoor pilot for Law of the Plainsman appeared), The Westerner, and The Untouchables. He appeared in such films as My Favourite Spy (1951), Brave Warrior (1952), The Golden Hawk (1952), The Lawless Breed (1953), Julius Caesar (1953), The Robe (1953), The Saracen Blade (1954), Sign of the Pagan (1954), Jupiter's Darling (1955), Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955), Diane (1956), The Lone Ranger (1956), The Ten Commandments (1956), and The Sad Sack (1957).

In the Sixties Michael Ansara appeared on such shows as Tales of Wells Fargo, Wagon Train, The Farmer's Daughter, Burke's Law, Perry Mason, The Outer Limits,  Rawhide, Ben Casey, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Lost in Space, Bewitched, The Virginian, Daniel Boone, Gunsmoke, The Fugitive, Star Trek, It Takes a Thief, The High Chaparral, and I Dream of Jeannie. He appeared in such films as Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961), The Comancheros (1961), The Confession (1964), The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965), Harum Scarum (1965), And Now Miguel (1966), Texas Across the River (1966), The Destructors (1968), Daring Game (1968), Guns of the Magnificent Seven (1969), and The Phynx (1970).

In the Seventies Mr. Ansara guest starred on such shows as The Mod Squad, Bearcats, Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco, Mission: Impossible, McMillan and Wife, Police Story, Barbary Coast, McCloud, Kojak, Vega$, and Buck Rogers in the 25th Century. He appeared in such films as Dear Dead Delilah (1972), Stand Up and Be Counted (1972), The Doll Squad (1973), The Bears and I (1974), It's Alive (1974), The Message (1977), Day of the Animals (1977), and The Manitou (1978).

In the Eighties Michael Ansara found a new career voicing animated cartoons. During the Eighties his voice appeared on such animated series as Thundarr the Barbarian, Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends, and Rambo. He appeared on such TV shows as Simon & Simon; Days of Our Lives; Hunter, The Fall Guy, Hardcastle and McCormick, Mike Hammer; and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the films The Guns and the Fury (1981), Bayou Romance (1982), Access Code (1984), KGB: The Secret War (1985), Knights of the City (1986), and Border Shootout (1990).

From the Nineties into the Naughts Michael Ansara guest starred on the shows Babylon 5 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. He provided the voice of Mr. Freeze in the animated series Batman: The Animated Series, The New Batman Adventures, and Batman Beyond, also providing the voice of Dr. Freeze for the films Subzero and Batman Beyond: The Movie, as well as the video game Batman: Vengeance. He appeared in the film The Long Road Home (1999).

Although he was Syrian in birth, Michael Ansara was one of the many actors in Hollywood who was called upon to play just about any role belong to an ethnicity that was Northern European in descent. Over the years he played Native Americans (indeed, his two lead roles on TV shows were both Natives), Mexicans, Arabs, and Pacific Islanders (indeed, he played King Kamehameha, the historic Hawaiian king, on an episode of I Dream of Jeannie). With his great height (he stood 6' 3") and a booming voice, he also played a good number of heavies over the years. Indeed, among his most famous roles was that of Klingon commander Kang on various Star Trek shows. Despite this, there can be no doubt that Michael Ansara was a very versatile actor. While he was very good at playing villains, it must be noted that his two lead roles on TV shows (Broken Arrow and Law of the Plainsman) were both heroes, and he excelled in both. What is more, although he rarely got to display it, he had a gift for comedy. One of his most memorable roles for me was that of Rufus the Red, the enemy of one of Darrin's Irish ancestors, on Bewitched. It can be little wonder why Michael Ansara was so prolific as an actor. With his singular appearance and a talent to play nearly any role, it is not surprising as to why he was so much in demand during his career.

Congratulations to Lyndsy Spence on Her First Book

I want to congratulate my friend Lyndsy Spence on the publication of her first book, The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life. It was released in the United Kingdom yesterday. It will be published in the United States on 1 November later this year. The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life is a unique look at the famous Mitford Sisters (whose number included author Nancy Mitford and muckraking journalist Jessica Mitford), applying the lives of the famous Mitford girls to modern life. If you would like to learn more about The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life and Miss Spence's other projects, I interviewed her this past June: An Interview with Lyndsy Spence, Author of The Mitford Girls' Guide to Life .She also runs the Mitford Society, an online community devoted to the famous sisters, which can be found on Facebook as well as its own blog.

Miss Spence isn't only an author, but she is also a screenwriter. She co-wrote the short "The Flower Girl", which is due to come out in the United Kingdom this September.  A script she wrote for a feature film is also currently in development. You can check out Lyndsy Spence's IMDB profile here.

Eileen Brennan Passes On

Actress Eileen Brennan, who appeared in such films as The Last Picture Show and Murder by Death, died 28 July 2013 at the age of 80. The cause was bladder cancer.

Eileen Brennan was born on 3 September 1932 in Los Angeles, California. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and then trained in acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Her first major role was in the off-Broadway production Little Miss Sunshine in 1959. She made her Broadway debut in The Student Gypsy in 1963. Her television debut was a production of The Star Wagon that aired on NET in 1966. She made her film debut in Divorce American Style (1967). In the Sixties she was a regular on the television show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In. She made guest appearances on the TV shows The Ghost & Mrs. Muir and The Most Deadly Game. On Broadway she appeared in Hello, Dolly.

In the Seventies Miss Brennan appeared in such films as The Last Picture Show (1971), Scarecrow (1973), The Sting (1973), Daisy Miller (1974), At Long Last Love (1975), Hustle (1975), Murder by Death (1976), The Cheap Detective (1978),  and Private Benjamin (1980). She was a regular on the television shows All That Glitters, 13 Queens Boulevard, and A New Kind of Family.  She guest starred on the shows All in the Family, McMillan & Wife, Jigsaw, Insight, and Visions.

In the Eighties she appeared in the films Pandemonium (1982), The Funny Farm (1983), Clue (1985), The New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988), Sticky Fingers (1988), Rented Lips (1988), Going to the Chapel (1988), It Had to Be You (1989), Stella (1990), Texasville (1990), and White Palace (1990).  She was a regular on the shows Private Benjamin and Off the Rack. She guest starred on the shows Taxi, The Love Boat, Magnum P.I., Newhart, and The Ray Bradbury Theatre.

In the Nineties Eileen Brennan appeared in such films as Joey Takes a Cab (1991), I Don't Buy Kisses Anymore (1992), Nunzio's Second Cousin (1994), Reckless (1995), Boys Life 2 (1997), Changing Habits (1997), Pants on Fire (1998), and Moonglow (2000). She guest starred on the shows Blossom, thirtysomething, American Dreamer, Home Improvement, Murder She Wrote,  Walker Texas Ranger, ER, Mad About You, and Touched by An Angel. From the Naughts into the Teens she appeared in the films Jeepers Creepers (2001), Dumb Luck (2003), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Peanut Butter (2007), The Kings of Appletown (2009), and Naked Run (2011).  She guest starred on such shows as Arli$$, Strong Medicine, 7th Heaven, and Will & Grace.

Eileen Brennan was an immensely talented actress with a gift for both comedy and drama. She could play almost anything, from the jaded waitress in The Last Picture Show to hard as nails Captain Lewis in Private Benjamin to grande dame Mrs. Peacock in Clue. Over the years she was nominated for an Oscar and for multiple Emmys, and with good reason. Few actresses of her time were as talented as Eileen Brennan.

A Bit of Joe E. Brown for His Birthday

Today Joe E. Brown is probably best known for his role as millionaire Osgood Fielding III in Some Like It Hot (1959). That having been said, by the time of his appearance in that classic, he had already had a long career. Starting out as a tumbler, he had performed in circuses and on Vaudeville since he was nine years old. Over time he incorporated comedy into his act, until eventually he was a comedian rather than a tumbler. As a comedian he proved very successful.

Of course, seeing success as a comic naturally meant Hollywood would come knocking on his door, and he made his film debut in the short "Twinkle, Twinkle" in 1927. With the drama Crooks Can't Win in 1928 he made his feature film debut. It was with the comedy Hit of the Show that Joe E. Brown received his first leading role. While only classic film buffs might remember his movies today, Joe E. Brown was one of the most popular comic actors of the Thirties and Forties. Films such as The Tenderfoot (1932),  Alibi Ike (1935), Earthworm Tractors (1936), and The Gladiator (1938) proved very successful at the box office.

In tribute to Mr. Brown on his birthday, here are a few of his appearances. The first is the "Little Mousie" routine from Bright Lights (1935).

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Next up is Joe E. Brown and Jackie Robinson in a segment from the show I've Got a Secret. Messrs. Brown and Robinson had something in common: they were both professional baseball players at one time or another!


And last, here is Joe E. Brown's musical routine, "I Faw Down, Go Boom".

James Mason and Cats

If you are a fan of actor James Mason, chances are good that you know he loved cats. Indeed, he and his wife Pamela even co-wrote a book on cats, including The Cats in Our Lives and lent their names to the fiction anthology Favourite Cat Stories of Pamela & James Mason. Over the years James Mason had many feline friends, and he clearly knew cats well. He once said, "Cats do not have to be shown how to have a good time, for they are unfailing ingenious in that respect." As a fellow cat lover, I know that to be true. Here are a few pictures of James Mason (and one with Pamela as well) and his various feline friends.

Why Klout Should Not Underestimate Google+

The past few months there has been a common complaint among Google+ users who also have Klout accounts. Namely, it appears to them that Klout undervalues Google+'s contributions to individuals' scores, while overvaluing those from Facebook. As a Google+ power user who also has a Klout account, I think their complaints have merit. Despite the fact that I post more to Google+, that twenty times as many people have me circled on Google+ as I have friends on Facebook, and the fact that I see much more interaction on Google+ in the form of plusses (the equivalent of "likes" on Facebook) and comments, Klout consistently claims that Facebook contributes more to my Klout score than Google+. The only conclusion that I (and many others on Google+) can make is that Klout is dramatically undervaluing Google+'s contribution to Klout scores.

Speaking as Google+ power user and an admitted Google+ fanboy, this hardly seems right to me. To me if Klout truly wishes to measure influence on the web, then it should not matter on which social media site one has the most influence. A like on Facebook should be treated the same as a plus on Google+, which should be treated the same as a like (or whatever they call them) on Instagram. Quite simply, one social media site should not be favoured over others, which seems to many what Klout is actually doing.

Even if someone could make the argument that all social media sites are not created equal, there are some very good reasons that Klout should place Google+ on equal footing with Facebook. I will outline them below.

1. Google+ is the Second Largest Social Media Site in the World: In January 2013 the Global Web Index announced that Google+ had overtaken Twitter as the second largest social media site. It boasts 359 million monthly users. Indeed, over 8000 people have me circled on Google+, which is 10 times as many people follow me on Twitter and about 20 times the number of friends I have on Facebook. And contrary to the claims of some that Google+ is a ghost town, G+ users are very active on the site. While I have no statistics to back this up, I can tell you that many of those I have circled post several times a day. And every day at that.

2. Public Google+ Posts Show Up in Google Search Results: Every public post I make to Google+ will show up in Google+ search results. That is, if I make a post on the character Emma Peel of The Avengers, that post has a chance of showing up every time a person searches for "Emma Peel" on Google. Even if one were to make a public post on Facebook (I don't do so myself personally, nor do many people I know), the odds of it showing up in Google Search results seem very low. In fact, I don't ever remember seeing a Facebook post show up as a search result anywhere, not on Google, not on Yahoo, not even on Bing. It seems to me, then, that a Facebook post will only be seen by one's Facebook friends and followers (if one has any), while a Google+ post might be seen by many more people than one's circlers. Of course, this points to a problem Facebook has (probably due to concerns its users have over privacy). While people will post publicly to G+ and will have public Twitter accounts, they generally limit their Facebook posts to their friends. I don't think that will change any time soon.

3. There is No Limit to the Number of Circlers One Can Have on Google+:  While one can only circle a maximum of 5000 people on Google+, there is no limit to how many people can circle one. I know private individuals--not celebrities--who have upwards of 50,000 circlers or more. Facebook only allows one to have a maximum of 5000 friends, period. While Facebook does allow people to follow individuals without being friends with them, those followers will only see public posts. Most people I know do not have the option for followers enabled and those who do generally do not make public posts. Once again, one's posts are generally going to be seen onlhy by one's friends, who are set at a maximum of 5000. To put it in other words, on Google+ even my private posts will be seen by over 8000 people (not counting those who find them in searches), as opposed to the 400 or so on Facebook (that's if they see them...).

4. Google+ Does Not Filter Posts: Unlike Facebook, Google+ does not automatically filter posts. Any filtering of posts is in the hands of the user. I can adjust the "volume" of various circles to where I might see some from one circle, none from another, and everything from yet another. This is not the case with Facebook, which employs an algorithm called EdgeRank to determine which posts are displayed on one's News Feed. Now one can set any given friend so that his or her posts show in one's news feed and one can set it to see "all updates". The problem is that if one wants to see every single update from every single friend in his or her news feed, one would have to go to each and every friend's profile to set it to "show in news feed" and "see all updates". Not only would that be time consuming, but it might not even work. I have had many instances where a friend or relative's post did not show up in my news feed, even though I had them set to "show in news feed" and "see all updates". That has never happened on Google+.

5. Major Brands Have Discovered Google+: While it seems to me that most major brands do not have Google+ pages, there are several that do. And some have proven very successful at engaging users. Clothing giant H&M has over 3 million followers on Google+. Candy maker Cadbury also has over 3 million followers on Google+. Both companies post almost every day and often receive a good deal of engagement from their followers. H&M and Cadbury are not the only companies that have seen success on Google+, as others have as well. The simple fact is that big business has become aware of Google+ and have started utilising it as a tool for promotion.

Of course, some might question why it is important that Klout place Google+ on an equal ground with Facebook. Klout has more than its fair share of detractors, from those who question whether online influence can be numerically measure to those who even question the very principle of measuring influence on the web. I must confess, I have questioned whether online influence can truly be quantified myself. That having been said, I can think of two basic reasons why it matters that Klout treats Google+ the same as it does Facebook. The first is the fact that Klout offers Perks, free products or experiences from various brands. To receive most of these Perks one must usually meet certain criteria, among which is often that one must have a Klout score over a certain amount. If one is a power user on Google+ and only a casual user on Facbook, then he or she might find himself or herself losing out on Perks simply because his or her score is too low due to Klout undervaluing Google+.

Second, while it might seem hard to believe,  there are businesses in some industries that do look at Klout scores when hiring individuals. It then seems possible that a person who is very influential on Google+ and Twitter, but with no influence on Facebook could lose out on a job because his or her score is low dues to Klout undervaluing Google+. Now personally I think looking at Klout scores when hiring people is not only unfair, but unwise as well. And fortunately I get the impression that this practice is nowhere nearly as common as many on the internet would have one believe. In the end, however, the very fact that even one business might look at Klout scores when hiring people should make Klout think carefully about how they go about determining individuals' Klout scores.

If Klout is undervaluing Google+'s contributions to individuals scores as many of us believe, then it should be corrected immediately. Indeed, the fact that Google+ is a huge social network with many, many active users should be enough for Klout to treat it on an equal basis with Facebook and Twitter. The fact that Google+ has several advantages over Facebook should be more than enough for them to do so. In the end, however, I think Klout should treat all social media sites equally. The simple fact is that if one can get 1000 likes on LinkedIn (in my experience the least active social network that I am on), then that should be counted the same as 1000 likes on Facebook. To do otherwise is to not truly measure online influence at all.

(Credit Where Credit is Due Department: This post came about largely due to many conversations with my brother, Berry Towles Canote. His contributions were priceless)

The Late Great Dennis Farina

Dennis Farina, who played Lt. Mike Torello on Crime Story and Detective Joe Fontana on Law & Order, died today at the age of 69. The cause was a pulmonary embolism.

Dennis Farina was born in Chicago on 29 February 1944. He attended St. Michael Grammar School and St. Michael Central High there. After graduating high school he served for a time in the United States Army. He worked for a time in the South Water produce market in Chicago. Afterwards he joined the Chicago Police Department, starting out as a patrolman on the city's North Side. Four years later he became a detective. He served on the Chicago Police Department for 18 years.

He began his career as an actor after he met director Michael Mann in 1981, who was scouting locations in Chicago for his film Thief. As a result Dennis Farina received a small role in the film. In the Eighties Mr. Farina appeared in such films as Code of Silence (1985), Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986), Manhunter (1986), Midnight Run (1988), and Men of Respect (1990). It was in 1986 that Dennis Farina was cast in the lead role of Lt. Mike Torello on the TV series Crime Story. While the show only lasted two years, it developed a cult following that it has maintained throughout the years. He also guest starred on such shows as Hardcastle and McCormick, Hunter, Remington Steele, Miami Vice, and China Beach.

In the Nineties Dennis Farina appeared in such films as We're Talkin' Serious Money (1992), Mac (1992), Street Crimes (1992), Another Stakeout (1993), Striking Distance (1993), Little Big League (1994), Get Shorty (1995), Eddie (1996), That Old Feeling (1997), Out of Sight (1998), Saving Private Ryan (1998), The Mod Squad (1999),  Reindeer Games (2000), and Snatch. (2000).  He guest starred on the show Tales From the Crypt.

In the Naughts and Teens he played lead roles in the shows The In-Laws, Law & Order, and Luck. From the Naughts into the Teens he guest starred on the show Law & Order: Trial By Jury and provided the voice of Wildcat on the animated series Justice League. He appeared in such films as Sidewalks of New York (2001) , Big Trouble (2002), Stealing Harvard (2002), Paparazzi (2004), The Grand (2007), Bag Boy (2007), and The Last Rites of Joe May (2011). He is due to appear later this year in Authors Anonymous (2013).

As Crime Story is one of my favourite shows of all time, I always thought of Dennis Farina as Lt. Mike Torello. He was excellent in the role. I suppose this should not have been surprising given the fact that he had experience in real life as a police detective, something most actors never have. Regardless, he could play roles vastly different from Mike Torello and do them quite well. Indeed, on Miami Vice he played what was arguably Torello's polar opposite, mobster  Albert Lombard. While he played both police officers and gangsters quite often, he also played a number of other sorts of roles. In Saving Private Ryan he played a lieutenant colonel in the Army. In Manhunter he played FBI profiler Jack Crawford, tracking down Hannibal Lector. And while Dennis Farina was best known for serious material, he had a flair for comedy. Mr. Farina even won an American Comedy Award for his role in Get Shorty. And he gave a solid performance in the comedy That Old Feeling. Although best known for his roles on Crime Story and Law & Order, Dennis Farina was a versatile actor who could play a wide variety of roles.