Universal Pictures Turns 100

It was today on 30 April 1912 that Universal Pictures was founded. It would become one of the eight major motion picture studios that dominated Hollywood from the Thirties to the Fifties (the others were MGM, Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers, RKO, Columbia, and United Artists). Today it remains one of the most important studios in the world, surviving some of the studios that were bigger than it was. Indeed, it is the oldest Hollywood studio (Paramount is second, having been founded 8 May 1912).

Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios) was founded on 30 April 1912 by Carl Laemmle. Carl Laemmle was an immigrant from Laupheim, Württemberg, Germany.  He had arrived in the United States in 1884, when he was only 17. He settled in Chicago, where he spent two decades working in retail stores. It was when he was 38 that he decided to change careers. He had lost his job (it is unclear whether he quit or was fired) and then contacted advertising man Robert Cochrane, with whom he had worked before, to help him find another line of business. Mr.Laemmle wanted to go into film even then, although Mr. Cochrane advised him to learn about film before he took the leap into the business. It was on 24 February 1906 that Carl Laemmle opened the White Front Nickelodeon in Chicago. Six months later he opened the Laemmle Film Service, which rented films to other exhibitors. In 1909 he formed Independent Moving Pictures Company. Independent Moving Pictures would be one of the first studios to actually credit its actors, thus helping create the star system. In fact, Independent Motion Pictures would use actress Florence Lawrence and actor King Baggot in their promotional materials in 1910, making the company perhaps the first to use its stars in their advertising.

 It was in 1912 that Independent Motion Pictures Company merged with Nestor Studios, Powers Picture Plays, Bison Life Motion Pictures, The Champion Film Company, Rex Motion Picture Company, and Éclair American Company to form the Universal Film Manufacturing Company. In 1915 Carl Laemmle opened the 230 acre Universal City Studios, the largest movie producing facility in the world. The company would be formally incorporated in 1925 under the name by which it is perhaps best known, Universal Pictures. It would go through various name changes throughout the years before it was given the other name by which it may be best known, Universal Studios.

For much of its history during the Golden Age of Hollywood, Universal would occupy a niche somewhere between the Big Five (MGM, Fox, Paramount, Warner Brothers and, RKO) and the Poverty Row studios. While it was rare that Universal Pictures produced films with the budgets of the Big Five, over all their movies cost more and were of a higher quality than Columbia (who spent much of their history on the border between the majors and Poverty Row). The average Universal movie of the Thirties and Forties generally had a moderate budget and production values that were not quite that of the Big Five, but still well ahead of the minor studios.

While Universal would largely work in the shadow of the Big Five for much of the Thirties and Forties, in the end they would leave an imprint on Anglo-American pop culture as large as, if not larger, than the bigger studios. Indeed, if you mention "horror movies" to the average person, they are apt to think of Universal Pictures. The studio's history with horror movies actually goes back further than the classics of the Thirties and Forties. Universal's predecessor, Independent Motion Pictures, had produced one horror film, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde in 1913. In 1923 Universal produced an adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame, a historical drama that bordered on the horror genre. It was in 1925 that the studio released its first pure horror film, Phantom of the Opera starring Lon Chaney. The success of Phantom of the Opera would lead to more films from Universal that at least bordered on horror: The Cat and the Canary (1927), The Man Who Laughs (1928), and The Last Warning (1928).

Of course, it was in 1931 that Universal launched its adaptation of Dracula. The film proved highly successful and made Bela Lugosi a star in the horror genre. It success was followed in 1931 by Universal's Frankenstein. Frankenstein was the Star Wars of its day, making a good deal of money and making Boris Karloff a star. The success of these two films would start a cycle towards  horror movies that lasted from 1931 to 1936, with most of the major studios producing horror films during the period. In 1939 Son of Frankenstein would spark a new cycle towards horror movies, a cycle in which studios other than Universal (most notably RKO and their films produced by Val Lewton) also took part. The impact of Universal's horror movies cannot be underestimated. Frankenstein and its first sequel, Bride of Frankenstein, are counted among the greatest films ever made. Even today, after countless adaptations of the novel have been made, when most people picture Frankenstein's Creature in their heads, it is most likely to be the image of Boris Karloff in Jack Pierce's make up. Dracula, Frankenstein, and the other Universal horror films would have a lasting impact on the genre. In fact, their influence can still be felt today.

While Universal may even today be best known for its horror movies, the studio worked in a number of other genres. One of these was comedy. Over the years Universal would make several comedy films, often drawing upon stars from radio for their casts, including  Edgar Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, and Red Skelton. It would be from radio that Universal would draw its two best known comedy stars, the team of Abbott & Costello. Their 1941 film Buck Privates proved to be such an enormous success that it would spark a series of Abbott and Costello films that would last until 1955 (with one more film, Dance with Me, Henry, released in 1956 by United Artists). Eventually Universal would combine their Abbott & Costello films with their horror movies. Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, released in 1948, would lead to a number of films in which the comedy duo met various Universal Monsters.

The Abbott & Costello movies may be the best known series Universal produced, but it was by no means the only series. In many respects the meat and potatoes of  Universal was the various series of medium budget films in a variety of genres that the studio produced. As might be expected, some of these series were in the horror genre. Universal produced a number of sequels to both Dracula and Frankenstein. The studio also produced a series based on the popular Inner Sanctum radio show. Aside from the Abbott & Costello movies and their horror series, perhaps the best known series ever produced by Universal was their series of Sherlock Holmes movies starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson respectively. Universal made fourteen Sherlock Holmes films in the series. Universal also produced a series of Dead End Kid and Little Tough Guys movies, Baby Sandy movies, Ma & Pa Kettle movies, and others.

Here it must be pointed out that Abbott & Costello were not the only stars Universal produced. In fact, in the Forties their biggest star may have been Deanna Durbin. Deanna Durbin had been signed to MGM in 1935, but the studio had also signed another young songstress, Judy Garland, at the same time. While debate over whether to keep both raged at MGM's front offices, Miss Durbin's contract with the studio expired. MGM's loss was then Universal's gain. She made her debut at Universal with Three Smart Girls in 1936. The movie proved to be a success and soon Miss Durbin was starring in musicals for the studio. Miss Durbin would continue making movies for Universal until 1948, by which time her success at the box office had declined. Her contract with Universal was allowed to expire and she retired from film.

While Universal would become famous for its monster movies, Abbott & Costello comedies, and Deanna Durbin musicals, like most studios at the time it would also produce a number of Westerns. Indeed, Universal would also produce or co-produce some of John Wayne's later films, including The War Wagon (1967) and Rooster Cogburn (1975). While Universal would not work with John Wayne often, they had a number of their own cowboy stars. Tom Mix, Buck Jones, Johnny Mack Brown, and Tex Ritter would all work for the studio at one time or another. In addition to many B-Westerns, Universal would also produce major feature films in the Western genre. Destry Rides Again (1939), Comanche Territory (1950), Winchester '73 (1950), The Far Country (1954), and others among them.

Of course, many of the B-Westerns produced by Universal would actually be serials. In fact, among aficionados of chapterplays, Universal is considered to have produced the very best serials besides Republic. Unlike Poverty Row studio Monogram and fellow major studio Columbia, Universal's serials generally had good production values and often relatively large budgets. In fact, Flash Gordon (1936), Universal Pictures' adaptation of Alex Raymond's classic comic strip, was the most expensive serial of its time. It would prove to be a huge success, followed by two sequels. Universal would also produce several other notable serials, including Secret Agent X-9 (1937), Buck Rogers (1939), The Green Hornet (1939), Don Winslow of the Navy (1941),  and many others. Universal would continue producing serials until 1946, when it ceased production of chapterplays. The studio had been producing serials since the Silent Era.

Not only did Universal produce serials, but they also produced animated cartoons. While Universal's cartoons would never gain the prestige of those of either Warner Brothers or MGM, they would prove very successful and they would have a lasting impact on pop culture. Indeed, it could well have been actions on the part of Universal that led to the creation of Mickey Mouse and the foundation of  The Walt Disney Company. Universal owned the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a popular character created by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. Charles Mintz, whose studio produced cartoons for Universal, demanded that Messrs. Disney and Iwerks accept a lower fee for producing the Oswald the Lucky Rabbit shorts. When Disney and Iwerks refused, Mr. Mintz took over production of the shorts himself. Messrs. Disney and Iwerks simply created a new character for their own series of animated shorts, a character who looked in his early days very similar to Oswald. His name was Mickey Mouse.

In what could be considered a bit of poetic justice, Charles Mintz hired his own successor in 1928. Animator Walter Lantz was a veteran of John Bray Studios as well as Carl Laemmle's part time chauffeur. Eventually Carl Laemmle tired of dealing with Charles Mintz and looked to found Universal's own in-house animation studio. As a result, Universal Studio Cartoons was formed, with Walter Lantz as its head. The company would become independent in 1935 as Walter Lantz Productions, although their cartoons would continue to be distributed by Universal until 1947. For a brief period from 1948 to 1949 Walter Lantz's cartoons would be distributed by United Artists. From 1951 to 1972 Universal would once more distribute the Walter Lantz cartoons.

While Walter Lantz Productions cartoons have never been considered to be of the quality of Warner Brothers, Disney, Fleischer Studios, or MGM, the company produced such popular characters as Woody Woodpecker, Andy Panda, and Chilly Willy. Walter Lantz Productions would continue to produce animated shorts long after many of the other studios had ceased doing so. The studio would not permanently close until 1972. In 1984, Lantz sold the company, its characters, and its cartoons to Universal.

By the Fifties and Sixties Universal, like most of the studios, had fallen on hard times. Music Corporation of America (MCA), originally a talent agency, had expanded into television. Its subsidiary, Revue Productions, originally formed in 1943 to produce live concerts, became the company's television production arm in 1950. Revue would become one of the most successful production companies in television. It produced such shows as Alfred Hitchock Presents, Wagon Train, Studio 57, and many others. In 1958 Universal sold its lot to MCA, who then renamed both the Revue Productions and the lot, "Revue Studios." Although MCA had only bought the lot, it would prove increasingly influential in Universal's dealings. MCA's various clients, including Doris Day, Cary Grant, and Lana Turner would sign to Universal. In 1962 MCA bought Universal outright. Revue Productions then became Universal Television.

Universal Television continued to produce shows originally produced by Revue, such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Virginian. Eventually it would produce some of the best known shows of the Sixties and Seventies, many of them airing on NBC. In its early days Universal Television produced such series as Laredo and Ironside. By the Seventies it produced the umbrella series The NBC Mystery Movie, which included such classic shows as Columbo, McCloud, and Hec Ramsey. Over the years Universal Television would produce such television classics as Ellery Queen, The A-Team, Miami Vice, The Equaliser, Northern Exposure, and the Law & Order franchise. Universal would further become involved in television through the cable channel the USA Network in the Seventies. Originally started with other companies, Universal would become the sole owner of the channel in 1987.

Among the television series Universal inherited fro Revue was Alfred Hitchcock Presents. It should then come as no surprise that Alfred Hitchcock's last few movies would be produced through Universal.  It was in 1955 that Lew Wassermann, head of MCA, approached their client Alfred Hitchcock about producing a television series, what would become Alfred Hitchcock Presents.  MCA later persuaded Alfred Hitchcock to sign a contract with Universal. Beginning with The Birds in 1963, all of Hitchcock's films were released through Universal. Universal would even acquire the distribution rights to Psycho (originally distributed by Paramount). Here it must be noted that this was not the first time Universal was associated with Alfred Hitchcock. Selznick International loaned the director to Universal for Saboteur (1942) and Shadow of a Doubt (1943).

Here it must be stressed that following the Fifties, Universal did produce more than television shows, Ma & Pa Kettle movies, and Hitchcock films. In the late Fifties and well into the Sixties it was Universal who produced the majority of Doris Day's sex comedies. Starting with Pillow Talk in 1960, Universal produced all of them until Send Me No Flowers. The success of Pillow Talk would lead to a cycle of sex comedies that lasted from 1960 until 1965 in which other studios also took part. Universal also produced such classic films as To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), Charade (1963), Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), American Graffiti (1973), Jaws (1975), and Animal House (1978). In the Eighties Universal produced the highly popular Back to the Future trilogy. In more recent times Universal has produced films ranging from The Last Temptation of Christ (1988) to Jurassic Park (1993) to the 2005 remake of King Kong.

As famous as Universal is for their movies and television shows, they are also famous for their studio tour. The Universal Pictures studio tour goes back to the earliest days of the company's history. Unlike other heads of studios, Carl Laemmle actually encouraged tourists to visit Universal. In 1915 visitors could pay 25 cents to sit on bleachers and watch movies being made. It was in 1964 that the current Universal Studios tour official began, with tourists travelling through the lot in "GlamorTrams." Given the success of the studio tour, it should no surprise that Universal would expand into theme parks. This happened slowly with Universal Studios Hollywood, as rides and other attractions were added. In 1990 the Universal Orlando Resort was opened in Florida. In 2001 Universal Studios Japan opened. Currently Universal Studios is the third biggest amusement park operator in the world.

While Universal has survived to see its 100th birthday, it was not without changes in ownership. Indeed, in the Nineties the studio changed hands several times. It was in 2004 that then current owner, French multi-media company Vivendi, sold Universal to General Electric, parent of company of NBC. General Electric then merged the movie studio and the television network to form NBCUniversal. In many respects the merger should not seem so unusual given the close association between NBC and Universal in the past. Universal Television's predecessor, Revue, had produced shows for NBC beginning in 1950 with the series Armour Theatre. Thereafter Revue would produce several more shows for NBC. Once Revue became Universal Television, the studio would continue to produce many shows for NBC, including such high profile shows as The Rockford Files and Miami Vice.

Since the creation of NBCUniversal, the company has expanded. In 2004 NBCUniversal created the cable channel Sleuth (now called Cloo), which is entirely devoted to mysteries. In 2007 it launched Chiller, a horror oriented cable channel. That same year the company acquired the cable channel Oxygen. NBCUniversal is arguably one of the giants in cable, owning such cable channels as the USA Network SyFy Channel, Cloo, Chiller, Bravo, and Oxygen

The survival of Universal over the years could perhaps be attributed to two factors. The first is that it was perhaps one of the first studios to actually produce franchises. The Universal horror movies not only made a good deal of money when first released, but have made a good deal of money ever since. Indeed, the Universal monsters would produce an inordinate amount of merchandise. The various movie series Universal produced over the years would be rerun on television for literally decades, from Sherlock Holmes to Abbott & Costello. Here it must be pointed that, unlike other studios, Universal kept many of its films while acquiring the rights to others. The Universal library is one of the largest in the movie industry, consisting of everything from serials to Walter Lantz cartoons to classics like To Kill a Mockingbird.

The other factor which has permitted Universal's survival is perhaps the fact that the studio changed with the times when other studios did not. In the Sixties when many of the studios continued to produce big budget blockbusters (many of which flopped), Universal moved into television and continued to produce more moderately budgeted films. In the Seventies Universal would expand into cable with the USA Network. Universal has always had a degree of adaptability that saved it from total extinction.

In the end Universal has had an impact on pop culture which few movie studios could match. The movie monsters it created in the Thirties are still as recognisable today as they were 80 years ago. Abbott & Costello are still one of the best known comedy teams of all time. The many sex comedies Universal produced are still shown on television today. Such television characters as Lt. Columbo and Jim Rockford continue to be popular. Universal would also produce several classic films, including Destry Rides Again, The Naked City, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Sting, and may others. Given the studio's long history, it seems likely it will survive for another hundred years.

Yet Another Gripe About Facebook and Timeline

As the web has become a part of pop culture, I do at times discuss web sites here. It also seems that the web site I write about the most is Facebook. Sadly, it seems I rarely have very much complimentary to say about Facebook. The reason is simple. It seems to me that Facebook is determined to go the way of MySpace in reducing the functionality of the site with each passing month.

Indeed, as I have complained elsewhere on this blog, Facebook recently implemented a new sort of profile called Timeline. Timeline is supposed to let one, in Facebook's own word, "...highlight the photos, posts and life events that help you tell your story." While Timeline does let one go to any given month in any given year on one's profile with relative ease, over all I believe it does the exact opposite of highlighting photos, posts, and life events. Because of its two column layout it is often hard to make sense of one's own Timeline, let alone those of friends. The end result is that one is too busy trying to figure out when a particular post was made in comparison to others to even care which posts are highlighted. This was one advantage Facebook's previous layout, the Wall, has over Timeline. Its simple, single column design made it easy to see posts and to know when they were made in comparison to others.  Is it any wonder most Facebook users prefer the Wall to Timeline?

Sadly, Facebook has not simply inflicted Timeline on its users, but on its business and brand pages as well, despite the fact that most users either hate Timeline or, at the very least, preferred the Wall. At the end of March Facebook switched all brand and business pages to the Timeline format. Now I have never visited Facebook pages that much, but I have found since Facebook forced all pages to the Timeline format I do so even less. Now if the average Facebook user is like me, then I rather suspect that pages have seen a dramatic drop in the number of visitors they receive. As to my own writer's page, I simply deleted it. Part of this was in protest against Facebook forcing all pages to the Timeline format. Part of it was also the fact that I believe that in forcing my page into the Timeline format Facebook then rendered it useless as a means of promotion. In the Wall format it might get a few visitors each month. In Timeline format, I suspect it would get none.

Now Facebook appears to be trying to improve Timeline. Unfortunately, the changes they have made the past few days are only cosmetic and one of them is hardly an improvement at all. The first change, made a few days ago, was to make profile pictures bigger. To me this is an improvement, as it seems to me that the profile pictures on Timeline were much smaller than those on the old Wall. Sadly, a change they made today is not an improvement at all. Quite simply, today they made the pictures in the Friends box on one's Timeline larger. To me this made a layout that is already unattractive enough (with the cover photo, boxes containing activities, and photos that are displayed much too large) even more unattractive. Here I must point out that Timeline already loads slower than the Wall did. With the friends' photos even larger, I suspect Timeline will load even slower. While this might not be a major concern for those of us with high speed internet, for those who only have dial up it is a major concern. Indeed, I have to wonder that they will even be able to use Facebook at all.

In the end it seems obvious to me that Facebook has forgotten the KISS principle (Keep It Simple, Stupid). As proof, Timeline is not a timeline at all. Twitter's single column feed, displayed from the oldest tweets to the newest, is a timeline. Google+'s stream, with posts displayed in single column from the oldest to the newest, is a timeline. With a double column layout that makes it hard to keep track of posts, Facebook's Timeline is not a timeline at all. Instead it is more like a scrapbook with only room for two rows of scraps, and those scraps are posted in such a way that it is hard to make sense of anything.

Sadly, it does seem to me that the initial furore over Timeline has died down and as a result even those who still detest Timeline are not complaining loudly enough. I rather suspect that the reason for this is that people have simply resigned themselves to the idea that no matter how much they complain, Facebook will not change a thing. I think they could be wrong. First, it was not that long ago that Facebook made changes to the news feed which resulted in widespread user outrage. As a result of the large number of complaints made by users, Facebook changed the news feed back more or less to the way it was. I rather suspect that if enough people complain about Timeline, then they will either return to the Wall or at least make improvements to Timeline (for instance, making it only a single column). By the way, if you want to complain about Timeline, at the bottom of their "Timeline: A New Kind of Profile," are two links where one can report bugs or make suggestions (i.e. complaints).

Many have commented about how Facebook's Timeline reminds them of what MySpace became in later years. Facebook has become "SpaceBook" or "MyFace." I rather suspect that if Facebook does not do away with Timeline or make improvements, they might well become MySpace: a once might social networking site that became a graveyard. It is not as if Facebook does not have a viable rival now (Google+). Sadly, it seems to me Facebook either realises none of this or they are simply in a deep state of denial. In that case, a few years from now we might be saying, "Do you remember Facebook?"

Guitarist Bert Weedon Passes On

Bert Weedon OBE may not be well known in the United States, but chances are that if you are a fan of rock music you have heard someone on whom he was a great influence. Bert Weedon was a  British guitarist and author of an instructional manual on guitar playing who would have an impact on three of The Beatles (George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney), Pete Townshend, Keith Richards, Brian May, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, and Eric Clapton. Bert Weedon died on 20 April 2012 at the age of 91.

Bert Weedon was born on 20 May 1920 at East Ham, London. His father was a driver on the London Underground and in his spare time was part of the amateur song and dance team, Weedon and Walmisley. Young Bert Weedon would often accompany his father to Weedon and  Walmisley's performances at various railwaymen's clubs. When he was twelve his father bought him a guitar for 75 pence. Bert Weedon would leave school by the time he was 14 and work as an office boy while learning from a teacher in classical guitar. In 1934 he formed his first dance band, Butch Townsend and the Cold Shoulders. With the local butcher's son on drums, the band was named for the contents of his father's deep freeze. He played his first solo appearance in 1939 at the East Ham town hall.

During World War II Mr. Weedon worked as a part of rescue services. Following the war he joined jazz violinists Stephane Grapelli’s group. He played with various popular dance bands until in the early Fifties he joined the BBC Show Band, then led by Cyril Stapleton. He played for both BBC Radio and the BBC Television Service (now BBC One). Over the years he would be part of the music department of such shows as The Square and BBC Sunday Night Theatre.  It was in the mid-Fifties that he was signed to Parlophone. His first single, "Stranger Than Fiction," was released in 1956. He would have hits with the instrumentals "Guitar Boogie Shuffle (which went to #10 on the UK singles chart in 1959)," "Nashville Boogie (which went to #29 on the UK singles chart in the same year)," "Apache (which went to #24 on the UK singles chart in 1960)," "Sorry Robbie (which went to #28 on the UK singles chart in the same year)," and "Ginchy (which went to ##35 on the UK singles chart in 1961)." He also played as a session musician for artists ranging from Adam Faith and Tommy Steele to Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

It was in 1957 that Bert Weedon's guitar instructional manual, Play in a Day, was first published. In the end it would sell two million copies and teach generations the rudiments of guitar playing. Play in a Day would be followed by Play Every Day. Over the years VHS and DVD versions of the books would follow. His books would be the starting point for many important guitarists in the history of rock music.

Bert Weedon would also appear frequently on television, particularly on children's shows such as Five O'Clock Club and Tuesday Rendezvous. He appeared on such shows as Thank Your Lucky Stars, The Dick Emery Show, The Golden Shot, and Chasing Rainbows. He also had his own, long running ITV series. In the Seventies he signed to Contour Records and released a series of albums. In the mid-Seventies he would top the British albums chart for one week with 22 Golden Guitar Greats, released on the Warwick label. He would continue to release albums into the Eighties.

Bert Weedon would have a lasting impact on many British rock bands of the Sixties and Seventies, and as a result he would have an impact on rock music worldwide. One need only consider that guitarists in three of the biggest bands of all time, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Who, all learned their craft from Bert Weedon's books. In fact, it is possible that some may not have become guitarists had it not been for Mr. Weedon. In a eulogy by Neil McCormick in The Daily Telegraph entitled "Farewell Bert Weedon,the man who helped make stars of John Lennon and Paul McCartney," Eric Clapton was quoted as saying, "I wouldn’t have felt the urge to press on without the tips and encouragement Bert’s book gives you." To a large degree, then, Bert Weedon is responsible for the success of the British rock bands of the Sixties and the genres they would give rise to, everything from power pop to heavy metal. Few men could boast such an important place in rock history.

The Late Great Garry Walberg

You might not recognise Garry Walberg's name, but if you have ever watched very many television shows made from the Fifties to the Eighties, chances are very good that you would recognise his face. Garry Walberg was a prolific character actor who was appeared as a regular or semi-regular on many shows and guest starred on many more. Among many other roles on various shows and in various films, he was Oscar's buddy Speed on The Odd Couple and Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy M.E. Garry Walberg died 27 March 2012 at the age of 90. The causes were chronic pulmonary obstructive disease and congestive heart failure.

Garry Walberg was born in Buffalo, New York on 10 June 1921. He first studied acting in Buffalo before moving to New York City to study acting there. It was in 1952 that he made his television debut in 1953 in an episode of the classic sitcom Mister Peepers. In the Fifties he would appear on such shows as Richard Diamond Private Detective, Black Saddle, State Trooper, The Twilight Zone, Law of the Plainsman, Rawhide, The Rifleman, and Tales of Wells Fargo. He was a regular on the detective series Johnny Staccato, playing the role of Police Sgt. Sullivan. In 1959 he made his film debut in The Gangster Story.

In the Sixties Mr. Walberg was a regular on Peyton Place for three seasons, playing Sgt. Edward Goddard. He guest starred on such shows as Michael Shayne, Outlaws, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Perry Mason, The Detectives, Have Gun--Will Travel, The Real McCoys, Combat, Dr. Kildare, Ben Casey, The Virginian, Star Trek, The Fugitive, The Invaders, Lassie, Land of the Giants, Green Acres, Then Came Bronson, and Bonanza. He appeared in the movies Charro! (1969), The Maltese Bippy (1969), Tell Them Willie Boy is Here (1969), and They Call Me MISTER Tibbs! (1970).

Garry Walberg ended the Sixties and began the Seventies in one of his best known roles, that of Oscar's friend and poker buddy Speed on The Odd Couple. He was a semi-regular on the show from 1970 to 1974. It was in the late Seventies that he would play what may be his best known role, that of Lt. Frank Monahan on Quincy M.E. The series reunited him with old Odd Couple co-star Jack Klugman, who played the title role of Dr. Quincy M.E. Mr. Walberg began with the show when it debuted as one of the rotating elements of The NBC Sunday Mystery Movie in 1976 and remained with it from when it transitioned into its own series in 1977 and until it ended its run in 1983. In addition to his semi-regular role on The Odd Couple and his regular role on Quincy M.E., Mr. Walberg guest starred on such shows as Storefront Lawyers, Medical Centre, Columbo, Banacek, Search, Ironside, Love American Style, Kojak, Gunsmoke, The Waltons, and Mannix. He appeared in such feature films as The Organisation (1971), The Andromeda Strain (1971),  When the Legends Die (1972), Revenge of the Cheerleaders (1976), King Kong (1976), Two-Minute Warning (1976), and MacArthur (1977).

In the Eighties Garry Walberg appeared in the television movies Command 5 and The Spirit (a failed pilot based on the classic comic book character). He guest starred on Hardcastle and McCormick, Hotel, and Murder She Wrote. In 1993 he appeared on television in the reunion movie The Odd Couple: Together Again, reprising his role as Speed. It was his last appearance on screen.

If Garry Walberg appeared in so many television shows and movies over the years, it was perhaps because of his sheer versatility. He was as adept at playing comedy as he was drama. What is more, he could play nearly any role given him convincingly. One need no further than his two most famous roles, which was similar in some ways were in many ways quite different. He played the perpetually grumpy, often acerbic Speed on The Odd Couple. On Quincy M.E. he played  Lt. Monahan, who was initially sceptical of Quincy's theories and often exasperated with the medical examiner. His guest appearances on various shows could often be very different. On an episode of Land of the Giants, "Seven Little Indians," he played a rather sadistic guard. In the episode of Gunsmoke "The Buffalo Hunter" he played a buffalo skinner who helps Marshall Dillon bring his murderous boss to justice.

Throughout his career on television and in film Garry Walberg played everything from doctors to police officers to generals to lawyers to criminals. He was as convincing as a Starfleet officer on Star Trek as he was a cowboy on Outlaws. While there can be no doubt that he will be best remembered as Speed on The Odd Couple and Lt. Monahan on Quincy M.E., his career was filled with many more roles on various TV shows and in film, all of which he did well. 

Director Paul Bogart Passes On

Paul Bogart, who directed such feature films as Skin Game and TV shows such as All in the Family, passed on 15 April 2012 at the age of 92.

Paul Bogart was born on 21 November 1919 in New York City. Following his graduation from James Monroe High School in the Bronx he worked as a printer. He answered a "Help Wanted" advertisement for puppeteers and travelled with a marionette troupe. During World War II he served as a tail gunner in the United States Army Air Forces, but he did not see combat. After he war he worked various odd jobs and also returned to the marionette troupe. It was a friend who told him of openings at NBC. As a result he found himself as a stage manager at the network. He eventually became an associate director, working on such shows at NBC as Today and Howdy Doody.

It was in 1955 that he began directing primetime dramas, starting with an episode of Appointment with Adventure. In the late Fifties he directed episodes of such shows as Justice, The Kaiser Aluminium Hour, Suspicion, Shirley Temple Theatre, and Kraft Theatre. In the Sixties he directed such shows as The U. S. Steel Hour, Way Out, Armstrong Circle Theatre, The Defenders, Get Smart, and Coronet Blue. It was in the Sixties that he also began directing feature films. His feature film debut was The Three Sisters in 1966. In the Sixties he went onto direct Marlowe (1969) and Halls of Anger (1970).

In the Seventies Mr. Bogart directed the films Skin Game (1971), Cancel My Reservation (1972), Class of '44 (1973), and Mr. Ricco (1975). He directed several episodes of All in the Family, as well as such shows as Nichols, Alice, and Visions. In the Eighties he directed episodes of the shows Gloria, Mama Malone, The Golden Girls, and Bagdad Cafe. He directed the films Oh God! You Devil (1984) and Torch Song Trilogy (1988).

Paul Bogart was a director who was skilled in both television and film. It should be little surprise that he won five Emmy Awards for his direction on shows ranging from The Defenders to All in the Family to The Golden Girls. He was a master of timing, who always kept a close eye on the editing on his projects, whether it was a feature film or a television situation comedy. Although best known for his work in television, Paul Bogart was quite capable of creating very fine films. Marlowe, Skin Game, and Torch Song Trilogy were all very well done movies. Talented in both directing television and film, Paul Bogart will be remembered.

Levon Helm R.I.P.

Levon Helm, multi-instrumentalist best known for providing drums and both lead and backing vocals for the band, passed on 19 April 2012 at the age of 71. The cause was cancer.

Levon Helm was born Mark Lavon Helm on 26 May 1940 in Elaine, Arkansas. He spent his child hood in Turkey Scratch, a small village outside Helena, Arkansas. His family loved music, so that Mr. Helm was exposed to it at a very early age. At age six he saw his first live concert, one by Bill Monroe and His Blue Grass Boys. The show left an impression on young Lavon Helm's mind. When he was ten and eleven, during those times when he was not working on the farm or in school, he often went to radio station KFFA in Helena to watch blues legend Sonny Boy Williamson in his radio show, King Biscuit Time. By the time he was eleven he could already play both the guitar and the harmonica. Impressed by the drummers in Elvis Presley and Jerry Lee Lewis's bands, it would be rock 'n' roll that would lead Lavon Helm to become a drummer. He was only a junior in high school when he formed his first band, The Jungle Bush Beaters.

By the time Lavon Helm was 18 his talent was such that he was able to join Ronnie Hawkins' band The Hawks following his graduation from high school. It was at this time that Lavon Helm's stage name became "Levon Helm." The Hawks had some difficulty pronouncing Lavon's name correctly, more often than not pronouncing it "Levon." It was in 1959 that Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks were signed to Roulette Records. Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks would have a significant hit in 1959 with the song "Mary Lou," which went to #26 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It was in the early Sixties that Ronnie Hawkins and Levon Helm formed a new band of Hawks, recruiting Canadians Ronnie Robertson on guitar, Rick Danko on bass, Richard Manuel on piano, and Garth Hudson on organ--essentially what would become The Band. It was in 1964 that The Hawks and Ronnie Hawkins parted over personal differences. In 1965 the band would record two singles, both under different names. "Uh-Uh-Uh"/"Leave Me Alone" was released under the name of The Canadian Squires, while "The Stones I Throw"/"He Don't Love You (and He'll Break Your Heart)" was released under the name Levon and The Hawks. It was late in 1965 that Bob Dylan hired The Hawks as his backing band on his next tour--the first on which he would utilise electric instruments. Unfortunately, folk music fans were none too happy with Bob Dylan's transition from folk musician to rock star, so that his concerts were often met with a somewhat negative reception. Three months into the tour Levon Helm left. While Levon Helm worked on an oil rig, the rest of The Hawks continued to tour with Bob Dylan. When Mr. Dylan was injured in a motorcycle accident and retired to Woodstock, New York to recover, The Hawks joined him there. In Woodstock The Hawks were more often than not called simply "the band." The name stuck.

Eventually Levon Helm returned to The Hawks. The group rented a big, pink house in Woodstock, New York where they set to work on writing original material. What had been The Hawks were signed to Capitol Records under the name "The Band." Their first album, Music From Big Pink (the name taken from the big pink house in Woodstock), was released 1 July 1968. The album received largely positive reviews and would eventually peak on the Billboard album charts at #18. While the single "The Weight" only peaked at #63 on the Billboard Hot 100, it would go onto become one of their most recognisable songs.

Their eponymous second album was released over a year later, on 22 September 1969. The Band contained what may well be the group's best known song, "The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down." The single from the album, Up on Cripple Creek, went to #25 on the Billboard Hot 100. The album The Band itself went to #9 on the Billboard albums chart. The Band would have continued success with their next album, Stage Fright, released on 17 August 1970. The album went to #5 on the Billboard album chart. In the Seventies The Band's albums would continue to do moderately well on the charts. They released four more studio albums (Cahoots, Moondog Matinee, Northern Lights--Southern Cross, and Islands), as well as a live album (Rock of Ages). Their single, "Baby, Don't Do It," a  cover of the Marvin Gaye song from Rock of Ages, went to #34 on the Billboard Hot 100. By 1976 Robbie Robertson had grown weary of touring, so that The Band decided to retire from touring. They held a farewell concert on Thanksgiving in 1976 in San Francisco, California. The concert was filmed by Martin Scorsese and released as the movie The Last Waltz.  A soundtrack album was also released.

After The Band's retirement Levon Helm continued to perform as a solo artist. From the late Seventies into the early Eighties, Mr. Helm recorded the solo albums Levon Helm & The RCO All Stars, Levon Helm, American Son, and Levon Helm. In 1983 The Band reunited without Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm was part of the reunion. Sadly, Richard Manuel committed suicide in 1986. Messrs. Helm, Danko and Hudson would continue to perform as The Band. In 1989 Levon Helm and Rick Danko performed as part of Ringo Starr's All-Star Band. In 1990 Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Garth Hudson performed as The Band at Roger Water's "The Wall-Live in Berlin in Germany. In 1993 The Band released their first new studio album in years, Jericho, without Robbie Robertson as part of the group. The Band released two more studio albums, High on the Hog in 1996 and Jubilation in 1998.

It was in 1998 that Levon Helm was diagnosed with throat cancer. It would be some time before he could sing again. He would return to singing in 2004 with the launch of his Midnight Ramble Sessions. The Midnight Ramble Sessions were a series of live concerts performed at his studio, "The Barn," at his home in Woodstock, New York. Levon Helm also returned to touring. In 2005 two albums collecting The Midnight Ramble Sessions were released (Midnight Ramble Sessions Volume I and Midnight Ramble Sessions Volume II).  In 2007 Levon Helm released his first solo album since 1982, Dirt Farmer. On 17 September 2009 Levon Helm performed at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. The performance was recorded and released as the album Ramble at the Ryman in 2011. In 2009 he released his final studio album, Electric Dirt.

Levon Helm also had an acting career. He made his film debut in 1980 playing Loretta Lynn's father in Coal Miner's Daughter. He would go onto appear in such films as The Right Stuff (1983), Best Revenge (1984), Man Outside (1989), Feeling Minnesota (1996), The Adventures of Sebastian Cole (1998), Shooter (2007), and In the Electric Mist (2009).

It is probably impossible to adequately assess the importance of Levon Helm to the history of rock, folk, and Americana music. Indeed, it must be said that without Levon Helm, The Band would never have come into being. Aside from being the founder of one of the most influential bands in the last half of the 20th Century, he was also an extremely talented multi-instrumentalist. Although best known as The Band's drummer, Mr. Helm could play guitar, harmonica, mandolin, bass, and banjo, and he was good at all of them. What is more, he was one of rock music's most distinctive vocalist. He had a strong tenor voice with a touch of roughness about it and his Arkansas accent could often clearly be heard. Levon Helm's band would have an influence on several bands over the years, as diverse as Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young; Led Zeppelin; Elvis Costello, The Black Crowes; and The Hold Steady. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Levon Helm would have a lasting impact on rock, folk, and Americana music.

Actor William Finley Passes On

Character actor William Finley, perhaps best known for the lead role in Brian De Palma's cult classic Phantom of the Paradise, passed on 14 April 2012 at the age of 69.

William Finley was born on 20 September 1942 in New York City. At the Collegiate School in New York City he worked as a theatrical set designer on school productions. He graduated from Columbia University. It was while he was doing graduate work at Sarah Lawrence College that he met director Brian De Palma. William Finley made his film debut in Mr. De Palma's short Woton's Wake, on which he also worked as a set designer.

Mr. Finley would also make his feature film debut in a movie directed by Brian De Palma, 1968's Murder à la Mod. Over the next few years he would appear in Mr. De Palma's films The Wedding Party (1969), Dionysus (1970), and Sisters (1973).  It was in 1974 that the film for which he was best known was released, Phantom of the Paradise. Phantom of the Paradise was a modernised, rock version of Phantom of the Opera, with elements of Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray thrown in for good measure. In the film William Finley played singer and composer Winslow Leach, who after his face is damaged by a record press, takes revenge on the music mogul (Swan, played by Paul Williams) who wronged him. The movie received mixed reviews and bombed at the box office upon its initial release, but go onto develop a cult following and also grow in reputation as well.

Following Phantom of the Paradise, Mr. Finley would appear in such films as Eaten Alive (1977), The Fury (1978), Wise Blood (1979), Simon (1980), Dressed to Kill (1980), The Funhouse (1981), Silent Rage (1982), Double Negative (1985), Night Terrors (1985), and The Black Dahlia (2006). On television he appeared in the TV movie Last Hours Before Morning as well as the shows Tales From the Crypt, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Masters of Horror.

William Finley also wrote the screenplay for the film The First Time (1985). With Marion Weinstein he co-wrote the book Racewalking, essentially a guide to the sport of racewalking.

William Finley was an actor who had a talent for playing roles that were somewhat left of centre. In this respect his role as Winslow Leach in Phantom of the Paradise was the rule, not the exception, to the sort of parts he played throughout his career. In Silent Rage he played the eccentric scientist Dr. Paul Vaughn. In Tobe Hooper's Eaten Alive he played the somewhat disturbed Roy. Mr. Finley was quite good at playing characters whose sanity was at times lacking, taking characters who could have been mere stereotypes and making them three dimensional. In this respect he was perfectly cast in Phantom of the Paradise. While it is the movie for which he was remembered, William Finley played many great roles throughout his career.