Godspeed Richard Anderson

Richard Anderson, the actor who played Lt. Drumm on Perry Mason, District Attorney Glenn Wagner on Bus Stop, Police Chief George Utermeyer on Dan August, and Oscar Goldman on the shows The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman, as well as appeared in movies from Scaramouche (1952) to Seven Days in May (1964), died on August 31 2017 at the age of 91.

Richard Anderson was born on August 8 1926 in Long Branch, New Jersey. His family later moved to Los Angeles. It was there that he appeared in high school plays. During World War II he served in the United States Army. Following his stint in the Army Mr. Anderson studied acting at the Actors Laboratory in Los Angeles. He eventually started appearing in summer stock productions and on radio shows such as Suspense.

Richard Anderson made his film debut in the Mexican film La perla in 1947. From the late Forties into the Fifties he appeared in several films, including the classics Scaramouche (1952) and Forbidden Planet (1956). He also appeared in such movies as The Vanishing Westerner (1950), The Magnificent Yankee (1950), Rich, Young and Pretty (1951), Across the Wide Missouri (1951), I Love Melvin (1953), Give a Girl a Break (1953), The Student Prince (1954), Hit the Deck (1955), The Buster Keaton Story (1957), The Long, Hot Summer (1958), and The Wackiest Ship in the Army (1960). He made his television debut in 1950 as a regular on the TV series Mama Rosa. As the Fifties progressed he began appearing more frequently on television and less frequently in films. He had a recurring role on Zorro. He guest starred on such shows as Captain Midnight, The Millionaire, Playhouse 90, Schlitz Playhouse, Zane Grey Theatre, Wagon Train, Law of the Plainsman, The Untouchables, Thriller, and Wanted: Dead or Alive.

In the Sixties Richard Anderson had both regular and recurring roles on several shows. He was one of the stars of the TV show Bus Stop and he played Lt. Steve Drumm on Perry Mason. He played Police Chief Utermeyer on Dan August. He had recurring roles on the shows The Lieutenant and 12 O' Clock High. He also made frequent guest appearances throughout the decade on such shows as The Rifleman, The Virginian, Dr. Kildare, Combat!, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Death Valley Days, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Run for Your Life, The Green Hornet, Mission: Impossible, The Fugitive, Bonanza, The Wild Wild West, Mannix, The Big Valley, Daniel Boone, Land of the Giants, The Mod Squad, and Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Colour. He appeared in such movies as A Gathering of Eagles (1963), Johnny Cool (1963), Seven Days in May (1964), Kitten with a Whip (1964), Seconds (1966), Ride to Hangman's Tree (1967), and Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970).

In the Seventies Richard Anderson appeared as Oscar Goldman, the  head of the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) on both the TV shows The Six Million Dollar Man and The Bionic Woman. He reprised his role as Chief Utermeyer in a series of Dan August TV movies that aired in 1980. He appeared in the mini-series Pearl. He guest stared on such shows as Alias Smith and Jones, Columbo, Longstreet, Hawaii Five-O, The Streets of San Francisco, The F.B.I., The New Perry Mason, Gunsmoke, Ironside, and The Love Boat. He also appeared in the TV movie The Night Strangler (the sequel to the TV movie The Night Stalker that preceded the regular series Kolchak: The Night Stalker). He appeared in the films The Honkers (1972), Play It As It Lays (1972), Black Eye (1974), and Never Give Up (1978).

In the Eighties Richard Anderson was a regular on the short-lived TV series Cover Up. He had a recurring role on Dynasty. He reprised his role as Oscar Goldman in the TV movies The Return of the Six-Million-Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman and Bionic Showdown: The Six Million Dollar Man and the Bionic Woman. He guest starred on such shows as Charlie's Angels; Nero Wolfe; Knight Rider; The Fall Guy; Fantasy Island; The A-Team; Hardcastle and McCormick; Simon & Simon; and Murder, She Wrote.

In the Nineties Richard Anderson appeared in the films The Player (1992), Gettysburg (1993), and The Glass Shield (1994). He reprised his role as Oscar Goldman in the TV movie Bionic Ever After?. He was the narrator on the syndicated TV series Kung Fu: The Legend Continues and made a guest appearance on the show.

Richard Anderson was an extremely prolific actor. In the Fifties and Sixties he appeared in a number of movies and guest starred on a number of TV shows, often while he had regular or recurring roles on shows.  If Richard Anderson was very much in demand throughout his career, it was perhaps because he was a very good actor. Throughout his career he played a large number of authority figures, including police officers, lawyers, military officers, and politicians. He even played historical figures from time to time, including Lyndon B. Johnson in the 1987 mini-series Hoover vs. The Kennedys: The Second Civil War and General George G. Meade in Gettysburg. While he often played authority figures, he was quite capable of playing other roles as well. In fact, he played villains in his many appearances on TV Westerns, including a criminal plotting to pirate the Cartwright's steamboat on Bonanza. He was also the villain of the TV movie The Night Stalker. Richard Anderson's appearance and impressive voice made him perfect for roles ranging from cops to bad guys. What is more, he had the talent to make any role he played convincing.

Tobe Hooper R.I.P.

Tobe  Hooper, who directed The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1975) and the television mini-series Salem's Lot, died on August 26 2017 at the age of 74.

Tobe Hooper was born on January 25 1943 in Austin, Texas. He broke into film making by directing documentaries. In 1964 he wrote and directed his first narrative film, the short "The Heisters". His first feature film, Eggshells, was released in 1969. It was in 1974 that Texas Chain Saw Massacre was released. The film was made for only $300,000, but made $30.8 million at the box office. It proved extremely influential as one of the earliest slasher films. Mr. Hooper followed it with Eaten Alive (1976). He was the original director on The Dark (1979), but was replaced by John "Bud" Carlos. He directed the television mini-series Salem's Lot.

In the Eighties Mr. Hooper directed the films The Funhouse (1981), Poltergeist (1982), Lifeforce (1985), Invaders from Mars (1986), The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), and Spontaneous Combustion (1990). He also worked in television during the decade. He directed episodes of the shows Amazing Stories, The Equalizer, and Freddie's Nightmares.

In the Nineties Tobe Hooper did a good deal of work in television. He directed episodes of the shows Haunted Lives: True Ghost Stories, Tales from the Crypt, Nowhere Man, Dark Skies, Perversions of Science, Prey, and The Others. He directed one of the segments of the TV movie Body Bags and the TV movies The Apartment Complex. He directed the films Night Terrors (1993) and The Mangler (1995).

From the Naughts into the Teens he directed the movies Toolbox Murders (2004), Mortuary (2005/), Destiny Express Redux (2009), and Djinn (2013). He directed episodes of the TV shows Night Visions, Taken, and Masters of Horror.

Tobe Hooper was certainly a master when it came to delivering frightening movies. The success of The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was due in a large part because it was a very scary movie and in part because it was more graphic than most horror films up to that time. It would certainly prove to be an influence on the cycle of slasher movies that took place during the late Seventies and early Eighties. Even his work in television could be scary. Salem's Lot remains one of the more frightening mini-series aired on television, and he directed many frightening individual episodes of shows. While he had the occasional misfire, Tobe Hooper was ultimately a director who was very talented at scaring people.

TCM Classic Film Festival Dates Announced for 2018

Yesterday Turner Classic Movies announced the dates for next year's TCM Classic Film Festival. It will be held from April 26 to April 28 2018. Passes are set to go on sale in November. The theme this year is "Powerful Words: The Page Onscreen". According to TCM's press release, it will celebrate "the representation of the written word on the silver screen."

For more information visit the official TCM Classic Film Festival site here.

Jay Thomas's Clayton Moore Story

Sadly, actor and disc jockey Jay Thomas died earlier this week at the age of 69. Not only do I have fond memories of his many roles on various television shows, but I also have fond memories of his annual appearances on The Late Show with Dave Letterman at Christmastime. The tradition began in 1998 when Jay Thomas was a guest alongside New York Jets quarterback Vinny Testaverde. David Letterman had Mr. Testaverde try to knock a large meatball off the top of a Christmas tree with an American football. Both Messrs. Letterman and Testaverde tried and failed. Jay Thomas came out and knocked the meatball of the top of the Christmas tree on the first try. Later on that particular show Mr. Thomas told a story about a time when he was a disc jockey at WAYS in Charlotte, North Carolina and he made a promotional appearance with Clayton Moore (who was in his full Lone Ranger costume).

Jay Thomas's appearance on the Christmas edition of The Late Show with Dave Letterman went over so well that it became an annual tradition, with Mr. Thomas returning every year (except 2013, which he missed due to throat surgery) to retell his story about Clayton Moore and to try to knock a meatball off the top of a Christmas tree. It became as much a part of Dave Leterman's Christmas show as Darlene Love performing "Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)".

In honour of Jay Thomas and for those who have fond memories of his annual appearances on The Late Show with Dave Letterman, here is his appearance on the show from 2009. If you have never seen it, you are in for a treat.

Godspeed Jay Thomas

Jay Thomas, who starred on the sitcom Love & War and had significant recurring roles on Cheers and Murphy Brown, died today at the age of 69. He had been struggling against cancer.

Jay Thomas was born Jon Thomas Terrell on July 12 1948 in Kermit, Texas. He grew up in New Orleans. It was while he was in college that he did both sportscasting and stand-up comedy. He eventually became a DJ in New York. He later worked for KPWR in Los Angeles. Mr.Thomas was still a DJ when he was cast in a recurring role on Mork & Mindy in 1981. Later in the decade he played the recurring role of hockey player Eddie LeBec on Cheers. Still later he had a recurring role on Muprhy Brown as tabloid talk show host Jerry Gold. He was part of the cast of the short lived show Married People. He also guest starred on such shows as Love Boat, Spenser: For Hire, Family Ties, A Year in the Life, The Golden Girls, and Open House. He appeared in the movies C.H.U.D. (1984) and The Gig (1985).

In the Nineties Jay Thomas was one of the leads on the show Love & War. He played newspaper columnist Jack Stein. In the first season Jack had an on-again, off-again romance with restaurateur Wally Porter (played by Susan Dey). Susan Dey left the show at the end of the first season, after which Annie Potts joined the cast as Dana Palladino. Dana bought Wally's restaurant and became Jack's love interest not long afterwards. He later starred in the short-lived comedy Katie Joplin. Jay Thomas also continued to appear on Murphy Brown as Jerry Gold. He also guest starred on Cybill, Ink (as Jack Stein), Fantasy Island, The Simple Life, Dead Man's Gun, and Working.  He was a regular voice on the TV cartoon Hercules and a guest voice on Batman: The Animated Series, Goof Troop Aaahh!!! Real Monsters and The Wild Thornberrys. He appeared in the movies Straight Talk (1992), Mr. Holland's Opus (1995), Dirty Laundry (1996), A Smile Like Yours (1997), The Adventures of Ragtime (1998), Monkey Business (1998), Last Chance (1999), Stranger in My House (1999), and The Big Tease (1999).

In the Naughts Mr. Thomas guest starred on The Education of Max Bickford, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Run of the House, Joan of Arcadia, Boston Legal, and Cold Case. He appeared in the movies The Santa Clause 2 (2002), The Pool Boys (2009), Labor Pains (2009), and Sex Tax: Based on a True Story (2010). He was a voice in the animated film Teacher's Pet (2004).

In the Teens he had a recurring role on Ray Donovan. He guest starred on the shows Retired at 35, Hung, Shake It Up!, NCIS: New Orleans, and Bones. He appeared in the Horrorween (2011), Snatched (2011), Talker (2011), Life Tracker (2013), Underdogs (2013), and The Trials of Cate McCall (2013).

In 2005 he began a stint as the host of The Jay Thomas Show on SiriusXM Satellite Radio. 

Beginning in 2001 Jay Thomas began a stint as an annual guest on the Christmastime edition of The Late Show with David Letterman. Each time he told the story of his experience with the legendary Clayton Moore when he was still a DJ.

Jay Thomas was quite simply an incredible actor. He had a particular gift for comedy, with impeccable timing. What is more, he could play a variety of roles. As Eddie LeBec he was a good natured hockey player with a superstitious streak. As Jerry Gold  he was a right-wing tabloid talk show host. As Jack Stein he was a liberal newspaper columnist. Curiously, Jay Thomas often played Jewish characters, even though his father was Catholic and his mother was Protestant. He was so convincing many people believed he was Jewish.

While he was particularly gifted at comedy, Jay Thomas could play dramatic roles just as well.  He played Mr. Holland's best friend, football coach Bill Meister in Mr. Holland's Opus. On Ray Donovan he played . Marty Grossman, owner of salacious TMZ-style website Stalker.com. Of course, Jay Thomas was also an incredible storyteller. While I loved him in nearly every role in which I saw him, my fondest memories of Mr. Thomas are not as an actor, but instead as David Letterman's guest telling his extremely funny but true story about his experience with Clayton Moore. Jay Thomas was a versatile actor with a gift for comedy, but one who could also play dramatic roles equally well. Quite simply, he was one of the best character actors to emerge in the Eighties.

Dick Gregory R.I.P.

Satirist and comedian Dick Gregory died on August 19 2017 at the age of 84. The cause was heart failure.

Dick Gregory was born on October 12 1932 in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Sumner High School in St. Louis. A track star in high school, he earned a track scholarship to Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. He left college in 1954 to join the United States Army. It was his commanding officer who urged him to take up comedy, and he took part in several Army talent shows. After his service Mr. Gregory returned to Southern Illinois University, but he eventually dropped out.

It was in 1956 that he moved to Chicago in hopes of pursuing a career in comedy. During the day he worked various jobs, while at night he did stand-up comedy at various night clubs about the city. He opened his own club, the Apex Club, in 1958, but it did not last long. It was in 1961 that he received his big break. Comedian "Professor" Irwin Corey had cancelled a gig at the Playboy Club in Chicago and Dick Gregory was asked to fill in for him. It was that same year that he made his television debut on The Jack Paar Tonight Show.

Dick Gregory would appear frequently on television in the Sixties. He made appearances on The Tonight Show, The Jack Paar Program, That Regis Philbin Show, Firing Line, The Eamon Andrews Show, The Merv Griffin Show, Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In, and The Ed Sullivan Show. He was a co-host on The Mike Douglas Show in 1962. In the Seventies he continued to appear frequently on television. He was a co-host again on The Mike Douglas Show. He also appeared on The David Frost Show, The Helen Reddy Show, Black Journal, and Soul Train. After the Seventies Dick Gregory's appearances on television decreased, although he appeared occasionally on such shows as Donahue, Hour Magazine, and Sharp Talk. 

Dick Gregory released a highly successful series of stand-up comedy records in his career. His first, In Living Black and White, was released in 1961. He released several albums in the Sixties, including East & West (1961), Dick Gregory Talks Turkey (1962), The Two Sides of Dick Gregory (1963), My Brother's Keeper (1963), Dick Gregory Running for President (1964), So You See... We All Have Problems (1964), Dick Gregory On: (1969), The Light Side: The Dark Side (1969), Dick Gregory's Frankenstein (1970), and Live at the Village Gate (1970). In the Seventies he released the albums At Kent State (1971), and Caught in the Act (1974). He released two more albums, 21st Century "State of the Union" and You Don't Know Dick in 2016.

Dick Gregory appeared in several films over the years, primarily as himself in concert films and documentaries. Over the years he appeared as himself in such films as It's a Revolution Mother (1969), Chicago Blues (1970), Prologue (1970), Goodbye Uncle Tom (1971), In Remembrance of Martin (1986), Comic Relief (1986), The N Word (2004), The Anatomy of Vince Guaraldi (2009), and Irwin & Fran (2013). He also acted in a few films as well, including Sweet Love, Bitter (1967), Panther (1995), Children of the Struggle (1999), The Hot Chick (2002), Steppin: The Movie (2009), and Ir/Reconcilable (2014). He is set to appear in the film The Leisure Seeker.

 Dick Gregory also wrote several books, including his 1964 autobiography, Write me in!, From the Back of the Bus, What's Happening?, The Shadow that Scares Me, and many others.

Dick Gregory was certainly a revolutionary comic and satirist. Among other things he was a sharp break from African American comedians earlier in the 20th Century, such as Red Foxx and Slappy White, whose humour could often be quite earthy. In contrast, Mr. Gregory's humour tended to be wry and witty. Indeed, he openly addressed race relations at a time when most comedians chose not to. He did so not by preaching at audiences about the evils of racism, but instead showed its absurdity by making mocking observations about it. Given the subject matter of his routines in the early Sixties, some today might be surprised to know that Dick Gregory was one of the first black comedians to cross over to performing in front of white audiences. He was also wildly popular in the Sixties and Seventies.

In addition to being a comedian and satirist, Dick Gregory was also a civil rights activist. In 1962 he took part in his first demonstration for voting rights in Mississippi. He spoke in Selma, Alabama on October 7 1963 as part of a voter registration drive known as "Freedom Day". Beyond being active in the civil rights movement, Mr. Gregory was also involved in activism against the Vietnam War, for economic reform, and against drugs.

Dick Gregory was truly a groundbreaking satirist and comic, addressing racial concerns just as the civil rights movement was gaining ground. What is more, he was extremely funny. With wry humour and wit he exposed the absurdity of racism in American society, all the while remaining very funny.

Godspeed Sir Bruce Forsyth

Sir Bruce Forsyth, the legendary presenter of the British variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium and many game shows over the years, died on August 18 2017 at the age of 89.

Sir Bruce Forsyth as born on February 22 1928 in Edmonton, Middlesex. He attended the Latymer School in Edmonton. When he was eight years old he became obsessed with tap dancing after seeing Fred Astaire movies at his local cinema. He then trained in dance in Tottenham and later Brixton. Mr. Forsyth began performing while still a child. He made his television debut when he was still very young, appearing on the TV show Come and Be Televised in 1939. He appeared on stage at the Theatre Royal in Bilston, billed as "Boy Bruce, the Mighty Atom". He played the accordion, ukulele, and banjo.

Mr. Forsyth spent many years in music halls around the United Kingdom, interrupted only by two years of national service in the Royal Air Force. He made his first appearance as an adult on television in 1954 on Variety Parade. Over the next few years he appeared on Music-Hall, The Winifred Atwell Show, and Spectacular. It was while performing at Babbacombe in Devon in 1957 that a fellow dance act recommended Mr. Forsyth to their agent, Billy Marsh. It was through Mr. Marsh that Sir Bruce Forsyth landed an appearance on the TV show New Look. This led to Sir Bruce Forsyth becoming the host of the variety show Sunday Night at the London Palladium. He hosted the show from 1958 to 1960. After a year-long break he returned as its host and remained until 1964.

In the Sixties Mr. Forsyth continued to host Sunday Night at the London Palladium. Along with Frankie Howard he was one of the two hosts of the show Frankie and Bruce. In 1965 he appeared in his own television special, The Bruce Forsyth Show. He appeared on such shows as That's for Me, Thank Your Lucky Stars, Showtime, Two of a Kind, and It's Lulu. He also did a bit of acting during the decade. He guest starred on Mystery and Imagination in an adaption of The Canterville Ghost. He appeared in the films Star! (1968) and Can Heironymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness? (1969).  He also appeared in Royal Variety Performances.

In the Seventies Sir Bruce Forsyth was the host of his own show, The Bruce Forsyth Show as well as Big Night. He hosted his first game show, The Generation Game. He guest starred on such shows as Cilla, Rolf Harris Show, The Morecambe & Wise Show, and The Muppet Show. He appeared in the TV specials Frankie and Bruce and Sammy and Bruce. As an actor he appeared in the films Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) and The Magnificent Seven Deadly Sins (1971). He also appeared in Royal Variety Performances.

In the Eighties Mr. Forsyth acted as a regular in the TV series Anna Pavlova and as the star in the TV series Slinger's Day. He guest starred in an episode of Magnum P. I. He hosted the game shows Play Your Cards Right, Hollywood or Bust, Hot Streak, and You Bet. He starred in the TV specials Forsyth Follies and Bruce and Ronnie. He also appeared in Royal Variety Performances.

In the Nineties Sir Bruce Forsyth hosted the game shows Takeover Bid, Bruce's Price is Right, and a revival of The Generation Game. He also hosted the variety show Guest Night and Tonight at the London Palladium. He appeared in the movie House!.  From the Naughts into the Teens he was the host of Strictly Come Dancing.

For my fellow Americans it may be hard to understand the importance of Sir Bruce Forsyth in the history of British television. We simply don't have any figure that quite corresponds to him. One could describe him as a British Ed Sullivan, but Mr. Sullivan could not sing or dance and wasn't nearly as warm and friendly. One could describe him as a British Bob Barker, but Mr. Barker can not sing and dance and has never hosted variety shows. The simple fact is that Mr. Forsyth could do it all. He could sing. He could dance. He could act. He could be a comedian. None of this should come as any surprise as Sir Bruce Forsyth was one of the last music hall entertainers. Before his success on television he spent years entertaining people in music halls across the United Kingdom. And like many music hall entertainers, he developed a number of different talents.

Of course, Sir Bruce Forsyth was never a favourite with critics. Even when he became famous in the late Fifties he was a bit old-fashioned, a sharp contrast to the Angry Young Men of the era. He was first and foremost an entertainer. He was not there to educate his audience, to enlighten his audience, or to persuade them to take a stand on any particular issue. Sir Bruce Forsyth was there to make them laugh, to make them smile, to make them escape the troubles of their days for a while. This probably explains his popularity for six decades. When one watched Sir Bruce Forsyth, they were guaranteed a half hour or hour of pure escapism. It is something that is sometimes missing from entertainment today. Sir Bruce Forsyth really was one of the last of his kind.