The 70th Anniversary of Holiday Affair (1949)

Today when classic movie fans are asked what their favourite Christmas movies are, they are apt to answer with such films as It's a Wonderful Life (1946), Miracle on 34th Street (1947), or The Bishop's Wife (1947). Although not as well known as those films, many fans might well answer, Holiday Affair (1949). A box office failure upon its initial release, Holiday Affair would find popularity through repeated airings on television. Holiday Affair premiered at Loew's State Theatre in New York City on November 23 1949. It went into wide release throughout the United States on Christmas Eve, December 24 1949.

Holiday Affair centres on young war widow Connie Ennis (played by Janet Leigh) with a young son, Timmy (played by Gordon Gebert). For the past few years she has been seeing lawyer Carl Davis (played by Wendell Corey), who has proposed to her multiple times to no avail. Connie's life is turned upside down when she meets drifter and veteran Steve Mason (played by Robert Mitchum). Connie then finds herself having to choose between the two men. 

Holiday Affair was based on the original story "Christmas Gift" by John D. Weaver. In fact, its working title was Christmas Gift and it would go through one other title, The Man Who Played Santa Claus, before receiving its name "Holiday Affair." The film was directed by Don Hartman, who had written the screenplays for Road to Morocco (1942) and Wonder Man (1945) among other movies. Prior to Holiday Affair he had directed the films It Had to Be You (1947) and Every Girl Should Be Married (1948). The screenplay was written by Isobel Lennart, who had earlier written the screenplays for Anchors Aweigh (1945) based on a story by Natalie Marcin and It Happened in Brooklyn  (1947) with J.P. McGowan. She would later write screenplays for such films as Love Me or Leave Me (1955) and Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956).

Among other things, today Holiday Affair is known for its unusual casting. In 1949 Robert Mitchum was best known for his "tough guy" roles in film noirs such as Crossfire (1947) and Out of the Past (1947). Contrary to popular belief, Robert Mitchum does not appear to have been cast in Holiday Affair in an effort to soften his image after his September 1 1948 marijuana bust with actress Lila Leeds. In fact, the drug bust appears to have had little to no impact on his career. Howard Hughes, who had control of RKO, was clearly not worried about Mr. Mitchum's arrest. Following the arrest, he moved up the release of Rachel and the Stranger (1948), which proved to be a box office hit. With regards to Holiday Affair, production on the film began in July 1949 in order for the film to be released in November or December of that year. Regardless of having been arrested for possession of marijuana, Robert Mitchum was an unusual choice for a romantic comedy.

While in 1949 Robert Mitchum was already an established actor with an established image, Janet Leigh was still relatively new to films. She had signed with MGM and made her film debut in 1947 in The Romance of Rosy Ridge. Afterwards she appeared in such high profile films for the studio as Words and Music (1948) and Little Women (1949). Among the people who took notice of Janet Leigh was none other than Howard Hughes. Hughes made a deal with MGM to loan Miss Leigh to RKO for three movies. MGM never bothered to ask her permission or to even ask if she wanted to be loaned out.

Unfortunately, Janet Leigh's experiences with Hughes would be unpleasant, to say the least. According to the biography Robert Mitchum: "Baby I Don't Care" by Lee Server, in one scene Hughes had Miss Leigh wear an extremely tight sweater. That would hardly be the worst of her experiences with Howard Hughes. It was towards the end of production on Holiday Affair that Hughes called Miss Leigh into a meeting. Once there he showed her a report made by private eyes on her activities and claimed that her current boyfriend, Arthur Loew, Jr., had been keeping track of her out of jealousy. Janet Leigh knew right then that it was Hughes himself who had ordered the investigation. She told him in no uncertain terms that any further meetings would strictly be business.

While her experiences with Howard Hughes were unpleasant, Janet Leigh enjoyed working with co-stars Robert Mitchum and Wendell Corey. The two men liked to pull practical jokes on the young actress, some of which actually helped her performance in the film. In a scene in which Steve is supposed to plant a surprise kiss on Connie, Robert Mitchum planted a real kiss on Janet Leigh instead of a stage kiss. The surprised look on her face is then quite genuine. In a later scene, in which Steve and Carl are sitting on either of side of Connie, each man placed a hand on each of Miss Leigh's knees, making her look uncomfortable in a scene that called for her to look uncomfortable. Janet Leigh would later say that she learned a great deal about acting from Robert Mitchum.

While Wendell Corey's stage career went back to the Thirties, he was still relatively new to movies when he appeared in Holiday Affair. He had made his film debut in Desert Fury in 1947 and soon found his niche playing the secondary male lead in most of his films. Holiday Affair would be his first comedy, having appeared in thrillers and dramas up to that point.

Today the promotional campaign for Holiday Affair must seem odd for a romantic comedy, so much so that one must suspect that Howard Hughes had a hand in the campaign. One poster looks more like it is from one of Robert Mitchum's film noirs, with Mr. Mitchum grabbing Janet Leigh's arm and the tagline, "It happened in December...but it's hotter than July!" Another poster features Janet Leigh in shorts (something she did not wear in the movie) with the tagline, "Baby, you're just what I want for Christmas!" Of course, not every poster tried to make Holiday Affair look like a film noir or a salacious sex comedy. One poster advertised Holiday Affair for what it was, with the tagline, "Mr. Hard-to-Get goes romantic and you will go wild about Mitchum in his new kind of role!"

Variety gave Holiday Affair a positive review, describing it as "...a warm Christmas offering." Showman's Trade Review also gave the movie a good review, calling it an "...amusing romantic comedy that is certain to delightfully and thoroughly entertain everyone." The New York Times was a bit more critical of the film. While it refers to Holiday Affair as "an amiable little romance," the review also says, "This corner finds it much too saccharine for either credibility or delight."

While Holiday Affair received fairly good reviews, it performed dismally at the box office. It lost $300,000. Today the reason for the failure of Holiday Affair is difficult to say. It  is possible that audiences in 1949 could not accept "tough guy" Robert Mitchum as a romantic lead. It is also possible that the promotional campaign backfired, as audiences might not have known what to expect from posters that made it look like a film noir or a sex comedy. It also seems possible that its release date may have played a role in its failure at the box office. Although it premiered in New York City on November 23, it was not released to the rest of the United States until December 24. That means that for most of its initial run Christmas Day was already past. Particularly after New Year's Day, audiences may not have been in the mood for a holiday themed romantic comedy.

While Holiday Affair failed at the box office, it would become a holiday favourite through repeated showings on television. According to film critic and expert on when feature films first aired on television, Lou Lumenick, the earliest showings of Holiday Affair on television in the United States were in December 1958. It may have first aired in New York City on December 12 1960 on Million Dollar Movie on WOR, although it is possible it could have aired earlier on Sneak Preview, a movie anthology on which titles were not announced ahead of time (hence they do not appear in TV listings). Regardless, Holiday Affair would become a staple on television stations throughout the United States during the Sixties. Contrary to popular belief, Turner Classic Movies did not save Holiday Affair from obscurity. The film was still being shown frequently on local television stations throughout the Nineties. That having been said, there can be no doubt that TCM helped expose Holiday Affair to many who had never seen it before.

Holiday Affair would be remade as a TV movie in 1996 by the USA Network with Cynthia Gibb as Connie Ennis and David James Elliott as Steve Mason. Unlike the original movie, the TV movie has long since been forgotten and is rarely seen today. 

As to why Holiday Affair would prove to be a success, it may well be because it is a romantic comedy that is very different from any made before or since. In many romantic comedies one of the rivals vying for the heroine's hand will either be a bore (an example being John Sloan in Christmas in Connecticut) or an outright cad (a recent example being Glenn in The Wedding Singer). In Holiday Affair, however, both Steve and Carl are totally nice guys. In fact, I have heard quite a few women say that they would have chosen Carl instead of Steve.

Another way in which Holiday Affair is a bit more sophisticated than films made before and since is its portrayal of Connie's son Timmy. In many movies, even from the Golden Age of Hollywood, children are either portrayed as saccharine sweet angels or as total brats. This is not the case with Timmy, who comes off as a real kid. Much of this is by Gordon Gebert's performance, which is entirely naturalistic.

Of course, much of the success of Holiday Affair is probably due to the performance of the leads. Janet Leigh, Robert Mitchum, and Wendell Corey all do very well in their respective roles. Indeed, many watching Holiday Affair may well regret that Robert Mitchum didn't make more comedies. In addition to the leads, Holiday Affair also has a good supporting cast. In one of the earliest roles of his career and what may be the movie's standout scene, Harry Morgan (later known for Pete and Gladys and M*A*S*H) plays a wisecracking police lieutenant. It is quite possibly one of the best performances of Harry Morgan's career.

At the core of Holiday Affair, and what may be responsible for much of its success, is Isobel Lennart's screenplay. She could have easily written Carl as a total heel so that audience's sympathies would be firmly with Steve, but instead she wrote him as a nice guy, making him a much more viable romantic rival. She could have easily written Timmy as a brat, given him funny one-liners and having him engage in humorous hijinks in an effort to make the movie funnier. Instead she wrote him as a more realistic little boy, making the film both more poignant and more true-to -life. She also provided the movie with some truly great lines (particularly the ones coming from Harry Morgan's police lieutenant).

Holiday Affair bombed at the box office upon its initial release, but through repeated showings on television it has become a beloved holiday classic. If it hasn't done so already, it seems possible that one day it could be included in the top tier of classic Christmas movies alongside It's a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, and The Bishop's Wife.

The Late Great Danny Aiello

Danny Aiello, who starred in such films as Moonstruck (1987) and Do the Right Thing (1989), as well as having a successful career on Broadway and on television, died on December 12 2019 at the age of 86 following a brief illness.

Danny Aiello was born on June 20 1933 in Manhattan, New York City. His family move to the South Bronx when he was seven years old. His father was largely absent from the family for much of his childhood, and his mother eventually lost her eyesight and became legally blind. When he was 17 years old he left James Monroe High School to enlist in the United States Army. Following his service he became a package handler for Greyhound and then became the public announcer for the bus terminal on 50th Street in Manhattan. He was elected as president of Local 1202 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, but was fired following a wildcat strike on the part of the employees. He later went to work as a bouncer and occasional master of ceremonies at the Improv. There he met playwright Louis La Russo II, who asked him to appear in a play he had written. Mr. Aiello informed Mr. Russo that he was not an actor, to which Mr. Russo replied "Yes, you are. You just don't know it." Danny Aiello then appeared as the pop singer Biggie in Louis La Russo II's Lamppost Reunion. The play eventually moved to Broadway in 1975, and Danny Aiello made his debut on Broadway in the play.

Mr. Aiello would have a fairly successful career on Broadway. In the Seventies he appeared in the productions Wheelbarrow Chasers, Gemini, and Knockout. In the Eighties he appeared in The Floating Light Bulb, Hurly Burly, and The House of Blue Leaves. He made one last appearance on Broadway in 2017 in Home for the Holidays.

Of course, Danny Aiello would be best known for his work in film. He made his movie debut in 1973 in Bang the Drum Slowly. In the Seventies he appeared in the films The Godfather Part II (1974), The Front (1976), Hooch (1977), Fingers (1978), Bloodbrothers (1978), Defiance (1980), and Hide in Plain Sight.

Arguably, the Eighties would be the height of Danny Aiello's movie career. He played the lovestruck fiance of Loretta Castorini (played by Cher), Johnny Cammareri, in Moonstruck (1987). Arguably his best known role came in 1989 with Do the Right Thing, in which he played the sympathetic yet somewhat clueless pizzeria owner Sal. For the role he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. He also appeared in several other profile films in the Eighties, including Fort Apache the Bronx (1981), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985), and Harlem Nights (1989). He also appeared in such films as Chu Chu and the Philly Flash (1981), Old Enough (1984), The Stuff (1985), The Protector (1985), Key Exchange (1985), Radio Days (1987), Daddy (1987), Man on Fire (1987), The Pick-up Artist (1987), Russicum - I giorni del diavolo (1988), White Hot (1988), The January Man (1989), Shocktroop (1989), Jacob's Ladder (1990), and The Closer.

In the Nineties Mr. Aiello appeared in the films Once Around (1991), Hudson Hawk (1992), 29th Street (1991), Death Mask (1992), Ruby (1992), Mistress (1992), The Cemetery Club (1993), The Pickle (1993), Me and the Kid (1994), Léon (1994), Prêt-à-Porter (1995), Two Much (1995), City Hall (1996), 2 Days in the Valley (1996), Mojave Moon (1997), Bring Me the Head of Mavis Davis (1997), Brooklyn State of Mind (1998), Wilbur Falls (1998), 18 Shades of Dust (1999), Mambo Café (2000), Dinner Rush (2000), and Prince of Central Park (2000).

In the Naughts Danny Aiello appeared in the films Off Key (2001), Mail Order Bride (2003), Zeyda and the Hitman (2004), Brooklyn Lobster (2005), Lucky Number Slevin (2006), The Last Request (2006), A Broken Sole (2006), and Stiffs (2010). In the Teens he appeared in the movies Reach Me (2014), The Neighbourhood (2017), Little Italy (2018), The Last Big Save (2019), and Making a Deal with the Devil (2019).

As if having successful careers on Broadway and in film were not enough, Mr. Aiello also had a successful career on television. In the Seventies he was a regular on the TV show The Andros Targets. He guest starred on the shows on Kojak, On Our Own, and ABC Afterschool Specials. He won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Performer in Children's Programming for the ABC Afterschool Special "Family of Strangers."

In the Eighties he had a regular role on the TV show Lady Blue. He guest starred on ABC Afternoon Specials, Nurse, Tales from the Darkside, The Lucie Arnaz Show, Saturday Night Live, and Night Heat. He also appeared in several TV movies. Mr. Aiello starred as the title character on the TV show Dellaventura. He appeared in the mini-series The Last Don and The Last Don II. In the Teens he guest starred on the shows Fielders Choice and Difficult People. His last appearance was on television was in the TV movie Broken Dreams Blvd.

Danny Aiello was also a talented singer, occasionally getting a chance to sing in his movies. He released three albums, not counting the soundtrack to the movie Once Around (in which he sang "Fly Me to the Moon).

As hard as it is to believe, Danny Aiello had no formal training as an actor. He never took even one acting class. Despite this, he was one of the most talented actors of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, a true natural if there ever was one.  Throughout his career he played a variety of roles. He often played gangsters and other tough guys in movies, including Tony Rosato, who garrotted Pentangeli in The Godfather Part II. While Mr. Aiello often played tough guys, he was capable of many other sorts of roles. In fact, his two most famous roles could not be described as tough guys. He was Sal in Do the Right Thing?, who has a temper and whose attitudes about race are questionable, but who really can't be said to be a "tough guy (at least not in the same way as Tony Rosato)." In Moonstruck Danny Aiello's character was even further removed from the tough guys he had played. Johnny Cammareri was gentle and prone to crying, a soft-hearted human being if ever there was one. Throughout his career Danny Aiello played a wide variety of roles, from police officers to gangsters to everything in between. What is more, he was equally good at both comedy and drama. Danny Aiello was an enormous talent, and one who will be missed. 

The Late Great Anna Karina

Legendary actress Anna Karina died yesterday, December 14 2019, at the age of 79. The cause was cancer.

Anna Karina was born Hanne Karin Bayer on September 22 1940 in Solbjerg, Denmark. Her father left the family when she was only about a year old. Her grandparents cared for her until she was four years old. She was in foster care for four years until she was finally returned to her mother. She was a teenager when she began working, singing in cabarets and working as a model. She moved to Paris when she was 17 and began working as a model there. She appeared in such magazines as Elle.

It was a series of ads for Palmolive that brought Anna Karina to the attention of director Jean-Luc Godard. He offered a role in À bout de souffle (1960--in English, Breathless), but she refused because it would have required a nude scene. She then made her film debut in Ce soir ou jamais (1961) before appearing in Mr. Godard's film Un femme est un femme (1961). Miss Karina would be very much in demand in the Sixties. She appeared in Jean-Luc Godard's feature films Vivre sa vie: Film en douze tableaux (1962), Le petit soldat (1963), Bande à part (1964), Alphaville (1965), and Pierrot le fou (1965), Made in U.S.A (1966). She also appeared in the anthology film Le plus vieux métier du monde (1967), in the segment "Anticipation," directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Anna Karina also appeared in Agnes Varda's Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962), Pierre Gaspard-Huit's Shéhérazade (1963), Roger Vadim's La ronde (1964), and  Jean Aurel's De l'amour (1964). She also appeared in the films She'll Have to Go (1962), Le soleil dans l'oeil (1962), Les quatre vérités (1962), Dragées au poivre (1963), Le voleur de Tibidabo (1965), Le soldatesse (1965), Un mari à prix fixe (1965), La religieuse (1966), Zärtliche Haie (1967), Lamiel (1967), Lo straniero (1967), The Magus (1968), Before Winter Comes (1968), Michael Kohlhaas - Der Rebell (1969), Laughter in the Dark (1968), Justine (1969), Dämonische Leinwand (1969), Le temps de mourir (1970), and L'alliance (1970). On television she guest starred on the American series I Spy, as well as the show Les fables de La Fontaine. She also appeared in the TV movie based on the musical of the same name, Anna.

In the Seventies Anna Karina appeared in the films Rendez-vous à Bray (1971), The Salzburg Connection (1972), Vivre ensemble (1973), Pane e cioccolata (1974), L'invenzione di Morel (1974), L'assassin musicien (1976), Les oeufs brouillés (1976), Chinesisches Roulette (1976), Chaussette surprise (1978), Olyan, mint otthon (1978), Ausgerechnet Bananen (1978), Historien om en moder (1979), and Charlotte, dis à ta mère que je l'aime (1980). On television she guest starred on the British TV show Z Cars as well as the TV shows Cinéma 16, Dossiers: Danger immédiat, and Madame le juge. She also appeared in several TV movies.

In the Eighties Anna Karina appeared in the movies L'ami de Vincent (1983), Regina Roma (1983), Ave Maria (1984), Treasure Island (1985), Last Song (1987), Dernier été à Tanger (1987), Cayenne Palace (1987), L'oeuvre au noir (1988), and Manden der ville være skyldig (1990). She appeared in the TV movies Chambre 17, La dame des dunes, and Moravagine.

From the Eighties into the Naughts she appeared in the films Haut bas fragile (1995), The Truth About Charlie (2002), Moi César, 10 ans 1/2, 1m39 (2003) and Victoria (2008--she also directed).  She appeared in the TV movie Chloé.

Anna Karina also had a career as a singer. In the late Sixties she had hits with Serge Gainsbourg's songs "Sous le soleil exactement" and "Roller Girl." She recorded the albums Une histoire d'amour and Chansons de films. She also wrote four novels: Vivre ensemble (1973), Golden City (1983), On n'achète pas le soleil (1988), and Jusqu'au bout du hasard (1998).

Perhaps no other actress has ever been as connected with the French New Wave than Anna Karina. She not only made several films with Jean-Luc Godard (to whom she was married from 1961 to 1964), but she also made films with several other major figures in the movement. On the screen Anna Karina was a true chameleon. She could project charm, vulnerability, and self-confidence, sometimes all at the same time. She could be mysterious or straight-forward. Anna Karina played characters who were young and impetuous as well as characters who were extremely serious Anna Karina was an actress with a good deal of depth, something made her very much in demand throughout her career.

TCM Remembers 2019

Today Turner Classic Movies released its annual TCM Remembers, their memorial for the various film-related personages who died in the past year.  This year saw a large number of actors, directors, and writers die, including such legends as Carol Channing, Albert Finney, Julie Adams, Tim Conway, and, the biggest of them all, Doris Day. The only omission I can see in this year's edition is Peter Tork. While he was better known as one of The Monkees and a music star, he did appear in The Monkees' Head (1968) as well as a few other films. By the way, the song is "Waiting" by Alice Boman.

Anyhow, without further ado, here is this year's TCM Remembers.

Godspeed René Auberjonois

René Auberjonois, who played Father Mulcahy in the motion picture M*A*S*H (1970), Clayton Runnymede Endicott III on Benson, and Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, died on December 8 2019 at the age of 79.  The cause was metastatic lung cancer.

René Auberjonois was born on June 1 1940 in New York City. His father was Swiss-born Fernand Auberjonois, who was a foreign correspondent of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and the Toledo Blade. He was nominated multiple times for the Pulitzer Prize. His mother was Princess Laure Louise Napoléone Eugénie Caroline Murat, a great-great granddaughter of Joachim Murat, the 1st Prince Murat, Grand Duke of Berg from 1806 to 1808, and King of Naples from 1808 to 1815. Following World War II, his family moved to Paris and they spent several years in France. It was while in Paris that he decided to become an actor. The family later returned to the United States and joined the South Mountain Road artists' colony in Rockland County, New York. With the The Rockland Foundation Players he appeared in a production of All My Sons. The family later moved to London, where René Auberjonois completed his high school education. He attended the Carnegie Institute of Technology.  Following his graduation he worked with various theatrical companies. He helped found the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and the Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles.

René Auberjonois made his debut on Broadway in a production of King Lear in 1968. In the late Sixties he appeared on Broadway in the productions A Cry of Players, Fire!, and Coco. In the Seventies he appeared on Broadway in the productions Twelfth Night, Tricks, The Good Doctor, and Break a Leg. After a gap of several years, he returned to Broadway in Big River. In the late Eighties he appeared in Metamorphosis and City of Angels. He was off the Broadway stage for several years before appearing in Dance of the Vampires in 2002. His last appearance on Broadway was in Sly Fox in 2004.

René Auberjonois made his film debut in an uncredited role in Lilith in 1964. In the Sixties he appeared in the films Petulia (1968), M*A*S*H (1970), and Brewster McCloud (1970). In the Seventies he appeared in the films McCable and Mrs. Miller (1971), Images (1972), Pete 'n' Tillie (1972), The Hindenburg (1975), The Big Bus (1975), King Kong (1976), Eyes of Laura Mars (1978), and Where the Buffalo Roam (1980).

In the Eighties René Auberjonois provided voices for the animated films The Last Unicorn (1982), Little Nemo (1989), and The Little Mermaid (1989). He appeared in the films 3:15 (1986), The Christmas Star (1986), My Best Friend is a Vampire (1987), Walker (1987), Police Academy 5: Assignment: Miami Beach (1988), and The Feud (1989).  In the Nineties he appeared in The Lost Language of Cranes (1991), Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991), The Player (1992), The Ballad of Little Joe (1993), Batman Forever (1995), Snide and Prejudice (1997), Los Locos (1997), Inspector Gadget (1999), The Patriot (2000), and We All Fall Down (2000). He provided a voice in the animated film Cats Don't Dance (1997).

In the Naughts Mr. Auberjonois appeared in the films Burning Down the House (2001) and Eulogy (2006). In the Teens he appeared in the films This is Happening (2015), Certain Women (2016), Blood Stripe (2016), The Circuit (2019), Windows on the World (2019), and Raising Buchanan (2019).

René Auberjonois made his television debut in an episode of The Mod Squad in 1971. In the Seventies he guest starred on the TV shows McMillan & Wife; Night Gallery; NET Playhouse; Love, American Style; Great Performances; Harry O; The Jeffersons; Ellery Queen; The Bob Newhart Show; Saturday Night Live; The Rookies; Baa Baa Black Sheep; Delvecchio; Rhoda; The Bionic Woman; Rosetti & Ryan; Man from Atlantis; Richie Brockelman, Private Eye; Starsky and Hutch; The Rockford Files; Wonder Woman; Hart to Hart; Charlie's Angels; Mrs. Columbo; Beyond Westworld; and The Righteous Apples. He appeared in the mini-series The Rhinemann Exchange, The Lives of Benjamin Franklin; and The Dark Secret of Harvest Home. Mr. Auberjonois appeared in several television movies in the decade, including the reunion movie The Wild Wild West Revisited. Beginning in 1980, he played Clayton Runnymede Endicott III on Benson.

For much of the Eighties René Auberjonois continued to appear on Benson. In the Eighties he guest starred on Faerie Tale Theatre; Murder, She Wrote; Blacke's Magic; and L.A. Law. Either as a voice or a regular he provided voices for several television cartoon series, among them Challenge of the GoBots, The Super Powers Team: Galactic Guardians, Wildfire, Johnny Quest, Superman, Snorks, The Further Adventures of SuperTed, and Darkwing Duck.

Beginning in 1993, Mr. Auberjonois played security chief Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He guest starred on the shows Civil Wars; Lucky Luke; Eerie, Indiana; Matlock; The Outer Limits; Poltergeist: The Legacy; Chicago Hope; Stargate SG-1; and The Secret Adventures of Jules Verne. Either as a guest or a regular, he provided voices for several animated series, including Batman: The Animated Series; The Pirates of Dark Water; Aladdin; The Savage Dragon; Richie Rich; Men in Black: The Series; and The Wild Thornberrys.

In the Naughts René Auberjonois had a regular role on Boston Legal and earlier a recurring role on Judging Amy. He guest starred on the shows Nash Bridges, Frasier, The Practice, Star Trek: Enterprise, Saving Grace, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Dan Vs. He provided voices for several animated shows, including The Legend of Tarzan, Justice League, Xiaolin Showdown, Xyber 9: New Dawn, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Young Justice.

In the Teens he guest starred on Bored to Death, Criminal Minds, Grey's Anatomy, NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service, The Good Wife, 1600 Penn, Warehouse 13; and Madam Secretary. He provided voices for such animated series as The Looney Tunes Show, Archer, Pound Puppies, and Ben 10: Omniverse.

René Auberjonois was an extraordinarily talented and versatile actor. This can be seen in that the characters in television shows for which he was best known were often very different. On Benson Clayton Runnymede Endicott III was a snob with a long streak of arrogance. On Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Odo was taciturn, a cynic, and a curmudgeon, but one with a very warm heart. On Boston Legal Paul Lewiston was strictly by the book. The three characters were each very different, but all were played excellently by Mr. Auberjonois. His versatility was seen in his work as a voice actor as well. He played everything from supervillains such as DeSaad and Blockbuster to amorous skunk Pepe LePew. René Auberjonois was extremely versatile and very talented. It is little wonder he was also very prolific.

Godspeed Ron Leibman

Ron Leibman, who appeared in such films as The Super Cops (1974) and Norma Rae (1979) and starred in the short-lived television show Kaz, died on December 6 2019 at the age of 82. The cause was complications from pneumonia.

Ron Leibman was born on October 11 1937 in Manhattan, New York City. He graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University. In the late Fifties he was a member of the Compass Players. He studied acting at the Actors Studio. He made his debut on Broadway in Dear Me, the Sky is Falling. That same year he appeared on Broadway in Bicycle Ride to Nevada. In the Sixties he also appeared in the productions We Bombed in New Haven and Cop-Out. He returned to Broadway in 1980 in I Ought to Be in Pictures. In the Eighties he appeared in the productions Doubles and Rumors. In the Nineties he appeared in Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and Angels in America: Perestroika. He won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play and the Tony Award for Best Actor for the former.

Ron Leibman made his television debut in a guest appearance on The Edge of Night in 1956. In the Sixties he guest starred on The DuPont Show of the Week and Hawk. In the Seventies he starred on the short-lived drama Kaz. He guest starred on Police Story. He appeared in the TV movies The Art of Crime and A Question of Guilt.  In the Eighties he guest starred on the shows Comedy Factory, Aaron's Way, and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the TV movies Many Happy Returns and Christmas Movie.

In the Nineties Mr. Leibman starred on the TV show Pacific Station, Central Park West, and Holding the Baby. He appeared in a recurring role in four episode of Friends into the Naughts. He was a guest voice on the animated shows Fish Police; Duckman, Private Dick; and Rugrats. He guest starred on Law & Order. In the Naughts he continued to appear on Holding the Baby. He guest starred on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Practice, and The Sopranos. He was the voice of Ron Cadillac on the animated series Archer.

Ron Leibman made his movie debut in Where's Poppa? in 1970. In the Seventies he appeared in the films The Hot Rock (1972), Slaughterhouse-Five (1972), Your Three Minutes Are Up (1973), The Super Cops (1974), Won Ton Ton: The Dog Who Saved Hollywood (1976), Norma Rae (1979), and Up the Academy (1980). In the Eighties, Mr. Leibman appeared in the films Zorro: The Gay Blade (1981), Phar Lap (1983), Romantic Comedy (1983), Door to Door (1984), Rhinestone (1984), and Seven Hours to Judgement (1988). In the Nineties he appeared in the films Night Falls on Manhattan (1996) and Just the Ticket (1998). In the Naughts he appeared in the films Personal Velocity: Three Portraits (2002), Dummy (2002), Auto Focus (2002), and Garden State (2004). His final film was A Little Help in 2010.

If Ron Leibman had success on Broadway, television, and in film, it was because he was an extremely talented actor. He could play in a variety of genres, and during his career his roles ranged from comedy to drama. He gave a stand out performance as union organizer Reuben Warshowsky in the drama Norma Rae, as well as driver Murch in the comedy caper movie The Hot Rock. He did so well as former convict turned defence attorney Martin "Kaz" Kazinsky on the TV show Kaz that he won the Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama. Few actors see success on the stage, television, and in the movies. Ron Leibman had the talent to do so.

Robert Walker Jr. Passes On

Robert Walker Jr, who appeared in the movies The War Wagon (1967) and Easy Rider (1969) and made notable guest appearances on television, particularly the Star Trek episode "Charlie X," died on December 5 2019 at the age of 79.

Robert Walker Jr. was the son of Hollywood royalty, actors Robert Walker and Jennifer Jones. He was born on April 15 1940 in Queens, New York. His parents divorced when he was only five years old. He attended Lawrenceville School in New Jersey. He trained in acting at the Actors Studio. He made his television debut in an episode of First Performance in 1957. He also appeared on the television show The Unforeseen in 1959.

In the Sixties Robert Walker Jr. guest starred on the shows Route 66, Naked City, The Dupont Show of the Week, The Eleventh Hour, Ben Casey, Dr. Kildare, Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre, The Defenders, Mr. Novak, The Big Valley, Days of Our Lives, The Trials of O'Brien, Star Trek, Combat!, The Road West, 12 O'Clock High, The Monroes, The Time Tunnel, The Invaders, Bonanza, and The F.B.I. He made his film debut in 1963 in The Hook. He appeared in the movies Ensign Pulver (1964), The Happening (1967), The War Wagon (1967), The Savage Seven (1968), The Face of Eve (1968), Killers Three (1968), Agilok & Blubbo (1969), Easy Rider (1969), Young Billy Young (1969), The Man from O.R.G.Y. (1970), and La route de Salina (1970).

In the Seventies, Mr. Walker guest starred on the shows Marucs Welby, M.D.; Columbo; Cannon; The Streets of San Francisco; Police Woman; Quincy, M.E.; The Next Step Beyond; and Charlie's Angels. He appeared in the mini-series Beulah Land. He appeared in the movies Beware! The Blob (1972), Don Juan ou Si Don Juan était une femme... (1973), Hex (1973), The Spectre of Edgar Allan Poe (1974), Gone with the West (1974), The Passover Plot (1976), and Evil Town (1977).

In the Eighties Robert Walker Jr. guest starred on CHiPs, Matt Houston, Simon & Simon, Riptide, Dallas, The Fall Guy, Dragnet, and Murder, She Wrote. He appeared in the movies Angkor: Cambodia Express (1982), Olivia (1983), The Devonshire Terror (1983), and Hambone and Hillie (1983). In the Nineties he guest starred on the TV shows In the Heat of the Night, L.A. Law, The New Adam-12, The New Lassie, Santa Barbara, and F.B.I.: The Untold Stories. His final appearance was a small part in the movie Heaven's War in 2018.

In addition to his acting Robert Walker Jr. was also a talented photographer. He also operated the TOPS Gallery in Malibu, California.

Robert Walker Jr. was a talented actor who could play a diverse number of roles. For many he may be most familiar as Charlie Evans, the 17 year old with incredible power, in the Star Trek episode "Charlie X." At the time Mr. Walker was 26 years old, but he convincingly played a mentally unstable 17 year old. In The War Wagon he played Billy Hyatt, the young, alcoholic explosives expert. In the Columbo episode "Mind Over Mayhem" he played scientist Neil Cahill. Robert Walker Jr. was a very talented actor capable of playing a large number of roles.